The St. Thomas men’s and women’s basketball teams open their 2023-24 seasons with away games on Monday, Nov. 6. Both teams showed significant improvement in the previous season and had their first Division I postseason experience in the Summit League tournament. Now, they look to build upon the past in order to grow in the future.

Men’s Basketball

The men’s basketball team looks refreshed this season, and it’s not just their new uniforms. A handful of newcomers joined the 11 returners to fill roster spots left vacant by graduating seniors and transfers. Additions to the team include graduate guard Raheem Anthony, who played four seasons for Saint Mary’s University and was the MIAC’s Offensive Player of the Year last season.

Some of his teammates have experienced the same jump from Division III to Division I and have no doubt that Anthony will be able to make that same transition and help the Tommies improve upon their 19-14 record.

“I remember sitting on the bench watching the freshman version of Raheem Anthony carve us up when we were ranked top ten in the country for D-III,” said graduate forward Brooks Allen. “I know that his game can translate to this level and I think that’s going to be exciting to see.”

Coach Johnny Tauer hopes that Anthony’s experience and athleticism will give him an edge on the court and be a fun player to watch. Tauer believes Anthony has a versatility that transcends the typical positions on the basketball court.

“We’d like to label everybody a BP, a basketball player; not a guard, a forward, a wing, a center. That’s what Raheem is, and I think he’s going to be really dynamic for us,” Tauer said.

In addition to Anthony, Tauer recruited three first-year students for the program. First-year guard Hayden Tibbits ended his high school career as a top-five finalist for Minnesota’s Mr. Basketball award and won two of his three straight state championship appearances.

“He’s seasoned, he plays mature beyond his years, and we’re really excited about what he’s going to bring to the table,” Tauer said.

Guards Ben Oosterbaan and Adam Tauer round out the first-year and will share the court with redshirt first-year forward Carter Bjerke who will make his college debut this season. Tauer said he was looking forward to seeing the new additions to the team in action.

“It’s just really fun to see guys starting their college journey, knowing that there’s so much in front of them. I think our 11 returners have done a good job of bringing those guys in,” Johnny Tauer said.

As for those 11 returners, the longest-tenured Tommies are Brooks Allen and his teammate graduate forward Parker Bjorklund. Bjorklund finished the previous season with an All-Summit League Second Team nod and enters this season with a preseason first-team selection.

Bjorklund led the Tommies in rebounds last season and finished second in total points, setting expectations for his role as an on-the-court leader for the Tommies.

Allen has slightly different expectations from his coach. Johnny Tauer says that Allen plays a “grandpa” role amongst the team in the way that he mentors and sets the tone for the younger players.

“His role, not just on the court, but in terms of being a good vocal leader… has to evolve and he’s done so far, just a phenomenal job. I’m really proud of him,” Johnny Tauer said.

Allen knows that his impact on the team will extend beyond statistics.

“I’m not going to be a guy that’s taking 15 shots a night, and I’m probably not scoring 20 points a game,” Allen said. “I’m more of a guy that will take open shots and hopefully knock them down when I’m open. Other than that I’ll move the ball, set screens, try to find the open teammates, guard as good as I can on defense.”

In between the young additions and the veteran players, there is a sophomore duo to keep an eye out for. Guard Kendall Blue and forward Ahjany Lee both played significant minutes their first year, and Tauer is hopeful for both of them to step up in their second seasons.

Blue lost his backcourt partner Andrew Rohde to the transfer portal this past off-season, along with guard Riley Miller, who graduated. Now, he will have to make up for some of their offensive strength.

Lee, who led the Tommies in blocks last season, will be stepping into an elevated role in the frontcourt now that he has an entire collegiate season under his belt.

“There’s just so much learning that goes on as a freshman, not just on the court, but socially, academically… but I think that those young guys you hope from year one to year two, they take a pretty sizable leap,” Johnny Tauer said.

The players and Tauer have all made it clear that they have high expectations for this season, and plan to set the tone early. After getting their first taste of the Summit League tournament, but falling short in the semifinals, the Tommies look to make a statement.

“We want to win a conference championship in the Summit League… I feel like our goals are achievable. We just have to work for them and we’re on the right track right now,” Blue said.

The Tommies will tip off their season at 8 p.m. CST on Monday, Nov. 6 against Cal at the Haas Pavilion in Berkeley, California.

Women’s Basketball

The St. Thomas women’s basketball team has something to prove this season, both to itself and to the rest of the collegiate basketball world. After finishing with a 7-11 conference record last season, the Tommies were ranked eighth out of the nine teams in the Summit League preseason poll.

Coach Ruth Sinn said she saw that her team was picked to finish near the bottom of the conference, but won’t let it affect her negatively. If anything, Sinn said she sees it as fuel for her and the players to make sure they prove it wrong.

“At the end of the day, the only poll that matters is what you finish,” Sinn said.

Sinn said the team is much more experienced than they have been in the past, and believes that her veteran players will give the team an edge.

“This is the first time that the majority of our roster is juniors and seniors. With that comes consistency in how they approach the game, their mental preparation, their physical preparation,” Sinn said.

One of those veteran players is graduate guard/forward Angelina Hammond, who transferred from the University of Minnesota to play her graduate year with the Tommies.

“Angie has been around the block and back, and we’re just so glad that she … wanted to be here and really be about something bigger than herself and build our program,” Sinn said.

Hammond has felt the warm embrace from the St. Thomas community and is excited to play her part this season.

“They welcomed me with just big open arms,” Hammond said. “It’s another great culture I’m thankfully able to be a part of.”

Another seasoned veteran is graduate guard Jordyn Glynn, who is in her fifth year as a Tommie. Glynn had 18 points and ten rebounds off a perfect 7-7 from the floor in St. Thomas’ postseason loss to South Dakota State in the Summit League Tournament. Sinn said she hopes Glynn’s performance in that game will become a mainstay this year.

“She has just taken the bull by the horns, a high IQ kind of player, and a player that has really taken her game offensively to the next level,” Sinn said.

Junior guard Jade Hill is another returner expected to have an increased role this season. Sinn said she thinks that Jade will be able to draw defensive attention and allow her teammates to have plenty of space.

“Jade is kind of like a Corvette, it’s very difficult to stop her,” Sinn said.

Sinn doubled down on Jade’s potential impact and cited her combination with her teammates’ shooting abilities as a driving force for the offense.

“Jade has always been this attacking, driving guard,” Sinn said. “She can attack but you can also distribute now when you have assassins like Amber Scalia and Faith Feuerbach around.”

As for Hill’s goals for herself, consistency is all that’s on her mind.

“My one goal this year is to be consistent as a leader on the floor, off the floor, with everything I do,” Hill said.

Of the first-year class, forward Emma Miner is being called upon to make an immediate impact for the Tommies, filling a role that the team had some questions about last year. Miner can play a stretch position that Sinn said she hopes creates an advantage for the team.

“That four position was kind of a position where we were just really needing a little bit more depth and I think Emma Miner can do that. She can stretch, but she can also go underneath the basket if we need,” Sinn said.

Miner is the only forward in her class of four — which includes guards Lizzie Steingraber, Sammi Beyer and Zoey Washington.

The Tommies are ready to tip off their season and have set high expectations for themselves.

“I think we’ve grown so much from last year so they can expect a lot from us. A lot more wins, a lot more competing,” Hill said.

St. Thomas women’s basketball begins the 2023-24 season against the Drake Bulldogs at 6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 6 at the Knapp Center in Des Moines, Iowa.

Adam Mueller can be reached at muel7541@stthomas.edu.