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"Big Time" basketball opponents at home

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  • "Big Time" basketball opponents at home

    Mike McFeely has a nice piece in the Fargo paper this morning on the topic of getting "Big Time" basketball programs to come to Fargo.  It is an interesting read and would be pretty applicable to us in Brookings (sub site but it is free):

    http://www.in-forum.com/articles/ind...Mike%20McFeely

    Bison need big-time opponents

    Mike McFeely, The Forum
    Published Tuesday, December 12, 2006

    North Dakota State needs to get a big-time men’s college basketball opponent here every year.

    Which, if you were lucky enough to be one of the 6,110 fans inside the electrified Bison Sports Arena on Saturday to see NDSU lose to Kansas State 83-81, is sort of like saying Brad Childress needs to get a personality.

    For the first time in years, a Bison hoops game was an event. A happening. The place to be.

    This needs to happen more.

    The folks in north Fargo, being intelligent types, understand this. And they are working on it. But it’s not going to be easy.

    “It’s a desire. It’s something we want to happen,” Bison coach Tim Miles said.

    Later, he added: “But we’re not going to mortgage the foundation for a nice paint job.”

    Translation: Miles and his boss, athletic director Gene Taylor, need to weigh the costs of bringing in a big-timer every year and how that cost will impact the long-term health of the program.  .  .  .  (read more)



    The one thing Mike didn't mention in his story, and no Bison supporter will admit, is just how lucky NDSU was to get a Bob Huggins lead K-State team into Fargo.  When K-State and NDSU signed this deal K-State was lead by Jim Wooldridge.  The Wildcats were Big XII bottom feeders they hadn't had a winning season in 6 years.  Heck the last time the Wildcats really made any noise was back in the Big 8 days when Coach Cunningham (SDSU assistant for those of you who don't know) played for them.    

    So anyway long story short, the Bison play their two games against K-State in Manhattan (and get thumped both times) and then the Wildcats are set to come to Fargo.  That is when the luck comes into play.  K-State's AD has had enough and lets Wooldridge go and hires none other then Bob Huggins this elevates the game big time, but lets face it that was just dumb luck on NDSU's part.  No way would a Bob Huggins lead team sign a 2 for 1 now with NDSU.  He has talked about this very issue, and to his credit he talked about how "if you sign a contract you play the game" and you don't buy it out.  

    Don't get me wrong, I give credit to NDSU for getting a K-State type team to Fargo.  I hope we too get a lower level major conference opponent in at some time.  But, the dirty little secret that no one in Fargo is talking about is how lucky NDSU got with this game.

    With all that said good for NDSU for making the most of their opportunity.  They played a whale of a ball game and gave the Wildcats a scare, of course this K-State team is probably looking at the NIT, at best, as Bob is working mostly with Wooldridge guys at this point. Still a nice story by McFeely.

    Go State!  
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