Keith Steffeck's goals were no different from those of many young basketball players.

Growing up in Marion, he dreamed of one day playing basketball at the University of Iowa and possibly playing for a national championship.

Steffeck accomplished half that goal.

The 6-foot-9, 220 pound Marion High School graduate led William Penn to the NAIA Division II national title game last week, scoring 12 points in a 73-59 loss to Cardinal Strich.

Steffeck, who was named a first-team NAIA All-American as well last week, didn't take the traditional route to a national title game.

"I really wanted to play at Iowa," he said. "To play in the Big Ten would have been awesome."

But that dream never came to be for Steffeck. He was dismissed from the Marion team just six games into his senior year for using chewing tobacco.

"I rode the bench until my senior year," he said. "Between my sophomore and junior year, I grew six inches and I wasn't very coordinated. I was just starting to get things going when I got kicked off the team. That was hard to take."

After graduating from Marion in 2008, Steffeck began his career at Upper Iowa before moving on to Southwestern Community College in Creston, where he redshirted to work on his grades.

Then came the break that would jump start his career. William Penn Coach John Henry came to Creston to recruit Steffeck's friend and teammate, Austin Emerson.

"Austin asked me to give Keith a look," Henry said. "I have always been about giving guys second and third chances, but if they don't follow the rules, they are gone.

"I can say that Keith as been a pleasure to coach," continued the veteran Statesman coach. "I've never had any problems with him. He's been very coachable and had a great impact on the program."

Because he didn't have enough credit hours to be considered a junior, Steffeck's career at William Penn didn't begin until second semester of the 2011-12 season.

Once he joined the team on the floor, the team took off. He averaged 13.1 points a game in 18 games, shooting almost 38 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.

It carried on to this past season. The Statesmen were ranked No. 1 most of the season, finishing with a 34-2 record. Steffeck averaged 15.4 points and 7.2 rebounds a contest, again shooting around 38 percent from distance. He also blocked two shots a game.

"It was a great team, we all got along so well," he said. "Coach gave us a lot of freedom on the court and it worked out very well."

The statistics don't tell just what Steffeck brought to the table for the Statesmen, according to Henry.

"Keith's numbers could have been even higher, but he was playing with another All-American (Brandon Beasley)," Henry said. "He came into this season with a different look about him and it carried through the entire season."

Steffeck showed his abilities last summer, playing on the championship team in the Prime Time League. One of his teammates was Iowa forward Aaron White.

"That was fun playing with those guys," he said. "I know I could have played at that level, but I wouldn't trade this season for anything. To play for a national championship was an awesome feeling."

Professional basketball is on Steffeck's horizon.

"He's a bona fide pro," Henry said. "He is one of the best players I've ever had. He's a (NCAA Division I) talent. Keith can run, jump out of the gym and can shoot from distance. I was lucky to be able to coach him."

Steffeck has received some feelers from teams overseas about continuing his career and is expecting more.

"I've been getting some letters, but things will pick up more after the NCAA Tournament is finished," he said. "I think God put me on this earth to be a basketball player and I want to continue playing."