After a 74-52 routing of Division-II Minnesota State Mankato in a preseason scrimmage, the No. 13-ranked St. Thomas men’s basketball team tips off the regular season Nov. 16 against the Wisconsin-Eau Claire Blugolds.

St. Thomas guard Marcus Alipate led the team with 17 points over the No. 7-ranked Mavericks, while forward Taylor Montero recorded 16 points and seven rebounds in the game.

Coach John Tauer said he was most satisfied with the team’s trust and effort against the Mavericks.

“Mankato’s an outstanding team, one of the best Division-II programs in the country year in and year out,” Tauer said. “We use that kind of a game as a barometer that gives us an idea of where we’re at in the season and what kinds of things that we need to work on.”

St. Thomas is coming off of a 22-6 season last year in which the team won the regular season MIAC crown but lost to St. Olaf in the MIAC tournament finals. The Tommies lost to Augustana College (Illinois), which is ranked third in the nation to start this year, in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Tauer said the team focuses on “depth, pressure, unselfishness and balance.”

“When you look at our style of play and the success we’ve had over the last several years, much of that can be attributed to really good players who put themselves underneath the scope of the team, and they work exceptionally hard,” Tauer said.

St. Thomas lost two All-MIAC seniors from last year’s team. Forward Zach Riedeman averaged 12.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game last season. Guard Erik Tengwall, who missed multiple games down the stretch due to injury, had a 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio in his final two seasons as a Tommie.

“Everyone respected (Tengwall). Everyone loved him. He played a huge role in me maturing and developing as a player,” guard Grant Shaeffer, who filled in for Tengwall when he was out, said. “Getting that experience as a freshman really built my confidence, and it really built confidence with the guys that are here this year.”

With the loss of Riedeman and Tengwall, Alipate and forward Conner Nord will assume new leadership roles.

“Having the experience that both of us have had and moving forward, I think it’s showing the younger guys you have to put the work in to get to where you need to be,” Alipate said. “I think that both (Nord) and I have the same vision of where we want the team to go.”

St. Thomas starts the season with a host of veterans on the roster, including six players who have starting experience and 13 total letter winners.

“While we do have a lot of veterans, you also look at the continuity of a program,” Tauer said. “What I think you’ll find is that our guys all adapt to a new role each year.”

Montero is one player who will be filling in a new role this season, playing multiple positions for the Tommies. Montero, a 6-foot-4 junior, will be a threat for St. Thomas in the frontcourt. Montero only averaged 7.2 points and 2.7 rebounds per game last year but is expected to have a bigger impact on the stat sheet this season.

Tauer said Montero’s versatility is “one of his greatest strengths.”

“I think we’ll put (Montero) in a lot of different positions because quite frankly he’s a phenomenal shooter, he’s improved his mid-range game, he’s really good in the post and he’s also an outstanding passer,” Tauer said.

On top of Shaeffer, Montero, Nord and Alipate, St. Thomas also has forward Ryan Saarela and guard Cortez Tillman as players returning with starting experience.

“When you look at our roster, one of the things I really like is we can go small … or we could go really big,” Tauer said. “I think you’re going to see early in the year we’re going to experiment with a variety of those combinations.”

The Tommies also begin the season with guard Will Dunn, a Division-I transfer. Tauer said Dunn is expected to come off the bench and play a perimeter role for the Tommies. He played a season at the University of Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne, averaging 3.4 points per game for the Mastodons.

“(Dunn’s) doing really well; he’s a good addition. He grew up here so he knows a lot of guys on the team coming in,” Schaeffer said. “He really brings a competitive edge and a win-at-all-costs attitude that we really need.”

St. Thomas is the only ranked team in the MIAC coming into the season. The Tommies host the Blugolds at 1 p.m. Sunday in Schoenecker Arena.

“It’s going to be a fun environment. It’s going to be a fun year this year,” Alipate said. “We’ve got a really good team, and I’m excited.”

Jordan Kruger can be reached at krug6172@stthomas.edu.