March 24, 2004
Men's Basketball
I've written a couple of times in previous columns about how pleased I've been with the progress of the men's basketball team this year. Although we came up one win short of being eligible for the NIT (.500 record), the future of the program is bright. Winning a game in the Big Ten tournament was a positive step-the win over Penn State was not pretty, but we played great defense to ensure the win. We set the Big Ten Tournament record for most steals in a game, with two minutes left in the first half!
I also was pleased that the Big Ten recognized both Coach Bill Carmody and senior Jitim Young for their outstanding seasons. Bill was named Big Ten Coach of the Year for his excellent work in leading us to an 8-8 conference record, despite the lack of depth on our team. Jitim was named to the All-Big Ten first team. He also was named to the All-Tournament team, the only player on this team who did not play in the championship game. He also set the Big Ten record for the most steals in the tournament even though he only played two games. It was great to see Jitim receive the recognition from the conference coaches this year-he plays with an intensity that you seldom see in athletics. He will be difficult to replace, but hopefully his winning attitude has rubbed off on our returning players.
Women's Basketball Search
I recently decided not to renew the contract of head women's basketball coach June Olkowski. The most difficult task an athletic director faces is making the decision to change coaches. I like June and she had success at Butler, but our program had fallen on hard times, and I felt a change was needed to move the program forward. We've started the search process, and I hope to have a new coach in place within a few weeks.
Anderson/Burton Project
Some of you may have noticed that the area north of Ryan Field looks quite a bit different now. Anderson Hall is no longer standing and is now a large hole. Progress is moving forward quickly with construction of the new Anderson/Burton project. The projected completion date is April 2005. The bids on the project came in low enough so that we were able to add a second floor to the project that will allow us to move all of our administrative offices to the building. This new facility will be a tremendous help to our athletic program.
Men's Swimming
As I write this column, I am just about to head out to Long Island with our men's swimming team for the NCAA Division I Championships. Eight members of our team qualified for the NCAAs. It will be exciting to watch our swimmers strive to compete at the highest level. We have a legitimate chance to finish in the top 10 at the NCAAs, which would be a wonderful accomplishment for Coach Bob Groseth and our program.