The Free Press, Mankato, MN

College Sports

Related Photos

  • Pat Christman

    GAC mens hoops

November 18, 2009

Gustie men look for a return to prominence

Team coming off it's first losing season in 18 years

By Chad Courrier

ST PETER — When Jesse Van Sickle came to Gustavus Adolphus to play basketball, he knew about past teams and the success they’d had in the national tournament.

Now a senior, Van Sickle would still like a shot at that experience.

“This team has a lot of potential, and I think we can win the (MIAC) or the conference tournament and get to the national tournament,” he said. “Playing in a national tournament is one of my goals, and this is my last year.”

The Gusties open the season with a nonconference game Tuesday against Buena Vista University at Storm Lake, Iowa. Gustavus is coming off the first losing season (13-14) in coach Mark Hanson’s 18-season tenure.

“There is a sense of urgency and determination, not because of what happened last year, but because we expect to be battling at the top of the conference, not just to get into the conference tournament,” Hanson said. “It would be a lot easier if there weren’t so many good teams in the conference.”

Van Sickle, a guard from Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial, is the Gusties’ top returning scorer, averaging 10.4 points per game while shooting 47.2 percent from the field, including 46 percent from 3-point range.

“It’s not in Jesse’s nature to do anything spectacular, yet he’s a spectacular shooter,” Hanson said. “If you could model a jump shot, you would model it after Jesse’s.

“But he’s so much more than that. He’s gotten tougher, he’s gotten more vocal, he watches more film. He does the things you’d expect him to do.”

Van Sickle said it’s been a quick three seasons at Gustavus, and he’s had a lot of fun.

“We’ve had one good season and a couple of disappointing ones,” he said. I’m hoping this year tops them all.”

Van Sickle and senior posts Sam Paulson and Ryan McPartland started all 27 games last season, with Paulson averaging 9.9 points and 4.9 rebounds and McPartland adding 9.7 points and 5.5 rebounds. At an exhibition game against Southwest Minnesota State last week, they were joined in the starting lineup by guards Dan Schmidtknecht and Phil Wirtjes.

“Those five guys all have two or three years of experience, and they’ve used it well,” Hanson said. “I think they’ve used the weight room better, too.”

Guards Seth Anderson, Tyler Grey and Adam Michel and post Paul Blacklock will play off the bench, and freshmen Ben Biewen and James Hill will also get a look.

“I think we had a great summer, and the practices this fall have been some of the most intense since I’ve been here,” Van Sickle said. “This is a group that’s willing to work hard.”

Sophomore post Bobby Johnson, who averaged 6.4 points and 3.9 rebounds last season, won’t play this season after suffering a knee injury before school started.

“The guys said that the way he had been playing this summer, he would have been our best player coming back,” Hanson said.

The Gusties finished 13-14 last season, 11-9 in the MIAC. Gustavus won its first game in the conference tournament before losing to St. Thomas.

“There are six teams that think they can battle for the top two or three spots in the conference,” Hanson said. “St. Thomas is the pick, no doubt, but I’d be disappointed if we’re not battling for the top of the conference.”

Text Only | Photo Reprints
College Sports
  • MSU bball 3/15 2 Top-seeded Mavericks get knocked off by Huskies

    St. Cloud State advanced to the region championship game with an 83-71 victory Sunday, ending the season for the top-seeded Mavericks.

    March 15, 2010 2 Photos

  • xsmall_Schiller, Joe_PE6X7791.JPG Mavericks healthier but still hurting

    Michael Dorr and Eriah Hayes will be back in the lineup, but with six players still out with injury, center Joe Schiller will move to defense.

    November 3, 2011 1 Photo 1 Story

  • xsmall_Lee, Austin_PE6X7812.JPG College hockey gameday

    Minnesota State at Michigan Tech

    6:07 p.m. today and Saturday, MacInnes Student Ice Arena, Houghton, Mich.

    Radio: KTOE 1420 AM TV: None

    November 3, 2011 2 Photos 1 Story

  • Northern Sun to vote on expansion

    Today, the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference board of directors will vote on whether to expand from 14 to 16 programs.

    January 19, 2011

  • Gusties ranked 8th in DIII

    The Gustavus Adolphus men’s hockey team is ranked eighth in the country, according to the first U.S. College Hockey Online poll released earlier this week.

    October 28, 2010

  • MSU w hock-9.jpg Sister support: Ariel the latest Mackley to shine for MSU

    Anyone familiar with women’s college hockey in southern Minnesota must know the Mackleys. Since the fall of 2004, at least one of the three Mackley sisters has been skating for Minnesota State or Gustavus Adolphus.

    October 7, 2010 1 Photo

  • msu hockey 10-4-1.jpg Zuck's goal lifts MSU past British Columbia

    MSU's Eli Zuck’s short-handed breakaway goal 100 seconds into the third period stood as the lone goal in the Mavericks’ 1-0 victory over British Columbia before an announced crowd of 2,236 at the Verizon Wireless Center.

    October 5, 2010 1 Photo

  • Young Mavericks look to prove rankings wrong

    The Western Collegiate Hockey Association’s preseason polls were released on Wednesday, and Minnesota State isn’t getting a lot of love from the league’s coaches nor from the media who cover the conference. Both polls put the Mavericks in 10th place in what is now a 12-team conference.

    October 2, 2010

  • gustfb 092510.jpg Clark, St. Olaf run past Gustavus

    St. Olaf halfback Leon Clark cut loose for 134 second-half yards and scored the game-winning touchdown with 29 seconds left to lift his team to a 19-14 victory over Gustavus Saturday.

    September 26, 2010 1 Photo

  • MSUfb 092510.jpg Mavericks get shocked at home

    Concordia upset No. 11 MSU 28-26 in a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference game before 4,264 fans. It was the second time in the series history that MSU lost to Concordia.

    September 26, 2010 2 Photos