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| Edreece Redmond started about half of Wabash's games last year and averaged 4.4 points per game. He is one of a number of people who have stepped up their production to get the Little Giants back into the NCAA Tournament in 2023. Wabash athletics photo |
By Brian Lester
D3sports.com
Edreece Redmond attempted four shots, all from the 3-point line, in last year’s national semifinal of the Division III NCAA Tournament. None found the bottom of the net.
The junior guard hasn’t forgotten that, nor has he let the 90-68 loss to Elmhurst in the Final Four fade from his mind. It’s been fuel for the fire that has propelled this Wabash team to a second consecutive tourney appearance.
“It motivates me a lot. I feel like there is unfinished business with it turning out the way it did (last year),” Redmond said. “I know I could have performed better. I’m just excited to be back and to prove to everyone that while we lost a lot of players, we still have a good team.”
There were doubters for sure, especially with the Little Giants losing four big-time seniors from a team that set a school record for wins (28) and made their first trip to the final four since 1982. That senior group included Jack Davidson, an unbelievable offensive threat who scored 2,464 points in his career.
Those doubts, however, never overshadowed belief.
“Within the locker room, coming off last year and making that run, we didn’t know what we had coming back or how we were going to score, but we did know how to win, Redmond said. "I feel like there was never any doubt we’d be back in the tournament.”
Junior forward Ahmoni Jones had a similar feeling. Rebuilding was never in the team’s vocabulary.
“A lot of people thought it would be a rebuilding year, but we had the mindset it was going to be another reload year for us,” Jones said.
Of course, the players also realized this year’s team was not going to be the same.
“I think coming in, we knew it was going to be different, but we had the same goals,” Jones said. “We were all going to work together as a team to fight and achieve our goals, and go out and have a good year.”
Wabash head coach Kyle Brumett never doubted his team either. Sure, playing at a level that was good enough to win an NCAC title and return to the dance wouldn’t be easy, but this group of Little Giants found a way.
“This team has put in a lot of hard work and it’s a deserving group,” Brumett said. “It’s not last year’s team, but they have a lot of toughness and they work really well together. For them to have a chance to build their own team and have success, I’m proud of them.”
Wabash is 21-7, which plays UW-Whitewater in the opening round Friday afternoon at Case Western Reserve, grinded out an 81-80 win over Wooster last week in the NCAC championship game.
Just two weeks earlier, there were questions as to whether Wabash was good enough to win a conference title.
The Little Giants lost 58-56 in overtime to Wittenberg on Feb. 15 and then dropped a 75-74 decision to Wooster a few days later in the regular-season finale. Both games were on the road.
“We finished on the road with two tough games, and drove just under 1,000 miles that week,” Brumett said. “The guys didn’t hang their heads. They weren’t concerned that they couldn’t bounce back. They were confident and kept working.”
Jones punctuated the special conference tourney run with a go-ahead jumper with 10 seconds remaining. He was named the tournament MVP.
“Having the experience we had last year helped a lot,” Jones said. “We all have the focus and mindset that we can get it done. We don’t fold under pressure.”
Four players have double-digit scoring averages, including Jones, who leads the team in scoring at 16.1 points per outing, knocking down 52 3-pointers along the way.
Vinny Buccilla (14.3), Redmond (10.7) and Sam Comer (10.4) are also key contributors. Buccilla leads the team in 3-pointers made (63). Three other players are averaging more than five points per game.
“We have different guys contributing at different times,” Brumett said. “The fact that we can get big baskets from seven or eight guys has really served us well, especially in the close games.”
Wabash has won 16 games by 10 points or less. That’s a credit to the Little Giants’ willingness to work as a team.
“We know every possession matters and we try to stick together and play our roles,” Redmond said. “It makes us tough to beat when we are playing well as a group and having different guys score.”
The Little Giants are also limiting turnovers and getting it done on defense.
“We’re better defensively than a year ago,” Brumett said. “We don’t turn the ball over a lot either, and we get to the line. That combination has been important for this team to find its way.”
And Wabash will look to continue finding its way this weekend, starting with a game against a tough Whitewater team. The Warhawks are the champions of the WIAC.
“The big thing is having the right mindset to be competitive," Brumett said. "If we are mentally prepared, like I expect we will be, and if we play physical, like we have, I think we’ll have a shot. It’s going to be a great Division III basketball game.”
The players are ready for the challenge. Staying focused is key.
“We have to remember every game is important and it’s just one step at a time, one day at a time and one game at a time,” Jones said.
Especially in the tournament, where it’s now a win or go home situation.
“All games are going to be dogfights. We’ve been in a lot of those this season,” Redmond said. “We’ve had a lot of games come down to the last couple of possessions and I fully expect this game to be a dogfight.”