Setting the Scene:
The Wittenberg University men's basketball program put together another outstanding season in 2003-04. While it didn't end as the nationally ranked Tigers would have liked - with back-to-back season-ending losses in the North Coast Athletic Conference tournament championship game and in the second round of the NCAA Division III national tournament - the latest edition of the winningest men's basketball program in small college history availed itself in outstanding fashion.
The Tigers finished 24-5 overall and posted the second perfect NCAC regular season in school history with a 16-0 mark. Between Dec. 13 and Feb. 28, Wittenberg ripped off 20 consecutive victories and moved from the outside looking in to a high of No. 5 in the nation, according to the d3hoops.com weekly poll. Highlights during this time were a pair of league wins over arch-rivals Wooster (26-4) and Ohio Wesleyan (19-7) as well as a convincing 85-67 win over Ohio Athletic Conference powerhouse Ohio Northern.
Super Seniors:
Two invaluable student-athletes made their final appearances in the Red & White during the 2003-04 season: seniors Peter Walker and Rod Emmons (South Bend, Ind./John Adams).
Walker, a four-year letterwinner and two-year starter at forward, had his finest season in 2003-04. He was the only player to start all 29 games, and he led the team in scoring (14.2 points per game) and minutes (25.4 per game). He exhibited the kind of well-rounded game that coaches seek from their veteran players, adding 6.3 rebounds per game (second on the team), 44 assists, 18 steals, 15 blocked shots and solid shooting percentages (.493 from the field, .392 from three-point range and .808 from the free throw line). Walker became one of just 37 players in program history to surpass 1,000 career points.
Emmons struggled offensively in 2003-04, but he made up for it with solid defense, leadership and ball-handling. After ranking among the national leaders for three-point percentage as a sophomore, his long-range shooting fell off to .287 and his overall shooting percentage dropped to .320 in 2003-04. In starting 27 games and appearing in all 29, Emmons still managed to rank fifth on the team with 8.0 points per game, and he contributed 39 assists, a team-best 24 steals and 3.3 rebounds per game. Walker and Emmons served as co-captains in the 2003-04 season.
Time To Reload:
While Walker and Emmons leave significant voids, there is talent throughout the program. Four juniors will move into the leadership role for 2004-05, three of whom were among the 10-man rotation in 2003-04. In addition, an array of other players who appeared in at least 18 games and averaged at least eight minutes in those appearances are expected back for next season.
Leading the charge is a large, guard-dominated senior class. Guards Danny Brywczynski (Dayton,Ohio/Northmont), Brett Bowen (Arcadia, Ind./Hamilton Heights), Kenny Molz (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont) and Andy Bucheit (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) all figure prominently in the team's plans for 2004-05. Brywczynski came off a broken hand in the preseason to break the school record for three-point shooting percentage (.492) and lead the team in assists in his second year as a starter. Bowen missed the entire 2003-04 season after suffering a broken foot in the preseason. Molz shared point guard duties with Brywczynski and ranked among the team leaders in assists with 41 and steals with 20. Bucheit topped the team in three-point field goals with 44 while appearing in all 29 games, including 18 off the bench.
Daniel Russ
The juniors-to-be are three big men and a guard. Daniel Russ, center Dane Borchers (Russia, Ohio/Russia), Kenny Brady and guard Phil Steffes (Centerville, Ohio/Centerville) make up a solid class. Russ led the team in rebounding and blocked shots and ranked second in scoring and minutes played while appearing in and starting all but two games during the season. He and Brady were both second-team all-conference choices in their first year each in the starting lineup. Borchers came on strong after missing all of the 2002-03 season with a back injury to score 5.8 points and grab 3.8 rebounds in 13.3 minutes per game off the bench.
The sophomore class is headed up by guard Billy Bowen (Arcadia, Ind./Hamilton Heights) who appeared in all 29 games and was a valuable, high-energy sub. He averaged 3.1 points per game while averaging 42 percent shooting from beyond the three-point arc. Other sophomores include point guard Pat Denbow (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier), who scored 26 points in 20 games off the bench, and forwards Mark Huelsman (Urbana, Ohio/Urbana) and Jack Hemenway (Centerville, Ohio/Centerville) all who made at least 18 appearances off the bench for the Tigers.
Individual Honors:
Senior forward Peter Walker (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier) was named first-team All-NCAC and first-team All-Great Lakes region by the National Association of Basketball Coaches after the season. Sophomore center Daniel Russ (Louisville, Ky./Trinity) and sophomore forward Kenny Brady (Reading, Ohio/Reading) claimed second-team all-conference honors.
The Coach:
Head Coach Bill Brown (Wittenberg '73) completed his 11th season at the helm of his alma mater's basketball program. Brown's teams at Wittenberg have compiled an overall record of 250-62 for an .800 winning percentage. This season's 24-5 overall mark continues one of the most amazing winning season streaks in all of college sports. Wittenberg has not had a losing season since 1953-54 and has averaged more than 21 wins per season during that time and more than 22 per year since Brown took the reins in 1993-94.
The Tigers have won six outright NCAC regular season championships and advanced to seven NCAA Division III national tournaments in Brown's 11 seasons. His teams have an 11-7 record in NCAA competition with a Final Four appearance in 1994 and an Elite Eight appearance in 1996. Brown's career record is 310-161, including one season at Wooster and four at Kenyon in the 1980s.