Trayvonn Wright dunks against Western Michigan in the CBI.
The Bison men’s basketball season ended tonight in a similar fashion to last year with a last second chance to try and win/tie the game; last year in the 1st round of the CBI at Wyoming; this year in the 1st round of the CBI at Western Michigan. Where there any differences or improvements from 2012 to 2013? Obvious when you look at record; NDSU won 17 games last season, they won 24 this year. They finally won a game at the Summit League Tournament; two in fact; before falling in the conference championship game. I predicted back in October that this team would make the Summit League final; I had them 2nd in my preseason poll, NDSU took 3rd. We can only speculate on what this team could have done had Taylor Braun not broke a bone in his foot; but he did.
- We saw continued great strides in Braun; who averaged 15 points a game and shot 46 percent from the field; he had stretches in games where he put the Bison on his back and refused to let them lose. He is the glue of the Bison team, a 1st team all-conference performer; who if he stays healthy; should garner plenty of votes as the conference player of the year. He improved his shooting this year and needs to do that again for next season. I’d like to see more times when he takes over a game; I think he can do it; he’s just that good.
- Lawrence Alexander; I thought was tremendous; he played the most minutes by almost 200 compared to everyone else; he averaged 11 points a game and asserted himself even more than he did during his freshman year. The key for him in my mind is to make the steps that Braun and Trayvonn Wright made during their junior year. I think his shot selection needs to improve; there were times that I thought he was somewhat out of control and was too quick to shoot; think that comes with maturity.
- Trayvonn Wright continues to wow with his athleticism; he had some dunks this season that made you shake your head and his improved shooting from outside was noticeable right from the first game of the season; but he had games against the high-majors and better teams (Indiana, Minnesota, Akron and the Summit Final) where he vanished. That cannot happen next season if NDSU wants to end its NCAA tournament drought.
- Marshall Bjorklund started the season on fire; his best night came against SDSU back in December when he scored 20 points and was unstoppable down low in the win against the Jacks. He was leading the NCAA in field goal percentage; but after Braun’s injury; Bjorklund was the most affected; he was double-teamed; sometimes triple-teamed; his point and shot totals took huge hits; just look at the 1st Western Illinois game and the SDSU games. Biggest key in my mind is how NDSU improves its offense so that Bjorklund is a factor in each game.
- I thought Kory Brown and Chris Kading each showed flashes that as a Bison fan you should feel good about. Brown’s high school coach told me when he verbally committed in May that he would be the best defender on the team. He was right. Brown became the shut-down guy for NDSU, he was on Nate Wolters when the games got tight and I thought his offense got better as the season went along. Kading provided some necessary height down low and some grittiness that will only get better after another year in the weight room. I can’t give enough of an evaluation of Brett VandenBergh; he had one great shooting game against USD; and I know that they needed VandenBergh to play but it would have been nice to save that redshirt.
Remember this team gets Joel Lindberg back next season; Saul Phillips told me in August before the Lindberg injury that he was going to be fighting for a starting spot. This team adds 2 incoming freshmen in AJ Jacobson and Carlin Dupree for next season, Jacobson for sure redshirts; Dupree has the athleticism to be a game changer, but on a team that is bringing a majority of it’s scoring back; is he needed? Time will tell. The door is open for NDSU to walk thru next season and be the top dog in the conference; we’ll see if they’re ready to take that next step.
I think Denver maybe the team to beat next season in the Summit. They have a very good team this season and return quite a few players. This Bison team just doesn’t seem to have that killer instinct. They should have put Western Michigan away early. Sorry to say but they tend to choke in big games. They need to get over that hump if they want to go dancing next year.
ndsu should be the favorite returning nearly everyone. denver should be a close 2nd. i see these two in the finals next season as of now
Denver will be favored.
Why was that game played in Michigan? Only 1,500 fans showed up? Surely NDSU could have doubled that turnout.
absolutely! let’s spend a few bucks to get this team a home game!
I doubt that, the crowd would have been about the same. It may be a tournament, but it’s a sorry excuse for one.
cuz the ncaa tournament put michigan in the auburn hills site
Coach: Should maybe win a game or two in the CBI then worry about the NIT
Lack of a killer instinct comes from the coaches. I’ve never been a huge fan of Phillips. That being said he is going to have a Summit Dream Team next year. He better get them to the point of having that killer instinct. Otherwise I think he should be looking for a job.
The officiating last night was terrible. The officials missed many calls that could have easily made this a ten point game in the Bison’s favor.
Once again it’s “one-and-done.” Very disappointing. All that talk before this game with color coded rankings, the whining and crying about how we deserve to be in a better tournament. Good grief, I get tired of all that smart @$$ smack talk from this coach and then no production when it matters.
This tournament was frustrating and disappointing not just for NDSU but for the Summit League in general. Western Illinois didn’t show up against Purdue (injury bug impact that at all?).
No wonder SDSU only got a 13 seed.
only a 13 seed? because of our conference and schedules thats the best the summit can hope for as of right now. unless a team runs the table in conference and only has around 3-4 losses we wont get any better than a 13 seed
At least SDSU showed up with their varsity. The Montana Grizzlies must have left theirs at the airport.
I agree with mostly with what is said. The difference with the 09 team and this team is that the 09 team beat the bigger schools like the Badgers and Colorado State. This team has not won one of those types of games.
I have to admit. Saul did come off looking a silly with his colored charts. Having to may excuses never works.
Saul needs to quit crying about what tournament they play in and maybe start thinking about changing their offense. Way too much one on one! Braun is good but he did not show up last night
Wow the bison do deserve to be in the big ten! You guys are one of the greatest teams in the country! I feel you guys got screwed for not getting in the big dance. You are a final four team for sure. Oh yeah wait didn’t you guy’s get beat by MSUM last year?
Who do you cheer for? Don’t tell me those losers from UM? They should be a D-III school!
The Bison need to have the ability to have 5 guys on the floor that can score. When a defense ignores a player because he never shoots when left open it hurts the players that can score. If a player won’t shoot when he is wide open the opponent knows he isn’t confident enough to shoot the ball.
If Kading, VandenBergh, Kory Brown, and Joel Lindbergh don’t improve their shooting in the offseason this team won’t go any further than they did this year. These players need to be able to score from any where within their shooting range (whatever that may be) when left wide open.
Bison03 & the anti ndsu haters are out. Why don’t you fools stay away hows that? And quit take the bait of bison03.
Basketball at ndsu needs a shot in the arm they need this new arena ASAP. also they need to be physical pickup a big thug from ndscs please someone with some toughness
Who made the big dance? Who beat the # 1 team in the country on ESPN?
so, who lost to the huskers the following week I am not sure which game was I would be the most proud of.
I understand the fraustration everyone has for this team I to had a hard time listening to the game last night because when you go 7 minutes without scoring only bad things are going to happen. When I had time to think about what happened this year it is really amazing what they accomplished winning 24 games with this team as young as it is. We can only judge this team (compare it to 09 team) next year or even the year after as far how good they really will be. To think we were only 2 games from the most winningest team in SU history and that was with a freshman at point guard. and no senior in the starting 5. Compare that to the Gophers who no doubt have a talented team but have seniors in their starting 5. They underacheived and played in a conference that is overrated in my opinion. Lets see how many B10 schools are in the final 4 I wouldn’t be surprised if there are NO teams are there at the end which is not good when they have the most teams of any conference in the tournament. Next year will not be a good year to be a Gopher fan I will predict that Bison will win for the first time at Williams arena something that the Woodside group did’nt do
I dont think anyone is a Bison hater… its just that Saul and co. think they are better than they are. If the Bison were in the Big ten they would have finished in the bottom of the league, thats why their players are playin in the Summit and not the Big 10, there is a huge difference between MAJOR and low mid major.
There is a reason why SDSU or NDSU would not finish in at the bottom of the B10 because they are overacheivers and don’t quit. They would figuire out a way to compete just like they have in Football.
Overachieved all the way to a first round exit of the CBI tourney.
but they did not quit now did they, thats my point. This team is young and thats what you see a team that is growing making mistakes if it was a team full of seniors then they would be a bunch of underacheivers.
Quit dreaming about Big Ten membership. No TV markets, no history yet in the big time division. Fun to speculate but zero reality. Check NDSU and SDSU men’s basketball records against Minnesota since 2005.
Something about the difference in coaching styles between Tubby and Saul. Tubby for what ever reason decided to critical of his players in public, because of that I think there was a time during the season his players quit playing. When you can beat the #1 Team in the country one week and then go out and lay an egg the following week against the worst team in the conference is a sign of bad coaching no matter what excuses are made. I do think Tubby has made a decision to leave, Texas will be a good fit because that team can’t get any worse.
Saul on the other hand couldn’t stop saying how much in love he is with this team. I don’t remember a game where his players just quit playing, yes even in the last 2 games when they could have easily just layed down and went home but they came back and made a game of it. They certainly could have checked out after they lost Braun got injured but then went on to win by 40 in the first game w/o him. They did lose games when Tyler was out but that was against the better teams and did win the games they were supposed to win. The better coaches find a way of motivating its players and do discipline when they need to but not in public. Those who think Saul is the wrong coach need to reflect because it certainly could be worse. Good luck to Texas or any other team who think Tubby will fix there problems.
why are we comparing a big ten team to us? this is apples and oranges
Appears as if Tubby’s decision to leave must made for him.
My question is I don’t know why Wright who is a legit scorer aroud the basket became pretty much a 3 point shooter the last part of the year. If that is what Saul wants him to do then move him to the 3 spot and put Braun at shooting guard. Play Marshall and Kading at center and power forward. I think Saul is a good coach and a great recruiter considering the arena he is recruiting to. I don’t think you can fire either basketball coach until you give them a decent arena to play in. Go Bison!
Nice Season Bison. Ignore the negativity and win the Summit next year.
Still wish Tray red shirted and spent a year putting on weight.
SDSU is a bit over matched but young Mr. Wolters is giving a great account of himself and I expect to see him get a shot at the NBA. Excellent overall young man.
I hear many people talk nba with Wolters. I am not sure if there is much difference between Woodside and him. My guess if he is going to continue to play it will have to be in Europe.
I agree Wolters is the real deal!
Bison fans/media who think NDSU is the clear favorite for the Summit next year are going to be in for a shock. Yes, they’ve got a lot back. But take it in stock. The elephant in the room is Denver. They nearly won the WAC (better by far than the Summit) and have been on the verge of making the tournament for several years now. They’re not looking at NDSU and quaking in their boots.
As for the rest of the Summit, it will be harder than you think. Yes, SDSU will miss Wolters but they’re not going back to a punching bag, or even what NDSU was after our all time star, Woodside, left. They’ll still have Jordan Dykstra, Brayden Carlson, and Chad White, plus they’ve got a really good recruiting class that includes one of the top scorers in Minnesota prep history. And as long as that tournament is in Sioux Falls, they’ll always have a home crowd. Oakland, with Travis Bader, has a lot coming back and should be better. And Kampe knows his isht. I also can’t imagine USD staying down for long.
Bottom line, as much as this team needs to step up, BISON FANS need to step up. Get to the arena next year. Get to Sioux Falls. Help get the BSA renovated. I know football is the bread winner, but lets be real…..SDSU got more national attention in two NCAA Tournament appearance than NDSU does for two FCS titles. Football pays the bills, but unless it ever gets to a BCS league, it won’t give us the chance to make much of a national splash unless we’re out pulling the Appalachian State-#5 Michigan type of upset. If you think NDSU football is a national talker, it would be dwarfed by an upset over a major power hoops team in the Dance. Get out and support hoops folks.
At least we aren’t in the big sky. Brains injury cost us a win or two and a lot of weeks off which I’m sure put the back. It was a good season. Hope next year is better.
The Big Sky really must be that bad in basketball. Montana lost by 50 points last night in the NCAA tourney and only scored 34 points.
The Bison only scored 30 points against somebody that wasn’t quite as good as Syracuse this year I believe. Shouldn’t be smacking Montana about that I don’t think.
Western Illinois
somebody not quite as good as syracuse? nice comparison!
Bison03, how long are you going to keep up your, “I’m a Bison Fan” charade? You are classless, and have no integrity. You should be unplugged.
I would rather you professed your hate, than keep up this charade. Weasels like you should be exposed.
The team didn’t really try in the CBI cause it didn’t matter. They should have beat WMU but the refs were against us. In the end, it doesn’t matter and we’ll be dancing next season as a 10 seed. Great season by Saul and the boys.
Can I have some of that kool aid your drinking. Didnt Try? give me a break.
Lets cherry pick more results… A team NDSU lost by 15 to went out and lost by 46 in the tournament yesterday to a 5 seed.
akron was without their pg and vcu is a top 25 team. terrible comparison
Take a look at Denver University, who is moving into Summit next year. Made it to second round of NIT, and was up on Maryland (who plays in ACC conference with Duke, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Florida State) by 9 with 9 minutes to go. Loses only one senior, and quite a few Fresh/Sophs on this years roster. I cringed when I heard Taylor Braun say after the Summit Championship game, “We are going to win it next year” .
The Bison need three players that can play both ends of the court. Braun while having good skills can not get it done. In watching the Bison play Akron it was apparent they were lacking in speed and mobility. Akron got it hat handed to it in the NCAA tourney. Also, SDSU only had Wolters and they were easily handled by Michigan. Its easy to focus on one player if the premise of the team is get the ball to one player. Even platoon (use) two – three players off the bench to shut that person down. One trick ponys will never go anywhere in the NCAA tourney. They may win a lower conference title, but will struggle to even get to the Sweet 16 (a hope and a prayer under the current approach). Recruiting needs to vastly improve. I agree with others on here that have commented that when the Bison played Akron players that had an open shot instead passed the ball to someone else. A serious revamp and stronger talent are needed to execute against higher calibre competition. As good as they were, I would hate to think the Woodside team is as good as it gets.
You do realize Akron was missing four players for that tournament game, including their starting point guard right? That team wasn’t even remotely the same team NDSU faced in bracketbusters.
Completely disagree. I love that Taylor said that.
Why does MSUM use tax payer dollars to honor a person that has committed murder in the first degree? Is this what we want our universities to do with our hard earned dollars and the borrowed money of so many of our children? Is that person the person you want your children to look up too?
It should be noted he committed 1st degree murder for entirely selfish reasons: he disagreed with a political position. Is it justifiable to kill those you disagree with? Moorhead state is an accessory to his crimes against God and our country.
Hey cfm;
You are not a very good cherry picker. You know that Akron, which beat NDSU, was without their starting point guard and multiple other players due to illness when they played their first round NCAA tournament game.