[BasketballAlum] (no subject)

[gary holquist]

Bulldog Basketball Alumni and Friends:

We played Athletes In Action last night and lost in the last twenty 
seconds.  AIA was a very big, strong, athletic team that had already 
played 13 games.  The majority of their team was comprised of former DI 
athletes that had exhausted their NCAA playing careers.  Their center 
was as good of post player that we will face all year (6-11, 285 lbs 
that was a starter at Texas Tech and Oral Roberts University.).  The 
game provided exactly what we needed.  A competitive scenario, where we 
had the chance to look at various line-up combinations through out the 
game.  The game itself was a series of runs.  We led 38 to 32 with two 
minutes remaining in the half and let AIA go on a 13-0 run to trail 
45-38 at half time.  We continued to explore different combinations the 
first eight minutes of the second half and eventually trailed by 17 
before settling in with our top seven rotation.  We ground out twelve 
solid minutes of basketball only allowing 13 points over the next 
eleven minutes.  We made consecutive defensive stops on a number of 
occasions, limiting AIA to one-shot opportunities by being solid on the 
defensive glass.  Offensively we had great lane touches and scores in 
the post that eventually led to solid inside-outside baskets.  During 
that stretch, we were 11 for 16 from the floor, 10 for 11 from the foul 
line, and had 8 assists.  We took the lead by 2 with 31 seconds to go, 
but a defensive lapse allowed AIA an open look from the three point 
line that went in with 15 seconds to go.  We ran a set to get a shot on 
the block-got what we wanted but did not convert the score.  Though we 
lost the exhibition game, it provided once again a great learning 
situation for the team.  I do like how we played the last 12 minutes of 
the game.  I did not like the inconsistency of our aggressiveness and 
at times a "softness" we had defensively and rebounding.  Evaluation 
after the game last evening and following breaking down the film today 
our areas of improvement continue to be defensive fundamentals in 
nature-chasing numbers on screens, not getting sealed so deep in the 
post, lack of ball pressure on post lobs, converting to make our 
opponent play against a set defense, and maintaining body contact on 
box outs so we are not pushed under the basket.  All of these lapses 
are ones that we can control and improve upon.  We continue to need to 
understand the value of every possession and having that high intensity 
level on every trip.  Regardless of the outcome, it was a good teaching 
experience for the team.  We will improve and get better-as I have said 
all along this team is very coachable.  They are a fun group to coach. 
We feel very comfortable with our top seven players, but continue to 
seek two more for the rotation.  Their play as of late has not 
distinguished them yet.

We have one week to keep improving before we start the season in 
earnest next Wednesday, at home against Bemidji State University.  We 
leave the following day and travel to Minnesota State Mankato where we 
play two East Coast DII teams-Dominican College and Falician College. 
We play six games in ten days to start the season.

On the recruiting front, we signed two excellent players out of 
Wisconsin today.  November 8 is the first day of early signing.  Marcus 
Helland (6-6, 200 lbs) out of Baldwin-Woodville High School: as a 
junior, he averaged 18 points and 8 rebounds per game while being named 
the MVP of his conference.  He is an inside outside player that has a 
good perimeter touch but is rugged enough to post up and play 
effectively in the lane.  He is a four year starter and will be a three 
time all conference selection.  Dan Tillema (6-4, 185 lbs) is from 
Randolph High School: he has played in and won two state championships, 
as a junior averaged 17 points and 8 rebounds per game while being 
named MVP of his conference playing for the storied Randolph High 
School Basketball program.  He is a very athletic swing that has 
three-point range and the ability to take the ball strong to the 
basket.  Both are great gets for the program.  We battled NCC foes 
Mankato State and St. Cloud State, as well as Winona State and others 
for both players.  We are pursuing heavily ten other players which out 
of we hope to sign two more during the late spring signing period.

Go Bulldogs,


Coach Gary Holquist
	


Gary W. Holquist
University of Minnesota Duluth
Head Men's Basketball Coach
218-726-6185