May 7, 2009

Steve Megargee
Rivals.com College Basketball Staff Writer

What do you do after you've already lived out your dreams? That's the dilemma facing North Dakota State, one of the biggest darlings of the most recent NCAA tournament.

North Dakota State accomplished the improbable by reaching the tournament in its first season as a full-fledged Division I member. The Bison opened the tournament by playing at the Metrodome in Minneapolis ? within driving distance of the families of most of their players ? while giving defending national champion Kansas a first-round scare.

"It was a lot of fun, a once-in-a-lifetime thing," North Dakota State guard Josh Vaughan said. "Well, hopefully a twice -in-a-lifetime thing."

On the surface, North Dakota State faces steep odds in its quest to get back to the tournament next season. The Bison won the Summit League title thanks to a starting lineup that featured four fifth-year seniors, including guard Ben Woodside, who ranked ninth in the nation in scoring (23.2) and 15th in assists (6.2).

Most teams that lost that kind of experience would have to rely on freshmen and sophomores the following season. Not the Bison.

North Dakota State coach Saul Phillips' reliance on redshirting ? a seldom-used practice in college basketball ? will allow him to replace one senior-dominated team with another senior-laden team. The only difference is that the four seniors on the 2009-10 roster won't have nearly as much actual game experience.

Vaughan and forward Dejuan Flowers were two of the Bison's top reserves this season, but guard Austin Pennick and forward Sam Sussenguth averaged six or fewer minutes per game. The Bison's only returning starter will be junior forward Michael Tveidt.

"We'll still have an older team, but certainly the adjustment comes from people having to take much different roles than they were in before," Phillips said. "Guys who were secondary role players maybe have to step into the forefront and carry a little more of that weight."

The lack of experience won't change the Bison's goals. They still want to reach the tournament again. After all, as a Division I team, they've never experienced the bitterness of missing the postseason. They certainly don't want to start now.

"We have the same expectations as last year," Vaughan said. "We want to win the conference and get to the NCAA tournament. But I think outside our team, people feel we won't be as good and that we have nothing. I don't think there will be high expectations. We're out to prove people wrong."

If North Dakota State beats the odds and goes back to the tournament, perhaps it might persuade other schools from low-major conferences to redshirt more often. Or it might cause Phillips not to redshirt as often as he has in the past.

After all, the redshirting option appealed to Phillips' most recent senior class because it gave those players an opportunity to reach the NCAA tournament that otherwise wouldn't have been available to them, since North Dakota State wasn't eligible to play in the tournament until the 2008-09 season.

North Dakota State's ensuing classes continued to redshirt in part because they wanted one additional chance to play in the tournament. Lorenzo Riley, a departing senior, is the only member of North Dakota State's 2008-09 roster who didn't redshirt or transfer from another school.

But what about the incoming players who are walking right into a program that can compete for NCAA tournament bids? They might not be as open to the possibility of delaying the start of their careers for a season.

"It'll be more difficult," Phillips acknowledged. "Now when kids come in, it will probably be based more on physical strength and things like that. But I still like the idea of redshirting whenever I can. It will be a kid's decision, but that's certainly been a big part of getting us where we're at.

"If you get the right kind of kid ? a kid who's looking at the bigger picture ? they're going to be better at 23 than they are at 18. That's just a fact. Some kids don't need it. Some kids won't benefit that much [from redshirting]. With others, it makes a world of difference."

It's certainly made a difference at North Dakota State.

Closing the window

Underclassmen entering the NBA draft next year won't have nearly as long a time period to decide whether they want to return to school or turn pro.

The NCAA's board of directors passed legislation last week that would force underclassmen who enter the draft to decide by May 8 whether they want to stay in school instead. Players currently have until mid-June to make a final choice.

This move represents a bit of a compromise after the ACC recommended moving the deadline to the mid-April start of the spring signing period for recruits. Coaches have complained that the drawn-out process had prevented them from recruiting prospects who could replace underclassmen who might end their college careers early.

"When it goes to June 15, if any of our players would decide to stay in [the draft], I don't have an opportunity to bring anybody else in the program," Wake Forest coach Dino Gaudio said. "I think as college coaches we have an obligation to the other guys in that locker room."

Of course, moving the deadline to May 8 might not help much in that regard unless it causes some elite recruits to delay their college selection process.

This year, only three of the nation's top 17 recruits (point guard John Wall, shooting guard Lance Stephenson and forward Latavious Williams) remain uncommitted heading into the May 20 close of the spring signing period. Maybe next year a few more elite prospects will wait on announcing their college choice until after they know which schools are losing players to the draft.

Tip-ins

? North Carolina's visit with President Barack Obama on Monday should garner more attention than the typical championship team's visit to the White House. It will be interesting to see what gets mentioned first during the news conference ? Obama's pickup game with the Tar Heels while on the campaign trail or that he correctly predicted a North Carolina title in his NCAA bracket.

? Last week in this space, we detailed teams that may have the most to lose as the NBA draft approaches. We didn't mention DePaul, which represents the most interesting case of all. Mac Koshwal and Dar Tucker have entered the draft after averaging a combined 30.7 points and 15 rebounds per game. Losing both obviously would crush the Blue Demons. Then again, they didn't win any Big East regular-season games with Koshwal and Tucker. How much worse could they be without them?

? Point guard Eric Bledsoe's decision to sign with Kentucky cemented the Wildcats' status as the champions of the offseason. Since their elimination from the NIT, the Wildcats have hired John Calipari and signed five-star prospects in 6-9 forward DeMarcus Cousins (the No. 2 prospect in the nation) and Bledsoe (No. 23). If Patrick Patterson and Jodie Meeks decide to stay in school, Kentucky could open the season in the top five. The Wildcats certainly will be ranked higher than any other team that failed to make the 2009 NCAA tournament field.

? This could be the season that some mid-major dynasties fall from their perches. Memphis almost certainly will see its 61-game Conference USA winning streak come to an end. If point guard Tyreke Evans remains in the NBA draft, Memphis might not even open the season as the Conference USA favorite, even though the Tigers have won four consecutive league titles. Xavier could see its string of three Atlantic 10 regular-season crowns in a row come to an end if forward Derrick Brown stays in the draft. The Musketeers already have lost coach Sean Miller to Arizona and must replace departing seniors C.J. Anderson and B.J. Raymond.

Steve Megargee is a national writer for Rivals.com. He can be reached at smegargee@rivals.com.