Men's Basketball looks to fight for top tier spot in OAC
The Muskingum men's basketball team, led by fifth-year head coach Travis Schwab, looks to return to top-tier form in the Ohio Athletic Conference during the 2019-20 campaign.
The Muskingum men's basketball team, led by fifth-year head coach Travis Schwab, looks to return to top-tier form in the Ohio Athletic Conference during the 2019-20 campaign.
Coach Schwab's team, which advanced to the OAC Tournament last year, will feature the return of junior Marcus Dempsey, who is returning from an injury he suffered near the start of last season. Along with Dempsey, several leading players returning include sophomore Trey Singleton, junior Tyler Bardall, junior Mitch Clark, sophomore Carson Carter, and sophomore MJ Smith.
Dempsey, through the first six games last season, averaged 25.7 points per game, 5.7 rebounds per game, and 3.2 assists per game. He received OAC Men's Basketball Player of the Week accolades and was named at the end of the season to the Academic All-OAC Honor Roll. Dempsey enters the campaign with 1,354 career points.
Singleton played in 25 games last season and averaged 8.4 points per game and 1.4 assists per game.
Bardall started all 26 games last season and recorded 5.4 points per game and secured 3.4 rebounds per game.
Clark played in 21 games last season with 20 starts and registered a career-high 10.2 points per game and averaged 4.4 points per game.
Carter played in all 26 games last season and averaged 4.2 points per game and securing 2.5 rebounds per game, while Smith played in 23 games last year and averaged 3.6 points per game and one assist a game.
Also, adding depth and talent to the team will be sophomore Noah Tomlinson, senior Micah Keith, junior Colton Kashner, and junior Alex Masinelli.
Coach Schwab will also have the benefit of a talented recruiting class to help aid the Muskie lineup this season.
The Muskies get their new season underway when they travel to take on Kenyon on Saturday, November 16, at 2:00 p.m. The team's home opener will be against Ohio Wesleyan on Wednesday, November 20, at 8:00 p.m. in the Anne C. Steele Center. Muskingum will open OAC play at Baldwin Wallace on Saturday, December 7, at 3:00 p.m.