Schedule
#4/5 Hillsdale (12-0, 5-0 G-MAC) at Lake Erie (6-5, 3-2 G-MAC) | 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31 | Osborne Center | Painesville, Ohio
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Additional Info
Hillsdale Roster | Lake Erie Roster | Hillsdale Stats | Lake Erie Stats
Projected Starters
Hillsdale: #2 Kyle Goessler, Sr., F, Brunswick, OH/Brunswick (11.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.5 apg); #3 Jack Gohlke, Sr., G, Pewaukee, WI/Pewaukee (13.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.6 apg); #5 Cole Nau, Sr, G, Brookfield, WI/Central (6.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.1 spg); #20 Peter Kalthoff, Sr., F, Hillsdale, MI/Hillsdale Academy (11.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg); #33 Joe Reuter, So., F, Chippewa Falls, WI/Chippewa Falls (12.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 2.6 apg)
Lake Erie: #2 PJ Jones, Sr., G, Grove City, OH/Grove City (10.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.1 apg, 1 spg); #4 Jacob Plantz, Jr., G, Genoa, OH/Genoa (7.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.1 spg); #12 Caleb Piks, So., F, Mentor, OH/Mentor (6.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg); #15 Leon Hughes, So, F, Toledo, OH/Whitmer (8.1 ppg, 2.7 rpg); #34 Jonny Manning, So., F/C, Grafton, OH/Midview (15.7 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 1.8 bpg)
Scouting the Opposition
Lake Erie: After two years of missing the G-MAC Tournament, the Storm look on track to be in the field this season thanks to a solid start to the 2022-23 season.
Lake Erie returned five players who started at least 13 games last season and that experience, paired with continued player development, has given the Storm a deep and formidable squad. The biggest leap has come from sophomore center Jonny Manning, who looks like a potential first-team All-G-MAC player after averaging nearly a double-double in 11 games so far.
The healthy return of guard PJ Jones, who missed most of last season with an injury, gives Lake Erie a dependable hand at the point as well. Along with its current starters, Lake Erie can bring a couple of dangerous weapons off the bench in Notre Dame College transfer Jordan Burton and Toledo transfer Jordan Burge. Veteran post player Kevin Peterson plays an important role as well.
The Storm are among the G-MAC's best offensive rebounding teams and protect the paint well with 3.45 blocks per game, led by Manning's strong interior performance. That's helped Lake Erie pull off big wins already this season, including handing G-MAC title contender Malone its only conference loss.
Lake Erie is coached by Kyle Conley, who is in his seventh season in charge at Lake Erie. Conley has made the Storm a tough out in the G-MAC during his tenure, guiding Lake Erie to conference tournament appearances three times and a semifinal appearance in 2017-18.
Scouting the Chargers
The Chargers are off to a 12-0 start, the team's best record to open the season since 2010-11. Hillsdale has displayed impressive balance so far that should serve them well as the Chargers make their way through the challenging grind of the conference schedule.
The challenge entering 2022-23 for the Chargers was to remain among the elite in the Midwest Region while replacing several key players in the frontcourt. Hillsdale no longer has the only two-time first team All-American in program history as Patrick Cartier has graduated, and also gone are perennial All-G-MAC forward Austen Yarian and key defensive stopper Tavon Brown.
While those shoes are tough to fill, Hillsdale has shown it has plenty of talent and experience to draw on during an impressive start to the 2022-23 campaign. Hillsdale's entire starting backcourt returned intact and those three seniors – point guard Cole Nau and wings Kyle Goessler and Jack Gohlke – have taken on an increased scoring load while also providing key stability and veteran leadership
Also returning is sophomore forward Joe Reuter, who came on after the Christmas Break to become the Chargers' sixth man, and earn G-MAC Freshman of the Year honors in his first collegiate season in 2021-22. Now a starter in 2022-23, Reuter has lived up to that potential so far, turning in big performances at both ends of the floor while averaging double figures and leading Hillsdale in rebounding
In the post, veterans Peter Kalthoff and Eric Radisevic have been just what the Chargers were looking for as an interior tandem, as Hillsdale looks to offset some of the lost production from the graduation of its top three post players from last season.
On top of balanced scoring from its starters, the Chargers bench is beginning to perform at a high level as well. Sophomore Charles Woodhams has three double-figure scoring outings this season, all off the bench, giving Hillsdale credible depth. Noah Applegate and Ashton Janowski are also part of the bench rotation for the Chargers.
Directing the Chargers for the 16th straight season is head coach John Tharp, who is the all-time winningest coach in program history with a 286-144 record. Returning on Hillsdale's bench this year for a third season is associate head coach Keven Bradley, and he will be joined by first-year assistant John Cheng.
Other Notes
- The Chargers are 20-2 all-time against Lake Erie and have won six straight against the Storm, including 79-69 and 79-67 wins within four days of each other last season. The Storm's last win against Hillsdale came in a 53-52 final on Feb. 16, 2019.
- At 5-0 in G-MAC play, Hillsdale is the last remaining undefeated team in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. Two teams sit a game behind Hillsdale at 4-1 – Ashland and Malone. Five more teams have two conference losses, including preseason favorite Walsh. You can find the full standings here.
- After starting the 2022-23 season unranked, Hillsdale was fifth in the nation in the most recent D2SIDA poll, and fourth in the NABC national rankings, making this the third consecutive season Hillsdale has spent time in the national top 25 rankings. Hillsdale's ranking of fourth in the NABC poll matches the high-water mark in the NABC rankings in program history, last reached by the Chargers on Jan. 11, 2011. The Chargers were ranked as high as third in the D2SIDA poll last season.
- Hillsdale has a chance to do something special this year, coming into the season off of back-to-back 20-plus win campaigns. The Chargers have never had three consecutive 20-win seasons in the NCAA DII era, and not since a stretch of four straight from 1977-81 in its NAIA era. Hillsdale also is looking to make an unprecedented third-straight NCAA Tournament after qualifying in both 2021 and 2022.
- The Chargers have won 19 or more games in five consecutive seasons, but it's been over a decade since Hillsdale has opened the season 12-0. The last time was in 2010-11, when Hillsdale jumped out to a 13-0 start behind high scoring wings Brent Eaton and Brad Guinane, as well as steady point guard Tyler Gerber. Those 13 straight wins to begin the season are a program record, but this year's squad has a chance to match that mark this Saturday with a win over the Storm.
- Hillsdale is one of just six unbeaten teams remaining in the country, along with fellow 2022 NCAA DII Elite Eight participants Indiana (PA), Nova Southeastern and Black Hills State, as well as the team the Chargers beat in the 2022 Midwest Regional final, Missouri-St. Louis, and Young Harris College of Georgia.
- In dealing with the graduation of All-American center Patrick Cartier, the Chargers have replaced one of the best players in program history with impressive offensive balance. Five different Chargers have led Hillsdale in scoring in the first 12 games, and four players are averaging 10 or more points per game, with point guard Cole Nau and reserves Charles Woodhams and Eric Radisevic each chipping in over six points a game as well. The ability to get significant scoring punch from all five positions is helping the Chargers pose real problems for defenses so far in the 2022-23 season.
- The Chargers tied a program record on Dec. 10 at Ohio Dominican that pays testament to their offensive efficiency in that 80-74 win. Hillsdale committed just three turnovers in that contest against the Panthers, tying the program single-game record set against Northwood on Nov. 29, 2012, 10 years ago. Taking care of the ball is a huge part of the Chargers' success – Hillsdale averages a 1.70 assist to turnover ratio, the top mark in the G-MAC and the fourth best in the nation.
- Centers Peter Kalthoff and Eric Radisevic barely saw the court before this season, with just a combined 179 minutes played in the last three years, but have done an admirable job filling the void in the middle left by Cartier. Kalthoff is averaging 11.8 points per game and posted a career-high 23 points in a win over Ohio Dominican on Dec. 10, while Radisevic is chipping in 6.2 points per contest off the bench for the Chargers. Both players should only continue improving with more playing time as the season goes on.
- Hillsdale's Kyle Goessler has been reliable at the free throw line throughout his career as a Charger, and his 82.9% percentage from the charity stripe to date ranks seventh all-time in Hillsdale history among men's basketball players with at least 100 made free throws – just ahead of recent program greats Stedman Lowry (82.8%) and Nate Neveau (82.3%), and behind former teammate Dylan Lowry (83.8%)
- Over 16 years, there are certain hallmarks that successful Charger basketball teams have in common under head coach John Tharp, and the 2022-23 squad is no different. Through 12 games, the Chargers are giving up just 59.5 points per game, the top defense in the G-MAC and sixth in the nation at the DII level. They're accomplishing that feat by holding opponents to 40.7% shooting from the field, and to a 25.6% mark from 3-point range, the second-best in the G-MAC. The Chargers also keep opponents from getting second-chance opportunities by conceding the fewest rebounds per game (31) of any team in the G-MAC.
- Already the winningest head coach in Hillsdale College history, Tharp is fast approaching two major career milestones that he could potentially reach this season if the Chargers have another special year. At 286 wins at Hillsdale, Tharp needs just 14 victories to become the first Charger men's basketball coach with 300 wins in program history, and he's only 11 wins away from becoming the 20th active coach at the NCAA DII level to reach 500 wins for his career as well. Although neither mark will be easy to reach, it's something worth keeping an eye on as the season progresses, especially as Hillsdale has gotten off to a strong start.