NORTHFIELD, Minn. -- Student-athletes who choose to attend a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) school and participate in NCAA Division III athletics are able compete at a high level while balancing that commitment with a top-notch academic experience.
For Stu Neville, the choice to attend St. Olaf College was based, “mainly on academics, but basketball was part of the decision," he said. "It was a marriage of the two.”
That marriage has allowed Neville to become one of the league’s premier big men while pursuing a degree in Environmental Studies.
The balance of athletics and academics was pushed in his sophomore year, as Neville missed the last five games of the Oles’ season while participating in a study abroad program. He did so with the blessing of St. Olaf head men's basketball coach Dan Kosmoski, something that would be unheard of in Division I athletics,
“One of the things that appealed to me about St. Olaf was its strong study abroad programs,” said Neville. “In my freshman year, I applied to be part of a group that would study in Australia the spring semester of my sophomore year. I talked to Coach Kosmoski about it and he was very supportive, telling me that. ‘You’re here to be a student.’ He was disappointed I’d have to miss some games but was excited for me because of the opportunity it presented.”
“We’re educators, first and foremost,” said Kosmoski. “Helping these young men receive that education is a big part of what we do. I was supportive of Stu’s plans [to study abroad]. He was upfront with me about his intentions from day one, and handled it with class. This is Division III, where education comes first.”
Stu Neville dunks for the Oles. (Photo courtesy of St. Olaf Sports Information)
Neville was part of a group of 26 students who spent four months in Australia, mainly on the East coast, spending time in Victoria, New South Wales and Melbourne. “We took a holistic look at environmentalism in Australia,” he said. “Their governmental policies are very different from those in the U.S.”
His experiences in the program solidified Neville’s decision to complete his degree in Environmental Studies. After graduating this spring, Neville hopes to fine work in the world of alternative energy. “I’ve had a couple of internships in the field and learned what it takes to start a business in the field,” he said. “I’ve seen what it takes to be successful.”
Growing up the western suburbs of the Twin Cities, Neville's family lived in St. Louis Park until he was in first grade, then moved to Eden Prairie. He has an older sister, Melissa, a Puget Sound graduate, and a younger sister, Meredith, who is attending Augsburg. His extended family has a Division III flavor to it. “There are a lot of Carleton alums in my mom’s family and my dad swam at DePauw in Indiana,” Neville said.
Neville attended Benilde-St Margaret’s High, where he played lacrosse as well as basketball. He was a three-year starter and four-year letter winner in lacrosse, playing midfield and attack. Neville was All-Conference Honorable Mention as a junior, the year the Red Knights captured the first MSHSL lacrosse state championship.
In basketball, Neville played on the freshman and junior varsity teams his first two years of high school. He moved into the starting lineup as a junior. He broke his foot during the regular season in his senior year, but returned in time for the postseason. He helped BSMHS capture the state Class 3A championship, beating St. Thomas Academy, 58-52, for the title.
Away from athletics, Neville was active in the Red Knights Volunteer Corps and volunteered at several food drives. He also was part of the school’s environmental competition team, which took fourth in the state.
Neville was recruited by most of the MIAC schools and looked closely at Bethel, Carleton, Gustavus, Saint John’s and St. Olaf. He also looked at DePauw, and his decision ultimately winnowed down to DePauw or St. Olaf. “It was a gut feeling, that St. Olaf just felt right to me,” he said. “I felt like I belonged here.”
With the exception of those five games he missed as a sophomore to study in Australia, Neville has played in every game in his St. Olaf career. As a freshman, he averaged 4.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game in limited action, as the Oles posted a 7-13 MIAC record and 10-15 overall.
Neville drives to the basket for the Oles. (Photo courtesy of St. Olaf Sports Information)
Neville moved into a starting role as a sophomore, helping St. Olaf to an eighth-place finish in MIAC play (8-12) and 10-15 overall. He garnered All-MIAC Honorable Mention, ranking among the league leaders in scoring, rebounds, blocked shots and free throw percentage.
Last year was a breakout season for Neville. He finished fifth in the conference in scoring (15.2 ppg) and sixth in rebounding (7.4). He was among the league leaders in blocks, free throw accuracy and field goal accuracy and helped the Oles to a fourth place finish at 12-8. They lost to Gustavus, 90-71, in the opening round of the MIAC Playoffs to close the year 17-9. Neville was named to the All-MIAC First Team.
This year, the conference is a wild, wide-open race for the regular-season championship and MIAC Playoff berths. Neville and the Oles are in the thick of the chase. They currently are tied for third place with a 10-5 conference ledger, two games behind the leader, with five games remaining. Neville ranks among the league leaders in scoring, rebounds, blocks, free throw percentage and field goal percentage. He is leading St. Olaf in scoring (16.5) and rebounding (8.8)
On Jan. 18, Neville became the 17th player in St. Olaf history to record his 1,000th career point, but the Oles came up short on their home court, 78-77, in a bid to beat defending Division III National Champion St. Thomas.
One of the first things Neville asked Kosmoski when he arrived at St. Olaf dealt was the team's service programs. “As a team, we’ve volunteered at The Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis and this year we’ve helped bag meals for Feed My Starving Children,” noted Kosmoski. “[Neville] has been a big, big part of this.”
Looking back, Neville certainly doesn't regret his decision to study in Australia; it is part of the balance that has made his time at St Olaf so rewarding. “It is about balance, he said, "not just the balance of academics and athletics. St. Olaf is a place where just because I play basketball doesn’t exclude me from other things. It is a great learning environment here and the people I’ve met at St. Olaf have made it a special place.”
“I’ve been blessed to have him in our program for these four years,” Kosmoski said of his senior star. “He has a wonderful heart. He and our other seniors are one of the reasons why our team is a close-knit bunch of guys, with no cliques. They love one another. [Neville] is one of the cornerstones of our program.