Kenosha, Wis - Fresh off a GLIAC Regular Season title, the Parkside Men's Basketball team is locked and ready for the 2023-24 season.
For the 21st consecutive season the Rangers will be led by Luke Reigel. Reigel is on the doorstep of another milestone in his long and wealthy career. He is just three wins away from his 300th career win.
Last season, Reigel led the Rangers to their first ever Regular Season Championship in the GLIAC. The team finished 21-9 overall and 14-4 in conference.
A player that is expected to make a serious impact is Graduate Student Sam DeVault. DeVault transferred from Bellarmine University at the division-one level. In his time as a Knight, the 6-10 forward averaged 7.8 minutes-per-game and shot 36% three-point range.
In addition, Jack Rose makes his way from UW-Green Bay at the division-one level. Rose shot 32% from three-point range and is considered a versatile guard at 6-5. Rose is a red-shirt freshman entering his first season with the Rangers.
The Rangers have high hopes from their freshman class entering this season. Jake Dunham, Rokas and Matas Castillo, and Andrew Soenksen highlight the 2023 recruiting class.
There is one thing for certain with this group, and it's that the Rangers are returning some lethal weapons from a season ago. Starting at the top, Josiah Palmer and Colin O'Rourke. Both players bring immense experience and success to the table. Palmer averaged 12.1 points-per-game, shooting 37% from downtown, he led the team in free throw percentage at 84%, and was second on the team in steals with 34. O'Rourke was as reliable as it gets from the forward position. He averaged over 11 points-per-game, shot just under 50% from the field, led the team with blocks with 29, and finished third on the team with 5.2 rebounds-per-game. With that, Palmer and O'Rourke were honored on the All-GLIAC Second Team in 2022.
O'Rourke was picked to GLIAC's Preseason 2nd team with the season on the horizon. Colin is expected to play critical minutes for the Rangers in the 2023-24 season. The performance expectations remain high for one of Parkside's top returners.
Nick Brown was also a key contributor for the Rangers a season ago. Brown averaged over 31 minutes-per-game and found himself a spot on the GLIAC All-Defensive team.
Taking a look at the schedule, nothing will come easy for the reigning GLIAC Champions. They will begin the 2023 campaign in the Conference Crossover, taking on Indianapolis and Illinois Springfield. The Rangers will then host the HARIBO Invitational and do battle with the Minnesota Duluth and Minnesota Crookston. And still before jumping into conference games, they will have to face Missouri - St. Louis, Maryville, and Benedictine at home.
The Rangers were selected to finish 4th in the GLIAC Preseason Polls. Their season will officially begin on November 10th and their first game at De Simone Arena will take place on November 17th against Lake Superior State. For more information and tickets, visit ParksideRangers.com.
