At 6-foot-1, Troy Bigalke '01 didn't draw the attention or recruiting interest that a couple of his taller teammates at Monticello (Minn.) High School did in the mid-1990s.
Yet, even then, the future Saint John's University superstar managed to stand tall.
As a three-year starter who scored more than 1,000 points in his prep career, Bigalke played a big role in leading the Magic to state tournament appearances in 1995, '96 and '97.
Even on teams that included players like Nate Holmstadt, a 6-foot-8, 1995 graduate who went on to a Hall of Fame career at Montana State, and Joel Przybilla, a 7-foot 1998 grad who played at the University of Minnesota before spending 13 seasons in the NBA.
"When everybody looks back on those teams, they talk about guys like Holmstadt and Przybilla being the key players," said former Monticello coach Max LaVelle, whose teams qualified for state five consecutive seasons from '95-99. "And, in a way, that's probably true.
"But Troy was a huge player for us, too. He was a sophomore starter on our first state tournament team in 1995, and he really became the glue who kept that tradition going all through his time here and beyond. He helped make that success happen."
Bigalke continued to do so at SJU when he arrived on campus in fall 1997. Playing at wing, he was named to the MIAC All-Rookie team as a freshman, then earned All-MIAC first-team honors the next three years. He was the conference player of the year as both a junior and senior – one of only five players since 1990 to earn the award more than once.
Bigalke finished his collegiate career with 1,568 points, a total that ranks third in program history behind only Frank Wachlarowicz '79 (2,357) and Dick Matchinsky '57 (1,581). Along the way, the Johnnies won two MIAC tournament titles, one conference regular-season title and advanced to the NCAA Division III tournament twice – reaching the Sweet 16 during Bigalke's senior season in 2000-01.
"Troy was one of the most competitive players we've ever had here," said former SJU coach
Jim Smith, who retired in 2015 after 51 seasons at the school in which he recorded 786 career victories –most by any coach at any level of Minnesota college basketball.
"That's saying something because we've had a lot of really competitive guys over the years. But all you had to do was give Troy a challenge and he responded to it. He thrived on that."
Bigalke drew recruiting interest from a number of Division II schools, as well as from other programs in the MIAC. But he said SJU was always his first choice.
"I just felt comfortable there," said Bigalke, who is now a financial advisor with Ameriprise Financial Services in his hometown. "I respected the coaches so much and I loved the campus. Some of my teammates from AAU were already there. It was the perfect fit for me."
That was evident from the success he achieved. But he is quick to share credit with his teammates in those years – players like 2002 graduates Luke Witt and Mike Nester, who each scored more than 1,000 points in their careers, and point guard Ryan Keating '03, who transferred to SJU from the University of Minnesota in 2000 and later quarterbacked the 2003 Johnnie football team to the Division III national title.
"My teammates 100 percent made me a much better player," Bigalke said. "We had a bunch of other guys who could hurt you if you just tried to focus on stopping me. That opened a lot of things up."
But it was Bigalke who was the straw that stirred the drink during those years, and nowhere was that more apparent than during the 1999 MIAC Tournament when Bigalke hit a pair of free throws with six seconds left to lift SJU past Augsburg 58-57 on the road in the semifinals. Then he had a career-best 33 points as the Johnnies defeated St. Thomas 78-64 in the championship game at the old Schoenecker Arena in St. Paul. That included a 7-for-7 performance from behind the 3-point line.
"I can remember that place was jammed," Smith said. "And, in the first half, the crowd was really riding him unmercifully. He responded to that by pretty much hitting every shot he took, especially his 3-pointers. Just before halftime, with the clock running down, he hit around a 30-footer, then he just looked at the St. Thomas fans and said 'MVP.'
"That really summed Troy up. He wasn't a cocky player, but he had a lot of confidence and knew what he was capable of. If you challenged him, he'd make it a point to prove himself to you."
Of course, Bigalke was pretty good a year later, too – scoring 19 points to help top Gustavus Adolphus 92-80 in the MIAC championship game. He scored 21 points the next week as SJU downed the Gusties 84-75 to start NCAA tournament play.
"As I got to my junior and senior year at Saint John's, I think my confidence continued to grow," he said. "I was always the player who wanted the ball in my hands at crunch time, either to take the shot myself or to make a play and get it to someone else."
Looking back, Bigalke said the memories he holds most fondly revolve around the bonds he formed with his teammates.
"So much of our success was a result of how close-knit we were as a group," said Bigalke, now father of two daughters (ages 15 and 13) and a 10-year-old son.
"It felt really good to be part of something like that. You always knew your coaches and teammates were behind you, and that they had your back."
