The Daily News

Making the transition from high school to college basketball can be tough.

You have a new environment, new team mates, new coaches and a higher skill level.

Anything familiar can ease any potential anxieties.

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For North Dakota State College of Science Freshman Tyler Miller, he has two things going for him that is making the transition a little easier.

First, Miller is playing basketball and attending school in his hometown.

And second, Miller has sophomore Jon Kramer at all of the practices.

Kramer and Miller are both from Wahpeton and shared years playing together for the Huskies.

Now the two have traded in their purple jerseys for the red and black of the Wildcats.

At a recent practice, the two were shooting together and shared some of their thoughts on being back on the same team.

"I just remember every time I would pass him the ball," Kramer said of playing alongside Miller at Wahpeton High School, "He'd hit a three. We had played together for a long time on traveling teams since about third grade. We developed a chemistry."

For the sophomore, Kramer, the move from high school to NDSCS opened his eyes. "The strength and speed increased last year. Basketball is 24/7 here."

Kramer made the transition and started a number of games in his first year as a Wildcat.

Miller also noticed "the athleticism of the guys on the team" after his first practice as a college basketball player.

Both men also share the fact that both are now playing for their third coach in as many years.

Kramer played for his high school coach and now his second coach at NDSCS. Miller played for two head coaches as a Junior and Senior as a Huskie and now first year Wildcat coach Scott Schumacher.

Neither man has gone through many problems adjusting to the constantly changing coaches.

"It hasn't been that big of a deal." Miller said. "You just have to listen to what the coach says, whoever he is. The coach is in charge."

Wildcats head coach Scott Schumacher is also transitioning to a new program. Coaching NDSCS for the first year meant he had to come into a program that had existing players, while trying to recruit his own players under the constraints of time.

"I think Jon (Kramer) has had the most difficult transition of anyone, because he was a starter last year," Schumacher said. "I think he has handled the situation as well as anybody can expect, and I think he has really started to understand how important he is to the success of the team."

And on Miller as one of his recruits, Schumacher added, "Someone on the past staff told me about Tyler. I visited with him at the school with coach (Jeff) Ralph. After talking to him, I decided right then and there that I wanted him on my basketball team. It's important to me to recruit quality people as well as quality players."

The only thing left for both players to get used to is the travel.

As Wahpeton Huskies, a long bus trip meant going to Devils Lake. As Wildcats, that bus will take them to Miles City, Montana and this weekend’s destination— Norfolk, Nebraska.

Hopefully their Ipods are full and they brought a pillow.

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