8,000-mile journey leads to 485 coaching wins — and counting

Thank you for checking out Basketball Across Minnesota, my weekly look at some of the state's top hoops stories, from preps to pros. — Marcus Fuller

One of Minnesota's most successful basketball coaches is known more for his unmistakable connection to players than the long journey he made to this country to fall in love with the game.

That's the way Jim Russell prefers it.

Winning 485 games at Central Lakes College, a two-year technical school in Brainerd, made him a junior college coaching legend. None of it would have been possible without his players, but escaping war-torn Vietnam as a child first put him on a path to a new life.

"I'm very lucky and blessed to be here," said Russell, now in his 25th season.

When Russell was 9, Vietnam's war was still raging between North and South. He had been separated from his mother for eight years, but they reunited and headed for the U.S., which supported the South, in 1973 with his adoptive father. He was grateful to be safe from the violence.

"I'm from the South and we lost the war," he said. "We left right before it got really ugly."

Growing up with a new family in Northfield, Minn., Russell didn't look like his three siblings, but he quickly fit in with the community through sports. His introduction to basketball came after his ride to fourth-grade hockey practice was a no-show. He ditched the skates and walked into the nearby gym.

"I wasn't a great player, but I understood what team basketball was about," said Russell, who stands 5-6. "I understood the sacrifices you make. So that's when I just fell in love with the game."

In the 1990s, former Gophers coach Clem Haskins' basketball camps were a popular place for players and aspiring young coaches, including Russell, who worked with Haskins and former U assistant Dan Kosmoski, now at St. Olaf.

Russell's first taste of college coaching was as a student assistant at St. Mary's in Winona. His appetite for learning expanded while on staffs at NAIA Tabor College in Kansas and Division II Western State in Colorado. He returned home as a graduate assistant at St. Cloud State to earn his master's degree.

"I got lucky because [the coaches] let me do things, but they also taught me along the way," Russell said. "One of the biggest things I like the most about my job is recruiting and finding guys."

While taking a trip to his family's cabin in 1997, Russell stopped by the new Central Lakes campus. He ran into the school president, who had an opening for a men's basketball coach. Russell, who is married with three kids, has been there ever since — and the Raiders never had a losing season, while also winning nine Minnesota College Athletic Conference titles.

"You never expect to meet a coach like Coach Russ," said current CLC assistant George Washington II, who played on Russell's first national junior college tournament team in 2007-08. "He's all about learning and building a life outside of just basketball. That's one thing that attracted me to him."

Russell's best season was going 26-7 and finishing fourth in the nation in 2018-19. His teams went a combined 31-1 in the conference from 2018-20.

Russell hopes to keep uplifting players who enter his program from tough backgrounds. "I'm very fortunate and very blessed to make an impact on these gentlemen," he said.

In the past four years, longtime MCAC coaches Jay Pivec from Minneapolis Community & Technical College (452 wins in 20 seasons) and Vermilion's Paul McDonald (545 wins in 29 seasons) have retired. Russell and Rochester Community & Technical College's Brian LaPlante (490 wins in 25 seasons) are now the longest-tenured in the league.

Russell likely would've surpassed the 500-win mark if not for the cancellation of the 2020-21 season because of the pandemic. He retired as Central Lakes athletic director this year but isn't still coaching to chase milestones. He hopes to inspire more minority basketball coaches, especially with Asian backgrounds.

Two of Russell's sons are interested in coaching, including Michael, a grad assistant on a Division II Final Four team at Black Hills State in South Dakota last season.

Russell wants more representation with coaches of Asian heritage from the highest level down to junior college. "I'd love to reach out and be able to teach and give back to help them," he said. "That's my hope."

Fuller's Five ballers

Parker Bjorklund, St. Thomas

The 6-6 senior forward helped the Tommies win their Summit League opener with a career-high 29 points Monday against North Dakota.

Casmir Chavis, Park Center

The DeLaSalle transfer led the defending Class 4A champions and No. 1-ranked Pirates with 23 points last weekend in a 78-71 win against No. 2 Lakeville North, which got 27 points from Wisconsin recruit Nolan Winter.

Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves

The talented 21-year-old Wolves guard has flirted with triple-double numbers recently, including 37 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists Sunday vs. Chicago and 27 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists Monday vs. Dallas.

Gabby Fineday, Cass Lake-Bena

Scored the second-most points in program history with 47, including seven three-pointers, in a 102-54 win Dec. 16 against Red Lake. The sophomore guard wasn't finished, adding 38 points Monday.

Tessa Johnson, St. Michael-Albertville

The South Carolina recruit and top senior in Minnesota dropped a career-high 51 points against Chaska last Friday, breaking the STMA record for points in a game.

Statistically speaking

2,000 – Career points, a milestone reached this month by both Northland senior Alec Wake and Hiawatha Collegiate senior Jessye Lewis Jr.

47 – Stillwater guard and Gophers football recruit Max Shikenjanski's points in Tuesday's win against Mahtomedi, two shy of his school record set last year.

7 – Ranking in the Division II poll for Minnesota State Mankato women's basketball, which took its first loss of the season Saturday vs. Southwest Minnesota State. The Mavericks were No. 4, their highest national ranking since 2009.

Basketball Across Minnesota will be published weekly on startribune.com. Don't be a stranger on Twitter after reading, as chatting about these stories makes them even more fun to share. Thanks, Marcus (@Marcus_R_Fuller on Twitter)