Tigers Prepare to Start the Season with Promise
Wittenberg, home to the winningest men's basketball program in NCAA Division III history, has plenty of question marks on the hardwood in 2002-03, but a deep roster of talented returning players and another outstanding recruiting class promise to provide plenty of positive answers.
Wittenberg, home to the winningest men's basketball program in NCAA Division III history, has plenty of question marks on the hardwood in 2002-03, but a deep roster of talented returning players and another outstanding recruiting class promise to provide plenty of positive answers.
Coming off back-to-back North Coast Athletic Conference regular season championships and appearances in the NCAA Division III Tournament, Wittenberg returns two starters and six letterwinners. The Tigers have posted a combined record of 50-10 in the last two seasons, including a sparkling 30-2 mark in NCAC regular season action.
The 2002-03 season could provide even more highlights. Wittenberg's two returning starters are first-team All-NCAC choice B.J. Harris (Riverside, Ohio/Stebbins), a 6-7 post player with a soft touch, and two-time second-team All-NCAC selection Kevin Longley (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler), also a 6-7 post player whose rebounding prowess and power moves offer the perfect compliment. Harris led the Tigers in scoring (12.6 points per game) and rebounding (9.2 boards per outing), while Longley was second in both categories at 9.7 and 8.8 respectively.
Harris and Longley will be joined by a supporting cast that both talented and experienced. Sophomore point guard Danny Brywczynski (Dayton, Ohio/Northmont) takes over the starting role after coming off the bench in every game last year and finishing with an outstanding assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.4. Junior guard Rod Emmons (South Bend, Ind./John Adams) was the team's top three-point shooter in 2001-02 with 60 triples and a shooting percentage of .422 from beyond the arc. Sophomore wing Andy Bucheit (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle)played in all 30 games a year ago and contributed 6.8 points per game, and junior wing Peter Walker (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier) was a force off the bench a year ago and ranked fourth on the team in scoring and third in rebounding.
Wittenberg heads into the 2002-03 season with a target on its back and a challenging schedule to provide plenty of opportunities for the marksmen. Among the non-conference foes are perennial national title contender Ohio Northern, defending national champion Otterbein, both on the road, and possible match-ups against NAIA power Ohio Dominican in the Kiwanis-Wittenberg Tip-Off Classic and against 2002 national tournament participant Franklin at that team's tournament.