Both basketball teams for Ashland University made deep playoff runs in the 2021 season.

The men’s team was able to win its one and only Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) championship, and despite the struggles early in the season, the women’s group was able to rally and advance not only to the GLIAC championship game, but also to the Elite Eight before getting bounced by the Drury Panthers in the Midwest Regional Championship game.

Looking ahead to the new campaign, the majority of the men’s roster is returning, except for Paul Burris, who is playing overseas in Europe, and Colin Nieberding, who graduated in May, but is still with the team as an assistant coach.

For head coach John Ellenwood, he’s thrilled to retain most of the pieces from last year.

“Having everyone back from a championship team is exciting,” Ellenwood said. “It also helps that our guys know their roles, which makes adjusting to a new conference a bit easier.”

The Eagles announced last October that they were moving from the GLIAC to the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) starting in the 2021 season. Moving conferences will renew old rivalries for Ashland such as Tiffin University and Lake Erie College while creating new matchups with Hillsdale College and Walsh University.

One of the players returning to the men’s roster is junior Ethan Conley. The swingman guard/forward from Dayton split time with Hunter Shedenhelm between starter and sixth man last season.

Conley knows what he has to do, and is okay with splitting starter reps.

“I want to be the best shooter and defender I can be,” Conley said. “In regards to Hunter (Shedenhelm), whatever helps the team is what we’re going to go with.”

The two often would fill the role of the power forward position in the 2021 campaign, joined by starting guards Brandon Haraway and Bo Furcron, while also partnering Aaron Thompson at forward and Derek Koch filling out the middle.

Switching to the women’s team, it looks a little bit different this season compared to last year. Hallie Landies, Cassidy Crawford, and Erika Warren all transferred to different schools, leaving Sidney Jacobsen, Hayley Smith, and Makenna Geiser as the only three who are still around from the 2020 freshman class.

For the 2021-22 group, a new influx of young freshman talent has joined the ranks, with names such as Morgan Yoder, Mackenzie McConnell and Sarah McKee. The team also added sophomore guard Macy Spielman, who transferred from Bowling Green State University.

Head coach Kari Pickens gave high praise to what she has seen in practice from the newcomers.

“What I love about our new players is that they’re very skilled and athletic,” Pickens said. “I think the way they play makes the team better each day.”

Yoder, McConnell and McKee are expected to provide some competition to the planned starters and also fresh legs off the bench if their numbers get called.

However, a majority of the team is still around. One big name that is on the board is junior forward Annie Roshak.

Roshak, a North Canton native, is a capable scorer and rebounder, as she led the team last year averaging 21 points per game and finished second in boards per contest at just under six.

Her play down the stretch helped the Eagles get into the GLIAC tournament, and she delivered a 40-point performance against Wisconsin-Parkside on March 5.

Furthermore, Roshak is a team-oriented player on both sides of the ball.

“I think the biggest thing for me was doing what’s best for the team,” Roshak said. “Especially during the stretch run of the season.”