CJ Dunston and his fellow upperclassmen are eager to avenge postseason disappointment this year. Photo by Alex Wile

Only four Division III men's basketball teams remain undefeated at this point in late January. Of those four, only one is east of Ohio.

Any guesses?

That would be Lancaster Bible College, a small college in south central Pennsylvania with an undergraduate enrollment of just over 800 full-time undergraduates. The Chargers improved to 15-0 overall with a 100-75 non-conference road win at Valley Forge Tuesday night, keeping their place among the unbeatens along with Whitworth (17-0), Benedictine (19-0) and John Carroll (17-0).

The fast start hasn't surprised first-year coach Zach Filzen. The Chargers returned most of their key contributors from last season's team that set a program record by going 28-3.

"Ultimately you have to have great players to have the success that we've had and I'm blessed with that," Filzen said.

Filzen inherited a team that went a combined 50-12 over the previous two seasons, including a staggering 33-3 in NEAC games. But the Chargers have come up short in consecutive conference tournament finals, losing in back-to-back seasons on their home floor at the Horst Athletic Center.

If this season's first 15 games are any indication, Lancaster Bible is determined to end that streak.

"It's definitely been on our minds," senior CJ Dunston said. "For the guys that have been here the last two years and experienced that, it's heartbreaking going that far and then coming up short. It's more motivation though as well, keeps us pushing during practices."

The 6-5 Dunston, an athletic, do-it-all big man averaging 17.1 points and a team-high 8.9 rebounds per game, headlines a deep and versatile stable of contributors. Junior point guard Bryce Williams, a transfer in his first year with the program, leads the team in scoring (19.5 ppg). Senior guard Dondre Perry has the ability to drive to the rim and create his own shot. Junior forward Kurt Keltner and senior guard Jordan Mellinger help spread the floor with their superior shooting and defense. Sophomore guard Herbie Brown provides instant offense off the bench.

All six players are averaging double digits in points. As a team, Lancaster Bible averages 98.1 points per game, the fourth-highest total in Division III.

"There's a bunch of guys that I feel comfortable with and that are playing at a really high level," Filzen said. "That's what makes us tough to guard, you can't really key in on one or two people."

Filzen is just 26 years old, making him a mere few years older than the players he coaches. But he comes from a rich basketball background. His mother Tammy coached at Carleton College, a Division III school in Northfield, Minn. Filzen played four years at the Division I level, the final three at the University of Buffalo after transferring from Northern Arizona University.

He holds the Bulls' record for most 3-pointers in a single season (110 in 2010-11) and his 222 career three-pointers rank second in program history. Filzen prefers an up-tempo pace on offense, so he was thrilled to take over a team that had players with compatible skill sets.

"I knew we had to get up and down," he said. "I knew we had to play fast."

Whitworth, Benedictine, and John Carroll rank first, third, and fourth, respectively, in the most recent D3hoops.com Top 25 poll. Lancaster Bible ranks 18th in that same poll and just two weeks ago broke into the Top 25 for the first time in program history. That's a nice milestone, but Filzen and Dunston agreed that the focus simply remains on improving each day.

"As long as we all buy in together, I don't think we can stop achieving what we want," Dunston said.

Another aspect that appealed greatly to Filzen is Lancaster Bible's religious commitment. As a Bible college, the school's mission statement is "to educate Christian students to think and live a biblical worldview and to proclaim Christ by serving him in the Church and society."

Before accepting the job at Lancaster Bible, Filzen worked part-time as a women's assistant basketball coach at the University of Northwestern-St. Paul, a Christian college in Roseville, Minn., while also working with student-athletes at the University of Minnesota through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, an international nonprofit sports ministry.

The head coaching position at Lancaster Bible has allowed him to combine both of those roles.

"The biggest difference probably is it really allows us to talk about faith, talk about Christianity and incorporate it," Filzen said. "We do team devotions, we're constantly meeting with the guys and talking through different things with their own relationships with Christ.

"It's definitely different than a lot of the public schools and a lot of the non-Christian schools and non-faith schools, but I love it because I'm able to incorporate a big part of my life into the coaching realm and talk about things that I wouldn't necessarily be able to talk about at other places."

Filzen said the perception that recruiting at a Christian school is more difficult than a secular institution simply isn't true. In fact, he said it can actually help in certain cases. Perhaps a player is talented enough to play at the Division II level, but seeks a Christian environment. Scenarios like that help put Lancaster Bible in the mix for players that other schools will miss.

Though the campus is small, the Lancaster Bible community is tight-knit with a "family-type feel," according to Filzen. The campus has seen the recent opening of a new 500-student dormitory and the continued construction on a new academic center. Home basketball games routinely draw a large student section, affectionately known as the "Red Sea."

"To get a job like this at a very young age was a huge blessing," Filzen said, "and it's just been a great spot and a great fit.

"Whether you're at a secular school or a Christian school, I think there's no greater opportunity to influence young people than coaching, because you're with these guys every single day. You're developing them. The court is a great classroom of life."

Stevens, St. John Fisher set for key E8 matchup

As the calendar approaches February, only two women's teams in the Empire 8 remain unbeaten in conference play -- Stevens and St. John Fisher. The Ducks and Cardinals are on track to put those unblemished marks on the line when they meet Friday night at 6 p.m. in Hoboken, N.J.

Stevens, which is coming off a 66-61 home win against Nazareth this past Friday, is idle until then. St. John Fisher has a road game against struggling Alfred (1-16, 0-8 E8) Wednesday night. If the Cardinals earn an expected victory over the Saxons, both Stevens and Fisher will enter Friday night's game with identical 7-0 conference records.

These two teams met three times last season, with Stevens sweeping the two regular-season meetings before falling to St. John Fisher in the conference tournament semifinals. St. John Fisher went on to defeat top-seeded Ithaca in the final and advance to the NCAA tournament. Stevens also qualified for the tournament via an at-large bid, a first in program history.

St. John Fisher enters play Wednesday night on an eight-game winning streak that includes a solid 63-51 win over perennial contender Ithaca on Jan. 16. Senior guard Mary Kate Cusack, last season's conference tournament MVP, leads a balanced Fisher offense that features six players averaging at least seven points per game. Stevens counters with senior guard Kaitlyn Astel, its leading scorer (13.4 ppg) and reigning Empire 8 Player of the Year.

SUNY-Canton continues strong season

With hundreds of Division III basketball teams across the country, it's easy for an independent to fly under the radar. But the SUNY-Canton men's team is doing its best to catch people's attention this season.

The Kangaroos (honestly, how can you not love that name?) are 12-2 through 14 games this season, their third as an independent. The school was a member of the NAIA until 2011, the same year the Sunrise Conference dissolved. This past June SUNY-Canton was approved for full membership in Division III.

Canton's 12 wins this season have included a handful of notable teams, including Clarkson twice (Liberty League); Utica and Houghton (Empire 8); Potsdam State (SUNYAC); and Connecticut College (NESCAC). Junior guard Sam Annorh (19.5 ppg) and junior forward Romario Fletcher (14.1 ppg, 8.4 rpg) are key components in an offense averaging nearly 77 points per game.

The team went 16-6 last season as an independent, its best record in 17 years. The Kangaroos are on pace to easily surpass that this season under fourth-year coach Jim Bechtel. Canton travels to Chestnut Hill, Mass., to face independent Pine Manor (11-8) Friday night.

Top 25 roundup: Little movement among East teams

The NYU men dropped five spots to No. 22 after a 69-58 road loss at Chicago this past Friday, but otherwise there wasn't much moving and shaking in the D3hoops.com Top 25 polls.

In the men's poll, Lancaster Bible climbed two spots to No. 18, while Plattsburgh State continued to receive votes.

In the women's poll, Rochester held steady at No. 7 while NYU moved up one spot to No. 8. St. John Fisher continued to garner votes.

Contact me

Have a story idea? A fun stat? Just want to talk some hoops? I'm always happy to hear from a fellow D-III fan. I can be reached via email at andrew.lovell@d3sports.com, or on Twitter at @Andrew_Lovell.