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SEASON UPDATE
There was no shortage of highlights for the Saint John’s University basketball team during the first half of the 2024-25 season.
Through the close of action on Jan. 8, the Johnnies boasted a 5-0 record in MIAC play and a 12-2 mark overall good enough to be ranked in the top 15 in the nation in the D3hoops.com NCAA Division III poll.
SJU started off the year in impressive fashion, beating Wisconsin-Oshkosh 73-62 on Nov. 9 at Sexton Arena.
The tandem of senior guard Kooper Vaughn (25 points, 5 rebounds) and senior wing Ryan Thissen (21 points) led the way.
Following a pair of nonconference road wins in Iowa over Central and Simpson, the Johnnies then posted a big 64-48 win over Hope (Michigan) at the Great Lakes Invitational on Nov. 22. SJU entered that game ranked No. 12 in the nation. The Flying Dutchmen were ranked No. 21.
After falling to No. 9 Calvin (Michigan) 71-67 the following night, the Johnnies then dropped their second game 80-71 to Wisconsin-La Crosse at home on Nov. 27.
From there, though, SJU rattled off eight-straight wins.
That included a 75-60 win over St. Olaf in the MIAC opener on Dec. 4 in Collegeville a game in which Thissen scored 27 points and finished 11-for-19 from the field.
The Johnnies also recorded a pair of big nonconference wins at the Tom McKavitt Classic in Washington, D.C. defeating Marymount (Virginia) 71-55 on Dec. 18, then besting Rowan (New Jersey) 91-66 the following day to claim the tournament title.
After a break for the holidays, SJU returned to the court to gain a measure of revenge over Hamline the team that beat the Johnnies in the MIAC semifinals a year ago with a 79-61 on Jan. 4 in Collegeville. As a team, SJU shot 55.% from the field.
That was followed by a big 96-70 win over Bethel on Jan. 8 at Sexton Arena.
Moving on up
Thissen, a two-time All-MIAC honoree, has continued to move up the school’s career scoring list.
Through action on Jan. 8, the 6-foot-6, 215-pound Eastview High School graduate ranked sixth all-time in program history with 1,453 career points. That put him just 27 back of Bill Sexton (1,480) in fifth place and 39 back of David Stokman (1,492) in fourth.
Thissen, whose father, Jon, played college football at the University of Minnesota and St. Cloud State, needs 128 points the rest of the way to reach Dick Matchinsky (1,581) in second.
Vaughn for 3
Vaughn, a 6-1, 180-pound St. Charles High School graduate, again leads the Johnnies from beyond the arc this season.
Through the close of play on Jan. 8, he had a team-high 39 3-pointers.
A year ago, Vaughn led Division III in 3-point percentage (.490/76-for-155) and was ninth in free-throw percentage (.909/80-for-88).
His 244 career 3-pointers rank second in program history, just 22 behind Stokman’s program record 266.
Lending a hand
Through games on Jan. 8, 6-2, 180-pound senior guard Zach Longueville, a St. Croix Lutheran High
School graduate, ranked second in the MIAC with 49 assists.
Longueville, whose father, Joe, played college football at South Dakota, also led the league in assist/turnover ratio.
Big start for Berg
Blake Berg, a 6-4, 205-pound West Fargo (N.D.) Sheyenne High School graduate, is off to another hot start.
Through play on Jan. 8, Berg was averaging almost 11.8 points-per-game. That follows on the heels of last season when the senior guard finished second in the MIAC in shooting percentage (.645/98-for-152) and was 10th in blocked shots (0.6 bpg.) in conference play.
He finished third in NCAA Division III in shooting percentage (.650), second on the team in blocked shots (15) and third in scoring (12.9 ppg.) in just 23.0 minutes per contest.
No place like home
Through the win over Bethel on Jan. 8, SJU boasted a 5-1 record at Sexton Arena this season.
A year ago, the Johnnies once again led the MIAC in per-game attendance (944 avg.) and finished 12th in NCAA Division III.
SJU now touts a 474-151 record at Sexton Arena (Warner Palaestra), including a 77-12 mark over the last seven seasons.
New conference schedule format
The 2024-25 schedule has looked a tad different than in past years.
The MIAC coaches and administrators approved a reduction in conference games from 20 to 16 as part of a four-year trial. This season, SJU only plays Gustavus Adolphus, Hamline, Macalester and Saint Mary’s once (and the other six MIAC members twice).
The reduced conference schedule was announced in August and is intended to provide better scheduling flexibility for teams to add quality non conference games to match the needs of their programs, while also allowing coaches to maintain increased autonomy over their schedules.
SJU finished the nonconference portion of its schedule 7-2 this season.
Coaches and administrators will assess the philosophy midway through the fouryear trial. In addition, the MIAC games are being played in a doubleheader format. The men’s games are being played first (5:30 p.m. on weeknights, 1 p.m. on weekends) followed by the women’s games (7:30 p.m. on weeknights, 3 p.m. on weekends) for the first nine weeks of the season.
Johnnies
The doubleheader order will flip following the 10th play date, with the women’s games being played first followed by the men’s game for the remainder of the season.
Looking ahead
Following the Jan. 18 home matchup against St. Scholastica, the Johnnies play four consecutive road games: Jan. 22 at Augsburg, Jan. 29 at St. Olaf, Feb. 1 at Carleton and Feb. 5 at St. Scholastica.
SJU plays host to Concordia for Alumni/ Senior Day Feb. 8 and Macalester Feb. 12 before traveling south Feb. 15 for a Saturday matinee at Gustavus, the reigning MIAC playoff champion. The Johnnies host Augsburg Feb. 19 and end the regular-season schedule Feb. 22 at Bethel.
The MIAC Playoffs begin with the quarterfinals on Tuesday, Feb. 25, followed by the MIAC semifinals on Thursday, Feb. 27. The MIAC championship game, as well as the conference’s automatic berth to the NCAA Division III tournament, will be determined on Saturday, March 1. The high seed hosts in all three rounds.
The Johnnies are attempting to return to the NCAA Division III playoffs for the first time since the 2021-22 season.
J o h n n i e s
Sports coverage to yo u .
ANDY RENNECKE Sports Editor
BASKETBALL
PAT MCKENZIE
Pat McKenzie enters his 10th season as the head coach of the Saint John’s University basketball team in 2024-25.
The 2004 SJU graduate became the 15th coach in the 113-year history of Johnnie basketball when he was hired to replace Jim Smith in April of 2015. Smith, the winningest coach at any level in Minnesota college basketball history, retired following the 2014-15 season after coaching the Johnnies for 51 seasons.
McKenzie was one of his players. As a point guard at SJU from 2000-04, he recorded 305 career assists, which ranks seventh in program history. He was part of an NCAA Division III Sweet 16 team as a freshman in 2000-01 and led the MIAC in assists as a senior in 2003-04. He then went on to serve two seasons as director of basketball
COACHING STAFF
operations at Division I WisconsinGreen Bay from 2004-06 before returning to Collegeville, where he spent nine seasons as an assistant on Smith’s staff from 2006-15.
In his tenure as the Johnnies’ head coach, McKenzie has led SJU to four conference championships and four appearances in the NCAA Division III tournament. He has been named MIAC coach of the year three times – in 2017-18, 2021-22 and last season.
During the 2019-20 season, he led the Johnnies to a 27-2 record and two NCAA tournament wins before the season was halted as a result of the onset of COVID-19.
His family connections to SJU basketball run deep. His father, Pat McKenzie Sr. ’79, was a point guard on four national-tournament teams at SJU from 1975-79 before going on to
JERRY FOGARTY – Fogarty is in his 25th year as an assistant coach for SJU in 2024-25. A 1964 graduate of St. Thomas, Fogarty played basketball for the Tommies and became a basketball assistant at Rochester Lourdes High School after earning his degree. In 1969, he became the school’s head coach and guided Lourdes to a state independent crown in 1973. He was inducted into the Lourdes Sports Hall of Fame in December 2009. Fogarty and his wife, Becki, live in Avon. They have three children.
SEAN RYAN – Ryan is in his fourth season as an assistant coach for the Johnnies in 2024-25. A 2020 graduate of Saint John’s, Ryan earned a bachelor’s degree in global business leadership and is working toward his master’s degree in sport management from the University of Minnesota. Ryan was a four-year member of the SJU basketball team that won two MIAC regular-season championships, two MIAC Playoff championships and made three national tournament appearances, including a trip to the NCAA’s Sweet 16 in 2019-20. He ended his career with 253 points, 110 rebounds, 74 assists and 17 steals.
DAVID STOKMAN – Stokman is in his second season as an assistant coach for the Johnnies in 2024-25. A 2019 graduate of Saint John’s, Stokman was a three-time Academic AllAmerican, two-time All-Region and two-time All-MIAC honoree. He ended his career as the program’s all-time leader in 3-pointers (266), fourth in scoring (1,492 points) and fifth in assists (321), as well as second in 3-point percentage (.457, 266-for-582) and fourth from the free-throw line (.864, 310-for-359).
become the longtime team physician of the NFL’s Green Bay Packers.
His younger brother, Kevin ʼ14, also played point guard for the Johnnies from 2010-14.
McKenzie and his wife, Jillian (CSB ʼ09), reside in Sartell and have two daughters, Evelyn and Margaret, and a son, Patrick.
DANNY QUINN – Quinn is in his third season as an assistant basketball coach at Saint John’s in 202425. He served as an assistant basketball coach at another MIAC institution, Saint Mary’s, in 2021-22 and spent one season on the coaching staff at his alma mater, Loras (Iowa), in 2020-21. Quinn was a graduate assistant coach at La Verne (Calif.)in 2019-20. A 2017 graduate of Loras, Quinn played four seasons for the Duhawks. He was a team captain as a senior and helped the team to its first Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) championship in 10 years. In that season, he started all 26 games and averaged 8.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists per contest. Quinn also served as vice-president and then president of the school’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and earned his bachelor’s degree in finance.
ALEX RASMUSSEN – Rasmussen enters his third season as an assistant coach at SJU in 2024-25. A 2022 SJU graduate, Rasmussen was a member of two MIAC regular-season and three MIAC playoff championship teams during his time as a player for the Johnnies.
LUCAS WALFORD – Walford is in his first season as an assistant at SJU in 2024-25. In three seasons as a Johnnie, Walford managed to become the program’s all-time leader in blocked shots (131) and recorded 26 double-doubles, the program’s second-most since 1983-84. The 6-foot-8 post graduated from SJU in 2020 and fell 26 points shy of 1,000 for his career, including 104 points in 31 games as a freshman (2016-17) at Division II Augustana University (S.D.). He was a two-time All-MIAC second-team selection and was named to the MIAC All-Defensive team three times.
Wing
As then-sophomore Ryan Thissen was preparing for the SJU basketball team’s NCAA Division III first-round tournament matchup against Calvin in March of 2022, he received a piece of advice from senior teammate Colton Codute.
“He told me to enjoy this because you never know when you’ll be back,” Thissen recalls. “I was just a sophomore then, and I figured there’d be a lot of chances.
“But we haven’t been back since, which makes me want it even more this season because this really is my
Thissen – a 6-foot-6, 215-pound wing out of Eastview High School who earned All-MIAC honors in each of those seasons – averaged 18.1 points per game as a junior in 2022-23, but his team fell 86-76 at Carleton in the MIAC Championship Game.
Then, last season, Thissen averaged 13.7 points per game as SJU finished 20-6 and won the conference regular season title. But the Johnnies were upset 83-80 by Hamline at home in the MIAC semifinals on a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
The sting of those setbacks is a big year seniors Connor Schwob and Blake Berg decided as a group to return this season, taking advantage of
advantage of the opportunity when it was there.”
Thissen comes from an athletic family. His father, Jon – now an electrical engineer at Medtronic – played college football, first at the University of Minnesota, then at St. Cloud State, where he was an all-conference selection. His mother, Michelle – who now works in the athletic department at Eastview – was part of the dance team.
NCAA granted all student-athletes due to the impact COVID-19 had on
season, we were still hopeful we’d get an at-large (NCAA) bid, and when we didn’t, it was tough,” Thissen said. “That wasn’t the way any of us wanted
His older brother Zach was a multitime Academic All-NSIC selection as an offensive lineman at Southwest (Minnesota) State, while his other older brother, Sean, played basketball in high school.
His younger brother, Derek, meanwhile, is a senior at Eastview who plans to play basketball at Central (Iowa) next season.
“I think I started playing basketball when I was four 4 or 5,” said Thissen,
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BASKETBALL
a biochemistry major who is a twotime Academic All-American himself. “I always had such a love for the game.
“With two older brothers running around the house, we were always playing something. We’re all pretty competitive.”
That competitive streak has served Thissen well at SJU, where he already ranks in the top six in scoring in program history. At some point this season, he is likely to become only the fourth player at the school to cross the 1,500-point mark.
“He’s a scorer,” SJU head coach Pat McKenzie said of Thissen, who is again leading the Johnnies in points-pergame this season. “That’s always been a big part of his game. He can post-up and he’s a great mid-range shooter. This year, he’s also shooting the ball really well from behind the 3-point line. So he can do a lot of things.
“In a lot of ways, he serves as our anchor because he provides so much. His preparation and attention-todetail is outstanding. There’s never a question about whether he knows what
needs to get done in any situation. He’s always locked in.”
Thissen has also made an impact off the court, including this fall when he partnered with Jake Schwinghammer (football) and D.J. Myles (wrestling and football) to organize a successful winter clothing drive in cooperation with Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud.
Donations were taken at SJU’s home football, basketball and wrestling events on Nov. 9.
“We were able to collect 30 full trash bags of clothing items, which is awesome,” he said. “Minnesota winters are very harsh, and anytime you can do something to help those who might be less fortunate, you can’t let that chance pass by.”
accomplishing it so incredible. That’s the mission for all of us. We want that more than anything this season.”
Thissen’s first passion, though, remains basketball. He is exploring the possibility of continuing to play overseas when this season comes to an end.
But before that happens, his focus is on leading SJU back to the NCAA tournament.
“It’s extremely difficult to make the NCAAs in Division III, especially when you play in a league like the MIAC with a bunch of great players,” he said. “Any team can beat any other on any given night.
“It’s a challenge, which is what would make
SENIORS
3 BLAKE BERG Sr. - G - 6-4 - 205 - West Fargo, N.D./Sheyenne
2023-24: Started all 26 games…second on the team with 15 blocks…tied for second on the team with 17 steals… shot 65 percent (132-203) from the field…averaged 12.9 points per game and totaled 335 points for the season… All-MIAC.
2022-23: Played 26 games with 12 starts for the Johnnies…second on the team with 15 blocks…averaged 6.6 points and 2.5 rebounds in 24.6 minutes per game…shot 47.9% (69-144) from the field.
2021-22: Played all 28 games for the Johnnies with three starts…averaged 5.8 points and 2.5 rebounds…shot 56.5% (61-108) from the field and 45.5% (10-22) from 3-point range.
2020-21: Appeared in four games for the Johnnies…collected four points and five rebounds in 28 minutes of play. Personal: A 2020 graduate of West Fargo (N.D.) Sheyenne High School…coached by Thomas Kirchoffner…Global Business Leadership major…son of Kyle and Connie Berg of West Fargo, N.D.
35 LUKE BUDZYN Sr. - W - 6-7 - 210 - St. Paul, Minn./East Ridge
2023-24: Played 17 games with four starts for the Johnnies…averaged 5.9 points and 4.2 rebounds in 16.5 minutes…shot 76.4% (42-55) from the floor.
2022-23: Appeared in four games for SJU.
2021-22: Played four games for the Johnnies…recorded two points and three rebounds in 11 minutes of play. Personal: A 2021 graduate of East Ridge High School…coached by Josh Peltier…Global Business Leadership major…son of Bill and Cathy Budzyn of St. Paul, Minn.
10 LUKE HEALY Sr. - G - 5-10 - 185 - Hudson, Wis./Hudson
2023-24: Played 25 games…averaged 4.8 points in 14.8 minutes per game…totaled 45 assists…College Sports Communicators Academic All-District…Academic All-MIAC.
2022-23: Played 19 games with five starts for the Johnnies…averaged 1.7 points in 10.3 minutes per game.
Personal: Transferred to SJU from Division II Sioux Falls (S.D.)…played 14 games, with one start, and averaged 4.3 points and 12.9 minutes per game for the Cougars…a 2021 graduate of Hudson (Wis.) High School…coached by John Dornfeld…Accounting major…son of Brian and Terri Healy of Hudson, Wis.
2 ZACH LONGUEVILLE Sr. - G - 6-2 - 180 - Eagan, Minn./St. Croix Lutheran
2023-24: Made 25 starts…second on the team in assists (50) and steals (17)…averaged 5.8 points in 18.3 minutes per game…shot 52.5% (53-101) from the floor and 45.6% (26-57) from 3-point range.
2022-23: Played all 27 games with 22 starts for SJU…led the team with 89 assists…averaged 5.3 points and 2.4 rebounds in 22.9 minutes per game.
2021-22: Appeared in 15 games for the Johnnies…averaged 4.1 points and recorded 14 assists…shot 42.% (20-47) from the field and 46.2% (18-39) from 3-point range.
Personal: A 2021 graduate of St. Croix Lutheran Academy…coached by Drew Koch…Finance major…son of Jane and Joe Longueville…father played football at South Dakota.
SENIORS
21 GRIFFIN RUSHIN Sr. - W - 6-8 - 210 - Baxter, Minn./Brainerd
2023-24: Played all 26 games with one start…led the team with 23 blocked shots…averaged 5.6 points in 14.3 minutes per game…shot 45% from the floor (50-111) and 92.3% (24-26) from the free-throw line.
2022-23: Played 15 games for the Johnnies…averaged 2.2 points and recorded 15 rebounds in 6.3 minutes per game.
2021-22: Appeared in 15 games for the Johnnies…recorded 22 points and 10 rebounds…shot 55.6% (10-18) from the field.
Personal: A 2021 graduate of Brainerd High School…coached by Charlie Schoeck…Biology major…son of Chad and Jennifer Rushin of Baxter, Minn.
32 CONNOR SCHWOB Sr. - W - 6-5 - 210 - Waconia, Minn./Waconia
2023-24: Played 25 games with 22 starts…led the team with 24 steals…averaged 4.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in 16.5 minutes per game…shot 68.8% (44-64) from the floor…Academic All-MIAC.
2022-23: Played 17 games, with one start, for the Johnnies…averaged 1.2 points and 1.5 rebounds in 7.1 minutes per game…shot 64.3% (9-14) from the field...College Sports Communicators Academic All-District…Academic All-MIAC…NABC Honors Court.
2020-21: Played two games for the Johnnies…scored 2 points and collected 3 rebounds in 8 minutes of play... Academic All-MIAC.
Personal: A 2020 graduate of Waconia High School…coached by Pat Hayes…Global Business Leadership major… son of Dave and Lynn Schwob of Waconia, Minn. …mother played volleyball at CSB.
24 RYAN THISSEN Sr. - W - 6-6 - 215 - Rosemount, Minn./Eastview
2023-24: Started 25 games…led the team with 53 assists and 26.3 minutes per game…second on the team with an average of 13.7 points per game…All-MIAC…College Sports Communicators Academic All-America third team…College Sports Communicators Academic All-District…Academic All-MIAC.
2022-23: Started 25 games for the Johnnies…led the MIAC in assist/turnover ratio (+3.7) and was second in free-throw percentage (.866), fourth in shooting percentage (.562) and seventh in scoring (17.6 ppg.) in 18 conference games...led SJU in scoring (18.1 ppg.), minutes (34.9 mpg.), 20-point games (10) and steals (22) with a .546 shooting percentage...D3hoops.com All-Region 9 third team…All-MIAC…MIAC All-Playoff team…College Sports Communicators Academic All-District…College Sports Communicators Academic All-America first team… Academic All-MIAC…earned MIAC’s Elite 22 Award for having the highest GPA among the six playoff teams… NABC Honors Court.
2021-22: Started all 28 games for SJU…averaged 13.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game…shot 52.0% from the field (145-279)…recorded a double-double Feb. 27 vs. Macalester (11 points and 11 rebounds) ...earned MIAC’s Elite 22 Award for having the highest GPA among the two teams playing in the MIAC championship game...AllMIAC second team...Academic All-MIAC.
2020-21: Started all seven games for the Johnnies…averaged 13.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game…totaled 20 assists…shot 55.1%
Personal: A 2020 graduate of Eastview High School…coached by Paul Goetz…Biochemistry major (pre-medicine emphasis)…son of Jon and Michelle Thissen of Rosemount, Minn. …father played football at Division I Minnesota… older brother, Zach, played football at Division II Southwest Minnesota State.
SENIORS
14 KOOPER VAUGHN Sr. - G - 6-1 - 180 - St. Charles, Minn./St. Charles
2023-24: Started all 26 games…led NCAA Division III with a .490 3-point percentage (76-155)…led the team in scoring (13.8 ppg.)…shot 49.5% (102-206) from the floor and 90.9% (80-88) at the free-throw line…All-MIAC… College Sports Communicators Academic All-District…Academic All-MIAC.
2022-23: Started 25 games for the Johnnies…finished fifth in the MIAC among those with 100 attempts or more, at 38.3% (44-115) from 3-point range and his 44 treys were good for seventh in league play…led SJU in 3-pointers (59) and free-throw percentage (.890, 65-73)…was second in scoring (11.8 ppg.) and steals (20)…shot 42.2% (86-204) from the field and 39.1% (59-151) from 3-point range...All-MIAC honorable mention…MIAC All-Playoff team…College Sports Communicators Academic All-District…Academic All-MIAC.
2021-22: Started all 28 games for SJU…finished second on the team in scoring with an average of 11.6 points per game…shot 43.5% (97-223) from the field and 40.9% (70-171) from 3-point range...broke SJU’s single-season record for 3-pointers made by a freshman – 53 by Chris Schwartz ‘11 in 2007-08 – with 70…All-MIAC third team... MIAC All-First year team.
Personal: A 2021 graduate of St. Charles High School…coached by Terry Knothe…Global Business Leadership major…son of David and Jackie Vaughn of St. Charles, Minn.
20 ANDREW WAGNER Sr. - G - 6-0 - 175 - Prospect Heights, Ill./Hersey
2023-24: Appeared in nine games off the bench.
2022-23: Played 22 games off the bench for SJU…shot 45.2% (14-31) from the field…averaged 1.5 points and 7.8 minutes per game.
2021-22: Appeared in 14 games for the Johnnies…recorded nine points and four rebounds in 38 minutes of play. Personal: A 2021 graduate of Hersey (Ill.) High School…coached by Austin Scott…Global Business Leadership major…son of Patrick and Jeannine Wagner of Prospect Heights, Ill.
JUNIORS & SOPHOMORES
1 KYLE JOHNSON Jr. - G - 6-2 - 190 - Prior Lake, Minn./DeLaSalle
2023-24: Appeared in 25 games off the bench…shot 42.0% (63-150) from the floor and 37.5% (36-96) from 3-point range…averaged 7.3 points and 1.4 rebounds in 15.8 minutes per game…College Sports Communicators Academic All-District…Academic All-MIAC.
2022-23: Played 22 games off the bench for SJU…shot 44.4% (24-54) from the floor and 42.5% (17-40) from 3-point range…averaged 3.0 points and 1.0 rebounds in 7.9 minutes per game.
Personal: A 2022 graduate of DeLaSalle High School…coached by Travis Bledsoe…Psychology major…younger brother, Justin, is a freshman on the SJU basketball team…son of Joe and Tina Johnson of Prior Lake, Minn.
11 THOMAS MENK Jr. - G - 6-4 - 210 - Lewiston, Minn./Lewiston-Altura
2023-24: Played eight games off the bench for SJU.
Personal: A 2022 graduate of Lewiston-Altura High School…coached by Michael VanderPlas…Accounting major… son of Brian and Nichole Menk of Lewiston, Minn.
0 BAIDEN BEAN So. - G - 6-1 - 170 Farmington, Minn./Farmington
2023-24: Appeared in eight games off the bench…averaged 5.6 minutes per game.
Personal: A 2023 graduate of Farmington High School…coached by Tharen Johnson…Global Business Leadership major…son of Trenton and Heather Bean of Farmington, Minn. …father played basketball at Valley City State (N.D.).
13 VINCENT HILLESHEIM So. - P - 6-5 - 215 - Minneapolis, Minn./Hopkins
2023-24: Played 10 games off the bench…averaged 7.1 minutes per game and shot 44.4% from the floor (8-18).
Personal: A 2023 graduate of Hopkins High School…coached by Ken Novak…Finance and Global Business Leadership double-major…son of David and Renee Hillesheim of Minneapolis, Minn. …father played football at North Dakota.
30 A.J. MCCLEERY So. - G - 6-2 - 195 - Mahtomedi, Minn./Mahtomedi
2023-24: Appeared in five games.
Personal: A 2023 graduate of Mahtomedi High School…coached by Keith Newman…Economics and Hispanic Studies double-major…son of Andy and Heather McCleery of Mahtomedi, Minn. …mother ran cross country and track at West Point.
51 ANTHONY THORMAN So. - P - 6-7 - 220 - Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson
Personal: A 2023 graduate of Bloomington Jefferson High School…coached by Jeff Evens…Biochemistry major… son of Jason Thorman and Laura Agrimson of Bloomington, Minn. …younger brother, Ben, is a freshman on the SJU football team.
5 BROCK REMME Fr. - P - 6-7 - 220
Blaine, Minn./Spring Lake Park
Personal: A 2024 graduate of Spring Lake Park High School…coached by Oliver Major…Exercise and Health Science major…son of Tim and Heather Remme of Blaine, Minn.
33 CHARLIE BIRK Fr. - W - 6-6 - 180
St. Paul, Minn./Eagan
Personal: A 2024 graduate of Eagan High School…coached by Kevin McKenzie…Finance major…son of Ben and Dana Birk of St. Paul, Minn.
12 LIAM FARNIOK Fr. - G - 6-3 - 185
Minneapolis, Minn./Southwest
Personal: A 2024 graduate of Minneapolis Southwest High School…coached by Keenan Shelton…Finance major…son of Maren Bassett and Bill Farniok of Minneapolis, Minn.
4 ELI HOELZ Fr. - G - 6-1 - 165
Baxter, Minn./Brainerd
Personal: A 2024 graduate of Brainerd High School…coached by Charlie Schoeck…Global Business Leadership major…son of Nick and Rachel Hoelz of Baxter, Minn.
23 JUSTIN JOHNSON Fr. - G - 6-2 - 175
Prior Lake, Minn./DeLaSalle
Personal: A 2024 graduate of DeLaSalle High School…coached by Todd Anderson… Accounting major…older brother, Kyle, is a junior on the SJU basketball team…son of Joe and Tina Johnson of Prior Lake, Minn.
22 ANDREW KING Fr. - W - 6-3 - 175
Blaine Minn./Spring Lake Park
Personal: A 2024 graduate of Spring Lake Park High School…coached by Oliver Major… Accounting major…son of Kyle and Paula King of Blaine, Minn.
31 KYSON LEENDERTS Fr. - P - 6-7 - 200
Rosemount, Minn./Rosemount
Personal: A 2024 graduate of Rosemount High School…coached by Lance Walsten…Economics major…son of Rae Lynn and Aric Leenderts of Rosemount, Minn.
25 CHARLIE THEIS Fr. - P - 6-4 - 210
Cottage Grove, Minn./East Ridge
Personal: A 2024 graduate of East Ridge High School…coached by Josh Peltier…Global Business Leadership major…son of John and Renne Theis of Cottage Grove, Minn.
FRESHMEN
15 HENRY TSCHETTER Fr. - G - 6-4 - 195
Stewartville, Minn./Stewartville
Personal: A 2024 graduate of Stewartville High School…coached by Parker Iyga…Economics and Political Science double-major…son of Kasey Morlock and Garth Tschetter of Stewartville, Minn. …father played football at North Dakota State…mother played basketball at North Dakota State, where she was a three-time All-American and is the Bison’s all-time leading scorer.
45 PARKER WELLMANN Fr. - G - 6-0 - 185
Prior Lake, Minn./East Ridge
Personal: A 2024 graduate of East Ridge High School…coached by Josh Peltier…Global Business Leadership major…son of Kellie Shuwayhat and Jason Wellmann.
TEAM MANAGERS
C.J. CUMMINS ANDREW NERUD KENDALL SEVERSON
2024-25 Schedule
Nov 9 5 p.m. UW-Oshkosh Collegeville
Nov 15 7 p.m. at Central Pella, Iowa
Nov 16 6 p.m. at Simpson Indianola, Iowa
Nov 22-23 at Hope Great Lakes Invitational Grand Rapids, Mich.
Nov 27 7 p.m. UW-La Crosse Collegeville
Dec 4 7 p.m. St. Olaf Collegeville
Dec 7 1 p.m. Carleton Collegeville
Dec 9 7 p.m. at Minnesota-Morris Morris
Dec 11 5:30 p.m. at Saint Mary’s Winona
Dec 18-19 at Tom McKavitt Classic Washington, D.C.
Jan 4 1 p.m. Hamline Collegeville
Jan 8 7 p.m. Bethel Collegeville
Jan 15 5:30 p.m. at Concordia Moorhead
Jan 18 1 p.m. St. Scholastica Collegeville
Jan 22 5:30 p.m. at Augsburg Minneapolis
Jan 29 7:30 p.m. at St. Olaf Northfield
Feb 1 3 p.m. at Carleton Northfield
Feb 5 7:30 p.m. at St. Scholastica Duluth
Feb 8 3 p.m. Concordia Collegeville
Feb 12 7 p.m. Macalester Collegeville
Feb 15 3 p.m. at Gustavus Adolphus St. Peter
Feb 19 7 p.m. Augsburg Collegeville
Feb 22 3 p.m. at Bethel Arden Hills
PROUD
SPONSOR AND CONTRACTOR FOR JOHNNIE
ATHLETICS
FRANKLY SPEAKING
By Frank Rajkowski
Johnnies
Ryan Thissen has had a number of memorable experiences during his time in Collegeville.
But the fifth-year senior wing on the Saint John’s University basketball team said the Johnnies’ trip to this past December’s Tom McKavitt Classic – hosted by Catholic University in Washington, D.C. – may rank at the top of the list.
Not only were the Johnnies successful on the court, defeating Marymount (Virginia) 71-55 and Rowan (New Jersey) 91-66 to claim the tournament title, but the team had the chance to take in a lot of the nation’s capital at Christmas time.
That included a luncheon at the Department of Veterans Affairs hosted by U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs and 1992 SJU graduate Denis McDonough.
“I think that was the most fun we’ve had as a team in my five years here,” Thissen said. “To be able to play two pretty good teams, and to see a lot of the monuments and the really cool historical stuff, was amazing.
“Everybody had a blast.”
Beyond the luncheon, Thissen and his teammates were able to tour the campus of Georgetown University (including the statue of legendary basketball coach John Thompson), as well as to visit the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and to see the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial and other prominent landmarks at night.
“It was really cool for the guys to get that kind of look into American history,” SJU head coach Pat McKenzie said. “The whole trip was just a great experience. We were so fortunate to have a great group of parents and alums who took care of
us. We had great dinners every night.
“It was pretty unforgettable.”
Not to mention successful, allowing the Johnnies to expand their national resume with a pair of victories over teams from outside their region.
“Obviously, we were out there for the basketball first and foremost,” McKenzie said. “We picked it because we knew it would be a good tournament with excellent competition. But then there’s the experiences our guys were able to get, and the team camaraderie that’s enhanced.
“There are a ton of benefits that go way beyond basketball when you have the chance to do something like that.”
Andrew Wagner
6-0, 175, guard, Hersey (Illinois) High School
What made you decide to come to Saint John’s?
The immediate connection I felt when I stepped on campus. It just felt right.
What is your favorite song/singer?
My favorite song is impossible to answer, but my favorite band is (either) Fleetwood Mac or the Rolling Stones.
What is your favorite spot on campus and why?
The training room because it allows me to stay healthy and feel better overall.
Kooper Vaughn
6-1, 180, guard, St. Charles High School
What is your favorite food?
My mom’s chicken alfredo.
If you were trapped on a desert island, which teammate would you want with you and why?
Any of my roommates because we would make the most of it and have fun.
What is your funniest memory from basketball at SJU?
The bus rides with the fellas.
SENIOR SPOTLIGHT
Blake Berg
6-4, 205, guard, West Fargo (N.D.) Sheyenne High School
What is your best memory of your time here – on or off the court?
Getting food with the guys after games and practices.
What is your favorite spot on campus and why?
The Schu. I love coffee.
If you were trapped on a desert island, what teammate would you want with you and why?
Kooper Vaughn. He likes to hunt so I know we wouldn’t go hungry.
Zach Longueville
6-2, 180, guard, St. Croix Lutheran High School
What made you decide to come to Saint John’s?
The family feel on (my) visit and the great basketball program, as well as the network and great alumni.
What is something most people wouldn’t know about you?
I have a twin sister (Clare) who plays soccer at Minnesota State-Mankato.
What is your favorite spot on campus and why?
The gym or the locker room. It’s fun to hang out with the guys before and after practice.
Andrew Nerud
6-8, 230, manager, New Prague High School
What is your funniest memory from basketball at SJU?
One funny memory comes from our summer trip to Greece. A group of us went cliff diving in an area on Hydra Island. I remember the guys scoping it out before some of us jumped off a 20-to 30-foot cliffside.
What are some of your hobbies?
I love working out, biking and (sometimes) running. I also occasionally play trumpet, video games and work on coding projects –when I have enough time.
If you were trapped on a desert island, what teammate would you want with you and why?
Ryan Thissen. He has a lot of leadership skills and is very knowledgeable in general. I feel like he would give us the best chance of survival in that sort of situation.
COACHING RECORDS
Coach Unknown
Year Overall
1902-03 0-2
Frank Tewes
1 season
1903-04
4-0 (1.000)
Year Overall
1903-04 4-0
Peter Tierney
2 seasons
1904-06 5-2 (.714)
Year Overall
1904-05 3-0
1905-06 2-2
Coach Unknown
Year Overall
1906-07 3-1
1907-08 9-1
John Siebel
1 season
1908-09
4-0-1 (.900)
Year Overall
1908-09 4-0-1
Coach Unknown
Year Overall
1909-10 5-7
Edward Flynn
10 seasons
1910-1920
47-44-1 (.516)
Year Overall MDIC Notes
1910-11 2-0
1911-12 2-6
1912-13 4-5
1913-14 7-4
1914-15 6-3-1
1915-16 9-1 RS
1916-17 1-8
1917-18 6-5
1918-19 6-6 3-3
1919-20 4-6 3-2
Edward Cahill
2 seasons
1920-22
16-12 (.571)
Year Overall MIAC Notes
1920-21 8-6 5-3
1921-22 8-6 4-5
Fred Sanborn
2 seasons
1922-24 9-19 (.321)
Year Overall MIAC Notes
1922-23 5-9 2-8
1923-24 4-10 1-6
Eugene Aldrich
1 season
1924-25 6-8 (.428)
Year Overall MIAC Notes
1924-25 6-8 3-5
Wilfred Houle
5 seasons
1925-30
34-36 (.486)
Year Overall MIAC Notes
1925-26 10-7 5-5
1926-27 5-5
1927-28 8-7 3-5
1928-29 7-6 5-4
1929-30 4-11 1-8
Joe Benda
7 seasons
1930-37
33-74 (.308)
Year Overall MIAC Notes
1930-31 4-11 3-8
1931-32 5-10 2-9
1932-33 6-7 4-7
1933-34 0-12
1934-35 5-9 5-7
1935-36 5-14 2-10
1936-37 8-11 6-6
George Durenberger
4 seasons
1937-41
32-44 (.421)
Year Overall MIAC Notes
1937-38 5-11 1-11
1938-39 10-7 8-4
1939-40 12-11 4-8
1940-41 5-15 2-10
Joe Benda
7 seasons, 14 seasons total
1930-37, 1941-48
35-77 (.312), 68-151 (.310)
Year Overall MIAC Notes
1941-42 3-13 1-11
1942-43 3-13 3-11
1943-44 2-8
1944-45 6-5 5-5
1945-46 5-13 3-6
1946-47 12-8 7-5
1947-48 4-18 1-10
John “Buster” Hiller
5 seasons
1948-53
40-71 (.360)
Year Overall MIAC Notes
1948-49 9-11 6-6
1949-50 4-21 2-10
1950-51 8-15 4-8
1951-52 11-10 4-8
1952-53 8-14 4-12
Bill Osborne
6 seasons
1953-59 60-91 (.397)
Year Overall MIAC Notes
1953-54 11-12 8-8
1954-55 14-11 7-9
1955-56 11-14 6-10
1956-57 11-11 8-8
1957-58 5-19 2-14
1958-59 8-24 6-10
Ed Hasbrouck 5 seasons
1959-64
35-79 (.307)
Year Overall MIAC Notes
1959-60 3-18 3-13
1960-61 7-17 3-13
1961-62 8-16 4-12
1962-63 7-15 4-12
1963-64 10-13 4-12
Jim Smith 51 seasons
786-556 (.586)
Year Overall MIAC Notes
1964-65 9-15 6-10
1965-66 11-13 10-6
1966-67 17-7 11-5
1967-68 15-10 10-6
1968-69 20-9 12-4 RS, NAIA
1969-70 11-12 7-9
1970-71 12-12 10-6
1971-72 12-13 10-6
1972-73 11-16 8-8
1973-74 10-16 7-9
1974-75 8-19 6-12
1975-76 17-10 12-6 NAIA
1976-77 14-12 11-5 NAIA
1977-78 23-8 15-3 RS, NAIA
1978-79 27-3 18-0 RS, NAIA
1979-80 20-8 14-4 NAIA
1980-81 18-9 12-6
1981-82 16-11 13-5 NAIA
1982-83 18-12 12-6 NAIA 1983-84 20-8 16-4 NAIA
1984-85 16-12 13-7 PO, NCAA
1985-86 23-5 16-4 RS, PO, NCAA
1986-87 19-8 16-4 RS
1987-88 19-10 13-7 PO, NCAA
1988-89 16-10 13-7
1989-90 19-8 16-4
1990-91 10-15 10-10
1991-92 14-11 11-9 1992-93 20-8 17-3 RS, NCAA 1993-94 18-8 15-5 1994-95 17-9 15-5 NCAA 1995-96 12-12 10-10
1996-97 14-10 12-8 1997-98 11-12 10-10 1998-99 12-11 10-10 1999-00 20-7 14-6 PO, NCAA 2000-01 22-6 17-3 RS, PO, NCAA 2001-02 15-11 13-7 2002-03 12-15 10-10 2003-04 8-17 6-12 2004-05 8-17 6-12 2005-06 16-10 14-6 2006-07 21-8 17-3 NCAA 2007-08 14-12 11-9 2008-09 14-12 12-8 2009-10 14-12 11-9 2010-11 14-11 10-10 2011-12 16-11 11-9 2012-13 12-14 11-9 2013-14 15-11 13-7 2014-15 16-10 14-6 Pat McKenzie 9 seasons 174-53 (.767)
Year Overall MIAC Notes 2015-16 19-8 13-7 2016-17 19-9 13-7 2017-18 23-4 19-1 RS, NCAA 2018-19 23-5 17-3 PO, NCAA 2019-20 27-2 19-1 RS, PO, NCAA 2020-21 3-4 2-3 2021-22 23-5 17-2 RS, PO, NCAA
2022-23 17-10 13-7 2023-24 20-6 18-2 RS
THIS SEASON IN PICTURES
Johnson thriving on and off the court at SJU
Kyle Johnson always thought it sounded a bit cliche … this notion of realizing a college is the right fit the moment one first sets foot on campus.
But then the DeLaSalle High School graduate visited Saint John’s.
“I used to joke about people who would always say ‘it just felt right,’” said Johnson, now a junior guard on the Johnnie basketball team. “But I really did experience that when I took my tour. I knew right away this was a place I wanted to be.”
Johnson has gone on to make a huge impact at SJU. The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder saw extensive action off the bench as a sophomore a year ago, hitting 36 3-pointers and averaging 7.3 points per game.
But he has also excelled away from the court where he is now in his second year as a resident assistant on the third floor of Mary Hall. The psychology major is also working closely with his advisor Aubrey Immelman, an associate professor of psychology at CSB and SJU, in preparation for what he hopes will be a future career in criminal justice.
“His psychological profiles of world leaders have gotten a lot of attention,” Johnson said. “And he’s really been helping me a lot when it comes to navigating what a future career path might look like.
“All the psychology professors here have a crazy amount of special connections and experience in their fields.”
But Johnson said his Saint John’s experience might not have been possible were it not for the
assistance scholarships provide.
He currently receives the Helen and Robert Gavin Scholarship, an academic achievement scholarship and an alumni achievement scholarship.
“I knew this was where I wanted to go, but I wasn’t sure about the financial side of things,” he said. “Scholarships really played the biggest role in making this happen for me. I was lucky enough to get some help from outside scholarships, but the ones I got from Saint John’s were the crucial piece. I’m so grateful to the generous donors who made that a reality.”
It’s a role Johnson hopes to one day be able to play for someone else.
“If I hadn’t come to Saint John’s, I’d have missed out on friendships I’m going to have for the rest of my life,” he said. “I wouldn’t have had the chance to play collegiate
basketball. I’ve been able to build different social skills here. Some of that would probably have happened someplace else. But the emphasis that’s placed on community and serving others (at SJU) really helped force me out of my bubble.
“I’ve thought about it a lot,” he continued. “And if I’m blessed with the chance to help out someone who is in my situation in the future, I definitely want to do that.
“I know the impact this place has had on me.”
The Saint John’s University basketball team began the 2000-01 season with high expectations.
The Johnnies returned four of five starters – including reigning MIAC MVP Troy Bigalke – from a team that won 20 games, captured the MIAC tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Division III tournament the year before.
At the one position (point guard) where there was a vacancy, SJU had added transfer Ryan Keating, a Minnetonka High Scholl graduate who’d played two seasons of Division I basketball at the University of Minnesota.
Yet, despite all that, the Johnnies got off to a sluggish start, beginning the season 3-4.
“It took us a little while to gel for some reason,” Bigalke said. “We didn’t play our best basketball early. We needed a few games to get everything figured out.”
It didn’t help that Bigalke and several other players battled through injuries early on. Nor that Keating couldn’t commit to basketball full-time until the SJU football team – which advanced to the Division III national championship game
FEATURED FLASHBACK
in 2000 – had concluded its season.
But once that happened, and Bigalke and others got healthy, things started to take off. After falling 66-63 to Gustavus on a 3-pointer with six seconds left on Jan. 3, the Johnnies won 19 of their next 20 games.
That included a 92-80 win over Gustavus before a crowd of 2,400 at Sexton Arena in the MIAC title game Feb. 24, and an 84-75 win over the Gusties before a crowd of 2,580 in Collegeville in the second round of the NCAA tournament the following week.
Bigalke again led the way that season, averaging 18.2 points per game and earning MIAC honors for the second year in a row. Junior wing Mike Nester averaged 13.4 points per game, including 23 and 18 points respectively in the two postseason wins over the Gusties.
Fellow junior Luke Witt averaged 12 points per game while Keating finished the season with 175 assists.
“That team played so well together,” legendary former SJU head coach Jim Smith recalls. “They were a team on the floor and a team off it. It was a great group of individuals.”
But the team did suffer a key blow
when senior Sam Bugbee, a gritty starting post from St. Cloud Tech, was lost for the year to a knee injury in a road win at Macalester on Jan. 24.
His presence was missed, especially in a 71-65 Sweet 16 loss to Christopher Newport in Newport News, Virginia. SJU led that game much of the way before the Captains staged a late rally.
“We had control of that game for 30 minutes or more before we hit a dry spell,” said Bigalke, whose team finished its season 22-6 overall. “I think we really missed Sam’s defensive presence. He would have helped a lot.”
Bigalke finished his career with 1,568 points, a total that still ranks third in school history. Nester (1,314), Buth (1,099) and Witt (1,093) went on to become 1,000-point scorers as well.
“That team was just so talented,” Keating said. “I think that season, and my freshman year at Minnetonka, stand out as the most fun I ever had on the basketball court. That’s saying something because we won a state title during my senior season in high school.
“But I just enjoyed playing with those guys (his 2000-01 SJU teammates) so much. It was such a close-knit group.”
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Jim Smith never had the chance to coach Bill Sexton.
The longtime Saint John’s University basketball head coach did not arrive in Collegeville until 1964 – nine years after Sexton’s college career came to an end.
But Smith certainly heard about him plenty.
“At that time, there was no bigger name in Saint John’s basketball,” Smith recalls. “He was the one everybody talked about.”
With good reason of course. Sexton did not just rewrite the SJU record book during his time in Collegeville. He essentially created it. His 1,480 points made him the school’s all-time scoring leader to that point, and the total still ranks fifth in school history.
He was the first Saint John’s player to earn All-MIAC honors twice – in 1954 and 1955 – and he became the first Johnnie to be named an All-American when he was selected to the All-NAIA third team in 1954.
Perhaps the highlight of Sexton’s distinguished career came during the
COURT AT SEXTON ARENA
final game of his junior season in 1954. On that night, he scored 49 points in a victory over Macalester, a total that still stands as a single-game school record. The performance also wrapped up that season’s MIAC scoring title. He entered play leading Pat Costello of Saint Mary’s by just three points.
His senior year was equally spectacular as he finished with a team-best 511 points. And his involvement at Saint John’s did not end with his graduation. In fact, it’s only grown stronger in the decades that have followed.
He went on to a successful career in the insurance business, and served as a member of the school’s Board of Regents from 1989-2001. He and his family, meanwhile, are among the school’s biggest donors. The current Sexton Commons on campus is named in honor of his parents. A $10 million pledge in 2004 created the Joyce and William Sexton Family Endowed Scholarship, as well as supporting the Abbey Guest House project and SJU athletics.
In 2000, he received the Fr. Walter Reger Award for service to his alma mater – the SJU Alumni Association’s highest honor.
And, of course, it was his gift that allowed for a renovation of the Warner Palaestra in 1997, which included a new wood floor in the basketball arena named in his honor. In 2008, the court was redone thanks to the support of a group of former Johnnie basketball players – Sexton, Joe Mucha ’66, Michael Dady ’71, Tom Grudnowski ’72, Pat McKenzie ’79, Tim Kosiek ’80 and John Wiehoff ’84.
The court itself was named in honor of Smith and his wife, Adrienne, while the arena remains named for Sexton – uniting their two legacies and their collective impact on the SJU basketball program.
“Saint John’s has played such an important role in my family’s life,” Sexton said.
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