1996-1997 Season Review

ALL-NCAC SELECTIONS
Senior Jamel King (Cincinnati Country Day) was named first team All-North Coast Athletic Conference after being selected second team as a junior. The conference champion Tigers also had two second team All-NCAC selections in senior-to-be Steve Setty (St. Paris, O./Graham) and junior-to-be David Walker (Cincinnati, O./Purcell Marian).

TEAM AWARDS
Jamel King was selected as the Most Valuable Player for the 1996-97 season. Other award winners were David Walker, Tiger Coaches Award, Lou Stahl (Cincinnati, O./Glen Este), Best Defensive Player, and Jon Stafford (New Carlisle, O./Tecumseh), Most Improved Player.

COACH BILL BROWN
Head Coach Bill Brown (Wittenberg '73) has a 100-21 (.826) record in four seasons at Wittenberg. His teams are 59-8 in NCAC play and 9-4 in NCAA tournament action. The Tiger have won three NCAC regular season titles in Brown's four years. Brownıs teams have appeared in four straight NCAA Division III national tournaments with a trip to the Final Four in 1993-94 and Elite Eight appearance in 1995-96. He has twice been selected NCAC Coach of the Year.

THE TIGER TRADITION
Wittenberg is the winningest program among more than 350 NCAA Division III basketball teams by victories (1,332) and winning percentage (.703). When compared to all NCAA basketball programs, Wittenbergıs winning percentage ranks in front of such powers as Kansas, Duke, Syracuse and UCLA. The Tigers also have a strong home court tradition having achieved a cumulative home record of 417-43 over the last 41 seasons.

*Senior Shawn Bodnar (Cleveland, O./Central Catholic) started all 29 games this year while serving as a co-captain along with King. Bodnar had a career high 14 points versus Oberlin in the opening round of the NCAC post-season tournament. During his four years at Wittenberg, the men's team won 100 games while losing only 21.

*Steve Setty finished 4th in the NCAC in rebounding per game (7.5) and second in blocked shots (2.2 per game) while averaging 9.2 points. Setty, who started all 29 games, also was second on the team in assists (67 total). Setty had four double-doubles (points and rebounds) with season highs of 20 points against Oberlin and 12 rebounds versus Thomas More.

*Lou Stahl, who will be a junior next season, was fifth in assists per game (4.0) in the NCAC. Stahl also led the team in three-point field goals made (49) while making 35 percent of his shots from behind the arc. Stahl had season highs of 21 points (7 of 9 from the three) versus Case Western Reserve and 9 assists against both Greensboro and Oberlin.

*David Walker finished as the Tiger's second leading scorer (11.2 points per game) while shooting an NCAC second best of 61.5 percent. Walker was also the team's second leading rebounder per game (5.7). His season high of 20 points came against Hillsdale in the Kiwanis Holiday Classic championship game. Walker had his high rebound mark of 13 in a double-double performance (18 points) versus Allegheny.
*The Tigers continued their long-standing tradition by again excelling in defense and rebounding. They led the NCAC in both field goal percentage defense and rebound margin. Over 29 games opponents were held to 39.5 percent from the floor and were outrebounded by an 8.0 margin by the 1996-97 Tiger basketball team.

*On offense, the Tigers averaged 76.3 points per game while shooting 47.4 percent from the field. Their attacking offensive style enabled them to get to the free throw line for 643 attempts to opponent's 466 attempts.