New Season, New Faces For Grace Men
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Dale [email protected]
Whether or not the Lancers finish their season in Branson, Mo., for the third-straight year in the NAIA Division II National Tournament will be determined by a team that returns three starters but has 10 new players.[[In-content Ad]]"We knew going in it was going to be a developmental year," said long-time Grace head coach Jim Kessler, who enters his 34th season with the Lancers. "We've got to replace two three-year starters, and we've got a number of new faces on the roster this year. Sometimes coaches say it's a rebuilding year, but this really is a rebuilding year for us. It's a developmental year. We're going to have to grow up fast."
The Lancers and Hoosiers are scheduled to square off at 7 p.m. Wednesday in an exhibition game at Assembly Hall. The game will be rebroadcast on the Big Ten Network.
Grace will open its regular season by hosting Ohio-Eastern for homecoming Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Orthopaedic Capital Center.
"It's an honor to be able to play at Assembly Hall," said Kessler. "It's something these guys will always remember. The place is a shrine to basketball, all the history, the national championship banners, the teams that have played there."
The Lancers finished the 2008-2009 season with a second-straight elite eight finish in the national tournament. Grace posted an overall record of 22-11 and a Mid-Central Conference mark of 11-5.
Gone from last year's team are three-year starters Eric Gaff and Michael Wienhorst.
Gaff was a first-team All-America selection. He led Grace in scoring with 21 points per game and led the nation in rebounds with 12 boards per game.
Wienhorst averaged nearly 14 points, four rebounds and two assists per game.
Gone is the dominating inside play of the 6-foot-10 Gaff. And gone is the clutch shooting of the 6-3 Wienhorst.
"Eric made so much progress in his time at Grace and ended up being an All-American," said Kessler, whose teams have won 71 games over the past three seasons. "Michael had a number of games where he scored in the 20s and made clutch shots. He was the X factor. We're going to miss those guys."
Returning starters from last year's team include David Swanson, David Henry and Kyle Plumlee.
Swanson, a 6-6 senior, was Gaff's running mate in the post. Benefitting from teams double-teaming Gaff, Swanson averaged nearly 14 points and nine rebounds per game last season.
This season, the Lancers' frontcourt will feature Swanson and 6-11 sophomore Duke Johnson.
"I think David and Duke will play well together," said Kessler. "If teams focus on Duke like they did Eric last year, David could have another really good year. I think they'll play really well together."
Johnson averaged six points and three rebounds per contest last year as a sophomore playing in a backup role to Gaff. Johnson figures to play a bigger role this season, as do Plumlee and Henry.
Henry averaged nearly nine points and four assists per game, while Plumlee averaged six points and four assists per contest.
The two of them, as well as some of the Lancers' younger players, will be responsible for filling the void left by Wienhorst.
Others returning with experience include junior guard Jacob Peattie and sophomore forward Dayton Merrell, both of whom are out with back injuries.
Both averaged nearly four points and two rebounds per game last year.
Merrell could be out 4-6 weeks, while Peattie may be out 6-8 weeks.
"Some younger players are going to have to step up and play a big role," said Kessler. "We're going to have to grow up fast."
Newcomers include Warsaw product Taylor Long, Lee Ross (S.B. Riley), Daniel Goins (Cincinnati Winton Woods), Elliot Smith (Northridge), Nick Achille (S.B. Riley), Jay Hinkle (Lawton, Mich), Tannan Peters (Hunt. North), Nathan VanDuyne (Northfield), Josh Arnold (Hamilton S.E.) and Jordan Hoffman (Northridge).
To advance to the NAIA Division II National Tournament for the third-straight year, the Lancers will have to either win the MCC Tournament or receive an at-large bid.
Kessler calls the Lancers' 2009-2010 schedule the toughest in his tenure at Grace.
Four MCC teams are in the preseason top 30 - No. 3 Bethel, No. 9 Indiana Wesleayn, No. 23. St. Francis and No. 30 Huntington.
The Lancers were picked to finish sixth in the MCC.
In late December, the Lancers will play in the Hampton Inn Classic in Montana, a tournament that will also include the NAIA Division I champion and runner-up from last season.
"Our schedule is very tough, the toughest it's been while I've been here," said Kessler. "We've got a lot of new faces around here, I'm going to remind myself to be patient."
The Lancers open conference play at Bethel on Nov. 24.
Also gone from last year's Lancer roster is assistant coach Matt Moore, who took the head coaching position at Mount Vernon Nazarene.
Jon Yeh, who coached under Kessler from 2001-2005, returns to Lancer bench after a head-coaching stint at Eastern Nazarene College.
Also on the Grace staff is former Whitko High School coach Don Zawlocki, who enters his sixth season with the Lancers, and Mark Delaney.
Delaney, a graduate of Ashland University, was a graduate-assistant at Northern State University before coming to Grace.
Ryan Eakins, who played on the varsity team for the Lancers for three years, will coach the Grace JV team this season.
Whether or not the Lancers finish their season in Branson, Mo., for the third-straight year in the NAIA Division II National Tournament will be determined by a team that returns three starters but has 10 new players.[[In-content Ad]]"We knew going in it was going to be a developmental year," said long-time Grace head coach Jim Kessler, who enters his 34th season with the Lancers. "We've got to replace two three-year starters, and we've got a number of new faces on the roster this year. Sometimes coaches say it's a rebuilding year, but this really is a rebuilding year for us. It's a developmental year. We're going to have to grow up fast."
The Lancers and Hoosiers are scheduled to square off at 7 p.m. Wednesday in an exhibition game at Assembly Hall. The game will be rebroadcast on the Big Ten Network.
Grace will open its regular season by hosting Ohio-Eastern for homecoming Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Orthopaedic Capital Center.
"It's an honor to be able to play at Assembly Hall," said Kessler. "It's something these guys will always remember. The place is a shrine to basketball, all the history, the national championship banners, the teams that have played there."
The Lancers finished the 2008-2009 season with a second-straight elite eight finish in the national tournament. Grace posted an overall record of 22-11 and a Mid-Central Conference mark of 11-5.
Gone from last year's team are three-year starters Eric Gaff and Michael Wienhorst.
Gaff was a first-team All-America selection. He led Grace in scoring with 21 points per game and led the nation in rebounds with 12 boards per game.
Wienhorst averaged nearly 14 points, four rebounds and two assists per game.
Gone is the dominating inside play of the 6-foot-10 Gaff. And gone is the clutch shooting of the 6-3 Wienhorst.
"Eric made so much progress in his time at Grace and ended up being an All-American," said Kessler, whose teams have won 71 games over the past three seasons. "Michael had a number of games where he scored in the 20s and made clutch shots. He was the X factor. We're going to miss those guys."
Returning starters from last year's team include David Swanson, David Henry and Kyle Plumlee.
Swanson, a 6-6 senior, was Gaff's running mate in the post. Benefitting from teams double-teaming Gaff, Swanson averaged nearly 14 points and nine rebounds per game last season.
This season, the Lancers' frontcourt will feature Swanson and 6-11 sophomore Duke Johnson.
"I think David and Duke will play well together," said Kessler. "If teams focus on Duke like they did Eric last year, David could have another really good year. I think they'll play really well together."
Johnson averaged six points and three rebounds per contest last year as a sophomore playing in a backup role to Gaff. Johnson figures to play a bigger role this season, as do Plumlee and Henry.
Henry averaged nearly nine points and four assists per game, while Plumlee averaged six points and four assists per contest.
The two of them, as well as some of the Lancers' younger players, will be responsible for filling the void left by Wienhorst.
Others returning with experience include junior guard Jacob Peattie and sophomore forward Dayton Merrell, both of whom are out with back injuries.
Both averaged nearly four points and two rebounds per game last year.
Merrell could be out 4-6 weeks, while Peattie may be out 6-8 weeks.
"Some younger players are going to have to step up and play a big role," said Kessler. "We're going to have to grow up fast."
Newcomers include Warsaw product Taylor Long, Lee Ross (S.B. Riley), Daniel Goins (Cincinnati Winton Woods), Elliot Smith (Northridge), Nick Achille (S.B. Riley), Jay Hinkle (Lawton, Mich), Tannan Peters (Hunt. North), Nathan VanDuyne (Northfield), Josh Arnold (Hamilton S.E.) and Jordan Hoffman (Northridge).
To advance to the NAIA Division II National Tournament for the third-straight year, the Lancers will have to either win the MCC Tournament or receive an at-large bid.
Kessler calls the Lancers' 2009-2010 schedule the toughest in his tenure at Grace.
Four MCC teams are in the preseason top 30 - No. 3 Bethel, No. 9 Indiana Wesleayn, No. 23. St. Francis and No. 30 Huntington.
The Lancers were picked to finish sixth in the MCC.
In late December, the Lancers will play in the Hampton Inn Classic in Montana, a tournament that will also include the NAIA Division I champion and runner-up from last season.
"Our schedule is very tough, the toughest it's been while I've been here," said Kessler. "We've got a lot of new faces around here, I'm going to remind myself to be patient."
The Lancers open conference play at Bethel on Nov. 24.
Also gone from last year's Lancer roster is assistant coach Matt Moore, who took the head coaching position at Mount Vernon Nazarene.
Jon Yeh, who coached under Kessler from 2001-2005, returns to Lancer bench after a head-coaching stint at Eastern Nazarene College.
Also on the Grace staff is former Whitko High School coach Don Zawlocki, who enters his sixth season with the Lancers, and Mark Delaney.
Delaney, a graduate of Ashland University, was a graduate-assistant at Northern State University before coming to Grace.
Ryan Eakins, who played on the varsity team for the Lancers for three years, will coach the Grace JV team this season.
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