UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio — The John Carroll men’s basketball team is ranked number one in the country after receiving 12 first-place votes in this week’s Top 25. That’s a feat - but it’s not everything.
“These guys are veterans, right? They set some lofty goals at the beginning of the year, and we’re really not chasing numbers right now,” says seventh-year head coach Pete Moran.
The Blue Streaks are also on the cusp of clinching back-to-back Ohio Athletic Conference regular season titles.
“We set goals to win championships this year,” states Moran.
With four games left in the regular season, John Carroll has a chance to claim sole possession of the title at Mount Union on Wednesday. If they beat the 18th-ranked Purple Raiders, they win outright.
“They come to John Carroll expecting to win championships, right? We've been able to do that last year and, hopefully, we can get it done Wednesday,” says Moran.
The Blue Streaks will look to take ownership of the OAC and protect their perfect 14-0 conference record with a roster built on strong local talent. John Carroll’s entire starting rotation is composed of Northeast Ohio players.
“We know how we play. Obviously, we all probably saw each other play in high school at one point, if we didn't play against each other, so I think that has benefitted us a lot,” says junior forward Henry Raynor, who graduated from Saint Ignatius in 2021.
“I absolutely love it. Just being familiar with their games and how they play, I think it translates well,” says junior guard Chase Toppin, who's also a Saint Ignatius grad.
“Having your own homegrown tomatoes helps and the familiarity with the players that we have. I've known a lot of these guys since they were in 5th-6th grade,” says Moran.
It’s a foundation that predates college ball but is now leading to Division III dominance.
Carly Mascitti is a sports anchor at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on Twitter @carlymascitti.
