IU Indy men’s basketball coaqch Ben Howlett looks on during a game. (Photo courtesy of IU Indy Athletics)

Ben Howlett’s first taste of coaching at the Division I level came against the school most people from Southeast Ohio spend their lives rooting for.

On Nov. 3, Howlett, in his first season as the head coach at IU Indy, led the Jaguars into Columbus for their season opener against the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Jags lost 118-102, but Howlett’s patented uptempo, fast-paced styles were on full display as IU Indy had four players reach double figures in scoring, including Kameron Tinsley and Kyler D’Augustino, who both followed Howlett from West Liberty to the D1 ranks.

“I give my team a lot of credit,” Howlett said after the OSU loss. “This isn’t the finished product. We’re going to continue to get better. One of the main signs of the system is you get better throughout the year, so this one’s tough.”

After an 0-3 start, Howlett notched his first victory against IU Columbus and then followed it up with another win over Eastern Michigan.

On the subject of basketball coaches with Marietta ties, former Marietta College men’s coach Jon VanderWal will square off against his old team this Saturday as part of the Great Lakes Invitational in Washington, Pa.

VanderWal, in his first year as Trine’s head man, compiled a 341-150 record during 18 seasons leading the Pioneers. He guided the program to eight OAC championships, five conference tournament titles and nine NCAA Tournament appearances, making several deep postseason runs including a Final Four trip in 2022.

The Thunder are off to a 3-0 start under VanderWal, with wins over OAC teams Ohio Northern and Baldwin Wallace.

Coaching Marietta is VanderWal’s former assistant at MC, Andy Bucheit. The Pioneers are 4-0 under Bucheit, most recently holding off Cal Lutheran for an 83-82 win in the Shrine Tournament championship game.

The two coaches matched up frequently over the years during OAC play. VanderWal holds the all-time edge at 15-7, but Bucheit has won five of the last six matchups.

* Marietta High senior Zaiden Wittekind signed a national letter of intent last week to continue his basketball career at Malone University, an NCAA Division II program. Wittekind, a two-time all-district selection, averaged 11.5 points and 4.5 rebounds as a junior for the Tigers last season and is primed for a big senior year.

* Speaking of Tigers playing at the collegiate level, Alex Kendall has had a red-hot start to his sophomore season at Findlay. The former first team All-Ohioan is leading the Oilers in scoring (16.5 ppg) and rebounding (6.5 rpg). He posted a 23-point, 10-rebound double-double in Findlay’s season-opening win against Truman State.

* In the Division I women’s level, Waterford grad Avery Wagner has played in three games for Purdue Fort Wayne. A two-time state champ as a Wildcat, Wagner has chipped in 11 points, three rebounds and three blocks off the bench for the Mastadons, who are 2-2 to start the year.

* Wagner’s former classmate, Kendall Sury, has cracked the starting lineup at Marietta College and is having a nice freshman season. A first team all-stater last year, Sury is averaging 8.5 points and 3 rebounds for the Pioneers.

* Warren grad Abbie Smith has been unstoppable two games into her senior year at Concord. A two-time All-Ohioan with the Warriors, Smith is averaging 25 points and 12 rebounds this season. She’s 18 for 32 (56%) from the floor and is 14 for 15 from the free-throw line.

* Kenzie Dalton is also having a monster senior year for Wheeling. The former Fort Frye point guard is putting up 23.5 points, 9 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 3.5 steals per game, all team-highs for the Cardinals.

* Fairmont State’s Leslie Huffman continues to be a nightmare for opposing defenders. The Parkersburg Catholic grad leads the Falcons with 29 points, 4.5 steals and 3.5 assists per game. The reigning Mountain East Conference Player of the Year has cemented herself as one of the top players in the country.

Jordan Holland can be reached at jholland@mariettatimes.com.