Coach Ken Burmeister smiled and invoked former NBA sharpshooter Steve Kerr this week when asked about University of the Incarnate Word senior guard Pierce Caldwell’s ability to put the ball in the basket.
Burmeister, in his fourth season at head men’s basketball coach at UIW, was an assistant under Lute Olsen at Arizona when Kerr played for the Wildcats.
“I know Steve and helped recruit him,” Burmeister said. “He’s a great shooter, but we’ll put Pierce Caldwell in a game of H-o-r-s-e against Steve Kerr. That’s how great a shooter he is. You can hit push him, scratch him, do anything to bother him, but he’s still going to get you double digits.”
Caldwell, named Heartland Conference Player of the Year for the third consecutive season, has helped the Cardinals win the league’s regular-season and tournament championships the past two years. Averaging 18 points this season, Caldwell will end his career as the No. 2 scorer in school history.
UIW (23-6) plays host Midwestern State (28-2) in the first round of the NCAA Division II South Central Regional at 6 p.m. Saturday in Wichita Falls. The Mustangs are seeded No. 1 and the Cards No. 8 in the eight-team tournament.
UIW leads the series 10-7, and is 7-2 on the Mustangs’ floor, but Midwestern has won the last three meetings, including 87-82 in last year’s South Central Regional quarterfinals.
The Cards qualified for the tournament by edging rival St. Mary’s 65-63 on a shot at the buzzer by point guard Eric Stewart last Saturday. UIW has won 10 consecutive games since losing to Lincoln (Mo.) in a conference game Jan. 28.
Midwestern has won seven in a row and 14 of its last 15.
“We feel good about going up there and playing well,” Caldwell said. “I think we’re at our peak right now. We have good chemistry and we’re playing with confidence. We’ve had a good season and we want it to continue.”
Regardless of how the Cards fare, Caldwell will finish his career as one of the most honored athletes in UIW history.
A Marshall High School graduate, Caldwell has improved since getting named Heartland Conference Freshman of the Year in 2007.
“Pierce has a tremendous work ethic,” Burmeister said. “He’s usually the first at practice and the last one off the floor. He’s a good student and one of those kids you don’t have to worry about giving you issues off the court.
“He’s just gotten better and better since his freshman year. He worked hard in the weight room to get stronger and his defense has improved this season.”
Caldwell, 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, is reaping the rewards of a rigorous offseason workout program. Besides working on his court skills, he stepped up his weight-lifting routine and ran more to improve his speed and stamina.
“I really wanted to be ready for my senior season,” Caldwell said. “When the season started, I felt I was stronger, faster and better conditioned than I had ever been. I combined all that with my experience to keep getting better.”
Caldwell credits Burmeister and Terry Morris, his coach at Marshall, for helping him become the player he is today.
“Coach Morris taught me how to be a team player, and how to play the game of basketball,” Caldwell said. “Coach Morris did a lot for me.”
Caldwell paused before talking about Burmeister, who is called “Coach B” by his players.
“Coach B teaches us a lot of life skills, life lessons, every day,” Caldwell said. “He incorporates that into the game of basketball.
When things get tough in a game, he tells us that things are going to get tough in life later on, but you have to keep fighting. You can’t give up.
“He’s always pushing me to get better, no matter how many honors I’ve gotten. He stays in your ear and keeps you humble. He’s been very important in my life.”
While Burmeister and Morris have helped guide Caldwell, Valerie Courtney always has supported her son as a mother and fan.
“She’s my inspiration,” Caldwell said. “She’s also my No. 1 fan. I have learned the value of hard work from her. She’s always worked long hours to provide for us, but she’s always stayed positive.”
Courtney is a fixture at UIW games, home and on the road, and planned to be in the stands Saturday night, Caldwell said.
Caldwell is the third of four children in his family. A younger brother, Sean, is a senior at Marshall. Caldwell’s father, Ronnie Caldwell, is a former major league baseball player.
A kinesiology major, Caldwell said will be 14 hours shy of graduation after this semester.
“I want to try to play pro ball somewhere and then fall back on coaching if things don’t work out,” he said.
For now, he’ll keep working on his shot. After all, you never know who might want to play you in a game of H-o-r-s-e.
