The Minot SkyRockets were a team in the
Continental Basketball Association. They played their home games at the
Minot Municipal Auditorium
The Minot Municipal Auditorium is a 5,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Downtown Minot, North Dakota.
It was built in 1954. It hosts conventions and sporting events, primarily basketball, and competes with the MSU Dome and All Seasons Arena f ...
. The team began play in 2005 as the San Jose Skyrockets of the
American Basketball Association. The team had a very successful first season, finishing first in the
Ron Boone
Ronald Bruce Boone (born September 6, 1946) is an American former professional basketball player. He had a 13-year career in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA). Boone set a record for most consecuti ...
division with a 29-5 record. The team advanced to the semifinals of the
ABA Great Eight, losing to the
Rochester Razorsharks, 106-103.
At the end of the season, the team announced they were joining the
Continental Basketball Association and relocating to
Minot, North Dakota
Minot ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Ward County, North Dakota, United States, in the state's north-central region. It is most widely known for the Air Force base approximately north of the city. With a population of 48,377 at the 2 ...
. The Minot SkyRockets spent three years in North Dakota, losing the 2008 CBA finals to the
Oklahoma Cavalry 3-2 before disbanding in 2009.
2006–07
DayShawn Wright,
Dee Brown,
Marco Killingsworth,
Ryan Hollins
Ryan Kenwood Hollins (born October 10, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player who is a color commentator for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins. H ...
,
Pele Paelay
Pele Paelay (born June 15, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player. Although he was born in Liberia, he grew up in the state of Maryland before playing at Coastal Carolina University from 2002 to 2006. Paelay was named the Big ...
, and
Ed Nelson
Edwin Stafford Nelson (December 21, 1928 – August 9, 2014) was an American actor, best known for his role as Dr. Michael Rossi in the television series '' Peyton Place''.
Nelson appeared in episodes of many TV programs, more than 50 mov ...
were selected in the 2006 CBA Draft.
2007–2008
In the 2007 draft, Larry Turner, Brad Brickens, Jeremy Overstreet, James Hughes, Courtney Bohannon, Avis Wyatt, and Adam Haluska were picked by the SkyRockets.
In January 2008, 20 local investors led by Chris Lindbo formed the Minot CBA Investment Group, LLC and purchased the SkyRockets from APEX Sportstainment.
Minot Daily News
/ref> APEX also sold their CBA franchise in Great Falls, MT
Great Falls is the third most populous city in the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Cascade County. The population was 60,442 according to the 2020 census. The city covers an area of and is the principal city of the Great Falls, M ...
to Michael Tuckman in November 2007.
The Skyrockets lost the CBA championship to the Oklahoma Cavalry 96-86. The series was 3-2.
In the 2008 draft, Brian Butch, Brandon Smith, Othyus Jeffers, Dion Dowell, Sasha Kaun, and Dominique Kirk were picked by the Skyrockets
Year-by-year
Roster
2005-2006 Season
*Joe Buck
*Lamar Castile
* Anwar Ferguson
*Jamar Howard
*Mark Luedtke
*Anthony Lumpkin
* Todd Okeson
*Darius Pope
*Marvin Rogers
*Jason Smith
*Rock Winston
* Mark Magsumbol
2006-2007 Season
*Steve Castleberry
*Ray Cunningham
*Lewis Fadipe
*Desmond Ferguson
*Ronnie Fields
*Kenyon Gamble
*David Harrison
*Darnell Miller
*Jason Smith
*Jitim Young
2007-2008 Season
*Ray Cunningham
*Eric Davis
*Ronnie Fields
*Sidney Holmes
*Kevin Johnson
*Darius Mattear
*Kellen Miliner
*Kevin Rice
*Lee Scruggs
2008-2009 Season
*Courtney Bohannon
*Ronnie Fields
Ronnie Fields (born February 28, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player.
High school
Born and raised in Chicago, Fields played at Farragut Academy in Chicago from 1992–1996 and was a teammate of Kevin Garnett during the 199 ...
*Cory Hightower
*Sidney Homes
*Darius Mattear
*Kellen Miliner
*Kevin Rice
*Maurice Shaw
*John Strickland
*Derek Wabbington
References
External links
Minot SkyRockets website
Continental Basketball Association teams
Sports in Minot, North Dakota
Basketball teams in North Dakota
Defunct sports teams in North Dakota
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