2015-16 Season Outlook: No. 20 Wooster Aiming to Reclaim NCAC Championship, Play in March Again

As the NCAA men's basketball team with the highest winning percentage in the 2000s (.844; 410-76) and 16-time North Coast Athletic Conference champions, The College of Wooster has a long tradition of being able to replace the production from talented senior classes. With first-team all-conference perimeter players Evan Pannell and Xavier Brown having graduated, that will have to be the case again if the Fighting Scots are going to compete for another NCAC title and make a postseason push.

"We've obviously lost two very talented players. Xavier had an outstanding four-year career, Evan also had a good four-year career and peaked as a senior, and Jalen Goodwin was a contributing member of the backcourt all four years. We've really lost outstanding talent," said Steve Moore, who now ranks as the second-winningest active NCAA Div. III coach with a 755-216 record (.778).

Wooster, ranked No. 20 in D3hoops.com's top-25 preseason poll, does have nine returning letterwinners, and for the first time in a number of seasons, the strength of the team may shift to the frontcourt. Dan Fanelly, a 6-7 junior forward/center who also was voted first-team all-NCAC last year when he averaged 14.3 points and 8.2 rebounds, will lead the way.

"Dan's had two good years for us, and we think he has the potential, if he stays healthy, to be an even better player overall this year. He is physically stronger. That will help him at the defensive end of the floor and in regard to rebounding," Moore commented. "With improvement in mental strength, Dan could be ready to step into a leadership role as well."

Another returning starter is 6-6 senior forward Alex LaLonde, who chipped in 6.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.6 blocked shots last season, while 6-6 senior center Josh Kipfer, who added 7.0 points, possesses significant game experience.

"Alex could possibly move to the small forward position (after playing power forward previously). He's defended very well against a lot of really good players, especially wing-type players. We feel that's his more natural position," explained Moore. "Josh has contributed throughout his first three years, gained a lot of experience, and we hope that this will be his best year."

In the backcourt, Spencer Williams and Ari Stern look to build on their freshmen campaign when they split the point guard position, and now they'll often be on the court at the same time. Williams, who shifts to shooting guard primarily, started and produced 9.5 points and 2.7 assists a night, while Stern became more and more of a force as last season progressed, finishing with averages of 2.6 points and 1.1 assists. Also look for junior Milt Davis to resume a key role on the perimeter after scoring 5.7 points.

"We need improved play from those players, in order to have a successful season," said Moore.

Those six veterans who have been leading contributors are joined by fellow returnees Chris Logsdon, a senior guard, Nick Nossaman, a junior guard, and Derek Schwarz, a sophomore forward, plus a number of newcomers who are pressing for playing time.

"A big key to the season is meshing new players with the nucleus of veteran players that we have. If we're going to have depth, we're going to need new players to contribute, and in some cases, play key roles," stressed Moore.

Despite having more experience in the frontcourt than the backcourt this year, don't look for the Scots to slow down and become a strictly half-court team. Traditionally, Wooster likes to take advantage of its team speed and push the tempo whenever the opportunity presents itself, and combining that philosophy with an efficient half-court offense that is predicated on ball movement, the Scots have led the league in scoring seven of the last 11 seasons. Last year, they averaged 80.6 points.

"I don't see us changing our style that much, even though we've lost good guards," confirmed Moore. "We should have good team speed (again)."

For Moore, though, defense and rebounding have always been the focal point in winning championships. Wooster produced NCAC bests in both defensive field-goal percentage (.402) and blocks (4.3 bpg) last year, plus was at +2.7 in rebounding margin, and the coaching staff is always striving for improvement on that side of the floor.

The Scots' goals never change, and those are to win the conference championship, which they have achieved more often than any other NCAC team, and to be playing in March, thus be part of the NCAA Div. III Championship field. Wooster has been a staple in the national tourney, reaching it 20 of the last 21 seasons, highlighted by three runs to the semifinals (2003, 2007, 2011).

BACKCOURT

Williams is Wooster's top returning guard, despite being just a sophomore. He was inserted as the starting point guard six games into his collegiate career, and capitalizing on his natural ability and speed to play in the open court, reached double figures in scoring 15 times. While Williams had eight games with five-plus assists, he'll likely play more at shooting guard this season where the coaching staff believes his scoring talent will shine through.

A nice complement to Williams, Stern brings a different set of attributes to the court, such as defensive tenacity and leadership. Those should translate into success at the point guard position, where he's also expected to effectively distribute the ball and shoot when open (.404 3-point percentage last year).

Davis developed into a more reliable contributor as a sophomore, and the coaches are hoping he's even more consistent both offensively and defensively this season. The 6-3 wing has reached double figures in nine games, including a 10-point effort in the Scots' NCAA Tournament second-round game this past March.

Logsdon came through and played a key role when given the opportunity last year, headlined by a couple of memorable 3-pointers in Wooster's hard-fought 63-59 win over archrival Wittenberg University, en route to his second varsity letter, while Nossaman, a true point guard, earned his first over 14 games played.

Mitch Balser, Reece Dupler, and Simon Texidor are among the freshmen guards who are attempting to be part of the varsity rotation.

FRONTCOURT

Fanelly emerged as one of the NCAC's top post players a season ago, and now has the chance to be one of the best across NCAA Div. III, with continued improvement. He makes an impact in all areas, having shot the ball well – 58.5 percent from the field and 79.4 percent at the free throw line – for last year's 14.3 scoring average, making his presence felt on the glass (8.2 rpg), creating scoring opportunities for others as his 2.2 assists were the second-most on the squad, and standing out defensively with a Scot-high 38 steals.

LaLonde, in his two seasons playing since transferring in from the Air Force Academy, found an important niche as a defensive specialist, having piled up 62 blocked shots over 48 games played to go with averages of 5.6 points and 3.6 rebounds. Expected to transition from power forward to small forward, he has the potential to make a greater impact on both ends of the court in this his final year.

Kipfer, who possesses 76 games worth of varsity experience, has been part of the regular rotation each of the last two seasons. A true center, he'll look to translate his size and veteran skills into a regular role again after posting 7.0 points on a .613 field-goal percentage, 5.6 rebounds, and 0.9 blocked shots in 15.5 minutes of playing time in 2014-15.

Schwarz rose to the occasion when pressed into action during last season's NCAC Tournament semifinal game against Wabash College, as he tallied two rebounds, an assist, and a steal during eight valuable minutes of the 68-55 victory. Since then, he has continued to improve, according to the coaching staff.

Newcomers pushing hard for significant minutes right away include 6-7 Alex Baptiste, 6-6 power forward Eric Bulic, and 6-4 forward Jordan Stock.

SCHEDULE

Wooster is facing a very challenging schedule, as usual. It begins with the Scots' annual Al Van Wie/ Rotary Classic, which has a slightly different format this season – a Thursday night affair on Nov. 19 against Silver Lake College and a Saturday matinee against Skidmore College, instead of the traditional Friday night-Saturday night, four-team format. Skidmore, located in upstate New York, was champions of the Liberty League and reached the second round of the NCAA tourney last year.

A trip to Cabrini College in the Philadelphia area follows. The Cavaliers have been a factor on the national scene recently and should provide a stiff test before Thanksgiving.

Conference action begins with a very challenging three-game swing. First, a Dec. 2 match-up between last season's top-two finishers in the regular season, as Wooster visits No. 13 Ohio Wesleyan University. Then, the Scots will host DePauw University in a rematch of the NCAC Tournament championship game, followed the next Saturday by a road game at Wabash, always a difficult place and team to play.

Wooster dips back into non-league play, as it will face a pair of traditionally strong East coast teams in St. Mary's College of Maryland and Salisbury University, which is in the "others receiving votes" category of the D3hoops.com top-25 preseason poll. Those games will be played in Puerto Rico on Dec. 20-21.

Between Christmas and New Year's, the Scots host one of the longest-running events in college basketball – the 53rd annual "Mose" Hole/Kiwanis Classic. A strong field is once again in place, with No. 11 ranked Marietta College plus the University of Mount St. Joseph and the University of Pitt.-Bradford.

When the calendar changes over to 2016, it will be all conference games, highlighted by the rematches with DePauw, Ohio Wesleyan, and Wabash coming back-to-back-to-back again (Jan. 23-30) and another addition of one of the nation's best small-college basketball rivalries – Wittenberg vs. Wooster. The Scots have gotten the better of the Tigers each of their last eight meetings to take a narrow 56-54 lead all-time. Wooster will be at Wittenberg on Jan. 16 and hosts the Tigers at Timken Gymnasium Feb. 13.

Of course, Wooster will have to stay focused for all opponents during the 18-game conference grind, maybe more so than ever before, especially with such an inexperienced team this season. "(The NCAC's) tougher than it's ever been. Hopefully, we're going to improve as time goes along, and I think by the end of the year, we can be a good team."