Saul Phillips, head coach of the North Dakota State basketball team, (1-2) greets a stranger for a chat after practice at the Pavilion in preparation for tonight's game at UC Davis, 7:00 Pacific in a gregarious fashion-like the usher at the wedding who is "into it" and wants to make you feel right at home making sure you and your significant other make it to the bride or groom's side of the church.
"When we started here, we were committed to ensuring that this was not a "joyless" program, " commented Phillips, who accepts the question of "How did NDSU become a mid major phenomenon?" that he's probably heard a thousand times with vim and vigor.
This simple philosophy of "not being a joyless program" has lead to amazing results.
The darlings of college basketball last year, the Bison became a huge story beyond the "Legenday" State of North Dakota and throughout the country. We're talking the college hoops hysteria equivalent of the Jonas Brothers.
This was no surprise, however to the intelligentsia of college basketball who noticed the ticker- the upsets of Wisconsin, #15 AP poll in the 2006-07 season and Marquette #8 AP poll in the 2007-08 campaign.
Last season even in defeat - the triple OT loss to Stephen F. Austin when Ben Woodside went for 60 points served as a precursor to their dramatic run of winning The Summit League and qualifying for the NCAA tournament in their first year of eligibility for it after their transition from DII to DI status.
One word that recurs conversing with Phillips is "we." An assistant under Tim Miles before Miles moved on to Colorado St, he has paid his dues and is quick to share the credit.
Asked how he can keep the kids focused after such the national publicity, Phillips again answers with old fashioned values, "We spend a lot of time recruiting kids with the right character."
No doubt that he has had a chat or two with Miles in preparation for tonights game at UC Davis (2-2) as the Rams beat the Aggies 91-73 at McArthur Court at the University of Oregon at the Basketball Traveler's Tip-Off Invitational Tourney back on November 13th.
While returning starter Michael Tviedt is back, gone are four starters including Brett Winkelman and Woodside, the all time leading scorer in NDSU history. Picked fifth in The Summit League preseason poll and not in or receiving votes for the CollegeInsider.com Top 25 poll, Phillips is not deterred, "In many ways, we're back to where we were when we started."
As Phillips hops on to the team bus into the chilly northern California night (balmy by North Dakota standards) and offers his cell phone number for any follow up conversation, you're left feeling like the aforementioned intelligentsia and the guest trying to find the right pew to sit in: It won't be long before The Bison will be back and you'll have Phillips to thank for more joy.
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