While his team will graduate its two leading scorers and top assist man from this season, Wabash College men’s basketball coach Mac Petty is confident his Little Giants can next year have as successful a campaign as this season.
The Little Giants’ season ended at 18-10 after an 89-72 loss to Ohio Wesleyan in Saturday’s North Coast Athletic Conference championship game. The loss marked the end of Gary Simkus’, Andrew Zimmer’s and Earl Rook’s collegiate careers.
Zimmer led the Little Giants with 17 points and 7.4 rebounds. Simkus was second on the team with his average of 12.0 points. And Rooks led Wabash with 3.0 assists per game. Wes Smith and Aaron Brock both return after Smith started 28 games and Brock started 23 games for the Little Giants this season.
Petty looks for 6-foot-6-inch Brian Maloney, a sixth-man the last two seasons, to provide an inside presence vacated by Zimmer. Petty also looks for Ben Burkett, a Southmont graduate, to be a force in the paint next season. Sophomore Chase Haltom, who has served as Rooks’ backup, can step into the point guard role next season. He will have freshman Dominique Thomas to back him up. Sophomore Evan Arnold and freshman Andrew Gilman can fill in the No. 2-guard spot vacated by Simkus. Freshmen Alan Foreman and Chad Barkdull can backup Smith at the No. 3 spot.
"We do have some good recruits that we think are wanting to come here," Petty said. "But we are also pleased with the guys we have coming back."
Brock and Smith headline the group of returnees for the Little Giants next season. Smith, who was a part of Lawrence North’s two state championship teams, lived up to the hype surrounding him. He finished his freshman season with a team-high 68 steals while also averaging 10.9 points per game, one of four Little Giants to average double figures this season.
Brock didn’t emerge into the starting rotation until the sixth game of the season — a 71-60 victory over DePauw. Brock started receiving more playing time after Wabash had to make adjustments because of the loss of Andy Root and Collin Smith. Brock scored at least 20 points in four of Wabash’s final five games. He reached a season-high 29 points in Wabash’s 87-63 victory over Wooster in the conference semifinals.
The victory over the Fighting Scots provided the main highlight in a season where Wabash picked up its most wins since the 1999-2000 season. The victory snapped an 11-game losing streak to the Scots. The last time the Little Giants beat the Fighting Scots was in 2002.
"That was just outstanding," Petty said. "We beat them in 2002 at their place, and we believed we could do it again. But if you would have asked me if we would beat them by 24 points, then I would have said ‘No way.' We guarded them so well."
Petty, however, said his team felt the affects of a long week of driving in Saturday’s championship game. The Little Giants had to travel to Kenyon for their opening-round tournament game on February 26. Wabash players and coaching staff didn’t return from that game until 2 a.m. Wednesday. They had a light practice Wednesday, then didn’t arrive in Wooster until 12:30 a.m. Friday.
The Little Giants’ tiredness showed in their shooting percentage. Wabash shot 40 percent from the field, including 25 percent from 3-point range. Ohio Wesleyan, on the other hand, shot 52 percent from the field, including 69 percent from 3-point range.
"All the baskets that we missed Saturday were off the front of the rim," Petty said. "I just think our emotions were so high from the Wooster game. We really wanted to win Saturday night, we just didn’t make enough baskets. And they shot like we did Friday night."
Petty felt like his team made strides at the end of this year they it can use going into next season. The Little Giants cut down on their turnovers. The Little Giants averaged more than 17 turnovers per game in their first 14 contests. They cut that down to 11.2 turnovers per game in their last 14 contests. Wabash finished with single-digit turnovers in two of its three tournament games.
With the way Wabash improved its shooting toward the end of the season, Petty also expects the Little Giants to be a better offensive team next season. He also looks for his team to rebound just as well with the guys he has returning next season.
This article first appeared in the Journal Review.
Photos - (Basketball main page) Aaron Brock earned NCAC All-Tournament honors after averaging 23 points in the Little Giants' three games.
(Top left) Brian Maloney was the only junior on the Wabash basketball team and should be ready to step into the starting lineup next season after coming off the bench in 2007-08.
(Middle right) Chase Haltom was the backup point guard for the Little Giants this year, backing up senior Earl Rooks.
(Bottom left) Freshman Wes Smith set a Wabash single-season record for steals with 68 while averaging in double figures in his first season for the Little Giants.