Tartan boys basketball coach Mark Klingsporn started taking his players to Las Vegas for bonding trips the year after his 2000 state title.

The Titans were able to play some of the top teams from Nevada while also building team chemistry. That tradition continued just about every other year for more than two decades.

And it helped breed success. Tartan went to eight consecutive state tournaments from 1998 to 2005.

But Klingsporn’s program played in its first state tournament since 2014 this week, defeating Blaine 72-44 in the Class 4A quarterfinals on Tuesday, March 24. The top-seeded Titans (30-0) will play Chaska on Thursday, March 26, in their first semifinal since 2005.

“The things that Coach K has done for us throughout our career,” said Kevin Wilson Jr., who had 16 points Tuesday, “that’s what keeps us together.”

This year’s journey to the state tournament started in Las Vegas last November and early December. The players worked hard on the court but also got to experience the sights, including visiting the Hoover Dam.

“That kind of brought us together a lot,” said Tyrel Pride, who had 17 points against Blaine. “Outside of basketball, we’re close. So, it all shows on the court.”

The Titans, who won 57 consecutive regular-season games before the section playoffs this year, scrimmaged before the season against Liberty, a Henderson, Nev., school that finished runner-up in Nevada’s top classification this year.

“We were every bit as good as they were,” Klingsporn said. “We played some good competition, but it was a bonding experience for the kids more than anything else.”

Tartan returned sophomore starters Wilson and Emmanuel Oyesanmi this year, but the Las Vegas trip helped the newcomers become more connected on and off the floor. Senior Duke King, coming from North St. Paul, was one of four transfers on the team, including Pride (coming back to his former school from St. Paul Johnson).

Klingsporn started taking trips to Las Vegas with his teams in the early 2000s. He continued to play preseason games against Nevada opponents until 2010.

The Minnesota State High School League amended its out-of-state competition travel policy 16 years ago, imposing a 600-mile limit round-trip for games and events in any sport. Schools can compete against programs in Minnesota, bordering states and Canadian provinces, but only within that distance.

The only way Tartan could continue playing basketball on its trips to Nevada was by competing in scrimmages and jamborees, which are not part of its schedule.

Klingsporn never wanted to give up the chance to make a difference giving opportunities to his players beyond the game of basketball.

“It’s part of a lifetime experience for me,” Klingsporn said. “They’re a great group of kids. That’s why I still coach.”