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Originally posted by Alfred33
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He shot the 3 pretty well in HS...spoke with his dad about that a couple years ago wondering why he didn't shoot it more...he had told his dad, that's not my job, every three I take is one TH can't...love having guys who are more than willing to play their role. Hopefully, he's able to help us more in the scoring column this season! This year's schedule doesn't let me see a very small number of games live...hoping for another fun and successful season!
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Agreed... Ben seems to bring in a lot of guys with that kind of character. Team goals above their own... I suppose when you're winning at a high clip, it's a little easier to sell that too. But yeah, Isaiah had that early game last year against, I believe, Flagler where he hit like 6 3's and we're all thinking, uh oh, look out! So, I mean, it's in there, but by the end of the year, it seemed he'd lost confidence and wouldn't even look at the basket outside the paint. He's already a really good defender and he'll get points because he moves well, can handle, can finish, gets offensive rebounds, etc., but if he becomes a willing shooter, he'll be a tough guard for anyone at this level. He's a guy that's probably not on a lot of people's radar, that I could see becoming an all-conference type performer. Good kid too, so I'd love to be right about that.Originally posted by libertybearcat View PostComment
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That game vs Flagler was what precipitated my convo with his dad...my thought was if he can hit those consistently, opponents couldn't put the extra defender in the lane giving TH & DB more lane access...they ended up doing okay that year without that happening! :)Originally posted by Alfred33 View PostComment
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I'll be curious to see how the Mustangs match up with the Bearcats in a couple of weeks in St. Joes. First meeting since the regional championship in 2017.Comment
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How Parenting Led Abreu To National Championship Journey With Northwest Men's Basketball
WESLEY MILLER | Managing Editor | @wesleymiller360
Northwest men's basketball then-sophomore forward Daniel Abreu dribbles the ball up the court during the Bearcats' 75-64 win over Missouri Southern Feb. 25. Now as a junior, Abreu is set to open his fourth season with Northwest against Northern State at 3:15 p.m. Nov. 10 in St. Joseph.
Parents are some of the most important people on the planet, and, if it weren’t for Daniel Abreu’s, he may have never played for — or even heard of — Northwest men’s basketball.
During his recruitment process, Abreu’s mom watched college coaches’ interviews to understand what they look for in their players. That’s when fate helped her come across one with coach Ben McCollum.
“So, it's funny, because my mom would tell me, ‘Hey, this (Division II) school,’ and I had no clue who they were at the time, but, ‘These Bearcats, their coach says just this and this basketball wise and this recruiting wise,’ and I kind of just shrugged it off for a bit,” Abreu said. “Then, it really came down to me and my mom forcing me — once again, my parents forcing me to do stuff that's good for me — but she forced me to make an email and send it out to coach (McCollum), and that's where it all began.”
And what began was a journey that has led him into his fourth season with the Bearcats. Along the way, he’s helped the program capture two national championships, he’s become a consistent starter, starting in 22 of 34 possible games in the 2022-23 season, and the now-junior forward is third on the team in career points with 515.
While he had trouble singling out his favorite memory in his time with the program, he said one of them has to be Northwest’s 80-54 win over West Texas A&M for the 2021 national championship in his freshman season.
“I was just flooded with joy,” Abreu said. “It was like, ‘I can’t believe, in my first year here at Northwest, we got a ring.’ It was just crazy. It was surreal.”
Before the memories, games and trophies, Abreu was just a kid from Willard High School in Springfield, Missouri. Whether it was through the email or another method, it didn’t take long for McCollum to want Abreu on his team.
“Daniel was very versatile, he can post a little bit, he can drive a little bit, he can finish and he really defends at a high level,” McCollum said.
Before even starting his career with Willard, where he was selected to the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Class 5 All-State team in his junior year, Abreu said he first found his love for basketball when his dad signed him up for a youth team in the fourth grade.
While he was timid about trying new things then, he said the nerves soon went away after the first few practices.
“It was just a fun time of, I mean, playing little, little basketball back then,” Abreu said. “I was just the big man — I was the biggest man, I was ginormous — so they needed me. And, it was just like, ‘Wow, I am needed in this sport.’”
His love for basketball carried through his junior high years into high school. It was around his freshman and sophomore seasons he decided he could take his game to the collegiate level.
When the offers started to roll in and the recruitment process began, Abreu said he made his decision based on the level of competition he would play against as well as how far he could make it into the postseason. He said playing in Division I was tempting, but he didn’t want to play on a team that wasn’t going to make it far in the playoffs.
“So, it was more like, ‘You know, a DII playing high-level basketball and consistently capturing titles sounds like something I would like to do,” Abreu said.
And there he was — a college basketball player in northwest Missouri — with a little insistence from his parents. Yet, even as the new chapter in his life began, so did new challenges.
Coming into a program fresh off its second national title in the last three seasons, with players such as 2019-20 Bevo Francis Award finalist and MIAA Player of the Year Trevor Hudgins and 2019-20 Bevo Francis Award finalist and MIAA Defensive Player of the Year Ryan Hawkins to compete against in practice, Abreu said it was a bit of an adjustment.
“I don’t know if I describe it as cool, I describe it as nerve-wracking,” Abreu said with a laugh. “It was definitely daunting. It was a learning curve at first, but, once you understood that family dynamic, it got a lot better.”
Northwest men's basketball junior forward Daniel Abreu dribbles toward the basket against redshirt freshman forward Ethan Marlowe during practice Oct. 31. Abreu is third on the team with 515 career points.
As Northwest men’s basketball is set to open the 2023-24 campaign against Northern State at 3:15 p.m. Nov. 10 in St. Joseph, now Abreu is one of the older guys on the team in a group of seven upperclassmen.
Coach Ben McCollum talks to junior forward Daniel Abreu during Northwest men's basketball practice Oct. 31. Abreu started in 22 of 34 possible games during the 2022-23 season
McCollum said Abreu continues to have one of the best personalities on the team and is hardly seen without a smile. The 15th-year coach said he cherishes having a player like Abreu within the program.
“I mean, he's an everyday guy,” McCollum said. “You look out there, and there's always a few guys where it's like, you know, ‘What’s he gonna be like today?’ And, with Daniel, we know what Daniel’s gonna be that day. We know what we get every single day. And, having everyday guys is a big deal, and it's not something that we take for granted.”
As a new season approaches for Abreu and the Bearcats, he said he’ll continue to use his family as motivation, and he’s looking to help bring a national title back to Northwest after its three-time defending title run came to an end in the 2023 Central Region Semifinals.
“It was just an eye-opener, like, ‘Hey, we're no better than anyone else just because we're Northwest,” Abreu said. “This was a great reminder, like, ‘Hey, you guys aren’t on the top anymore, you gotta get it back.’ So I definitely think it will be a huge motivator for all of us this season.”
Wesley Miller
Managing EditorLast edited by ZubCat81; 11-09-2023, 01:10 AM.Comment
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Great NW crowd for a Friday afternoon. We’ve been ready for this game since the Regional lossComment
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Isaiah’s not suited up for this tournament due to injury. Hope he’s back by the UMSL game.Comment
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34-20 NW @ 1/2.Comment
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NW needs to find an answer to 6-10 Moni-he has 18 of their 35 ptsComment
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Just keep shutting down the others you don't need to change a thing, lolOriginally posted by NWFanatic View PostComment
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Final NW 65 NS 47Comment
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Outside of the run before the half, that one was a little hard to watch, although I'm glad we're getting underway. Northwest always prides itself on playing good defense and we saw that (from both teams), but wow, I don't imagine (at least I hope not) we'll see another game where Northwest goes 2-17 from 3. That's ugly. I saw that Jackson wasn't dressed, but I was a little surprised that Moustakis didn't get any minutes, but maybe I missed something?Comment
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Obviously didn’t shoot the 3 well today, but held the #21 team to only 47 points and several players in double figures.
That’ll do pig, that’ll do.Comment
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Ratigan had a good game and Shomers got more minutes than I expected. Byron looks quicker and bigger than last year. Jackson is hurt and may not play tomorrow either. Hope he’s able to play vs UMSL on the 22ndLast edited by NWFanatic; 11-11-2023, 12:19 AM.Comment
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Isaiah was suited up and warmed up but is now in street clothesLast edited by NWFanatic; 11-11-2023, 03:19 PM.Comment
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