Contact: Lou Groce, Director of Media and Information, 920-229-8157

GRINNELL, Iowa – The 2015-16 men’s basketball season tips-off this weekend with five Midwest Conference schools beginning play, highlighted by Ripon College hosting national powerhouse the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater on Friday night. 

Preseason Poll 

The conference favorite, St. Norbert College, doesn’t begin play until Monday night, when they host the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.  The Green Knights have won a conference record 44 straight league games and are expected to top the standings again in 2015-16. 

Conference action is just 10 days away as Cornell College travels to Lake Forest College and Lawrence University heads to Ripon on Nov. 21. 

Half of the 14-member 2014-15 all-conference team returns to the league this winter in what should be a tough road to qualifying for the four-team Midwest Conference Tournament. 
Below is a team-by-team capsule of all 11 Midwest Conference programs.   

Beloit College Buccaneers
Head Coach: Brian Vraney (9^th season) 64-120 overall, 51-87 MWC
2014-15: 8-15 overall, 7-11 MWC
Projected 2015-16 MWC Finish: 8^th
Letterwinners returning: 6
Letterwinners lost: 4
Starters returning: 3
Returning All-MWC Performer: Steve McAfee, Jr.

Second Team All-MWC selection Steve McAfee Jr. returns to lead the Bucs this season after averaging 18.9 points and 7.0 rebounds in his junior season.  He and Rudy Bentley, Jr. were the top two scorers for Beloit last season, as Bentley put up 10.3 points per night.  Andrew Bremner is also back in the starting lineup this season.  Last season, Beloit finished in a tie with Cornell College for seventh in the league, but upset Ripon College in the season finale. 

Carroll University Pioneers
Head Coach: Paul Combs (3^rd season) 24-23 overall, 18-18 MWC
2014-15: 9-14, 6-12 MWC
Projected 2015-16 MWC Finish: 6^th
Letterwinners returning: 5
Letterwinners lost: 6
Starters returning: 2
Returning All-MWC Performer: Bryan Nagy

The Pioneers’ top player last season, Bryan Nagy, is back to lead Carroll this season.  Last season, Nagy led the team in nearly every statistical category including scoring (13.1), assists (5.0), rebounds (6.5), steals (72) and blocks (33) on his was to earning All-MWC honors. Junior Kyle Keranen also returns to the starting lineup and led the Pioneers last season with 44 made three-pointers. 

Cornell College Rams
Head Coach: Chad Murray (7^th season) 51-67 overall, 20-34 MWC
2014-15: 8-15, 7-11 MWC
Projected 2015-16 MWC Finish: 9^th
Letterwinners returning: 10
Letterwinners lost: 5
Starters returning: 3

The Rams will have just two upperclassmen on the roster this season in juniors Grant Anderson and RT Mould.  Last season, Cornell led the league in block shots, but Honorable Mention All-MWC pick Nick Bobb will need to be replaced as the Rams’ rim protector.  Sophomores Corey Davis and Jessie Spearman gained valuable experience as a freshman last year.  Davis led the league last year with three steals per game and he was fourth in the conference with 4.3 assists.  Grant Anderson should have an increased role this year as a junior after averaging over nine points and five rebounds as a sophomore. 

Grinnell College Pioneers
Head Coach: David Arseneault (27^th season) 334-252 overall, 225-167 MWC
2014-15: 15-10 overall, 12-6 MWC
Projected 2015-16 MWC Finish: T4th
Letterwinners returning: 17
Letterwinners lost: 5
Starters returning: 2
Grinnell brings back a lot of familiar faces, but two notable ones will be missing in 2015-16.  The Pioneers top two scorers, Jack Taylor and Luke Yeager have been lost to graduation and they will not be easily replaceable as they combined for over 50 points per outing last season.  The Pioneers’ high-powered attack will be led this season by Julian Marx and Braedon Bayer.  Marx averaged 12.3 points per game last year and canned 79 shots from long distance.   Bayer was the team’s top distributor last season, averaging 4.4 assists per game as a freshman.  He also scored 10.7 points per game. 

Illinois College Blueboys
Head Coach: Mike Worrell (20^th season) 186-253 overall, 121-188 MWC
2014-15: 4-19, 3-15 MWC
Projected 2015-16 MWC Finish: 10^th
Letterwinners returning: 9
Letterwinners lost: 3
Starters returning: 4

The Blueboys should be much improved, but will still boast a young roster this season without any seniors.  Despite bringing back nine letterwinners, Illinois College also welcomes nine newcomers.  Sophomore Cody Hildebrand averaged nearly 13 points per game as freshman last year (12.9) and will run the show again in Jacksonville.  Junior guard Tim Schappaugh was also a double figure scorer last season (10.3) and forward Mitchell Patterson led the team in rebounding and 5.3 boards per game. 

Knox College Prairie Fire
Head Coach: Kevin Walden (4^th season) 8-61 overall, 5-49 MWC
2014-15: 6-17, 4-14 MWC
Projected 2015-16 MWC Finish: 11^th
Letterwinners returning: 11
Letterwinners lost: 6
Starters returning: 3

The Prairie Fire will aim for continued improvement in Galesburg in 2015-16.  After not winning a league game in 13-14, Knox won four conference games last season and returns its top scorer, Robert Suntken, this season.  Suntken scored 11.8 points per game last year and made a team-best 27 three-pointers.  DeAndre Weathersby was Knox’s top assist man last year and also stole the ball a team-high 31 times.  Caleb Herrera will have a more significant roles as a sophomore after putting up over eight points a game and pulling down three rebounds as a freshman.

Lake Forest College Foresters
Head Coach: Ken Davis (2^nd season) 10-12 overall, 9-9 MWC
2014-15: 10-12 overall, 9-9 MWC
Projected 2015-16 MWC Finish: T4th
Letterwinners returning: 7
Letterwinners lost: 9
Starters Returning: 3
Returning All-MWC Performers: Jim Schick

The Foresters are hoping to get back to the four-team Midwest Conference Tournament in 2015-16.  With the return of Second Team All-MWC Performer Jim Schick, Danny Nikitas and Andrew Toth, Lake Forest figures to be in great shape.  Schick averaged a double double in conference play last season (15.1 ppg and 10.1 rpg) and shot over 50% from the field.  Nikitas averaged an even 15 points in MWC action last year and led the Foresters in assists and made threes, while Toth was also solid from beyond the arc, knocking down 44 triples. 

Lawrence University Vikings
Head Coach: Joel DePagter (9^th season) 107-81 overall, 83-55 MWC
2014-15: 10-13 overall, 8-10 MWC
Projected 2015-16 MWC Finish: 7^th
Letterwinners returning: 10
Letterwinners lost: 4
Starters Returning: 3
Returning All-MWC Performer: Jamie Nikitas

The Vikings’ backcourt will be the strength of their ball club this winter.  Second Team All-MWC pick Jamie Nikitas will power Lawrence again this season.  The senior averaged 15.7 points per game, over seven rebounds last season and managed 2.1 steals per game as a junior.  Teaming in the backcourt with Nikitas will be returning starter Troy Miller and Jeremy Stephani.  Miller started all 23 games last season, averaging 6.5 points and 3.0 boards.  Stephani shot 41.6% from deep last season and led the Vikings with 42 made 3s.  He also shot an impressive 86.7% from the charity stripe. On the block, 6-foot-7 Mitch Willer will provide a defensive presence and be counted on to be a solid scoring threat. 

Monmouth College Fighting Scots
Head Coach: Todd Skrivseth (5^th season) 36-37 overall, 29-43 MWC
2014-15: 16-8 overall, 13-5 MWC
Projected 2015-16 MWC Finish: 2^nd
Letterwinners returning: 13
Letterwinners lost: 4
Starters Returning: 5
Returning All-MWC Performers: Andrew Mathison, Will Jones
Returning All-Region Performers: Andrew Mathison

The Fighting Scots had a breakout season last year and are expected to compete for the conference title this winter.  Monmouth received three first-place votes in the annual Midwest Conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll and finished second behind St. Norbert College.  All-region selection Andrew Mathison should be a rock on the low block again this year.  The senior averaged 15.1 points per game and 7.8 rebounds per night last year.  In the backcourt, Will Jones should produce plenty of firepower after scoring over 14 points per game as a sophomore and Jon Calhoun was the key distributor last season, leading Monmouth at 2.9 assists per game. 

Ripon College Red Hawks
Head Coach: Ryan Kane (4^th season) 43-29 overall, 35-19 MWC
Letterwinners returning: 14
Letterwinners lost: 2
Starters returning: 4
Returning All-MWC Performer: Ty Sabin
Returning All-Region Performer: Ty Sabin
Returning All-American: Ty Sabin

The nation’s top returning scorer in Division III, Ty Sabin, will be lighting up the scoreboard in Ripon against this winter.  Sabin averaged 27.9 points per game last season and will lead an attack that returns four of five starters from a group that earned the No. 4 seed in last season’s Midwest Conference Tournament.  The Red Hawks were picked to finish third in the league this year by the MWC coaches and earned one first-place vote.  Ty Ketz has transferred back to Ripon after spending last season at the University of Wisconsin-Superior, where he finished second on the team in scoring with 14.5 points per game.  Justin Leistikow will be a key contributor down low after averaging 6.8 rebounds per game last season. 

St. Norbert College Green Knights
Head Coach: Gary Grzesk (10^th season) 169-58, 121-33 MWC
2014-15: 24-2 overall, 18-0 MWC
Projected 2015-16 MWC Finish: 1^st
Letterwinners returning: 8
Letterwinners lost: 10
Starters returning: D.J. DeValk, Terrence Garner

Gone are senior All-MWC performers Steven Hofacker, Austin Elliott and Co-Player of the Year Andrew Schwoerer. However, the Green Knights suffered heavy losses prior to last season and still managed to extend their conference winning streak to a record 44 games.  St. Norbert was picked to win the league again this year and returning starters D.J. DeValk and Terrence Garner will be expected to carry the load.  DeValk provided a steady hand at the guard position last year, finishing second on the team with 88 assists to just 42 turnovers, while averaging 8.1 points per game.  Garner averaged 7.4 points per game last season on 63% shooting from the field and was second on the team at 4.4 rebounds per night.  With the departure of the big three, Garner’s growth will be critical to the Green Knights’ success in 2015-16.