Mid-Major Basketball's Dan Zielinski III sits down with St. Thomas coach Johnny Tauer. In 2021, St. Thomas became the first school in the modern NCAA era to transition directly from Division III to Division I. Now in their fourth year at the Division I level, the Tommies are coming off an impressive 20-win season, showcasing their rapid progress and competitiveness.
For Tauer, who played for St. Thomas from 1991-95 and became head coach in 2011, the rise of the men's basketball program is especially meaningful. The transition to Division I has brought challenges and opportunities. How has the adjustment to D-I competition gone? With a new state-of-the-art arena under construction, how will...