Austin Hansen Joins Northern Colorado Staff

I don't write a ton about assistant coaching changes, but Northern Colorado has gone through a big staff shake-up this offseason. Ry Martin was let go, and two other coaches (Shawn Ellis and Logan Bean) left the program for various reasons. Joel Davidson from Casper College is one guy that was brought in, and now Austin Hansen from South Dakota State has joined the staff.

"Austin has been a big part of South Dakota State's success and move from Division II to Division I," Hill said. "He's done a great job of recruiting for them and been a great part of that staff. Anytime you can get a guy who's been through the same transformation we have and has had a lot of success, that's a big coup for us. We're excited to have Austin and his recruiting experience at the Division I level. His ties will be really great for this program."

It is a big year for BJ Hill and the Bears, and they have a couple new assistant coaches to try to bring a fresh perspective. It just adds more intrigue to the Bears.

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Northern Colorado's Trip to Australia

CBS had a look at Northern Colorado's trip to Australia, including some quotes from head coach BJ Hill.

What Hill learned: "Last year we had five guys going through the same adjustment all at once. The year before, we had four seniors and last year's group thought they knew what to expect last year, but they didn't really know. I think know these guys understand it better. They took a punch on the trip and fought back. Last year they took the same kind of punch and didn't quite know what to do."

Who stood out: "Derrick Barden. He was a third-team junior college All-American who was the first person to average 20 points and 10 boards at Midland since Larry Johnson. He's undersized, probably only about 6-foot-4, but he averaged a double-double against the two toughest teams over there. I didn't think he'd be able to go right in and do that against pros."

Biggest concern: "Defense. Valuing defense more. Scoring isn't our problem, but we need to take more pride and show more effort on the defensive side of the ball. We did a better job on the trip, but we've still got to improve in that aspect."

Jeff Goodman of CBS also had some solid notes on the trip. A look at a few of them in more detail.

- The only significant loss from last year's team was that of starting power forward Mike Proctor, who averaged 9.5 points and 6.8 boards and was an honorable mention all-league guy. However, look for Barden to slide into Proctor's spot and the Bears shouldn't miss a beat. In fact, it'll likely be an upgrade.

I heard similar good things about Barden when he was signed... a JUCO recruiting expert told me he will be a big-time player in the Big Sky. He averaged 20 and 12 last year. In my mind, he is the favorite for Newcomer of the Year in the Big Sky.

- Sophomore point guard Tevin Svihovec tied for the team lead in scoring and Hill was extremely complimentary about his performance on the trip. "He was our best defender on the trip," Hill said. "He's a tough kid and just wants to compete."

Svihivoec emerged as the go-to guy for the Bears down the stretch last season, so it is no surprise that he led the charge here. The Bears will be a very good offensive team, but if they are going to compete for a conference championship, they need to get better and a lot tougher defensively. This sounds like a good start. If the Bears will have a successor to Devon Beitzel, it looks like Svihovec is the guy.

- Junior guard Tate Unruh has made strides -- both emotionally and physically. "When we recruited him, he was 5-foot-11 and 145 pounds. Opey Taylor. He looked like he was 12. He's 6-foot-4 now and you can see he's starting to get that much-needed confidence. In the first game on the trip, they really took it to him -- but he responded so well in the next game. He dug in and got back up after a punch."

Unruh can be huge for them because he is as pure of a shooter as there is in the Big Sky. He is someone you can't cheat an inch off, because he will bury any look. If he gets that confidence, and more importantly, adds some strength (he has grown but was still very wiry last year), he can average 15 points a game in this conference.

- The X-factor for the team could be 6-foot-5 sophomore forward Tim Huskisson, who averaged 6.5 points as a freshman while starting about half the team's games. "He's the guy who looks like a high-major player when he walks into the gym," Hill said. "He's 6-5 or 6-6 and has long arms. He was effective against Marquette and Iowa State last year, but like your typical freshman, he hit the wall halfway through the season. He needs to play with more confidence."

I said all last year that Huskisson may be the most important piece for them to take the next step, because he added something different from every other player on the roster. Last year, UNC had a lot of skill players, but they didn't have any plus athletes other than Huskisson. He was raw last year as expected from a true freshman, but he has a chance to make the leap because he is so gifted.

- Another player who could change the complexion of the team is 6-foot junior Paul Garnica, a big-time scorer coming out of high school in San Antonio. "He's so, so talented," Hill said.

Garnica is an interesting player. At times, he will look like an all-conference guy. He is a good shooter, penetrator, and you get the feeling he could be near the top of the league in steals. However, he does things that have to be maddening for the coaching staff. He loses concentration defensively, and offensively he has a bad habit of going for the flashy play rather than the solid play. If he can break those bad habits and keep improving the good habits, he is talented enough to be an all-conference player as well.

There is certainly a lot to like about the Bears, and the more I think about them, the more I think they will be (at least) the third best team in the Big Sky.

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Northern Colorado Team Getting Ready For Australia

College basketball teams are allowed to take an offseason trip once every four years. This year, Northern Colorado will be making the trek to The Land Down Under, which should be especially beneficial for a young team that should be one of the most talented in the conference next year.

They will play four games starting on August 9th, playing against professional and all-star teams from Australia.  They will also take in some of the sights of the country, which obviously can be some of the best times to bond.

"Our program is honored to represent The University of Northern Colorado and NCAA basketball in Australia," said head coach B.J. Hill. "We're aware of the high quality of play in Australia, and we look forward to learning from some of the leading coaches in our sport. Our players, coaches, fans and administrators are excited to experience Australian culture, and we are appreciative of this unique opportunity."

If they can use the trip to get tougher on defense, it will be well worth every penny! But in all seriousness, this can be the exact type of bonding a team needs to take the next step. The Bears will be ranked anywhere from third to seventh heading into next season.

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Top Departing Players #10: Mike Proctor

 

With the throes of the offseason all around us, I thought it would be fun to take a look at the 20 best players that are departing from the Big Sky, either due to graduating, declaring for the draft, or transferring.

Northern Colorado was the youngest team in the Big Sky last season, and by the end of the season had just one upperclassmen on the roster. That player was Mike Proctor, who seemed to be just as important for the intangible things as he was for the tangible things to the Northern Colorado team.

First, the tangible. He was easily the best rebounder on the team and one of the best in the conference at 6.8 boards per game. He had a stellar 22.9 DR% last season, which was the best mark in the Big Sky. He did the dirty work on the glass that the team needed.

Offensively, he had some struggles from the free throw line this year, but he was still a pretty solid and efficient offensive player. He shot an excellent 62% from the field, and did get to the line frequently. He was a solid passer for a big man, and looked to get guys involved and get them shots. He would surprise at times with his ability to get his own shot.

Of course, the things that Northern Colorado and BJ Hill will miss the most will probably be the things that don't show up in the box scores. Defensively, he was very vocal in making sure that everyone was set, or that someone knew a screen was coming. These are things that young teams and young players struggle with, but he always set the tone in this regard. I am sure this message will be carried through in future years. Proctor was the leader of the team, and you could tell that he always left everything he had on the court. He did not have great athleticism, but he made the most out of what he had, and became a very good college basketball player. Once again, his example of leadership and hard work will set the tone for the program, as they try to take the next step.

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Northern Colorado Tops Eastern Washington In A Thriller

Note: I had the chance to go to this game, and it was definitely a thriller. Thanks to Northern Colorado staff and especially Scott Ward for setting it up for.

This was certainly a strange way to win a ballgame, but Northern Colorado will take it.

With about 10 seconds left, Eastern Washington was up 70-69, with Northern Colorado taking it up the court. UNC head coach BJ Hill was trying to get a timeout, but couldn't get one in time. Tevin Svihovec lost the ball, and Collin Chiverton of Eastern Washington dove on the ball and called timeout.

The only problem was that EWU was out of timeouts.

A technical was called, and Tate Unruh converted a pair of free throws to go ahead 71-70. EWU was unable to score on their last possession, and the Bears got the huge victory.

Reading that, it would seem like Collin Chiverton should be getting a lot of blame for this game, but in truth, it was his offense that really kept them in the game. Despite only playing 18 minutes because of an injured foot, he scored 21 points and hit the go-ahead leaner with 18 seconds left. Coach Jim Hayford made offense/defense subs all second half, which really showed how he was having trouble with his foot. His jumper was on all game long, and that kept this thing close.

The key to the game was the matchup between Cliff Colimon and Elliott Lloyd. Colimon was held to just 3 points on 1/10 shooting. When I asked Hill about that after the game, he said that was the work of Elliott Lloyd, who "took on a challenge and did a tremendous job." He won't get as much credit as some other guys when you look at the box score, but he was integral in this win. The casual fan might not note his role, but I am sure the coaches are well aware of what he did.

The other key was free throws. I have been saying for awhile that EWU's Achilles heel is that they send opponents to the stripe too much, and UNC took 40 attempts from there last night. While they struggled early, they hit them late, and that was enormous down the stretch. They finished 25/40 from the line.

The win moves UNC to 3-2 in the Big Sky, while EWU falls to 3-3. I will have more notes on this game in the coming days, but wanted to get this article up. It was a great game that was tight the whole way, and really a game that both teams can build on.

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The Improvement of Paul Garnica and Tate Unruh

With Northern Colorado losing as much talent as they did after last season, it was paramount that they had some guys really step up. So far this year, the two guys that have done that the most are guards Tate Unruh and Paul Garnica. Both were expected to have their roles increase after being part-time players as freshman last year, and they have answered the bell.

For Paul Garnica, last year he did a lot of nice things, but he had a couple big holes in his game. One, he was not a very good outside shooter, and that limited him offensively. He shot just 27% from downtown, and did not get to the line often. His other problem was that he turned the ball over way too much, with a TO Rate of 28.3%. Disregarding the obvious fact that he was blocked by Devon Beitzel, these had to contribute to him not seeing more time.

This year, both of those weaknesses have been improved a lot, especially outside shooting. This year he is shooting nearly 50% from downtown (though his 2-point percentage is down), and that is having a huge impact on his offensive efficiency. In addition, his assist rate has gone up, and his turnover rate has gone down, from 28.3% to 18.8%. There is still room for improvement to take the next step, but that has to be very encouraging for BJ Hill. He is also getting to the FT line a bit more this year. All in all, he has at times looked like their best guy.

At other times, Tate Unruh has looked like their best player. Last year he played sparingly, but was efficient in that time, mostly because he flashed his potential as an outside shooter. He shot 42% from outside, and even though he didn't do a whole lot else, that is a great skill. I said before the year he would need to add strength and he could be very dangerous, and he has done that.

Unruh certainly is not the most athletic or strongest guy, but he has gotten the job done for the Bears. His efficiency has only gotten better with more time, as he has shot 46% from outside, 51% from 2-point range, and is 18/19 from the stripe. He still doesn't do a ton besides that (low assist rate, average rebounding rate), but he has become a solid scorer. He leads the team in scoring with 13.1 PPG. He has a long way to go to reach this level, but UNC may have found their next Devon Beitzel. Compare Unruh's stats this year to Beitzel's sophomore year.

UNC is still a very young team, with only one senior on the roster, but the improvement of guys like Garnica and Unruh is one reason the fans should still be very excited for the state of the Bears program. Tad Boyle put a lot of nice pieces in place, and BJ Hill is capitalizing on them.

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Colorado Coaches Sit Down With Nuggets Coaches

A cool story and I am sure a very neat experience for some college coaches from around the Colorado area, as they were invited to sit down with George Karl and the Denver Nuggets coaching staff. The panel of coaches included BJ Hill and Northern Colorado assistants.

At the urging of coach George Karl, the Nuggets coaching staff opened up their playbooks to about 20 coaches from Colorado State University, Metro State College, the University of Colorado, the University of Denver, the University of Northern Colorado and the University of Wyoming. The Air Force Academy coaching staff also was invited but could not attend because of scheduling conflicts.

"George wanted to keep our minds active and focused on basketball," said Nuggets advance scout/assistant coach Jesse Mermuys, who coordinated the event. "Coach is also about giving back to the game of basketball. Giving back to your state is pretty big-time. It could help the college guys and it could help us as well."

Northern Colorado Releases 2011-12 Schedule

Will have more on this in the near future, but for now simply take a look at the announcement of the release of the basketball schedule.

Some interesting games this year, including non-conference home games against Colorado State and New Mexico State, and road games (or some technically neutral site games) against Marquette, Iowa State, and Northern Iowa.

Upon first glance, I like the schedule.

Northern Colorado's Recruiting Class

Obviously, Northern Colorado is coming off of its best season in school history. After a slow start (4-7), Bears recovered to win the Big Sky regular season and conference title, clinching a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.

Oh yeah, this was only 4 years removed from their first season as a Division 1 program, when they went 4-24.

How do they top that? Well, it will start with BJ Hill's first recruiting class, a 5 man group that looks solid on paper. According to Coach Hill:

“In terms of talent, upside and potential and character, as a group, this is the best class we’ve signed in the five years I’ve been here -- there’s no doubt,” Hill said of his first class as Northern Colorado head coach. “I love what each brings to the table, in terms of what they eventually can be. This is a class that two or three years from now, we’re all going to be really excited about.”

Let's take a look at them.

Arguably the best is forward Brendan Keane, who is 6'9'' and a very skilled forward. He has a solid body, and should be ready to play physically right away. He has some solid post moves, and is very good fundamentally. He should have success with the Bears, and will be in the mix immediately for playing time.

Another solid player is Tim Huskission, a 6'5'' forward out of Missouri, who committed to UNC after his junior season. He is the most athletic player of the recruiting class, which helps him on both ends of the court. It is easy to envision him getting some run early on in his career also.

Aaron Hawk-Harris is the only JUCO player in the group, so you have to think he will be counted on to play right away (or else they wouldn't have brought him in). He is a combo guard at 6'4''. At the JUCO level last year he averaged 6.5 PPG, about 3 RPG and 2 APG. Hill says he brings intangibles and toughness, but I won't likely see starter's minutes with some of the soon-to-be sophomores and other incoming freshmen at the guard spots.

Dylan Elias is a 6-foot PG out of Texas, who comes out of the same program that current Bear Paul Garnica came from. He has been committed to the program for awhile, and should be a solid contributor to the program, though it looks tough for him to get a lot of minutes this year.

James Davis Jr. is the last member of the class, a 6'3'' shooting guard from California. He is an excellent scorer (almost 22 PPG as a junior), that could have the ability to play both guard spots, though he will primarily play off the ball. He has a chance to be a big-time scorer for the Bears.

Who do you guys see as the best of the class? Who will contribute right away?