WEBSTER GROVES – Webster University is set to tip-off up its 35th season of men's basketball competition on Thursday, Nov. 8 as the Gorloks travel to Jacksonville, Ill., for a 7 p.m. game against Illinois College.
 
The Gorloks, who were picked to finish third in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, returns three starters and nine lettermen from last season's 13-12 squad that tied for third in the SLIAC, but lost out on tiebreaker for a spot in the SLIAC Tournament.
 
"I think it is a little different team than last year. Last year, we had so many new people and just a couple of returners," Webster head men's basketball coach Chris Bunch said when asked about this season's team. "We have got quite a bit of guys that received experience last year, so I'm hoping that is going to mean bigger and better things this year with a lot of guys returning, guys with a lot of experience and guys with a lot of game experience that hopefully will carry over in the results column."
 
Among the key returners for Webster in 2018-19 is sophomore forward Nigel Wilcox (Alpharetta, Ga./Centennial). Wilcox was named the SLIAC Newcomer of the Year, along with being named to both the SLIAC All-Defensive Team and earning Second-Team All-SLIAC honors last season after averaging 13.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game and shooting 63 percent from the field. On the season, he blocked 58 shots, which was second-most on the school's single-season list.
 
"I think he has gotten better. His skills are better and now we're working with him to stay out of foul trouble and also better ways to be efficient on both offense and defense," Bunch said about Wilcox. "You will see him step out on the floor and shoot from mid-range a little more this year. He is a good athlete and runs the floor well, so we're trying to get him out on the break a little more, get him opportunities in the open court where he's not having to grind so much, but he will also do some of the post-up stuff he did last year, as well."
 
In addition to Wilcox, the other two returning starters this season for the Gorloks are junior guard/forward Enrique Tankins (Wentzville, Mo./Timberland) and junior guard Josh Johnson (St. Louis, Mo./Clayton). Tankins, who missed the final six games last season due to injury, averaged 9.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game a season ago and shot 45 percent from the field and 75 percent from the free throw line, while Johnson was second on the team in scoring as he averaged 13.5 points per game, along with 3.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game and shot 36 percent from the 3-point line and 80 percent at the foul line.
 
Tankins is probably Webster's most all-around player and a player Bunch says is very integral in what his team his doing on the floor in all areas. Case in point, when Tankins got injured last season, the Gorloks closed the 2017-18 campaign with a 3-3 record and those losses at Iowa Wesleyan, Blackburn in overtime and Greenville kept Webster from qualifying for the SLIAC Tournament.
 
"Enrique is probably not a guy everyone notices first, but he probably does the most stuff. Talk about a stat sheet stuffer, he is kind of like that for us. He'll never have 28 points in a game, but he always seems to have 12 points, nine rebounds and seven assists," the Webster coach added. "He does a lot of different things on the court for us. He takes good shots, is one of our better defenders, one of our better rebounders, led us in assists per game last year and is probably our best all-around player."
 
Johnson, who was second on the team in made 3-pointers a season ago with 38 and led the team with 69 made free throws, is a player that Bunch says really worked hard during the offseason to improve.
 
"Josh really worked hard in the offseason on his game and I think everyone will see that this year," added Bunch. "He shoots the ball well, is one of our better perimeter shooters and he is going to handle the ball a lot for us again this year. We have a lot of backcourt newcomers that are coming in that can handle the ball, which will take some of the load off him from doing it all the time."
 
Another top returner this season is sophomore guard/forward Rodson Etienne (West Palm Beach, Fla./Royal Palm Beach). Etienne, who was primarily used off the bench last season, averaged 7.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game and shot 54 percent from the field and blocked 14 shots.
 
"Rodson is a good rebounder, good athlete, gets around the rim and gets a lot of things done. He is very capable of having some big nights for us this season," said Bunch, who is entering his 17th season with the Gorloks in 2018-19 and has compiled a 244-172 overall record, including a 186-74 mark in SLIAC play.
 
Some of Webster's other key returners from last season include junior guard Blake Ferrell (St. Louis, Mo./Parkway South) and sophomore guard Elijah Macias (San Antonio, Texas/Medina Valley). Ferrell averaged 2.3 points per game and had 21 assists last season, while Macias averaged 3.0 points per game and shot 40 percent from the 3-point line.
 
"Blake has come in and improved from last season and is expected to help us at the guard spot, while Elijah has been our best perimeter shooter so far in practice and is healthy after getting hurt in the middle eight games last season which hurt us down the stretch of the season," said Bunch. "Both of those players have looked good and I expect them to contribute this year."
 
While the team returns nine players that saw action at one time or another last season, Bunch is excited about his group of nine newcomers, that includes three transfers that he expects will play right way.
 
The three transfers that Bunch has brought in are junior guard Jordan Clay (St. Louis, Mo./Vashon), who played the last two years at Blackburn College, junior guard Aron Hopp (Lincoln, Ill./Lincoln Community), who is a transfer from Lincoln (Ill.) College and sophomore forward Ethan Hughes (Union, Mo./Union), who is a transfer from Park University.
 
"I think all three of the transfers will play right away. Obviously, Jordan Clay played at Blackburn the last two years and understands the league a bit better than the other two transfers. He is very athletic, a good defender, good rebounder and is kind of like Enrique in a way as he gets a lot of different things done. Aron (Hopp) is good ball handler, good perimeter shooter. I think he'll help us in that regard. When people press us, as several teams in our league like to press, we struggled with that a year ago, so I think Aron will be a big help there. Ethan Hughes gives us a little size and is a good scorer outside and a good passer," Bunch said about his three transfers. "I think all three of those guys are going to add some positive things to what we're doing."
 
As a sophomore last season at Blackburn, Clay averaged 5.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game for the Beavers, who lost to Greenville in the championship game of the 2018 SLIAC Tournament, while Hopp averaged 7.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game and shot 39 percent from the field and 82 percent at the free throw line as a freshman at Lincoln in 2016-17 and Hughes averaged 10.0 points and 6.2 rebounds per game last season at Park University.
 
In addition to the three transfers, Bunch and his coaching staff also added five freshmen to its roster this season and Bunch expects several of those freshmen to step in and help out this year.
 
The six freshmen this season are guard Kevin Anders (Riveria Beach, Fla./Inlet Grove), forward Nate Dillinger (Bernie, Mo./Bernie), forward/guard Clayton Eck (Cobden, Ill,/Cobden), guard Isaiah King (St. Louis, Mo./Brentwood), guard Patler Levasseur (West Palm Beach, Fla./Royal Palm Beach) and forward Michael Suiter (Bernie, Mo./Bernie).
 
"Two or three of our freshmen have looked good so far in practice. The two guards from Florida (Kevin Anders and Patler Levasseur) have both looked good and I think they'll get some opportunities early and I also think Nate (Dillinger) has looked good. He can score, rebound and do some things, so I think he will also be able to help," added Bunch.
 
The one thing Bunch harped on a lot during the preseason has been an improvement in his team's overall experience from a season ago and he's hoping that a more experienced and seasoned team this season will translate to improvements in the team's success.
 
"I think now when we talk about things, talk about teams. Last year, those guys didn't know who WashU was or whoever we were going to play at the time and now this year as we go into games, they have a little bit better appreciation for who teams are and what they're trying to do, so that is where our experience should help," said Bunch. "I just think that knowing how hard they have to play and how well they have to play to be able to execute offensively and defensively, that is going to help us this year. Just kind of knowing, having been through it one time, they'll have a better understanding of what to do and what's needed."
 
Among the keys to success this season for Webster will be their ability to play defense, take care of the basketball and better shot selection. Last season, Webster allowed 79.3 points per game on defense and had a -1.1 turnover margin as they averaged 14.8 turnovers per game and forced only 13.6 turnovers a game and shot just 47 percent from the field, but connected on just 35 percent of its 3-point shots (139-for-399).
 
"I think if we're good defensively, I think we'll be good, but if were just average defensively, I think we'll be a lot like we were last year, up-and-down. How good defensively is one key for us this season," Bunch said. "How we handle the ball and not turn it over is another key and I think the third thing is our shot selection. If we come down and not turn the ball over and take good shots, I think we can have a really good year, but if we're not doing those things, I think we'll kind of be up-and-down like we have been recently"
 
Another big key for the Gorloks will be rebounding as Webster was outrebounded by nearly four boards per game as they averaged 36.1 boards per game and their opponents averaged 39.9 boards per contest. In their preseason scrimmage against Birmingham-Southern this year, the Gorloks were outrebounded.
 
"Rebounding is also expected to a key for us. We had one scrimmage this preseason and were outrebounded. It was a problem last year and has been a problem the last two or three years. Historically, rebounding hasn't been a problem as we were always the biggest team, so we always had one of the better rebounding teams. In the last couple of years, rebounding has been an Achilles heel for us and is something we spend a lot of time working on and stressing the importance of. I tell them all the time, it is the single best way people get defensive stops is by defensive rebounds," Bunch stated. "If you want to stop people, you have got to be able to rebound the basketball."
 
One of the staples of Webster's program since Bunch's arrival has been its ability to be one of the top defensive teams in the league year in-and-year out and Bunch is hoping this year's team defends better than they did a season ago.
 
"We have talked a lot about defense in the preseason and have worked on it a lot, maybe more so than in year's past. I am kind of a weird mix as a coach, I am an offensive coach as I love offense, plays, shooting drills and I love the offensive parts of practice, but I probably worry more about the defensive side of the floor because it is where more of your games are won and lost," said Bunch, whose 2017-18 team allowed nearly 80 points per game. "If you play well defensively, you are always going to be in games, so we spend a lot of time working on our defensive stuff, making sure we can defend better this year."

Another area the Gorloks need to find replacements for is scoring off the bench this season as their main offensive weapon off the bench from last season, freshman guard Christian Crespo, decided not to return and transferred to Hiram College. Last season, Crespo averaged 13.4 points per game in 25 games and he shot 45 percent from the field, 43 percent from the 3-point line and 79 percent at the free throw line.
 
"I think Elijah is going to be able to able to step in to that role and score for us off the bench. We have a couple of other guys as Rodson will give us scoring whether he starts or comes off the bench. Both of the freshmen guards from Florida can shoot it well and can score. Marvin Saintolien (North Miami, Fla./North Miami), who played some as a freshman last year, is going to be able to maybe score a little bit for us off the bench," the Webster coach stated. "I think we may not be have one guy that averages 13 points per game, but I think collectively, we're going to have enough people coming off the bench that can score for us."
 
In the preseason SLIAC Coaches' Poll, the Gorloks were tabbed to finish third as they received 62 points, including one first place vote. Three-time defending SLIAC Champion Greenville was tabbed as the favorite in the league's preseason poll, while Westminster was tabbed second. In the poll that was voted on by the league's head coaches, Greenville earned 75 points and five first place votes, while Westminster received three first place votes and a total of 74 points.
 
If the preseason poll is any indication as the top five teams are separated by a total of 30 points, it should be a highly competitive season in men's basketball in the race for the four spots in the SLIAC Tournament at the end of February.
 
"I think Greenville and Westminster are going to be really good. I think Westminster with Romo Tabb back after a year's absence, they have everyone back from last year, so I think that is going to make them really good. Greenville has been good the last three years or so doing their thing that makes them difficult to play and prepare for as it is such a different kind of game than what you conventionally play. He has a lot of good talent and had a lot of guys back. I think those two teams will be good," Bunch added. "I think Eureka will be good and Blackburn will also be good. There are other teams in there as well. The top half of the league for the most part return most of their guys from a year ago, which I think will make the league very competitive."
 
Thursday's season opening opponent, Illinois College, comes into the season with a lot of newness as Steve Schweer takes over the reins of the Blueboy program after former coach Mike Worrell retired at the end of the 2017-18 season after 20 years as Illinois College's coach. Schweer comes to Illinois College after spending the past two seasons as an assistant coach at North Central College in suburban Chicago, where he was part of two Cardinals teams' that made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2017 and 2018.
 
Schweer's first Blueboy team welcomes back three starters and eight lettermen from last season's squad that finished 8-17 overall and 3-15 in the Midwest Conference.
 
Among the key returners for the Blueboys are senior guard Mason Speer, senior forward Sean McDonald and senior guard Tim Parks. Speer averaged a team-best 12.7 points per game last season and also averaged 3.5 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game, while McDonald averaged 10.4 points and 4.9 rebounds per game a season ago and Parks averaged 8.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game and shot 36 percent from the 3-point line and 82 percent at the free throw line.
 
"They are a much different team than they were last year. They got a new coach, the assistant from North Central and he brought in two or three junior college players from the Chicago area. They had an exhibition game the other day with MacMurray and they look to be much better than they were the last couple of seasons," Bunch said about Illinois College. "It is going to be a tough out as it is going to be there first game. New coach, new team, new beginning and they are going to be highly motivated and it's going to be a hornet's nest.

"We'll have to go up there and play well if we want to win."
 
Thursday's game marks the second consecutive season that Webster is opening on the road as last season they began the 2017-18 campaign against Tufts as the Lopata Classic hosted by WashU. The Gorloks lost their 2017-18 season opener, 83-68 and have lost four consecutive season openers since posting an 85-55 win over Calumet College of St. Joseph (Ind.) at the Cavallo Classic hosted by Webster to open the 2013-14 season.
 
Following Thursday's season opener at Illinois College, the Gorloks will play an exhibition game on Monday, Nov. 12 at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) at 7 p.m., before opening its 2018-19 home schedule at Grant Gymnasium on Wednesday, Nov. 14 against Washington University in St. Louis at 7 p.m.