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Coach

T-Birds Earn Elite Status in Juco Hoops

Ask a coach who has been around for awhile, and chances are they will know all about Casper College. In junior college basketball, Casper College has a well deserved reputation as one of the outstanding programs in the nation.

It is no accident that 12 regional championship banners hang from the rafters, celebrating championships that propelled the Thunderbirds into the national tournament. Through the years Casper College has won 23 games and finished among the top 10 eight different times in the NJCAA's marquee event. More than 60 T-Bird athletes have gone on to play Division I basketball, and seven ended up playing in the professional ranks. Seventeen T-Bird players have earned All America honors.

Casper College began playing basketball back in 1945. That year, the team played two games against Scottsbluff Junior College . Since that year, Casper College has won more than 1100 games, averaging nearly 20 wins per year. Today, the T-Birds play a 30-game schedule which takes them to colleges all over the West.

A big reason for the success of T-Bird basketball has been its unparalleled support. Few teams anywhere in junior college draw crowds as big as Casper . The T-Bird Booster Club and loyal fans not only attend the home games and rock the house, but also serve as host families for our athletes. Every T-Bird home game is broadcast on KVOC (1230 AM). That means parents and coaches back home can listen to the games!

Now you know the tradition that is Thunderbird basketball.

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PortraitJoel Davidson
Head Coach


307-268-2626 (work phone)

Casper College basketball begins a new chapter this fall with the arrival of Joel Davidson. Davidson replaces Gary Becker, who retired from coaching to teach full time in the Casper College business division.

Coach Davidson comes to Casper College from Sheridan College, where he coached nine seasons. For the past five years he has served as the head coach. Prior to becoming the head coach, he was an assistant at SC for four years and worked on the college staff as a student advisor. Over the past five seasons his teams compiled a 122-38 record (.763) during that span. In 2006, his team won the Region IX championship and competed at the national tournament. Coach Davidson has twice been named Wyoming Conference and Region IX Coach of the Year. During the 2005-06 season, his team won a school record 30 games.

Coach Davidson says his teams will be fun to watch. "We will push the tempo and try to speed the game up," he says. "It's a fun game for our players to play and I think the fans will like it too."

A native of Sheridan, Joel has a wife and four children. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Wyoming.

 

PortraitDan Russell
Assistant Coach


268-3305

Coach Russell is in his third year with the T-Bird staff this season. Previously, he served as a student-assistant coach under Coach Heath Schroyer at the University of Wyoming where his duties consisted of player development and film/ scouting reports.

The T-Birds are proud to welcome Dan back home; he played for the T-Birds from 2004 to 2006, before transferring to Black Hills State. At Black Hill State he averaged 9 points and 3 assists for his career. A former standout athlete at Natrona County High School, Dan ranked among the top players in Region IX in 3pt field goal shooting during his tenure at Casper College as well as winning the Warren H. Winter award in 2006. Russell, currently is 7th all-time in 3-Point field goals in a career, 20th in 3-point field goals made in a season and 8th all-time in T-bird history in 3-point field goal percentage in a season. In high school, Dan was a two-time all state basketball player as well as All-conference. He was regarded as one of the best shooters in the state during his career. He was one of Wyoming's Top 25 selections in football. He still holds several football records playing Quarterback at NCHS.

Dan's sister, Jill (Russell) Vance, also played for the T-Birds (1998-2000). His oldest sister, Jennifer (Russell) Alvar, played for the University of Wyoming (1994-98). Both are currently teaching in the Natrona County School District. Dan is the son of Jim and Judi Russell.

 

PortraitBill Landen
Athletic Director

(307) 268-2667

Bill Landen took over as athletic director two years ago, but he is not new to those who have been around Casper College and its athletic programs.

Bill has spent the past 22 years at Casper College. Prior to accepting his current role, Bill served as Director of College Relations for 18 years.

Bill’s commitment to the T-Birds dates back to his student days at Casper College, where he wrote about Swede Erickson’s T-Birds as editor of the campus newspaper. He later covered Casper College as a professional journalist for the Casper Star-Tribune and KTWO Radio.

Since his arrival in the athletic department, his focus has been on community and student involvement in the college’s four sports programs. Bill has worked with the T-Bird Booster Club to establish a permanent endowment for athletics, and that fund hit the quarter million dollar mark this year.

T-Bird fans may recognize Bill from his days as the radio play-by-play voice of the T-Birds in the 1980s and ‘90s. Along with serving as the voice of the T-Birds, Bill spent 18 years in marketing and information for the college. He has earned numerous awards during his professional career, including twice being named Wyoming’s Sportswriter of the Year by the national association of sportswriters and sportscasters. He was named Rosenthal Outstanding Administrator at Casper College in 1997. In 1993 he was honored by his peers as Communicator of the Year by the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations.

Along with his duties at Casper College, Bill was recently elected to the Wyoming Legislature as State Senator for District 27.

Bill’s wife, Robyn, is the Director of Financial Services/Controller for Casper College. They have three children: Nick, Zack and Hailey.

 

Portrait

Kay Demaree
Administrative Assistant, Athletics


307-268-3000

Kay joined the athletic department team after serving the past year as the academic assistant for the Business Division. Kay coordinates all the athletic office duties, including season ticket sales and corporate sponsorships.

Top

#

Player

BIO

Position

HT

YR

Hometown/HS

0 Andre Moliterno [BIO] Forward 6'10 FR Maringa, Brazil
1 Art Steward [BIO] Wing 6'4 SO Casper, WY (Natrona)
2 Brandan Walton [BIO] Guard 6'2 FR Compton, CA (King Drew)
3 Brett Sommerville [BIO] Guard 6'0 SO South Jordan, UT (Bingham/NW WY)
4 Abner Kamps [BIO] Forward 6'10 SO Spring Lake, MI (Grand Haven)
5 Michael Dietz [BIO] Wing 6'8 FR Casper, WY (Natrona)
11 James Hayden [BIO] Guard 5'11 SO Jackson, WY (Jackson)
23 Nikola Kovac [BIO] Forward 6'11 FR Toronto, Ontario
33 Cameron Howard [BIO] Forward 6'8 FR Canton, OH (Timken)
34 Noah Adams [BIO] Forward 6'9 FR Casper, WY (Midwest)
42 Robert Mayes [BIO] Wing 6'7 SO Houston, TX (Smiley)
55 Antonio DiMaria [BIO] Wing 6'7 SO Pittsburgh, PA (Patterson Prep/Kent St)
RS Cobi Eskew   Forward 6'7 FR Casper, WY (Kelly Walsh)

HEAD COACH: Joel Davidson
ASSISTANT COACH: Dan Russell
STUDENT ASSISTANT COACH: Caleb Brown
Student Manager: Tyler Lesher & Kevin Hinton
Statistician: Brant Jacobson
Colors: Red & White
MASCOT: Thunderbird
ATHLETIC DIRECTOR: Bill Landen
PRESIDENT: Dr. Walter Nolte

Team

| Ticket Prices |

Month Date Opponent Location Time Webcast Statcast
October 17 Jamboree Spearfish, SD TBA    
October 22 Jamboree Casper, WY TBA    
October 23 Jamboree Casper, WY TBA    
November 5 Colorado Christian JV Casper, WY 7:30 PM    
November 6 TBA Casper, WY 7:30 PM    
November 11 CSI Tourney Twin Falls, ID TBA    
November 12 CSI Tourney Twin Falls, ID TBA    
November 13 CSI Tourney Twin Falls, ID TBA    
November 19 NJC Tourney Sterling, CO TBA    
November 20 NJC Tourney Sterling, CO TBA    
November 25 Colorado Northwest Casper, WY 7:30 PM    
November 26 NJC Casper, WY 7:30 PM    
November 27 TAAG Academy Casper, WY 5:00 PM    
December 3 Northwest Tourney Powell, WY TBA    
December 4 Northwest Tourney Powell, WY TBA    
December 10 Sheridan College Sheridan, WY 7:30 p.m.    
December 11 Northwest College Powell, WY 5:00 p.m.    
January 5 Little Big Horn College Crow Agency, MT 8:00 p.m.    
January 7 EWC Torrington, WY 7:30 p.m.    
January 8 LCCC Cheyenne, WY 4:00 p.m.    
January 14 Western Wyoming College Casper, WY 7:30 p.m.    
January 15 Central Wyoming College Casper, WY 5:00 p.m.    
January 18 Western Nebraska CC G Casper, WY 7:30 p.m.    
January 25 Gillette College Casper, WY 7:30 p.m.    
January 28 Laramie County CC Casper, WY 7:30 p.m.    
January 29 Eastern Wyoming College Casper, WY 5:00 p.m.    
February 4 Central Wyoming College Riverton, WY 7:30 p.m.    
February 5 Western Wyoming College Rock Springs, WY 5:00 p.m.    
February 15 Western Nebraska CC Scottsbluff, NE 7:30 p.m.    
February 18 Northwest College Casper, WY 7:30 p.m.    
February 19 Sheridan College Casper, WY 5:00 p.m.    
February 22 Gillette College Gillette, WY 7:30 p.m.    
February 25 Little Big Horn College Casper, WY 7:30 p.m.    
             
March 4,5,6,7,8 Region IX Tourney East Winner TBA    
March 15,16,17, 18,19 National Tourney Hutchinson, KS TBA    
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