With his college basketball career down to its final handful of games, Brett Olson could be torn between personal and team goals.
On the one hand, he has an opportunity to move up high in the school record book in several career statistics. On the other hand, there’s the team thing. The Pioneers have struggled to a 9-13 overall record and a 3-6 mark in the Summit League. Their only hope for postseason play would be winning the league tournament in March.
There’s no question which hand Olson cares most about.
“I have no idea what the exact numbers are,” Olson said. “It’ll be an honor to be wherever I end up, but if I keep playing my game, it will take care of itself. My end goal is to help this team play with success.”
With four games in a row at home starting Saturday against Nebraska Omaha (8-13, 2-7 Summit League), coach Joe Scott and the Pioneers have a good chance to get to .500. North Dakota State (15-7, 7-2), Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis (8-14, 4-4) and Fort Wayne (11-11, 4-5) follow Nebraska Omaha on the DU schedule.
“We’ve sometimes lost our focus,” Olson said. “We’ve failed to remember key things at times in some of our games, like knowing that you can’t make mistakes against good teams.”
The 6-foot-6 guard from Highlands Ranch began his senior season on a high note when he was selected the Summit League’s preseason MVP. He scored 27 points Dec. 29 in the Pioneers’ 77-73 overtime victory over Saint Joseph’s at Magness Arena. For the season, he is averaging 12.5 points and has made 43 percent of his 3-point shots.
Olson ranks 11th on the DU career scoring list with 1,324 points, eighth in career assists (311) and fifth in career 3-pointers (244). By the end of the homestand, he should be tied for fourth place in games played (120).
In hopes of coaxing a better overall team effort, Scott moved junior Jalen Love to point guard five games ago and switched Olson from point guard to shooting guard. DU is 2-3 since the change.
“The No. 1 thing is to win games,” Scott said. “More of the individual stuff comes when the team is doing well. Players learn that the more they help everybody else, the better they do individually.”
Olson isn’t concerned about personal statistics.
“We’ve had our ups and downs as a team,” Olson said. “We’re trying to find our identity. I wouldn’t say we’ve changed our offense. We had to get back to the basics.”
Irv Moss: 303-954-1296, imoss@denverpost.com or
