The Indiana Wesleyan University Men’s Basketball Team prepares for their 2024-25 campaign, ranked third in the NAIA preseason poll and the favorite to win the Crossroads League Championship.
Head Coach Greg Tonagel said this Wildcat team has made it feel like the early years of coaching with the number of new players on the roster.
“We’ve really had to go back to the drawing board and teach the basics and the fundamentals, which is exciting as a coach,” Tonagel said. “It’s stretched us as coaches and as a team. It’s forced me to think about developing a team from the ground up.”
Tonagel said being ranked third in the country doesn’t mean a thing to him or his team.
“I could care less about that. They don’t mean anything. I’ll tell you right now that we’re not the number three team in the country. Do I think we can get there? Yes, but it’s going to be a process,” Tonagel said. “I don’t want to act like there’s not an expectation for this team. Those rankings refer more to the expectations of the season, and we’re expected to be a top-five team, but right now, we’re not a top-five team, and that can do one of two things. It can motivate you, or it can make you fearful.”
This is Tonagel’s 20th season as head coach of the Wildcats.
Senior guard Griffin Kliewer said it’s important not to focus on where the Wildcats are ranked but where they will end up.
“I think for us, we’ve just got to stay focused on what we’re trying to do,” Kliewer said. “We have big goals and big dreams, but at the same time, we want to see this team reach its potential, both on the court and spiritually. If we can reach those goals, regardless of our stats or what we are ranked in the country, I think we can leave this season feeling like it was a successful one.”
Redshirt sophomore Caedmon Bontrager said he is ready for the challenge of more minutes as a starter going into his third season.
“To be a veteran now, it’s a responsibility, and I take pride in that,” Bontrager said. “Pushing my teammates and bringing them alongside me is something that I’m trying to do. For me, it’s just knowing that I got to lead by example and be a servant.”
The Wildcats take the court for the CL/WHAC Challenge in Luckey Arena on Oct. 31 against Indiana Tech at 5:30 pm and Nov. 1 against Cornerstone University at 5:00 pm.
Leave a Reply