The road to Division I just might travel through Mason City
U.U. Longs' first impression of corn country was pretty much the same as that of most city kids. The Minneapolis native hadn't set foot on campus at North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC), but the endless miles of farmland convinced…
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Continue ReadingU.U. Longs' first impression of corn country was pretty much the same as that of most city kids. The Minneapolis native hadn't set foot on campus at North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC), but the endless miles of farmland convinced her this was not where she wanted to play college basketball. “When I first drove here, I looked at my mom and I said, 'Ma, I'm not going to stay here, I am not going to come here,'” Longs recalled. “It was just different, coming from the city to like… nothing.”
One year later, the Cooper High graduate is a NIACC sophomore who can't say enough good things about the two-year school in Mason City, where she has made so many friends, learned so much about herself, and laid the groundwork for bigger and better things. In fact, U.U. likes it so much that she has recruited younger sister T.T. to play for NIACC next year. Trojans' coach Todd Ciochetto could not be more pleased. “When U.U. walks into the room, everybody instantly becomes happy,” he said. “She is a supreme athlete, who has become a really good student. She probably has the biggest heart for her teammates of anyone I have ever coached. And at 5-foot-1 she's going to play Division I college basketball next year.”
Members of the National Junior College Athletic Association, NIACC has become a launching pad for players determined to advance to the next level. Ciochetto specializes in recruiting unfinished gems, kids that were overlooked in high school, usually due to lack of size or exposure, and turning them into solid prospects. “I think I have come a long, long way,” Longs said. “One, I have more experience. And two, I am a lot more confident in myself. Last year was my first year in college and I didn't know what to expect. This year I know what to expect and now I can play my game.”
Migrating South for the Season
Longs is one of 11 Minnesotans on the Trojans' roster, from clear across the state, and the 39-year-old Ciochetto racks up countless miles searching for more. He is a native of Chisholm, where he played for the legendary Bob McDonald and his dad Mike coached the girls for over 30 years. All of that excellence must have rubbed off. You can see it in his creative approach to the game, in the way he runs his practices and how he connects with players like Taylor Laabs of Princeton.
Laabs was always good. Now, as a sophomore, she is great. The 5'9″ combo guard is a skilled player with excellent instincts and outstanding athleticism. What she lacked in high school was confidence. “She had an OK year as a freshman and made first team all-region,” Ciochetto said. “You could see flashes, but defensively she was kind of timid. This year, she has just taken over. Next year she will be able to go to any part of the country to play D-I or D-II, and she's going to go for free.”
Laabs had her doubts about coming to NIACC, but felt it was her best option. “Todd promised me he would help me improve. He said, 'I'll make you a great shooter, I'll make you a great defender, I'll make you a great player,' and last year he did that for me,” she said. “Now I don't have to settle for something less. I already have D-I opportunities coming my way and I'm excited about that. It just feels like this was the right place for me.” The difference, Laabs says, is the total commitment and intensity Ciochetto requires from every player. “Everyone here goes hard every single day,” she said. “If they don't, they're not going to see the floor. That has really pushed me.”
Nobody dreams of playing JUCO ball
For most accomplished high school players, JUCO ball is a last resort. That’s where players go who don't have any other opportunities, isn't it? It's where college basketball dreams go to die. It's where academic non-qualifiers try to redeem themselves. Except it's not. “Before I came here that was my perception, too, but it's not true,” Ciochetto said. “If you look at this team, you'll see we have two valedictorians, and our team GPA last semester was 3.6.”
Still, it's not an easy sell. Every kid thinks they are Division I material, but reality often strikes after their junior year. Cici Kieger, a 5'10″ freshman from Woodbury, was one of those kids, a top 50 player with zero credible offers. “When Todd first contacted me I was like, 'Junior college? I don't think so,'” she said. “But you get here and discover that this is nothing like a junior college. This is high end. We get treated very well, we practice as hard as anybody in the country, and there are some unbelievable athletes here.”
A few weeks into her first year, Kieger has dropped a lot of weight and gained a ton of speed while adapting to life as an elementary education major on the campus of 3,800 students. “I feel like a completely different basketball player. I'm stronger. I'm maybe a little bit faster. I think I can even jump a little bit higher,” she said with a laugh. “I thought we worked hard in high school but this is a whole different level of hard. Basketball here is like an all-day, everyday kind of thing.”
The pace of play has been a huge adjustment for Kieger. Ciochetto likes to run. And run. And run some more. The Trojans averaged about 80 field goal attempts per game last year, half from beyond the arc. They make 12-15 threes a game and pull down over 40 rebounds. In practice, NIACC players wear T-shirts emblazoned with an important math equation: 3>2. This week, NIACC scored 141 points against a quality opponent in a full-game scrimmage.
“They want to win a national championship”
There are three levels of junior college athletics. The Minnesota schools, like Anoka-Ramsey and Rainy River, play Division III where there are no scholarships. NIACC is Division II and can pay for tuition and books. Division I programs can provide full scholarships. NIACC is usually ranked among the top D-II programs in the nation, but its' real success is moving athletes on to the next level. Graduates have advanced to Division I schools like Drake, UW-Milwaukee and San Francisco, and a cross-section of strong D-II programs. “I tell parents and players that I work a lot harder to get you to the next level than I work to get you here,” Ciochetto said. “That's our job.”
NIACC's success isn't limited to women's basketball. In the past two years, 13 baseball players moved to D-I, and two were selected in the Major League Baseball draft. That level of opportunity gets kids' attention. A visit to campus usually seals the deal, especially when they see the stunning new $25 million student housing complex where Ciochetto also lives and works as an Academic Success Coach. “The people at NIACC are great people,” he said. “It's a very student-friendly school. It's a nice campus and the academics are excellent. Basketball-wise, we like to have fun. If you are recruited here, you are going to play.”
Ciochetto's rotation is a dozen deep every night. Scoring is spread around. Success is shared. When you watch practice, it's obvious the players have bought in. The atmosphere is positive and encouraging. There's no bad body language, and Ciochetto and his assistant Cortni Rush don't need to raise their voices. This is the most talented group Ciochetto has coached, and they see the possibilities. “They're not worried about where they're going to go next year because they already have offers,” he said. “They want to win a national championship.”
By the time the Trojans went to the JUCO Jam in early October at the University of Northern Iowa, they appeared to be in mid-season form. NIACC used a split squad to play six games that day, winning all six by an average of more than 20 points in front of 50+ college coaches. By Monday morning, 11 players had serious D-I interest, and Laabs was planning a trip to Florida for a campus visit.
MINNESOTANS IN MASON CITY
Khalilah Holloway, Mpls SW | 5'11 | F | So | |
Taylor Laabs, Princeton | 5'9 | G | So | |
U.U. Longs, Cooper | 5'1 | G | So | |
Adria Stewart, Mpls South | 5'4 | G | So | |
Morgan Frank, Wabasso | 5'11 | F | Fr | |
Mikayla Homola, Osseo | 5'5 | G | Fr | |
Cici Kieger, Woodbury | 5'10 | F | Fr | |
Kenlie Pytleski. G-H-EC | 6'1 | F | Fr | |
Selena Shady, Esko | 5'10 | G | Fr | |
Shayley Vesel, Austin | 5'9 | G | Fr | |
Aejah Lockett, Simley | 5'5 | G | RF | |