Tartan Forward Joel Awich Is A Late Addition For Cal Poly

Joel Awich, a 6-foot-6, 190-pound senior forward from , had planned to go to a prep school this fall to continue to work on his basketball game and earn a Division I scholarship. However, a strong first half with the Minnesota Pump N Run AAU program at the Best of the Summer Tournament in Anaheim, CA, caused several teams to take notice of the under-the-radar player.

The last minute attention caused California Polytechnic State University to take notice and bring him out for an official visit Monday. Awich decided to end his recruitment by committing to the Big West school this week.

Awich averaged 8.7 points per game this past season as he helped lead the Titans to a 25-4 mark, losing to Cretin Derham Hall 47-46 in the Class 4A, section 4 championship game. He scored in double figures in 13 games, including a season-best 16 points in a 6-4-57 win against Spring Lake Park.

Minnesota Pump N Run head coach Clarence Bethea said he thinks that Awich is a good addition for the Mustangs program.

“I think Joel is a perfect fit for Cal Poly,” said Bethea. “They were looking for an athletic “4” (power forward) who could really get up and down the floor, plays over the rim and could shoot the ball a little bit from outside. I think that he fits their system perfect.”

Bethea has seen plenty of improvement in Awich this season and said he believes he still has room to grow as a player.

“He is with one of the better coaches in the state of Minnesota in Coach K (head coach Mark Klingsporn) at Tartan,” said Bethea. “I think that since he was such a late bloomer, his improvement started later under the development of Coach K and having the ability to play with the bunch of guys that he did this spring and summer, his improvement just went through the roof. Cal Poly is getting a hidden gem in Joel.”

Bethea said he thinks that a redshirt season, which would allow him to get stronger, will help him be ready to play college basketball.

“I think that is going to help a great deal,” Bethea said. “For him to be able to get there and figure out the intensity of the game and be able to redshirt and add 15 pounds with his athleticism and the way that he can shoot the basketball is going to be awesome for him.”

Oakdale Patch caught up with Awich to learn the latest on his decision.

Oakdale Patch: You visited Cal Poly Monday. What did you think of the visit?

Joel Awich: It was really nice. Everything is really close, which is good. I got to meet the players and toured the gym. I met the coaches and they took me out for dinner, which was really nice. 

Oakdale Patch: When did you first start hearing from Cal Poly?

Joel Awich: A week before the visit.

Oakdale Patch: What other schools were you hearing from besides Cal Poly?

Awich: New Hampshire, Sioux Falls, North Dakota, Minnesota-Duluth and a couple of junior colleges.

Oakdale Patch: You had talked about going to a prep school for a year before going to college. Was that something you were still looking at?

Awich: I wanted to go to a prep school, but I just thought it would be easier to go to a college for a year, even if it was a junior college.

Oakdale Patch: How pleased are you with the decision to go to Cal Poly?

Awich: I am pretty pleased. I am pretty excited.

Oakdale Patch: When do you start school?

Awich: Sept. 22.

Oakdale Patch: What are they saying about your role with the team?

Awich: I think that Coach (Joe) Callero wants me to be a defensive player first. He said that I would have to redshirt this year because I have to gain some strength in the weight room. I don’t mind it, because they only lost one senior last year, so it would be hard for a freshman to come in and play right away. I don’t mind it.

Oakdale Patch: Did you know much about Cal Poly before your visit?

Awich: My AAU coach from two years ago, Mitch Ohnstad, went to Cal Poly and he told me about it, but I never really thought anything about it.

Oakdale Patch: Cal Poly has had several other Minnesota players on their roster. Did you know anything about them?

Awich: Not really, but I met David Hansen (of Maranatha), a former Minnesota player.

Oakdale Patch: Cal Poly is known for their engineering program, which is a field that you are interested in, right?

Awich: They have a lot of companies that tour the school and check prospective engineers.

Oakdale Patch: Did you commit on the visit or when you got home?

Awich: I committed on the visit. The coaches were happy

Oakdale Patch: What was the reaction from your friends and family?

Awich: I think that they were probably more excited than me at first. I can understand that. I am really pumped. I’m really excited.

Oakdale Patch: You had a game in Anaheim, where you had a 3-pointer, a dunk, another basket and a blocked shot all in the first half that attracted the Cal Poly coaches who talked to me after that game. Was that the performance that caught their eye?

Awich: Yes. I think that is where they noticed that I could play and they decided to get a hold of me and explained to me what was going on with the visit.

Oakdale Patch: It goes to show that it might only take one good half to show enough to get a scholarship. 

Awich: I know. (Laughing)

Oakdale Patch: This July, you played in Indianapolis, Chicago, Bloomington, Las Vegas and Anaheim. How much did that experience help you playing against very good competition to get better as a player? 

Awich: You never know what kind of guys you are going to play against. It’s not always the same. Some people are more athletic. Some people may be shooters, so you learn how to defend. I thought by the end in L.A., we came together as a team and we were like, ‘this is our last tournament, I think we’ve seen it all,’ so let’s make a run for it. That is when we all started playing well.

Oakdale Patch: What types of things are you going to be working on now and during your redshirt year to get ready to play for the 2012-13 season? 

Awich: I’ve got to work on my ballhandling and definitely some weights.