Schedule
UM-Dearborn (2-2, 0-0 WHAC) at Hillsdale (2-0, 0-0 G-MAC) | 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 16 | Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena | Hillsdale, MI
Hillsdale (2-0, 0-0 G-MAC) at Northern Michigan (2-2, 0-0 GLIAC) | 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 21 | Berry Events Center | Marquette, MI
Follow/Watch
Additional Info
Hillsdale Roster | UM-Dearborn Roster | NMU Roster | 2023-24 Hillsdale Stats | 2023-24 UM-Dearborn Stats | 2023-24 NMU Stats
Projected Starters
Hillsdale: #2 Ashton Janowski, So, G, Pewaukee, WI/Pewaukee (9.5 ppg); #4 Charles Woodhams, Jr., G, Otsego, MI/Otsego (19.5 ppg, 4 rpg); #14 Walt Mattingly, So., F, Fort Mitchell, KY/Lake Forest (4 ppg, 2.5 rpg); #31 CJ Yarian, So., F, Cleveland, OH/St. Ignatius (3.5 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 4.5 apg); #33 Joe Reuter, Jr., F, Chippewa Falls, WI/Chippewa Falls (17 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 4 apg, 1.5 spg)
UM-Dearborn: #0 Troy Campbell, Jr., G, Lincoln Park, MI/Woodhaven (11 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 5 apg, 1.5 spg); #1 Jackson Reynolds, Fr, G, Canton, MI/Divine Child (22 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1 spg); #5 Joshua Warren, Jr., G, Woodhaven, MI/WCCCD (16.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 4.3 apg, 1.8 spg); #10 Jimmy Breaux, Jr, F, Wyandotte, MI/Roosevelt (16.3 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.5 bpg); #22 Thomas Dillard IV, So., F, Kalamazoo, MI/Kalamazoo Central (5.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.5 spg)
Northern Michigan: #3 Max Weisbrod, So., G, DeForest, WI/DeForest (17 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 4 apg, 1.3 spg); #5 Carson Smith, Jr. G, Menomonee Falls, WI/Hamilton Sussex (15 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.5 spg); #21 Sam Schultz, Jr. Aurora, IL/Oswego East (11.8 ppg, 11 rpg); #24 Brian Parzych, Jr., G, Milwaukee, WI/Wauwatosa East (10.7 ppg, 3 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.3 spg, 1 bpg); #25 Dylan Kuehl, So., F, Iron Ridge, WI/Hustisford (15.5 ppg, 7 rpg, 2.8 apg)
Scouting the Opposition
UM-Dearborn: The Wolverines went 4-24 last year but are already halfway to matching their win total just four games into 2023-24 thanks to a 2-2 start.
An NAIA Squad and Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference member, U of M Dearborn plays an up-tempo style that scores lots of points and forces turnovers, with the Wolverines creating 10.5 steals a game. That's borne out in the scoring, as UM-Dearborn has broken 100 once already this season and gone over 75 points in all four games.
Holdovers Troy Campbell , Jimmy Breaux and Thomas Dillard IV have been bolstered by the additions of JuCo transfer Joshua Warren and sharpshooting freshman Jackson Reynolds, who are combining to average nearly 40 points a game so far for the Wolverines. Wingate transfer Yassin Mohamed and JuCo transfer Andrew Leamy are adding solid minutes off the bench for UM-Dearborn so far.
The Wolverines are coached by Domenic Policicchio III, who is now in his third season at UM-Dearborn. Policicchio is aiming for a breakthrough in year three after two single-digit win seasons, and looks like he might have the team to accomplish it so far. A Walsh graduate, Policicchio came to UM-Dearborn after an impressive run at nearby Orchard Lake St. Mary High School.
Northern Michigan: The fast-paced Wildcats have had several great battles with Hillsdale over the past few seasons, including a thrilling 86-81 shootout in last season's NCAA Tournament that went Northern Michigan's way.
While the Wildcats have a huge hole to fill with the loss of star guard Max Bjorklund to graduation, all four other starters return from a team that won the GLIAC Tournament title and 25 games last season, starting with high scoring sophomore guards Dylan Kuehl and Max Weisbrod, who were important contributors to last year's squad and have taken on leading roles early on this season.
Northern Michigan also has a strong contributor in the post in Sam Schultz, who's averaging a double-double so far, and two more perimeter players with strong offensive games in Brian Parzych and Carson Smith. Two freshmen are providing quality production off the bench in Casey Verhagen and Riley Brooks, and sophomore Sam Privet spells Schultz when he takes a break.
With a four-guard offense, Northern Michigan loves to push the pace and the program shares the ball at a high level as well, with strong assist numbers throughout the lineup. The Wildcats love to get opponents in shootouts and are averaging 84.8 points per game, making them a tough test for the Chargers defensively.
Scouting the Chargers
It's a new era for the Hillsdale College men's basketball team, as new head coach Keven Bradley begins the 2023-24 era with four new starters on the court after the Chargers graduated six seniors from the 2022-23 squad.
But while it is 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 Sam 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
- Hillsdale is undefeated in nine meetings with UM-Dearborn since 2002, most recently topping the Wolverines 84-50 in a contest played on Dec. 29, 2012. The closest meeting between the two squads came in 2004, when Hillsdale won a 78-68 contest.
- Northern Michigan leads the series with Hillsdale 30-24 since the two teams' first meeting in 1975, but Hillsdale has a 14-4 edge since 2008. The two teams split last year's meetings, with Hillsdale taking a 74-53 victory in the first contest, and NMU getting its revenge with an 86-81 victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
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.
- While Hillsdale graduated four starters and three All-G-MAC players from last season's 23 win team, the Chargers do have significant returning talent, led by junior Joe Reuter. 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. With a young squad in 2023-24, the Chargers will lean heavily on his experience and leadership.
- 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 19.5 points per game and scored a career high 21 points in a 90-75 win over Saginaw Valley State last Sunday, giving a young Hillsdale squad much needed punch offensively.
- 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 last Friday. 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.