The men’s basketball team saw the fifth largest increase in attendance in the nation, as announced by the NCAA on Wednesday, after the 2011-2012 attendance increased by 2,072 fans per game compared to the previous season.
The announcement makes it the second straight year Denver’s attendance was within the top 10 largest increases in college basketball. Since 2009-2010, the attendance has increased by 176 percent, and DU is the lone Rocky Mountain Region team – which includes 22 universities – to make the list.
The Pioneers saw a 61.2 percent increase from 2010-2011 and averaged 5,460 fans per game at Magness Arena this season. After last season, when Denver had the 10th largest increase after averaging 3,338 fans per game and a 71.2 percent increase from 2009-2010, Denver became the only team among the op 15 in each of the past two seasons.
“Our fan support was very good this year,” said head coach Joe Scott. “Our team has worked hard to improve, and it has shown in our play and in our record. The fans and community have responded to that, and they have been an important part of that process. Obviously, the bigger crowds have brought more energy to our arena and to our team.”
Magness Arena hosted nine of the 14 biggest crowds in men’s basketball history in 2011-2012, including more than 7,000 fans against both Wyoming on Dec. 19, 2011, and Arkansas State on Jan. 26, the second- and third-largest home crowds in DU history.
Denver selected for Seatown Classic in Fall
The Denver men’s lacrosse team announced yesterday that they will be taking part in the first-ever Seatown Classic on Oct. 13 at the Starfire Sports Campus in Tukwila, Wash., against the University of Maryland in a fall exhibition.
This game between the currently ranked No. 10 Terps and the No. 13 Pioneers will be the fisrt NCAA Division I collegiate lacrosse game to be played in Washington state, presented by the Washington State Chapter of US Lacrosse.
“The City of Tukwila is excited to welcome collegiate lacrosse to our fine city,” said a Jim Haggerton, mayor of Tukwil. “Lacrosse is an excellent sport, and Starfire is the perfect facility to host it.”
US Lacrosse is pleased to be expanding the program to the West coast, according to David Low, Washington State Chapter President of US Lacrosse.
“US Lacrosse is thrilled to bring NCAA Men’s Division I Lacrosse to the Seattle area for the first time,” said Low. “In the last decade, over 100 high school players in Washington state have gone to play lacrosse at the NCAA level. This is an opportunity to see the best of those players and collegiate lacrosse played at its very highest level.”
Sophomore midfielder Cole Nordstrom is the lone Denver player returning to his home state to play the game.
Women’s basketball rounds out staff with
2 additions
Women’s basketball head coach Kerry Cremeans announced the additions of associate head coach Seth Kushkin and director of operations Wes Kitchens to the coaching staff on Tuesday.
“Seth and Wes will be vital members of our program,” said Cremeans about the additions. “Their presence within the program and experience within the field of women’s basketball will push us to great heights during our time here at DU.”
Before joining the Pioneers last week, Kushkin has served as the assistant coach with Auburn, Georgia Tech, Ohio State and Purdue. He was also the director of athletics at Laurel School in Cleveland, Ohio, before his time at Auburn in 2007. He served as an assistant coach with USA Basketball during 1998, helping with the selection and coaching of 40 Division I student-athletes.
Two of Kushkin’s most successful times as an assistant occurred while coaching at Ohio State (1999-2002) and Purdue (1997-1999). At Ohio State, he helped lead the Buckeyes to the 2001 WNIT and helped recruit two nationally ranked classes, including the class of 2001, ranked 7th-best in the nation. While at Purdue, he helped the team win a national championship alongside Cremeans in 1999.
“I always knew that when I became a head coach, I would do anything and everything for Seth to be on my staff,” said Cremeans. “I have known Seth for many years and experienced an amazing season with him in 1999 when we won a national championship at Purdue. These young women at DU and the future women’s basketball players at Denver will gain great knowledge of the game from Seth and will no doubt reach their greatest potential as an individual and as a team.
“Seth will be my right-hand man on the court, and I look forward to working with him again and winning championships.”
Prior to last week, Kitchens served as the video coordinator of the Auburn women’s basketball program. He was in charge of all areas of video, organizing official visits and serving as the gym director for the Nell Fortner Basketball summer camps.
Before the video coordinator position, Kitchens served as the head manager of the Auburn women’s basketball team while he was earning his undergraduate degree. As the head manager, he coordinated the Auburn women’s basketball summer camps, organized video for scout sessions and was in charge of travel duties.
While he was head manager, he was a part of the SEC Tournament Youth Clinic as a coach and was a member of the 2009 SEC Championship team.
“I am very thankful and excited to have Wes join us in Denver,” said Cremeans. “Loyalty and trust are two very important, key components that I will always look for in my staff and players. Wes brings both of these qualities at the highest level. He is hard working, organized and has a passion for athletics. He is eager to make a difference, very giving of his time and energy to help in any way that he can to make sure DU women’s basketball is successful. In filling this position, it was important for me to find a person who can wear many hats, and that is Wes.”
Two swimmers earn
All-Academic honors
Denver swimmers sophomore Kyle Milberg and senior Jackie Leung were named to the 2012 Capital One Academic All-District men’s and women’s At-Large teams for District 7, College Sports Information Directors of America announced yesterday.
“This is a great honor for us to have Kyle and Jackie recognized,” said head coach Brian Schrader. “I know they both have worked very hard in the classroom and taken pride in what they do. We are lucky to have had Jackie go through our program, and she finished with a great senior year both in the classroom and leading us to a conference championship. Kyle continues to set a very high standard on our team, one that our men and women both strive to be at. Our teams take a lot of pride with thier grades and performance in the pool.”
Milberg has a 3.92 cumulative grade point average in chemistry. The sophomore swimmer won the 100 and 200 backstroke at the Sun Belt Conference Championships, finishing the season undefeated in the 200 backstroke before being named the Co-SBC Male Swimmer of the Year and being named the SBC Men’s Swimmer of the Week four times this season. He won four individual gold medals at the SBC Championships in his two years, two each for the 100 and 200 backstrokes.
He also made the SBC Commissioner’s List for earning a 3.5 GPA or better his freshman year and earned a 4.0 GPA, making the DU Dean’s list three times each.
At the end of her career, Leung has accumulated a 3.96 cumulative grade point average in international business. The senior swimmer finished in the top 10 in each of her eight 500 freestyle races in the 2011-2012 season.
She competed in the 1,000 freestyle four times this season and racked up two wins and two 2nd-place finishes, tabbing five top-five finishes in the 400 IM. She recorded her career-best time of 4:18.75 at the SBC Championships. Over her career, she has been named to the SBC Commissioner’s List every year for earning a 3.5 GPA or better, has earned a 4.0 GPA seven times and was named to the DU Dean’s list nine times. Leung was also named one of DU’s Scholar-Athletes of the Year as a freshman.
