The Ohio Wesleyan menâs basketball team will strive to compete for the NCAC crown this year despite the loss of an exceptional graduating class that included their top three leading scorers.
The Bishops will be looking to fill some holes this year as they will be returning only one starter from last yearâs team, which finished second in the conference with a 13-5 record.
Sophomore Jon Griggs, who got some important minutes last year as a freshman, is not worried about the loss of some pivotal players.
âI think we will respond well even though we are losing some key players from last season,â Griggs said. âWe have some experience coming back and we have a lot of versatility across the board.â
As one of two seniors on the team, Nick Felhaber, who averaged 15 minutes and six points last year as a go-to player off the bench wants to lead by example this year.
âI can be a leader by just giving it my all everyday at practice and for every drill we do,â Felhaber said. âHopefully when the other guys see me giving 100 percent, they will do the same.â
The Bishops have been practicing for most of the school year gearing up for the season opener, Nov. 18 verse Kenyon College.
Griggs is happy with how the team has been performing so far.
âPractices have been going well. We have a lot of energy and our team chemistry is really good,â Griggs said.
The Bishops open up their season with four straight road games before coming home on Nov. 29 to play Defiance College in Branch Rickey Arena.
In the latest 2014-15 NCAC Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll, OWU was forecasted to finish 4th in the conference while the College of Wooster was picked to defend their title by a landslide. Wooster has also been ranked 4th in the latest national Division III News Preseason Poll.
OWUâs biggest test of the year will come December 3 when they play the talented Wooster squad.
The game will be a measurement to see how the team will stack up this year in conference play.