2004-2005 UST Men's Basketball Preview

November 16, 2004
2004-2005 St. Thomas Men's Basketball Outlook

Last Year's W-L: 11-15 Conf. W-L/place: 9-11, 6th
Letterwinners returning/lost: 8/6
Starters Returning/lost: 4/1

Key Returners
--Neal Anderson, G, SR, 6-2, 03-04: All MIAC, all 26 starts, 15.3 ppg, 47% FG, 22 double-figure scoring games, school-record 85 3-pointers; D-III stats: ranked 6th in 3FG% and 25th in 3FG per game.
--Danny Peterson, F, JR, 6-4, 03-04: all 26 games, 18 starts, 9.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.8 apg
--Joey Shimek, F, JR, 6-5, 03-04: all 26 starts, 10.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 14 3-pointers, 71% FT
--Alex Weaver, G, JR, 6-3, 03-04: 14 games (missed 12 with injury) 7.0 ppg, 13 3-pointers, 81% FT
--Nate Worrell, C, JR, 6-9, 03-04: 24 games, 2.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 57% FG

Key Newcomers
--Isaac Rosefelt, F, SO, 6-8, Transfer from D-I Bowling Green, HS all-stater at St. Thomas Academy
--Bryan Schnettler, G, SO, 6-2, Transfer from D-III UW-Superior (12 3-pointers in 2003-04)
--Sean Sweeney, Pt.G, SO, Transfer from UW-Green Bay (02-03 at St. Thomas: all 27 starts, 11.5 ppg, 76% FT, 42 3-pointers)

Key Losses
--Nick Schader, C, Grad, All-MIAC, 2-year UST career: 1,285 points, 677 rebounds, 56% FG.
--Travis Kalis, Pt. G, Grad, 2-year UST career: 50 games, 145 points, 25 3-point baskets, 61 assists
--Mike Dahlstrom, Pt. G, SR-DNR, 03-04: 23 games, 11 starts, 80 points, 34 assists, 59 rebounds

Season Outlook

Steve Fritz starts his 25th season as head coach this November with 424 victories. As a player (1967-1971), assistant coach (1971-1980) and head coach (1980-present), Fritz has been
on the court or sideline for 997 consecutive St. Thomas games.

UST had won back-to-back conference titles from 2001-2003 but graduated most of those players. Fritz' 2003-2004 team lost nine games decided in the final minute and finished 11-15. St. Thomas made the MIAC playoffs with a sixth-place finish -- the school's 16th postseason berth in the last 17 seasons -- thanks largely to a 7-3 mid-season run. That stretch included an upset of nationally-ranked Gustavus and five road victories.

The Tommies graduated 6-6 center Nick Schader (14.6 ppg, 7.4 rpg, HM all-conference), but return eight of their top 12 players, including four with starting experience. Fritz also has three transfers expected to help the Tommies get back into the chase for a top-three MIAC finish. One transfer will have an easier adjustment -- junior guard Sean Sweeney led the Tommies in scoring as a freshman (11.5 ppg, 42 3-pointers) and helped them win the conference championship in a 21-6 finish. Sweeney transferred to Division I Wisconsin-Green Bay, where he practiced but was ineligible to compete in 2003-2004. He returned to St. Thomas and has two seasons left to play.

The other transfers are 6-8 sophomore forward Isaac Rosefelt, a 2003 Minnesota high school all-stater at St. Thomas Academy who played in 13 games at Division I Bowling Green last year; and sophomore guard Bryan Schnettler of Sartell, who played in all 26 games and had 16 3-pointers as a freshman at Wisconsin-Superior.

Leading the returners is senior All-MIAC guard Neal Anderson
(15.3 ppg, 85 3-pointers in 2003-04), who returns for his fifth season. Anderson was in a starting lineup last year for the first time since ninth grade. He made a school-record 85 treys and
converted 45.2% from behind the arc. He ranked sixth in Division III in 3-point percentage and 25th in 3-pointers made per game. Anderson was cut from his Eden Prairie high-school team as a sophomore, junior and senior.

He played intramural basketball his first two college seasons, then played sparingly after he tried out and made the UST team as a junior. But he improved in all facets and scored in double figures in each of the final 22 games.

Other key returners include 6-6 junior forward Joey Shimek (10.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg), who started all 26 games last season and came on strong in the last 13 games; 6-4 junior forward Danny Peterson; 6-2 junior guard Alex Weaver; 6-9 junior Nate Worrell; and 6-3 senior guard Ryan Hatteberg.

The Tommies showed promise in their 91-50 exhibition loss to the Minnesota Gophers Nov. 6 at Williams Arena.

2003-2004 Overall record: 11-14
MIAC record (finish): 9-11 (6th)
Player Information
Date Opponent Results
11/21-22 Wooster (Ohio) Tourney
11/21 at Wooster, L, 55-67
11/22 SUNY-Brockport, W, 80-79

11/25 Northwestern, W, 82-74
12/3 St. John's, L, 55-71
12/8 at Hamline, L, 59-62
12/10 St. Mary's, W, 58-51

12/29-30 UW-River Falls Tourney
12/29 UW-Superior, L, 57-59 OT
12/30 at UW-River Falls, L, 50-56

1/3 Augsburg, W, 64-54
1/5 at Conc. M'head, L, 51-55
1/7 at Gustavus, L, 61-70
1/10 Macalester, L, 71-79
1/14 Carleton, L, 42-79
1/17 at St. Olaf, W, 70-59
1/19 Bethel, L, 72-76
1/21 at St. John's, W, 65-60
1/28 at St. Mary's, W, 79-61
1/31 at Augsburg, W, 66-60
2/2 Conc. M'head, L, 61-64
2/4 Gustavus, W, 61-56
2/7 at Macalester, L, 76-88
2/11 at Carleton, W, 63-61
2/14 St. Olaf, L, 61-64
2/18 at Bethel, L, 89-97
MIAC Playoffs
2/21 at Conc. M'head, L, 61-74

General Information
Name: University of St. Thomas
Location: St. Paul, MN
Founded: 1885
Enrollment: 5,241 (undergraduate)
Nickname: Tommies or Toms
School Colors: Purple and Gray
Arena: Schoenecker Arena
Capacity: 2,200
Affiliation: NCAA Division III
President: Rev. Dennis Dease
Athletic Director: Steve Fritz
Athletic Phone: 651-962-5900
History
First year of basketball: 1904-05
All-time play-off record: 8-7 (NCAA)
Last postseason appearance / result:
01-02 / 2nd-rnd NCAA L Oshkosh 88-85 ot
All-time record: 1,346-790 (.630)
Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Steve Fritz
Alma Mater / Year: St. Thomas '71
Record at school (years): 424-213 (24)
Career record: same
Head Coach's office phone: 651-962-5901
Best time/day to reach coach: Until 2pm
Assistant coaches: Jon Hughes, John Tauer, Tommy Fritz
Sports Information
Sports Info Director: Gene McGivern
SID office phone: 651-962-5903
Home phone: 651-686-6399
SID Fax: 651-962-5910
Press Box phone: 651-962-5934
E-Mail:ejmcgivern@stthomas.edu

2004-2005 Schedule
Date Opponent Time
11/6 at U of M Gophers (exhibition), Noon
11/20 at Concordia-Calif., 7:30 p.m.
12/4 Macalester, 3 p.m.
12/6 Hamline , 7:30 p.m
12/8 Gustavus, 7:30 p.m.
12/11 at Winona State, 3 p.m.
12/29-30 UW-River Falls Tourney
1/3 at Augsburg, 7:30 p.m.
1/5 at St. John's, 7:30 p.m.
1/8 St. Olaf, 3 p.m.
1/10 at Carleton, 7:30 p.m.
1/12 at Bethel, 7:30 p.m.
1/15 at St. Mary's, 3 p.m.
1/17 Conc.-M'head, 7:30 p.m.
1/22 Carleton , 3 p.m.
1/26 at Macalester, 7:30 p.m.
1/29 at Hamline, 3 p.m.
1/31 at Gustavus, 7:30 p.m.
2/2 Augsburg, 7:30 p.m.
2/5 St. John's, 3 p.m.
2/7 at St. Olaf, 7:30 p.m.
2/9 Bethel, 7:30 p.m.
2/12 St. Mary's, 3 p.m.
2/16 at Conc.-M'head, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 22/24./26 MIAC Playoffs TBA

2004-05 Men's Basketball Roster
No. Name Yr. Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown/HS
3 Sean Sweeney JR G 5-11 170 St. Paul/Cretin-Derham Hall
4 Mike Sayre FR G 6-2 185 Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Xavier
10 Luke Vlatkovich JR G 6-1 185 Minneapolis/Holy Angels
12 Bryan Schnettler SO G 6-2 185 Sartell
14 Danny Peterson JR G 6-4 190 New Brighton/Irondale
20 Ryan Hatteberg SR G 6-3 180 Shoreview/Mounds View
22 Alex Weaver JR G 6-3 195 Arden Hills/Mounds View
24 Neal Anderson SR G 6-2 170 Eden Prairie
30 Storm Zhe SR F 6-6 205 River Falls, Wis.
32 Berker Tas JR F 6-3 205 Cankaya, Turkey/White Bear Lake
40 Joey Shimek JR F 6-6 220 Prior Lake
42 Isaac Rosefelt SO F 6-8 210 St. Paul/St. Thomas Academy
44 Joe Hutchins SO F 6-4 245 Moorhead/Fargo (N.D.) Shanley
52 Dan McKeown SO C 6-6 240 Woodbury/Hill-Murray
54 Nate Worrell JR C 6-9 215 Eagle River, Alaska

Jim Buri FR G 6-2 195 St. Paul/Trinity
Andy Casey SO G-F 6-4 190 Apple Valley/Eastview
Andrew Dwyer SO F 6-2
185 Shorewood, Wis./Milwaukee Marquette
Dan Grant SO G 6-2 200 Eden Prairie
Grant Hennington FR G 6-2 215 Elk River
Roman Haberkorn FR F 6-3 210 Aitkin
Matt Knutson FR F 6-6 200 Burnsville
Tommy Shimek FR F 6-4 195 Prior Lake
Adam Troyer FR G 6-0 185 Fargo, N.D./South
Abraham Woldeslassie FR G 5-8 145
Richfield/St. Thomas Academy
Matt Zitrow FR G 6-2175 St. Cloud/Tech