By Murray Gleffe
Correspondent
DE PERE — With four starters back from a team which finished 19-8 last season, St. Norbert College head coach Gary Grzesk scheduled two difficult exhibition games to start the 2019-20 season.
The Green Knights squared off against Division I foes UW-Green Bay and Marquette.
“I was proud of our resiliency against Green Bay,” said Grzesk, who is in his 14th season at St. Norbert. “We were down double digits and lost by seven. In my experience, you can either crawl back into the game and be competitive, or it can be a blowout. I thought we played every possession to the end.”
Though the Marquette game was a lopsided affair, St. Norbert experienced Fiserv Forum, the home of the Milwaukee Bucks.
“I wanted to give each kid an opportunity to experience what it’s like to play on that floor,” Grzesk said. “I’m hoping they soaked it all in and learned from the game. I’m thankful for the opportunity, and I wouldn’t have traded the experience for anything.”
Joe Ciriacks, Connor Curtis (Green Bay Preble), Jared Murphy and Wade Geenen (Pulaski) started 97 games a year ago.
The foursome brings more than 48 points and 15 rebounds per game to the floor.
Others competing for minutes include Nolan Beirne, Ethan Riniker, Matt Lynch, Jacob Bolwerk and Jared Davis.
“You work all year to win the regular season to be able to host the Midwest Conference tournament,” said Grzesk. “The semifinal game against Monmouth was a good win for our program because a week earlier, we had lost to them at their place. Not having Connor Curtis (herniated disk) hurt us the last seven games, including the championship against Lake Forest. We reinvented ourselves and battled through adversity to achieve what we did.”
With depth in the backcourt, the Green Knights could go to a smaller lineup or have Patrick Danen (De Pere) or Carson Talbert (frontcourt) step up in place of Joe Lemon, whose season ended this spring after he tore the ACL in his knee.
St. Norbert pressed the offensive button last season, scoring 80-plus points in nine of its games.
Defensively, opponents scored 68.7 points a game versus the Green Knights.
“What made us efficient with offensive possessions was the balance between the inside-and-out game,” Grzesk said. “We were number one in the fewest turnovers, and our kids understood what a good shot was with our roles being clearly defined.”
Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Bennett, whose team is coming off a national championship, has Wisconsin in a state of euphoria with the new season here.
“It was a tremendous tournament,” said Grzesk, who stays in contact with Bennett. “I was fortunate to attend the Final Four in Minneapolis and experience the game versus Auburn. What a story – not only in college basketball but in all of sports.”
In an era where major college basketball universities are pushing the NCAA for payment for their athletes, Grzesk has thoughts on the matter.
“I’m probably in the minority, but my experience was invaluable playing at UWGB,” Grzesk said. “You couldn’t put a price tag on the four years I played under [head coach Dick] Bennett. I wouldn’t trade my education and experiences for anything. At some point, I believe the power-five conferences will compensate their athletes, but how they police it and control it will be a question the NCAA will have to figure out for the long term.“
With 251 wins as St. Norbert’s head coach, Grzesk is happy to continue.
“It’s a pleasure to come to work every day,” he said. “It’s a labor of love. To be able to wake up, walk up to the gym and do what you love, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I’m very fortunate and blessed to be a part of this wonderful college.”
For a complete schedule and roster visit snc.edu/athletics/basketballm/.