Lyle/Pacelli senior Brady Stier will play basketball at Buena Vista next season
Published 7:23 pm Thursday, May 13, 2010
Lyle/Pacelli’s all-time leading boys basketball scorer hopes to do some more winning in his basketball career.
Brady Stier, a Pacelli senior who is also Pacelli’s all-time leading scorer with 1,633 career points, has made a verbal commitment to play basketball for Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa next season.
The Beavers have had 14 straight winning season since Brian VanHaaften took the helm. VanHaaften has the best active winning percentage in NCAA Division III men’s basketball with a record of 278-85 (.766).
“They’re a program with a winning attitude and they’re going to win no matter who they’ve got. That was a big factor,” Stier said. “I like their team and I like their school. I’ve got a win-win situation there.”
Stier will likely start on the JV team at Buena Vista, but the JV does practice with the varsity so he’s hoping to make his mark and reach the varsity squad as a freshman.
“I’m hoping to happily surprise the coach and I’d love to play varsity right away,” Stier said.
While he played center at L/P and averaged 18.1 points and 10.3 rebounds last season, Stier will be making a position change in the college ranks. Instead of patrolling the paint, he will be on the perimeter as a swing-man or mix it up a little at power forward.
“I’ve been practicing a lot since the season ended at playing guard,” Stier said. “I hit a lot of threes when I was playing with some players at Waldorf College.”
Waldorf was the other school that kept in contact with Stier throughout the season.
Stier will receive the Presidential scholarship from Buena Vista, which is the second biggest scholarship the school offers.
It was important for Stier to find a four-year school instead of having to transfer from a two-year school.
“You get to know the guys better and you’re more comfortable with them when you’re there for four years,” he said.
L/P head basketball coach Reid Olson is hoping Stier, who was on varsity for four years at L/P, can have a big impact at Buena Vista.
“We felt he could go on and play at the next level,” Olson said. “He has the work ethic and the drive to succeed and we wish him well. It think he’ll do fine.”
The Beavers play in the Iowa Conference.