Goshen, IN – With a new head coach in place for the first time in seven years, the Goshen College athletic department announced its 2007-2008 men’s basketball schedule Monday, signifying the beginning of a new era.
Gary Chupp 'officially' began his first season at the helm of the Maple Leafs program Monday — the first day of team practice — arriving after a nine-year stint as head coach at Bethel College (Kansas) (click here for related article).
And while Chupp did not have input on this season’s team make-up or schedule — former head coach Stan Daugherty resigned following the completion of both recruiting and game scheduling — Chupp said he is excited for the challenges and opportunities that this year presents.
“Even though our 2007-2008 schedule was set before I arrived, I like it,” Chupp said Monday morning. “I feel that it will prepare us for the Mid-Central Conference, which is annually one of the toughest leagues in the country at this level. Year in and year out I like to set up a difficult non-conference schedule in preparation for the grind of the conference season. I think that this year’s schedule certainly accomplishes that.”
Goshen will face a variety of talented opponents up front and have adequate opportunity to get acclimated to road play, as five of the Leafs’ first nine games will be played away from the Roman Gingerich Center. NAIA Division I Indiana University-South Bend is the squad’s first road test on Nov. 6, while Malone College, Aquinas College and Cardinal Stritch University stand to make this season’s Maple City Hoopfest (Nov. 9-10) one of the toughest ever.
“Our Maple City Hoopfest is loaded,” Chupp said. “All three of the visiting teams appeared at some point in last year’s NAIA national rankings.”
Goshen will face Daemen College — a team that appeared in the 2006 NAIA National Tournament — in the Siena Heights University Maple City Classic on Nov. 16 and will host Cornerstone University on Dec. 15, a squad that advanced to the Elite Eight in last year’s national championships.
NAIA Division I Brescia University will visit Goshen on Dec. 19, while the Leafs resume their annual rivalry with Chicagoland Conference foe Trinity Christian College on Dec. 29.
“Hopefully, competing against non-conference opponents of this caliber will prepare us for the MCC,” Chupp said. “Having served on the NAIA National Rankings Committee the past several years, I am very familiar with the quality of basketball played in the MCC. It is certainly one of the top two or three NAIA conferences in the country, and that was part of the draw for bringing me to Goshen. I know that if we can get to the point where we are competitive in the MCC, we will be competitive on the national stage.”
While the NAIA 2007-2008 Pre-Season Top 25 Poll has yet to be released — that poll is announced Nov. 1 — the MCC is certain to have as many as three teams voted among the nation’s best, with Huntington University (fourth), Indiana Wesleyan University (ninth) and the University of St. Francis (14th) all finishing in last season’s final Top 25 poll.
Indiana Wesleyan will open the home portion of conference play on Dec. 1, while fans will not want to miss cross-town rival Bethel College (Jan. 9) and upstart Grace College (Feb. 13) visiting the Goshen campus. Taylor University closes out the Leafs’ regular-season home schedule on Feb. 16.
League coaches voted to change weeknight games from Tuesday to Wednesday beginning this year, giving teams equal preparation time during the conference season. Until this season, men’s teams competed on Tuesdays and Saturdays in league play.
“I’m really excited about the opportunity to go head-to-head with some great coaches in the MCC, guys that have built tremendous programs that are well-respected all over the country,” Chupp said. “How we do in the MCC will depend on several factors, as our experienced players will need to buy into a new system and bring guys along with them. We will also rely on several new players that will have to adjust to the grind of the college season. Our guys certainly believe that we can do well in the MCC. Now we have to put in the work and preparation in the pre-season and non-conference part of our schedule to realize our full potential.”
Goshen will open its 2007-2008 campaign on Halloween night, hosting Andrews University at 7 p.m. The team’s ’07-’08 schedule can be viewed by clicking the ‘schedule’ icon to the above left, or simply by clicking here.
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Gary Chupp