Bison Illustrated January 2016

FROM THE SHADOWS TO

SHOWTIME BISON BASKETBALL IS READY FOR THE SPOTLIGHT

JANUARY 2016

COMPLIMENTARY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

feature

22

READY FOR SHOWTIME Back-to-back Summit League championship seasons is enough to satisfy any program in the conference for the next decade.

However, head coach Dave Richman and the returning core from last year’s North Dakota State Bison men’s basketball team isn’t satisfied just yet.

44 DINNER WITH DAVE With so much time spent on the court the past two years, we took head coach Dave Richman out of his element to talk about his team and the Summit League.

60 BALANCING ACT The players on the Bison women’s basketball team aren’t letting a lack of wins slow down their progression. We speak to the team to see where their future is headed.

AT A GLANCE 16

Bison Shots

88

SAAC Toy Drive

19

Sports Calendar

90

Where Are They Now?

50

Workout Like a Bison

98

Playoff Tailgating

54

SCHEELS Arena

101

Bison Word Find

76

Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse

102

Team Makers

82

What is SAAC?

104

Swany Says

84

Mitch Friedman

108

Pop Quiz

HITTING THE TRAIL

FOLLOW US

2

info@spotlightmediafargo.com

@bisonmag

bisonillustrated.com

facebook.com/bisonillustrated

BISON ILLUSTRATED • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6

70 Make no bones about it, women’s basketball head coach Maren Walseth is lifting a program from the ashes. She will bring in seven recruits next season that she’s convinced will all play their own role.

MEET THE

TEAM MIKE

BRENT

MICHAEL

RYAN

JOE

HEATHER

ANDREW

PAUL

SARAH

JESSE

TRACY

BOUGIE

PAUL

TANK

ERICA

DANIELLE

NATE

SODA

JANUARY 2016 | VOLUME 10 ISSUE 6 Bison Illustrated is a free publication distributed monthly (12 times a year). Our mission is to help promote North Dakota State University Athletics, provide a quality and fun reading experience and to improve the way of life in our community. The publication is mailed to homes across the US and has newsstand distribution throughout North Dakota and Minnesota.

PUBLISHER Spotlight Media PRESIDENT Mike Dragosavich ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Paul Bougie EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Andrew Jason EDITOR Joe Kerlin DESIGN/LAYOUT Ryan Koehler, Sarah Geiger, Soda Tran CONTRIBUTORS Josh Swanson, Joe Kerlin, Austin Kettelhut, Paul Bougie, Pat Simmers COPY EDITORS Erica Rapp, Nate Mickelberg GENERAL MANAGER Brent Tehven MARKETING/SALES Tracy Nicholson, Paul Hoefer, Paul Bougie, Tank McNamara SOCIAL MEDIA Dani Wente PHOTOGRAPHY J. Alan Paul Photography, NDSU Athletics, Paul Flessland BUSINESS OPERATIONS Heather Hemingway MANAGER SPECIAL THANKS Ryan Perreault, Wes Offerman, Ryan Anderson, Jeff Schwartz, Colleen Heimstead, NDSU Athletics WEB DEVELOPERS Dani Wente, Austin Sandmeyer DELIVERY Mitch Rapp FOR ADVERTISING CALL 701-478-SPOT (7768) or email info@spotlightmediafargo.com

Bison Illustrated is published monthly by Spotlight Media LLC. Print quantity exceeds 40,000 per issue. Printed in the U.S.A. Bison Illustrated does not necessarily endorse or agree with content of articles or advertising presented. Bison Illustrated assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. Bison Illustrated is NOT an official publication of North Dakota State University.

Send change of address information and other correspondence to: Spotlight Media LLC. 502 1st Ave N. First Floor Fargo ND, 58102 or info@spotlightmediafargo.com

EDITOR’S NOTE

HOME

There’s still two, maybe three, months left of basketball, but NDSU’s time in SCHEELS Arena is coming to a close. Here’s to Fargo’s “Home for Hockey” and the great memories from the ice arena.

AWAY FROM HOME FROM THE EDITOR Joe Kerlin I work out with the Bison on page 50. joe@bisonillustrated.com

e had our doubts.

Nearly 10 miles away from campus, tucked in a corner of Fargo reserved for those who are looking to put themselves at a distance from the swell of newcomers to the city and plant themselves in the south, sits SCHEELS Arena, the temporary home for Bison basketball.

We were skeptical if Fargo’s “Home for Hockey” would be a fitting abode for our favorite basketball team.

My friend, who replays the 2009 trip to the NCAA Tournament in his head like it was yesterday, and I were cautious about the move south.

At first, it was Minot State, the first team to enter the hockey arena masked by a basketball court and two hoops. Then it was Kennesaw State and Hampton on back-to-back nights. A one-point victory

12

over Minnesota-Crookston tickled our doubts, but the anxiety was put to rest by a drubbing of the team up north and a statement win over Akron.

This was the plight of the first half of the season for the Bison men’s basketball team last winter. They were in a new arena, while their old home was going through a Hollywood-esque facelift.

The temporary home didn’t provide much more than a court to play the games on and seats to sit in. Practices weren’t held there. Media availability times were scarce, but the team and fans didn’t complain.

With affiliation to NDSU for less than a decade, I haven’t witnessed many full “eras” run their course from beginning to end. In fact, in one such instance, in the last five years, I’ve seen two eras intertwine themselves to create one memorable stretch of Bison men’s basketball.

The trajectory of Lawrence Alexander went from a

BISON ILLUSTRATED • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6

bisonillustrated

@bisonmag

headache to heart-lust.

What seemed to be a brash young point guard who was taking too many shots away from the freakishly athletic Taylor Braun, TrayVonn Wright and Marshall Bjorklund, transformed into an infinite level of respectability.

The great jump in the LA timeline came the same time NDSU ditched the outdated corridors of the Bison Sports Arena and entered the 3,400-seat SCHEELS Arena. With the Bison projected to finish near the cellar of the league, LA mutated into one of the most lethal scorers in the country and carried his team our team - back to the NCAA Tournament at the temporary home. It was like SCHEELS Arena brought out a new beast in our lone senior.

Was it an ideal home? No. Did it have stat tracking on its scoreboard to count points and fouls? Nope. But was it worth the price of admission to watch a Bison

@joebisonmag

basketball program exceed expectations? You bet.

Even with an entire Summit League home schedule to go, I’m comfortable admitting that a part of me is going to miss SCHEELS Arena. I’ll miss the Highpoint Bar and Grill and the beers and burgers I shared with my fellow rabid basketball fans.

Nothing about the facility screamed Bison Pride, but the memories will forever be immortalized in my memory.

So here’s a toast to you, SCHEELS Arena General Manager Jon Kram, former Athletic Director Gene Taylor and current head coach Dave Richman.

Thanks for the memories and thanks for the ones that will surely be created in the eight remaining games.

SINCERELY,

Joe Kerlin

MORE THAN

COLLECTING

TROPHIES

FROM paul bougie CONTACT ME 701-478-7768 paulbougie@spotlightmediafargo.com

READING RECOMMENDATION: If you're near an audio-playing device, click play on "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC.

R

emember the first playoff run that brought the Bison to their first national championship in 2011? Then, wow, the second run in 2012. And then we were almost sent into a state of shock when we went back to Frisco for number three with a flawless record. There was so much good fortune in 2013. Oh, but wait, we did it again in 2014, after losing countless senior leaders.

We’ve had four consecutive football national championships at NDSU. Just think about how many talented individuals have been a part of this current run of monumental success.

As I write this, it is game day (Friday, December 18). I have three different kinds of hot dip for tailgating, and I’m about to head to the Bison Nation Team Maker’s lunch at the Fargodome.

Also, today is graduation day at NDSU, and I am reflecting back on all the success that Bison Athletics has had over the years.

All the sports programs have accomplishments that make us proud to be Bison fans.

But sometimes we need to look past the trophies, awards and TV coverage and be proud of our student-athletes and give them most of the credit. These are the young men and women who not only compete at an incredibly high level for our enjoyment, but they’re also students who are going to class and competing at a high level. They’re competing off the field for their future in the quote-unquote real world.

This month, I want to salute you, the students who participate in athletics, on your accomplishments at NDSU, with or without your Bison jersey.

Go Bison,

Paul Bougie

BISON SHOTS

16

BISON ILLUSTRATED • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6

BISON SHOTS

BISON SHOTS All-American fullback (No.46) Andrew Bonnet joins the student section in celebration of the Bison clinching their fifth consecutive trip to Frisco, Texas, for the FCS Championship game. Jumping into the crowd has become an annual tradition for the Bison football team and is used as an homage to the fans for their relentless support all season.

Photo by Paul Flessland

DID WE MISS SOMETHING @ THE GAME Let us know and send us your pictures to joe@bisonillustrated.com 17

2016 sporting calendar

JANUARY

7 MEN’S BASKETBALL vs. Omaha (Fargo) 7 p.m.

7 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL at Denver (Denver, Colo.)

8 p.m.

9 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL vs. Oral Roberts (Fargo) 7 p.m.

9 MEN’S BASKETBALL

at Oral Roberts (Tulsa, Okla.)

7 p.m.

13 MEN’S BASKETBALL

vs. South Dakota (Fargo) 7 p.m.

14 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL vs. South Dakota (Fargo) 7 p.m.

15 WRESTLING

at Boise State (Boise, Idaho) 8 p.m.

15-16 WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD National Pole Vault Summit (Reno, Nev.) TBA

15-16 MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD National Pole Vault Summit (Reno, Nev.) TBA

16 MEN’S BASKETBALL

vs. South Dakota State (Fargo) 4:30 p.m.

16 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

at IUPUI (Indianapolis, Ind.) 6 p.m.

16 MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD Bison Classic (Fargo) TBA

16 WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD Bison Classic (Fargo) TBA

17 WRESTLING

at Northern Colorado (Greeley, Colo.)

3 p.m.

21 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL vs. Western Illinois (Fargo) 7 p.m.

21 MEN’S BASKETBALL

at Fort Wayne (Fort Wayne, Ind.) 6 p.m.

22 WRESTLING

vs. Air Force Academy (Fargo) 7 p.m.

23 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL vs. Fort Wayne (Fargo) 2 p.m.

23 WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD Jim Emmerich Alumni Invitational (Brookings, S.D.) TBA

23 MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD Jim Emmerich Alumni Invitational (Brookings, S.D.) TBA

23 MEN’S BASKETBALL

at Western Illinois (Macomb, Ill.) 2 p.m.

29-30 MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD Jack Johnson Classic (Minneapolis, Minn.)

TBA

29-30 WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD Jack Johnson Classic (Minneapolis, Minn.)

TBA

FEBRUARY

4 MEN’S BASKETBALL

SPORTING CALENDAR

JAN/FEB

7 WRESTLING

at Grand Canyon University (Phoenix, Ariz.)

2 p.m.

vs. Oral Roberts (Fargo) 7 p.m.

4 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

at Oral Roberts (Tulsa, Okla.)

7 p.m.

5 WRESTLING

at Utah Valley University (Orem, Utah) 8 p.m.

5 WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD Air Force Team Challenge (Colorado Springs, Colo.)

TBA

5 MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD Air Force Team Challenge (Colorado Springs, Colo.)

TBA

5-6 WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational (Lincoln, Neb.) TBA

5-6 MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational (Lincoln, Neb.) TBA

6 MEN’S BASKETBALL

vs. Fort Wayne (Fargo) 4 p.m.

6 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL at South Dakota State (Brookings, S.D.) 4:30 p.m.

30 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

at South Dakota (Vermillion, S.D.) 4:30 p.m.

31 WRESTLING

vs. Wyoming (Fargo) 1 p.m.

31 MEN’S BASKETBALL

at IUPUI (Indianapolis, Ind.) 12 p.m.

Deidre Hahn is entering her sophomore season of indoor track and field this winter. She finished fifth in the pentathlon at the Dakota Classic in December.

19

MEN’S BASKETBALL SHOWTIME

SHOWTIME THE NEW CORE OF THE BISON MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM IS READY TO MAKE ITS MARK

22

BISON ILLUSTRATED • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6

MEN’S BASKETBALL SHOWTIME

66.6 OPPONENTS’

POINTS PER GAME

READY TO PROVE THEIR TIME IS NOW

10.1 TURNOVERS PER GAME

29 CONSECUTIVE HOME WINS

BY JOE KERLIN PHOTOS BY J. ALAN PAUL PHOTOGRAPHY

T

he men’s basketball team is an eclectic bunch of ball players ready to make their stamp on the program.

Not one single player mimics what another can do. It’s this arsenal that has Bison fans excited to see what this team can accomplish, with the cloud of expectations from back-to-back Summit League championships hanging from above. Piece by piece and brick by brick, the Bison can finally practice in a permanent home, and they hope the consistency can bring them all together for another exciting and success-filled winter and spring of basketball inside SCHEELS Arena and around the Summit League.

*** *STATS UPDATED THROUGH DECEMBER 21

23

MEN’S BASKETBALL SHOWTIME

#22 KORY BROWN BIO POSITION – GUARD HEIGHT – 6’4” WEIGHT – 205 CLASS – SENIOR HOMETOWN – HOFFMAN ESTATES, ILL.

24

BISON ILLUSTRATED • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6

MEN’S BASKETBALL SHOWTIME

MORE THAN A DEFENSIVE STOPPER

103

CAREER STARTS

51.6%

FIELD-GOAL PERCENTAGE

“I don’t change the way I play from any injury,” Brown said. “If I’m going, I’m going to go 110 percent.”

177

After sitting out four games and making his return to the lineup against North Dakota, backed up his comments with his play. Head coach Dave Richman believes Brown is the one in charge of setting the Bison’s mentality of toughness on the defensive end of the court.

BLOCKS&STEALS

4.2

REBOUNDS PER GAME

7-1

SUMMIT LEAGUE TOURNAMENT RECORD

I

t cannot be overstated how high of a motor Kory Brown plays with every possession.

Even coming off an AC sprain in his left shoulder, Brown was flying around in practice and shootaround. He even threw down a dunk before this photo.

“You know what you’re going to get with Kory on game nights, and that’s something we need, especially with this young group,” Richman said. “We need his energy, his leadership.”

Now a senior, Brown’s leadership on the court started to shine through during his junior season, when he saw a dramatic change in his offensive production. He evolved before Bison fans’s eyes from a defensive stopper to a wellrounded basketball player.

After two NCAA Tournament appearances, Brown isn’t satisfied yet. Although he missed time early in the season, he’s still waiting for the Bison to bring back their signature “you’re not going to score on us” mentality on defense to this year’s team.

*** 25

MEN’S BASKETBALL SHOWTIME

#21 A.J. JACOBSON BIO POSITION – FORWARD HEIGHT – 6’6” WEIGHT – 215 CLASS – SOPHOMORE HOMETOWN – FARGO, N.D.

26

BISON ILLUSTRATED • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6

MEN’S BASKETBALL SHOWTIME

13.5 POINTS PER GAME

SHOOTING HIS WAY INTO RHYTHM

H

ot or cold, when open, A.J. Jacobson is likely to send the rock drifting toward the hoop.

Unfortunately, at the beginning of last year, the ball wasn’t finding its way through the bucket.

80.6% FREE THROW PERCENTAGE

41.5% FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE

Jacobson started the first two games last year shooting 1-of19. But as a freshman, he kept shooting. He would eventually go on to have three double-digit scoring performances in the Summit League Tournament and was named to the tournament team.

Jacobson hasn’t started this season as cold, but he said he’s nowhere near where he’d like to be.

4.9

“It’s been kind of an up-and-down start,” Jacobson said. “But obviously, the team is playing pretty well, and that’s the most important thing and it’s one of those things where I’m just trying to get better and better.”

3-PT ATTEMPTS PER GAME

15.3

POINTS PER GAME IN SUMMIT LEAGUE TOURNAMENT

Jacobson shot more than 50 times before practice with head coach Dave Richman on the eve of the North Dakota game, and even Richman hasn’t lost sight of what he can do when he’s putting the ball in the net.

“We know he’ll get there,” Richman said. “But to his credit, he’s found other ways to get to the free throw line, to play downhill, to get into the paint, and he’s getting other guys involved as well.”

*** 27

MEN’S BASKETBALL SHOWTIME

#2 PAUL MILLER BIO POSITION – GUARD HEIGHT – 6’5” WEIGHT – 195 CLASS – SOPHOMORE HOMETOWN – WAUKESHA, WIS.

28

BISON ILLUSTRATED • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6

MEN’S BASKETBALL SHOWTIME

17.5

2015 POINTS PER GAME

2.6

5.3

2015 REBOUNDS PER GAME

POINTS SCORED IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT

P

aul Miller hit the biggest shot of the season so far for the Bison. After A.J. Jacobson took a big charge on defense, Miller drilled a step-back three-pointer with four seconds remaining to defeat Arkansas State by one on the road.

“Those moments are hard to replicate,” Richman said of the bigtime bucket from the sophomore.

“A lot of it is just the makeup of the young man and in different situations, but at the same time, just a guy that wanted the moment and wanted the play.”

2015 3-PTS. PER GAME

13

MILLER’S TIME TO SHINE

Miller has played his way into the starting lineup, and the production has shown through the first third of the season. He’s leading the team in points, and his three-point accuracy hasn’t missed a beat from last season.

Miller has teamed up with Carlin Dupree to handle the point guard duties this season, and the offense hasn’t made a misstep since. The Bison are turning the ball over 10 times a game, which ranks them 11th nationally.

“With the shooters all around me, it creates a ton of gaps,” Miller said.

“Plus, everybody on our team can score, so the other team can’t just focus on one guy every night. It really opens things up.”

***

29

MEN’S BASKETBALL SHOWTIME

#34 CHRIS KADING BIO POSITION – FORWARD HEIGHT – 6’9” WEIGHT – 240 CLASS – SENIOR HOMETOWN – DE PERE, WIS.

30

BISON ILLUSTRATED • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6

MEN’S BASKETBALL SHOWTIME

BIG MAN WITH A BIGGER HEART

72.2% 2015 FIELD-GOAL PERCENTAGE

18.8 MINUTES PER GAME

52.6%

“Credit him,” head coach Dave Richman said. “He’s just a team guy and does what’s needed.”

What the team needs is for Kading to get healthy and with him playing more than 23 minutes in both games of a recent road trip to Iowa State and Arkansas State, he knows he’s close to returning to his old form.

FIELD-GOAL PERCENTAGE

0.9 1.27 OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS PER GAME

S

enior big man Chris Kading’s injury report at the end of last season was similar to a UFC fighter after going the distance for the championship belt. Multiple offseason surgeries on everything from his hips to his shoulder found Kading sidelined for seven months, but now he’s back on the court, trying to claim his third Summit League championship belt in as many seasons.

BLOCKS PER GAME

“I’m not quite there - to the level I’ve been at physically - but I’m getting there, still doing quite a bit of rehab,” Kading said.

Kading has proven himself a valuable commodity for the Bison basketball team. His defense against much larger post players in the Summit League Tournament was one of the deciding factors last season.

With the help of Dexter Werner and freshman Dylan Miller in the post, Kading has more support defensively. Where Richman believes Kading can make a difference is on offense by stretching the defense with his 6-foot-9-inch frame and shooting ability.

*** 31

OLD

MEN’S BASKETBALL SHOWTIME

“I think our bond we have off the court carries big-time into games. Everybody is buddies and we all hang out outside of basketball and we spend a lot of time together.”

#40 DEXTER WERNER BIO POSITION – FORWARD HEIGHT – 6’6” WEIGHT – 240 CLASS – JUNIOR HOMETOWN – BISMARCK, N.D.

8.5

2015 POINTS PER GAME

6.3

2015 REBOUNDS PER GAME

51% FIELD-GOAL PERCENTAGE

33

MEN’S BASKETBALL SHOWTIME

“Everybody knows we had LA (Lawrence Alexander) last year and he was the point guard and now I have to step up and be the point guard. Paul (Miller) came off the bench and now he’s starting. Guys like that are playing different roles so it’s been a little different, I just think we are handling it well right now.”

#3 CARLIN DUPREE BIO POSITION – GUARD HEIGHT – 6’3” WEIGHT – 190 CLASS – JUNIOR HOMETOWN – MILWAUKEE, WIS.

7.1

2015 POINTS PER GAME

2.7 REBOUNDS PER GAME

28.5 2015 MINUTES PER GAME

34

BISON ILLUSTRATED • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6

MEN’S BASKETBALL SHOWTIME

#4 MALIK CLEMENTS BIO POSITION – GUARD HEIGHT – 6’3” WEIGHT – 210 CLASS – SOPHOMORE* HOMETOWN – MADISON, WIS.

“The culture here is a lot different.

Basketball-wise, it’s a lot bigger, of course, from where I was at last year. It’s more intense. It’s more work, more time consuming for sure, and I think we gel a little more than where I was. We’re a reallife family here. Everyone has each other’s backs, and we care about each other.”

*PEARL RIVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE TRANSFER

8.8

POINTS PER GAME

19.9 MINUTES PER GAME

3

REBOUNDS PER GAME

36

BISON ILLUSTRATED • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6

MEN’S BASKETBALL SHOWTIME

#13 KHY KABELLIS BIO POSITION – GUARD HEIGHT – 6’3” WEIGHT – 170 CLASS – FRESHMAN HOMETOWN – ESCONDIDO, CALIF.

22.3 MINUTES PER GAME

2.6:1

ASSIST TO TURNOVER RATIO

“It’s (college basketball) a little different than I expected. It’s been a little tough of a transition from the game speed and the physicality and I think I’m making progress and I’ll end up getting to where the coach and team needs me to be this year.”

39

MEN’S BASKETBALL SHOWTIME

“He’s shown me a lot. He’s strong for a freshman and he’s confident. We just have to make sure he goes in and plays how he knows how to play and doesn’t think about anything too much. Just goes out there and plays like Dylan.” - Senior Chris Kading on Dylan Miller

#42 DYLAN MILLER BIO POSITION – FORWARD HEIGHT – 6’8” WEIGHT – 235 CLASS – FRESHMAN HOMETOWN – PANAMA, ILL.

2.3

POINTS PER GAME

6.2

MINUTES PER GAME

52.4% FIELD-GOAL PERCENTAGE

41

DINNER WITH DAVE

DINNER WITH DAVE Interview by Joe Kerlin Photo by J. Alan Paul Photography

H

ow does the Bison men’s basketball team keep projecting upward after back-toback appearances in the NCAA Tournament? How do they replace the 20 points per game from one of the best scorers NDSU has ever seen? How do they reclaim the Summit League title for a third consecutive year?

All of these are fair questions for Dave Richman and his basketball team this season. Expectations are getting higher and higher for Richman, who is only in his second season at the helm. So, we got him out of his basketball element one afternoon. He joined us at Herd and Horns a day before the North Dakota game to talk about what he’s seen from the 2015-16 version of the Bison basketball team, how players are performing in their new roles and we discuss the trajectory of a Summit League, that is having one of it’s best nonconference seasons in recent memory.

44

BISON ILLUSTRATED • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6

DINNER WITH DAVE

Dave Richman BIO - Head Coach - Second year - Nine years as an assistant coach - 201-117 overall record in 11 years at NDSU - NDSU grad (2002) - Wahpeton, N.D., native

45

DINNER WITH DAVE

THE INTERVIEW

bi What can a shot like Paul

miller’s game winner against Arkansas State do to a team the rest of the season?

D “When you go back and talk about

that road trip and that week, we left Monday morning played in Ames (Iowa State) Tuesday night, got back (to Fargo) at 5:30 a.m., Wednesday and then you turn around and practice at 8, Thursday and you’re traveling. So you go back and there’s a lot that goes into it. As a mid-major program, those weeks are expected, and you know looking ahead that those are going to be tough weeks and we didn’t play very well. We didn’t play very well for a stretch of that, a lot of excuses because of the travel and you’re without one of your only two seniors in Kory Brown, but what we did is what we’ve continued to do for the most part this year, besides the Southern Mississippi game, is hung around.

We chipped, we fought, we never gave up, and A.J. (Jacobson) took a big charge with about 30 seconds to go and Paul just made a play. It was something we didn’t design, he just caught it, went up the right wing and hit a huge step-back three, stuck his follow through and it was a huge shot of momentum for us.

Anytime you can get a win, it’s huge for us in college basketball, let alone on the road against a team that was battling with Missouri a couple nights earlier. We knew we’d have our hands full. We did early, but credit our guys, they hung around and made enough plays. And Paul is a guy who likes those moments and I think our guys are seeing that and he’s realizing that and hopefully we can all build off that.”

46

BISON ILLUSTRATED • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6

bi How has the guard

play been through the first eight games of the season?

D “The staples of our program since I’ve been here is to defend, rebound and take care of the ball. I don’t think we’ve done great defensively, rebounding, we’re poor right now, but we have done a tremendous job of taking care of the ball. When you look at it when you’re not playing well in some of the other facets, it gives you an opportunity late in games. We have played without fouling and we have played without turning the ball over, which has kept us in games that, in a lot of standpoints, we shouldn’t have been in.”

bi What’s having fewer

turnovers this season a product of?

D “Even when you consider A.J. playing the four for us, I think a lot of teams would basically consider us a four-guard lineup. That’s a luxury we have, having four ball handlers, so to speak, in there at one time. It’s an emphasis for us in practice and it’s an emphasis we talk about in practice and in film sessions all the time. Credit them, they’ve carried it over.”

bi Have some players

had to find a new role for themselves after you lost your leading scorer from last year?

Does somebody like A.J. Jacobson need to find his fit again in this offense?

D “I think it’s just different with

everybody teeing off on the top with Lawrence Alexander last year.

That’s what was on the scouting report and especially early he got that. It will be interesting to see how teams defend Paul and A.J. and some of our other guys. But A.J. hasn’t shot it particularly well, maybe to the capabilities that he expects, that we expect, and he did at the end of the year, and we know he’ll get there. But to his credit, he’s found other ways to get to the free throw line, to play downhill, to get into the paint and he’s getting other guys involved as well.”

bi The team used that low

preseason ranking as a driving force last year, so what’s the juice this year that the team can use to carry them through the Summit League?

D “You come to North Dakota State

because of expectations of excellence and when you go to back-to-back

DINNER WITH DAVE

tournaments and you get a taste of that. I think that’s what motivates you every day, and that’s what we want guys here for. We want them to come, not because of what they want to accomplish as individuals, but what we want to accomplish as a team. Guys care way more about each other than they do themselves.

I think that’s the big thing. If it takes some external motivation for you all the time, then you’re probably not the right guy. We want guys who want to get better, and that’s really been our philosophy. It started early last year when we got beat by an average of 33, 34 points. We looked each other in the eye and said, we have an option to be this team or we can just worry about getting better on a daily basis and our guys did that. They’re really spirited. We had a practice yesterday that was longer than normal because I think it’s in the group to just take some different experiences to pull it out of them, and as guys are in different roles and learning the new system from the new guys, the Malik Clements, the Khy Kabellises, the Dylan Millers.”

bi How have the young guys

acclimated themselves to your system and this team?

d “I would say it’s been good. You

always expect it’s going to be an adjustment, and it’s unfair to think they’re just going to have it all click in the first eight games, but at the same time, that’s our expectation. That’s our standard that we set and there’s always room for improvement. We’re

always going to be on you. Khy (Kabellis) has done, for the most part, a very good job. You look at 16 assists and seven turnovers. That’s remarkable for a freshman to have a 2:1 assists-to-turnover ratio. Khy is a guy that shoots it at a high, high-level. He’s in the gym all the time working on it. Dylan (Miller) is a guy we’re really excited about.

He’s just a big kid, physical kid, has a knack for being around the ball on both ends of the floor. I think that’s something where you’ll see his minutes continue to grow. Malik (Clements) was brought in because he’s a scorer, and we have to make sure he has that scorer’s mentality, not just a shooters mentality. The biggest curve for him will be on the other end, the defensive end. Just the urgency and Malik wants to be great. Nobody is more loved by his teammates than Malik.”

bi Is this the best you’ve

ever seen the Summit League?

d “It’s definitely a fair question. I was up late one night watching IUPUI and Marquette on a random channel, but other than that, I haven’t really had a chance to watch. You follow scores closely and you see who is scoring, but yeah, I think it’s pretty easy to see somebody like Denver, who was picked near or at the bottom, who is well above .500. Western Illinois, who struggled mightily last year, goes in and beats Wisconsin the first game of the year. We’re going to have our hands full every night, but we can’t look too far ahead or we’ll get smacked if we do in our league.”

bi Has the Summit been

steadily getting better or is this just a bunch of good players maturing all at once?

d “I think, you see some of (Tom) Douple’s quotes and it’s a product of scheduling. I still go back to last year, myself included, and with Oral Roberts back in the league, we had six new head coaches, and I think this year and next year in particular, going forward, we’re going to find out some different things about the recruits and how they’re going to coach and what’s important to them, compared to the prior staffs. It’s college basketball and you look at it all the time, (University of WisconsinMilwaukee) beats Wisconsin. It’s what the beauty of it is. It’s hard to win basketball games anywhere let alone on the road.”

bi You guys can’t lose

at SCHEELS Arena. THis 29- game home winning streak is impressive.

d “What’s cool to me as a head

coach, and really it’s a credit to our guys, is that it has happened in two different venues. SCHEELS has been great, but our guys don’t get to practice there very much.

Maybe the night before games and in shoot around, so they’ve taken pride and ownership in it and we have a little baton that we pass around and there’s some pride in that. Not only pride in themselves, but for the guys that have come before them and helped build that winning streak.”

***

49

BISON WORKOUT

WORKOUT

LIKE A

BISON

ME

JASON MILLER

T

By Joe Kerlin Photos by J. Alan Paul Photography

he men’s basketball team is one tough group of young men. So we decided to see what’s going on behind closed doors at the NDSU weight room and find out first-hand how strength and conditioning coach Jason Miller is getting these Bison ready for each season and each possession on the court. We were in for one heck of a surprise. Our first-hand account of what’s happening in the weight room was nothing like what we expected.

SUBJECTS JASON MILLER

ME

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BISON ILLUSTRATED • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6

Jason Miller is in his 11th year at NDSU. As the Director of Athletic Performance and Olympic Sports, he’s directly responsible for training the student-athletes who participate in volleyball, men’s basketball and baseball.

My athletic background consists of one year of junior college baseball, one half marathon last spring, a lot of typing on a keyboard and multiple sessions a year of jumping and cheering in the stands on Bison game day. I’m around six feet tall and about 180 pounds after dinner.

BISON WORKOUT

IN-SEASON TRAINING

STRETCHING Jason Miller took me through four simple stretches before we began my workout. Improving the athletes’ flexibility for a sport like basketball is imperative to preventing injuries. To enhance each stretch, we used a band to allow my body weight to shift freely to get the most from each stretch.

We started with a simple hamstring stretch and then moved to the bench for my quads. Then we ditched the bands and hit the ground to stretch my hip flexor and glutes.

After we grabbed the bands again for another hamstring and lower back stretch, we were ready to start pumping iron.

Miller explained the importance of in-season training of the athletes to not build strength, but to maintain the improvements they made in the off-season. As an example, Miller took me through two grueling lower body exercises. We began with the deadlift.

We went through three sets of eight repetitions to maintain strength in the lower back. After firing up my lower back muscles, we focused in on the muscles attached to the back, the glutes and hamstrings.

With a sport like basketball, Miller likes to use singleleg training.

For this, we grabbed the bar out of the squat rack, rested it on my shoulders and stepped onto a surface approximately 18 inches high.

Beginning with both feet on the ground,

you start the workout by stepping on the platform, with the left leg followed by the right. Once both feet are on the platform, you step down with the left and then push yourself back up with the left and again both feet are back on the platform.

Then you step down with the right foot before shooting your right foot back onto the platform.

You do this ten times with each leg, then rest before beginning another set.

IN-SEASON TRAINING 51

BISON WORKOUT

CONDITIONING After blasting our upperbody, Miller decided it was time I get a taste of what conditioning is like for the basketball players. It wasn’t at all what I expected. Miller set up four stations.

STRENGTH-BUILDING After explaining what the training is like for student athletes in-season, I was feeling pretty competent in my training. So Miller gave me a taste of what it’s like for members of the team who are redshirting.

The men’s basketball team has a handful of redshirts, working on their strength during the season so they’re ready for the grind of Division I basketball when their opportunity comes next year. For this, Miller showed me an easy52

to-learn circuit for upper body strength-building.

The workout begins with eight reps of the seated row, then moves to eight reps of lat pull downs and ends with a band exercise for shoulder strength.

The trick with the circuit is you bounce from lift to lift with no rest. After you complete the eight reps at each station, you rest for a minute and begin the circuit again. The workout ends after the third cycle.

BISON ILLUSTRATED • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6

The first was the climbing machine that looked similar to a step machine, but your arms are just as important as your legs in working the machine. Next were the ropes. Miller showed me a few ways I could swing, pull and jerk the ropes, but he said the main key was to keep them moving at all times. The third station was the stationary bike.

The goal here was to get the reps per minute up to 90. (I could barely touch 75.) The last station was the kettlebell walk. You start by grabbing a kettlebell in each hand and start walking for 10 seconds. After the time is up, Miller told me to turn around and walk back to where the kettlebells were picked up. My mission was to do the circuit twice, with a minute of rest between each set.

This is where the twist came in. The goal at each station was to go as hard as you can for 20 seconds and then rest for 10. But you’re not completely resting. After going

as hard as possible on the climbing machine for 20 seconds, I needed to get off and move to the ropes.

As I got to the ropes, my 10 seconds were up and I had to begin swinging my arms for 20 seconds. The shortened rest period was brutal. As I wobbled back with the kettlebells during the second circuit, I nearly collapsed after setting the weights down. My entire body was exhausted. I’d been expending energy throughout my entire body with every muscle for nearly five minutes. As I aimlessly walked with my hands folded on top of my head, Miller mentioned the student-athletes would have another set of two circuits before they call it quits, but I had to throw in the towel.

CONDITIONING

SCHEELS ARENA

TOP 10

REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND A BASKETBALL

GAME AT SCHEELS ARENA

L

ast November, the Bison men’s basketball team took the short journey south, away from campus and the hustle and bustle of North Fargo, to SCHEELS Arena. The hockey stadium transformed from Fargo’s “Home for Hockey” to a suitable home for a Division I basketball program. With two months of home basketball games left this season, you’re running out of time to watch the back-to-back Summit League champs in action on top of the ice.

Here’s what you’re missing.

5225 31st Ave. South Fargo, ND 58104 GoBison.com/tickets

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BISON ILLUSTRATED • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6

1

GET LOUD

Seating Capacity: 4,000

SCHEELS ARENA

3 GAMETIME GRUB Highpoint Bar & Grill located inside the arena

2

5

SUCCESSFUL TEAM Two-straight Summit League championships, 57-20 since 2013.

LUXURY FEATURES 40 suites, 300 club seats

7

FREE ADMISSION 100+ floor seating for students

6 4

CHEAP SEATS

Cheap ticket prices, $15

WINNING STREAK Bison have never lost in the Scheels Arena (29-game home winning streak, dating back to November 18, 2013, to Southern Mississippi at the Bison Sports Arena)

55

SCHEELS ARENA

8

COMFY SEATS

10

RUNNING OUT OF TIME

Comfortable individual seats (No more BSA wooden bleachers)

9

There are only eight home men’s basketball games left!

HALFTIME PROMOTIONS From the Bison Dance Team to the football team showing off another championship trophy, you never know who will show up.

MEN’S BASKETBALL ATTENDANCE 3,596

3,305

3,308

3,156

3K

2,906

2,792

2,577 2,512

2K 1K

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BISON ILLUSTRATED • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6

09

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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL GROUP #1

BALANCING

ACT

By Joe Kerlin Photo by J. Alan Paul Photography

W

ith 10 players on the women’s basketball roster, head coach Maren Walseth has the challenge of balancing playing time with everybody on the team. The crafty and skilled veterans have taken the lead while the younger players have fallen in line. What’s happened on the court isn’t properly reflected in the wins column, but the culture-building process has to start somewhere. We hung out with the women’s basketball team for an hour after their loss to Grand Canyon and what we discovered is that the game of basketball can mean so much more than who is winning and losing - it’s about the life lessons and relationships built within the team along the way. *Stats updated through December 19

GROUP #1

#5 BROOKE YAGGIE ​​(RIGHT) BIO POSITION – GUARD HEIGHT – 5’9” CLASS – SOPHOMORE HOMETOWN – THIEF RIVER FALLS, MINN.

2015-2016 STATS MINUTES/GAME – 30.8 POINTS/GAME – 5.8 ASSISTS/GAME – 2.1 FIELD-GOAL PERCENTAGE – 41.2%

#14 BRITTANY WIEBE ​​(LEFT) BIO POSITION – GUARD HEIGHT – 5’9” CLASS – REDSHIRT JUNIOR HOMETOWN – BRANDON, MANITOBA, CANADA

2015-2016 STATS MINUTES/GAME – 15.5 POINTS/GAME – 2.2 REBOUNDS/GAME – 2.1 FREE THROW PERCENTAGE – 92.3%

#25 HANNAH BRESKE (​MIDDLE) BIO POSITION – GUARD HEIGHT – 6’0” CLASS – JUNIOR HOMETOWN – CASSELTON, N.D.

Check out these photos that were taken just as we wrapped up the shoot!

More on next page!

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BISON ILLUSTRATED • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL GROUP #1

61

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL GROUP #2

GROUP #2

#30 EMILY SPIER BIO

Follow the team on twitter! @NDSUwbb

“It’s (chemistry) really good because Holly (Johnson) and a little bit of Emily (Spier), too.

They are shooters and they can definitely play the perimeter. Holly — especially with her threes — she’s a good ball handler whereas I feel like Bri (Jones) offers us a really solid five inside. When the ball is going in to her, something good is going to happen from it. As far as putting everything into it, it’s good that we have positions starting to fill out, we have our point guard, we have our shooters, playmakers and a really good post.”

– Marena Whittle, Senior Captain

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BISON ILLUSTRATED • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6

POSITION – FORWARD HEIGHT – 6’1” CLASS – JUNIOR HOMETOWN – BUFFALO, MINN.

2015-2016 STATS MINUTES/GAME – 30.2 POINTS/GAME – 8.6 REBOUNDS/GAME – 5.8 FREE THROW PERCENTAGE – 80%

#34 BRIANNA JONES ​ BIO POSITION – FORWARD HEIGHT – 6’1” CLASS – JUNIOR HOMETOWN – INDIANAPOLIS, IND.

2015-2016 STATS MINUTES/GAME – 30.2 POINTS/GAME – 8.9 REBOUNDS/GAME – 9.8 FIELD-GOAL PERCENTAGE – 46.7%

#32 MARENA WHITTLE ​​ BIO POSITION – GUARD HEIGHT – 5’11” CLASS – SENIOR HOMETOWN – VERMONT SOUTH, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA

2015-2016 STATS MINUTES/GAME – 33 POINTS/GAME – 17 REBOUNDS/GAME – 9.5 FIELD-GOAL PERCENTAGE – 39.3%

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL GROUP #2

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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL GROUP #3

#4 MEGAN GAMBLE (LEFT) ​​

GROUP

BIO POSITION – GUARD HEIGHT – 5’7” CLASS – FRESHMAN HOMETOWN – OMAHA, NEB.

2015-2016 STATS MINUTES/GAME – 21.7 POINTS/GAME – 4.2 REBOUNDS/GAME – 3.1 FIELD-GOAL PERCENTAGE – 45.5%

#3

“Last year, Brooke (LeMar) was the main focus of our team, so she created a lot of shots for me and that led me to a lot of open looks. This year, I feel like it is a little tougher, but they’re still there.

She’s (Kennedy Childers) going to be a great help for us and I’m excited what she’s going to bring in the future. Getting her (Megan Gamble) more comfortable in the point guard position and she’ll be great.”

– Taylor Thunstedt, Sophomore

#23 KENNEDY CHILDERS (MIDDLE) BIO POSITION – GUARD HEIGHT – 5’9” CLASS – FRESHMAN HOMETOWN – JOHNSTON, IOWA

2015-2016 STATS MINUTES/GAME – 16.1 POINTS/GAME – 5.4 REBOUNDS/GAME – 1.5 FIELD-GOAL PERCENTAGE – 48.1%

#11 TAYLOR THUNSTEDT (RIGHT) BIO POSITION – GUARD HEIGHT – 5’8” CLASS – SOPHOMORE HOMETOWN – SPICER, MINN.

2015-2016 STATS MINUTES/GAME – *33.7 POINTS/GAME – 16.4 REBOUNDS/GAME – 3 ASSISTS/GAME – 3.2 THREE-POINT PERCENTAGE – 43.2%

65

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HOLLY JOHNSON

POISE

FOR A COMEBACK

By Joe Kerlin Photo by J. Alan Paul Photography

Senior forward Holly Johnson has been a centerpiece for the women’s basketball team for the past two years. Now a senior, a broken foot has kept her on the sidelines to begin the season. She may be watching games in her street clothes, but she knows her role can still be vital even if she’s yet to wear her jersey this season.

H

olly Johnson precisely estimates 526 people have asked her when she’s coming back this season.

Although that may or may not be true, she definitely recalls the six loyal fans that approached her after the women’s basketball team’s loss against Grand Canyon.

It’s been a frustrating start of the season for Johnson, but she takes it on the chin and would rather talk about the progress she’s made and forget about a timetable for her return.

“I’ve started to jog,” said the senior captain from Minot, N.D. “I haven’t sprinted yet, but I’ve done a couple drills in practice just running the offense five-on-0. But I haven’t done any contact yet.”

A broken foot this offseason has strapped Johnson to the bench to begin her senior campaign. Being without a uniform has involuntarily pushed her into a new role.

“I feel like my role now is to be a leader off the floor more so and just provide advice or to help build our team’s overall IQ,” Johnson said. “I’ve learned a lot just being able to watch our team dynamic with our coaches and our players, so it’s been a learning experience.”

The women’s basketball team hasn’t started the season the way they wanted to and head coach Maren 66

BISON ILLUSTRATED • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6

#12 HOLLY JOHNSON BIO POSITION – FORWARD HEIGHT – 6’0” CLASS – SENIOR HOMETOWN – MINOT, N.D.

CAREER STATS MINUTES/GAME – 23.3 POINTS/GAME – 9.9 REBOUNDS/GAME – 5.4 FIELD-GOAL PERCENTAGE – 43.4%

Walseth says the team is missing her feel for the game.

“She has a lot of skills. Her touch around the basket, being able to spread the defense, being a more than one-dimensional player,” Walseth said. “But I think our group misses her basketball IQ and how she plays the game. She has a great feel for the game and that’s something that you either have or you don’t.”

Johnson said she doesn’t have a timetable for when she’ll be back on

the court. All she can do now is go to rehab, play when she can at practice and be a shoulder to lean on for her teammates.

As she stands, preparing to have her photo taken, she mentions this is the first time she’s worn her jersey all season. “I’m ready to rock,” the captain jokingly says. Hopefully, for her team and the fans, the next time she’s in her jersey, it will be in front of a crowd at the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse and not a camera.

MAREN WALSETH

maren walseth bio - Second year - Seven years as an assistant at Penn State - Three years as an assistant at the Naval Academy - 14-25 NDSU record - Penn State grad (2002) - Bloomington, Minn., native

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MAREN WALSETH

HITTING THE RECRUITING TRAIL

WITH WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

HEAD COACH

MAREN WALSETH

T

he size of the NDSU women’s basketball recruiting class this fall was highly publicized after seven high school stars inked their name to play for head coach Maren Walseth. After doubling the size of a normal recruiting class, we caught up with coach Walseth to ask her about the rigors of the recruiting trail and how this year’s version of the women’s basketball team has grown up before her eyes.

By Joe Kerlin Photo by J. Alan Paul Photography

71

MAREN WALSETH

THE INTERVIEW WITH MAREN WALSETH bi What has stood out to you about the three newcomers Brianna Jones, Megan Gamble and Kennedy Childers?

M “The new kids have been really easy to blend into the fold, so to speak.

They’ve been very willing and their eyes have been opened and they’ve allowed the upperclassmen to guide them and help them along. So in that respect, it’s been easy. … Bri (Brianna Jones), watching her on film during the recruitment process, I knew she is athletic and she could rebound, but my gosh, the first time she came out in uniform she had 19 rebounds. I will be honest, I didn’t know it was going to be quite like that. … I think it’s been fun to watch Kennedy (Childers) here in the last week or 10 days. She came in with a ton of energy over the summer and did quite well in the summer and then in the fall the academic year started and she was thinking way too much and things were way too challenging. And not that she can’t do it, because she is doing it very, very well, but that adjustment period I think was harder than she ever thought it was going to be and life just happens so fast. … I give her a lot of kudos to getting her head out of her own way, so to speak.”

bi What have you been missing most without Holly Johnson?

M “On the court, it’s how she stretches the defense and her basketball IQ, certainly. She’s able to provide that basketball IQ, her tricks of the trade, her vision, her sight, what she sees, her knowledge in practice every day and in games. We get part of it, but we don’t get all of it. That’s just one skill that she’s very talented at.”

bi How have the point guards been performing trying to replace Brooke LeMar? M “With Brooke, we graduated 20 points and there’s not one person who is going to replace 20 points. That’s very hard to do and unrealistic to ask of anybody. But Taylor’s (Thunstedt) stepped in and has been able to provide some of those points and some of that ball handling responsibility, but Megan Gamble is a true, natural point guard as well and she’s been able to step up and seeing her grow from game to game, I thought at Kent State she really grew up and found her voice. … That point guard position right now is two-fold and it will continue to be so because Taylor really needs Megan and Megan really needs Taylor. You’ll see them play a lot together.”

bi You signed seven recruits this fall and it’s actually the same amount Penn State signed your last year there.

You’ve done it twice now, but isn’t that uncommon?

M “Yes. A normal recruiting class for men’s or women’s basketball is three or four, maybe five would be considered a big recruiting class.”

bi Why bring in that many?

M “When you look at the program and

look at where the program has been, where it needs to go when you look at the competition within the league, what you need to do to win the conference, you need a lot of different types of players. You can’t have three of the same exact players and you need bodies and that’s something we don’t have this year and that’s part of the transition. We

recruited seven intentionally. It wasn’t on accident or anything like that. That was intentional.”

bi That’s a lot of time on the road.

M “It’s a lot of time, but you know this job is building relationships and finding the right fits, so it’s hard when you’re out not finding the right fits. It’s easy when you’re out there building relationships and you’re having phone conversations and you’re going to watch kids play and you can see how they fit into what you’re doing and what your vision is, then it’s not, I mean, I don’t see it as hard. It’s maybe time-consuming, but it’s exciting when you enjoy the process.”

bi While you’re in the gym recruiting someone to possibly be a Bison, what are you looking for?

M “There are a lot of things to look at.

The first and foremost, for me, is the growth from the last time I saw her play. Whether it was in the summer, it was in a practice, early in the high school season, even in the high school season, from the first time I saw her in December to the next time I see her in the state tournament. That, to me, gives me the best gauge of what her ceiling is. What is her work ethic, what is her motor, what is her potential and that’s important. If a kid is not making a whole lot of progress, that’s just something to take into consideration. Not that you write them off, but it’s something to take into consideration versus a kid who is getting better and better each time you see them play. That’s the biggest thing for me. And then on our staff, we talk about recruiting complementary players. Somebody who is not like somebody on our team or somebody that we’re recruiting in their class or another class. I don’t want our players fighting each other for playing time, but rather, trying to master the tasks and the skills that we challenge them with and then finding a place for them on the floor.”

*** 73

BENTSON BUNKER FIELDHOUSE

BRIEF HISTORY of the

BENTSON BUNKER

FIELDHOUSE

By Joe Kerlin

T

he Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse on the campus of North Dakota State University predates the first Franklin Roosevelt presidential term. Built in 1931, the BBF has been a fixture on NDSU’s campus since the Great Depression and the “Old Fieldhouse” has seen more NDSU students-athletes pass through its corridors than any other facility in Fargo. Today, it’s still going strong, housing the women’s basketball, volleyball and softball teams.

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BISON ILLUSTRATED • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6

“I love the BBF because like I said, I’m a coach’s kid and a little old school. The stage, the sweat - the years are just in there. It’s a great environment. Fans are right on top of you.”

– Patrick Harrison, Women’s basketball assistant coach

FUN FACT • The BBF was the first fireproof structure at NDSU.

BENTSON BUNKER FIELDHOUSE

CONSTRUCTION Today, we know the “Old Armory” or the “Old Fieldhouse” as the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse. But when it first opened its doors on September 25, 1931, it was known as the Physical Education Building.

The original building was 284 long and 122 feet wide. The auditorium inside was 158 by 108 feet with enough room for 3,600 spectators.

According to an article in the student-run newspaper, The Spectrum, “Among physical education buildings, the University of Minnesota field house is probably the only building in the northwest, which is larger than State’s building, says C. C. Finnegan, director of athletics.”

Today, the basement is filled with classrooms, offices and locker rooms. When it was built, there was a 25-by-60-foot track, along with a rifle range.

The first basketball game at the Physical Education Building was on December 5, 1931 when the Bison played the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers.

WHAT’S IN THE NAME? The Physical Education Building was renamed the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse on June 7, 1995.

B.C. “Chuck” Bentson is the second-winningest men’s basketball coach in NDSU history. He compiled 170 wins from 1949-1965 and won two North Central Conference championships. Bentson served as an administrator for 16 more years, retiring in 1981. He was inducted into the Bison Athletic Hall of Fame in 1986.

One of Bentson’s players, A.G. “Art” Bunker, started his career at NDSU in 1949. He transferred from the University of Wyoming and would earn all-conference honors his senior year in 1952.

Bunker had a successful career in business and served as North Dakota’s Speaker of the House in 1973. He was inducted into the Bison Athletic Hall of Fame in 1975.

NDSU decided to rename the Physical Education Building after Bunker because of his generous gifts given to the university. But he didn’t want to be the only one.

So, he decided to honor his former coach and friend by including Bentson’s name as well.

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BISON ILLUSTRATED • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6

SAAC INFORMATION

SAAC

THE STUDENT ORGANIZATION CONNECTING NDSU AND THE FARGO COMMUNITY

By Joe Kerlin

S

AAC stands for StudentAthlete Advisory Council.

These Bison athletes lead the philanthropic work at NDSU. Their mission is simple: connect NDSU Athletics and the FargoMoorhead community.

Holly Johnson Basketball - Forward - Senior

Hayden Zillmer Wrestler - 184 pounds - Senior

Jedre Cyr Football - Fullback - Senior

Alyssa Reina Softball - Catcher - Junior

Chris Kading - Basketball Forward - Senior

Brittany Wiebe Basketball - Guard - Junior

Brian Ishola - Basketball Guard - Sophomore

Alex Schmid Golf - Junior

Jacob Herdine Golf - Junior

Brianna Rasmusson Volleyball - Setter - Soph.

Ben LeCompte Football - Punter - Senior

Jacquelyn Sertic Softball - Pitcher - Sophomore

Colin Paarmann - Men’s T&F Multi-Events - Junior

Genna Joyce Soccer - Defender - Junior

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SAAC INFORMATION

APPOINTED POSITIONS EX-OFFICIO BOARD MEMBERS Matt Larsen, Director of Athletics Todd Phelps, Deputy Director of Athletics Colleen Heimstead, Senior Woman Administrator Zach Heidmann, Marketing and Promotions Assistant Linda Gangelhoff, Assistant to the Director of Athletics

OFFICERS Mitch Friedman, President Holly Johnson, Vice President Catherine Nalewaja, Secretary Morgan Milbrath, Communications

REPRESENTATIVES Summit League SAAC – Kevin Folman, Morgan Milbrath University Athletics Committee – Holly Johnson, Alex Schmid President’s Council on Alcohol and Other Drugs – Mitch Friedman Code of Conduct Committee – Mitch Friedman, Alex Schmid

THE CONSTITUTION According to NDSU’s SAAC Constitution, five sections lay out the purpose of this student-athlete organization.

1. To develop an active communication network between student-athletes and athletic administration.

2. To participate in the development of policies, procedures and standards affecting student-athletes.

3. To serve as a community service organization to enhance the public relations of NDSU athletics.

4. To assist in the creation of policies for studentathletes access, welfare and equity.

5. To work toward student-athlete interaction between sports teams and create camaraderie across all sports.

The Constitution also lays out seven factors that play into membership.

1. Each member must be enrolled at North Dakota State University as a full-time student, be in good academic standing and be listed on his or her respective team as an eligible member.

2. Each member will be selected by appointment of the head coach of his or her respective sport or by election by his/her team members.

3. Each team will be represented by two athletes, except in men’s and women’s track, which may appoint an additional representative from cross country.

4. Each term will last one academic year with a renewable term at the end of each year.

5. Membership can be terminated by one of the following ways: • Resignation of member.

• Two-thirds vote of Council members.

• Dismissal by request of respective team or coach of member.

6. Members from the same sport should not be in the same class year when possible.

7. Election of officers will take place each fall at the second meeting. Nominations will be submitted in advance for each officer position and a ballot will be generated for election. Simple majority will determine each officer.

Melissa Kitching - Women’s T&F - Sprints - Senior

Kevin Folman Baseball - Pitcher- Junior

Natalie Fenske Soccer - Midfielder - Junior

Mitch Friedman - Wrestler 141 pounds - Sophomore

Maggie Crippen Golf - Junior

Chani Groseth Cheer Team - Freshman

Emily Milligan - Volleyball Defensive Specialist - Junior

Connor Holland Golf - Senior

Morgan Milbrath Women’s T&F - Sprints - Junior

Jonah Warwick Men’s T&F Middle Distance - Sophomore

Catherine Nalewaja Cheer Team - Sophomore

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SAAC PRESIDENT

C T A N E SASID FR PRITE CH

M IED

AN

M

WRESTLING

FOR EVERYBODY BUT HIMSELF

By Austin Kettelhut Photo by Paul Flessland

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I

SAAC PRESIDENT n a typical democratic election, it is hard to say whether or not a small town, redshirt freshman wrestler would be able to rally the votes to win any sort of presidency. But nothing about the most recent North Dakota State Student-Athlete Advisory Council presidential election was typical.

Mitch Friedman was elected the new SAAC president without much resistance, after serving only his freshman year at NDSU on the committee. On the surface, the selection may seem strange, but it can be explained.

“That’s kind of a funny story, actually,” said a chuckling Friedman. “So at the beginning of every year, we elect new officers and Hayden Zillmer, our 184-pound wrestler, made flyers and was all excited. He wanted to be my campaign manager and so he comes to our meeting with flyers and put my picture on them with credentials and hands them out to everyone.

“When the time came around for nominations for president, he just intimidated everyone out of running and everyone just looked at me and said, ‘Congrats, Mitch. You’re our president.’ So yeah, I just had a big, tall blonde guy hand out flyers and I think he intimidated everyone.”

Despite the questionable tactics, Friedman is confident that he is the right person for the job. In order to even be a part of the SAAC, players

must be either nominated by their coach or their teammates, and Friedman stood out as a candidate early on in his Bison career.

“My freshman year, I just tried to work hard and do everything right, follow what the coaches said,” said Friedman. “Then sophomore year, we had a guy graduate out and my coach came up and asked me if I wanted to take the position and fill the roll.”

Friedman credits the way he was raised as a key reason for his success and the type of person he has become today. Growing up in the small Wisconsin town of Oconto Falls, his parents Ronald and Karen instilled a mindset to always give it his best and no matter who is around him or what is going on at the time, to only focus on what he can control.

Along with family support, Friedman is driven by his faith.

“My goal with wrestling is to make Christ known and to make him more known. I need to do better and just work hard day in and day out.”

Wrestling is not only a passion for Friedman, it’s also a channel for him to use his gifts. He believes God gave him these skills to make a bigger impact on the community than simply just compete in athletics at the Division I level.

Wrestling since he was four years old, Friedman has compiled an impressive list of accomplishments, none more impressive than

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going 44-0 during his senior year of high school and winning his second state title at 138 pounds. But for Friedman, it’s about more than just the wins and the accomplishments.

It’s much bigger than him, and he maintains his focus by simply praying and reading the Bible every day.

“I can’t go into a workout working for myself, for me to obtain something,” said Friedman. “I don’t work that way. I need to be doing something for others and by praying and reading, that gets my mind in the right spot.

(It) Gets my mind off myself and on others and on serving them.”

The Fargo and Bison community is now the focus of Friedman and his fellow council members’, whom he says is an amazing group of individuals, and their efforts to help those in need. Although Fargo has about 110,000 more residents than Oconto Falls, he sees many of the same qualities between the people from his hometown and the people in his new environment.

“When I visited here for the first time, it didn’t feel like I was on a visit, I already felt like I was at home.”

Friedman’s main goal as the president of SAAC is to give the students a voice and to facilitate a student-led organization that gives them the power and desire to do what they want in the community.

***

SAAC TOY DRIVE

BRING IN THE HOLIDAYS WITH

NDSU students help SAAC members while tailgating before the Montana playoff game.

SAAC

By Joe Kerlin Photos by Paul Flessland

F

or the first time ever, the student-athletes of the SAAC went on an aggressive campaign to provide toys for kids in the Fargo-Moorhead area this holiday season.

SAAC raised $1,500 in monetary donations through their inaugural Toy Drive and collected multiple carts worth of toys. Half of the money will go toward buying more toys for the Sanford Children’s Hospital and $800 or so will go toward donations for the Children’s Miracle Network.

Toys were collected from November 16 through December 9, at the Fargodome administrative offices and the east and west entrance during the Missouri State and Montana home football games.

Members of SAAC also collected toys and cash donations before a men’s basketball game November 28, at Scheels Arena and December 8, before a women’s basketball game at the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse.

“Last year, we had it where individual teams could go raise money, but we’ve never had an NDSU centralized event like this,” SAAC president and sophomore wrestler Mitch Friedman said. “That’s another thing that we’ve been trying to do at SAAC this year is get our teams coordinated with the community service, and we still have our own separate community service events, but we’re really trying to centralize it as NDSU Athletics and get teams working together and involved with each other.”

Junior catcher on the softball team and SAAC member Alyssa Reina, along with women’s track and field athlete Morgan Milbrath spearheaded 88

BISON ILLUSTRATED • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6

Women’s track and field student-athlete and SAAC member Morgan Milbrath collects donations before a women’s basketball game. the campaign to provide gifts for children in the Fargo-Moorhead community.

scored by their grades, service in the community and overall support of other teams at NDSU.

“I actually got super excited after the first football game. It was our first kickoff for the toy drive,” Reina said.

“We raised $600 and about two carts full of toys so I was super happy.”

For example, Reina said, the softball team supports the women’s basketball team and the basketball team supports the football team.

NDSU’s toy drive campaign is over, but Reina said SAAC will continue to push forward with connecting NDSU student-athletes with, not only the community, but with other studentathletes in different sports.

This year, SAAC will begin the inaugural “Bison Cup” that incorporated three different elements. Each NDSU team will be

“It’s pretty much knowing all athletes.

You know of them, but you don’t really know them. So we’re trying to incorporate that,” Reina said. “So whichever team gets the most points within those areas gets the Bison Cup at the end of the year.”

The winner of the Bison Cup will be announced at this year’s end of the year Green and Gold Gala.

GEORGE THOMPSON

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GEORGE THOMPSON

WHERE ARE THEY

NOW?

GEORGE THOMPSON HALL OF FAME WRESTLER

By Austin Kettelhut Photo by Paul Flessland

Old head gear and a pair of socks — that’s what George Thompson might jokingly tell you he’s worth if you had never met the man before. He may also claim that former Bison head wrestling coach and National Wrestling Hall of Famer Bucky Maughan traded him for just that not long ago. To top it all off, Thompson would likely admit that “Bucky might have got the better end of the deal.”

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?

GEORGE THOMPSON

ll in good fun, of course, but that is simply the type of person that the former North Dakota State University wrestling champion is. Thompson, a four-time NCAA Division II All-American, the 1997 national champion at 134 pounds and a member of the 1998 NDSU national championship team, is the last person to talk about his own accomplishments.

A

“He’s one of those guys that got a lot of accolades and got a lot of trophies and stuff, but he was never one to talk about those things,” said Mark Pazdernik, Thompson’s co-captain during the 1998 championship season.

“If an outsider came in and started talking to him…(they) might not even know that he wrestled.”

Despite Thompson’s selfless “team first” mentality, he could not prevent the Bison Athletic Hall of Fame from recognizing his impressive individual achievements when he was inducted on October 9, 2015. He was more than happy to receive the recognition, but he understands what the achievement truly represents.

“You try to give credit to those that help you along the way I guess, and to me, it always seems like ‘coulda’ done more, shoulda’ done more.’ So I’m the type of person that’s never really content with achievements it seems,”

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said Thompson. “It felt more like I was accepting it on behalf of the team that we had, especially that ‘98 team that stood out. That might be one of the best teams that NDSU’s ever had.”

Oddly enough, prior to being selected for the hall of fame, Thompson mentioned to Pazdernik in a conversation that he thought the ‘98 team would be on the radar in the near future for an induction. That may still be true in the coming years, but Thompson was nonetheless surprised to get the call for his individual achievements.

“I’m certainly honored, but it’s always tough for me to take too much credit,” said Thompson. “But the ‘98 team was - out of the eight guys that went to nationals that year, six of them were national champs at one point or another in their career.”

The other seven wrestlers on that ‘98 championship team included All-American’s Mark Pazdernik, Kris Nelson, Wayne Mooney, Steve Saxlund, Ryan Wolters, Dave Clymer and Jason Cuperus.

Head coach Bucky Maughan would go on to win two more Division II national championships with the Bison to give him four all-time in 2000 and 2001, but the fashion in which the ‘98 team won is the clear differentiator from the other championship teams.

GEORGE THOMPSON

Accolades NCAA Division II national champion (1997) Four-time NCAA Division II All-American (1995-98) NCAA Division II runnerup (1995) NCAA Divison II third place (1998) NDSU NCAA Division II national championship team (1998) North Central Conference champion in 1997 Team North Central Conference champion (1995, 1998) NCAA Division II Wrestling All-Academic Team (1998) 99-35 Career Record 13-5 NCAA Championships Record

The Bison had virtually won the tournament within the first day — a rare feat for a two-day event. By finishing with 112 total points and earning a 34 point margin of victory over second place South Dakota State, the Bison wrestling team had certainly accomplished something special.

campus and Jack told me he was going to pay me $10,000 to coach, but then I found out I had to pay $16,000 to go to school. Maybe I should’ve been a business student at NDSU.”

?

Thompson’s senior year at NDSU couldn’t have ended more gloriously, but wrestling was not the only field he excelled in. At the time of his graduation, Thompson became one of only four NDSU wrestlers to receive an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.

Throughout his time as a Bison, Thompson developed a relationship with coach Bucky Maughan’s son, Jack Maughan, who at the time was the head coach of the University of Northern Colorado wrestling team. Jack Maughan, a former Bison wrestler who has since returned to NDSU as the Senior Associate Athletic Director of Development, recruited Thompson to pursue his master’s degree in sports administration at UNC and be an assistant wrestling coach for him.

“Initially, I didn’t read the fine print,” said a laughing Thompson. “I got to

Moving to Colorado gave the South Dakota native an opportunity to get out of the area, branch out and pursue a career in coaching. Thompson completed his master’s degree at UNC and eventually was hired on to be the Director of Operations at Colorado Orthotic & Prosthetic in Loveland, Colo., which is where he is presently employed. But that wasn’t quite the plan he originally drew up.

“You know, at the time, I was looking to stay in coaching and maybe move up in the ranks as the years went on, but then kids came along and I had to start paying bills,” Thompson said.

Although his plan of being a full-time wrestling coach had been altered, Thompson has never been able to completely lose touch with the sport so close to his heart.

For the last 16 years, Thompson has helped run the Northern Colorado Christmas Tournament, a high school tournament that he cofounded and that has become one of the largest

GEORGE THOMPSON in the country. The NCCT is now a twoday tournament, with a kids tournament taking place on the Sunday following the primary event.

“The mission of it was to help make up for the $16,000 I had to pay for tuition,” said a chuckling Thompson.

“That was the mission, and then it grew into its own animal and we ended up separating it from campus and Jack (Maughan) and I were partners then for a number of years and ran that together.”

But after 16 successful years of running the tournament, Thompson has decided to hand the reigns over to two others who will now run the operation. Monica Schommer of Wyoming, who has been with the tournament for a few years prior to the transition, and Ernie Martinez, a Coloradoan with local wrestling ties, are now in charge of carrying on what Thompson started. But he won’t be making a clean break from the event, saying that he will continue to stay on as a consultant and help wherever he can.

With more time to focus on other things, it didn’t take long for Thompson to get pulled back into wrestling, though. Some of the parents at his son Chase’s K-12 charter school in Greeley, Colo., approached him about starting a wrestling club, so he did.

“The high school coach who’s only been there now, this is his second year, he gets kids that come out for the high school team that have never wrestled before, and he has to start em’ because they don’t have very good numbers,” said Thompson. “He’s got a long building process ahead of him so I’m just trying to help out a little bit.”

Thompson expects his club to expand from 17 to roughly 30 kids by the end of January once some of the other

?

sports start finishing up. Today, his oldest participant is a fourth grader, so the main focus of the club is to make sure it’s a fun experience for the kids and to avoid pushing competition.

Between raising two children, running one of the largest high school wrestling tournaments in the country and starting a wrestling club at a charter school, it’s no surprise that it had been roughly 10 years since Thompson had returned to the NDSU campus prior to his induction during homecoming weekend — a weekend comprised of many highlights for the Bison alumni.

“A number of my teammates came back and I got to catch up with them a little bit and my kids were involved,” said Thompson. “Got to go down to the football field at halftime, and I thought that was real cool and ride in the parade. I hadn’t been to a football game since I think I was in college so a lot has changed with the tailgating and all that. That was something to see and it was impressive.”

During the hall of fame ceremony, Thompson got to not only revel in the accomplishments of he and his teammates, but was also able to get back at coach Bucky Maughan.

“You know, probably my favorite was that I got a chance to get up and get some jabs in on Bucky in my speech,” Thompson chuckled. “Bucky’s usually, he likes to pick on folks a little bit when he speaks so I got to give a little back to him, which was kind of fun.”

Having his daughter, Leila, and son, Chayse, around to experience the celebration and get a glimpse of who George Thompson the national champion wrestler was and what he still means to the community was the finishing touch.

“They hadn’t been around NDSU and they didn’t really know, you know, my history there I guess,” said Thompson.

“They thought it was kinda neat that some people knew who dad was and stuff like that. There were a lot of smiles so that’s good.”

NDSU definitely gave one of their brightest wrestling stars a hall of fame weekend to remember. Bison Pride is something that Thompson said he didn’t quite learn to appreciate in his time here while pursuing a degree and athletics, but once he was away from it, he found out what it truly meant to be a Bison.

*** 95

GAMEDAY SIGHTS

FCS PLAYOFF

TAILGATING

By Joe Kerlin | Photos by Paul Flessland

TUCKER BUCHOLZ

TIM HAGER

DEEP FRIED DELICIOUSNESS When the mercury in the thermometers dips to below freezing, Bison tailgating in the West Parking Lot of the Fargodome starts to get creative when it comes to cooking warm comfort food.

Tim Hager and Tucker Bucholz deep fry “grizzly” meat a few hours prior to kickoff in NDSU’s opening FCS playoff game against Montana.

“Make sure you’re back in 15 minutes,” said Hager.

Over the last 12 playoff games in Fargo, the average temperature at tailgating has been 21 degrees.

The weather gods blessed Bison Nation the morning before the Montana game.

The high on Saturday was 40 degrees, the warmest playoff game in Fargo since 2010.

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2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

2N DR OU ND QU AR TE RF IN AL SE S M IFI NA LS

YE AR

TAILGATING TEMPS

26 °F 37 ° 12 ° 16 ° 40 °

26 ° 26 ° 5° 34 ° 30 °

27 ° 21 ° 3° 27 ° 10 °

WORD SEARCH

WORD SEARCH

S WORD D N I TO F

KORY BROWN PAUL MILLER JACOBSON KABELLIS DEXTER

WHITTLE YAGGIE THUNSTEDT BRIANNA JONES MEGAN GAMBLE

MAREN WALSETH DAVE RICHMAN FRIEDMAN SAAC FCS PLAYOFFS

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TEAM MAKERS

Executive Committee to Restructure NDSU Athletics Fund-raising Organization to Extend Terms of President, Vice President and Past President

T

he concept of restructuring the Team Makers Club Executive Committee has been on the discussion table for quite some time. As you look at creating and then implementing and evaluating any strategic plans, other concepts, etc., one-year terms are inefficient. Hence, the change.

There will be three positions with two-year limits, president, first vice president and past president. That will allow us to plan, implement and evaluate with the same leadership in place.

There will be three at-large

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Director of Athletics Matt Larsen meets with a Team Maker and his son during a luncheon at the Fargodome prior to the FCS playoff semifinal game.

By Pat Simmers, Senior Associate Athletic Director, Team Maker Executive Director

positions that will spend three years on the Executive Committee and then go into a pool for future leadership positions. It will allow our organization an opportunity to increase our efficiencies and at the same time let more individuals understand and enjoy the experience and mission of NDSU Team Makers.

made on behalf of the organization. The at-large members along with the upper leadership will lead groups of volunteers that will continue to perform our mission, which is to raise dollars in support of Bison Athletics.

With this restructuring, the president will now be responsible for the Fund Drive and the first vice president will have an opportunity to observe and assist before they become president. The past president will add an experienced position and a historical perspective to the decisions

“Team Makers is such a vital component of our success in Athletics. With so many changes on the horizon at both the NCAA level and here at NDSU, it is important to continue to invest in excellence and the championship

BISON ILLUSTRATED • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6

Statement from Director of Athletics

Matt Larsen

experience. These investments through Team Makers allow us to support our student-athletes at the highest level while continuing to invest in our infrastructure. Having greater consistency at the Executive Committee level will allow for more strategic planning and implementation as we move into the future.”

***

SWANY SAYS

swany says BISON LOOK FOR

UNPRECEDENTED

FIVE-PEAT FOLLOW @swany8

FCS CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES SINCE 2012 2012

W

17 2013

6 W

39 2014

13 W

35 2015

7 W

29

27

2016 ?

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BISON ILLUSTRATED • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6

I

t is arguably the single most impressive streak in all of sports today. Anywhere on the planet, any level of competition, collegiate or professional. The North Dakota State football team is playing for an unheard of fifth straight national championship.

The Bison are the modern day equivalent of the New York Yankees from the mid20th century or those UCLA basketball teams of John Wooden. Simply put, there is NDSU, and then there is everybody else. All this team does is find a way to win titles – and not just conference titles, mind you, national titles. Most coaches, players and fans would twist the stars themselves to play for an opportunity at a single national championship and one championship ring.

The Bison have guys that could put the ultimate exclamation point on their career with a fifth ring, as in, one for the thumb. Can you imagine the parents of fifth-year seniors like Brian Schaetz, Ben LeCompte or C.J. Smith? If NDSU coaches had walked into their living rooms during the recruiting process and said, “Listen, we want your son to play for North Dakota State and be a Bison. We’ve got something pretty special here, and by the time he’s done, he’s going to have five national championship rings to bring home.” Right, okay, sure thing coach. Five national titles. While you’re at, can you guarantee me the winning lottery ticket, too?

But here they are, with a shot to do

BY JOSHUA A. SWANSON *Swanson is a native of Maddock, N.D., a proud NDSU alum and a life-long Bison fan.

something truly historic. So historic, in fact, it has never been done in college football. No team has won five straight national championships.

Most Bison fans are familiar with Anish Shroff, the ESPN college football studio host and play-by-play announcer. Shroff has become an honorary Fargoan, calling NDSU’s epic title bout with Illinois State last January and doing several of the playoff games inside the Fargodome this year. After Esley Thorton’s game-deciding interception to clinch the four-peat, Shroff proclaimed, “The Dakota Dynasty continues!” And then some. Recapping NDSU’s demolition of Richmond in the national semifinals, Shroff summed it up this way during ESPN’s postgame analysis. “This is one of the great runs in sports. To win one championship, to repeat, that’s hard enough. North Dakota State is one win away from five in a row, that has never been done in college football.”

There is nothing like it in modern day sports. Not even close. Nick Saban’s Alabama teams are the next closest thing in college football, winning three championships in four years from 2009 to 2012. The Crimson Tide have not won a national title, though, since the year the Bison notched their back-to-back. Those Miami Heat teams that LeBron James famously predicted would win not one, not two, not three … not seven in a row were only able to go back-to-back. The impressive women’s college hoops team

SWANY SAYS Chase Morlock and Lance Dunn celebrate another trip to Frisco.

from the University of Connecticut and the University of Tennessee mustered three-peats. The Jordan-led Chicago Bulls pulled off the three-peat trifecta twice in the 1990s, but missed a shot at more when Jordan took two years off to dabble in professional baseball. No team has ever won more than two in a row in the National Football League. For as great as the New England Patriots have been since 2001, they went an entire decade, from 2004 to 2014, between winning Super Bowls.

To appropriately gauge the rarified company NDSU is in, consider this. The aforementioned New York Yankees won five straight World Series from 1949 to 1953. That was the longest streak for the Bronx Bombers, and remains the longest in Major League Baseball history. The Wizard of Westwood took the Bruins to seven straight NCAA Basketball titles from 1967 to 1973. All these runs – from UCLA’s staggering streak to the famed Yankees and Bulls teams – belong in the pantheon of the greats. So does this run

by North Dakota State.

Pat Riley, the legendary Hall of Fame basketball coach, is the only person on the professional level to hoist a championship trophy as a player, coach and executive. He described the task of repeating as, “The hardest thing to do in sports.”

What in the world does that make fivepeating? It’s something not lost on the Bison. “Pretty remarkable,” said NDSU head coach Chris Klieman, describing the idea of playing in a fifth straight semifinal following a 23-13 quarterfinal win over Northern Iowa. “I know it’s an expectation for us to be here, but doggonit, it is hard … it is unbelievably hard for us to do what we’ve done the last five years.”

Klieman is right. To achieve this stratospheric level of success that has few equals in sports history – and that is not hyperbole, see the above-mentioned streaks – is a testament to the caliber

of people involved with NDSU football.

Hats off to Klieman and his staff for the sacrifices they’ve made. They deserve our gratitude. So, thank you to Klieman, Matt Entz, Tim Polasek, Atif Austin, Jamar Cain, Nick Goeser, Randy Hedberg, Joe Klanderman, Conor Riley, Tyler Roehl, Joey Blackmore and Jim Kramer, for allowing us to enjoy this ride and quest for the five-peat. Also deserving of our thanks are Josh Kittell, Jake Otten, Brian Gordon, Hank Jacobs and Margie Trickle, for the work they put into making Bison football what it is, and the dozens of other student assistants, trainers, video and media folks, athletic administration, and the yell and cheerleaders.

And, first and foremost, thank you to our players. The guys that show up and grind; who do whatever is asked of them; who put the team before themselves and dedicate themselves to doing what is necessary to achieve the lofty goals they’ve set for NDSU football. It takes an unbelievably special group of guys, and an unbelievable commitment to maintain the high level of performance year after year, to get to a single championship, let alone a fifth.

The time, effort and energy all these people have poured into building one of the best teams in America is truly special, something we should not take

for granted, something folks across the sports landscape are taking notice of.

“I’ve been a lot of places throughout my career having played for the University of Texas,” began Ahmad Brooks, who served alongside Shroff as the commentator for the Richmond broadcast. “I’ve never been in an environment like this that’s so magical.

It starts with the pregame festivities, the tailgating, then you come here and see the way the team is introduced, and last but not least, the way that the product is presented. These players come out here and play with extreme passion, and they really do want to win every game they play, and better yet, they expect to, and it shows up each and every week the Bison are on the football field.” This comes from a guy who played at a place, the University of Texas, where football is a religion and way of life.

With that said, the Bison know one last step remains. “We’ve got to keep working. We’re not there yet, we haven’t arrived anywhere,” concluded junior defensive end, Brad Ambrosius, upon NDSU punching its ticket to return to Frisco. “We have to keep working and keep getting better like coach has alluded to.” Everyone up – and stay up – for the kickoff, the march is on! I’ll see you in Frisco!

*** 105

POP QUIZ

What’s your New Year’s resolution?

What’s the most significant goal you’ve reached in your athletic career?

What is your spirit animal?

My New Year’s resolution is to train on my own more often instead of only mandatory workouts.

The most significant goal I’ve reached is being a national champion.

My spirit animal is a lion.

Finish my mixtape

Back-to-back Summit League Champs

Shia LaBeouf

To drink more water and do more for others through various volunteer opportunities.

Attaining a Division I basketball scholarship and hitting a full-court buzzer beater in my last career high school game!

I’d have to go with a flying squirrel.

To remember to write 2016 and not 2015.

Breaking 59 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles and qualifying for the West Preliminary meet.

On a bus ride home from 2015 Summit League conference meet, I was given the “Deer” as my spirit animal.

To make more time in my schedule for friends and family.

My main goal as an athlete has always been to improve upon myself, be that athletically or personally. I definitely think that I have accomplished this goal. I’ve always been fortunate enough to improve upon my performances on the track and I’ve become a better student and individual off the track.

Hard question that is.

Meditate on it, I will.

PIERRE GEE-TUCKER Junior Pierre Gee-Tucker is having a great year during his first season as the starting outside linebacker. He’s collected 59 tackles through 14 games and returned an interception for a touchdown against Western Illinois.

FOOTBALL Dexter Werner Junior Dexter Werner is riding high off a productive sophomore season and is averaging over 23 minutes a game this year. He scored a career-high 22 against Gonzaga in the NCAA Tournament last March.

BASKETBALL Brittany Wiebe

BASKETBALL

Redshirt junior Brittany Wiebe is playing more than ever this season for Maren Walseth’s club. She’s averaging a career-high in points per game and is shooting over 90 percent from the free throw line this season.

Melissa Kitching Senior Melissa Kitching is entering her last indoor track season at NDSU as the defending 4x400 relay Summit League champion.

She also holds the Summit League outdoor 4x400 relay belt, along with the 400-meter hurdle championship.

TRACK AND FIELD Alex Neumiller

TRACK AND FIELD 108

Senior Alex Neumiller is a Bismarck, N.D. native and was the Powerade Senior Athlete of the Year in 2012. He won the Summit League Indoor 400-meter dash in 2014. He was also a member of the 2014 Summit League Outdoor champion 4x400 relay team.

BISON ILLUSTRATED • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6

What’s your favorite thing about Fargo outside of NDSU?

What do you hope to accomplish in 2016 that you didn’t 2015?

My favorite thing about Fargo is that I can experience the outdoors and do things you can’t in a big city.

I hope to become an allconference player.

The community support surrounding NDSU Athletics.

Help the Baha Men find who let the dogs out.

They have some pretty great ODRs (outdoor rinks) that I enjoy going for a rip on.

To gain further experience within the field of strength and conditioning and greater success within the Summit League.

The running trails along the river.

Breaking the 400-meter hurdles school record

Probably the variety of restaurants.

Solidify my position into graduate school.