Trojans to play in Ed Harter Classic

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Trojans to play in Ed Harter Classic

November 12, 2010

Ed Harter says he enjoyed stepping away from basketball, but he still is involved with the game, which he spent so many years playing and coaching.

"I never have really stopped coaching. I still like to get on the sideline and yell at a player or a ref," said Harter, who has coached several high school coaches around the state.

The Dakota State University Trojans will play Dakota Wesleyan University and the University of Sioux Falls on Friday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 4 p.m. at the DSU Fieldhouse in the annual Ed Harter Classic.

"There's going to be really good ballgames. When I coached against Sioux Falls and Wesleyan, we had some battles all around, just real close games," said Harter, who coached the Trojans for 28 years. "I expect the same thing for Gary's (Garner) players."

This weekend, Coach Garner has invited all former players to the DSU basketball reunion. There will be a ceremony at Nicky's on Friday night after the game and various events on Saturday for the past Trojans.

"We hope to get a lot of former players back to Madison," said Garner.

Harter has been able to see a couple of Trojan practices this year and likes what he sees.

"I like what I see from this team this year. They should win a lot of games," said Harter.

The Trojans are 3-2 on the year. Their two losses were to USF and DWU in their gyms. DWU is ranked 20th in the nation and is 4-1 on the season. USF is currently ranked 8th and is 1-1.

"This weekend is a huge opportunity for our team, and it's also a huge challenge," said Garner, who is in his second year at the helm for DSU. "Playing two Top-25 teams in three days is a tough draw, but we'll be up for it."

"We really wanted a fourth team for this weekend, but we can't find another team, so we had to go to the Friday/Sunday format. Next year, we'll get a fourth team."

Harter said that basketball is different from when he coached.

"It's a different game. Back in our day, the focus was all on the team. We played as a unit. Now, it just seems you got one guy do the scoring -- the hot-shot," said Harter, an Indiana native. "But there's still good basketball out there."

While Harter remembers intense games in what he says were "friendly rivalries" between USF and DWU, he didn't take the intensity home with him.

"During the game, we both were all business and wanted to win. But after the game, we shook hands and I told them, 'See you on the golf course'. We had some fun battles on the golf course, too. It's amazing how some coaches cheat," he said with a smile. "I gained a lot of lifelong friends through basketball. I lost some games, but I won some great friends."

Ariy-El Boynton, Madison Daily Leader Sports Editor