STEVENS POINT - UW-Stevens Point head men's basketball coach
Bob Semling has announced his recruiting class for the 2009-10 season. Seven freshman and two transfers will continue their academic and athletic careers at UW-Stevens Point.
“We are extremely pleased with this group and anxious to welcome each of these young men and their families to our Pointer program,” said reigning Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Coach of the Year
Bob Semling. “It was very evident going into this recruiting season that this would be a very pivotal year for us. With four seniors on this last season's roster and only eight returning players, we needed to add both the quality and quantity necessary to develop a championship roster in the WIAC.
“With this recruiting class, we believe that we've added several outstanding players plus the depth required to solidify the future of this program. There is a lot of anticipation and excitement amongst our fans for next season and beyond. With the addition of these young men, we have the opportunity to remain one of the top ten programs nationally.”
Last season the Pointers finished 24-5 overall, 14-2 in the WIAC, earning the programs 25th league title and the programs fifth conference tournament title. UW-Stevens Point received the WIAC's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament where they advanced to the second round before falling to then No. 1 ranked and undefeated St. Thomas.
The Pointers also finished the season ranked in the final D3hoops.com poll for the fourth straight year. This season the Pointers ranked fourth in the final D3hoops.com national poll.
2009 Newcomers
|
Name |
Hgt. |
Wgt. |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School/Previous School |
Bryan Gregory |
6-4 |
190 |
Fr. |
WF |
Edgerton, Wis. |
Jordan Giordana |
5-11 |
170 |
Fr. |
SG |
Kaukauna, Wis. |
Jerrel Harris |
5-10 |
150 |
Fr. |
PG |
Whitefish Bay, Wis./Dominican |
Matt Resch |
6-4 |
195 |
Fr. |
SG/F |
Weyauwega, Wis./Weyauwega-Fremont |
Tyler Tillema |
6-3 |
160 |
Fr. |
CG |
Randolph, Wis. |
Jason Ziemer |
6-4 |
195 |
Fr. |
WF |
Verona, Wis. |
2009 Transfers |
Matt Smith |
6-8 |
220 |
Jr. |
PF/C |
Burlington, Wis./Catholic Central/Winona St. |
Dan Tillema |
6-4 |
185 |
So. |
WF |
Randolph, Wis./Univ. of Minn.-Duluth |
Coach Semling's Thoughts:
"A wing forward who brings athleticism and toughness to the floor. Moves well without the ball and will attack the rim with cuts and dribble penetration. Bryan brings a solid competitive heart along with excellent leadership skills honed while playing quarterback for his father, Mike Gregory, who is the Head Football Coach at Edgerton High School. Bryan is a good fit for our program and can be an outstanding role player in our system. His overall strength can be his completeness and versatility."
Key Stats and Honors
21.1 ppg and 5.1 rpg. All time leading scorer at Edgerton with 1490 career points. Two time MVP in the Rock Valley Conference (2008 and 2009). WBCA Division 3 All-State Team (2009). WBCA All Star Team Participant (2009). AP Honorable Mention All-State (2009). Named to the All-Conference team all four years (2006,2007, 2008, 2009) and Two-time conference MVP (2008, 2009). Set school career records in games played (90) and games won (65).
"Bryan was our leader on and off the floor," stated Edgerton Head Coach Mark Wanless. "He always came to play and never let up no matter what the score. He was one the hardest working players on our team."
Coach Semling's Thoughts:
"Jordan is one of the better shooting guards in the class of 2009. He can really stretch the defense with his excellent range from beyond the three point line. Jordan has overcome his lack of size at the shooting guard position because of his ability to create space and use screens effectively. Jordan may pursue playing both football and basketball. He was an outstanding quarterback at Kaukauna and may follow in his father's footsteps. Jordan's father, Reed Giordana was an All-American quarterback at UWSP during the mid 70's. In addition to his athletic successes, Jordan has excelled in the classroom maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA and is the class valedictorian at Kaukauna High School."
Key Stats and Honors
All time leading scorer at Kaukauna H.S with 1285 career points. AP All-State Honorable Mention. WBCA Division I All-State selection in 2009. Named to the Fox Valley Association (FVA) All-Conference Team three consecutive seasons (2007, 2008, 2009). Lead the FVA in scoring at 21.1 ppg. his senior season (2009). Four year starter at Kaukauna H.S.. Among the best free throw shooters in the state this past season going 142-153 (.930). Holds numerous game, season and career records including: 7 Three Point Field Goals in a single game, Highest Free Throw Percentage (.1000) in a single game going a perfect 12-12, and the most Free Throws Made in a single season at 142.
Coach Semling's Thoughts:
"Jerrel will add a great deal to our overall team speed and quickness. He will make us a fast team in transition and provide us with the dribble penetration that is necessary to be effective in our half court motion offense. Jerrel is very good with the ball and is an excellent playmaker. His ability to draw help-side defenders will serve us well. He will create a lot of offense for his teammates and himself due to his decision making and finishing skills. Jerrel is a Lefty (left handed) who is becoming a very solid and reliable shooter with the potential to be an excellent shooter in college as he matures physically. Has all the physical tools along with the heart and desire to be an outstanding defender."
Key Stats and Honors
20.1 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 99-61 Assist to Turnover Ratio. 78 Steals. 130-173 FT Line, .75 FT%. .39 3FG%,. Finished 7th in Career Scoring at Dominican. WBCA Division I All-State selection (2009)
"Jerrel has been one the great point guards in our school's history," said Dominican Head Coach Paul Wollersheim. "He finished his career with 984 points placing seventh on the school's all-time scoring list. Jerrel can break down defensed and get to the paint, he's a great finisher around the basket and can shoot the three. Jerrel is a very popular player and student at Dominan and has always been a fan favorite. One of the best things about Jerrel is his consistency. From practice to games we always got a top-notch high level performance. Jerrel's a great person from a great family that we are going to miss."
Coach Semling's Thoughts:
"Matt has followed us closely over the years growing up in the central Wisconsin area. He had an interest in our program from the beginning and felt it would be a good fit plus it's close to home. We really like his skill level and basketball IQ. He rarely makes mistakes and does a great job of playing within himself. Matt comes from a winning program playing on four conference championship teams. Matt is a very respectable shooter and has good range. He is a solid decision maker and values the ball."
Key Stats and Honors
Averaged 17.8 ppg his senior season. CWC 8 All-Conference selection in both junior and senior year (2008, 2009). Named Central Wisconsin Conference Player-of-the-Year senior season (2009). Won four conference championships in four seasons of high school basketball. Lettered all four years at Weyauwega. Finished fifth in All-Time Leading Scorers in School History at 1014 career points. WBCA Division 2 All-Star Team selection. Selected Team MVP senior year (2009).
Coach Semling's Thoughts:
"Tyler is one of the more complete guards we've recruited in recent years. He can play the point, combo,and wing guard positions very effectively due to his size and athleticism, along with his ball-handling and shooting skills. In fact, he just may end up being a pure shooter (like his brother Ryan at UW-Green Bay) and allow us the flexibility of playing him at the shooting guard position as his career develops. Tyler will allow us the flexibility we need in the backcourt to match up with the best teams in the nation. He will flourish in our system with his ability to make plays defensively and rebound and run from the guard position. Tyler is a very unselfish player who thrives on making plays for his teammates. In addition, he has the ability to put enormous pressure on the defense with his ability to attack and finish at the rim. Tyler is an excellent decision maker. Good things happen with the ball in his hands. "
Key Stats and Honors
Averaged 17.6 PPG and 5.3 RPG his senior year (2009). Shot an outstanding .55 while going .38 from the 3 pont line. Had an outstanding 3.6/1 Assit/Turnover Ratio (136 Assists and only 38 Turnovers) and averaged 3.5 Steals Per Game. Three Time All-Conference selection in the Trailways Central Conference (2007, 2008, 2009). WBCA All-State in Division 4 in both his Junior (2008)and Senior (2009) seasons. Played on Division Four State Championship Team in 2007 with his brother Dan.
Coach Semling's Thoughts:
"Jason comes to us with outstanding credentials and has been one of the better players in the Madison area over the past few seasons. Jason is an extremely aggressive wing forward who loves to attack the basket and draw fouls. He can both post-up and play off the dribble which gets him to the foul line often. We are excited about Jason's natural instincts and ability to rebound the ball on both ends of the floor. He has a knack for always being in the mix and more times than not, he comes up with the ball. Jason has great confidence in his athletic ability along with his strength. He plays hard and likes contact. Jason has the ability to be both a finesse and power player at the basket."
Key Stats and Honors
Lead the Big Eight Conference in scoring averaging 23.1 ppg and averaged 11.2 rpg. Finished his career second in all-time career scoring with 1,374 points and first in all-time career rebounding at 767. Unanimous selection to the Big Eight All-Conference Team. Twice named AP All-State second team. Selected WBCA Division 1 All-State team. Chosen to play on the WBCA Division I South All-Star team.
“Jason is the all-around best player I have ever coached and arguably the best player in (school) history”, stated Verona Area High School, Head Coach Alan Buss. “He is capable of doing everything necessary to help a team win – score, rebound, pass, handle the ball and defend”. Jason never took possessions off. He possesses that innate basketball moxie, has strong hands, quick feet, and is a quick jumper. These qualities give him the ability to create shots, and he is great in transition with the ability to see the floor and find the open man off rebounds. Jason competes to win. He will take games over if necessary but he also takes pride in helping teammates succeed.
Transfers
Matt Smith
Coach Semling's Thoughts:
"Matt was a coveted recruit out of high school helping to lead his team to a state title his senior year. He had several DII offers but he did make an un-official visit to UWSP following his senior year. Matt is now looking for a new beginning as a transfer and an opportunity to play in the WIAC and closer to home. Obviously, Matt brings much needed size to our roster. He will provide us with the opportunity to play a big line-up and help us match up with the true big men in our league and nationally. Matt will make his presence known immediately since we are somewhat undersized as a team. We look forward to providing Matt with this opportunity to jump start his college career. We are anxious to help Matt develop his low post moves with his back to the basket. In addition we want to utilize Matt as high screener and score off of a variety of screen and slip actions. We think Matt can be very effective in that role for us. In addition, Matt is one of the finest young men around and will be an outstanding role model for the many young players in central Wisconsin who participate in our summer camps and attend our games."
Key Stats and Honors
Red-shirted his first season (2006-07) at Winona State University. Played in 33 games during the 2007-08 season averaging 2.1 ppg and 1.6 rpg. Shot .77 (27-35) from the Free Throw Line his freshman year. Sophomore season (2008-09) was cut short due to a thumb injury after just nine games. Averaged a double-double in high school with 11.8 ppg and 12.0 rpg. Key player on the WIAA Division 4 State Championship Team in 2006. Twiced named to the Midwest Classic All-Conference team (2005 and 2006). Received AP All-State recognition in 2006. WBCA Division 4 South All-Star participant in 2006.
Dan Tillema
Coach Semling's Thoughts:
"We are really pleased to have Dan join our program. We are excited to provide Dan with an opportunity to get a fresh start and reunite on the playing floor with his younger brother, Tyler. It will be great for their parents, family and friends to follow their careers together rather than competing against each or playing far apart. Dan has benefited from being away from the game and has found that hunger and passion to play again. Sometimes we find out how much we miss something by being away for a while. As basketball fans in Wisconsin recall, Dan was highly recruited out of Randolph High School and received a number of DII scholarship offers. He is an athletic wing guard/small forward who can really flourish in our system. He attacks the rim with cuts and dribble penetration and will post smaller guards. Has the ability to play big and will play above the rim. Dan uses his athleticism well and stays active on the offensive glass challenging the defense for second chances. Has the ability to be a very solid defender in our program."
Key Stats and Honors
Averaged 17 points and eight rebounds his senior season at Randolph High School. MVP in the Northern Divison of the Trailways Conference and named All-State honorable mention in 2007. Played on three state championship teams in 2004, 2005, 2006.