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Men bring youth to Division I heavies
Chris Solari
csolari@argusleader.com
Article Published: 11/10/05
BROOKINGS - Even though they can't play in the Big Dance, big-time basketball has arrived for the young South Dakota State men.
Kentucky, Illinois and Minnesota all before Christmas. Not to mention that two other NCAA Tournament qualifiers - Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Utah State - are also part of SDSU's strategy to make a splash by taking on anyone at any time.
In other words, welcome to the real Division I experience.
"When I was first coming here, Coach (Scott) Nagy promised me we'd be playing all these big teams and the best in the country," said sophomore Steve Holdren, who will get his wish Sunday when SDSU opens at No. 9 Kentucky on national television. "This year's schedule proves that."
SDSU went 10-18 a year ago in its first year as a member of Division I. But NCAA rules allowed the Jacks to play only a partial D-I schedule, and they won just once in 16 tries against opponents at their new level.
But in this second season of the transition, Nagy's club will play all but one of its 28 games against D-I schools. And the 11th-year coach didn't shy away from the top of the crop.
Case in point: the Jacks will open with Elite Eight and perennial powerhouse Kentucky on Sunday in the Guardians Classic. Five days later, it's on to Champaign, Ill., where they will play preseason All-American Dee Brown and NCAA runner-up Illinois.
SDSU's first two games will be broadcast on ESPNU, which is available locally on digital cable.
Along with playing one of the nation's most difficult schedules over the first two months, Nagy must also learn about his roster. The Jackrabbits have no seniors and only five letter winners to blend with 10 players who have yet to touch the court in a D-I game.
"We're very excited to be able to play a team that has the kind of history that Kentucky has, then five days later, we're at Illinois," Nagy said. "That doesn't really bode well for inexperience. But our players are excited about it, and our coaches are excited about being involved in that game."
Sophomore swingman Steve Holdren and junior forward Ben Beran will be leaned upon to provide much of the scoring and leadership. Both players were named to Street and Smith's preseason All-Division I Independent team.
Lanky-but-strong 6-foot-7 forward Beran was a bright spot in the post last year, leading the Jacks with 13.6 points a game and grabbed 5.9 rebounds a contest.
Holdren's sturdy 6-5 frame helped bring some stability to the backcourt in his freshman year, averaging 12.5 points and six rebounds a night with a slashing ability to go to the hoop.
"We just have to do our best to keep the team focused and play up to our abilities and bring the rest of the team along with us," Holdren said of the leadership style he and Beran need to bring.
They will be matched in the starting frontcourt by either 6-6 sophomore Michael Loney, who averaged 7.7 points last year while recovering from knee surgery, or 6-8 junior college transfer Mohamed Berté. Joe Green, a forward who started at the end of last season, left the team in the spring after his sophomore year.
Berté and 6-2 guard Jose Frias, though both newcomers, are older players who Nagy expects will eventually contribute significantly after the New Year, but both showed their potential in exhibition games with Morningside and Upper Iowa last week.
An athletic inside force from the Ivory Coast, Berté had 16 points and 19 rebounds in the two preseason games. Frias, a New York City product who last played collegiately in 2004, had 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting in the exhibition wins.
"A lot of times, transfers look great before practice starts because they're just allowed to play. But all of a sudden, practice starts and here comes all the information, all the new plays and all the things we do," Nagy said. "It's kind of like a computer that gets a virus - it just shuts them down.
Twin Cities products Matt Cadwell (6-3) and Andre Gilbert (6-7) are penciled in as the starting backcourt tandem, hoping to give the Jackrabbits the type of speed and athletic ability at the guard position which is critical at the Division I level.
Those two redshirt freshmen will be joined at guard by Mackenzie Casey (6-foot sophomore) and Andy Kleinjan (6-3 junior) - who have minimal playing experience - and James Keller (6-2 redshirt freshman).
Nagy said protecting the ball is critical after his team committed 40 turnovers to just 36 assists in exhibition play.
Four true freshmen will likely redshirt, but 6-10 forwards Robert Bilitz and Mark Engen are there if SDSU needs depth inside. Sully Buttes High product Blake Yackley (6-5 guard) and Canadian Cam Hornby (6-foot guard) round out the class.
With the amount of young players, the always temperamental Nagy found himself yelling at one of his guards at practice a few weeks ago, then realized just how little the player had accomplished.
"I went home, and I just thought to myself, this young man has not even played a college basketball game yet, and I'm expecting him to play like a senior," Nagy said. "There is a lot of inexperience out there, and it's going to take a little bit of time."
Reach Chris Solari at 977-3923.
Men bring youth to Division I heavies
Chris Solari
csolari@argusleader.com
Article Published: 11/10/05
BROOKINGS - Even though they can't play in the Big Dance, big-time basketball has arrived for the young South Dakota State men.
Kentucky, Illinois and Minnesota all before Christmas. Not to mention that two other NCAA Tournament qualifiers - Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Utah State - are also part of SDSU's strategy to make a splash by taking on anyone at any time.
In other words, welcome to the real Division I experience.
"When I was first coming here, Coach (Scott) Nagy promised me we'd be playing all these big teams and the best in the country," said sophomore Steve Holdren, who will get his wish Sunday when SDSU opens at No. 9 Kentucky on national television. "This year's schedule proves that."
SDSU went 10-18 a year ago in its first year as a member of Division I. But NCAA rules allowed the Jacks to play only a partial D-I schedule, and they won just once in 16 tries against opponents at their new level.
But in this second season of the transition, Nagy's club will play all but one of its 28 games against D-I schools. And the 11th-year coach didn't shy away from the top of the crop.
Case in point: the Jacks will open with Elite Eight and perennial powerhouse Kentucky on Sunday in the Guardians Classic. Five days later, it's on to Champaign, Ill., where they will play preseason All-American Dee Brown and NCAA runner-up Illinois.
SDSU's first two games will be broadcast on ESPNU, which is available locally on digital cable.
Along with playing one of the nation's most difficult schedules over the first two months, Nagy must also learn about his roster. The Jackrabbits have no seniors and only five letter winners to blend with 10 players who have yet to touch the court in a D-I game.
"We're very excited to be able to play a team that has the kind of history that Kentucky has, then five days later, we're at Illinois," Nagy said. "That doesn't really bode well for inexperience. But our players are excited about it, and our coaches are excited about being involved in that game."
Sophomore swingman Steve Holdren and junior forward Ben Beran will be leaned upon to provide much of the scoring and leadership. Both players were named to Street and Smith's preseason All-Division I Independent team.
Lanky-but-strong 6-foot-7 forward Beran was a bright spot in the post last year, leading the Jacks with 13.6 points a game and grabbed 5.9 rebounds a contest.
Holdren's sturdy 6-5 frame helped bring some stability to the backcourt in his freshman year, averaging 12.5 points and six rebounds a night with a slashing ability to go to the hoop.
"We just have to do our best to keep the team focused and play up to our abilities and bring the rest of the team along with us," Holdren said of the leadership style he and Beran need to bring.
They will be matched in the starting frontcourt by either 6-6 sophomore Michael Loney, who averaged 7.7 points last year while recovering from knee surgery, or 6-8 junior college transfer Mohamed Berté. Joe Green, a forward who started at the end of last season, left the team in the spring after his sophomore year.
Berté and 6-2 guard Jose Frias, though both newcomers, are older players who Nagy expects will eventually contribute significantly after the New Year, but both showed their potential in exhibition games with Morningside and Upper Iowa last week.
An athletic inside force from the Ivory Coast, Berté had 16 points and 19 rebounds in the two preseason games. Frias, a New York City product who last played collegiately in 2004, had 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting in the exhibition wins.
"A lot of times, transfers look great before practice starts because they're just allowed to play. But all of a sudden, practice starts and here comes all the information, all the new plays and all the things we do," Nagy said. "It's kind of like a computer that gets a virus - it just shuts them down.
Twin Cities products Matt Cadwell (6-3) and Andre Gilbert (6-7) are penciled in as the starting backcourt tandem, hoping to give the Jackrabbits the type of speed and athletic ability at the guard position which is critical at the Division I level.
Those two redshirt freshmen will be joined at guard by Mackenzie Casey (6-foot sophomore) and Andy Kleinjan (6-3 junior) - who have minimal playing experience - and James Keller (6-2 redshirt freshman).
Nagy said protecting the ball is critical after his team committed 40 turnovers to just 36 assists in exhibition play.
Four true freshmen will likely redshirt, but 6-10 forwards Robert Bilitz and Mark Engen are there if SDSU needs depth inside. Sully Buttes High product Blake Yackley (6-5 guard) and Canadian Cam Hornby (6-foot guard) round out the class.
With the amount of young players, the always temperamental Nagy found himself yelling at one of his guards at practice a few weeks ago, then realized just how little the player had accomplished.
"I went home, and I just thought to myself, this young man has not even played a college basketball game yet, and I'm expecting him to play like a senior," Nagy said. "There is a lot of inexperience out there, and it's going to take a little bit of time."
Reach Chris Solari at 977-3923.
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