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Best HS Gym/Atmosphere

PostPosted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 6:52 pm
by Bill232H
I am a high school basketball fan and a "basketball tourist", that is, though I hail from NY, I travel around (especially Indiana and Ohio) in search of that perfect basketball experiance that in Indiana is called "Hoosier Hysteria". I am very interested in North Dakota (I was there in 2003, but it was summer), especially the remote Class B schools, which seem to have a lot of HH potential. People on this site would know where the best places to go would be if I couod get there, so I wondered if anyone could suggest, let's say, the best A place and the best 2 or 3 B's. Looking for old, unusual, and/or interesting gyms and, of course, atmosphere. All these coops would make getting to any particular place more difficult, but I appreciate any insight you all could give.

Re: Best HS Gym/Atmosphere

PostPosted: Fri Apr 17, 2009 2:05 pm
by NDSportsFan
I moved the topic to a more popular area.

Re: Best HS Gym/Atmosphere

PostPosted: Fri Apr 17, 2009 2:13 pm
by tommykramer
I believe that Midkota still plays a couple games in Binford - that place is basically a barn with a beautiful wood floor.

Re: Best HS Gym/Atmosphere

PostPosted: Fri Apr 17, 2009 2:50 pm
by winner-within
Take your pick with class B, search out a rivalry and go see what its all about, also if you have a chance make sure and see Four Winds or one of the Native schools they can usually give you a good show, enjoy!!

Re: Best HS Gym/Atmosphere

PostPosted: Fri Apr 17, 2009 7:34 pm
by Milkman
IMO Strasburg vs Linton next year could possibly be good. Strasburg is returning a lot of key players and Linton is as well. Linton does lose a lot to graduation. So I think this upcoming year will be a very evenly matched year for those teams. They both most likely (not guaranteed) will be in the hunt for a top spot in the district. I also believe the game will be in Strasburg.

So we have an evenly matched game that would be about more than just bragging rights on a small court with limited seating between two very heated rivals. I'd say that those are the ingredients for some good ol fashioned class b atmosphere.

Re: Best HS Gym/Atmosphere

PostPosted: Sat Apr 18, 2009 6:34 pm
by bigpoppakdog
Since the girls and boys seasons were switched to coincide, the atmosphere of class b basketball has gone down the drain. Seems like the spirit of home court advantage has also dwindled. Not sure why? NDHSAA maybe? But the days of chanting and such are long gone. But, I think your best bet is to attend the regional games where Dickinson Trinity plays. Doesn't matter who they play, the gym will be rooting for the other team.

Re: Best HS Gym/Atmosphere

PostPosted: Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:31 pm
by yakama
Go to Watford City they have a good atmosphere...and if you want a really good game to go to in WC definately go the Watfrod City vs. Dickinson Trinity game its an insane good game to watch most of the time and a great rivalry between the two schools.

Re: Best HS Gym/Atmosphere

PostPosted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 4:51 pm
by ndsportsfan14
Still Tellin ya guys NRS vs Carrington is Best!!

Re: Best HS Gym/Atmosphere

PostPosted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:10 pm
by tommykramer
Looking for old, unusual, and/or interesting gyms and, of course, atmosphere. All these coops would make getting to any particular place more difficult, but I appreciate any insight you all could give.

All of the gyms you guys are talking about don't add up to what he is looking for. Carrington, New Rockford, Dickinson Trinity, Watford City all have nice big gyms. I would have said MPCG vs. Hillsboro in Hillsboro's old gym, but the new one doesn't fit into what he's looking for.

Re: Best HS Gym/Atmosphere

PostPosted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:24 pm
by bigpoppakdog
if you want old gyms etc..then go to flasher and play in the barn. Rhame of course is the probably the most unusual gym.

Re: Best HS Gym/Atmosphere

PostPosted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:43 pm
by duke_boy90
bigpoppakdog wrote:if you want old gyms etc..then go to flasher and play in the barn. Rhame of course is the probably the most unusual gym.


The "Gopher Hole" in Kulm is another small gym.

Re: Best HS Gym/Atmosphere

PostPosted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:43 pm
by sportsfan10
tommykramer wrote:Looking for old, unusual, and/or interesting gyms and, of course, atmosphere. All these coops would make getting to any particular place more difficult, but I appreciate any insight you all could give.

All of the gyms you guys are talking about don't add up to what he is looking for. Carrington, New Rockford, Dickinson Trinity, Watford City all have nice big gyms. I would have said MPCG vs. Hillsboro in Hillsboro's old gym, but the new one doesn't fit into what he's looking for.

carrington does not have a big gym. they have a very small gym. still, an NRS-carrington rivarly game is the way to go.

Re: Best HS Gym/Atmosphere

PostPosted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 8:15 pm
by Flip
Does Strasburg still have metal bleachers?

Re: Best HS Gym/Atmosphere

PostPosted: Mon Apr 20, 2009 11:42 pm
by ND_Coach
Flip wrote:Does Strasburg still have metal bleachers?


no they have plastic portable bleachers but still have a tile floor that eveyone hates

Re: Best HS Gym/Atmosphere

PostPosted: Tue Apr 28, 2009 12:44 pm
by GRIDIRON GURU
Bill232H wrote:I am a high school basketball fan and a "basketball tourist", that is, though I hail from NY, I travel around (especially Indiana and Ohio) in search of that perfect basketball experiance that in Indiana is called "Hoosier Hysteria". I am very interested in North Dakota (I was there in 2003, but it was summer), especially the remote Class B schools, which seem to have a lot of HH potential. People on this site would know where the best places to go would be if I couod get there, so I wondered if anyone could suggest, let's say, the best A place and the best 2 or 3 B's. Looking for old, unusual, and/or interesting gyms and, of course, atmosphere. All these coops would make getting to any particular place more difficult, but I appreciate any insight you all could give.


Too bad you are 15 -25 years too late, with new gyms and co-ops and girls basketball in the winter has diminished what was once the coolest unique baskeball states in the nation. Bitter rivalries within 10 miles, hot cheerleaders, administraters giving the refs heck, dunking was allowed in warm ups. Hot dogs and fountian pop not allowed in the gym. you had to come early for the jr high games to get a seat for the varsity game.

Kensel had a tile floor and some kind of insulation haning from every rafter in the place I hated that gym.

Grace City had a concrete floor and the basket on the stage end was about 9'-7" high

Crary's floor had a wave to it, if you jumped at one end the whole floor moved like open water

Crazy insane atmosphere was Tolna vs Lakota at Tolna, the pink dungeon at Lakota just was'nt the same atmosphere.

Those days are gone all newer gyms without much personallity fans split between girls and boys basketball, towns that were once rivals are now one school district. The magic is gone it's just not the same. Good, but not the same.

Re: Best HS Gym/Atmosphere

PostPosted: Tue Apr 28, 2009 3:04 pm
by Flying Wallenda
GRIDIRON GURU wrote:
Bill232H wrote:I am a high school basketball fan and a "basketball tourist", that is, though I hail from NY, I travel around (especially Indiana and Ohio) in search of that perfect basketball experiance that in Indiana is called "Hoosier Hysteria". I am very interested in North Dakota (I was there in 2003, but it was summer), especially the remote Class B schools, which seem to have a lot of HH potential. People on this site would know where the best places to go would be if I couod get there, so I wondered if anyone could suggest, let's say, the best A place and the best 2 or 3 B's. Looking for old, unusual, and/or interesting gyms and, of course, atmosphere. All these coops would make getting to any particular place more difficult, but I appreciate any insight you all could give.


Too bad you are 15 -25 years too late, with new gyms and co-ops and girls basketball in the winter has diminished what was once the coolest unique baskeball states in the nation. Bitter rivalries within 10 miles, hot cheerleaders, administraters giving the refs heck, dunking was allowed in warm ups. Hot dogs and fountian pop not allowed in the gym. you had to come early for the jr high games to get a seat for the varsity game.

Kensel had a tile floor and some kind of insulation haning from every rafter in the place I hated that gym.

Grace City had a concrete floor and the basket on the stage end was about 9'-7" high

Crary's floor had a wave to it, if you jumped at one end the whole floor moved like open water

Crazy insane atmosphere was Tolna vs Lakota at Tolna, the pink dungeon at Lakota just was'nt the same atmosphere.

Those days are gone all newer gyms without much personallity fans split between girls and boys basketball, towns that were once rivals are now one school district. The magic is gone it's just not the same. Good, but not the same.


Guru, you and I must be from near the same area...I played in all the gyms you mentioned...Kensal's tile floor with the insulation that I was convinced was oozing with asbestos fumes was a hoot, and the floor seemed about a 1/2 mile long...Grace city's conrete floor, where you couldn't really shoot a three from the corners, oh and it always got so hot in there during the girls games in the fall that it would get all slippery...how about Warwick?? I swear that floor was placed on springs, as a guy could almost literally jump out of the gym there. And Bowden? It seemed so dark in there that we used to joke we should be wearing a hard-hat with a flashlight on it! Michigan's floor had a hump in the middle that I swear a guy would trip over if you weren't careful...and Lakota's "pit" was interesting...I wonder how many concussions were caused by that wall on the east end that was about 2 feet behind the basket??

Re: Best HS Gym/Atmosphere

PostPosted: Tue Apr 28, 2009 3:19 pm
by GRIDIRON GURU
Michigan had no out of bounds, chairs for the teams were on the court, the wall was out of bounds all the way around with no baseline three point, there were a few separated shoulders and concussions there too.

Warwick, a quonset across from the bar, those locker rooms were interesting to say the least.

Did you play in McHenry? another dungeon, which reminded me of a worse Michigan gym.

Re: Best HS Gym/Atmosphere

PostPosted: Tue Apr 28, 2009 7:43 pm
by ndlionsfan
I played in the same area as you two, but must be quite a bit younger. I got to play in Warwick and those locker rooms were ridiculous! I was about 170lbs and could barely squeeze through the opening into the shower room. I don't know how some people ever fit in there! Also played in Lakota high school gym a few times, but played in their new community center, too. Played in Tolna once and Crary a few times in the old DL Eagles tourneys. Never had the chance to play in Grace City, mcHenry, Michigan, etc but I wish I would have. I love those old schools and gyms and wish more of them were still open or standing so you could go inside and just try to imagine all the history contained in those places. Like they say, if walls could talk....

Re: Best HS Gym/Atmosphere

PostPosted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 9:03 am
by Flying Wallenda
GRIDIRON GURU wrote:Michigan had no out of bounds, chairs for the teams were on the court, the wall was out of bounds all the way around with no baseline three point, there were a few separated shoulders and concussions there too.

Warwick, a quonset across from the bar, those locker rooms were interesting to say the least.

Did you play in McHenry? another dungeon, which reminded me of a worse Michigan gym.


I remember playing in Warwick, after the game was done we went to shower...the freezing cold water dribbled out of the spout...a guy could have gotten wetter by having someone spit on you, and probably cleaner. I did play in McHenry also....ya had to love the balconey that seemed to hang over the court, seating on 1 side, 3 walls about a foot out of play....funny thing was they had some great teams in the 60's, 70's and 80s that packed that place. Tolna, Binford, Glenfield, they all had that barn look to them...3 or 4 rows of seats per side, Glenfield had that tile floor and horn that sounded like a car honking. Binford's floor was very nice, loved the "shooters basket" on the east side that clanged to beat heck if you drew iron.

Re: Best HS Gym/Atmosphere

PostPosted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 2:57 pm
by hoopsfan21
The gym in Ray was an unique place to play. Low false ceiling, stage along one sideline with bleachers, few rows of bleachers on the other side. brick walls behind each basket and couldnt shoot a 3 in the corner because you would be out of bounds. I also remember their loud band blasting during warmups and their fans and coaches sure could scream at refs, other fans, other players and their own.

Re: Best HS Gym/Atmosphere

PostPosted: Fri May 01, 2009 9:03 pm
by Bill232H
I just want to thank everyone for all the fascinating input. I have read it all with great interest. I will say in response to those who say it was better years ago (I hear that when I'm in Indiana all the time!) that maybe it was, but it is now (with the help of sites like this) when it is easiest to find schedules and other information about the games all around the country. Back in the day you had to rely on newspapers (actual paper copies) and schedules from schools to find out what was going on. Now, you can get totally up to date info just before you go anywhere! It makes "basketball tourism" much more practical and productive.
Do the schools play much during Christmas break? I know is some places (such as Iowa) they don't play at all.

Re: Best HS Gym/Atmosphere

PostPosted: Sat May 02, 2009 5:58 pm
by Milkman
There are actually a lot of "holiday tourneys" during the christmas break. As you can tell from previous posts I follow district 6. This is because I have relatives in the area. So I guess one good tourney that I know of would be the Linton Holiday Tournament. Its almost an early season district preview along with some western teams that the dist 6 kids don't usually play. Good rivalries and good competion.

Re: Best HS Gym/Atmosphere

PostPosted: Mon Jun 22, 2009 1:07 am
by sekasum
I would have to say a toss up between Rugby and Donnybrook.

Re: Best HS Gym/Atmosphere

PostPosted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 1:56 pm
by Bulls=Dynasty
I would go to north sargents gym. If there is a big game at that gym the atmosphere is crazy. there is no space from the out of bounds and the bleachers. People standing around the court. It was awesome playing there

Re: Best HS Gym/Atmosphere

PostPosted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 2:00 pm
by Bison17
Bulls=Dynasty wrote:I would go to north sargents gym. If there is a big game at that gym the atmosphere is crazy. there is no space from the out of bounds and the bleachers. People standing around the court. It was awesome playing there


YES I loved winning in there all the time.