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| Tyler Tillema and fellow
senior Trevor Hass have poured in the majority of the points for
UW-Stevens Point this season. Photo by Larry Radloff, d3photography.com |
Tyler Tillema was a freshman at UW-Stevens Point when the Pointers won the NCAA Division III national championship in men’s basketball during the 2009-10 season. Now as a senior and the team’s leading scorer, he sees similarities between this year’s squad and the team that won Stevens Points’ third national title.
But that doesn’t mean Tillema and the Pointers are content with a 12-0 start and the No. 1 ranking.
“We’re definitely feeling confident. We knew we had a tough stretch right before and after Christmas,” said Tillema, who is averaging 23.8 points per game this season. “We also realize there is a lot to improve on individually and as a team. We’re trying not to become too complacent.”
Stevens Point defeated rival UW-Whitewater 74-55 at home in December and won a pair of games at the D3hoops.com Classic before the New Year. The Pointers topped Whitworth by 18 points in the desert and came back one day later to best Whitman in overtime, 89-79.
“We have a confidence about us. We have three veteran players – three seniors – who all have been all-conference players. That’s a luxury you don’t get every year,” UW-SP coach Bob Semling said, referring to Tillema, Trevor Hass and Clayton Heuer. “Our guys are very optimistic. They’re very excited about what could be. But we’re very guarded too because – like all teams — we have some weaknesses and we have areas that we must shore up.”
Since returning from Las Vegas, the Pointers have added two more wins. Tillema hit the game-winning shot with 2.6 seconds left at North Central (Ill.). Then UW-Stevens Point returned home to top UW-La Crosse and improve to 3-0 in WIAC play.
“I think our team chemistry is so great right now,” Tillema said. “We each understand our role. We get along great. Defensively, we’re just clicking as a unit. We’re helping each other out and we’re trusting each other.”
In addition to Tillema’s efforts, Hass is scoring 19.2 points per game and the Pointers have guys like Heuer, Alex Richard and Joe Ritchay ready to contribute when called upon.
“We have two very elite senior guards in Tyler Tillema and Trevor Hass. And they both have worked hard to become more complete players,” Semling said.
“It starts with those two,” he continued. “Then we have a lot of really solid role players around those guys who can score in different ways when they need to. They focus on doing the little things, and certainly, our guys are 100 percent bought in to defending.”
For their efforts, the Pointers received 23 first place votes in the latest Top 25 poll and have been ranked No. 1 since early December.
“We try not to get caught up in that,” Tillema said. “But at the same time, when you hold that No. 1 ranking, you do have a big target on your back. You take everyone’s No. 1 shot.
“We don’t take any teams lightly.”
Tillema averaged 1.8 points in 19 games his freshman season. But he feels the experience he gained watching the upperclassmen during the team’s national title run can benefit this year’s squad.
His coach agrees.
“I think he’s got a great reference point that you don’t often have,” Semling said. “He saw the focus that our guys had during that postseason run. … None of it will surprise him because he’s been through it.”
Tillema said the depth of this year’s team is comparable to the team that went 29-4 and won the 2010 championship in Salem, Va., with a 78-73 decision over Williams.
“I think we’re very deep right now. We can play nine guys deep – 10 guys – without losing much of a step,” Tillema said. “Back in ’09-10, I remember having a very deep squad. With it being such a late, long tournament run, you need that.
“As far as size and physical ability, we were much bigger my freshmen year,” the 6-3, 175-pound guard added. “But I believe as far as talent, and speed and getting up and down the floor, this year we have a lot more of that. We’re much deeper at guard this year than I think we’ve ever been.”
Tillema has extra motivation this season after missing the majority of the 2012-13 campaign with an ankle injury.
“It definitely makes you hungrier,” he said.
“Probably the best thing is he knows it’s his senior year and he’s coming down the stretch,” Semling added. “He knows how much it would mean to this program to get another shot to try and advance to a Final Four and get back out to Salem.
“He’s just going to play with that determined look in his eye.”
Although a national championship is desired, the Pointers have their attention on their WIAC schedule, which includes back-to-back road matchups at UW-Stout and UW-Superior this week.
“We want to learn as much as we can about our team as we navigate our way through the WIAC,” Semling said. “We know there are really good coaches and players in this league who are looking at all the angles – different ways that they could find a way to beat us.”
“We want to compete for a conference title and our conference tournament championship,” Tillema said. “At the end of the year, we want to be in Salem. We want to compete for a national title and be able to say that we gave it all we got.”
1,000 points
Marian’s Cody Veleke has 167 points this season, giving him 1,061 in his career. He is 14th on the Sabres’ all-time scoring list.
St. Norbert’s Brandon Gries needed just one-point entering the Green Knights’ game versus Lawrence Jan. 4 to reach the 1,000 point mark. He finished with 12 points, making him the 26th player in the program’s history to reach the plateau.
Beloit’s James Lazarcik became the 20th Buccaneer to eclipse 1,000 points Dec. 29 versus La Verne. He also surpassed 600 career rebounds in Beloit’s game versus Knox Dec. 19.
UW-Whitewater’s Kaitlyn Thill scored 19 points in a win at UW-River Falls to surpass the 1,000 mark. She is the only player in WIAC history to score more than 1,000 points and register more than 350 steals.
Eureka’s Caty Eeten has 1,664 career points and is now the program’s all-time scoring leader. She needs just 25 points to secure the SLIAC scoring record.
Coaching milestones
Pomona-Pitzer head coach Charles Katsiaficas won his 400th game when the Sagehens topped Trinity (Texas) Dec. 30, 68-63. The team also topped Redlands Jan. 4, making Katsiaficas 401-281 in 26 seasons with Pomona-Pitzer.
Maher sets assists mark
NCAA records continue to pile up at Grinnell.
Patrick Maher dished out 37 assists in a 164-144 win over College of Faith (Ark.) at Darby Gym. The previous single-game mark of 34 was set by Grinnell’s David Arseneault in 2007.
“This is something we’ve been discussing since the beginning of the season,” Maher said in a press release. “I wasn’t quite sure it was possible, but it was definitely something I wanted to go after.”
Maher also scored 19 points in the victory.
Where they rank
Six teams in the region are ranked in the latest men’s Top 25 poll.
UW-Stevens Point received 23 of 25 first place votes and remained the top-ranked team in the country.
Illinois Wesleyan ranks No. 3 and is just five points behind No. 2 Wooster.
UW-Whitewater, St. Thomas, Augustana and St. Norbert are sitting at Nos. 10, 11, 12 and 13, respectively.
Wheaton (Ill.) dropped out of the Top 25, but still received 37 votes. Whitworth (34) and Dubuque (8) also received votes in this week’s poll.
In the women’s Top 25, Whitman is the region’s highest ranked team at No. 4.
George Fox, which is 11-0 for the first time since its 2012 national championship appearance, is ranked No. 8 with St. Thomas checking in at No. 9.
Wheaton (Ill.) moved up one spot to No. 14 while the Thunder’s CCIW rival Carthage sits at No. 16. WIAC foes UW-Oshkosh and UW-Whitewater are ranked Nos. 17 and 19, respectively, setting up an intriguing matchup Wednesday. UW-Stevens Point is ranked No. 24.
Also receiving votes this week were St. Norbert (3), Transylvania (2) and Bethel (1).
Check in
Do you have a story idea for the Around the Region column? Contact me about approaching milestones, broken records, break-out players or any other storylines in the area’s conferences. Or just drop me a note and let me know what you like or don’t like about the column. All ideas and feedback are welcome. Email me at josh.smith@d3sports.com or follow me on Twitter @DU_Josh_Smith.
