University of Minnesota Athletics
He's Got The Beat: Freshman Center Spencer Tollackson
1/25/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Those who have closely followed the University of Minnesota Men's Basketball Team this year, sense something different about this year's squad. This team has charisma, a spark, a little extra life that have Gopher fans optimistic for Big Ten play and also for the future of the program. With twelve players new to the program, inexperience is bound to show, but the early season success has shown a group of players and coaches who are devoted to the program and to having fun.
"Having fun was one of our main goals this year. To win, play hard, work hard and have fun. Coach Monson has emphasized that almost every day, that this is still a game and we need to have fun with it. I feel the group of guys we have this year is a good corps of guys that are willing to work hard and be competitive but at the same time give someone a high five for a good pass or whatever it may be. Show emotion on the court and have some fun with it," Tollackson said.
Coach Monson and the rest of the coaching staff have brought in players that are dedicated to the program. That dedication has resulted in a team that is enjoying the game and has "gelled" quicker than most predicted.
"I love this team, I love coaching them. I've had more fun coaching this team than in my first five years combined. They're a group that wants to win and do the right thing," head coach Dan Monson said.
"The right thing" for Tollackson, was decided long before AAU teams, prestigious camps and state championships. Tollackson, a Chaska, Minn. native, came to Williams Arena as a kid to watch the Maroon and Gold with his father, Richard. He decided early on in his life that if the opportunity ever presented itself, he would jump at the chance to play for his state school.
As Tollackson grew and honed his athletic skills, his childhood dream quickly turned into a reality. Minnesota's 2004 Mr. Basketball spoke with "U" coaches before his junior year of high school and decided that the U of M was the place for him, Tollackson said. He felt comfortable with the coaches, players and of course, he couldn't let the chance to realize his childhood dream pass by.
However, with a fastball that reaches into the upper 80s, Tollackson had the opportunity to be selected in the 2004 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. While the chance to play professional baseball was tempting, Tollackson had verbally committed to the U of M. "I had made that commitment to the University and to the coaching staff. There was no way I was going to back out on that,"Tollackson said.
Tollackson spoke with the "U" baseball and basketball coaches, and it was decided that he would be able to play both sports. With the campus, proximity to his home, his fondness of the coaches and the opportunity to play two sports, everything fell into place for Tollackson.
After some of these conversations Tollackson had with Monson and the assistant coaches before he arrived on campus, he decided to do a little bit of recruiting on behalf of the "U." As Tollackson was attending the heralded Nike Basketball Camp and the NBA Pre-Draft Camp after his senior year of high school, it turned out he would be playing alongside another recruit the "U" coaches were very interested in, an extremely athletic guard by the name of Rico Tucker.
"They (coaching staff) told me they were looking at this kid and they really liked him. So I talked to him, and I saw the way he played and I saw he was a really good player and that he could obviously help this team out. I knew from watching him that he is one of the top five to 10 point guards in the nation. He is such a great person. I knew I had to try to get him to come here,"Tollackson said.
When asked if Tollackson had done a little bit of recruiting at these various camps, Tucker replied laughingly, "he did a lot of recruiting."
"He told me mostly about the history of Minnesota and why he made his decision. He told me all the good things about living in Minnesota, about how everyone in the state loves the "U." He made me feel really comfortable when I came on my visit," Tucker said. It's amazing that a relationship that began not long ago has culminated into such success on the Williams Arena hardwood. Both Tollackson and Tucker have enjoyed much playing time early this season, helping the freshman develop into seasoned players.
Tollackson says he can feel himself improving as a player even this early in his collegiate career. He hasn't noticed his game improving game-by-game necessarily, but with the difference in practice competition between college and high school, pratice is really the place where Tollackson can feel himself improving. Every practice there is something new to learn, whether it be physical or mental, and the team is vastly improving every day, Tollackson said.
"Our team is getting better in practice every day and we're making big strides as a team right now," Tollackson said. "We're really starting to click. The last week or so, in practices and in the games, we're really starting to click as a team and the timing couldn't be better with the Big Ten season coming up."
Big strides, personally or as a team, aren't made without drive and dedication to a cause. Tollackson learned this early in the season as he struggled to learn the offense and deal with the increase of talent at the collegiate level. A selfless Tollackson credits the team's veterans for helping himself, and the rest of the rest of the team mature. Senior center Jeff Hagen is veteran player that has especially helped Tollackson. Both Tollackson and Hagen are post players, so Hagen has played an even more involved role helping Tollackson develop as an athlete on and off the court. Some of the most important lessons that Hagen has taught his freshman understudy have dealt with overcoming frustration and learning how to stay focused, Tollackson said.
"He'll pull me aside and tell me how things aren't always going to go my way. That I just need to keep a good attitude and stay positive," Tollackson said.
Staying positive. It seems like such a simple theme, but it is an ideal that can easily slip the mind. Perhaps all of this positivity has something to do with the 2004-05 team starting off the season 10-3, riding a eight-game winning streak heading into the Big Ten season. It's obviously too early to tell what how successful this squad will be at season's end, but fans, coaches and players can all tell there is something different about this squad; and all this positivity makes the team much more fun to watch, win or lose. This year's team genuinely cares about each other and the success of the program, Tollackson said. There is no "star" on this team, so it's imperative that everyone work together to win and to keep winning. Coming off of a big road victory against the University of Nebraska, the Golden Gophers experienced a bit of a let down next game against Central Michigan.
"After that game (Central Michigan) we learned we need to handle winning better. I think we're learning to handle winning,"Tollackson said.
The early season success hasn't put additional pressure on this young team, Tollackson said. Much of the schedule has been in the friendly confines of Williams Arena. However, these games have given the team a base to start from, a boost of confidence heading into the always rigorous Big Ten Conference schedule. As the Nittany Lions of Penn State arrive on campus for the Big Ten opener on January 8, it could be considered the official start of the Golden Gophers being underdogs against much of their remaining opponents. But don't expect the team to be anxious or fearful against thier more experienced Big Ten foes, instead, expect an energetic, focused team that will stay positive through the ups and the downs. And, if you arrive to Williams Arena early enough, you just might see Tollackson's audition for the U of M band's percussion section.
"I was just having fun," Tollackson laughingly said about his impromptu rock session. Fun, positivity and hard work, three concepts that drive the 2004-05 Gophers.
story by Kevin Morales, athletic communications student assistant There was a strange sound echoing throughout Williams Arena before the seven o'clock game against St. Francis. At the west end of the court, where the U of M band had set up its instruments two hours before tipoff, a lone drummer was banging away a beat that would make Keith Moon proud. There sat freshman forward Spencer Tollackson, taking a brief pause from a pre-game shoot around to show off his musical prowess. While Tollackson doesn't really play the drums, his enthusiasm on and off the court epitomize this year's Golden Gopher squad; a young, energetic team focusing on keeping a positive attitude.
Those who have closely followed the University of Minnesota Men's Basketball Team this year, sense something different about this year's squad. This team has charisma, a spark, a little extra life that have Gopher fans optimistic for Big Ten play and also for the future of the program. With twelve players new to the program, inexperience is bound to show, but the early season success has shown a group of players and coaches who are devoted to the program and to having fun.
"Having fun was one of our main goals this year. To win, play hard, work hard and have fun. Coach Monson has emphasized that almost every day, that this is still a game and we need to have fun with it. I feel the group of guys we have this year is a good corps of guys that are willing to work hard and be competitive but at the same time give someone a high five for a good pass or whatever it may be. Show emotion on the court and have some fun with it," Tollackson said.
Coach Monson and the rest of the coaching staff have brought in players that are dedicated to the program. That dedication has resulted in a team that is enjoying the game and has "gelled" quicker than most predicted.
"I love this team, I love coaching them. I've had more fun coaching this team than in my first five years combined. They're a group that wants to win and do the right thing," head coach Dan Monson said.
"The right thing" for Tollackson, was decided long before AAU teams, prestigious camps and state championships. Tollackson, a Chaska, Minn. native, came to Williams Arena as a kid to watch the Maroon and Gold with his father, Richard. He decided early on in his life that if the opportunity ever presented itself, he would jump at the chance to play for his state school.
As Tollackson grew and honed his athletic skills, his childhood dream quickly turned into a reality. Minnesota's 2004 Mr. Basketball spoke with "U" coaches before his junior year of high school and decided that the U of M was the place for him, Tollackson said. He felt comfortable with the coaches, players and of course, he couldn't let the chance to realize his childhood dream pass by.
However, with a fastball that reaches into the upper 80s, Tollackson had the opportunity to be selected in the 2004 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. While the chance to play professional baseball was tempting, Tollackson had verbally committed to the U of M. "I had made that commitment to the University and to the coaching staff. There was no way I was going to back out on that,"Tollackson said.
Tollackson spoke with the "U" baseball and basketball coaches, and it was decided that he would be able to play both sports. With the campus, proximity to his home, his fondness of the coaches and the opportunity to play two sports, everything fell into place for Tollackson.
After some of these conversations Tollackson had with Monson and the assistant coaches before he arrived on campus, he decided to do a little bit of recruiting on behalf of the "U." As Tollackson was attending the heralded Nike Basketball Camp and the NBA Pre-Draft Camp after his senior year of high school, it turned out he would be playing alongside another recruit the "U" coaches were very interested in, an extremely athletic guard by the name of Rico Tucker.
"They (coaching staff) told me they were looking at this kid and they really liked him. So I talked to him, and I saw the way he played and I saw he was a really good player and that he could obviously help this team out. I knew from watching him that he is one of the top five to 10 point guards in the nation. He is such a great person. I knew I had to try to get him to come here,"Tollackson said.
When asked if Tollackson had done a little bit of recruiting at these various camps, Tucker replied laughingly, "he did a lot of recruiting."
"He told me mostly about the history of Minnesota and why he made his decision. He told me all the good things about living in Minnesota, about how everyone in the state loves the "U." He made me feel really comfortable when I came on my visit," Tucker said. It's amazing that a relationship that began not long ago has culminated into such success on the Williams Arena hardwood. Both Tollackson and Tucker have enjoyed much playing time early this season, helping the freshman develop into seasoned players.
Tollackson says he can feel himself improving as a player even this early in his collegiate career. He hasn't noticed his game improving game-by-game necessarily, but with the difference in practice competition between college and high school, pratice is really the place where Tollackson can feel himself improving. Every practice there is something new to learn, whether it be physical or mental, and the team is vastly improving every day, Tollackson said.
"Our team is getting better in practice every day and we're making big strides as a team right now," Tollackson said. "We're really starting to click. The last week or so, in practices and in the games, we're really starting to click as a team and the timing couldn't be better with the Big Ten season coming up."
Big strides, personally or as a team, aren't made without drive and dedication to a cause. Tollackson learned this early in the season as he struggled to learn the offense and deal with the increase of talent at the collegiate level. A selfless Tollackson credits the team's veterans for helping himself, and the rest of the rest of the team mature. Senior center Jeff Hagen is veteran player that has especially helped Tollackson. Both Tollackson and Hagen are post players, so Hagen has played an even more involved role helping Tollackson develop as an athlete on and off the court. Some of the most important lessons that Hagen has taught his freshman understudy have dealt with overcoming frustration and learning how to stay focused, Tollackson said.
"He'll pull me aside and tell me how things aren't always going to go my way. That I just need to keep a good attitude and stay positive," Tollackson said.
Staying positive. It seems like such a simple theme, but it is an ideal that can easily slip the mind. Perhaps all of this positivity has something to do with the 2004-05 team starting off the season 10-3, riding a eight-game winning streak heading into the Big Ten season. It's obviously too early to tell what how successful this squad will be at season's end, but fans, coaches and players can all tell there is something different about this squad; and all this positivity makes the team much more fun to watch, win or lose. This year's team genuinely cares about each other and the success of the program, Tollackson said. There is no "star" on this team, so it's imperative that everyone work together to win and to keep winning. Coming off of a big road victory against the University of Nebraska, the Golden Gophers experienced a bit of a let down next game against Central Michigan.
"After that game (Central Michigan) we learned we need to handle winning better. I think we're learning to handle winning,"Tollackson said.
The early season success hasn't put additional pressure on this young team, Tollackson said. Much of the schedule has been in the friendly confines of Williams Arena. However, these games have given the team a base to start from, a boost of confidence heading into the always rigorous Big Ten Conference schedule. As the Nittany Lions of Penn State arrive on campus for the Big Ten opener on January 8, it could be considered the official start of the Golden Gophers being underdogs against much of their remaining opponents. But don't expect the team to be anxious or fearful against thier more experienced Big Ten foes, instead, expect an energetic, focused team that will stay positive through the ups and the downs. And, if you arrive to Williams Arena early enough, you just might see Tollackson's audition for the U of M band's percussion section.
"I was just having fun," Tollackson laughingly said about his impromptu rock session. Fun, positivity and hard work, three concepts that drive the 2004-05 Gophers.
story by Kevin Morales, athletic communications student assistant
