New Opportunities Await Young Cobbers

MIAC men's basketball preview courtesy of Matt Higgins and the MIAC office


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ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The 2013-14 men's basketball season is about to tip off in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) and a similar question surrounds the league as the season begins: can anyone knock off defending conference champion St. Thomas?

 A year ago, the Tommies finished 30-2 overall and 19-1 in the conference en route to both the MIAC's regular season and Playoff championships. Head Coach John Tauer and his team were ranked No. 1 in the nation for much of the season, and reached the NCAA Division III Final Four for the second time in three years. This year, UST had similarly high expectations, but it graduated a ton of talent and a handful of top conference contenders feel this could be their chance to topple the Tommies.

One of those challengers is Augsburg, which returns a ton of talent from last season's 20-win team. The Auggies were 21-7 overall and 14-6 in MIAC play to finish third in the regular-season standings, and Augsburg was the runner-up to the Tommies in the MIAC Playoffs. Second-place Concordia was the only team to beat St. Thomas in the regular season a year ago, though the Cobbers graduated a lot of talent from last season's 18-8 team (15-5 MIAC).

Carleton finished fourth a year ago with an overall record of 16-11 and a conference mark of 12-8, and just a game back of the Knights there was a three-way tie for fifth to demonstrate the MIAC's parity. Bethel (15-11, 11-9 MIAC), Saint John's (12-14, 11-9 MIAC) and Gustavus (14-11, 11-9 MIAC) all shared fifth place, with the Royals and Johnnies holding tiebreaker criteria to grab the final two spots in the MIAC Playoff field. Those same teams hope to be gunning for the postseason, and title contention, again in 2013-14.

St. Olaf finished 9-16 overall and 8-12 in the MIAC a year ago, but most of the Oles' top talent is back to fuel optimism in Northfield. Hamline (8-17, 5-15) and Saint Mary's (4-21, 3-17) both enter the new season with optimism thanks to new head coaches hoping to lead a resurgence, and Macalester (4-21, 1-19 MIAC) also enters 2013-14 with thoughts of moving up the MIAC standings.

The season officially can begin Friday, with conference competition starting up early next month and really heating up after the holiday break. It should be another exciting and entertaining season in the gyms and arenas of the MIAC, with a lot of talent back, and plenty of new faces ready to burst onto the scene.

TOMMIES TOP PREDICTIONS AGAIN
After last season's dominant run, it's no surprise to learn the MIAC coaches expect St. Thomas to sit atop the conference standings again this season. The Tommies were the unanimous choice to claim the league title with 10 first-place votes and 100 points to top the 2013-14 MIAC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll. Since coaches are not allowed to vote for their own team in the poll, St. Thomas received every possible point as it seeks its ninth-straight conference crown.

A talented returning lineup at Augsburg was solidly selected as the top challenger to St. Thomas' run at the top, as the Auggies were second with the other first-place vote and 91 points. The next trio of contenders was extremely close, with just four points separating three teams. Saint John's was picked third with 72 points, Gustavus had 70 points in fourth and St. Olaf received 69 points to round out the top five. Carleton finished with 52 points in the poll, as the coaches predict the Knights to claim the sixth and final spot in the MIAC Playoffs.

The league's coaches expect Hamline and Concordia to also be in the mix for postseason bids, as Hamline finished seventh in the poll with 46 points and Concordia was eight with 42 points. Bethel came in ninth with 31 points while Macalester (17) and Saint Mary's (15) finished out the final two spots in the standings.

COACHING MILESTONES AND COACHING CAROUSEL
There is certainly a mix of veterans and rookies among the MIAC men's basketball head coaches in 2013-14, highlighted by a pair of major coaching milestones. Saint John's Jim Smith embarks on his 50th season leading the Johnnies, and Carleton's Guy Kalland is beginning his 30th season on the Knights' bench. St. Olaf's Dan Kosmoski also hits a major milestone in 2013-14, as it's his 20th season leading the Oles.

There are several brand new faces around the league as well, as three teams made coaching changes in the offseason. Doug Novak replaces Jeff Westlund at Bethel after stints as an assistant at Tulane and The Citadel. Prior to that, Novak was the head coach at Division II Anderson University. Jim Hayes takes over at Hamline for Nelson Whitmore, and Hayes is no stranger to the MIAC. The Piper grad is back at his alma mater after serving as an assistant at Hamline, Carleton and St. Thomas. Saint Mary's also made a change, as Jamison Rusthoven takes over for Todd Landrum. Rusthoven is a St. Thomas grad and a few of his previous jobs included stints as an assistant at Hamline, Concordia-St. Paul and UW-Platteville.

WHO'S BACK?
The Tommies were forced to wave goodbye to stars such as Tommy Hannon, John Nance and Will DeBerg, All-MIAC players who helped UST reach two Final Fours and win a national title in 2010. However, Tauer's cupboard certainly isn't bare, and expectations are as high as ever. Point guard Erik Tengwall returns to run the show, and frontcourt players Zach Riedeman and Conner Nord appear ready to step into starring roles for St. Thomas.

Augsburg and Head Coach Aaron Griess may have the most proven talent back, starting with All-MIAC and All-Region center Dan Kornbaum who was top three in the MIAC in scoring, rebounds and blocked shots a year ago. Guard Parker Hines and sophomore forward Brett Rasmussen give the Auggies a nucleus that inspire title aspirations in Minneapolis.

Saint John's looks to move from Playoff contender to championship contender in Smith's milestone 50th season. Senior Seth Marx is back after an All-MIAC junior season, and he'll be counted on to lead, with a pair of sophomore talents - Mitchell Kuck and Alex Schmitt - ready for increased responsibilities after their successful collegiate debuts.

Gustavus graduated talented duo Ben Biewen and Jim Hill, but have upperclassmen who are ready to lead the team back into the Playoffs in Head Coach Mark Hanson's 24th season. Senior sharpshooter Jordan Dick is back, as are juniors Isaac Tapp and Martin Freddersen. The Oles return nearly all of their scoring from a year ago, starting with All-MIAC Honorable Mention duo Connor Gunderson and Sterling Nielsen. Guard Josh Pratt will team with Nielsen in the backcourt to bolster the Oles' hopes in Kosmoski's 20th season.

Carleton has the tough task of replacing stars Tom Sawatzke and Scott Theisen, but hopes are high in Kalland's 30th season with the Knights. Senior forward Taylor Hanson leads the returners, along with 2011-12 All-MIAC wing Shane McSparron and sophomore forward John Eckert. Hamline has high hopes for the first year of the Hayes era led by forward Dior Ford, who averaged nearly 14 points and five rebounds per game a year ago. Guard Tyler Pannell and forward Austin Johnson also return for the Pipers.

Concordia Head Coach Rich Glas has to replace all five starters from last year's runner-up team, but has a pair of players ready for expanded roles in sophomore forward Jordan Bolger and junior guard Ryan Rude. Novak's first season at Bethel comes after the graduation of MIAC Player-of-the-Year Taylor Hall, but All-MIAC forward Kyle Zimmerman and senior guards Quinn Gorski and Derek Wolhowe should help make for a smooth transition.

Macalester Head Coach Tim Whittle welcomes back Dylan Kilgour and his 12.6 points per game from a breakout freshman campaign a year ago, and the Scots also have sophomore guard Kyle Bernhard and junior forward Bert Yaffe back in the lineup. Saint Mary's tries to replace two-time All-MIAC pick Michael Burfeind, but junior guard Evan Pederson and sophomore forward Will Swiggum are back to lead the Cardinals in Rusthoven's rookie campaign.

CIRCLE THESE DATES
Fans don't have much longer to wait, as the 2013-14 campaign begins Friday. Five MIAC teams open their seasons Friday, two more start Saturday and another two begin Monday. The first few weeks will feature nonconference play, with MIAC play starting on Dec. 4. The regular season comes to an end Saturday, Feb. 22, with the MIAC Playoffs to take place the following week.

Fans don't have to wait long for big-time conference games, as St. Thomas travels to Augsburg for their first meeting on Dec. 4, with the Auggies returning the favor in St. Paul on Jan. 22. Another key series will be Saint John's vs. Gustavus, with the Gusties traveling to Collegeville on Dec. 11 and the Johnnies heading to St. Peter on Feb. 3.

The two Northfield rivals and MIAC Playoff hopefuls will square off when Carleton head across town to St. Olaf on Dec. 3, and the Knights will host the Oles on Jan. 22. Concordia will host Hamline in another matchup of teams trying to make the postseason on Dec. 14, with the Pipers hosting the Cobbers on the season's final day in a potential crucial matchup on Feb. 22.

Bethel, Macalester and Saint Mary's are all hoping for upward movement in the standings this season as well, and their matchups should be crucial to each team's hopes. Bethel hosts Macalester on Jan. 25 and welcomes Saint Mary's on Jan. 22. The Scots will host the Royals on Dec. 7 and the Cardinals on Feb. 3, and SMU will welcome Bethel to Winona on Dec. 4 and Macalester on Jan. 2.

A CLOSER LOOK
The rest of the 2013-14 MIAC Men's Basketball Preview contains complete results from the 2013-14 Preseason Coaches' Poll, MIAC Playoff details, helpful links and a preview for each team submitted by their sports information director. The new MIAC web site - www.miacathletics.com - will be an outstanding source for MIAC men's basketball news, schedules, scores, stats and more throughout the 2013-14 season.

Visit the MIAC scoreboard on game days to follow all the action, and download the MIAC mobile app to have all the information with you anywhere you travel. Also, connect to the conference on its Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages for updates and interaction all season long.

2013-14 MIAC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll

Coaches voted for every team in the conference except their own team. Points were assigned for each vote (10 for first, nine for second, etc.) Teams are ranked in order of highest point total to lowest with vote totals listed and first-place votes shown in parentheses.