Taylor Braun At Summit League Tournament
Well now we wait. Unlike last season when NDSU was a surpise postseason entrant into the CBI and lost at Wyoming last March. The only surprise that will come this Selection Sunday is if NDSU somehow finds its way into the NIT, which as most everyone knows is the little brother to the NCAA’s but still for a program like NDSU an NIT berth would be huge. Besides the 68 that makes the NCAA’s another 80 schools will play postseason basketball this March/April ranging from the NIT(32 teams); the CIT(expanded to 32 this year) and the CBI (16). NDSU will find its way into most likely either the NIT or the CBI; the latter just because of the history that NDSU has with the Gazelle Group, that’s the outfit that runs the CBI and has put NDSU into its 2 preseason tournaments the last two years, first at Oregon and this year at Indiana and has an impressive lineup for next season. For those that don’t follow the NIT super close, that selection committee is similar to the NCAA, for the smaller conference schools that don’t win their conference tournament; they get an automatic bid into the NIT and with the havoc that’s been going on this week, bids may be getting smaller by the day. Already 9 teams have locked up spots in the NIT: Mercer(A-Sun); Stony Brook(America East); Charleston Southern (Big South); Northeastern (CAA); Niagara (MAAC); Robert Morris (NEC); Middle Tennessee(Sun Belt); Norfolk State(MEAC) and Louisiana Tech (WAC).
That only leaves 23 spots left and with the tournament being completely televised by ESPN, they are going to want some big name schools in this field. NDSU has an impressive record (24-9) and RPI (78 on Thursday night). Saul Phillips said after the Summit League final this team “deserves to be in the NIT.” He cited NDSU’s record with Taylor Braun in the lineup (19-4; the 4 losses being to Indiana, Minnesota, Green Bay and SDSU) It’s not mandated that every conference be represented in the NIT, but NDSU is the only shot the Summit League will have for this tournament. The NIT Selection Show is at 8pm on ESPN U Sunday night. If it’s not the NIT, the CBI is up next, that’s 16 teams and possibly a better shot of another home game. Now last I remember to host a game in this tournament you need to pay 30K to do it; now I can’t imagine NDSU doing that; especially knowing that there’s no way that that money would be recouped; unlike football where NDSU put down a huge sum to try and host a first round playoff game in 2010. This tournament is also televised by Mark Cuban’s network the former HDTV, now AXS TV; avid college hoops fans know that’s where the Gophers played in the Bahamas Tournament over Thanksgiving. Finally is the CIT; which has expanded this year from 24 teams to 32 this season, that’s where UND has went the last two years as champion of the Great West; ironically I think they may be going there again last year after a win tonight in the Big Sky Tournament.
There are 148 teams that will play postseason basketball this year out of 347 Division 1 schools; and NDSU for the 2nd straight year and third time in its D1 history will be playing as well. I think this team has a chance to win a game in one of these tournaments and that can be another huge step for a program that’s taken some big steps this year, from highest RPI ranking ever; to a BracketBuster TV game, to a return trip to the Summit Title game. The future looks bright for this team and can end on a good note starting Sunday. I’ll be following the smaller conference tournaments this weekend on Twitter (@DomIzzoWDAY) and will have a late night Bracketology ramblings on Sunday night.
One football note, Craig Bohl confirmed to me that junior running back John Crockett had surgery on a slight break in his right wrist; Bohl says that Crockett will have limited work this spring and joins a laundry list of starters that may or may not see the field this spring(Crockett; Beck, Ryan Smith, Colville, Perry and Heagle). Bohl also added that he’s hoping April 1st or 3rd for the official start of spring football depending on the weather.
I disagree, the school should absolutely try to host a game, we could very likely draw a decent opponent in the CBI. The school needs to do more to reach out to fans and create some interest in the program.
If you have 3,0000 people who pay $10 per ticket you’ve recouped a good deal of your money. Who knows maybe it brings a high major team into Fargo, doing that in non-conference play is going to cost more than $30k.
I also think they could get the $30,000 if they wanted too.
Dom, could you ramble as to why we have not heard anything on a 6th home game yet and if there is going to be a spring game. There is plenty of push to buy championship merchandise and the hype of the movie to be shown downtown etc., but no talk anymore about either of those two games. As for basketball, an NIT bid should happen and I would rather see that than either of the other two and even a hosting of a game. Based on the dismal showing of fans at the Summit, will we really see a huge turnout at the BSA.
Spring Game is on that’s set for April 27th, 11th game still search ongoing.
Build it…..and they will come!
Bid a home game and put in the Fargodome. Imagine the good publicity the basketball program would get playing in that facility? We would draw a good crowd. I can promise you that if the Summit league tourney was held at the Alerus in Grand Forks there would have been 6,000 Bison fans and less than a thousand SDSU fans. Of course they fill the place in Sioux Falls they drive to the game and go home after. Bison fans have to drive there and get hotel rooms pay to eat. Which is fine if you haven’t done it in January following the football team. Do you really think the Jacks or Coyotes would get the turnout in Frisco NDSU did? Then didn’t even bring 5,000 people to watch the Rabbits play in the Gophers new football stadium the year it openedwhen they had that great team in 2009. I was on Terry Vandrovec’s live blog of the game and he said the whole upper deck was empty so it wasn’t like they couldn’t get tickets. Say what you want about Bison fans being arrogant or cocky but don’t bad mouth their suuport no one in FCS travels like Bison fans! Go Bison!
I was in Sioux Falls. The place was packed with Blue and Yellow. Not Green and Gold.
If you count our band, family of the players and coaches, there was MAYBE 250 people. Probably closer to 200.
Talking with the SDSU fans in the hotel lobby, restaurants and at the game… its pretty clear that SDSU is a basketball first university. They have as much passion about their hoops program as we do about our football team.
Other than Dom and Kolpack personally, I don’t think the Fargo media gives NDSU much credit or enough publicity as it should. Not sure on the reason or politics behind it, but it just doesn’t seem that way from the outside looking in.
Things I’ve come to realise this season (football-basketball)…
NDSU will always be football first
SDSU will always be basketball first
und will always be hockey first
Look at SDSU’s first playoff game in football… 5,000 fans. They get almost that for hoops games. Their average attendance for home football games was a meir 11,xxx, and they had one of the best backs in FCS.
We all know the football stats, attendance records and etc for NDSU. It speaks for itself. We are, and always will be a football first university. We could build a new BSA, go to the dance 3 out of 5 years in a row and have 10, 22+ win seasons in a row. I don’t think that will change.
That being said… we need a new BSA, period. It sounds like NDSU is getting very close, and got a sizeable commitment from a large seed company. $1,000,000 over 10 years is what we’ve been told. I’m not sure why the media hasn’t gotten ahold of that yet… it’s been known to us for a while. Goes back to my point about them overlooking/not wanting to cover NDSU??
As always, big thanks to Jeff and Dom for all they do for NDSU. The blog, tweets, articles, support and reports (even when the ones we don’t want to hear) Nice call Jeff on SDSU by 8 btw, pretty close.
And to all the NDSU fans that weren’t in Sioux Falls Tuesday night… I now know how every team feels when they come into the Fargodome. It was a very, VERY hostile environment. The Jack fans were very involved, and Wolters and the team just fed off of them. Vegas was WAY off only giving them a +1 on the line.
Go Bison
Agree with this mostly, especially on what is #1 for each school. The other fact of the matter is a winner draws a crowd. Good women’s basketball here drew a crowd, Woody and crew drew a crowd. I have a feeling some fans got sucked in last year with the great start, then started watching and that team in the 2nd half of the year was terrible to watch. Also, I think people are getting frustrated with the BSA thing. That has to be done yesterday.
If NDSU was #1 seed going in this year and we had all the hype of that there would have been many more NDSU fans in the stands. The simple truth is this was Wolters senior year, they made it to the dance last year, SDSU fans were willing to bet on them making the finals and didn’t want to miss Nate’s last ‘home’ tournament. Just like how the Bison were with Woodside, although even more since they are an hour away and had no weather to deal with.
A friend suggested to me that their is a reason the Bison aren’t making an announcement on the BSA renovation. He feels that with all of the projects underway or being planned in Sioux Falls, Brookings and Grand Forks that the Bison are waiting to make a much larger announcement over and above the renovation of the BSA. Proving once again that when it comes to raising money and building facilities for athletics the Bison and Fargo are in a league of their own. I hope he is right! Go Bison!
Don’t count on that.
Would love to see something with a design that allows for expansion.
Me too MarkyMark ! I love the Fargodome but it is gonna have to be bigger that is just a fact. It doesn’t have to hold 100,000 but 35,000 to 40,000 would be great. I was shocked to see they were gonna add on the new convention space. If they add anything on now they can never make the dome bigger. That is why if they are gonna do it now is the time to make the announcement and get it done. Mark I know it is a long shot.
I was in Sioux Falls for the entire tournament. SDSU fans flat out said that NDSU can have football while SDSU will take basketball. That’s too bad since the product NDSU is putting on the basketball court is very good and very entertaining. I’ve been to every Summit Tourney in Sioux Falls and there has never been a large crowd cheering for NDSU, even when they took home the title in 2009. Sad.
Basketball is not football, FCS equals football, not as much interest by Bison fans in basketball outside of the hardcore Bison fan. A new BSA by itself will not improve long term attendance, extended success and moving on from 2009 and the Woodside era will. We will see what happens to SDSU attendance minus Wolters. My guess is they still average more per game next season. SDSUs women already push the Bison men’s attendance.
Face it basketball is at most the fourth highest attended sport nationally, behind football, baseball and NASCAR. Obviously at NDSU and most football schools it is a distant second. Football is and always will be head and shoulders above it for attendance. Look at the attendance figures for the BCS championship game compared to the Final Four. Unless you are talking about non-football schools, attendance is always going to be much less. That’s the facts jack!
Stop hoping for more at least until you put consistantly good teams (teams that make the dance) on the court. When the women were winning D2 championships the fans showed up. They will again when the same product is available. I agree that NDSU would recoup the $30,000 for hosting a game easily. Hopefully they get an NIT berth, but if not they have still had a good season. GO BISON!!!
And soccer is the highest attended sport internationally, and hockey is the highest attended sport in the state, so what’s your point? Why do we make such a big deal of attendance anyway?
basketball is the 2nd highest in college sports
NCAA D-1 Basketball on a national stage> FCS D-2 Football. Jacks will be playing in front of millions at the Dance.
I’m sorry BB fans. Compared to football BB is boring.
At large bid??
Dom : Thank you for your interest in keeping this bb season alive.
Move the Summit tournament to the Twin Cities and then you will see a more balanced crowd.
Yeah because hotel prices and food wouldn’t be more expensive in Mpls. Plus you have state tournaments in every decent venue in the Twin Cities that weekend plus 2 pro teams possibly playing and Gopher hockey.
Sioux Falls is a great place for that tournament. NDSU fans chose not to show up; weather or finances, doesn’t matter why.
There are no summit schools in the Twin Cities. I don’t think attendance would ba half of what it is in Sioux Falls. I wonder if the Bison and Jacks were to get a offer to join the Missouri Valley and leave how long would Sioux Falls keep the Summit tourney. You have to believe attendance would take a nose dive, new arena or not.The Citi4es might work if all four Dakota schools were in the Summit and would have about the same distance to travel but I still think it is better off in Sioux Falls. In Sioux Falls it is the biggest thing in town in the cities it woudl be behind 10 different things going on.
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Getting locked up in the jail in Solitary Confinenment=Waiting for Bison Football game
2 time NCAA DI FCS Championship > NCAA D-1 Basketball on a national stage
Dont understand why this has to turn into a football vs basketball debate. Many Universities have both great football and basketball programs. There is no rule saying you have to be a football or basketball school. Next year has the potential to be pretty damn special at NDSU with arguably the best football team in school history and basketball team. Get excited Bison fans its going to be fun!
Let’s not get too impressed with ourselves on attendance. Fargo will support football…if they are winning. Not even 10 years ago there weren’t more than 7000 fans at the dome for games and about 50 people tailgating. The Bison gameday experience is now an “event”, and Fargo people like to be seen at events for the social aspect of it…”yeah, i was at the game”
There is no excuse for this program to be still playing in the Dump (BSA). How Saul gets ANY talent when he has to recruit to that hole is unimaginable.
I just wish I knew why the hoops enthusiasm totally died after 2009. Yes, I know football has regained it’s seat at the head of the table, and yes the 09 seniors were something special that had done remarkable things. But in a way, it tarnishes that legacy. They put us on the map, and now it’s almost as thought people in Fargo need one to go to NDSU hoops games.
I will smoke marijuana and get stoned till the next Bison football game, I cannot handle this wait for next bison game
The biggest problem for me not attending the Summit LeagueTournament is the weekday games once you get to the semis. Finances and work days off is not a concern. I would want to go with the family but I can’t afford to take my kids out of school and activities for 3 days. Just can’t happen. When we go to Frisco we can get by with only 1 school day missed. If I lived in a closer proximty I would attend all I could. I would assume that TV drives this schedule and will never change, which kind of sucks.
According to ESPN, Creighton will be in the Big East conference (the new, basketball only league) for the 2013-14 conference.
Gotta think they’ll go hard for adding St. Louis in 2014-15.
Who does that leave the MVC to add? Horizon League?
Bison basketball got a top notch ND recruit in AJ Jacobson of Fargo Shanley. In the State A tourney he is showing everyone why he is a DI recruit. Only he could have made some of those scores last night in the semifinal game. The one where he made a left handed shot from the right side was unbelievable.
Is not BB vs. Football. Each is independent and both could be wildly successful. It’s fun to watch any program build. The best basketball ever played by The Bison is being played right now.
Congratulations to the Gopher Women in their big hockey win last night. I’m not sure if the UND women are growing beards too but I hope the men continue the tradition. D2 game tonight. They should win easily to advance the beards. New nickname anybody: The Fighting Beards
SDSU isn’t getting basketball. They are on top right now and they deserve it. It’s a heated competition not a gimme. During the Bison football dynasty of the 20th century UND said they were a hockey school, then they quit the Dakotas. I don’t expect SDSU to quit football or quit the Dakotas. Dakota Big 3 all the way!
Huh? A bit too much of the Irish Celebration?
with fans like Dakota Big 3, it’s no wonder we can’t raise enough funds to fix up the BSA.