2007-08 Cobber Men's Basketball Preview

Courtesy of GoCobbers.com, Release: November 13, 2007

2007-08 Season Preview

MOORHEAD, Minn. (11/13/07)-- On paper the 2007-08 Concordia men’s basketball team appears to be Luke Linz (Sr., Watkins, Minn./Eden Valley-Watkins HS) and a bunch of other guys. A closer look will show that those “other guys” might help Linz get back to the MIAC playoffs for the first time since his freshman season in 2004-05.

There is little doubt that Linz will be the focal point for the Cobbers in 2007-08. He is an all-conference performer from a year ago after finishing second in the league in scoring. His physical presence down low and the ability to use his quickness while facing the basket will make him one of the top players in the league once again. The problem for Linz has always been finding teammates that could consistently get him the ball in the right spot, and also being able to knock down the open shot once the defense sags in to stop him.

Those questions will remain at the start of the year, but a team that returns all five starting players and adds a group of talented freshmen should help Concordia head coach Duane Siverson come up with the answers as the Cobbers progress through the season.

If there was a preseason coaches’ poll for teams with the most chance to improve on last year’s finish, Concordia would certainly be in the top three of the league. Picked by the conference coaches to finish seventh in the preseason poll after finishing in 11th place last year, the MIAC head coaches have already acknowledged that Concordia will be going past more than just one floor as the team rises out of the league cellar.

Last season the team was always searching for an identity other than Linz and was trying to find players to take the pressure off of Linz on the offensive end. Because of this inconsistency, Concordia finished ninth in the league in scoring – averaging 67.1 points per game. Linz led the team in scoring with a 19.9 points per game average which meant he accounted for almost 30-percent of the team’s scoring total. The next highest player for the Cobbers averaged less than 10 points per game.

Point production wasn’t the only thing that Linz supplied for the Cobbers in 2006-07. He was also fourth in the MIAC in field goal percentage (58.8%) and blocks per game (1.05 bpg), seventh in defensive rebounds (4.90 rpg), ninth in minutes played per game (32.7) and 10th in overall rebounding (6.8 rpg). He was Concordia’s Mr. Everything.

Linz has scored 893 points in his career and is on track to become the 11th player in program history to reach the 1,000 point mark.

To take pressure off of Linz this season, Siverson will need to find a reliable point guard and some other players who can consistently score from the perimeter.

The point guard problem will be the team’s main concern to start the season. Concordia will try out a pair of returning candidates before unleashing the responsibility on one of their talented freshmen. Senior Ryan Johnson (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS) and sophomore Jason Huschle (Eden Valley, Minn./Eden Valley-Watkins HS) will be given the opportunity to claim the starting spot. Johnson is a converted off-guard who played in all 25 games last season and started 14. He averaged 6.0 points per game last year and his court experience and physical maturity should help him be able to deal with any kind of pressure from the opposing team’s defense. Huschle got the call as the point guard at the end of the season last year and led the team in assist/turnover ration.

Rounding out the returning guard corps for the Cobbers will be Anthony Boike (Sr., Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy HS), Cody Dyshaw (Jr., Montevideo, Minn.) and Jonathan Schulz (Sr., Little Falls, Minn.). All three have starting experience for Concordia and all three have shown flashes of being able to score from the outside. Dyshaw is the most dangerous of the three. He was third on the team in scoring last season with an 8.7 ppg average and scored in double figures 12 times during the year.

James Baldwin (Fr., Hope, N.D./May-Port CG HS) has the chance to be one of the most improved players throughout the year. The 6-7 center returns for his second season. Last year he was named to the All-MIAC First Year Team. In the last five games of the season he averaged 9.8 points and 4.6 points. He has the physical strength and size to compete among the tough MIAC big men and his year of experience will only help him understand what it takes to succeed for a full season of college basketball.

One of the bright spots for the Cobbers in 2007-08 will be the talent of their new players. Fans might need a program for the first month to tell all the new faces apart, but once they have a chance to acclimate to the college game, the Cobber young guns have a chance to be one of the best recruiting classes ever.

Concordia has six new players listed on their varsity roster to start the season. All six could be determining factors at some point during the season. Leading the way is a pair of freshmen from Minnesota Class AAAA state champion Buffalo HS. Darrin Olmscheid and Karl Olson played a significant role in Buffalo’s Cinderella journey to the state title last year. Olmscheid hit the game-winning shot in the championship game and was named to the All-Tournament Team. His quickness and ability to shoot the ball for a 6-6 forward will create match-up problems for defenses and he should offer the perfect compliment for Linz and Baldwin. Olson is a tough guard that scored 17 points in the state title game and was a two-time All-Conference selection for the Bison.

Joining the pair from Buffalo is Erik Lien (Fr., Moorhead, Minn.). Lien scored over 1,000 points in his career at Moorhead HS and has the ability to score from anywhere on the court. He could be called upon early in the season if the more experienced guards fail to produce on a consistent basis.

If the Cobbers can find the right cast of supporting players for Linz, then they have a chance to find themselves among the top teams in the MIAC. One thing is for sure, the 2007-08 season will offer Cobber fans the chance to watch one of the best big men to ever suit up in maroon and gold play at the top of his game.

2007-08 MIAC Coaches'

Preseason Poll

The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) released the 2007-08 Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll. Bethel outdistanced Gustavus and St. Thomas for first in the poll. The Royals will be led in 2007-08 by the post-perimeter combo of juniors Mike Moberg and Tim Madson.

Coaches voted for every team in the conference except their own team. Points were assigned for each vote (1 for first, 2 for second, etc.) Teams are ranked in order of lowest point total to highest with first place votes shown in parentheses.

The non-conference season opens for men's basketball on Friday, November 16 with conference games starting on Wednesday, November 28.

1. Bethel (10)
2. Gustavus (1)
3. St. Thomas
4. (tie) Carleton
5. (tie) Saint John's
6. Augsburg
7. Concordia
8. (tie) Macalester
9. (tie) St. Olaf
10. Saint Mary's
11. Hamline