Bison Open 2024-25 Season Hosting Jamestown, Illinois State

The Games: The North Dakota State men’s basketball team will open the 2024-25 season by hosting the University of Jamestown on Monday, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m. inside the Scheels Center. The Bison welcome Illinois State to Fargo on Thursday, Nov. 7, for a 7:30 p.m. tip — with the later start time designed to give fans an opportunity to watch NDSU Volleyball hosting South Dakota at 5:30 p.m. at the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse.
 
Where to Watch: Both games will be broadcast on WDAY Xtra locally and available to subscribers of the Summit League Network through the Midco Sports Plus app.
 
Radio: Sam Neidermann (play-by-play) and Dexter Werner (analyst) will call the games on 107.9 The Fox and Bison 1660. Broadcasts can also be streamed on the NDSU Athletics app, as well as at GoBison.com/AllAccess for free.
 
Against Jamestown: Monday will be the 43rd meeting all-time between the Bison and Jimmies, with NDSU leading the series, 32-10. The schools last met on Dec. 30, 2017, with the Bison posting a 99-50 victory inside the Scheels Center.
 
Against Illinois State: The Bison and Redbirds met last season for the first time in men’s basketball, with Illinois State winning 75-65 in Normal on Dec. 17.
 
Last Time vs. Illinois State: The Bison led for more than half the game, but a late 18-2 run by Illinois State gave the Redbirds a 75-65 victory on Dec. 17 last season. The Bison led 58-54 with 6:15 remaining before a 15-0 burst by Illinois State gave the Redbirds a 69-58 advantage with just under two minutes left. Tajavis Miller led the Bison with 18 points.
 
Added Experience: Between Jacksen Moni, Luke Kasubke, Masen Miller and Brennan Watkins, NDSU added 357 games and 8,072 minutes of college basketball experience to the roster with offseason transfers.
            Jacksen Moni (Northern State)                         91 games & 2,947 minutes
            Luke Kasubke (Kansas State, Illinois State)    109 games & 2,022 minutes
            Masen Miller (Truman State, Indiana State)    105 games & 2,128 minutes
            Brennan Watkins (VMI)                                     52 games & 975 minutes
 
Tradition of Success: NDSU has played in 9 of the past 12 Summit League Tournament championship games, dating back to 2013. The Bison played in five consecutive league championship games from 2019-23.
 
White Honored: NDSU senior guard Jacari White was voted to the preseason All-Summit League second team. An All-Defensive Team honoree last season as a junior, he ranked fourth on the Bison with 10.3 points per game, and led NDSU with 66 three-pointers made and 45.5-percent shooting from beyond the arc. White drained multiple three-pointers in 11 consecutive contests to close the year, including 12 treys over the final three games.
 
Picked Third: The Bison were picked to finish third in The Summit League this season, according to the annual preseason poll. Kansas City topped the preseason poll with 17 of the 36 first-place votes, and South Dakota State came in second.
 
Bucket Getter: Senior transfer Jacksen Moni becomes the most experienced scorer on the revamped Bison roster for this season. He totaled 1,527 points in three seasons at Division II Northern State, averaging 21 points per game as a junior last year. Moni scored 40 points in a game against Winona State last February.
        After Moni, senior transfer Masen Miller is next on the career scoring charts for the current Bison roster. Miller scored 755 points over four seasons split between Indiana State and Division II Truman State.
 
Familiar Face: Junior guard Damari Wheeler-Thomas is the most-experienced among the Bison returners, logging nearly 30 minutes per game over 64 games as a freshman and sophomore at NDSU.
 
Bison Have Three National TV Games: The Bison will play on national television three times this season. NDSU’s game at Butler on Dec. 10 will air on FS1. A pair of Summit League games — NDSU at St. Thomas on Feb. 2, and the home game vs. Oral Roberts on Feb. 13 — will be broadcast by CBS Sports Network.
 
Shooters Shoot: Jacari White is a career 41.2-percent three-point shooter, ranking him ninth on the NDSU all-time list.
 
At the Line: Damari Wheeler-Thomas is No. 3 on the NDSU all-time list for free throw percentage at 84.1 percent.
 
The Standard: In seven of David Richman’s 10 seasons at NDSU, the Bison have finished in a tie for third place or better in The Summit League.