(Crookston, Minn.)- University of Minnesota, Crookston head men’s basketball coach Jeff Oseth announced today the signing of nine players to a National Letter of Intent to play for the Golden Eagles during the 2008-09 season.
Cody Aasness (Dalton, Minn.) is a 6’0, 165 lb, guard from Hillcrest Lutheran Academy of Fergus Falls, Minn. in the Little Eight conference. In high school, he was a two-year team captain. He was named All-Conference, All-Section, All-State and was a North Central All-Star. Aasness closed out his high school career by moving into fifth place in scoring in school history.
“Cody is a very smart player, not only is he a very talented point guard but he can also score and possesses great leadership skills. In watching Cody, the things that I noticed were his ability to make the players around him better, his passion for the game, how much he enjoyed playing and his ability to make the big play when his team needed it,” comments coach Oseth. “I am very excited to have Cody join Golden Eagle basketball team; he is the type of person I want to be in our program and coach.”
Aasness is undeclared on a major at the University of Minnesota, Crookston. He is the son of Cary and Anita Aasness.
Derek Schmidt (Fisher, Minn.) is a 6’3, 195 lb, guard who played his high school basketball at East Grand Forks High School. During his high school career, Schmidt was named an All-Conference performer and participated in the North Central All-Star game.
“Derek is a very good athlete; he has both size and strength with a good vertical jump. He is an outstanding on the ball defender. He has been very well coached in high school and understands the importance of being a great teammate,” says coach Oseth. “In getting to know Derek it is obvious to me how serious he is about improving his game and becoming the best player he can become. He has a tremendous work ethic and I am looking forward to working with him and having him in our program.”
Schmidt is undeclared on a major at the University of Minnesota, Crookston. He is the son of Dan and Jodi Schmidt of Fisher, Minn.
Steve Nosbisch (Stewartville, Minn.) is a 6’6, 225 lb, forward from Stewartville High School in the Hiawatha Valley League. In high school, he was named a McDonald’s All-American nominee, All-State Honorable Mention, an AAU State Champion and a two-time All-Conference selection. Nosbisch is also a three-time letter winner in basketball, was named a team captain and a two-time team MVP.
“Steve is a young man who has continued to improve not only over the course of his high school career, but throughout this season as well. He has good size and has the potential to put on a lot of strength in his upper body,” comments coach Oseth. “Steve has good hands; he runs the floor well and has good timing around the basket. I think as Steve matures and progresses through the program he has the chance to be a very good NCAA Division II player. I feel Steve will be a great fit here at the University of Minnesota, Crookston and am looking forward to working with him.”
Nosbisch plans to major in Wildlife Management at the University of Minnesota, Crookston. He is the son of Don and Jenny Nosbisch.
Matthew Heier (Ray, N.D.) is a 6’2, 175 lb, guard from Williston State College. At Williston State College he was named to the All-Conference Second team (NJCAA). In high school, Heier was a three-time All-District 16 player and two-time All-District 16 Tournament team member.
“Matt is an outstanding shooter with very good range. Having watched Matt over the last two years the one thing that stuck with me about Matt was his ability to hit the open shot on a consistent basis. He has played on some very good teams at Williston State and has competed against some good players,” comments coach Oseth. “Being able to shoot 48% from the three point line tells me he can not only make that shot consistently but he can shoot that high of percentage when every team he faced knew he can shoot the ball. We are expecting Matt to make an immediate impact on our program.”
Heier plans to major in Sport and Recreation Management and Business Management at the University of Minnesota, Crookston. He is the son of Kelly and Kelli Heier.
Nick Conzemius (Breckenridge, Minn.) is a 6’6, 215 lb, forward from Breckenridge High School. He is a four-time varsity letter winner and the schools all-time leading rebounder. As a junior, he earned All-Conference honors and as a senior was an All-Conference Honorable Mention recipient after missing three conference games due to injury. Conzemius averaged nine points per game during his junior and senior seasons.
“We are very excited to have Nick join our program here at the University of Minnesota, Crookston. He is a talented basketball player and has a lot of the qualities we were looking for. Nick plays extremely hard both on the offensive and defensive end of the game. He has been well coached and in watching Nick play, since his sophomore season, he positions himself very well defensively and communicates extremely well,” says coach Oseth. “Nick has the ability to play on the block in the post and also step out side and shoot the mid range shot. He has good hands and sees the entire court which makes him a good passer. Nick will fit into our system very well and will be able to play out of the power forward position as well as in the post. Over the course of his career here Nick will be a major contributor to the continued growth of the University of Minnesota, Crookston Basketball program.
Conzemius is undeclared on a major at the University of Minnesota, Crookston. He is the son of Ed and Terri Conzemius.
Eric Nockleby (Roseville, Minn.) is a 6’0, 165 lb, guard from Roseville Area High School in the Suburban East Conference. He was a three-year letter winner in basketball, named a team captain, a 2007-08 team MVP and an All-Conference Honorable Mention performer. He was recognized as the Most Dedicated Player and Hardest Working Player in 2007 and 2008 and was selected to the Minnesota Magic All-Star team from 2005-2007. Nockleby set four Roseville Area High School records in free-throw percentage, total three-point shots made, three-point shots made in a game and total points in a game.
“Erik has the ability to not only handle the ball, but he can also shoot it from the perimeter very well. He has good quickness which allows him to create shots for his teammates,” comments coach Oseth. “Erik is a gym rate and loves the game of basketball. He has a very good work ethic and as he matures in our program we look for him to be a very solid player.”
Nockleby plans to major in Business Management and Sport and Recreation Management at the University of Minnesota, Crookston. He is the son of Paul and Kathy Nockleby.
Nic Schulwitz (Berlin, Germany) is a 6’4, 215 lb, guard / forward from Vermillion Community College. At Vermillion he was a 2007 team captain. He started all 31 games and averaged 11.2 points/game, 6.9 rebounds/game 1.5 assists/game and shot 49 percent from the field. Schulwitz was a member of the German Junior National team in 2000-01.
“Nic is a hard nose player that competes with a tremendous amount of energy. In our recruiting we were looking for a guy just like Nic. He has very good fundamentals; he understands the game and has a very high basketball IQ,” says coach Oseth. “He can play out of a number of different positions. He is strong and has good quickness. Once he becomes familiar with this level of competition and our system I expect Nic to fit in very well. I am very excited to have Nic in our program.”
Schulwitz plans to major in Business Management at the University of Minnesota, Crookston. He is the son of Dr. Udo and Nicole Schulwitz.
Dustin Rahja (Floodwood, Minn.) is a 6’6, 230 lb, center from Hibbing Community College. In high school, he was an All-Conference player his junior and senior seasons. He was named the offensive MVP and was a 1,000 point scorer. At Hibbing Community College, he was named the team captain for his sophomore season.
“Dustin is a very strong post player that does a great job of positioning himself in the low block area. He has very good hands and is able to score by leveraging himself around the basket,” says coach Oseth. “Dustin can also step out and shoot the mid range shot. He has a strong work ethic and will be a great fit in our program. I am very excited to have Dustin be a Golden Eagle.”
Rahja plans to major in Manufacturing Management at the University of Minnesota, Crookston. He is the son of Pamela and Robert Rahja.
Derik Hawkey (Sturgeon Bay, Wis.) is a 6’2, 190 lb, guard from Southern Door High School in the Packerland Conference. At Southern Door H.S. he was the Packerland Player of the Year, named All-Conference, All-Area and was a four-year letter winner. Hawkey was one of 30 players in Wisconsin to be nominated for the McDonald’s All-American game in 2008. He scored a total of 1,519 points in his high school career and was ranked 42nd by Wisconsin Hoops out of the top 50 players in the state.
“Derik has good size and skill for a guard. He has the ability to break down the defense by using the dribble and either score in traffic or create opportunities for his teammates,” says coach Oseth. “He is a strong passer that sees the court well. He has a passion for the game of basketball and I feel Derik as a very bright future here at the University of Minnesota, Crookston.”
Hawkey is undeclared on a major at the University of Minnesota, Crookston. He is the son of David and Linda Hawkey.
These recruits join Trent Graves a 6’7 inch wing/forward who signed during the early signing period as the newest members of the University of Minnesota, Crookston Men’s Basketball program.
For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics website at www.goldeneaglesports.com.
The University of Minnesota, Crookston is a NCAA Division II Institution and a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). Golden Eagle Hockey is a member of the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association (MCHA). The Golden Eagle Equestrian team is a member of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA).
All signees are contingent upon admission to the University of Minnesota, Crookston and compliance with NCAA rules, including certification by the NCAA Eligibility Center.
Aasness- (Ahs-ness)
Nosbisch- (Nos-bish)
Nockleby- (Knock-kull-bee)
Hawkey- (Hawk-ee)
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