SpringfieldNewsSun.com

SPRINGFIELD — Wittenberg and Wooster could be twin brothers on the basketball court this season, without the matching uniforms and high-tops and the ability to read each other's playbooks through ESP.

Entering the game at 7:30 p.m. today, Jan. 17, at Wooster, the two North Coast Athletic Conference rivals seem to be dribbling down parallel paths.

• Each team lost its top returning player to a season-ending injury: Gregg Hill of Wittenberg and Brandon Johnson of Wooster.

• Each team has four freshmen playing major minutes.

• Each has one senior in the rotation: Kevin Murray of Wittenberg and Marty Bidwell of Wooster.

• Each team got off to a slow start — 1-3 for Wooster and 1-4 for the Tigers — and has posted a four-game winning streak in the weeks since.

• Each team suffered a surprising loss on the road in conference play: Wittenberg at Hiram and Wooster at Wabash.

• Each team is 4-1 in NCAC play, tied for first with Hiram.

If you consider all that and then add in the fact that in the last 10 games, each team has won five times, with Wooster owning the slimmest of leads in the overall scoring column (744-743), then this game shapes up to be as good as any of the recent instant classics.

Said Wittenberg coach Bill Brown, "The reason we put ourselves in a position to go to Cedarville, the reason we put ourselves in position to go to Capital — and next year to Ohio Northern — is that so that once you get in the conference and you get in this type of atmosphere, at least it's not the first time you've been in that type of atmosphere."

Most of the familiar faces from recent Wittenberg-Wooster clashes are gone.

The Tiger-killer from Springfield, James Cooper, finished his stellar career last season. Of the 127 points tallied the last time the two teams met — a 66-61 victory by the Scots in Wooster on Feb. 16, 2008 — 93 were scored by players who won't appear in this game.

Wooster coach Steve Moore said his team is starting to adjust to the loss of Johnson, but it hasn't been easy. Not only do the Scots have just that one senior, they have only one junior.

It will be a night for numerous players to experience the rivalry for the first time, and Moore has been impressed with Wittenberg's freshman class.

"There's a lot of talent there, and they seem to be fitting very well into Witt's system," Moore said. "They're all giving them that good post offense they've always had and the excellent rebounding they've always had."

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0351

TIPOFF TIPS

Who: Wittenberg University (7-6, 4-1 North Coast Athletic Conference) at College of Wooster (9-5, 4-1 NCAC).

When: 7:30 p.m. today, Jan. 17.

Where: Timken Gymnasium in Wooster.

Series history: Wittenberg leads 51-42.

Last meeting: Wooster won 66-61 at Wooster on Feb. 16, 2008.

Last game: Wittenberg beat Earlham 91-58 in Springfield on Wednesday, Jan. 14. Wooster beat visiting Hiram 79-63 on Wednesday.

Coaches: Bill Brown, Wittenberg (16th season, 350-91); Steve Moore, Wooster (22nd season, 499-118).

Wittenberg probable starters: Kevin Murray, 6-3, Sr., wing, 14.4 points per game; Mark Snyder, 6-6, Jr., post, 7.8 ppg; David Nowicki, 5-9, Jr., guard, 8.8 ppg; Josh McKee, 6-0, Fr., wing, 7.3 ppg; Michael Cooper, 6-4, Fr., wing, 10.8 ppg.

Wooster probable starters: Marty Bidwell, 6-4, Sr., forward, 8.3 ppg; Nathan Balch, 6-1, So., guard, 10.3 ppg; Bryan Wickliffe, 6-6, So., forward, 7.6 ppg; Ian Franks, 6-3, So., forward, 13.8 ppg; Justin Hallowell, 6-7, Fr., forward, 12.6 ppg.

Wittenberg notes: The Tigers have the top scoring defense in the NCAC (67.2 ppg). ... They are 5-1 when they shoot better than 50 percent from the field and 5-0 when they make more than five 3-pointers. ... Cooper is shooting 65 percent from the field, which would make him the NCAC leader if he had not missed the team?s first four games.

Wooster notes: With a victory tonight, the Wittenberg graduate Moore would have 500 career wins at Wooster. ... The Scots have the top scoring offense in the NCAC (78 ppg). They are shooting a league-best 40 percent from 3-point range. ... Bidwell leads the league in assists (3.79 per game). ... Hallowell has made 42-of-84 3-pointers.