Published: October 29, 1993
Section: SPORTS
Page#: 05C
Marauders' Pivec seeking an encore
By Eric T. Pate; Staff Writer   

How much higher - or how hyper - can Jay Pivec get?

In his three seasons, Pivec's Minneapolis Community College Marauders have averaged 19 victories and, last year, they won 22 games. They also shocked the nation by finishing second at the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III men's basketball tournament in Delhi, N.Y.

"Everyone involved in our little world had written us off," said Pivec, 38, a former assistant coach at Minnesota, Augsburg and Mankato State. "Then, out of nowhere, I'm talking crazy things started happening. Kids that couldn't make free throws started making free throws, teams that were supposed to beat us, didn't beat us, teams that were supposed to beat other teams lost to those teams, which enabled us to keep going.

"Everything fell."

Including the snow. The Marauders flew to upstate New York for the tournament and drove a van through the Catskill Mountains in the worst snowstorm in the area's history.

Despite being courted by several small colleges, the excitable Pivec is back for more.

"Hey, this job is perfect for me," said Pivec, a Minneapolis native who has sent 12 players in three years to bigger programs. "They're not concerned too much with winning, they're concerned with educating kids. If another school is like that, with a good situation, I'd have to listen."

After almost getting it done last year, the Marauders are back for another shot. As usual, MCC's roster has had plenty of turnover. Only Mike Miller, Tom Conroy and Aaron Smith return from the 1992-93 team.

"Do you like `The Far Side'? " said Pivec, referring to the syndicated comic. "There were two deer hiding from hunters behind a tree with bull's-eyes on their backs. The one deer looks at the other and said, `Is there something you said?'

"We're like that deer this year, and it'll take a tremendous effort from people."

And those people better be able to play with one another. Right now, there are 20 players competing for 12 roster spots. It starts with the backcourt, which should feature Conroy, a De La Salle alumnus, and Archie Clark Jr., whose brother Chris played for the Marauders last season and was signed by Northwestern Louisiana.

Their father, Archie, is a former Gopher who played in the NBA, mostly with Seattle and Detroit.

Archie Jr. played for MCC in 1988-89, but left the school and didn't return until last year. He has earned enough credit hours to play again, and is hoping to get a scholarship from a four-year Division II school. (Because Clark didn't complete degree requirements in five years after graduation, NCAA rules make him ineligible for Division I play.)

"I'm happy that coach Pivec hasn't given up and is giving me an opportunity to get an education without paying lots of loans," said Clark, 24. "Lots of things in my life haven't been good, but I'm glad to have this chance. To be a part of a winning program, it can help me with a winning attitude, and that's important."

Former Cretin-Derham Hall point guard Myron Taylor also landed at MCC. The 5-7 point guard helped the Raiders win the Class AA state tournament in March. A pair of 1992 high school graduates, Jason Eckman and Bernie Dahlen, have landed at MCC after things didn't work out for them at Morningside and Southwest State, respectively.

"Five guys graduated and [Morningside] brought in four and they didn't let me know what was going on over the summer," said Eckman, who attended Mounds View. "I've known Pivec since I was 16. . . . This is the most different atmosphere that I've ever played in, with the open tryouts."

Pivec likes talking about the fact that his roster is dominated by Minnesotans.

"They get a bad rap," he said. "In my opinion, this is where it's at. Hey, we're a community college and that's who we look out for first - our community."

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