Bison Illustrated October 2019

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2019-20 BISON BASKETBALL PREVIEW

C O M P L I M E N TA RY

CONTENTS

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COVER STORY 18

2019 BASKETBALL PREVIEW

Hoops season is on the horizon, Bison fans. Dave Richman's crew is poised to be one of the Summit League's top teams following an NCAA Tournament run last year. On the women's side, a new era has begun as new head coach Jory Collins assumes control of this storied program with a team that is ready to win right now. With all this buzz and excitement surrounding both programs, we give you a 2019-20 Bison basketball preview.

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10/2019

62

82

FEATURES 62

68

74

RECURRING

THE RAMS

8 Editor’s Note

Despite a few shake-ups in staff and roster, the North Dakota State offensive line is as dominant as ever.

72 How Well Do You Know Your Teammate

KOBE JOHNSON

82 Bison Shots

79 Interactive Content

Ross Uglem sits down with true freshman running back Kobe Johnson.

86 Team Makers

BISON WRESTLING

90 Athletics Calendar

After an offseason of transition, Roger Kish and Bison wrestling are ready to attack 2019-20.

88 Pop Quiz 92 Slaubaugh’s Scoop 94 Swany Says

Jory Collins Women's Nucleus Rising Stars Women's Schedule Dave Richman Senior Men The Core Next Generation Men's Schedule

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FROM THE EDITOR

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classical mechanics FROM NOLAN P. SCHMIDT

I

I never paid much attention during physics class in high school. The study of matter in the scope of space and time is a vast topic. Far too vast for my underdeveloped brain to comprehend.

Also, there was math, and I was told there would be no math.

However, if there is one thing I recall from that course it's Newton's laws of motion. Sir Isaac's three laws became the foundation for classical mechanics, which studies the motion of objects we can see with our own two eyes. As I sit here, I think about Newton's first law and its relation to NDSU's two basketball teams featured within this issue.

"An object either remains at rest or continues to move at a constant velocity unless acted upon by a force."

We were taking a break from photos and interviews with the NDSU men's 8

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and women's basketball teams when I picked up a basketball. I began shooting hoops inside the Scheels Center practice facility (I shot at least 80 percent from mid-range that day on 50 shot attempts, no joke) just to kill time. What I saw around me was a different sort of energy.

Players were smiling, goofing around with one another and oohing and aahing as I sunk another jumper (okay, that didn't happen), but I saw a visible difference in the demeanor of these two teams compared to last year. Why was that? As I write this, I understand why.

These two groups of people were acted upon by a force in 2018-19. For the Bison men, that exterior force was doubt.

The Bison men sauntered to an uninspiring 2-7 start last year. Upon seeing that, everyone (except themselves) wrote them off.

Unfortunately, many failed

to see that NDSU played the likes of New Mexico State, Gonzaga, East Tennessee State and Iowa State in that stretch. Each one of those teams made the NCAA Tournament the season before.

players over the last 11 years and there are great players in the Bison women's program right now. The issue is the second half of Newton's law, there was no force. Nothing was there to push those great players to the next level.

When moving at their constant velocity, NDSU went 2-7. After being acted upon by the force of doubt, they went 17-9. Within that stretch, they won the Summit League Tournament, an NCAA Tournament game and put North Dakota State on the biggest platform in sports against Duke.

I'm here to tell you, fine reader, that Jory Collins is that force. He has already elevated Bison women's basketball past their constant velocity and he has yet to coach a game. The players have bought in, the new staff has bought in, the administration has bought in. Jory Collins is here to win basketball games. Not next year, not five years down the road, right now, in 2019.

Now, their role is slightly reversed. Everyone expects the Bison men to be great in 2019-20 and those expectations are their acting force. With how gleaming and giddy the players (and head coach Dave Richman) looked on that day inside the Scheels Center, I'd be hardpressed to believe they'll remain inert this year.

On the flip side, NDSU's women's program has embodied inertia over the past decade or more. They were remaining at rest or at a constant velocity with little force acting on them.

The result? A 112-211 record since Amy Ruley retired in 2008. That is not a knock on anyone either, those are just facts.

There have been great

His intensity and passion for the game is evident to his players and is contagious when you're in a gym with him. Collins is the force Bison women's basketball needs acting upon it. No longer are they inert, they are gaining momentum by the day.

I suppose Newton was correct in his assessment. All you need is the right force working alongside you...

Or, like another famous eccentric would say, "All it takes is a little push."

OCTOBER 2019 | VOLUME 13 ISSUE 11 Bison Illustrated is a free publication distributed monthly (12 times a year).

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t o g we Hoops season is on the horizon, Bison fans.

Dave Richman’s crew is poised to be one of the Summit League’s top teams following an NCAA Tournament run last year. On the women’s side, a new era has begun as new head coach Jory Collins assumes control of this storied program with a team that is ready to win right now. With all this buzz and excitement surrounding both programs, we give you a 2019-20 Bison basketball preview.

By Nolan P. Schmidt • Feature Photos By Hillary Ehlen • Action Photos By Nolan P. Schmidt

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t p i r c s e th EN'S M O W D A HE ACH O C L L A BASKETB NS EYES LLI O C Y R O J R ONE A E Y N I SUCCESS DAKOTA H AT NORT .

STATE

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t’s no secret that North Dakota State women’s basketball needed some kind of pick-me-up. The former Division II powerhouse of a program transitioned into the Division I era behind the leadership of legendary head coach Amy Ruley. When Ruley left coaching in 2008, the Bison women were left without their leader. The subsequent decade has yielded undesirable results, both from an athletic department perspective and a team one too.

There is no denying that the 2019-20 Bison are hungry. In fact, one could say they are starving for success on the hardwood. A talented roster is intact heading into the season with NDSU only losing three seniors, but returning eight, including much of their core girls.

All they needed was the leader to push them to excellence.

That is a job for Jory Collins, the new head women’s basketball coach at North Dakota State.

The job description was likely simple enough, but Collins is aware that this position has a certain amount of magnitude attached to it. He is being tasked with re-writing the history books and silencing those who have written this program off in recent years. Collins wants to return a once historic program to its former glory. He was hired to win basketball games in the near future. For him, that means winning in 2019-20.

He possesses the staff and roster to do it too. Each player and coach has bought into the Collins way as the season draws closer. When talking about him with players, you’ll hear two common words in describing Jory Collins. He is intense and passionate about the game and this program.

Bison women’s basketball needs that and it’s clear the players have opened themselves up to this new era. Good things are certainly on the horizon for Jory Collins and NDSU, there is no doubt about that.

We spoke with Collins about this offseason transition, his fervor for the game and where he wants the Bison to go in 2019-20 and beyond.

We’re hitting that preseason phase here soon. How has the summer and offseason been for you and your staff?

It’s been great. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know the girls on another level. Not only as basketball players but also off the floor and finding out what makes them tick, what their strengths and weaknesses are playing and how we can utilize them to make the best basketball team possible.

Our staff is young and energetic and are pounding the pavement in the recruiting trail and doing a great job at practice.

It’s still the honeymoon phases a little bit where nothing has happened yet but I’m really excited about the progress that we’ve made here in some short months.

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COLLINS AT A GLANCE 2018-19: Assistant coach at the University of Kansas 2010-2018: Head coach at Emporia State Two words I hear often from your players when describing you are “intense” and “passionate”. Where does that stem from?

I always grew up as a competitive person. Even as a young guy, just playing in the backyard and playing in the driveway. We were small-town kids and that is just what you did, you tried to kill each other when we were playing.

When I got to college and started working for coach [Brandon] Schneider at Emporia State, the level of competitiveness was great. You could compete on every play, every rep in the weight room and some of that I had innately, but being around people who are that competitive as well, it just kind of blossomed out.

How crucial was it to keep assistant coach Morgan Paige considering she helped bridge the gap between this new staff and the previous one?

I’m really thankful that we were able to keep her and she wanted to stay because she has been tremendous in all areas. Not just recruiting but obviously she has an understanding of how our athletic department works as I’m getting up to speed. She was invaluable just in me learning some of the day-to-day operational things around here. The players love her, recruits love her and that’s obviously why we wanted her to stay. She is a tremendous asset and has been exactly what I had hoped she’d be.

You bring in four new freshmen and have eight returners from last season on the roster. How do you plan on ironing out this year’s rotation?

The people that give us the best chance to win are the people that are going to play. We’ve been really straight forward with them about that. I have no allegiances to anyone, I’m new here, our

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staff is new here in general. What you put out in practice is what will earn you playing time. It’s not about what you’ve done before. If you played 20 minutes last year, that doesn’t mean you’re getting it this year. If you didn’t play at all last year, it doesn’t mean you can’t earn a bunch of minutes.

I think that has been refreshing for people who either didn’t like their role and a challenge for people who expect to have a role. Knowing that you have to earn it every day because we don’t have any preconceived notions whatsoever about what has been done in the past.

It’s been a long time since top tier teams came to Fargo. You were able to get the likes of Iowa State, Wyoming and Wisconsin to come to the Scheels Center this season. How important are those games for this program?

When you have a vision and you know it’s going to be a process, you have to measure yourself against teams and things you want to be. Then we can really see how far we have to go to get there. That is one thing I am super excited about. I can watch film all day on the Summit League, but until we get through the year and I see what those players look like, how they execute, those things help you in putting a team together and deciding how you want to play.

Those teams will be tremendous challenges, they’ll expose you in areas where you’re weak and where you need to get better. At the same time, if you can do some things against those teams, if you can execute some things, those are things you can hang your hat on as you go through the year as you get into conference play.

Given that you have a strong core of upperclassmen, how do you assess the talent of those juniors and senior?

2000-2010: Assistant coach at Emporia State Led Emporia State to five MIAA Tournament championships between 2013-2017.

Emporia State was Central Region champions in 2015.

As an assistant, Collins helped lead Emporia State to a Division II National Championship in 2010.

The Hornets finished the season 30-5.

Currently holds a 199-58 head coaching record heading into 2019-20.

In his time as a head coach, Collins has went 34-9 in tournament games.

They're eager to change the narrative around here a little bit about what our program can be."

- Jory Collins

MEET THE NEW STAFF MORGAN PAIGE Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator Previous Stop: Spent the previous two seasons in Fargo as an assistant coach at NDSU. Alma Mater: Wisconsin

DYLAN GEISSERT Assistant Coach Previous Stop: Graduate student manager for the University of Kansas.

Alma Mater: Emporia State

BROOKE COSTLEY Assistant Coach Previous Stop: Graduate assistant at Emporia State.

Alma Mater: Emporia State

ALYSSA RUSHTON Director of Women’s Basketball Operations Previous Stop: Assistant coach at North Dakota State College of Science.

Alma Mater: Kansas City Community College/University of Sioux Falls

Rylee [Nudell], as a senior and that group of juniors, are all talented players.

They each have their strengths and weaknesses, but that’s a group, if we can put them in the right positions, can be consistently important to us all year long. They can make enough plays to put us in a whole bunch of ballgames.

Sofija [Zivaljevic] has a chance to have a really good year. [Emily] Dietz is ready to blossom as a post player, she has had two years, she knows what it’s all about.

The best thing about those kids is that they’re eager to improve. As a team, when they haven’t had the success they’ve wanted to have, they’re just really ready to listen and try anything.

The buy-in they’ve had has been terrific and we’ve been so pleased with the way they’ve been coachable. As I said, they’re eager to change the narrative around here a little bit about what our program can be.

Your players have said that you want to win basketball games right now, not two or three years from now. What does your team have to do to succeed and win in 2019-20?

There is going to be some days where we’re going to look great. It might be for a game, a stretch and there will be times where we look awful for a stretch. There is the chemistry that needs to be built between what we’re asking them to do and what they’re used to doing. Those things take time, but on the days where we’re clicking, I really feel like we’ll have a chance to be in a whole bunch of ballgames. Those guys are good enough and that’s exciting.

We just have to continue to build, we haven’t been in the fire together at all yet. How will they react when it’s a four-point game with three minutes to go and the last six possessions matter the most. That’s where coaching and what we’ve practiced shows up, it’s just a matter of when it shows up. Does it show up early in the year or later in the semester? That’s what it’s all about.

ETZ

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t is something every team needs, experience and leadership. Who will be the one to pick the team up when they’re down? Who will get the ball in the closing seconds with the game on the line? These are the question every college basketball coach must ask themselves at the beginning of each season.

In his first season as head coach, Jory Collins is at a bit of an advantage. He has three players who possess the ability to lead and take over a game at any given moment. It could be senior Rylee Nudell one game or it could be juniors Emily Dietz and Michelle Gaislerova in others.

Regardless, it’s always nice to have options.

The new staff has transitioned seamlessly and has made their intentions known on the current team.

“The staff is absolutely amazing, Jory is so intense and he is so efficient with his time and is very knowledgeable in the game of basketball,” said junior Emily Dietz. “I really appreciate his patience

# Z T E I D EMILY

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with us players and the staff as a whole since this is such a new situation for all of us.”

In Dietz’s mind, Collins will be the one to return the program to its former glory.

She feels it will happen sooner rather than later too.

“When you meet him, you find out that personality and you find out his motivations. He’s just so intense and passionate about basketball. He is here to win and he has said that time after time.

In practice and meetings with him, he’s not here to mess around, he’s here to win,” she said. “He has shown that in the gym with us and just in his personality, he has a winning personality. That is something that is really important for us moving forward to have that mindset and I really do believe he is going to take this program to the next level.”

A new coaching change takes a certain amount of commitment from the players. Dietz is quick to point out that the Bison returners were quick to buy into Collins’ way of doing things. “I’m very grateful that all of the returners are trusting the new coaches and are willing to stay and work with him. None of us have had a problem and this has been an amazing transition to a brand new coaching staff,” she said.

Dietz was a breakout player for the 2018-19 Bison. She averaged just over nine points per game on 46 percent shooting. The West Fargo native was a revelation in the post and was getting close to 20 post touches each game near the end of the season. As just a sophomore, her post footwork was some of the best in recent memory on the women’s side. That is sure to improve as she continues to learn more ways to score down low.

While she proved to be a truly dominant scorer at times last season, scoring in double figures 12 times, Dietz knows there is more to explore on offense.

“We’re working a little bit on my range, trying to step out and get a few more shots on the outside and on the three-point line,” she said. “Being more confident when taking the ball off the dribble whether that’s in the short

He is here to win and he has said that time after time. In practice and meetings with him, he’s not here to mess around, he’s here to win” - Emily Dietz

corner or from the elbow, just becoming more of a mobile player.”

Just from watching her last season, it’s clear that Dietz has a reliable jumper from the mid-range. However, if she develops a long-range game, along with what her inside game, she will be a tough task for any defender.

What may be more important for Dietz is making sure she leaves a legacy on this Bison program. A Fargo Shanley graduate, Dietz grew up around North Dakota State and its dedication towards athletics. The university has provided her with so many options that she wants to make sure she gives back with her play on the floor.

“NDSU has given so much to me in the last couple of years. It has such a legacy just in the town of Fargo. There is so much local support and I’ve really appreciated that,” she said. “I feel like that has helped me thrive as a player and feel more confident playing in my hometown. It’s been a tremendous blessing and I really do hope that I can leave my mark on NDSU.”

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Nudell has been one of the mainstays on NDSU’s roster the past three seasons.

The senior from Buffalo, North Dakota, has yet to miss a game in her North Dakota State career. In 2018-19, she was key offensive force, averaging nine points on 45 percent shooting. She is also one of the team’s best three-point shooters, shooting 36 percent for her Bison career.

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Jory Collins and the Bison have weapons on the perimeter as well. Both Rylee Nudell and Michelle Gaislerova are stellar offensive talents and look to raise their level of play this season.

Sharpshooter Gaislerova is one of the most explosive threats for North Dakota State. She led the team in points per game (14.4) last season and made a whopping 75 three-point shots at a 40 percent clip. That split alone is enough to prove how valuable the Trutov, Czech Republic, native is to the Bison offense.

She also shot 40 percent from the field and heading into her junior season, she has made 125 career threes. That is ninth-best in school history. Needless to say, she has a real chance of overtaking that record within the next two seasons.

Top to bottom, the Bison women have weapons at their disposal. However, if the game is ever on the line, Jory Collins can sleep well at night knowing one of these three can take control of a game.

Not only that, they can connect with their teammates and lead them to new heights on and off the floor.

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hemistry is one thing the NDSU women have an abundance of. Not one of the players or coaches can deny that the transition in staff brought the team closer together.

“It just brought us closer and it was challenging too because our coach was gone and now we’re waiting on someone else, you really don’t know how it’s all going to turn out,” said redshirt junior Sofija Zivaljevic of the time before NDSU hired Jory Collins to be the next head coach. “The only people you have are your teammates, so that really brought us closer and as of right now, I think we are a much better and stronger group than we were seven months ago.”

On top of that, the Bison only lost

three seniors from last year’s team and the returning players all saw extensive minutes in 2019-20. With four freshmen coming in this season, coach Jory Collins is sure to spread the wealth when it comes to minutes.

A key part of this year’s Bison core is the Iowa State transfer Zivaljevic.

Coming onto campus at the beginning of last season, Zivaljevic was forced to sit out the first half of the season due to NCAA transfer rules. However, when she became eligible in late December, she became a difference-maker for the Bison.

Her ball handling ability filled a big need for the team. She also proved herself to be a very worthy offensive threat both in the lane and on the perimeter.

Zivaljevic played in 20 games last year

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and averaged nearly nine points per game on 35 percent shooting from the field.

For how good Zivaljevic looked in her limited time last year, she knows she was not at her best. She openly says she was not in the best physical shape last season and looks forward to improving in 2019-20.

“I’m capable of playing way better defense than I played last year.

Obviously, I wasn’t in really good shape coming in mid-season, players had been playing. It wasn’t really the same for me because I kind of just jumped in,” she said. “Having a chance to work on my body and get in better shape I think I’ll be much better defensively. Offensively, I can make better decisions and make my teammates look better and myself look better as well.”

Zivaljevic will be the presumed primary ball handler for the Bison starting lineup this season. Those who watched her play last season are aware of how vocal she is on the floor. With that in mind, she looks to assume a leadership role on the team this season. Zivaljevic feels her experiences at Iowa State and overseas have helped her get to this point (Zivaljevic is a native of Podgorica, Montenegro).

“I have some experience playing overseas and being at Iowa State for a year and half of the year here,” she said.

“I think I can help this team in leading them in the right direction and helping out the younger girls and making them comfortable.”

In that vein, Jory Collins will welcome four freshmen to the team this year.

Ryan Cobbins, Nicole Scales, Emily Behnke and Olivia Skibiel look to make

ROUNDING OUT THE ROTATION #13 CIRKELINE RIMDAL Sophomore Hometown: Køge, Denmark

#2 REAGAN HEUN Sophomore Hometown: Spring Branch, Texas

#33 RAQUEL TERRER VAN GOOL Sophomore Hometown: Zaragoza, Spain

#10 NICOLE SCALES Freshman Hometown: Park Ridge, Illinois

#20 EMILY BEHNKE Freshman Hometown: Two Rivers, Wisconsin

#23 OLIVIA SKIBIEL Freshman Hometown: Snohomish, Wisconsin

#11 HEAVEN HAMLING Sophomore Hometown: Grand Rapids, Minnesota Previous School: Stephen F. Austin Will sit out 2019-20 due to NCAA transfer rules

#12 MARIE OLSON Sophomore Hometown: El Dorado Hills, California Previous School: SMU Will sit out 2019-20 due to NCAA transfer rules

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As of right now, I think we are a much better and stronger group than we were seven months ago.”

- Sofija Zivaljevic

an immediate impact on the floor this season.

11 with 16 points and 11 rebounds, the first double-double of her NDSU career.

Cobbins, a Kansas City, Kansas, native scored more than 1,200 points throughout her high school career.

She was also a four-time All-State selection while being a nominee for the McDonald’s All-Star game at Piper High School. Cobbins was deemed one of the state’s top ten players as a senior. The true freshman is poised to play a key role for the Bison this year.

For all of these ladies, the transition to a new coach can be a little intimidating.

Outside of Cobbins and transfers Heaven Hamling and Marie Olson, the entire Bison roster was recruited by Maren Walseth’s staff. Despite being recruited by the previous regime, Zivaljevic and company are already seeing what Jory Collins has planned for this program.

Along with Zivaljevic, NDSU will bring back four other returners from 2018-19.

Danneka Voegeli and Cirkeline Rimdal were both staples in last year’s rotation.

Reagan Heun and Raquel Terrer Van Gool saw limited action as true freshmen (Terrer Van Gool sat out due to injury), but seem to have forged their way into the lineup.

“He’s very passionate, very intense and he knows what he wants from his players. He is very straight-forward and specific, pays attention to a lot of details,” she said. “I think that helps us get better and he’s very similar to the coaches I’ve worked with back home. They’re very detail-oriented, know what they want, so I’ve liked that.”

Voegeli provides a needed post presence alongside Emily Dietz. The junior played in 29 games last year putting in four points a game on 46 percent shooting.

She led the Bison to a big early-season win over New Hampshire on November

One thing that has bridged the gap between coaching staffs is assistant coach Morgan Paige. The Wisconsin alum was retained during the transition and elevated to recruiting coordinator as well. She is the only staff member to

work with this group for a full season, but the team has welcomed the rest of the coaching staff with open arms.

“I’ve enjoyed getting to know the new coaching staff in Jory, Dylan [Geissert], Brooke [Costley], Alyssa [Rushton] and obviously Morgan [Paige] has been here.

I’ve enjoyed working with them and I’m really excited about what’s going to happen,” Zivaljevic said.

One date Zivaljevic has circled is November 22 when the Bison take on Iowa State, her former school at the Scheels Center. It is rare that Power Five schools come to Fargo, so Zivaljevic is looking forward to seeing how the Bison stack up with Cyclones. “It’s extremely exciting. Those are Power Five teams are very good teams so it’s exciting to play them and see where we stand compared to those teams,” she said.

The chemistry is there, the friendships have been built and the proper coaching staff seems to be in place. With a wealth of depth at their disposal, the Bison women are ready to take the Summit League by storm sooner rather than later.

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vs

wyoming 7 p.m.

NOV

VS

iowa state 7 p.m.

NOV

mayville state 2 p.m.

dec

wisconsin 2 p.m.

dec

15

vs

VS

08

25

22

CEDAR FALLS, IOWA

06

22

dec

waldorf 12 P.M.

VS

boston, Mass.

30

NOV

northeastern 12 p.m.

@

10

NOV

NOV

01

NORTHERN ILLINOIS 2 p.m.

NORTHERN IOWA 6:30 p.m.

NOV

VS

@

Minnesota Crookston (Exhibition) 7p.m.

VS

@

OMAHA, NEB.

18

NOV

CREIGHTON 7 p.m.

@

denver, Colo.

29

dec

denver 2 p.m.

@

durham, N.h.

01

dec

02

Jan

western illinois 5 p.m.

vs

peoria, ill.

05

dec

new hampshire 12 p.m. | 2 | 3 | 4 bradley 7 p.m.

@

15

NOV

VALPARAISO 7 p.m.

VS

away

e l u d sche

BASKETBALL

BISON women's

2019/2020

home

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JAN

JAN

FEB

JAN

NORTH DAKOTA 2 P.M.

FEB

SOUTH DAKOTA 7 P.M.

FEB

VERMILLION, S.D.

GRAND FORKS, N.D.

23

@

@

20

MACOMB, ILL.

FORT WAYNE, IND.

01

wESTERN ILLINOIS 4:30 P.M.

purdue fort wayne 4 p.m.

30

@

@

TULSA, OKLA.

16

SOUTH DAKOTA 7 P.M.

oral roberts 7 p.m.

08

VS

@

27

FEB

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 5 P.M. |28|

VS

OMAHA, NEB.

06

FEB

OMAHA 7 P.M.

@

19

JAN

NORTH DAKOTA 2 P.M.

VS

29

FEB

OMAHA 1 P.M.

VS

09

FEB

ORAL ROBERTS 1 P.M.

VS

BROOKINGS, S.D.

24

JAN

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 7 P.M.

@

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.

07-10

MAR

The Summit League Basketball Championships

13

FEB

PURDUE FORT WAYNE 7 P.M.

VS

26

JAN

DENVER 2 P.M.

VS

g n i n i a t sus TTLE I L H T I W HE T N O R E TURNOV HEAD , R E T S O R AVE D H C A O MEN'S C OKS TO LO RICHMAN E TEAM'S TH N O D L I BU SS. E C C U S 2018-19

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I

t’s a question that many coaches in every sport ask: How does one sustain success in the field of play year after year? While it may stump some coaches and philosophers alike, it is a question facing North Dakota State men’s basketball in 2019-20.

After a monumental run to the NCAA Tournament and the high of winning a tournament game, how does Dave Richman take his team to the next level?

While he may not have the exact answer for you, it comes down to hunger. Does this team have the same hunger it did a year ago? Will it still take on the underdog role despite many projecting them to be the top team in the Summit League? The short answer from Richman is “yes” and the long answer?

Also, a resounding “yes”.

The season has yet to play out, but one would be hard-pressed to believe this year’s men’s basketball team takes any sort of step back. They will continue to stay hungry and grow with one another.

We spoke to Richman about continuing to stay hungry and more below.

A common theme for your team last season was how much they loved each other, how much chemistry and cohesion there was on and off the court.

With little turnover on the roster, how do you continue to build this team’s already great culture?

You’re always trying to find ways to

RICHMAN'S CAREER AT NDSU 96-67 overall record 45-33 Summit League regularseason record 9-3 all-time in Summit League Tournament games 1-2 all-time in the NCAA Tournament (defeated North Carolina Central in 2019 NCAA Tournament) 2015 Summit League regular season champions 2015 & 2019 Summit League Tournament Champions 2015 Summit League Coach Of The Year NDSU assistant coach under Tim Miles and Saul Phillips (2003-2014)

get better and grow on and off the court. The Puerto Rico trip was huge for that. To have guys come up to me as say ‘coach, we were tight before this, but even tighter now’ those are things you want to see. You put yourself in uncomfortable situations, going on foreign soil, those are ways for us to grow collectively as a group. This group has a competitive spirit to them, they love each other and it’s fun to be around and witness.

Expand on that foreign trip to Puerto Rico a bit. How did it help you guys this summer and did it allow you to create some more depth with younger guys getting more minutes down there?

We had our antennas up in the offseason about complacency. Were we going to remain hungry and keep our humility? We really did that and our guys continue to get better. The top guys who played a lot and the guys who didn’t play as much. The Puerto Rico trip, in a way, having a couple of guys banged up or out really worked in our favor and it continued to develop our depth.

When the lights come on, there is something different. In practice, you can talk and show some things on film, but when the lights come on and there is a different color in front of you, it gives a different perspective as a coach. It was fun to see some guys really raise their level of play.

what is an expectation? The same expectations we have this year are the same ones we had at this time last year.

Our expectation is to grow as people, as students and players every day. If we do that, we’re going to be where we want to be in March, no questions asked.

If we start worrying about what other people say, start talking about a hypothetical expectation, it doesn’t do us any good. We’re going to stick our head in the ground, keep our hunger and humility and continue to get better.

The Summit League looks really different this season on multiple fronts.

Teams like Oral Roberts and Western Illinois have the potential to be really good while South Dakota State is going through a bit of a transitional period.

What do you feel the state of the conference is?

I think what you’re going to see is just some high-level teams. We lost some generational players in Mike Daum, John Konchar, David Jenkins, Matt Mooney in the last couple of years that were also a part of some very successful teams. Not having some of those guys around might elevate the whole body of work for the conference.

After your success last season, people are looking at you as the top team in the conference. What is your message to your players when it comes to expectations.

South Dakota is going to play with experience. What wins in mid-major basketball? It’s experience. South Dakota State is always going to be in the conversation. Omaha, playing in two of the last three conference championships, they’ve entrenched themselves at the top of the league. Oral Roberts is really talented. I mean, where do you stop? That’s fun and that’s what you want from a competitors standpoint.

I get asked that question a lot, right.

I would turn it back on you and ask:

With many of the same players back from last year and some young guys

39

The same expectations we have this year are the same ones we had at this time last year. Our expectation is to grow as people, as students and players every day. If we do that, we're going to be where we want to be in March, no questions asked."

- Dave Richman

ready to fight for some minutes, how are you approaching this team’s depth?

We look at it as a positive. Our practices our extremely competitive, guys fighting for minutes, for spots, just to make each other better. As a coach, you just wait and let it figure it’s way out. Who is getting better day in and day out?

You don’t want to talk about it, but there are injuries. I’m well aware that throughout the course of almost six months of basketball, there are going to be some unforeseen circumstances. We have the ability to be very versatile both offensively and defensively because of how deep we are and our personnel.

Last year, you had zero seniors. This year, you have four of them and they are all good ones. Jared [Samuelson], Tyson [Ward] and Chris [Quayle] have been around the program for a long time and Vinnie [Shahid] seems like he’s

been here forever even though this is only his second season. How big of a luxury is it for you to have four really good seniors like them?

It’s a complete luxury. When you talk about them, I get goosebumps. Part of our struggles early last year wasn’t that we had a lack of talent, we had some inexperience. We got some experience on our guys, even some young guys like Sam Griesel and Tyree Eady that hadn’t played at all.

To have those senior leading the way, it’s great because it’s a lot quieter from my perspective. They know, there is an understanding that there is an expectation, a business-like approach.

That trickles down because these guys want to leave a legacy in this program, they’re helping and coaching each other.

That’s fun to see, fun to witness as a coach.

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n a g n i v a le K TO O O L S R SENIO N O E S H I T B N O THE K MAR R I E H M. T E E H T D E LEAV S RAI T A H T M PROGRA

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UELS M A S D E JAR

D R A W N O TYS

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AY CHRIS QU

ID

HAH VINNIE S

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T

he 2018-19 North Dakota State basketball team won the Summit League Tournament. They also won a game in the NCAA Tournament over North Carolina Central. After that, they put the school on the biggest stage in America, battling with Duke in the second round of the biggest sporting event of the year.

They did that with no seniors.

They did that with a bunch of freshmen, sophomores and juniors that were hungry for success. Many wrote the team off following a 2-7 start to the season and all of those doubters were silenced in March. The Bison went from underdogs to top dogs in a matter of three days in Sioux Falls.

And now? They’re back. This time, with four seniors, each possessing different skills and qualities than the other. These veterans have grown up in this program and now they all are driving towards the same goal. A Summit League championship and a return to the NCAA Tournament, the pinnacle of collegiate athletics.

Vinnie Shahid is entering just his second year in Dave Richman’s program.

Following a stellar debut season in 2018-19, many are looking to Shahid to guide the Bison through 2019-20.

However, he is quick to note that he will not be the only source of leadership and production. He foresees multiple players taking on bigger roles this year.

“You just bring the new guys in and introduce them to what we call our family. We have to keep building on each other. Other guys step into different roles and other guys in roles build in their roles. You just become stronger that way, bonds become stronger over time, obviously,” Shahid said about building this team’s chemistry. “As guys start to become

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# D R A W N O S TY SENIOR IDA

OR AND L F , A P M .4) WN TA GAME (12

HOMETOTHE TEAM IN POINSTPSEPREGRAME (6.2)

BOUND OND ON WAS SEC THE TEAM IN RE LED

# N O S L E U M A S D

JARE

SENIORA, NEBRASKA -

RETN T MAKES AND THREEHIS G N W O OF OIN HOMET PERCENT THREE-P

WITH 67 AGE HITTING 46 M A E T E ENT LED TH AL PERC OINT ATTEMPTS O G D L E I POINT F THREE-P

comfortable in their new roles and building on their roles, everything just kind of falls into place. You see in Puerto Rico, young guys like Maleeck [HardenHayes] and Jaxon [Knotek] start to fall into roles early. That is something we can really build on.”

That Puerto Rico trip was eye-opening for Shahid. He played in all three games for the Bison and averaged nearly 14 points per game. However, the trip opened up Shahid’s eyes to just how deep the 2019-20 Bison are.

“It gave the guys that don’t play as many minutes during the regular season a chance to play. If something does happen or a guy does go down, they’re ready to step into the fire right away,” said Shahid of the trip and its impact on the team. “That’s huge because knock on wood that nothing happens, but you never know. Those guys have to be ready to step into their roles.”

As the point guard, Shahid takes a certain amount of accountability in performing at a high level. His play often dictates the other four players around him and he wants to look to elevate his teammates more this season.

“At the end of the day, I’m still trying to win basketball games, I’m still trying to put my teammates in positions to be successful. By doing that, I think we will win basketball games,” he said.

“As people grow up and people figure out their roles more and as we become closer, I think our opportunity to win more basketball games and win bigger basketball games comes easier for us.”

Shahid won the Summit League’s Newcomer of the Year award and was named the conference tournament’s MVP. With his otherworldly play in March, it’s hard to not place Shahid at the top of the leaderboard for the Summit League Player of the Year award. The Bison are the presumed preseason favorite to win the conference

too. With that, Shahid knows focus is the key.

“You try not to think about it, but I would lie to you and say we’re not human, everyone thinks about it. It’s one of those things where you just got to put your head down and go to practice,” he said. “Once you do that, expectations and opportunities come from preparation.

If you’re preparing like you’re the best team in the conference, you’re going to play like the best team in the conference.”

Though he led the team in points per game last year, Shahid feels there is plenty to improve upon heading into 2019-20. He feels he can even improve in areas he is already incredibly strong in.

“I can get a little better defensively as far as off the ball, knowing where I’m supposed to be over the course of 40 minutes. I want to take percentages up, less turnovers, more assists, I want my teammates to shoot the ball better, I want them to get more looks and open shots,” he said. “As crazy as it sounds, I want to be a better leader and I want to be a better overall person for my team. When I leave here, I want my teammates to love me and look at me and say that is what a leader is.”

Flanking Shahid are three other tremendous seniors who have been in the program for years. Chris Quayle will enter his third year in Fargo after transferring to North Dakota State in 2017. The Riverton, Wyoming, native played in 32 games last season and recorded an efficient 41 percent shooting mark from the field. What does not show up on the stat sheet and cannot be accurately gauged is Quayle’s ability as an on-ball defender. When he is in the game, he is often tasked with defending the opposition’s best player.

Fans and opponents know the name, Tyson Ward. He has been a generational

#

talent for Dave Richman since joining the team in 2016. Ward has only missed one game over the course of his Bison career, playing in 96 games to date. He led the team in rebounds per game last year and was second behind Shahid in points per game.

D I H A H S E I N N VI

SENIORLIS, MINNESOTA

EAPO LAST SEASON (13.1) N N I M N ME S PER GA METOW

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# E L Y A U Q S I R H C

SENIOORN, WYOMING AND VERT

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The Tampa native played his best when it mattered most as well. He poured in 25 points against Oral Roberts in the opening game of the Summit League Tournament. While his 15 points against Omaha in the conference championship may not look like much, his dominance down low in the second half of that game helped propel the Bison to victory.

The Bison would not have won their First Four game against North Carolina Central had it not been for Ward’s 23 points. By game’s end, North Dakota State was shoveling the ball to Ward down low. Ward has upped his splits each year on campus and there is no reason to believe 2019-20 will be any different.

If there is one story that is truly remarkable it is that of Jared Samuelson.

A walk-on to the Bison basketball program, Samuelson has established himself as the most lethal long-range shooter in the conference. He hit 67 three-pointers last season on an unfathomable 46 percent clip. The percentage mark is the sixth-best season mark in school history. Currently, Samuelson is fourth in school history in all-time three-point field goal percentage. Outside of his ability as a shooter, Samuelson is as gritty as they come and is quite possibly the Bison’s best on-ball defender.

You know these names. They have become ingrained in your mind thanks to the memorable hardwood moments of the past. Yet, for the number of threes or dunks you have seen, these four are not done. They want to continue to create a legacy at NDSU that lasts long after this season.

www.traveltravelgroup.com info@ttravel.com Fargo 701-492-5000 Moorhead 218-236-9606

a core

RS, O I N E S N BISO E H T LID F O O S E A D I S S E T OU SESS S O P N A M ERS. H Y C A I L R P E D V DA ENCE I R E P X E CORE OF

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UNT H N O R E CAM

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DY TYREE EA

ER S U E R K ROCKY

EL S E I R G SAM

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I

t’s extremely rare in college athletics to retain the same team year after year. Every team, especially in college basketball, is forced to re-load each season in the era of “one and done” student-athletes. It would be incredibly difficult to find a team that returns not only their entire starting five but almost their entire bench as well. The numbers just don’t work out that way.

North Dakota State is one of those teams. Despite losing two players to transfer in the offseason, Dave Richman returns his entire starting five from 2018-19 as well as every key contributor off the Bison bench. The mere mention of that may leave other college coaches awestruck. For the rest of the Summit League, it leaves them shaking in their sneakers.

# Y D A E TYREE

RE CONSIN O M O H P SO ON, WIS

LET D 41 PERCENT FROM D D I M N AN METOW HE FIELD

HO

T FROM T N 2018-19 N E C R E P THREE I SHOT 49

A key figure in this is sophomore Sam Griesel. As a true freshman, Griesel started in 22 games for the Bison. Had it not been for an early-season injury, he may have started more. By year’s end, Griesel was averaging six points and nearly four rebounds per contest on an efficient 47 percent shooting.

Perhaps his biggest moment was the career-high 20 points he scored in NDSU’s semifinal win over Western Illinois in the Summit League Tournament. Either way, Griesel’s play last season left Bison fans giddy with what the 18-year-old could do with his remaining three years on campus. In his mind, confidence is key in his success.

“I felt like I grew a lot with each game and I think my numbers showed that towards the end of the season. Taking what I learned last season and this summer and incorporating it into my game and playing with confidence,” Griesel said. “Coach tells me every day that when I’m playing with confidence I’m a different player.”

Others took notice of Griesel’s success as well. He was selected to compete for Germany’s under-20 national team in the FIBA European Championships this summer.

Griesel played in seven games during a nine-day stretch for the German team.

The Germans were able to take home the bronze medal in the FIBA European

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BISON ILLUSTRATED o c t o b e r 2 0 1 9

Championships. For Griesel, it was a chance to learn and grow his game.

“I was over there for about a month and a half. This whole summer with vacation and basketball, I went to six different countries so that was pretty cool. From a basketball perspective, it was really good for me to go over there and get the FIBA aspect of everything,” Griesel said.

“The game was way more physical then I thought it would be and everybody can shoot over there too. It raised my skill level quite a bit just being there and being in the gym every day. My defense, having to get down on everyone with a closeout and staying in front because the athleticism and physicality are way different.”

Expectations are high for not only Griesel but the Bison as well. With those swirling around them, Griesel feels it’s necessary to tune it all out and focus on the team’s goals. “Our mindset is just to have that tunnel vision. We have our own goals and that’s really all that matters to us,” he said. “The hype and all that is nice but we try not to listen to that stuff and stay within our core group of guys. We believe that is how we’re going to be successful and that’s how we’ve been successful.”

Along with those expectations come challenges. The Bison have been able to schedule some top-tier talent from Power Five leagues in recent seasons.

Last year, NDSU traveled to Iowa State and faced off with a number-one ranked Gonzaga in Spokane. This season, the Bison will travel to face off with the Big 12’s Kansas State and the Big East’s Marquette. Griesel and the Bison love rolling the ball out and testing themselves against stiff competition.

“We’re definitely trying to prove something. I’ve always loved those games even in my AAU days just to go out and prove myself,” Griesel said of the impending match-ups with the Wildcats and Golden Eagles. “At the end of the day, it’s just basketball and I’ve played several games of basketball in my life.

I’m going out there to have fun and compete with the guys that I love.”

# R E S U E R K Y K C

RO

JUNIORLAKE, MINNESOTA

HOMET

EAR T SEASON, B E T I H AS OWN W INTERS L R HREE-PO ON THE ROSTE T 3 4 E D MA R THIRD GOOD FO

Chemistry is something the Bison were known for last season. With a similar group of guys back in 2019-20, Griesel knows chemistry is built on and off the court. “It’s built in the summer and

51

during the hard things you do as a team like lifts in the morning, practices. When you go through adversity, you become that much closer with your teammates,” he said. “Obviously, it’s shown on the court but it develops during lifts and practices. I wasn’t here this summer, but I know our new guys came in and were a great fit with us. You can see that we’re all really chill guys and like to have fun. We all love each other, there is no beef or anything.”

Alongside Griesel is a trio of outstanding sophomores and juniors. One cannot speak on Griesel’s efficiency in 2018-19 without first mentioning Tyree Eady. As a redshirt freshman last season, Eady shot a scorching 49 percent from the field. Add to that, a 41 percent clip from long range and you have some pretty impressive marks for a guard. Given his size and length for a guard, he could add a dribble-drive game to his arsenal this season.

Cameron Hunter has been a mainstay for Dave Richman at the point guard spot. Now a junior, Hunter has a wealth of experience running the offense.

Much of this is thanks to the 21 games he started as a redshirt freshman in 2017-18. Like Eady and Griesel, Hunter takes incredibly efficient shots, knocking down 40 percent of his field goals and three-point field goals last season. He’ll presumably come off the bench for Richman this season but holds “statstuffing” potential, especially from long range.

# R E T N U H N O R E

CAM

LAT ON 40 PERCENT O N W O T GAME HOME NTS PER

I EVEN PO ING LAST YEAR S D E G A AVER SHOOT

#

Lastly, one cannot overlook the constant growth of big man Rocky Kreuser. The 6-foot-10 centerpiece has molded his game around the ever-evolving sport of basketball. He is less of a back to the basket post but is incredibly dangerous in pick and pop situations. Kreuser nailed 35 percent of his three-pointers last year. He is also the team’s most valuable interior defender, leading the team with 39 blocks in 2018-19. The junior is vital to NDSU’s success this year.

While teams across the nation are re-tooling their rosters for the 2019-20 season, North Dakota State is doing something different. Rather than retooling, they are improving each day with the same core group as last season.

That can only prove advantageous as the season draws nigh.

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While college basketball coaches are focused on the season at hand, they must also focus on the future too. Much of this occurs in the way of recruiting, with teams across the nation stockpiling assets to replace their graduating players.

North Dakota State is no different in that respect. Dave Richman has gathered a tremendous group of younger players to carry the Bison into the future. However, these young guys are ready to contribute in 2019-20. This only bolsters an already deep Bison roster.

Many of these young athletes proved they are worthy of minutes during the regular season and on the team’s foreign trip this summer. Playing three games against Puerto Rican teams on foreign soil, it provided opportunities to players who may not have seen regular minutes last season. Because of this, fans should likely get used to hearing these names called over the Scheels Center PA system.

One of the stars in Puerto Rico was sophomore Jaxon Knotek, who proved himself to be a dynamic scorer for NDSU. It was that skill that drew attention to Knotek from Richman and his staff. He averaged 20.4 points per game his senior year at River Falls High School in Wisconsin.

In NDSU’s opening win over Guayama Brujos, Knotek led the team with 14 points. NDSU was able to take the game by a bucket, winning 66-64. While senior Vinnie Shahid led the way in the scoring column in NDSU’s second game against Guaynabo Mets, Knotek scored another 14 points. The Bison won that game 93-84.

To round out the Puerto Rico excursion, Knotek poured in a team-high 23 points in a 93-74 win over Guaynabo Mets. North Dakota State finished their foreign trip undefeated against Puerto Rican teams and Knotek averaged 17 points per game in those three games.

“It was a great experience. Being able to

be with my teammates and have a good time was fun,” Knotek said of the foreign trip.

One of Knotek’s best qualities is his jump-shooting ability. He has proved to be a valuable marksman from long and mid-range. Knotek played in 11 games as a true freshman last season and had a career-high seven points against Dickinson State on January 6.

Working with senior sharpshooter Jared Samuelson has elevated that ability as well.

“Me and Jared [Samuelson] love to shoot together. He’s obviously a really good shooter, one of the best. Being able to take knowledge from him is a great thing,” he said.

Moving into this season, Knotek wants to be nimble in his role. He is aware he will see more minutes than last season, but he wants to maximize the time he does receive in 2018-19. “Doing whatever my team needs me to do.

Fulfilling that role and being a team

ROUNDING OUT THE ROTATION #23 MALEECK HARDEN-HAYES Freshman Hometown: Moorhead, Minnesota Averaged 12 points per game on the team’s foreign trip, including 15 in their final game.

#12 NOAH CHRISTENSEN Freshman Hometown: Breckenridge, Minnesota Registered buckets in two of the three games in Puerto Rico. Comes to NDSU after scoring 1,861 career points for Breckenridge High School

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It’s about working hard and trusting the process and working together as hard as we can.”

- Jaxon Knotek

player,” Knotek said of his mindset on 2019-20.

When it comes to expectations, Knotek is not worried about them. He knows the basketball season is a process for this year’s Bison squad. “We’re not really thinking about it. It’s about working hard and trusting the process and working together as hard as we can,” he said.

Odell Wilson IV is a name Bison fans have heard in the past. A redshirt freshman from Minneapolis, Wilson was a highly-touted recruit out of Minneapolis North High School.

Wilson’s 6-foot-7, 250-pound frame was what jumped off the page for several, including Dave Richman. While he took a redshirt season in 2018-19, he became a beloved teammate for all.

Now affectionately known at “Biggs”, Wilson is ready to become an overbearing post presence for the Bison.

Wilson was a Mr. Basketball finalist in Minnesota his senior season after averaging 21 points and nine rebounds.

He played major minutes during the team’s foreign trip in Puerto Rico. In three games, Wilson scored 28 total points, averaging just under 10 points per game for the trip.

Like Wilson, junior transfer Tyler Witz will provide a needed post presence for the Bison. Both possess back to the basket skills and interior defensive abilities that will aid NDSU in a physical Summit League. Witz, a 6-foot-9, 255-pound forward came to NDSU in the offseason from Olney Central College in Illinois. He averaged seven points and four rebounds in 62 games for Olney Central. Witz also shot an efficient 59 percent from the field.

On the foreign trip, Witz scored 22 total points, averaging seven points per game.

In the team’s final contest, a win over Guaynabo Mets, Witz scored 14 points, a high for him on the Puerto Rico trip.

Of this group of young Bison, Jarius Cook is perhaps the most seasoned.

The sophomore from Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, played in 18 games as a

true freshman last season. While he averaged three points per game, he saw valuable minutes in Summit League play. Cook also scored in double figures once, scoring 10 against East Tennessee State on November 24. He also scored six points against Duke in the NCAA Tournament.

Over the course of three games in Puerto Rico, Cook scored 22 total points, including nine in the team’s second game against Guaynabo Mets. The guard is poised to see solid minutes this season thanks to his ability to score and spot-up shoot.

It is safe to say that Bison basketball is in good hands for the foreseeable future. However, these four do not live in the future, they live in the present.

Rather than wait for their time to shine, they are fighting for valuable 2019-20 minutes each and every day at practice. In turn, they are not only making themselves better players but also improving their teammates around them.

57

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BISON ILLUSTRATED o c t o b e r 2 0 1 9

@

CSU NORTHRIDGE TBA

dec

VS

EAST TENNESSEE STATE 7 P.M.

dec

07

los angeles, calif.

11

corpus christi, texas corpus christi, texas

17

16

dec

MONTANA STATE 7 P.M.

VS

23

NOV

NOV

16

UTAH VALLEY 5 P.M.

STONY BROOK 1 p.m.

NOV

VS

vs

07

Texas A&M -Corpus Christi 6:30 p.m.

@

MANHATTAN, KAN.

05

NOV

OCT

30

MAYVILLE STATE 7 P.M.

KANSAS STATE TBA

NOV

VS

@

dickinson state (Exhibition) 7p.m.

VS

MILWAUKEE, WIS.

20

dec

MARQUETTE TBA

@

MOSCOW, IDAHo

26

NOV

IDAHO TBA

@

11

NOV

CAL POLY 1 P.M.

VS

DENVER, COLO.

29

DEC

DENVER 4:30 P.M. CT

@

TERRE HAUTE, IND.

03

dec

INDIANA STATE 4:30 p.m.

@

CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS

15

NOV

@ Ut Rio Grande ValleyI 5 p.m.

away

e l u d sche

BASKETBALL

BISON men's

2019/2020

home

59

DENVER 2 P.M.

JAN

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 7 P.M.

JAN

FEB

FEB

14

PURDUE FORT WAYNE 7 P.M.

ORAL ROBERTS 1 P.M.

08

VS

VS

BROOKINGS, S.D.

25

VS

@

22

05

02

VERMILLION, S.D.

19

FEB

SOUTH DAKOTA 7 P.M.

@

MACOMB, ILL

30

JAN

WESTERN ILLINOIS 7:30 P.M.

@

TULSA, OKLA.

09

JAN

JAN

JAN

NORTHLAND COLLEGE (WIS.) 2 P.M. ORAL ROBERTS 7 P.M.

WESTERN ILLINOIS 8 P.M.

@

VS

VS

GRAND FORKS, N.D.

22

FEB

NORTH DAKOTA 7 P.M.

@

FORT WAYNE, IND.

01

FEB

PURDUE FORT WAYNE 6 P.M. CT

@

15

JAN

SOUTH DAKOTA 7 P.M.

VS

27

FEB

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 8 P.M.

VS

OMAHA, NEB.

05

FEB

OMAHA 7 P.M. | 6 | 7

@

18

JAN

NORTH DAKOTA 2 P.M.

VS

29

FEB

OMAHA 4 P.M.

VS

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.

07-10

MAR

The Summit League Basketball Championships

#75

dillon radunz Offensive Tackle Junior Hometown: Becker, Minnesota

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BISON ILLUSTRATED o c t o b e r 2 0 1 9

aj blazek

#68

Zack Johnson Offensive Tackle Senior Hometown: Blaine, Minnesota

By Nolan P. Schmidt Photo By Hillary Ehlen

Warning Rams Xing Despite a few shake-ups in staff and roster, the North Dakota State offensive line is as dominant as ever.

63

he North Dakota State offensive line had gaps to fill heading into the 2019 campaign. They lost their coach Conor Riley, who departed for the same position at Kansas State with Chris Klieman. Senior leaders Tanner Volson, Luke Bacon and Colin Conner all graduated following the 2018 season as well.

Yet, despite the spots that needed to be filled before the season, head coach Matt Entz called the "rams" the deepest position group on the 2019 roster. Thanks, in part, to veteran linemen Zack Johnson and Dillon Radunz.

Junior Cordell Volson had also seen time in 2018, but Johnson and Radunz were the two starters returning

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from last season.

The individual pieces were there for the Bison offensive line, but the group needed a leader. Someone to glue all of those pieces together and create a dominate chain to protect the NDSU offense.

Enter AJ Blazek, a seasoned offensive line coach who has experience at each level of collegiate football.

Blazek — who joined NDSU's staff in January 2019 as the offensive line coach — has coached in Division II, the Big Ten and even the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

Goal number one for Blazek?

Gain the rams trust.

"My biggest thing was getting their trust. On the surface or in an article or reading the paper, people see that I was in the Big Ten and that means I know what I'm doing. I don't think that's always the case. It's kind of like recruiting because there are five-star kids that can play a lick, there are fivestar coaches who can't coach a lick," he said. "I wanted them to know I'm out for their best interest and help them individually get better as a football player, but I also cared about them as a person. I wanted to know about their families. An 18 to 22-year-old is still a lot of what they grew up with. I really wanted them to know I had their back."

Both Johnson and Radunz were pleasantly surprised with how well Blazek fit into the team right away. "He's just so upbeat. Coach Entz talked about him highly and we kind of knew coming into it that he was going to be a go-getter and wanted to get down to work. He was so excited to get on the field and practice right away," Johnson said of Blazek.

Radunz says there was a phase of transition, but Blazek blended in quickly.

"He's blended right in. We got used to him with spring ball, you're kind of getting your feet wet with the new

“As a coach, you wear a lot of hats. Your players are your number one concern, at the college level the community, the fanbase, the athletic department because everything is built around fundraising and you’re building for the future and being in a community.”

coach. There was a 'getting to know you' phase with him and his schemes and the way he coaches," Radunz said. "All summer, we got to know him as a person, he goes to the church I go to and now through fall camp, we've been able to glue it all together."

Goal number two for Blazek?

Understand the Bison way and the tradition behind the storied football program.

"As a coach, you wear a lot of hats. Your players are your number one concern, at the college level the community, the fanbase, the athletic department because everything is built around fundraising and you're building for the future and being in a community," Blazek said. "With that, comes the alumni base too.

From my end, I grew up a coaches kid and I saw that and learned that you better embrace what has gotten a place to where it is now, good or bad. That is what's fun for me personally is getting to help coach Entz and his once a Bison program for all of our players when they're done playing."

Radunz says Blazek has embraced the family atmosphere Bison football has adopted. It's Blazek's indefinable qualities that show a true commitment to

the Bison way. "He's very personable and very into the whole family mentality. He brings his family around, his dad was around all of fall camp and it was fun to hang around him so he knows that aspect of Bison Pride," Radunz said. "Also, the hard work part, he just grinds every day, he has a whole new point system for games to help us pick up the running backs."

Goal number three?

Continuing the legacy of great offensive lines. While the season remains young, it seems as though the rams have picked up where they left off in 2018.

"As a new coach, it'd be easy to look at Zack and Dillon and say they're really good players. They both want to be pushed and want to get better. I coach them hard every day and when other kids see them getting coached hard, they know I can get on them too. There is really no entitlement, but I think the fun part is that Cordell [Volson] will ask for help," Blazek said.

"Between those three, they're very vocal about making improvements and being challenged. Karson [Schoening] has really bought into that philosophy too. He's probably lost five or eight pounds, really leaned his body out. He's the guy

that makes all the calls and they really trust what he's doing right now. Then you got Nash [Jensen] and Zach [Kubas] playing well and you'll see some young guys in there too. The fun part is these older guys don't want to come out, but they have to a little bit to save their bodies."

Blazek was complimentary of Radunz's growth as a leader over the course of the offseason. According to other coaches on the Bison staff, Radunz has opened up more and taken on a leadership role for multiple players.

"Dillon has the capabilities.

He's probably the naturally, football IQ, gifted as anybody I've ever coached. He sees stuff on-field during a play going by him and he knows everything that's happening.

So he's really bright from that end," Blazek said of Radunz. "In his personal life, he's become a big leader in our room just in confidence for guys, he's a faith leader for some of our players. You got Cordell [Volson] who's kind of the vocal bell cow, you got Zack [Johnson] he is the workhorse and he's going to make sure guys are working. I think Dillon glues a lot of that together."

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Radunz, a junior in 2019, concluded 2018 on the All-Missouri Valley Second Team and on HERO Sports Sophomore All-American team. Last year was Radunz's first full season of competition after a torn ACL derailed his redshirt freshman season. While Blazek sees the growth in Blazek's leadership ability, Radunz offers up a little more humility when discussing his growth.

"Z [Johnson] is the workhorse, Cordell is the voice and I fit in there somehow. Some of the guys look up to me, Cordell and I always tell each other that iron sharpens iron. He'll push me and I'll push him harder," he said. "Being able to show the other guys how to work hard in practice and watching the film. On the field, calming everyone down on the line and saying where all our blocks are going."

That is not to say Radunz does not want to improve as the season moves along.

As one of the key veterans protecting quarterback Trey Lance, Radunz wants to focus on the technical side of the game to improve.

"You can always get better at footwork and hand placement on defenders.

Also, reading defenses and reading where the blitz is coming from or even reading where the defensive line is going to shift," he said.

In Johnson's case, he is the lone senior on the offensive line this season. He just so happens to be one of the best in the country at his position.

Johnson was a Missouri Valley First Teamer last year and was scattered about on various All-American teams in 2018. Because of that, he is eyeing a professional career come season's end.

Obviously, that is far in the distance with 2019's opponents at the forefront of his psyche.

Both Blazek and Radunz deem Johnson the "workhorse" of the offensive line. Johnson says a few

"Making a decision on the line is very important and how fast you can do that is extremely important."

Having experience in the Big Ten (Iowa and Rutgers) and the Missouri Valley (Western Illinois), Blazek sees similarities in the two conferences.

different sources instilled the quality of hard work in him.

"It started off with my father, he always told me that the harder I work, the more things will pay off," he said.

"When it comes down to it, the guys that came before me, the traditions that were set. They told me to just keep working and don't quit."

Johnson also has things he would like to work on as the season progresses. Oddly enough, Johnson feels he can be more physical at the line of scrimmage, a notion that may truly puzzle even the biggest Bison fan.

"Personally, it's bending and being more physical.

There are a lot of things you can get better at, but as an offensive line, we always talk about how physical and how fast we can play," he said.

"I think the Valley is the Big Ten of FCS. What you hang your hat on in the Big Ten is you're going to line up and we're going to pound you," he said. "In the Missouri Valley, it's the same thing. It is a physical, week in, week out mash fest. As an o-line coach, what better place to coach, right?"

Indeed, that is what you want, coach Blazek.

The Bison offensive line has often been illustrated as a chain. If one link breaks, the Bison offense would be decimated. However, that has never occurred, which is remarkable in its own right.

In an offseason of transition, both in staff and roster, the NDSU offensive line has continued to be as dominant as ever in 2019. That is a true testament to the rams commitment to excellence on the gridiron.

a diamond in the rough Helping open the Bison recruiting pipeline in Georgia, freshman running back Kobe Johnson has already found his place in year one at NDSU.

By Ross Uglem Photos By Tim Sanger/NDSU Athletics

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BISON ILLUSTRATED o c t o b e r 2 0 1 9

I

t doesn’t matter whether it’s Coach Entz or men’s basketball Coach Dave Richman talking, the message is often the same as it pertains to player personnel. “A developmental program based on retention.” Both teams are almost exclusively made up of high school senior-recruits, most of whom redshirt.

The list of these guys is extremely long. AJ Jacobson, Taylor Braun, Brock Jensen, Easton Stick, Trey Lance, Marcus Williams, even guys like Carson Wentz and Ben Woodside all spent a year on campus getting comfortable with their academic situation and getting physically prepared for Division I competition. It’s (obviously) advantageous to have 22, 23, and sometimes even 24-year-old men on a college team.

“Trading your least productive season for your most productive season.”

The reasoning in football is obvious.

Football is a demanding sport.

Specifically, the Missouri Valley Football Conference is demanding. So is the way that North Dakota State generally schedules their non-conference opponents. It’s physically taxing.

Bison football players specifically have a key first year with Assistant AD for Athletic Performance Jim Kramer.

Kramer is legendary for his nutritional requirements and his training regiments. The bodies of young athletes are quite literally transformed.

That first year on campus makes what Bison freshman running back Kobe Johnson is doing extremely rare, though not unheard of. As Coach Entz would say “the further away you are from the ball at the start of the play, the better chance you have (to play) early.”

Kobe’s not the first running back in the recent history of NDSU Football to have to play right away, either. Bruce Anderson, Chase Morlock and Seth Wilson have all contributed right away.

Normal? Maybe not. Unheard of? Not really, either.

What makes Kobe Johnson so rare, outside of his early production, is his upbringing. You see, Kobe Johnson is from Discovery High School in Lawrenceville, GA. Johnson, along with quarterback Zeb Noland and defensive

back Dom Jones are a trio of Georgians, but they’re the first Georgians on NDSU’s roster since 2009.

So how did that happen? Defensive ends coach Buddha Williams, that’s how.

Williams was tasked with recruiting Gwinnett County in Georiga. Gwinnett is northeast of Atlanta, in a football hotbed, serviced normally by Georgia and Georgia Tech, but as Bison fans have seen, the SEC and ACC don’t get every talented kid (see Anderson, Bruce, Dempsey, Tre, and Watson, Christian).

“When I interviewed for the job, that was one of the questions,” said Williams.

“What are the different areas that I had recruited in the past? I happened to recruit Georgia for one season in my first year ever coaching college football.

I wouldn’t say I have the expertise, or that’s my major area of recruiting, I just went down there one time. Coach Entz and coach Klieman thought it’d be a great idea to get back into the Georgia area.”

The first year was a bit of a swing and a miss. Williams and the Bison had no signees from Georgia in 2018. “My first year, it was the whole (of) Atlanta. Then the following year, I really focused in on Gwinnett County. After building relationships down there, people that we had relationships with steered me there.

20 minutes from Athens, outside of the city. It’s pretty much a city of its own.

The first year was about getting my feet wet and building relationships. I needed to build relationships with the coaches and get familiar with the area as a whole staff.”

“It’s funny how it all kinda happened, we were recruiting Dom Jones, and his head coach actually brought Kobe’s name up.

‘Hey man, you got time to check out this kid’,” says Williams. “If you’re familiar with Georgia recruiting, every coach is like that. It’s not necessarily their guy at their school. They’re willing to help any player at a rival school, any school down the street. Whatever’s best for the kids.

That was the case for Kobe. A coach that had to try to defend him, played against him, recommended him to me.

Not a lot of college coaches know about (Discovery). He was a diamond in the rough, every head coach in Gwinnett County was raving about this kid and was shocked that he didn’t have a lot going on.”

69

Coach Williams and (now) offensive coordinator Tyler Roehl were heavily involved in Johnson’s recruiting. Roehl even put up a little highlight tape of his own play at North Dakota State. “Yup, the 200----whatever explosives (plays), whatever he’s always talking about.”

“I would say that I was (underrecruited), but my years of high school didn’t go as I planned. I didn’t play to my best ability. Being undersized you have to be dynamic whenever you’re on the field, and I wasn’t (all the time),” Johnson said. “I didn’t hear from (NDSU) until December. Coach Buddha hit me up, and that was the first time I’d heard of them. That was the first time meeting him. They introduced me and told me a little about NDSU, then in January he and coach Roehl came down together.

I went on my official in February, the weekend before signing day, and I gave my commitment on my visit.”

The Bison had barely heard of Kobe, and Kobe had barely heard of the Bison.

Johnson hadn’t even watched NDSU in the National Championship game in January on TV.

It didn’t take Johnson long to make an impression, though. “When I got on campus, I had to gain weight. They made that clear. I didn’t realize that I would be part of the offensive scheme until week one, and then after week one. I had an idea that I might get reps towards the end of the game, but when we played UND I played in the first half. That was different.”

Johnson has been a major part of the rushing offense. North Dakota State has their most balanced attack in years. he Bison have (as of this writing through the UC Davis game) already thrown the ball to 15 players, and let nine players run the football. Johnson has 196 rushing yards, good enough for third on the team behind Brooks and Lance.

Things got even more serious in Delaware, when NDSU sent Johnson in for their first carry at the goal line, during the first quarter. It was a signal to Johnson, to the fans, and to the program that Johnson wasn’t going to use the four-game rule this year, he was going to play. “It was amazing for me. When Ty [Brooks] broke that run to get to the red zone, then came off and they told me to go in, and not Adam [Cofield]. Woah, they’re sending me in. That trust in me to get the job done, that means a lot.”

Don’t expect the Georgia pipeline to shut down any time soon, either. “It’s huge man. Not just because of how well known Kobe was as a player, but he stuck at one school for all four years.

He didn’t think about transferring to a bigger high school to get recruited, he made a name for himself just for his body of work as a player. Now, him actually coming here and having immediate success, it’s going to help us out tremendously in that area,” said Williams.

“You could kinda see it during camp, having to defend against him as a defensive coach you could see how different he is. How mature, that young, they were gonna find snaps for him,” said coach Williams.

Kobe’s situation is rare for a number of reasons. He’s not from the normal recruiting footprint. He’s not 5-foot-11, 190 pounds. He’s not redshirting. He’s not your average young Bison. It’s likely best to use a different descriptor: special.

ally L DO HOW WEL OW YOU KN

murphy uld What wo ? ally say

B

ison volleyball is full of talented players on the court and equally vibrant personalities off of it. This month, we tested two sophomores, Kaylee Hanger and Kirstin Tidd to see how well they knew their teammate Ally Murphy. "Murph" an outside hitter from Eagan, Minnesota, played in 16 matches in her true freshman season in 2018. Hanger and Tidd played in 29 and 13 matches last season respectively.

THE QUESTIONS

1. What genre of music best describes the way you play volleyball?

ALLY MURPHY EDM because I get really excited when I cheer

KIRSTIN TIDD

KAYLEE HANGER

Jazz she’s smooth yet fun

EDM

How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days

How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days

The Giver

3. Cupcakes or muffins?

Muffins for sure

Cupcake

Muffins

4. Are you the type of person to put pineapples on pizza?

Absolutely not

No

I really hope she doesn’t

Ranch

Ranch

Ranch

6. What color accurately represents your personality?

Yellow

Yellow

Yellow

7. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your joke-telling ability?

Solid 9

8

I’m thinking a 7.8

loser

winner

2. You can only watch one movie for the rest of your life, what is it?

5. Ranch or blue cheese?

4

72

BISON ILLUSTRATED o c t o b e r 2 0 1 9

5

Speaking Your Business Language for 45 Years Ser ving the Upper Midwest

For ward Thinking. Reliable Advice.

701-237-6022 widmerroelcpa.com

E S RI & D N I GR ng are i l t s e r son w 2019-20. and Bi attack o t y d a re

T

ransition occurs in every sport over time.

There is really no way to avoid it either.

Athletes leave due to graduation or otherwise and staff may depart for opportunities that better themselves in the long run. Both can be equally devastating on a program, but it is how the program reacts that matters most.

Roger Kish will enter his eighth season at the helm of Bison wrestling this season.

In that span, he has had eight different assistant and volunteer assistant coaches. He had his most cohesive unit last season with assistant coaches Jarrod Garnett and Matt Nagel along with volunteer assistant coach Gage Hutchinson. Both Garnett

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BISON ILLUSTRATED o c t o b e r 2 0 1 9

and Nagel were in their third season with the program.

Yet, as the season came to a close in Pittsburgh last March, transition was on the horizon for Kish and NDSU wrestling. Over the course of the summer, Garnett took an assistant coaching job at Rider University in Lawrence Township, New Jersey. Garnett, a native of Delaware, wanted to find a job closer to home. Matt Nagel and his wife Dani welcomed their third child as well and he felt it was time for him to set coaching aside. Hutchinson moved on to opportunities outside of wrestling in his native Michigan.

Because of the departures, Kish spent much of his offseason piecing together a

staff for the 2019-20 season.

If you were to talk to him today, he could not be more confident in his choices.

With new assistants coaches, Obe Blanc, Austin Marsden and Cody Pack now on campus, the Bison are ready to hit the mats. Despite the turnover in staff, the 2019-20 team is shaping up to be one of Kish’s most talented in his tenure.

Bison Illustrated sat down with coach Kish to unpack an eventful offseason and preview the upcoming year.

Take us through the process of hiring a whole new staff.

How did that process go for you as head coach?

The circumstances in which it kind of lead to having to restructure the staff was

BY Nolan P. Schmidt | PHOTO BY Hillary Ehlen

ason of e s f f o n After a , Roger Kish ion transit

75

Meet The New Bison Wrestling Staff Obenson (Obe) Blanc Head Assistant Coach

pretty unique and really the timing. One coach got an opportunity closer to home and help out East. Another coach just had his third child and some of the time constraints in our profession put on us is sometimes challenging. It was one of those things where all of us knew going into it. We had talked about it and discussed and the conversations were had. So it wasn’t like some sort of big surprise for me.

It was something I was able to start working on shortly after the season wrapped up.

I had a ton of support from our administration which was the key. To be able to take my time and make sure I did the appropriate vetting process for our assistant coaches. When it started, there was one guy I’ve always admired. From day one, I always had my eye on if I got to handpick and that was Obe Blanc. I’m really excited because he was my first and last conversation as we wrapped up that head assistant position.

With the way the season worked out and the summer training, he was one of the senior level coaches for the World Team. He is one of the most sought after international and seniorlevel coaches in the country.

That was something we kind of had to work through, but for coach Blanc it was a pretty unique process. I knew he wanted to take that next 76

BISON ILLUSTRATED o c t o b e r 2 0 1 9

step in his career and the responsibilities he was going to have here were really important in his professional development.

At the end of the day, it was a good fit for him and his family, it was a good fit for our program. It’s something I was really excited about because from day one I knew the guy that I wanted to work with. Ultimately, I probably could not have done it without the support of our administration and staying patient with me as we went through this process.

Then you look at coach Marsden and his process was a little different. When me and coach Blanc got together, we wanted to figure out how to structure this staff. Having a young and energetic heavyweight coach is unique to programs.

His pedigree of wrestling and he comes from a strong program at Oklahoma State.

He has had the experience working at West Point and additional responsibilities and a different role at the University of Buffalo. He’s a young guy and he’s on the mats every day and he does a lot of good things.

You have some experienced seniors returning this year.

How have they helped the team through this transitional period?

As we were going through this hiring process with our

• Previous Experience: North Carolina State (2014-2019), Served on Team USA coaching staff during the Pan-American Games this summer • Alma Mater: Lock Haven/Oklahoma State (118-41 career record) • Three-time PanAmerican finalist, two-time U.S. Open and U.S. World Team Trials Champion in 2010 and 2013 and an alternate for the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Austin Marsden Assistant Coach • Previous Experience: University of Buffalo (2017-2019), Army West Point (2017) • Alma Mater: Oklahoma State (108-22 career record) • Three-time Big 12 Champion. Two-time AllAmerican (2014,2016)

Cody Pack Volunteer Assistant Coach • Alma Mater: South Dakota State (116-36 career record) • Two-time Western Wrestling Conference champion (2014, 2015)

new staff, the leaders have done a great job of stepping in and keeping the program and younger guys invested in the process. Nothing changed. In reality, this is one of our best summers of training in my time here. We were down coaches, but in a way, it almost united the group even more.

When you have a united unit, it helps. These guys were invested and they bought into the process and arrived here with what I believe is one of the best coaching staffs in the entire country. Our guys are excited and you can see it in their training and just their body language.

You have some local recruits coming into the program this year. How much focus do you put on keeping North Dakota and Minnesota kids in the Midwest and at North Dakota State?

this team’s talent heading into 2019-20?

Top to bottom, we’ve done a great job at creating a lot of talent. This room has so much talent and its fun to be a coach and watch these guys compete and see what they’re doing. They’re also wrestling at a really high level, but there is still another level there that we got to get to.

It’s a big deal. Our goal is and always will be to get the best kids in the state of North Dakota to stay in the state.

We have a lot of pride in that and our kids have a lot of pride in that. At the end of the day, we want to keep our local kids home and that’s a big deal for us.

On the same token, we not only want to keep them home, but we want to set them up for success as well. Sometimes timing is very hard in the sport of wrestling. You might have two really good 125-pounders and you know they’re going to push each other, but sometimes it’s hard. It’s a unique situation, it’s athletics so you have to buy into the process of chasing someone down and having someone nipping at your heels.

If someone were to look at your roster, the only real hole they might see is at 125 pounds. With Brent

Fleetwood graduating and Paul Bianchi transferring, how has that weight shaken out with two young guys like McGwire Midkiff and Corey Gamet there now?

We get a transfer in here two years ago in Fleetwood who came in and contributed a lot to that spot. When you have a guy who is at that level, some of the other guys have choices. Do you want to continue to work and compete for that spot or not.

Take a guy like [McGwire] Midkiff who was redshirting for us last year. He had the opportunity to go down in weight and wrestle 125 and fill in for Fleetwood after his departure and that’s a big deal. He was excited and anxious to do it and he has had a great summer of training and competing in preparation for this year.

This is where he wants to be and what he wants to do.

We’re really excited for him

because of that. I’m really proud of him for wanting to challenge himself not only on the wrestling mats, but it’s also a lifestyle challenge.

He has to be very diligent and disciplined in his diet every day, every meal, every workout, it’s on the foresight of his mind. He needs to get used to that so he can compete at a high level when the time comes.

Then you got a young guy behind him in Corey Gamet, a blue-chip recruit out of Michigan and he is going to come in and challenge.

He has a great competitive spirit and he is going to look to push Midkiff right out of the gate. We see it every day in their runs and in their lifts and on the mats. That’s what you want, you want the young guys nipping at the heels.

With returners at nearly every starting spot this season, how do you assess

Assessing the talent, there is a lot of it, not only with your projected starters, but there is a lot of talent in the guys who are going to be pushing those starters. If you were to ask me today what the starting lineup is going to look like, I think I could give you a pretty fuzzy version of it. There is nothing set in stone though and our lineup is settled in the room on a day to day basis. Just because we have a scrimmage to help us put a depth chart together, you see it here every day, so it’s not a surprise. Sometimes what happens in competition matches has little relevance to what we see in this room.

There is a lot of talent up and down the lineup and you see guys challenging one another. There are probably a couple of weight classes where we have some seniors and leaders that might not be as challenged with some young guys right away, but it’s only a matter of time, I think.

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know your

enemy

Can you match these 2019 Bison opponents to their mascot?

Valparaiso

Seawolves

Cal Poly

Crusaders

Bradley

Howlin’ Huskies

Idaho

Comets

Mayville State

Blue Jays

Utah Valley

Mustangs

Northeastern

Matadors

UT Rio Grande Valley Creighton Stony Brook

Braves Wolverines Vandals

Waldorf

Warriors

CSU Northridge

Vaqueros

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herd from around the world Michelle Gaislerova

Manitoba

Nicky De Pape

Denmark

(Women’s Basketball) (Soccer)

Cirkeline Rimdal

France

Amy Herrington

Montenegro

(Women’s Basketball)

(Women’s Track & Field)

Raquel Terrer Van Gool (Women’s Basketball)

British Columbia

Guillaume Viault

United Kingdom

Sofija Zivaljevic

Spain

(Men’s Track & Field)

(Women’s Basketball)

Brendan Artley (Men’s Track & Field)

bison Dunk Bucket Net Paint Hardwood Rebound Shoot Pass Dribble Coach Score

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Can You Match These Bison Student-Athletes To Where They’re From?

BISON ILLUSTRATED o c t o b e r 2 0 1 9

word search

Czech Republic

Can you find these hoops related words in the jumble?

know your enemy

herd from around the world

bison word search

answers

bisonshots

j

unior Alexis Bachmeier celebrates a kill against California. The Bison welcomed the Golden Bears to Fargo as part of the NDSU Classic. While NDSU ended up falling to Cal in this match, the Bison finished the NDSU Classic 2-1, beating Buffalo and Green Bay. The three-match tournament was the first homestand for 2019 Bison volleyball.

Photo by Nolan P. Schmidt

Want to contribute?

Email your best photos to: nolan@spotlightmediafargo.com

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bisonshots

s

enior striker Elyse Huber outruns a Hawaii defender in NDSU's September 6 game at Dacotah Field.

Huber, a transfer from the University of Nebraska, has proven to be a dangerous offensive weapon for Mike Regan. Throughout the Bison's first nine matches, Huber netted nine goals.

She garnered Summit League Offensive Player of the Week honors for the week of August 30 and September 20.

Photo by Nolan P. Schmidt

Want to contribute?

Email your best photos to: nolan@spotlightmediafargo.com

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PHOTOS BY Bruce Crummy and Hillary Ehlen

TEAM MAKERS

the drive for five

Increased membership takes center stage for Team Makers.

A

key goal for Team Makers moving forward is bringing in more members.

Currently, the group sits at 4,200 members nationwide. Now, Team Makers wants to up that membership to 5,000. Team Makers is calling on every community member, alumni or Bison fan across the country to make an investment towards academic and athletic excellence. This membership will only aid the group in their Drive For Five campaign.

The Team Makers have continually enhanced the student-athlete experience at NDSU by playing a huge role in fundraising.

NDSU athletics must generate 70 percent of an increasing budget each year. Currently, the athletics department budget is $25 million. Much of the funds needed are raised internally through Team Makers, endowments, corporate sponsors/advertising and ticket sales.

All of these facets continue to become more and more expensive as the years go by. That is why Team Makers is launching their Drive For Five campaign. The strategy behind it is fairly simple. More members mean more dollars that go towards those various

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However, Team Makers does far more than fundraising for student-athlete scholarships nowadays. They now support funding for anything necessary to improving a student-athlete's experience at NDSU. This includes full cost of attendance, travel expenses and equipment.

expenses. To be a member, you do not have to be an alumnus nor do you have to be living in North Dakota. Being a Bison fan and having the willingness to invest in excellence are the only criteria necessary.

You can join Team Makers for as little as $100 annually which will help accelerate their Drive For Five campaign. On top of the several benefits you'll receive, Team Makers are given the option of purchasing NDSU football single-game tickets each season.

There is no time to wait, join Team Makers today and help them in their Drive For Five campaign.

Find out more information at ndsuathleticfund.com

Team Makers has 84 new members from 14 different states

New member states noted in yellow.

A Reminder About Recycling At Tailgating Team Makers is pleased to continue their recycling program over the course of this football season. Last year, Team Makers raised $1,000 from their recycling program which directly impacted student-athlete scholarships. A reminder that Team Makers will be providing BLUE recycling bags before and during tailgating for your ALUMINUM products for recycling. You can also find additional bags at the Bison Corrall or the NDSU Bookstore tent. Bags will be collected by Fargodome staff following tailgating.

Please, only recycle your ALUMINUM cans. This means, do not put food waste, plastic utensils, paper products, Solo cups or plastic bottles in the blue bags provided by Team Makers. Only ALUMINUM cans can be put into those bags.

Team Makers Golf Outings Wrap-Up

Your help in this matter will only help Team Makers in their goal of providing scholarships to North Dakota State student-athletes.

Following the final golf outing of the year on September 23, Team Makers reported bringing in a $70,000 net income from the events. All of those donations will go towards sustaining success in the North Dakota State athletic department. This will be done primarily through scholarships for student-athletes.

This summer, Team Makers went all over North Dakota and Minnesota to put on their popular golf outings for members and prospective members. In all, Team Makers organized and put on seven golf outings in Detroit Lakes, Hawley, Devils Lake, Wahpeton and Fargo. As was the case in past years, they turned out to be a wild success.

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POpQUIZ WITH NDSU ATHLETES

What is your ride or die Netflix/Hulu show?

Who is the most overrated musical artist/ band right now?

Bella Lien

VOLLEYBALL

A middle hitter for Jen Lopez and Bison volleyball, Lien has been a key blocker for the Bison in her three years on campus. She finished 2018 with 97 total blocks in the 27 matches she started for NDSU. Starting in every match so far this year, Lien has 42 blocks on the season.

The Blacklist

Lil Nas X

Laura Powell Heading into his junior season, Berg The senior Powell played in all 16 matches a year ago at a defender spot. She netted her lone goal of 2018 against Northern Iowa on September 9. So far this season, Powell dished out one assist in a win over Vermont on August 30.

Criminal Minds, Friends or Rick and Morty

Kanye West

The Office

Lil Nas X

Shooter

Lil Nas X

SOCCER

Maddie Herzog

WOMEN'S GOLF

As just a freshman in 2018-19, Herzog proved she was a force to be reckoned with on the links. In the 25 rounds she played, Herzog was fourth on the team in stroke average. Her top performance came at the Red Rocks Invitational where she shot a second round 67, the third best single round score in school history.

Herzog shot a 211 through 54 holes at that tournament, which was also the third best mark in NDSU history.

Zeb Noland

FOOTBALL

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Noland is new to the NDSU football program, transferring from Iowa State in the offseason. The junior has been under center twice so far in 2019, once against Butler at Target Field and again against Delaware. Before NDSU, Noland played in five games for the Cyclones in 2018.

BISON ILLUSTRATED o c t o b e r 2 0 1 9

Growing up, your favorite cartoon was...

What is your favorite dessert?

What was the best Halloween costume you had as a kid?

Tom and Jerry

Nothing Bundt Cakes

Daphne from Scooby-Doo

Scooby-Doo, Spongebob and CatDog

Chocolate chip cookies

Tigger

The Fairly Odd Parents

Ice Cream

A bunch of grapes

Tom and Jerry

Big brownie or cookie with ice cream

Woody from Toy Story

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october

athletics calendar 10/4-6

10/11

10/19

Men’s Golf

Volleyball

Paintbrush Invitational Parker, Colo.

vs South Dakota Fargo, N.D. 7 p.m.

Men’s And Women’s Cross Country

10/4 Volleyball vs Purdue Fort Wayne Fargo, N.D. 7 p.m.

10/5 Football at Illinois State Normal, Ill. 12 p.m.

10/5 Softball vs Minot State (10 inn.)

Fargo, N.D. 12 p.m.

10/6 Volleyball vs Western Illinois Fargo, N.D. 1 p.m.

10/6 Soccer vs South Dakota Fargo, N.D. 1 p.m.

10/10 Soccer at Omaha Omaha, Neb. 7 p.m.

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10/12

UND Ron Pynn Classic Grand Forks, N.D. – Ray Richards Golf Course

Football

10/19

vs Northern Iowa (Homecoming) Fargo, N.D. 1 p.m.

Football

10/13

10/20

Volleyball vs Denver Fargo, N.D. 1 p.m.

10/13 Soccer at Oral Roberts Tulsa, Okla.

1 p.m.

10/14-15 Women’s Golf Pat Lesser-Harbottle Invitational Tacoma, Wash.

10/15 Volleyball at North Dakota Grand Forks, N.D. 7 p.m.

10/18 Soccer vs Purdue Fort Wayne Fargo, N.D. 7 p.m.

vs Missouri State Fargo, N.D. 2:30 p.m.

Soccer vs Western Illinois Fargo, N.D. 1 p.m.

10/20 Volleyball at Oral Roberts Tulsa, Okla.

1 p.m.

10/20-22 Men’s Golf ODU/OBX Intercollegiate Powells Point, N.C.

10/24 Soccer at South Dakota State Brookings, S.D. 7 p.m.

10/24 Wrestling Green & Gold Scrimmage Fargo, N.D. 7 p.m.

brookelyn dew

10/25

11/2

Volleyball

Men’s And Women’s Cross Country

vs South Dakota State Fargo, N.D. 7 p.m.

10/26 Football at South Dakota State Brookings, S.D. 2 p.m.

10/27 Volleyball vs Omaha Fargo, N.D. 1 p.m.

10/30 Men’s Basketball vs Dickinson State (Exhibition) Fargo, N.D. 7 p.m.

10/31

Summit League Championships Fargo, N.D. – Rose Creek Golf Course

11/2 Football at Youngstown State Youngstown, Ohio 5 p.m.

11/3 Soccer at Denver Denver, Colo.

1 p.m.

11/3 Volleyball at Western Illinois Macomb, Ill. 1 p.m.

Soccer

11/3

vs North Dakota Fargo, N.D. 6 p.m.

Wrestling

Coming Up In November 11/1 Women’s Basketball vs Minnesota Crookston (Exhibition) Fargo, N.D. 7 p.m.

11/1 Volleyball at Purdue Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, Ind. 7 p.m. ET

vs Cal State Bakersfield Fargo, N.D. 2 p.m.

11/5 Men’s Basketball at Kansas State Manhattan, Kan.

11/6 Women’s Basketball vs Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, Iowa 6:30 p.m.

11/7-9 Soccer Summit League Women’s Soccer Championship Brookings, S.D.

11/7 Men’s Basketball vs Mayville State Fargo, N.D. 7 p.m.

slaubaugh's Slaubaugh is a native of Bismarck, N.D. and is a proud NDSU graduate.

Rocky Kreuser Is Settled In A conversation with the Bison big man.

A

s preseason conference favorites, the Bison know what it takes to get back to the NCAA Tournament. I sat down with junior forward Rocky Kreuser to discuss his development, what he’s been doing to prepare for the season and his expectations for the 2019-2020 season.

You’ve been in the Bison program for two years now.

Is this what you expected coming to Fargo?

You come here expecting a winning culture. You to win.

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I thought it was pretty cool, coming off of a tough season my freshman year, to be able to turn it around last season.

You shot a respectable 35 percent from three last year.

How confident do you feel about improving on that?

You took 123 threes last year and the team took a stealthy 778 (third-most in the Summit League). How cool is it to play in a system that suits your game?

Absolutely confident. We’ve been getting in the gym a lot more. Been working on different types of shots.

Stand and shoot shots, moving shots. I’m very confident I can improve on that. Shots are going to get tougher because of scouting reports, but I’m definitely confident it can go up.

It’s huge. Obviously I’m not known as a low block type player, so being able to be in a system and on a team that suits me and the way that I play helps a ton and gives me confidence. It’s a lot of fun to play with these guys.

How big was last year’s run in terms of gaining experience and confidence?

I think that’s the best way to put it. It gave us confidence.

Early in the season, we weren’t doing too hot. But to know we have the talent and the ability to get back there is big for our confidence.

And just getting that much time together and playing the number one team in the nation multiple times throughout the season gives you a ton of confidence and experience.

Was there a moment where everything started to click last year?

It was kind of when we went on our run towards the end of the season. I just switched up a few things, started being more vocal, and it seemed to help out a ton so I think that’s where it changed.

What have you been doing to prepare for the season?

We’ve been getting in the gym a lot more individually on our own times because we know what it takes to get back to the NCAA Tournament. We’re being really diligent with our diets and getting in the weight room as much as possible to get our weights right.

PHOTO BY Nolan Schmidt

scoop

BY DAN SLAUBAUGH

Profile Height 6-foot-10 Weight 245 Hometown White Bear Lake, Minn.

High School Totino-Grace HS Major Biological sciences Sophomore season • Started all 35 games • Ranked 4th on the team with 8.7 points per game • 3rd-most 43 threepointers on the team • Led the team with 39 blocks • Registered 17 blocks in the final six games of the season

What’s your biggest area of improvement?

I think I’m more settled in now. I know what it takes to be a vocal leader on the team. I know what it takes to be a defensive presence and protect the rim. Also, just to keep the guys going. The little things like that.

How about for the team?

A big problem on our team last year was perimeter defense. I think this entire summer, especially with our foreign trip, we’ve been working a ton on that and have improved a ton.

We’ve got a long way to go

still, we’re in the middle of September, but we’ve made huge strides.

the defensive end. Towards the end of the season, I figured out the timing. I got better at protecting the rim.

love professionally and make money doing it. That would be something I would love to do.

Kevin Love, Dirk Nowitzki. I don’t want to be known as a one-trick pony. I want to be able to do everything on the court whether it’s posting up, going to the basket, shooting threes, defend.

We have great expectations inside this program as well as people outside the program have expectations for us. It’s not pressuring at all because we know how good we can be. It’s just getting out there and competing hard enough to be as good as we can be.

The Bison open regular season play November 5 against Kansas State in Manhattan, Kan. If they can hang with Duke for a half, they surely can pull an upset over the Wildcats.

Defensively. Do you think that part of your game has evolved?

What are your goals? Where do you want the game to take you?

At the beginning of last season, I was more timid. I didn’t really know my role on

It’s always a dream to play in the NBA or play overseas somewhere, to do what you

Is there anyone you model your game after?

I’m Dan Slaubaugh and this is your Slaubaugh’s Scoop.

Thanks for reading. Have a wonderful October. Go Bison.

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SWANY SAYS

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

Or Win Championships FOLLOW @swany8

A

fter North Dakota State beat UC Davis 27–16 in a contest of Top 5 teams at the Fargodome in September, improving their record to 4 – 0, Bison head coach Matt Entz was asked if he was concerned that the Aggies piled up 422 yards. To a former defensive coordinator and fierce competitor, you might as well have waved the red flag in front of the bull.

“I’m not even going to worry about it.

Last time I checked, nobody gets bonus points for yards gained,” said Entz. In the

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Do you want to talk style points? Give me that ratio any day of the week, against any quarterback, especially a supposed Walter Payton candidate.

That math is pretty simple. For every touchdown Maier threw, the Bison picked him off three times. “It’s all about the 16 points.”

Here’s even simpler math. 27 points is greater than 16 points. It’s a pattern NDSU has mastered in tough games. In the 2017 regular-season finale, the Bison won a slugfest 20–7 at Illinois State in driving sleet and snow. Nursing a sixpoint lead in the final minutes, Easton Stick plowed through the conditions for 56 yards to set up the game-clinching score. That game was anything but style points, but it guaranteed NDSU homefield advantage in the Fargodome during the playoffs.

Last fall, on an afternoon where the Bison offense couldn’t find its rhythm against Youngstown State, the defense froze out the Penguins at every turn in a 17–7 win. There were no style points that day, just one of many hardhat and lunch pail performances over the course of the last eight years for NDSU. Eight years with seven national championship banners.

Mark Packer, the host of the “Off Campus” radio program on SiriusXM 84, an authoritative and well-respected voice among knowledgeable college

PHOTO BY Bruce Crummy

Style Points Don’t Count For Much,

only statistic or analytic that matters, NDSU’s Code Green defense kept the high-flying UC-Davis offense mostly grounded. The Bison held the Aggies AllAmerican quarterback Jake Maier to a single touchdown. They also picked him off three times.

era where buffoonery and jackassery of the online sage is the norm, and instant analysts decry outcomes where their favored team doesn’t put up a video game-esque 56-3 beat down on the opponent.

“Yah, the Bison won the game, but those dropped passes,” or, “Davis was throwing the ball and burning us all day long.” You can sail those sentiments right down the river Styx along with your style points.

football fans, said on his daily show following the UC Davis game that nobody closes out games like the Bison.

Packer is right. You can keep your style points, thank you very much. In football currency, real football currency, where you measure success by wins and losses – and in NDSU’s case, championships – style points don’t matter. Closing games does. And like Packer says, nobody closes out games like the Bison.

When the game was on the line against the Aggies, those 422 yards didn’t mean a thing. It was Michael Tutsie, Cole Karcz and Trey Lance making the plays that counted – Tutsie and Karcz with those key fourth-quarter interceptions, and Lance’s bulldozing touchdown that iced the victory. That’s how you close a football game and secure the win.

“We’re trying to figure out who we are. I challenge our guys every day that the first team that’ll beat us will be ourselves,” said Entz. NDSU will be tested, as they always are, in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. In the first five conference games, the Bison

face three teams ranked in the Top 20 on the road, number eight Illinois State, number three South Dakota State and number 20 Youngstown State, and see another Top 10 team at home in number seven Northern Iowa. “We have to continue to get better as we’re going into the toughest part of our schedule right now, going into the Missouri Valley,” Entz said.

I’ve never understood fans or commentators that talk about “winning ugly.” That is an oxymoron if there ever was one. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines oxymoron as “a combination of contradictory or incongruous words (such as cruel kindness).” Winning is contradictory to ugly. In my mind, there is no such thing as winning ugly.

The legendary Pittsburgh Steelers head coach, Chuck Knoll, once said, “The critics are always right. The only way you shut them up is by winning.” It’s a good thing Knoll, who won four Super Bowl rings with the Steelers and is in the NFL Hall of Fame, wasn’t coaching in the Twitter Age. Yes, we’re in a golden

To borrow a page of coaching scripture from the iconic man in that checkered houndstooth hat, Mr. Paul “Bear” Bryant, “Winning isn’t everything, but it beats anything that comes in second.” You get an amen from this congregation on that. Ask those teams that hung in there with the Bison, like UC Davis, who get style points from poll voters for simply keeping it within two touchdowns of the champs, if losing feels any better because they gave the Bison a “competitive” game.

Or how about James Madison? A team that has gotten more mileage out of beating the Bison that one time in the Fargodome. You can give them, as some voters do, all the style points in the world. We’ll take the championships and trips to Frisco. When you mention the Dukes, it’s always in the same breath of them being the only team that was the briefest of hiccups in the Bison Dynasty.

How’s that for style points?

Appreciate the wins, friends, because they ain’t easy, and any college football fan not cheering for Alabama or Clemson would trade their best Sunday britches for the success we have enjoyed as Bison fans (even JMU fans). Anyone complaining about a win, keep your style points, I like the national championship trophies better anyway.

Everybody up for the kickoff, the march is on!

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