SEASON PREVIEW he more things change at West Liberty, the more they our 15 guys weren’t here last year. That’s a lot for us but we Tseem to remain the same. put a lot of effort into player development in our program For the fourth straight year, head coach Jim Crutchfield and all six of our returning players made strides over the is welcoming back a 30-win team that swept its way to summer. They’re better players now than they were at the conference and regional titles en route to an NCAA Division II end of last season and they’ll be the guys we count on.” Elite Eight bid. Leading a lengthy list of newcomers is a trio of collegiate Coming off last year’s run to the national championship transfers. Indiana Faithfull, a 6-4 senior guard, led NCAA game – an 84-77 loss to Central Missouri – the Hilltoppers lost Division I Wofford in assists two years ago while 6-3 junior some key performers but, as always seems to be the case, a guard Joe Lococo averaged 20.0 ppg. at NCAA Division II strong nucleus is being joined by a promising collection of Shippensburg (Pa.) last year to earn second-team All-PSAC newcomers on the hilltop. honors. Zac Grossenbacher, a 6-8 sophomore post, played in 17 games as a redshirt freshman at Wofford last winter. Heading into his 11th season, Crutchfield has the highest winning percentage (272-49, .847) in history for any coach “These guys all have the skill sets and competitive fire to be with 10 or more years at an NCAA school. With a 130-10 (.929) good fits for our system,” Crutchfield said. “Indy sees the floor mark over the past four seasons and eight national scoring well and is really good at creating shots for his teammates titles in the past nine years, this is obviously a man who while Joe is a proven scorer who gets to the foul line a lot. knows how to reload. Zac’s one of the biggest kids we’ve had but he’s a really good shooter and gives us more of a physical presence in the post.” That seems to be the consensus among most preseason prognosticators as several national publications have West The seeds for future reloading projects have already been Liberty at No. 1 in their preseason rankings. planted with a bumper crop of six freshmen joining the Black and Gold. “I’m sure most teams that lose four double-figure scorers including a first-team All-American and the nation’s No. 2 shot Headlining the group are 5-8 Brady Arnold, a 2,000-point blocker would think their cupboard’s pretty bare,” Crutchfield scorer and “Mr. Basketball” finalist from Millersburg, Ohio, and said. “That’s not the case here. I think we have some pretty 6-4 Evan French, a two-time first-team All-Ohio Division II good guys back and with some new faces who should make standout from Vincent Warren but there’s plenty of talent top their presence felt. What we’re doing has worked pretty well to bottom as every Hilltopper recruit collected multiple All- for 10 years so I don’t see any reason to change the formula Conference, All-District, All-Region or All-Area honors. now.” Also donning the Black and Gold for the first time this year Preseason All-American C.J. Hester (14.2 ppg., 8.4 rpg.), a are 6-5 forwards Marco Colombo of New Philadelphia, Ohio 6-4 senior, leads the Black and Gold returnees. A two-time and Eric Meininger of Centerville, Ohio along with 6-2 guard Academic All-American, Hester earned All-Conference and Anthony Wallace of Linsly School in Wheeling and 6-4 guard All-Region honors last season. With 1,423 points and 910 Tyler Primmer of Teays Valley (Ohio) High School. rebounds already on the books, he could be the first WLU “As much as we like 30-win seasons, scoring titles and player with 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds by Christmas. regional or national championships, none of them have There’s plenty of firepower behind Hester as 6-7 junior Seger ever been goals,” Crutchfield said. “Our goal hasn’t changed Bonifant (10.3 ppg., 3.1 rpg.) leads all active NCAA Division II in 11 years. When we’re getting ready to go to the MEC players in career 3-point field goal percentage (142-256, .555) tournament, I want to feel we have a legitimate chance to win while 6-0 sophomore Devin Hoehn (11.8 ppg., 2.6 rpg.) led it. the Hilltoppers with 86 3-pointers a year ago. “I’ve always believed if you focus too much on distant goals, Also back after seeing significant playing time last winter you run the risk of tripping over one of the smaller steps SECTION III: are 6-5 junior Mike Lamberti (4.8 ppg., 3.3 rpg.) and 6-7 leading up to it. When you take care of the little things, the sophomore Zak Kirkbride (3.3 ppg., 1.9 rpg.) with 6-4 big things have a way of taking care of themselves.” sophomore Brandon Smith (1.5 ppg., 0.9 rpg.) expected to Former Bethany College head coach Aaron Huffman and THE COACHES see his minutes increase. ex-Hilltopper standout Ben Howlett return as Crutchfield’s “The main difference this year is that we have more new faces assistants. than any time since my first season,” Crutchfield said. “Nine of // 14 THE COACHES 05 season. West Liberty was coming off a 4-23 campaign dribbled onto the hardwood back in 1923. in 2004 but Crutchfield pulled off the biggest turnaround Crutchfield was a men’s basketball assistant and highly- in the nation that winter, earning his first West Virginia successful men’s and women’s tennis coach at West Liberty Conference Coach of the Year honor with a 21-10 season for several years before taking the basketball reins. He was that was capped by a run to the championship game of an 8-time WVIAC Tennis Coach of the Year after leading his the WVIAC Tournament. men’s and women’s teams to a combined 11 league titles. The Hilltopper head man never looked back and has now The Clarksburg, W.Va. native also spent a decade as head reeled off 10 consecutive 20-win seasons with 30 wins or boys’ basketball coach at Cameron (W.Va.) High School, more coming in each of the last four campaigns. To put ending his tenure there as the winningest coach in school those streaks in perspective, consider that West Liberty’s history. He resides in Wheeling with his wife, Diana, and previous 15 head men’s basketball coaches had combined their daughters, Caroline and Allison. JIM CRUTCHFIELD for just two 20-win seasons since the first Hilltopper team Head Coach SEASON W-L PCT POSTSEASON 2004-05 21-10 .677 WVIAC Final 2005-06 21-8 .724 2006-07 25-5 .833 NCAA Regional 2007-08 23-6 .793 WVIAC semifinal 2008-09 23-7 .767 WVIAC semifinal 2009-10 29-3 .906 WVIAC champion; WVIAC Final; NCAA Regional final 2010-11 33-1 .971 WVIAC champion; WVIAC Tourney champion; NCAA Regional champion; Elite 8 semifinal 2011-12 32-3 .914 WVIAC champion; WVIAC Tourney champion; NCAA Regional champion; Elite 8 quarterfinal 2012-13 34-2 .944 WVIAC champion; WVIAC Tourney champion; NCAA Regional champion; Elite 8 semifinal 2013-14 31-4 .886 MEC champion; NCAA Regional champion; Elite 8 championship game Totals 272-49 .843 Jim Crutchfield’s legend continues to grow as he heads 83, in a national semifinal. West Liberty led Central Missouri into his 11th season at the West Liberty men’s basketball for much of the national championship game only to come helm. After capping his first decade on the hilltop with last up short at the end, 84-77. winter’s run to the NCAA Division II national championship Crutchfield’s teams are known for their scoring exploits game, Crutchfield’s career mark of 272-49 (.847) now and last year’s team continued that tradition, leading stands as the highest winning percentage in college the nation in scoring for the eighth time in the last nine basketball history among coaches who have coached at seasons. The Black and Gold have averaged more than 100 least 10 seasons at NCAA schools. points per game throughout Crutchfield’s tenure. With a list populated by such coaching icons as the late The 2014 Hilltoppers checked in at No. 7 in the final NCAA Adolph Rupp (3rd all-time) and John Wooden (6th), the Division II coaches’ poll, marking the fifth straight Top 10 West Liberty court boss has put himself at the head of a finish for the program. West Liberty was 10th in 2010, No. pretty illustrious class. 3 in 2012 and a unanimous No. 1 pick in the final 2011 and Last season’s magical run was just the latest in an 2013 polls. The Hilltoppers have been ranked in the Top 10 unbroken string of success for Crutchfield with the Black for 44 consecutive polls and have appeared in 66 straight and Gold. His Hilltoppers posted their fourth consecutive Top 25 listings. Both streaks are the longest active streaks 30-win season (31-4) while claiming their fifth straight in the nation. conference crown and earning a fourth consecutive NCAA A 2-time NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year Division II Elite 8 berth with an unprecedented fourth Selection (2011, 2013) by Basketball Times and a 3-time straight Atlantic Region title.