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Gene's Blog: Success flows beyond Cretin and Summit
1/11/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Opportunity? For St. Thomas basketball players, it's a concept that isn't limited to their four-year window as a college player.
Tommie basketball alumni say that the teamwork and toughness they develop in Schoenecker Arena help prepare them for life after their UST playing careers end.
Most players experience a post-St. Thomas world of graduate school, or the start of their working days in a variety of careers. Others stay connected to basketball in full or part-time roles as coaches.
Current Tommie head coach John Tauer (Class of '95) has three other UST basketball alums on his coaching staff -- Mike Keating (Class of 2007) is in his first season; Tommy Fritz (Class of 1998) and B.J. Viau (Class of 2009). The latter two run the Tommies' junior-varsity team.
Bryan Schnettler (Class of 2007) is in his third season as head boys' coach at Rosemount High. After a brief semipro career with the Rochester Fire, Schnettler became the state's youngest HS hoops head coach in 2009.
And UST currently has an unusually-high number who are exploring new cultures by playing professional basketball overseas.
Life in the Fast Lane
One of the most interesting resumes belongs to Sean Sweeney (Class of 2006). He's in his first year working with the NBA's New Jersey Nets as assistant video coordinator. His five-year coaching career started at Anoka Ramsey Community College, and has included stops at three scholarship programs including two in Division I. He's now worked in towns as large as New York and San Francisco and as small as Cedar Falls.
Four ex-Toms are playing pro basketball overseas. Isaac Rosefelt (Class of 2007) is in his fifth pro season, and third playing in Israel. Joe Scott (Class of 2010) spent time last month in the Denver Nuggets' 
preseason camp and played last year in Spain. Two recent graduates who played on the 2011 NCAA championship squad, Teddy Archer and Anders Halvorsen, are playing in the same pro league in Spain.
Tauer sees a common element in the success that Tommie alums have achieved.
"The reason so many of our basketball graduates are able to be successful is their passion and work ethic for the game of basketball, plus their general pursuit of excellence in all that they do," Tauer said.
PHOTO: Johnny Tauer
Sweeney has made a lot of connections while climbing the coaching ladder, but he considers his St. Thomas days especially valuable.
"My goal has been to coach at the highest level possible, and working for the Nets has been a tremendous experience," Sweeney said. "The NBA schedule is rather strenuous and requires a high-level effort and focus to keep pace. This season we play 66 games in roughly 120 days. To be able to handle that workload you must have an understanding of the game, a strong work ethic, and the ability to adapt at a moment's notice.
"These three skills were ones I was able to develop at UST. The coaches I played for and the demands and expectations they had for me pushed me to get better every day and to give my best. I was encouraged to make quick and ethical decisions while being taught what it means to work hard. Being outside of my comfort zone was not uncommon."
Year 5 for Ike
Rosefelt, a two-time All-American during his three-year Tommie playing career, now resides in Herzilya, Israel, and plays for the Bnei Hasharon team.
"This is my fifth year playing overseas," Rosefelt said. "I have also played in Spain, Portugal and France. My playing experiences have included many ups and downs, but these last five years have also produced memories that will last forever. I have had to fight through injuries, language barriers, homesickness, lack of playing time, and many other things that made living abroad difficult. From all of that, I have become a stronger person, a better teammate, and am now a well-rounded man with a worldly perspective."
Rosefelt said St. Thomas provided him with a good foundation.
"Looking back at my UST days, I now realize how important of a role it played in shaping the person I am today. I didn't just go to St. Thomas to play basketball, I went there to be challenged with everything that I chose to be involved in, and to push myself in ways I never had before.
"One of the reasons I transferred to St Thomas after my freshmen year (at Bowling Green) was to put myself in a more challenging setting academically, and I definitely found the right place. I was forced to learn the importance of time management, and I quickly realized that there wasn't enough time in the day to have all the fun that I wanted to, and to focus on the demands as a student. I began to see results in everything I did. I went from having a hard time managing academics and athletics, to making the Dean's List, being a first-team All American, while also being an RA in the residence halls, and hosting a radio show."
Rosefelt said his coaches and professors pushed him to be his best, and it was a valuable lesson. "St Thomas is a huge reason why I have gotten to where I am today. Realizing that nothing will be given to me, and that I need to work for everything is why I am successful," he said. "You learn that from the day you walk under the arches as a freshmen, it's just up to you to decide how hard you want to work and where you want to go. I am very thankful for my experiences at St Thomas."
A Reign in Spain
Teddy Archer said he's "having the time of my life" playing this season in Alicante, Spain. He said his days as a role player in a team-oriented system at UST has been especially valuable in his transition.
"It's been really fun because I get to play basketball and learn about people and culture that is foreign to me," Archer said. "St. Thomas prepared me to be a professional in anything I choose to do. The discipline and work ethic that is instilled in the players at St. Thomas will pay off when you get your first job, whether in basketball or in a law firm."
Halvorsen is playing in Mallorca, a small island off the coast of Spain in the Mediterranean Sea. He calls his experience thus far "a dream come true."
"I have met a lot of great people so far, and my Spanish has improved a lot," Halvorsen said. "I'm discovering that basketball is basketball worldwide. We run a lot of pick-and-rolls, and motion offense, and our defense is the same as at UST as far as help and recover, and forcing baseline. There were a few things 
I had to get used to, especially communicating with my teammates on the court. Now it is much easier after playing with each other for three months. I'm working hard to get better every day, and every game, taking it one day at a time.
"Over my four years at UST I learned a lot from the great coaching staff, as well as the older players I played with my first few years. I learned that defense wins championships, and the harder you work as a team every day, the more it pays off as the year goes on. I had an amazing experience at UST, and I wouldn't change it for anything. Coming in as a freshman, I knew I would graduate with a great degree from a great school. I owe a lot to the people at UST, both on and off the basketball court."
PHOTOS: From top, Teddy Archer, Anders Halvorsen, Joe Scott
Scott, who played last year in Spain, said he grew immensely in his three-year experience as a Tommie.
"UST was paramount in my preparation and success, both on and off the court overseas," Scott said. "I gained so much knowledge with the people I worked with, both on the court and in the classroom that, by the end of it, I felt that I was ready to take on the world. There is a sense of class and purpose in everything done at UST; it has definitely propelled me to become the player and person I am today
"I'm currently in the process of figuring out if I will either go to the (Developmental) League or go back overseas to continue playing for the next few months. The experience in Spain was awesome from the change of culture and style of play in basketball. I really had to adjust, but I think it helped me grow as a person and a player."
Big Picture Goals
Tauer noted that players at most Division III institutions like St. Thomas are wise enough to see the big picture when they look at their education and goals.
"As proud as we are of UST alums pursuing careers in basketball, we're equally proud of the countless other St. Thomas men's basketball players making significant contributions off the court," Tauer said. "There are many stories of successful Tommie alums working as lawyers, businessmen, doctors, teachers, coaches and dentists, to name a few professions."
Tauer cites four other players from UST's 2011 national champion team as individuals who have continued to mature and grow, on and off the court:
--All-America guard Tyler Nicolai, the Final Four MVP, graduated with a degree in Finance and is working locally at Dougherty Financial.
--Fellow All-MIAC guard and captain Alex Healy is enrolled in his first year of law school at the University of St. Thomas.
--UST's 2011-12 senior co-captain Peter Leslie has already been accepted to law school for next fall.
--Another Tommie senior in 2011-12, Tommy Hannon, is working an internship for UBS Financial Services.
"Our basketball players pursue excellence in the broadest sense," Tauer said. "They come to St. Thomas to get a top-notch education while developing academically, athletically, spiritually, ethically, and socially for the rest of their lives.
"Basketball is a part of their education. It's a type of learning laboratory that combines physical and mental skills. Our student-athletes hone their skills in discipline, critical thinking, mental toughness, teamwork, competitiveness, and perseverance."
