Men's Hoops Tips-Off Season In Minnesota This Weekend
Warriors play Macalester Friday, Hamline Saturday
November 15, 2012
Brett LubbeMILWAUKEE – The Wisconsin Lutheran College men’s basketball team tips-off its 2012-2013 season in St. Paul, Minn., Friday and Saturday. WLC will play a pair of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opponents in Macalester and Hamline. The Warriors and Scots will tip off at 7:30 p.m. Friday, while WLC and Hamline will meet at 3 p.m. Saturday.
LIVE COVERAGE: Both Macalester and Hamline will provide live stats and live video of each game. Fans can access the links at www.wlcsports.com.
WISCONSIN LUTHERAN UPDATE: The Warriors are coming off a 5-20 season, including 4-12 in the Northern Athletics Conference. WLC returns four starters from its 2011-2012 squad, including the backcourt duo of seniors Tim Demuth (Franksville, Wis./Racine Lutheran) and Nate Bauer (Lake Mills, Wis./Lakeside Lutheran). Demuth averaged 10.6 points per game last season, while Bauer chipped in with 9.9. Returning to the frontcourt are seniors Russell Strutz (Sturtevant, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran) and Julion Griffin (Milwaukee, Wis./Wisconsin Lutheran).
HEAD COACH SKIP NOON: Skip Noon is in his 21st season as head coach of the Warriors. Noon, the second-longest tenured coach in the state of Wisconsin, has compiled a 256-274 career coaching record. He owns a 160-126 career conference mark, and has been named Coach of the Year of the former Lake Michigan Conference five times. Prior to arriving at Wisconsin Lutheran, Noon spent six seasons coaching at Michigan Lutheran High School in St. Joseph, Mich.
SEASON OPENERS: The Warriors are 9-20 in season-opening games. Last season, WLC claimed an 81-55 win over Silver Lake behind 20 points from Alex Merbach. Bauer and Demuth each added 16 points in the game, while both players also dished out three assists. WLC dropped its first eight season openers before beginning a season with a win for the first time in 1991-1992 when it defeated Viterbo 65-64 behind current Wisconsin Lutheran head women’s basketball coach Klay Knueppel’s game-high 20 points.
SCOUTING MACALESTER: The Scots are coming off a 1-24 campaign, but return their three leading scorers, including senior Pierce Peters, who averaged a team-high 18.8 points per game last season. Peters was a First Team All-MIAC selection a season ago as he posted 17 double-doubles in 25 games. Also returning is MIAC Honorable Mention selection Sam Marshall, who averaged 11.8 points per game last year.
SERIES HISTORY: Friday’s meeting with Macalester will be the first all-time between the Warriors and Scots.
MACALESTER HEAD COACH TIM WHITTLE: Tim Whittle is in his fourth season as the Scots' head coach. In his second season, Whittle guided the Scots to their first MIAC win in 52 games when they defeated St. John’s. The Scots have a 5-70 record under Whittle, who previously served as the top assistant at Washington University in St. Louis. The Bears won two national championships (2008, 2009) during Whittle’s five years with the team.
SCOUTING HAMLINE: The Pipers are coming off a 13-12 season which included an 11-9 record in the always-competitive MIAC. Hamline returns three starters, including sophomore forward Dior Ford. Ford averaged 11.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game a season ago. Other returning starters for the Pipers include senior forward Noah Aguirre (9.4 points per game) and sophomore guard Tyler Pannell (7.1 points per game).
SERIES HISTORY: Saturday’s game between the Warriors and Pipers will be the first-ever meeting between the two teams.
HAMLINE HEAD COACH NELSON WHITMORE: Nelson Whitmore is in his sixth season leading the Pipers men’s basketball program. Whitmore has guided HU to three consecutive winning seasons, the first time in two decades the Pipers have accomplished the feat. Whitmore, who spent nine seasons as head coach at SUNY Brockport before coming to Hamline, has compiled a 61-67 record in six seasons with the Pipers.
NEXT WEEK: The Warriors will play two non-conference home games next week, beginning with the home opener against North Park Tuesday at 7 p.m. WLC will then host Bethany Lutheran at the Recreation Complex Saturday, November 24 at 2 p.m.
PROJECTED STARTERS:
WISCONSIN LUTHERAN
#5 Tim Demuth, 5-10, Sr., G, Franksville, Wis./Racine Lutheran
2011-2012 Stats: 23 games started, 10.6 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 3.2 apg.
#12 Nate Bauer, 6-0, Sr., G, Lake Mills, Wis./Lakeside Lutheran
2011-2012 Stats: 25 games started, 9.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.9 apg.
#22 Russell Strutz, 6-5, Sr., F, Sturtevant, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran
2011-2012 Stats: 21 games started, 8.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.4 apg.
#23 Julion Griffin, 6-3, Sr., F, Milwaukee, Wis./Wisconsin Lutheran
2011-2012 Stats: 13 games started, 5.6 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 1.4 apg.
#32 Brett Lubbe, 6-4, So., F, Las Vegas, Nev./Faith Lutheran
2011-2012 Stats: 25 games played, 2.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 0.6 apg.
MACALESTER
#10 Hans Erickson, 6-3, So., G, La Crosse, Wis./Logan
2011-2012 Stats: 25 games started, 1.9 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 3.2 apg.
#20 Justin Wasik, 6-2, Jr., G, Chicago, Ill./Maine South
2011-2012 Stats: 18 games started, 7.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.4 apg
#33 Sam Marshall, 6-5, Sr., F, Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie
2011-2012 Stats: 23 games started 11.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.4 apg
#34 Bert Yaffe, 6-5, So., G, Bethesda, Md./Walter Johnson
2011-2012 Stats: 25 games played, 5.2 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 0.6 apg
#43 Pierce Peters, 6-5, Sr., F, Glenwood, Minn./Minnewaska Arena
2011-2012 Stats: 24 games started, 18.8 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 1.2 apg
HAMLINE
#4 Tyler Pannell, 6-0, So., G, Portland, Ore./Centennial
2011-2012 Stats: 24 games started, 7.1 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 0.8 apg
#5 Victor Easter, 6-2, Sr., G, Minneapolis, Minn./South
2011-2012 Stats: 25 games played, 4.1 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 1.8 apg
#32 Dior Ford, 6-5, So., F, Tucson, Ariz./Sahuaro
2011-2012 Stats: 17 games started, 11.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 0.5 apg
#33 Noah Aguirre, 6-4, Sr., F, Fillmore, Calif./Fillmore
2011-2012 Stats: 24 games started, 9.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.8 apg
#44 Charlie Choiniere, 6-8, Sr., C, Oakdale, Minn./North St. Paul
2011-2012 Stats: 24 games played, 1.9 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 0.5 apg
