DC Men's Hoops Eyes Start of the 2010-2011 Season

DEFIANCE, Ohio - Fresh off of guiding his program to the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Championship for its second league title in the past three years and its first NCAA National Tournament bid since 2001, third-year head coach Kyle Brumett will look to steer a younger and revamped but equally gifted roster back to those same heights.

The bar has been raised high for the Defiance College men's basketball program over the past four seasons. During that time, DC has finished fourth or better in the HCAC and won at least 17 games each season on its way to amassing a 77-32 overall clip during that span. The .706 winning percentage over the past four seasons ranks as the third-highest clip among all NCAA Division III men's basketball programs in the state of Ohio.

The Jackets have been especially dominant inside the HCAC, where they have won 36 of their last 48 league meetings on the way to the regular season championship in 2008 and the tournament title in 2010. In fact, no other HCAC team has won more conference games during the past four seasons than DC's 45. Defiance also boasts six victories in the HCAC Tournament during that span for the most among all league institutions.

The crown jewel of all of that recent success came during the 2009-2010 campaign, when the Purple and Gold went 23-6 to set a new program record for victories during DC's NCAA Division III era, claimed the 26th conference championship in program history and advanced to the NCAA National Tournament for the fourth time since transitioning from the NAIA ranks prior to the 1991-1992 season.

With eight newcomers joining only eight returners from that squad, the group of 2010-2011 Yellow Jackets will look to continue the winning tradition, while creating their own legacy on the planks at Defiance College.

While many around the region and the HCAC are expecting and possibly hoping for a step back from the DC program, as evidenced by the Jackets being picked sixth in the HCAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, those close to the program remain excited.

Even without a senior on the roster, Defiance will not use its youth as an excuse and expects the experience that its battle-tested returners gained from last year's HCAC and NCAA Tournament games to be a major advantage for the team as it looks to build on that success.

In order for that to happen, Defiance will look to capitalize on its length and athleticism, while leaning on the trio of Anthony Brown, Kyle Tietje and Logan Wolfrum to take over the reins of the program. Those three accounted for 30.5 points per game one year ago. Along with assuming increased scoring responsibilities, they will be expected to increase their performance on the defensive end of the court as well.

Brumett will also need to find players to step up their efforts on the glass, after losing two of the top rebounders in the league over the past two years in Anthony Pettaway and Nick Sales. The most likely candidates to fill that role will be junior forwards Kevin and Kyle Tietje, while sophomore guards Logan Wolfrum and Brandon Campbell could also chip in after showing a nose for the ball during their rookie campaigns.

More help will come from an incoming class deep with talented post players hailing from strong prep programs. The faster the freshmen adapt to the collegiate level, the quicker DC could find itself on top of the HCAC once again.  

POINT GUARD
The loss of a four-time All-Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference point guard who had led the team and the league in assists per game for four-straight seasons would be a crippling blow to the outlook of most teams, but that is not necessarily the case for Defiance. Sophomore Logan Wolfrum will take over for the departed Mike Floyd, ensuring that the position will remain in good hands. Wolfrum earned Honorable Mention All-HCAC honors as a rookie, after filling the box scores with 10.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.0 steals a night off the bench for the Jackets. Wolfrum scored in double-digits 17 times and led DC in assists nine times as a reserve and those numbers should rise substantially for the Defiance, Ohio, native, as his minutes could climb north of 30 per game in 2010-2011. Wolfrum has used an outstanding offseason to prepare himself for the increased role and appears poised to give the Jackets one of the top point guards in the league once again. A pair of new faces could spell Wolfrum, as freshmen Leroy Lewis and Allen Tigner will provide depth at the point and shooting guard positions. Junior Anthony Brown could also slide over from his two-guard slot whenever his ball-handling skills are needed for the Purple and Gold.

SHOOTING GUARD / WING
The squad's active leader in scoring and minutes played is the aforementioned Anthony Brown, who has already started 40 games during his time at DC. Brown netted 11.3 points per night and hit 36.9 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc as the team's second-leading scorer one year ago. The Honorable Mention All-HCAC performer is expected to join Wolfrum in seeing increased minutes, after averaging 22.8 per game last year, and should also add several points per game to his scoring average. Sophomore Brandon Campbell rounds out DC's dynamic trio of likely backcourt starters who each played valuable roles on the run to the NCAA Tournament in 2010. Campbell complements the offensive prowess of Brown and Wolfrum by relishing his role as the defensive stopper for the Jackets. During his first collegiate season, Campbell ranked fifth in the HCAC with 1.5 steals per outing and started 20 of the team's last 21 games. There are several names after Brown and Campbell on the depth chart at the wing positions but they will need to prove themselves either at the position, or at the collegiate level. Most notable on that list is Kyle Tietje, who will start in the post but could play on the wing when the Jackets decide to take advantage of his length. Returning players Brandon Hoke and Derrick Bufford could earn increased roles, along with newcomers Leroy Lewis and Allen Tigner.

POST
The graduations of Anthony Pettaway two years ago, along with Nick Sales and Nate Conley last season have partially depleted the Jackets of their experienced options in the paint. The cupboard is not empty however, as Kevin and Kyle Tietje will return, along with Justin Morris to give Defiance a trio of junior post threats. All should see more time, while each Tietje will be leaned on to consistently display the flashes of talent and athleticism they have demonstrated throughout their first two seasons.  Kyle averaged 8.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.0 blocks a night, while hitting 55.0 percent of his attempts from the floor last season, while Kevin shot 53.2 percent and netted 4.7 points and 3.4 boards in only 12.9 minutes per game. A recruiting class loaded with post players will provide reinforcements, as Ryan Hicks and Josh Francis will don the Purple and Gold after leading Port Clinton High to the Ohio State Division II Finals in 2010. The two bring the big-game experience and winning tradition that should translate well to the collegiate level and could make their presence felt early into their DC careers. Clay Heitkamp and Brandon Ray will also see court time during their freshmen campaigns and give the Jackets two more exciting prospects in the post.

2010-2011 SCHEDULE
Defiance has loaded up the schedule once again and will play five games against teams ranked in the D3hoops.com 2010-2011 Preseason Men's Basketball Top-25. The challenging slate will open with a home date against Kalamazoo, where the Jackets have gone 21-4 with head coach Kyle Brumett. If DC gets past the opener, it would then put an 11-game winning streak in regular season non-conference games dating back to December 29, 2008 on the line when it competes in Wheaton's Lee Pfund Classic. The opening game of the tournament will pit Defiance against UW-Whitewater in a rematch of last year's first-round clash in the NCAA Tournament. Along with potential games against foes from the nationally respected Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, the non-conference slate will feature the renewed rivalry with Ohio Northern and the hosting of the 36th-Annual Purple and Gold Tournament on December 29 and 30. The challenging non-conference schedule should prepare Defiance for a grueling 18-game grind in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference, as the Jackets shoot for their third HCAC Championship in four years and the 27th crown in program history.

The Jackets will get things started with a home game against Kalamazoo on Monday, November 15 at 7:30 pm. Fans not able to make the season opener can watch all of the action online by going to www.defianceathletics.com/video.