Hall of Fame
1935-37 Men's Basketball Teams
These two teams combined to go 32-5 and were the final two of four straight NCC Championships for North Dakota. Of those five losses, three were to future Big Ten schools (at Iowa and Wisconsin) with another in the postseason (Drake) and two to rival North Dakota State (6 wins, 2 losses).
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UND's 16-1 regular season record in 1935-36 drew the attention of U.S. Olympic representatives. The Sioux lost to Drake, 49-46, at the District 6 Olympic Elimination Tournament in Minneapolis, UND's first-ever postseason appearance.
The following year, the Sioux won their fourth consecutive conference title by going 8-0 in NCC play. During that four-year stretch, UND went 35-1 in conference games.
Emmet Birk would be a three-time All-NCC pick (1935-37) with Herman Witasek joining him in 1935-36 and Robert Finnegan in both 1936 and 37. The team was coached by legendary hall of famer Clem Letich, who was part of UND's first-ever Hall of Fame class in 1975.
