With the graduation of Jordan Spencer, Steven Schaefer and Marcus Asmus, as well as John Warren's decision to transfer, the last vestiges of Augustana's national championship core are finally gone.
But while Spencer was arguably the best point guard in program history and Warren, Schaefer and Asmus all scored in double figures last season, the Vikings stumbled to a mere 16-14 record in 2017-18 and missed the NCAA tournament for just the third time since 2007. The window of contention officially closed.
Now the Vikings will try to start cracking open a new one.
Coach Tom Billeter hasn't fielded a lineup this young since his second year as coach, in 2004-05. That team featured 10 freshmen, and went 8-20 with just one conference win. But by the time those freshmen became seniors, they led the Vikings to their first NCAA tournament in 19 years.
This Vikings team features six freshmen and won't celebrate a Senior Day. The two most experienced players are in just their second year in the program. And those two guys – junior forward Adam Dykman and sophomore guard Matt Cartwright, have both missed practice time with injuries in the preseason (as have several others). But while it's undoubtedly a rebuilding year, Billeter doesn't want to give his players (or fans) the idea that winning isn't the goal now as well as later.
The 6-foot-7 Dykman, who transferred to Augie from South Dakota State, where he played in the 2016-17 NCAA tournament against Gonzaga, should be one of the better players in the NSIC when healthy. He averaged 10.9 points and 5.7 rebounds last year, shooting 53 percent from the floor and 43 percent from 3-point range.
And Cartwright, a 6-4 guard who averaged 7.2 points off the bench as a true freshman last year, will step into a larger role as a sophomore. That means not just playing more minutes, but guiding the locker room earlier than most players are asked to do so.
Tyler Riemersma is a 6-8 forward who played in 28 games for Navy last year – he'll team with Dykman on the inside. And while sophomore Jameson Bryan saw limited action last year backing up Spencer, freshman A.J. Plitzuweit is expected to run the point. The 6-2 guard and son of USD women's coach Dawn Plitzuweit averaged 34 points per game for Vermillion as a sophomore.
Dylan LeBrun, Tayt Vincent, Michael Schaefer, Trevor Hanson, Bodey Behrends and Beau Keeve are all freshmen that have a chance to make an impact, while 6-2 guard Levi Jansen (Dan Jansen's younger brother) is attempting a comeback after missing most of the last two seasons with injury.
OPENER: Nov. 9 vs. Southern Arkansas in Lancaster, Tex.