Fremd's Monaghan picks South Dakota State

One of the state's best long-distance shooters has made his long-range plans for his college basketball future.

But Fremd senior guard Zach Monaghan doesn't view the verbal commitment he made Tuesday to Division I South Dakota State University as if it's a school not even on the radar.

"I could see myself there and it's not a small school at all," Monaghan said. "People hear South Dakota and look at it as if it's in the middle of nowhere but it's not. It's a nice place."

One where the 6-foot-2 Monaghan felt perfectly comfortable after taking his second visit last weekend and getting a chance to meet and play basketball with some of the South Dakota State players.

The Daily Herald All-Area pick and co-Mid-Suburban West player of the year said he also had Division I offers from North Dakota and Eastern Illinois. He said Creighton, Central Michigan and Colorado State seemed to back off a bit with their interest.

"It felt like the right time," Monaghan said of picking South Dakota State. "I wanted to get it done early but at the same time I wasn't going to make a decision I wasn't 100 percent comfortable with.

"The overall atmosphere - it's a college town and everyone is into the college."

Monaghan averaged 16.8 points and 3.7 assists a game, with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2-1, and hit 43 3-pointers as Fremd went 24-2 and won the MSL title. He was promoted to the varsity early in his sophomore year and averaged 10.5 points.

Monaghan said South Dakota State started showing interest after seeing him play with his AAU team in July and he received a scholarship offer later in the month.

South Dakota State made the transition from Division II to I for the 2004-05 season under coach Scott Nagy, whose dad Dick was an assistant to Lou Henson at Illinois and Jimmy Collins at UIC.

The South Dakota State program is entering its third year as a full member in Division I and fourth in The Summit League. Last year's 14-16 finish was its best since its jump to Division I.

"It seems like the right place to be for the future," said Monaghan, who has a 2.9 grade-point average, scored 22 on the ACT and is undecided on what he wants to study. "The coaches are working really hard there and getting the right people there. I liked everything they had to offer."

Monaghan said he's projected as a combo guard who can play either spot at South Dakota State. He credited his parents Mary Kay and Dale, his brother Pat, who is in his first year as coordinator of basketball operations at Loyola, Fremd coach Bob Widlowski and former Bull Dickey Simpkins for their help in the process.

"I'm real excited about the decision," Zach Monaghan said, "so now I can concentrate on the Vikings this year."