PELLA—It's a rare luxury for an NCAA Division III men's basketball team.
           
Size.
           
Two of the tallest players in Central College history are on Joe Steinkamp's first roster as men's head coach and he's giving his office whiteboard a workout as he looks for ways to take advantage of it, while also utilizing a wealth of wing talent.
           
Junior Joshua Van Gorp (Pella, Pella Christian HS), a 6-foot, 10-inch center is back after leading the Dutch in scoring with 12.2 points a game, gaining second-team American Rivers all-conference distinction.  Central also returns his 6-10 teammate, senior forward Grant Johnson (Waukee, Van Meter HS). He saw limited action in 10 games but could see an increased role after a productive off-season of work.
           
"They may be the two biggest guys in the league," Steinkamp said.
           
Yet Steinkamp stressed that they're not the focus of the attack he hopes to unleash to propel Central upwards after a 7-17 season last year. The Dutch were 4-12 in conference play but return four starters and eight of the team's top nine scorers. It was a scrappy defensive club and that's the likely calling card of this year's team as well. Finding more scoring punch could determine the size of the leap the squad hopes to make in the standings. Central limited opponents to 42.8% shooting last year and outrebounded them by 36.6 to 35.3 per game but averaged only 67.2 points.
          
  With a roster filled with athletic guards and wings, Steinkamp is implementing an aggressive, up-tempo playing style intended to generate open looks both inside and beyond the 3-point line.
           
And those are shots the Dutch then have to hit.
           
"That'll be one of the keys to our success," Steinkamp said. "It's just continue to make the easy play, make the open shot and just be able to shoot it with confidence."

Guards
One of the players the Dutch are counting on to knock down shots is fifth-year 6-3 guard Kade Terrell (Montrose, Colo.). As the first three-time Hustle Award winner in school history, Terrell's strong suit is obvious, but he also emerged as a scoring threat down the stretch last year. His scoring average climbed to 10.4 points per game and he hit a team-high 39.5% from 3-point range, leading the Dutch with 49 treys. He also came up with 20 steals and averaged just one turnover per game.
           
"We're expecting big things from Kade this year," Steinkamp said. "He's really improved his all-around game and we think he can be one of the best two-way guards in the league.
           
"We really need him to be more aggressive offensively. He's got a great 3-point shot but he can take the ball to the hoop as well."
           
At 6-0, Drew Edwards (senior, Eden Prairie, Minn.) is a returning starter at point guard. He averaged 5.9 points and a team-high 3.6 assists.
           
"Both Kade and Drew have played at a high level so far in practice," Steinkamp said. "Drew brings a great deal of defensive intensity. I've really been impressed by his leadership ability and his toughness."
           
Kaleb Brand (Mount Vernon), a 6-4 junior, averaged 17.8 minutes a game at guard as well, adding 4.3 points per game.
           
"Kaleb played mostly backup point guard last year," Steinkamp said. "He'll probably play a little bit more on the wing this year. I've been impressed by his development. He's got a good mix of being able to shoot and drive and he's a high-level defender."
           
Jalen Wilmington (senior, Chicago, Ill., Crete Monee HS), at 6-3, averaged 4.8 points and 1.9 rebounds off the bench after transferring to Central.
           
"Jalen has also looked good," Steinkamp said. "He's a versatile guard who can defend a lot of positions and is one of our best 3-point shooters."
           
Some late contributions at guard came from 6-3 sophomore Kale Purcell (Holton, Kan.), who transferred to Central at the start of spring semester. He appeared in eight games. "Kale has had a good start to the preseason," Steinkamp said. "He's an explosive athlete. He does a really good job of attacking the rim and is another excellent defensive player."                                                                            

Forwards
Several contributors at forward return.
           
The top scorer in the group last year, 6-3 senior Sam Beatty (Mount Pleasant), averaged 9.1 points with 3.6 rebounds while passing out 1.4 assists. He's another explosive athlete, earning all-America distinction in the high jump last year at both the NCAA Division III indoor and outdoor meets.
           
"Sam brings us more athleticism on the wing," Steinkamp said. "He does a good job of attacking the basket and he's really good in transition."
           
A 6-5 junior, Kole Tupa (Center Point, Center Point-Urbana HS) averaged 6.5 points and 4.1 rebounds last year with 2.3 assists.
           
"Kole has really gotten a lot stronger in the off-season," Steinkamp said. "He's doing a good job of playing inside and out. He's very long with a good basketball IQ and is showing his defensive versatility so far in practice."
           
Looking for an increased role is 6-3 junior Noah Erickson (Mount Vernon). He played in 12 games last year with limited minutes.
           
"He's also looked good early on," Steinkamp said. "He's probably the most athletic guy on the team. He does a really good job of attacking downhill and putting pressure on the basket."
           
Also appearing in 12 games was 6-2 junior Nolan Brand (Mount Vernon).
           
"Nolan is a great offensive rebounder," Steinkamp said. "He's an energy player who does a lot of the dirty work. He just plays with great intensity."
           
Bradon Annegers (senior, Stronghurst, Ill., West Central HS), a 6-4 forward, appeared in seven games and could provide some offense off the bench.
           
"Bradon had a great off-season," Steinkamp said. "He's shooting the ball really well. He's got a quick release and deep range. That could really help our spacing."

Post
Steinkamp is viewing Johnson as a power forward with visions of even playing him and Van Gorp together occasionally, forming one of Division III's taller interior duos.
           
"Grant has really improved over the summer," Steinkamp said. "Not only is he good around the basket, but he's a good passer. He's a guy that can step out and shoot the three."
           
Van Gorp averaged a team-high 6.0 rebounds per game and blocked 31 shots in 24 games. And on a team which endured some shooting struggles, connecting on 44.2% from the field, Van Gorp was third in Division III in field goal percentage at 70.5%.
           
"Josh has added strength and is gaining confidence every day," Steinkamp said. "We're doing a good job of finding him the ball."
           
The defensive advantages the two bring are obvious.
           
"Both of them protect the rim at a high level," Steinkamp said.
           
Incorporating them into the offense is an adjustment.
           
"Our guys are learning how to play with them," Steinkamp said. "It's just not typical to have guys with that kind of size."
           
Like many teams, the Dutch are eager to play up-tempo. But it's difficult to run following a made basket, so Central will need defense and rebounding to set up fast break opportunities.
           
"And I think that's the strength of our team," Steinkamp said. "We're going to be able to force tough shots and we're hoping we'll be a good rebounding team. We've got great length at almost every position and that's going to really feed into our transition game."
           
It's another part of the learning process.
           
"They're not playing at the pace we need them to yet," Steinkamp said.

Newcomers
Steinkamp was faced with a tight recruiting window when he was hired last spring but sees some promise in the newcomers.
           
"We're happy about our incoming class, both freshmen and transfers," he said. "There are a lot of different guys that can do different things. It's a hard-working group."

The season
The Dutch are eyeing a return to the six-team conference tournament after failing to crack the field last year.
           
"There are a lot of teams bringing back a lot of players," Steinkamp said. "It's a really deep league. Anybody can beat anybody on any given night. But our guys are up for the challenge. I think we will be a great defensive team that will play with great energy and effort."
           
The non-conference slate kicks off Nov. 8 at Waldorf College before Central plays tournaments at the University of Wisconsin-Superior Nov. 11-12 and Webster University (Mo.) Nov. 18-19.
           
"I think it's a solid schedule," Steinkamp said. "It will be good for us to travel together to these weekend tournaments. We'll be tested early."
           
After five years with the women's program, Steinkamp is excited to be leading the Dutch men's program that he was a part of as a player and later as an assistant coach in two stints for a combined 10 years. And his energy is bolstered by the players he has on his first team to start building a perennial contender in the future.
           
"We just have a great group of guys," Steinkamp said. "They're really working hard and have bought into the things that we're doing. I can't say enough about the leadership of this group. The guys are all in. They're excited for the season and we're excited about what we're going to be able to accomplish together."