9o-5 (2011-12 DWU Men's Basketball Media Guide ... - DWU Athletics

OUTLOOK
Assistant
TIGERS
focused
on their
game
BASKETBALL PREVIEW
By LEAH RADO, Sports Information Director
After the most successful five-year stretch in school history,
the Dakota Wesleyan University men’s basketball team faces
the task of replacing one of the most prolific scorers ever to
come through the program.
Lucky for second-year head coach Shane Murphy, he has
several talented players ready to step in and take over the role
as the Tigers’ go-to scorer.
Brady Wiebe graduated in May as the fourth-leading
scorer in Tiger men’s basketball history. He finished his career
with 2,052 points, 1,097 rebounds, 270 assists, 153 steals and
125 blocked shots. He earned All-Great Plains Athletic
Conference First-Team honors for three seasons and was
named the GPAC Player-of-the-Year as a senior. Wiebe holds
the school record for free-throw accuracy in a game (100
percent, 2010-11), free throws in a season (285, 2010-11) and
free throws in a career (767). He is also just the second player
to earn three All-American honors in a career. He earned thirdteam
honors in 2009 and 2010 and first-team honors in 2011.
“We’re not going to replace Brady Wiebe with one guy,”
Murphy said. “I think the best thing we can do is try, by
committee, to cover that position, but then also put ourselves in
a position where we’re getting more out of our points and wings
in our system this year.
“I think that’s important; that we don’t think we’re going to
replace Brady by putting another body in there and doing the
same things we did. We’re going to have to change how we
play.”
Dakota Wesleyan, which went 24-9 and made it to the NAIA
National Tournament for the fifth straight season in 2010-11,
also lost its second- and third-leading scorers in Larry Swann
and Chase Walder, but it returns a solid core of starters and
bench players hungry for another trip to Point Lookout, Mo.,
come March.
Leading the way for the Tigers this season is senior
German Madueno (6-4, F, Woodland, Calif.). Madueno joined
the Tigers before last season and finished his first year with the
program, averaging 8.7 points per game – good for fourth on
the team. He was also second on the team in field-goal
percentage (.493).
Seniors Jordan Long (6-4, F, Mitchell, S.D.) and Jake
Kneeland (6-2, G, Summit, S.D.) enter their fourth and final
seasons with the Tiger men’s basketball program in 2011-12.
Both have been consistent players in their first three seasons
with the team, and they will be looked to for leadership and
experience this season. Long averaged 4.3 points and 3.2
rebounds per game as a junior, and Kneeland averaged 2.2
points per game.
“I think Jordan, just the way he plays, I don’t know if he
needs to do a whole lot more for us, but if he can come back
with the same tenacity on the rebounding and defense and
energy he brings, that’ll be great as a senior,” Murphy said. “I
think German has a chance to step up and have a great year. I
think he was limited because of what we did with Brady last
year, and I’m thinking he can break through and have a great
year for us shooting the basketball.”
Also returning are point guards Kris Wilson (5-11, G,
Lawrence, Kan.) and Justin Nelson (6-0, G, Gillette, Wyo.), as
well as forward Bo LaCroix (6-6, F, Hurley, S.D.).
Nelson took over as the team’s starting point guard as a
sophomore last season, and he proved to be a steady leader.
He also led the team – and the GPAC – in 3-point percentage
(.453). Wilson also saw time guiding the Tiger offense in his
first season with the program, and he became a valuable asset
off the bench. LaCroix averaged 2.7 points off the bench, but
he hit some big threes and made big blocks in key possessions
for the Tigers as a sophomore last season.
“I think Justin Nelson made some great strides, and he’s
been a great leader at the guard spot,” Murphy said. “Bo
LaCroix is a kid poised going into his junior year to blossom. I
think all the tools are there for him.”
Jake Kneeland
Tiger Men’s Basketball
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