by What a year it has been so far for the United Tribes Technical College Thunderbird Men’s Basketball Team. The Thunderbirds are a Division II member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). United Tribes is a tribal college located in Bismarck, ND and is governed by the five Tribes of North Dakota, serving over 1,000 students from across the nation each year.
The Thunderbirds have come together nicely as the 2014-2015 team returned zero players from the previous year. The freshman-oriented team came from all across the country to play basketball in the very competitive Mon-Dak Conference and Region XIII for Division II Basketball at the NJCAA level.
So far on the season, the team has established itself as a team that likes to run and score lots of points. “This is the style we want to play and the style that we think gives us the best chance of winning. It is fun-fun to watch, fun to coach, and I think our team will agree, fun to play,” says Head Coach and Athletic Director Hunter Berg. The team leads the nation in scoring at over 117 points per game. “What I also love about this team is that they are a group that has committed to our college and to being the best team they can be. For many of them, they are a long way from home. They have become their own family.”
For United Tribes, the excitement is one that is real and welcome. “It’s no secret that Native American basketball is filled with great talent. Every corner of the country, every state in the nation is home to truly outstanding players. It is our hope that they will consider United Tribes a place where they can be a part of something special-the chance to play high-level college basketball while getting an education. We want our program to be home to the finest Native talent in the country. And a place where we can help open up other doors for our student-athletes to move on to the next level of college as students and as athletes.”
UTTC’s current roster includes nine players from Arizona, Washington, New York, and Maryland. “The nine guys that have endured the pre-season conditioning, the workouts, the practices have really worked hard and are proud to say they are the Thunderbirds.” From the start of the school year until now, about a dozen more either started or tried out for the team. At one time, the roster included players from North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Nebraska, and others. “Early on, I’d say the roster looked how we expect it to look each year-a gathering of talent from our immediate region with an expansion into other parts of the country. As we continue to strengthen our recruiting efforts, we’ll make sure that we are finding the best student-athletes in the country and letting them know that we want them to play for UTTC. It’s a great place to compete and especially to get an education.”
The Thunderbirds begin the tough conference and region play January 10th. The ultimate goal is to play well at the right time, during the Region Tournament. Some of the toughest games of the year lie ahead, but that’s what these players came to United Tribes for-to compete against the best and to compete for a Region Championship.
THUNDERBIRD OFFENSE ON
RECORD PACE
UTTC’s up-tempo style of play is helping the team to big victories and plenty of action for fans to cheer about every night of T-Bird hoops.
UTTC’s play has placed it amongst the nation’s leaders in several categories.
- First in Points Per Game — 117.3 points /game
- First in Assists Per Game — 24 assists/game
- First in 3 Pointers Made Per Game — 15
Spears, Boone Explode For Big
Offensive Production
Freshman Keshan Spears (Navajo, Phoenix, AZ) is currently 4th in the nation in scoring, averaging over 24 points per game. The 6’3” wing is scorching the net at over 50% from three-point land but can come down and thrown down a dunk from a lob pass just as easily. Sophomore forward Josh Booone has established a new school record for most points in a game when he dropped 54 points on Gillette College, going 19-27 from the field in a 136-142 double-overtime loss. The duo is part of the highest scoring team in the nation for Division II junior colleges, averaging 117 points per game.
