2009 MBI Champions

The 2009 Mr. Basketball Invitational featured 40 prep boys all-star teams from 8 states. Going Vertical came out on top, winning their first Mr. Basketball title. Congratulations to all the players for a job well done!

Central Nebraska’s Going Vertical wins Mr. Basketball

By CHRIS BASNETT, Hub Sports Writer

07/06/2009

KEARNEY — The champions of the Mr. Basketball Invitational won’t have to make a long drive to get home.

Going Vertical, a team made up mostly of players from central Nebraska, held off the Wisconsin Blizzard 53-50 Sunday to win the Mr. Basketball Invitational championship.

Crofton’s Weston Foxhoven, a 6-foot-7 center, powered Going Vertical with 21 points and six rebounds. Foxhoven was 5 of 7 from the floor after missing his first six shots and finished 11 of 15 at the free-throw line.

Minden’s Max Anderson added 10 points for Going Vertical, while Ravenna’s John Klosterman finished with eight points. Dundy County’s Kendal Glidden had a game-high 10 rebounds.

Wisconsin got 19 points from D.J. Rhoads on 8-of-21 shooting. Davis DeWolfe added 11 points and eight rebounds while J.J. Martin had 11 points and six boards.

Wisconsin stormed out of the gate, hitting four 3-pointers while opening up a 14-5 lead less than six minutes into the game.

But the Blizzard went cold.

Wisconsin missed its first 12 shots to start the second half as Going Vertical went on a 12-2 run. The Blizzard finished just 5 of 19 from 3-point range after their hot start.

Going Vertical never trailed after Foxhoven’s bucket one minute into the second half gave the team a 27-25 lead and led by as many as nine in the second half.

Going Vertical is the first Nebraska team to win the Mr. Basketball championship since 2005 and the first team consisting mainly of players from central Nebraska to win the championship since the tournament’s first year in 1992.

Going Vertical 53, Wisconsin Blizzard 50

Mr. Basketball Inv. Championship

GOING VERTICAL — John Klosterman 3-6 1-7 8, Jordan Smith 0-1 2-2 2, Ryan Bergstrom 0-6 0-0 0, Trevor Fecht 0-4 2-2 2, Nathan Scott 1-1 2-2 4, Max Anderson 4-8 0-0 10, Kendal Glidden 2-3 0-0 4, Nick Robison 1-3 0-0 2, Weston Foxhoven 5-14 11-15 21. Totals 16-46 18-28 53.

WISCONSIN BLIZZARD — Lee Veldcamp 1-1 0-0 2, Marc VandeWettering 0-0 2-2 2, Max Frederic 2-11 0-0 5, D.J. Rhoads 8-21 2-4 19, Davis DeWolfe 4-8 1-2 11, J.J. Martin 3-7 4-6 11, Beau Reshel 0-3 0-0 0, Joel Koppa 0-3 0-0 0, Kory Jugiello 0-1 0-0 0. Totals — 18-55 9-14 50.

Halftime — Wisconsin 25, Going Vertical 23.

3-point goals — Going Vertical 3-14 (Anderson 2-3, Klosterman 1-2, Bergstrom 0-5, Smith 0-1, Fecht 0-1, Glidden 0-1, Foxhoven 0-1). Wisconsin 5-19 (DeWolfe 2-2, Rhoads 1-10, Frederic 1-4, Martin 1-2, Koppa 0-1).

©Kearney Hub 2009

Grade Ht. Player Hometown High School Tourn PPG
SR 6-2 JOHN KLOSTERMANN RAVENNA, NE RAVENNA 6.9
SR 6-2 JORDAN SMITH LOUP CITY, NE LOUP CITY 1.7
SR 6-3 RYAN BERGSTROM MINDEN, NE MINDEN 3.4
SR 6-2 TREVOR FECHT AXTELL, NE AXTELL 6.6
SR 6-3 NATHAN SCOTT BROKEN BOW, NE BROKEN BOW 2.1
SR 6-3 MAX ANDERSON MINDEN, NE MINDEN 9.3
SR 6-6 KENDAL GLIDDEN BENKELMAN, NE DUNDY CO. – STRATTON 11.4
SR 6-4 NICK ROBINSON AXTELL, NE AXTELL 5.1
SR 6-7 WESTON FOXHOVEN CROFTON, NE CROFTON 14.4