North Dakota Preps

Posted: **Tue Mar 27, 2007 6:54 pm**

I've seen allot of talk about the best players in ND class B history and there are some great ones mentioned that's for sure!

But one guy I always think about is Denver Tenbroek, he grew up his entire life south of Flasher down on the Ceder river where his folks still ranch. But due to the location he went to school in McIntosh SD right on the border where he took them to 4 straight state tourneys and was the SD Mr. Basketball and went on to be the all time leading scorer and 3 point shooter at NDSU. I went to quite a few of his HS games and you knew he was a very special player the minute you watched him play. Not only could he shoot the lights out from far beyond the arch but he could jump out of the gym as well. I believe he cleared the 7' mark in hs track. I was in the gym down there when Stanford "#1 at time" came to take a look at him.

Anyways he's still tearing it up around the world in Europe and Australia even MVPing in both leagues at a very high level of basketball. Not bad for a kid that grew up south west of Bismarck! I wish they would do a sports special spotlight on him sometime, he made the Bismarck tv sports news a couple of times even thou he was playing SD high school basketball at the time. By the way he was a great track athlete and scholar as well. I'll always remember when Kirby Puckett gave him the male athlete of the year award on FSN tv. That was for high school boys from Minn, Wis, Iowa, ND and SD, quite the accomplishment. Just Google his name some time, his stats for the pro leagues is very impressive. When Dave Yeager the coach for the Dakota Wizards was down coaching the sky force I know he had put him on the team. I'd sure like to see him get another chance back here in the states, I really do think he has what it takes to play at the NBA level. It would be nice to see a guy like him draining the long threes for the wolves!

Here's just a small link from down under where he plays for the Bendigo Braves,when not playing in Europe. How many kids from ND can you say that about from ND or SD after college....very few if any!

One of our states best no matter how you look at it, ND or SD.

http://www.seabl.com.au:80/html/s02_article/article_view.asp?id=1361&nav_cat_id=181&nav_top_id=70&dsb=289

Posted: **Tue Mar 27, 2007 7:08 pm**

I agree with you about TenBroek. I saw just about every one of his home games at NDSU and he's the best I've ever seen there, and I've been following the Bison since the 60's. He's the best I've seen there, no doubt. He should be in the NBA.

Posted: **Wed Mar 28, 2007 3:49 pm**

wow those are some great stats and thanks for the info West Dakota

Posted: **Wed Mar 28, 2007 9:08 pm**

I would like to congratulate Denver on all his accomplishments, he's truly one of North Dakotas best! I hope to see him some day playing back here in the states and tearing it up like he is over seas!

Can anyone one give me a name of a ND athlete that is doing anything comparable to what Denver Tenbroek is doing right now?

Way to go Denver!!

One more thing

One day my dad and I were sitting in the local SW ND cafe when Dave "Denver's dad came in on his way back home after a calf sale". I asked him how Denver was doing since he had just finished school at NDSU. He said he had been invited to a seniors only tourney down in New Orleans I believe. It was for senior players across the country that might have been overlooked. I asked how he did against national competition from across the USA both division I and II. He said there were 60 players and that after it was all said and done he had MVP that tourney! That's when the pro leagues really started to ask questions and taking a look at him. Like I said I'm a fan of all the small town ND kids but I don't know any that have accomplished what he has after college at the next level.

Posted: **Wed Mar 28, 2007 11:06 pm**

I'm guessing he's not as recognized as other athletes, even lesser athletes, because he didn't compete in ND in high school sports, which is its bread and butter. In fact, if he hadn't went to NDSU, ND might not consider him "their own".

Why didn't he play in North Dakota? I mean I can see why he isn't honored like he normally would because he played in SD and I wouldn't expect him to be.

Still, he was a fantastic player and it would have been amazing to see him play in ND in high school.

Posted: **Wed Mar 28, 2007 11:09 pm**

West Dakota wrote:I would like to congratulate Denver on all his accomplishments, he's truly one of North Dakotas best! I hope to see him some day playing back here in the states and tearing it up like he is over seas!

Can anyone one give me a name of a ND athlete that is doing or has done anything comparable to what Denver Tenbroek is doing right now?..... I didn't think so.

So listen, there's this guy I heard of from Williston. I guess he played at UND and then played in the NBA. He's got something like nine NBA championship rings from coaching. I heard he was kind of good and he played in the NBA.

OH ya...PHIL JACKSON.

Posted: **Thu Mar 29, 2007 4:45 am**

Phil Jackson, great ball player but it looks like he's a Montanan to me.

"Phil Jackson, actually Philip Douglas Jackson, born September 17, 1945 in Deer Lodge, Montana.Jackson was raised in a strict Pentecostal home; both of his parents were ministers. Most of Phil Jackson's childhood was spent in Montana; his parents later moved the family to Williston, North Dakota, where he attended high school."

And here

http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/usstates/mtfamous.htm

Posted: **Thu Mar 29, 2007 6:06 am**

Phil played his high school ball at Williston....makes him a north dakotan

Posted: **Thu Mar 29, 2007 6:07 am**

Baller wrote:Phil played his high school ball at Williston....makes him a north dakotan

Then Tenbroek is South Dakotan, haha. Gotcha.

Posted: **Thu Mar 29, 2007 8:33 am**

Jackson is more North Dakotan than Tenbroek is. If we're talking about sports, anyways. Jackson played high school ball and went to college in ND. Tenbroek only went to ND for college.

By the way, why did he have to go to high school in SD if he's from ND? Didn't he live in ND?

Posted: **Thu Mar 29, 2007 9:02 am**

Wildcat wrote:Jackson is more North Dakotan than Tenbroek is. If we're talking about sports, anyways. Jackson played high school ball and went to college in ND. Tenbroek only went to ND for college.

By the way, why did he have to go to high school in SD if he's from ND? Didn't he live in ND?

it was because of the area that he lived in. I know people from SD that go to school in ND right now just because of where they live.

Posted: **Thu Mar 29, 2007 9:13 am**

Wildcat wrote:Jackson is more North Dakotan than Tenbroek is. If we're talking about sports, anyways. Jackson played high school ball and went to college in ND. Tenbroek only went to ND for college.

By the way, why did he have to go to high school in SD if he's from ND? Didn't he live in ND?

You missed my point. He said that Jackson was North Dakotan because he went to school at Williston. If you look at it like that, then Tenbroek is South Dakotan because he went to school in SD.

Posted: **Thu Mar 29, 2007 9:22 am**

baller01 wrote:
Wildcat wrote:Jackson is more North Dakotan than Tenbroek is. If we're talking about sports, anyways. Jackson played high school ball and went to college in ND. Tenbroek only went to ND for college.

By the way, why did he have to go to high school in SD if he's from ND? Didn't he live in ND?

You missed my point. He said that Jackson was North Dakotan because he went to school at Williston. If you look at it like that, then Tenbroek is South Dakotan because he went to school in SD.

I saw your point, I just wasn't referring to your quote. If I would have been, I would have quoted you.

I'm just saying he shouldn't be compared to other high school basketball greats in ND, because he didn't play his prep ball here.

Posted: **Thu Mar 29, 2007 9:33 am**

I do believe Jeff Boschee had a fine careerin North Dakota and he is playing over seas

Posted: **Thu Mar 29, 2007 9:47 am**

toughregion2 wrote:I do believe Jeff Boschee had a fine careerin North Dakota and he is playing over seas

he is coaching at a school in Kansas

Posted: **Thu Mar 29, 2007 9:53 am**

I had forgotten about tenbroek, very good player, fun to watch. I didn't know about boschee, he's still playing somewhere?

Posted: **Thu Mar 29, 2007 9:59 am**

Baller wrote:
toughregion2 wrote:I do believe Jeff Boschee had a fine careerin North Dakota and he is playing over seas

he is coaching at a school in Kansas

ok, that's what i had heard, thanks baller.

Posted: **Thu Mar 29, 2007 10:59 am**

Wildcat wrote:
baller01 wrote:
Wildcat wrote:Jackson is more North Dakotan than Tenbroek is. If we're talking about sports, anyways. Jackson played high school ball and went to college in ND. Tenbroek only went to ND for college.

By the way, why did he have to go to high school in SD if he's from ND? Didn't he live in ND?

You missed my point. He said that Jackson was North Dakotan because he went to school at Williston. If you look at it like that, then Tenbroek is South Dakotan because he went to school in SD.

I saw your point, I just wasn't referring to your quote. If I would have been, I would have quoted you.

I'm just saying he shouldn't be compared to other high school basketball greats in ND, because he didn't play his prep ball here.

Sorry, my fault.

Posted: **Thu Mar 29, 2007 11:01 am**

In no way did I mean to stir the pot, I just thought it was a unique situation that he was in down there south of Raliegh.No doubt a SD ball player, but a pretty talented ND raised kid also.:D

Posted: **Thu Mar 29, 2007 11:31 am**

West Dakota wrote:In no way did I mean to stir the pot, I just thought it was a unique situation that he was in down there south of Raliegh.No doubt a SD ball player, but a pretty talented ND raised kid also.:D

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Posted: **Thu Mar 29, 2007 5:33 pm**

West Dakota wrote: How many kids from ND can you say that about from ND or SD after college....very few if any!

I know a couple from SD that played in the NBA.... Eric Piatowski (Rapid City), and Mike Miller (Mitchell). Miller is the leading scorer for the Grizzleys right now and I think leading the NBA in three's too. Was also sixth man of the year last year. Piatowski was always a big three point threat in the NBA...played alot of years too. Not impossible for kids from ND or SD to make the NBA...

Posted: **Thu Mar 29, 2007 5:40 pm**

sportsman wrote:
West Dakota wrote: How many kids from ND can you say that about from ND or SD after college....very few if any!

I know a couple from SD that played in the NBA.... Eric Piatowski (Rapid City), and Mike Miller (Mitchell). Miller is the leading scorer for the Grizzleys right now and I think leading the NBA in three's too. Was also sixth man of the year last year. Piatowski was always a big three point threat in the NBA...played alot of years too. Not impossible for kids from ND or SD to make the NBA...

North Dakota fans, don't forget Les Jepson of Bowbells. He played in the NBA.

Posted: **Thu Mar 29, 2007 5:41 pm**

I would say that kids from ND or SD have a better chance going pro in football or baseball though.

Posted: **Thu Mar 29, 2007 5:58 pm**

SportsAreLife wrote:I would say that kids from ND or SD have a better chance going pro in football or baseball though.

North Dakota has gotten, to me, a surprising amount of football players in the Pros, or at least used to be.

Baseball doesn't surprise me, because Legion baseball has been so big for so long. Baseball is the first thing I think of when I think about North Dakota people going pro.