Lineup Tweak Sparks Winning Streak
Dre White ’14 (left) and Greg White ’13 (right). (Photos by Sara Tincher)
The Ohio Wesleyan men’s basketball team recently made a change that has helped the Bishops take home win after win—all in all, a seven-game winning streak, including an 87-76 win over 11th-ranked Wabash on Wednesday night.
That change is the addition of sophomore wing Greg White and freshman guard Dre White into the starting lineup.
Head Coach Mike DeWitt attributes the team’s recent success to the younger players who have learned a lot since the beginning of the season and gained valuable experience.
According to DeWitt, Greg and Dre White were added into the lineup to help the team’s offensive performance early in the game. They’ve certainly helped put numbers on the board: since the new lineup made its debut on December 28, Greg has averaged 9.5 points per game, including his first collegiate double-double (19 points, 10 rebounds) against Denison on January 12. Dre, meanwhile, scored a season-high 12 points in his first game as a starter and added 10 points in a win at Hiram.
Dre admits that it took some time to adjust to playing college basketball, however, as the season has progressed, it seems that he has adjusted just fine. “It feels good to have enough trust from my coaches to put me in that position,” he says.
Greg, who lettered last season, attributes the team’s recent success to plain and simple hard work. “The recent winning streak has raised our confidence as well as our standards,” he says.
Both men are trying to contribute in any way possible to help the team win. They take a selfless approach to the game, understanding that the team together wins games, not individuals.
With six games yet to be played in the North Coast Athletic Conference schedule, the Bishops are tied for third place in the NCAC, behind No. 1-ranked Wooster and traditional rival Wittenberg, so the next games are crucial to the team’s standing in the conference championship race.
“We’re facing tough competition, but enjoy the challenge, and for some games playing the role of an underdog feeds our desire to come away with an upset or win,” says Greg.