A cold night of shooting from downtown and a quick 2nd half start by SDSU doomed UND of any chance of a big win. UND hopes to end the Dakota Showcase with a winning record as they take on the in-state rival NDSU
About North Dakota State
It was the year.
When Richman had his junior heavy squad 2 years ago, some thought that it would take a year before any serious run could be made at the Summit crown. As that team grew, that expectation did to. Then a funny thing happened, they got hot in the tournament in Sioux Falls and captured the NCAA bid. Yes, SDSU was upset in the first round, but you can't control who you play in an 1 and done situation. So with that bonus, it really excited the fan base to think: Next year is our year to win again.
Sure enough, they did. They shared the regular season crown, got the 1 seed, survived a run by DU, beat ORU and crushed UND in the final to get back. Then.... COVID reared it ugly head.
This year, NDSU is looking to make it 3 in a row, however the job will be difficult after losing Shahid and Ward to graduation. Shahid was their heart and soul of the team and it will be tough to replace that leadership and talent. Its not like the cupboard is bare, they do have Kreuser, Griesel, and Eady back and ready to step into some new roles, has some new freshman with some talent ready to go and the expected jump in production in Sophomore Harden-Hayes. They are in far better shape than other teams and should at least contend for a top 3 spot in the Summit if things go together, and hey who know what could happen if you get to Sioux Falls. So far this year, they have played some good teams tough, such as #6 ranked Kansas and #11 Ranked Creighton. However, Richman is tired of the "moral victories" and wants to stick some wins on the board.
About Dave Richman (7th Year, 122-80 overall, 58-36 Summit)
Not too long ago, the grumbling in Bison nation was that Richman wasn't getting the job done (see the long thread in Bisonville for that). Sure, at the time he went to the NCAAs in his first year, but that was a Saul Phillips team and he just road the coattails of it! (never mind that he was an assistant on that squad.) Back to back trips to the NCAAs later... that talk seems really silly now does it? The Wahpeton native and NDSU alum finds himself in a good position going into his 7th year, with 3 NCAA tournament appearances under his belt and looking for more. While this might not be the year it happens, it certainly isn't the realm of possibility that they have the horses once again to make a run soon. However, continued success might lead to other programs being interested in his services.
Key Player: Rocky Kreuser (6'10 Senior)
This was a tough one to pick because I could have gone a couple of different direction here on the player to focus. I could have picked Eady or Griesel or even the emerging Harden-Hayes. I went with the big man in the middle because the matchup with Rebraca is going to be a good ondeal with a little taller and heavier big on both ends. Certainly playing the best ball of his career right now. 4 double figure games in a row. Aggressive shot blocker and can stretch the floor from 3.
*I am very interested to see Harden-Hayes play today and see what he brings to the table.
Series History:
While UND leads the all time series 162-138, but NDSU leads the series at the D1 level 10-5.
Milestone Watch:
Its time for our milestone watches for this year and Rebraca will be our first focus: He currently has 489 career rebounds and is 11 away from getting to 500 in his career. It is certainly possible for him to reach that mark today. He hasn't grabbed double-digit rebounds yet, but he is definitely due. He still is far away from the top 10 in rebounding in UND history, but could get close (If there was a normal amount of games this year, I would believe it more).
Questions
1) Who will have the depth after playing 3 games in 3 days
2) Who can shoot the 3 ball better?
The Call:
Like the USD game, this is a pick-em game in my mind. Both teams are still trying to figure out new roles and new responsibilities. I think it will come down to those two questions. Who can handle playing the 3rd game in 3 days better and who can actually hit the shots from downtown. I want to pick UND here because Rebraca is playing well and Ihenacho is playing solid. However, I think NDSU has enough seasoned parts to squeak out a win down in Sioux Falls. I don't expect a blowout one way or the other unless we see that one team is gassed.
NDSU 74-72
Bonus Pick
In the other in-state rivalry, The Jacks take down the Yotes
83-70 Jacks
Games are on the Midco Plus.
*My usual PSA: Keep it clean
Rebraca has all 10 points 10-7 UND
