Hope College basketball rosters loaded with young talent after unexpected departures

Posted by Admin October 29, 2024 Basketball

The Hope College men’s and women’s basketball teams have released their final rosters for the 2024-25 season and there are some big changes.

The Hope women lost only one senior last year from its MIAA title team that went 26-4 and reached the round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament, in center Raven Jemison, but starters Karsten Karlblom and Keegan Kaiser have left the program, giving Hope just two returning starters in point guard Jada Garner and forward Sydney Vis.

Key bench players Olivia Bellows, Courtney Lee, Chloe Brunsberg, Lauren Leach and Terin Maynard return.

More: Top Hope College sports stories of 2023-24 school year

Garner, Bellows, Lee and Brooklyn Robak are the seniors.

The biggest addition to the team are all-state twins Anna Richards and Leah Richards from DeWitt. Both are 6-feet and lead a talented freshman class that includes guard Sara LaPrairie from Stoney Creek, Katie Blazei from Franklin, Wisconsin and Maddie Petroelje from Hudsonville.

The rest of the roster includes Grayson Guy, Emma Yakey, Lily Miller and Lina Rea.

The Hope women host Wilmington College on Nov. 8.

Hope men’s roster

The Hope men lost seniors Tanner Wiegerink, Clayton Dykhouse, TJ McKenzie, Devin Cheaney and Robert Nocek, a large group that included two all-MIAA players in Wiegerink and Dykhouse.

That leaves guard Marcus Wourman, forward Parker Hovey and center Gabe Quillan as the starters returning from a team that went 23-7 and won the MIAA title, reaching the second round of the NCAA tournament.

After a redshirt year, senior Eli Schoonveld returns as do key bench players Justice Mims, Sam Carlson, Ethan Crabtree, Josh Decker and Ben Wagar.

Zeeland West’s Orion Yant, fresh off of helping the Dux to the state semifinals as a senior, leads a Hope freshman class that includes Carter Bishop (Holt), Kyle Blauch (Boulder, Colorado), Carter Goodyke (Grand Rapids Christian), Charles Howell (Cadillac), Brady Miller (Forest Hills Central) and Jared Ryg (Arlington Heights, Illinois).

The rest of the lineup includes junior Carson Sanders, sophomore Simon Neuhaus, Deven Maranthe, Neil Ihme, Zach Hawes and Brett Bultsma.

The Hope men open with Anderson (Ind.) at home on Nov. 8.

Contact sports editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports.