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A podcast about St. John’s University (MN) basketball that features legendary coach Jim Smith as well as head coach and Johnnie alum Pat McKenzie ‘04. Hear from notable players and personalities that make this program one of the very best in all of Division III athletics. Whether a long-standing Johnnie basketball fan, a relative newcomer, or just a student of history, there's sure to be something for everyone on "No Place I'd Rather Be…"
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45 years ago today, "Norma Rae" was just released and number one at the box office, Rod Stewart’s "Do Ya Think I’m Sexy" topped the charts of the Billboard Hot 100, and the St. John’s University basketball team was on its way to Mankato for what we have already established as one of the greatest contests in St. John's athletic history. Today we bring it to you as it was heard over the air waves all those years ago … unadulterated, straight from the mouth of the legendary Connie O … so sit bac...
This week, as the johnnies wrap up the regular season, we welcome Luke Budzyn and Griffin Rushin to the program to talk with the guys about the recruitment process, their approach off the bench, some housing plans for senior year, and Gary’s Pizza takes one from the top rope on our weekly late night food debate. ...And that was Luke Budzyn and Griffin Rushin. Thanks guys for taking the time. The Johnnies picked up a pair of wins against St. Olaf and at Gustavus to secure the regular...
We are very excited to bring you today's program as we close out season two with '94 grad Travis Weiss along with the last minute addition of our very special guest Bob Alpers, who aside from being athletic director and a hall of fame golf coach was an assistant basketball coach for 20 years and had a front row seat to just how humble and team-oriented Weiss was. They changed the offense because of his particular set of skills and Coach Smith had to implement rules to get him to shoot more. C...
This week senior manager Ethan Youso took a few minutes before Monday's game to talk to the guys about his plans after graduation, why he came to St. John's and his role with the team. ...Thanks Ethan for taking the time.The Johnnies put on a show Saturday for all those in attendance for alumni/senior day. with a record-setting performance from behind the arc in a win over St. Scholastica. with 21 threes made on 34 attempts. A staggering 11 of those threes came from Kooper Vaughn, who ti...
Today, we step off the court and welcome one of the staunchest and longest-tenured supporters of St. John's basketball, ‘58 grad Jim Bassett, who is the 2024 recipient of the Father Walter Reger Distinguished Alumnus Award, which recognizes outstanding service to the Saint John's community and is the highest honor given by the Alumni Association. And, as we’ll hear all about on today’s episode, the former alumni board president didn’t find much to enjoy during his initial encounters with the ...
This week sophomore Kyle Johnson and junior Luke Healy were kind enough to take some time to talk with the guys about game prep, their approach as they come off the bench as well as how they got to St. John’s in the first place. And the late night food debate rages on as we elicit a spirited defense of Gary's Pizza. ...This season of "No Place I'd Rather Be ..." is sponsored by the Sexton Family Foundation, helping usher in the next generation of leaders. And Sixth Man Enterprises, creating a...
Today we get to the conclusion of our conversation with ‘87 grad Phil Johnson and ‘84 grad John Wiehoff. Both of whom played key roles in making the ‘80s one of the most successful decades in Johnnie basketball history. With a couple more timely interjections from one of our hosts, Tom Connell, ‘84, whose no slouch himself. But that’s for another time. And this being part two, as always, part one is highly recommended. I mean, nothing hits quite like nostalgia and that just so happens to be w...
This week we circle back with head basketball coach Pat McKenzie as he joins the guys from the road for a mid-season check-in. ...This season of "No Place I'd Rather Be ..." is sponsored by the Sexton Family Foundation, helping usher in the next generation of leaders. And Sixth Man Enterprises, creating a state of readiness. Thank you for making this project possible.Are you a member of the Johnnie Basketball Alumni Association? You should be! Sign up right now to join the Johnnie Basket...
On today’s episode we are lucky enough to have Phil Johnson and John Wiehoff. Two seminal figures in SJU basketball history during what was one of the most sustained stretches of on-court success seen in Collegeville. From 1976 to 1988 the Johnnies appeared in the national tournament 10 of those 12 years. Wiehoff and Johnson were right in the middle of that run through the ‘80s. Johnson was All-MIAC and All-Region (both first team) in ‘85-’86 and ‘86-’87, with an MVP-caliber year in ‘85-’86, ...
This week juniors Zach Longueville and Kooper Vaughn sit down with the guys to talk about the team, what makes them such a tight group and a little about their own paths to collegeville. ...This season of "No Place I'd Rather Be ..." is sponsored by the Sexton Family Foundation, helping usher in the next generation of leaders. And Sixth Man Enterprises, creating a state of readiness. Thank you for making this project possible.Are you a member of the Johnnie Basketball Alumni Association? You ...
Today, we venture into new territory as we welcome Steve Fritz … yes, that Steve Fritz … the one who played at St. Thomas University from 1967-71 … joined the coaching staff under Tom Feely … took over the program in 1980 … won an NCAA Division III championship in his final season as head coach in 2011 after 40 seasons on the bench … 31 of those as head coach … during that tenure he had a decorated playing career and his 1,944 career points … a school record at the time and remains second in ...
We are back and excited to bring you the conclusion of our time with Bill Sexton and his son Jim. If you haven’t listened to the first part of our conversation you should know how this works by now. What are you waiting for? Do it now … go ahead. For the rest of you, today we hear more from the man who has left an indelible mark in Collegeville from the time he first graced the campus in the the early 50s all the way to present day. A kid from the lumberyards of Jasper, Minnesota who was inst...
Happy Holidays! We’re off this week, but wanted to take the time to say we hope you all are getting exactly what you need from this holiday season. We’ll be back next week to bring to you the conclusion of our two-part episode with Bill Sexton, which leaves you plenty of time to get all caught up before then. All episodes of No Place I'd Rather Be ... are available on your favorite podcast app or at benchwarmersmedia.com. Speaking of websites with lots of cool stuff to check out are you...
From time to time certain names carry certain reputations which tend to to precede their owner. There are fewer names, however, which are so ubiquitous it’s hard to imagine them being attached to an actual human being. The subject of the next two episodes of our show happens to be among the latter. When it comes to St. John’s University, the Sexton name can be found all over campus, from the Sexton Commons to Sexton Arena ... and we'll just leave it at that for now. But the first place Bill S...
Senior team managers Ryan Engel and Tommy Ornburg take some time during their trip to Florida to talk to the guys about their journey to Collegeville, the responsibilities and challenges of the manager role, what makes it all worth it as well as some plans for after graduation. ...This season of "No Place I'd Rather Be ..." is sponsored by the Sexton Family Foundation, helping usher in the next generation of leaders. And Sixth Man Enterprises, creating a state of readiness. Thank y...
Last week we heard all about what set the class of '79 apart from the rest. If you haven’t, go back and listen to last week’s episode first. Because today, as the conversation shifts to their senior season, we get a glimpse at just how special that group was, as we relive one of the greatest games during one of the greatest seasons in the history of basketball in Minnesota. And there’s a good chance even that is selling it short.Same lineup as last time. Let’s get back at it as Coach Smith, T...
St. John's University seniors Brandon Adelman, J.T. Gaffney and Connor Schwob sit down with the guys this week to talk continue with the theme of new offense and scoring a bunch as well what to do over the holiday break and plans for after graduation. ...This season of "No Place I'd Rather Be ..." is sponsored by the Sexton Family Foundation, helping usher in the next generation of leaders. And Sixth Man Enterprises, creating a state of readiness. Thank you for making this project possi...
Frank Wachlarowicz … John Patterson … Dan Smith … Ted Nowak … Pat McKenzie … Paul Wotta … and John Harvey … never before or since has a single class contributed to more on-court success than that of the class of '79. It’s the stuff of legends. Running the table in the conference all the way to 27-straight wins. Frank breaking the all-time scoring record during what has been hailed by those in attendance as one of the greatest college basketball games ever played … an overtime win over Mankato...
Today, we break new ground as we welcome two current players to the show. Ryan Thissen and Blake Berg take some time to talk to the guys about the team's new offensive approach, their own telepathic defense and what got them to Collegeville in the first place. ... This season of "No Place I'd Rather Be ..." is sponsored by the Sexton Family Foundation, helping usher in the next generation of leaders. And Sixth Man Enterprises, creating a state of readiness. Thank you for making this pro...
Frank Wachlarowicz's accomplishments on the court set him in a class all by himself. His 2,357 career points remained the pinnacle of Minnesota collegiate basketball for roughly four decades and is still atop the MIAC and SJU record books. His 1,093 career rebounds and 162 free throws in a season also remain as school and conference records. And his 640-point season and 565 career free throws are still more than anyone else in school history. Put all that together and you get back-to-back MIA...
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