Junior Erik Olson Northern Colorado Bears Men s Basketball Prospectus University of Northern Colorado Bears Men s Basketball

Transcription

1 Junior Erik Olson SENIOR SEAN NOLEN Northern Colorado Bears Men s Basketball Prospectus University of Northern Colorado Bears Men s Basketball

2 University of Northern Colorado Men s Basketball Quick Facts about the university Location:...Greeley, Colorado (80639) Enrollment:... 11,855 Founded: Affiliation:... NCAA Division I Nickname:... Bears Colors:... Blue & Gold Conference:... Independent President:... Kay Norton (Wellesley College, 73) Director of Athletics:... Jay S. Hinrichs (Kansas, 80) Senior Women s Administrator:...Linda Spradley Faculty Athletic Representative:... Dr. Bob Heiny Athletic Department Phone:...(970) Athletic Ticket Office Phone:...(970) Athletic Department Fax:...(970) University Web Site:... athletic media relations Asst. A.D. for Media Relations:... Colin McDonough Office Phone:...(970) Home Phone:...(970) Colin.McDonough@unco.edu Media Relations Coordinator/MBB Contact:... Kyle Schwartz Office Phone:...(970) Home Phone:...(970) Cell Phone:...(970) Kyle.Schwartz@unco.edu Athletic Web Site:... Media Relations Fax:...(970) Mailing Address 251 Butler-Hancock Hall Box 117 Greeley, CO Flagship Radio Station:... Newstalk KFKA 1310-AM Play-by-Play Announcer:... Troy Coverdale Office Phone:... (970) (x209) Office Fax:...(970) Troy@1310kfka.com media information Newspaper Greeley Tribune Contact: Sam Mustari Phone: (970) Fax: (970) gtsports@greeleytrib.com Newspaper Rocky Mountain News Phone: (303) Fax: (303) sports@rockymountainnews.com Student Newspaper The Mirror Contact: Ian St. Clair Phone: (970) Fax: (970) sports@mirror.unco.edu Newspaper Denver Post Phone: (303) Fax: (303) sports@denverpost.com about the team University of Northern Colorado Bears Men s Basketball Head Coach:... Craig Rasmuson (Ashland, 90) Record at UNC: (5 yrs.) Career Record: (10 yrs.) ... Craig.Rasmuson@unco.edu Basketball Office Phone:... (970) Assistant Coach:... Jeff Culver (Michigan, 95) Tenure at UNC:... 2nd season ... Jeff.Culver@unco.edu Assistant Coach:... Shaun Vandiver (Colorado, 02) Tenure at UNC:... 1st season ... Shaun Vandiver@unco.edu Assistant Coach:... Brian Hancock (Idaho, 91) Tenure at UNC:... 1st season ...Brian.Hancock@unco.edu Dir. of Basketball Operations:... Billy Hix (Northern Arizona, 01) Tenure at UNC:... 1st season Men s Basketball Athletic Trainer:...TBA Home Arena:... Butler-Hancock Hall (4,500) Press Row Phone:...(970) First Year of Basketball at UNC: All-Time Record: (.490) NCAA Division II Regional Appearances/Last: ( ) Result:... Lost to Wisconsin-Milwaukee Division I NCAA/NIT Tournament Appearances:... none Record: Home: Away: Neutral: Conference Finish:...n/a Final National Ranking:... none Post Season:... none Players Returning/Lost:...3/7 Starters Returning/Lost:...3/2 Redshirts Eligible:... 5 Newcomers:... 6 UNC s Move to Division I The season marks the second year of the four-year reclassification process to Division I for the UNC athletics department. This year the Bears are a Division I counter and are mandated to play a schedule that is primarily made up of Division I teams. The Bears are still ineligible for NCAA postseason play until the season.

3 University of Northern Colorado Men s Basketball Roster No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. Exp. Hometown (Last School) 3 Sean Taibi G Fr. HS Pueblo, Colo. (Pueblo East) 10 Matt Kline G So. 1V Denver, Colo. (Ranum) 11 Sean Nolen G Sr.-RS 3V Aurora, Colo. (Bridgton Academy) 12 Jared Lewis G Fr. HS Denver, Colo. (Montbello) 20 Thanasi Panagiotakopoulos G Fr. HS Phoenix, Ariz. (Brophy Prep) 21 Willy Youtchou F Jr. TR Clichy, France (Monroe College) 24 James Randle F Sr.-RS 1V Lemoore, Calif. (Hartnell College) 33 Erik Olson F/G Jr. 2V Boulder, Colo. (Fairview) 34 Michael Gordy F Fr. HS Denver, Colo. (Denver North) 35 Trei Steward F So. 1V Casper, Wyo. (Natrona County) 41 Kirk Archibeque C Fr.-RS RS Cortez, Colo. (Montezuma-Cortez) 42 Brian Yarbrough C Fr. HS Lakewood, Colo. (Green Mountain) 44 Parish Brockman G Sr.-RS 1V Denver, Colo. (North Central J.C.) 51 Tiberius Lee C Sr.-RS TR Denver, Colo. (Hartnell College) Head Coach: Craig Rasmuson (Ashland, 90), 6th season Assistant Coach: Jeff Culver (Michigan, 95), 2nd season Assistant Coach: Shaun Vandiver (Colorado, 02), 1st season Assistant Coach: Brian Hancock (Idaho, 91), 1st season Director of Basketball Operations: Billy Hix (Northern Arizona, 01), 1st season ROSTER BREAKDOWN By the Year: UNC has four seniors on its roster of 14 players. Seniors (4) Brockman, Lee, Nolen and Randle. Juniors (2) Olson and Youtchou. Sophomores (2) Kline and Steward. Freshman (6) Archibeque, Gordy, Lewis, Panagiotakopoulos, Taibi and Yarbrough. By the State/Country: The Bears represent four states and France. Colorado (10) Archibeque, Brockman, Gordy, Kline, Lee, Lewis, Nolen, Olson, Taibi and Yarbrough. California (1) Randle. Arizona (1) Panagiotakopoulos. Wyoming (1) Steward. France (1) Youtchou. Pronounciation Guide ARCHIBEQUE... ARCH-ah-beck PANAGIOTAKOPOULOS Pan-a-goat-ta-kalop-o-les TAIBI... TY-bee THANASI... TH-nah-see TIBERIUS... Ty-BEER-E-us YOUTCHOU...U-chew University of Northern Colorado Bears Men s Basketball

4 Starters Returning (3) GP/GS PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% 3FG% FT% Erik Olson (G, 6 4, 207, Jr.) 28/ Matt Kline (G, 5 11, 180, So.) 28/ Trei Steward (F, 6 7, 261, So.) 28/ Starters Lost (2) GP/GS PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% 3FG% FT% Vincent Jackson 24/ Michael Frazier 28/ Reserves Returning (0) GP/GS PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% 3FG% FT% none Reserves Lost (5) GP/GS PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% 3FG% FT% Heath Orvis 13/ Bryson Gholston 28/ Chris Gebhardt 27/ Kendrick Irby 23/ Scott Law 7/ Redshirts Eligible (5) GP/GS PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% 3FG% FT% Sean Nolen (G, 6 0, 188, Sr.) 6/ Kirk Archibeque (C, 6 9, 250, Fr.) 6/ James Randle (F, 6 7, 211, Sr.) * 25/ Parish Brockman (G, 6 2, 230, Sr.) 2/ Tiberius Lee (C, 6 10, 250, Sr.) Transfer, redshirted in * statistics UNC Men s Basketball Statistics/Results Newcomers (6) Pos. Ht. Wt. Class Hometown (Last School) Michael Gordy F Fr. Denver, Colo. (Denver North) Jared Lewis G Fr. Denver, Colo. (Montbello) Thanasi Panagiotakopoulos G Fr. Phoenix, Ariz. (Brophy Prep) Sean Taibi G Fr. Pueblo, Colo. (Pueblo East) Brian Yarbrough C Fr. Lakewood, Colo. (Green Mountain) Willy Youtchou F Jr. Clichy, France (Monroe College) 11/21 vs. Western State # W, Adams State # L, /25 Colorado Mines L, /28 Kendall College W, /29 Colorado Christian L, /2 Regis L, CSU-Pueblo $ L, /6 vs. Mesa State $ L, Texas State L, Colorado Mines L, Colorado Christian L, Eastern Michigan L, Denver L, /2 Adams State W, /6 CU-Colorado Springs L, Colorado L, Iowa State L, Regis L, UNC Men s Basketball Results University of Northern Colorado Bears Men s Basketball 1/17 Utah Valley State L, Loyola Marymount L, /29 Colorado College W, Texas A&M-International W, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi L, Rutgers L, /21 Johnson & Wales W, Utah Valley State L, /4 vs. Utah Valley State & L, /5 vs. Longwood & L, # - Adams State Jalisco Hoops Classic (Alamosa, Colo.) $ - Chuck Stephens Classic (Pueblo, Colo.) & - National Provisional Tournament (Ft. Myers, Fla.) Home Games in Bold

5 University of Northern Colorado Men s Basketball Schedule Nov. 11 vs. Syracuse $ Syracuse, N.Y. 5:30 p.m. Nov. 12 vs. Bucknell/Princeton $ Syracuse, N.Y. 3:30/5:30 p.m. Nov. 18 Coaches vs. Cancer Semifinals New York City, N.Y. TBA Nov. 19 Coaches vs. Cancer Finals/Consolation New York City, N.Y. TBA Nov. Colorado State Fort Collins, Colo. 7:00 p.m. Nov. 24 Loyola Marymount Butler-Hancock Hall 7:05 p.m. Nov. 26 vs. Iowa State # Ames, Iowa 7:00 p.m. Nov. 27 vs. Bucknell/Stephen F. Austin # Ames, Iowa 4:30 p.m. Nov. 30 Western State Butler-Hancock Hall 7:00 p.m. Dec. Air Force Academy USAFA, Colo. 7:00 p.m. Dec. 4 University of Great Falls Butler-Hancock Hall 7:00 p.m. Dec. New Mexico Albuquerque, N.M. 7:00 p.m. Dec. Oklahoma Norman, Okla. 6:00 p.m. Dec. Oral Roberts Tulsa, Okla. 6:05 p.m. Dec. Utah Salt Lake City, Utah 7:00 p.m. Dec. Montana State Bozeman, Mont. 2:00 p.m. Dec. 22 Texas State Butler-Hancock Hall 7:00 p.m. Jan. Texas Tech Lubbock, Texas 6:00 p.m. Jan. 8 Texas-Pan American Butler-Hancock Hall 7:00 p.m. Jan. 10 Longwood Butler-Hancock Hall 7:00 p.m. Jan. 15 Utah Valley State Butler-Hancock Hall 7:00 p.m. Jan. 22 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Butler-Hancock Hall 7:00 p.m. Jan. Texas-Pan American Edinburg, Texas 6:30 p.m. Feb. Longwood Farmville, Va. 5:00 p.m. Feb. 7 Denver Butler-Hancock Hall 7:00 p.m. Feb. IPFW Fort Wayne, Ind. 6:00 p.m. Feb. 14 CU-Colorado Springs Butler-Hancock Hall 7:30 p.m. Feb. 22 Colorado College Butler-Hancock Hall 7:00 p.m. Feb. Utah Valley State Orem, Utah 7:05 p.m. Feb. Gonzaga Spokane, Wash. 8:00 p.m. Mar. 5 UC Davis Butler-Hancock Hall 7:00 p.m. $ - Coaches vs. Cancer Classic (Syracuse, N.Y.) # - American Family Insurance Cyclone Challenge (Ames, Iowa) Home games in bold and at Butler-Hancock Hall in Greeley, Colo. All times are mountain and subject to change University of Northern Colorado Bears Men s Basketball

6 Nobody ever expected that a move to Division I would be easy. Growing pains and bumps along the road were expected when the move to reclassify was decided upon. The season proved to be a tough road, as the University of Northern Colorado men s basketball team won only six games in 28 attempts against a schedule that did not feature an overwhelming amount of D-I games. The season was made extra tough by the fact that four players that would have been counted upon heavily for leadership and for their playing abilities (Kirk Archibeque, Parish Brockman, Sean Nolen and Ari Zandman Zeman) suffered season-ending injuries and a fifth player (James Randle) decided to redshirt to bulk up and be ready to compete against a full Division I schedule this season. That left the Bears bench so small that a pair of student managers were asked to join the team in order to give UNC enough players with which to practice. But times have changed and the Bears hope to be at full strength for all of the season, their second of a four-year reclassification process to Division I. Three returning starters and the five redshirts join a class of six talented newcomers who should give Northern Colorado plenty of depth and firepower this season. We knew the transition would be tough and we knew if we sat a few of our top kids it would limit our opportunities to win, said Rasmuson, who begins his sixth season as Bears head coach in But the injuries really hurt us. We will be a lot more competitive this season, but the schedule is tougher than we could have ever imagined. We do have some teams on our schedule though that we can beat and as long as we take care of those games we can keep our confidence high. That schedule includes five teams (Air Force, Gonzaga, Syracuse, Texas Tech and Utah) that made the 2004 NCAA Tournament and two others (Iowa State and Oklahoma) who were NIT participants. The Bears also match up with in-state rivals Colorado State and Denver and regional rivals Montana State, New Mexico and Oral Roberts. The schedule also includes five fellow Division I Independents in IPFW, Longwood, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Texas-Pan American and Utah Valley State. The schedule is obviously challenging, Rasmuson added. We will get a first-hand experience in what big-time Division I basketball is all about. Our players are excited to play this challenging schedule; every athlete wants to compete at the highest level and we are giving our players an opportunity to do that. This should bring great exposure to the University of Northern Colorado and make a statement that we are taking this Division I challenge very seriously. You will be hard-pressed to find any midlevel Division I team playing a schedule this challenging. The team will be run by Nolen, the redshirt senior point guard. Nolen was an all-conference selection two years Senior point guard Sean Nolen has a chance to become the program s all-time assists leader in ago when he averaged 18.1 points per game. He played in six games last season before suffering a foot injury. During that limited time, however, he did manage to break the school record for assists in a game (14) and averaged 6.8 assists a contest in those six games. He already owns school record for threepointers made in a season (75) and consecutive free throws made (44) and will join the schools 1,000 point club early in the season. He also has a legitimate chance to become the program s Season Preview Sophomore Matt Kline averaged 8.4 points and 2.1 assists per game last season. all-time leader in assists, three-pointers made and attempted and steals. Sean brings a lot of leadership and court awareness back into our lineup, Rasmuson said. Two years ago we had to rely on his scoring ability, but with a nice stable of players around him this season we hope he can be a distributor for us and help initiate our offense and defense. Nolen will be joined in the backcourt by sophomore Matt Kline and freshman Jared Lewis. Kline is more of a shooting guard than a true point guard but ran the offense last season after Nolen was injured. Kline started 23 of 28 games as a true freshman and averaged 8.4 points and 2.1 assists per game while shooting over 40 percent from the floor. Lewis, a pure athlete, does not yet have a true position on the floor, but his athleticism should make him a factor in the rotation. Another freshman, Thanasi Panagiotakopoulos, could also see time at the point guard slot. Panagiotakopoulos, the longest name in UNC basketball history, is also a dead-eye shooter who will help stretch opponent s defenses. The two-guard spot will see the redshirt senior Brockman and true freshman Sean Taibi battle for playing time. Brockman played in only two games last year before bowing out for the season with injuries. He did, however, have a memorable preseason game at Colorado State, scoring 15 points for the Bears. Brockman, one of the best rebounders on the team, gives the guard spot good size and increased rebounding capabilities. Taibi, rated by the Sporting News as the No. 1 player in the state of Colorado, was an all-state selection, and the state three-point shooting champion. He was also named the MVP of The Show prep all-star game in April. He comes from a good genetic lineage, as his father and uncle each played professional football. Sean is probably the most accolated recruit we have had here, Rasmuson said. He is a very good shooter and scorer, handles the ball well and he will be counted upon greatly as a true freshman. I think our guards have a great ability to shoot the basketball which will help us extend opponents defenses, Rasmuson said. We will be tougher and deeper in the backcourt this season. They are also extremely competitive and very resilient. At the wing spot, junior Erik Olson will once again be a mainstay at the position, as he was the only player to start all 28 games a year ago. A Division I All-Independent selection after averaging 11.6 points and 1.9 assists per game, Olson led the

7 Season Preview As a sophomore, Erik Olson led the team in rebouding (7.1/game) last season. Bears in rebounding last season (7.1/ game) despite being only 6 4" tall. Entering the season he has started 30 consecutive games, making him one of the most experienced team members as well as a seasoned team leader. Olson, along with Nolen, improved his game this summer by traveling with an Athletes in Action team to China. E.O. had a great offseason, Rasmuson said. His body continues to get better, his outside shooting is improving and we may even play him at the two spot some this year if we decide to go with a big lineup. I expect him to have a better junior season than a sophomore campaign, because all the pressure is off of him this year. Olson is joined at the small forward spot by a duo of talented newcomers. Freshman Michael Gordy was the Gatorade Colorado High School Player of the Year after averaging over 30 points per game his senior season. Gordy, who can play either forward spot, rebounds and passes the ball extremely well, and recorded a pair of triple-doubles last year including a 39 point, 19 rebound and 13 assist performance. He also set the Adidas Big Time AAU Tournament single-game scoring record by posting 57 points in a game prior to his senior season. Michael is a true tweener, Ramuson said. His size makes him a three but his ability makes him a four. He is very good around the basket and strong as a bull. He is going to be a tough matchup this season for opponents defenses. Willy Youtchou, a native of Clichy, France, is the other newcomer at the wing spot. Youtchou is the first native Frenchman to play for the Bears and transferred from Monroe College in N.Y. With his 6 6" long frame, he will bring athleticism and a nice outside shooting touch with him to Northern Colorado. At the power forward spot Randle, another long and talented player, returns after redshirting last year in order to increase his strength. As a junior in , Randle averaged 5.0 points and 4.3 rebounds in 25 games. The top leaper on the Bears squad, Randle earned Division II All-American honors with a fourth place finish in the high jump at the 2003 NCAA Championships by clearing He has also honed his outside shooting touch and will give the Bears an added dimension of versatility with his inside-outside game. Alongside Randle will be sophomore Trei Steward. Steward started 22 games as a freshman, averaging 4.5 points and 3.6 rebounds per contest and shoting an impressive 55.8 percent from the field. Steward will need to keep his weight down and stay in shape to be a more regular contributor in But if he does that, his soft hands and touch combined with his ability to run the floor will make him an impact player. We are very young in the post, Rasmuson said. But with Randle s leadership and his and Youtchou s athleticism, we will be very versatile. We have a nice compliment of post players; we just need them to get bigger and stronger. The center spot will be filled by the redshirt freshman Archibeque, freshman Brian Yarbrough and senior transfer Tiberius Lee. Archibeque, who stand 6 9", started the first six games of last season before a leg injury kept him out of the lineup the remainder of the season. In those six games he averaged 9.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per game while shooting 57.5 percent from the field. Kirk had a wonderful off-season after being medically cleared to play, Rasmuson said. He is a big, strong player whose body and skill keeps getting better. Having the experience of playing in six games last year then watching from the bench the remainder of the season will hopefully get him ready to come racing out the gates this season. The 6 10", 255 pound Yarbrough led the state in blocked shots last season on his way to all-state honorable mention honors. His size will be an immediate asset to the program in filling up the lane. Much like Zandman Zeman, Yarbrough is not yet a prolific scorer but he does all the other things in the post well, though, despite only playing organized basketball for three years. At 6 10, 230 pounds, Lee rounds out the Bears roster. A transfer from Hartnell College (the same school Randle came from), Lee sat out last season due to NCAA transfer rules. His large frame and long arms give UNC another quality post player. First and foremost I think depth will be one of our strengths this season, Rasmuson commented. We also have some experience back after our young kids were thrown to the wolves last season. As long as we are healthy, then we can play a lot of different ways this year. With the newcomers we have signed, we have the most talented and highly regarded class, on paper, that we have ever seen at UNC. Our lack of experience against a full Division I schedule will be a weakness, Rasmuson added. We have a handful of guys that played against that level of competition last year and others who sat on the sideline and watched, but until you have lived through it you just do not know what that level of competition is all about. All of those factors should make for both an exciting and challenging year for the Bears in After losing only four contributors from a season ago, the squad will be looking to mix an energetic influx of youth with a group of players who have played and practiced with each other for the past couple of years. Everything with our program, aside from the number of wins, is flying high, Rasmuson said. The type of players we are able to attract, our graduation rates and our community service efforts are all where I want them to be. I set goals in those areas five years ago when I arrived and we have surpassed the goals in each of those areas. However, the area we are evaluated in the hardest is wins and loses, and we have to pick that up. We will be extremely confident no matter who we are playing this year. Our players are resilient and they will shake off a tough year last season and give it their all this year. Center Kirk Archibeque played in six games before suffering a season-ending injury last season.

8 Coaching Staff CRAIG RASMUSON HEAD COACH (6TH SEASON) Ashland University, 1990 The Rasmuson record Overall Record: (.436) Record at UNC: (.373) Assistant Coaching Resume Year School Record Ashland (.593) Ashland 22-8 (.733) Eastern Michigan 26-7 (.788) Lincoln Memorial (.536) Lincoln Memorial 17-9 (.654) Lincoln Memorial (.615) Head Coaching Resume Year School Record Lincoln Memorial 8-18 (.308) Lincoln Memorial (.500) Lincoln Memorial 9-17 (.346) Lincoln Memorial 19-8 (.704) Lincoln Memorial (.630) Northern Colorado 9-18 (.333) Northern Colorado (.385) Northern Colorado (.519) Northern Colorado (.423) Northern Colorado 6-22 (.214) Highlights MAC Champions and NCAA Sweet 16 participants at Eastern Michigan ( ) Gulf South Conference Coach of the Year ( ) Gulf South Conference Eastern Division Champions ( ) Led Bears to victory over defending national champion Metro State, ( ) First winning season as Northern Colorado Head Coach ( ) Led Northern Colorado into first season of reclassification to Division I ( ) Milestone Victories 1. Mercyhurst (83-77) - Nov. 18, Tennessee-Wesleyan (80-64)- Nov. 21, Adams State (77-73) - Nov. 26, 2002 Milestone Victories at UNC 1. Palm Beach Atlantic (106-76) - Nov. 19, North Dakota State (87-76) - Dec. 30, Johnson & Wales (93-57) - Feb. 21, 2004 For University of Northern Colorado head men s basketball coach Craig Rasmuson, the season can not be far enough erased from his memory. Beginning the program s transition to Division I last year, Rasmuson saw his squad endure injuries to four starters that ended their season prematurely and the Bears were eventually forced to add a pair of managers to the roster so they would have enough players for practice and finished the season 6-22 overall. I am glad last season is over, said Rasmuson who is entering his sixth year with UNC. We knew the transition would be tough and we knew if we redshirted a few of our top kids it would limit our opportunities to win last season but the injuries really compounded it for us. But Rasmuson is nothing but excited as his squad prepares for their second season of the four-year reclassification process to Division I. All four of the starters that were injured last season return, along with senior James Randle who sat out last season to get stronger to play against a tough schedule, junior Erik Olson (the team s leading rebounder from a season ago) and a group of talented freshmen. Our players are very resilient, Rasmuson echoed. They are so excited about the upcoming season and they want to play against the best, which they are going to get to do this upcoming season. Hopefully we will be a lot more competitive this season, however, at the same time the schedule is tougher than we could ever have imagined and some of the same experiences as last year could be in the future for us. Despite playing a tough schedule in that saw UNC travel to the likes of Colorado, Iowa State, Loyola Marymount and Rutgers and play a total of only nine home games, Rasmuson did reach a milestone on the Bears bench, as UNC defeated Johnson & Wales on Feb. 21 to give the coach his 50 th win as UNC head coach. Overall, Rasmuson enters the season with a record at UNC and a record in 10 years as a head coach. Besides the number of wins we have, everything in the program is flying high and right where we want it, said Rasmuson. The type of players we are able to attract, the type of people they are off the court, graduation rates, and community service is everywhere we want it to be. I set a goal five years ago and we have surpassed that mark in those areas. But the area we are evaluated in the hardest is wins and loses and we have to pick that up. The was tough in many ways, including the amount of traveling the squad had to do. The Bears punched their frequent flyer cards many times during the course of the season, as the team traveled 21,331 miles by season s end. And Rasmuson went through all this with a very young coaching staff, as the staff s average age of 29.8 years made them the second youngest group of coaches in all of Division I (trailing only Lehigh s 29.3 average). But the interest at home remained strong as during the season the largest crowd (1,576) in 13 years came to Butler-Hancock Hall to watch the Bears battle Utah Valley State. Rasmuson inherited a UNC program that had fallen on hard times in recent years. The Bears have endured 10 losing seasons since , but Rasmuson led the Bears to a season in in only his third season

9 Coaching Staff on the bench. That marked only the second winning season for the program in the past 13 seasons. In , Rasmuson hit a career milestone when he earned his 100 th career victory in his ninth season on the bench as a head coach. The milestone was achieved with a victory over Adams State on Nov. 26. Rasmuson also coached in his 100 th game on the Bears bench on Feb. 8 at South Dakota. Previous to UNC, Rasmuson spent five seasons as head coach at Lincoln Memorial University, an NCAA Division II school in Harrogate, Tennessee. In , the Railsplitters earned a share of the Gulf South Conference Eastern Division Championship by going and 11-3 in league play. Overall, Rasmuson s record at LMU was (.500). In , he was named Gulf South Conference Co-Coach of the Year as his squad went 19-8 and headed to the league s postseason tourney for the first time in school history. During that year, LMU also made several appearances in the NCAA II South Regional Poll, moving as high as No. 4 late in the season. While at LMU, Rasmuson coached two All-Americans, eight all-conference selections and 11 all-academic performers. In fact, LMU has claimed the Gulf South Conference Freshman of the Year in and Prior to being named head coach at Lincoln Memorial in 1994, Rasmuson spent three seasons as an assistant on the LMU staff. He helped guide the Railsplitters to consecutive winning seasons from During the season, Rasmuson served on the staff of Ben Braun (now head coach at Cal-Berkeley) at Eastern Michigan University. EMU claimed a Mid- American Conference title that year with a record of 26-7 and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, notching victories over Mississippi State and Penn State along the way. Rasmuson also had a two-year stint ( ) as a student assistant coach at Ashland (Ohio) University. While completing his Bachelor s degree, he helped the Eagles to two conference titles and a top-20 NCAA II national ranking. Ashland also made two NCAA II tournament appearances during that time. A 1990 graduate of Ashland, Rasmuson earned his B.S. degree in criminal justice and sociology. He played two years of basketball before moving into the coaching ranks as an undergraduate. In 2004, Rasmuson served as one of 24 Division I coaches who served as NCAA Youth Education through Sports (YES) Clinic instructors at the Men s Final Four held in San Antonio, Texas. He worked alongside the likes of Pete Gillen (Virgina), Skip Prosser (Wake Forest) and Rick Stansbury (Mississippi State). Rasmuson, 36, is a native of Victor, New York and is married to the former Jennifer Mitchell of Ypsilanti, Michigan. The couple has two children, Ella Shea (born 11/8/96) and Mitchell Craig (born 2/10/01). Chronological History All-Time Victories By Winning Percentage Name Years Record (Pct.) Royce Long (.375) Paul Abbott (.417) Ralph Glaze (.381) William Search (.458) George Cooper (.647) John Davis (.573) J. Doubenmier (.579) L.C. Butler 40-43; (.532) John Hancock (.038) John Bunn (.437) George Sage (.725) Thurm Wright (.419) Ron Brillhart (.478) Ken Smith (.413) Craig Rasmuson 1999-present (.373) Name Years Victories Thurm Wright L.C. Butler ; Ron Brillhart George Sage George Cooper Ken Smith John Bunn John Davis Craig Rasmuson 1999-present 50 J. Doubenmier William Search Ralph Glaze Paul Abbott Royce Long John Hancock Name Years Percentage George Sage George Cooper J. Doubenmier John Davis L.C. Butler ; Ron Brillhart William Search John Bunn Ken Smith Thurm Wright Paul Abbott Ralph Glaze Royce Long Craig Rasmuson 1999-present.373 John Hancock

10 UNC Men's Basketball Northern Colorado Combined Team Statistics (as of Mar 06, 2004) All games RECORD: OVERALL HOME AWAY NEUTRAL ALL GAMES... (6-22) (4-5) (1-14) (1-3) CONFERENCE... (0-0) (0-0) (0-0) (0-0) NON-CONFERENCE... (6-22) (4-5) (1-14) (1-3) ---TOTAL PTS ## Player GP-GS Min--Avg FG-FGA Pct 3FG-FGA Pct FT-FTA Pct Off Def Tot Avg PF FO A TO Blk Stl Pts Avg Vincent Jackson Michael Frazier Erik Olson x-sean Nolen x-kirk Archibeque Matt Kline x-heath Orvis Bryson Gholston Trei Steward Chris Gebhardt Kendrick Irby x-parish Brockman Scott Law x-david Edmunds TEAM Total Opponents x-inactive player DATE OPPONENT W/L SCORE ATTEND TEAM STATISTICS UNC OPP #11/21/03 vs Western State W #11/22/03 at Adams State L SCORING /25/03 COLORADO MINES L Points per game /28/03 KENDALL COLLEGE W Scoring margin /29/03 COLORADO CHRISTIAN L FIELD GOALS-ATT /2/03 REGIS L Field goal pct $12/5/03 at Colorado St.-Pueblo L POINT FG-ATT $12/6/03 vs Mesa State L point FG pct /13/03 at Texas State L pt FG made per game /17/03 at Colorado Mines L FREE THROWS-ATT /20/03 at Colo. Christian L Free throw pct /23/03 at Eastern Michigan L /30/03 at Denver L Rebounds per game /2/04 ADAMS STATE W Rebounding margin /6/04 COLORADO-COLORADO SPRINGS L ASSISTS /10/03 at Colorado L Assists per game /12/04 at Iowa State L TURNOVERS /14/04 at Regis University L Turnovers per game /17/04 UTAH VALLEY STATE L Turnover margin /20/04 at Loyola Marymount L Assist/turnover ratio /29/04 COLORADO COLLEGE W STEALS /5/04 at Texas A&M-International W Steals per game /7/04 at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi L BLOCKS /17/04 at Rutgers L Blocks per game /21/04 JOHNSON & WALES W WINNING STREAK /28/04 at Utah Valley State L Home win streak &3/4/04 vs Utah Valley State L ATTENDANCE &3/5/04 vs Longwood University L Home games-avg/game Neutral site-avg/game # - Adams State Jalisco Hoops Classic (Alamosa, Colo.) $ - Chuck Stephens Classic (Pueblo, Colo.) SCORE BY PERIODS: 1st 2nd Total & - National Provisional Tournament (Ft. Myers, Fla.) Northern Colorado Opponents

11 UNC Men's Basketball Northern Colorado Team Game-by-Game (as of Mar 06, 2004) All games TEAM STATISTICS ---TOTAL PTRS Opponent Date Score W/L FG-FGA Pct 3FG-FGA Pct FT-FTA Pct Off Def Tot Avg PF A TO Blk Stl Pts---Avg vs Western State 11/21/ W at Adams State 11/22/ L COLORADO MINES 11/25/ L KENDALL COLLEGE 11/28/ W COLORADO CHRISTIAN 11/29/ L REGIS 12/2/ L at Colorado St.-Puebl 12/5/ L vs Mesa State 12/6/ L at Texas State 12/13/ L at Colorado Mines 12/17/ L at Colo. Christian 12/20/ L at Eastern Michigan 12/23/ L at Denver 12/30/ L ADAMS STATE 1/2/ W OLORADO-COLORADO SPR 1/6/ L t Colorado 1/10/ L t Iowa State 1/12/ L t Regis University 1/14/ L TAH VALLEY STATE 1/17/ L t Loyola Marymount 1/20/ L OLORADO COLLEGE 1/29/ W t Texas A&M-Internat 2/5/ W t Texas A&M-Corpus C 2/7/ L t Rutgers 2/17/ L OHNSON & WALES 2/21/ W t Utah Valley State 2/28/ L s Utah Valley State 3/4/ L s Longwood Universit 3/5/ L Northern Colorado pponents ames played: 28 Rebounds/game: 33.4 oints/game: 66.0 Assists/game: 14.1 G Pct: 45.8 Turnovers/game: 18.7 FG Pct: 36.4 Assist/turnover ratio: 0.8 T Pct: 63.8 Steals/game: 6.7 Blocks/game: 1.8

12 UNC Men's Basketball Northern Colorado High/Low Analysis (as of Mar 06, 2004) All games Northern Colorado - TEAM GAME HIGHS POINTS vs Johnson & Wales (2/21/04) 85 vs Adams State (1/2/04) 85 vs Western State (11/21/03) 80 vs Kendall College (11/28/03) 76 at Colo. Christian (12/20/03) 76 vs Colorado Mines (11/25/03) FIELD GOALS MADE vs Johnson & Wales (2/21/04) 31 vs Kendall College (11/28/03) FIELD GOAL ATTEMPTS vs Johnson & Wales (2/21/04) 63 vs Longwood University (3/5/04) 63 vs Colorado-Colorado Springs (1/6/04) 63 at Eastern Michigan (12/23/03) 63 at Adams State (11/22/03) FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE (29-45) vs Colorado College (1/29/04).608 (31-51) vs Kendall College (11/28/03) 3 PT FIELD GOALS MADE vs Western State (11/21/03) 11 at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (2/7/04) 11 at Colorado St.-Pueblo (12/5/03) 3 PT FG ATTEMPTS at Adams State (11/22/03) 24 vs Longwood University (3/5/04) 24 at Iowa State (1/12/04) 24 at Texas State (12/13/03) 24 at Colorado St.-Pueblo (12/5/03) 3 PT FG PERCENTAGE (11-18) at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (2/7/04).600 (12-20) vs Western State (11/21/03) FREE THROWS MADE at Colorado Mines (12/17/03) 22 vs Mesa State (12/6/03) FREE THROW ATTEMPTS at Colorado Mines (12/17/03) 29 vs Mesa State (12/6/03) FREE THROW PERCENTAGE (12-13) vs Utah Valley State (3/4/04).800 (12-15) at Colo. Christian (12/20/03) vs Johnson & Wales (2/21/04) 49 at Regis University (1/14/04) ASSISTS vs Johnson & Wales (2/21/04) 25 vs Kendall College (11/28/03) STEALS vs Colorado-Colorado Springs (1/6/04) 13 vs Johnson & Wales (2/21/04) 13 at Texas A&M-International (2/5/04) BLOCKED SHOTS... 4 at Rutgers (2/17/04) 4 at Loyola Marymount (1/20/04) 4 at Regis University (1/14/04) 4 vs Adams State (1/2/04) TURNOVERS at Colo. Christian (12/20/03) 28 at Texas A&M-International (2/5/04) FOULS at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (2/7/04) 25 at Adams State (11/22/03)

13 UNC Men's Basketball Northern Colorado High/Low Analysis (as of Mar 06, 2004) All games Opponent - GAME HIGHS POINTS at Rutgers (2/17/04) 96 at Colorado Mines (12/17/03) 93 at Colo. Christian (12/20/03) 89 at Iowa State (1/12/04) 88 at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (2/7/04) FIELD GOALS MADE at Rutgers (2/17/04) 37 at Colo. Christian (12/20/03) FIELD GOAL ATTEMPTS at Iowa State (1/12/04) 69 at Rutgers (2/17/04) 69 at Colorado (1/10/03) FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE (33-55) at Colorado St.-Pueblo (12/5/03).580 (29-50) at Eastern Michigan (12/23/03) 3 PT FIELD GOALS MADE at Rutgers (2/17/04) 12 vs Utah Valley State (3/4/04) 3 PT FG ATTEMPTS vs Johnson & Wales (2/21/04) 28 at Rutgers (2/17/04) 3 PT FG PERCENTAGE ( 7-13) at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (2/7/04).538 ( 7-13) at Iowa State (1/12/04) FREE THROWS MADE at Colorado Mines (12/17/03) 22 at Utah Valley State (2/28/04) FREE THROW ATTEMPTS at Adams State (11/22/03) 30 vs Western State (11/21/03) FREE THROW PERCENTAGE (12-13) at Iowa State (1/12/04).867 (13-15) vs Regis (12/2/03) at Adams State (11/22/03) 46 at Iowa State (1/12/04) ASSISTS at Rutgers (2/17/04) 23 at Loyola Marymount (1/20/04) STEALS at Texas A&M-International (2/5/04) 20 at Colo. Christian (12/20/03) BLOCKED SHOTS at Colorado (1/10/03) 9 at Iowa State (1/12/04) TURNOVERS at Eastern Michigan (12/23/03) 22 at Texas State (12/13/03) FOULS at Colorado Mines (12/17/03) 25 vs Colorado College (1/29/04)

14 UNC Men's Basketball Northern Colorado High/Low Analysis (as of Mar 06, 2004) All games Northern Colorado - GAME LOWS POINTS vs Utah Valley State (3/4/04) 48 at Colorado (1/10/03) 49 at Regis University (1/14/04) 50 vs Regis (12/2/03) 52 at Denver (12/30/03) 52 at Rutgers (2/17/04) FIELD GOALS MADE at Colorado (1/10/03) 15 vs Utah Valley State (3/4/04) FIELD GOAL ATTEMPTS vs Mesa State (12/6/03) 42 vs Utah Valley State (3/4/04) FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE (18-63) at Eastern Michigan (12/23/03).298 (14-47) at Colorado (1/10/03) 3 PT FIELD GOALS MADE... 2 vs Utah Valley State (3/4/04) 3 vs Regis (12/2/03) 3 vs Colorado-Colorado Springs (1/6/04) 3 vs Utah Valley State (1/17/04) 3 at Texas A&M-International (2/5/04) 3 vs Johnson & Wales (2/21/04) 3 PT FG ATTEMPTS... 9 vs Utah Valley State (3/4/04) 10 vs Colorado College (1/29/04) 10 at Texas A&M-International (2/5/04) 3 PT FG PERCENTAGE ( 4-23) at Eastern Michigan (12/23/03).214 ( 3-14) vs Regis (12/2/03) FREE THROWS MADE... 1 vs Colorado-Colorado Springs (1/6/04) 3 at Texas State (12/13/03) 3 vs Longwood University (3/5/04) FREE THROW ATTEMPTS... 8 at Utah Valley State (2/28/04) 8 vs Longwood University (3/5/04) FREE THROW PERCENTAGE ( 1-9 ) vs Colorado-Colorado Springs (1/6/04).250 ( 3-12) at Texas State (12/13/03) at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (2/7/04) 25 at Utah Valley State (2/28/04) 25 vs Utah Valley State (3/4/04) ASSISTS... 5 vs Utah Valley State (3/4/04) 7 at Regis University (1/14/04) STEALS... 1 vs Adams State (1/2/04) 2 vs Regis (12/2/03) 2 vs Mesa State (12/6/03) BLOCKED SHOTS... 0 vs Kendall College (11/28/03) 0 vs Colorado Christian (11/29/03) 0 at Texas State (12/13/03) 0 at Colorado Mines (12/17/03) 0 at Denver (12/30/03) TURNOVERS... 8 vs Adams State (1/2/04) 10 vs Utah Valley State (1/17/04) FOULS at Colorado (1/10/03) 13 at Iowa State (1/12/04)

15 UNC Men's Basketball Northern Colorado High/Low Analysis (as of Mar 06, 2004) All games Opponent - GAME LOWS POINTS vs Colorado College (1/29/04) 57 vs Johnson & Wales (2/21/04) 62 at Regis University (1/14/04) 63 vs Kendall College (11/28/03) 63 vs Regis (12/2/03) 63 vs Utah Valley State (1/17/04) 63 at Texas A&M-International (2/5/04) FIELD GOALS MADE vs Johnson & Wales (2/21/04) 20 vs Colorado College (1/29/04) FIELD GOAL ATTEMPTS at Texas State (12/13/03) 46 vs Utah Valley State (3/4/04) FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE (19-58) vs Johnson & Wales (2/21/04).356 (21-59) vs Western State (11/21/03) 3 PT FIELD GOALS MADE... 0 at Regis University (1/14/04) 3 at Adams State (11/22/03) 3 at Colorado (1/10/03) 3 PT FG ATTEMPTS... 9 at Regis University (1/14/04) 12 at Utah Valley State (2/28/04) 3 PT FG PERCENTAGE ( 0-9 ) at Regis University (1/14/04).143 ( 3-21) at Colorado (1/10/03) FREE THROWS MADE... 5 at Colorado (1/10/03) 6 vs Colorado College (1/29/04) FREE THROW ATTEMPTS at Colorado (1/10/03) 13 at Iowa State (1/12/04) FREE THROW PERCENTAGE (12-36) at Adams State (11/22/03).375 ( 6-16) vs Colorado College (1/29/04) vs Regis (12/2/03) 23 vs Johnson & Wales (2/21/04) ASSISTS... 6 vs Utah Valley State (1/17/04) 7 vs Colorado College (1/29/04) 7 at Utah Valley State (2/28/04) STEALS... 3 vs Adams State (1/2/04) 4 at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (2/7/04) BLOCKED SHOTS... 0 vs Regis (12/2/03) 0 vs Mesa State (12/6/03) 0 vs Colorado College (1/29/04) 0 vs Johnson & Wales (2/21/04) TURNOVERS... 4 vs Adams State (1/2/04) 6 at Colorado (1/10/03) FOULS... 9 at Iowa State (1/12/04) 10 vs Regis (12/2/03)

16 UNC Men's Basketball Northern Colorado Game-by-Game Points-Rebounds-Assists (as of Mar 06, 2004) All games Opponent Date Score WL BROCKMAN, JACKSON,V IRBY,KEND KLINE,MAT NOLEN,SEA GEBHARDT, LAW,SCOTT ORVIS,HEA EDMUNDS,D vs Western State 11/21/ W DNP DNP DNP DNP at Adams State 11/22/ L DNP DNP DNP COLORADO MINES 11/25/ L DNP DNP DNP DNP KENDALL COLLEGE 11/28/ W DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP COLORADO CHRISTIAN 11/29/ L DNP DNP DNP DNP REGIS 12/2/ L DNP DNP DNP DNP at Colorado St.-Pueblo 12/5/ L DNP DNP DNP vs Mesa State 12/6/ L DNP DNP DNP DNP at Texas State 12/13/ L DNP DNP DNP DNP at Colorado Mines 12/17/ L DNP DNP DNP at Colo. Christian 12/20/ L DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP at Eastern Michigan 12/23/ L DNP DNP DNP DNP at Denver 12/30/ L DNP DNP DNP DNP ADAMS STATE 1/2/ W DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP OLORADO-COLORADO SPRIN1/6/ L DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP t Colorado 1/10/ L DNP DNP DNP t Iowa State 1/12/ L DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP t Regis University 1/14/ L DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP TAH VALLEY STATE 1/17/ L DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP t Loyola Marymount 1/20/ L DNP DNP DNP DNP OLORADO COLLEGE 1/29/ W DNP DNP DNP DNP t Texas A&M-Internatio2/5/ W DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP t Texas A&M-Corpus Chr2/7/ L DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP t Rutgers 2/17/ L DNP DNP DNP DNP OHNSON & WALES 2/21/ W DNP DNP DNP DNP t Utah Valley State 2/28/ L DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP s Utah Valley State 3/4/ L DNP DNP DNP DNP s Longwood University 3/5/ L DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP pponent Date Score WL OLSON,ERI GHOLSTON, STEWARD,T ARCHIBEQU FRAZIER,M s Western State 11/21/ W t Adams State 11/22/ L OLORADO MINES 11/25/ L ENDALL COLLEGE 11/28/ W OLORADO CHRISTIAN 11/29/ L EGIS 12/2/ L t Colorado St.-Pueblo 12/5/ L DNP s Mesa State 12/6/ L DNP t Texas State 12/13/ L DNP t Colorado Mines 12/17/ L DNP t Colo. Christian 12/20/ L DNP t Eastern Michigan 12/23/ L DNP t Denver 12/30/ L DNP ADAMS STATE 1/2/ W DNP OLORADO-COLORADO SPRIN1/6/ L DNP t Colorado 1/10/ L DNP t Iowa State 1/12/ L DNP t Regis University 1/14/ L DNP TAH VALLEY STATE 1/17/ L DNP t Loyola Marymount 1/20/ L DNP OLORADO COLLEGE 1/29/ W DNP t Texas A&M-Internatio2/5/ W DNP t Texas A&M-Corpus Chr2/7/ L DNP t Rutgers 2/17/ L DNP OHNSON & WALES 2/21/ W DNP t Utah Valley State 2/28/ L DNP s Utah Valley State 3/4/ L DNP s Longwood University 3/5/ L DNP