Students from Lower Brule Schools head to the 40th annual Lakota Nation Invitational in Rapid City, South Dakota. Photo by Hawran Ministry. More photos on Lower Brule Schools / Facebook
Pine Ridge man behind resurgence of Lower Brule hoops
By Brandon Ecoffey
Lakota Country Times Editor
lakotacountrytimes.com LOWER BRULE -- Lower Brule was put on the map as a result of their 2003 upset of the top-seeded and #1-rated South Dakota Class-A St. Thomas More Cavaliers. Now more than a decade later the Braves are trending upward partly thanks to the efforts of a Pine Ridge High School graduate. As a 1999 graduate of Pine Ridge High School, Yamni Jack is known as a Pine Ridge resident with strong ties to the Oglala Lakota Nation's basketball community. A solid and creative point guard in his day, Jack now finds himself as the fourth-year head coach of a blossoming Lower Brule High School basketball program that is looking to make a splash at this year's Lakota Nation Invitational. "We had 58 kids come put for basketball this year," said Jack. "With the success of our program our kids are starting to come back from schools like Chamberlain and Lyman County." "Lyman County used to send four buses into the town of Lower Brule and leave with about 150 kids. That is starting to change" he added. Although the Sioux are going have to find a way to replace big man Adrian Farmer and 1000-point career scorer L.J. Flute they do have a plan moving forward with the return of Chris Comes Flying and long range shooter Ben Long Crow. Lower Brule will also welcome the arrival of 6'4" Demas Bromwich and Florida transfer Jayshawn Milton.
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Building a successful program requires an investment of time and energy and Jack has paid his dues by relocating with his family to the small rural town of Lower Brule. Last year Lower Brule saw their Junior Varsity and Freshman teams lose a combined total of one game between them that Jack feels is a sign of things to come. The varsity lost only four games with three of them coming against Red Cloud, Little Wound, and White River. Lower Brule will kick off their LNI with a matchup against Cheyenne Eagle Butte at 8:30pm on Wednesday, December 14, in the Rushmore Plaza Ice Arena. More LCT Coverage of the 40th annual Lakota Nation Invitational:
Lakota Country Times: Big Native basketball tournament opens (12/14) (Contact Brandon Ecoffey at editor@lakotacountrytimes.com) Find the award-winning Lakota Country Times on the Internet, Facebook and Twitter and download the new Lakota Country Times app today.
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