"I forgot to blow my whistle"

That's a direct quote from a ref to former Gustavus star Trevor Wittwer, who is currently playing professionally in Germany. Humorous, right? Perhaps only in reflection, but you can't help but appreciate the honesty.

He's been abroad for months now and sounds like he's enjoying it. He's the first Gustie to play professionally since Bobby Johnson after the 2000-01 season, though Doug Espenson turned down a similar opportunity after the 2004-05 season.

Wittwer, who was a high school teammate of Bethel's Tim Madson (how did they NOT win a state title?), has this to say about his life outside of basketball: it does not exist. Here's an article from one of his recent games (you need to know German to understand, obviously).

I spent a week coaching Gustie camps last summer with Wittwer. He seemed to connect with the kids on a very personal level, especially the group of 10-15 kids from Spain who gave everyone else problems. It should come as no surprise that he's also coaching in Germany — two teams, in fact. Wittwer is directing an under-14 team and a ragtag crew of adults ranging from 20-30 years old. I can't help but wonder how the older players respond to the authority of a 23-year-old?

You can follow his story here. It's recommended reading based solely on the stories he tells about the reffing — it sounds like they put the MIAC goons to shame, which isn't exactly easy to do.