Martin Luther College Basketball Preview

Q and A with Coach Unke

Q:  What is your outlook coming into this season? 

A:  I believe we will be able to compete with every team in the conference.  Our goal is to do just that.

Q:  What is the strength of the team this year? 

A:  Overall we are extremely athletic as a team and the quickness on the team is outstanding.

Q:  Five freshmen were able to make this squad.  Are there some who could make significant contributions this year? 

A:  There are two who will be seeing playing time early on.  Jake Schwartz and Nate Nass will be thrown into the fire early and we’ll see how they respond.  It will take some time to adjust to the college game for all five of them, and I believe that all five can be contributors.

Q:  Who is being looked upon to pick up the slack for those who graduated last year? 

A:  The seniors, Dan (Unke) and (Justin) Ohm will definitely be relied upon for leadership.  (Jeff) Dolan is very capable at the point position.  Caleb Kurbis is going to have an important role in the offense this year.  Keith Schleis will be helping in the post and Drew Kock is back this year among others.  The returning veterans are all better than last year, especially with another year of experience under their belts.  They all realize this is their time and their team.

Q:  Due to the losses of four starters, including Tom Engelbrecht, the Knights all-time leading scorer, is it fair to consider this a rebuilding year? 

A:  I don’t think so.  We do, however, have to adjust to the style of the players we have now.  The last four years we’ve played an offense that revolved around a dominant center.  We have to adjust to the talent we have this year.  And that changing of style is capable of being done because of the athleticism we have.

Q:  What are some of the changes that are being implemented? 

A:  Defensively we will be changing all the time so that teams cannot get into their comfort zone.  We will be finding ways to use our athleticism in a positive way.  Offensively, we’re going to play up tempo and push it when we can to create easy buckets.

Q:  How tough is the schedule this year? 

A:  It will be a challenge.  Before Christmas we have one big game after another, but I like it that way.  I want our guys to jump in the deep water so that it will get them battle tested early on and ready for conference play.

Q:  Who will be the Knights stiffest competition in the conference? 

A:  For starters, Northwestern is the defending champion and St. Scholastica is on the rise.  The Conference as a whole will be very competitive this year.

Q:  What are your concerns coming into the season? 

A:  Rebounding and defending the lane.  We have to work extremely hard every night to stay aggressive on the boards.  And in the college game you must own the paint.

Q:  What are looking forward to the most this year? 

A:  Another season of working with these men.  They love the game and it’s fun to be with guys who love to play and compete; but at the same time, keeping things in perspective in regards to what we do here at MLC.