Two big areas of emphasis in the offseason after their early exit from the 2014-15 campaign were defense and rebounding. Coach Craig Douma drove the point home to his returners and incoming freshmen that with how well the team shoots the ball, adding intensity on the defensive end and crashing the boards could take them from a good team to a great team. Central grabbed 39 rebounds per game last season, an average that was higher before conference play started. Through 11 non-league games, the Dutch have grabbed more than 45 boards per contest, and are holding opponents to 72 points per game, which is less than last year’s total season average. Douma mentions their team’s added height has helped in those areas. Turnovers continue to be a problem for Central, one that Douma is a little worried about come the start of conference games this Wednesday. The Dutch are averaging 17 giveaways per game, three more than they did last season. A road trip to Luther is first for the 9 – 2 Dutch in just five days.