When you watch Brad Oleson on the basketball court, certain things are blatantly obvious. You see the unselfishness when he passes up an open shot to get the ball to a teammate. You see the quickness when he dribbles through a defense for a layup. You see the strength when he battles players six inches taller for a rebound and you see the hustle when he throws his 6'4 frame on the floor for a loose ball. But that's just Oleson.
Desire has been a way of life for the University of Alaska Fairbanks junior star. He only knows one way to play basketball -- all out. "Brad Oleson is one of those players that care about the team winning," said Al Sokaitis, UAF Men's Basketball Coach. "He a very team-oriented type of player and, sometimes, he's team-oriented to a fault."
Oleson and his teammates are preparing for the biggest three-game stretch of the 2003-04 season and it starts Saturday, February 7, with arch rival Alaska Anchorage. The game is set to begin at 4 p.m. in the Patty Center. The Nanooks come into the contest tied for third place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference with a 12-6 overall record and a 5-4 slate in the GNAC. UAF will then host Humboldt State University on Thursday, February 12, and Western Oregon on Saturday, February 14.
Oleson's basketball journey to Fairbanks began years ago in the backyard of the family home in North Pole, AK. It was there he honed his skills on the court against the efforts of his older brother, Luke, who now plays collegiate basketball at Peninsula College (WA).
"It would get pretty heated when we played," said Oleson. "He used to beat me and then as I got older, it was about even when we played. Now, I think I can take him."
Oleson has been able to "take" a lot of people over the years. The North Pole High School standout had a stellar prep career that saw him earn All-Region and All-State honors. He caught the attention of several college coaches; however, he chose to continue his basketball career in the junior college ranks so he could sharpen his skills on the court and in the classroom.
"I always wanted to come to UAF, but I needed to work on things so I went to Peninsula College," Oleson said. "After one year there, I transferred up here. It was important to me to be close to home and to my family."
And that decision to come back to Fairbanks has been a blessing for Sokaitis and the whole UAF family. Oleson certainly wasted no time making his presence known with the Nanooks.
Last year, he put up some impressive numbers during his initial season at UAF. Oleson averaged 17.2 points per game with a field goal percentage of 53.9 percent. He also shot 41 percent from 3-point land and 86 percent from the free-throw line. Oleson earned several All-Tournament team honors and was named the 2002 BP Top of the World Classic Most Valuable Player after leading the Nanooks to the tournament title.
"Obviously with Brad in our backyard, we were always interested in him coming to UAF," Sokaitis said. "He shoots the ball very well and can defend. He's a good decision maker on the floor and has a very good basketball IQ. He competes and he hates to lose; why wouldn't a coach want him."
And that basketball IQ seems to get sharper with time as the talented lefty picked up this season right where he left off last year. Oleson is averaging just over 21 points per game and shooting over 50 percent from the field. However, he has had to pick up his game even more this year due to the graduation of Steve Towne and Jason Williams from last year's talented UAF squad. The numbers are there; however, as Oleson is setting new standards in rebounds (110), assists (51), blocked shots (14) and steals (36).
"Brad is one of those players that has a lot of talent, but enjoys working on that talent to make himself better. Not all players with talent are like that," Sokaitis said. "It is difficult to compare players from different eras, but I find it hard to imagine a better player than Brad at UAF. Bogdan Popescu, Milo Griffin, Dick Rockwood, Mike Cronk, Andre Green, they were all great players. Brad is certainly in that company and the next year and a half will determine if he is in a league of his own. There is room for improvement in Brad's game, but I feel he likes the challenge. I think he could play in any league in the country. He's that good."
But never one to draw too much of the spotlight on himself, Oleson moves the attention to his teammates. "As a team, we're not as good as we should be. I definitely think we're getting better each game, but we shouldn't have lost the Central Washington game and we certainly shouldn't have lost at Anchorage. I also think we should have beaten Western Washington when they came here. I know we could easily be 15-3 instead of 12-6," said Oleson. "We've struggled a little bit, but I think we're turning things around."
And now is definitely the time to be "turning things around." These next 10 days could go a long way toward deciding the Nanooks' place in postseason play.
"This is a big three-game swing for us, but the most important game is the next game. And that's Alaska Anchorage," said Sokaitis. "This is the time when you need someone to step their game up a level. These are big games and I think you will see Brad pick up his game during this stretch. He's one of those players that respond to big game situations. Brad really enjoys the challenge."
"Every game is important, but these next three games are very important for us. We need to win all three of them. If we do, we'll be OK," said Oleson. "Our goal all season has been to make it to the NCAA Tournament. Winning these three games, I believe, would be a big step toward achieving that goal."
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