The Ashland University men’s basketball season concludes for the 2024-25 season.
The Eagles’ season concluded with a 76-59 defeat to the Hillsdale College Chargers in the quarterfinal round of the Great Midwest Tournament on Tuesday, March 4.
The Eagles got off to a slow start in this game, trailing 33-12 by the 7:45 minute mark of the first half. After the onslaught by the Chargers, the Eagles clawed their way back into the game thanks to their defense, cutting the deficit all the way down to five at the midway point of the second half.
Unfortunately for the Eagles, Hillsdale turned it on to close the game, outscoring Ashland 23-11 over the final ten minutes of play.
The Eagles finished their 2024-25 campaign with a 15-13 record, and an 11-9 mark in conference play. They were led all season long by redshirt junior Maceo Williams, who put together an incredible season.
Williams averaged 20.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per contest, while shooting 63.8 percent from the floor. All of those incredible numbers from Williams led the entire Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC). The Williams also recorded 66 assists for the Eagles, which was the most among all centers in the conference.
As the season progressed, Williams also found a terrific mix of looking for his own shots, while helping his other teammates succeed as well.
While Williams dominated all season long near the basket, while redshirt sophomore Cooper Davis did his offensive damage from the outside.
Davis put up 12.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game, shooting 37.6 percent from three-point range. His 59 three pointers led the Eagles and were the fifth most among G-MAC players. Along with his aerial game, Davis’s evolution of being able to attack the basket at a more consistent rate opened a lot more for the Eagles offense.
The remaining starters for the Eagles all helped in their own ways.
Point guard Jaron Crews facilitated the Eagles offense, leading the Eagles with 98 assists on the campaign. His mid-range game also gave Head Men’s Basketball Coach John Ellenwood another option to rely on in late game situations. Crews averaged 8.9 points and 3.3 rebounds, shooting 40 percent from the field.
Forwards Stefan Stanic and Javin Etzler each gave the Eagles a spark on both ends of the floor. Stanic continued to show off his stellar defensive capabilities, leading the Eagles in both steals and blocks. His 36 blocks were just one block shy of the number one spot in the conference. Etzler, on the other hand, ended up being one of the most reliable outside threats for Ashland, shooting 44 percent from deep range.
It wasn’t just the starters that helped the Eagles out, as their bench was incredibly key. In certain game instances where the Eagles got off to a slow start, Ellenwood knew he had depth that could provide energy for his team.
Senior transfer guard Gbolahan Adio may be the best example of that, as Adio’s positivity and energy on the floor allowed his team to get back into certain matchups. Adio really stood out on the defensive end, but as the season went on, he became more consistent offensively.
The Eagles also got a huge offensive boost from redshirt sophomore guard Aden Gregory. His unique ability to handle the ball and make tough shots over taller defenders sparked the Eagles, leading the charge on several comeback runs this year. Gregory was by far the most efficient guard for Ashland, with shooting splits of 51 percent from the field, 44 percent from three, and 87 percent from the free throw line.
Throughout the season, the Eagles found ways to give some burn to other younger players as well. Carter Valentine and Jason Moore played rotational minutes throughout the campaign and gave the Eagles some good moments at times.
The Eagles also got much needed veteran depth with the late addition of guard Luke Metzger. After beginning the year as a graduate assistant, the Eagles needed to activate Metzger’s final year of eligibility, in order to provide more guard play. Metzger played his best season for the Eagles, shooting 50% from three-point range in 26 games of action.
Overall, the 2024-25 campaign for the Eagles was filled with plenty of highs. Their first win of the season was a 68-66 road victory against the Grand Valley State Lakers, where Maceo Williams made the game winning hook shot at the buzzer.
The Eagles knocked off the first seeded Findlay University Oilers for their final home game of the season, which was filled with highlight plays across the board.
On the other hand, the Eagles also had moments of confusing struggle. For example, they followed the Oilers win with a 112-78 road defeat against the Walsh University Cavaliers, who did not qualify for the Great Midwest Tournament. The Eagles also had some painful defeats as well, losing five games by a differential of five or less points.
It was a season full of fun moments, both individually and as a team. But the Eagles know there is still a lot of work to do.
The leading tandem of Maceo Williams and Cooper Davis, with another year now under their belt, is going to give the Eagles a chance to do special things on the basketball floor.
