Mike Dahl, LHS Class of 1965, was an NBA draftee
• The following is part of an ongoing series of articles in celebration of Libertyville High School's 100th anniversary.
Mike Dahl was a record-setting Libertyville High School basketball player and a record-setting college All-American player, and was drafted by the NBA's Atlanta Hawks in 1969. One might assume he was the top player on every team he was on growing up. That was not the case.
A resident of Libertyville for his first 18 years, Dahl was cut from the seventh-grade team at Highland Middle School. He made the team in eighth grade, but never got a start.
Now up to 6 feet, 1 inch, Dahl made the LHS freshman team and was the eighth man. He got his first career start halfway through his sophomore year, a spot he held for the rest of the season.
By his junior year, and up to 6 feet, 4 inches, he never again came out of the starting lineup. He earned All-Conference honors as a junior. He received the same honor as a 6-foot-5-inch senior. This season he was in a battle for the conference scoring title with Ev Martindale of Woodstock.
In a late season game on Barrington's floor, Dahl set the North Suburban Conference single game scoring record that sealed up the scoring title. On 20 field goals and 11 free throws, Dahl finished the game with 51 points.
He had scored 47 against Crystal Lake earlier in the season, which was one point short of the conference record set in 1952. He was the 1965 Chicagoland Scoring Champion as well.
Dahl's record lasted for 45 years. In 2010, Ben Brust (Mundelein) scored 52 points against Libertyville. Jalen Brunson (Stevenson) took over the record in 2014 with 57.
What makes Dahl's record so significant is that both Brust and Brunson hit numerous 3-pointers in setting their records. Dahl played years before the 3-point play came into effect.
Larry Leon, Dahl's high school coach, had this to say about his LHS career: "He went from a freshman player you weren't sure would become a varsity player. He turned out to have an outstanding career.
He could run with anyone on the court. He could jump with anyone on the court. And he had the best shooting touch. He accomplished all he did because he was that guy that was always working on his game, in season and out."
As he was weighing 35 college offers his senior year, Garland Pinholster, the coach for Oglethorpe University in Atlanta came to a late season Libertyville game.
After the game he spoke to Dahl and offered him a scholarship, which Dahl accepted on the spot. Early his senior year, Dahl had read a book coach Pinholster wrote on the "Wheel" offense, which is the foundation for today's "Motion" offense.
While reading the book, he thought he would fit into this kind of offense. Coach Pinholster obviously felt the same way.
While at Oglethorpe, Dahl set eight individual records, three that still stand today: 24 rebounds in a game, 20.1 points per game, and 14.9 rebounds per game. His team made the NCAA Division II National Tournament each year. He was named All-American his senior year.
In 1990, Dahl was named to the Oglethorpe Athletics Hall of Fame. His 1969 team was named to its Hall of Fame in 2011.
After making the NBA Hawks team, Dahl was released midseason. They suggested he play in the EuroLeague. Dahl declined and began a 36-year career with J.C. Penney in Kansas City.
After retiring, he began a second career in disaster assessment for the American Red Cross, finally retiring in Arkansas. He now enjoys the outdoors with his wife Valerie and traveling extensively.