As the DU men’s basketball team fights to hang on to first place in the Sun Belt Conference West Division, head coach Joe Scott is working hard to keep his team focused. One player who shows incredible focus and growth is standout guard Tyler Thalken.
Thalken’s dedication on and off the court has been one of the many variables that has allowed DU to erase its 2-9 start and compete in the SBC this season.
Thalken, a 6-foot-4 guard from Oklahoma, has made an impact on the court, averaging 20.8 minutes as a starter for the Pioneers this season, a noticeable increase from his 7.8 minutes per game last season.
After having a minimal role last season, the red shirt sophomore has emerged as a starter in 17 of the clubs 26 games thus far, entering the starting lineup before conference play began on Dec. 31 and never relinquishing that role.
Off the court, Thalken has found success as well. Last year he made the Sun Belt Commissioner’s list, earning better than a 3.5 grade point average. Born in Midland, Texas, Thalken came to DU to study finance.
“[Studying finance] will open up opportunities for me to work on financial analysis and investment management down the road,” said Thalken.
Although he may be looking toward his future, the guard who sat out the 2008-09 season as a freshman is focused on finding his groove this season.
“I started out as a defensive player [last season], but now I am adding value to the team on the offensive side as well,” said Thalken, who finished with a career-high 19 points in a win over Arkansas State on Jan. 20.
Scott credits his guard’s scoring ability because the sophomores confidence in his shooting stroke, especially from behind the three-point line.
This season, Thalken leads the team in three-point percentage, draining 22 of 46 (.478) from beyond the arc. Even better, he is shooting 48.6 percent from three-point range in conference play.
Thalken also asserts that his success scoring is the result of the offensive system in place.
With only one true freshman on the roster, the Pioneers are understanding and executing their game plan much better than they did earlier this season, which Scott cites as a combination of individual play and familiarity with the team’s systems.
Although the adjustments have been made and success has been found, Thalken acknowledges that now, more than ever, is the time to remain focused on the task at hand – securing a first round bye in the SBC postseason tournament.
“Playing in first feels great, but you know every other team has a target on your back; I go into the game believing we’re the underdogs,” said Thalken.
Scott has instilled that philosophy in all of his players, reiterating that the team needs to stay motivated as well as focused if it wants to make the postseason.
“We need to continue to improve through February for the team to grow and take that next step into the postseason,” said Scott. “Working on being consistent and staying focused on what has made us successful in the first place will help get us there, because we started to play well in [the middle of] December and now we have played six weeks of consistent basketball, but we need to play nine weeks if we want to give ourselves the opportunity to be playing in March.”
