Jadin Thomas, Dan Borcherdt, Matt McKinley, Andy Francis, and Ben Falkenberg have helped to lead MVNU to a 95-31 record over the past four years (.754 winning percentage). The Cougars have reached the 20-win mark all four years and have posted a 53-7 mark at home (.883) that includes a 12-2 record this season in the friendly confines of the Physical Education Center. They advanced to the Elite Eight at the NAIA Division II national tournament in 2006 for the second time in school history while tying the school record for wins in a season with 27, and they won a share of the American Mideast Conference South Division title and advanced to the second round of the NAIA Division II national tournament in 2007. They also earned a spot in the NAIA Division II national tournament in 2008. This year, MVNU is 20-7 overall, ranked No. 15 in the latest NAIA Division II poll, and in third place in the AMC with an 8-3 conference mark.

Thomas, a 6-foot-4 forward from Lithopolis, Ohio, has played in 58 games over the past two years after transferring to MVNU from Columbus State Community College. The former Columbus West High School standout has scored 870 points and grabbed 471 rebounds, and he ranks seventh in school history with 90 blocked shots in just two years. A Broadcasting major with a 3.6 grade point average, he was selected as a National Christian College Athletic Association Scholar-Athlete last year. Thomas was also named to the NCCAA East Region Second Team and the AMC South Division Second Team as well as being the AMC South Division Newcomer of the Year last season.

This year, Thomas has played in all 27 games with 26 starts. He is averaging 14.2 points and a team-leading 8.6 rebounds. He has also posted 11 double-doubles and leads the team with 34 blocked shots. His best game this season came on January 27 at Ohio Dominican University when he scored 26 points and grabbed a career-high 19 rebounds in the 76-74 victory.

"Jadin came into our program as a junior and made an immediate impact,” said MVNU coach Scott Flemming. "He is a versatile player who is a tough match-up for our opponents. He is quicker than most post players and his post-up game is difficult for a smaller player to stop. He is a true inside-outside player who plays much bigger than his 6-4 frame. He has continued to make an impact over these past two seasons. He is also an outstanding student. I have enjoyed seeing his involvement with our radio station, especially his interview show that is aired during the halftimes of our games. I am sure this experience will prepare him for a successful career after graduation.”

Borcherdt, a 6-foot guard from Archbold, Ohio, has played in 88 games the past three seasons after transferring in from Army following his freshman year. The former Archbold High School star has scored 1,014 points, dished out 287 assists, and nailed 233 three-pointers for the Cougars, and he is also one of the program’s top free throw shooters of all time connecting at an 89.7 clip. A Biology (Pre-Medicine) major with a 3.2 grade point average, Borcherdt was an AMC South Division Honorable Mention pick as a junior after being an NCCAA East Region Honorable Mention selection as a sophomore when he led all of NAIA Division II by shooting 90.3 percent at the free throw line.

This season, Borcherdt has started all 27 games for MVNU and is averaging 11.0 points and 2.9 rebounds while shooting a team-best 90.7 percent from the free throw line (39-for-43) to go with 69 assists and 29 steals. His best game this year came on January 29 at Cedarville University when he nailed a career-high eight three-pointers and finished with a career-high 33 points in a 76-71 win over the then No. 1 ranked Yellow Jackets.

"Dan is one of the best shooters to put on a Cougar uniform,” said Flemming. "His competitive nature, his confidence, and his knowledge of the game are characteristics that are in addition to his natural abilities. He is probably a natural shooting guard, but we have asked him to play the point for the majority of the time and he has done an excellent job of running our team over the past three years. He has had several games where he has caught fire from the perimeter and carried us with one of the biggest coming at Cedarville this year. He and Ben (Falkenberg) have teamed up as one of the top backcourts in the country over the past three years. They help each other because they are both such scoring threats, and their friendship off the court is evident when they play. Dan is also a solid individual and student. I am sure that he will be very successful in his career in medicine.”

McKinley, a 6-foot-4 forward from Columbus, Ohio, has played in 73 games the past three seasons as a key reserve off the Cougars’ bench after earning a spot on the varsity team following his successful freshman year on the junior varsity team. The former Franklin Heights High School product has scored 187 points, grabbed 166 rebounds, and shot an impressive 56.2 percent from the field (77-for-137) and 51.2 percent from three-point range (22-for-43) off the bench. A Finance major with a 3.5 grade point average, McKinley was an NAIA Division II and NCCAA Scholar-Athlete last year and is up for both honors again this season.

This year, McKinley has played in all 27 games for MVNU and is averaging 3.3 points and 3.2 rebounds while shooting 54.3 percent from the field (38-for-70) and 45.5 percent from three-point range (10-for-22). His best game this season came on February 7 in an 86-72 win over the University of Rio Grande when he scored 11 points and grabbed six rebounds.

"Matt has demonstrated perseverance in our program,” said Flemming. "He came in as a junior varsity player and remained there his first two years. Through hard work and determination, he proved to us that he deserved to be on the varsity team as a sophomore. He kept improving to the point that he found a role in our rotation. Matt plays much bigger inside than his height. He is a physical presence who gets good position inside. He is a smart player who has a good understanding of the game. He will also make defensive players pay by stepping out and knocking down three-point shots. I have seen Matt grow personally as well. He has matured in his faith and has become a spiritual leader on our team. Being a great student, he has placed himself in a position to be accepted to graduate school. I have no doubt that he will do well there and in his career to come.”

Francis, a 6-foot-1 guard/forward from Sidney, Ohio, has played in 103 games the past four years including seeing action in every game as a sophomore and junior before an injury kept him out of two games this season. The former Fairlawn High School standout has scored 520 points, grabbed 336 rebounds, and posted better than a 2:1 assists-to-turnover ratio. An Exercise Studies/Sports Management double major, Francis was the Cougars’ NAIA Champions of Character Award recipient at the NAIA Division II national tournament last year.

This season, Francis has played in 25 games with 10 starts and is averaging 6.4 points and 4.1 rebounds to go with 39 assists and 30 steals. Despite his size, he is third on the team with 102 total rebounds, and he averages the fourth-most minutes played at 19.6. His best game this year came on December 2 against Ohio Dominican when he scored 16 points and grabbed five rebounds.

"Andy is the kind of player that every team needs,” said Flemming. "He is that blue-collar player who does the little things that don’t always show up in the boxscore. Being very versatile, he has played several positions for us. He may be the only 6-1 power forward in our league. Andy has been counted on to guard bigger and sometimes quicker opponents and has done a great job when called upon. Nothing seems to faze him. His emotions never get too high and they never get too low. He has a steady approach to every game. He is one of those individuals who has been involved in several other roles beyond the team including serving as the president of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and currently working as a tour guide for our admissions office. I have always been impressed by how supportive Andy is for our other teams on campus. You can usually find him on the sideline cheering our teams on and every once in awhile having something positive to say to the officials. I have also seen him really embrace his Christian faith since coming to Mount Vernon. It is evident that it is a priority to him. Andy has made a difference here at MVNU.”

Falkenberg, a 5-foot-11 guard from Wadsworth, Ohio, has played in 125 games the past four years while posting one of the best careers in the history of the program.  The former Wadsworth High School star currently ranks first in school history in points (2,496), first in field goals made (813), second in three-pointers made (444), second in free throws made (426), and tenth in assists (391) in addition to holding at least a share of nine other school records. A Biology major with a 3.8 grade point average, Falkenberg was an NAIA Division II and NCCAA Scholar-Athlete last year as well as a three-time CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team pick and a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team selection. Among his many honors, he is a two-time NAIA Division II First Team All-American, the 2007 AMC South Division Player of the Year, and the 2008 NAIA Emil S. Liston Award recipient as the top junior men’s basketball player on the court and in the classroom.

This season, Falkenberg has started all 27 games for the Cougars and is averaging a team-best 18.5 points and 4.3 assists. He leads NAIA Division II by shooting 90.5 percent at the free throw line and he ranks among the national leaders in three-pointers made (90) and three-point percentage (46.6). His best game this year came on November 18 at NCAA Division II Ashland University when he scored 39 points, nailed eight three-pointers, and dished out eight assists.

"Ben has obviously had a historic career at MVNU,” said Flemming. "From his freshman year when he came off the bench and led us in scoring to this present season when he broke the school’s career scoring record, he has definitely made his mark on our program. He has also worked hard at becoming more than a scorer. He is near the top of our conference in assists this season. As with the other seniors, I know that team success drives him. That is evident by the fact that our team is trying to get back to the NAIA Division II national tournament for the fourth straight year.”

"With all of Ben’s basketball accomplishments, he has been able to keep balance in his life,” Flemming continued. "In fact, he has almost as many academic awards as he has awards for his play on the court. He keeps busy as a student, an athlete, and now a husband. It seems like there is only one person that trumps me in regards to the demands put on his life and that is his wife, Tonya. He is learning early. I have seen Ben grow as a believer in Christ. He has become bolder in sharing his faith. His priorities, his drive, his faith, and a good woman will take him far in life after graduation. I am glad he chose to come to MVNU.”

With two games remaining in the regular season, MVNU is battling with the University of Northwestern Ohio for the No. 2 seed and a first round bye in the AMC Tournament that gets under way next week. Besides Tuesday’s game against Malone, the Cougars will travel to Point Park (Pa.) University on Saturday for a 4:00 p.m. game to close out the regular season.