Tebon Tallying Points in Reserve
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SBHS graduate scoring off the bench at UW-Eau Claire
Gunnar Tebon went on a scoring spree last month coming off the bench for the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men’s basketball team.
The 2020 Sturgeon Bay High School graduate scored a college-career-high 33 points Jan. 18 in the Blugolds’ 95-86 victory over UW-Stout. He saw 24 minutes of action, shooting 9-11 from the field and 5-7 from 3-point range, and made all 10 of his free throws.
“I would just have to say that the ball was kind of coming my way that night, and the opportunities were given me that I just had the chance to knock down shots,” Tebon said.
Though he tallied as many as 35 points in a high school game during his senior season, when he averaged 22.2 points per contest, Tebon said scoring 33 points at the college level “felt like 45.”
“Everything you shot was just going in, and the atmosphere was different,” he said. “It definitely felt way different than high school at the collegiate level.”
Tebon, a junior, tallied 16 points Feb. 4 during a 89-77 loss to UW-Whitewater, and he’s averaging 6.6 points per game in 18 appearances for the season.
Tebon said basketball at the Division III collegiate level is more physically demanding than in high school.
“Everyone’s good; everyone’s skilled; and everyone’s just big and strong, and you’ve got to work much harder than you did in high school,” he said. “It’s definitely an eye-opener when you get to college.”
As a reserve, Tebon said the amount of time he’ll have on the court will depend on the strategy of head coach Matt Siverling and the personnel the Blugolds face from the other team.
“You just kind of always be ready on the bench, and when you get your opportunity, you’ve got to make the most of it,” he said.
Tebon originally committed to playing NCAA Division III basketball at Ripon College out of high school before ending up at UW-Eau Claire, where he is in his second season on the team.
“I really liked the teammates I had there [at Ripon], and the coach was really great, but I wanted to play in the best Division III conference I could, so I decided to transfer to Eau Claire,” he said. “I had a couple of buddies here that helped make the transfer a little easier, and I think everything’s been adjusted pretty well, and I’m really happy with the decision I made.”
Tebon credits former Sturgeon Bay boys basketball coach Jim Benesh, who passed away last year, for helping him be able to play at UW-Eau Claire.
“He was a really good mentor to me, and he actually was the one that helped me transfer from Ripon to Eau Claire,” he said. “He kind of opened the door to me, and he was a really great coach. I really miss him a lot. I think a lot of people in Door County do.”
Tebon said basketball has helped him in every way in life.
“I have relationships that I never would have had without it – coaches, players, friends,” he said. “I love it. Basketball is one of the best things that has ever happened to me.”
Tebon said his goal is to start his senior season at UW-Eau Claire.
“I think there’s maybe a decent chance of that happening next year, but if not, hopefully to be a solid role player next year,” he said.
Tebon, who is majoring in marketing with a minor in business, said he plans to one day take over his father Jeff’s business, Culligan Water Conditioning of Sturgeon Bay, where he has helped out since he was very young.
“There’s always a chance that I might want to be interested in playing overseas ball, or maybe just coming home right away and taking over the business,” he said. “I would just have to see how the next couple of years go and if I’ve got some means left to play, I guess.”
