Sept. 12, 2014
THE FLATS – Each week up until the beginning of basketball season, Ramblinwreck.com takes a look at an opponent on Georgia Tech’s non-conference schedule. This week, game three against IPFW.
Date: Nov. 21, 2014 at McCamish Pavilion
Location: Fort Wayne, Ind.
Conference: The Summit League
Home arena: Hilliard Gates Sports Center (1,800)
2013-14 Record: 25-11 overall, 10-4 in Summit (T-2nd place), 116th in NCAA RPI
Post-Season: CIT 2nd Round, lost to VMI 106-95
NCAA Championship Appearances: 0 in Division-I (one in Division-II — 1993)
All-time series record: First meeting
Head coach: Jon Coffman (entering 1st season)
Starters returning/lost: 2/3
Top scorer returning: Steve Forbes (12.1)
Top rebounder returning: Steve Forbes (5.3)
Quick preview for 2014-15
The 2014-15 season marks the beginning of a new era in IPFW basketball. First year head coach Jon Coffman embarks upon his first year at the helm of Mastodon basketball after serving as an assistant with in Fort Wayne for the past three seasons. Coffman replaces last year’s Hugh Durham Coach of the Year Tony Jasick who accepted a job at Jacksonville University. Meanwhile Coffman and the Mastodons return two starters in seniors Steve Forbes and Isaiah McCray as well as senior guard Joe Edwards. Forbes, a 6-foot-9 295-pound forward, led the Blue and White in rebounding (5.3) and in shooting percentage (60.9). Edwards and McCray will chair the backcourt after the departure of all-conference guard Luis Jacobo. In addition to the senior trio, reigning Summit League Sixth Man of the Year Mo Evans returns for his sophomore season after leading the team in three point shooting at 45.1 percent as just a freshman.
Quick recap of 2013-14
The 2013-14 season was a record-breaking campaign for the Mastodons. IPFW set a program record with 25 wins and secured its first postseason berth in 20 years. The Mastodons’ calling card was their high field goal percentage (49.1) that was among the top 10 in the nation. IPFW rode their lethal shooting to a program best second place finish in the Summit League. The Mastodons came within 90 seconds of their first NCAA D-I Tournament bid in the Summit League Championship before falling to North Dakota State 60-57 (the Bison would go on to upset the Oklahoma Sooners in the round of 64).
Greatest program accomplishment
2014 CIT 1st Round Victory – In its 39th season and its 13th as a D-I program, IPFW defeated Akron 97-91 for its first ever postseason victory last March. The appearance alone was just the second postseason trip for IPFW in program history (the other came in 1993 in the NCAA D-II Regionals). In the win, the red-hot Mastodons drained 60% of their shots including 12 of 22 from long range. The Mastodons bowed out three days later in the second round with a 106-95 loss to VMI.
Greatest player in program history
Frank Gaines – Over the course of his four year career, Frank Gaines was a two time All-Summit League 1st team guard and finished his career in 2013 as the Mastodons’ all-time leading scorer with 1,841 points. Gaines was just recently named the most improved player in the NBA’s developmental league following his rookie season with the Maine Red Claws. Gaines will continue his professional career with Juvecaserta Basket of the Lega Basket Serie A in Italy this coming fall.
Place to visit on campus or in the city
Three Rivers Festival – The Three Rivers Festival annually celebrates the heritage of Fort Wayne with parades, food alleys, amusement rides, fireworks and more. The Festival, inaugurated in 1969, spans a nine day period in mid-July following Independence Day and routinely draws close to half a million visitors from the surrounding area. The Three Rivers Festival attributes its name to the three intersecting rivers (the Maumee, the St. Mary and the St. Joseph) upon which the town of Fort Wayne was constructed.
