BEREA, Ohio – The Baldwin Wallace University men's basketball team, under the direction of ninth-year head coach Tom Heil, returns to the hardwood with a brand-new look for the 2023-24 season.

The Yellow Jackets were picked to finish seventh in this year's Ohio Athletic Conference preseason coaches' poll. BW finished seventh in the OAC last season with a 12-13 overall record and a 8-10 conference record. Coach Heil returns six letterwinners and one Academic All-OAC selection from last year's squad.

BW will miss a lot of experience from last year's squad but is looking for big seasons from senior guard Luke Driscoll (Carmel, Calif./Stevenson School) and sophomore guard Ray Ellington (Westlake) in the backcourt. Driscoll, a 2022 Academic All-OAC selection, appeared in all 25 games for the Yellow Jackets last season and shot 48% from the field while Ellington comes back as the team's returning scoring leader with 127 points in his freshman year. Sophomore guard Landon Potopsky (Dover/Strasburg) also returns for the Yellow Jackets after appearing in 19 games last season as well as senior guard Lian Levesque (Brook Park/Berea-Midpark).

The frontcourt is going to rely on the experience of senior forward Rob Watson III (Sagamore Hills/Nordonia). Watson appeared in 24 games making three starts and is the team's returning blocks leader. The Yellow Jackets also bring back sophomore forward/guard Brayden Hamilton (Brunswick) who can add help to this season's group of young forwards.

The Yellow Jackets open the 2023-2024 campaign on Wednesday, November 8 as they host a non-conference game against Washington & Jefferson (Pa.) College in Ursprung Gymnasium inside the Lou Higgins Center at 7 p.m.