Preview: Surging Chargers aim for strong finish on final road trip of regular season

Feb 21, 2024

Schedule

Hillsdale (16-8, 11-6 G-MAC) at Ohio Dominican (4-19, 1-15 G-MAC) | 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22 | Alumni Hall | Columbus, OH

Hillsdale (16-8, 11-6 G-MAC) at Findlay (10-14, 7-9 G-MAC) | 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24 | Niekamp Arena | Findlay, OH

Follow/Watch

Live Stats, Video, Tickets

Additional Info

Projected Starters

Hillsdale: #2 Ashton Janowski, So, G, Pewaukee, WI/Pewaukee (9.8 ppg); #4 Charles Woodhams, Jr., G, Otsego, MI/Otsego (13 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.6 apg); #22 Sam Vasiu, Sr., G, Grand Rapids, MI/NorthPointe Christian (7.4 ppg, 2 rpg, 1.3 spg); #31 CJ Yarian, So., F, Cleveland, OH/St. Ignatius (4.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.1 apg); #33 Joe Reuter, Jr., F, Chippewa Falls, WI/Chippewa Falls (15.5 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.2 spg)

ODU: #0 Lachlan MacDonald, Fr., G, Dublin, OH/Dublin Jerome (2.6 ppg); #2 Parker Swartz, Fr., F, Grand Rapids, MI/Northview (7.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg); #4 Sean McKitrick, Fr., G, Dayton, OH/Archbishop Carroll (16.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.1 apg); #10 Luke Ruth, Fr., G, Grove City, OH/Bishop Ready (15.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.6 spg); #20 Nate Webb, Sr., F, Cleveland, OH/Lakewood (6.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg)

Findlay: #2 Nathan Bruns, Sr., F, Maria Stein, OH/Marion Local (15.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.4 spg); #3 Will Aljancic, Fr, F, Louisville, OH/Louisville (8.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg); #12 Anthony Johnson, Fr, G, Kettering, OH/Fairmont (5.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.2 apg); #13 Joey Edmonds, Sr., G, Cincinnati, OH/Wyoming (8.5 ppg, 3.3 apg); #24 Cameron Shaw, Sr., G, Baltimore, MD/Loyola Blakefield/Ohio Valley U. (9.9 ppg)

Scouting the Opposition

ODU: After four straight seasons of sub .500 records and three seasons of missing the G-MAC Tournament, the Panthers are rebooting their program under new head coach Casey Kaufman.

Kaufman comes to ODU after a successful run at Malone, helping to lead the Pioneers to their only NCAA Tourney appearance. He'll do so with a near completely restructured roster that only returns one part-time starter, Nate Webb, and includes six freshmen and three transfers.

This new squad has shown some promise despite injuries robbing the Panthers of several important players. In particular, freshmen Parker Swartz, Sean McKitrick and Luke Ruth look like keepers who will continue to improve as they gain experience.

Despite the promise of the program's youth, Ohio Dominican has struggled to a 4-19 record this year as the team's lack of experience and depth has proven too much to overcome even with the Panthers putting up a tough fight in most contests. ODU has had its moments offensively but still boasts the worst points per game mark in the G-MAC at 63.9 points per game, while conceding 77.6 points per contest. That said, ODU is still dangerous at home, having beaten one of the league's better teams in overtime in Trevecca Nazarene earlier this month.

Findlay: The Oilers have had an up-and-down season in 2024, with several stirring wins against quality opponents but also tough losses that have left the team below .500 entering the final two weeks of the season. However, the Oilers still have a shot to make the G-MAC Tourney with a strong finish.

There's no denying Findlay's offensive ability, with an explosive and deep unit that regularly pushes the score into the 80s and beyond. Fifth-year seniors Nathan Bruns and Joey Edmonds, both multi-year starters and decorated performers, lead the way, as does veteran transfer Cameron Shaw, who was one of Ohio Valley's best players in the G-MAC before that school closed and is now doing the same for Findlay. A variety of young players, including freshmen Will Ajancic, Jagger Landers and Anthony Johnson, highlight a loaded bench that the Oilers lean heavily on, going 12 or more deep in many games.

While Findlay has been an above-average offensive team, they've struggled defensively, giving up 76 points a game and coming up short in too many shootouts. The Oilers do have multiple games this season where they've locked in and gotten the job done at that end of the floor, and doing that successfully down the stretch will be critical for Findlay's G-MAC Tourney hopes.

Findlay is coached by Charlie Ernst, now in his 13^th season in charge of the program, and he's kept the Oilers' legacy of excellent basketball going, with six NCAA Tourney Appearances, two regional finals appearances, and seven conference championships in that span.

Scouting the Chargers

The Hillsdale College Chargers have held their own in a brutal and stacked G-MAC race, staying in the mix for the conference title and entering the stretch run with an 11-6 G-MAC record. With just three games remaining in the regular season, Hillsdale is in a solid position to snag a top four seed in the G-MAC Tournament with a solid finish, and potentially a share of the G-MAC title if other results break their way.

While this season does mark a new beginning for Hillsdale, there's plenty of continuity with the program's recent successes and the foundation built over the past two decades. Before taking the head job this past spring, Bradley spent three seasons as Hillsdale's associate head coach, helping guide the program to a 2020-21 G-MAC title, three 20-plus win seasons and NCAA Tournament appearances, two Sweet 16 appearances, and a 2022 NCAA DII Midwest Regional title and Elite Eight appearance. His background makes him very familiar with the Chargers program and how to keep things rolling.

And while Hillsdale bid farewell to four starters this offseason, several important players return for Bradley in the 2023-24 season, led by the lone starting holdover, junior Joe Reuter, who earned second-team All-G-MAC honors while averaging 12.5 points and six rebounds per game for a 23-win Chargers squad in 2022-23. While Reuter has had a role to play for the Chargers since his first day on campus, this season will be a big chance for the junior to take on a key leadership role with the squad as an upperclassman.

Along with Reuter, Hillsdale also brings back a trio of important substitutes from 2022-23 who look poised to compete for starting roles. Guards Charles Woodhams, a redshirt junior, and Ashton Janowski, a true sophomore, were big in moments off the bench for Hillsdale last season and should see their roles increase in 2023-24, while fellow guards Samuel Vasiu and Cole McWhinnie should take on bigger roles as well.

In the paint, Radisevic could step in as the Chargers' post presence after serving as the first big man off the bench in last year's rotation. Redshirt sophomore Walt Mattingly should also see a bigger role, as will redshirt freshmen C.J. Yarian and Garrett Bolte, who will both see their first collegiate action this season.

Hillsdale should also get some quality minutes from a five-player freshman class. Guards Logan Beaston and Mikey McCollum were both proficient scorers at the high school level and could bring some offensive punch, while Caleb Glaser and Connor Stonebraker will get a chance to break into the lineup in the post as well.

A young Chargers squad is looking to keep alive a string of six consecutive seasons with 19 or more wins, a stretch that includes four NCAA Tournament appearances and two G-MAC titles despite tough competition from a league that is rising rapidly in talent and accolades.

Matchup History

Against ODU, the Chargers are 20-5 overall and have won eight straight against the Panthers, reestablishing control of the series after ODU had won four of five in 2018 and 2019. The Chargers won a previous meeting with the Panthers this season, 60-54, on Dec. 2, 2023.
One of the top programs in the Midwest Region at the NCAA DII level, Findlay has dominated the series with Hillsdale historically, leading 57-13 all-time. However, since the 2018-19 season, the series has been extremely tight, with the two teams tied at five wins apiece in the last 10 games, including a split last season. Findlay and Hillsdale will finish the 2023-24 campaign with back-to-back contests against each other.

Other Notes

The Chargers were picked to finish sixth in the G-MAC Preseason Poll released in late October. Defending G-MAC Tournament Champion Ashland was picked to win the league, and 2022-23 regular season champion Walsh was picked to finish second. Since joining the league in 2017-18, Hillsdale has never finished worse than third in the final G-MAC standings.
Hillsdale is looking to continue an impressive run of recent success over the last six seasons that includes two G-MAC Championships, four 20-plus win campaigns, four NCAA DII Tournament berths, two Sweet 16 appearances, and a Midwest Regional title and Elite Eight appearance in 2021-22. The Chargers have had 21 or more wins in each of the last three seasons, and made an unprecedented three straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
Hillsdale's lone graduating senior, Samuel Vasiu, was honored before last Saturday's contest against Ashland. Vasiu is having the best season of his career for the Chargers in 2023-24, and in particular, he's made a huge impact for Hillsdale at the defensive end. Through 24 games, he's tied for tenth among all G-MAC players with an impressive 1.3 steals per game.
Junior Joe Reuter is fast approaching an important milestone – with 979 points in his career to date, Reuter enters the weekend needing just 21 points to reach 1,000 for his career. The G-MAC Freshman of the Year in 2021-22 and a second team All-G-MAC honoree in 2022-23, Reuter averaged 12.5 points and six rebounds per game last year as a key player for Hillsdale, and is having an excellent year this season, averaging over 15 points and six rebounds in 24 games this season, and setting a career high with 30 points in an 89-71 win over Lake Erie on Saturday, Feb. 10.
Junior Charles Woodhams made an impact off the bench for the Chargers last season, with six double digit scoring games and a season-high of 18 points against Cedarville on Dec. 1. Now in the starting lineup for the Chargers, he's starting to put up those big numbers on a nightly basis. The Otsego, Michigan native is averaging 13 points per game and scored a career high 26 points in a tight victory over Lake Erie to open conference play on Nov. 30.
Redshirt freshman CJ Yarian put together a special performance in his debut for the Chargers, recording 15 rebounds and eight assists in Hillsdale's 71-65 victory over Wayne State on Friday, Nov. 10. It's the most combined rebounds and assists in a single game by a Charger since Matt Mlynarchek put up 16 rebounds and seven assists against Mercyhurst on Jan. 20, 2003, over 20 years ago. The younger brother of three-time All-G-MAC player Austen Yarian, CJ figures to be an important part of the rotation for the Chargers in 2023-24.

The Chargers clamped down in a historic way on opponent Tiffin in a 73-35 road win on Thursday, Feb. 1. The 35 points given up by Hillsdale in that contest are the fewest conceded by a Charger squad since a 65-31 win over U of M Dearborn on Nov. 11, 2011, over a decade ago. Hillsdale's all-time record for fewest points conceded in a contest is 5 in a 12-5 pre-shot clock era win over Saginaw Valley State in 1981.

A consistent theme in the Chargers' success over the last six seasons has been excellent 3-point defense. Through 20 games, Hillsdale once again ranks among the leaders in opponent 3-point percentage in both the G-MAC and nationally, with the Chargers' mark of 29.6% ranking first in the G-MAC and seventh in the nation among all NCAA DII teams. That's helped Hillsdale hold opponents to 63.8 points per game, second in the G-MAC and ninth in the nation as well.