2009-10 Season Preview

The Northwestern College men’s basketball team has been an annual contender for both the GPAC and national title for the past 15 years. The Raiders have qualified for 10 national tournaments over the last 11 years, eight under the direction of current Head Coach Kris Korver. The 1992 alum is the all-time winningest coach in the program’s history team (238-61), registering a remarkable 80% win percentage. During his tenure, the Raiders have either won or shared the GPAC regular season title six times, earned two national championships and made three other trips to the Final Four. Last year, Northwestern finished tied for fourth in the conference standings with an 11-7 record. Seeded fourth in the 12-team GPAC postseason tournament, the Raiders lost to fifth-seeded Hastings, ending their season with a 16-13 overall record. The Raiders lost 12 players off last year’s squad, including All-American and 1,000 point scorer Kale Wiertzema and three-year starter Andrew Stimson. Five letter winners return for Coach Korver, who brought in one of his largest recruiting classes ever to comprise this year’s team. “We are excited about the group we have this year,” commented Korver. “One of our early tasks as coaches is to define the role of each player so that they can begin to embrace and blossom in that role.”

Just one senior, Jerome Hoegh, comes back for his final season for the Red Raiders. The 6-2 guard from Atlantic, Iowa, averaged 2.5 points and dished out 10 assists last season. A streaky perimeter shooter, Hoegh shot 32% from beyond the arc and came through in some big games as a junior. “Jerome is a good leader,” commented Korver. “He encourages his teammates and exhibits a toughness when out on the court.”

Three juniors will also be looked upon to provide leadership and stability to this young squad. Brent Dunkelberger (Waconia, Minn.) and Ryan Hoogveen (Hull, Iowa) averaged Dunkel 7.7 and 5.2 points per game, respectively. Dunkelberger, a 6-8 forward, possesses a soft shooting touch on the outside, shooting 53% from the floor. He also provides a solid post presence, pulling down 4.3 rebounds per game with 11 blocked shots. “Brent is a versatile player who is very gifted offensively,” said Korver. A two-year starter, Hoogeveen is a 6-2 guard who possesses great athletic ability and is a playmaker. Hoogveen shot 50% from beyond the arc (15-30) in 2008-09 and pulled down 3.1 boards per game. “Ryan is a great athlete and makes plays,” commented Korver. “He is unselfish and we will need his RyanH leadership on the floor.” Another junior, Jon Kramer (Wahpeton, N.D.), is a 6-0 guard who transferred from North Dakota State College of Science. He averaged over eight points, three rebounds and two assists off the bench in leading his team to a 31-4 record and national tournament berth.

A pair of sophomores, Walker Seim and Ryan Stock, will be looked upon to make significant contributions this season. Seim, a 6-3 shooting guard from LeGrand, Iowa, played in 18 games with one start last season. He led the GPAC in three-point percentage (48%) and ranked fourth on the team with 19 baskets from beyond the arc. Seim averaged 6.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per game as a freshman and will be looked at to score more this season. “Walker is one of the best pure shooters in the conference,” commented Korver. Stock appeared in 12 games, averaging over two points per game as a freshman and also played on the junior varsity. The 6-4 guard from Sheffield, Iowa is a tough player who can knock down the perimeter shot. Adam Olson (Atkinson, Neb.) returns for his sophomore season after sitting out last year.

Joining the returning players are a number of freshmen who could make significant contributions for Coach Korver’s squad. Daniel Van Kalsbeek (Hospers, Iowa), a 6-5 post player, earned second team all-state honors and averaged nearly a double-double per game for MOC-Floyd Valley. Ben Miller (Volga, S.D.) earned second team all-state honors and averaged a double-double the last two years for Sioux Valley High School. Matt Huseman (Sac City, Iowa), Jacey Hoegh (Atlantic, Iowa) and Stuart Goslinga (Alta, Iowa) also come to Northwestern after outstanding high school careers and all-state accolades.

“One of our keys early on will be for everyone to figure out the system and to learn to play with one another,” commented Korver. “It will be an exciting group to watch as they improve and grow, both on the court and as young men.” The conference slate will be a challenging one once again as five GPAC teams earned recognition in the NAIA preseason poll. “We play in a very tough conference and it will prepare us well for the rigors of the postseason. We have a young but talented and athletic group this year. We (as a coaching staff) are excited to get the season going and expect excellence from this group of guys.”