The Wartburg Men’s Basketball team has set a competitive tone throughout the first half of American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) play. With a 12-9 overall record and a 4-8 A-R-C record, the Knights have utilized a well-rounded offense and persistent defense to charge ahead to wins and battle through losses. Leading the offensive and defensive effort this year is Ethan Yungtum.
Yungtum, a junior forward from Elkhorn, Nebraska, currently averages 16.6 points per game and 11.7 rebounds per game. Since collecting his 15th double-double of the season, Yungtum explains how his success has been a result of the team’s well-rounded composition.
“We’re really balanced and spread out, so that allows for me to kind of do what I do best,” Yungtum says. “It makes it tough for teams to guard all five of us, instead of having to focus on just one star player.”
This organic balance on the team is not just a result of the players’ efforts. Yungtum credits head coach Sam Leal and the men’s basketball coaching staff for helping him and his teammates develop their game, no matter who is on the court.
“[They] really kind of opened a lot of doors to see the game in a way that I hadn’t really thought of it before,” Yungtum shares. “They know what each individual player needs to help them perform with their best.”
The shared confidence between players and coaches on the team is evident as Leal similarly acknowledges how Yungtum’s work ethic has allowed him to become a reliable leader this year.
“He’s a fun type of player to coach because you never have to coach the aggressiveness or intensity,” Leal says. “He loves to compete at practice, he’s going to bring the same energy, attitude, consistency every day… [and he] goes about his business to help the team win.”
So how does Yungtum help the team win? By being dependable in every aspect of the game.
With the ability to score from the perimeter and drive to the rim, Yungtum has no trouble finding opportunities to leverage his strengths against each opponent and thrive on the court.
“For us, he plays a slashing wing position where he can shoot the ball from three but is really strong finishing in the paint,” Leal explains. “One of his other consistent traits that he probably gets the most respect for is his consistency to pursue rebounds.”
Yungtum’s combined efforts on both sides of the ball already earned him two A-R-C honors early in the season, including Men’s Basketball Performer of the Week and Male Athlete of the Week.
At this point in the season, Yungtum has earned a double-double in points and rebounds in nearly 75 percent of games the Knights have played, spotting him at second in the nation for total double-doubles in Division III Men’s Basketball.
“I love when our players get recognized within our conference,” Leal expresses. “We don’t shy away from celebrating awesome success of our players and our team. Winning is so hard, earning a basket and playing well in a game is so hard… so we celebrate all throughout it.”
As the Knights continue facing A-R-C opponents, they have their sights set on one objective.
“Our goal at the end of the year is to win the conference tournament, make it to the national tournament, so we’re just looking forward to fighting for that in the conference season,” Yungtum says.
To aid in setting the Knights up for the best possible postseason run, Yungtum knows where his focus must lie.
“There’s always someone more athletic and stronger, taller, so finding a way to do those smaller things is really important to not just the team success, but individually,” Yungtum shares. “If I keep doing that, then my numbers will follow.”
Catch Yungtum and the Wartburg Men’s Basketball team in action on KnightVision as they next travel to face Nebraska Wesleyan University at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 7.
For more information on Yungtum and Wartburg Men’s Basketball, refer to the Wartburg Athletics page.
