Schedule
Hillsdale (16-5, 10-3 G-MAC) at Thomas More (13-8, 8-6 G-MAC) | 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6 | Connor Convocation Center | Crestview Hills, KY
Hillsdale (16-5, 10-3 G-MAC) at Kentucky Wesleyan (15-5, 9-3 G-MAC) | 3:15 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8 | Owensboro Sportscenter | Owensboro, KY
 
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Additional Info
Hillsdale Roster | Thomas More Roster | KWC Roster | Hillsdale Stats | Thomas More Stats | KWC Stats | G-MAC Standings | G-MAC Stats
 
Projected Starters
Hillsdale: #2 Ashton Janowski, Jr, G, Pewaukee, WI/Pewaukee (10.2 ppg, 2.3 apg); #4 Charles Woodhams, Sr., G, Otsego, MI/Otsego (13.5 ppg, 5.5 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, 7.3 rpg, 3.1 apg, 1.8 spg); #35 Eric Radisevic, Sr., F, Brookfield, WI/Central (8.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg)
 
Cedarville: #1 Carson Browne, So., F, Cincinnati, OH/Elder (1.8 ppg); #4 Kai Simpson, rFr., G, Lexington, KY/Fredrick Douglass (12.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.3 apg); #5 Mitchell Rylee, Jr., F, Fort Mitchell, KY/Covington Catholic/Miami (OH) (9.4 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 2.4 apg); #20 Casey George, Sr., G, Pickerington, OH/Pickerington North (13.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg 3.2 apg, 1.7 spg); #30 Jack McCune, rFr., F, Paducah, KY/McCracken Co. (12.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg)
 
KWC: #0 Quentin Toles, Jr., G, Canton, OH/Walsh/Lynn (13.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.9 apg); #2 Kennedy Miles, Sr., G, Burlington, NC/Lawson State CC (13.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 4.7 apg, 1.2 spg); #12 Edward Jones Jr., Sr., F, New Orleans, LA/Indianapolis Pike (13.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg); #19 Fatih Huyuk, Jr., F/C, Ankara, Turkey/Southwestern Iowa (8.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg); #33 Logan McIntyre, Jr., G/F, Ramsey, IN/Evansville (13.2 ppg, 5 rpg, 1 spg)

 
Scouting the Opposition

Thomas More: In just its second season in the G-MAC, Thomas More has already developed a reputation as a physical, fundamentally sound, and defensively-minded squad that's a tough out on the schedule.

The Saints have done an impressive job weathering the loss of four starters from last year's team, rebuilding in-house around the lone holdover, star guard Casey George. George has developed into one of the G-MAC's most dangerous offensive players, and he's flanked by two impressive redshirt freshmen who've exploded onto the scene this season in Kai Simpson and Jack McCune, both double-digit scorers.

Big men Mitchell Rylee and Carson Browne man the post for Thomas More, who have a deep bench led by guards Wyatt Vieth, Zion Crowe and Ryan Paris that allow the Saints to shift size and playing style to fit the situation.

Thomas More is solidly in the G-MAC Tournament field at this point, but could push to host a quarterfinal with a strong finish, giving the Saints plenty to play for down the stretch.
 
Kentucky Wesleyan: After a tough overtime loss at Hillsdale last Saturday, Kentucky Wesleyan will be looking to return the favor and get a little revenge on their home court in another huge contest for both teams.
 
Both the Panthers and Chargers are a game back of current G-MAC leader Findlay and will see the Oilers again later this month, making Saturday's winner a real player in the title race and putting the loser in a tough spot to bring home the crown.
 
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 and been extremely effective this season.
 
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 can't afford more losses as it chases a repeat title. 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
Hillsdale's stirring comeback to down Kentucky Wesleyan in overtime keeps the Chargers a half-game ahead of the Panthers for second place in the G-MAC standings and very much in the title race with a tough road weekend and a rematch with KWC looming.

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

• All three of Hillsdale's all-time contests against Thomas More took place last season, the Saints' first in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. The two teams split a pair of regular season meetings before Thomas More won a tight 72-71 game over the Chargers at home in a G-MAC Tournament Quarterfinal last season. Both of Hillsdale's losses to Thomas More last year were by a single point.
• Hillsdale pulled ahead 9-8 in a tight all-time series with Kentucky Wesleyan thanks to Saturday's 93-89 overtime victory at home. The two teams first met in the 2001 NCAA Tournament, with the Panthers eliminating the Chargers in a 73-71 thriller on the way to a NCAA DII national title. The Chargers have won six of the last seven meetings to overtake KWC in the all-time series. 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 at 16-5 overall. This is the 11th straight week the Chargers have been mentioned in a national poll. Hillsdale is one of six teams in the Midwest Region ranked or receiving votes in the NABC Coaches Poll, including Missouri S&T (5^th), Lake Superior St. (9^th), G-MAC foe Findlay (13^th), Ferris St. (16^th), and Michigan Tech (RV).
• Senior forward Joe Reuter delivered one of the defining moments of an impressive four-year career at Hillsdale with seven points in overtime to lead the Chargers past Kentucky Wesleyan on Feb. 1. The 2021-22 G-MAC Freshman of the Year and a two-time All-G-MAC player, Reuter has been crucial for the Chargers this season, averaging 12.1 points per game while ranking fifth in the G-MAC in rebounds per game (7.3), ninth in assists per game (3.1), sixth in blocked shots per game (0.9), first in steals per game (1.8) and ninth in free throw percentage (.750). Reuter also is working his way up the all-time lists statistically at Hillsdale, as his 1,280 career points rank 23^rd 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 12 points per game, third most on the team, thanks to 39 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 43 made 3-pointers in his first collegiate campaign, and the team's leading scorer, senior Charles Woodhams, also has 34 made 3-pointers.
• The Chargers are playing at a high level so far at both ends of the floor, averaging 77.4 points per game offensively, and ranking first in the G-MAC and 20th in the nation in scoring defense at 66 points per game. Hillsdale's 11-points-per-game scoring margin on opponents currently ranks 17th 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 21 games, Hillsdale has continued to excel on that front, conceding just 31% from beyond the arc, which ranks first in the G-MAC by a significant margin.
• Another facet of Hillsdale's excellent defense is its ability to control the defensive glass. The Chargers concede just 30 rebounds per game to opponents, second fewest in the G-MAC and eighth fewest at the NCAA DII level. The Chargers are also among league leaders in blocked shots this year, averaging 3.19 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 1.54, the 15^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 (48.2%), third in 3-point percentage (36.8%), and third in free throw percentage (74.9%).