- Drew Olson taking it to the basket during American Rivers Conference matchup with Buena Vista. Photo courtesy of go-knights.net.  

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Published 04/15/22

 

The offseason starts but the work has only begun. The Wartburg men’s basketball team finished the 2021-2022 season with a record of 16-10 overall and 9-7 in the American Rivers Conference. The fifth-year option keeps the championship window open for a Knights team looking for redemption on the court next season. 

 

Details of the Fifth-Year Option 

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The NCAA’s decision to provide an extra year of eligibility to student-athletes who had their 2020 and 2021 seasons impacted by COVID-19 has been felt by college athletic programs nationwide. 

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According to Next College Student Athlete, NCAA student-athletes can compete in all or a portion of the 2020-21 season, but it won’t be counted against their years of eligibility depending on their division level-specific eligibility rules. The NCAA Division III committee granted all 2020-21 Fall, Winter, and Spring athletes an extra year of eligibility, even if they participate in the 2020-21 sports season.  

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Director of Athletics John Cochrane, who is in his first year with the Knights, talked about the impact of the NCAA’s eligibility decision on the Wartburg athletics programs with the rise of student-athletes taking fifth years. 

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“I think it has been a really good thing, but it has had some minor challenges in terms of managing larger squad sizes and keeping that many student-athletes quality of experience high. But certainly, the leadership that comes with that type of maturity is really a neat thing to see,” said Cochrane. 

 

Drew Olson Returns for a Fifth Year 

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Senior guard Drew Olson who was a key contributor and leader on the floor for the Knights this season shared his motivation and goals for next season. 

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“Getting another opportunity to go out and compete with my brothers. Obviously, we are all so close, so it is just another day to go out and play the sport I love with my best friends. Doing whatever I got to do to find a way to help my team put the best foot forward to help them win. That is what it is all about and it’s what we are going to be looking forward to next year,” said Olson. 

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During the 2021-2022 season, Olson averaged 15 points, 4 assists, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals per game. Olson led the Knight’s team in points and steals this season. He was also named to the First Team All-Conference for the American Rivers Conference.  

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Trent Allard is a second-year forward for the Knights and highlighted the impact of Olson’s return to the Knights next season. 

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“Drew’s one of the major leaders on the team. It will be really good for our team to mesh and have another year with a guy who has a lot of experience. It helps with all the young guys coming in and hopefully, it will help build our culture even better having Drew there for another year,” said Allard. 

 

Drew Olson Off the Court 

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Olson is originally from Osage, Iowa. He studies business administration and sports management. During the offseason, Olson stays busy as a member of the men’s golf team.  

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Olson’s shared three major role models in his life that have helped him get to where he is today. His Amateur Athletic Union basketball coach Tom Christensen who taught him work ethic and a love for the game. Former Wartburg teammate Jaran Sabus played for the Knights from 2015 to 2019. Olson learned a lot from getting to practice with and guard Sabus every day. The last key role models were his mom and dad that sacrificed a lot for him over the years. 

 

Head Men’s Basketball Coach Dick Peth is in his 25th season with the Knights. He pointed out what has made Olson an effective part of the Knight’s program on and off the court. 

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“When Drew has had a chance to make his impact in the program and be a starter. Obviously, he has done a tremendous job there. He is a very vocal leader, so we appreciate everything he brings on and off the court for us there,” said Peth. 

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- Wartburg men’s basketball warming up for practice during the 2021-2022 season. Video courtesy of Joshua Hamlyn. 

 

Next Season Outlook 

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The Wartburg men’s basketball team has three other seniors from this year's roster returning for a fifth year including Keagan John, Cade Daugherty, and Braden Holmquist.  

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The Knights will return an experienced roster ready to win a conference championship and return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since the 2016-2017 season. During that season they finished with a record of 21-10 overall, won the Iowa Conference tournament title, and made it all the way to the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA tournament.  

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“We are excited. Next year having Drew as a first-team all-conference guy returning, Jack as a second team, and Keagan as an honorable mention I mean that’s a great place to start. Not only that the nucleus that we have only losing one guy is really huge for us. The experience factor is going to be there for us. It is going to be how we can really carry out our roles, carry out our philosophy from the defensive end and from a rebounding standpoint,” said Peth. 

 

Stay up to date on Wartburg Men’s Basketball on go-knights.net and Wartburg Basketball Insider throughout the offseason.  

 

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