— Story by Taylor Kennedy
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Liberty Hilltoppers are coming off yet another impressive season under head coach Ben Howlett. The ‘Toppers finished first in the Mountain East Conference with a 27-4 overall record, and they earned the No. 2 seed in the Atlantic Region in Division II men’s basketball tournament.
This upcoming season will be a challenge for teams all around the country. Head coach Ben Howlett applauds the way he and his team have been able to manage the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“It has obviously been a challenge. It has been something that we have never had to do before as coaches or players. It has been different, but I give my guys a lot of credit. We have kind of been rolling with the punches here. Everything that we have been forced to do we have done it. We have remained safe,” says Howlett.
Howlett also gives praise to the amount of work that West Liberty University’s administration has done for his team.
“I give credit to our administration here at West Liberty. They have given us all the resources that we needed to play safely. Again, I know the guys are grateful for that as well,” says Howlett.
Coaches always look to see how their players tackle adversity in challenges. Howlett has been very impressed at how his squad is not complaining about what is going on, but rather using it as a way to get better.
“Our guys have not complained one time. I told them, in our initial meeting, that there are going to be some things that we never had to do and we will have to do it. If we want to play, we are going to have to do these things. Our guys have been really great with rolling with the punches,” says Howlett.
With the upcoming season just weeks away, practices have become more and more important. Howlett thinks that the way his squad has been practicing will translate in big ways this season.
“I am a big practice guy. One of the things we have talked about is that we are not going to let this be a crutch into not practicing hard. As far as practices and drills and the way we run things go, nothing has changed. We have actually tried to crank it up even more,” says Howlett.
Howlett also believes that the amount of success that has come through West Liberty is the way they practice every day.
“I think part of the reason we have been successful here for 15 years at West Liberty is by the way we practice. We are ready for game one,” says Howlett.
Last season, the Hilltoppers did not have a senior on their roster. This season, Howlett will be returning a lot of key guys that contributed to the Hilltoppers 19 conference wins a season ago.
“We got three seniors that will be huge for us this year. Dalton Bolon was an All-American. Luke Dyer was number one in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio. Marlon Moore, from Cleveland, Ohio, has been really good for us these last four years,” says Howlett.
Howlett has been thankful that he has seen this year’s seniors grow. But, he thinks the way they compete is the best way to describe that core of veterans.
“I think the word that comes to mind is intense. All three of these guys bring it every day, and there have been times throughout the four years when they have been too intense. It is almost too intense. Our practices are like a war zone. These guys want to win in everything they do, and I credit these three seniors. They make it that way,” says Howlett.
Dalton Bolon has dealt with different obstacles over his tenure with West Liberty. Howlett has seen Bolon grow from not only a basketball standpoint but from a man standpoint.
“He has overcome some serious obstacles. He has never made it an excuse. He had the eye situation where he had to play one season with an eye patch, and the next season with athletic goggles. That is not an easy thing to do, but the thing he did those two years has become an All-American. This is a guy that played with one eye his sophomore year. I think the most important aspect of his game, for us, is his ability to rebound,” says Howlett.
Along with his seniors, Howlett brings back two guys that made All-MEC. Both Will Yoakum and Pat Robinson return for their junior campaigns.
There is still one other guy that has grabbed Howlett’s attention.
“The guy that has caught our eye this offseason is Bryce Butler. I think he has been really good. When he is on the floor for us, good things typically happen. He is extremely easy to play with. He gets everyone else involved. I think he has taken his game to another level, and I’m looking forward to seeing him play this year,” says Howlett.
The Mountain East Conference was loaded from top to bottom last year. Howlett does not think this season will be any different.
“I think the Mountain East, this season, will be up. I think a lot of teams have a lot of returning guys. You start with Fairmont, and they are returning essentially their whole roster from last year. Charleston is always going to be good, and Dwaine [Osborne] does a really good job there. He brings in good players every year. I think the team that does not get talked about enough is West Virginia State. Coach Poore has brought in some good players, and he is returning some good players as well,” says Howlett.
Howlett gave high praise to the middle of the MEC as well.
“I think the middle portion of our conference will be better this year as well. I think Concord, Glenville, [W.Va.] Wesleyan and Wheeling will be very good as well. There is not an easy night here in the Mountain East. You gotta bring it. If you do not play well on a certain night, you are going to get beat,” says Howlett.
Howlett and his Hilltoppers begin their season on January 7th as they will welcome in Notre Dame College (Ohio).