University of St. Thomas Athletics
Western Illinois
Game Notes - Men’s Basketball plays Western Illinois in second of four-consecutive road games
1/27/2022 4:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
St. Paul - Minn. - The St. Thomas Men's Basketball Team takes to the road for the second-of-four straight road games in the heart of their conference schedule.
Through the first 18 games of the season, St. Thomas has three scorers averaging double-digits, led by senior G Riley Miller who is averaging 16.8 points per game and shooting 42 percent from behind the arc, connecting on 74-of-176 three point attempts. Fellow senior G Anders Nelson is averaging 16.1 points per game and senior F Parker Bjorklund (12.4 points per game) rounds out the top scorers for the Purple.
As a team, the Tommies are averaging 77.4 points per game and connecting on 45 percent of their shots from the field and 39 percent from behind the arc. Additionally, St. Thomas has dished out 268 assists and committed only 148 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 3rd in NCAA Division I in made 3-pointers (74). Miller has made 74-of-176 three-point attempts this season and averages a team-best 16.8 points.
Lookin' into the Leathernecks
Western Illinois enters the contest with a 12-8 record and a 3-5 mark in conference action. Most recently, the Leathernecks dropped their second-straight Summit League game by a score of 75-72 at South Dakota.
Through 20 games of the season, Western Illinois has four scorers averaging double-digits, led by Trenton Massner who is averaging 17.0 points per game and shooting 36 percent from behind the arc, connecting on 36-of-100 three point attempts. Will Carius is averaging 15.9 points per game, Colton Sandage (13.7) and Luka Barisic (13.1 points per game) rounds out the top scorers for the Leathernecks.
As a team, WIU is averaging 79.8 points per game and connecting on 43 percent of its shots from the field and 34 percent from behind the arc. Additionally, WIU has dished out 228 assists and committed 221 turnovers.
In their most recent loss, Western Illinois shot 47.7% from the field, making three shots from deep and seven from the line. The team's efforts on the glass resulted in 38 rebounds (eight offensive), which translated into 50 points in the paint and six second-chance points. The Leatherneck defense limited South Dakota to just 3-15 shooting from deep and forced eight turnovers, while scoring seven points off the Coyote mistakes.
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 - 13.0 per game
2nd - Three-Point Field Goal Percentage - .388
4th - Scoring Offense - 77.4 points per game
4th - Free-Throw Percentage - .747
Individual
1st - Three-Point Field Goal Percentage - R. Lindberg, .475
1st - Three-Point Field Goals Made - R. Miller 4.1 per game
2nd - Assist To Turnover Ratio - A. Nelson, 1.9
2nd - Three-Point Field Goal Percentage - R. Miller, .420
3rd - Scoring - R. Miller, 16.8
3rd - Free Throw Percentage - R. Miller, .873
4th - Field Goal Percentage - A. Nelson, .438
4th - Three-Point Field Goals Made - R. Lindberg 2.5 per game
5th - Assists per game - A. Nelson, 3.3
5th - Scoring - A. Nelson, 16.1
NDSU Recap
The St. Thomas Men's Basketball (8-11, 2-5) struggled shooting the ball in a 77-56 loss to North Dakota State (13-7, 5-3) on a cold night in Fargo.
Despite career-highs from junior F Brooks Allen (18) and sophomore G Dom Martinelli (10), the Tommies couldn't overcome a 33 percent shooting effort from the field against the Bison's strong shooting night in which they shot 56 percent from the field.
Through the first eight minutes of the game, St. Thomas opened up a 7-4 lead with three different Tommies contributing points. The Purple forced 7 Bison turnovers in the first eight minutes of the game.
With 8:25 to play in the first half, the Tommies held a 14-9 run before the Bison went on a 9-0 run over the next two minutes of game play to open their first lead of the game, 18-14 with 6:11 to play.
The Bison's hot shooting continued for the duration of the first half, taking a 33-21 lead into intermission. To overcome 10 first-half turnovers, NDSU connected on 52 percent (11-of-21) of its shots from the field and 58 percent (7-of-12) from behind the arc.
St. Thomas connected on 26 percent (8-of-31) of its shots from the field and 20 percent (3-of-15) from behind the arc in the game's first 20 minutes. The Tommies hauled in 14 rebounds and committed five first-half turnovers.
Individually, Allen tallied a team-high nine first-half points and a team-best five rebounds. Senior G Riley Miller contributed six points in the opening 20 minutes.
The Bison opened the second half on a 9-2 run to open a 42-23 lead with 15:59 to play and didn't look back from there. NDSU outscored St. Thomas 44-35 in the second half to claim the 77-56 win.
As a team, St. Thomas connected on 33 percent (21-of-63) from the field, 27 percent (7-of-26) from behind the arc and hauled in 28 rebounds with 10 turnovers. NDSU connected on 56 percent (27-of-48) of its shots from the field and 50 percent (11-of-22) from behind the arc and turned the ball over 15 times.
Allen finished the game with a career-high 18 points on an 8-of-12 shooting performance from the field, Martinelli scored 10 points in the game, matching his career-best.
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 19 games into their D-I tenure, averaging 77.64 points per game, 13.0 made three-point shots per game and 7.8 turnovers per game.
He's the Coach
Dr. Johnny Tauer's has an overall record of 226-61 18 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. 17 games into the D-I era, Coach Tauer has led him team to an 8-9 record with a 3-3 record on the 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 19 games with one start...averages 19.1 minutes per game, 5.7 points per game and 1.9 rebounds each contest...D-III: played in 49 games totaling 160 points
No. 2 Ben Nau: Freshman guard...2021-22: Played in all 19 games...averages 11.8 minutes per game and on average, contributes 3.5 points and 1.3 rebounds per contest.
No. 3 Zach Theisen: Senior guard…2021-22: Played in nine games...averages 1.7 points in 5.8 minutes per game...D-III: played in 47 games totaling 177 points.
No. 4 Anders Nelson: Senior guard…2021-22: Started all 19 games...averages 29.8 minutes per game...averages 16.1 points per game, has the second best assist to turnover ratio in the league (1.9)...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 13 games he's played...averages 25.1 minutes per game played...contributes an average of 12.4 points per game in addition to 6.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists 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: Started all 18 games he's played this season...averages a team-high 32.2 minutes per contest...averages a team-best 16.8 points per game...shoots 42 percent from behind the arc...has a 2.5 assist to turnover ration through 18 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 19 games...averages 7.6 points and 3.9 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 14 games...averages 10.7 minutes per game and contributes 2.1points and 3.1 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 19 games...averages 30.4 minutes per contest...averages 9.2 points and 1.3 assists per game...through 19 games, has a 2.0 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 19 games with six starts...averages 23.2 minutes per contest...contributes 6.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game...D-III: played in 12 games.
No. 32 Dom Martinelli: Sophomore Guard…2021-22: Played in three games for the Tommies...transfer from Northwestern, where he played in four games.
No. 33 Bennett Kwiecinski: Sophomore forward…2021-22: Played in six games for the Tommies...averages 2.7 points and 2.0 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
