# North Dakota Fighting Hawks men's basketball

The North Dakota Fighting Hawks men's basketball team represents the University of North Dakota NCAA Division I men's basketball. The Fighting Hawks are members of the Summit League. Prior to membership in the Summit, they were members of Division II's North Central Conference and Division I's Great West Conference and Big Sky Conference. The current head coach is Paul Sather. The Fighting Hawks made their only appearance in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 2017.
On July 1, 2018, the school officially joined the Summit League in all sports except for football, in which it remained a Big Sky member before joining the Missouri Valley Football Conference in 2020.
The team was known as the Flickertails until 1929, when it was renamed the Fighting Sioux. It dropped that name in 2011 and went without a nickname until 2015, when it became the Fighting Hawks.

## History

The North Dakota Men's basketball team is the fourth winningest program in the history of NCAA's Division II basketball.

## Championships

North Dakota has a total of 19 regular season championships and 6 Conference tournament championships.
North Central Conference
* Regular Season Champion (18 times): 1927–28, 1933–34, 1934–35, 1935–36, 1936–37, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1981–82, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1994–95
* Conference tournament champion (3 times): 1992, 1993, 1994
Great West Conference
* Conference tournament champion (2 times): 2011, 2012
Big Sky Conference
* Regular Season Champion (1 time): 2016–17
* Conference tournament champion (1 time): 2017
NCAA Division II Regionals
* Elite Eight Appearances (8 times): 1965, 1966, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1982, 1990, 1991
* Final Four Appearances (3 times): 1965, 1966, 1990

## Postseason
### NCAA Division I Tournament results

North Dakota has appeared in one NCAA Division I tournament. Their record is 0–1.
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
| 2017 | #15 | First round | Arizona | L 82–100 |

### Summit League Tournament results

North Dakota has appeared in 6 Summit League Tournaments. Their combined record is 4–5.
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
| 2019 | 6 | Quarterfinals | Omaha | L 76–81 |
| 2020 | 6 | Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship | South Dakota Purdue Fort Wayne North Dakota State | W 74–71 W 73–56 L 53–89 |
| 2021 | 5 | Quarterfinals | Oral Roberts | L 65–76 |
| 2023 | 9 | First Round Quarterfinals | Denver Oral Roberts | W 83–68 L 80–96 |
| 2024 | 3 | Quarterfinals | Omaha | L 72–73 |
| 2025 | 6 | Quarterfinals Semifinals | South Dakota State St. Thomas | W 85–69 -- |

### NCAA Division II Tournament results

North Dakota has appeared in the NCAA Division II tournament 19 times. Their combined record is 29–22.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
| 1965 | Regional semifinals Regional Finals Elite Eight Final Four National 3rd-place game | Minnesota–Duluth Minnesota State–Moorhead Seattle Pacific Southern Illinois Saint Michael's | W 67–57 W 82–57 W 97–83 L 64–97 W 94–86 |
| 1966 | Regional semifinals Regional Finals Elite Eight Final Four National 3rd-place game | Northern Colorado Valparaiso Abilene Christian Southern Illinois Akron | W 84–71 W 112–82 W 63–62 L 61–69 L 71–76 |
| 1967 | Regional semifinals Regional 3rd-place game | Louisiana Tech Parsons | L 77–86 W 107–56 |
| 1974 | Regional Quarterfinals Regional semifinals Regional 3rd-place game | Monmouth (IL) Southwest Missouri State Saint Cloud State | W 73–67 L 63–71 W 75–71 |
| 1975 | Regional semifinals Regional Finals Elite Eight | Missouri–Rolla Nebraska–Omaha Old Dominion | W 72–61 W 84–71 L 62–78 |
| 1976 | Regional semifinals Regional Finals Elite Eight | Nebraska–Omaha Green Bay Puget Sound | W 86–74 OT W 65–61 L 77–80 |
| 1977 | Regional semifinals Regional Finals Elite Eight | Augustana (SD) Green Bay Chattanooga | W 71–64 W 45–43 L 52–76 |
| 1979 | Regional semifinals Regional 3rd-place game | Green Bay Nebraska–Omaha | L 48–63 L 75–86 |
| 1980 | Regional semifinals Regional 3rd-place game | Western Illinois Stonehill | L 79–102 L 57–70 |
| 1981 | Regional semifinals Regional Finals | Central Missouri State Green Bay | W 87–80 L 60–72 |
| 1982 | Regional semifinals Regional Finals Elite Eight | Eastern Montana Nebraska–Omaha Cal State Bakersfield | W 59–54 W 83–75 L 65–67 |
| 1990 | Regional semifinals Regional Finals Elite Eight Final Four National 3rd-place game | Alaska–Anchorage Metro State Jacksonville State Kentucky Wesleyan Morehouse | W 78–71 W 85–80 W 89–64 L 92–101 W 98–77 |
| 1991 | Regional semifinals Regional Finals Elite Eight | Kearney State South Dakota State Virginia Union | W 90–60 W 54–51 L 63–64 |
| 1992 | Regional semifinals Regional 3rd-place game | Denver Saint Cloud State | L 68–73 W 80–60 |
| 1993 | Regional semifinals Regional Finals | Western State South Dakota | W 80–61 L 64–66 OT |
| 1994 | Regional semifinals Regional 3rd-place game | South Dakota Mesa State | L 76–94 W 97–88 |
| 1995 | Regional Quarterfinals | Morningside | L 86–92 |
| 2000 | Regional Quarterfinals Regional semifinals | South Dakota State Metro State | W 73–67 L 58–82 |
| 2003 | Regional Quarterfinals | Saint Cloud State | L 69–74 |

### NAIA tournament results

North Dakota has appeared in the NAIA tournament three times. Their combined record is 1–3.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
| 1949 | First round Second Round | Hawaiʻi Texas Tech | W 70–53 L 57–62 |
| 1953 | First round | Saint Benedict's | L 66–69 |
| 1954 | First round | Saint Ambrose | L 70–77 |

### CIT results

North Dakota has appeared in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) five times. Their combined record is 0–5.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
| 2011 | First round | Air Force | L 67–77 |
| 2012 | First round | Drake | L 64–70 |
| 2013 | First round | Northern Iowa | L 66–77 |
| 2014 | First round | Nebraska–Omaha | L 75–91 |
| 2016 | First round | UC Irvine | L 86–89$^{OT}$ |

## List of head coaches

| Number | Name | Tenure |
| 1 | George Sweetland | 1904–1907 |
| 2 | David Dunlap | 1909–1911 |
| 3 | Charles Armstrong | 1912 |
| 4 | Fred Archer | 1913 |
| 5 | Thomas Gill | 1914–1917 |
| 6 | Harry Caldwell | 1918 |
| 7 | Paul J. Davis | 1919–1923 |
| 8 | Edgar "Dutch" Houser | 1924 |
| 9 | Clement W. Letich | 1925–1943 |
| 10 | Jack West | 1944 |
| 11 | Red Jarrett | 1945 |
| 12 | Harold "Cookie" Cunningham | 1946–1948 |
| 13 | Red Jarrett | 1949–1950 |
| 14 | Louis D. Bogan | 1951–1961 |
| 15 | Bill Fitch | 1962–1966 |
| 16 | Jimmy Rodgers | 1967–1969 |
| 17 | Dave Gunther | 1970–1987 |
| 18 | Rich Glas | 1988–2006 |
| 19 | Brian Jones | 2007–2019 |
| 20 | Paul Sather | 2019–present |

## Arenas

* Budge Hall 1904–1905
* YMCA 1906
* Armory-Gym 1907–1918
* New Armory 1919–1950
* Hyslop Sports Center 1951–2003
* Betty Engelstad Sioux Center 2004–present

## NBA Draft picks

North Dakota has had four of its players selected in the NBA draft.
| Round | Name | Year |
| 8 | Jon Haaven | 1957 |
| 2 | Phil Jackson | 1967 |
| 10 | Chris Fahrbach | 1979 |
| 2 | Jerome Beasley | 2003 |
The following players were drafted into the NBA G League
| Round | Name | Year |
| 1 | Marlon Stewart | 2021 |

## NCC Awards

All-NCC
NCC MVPs
* Chuck Wolfe (1953)
* Jon Haaven (1954)
* Don Augustin (1955)
* Phil Jackson (1966–67)
* Al Jenkins (1969)
* Dan Clausen (1982)
* Dave Vonesh (1990–91)
* Scott Guldseth (1993)
* Kyle Behrens (2001)
* Jerome Beasley (2002–03)
Defensive Player of the Year
* Rico Burkett (1991)
* Frank Iverson (1996)
* Harry Boyce (2007)
Newcomer of the Year
* Broderick Powell (1992)
* Jerome Beasley (2002)
Freshman of the Year
* Jeff Brandt (2001)
NCC All-Freshman Team
* Chris Gardner (1991)
* Todd Johnson (1992)
* Travis Tuttle (1993)
* Brian Ehrp (1994)
* Dale Aue (1995)
Academic All-NCC
* Fred Lukens (1975–77)
* Doug Moe (1979–81)
* Todd Bakken (1979–81)
* Jon Sonat (1982)
* Mark Basco (1986)
* Pete Stewart (1987)
* Scott Guldseth (1992–93)
* Ben Jacobson (1993)
* Travis Tuttle (1997)
* Blaine Ristvedt (2000)
* Kyle Behrens (2001)
* Steve Bradley (2005)
* Todd Rypkema (2005)
* Josh Doyle (2006–08)
* Jimmy Hoy (2006 and 2008)
* Derek Benter (2008)
* Tyler Koenig (2008)

## Great West Awards

First Team All-Great West
* Travis Bledsoe (2010)
Second Team All-Great West
* Troy Huff (2011–12)
* Patrick Mitchell (2012)
All-Tournament team
* Patrick Mitchell (2011**)
* Troy Huff (2011–12)
* Jamal Webb (2012**)
* = Tournament MVP
Academic All-Great West
* Derek Benter (2009)
* Daniel Haskins (2009)
* Dustin Monsebroten (2009)

## Big Sky Awards

First Team All-Big Sky
* Troy Huff (2013–14)
* Quinton Hooker (2016–17)
Second Team All-Big Sky
* Aaron Anderson (2013)
* Geno Crandall (2017–18)
All-Tournament team
* Troy Huff (2013–14)
* Quinton Hooker (2016–17**)
* Corey Baldwin (2017)
** = Tournament MVP
Reserve of the Year
* Jamal Webb (2014)
* Cortez Seales (2017)
Academic All-Big Sky
* Chad Calcaterra (2014)
* Dustin Hobaugh (2015–16)
* Conner Avants (2016 and 2018)
* Dale Jones (2018)

## Summit League Awards

First Team All-Summit League
* Marlon Stewart (2020)
* B.J. Omot (2024)
Second Team All-Summit League
* Filip Rebraca (2021)
* Tyree Ihenacho (2024)
* Treysen Eaglestaff (2025)
Honorable Mention All-Summit League
* Mier Panoam (2025)
All-Defensive team
* Eli King (2024–25)
All-Newcomer team
* Amar Kuljuhovic (2024)
All-Tournament team
* Marlon Stewart (2020)
* Treysen Eaglestaff (2025)
Freshman of the Year
* Tyree Ihenacho (2021)
* Paul Bruns (2022)
Sixth Man of the Year
* Matt Norman (2023)

## All Time Statistical Leaders
### Single-game leaders

* Points: Henry (Doc) O'Keefe (56, 1908)
* Assists: Doug Moe (14, 1979)
* Rebounds: Don Augustin (32, 1955)
* Steals: Dave Vonesh (9, 1990)
* 3 point FG made: Travis Tuttle (10, 1994), Patrick Mitchell (10, 2010)
* Free Throws made: Phil Jackson (23, 1967)

### Single-season leaders

* Points: Dave Vonesh (788, 1989–90)
* Assists: Rico Burkett (232, 1989–90)
* Rebounds: Dave Vonesh (410, 1989–90)
* Steals: Troy Huff (79, 2013–14)
* Blocks: Chris Gardner (93, 1991–93)
* FG made: Dave Vonesh (303, 1989–90)
* 3 point FG made: Travis Tuttle (102, 1994–95)
* Free Throws Made: Phil Jackson (208)

### Career leaders

* Points: Scott Guldseth (2190, 1989–93)
* Assists: Burke Barlow (595, 1993–95)
* Rebounds: Dave Vonesh (1207, 1987–91)
* Steals: Jamal Webb (240, 2010–14)
* Blocks: Chris Gardner (313, 1990–94)
* FG made: Scott Guldseth (806, 1989–93)
* 3 point FG made: Travis Tuttle (350, 1993–97)
* Free Throws made: Dave Vonesh (507, 1987–91)
* Games Played: Brady Danielson (150, 2019–24)