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Siegle painting way to success
Freshman forward Matt Siegle is fast becoming a go-to low post threat for the NCC-leading Husky men's basketball team
 Media Credit: scott theisen First-year forward Matt Siegle scored a career high 14 points in SCSU�s loss to UND Saturday at Halenbeck Hall. He�s been a main contributor in the paint for the 20-4 Huskies.
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Matt Siegle was in a David and Goliath type situation, with him playing the part of David on Saturday night.
The SCSU first-year forward went head-to-toe with the University of North Dakota and the NCC's best player (and maybe even all of Division II basketball) in senior center Jerome Beasley. While he got into foul trouble guarding the 6-10 phenom, he held his own down low against Beasley and the rest of the "Fighting Sioux." He finished with a career high 14 points in St. Cloud's 76-73 loss.
This was one of the many positive flashes that the 6-foot-8, 201-pound native of Long Prairie has shown the Husky men's basketball coaching staff and SCSU fans so far this season. Siegle has averaged 6.3 points per game and hauled down an impressive 4.1 rebounds a game in his freshman campaign.
Siegle said that he had a feeling he could come in and contribute right away to the Husky lineup.
"When coach (SCSU head coach Kevin Schlagel) recruited me, he told me to come in and do what I can," Siegle said. "He expected me to rebound, score and play defense just like everybody else. He expected me to contribute right away, and I have."
"He had a lot of aggressiveness coming in here," Schlagel said. "He was a lot farther ahead than most freshman are in terms of being aggressive and just being confident enough to step in and play right away. He's a very good offensive player. What we need is an inside presence. With his ability to score around the basket, he's been a great addition. He's got a tremendous upside to him."
Siegle has been the most steadying influence on the team's post play this season. He has seen his playing time gradually increase each week and is now playing down the stretch in crucial games. The physical play of the NCC is something that Siegle is getting used to, but he thrives in that kind of environment.
"It's a little rougher than high school," Siegle jokingly said. "People are bigger and stronger than me right now. I have to work for everything I get. I just go down there (in the paint) and play hard. I just want to do anything I can to help the team."
Siegle was one of the most sought after recruits in Minnesota in 2002. He led Long Prairie/Grey Eagle High School to the state tournament twice during that time, including last season. He was a McDonald's All-America nominee, was named the 2002 St. Cloud Times All-Area Player of the Year, was an All-State selection and earned the West Central Conference's MVP honors.
The wiry Siegle also holds prep records for best free throw percentage (83.3 percent) and most blocks in a season (111), along with most career rebounds (835). He admits his biggest thrill though was scoring 36 points and grabbing 14 boards in a section win over Braham at Halenbeck Hall.
Being so highly recruited out of high school was something that Siegle expected since he started getting letters from major schools when he was in ninth grade.
"High school was a great time for me," Siegle said. "But, I got done everything I wanted to get done. The recruiting process was crazy. I had a lot of mid-major D-I colleges talking to me. I'd get about seven or eight phone calls a day from colleges."
"In the back of my mind I'd always thought I'd come here. They were after me since I was a freshman and they told me I could be 'it.' And being not too far away from my (one hour drive) family was a big plus."
Siegle, along with the hot outside touch of center Brent Frikken, have not only solidified the post for the Huskies, but will be key if the team's streaky perimeter shooting falters in the postseason. The southpaw from Long Prairie thinks that if his team plays like they should, good things will blossom into something extraordinary in the future for him and the Huskies.
"If we play like we can I expect us to go a long way," he said. "It's all up to us right now."
Around the Rim
-SCSU (20-4, 10-3 NCC) hosts the lowly University of Northern Colorado Bears (10-12, 2-10 NCC) on Thursday and then travels to Omaha, Neb., on Saturday to take on the University of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks (17-6, 7-5 NCC). The Huskies beat UNC 71-70 on Jan. 2 in the NCC opener in Greeley, and downed UNO 88-77 Jan. 31 at Halenbeck.
-Second place South Dakota plays at North Dakota and North Dakota State this weekend and South Dakota State hosts Minnesota State, Mankato and Augustana.
-UNC's Sean Nolen is fourth in the NCC in scoring (18.3 ppg) and assists (112). Sophomore center Josh Nigut is the leading rebounder for the Bears at 7.1 rpg, which is good for eighth on the charts in the conference. The Bears have three players averaging double figures in scoring.
-Adam Wetzel leads UNO averaging 14.8 ppg and is second on the team in rebounds at 6.4 rpg. Wetzel leads the league in blocked shots and is seventh this week in scoring and rebounding. First-year forward Ryan Curtis leads the Mavs on the glass at 6.7 boards a game.
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