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NCAA Basketball: 10 best players from state of South Dakota of last decade

Mar 10, 2015; Sioux Falls, SD, USA; South Dakota State Jackrabbits forward Cody Larson (34) dunks in the second half against the North Dakota State Bison forward Dexter Werner (40) during the championship game of the Summit League Conference at Denny Sanford Premier Center. The North Dakota State Bison beat the South Dakota State Jackrabbits 57-56. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 10, 2015; Sioux Falls, SD, USA; South Dakota State Jackrabbits forward Cody Larson (34) dunks in the second half against the North Dakota State Bison forward Dexter Werner (40) during the championship game of the Summit League Conference at Denny Sanford Premier Center. The North Dakota State Bison beat the South Dakota State Jackrabbits 57-56. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports /
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Paul Bruns #23 of the North Dakota Fighting Hawks (Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images)
Paul Bruns #23 of the North Dakota Fighting Hawks (Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images) /

7. Paul Bruns – North Dakota

There will be plenty of Summit League players featured in today’s article and Bruns is no different. He’s certainly still on the mind of Summit League fans, as this 6’4 guard from Jefferson only just spent his freshman season playing at North Dakota. Clearly, Bruns had an impressive enough debut season to land on this list and there’s possibly more to come from him.

Last season, Bruns had an impactful freshman campaign, averaging 14.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per game for the Fighting Hawks. The program struggled as a whole, winning just six games, but Bruns was a rare bright spot, with some impressive performances. He scored a season-high 27 points in a loss at North Dakota State and had a 22-point, 14-rebound effort in a road win against St. Thomas.

Bruns was named Summit League Rookie of the Year and was by far the best offensive player for the Fighting Hawks last season. Clearly, there are still kinks in his game and he’s still developing, but he was among the conference’s leaders in 3-point shooting and was a decent scorer for a struggling Fighting Hawks team. He’ll be around next season in the Summit League but in a different uniform as Bruns has transferred to South Dakota and will look to propel up the conference standings with a better team.