Vershaw accomplished his mission and then some, bringing in 16 new players to add to the 11 returners from his first team. The second-year coach lost five seniors – four of them post players – from a year ago, including leading scorer and rebounder Joe Terwelp (16 ppg, 7 rpg).

"Joe did a lot for us," said Vershaw. "We had one post returning, so our immediate need was to get post players who were going to be game-ready."

That one returning post player will be delayed in joining the team. Senior post Kyle Weyeneth (Metamora, Ill./Metamora) is busy as a wide receiver for the Fighting Scots’ conference champion football team. Weyeneth didn’t have gaudy numbers, but contributed in areas that don’t always show up on the stat line. Two other football players – sophomore three-point specialist Alex Tanney (Lexington, Ill./Lexington) and 6-5 freshman forward David Milroy (Toulon, Ill./Stark County) – will have at least one more game to play once the NCAA playoffs begin Nov. 22. Tanney adds value with 49 treys as a freshman.

In the meantime, Vershaw is getting a good look at a trio of big men transfers – 6-7 junior Zach Ott (East Peoria, Ill./East Peoria), 6-5 sophomore Eric Cogdill (East Moline, Ill./United Township) and 6-6 classmate Rhett Standard (Monmouth, Ill./Monmouth-Roseville). Called a "complete" player by Vershaw, Ott has an inside-outside game and can hit the trey in addition to being an able passer. Cogdill’s strength lies in his ability to run the floor well and is touted as a "good finisher." Standard brings rebounding and scoring ability to the table so the Scots won’t go hungry.

"All three can post up and score with their back to the basket," praised Vershaw. "We’re pretty excited about the group we’ve got. These guys have eased our worries in the post and once we get Weyeneth back, we’ll have a very good big man rotation."

A pair of freshmen big men – 7-1 Mike Hunger (Manteno, Ill./Bishop McNamara) and 6-6 Ryan Robinson (Milan, Ill./Rockridge) – may be a year away from seeing much action on the varsity court, but will hone their skills with a full JV schedule. Vershaw knows they’ll reap the benefit of practicing against the upperclassmen combined with the rigorous JV slate.

The Scots – top-heavy with guards last season – will be counting on a good mix of returners and newcomers to make for some high-spirited practice sessions. Three sophomores – Eric Grant (Roseville, Ill./Monmouth-Roseville), Corey Gruber (Abingdon, Ill./Abingdon) and Robbie Hinkle (Galesburg, Ill./Galesburg) – are expected to give the Scots solid play. Grant and Gruber logged more than 20 minutes per game and Hinkle offers support off the bench. Seniors Kyle Cook (London Mills, Ill./Spoon River Valley) and Corey Turner (Moline, Ill./Moline) add perimeter threats to give the Scots a serious inside-outside game.

"Eric does a good job of getting us in our offense," praised Vershaw. "We’ll have some competition at each position. Once Alex gets back from football, the competition for guard spots will really pick up."

Not to be lost in the mix is junior three-point man Scott Ubbenga (Hartsburg, Ill./Hartsburg-Emden). A 42 percent three-point shooter, Ubbenga missed the first half of last season with an injury. Vershaw expects the healthy sharpshooter to open up the paint.

"What Scott did in the last six games is indicative of what we expect from him this year," said Vershaw. "He has the ability to shoot from way beyond the arch. His job is to shoot and his range will have an even bigger impact this year because of our ability to score inside."

Freshman guards Curtis Oler (Fox Lake, Ill./Grant Community) and Zo Durias (Eustis, Fla./Christian Home Bible) will also battle for playing time. Durias has quickly developed into a formidable defender and the 6-4 Oler offers extra size on the outside.

The Scots’ added depth and size gives Vershaw the ability to mix and match his lineup depending on what their opponents bring to the table. Opposing teams will have to prepare for the Scots’ quick, perimeter attack and their solid, aggressive inside game. Fans might even see a much quicker pace this season, but don’t expect the Grinnell "system" track meet.

"Because we’ll be so deep, we’ll probably try to play at a quicker pace," reported Vershaw. "That’s different than my playing style, but we’ll go with what suits our personnel the best. Our added depth gives us the luxury to get players in the lineup with a variety of skills. Defensively, the man-to-man is still our staple, but we’ll throw in some zone and press occasionally."

The Scots opened last season with one of the toughest Division III schedules in the nation, meeting two Division II schools and playing three games against other scholarship schools. After dropping their first nine contests, the Scots went 7-6 the rest of the way with two of those losses in overtime. The strong finish put the Scots just outside the Midwest Conference tournament in a tie for fifth.

"We had a nice finish to the season last year," said Vershaw. "Our goal was to finish fourth and I thought we should have been there. We’re going to have to go out and earn it this season. It won’t be easy with a lot of new guys who are going to have to learn how to win on the road and win on double-header weekends."

The Scots will have to be quick learners when it comes to winning on the road. Eight of their first 10 games are on the road and they won’t have a home league game until January.

Vershaw’s task for next season? Schedule more home games.