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Here is an article about whats happen at UNC instead of playing an NCC schedule.
Article Published January 10, 2004
Bears freshman up to challenge
Story by Staff Reports
By Matt Schuman
schuman@greeleytrib.com
When Trei Steward decided to come to the University of Northern Colorado, he looked forward to the challenge of playing against the best Divsion I basketball had to offer.
Little did he know how quickly that challenge would come.
With the Bears' lineup decimated by injuries, the 6-foot-7, 265-pound freshman has been thrust into the starting role as the Bears center. He has the unenviable task
of trying to stop one of the nation's best players at 7 tonight when the Bears (3-12) face the University of Colorado (7-4) for the first time in 26 years at the Coors Events Center in Boulder.
Steward will face off against
CU preseason All-American David Harrison, the 7-foot, 250-pound center who could be a future NBA first-round pick.
While the prospect of facing a player the
caliber of Harrison might intimidate most freshman, Steward sees it as the opportunity he's been waiting for since coming out of Natrona County High School in Casper, Wyo., where he received recruiting interest from other Division I programs, including CU.
"I've never backed down from a challenge, and he's definitely the biggest challenge I've faced," Steward said. "So I'm really excited."
While the game couldn't have come at a worse time for UNC, which has been decimated by injuries in its first season of reclassification to Division I, it's games like these against high-profile Division I programs that UNC coach Craig Rasmuson realizes will sell his program now and in the future.
It's why the Bears have scheduled nine game this year against Division I schools and have already contracted to play Division I powerhouses Oklahoma and Gonzaga next season along with a verbal commitment to play CU.
Not only do the games like CU give national exposure to UNC, but they also bring in guaranteed money to the program. UNC will get $25,000 in guaranteed money from today's game alone.
"That's part of the dilemma of this move," Rasmuson said. "Some of our shortcomings are financial, so we're going to go ahead and play some games like this every year that will pay a healthy guarantee and give us an opportunity to put money not only into our fund, but the entire athletic program to help offset some budget woes you have when you make this big jump."
Still, Rasmuson knows how big a recruiting tool games like CU are for his program. Rasmuson said recent recruits like Steward would not have chosen to play at UNC if the school was not playing in Division I.
Steward agrees. And though he may have been thrown to the wolves a bit sooner than expected, he thinks there is no time like the present to face the tough challenges of playing Division I basketball.
"It is better to do it sooner than later," Steward said. "This experience this year is definitely going to pay off down the road for a lot of us on the team."
BEARS NOTES
Homecoming: Saturday will be a homecoming for UNC guard Erik Olson. Olson played his high school ball at Fairview High School in Boulder. Olson will have plenty of family in attendance, including his grandparents, who are flying in from Washington for the game. Olson is excited to play against the program he grew up watching. "Watching those guys when I was little, it was a dream, so yeah, it is definitely going to be awesome going over there again."
UNC connection: One of the reasons UNC was able to schedule a game with the Buffs was because of the school's connection with CU assistant coach Terry Dunn. Dunn is a 1977 graduate of UNC and a three-year letterwinner in both basketball and track and field.
Next up: Following Saturday, the road does not get any easier for UNC, who will travel to Ames, Iowa, to battle another Big 12 opponent on Tuesday, this time Iowa State in a contest that will be televised on ESPN Plus.
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Article Published January 10, 2004
Bears freshman up to challenge
Story by Staff Reports
By Matt Schuman
schuman@greeleytrib.com
When Trei Steward decided to come to the University of Northern Colorado, he looked forward to the challenge of playing against the best Divsion I basketball had to offer.
Little did he know how quickly that challenge would come.
With the Bears' lineup decimated by injuries, the 6-foot-7, 265-pound freshman has been thrust into the starting role as the Bears center. He has the unenviable task
of trying to stop one of the nation's best players at 7 tonight when the Bears (3-12) face the University of Colorado (7-4) for the first time in 26 years at the Coors Events Center in Boulder.
Steward will face off against
CU preseason All-American David Harrison, the 7-foot, 250-pound center who could be a future NBA first-round pick.
While the prospect of facing a player the
caliber of Harrison might intimidate most freshman, Steward sees it as the opportunity he's been waiting for since coming out of Natrona County High School in Casper, Wyo., where he received recruiting interest from other Division I programs, including CU.
"I've never backed down from a challenge, and he's definitely the biggest challenge I've faced," Steward said. "So I'm really excited."
While the game couldn't have come at a worse time for UNC, which has been decimated by injuries in its first season of reclassification to Division I, it's games like these against high-profile Division I programs that UNC coach Craig Rasmuson realizes will sell his program now and in the future.
It's why the Bears have scheduled nine game this year against Division I schools and have already contracted to play Division I powerhouses Oklahoma and Gonzaga next season along with a verbal commitment to play CU.
Not only do the games like CU give national exposure to UNC, but they also bring in guaranteed money to the program. UNC will get $25,000 in guaranteed money from today's game alone.
"That's part of the dilemma of this move," Rasmuson said. "Some of our shortcomings are financial, so we're going to go ahead and play some games like this every year that will pay a healthy guarantee and give us an opportunity to put money not only into our fund, but the entire athletic program to help offset some budget woes you have when you make this big jump."
Still, Rasmuson knows how big a recruiting tool games like CU are for his program. Rasmuson said recent recruits like Steward would not have chosen to play at UNC if the school was not playing in Division I.
Steward agrees. And though he may have been thrown to the wolves a bit sooner than expected, he thinks there is no time like the present to face the tough challenges of playing Division I basketball.
"It is better to do it sooner than later," Steward said. "This experience this year is definitely going to pay off down the road for a lot of us on the team."
BEARS NOTES
Homecoming: Saturday will be a homecoming for UNC guard Erik Olson. Olson played his high school ball at Fairview High School in Boulder. Olson will have plenty of family in attendance, including his grandparents, who are flying in from Washington for the game. Olson is excited to play against the program he grew up watching. "Watching those guys when I was little, it was a dream, so yeah, it is definitely going to be awesome going over there again."
UNC connection: One of the reasons UNC was able to schedule a game with the Buffs was because of the school's connection with CU assistant coach Terry Dunn. Dunn is a 1977 graduate of UNC and a three-year letterwinner in both basketball and track and field.
Next up: Following Saturday, the road does not get any easier for UNC, who will travel to Ames, Iowa, to battle another Big 12 opponent on Tuesday, this time Iowa State in a contest that will be televised on ESPN Plus.
Sort reader comments: No CommentsNestedFlatThread Oldest FirstNewest First
Greeley Tribune is not responsible for the content of reader comments.
All other content © 1999-2002 Greeley Tribune. All rights reserved.
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