BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University men's basketball program had a new coach on the sidelines last season for the first time since 1989. Head Coach Seth Clark led his men to the most wins since 2020-21. The Beavers upped their scoring output by nearly 15 PPG in Clark's first year at the helm.
Primed and ready for his fifth year is All-Heartland Conference honoree Michael Stammen (Versailles) who led the Beavers with 13.6 PPG (10th in the HCAC) and shot a team-best 47.7 percent (103-for-216) from the field, including a blistering 77-of-141 (54.6 percent) on two-point field goals! Stammen was 26-of-75 (34.7 percent) outside the arc. His 64 assists and 29 steals were also team highs. The floor general pulled down 3.1 RPG and was deadly at the free throw line, canning 107-of-125 (85.6 percent).
Stammen is currently 16th all-time at Bluffton with an 81.2 free throw percentage (199-of-245) and 17th with 214 assists, but he is not ready to cash his chips in as the standout from Versailles is planning to come back for year five! With 758 career points, 1,000 is clearly on the board as well as a Heartland Conference tournament run after the Beavers have been on the outside looking in for the past three seasons.
Ian Snelling (Erlanger, Ky./Dixie Heights) proved to be one of the most versatile guards in the HCAC during his first season as a Beaver. He scored 10.2 PPG and pulled down 6.3 RPG while doling out 51 assists. Snelling led the Beavers with 36 makes from downtown and he picked off 24 steals.
Cam Rogers (Cincinnati/Christian) and Matt Ray (Indianapolis, Ind./Herron) dropped in 8.4 PPG apiece. Ray did much of his damage from deep, making 32 of his 90 triple attempts. Rogers pulled down 4.8 RPG and blocked 14 shots in 2023-24. They both hit over 75 percent from the charity stripe.
Leading the Beavers with 6.4 RPG was Connor Martin (Holland/Springfield) who also paced his team with 32 blocks. Martin was outstanding at the line, drilling 47-of-59 (79.7 percent) just one year after making 26-of-52 (50 percent).
Junior Nevin Robson (Kenton/Hardin Northern) scored 6.3 PPG, including a season-best 24 against Manchester when he hit 9-of-12 from the field and 5-of-5 at the line. Robson also pulled down 3.3 RPG and dished out 24 assists.
Sihr Sumner (Delaware/Rutherford B. Hayes) transferred in for 2023-24 and became Bluffton's swiss army knife on the defensive end, locking down the best scoring threats night in and night out. Giving the Beavers depth in the backcourt are juniors William Layfield (West Chester/Lakota West) and Caden Slusher (Rockford/Parkway).
Bluffton opens its season with a short trip Ohio Northern where former Head Coach Guy Neal is now an assistant. The 7 p.m. tipoff on Wednesday, Nov. 13, marks the first time Bluffton has played ONU since 1999. Adrian College, from the MIAA, travels to the Sommer Center for the home opener on Sunday, Nov. 17, just one day after the home football finale with Defiance College. Heartland Conference action gets going on December 4 with a matchup at Mount St. Joseph. Kalamazoo College hooks up with the Beavers at 1 p.m. on New Years Eve. The regular season comes to a close on Wednesday, Feb. 19, when Bluffton heads to Anderson University for a 7:30 p.m. meeting with the Ravens.
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