<p>The reputation Spencer Piercefield built in high school as a feared perimeter shooter carried over to his first year of college.</p><p>But as Indiana Wesleyan men’s basketball coach Greg Tonagel is quick to point out, there’s much more to what Piercefield, a 6-foot sophomore guard, brings to the Wildcats, who appear poised to contend for a fourth NAIA national championship.</p><p>“The casual observer would think Spencer’s job is to come in and hit 3-pointers. But he’s elite as a passer and as a defender,” said Tonagel, whose 2019-20 squad handily won the Crossroads League tournament title but finished 29-4 as the national tournament was canceled due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. “It took me a while to recognize it.</p><p>“We have him defend the other team’s best guard, and he’s finished more games than he’s started. That says something about what we think of him as a staff.”</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]<p>The depth Tonagel has spent years developing at IWU allows him to utilize Piercefield as a trusted sixth or seventh man. The former Center Grove starter currently averages 4.3 points, 2.2 assists and 1.5 rebounds; he had a season-high 15 points in the team’s 107-64 rout of Madonna early in the season.</p><p>And, yes, Piercefield remains adept at firing up accurate long-range jump shots. He’s made 12 so far this season in 35 attempts (34.3 percent).</p><p>Indiana Wesleyan, currently 12-0 and ranked third nationally, hosts Crossroads League foe Huntington on Saturday before flying west to play three games at Arizona Christian University, located in Glendale, Arizona. The likelihood that Piercefield won’t be in the starting lineup for those matchups doesn’t bother him in the least.</p><p>“My role is similar to last year, to be a person who brings a spark off the bench,” Piercefield said. “There was definitely an adjustment for me last year because I had been a starter most of my life. It took me almost halfway into my freshman season to adjust. Just trying to switch my mentality took some time, but I’m comfortable with the role.</p><p>“This year I’ve been trusted a little bit more with my passing, which has been fun. And I enjoy guarding some of the best guards in our league.”</p><p>As a team, the Wildcats put up a staggering 102.6 points per contest and outscore opponents by 28.5 points per outing.</p><p>Eight of Tonagel’s players have already exceeded 100 minutes of court time this season. Each, including Piercefield, knows his role and plays it to the best of his ability.</p><p>It’s a strategy that works. Indiana Wesleyan has won 80 percent (431-108) of its games under Tonagel, a number that jumps to just under 85 percent over the last nine seasons.</p><p>Piercefield has been willing to do whatever is asked of him to keep that run of success going.</p><p>“With Spencer, what you don’t get is ego,” Tonagel said. “He just works hard and does whatever he has to do to help our team win. “Whether he was starting or I bumped him down to the eighth player, his response would be the same.”</p>
