Charlie Lohoff was last year's MVP

The 2007-08 basketball season begins this weekend with the Pioneer Ford-Mercury/Tricor Insurance Tip-Off Classic on the Bo Ryan Court.

Friday’s games features former Pioneer assistant Todd Adrian leading his Edgewood Eagles against the Maryville Saints of St. Louis at 5 p.m. At 7 p.m., the host UW-Platteville Pioneers face the Beloit Buccaneers.

On Saturday, Edgewood and Beloit play at 5 p.m. and UWP faces Maryville at 7 p.m.

This is the fourth annual Tip-Off Tournament for the Pioneers, who were runners-up in 2004 and won the 2005 and 2006 tournaments.

Coach Paul Combs saw his UW-Platteville team beat Viterbo 75-60 and Buena Vista 78-65 in last year’s classic. The Pioneers began the year 6-1 and were ranked 13th in NCAA III before 6-10 center Jeff Skemp was lost for the year due to an injury. The Pioneers finished 13-12 overall. Skemp, the leading scorer (12.5) and rebounder (7.0) before his injury, is back and earned all-America preseason honors by three organizations. Point guard Josh Langenfeld also returns after missing the entire 2006-07 campaign due to injury.

Skemp and Langenfeld join five players who saw action in at least 24 games last season. All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference guard Charlie Lohoff (12.4 ppg) earned the MVP honors in last year’s classic. Guards Curt Hanson (7.8 ppg, school-record 54.3 percent on three-point shots) and Mike Shaw (7.4 ppg) were the highest scoring freshmen in the Pioneer program since Tyler Selk in 1999-2000. Forward Kyle Tetschlag (17 starts, 6.6 ppg) and guard Bo Richter (4.0 ppg) are coming off strong sophomore seasons. Seven players have combined for 152 career starts. Center Berent Froiland is the only senior for the Pioneers.

Edgewood had the shortest, but most difficult, road trip in Eagle history Nov. 4. The Eagles played the Wisconsin Badgers at the Kohl Center, with the Badgers winning 77-48. Chris DeMarco had 14 points, Brian Donais 13 and Charlie Averkamp 10 for the Madison-based Eagles.

Edgewood returns eight lettermen and four starters from last year’s 18-8 club. Both Averkamp and Demarco were all-conference performers last year. They accounted for 34 points and 17.5 rebounds per game in 2006-07.

The Eagles are picked for second in the Northern Athletic Conference.

Maryville coach Matt Rogers welcomed back 12 lettermen, including four starters, from last year’s team that finished 6-19 overall and 5-13 in St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play.

Because of injuries, freshmen and sophomores started 82 of a possible 125 times. That experience should pay off this season, although only 6-6 forward Casey Holland (6.0 ppg, 6.7 rpg) is a senior. Aaron Steinke (9.2 ppg) , a 6-6 forward, and 6-4 Nick Hentis (5.8) join Holland in the front-court.

Sophomore Jared McCoy returns as the starting point guard. He averaged 6.4 points and 3.5 assists last year. Teddy McGrath returns as his running mate after averaging 9.0 ppg in the first half of the season before missing the final 11 games due to an injury.

Beloit’s Brian Vraney makes his coaching debut in this tournament, and the first-year coach will rely heavily on 6-7 junior center Andy Horton (15.7 ppg), last year’s leading scorer for the 4-19 Buccaneers. He averaged 25.5 points per game during a torrid six-game stretch late last year. Robert Wimmer, a 6-8 center, started 15 games last year, while Cody Bysted (5.8 ppg), the lone senior, and junior guard Sal Crivello will also be be valuable members for the Midwest Conference Buccaneers.