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TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- The Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology men's basketball team opens the 2015-16 season with a matchup at Millikin University on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Central Time.
The Fightin' Engineers finished 15-11 last season and have been picked to finish second in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference preseason coaches poll released last month. Rose-Hulman opens the season under second-year head coach Rusty Loyd, but also plays for the first time since the recent passing of former 20-year head coach Jim Shaw (see related story).
Rose-Hulman returns six of its top seven scorers from last year's balanced attack. Senior Jimmy Miller was the leading scorer last season at 10.5 points per game, and senior Tyler Duffy also averaged double figures at 10.3 points per contest. Both players were named honorable mention all-conference for their efforts.
Senior Matt Loesing (9.8 ppg) and junior Wade Stallings (5.0 ppg) are returning starters from last year's team. Junior Collin Wojcik (9.2 ppg) and senior Dillon Reynolds (5.6 ppg) also ranked among the team's leading scorers last year.
Rose-Hulman's roster includes 11 returning varsity letter winners and six newcomers. Junior Gary Ulrich brings experience to the newcomer rotation as a transfer from Wabash College. The remaining newcomers come to Rose-Hulman from four different states.
Millikin finished 8-17 last year and 3-11 in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin standings. The Big Blue return four starters from last year, including the team's two leading scorers in sophomore TJ Sims (15.4 ppg) and senior TJ Griffin (14.8 ppg).
After Saturday night's matchup, Rose-Hulman returns to action at the Illinois Wesleyan University Tournament. The Fightin' Engineers will face Fontbonne on Nov. 21 and a second opponent on Nov. 22.
