It’s all about adjustments for Andrean junior forward Tiaan Coetzee.
To a new frame. To a new school.
Once a 5-foot-9 freshman at Crown Point, Coetzee has grown to 6-5 and transferred to Andrean before this school year.
“I originally came here because I like the smaller school and the more religion aspect,” Coetzee said. “But obviously I’ve played basketball my whole life. Playing basketball from third grade AAU all the way to sophomore year with the same people and then switching over, it felt like a big transition.
“But I feel like I jelled well. I knew some of my teammates from AAU, so I was able to get to know them better and get to know their friends. I feel like I’m in the mix right now.”
Coetzee, who was 6-1 when he played for Crown Point’s junior varsity team last season, was averaging 8.0 points and 3.0 rebounds while shooting better than 50% from 3-point range before the 59ers (13-5, 4-0) defeated Lowell on Thursday night for their seventh straight victory and ninth in 10 games. Andrean remained undefeated along with perennial champion Munster in the Northwest Crossroads Conference and needs one more victory to match its total from last season.
Coetzee began this season coming off the bench, moved into the starting lineup as teammates suffered injuries and has shifted back to the bench as they have returned.
Regardless of his role, Coetzee has played significant minutes.
“I’m not really worried if I’m starting or not,” he said. “I feel like I’m playing well either way. I know my time’s coming.”
With his low-key personality, Coetzee has needed a little prodding along the way, according to Andrean coach Aaron Austin.
“He’s a really quiet kid,” Austin said. “There’s probably 3,500 kids at Crown Point, 450 here. The setting is so much different, and I think he really enjoys it. He misses some of his friends at Crown Point, but he’s been awesome.
“As quiet as he is, you have to push him. He’s super athletic. I don’t think he even knows that. He’s super coachable, and he wants to get better. Sometimes you just have to yell, see his response, see what you can get out of him. One game, I got on him: ‘You have to be better!’ He went back in, and he got a steal, got a layup, got a three. I said, ‘See, you can do it.’ You just have to get it out of him. But he’s a great kid, great family. He’s a huge pickup for us.”
Coetzee showed an example of his ability when he scored 21 points on 6-of-6 shooting from 3-point range during Andrean’s Catholic Cup victory against Marquette on Feb. 1.
“He’s a great shooter — great shooter,” Andrean senior guard/forward Paul Gilvydis said. “He’s always confident. He just helps the team a lot. He’s been great for us.”
Such a performance from Coetzee didn’t necessarily surprise Austin.
“His shooting has been great,” Austin said. “When he shoots, it’s like, ‘OK, go the other way.’ One game, I was yelling, ‘Patience!’ Before I could even get it out, he was shooting the ball, and it was all net. I just looked at the coaches and just shrugged. I’ll let him do that.
“Him being 6-4, 6-5, his 3-point attempts aren’t going to be contested the same way as the twins (Aiden and Alex Austin) last year — they’re tiny guys. It’s been a lot easier for him to get his shot off. And he’s just a junior, so we’re going to get another year with him too. We’re looking forward to it.”
Coetzee, who turned 17 on Tuesday, had to get accustomed to being 6-5 and is still growing.
“I was a little guy before, but now I can play every position, I feel like,” he said. “I’ve been a shooter my whole life. Then I just grew a lot. That just adds another element, and that’s helped this year.
“I always used to play small. I couldn’t really hit people or be too aggressive because I would just get pushed around. Now that I’m bigger, I have to get used to playing more aggressive and playing bigger, especially on defense. It’s pretty hard, but obviously it helps being taller.”
Coetzee’s father DeWet, who is originally from South Africa, played rugby growing up. Coetzee’s mother Hannah also is a former athlete.
“I’m a mama’s boy,” Tiaan Coetzee said with a laugh. “We’re very similar people. I’m not a brute rugby guy. I’m definitely a mama’s boy.”
Coetzee’s uncle Ed Konopasek, a Griffith graduate, had a stint in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers.
“We’re Chicago Bears fans, but we manage,” Coetzee said.
He also still has ties to Crown Point. Coetzee’s older sister Aiden was a swimmer for the Bulldogs, graduating in 2024, and attends North Carolina, where she plays rugby. Coetzee’s younger sister Isla is a freshman at Crown Point, where she plays volleyball and basketball.
“There’s a little rivalry in the house, but it’s cool,” Tiaan Coetzee said.
