Justin Engesser enters his first season as a volunteer assistant with the Orediggers in the 2022-23 season after wrapping up his playing career with Mines last season.
A Mines graduate, Justin received a M.S. in Engineering & Technology Management in May 2022. In his lone season as an Oredigger, he started 11 times in 27 appearances and averaged 26.8 minutes per game, scoring 7.1 points with 4.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 0.4 steals per game at forward and shooting .472/.416/.786. He scored his 1,000th career point combined between Colorado Christian and Mines on a three-pointer against Park on Nov. 26 and scored a season-high 24 at Adams State, sinking four threes in that game. He collected a season-high 15 rebounds against Western Colorado, the most by an Oredigger in 2021-22, adding 15 points in that game for a double-double.
Prior to joining the Orediggers, Engesser was a four-year player and three-year starter for Colorado Christian. He earned a business degree at CCU and in four seasons with the Cougars, scored 987 points (9.7 ppg) with 472 rebounds (4.6 rpg) and 277 assists (2.7 apg). As a senior, he averaged 9.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game with three double-doubles. As a junior in 2019-20, earned Honorable Mention All-RMAC honors with 11.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and a team-high 62 three-pointers with four double-doubles. He started as a sophomore in 2017-18 to contribute 11.0 points and a team-high 3.2 assists per game, and also scored 6.6 points per game in his freshman season of 2017-17.Â
A prep standout, Engesser won back-to-back State Championships for Colorado Springs Christian School and was named Colorado 3A POY, Colorado Springs Gazette POY and Tri-Peaks Conference POY in 2017. He was a two-time 1st Team All-State, four-time 1st Team All-Conference and 1st Team All-Area Colorado Springs Gazette and Played in Colorado's "The SHOW" All-Star game. He averaged 21.7 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 6.2 apg, and 2.5 bpg his senior year and scored 1,872 career points while posting six career triple-doubles, the most in Colorado history while also registering 562 career assists and 18 assists in one game, good for 9th and 7th in Colorado history.
