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

GRINNELL, Iowa – St. Norbert College was picked to win its sixth-straight Midwest Conference (MWC) Championship last week in the league’s preseason coaches’ poll.  Also expected to make the four-team MWC Tournament are Lake Forest College, Cornell College and Grinnell College.  The 2017-18 season tips off on Wednesday, as six programs will be in action. 

The Green Knights also earned some national recognition as they received votes in the in the opening D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll.  There will be a lot of talent across the conference this winter as six of the 10 all-conference honorees return to the hardwood including all-region picks D.J. Devalk of St. Norbert and Vinny Curta of Grinnell. 

The conference slate gets going on Tuesday, Nov. 21 when Lake Forest travels to Beloit College for a 5:30 p.m. tip.  The full MWC schedule begins on Dec. 1. 

Below are team-by-team previews of all 10 MWC programs. 

Beloit College Buccaneers
Head Coach: Brian Vraney (10^th season) 81-149, 65-109 MWC
2016-17: 6-17, 5-13 MWC
Projected 2017-18 MWC Finish: 9^th
Letterwinners Returning: 9
Starters Returning: Carlton Henning, Cody Risseeuw and Tristan Shoup
 
The Bucs finished tied for eighth in the conference last season, but with the return of three starters and nine players overall, things are looking up in Beloit.  Last year’s leading scorer Cody Risseeuw is back to lead the squad after averaging 14.5 points per game and leading the team in minutes per game (32.5) and three-point field goals made (51).  Sophomore Tristan Shoup should aid the scoring attack with a full year of college action under his belt.  Shoup started 16 games as a freshman last year and averaged 9.3 points per night.  He is also is the team’s top returning rebounder after grabbing 143 boards last winter.  Senior guard Carlton Hennning will provide some steadiness from the guard position.  Henning started 18 games last season and averaged 6.0 ppg. 
 
Cornell College Rams
Head Coach: Dave Schlabaugh (1^st season)
2016-17: 12-12, 11-7 MWC
Projected 2017-18 MWC Finish: T3rd
Letterwinners Returning: 12
Starters Returning: Jon Anderson, Corey Davis, Craig Engle, Brad Hund
 
Fresh off their first appearance in the MWC Tournament since 1994, the Rams and first-year head coach Dave Schlabaugh begin the season with high expectations.  Cornell was picked in the preseason coaches’ poll to tie for third-place in the league with Grinnell.  Schlabuagh should have a good handle on the team as he served as the Rams’ top assistant last winter.  Corey Davis is one of the top players in the league and earned First Team All-MWC honors last season.  Davis finished eighth in the conference in scoring (16.0 ppg), 11^th in rebounding (5.9 rpg) and led the league in assists (7.4 apg) and steals (2.8 spg).  Leading scorer and reigning MWC Newcomer of the Year Jon Anderson also returns after averaging 17 points and 7.6 rebounds per contest last season.  Senior big man Brad Hund and junior guard Craig Engle also return to the lineup. 

Grinnell College Pioneers
Head Coach: David Arseneault 343-266, 231-179 MWC
Interim Head Coach: David Arseneault, Jr. 26-12, 19-13 MWC
2016-17: 16-7, 9-9 MWC
Projected 2017-18 MWC Finish: T3rd
Letterwinners Returning: 11
Starters Returning: Nathan Balcom, Griffin Boehm, Vinny Curta, Ky-Sean Johnson
 
After missing the last two MWC Tournaments, the Pioneers are poised to return as one of the top teams in the conference.  David Arseneault, Jr. is in his second season as the interim head coach and the Pioneers recently announced the interim tag will be dropped in the summer of 2018.  Junior Vinny Curta leads the way for Grinnell, who won eight of the last nine games to close last season.  Curta averaged 25.2 ppg last year and not only earned First Team All-MWC honors, but was also a Third Team All-Central Region selection by D3hoops.com.  Ky-Sean Johnson was one of the top shooters on the team last year from long range and averaged 14.7 ppg in just 15.7 minutes.  Griffin Boehm and Nathan Balcom also combined for 26 starts last season and were the top rebounders for the Pioneers last season. 
 
Illinois College Blueboys
Head Coach: Mike Worrell (22^nd season) 202-283, 131-215 MWC
2016-17: 8-15, 5-13 MWC
Projected 2017-18 MWC Finish: 8^th
Letterwinners Returning: 5
Starters Returning: Mason Speer, Max Stutsman
 
Veteran head coach Mike Worrell will welcome the return of his top scorer from the 2014-15 and 2015-16 season as Cody Hildebrand returns for his junior season after missing all but three games last year due to injury.  Hildebrand averaged 14.6 points per game as a sophomore and shot 48% from the field.  Fellow junior guard Mason Speer led the Blueboys in minutes last season (34.1) and averaged 12.3 ppg.  Speer is IC’s best distributor as he averaged 4.2 assists per game last year and is a pest defensively, leading the team with 37 steals.  Senior Max Stutsman will be the man in the middle again for the Blueboys.  Stutsman has led the team in rebounds and averaged double figures in points for two straight seasons. 
 
Knox College Prairie Fire
Head Coach: Kevin Walden (6^th season) 18-97, 12-78
2016-17: 2-21, 2-16 MWC
Projected 2017-18 MWC Finish: 10^th
Letterwinners Returning: 13
Starters Returning: Jonathan Damota, D.J. Lewis, Marko Protic
 
The Prairie Fire bring back 13 players, three starters and their top two scorers from last season.  Jonathan Damota was the only player to average double figure points last season for Knox (10.3), while Mark Protic averaged just under 10 at 9.7 ppg.  Protic was the team’s leading rebounder last winter (6.4 rpg) and started 22 of 23 games.  D.J. Lewis is also back for Knox as he played in every game last season and averaged five points per game. 
 
Lake Forest College Foresters
Head Coach: Ken Davis (4^th season) 36-34, 30-24 MWC
2016-17: 14-11, 117-7
Projected 2017-18 MWC Finish: 2^nd
Letterwinners Returning: 10
Starters Returning: Jordan Moran, Eric Porter, Danny Sotos
 
The Foresters are expected to do big things this season after they were one win away from the NCAA Tournament last season.  Lake Forest upset five-time defending champion St. Norbert in the opening round of the MWC Tournament last season, before falling to Ripon in the tournament finals.  The Foresters bring back their top two scorers from last season in Eric Porter and Danny Sotos, but must replace all-conference honoree Jim Schick.  Porter averaged 14.2 ppg in conference action last year and shot over 40 percent from the three-point line for the season.  He was also solid defensively with 35 steals on the season.  Sotos scored 12.8 ppg last season and shot an impressive 45 percent from the field.  Off the bench, Orlando Brown led last season’s club in assists and will be expected to step up in the void left by Schick.  Jordan Moran should also return to the lineup after starting 21 of 24 games last winter. 
 
Lawrence University Vikings
Head Coach: Joel DePagter (11^th season) 126-107, 100-74 MWC
2016-17: 9-13, 10-8 MWC
Projected 2017-18 MWC Finish: 7^th
Letterwinners Returning: 13
Starters Returning: Quinn Fisher, Evan McLaughlin, Ben Peterson, Jeremy Stephani
 
The Vikings bring back 13 players from last season’s club that finished fifth in the conference and head coach Joel DePagter welcomes 11 newcomers to the team.  Senior shooters Jeremy Stephani and Ben Peterson return to lead the Vikings.  The duo combined to make 107 three-pointers and average over 25 ppg last season.  In just his freshman season, Quinn Fisher was vital to getting the two the ball in positions to score.  Fisher led the team with 61 assists on the season and finished the year with 22 steals, one behind senior Evan McLaughlin for the team high.  Among the freshman for the Vikings is 6-10 Dylan Hamlin, who is one of the tallest players in program history.  The Vikings also went overseas in the recruiting efforts this season, picking up Petter Stroemhaell from Sweden. 
 
Monmouth College Fighting Scots
Head Coach: Todd Skrivseth (7^th season) 55-84, 44-64 MWC
2016-17: 6-17, 6-12 MWC
Projected 2017-18 MWC Finish: 6^th
Letterwinners Returning: 9
Starters Returning: Justin Aluya, Paul Engo III, Austin Holman, Lamont Mitchell
 
The Scots will have improved depth this season and should be boosted by the return of all-conference guards Will Jones and Justin Aluya.  Jones, Aluya and Lamont Mitchell all averaged at least 14.8 points per game last season. Mitchell led the way with 16.8 per game and was the team’s best shooter from behind the three-point arc, canning 43 on the season.  Jones was Monmouth’s leader in assists (67) and rebounds (160) last winter and averaged 16.5 points per game.  Aluya was an efficient scorer last year and shot 50% from the field in conference play.  He also was the only Scot to have more than eight blocks last season, finishing the year with 35.  Paul Engo III will also be counted on for his tough defense as had a team-best 45 steals. 
 
Ripon College Red Hawks
Head Coach: Ryan Kane (6^th season) 78-44, 64-26 MWC
2016-17: 20-5, 15-3 MWC
Projected 2017-18 MWC Finish: 5^th
Letterwinners Returning: 10
Starter Returning: Isaac Masters
 
Head Coach Ryan Kane has led the Red Hawks to at least 15 wins in each of the last four seasons and has never missed the MWC Tournament in his tenure at Ripon.  Last season, Ripon won the MWC Tournament with wins over Cornell and Lake Forest and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.  With the loss of their top-two scorers from last season, including All-American Ty Sabin, the Red Hawks will need some players to step up to continue their run of success.  Returning starter Isaac Masters scored 8.7 points per game last year and was second on the team with 68 assists.  Cal Schultz came off the bench last year, but averaged 7.0 ppg in just 16 minutes.  The Red Hawks will also be boosted by senior transfer Tyler Semenas, who averaged 14.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg and 1.4 spg at Cardinal Stritch University in 2015-16. 
 
St. Norbert College Green Knights
Head Coach: Gary Grzesk (12^th season) 213-66, 155-35 MWC
2016-17: 19-5, 16-2 MWC
Projected 2017-18 MWC Finish: 1^st  
Letterwinners Returning: 11
Starters Returning: D.J. DeValk, Joe Lemon, Mitchell Reinthaler
 
Two-time First Team All-MWC pick D.J. DeValk is back to lead the Green Knights in their fifth-straight conference title defense.  Should Devalk and the rest of the Green Knights succeed in winning their sixth straight title, they will join Carleton College (1928-33) and Beloit College (1946-51) as the only MWC programs to win the league six years in a row.  Last season, DeValk averaged 15.2 ppg to lead the team, while also leading the squad with 20 blocks and a 4.6 assists per game average.  Mitchell Reinthaler is the team’s top returning rebounder at 5.4 per game and he averaged 12.1 points a night last season.   Joe Lemon started 10 times as a freshman and should benefit from a year of experience.  Last winter, he averaged 3.9 points and pulled down 3.2 rebounds per game, while blocking 12 shots.  Junior Taylor Penn started seven times as sophomore, but played in every game.  Penn shot over 40 percent from long distance and canned 21 three-pointers.  Coach Grzesk also welcomes 10 freshman to the team this season.