ARCC Classic Preview - December 16th and 17th

Anoka-Ramsey Community College will be hosting the ARCC Classic on December 16^th and 17^th.  The schedule of games will consist of both men’s and women’s games.

Schedule of Games

*All games will be played on the Coon Rapids campus of Anoka-Ramsey Community College

Friday, December 16^th

2:00pm (Women’s Game): Northwestern JV vs. Rochester

4:00pm (Men’s Game): Vermilion vs. Dakota County Tech

6:00pm (Women’s Game): Anoka-Ramsey vs. Bismarck State

8:00pm (Men’s Game): Anoka-Ramsey vs. Bismarck State

Saturday, December 17^th

10:00am (Women’s Game): Anoka-Ramsey vs. Augsburg JV

12:00pm (Women’s Game): Bismarck State vs. Rochester

2:00pm (Men’s Game): Bismarck State vs. Dakota County Tech

4:00pm (Men’s Game): Anoka-Ramsey vs. Vermilion

Men’s Team Previews

Anoka-Ramsey Community College

Current Record: 7-1

NJCAA Division III            

Head Coach Ron Larson

Players to Watch:

J.J. Butler - 6’6” - Forward (sophomore): 11.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 38.9% 3FGs

Antone Darrington-  5’11” - Guard (sophomore): 6.3 points, 2.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists

Lemuel Doe - 6’0” - Guard (freshman): 14.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 37% 3FGs.

David Hicks - 6’1” - Guard (freshman): 12.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.4 steals

Chris Harmon - 6’5” - Forward (freshman): 11.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists

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Vermilion Community College

Current Record: 6-4

NJCAA Division III

Head Coach Paul McDonald

Players to Watch:

Taylor Smaller - 5’9” - Guard (sophomore, St. Paul Central High School): All-Region XIII in 2011; currently leading the state in scoring with 24.4 points per game.  Also contributing 7 assists, and 4.75 steals per game.  Currently receiving NCAA Division II interest.

Donte Warlick - 5’10” - Guard (sophomore, St. Paul Johnson High School): All-Southern Division in 2011; 14.5 points per game, 3.5 steals per game.

Kemp McCray - 6’6” - Center (freshman, Baltimore, MD): Tough inside player; 14.7 points per game, 13.3 rebounds per game.

________________________________________________________

Dakota County Technical College

Current Record: 7-3

NJCAA Division II

Head Coach Jay Pivec

Players to Watch:

Kevin Thompson - Guard (sophomore): 13.6 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.0 steals

Bryale Winters – Guard (freshman): 11.2 points, 50% 3FGs

Preston McCourt – Guard (freshman): 10.2 points, 47.3% 3FGs

Chris McMorris – Forward – (freshman): 10.7 points, 2.2 rebounds

______________________________________________________

Bismarck State College

Current Record: 10-2

NJCAA Division II (ranked #8 in latest poll)

Head Coach Jason Harris

Players to Watch:

Malik Wood – 5’10” – Guard (freshman): 18.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 38.2% 3FGs

DeWayne Liggins – 6’2” – Guard (freshman): 16.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists

Garet Tucker – 6’8” – Forward (freshman): 11.9 points, 7.1 rebounds

Gabe Deng – 6’5” – Forward (freshman): 8.1 points, 7.1 rebounds

Game Recaps: Golden Rams Run Win Streak to Seven

The Anoka-Ramsey Men's Basketball team ran their winning streak to seven with two road victories over MCAC Northern Division opponents.  On Friday night, the Golden Rams defeated Northland Community and Technical College 68-67, and on Saturday afternoon, defeated Itasca Community College 75-59.

Northland

In a game that saw seven ties and 13 lead changes, the Golden Rams fought back from a 59-50 deficit in the second half to pull out a 68-67 win over Northland.

A defensive battle from the start, neither team was able to gain a decisive edge in the first half with Northland going on an 8-0 run to end the half and take a 28-27 lead into the break despite being held to 24.2 percent shooting.  Northland had a 10-2 edge in made free throws in the half.

Anoka-Ramsey started out fast in the second half, scoring the first six points to take a 33-28 lead, but Northland answered with a 5-0 run of their own to tie the score.  From there, Northland began to pull away eventually taking their 59-50 lead before a furious comeback by the Golden Rams.

Down two with less than 30 seconds left, Chris Harmon scored and drew a foul, making the free throw, for the 68-67 lead.  Northland drew a foul with about ten seconds remaining but missed both free throws.  The rebound went out of bounds off the Golden Rams, giving Northland one last chance.

Northland had three shots in the lane, all contested, in the final ten seconds before a blocked shot and recovery by Corey Barrett with two seconds remaining sealed the victory.

J.J. Butler led the Golden Rams with 15 points and nine rebounds, including a thunderous alley-oop in the first half.

David Hicks chipped in with 13 points, Lemuel Doe finished with ten points, and Jimmy Sauser came off the bench to tally nine points on 3-5 shooting from the three-point line.

Harmon finished with eight points, seven rebounds, and five assists.

Itasca

Another overall impressive defensive effort led the Golden Rams to a 75-59 victory over Itasca.  The Golden Rams limited Itasca to just 25.8 percent shooting and 20 points in the first half to take a 33-20 lead into the break.  Anoka-Ramsey countered shooting 14 of 25 for 56 percent.

The lead grew to 19 with just under ten minutes remaining, but the Vikings wouldn't go away as a quick 8-0 run cut the deficit to just eleven with six and a half minutes left.

But the Golden Rams regrouped and pushed the lead to as high as 21 before settling on the final margin.

The Golden Rams shot a blistering 52.8 percent for the game, holding Itasca to just 30.6 percent and 7 of 23 from the three-point line.

Anoka-Ramsey also held a 44-35 edge in rebounds.

Lemuel Doe led the team with 18 points on 6 of 9 shooting and 5 of 6 from the free throw line.  Doe also finished with six rebounds.

J.J. Butler scored 16 points on 8 of 12 shooting and Chris Harmon scored 14 points to go along with ten rebounds for the double-double.

Henry Breedlove finished with seven points on 3 of 4 shooting and seven rebounds.  Michael Stephens also finished with seven points with four rebounds in a season-high 25 minutes of play.

Up Next

The Golden Rams improve their record to 7-1 on the season.  They'll return home for two games in the ARCC Classic before the holiday break, facing Bismarck State College on Friday, December 16th at 8:00pm, then face Vermilion Community College at 4:00pm on Saturday, December 17th.

Look for a preview of the ARCC Classic on the site early next week.

Game Recaps: Golden Rams Sweep Weekend Games

The Anoka-Ramsey Community College Men’s Basketball team swept their weekend home games, defeating Hibbing Community College 76-67 on Friday night and Rainy River Community College 79-72 on Saturday afternoon.

Hibbing Game

The Golden Rams had a good battle with Hibbing on Friday, with neither team gaining much of an advantage the entire first half thanks to stingy defenses.

Anoka-Ramsey carried a small 34-32 lead into the break but only managed to shoot 40 percent while holding Hibbing to 38.2 percent.

The second half saw Anoka-Ramsey continue with their solid defensive play, but was also able to get the offense flowing as well.  A little run about five minutes into the half extended the Golden Ram lead to double digits where it remained the rest of the night.

In the second half, the Golden Rams were able to shoot 53.6 percent (15 of 28) while still holding Hibbing to 34.1 percent (15 of 44).  Anoka-Ramsey also got to the free throw line 30 times compared to just ten for Hibbing, although the Golden Rams only made 14 of those attempts.

David Hicks led the team in scoring with 19 points.  Hicks also hauled in nine rebounds, dished out three assists, and recorded four steals.

Chris Harmon scored 14 points on 4 of 6 shooting and 5 of 6 from the free throw line.

Henry Breedlove scored 12 points, and Lemuel Doe added 11 to round out the double figure scorers.

Rainy River Game

Game Two of the weekend saw Anoka-Ramsey jump out to an early double digit lead, which was extended to 22 at one point in the first half.  A small run by Rainy River in the last five minutes cut to the Golden Ram lead to 18 (45-27) at halftime.

A lackluster second half saw the Golden Rams give back a large portion of the lead they had built and they hung on for the nine point win.

Anoka-Ramsey shot 46.5 percent from the field for the game, while holding Rainy River to 40.3 percent (but 50 percent in the second half).  The Golden Rams held a 54-37 edge in rebounds as well.

Free throws continue to be an issue as Anoka-Ramsey hit only eight of their 21 attempts.

Lemuel Doe led in scoring with 17 points.  J.J. Butler scored 14 of his 16 points in the first half and also had eight rebounds.  Henry Breedlove scored a career-high 14 points on 6 of 9 shooting and adding eight rebounds as well.

David Hicks had 12 points, six rebounds, and five assists.  Corey Barrett hauled in a game-high 13 rebounds.

The Golden Rams will be in action next on Friday, December 9^th when they travel to Northland Community College for an 8:00pm game, then travel to take on Itasca Community College on Saturday, December 10^th at 3:00pm.

The Golden Rams are now 5-1 after winning their fifth straight game.

Game Recap: Golden Rams Move to 3-1 with Win over NIACC

The Anoka-Ramsey Community College Men’s Basketball team moved their record to 3-1 with a 86-80 victory over North Iowa Area Community College on Monday night.  The Golden Rams also defeated NIACC 87-84 back on November 12th .

The first half started well for the Golden Rams as they opened an early lead, but missed opportunities inside, missed free throws, and a lack of transition defense allowed NIACC to take a 36-32 lead into the break.

Anoka-Ramsey shot a dismal 28.6 percent (12-42) in the first half with many of those misses coming around the basket.  They also made only 4 of 10 free throws.

The game remained competitive in the first half thanks to Anoka-Ramsey holding NIACC to only 37.1 percent shooting (13-35) including just 1 of 7 from the three-point line.  In their first matchup on November 12, NIACC made seven threes in the first half.

With a renewed energy, the Golden Rams put on an early run to start the second half, culminating in a vicious dunk by 6’1” guard David Hicks (see previous blog post).  

Thanks to finishing their shots inside, the Golden Rams opened up a 13 point lead at one point, but the half was marred by fouls that allowed NIACC to stay in the game from the free throw line.  NIACC finished the night shooting 25 of 40 on free throws compared to 16 of 29 for Anoka-Ramsey.

Ultimately, the Golden Rams were able to hold on and come away with the victory.

Anoka-Ramsey shot 55.3 percent in the second half (21-38) to finish 33 of 80 (41.3 percent).  The Golden Rams also held a 59-46 edge in rebounds including 21 on the offensive end.

NIACC shot just 35.6 percent for the game (26-73) and only 3 of 18 from the three-point line.

Hicks led the Golden Rams with 18 points, six rebounds, five steals, and four assists. 

Corey Barrett recorded a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds as well as four blocks. 

J.J. Butler came off the bench to provide 17 points and eight rebounds including 2-3 shooting from the three-point line.

Chris Harmon added 12 points and eight rebounds.

Antone Darrington recorded a game-high seven assists.

The Golden Rams will be in action next on Friday, December 2^nd when they host Hibbing Community College at 8:00pm, then play host to Rainy River Community College on Saturday, December 3^rd at 3:00pm.

David Hicks dunk vs. NIACC

Anoka-Ramsey's 6'1" Guard David Hicks with a fast break dunk vs. NIACC.

Game Recap: Golden Rams Split Weekend Games

The Anoka-Ramsey Community College Men’s Basketball split their first two games of the season this past weekend, losing 76-63 to Ellsworth Community College, and defeating NIACC 87-84.

Ellsworth Game

In their first game action of the season, the Golden Rams got off to a fast start, taking a ten point lead early in the first half behind the shooting of Lemuel Doe and Antone Darrington, who each knocked down 3's in the first few minutes of the game.

Ellsworth countered with a run midway through the half and Anoka-Ramsey went into the break with a 38-32 lead.  Doe led all scorers with 15 points in the half, hitting 3 of 5 from beyond the arc.

A slow start to the second half allowed Ellsworth to take the lead for good as Anoka-Ramsey couldn’t get the offense going.  Anoka-Ramsey scored only three points in the first eight minutes of the second half and finished the half shooting only 9 of 23 (39 percent).

The deficit grew to as much as 16 before a late Golden Ram run cut it down to ten with just over a minute left.  But Ellsworth was able to hold on for the win.

Free throw shooting and turnovers proved to be the biggest difference in the game as Anoka-Ramsey shot just 9 of 24 from the line and turned it over 26 times.

Doe led the Golden Rams with 17 points and eight rebounds.  Darrington (12 points) and David Hicks (10 points) rounded out the double-figure scorers.  Henry Breedlove finished the game with ten rebounds.

NIACC Game

Determined to leave Mason City with one victory, the Golden Rams did just that by holding off NIACC 87-84 on Saturday night. 

Much like the previous game, this was a tale of two halves; except it worked in the Golden Rams favor this time.  The hot shooting NIACC Trojans were 7 of 11 from the three point line in the first half and led 47-42 at the break.

In the second half, NIACC continued their hot perimeter shooting, finishing the game 11 of 21 from the three point line, however Anoka-Ramsey was able to hold them to just 39.5 percent overall from the field thanks to nine blocked shots.  NIACC also only made 13 of their 26 free throw attempts.

Anoka-Ramsey was able to shoot 50 percent from the field in the second half and made just enough free throws (9 of 16 in the second half) to hold off a late NIACC rally.

Anoka-Ramsey finished the game shooting 42.9 percent including 9 of 25 from the three point line.  They also recorded a season-high 18 assists and outrebounded NIACC 53-44.

Lemuel Doe led the Golden Rams with 27 points on 8 of 17 shooting and 6 of 10 from the three point line.  Doe also had five assists and four rebounds.  Antone Darrington recorded seven assists and only one turnover.  David Hicks and Chris Harmon had 13 points apiece with Harmon pulling in nine rebounds. 

Corey Barrett and J.J. Butler led the Golden Rams in rebounds with 13 and 12 respectively.

Lucas Barraud came off the bench to provide eight points.

Up Next

Anoka-Ramsey takes their 1-1 record on the road again this weekend, traveling to La Crosse, WI to take on Western Technical College on Saturday, November 19^th at 3:00pm. 

Their first home game will be a rematch with NIACC on Monday, November 21^st at 8:00pm.

2011 Coaches Clinic - FREE

On Wednesday, November 16th the Anoka-Ramsey Men's Basketball Team and Coaching Staff will be hosting a FREE Coaches Clinic from 6:15pm - 9:00pm

All coaches, from high school to youth levels, boys and girls, are welcome to attend the clinic as the Golden Ram coaches take you through a series of drills and offensive/defensive concepts that led to a 22-8 record and a NJCAA Region XIII Runner-Up finish in 2011.

Schedule of Events:

6:15pm - Registration and Welcome
6:30pm - Warm-up, ball-handling and fast break drills
6:45pm - Secondary break transition
7:00pm - Offensive concepts
7:15pm - Offensive breakdown drills - attack
7:30pm - Shooting drills
7:45pm - Break and discussion
7:55pm - Defensive concepts
8:10pm - Defensive transition
8:30pm - Defensive drills
8:45pm - Discussion and question/answer session

For more information please contact Ron Larson at 612-221-4667 or Ron.Larson@anokaramsey.edu

"We Are, A-R!" Crown College Recap

**This will be the last “We Are, A-R!” update for awhile.  From now on we’ll mostly have game recaps, and the occasional update on things outside of in-game action.  Thanks for following along!**

We had our final tune-up last Friday with a scrimmage against Crown College.  Just like the last scrimmage, we technically won however there were plenty of areas where improvement is still needed.

As we’ve said before, we have a very talent, yet very inexperienced group.  Antone Darrington is our only player to have played college basketball (Max Wessel is currently injured), and that really showed in our scrimmages.  Many of the shots that we typically make in practice haven’t fallen in the two scrimmages.  It will take time for everyone to get comfortable playing against other competition and get the game reps needed to start knocking down shots.

We have plenty of good shooters, that has been evident in practice, but when a defender is flying at you to contest, and there is a little more on the line, it makes a big difference in our ability to make shots.  We’re confident that shots will start to fall; it’s just a matter of continuing to take the right shots and shooting them with confidence.

Some positive things from the Crown scrimmage:

1)      We did a good job pressuring the basketball and contesting shots.

2)      We were 31-38 from the free throw line.  A big change from the 17-33 performance against North Central.

3)      Our posts continue to be pests on the offensive glass.  We’ll need that continued effort until we get into a groove shooting the ball.

Next up is our first regular season game.  We travel to Mason City, IA to play in the Konigsmark Klassic on the campus of North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC).  On Friday, November 11^th we’ll play Ellsworth Community College at 4:00pm, then face host NIACC at 6:00pm on Saturday, November 12^th.

Thanks for your continued support of Golden Ram Basketball!

Say it with me...

“We Are, A-R!”

"We Are, A-R!" North Central Scrimmage Recap

On Tuesday, the Golden Rams traveled to North Central University in downtown Minneapolis for a scrimmage against…the Rams of North Central University.

After the scrimmage we took stats off the film, and while technically you could say we won the scrimmage, it certainly didn’t feel like it.

We didn’t play our best, but to be honest, that shouldn’t have been unexpected.  We have an inexperienced group with many guys who either haven’t played organized basketball, or haven’t played in a number of years.  So we have a steep learning curve, and that’s okay.  Even if we were an experienced team we shouldn’t be playing our best basketball right now.

The team left the gym disappointed in a lot of areas.  Our offensive execution left much to be desired, and we missed a lot of little things defensively (finding our man in transition, communicating on screens, being in the right help position, etc.).

So while we won the scrimmage, our guys were able to recognize that it wasn’t a success.

In yesterday’s practice we talked about the things we need to work on and the guys were very receptive to working hard and getting better at those things.  All you need to do is look at some of the exhibition game scores from the last week to know we’re not the only ones with things to work on.  Northern State defeats Butler, Minnesota State Moorhead defeats North Dakota State, Seattle Pacific defeats Arizona, and Bemidji State gives Minnesota a run for their money are just a few examples.

The good news is our effort was there the whole night.  That much we can’t question.  And as long as we keep bringing effort, and a mentality that we need to listen and learn, then good things will happen for us.

Next up, we have Crown College coming to our place tomorrow (Friday) for another scrimmage.  Hopefully we can carry over what we learned and take steps in the right direction.

Oh, and Henry Breedlove brought the house down with a dunk at the beginning of the third period.  Needless to say, the night ended then.  See pictures below.

Say it with me...

“We Are, A-R!”



"We Are, A-R!" Weekly Update #6

With two scrimmages next week, we’ve been going with more intrasquad scrimmaging in practices lately.  As I’ve said before, we have an inexperienced group so we need to put them in game situations as much as possible so when the real games start it’s hopefully not as overwhelming.

What has the result of these intrasquad scrimmages been like?  Mixed.  The talent level is still evident, when we get shots we tend to make them but we’ve been a little too reliant on our perimeter shooting thus far and settling for a quick shot instead of finding a better one later in the shot clock.

With that said, there’s definitely a give and take as we’ve been turning the ball over far too much in practice as well.  Hopefully we can get that under control or we’ll have to employ the “shoot it before you turn it over” offensive philosophy.

One good thing from our scrimmaging is the intensity of practices has picked up considerably.  The monotony of doing drills can wear on guys so when they get the chance to run up and down more their energy level really picks up.  We need to carry that over to drills as well, but at least we know the guys will compete hard with the scoreboard on.

On Tuesday, November 1^st we’ll be scrimmaging at North Central University in downtown Minneapolis, then on Friday, November 4^th Crown College will be coming to Anoka-Ramsey.  Both schools are NCAA Division III and should give us a good idea of where we stand and what we need to improve upon before our first two games in Iowa.

We’ll have an update on the North Central scrimmage next week.  Also, we hope to get some more photos and player features up on the site soon, so keep checking back in the coming weeks.

Say it with me...

“We Are, A-R!”

"We Are, A-R!" Weekly Update #5

The injury bug has struck. 

Last week sophomore forward Max Wessel rolled his ankle and is likely out until mid-November.  We’re hopeful he’ll be back in time for our first games in Iowa on November 11-12 but we’ll have to take it day by day. 

We have some other bumps and bruises, nothing terribly serious, but enough to have an impact on practices.  They guys are really starting to discover the grind of being a college basketball player as well as a student.  It’s not easy juggling life, school, and basketball all at once and our guys are getting a heavy dose of that lesson.

We’re also discovering that we’re not in as great of condition as we thought initially.  We’ve been trying to make up for that at the end of every practice so hopefully we can get where we need to be conditioning-wise in the next three weeks.

Despite some of these issues, our outlook is still extremely positive.  The talent level hasn’t wavered; it’s just a matter of consistently bringing the right level of energy and the right mental focus day in and day out.

Also, check out the new Health and Wellness Center Construction page on the left hand menu.  We’ll post pictures of the progress that is being made every once in awhile.

Say it with me...

“We Are, A-R!”

"We Are, A-R!" Weekly Update #4

The JUCO Jam on Sunday was a real benefit to our players.  They got a chance to face some other competition for once, and since we have a relatively inexperienced team it was good for them to get some game action with officials, score, clock, etc.

Officially we went 1-2 on the day losing to Southeastern and Southwestern before defeating Sauk Valley in our final game.  That final game was a fantastic team display.  I don’t remember the exact numbers but we won by about 25 or so and I’m pretty sure we held Sauk Valley to less than ten points in the second half (games were two 20-minute running time halves).

The highlights of that final game:

1)      Jimmy Sauser hit 4-5 threes in the second half alone

2)      6’0” guard Lemuel Doe had a drive down the lane from the left wing with a power one-handed dunk in traffic

3)      Shortly after that dunk, Doe stole the ball around mid-court on the left sideline, pushed the ball up 2-3 dribbles and hit a streaking David Hicks up the right sideline for an alley-oop dunk

Overall there was inconsistency in our play and the guys had a chance to face some adversity they weren’t accustomed to, but those things were expected by us coaches.  But there was also some fantastic team play and some positives to take away from the experience. 

The best part was the guys coming together in that final game to end the day on a high note.  We also got some great feedback from other college coaches on our team and players.

We have a few weeks now before our first exhibition game on November 1^st and the guys are excited to continue working toward improving as a team.

Say it with me...

“We Are, A-R!”

"We Are, A-R!" Weekly Update #3

This week’s “update” isn’t much of an update since not a whole lot has changed from last week. 

The guys are excited to head to Iowa on Sunday for the JUCO Jam.  Here is the schedule for the day:

1:00pm – vs. Southeastern (IA) Community College – Court 6

3:00pm – vs. Southwestern (IA) Community College – Court 2

5:00pm – vs. Sauk Valley (IL) Community College – Court 4

Southeastern is a NJCAA Division I school and according to the NJCAA website, they finished 26-9 last season.  Southwestern is a NJCAA Division II school and finished 15-13 last season.  Sauk Valley is another NJCAA Division I school and they finished 14-17 last season.

So we’ll have some good competition down there.

The games will be played at the University of Northern Iowa Wellness and Recreation Center.

Next week’s update will focus on how we performed in Iowa.

That’s all for now.

Say it with me...

“We Are, A-R!”

"We Are, A-R!" Weekly Update #2

The official start of practice is almost here!  We’ll get going officially on Saturday, October 1^st.  The start of the season always approaches quickly and before you know it we’ll be heading to NIACC for our first two games of the season.

This past week has been much of the same compared to the previous report. 

We’ve continually been working on fine-tuning things on both ends of the floor.  Our primary concern right now is having enough of an offense in to put in a good showing at the JUCO Jamboree on October 9^th.  There are still a lot of things to add before games officially start, but we’ve approached the pre-season, and will approach the first week of practice, the same way the NCAA Division I teams do when they go on a foreign trip at the end of summer.  That means we’ve been concentrating on team offense and team defense as opposed to individual skill development.

Once the JUCO Jamboree passes, we’ll start working more on fundamental skills as well as putting in more details of our offense and defense.

Some good news off-the-court, we’re getting closer to having our games webcast online.  The details are still being worked out so we don’t want to reveal any more right now, but all signs are pointing to this getting done.  That will be great for our out-of-state family members, as well as potential recruits and other college coaches, to follow along with the Golden Rams!  To my knowledge we’ll be the first team in the MCAC to have games webcast.

It’s an exciting time to be a Golden Ram!

Say it with me...

“We Are, A-R!”

2011 JUCO Jamboree Schedule

The 2011 JUCO Jamboree schedule has been set.  The games will be played on Sunday, October 9^th at the University of Northern Iowa Wellness and Recreation Center in Cedar Falls, IA (2501 Hudson Road).  The Golden Rams will play at the following times:

1:00pm – Anoka-Ramsey vs. Southeastern Community College #2 – Court 6

3:00pm – Anoka-Ramsey vs. Southwestern Community College – Court 2

5:00pm – Anoka-Ramsey vs. Sauk Valley Community College – Court 4

Southeastern and Sauk Valley are NJCAA Division I members.  Southwestern is an NJCAA Division II member.

"We Are, A-R!" Weekly Update #1

We’re kicking off a new feature where we’ll highlight what’s gone on in the past week with Anoka-Ramsey Men’s Basketball.  This feature will run once a week until our first official game on November 11^th, then sporadically, if at all, after that.

This first installment will cover things that have occurred from the beginning of the school year up to this point.

The biggest thing we’ve learned about our team thus far is that we have a lot balance…as well as a lot of unknowns.  Let’s start with the unknowns:

·         The biggest thing we’ll be curious to find out is how the team responds in game situations.  We have very limited game experience on this year’s roster with only a handful of guys who have played collegiately before.  The JUCO Jamboree on Sunday, October 9^th at the University of Northern Iowa will be our first test with competition outside of intrasquad scrimmages.

·         Since it’s still so early, we also don’t know who is going to crack the regular rotation.  We have talent, that much is certain, but who will separate themselves in the next six weeks or so will be interesting to watch.  It could come down to who can quickly pick up the team concepts offensively and defensively.

·         Again, since it’s early on, and official practice hasn’t yet begun, there are a number of things we have yet to teach.  The beginnings of our base offense and defense have been installed but the details of those things haven’t been worked on much to date.  Things like defending screens (all types), transition defense, plays/sets, and how to use a ball screen, are just some examples of things yet to come.  The good thing is our guys continually are improving in their comfort level with the base offense and defense.  That’s an encouraging sign for us coaches.

·         Health.  While overall we’re healthy there have been the usual bumps/bruises/ankle tweaks that are to be expected, but also a bit of the flu bug has hit some guys.  Hopefully it’s not a sign of things to come and we’re just getting it out of the way early.

Let’s talk about some positives so far:

·         As we said before, we have a lot of balance on this year’s team.  In addition to having guys that are true point guards, true wings, and true post players, we also have guys who can play multiple positions.  That gives us a lot of flexibility should there be injuries, if someone hits a tough stretch individually, or if we need to make adjustments based on who we’re playing.

·         Not only are we balanced in terms of position, but we also have a lot balance in terms of skills. We have true point guards who can handle the ball and create for others; we have combo guards that can shoot it as well as put the ball on the floor; we have true wings that can slash to the basket and finish at the rim; we have guys that can flat out stroke the ball from deep; we have inside-out forwards that can cause matchup problems; and we have true posts that can score with their back to the basket.  Oh, and they’re all willing to DEFEND!  We’re typically not the type of coaches to get too excited too early (after all, there’s plenty we need to work on), but as of right now the pieces are there from a talent standpoint.

·         The work ethic of this group is simply amazing.  The guys take part in two one-hour sessions of conditioning with our athletic trainer each week.  Our trainer also has his own personal training business, and he’s remarked at how shocked he’s been by the level of intensity our guys have brought to the sessions.  The same thing can be said about our basketball workouts.  We definitely have a competitive bunch.

·         Grades.  We have grade checks every two weeks and after four weeks of school the grades are looking great!

On top of the on-the-court stuff, there are also some great off court things in the works:

·         Groundbreaking for the new Health and Wellness Center was held on September 7^th.  We’re not sure on the timetable for completion, but this will be a fantastic addition to the college as well as our athletic programs once it’s completed.  The project includes a new fieldhouse with one college length court and one high school length court, a renovation of the current gym, concourse, locker rooms, equipment rooms, fitness center, and offices.

·         We’re currently working to get all our home games streamed online for free.  That way all our out-of-state friends and family members can follow along with the game action (we have players from France, Arkansas, Mississippi, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Indianapolis).

That's all for now.  Say it with me....

“We Are, A-R!”

Tryouts Set for August 31

The Anoka-Ramsey Men's Basketball team will be holding open tryouts on Wednesday, August 31st starting at 6:00pm in the Main Gym.

Any Anoka-Ramsey Community College student enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits is welcome to attend.

For more information contact coach Ron Larson at 612-221-4667 or coach Rory Larson at 763-232-5257.

2011-2012 Schedule Released

The Anoka-Ramsey Men's Basketball team released their 2011-2012 Schedule.  You can view the full schedule by clicking the Schedule/Results/Stats page on the left navigation menu.

The Golden Rams will begin their season the same way they have the last three, by traveling to Mason City, Iowa to participate in the Konigsmark Klassic on the campus of North Iowa Area Community College.  The Golden Rams will face Ellsworth Community College on November 11th before taking on host NIACC on November 12th.

Anoka-Ramsey will host two tournaments around the holiday season.  First up will be the ARCC Classic on December 16th and 17th.  The Golden Rams will face Bismarck State on the 16th and MCAC Northern Division foe Vermilion on the 17th.

After the holiday break, the Golden Rams will host the Holiday Classic on January 6th and 7th.  On the 6th, Anoka-Ramsey will face United Tribes (ND).  On the 7th, they'll square off against NJCAA Division I member North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS).

MCAC Southern Division play will begin on January 11th with Anoka-Ramsey traveling to Riverland Community College.  Southern Division play will wrap up on February 22nd when the Golden Rams host Ridgewater College.

For the second straight year, the MCAC State Tournament will be played on the campus of Anoka-Ramsey Community College.  Quarterfinal matchups will take place on Friday, March 2nd with the Seminfinals being March 3rd, and the Championship game being held on March 4th.

Golden Rams Announce Player Additions

The Anoka-Ramsey Community College Men’s Basketball team has announced some recent signings for the 2011-2012 season.  New players joining the Golden Rams in the Fall will be Matt Lanier (6’4” Forward, Minnesota Transitions), J.J. Buter (6’6” Forward, Fordyce High School, Arkansas), David Hicks (6’0” Guard, George Washington High School, Indianapolis, IN), and LeDarian Horton (6’1” Forward, St. Paul Central High School/MSCTC Fergus Falls). 

Additionally, Max Wessel (6’6” Forward, Rogers High School) is returning to the Golden Rams after last competing in the 2009-2010 season.

Matt Lanier – 2011 graduate of Minnesota Transitions High School – 6’4” Forward

Accomplishments: Averaged 16.2 points per game for 20-6 team; seven games over 20 points including 28 points vs. Robbinsdale Cooper

From the Coaches: “Matt is a versatile forward with the ability to score inside as well as shoot it from the perimeter.  He’ll give us some added depth and strength on the inside while also being able to stretch the defense.  He’s also strong enough to defend and rebound inside as well.  We're happy to add him to this recruiting class.”

J.J. Butler – 2008 graduate of Fordyce (AR) High School – 6’6” Forward

From the Coaches: “J.J. is a very athletic forward who will bring another inside/out presence for us this season.  He’ll disrupt things around the basket defensively with is long arms and leaping ability, and offensively can step out and shoot it consistently from 17 feet while also being able to finish around the rim.  He’ll be a nice complement to our other posts and forwards.”

David Hicks – 2008 graduate of George Washington (IN) High School – 6’0” Guard

From the Coaches: “David is an exceptional athlete coming off an ACL tear but is close to 100 percent.  He finds his way through the defense and gets to the rim quickly.  He can really get up and down the court in transition and can cause a lot of problems on the defensive end.  He has a nose for the ball defensively and is a good offensive rebounder for his size.”

LeDarian Horton – 2010 graduate of St. Paul Central High School/MSCTC Fergus Falls – 6’1” Forward

From the Coaches: “LeDarian was the leading scorer for a good Fergus Falls team last season and is a versatile forward.  He can shoot it well from the perimeter and has a great feel for the game.  He's more perimeter-oriented but can play anywhere from the 2 to the 4 and will be able to post up smaller wings.  He gives us something that we feel will be a big benefit next year.”

Max Wessel – 2009 graduate of Rogers High School – 6’6” Forward

From the Coaches: “Max had a good start to his career at Anoka-Ramsey averaging over 7 points and 4 rebounds per game as a freshman.  He can shoot it from the three-point line as well as anyone and added a lot of muscle to his athleticism so he can now better absorb contact around the basket.  He’ll be able to stretch defenses and cause matchup problems at the forward position.  We’re excited to have Max back with our program.”

Previous signings include Michael Stephens (Big Lake High School), Lemuel Doe (Madison West High School), Jimmy Sauser (St. Paul Central High School), Corey Barrett (Patrick Henry High School), and Antone Darrington (Brooklyn Center High School/Central College).

Darrington, Barrett Join Golden Rams

Anoka-Ramsey Head Men's Basketball Coach Ron Larson announced the recent signing of two additional players to letters of intent for the 2011-2012 season.

Antone Darrington and Corey Barrett join Lemuel Doe, Michael Stephens, and Jimmy Sauser as players who have signed with the Golden Rams this spring.

Antone Darrington – 2010 graduate of Brooklyn Center High School – 5’11” Point Guard

Accomplishments: Played the 2010-2011 season at Central College in Nebraska; started nearly every game at the point guard position; averaged 4.5 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.0 steals per game.

From the Coaches: “Antone will bring a lot of experience to our roster next season having played a year in a competitive league at Central.  He’ll be very good on the defensive end and cause a lot of problems for opposing point guards.  He has a high understanding of the game and knows how to get his teammates involved on the offensive end.  We’re excited to have Antone join us at Anoka-Ramsey.”

Corey Barrett – 2008 graduate of Patrick Henry High School – 6’9” Center

From the Coaches: “Corey is a long, athletic player with a lot of upside.  Despite being a little thin he posts up strong, isn’t afraid of contact, and has good touch around the basket.  He also has the ability to step out to 15 feet consistently as well as shoot the three on occasion.  He'll also provide a presence at the rim defensively.  He’s just scratching the surface of his potential as a basketball player and we look forward to helping him develop on and off the court.”

Scott Signs With NCAA Division II School

Anoka-Ramsey Community College sophomore Trey Scott has signed a letter of intent with Oklahoma Panhandle State University to continue his academic and athletic careers. 

Scott, a 5’11” guard from Spring Lake Park High School, was instrumental in the turnaround of the Anoka-Ramsey Men’s Basketball program the last two seasons. 

During his freshman season, Scott was named to the MCAC All-Southern Division team after averaging 16.8 points and 4.1 steals per game.  As a sophomore, Scott was All-Southern Division, All-State, and All-Region for the Golden Rams after averaging 21.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.7 steals per game.

Scott finished his two-year career with 1,097 points.

Anoka-Ramsey finished last season with a 22-8 overall record and took second in the NJCAA Region XIII tournament.

Oklahoma Panhandle State is a NCAA Division II school located in Goodwell, Oklahoma.

www.opsu.edu/athletics

Golden Rams Sign Three Players for 2011-2012

The Anoka-Ramsey Community College Men’s Basketball team signed three players to National Letters of Intent for the 2011-2012 season.  Michael Stephens, Jimmy Sauser, and Lemuel Doe will join the Golden Rams in the fall.

Michael Stephens – 2011 graduate of Big Lake High School – 5’10” Point Guard

High School Accomplishments: Averaged 12.8 points, 5.0 assists, and 1.2 steals per game his senior season; Team MVP; First Team All Conference (Mississippi Eight)

From the Coaches: “Michael is a natural leader with the ability to cause problems on the defensive end of the floor.  He’s a very unselfish player; a prime quality we look for in a point guard.  With his quickness, he has a great ability to break the defense down and create scoring opportunities for his teammates while also being able to finish around the basket.  He’ll fit in well with our team next season.”

Jimmy Sauser – 2010 graduate of St. Paul Highland Park High School – 6’2” Guard

High School Accomplishments: Made 50 three-point field goals as a senior in 2010, the second highest total ever for one season in the St. Paul City Conference; led team in scoring his senior season

From the Coaches: “Jimmy is a phenomenal shooter that can really stretch the defense.  He understands the game extremely well and has a tremendous work ethic.  He’s also a crafty scorer who finds ways to put the ball in the basket.  With his high basketball IQ he’ll be able to contribute at either wing spot for us next year.”

Lemuel Doe – 2008 graduate of Madison West (WI) High School – 6’1” Guard

From the Coaches: “Lemuel is as pure a scorer as we’ve had at Anoka-Ramsey.  He can put the ball on the floor and finish at the rim, he can hit the mid-range jumper, and he can really shoot it from the three-point line.  He simply has a natural ability to score the basketball and we’re excited he’s able to join our team next year.”

Two Golden Rams Sign with Waldorf

Two members of the 2010-2011 Anoka-Ramsey Men’s Basketball Team signed letters of intent with Waldorf College to continue their academic and athletic careers.

Matt Fridberg, a 6’7” center, and Dan Konz, a 6’7” forward, were key members of last season’s Golden Rams squad that finished with a 22-8 overall record and took second in the NJCAA Region XIII tournament.

Fridberg, from PACT Charter school, averaged 7.9 points and 4.7 rebounds while starting all but one game for the Golden Rams.  He also shot a team-best 62.8 percent from the field which was seventh best in the nation.  Fridberg missed most of the 2009-2010 season with a knee injury but recovered in time to play a significant role in last season’s success.

Konz, from Andover High School, was third on the team in scoring with 10.6 points per game.  He also led the team with 168 total rebounds; 5.8 per game.  A skilled inside-out player, Konz was third on the team in made three-point field goals with 33 while shooting 37.9 percent from the three-point line.  Konz spent the 2009-2010 season at Minneapolis Community and Technical College.

Waldorf College is a NAIA Division II school located in Forest City, Iowa (http://www.waldorfwarriors.com/).

Final 2010-2011 Team Statistics

Team Statistics (30 games)

Field Goals: 881-1,961 (44.9%)

3-Point Field Goals: 216-586 (36.9%)

Free Throws: 396-576 (68.8%)

Points: 2,374 (79.13 per game)

Offensive Rebounds: 427 (14.23 per game)

Defensive Rebounds: 788 (26.67 per game)

Total Rebounds: 1,217 (40.57 per game)

Personal Fouls: 501 (16.7 per game)

Assists: 419 (13.97 per game)

Turnovers: 495 (16.5 per game)

Blocks: 87 (2.9 per game)

Steals: 373 (12.43 per game)

Opponent Statistics (30 games)

Field Goals: 764-1,876 (40.7%)

3-Point Field Goals: 209-640 (32.7%)

Free Throws: 359-537 (66.9%)

Points: 2,096 (69.87 per game)

Offensive Rebounds: 385 (12.83 per game)

Defensive Rebounds: 737 (24.57 per game)

Total Rebounds: 1,122 (37.4 per game)

Personal Fouls: 485 (16.17 per game)

Assists: 379 (12.63 per game)

Turnovers: 568 (18.93 per game)

Blocks: 96 (3.2 per game)

Steals: 275 (9.17 per game)

Game Story: Golden Rams Fall in Championship

The Anoka-Ramsey Community College Men's Basketball team's season came to an end Sunday afternoon as they fell 74-70 in overtime to Rochester in the MCAC and Region 13 Championship game.

It was a game of runs as the Golden Rams opened a 17-7 lead early in the game, only to have Rochester chip away to eventually lead 31-29 at halftime.

Anoka-Ramsey retook the lead early in the second half as the teams battled back and forth with neither team taking control until Rochester put together a run to take an 11 point lead with about nine minutes remaining.

However the Golden Rams weren't done yet.  After switching to a zone defense (the same tactic that worked well in their upset of Rochester a week earlier), the Golden Rams chipped away at the lead.

With under 20 seconds remaining, the Golden Rams had the ball under their own basket trailing 66-64.  The Golden Rams' Richard Harmon, trying to find someone to inbound the ball to, eventually threw the ball off the back of a Rochester defender, scooped up the loose ball and laid it in the basket to tie the game.

A frantic final seconds resulted in no points for Rochester and the game went to overtime...again.

In last season's regular season finale, the same two teams needed double overtime to decide the game at Anoka-Ramsey.  Rochester pulled out that game 90-88.

This time, neither team could get much going offensively in the extra period, with Rochester outscoring Anoka-Ramsey 8 to 4.

It was an defensive game throughout as Anoka-Ramsey only managed 33.3 percent shooting to Rochester's 37.7 percent.  Rochester also outrebounded Anoka-Ramsey 50-48.

The Golden Rams were led by Richard Harmon's 21 points and eight rebounds.  Ben Hill scored 11 points going 6 for 6 from the free throw line.

Matt Fridberg recorded ten points and ten rebounds for the second double-double of his career.  Coincidentally, the other also came against Rochester a week earlier.

Trey Scott scored ten points and pulled down nine rebounds while also contributing five steals.

Harmon and Scott were named to the All-Tournament team.

Anoka-Ramsey finishes their season 22-8 having won nine straight prior to Sunday's loss.

Keep checking the blog regularly for updates on the team's accomplishments this season.

Game Story: Golden Rams Advance to MCAC Championship Game

The Anoka-Ramsey Community College Men's Basketball team advanced to the MCAC and Region 13 Championship game with a 72-63 victory over top seed Central Lakes on Saturday afternoon.

The Golden Rams built a ten point lead 30-20 about 12 minutes into the first half before Central Lakes closed the half on a 14-8 run as Anoka-Ramsey went into the break ahead 38-34.

The half was essentially even as far as statistics were concerned with Anoka-Ramsey shooting 44.8% to Central Lakes' 44.4%.  The teams were even in rebounds at 15 apiece and turnovers with six on each side.  Central Lakes held a free-throw edge by one make, however Anoka-Ramsey knocked down six three-point field goals to the Raiders' three.

Trey Scott led the Golden Rams with 15 first half points as Central Lakes' Marcus Ayala countered with 14.

The Golden Rams scored the first seven points of the second half to take a 45-34 lead which they extended to as many as 15 in the half.

However, Central Lakes would not go away quietly as they managed to pull within seven on a couple occasions late in the game.

Defense and timely rebounding once again played a huge role for the Golden Rams as they outrebounded the Raiders 35-14 in the second half while holding Central Lakes to 37.5% shooting for the period.

With under a minute to play, Anoka-Ramsey missed the front-end of a bonus free throw situation three times, however each time they came away with an offensive rebound before Jonathan Conner hit 1 of 2 and Trey Scott made two following a technical foul on the Raiders to preserve the victory.

The Golden Rams were led by Trey Scott's 26 points on 8 of 15 shooting and 8 of 12 free throws.  Scott also hauled in a career-high 15 rebounds in the game.

Dan Konz chipped in with 12 points and six rebounds.  Ben Hill and Richard Harmon each had nine points in the victory.

Anoka-Ramsey advances to Sunday's MCAC Championship game versus Rochester Community and Technical College at 2:00pm on the campus of Anoka-Ramsey. 

The winner will also represent Region 13 in the NJCAA Division III National Tournament March 10-12 at Sullivan County Community College in Loch Sheldrake, NY.

Game Story: Golden Rams Advance in MCAC Playoffs

The Anoka-Ramsey Community College Men's Basketball team advanced to the semifinals of the MCAC State Tournament with a 70-68 victory over Vermilion Community College on Friday evening.

After overcoming a slow start, the Golden Rams were able to carry a 40-34 lead into the break behind a renewed defensive effort.

Vermilion scored 12 points on their first five possessions to take an early 12-5 lead before the Golden Rams chipped away to take the lead.

The Golden Rams' lead extended to eight early in the second half, but a quick run by Vermilion with two threes brought it back to a one possession game where it remained for much of the half.

Neither team was able to take command as the lead exchanged hands multiple times in the second half.  Anoka-Ramsey was able to fend off Vermilion thanks to some timely free throws and offensive rebounds.

With the Golden Rams leading by two with nine seconds to play, Dan Konz stepped to the line for a one-and-one.  Konz missed the front end, but Richard Harmon kept the ball alive, and the Golden Rams came away with possession, eventually sending Trey Scott to the line with 3.9 seconds remaining.

Scott knocked down both free throws to preserve the win as Vermilion managed a layup with time expiring.

Defense was again the key for the Golden Rams as they limited Vermilion to just 40.3% shooting, including 35.7% in the second half, and only 5 of 16 (31.3%) from the three-point line.  Vermilion entered the game shooting 40% from three as a team for the season.

Rebounding also played a huge role as the Golden Rams won the battle of the boards 50-28 by pulling down 23 offensive rebounds and limiting Vermilion to just ten.

Matt Fridberg led the way inside for the Golden Rams with 18 points and nine rebounds, eight of them on the offensive end.

Richard Harmon recorded a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds, six offensive.

Trey Scott had 11 points and five rebounds, Dan Konz chipped in nine points and six rebounds, and Tim Daniels had six points and eight rebounds.

The Golden Rams will face Southern Division foe Central Lakes College at 3:00pm on Saturday in the semifinals of the MCAC State Tournament on the campus of Anoka-Ramsey Community College.  The two teams split their regular season matchups.

The other semifinal will feature Rochester versus Northland at 1:00pm.