The next era of Northern State men’s basketball officially started Monday, and new coach Matt Wilber looked to the past as he plans for future.

The former Dakota Wesleyan University head coach, understands the importance and relevance of NSU basketball in the community. He used to attend games as a youth and plans on implementing some of those same staples as the new coach of the Wolves.

“I understand the gravity of this position,” Wilber told a large crowd gathered on campus at a press conference to formally announce his hiring. “I understand what Northern basketball is about.”

While things have changed drastically around college basketball since those days when Wilber was a fan, he has adapted to things like the transfer portal, while still wanting to recruit local players.

“If you have to rebolster your roster you can definitely do that. Now I will tell you, my plan isn’t to portal every year, right? Like, that’s not the plan,” Wilber said. “I think the model is still, especially with kids in our area, the four-year kids are still going to gravitate I think to this place. I think we can still get high-level talent here, but I’m not scared of the portal while they’re here, and scared of the portal to go get them.”

Wilber, who is no stranger to basketball circles in South Dakota, knows all about the history of the Wolves, past and present, including how the portal has impacted Northern in recent years.

“You’ve got to embrace it. It’s what it is, and it’s what it’s become, and at our level I think it can be really beneficial. We had it here, I mean Sam Masten right?” Wilber said. “That was home run. You hope you can get that. He was circumstantial in a number of ways, but that’s what the vision of it is. Hey, we’re going to hammer the recruiting footprint, which at Dakota Wesleyan was South Dakota kids, but a Northern you’re talking the whole area, the North Dakotas, Minnesotas, Nebraskas, while still recruiting South Dakota. I think we can go get some of these South Dakota kids here. Just like it’s always been.”

He knows what has worked for him at DWU as well as at Northern.

“When I got to Wesleyan they were successful with that model,” Wilber said. “I’m not changing that model up here. I’ve seen it with Coach (Bob) Olson, and Coach (Don) Meyer, and (Coach Paul) Sather.”

And when it comes to recruiting, Wilber is second to none. He has already reached out to multiple high school players about the prospect of coming to NSU. He has a track record of going head-to-head against other schools and emerging with players that he wanted.

“I don’t have any fear of recruiting anybody. I didn’t mind beating our league out, but I liked to be going up against the Northern, USF and Augie, and here we’re going to have to recruit against NSIC teams, but we’re also going to challenge USD and SDSU,” Wilber said. “If kids have offers to those places, we’re still going to recruit them. I’m excited to get after it. The early recruiting calls have been so positive with high-level talent.”

Wilber, who’s wife Lindsey will remain the head volleyball coach at DWU, was asked about his first upcoming season with the Wolves by a member of audience. Wilber said that while he wants to win, there is a process involved which includes players buying into the culture, working hard at practice and doing what it takes to have success.

“The wins will come,” Wilber said. “On my best teams I’ve ever coached, we did not have to talk about winning much. We talked about the process of it.”

Wilber understands the high standard of Northern State men’s basketball and the expectations that go along with that. He plans to embrace that challenge.

“When I went to DWU, people expected us to win there. That’s just what it was. You come up here, the track record of high, high level of success,” Wilber said. “You’re talking about how close were we to a national championship just a few years ago? … Pressure doesn’t concern me. Nobody’s going to apply more pressure to this program and the expectations than right here.”