ASHLAND — There may not be a better player — or a hotter team — in all of America.
Great Midwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year Brandon Haraway will lead third-seeded Ashland into the eight-team Midwest Regional at the University of Indianapolis this weekend. The Eagles (22-9) open play against sixth-seeded Ferris State (23-8) at noon Saturday inside Indy’s Nicoson Hall.
A 6-foot-3 senior combination guard and All-America candidate, Haraway also was selected the GMAC Tournament MVP after leading the Eagles to the title last weekend in North Canton. He averaged 19.7 points, six rebounds and 4.7 assists in three tournament games. What’s more, Haraway played 117 out of a possible 120 minutes and never left the floor in AU’s 76-69 semifinal win over Hillsdale or the 82-78 win over Malone in the championship game.
“He’s a Hall of Famer,” said veteran AU coach John Ellenwood, who needs four wins to surpass Roger Lyons as the winningest coach in program history. “As good as a basketball player as Brandon Haraway is, he’s a better person. Watch the way he attacks every day. He’s got a smile on his face. He’s not scared of hard work. He’s got love for people in his life and he generally cares about everybody who is around him.
“He’s one of those guys who you enjoy him while you have him. He’s earned everything that has come his way.”
With Haraway leading the charge, AU will bring a four-game winning streak into Friday’s regional opener. The Eagles are 9-2 since the start of February with three wins over nationally-ranked Hillsdale during the stretch. Hillsdale is the No. 4 seed this weekend in Indianapolis.
In the GMAC championship game against Malone, AU trailed 75-61 with about six minutes to play. The Eagles closed the game on a stunning 21-3 run against a team that had beaten AU twice during the regular season.
“Our guys are passionate about the pride of wanting to win,” Ellenwood said. “That stuff gets established through the culture of our program. They’re proud to wear that jersey.”
Freshman point guard Simon Wheeler was selected the GMAC’s Freshman of the Year after leading the conference with 6.1 assists a game to go with 10.9 points a night.
While Haraway and Wheeler provide the perimeter punch, 6-foot-9 junior center Victor Searls and 6-foot-7 super sub Maceo Williams supply the muscle inside. Searls averages 12 points and 5.3 rebounds a game, while Williams is good for 11.8 points and a team-leading 6.2 rebounds a night.
Ashland and Ferris played early in the regular season with the Bulldogs rallying for a 75-69 win. The Eagles lost four of their first six games before turning their season around with nine straight wins from Dec. 8 to Jan. 12.
AU played short-handed against Ferris State in late-November. Haraway was working his way back from illness, while Wheeler and reserve guard Ethan Conley both missed the game because of injury.
“Our starting lineup is different. Going into that game, Brandon was sick as a dog. He didn’t even play the game before. Simon Wheeler was injured. Ethan Conley was injured,” Ellenwood said. “What’s different is who’s playing. What’s not different is how hard both teams are going to play.
“We know the game that’s coming. They know the game that’s coming. That’s what is not going to change.”
