The Hope College men's basketball team embarks on a new era as Greg Mitchell begins his first season as the 11th head coach in team history.
The Flying Dutchmen are coming off a 2013-14 campaign that saw the Flying Dutchmen post a 20-8 overall record, win their a league-best 37th Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship with a 13-1 league record and qualify for the NCAA Division III Tournament for the 24thtime.
Hope's 2014-15 roster of 15 players features one senior, seven juniors, six sophomores and one freshman.
Co-captains of this year's team are senior Corey McMahon of Glenview, Illinois (Glenbrook South HS), and junior Ben Gardner of Carmel, Indiana (Carmel HS).
Other returning letterwinners are junior Brock Benson of Willowbrook, Illinois (Hinsdale South HS), Jordan Denham of Southfield, Michigan (Lathrup HS), junior Alex Eidson of Grand Haven, Michigan (Grand Haven HS), junior Sam Otto of Wheaton, Illinois (Wheaton North HS), sophomore Harrison Blackledge of Canton, Ohio (Hoover HS), sophomore Keith Brushwyler of St. Joseph, Michigan (Stevensville-Lakeshore HS), sophomore Chad Carlson of Rockford, Michigan (Rockford HS), and sophomore Cody Stuive of Hudsonville, Michigan (Hudsonville HS).
Junior Ryan Skowronek of Northville, Michigan (Detroit Catholic Central HS), sophomore Zach Littleson of Rochester Hills, Michigan (Rochester Adams HS), and sophomore Mitchell O'Brien of Manteno, Illinois (Bishop McNamara HS), are products of Hope's junior varsity program.
The Flying Dutchmen return their two leading scorers and four of their top five scorers from the 2013-14 season.
Eidson, a guard, averaged 13.1 points per game last season to rank 10th in the MIAA en route to All-MIAA First Team honors for the first time. He also was 10th in 3-point shooting in the MIAA at 36.4 percent (44-121) while starting all 28 games.
Gardner, a guard, netted 12.1 points per game to be Hope's second-leading scorer while claiming All-MIAA Second Team recognition. He was second in the MIAA at 3.43 assists per game and fourth in steals at 1.25 per game.
McMahon, a guard, topped the MIAA in 3-point shooting at 50.6 percent (44-87). He averaged 7.2 points per game off the bench.
Benson, a center, also contributed 7.2 points per game as a reserve last season.
The Flying Dutchmen tip off the 2014-15 season on Tuesday, Nov. 11, when they host Grand Valley State University for an exhibition game.
Hope's regular-season opener is Tuesday, Nov. 18, against reigning Division III national champion Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Hope will host the Sentinel-DeVette Holiday Tournament on Dec. 19-20 and travel to three road tournaments: No. 28-29 Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame at Aquinas College, Dec. 5-6 College-Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin Challenge at Carthage (Wisconsin) and Dec. 29-30 Mose Hole Classic at Wooster (Ohio).
MIAA play starts on Wednesday, Jan. 7, at Trine.
