Dr. Dish shoots for the stars, going from Minnesota garage to national impact

Thank you for checking out Basketball Across Minnesota, my weekly look at some of the state's top hoops stories, from preps to pros. — Marcus Fuller

The first designs of a basketball practice device now known as Dr. Dish started in a Minnesota garage with Doug Campbell's family wanting to make training easier — for volleyball.

The Northern Iowa graduate did not know the idea would turn into a machine used worldwide by thousands of basketball teams, including the Gophers, Tommies, Timberwolves and Lynx.

"Minnesota as a state has really become a basketball powerhouse and produces some really talented kids," said Campbell, the CEO of Dr. Dish and Airborne Athletics Inc. "It's just fun for us if we can play a small part somehow."

When his brother's AirCat Volleyball machine debuted in the early 2000s, Campbell was thinking up ways to get his basketball concept off the ground. He enjoyed watching his kids fall in love with hoops. His son played at Delano and briefly at St. John's.

In 2016, Campbell hired Jefferson Mason, a former Cooper and Minnesota State Mankato star, to assist with expanding Dr. Dish's reach outside Minnesota. They built relationships they never expected.

Coach Scott Drew won an NCAA men's title at Baylor in 2021, four years after his program began using Dr. Dish. Mason and Campbell went on a tour of teams in North Carolina in 2017, and then-Tar Heels coach Roy Williams fell in love with it. UNC won a national title that year, and Duke began using the machine, too.

Dr. Dish has a large net that catches made and missed shots. An automated motor system funnels those balls, turning them into passes, which can go anywhere it's programmed, enabling players to take over a thousand shots per hour. The machine also has hundreds of gamelike interactive workouts and drills with a monitor producing analytic feedback.

Traveling the country, displaying the shooting device at practices and clinics, Mason saw thumbs-up picture posts on social media and glowing testimonials from big names, creating an even bigger buzz.

"In the matter of a year or two, the company exploded," Mason said. "It went from not many people in the basketball community knowing it to where we're one of the bigger brands in the basketball world."

After Campbell moved the headquarters to Bloomington, Twin Cities high school and youth players began training with Mason at the facility with the machine.

Dr. Dish has partnered with FIBA and the national wheelchair basketball association. The newer home machines are helping some of the world's best players become even better on their own.

During the pandemic, the NBA's current leading scorer, Luka Doncic, had a Dr. Dish sent to his home in Slovenia. This season, he delivered a 60-point, triple-double for the Dallas Mavericks.

Providence Academy freshman guard Maddyn Greenway, who leads Minnesota in scoring with 30 points per game, increased her confidence to be a consistent three-point threat after using Dr. Dish at home last year. "I never want to be satisfied with who I am as a player," she said in a video.

What once started as a volleyball apparatus for the Campbells to dig, hit and set is now changing how basketball players shoot around the world.

"It forces them to get more reps up and forces them to have more concentration," Campbell said. "You have really talented athletes who work hard, and it's fun to see those guys train."

Fuller's Five ballers

Daniel Freitag, Bloomington Jefferson

The state's top Class of 2024 guard dominated in Jefferson's 75-66 win at Minneapolis South on Jan. 6 with 41 points. The 6-3 junior followed it up with 28 points the next day in a 74-52 win over Burnsville.

Gabe Kalscheur, Iowa State

The former Gophers and DeLaSalle guard had 15 points, including the game-winning three-pointer for the Cyclones in a 69-67 upset over No. 17 TCU on Jan. 7. Kalscheur also had 25 points and seven rebounds in Tuesday's win vs. Texas Tech.

Brooke Olson, Minnesota Duluth

The 6-2 senior forward had 22 points, 11 rebounds and five assists for the Bulldogs in a 78-75 win against fifth-ranked Minnesota State Mankato on Jan. 7. She was named NCAA Division II player of the week.

Olivia Olson, Benilde-St. Margaret's

The Michigan recruit and junior guard went off against St. Paul Como Park with a season-high 39 points, 12 steals and 10 rebounds in an 83-66 win Jan. 5.

Gary Trent Jr., Toronto Raptors

The ex-Apple Valley star scored at least 20 points in six consecutive games from Dec. 27 to Jan. 6, including 35 points vs. Phoenix, 32 vs. Indiana and 27 vs. New York.

Statistically speaking

42 — Combined points for the Jones brothers, Tyus and Tre, when they faced off as the the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the San Antonio Spurs 121-113 on Monday. They also combined for 13 assists.

29 — Points per game, a mark seven Minnesota boys high school players had reached through Tuesday, including three averaging more than 31.

7 — Consecutive games in double figures scoring for former Eastview big man Steven Crowl with the Wisconsin Badgers, including 17 points in a win vs. the Gophers.

Basketball Across Minnesota will be published weekly on startribune.com. Don't be a stranger on Twitter after reading, as chatting about these stories makes them even more fun to share. Thanks, Marcus (@Marcus_R_Fuller on Twitter)