Men’s Basketball

Category: Men’s Basketball

Lawrence men’s basketball seeks balance to be at its best

APPLETON, Wis. — No doubt remains that Jamie Nikitas is the driving force behind the Lawrence University men’s basketball team, but for the Vikings to be great this season, it will need to be a team effort.

“Our best games and where we will be the best as a team is when Nikitas is not the guy doing it all,” Lawrence coach Joel DePagter said. “When we’re balanced, we’ll be at our best.”

Nikitas, a 6-foot senior guard, was a second-team All-Midwest Conference selection a season ago after averaging 15.0 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Nikitas also led the team at 3.0 assists and 2.1 steals per game last season.

“Our team will go as far as Jamie Nikitas will take the team. He’s the key. He’s the leader. The guys follow Jamie and that’s good,” DePagter said. “It’s his team, and he’s got some serious guys who can help him. We have to be a balanced team and have to do things right, but Jamie is going to have be our leader on and off the floor.”

An emerging star joining Nikitas in the backcourt is 6-0 sophomore guard Jeremy Stephani. In his rookie season, Stephani averaged 8.5 points per game while shooting 41.6 percent from beyond the arc.

“You want guys to take a step up from the first year to the second year, but Jeremy came in at a pretty high level,” DePagter said. “His confidence in how he shoots ball is high.”

The Vikings will play a three-guard lineup with senior Troy Miller rounding out the trio. Miller averaged 6.5 points per game while shooting 40.5 percent from the floor a season ago.

The Vikings also return 6-7 forward Mitch Willer and 6-3 forward Peter Winslow to the frontcourt. Willer averaged 5.6 points and 2.2 rebounds per game last season while shooting 60.4 percent from the floor and throwing down some monster dunks.

“People who have seen us play know that Mitch can finish at the basket, but we expect him to keep improving,” DePagter said. “Mitch has to keep improving and confidence for him is important.”

One player conspicuously absent from the lineup is senior forward Trace Sonnleitner, who informed DePagter in early October that he would not be playing this season. Sonnleitner averaged 12.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game a season ago.

“I hope the strength of our program overall is that when something like this happens, other guys are ready to step in,” DePagter said.

“Ryan DePouw got hurt last year and didn’t play the first few games and Pete Winslow stepped in and did a great job. The scoring punch that Trace had will be missed, but the guys who are going to get more minutes because of that have different strengths. We’ll be better defensively and be a better rebounding team.”

The Vikings open the season on Saturday when they head to Dominican (Ill.) University, and the home opener at Alexander Gymnasium is Nov. 18 vs. Wisconsin Lutheran College. The Vikings open Midwest Conference play at Ripon College on Nov. 21.

“If we can rebound the basketball, I know we have the ability to score in our motion,” DePagter said. “We just have to give ourselves a chance. We don’t have a lot of margin for error. We need to execute and do things well.”

Abaray emerges from national search to lead Lawrence Department of Athletics

Christyn Abaray
Christyn Abaray

APPLETON, Wis. — Christyn Abaray is the new Lawrence University Director of Athletics, President Mark Burstein announced today.

Abaray takes over for Mike Szkodzinski, who announced this past spring he was stepping down to devote his full attention to coaching the Vikings’ ice hockey team. Abaray has served as director of athletics at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa, since June 2012.

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Kellett rejoins Lawrence men’s basketball staff

APPLETON, Wis. — Chris Kellett has returned to the Lawrence University men’s basketball coaching staff, head coach Joel DePagter announced.

Kellett, who coached with the Vikings for three seasons from 2010-13, comes back to Lawrence as an assistant coach after a successful stint coaching prep basketball.

“This summer was a stressful time for my wife and I, and I am extremely fortunate how this all worked out,” Kellett said. “College provides different obstacles, but I am looking forward to recruiting and helping Lawrence return to the level of the teams I competed against. Coach DePagter preaches family, and I’m just ecstatic to be back in the Lawrence basketball family.”

A native of Neenah, Kellett was teaching and serving as the head varsity basketball coach at Shawano Community High School. In two seasons at Shawano, Kellett’s teams compiled a record of 35-15 and the team reached the WIAA sectionals in both seasons.

“The past two years at Shawano have truly been a blessing,” Kellett said. “I was fortunate to be around some tremendous student-athletes. The community was outstanding and truly bought into the culture change and vision of the future for the basketball program.”

During his time at Shawano, the Hawks cracked the top 10 in state basketball rankings and defeated multiple top-10 ranked teams in West De Pere, Luxemburg-Casco, Ashwaubenon and Seymour. The win against the No. 1-ranked Seymour was Shawano’s first victory at Seymour in more than 20 years.

Kellett resigned from the top job at Shawano after taking a new teaching position at Taft Elementary School in Neenah.

Kellett is a former football and basketball star at Ripon College. A four-time All-Midwest Conference selection in football, Kellett was a key player for Ripon’s basketball teams. He scored nearly 1,000 points for his career and was Ripon’s Defensive Player of the Year twice during his career.

Lawrence opens its season at Dominican (Ill.) University on Nov. 14.

Lawrence basketball earns NABC academic honors again

APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University men’s basketball team has again been honored with the Team Academic Excellence Award by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, and four Vikings were named to the Honors Court.

This marks the second consecutive year Lawrence has picked up the team award and had four student-athletes on the Honors Court. The Vikings posted a team grade point average of 3.10 for the 2014-15 academic year.

To be eligible for the team award, a team must have a minimum 3.0 GPA. Individuals must have a minimum 3.2 grade point average and be a junior or senior to earn a place on the Honors Court.

Senior Andrew Borresen (West Bend, Wis./Living Word Lutheran), a history major, was named to the Honors Court for the second consecutive year after earning a 3.92 GPA. Senior Ryan DePouw (Oconto, Wis./Oconto), also a history major, also was honored.

Juniors Troy Miller (Lake In The Hills, Ill./Huntley) and Jamie Nikitas (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South) also were selected. Miller is a math and economics major, and Nikitas is an economics major.

Lawrence was one of three Midwest Conference schools to earn the team award. No school had more than Lawrence’s four selections to the Honors Court.

More than 150 Lawrence student-athletes named to Academic All-MWC team

APPLETON, Wis. — More than 150 Lawrence University student-athletes have been named to the Academic All-Midwest Conference team.

Lawrence had 153 student-athletes meet the minimum grade point average of 3.33 during the 2014-15 academic year. The top team for the Vikings was women’s indoor track, which had 17 student-athletes honored. Other top performing teams were women’s cross country and women’s soccer with 13 selections apiece, women’s swimming and diving with 12 and men’s soccer and women’s outdoor track with 11 apiece.

A total of 1,859 student-athletes were selected across the conference, and that surpasses the total of 1,752 honored during the 2013-14 academic year.

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Student-athletes receive awards at Honors Celebration

APPLETON, Wis. — More than a dozen Lawrence University student-athletes recently received awards at the 2015 Honors Celebration.

The awards and winners are as follows.

The Ruth Bateman Award is given for excellence in scholarship, athletic ability and leadership by a female athlete. Senior swimmer Taylor Winter (Bayside, Wis./Nicolet) won the award for a second consecutive year. The swim team captain, Winter won the 1,650-yard freestyle for the second consecutive year at the 2015 Midwest Conference Championships and also finished third in the 500 freestyle. Winter broke her own school record in the 1,650 freestyle and recorded an NCAA “B” cut in the event. She also broke Hayley Vatch’s school record in the 500 freestyle.

The Iden Charles Champion Cup is given for excellence in scholarship, athletic ability, college spirit and loyalty. Senior men’s basketball player Andrew Borresen (West Bend, Wis./Living Word Lutheran) has won the award for the second consecutive year. A member of the Dean’s List and Mortar Board, Borresen has a 3.92 grade point average and will graduate with a degree in history. A member of the Academic All-Midwest Conference team, Borresen is co-chairman of Lawrence’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. He has served as a volunteer at Richmond Elementary School, worked on Habitat for Humanity projects and volunteered with Lawrence’s Food Recovery Network. He also works in Lawrence’s Sports Information Office and Admissions Office.

The Outstanding Freshman Athletic Award for Men is given the freshman man who has made the most outstanding contribution to Lawrence athletics. Sharing the award are tennis player David Jumes (Appleton, Wis./Xavier) and hockey player Brendan Vetter (Phillips, Wis./Phillips). Jumes finished with a 14-7 record in singles and an 8-11 mark in doubles. Jumes, who reached the semifinals at No. 2 singles at the Midwest Conference Championships, was named the team’s Most Valuable Player. Vetter, a defeseman, led the team with seven goals scored and was tied for third on the team with 11 points. Vetter also led the team in plus-minus and has been named an assistant captain for next season.

The Outstanding Freshman Athletic Award for Women is given to the freshman woman who has made the most outstanding contribution to Lawrence athletics. Erin Schrobilgen (Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park River Forest) competed in cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field. Schrobilgen earned All-Midwest Conference honors in cross country after a 12th-place finish at the league championships. During the indoor track season, Schrobilgen broke the school record in the mile that had stood since 1978. She also earned Academic All-America honors from the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

The Ralph V. Landis Award was established by the Lettermen of Lawrence in honor of Dr. Landis, physician to Lawrence students from 1926-78, and is awarded for outstanding contributions to Lawrence athletics by a senior male athlete. Senior men’s basketball player Ryan DePouw (Oconto, Wis./Oconto) was honored after finishing a stellar career. A three-year starter and team captain, DePouw is one of just 22 players in Lawrence basketball history to score 1,000 points. He finished 21st in career scoring with 1,028 points.

The Charles E. Pond Award for Men is given for all-around athletic ability by a senior man in two or more sports and for sportsmanship, school spirit and scholarship. Senior soccer player and swimmer Steve Salansky (Parker, Colo./Legend) was a standout in both sports. On the soccer field, Salansky was a three-year starter and two-year team captain. As a defender, he earned All-Midwest Conference three times and was a two-time All-Wisconsin selection. Salansky, who also served as swim team captain, was the second-leading scorer for the squad.

The Charles E. Pond Award for Women is given for all-around athletic ability by a senior woman in two or more sports and for sportsmanship, school spirit and scholarship. Senior multi-sport athlete Kassidy Rinehart (Hortonville, Wis./Hortonville) starred in three sports and won 12 letters for the Vikings. During the fall, Rinehart ran cross country for the Vikings and helped Lawrence to a third-place finish at the Midwest Conference Championships in 2014. During the winter season, Rinehart was a four-year player for the basketball team. She served as the basketball team captain as a senior and was named the team Defensive Most Valuable Player all four years. During the spring season, Rinehart has won four letters as a sprinter and jumper for the track and field team. Rinehart also is the co-chairperson of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and is a four-year Academic All-Midwest Conference selection.

The Marion Read Award is given for outstanding contributions to Lawrence athletics. The award had two winners this year as seniors Keli Muchowski (Neenah, Wis./Neenah) and Kara Vance (Racine, Wis./Park) shared the honor. Muchowski was the leading scorer for the women’s soccer team and earned All-Midwest Conference honors three times. She scored nine goals and handed out three assists in 2014 for 21 points. Muchowski finished ninth in Lawrence history with 26 goals and is eighth with 65 points. Vance was a standout pitcher for the Vikings and finished with a 28-20 career record. Vance was named Midwest Conference Pitcher of the Week twice during her career and her 28 wins ranks sixth in Lawrence history. She holds the Lawrence record for fewest walks per innings pitched with just 36 bases on balls in 292.2 innings pitched. The softball team captain, Vance also served as a student manager for football and is a leader in the Kids Give campaign.

The Letterwinner Award is presented by the L Club to those outstanding seniors who have earned eight or more letters. The winners are:

Kyle Dockery (Barrington, Ill./Barrington), cross country and track and field

Pat Mangan (Barrington, Ill./Barrington), cross country and track and field

Kassidy Rinehart (Hortonville, Wis./Hortonville), cross country, women’s basketball and outdoor track and field

Savannah Vogel (Deerfield, Wis./Deerfield), cross country and track and field

Nikitas earns all-conference basketball honors

Jamie Nikitas
Jamie Nikitas

APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University men’s basketball standout Jamie Nikitas has been named to the All-Midwest Conference team.

Nikitas (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South) was a second-team selection.

Nikitas, who was chosen for the team for the first time, finished seventh in the Midwest Conference in scoring at 15.0 points per game. The 6-foot-1 guard was second in the league in rebounding at 7.7 per contest.

Nikitas also finished third in the league at 2.1 steals per game with a total of 46 on the season. Nikitas now has 129 steals for his career, and that ranks fifth on Lawrence’s career list. Nikitas was ninth in the league at 3.0 assists per game, and finished fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.3.

In conference games, Nikitas averaged 14.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 3.0 assists per game.

Nikitas posted five consecutive double-doubles to open the season, and scored a career-high 28 points against Ripon College back on Nov. 22. Nikitas grabbed a career-best 15 rebounds at Illinois College on Dec. 6. He also recorded a career-high eight assists at Knox College on Jan. 24 and picked up a season-high five steals vs. UW-Stevens Point on Jan. 13.

Lawrence finished with a 10-13 overall record and took sixth place in the league with an 8-10 mark.

Monmouth tops Vikings in regular-season finale

APPLETON, Wis. — Andrew Mathison scored 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Monmouth College men’s basketball team to a 73-59 Midwest Conference victory over Lawrence University on Saturday in the season finale at Alexander Gymnasium.

Mathison hit 9-of-15 shots from the floor, including a 25-foot 3-pointer with the shot clock expiring, as the Scots pulled away in the final 10 minutes. Will Jones went 6-for-9 from the floor on his way to 17 points for the Scots (16-7, 13-5 MWC).

Jamie Nikitas scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds for the Vikings (10-13, 8-10). Ryan DePouw added 10 points and finished his career 21st in scoring in Lawrence history with 1,028 points.

Mathison’s alley-oop dunk gave Monmouth a 38-28 lead at the half, but the Vikings rallied midway through the second half.

Lawrence was down 52-39 but got a layup from Mitch Willer and Jeremy Stephani knocked down three consecutive free throws after getting fouled on a 3-point attempt. DePouw then buried a 3-pointer to complete an 8-0 run and trim the Monmouth lead to 52-47 with 10:05 remaining.

Will Jones countered with a 3-pointer for the Scots, and Mathison hit a pair of free throws to push the lead back to 57-47 with 9:08 left. Lawrence was able to cut the lead back to 62-55 after DePouw hit a 3-pointer with 5:20 remaining, but that’s as close as the Vikings would get.

The Scots responded with an 8-2 scoring run to push the lead to 70-57 and seal the victory.

Box score

Hot start leads Vikings to victory over Carroll

WAUKESHA, Wis. — The Lawrence University men’s basketball team hit its first seven shots from the floor Wednesday and turned that hot start into a 61-49 Midwest Conference win over Carroll University at Van Male Fieldhouse.

Jamie Nikitas scored a game-high 26 points for the Vikings (10-12, 8-9 MWC) and turned in a great all-around game. Nikitas, who hit 11-of-17 shots from the floor, picked up eight rebounds, four assists and a steal.

Trace Sonnleitner added eight points, four rebounds and three blocks for the Vikings.

Marcus Johnson scored 19 points, and Bryan Nagy had 12 points and a team-high nine rebounds for the Pioneers (8-14, 5-12), losers of eight straight.

Sonnleitner started the game by hitting a 3-pointer and the Vikings were off and running. Nikitas hit a jumper and Sonnleitner, Nikitas and Troy Miller hit consecutive 3-pointers, and the Vikings led 14-2.

Nikitas scored the next three baskets, a pair of layups sandwiched around a 3-pointer, and Lawrence led 21-6 with 12:02 left in the first half.

The Vikings would stretch the advantage to as many as 19 points in the first half before settling for a 38-21 lead at the break.

Lawrence went 15-for-24 (62.5 percent), including 8-for-13 (61.5 percent) from 3-point range, from the floor in the opening half.

Carroll trimmed the lead to 38-27 on Johnson’s layup with 16:03 left in the game, but the Vikings rallied. Nikitas scored the next eight points for the Vikings, and Ryan DePouw’s layup capped a 10-3 run that gave Lawrence a 48-30 lead with 13:30 left.

Carroll never got closer than 13 points until the final seconds of the game.

Box score