Grinnell College men's basketball coach David Arseneault has finalized his incoming recruiting class for the upcoming campaign.

"My first priority was to find some players who could advance the ball up the court," said Arseneault. "Anyone who had dribbled a ball significantly for us the last four years graduated this May."

Arseneault feels that three incoming first-years will more than adequately fill that void. Marques Valdez, at 6-foot-5, and Dominique Bellamy, at 6-4, will provide size at that position which until now has not been seen in the program. Both were all-conference performers and excel at both ends of the floor.

The third point guard, 6-1 Garrett Nitz, led his team to the state championship in the large school division in Nebraska.

"Our next concern was to replace a senior class that scored over 7,000 points," said Arseneault. "Time will tell, but I would not be at all surprised if this incoming class is as capable as those outgoing seniors - and that is saying a lot!"

Three players headline this next crop of scorers. Griffin Lentsch (6-4) is an exceptional athlete, having high jumped 6-5 and triple jumped 44 feet, and has an ability to create his own shot. "I'd project that he will be our next big-time scorer" said Arseneault.

Dylan Seelman, a 6-1 off-guard, is a long-range bomber who will stretch the defense. Both he and Lentsch were all-conference performers in large-school settings.

Jesse Ney, the lone Iowan in this class, played in a small-school setting but literally dominated at that level. A 6-4 small forward, Ney earned first-team all-state honors while amassing 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 200 assists in his career.

"Lastly, we are always on the lookout for some rebounding help - especially if that player can shoot the ball from the perimeter," said Arseneault. Enter Brian McManamy, a 6-6 post player from Charlotte, N.C. "Brian probably played against the toughest competition of any of the incoming players. To average 14 points a game at that level and be able to do some of the things he did is very impressive. He has an extremely high basketball IQ and it would make sense to play offense through him whenever possible."

Grinnell College's John Grotberg '09 proved he could match up with the nation's best when he competed at the 21st Annual State Farm 3-Point Championships on Thursday, April 2. The event was held at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Michigan, site of the NCAA Division I Final Four.

Grotberg tallied a score of 17 in the first round, which ranked fifth in the eight-person field and left him just one spot out of qualifying for the semifinals. Each player shot 25 balls from five different racks on the floor, with each made shot counting for one point except for the final ball in each rack which counted as two.

The four semifinalists, in order of finish, were Jimmy Baron of Rhode Island (score of 25), Erik Kangas of Oakland (23), Jack McClinton of Miami (22) and Craig Moore of Northwestern (19).

Kangas and McClinton advanced from the semifinals with scores of 19 and 15, respectively, and McClinton went on to win the title with a score of 22 compared to Kangas' 17.

For the third year in a row, Grinnell College men's basketball player John Grotberg '09 has been named to the D3Hoops.com All-Midwest Region Team.

Grotberg, a 6-foot-2 guard, was named to the third team along with John Hoch of Carroll, Chris Drennan of North Central (Ill.), Joey Verax of Transylvania and Anthony Pettaway of Defiance.

Grotberg set the NCAA record, regardless of level, for career 3-pointers with 526. He led the nation and conference in scoring (31.0 points per game) and 3-pointers per game (6.2) this season, and led the MWC in steals per game (3.3), a category in which he ranked seventh nationally. Grotberg also was among the league leaders in free throw percentage at 86.8 percent.

He has been chosen as one of eight participants in next week's ESPN 3-Point Championships held in conjunction with the Division I Final Four.
All-Midwest Region Team

For the third year in a row, Grinnell College's John Grotberg '09 (upper left) has been named to the All-Midwest Conference Men's Basketball First Team, while teammates and David Arseneault '09 and Bobby Long '09 were selected to the Second Team.

On top of that, Grinnell coach David Arseneault (upper right) was pegged the league's Co-Coach of the Year along with Lawrence University's Joel DePagter.

Grotberg, a 6-foot-2 guard from Ann Arbor, Mich. (Ann Arbor-Pioneer HS), set the NCAA record, regardless of level, for career 3-pointers with 526. He leads the nation and conference in scoring (31.0 points per game) and 3-pointers per game (6.2) this season, and leads the MWC in steals per game (3.3), a category in which he ranks seventh nationally. Grotberg also rates among the league leaders in free throw percentage at 86.8 percent.

Long (lower left), a 6-0 guard from Lake Bluff, Ill. (Lake Forest HS), is sixth on Grinnell's all-time scoring chart with 1,798 points. He ranks fourth in the nation and second in the MWC in scoring this season at 27.2 points per game, and is also third in the nation and second in the conference in 3-pointers per game with 5.0. On top of that, Long is second in the league in steals per game (2.3) and among the leaders in free throw percentage at 85.9 percent.

Arseneault (lower right), a 6-2 guard from Grinnell, Iowa (Grinnell HS), was named a finalist for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award for the third year in a row. He is the NCAA Division III all-time leader in career assists average with 9.4 per game. This season, he again leads the nation in assists per game (10.2) and is third in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.0). He is seventh in the conference in scoring at 15.7 points per game and ranks eighth on the Pioneers' all-time scoring chart with 1,462 points.

Ryan Kroeger of Lawrence University was named the MWC Player of the Year for the second season in a row.

Lawrence University proved to be too much for the Grinnell Pioneers as the Vikings claimed the Midwest Conference Men's Basketball Tournament crown with an 88-69 victory Saturday, Feb. 28, at Darby Gymnasium.

With the win, the 25th-ranked Vikings earned the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Tournament. Lawrence improved to 19-6 with the win, while Grinnell fell to 18-7.

Poor shooting plagued Grinnell as the Pioneers hit just 27.6 percent of their shots from the field. John Grotberg '09, the Pioneers' all-time leading scorer, tallied 21 points to lead Grinnell while also coming up with seven rebounds and three steals. Bobby Long '09 added 19 points and had three assists, while Kale Knisley '11 blocked four shots. Chris Page turned in a double-double for the winners with 27 points and 19 rebounds.

Grinnell never led, but stayed close with Lawrence most of the first half. Trailingby four, the Pioneers made it a two-point game on a free throw each by P.J. Mahaffey '11 and Grotberg that made it 28-26 with 4:08 left. But the Vikings closed out the half with a flurry, going on a 17-4 run for a 45-30 halftime cushion.

Lawrence went ahead by as many as 19 early in the second half before the Pioneers made one final push. Trailing by 17 with 9:43 left, Long sank three free throws, Knisley connected on a 3-pointer and Grotberg made a free throw to bring Grinnell within 66-56 with 8:16 remaining.

Long's layup at the 6:54 mark again made it a 10-point game, but Lawrence responded with a 13-3 run to seal the victory.
Box Score

The Grinnell College men's basketball team moved into the Midwest Conference title game by knocking off St. Norbert College 95-85 before a crowd of more than 1,300 at Darby Gymnasium on Friday, Feb. 27.

The top-seeded Pioneers, who avenged a 107-96 loss to the Green Knights last month, will play second-seeded and 25th-ranked Lawrence University at 3 p.m. Saturday for the championship. That winner earns an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Grinnell, winner of nine consecutive games, is now 18-6 while St. Norbert fell to an identical record.

The Pioneers struggled shooting the ball in the first half, making just 26 percent from the field, but thanks in part to 11 forced turnovers were tied with the Green Knights 35-all at intermission. The shooting improved in the second half, as the Pioneers made 50 percent of their shots (20-of-40), and forced another 13 turnovers as they pulled away for the win in the later stages.

Bobby Long '09 (left) led Grinnell with 33 points and two steals, while John Grotberg '09 had 31 points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals. P.J. Mahaffey '11 (right) was also in double figures with 11 points, while Scott Kaitz '11 and Alex McDonald '11 had two steals each. Bryan Fleischmann led St. Norbert with 22 points.

Neither team led by more than three points in the first half and there were 11 ties, the last when R.J. Roewe '09 hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to make it 35-all. St. Norbert led by four early in the second half and Grinnell had a six-point lead at one point with a 3-pointer by Ross Preston '10, but other than that things continued to stay close.

The game's 18th tie occurred at the 7:24 mark before Grinnell went on an 11-1 run that basically decided the game. Matt Chalupa '12 scored on a layup to put Grinnell ahead to stay. After St. Norbert made a free throw, Long made a layup and Grotberg converted a traditional three-point play to put the Pioneers ahead 82-76. Grotberg repeated his feat a short time later and Augustus Karisch '11 made a free throw with 4:31 left to put the Pioneers up by 10 at 86-76.

St. Norbert got as close as five with 1:09 left, but Grinnell scored the game's final five points for the 10-point victory.

Prior to Friday's game, Grinnell was presented a trophy for being Midwest Conference regular-season co-champs. The team's seniors (pictured) accepted the trophy.

In Friday's opener, Carroll broke out to an 8-0 lead but after that it was all Lawrence as the Vikings opened up a 48-38 halftime lead on their way to the 24-point victory.

Four Vikings scored in double figures, with Chris Page tallying 27 points and Ryan Kroeger scoring 23. John Hoch had 24 points for the Pioneers. With the win, Lawrence improved to 18-6 while Carroll bowed out at 16-8.

Grinnell and Lawrence played once this season, with a late free throw by David Arseneault '09 giving the Pioneers a 101-100 victory in Appleton, Wis.
Grinnell vs. St. Norbert
Lawrence vs. Carroll

Grinnell College's John Grotberg '09 has been named the Midwest Conference Men's Basketball Co-Performer of the Week.

Grotberg, a 6-foot-2 guard from Ann Arbor, Mich. (Ann Arbor-Pioneer HS), broke the NCAA career record for 3-pointers - regardless of level - when he hit four at Monmouth College on Saturday to put his all-time total at 517. That passed the previous mark of 516 by former Pioneer Jeff Clement.

Grotberg, who also recently set the Pioneer school record for steals in a game with 12, finished with 23 points against Monmouth as Grinnell clinched a share of the Midwest Conference title and hosting rights for the league's postseason tournament.

Grotberg shared POW honors with Jayce Apelgren of Lawrence University.

There was plenty on the line for the Grinnell College men's basketball team on Saturday, Feb. 21, and the Pioneers delivered.

Grinnell became co-champs of the Midwest Conference and earned the hosting rights for the league's four-team postseason tournament with a 99-75 victory at Monmouth College. Additionally, John Grotberg '09 (pictured) drained four 3-pointers to become the all-time NCAA leader in career treys, regardless of level, with 517.

Grinnell was sparked by Bobby Long '09, who scored 37 points with the aid of 8-of-16 3-point shooting and a 13-of-14 performance from the free throw line. Grotberg added 23 points and David Arseneault '09 had 13 to go along with nine assists. Grotberg also had three blocked shots and three steals. Monmouth got 18 points from Eric Cogdill.

Grinnell, 13-3 in the Midwest Conference and 17-6 overall, stretched its winning string to eight games. The Pioneers led 38-33 at halftime and the contest was close the first part of the second half, with Monmouth holding a 56-55 lead with 12:55 left.

The game was tied at 62-all a bit later before Grinnell went on a 21-1 run to pull away. P.J. Mahaffey '11 and Grotberg got things going with traditional three-point plays for a 68-62 edge and Grotberg followed with a layup for an eight-point lead. After a free throw by Monmouth, Long hit a 3-pointer and Arseneault a jumper for a 75-63 lead.

Grinnell continued to pour it on, as Arseneault made a trey, Long hit five straight free throws and Grotberg scored on a layup for an 85-63 lead. The Pioneers cruised from there for the win.

The MWC Tournament is slated for Friday and Saturday, Feb. 27 and 28, at Darby Gymnasium. The Nos. 2 and 3 seeds play at 5 p.m. Friday with the No. 4 seed playing top-seeded Grinnell at 7 p.m. The winners play at 3 p.m. Saturday with an NCAA Tournament berth on the line.
Box Score

Senior Day turned out to be a big day for the Grinnell College men's basketball team as they posted their seventh win in a row with a 114-87 thrashing of Illinois College Saturday, Feb. 14, at Darby Gymnasium.

One of the seniors, John Grotberg '09 (pictured), delivered a double-double as he came up with 38 points and 10 rebounds. He was hot from the field, hitting 8-of-15 3-pointers. Some other seniors also put up big stats, as Bobby Long '09 had 20 points, David Arseneault '09 had 10 assists and R.J. Roewe '09 came up with four steals. Mitchell Neally led Illinois College with 20 points.

The win, coupled with St. Norbert College's loss at Lawrence University, moved the Pioneers into a first-place tie in the Midwest Conference with St. Norbert. Grinnell is still in line to host the conference tournament if St. Norbert loses to Carroll University next Saturday and the Pioneers win at Monmouth College.

Grinnell trailed just once to Illinois College, that being 18-17, before opening things up with a 15-2 run. A traditional three-point play by Grotberg put Grinnell up by two before Illinois College tied it with a basket by Mark Gillingham. But Grotberg drained two treys in a row, while John Bruns '10 and Matt Chalupa '12 also connected from long range for a 32-20 Grinnell lead with 7:51 to go in the first half.

The Pioneers led by 11, 51-40, at halftime before all but putting the game away by opening the second half with a 15-4 run. Long had eight of those points, including two 3-pointers, while Grotberg scored five points and Kale Knisley '11 tallied two points. It was clear sailing from there for the Pioneers.

Grinnell improved to 12-3 in the MWC and 16-6 overall, while Illinois College fell to 6-8 in the league and 9-12 in all games. Grinnell's game against Monmouth is Saturday, Feb. 21, on the Fighting Scots' court. Tip-off is 3 p.m.
Box Score

The Grinnell College men's basketball team won its sixth game in a row and stayed in contention in the Midwest Conference title race on Wednesday, Feb. 11, while John Grotberg '09 etched his name in the Pioneer record book again.

Grotberg (pictured) recorded a school-record 12 steals as Grinnell rolled over Knox College 107-74 in Galesburg, Ill. The previous Pioneer best for steals in a game was 10, established by Jeff Boyle in 1995.

The Pioneers rode a balanced scoring attack as Grotberg led the way with 33 points. Bobby Long '09 added 30 points and David Arseneault '09 tallied 19. Grotberg also had 12 steals and nine rebounds, while Arseneault grabbed eight rebounds. Matt Goedke had 23 points for Knox.

After falling behind 4-0, the game was not a challenge for the Pioneers. They gradually pulled away for a 55-36 halftime lead and cruised from there for yet another league win. Grinnell is now 11-3 in the MWC and 15-6 overall, while Knox fell to 2-12 in the league and 2-19 overall.

Grinnell plays its final regular-season home game on Saturday when Illinois College visits for a 3 p.m. contest.
Box Score

Grinnell College men's basketball player John Grotberg '09 has been named to the D3hoops.com National Team of the Week.

Grotberg, a 6-foot-2 guard from Ann Arbor, Mich. (Ann Arbor-Pioneer HS), moved into the fourth spot on the NCAA Division III all-time career scoring chart as Grinnell easily beat William Penn University, Ripon College and Beloit College. He now has 2,702 points in his career and is just seven shy of moving up to third on the chart.

Grotberg averaged 43.0 points and 7.0 rebounds during the span, shooting 50 percent from 3-point range (26-of-52) and 91.2 percent from the free throw line (31-of-34). He also had 15 steals and seven blocks in the three games.

To see the complete Team of the Week, click here.

The Grinnell College men's basketball team continued to enjoy its winning ways on Saturday, Feb. 7, as the Pioneers stopped Beloit College 117-97 at Darby Gymnasium.

The victory, the Pioneers' fifth in a row, boosted their record to 10-3 in the Midwest Conference and 14-6 overall and also earned them a spot in the four-team MWC Tournament. Beloit fell to 1-12 in the MWC and 3-17 overall.

John Grotberg '09 (left) again had the hot hand for Grinnell, scoring a team-high 38 points while going 14-of-16 from the free throw line. But it didn't end there, as he also recorded eight steals and grabbed eight rebounds. Bobby Long '09 (center) added 28 points, David Arseneault '09 added 19 points and eight assists and Kale Knisley '11 (right) came up with eight rebounds and blocked four shots. Andy Horton of Beloit led all scorers with 39 points.

Grinnell trailed most of the first half before going on a big run towards the end that turned a one-point lead into a 13-point cushion of 58-45. Grotberg began the 17-5 run with a 3-poniter and Aaron Epps '11 added another to make it 47-40. After Beloit hit two free throws, Long made a 3-pointer for a 50-42 cushion. Beloit then got another free throw, only to see Grotberg answer with two charity shots. After a basket by Horton, Long sank consecutive 3-pointers for the 58-45 halftime cushion.

The Pioneers gradually upped their lead in the second half and were never challenge the rest of the way. With the two weekend games, both Grotberg and Arseneault have moved up in the NCAA Division III all-time charts in different categories. Grotberg is now fourth in career scoring with 2,702 points, just seven points out of third place, and Arseneault is fourth in career assists with 831.

Grinnell takes to the road on Wednesday, Feb. 11, to face Knox College in Galesburg, Ill. The Pioneers' final regular-season home game is the following Saturday when Illinois College visits, and a week later Grinnell closes out the regular season with a game at Monmouth College.
Box Score

The Grinnell College men's basketball team kept its hot streak alive, and John Grotberg '09 reached a milestone in the process.

Grotberg (pictured) scored a game-high 43 points to crack the NCAA Division III all-time scoring top five list as the Pioneers rolled past Ripon College 120-100 on Friday, Feb. 6, at Darby Gymnasium. Grotberg now has 2,664 points as he passed Scott Fitch of Geneseo State for fifth on the chart.

The win, Grinnell's fourth in a row, pushed the Pioneers to 9-3 in the Midwest Conference and 13-6 overall. Ripon fell to 5-6 in the MWC and 7-10 in all games.

Grotberg, who sank 14-of-15 free throws, also had a team-high eight rebounds and three steals. Bobby Long '09, who like Grotberg had seven 3-pointers, finished with 32 points and David Arseneault '09 tallied 14 points and nine assists. Aris Wurtz tallied 21 points to lead Ripon.

The visitors opened up a 10-point lead in the early going before the Pioneers gradually closed the gap and eventually tied the game at 35-all on a 3-pointer by John Bruns '10. Grinnell still led by just three a bit later before going on a pivotal 13-4 run to break things open. Consecutive baskets and a free throw by Grotberg made it 47-39.

After the Red Hawks closed within four, Grinnell rattled off eight straight points. Bruns began things with a 3-pointer, Ahmed Idrissa '09 sank a free throw, Matt Skelly '12 scored from 3-point land and Grotberg hit a free throw to make it 55-43.

Grinnell led 64-56 at intermission and Ripon closed within four early in the second half before another big spurt lifted the Pioneers. Matt Chalupa '12 started things with a 3-pointer and Long added another for a 70-60 lead. After Ripon scored, Grotberg and Long cashed in on consecutive 3-pointers to complete the 12-2 run for a 76-62 Pioneer lead. Ripon was never closer than 11 the rest of the way.

The Pioneers remain home on Saturday, Feb. 7, when Beloit College visits for a 4 p.m. game.
Box Score

Grinnell College guard John Grotberg '09 is featured in the "Faces in the Crowd" section of the Feb. 9 issue of Sports Illustrated.

Grotberg is the Pioneers' all-time leading scorer with 2,621 points points, which ranks sixth nationally. This season, he is first in the nation in points per game (29.4) and second in 3-pointers per contest (5.9). His efforts have helped Grinnell to the top spot nationally in four team categories, including points per game (116.3) and 3-point field goals per game (21.3).

For Grotberg's profile, click here

For the third year in a row, Grinnell College men's basketball player David Arseneault '09 has been named a finalist for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award.

The 6-foot-2 Arseneault, who led the nation in assists the last three years, is one of 17 finalists for the award presented by the Basketball Hall of Fame and The Hartford. Of those finalists, Arseneault is just one of two from an NCAA Division III school.

Arseneault is having another banner season, as he recently jumped into the D-III top five for career assists. He currently has 814 and, at a career rate of 9.5 assists per game, is on pace to become the D-III all-time leader in that category.

This season, Arseneault is averaging a double-double of 16 points and 10.8 assists per game. Among his career highlights is setting the NCAA record, regardless of level, for assists in a game with 34 during his junior year against North Central (Minn.).

Fans can get in on the voting for the award. To vote for Arseneault, visit www.cousyaward.com.

Playing before a packed house at Darby Gymnasium, the Grinnell College men's basketball team soared past William Penn University 126-101 in non-conference play Monday, Feb. 2.

John Grotberg '09 (pictured) tied a season-high with 48 points, which included a sizzling 13-of-21 performance from 3-point land. He also had four steals. Bobby Long '09 put up 28 points, David Arseneault '09 scored a double-double with 13 points and 14 assists and Matt Chalupa '12 came up with 11 points.

Grinnell, which shot 44.1 percent from beyond the arc, improved to 12-6 while William Penn fell to 16-9. The Statesmen were led by Kris Miller's 27 points.

The Pioneers never trailed in the contest and, after leading by eight midway through the first half, used a big 20-6 run to pull away. Grotberg had 12 points, all on treys, during the spurt, Long added five points, Arseneault two and P.J. Mahaffey '11 one.

The Pioneers led 62-45 at intermission before the visitors made a bit of a rally, coming within nine points at 71-62 with 15:39 to play. But again Grinnell went on a run, this one a 13-3 spurt that made it 84-65. Grotberg had two 3-pointers during that time, Long scored five points and Mahaffey two. William Penn never threatened again.

The contest was broadcast by Mediacom and will be shown on a tape-delayed basis at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 4 on the Mediacom Connections channel, and again at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5. Rob Brooks delivered the play-by-play, while former University of Iowa basketball star Al Lorenzen was color commentator.

The Pioneers continue to remain home this coming weekend as they entertain Ripon College at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 6, and Beloit College at 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7.
Box Score