North Dakota

Three Things We Learned: North Dakota

Published

4 months ago

September 4, 2024

Welcome back everyone to Three Things We Learned for the 2024 season. Let’s take a look at the win over North Dakota this past weekend in the season opener.

The Passing Game is as Good as Advertised

The Cyclones started the game last week with a bang, scoring a touchdown in less than a minute with huge catches by Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins, which signaled an explosive start to the career of Taylor Mouser as the offensive coordinator.

We also saw what the passing game can do on long drives, as the Cyclones were able to dink and dunk their way down the field, largely getting whatever they wanted in the passing game. I think that same formula could be a major key to success for Iowa State against Iowa’s very strong defense.

I also think the Cyclones may have found their third wide receiver in Eli Green, which could prove to be a big boost going forward. Given that defenses will need to focus a ton of their attention on Noel and Higgins, having Eli Green as another option will make it near impossible to cover all of Iowa State’s passing options on a well-designed route pattern. Green plays extremely similarly to Noel, so he’s a natural fit in the offense.

Linebacker is Thin

Most Cyclone fans went into the season largely agreeing that linebacker was probably the weakest position group on the defense, and that turned out to be true on Saturday. What we didn’t know was how shaky the situation actually is, as we found out on game day that Will McLaughlin is out for an extended period of time, and Caleb Bacon went down with a significant injury in the first quarter.

Right now Kooper Ebel, Jack Sadowsky, Zach Lovett, and Cael Brezina look to likely be your top four linebackers, with Jacob Ellis and John Klosterman also getting snaps. The loss of Bacon caused a lot of issues and was likely a driving factor in the twelve-minute-long possession North Dakota was able to sustain immediately following the injury.

This week, Jon Heacock and the rest of the defensive staff will be busy getting that linebacker group stabilized and figuring out a plan to deal with Iowa’s running game and tight end Luke Lachey.

Young Talent is Abundant

Even though Iowa State is returning nineteen of twenty-two starters, there is still a significant number of young players expected to get significant snaps this season, and we saw a few of them in action Saturday.

I think Kooper Ebel and Jontez Williams both had their moments of youth, but otherwise had strong showings against North Dakota that illustrate why we’ve heard so much about them in the offseason and through camp. Ebel looked the part of blossoming into another strong player in Iowa State’s lineage of great linebackers, and Jontez Williams nearly cut off a pass to the flat and took it to the house.

Williams did admit in his postgame interview that he was guilty of getting ahead of himself and not watching the ball in before running to the endzone, which shows maturity on his part.

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North Dakota

How to watch: No. 6 Alabama at North Dakota

Published

7 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Press Room

How to watch: No. 6 Alabama at North Dakota

After surviving the gauntlet stretch of its non-conference schedule, No. 6 Alabama will hope a chilly trip to the Great Plains won’t cool down its recent run. North Dakota native Grant Nelson will get a homecoming game as the Crimson Tide travels to face North Dakota on Wednesday night. The matchup will be the first leg of a two-for-one series with the Fighting Hawks traveling to Tuscaloosa, Alabama in 2025 and 2027.

Wednesday will mark the first matchup between Alabama and UND. Nelson, on the other hand, boasts a 6-1 record against the Fighting Hawks, dating back to his time at North Dakota State. The Devils Lake, North Dakota native averaged 16.8 points and 5.28 rebounds while shooting 56% from the floor, including 10 of 21 (47.6%) from beyond the arc in those seven games. That includes his last outing against UND when he dropped 36 points and seven boards while shooting 13 of 20 from the floor.

Here’s everything you need to know about Wednesday’s game.

How to watch

Who: No. 6 Alabama (8-2) at North Dakota (4-8)

When: 8 p.m. CT, Saturday, Dec. 14

Where: Betty Engelstad Sioux Center, Grand Forks, North Dakota

Watch: CBS Sports Network (play-by-play: Alex Heinert, analyst: Shon Morris, sideline Missy Heidrick)

Listen: Crimson Tide Sports Network | SIRIUS/XM 134/201 (play-by-play: Roger Hoover, analyst: Bryan Passink)

Alabama’s projected starters

Mark Sears: 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, graduate

Stats: 17.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 4.0 apg, 39.0% FG, 31.8% 3-pt

Labaron Philon: 6-foot-4, 177 pounds, freshman

Stats: 11.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.8 apg, 53.5% FG, 24.0% 3-pt

Jarin Stevenson: 6-foot-11, 215 pounds, sophomore

Stats: 4.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.0 apg, 38.5% FG, 24.1% 3-pt

Grant Nelson: 6-foot-11, 230 pounds, graduate

Stats: 12.2 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 1.9 apg, 51.2% FG, 27.6% 3-pt

Clifford Omoruyi: 6-foot-11, 250 pounds, graduate

Stats: 8.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 0.9 apg, 71.4% FG

North Dakota’s projected starters

Eli King: 6-foot-4, 190 pounds, junior

Stats: 6.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.7 apg, 33.8% FG, 34.3% 3-pt

Mier Panoam: 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, sophomore

Stats: 11.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.8 apg, 38.6% FG, 24.0% 3-pt

Treyshen Eaglestaff: 6-foot-6, 190 pounds, junior

Stats: 18.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.2 apg, 42.4% FG, 37.1% 3-pt

Deng Mayar: 6-foot-8, 180 pounds, senior

Stats: 4.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 0.3 apg, 41.0% FG, 35.7% 3-pt

Amar Kulijuhov: 6-foot-8, 2225 pounds, senior

Stats: 11.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 1.4 apg, 53.4% FG

Focus for a full 40

Nate Oats knows he’ll have far more talent on the floor than his opposition on Wednesday night. The Alabama head coach even admitted as much during his Tuesday press conference. It’s hard to find a betting line for Wednesday’s matchup, but it’s safe to say the Tide is heavily favored.

While Alabama is confident about coming back from North Dakota with a win, Oats is hoping to see his team display better focus than it has at times this season. The Tide played with its food during non-conference wins against Arkansas State and McNeese State in November. Last week, it allowed Creighton to get back into the game twice before polishing off the Bluejays for an 83-75 victory. Regardless of the score Wednesday night, Oats said he wants to see his team play winning basketball for 40 minutes.

“We’ve got some guys that are really talented, want to be good, don’t quite realize the mental side of it, staying locked in on every possession to close the game,” Oats said. “We’ve got to play every possession. We can’t play the score. We’ve got to be locked in and try to get stops every possession.”

A name to know

North Dakota guard Treysen Eaglestaff leads the Summit League averaging 18.6 points per game and has recorded at least 12 points in all of his 12 starts this season. While the majority of that production has come against mid-major opposition, the 6-foot-6, 190-pound junior scored 13 points while shooting 3 of 6 from beyond the arc during a loss at Notre Dame in November.

“He’s a good shooter, can get to the rim, get to the free-throw line,” Oats said. “He’s good, and they know he’s good. They get him the ball all kinds of different ways.”

Oats said Alabama might treat Eaglestaff the way it did North Carolina guard R.J. Davis, by putting a bigger body on him. Davis scored 18 points during Alabama’s 94-79 win at North Carolina earlier this month. However, the Tide was able to hold the reigning ACC Player of the Year to 1 of 11 shooting from beyond the arc.

Game notes

— Wednesday’s matchup will feature two of the best rebounding teams in the nation. North Dakota ranks No. 8, averaging 15.08 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Alabama ranks No. 8, averaging 30.4 defensive boards.

— Nelson currently ranks fifth in the SEC averaging 8.0 rebounds per game.

— Wednesday’s game will be a drop in competition for an Alabama team that has faced eight programs that currently rank inside KenPom’s top 100. Six of those rank inside the top 50.

— Paul Sather is in his sixth season at North Dakota. With 65 victories, he is one of eight coaches in program history to reach the 60-win mark.

— North Dakota was picked to finish sixth in the Summit League while Eaglestaff and Amar Kuljuhaovic earned First Team All-Summit League recognition.

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North Dakota

Moorhead man arrested for DUI, assaulting ND State Trooper

Published

15 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Press Room

Moorhead man arrested for DUI, assaulting ND State Trooper

FARGO — A Moorhead man faces multiple charges after a run in with a North Dakota Highway Patrol trooper around 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 17.

Oscar Lee Jr., a 44-year-old Moorhead resident, was in a vehicle with children when a North Dakota Highway Patrol trooper made contact with him in a parking lot at 2535 23rd Ave. S., in Fargo, according to a release from the North Dakota Highway Patrol.

The trooper arrested Lee Jr. for driving under the influence. When Lee Jr. was placed under arrest, he “resisted” and kicked at officers, the release said. A trooper was struck several times and went to a nearby hospital to be treated for minor injuries.

Oscar Lee Jr.

Cass County Jail

Lee Jr. was arrested for driving under the influence and driving under revocation, the release said. He was also arrested for felon resisting arrest, assault on a peace officer and terrorizing.

Lee Jr. is being held in Cass County Jail, according to the release. No charges have officially been filed, according to North Dakota Court Records.

Lee Jr. pleaded guilty to felony terrorizing and reckless endangerment in 2022 and two separate misdemeanor DUI incidents in 2024.

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.

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North Dakota

New state plan targets falling reading scores in North Dakota

Published

23 hours ago

December 17, 2024

Press Room

New state plan targets falling reading scores in North Dakota

FARGO — Reading test scores are declining across the U.S., but North Dakota is working to reverse that trend.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as “The Nation’s Report Card,” reported a significant decline in U.S. reading scores between 2019 and 2022.

A statewide plan in North Dakota is focusing on key areas of development: Phonics, vocabulary, comprehension and oral reading fluency, or reading aloud.

It’s called “The Science of Reading in North Dakota.”

“COVID played a big role in this. We certainly went backwards after COVID, and that’s unfortunate, but I think we’re taking the correct steps to move forward now,” Nick Archuleta, president of North Dakota United, said. North Dakota United is the union of the North Dakota Education Association and the North Dakota Public Employees Association.

A recent survey by the National Literacy institute shows 21% of adults in the U.S are illiterate and 54% have a literacy rate below a sixth-grade level.

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