Inductees
Sandbothe Family
Back in the 1980s, if folks running Missouri’s tourism board wanted to attract even more eyes to the state, it could have included this line without anybody thinking twice: Sandbothe Family Basketball Machine.
No, it wasn’t a factory that produced basketballs. More accurately, it was a seemingly endless assembly line of Sandbothe children – seven in all — taking turns starring on basketball teams at Linn High School and later at Washington High School and, admittedly, much to the chagrin of opponents.
Several state universities eventually benefitted, too, as Louis and Wanda “Nellie” Sandbothe gave the Show-Me state one of its great basketball families, which the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame is proud to induct with the Class of 2019.
Siblings Scott, Steve, Robin, Mark, Mike, Lori and Lisa combined to earn at least nine All-State honors in basketball and all seven attended college on athletic scholarships.
Then again, it was no surprise that sports, and especially, basketball was dominate in the Sandbothe household.
Louis and Nellie had both been standouts at Vienna High School. Louis went on to star at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg between 1955 and 1960, where he still leads in disqualifications (10 in a season, 22 overall). Nellie played semi-pro.
In fact, Mike (1986-1989), Lori (1988-1990) and Lisa (1987-1991) played for the University of Missouri after earning All-State for Washington High School, with Lisa and Lori each honored as Miss Show-Me Basketball.
At Mizzou, Mike perfectly played the role of scrapper, the kind of player coach Norm Stewart (MSHOF Legend 2000) would somehow find on the recruiting trail while driving down the old two-laners of Missouri.
All these years later, Mike’s name appears 21 times in Mizzou Top 10 records. That figure includes six career categories, five single-season, two game lists and a combined eight records listed within marks for freshmen, sophomores and senior classes. Career-wise, he is seventh in steals (172), eighth in assists (380), fourth in fouls (399) and 10th in minutes played (3,647).
In Columbia, he was part of 21-, 24-, 19- and 29-win seasons, with all four reaching the NCAA Tournament and the 1987 Tigers winning the Big Eight.
He received the Wilbur “Sparky” Stalcup Award, bestowed by teammates for inspirational leadership on and off the court. Additionally, he earned a spot on the Big Eight Defensive Team in 1988 and was All-Big Eight in 1989, when he co-captained the Tigers to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament.
Mike also played on the Big Eight All-Star team that competed in China and later played in the Continental Basketball Association and in Japan, where he played a big role on the Nippon Kokan Seahawks’ conference and tournament championships in 1992.
Lori played at Mizzou after transferring from Moberly Junior College, where she was a key part of a 29-4 team that placed fifth at the National Junior College Athletics Association Tournament. She was All-State, All-District and All-Conference in basketball and volleyball on three occasions, second in the state high jump as a senior and eighth in the discus.
Lisa (now Braun) was a three-time All-State selection and, at Mizzou, is No. 3 all-time in blocked shots (143) and 10th with 288 rebounds. She was a two-time All-Big Eight Conference selection (1990, 1991) and played for the WNBA’s St. Louis River Queens.
The family began in Linn.
Scott and Steve played at Linn High School, with each graduating as two-time All-State basketball selections. Scott was part of Linn teams that placed second and third at the state tournament. Steve played on high school teams that were state runners-up and third-place finishers. They played at East Central Junior College, and then Missouri Science & Technology and Benedictine College, respectively.
Robin was a high school All-American in track and a record-holder in the shot put and discus at Abilene Christian University. She also became a candidate for the Guinness Book of World Records by walking 43 feet over coals heated to about 2,000 degrees.
Meanwhile, Mark earned All-State as well as all-conference for Washington and played at East Central.
Expect to hear more from the Sandbothe Family.
Mike and Teri’s children are Garrett (UCM’s 2014 D-II national title team), Taylor (three-time NCAA volleyball All-American at Ohio State) and Elle (standout volleyball player at Kansas State). Teri (LeBlanc) was a four-time NCAA All-American track star (1986-1989) and 1988 U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier.
Lisa’s son, Parker Braun, is a freshman basketball player at Mizzou, and son Christian, a four-star guard, has committed to the University of Kansas.
What a machine indeed.