Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
WINONA LAKE - If 24th-year Grace College men's basketball coach Jim Kessler had his wish, he would keep last year's season just that - last year.
Last year for the Lancers was a 10-23 season - the sixth losing season in a span of seven years. Last year was a 1-13 record in the Mid-Central Conference, which placed them eighth in the eight-team conference.
For various reasons, four of last year's players -Êforward Lawrence Burnett, forward Teryck Taylor, guard Ryan Bricker and forward Shannon Brown - do not appear on this year's roster. None graduated. Bricker and Burnett transferred, and Taylor was expelled from Grace.
All played in 30 or more of Grace's 33 games. Bricker led the team in scoring with 13.6 points per game. Taylor led the team with 7.23 rebounds and 2.0 blocked shots per game. Brown shot 61 percent from the field to lead the team in field goal percentage. Burnett was third on the team in scoring with 10.0 points per game and second in rebounds with 5.5 per game.
Last year doesn't sit well with Kessler, he with a 425-333 record and eight MCC championships at Grace.
Sitting in his office last week, leaning back in a chair with wheels, Kessler was asked to talk about last year. His response was simply this: "Do we have to?"
He didn't have to, but he did. And somewhere in all of the negative, Kessler is putting a positive spin on things.
"I really believe it's through crisis that you find out what you're made of," Kessler said. "I believe that adveristy plus perserverance develops maturity. That's comes from James 1, it's right there in the bible, and it's so true of life."
Kessler also says there are two kinds of people, those who quit and those who gut it out. He says that for those who gut it out, good things will happen.
The Lancers will get their first chance to make good things happen this year when they open up the 2000-2001 season tonight with a 7 p.m. home game with Spring Arbor.
What Grace has this year is six solid returners and a strong recruiting class.
Included in the list of returners are three seniors, a trio that have played their entire careers at Grace. Andy Schmidt, a 1998 graduate, was the last Lancer to play all four years. The sports information department at Grace said it isn't sure when the Lancers had three four-year players on the team.
Senior Ben Tonagel, a 6-foot-4 forward/guard, is the leading scorer returning with his 11.3 points per game average. He also brought down 3.1 rebounds per game a year ago for the Lancers.
"Tonagel has great range, he can shoot it from way out," Kessler said. "He just wants to help us win. He got married this summer, and his maturity level is excellent."
Six-foot-6 senior forward Dan Scharlach returns after scoring 9.9 points per game and pulling down 4.9 rebounds per game a year ago. The third senior on the team, 6-9 center Jeremy Swanson, averaged 3.8 points and 1.5 rebounds per game last year.
Junior guards Matt Moore (6.4 ppg, 4.6 apg) and Brian O'Dell (1.8 ppg, 1.4 rpg) also saw key minutes last year.
Seven freshmen appear on the roster that could see valuable minutes. This impressive recruiting class includes Corey Smith (6-2 G, Fort Wayne North), Joe Saunders (6-8 forward, Phillippines), Matt Abernethy (6-6 center, Carmel), Chris Irwin (6-0 guard, Eastbrook), Derek Isensee (6-3 guard, Mich.), Barry Miesel (6-1 guard, Phillippines) and Matt Springer (6-3 forward, Heritage).
"The key for us is to capitalize on what we have," Kessler said. "When a shot goes up, we have to get there and get second and third chances. We'd like to get down the floor and force it in the paint."
Kessler said he would like to get it in the paint with Scharlach, Saunders, Aberneth, Tonagel and Isensee. He calls this group the "burly boys." All bench press nearly 300 pounds.
"We're not a razzle, dazzle team, we're a meat and potatoes team," Kessler said. "We have the burly boys. We're gonna play hard, play smart and play together. Our games will be won by who boxes out and who sets screens."
And those games would be won on a schedule that features five opponents ranked in the NAIA preseason top 25 - No. 3 Cornerstone, No. 4 St. Francis, No. 13 Marian, No. 20 Mount St. Clare and No. 23 Bethel.
Our schedule is brutal again," Kessler said. "I guess you gotta play good people, there's no place to hide."
GRACE COLLEGE
2000-2001 Men's Basketball Schedule
(home games in caps and bolded)
Date Opponent Time
Nov. 7 vs. SPRING ARBOR 7 p.m.
Nov. 10-11 OPTIMIST TIP-OFF TOURNAMENT
Nov. 10 vs. IU NORTHWEST 8 p.m.
Nov. 11 consolation/championship 1/3 p.m.
Nov. 14 vs. TRI-STATE 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 17-18 at Cornerstone Tournament
Nov. 21 vs. PURDUE-CALUMET 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 24 at IU-Southeast 7 p.m.
Nov. 25 at Spaulding 3 p.m.
Dec. 1-2 at Carthage Tournament
Dec. 1 vs. Carthage 8 p.m.
Dec. 2 consolation/championship 2/4 p.m.
Dec. 5 vs. IUSB 8 p.m.
Dec. 8-9 at Franklin Tournament
Dec. 8 vs. Marantha 6 p.m.
Dec. 9 consolation/championship 1/3 p.m.
Dec. 15-16 HOLIDAY INN-VITATIONAL TOURNAMENT
Dec. 15 vs. Mount St. Claire 8 p.m.
Dec. 16 consolation/championship 1/3 p.m.
Dec. 28 at Cal State Bernadino 7 p.m.
Dec. 30 at Hope International
Jan. 6 at Bethel 3 p.m.
Jan. 9 at Marian 7 p.m.
Jan. 13 vs. HUNTINGTON 3 p.m.
Jan. 16 vs. INDIANA WESLEYAN 7 p.m.
Jan. 20 at Taylor 3 p.m.
Jan. 23 vs. GOSHEN 7 p.m.
Jan. 27 at St. Francis 7 p.m.
Jan. 30 vs. BETHEL 7 p.m.
Feb. 3 vs. MARIAN 3 p.m.
Feb. 6 at Huntington 7 p.m.
Feb. 10 at Indiana Wesleyan 3 p.m.
Feb. 13 vs. TAYLOR 7 p.m.
Feb. 17 at Goshen 3 p.m.
Feb. 21 MCC Tournament Quarterfinals 7 p.m.
Feb. 24 MCC Tournament Semifinals 3 p.m.
Feb. 27 MCC Tournament Championship 7 p.m.
Mar 7-13 NAIA National Tournament TBA
Mar 15-17 NCCAA National Tournament TBA
2000-2001 Roster
No. Name Pos. Yr. Ht. Hometown High School
10 Ken Sparks G Fr. 5-9 Cassopolis, MI Howardsville
12 Chris Irwin G Fr. 6-1 Van Buren, IN Eastbrook
14 Corey Smith G Fr. 6-0 Fort Wayne, IN North Side
20 Brian O'Dell G Jr. 6-0 Shorewood, IL Aurora Chr.
21 Derric Isensee G/F Fr. 6-3 Canton, MI Plymouth Chr.
22 Matt Moore G Jr. 6-0 Columbia City, IN Col. City
23 Matt Abernethy F Fr. 6-5 Carmel, IN Carmel
24 Lee Compson G So. 6-1 Warsaw, IN Warsaw
25 Mike Frede F So. 6-5 Milwaukee, WI Heritage Chr.
30 Barry Miesel G So. 6-0 Hermet, CA Faith Academy
33 Joseph Saunders F Fr. 6-8 Manila, Philippines Faith Acad.
34 Ben Tonagel G/F Sr. 6-3 LaPorte, IN LaPorte
35 Jordan Bender G/F So. 6-3 Milford, IN Wawasee
40 Matt Springer F Fr. 6-3 Leo, IN Leo
41 Adam Walter F Fr. 6-0 Co. Springs, CO Pine Creek
42 Jeremy Wike F So. 6-3 Wooster, OH Wooster
44 Aaron Jackson G So. 6-0 Dayton, OH Dayton Chr.
50 Dan Scharlach F Sr. 6-6 Huntertown, IN Carroll
52 Jeremy Swanson F Sr. 6-8 LaOtta, IN East Noble
Stats and Facts
Coach - Jim Kessler (425-333 in 23 years, all at Grace)
Assistant coach -ÊJon Yeh (1 year as assistant)
Conference -ÊMid-Central
Affiliation -ÊNAIA, NCCAA
Enrollment - 1,000
1999-2000 record - 10-23
1999-2000 MCC record -Ê1-13 (eighth)
Top returners
Moore 6.4 ppg, 4.6 apg, 3.1 rpg
Tonagel 11.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg
Scharlach 9.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg
Swanson 3.8 ppg, 1.5 rpg
O'Dell 1.8 ppg, 1.4 rpg
Top newcomers -ÊSmith, Springer, Saunders, Abernethy, Irwin, Isensee, Miesel
Outlook
With six solid returners and a strong recruiting class, the Lancers are looking to bounce back from a disapointing 10-23 season in 1999-2000. Three seniors will provide the much-needed leadership as the team has had a total of one senior in the past two seasons. The Lancers are without four players from last year's team for various reasons. The returning six players have all seen valuable court time over the last two or three years and could lead the Lancers to one of their better seasons in five years.
