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Coverage of the men's Final Four

Posted March 14, 2000

Inside the UW-Eau Claire Blugolds
By Kevin O'Connor
D3hoops.com

Sherm Carstenen dunks against Concordia (Wis.) in the first round of the tournament.

It’s a hard team to write a capsule preview on, this UW-Eau Claire squad.

Well, you could hammer out the usual best players and stats, the "we’ve really come together as a team" quote from the coach, then throw in the list of games in which they’ve really proven what a great team they are. But, somehow, that wouldn’t do this story justice.

It’s not really a story of a great underdog, at least not until Jon Wallenfelsz got hurt in the closing seconds of the sectional semifinal win against Buena Vista. Nor is it the story of a dominant favorite -- UW-Eau Claire finished second in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and was about a minute and a half from being eliminated by UW-Stout in the conference tournament quarterfinals. Their magical postseason run would have ended Feb. 22 instead of extending to mid-March.

There’s a little uniqueness to the story -- Eau Claire has perhaps the two oldest players in Division III basketball in 31-year-old Eric Gardow and 30-year-old Quintin Johnson. And, truth be told, there’s more than a little pressure to win. This team finished 17-8 a year ago without a senior in the lineup. People in Eau Claire expect victories -- and had gotten quite used to seeing them during the tenure of Ken Anderson, who won 14 conference titles in 27 years. But, the Blugolds hadn’t seen the postseason since a 1992 appearance in the NAIA National Tournament. This was to be the Blugolds' year, and yet in a number of spots throughout the year, it looked like anything but.

First the basics on the Blugolds. Wallenfelsz is out with a torn ACL, suffered very late in the Blugolds' overtime win against Buena Vista in the sectional semifinals. Eau Claire won without him in the sectional final against Stevens Point, but make no mistake, they will miss him badly. The 6-foot-8 senior scored 17.4 points per game, adding 8.4 rebounds per game, and 75 blocks for the season.

Even without Wallenfelsz, size is still a major asset for the Blugolds. The front line will include 6-foot-5 Todd Marks, 6-foot-6 Dave Mellenthin, and probably 6-foot-6 Joe Jacobsen. Guard Sherm Carstensen, arguably the WIAC’s best offensive player, stands 6-foot-6, while 6-foot-5 Ben Schneeberger and 6-foot-8 Eric Gardow will come off the bench.

The size means big rebounding numbers, and even without Wallenfelsz Saturday night the Blugolds delivered, outrebouding Point 32-22, including 10-2 on the offensive glass. On the season, the Blugolds have outrebounded opponents by more than five boards per game, and have grabbed more than 11 offensive rebounds per game.

Eau Claire has also used their size to create a very physical style, something they had shied away from in previous seasons. It can get them into trouble at times -- see the 46 free throws Oshkosh shot in their win over the Blugolds Feb. 12. But the style is part of what has allowed them to take further steps this season.

The biggest upgrade for the Blugolds has come on the defensive end, where they resigned themselves to the fact they, like most of the other top teams in the WIAC, would have to play hard-nosed, man-to-man defense. Yes, they can sprinkle in a zone -- and did so to surprise Stevens Point in the sectional final -- but the Blugolds are best in their man defense. Opponents have shot just 38% from the field against Eau Claire -- some of the best offensive players in the WIAC found it extremely difficult to shoot over the long arms of Carstensen, Mellenthin, and Wallenfelsz. The Blugolds give up just 61 points per game.

This is a team used to playing with each other, as noted by the extensive experience nearly every player in the regular rotation has in a Blugold uniform. Point guard Matt Fermanich has started 80 of his 81 games as a Blugold, Mellenthin 88 of 106, and Carstensen 55 of 69. Johnson, Gardow, and Schneeberger also have extensive experience in their roles.

The season itself for Eau Claire was a roller coaster at times, but not nearly the up-and-down flight many had seen from the Blugolds over the past few seasons. They headed into early January unbeaten, only to blow a double-figure second half lead to UW-Platteville and fall at home, 62-60. The Blugolds again righted the ship -- including a come-from-behind double overtime win over UW-Superior - but suffered road losses at Stevens Point and at Platteville to drop back into a second place battle with the Pioneers. Feb. 12, Eau Claire was pounded at Oshkosh, 83-71, and it began to look again like the talented Blugolds were fading down the stretch. Following the loss, Eau Claire stood on the wrong side of the second place tiebreaker, facing a second round conference tournament game at Platteville, and perhaps an early end to their season.

But, things turned around only three days later, as the Blugolds bounced back impressively to beat River Falls, while Platteville stumbled at Stout, handing the Blugolds the second seed for the WIAC Tournament. Better yet, Oshkosh ousted Platteville in the quarterfinals of the league tournament. Of course, before the Blugolds could exact revenge on the Titans, they had to survive Stout. Down three with under two minutes to play, Eau Claire didn’t fold, instead rallying to force overtime and winning with free throws in the extra session. They followed that with an impressive semifinal drubbing of Oshkosh, 71-55.

Eau Claire again faltered down the stretch in their WIAC Championship contest with Stevens Point, blowing a six-point lead with a minute to play, and fell in overtime 59-56. So, thanks to the NCAA’s new tournament system, a team that currently sits in the Final Four could have never even made the field.

The Blugolds, though, did claim one of the at large berths, and rolled past Carthage in the second round, survived Buena Vista in overtime, then put together their memorable comeback against league-rival Stevens Point to earn their first trip to the Final Four.

Eau Claire has also done a better job of preparing itself for postseason play this year, playing a schedule filled with variety, travel, and challenge. The Blugolds beat Sewanee, Holy Family and Hillsdale in the Bahamas Shootout, Gustavus Adolphus in their holiday classic, and, though they didn’t see them, Nebraska Wesleyan was a participant in the Eau Claire Tip-Off Tournament.

The Blugolds biggest Achilles' heel, free-throw shooting, was no problem in the sectional round. After hitting just about 60 percent to date, the Blugolds made 36 of 46 over the weekend, including a stellar 26 of 31 in their overtime win over Buena Vista. Actually, with Wallenfelsz and his 39% free throw average out of the lineup, most of the starters are solid from the line, including Carstensen at 80% and point Fermanich at 81%.

Also exposed at times for the Blugolds was their bench. Though an experienced unit, it has struggled on the offensive end, and the Blugolds found themselves extremely vulnerable anytime Wallenfelsz and Carstensen had to sit for an extended period of time. The return of Schneeberger from midseason health difficulties was helpful, and the wild-card might be Johnson. He has struggled with his unorthodox-looking shot all season -- he’s shooting just 34.5% from the field entering the weekend -- but is capable of adding just enough offense off the bench to make a difference.

Overall, the Blugolds are in a position many WIAC observers agree their talent should’ve taken them to, and that’s the Final Four. When at their worst, the Blugolds can struggle on the offensive end, give up easy shots, see foul trouble grow exponentially, and get beaten on the boards despite a size advantage. But, when at their best, Eau Claire is capable of being the most dominant team in Division III basketball. In the end, it’s a tough team to read, and anything from a first- to a fourth-place finish this weekend will be no surprise.

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