*Story by Wilmington Athletic Communications Student Assistant Adam Knaub
WILMINGTON, Ohio - The Wilmington College men's basketball team will open its 2018-19 season Monday against the Lions of Mount Saint Joseph University (MSJ) on Monday. Tip-off from Fred Raizk Arena is slated for 7 p.m.
The Teams: Wilmington and MSJ. The Fightin' Quakers return 10 players from last seasons roster which went 11-14 and qualified for the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) tournament. Among the returners are four seniors, Aaron Mullins, Will Patrick, Kevin Lewis and Andrew Russell. The Lions are looking to continue success from last season where they had a program record 20 wins last season. MSJ also finished last season ranked 22 in the country by D3Hoops.com, the first top 25 ranking in program history.
The Coaches: K.C. Hunt is in his 12th season as head coach of Wilmington's men's basketball program. Hunt, who has coached two All-Americans and seven of the school's 1,000-point scorers, led the Quakers to OAC Tournament titles in 2010 and 2014. He garnered Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year honors for guiding Wilmington to OAC Tournament title and a win in the NCAA Division III Tournament in 2010. Toby Carrigan starts his seventh season leading the Lions. The two-time Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) Coach of the Year has lead the Lions to four consecutive HCAC tournament appearances with a championship in 2016.
The Players: Will Patrick lead returning players last season with 304 points averaging 12.2 per game. Andrew Russell leads returners with 99 rebounds last season and four per game. For the Lions Jake Cropper leads returners with 210 points for MSJ averaging 7.7 per contest. Cropper also lead returners in rebounds with 71 averaging 2.4 per game.
Tale of the Tape (2017-18): Points per game - Wilmington 81.8, MSJ 73.2; opponents points per game - Wilmington 82.5, MSJ 66.5; field goal percentage - Wilmington 42.7, MSJ 49.7; three point percentage - Wilmington 36.1, MSJ 42.3; free throw percentage - Wilmington 80.2, MSJ 73.1; rebounds per game - Wilmington 31.2, MSJ 29.1; assist-to-turnover ratio - Wilmington 1.07, MSJ 1.43
Recent History: Wilmington is 5-10 against MSJ in the last two decades. The Lions have won five straight matchups including a 75-72 win last season. More information on the series history can be viewed by visiting the link above.
Social Media: Wilmington athletics is represented on Facebook (Wilmington College Athletics), Twitter (@DubCQuakers) and Instagram (@DubCQuakers). Follow all the happenings of Wilmington College on social media by using the hashtag "#WeAreDubC".
Up Next: The Quakers travel to Marymount, Virginia for a pair of games this weekend.
