[BasketballAlum] October 15th tips off the new season

[gary holquist]

Dear Alumni and Friends:

To anybody that has ever been connected to college basketball the date 
of October 15th is a special one because that is the official start 
date of practice.  The Bulldog Basketball Team took the floor at 7:30am 
and put a solid effort in for the next few hours.  We are excited about 
this team.  The four seniors of Bryan Foss (6-7, 210-Osseo High School, 
MN), Matt Hockett (6-5, 225-McFarland High School, WI), Ryan 
Breidenbach (6-1, 205-Oregon High School,WI), and Matt Rawley (6-8, 
220-Milwaukee Lutheran High School,WI) have all played significant 
minutes in the program over the last three years.  This group of 
seniors was recruited as the core of players that would assist our 
transition into the North Central Conference.  After two seasons in the 
NCC, steady progress has been made, culminating in last year securing a 
home playoff win, though we had an eventual loss in the semi-finals of 
the conference tournament championship.  Our next step is a top three 
finish, either winning the conference tournament and league title for 
an automatic NCAA bid or earning an at-large seed by finishing in the 
top three of the competitive NCC.  This is the message that the 
coaching staff and senior leadership has sent to the team.  The team's 
excellent work and effort started last spring and continued through the 
summer months into the fall pre-season workouts.  The strong core of 
seniors combines with returning juniors, all conference performer John 
Vaudreuil (6-8, 260-Bloomington Jefferson High School, MN) and 
perimeter scorer Jordan Nuness (6-3, 210-U of M transfer, Eden Prairie 
High School, MN).  Seven other letter winners along with six newcomers 
round out the squad.  Though we like the new incoming athletes to the 
program, they will probably be red-shirted.  Last season's red-shirts, 
Steve Jamnick (6-11, 275-Tower-Soudan High School) and Jordan "Spud" 
Schade (5-8, 170-Oshkosh North High School) had productive years.  They 
have immediately come forward and will compete for playing minutes.  In 
the last six months, Jamnick has lost 30 pounds and grew an inch and a 
half.  His dedication and desire to be a player that will contribute 
has been noticeable.  The other letter winners give us a unique group 
of experienced players competing for playing time.  As a coach, you 
cannot ask for a better situation.  Competition amongst the ranks 
always escalates a player's performance.  Practices will be spirited 
and yesterdays did not disappoint us.

Over the next four weeks, we will install our offensive and defensive 
schemes.  We play at home against a talented "Athletes In Action" team 
on November 7th in an exhibition game.  The following week we open up 
officially at Romano Gymnasium against Bemidji State University. 
Please know that you are always welcome at practice.  For the next 
three weeks we will practice Monday-6 to 8pm/Tuesday-Off/Wednesday 6 to 
8pm/Thursday 8 to 10pm/Friday 2 to 4pm/Saturday 7:30 to 10am/Sunday 
7:30 to 10am.  We will host a Coaches Clinic this Saturday that will 
feature the Bulldog Staff and team as well as Head Coach Matt 
Margenthaller (Minnesota State University Mankato) and Head Coach Jay 
Pivic (Minneapolis Community College).  There has been an excellent 
response to the clinic thus far from area coaches.

Myself or somebody from the UMD Basketball Staff will communicate with 
you via email every week this season to share with you personal 
insights on the program.  Stay in touch with us.  We look forward to 
your involvement with the program.  This is the 76th season of 
basketball at UMD.  You have all played an integral part of a program 
that has stood the test of time and produced so many championship 
teams, but more importantly produced so many championship people!

Go Bulldogs,

Coach Gary Holquist


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