Cards plan to push the tempo

Willmar guard Cayden Hansen drives toward the baseline during a Central Lakes Conference game against Brainerd on March 4, 2021 from Willmar High School. West Central Tribune file photo

With good depth and quickness, Willmar hopes to play full-court basketball

BY TOM ELLIOTT | West Central Tribune

WILLMAR — There’s a new head coach in town and if there’s one thing Jeff Holtkamp would like you to know, it’s that he loves to run-and-gun and play full-court basketball.

Expect both those things to happen because Holtkamp, who was hired last spring for the retiring Matt Williams, believes the Cardinals have the personnel to pull it off.

“I think we can go 11 deep,” Holtkamp said. “I’m excited.”

Holtkamp said Willmar had a good summer, improving its defense from last season’s 7-13 squad. He also likes his squad’s athleticism and overall quickness, which he believes will be an asset throughout the lineup.

The concerns? Well, the Cardinals aren’t tall. They’ll be one of the smaller teams in the Central Lakes Conference, which looks to Alexandria, Brainerd and possibly St. Cloud Apollo and Fergus Falls as early favorites.

And with the lack of size comes another concern: rebounding.

“An area of concern will be our team rebounding,” said Holtkamp, a longtime Willmar assistant who was once head girls basketball coach at Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg. “We will be one of the smaller teams in the conference.”

There are four players with a lot of experience back, including returning starters Cayden Hansen and Alex Schramm.

Hansen is a 5-foot-9 senior guard who averaged 5.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. He led Willmar with 20 steals.

Hansen is a “floor leader (who) takes good care of the ball and makes good decisions,” Holtkamp said.

Schramm is a 6-0 senior guard who is headed to the University of Minnesota-Duluth on a football scholarship. Schramm’s the Cardinals’ leading returning scorer at 9.1 ppg. He also averaged 3.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.

Holtkamp praises Schramm for his quickness and athleticism. He’s also one of Willmar’s top 3-point shooters, averaging 39% on his long-range attempts.

Two others who played a great deal are Sam Raitz and Blake Schoolmeester. Raitz is a 6-3 junior who can play inside or outside. He averaged 3.5 ppg. Schoolmeester is a 6-6 junior who gives the Cardinals’ a little bit of length. While he’s a post player, he’s also a good shooter who averaged 5.3 ppg.

Players to watch include Abdihamid Abdullah, Harris Duininck and Cade Roelofs. Abdullah is a 6-0 senior guard whom Holtkamp believes will be a pleasant surprise this winter because of his improvement.

Duininck is a 6-3 senior forward who is a “very active player (who) will make plays because of his hustle and determination,” Holtkamp said.

Roelofs, a 6-5 senior, is another big guy who will be asked to deal with opponents’ inside players. He’s a “good defender with a long wingspan,” Holtkamp said. He’s also an aggressive rebounder on both ends of the court.

Holtkamp is impressed with his squad’s team chemistry and work ethic. “We’re looking to run,” he said.

“We’ve got the depth and team speed to do it.

“Quite a few kids from the JV last year will surprise people. They were very good last year, winning 15 or 16 games.”

Willmar's Sam Raitz (31) puts up a layup through traffic during a Central Lakes Conference game against Alexandria on Feb. 11, 2021, at the Big Red Gym at Willmar High School.

Joe Brown / West Central Tribune file photo