Heading into his eighth season at the Hilltopper helm after leading WLU to a 26-win season, a seventh straight Mountain East Conference championship, an NCAA record-tying 15th straight NCAA D2 Tournament bid and another Top 25 national ranking, Howlett concedes that most coaches would be more than satisfied with those results.

But with a 187-32 (.854) career record, a winning percentage ranking among the best in NCAA history and just one year removed from a run to the NCAA D2 national championship game, Howlett is not "most coaches."

"We had a lot of new faces and a lot of role guys who had to step up and become main players so last year was kind of a challenge," Howlett said. "I thought we started playing better toward the end. Winning the regular season conference championship is hard to do and I'm really proud of that group for that. We made it to the second round in the NCAA Tournament and I'm sure most teams would take that but that's not the standard here.

"There are expectations that come with being part of the West Liberty program. Coaches, players and fans here want to win titles. I want to be part of that and I want players who want to be part of that. We have guys who have had a taste of playing in the Elite Eight and that's my goal. That's what I come into every season looking to accomplish. We want to compete for a conference title, give ourselves a chance to win the conference tournament and keep going."

The expectations haven't changed – inside or outside the program. West Liberty was once again installed as the prohibitive favorite to win an eighth consecutive Mountain East Conference championship in the MEC coaches' annual preseason poll and will open the season at No. 17 in the NCAA Division II Top 25 coaches' poll.

It was a busy off-season for the coach as he embarked on another reloading project. When the smoke cleared, Howlett and his staff welcomed nine new faces – five collegiate transfers and four high school recruits – to campus and began the process of introducing them to the WLU system and the five returning players.

Kyler D'Augustino, a 6-1 sophomore guard, is the lone returning starter but 6-0 junior guard Dante Spadafora, 6-1 senior guard Laync Shuler and 6-7 junior forward Finley Woodward were key rotation pieces a year ago. Garrison Kisner, a 6-7 freshman forward, is also back after redshirting last winter.

D'Augustino was the 2024 MEC Freshman of the Year after posting 18 double-figure scoring games as a true freshman. Spadafora was third on the team with 59 3FGs and led the team with 48 steals. Shuler came on strong down the stretch while Woodward shot a blistering 60 percent from the floor and was the team's second-leading rebounder.

"Kyler had a really good freshman season and has really worked to improve his perimeter shooting," Howlett said. "He's fast, long and strong – a great fit for our pressure. I thought Dante was our MVP last year. He's a real sparkplug who creates so much chaos. He's ready to make a jump.

"Laync will be our defensive stopper. He wants the challenge of shutting down the other teams' best guards. Finley steps into a new role as one of our main guys. He knows how to play and how I want to play. Look for him to take the next step. Garrison added 15 pounds of muscle and gives us a big who can crash the boards."

Howlett expects his five collegiate transfers to have an immediate impact.

Daniel Autrey is a 6-5 graduate transfer from NCAA Division II Maryville (Mo.). He's a double-figure scorer who has made more than 300 3FGs in his collegiate career.

"Daniel's an elite shooter. He's still learning the system but is coming along. He's a definite zone-buster."

Vadim Clanet is a 6-7 graduate transfer forward who scored 867 points and grabbed 404 rebounds in four seasons at NCAA D2 SE Oklahoma State and Davis & Elkins. He had 16 games with multiple 3FGs for D&E last winter.

"Vadim knows how to play," Howlett said. "He's a legitimate 6-7 guy with a couple years in the league. He's going to help us."

JJ Harper is a 6-5 graduate transfer forward from Concord. A 2-time All-MEC selection with the Mountain Lions, he hit double-figures in 45 of his 58 games with a career-high of 30 points.

"JJ is a true hybrid who can play all five positions," Howlett said. "He plays above the rim but he can shoot the three and score in traffic. He can do a lot of things."

Andrew Shull is a 6-0 junior guard from Pitt-Johnstown who scored 513 points and made 84 3FGs in two years with the Mountain Cats. He had a career-high 23 points vs. West Liberty in the 2023 Atlantic Region quarterfinal.

"Andrew missed the preseason due to injury. He can not only shoot it from the perimeter, he's got a nice pull-up jumper in his game. We just need to get him healthy."

Jaylen Stewart is a 6-3 senior guard from NCAA D2 power Indiana (Pa.). He's played in 81 games and averaged 8.8 ppg. as the starting point guard at IUP a year ago.

"Jaylen comes to us with NCAA Tournament experience from his time at IUP," Howlett said. "He's a big guard with a good handle and an outstanding defender. I'm really excited to coach him."

Howlett also likes what he's seen in the preseason from his four freshman newcomers.

Machi Chester is a rugged 6-2 guard from Rock Creek Christian High School in Upper Marlboro, Md. He averaged 13.5 ppg. and 7.3 rpg. and was chosen to play in the prestigious 2024 Capitol Classic All-Star Game.

"Machi's a big, strong physical guy who can stretch the floor," Howlett said. "He's making the transition from high school and getting better every day."

J.P. Dragas is a 6-0 guard who scored more than 2,000 career points while rewriting the record books at Madison (Ohio) High School. A 2-time first-team All-Ohio Division II selection, he averaged 28.6 ppg. as a senior.

"JP's a super enthusiastic high-IQ player who can score the basketball," Howlett said. "He's a really smart kid who competes hard. I think he'll help us this year."

Kameron Tinsley is a 6-6 southpaw forward from Cave Spring (Va.) High School. He averaged 21.2 ppg. and 7.6 rpg. as a senior and broke J.J. Redick's 20-year-old school record with a 45-point night against Blacksburg (Va.).

"I think Kam's going to be good," Howlett said. "A gifted 3-point shooter with an incredibly quick release, he will play for us. I think he'll keep improving as the season goes on."

Cooper Kent is a 6-2 guard who was a 1,000-point scorer and All-Conference selection at Galion (Ohio) High School. He averaged nearly 18 points and 7 rebounds a game as a senior and set the school single-game record with 8 3FGs.

"Cooper's best basketball is ahead of him," Howlett said. "He has a great work ethic which will help him make the jump from high school to college."

There's a new face on the coaching staff but it's a familiar one. Howlett hired NCAA D2 All-American Bryce Butler as his new assistant coach to replace Connor Harr, who left to accept a position with the Orlando Magic's NBA G-League team. Long-time assistant Dr. Aaron Huffman returns for his 14th season on the WLU men's basketball staff.

"Bryce was a no-brainer hire," Howlett said. "He knows exactly what we want to do and is going to be a heck of a coach. It's great to have Coach Huffman back, as well. His on-court instruction and coaching experience is invaluable.

"We've been dealing with some injuries in the preseason so we're not where we need to be right now but that's to be expected. I think this team has a very high ceiling. If we can get to that ceiling by March, we could be very dangerous. I can't wait to get started."

The Hilltoppers tip off the 2024-25 season at home on November 8-9 when they host West Chester (Pa.) and Bluefield State in the Atlantic Region Crossover.