WILMINGTON - After a week-long layoff, the Wilmington men's basketball team is ready to return to the hardwood Sunday. The Fightin' Quakers will be playing the third of five straight games away from home to start the season as WC travels to face Thomas More.

"Thomas More is a very good team," said Wilmington head coach K.C. Hunt. "They are unconventional, pressing team. You can look up and they have all five players in the backcourt looking for the steal."

The unbeaten Saints enter the game forcing 25 turnovers per game, and has won their four games by an average of 21 points.

Junior point guard D'Carlo Hayes is the team's catalyst, scoring a team-high 12.5 points per game with a team-high 3.5 assists. He is one of four players to average double figures for TMC. Sophomore guard Chris Richard (11.5 points), sophomore Drew Lumford (10.2 points) and junior Brandon Housley (10.0) are the other three players scoring at least 10 points.

Wilmington, which enters the game at 1-1, is led by junior Malcolm Heard II (Wilmington, OH/Wilmington). The forward, who was named to the Allegheny All-Tournament team, is averaging 21.5 points and 8.0 rebounds.
However, Hunt knows for his team to be successful the sum of the parts has to be better than the individual pieces.

"It is more about us as a group," said Hunt. "We are a work in progress. In my personal opinion, we are a talented group that is not playing well together. We are just 28 days into practice and as the season goes along, we will be more comfortable with each other and what we need to do offensively and defensively. We have a chance to be a special group if we come together."

Senior Brandon Candella (West Chester, OH/Lakota West) is second on the team with 15.0 points and 4.5 rebounds, while sophomore R.J. Leppert (Liberty Township, OH/Lakota East) is third on the team with 8.5 points.
While the Saints are doing a good job in forcing mistakes, Wilmington hasn't been too shabby in that category either. The Quakers have forced 47 turnovers (23.5 per game) in their two contest.

The team that can impose their will defensively, could be the team that leaves the game with a victory.