Winter at Amherst means packed stands in LeFrak Gymnasium. Students, professors, staff members and local fans flock to the gym to watch men’s basketball games, and the Jeffs give them something to cheer about. A dominant program in Div. III men’s basketball, Amherst has won four NESCAC Championships and gone to the NCAA Tournament 10 times. Last year the Jeffs won the program’s first-ever National Championship.
On a team whose average height is over 6’5” without him, senior point guard Andrew Olson—listed as the only player under six feet at 5’10”—plays a big role. As a first-year he made an immediate impact, starting 25 games though the team was loaded with superstar power. Olson continued to run the floor as a sophomore, and became instantly famous for a play in the NCAA Div. III Round of 16. Dubbed “The Shot,” Olson’s off-balance three-pointer as time expired in regulation forced overtime and sent the Amherst faithful into a frenzy. The play was the talk of the town; the little guy should have been the big man on campus.
But Olson has remained unassuming even though he has earned much attention for his on-court antics. “The small school humbles everything,” said Olson. “I don’t feel there’s been a whole lot of individual pressure. The way the team plays is very team-oriented. The pressure and individual focus is eliminated.”
This type of environment is what Olson was looking for in college: a chance to play with talented, unselfish players. Though he is currently ranked 16th on the Jeffs’ all-time scoring list with 1,112 points, Olson’s focus on team success is perhaps best indicated by his assists. He led the team in assists as a first-year. As a sophomore, Olson broke the Amherst single-season record with 179 dimes. Last year he shattered his own mark, dishing out 243 helpers. In the process, the third-year point guard broke the Amherst career record for assists. Now in the middle of his senior season, Olson has 163 assists, and his 698 over four years is 200 more than the next player in Amherst’s record book.
Born in Phoenix, Ariz., Olson’s love for basketball was sparked by watching the Phoenix Suns. His best friend’s dad built a hoop and he started playing at the age of four. He joined a YMCA league and just kept playing and improving. When his family moved to San Diego, Calif., there were a lot more leagues and it was easier for the eight-year-old Olson to find teams and kids to play with. He joined a travel team in the third grade and traveled with an additional team starting in fifth grade. A well-rounded athlete, Olson also played football, baseball, soccer and volleyball, however in seventh grade he focused on basketball. “My dad coached me from second to ninth grade so it was easy to get to practice,” explained Olson. “I got to play a lot when I was young. I never stopped playing; I was always on a team.”
All of Olson’s early experience paid off, and he was fortunate to have several options as he was choosing a college. Among those options were some Div. I schools. “At one Div. I school, I was third on their list,” Olson recalled. “I realized that if I went there they would always be trying to recruit over me, and it was not a great school. I felt if I came [to Amherst], all of my needs for a school would be addressed.”
With his decision to attend Amherst, Olson joined some of his current and former teammates who also chose to pass up playing at a higher level. “There are a lot of guys in the same position as I was where they are looked upon by other coaches, tossing Div. I, Div. II or this,” said Olson. “I think that playing with guys that are as good of players to play Div. I leads to a lot of success. Because of their talent and the types of players they are you get an unselfish sacrifice for the team with the ultimate goal of winning the National Championship.”
Despite his numerous accolades—2006 and 2007 NCAA Sectional MVP, 2007 NESCAC Player of the Year, 2007 NABC Co-Player of the Year, 2007 NCAA Tournament MVP, 2007 First Team All-American, 2007 and 2008 finalist for the Bob Cousy Award, the list goes on—Olson’s proudest moment was winning the National Championship last year. “It was the ultimate accomplishment,” he said. “It’s what you work for, what you watch on TV. To actually accomplish it was shocking, like a dream. We were in awe. We didn’t even realize it. You are so used to losing your last game that when you don’t, it’s like, ‘what happened?’”
Olson and the Jeffs, currently ranked first in the country, would love for it to happen again, but they know it won’t be easy. “The focus of other teams is beating the defending National Champions,” explained Olson. “We are a humble team. We have to win the next game to achieve our long-term goals.”
It seems the Jeffs have the right personnel leading the team. Head Coach Dave Hixon ’75 in the winningest coach in program history. “He is a good coach,” said Olson of Hixon, who was named NABC and D3hoops.com National and Regional Coach of the Year in 2007. “Until last year he didn’t get the credit he deserved. I appreciate playing for him and knowing he can open doors. He has taught us some valuable lessons.”
Olson has been a leader for the Jeffs on the court for four years, and he is now serving as the team’s captain. He is quick to point out, however, the other leaders on the team. “Being the captain is just a title,” he said. “The leadership goes across the upper class evenly. Even younger guys have new people looking up to them. There are a lot of leaders-by-example on the team. It is easy for the young players to adapt because a lot of people are doing the right thing.”
In particular, Olson pointed out the contributions of his fellow seniors: Matt Goldsmith, Fletcher Walters, Kevin Hopkins and Brandon Jones. Hixon tends to start four seniors, with each member of the Class of 2008 earning significant playing time every game.
“We have been side by side since freshman year,” said Olson. “They have been a big influence on how I’ve been not only on the court but off since I’ve been here.”
The next month will be a busy one for the Amherst seniors as they look to defend their national title. After that, Olson, a political science major, plans to do what he has been doing his entire life. “I hope to keep playing basketball,” he said with a smile. “I’m not ready for a job where I have to wake up early and wear a suit. I think I’ve got some more left in the tank. I want to keep playing and see the world.”