Watch: NDSU MBB Coach Dave Richman Discusses National Signing Day additions

The Bison men's basketball team added three players on National Signing Day

FARGO, N.D. (NDSU Athletics) —  The North Dakota State University men’s basketball program has added three student-athletes in the 2018 recruiting class, head coach Dave Richman announced Wednesday, Nov. 8, on the first day of the early signing period.

Jarius Cook of Brooklyn Park, Minn., Jaxon Knotek of River Falls, Wis., and Vinnie Shahid of Minneapolis, Minn., will continue their education and play basketball at NDSU. All three are expected to join the Bison in the summer of 2018.

Cook, a 6-foot-2 guard from Park Center HS, was named All-Northwest Suburban Conference as a junior after averaging 15 points per game. He helped guide Park Center HS to a 21-6 record in his first season as a starter. Cook played AAU basketball for Powerhouse Hoops MN, earning second team all-state AAU honors in 2017.

“Jarius is a special talent,” said Richman. “He’s a tough kid with great athletic ability and a knack for scoring the ball. Jarius is a tremendous competitor who got better every time we watched him play, and we are excited about the impact he is going to have on our program. Jarius comes from a great family and is a high-character person and teammate.”

Knotek, a 6-foot-5 guard from River Falls HS, is a three-year starter who averaged 20 points and six rebounds per game as a junior while shooting 40 percent from three-point range. He was named Big Rivers Conference Player of the Year and honorable mention all-state as a junior in 2016-17. Knotek played for Wisconsin Playmakers in the summer.

“Jaxon is a high level shooter who has great size and athleticism,” Richman said. “We are extremely excited to add Jaxon to the Bison Family, as he has a ton of upside and there is no doubt his best basketball is ahead of him. He is another high-character kid who comes from a great family.”

Shahid, a 5-foot-11 guard from Hopkins HS and Western Nebraska Community College, will come to NDSU with two seasons of eligibility remaining. He was an all-state performer on the Hopkins state championship team that went 31-1 in 2016 and lost only eight games in his high school career. As a freshman at WNCC in 2016-17, he earned all-region second team honors after averaging 15 points, four assists and three rebounds per game.

“Vinnie is an experienced leader who has played key roles on very successful teams,” said Richman. “He’s a strong, tough point guard that is always talking. His eyes are always up the court and looking to make plays for his teammates. Vinnie is a high level shooter, a competitor, and a winner in every sense of the word. We are excited to welcome Vinnie, his mother Riva, and their family to the Bison Family.”

The Bison open the 2017-18 season at UC Santa Barbara on Saturday, Nov. 11.