Crossroads League Preview: Bethel College
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Bethel College looks to come off a strong season in 2015-2016. The Pilots flew into the round of 16 at the NAIA Division II National Championship tournament this spring in Branson, Missouri. Bethel entered the bracket as the #4 seed and knocked off the #5 seed Robert Morris (Illinois) 85-80. In the round of 16, Bethel lost to the #1 seed Briar Cliff from Iowa. Briar Cliff won by a score of 100-93 in that game.
Bethel finished 3rd in the Crossroads League last season. Overall, Bethel was 24-10 on the season and 11-7 in conference play. The Pilots finished the season ranked #13 in the NAIA Top 25 poll.
In the preseason polls, Bethel was voted to place 3rd in the Crossroads League this season, behind Saint Francis and Indiana Wesleyan.
Clay Yeo looks to dominate the Crossroads League and lead the Pilots this year. Yeo was the leading scorer in the Crossroads League last season and was also voted NAIA Division II First Team All-American last season. Coaches from around the conference have taken notice and voted Clay Yeo to the preseason First Team All-Conference team. Last season, Yeo averaged 21.4 points per game and 6.6 rebounds per game.
Gage Ott looks to continue his consistent shooting this season. Ott shot 68.9% from the field last season, which lead all NAIA Division II players. A junior this year, Ott looks to become more of an impact player for the Pilots.
Caleb Oetjen looks to continue to lead the team from the point guard position. Last season, Oetjen averaged 13.3 points per games and 5.2 assists. Both Gage Ott and Caleb Oetjen were named preseason Third Team All-Conference.
Seniors Jordyn Coon and Ryan Wassink also look to become more involved in the Pilots offense this season. Sophomore forwards Luke Fisher and Paul Forman look to step into more important roles this season. As freshman last season, Forman started 9 games while Fisher started in 22 contests.
Coach Mike Lightfoot looks to continue his extremely successful coaching career this season. In his career at Bethel, Coach Lightfoot has won 3 NAIA National Championships, 4 NCCAA National Championships, 18 Crossroads League regular season and tournament titles, made 13 NAIA national tournament appearances, 9 NCCAA national tournament appearances, and has won over 700 games. His career .731 winning percentage is the best among active NAIA Division II coaches. Coach Lightfoot was the 20th fastest coach to reach 700 wins in college basketball history, regardless of division.
