Schedule
Northwood (1-15, 1-7 G-MAC) at #8/10 Hillsdale (14-1, 7-1 G-MAC) | 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 12 | Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena | Hillsdale, Michigan
Ohio Dominican (5-9, 2-6 G-MAC) at #8/10 Hillsdale (14-1, 7-1 G-MAC) | 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14 | Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena | Hillsdale, Michigan
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Additional Info
Hillsdale Roster | Northwood Roster | ODU Roster | Hillsdale Stats | Northwood Stats | ODU Stats
Projected Starters
Hillsdale: #2 Kyle Goessler, Sr., F, Brunswick, OH/Brunswick (11.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.3 apg); #3 Jack Gohlke, Sr., G, Pewaukee, WI/Pewaukee (12.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.5 apg); #5 Cole Nau, Sr, G, Brookfield, WI/Central (6.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.2 spg); #20 Peter Kalthoff, Sr., F, Hillsdale, MI/Hillsdale Academy (12.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1 bpg); #33 Joe Reuter, So., F, Chippewa Falls, WI/Chippewa Falls (12.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 2.3 apg)
Northwood: #0 Xavier Bargesser, So., G, Grass Lake, MI/Grass Lake/Alma College (7.1 ppg, 4 rpg); #1 Christian Nunn, Fr., G, Indianapolis, IN/Crispus Attucks (4.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg); #4 Anthony Sanders, Jr., F, Saginaw, MI/Saginaw (7.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.4 spg); #12 Noah Pruitt, So., G, Okemos, MI/Okemos/Mid Michigan CC (5 ppg); #22 De'Arrius Ware, Jr., F, Muskegon, MI/Muskegon (7.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.1 bpg)
ODU: #5 Ethan Haynes, Sr., G, Florence, KY/Boone Co. (5.1 ppg, 2.5 rpg); #10 Zach Szul, Jr., G, Waterville, OH/Anthony Wayne (15.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.1 spg); #12 Sean Marks, Sr., G, Delaware, OH/Olentangy (8.5 ppg, 2.4 apg); #20 Nate Webb, Jr., F, Lafayette, IN/Central Catholic/Franklin U. (3.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg); #23 Keshawn Heard, Jr., C, Newark, OH/Newark/West Georgia (10.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg)
Scouting the Opposition
Northwood: The 2022-23 Timberwolves are as close to a blank slate as you can get -- of its 14 rostered players, only junior De'Arrius Ware returns from 2021-22.
With so much turnover, it's been a rocky ride so far for Northwood, as a mix of JuCo transfers and true freshmen learn how to play together. But there are signs the Timberwolves are starting to figure things out, including a 75-73 OT loss versus a tough Kentucky Wesleyan team in December.
Northwood has solid depth, with 12 players averaging 10 or more minutes on the season so far. Savon Wykle, the team's leading scorer at 10.4 points per game, comes off the bench, while junior forwards Anthony Sanders and Ware have also been critical contributors, along with Alma College transfer Xavier Bargresser.
Ware in particular has been a rim protector for the Timberwolves, leading the G-MAC with 2.1 blocked shots per game. Northwood has been decent defensively, but offense has been a work in progress, with the Timberwolves currently averaging just 54 points per game.
Northwood is coached by Lonnie Griffin, who's entering his third season in charge of the Timberwolves after six seasons as an assistant in Midland. Griffin alsospent four seasons ad the head coach at Delta College, and time as an assistant at Central Michigan, Alma and Grand Valley State.
Ohio Dominican: The Panthers are still searching for a winning formula after back-to-back seasons on the outside looking in of the G-MAC Tournament and the departure of All-G-MAC player Alek West.
Despite the loss of West and a 2-6 start in G-MAC play, the cupboard isn't bare at ODU, as the Panthers have a bonafide start in Zach Szul, the 2020-21 G-MAC Freshman of the Year who's been one of the league's top scorers so far.
West Georgia transfer Keshawn Heard has proven to be an excellent interior complement to Szul, while guards Sean Marks, Jarius Jones and Marcus Johnson give the team additional scoring punch from the perimeter.
A consistent problem for ODU has been scoring offense – the Panthers rank 10th in the G-MAC at 65.7 points per game, although recent results have shown improvement. The defense is also an issue as ODU ranks 10th in the G-MAC in scoring defense as well, with 73.8 points conceded per contest. That said, the Panthers have given several G-MAC contenders a scare, including Hillsdale in Columbus on Dec. 10.
ODU is coached by Kelly Winter, now in his fourth season leading the program. Prior to taking the top job, Winter was an assistant for the Panthers for five seasons. A former player at NCAA DIII Capital University, Winter also spent time as an assistant at Illinois Wesleyan prior to arriving at ODU.
Scouting the Chargers
A huge victory on Saturday over fellow G-MAC title contender Malone at home helped keep Hillsdale in first place in the conference standings with the halfway mark in league play approaching.
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 288-145 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
- Heading into the first meeting between Hillsdale and Northwood as conference foes since 2017, Hillsdale holds a 48-31 edge all time over the Timberwolves. The Chargers have won the last three meetings, including a 69-55 victory on Dec. 20, 2022. Hillsdale also holds an 18-5 lead over Ohio Dominican all-time and has won the last six meetings, including a 80-74 victory on Dec. 10 of this year. Before that stretch of six straight, however, ODU had won four of five in their most successful stretch in the series to date, from 2018 to 2020.
- At 7-1 in G-MAC play, Hillsdale is atop the standings in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. Ashland is the next closest chaser, a half-game behind the Chargers at 6-1 overall, while crosstown rivals Malone and Walsh are a game behind at 5-2 each. The Pioneers and Cavaliers are scheduled to play each other this weekend. You can find the full standings here.
- After starting the 2022-23 season unranked, Hillsdale was 8th in the nation in the most recent D2SIDA poll, and 10th in the NABC national rankings, making this the third consecutive season Hillsdale has spent time in the national top 25 rankings. Hillsdale has spent seven straight weeks in the national polls this 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 consistently been excellent at home under head coach John Tharp, finishing with just one home court loss three times (most recently 2020-21) and finishing with just two losses in Hillsdale three more times. 2022-23 has been no different, with Hillsdale going a perfect 7-0 in Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena so far. The Chargers are looking to become the first Hillsdale men's basketball team to go undefeated at home since the 2000-01 team went 14-0 in home contests.
- 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 15 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.
- 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 12.2 points per game and posted a career-high 23 points in a win over Ohio Dominican on Dec. 10, while Radisevic is chipping in 6.1 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 win over Tiffin on Thursday, Jan. 5 was one of the most impressively efficient offensive games by the Chargers in program history, as Hillsdale shot 66.1% (41-62) from the floor in a 95-63 victory. That shooting percentage is Hillsdale's best mark since going 23-33 (69.7) in a 85-74 win over Ashland in 2014. Of the 12 different players to attempt a shot for the Chargers against the Dragons, 11 shot 50% or better from the floor, including all five starters.
- Hillsdale's Kyle Goessler has been reliable at the free throw line throughout his career as a Charger, and his 83% 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 60.9 points per game, the top defense in the G-MAC and ninth in the nation at the DII level. They're accomplishing that feat by holding opponents to 41.5% shooting from the field, and to a 27.2% mark from 3-point range, the best in the G-MAC and fourth best in the nation. The Chargers also keep opponents from getting second-chance opportunities by conceding the second fewest rebounds per game (30.7) of any team in the G-MAC, and they also take care of the basketball, with a 1.57 assist to turnover ratio, the best in the G-MAC and ninth in the nation.
- 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 288 wins at Hillsdale, Tharp needs just 12 victories to become the first Charger men's basketball coach with 300 wins in program history, and he's only 9 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.
Photo by Charles Miller