BEREA, OHIO -- Hudson residents Jeremy Coffey and Michelle White each had different reasons for choosing to attend Baldwin-Wallace College to further their academic and athletic careers, but that is about all that the duo do not have in common.
Coffey, who graduated from Cuyahoga Valley Christian School, came to B-W because it was the only school to encourage him to play two sports, football and basketball. White, a Hudsion High product, came to B-W because she wanted to attend a small school that had an an excellent academic program and a solid basketball program that was also close to home.
One thing that each have in common is that they are helping their team to be one of the best in the Ohio Athletic Conference. Coffey has helped the Yellow Jacket men compile an 18-7 overall record prior to playing arch-rival Mount Union College in tonight's OAC quarter final round at the Rudolph Ursprung Gymnasium in Berea. White and the Yellow Jacket women are currently 23-3 overall prior to playing Otterbein College tomorrow (Feb. 26) night in the OAC semi finals.
"I would change anything at all," said Coffey, who comes off the bench to add spark both on offense and defense. "I knew B-W had an outstanding academic reputation and its football and basketball programs each were very competitive. It gave me the enviroment to learn, achieve and succeed."
"B-W has been everything that I hoped it would be," said White, who also comes off the bench to play quality minutes and make a strong contribution. "It has been a good first year for me."
White, a 5’10'’ freshman forward, helped B-W to win a share of the OAC regular season title with a 15-3 conference record. She is third on the team in scoring at 7.2 points per game and is tied for second in rebounding with 3.7 rpg. Her effort has been a model of consistency all year.
"Michelle has played very well for us this season," said Harrer, who has led B-W into the past seven OAC Championship games and into the NCAA Division III National Tournament seven of the past eight years. "She shoots well, rebounds well, is a solid defender and makes good decisions."
White showed exactly why she has earned such praise when she was named the Most Valuable Player at the Franklin (Ind.) College Tournament earlier this season. During the two-game tournament, White averaged 11.5 points to go along with nearly three rebounds and two assists per game. B-W won its first game by 37 points and beat Aurora (Ill.) College in the championship game by 51 points, 77-26.
"Winning the Most Valuable Player award at the Franklin Tournament was a big accomplishment for me," White said. "It was very exciting."
However, individual success is nothing new for White. As a high school senior last year, she led her Hudson squad to a 19-1 regular season record and a berth in the Division I state championship game. The effort was highlighted by a 32-point performance in the state semi final game against Mansfield. The scoring effort set a state semi final record. Although Hudson ended up losing to Beavercreek in the championship game, White was still able to get some valuable experience from that game.
"Playing against [Duke University recruit] Alison Bales was a challenge for us last year," White said. "But it helped me prepare for the next level because she was a very talented player. Playing against her helped me to realize what the next level was going to be like. Playing for a strong program like Hudson helped me to be prepared for playing at B-W and in the tough OAC. Overall, I would say that I have adjusted pretty well."
Harrer agrees, and feels that White’s transition to the college game has been smooth.
"We have been very pleased with Michelle’s progress this season," Harrer said. "Her transition has been pretty smooth, especially as she has become more comfortable in our system. Even though she comes off the bench for us, she is fifth on the team in minutes (19.4 per game)."
This winter, senior forward Erika Schultz is the leading scorer. She will be lost to graduation after this season. Because of that fact, Harrer would like see White be less tentative on offense.
"Really, Michelle’s only weakness is that she isn’t always offensively aggressive," said Harrer. "We feel that she has the ability to fill some of the scoring void that will be left behind when Erika graduates. I truly believe that Michelle can be a great, great player in this conference."
White takes such praise in stride, and is confident that she can step up to fill Schultz’s absence next season.
"Erika scored a lot of points this season that we will have to make up for next year," said White. "I anticipate being able to fill some of her scoring. I don’t feel any pressure about maybe being a go-to player next season. I’ll just go out there and play my game. I also think that as I become more comfortable in the team’s system, I will become more of a threat on offense."
As a result of all of the time and effort she has spent on the basketball court this year, as well as an academic schedule and a basketball schedule that usually has both the women’s and men’s team playing at the same time, White has only been able to see her fellow Hudsonian Coffey play just once.
Coffey, a 6’3'’ junior post player, is also beginning to garner some attention of his own. He began his Yellow Jacket football career as a quarterback, but with the presence of Division III All-American Dan Larlham, switched positions and became a tight end. Then, after two seasons of football, Coffey decided to focus solely on basketball.
"The decision to not play football was one of the hardest decisions I have had to make in a long time," Coffey said. "It was especially hard because [head football] Coach [John] Snell is a great man and coach and he and the other coaches truly care about and get to know the players. However, I decided to focus solely on basketball because I feel I am better at it and can contribute more in basketball."
So in a way, the football team’s loss has been the basketball team’s gain. To be sure, just ask Yellow Jacket veteran Head Coach Steve Bankson.
"Jeremy has done a nice job for us this year," said Bankson, who has 627 career wins in 39 years as a head coach. "He is a good defender and rebounder, and as our third post player, Jeremy has helped to solidify our post. In addition, Jeremy has an excellent perimeter jumper which makes him difficult to defend."
At 6'3" and 220-230 pounds, Coffey is big enough to endure the pounding on the inside during an OAC game and because of his athletic ability and quickness, he can slip to the outside and can the three-pointer.
"Actually, it (his height) has worked to my advantage," said Coffey, a biology/ pre-med major who would like to become a pediatrician. "Earlier this season, our opponents overlooked my ability to shoot the outside shot. As the season has progressed, teams began to watch and guard the outside shot more closely. I like shooting the three-ball."
Although Coffey has modest averages of 3.5 points and 2.4 rebounds per game, his biggest contribution to the team cannot be found in the box score.
"I just try to give an emotional boost to the team by hustling and getting every loose ball that I can possibly get my hands on," said Coffey. "I have accepted my role and enjoy it. In fact, one of the biggest reasons that we are having such a great season is that all of the players have willingly accepted their role and thrived at fulfilling that role. This, combined with the unselfish attitude that all the players have had has lent itself to the great season that we are having."
The Yellow Jacket men are the surprise of the OAC. Picked to finish sixth during the preseason, B-W finished tied for second with Otterbein College and one game back of an OAC regular season title.
"We still have the ability to win the OAC title," said Coffey. "WE will give it everything we have and see what happens. The future of this program is bright. We do not have any seniors and our chemistry as a group is just amazing. It is exciting every day."
In addition to playing such an integral role for the Yellow Jackets, Coffey has also found the time to see White and the women’s team play a couple of times this season. Surprisingly, it was the first time he had seen White play.
"I did not know Michelle before coming to Baldwin-Wallace," said the CVCA graduate. "I have not really been able to see her play that much because normally our schedules coincide. However, from the couple of games I saw, I was impressed with her play and with the statistics she has put up as a freshman."
White, meanwhile, appreciates such praise, but remains more concerned with her team’s success than her own personal statistics. Undoubtedly, her unselfish play off the bench will be just as important if the Yellow Jackets hope to advance deep into the OAC Tournament and beyond.
"I feel my role on the team is to play my hardest on both defense and offense in order to contribute to the team’s success," White said. "I feel that I have made the most improvement in my defense this year, and the coaching staff deserves most of the credit for this, as they have done a good job teaching me and helping me out. Also, I try to push my teammates every day in practice to become better players." As a result, "I think that this team can realistically advance as far as we want to," White said. "We just have to put our hearts into it and play every game like it is our last."
In fact, White encourages all athletes of any age to take a similar approach.
"My advice for younger players is to have a positive attitude, and again, play every game like it will be the last that you will ever play. However, at the same time, make sure you are having fun. Finally, there is a lot of time involved in playing a college sport, so if that is your goal, make sure it is something you want to do."
Similarly, Coffey suggests that anyone aspiring to one day play college athletics should make sure that hard work is a priority.
"Hard work has been one of the main things that has helped me get to this level because I am not necessarily the most athletic guy in the world," said Coffey. "But a good work ethic can really make up for a lot. Also, athletics can be a very time consuming thing. However, for me it has been entirely worth it, especially given the season we are having. Besides, the camaraderie that is experienced between the athletes competing is irreplaceable."
Jeremy Coffey and Michelle White may have come to Baldwin-Wallace College for two very different reasons. But now that they are here, they are here for the same reason -- to get a great education and to lead the Yellow Jacket men's and women's basketball teams to the OAC Championship aand into the NCAA Division III National Tournament.
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