College Homecoming weekends offer an opportunity to honor tradition and legacy. For the 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 Dickinson State University (DSU) men’s basketball teams, that legacy includes two conference championship runs and back-to-back journeys to the National NAIA Tournament. A quarter of a century later, players, coaches, and staff returned to Dickinson to reconnect and reminisce about their shared contribution to Blue Hawk athletic history.
The weekend reunited a roster of athletes who, in 2011, were inducted into the DSU Athletic Hall of Fame.
Photo (l to r):
Front row – Tim Daniel, Terry Schmaltz, Bryan Greager, Pete Rubke, Mark Kinnebrew, Guy Fridley, Brent Wolf
Back row – C.J. Schorsch, Jaden Blake, Grant Haugland, Marlon Lewis, Scott Huffman
Unforgettable Seasons, Unbreakable Bonds
The 1999-2000 team won the North Dakota College Athletic Conference (NDCAC) title. The following year, they captured the Dakota Athletic Conference (DAC-10) title. They made back-to-back appearances in the National NAIA Tournament. But their journey was more than just basketball – it was also about building lifelong friendships.
The 1999-2000 Blue Hawks were a force to be reckoned with, finishing the season with a record of 25-6. Under the leadership of Head Coach Tim Daniel, they advanced to the NAIA National Tournament's Elite Eight with standout players like Marlon Lewis, an NAIA All-American Honorable Mention and Joel Ross, an NAIA Academic All-American. Coach Daniel was named the NDCAC Coach of the Year.
The following year, the 2000-2001 team built on this foundation, setting a school record with 26 wins and reaching the NAIA National Tournament's Sweet Sixteen. Marlon Lewis earned First Team NAIA All-American honors, while Jayden Olsen, Joel Ross, Nick Walker, and Jaden Blake were named NAIA Academic All-Americans. Coach Daniel was named the inaugural DAC-10 Coach of the Year.
Losses That Left a Mark
Coach Daniel shared the reason for this fall’s reunion. “We made a pact in 2011 to have a 20-year reunion, but then COVID-19 happened. What prompted the 25th reunion was the death of former assistant coach John Schnell last fall. I told former team member Grant Haugland, we need to do this reunion soon. We can’t have any more people die before we get together again.”
Schnell’s death wasn’t the only loss DSU’s men’s basketball program has endured. Beloved Head Coach Sam Milanovich, who had been diagnosed with cancer in 1989, passed away during Daniel’s early years on staff. Daniel’s rise to the head coach position came under difficult circumstances as he stepped in after Milanovich’s death. “When you were around Sam, you felt like you were the most important person in the room,” Daniel said. “He had the ability to gather everybody in. Sam’s memory still looms large over DSU basketball.”
Memories, Rivalries, and Reflection
As the weekend drew to a close on Saturday afternoon, the team was hosted during the Homecoming football game by Scott Molander '88 in the Dickinson Ready Mix suite at the Biesiot Activity Center. Molander, a former Blue Hawk basketball player, knows something about success – his 1988 team also won a conference championship.
During their time together in the Dickinson Ready Mix suite, the team reminisced about key moments from their historic seasons. According to the players, the greatest shot in Dickinson State University basketball history occurred during a game against the University of Mary, where the winner would advance to the NAIA National Tournament. With six seconds left on the clock, C.J. Schorsch was thrown the ball. A left-hander, Schorsch took the shot from the left side of the court. The ball swished through the net for the critical three points that sealed the victory. Of course, in the spirit of the reunion, Schorsch’s former teammates teased him that he had played an awful game up until that point.
Looking back at that intense moment, Grant Haugland said, “The crowd was so loud and boisterous, the ceiling tiles were literally raining dust on us. Scott Gym was bursting at the seams with a standing-room-only crowd.”
The team recalled their trip to the NAIA Championship in Branson, Missouri – the first time in 30 years that the Blue Hawks had made it to the national tournament. For seven players, it was their first-ever airplane ride.
The reunion team also shared memories of a road trip to Minot State where on the bus, the team heard the opposing team’s coach on the radio taunt that the [Minot State] Beavers didn’t need to worry about Blue Hawk standout Marlon Lewis. “He called Marlon lazy,” recalled a team member. “That disrespectful comment fired Marlon up and he ended up scoring 40 points against Minot State. After every score, Marlon would look directly to the bench area to let the Minot State coach know that he had heard the comments made about him”
Coach Daniel reflected on his tenure coaching the high-intensity teams. “Yes, we picked up a couple of technicals along the way,” he admitted with a smile, “but neither my players nor I were ever ejected from a game.”
Haugland, a two-sport athlete who also played football for DSU, spoke about the physical toll his time as a Blue Hawk took on his body. “Sure, I wake up today with some residual aches and pains from my four years on the court as well as on the football field,” he said. “But would I do it again? Absolutely.” The rest of the attendees in the suite overheard Haugland’s sentiment and agreed. Without exception, they too had no regrets. They wouldn’t change their years at Dickinson State – on the court or off – for anything.
1999-2000 Dickinson State University Men’s Basketball Team
Players:
Jared Beld
Bart Brooks
Guy Fridley
Byran Greager
Grant Haugland
Wayne Heckaman
Scott Huffman
Emile John
Marlon Lewis
Pedro Rubke
Joel Ross
C.J. Schorsch
Terry Schmalz
Rhett Wilcox
Brandon Williams
Coaches and Staff:
Tim Daniel – Head Coach
John Schnell – Assistant Coach
Brent Wolf – Manager
Record 25-6
NDCAC – Conference Champions
NDCAC – Tournament Champions
NAIA National Tournament “Elite Eight”
Ranked #10 in the Final National NAIA Poll
Marlon Lewis – NAIA All-American – Honorable Mention
Joel Ross – NAIA Academic All-American
Tim Daniel – NDCAC Coach of the Year
2000-2001 Dickinson State University Men’s Basketball Team
Players:
Jaden Blake
Bart Brooks
Wayne Heckaman
Grant Haugland
Scott Huffman
Mark Kinnebrew
Marlon Lewis
Mike Morey
Jayden Olsen
Pedro Rubke
Jared Ross
Joel Ross
Ryan Wade
Nick Walker
Brandon Williams
Coaches and Staff:
Tim Daniel-Head Coach
Guy Fridley-Assistant Coach
John Schnell-Assistant Coach
Todd Fisher-Manager
Brent Wolf-Manager
Record 26-7 – Most wins in School History
DAC-10 – Conference Champions
DAC-10 – Tournament Champions
NAIA National Tournament “Sweet Sixteen”
Ranked #5 in the Final National NAIA Poll
Marlon Lewis – NAIA All-American – 1st Team
Jayden Olsen – NAIA Academic All-American
Jaden Blake – NAIA Academic All-American
Joel Ross – NAIA Academic All-American
Nick Walker – NAIA Academic All-American
Tim Daniel – DAC-10 Coach of the Year
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By: Debora Dragseth, Baker Boy Professor of Leadership | School of Business and Entrepreneurship Dickinson State University
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