NCAA Division III Sectional Tournament
Hosted by Hope College
Friday & Saturday, March 14-15, 2008

Flying Dutchmen Probable Starters
G - 33 Derek VanSolkema (6-0 senior from Cutlerville, Mich./South Christian HS) 11.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg
G - 10 Jesse Reimink (6-4 junior from Hudsonville, Mich./Hudsonville HS) 10.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg
F - 14 Ryan Klein (6-5 senior from Burr Ridge, Ill./Timothy Christian HS) 10.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg
F - 21 Tyler Wolfe (6-2 senior from Cedar Springs, Mich./Cedar Springs HS) 12.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg
F - 31 Marcus Vanderheide (6-6 senior from Grandville, Mich./Calvin Christian HS) 14.5 ppg, 6.8

The Flying Dutchmen are making their 19th appearance in the Division III championships, the 21st all-time(College Division in 1950s). Hope's all-time record in the Division III championship is 23-20.  This will be the 4th time that Hope has hosted a Sectional.  The last was in 1998 at the college's Dow Center.  Hope went on to finish second nationally.  Other years in which Hope hosted a Sectional (Regional) were 1982 and 1983, both at the Holland Civic Center.   

Hope has qualified for the NCAA tournament as champion of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA).  The Flying Dutchmen bring a ten-game winning streak into the Sectional.

Hope advanced to the Sectional with a second round victory over Capital,
Ohio, 92-72.

A year ago Hope advanced to the Elite Eight, bowing to Washington, Mo. 58-55 in the sectional final.Hope finished second in the nation in 1996 and 1998.

This season Glenn Van Wieren became just the sixth coach in NCAA Division III men's basketballhistory toachieve 600 victories. He reached 600 victories faster than any other Division III coach (801st game). The previous mark was by Glenn Robinson of Franklin & Marshall who won number 600 in his 821st game. Van Wieren's record entering the Sectional is 615-202 (.753).

Senior Marcus Vanderheide was voted the MVP of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association.He is joined on the All-MIAA first team by senior teammate Tyler Wolfe.  Senior Derek VanSolkema of received All-MIAA second team recognition.

Each Hope starter is averaging in double-figures - Marcus Vanderheide 14.5, Tyler Wolfe 12.8, Derek VanSolkema 11.8, Jessie Reimink 10.8 and Ryan Klein 10.0.  Marcus Vanderheide was the team's leading scorer in 11 games while Derek Van Solkema, Jesse Reimink and Tyler Wolfe each led the way five times.

Marcus Vanderheide had five double-doubles during the season. He has scored more than 20 points in four games, including a career-high 30 points against rival Calvin on January 26th. 

Hope led Division III during the regular season in margin of victory (18.8 points per game).  Theyranked sixth nationally inassist/turnover ratio (1.39), ninth in steals per game (12.1) and 11th in assists per game (17.3).

Hope's attendance this season at the DeVos Fieldhouse has averaged 2,938 fans over the 15-game home schedule.  There have been four sellouts highlighted by the 3,653 fans who attended the conference tournament championship game victory over rival Calvin, 88-72.  Hope is 46-2 in games played at DeVos since 2005.  The two losses were to rival Calvin.

It has been 20 years since Hope played Ohio Wesleyan.  In 1988, playing in their one and only NCAA tournament, the Battling Bishops defeated the Flying Dutchmen in a double overtime thriller 110-107 in the championship game of the NCAA Regional tournament in Delaware, Ohio.  Ohio Wesleyan went on to win the national championship.  Ohio Wesleyan owns a 3-1 advantage in the all-time series with Hope which began in 1979. 

Ohio Wesleyan finished second in the NorthCoast Athletic Conference (NCAC) regular season standings, but won the conference tournament to gain an automatic berth in the NCAA championship.  Ohio Wesleyan advanced to the Sectional with victories over Heidelberg, Ohio (83-62) and Centre, Ky. (82-65).

The Whitworth Pirates will be traveling nearly 2,000 miles from Spokane,
Wash. Whitworth qualified for the NCAA championship as champions of the Northwest Conference.  This is their third appearance in the tournament (2003 & 2007).  Whitworth advanced to the Sectional with a second round victory over Occidental, 83-75.  Whitworth has played Wheaton three times, but would be a first-time opponent against Hope and Ohio Wesleyan.

The Wheaton Thunder are appearing in the Division III championship for the fifth time (1995-96-99-2005-08).  Wheaton also played in the old College Division tournament four times (1957-57-59-60).  Hope and Wheaton met twice in College Division games, Wheaton winning in 1958 by 104-93 and Hope was victorious in 1959 by 81-76.  Earlier this season Hope defeated Wheaton 83-53 in the MIAA/CCIW Challenge at Calvin to take a 17-14 advantage in the 50-year-old rivalry.

Wheaton gained the NCAA championship as an at-large team after finishing second in the Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) regular season standings.

The Hope College women's basketball team has also qualified for the NCAA Division III championship. Twelve schools had both their men's and women's basketball teams qualify for the  tournament. Three remain entering the Sectional tournament - Hope, Amherst, Mass. and Rochester, N.Y. The Flying Dutch (29-0) are playing in a sectional in Brownwood, Texas.  Next weekend (March 21-22) Hope will host the women's Division III Final Four at DeVos.