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Q&A With A Coaching Legend: Dave Thorson on Gophers, Ben Johnson, DeLaSalle and More
Q&A With A Coaching Legend: Dave Thorson on Gophers, Ben Johnson, DeLaSalle and More
By Chris Monter
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/273755?referrer_id=331171
Dave Thorson was an assistant coach under Clem Haskins at Minnesota. He has won five state titles at Minneapolis DeLaSalle in 1999, 1999, 2006, 2012 and 2013. Thorson has two of the top players in the state, who have already received offers from Minnesota and are the heavy favorite to win a third straight title.
Gopher Hole recently caught up with Thorson Tuesday on a wide range of topics.
Gopher Hole: You have to be pretty proud when you watch Howard Pulley and they have four of your players in their starting lineup, which I don‘t recall ever happening.
Dave Thorson: It is. They are great kids and I think that it says something about them individually and probably selfishly, I think that it says something about our program, too.
Gopher Hole: The expectations are going to be very high at DeLaSalle next year. You have won back-to-back state titles and people are going to look at the experience your players have gained by playing together this summer that you will have even more team chemistry next year.
Dave Thorson: Let’s hope so. We work really hard at it. I think that there is a good thing that comes with those expectations. We are all focused. It is not like we are oblivious to the fact that we are two-time defending state champions. I think the expectations are a reminder to us that ‘Hey, we have got to work hard’ and that is what we have down in the past and put the time in. If you put the time in now in terms of lifting, skill development and what you do as a team, I think it works itself out in March.
Gopher Hole: Last year, you played a tough non-conference schedule, playing in Iowa and South Dakota. What is your schedule like for the upcoming season?
Dave Thorson: We are doing the same thing. Unfortunately, the rules prohibit us from traveling, which is really unfortunate, frankly, because we can play with anyone in the country, but we are not essentially allowed to do that because of the State High School League rules. We are disappointed with that, but we are essentially doing the same thing and the reality is that the march to try to win again started about two weeks after the state tournament in terms of lifting. At least that is the way they we approach it.
Gopher Hole: Do you know who some of your non-conference opponents are?
Dave Thorson: I think that there is a good chance that we will play Findlay. I think that there is a good chance that we will play La Lumiere. Those are two teams that will probably be in the national top ten. We will get a good gauge at where we are at playing them. We are also going to play Iowa City West in the LaCrosse event in January. We are also going to play Archibshop Mitty from California in Milwaukee just before Christmas. We are doing those things in the framework of the rules to try to play the toughest schedule that we can.
Gopher Hole: You have college assistant coaching experience and your name came up at Minnesota with the head coach change. Is that something you are flattered by or is that something you would ever look at?
Dave Thorson: It is one of those things. It is nice that people think that I am a good coach. DeLaSalle is a great fit for me, so It would take a lot for me to leave “D. ” There is a special place for me on the Island, so I am pretty content with that.
Gopher Hole: The University of Minnesota has a DeLaSalle guy on their coaching staff in Ben Johnson. How nice is it to have him here after he was at Northern Iowa and Nebraska?
Dave Thorson: We love it. He is a Gopher and he played as a Gopher, but the reality is that he is an Islander first and he has shown that in terms of the support that he has given the program over the years. I think very highly of Ben and I have a lot of respect for him and even more than that, he is a close friend. We are excited for him and excited for Minnesota as well.
Gopher Hole: Minnesota is recruiting two of your guys now, Jarvis Johnson and Reid Travis.
Dave Thorson: I hope that they recruit all of them, if you want to know the real truth. I think that having Ben there and the kind of basketball guy that he is and Coach Pitino has just been outstanding in terms of line of communication and things of that sort. We are excited for Minnesota basketball.
Gopher Hole: Sacar Anim has had some big games and recently had 39 points in a recent Pro-Am Summer League game. Obviously, his recruitment has picked up quite a bit.
Dave Thorson: Sacar has done a great job of just doing what he does. It is a product of working hard and working on his game. He is lifting. He is working on his ballhandling. He is working on his shooting and he has improved. Sometimes, we try to make this too complex. You put the right amount of time in and you are going to get better. He has done that.
Gopher Hole: You had a great season and won the AAA title and Apple Valley won the AAAA title. I know a lot of fans would love to you to play each other. Is that something that you have tried to work out?
Dave Thorson: I don’t know. There has been some discussion about it, but at this point, we don’t have anything in place.
Gopher Hole: What is the latest on Sacar’s recruitment?
Dave Thorson: I think that teams are just getting a chance to see him. The University of Northern Iowa offered him, frankly a long time ago. They are all over him. Everyone in that league. Indiana State is very serious about him. Creighton is very serious about him. People are being exposed to him right now, so we are excited for him. He has worked really hard. He is a great kid. He is an honor student. I think that great things are going ot happen to him, too.
Q&A With A Coaching Legend: Dave Thorson on Gophers, Ben Johnson, DeLaSalle and More
By Chris Monter
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/273755?referrer_id=331171
Dave Thorson was an assistant coach under Clem Haskins at Minnesota. He has won five state titles at Minneapolis DeLaSalle in 1999, 1999, 2006, 2012 and 2013. Thorson has two of the top players in the state, who have already received offers from Minnesota and are the heavy favorite to win a third straight title.
Gopher Hole recently caught up with Thorson Tuesday on a wide range of topics.
Gopher Hole: You have to be pretty proud when you watch Howard Pulley and they have four of your players in their starting lineup, which I don‘t recall ever happening.
Dave Thorson: It is. They are great kids and I think that it says something about them individually and probably selfishly, I think that it says something about our program, too.
Gopher Hole: The expectations are going to be very high at DeLaSalle next year. You have won back-to-back state titles and people are going to look at the experience your players have gained by playing together this summer that you will have even more team chemistry next year.
Dave Thorson: Let’s hope so. We work really hard at it. I think that there is a good thing that comes with those expectations. We are all focused. It is not like we are oblivious to the fact that we are two-time defending state champions. I think the expectations are a reminder to us that ‘Hey, we have got to work hard’ and that is what we have down in the past and put the time in. If you put the time in now in terms of lifting, skill development and what you do as a team, I think it works itself out in March.
Gopher Hole: Last year, you played a tough non-conference schedule, playing in Iowa and South Dakota. What is your schedule like for the upcoming season?
Dave Thorson: We are doing the same thing. Unfortunately, the rules prohibit us from traveling, which is really unfortunate, frankly, because we can play with anyone in the country, but we are not essentially allowed to do that because of the State High School League rules. We are disappointed with that, but we are essentially doing the same thing and the reality is that the march to try to win again started about two weeks after the state tournament in terms of lifting. At least that is the way they we approach it.
Gopher Hole: Do you know who some of your non-conference opponents are?
Dave Thorson: I think that there is a good chance that we will play Findlay. I think that there is a good chance that we will play La Lumiere. Those are two teams that will probably be in the national top ten. We will get a good gauge at where we are at playing them. We are also going to play Iowa City West in the LaCrosse event in January. We are also going to play Archibshop Mitty from California in Milwaukee just before Christmas. We are doing those things in the framework of the rules to try to play the toughest schedule that we can.
Gopher Hole: You have college assistant coaching experience and your name came up at Minnesota with the head coach change. Is that something you are flattered by or is that something you would ever look at?
Dave Thorson: It is one of those things. It is nice that people think that I am a good coach. DeLaSalle is a great fit for me, so It would take a lot for me to leave “D. ” There is a special place for me on the Island, so I am pretty content with that.
Gopher Hole: The University of Minnesota has a DeLaSalle guy on their coaching staff in Ben Johnson. How nice is it to have him here after he was at Northern Iowa and Nebraska?
Dave Thorson: We love it. He is a Gopher and he played as a Gopher, but the reality is that he is an Islander first and he has shown that in terms of the support that he has given the program over the years. I think very highly of Ben and I have a lot of respect for him and even more than that, he is a close friend. We are excited for him and excited for Minnesota as well.
Gopher Hole: Minnesota is recruiting two of your guys now, Jarvis Johnson and Reid Travis.
Dave Thorson: I hope that they recruit all of them, if you want to know the real truth. I think that having Ben there and the kind of basketball guy that he is and Coach Pitino has just been outstanding in terms of line of communication and things of that sort. We are excited for Minnesota basketball.
Gopher Hole: Sacar Anim has had some big games and recently had 39 points in a recent Pro-Am Summer League game. Obviously, his recruitment has picked up quite a bit.
Dave Thorson: Sacar has done a great job of just doing what he does. It is a product of working hard and working on his game. He is lifting. He is working on his ballhandling. He is working on his shooting and he has improved. Sometimes, we try to make this too complex. You put the right amount of time in and you are going to get better. He has done that.
Gopher Hole: You had a great season and won the AAA title and Apple Valley won the AAAA title. I know a lot of fans would love to you to play each other. Is that something that you have tried to work out?
Dave Thorson: I don’t know. There has been some discussion about it, but at this point, we don’t have anything in place.
Gopher Hole: What is the latest on Sacar’s recruitment?
Dave Thorson: I think that teams are just getting a chance to see him. The University of Northern Iowa offered him, frankly a long time ago. They are all over him. Everyone in that league. Indiana State is very serious about him. Creighton is very serious about him. People are being exposed to him right now, so we are excited for him. He has worked really hard. He is a great kid. He is an honor student. I think that great things are going ot happen to him, too.
