by By Dale Pine, Jr.
Oglala Lakota College (OLC) senior Tim Has No Horse (Oglala Lakota Nation) has been one constant figure for the men’s basketball during the past four years. He is averaging a career high 17 points per game through 8 games this season, twice as much as last season when he averaged 8 points per game.
All of the schools that OLC played so far this season are members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). In order to prepare for the tough competition, Tim attended all of the voluntary conditioning sessions that started a month prior to the season.
A 2011 graduate of Little Wound High School in Kyle, South Dakota, Has No Horse stayed close to home to attend college at OLC. “I never stepped on the hardwood in my high school career. I was talked into playing ball from my bro Spur (Pourier) and ever since then, I’ve loved basketball more,” said Tim. “My favorite memories are playing with players like Spur, Tyson Heart, TJ McCauley, Mike Apple, and Brice Hornbeck. I feel honored to play with these guys.”
Juggling school, helping raise his daughter, and basketball, Tim made it work throughout the years and is inching closer to a college degree in Early Childhood. “The classes once a week and practicing every night until late and the long road trips are the challenges of playing for OLC and being a college student at the same time, but when basketball is an fun as I think it is, it’s worth it.” stated Has No Horse.
OLC is still in the process of building its athletic programs into national contenders, but for now, the school plays against National Intercollegiate Athletic Association (NAIA) and NCAA Division II programs. These games help pay for OLC’s rooms and sometimes provide a payout to help offset the cost of travel. The men’s basketball team traveled just under 10,000 miles during the 2014-15 season and practices at OLC are held at 8:30 p.m. each night.
In January, OLC will begin playing against other tribal colleges and prepare for the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) basketball tournament in Bellingham, Washington, in March. Players like Tim have made it work and helped to keep the men’s basketball program going at OLC. When asked to sum up his experience he said, “Having the experience of being a college student and also playing college ball for four years against stiff competition every other night, I’m super proud of the program and glad we got our own gym!”
