COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's University senior Aaron Burtzel (Cold Spring, Minn./Rocori) became the second Johnnie invitee for the USA D-III All-Star Brazilian tour this August. In addition, assistant coach Pat McKenzie, who was originally selected to serve as an assistant coach, will now serve as the team's head coach. Another SJU assistant, Jerry Fogarty, will join McKenzie as an assistant in Brazil.
Burtzel joins junior point guard Andy Burns (Shorewood, Minn./Minnetonka), who was originally invited in early July.
The USA D-III tour runs from Aug. 3-12. The squad has orientation and practice Aug. 3-4 in Orlando, Fla., before flying to Sao Paulo, Brazil, for three consecutive contests in the city of Jundiai on Aug. 5-7. The teams will then travel to Rio de Janeiro for two more contests on Aug. 9-10. In Rio, the USA D-III team will be hosted by the Brazilian National Military team as it prepares for the World Military Basketball Championships in South Korea this September.
A two-time All-MIAC selection and a 2010 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division III All-West Region second team pick, Burtzel started all 26 games and led the Johnnies in scoring (13.6 ppg.) and the MIAC (conference games only) in shooting percentage (.673, 107-159) and assists (4.85 apg.). He also finished second in both rebounding (9.8 rpg.) and minutes played (35.60 mpg.), and third in steals (1.75 spg.). Burtzel recorded 11 double-doubles, including two triple-doubles, in 2009-10. He enters his senior campaign third on the school's known rebounding list with 662 career boards and is fifth in both assists (295) and minutes played (2,488).
Fogarty begins his 11th year as an assistant coach for SJU in 2010-11. As a collegiate player at St. Thomas, Fogarty played under former Tommie coach Tom Feely in the early 1960s and earned his bachelor's degree in 1964. After graduation, he became a basketball assistant at Rochester Lourdes. In 1969, he became the school's head coach and guided Lourdes to a state independent crown in 1973. He was inducted into the Lourdes Sports Hall of Fame in December 2009.
Aside from representing the USA on the hardwood, the trip will also provide the group of All-Stars with educational, social and cultural outreach opportunities within the communities they visit, and will also allow them to visit schools and historical sites throughout Brazil.
Thursday, Aug. 5
USA vs. Jundiai, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 6
USA vs. Piracicaba, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 7
USA vs. Esporte Clube Sao Caetano, 7:30 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 9
USA vs. Brazil Military, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 10
USA vs. Clube Fluminense, 7:30 p.m.
USA D-3 Team
Marvin Billups, Jr. (Purchase College, N.Y.)
Doug Bissen (Buena Vista, Iowa)
Taylor Blum (Dubuque, Iowa)
Andy Burns (Saint John's)
Aaron Burtzel (Saint John's)
David Golembiowski (SUNYIT)
Carl Hipp (Hamline)
Nick Motta (Bridgewater State)
Nick Rose (Colorado College)
Head Coach – Pat McKenzie (Saint John's)
Asst. Coach – Jerry Fogarty (Saint John's)
