PHD Commentary: NDSU grabs two within the border

<p>Last night PHD broke the news that Dickinson, North Dakota 6-foot-10/6-foot-11 center J<strong>ordan Meidinger</strong> accepted the Bison scholarship offer that was extended after Jordan impressed at NDSU individual camp early in the summer. </p><p>It was NDSU’s second commit in the 2017 class as Jordan joined fellow ECI talent and fellow North Dakota high school junior <strong>Siman Sem</strong> as future Bison. </p> <p>Since PHD opened up in late December we have been talking about how strong the North Dakota class of talent is in 2017 as there are six or seven guys that could potentially earn full ride scholarship offers at the D1 or D2 level.</p> <p>Early in the race, it looks like NDSU has plucked the best two.  The two with the rarest of skills.  The two that would have picked up several other scholarships from D1 programs around the Midwest had NDSU not plucked them early. </p> <p>What makes Siman Sem rare?  He’s a long armed, athletic talent that can pull-up and hit jumpers, he can dribble separate to get into space to make plays, and Siman can finish at the rim over opponents.</p> <p>What makes Jordan rare?  First off he’s huge.  How many 6-foot-11 people do you see walking around every day?  That’s right, you don’t.  You of course see 6-foot-1 guards walking all over the planet, they are not the commodity that a near seven footer is especially considering that that seven footer can run up and down the floor with the pack and has the skills to finish plays. </p> <p>Not to mention be the type of low post presence that makes attacking guards think twice about attacking for a usual high percentage five footer and often resulting in another pass or a lower percentage 15 footer. </p> <p>That’s the impact of length around the basket.  All teams need it, but it’s hard to find.  That’s why Jordan Meidinger was offered a scholarship.  That and his potential. </p> <p>So NDSU has snagged the best two players in the state’s class of 2017.  How rare is that? </p> <p>We at PHD are too new to know the last time a single program in North Dakota offered and received commitments from two in-state D1 kids (NDSU and UND haven’t been D1 that long so it likely hasn’t happened much, if at all) but we do know that there are only three North Dakota born players in division one basketball right now so getting two in the same class is a big deal. </p> <p>It also speaks to the respect of what Coach David Richman and their staff are doing as well as speaks to the respect of what previous coaches Saul Phillips and Tim Miles did for the program both basketball wise and popularity wise.</p> <p>NDSU fans should be very excited about this because there is a very good chance that Siman and/or Jordan would or could have grown as prospects and received more scholarship opportunity at potentially higher level programs.  It doesn’t matter now though as Siman and Jordan have pledged their commitments to NDSU giving the Bison a wing athlete and low post size for the future.</p>