Schedule
Hillsdale (15-4, 9-2 G-MAC) at Cedarville (8-9, 3-7 G-MAC) | 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30 | Callan Athletic Center | Cedarville, OH
Kentucky Wesleyan (14-4, 8-2 G-MAC) at Hillsdale (15-4, 9-2 G-MAC) | 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1 | Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena | Hillsdale, MI
 
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Additional Info
Hillsdale Roster | Cedarville Roster | KWC Roster | Hillsdale Stats | Cedarville Stats | KWC Stats | G-MAC Standings | G-MAC Stats

 
Projected Starters
Hillsdale: #2 Ashton Janowski, Jr, G, Pewaukee, WI/Pewaukee (10.8 ppg, 2.4 apg); #4 Charles Woodhams, Sr., G, Otsego, MI/Otsego (13.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.4 apg); #30 Logan Beaston, rFr., G, Tiffin, OH/Columbian (7.2 ppg); #33 Joe Reuter, Sr., F, Chippewa Falls, WI/Chippewa Falls (12.1 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 3 apg, 1.6 spg); #35 Eric Radisevic, Sr., F, Brookfield, WI/Central (8.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg)
 
Cedarville: #1 Sam Johnson, Fr., F, Worthington, OH/Worthington Christian (12.8 ppg, 5,7 rpg); #2 Anthony Ruffolo, So., G, Dayton, OH/Archbishop Alter (11.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 3.1 apg, 1.1 spg); #11 Timothy Davis, Sr., G, Cologne, Germany/Winchendon (5.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg); #12 Ethan Sellars, Jr., G, Ashland, KY/Paul G. Blazer (8.5 ppg, 2.8 apg, 1.2 spg); #22 Tymoteusz Pszczola, So., C, Lublin, Poland, Akademickie Iiceum (9.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.1 apg)
 
KWC: #0 Quentin Toles, Jr., G, Canton, OH/Walsh/Lynn (16.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg); #2 Kennedy Miles, Sr., G, Burlington, NC/Lawson State CC (11.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg); #12 Edward Jones Jr., Sr., F, New Orleans, LA/Indianapolis Pike (8.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.1 spg); #19 Fatih Huyuk, Jr., F/C, Ankara, Turkey/Southwestern Iowa (6.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.1 spg); #33 Logan McIntyre, Jr., G/F, Ramsey, IN/Evansville (9.2 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.5 spg)

 
Scouting the Opposition
Cedarville: The Yellow Jackets team that plays host to Hillsdale on Thursday night is one that is desperate for a victory to pull itself together, as a 7-2 start has collapsed into a 1-6 mark in the new year that's sent Cedarville tumbling down the G-MAC standings. Now, a young squad that had a promising start must quickly find its form again or risk missing the G-MAC tournament for the first time in seven seasons.
   
With several holes to fill after graduation hit Cedarville hard this offseason, first-year head coach Rob Jones added two impact freshmen in guards Jaylen Davis and Sam Johnson. The pair are averaging a combined 28.2 points per game and have been the engine driving Cedarville's offense.
 
Cedarville is surrounding that duo with a veteran supporting cast, including sharpshooting guards Kyle Thomas and Ethan Sellars, playmaker Anthony Ruffalo and solid big men Tymoteusz Pszczola and David Okpara, all multi-year players for the Yellow Jackets.
   
Jones comes to Cedarville with Division I experience as an associate head coach with both Liberty and Richmond, helping guide both programs to NCAA Tournament berths. An alumnus of Toccoa Falls College, Jones also spent time at Alabama-Huntsville as an assistant coach.
 
Kentucky Wesleyan: It's back-to-back weekends with a huge home showdown for Hillsdale as defending G-MAC champion Kentucky Wesleyan comes to town this Saturday.
 
The Panthers are also in urgent need of a win, trailing league-leading Findlay by a game after a couple of unexpected upset losses early in the season.
 
KWC brought back four of five starters from last year's title-winning team, led by talented lead guard Kennedy Miles and skilled forward Edward Jones, Jr., both familiar faces. Two additional starters from last year, Alex Gray and Kaeveon Mitchell, now come off the bench as former Walsh player Quentin Toles and Evansville transfer Logan McIntire have moved into the lineup.
 
The Panthers plugged their only real hole with two talented JuCo transfers, playmaking big man Fatih Huyuk, and his backup, Terrence Ringo, Jr. 
 
KWC has the offensive and defensive profile of one of the Midwest's top teams, but have been inconsistent at times this year, leading to a couple of strange losses. Still, when the Panthers are locked in at both ends, there are few teams with as much potential upside in the region.

 
Scouting the Chargers
While a loss to nationally-ranked Findlay at home last Saturday doesn't wreck Hillsdale's hopes of winning the G-MAC title, it does put pressure on the Chargers to have a strong next six games against a tough schedule in order to keep pace with Oilers in the title race, and improve their standing in the Midwest Region.

Despite a young squad with only one returning starter in 2023-24, the Hillsdale College men's basketball team put together a solid campaign, winning 18 games and keeping a streak of seven straight top four G-MAC finishes intact.

Now, as the calendar turns from the 2024-25 season, last year's young squad at Hillsdale becomes one of the most veteran teams in the G-MAC, and a serious contender for the G-MAC crown and a potential return trip to the NCAA Tournament after a year's absence.

Entering this winter, the Chargers go from returning only one starter to returning four of five starters, and 11 of 13 players that appeared in at least one game in the 2023-24 season. Leading the way is senior forward Joe Reuter, a two-time All-G-MAC selection who's entering his third year as a starter and one of just three first-team All-G-MAC players from a year ago who are back for the 2024-25 season.

Reuter led Hillsdale in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals and blocks last season and should be one of the top players in the conference. He'll be flanked by two more returning double-digit scorers in guards Charles Woodhams, a fifth-year senior, and Ashton Janowski, a junior. Both players came into their own last season as starters and scoring threats and give Hillsdale great toughness and continuity up front.

An area where the Chargers are hoping for major improvement is in the paint. Starting center CJ Yarian returns after a solid first season on the court for Hillsdale, while fellow sophomores Caleb Glaser and Garrett Bolte gained great experience off the bench and will look to continue growing as sophomores. The unit will get a big boost from a healthy Eric Radisevic, who contributed last year but was limited for much of the season by injuries. Now entering 2024-25 fully recovered, Radisevic could make a big impact for the Chargers, who lacked offensive punch from the center position at points in 2023-24 and could jump to another level as a team with better production down low.

Two players who could see their role grow as Hillsdale looks to replace the graduated Samuel Vasiu are sharpshooting sophomore Mikey McCollum and junior point guard Cole McWhinnie, both of whom excelled in substitute roles in 2023-24 and who will compete for more minutes this season.

Additionally, don't count out two players coming off their redshirt years this season. Guard Logan Beaston and post Connor Stonebraker are both skilled offensive players and have the talent to carve out roles of their own on an experienced squad, while further bolstering the Chargers' depth.

Head coach Keven Bradley returns for his second season at the helm after a solid first season, and brings back assistant Evan Morrissey for a second year, while adding Michigan native Travis Schuba to the coaching staff for this campaign as well.

 
Matchup History

• The Chargers are 17-2 all-time against Cedarville, but the record doesn't do justice to what has generally been a competitive series filled with close games, including multiple overtime contests in recent years. The two teams split a pair of meetings in 2024, with Cedarville winning at home 68-56 on Jan. 27, and the Chargers taking the rematch 76-68 on their home floor on Feb. 15. This season, however, Hillsdale dominated the Yellow Jackets in a one-sided 77-49 beatdown on Jan. 11, and will look to complete the sweep on the road this Thursday.
• Hillsdale and Kentucky Wesleyan have battled to an 8-8 draw in 16 meetings entering this weekend, starting first with a battle between the two programs in the 2001 NCAA Tournament. The Chargers have won five of the last six meetings to eliminate the gap with the Panthers in the series, including an 80-60 victory at home over Kentucky Wesleyan last season in the most recent meeting. KWC's last win over Hillsdale was a 72-71 victory in the 2022-23 season.

 
Other Notes

• The Chargers were picked to finish second in the G-MAC Preseason Poll released in late October, with four first place votes. Defending champion Kentucky Wesleyan was picked to repeat, while defending G-MAC Tournament champion Walsh was picked to finish third. Since joining the league in 2017-18, Hillsdale has never finished lower than third in the final standings. Currently, Hillsdale is second in the G-MAC standings, a game behind Findlay, their opponent this Saturday, and a game ahead of Kentucky Wesleyan.
• Hillsdale remains in the national rankings in both the coaches and media polls this week, sitting receiving votes in the coaches and media polls after a 15-4 start. This is the 10th straight week the Chargers have been mentioned in a national poll. Hillsdale is one of seven teams in the Midwest Region ranked or receiving votes in the NABC Coaches Poll, including Missouri S&T (5^th), G-MAC foe Findlay (9^th), Lake Superior St. (11^th), Ferris St. (15^th), Upper Iowa (RV) and Michigan Tech (RV).
• Hillsdale returns four starters from last year's squad, headlined by returning All-G-MAC honoree Joe Reuter. The senior forward is a third-year starter and a two-time All-Conference player who also was named G-MAC Freshman of the Year for the 2021-22 season. Along with high scoring guards Ashton Janowski and Charles Woodhams, Reuter has been a key piece for Hillsdale so far, averaging 12.1 points per game while ranking fifth in the G-MAC in rebounds per game (7.2), 10^th in assists per game (3), sixth in blocked shots per game (0.8), second in steals per game (1.6) and ninth in free throw percentage (.771). Reuter also is working his way up the all-time lists statistically at Hillsdale, as his 1,256 career points rank 25^th all time, and he surpassed the 500-rebound milestone earlier this season.
• Sophomore Mikey McCollum has been a huge asset for the Chargers off the bench, keeping Hillsdale's second unit humming at a high level offensively even without the starters on the floor. McCollum is averaging 11.7 points per game, third most on the team, thanks to 34 made 3-pointers and a strong performance at the foul line.  Freshman Logan Beaston has been prolific from deep as well, with a team-leading 39 made 3-pointers in his first collegiate campaign.
• The Chargers are playing at a high level so far at both ends of the floor, averaging 77.2 points per game offensively, and ranking first in the G-MAC and 11th in the nation in scoring defense at 64.1 points per game. Hillsdale's 14-points-per-game scoring margin on opponents currently ranks 13th in NCAA DII.
• Hillsdale is known for its excellent 3-point defense, and last year's team was the best the Chargers have had at it since the 3-point line was introduced. Teams shot just 29.3% from deep on Hillsdale last season, the lowest among G-MAC squads and in the top 10 nationally. So far, through 19 games, Hillsdale has gone even lower, conceding just 28.5% from beyond the arc, which ranks first in the G-MAC by a significant margin and seventh in NCAA DII so far.
• Another facet of Hillsdale's excellent defense is its ability to control the defensive glass. The Chargers concede a G-MAC best 29.7 rebounds per game to opponents, sixth fewest at the NCAA DII level. The Chargers are also among league leaders in blocked shots this year, averaging 3.11 per game with 11 of 13 players who've seen the court recording at least one block for the Chargers.
• Hillsdale prioritizes taking care of the basketball and passing to set up quality shots, and that's reflected in the team's strong assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.53, the 17^th best mark nationally. That emphasis has helped the Chargers become one of the more efficient offensive teams in conference play, ranking fourth in the G-MAC in field goal percentage (48.4%), third in 3-point percentage (36.3%), and third in free throw percentage (75.2%).