A new look Linfield men's basketball squad is getting ready for the upcoming season. First-year head coach Levi Sieg takes the helm of a program that went 10-15 overall and 7-9 in conference play during 2022-23.
 
Sieg, a Monmouth, Ore., native spent 15 years as a D-III Claremont-Mudd-Scripps coaching staff member. He helped the Stags to seven Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships.
 
"My philosophy is we want to outwork everybody," Sieg said. "We want teams whether we win or lose to be like those guys played us hard and beat us up. We want to be physical both offensively and defensively."
 
Sieg won't be the only new face on the bench for Linfield. The Wildcats also added Alex Saindon who spent last season with the Western Oregon Wolves as an assistant coach.
 
Prior to that, Saindon spent two seasons as a graduate assistant coach at Western New Mexico University.
 
RETURNING TALENT
Reece Gibb and Jackson Dupree each averaged over eight points per game last season and project to be two reliable scorers for Linfield this year.
 
The Wildcats will be deep in the backcourt positions this season. Sophomore Chase Bennett and seniors Nick Tripaldi and Jack Greenwood aim to build off last season and shoulder most of the minutes in the point and shooting guard positions.
 
In the frontcourt, Logan Morrill, Cayden Lowenbach and freshman Garrett Callsen project to rotate time for the Wildcats.
 
Danilo Petrovic and Jake Downing will provide complimentary scoring from the forward slots as the duo shot 50% or better from the field last season.
 
"It's a great group of guys, they work hard in practice and it's a fun group to be around," Sieg said. "I think the level of expectation of how we want them to work has taken a little time but it's going to be that way with any new program."
 
NEW FACES
The Wildcats brought in five new freshmen who can make an early impact. Breyan Kelly, Cade Collins, Sawyer Wolf, Lucca Hart and Callsen will compete for minutes this season. Jalen Lampman comes in as a senior transfer from Oregon Tech.
 
ON DECK
The new-look Wildcats kicked off the season with a couple of exhibitions against a club team in the Seattle Mountaineers and against Oregon State.
 
"Each team played us differently," Sieg said. "It was good for us because we want teams to play us differently, especially in the preseason so once we get into conference play we'll be ready."
 
Linfield's early schedule includes the likes of, Portland State and multiple D-II opponents in Western Oregon and Seattle Pacific. The 'Cats first four contests are on the road. Linfield gets the season underway against Bushnell on Friday at 7:30 p.m.