MONMOUTH, IL (11/12/2019) Could returning all their starters, which includes an All-American, from last year’s team Midwest Conference Tournament qualifier be enough for a three-peat in 2020 for the Monmouth College men’s basketball team?
“Returning all the major pieces and how we played in the second half of the season last year definitely makes us optimistic,” said Fighting Scots head coach Todd Skrivseth, whose team used a 10-4 run in January and February to qualify for the four-team MWC playoffs in back-to-back seasons. “We do have a couple of additions who bring needed skillsets that will complement what we have returning.”
The league’s Player and Newcomer of the Year, senior Will Carius (Bettendorf, Iowa/Pleasant Valley), was named an All-American at the end of last season and earned the same distinction with a pair of preseason awards heading into 2019-20. The 6-foot-7 forward averaged a double-double last season, pumping in more than 25 points per game – which included a 62-point night against Grinnell – and pulling down 11 rebounds per game.
“Will is a great player with size, skill and athleticism, but his best qualities are he’s a coachable guy and a team player,” praised Skrivseth, who enters his ninth season on the bench. “Having a guy like that as a centerpiece allows the rest of the team to play off him and get some opportunities when he gets double- and triple-teamed.”
Junior guard D.J. Swift took advantage of the attention Carius required last season, and with the move from point guard to shooting guard, averaged 15.5 points – a career high – while still dishing out a team-high 71 assists in 25 games.
“D.J. had to take the move from being a nice role player for a conference tournament championship team as a freshman to being ‘the guy’ last year,” said a grateful Skrivseth. “It was a transition for him early in the season, but when we hit the midway point, he really did a great job filling that role.”
Last year’s point guard, senior Jake Rueter (Columbia, Ill./Gibault), will have company with the addition of transfer Dee Hyler (Kansas City, Mo./Belton), who could play at the No. 1 or No. 2 guard spot. Rueter played in all but one game last season, starting 19 and posting 43 assists, tying for second on the team behind Swift.
“We’ve got three really good, capable point guards,” said Skrivseth of the logjam. “Jake did a tremendous job for us last year. Dee is simply a good player, very athletic and quick with a good skillset. When you throw D.J. in the mix, we’ve got three good point guards I’d be comfortable with. You could see any one of the three bringing the ball up. We’ll play with multiple guys initiating our offense.”
Justin Batterton (Astoria, Ill./South Fulton) and Tyler Houston (Knoxville, Ill./Knoxville) are two more key contributors on a roster than includes eight seniors. Batterton scored nearly 10 points a game last season while Houston was a tenacious defender with a team-high 24 steals and was No. 2 on the team in blocks behind Carius.
“Justin is a gamer and played a little banged up last year,” reported Skrivseth. “He’s healthy now and we expect him to do a great job filling his role. It took Tyler and me a while to figure out his role and be an effective part of the puzzle. We discovered that and he had a really nice season as our primary perimeter defender. He also brought some toughness to the court. I’m confident we’ll get a little more offense out of him this season.”
Skrivseth can also count on a host of talent off the bench that includes 6-4 senior three-point man Trey Swearingen (Farmington, Ill./Farmington) and sophomores Jonathan Oradiegwu (Richmond, Texas/Stephen F. Austin) and Devin Yocum (Bushnell, Ill./Bushnell-Prairie City), a 6-5, 220-pounder who can play off-guard or forward.
“Those three all got a good year’s worth of experience under their belt,” said Skrivseth. “Trey shot well and carved out a spot for himself last year. His defense also improved and he’s had a good early season. We expect Devin to continue to develop, and he could play a four or five spot for us. Jonathan’s athletic ability is off the charts. He’s developed a feel for the game and when to pick his spots. We have high expectations for him.”
The Scots also expect to get a boost from newcomer Trevor Davis (Waterloo, Ill./Gibault), a 6-4 junior transfer. He’s expected to join 6-7 returners Kenny Travis (Schaumburg, Ill./Schaumburg) and Jordan Metcalf (Aledo, Ill./Mercer County) as key players off the bench.
“Trevor can go inside or outside,” said Skrivseth. “He’s a versatile player and that’s exciting for us and a benefit to him as well. Jordan is still learning the nuances of the game, but brings size and athleticism. He’s played his way into the conversation. Kenny has four years of experience and understands his role really well. You know what you’re going to get from him night in and night out. That’s a huge benefit for a coach to know you’ve got a guy on the bench you can count on.”
With so much talent and depth returning from last season, plus a mix of top-level new talent, Skrivseth will use the early season to sort out the best rotations. That doesn’t mean the team will have a long learning curve – quite the contrary.
“Last year there definitely was a learning curve,” reported Skrivseth. “It was a credit to last year’s group to stay together and fight through the tough times and get it turned around to make the conference tournament. We have good depth but there won’t be much change in our style or philosophy, although I would like to get a little more up-tempo than last year.”
The Scots were up-tempo two seasons ago when they claimed their first league and tournament crowns since taking the regular season title and earning an NCAA berth in 1990. Skrivseth is drawing on that experience for a possible repeat in 2020.
“If we want to compete at the championship level, we’ve got to execute in the half court on both ends of the floor,” he said. “There’s a lot that goes into being successful, but when it gets right down to it, we’ve got to execute at a higher level than we did last year on both ends of the floor, stay healthy and win the close games. This is a mature, close-knit, hard-working group. They have high expectations. We’re experienced and focused and expect to hit the ground running.”
