FARGO, N.D. (AP) – Followers of the men’s basketball team at North Dakota State say a viewing party for bracket selections in the NCAA tournament was more about respect than revelry. The Bison received the highest seed for a Summit League team since 1997 when they were tabbed as the Number 12 team in the West Region and tapped to play 5th ranked Oklahoma in the first game Thursday in Spokane, Washington. It’s what the players and fans gathered around the video board Sunday at the Bison Sports Arena expected.
FARGO, N.D. (AP) – North Dakota State head basketball coach Saul Phillips and his two predecessors with the Bison are bringing teams to this year’s NCAA Division I tournament.
Not only that, they’re all in the same regional.
Nebraska’s Tim Miles and Creighton’s Greg McDermott both had stints with NDSU before moving on to other programs.
McDermott led the Bison in the 2000-01 season before taking a job at Northern Iowa. Miles coached NDSU from 2001 to 2007 before joining Colorado State.
NDSU, Nebraska and Creighton are in the West Regional. NDSU plays Oklahoma, Nebraska faces Baylor, and Creighton takes on Louisiana-Lafayette in the opening round.
Phillips joked that if he and Miles get a chance to play each other, they will be the first coaches to appear at an NCAA press conference together.
