Dave Joerger has given many talents the chance to shine during his two stints with the Dakota Wizards, but one of his best finds has never played a minute for the team.

Scott Woodmansee hasn't contributed a single basket or grabbed one rebound for Dakota, but the public address announcer has become an integral part of the Civic Center experience as the voice of the Wizards.

In an era when the P.A. systems at many sporting events have been turned over to screamers who detract from the experience of attending a game, Woodmansee strikes a balance between enthusiasm and smooth professionalism.

That combination earned the Bismarck native a three-year stint with the Harlem Globetrotters before he returned home to call Wizards games again this season.

When the Globetrotters needed a P.A. man for a special challenge game against Dennis Rodman's Bad Boy All-Star Team in Las Vegas on Saturday, they asked Woodmansee to call the game.

"That should be an interesting thing," Woodmansee said. "(NBA)All-Star weekend in Las Vegas, and with Dennis Rodman, it kind of piques a person's interest. You wonder who he's going to put on the team."

Woodmansee has grown accustomed to dealing with surprises, starting with his own fortuitous entry into the field of public address announcing.

Before taking over the Wizards' job, Woodmansee had a solid radio background. His father, Tom, was a broadcaster. And Woodmansee - a Century High graduate - began doing some games while in college at Moorhead State.

"It started out like during high school tournaments, I would do a half, then Iwould do a game - it was just one of those things I learned to do. I was always a sports guy, and this gave me a way to stay close to it."

The Wizards had gone through a few P.A. announcers by the 1999-2000 season when Joerger - then the team's general manager and assistant coach - thought Woodmansee could handle the post.

"He has knowledge of the game, he could rap with the guys and make it fun, but yet still be professional," Joerger said. "I don't think he's a homer. He calls the game the way he's supposed to."

Woodmansee says there are several traits that make a good public address announcer.

"You have to have the voice for it," Woodmansee said. "… But the number one thing is your delivery. You have to kind of have your own style.

"And when you talk into the mike, talk into it," he added. "If you yell, that's when ears start bleeding."

While Woodmansee avoids histrionics, he's not afraid to slip a little personality into his calls.

"You have to try to get the crowd into it, but you also have to react to the crowd," he said.

During the 2003-04 season, at the encouragement of Wizards' management, Woodmansee applied for a job with the Globetrotters and got it.

So began a whirlwind stretch that allowed Woodmansee to tour the world, calling games all over the U.S. and in 37 countries.

"It was a lot of travel," he said. "Every day it was a different city, different arena. … I look back know and watch the Lakers play or see Madison Square Garden and say, 'I remember being there.' "

But Woodmansee's most memorable trip was to an aircraft carrier in the Middle East, when the Globetrotters went to put on a show for the troops.

"We stayed overnight on the ship, ate with the military and everything," he said. "… We can all appreciate what the military does for us, but when you actually see it up close like that, you get a whole different perspective."

Which also helps Woodmansee appreciate what he's got back at home.

"I've got the best seat in the house,"he said.

One of the lures of coming back to Wizards was the team's jump to the D-League.

"Being close to NBA people and teams, you never know when you can take that next step," he said. "One thing I've learned is the basketball world is a small world."

In addition to his public address announcing, Woodmansee plays the music during Wizards game and is the director of game operations, which includes running in-game promotions. He also does some sales and marketing for the club.

"I'm basically a jack-of-all-trades," he said.

Yet what he enjoys most is getting behind the microphone for a Wizards' win.

"The most special thing was winning the championships, first in the IBA, then jumping to the CBA and going back-to-back," he said. "I think if we can be fortunate enough to win one in the D-League, that would be really special."