University of St. Thomas Athletics
Friday, November 10
St. Paul, Minn.
7:30 p.m. Central
vs
Idaho State
Photo by: Collin Boyles
St. Thomas opens home slate Friday against Idaho State
11/9/2023 7:18:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Tommie Men’s Basketball looks to continue home opener streak against Bengals
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- St. Thomas Men's Basketball opens its home schedule at 7:30 p.m. CT Friday, Nov. 10 against Idaho State in Schoenecker Arena. FOX9+ will televise the contest and the Summit League Network will stream.
Student Giveaway
The first 400 students at Friday's game will get a Tommie Basketball t-shirt.
Series History
St. Thomas and Idaho State have met once all-time, a 76-70 win by the Tommies Dec. 10, 2022 in Pocatello, Idaho. Sophomore Ahjany Lee led all returners with 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting while the Purple took a 38-32 lead in the first half and led for the remainder of the game.
Last Time Out
St. Thomas fell to Cal, 71-66, during its 2023-24 season opener on Nov. 6 in Berkeley, Calif. The Tommies and Golden Bears traded leads 15 times with seven ties as the Purple held a 60-56 lead with 6:45 to play. Cal closed the game on a 15-6 run and finished the game with 22 free throw attempts compared to just three for St. Thomas.
The Cast
Graduate student forward Brooks Allen, who totaled 12 double-digit scoring games a season ago, led the Tommies with 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including three 3-pointers. He also added one of the team's three blocks, with the other two coming from sophomore forward Ahjany Lee in 10 minutes of action. Senior guard Drake Dobbs led all Tommies with 35 minutes played and scored a career-high 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting, going 2-of-3 from 3-point range and 2-of-3 from the free throw line, and tied for the team lead with three assists.
The Opposition
After hosting St. Thomas in 2022-23, Idaho State comes to St. Paul to face the Tommies for the second time ever. St. Thomas won the first ever meeting, 76-70 in Pocatello, Idaho. Head Coach Ryan Looney enters his fifth season with the Bengals, brings back eight returners from 2022-23, including two starters, and features nine newcomers, including five true freshmen. Idaho State opened its season with a 92-36 win over NAIA program Warner Pacific at MACU Center in Idaho Falls, Idaho.
Back From 2022-23
St. Thomas returns 10 letter winners and one redshirt freshman (Carter Bjerke, F), along with four newcomers. Among the newcomers is one transfer (Raheem Anthony, G) and three freshmen. Leading the pack is graduate student forward Parker Bjorklund who was named Preseason All-Summit League First Team. Fellow graduate student forward Brooks Allen also returns after starting all 33 games last season and playing in all 64 games for St. Thomas since joining NCAA Division I. Kendall Blue and Ahjany Lee come back for their sophomore seasons after Blue played in all 33 games, with 22 starts, and Lee played in 32 with four starts.
Tune In
Basketball fans can follow Friday's game on the Summit League Network, the official streaming partner of St. Thomas, and on FOX9+. Friday's game is the first of three games to be broadcast on FOX9+, including Jan. 6, 2024 against Sacramento State and Feb. 17, 2024 against University of South Dakota. Fans can also follow the game via Live Stats and tommiesports.com.
Power Five
The 2023-24 season opener was the third game for St. Thomas against a Power Five opponent as the previous two came last season. The Tommies opened the 2022-23 season at No. 9 Creighton (Big East) in front of a crowd of 17,098, holding a 57-56 lead against the Blue Jays with 9:58 to play before ultimately falling. The first Pac-12 opponent for St. Thomas came during a loss at Utah on Nov. 26. The Tommies face another preseason top 10, Power Five opponent this season Dec. 14 at No. 5 Marquette (Big East).
Lucky 13
Head Coach Johnny Tauer is in his 13th season at St. Thomas as the longest tenured head coach among all Summit League programs and among the top 40 in their current role among all DI men's basketball coaches.
Take Care of the Ball
Tauer's teams have historically taken care of the basketball and last season was no different. The Tommies ranked tied for 11th nationally for fewest total turnovers (327) after leading the category in 2021-22. The Purple also tied for 12th for fewest turnovers per game (9.9) and tied for 50th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.30). Of the 14 teams with as few or fewer turnovers per game, only four (Iowa, NC State, Oral Roberts, Toledo) finished with a higher scoring offense than St. Thomas' 74.2 points per game. St. Thomas recorded 10 or fewer turnovers in 21 of 33 games last season. The Tommies totaled 12 turnovers Nov. 6 against Cal.
Shoes to Fill
The Tommies have scoring production to replace as two of its top three scorers are no longer on the roster. Summit League Newcomer of the Year Andrew Rohde and 3-point shooter Riley Miller combined for 915 points. Bjorklund ranked second for St. Thomas with 393 points, averaging 15.5 points per game, and led the team in scoring during nine of the last 20 games, as the Tommies went 6-3 in those games. Allen and Blue followed Miller in scoring, as Allen scored 8.8 points per game and Blue added 7.4.
All Business for Bjorklund
Since joining the Tommies off the intramural courts, it's been all business for Parker Bjorklund as he's averaged double-digit scoring in each of his three seasons. He put in 12.6 points per game during the program's first DI season in 2021-22 on 54.4 percent shooting from the field. Bjorklund is averaging 13.8 points per game through his career on 53.5 percent shooting, the only Tommie with a career field goal percentage above .500 (minimum 250 FGA). He ranked second in the Summit League last season shooting 49.5 percent from the field and finished 13 games shooting above 50 percent while taking at least seven shots in all games. His 15.1 points per game ranked 10th in the Summit League and he's currently second among active Summit League student-athletes in career scoring average (13.9 PPG).
Bjorklund was third for the Tommies in scoring during the season-opening loss at Cal with 11 points on 5-of-12 shooting with one 3-pointer.
Success on Both Sides
The Purple were the only Summit League team to rank among the top three in both scoring offense (74.2) and scoring defense (70.2). St. Thomas joined South Dakota State as the only two teams in the league to rank among the top four in both 3-point field goal percentage and 3-point field goal percentage defense.
Keeping the Division III Pipeline
A newcomer to the team in 2023-24 is graduate student guard Raheem Anthony, a transfer from NCAA DIII Saint Mary's University in Winona, Minn. He was a two-time All-American (NABC, D3hoops.com) in 2022-23 after averaging 24.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game, and shooting 54.5 percent from the field. Anthony started all 78 games played in at Saint Mary's and averaged 19.3 points during three games against St. Thomas during the 2019-20 season. He's scored a career-high 41 points twice and currently has 1,408 career points.
Home Openers
Since taking over as head coach in 2011-12, Tauer is 11-1 in home openers. The only home-opening loss came Nov. 15, 2016 to UW-River Falls, 74-65, which was also the only season and home opener for the program over the past 12 seasons.
National Signing Day: Going Out of State
The Toms welcomed four signees this week as part of National Signing Day. Committing to join St. Thomas in 2024 are Kyle Counts (F, 6-7, Wilsonville, Ore./Wilsonville HS), Tim Franks (G, 6-5, Mequon, Wis./Homestead HS), Ryan Lafferty (G, 6-5, Spokane, Wash./Mt. Spokane HS), and Nolan Minessale (G, 6-5, Brookfield, Wis./Marquette University HS).
"We are thrilled to receive commitments from four outstanding seniors, two from Wisconsin and two from the Pacific Northwest," Head Coach Johnny Tauer said. "These four young men come from outstanding families, excel in the classroom and on the court, and are high character individuals who fit the fabric of our program exceptionally well. They will continue to build a strong foundation of Tommie Basketball that is predicated on unselfish, skilled, smart, and tough players who are committed to being the best they can be on and off the court."
Follow Along
For more information on St. Thomas Men's Basketball, follow along on X (formerly Twitter) at @TommieMBBall and on Instagram at @TommieHoops
Join Us
To reserve your seat to be a part of the Tommies' 2023-24 season, click HERE to view ticketing information and purchase options.
-- St. Thomas Athletics --
Student Giveaway
The first 400 students at Friday's game will get a Tommie Basketball t-shirt.
Series History
St. Thomas and Idaho State have met once all-time, a 76-70 win by the Tommies Dec. 10, 2022 in Pocatello, Idaho. Sophomore Ahjany Lee led all returners with 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting while the Purple took a 38-32 lead in the first half and led for the remainder of the game.
Last Time Out
St. Thomas fell to Cal, 71-66, during its 2023-24 season opener on Nov. 6 in Berkeley, Calif. The Tommies and Golden Bears traded leads 15 times with seven ties as the Purple held a 60-56 lead with 6:45 to play. Cal closed the game on a 15-6 run and finished the game with 22 free throw attempts compared to just three for St. Thomas.
The Cast
Graduate student forward Brooks Allen, who totaled 12 double-digit scoring games a season ago, led the Tommies with 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including three 3-pointers. He also added one of the team's three blocks, with the other two coming from sophomore forward Ahjany Lee in 10 minutes of action. Senior guard Drake Dobbs led all Tommies with 35 minutes played and scored a career-high 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting, going 2-of-3 from 3-point range and 2-of-3 from the free throw line, and tied for the team lead with three assists.
The Opposition
After hosting St. Thomas in 2022-23, Idaho State comes to St. Paul to face the Tommies for the second time ever. St. Thomas won the first ever meeting, 76-70 in Pocatello, Idaho. Head Coach Ryan Looney enters his fifth season with the Bengals, brings back eight returners from 2022-23, including two starters, and features nine newcomers, including five true freshmen. Idaho State opened its season with a 92-36 win over NAIA program Warner Pacific at MACU Center in Idaho Falls, Idaho.
Back From 2022-23
St. Thomas returns 10 letter winners and one redshirt freshman (Carter Bjerke, F), along with four newcomers. Among the newcomers is one transfer (Raheem Anthony, G) and three freshmen. Leading the pack is graduate student forward Parker Bjorklund who was named Preseason All-Summit League First Team. Fellow graduate student forward Brooks Allen also returns after starting all 33 games last season and playing in all 64 games for St. Thomas since joining NCAA Division I. Kendall Blue and Ahjany Lee come back for their sophomore seasons after Blue played in all 33 games, with 22 starts, and Lee played in 32 with four starts.
Tune In
Basketball fans can follow Friday's game on the Summit League Network, the official streaming partner of St. Thomas, and on FOX9+. Friday's game is the first of three games to be broadcast on FOX9+, including Jan. 6, 2024 against Sacramento State and Feb. 17, 2024 against University of South Dakota. Fans can also follow the game via Live Stats and tommiesports.com.
Power Five
The 2023-24 season opener was the third game for St. Thomas against a Power Five opponent as the previous two came last season. The Tommies opened the 2022-23 season at No. 9 Creighton (Big East) in front of a crowd of 17,098, holding a 57-56 lead against the Blue Jays with 9:58 to play before ultimately falling. The first Pac-12 opponent for St. Thomas came during a loss at Utah on Nov. 26. The Tommies face another preseason top 10, Power Five opponent this season Dec. 14 at No. 5 Marquette (Big East).
Lucky 13
Head Coach Johnny Tauer is in his 13th season at St. Thomas as the longest tenured head coach among all Summit League programs and among the top 40 in their current role among all DI men's basketball coaches.
Take Care of the Ball
Tauer's teams have historically taken care of the basketball and last season was no different. The Tommies ranked tied for 11th nationally for fewest total turnovers (327) after leading the category in 2021-22. The Purple also tied for 12th for fewest turnovers per game (9.9) and tied for 50th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.30). Of the 14 teams with as few or fewer turnovers per game, only four (Iowa, NC State, Oral Roberts, Toledo) finished with a higher scoring offense than St. Thomas' 74.2 points per game. St. Thomas recorded 10 or fewer turnovers in 21 of 33 games last season. The Tommies totaled 12 turnovers Nov. 6 against Cal.
Shoes to Fill
The Tommies have scoring production to replace as two of its top three scorers are no longer on the roster. Summit League Newcomer of the Year Andrew Rohde and 3-point shooter Riley Miller combined for 915 points. Bjorklund ranked second for St. Thomas with 393 points, averaging 15.5 points per game, and led the team in scoring during nine of the last 20 games, as the Tommies went 6-3 in those games. Allen and Blue followed Miller in scoring, as Allen scored 8.8 points per game and Blue added 7.4.
All Business for Bjorklund
Since joining the Tommies off the intramural courts, it's been all business for Parker Bjorklund as he's averaged double-digit scoring in each of his three seasons. He put in 12.6 points per game during the program's first DI season in 2021-22 on 54.4 percent shooting from the field. Bjorklund is averaging 13.8 points per game through his career on 53.5 percent shooting, the only Tommie with a career field goal percentage above .500 (minimum 250 FGA). He ranked second in the Summit League last season shooting 49.5 percent from the field and finished 13 games shooting above 50 percent while taking at least seven shots in all games. His 15.1 points per game ranked 10th in the Summit League and he's currently second among active Summit League student-athletes in career scoring average (13.9 PPG).
Bjorklund was third for the Tommies in scoring during the season-opening loss at Cal with 11 points on 5-of-12 shooting with one 3-pointer.
Success on Both Sides
The Purple were the only Summit League team to rank among the top three in both scoring offense (74.2) and scoring defense (70.2). St. Thomas joined South Dakota State as the only two teams in the league to rank among the top four in both 3-point field goal percentage and 3-point field goal percentage defense.
Keeping the Division III Pipeline
A newcomer to the team in 2023-24 is graduate student guard Raheem Anthony, a transfer from NCAA DIII Saint Mary's University in Winona, Minn. He was a two-time All-American (NABC, D3hoops.com) in 2022-23 after averaging 24.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game, and shooting 54.5 percent from the field. Anthony started all 78 games played in at Saint Mary's and averaged 19.3 points during three games against St. Thomas during the 2019-20 season. He's scored a career-high 41 points twice and currently has 1,408 career points.
Home Openers
Since taking over as head coach in 2011-12, Tauer is 11-1 in home openers. The only home-opening loss came Nov. 15, 2016 to UW-River Falls, 74-65, which was also the only season and home opener for the program over the past 12 seasons.
National Signing Day: Going Out of State
The Toms welcomed four signees this week as part of National Signing Day. Committing to join St. Thomas in 2024 are Kyle Counts (F, 6-7, Wilsonville, Ore./Wilsonville HS), Tim Franks (G, 6-5, Mequon, Wis./Homestead HS), Ryan Lafferty (G, 6-5, Spokane, Wash./Mt. Spokane HS), and Nolan Minessale (G, 6-5, Brookfield, Wis./Marquette University HS).
"We are thrilled to receive commitments from four outstanding seniors, two from Wisconsin and two from the Pacific Northwest," Head Coach Johnny Tauer said. "These four young men come from outstanding families, excel in the classroom and on the court, and are high character individuals who fit the fabric of our program exceptionally well. They will continue to build a strong foundation of Tommie Basketball that is predicated on unselfish, skilled, smart, and tough players who are committed to being the best they can be on and off the court."
Follow Along
For more information on St. Thomas Men's Basketball, follow along on X (formerly Twitter) at @TommieMBBall and on Instagram at @TommieHoops
Join Us
To reserve your seat to be a part of the Tommies' 2023-24 season, click HERE to view ticketing information and purchase options.
-- St. Thomas Athletics --
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