Men's Basketball

Welcome to new Men's Basketball program at Benedictine University Springfield!

For those of you unfamiliar with our program we are a NAIA D-I school located in Springfield, IL. 2012-2013 will be our inagural season and we will compete in the competitive, eight team, American Midwest Conference. 

If you are interested in being apart of our first season please fill out the Men's Basketball Player Form on our website so that we can further evaluate you as a prospective student athlete. If you have any questions or want to contribute to your new program please dont hesitate to email me. We'll see you next season and GO BULLDOGS!

Ian McKeithen Head Coach, Men's Basketball (217)525-1420 x554 imckeithen@ben.edu    Follow on Twitter at: @coachmckeithen

2012-2013 Mens Basketball Signings

	Tiger O’neil 6’3 200 pound Guard, Transfer from Parkland College in Champaign, IL. Averaged 6.5 ppg and 2.5 rpg while shooting 41% from the 3 point line. Parkland went 19-13 this past season and advanced to the Region 24 Championship Game “Tiger will go down as the first recruit signed in school history. He will bring a great deal of athleticism and excitement to our program next year. His shooting and defensive abilities give us a great all-around player at the guard position and I am very excited that he has chosen Benedictine University at Springfield!”
	Tanner Whiteman 6’5 200 pound Forward, Cazenovia High School, Cazenovia, NY. Averaged 13.7 ppg 7.1 rpg. Cazenovia went 14-5 this past season with a league championship. “Tanner brings a unique skill set to the team next year. He is a great defender who never takes a possession off. With him being 6’5 and being able to shoot from the outside I see him fitting into multiple roles for us in the future. Tanner also has a great personality that I think our faculty and students will enjoy!”
	Nick Collins 5’11 170 pound Point Guard, Mt. Zion Christian Academy, Durham, NC. Averaged 18ppg 5apg last season with game highs of 36 points and 11 assists. “Nick will be a very exciting player to watch over the next 4 years. He comes in with a lot of experience playing against top talent in North Carolina. He has a unique ability to get to the basket and also finding open teammates. He’s also a great student, coming to campus with a 3.2 GPA.  I look forward to coaching Nick and seeing his development on and off the court.”
	Thomas Dillard 6’4 210 pound Guard, Edgewood High School, Edgewood, MD. Averaged 13.3ppg 7.2rpg 1.7apg 1.7spg last season. Thomas led his team to 21-4 record including a perfect 12-0 in league play. “Thomas brings so many different things to the table. He is a big guard who can shoot, pass, get to the basket, and defend. He’s also a great rebounder from the guard position. We are very excited that is a part of our new program!”
	Melvin Orji 6’7 200 pound Center, Campo Verde High School, Gilbert, AZ. Averaged 6 ppg 5rpg 2.5 bpg last season. “Melvin is an athletic shot blocker whose basketball skills and size will continue to develop over his 4 year college career. I’m very excited for what the future holds for Melvin and I’m pleased he has chosen to be a part of our new program! ”
	Blair Taylor 6’6 200 pound Forward, Mascoutah High School, Mascoutah, IL. Averaged 7.4 ppg 2.5 rpg while shooting 52%fg and 46%3fg. “Blair is extremely versatile and has great size. He can play multiple positions and has the ability to stretch defenses from the post out to the 3 point line. I expect many highlight reel plays out of Blair for years to come!”
	Stephan Shepherd 6’9 215 pound Center, Riverside Community College, Riverside, CA. Averaged 7ppg 4rpg and led RCC in blocks with 23.  Stephan helped his team to a 17-11 record and advance to the Southern California Regional Final. “Stephan will come in and help solidify our front court. His length and athleticism will be very exciting for our fans to watch next season. I look forward to Stephan being a big part of our success in the future.”
	Jordan Michels 6’5 200 pound Forward. Transfer from Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, IL. Averaged 6.3ppg 3.8rpg while shooting 35% from the 3 point line. Lincoln Land advanced to the Region 24 Championship game. “Jordan comes to us from a great program and great coach. He understands how to play the game the right way and is a great team player first. I’ve been impressed all year by his ability to get his teammates involved while being a threat from the outside at his size. He will fit in perfectly here!”

 

November 22, Men's and Women's basketball coaches named

Springfield, Illinois ~ Benedictine University at Springfield Athletic Director Nikki Bull-Eguez announced today the hiring of head coaches for the intercollegiate men's and women's basketball programs that will compete as members of the American Midwest Conference (AMC) beginning with the 2012-2013 season.

Ian McKeithen was named head men's basketball coach while Wanda L. Nettles takes the reins of the women's basketball program.

"I'm very excited about this opportunity to start a brand new basketball program with Benedictine University at Springfield," McKeithen said. "I look forward to building a program with our athletic director that brings excellent student-athletes from the surrounding area to Benedictine."

McKeithen and Nettles will begin their duties by scouting area high schools and junior colleges for players that fans will be excited to watch.

"I will be watching players during this high school basketball season at various tournaments and games," McKeithen said. "We're committed to growing the program as a whole with top talent on the court and in the classroom."

McKeithen comes to Benedictine University at Springfield after a short stint as an assistant coach at Iowa Wesleyan College. He previously served as an assistant at Dakota State University in Madison, S.D., and was a graduate assistant at Augustana College. McKeithen began his professional career in 2007 as a basketball operations intern for the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves and worked with the team's front office during the 2008 draft. McKeithen earned a master's degree in Teaching at Augustana and is currently working on a Ph.D. in Athletic Administration.

Nettles comes to Benedictine University at Springfield from Harris-Stowe State University in St. Louis (Mo.) where she successfully led her team to the American Midwest Conference (AMC) tournament title with a (13-18) record in 2006-2007. Previously, Nettles coached at University of Illinois at Springfield, Lincoln Land Community College and Belleville Area College (now called Southwestern Illinois College).

Nettles retired from the Illinois Department of Transportation in 2004 after 16 years of service as an Engineer Technician III. She earned a bachelor's degree in Organizational Leadership from Greenville College, and an associate's degree in Drafting Technology from Belleville Area College. Nettles is an ordained pastor at Living Word Fellowship Ministries and has a Substitute Teacher Certification from the Illinois State Board of Education.

"My goal is to make the Benedictine University at Springfield women's basketball program a nationally-renowned program known for its dedication to academic excellence and athletic success," Nettles said. "My desire is to develop the 'Spirit of Excellence' within the team through education, teamwork, leadership and character building, as well as enhanced athletic skills on the court."

"Both coaches possess NAIA coaching experience and have a foundational knowledge of what it takes to be successful at this level," Bull-Eguez said. "They have highly competitive objectives for the upcoming year, and I look forward to working with them to achieve those objectives.

"The entire campus is looking forward to adding basketball next year, and we hope to provide two quality programs for our community to support," Bull-Eguez added.