‘D’ is key for Bucs
There’s a new coach in town and he plans to make an impact.
Seth Anderson will be leading the Blue Earth Area boys varsity basketball team this year.
Anderson comes in with a good amount of coaching experience. He coached AAU camps at Gustavus Adolphus College for three years and at Bethany Lutheran College for four. Growing up he also helped his father, Tim Anderson, with his Maple River varsity squad.
A good coach knows how to relate to his players, according to Anderson. He played four years himself at Gustavus.
“I am really excited for the season to start,” Anderson says. “We have a lot of hard workers and leaders on this team. Having solid leadership takes some pressure off of me because our captains can be the coaches on the floor.”
The maroon and gold will be led by three senior captains this year: Luke Monson, Calvin Sanders and Quinn Huisman.
Monson is coming off an SCC All-Conference season last year. The 6-foot-5 center missed two games due to injury, but still ended up second on the team in scoring. He averaged 14 points a game.
Anderson admits that he will need to be patient because there are a lot of new players transitioning to varsity.
“I have not yet decided who will be the starters,” Anderson explains. “We need to find a group that plays well together. I’m not worried.”
The Bucs lost two key contributers to graduation last year. SCC All-Conference forward Isaac Darrington (11.5 points per game) and guard Brandyn Olsen (13 points a game) will be missed for their production.
Having new bodies get some valuable varsity experience is great for the future, according to Anderson.
“We will need to get some production in the post,” Anderson says. “I like to play the high-low game with our bigs. It’s easier to score the closer you are to the basket.”
Anderson believes that defense is the key ingredient to winning basketball games. His high school and college coaches embedded that into his mind. So, he wants to be known as a defensive-minded team.
“Playing good defense opens up your offense and creates open looks on fast breaks,” Anderson explains. “If we can defend well we are going to win some basketball games.”
Derek Johnson, Matthew Bell, Bailey Olson, Kellen Jacobs, Connor Thielfoldt, Kyle Engesser, Nick Shure, Colin Engesser and Brandon Olson will round off the rest of the Buccaneer’s varsity squad.
The South Central Conference will be competitive like it always is, according to Anderson.
“Fairmont is loaded with talent, St. James has a good group of upperclassmen and St. Peter will be good as well,” Anderson explains. “There isn’t really any mystery to any teams because most of the coaches are good friends and talk.”
Anderson is excited to coach because of all the different personalities he gets to be around every day.
“The idea of coming together and forming one common goal, with a group of people, is something that I most definitely want to be a part of,” Anderson says. “I’m here to guide these boys and have a successful season, while having some fun along the way.”