For the first time in nearly a month, the Wilmington College men's basketball team will get the opportunity to play in front of the home fans as the Fightin' Quakers host Muskingum 3 p.m. Saturday at Fred Raizk Arena in Hermann Court.
Wilmington had its three-game winning streak snapped Wednesday with the 93-78 loss to Ohio Northern, while the Fighting Muskies (4-10 overall, 1-6 OAC) lost their third straight game – falling to Mount Union, 86-66.
However, Wilmington head coach K.C. Hunt warns that the 4-10 record isn't indicative of the type of team strolling into Fred Raizk Arena.
"(Muskingum has) a really misleading record," said Hunt. "I think they are a quality basketball team. They have a couple new faces. Josh Glass is a really solid player, and (Logan) Kimble is as good a wing as there is in the league. So, it's going to be a challenge."
Four of Muskingum's five starters are averaging double figures, and the starting five accounts for 84 percent of the team's total. By comparison, Wilmington's starters are accounting for 68 percent of the team's points.
Kimble, a senior, is second in the OAC with 14.9 points per game, and has reached double figures in nine of the team's 14 games. He is complimented by Glass, a sophomore, who is third in the OAC in three-point shooting - making 52.5 percent of his attempts.
One of Wilmington's main concerns will be limiting the Muskies' second-chance opportunities. Led by sophomore Joshua Keyes, who is third in the OAC averaging 2.9 offensive rebounds, Muskingum is third in the league on the offensive glass.
Since returning from injury, senior Jonathan Bibbs (Dayton, OH/Chaminade Julienne) is playing the best basketball of his Wilmington career. He is averaging 15.6 points, while shooting 68.3 percent from the field. The stretch has boosted his scoring average to 11.1 points per game.
"I think JB's energy level has been great," said Hunt. "With his skill set, it's never been about talent. It's been about his motor, and he has competed at a much higher level these past five games. It's been great for us, and great for him."
Senior R.J. Leppert (Liberty Township, OH/Lakota East) is leading the team in points (13.8), rebounds (7.2), assists (52), blocks (16) and steals (31). His production is better in wins as he is scoring 16.8 points with 8.0 boards.
As a team, Wilmington is scoring nearly 11 more points in its wins.
However, the biggest liability for the Fightin' Quakers is on the defensive end. They are yielding 83.2 points per game, which is last in the OAC.
"Ultimately, if we are going to get where we want to be, and that is competing for a championship, we have to get better offensively," said Hunt. "We are not guarding the basketball hard enough, not rebounding as a group. We are not the biggest group, so we better gang rebound. We have to be flat out tougher on the defensive end."
