“It’s kind of similar to how it used to be years ago in D-I, where you couldn’t practice until Oct. 15,” Hertz said. “Over time, at the Division I level, that changed, where you could start to do some small groups, and then you could get eight weeks in the summer. So you’re really practicing with your team almost year round.”
While D-I teams can practice throughout September for a limited amount of time and then get 30 practices in a 42-day period before the season opener, D-III teams get eight days of practice before the official start of preseason practices on Oct. 15.
Hertz spoke on Thursday about what he has learned about his team since getting the job.
“When I first got here, the biggest thing was getting to know people,” Hertz said. “I think it’s all about that: meeting with the team; meeting with guys individually; getting to know them; and them obviously getting to know me. We’ve spent a lot of time trying to figure out what makes sense with this group, watching film from the past and getting to know them as basketball players as well. That was kind of the starting point. Then once we were able to hit the court, it was about getting some stuff implemented that I thought was best, as far as what I knew at that time, and then evolving over the last month or so, as I’ve seen them do more on the court, individually and playing together.”
Hertz inherited a roster that includes the two leading scorers from a team that finished 18-9 in coach Matt Croci’s final season: guard Trey Killens (18.9 points per game), of Mason High School; and guard Cameron Harrison (10.0), of National Trail. They are two of three seniors on the 2024-25 roster who played major roles last season — the other being Daniel Asher (5.9), of Roncalli High School in Indianapolis.
Killens has scored 979 points in three seasons.
“I think the sky’s the limit for Trey,” Hertz said. “He’s extremely talented. He’s put together a heck of a career thus far at Witt. I think what he wants to do is continue to build off that. And what Trey’s talked a lot about, which is great — what we’ve talked about — is the winning part. How do we get Wittenberg to a point where we’re competing for conference championships and going to the NCAA tournament? That’s not all on Trey, by any means, but I think he’s focused on, “How do we max out our team and win at the level we all want to win at?’”
Harrison was a first-year starter last season. He almost doubled his scoring average from his sophomore season (5.3).
“He’s a tremendous leader,” Hertz said. “He’s very well liked on the team and respected and just kind of does his business every single day. He’s a kid who comes from a coaching family, and he wants to coach. That’s very clear when you see how he operates every single day. He’s been tremendous. He can really shoot the ball. He’s working on other aspects of the game, trying to expand his game on both ends.”
Hertz inherited an 11-man freshman class. The players were already on campus when he was hired.
The group is: 6-5 forward TJ Donnelly, of Chaminade Julienne; 6-11 center Clem Butler, of George Washington High School in Indianapolis; 6-4 guard Isaiah Chitapa, of Evangel Christian in Louisville, Ky.; 6-2 guard Xavier Daniels, of Calvary Christian in Bellefontaine; 5-11 guard Spence Davidson, of Lebanon; 6-7 forward Logan Hawley, of Eaton; 6-2 guard Ethan Hinton, of New Castle, Ind.; 6-2 guard Nick Kaiser, of Carroll High School; 6-5 forward Sam Miller, of Teays Valley High School; 6-0 guard Jacob Roeth, of Miami East; 6-3 guard Ckai Rogan, of Kenton Ridge; and 6-1 guard Bayze Wieland, of Lakota East.
“The hardest thing for freshmen is not just the basketball piece,” Hertz said. “You’re away from home. It’s the academics. It’s your social life. It’s the weight room. It’s tutors. It’s a lot coming at you. You have some guys that are really just trying to adjust to that more than anything, and then you got some guys that maybe have stepped up a little bit. We’ve got a couple post players that I think have a chance to contribute early, as well as a few guards.”
Hertz has hired one assistant coach, Nick Dials, who spent the last two seasons on Damon Goodwin’s staff at Capital, and plans to announce another hiring soon.
Wittenberg will hold an event, Tiger Madness, for the men’s and women’s basketball teams from 7-9 p.m. on Oct. 31. There will be free entry for fans and free food as well.
Hertz’s first game follows on at 11 a.m. Nov. 9, against Alma at Pam Evans Smith Arena.
“I’ve never been a head coach,” Hertz said, “but I do feel I’m as prepared as I can be for that opportunity with the people I’ve worked for and with the experience I have. I’m just going to be myself and put the focus on our players and giving them the confidence and putting them in the best position to be successful. I think that’s all you want to try to do as a coach.”
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