Oct. 20, 2005

The 2005-06 season for the University of Northern Colorado men's basketball program is one that holds much promise and excitement as the team enters its final stages of reclassification to Division I. The year is also a transitional season, as the program has one final year of independent play before joining the Big Sky Conference in 2006-07, and one more year before a multi-million dollar renovation is completed on its arena, the Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion.

"The toughest part of the transition is behind us," said head coach Craig Rasmuson, who begins his seventh season as head coach in 2005-06. "Our talent level and experiences are going to make us a lot more competitive across the board this season."

The Bears are in the third year of a four-year reclassification effort from Division II to Division I. Although not eligible for participation in the NCAA Tournament until 2007-08, the Bears are a step ahead of the game and several other teams in the reclassification process, as it was made official earlier this year that the athletics department would become a member of the Big Sky Conference officially on July 1, 2006. The announcement solidified the decision to move to Division I and gave the program a much-needed home. The Bears will play a full Big Sky schedule in 2006-07.

With the move into the Big Sky came the plans for upgrading the 30-year-old Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion, a building the Bears basketball team first played in during the 1976 season. Following the completion of this season, the old bleachers will be removed and theater-style chairback seats will be installed along with improvements to the scoreboard and sound system.

"With the reality of the Big Sky Conference a year away and the major renovations to Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion also around the corner in that same season, it is truly exciting to be part of Northern Colorado athletics at this time," said Rasmuson. "We have a true identity now with the prestigious Big Sky Conference, which brings instant credibility within all facets of our program."

These changes are a step in the right direction for a program that has struggled in the first two years of reclassification, winning only 14 games in the last two years, but doing so against a schedule that featured the likes of Syracuse, Gonzaga, Iowa State, Oklahoma and Utah. In 2004-05, Northern Colorado played 10 teams that advanced to the postseason (eight to the NCAA Tournament and two to the NIT). Playing the best-of-the-best has given the Bears the confidence to compete against top tier teams. Northern Colorado will do that this season with nine players from last year's team, including three starters, and eight very talented newcomers, arguably the best recruiting class the program has ever had.

Overall, the Bears return 72 percent of its points, 63 percent of its rebounding and 69 percent of its assists from a season ago. Anchoring the returnees is sophomore center Kirk Archibeque (6'9, 240) who made Northern Colorado history a year ago when he became the first freshman to lead the team in both scoring (12.2) and rebounding (6.0) on his way to first-team Division I All-Independent honors (and the distinction of being the only non-senior on the first-team). After a slow start, Archibeque started the final 19 games of the season and averaged 15.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in those contests, and scored in double figures in 19 of his final 21 games. He had two huge performances, including a 30-point and 10-rebound performance against Texas State and a 28-point outing against Longwood. For the season, he shot 58.1 percent from the field, the 22nd highest total in Division I and a mark that ranked second nationally among freshmen.

"It is really gratifying to see the evolution of Kirk both on and off the floor," said Rasmuson. "His great finish to last season has given him some preseason accolades this year. He has really matured physically and also in his mental approach to the game in the off-season. It is great to have him in our program."

Kirk Archibeque led the team in scoring and rebounding as a freshman, the first freshman in school history to accomplish that feat.

For the first time in several seasons, the Bears will have a much deeper and taller front line, giving the coaching staff many more options while keeping the players fresh. Joining Archibeque at the center spot is junior college transfer Cory Lowe (6'9, 255), senior Tiberius Lee (6'10, 240) and redshirt freshman Brian Yarbrough (6'10, 255). Lowe, who will sometimes switch to the power forward spot and share court time with Archibeque, transferred from Mt. Hood Community College where he averaged 10.3 points and 6.4 rebounds for a team that was 27-4 overall, ranked No. 1 in their conference most of the season and finished fifth nationally. Lee has been with the program for two years but has never made an appearance on the court. Since transferring from Hartnell College, NCAA rules have kept him out of the lineup thus far, but this season he will finally get his chance to show off the hard work he has put in during his stay in Greeley. Yarbrough, who led the state in blocked shots as a prep senior, played in five games last season before suffering a knee injury that prematurely ended his season.

At the four, sophomore Michael Gordy (6'5, 220) showed signs of brilliance last year but also showed freshman tendencies with inconsistencies and by disappearing for long stretches in games. He opened his career with a nine-point effort against nationally-ranked Syracuse at the Carrier Dome and had his best performance with a 17-point effort in a home contest against Western State; he scored 15 of those 17 points during the second half to help break open a close game. This season, he will look to return to the scoring ways of his high school days, when he averaged 30.6 points per game as a senior on his way to Gatorade Colorado Player of the Year honors. Along with Gordy, the Bears have lanky freshman Austin Theis (6'11, 190) and transfer Dwayne Birden (6'5, 200). The Colorado native Theis filled up stat sheets at Rampart High in Colorado Springs, including a triple-double (12 points, 17 rebounds, 10 blocks) during his senior season. At 6'11, he can even step behind the three-point line and knock down triples but he will have to put on weight and increase his strength to make an impact at the collegiate level. Birden, who will also see time at the three spot when the Bears want a big lineup on the floor, comes to Northern Colorado from Jacksonville (Texas) College and gives the Bears even more depth at the forward position.

"It is going to be a nice luxury to have multiple choices personnel-wise at our front line positions," said Rasmuson. "Our staff did a wonderful job of bringing in quality people who can make an impact this season and also for the future."

At the small forward spot is returning starter Erik Olson (6'4, 210), the lone four-year senior on the squad. The Boulder native has played in 83 games (starting 60) in his three years with the program and does a little of everything well, including being a great rebounder for his size. He led the team in caroms as a sophomore (7.1) and was second on the squad a year ago (5.1) when he also ranked third on the team in both assists and steals. Olson had an incredible night of shooting against Longwood a season ago, tying the school record for field goal percentage in a game with a perfect 12-for-12 performance on his way to a career-high 32 points. Rounding out the players at the swing spot is freshman Dorian McDaniel (6'6, 200), who prepped at Westchester High School in Los Angeles, one of the top high school programs in the country. Westchester was 25-3, ranked No. 2 nationally by USA Today last season and won three of the last four state championships in California. McDaniel averaged nine points and five rebounds per game as a senior on a team loaded with talent, as six players signed with Division I programs.

Sean Taibi led the team in 3-point percentage as a freshman (44.4%).

At the shooting guard spot, a pair of returnees, sophomore Sean Taibi (6'3, 195) and junior Matt Kline (5'11, 180), look to see the majority of the minutes. The duo combined to hit 93 three-pointers last season as Kline started 27 of 29 contests and Taibi led the team with a 44.4 percent three-point field goal percentage. Taibi, who was the Colorado 4A Player of the Year as a senior, had 16 multi-trifecta games as a freshman and scored 16 points in his collegiate debut versus Syracuse. Kline, who will also see time at the point guard spot when needed, dished out three assists per game last year and finished second on the team in scoring (9.9/game). They are joined by freshman Marcus Frye (6'3, 185) who played prep basketball at Blue Valley Northwest High outside of Kansas City, Kan. Frye, the cousin of New York Knick Channing Frye, missed most of his senior season due to injury but will be 100 percent by the start of the Bears' season.

"The experience of Kline and Taibi and their ability to shoot the ball will be a great asset to our program," said Rasmuson. "Through recruiting we have given ourselves the luxury of playing a lot of different ways, both in size and athletically. With the addition of our junior college players, our depth and competition for playing time will be the best it has ever been."

For the first time in nearly half a decade, the point guard spot is not being manned by Sean Nolen, the school's all-time assist leader, who finished up his playing career last season. Nolen left his mark on the program by holding 10 school records, including assists in a game (14) and career (427) and regular season games played (113). But Northern Colorado has a quartet of players who will look to make the point guard spot theirs. Leading the way is junior college transfer Darren Jefferies (6'2, 165), who comes to UNC from Allen County Community College. At Allen County, Jefferies averaged 8.0 points, 4.1 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. Behind Jefferies are a pair of sophomores who saw limited time a year ago. Jared Lewis (6'1, 170) may be the most athletic player on the Bears' roster, as he is a tremendous leaper and also a sprinter for the Northern Colorado track and field team. Lewis saw action in 27 games as a freshman, but averaged only 1.7 points a contest. The other sophomore is Thanasi Panagiotakopoulos (5'10, 175), whose 17-letter last name is the longest in school history. Panagiotakopoulos, who is of Greek decent but grew up in Phoenix, played in 19 games in 2004-05. Freshman Phillip Lukalu (6'0, 180) rounds out the deep point guard rotation.

"At the point guard spot, we have a lot of depth and a variety of ways that we can play at that position," said Rasmuson. "We have speed, toughness and some shooting ability depending on who we want to have on the floor at any given time."

Matt Kline knocked down 49 3-pointers in 2004-05.

While most teams have a list of strengths and weaknesses, the Bears' biggest strength - its newcomers - may also be its biggest weakness. Although the Bears have experienced players back, they do have a core of freshmen and junior college transfers who could be impact players. Getting them to learn the system and progress quickly so they can contribute will be an important key for Northern Colorado.

"Experience and inexperience are both a strength and weakness for us this season," Rasmuson said. "We have seven new guys who are going to have a major impact for our team. They are excited to be here and they have not had to go through the toughest two years of the transition process. They are some of the most high caliber athletes we have ever had here.

"But the downside of that is we will need to develop our team chemistry, hopefully sooner than later, and hopefully that will ensure wins on the court," Rasmuson added. "It does help that we signed four junior college guys that have 60 games experience at a high level of junior college basketball under their belts."

The team will get to develop that chemistry against one of the toughest schedules (at least for an independent) in the country yet again this season. The season begins at the Guardians Classic in Rupp Arena where the Bears could end up facing college basketball's all-time winningest program, the University of Kentucky. Northern Colorado also has games at national power Kansas, in-state rivals Air Force and Denver, regional rival Wyoming, as well as California, Nebraska, Northwestern and Oregon State. To open the season, the Bears will host rival Colorado State, their neighbor 35 miles to the northwest, for the first time in 50 years.

"Our schedule will be one of the toughest in all of Division I when compared to our peer institutions," Rasmuson said. "But that will allow us to evolve the program and make a big splash once we are in the Big Sky Conference."

No matter how many wins the Bears put on the board this season, the process of putting together a winning formula for the future is already in motion.

"I have never been more excited about a group of guys going into the preseason as I am this year," Rasmuson said. "Being an independent with a variety of competition levels on our schedule, we will work hard to take it a game at a time and represent our university in a positive manner each time out.

"It has been a great learning experience playing in venues with 20,000 people watching us over the past two years. It is great for our program, and people who follow college basketball closely are taking notice that we have no fear in our schedule and we will continue that mentality in future years."