In hopes of a fourth-straight title, the Little Giants are North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Tournament bound. Head Basketball Coach Kyle Brumett will lead his three-time NCAC Tournament Champions against a familiar opponent in the Wooster Fighting Scots.
Heading into the tournament Wabash looks to have hit its stride. In the final game of the regular season Wabash defeated Oberlin 71-60 at Chadwick Court.
In what must be an NCAA record, it took the Fighting Scots 23:38 to record their first field goal inside the three-point line. The Oberlin roster recorded all 23 of their first-half points from beyond the arch or at the charity stripe. Meanwhile Wabash recorded 36 points in the paint.
The contrast was no coincidence however; Noah Hupmann ’25 played one of his best defensive games in a Scarlet uniform. From four blocks to critical pressure, the 7-foot 2-inch senior hounded the Yeomen every time they moved inside. Hupmann finished the game with 12 points, as he continued to ramp up his scoring output through the end of the regular season.
Rich Brooks ’26 extended his 15-point streak to three games as he knocked down a pair of threes and went 4-4 from the free throw line. His continued increase in output could be a major factor if it continues through the tournament.
“I’ve been building up a lot of confidence these past few games,” said Brooks. “My teammates are giving me that confidence. Every time they give me the ball, they want me to shoot it. I’m stepping up and trying to be one of the best players on the team. It’s been my goal for the entire year, and I want to keep living that goal out until the last game that we play.”
The win secured the second and a first-round bye in the NCAC Tournament.
Wabash will play its first game in the tournament on February 28 against the third-seeded Wooster. This familiar matchup will be the fourth-straight time the two powerhouses have faced in the tournament. Witha neutral site — the tournament is hosted by Denison — and with a 1-1 record against each other in the regular season, these teams promise another thrilling encounter.
Wabash is 8-2 in their last 10 matchups against Wooster but lost their most recent 61-66 encounter on February 8.
Previously-ranked Wooster leads the NCAC in scoring, averaging 76.3 points per game. The Fighting Scots are led by senior Ashton Price who averages 18.5 ppg. They also pack fifth-year senior Nick Everett who is a perennial contender for best center in the conference. Add in a high-skill point guard in Jamir Billings and a host of role players who can punish a lazy defense, and Wooster can say they have just as good a chance of winning the NCAC as anyone else.
While they stand at second in the bracket, Wabash and its conference-leading defense has the tools to win it all.
“Defense and rebounding is what really makes it happen,” said Brumett. “And the offensive piece that really allows your defense to work is whether or not you turn it over.”
Given their 60.5 points per (ppg) game allowed through the NCAC season, the Little Giants are perfectly suited to that play. The Little Giants also boast one of the nation’s best defenders in Hupmann who leads Division III in blocks with 93 on the year.
“My teammates normally let me know where I am on the rankings,” said Hupmann. “But I love blocking shots. So the more I get, the better. It’s awesome. But, I’m just trying to win. I don’t really care where I am in the rankings.”
Wabash leads the nation in fewest turnovers per game, averaging only 8.6 a contest. They’re ability to hold onto the ball has been a huge factor in their regular season success.
Vinny Buccilla ’25 leads Wabash in scoring, with 15.1 points per game. With 113 games wearing scarlet and three NCAC Tournament Championships under his belt, Buccilla is one of the most experienced players in the nation.
“We’re still the champs,” said Buccilla. “Someone still has to take our throne in the tournament. Even though it’s at Denison, I know they’re going to be riled up. I know Wooster is going to be ready to play us. They’ve fallen to us the past three years. So they’re going to feel some type of way. And we have to come in and know that we’re still the one to beat at the end.”
The Little Giants also bring a wide arsenal of scorers, so that if someone has a bad day, the team will still find points. Seven members of the Scarlet & White have gone off for 20 or more points in a game so far this season.
“Depth is something that we haven’t always had,” said Brumett. “And a lot of times you might have depth, but it’s not always scoring depth. This team,we have a lot of different guys that can really go off. I think you need that in a tournament setting. You always worry about how you shoot it when it’s lose and go home. The fact that we’ve got a number of different guys that can play and score for this team, gives us a lot of confidence.”
It’s the same old rules from here on out for Wabash — if you win, you play again, if not, you go home.
The winner between the Fighting Scots and the Little Giants will advance to face the winner of nationally-24th-ranked Denison and the fourth-seeded Ohio Wesleyan. But one game at a time is enough of a task.
Wabash enters the playoffs 17-8. So far they’ve been just short of beating the top two teams in the country and suffered two losses to a ranked Denison team. They’ve shown signs of greatness, but will need to put it all together for two games if they want to defend their title.
After a full regular season that saw the NCAC at its strongest in a long time, four teams remain. Anyone who says they know who is going to win is lying. All that’s left now is tipoff.
“We’re just all ready to get over to Granville [Ohio] and play,” said Buccilla. “I feel it’s been a long week so far, and we’re so excited. We got the bye, got some rest and got healthy. But we really just want to go over there and get this fourth-straight conference championship.”