The second week of Summit League basketball has arrived and the standings will begin to get sorted out.

 

The North Dakota State men return home after a split on the road last week, playing two overtime games against Kansas City and Omaha. The Bison host Denver Thursday night, a team they have beaten eleven straight times.

 

The Pioneers bring with them the leading scorer in the country in guard Tommy Bruner. Bruner is averaging 25 points per game as Denver enters after a home win over South Dakota State.

 

Oral Roberts comes to town Saturday, the defending league champions look different with a new head coach and minus Max Abmas, the reigning league player of the year.

Jory Collins' team will hit the road to two places that they lost last year, Denver and Tulsa. NDSU is 3-0 in Summit League play after a sweep at home last weekend. Elle Evans has built on her award winning freshman season, leading the league in three-point percentage, while placing third in blocks and three-pointers per game.

Oral Roberts has yet to lose at home this season, the Golden Eagles are a perfect 8-0. NDSU has just one win in 14 games in Tulsa in its Division I history.

On the football front, NDSU's second all-time leading receiver in yards and receptions will continue to play pro football.

Darrius Shepherd announced on Tuesday that he has re-signed with the St. Louis Battlehawks in the United Football League. The UFL is a joint venture of the USFL and the XFL.

Shepherd was the XFL Special Teams player of the year in 2023 with the Battlehawks and earned an invite to Denver Broncos training camp last summer.

 

Bison Media Zone airs each Wednesday at 10:30 on WDAY Xtra.