WOOSTER, Ohio — This is familiar territory for Steve Moore.
The longtime head coach of the Wooster Fighting Scots has won an incredible 780 games during his 33 years at the school, leading them to the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament 28 times (including three trips to the semifinals and one appearance in the national championship game). The latest of those journeys will begin Friday night, when Wooster hosts Grove City in the first round.
The Scots knew they would be in D-III's version of "March Madness" again after winning the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament, but things haven't always been easy: The team finished third in their league, and even loss three of four games from late January into early February. But as they have done for decades, Moore's squad turned it on when it mattered.
Wooster (21-7) went on a tear in the NCAC tourney, blowing past Allegheny and Denison before upsetting top-seeded Wittenberg by 24 points in the title game. They were led all the way by senior guard Danyon Hempy, the NCAC Player of the Year who is averaging 24.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game.
While the Scots are back where they seemingly belong, the Mount Union Purple Raiders and in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five seasons and just the second time in more than two decades. This time, they are also one of the best teams in the country.
Led by Ohio Athletic Conference Player of the Year and Stow native Nathan Bower-Malone (16.5 PPG, 5.3 APG, 4.1 RPG), the Raiders rode a 17-game winning streak to the OAC regular season and tournament titles. Just two years after finishing .500, head coach and New Franklin Manchester grad Mike Fuline has his team at 25-3 and ranked No. 5 in the nation.
Unlike more-established Wooster, however, Mount Union has only been to the Sweet 16 twice in its history, including during Fuline's fourth season in 2015. Like the Scots, the Raiders will host their first two tournament games, with the opener taking place Friday night against Cairn.
The Wooster game will tip-off at roughly 6:30 p.m. from Timken Gymnasium, while the Mount Union game will start around 7:30 p.m. from the McPherson Academic and Athletic Complex. Tickets for both games are $12 for adults and $7 for students, seniors, and children; kids 2 and under are allowed in for free.
