FARGO Turns out the emotional farewell North Dakota State men's basketball coach Dave Richman gave to his Big Three in Sioux Falls wasn't the end of the goodbyes. Such is college sports in 2022.
Seniors Rocky Kreuser, Sam Griesel and Tyree Eady said adieus late last Tuesday night after the Bison lost to South Dakota State in the Summit League tournament championship game. Richman sat next to the senior trio and feted them.
This week's exits weren't nearly as emotional or personal.
They probably won't be as impactful, either, but that doesn't mean they don't matter.
Guard Jarius Cook, a starter, and forward Maleeck Harden-Hayes, a top reserve, are leaving NDSU, announcing their intent to transfer via Twitter after letting Richman know in postseason meetings. Both have two years of eligibility remaining for their new schools.
We can deem these losses surprising but not shocking.
Cook, as Richman told The Forum's Eric Peterson, was tight with the upperclassmen who publicly exited the tournament in Sioux Falls. Having been in the program for four years, including a redshirt season, he will graduate this spring. Cook likely saw this as a natural spot to break away and try something new.
Harden-Hayes' departure is a little more hazy. The bouncy, athletic and long 6-foot-7 Moorhead product was the seventh player in Richman's rotation, but played only 16 minutes a game this winter. He was a regular, but never one of the coach's trusted core like Jamestown's Boden Skunberg became.
 Richman and Harden-Hayes never seemed to fully mesh, with the coach demanding control and "fit" into his conservative style while the player looked increasingly like he wanted to unleash his athleticism and fly around the court. It just wasn't going to work. And if the minutes weren't going to increase because Richman didn't see Harden-Hayes as a "system player," then Harden-Hayes was likely to chase playing time somewhere else.
With the clock ticking on eligibility, it's hard to blame Harden-Hayes if minutes and opportunity are what he seeks. The kid is a highlight or three waiting to happen, something on which Richman places no value.
Cook's and Harden-Hayes' departures add even more murkiness to a 2022-23 NDSU season that already had plenty of question marks.
With their experience, leadership, scoring, rebounding and minutes already gutted by the loss of Kreuser, Griesel and Eady, losing Cook and Harden-Hayes makes it worse.
Richman will have to replace four of five starters, five of his top seven players, 54 points per game (72% of the Bison's scoring output) and 24.8 rebounds per game (66% of their rebounds). NDSU loses almost all of its 3-point shooting, including Cook's team-leading 39.7% clip.
Eady was NDSU's top defender and Harden-Hayes could play hellacious defense with his length and athleticsm.
South Dakota State, meanwhile, will return everybody except Doug Wilson. He's a major loss, but there is a whole bunch of firepower coming back to the team that beat a top-level Bison team three times this season, including in the Summit League championship game.
Grant Nelson, Boden Skunberg and Andrew Morgan are the key pieces returning for NDSU. The rest of the Bison rotation is as wide open as the Red River Valley, including the crucial point guard position.
The Bison have four incoming freshmen and are sitting on four open scholarships. Richman will have to use the transfer portal and junior college ranks to plug-and-play at key positions. He might still sign another freshman.
It was a given NDSU was going to look much different with the expected departure of the Big Three. It's the surprise of the Plus Two that seriously shook up things.
]]> |
.png)
More
Religion & Spirituality
Education
Arts and Design
Health
Fashion & Beauty
Government & Organizations
Kids & family
Music
News & Politics
Science & Medicine
Society & Culture
Sports & Recreation
TV & Film
Technology
Philosophy
Storytelling
Horror and Paranomal
True Crime
Leisure
Travel
Fiction
Crypto
Marketing
History
Comedy
Arts
Games & Hobbies
Business
Motivation