Mark Stanley inducted into W Association Hall of Fame for role in Wooster basketball rise

A class of eight College of Wooster greats has been selected for induction into the W Association Hall of Fame, whose induction ceremony is set for Friday, Sept. 19 at 6:30 p.m. at Scheide Music Center's Gault Recital Hall as part of the college's Homecoming for Alumni and Families Weekend.

Local talent proved instrumental during Steve Moore's early years of building The College of Wooster men's basketball program into a national contender on an annual basis. The arrival of Mark Stanley as a transfer played a big part in that.

Stanley originally attended technical college and took on Wooster's JV team while playing on a men's league all-star team. He was recruited "on the spot" by Moore after scoring 37 points.

As a sophomore Stanley was the program's lead reserve as Wooster won its first of a North Coast Athletic Conference-leading 19 championships. The Fighting Scots had Division III's top defense, allowing 57.1 points per game and holding the opposition to an ice-cold 38.1 field-goal percentage.

He stepped into a starting role as a junior and ranked third on the team with 13.9 points per game. Stanley and fellow Wayne County teammate Erich Riebe teamed up for a formidable backcourt, as both had triple-digit assists for the year. The W Association Hall of Fame duo led one of Div. III's most efficient offenses, as the Scots shot 50.3% from the field as a team.

Stanley's elevated play as a senior resulted in All-NCAC honorable mention status. He averaged 13.9 points per game for the second time. Stanley was nearly automatic at the free-throw line, making 46-of-50. His 92% make rate stood as the single-season school record until the 2006-07 season.

The three-year letterwinner helped Wooster to a program-record 25 wins (25-4) and an 11-0 mark in NCAC play, making the Scots' 1990-91 team the first in conference history to go undefeated in the regular season. Wooster's year ended in the NCAA Div. III Championship, where the Scots made their first appearance since 1978.

Stanley scored 1,051 points between his time at Wooster and the University of Akron-Wayne College. He finished nine points shy of having a 1,000-point career at Wooster. The guard played on teams that went 64-20. His 82.9 free-throw percentage ranked fourth upon graduation and is still a top 10 mark in the storied program's annals.

"Mark was a huge reason why we were able to elevate our basketball program to new heights during his three years as a player," Moore said. "Mark's toughness, dedication and determination helped us achieve an NCAA tournament bid his senior year. More important, his leadership and the example he set for the younger players in our program enabled us to establish the winning culture, which led to more success."

Stanley has remained in the area since graduating with a history degree. The longtime educator is currently a history teacher with Norwayne Local Schools, where he has coached multiple sports over his 34-year career.

Stanley and his wife Sarah, the college's director of marketing operations, reside in nearby Creston and have three children: Olivia, Elijah and Emily.