Northern State Men’s Basketball Signs Kevin Ratzsch

May 6th, 2004

ABERDEEN, SD - Northern State’s Head Basketball Coach Don Meyer has announced the signing of Kevin Ratzsch of Bloomington, IL.   Ratzsch is the sixth player signed for the 2004-05 season.  Other signees this year for the Wolves were Dan DeWitt (Lino Lakes, MN), Levi Hamilton (Lincoln, NE), Cole Kratovil (Martin, SD), Mike Paulson (Milbank, SD), and Travis Whipple (Oakdale, MN).

Ratzsch attended Bloomington High School where he was a team captain, a Big 12 All-Conference selection, a member of the Panttagraph All-Area and Pontiac Holiday All-Tournament teams, an IBCA All-Star and an All-State Honorable Mention selection.  He averaged 14.9 points and 7.0 rebounds per game while shooting 64.1% from the field and 47.6% from behind the arc.  The 6’7, 185 pound forward also swatted  59 blocks.

“Kevin had a great year for us and his best basketball is still ahead of him.  He has a quiet confidence and competitiveness that allows him to be at his best in pressure situations.  As Kevin gets stronger, I believe he is going to develop into an excellent college basketball player.  He has great feet and hands for a 6’7 kid and is deceptively athletic.  He is more comfortable at this point facing the basket and possesses a deadly mid range jump shot.  Kevin is a hard worker and very unselfish player who will be a great asset to the Northern State program,” commented Head Coach Ron Rose of Bloomington High School.

Coach Meyer had this to say on the signing, “We feel great about what Kevin can bring to our program both as a young man and as a player.  He will be a very versatile player with his size and athleticism.  Kevin has a tremendous ability to shoot the ball for a player his size.  Kevin played on a great high school team that was well coached and played against quality competition.”

NSU Men's Basketball Adds Two South Dakotans and a Nebraskan to 04-05 Squad

ABERDEEN, SD -Northern State Men's Basketball Head Coach Don Meyer is proud to announce the signing of three new players for the 2004-05 season. Cole Kratovil (Martin, SD), Levi Hamilton (Lincoln, NE) and Mike Paulson (Milbank, SD), are the latest student-athletes to sign with the Wolves. They will join Dan DeWitt (Lino Lakes, MN) and Travis Whipple (Oakdale, MN), who signed last fall, to complete the new members to the Wolves squad in 2004-05.

Cole Kratovil, a 6'6, 175 pound wing, had an outstanding career at Bennett County High School in Martin, SD. He averaged 20 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks per game while shooting 54% from the floor his senior season. He also had a career high 34 points and 23 rebounds versus Kadoka during his senior year. He was selected second team all-state for his play his senior season.

"Cole brings a very active and athletic style to our team. He will benefit form a red-shirt season to gain the strength and skill needed to play at this level. Cole's best basketball is in front of him and we are excited about his ability to improve in our program" said Coach Meyer.

Levi Hamilton, a 6'6, 240 pound power forward, joins the Wolves from Lincoln Southeast High School in Lincoln, NE. At LSHS he averaged 16 points and eight rebounds a game while shooting 64% from the field and 60% (15-25) from behind the arc. His team was a state semi-finalist his senior year when he was named to the Nebraska All-State Class "A" First Team. He was also an All-Nebraska Superstate First Team member, which is an award that selects the top players out of all six classes in Nebraska.

"Levi can do a lot of things really well. He is very skilled for a young player his size with the ability to face the basket or play in the post. Levi shoots the ball well from behind the arc and is hard to guard around the basket. He also has some intangibles he will bring to the team that will complement his abilities and make him a great fit on the team" commented Coach Meyer.

"His drive and his coachability were things that made Levi stand out. He was very versatile and being left-handed made him hard to guard. He was able to do everything on the floor. I see him as a Division II-caliber player, someone who can score down low, handle the ball on the perimeter and make shots from 15 to 20 feet" said Lincoln Southeast High School Head Coach Jeff Smith.

Mike Paulson, a 6'5, 175 pound guard, averaged 20 points, seven rebounds and four assists per game his senior season. He was the first player ever to score over 1,000 points in their career at Milbank High School. He was an All-Northeast Conference Player his sophomore through senior seasons and was selected all-state his junior and senior year. In the 2003 S.D. State Tournament Paulson led all scorers averaging 22 points per game and was selected to the South Dakota Class "A" All-Tournament Team. Paulson's team had an astonishing 35-1 record in the Northeast Conference during his career.

"Mike is a tremendous three sport athlete that had great success in all the sports he played. He has great skill and composure for a guard his size. He may be one of the best pure shooters in the state, shooting over 47% from three point range. We are excited to have him in our basketball program here at Northern State" said Coach Meyer.

"Outside of the obvious high level of play fans would see from Mike on the court, he has had as good a grasp of what we like to do, and why as any player I've coached in 29 years. Coaching Mike was a pleasure" said Milbank High School Head Coach Boyd Sussex.

WOLVES BASKETBALL INKS TWO MINNESOTA STANDOUTS

ABERDEEN, SD - Northern State head men’s basketball coach Don Meyer has announced that Dan DeWitt (Lino Lakes, Minn.) and Travis Whipple (Oakdale, Minn.) have committed to play with Northern State beginning in the 2004-05 season.

DeWitt, a 6-3, senior, guard at Centennial High School, is a two-time all-conference, two-year captain and team MVP at CHS. As a junior, DeWitt netted 16.3 points, five rebounds and four assists per game and has accumulated 795 career points heading into his final campaign at Centennial. DeWitt is also an all-conference tennis player and holds a 3.96 grade point average during his high school career.

“Dan will bring tremendous skill and versatility to our team,” commented Coach Meyer. “He has an uncanny feel for the game for a player his age. He has a great ability to handle the ball, makes plays, and shoots with great accuracy. Dan is definitely a team player and really liked our team attitude approach to our program.”

“I am excited about being part of the Northern State and Aberdeen community next year,” commented DeWitt. “I am really looking forward to being a Wolf. I have known Coach Meyer for years and started going to his camps in Nashville as an eight-year old kid. My dad played for Coach Meyer at Hamline University and I am excited to be playing for him, Coach Sather and the rest of the staff, as well. Not only does this give me the best opportunity to reach my potential as a player but, just as importantly, it will give me the best opportunity to grow as a person because of all of the other things that the program emphasizes and stands for. I think the current players are great people and I love the way they pull for each other. I’m looking forward to being a part of that, as well.”

Whipple, a 5-11, senior, guard at Hill Murray High School, is a three-time all-conference pick, a two-time honorable mention all-state selection and two-time selection to the Minnesota Basketball News Top 100 list. During his first three seasons at HMHS, Whipple has posted 13.3 points and 3.3 assists per game including a 43 percent shooting percentage and a 41 percent mark from three-point range.

“Travis is a great addition to our basketball team,” said Meyer. “He has all the intangibles you want in a point guard. Travis has been to camp and has been around our guys several times in the last year and is a great fit to our team.”

DeWitt and Whipple are the first of NSU’s recruits for 2004-05.