Throwback Thursday: Huestis a star on court, classroom

Editor's note: Welcome to Throwback Thursday. As we enter the second weekend of March Madness, we take a look back to last year's tourney and our feature on former CMR and Stanford star Josh Huestis. Huestis currently plays for the Oklahoma City Blue in the NBA Development League.

PALO ALTO, Calif. – Jimmy V's Sports Café is bustling with the lunch rush.

The Princeton women's tennis team is in town and enjoying a late breakfast at the Stanford University campus restaurant that is part eatery, part athletics museum. A framed Andrew Luck jersey hangs on the wall. All dozen Pac-12 football helmets occupy two shelves above the soda machine.

Dwight Powell and John Gage tower above the tennis players as they make their way through the line. The two Stanford basketball players are grabbing an early lunch before afternoon practice. Top-ranked Arizona is in town the next day, and the late January afternoon will be filled with practice and film sessions.

Josh Huestis makes his way into the fray to join his teammates. He has just one class this semester — a perk of being a second-semester senior.

"Basketball kind of dominates my schedule these days, which is fine," the 6-foot-7 Huestis says as he sits down on a small chair while trying to prevent his knees from bumping the table and spilling its contents. "I love it."

Basketball has dominated Huestis's schedule since his days at Paris Gibson and North middle schools, through a sensational career that included two state championships at C.M. Russell High, and now as a student-athlete at one of the nation's most prestigious academic universities.

He emerged from the Electric City as one of the best basketball players ever from Montana and is one of just a handful to play at a major Division I school. Huestis has spent his entire life proving people wrong — particularly those who said no Montana player could succeed in the brutal Pac-12.

Huestis also excelled in the classroom. He'll graduate this spring with a degree in psychology. Then perhaps the NBA, or a top league in Europe, beckons. If not, law school or graduate school.

Those worries can wait. Arizona is the immediate concern, not the NBA, not grad school, not the scads of fans from his home state who flock to watch him play all over the far-flung Pac-12. His mom is coming for this game — a fact he's forgotten.

"That shows you how in touch I am with all that goes on around me," says Huestis, who is wearing a black Stanford basketball warm-up with a cardinal red "S" on the front. "I kind of just go with the flow. Everyone else kind of makes the plans, but whatever happens, happens."

Huestis makes it sound so blasé. He grew up in Montana after all, far from the basketball metropolises that spawned many of his teammates. His success comes from an incredible work ethic, commitment to his long-term goals and a unique family structure that gives him an enviable support network.

The Arizona-Stanford game is ESPN2's premier event and UCLA and NBA legend Bill Walton is in Palo Alto to provide color commentary. The Big Redhead, one of college basketball's greatest ever players, has grown fond of Huestis and his Stanford teammates.

"Josh Huestis," says the 61-year-old Walton, "is the kind of guy I want to grow up to be."

'God decided I would go to an old mama'

When Josh was about 2, he toddled over to Bonnie Huestis and announced, "Mama, when I was with God, and we were talking, we decided I would go to an old mama. That's why I'm with you.'"

Bonnie laughs at her adopted son's precocity. Bonnie won't say how old she was when she adopted Josh, except that she was older than "90 percent of the moms with little kids."

Bonnie and her husband, Gary Walsh, adopted Josh as a newborn. The program they used encouraged open adoption and, as a result, Josh has had both his birth parents and adoptive parents involved throughout his entire life. Bonnie is a counselor and has worked with teenagers who didn't know their birth parents. She never wanted that for Josh, or adopted daughter Kava, 17 months Josh's junior.

"You've got to know who you are and where you came from," Bonnie says.

Josh was born near Houston to Sutton Lindsey and Poncho Hodges, who was then a college basketball player at the University of Colorado. Lindsey had a son, Holden, already at home and made the decision to give Josh up for open adoption because of financial constraints. She later did the same with Josh's younger brother, Christian.

"The only way I could have done this was to be involved and be able to see him grow up and watch him succeed," Lindsey says. "We, as parents, need to step back and do what's best for our children, and that was my thing."

Both Hodges and Lindsey kept in contact with Josh and the Huestis family through letters, photos and visits. Yet Josh's heart and core family remain in Montana. The lanky player his teammates call "Cowboy" never wanted to identify with anywhere else.

Josh's brother Christian grew up in Palo Alto, with Bill and Elizabeth Dean as his adoptive parents. Christian spent a semester at CMR with Josh and went on to become a soccer star at UC-Berkeley and was the Vancouver Whitecaps' first pick in January's Major League Soccer draft.

Josh's other siblings include brothers Holden, Poncho's younger son Derius, and sister Kava.

"It would have been really easy for my adoptive parents to kind of try and keep me for themselves because they raised me, but they've encouraged me to reach out to all my family," Josh says. "It's a pretty complicated family dynamic. But it's unique, and I love them all."

One goal to go

Hanging up in Josh's old room at Gary and Bonnie's place in Ulm is a sheet of penmanship paper. Scrawled with the hand of a sixth-grader are the dreams of 12-year-old Josh Huestis. He's hit all of them — start at CMR, win a state title, play at a Division I school — except one: Play in the NBA.

That still may come. If it does, it's because of Josh's early commitment to athletic and academic excellence, and Gary and Bonnie's insistence that both he and Kava work as hard as they can in whatever they choose to do. For Kava, it was horses, and she's now a professional barrel racer. For Josh, it was hoops.

"I have high expectations in everything," Bonnie says.

Bonnie saw Josh's talent early. She saw it in the way he played at day care. He moved in ways most kids can't. There were trips to the Peak when he would have to make nine of 10 free throws — even when he was sick and felt like throwing up. In later years, he worked with former Montana State track star Dan Groux at the Peak Results program.

Josh shined on youth travel teams. In seventh grade, he promised his parents he would earn a scholarship. Three years later, he was starting as a sophomore at CMR.

John Cislo is in his 10th season as CMR's head coach and spent several years as an assistant before that. Cislo says Josh is by far the best basketball player he has ever coached at CMR. Josh's work ethic was legendary even then. There were many times Cislo would be settling in to watch TV only to hear his cellphone buzz.

"He worked as hard as any kid," Cislo says. "(He) would call you four times a week and say, 'Hey can I get in the gym?' You hate to say no to a kid."

Josh led the Rustlers to the Class AA state title as a junior. The offers from the University of Montana and Montana State came. Josh could have stayed in-state, but he aspired to more.

"No offense to anybody from Montana, but they don't really get as much publicity or as much focus, especially in the basketball sense," says Powell, one of Josh's roommates and frontcourt cohabitants. "For him to come up in that kind of 'fight for everything you get' situation, I think, has taught him a lot."

In the summer before Josh's senior year in 2009, his birth father lobbied Bonnie to let Josh come spend the summer with him in Los Angeles and play on the AAU circuit in Southern California. So with Cislo's blessing, Josh headed south to stay with Poncho Hodges.

"It ended up being the best decision I ever made. I had to give up three months of summer with my friends to do that, but it was totally worth it," Josh says. "It was the toughest summer of my life — all work and hardly any play — but it was something I had to do for my future."

It's one thing to dominate Class AA high school basketball in Montana. It's completely another to play well in a league filled with big-time college recruits. That summer showed Josh he could compete at that level. It was also when Stanford head coach Johnny Dawkins first saw Josh. Bonnie soon was inundated with offers from Division I schools in major conferences.

Perhaps just as critical as success on the court was the chance to bond with Hodges, who parlayed his college career at Colorado into a preseason stint with the Los Angeles Lakers and a long playing career overseas.

"That was the first time we'd spent that much time together," says Hodges, who is now an actor in Los Angeles. "We had a chance to have a good time together and hang out. We have a lot in common because I'm not that much older. It was also a chance for him to see the other side of basketball as far as being able to play against guys who got a lot more (exposure)."

Josh knows that basketball isn't forever so he narrowed his college search to those that are academically rigorous. He ultimately chose Stanford over Harvard, which kept him close to home. In doing so he fulfilled his promise to Bonnie that he would earn a basketball scholarship, something Harvard and the other Ivy League schools do not offer.

"(Stanford) seemed like a perfect fit athletically, and I love the guys here — I love my teammates — and academically it really can't be beat," Josh says. "So it set me up for a great life even if basketball didn't work out."

A blue-collar worker

The hands on the clock would inch toward midnight as a Stanford freshman basketball player was all alone in the practice gyminside Maples Pavilion. It became almost a nightly ritual for Josh during the 2010-2011 season and would often end with a phone call to Bonnie as he walked back to his dorm.

Josh worked on his dribbling. Crossovers. Behind the backs. Jump stops. The automatic rebounding machine fed him as he put up shot after shot from beyond the 3-point line, seemingly miles away from where he played in the block at CMR.

Dawkins had unearthed a raw talent in Josh, whom he believed could make the switch to small forward.

"Things weren't all in place, but he had the kind of motor that we liked," Dawkins says. "He played with a lot of energy, a lot of effort. And the rest of the stuff, we figured he was such a good talent that we could teach him the rest."

For Josh, Montana represents a blue-collar work ethic. He didn't come all the way to Silicon Valley to sit on the bench for four years. But he was learning a new position. A 6-foot-7 player can play center in Montana. That was where the Rustlers needed him. Now that he was in the Pac-12, he had to move to the perimeter.

"He's been in the gym since before Day One working on every aspect of his game," says Powell, who was part of Josh's six-player recruiting class. "He's been one of those guys who is a gym rat."

The Stanford coaching staff emphasizes player development, and Dawkins says Josh epitomizes that process. Josh's jumpshot has improved dramatically. So has his ball-handling, his physique and his overall strength.

Though it may have helped his transition to a new position, Josh didn't redshirt his freshman season in 2010-11. He played in 28 games in a reserve role as a true freshman while averaging 2.3 points and two rebounds per game.

Josh's numbers jumped during his sophomore season when he appeared in 37 games with five starts. He averaged 5.3 points and 4.8 rebounds, while earning All Pac-12 defensive team honorable mention as Stanford won the postseason NIT.

He started all 34 games as a junior and averaged 10.5 points and a team-best 9.0 rebounds en route to All Pac-12 defensive team honors.

"We can show you what to do, but you've got to put the work in," Dawkins says. "That again comes from that Montana work ethic and where he comes from."

On the court, Josh is the consummate team player. He dives for loose balls, soars above everyone for rebounds and is at his best while helping his teammates score. Josh is a capable scorer — he's averaging 11.1 points per game — but is unselfish almost to a fault.

Josh shoots 45 percent from the field, including 35 percent from the 3-point line. But he seems more interested in making his teammates look good while "doing the dirty work" by collecting rebounds and last week setting the Stanford school record for blocks.

"He's so long and athletic," Powell says. "He's a nightmare as a shot blocker. He cleans up a lot of stuff for us, but at the same time he's a major threat. He creates space for other players, and he can score points."

Josh is no different off the court. He's humble and respectful, while expecting the same in return. Teammate Aaron Bright says Josh is one of the most genuine people he has ever met.

"When he's talking to you, you know he's got his full attention on what you're saying," Bright says. "It's not (often) you see a guy who is very personable and super nice and doesn't really have an ego."

Son of Montana

Anyone who has spent a significant amount of time in Montana will tell you how special the Last Best Place is. It's in the middle of nowhere, yet not far from anywhere. The mere mention of the state for those from east of the Mississippi — like nearly half of Josh's teammates —conjures up memories of ranches and horses, brothels and lawlessness. In reality, that's not always far from the truth.

Montana often feels like one giant small town. There are only 14 Class AA schools and 22 Class A schools. Everyone knows someone from somewhere.

In a way, Josh Huestis belongs to the entire state. He may have played at CMR, but he carries the expectations, hopes and pride of the entire Treasure State. So when a family from Montana that he's never met comes up to him after a game in Tucson, Ariz., he spends 15 minutes chatting with them. They might even discover mutual friends.

"There's something about people being from Montana, and I don't know what it is," Josh says. "Maybe it's the fact that there are so few people ... Everybody from Montana are just the nicest people in the world."

Josh is not only the son of Bonnie Huestis, Gary Walsh, Sutton Lindsey and Poncho Hodges. He's a son of Montana.

He shares an on-campus apartment with Bright, Powell and Robbie Lemons. Josh's Montana roots were once a source of good-natured ribbing. But he has always owned it, and his teammates respect that. He just hasn't quite convinced his roomies to make the trek.

"Josh doesn't stop talking about Montana," says Powell, who is from Toronto. "He likes to be out in the wilderness and that type of subdued area where there's not too much busyness and things like that. That's not where I come from, so I definitely want to get out there and experience that."

Lemons is from a suburb of Sacramento. Bright hails from Bellevue, Wash., a Seattle suburb with its own downtown skyscrapers and more than 120,000 people. It's been determined that if one makes the pilgrimage to Great Falls, all will.

"I've seen pictures of his house, and it's so rural. There's nothing in sight," Bright says with a laugh. "I was like, 'Nah man, that's not for me'... I don't know the first thing to do with a gun."

It's an eclectic hodgepodge: a Canadian, a Montanan and a Washingtonian rooming with a native Californian. But that's the essence of what college is about: broadening horizons and meeting different people.

Those three have determined what might be the only flaw in Josh's character: Don't mess with his food.

"He's frickin' stingy, man," Bright says. "He doesn't share anything. I'll have some Skittles or something and he'll ask, and I'll give him some. And then I'll be literally dying of thirst and he'll have a big cup of water and he won't share any of it with me."

It stems from an ill-fated box of fudge Bonnie sent to Josh during his sophomore year. He was in a hotel room and had eaten four pieces when he offered to let his roommates try it before he left for the gym.

When Josh came back, the fudge was gone. He called Bonnie, livid.

"I thought he was going to do something illegal," Bonnie says. "That was the most angry I've ever heard him."

NBA star or senator?

Maples Pavilion looks remarkably similar to the University of Montana's Dahlberg Arena. Both seat a little more than 7,000. The color schemes are similar.

Maples is filled to capacity when Stanford tips off against then-No. 1 Arizona, before a national TV audience. Arizona has plenty of national hoops cachet, and there are many Wildcat fans sprinkled throughout. "U of A!" chants ring out all during the night.

Huestis frequently is at his best on the biggest stages. Tonight is no different. He scores 13 points and grabs 11 rebounds. His short jumper gives the Cardinal a four-point lead with 10 minutes to go.

Then Stanford goes cold. Arizona holds the Cardinal without a basket for the next nine minutes and the Wildcats remain undefeated with a 60-57 victory as Chasson Randle's 3-point attempt rims out at the buzzer.

Now comes the toughest part. The part fans rarely see. Josh joins Randle and Dawkins in a cramped media room for post-game interviews. What do you say after coming so close? What do you ask?

Huestis hasn't experienced the kind of team success at Stanford that he found at CMR. There have been two NIT trips and one title. But he and his classmates are still looking for that elusive NCAA tournament bid. A win over Arizona would have done a lot to boost Stanford's tournament resume.

"Coming off any loss, it is tough to sleep at night," Huestis says at the postgame press conference. "Of course this will weigh heavy on guys' minds. You can go one of two ways with it. You can pick your head up and get ready for the next one, or you can let it mess you up. I am sure our guys will be ready to go for the next game."

Following an 83-74 victory over 23rd-ranked UCLA on Saturday, Stanford has won five of its last six. The Cardinal is 9-5 in Pac-12 play and 18-8 overall. ESPN's Joe Lunardi projects Stanford as a No. 9 seed in his latest "Bracketology" picks.

In Saturday's game, Huestis tied a career high with 22 points.

There's a sense this team is destined to make the tournament. So much talent and so much hard work. It only seems fitting.

Soon Josh's college career will be over. He will leave school as the leading shot blocker in Stanford history. Yet many believe Josh has only scratched the surface of his basketball abilities.

"His best basketball is ahead of him," Hodges says. "He's a guy who had been playing center his whole life, and he's only played the small forward position for three years."

Josh wants to continue to play as long as he can. He'll see what professional opportunities present themselves in the coming months. He will continue to improve as he has each year he's been at Stanford.

There is some talk that Josh could find a role in the NBA.

"He can rebound and play 'D,' and there's always a place in the NBA for a guy who can (do that)," Cislo says. "His offensive game keeps getting better and better.

"That would be a great honor for the state of Montana — not just this high school and this city."

Josh is set up well for whenever his playing career comes to an end. That's why he went to Stanford and his work ethic led to success here. There is every reason to believe he will be successful in any area he chooses. And so much of that future comes from his past – two sets of parents who love and support him, as well as the backing of an entire state.

"You're talking big picture," Walton says. "You ask about his future. Is he going to go be a gigantic star in the NBA or is he going to become a senator from Montana? That's the kind of future we're talking about here."

Senior Night is a few weeks away. Gary Walsh and Bonnie Huestis will be there. So will Sutton Lindsey and Poncho Hodges. Perhaps even a birth grandmother or two. It's a big modern family, and it's the way the entire extended clan likes it.

"There's so much love and it's just wonderful," Lindsey says. "There's nothing I would change."

They'll join Josh on the court as he's announced along with Powell, Bright, Lemons and Gage. And maybe they'll venture away from Maples Pavilion one last time to Jimmy V's, where someday Josh's jersey may hang on the wall as a testament to what he meant to Stanford basketball.

Career snapshot

» Led CMR to back-to-back Class AA state championships in 2009 and 2010

» Two-time Montana Gatorade Player of the Year

» Averaged 17.3 points, 12.8 rebounds and 4.8 blocks per game as a senior

» Averaged 15.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game as a junior

At Stanford

» *Averaging 11.1 points and team-best 8.1 rebounds as a senior

» *Holds the school record with 169 blocks

» Named to All Pac-12 defensive team as a junior after averaging 10 points and a team-best 9.5 rebounds

» Appeared in 37 games, making five starts as a sophomore while averaging 5.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game and earning All Pac-12 defensive team honorable mention

*entering Saturday's game with UCLA