BEREA, Ohio – The Baldwin Wallace University men's basketball looks to improve on their fifth-place finish and Ohio Athletic Conference Semifinals run from last season.
The Yellow Jackets were picked to finish sixth in this year's Ohio Athletic Conference preseason coaches' poll. BW finished last season with a 15-10 overall record and a 9-7 conference record. Under the direction of eighth-year head coach Tom Heil, The Yellow Jackets return seven letterwinners, two All-OAC players, and four Academic All-OAC performers from last year's squad.
The backcourt is led by two senior All-OAC guards in Anthony Mazzeo (North Canton/Massillon Jackson) and Jake Snyder (Stow/Archbishop Hoban). A season ago, Mazzeo was selected to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Honors Court, and he was selected as an Academic All-OAC performer. He appeared in and started all 25 games while leading the team and being fifth in the OAC with a career-high 468 points. He was second on the team with a career-high 118 rebounds and he was third on the team with a career-high 65 assists. He also posted career-highs in steals and blocks with 26 and four, respectively. Mazzeo also set in his single game career-high in points as he opened the season with 45 points in an opening victory at Hiram College.
Snyder returns after being a NABC Honors Court selection and an Academic All-OAC performer. Last season, Snyder started and appeared in all 25 games while finishing second on the team with a career-high 357 points. He was fifth on the team grabbing a career-high 100 boards and he led the squad with a career-high 84 assists. On the defensive end, Snyder was second on the team with a career-high 31 steals and fifth on the team with a career-high seven blocks.
The backcourt duo averaged 33 points a game, 8.7 rebounds a game and 8 assists per game last season.
Sophomore guard Ashton Price (Bay Village/Bay) looks to continue his play after a strong freshman season. Price appeared in 21 games while posting 111 points, 228 boards, he was fifth on the team with 19 assists and one block.
The forwards will rely on the experience of senior Jackson Simmons (Wadsworth) and junior Rob Watson III (Sagamore Hills/Nordonia). Simmons is coming off a season in which he made 21 appearances and made four starts. He posted career-highs in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. Simmons scored 92 points, grabbed 103 boards, which was good for third on the team, dished out 17 assists, made 17 steals and was fourth on the team with 10 blocks.
Watson appeared in 23 games and made one start. He scored a career-high 108 points, he grabbed a career-high 79 rebounds, and he dished out a career-high eight assists. On the defensive end, he was third on the team with a career-high 20 blocks and he recorded a career-high seven steals.
BW returns to the hardwood on Thursday, November 10 for its second and final exhibition game against NCAA Division I Kent State University at the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center with tipoff at 5:00 p.m. The Yellow Jackets open the regular season on Saturday, November 12 when they host their Home Opener against Hiram College at 6:00 p.m. in the Ursprung Gymnasium inside the Lou Higgins Center.
