Hi-Line Athlete Profile: Michael Bakke, Havre Basketball

There is plenty of anticipation regarding the debut of the 2014-15 Havre High boys basketball team. And with the Blue Ponies’ first two games against Malta Friday and CMR Saturday at home inside the HHS gymnasium, the excitement level is sure to ramp up even more.

One player in particular that is looking forward to the start of the new season is Havre senior Michael Bakke, who returns this season to the Ponies after playing a key role for the team off the bench in 2013-14.

Last season, Bakke, who is also a member of the Havre High golf team, started the year playing for the junior varsity team before working his way onto the varsity and eventually into the sixth-man role by season’s end for head coach Curt Leeds’ team, which went 7-15 overall.

And even though Bakke and the Blue Ponies struggled at times during the regular season, together, they came on strong when it mattered most. Bakke started to play the best basketball of his career down the stretch, and it coincided with a great run by the Ponies, who reached the Central A championship game and earned their first state tournament berth since 2006.

Havre would win just one of three games at state and was eliminated in loser-out action on the third and final day. But the experience will prove invaluable this season for the Ponies and with a number of players back this year such as Bakke, who played outstanding at last year’s state tourney, and others like leading scorer Dane Warp, Nate Rismon, Jase Kato and Jerod Boles, Havre has its sights set on making a deep run in the state tournament.

Here are five questions with Bakke, a senior leader for the Ponies, on and off the floor.

HDN: What are you looking forward to most in your senior season?

Bakke: “I’m looking forward to playing with a great group of guys. I’m also looking forward to divisionals and state. We are going to try and make a run for that title.”

HDN: How much do you think getting to state last season will help you guys this year?

Bakke: “I think it’s going to help us out tremendously. We hadn’t gone to state in eight years, so no one had any experience playing in games like that. But, now every starter played at state last year, so just that little bit of experience takes that edge off and that should help us out a lot.”

HDN: How excited are you to play at home to start the season?

Bakke: “We are all pretty excited to play against Malta. It should be a really good game and we are hoping that a lot of people come out and support us.”

HDN: What’s your favorite thing about playing the game of basketball?

Bakke: “I like playing basketball for the Blue Ponies. I have a lot of pride in being able to be with those guys every day and that’s a great feeling.”

HDN: Who is your favorite professional basketball player and why?

Bakke: “My favorite player is Kobe Bryant. Growing up he was my dad’s favorite player, and he has always just kind of been a role model for me.”