University of St. Thomas Athletics
Omaha
Game Notes - Men’s Basketball Opens Inaugural Summit League Season on the Road at Omaha and Denver
12/17/2021 3:58:00 PM | Men's Basketball
St. Paul - Minn. - The St. Thomas Men's Basketball Team is set to begin its first season as a member of the Summit League. The Tommies enter the conference schedule with a 5-6 record, most recently defeating D-III Northland College 109-50. In that non-conference tilt, the Purple drained 19 three-pointers in the opening half before resting starters for the final 20 minutes. St. Thomas ended the game with 22 made three-pointers. The 22-made three pointers would rank 4th in NCAA Division I single-game history, but due to the institution's reclassification status, the shooting effort will not be reflected in the NCAA Division I record books.
Through the first 11 games of the season, St. Thomas has three scorers averaging double-digits, led by senior G Riley Miller is averaging 17.9 points per game and shooting a blistering 46 percent from behind the arc, connecting on 53-of-115 three point attempts. Fellow senior G Anders Nelson is averaging 16.4 points per game and senior F Parker Bjorklund (14.0 points per game) rounds out the top scorers for the Purple.
As a team, the Tommies are averaging 77.5 points per game and connecting on 45 percent of their shots from the field and 40 percent from behind the arc. Additionally, St. Thomas has dished out 156 assists and committed only 95 turnovers.
Historic Season
After 112 seasons as a small-college, NAIA and Division III men's basketball program, St. Thomas started its Division I era last Tuesday night at Chicago State. The Cougars topped the Tommies and spoiled their D-I debut, 77-72. Four days later, St. Thomas picked up its first win as a Division I program over St. Francis College with a 91-73 score.
Best of the Best
Due to its reclassification status, St. Thomas and its student-athletes are not reflected in the NCAA's individual or team rankings, but Senior G Riley Miller would rank 1st in NCAA Division I in both made 3-pointers (53) and made 3-pointers per game (4.8). Miller has made 53-of-115 three-point attempts this season and averages a team-best 17.9 points.
Preseason Progress
St. Thomas is set to play 12 non-conference games this season, 11 of which will occur before the Dec. 20 Summit League debut.
St. Thomas played three games in Youngstown, Ohio, Nov. 19-21, competing in six games over a 14-day span.
In the first month alone the Purple traveled to Chicago, New York, Ohio and Seattle for contests. Overall they will play games in 11 different states this season.
In a stretch from Dec. 2 through January 1, the Purple are scheduled to play five of their seven games at home.
They open Summit League play on the road Dec. 20 against Omaha.
Upper Echelon of the Conference
As the Tommies enter their first Summit League games, they are towards the top of a handful of statistic across the conference.
Below are the top-five team and individual rankings and statistics for all games by the 10 conference schools this season.
Rank - Category - Stat
Team
1st - Three-Point Field Goals Made - 13.6 per game
2nd - Three-Point Field Goal Percentage - .399
3rd - Field Goal Percentage - .454
4th - Scoring Offense - 77.5 points per game
5th - Scoring Margin - +6.4 points per game
5th - Free-Throw Percentage - .713
Individual
1st - Three-Point Field Goal Percentage - R. Lindberg, .547
1st - Three-Point Field Goals Made - R. Miller 4.8 per game
2nd - Free Throw Percentage - R. Miller, .875
3rd - Scoring - R. Miller, 17.9
3rd - Three-Point Field Goal Percentage - R. Miller, .461
5th - Scoring - A. Nelson, 16.4
5th - Free Throw Percentage - A. Nelson, .848
5th - Assist To Turnover Ratio - A. Nelson, 1.7
5th - Minutes Played - R. Miller, 31.8 per game
Northland Recap
The St. Thomas Men's Basketball Team made a program-best 22 three pointers in a 109-50 victory over Division III opponent Northland College on Tuesday night.
The 22-made three pointers would rank 4th in NCAA Division I single-game history, but due to the institution's reclassification status, the shooting effort will not be reflected in the NCAA Division I record books.
St. Thomas raced out to an early 14-4 lead with 15:39 to play in the opening half being a 4-of-6 showing from behind the arc. The Tommie kept their foot on pedal through the first 10 minutes of the first half, opening up a 31-6 lead, while shooting 73 percent (8-of-11) from behind the arc.
The Purple exploded to a 71-18 first-half advantage, behind an incredible 19-of-26 (73 percent) shooting effort from three-point land. The 71 first-half points were the most in program history.
The 19 made threes in the first half surpassed the Tommies' single-game season-best 17 made threes against Youngstown.
Seven different Tommies contributed a three-point basket in the first half. Senior G Riley Miller led the team in scoring with 16 first-half points and connected on 5-of-7 of his shots, all from behind the arc. Joining Miller in double digits in the first half was senior G Kevin Cunningham (13) and grad student G Ryan Lindberg (12).
The Purple starters gave way to reserve players in the second-half as valuable depth had the opportunity to gain valuable minutes. The Tommies still outscored the Lumberjacks 38-32 in the final 20 minutes of the contest.
All 11 Tommies that saw the floor contributed at least two points to the victory, including six scorers reaching double figures. Cunningham led the scoring efforts with a career-high 17 points, connecting on 7-of-9 shots from the field, including 3-of-5 shots from behind the arc. He added two rebounds and three assists in the winning effort.
In total, St. Thomas connected on 42-of-69 (61 percent) of its shots from the field, 22-of-41 (54 percent) from behind the arc and committed only eight turnovers.
About Omaha
The Omaha Mavericks enter the contest with a deceptive 1-10 overall record. The Mavericks' lone win came against Hasting on Nov. 9, 67-57, the team's first game of the season.
Omaha has suffered losses at Ball State (73-69), at Kansas State (79-64), at Montana (68-47), at Texas Tech (96-40) and at Purdue (97-40) to name a few.
As a team, the Mavericks are averaging 62.5 points per game and shooting 39 percent from the field and 34 percent from behind the arc. On average, Omaha is being outrebounded by just under six rebounds per game.
Individually, the Mavericks are led by Senior G Nick Ferrarini, who is the only athlete to average double-figures, entering Monday's game averaging 10.1 points per game.
About Denver
Denver enters the first week of Summit League action with a 4-9 record, and plays host to Western Illinois before welcoming the Tommies to the Mile High City on Wednesday. After a six-game losing streak, the Pioneers got back in the win Column against UC San Diego on Dec., 15. During the losing streak, Denver suffered losses to Air Force (66-65) and Wyoming (77-64) just to name a couple.
The Pioneers enter Summit League play averaging just under 66 points per game and allow just under 70 points per game to their opponents. Denver is connecting on 45 percent of its shots from the field and 35 percent from behind the arc and is being outrebounded by just under four rebounds per game.
Individually, junior G KJ Hunt and senior F Michael Henn lead the scoring efforts with 16.4 and 10.4 points per game, respectively entering conference play.
Effectively Efficient
The Tommies are the only team in NCAA Men's basketball each of the past three seasons to average 80-plus points per game, fewer than 10 turnovers per game, and 10-plus made 3-point shots per game.
The Purple is continuing on that trajectory seven games into their D-I tenure, averaging 75.4 points per game, 13.4 made 3-point shots per game and 8.2 turnovers per game.
He's the Coach
Dr. Johnny Tauer's has an overall record of 223-56 11 games into his 11th season. His first 10 Tommie teams compiled a 218-50 overall mark (.813 win clip). A two-time National Coach of the Year in D-III, Tauer guided the 2016 Toms to the D-III national championship. Nine games into the D-I era, Coach Tauer has led him team to a 4-5 record with two non-conference games to play before he and his squad embark on their first Summit League circuit.
Tauer's winning percentage ranks in the top five of all 1,000-plus NCAA men's head coaches – in fact he is the only NCAA men's hoops coach at any level with both an NCAA championship trophy and a winning percentage above .800.
Sports Illustrated Says
The SI preseason ranking of all 358 Division I men's teams put the Tommies at No. 274. "If you're looking for a fun story to track this year, how about St. Thomas? The Tommies are the first men's team in nearly 30 years to jump directly from D-III to D-I, becoming the second D-I program in Minnesota. Coach Johnny Tauer has a PhD in social psychology, is a tenured member of the St. Thomas faculty and runs the Princeton offense."
Last Season
The 2020-21 Tommies went 7-0 in a Covid shortened season with several highlights:
• They finished ranked No. 2 in the final Division III national poll
• They ranked second among all NCAA men's basketball teams in 2020-21 in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.91)
• They averaged 83 points a game, including 12.4 made threes a contest converted at a .403 clip
• They shot 51 percent from the floor and averaged only 8.2 turnovers a game
Tommie Talk
The good news is that Tauer returns 96 percent of last season's points, rebounds and assists -- he brings back all five starters and four other contributors off the bench from the program's final season in Division III.
The flip side is that St. Thomas will likely come into this season at or near the bottom of any team list of most returning Division I points. The three transfers coming on board combined for 100 points, 56 rebounds and seven assists last season at their previous D-I teams. In all, Tauer's roster has two true freshmen, three transfers and nine returners.
The Purple's starting five coming back includes two graduate students in their fifth seasons, G-F Burt Hedstrom and G Ryan Lindberg, plus senior guards Anders Nelson and Riley Miller, and senior Parker Bjorklund. Miller made D-III All-America last season. Hedstrom made the elite CoSIDA Academic All-America team.
Here's a look at each Tommie player's career D-III stats and 2021-22 stats:
No. 1 Kevin Cunningham: Senior guard…2021-22: Played in all 11 games...averages 18.0 minutes per game, 5.6 points per game and 2.2 rebounds each contest...D-III: played in 49 games totaling 160 points
No. 2 Ben Nau: Freshman guard...2021-22: Played in all 11 games...averages 11.9 minutes per game and on average, contributes 3.1 points and 1.5 rebounds per contest.
No. 3 Zach Theisen: Senior guard…2021-22: Played in eight games...averages 1.5 points in 6.1 minutes per game...D-III: played in 47 games totaling 177 points
No. 4 Anders Nelson: Senior guard…2021-22: Played all 11 games...averages 28.9 minutes per game...averages 16.4 points per game, has a 1.7 assist to turnover ratio...D-III: played 65 games totaling 1,005 points and 295 rebounds… 2019 Named to MIAC All-First-Year Team, MIAC First Team All-conference, D3hoops.com National Rookie of the Year, and West Region Rookie of the Year… 2020 repeat all-conference and second-team All-Region by both the NABC and D3Hoops.com
No. 5 Parker Bjorklund: Senior forward…2021-22: Played in seven games...averages 27.2 minutes per game played...contributes an average of 14.0 points per game in addition to 7.4 rebounds and 1.0 steal per game...Was St. Thomas student but didn't play varsity sports in freshman and sophomore seasons...D-III: started in all six of the games he played in 2020-21, scored 79 points and secured 34 total rebounds.
No. 10 Riley Miller: Senior guard…2021-22: Played all 11 games...averages a team-high 31.7 minutes per contest...averages a team-best 17.9 points per game...shoots 46 percent from behind the arc...has a 2.5 assist to turnover ration through 11 games...D3Hoops.com All-America last season...D-III: in 65 career games made 102 baskets from 3-point range at a 45 percent clip, with a near 4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio with 161 assists to go with 525 points.
No. 20 Courtney Brown, Jr.: Junior forward…2021-22: Has not appeared in a game...Transfer from UW Milwaukee, where he played 45 games in two seasons.
No. 22 Burt Hedstrom: Graduate student guard, CoSIDA Academic All-America…2021-22: Played all 11 games...averages 6.0 points and 3.6 rebounds per game...D-III: in 91 career games recorded 710 points, 385 rebounds and 151 assists, with 138 made 3-pointers at a 41-percent clip.
No. 23 Will Engels: Junior forward…2021-22: Played in all 11 games...averages 11.9 minutes per game and contributes 2.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per contest...D-III: played in 29 games totaling 156 points and securing 82 rebounds.
No. 24 Ryan Lindberg: Graduate student guard…2021-22: Played in all 11 games...averages 28.4 minutes per contest...averages 8.7 points and 1.6 assists per game...through 11 games, has a 3.0 assist to turnover ration...D-III: started 72 games and in 84 career games made 144 baskets from 3-point range, and recorded 623 points, 160 rebounds, 139 assists with just 44 turnovers.
No. 31 Brooks Allen: Junior forward…2021-22: Played all 11 games...averages 21.0 minutes per contest...contributes 5.3 points and 4.0 rebounds per game...D-III: played in 12 games.
No. 32 Dom Martinelli: Sophomore Guard…2021-22: Played in one game for the Tommies...transfer from Northwestern, where he played in four games.
No. 33 Bennett Kwiecinski: Sophomore forward…2021-22: Played in three games for the Tommies...averages 4.7 points and 2.7 rebounds per game...transfer from Siena, where he played in nine games
Tommie Player Career Highs
#1 Kevin Cunningham: 17 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals
#2 Ben Nau: 10 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
#3 Zach Theisen: 14 Points, 7 Rebounds, 4 Assists, 4 Steals
#4 Anders Nelson: 42 Points, 11 Rebounds, 11 Assists, 6 Steals
#5 Parker Bjorklund: 18 Points, 12 Rebounds
#10 Riley Miller: 30 Points, 6 Rebounds, 7 Assists, 4 Steals
#20 Courtney Brown, Jr.: 15 Points, 8 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 2 Steals (UW-Milwaukee)
#22 Burt Hedstrom: 17 Points, 13 Rebounds, 7 Assists, 3 Steals
#23 Will Engels: 17 Points, 9 Rebounds, 5 Assists, 3 Steals
#24 Ryan Lindberg: 24 Points, 6 Rebounds, 5 Assists, 2 Steals
#31 Brooks Allen: 12 Points, 11 Rebounds, 3 Assists, 2 Steals
#32 Dom Martinelli: 10 Points, 2 Rebounds, 1 Assist, 0 Steals (Northwestern/St. Thomas)
#33 Bennett Kwiecinski: 8 Points, 6Rebounds, 2 Assists, 1 Steal (Sienna/St. Thomas)
Unprecedented Move
St. Thomas is the first NCAA institution to move all of its athletics teams directly from Division III to D-I in one season.
Tommie teams have begun competing in four conferences across all 21 sports:
• The Summit League (18 sports)
• The Pioneer Football League
• Western Collegiate Hockey Association for women's hockey
• Central Collegiate Hockey Association for men's hockey
D-III Chapter and Tradition
• Program's all-time D-III record: 1,722-863; had third most wins of any D-III program before it moved into D-I this season
• 2 NCAA DIII championships (2011, 2016)
• 4 NCAA Division III Final Fours
• The program posted winning seasons in 40 of last 41 years
• Qualified for 14 of the last 15 NCAA Tournaments
• MIAC Champions 14 of the last 15 seasons
• Finished 1st or 2nd out of 400 D-III schools in fewest turnovers for three-consecutive seasons
• NCAA D-III Tournament appearances in 20 of last 31 seasons
• Conference regular-season champions 34 times (12 in row from 2006-2017)
• Johnny Tauer name National Coach of the Year in 2013 and 2016
• Steve Fritz named National Coach of the Year in 2011
• 47 MIAC championships (34 regular-season)
• 21 MIAC playoff appearances in row (league record), qualified 33 of 36 seasons format in place
• 4 30-win seasons since 2009
• 8 D3Hoops.com All-America honors (2002-2021)
• 6 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans
• 10 of the 31 MIAC Player of the Year honors, 16 of the 31 MIAC Coach of the Year honors
