Editing Dakota Wizards

{{Infobox basketball club
| name = Dakota Wizards
| color1 = white
| color2 = #04529c
| color3 = #FFCC33
| logo = DakotaWizards.PNG
| imagesize = 80px
| league = [[NBA G League]]
| founded = 1995
| history = '''Dakota Wizards,''' 1995–2012 ->  [[International Basketball Association| IBA]]:  1995–2001, [[Continental Basketball Association|  CBA]]: 2001–2006, [[NBA Development League| NBA D- League]]: 2006–2012''';''' ''[[Santa Cruz Warriors]],'' 2012–present
| arena = [[Bismarck Civic Center]]
| city = [[Bismarck, North Dakota]]
| colors = Royal Blue, Golden Yellow, White, Purple, Green<br />{{color box|#04529c}} {{color box|#FFCC33}} {{color box|white}} {{color box|#6639B7}} {{color box|#007934}}
| coach = 
| owner = 
| league_champs = ('''4''') '''2''' [[Continental Basketball Association|CBA]] '''1''' [[International Basketball Association|IBA]] '''1''' [[NBA Development League|D-League]]
| division_champs = ('''7''') '''3''' [[Continental Basketball Association|CBA]] '''2''' [[International Basketball Association|IBA]] '''2''' [[NBA Development League|D-League]]
| affiliations = [[Chicago Bulls]], [[Golden State Warriors]], [[Memphis Grizzlies]], [[Washington Wizards]]
| website = 

| h_pattern_b = _thingreensides 
| h_body   = 192798
| h_shorts = 192781 
| h_pattern_s = _adidas_green  

| a_pattern_b = _thinsideswhite 
| a_body   = FECD39 
| a_shorts = FECD39 
| a_pattern_s = _adidaswhite

|capacity=10,100}}

The '''Dakota Wizards''' were an American professional [[basketball]] team based in [[Bismarck, North Dakota]]. They played in the [[NBA Development League]] from 2006 until 2012. After the [[2011–12 NBA Development League season|2011–12 season]], the team relocated to [[Santa Cruz, California]], and now plays as the [[Santa Cruz Warriors]]. Prior to entering the D-League in 2006, the Wizards spent 11 years playing in minor American leagues such as the [[International Basketball Association]] (IBA) and the [[Continental Basketball Association]] (CBA).

==History==
===Early years (1995–2006)===
The Wizards began play in 1995 in the [[International Basketball Association]] (IBA), and in 2001, with [[Dave Joerger]] at the helm, they won the IBA championship in the league's final year of operation.<ref name=grizzlies>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/grizzlies/fan_zone/dleague_dakota_wizards-070808.html|title=Dakota Wizards|work=NBA.com|date=August 8, 2007|access-date=April 23, 2016}}</ref>

Following the 2000–01 season, the IBA merged with several teams from the [[Continental Basketball Association]] (CBA), and in their first year in the new CBA, Joerger and the Wizards won the league title, defeating the [[Rockford Lightning]]. After making it to the semifinals in the 2002–03 season, the Wizards again won the league title in 2004 over the [[Idaho Stampede]], giving Joerger his third title as the Wizards' head coach.<ref name="grizzlies" />

Following the 2003–04 season, coach Joerger left the Wizards for a coaching opportunity with the [[Sioux Falls Skyforce]]. In his place, the Wizards appointed former assistant coach Casey Owens as head coach. The Wizards lost their opening two games against the Skyforce, but then cruised to a 12-game winning streak before losing to Sioux Falls on New Year's Eve, 2004. The Wizards also lost two potential all-stars, [[Billy Keys]] and [[Dickey Simpkins]], who left the team mid-season to play overseas. The Wizards went on to clinch home court advantage throughout the 2005 playoffs with a league-best 32–16 record. Dakota split their first four playoff games with their first-round opponents, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, until Sioux Falls won Game 5 with a 102–97 victory, ending the Wizards' playoff run.

For the 2005–06 season, the Wizards replaced Casey Owens with former Baylor University head coach [[Dave Bliss]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/news/story?id=2143887|title=Bliss gets second chance with CBA's Wizards|work=ESPN.com|date=August 26, 2005|access-date=April 23, 2016}}</ref> However, with the coaching change, the Wizards dropped from first in 2005 to out of the playoff race in 2006. Bliss resigned following the 2005–06 season, as season that saw the Wizards finish with a 19–29 record.<ref>{{cite web|last=Thomas|first=Steve|url=http://bismarcktribune.com/sports/wizards-coach-resigns/article_a076588b-0033-5eef-af95-c45252d96e10.html|title=Wizards coach resigns|work=BismarckTribune.com|date=March 20, 2006|access-date=April 23, 2016}}</ref>

===First season in the D-League (2006–2007)===

In April 2006, the Wizards and three other teams (Colorado 14ers, Idaho Stampede and Sioux Falls Skyforce) withdrew from the CBA in order to join the emerging [[NBA Development League]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.insidehoops.com/cba-teams-to-nbdl-040606.shtml|title=Four Teams Leaving CBA for NBA D-League|work=InsideHoops.com|date=April 6, 2006|access-date=April 23, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/cba/2006-03-29-wizards_x.htm|title=Dakota Wizards pulling out of CBA, eyeing D-League|work=USAToday.com|date=March 29, 2006|access-date=April 23, 2016}}</ref>

For their first season in the D-League, the Wizards brought back head coach [[Dave Joerger]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/dleague/santacruz/joerger_060526.html|title=Dakota Wizards Hire Dave Joerger As Head Coach|work=NBA.com|date=May 25, 2006|access-date=April 23, 2016}}</ref> Joerger guided the Wizards to a 33–17 record in 2006–07, good for the first seed in the Eastern Division. He went on to lead them to the Championship Game, where forward [[Darius Rice]] came off the bench to put together a record-setting night that led the Wizards to a 129–121 overtime victory over the Colorado 14ers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/dleague/games/20070429/COLDAK/recap.html|title=Rice Sparks Wizards To Overtime Win For D-League Championship|work=NBA.com|date=April 29, 2007|access-date=April 23, 2016}}</ref> Rice scored 52 points and made 11 three-pointers, including one with 4.5 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime tied at 109. Rice's points and three-point field goal totals set D-League championship game records.<ref name="grizzlies" />

===Steady decline (2007–2011)===
With the departure of the Dave Joerger following the 2006–07 season, having been hired by the Memphis Grizzlies as an assistant coach, the Wizards hired [[Duane Ticknor]] to replace him. In July 2007, the Wizards became affiliated with the [[Memphis Grizzlies]] and the [[Washington Wizards]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/nba-announces-d-league-affiliates-for-2007-08-season/n-3504608|title=NBA Announces D-League Affiliates for 2007-08 Season|work=OurSportsCentral.com|date=July 10, 2007|access-date=April 23, 2016}}</ref>

In 2007–08, the Wizards were again division champions, this time finishing as the first seed in the Central Division. They were, however, defeated in the first round of the playoffs by the arch rival, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. The Wizards continued to make the playoffs in 2008–09 and 2009–10, but with a missed playoff berth in 2010–11, the team missed the postseason for the first time since 2005–06, and just the second time since 1998–99. The Wizards concluded the 2010–11 season with a 19–31 record and in fourth place in the eight-team Eastern Conference.

===Warriors ownership and return to the playoffs (2011–2012)===
On June 28, 2011, the [[Golden State Warriors]], led by Co-Executive Chairmen Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, purchased the Wizards franchise from Bismarck Professional Basketball LLC. The Warriors became the fourth NBA team to own and operate their own NBA D-League affiliate, joining San Antonio, Oklahoma City and the Los Angeles Lakers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/warriors/news/warriors_purchase_dakota_wizards.html|title=Warriors Purchase Dakota Wizards of NBA Development League|work=NBA.com|date=June 28, 2011|access-date=April 23, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/dleague/news/warriors_wizards_110628.html|title=Golden State Warriors Purchase Dakota Wizards|work=NBA.com|date=June 28, 2011|access-date=April 23, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610060349/http://www.nba.com/dleague/news/warriors_wizards_110628.html|archive-date=June 10, 2016}}</ref>

The Wizards remained in Bismarck during the 2011–12 season, but the Warriors were open to relocating the team to Northern California in 2012. To reflect the new ownership, the Wizards debuted with a new color scheme, the Warriors' blue and gold, used as an alternative to the purple and green, which dates back to their IBA days. The old color scheme was still used with the team's road uniforms, while the blue and gold was used with the home uniforms and the logo. The Wizards were led by [[Edwin Ubiles]] in 2011–12, as he helped the team return to the playoffs with a 29–21 record. However, they were unable to move on past the first round following a 2–0 defeat at the hands of the [[Bakersfield Jam]].

===Relocation===
Following intense off-season discussions regarding a move, on October 10, 2012, the Golden State Warriors announced that the Dakota Wizards would relocate to Santa Cruz beginning with the 2012–13 season. The team was subsequently renamed the [[Santa Cruz Warriors]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/dleague/santacruz/nba_dleague_approves_relocation.html|title=NBA Development League Approves Relocation Of Dakota Wizards To Santa Cruz|work=NBA.com|date=October 10, 2012|access-date=April 23, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/dleague/news/dakota_moves_to_santa_cruz.html|title=NBA D-League Approves Relocation of Dakota Wizards to Santa Cruz, Calif.|work=NBA.com|date=October 10, 2012|access-date=April 23, 2016}}</ref>

==Season By Season==
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"
|-align="center"
!Season
!League
!Division/<br>Conference
!Finish
!Wins
!Losses
!Pct.
!Postseason Results
|-
|colspan=8 align=center bgcolor="#FFCC33" | <span style="color:#04529c">'''Dakota Wizards'''</span>
|-align="center"
| 1995–96 || [[International Basketball Association|IBA]] || || 5th || 7 || 17 || .292 ||''DNQ''
|-align="center"
| 1996–97 || IBA || || 2nd || 17 || 13 || .567 || '''Won''' semifinals ([[Magic City Snowbears|Magic City]]) 2–1<br>Lost IBA Finals ([[Black Hills Posse|Black Hills]]) 2–1
|-align="center"
| 1997–98 || IBA || West || 3rd || 14 || 20 || .412 ||
|-align="center"
| 1998–99 || IBA || West || 5th || 12 || 22 || .353 ||
|-align="center"
| 1999–2000 || IBA || West || '''1st''' || 30 || 6 || .833 || '''Won''' Division Semifinals ([[Winnipeg Cyclone|Winnipeg]]) 2–0<br>Lost division finals ([[Magic City Snowbears|Magic City]]) 3–1
|-align="center"
| 2000–01 || IBA || West || '''1st''' || 30 || 10 || .750 || '''Won''' Division Semifinals ([[Magic City Snowbears|Magic City]]) 2–0<br>'''Won''' Division Finals ([[Saskatchewan Hawks|Saskatchewan]]) 2–0<br>'''Won IBA Finals''' ([[Des Moines Dragons|Des Moines]]) 3–2
|-style="border-top:2px solid black" align="center"
| 2001–02 || [[Continental Basketball Association|CBA]] || National || '''1st''' || 26 || 14 || .650 || '''Won''' semifinals ([[Fargo-Moorhead Beez|Fargo-Moorhead]]) 3–0<br>'''Won CBA Finals''' ([[Rockford Lightning|Rockford]]) 116–109
|-align="center"
| 2002–03 || CBA || National || '''1st''' || 31 || 17 || .646 || Lost semifinals ([[Yakima Sun Kings|Yakima]]) 3–1
|-align="center"
| 2003–04 || CBA || || '''1st''' || 34 || 14 || .708 || '''Won''' semifinals ([[Rockford Lightning|Rockford]]) 3–1<br>'''Won CBA Finals''' ([[Idaho Stampede|Idaho]]) 132–129
|-align="center"
| 2004–05 || CBA || Western || '''1st''' || 32 || 16 || .667 || Lost semifinals ([[Sioux Falls Skyforce|Sioux Falls]]) 3–1
|-align="center"
| 2005–06 || CBA || Western || 4th || 19 || 29 || .396 ||
|-style="border-top:2px solid black" align="center"
| [[2006–07 NBA Development League season|2006–07]]|| [[NBA Development League|D-League]] || Eastern || '''1st''' || 33 || 17 || .660 || '''Won''' Division Finals ([[Sioux Falls Skyforce|Sioux Falls]]) 115–113<br>'''Won D-League Finals''' ([[Colorado 14ers|Colorado]]) 129–121 (OT)
|-align="center"
| [[2007–08 NBA Development League season|2007–08]]|| D-League || Central || '''1st''' || 29 || 21 || .580 || Lost First Round ([[Sioux Falls Skyforce|Sioux Falls]]) 101–89
|-align="center"
| [[2008–09 NBA Development League season|2008–09]]|| D-League || Central || 2nd || 27 || 23 || .540 || '''Won''' First Round ([[Iowa Energy|Iowa]]) 114–109<br>Lost semifinals ([[Utah Flash|Utah]]) 103–93
|-align="center"
| [[2009–10 NBA Development League season|2009–10]]|| D-League || Eastern || 3rd || 29 || 21 || .580 || Lost First Round ([[Austin Toros|Austin]]) 2–1
|-align="center"
| [[2010–11 NBA Development League season|2010–11]]|| D-League || Eastern || 4th || 19 || 31 || .380 ||
|-align="center"
| [[2011–12 NBA Development League season|2011–12]]|| D-League || Eastern || 2nd || 29 || 21 || .580 || Lost First Round ([[Bakersfield Jam|Bakersfield]]) 2–0
|-
!colspan=4| IBA regular season || 110 || 88 || .556 || 1995–2001
|-
!colspan=4| CBA regular season || 142 || 90 || .612 || 2001–2006
|-
!colspan=4| D-League regular season || 166 || 134 || .553 || 2006–2012
|-style="border-top:2px solid black"
!colspan=4| Regular season total || 418 || 312 || .573 || 1995–2012
|-
!colspan=4| Playoffs total || 27 || 21 || .563 || 1995–2012
|}

==Retired numbers==
* Kevin Rice (#32)<ref>{{cite web|last=Babiarz|first=Lou|url=http://bismarcktribune.com/sports/basketball/professional/dleague/wizards/wizards-to-retire-rice-s-number/article_4d2ba07a-86b7-11e1-ac0c-0019bb2963f4.html|title=Wizards to retire Rice's number|work=BismarckTribune.com|date=April 14, 2012|access-date=April 23, 2016}}</ref>
* Kevin Beard (#35)
* Willie Murdaugh (#41)

==All-Time Team==
In May 2012, with the Wizards' imminent move to Santa Cruz, long-time ''[[The Bismarck Tribune|Bismarck Tribune]]'' reporter, Lou Babiarz, chose an all-time 15-man Dakota Wizards team.<ref>{{cite web|last=Babiarz|first=Lou|url=http://bismarcktribune.com/sports/basketball/professional/dleague/wizards/babiarz-best-of-the-dakota-wizards/article_a284f7e6-a931-11e1-b217-001a4bcf887a.html|title=Babiarz: Best of the Dakota Wizards|work=BismarckTribune.com|date=May 28, 2012|access-date=April 23, 2016}}</ref>

{| style="text-align: center; background:#6639B7; color:#000000"
!width="40"|Pos.
!width="185"|Starter
!width="185"|Bench
!width="185"|Bench
!width="185"|Bench
|-style="height:40px; background:white; color:black"
! style="background:#6639B7" | {{font color | white | C | link=Center (basketball) }}
| [[Chris Johnson (basketball, born 1985)|Chris Johnson]] || [[Rod Benson]] || [[Robert Bennett (basketball)|Robert Bennett]] || 
|-style="height:40px; background:white; color:black"
! style="background:#6639B7" | {{font color | white | PF | link=Power forward (basketball) }}
| [[DeRon Rutledge]] || [[Antonio Reynolds-Dean]] || || 
|-style="height:40px; background:white; color:black"
! style="background:#6639B7" | {{font color | white | SF | link=Small forward }}
| [[Renaldo Major]] || [[Andy Panko]] || [[Kevin Rice (basketball)|Kevin Rice]] || [[Kasib Powell]]
|-style="height:40px; background:white; color:black"
! style="background:#6639B7" | {{font color | white | SG | link=Shooting guard }}
| [[Miles Simon]] || [[Blake Ahearn]] || [[Willie Murdaugh]] || [[Brian Green (basketball)|Brian Green]]
|-style="height:40px; background:white; color:black"
! style="background:#6639B7" | {{font color | white | PG | link=Point guard }}
| [[Maurice Baker]] || [[Malik Dixon]] || || 
|}

==NBA affiliates==
*[[Chicago Bulls]] (2006–2007)
*[[Memphis Grizzlies]] (2007–2011)
*[[Washington Wizards]] (2006–2011)
*[[Golden State Warriors]] (2011–present as the [[Santa Cruz Warriors]])

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{NBA D-League Champions}}
{{Defunct D-League}}
{{IBA}}

[[Category:Dakota Wizards| ]]
[[Category:Basketball teams established in 1995]]
[[Category:Basketball teams disestablished in 2012]]
[[Category:1995 establishments in North Dakota]]
[[Category:Basketball in North Dakota]]
[[Category:Basketball teams in North Dakota]]
[[Category:2012 disestablishments in North Dakota]]
[[Category:Sports in Bismarck, North Dakota]]