ORIGINALLY WRITTEN DON RATZLAFF
Micah Ratzlaff has confirmed what local basketball fans have been
anticipating behind the scenes for the past few months. The former 6-4
standout at Hillsboro High School will be playing basketball at Tabor
College this next season.
?I just have to say I?m ready to come home and be with the family and
friends,? said Ratzlaff, who played his first two seasons of college
ball at Oral Roberts University, a Division I school in Tulsa, Okla.
Ratzlaff proved himself at the D-I level this past season when a
couple of team suspensions gave him a chance to start the last six
games for the 13-17 Titans of the Mid Continent Conference. In the
final four regular season games, he averaged 13 points and more than
five rebounds.
Over the season, Ratzlaff played in 27 of ORU?s 30 games, averaging 14
minutes and 3.3 points per contest.
Though he would have liked to have played more during his time at ORU,
Ratzlaff said his decision to transfer to Tabor was based primarily on
family and personal reasons.
?It wasn?t because of basketball,? he said. ?I was just pretty much
sick of being away from home and didn?t like the school as much as I
thought I would.?
ORU?s loss is definitely Tabor?s gain, according to Bluejay head coach
Don Brubacher.
?There?s no doubt that Micah will immediately be one of the better
players in the KCAC,? Brubacher said. ?A player of his caliber
certainly does improve a team?s capabilities immediately. The fact
that he has a wide variety of skills, also, will increase his impact.
During his career at Hillsboro High School, Ratzlaff finished first in
assists (339), third in points (1,124), fourth in steals (168), fifth
in scoring average (14.4) and eighth in rebounds (321) over the
11-year span of head coach Darrel Knoll.
During his senior year, Ratzlaff averaged 22.2 points a game and led
the Trojans to the Class 3A state championship.
He was awarded numerous all-state honors by area media, including
Class 3A Player of the Year by the Hutchinson News.
Those skills have only improved over the past two years at ORU.
Said Brubacher, ?He handles the ball and passes well, he runs the
floor very well, has size to rebound and defend inside, quickness and
athleticism to defend on the perimeter, and skills to be very, very
effective well outside the 3-point line all the way to the basket.?
Brubacher said Ratzlaff came to him to talk about the possibility of
transferring to Tabor.
?It has to be that way because we will not pursue athletes who are
involved in other programs,? Brubacher said.
?I told him I thought he would do very well in our program and with
our style of play and of course we?d love to have him. But I would in
no way pursue, at least not until he had made it certain that he was
separating himself from his previous school.?
At Tabor, Ratzlaff will join his brother, Tyson, who averaged 12.7
points a game for the Hillsboro Trojans this past season.
The Ratzlaff brothers may be joined on this year?s team by former
Trojans Eric Driggers, Jimmy Janzen and freshman C.J. Hill.
This latest Trojan to join the program will only increase local
interest.
?A lot of people who enjoyed watching Micah play while he was growing
up will follow our program more closely now because o
Trojan Standout transfers to Tabor
