GLENDIVE — Ask Dawson Community College guard Seth Amunrud about his guilty pleasure snack, and his answer may surprise you.
“I try to do a lot of protein, a lot of protein bars and protein shakes,” Amunrud said with a sheepish grin, revealing his commitment to fitness and performance.
At first glance, Amunrud actually looks like the guy everybody is friends with at youth group. Not the guy about to ruin your night on a basketball court. Yet that's exactly what he did to opponents time and again this season for DCC.
“He’s a step ahead of everybody else out there. He literally does it all,” said Bucs head coach Joe Peterson.
Despite being one of the Buccaneers’ most unassuming players, Amunrud recently earned the prestigious Mon-Dak Conference MVP title, a recognition DCC hadn’t seen in over 20 years. His contributions helped the Bucs achieve an impressive 29-4 season, complete with a conference title and regional championship, before falling just five points shy of a national tournament berth on Saturday in the NJCAA Division I North Central District Championship against No. 3 Indian Hills College (Iowa).
Peterson admits identifying where Amunrud is most dangerous on the court is no easy task, noting with a genuine laugh, “That’s a tough question.”
A tougher question may be how the talented player slipped through the cracks coming out of Class C Manhattan Christian.
“To me, he was one of the top two, three guys in the state when he came out,” Peterson recalled.
Amunrud's impressive stat sheet reflects his basketball IQ and tenacious defense.
“He covers up a lot of our mistakes on defense,” Peterson said. “We press a lot, so sometimes we’re out of position … but he’ll be on the back line walling up at the rim.”
Or making a read to sneak in for a steal — he led the conference despite playing much of the season with hamstring issues. Yet, all Amunrud wants to do is deflect the credit.
“It’s just a big testament to the coaching staff and teammates. ... They were just pushing me to get better every day,” he said.
To the point he’s good enough to play NCAA Division I basketball, already with an offer in hand at the University of Denver.
Maybe at the next level, Amunrud will at least treat himself to a small bag of M&M’s.
“(I have to) keep some protein in me,” he said with a smile.
Perhaps, a variation that fits his lifestyle — peanut M&M’s.
