SPOKANE, Wash. – Hopes are always high for the Whitworth University men's basketball team. Even when more than half of the roster is new to the squad. Long ago, the team incorporated the concept that Tradition Never Graduates into the squad's cultural psyche, and that phrase might be more apt than ever this season.
Whitworth returns a key core of players from 2021-22, when the Pirates finished 22-5, shared the Northwest Conference regular season title (13-3) and won the NWC tournament to advance to the NCAA Division III playoffs for the 15th time in school history.
The combination of the returning core, plus the additional players, is ready to return to those heights, and surpass them.
"We have all of the pieces to be a great team, along with a culture that embraces difficult challenges and growing through adversity," said head coach Damion Jablonski, now in his fourth season. "I don't think anyone within our program is tempering any expectations."
Those goals will be tested early as the Pirates open this weekend in Ohio at a tournament hosted by 7th-ranked Mount Union.
Of the 17 players on Whitworth's roster, seven return with playing experience as a Pirate, led by 2022 first team All-NWC honoree JT McDermott (Grad.). McDermott, a 6-6 post player, averaged 14.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game while making 61.3% of his field goals last season.
Whitworth's other returning starter is Rowan Anderson (Grad.) at point guard. Anderson averaged 8.9 points, 2.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game while making 40.2% of his three-pointers.
Jerry Twenge (Sr.), Jake Holtz (Jr.) and Jojo Anderson (So.) all played in every game off the bench last season. Twenge totaled 7.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. Holtz finished with averages of 9.1 points and 4.0 rebounds. Anderson contributed 6.2 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.
Jackson Cash played in 14 games off the bench, while Jacob Coram appeared in nine games. Both are sophomores.
Of the 10 players with no on-court experience with the Pirates, eight are in their first year and two are unique.
Sullivan Menard (Jr.) was on the roster last season, but did not play due recovery from a knee injury he incurred at the end of the 2020-21 year. He was a highly regarded player from Alaska in high school.
Michael Smith (Sr.) is a transfer from NCAA Div. II Sonoma State who started 47 games over two seasons for the Seawolves. Smith was a high school teammate of McDermott in California.
Of the eight freshmen, five are 6-6 or taller. Ty Edwards is a 6-7 point guard who could see playing time this season. Stephen Behil (6-6) and Carson Talbert (6-7) are forwards who could also make an immediate impact.
Diego Jaques (6-1, G), Ben Nyquist (6-2, G), Lucas Meissner (6-7, F) and Colton Looney (6-6, F) will all provide valuable roles in reserve this season. Hayden Bayudan (5-10, G) is recovering from an injury.
"Our newcomers have already impacted our team with the youthful energy and enthusiasm that they bring every day in practice," Jablonski said. "I fully expect all of them to positively impact our season, with several of them contributing significantly in game situations."
Those game situations do not often begin more challenging than this weekend. Whitworth takes on the host Purple Raiders in Friday's opening game. Mount Union returns its top six players from a team that went 23-5 overall and 14-3 in the Ohio Athletic Conference last season, advancing to the NCAA tournament.
Depending on that outcome, the Pirates will battle either Roanoke (Va.) or Maryville (Tenn.) in their second game on Saturday. Roanoke finished 18-9 overall and 9-7 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Maryville went 20-4 overall and 10-2 in its division of the USA South Conference.
Whitworth will play its home opener on November 17th against Sul Ross State (Texas). Cal Lutheran visits the Fieldhouse on Nov. 22nd.
