Two Year Turnaround
03/07/07
By Justin Bryant, IWU
Sports Info
BRANSON, MO—Two seasons the ago, the Indiana Wesleyan University men’s basketball team was ranked ninth in the Mid-Central College Conference and did not even make the conference tournament.
Now, the Wildcats (28-4) have made a turnaround that has them ranked ninth in NAIA DII and the tenth seed at the NAIA DII National Tournament in Point Lookout Missouri.
“We’ve come a long way,” says Wildcat guard Joel Tonagel, the only senior starter, “from getting no respect a couple years ago to now being here in this atmosphere and feeling like we are one of the elite teams in the country.”
The Wildcat’s transition from the bottom of the conference to being one of the top ten teams in the nation coincides with the hiring coach Greg Tonagel. But coach Tonagel gives the credit to his players.
“First and foremost, a lot of (the turnaround) has to do with the players and what they’ve done and accomplished,” says Tonagel. “We really have challenged these guys to work hard, believe in themselves and believe in what we were asking them to do. I think we pushed them pretty hard and they’ve responded well. And we were fortunate enough to really recruit some talented kids.”
Besides Joel Tonagel, the starters consist of all coach Tonagel recruits including freshmen Zach Coverstone and DeJovaun Sawyer-Davis and sophomores Jon Moon and Antonio Murrell.
“Coach influenced me (to come to IWU) just with playing time,” Murrell says of his decision to come to IWU, “and hopefully making the turnaround and making a difference. Also because it is a Christian school.”
The young players contributions have played a major factor but maybe more importantly has been the play of the players remaining from the Wildcats’ team that finished last in the MCC during the 2004-2005 season.
“Recruiting is a major part of what we do,” Tonagel says. “But also you talk a lot about the recruiting but the returning guys really stepped up and we have some solid guys. In Joel (Tonagel), he really set the tone for hard work in what he did and Jared Boser doing things on the defensive end. So (the turnaround) was a mix of recruiting and a mix of returning guys working very hard.”
That combination of players has been a record setting one for the Indiana Wesleyan men’s basketball program: most wins in a season overall (28), most conference wins in a season (14), first ever MCC championship, and first ever trip to the NAIA DII National Tournament.
BRANSON, MO—Two seasons the ago, the Indiana Wesleyan University men’s basketball team was ranked ninth in the Mid-Central College Conference and did not even make the conference tournament.
Now, the Wildcats (28-4) have made a turnaround that has them ranked ninth in NAIA DII and the tenth seed at the NAIA DII National Tournament in Point Lookout Missouri.
“We’ve come a long way,” says Wildcat guard Joel Tonagel, the only senior starter, “from getting no respect a couple years ago to now being here in this atmosphere and feeling like we are one of the elite teams in the country.”
The Wildcat’s transition from the bottom of the conference to being one of the top ten teams in the nation coincides with the hiring coach Greg Tonagel. But coach Tonagel gives the credit to his players.
“First and foremost, a lot of (the turnaround) has to do with the players and what they’ve done and accomplished,” says Tonagel. “We really have challenged these guys to work hard, believe in themselves and believe in what we were asking them to do. I think we pushed them pretty hard and they’ve responded well. And we were fortunate enough to really recruit some talented kids.”
Besides Joel Tonagel, the starters consist of all coach Tonagel recruits including freshmen Zach Coverstone and DeJovaun Sawyer-Davis and sophomores Jon Moon and Antonio Murrell.
“Coach influenced me (to come to IWU) just with playing time,” Murrell says of his decision to come to IWU, “and hopefully making the turnaround and making a difference. Also because it is a Christian school.”
The young players contributions have played a major factor but maybe more importantly has been the play of the players remaining from the Wildcats’ team that finished last in the MCC during the 2004-2005 season.
“Recruiting is a major part of what we do,” Tonagel says. “But also you talk a lot about the recruiting but the returning guys really stepped up and we have some solid guys. In Joel (Tonagel), he really set the tone for hard work in what he did and Jared Boser doing things on the defensive end. So (the turnaround) was a mix of recruiting and a mix of returning guys working very hard.”
That combination of players has been a record setting one for the Indiana Wesleyan men’s basketball program: most wins in a season overall (28), most conference wins in a season (14), first ever MCC championship, and first ever trip to the NAIA DII National Tournament.