WINONA LAKE, Ind. - The dust has settled on a magical season for Grace’s men’s basketball team.
The Lancers had sky-high expectations last year, meeting or exceeding practically all of them. Grace was ranked No. 1 for much of the season, setting program records for most wins (34), best winning percentage (34-2, .944) and deepest run in the NAIA Div. I tournament (Fab Four).
The brisk October winds produce about a new season, however, and the 2024-25 Lancers are hungry for another deep tournament run.
Grace has obvious holes to fill, losing four starters to graduation, including the 2024 NAIA National Player of the Year (Elijah Malone). But head coach Scott Moore maintained this group has the right people in place, led by a sensational senior class.
Moore stressed the importance of his team’s culture and the “next man up” mentality. The team has had nine 1,000-point scorers over the five past years, tops in the country.
“Our system is designed so that we aren’t dependent on any one person. What we plan to do on the court is the same as in years past, but how we accomplish that may be different,” Moore said. “We may look different, but we will feel the same. We still want to be the toughest, hardest-playing team on the court each night.”
Grace’s seven seniors will lead the way this winter. Ian Scott, Brycen Graber, Carter Stoltzfus and Brett Sickafoose, in particular, have three years of experience in critical moments. They’ve been key cogs of three straight Crossroads League Tournament runs and three straight trips to Kansas City for the NAIA National Championships.
Scott has the ability to be another National Player of the Year candidate. The athletic forward will be a lynchpin to Grace’s offense with his ability to score, pass and defend at an elite level.
After coming off the bench behind Malone for three years, Scott is ready to step into the starting lineup and will have much of the offense run through him.
Moore said of Scott: “He’s such a unique story. People focused on our senior class last year, which got a lot of attention. But a player like Ian who was willing to come off the bench is a big reason why we had the success that we had. We’ve never had a five-man who will be able to trigger our offense the way that Ian will this year.”
Graber and Stoltzfus have handled the point guard duties throughout their careers. Graber finished last season with 167 assists (No. 15 in the NAIA), and Stoltzfus had the fourth-highest assist-to-turnover ratio in the country (plus-4.0).
Sickafoose has made nearly 100 3-pointers over his career, improving his output every season.
“Those three guards are a very underrated part of our team. It’s hard to win at the highest level when you’re young in the backcourt, but these guys give us comfort. We can trust them, and they know what we expect from them,” Moore added.
Marcus Davidson and Alex Darnell are also experienced members of the guard rotation who will help train the incoming class.
One of the fresh faces is graduate transfer Justin DeGraaf. The 6-foot-7 forward spent his first three seasons at NCAA Div. I UC-San Diego, helping the team finish as the runner-up in the Big West last season. Moore has been impressed so far with DeGraaf’s physicality and shooting as well as his fit within Grace’s culture.
Sophomores Gage Sefton and Ian Raasch will be counted on to shoulder more responsibility on the court this year. The wing tandem battled their way into the rotation last year but will likely play key roles this year.
Sefton and Raasch provide physical presences who guard relentlessly and have the ability to score in a variety of ways.
Returning sophomore guards Caleb Herrold and Seth Martin are back as well, armed with a year of growth.
The freshman class fits the mold of Grace’s team well. Each of the four freshmen is at least 6-foot-5 and can play a variety of positions.
Hunter Walston is a 6-7 point forward who has a knack for making winning plays. Cannen Houser is an elite 3-point shooter with a high IQ.
Isaac Schultz is a rugged post player with the ability to run and shoot, and Cole Hayworth is an athletic wing who can stretch the floor with his shooting.
“Each of our four freshmen are different and bring something unique to the table. But they’re all perfect fits for what we do, and they’re great fits for who we are as a team,” Moore said.
Another under-the-radar aspect to Grace’s success, according to Moore, was Moore’s group of assistant coaches. Jordan Weidner, Stephen Halstead and Charlie Warner are Crossroads League veterans and have been critical to Grace’s player development and recruitment strategies.
“It’s very rare to keep a coaching staff together the way we have. It’s indescribable the impact these guys have made on our guys and myself over the past several years. They are definitely not talked about enough for how good they are,” Moore said.
The Lancers have the luxury of enjoying one of the finest home atmospheres in all of small college basketball. Grace regularly packed out the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center, and the community support is only growing.
“Our home game crowds are what you dream about as a player or coach. I’d put our crowds with anyone in the country. People are proud to talk about this team; they feel connected to our guys, and it brings joy to people,” Moore added. “Our guys set the bar high, and I don’t think the community support will stop any time soon. We want our players to compete in a way that others can see Jesus through our play.”
The Lancers will open the year at home with the Lancer Tipoff Classic on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 1-2. Grace will play Northwestern Ohio on Friday at 7 p.m. and Rio Grande on Saturday at 2 p.m.