Dave Vonesh was Jim Warmack’s basketball mentor many years ago. Glenn Hansen, Reed Monson, Kurt Knoff - those are basketball players Warmack knows only by reputation.
“Dave used to help me with my basketball,’’ Warmack, a senior at East Grand Forks Senior High, said. “Those others, all I know is that they were good players, good athletes.’’
Vonesh and Knoff from Senior High, Hansen from Grand Forks Central and Monson from Grand Forks Red River are some of the biggest names in Greater Grand Forks basketball history. Now they all have something else in common.
In his last five games, Warmack has passed them all on the list of career points.
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Warmack scored his 1,600th point on Thursday. On Saturday, he poured in 21 points against visiting Warroad in an 89-45 Green Wave win. That pushed Warmack past Vonesh as the No. 2 scorer in Senior High boys basketball history with 1,627 points. Vonesh had 1,620.
The only player sitting ahead of Warmack on Senior High’s career scoring list is Nick Mertens, who scored 2,010 points. “I’d like to, but I don’t think I can get him,’’ the 6-foot-7 Warmack said.
Caught by surprise
Warmack was unaware that he’d passed the career totals of Vonesh, Hansen (1,579), Monson (1,560) and Knoff (1,542). He was unaware that he’d reached 1,600 career points.
“I didn’t know. Because of that, I could just go out and play. There’s less stress not knowing about it,’’ said the senior, who has signed to play basketball at University of Minnesota-Crookston.
Warmack isn’t just a scorer. His line against Warroad was 21 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. With Warroad’s defense swarming the senior, Warmack looked for cutting teammates. He had seven assists, setting up teammates for layups, just in the first half.
“If the shot is there, I’ll take it,’’ said Warmack, who averages 19.7 points, 4.1 assists, 10.7 rebounds and 1.8 blocks this season. “If it isn’t there, I’ll give the ball up. I want to be a team player.’’
It wasn’t until there was 12:23 left in the game that he passed Vonesh, getting the ball in the lane, spinning to his left and hitting a layup.
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“He’s very unselfish,” said Senior High coach Travis Lindgren - another 1,000-point scorer at Senior High whom Warmack has passed climbing the scoring ladder. “Sometimes he’s too unselfish. We have to tell him to look for his shot more. He’s capable of dominating games, but he wants to keep his teammates involved.
“Jim’s a versatile guy. He’s knocked down 3-point shots at a high percentage. But his strong area is definitely around the basket. He’s an exceptional offensive rebounder. And he has a nice variety of moves around the basket. He hasn’t shot a lot of threes this year because we need him more around the basket.”
Take a seat, sis
While Warmack was unaware as he closed in on the scoring marks of the likes of Vonesh, Hansen, Monson and Knoff, he was targeting in on one number. His older sister, Kate Warmack, graduated from Senior High in 2010 with 1,433 points.
“I had to beat Kate,’’ said Warmack, whose older sister scored her 1,000th point at Bemidji State last week. “That’s all I cared about. She’s rubbed it in to me that she had more points. She’s been doing that for a long time. Now I have bragging rights.’’
Senior High had its second-highest point total of the season in beating Warroad. The offense was balanced, with Ben Bjornson adding 17 points, Ty Misialek 16 and Grant Frydenlund and Tanner Seim each scoring 10. Tommy Vilaphone’s 17 points led Warroad.
