North Dakota State Bison
Summit (24-9, 12-4)
North Dakota State fell short of their NCAA Tournament goal, but this has been a very good Bison squad. With 6-7 wing Taylor Braun in the lineup, NDSU has lost just four games. Two of those losses came against Indiana and Minnesota. Unfortunately, one of the other losses came in the Summit League Tournament final against rival South Dakota State.
Big Wins: 12/15 at Towson (65-48), 12/29 South Dakota State (65-62), 1/12 Oakland (73-65)
Bad Losses: 11/24 at Green Bay (59-74), 2/7 at Oakland (63-66), 2/14 Western Illinois (36-49)
Coach: Saul Phillips (6 years at North Dakota State)
Why They Can Surprise:
This is a totally different team with Braun on the floor. He was only back for two games before the conference tournament after missing the previous ten. Braun is averaging 15.7 points per game and will use his size and athleticism to attack the basket with ease. He is also a very good outside shooter and knocks down 44.0 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc. The scoring is nice, but Coach Saul Phillips usually wins games with defense. The Bison allow just 55.5 points per game and the defensive effort stems from forward TrayVonn Wright. Wright is not a big, imposing figure in the paint, that job belongs to Marshall Bjorklund, but Wright is a great athlete who will swat away a couple shots every game.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Even with Braun the Bison offense can be a bit stagnant at times. This is not a high scoring team and that is how they want to play, yet they can have trouble creating offense too. Lawrence Alexander is a decent playmaker who is a more consistent outside shot away from becoming a very good player in the Summit League. Kory Brown spends most of his time on the floor playing defense and grabbing rebounds. Mike Felt can spark the offense off of the bench on occasion if his shot is falling. Wright and Bjorklund are both good scorers, yet Wright needs to be hitting the long ball to be effective. When Bjorklund has a favorable matchup in the paint, North Dakota State can work through him and find an open look. If not, they often have to depend on Braun to make something happen.
Probable Starters:
Lawrence Alexander, Sophomore, Guard, 10.6 ppg, 3.7 apg
Kory Brown, Freshman, Guard, 5.0 ppg, 2.1 apg
Taylor Braun, Junior, Guard, 15.7 ppg, 2.7 apg, 5.1 rpg
TrayVonn Wright, Junior, Forward, 9.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 1.8 bpg
Marshall Bjorklund, Junior, Forward, 11.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Mike Felt, Junior, Guard, 8.2 ppg, 1.8 rpg
Chris Kading, Freshman, Forward, 4.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg
Brett VandenBergh, Freshman, Forward, 1.8 ppg, 1.5 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 67.4 (175th in nation, 5th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 55.5 (8, 2)
Field-Goal Percentage: 47.0 (26, 1)
Field-Goal Defense: 38.3 (13, 1)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.9 (101, 5)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 35.6 (87, 6)
Free-Throw Percentage: 70.6 (133, 3)
Rebound Margin: 5.3 (35, 1)
Assists Per Game: 12.6 (174, 4)
Turnovers Per Game: 11.0 (20, 2)
Last Five Postseason Appearances:
2012 CBI First Round loss to Wyoming
2009 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Kansas
*all team stats through 3/10
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
