Minnesota Hoops

The State of Basketball (Revised)

Marc Hugunin and Stew Thornley

Available November 2026

Minnesota Historical Society Press

Description

Minnesota’s basketball tradition rivals other sports, including hockey, with breakout stars and winning teams making headlines. This revised edition proves the case for Minnesota as the state of basketball. 

“Minnesota is as much a basketball state as it is a hockey state,” says WNBA superstar Paige Bueckers. In fact, the sport has been played here since 1892, and now, over a century later, basketball is Minnesota’s most-played sport. In Minnesota Hoops, Marc Hugunin and Stew Thornley present the definitive story of this remarkable journey, offering little-known facts and thrilling tales of the games, the courts, and the personalities that made Minnesota not just the state of hockey but also the state of basketball. 

Sit courtside as George Mikan and the Minneapolis Lakers win six championships in seven years. Relive the magic of Lindsay Whalen and the Gopher women’s final four appearance. Watch Kevin Garnett’s Hall of Fame career from the start. Featuring men’s and women’s basketball at all levels, Minnesota Hoops offers an unparalleled history for both hardcore fans and curious observers.

This revised edition covers the current golden age, as homegrown talents like Paige Bueckers and Chet Holmgren break out, the Lynx and Timberwolves achieve sustained success, and young Minnesotans play the game in greater numbers than ever. 

Author Information

Marc Hugunin, a basketball historian for the Minnesota State High School League and an analyst for Prep Hoops, lives in Stillwater, Minnesota. Stew Thornley is the author of more than forty books, including Baseball in Minnesota. He lives in Roseville, Minnesota.

• Paperback
• 280 pages
  
• 8½ x 11 inches
  
• ISBN: 978-1-68134-349-5