TIFFIN, Ohio—The Heidelberg University men’s basketball team will open the 2011-12 season Friday and Saturday, Nov. 18-19 when it hosts the ‘Berg Alumni Classic season tip-off tournament, featuring doubleheaders on both days, at Seiberling Gymnasium in Tiffin, Ohio. Thomas More (Ky.) College and Kent State University – Tuscawaras will open the tournament at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, followed by the Berg and Ohio State University – Lima at 7:30 p.m. OSU – Lima and KSU – Tuscawaras play at 2 p.m. and the Berg will take on TMC at 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Live stats for all four games will be available at http://www.heidelberg.edu/statcrew/mbb/xlive.htm.
Fourth-year head coach Anthony Gholson returns 14 letter winners and three starters to a team that finished 12-15 overall and 9-9 in the Ohio Athletic Conference a season ago, including junior second-team All-OAC guard Dane Givner (Pittsburgh, Pa./Harvest Preparatory), junior honorable mention All-OAC forward Nate Davis (Dayton/Stivers) and senior forward Darion Capers (Clayton/Trotwood-Madison).
Givner enters his third season as the school’s active career leader in points with 694. In 2010-11, Givner led the team by scoring 14.4 points per game, was second with 4.6 rebounds per game and tallied team-highs of 147 field goals, 34 three-pointers, 99 assists and 45 steals.
Davis averaged 7.3 ppg. and a team-best 7.1 rpg. while posting a team-high 65 blocks. His 50.7 (77-of-152) field goal percentage from a season ago leads all returners.
Capers was second on the team in 2010-11 with 11.2 ppg. and third with 4.4 rpg. and connected on 47.4 percent (108-of-228) of his attempts from the field.
Incoming guard Nick Wake (Goshen) and post players Cole Williams (Tiffin/Columbian), Jack Hart (Albany/Alexander), Brian Crawford (Delaware/Buckeye Valley), Chris Jefferies (Concord/Painesville Riverside) and Doug Waldmannstetter (Oregon/Clay) are expected to see significant minutes on the court.
As a team, the Student Princes return 74 percent of their scoring and 69 percent of their rebounding from a season ago.
Following the ‘Berg Alumni Classic, the Student Princes will play their first road game against Albion (Mich.) College on Tuesday, Nov. 22 in Albion, Mich.