University of St. Thomas Athletics
Thursday, February 22
Fargo, N.D. / Scheels Center
7:00 p.m. Central
at
North Dakota State
Photo by: Wendy Zins
Tommies make final road trip against top Summit League teams
2/20/2024 1:17:00 PM | Men's Basketball
St. Thomas to play North Dakota State Thursday, South Dakota State Saturday
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- St. Thomas men's basketball prepares for a tough and impactful road trip, its final of the season, with games at North Dakota State Feb. 22 and South Dakota State Feb. 24.
The Tommies (17-10, 7-5 Summit League) begin the weekend Thursday at 7 p.m. against the Bison, currently fourth in the Summit League standings, in Fargo, N.D., before its final road game of the season Saturday at 2 p.m. against the Jackrabbits, second in the conference standings, in Brookings, S.D.
TUNE IN
Basketball fans can watch both games on the Summit League Network and listen on ESPN 1500 AM radio with Corbu Stathes calling the action. Live stats are available at gobison.com and gojacks.com.
SERIES HISTORY | VS NORTH DAKOTA STATE
St. Thomas and North Dakota State have played 23 times in the series history, led by NDSU 13-10, dating back to the 1908-09 season. The Tommies are 2-3 against the Bison since joining the Summit League, nabbing its first win Dec. 21, 2022 at home 78-68.
Parker Bjorklund scored a career high 32 points Jan. 25 during St. Thomas' 79-66 win over NDSU, sinking 12-of-22 from the field. He added nine rebounds, two steals, two blocks and one assist, and has averaged 20.0 points per game over his last four against the Bison. Raheem Anthony scored 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting with five rebounds against NDSU, helping the Tommies overcame a six-point halftime deficit, one of its three wins this year when overcoming a halftime deficit.
THE OPPOSITION | NORTH DAKOTA STATE
North Dakota State is 13-14 and 6-6 in the Summit League following three wins over its last four games overall. The Bison had won three consecutive over Kansas City, Omaha and Oral Roberts before taking a 77-71 loss at Denver Saturday, Feb. 17. David Richman is 188-128 in his 10th season as head coach.
The Bison are led in scoring by senior Boden Skunberg with 14.6 points per game, which ranks eighth in the Summit League, as he also leads with 5.5 rebounds per game. Junior Andrew Morgan follows with 12.7 points per game while sophomore Damari Wheeler-Thomas averages 11.2 points. Freshman Noah Feddersen led NDSU with 20 points during the Jan. 25 meeting at St. Thomas.
NDSU is third in the Summit League with 76.4 points per game and sixth allowing 74.6 points. The Bison lead the conference shooting 47.5 percent from the field, ranking 40th nationally, and 38.4 percent from 3-point range, which is 14th in the country.
SERIES HISTORY | VS SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
St. Thomas and South Dakota State have met 21 times throughout the series history, led 13-8 by SDSU, including five meetings since the Tommies joined the Summit League in 2021-22.
The Jacks won the most recent meeting, 81-80, Jan. 11, 2024 in St. Paul on a last-second basket, handing the Tommies their first home loss of the season. Raheem Anthony led the Tommies with 21 points, going 5-of-9 from the field with two 3-pointers. Drake Dobbs added 18 points followed by Kendall Blue with 17.
THE OPPOSITION | SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
South Dakota State begins the week 15-12 overall and 8-4 in the Summit League. After dropping back-to-back games Jan. 27 and Feb. 1, SDSU has won three of its last four games. Eric Henderson is 102-47 overall in his fifth season as head coach.
The Jackrabbits have four athletes averaging double figure points, led by junior Zeke Mayo with 18.9 points per game, which ranks fourth in the conference, on 45.0 percent shooting overall and 36.7 percent from beyond the arc. Sophomore William Kyle III averages 13.7 points per game with a team best 6.7 rebounds per game. His field goal percentage of .628 leads the Summit League and is 13th in the country.
SDSU is second in the league with 76.7 points per game and fourth allowing 72.7 points per game. The Jacks lead the conference allowing opponents to shoot 41.8 percent from the field and rank second shooting 47.3 percent overall offensively. South Dakota State is 37th nationally and leads the Summit League with 27.4 defensive rebounds per game.
LAST TIME OUT | SOUTH DAKOTA
A strong second half comeback propelled St. Thomas men's basketball to an 83-80 victory over South Dakota Feb. 17, 2024 in Schoenecker Arena. The Tommies overcame a 14-point deficit, one of three halftime deficits overcome this season, and have now beat every team in the Summit League. The Coyotes shot 11-of-14 from 3-point range in the first half before being held without a 3-pointer in the second half.
THE CAST | VS SOUTH DAKOTA
Graduate student Raheem Anthony led the scoring efforts for the Purple, recording 20 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including 7-of-9 from the charity stripe. Anthony also tallied two rebounds, two steals, and a team-high eight assists in an all-around performance. Senior Drake Dobbs and graduate student Parker Bjorklund scored 18 and 17 points respectively, with Bjorklund recording his second double-double of the season, grabbing 11 rebounds along with one assist and three steals. The St. Thomas starting five recorded 75 of the teams 83 points on 52 percent shooting (27-of-52) from the field, 41 percent from beyond the arc (7-of-17), along with 20 rebounds, 15 assists, 10 steals, and two blocks in the victory.
AMONG THE BEST IN THE NATION
The Purple rank among the top 35 nationally in six categories this season, coming in tied for seventh with 9.1 turnovers per game, tied for 22nd with an effective field goal percentage of .553, tied for 26th with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.53, tied for 27th in scoring defense allowing 65.3 points per game, tied for 30th with a turnover margin of 3.1, and tied for 35th with 9.1 3-pointer per game.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
The Toms' defense has been the best in the Summit League to start the conference schedule, holding its league opponents to 69.5 points per game. St. Thomas' conference scoring margin of +6.4 is the best in the league, 2.9 more than the next highest. Overall, the Toms rank tied for 27th in the nation with 65.3 points allowed per game.
MARGIN FOR SUCCESS
St. Thomas has made a statement with its margin of victories thus far, beating its DI opponents by an average of 12.3 points per game, including an average of 15.7 points in Summit League wins. The Purple's margins of loss have been slim at 6.1 points per loss, including two league defeats coming by a combined two points, with three double-digit losses this season overall. Seven of the Toms' 10 losses have been by two or fewer possessions.
A GRACEFUL TRANSITION
St. Thomas is one of 11 teams currently making the transition into NCAA Division I. Of those 11 teams, the Tommies are the only one making the jump directly from the Division III ranks (while all 42 teams to transition to Division I since 2001 came from Division II). Among the current transitioning teams, St. Thomas is second to Tarleton State and tied with UC San Diego in total wins, is second to UC San Diego in Ken Pom Rankings, and third to the previous two in the NET Rankings.
TAKE CARE OF THE BALL
Tauer's teams have historically taken care of the basketball and this season is no different. The Tommies are currently tied for seventh nationally in fewest turnovers per game (9.1) after ranking tied for 11th nationally in the fewest total turnovers (327) last season and leading the category in 2021-22. Only Houston, Vermont and Virginia have a better scoring defense and fewer turnovers per game than St. Thomas nationally.
CONSISTENCY IS KEY
St. Thomas is one of 17 teams in the nation to feature two or fewer starting lineups this season. The group of Allen, Anthony, Bjorklund, Blue and Dobbs started the first 11 games this season before injury forced Anthony to miss the 12th game. That initial group has started the past 15 games.
BACK-TO-BACK FOR 32 POINTS
Bjorklund and Anthony recorded back-to-back 32-point performances during its home series against North Dakota State on Jan. 25 and North Dakota on Jan. 27, marking the first Tommie teammates with at least 32 points in consecutive games since at least the 2008-09 season.
Prior to the duo's 32-point games, the Tommies hadn't had multiple 30-point performances in a single season since 2019-20 when Anders Nelson scored 42 points Jan. 6 and 33 points Feb. 5.
HOME COOKING
The Tommies have embraced playing in front of the hometown crowd, going 23-4 over its last 27 home games. St. Thomas closed the 2021-22 season with a home win and went 12-2 last season, including a 10-game home winning streak, before opening the this season with seven straight home wins.
Since Feb. 26, 2022, St. Thomas has won its home games by an average margin of 20.5 points, including a margin of 15.1 points against Division I opponents. Seven of those wins against DI opponents have been by more than 20 points while just three were decided by less than 10 points.
READY FOR THE HOME STRETCH
The 2023-24 schedule is down to the final four games of the regular season, including two at home for St. Thomas. The Tommies set their top five attendance marks over its final five games of the 2022-23 season, while four home games in 2024 have topped that previous fifth-highest attendance number (1,505) set Jan. 26, 2023 against South Dakota State.
Record Men's Basketball Attendances
1. 2,013 vs. Oral Roberts (Feb. 9, 2023)
2. 1,723 vs. South Dakota (Jan. 28, 2023)
3. 1,674 vs. Western Illinois (Feb. 18, 2023)
4. 1,619 vs. Kansas City (Feb. 11, 2023)
5. 1,614 vs. North Dakota State (Jan. 11, 2024)
6. 1,540 vs. North Dakota (Jan. 27, 2024)
7. 1,515 vs. South Dakota State (Jan. 11, 2024)
8. 1,509 vs. South Dakota (Feb. 17, 2024)
9. 1,505 vs. South Dakota State (Jan. 26, 2023)
NOTHING BUT NET
When the NCAA's first NET Rankings were released on Dec. 4, St. Thomas was slotted at 175 and currently ranks 150, first in the Summit League ahead of South Dakota State (172) and Denver (226), through games on Feb. 19. The Tommies entered its matchup at No. 7 Marquette ranked 185 and jumped 20 spots to 165 following a five-point loss to the Golden Eagles. North Dakota State enters Tuesday ranked 244, fifth among Summit League programs.
I'M JUST KEN (POM RANKINGS)
The Tommies saw a more impressive ascent in the Ken Pom Rankings following the game at Marquette. The Purple entered Milwaukee, Wis., ranked 218 in the Ken Pom Rankings before moving up to 185 after the loss. St. Thomas, currently ranked 147, is first in the Summit League ahead of South Dakota State (165) and North Dakota (235). North Dakota State is 263 in the rankings, seventh in the league.
Of 363 NCAA Division I programs, St. Thomas ranks 350 in adjusted tempo with 63.4 possessions per 40 minutes. The Tommies are 126 with an adjusted offensive efficiency (points scored per 100 possessions) of 109.0 and 194 with an adjusted defensive efficiency (points allowed per 100 possessions) of 107.3.
GOING IN FOR THE KILL SHOT
St. Thomas has recorded a "Kill Shot," a scoring run of 10-0 or more, in 14 games this season, going 11-3 in those games. The largest scoring run of the season came against Sacramento State when it went on a spurt of 21-0.
Opponents have recorded a "Kill Shot" in six games against the Tommies, in which the Purple have gone 3-3. The largest run against St. Thomas were two 12-0 runs during a win at Western Michigan, a game in which the Toms put together two "Kill Shots," and the loss to SDSU.
PICK YOUR LEADER
The Tommies have seen nine different student-athletes lead the way in scoring and six lead in rebounds through their first 24 games. Bjorklund has led in rebounds 10 times, followed by Anthony nine times, Blue five times, Lee three times, and Nau and Allen twice.
Bjorklund has led in scoring 12 times while the next highest is Anthony with six, Allen and Dobbs with three, Blue with two, and Bjerke, Lee and Nau all with one. The Tommies have four athletes averaging at least 10 points and haven't had a quartet finish above that mark since the 2015-16 national championship season (excluding 2020-21 COVID season).
ALL BUSINESS FOR BJORKLUND
Bjorklund became the 39th member of the 1,000-point club at St. Thomas Saturday, Jan. 6 during the win over Sacramento State and became the first to reach 1,000 career points in Division I play Feb. 27, 2024 against North Dakota. He entered this season with 695 points in Division I play since 2021-22 and reached 1,000 Division I points at the 5:39 mark in the second half against the Fighting Hawks. Bjorklund has 1,146 career points following a career high 32 Jan. 25 in a win over North Dakota State along with 455 career rebounds, six shy of tying John Morin (1971-75) for 28th all-time at St. Thomas.
THE 1,500 POINT/NEWCOMER CLUB
Raheem Anthony, a transfer from NCAA DIII Saint Mary's University in Winona, Minn., eclipsed 1,500 career points Dec. 6, 2023 during a 75-71 win over Milwaukee. 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 in three games against St. Thomas during the 2019-20 season.
St. Thomas has five members of the 1,500-point club, all besides Anthony scored the entirety of their points in the Purple and Gray. Anthony is the first Tommie to reach the 1,500 mark since Karnell James (1993-97) who finished his career with 1,854. Six Tommies have transferred into the program and ended their careers with at least 1,000 points. Anthony has 1,732 career points and also 737 career rebounds, including 620 at Saint Mary's, in 104 career games played.
Anthony is second on the Tommies with 12.5 points per game and leads with 3.1 assists per game, with at least three assists in 13 games this season and an eight-assist performance Dec. 10 in a win at Chicago State. He scored a previous season-high 23 points on 7-of-9 shooting to push him over the 1,500 point mark against Milwaukee.
HOLDING 'EM BELOW 45
The Purple held a Summit League opponent at 45 points or fewer in a game for the second time over the past two seasons following its 70-45 win at North Dakota. St. Thomas previously defeated Kansas City, 73-43, on Feb. 11, 2023. No other team in the Summit League has held a conference opponent to 45 points or fewer multiple times since 2021-22. Denver, Kansas City, and Oral Roberts have all done it once since then.
JOINING ELITE COMPANY
Johnny Tauer is one of seven active head coaches among all of NCAA with at least 250 career wins and a .737 winning percentage at one program.
The Tommies (17-10, 7-5 Summit League) begin the weekend Thursday at 7 p.m. against the Bison, currently fourth in the Summit League standings, in Fargo, N.D., before its final road game of the season Saturday at 2 p.m. against the Jackrabbits, second in the conference standings, in Brookings, S.D.
TUNE IN
Basketball fans can watch both games on the Summit League Network and listen on ESPN 1500 AM radio with Corbu Stathes calling the action. Live stats are available at gobison.com and gojacks.com.
SERIES HISTORY | VS NORTH DAKOTA STATE
St. Thomas and North Dakota State have played 23 times in the series history, led by NDSU 13-10, dating back to the 1908-09 season. The Tommies are 2-3 against the Bison since joining the Summit League, nabbing its first win Dec. 21, 2022 at home 78-68.
Parker Bjorklund scored a career high 32 points Jan. 25 during St. Thomas' 79-66 win over NDSU, sinking 12-of-22 from the field. He added nine rebounds, two steals, two blocks and one assist, and has averaged 20.0 points per game over his last four against the Bison. Raheem Anthony scored 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting with five rebounds against NDSU, helping the Tommies overcame a six-point halftime deficit, one of its three wins this year when overcoming a halftime deficit.
THE OPPOSITION | NORTH DAKOTA STATE
North Dakota State is 13-14 and 6-6 in the Summit League following three wins over its last four games overall. The Bison had won three consecutive over Kansas City, Omaha and Oral Roberts before taking a 77-71 loss at Denver Saturday, Feb. 17. David Richman is 188-128 in his 10th season as head coach.
The Bison are led in scoring by senior Boden Skunberg with 14.6 points per game, which ranks eighth in the Summit League, as he also leads with 5.5 rebounds per game. Junior Andrew Morgan follows with 12.7 points per game while sophomore Damari Wheeler-Thomas averages 11.2 points. Freshman Noah Feddersen led NDSU with 20 points during the Jan. 25 meeting at St. Thomas.
NDSU is third in the Summit League with 76.4 points per game and sixth allowing 74.6 points. The Bison lead the conference shooting 47.5 percent from the field, ranking 40th nationally, and 38.4 percent from 3-point range, which is 14th in the country.
SERIES HISTORY | VS SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
St. Thomas and South Dakota State have met 21 times throughout the series history, led 13-8 by SDSU, including five meetings since the Tommies joined the Summit League in 2021-22.
The Jacks won the most recent meeting, 81-80, Jan. 11, 2024 in St. Paul on a last-second basket, handing the Tommies their first home loss of the season. Raheem Anthony led the Tommies with 21 points, going 5-of-9 from the field with two 3-pointers. Drake Dobbs added 18 points followed by Kendall Blue with 17.
THE OPPOSITION | SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
South Dakota State begins the week 15-12 overall and 8-4 in the Summit League. After dropping back-to-back games Jan. 27 and Feb. 1, SDSU has won three of its last four games. Eric Henderson is 102-47 overall in his fifth season as head coach.
The Jackrabbits have four athletes averaging double figure points, led by junior Zeke Mayo with 18.9 points per game, which ranks fourth in the conference, on 45.0 percent shooting overall and 36.7 percent from beyond the arc. Sophomore William Kyle III averages 13.7 points per game with a team best 6.7 rebounds per game. His field goal percentage of .628 leads the Summit League and is 13th in the country.
SDSU is second in the league with 76.7 points per game and fourth allowing 72.7 points per game. The Jacks lead the conference allowing opponents to shoot 41.8 percent from the field and rank second shooting 47.3 percent overall offensively. South Dakota State is 37th nationally and leads the Summit League with 27.4 defensive rebounds per game.
LAST TIME OUT | SOUTH DAKOTA
A strong second half comeback propelled St. Thomas men's basketball to an 83-80 victory over South Dakota Feb. 17, 2024 in Schoenecker Arena. The Tommies overcame a 14-point deficit, one of three halftime deficits overcome this season, and have now beat every team in the Summit League. The Coyotes shot 11-of-14 from 3-point range in the first half before being held without a 3-pointer in the second half.
THE CAST | VS SOUTH DAKOTA
Graduate student Raheem Anthony led the scoring efforts for the Purple, recording 20 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including 7-of-9 from the charity stripe. Anthony also tallied two rebounds, two steals, and a team-high eight assists in an all-around performance. Senior Drake Dobbs and graduate student Parker Bjorklund scored 18 and 17 points respectively, with Bjorklund recording his second double-double of the season, grabbing 11 rebounds along with one assist and three steals. The St. Thomas starting five recorded 75 of the teams 83 points on 52 percent shooting (27-of-52) from the field, 41 percent from beyond the arc (7-of-17), along with 20 rebounds, 15 assists, 10 steals, and two blocks in the victory.
AMONG THE BEST IN THE NATION
The Purple rank among the top 35 nationally in six categories this season, coming in tied for seventh with 9.1 turnovers per game, tied for 22nd with an effective field goal percentage of .553, tied for 26th with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.53, tied for 27th in scoring defense allowing 65.3 points per game, tied for 30th with a turnover margin of 3.1, and tied for 35th with 9.1 3-pointer per game.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
The Toms' defense has been the best in the Summit League to start the conference schedule, holding its league opponents to 69.5 points per game. St. Thomas' conference scoring margin of +6.4 is the best in the league, 2.9 more than the next highest. Overall, the Toms rank tied for 27th in the nation with 65.3 points allowed per game.
MARGIN FOR SUCCESS
St. Thomas has made a statement with its margin of victories thus far, beating its DI opponents by an average of 12.3 points per game, including an average of 15.7 points in Summit League wins. The Purple's margins of loss have been slim at 6.1 points per loss, including two league defeats coming by a combined two points, with three double-digit losses this season overall. Seven of the Toms' 10 losses have been by two or fewer possessions.
A GRACEFUL TRANSITION
St. Thomas is one of 11 teams currently making the transition into NCAA Division I. Of those 11 teams, the Tommies are the only one making the jump directly from the Division III ranks (while all 42 teams to transition to Division I since 2001 came from Division II). Among the current transitioning teams, St. Thomas is second to Tarleton State and tied with UC San Diego in total wins, is second to UC San Diego in Ken Pom Rankings, and third to the previous two in the NET Rankings.
TAKE CARE OF THE BALL
Tauer's teams have historically taken care of the basketball and this season is no different. The Tommies are currently tied for seventh nationally in fewest turnovers per game (9.1) after ranking tied for 11th nationally in the fewest total turnovers (327) last season and leading the category in 2021-22. Only Houston, Vermont and Virginia have a better scoring defense and fewer turnovers per game than St. Thomas nationally.
CONSISTENCY IS KEY
St. Thomas is one of 17 teams in the nation to feature two or fewer starting lineups this season. The group of Allen, Anthony, Bjorklund, Blue and Dobbs started the first 11 games this season before injury forced Anthony to miss the 12th game. That initial group has started the past 15 games.
BACK-TO-BACK FOR 32 POINTS
Bjorklund and Anthony recorded back-to-back 32-point performances during its home series against North Dakota State on Jan. 25 and North Dakota on Jan. 27, marking the first Tommie teammates with at least 32 points in consecutive games since at least the 2008-09 season.
Prior to the duo's 32-point games, the Tommies hadn't had multiple 30-point performances in a single season since 2019-20 when Anders Nelson scored 42 points Jan. 6 and 33 points Feb. 5.
HOME COOKING
The Tommies have embraced playing in front of the hometown crowd, going 23-4 over its last 27 home games. St. Thomas closed the 2021-22 season with a home win and went 12-2 last season, including a 10-game home winning streak, before opening the this season with seven straight home wins.
Since Feb. 26, 2022, St. Thomas has won its home games by an average margin of 20.5 points, including a margin of 15.1 points against Division I opponents. Seven of those wins against DI opponents have been by more than 20 points while just three were decided by less than 10 points.
READY FOR THE HOME STRETCH
The 2023-24 schedule is down to the final four games of the regular season, including two at home for St. Thomas. The Tommies set their top five attendance marks over its final five games of the 2022-23 season, while four home games in 2024 have topped that previous fifth-highest attendance number (1,505) set Jan. 26, 2023 against South Dakota State.
Record Men's Basketball Attendances
1. 2,013 vs. Oral Roberts (Feb. 9, 2023)
2. 1,723 vs. South Dakota (Jan. 28, 2023)
3. 1,674 vs. Western Illinois (Feb. 18, 2023)
4. 1,619 vs. Kansas City (Feb. 11, 2023)
5. 1,614 vs. North Dakota State (Jan. 11, 2024)
6. 1,540 vs. North Dakota (Jan. 27, 2024)
7. 1,515 vs. South Dakota State (Jan. 11, 2024)
8. 1,509 vs. South Dakota (Feb. 17, 2024)
9. 1,505 vs. South Dakota State (Jan. 26, 2023)
NOTHING BUT NET
When the NCAA's first NET Rankings were released on Dec. 4, St. Thomas was slotted at 175 and currently ranks 150, first in the Summit League ahead of South Dakota State (172) and Denver (226), through games on Feb. 19. The Tommies entered its matchup at No. 7 Marquette ranked 185 and jumped 20 spots to 165 following a five-point loss to the Golden Eagles. North Dakota State enters Tuesday ranked 244, fifth among Summit League programs.
I'M JUST KEN (POM RANKINGS)
The Tommies saw a more impressive ascent in the Ken Pom Rankings following the game at Marquette. The Purple entered Milwaukee, Wis., ranked 218 in the Ken Pom Rankings before moving up to 185 after the loss. St. Thomas, currently ranked 147, is first in the Summit League ahead of South Dakota State (165) and North Dakota (235). North Dakota State is 263 in the rankings, seventh in the league.
Of 363 NCAA Division I programs, St. Thomas ranks 350 in adjusted tempo with 63.4 possessions per 40 minutes. The Tommies are 126 with an adjusted offensive efficiency (points scored per 100 possessions) of 109.0 and 194 with an adjusted defensive efficiency (points allowed per 100 possessions) of 107.3.
GOING IN FOR THE KILL SHOT
St. Thomas has recorded a "Kill Shot," a scoring run of 10-0 or more, in 14 games this season, going 11-3 in those games. The largest scoring run of the season came against Sacramento State when it went on a spurt of 21-0.
Opponents have recorded a "Kill Shot" in six games against the Tommies, in which the Purple have gone 3-3. The largest run against St. Thomas were two 12-0 runs during a win at Western Michigan, a game in which the Toms put together two "Kill Shots," and the loss to SDSU.
PICK YOUR LEADER
The Tommies have seen nine different student-athletes lead the way in scoring and six lead in rebounds through their first 24 games. Bjorklund has led in rebounds 10 times, followed by Anthony nine times, Blue five times, Lee three times, and Nau and Allen twice.
Bjorklund has led in scoring 12 times while the next highest is Anthony with six, Allen and Dobbs with three, Blue with two, and Bjerke, Lee and Nau all with one. The Tommies have four athletes averaging at least 10 points and haven't had a quartet finish above that mark since the 2015-16 national championship season (excluding 2020-21 COVID season).
ALL BUSINESS FOR BJORKLUND
Bjorklund became the 39th member of the 1,000-point club at St. Thomas Saturday, Jan. 6 during the win over Sacramento State and became the first to reach 1,000 career points in Division I play Feb. 27, 2024 against North Dakota. He entered this season with 695 points in Division I play since 2021-22 and reached 1,000 Division I points at the 5:39 mark in the second half against the Fighting Hawks. Bjorklund has 1,146 career points following a career high 32 Jan. 25 in a win over North Dakota State along with 455 career rebounds, six shy of tying John Morin (1971-75) for 28th all-time at St. Thomas.
THE 1,500 POINT/NEWCOMER CLUB
Raheem Anthony, a transfer from NCAA DIII Saint Mary's University in Winona, Minn., eclipsed 1,500 career points Dec. 6, 2023 during a 75-71 win over Milwaukee. 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 in three games against St. Thomas during the 2019-20 season.
St. Thomas has five members of the 1,500-point club, all besides Anthony scored the entirety of their points in the Purple and Gray. Anthony is the first Tommie to reach the 1,500 mark since Karnell James (1993-97) who finished his career with 1,854. Six Tommies have transferred into the program and ended their careers with at least 1,000 points. Anthony has 1,732 career points and also 737 career rebounds, including 620 at Saint Mary's, in 104 career games played.
Anthony is second on the Tommies with 12.5 points per game and leads with 3.1 assists per game, with at least three assists in 13 games this season and an eight-assist performance Dec. 10 in a win at Chicago State. He scored a previous season-high 23 points on 7-of-9 shooting to push him over the 1,500 point mark against Milwaukee.
HOLDING 'EM BELOW 45
The Purple held a Summit League opponent at 45 points or fewer in a game for the second time over the past two seasons following its 70-45 win at North Dakota. St. Thomas previously defeated Kansas City, 73-43, on Feb. 11, 2023. No other team in the Summit League has held a conference opponent to 45 points or fewer multiple times since 2021-22. Denver, Kansas City, and Oral Roberts have all done it once since then.
JOINING ELITE COMPANY
Johnny Tauer is one of seven active head coaches among all of NCAA with at least 250 career wins and a .737 winning percentage at one program.
| Head Coach | School | Wins | Pct. |
| Mark Few | Gonzaga | 708 | .834 |
| Tom Brown | West Texas A&M | 260 | .818 |
| Ben McCollum | Northwest Mo. State | 386 | .811 |
| Joe Lombardi | Indiana (PA) | 416 | .782 |
| Jeff Young | Walsh | 453 | .758 |
| Mitch Oliver | Albertus Magnus | 330 | .742 |
| Johnny Tauer | St. Thomas | 264 | .737 |
Tauer is also one of 15 active head coaches with at least 250 career wins with a .737 winning percentage at any program.
Since taking over as head coach in 2011, Tauer has averaged 20.5 wins per season heading into 2023-24. He is the fastest to reach 250 career wins in program history, joining Steve Fritz (594-246) and Tom Feely (417-269). Tauer was a senior with Tommie Basketball when Fritz reached the 250-milestone in 1995 and Fritz was a senior for the program when Feely reached the milestone in 1970-71.
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 50 in their current role among all DI men's basketball coaches. He leads league head coaches with a .737 winning percentage and is third in career wins (264).
| 2023-24 Summit League Head Coaches | |||
| Head Coach | School | Wins | Pct. |
| Paul Sather | North Dakota | 342 | .586 |
| Marvin Menzies | Kansas City | 269 | .580 |
| Johnny Tauer | St. Thomas | 264 | .737 |
| David Richman | North Dakota State | 188 | .595 |
| Eric Henderson | South Dakota State | 102 | .685 |
| Jeff Wulbrun | Denver | 41 | .446 |
| Chris Crutchfield | Omaha | 32 | .405 |
| Eric Peterson | South Dakota | 22 | .379 |
| Russell Springmann | Oral Roberts | 11 | .423 |
Tauer's winning percentage of .737 ranks 15th among active head coaches across all of NCAA (Division I, II, and III) with at least 10 years of experience. The only head coaches at their current NCAA DI programs for at least 10 seasons with a higher winning percentage than Tauer are John Calipari (Kentucky), Mark Few (Gonzaga), and Bill Self (Kansas).
DOCTOR, DOCTOR
An NCAA Postgraduate Scholar and Academic All-America honoree, Head Coach Johnny Tauer earned master's and PhD degrees in social psychology at UW-Madison. He returned to St. Thomas as a member of the faculty in 2000 before being promoted to full professor in 2011. Tauer taught for 21 years at St. Thomas and is one of the only head college basketball coaches in the nation to be a tenured faculty member and to hold a doctorate in sport-related psychology. He has published academic work on motivation, goal setting and competition in top academic journals, in addition to a book on youth sports, parents and motivation titled "Why Less is More for WOSPs (Well-Intentioned, Overinvolved Sports Parents); How to Be the Best Sport Parent You Can Be."
SUSTAINED EXCELLENCE
Head Coach Johnny Tauer's excellence within the Tommie Men's Basketball program dates back to his days as an Academic All-American that led to his induction to the St. Thomas Athletics Hall of Fame in 2001. As a student-athlete from 1991-95, Tauer was an All-MIAC player, first team All-West Region, and as a senior led the 1994-95 Toms to a school-record 27-0 start, including an MIAC Championship with an unprecedented 20-0 record. He helped the Toms to NCAA DIII Tournament berths in 1992-93, 1993-94, and 1994-95, including a run to the Final Four in 1993-94. Tauer ranks 25th in career scoring (1,219 points) and 23rd in career rebounding (482) at St. Thomas and was the school 3-point leader until 1999-2000.
After earning master's and PhD degrees at Wisconsin, Tauer joined the Tommie Men's Basketball coaching staff as an assistant coach and ran the St. Thomas defense for two seasons (2001-03) and also directed the Tommies' offensive sets that had consistently ranked among the best in NCAA basketball in overall offensive efficiency, field-goal percentage, 3-point proficiency, fewest turnovers, and assist-to-turnover ratio. With Tauer serving as an assistant, the Toms won the 2010-11 DIII National Championship title, made a run to the 2008-09 Final Four, and totaled seven DIII National Tournament runs.
With the retirement of longtime head coach Steve Fritz in 2011, Tauer took over the program and continued its storied tradition with another national title in 2015-16, a Final Four run in 2012-13, and five DIII National Tournament appearances.
As a student-athlete, assistant coach, and head coach at St. Thomas, Tauer has helped the Tommies to 597 wins in 28 seasons, averaging out to over 20 wins per season. He's been part of 19 conference titles, 15 national tournament appearances, three Final Fours, and two national championships.
POWER SIX
St. Thomas played two games against Power Six opponents this season, a 71-66 season-opening loss Nov. 6 at Cal and an 84-79 loss Dec. 14 at No. 7 Marquette. The 71 points scored against the Tommies is the Golden Bears' third lowest offensive output of their season. Marquette allowed its most points (79) to St. Thomas while the margin of victory (5) was the second smallest for MU this season.
The meeting against Marquette was the second game against a Top 10 Big East opponent in as many years for St. Thomas after opening the 2022-23 campaign at No. 9 Creighton. The Tommies overcame a double-digit deficit to lead in the second half against the Bluejays and nearly overcame a double-digit deficit to the Golden Eagles, pulling within one point multiple times against MU.
The Tommies have now played four Power Six opponents over the past two seasons, adding a loss Nov. 26, 2022 at Utah for its first ever game against a Pac-12 opponent.
A FRESHMAN FEAT
Redshirt freshman Carter Bjerke scored 14 points Nov. 12 against North Central, setting a career high. In doing so, he became the eighth freshman under Head Coach Johnny Tauer with a 14+ point performance within his first three career games.
2022-23
Kendall Blue: 15 pts vs. St. Francis Brooklyn (3rd career game)
Ahjany Lee: 14 pts vs. Chicago State (2nd career game)
Andrew Rohde: 15 pts vs. Creighton (1st career game)
2020-21
Parker Bjorklund: 15 pts vs. Concordia College (Minn.) (2nd career game)
2019-20
Will Engels: 15 pts vs. Whitman (1st career game)
2018-19
Anders Nelson: 24 pts vs. Emerson (2nd career game)
2017-18
Burt Hedstrom: 15 pts vs. St. Scholastica (3rd career game)
PREP CHAMPIONSHIP PEDIGREE
Five of the Tommies' 15 student-athletes have reached the ultimate pinnacle of their high school prep careers, winning state titles, while COVID brought another imminent title run to a halt. Three others also led their programs to Minnesota State Tournament appearances in Kendall Blue (2018-22) and Courtney Brown, Jr., (2015-19) at East Ridge High School and Adam Tauer (2019-23) at Cretin-Derham Hall.
Carter Bjerke - Wayzata HS
- 2020-21 Class AAAA MSHSL State Championship - 2021-22 Runner-Ups
Drake Dobbs - Eden Prairie HS
- 2019-20 28-0 and #10 in the nation (COVID shortened season)
Ryan Dufault - Waseca HS
- 2020-21 Class AA MSHSL State Championship - Game-winner with 3 seconds left
Ben Nau - Brookfield Central HS
- 2018-19 WIAA Division I State Championship
Hayden Tibbits - Wayzata HS
- 2020-21/2022-23 Class AAAA MSHSL State Championship - 2021-22 Runner-Ups
Ahjany Lee - Totino-Grace HS
- 2021-22 Class AAA MSHSL State Championship
THE MAKEUP OF THE TOMMIE ROSTER
The heart of the St. Thomas men's basketball program is comprised from Minnesota natives, including 10 of 15 student-athletes, Head Coach Johnny Tauer and Assistant Coach Cameron Rundles. Four of the remaining five student-athletes hail from Illinois while one is from Wisconsin.
The squad has nine guards and six forwards with an average height of 6-foot-4-inches, which ranks tied for 223rd in the nation among tallest teams. The Purple have three graduate students, four seniors, two juniors, two sophomores, one redshirt freshman, and three true freshmen.
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
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-- St. Thomas Athletics --
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/ Men's BasketballTommie Men's Basketball: Summit League Tournament Cinematic Recap 2025
Thursday, March 20
Press Conference: Tommie Men's Basketball Postgame vs Kansas City 03-01-25
Sunday, March 02
Press Conference: Tommie Men's Basketball Postgame vs Omaha 02/15/25
Sunday, February 16
Tommie Men's Basketball vs NDSU: Cinematic Recap
Wednesday, February 05
