Two players with program cornerstone skillsets are at the forefront of The College of Wooster's 2023-24 men's basketball team, while the Fighting Scots return a third starter from last year's North Coast Athletic Conference championship team. Yet as usual, Div. III's winningest team of the 2000s success ultimately comes down to others in the program buying in, accepting roles that may be different than what they are used to, and capitalizing on player development from season to season.

"We are excited about our guys," shared head coach Doug Cline, who enters year four leading his alma mater's storied program. "I like our team. We will be challenged early, and I think that will really help our team come February. We lost some key guys off last year's team, so we are sort of young, but have that experience in some positions. It is about coming together now."

Senior Nick Everett is one of Wooster's cornerstones and is arguably the player who most recently embodies everything the Scots' program stands for. He came in with a limited low post arsenal and has since blossomed into one of the top centers in the region. He even earned All-NCAC laurels despite not being a starter last season. Continued in-season improvements are a staple for Everett, who averaged 15 points over the final eight games of last season and was playing his best basketball down the stretch two years ago.

"Nick fully realizes what it takes to be a really successful college player," stressed Cline, when highlighting the forward who had the second-highest field-goal percentage in single-season program history last year at 69.1. "We have a guy in Nick that most teams do not have, and we have to take advantage of that."

Depth down low has fueled Wooster's success of late, and that is the case again this year. Cline feels he has "three guys who are capable of playing the five spot," a luxury at the NCAA Div. III level. In fact, Cline feels Wooster's even more fortunate than many NCAA Div. I programs in that regard, with low post play not as emphasized in today's college game. Senior Nolan Burk, a 6-7 transfer from one of NCAA Div. II's top programs and sophomore EJ Kapihe are the others Cline is counting on at the low post.

"EJ made great strides last year," shared Cline. "We made him a low post player, which was new to him. He always played face up prior to college. EJ is someone who can swing between four and five for us and provide depth at both spots. He is strong, has good touch, and great skill. We are just getting to know Nolan and what he is capable of. He likes to play down low. He has been coached with his back to the basket and feels comfortable playing that way. Now we just have to continue to improve some things and teach him some new things. He is very coachable and fits in really well with our program."

Sophomore Jamir Billings is the program's other cornerstone player, and despite not playing point guard regularly in high school, has already cemented his legacy as one of the best to ever play that position at Wooster. The all-region player has elite skills at both ends of the floor and is someone who can both facilitate and be an impact scorer when needed. Not to mention, he is regularly the NCAC leader when it comes to steals.

"We needed Jamir to play point guard out of necessity when he came in and he stepped into the role," said Cline. "There has been a lot of learning for Jamir and he has done a great job since day one. He is a very unselfish player and is very coachable. Jamir really looks to get everyone involved and works the fine line of getting everyone involved and being a scorer. He has taken the next step in leadership this offseason. He is a quiet guy, but he is a big leader of this team, and the guys really respect him."

Rising senior JJ Cline rounds out the returning starters and is someone who "really balances out our team and provides different things that are important to our success," per Cline. Those different things include a relentless motor when it comes to securing much-needed offensive rebounds and unselfishly putting team over self by taking countless charges.

"JJ's offensive rebounding was really key for us last season," said Cline. "Other guys fed off his effort and that got us extra possessions, which were huge in some of our big games. JJ brings leadership, toughness, and desire. He plays good team basketball and understands who should get the ball and where they should get it. We expect another big year out of JJ."

Wooster's backcourt received a big boost heading into the season in junior Ashton Price, a transfer from Baldwin Wallace University. Price was the Yellow Jackets' second-leading scorer at 14.3 points per game a season ago and dropped in 24 points against Ohio Athletic Conference powerhouse Marietta College.

"The transfer portal is so big these days," shared Cline. "We look at the portal as a way to find guys who can help us at a position of need and impact the team right away. Ashton is that kind of guy. He has experience playing and in a very good league in the Ohio Athletic Conference. We needed a good two guard and one who can help us in a variety of ways. Ashton and Jamir in the backcourt together gives us a good one-two punch."

The contributions of sophomores, especially other returning letterwinners Jaiden Cox-Holloway, Jonathan Diederich, Isaiah Johnson, Isaac Roeder, and Vinni Veikalas, plus Anthony Gomes, are key to this year's success, per Cline. He knows the group has huge upside and it is not easy coming in as a first-year in today's game, especially with many teams having players able to stick around for a fifth and even sixth season thanks to COVID waivers.

"Our sophomore class has really good length, athleticism, and worked hard last year," said Cline. "They got a lot of time in practice as the scout team and going against our main guys daily. Some of them earned time on the varsity level and played some key moments of big games at the end of the year. They have to keep developing and competing every play."

Veikalas and Roeder were the two who played the most out of last year's first-year class, and in typical Wooster fashion, accepted roles that were very different from where they excelled at the high school level. For Veikalas, that meant shoring up much-needed depth at point guard, while Roeder was the go-to player for point production on his high school team. Elsewhere, Cox-Holloway, Diederich, and Johnson all developed and made their presence known when inserted on the varsity level. Bryce Sewell, a transfer from basketball powerhouse Randolph-Macon College rounds out the class, and is someone who projects to provide depth at the point guard spot upon returning fully from a long-term injury, per Cline.

Wooster's first-year class includes Jake Kolbay, Colton Martin, Zack Miller, Zach Oliver, and Nick Prince.

"Our first-year class is mostly perimeter players," said Cline. "The ability to shoot the basketball was an emphasis in recruiting for us. We needed more guys who can extend the floor and knock down wide-open threes. This class has good ability and a huge upside. We need them to get stronger and learn how to compete defensively at the collegiate level on a daily basis."

Wooster's season starts at the University of Rochester's Chuck Resler Tournament on November 10. The annual Al Van Wie/Wooster Rotary Classic takes place November 17-18, while the second Steve Moore Sunshine Classic is December 19-20 at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. December is capped by the E.M. "Mose" Hole/Wooster Kiwanis Classic, with one of small college basketball's longest-running in-season tournaments held December 29-30. Conference play for Wooster starts with a home date with Ohio Wesleyan University on November 29, while Wooster and Wittenberg University square off on January 13 at Timken Gymnasium and February 10 at Pam Evans Smith Arena. Other dates of note include Saturday, January 27, when Wooster will formally dedicate Steve Moore Court at Timken Gymnasium following a 3:15 p.m. game against DePauw University.

"It is going to be another tough season in the NCAC," concluded Cline. "Wabash is the favorite with having everybody back. They have had a good run here of guys who can score and have done a good job with the program. No conference game is easy. Our league is way more balanced now than it ever was. There are no off nights in our league."