TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (UND Athletics)– The North Dakota men’s basketball team will open the 2025-26 season on Monday night at 7 p.m. against No. 15 Alabama at Coleman Coliseum. Listen to the game on AM 740 | FM 107.3 The Fan with Paul Ralston on the call.
It is the second career matchup between the Hawks and the Crimson Tide, with Alabama leading the series 1-0. The two teams squared off last season on Dec. 18, 2024 in front of a sold-out Betty Engelstad crowd, in which UND fell in a thriller, 97-90.
North Dakota owned a 38-35 lead at half time and saw the game tied at 85-85 with 2:15 to play after Eli King connected on a three-pointer to tie the game. UND shot 17-of-41 from behind-the-arc, good for the second most three-pointers made in a game in North Dakota history.
Guard Treysen Eaglestaff had 40 points, the first 40-ball by a UND player since Henry O’Keefe in 2007. Lone returners this season who played in that game, King (8) and Zach Kraft (9) combined for 17 points of 5-of-10 from deep.
Scouting the Opposition
Alabama returns five players from last year’s team who went 28-9 and made it to the Elite Eight. The Crimson Tide returns guards Labaron Philon (10.6 ppg), Aden Holloway (11.4 ppg) and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. (11.5 ppg in eight games), while adding 7-footer Noah Williamson (17.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg) from Bucknell.
Challenging Start to the Season
For just the third time in UND’s Division l era (began in 2008-09), the Hawks will be opening up the season against a power 5 team (ACC, Big 12, Big 10, Pac 12, SEC). North Dakota opened up at Kansas Sate on Nov. 9, 2012 and at Iowa on Nov. 7, 2023.
How the Guys are Looking Heading into Game one
North Dakota returns eight players from a season ago, with seven newcomers loading into Grand Forks. King comes back as the lone starter from last years team, as the senior was named to the All-Summit League Preseason Second Team on Oct. 7 and has earned back-to-back spots on the Summit League All-Defensive team.
New Names Making Things Happen in Preseason
Garrett Anderson (Central Washington transfer), Marley Curtis (freshman), Greyson Uelmen (redshirt freshman) and Anthony Smith lll (freshman) all showed flashes of excitement in their first games as a Hawk in the preseason.
Anderson (13.0 ppg), Uelmen (11.5 ppg) and Curtis (11.0 ppg) all scored in double-figures in both preseason games against Jamestown and Minnesota. Smith lll (10.0 ppg, 3.5 spg, 3.0 apg) was a major spark plug off the bench for UND in both exhibition games.
Young Guys into the Fire
Uelmen and Curtis started both games for the Hawks in the Preseason as both players will be making their official collegiate debuts against Alabama. If both players start again, it will be the first time UND has had two or more players in the starting lineup on opening night making their collegiate debuts since 2022 when freshmen B.J. Omot and Elijah Brooks started against Incarnate Word on Nov. 7, 2022.
Thieves on Defense
North Dakota recorded 24 total steals (12 in each contest) in the preseason, forcing 20 turnovers against Minnesota and 14 against Jamestown.
King had five steals in the game he played in against Minnesota, as the senior has two career games of five or more steals. Smith lll recorded seven steals across the two contests.
Pregame Notes
- UND owns an 85-35 record all-time in season openers and a 2-4 record under coach Paul Sather
- North Dakota has one win in program history over a power five team, defeating Nebraska 75-74 on Dec. 21, 2019.
- UND was picked to finish eighth in the Preseason Summit League rankings, while Alabama was picked to finish third in the SEC
- This will be the second time in the division l era that UND will play an SEC school on the road as the Hawks took on Kentucky on Nov. 14, 2018 at Rupp Arena. The Hawks did take on Texas A&M on Jan. 5, 2009 but the Aggies were in the Big 12 at that time
- Zach Kraft shot 4-of-7 from behind the arc in the preseason
- Big men Josh Jones (Oral Roberts transfer) and George Natsvlishvili (started both preseason games) will look to hold it down at the center position for the Hawks
- North Dakota owned a 12-4 record last season when holding teams under 80 points
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