What NDSU Said About MSU Ahead of NCAA Tourney
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BUFFALO, N.Y. --- North Dakota State has not seen a team like Michigan State this season.
The 14th-seeded Bison haven't played a high-major or a Quad 1 game all season. They've only played one Quad 2 game, and it was a 22-point loss at Summit League foe St. Thomas. Now, the Bison from Fargo are seeking to send the team with the nation's longest March Madness streak (as recognized by the NCAA) home early.
"We're excited about it," NDSU head coach David Richman said about the opportunity to face (3) MSU. "It's March, and we get to match up. What do they say? 'Our next guest needs no introduction.' This is a well-coached program that's been here and done it."
Richman is in his 12th season as the head coach at North Dakota State. This will be the third time his team will take the court in "The Big Dance," but it's really his fourth time making it (his team in 2020 won the Summit League Tournament before COVID shut everything down).
The Coen Carr Factor
Players like Coen Carr are rare. Quite rare, in fact. With some respect to the Summit League, players like Carr don't play in the Summit League when they do come around. The question about "what stands out" on the film of the opponent is pretty common during these things, and Carr's name and his athleticism came up a couple of times while Richman and his players were speaking.
"They talk about the dunk being worth more than two [points]," Richman said. "I have not heard of [Carr's 51-inch max vertical], and he is every bit as athletic. You hear about things, you see clips here and there... He's an absolute freak, but what I love is that athleticism isn't just in space. He's a tough kid, too. He rebounds, he gets downhill. He's probably not even half that."
"Yeah, definitely a different type of athlete than we really see in our league..." NDSU junior forward Noah Feddersen said about Carr. "We just gotta work to contain that. A lot of it is going to be on the offensive rebounding and making sure we make hits on him so he's not getting any put-backs. And then in transition, building those walls on all of their guys, because they really like to push the ball."
This game can be a better matchup for Carr. He's unlikely to have anyone taller than 6-foot-6 guarding him man-to-man. Feddersen is the tallest guy on the roster at 6-foot-10, and sophomore forward Treyson Anderson comes in at 6-foot-9, but they both play the five and will be at least a little preoccupied by either Jaxon Kohler or Carson Cooper in the Spartans' frontcourt.
Watching the Tempo
Jeremy Fears Jr., of course, runs the show for the Spartans at an All-American level. As Feddersen said, MSU loves pushing the tempo and trying to get teams on their heels in transition. Fears is the engine of all that, leading the nation at 9.2 assists per game.
"I think he's just a fierce competitor," Richman said of Fears. "He's an elite athlete. There's just some things that we aren't gonna be able to simulate in practices where our scout team can't do those things.
"But he is so fast, and he is so dynamic, and the other thing you can really appreciate about that, and I said this countless times about our team, he's a willing winner. He prioritizes winning. What do I mean by that? He leads the country in assists [per game], and that's selfless basketball. When that's coming from your point guard, it really sets the tone for who they are."
No Bowing Down
Richman didn't seem like a coach who was caught up in the glitz and glamour of the tournament, though. He has been here a few times already, losing to 2-seed Gonzaga in 2015, and then winning a First Four game in 2019 before falling to 1-seed Duke.
"'We're not scored. We're gonna go and do us,'" Richman said while quoting his junior guard, Trevian Carson. "And again, we know the challenge that's coming [Thursday] afternoon, make no mistake. But we're not going to sit here and bow down and cower to it or anything like that. Like, let's go."
"We talk about how it's a fight. We're on a stool in the corner. We're going to keep standing up off that stool. If we can stand up more times than they can, great."
Tip-off for Michigan State-North Dakota State on Thursday is slated for 4:05 p.m. ET on TNT. The winner will face either (6) Louisville or (11) South Florida on Saturday.
A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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