SJU Basketball - Edition 3 2022-23

flavor. REMARKABLE friendly. fresh.

REMARKABLY INCREDIBLY

HEAD COACH PAT MCKENZIE

A 2004 SJU graduate, Pat McKenzie is in his eighth season as head coach of the Johnnies in 2022-23. He became the 15th head coach in the 113-year history of Johnnie basketball on April 15th, 2015, and replaced Jim Smith who retired following 51 seasons at SJU.

2021-22 SEASON

The Johnnies (23-5, 17-2 MIAC) won their second consecutive MIAC regular-season championship (10th overall) and third consecutive MIAC Playoff title (eighth overall) in 2021-22. SJU made its fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in a row and ended the regular season ranked No. 24 nationally.

2019-20 SEASON

He led SJU to a 27-2 record (19-1 MIAC), which tied the program record for single-season wins (1978-79), its ninth MIAC regular-season title, seventh MIAC Playoff championship and third consecutive NCAA Division III Tournament appearance. The Johnnies advanced to the third round (Sweet 16) of the NCAA Tournament, but the season abruptly ended with the NCAA’s cancellation of all winter and spring championships due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 27 wins served as the program’s 13th 20win season.

2018-19 SEASON

McKenzie led SJU to a 23-5 record (17-3 MIAC), the MIAC Playoff championship, and second consecutive NCAA Division III Tournament appearance.

2017-18 SEASON

SJU became just the sixth team to tally a 19-1 MIAC record or better in 2017-18 and was the eighth team to win the regular-season title by four games or more since the league moved to a 20-game conference schedule in 198384. The Johnnies won 16 consecutive, their longest win streak since they won 27 straight in 1978-79.

2016-17 SEASON

The Johnnies posted a 19-9 record (13-7 MIAC) and earned their 24th trip to the conference playoffs, advancing to the MIAC Playoff Championship game for the first time since 2006-07, during McKenzie’s second season as head coach in 2016-17.

2015-16 SEASON

SJU finished third in the MIAC with a 13-7 record (19-8

Johnnies

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2022-23 JOHNNIES

PRESENTED BY MCGOUGH CONSTRUCTION

COACH RECORDS YEAR-BY-YEAR

GARY’S OPENED IN 1982.

In 1982, the Johnnies went 9-0 and have had a winning record ever since.

Coincidence? We think NOT!

Thank you CSB and SJU Students, Staff & Alumni for over 40 great years!

CONTINUED... COACH RECORDS

YEAR-BY-YEAR

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 7 seasons 137-37 (.787)

1946-47

7 seasons, 14 seasons total 1930-37, 1941-48

35-77 (.312), 68-151 (.310)

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

SENIORS LOOK BACK

This season marks the final go-around in a Saint John’s University uniform for four members of the Johnnies basketball team: posts Mitchell Plombon and Carson Schoeller, guard Sam Olson and wing Elijah Sutton. It’s also the final season for longtime managers Zach Holden and Thomas Ende.

All six of this season’s seniors were asked to reflect back on their time as part of the SJU basketball program. Here are some of their responses:

What is your best memory of your time as part of the basketball team?

Plombon: My best memory was my sophomore year when we made a run in the (Division III) national tournament. Even though it was cut short by COVID, it was one of the most fun experiences I’ve had here.

Sutton: My best memory has to be winning the MIAC championship last year. It was a crazy atmosphere and game and I’m glad I got to be part of that.

Ende: My favorite memory has to be playing St. Thomas. It stands out in my head because I have never experienced anything like it in my life. The energy in Sexton Arena is unmatched by any sporting event I’ve ever attended, and that was just such a great rivalry. Those games always will stand out to me, and beating them multiple times was an added bonus.

What is the funniest moment you recall from your time at SJU?

Schoeller: There have been countless funny moments during my time at SJU, but the funniest to me was this year’s Secret Santa (gift exchange). There were so many hilarious gifts.

Holden: Traveling with the team and being stuck in a hotel room with my comanagers in Storm Lake, Iowa. After we got Tommy (Ornburg) a roll-away bed and strapped him in, we sat awake laughing at nothing for hours.

What will you remember most about your teammates/coaches here?

Sutton: Selflessness. Everyone here sacrifices something in order to win. We all

know that no one person’s job is any more important than the next guy’s. Everyone respects each other and pushes each other to be the best they can be.

Holden: Coaches, teammates, managers and athletic trainers all want the best for you. We’re each other’s biggest advocates. I will miss reminiscing with Sean Ryan about his playing days. I will miss Fogs counting down too fast during rapid-fire shooting. I will miss talking about the weight room with DQ. I will miss Pat’s analogies, stories and occasional sarcastic humor. To all the players and my co-managers, you guys made showing up every day easy. You’re the whole reason I reached out my freshman year to see if I could be a part of this team, and why I’ve spent my four years here with the program. I will never forget all of the great people that basketball brought into my life.

Schoeller: I will remember how close we all are, and how it feels like a family.

How has being part of the basketball program here transformed you?

Olson: I’m more confident than I’ve ever been and value the relationships in my life - especially the new ones. I transferred to Saint John’s my junior year from Ridgewater Community College, and I learned how to be part of something bigger over the past two years here.

Sutton: It’s helped me come out of my shell and be more outgoing. Moving across the country (from Dover, Pennsylvania) was a big risk - one I never would have

Mitchell Plombon

Elijah Sutton

Thomas Ende

ON THEIR TIME AT SJU

taken if it wasn’t for SJU basketball. Forming relationships with guys that come from different places has helped me try new things and become friends with people I don’t think I would have before.

Ende: The SJU basketball program has changed my life because it puts you in positions to succeed as well as places of adversity. As an individual, I had to learn to take responsibility and I learned valuable leadership lessons. When I came in, I just wanted to stay involved with the game, but now I realize that this program, and these people, have changed me and made me the man I am today.

What has been a Johnnie basketball player/manager meant to you?

Schoeller: All the support I’ve received from the program and our fans has meant the world to me.

Plombon: Being a Johnnie basketball player has helped me grow familiar with all of the past alumni who have come through here, and what they’ve put into the program.

Ende: Being a team manager has meant everything to me. It’s been a part of my identity for four years, and I will cherish all the memories I’ve made. I have a strong interest in coaching, so this has taught me so much about not only the Xs and Os but the behind-the-scenes work that comes with the job. This experience has also meant meeting some of my best friends in life - specifically Owen Campbell, Zach Holden, Tommy Ornburg, Ryan Engel and Brayden Johnson.

What is the one story from your time here you expect to still be telling 10 years from now?

Sutton: Beating Augsburg last year at their place and going to a steakhouse with the team afterward. We’d lost to them here, so we owed them one. It was a close game, but we ended up winning and I got to celebrate with my teammates and a nice dinner.

Plombon: I always bring up the story about when I transferred here in the winter of 2019-2020. Lucas Walford was extremely embracing and did everything he could to make me feel welcomed. He helped me adapt to the playbook as well.

Do you intend to stay involved with SJU basketball after you graduate?

Schoeller: I definitely plan to come to games and follow the team after my time here is over. I’m excited to be able to support the program as an alumni like so many do now for us.

Olson: Definitely, I am from the area (Rocori High School), so I will try to attend as many game as I can. I will also stay in touch with the team.

Holden: The mantra ‘Once a Johnnie, always a Johnnie’ is something I plan to live by here after graduation. I will be keeping up with the team and attending games when I can. If coaching basketball is in my future - as I plan it to be - I hope to one day send some players hear to wear the powder blue and red. I’m also not going to close the door on the possibility of one day being back on campus in some capacity.

Carson Schoeller

Sam Olson

Zach Holden

UPPERCLASSMEN

PRESENTED BY WEIDNER’S MECHANICAL

42

Sam Olson

Sr. | G | 6-3 | 190 | Cold Spring, Minn./Rocori

Personal: Transferred to SJU from Ridgewater…a 2018 graduate of Rocori High School…coached by Nate Guetter ’99… Sociology major…son of Jeff and Mary Jo Olson of Cold Spring, Minn.

11

Mitchell Plombon

Sr. | P | 6-7 | 215 | St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral

2021-22: Played 20 games with 18 starts…averaged 9.0 points and 4.6 rebounds…shot 52.0 percent (79-152) from the field and recorded two double-doubles, Jan. 29 at Concordia-Moorhead (10 rebounds and 10 points) and Feb. 23 vs. Hamline (14 points and 10 rebounds).

2020-21: Started all seven games for the Johnnies…averaged 13.4 points and 5.1 rebounds in 27.6 minutes per contest…shot 56.9 percent (37-65) from the field and 54.5 percent (6-11) from three-point range…posted a doubledouble (15 points and 10 rebounds) March 3 vs. St. Thomas.

2019-20: Appeared in 19 games for the Johnnies, all in 2020…scored 61 points and collected 31 rebounds…shot 52.2 percent (24-46) from the field.

Personal: Transferred to SJU during the 2019-20 holiday break from Division II Winona State, where he also redshirted...a 2018 graduate of St. Cloud Cathedral...coached by Matt Meyer...Global Business Leadership major...son of Gary and Roxy Plombon of St. Cloud, Minn…older brother, Max, played football at SJU.

41 Carson Schoeller

Sr. | P | 6-9 | 230 | Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake

2021-22: Played 25 games for the Johnnies with six starts…averaged 6.2 points and 3.5 rebounds…shot 52.9 percent (64-121) from the field and 46.3 percent (25-54) from three-point range…posted a double-double (14 points and 10 rebounds) Jan. 22 vs. St. Scholastica.

2020-21: Appeared in four games for SJU…scored nine points in 14 minutes of play.

2019-20: Played 14 games for the Johnnies…scored 34 points and shot 65.2 percent (15-23) from the field in 47 minutes of play.

Personal: A 2019 graduate of Prior Lake High School…coached by Bob Schwein…Accounting (Finance) major…son of John and Kirsten Schoeller of Prior Lake, Minn.

Jr. | G | 6-4 | 185 | New London, Minn./New London-Spicer

2021-22: Played two games…totaled two points and two rebounds in three minutes of play.

Personal: Transferred to SJU during the 2021-22 holiday break from Division II Bryant and Stratton Junior College in WI…a 2019 graduate of New London-Spicer High School…coached by Chad Schmiesing…Global Business Leadership major… son of Cheryl and Dean Adelman of New London, Minn.

Jr. | G | 6-4 | 205 | West Fargo, N.D./Sheyenne

2021-22: Played all 28 games for the Johnnies with three starts…averaged 5.8 points and 2.5 rebounds…shot 56.5 percent (61-108) from the field and 45.5 percent (10-22) from three-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.

Jr. | W | 6-7 | 200 | Wayzata, Minn./Minnetonka

2021-22: Played three games…scored five points in 14 minutes of play...Academic All-MIAC.

2020-21: Appeared in one game for the Johnnies…scored two points in four minutes of play.

Personal: A 2020 graduate of Minnetonka High School…coached by Bryce Tesdahl…previously attended Wisconsin… Biology major…son of Ray and Leslie Gaffney of Wayzata, Minn.

4 Brandon Adelman

3 Blake Berg

5 J.T. Gaffney

ATHLETIC PROFILES

UPPERCLASSMEN

32 Connor Schwob

Jr. | W | 6-5 | 200 | Waconia, Minn./Waconia

2020-21: Played two games for the Johnnies…scored two points and collected three rebounds in eight 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.

22 Elijah Sutton

Jr. | W | 6-5 | 190 | Dover, Pa./Dover

2021-22 & 2020-21: Did not play due to injury.

Personal: Transferred to SJU from Chatham (Pa.)…played 26 games, including 13 starts, as a freshman at Chatham in 2019-20 and averaged 9.7 points and 4.2 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game…was second on the team in made free throws (49) and free-throw percentage (.831) …a 2019 graduate of Dover (Pa.) High School…coached by Brian Schmoyer…Accounting (Finance) major…son of Samuel and Kiersten Sutton of Dover, Pa.

24 Ryan Thissen

Jr. | W | 6-6 | 210 | Rosemount, Minn./Eastview

2021-22: Started all 28 games for SJU…averaged 13.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game…shot 52.0 percent 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...All-MIAC 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 percent (38-69) from the field and 46.7 percent (7-15) from three-point range…81.3 percent (13-16) from the free-throw line.

Personal: A 2020 graduate of Eastview High School…coached by Paul Goetz…Biochemistry major…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.

13 Ethan Youso

Jr. | P | 6-7 | 220 | Gilbert, Minn./Virginia

2021-22: Appeared in 12 games for the Johnnies…totaled 21 points and 22 rebounds in 93 minutes of play…shot 47.6 percent (10-21) from the field.

Personal: Transferred to SJU from Division II Minnesota-Duluth…a 2018 graduate of Virginia High School…coached by Rich Odell…Computer Science major…son of Shawn and Jody (CSB ’92) Youso of Gilbert, Minn…older sister, Jessa, participated in basketball, track and field, and volleyball at Carleton…mother played tennis at CSB…grandfather, Frank Youso, played in the NFL from 1958-65 with the New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings and Oakland Raiders.

SOPHOMORES

PRESENTED BY COBORN’S

35 Luke Budzyn

So. | W | 6-7 | 195 | St. Paul, Minn./East Ridge

2021-22: Played four games…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 Cathy and Bill Budzyn of St. Paul, Minn.

10 Luke Healy

So. | G | 6-0 | 180 | Hudson, Wis./Hudson

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 (Finance) major…son of Terri and Brian Healy of Hudson, Wis.

2 Zach Longueville

So. | G | 6-2 | 180 | Eagan, Minn./St. Croix Lutheran

2021-22: Appeared in 15 games for the Johnnies…averaged 4.1 points and recorded 14 assists…shot 42.6 percent (2047) from the field and 46.2 percent (18-39) from three-point range.

Personal: A 2021 graduate of St. Croix Lutheran Academy…coached by Drew Koch…Accounting (Finance) major…son of Jane Longueville and Joe Longueville…father played football at Division I South Dakota.

40 Andrew Nerud

So. | P | 6-8 | 230 | Elko New Market, Minn./New Prague

Personal: Played one game for SJU…a 2021 graduate of New Prague High School…coached by Dan Peterka…Computer Science major…son of Dan and Dawn Nerud of Elko New Market, Minn…father played basketball at St. Thomas…mother played basketball at Towson State (Md.).

21 Griffin Rushin

So. | W | 6-8 | 185 | Baxter, Minn./Brainerd

2021-22: Appeared in 15 games for the Johnnies…recorded 22 points and 10 rebounds…shot 55.6 percent (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.

14 Kooper Vaughn

So. | G | 6-1 | 180 | St. Charles, Minn./St. Charles

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 percent (97-223) from the field and 40.9 percent (70-171) from three-point range...broke SJU's singleseason record for three-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

So. | G | 6-0 | 170 | Prospect Heights, Ill./Hersey

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 Jeannine and Patrick Wagner of Prospect Heights, Ill.

FRESHMEN

PRESENTED BY COBORN’S

12 Nick Bartlett

Fr. | G | 6-2 | 170 | Ham Lake, Minn./Forest Lake

Personal: A 2022 graduate of Forest Lake High School…coached by Dan Cremisino and Kyle McDonald…Global Business Leadership major…son of Chris and Tony Bartlett of Ham Lake, Minn.

43 Mitchell Degen

Fr. | W | 6-5 | 205 | Brainerd, Minn./Brainerd

Personal: A 2022 graduate of Brainerd High School…coached by Charlie Schoeck…Global Business Leadership major… son of Julie and Mike Degen of Brainerd, Minn…older sisters, Hanna ’21 and Jenna ’19, participated in track and field at CSB...father played football at Division II Bemidji State.

31 Erik Hedstrom

Fr. | P | 6-5 | 225 | Alexandria, Minn./Alexandria

Personal: A 2022 graduate of Alexandria High School…coached by Forrest Witt…Biochemistry major…son of Andrew Hedstrom and Lorinda Hedstrom of Alexandria, Minn…father played football at St. Olaf…mother played tennis at Gustavus Adolphus…older brother, Anders, played basketball for the Gusties.

1 Kyle Johnson

Fr. | G | 6-2 | 185 | Prior Lake, Minn./DeLaSalle

Personal: A 2022 graduate of DeLaSalle High School…coached by Travis Bledsoe…undecided major…son of Tina and Joe Johnson of Prior Lake, Minn.

25 Thomas Menk

Fr. | G | 6-4 | 200 | Lewiston, Minn./Lewiston-Altura

Personal: A 2022 graduate of Lewiston-Altura High School…coached by Michael VanderPlas…Accounting (Finance) major…son of Nicole and Brian Menk of Lewiston, Minn.

Fr. | P | 6-7 | 215 | Annandale, Minn./Annandale

Personal: A 2022 graduate of Annandale High School…coached by Skip Dolan…Accounting major…son of Robin and Todd Spaulding of Annandale, Minn…father played basketball at Division II St. Cloud State…three older sisters - Mykenzie, Hannah and Allie - played basketball at St. Thomas.

33 Brady Spaulding

ALADE TAKES HIS PLACE ALONGSIDE OTHER PAST SJU MIAC MVPS

One of the first things Jubie Alade ’20 noticed as a freshman on the basketball team at Saint John’s University were the banners hanging on the wall at Sexton Arenaeach honoring a different Johnnie player who earned MIAC player of the year honors.

“I remember looking during warmups and thinking how cool it would be to see myself up there one day,” he recalls. “Wondering if I’d be able to do what it took to make that happen.”

It turned out Alade definitely could. The Robbinsdale Armstrong High School graduate - who finished his SJU career with 1,418 points, which ranks sixth-most in program history - earned the award as a senior during the 2019-20 season.

That year, he averaged a team-best 18.7 points per game as the Johnnies finished 27-2, captured the MIAC regular and postseason titles and advanced to the round of 16 of the NCAA Division III tournament before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic brought their magical run to a premature close.

Those accomplishments will now be reflected when Alade’s banner is finally raised, joining those of fellow SJU MIAC MVPS: Paul Bernabei (1968-69), Frank Wachlarowicz (1977-78 and 78-79), Phil Johnson (1985-86), Travis Weiss (1993-94) and Troy Bigalke (19992000 and 2000-01).

The ceremony is scheduled for Feb. 11 when the Johnnies play host to St. Mary’s on Alumni/Senior Day at 1 p.m. at Sexton Arena.

“It’s hard to summarize what Jubie has meant to me personally and to SJU basketball,” Johnnies coach Pat McKenzie said. “He helped transform our program into one that regularly competed for championships. In his four years here, his teams finished with a record of 92-20, won two conference championships, two conference tournament championships and advanced to three-straight NCAA tournaments. At the time of his graduation, no one in the history of SJU basketball had won more games than Jubie Alade and the class of 2020.

“While his on-court and team accomplishments speak for themselves, Jubie will be best remembered for his approach to

the game, our program and his teammates. Off the court, he was laid back, friendly and easy to get along with. On the court, he was focused and intense. It was a privilege to be able to coach him and even more of a privilege to consider he and his family friends.”

Alade said he still hasn’t wrapped his head around the fact that his banner will now be hanging next to the others he used to look up at.

“It’s still so strange to think about,” Alade said. “Especially because I had such great players as teammates - guys like (David) Stokman and TWeiss (Tyler Weiss). Those were guys I looked up to, and they’re not up there but I am? They were players just as deserving - if not more. Hopefully, my being up there will represent our whole group of guys.

“Because I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish any of the things I did without them.”

Alade - a computer science major who now works as a software developer in the Twin Cities - said he looks back on his time at SJU with great fondness - especially that amazing senior year.

Now he will have a reminder of that special time waiting for him any time he returns to his alma mater to watch a game.

“It’s super-special,” he said. “It’s really kind of like the final wrap-up of my time at Saint John’s - everything that happened from my freshman year to my final game. I’m really excited to see (the banner) up there.”

PROUD SPONSOR AND CONTRACTOR FOR JOHNNIE ATHLETICS

MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT BRUESS

Welcome to Sexton Arena and Saint John’s University basketball!

My name is Brian Bruess and, as of July 1, I am president of both College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University – the first time both of those titles have been held concurrently. In the short time that my wife Carol and I have been here, we have both certainly felt the engaging welcome of this community. The Benedictine hospitality lives up to its billing. Thank you to those who have reached out with greetings and well wishes.

I’m glad you’re here and hope you’re ready for some great competition. The young men out there in Johnnie red today have worked hard to excel in a game they love. That means hours of training, conditioning, preparing and traveling.

Beyond that, these are Johnnies. As such, each is a member of this Benedictine community we hold dear. Our students are engaged and involved with the causes and the initiatives that move them. In their four years here, they will discover their opportunities to develop as active, thoughtful citizens.

That’s a lot going on. So if things get tight toward the end today, don’t lose faith: Johnnies are obviously great at clock management.

So let’s get settled in and ready for tip off. And as we cheer for today’s performances on the court, let’s all commit to cheering a little louder in recognition of the performances we don’t see – in the classroom, in the lab and in service to their church or community.

Just as impressive, they’re working hard in the classroom. These are student-athletes in the best sense of both those traditions – and they uphold the academic standards for which Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s are well known.

Johnnie

SENTRY BANK PRESENTS MID-SEASON PICTURES

Carson Schoeller had 15 points and 11 rebounds - 10 of them on the defensive end - as the Johnnies beat Linfield (Oregon) 70-55 on Dec. 21 in Spokane, Washington.

Junior wing Ryan Thissen scored 27 point as SJU avenged an early-season loss at St. Olaf by beating the Oles 69-66 on Jan. 28 at Sexton Arena.

Sophomore guard Kooper Vaughn tied for the team-lead with 18 points, but the Johnnies fell 75-66 on the road at Augsburg on Jan. 21 in Minneapolis.

Senior post Mitchell Plombon led all scorers with 22 points and fell one rebound short of recording his third-straight double-double as SJU beat Bethel 83-69 on Jan. 14 at Sexton Arena.

BY FRANK RAJKOWSKI

Three years later, the 2019-20 Johnnies still wonder ‘What if?’

It’s been three years now. But there are still times Lucas Walford finds himself asking, “What if?”

What if the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic hadn’t brought the memorable 2019-20 season to an abrupt close for the Saint John’s University basketball team, just as the Johnnies had gotten on a roll in the NCAA Division III tournament?

How far might have Walford and his teammates been able to go?

“I think we could have won it all,” Walford said. “That’s what made it so hard. We were already in the Sweet 16, and we were about to play St. Thomas at home – a team we’d beaten (in the MIAC title game) just two weeks before.

“So it was tough not to get that closure. If you lose your final game, and your career comes to an end, at least you know. But when COVID happened, it was like things were sort of left hanging there. We had the talent and we were playing well. I liked our chances.”

Indeed, the 2019-20 Johnnies had already established themselves as one of the best teams in school history. They boasted a 27-2 record and rolled through the MIAC Tournament, defeating St. Thomas 82-63 in the title game.

More importantly, after having lost at home in the first round of the Division III tournament in both 2017 and 2018, SJU rolled past Ripon (Wisconsin) and Wisconsin-Eau Claire on March 6-7 at Sexton Arena. That set up a Sweet 16 showdown between the second-ranked Johnnies and the No. 4 Tommies.

SJU had won two of the previous three meetings that season. Round four was scheduled for March 14 in Collegeville. But on March 12, the NCAA announced it was canceling all remaining winter and spring championships as society as a whole began to shut down. The next day, CSB and SJU joined the ranks of schools nationwide suspending in-person learning. Students wouldn’t return to campus until the start of the fall semester in September, even then with plenty of restrictions still in place.

“Right when you think you’ve forgotten and all is well, it creeps back in there,” said Jubie Alade, the senior standout who earned MIAC MVP honors in 2019-20 and averaged a teambest 18.7 points per game. “You think about what could’ve been.”

But both Walford and Alade said the way the year ended did nothing to diminish the pride they feel in what SJU accomplished.

“There’s nothing quite like winning on a consistent basis and that team did that,” said Alade, “You went to bed every night knowing everyone was working together and doing their jobs.”

“It sucks that things ended the way they did,” added Walford, who averaged 11.3 points and a team-best 9.7 rebounds that year and is now in his third season playing professionally in Europe – currently in Slovenia. “But that doesn’t change how I feel about that team. It was a great group and we had an amazing season.”

“I think we could have won it all...”

Lucas Walford

Jubie Alade

#1 AND #2

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Get in touch with our Admission team today to start your life-changing experience at CSB and SJU!

LEAVING A LEGACY

Considering the long legacy he and his family have established at Saint John’s University, it’s funny to think Jim Bassett’s first impressions of the place weren’t necessarily positive.

“I went here for two years and didn’t like it, so I left and went back to work on the ore boats in the Great Lakes,” recalls Bassett, a 1958 SJU graduate. “Then I went to St. Thomas for one semester and I hated it there too. I was a kid from Bemidji and everyone else on campus seemed to go home to their high school friends on the weekend. I was always there alone.

“So I went back out on the ore boats until I figured out that if I returned to Saint Johns for a year, I could graduate.”

Which is what Bassett did, this time establishing ties that have remained strong throughout the decades since. He went on to serve as president of the national alumni association and six of his sons attended the school while two of his daughters went to the College of Saint Benedict.

“I guess you could say I had a 180-degree turnabout,” he said with a chuckle.

Part of that was due to his family’s long association with legendary head coach Jim Smith and the Johnnies basketball program. One of his sons handled statistics for the team, another helped coach the junior varsity while two more played – including Larry ’92, an All-MIAC selection who scored over 1,000 points in his collegiate career.

“We just fell in love with the program,” Bassett said. “It’s been so good to our family. We’ve gone along with the team on a couple of trips to Europe, we’ve been to Brazil, we once went out west to Portland. And Jim Smith has become one of my best friends.

“Basketball at Saint John’s has meant a lot to us over the years.”

Bassett has long been a generous donor to the program and he’s taken steps to ensure that philanthropy continues even after he’s gone by establishing an estate plan that includes a dedicated gift to the Jim Smith Endowed Basketball Leadership Program Fund.

It’s an endowment established to support Johnnies basketball by providing budget enhancement funding to ensure the program is able to remain at a competitive level in the MIAC and nationally in NCAA Division III.

“Jim Smith is the greatest guy in the world,” said Bassett, who is also a generous donor to a number of other causes including Catholic Charities. “I can’t say enough good things about everything he’s done for so many people over the years.

“And I think Pat McKenzie has come in and done a great job since taking over (following Smith’s retirement in 2015). We have a really good basketball program here with really great people running it. I just want to do what I can to make sure that continues in the years to come.

“A gift like this is easy to do if you can afford it and I’ve been fortunate enough that I’m able to.”

Jim Basset

CAMPUS UPDATE

NEW MINOR: CLIMATE STUDIES

In an ever-evolving effort to ensure academic opportunities remain at the cutting edge of issues and careers of importance well into the 21st century, the faculty and boards of the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University recently approved a new minor to be offered in climate studies, beginning in fall 2023.

With climate change looming as perhaps the biggest crisis of the foreseeable future, it is likely to require multiple solutions and complex thinking to find ways to reverse its effects and live with its reality. To address this need Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s will incorporate many fields from the academic catalog into the new minor.

“The great thing about our climate studies minor is that it is truly interdisciplinary,” said Corrie Grosse, who has a doctorate in sociology and is an assistant professor of environmental studies at CSB and SJU. “Climate crisis requires all hands on deck to research, innovate and craft sustainable and just solutions. Our program builds on our existing liberal arts strengths in cultivating diverse skills and perspectives among our students – the leaders of the future.”

The drive to add a climate studies minor came primarily from the students. They have lived their entire lives in a world of changing climate and seek greater understanding for it and a way to be part of the solutions to the crisis. “I was really excited to hear about the climate studies minor because it gives more of a focused and expansive curriculum – in terms of environmental studies – about a topic that is going to become more and more pressing over

time,” said Jalayna Smith-Moore ’24, a CSB senior. “It is a really important minor to have for prospective students to be able to prepare for making solutions to climate change.”

Derek Larson, professor and chair of the environmental studies department at CSB and SJU, commented, “We looked at the urgency and demand for action on the climate crisis and saw that we not only have the existing faculty expertise but coursework across departments was already being developed and taught with climate change in mind.”

“We have to decrease our emissions by half by 2030 in order to keep temperatures below 1.5 degrees (increase),” Grosse said. “We’ve got a narrow time window. These next 10 years are critical. We need students and graduates who are prepared to lead creatively, courageously and with justice at the center of their work.”

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ASSISTANT COACHES

DANNY QUINN

Quinn is in his first season as an assistant basketball coach at Saint John’s in 2022-23. 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.

JERRY FOGARTY

Jerry Fogarty is in his 23rd year as an assistant coach for SJU in 2022-23. 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 second season as an assistant coach for the Johnnies in 2022-23. A 2020 graduate of Saint John’s, Ryan earned a bachelor’s degree in global business leadership and is working towards 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.

SAM DITTBERNER

Dittberner is in his ninth season as an assistant coach for SJU in 2022-23. A 2013 graduate of SJU, Dittberner appeared in all 26 games and served as a team captain for the Johnnies in 2012-13. He is an internal sales consultant at Allianz Life in Golden Valley and resides in St. Louis Park.

GARRETT GOETZ

Goetz is in his fifth season as a volunteer assistant coach for the Johnnies in 2022-23. A 2018 graduate of Saint John’s, Goetz earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and was a four-year member on the SJU basketball team. He led the MIAC in assists, in both conference play (5.5 apg.) and overall (5.7 apg.), in 2017-18. Goetz started each of SJU’s last 55 games at point guard and ended his career ninth in school history with 271 career assists.

ALEX RASMUSSEN

Rasmussen is in his first season as an assistant coach at SJU in 2022-23. A 2022 graduate of SJU, Rasmussen was a member of two MIAC regular-season and three MIAC playoff championship teams. He is a native of Dundas, Minn., and currently works for Northwestern Mutual.