Melrose Basketball Team At State Tournament For 1st Time In 40+ Years
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- It's been more than 40 years since the Melrose "Dutchmen" have played in the Boys State High School Basketball Tournament.
But they'll take on Redwood Valley at 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Target Center.
Former player Mark Olberding will be in the stands cheering on his old team, a team he played on the last time they won the state championship.
"It was a special time. We were fortunate to have some really good teams back then," Olberding said.
He told WCCO Radio's Dave Lee what it was like coming from a small town to the big city.
"It was pretty eye-opening," Olberding said.
After high school, he played at the University of Minnesota under Bill Musselman.
"He had a great program, very intense, but I loved playing for him. He was like my second father," he said.
Olberding played 12 seasons in the American Basketball Association and the National Basketball Association. He played with the San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls and Sacramento Kings.
Olberding currently lives in San Antonio and coaches at the University of Texas at San Antonio.