And, you guys werent kidding, Tyler Nicolai is legit. Hes a definite candidate for Newcomer of the Year. Look for him to push Tuma right from the get go. Wouldnt be surprised if hes the purples starter at the point come December.

Quote from: Drake Palmer on October 02, 2007, 05:07:06 PM
In looking over the SMU roster, one FY name that I noticed is Ralph Crews.  Somewhere I recall reading or heard someone say that he's supposed to be the real deal as a pass-first, tough, quick PG. Anybody in the know, Kneez?  Otherwise, it looks like more guards for the Birds, a "string bean" forward, 6-7 190lb Pat Connolly out of Chicago, & a "tight end" built post guy, 6-5 220lb Ben Nieman Clear Lake, IA.

Yeah, I posted a little diddy on Ralph Crews a few months ago, when times were slow on the board. Should fit right into the Saint Marys system. Look for him to be a good player, at best. He isnt a program changer by any means. Still, I'll always welcome pass-first PGs into the MIAC.

Quote from: ustbumkneez on April 19, 2007, 03:39:53 PM
Ralph Crews from Marshall, WI has announced his intent to play basketball at Saint Marys. He ran a good team (lost to 4 time champ in sectional final-one game short of Madison) in a weak conference, averaging 11 pts-3 bds-4 ast-3 tos-2 stls a game. Reminds me of the guy he will try to replace, Brensley Haywood-not a great shooter, quick, questionable decision maker, good defender.

Quote from: miacmaniac on August 31, 2007, 10:23:57 AM
I hear Loras and UST may renew rivalry soon in hoops, possibly in 08-09.  Seeing Gorton on the visitor's bench will be interesting...I think that would be the first time Fritz has coached against a former player of his.

MM, Fritz already goes up against one of his former players twice a year. Kietzer had a nice career in the purple, still holding the career scoring average record (19 a game). Cant forget a guy like that.

Quote from: Drake Palmer on July 13, 2007, 10:48:40 AM
Sum – Kneez follows western WI HS hoops & he might be able to fill you in on Tyler Etheridge.

Etheridge is a very good all around player, and I think will be a premier guy in the MIAC towards the end of his junior year in Collegeville. Interested to see how the shoulder surgery affects him. Will be a nice 3 man, because he can hit from the outside and is very good off the dribble. Looks rail thin, but is deceptively strong. Top rate passer, which might be his best attribute. A Smith kind of guy, very fundamental and versatile. Extremely smart player, and passionate. Defense is average, but not a glaring weakness. And even though it may sound like I do, I dont actually have a man crush on him.

Quote from: Drake Palmer on July 13, 2007, 12:40:32 AM
Kneez – I thought you might want to talk about a Tommie "40 Minute Run" by the big guy – Coach Fritz. That was a sweet video. 

I guess thats the new thing, because it was always "grind it out". Quite a change of pace from the old UST recruiting tools. This ones glossy, hip, and relevant. They neglected to show any recent UST legends, which could bridge the past to the present without dating the video, and I think that omission diminishes the history of the program. A clip of a Buri crossover to pullup J in Buths face; Finns NBA+ 3 to send the 02 NCAA Tourney game to OT; a shot of me on the bench in my warmup suit with ice on my knees; you know, the things that people think of when they talk Tommie Hoops. A little history would have been nice, thats all Im saying.

Quote from: Drake Palmer on July 22, 2007, 10:01:39 PM
Could we be hearing a Joe Scott - Mike Keating comparison in a couple of years?  If we do, it won't be from me. 

Apples and oranges. Scott was a nice player in both high school and college, but Keating was a Mr. Basketball finalist and a D2 Frosh All American. People knew Mike would make an impact right away when he came to UST. While Scott would have a role next year should he transfer, I doubt purple backers are expecting that to be the missing piece between the Tommies being a borderline playoff team and a contender. I know thats not your position Drake, but theyre not even comparable IMO.

Quote from: Drake Palmer on July 31, 2007, 06:52:44 PM
This is more than a bit of a stretch,  but KG ain't the only tall, lanky, big fella we're gonna be missing...Hablo espanol?

Real happy for Ike, I know thats something he really wanted. And Im glad he'll have an opportunity to continue his playing career in a place like Spain. Considering a lot of guys end up in places like Slovenia or the Philippines, you could do much worse than live and play ball where hes heading. Law school can wait  .

Apologies, Drake, for taking it back to St. Peter after you tried so hard to move the conversation North. 

If youll allow, Id like to do a little housecleaning. My posts come in bursts during the summer, so Im playing a bit of catch up:

Quote from: localcoach on July 03, 2007, 04:29:15 PM
First, he's basically a Minnesota legend and there aren't too many places you can go, except maybe north country, where people don't know who he is.

Wohler very well might be a legend, but it certainly isnt due to his collegiate basketball legacy, which is kind of what his departure should be judged on, no? 30-47 overall, and 12 games under .500 in the MIAC isnt my idea of "turning it around". So, again, he made the right move to head back to the high school level. Cord Of The North, I dont doubt that he left of his own volition, but I believe many associated with Hamline hoops had no problem watching him go. Thats why its not a surprise, however newsworthy of a move it might have been. To Local, and others, who mentioned Hamlines lack of attention to sports, Id say many would point you to the renovated football and track complex on campus. Sure, its not something that created widespread upgrades across the athletics department, but it shows that athletics arent COMPLETELY forgotten at HU.

Quote from: Willy Wonka on July 10, 2007, 01:24:09 AM
USTbum, did you happen to catch the Wolves summer league opener tonight? Our boy, Mateen Cleaves, led the team to an 85-83 win with 12 points and clutch defense.

Wonk, is it ridiculous that I watched part of said game on NBA.com? That was just a case of Mateen doing Mateen Things, gritty D included. Im happy to be able to watch him, however remote a location and situation it may be. Great mix of huge teeth, massive head, infectious energy, and solid floor control. All the intangibles you need in a 6th string PG.

And, on the topic of Hanson:
I realize the ship regarding positions for this topic has passed, but Id like to add my thoughts anyway. Perhaps he comes off as "being a little smarter than everyone else" because he actually is. The titles, NCAA tourney appearances, and Coach Of The Year awards can be considered a testament to that. I respect a coach who believes hes prepared his team well enough that they can, for the most part, control themselves, and dont need someone stomping around to make things happen. Thats preparation and execution at its finest, in my opinion. If you want to be a part of winning basketball, played the right way, hes one of the guys you go to when youre looking at places to play your college ball. And if your a fan who appreciates the nuances of a cleanly played and fundamentally sound game of basketball, you like watching a Hanson led team.

Wohlers coaching style befits a high school program, so Id say hes making a move in the right direction. Encouraging undisciplined and hectic play, as Wohler did, doesnt work in college. In high school, gimmicks like that can work at a surprisingly high rate. Plus, he never showed an ability to handle his team. I saw (and heard) far too many embarrassing moments, between technicals, tantrums, and on the bench arguments, to believe Piper faithful were happy with the state of the program. So I dont really understand why this is shocking to anyone considering the lackluster results Wohler posted during his tenure. Especially so when you take into account the turnover for coaches at Hamline in all their sports. Add to that his inability to keep players in the program, and Im not sure what it was that gained him so many supporters.

Cole Aldrich is listed, albeit barely, on Chad Fords Top 100 for 08 NBA Draft prospects at #89. His name is spelled wrong, so Id say its a safe bet he will be at Kansas for AT LEAST two years. Thats a slight sign the scouts havent seen him too much 
http://insider.espn.go.com/nbadraft/draft/tracker/player?playerId=19156&draftyear=2008

Quote from: klomp44 on May 15, 2007, 04:04:38 PM
We still have Matt Fletcher and Travis Krenske on the perimeter (which is why DeRock can redshirt). They were the top two scorers last year. We lose some good players down low with Chad Orum, as well as Klomp.

Correct me if Im wrong, but doesnt DeRock HAVE to sit out the 07-08 season? Southwest State is a D2 school, and that would mean hes moving up a division. Moving up automatically renders him ineligible for the upcoming athletic year, per NCAA transfer rules.

Kirk Hinrich, congratulations on becoming a Reggie Evans All Star. Bruce Bowens addition to the team is on hold, pending review.

Wade Guerin        C        6'8"     Saint Croix Lutheran High School, MN     
Brady Hannigan    G       6'4"     North St. Paul High School, MN       
Danny Johnson     G       6'2"     Stillwater High School, MN       
DJ Reese               G       5'9"     Riverland Community College, MN

anyone have a perspective on these players? Im familiar with only Johnson. its a portion of UWRFs recruiting class, and I wanted to get a feel for Berkhofs incoming help. doesnt seem to be as impressive as last years crop, but i wanted to get some insight.

Worth mentioning that former UST assistant Greg Gorton was promoted to head coach at Loras last week. Gorton takes over the job from Chad Walthall, who left to join Todd Lickliters staff at Iowa.

Quote from: TommieHoops4Life on May 10, 2007, 12:22:13 AM
Matt Cadwell, a CDH grad, could be transferring from his D-2 school to play basketball at UST.

SDSU is, actually, a DI program. The Jackrabbits are in the final year of the "transitional" phase in their move to DI, and will be eligible for NCAA tournaments after this season. They moved from NCAA independent to the Mid Continent Conference (Valpo, Oral Roberts, etc) for this upcoming athletic year. Cadwell averaged 12 a game this past season, after going for 16 a contest in his redshirt freshmen year. I havent heard anything about a possible move, but wouldnt be surprised if that turned out to be true. Brookings, SD leaves a lot to be desired. 

Its not MIAC recruiting news, but considering theres a fair share of Gopher fans on the board and an additional handful of people who probably saw him play in high scool, I thought it would be relevant to note that former Gopher Miles Webb is transferring to UW Stout, after a season at the University of Idaho.

More info from the Collegiate Basketball Invitational
Isaac Rosefelt had 24 points in his teams second round loss earlier this afternoon at the CBI. The loss eliminates First Merit, Rosefelts team, from the tournament. He shot 10-12 from the field, and 4-6 from the line, and grabbed 6 boards in 20 minutes. Considering his performance in his squads two games, I would wager that Ike will be participating in the All Star Game on Sunday-good exposure and a chance for anyone with ESPNU to catch him in action.

Rosefelt's personal assessment after the first day: "I've got to realize that I'm not playing D-III right now. I've got to box them out every possession," he said. "I can't just jump up and get the ball. It's fun, but it's a challenge.

"I made some shots today, but a lot of them were fadeaway shots," Rosefelt added. "That may have worked at Division III, but I've got to get to the cup and get to the line. Hopefully, this will open some more doors for me."

As for Nicolai, it will be great to see him in purple should your source prove reliable, Phoops. He could allow UST to play a more open game, something they will certainly have to be able to do next year to be competitive, and give the Tommies much needed quickness on the perimeter. Hes a different point guard than UST has been used to over the last 5-6 years, so it will be interesting to see how his career plays out. Hes a lot like Sames, who never really got the burn that people expected him to get (i know track was a factor, but he never made the impression on the coaching staff thats mandatory for PGs), or Travis Kalis, who fell out of favor quickly with Fritz. Methodical guys who control the tempo have fit best in the Tommie system, and have had a great deal of success (Sweeney and Dewyre). From watching him play, it looks like Nicolai could really help the program out early. UST definitely needs to reload, and this is a very good step towards making that happen.

Boxscore is up, and it seems Rosefelt was making his time count with 11 shots in 18 minutes. Hes treating the CBI like a UST captains practice; I like it  . 5-11 from the field, and 2-4 at the line to accumulate those 12 points. Also had 7 boards and a block. As TT would say, the young fellah is goin to work. Not being shy, thats for sure. I like the fact that a teammate of his is named "Joel Box". Most people would say that "Jushay Rockett" is the premier name on First Merit, but theyre missing the simplicity and awkwardness that is "Joel Box". Its for a more refined pallet.