UMC Men’s Basketball In First Week of Practice Under New Coach

CROOKSTON, Minn. –  The University of Minnesota Crookston men’s basketball team officially opened up practice for the 2014-15 season last Wednesday. The Golden Eagles have been going for six days as they enter their first season under new coach Dan Weisse, who comes over after serving as an assistant coach at Minnesota State University Moorhead. Weisse has been in the process of installing the swing offense for the Golden Eagles this season as they begin a new era of basketball in Crookston.

UMC returns seven seniors, led by returning starters Kevin Larson (Sr., G, New Ulm, Minn.) and Tyler West, Jr. (Sr., G/F, Portland, Ore.). In addition, UMC returns Tim Lubke (Sr., G, St. Paul, Minn.) and Tomas Parker (Sr., F/C, Pequot Lakes, Minn.) who have been a part of the team for five and four years respectively, return for UMC. Also, Lucas Reller (Sr., G, Lead, S.D.), Giorgi Koguashvili (Sr., G, Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia) and Sam Howell (Sr., G, Seattle, Wash.) return to the fray for the Golden Eagles.

In addition to the group of seniors, UMC returns juniors Derrick Redd, Jr. (Jr., G, Menifee, Calif.) and John Hughes (Jr., F, San Diego, Calif.), who each started at times last season, along with sophomore Alec Koepp (So., F/C, Belle Plaine, Minn.), who could see increased time as a sophomore. Sophomore Austin Dierks (F, Chokio, Minn.) also returns from last season’s squad.

Joining the fray for UMC are Jim Warmack (Fr., F/C, East Grand Forks, Minn.) and Brian Enriquez (Fr., G, Lakewood, Calif.). In addition, walk-on Micah Hollowell (Fr., G, Owenboro, Ky.) joined the team this Fall.

In addition, UMC will redshirt three players this season with freshmen Gable Smith (G/F, Lodi, Wis.) and A.J. Walton (G, Oak Hills, Calif.), along with sophomore Ibrahim Cisse (F, Plymouth, Minn.).

Redd led all returnees in scoring last season with 10.2 points per game, while West averaged 9.1 points and 5.7 rebounds. Koguashvili averaged 6.0 points off the bench, while Lubke averaged 5.8 points and shot 36.9 percent from beyond the arc. Hughes averaged 4.7 points and 4.1 rebounds mostly in a starting role, while Larson averaged 4.4 points and led the team with 98 assists.

The Golden Eagles have a whole new staff alongside Weisse, who has served as an assistant at MSU Moorhead, North Dakota State University and Middle Tennessee State University. He hired former Colorado State University player Mike Annese, who served as an assistant at Truman State University last season, along with former University of Miami Graduate Assistant Bryan Beamish.

The Golden Eagles will open play in the Weisse era Nov. 8 with an exhibition against University of Wisconsin-Superior before starting their gauntlet of a non-conference season. UMC will open up regular-season play in Seattle, Wash. against Central Washington University and Seattle Pacific University Nov. 14 and 15. They will play an exhibition against University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Weisse’s alma mater, Nov. 17, before returning home to face Jamestown College and Crossroad College Nov. 19 and 22. The Golden Eagles will play one more exhibition against North Dakota State Nov. 25 before opening up conference play Nov. 29 at Bemidji State University.

For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics website at www.goldeneaglesports.com.