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St. Cloud State University
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Siegle poised for greatness
By Kevin Macdonald
Published:
Thursday, December 9, 2004
Media Credit: Tim Gruber
Junior Matt Siegle has been a standout for the Huskies this season. Siegle scored 40 points during a game in Duluth earlier this season and in the process was named to the All-Tournament team.
In the past three years with the SCSU men's basketball program, Matt Siegle has developed into one of the Huskies' premier offensive players.
Standing 6-feet-8, Siegle has used his size to dominate over opponents. As a junior starter, Siegle said that he hopes to continue his strong play this season in order to help lead his team to a North Central Conference (NCC) championship.
"We have to work hard and play our hearts out everyday," Siegle said. "Obviously, we must play well overall to reach the (NCC) tournament."
Last season, Siegle was third in team scoring, with a 12.5 points per game average and scored double figures in 18 of 28 games. He said that he credits hard work in practice and in the weight room for his success on the court. That effort has not gone unnoticed by his coaches and teammates.
"When he first came in (to SCSU) he was a little bit undersized," Husky head coach Kevin Schlagel said. "Since he has joined our program, he has gotten much bigger and stronger. Now he is able to bang with some of the guys on a more regular basis in the paint area."
As a standout high school player in Long Prairie, Siegle was heavily recruited by a number of schools. He said that he chose SCSU for its strong basketball program and location.
"I like being close to home. (SCSU) is only an hour away from Long Prairie," Siegle said. "The basketball program here is a good fit for me. I also like being able to watch my younger brother (Jim) play high school sports."
In 2002-03, Siegle made a promising start to his collegiate career by playing in all 31 games and averaging 5.9 points per game. As a sophomore, Siegle built on his rookie performance by starting 21 games as a forward.
This season, Siegle has played a major role in the Huskies' 5-2 start by averaging 15.4 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per game. He ranks tied for 12th on the SCSU career blocks list with 36.
In a Nov. 26 game against St. Michael's College at the American Family Insurance Classic in Duluth, Siegle scored a career-high 40 points in the Huskies' 87-62 win.
"I am very proud of that, but it was just a matter of my teammates knowing that I had the hot hands and getting me the ball. I didn't have to shoot a shot outside of five feet all night," Siegle said.
Siegle added that his teammates and coaches throughout his basketball career have always been helpful when it came to his game. He noted that his high school coach, Bruce Young, and the SCSU coaching staff have been exceptional mentors.
"They have always been on my butt to help me out in a good way and they don't settle for me just being as good as I was when I was younger. They want me to be the best player that I can possibly be," Siegle said.
Schlagel explained that the 21-year-old business major's strongest aspects are his offensive skills.
"Matt has the ability to play inside, as well as step out and shoot the perimeter jump shot, which you don't see from a lot of big kids," Schlagel said.
He added that he would like to see some more leadership from Siegle.
"He is in his third year now and he needs to take some ownership of the basketball team. That is something you grow into though, and this will be a big year for him to kind of take over that role," Schlagel said.
Siegle said that his personal goal for this season is to be named to the all-NCC team, something that Schlagel believes he has the ability to do.
"He has potential to be an all-conference selection, but the next step is up to him to develop some consistency," Schlagel said. "He shows flashes of being one of the best post players in our league. Now we have to get him to the point where he does it every night, not just every couple nights."
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