It's time to board (North Dakota State) Bison bandwagon

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It's time to board (North Dakota State) Bison bandwagon

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Usually I am the last person you want advice from when it comes to filling out your NCAA Tournament bracket. I like
my Sweet 16 chock-full of 11 seeds and my Final Four riddled with No.6s. Doesn't usually turn out that way in real
life, though.
But I have an upset for you this year. It involves last year's national champion. Yes, the Kansas Jayhawks are going
down in Round One on Friday. And NCAA newbie North Dakota State is going to deliver the blow.
The Midwest's No.3 seed, the Jayhawks come in as losers of two of their past three, allowing 76 points per game in
that span.
The freshman- and sophomore-laden team is clearly not playing its best. On the other hand, North Dakota State, the
14th-seed, has won seven straight and is ninth in the country in scoring at 80.8 points per game.
More than half the Bisons' points come from two of their seniors - guard Ben Woodside (22.8 points per game) and
forward Brett Winkelman (18.7). Earlier this season, Woodside dropped 60 (not a typo) on NCAA Tournament
participant Stephen F. Austin. The two can shoot it from the outside and light up a scoreboard. Woodside and
Winkelman will give Kansas fits.
And everyone knows how important guard play is in the Big Dance. Woodside protects the ball and the Bison offense
averages just over 11 turnovers per game, good for ninth in the nation. The young Jayhawks ranked 232nd with nearly
15 turnovers per game.
Plus, the game is in Minneapolis, little more than a three-hour drive from Fargo, N.D., where NDSU is located. Did you
see how rabid the Bison fans are? They are going to turn it into a home game for the Summit League regular season
and conference tournament champs.
It's already been a Cinderella season for North Dakota State, getting to the NCAA Tournament in its first season
eligible. It just doesn't feel like it's time for the Bisons' clock to strike midnight.