Hall of Fame
An all native North Dakota 1934-35 UND men's basketball team was nearly all victorious, as coach Clem Letich's ninth team raced through to a 19-1 season record, losing only at the University of Nebraska (34-21), and sweeping aside all other opposition to win the first of four straight conference championships with a 9-0 record. The Sioux were undefeated at home (8-0) and 11-1 on the road. The starting five included senior Herman Witasek of Lankin at center, sophomores Bob Finnegan of Bismarck and Emmet Birk of Park River at the wings, senior Weston Booth of Grand Forks and junior Gordon Aamoth of Bismarck in the back court. Witasek, a fantastic shooter, averaged 11.6 points per game, and Finnegan and Birk each averaged 9.7 points per game. Those three ranked first, second and fourth in North Central Conference point totals. Witasek later went on to play with the Milwaukee-Oshkosh pro team that played in a league that was the forerunner of the National Basketball Association (NBA). UND played four games against NDAC (now NDSU) in 1934-35 and won all four games. To end the season, UND edged a team of former college all-stars called the Bismarck Phantoms, 41-39, at Bismarck on March 9, 1935.
