March 29, 2024

A night to celebrate

SWCC, Creston celebrate national championship

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Southwestern Community College men’s basketball coach Todd Lorensen brought a motto to Creston from his time at the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

Somewhere along the way that phrase was changed a bit.

That change however was for the better.

This season’s Spartan men’s basketball team became a family.

This dynamic, diverse group of players bonded around a singular mission — to become champions.

Tuesday night, the team and community of Creston celebrated this most special of teams.

The team was honored for their win in the NJCAA Division II national championship game in front of a large number of Spartan backers and community members at Spartan Gym.

“At Nebraska-Omaha, our players did this breakdown after every practice, every team huddle. They would yell ‘1-2-3 championship, 4-5-6 family,’” Lorensen said. “Somehow along the way it became ‘1-2-3 family and 4-5-6 championship.’ What that means to me is that before we could become champions, we had to become a family.”

The team and the fans broke it down one final time this season.

“One, two, three — FAMILY! Four, five, six, CHAMPIONSHIP.”

Lorensen paused for a moment.

He choked up, wiped his hand over his eyes.

The sacrifices individuals made for the team to succeed made this season special in their head coach’s eyes.

“They care more about the greater good than themselves,” Lorensen said with a tear streaking down his face. “Every one of these guys gave up a piece of themselves for us to be the best basketball team in this nation.”

Lorensen noted how much passion the team had for each other and the game of basketball.

“It comes from people that are passionate. These guys are passionate about becoming better basketball players and the best possible team they can be,” Lorensen said. “You can fake a lot of things. You can’t fake passion.”

He recalled talking to families and recruits about his vision for the program.

“I was legitimately getting goosebumps talking to them,” Lorensen said. “I can’t fake this. I can tell you I’m going to be a nice guy in practice. I can lie to you about that. I can tell you you’re going to play eight minutes a game, or 20 minutes a game, but you can’t fake passion. You can’t lie about passion.”

“There are a lot of passionate people in southwest Iowa.”

This team showed what is possible for Southwestern Community College, Creston and the region.

“We can accomplish anything if you really put your mind to it, whether you’re from a town of 6,000 people in southwest Iowa, Creston, or a couple miles down the road in Mount Ayr, Diagonal or any of the other smaller communities we represent at Southwestern Community College.”

“We went to a national tournament. Teams from Virginia, teams from North Carolina, bigger cities and better places — I don’t feel that way, but sure others may say that. We came there and won the whole dang thing.”

Lorensen credited the players for not only being good players, but also good young men off the basketball court.

“It allows me to sleep easy at night knowing they’re representing this institution and community in a first class fashion,” Lorensen said.

It took a village of people on campus to make this season’s journey a success.

“To those in the business office, the dorms, to the student center, custodians, up and down the board, a lot of people contributed to the success we’ve had,” Lorensen said “I have a true appreciation.”

His assistant coaches, Scott Davis and Rand Hazelton, contributed much behind the scenes, Lorensen noted.

“Coach Davis, coach Hazelton have been spectacular,” Lorensen said. “Being an assistant is not always a glamorous role. There’s a lot of behind the scenes work that most folks, and I don’t mean this derogatory way, but they don’t understand what goes into running a first-class program. There’s countless hours those guys spent, even if it meant being up here later in the evening on a Tuesday night to let our guys get shots up, talk about guys extra stretching. You name it, those guys guys did countless things that nobody understands or realized. Without those guys, there’s no way we’re standing here tonight. Thank you guys.”

The way the community rallied behind this season’s team meant much to Lorensen and the team.

“Having come from a small town in Iowa, I can relate to what it’s like to unite as a community through sports,” said the Prairie City-Monroe graduate, who saw how those communities rallied together around their state tournament basketball teams when he was in high school at PCM. “That’s what’s happened over the last couple of weeks and couple of months.”

Like Lorensen, community support meant much to sophomore Jamil Maddred and the team.

“I thank everybody for coming out. We couldn’t have done it without you,” Maddred said.

Southwestern Community College president Dr. Barb Crittenden echoed Lorensen and Maddred in the support Spartan Nation provided throughout the season and particularly in Danville.

“The way you got behind this team has really been amazing,” Crittenden said. “We had great attendance in this gym. I can imagine how many people would turn into KSIB to hear those games, bring up the NJCAA TV. A bunch of you got in your cars to drive and drove the six and a half hours to watch those games live. No other team in the tournament had the following this team did.”

Spartan Nation was particularly out in force in the championship game.

“The energy in the gym during that Saturday game was phenomenal,” Crittenden said. ‘I know some of you were screaming at your radio or at the gym. The team knew you were there, felt your support.”

Maddred, a Camden, New Jersey native, spoke about how much this team meant to him.

“All of these guys behind me made it worthwhile, from practice to games,” Maddred said. “Off the court, we were like a brotherhood. We came together. Whenever we had problems, we talked about it between each other. There was never hostility towards each other. We all want to see each other succeed.

Dr. Crittenden credited the team with their unselfishness and team-first attitude.

“The thing I appreciated most was watching them as a team,” she said. “They exemplified what it meant to be a team.”

As tough as they were on the court, the players were equally kind off the court throughout their time in Danville.

“Just seeing wherever we went, where the team had been, people told us how respectful they were, how polite they were,” Crittenden said. “We’re just so proud of them not only because of their basketball skills, but because of the good young men they are.

“They are a great group of guys to have here.”

Dean of students Beth Kulow and student activities coordinator and transportation coordinator Tracey Evans were thanked for their countless hours of service behind the scenes while the team was in Danville.

Kulow and Evans’ efforts in taking care of little details allowed Lorensen and assistants Scott Davis and Rand Hazelton to be locked in on game planning and preparation.

“They were doing our team laundry. That doesn’t happen everywhere and without that I don’t think we would’ve won the thing, because it allowed us to have the time to game plan and game prep and do what we needed to do as coaches,” Lorensen said. “Thank you everybody for your genuine support in all the things, in all the little things.”

Lorensen closed the program by talking about what this team means long term.

This team will leave a legacy to be remembered forever.

“Some of these guys are sophomores. Will they be here next year? Unfortunately no. Some of them are freshmen. Will they be here in two years? Unfortunately no. Some of them are redshirts. They have two more years to play. In three years are they going to be here? Unfortunately no,” Lorensen said. “Players come and go. Students come and go.”

“Banners last a lifetime. And we’re putting one up on this wall.”