10. Joe Hanstad – Boise State
A 6’4 guard from Dickinson, Hanstad was one of the best high school basketball players in North Dakota before arriving at Boise State back in 2011. His career at the collegiate level didn’t quite match his accolades in high school, but he still saw time during all four seasons with the Broncos. He never quite became an impact player or vital piece, but it’s still worth mentioning Hanstad among North Dakota’s best.
His most success came as a freshman, where he saw a run of starts late in the season. He scored a career-high 19 points in a win at Air Force. Hanstad was a reserve who had limited time for most of his career, starting just 11 of the 75 games he played with the Broncos. He scored 10 points in a game against Abilene Christian as a senior, but the impact moments were few and far between for him.
Hanstad shot just under 40% for his career, though his opportunities were clearly limited as he scored just 135 career points. He was part of two Boise State NCAA Tournament teams, being part of the team that started to turn things around for the Broncos. While there’s nothing impressive about his accolades or statistics on the court, he still contributed to an impressive rise for this program and remains one of the North Dakota’s finer high school athletes in recent times as well.