#4 Story of the 2012-2013 Year
William Penn University Athletics
Oskaloosa–It is highly unlikely that anyone reading this does not already know at least something about the #4 story of 2012-2013–the men’s basketball team’s rise to the top.
Head Coach John Henry knew he had the components to make for a pretty good squad, but never in his wildest dreams, well at least not his normal dreams, could he have envisioned a regular season as special as the one his Statesmen experienced last winter.
Behind the leadership of eventual Midwest Collegiate Conference Player of the Year Brandon Beasley and his incredibly-talented posse, WPU bull-rushed the competition, including starting the season with a school-record 14 wins in a row.
The navy and gold finally suffered its first setback in mid-December, but then reeled off 16 more W’s, highlighted by posting its first-ever perfect MCC regular season and also running away with the tournament crown.
Despite being just 17-15 the year prior, William Penn was ranked #19 in the NAIA’s preseason poll and went up and up from there. By mid-January the Statesmen had tied a school record by sitting at #2, but after four straight weeks in that position, William Penn, courtesy of a blowout win over fellow top-ten Mount Mercy, jumped into the driver’s seat at #1 on February 12.
That same day, Beasley was tabbed as the NAIA Division II Player of the Week. Life was good.
Henry’s Statesmen would hold onto #1 going into the national tournament, but more on that to come in a few days.
