Receiver from Illinois lone true freshman getting a look for Bison

By Jeff Kolpack

August 13, 2012 at 10:30 PM

FARGO - The list of true freshmen making a bid to play in their first year at North Dakota State was extensive two years ago. As of Monday, it's short and sweet.

Demetrius Gray.

The receiver from Aurora, Ill., is getting a strong look from the Bison coaching staff not to redshirt. At 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, he's already looks the part physically.

"Outside of him, nothing right now," said head coach Craig Bohl.

Gray was rated the third-best prospect in the state of Illinois before his senior season. He picked NDSU over offers from Missouri Valley Football Conference schools Illinois State and Indiana State.

He had 19 receptions for 366 yards, a 19.3 per catch average, his senior year. Six of those were touchdowns.

Bohl said linebacker Matt Larson, a walkon freshman from Rosemount, Minn., has left the team.

Bison No. 2 behind Sam in Sports Network poll

Sam Houston State grabbed the pre-season favorite nod in The Sports Network top 25 pre-season poll. The Bearkats received 79 first place votes and No. 2 NDSU got 59.

The rest of the top 10 is Georgia Southern, Montana State, James Madison, Appalachian State, Towson State, Old Dominion, Northern Iowa and Wofford.

The TSN poll is made up of a national panel of sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters and sportswriters.

Bison women have 10 tourney teams on slate

A trip to Alaska and several games against tournament teams highlight the NDSU women's basketball schedule that was released Monday.

The Bison will play in the Great Alaska Shootout in mid-November. In all, they'll play four NCAA tournament teams (Creighton, South Dakota State, Wisconsin-Green Bay and Prairie View A&M) and six Women's NIT teams (Drake, Harvard, Missouri-Kansas City, Northern Colorado, South Dakota and Utah State).

The Bison host the University of North Dakota on Nov. 30 for the first time since 2004.

"One thing we are excited about in renewing this rivalry is the support our region and our state provide at these games," said NDSU head coach Carolyn DeHoff. "They bring an undoubted energy that is great for both schools."

Forum reporter Jeff Kolpack can be reached at (701) 241-5546.

Kolpack's NDSU media blog can be found

at www.areavoices.com/bisonmedia

Kolpack is the host of the WDAY Golf Show Saturdays from 8-9 a.m.

on 970-AM.

By Jeff Kolpack

Jeff would like to dispel the notion he was around when Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press, but he is on his third decade of reporting with Forum Communications. The son of a reporter and an English teacher, and the brother of a reporter, Jeff has worked at the Jamestown Sun, Bismarck Tribune and since 1990 The Forum, where he's covered North Dakota State athletics since 1995.
Jeff has covered all nine of NDSU's Division I FCS national football titles and has written three books: "Horns Up," "North Dakota Tough" and "Covid Kids." He is the radio host of "The Golf Show with Jeff Kolpack" April through August.