Schweitzer Squared Equals Success

The Nebraska Wesleyan basketball team features the sibling duo of Andy and Tim Schweitzer. The Bedford, Iowa natives brought success to their teams growing up, and are currently key players on the Prairie Wolves squad this season. Andy, a senior, has started all 17 games, and is second on the team in three pointers and assists. He is currently third on the team in scoring and for minutes played this season. Tim, a sophomore, has started six games, leads the team in blocked shots and is third in assists.

Andy and Tim are enjoying the rare opportunity to play together at the collegiate level, and their lifelong relationship has certainly benefited the Prairie Wolves. Andy stated that playing together for so many years has allowed them to "feel out where the other is going to be." He also stated that they "get a lot of assists between (them) just from knowing where to look for each other." Tim said they both have a "great understanding of each other's tendencies," and this knowledge makes the game a lot simpler for him. 

This brotherly bond brought victories to the Bedford Bulldogs in their hometown, and that success led the siblings to Nebraska Wesleyan. Their father, Mike, coached their youth basketball teams from elementary to middle school, and the teams were a blend of Andy and Tim's classmates. The early preparation showed when the brothers led their high school team to the state tournament for the first time in Bedford History. Andy stated that he and Tim accounted for 48 of the team's 53 points in the game that put them into the state tournament. He mentioned that he will always remember that experience with his brother.

Andy entered the NWU basketball program two years before Tim, and he says that he wanted Tim to make his own college decision, but he would "obviously love it" if Tim ended up coming. Andy got what he was hoping for because Tim could not pass up the opportunity to play with him. Tim stated that he knew Andy would be there to help out if he needed anything, which ended up playing a pretty big role in his decision. 

Together, the soft-spoken pair looks to improve the Prairie Wolves' 7-9 record using their sibling senses to spot each other on the court. The brothers only have eight games left to play with each other, and Andy states that "you'll probably find us sitting by each other more often than not" as they prepare for the close of Andy's collegiate career. You can bet that head coach Cam Schuknecht is glad he made the two and a half hour trip over to Bedford five years ago.