University of St. Thomas Athletics
South Dakota State
Game Notes - Men’s Basketball returns to action as they host conference leading Jackrabbits from South Dakota state
1/19/2022 5:38:00 PM | Men's Basketball
St. Paul - Minn. - The St. Thomas men's basketball team welcome the top-seeded team in the Summit League, South Dakota State University on Thursday.
Through the first 16 games of the season, St. Thomas has three scorers averaging double-digits, led by senior G Riley Miller who is averaging 17.3 points per game and shooting 43.5 percent from behind the arc, connecting on 66-of-152 three point attempts. Fellow senior G Anders Nelson is averaging 17.0 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 78.7 points per game and connecting on 46 percent of their shots from the field and 39 percent from behind the arc. Additionally, St. Thomas has dished out 237 assists and committed only 122 turnovers.
Corbu Stathes will call the game live from Skor North radio, on 1500 a.m.
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 be tied 1st in NCAA Division I in both made 3-pointers (66). Miller has made 66-of-152 three-point attempts this season and averages a team-best 17.3 points.
'Rabbit Talk
South Dakota State enters the contest with a 15-4 record and a 6-0 mark in conference action. Most recently, the Jackrabbits picked up their sixth Summit League win, 80-62, over Denver.
Through the first 19 games of the season, SDSU has three scorers averaging double-digits, led by Noah Freidel who is averaging 18.0 points per game and shooting 40.0 percent from behind the arc, connecting on 40-of-100 three point attempts. Baylor Schelerman is averaging 14.8 points per game and Douglas Wilson (14.2 points per game) rounds out the top scorers for the Jackrabbits.
As a team, the Tommies are averaging 87.1 points per game and connecting on 52 percent of their shots from the field and 45 percent from behind the arc. Additionally, South Dakota State has dished out 299 assists and committed only232 turnovers.
Most recently, defeated Denver with career highs from Alex Arians and Luke Appel as South Dakota State men's basketball claimed an 80-62 victory over Denver last Saturday afternoon. The Jackrabbits finished 48.3 percent from the field with five in double figures. SDSU boasted a plus-six advantage in rebounds, a 30-20 advantage in the paint and 11 team 3-pointers to take down the Pioneers.
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 13.5 per game
3rd Three-Point Field Goal Percentage .392
3rd Scoring Margin +8.5 points per game
3rd Field Goal Percentage .455
4th Scoring Offense 78.7 points per game
5th Scoring Defense 70.2 points per game
5th Free-Throw Percentage .727
Individual
1st Three-Point Field Goal Percentage R. Lindberg, .494
1st Three-Point Field Goals Made R. Miller 4.4 per game
1st Assist To Turnover Ratio A. Nelson, 2.0
2nd Three-Point Field Goal Percentage R. Miller, .434
2nd Scoring R. Miller, 17.3
3rd Free Throw Percentage R. Miller, .870
3rd Scoring A. Nelson, 17.0
3rd Free Throw Percentage R. Miller, .870
4th Assists per game A. Nelson, 3.7
4th Field Goal Percentage A. Nelson, .440
4th Three-Point Field Goals Made R. Lindberg 2.5 per game
Oral Roberts Recap
Men's Basketball Team (8-8, 2-2) connected on 40 percent of their shots from the field and only 21 percent from behind the arc as they fell to last year's NCAA Tournament Cinderella Story, Oral Roberts (10-6, 4-1).
The Golden Eagles raced out to a 21-10 lead through the first eight minutes of play against the Tommies, aided by 10 points from the reigning Summit League Player of the Week Max Abmas.
St. Thomas trailed Oral Roberts by as many as 17 points in the opening half before battling back to an 11-point, 43-32, deficit at intermission.
The Tommies struggled shooting the ball from deep, partly due to a long, lengthy defensive effort from the Golden Eagles. St. Thomas connected on 13-of-38 (34 percent) of its shots from the field and only 3-of-19 (16 percent) from behind the arc. The Tommies forced seven first-half turnovers from the Golden Eagles and turned the ball over only once in the first 20 minutes.
Individually, senior F Parker Bjorklund led the charge for the Purple, scoring 17 first-half points, just one point short of his previous career best.
St. Thomas briefly brought cut the lead to eight points, 50-42 with 14 minutes to play before Oral Roberts went on an 11-2 run over the next four minutes of play to open up a deficit St. Thomas couldn't overcome.
As a team, St. Thomas connected 27-of-68 (40 percent) of its shots from the floor and only 7-of-34 attempts (21 percent) from behind the arc. The Purple was out-rebounded 48-29, but the Tommies only committed six turnovers to the Golden Eagles' 11.
Individually, there were three Tommies to reach double-digit points led by Bjorklund who netted a career-best 21 points. Joining him in double figures was the senior G duo of Anders Nelson (17) and Riley Miller (11) Nelson grabbed a team-best six rebounds and dished out two assists.
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 three-point shots per game.
The Purple is continuing on that trajectory 16 games into their D-I tenure, averaging 78.7 points per game, 13.5 made three-point shots per game and 7.6 turnovers per game.
He's the Coach
Dr. Johnny Tauer's has an overall record of 226-58 16 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 16 games with one start...averages 19.4 minutes per game, 6.2 points per game and 2.1 rebounds each contest...D-III: played in 49 games totaling 160 points
No. 2 Ben Nau: Freshman guard...2021-22: Played in all 16 games...averages 12.6 minutes per game and on average, contributes 3.7 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: Started all 16 games...averages 29.9 minutes per game...averages 17.0 points per game, has a league-best 2.0 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: Started all 10 games he's played...averages 26.2 minutes per game played...contributes an average of 14.0 points per game in addition to 7.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 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: Started all 15 games he's played this season...averages a team-high 32.2 minutes per contest...averages a team-best 17.3 points per game...shoots 43.4 percent from behind the arc...has a 3.1 assist to turnover ration through 15 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: Started all 16 games...averages 7.8 points and 4.2 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 13 games...averages 11.2 minutes per game and contributes 2.3 points and 3.2 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: Started all 16 games...averages 29.7 minutes per contest...averages 9.3 points and 1.5 assists per game...through 16 games, has a 2.7 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 16 games with six starts...averages 22.8 minutes per contest...contributes 5.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game...D-III: played in 12 games.
No. 32 Dom Martinelli: Sophomore Guard…2021-22: Played in two games for the Tommies...transfer from Northwestern, where he played in four games.
No. 33 Bennett Kwiecinski: Sophomore forward…2021-22: Played in five games for the Tommies...averages 3.2 points and 2.2 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: 12 points, 6 rebounds, 3 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: 21 Points, 12 Rebounds, 6 assists
#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: 18 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: 16 Points, 11 Rebounds, 5 Assists, 3 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
