Himmelberg, ND set sights on Class 4 title

Notre Dame senior Mark Himmelberg drew inspiration from a movie he went to see Friday night.

After watching the latest Will Ferrell movie, "Semi-Pro," he felt an added boost as he and his Notre Dame teammates prepare to play in the Class 4 state final four basketball tournament.

"It made me feel better about myself because I knew I was better at basketball than Will Ferrell, and I probably look better in a basketball uniform than he does," Himmelberg said. "He's way too comfortable with himself."

Himmelberg is a big Ferrell fan, claiming "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" and "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" are his favorite flicks starring the actor. This weekend he'll indulge another passion -- sports.

As much as Himmelberg enjoys funny movies, sports are his first love. He said he watches just about anything on ESPN, and loves Missouri Tigers basketball. For the second straight year, he'll get the opportunity to play on the same court as his beloved Tigers.

This season he's a starter after coming off the bench last year, and he's a big reason why the Bulldogs reached the final four again.

"He's a lights-out shooter," Notre Dame junior John Unterreiner said. "Anybody that watches our team play knows that anywhere from 5 feet beyond the arc, he's dangerous. Most games you better get a hand in his face or he can turn out the lights in a hurry. He can put up a lot of points in a hurry."

The Bulldogs face Lincoln Prep in a state semifinal Friday at 12:20 p.m. at Mizzou Arena.

Himmelberg makes his living from 3-point range. He nailed four treys in the state quarterfinals against St. Clair. Notre Dame senior Ryan Willen said that when Himmelberg is hitting his shots, it opens options near the basket.

"When he's hitting, we get open layups and we get cuts," Willen said. "The way our team is built, everything runs a lot smoother when we're making shots."

Himmelberg led the Bulldogs in 3-pointers during the regular season, hitting 43 of his 130 attempts (33 percent). He spends hours in the gym trying to boost his percentage from beyond the arc.

"I'll come in once or twice a week at 6:30 or 6:45 in the morning and shoot until 8 or so," he said. "I spend a lot of time after practice. I shoot a little bit at lunch. I do my best to get up around 300 to 500 shots a day. Most of them are 3s."

Notre Dame coach Paul Hale said that he's seen Himmelberg progess during the season into a more consistent player.

"He struggled a little bit with his shot the first part of the year, but it seems like he's got it back together now," Hale said. "Hopefully he can do that. When he's on outside, we're a real tough team. Hopefully it happens the next couple days."

Despite early struggles, his teammates said that his confidence never wavered. That's one of the reasons he's an effective player.

"There's never a game where he thinks he's going to miss," Willen said. "He can go 0-for-9, and he's going to be shooting 10 and 11 if he gets open shots. That really helps our team in big games."

Big games are nothing new to Himmelberg. He already owns two state championship rings from the Bulldogs' soccer success. Even though he cherishes those rings, he longs for a third.

"It would be one of the greatest things that ever happened to me," he said. "I'm real hungry for one. We were so close last year and it's been on my mind, that experience. Soccer was great, but basketball would be so much more special."