Today at 7:27 the No. 12 North Dakota State Bison will try to become one of this year's March Madness darlings when they face off against the No. 5 Oklahoma Sooners on truTV. Live stream the game for free; Sooners fans can listen to the game on KOKC-AM 1520, while Bison fans can hear it all on KFGO 790.
Many experts and observers have the Sooners on upset alert, but head coach Lon Kruger is exuding confidence heading into the Big Dance. "They love to play, they love being in the gym, they have been able to focus on trying to make progress one day to the next, not just game to game, but they have practiced well," Kruger said. "I think that's resulted in the progress that they have made."
They have a very young team though, while North Dakota State is reliant on a number of seniors who faced NCAA Tourney pressure just last year. Leading the way for the Bison is senior Taylor Braun, who tops the score sheet at 18.2 points but also contributes 5.5. rebounds and four assists. He also plays with a sizable chip on his shoulder, after receiving mostly Division II scholarship offers out of high school.
"I wasn't overly thrilled with ... just everything about it, but I (knew) I wanted to be a Division I player and this was the opportunity I was given and I took it and it has been amazing," Braun said. "I wouldn't change it for anything.
The Summit League champions may have some experience, but head coach Saul Phillips is still urging them to have a happy-go-lucky approach.
"Listen, we only get so many chances to have this stage, right? I mean, let's face it, we do," Philips said. "I'm going to enjoy it. This is great."
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