No. 14 NDSU MBB Draws No. 3 Michigan State in NCAA Tournament First Round Thursday in Buffalo
This is NDSU’s sixth NCAA Tournament bid since 2009, and the Bison will be looking for their third victory in March Madness.
FARGO (KVRR) – The celebration continued Sunday afternoon at the Scheels Center as the North Dakota State Bison men’s basketball team gathered with fans for a watch party to learn their fate in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament.
After capturing their sixth Summit League Tournament title on March 9 over North Dakota, the Bison officially discovered when and where their March Madness journey will begin.
North Dakota State will face the Michigan State Spartans in the opening round later this week.
The Spartans enter the tournament after a quarterfinal loss to the UCLA Bruins in the Big Ten Conference Tournament. Despite the early exit, Michigan State is once again a fixture in the NCAA Tournament under legendary head coach Tom Izzo. The Spartans are making their 27th consecutive trip to the Big Dance, excluding the canceled 2020 tournament, and enter this year’s field with a 25–7 overall record.
For the Bison, the opportunity marks another milestone season. North Dakota State, 27–7 overall, is headed to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in program history (2020 cancelled what would have been their 5th appearance at the time). Their last appearance came in 2019, when the Bison advanced through the First Four before falling to the Duke Blue Devils in the Round of 64.
The program’s most memorable March Madness moment remains 2014, when 12-seed North Dakota State stunned the Oklahoma Sooners as a No. 5 seed in the opening round for the school’s lone Round of 64 victory.
Following the bracket reveal, Bison head coach David Richman said the team is embracing the challenge of facing a traditional power.
“We talk to the guys about being excited about the opportunity,” Richman said. “I grew up in the Midwest, so I’m a Big Ten guy. When you think Big Ten basketball, you think about Tom Izzo and the physical brand that is Michigan State. But when you’re a 13 or 14 seed, you’re going to play a really good team. We know it will be a physical brand of basketball, and that’s good for us.”
Junior guard Trevion Carson said the moment is one the team has envisioned since arriving on campus.
“Excitement is high,” Carson said. “Just being able to compete at a high level like that on national television. But it’s still basketball. We go out there and compete. Just because they’ve got a big name doesn’t mean nothing. When we first got on campus we knew the group was special. The chemistry we had on and off the court—we knew it could be something special.”
Sophomore guard Andy Stefonowicz echoed that excitement after hearing the Bison’s name called on Selection Sunday.
“It was really cool,” Stefonowicz said. “Just hearing your name called is an honor. It’s a blessing. We didn’t really care who we played. We knew it was going to be a good matchup and a good team no matter what, so we’re just super excited.”
The first-round matchup will air on TNT with tip scheduled for approximately 4:05 p.m. ET / 3:05 p.m. CT, following the game between the No. 6 Louisville Cardinals and No. 11 South Florida Bulls.
The winners of the two games will advance to the second round on Saturday, March 21.
