MBB Preview: Young Blue Devils to open season at Platteville tourney

MENOMONIE (November 13, 2014) – What the 2014-15 UW-Stout men's basketball team lacks in experience, it makes up for with enthusiasm.
 
Long-time Blue Devil coach Eddie Andrist has not had as young a team as he has this year…and he is not fretting over it.
 
"We have had a lot of guys back for a lot of years," Andrist, who begins his 15th year as Blue Devil head coach, said. "This is my youngest team in 15 years."
 
The Blue Devils return five players who have donned the navy and white – Jarvis Ragland (Sr, Milwaukee), Hank Kujak (Jr, Blair), Reggie Kujak (Jr, Blair), Brett Ahsenmacher (So, Annandale, Minn) and Alex Hammond (So, Rosendale). Stout lost 15 players that saw minutes last season.
 
This version of the Blue Devils has one senior, three juniors, two sophomores and 13 freshmen.
 
"Extremely interesting and intense energy might be the buzz words for the 2013-14 team," Andrist said. "We want to be fun to watch."
 
To accomplish that, Andrist and his coaching staff plan to change the Blue Devil style to more of a run and shoot offense. Stout will utilize a 10-12 man rotation and six or seven of those players will be freshmen or first year players.
 
"We need to create more opportunity and generate more points per game," Andrist said. "We will press more and, of course, play more guys."
 
Currently, Ragland and Ahsenmacher are expected to provide the leadership for the team early on. Brothers Hank and Reggie Kujak will join the team once the football season is over.
 
Ragland was a Blue Devil regular during the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons, and was expected to wrap up his collegiate career last season. But an injury in the second game ended his season.
 
Ragland averaged 9.7 points during 2012-13 and pulled down 3.5 rebounds.
 
Ahsenmacher played in all 26 games as a freshman last season, averaged 16.0 minutes and started four contests. The off guard averaged 4.7 points.
 
Hank Kujak started 17 games last season and played in 23, generally at the point guard spot. But a football injury kept the Blue Devil quarterback on the sidelines after the first game of this season, and he is still rehabbing the leg.
 
Reggie Kujak saw limited action last season and provides a 6-foot, 7-inch, frame, which would be valuable down low.
 
Hammond sat out last season, but saw time in role situations during the 2012-13 season.
 
"We will be only as good as the quality of our internal leadership," Andrist said. "That is very important."
 
Guard Cory Speer (Jr, Elgin, Minn) brings collegiate experience with him. Speer transferred from Rochester Community and Technical College where he played two seasons.
 
Joining the squad are guards John Keefe (Fr, Medford), Mac Oreskovic (Fr, Antigo), D'Marcco Patrick (Fr, Kenosha), Zac Doll (Fr, Elk Mound), Sam Ortmann (Fr, Buffalo, Minn), Isaac Elliott (Fr, Stevens Point), Jalen Patterson (Fr, Lauderdale, Minn), and AJ Watland (Fr Grand Rapids, Minn).
 
First year forwards include Colton Williams (Fr, Columbia Heights, Minn), Ringo Dau (Fr, Columbia Heights, Minn), John Lahti (Fr, Turtle Lake) and Jacob Lindgren (Fr, Crystal, Minn). Bobby Green (Fr, Schaumburg, Ill) is a first year center.
 
"I am super excited about all of the new faces and we know the returners will do very well," Andrist said.
 
"If I had one wish for this season's team, it would be that the scoreboard would not reveal the score during the contest," Andrist said. "I want them to only focus on each possession and never look at the scoreboard."
 
The Blue Devils open the 2014-15 season when they travel to UW-Platteville to participate in the Gabe Miller Tip-Off and will meet Ripon College, Saturday, Nov. 15 and Coe College, Sunday, Nov. 16.