The Briar Cliff men's basketball team has four senior starters returning from last season.SIOUX CITY (KTIV) -- -
After two straight trips to the NAIA national tournament, the Briar Cliff men's basketball team is loaded again. The Chargers have four senior starters back.
All-conference guards Taylor Murren and Jake Shipley return. The 6'8" Shipley was the GPAC player of the year after averaging over 17 points per game, while leading the team in rebounding.
Senior forward John Engler (6'6") and 6'10" senior Michael Collison will control the middle. Collison led the conference in blocked shots for the second straight season.
BC is picked third in the GPAC preseason poll, and even after a trip to the NAIA Sweet 16, the Chargers know nothing will be easy.
"We were a Sweet 16 team that was two minutes from being in the Elite 8 and finished third in the league and we lost to the 11th and the 10th place team in the league in the regular season," said Briar Cliff head coach Nic Nelson. "That just goes to show you that anybody can beat anybody. It makes for a fun league and I know everybody says that but it's really true."
"We have four seniors but we also have so many young guys that are going to help this team out," said Shipley. "We only have one junior and he's a transfer, so he doesn't even know our program really. It takes the four seniors, all of us, that need to show leadership."
Briar Cliff plays an exhibition game on Saturday, October 27th, at Northern Iowa. The Chargers open the regular season at home against Grand View on November 2nd.
