Bison Headed to California for Three-Game Road Swing

Wednesday, November 4

Moraga, Calif.

9 p.m. CT

North Dakota State

Saint Mary's

Photo by: Zachary Lucy

11/3/2026 2:41:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Complete NDSU Game Notes

The Games: The North Dakota State men's basketball team travels to California this week for three games in the Golden State.

Wednesday, Nov. 4 at Saint Mary's 9 p.m. CT / 7 p.m. PT
Friday, Nov. 6 at San Francisco 9 p.m. CT / 7 p.m. PT
Sunday, Nov. 8 at CSU Bakersfield 5 p.m. CT / 3 p.m. PT

Where to Watch: All three games will be broadcast on ESPN+.

Radio: Sam Neidermann 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 Saint Mary's: Wednesday will be the second meeting all-time between the Bison and Gaels. Saint Mary's won 78-65 in Moraga on Nov. 14, 2013.

Against San Francisco: Friday will be the second meeting all-time between the Bison and Dons. NDSU won 73-65 at USF on Nov. 11, 2011. That game was part of the USF Hilltop Challenge, which the Bison won by sweeping the Dons, Louisiana-Lafayette, and Northern Arizona on three consecutive days.

Against CSU Bakersfield: Sunday will be the fourth meeting all-time between the Bison and Roadrunners. The schools have played three times over the past two seasons, with NDSU going 2-1 in the series, including an 80-69 victory on Dec. 11 last year in Bakersfield.

Get To It: The Bison are starting the regular season with a flurry, playing four games in seven days. Following the 90-59 win over Minnesota Crookston on Monday, NDSU will depart on a three-game road trip to California, playing Saint Mary's (Nov. 4), San Francisco (Nov. 6), and CSU Bakersfield (Nov. 8).

Picked First: NDSU was picked to finish first in The Summit League this season, according to the annual preseason poll of league head coaches, sports information directors and media.

Preseason Accolades: Bison point guard Andy Stefonowicz was named to the preseason All-Summit League first team. He earned honorable mention All-Summit League status last season, averaging 9.1 points, 4.8 assists, and 3.1 rebounds in 32 minutes per game. Stefonowicz led the league in assists, posting a pair of double-doubles with points and assists in conference play.

Tradition of Success: NDSU has won six Summit League Tournament titles and earned six NCAA Tournament bids since 2009.
The Bison have played in 10 of the past 14 Summit League Tournament championship games, dating back to 2013.

School Record for Wins: The Bison set a new school record with 27 wins last season, breaking the previous record of 26 set in 1924-25, 2008-09, and 2013-14.

High Standard: NDSU is averaging 20.6 wins over the past 14 seasons (since 2012-13).

Coach of the Year: Head coach David Richman was named the Summit League Coach of the Year last season for the second time in his career, joining 2014-15 when he claimed the honor in his first year.

Go West, Young Man: NDSU will play four games in California and four games in Idaho during the non-conference portion of the schedule. The Bison only have one non-conference road game in the Central time zone -- Dec. 13 at Illinois State.

Collect 'Em All: The Bison will play all three Division I schools from the state of Idaho during non-conference play -- vs. Boise State in Idaho Falls on Nov. 29, at Idaho in Moscow on Dec. 8, and hosting Idaho State in Fargo on Dec. 20.

Head Man: David Richman owns 239 career victories, needing five more to match Erv Inniger (1978-92) at 244 for the most in school history. Richman's .614 career winning percentage is the third-best by an NDSU coach in the last 100 years. He has led the Bison to eight Summit League Tournament championship games, posting a record of 21-8 in the conference tournament.

Challenge Awaits: The Bison have 10 non-conference games scheduled against teams projected to be in the top half of Division I, according to the KenPom ratings.

Fresh Faces: The Bison returned just 23 percent of their minutes played and 15 percent of their scoring from last season.

Who's Back: NDSU returns three players who have seen game action for the Bison – Andy Stefonowicz, Carson Smith, and Riley Massey.

Top of the Chart: Rob Diaz III owns the most career points on the revamped Bison roster, racking up 1,036 points over two seasons at Cal Poly Humboldt and one season at Long Beach State. Diaz is entering his fourth season of college basketball this fall, which makes him the most experienced Bison in terms of years (and minutes) played.