North Dakota State Bison
Record: 23-9
Head coach: David Richman (1st season)
Season summary: The Bison will make the program's third ever NCAA tournament appearance in head coach David Richman’s first season. The berth will mark the first time in team history that North Dakota State has appeared in consecutive tournaments after winning a game in the tournament as a 12-seed against Oklahoma last year. Senior guard Lawrence Alexander and freshman counterpart A.J. Jacobson lead this season’s squad, accounting for 47.8 percent of North Dakota State’s scoring. Both Alexander and Jacobson shoot better than a 40 percent clip from deep, but it’s the Bison defense that has kept this squad in games all season long and brought them to the Big Dance. North Dakota State allows just 61.6 points per game, good for 53rd in the nation compared to its 64.5 points scored per game, which is 247th.
How they make a run: Alexander and Jacobson heat up from deep and put enough points on the board to allow the Bison defense to clamp down on its opponents.
How they falter: The Bison face a team with dominant big men and get beaten up inside.
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