Roosevelt basketball star Nordland, famed jump shooter, has died

Tom Nordland was the star among standouts for the Minneapolis Roosevelt teams that won consecutive one-class boys basketball titles in 1956 and 1957. Nordland was part of the record-breaking 101-54 rout of Blue Earth in the '56 final and then scored 31 points in a 59-51 win over Red Wing as the Teddies repeated in '57.

Nordland, 83, died on Dec. 28. He was living in the Twin Cities with his wife, Jeanne.

Dave Mona, a Roosevelt Teddie-to-be, would take in Roosevelt games to watch those teams that also included star center Jerry Butler and Greg Larson, a playmaking guard who would become an All-Pro center for the New York Giants.

During a 1999 review of 20th century sports in Minnesota, the Star Tribune placed Nordland on the all-time starting five for high school boys basketball.

Mona's review then: "He was even fun to watch in warmups as the crowd kept track of his consecutive made long-range jumpers.'' He also made 19 of 20 free throws in a state tournament game.

Nordland attended Stanford, lived in California for many years and developed shooting videos with his "Swish'' method. His Twitter handle was @SwishCoach.

Mona on Wednesday said: "Tom wasn't a great athlete, as such, so he didn't play a big role at Stanford, but as a shooter … you couldn't find anybody better in Minnesota.

"Maybe ever.''

Nordland was voted into the Minnesota Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020. The ceremony was postponed by COVID-19, and he was inducted in 2022.