Recruiting Report: Nick Schaefer (2019)
St. Cloud Cathedral’s gone to two straight state tournaments thanks in large part to a pair of big men that are playing at the Division II level now. A guy who’s played a valuable role on those teams and figures to be a major key to this upcoming season is Nick Schaefer.
Schaefer, a 6-foot-2 senior wing, averaged better than 10 points per game as a junior, serving as one of the top pure shooters in the state. He’s excited to take on a more prominent role this winter and thinks the Crusaders can continue on their path of success.
“We have captains practice a couple nights a week so we’ve had a chance to get in the gym throughout the fall,” said Schaefer. “I’m really excited to get back with the guys. We lost a couple good guys from last year but we always want to win and we’re competitors so we expect to have a good season.”
Schaefer’s role will certainly increase in a significant way this winter. After playing AAU with the Comets and working on his game, he thinks he’s prepared to handle being one of the go-to guys.
“I think I gained a lot of versatility,” said Schaefer. “Last year my main role was to shoot when I’m open. This year I think it’ll be more penetrate, get to gaps, create for guys. We have a lot of guys that can shoot the ball. I think I’m a little better with my defense from playing AAU too.
“But I think it’s mostly about a leadership role. We’ve got some younger guys coming in and guys that haven’t played as much so it’s about that leadership. Obviously shooting more, scoring more, defending better, doing more things, but I think the leadership aspect is a big thing for me too.”
Schaefer’s ability to shoot already makes him an intriguing college prospect. His size and athleticism plus the potential improvement in the other areas of his game make him highly sought-after.
“The schools I’ve talked with the most have been Mount Marty, Mayville state, Briar Cliff, St. Johns and Bethany Lutheran,” said Schaefer. “It’s kind of been those five. I’m not in a big hurry to make a decision so I’m not sure if I’ll play out the season or not. I’ve taken visits to all five and I really liked them.”
Cathedral figures to be one of the best teams in Class AA. Despite losing two very good big men, there’s a lot of talent in place. The Crusaders have a terrific core of perimeter players in particular and with Schaefer leading the way, their goals remain high.
“We’ve got a few goals for sure,” said Schaefer. “We want to win the Granite Ridge again. There are some good teams in there. I think another goal is making the state tournament again. Getting there the last couple years, we’ve been there and experienced it. We know the feeling. We want to get back there. I truly think with the core we have, we can do that. We can compete at a high level. Those are our two main goals. We’ll see.”