TABOR COLLEGE: Men hope to continue improving game
Half-court game
also an issue for men
BY RYAN RICHTER
Sports writer
The most perplexing question for last year's Bluejay basketball team was what the season could have been like had Micah Ratzlaff stayed healthy.
The 6-5 All-American Ratzlaff started the 2001-02 season only to have it ended in the third game by an ongoing ankle injury.
Ratzlaff was granted a medical red-shirt and the Bluejays still navigated their way to a NAIA Tournament appearance without him.
There, Tabor had its season cut short at 15-15 overall and 12-6 in the KCAC after tumbling in the first round against the back-alley brawlers from Warner-Southern (Fla.,) the tournament's eventual third-place finisher.
That was with a team featuring first-team All-KCAC selection Ernest Nortey, Lance Redetzke and Jimmy Janzen.
All three, along with Tyler Brown, have moved on.
At Tabor, it's nothing new to be selected one of the KCAC's elite, hence, the Bluejays were projected to finish league runner-up to the defending champion Ottawa Braves.
That is unlikely to happen should any of coach Don Brubacher's injury-prone starting five go down.
"The biggest issue is keeping people healthy, there's no question of that," he said. "We have key players that need to remain healthy to make them play up to their physical ability."
Brubacher welcomes three starters back to his three-guard two-forward offense, led by seniors Scott Brubacher and Micah Ratzlaff.
Off-guard/small forward Tyson Ratzlaff had a promising football season shortened when he suffered a freak collar bone accident before the Bluejays' fourth game of the year.
The All-KCAC honorable mention selection Tyson made a trumpeted return to the basketball court last weekend for the Sterling Tournament.
Tyson became a permanent role in Don Brubacher's starting rotation last season once he was done with football.
As usual, Tabor will be undersized in a good share of games, meaning it will have to rely on its speed, quickness and athleticism.
That fits the Bluejay backcourt description like a glove.
"Ball-handling is definitely one of our strengths," Don Brubacher said. "Our speed and quickness and our ball handling ability is clearly a strength for us."
Scott runs the offense from the point guard, often sharing duties with brother Grant.
Both are capable of running the floor, as is Tyson.
Kyle Kopper has played solid off the bench and Cody Schafer, Landon Goertzen and freshman Jared Reece should figure into the mix.
Reece has already made his presence felt on the court, scoring a season-high 14 points, coming off the bench against Southern Nazarene Nov. 29.
The Bluejays should be equally deep in the frontcourt, led by Micah, who shifts both at the three and four spots.
Micah is a complete player. He can play any position on the floor, scrap in the paint, handle the basketball along with shooting the three.
"We have another player who is athletic and has excellent ball handling skills," said Brubacher of Micah.
Six-foot four-inch Brad Gattis is a freshman that Don Brubacher looks for big things from.
An all-state selection from Hesston, Gattis has made significant contributions to the Bluejays varsity team.
Much of where Micah fits in the frontcourt could depend on Gattis' development.
Jeremiah Randall rounds out the three starters returning for Tabor in the post.
Only a junior, the 6-foot-6 Randall should get better with the season.
Derek Karber and freshman Chris Myers will vie for time in the post.
Myers' 6-9 250-pound frame is the closest thing the Bluejays have seen to a true big man since Hiram Finney in 1997.
He's not one to back down when the play gets physical inside, but if the Bluejays' can guard inside remains a concern.
The biggest question offensively depends on how well the Bluejays can execute their half-court game and rebound.
"We're still struggling with our half-court offensive execution," said Don Brubacher. "Our ability to guard in the post and rebound are our biggest question marks defensively."
Tabor has been outrebounded in all but two of its seven games this season, being overmatched in size in all contests against very physical teams.
If Tabor shores up those holes, the team should once again be battling for first.
The KCAC will be as hard to figure as what the football season was.
Kansas Wesleyan figures to be tough, Ottawa returns 2002 Player-of-the-Year Tony Porter, Sterling has been a strong competitor as has Bethel.
The Bluejays, off to a 3-4 start, open the KCAC portion of their schedule today when they host the Sterling Warriors in an 8 p.m. start.
