BASKETBALL BOOSTER INFORMATION
May 8, 2007
BRYAN HIGH SENIORS TO PLAY AT BELLEVUE
JC Hall and Matt Imig have been playing basketball together since they were six years old.
The Bryan seniors will get to spend another four years on the court together after both players signed to play for Bellevue University and coach Todd Eisner next season.
"Matt and I have known each other since we were like four years old," Hall said. "Our friendship is so close and we always talked about going to the same place together."
Hall and Imig leave one winning program to go to another. Both players were vital components of a Bryan team that went 24-2 (a school record) and spent most of the season as the top-ranked team in Class A.
They join a Bruin program that went 32-2 last season and also spent over a month as the top-ranked team in the NAIA Division II ranks. Bellevue has advanced to the national tourney in six of the seven seasons under Eisner.
"I think it's vital to get kids from winning programs," Eisner said. "It's make the transition to become a successful team much easier. I know all of us weren't happy the way our seasons ended for both teams and we're going to work hard to put both of those guys in a position where they can help us win a championship."
Hall led the Bears at 15 points per game and also made his mark as a tenacious player on the defensive end of the floor. Imig, the starting point guard, came in second at 13 points per night and was also the Bears top three-point and free throw shooter.
"There will certainly be an adjustment period for both, but they have the skill set to make that adjustment quicker than most players," Eisner said. "JC can help us from either spot on the perimeter while Matt is a true point guard who also has the ability to score."
Both players figure to be in the mix for playing time at the point guard spot vacated by two-year starter Jesse Cardenas.
Imig had back problems that ailed him late in the basketball season and also forced him to sit out spring baseball after starting at shortstop for the Bears last season.
"I'm resting until June and they've told me it shouldn't be a problem down the road," he said. "I really wanted to play basketball (in college) all along and having to sit out this baseball season really cemented that decision for me."
March 19, 2007
NAIA Daktronic-Scholar Athlete
Congratulations to Jesse Cardenas, a junior from Ralston, Nebraska for not only running the point for the 32-2 Bruins and leading the team with 105 assists, but also succeeding in the classroom
this past season earning NAIA All-American Daktronic-Scholar Athlete honors. The award is given to student-athletes who possess a cumulative GPA over 3.50 on a 4.00 scale and must be nominated
by their head coach, have achieved junior academic status.
March 14, 2007
NAIA ALL-AMERICAN HONORS
Congratulations to Joe Webb for being selected as a third-team NAIA All-American. Joe Webb led the Bruins with an average of 16.6 points per game (480 pts on the season) in 29 games played helping
Bellevue to a 32-2 overall record. Joe Webb shot 56.5 percent from the field to lead the team and rank 24th in NAIA.
Joe Webb, a senior from Kansas City, Kansas, was second on the team with 160 rebounds (5.5 per game) and first shooting 80.9% from the charity stripe connecting on 131 of 162. Joe is a two-time NAIA
All-American.
February 7, 2007
BRUINS RATED #1 IN NAIA
BELLEVUE, NE - - Bellevue University started the season at 14-0 before losing their first game. Since that time, the Bruins have won their past 10 games and have a 24-1 overall record with a 9-0 mark against the MCAC. After their first round loss to Evangel last year at the NAIA National Tournament, Bellevue started the year preseason rated at 22nd. A month later, the Bruins climbed the chart jumping 17 spots and into the Top-5 taking over 5th place with 384 total votes.
On Wednesday afternoon, Bellevue University will become the new #1 team in Men's Basketball NAIA DII. Bellevue has spent the last 4 of 5 weeks rated 6th in NAIA then jumped to 3rd last week. This week, Bellevue takes over the #1 spot, the 5th different team to do so this year in eight ratings. The #1 ranking is a school-record for the highest ranking of a Bellevue University basketball team, the previous mark was 2nd in 2004 when they finished as runner-up at the NAIA National Tournament.
The Bruins jumped from #3 last week to take over the #1 spot by winning their last two home games against Haskell Indian Nations University and Peru State College. Bellevue also had help moving those final two positions due to the previous #1 (MidAmerican Nazarene University, Kan.) and #2 (Walsh University, Ohio) losing games last week.
In 25 games this season, the Bruins are averaging 79.2 points per contest while allowing less than 60 (59.8). Over the span of two win streaks of 10 games or more, the Bruins have set a school record with fewest points allowed at 38 in a conference win over Central Christian and a season-high 52 rebounds just last night (Feb.6) in a 71-56 win at York College.
As the congratulations are passed out to the team and Coach Eisner for their season, the remaining schedule is not an easy one. This weekend, Bellevue will play at Oklahoma Wesleyan where they are only a .500 team at 3-3 over the past six seasons. On Saturday the Bruins will travel to the host of the 2007 NAIA National Tournament, College of the Ozarks, where they are 0-3 in three visits last year: a loss to the Ozarks in regular season, a loss to York College in the first round of the MCAC Tournament and a first round loss of the NAIA National Tournament.
Of the five different teams that have reigned as number one, the reality is, it's a tough road. College of the Ozarks started the preseason ranking at #1 but became unseeded by December. Huntington then took over the position as the best in the country, and then lost two weeks later to have MidAmerican Nazarene University hold the position losing to Park University (Mo.) three weeks later. Then, the University of Sioux Falls lost the same week they took over the #1 spot to Northwestern College.
To finish the season, Bellevue's games include: a tough road trip this weekend against Oklahoma Wesleyan University, and #22 College of the Ozarks, next Tuesday (Feb. 13) against #8 NAIA DI Park University, then close out the season against NCAA DII Newman University (Feb. 16) and conference team Central Christian College (Feb. 17). All five remaining games on the schedule are on the road.
October 21, 2006
OZARKS PICKED TO REPEAT
press release; courtesy Jerod Dahlgren; MCAC SID
PARKVILLE, MO. -- The College of the Ozarks men’s basketball team has been selected as the favorite to win the 2006-07 MCAC Men’s Basketball Championship according to the MCAC Preseason Coaches Poll released Saturday (Oct. 21).
Ozarks, which won the NAIA Division II National Championship last season, posted a 29-6 overall record and a 13-1 mark in conference play in 2005-06. En route to the national championship, the Bobcats also claimed the MCAC regular season and postseason tournament titles.
Bellevue University ranks second in the preseason poll after compiling a 24-8 overall record in 2005-06. The Bruins, who were 12-3 in the MCAC last season, qualifi ed for the NAIA Division II National Tournament last March, but did not advance out of the fi rst round. York College was picked third by the league coaches after a 15-17 overall record and a 10-5 mark in the MCAC last season.
Rounding out the poll are Peru State College (4th), Oklahoma Wesleyan University (5th), Haskell Indian Nations University (6th) and Central Christian College (7th).
2006-07 MCAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll:
1. College of the Ozarks * #
2. Bellevue University
3. York College
4. Peru State College
5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
6. Haskell Indian Nations University
7. Central Chrstian College
* 2005-06 MCAC Regular Season Champions
# 2005-06 MCAC Tournament Champions
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Men's Basketball
Todd Eisner, Men's Basketball Coach
