Minnesnowta Musings

What would "Shorty" do?

2009-07-23T01:36:00.005-05:00

1958 Gustavus grad Bill "Shorty" Patterson was the first black basketball player in school history. He was drafted by the Minneapolis Lakers in the 10th round, making him one of six former Gusties to get drafted.I got two complaints for this post in less than 24 hours. Did I overstate things after my two examples? Was I too callous with my delivery? Since something as controversial as race tends

Rubik's Cube, breakdancing and diversity

2009-07-21T12:10:00.005-05:00

The iPhone pic is terrible...but this shows the Gustie campers applauding a Spanish boy who solved the Rubix Cube in 40 seconds. The Spanish Armada, as they dubbed themselves, are seen giving him a standing ovation in the back left.In between good times on the water — tubing down the Cannon River and at the family cabin up north — I recently spent another interesting week at Gustavus. I

Idle thoughts from a hot, hectic week

2009-06-27T13:59:00.004-05:00

The week didn't go as planned. My two teams of middle schoolers finished with one win in 18 games, dragging my career record at Gustie Camp down to a Koz-like 13-23. I also finished with one win in three games during old man ball (my first time playing in six months, mind you) and my golf team posted an embarrassing score of +7 during a scramble tournament Thursday afternoon — though I blame

An awkward beginning for GAC's Haugen

2009-06-21T00:36:00.004-05:00

Peter Haugen is, by all accounts, a great guy. One of my college roommates is his personal friend and swears by him. But is he the right man to lead the Gustavus Adolphus football program? Since he was hired after a secret, controversial process in the winter, that's been the question on many people's minds. A group of alumni my age ('04) fired off hundreds of e-mails the day the announcement was

All about attire

2009-06-06T13:25:00.003-05:00

I've been covering high school sports for four years. If it rains — or looks like it might — I wear my old Gustavus football coat. If it's chilly, I throw on the same windbreaker. Heck, if it's hot out and I might pit out I'll throw on ol' faithful. It remains in surprisingly good shape, which is great since my connection to the football program took a significant hit with the recent hiring of a

Anything is possible

2009-05-02T19:55:00.005-05:00

Take a deep and exhale. Now relax and realize Kevin McHale isn't in danger of ruining whatever cap flexibility his last few trades have created for the Timberwolves.Need a few more seconds? Fine. Breath, exhale. In, out. Spin that new Ben Harper disc if you have to. Now excuse me while I turn down Kevin Harlan's voice and wipe the drool from McHale's chin before continuing.In case you haven't

A dream ends early

2009-03-21T13:38:00.004-05:00

A dream season came to an end exactly seven days ago when Wash U stormed back to throttle the previously undefeated Tommies in the Elite 8. The Bears are currently on the verge of their second straight national title.Is this news late? Absolutely, but that was a little by design. Honestly, I wasn't sure what to write. I didn't want to gloat about the collapse and run the risk of turning into the

Tommies reach Elite Eight, eye history

2009-03-14T00:59:00.004-05:00

Both Puget Sound and St. Thomas ran the table in their respective conferences, but only one emerged unscathed in Friday's Sweet 16 showdown. The Tommies shot 54 percent in their 86-69 victory. It's apparently the first road victory in St. Thomas history, a fact I find stunning.The top-ranked Tommies advance to Saturday's game against No. 2 Washington University, the defending national champion.I

Tubby Time at the Shoe

2009-03-08T16:54:00.005-05:00

What was Tubby Smith doing five hours after coaching his way out of the NCAA tournament? He was giving pre-game speeches to both St. Thomas and Steven's Point, apparently.I didn't make an official sighting, but the stats can't be mere coincidence. How else do you explain the horrendous perimeter shooting (22.5 percent), rash of missed layups and general offensive malaise on display? The Tommies

An objective look at the postseason

2009-03-06T15:44:00.008-06:00

The Tommies officially kick off their postseason run tonight when Aurora comes to town. No disrespect to the squad from Ilinois, but the top-ranked, undefeated home team should win handily. Still, some are preaching caution in an apparent attempt to lower expectations and relieve the pressure.It's a fair point, but not something I entirely agree with. For better or for worse — make no mistake,

Demanding more from the Tommie faithful

2009-03-04T13:10:00.011-06:00

St. Thomas has the worst fans in the MIAC. It's the worst kept secret in Minnesota. The Tommies have the largest enrollment, the most local graduates and the only undefeated Division III team in the nation...but the fans don't seem to care. At least Friday's game against Aurora is almost sold out.Really? What else does this team have to do to earn a devoted following? St. Thomas has won four

MIAC playoffs: Tommies embarrass the Gusties

2009-02-25T23:58:00.005-06:00

Is this the worst performance in Gustavus history? If so, it might also be the most embarrassing.A drunken fan kicked out during warmups? Check.Ridiculous chants at the opposing team during a blowout loss? Check.Coach Hanson telling the athletic trainer to make the GAC students stop swearing? Check.A coaching technical for arguing a call down 30 late in the second half? Check.The most lopsided

MIAC playoffs: Gusties, Auggies move on

2009-02-24T01:43:00.004-06:00

The 2009 playoffs opened Monday night in impressive fashion. Gustavus rallied past St. John's and Augsburg survived a furious charge by Carleton to advance to the semifinals of the MIAC playoffs. The road only gets more difficult from here.#6 Gustavus (11-9, 13-13) at #1 St. Thomas (20-0, 25-0)The sixth-seeded Gusties are rewarded with Wednesday's trip to face top-ranked, undefeated St. Thomas.

Isetts emerges for the Johnnies — finally!

2009-02-22T21:04:00.009-06:00

Photo by Dawid Chabowski, Saint John's UniversityDoes Jan Gangelhoff know chemistry? St. John's senior Cole Isetts could use the help. Instead of relaxing in front of the boob tube before what might be his last collegiate game, the senior wing is spending the night locked away with his books like a normal college student.Division III athletics at its finest, right?That work ethic is nothing new

Saturday's MIAC recap: Let's get ready to rumble!

2009-02-21T19:10:00.005-06:00

Hamline had one last chance to earn a victory against St. Thomas at Schoenecker Arena, but the Pipers couldn't stop destiny. The Tommies breezed to an easy victory, capping just the second 20-0 march through the MIAC season. Hamline finished 0-30 at Schoenecker Arena, which is being torn down this summer to make way for a new 52 million dollar facility.The Johnnies rolled to a 71-60 win over the

Wednesday's MIAC recap: UST rips rival Johnnies

2009-02-18T22:01:00.004-06:00

UST rips rival SJU before a standing-room-only crowd to move within a game of perfection. Joe Scott scored 18 points in the win, while Aaron Burtzel had 10 for the Johnnies.Augsburg freshman Ben Flavin poured in a career-high 22 points to key a surprisingly easy 70-54 victory over Carleton. Zach Johnson led the Knights with 12 points and 11 rebounds.Tim Madson ripped the net for 28 points to pace

How the Tommies stack up historically

2009-02-15T13:46:00.003-06:00

Disclaimer: The last two links are PG-13. Funny, but not appropriate for everyone. View at your own risk.Gustavus coach Mark Hanson seemed satisfied in his team's performance on the radio after Saturday's 13-point loss to top-ranked St. Thomas. While is may sound weird coming from a coach who rarely loses on its home court, it's also a telling statement about what the current Tommies have done to

Former SMU athlete dies in plane crash

2009-02-13T16:45:00.003-06:00

2006 Saint Mary's grad Madeline Linn Loftus died Thursday in the New York plane crash that claimed all 44 passengers. The 24-year-old was a part of the SMU women's hockey team from 2004-06.The news was met by a silent campus Friday, as SMU went on break starting today. Students return to class Feb. 23. A memorial is currently being planned, though specifics aren't yet decided.The Winona Daily

Gus Young Court: This is our house

2009-02-13T14:46:00.007-06:00

Photo courtesy of Ryan Coleman, D3sports.comSt. Thomas has lost just thrice in its last 39 games, but one of those losses came last season at Gus Young Court. While the Tommies have owned the league of late, breezing to three straight conference titles, the Gusties have actually won five of the last six home games between the two squads. Three of those wins have come as heavy underdogs. Each time

Wednesday's MIAC recap: The race heats up

2009-02-11T23:04:00.003-06:00

Is this the worst, most exciting MIAC race ever?The parity in the league has created a five-way tie for second with three games to play. Three different teams have been alone in second in the last two weeks, but been unable to maintain their position. Only St. Thomas has its spot secured, though it needed to rally from 14 down to defeat Bethel Wednesday night.Saint John's tipped Augsburg and

"I forgot to blow my whistle"

2009-02-10T17:10:00.005-06:00

That's a direct quote from a ref to former Gustavus star Trevor Wittwer, who is currently playing professionally in Germany. Humorous, right? Perhaps only in reflection, but you can't help but appreciate the honesty.He's been abroad for months now and sounds like he's enjoying it. He's the first Gustie to play professionally since Bobby Johnson after the 2000-01 season, though Doug Espenson

Monday's MIAC wrap: Gusties get important win

2009-02-09T22:37:00.003-06:00

Gustavus earned a win Monday that was as noteworthy as it was nondescript.No Gustie reached double figures in the 59-53 victory over Carleton, which drops the Knights into fourth place in the standings. Gustavus moves into a tie for fifth place with Saint John's and puts Hamline's playoff hopes on death watch.Six teams are still vying for playoff positioning, including five that could still earn

A collection of irregular information

2009-02-09T13:54:00.006-06:00

Two quick thoughts before I had back into the doctor today...• Gustavus failed to hit a 3-pointer in Saturday's game, finishing 0-for-12. That's just the third time in the last 10 years that the Gusties have finished without a trey. The previous two episodes came in 2001-02 against St. Mary's (0-for-7) and 1998-99 against Hamline (0-for-6).The current Gustie squad lost 70-59 in its o-fer, but the

SJU's Smith closing in on 700 wins

2009-02-08T03:05:00.004-06:00

Here's a story that's easy to rally around for the MIAC faithful. Saint John's basketball coach Jim Smith is three wins away from 700 in his career. That's a feat achieved by just one other Division III basketball coach, putting him in elite company.For the nice non-UST story I was begging for but two days ago, please see Jim Souhan's article in Sunday's Star Tribune.Will Smith reach that

Saturday's MIAC recap: Tommies top Knights

2009-02-07T17:25:00.005-06:00

The muddled MIAC playoff picture is slowly becoming clearer, though plenty of jockeying for position remains over the next two weeks of action. St. Thomas clinched the title with its 68-59 victory over Carleton in Northfield. The Knights played well early, but the Tommies took control with a 15-0 run in the middle of the first half.Aaron Burtzel's big game carried the Johnnies to their fifth