2022-23 All-G-MAC men's basketball teams
Great balance has defined the Hillsdale College men's basketball team throughout the 2022-23 season.
On Friday afternoon, that balance showcased itself once again in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference's end of season award.
Four Hillsdale players earned All-G-MAC honors, the most of any team in the G-MAC this season, while two of those players also earned spots on the conference's All-Defensive team as well. All four Hillsdale players earned All-G-MAC team recognition for the first time in their careers on Friday.
Two seniors represented the Chargers on the 10-player All-G-MAC first team. Center Peter Kalthoff earned first team recognition from the conference in his first season as a starter for the Chargers, while also becoming one of six conference players to earn a spot on the All-Defensive team at the same time. Kalthoff had a breakout season for Hillsdale after entering the 2022-23 campaign with just 132 minutes played in his career, quickly becoming one of the top post presences in the G-MAC while finishing second on the team in scoring (13.7 points per game) and leading the Chargers in rebounds per game (7.1) and blocks per game (0.9) as well.
The senior center finished the year with seven double-doubles, including a 29 point, 10 rebound double-double in an 87-69 win over Northwood on Jan. 12 and a 20 point, 10 rebound double-double in a 90-64 win at Malone on Feb. 16. For the season, Kalthoff currently ranks 11th in the G-MAC in points per game, fifth in rebounds per game, fourth in field goal percentage (.539) and eighth in blocks per game. His work as a defensive presence inside also has been a difference maker for the Chargers, who boast the second-best scoring defense in the G-MAC and 13th best in the country this season.
Also making the first team for the Chargers is senior Jack Gohlke, who has continued to explode offensively after a red-hot final 18 games of the 2021-22 season. Gohlke is Hillsdale's leading scorer at 13.8 points per game and has become the most feared sharpshooter in the G-MAC, hitting 90 3-pointers this season, the most in the Midwest Region and tied for the ninth-most in the nation, at 40.7% clip. The senior tied a Hillsdale and G-MAC record by going 10 of 19 from 3-point range in an 82-73 loss to Ashland on Feb. 2, and has four games of six or more 3-pointers in 2022-23.
Gohlke also has made huge strides as a rebounder, averaging a career-high 4.4 per game as a senior, and as a defender to help lead the Chargers to a 23-5 mark this season. He ranks 10th in the G-MAC in points per game, third in 3-point percentage and first in total 3-pointers made. The senior's 90 3-pointers are also third all-time by a Charger in a single season, and his 176 3-pointers rank eighth in Charger history for the career mark.
Two Hillsdale players made the second team, led by senior Kyle Goessler, who also earned All-Defensive team honors. The senior guard from Brunswick, Ohio has been a vital contributor for the Chargers, averaging 11.2 points per game while shooting 53.1% from the floor, 43.2% from 3-point range, and 84.3% from the free throw line with significant volumes in all three categories. Goessler leads the Chargers in minutes played on the season, averaging 33.4 per game, and is Hillsdale's top perimeter defender. His 84.3% career free-throw percentage also ranks sixth all-time in Hillsdale history.
Joining Goessler on the second team is sophomore Joe Reuter, who earns his first All-G-MAC honor a year after being named the conference's Freshman of the Year in 2021-22. Reuter had an excellent year in his first season as a starter for the Chargers, averaging 12.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game to play a vital role in the Chargers' success, while also serving as an impact defender for the Chargers.
Hillsdale is 23-5 on the season and still battling for a G-MAC Tournament crown as the three seed tonight, taking on second-seeded Ashland in a G-MAC semifinal contest in North Canton, Ohio at 7:30 p.m. Win or lose, the Chargers also are in a strong position to reach the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive year when the field is announced on Sunday, March 5 at 11 p.m. as well.
Photos by David Dermer