Bison Fab Four Face Biggest Challenge Yet

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In less than 12 hours North Dakota State will play Kansas in their first NCAA Tournament game ever. It's a steep task to face the defending champions Kansas Jayhawks. However, the NCAA has thrown them a bit of a golden parachute by placing the game in Minneapolis- a mere 240 miles from campus. Will Bison Nation be there? You bet they will be. Almost a half year removed from the Bison football victory over Minnesota, the men's basketball team is in the same venue looking for an upset. I wouldn't bet against it even if Kansas do look bigger and badder than anything the Summit League can throw at NDSU. But hey, they made the field of 64. Minnesota is out after a loss to Texas. Maybe the Gopher State will get behind ND State. Both Winkelman and Woodside are Minnesota natives plus there's a guy on the bench from Willmar- also in Minnesota. My guess is that it's going to be great fan support. I was pretty impressed with Minnesota early in the season but they just faded at the end. 3 pointers did them in this time. The last time a Summit/Mid-Continent League team made it out of the 1st round it was in 1998 when Valparaiso defeated Mississippi and then Florida State. Valpo and the rest of the teams victorious in the 1st round are no longer in the league (looks like most of them play in the Horizon League.) Oral Roberts and Oakland, the most recent entries from the Summit did not fare well. But perhaps Woodside, Moorman, Winkelman, and Nelson are a special breed. I really want them to win.

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