Commitment: Sage Maiers (2016)
Another top-2016 is off the board, and Sage Maiers — currently Iowa’s 20th-ranked 2016 — has committed to further his hoops career at NAIA Briar Cliff.
He had no other offers but says he had late interest coming in from DMACC, Kirkwood, and Clarke.
It was the coaching and the camaraderie that lured him into the the Sioux City university.
“One of the main reasons I decided to go there was the group of guys that was there were all really close, they were like one big family, and that’s what I really liked,” said the 6-foot-7 power forward.
“And then the coaching staff; they give you a lot of freedom when you’re playing. They aren’t all over you when you make mistakes, and that’s another thing I liked.”
The Chargers’ coaching staff is counting on the Dubuque Wahlert product to make a big impact over the next four seasons.
“What they told me when I went on my first visit was they see me a a guy who can make a big impact in their conference, and really shake things up for four years there,” said Maiers.
An Iowa Barnstormers product, Maiers is averaging 5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game while coming off the bench for the Golden Eagles.
“My role is just to basically to help create for other people, get them open, and get them the ball as much as possible. I’ll chip in with a couple points here and there when it’s needed. And then also just try and be a hustle player, try and get every board and every loose ball, and just feed it to Cordell (Pemsl) down the stretch.”
The Golden Eagles were the preseason favorites to win third straight 3A title, but have come upon some rough patches this season, and currently sport an 11-4 record.
“I think we’re playing good down the stretch as we get ready for March,” said Maiers. “But when we had those few losses our captains did a good job of keeping people positive, and letting us know that we can’t be perfect all the time, we’ll have slip ups here and there. And they just made us work harder in practice.”