St. Thomas misses last year’s top scorer, but still looks dangerous

There were many times last season for St. Thomas men's basketball when coach Johnny Tauer gave his leading scorer, Andrew Rohde, freedom to shoot his way into a big game.

That often meant good things for the Tommies, who were the surprise team in the Summit League, finishing fourth last season in their second year playing Division I.

But Rohde, the Summit League freshman of the year, transferred to Virginia. That left St. Thomas with a big piece to fill when the season opened Monday night in a 71-66 loss at California.

Senior Brooks Allen had a team-high 17 points. Fellow seniors Drake Dobbs (14 points) and Parker Bjorklund (11 points) also scored in double figures for the Tommies, who have their home opener Friday against Idaho State.

"I thought we put ourselves in a spot to win," Tauer said Monday. "I thought we were tough-minded, shared the ball well, and we shot it well. It was one of those games … They made a couple plays down the stretch, but I couldn't be more proud of our guys."

Last season, the Tommies were led in scoring by either Rohde or fifth-year senior Riley Miller in the first six games, which included a competitive opening loss at Creighton.

Bjorklund, who was named to the Summit League all-preseason team, is the team's top returning scorer. St. Thomas also added Saint Mary's (Minn.) transfer Raheem Anthony, the MIAC's top scorer last season in Division III.

But Allen, a 6-7 grad student from Shakopee, took over during a stretch Monday with 11 points in the second half, including back-to-back layups to help build a 60-54 lead with 6:45 to play. The Tommies were outscored, though, 15-6 in the final six minutes.

Despite the loss, Dobbs had the best game of his career after playing sparingly and sitting out the 2021-22 season following his transfer from Liberty. The Eden Prairie native shot 5-for-8 from the field at Cal, including 2-for-3 from three-point range.

For St. Thomas to continue building on last season's success, the team will need the development of sophomores Kendall Blue, Ahjany Lee and Carter Bjerke.

Bjerke, who redshirted out of Wayzata last season, made his college debut with six points in seven minutes against Cal. Lee and Blue led the team in blocks (two) and rebounds (five), respectively.

The highest rated player in St. Thomas' 2022 recruiting class, one that was tops in the Summit League, wasn't Rohde, who scored six points in his Virginia debut Monday.

A 6-9 former Totino-Grace star, Lee had several high major offers in high school. He thought about leaving after Rohde hit the transfer portal but stayed loyal to the Tommies.

"I had a really good talk with Coach Tauer about what I wanted to do," Lee said. "As much as I wish I could still play with [Rohde], I know staying here was a good decision."

Even without their top player from last season, the Tommies are still led by a trio of veterans and have high-potential young talent. How it comes together will be something to watch with the season underway this week.

"Congrats to Andrew because Virginia's a Power Five school," said Blue, who played at East Ridge. "But him leaving meant somebody had to fill his role. I didn't want to see him go, but it's an opportunity for the next person to step up. And I know we're committed to each other, here to get better together and win as a team."