Who the featured players are changes most years for The
College of Wooster men’s basketball team, yet the result remains the same — consistent excellence for Division III’s winningest team of the 2000s. This year’s
Fighting Scots are an experienced team with four veteran seniors leading the
way. However, the main cast will look different with four
graduated players who logged significant minutes the last two years.
“While
we lost a lot with graduation, we have seniors who have played a lot of
basketball for us, especially as sophomores and juniors,” coach Doug
Cline said. “We have the experience. Just the roles are changing for our
returnees. I
like our team. We are a very athletic team with good length.
We have a good mix of older guys and newer guys in our program. It is sort of
fun right now as a team, trying to put it together.
"I think we have really good
potential. This group is working really hard and is fun to coach. It is going
to take some time to put it all together because we do lack some experience, and
we have a really tough schedule.”
Senior
Jaiden Cox-Holloway is the lone returning starter. He ranked fourth on
the team with 11.4 points per game last winter and was the team’s leading
rebounder for the second time with 6.6 boards per night.
“Jaiden
has continued to work really hard in the offseason,” Cline said. “I expect him
to have his best year yet because he does put in his time to work at improving.
He got better at scoring off the dribble last year, and I think he could be a
more all-around scorer this year. I think his best basketball is still ahead of
him.”
Rising
sophomore Breckman Oakley provided a big spark to the Scots as a freshman. He played the most minutes outside of the starting lineup and ended
the year with 6.4 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. While Oakley is a versatile player, Cline projects him to be the starting point guard.
“Breckman
was thrown in there where he had to start because of Ashton’s injury, and that
will only help him for this year,” Cline said. “He has improved in a lot of
ways. He can play multiple positions and has the athleticism to be a good
defensive player. We are really expecting big things from him. He is going to
be a really important piece of the team this year.”
Senior
EJ Kapihe has embraced his roles throughout his career. As Wooster’s
leading reserve forward the last two years, he has played an integral part in
the Scots’ success. He averaged 6.8 points and 4.5 rebounds as a junior. Kapihe
is someone Cline could utilize in more of a swing role between the four and
five spots this year.
“We
have a lot of team guys, and EJ is the epitome of that,” Cline said. “He knows
his role has to change a little bit this year. We are trying to get him to
improve his confidence in his shooting so he can maybe swing from a five to a
four and play either one of those positions. We really need EJ as a leader, and
he has tremendous abilities in that area. The guys in our program really
respect him.”
Seniors
Isaac Roeder and Isaiah Johnson round out the players with
significant game experience. They have been consistent regulars in the
rotation, especially the last two years. Johnson averaged 4.4 points and 2.1
rebounds as a junior while Roeder had 3.9 and 1.8 per-game averages.
“Isaac
has been more aggressive in practice and playing with more confidence,” Cline said. “He improved in those areas last year. Isaac leads by example, and we
are expecting big things from him.
“Isaiah
has really helped us the last two years. He has unbelievable
ability and skill. I think his best basketball is ahead of him. He has played
every position in our program. We are excited to see where he is going to go
this year with more opportunities. It is about putting it all together and
being more consistent on a daily basis.”
Jonathan
Diederich and Anthony Gomes round out the senior class while Robbie
Cass and Bryce Sewell are the other returning juniors.
“Jonathan
and Anthony have been tremendous for our program,” Cline said. “I am not sure
there are guys who play harder than them in practice. They have been tremendous
for our team the last three years with what they give us in practice, with how
they do the scout team and all that. They are good college basketball
players.
“Robbie and Bryce will battle
for time at the point guard spot. Robbie has the ability to
score off the dribble and can shoot the 3. He is more of a scoring point
guard. Bryce is athletic, high motor and a defensive guy who can push the
ball in transition. We are looking for that from him. They give us depth at the
point guard position. There was not much opportunity there the last few years
with Jamir playing a lot of minutes.”
Wooster’s ability to land impact
transfers has played a huge role in the team’s success over the last few years.
Juniors Quincy Jones and Patrick Gale are the latest to transfer
into the program. Jones started his collegiate career at Westminster College,
where he was an All-Presidents Athletic Conference selection.
“We needed more depth inside
with losing Nick,” Cline said. “Quincy had two really good years at
Westminster. He has the ability to score. He is extremely athletic, strong and
aggressive. He fits in well with our other guys, which is key when you are
going after transfers and having guys transfer in. Quincy is a great fit for
our program.
“Patrick gives us really good
size and length. For a guy his size, he has good skill. He can
shoot and has good touch around the rim.”
Also back are sophomores Damon
Curry, Si Kielian and Francis Nwokonko, who will be
competing for increased roles.
“College basketball is a huge
adjustment,” Cline said. "It is not easy as a first-year to play, especially
coming into a program that had all these veteran guys like we had last year. It
is just a different game from a physicality and speed standpoint. Damon, Si and Francis are all team guys. They all improved last year and are in better
shape and stronger this year.”
Wooster has five freshmen on
this year’s roster.
“Our first-year class is very
athletic, long and has some guys there with really good potential,” Cline said. “They are continuing to get better and adapt to the college game.”
Wooster starts its season on the
road with a Nov. 7 game at the University of Hartford, which recently
transitioned from Div. I to Div. III. Wooster is home for the first time on
Nov. 21 against State University of New York College at Geneseo, which caps
night one of the program’s annual Al Van Wie/Wooster Rotary Classic. Wooster will open North Coast Athletic Conference play at Oberlin College on Dec. 3 and will take on John Carroll University in its first home conference game on Dec. 17.
The program’s annual E.M. “Mose”
Hole/Wooster Kiwanis Classic will take place Dec. 29-30. The University of
Wisconsin-Platteville, which made the national quarterfinals in 2024, is one of
the teams in the field for that event. Wooster will kick off 2026 with a Jan. 3
date with Wittenberg University in Springfield while the Tigers will make the
return trip to Timken Gymnasium on Jan. 31.
“It is a very tough schedule,” Cline said. “We are playing a lot of really good teams nonleague. We are
on the road a lot early, and winning on the road is not easy in college
basketball. We will be challenged, and it will make us a better team in the
long run. We want to win the league, but we want to win the conference
tournament because that is what gets us in the NCAA Tournament. We want to use
the nonleague games to prepare us for the league.”
