The Hillsdale College men’s basketball team opens up a new season this weekend with seven new freshmen and a new court in a new division. The team has seen a lot of change over the offseason, but one thing has not changed.
Head coach John Tharp has taken the Chargers to the playoffs in all seven years he’s coached the team, and his coaching ability and technique that has formed the Chargers into perennial contenders is still present and ready to help improve both old and new players on his roster.
“[I] emphasize things that I think you need to do to win basketball games,” Tharp said. “Not turning the ball over, improving our gap defense, rebounding the basketball and guarding without fouling are the things that we’ve been hammering at them quite a bit.”
Tharp has also been focusing on teaching Hillsdale’s motion offense to his seven freshmen.
“For a lot of the freshmen a big learning thing is the motion offense,” freshman point guard Nate Neveau said. “We’ve put a lot of time into that in practice.”
Neveau highlights a strong freshman class that encompasses each position.
“They’re trying to adjust with the management of what it means to be a college athlete at Hillsdale College,” Tharp said concerning the seven freshmen. “We’re excited about them and we’ll see what their roles will be this year.”
With so many new faces in the program, it will be key for the upperclassmen to step up and lead the young team.
The Chargers lost an outstanding senior class to graduation after last season, headlined by First-Team All-GLIAC forward Tim Dezelski.
“We lost a great senior class last year,” Tharp said. “But our guys who have returned have taken a pretty good understanding and willingness to continue with the leadership of our program.”
One returning player with high expectations is forward Kyle Cooper. Cooper was second only to Dezelski in scoring and rebounding last year.
“I don’t think we’re so much trying to replace [Dezelski] as much as just forming our own new identity,” Cooper said. “It’s the nature of college sports that you’re going to graduate good seniors. We’re lacking in experience you could say but we have lots of talent this year.”
Cooper is joined by Cody Smith, Zach Miller and Michael Furlong as team captains.
“We’re relying on guys like Kyle Cooper, Cody Smith, Zach Miller, and Michael Furlong along with our other guys who have been around for a year or two,” Tharp said. “It’s just their turn.”
The Chargers came back from the offseason to a renovated arena, with full seating that encloses the court.
“It’s just awesome,” Tharp said. “ We feel really blessed and fortunate.”
The Chargers only lost one home game throughout all of last season, and the new seating will allow for a louder environment and an even stronger home-court advantage.
“It’s really exciting to think about it being closed the way it is now,” Cooper said. “It’s going to be really fun.”
Hillsdale’s home opener will be played on Nov. 29, but the team is focusing on Saturday’s contest at the Crisler Center against one of the best collegiate teams in the country, the University of Michigan Wolverines.
“We’re looking forward to maybe surprising people,” Cooper said. “At the end of the day, we’re both just a bunch of 18- to 22-year-old guys who put on their socks and shoes the same way. People might not expect it but we think that we can really compete with them.”
For the seven freshmen, their first collegiate game day experience couldn’t be any bigger.
“It’s pretty cool to come in and be able to go play at the University of Michigan for your first college game,” Neveau said. “With the leadership we have I think that we’re going to surprise some people and put up a good showing.”
The Chargers will play in the GLIAC North Division this season, so they will face their traditional rivals like Ashland and Findlay just once this season.
After going through an offseason filled with newness, the Chargers hope their seven-year run of success will stay the same.
