After a dominant regular season in the Summit, North Dakota State basketball kept its foot on the gas in conference tournament play. Can they continue their winning ways in the NCAA Tournament?
Millennials might remember North Dakota State basketball after their 2014 overtime win against Oklahoma as the 12 seed. 12 years later, they’re hoping to notch another win to their record after a 27-win season and two conference titles.
How they got there:
North Dakota State basketball was dominant all season long. They started conference play 9-0 and finished with just two conference losses. In the conference tournament, it was smooth sailing. They won their first game by 11, then beat the 5-seed Omaha by 24 in the semifinal, before beating in-state rival North Dakota by 8 to claim the title. This was their first title since 2020, when the tournament was obviously cancelled.
Damari Wheeler-Thomas was named Summit League Tournament MVP, while teammate Noah Fedderson also won All-Tournament honors.
General Information:
Team: North Dakota State
Location: Fargo, N.D.
Record: 27-7 (14-2)
Head Coach: David Richman (12th season, all at North Dakota State)
What to know about North Dakota State basketball:
North Dakota State’s biggest strength is balance. That is immediately obvious when looking at their points per game leader. Their top scorer is Wheeler-Thomas at 14.4 a game, but they also have five other guys who average between 9 and 12 a game. One of those is Trevion Carson, the only member of this team to make the All-Summit first team. Despite being 6’3, he led the team in rebounding at 6.4 a game, and also led in steals at 1.9 a game.
North Dakota State’s biggest advantage is that they don’t foul. They were top 25 in the country in fewest fouls per game at 15.2, which allows their guards to stay on the floor and lead to their winning ways. They’re a solid rebounding team as well, particularly on the offensive glass, where they averaged 10.4, 55th most in D1.
NCAA Tournament prediction for North Dakota State basketball: Round of 64 exit
Seed: 14
Unfortunately, North Dakota State didn’t play any Power conference opponents this year, so we can’t use their performance as a comparison. In fact, they only played one Q1 and Q2 opponent, and went 0-1. So, getting matched up with Michigan State, a team that brings a lot of experience and a Hall of Fame coach, is a rough game to have.
If North Dakota State wants to win, it’ll have to lean on its style of forcing teams to beat them from the perimeter. Obviously, that isn’t Michigan State’s strength, so if they can slow the game down in that sense and make this a dogfight, then they have a chance. It’s been a rough road for Summit team leagues since the miracle Oral Roberts run in 2021, but maybe this North Dakota State basketball team can change that.