After a historic start to its season, the Hillsdale men’s basketball team tied for No.5 in the latest DII Sports Information Directors of America national poll and No.7 in the nation in the National Association of Basketball Coaches poll.

The Chargers started the season with 12 straight wins, the second best start in program history, and have been ranked top eleven in the nation in the NABC poll for eight straight weeks. 

After an Elite Eight appearance last year, the team graduated three seniors, including the team’s starting frontcourt of first-team All-American forward Patrick Cartier and first-team All-Conference forward Austen Yarian.

In the wake of these losses, Chargers up and down the roster have stepped into larger roles to lead Hillsdale to a 16-1 overall record, and a G-MAC-best 9-1 in conference play. All five starters for the Chargers are averaging career-highs in points and rebounds.

The team has beat opponents with the fifth-best scoring margin in the nation, averaging 14 points more than they allow. The Chargers have only played in five games decided by single-digits. 

“We have faith in our guys, we believe in our guys, and we have the so-called starting five, but the bench is important to us,” head coach John Tharp. “We need all those guys to continue to give us really good minutes.

Fifth-year senior forward Peter Kalthoff has emerged as the team’s leading scorer, one of four Chargers who average double-figures in scoring. Kalthoff played in just 12 games last year, spending the majority of the season sidelined with injuries. 

He has stepped into the starting lineup this year and has excelled. In the team’s 17 games Kalthoff has scored more than five times as many points as his last three years combined. He earned the first G-MAC Player of the Week award of his career this past week, becoming the first Charger to earn the award this year.

Kalthoff averaged 21.5 points and 7.5 rebounds on 71.4% shooting from the floor during the week’s two games, including a career-high 29 points in a win over Northwood. 

“I sent a text message to Pete, letting him know how proud I am of him,” Tharp said. “I thought that was a well-deserved honor, he’s done so many good things for us, finishing around the rim and blocking shot, he’s a capable 3-point shooter, so I’m proud of him.”

The team has gotten back on track after suffering its only loss of the season on New Year’s Eve to Lake Erie, winning four straight home games. 

Losses by G-MAC foes Ashand and Malone, give Hillsdale a game-and-a-half lead over every other team in the conference. 

“Since November and December, we kind of discovered that we’re the hunted, and every team really wants to play their best game against us, and that’s what we want too, that’s what makes meaningful games,” Kalthoff said.

Though the four-point loss in Lake Erie kept the team from tying the best start in program history, senior guard Cole Nau said the team has learned a lot from the game.

“We gave up two big threes late, one of them was because there was a ball screen between Eric and I and there was a little confusion on what our coverage was, if we were switching it or if it was a show, and they hit a three, and later in the game when they hit a three, that was more confusion, so that’s not going to happen again,” Nau said. 

Unlike past years, the team has been defined offensively by balanced scoring, with four players ranking top 21 in the conference in points per game, but none in the top 10. 

Kalthoff is joined by fifth-year senior guard Jack Gohlke, senior guard Kyle Goessler, and sophomore forward Joe Reuter who all average at least 11 points per game.

“I don’t think we’re a team of superstars, I think we’re just being a team that is playing for each other, and I appreciate what they’re doing, we ask them to continue to do that,” Tharp said. 

The Chargers rank top 10 in the nation among Division II teams in four team statistics, including two that rank in the top three. Scoring defense and assist-to-turnover ratio are ninth and sixth respectively, and opposing 3-point percentage and fewest turnovers committed are second and third respectively. 

Nau said those statistics define the team perfectly, as the Chargers are team-oriented and defensively-minded. 

Hillsdale’s defense was on display against the Ohio Dominican Panthers in the team’s last game. The Chargers held ODU to just 36% from the floor, and 23% from outside. The Panthers made just three threes all game, and collected only three team assists while committing 12 turnovers. 

Three of the Panthers’ five starters shot a combined 1-of-13 for two points, while the team’s leading scorer, Zach Szul shot just 4-of-16 from the field. Nau led the way in the team’s defense against Szul, while finishing with eight points, five rebounds, and three steals.

“It’s just always a one-on-one battle, it’s easy to say ‘oh Cole shut him down,’ but you really watch the game and there were a couple of times where he made a good move and Walt came over on one and contested him, I remember one where Pete contested him, there was a switch between Kyle and I, it’s really a team effort,” Nau said.

The team will play three of its next four games on the road before a key three-game home stand.

“We’ve got to be better defensively and rebounding the ball consistently, I’m worried about us rebounding the basketball, and offensively we have to continue to finish around the rim a little bit better than what we have,” Tharp said. “We’re just focusing on a talented Kentucky Wesleyan and a tough Trevecca team.”