The 1951 Basketball Buccaneers, Gilbert's State Champions

the long version

In March of 1951, a basketball team from tiny Gilbert, Minnesota, battled its way into the Minnesota State High School Basketball Tournament, the state's single biggest sports spectacle of that era. Led by their innovative head coach, a 6'9" 245-pound center, a skinny junior with uncanny long-range shotting skills, and floor leader playing on one healthy leg, these indomitable basketball Buccaneers won the state title and captured the hearts of an entire state. The thrills that they provided for the record crowds in Williams Arena have become part of Minnesota sports folklore.