One shot at fame, but thousands of others came first

Before sinking the driving, leaning, dream-catcher of a jumper Tuesday that sent North Dakota State to the NCAA tournament, Ben Woodside hadn't ever hit a game-winning basket in college. And yet he'd made that shot a thousand times, and he has a witness to prove it.

Woodside, a high-scoring NDSU point guard, grew up in Albert Lea. On days warm enough to allow circulation in his fingers, he'd dribble down the street to Valley Park. Jack Woodside would align his recliner so he could see his favorite programs -- and his grandson.

Since Tuesday, Jack isn't the only one watching TV and Ben at the same time. Woodside's game-winner that beat Oakland in the championship game of the Summit League tournament in Sioux Falls, S.D., made him an instant sports celebrity. "This," Woodside said, "has been a crazy week."

Five years ago, Woodside and three other incoming freshmen redshirted, postponing their first season of eligibility so their senior seasons would coincide with NDSU's shift to NCAA's Division I. On Tuesday, in the game they had dreamed of for five years, Woodside hit the shot he had prepared himself for by wearing out the nets at Valley Park.

"My grandpa and grandma lived kitty-corner from the park," Woodside said. "Every day, I was down there. My grandpa got to watch me, sitting in his La-Z-Boy, watching TV."

Ben should have spent some time in self-defense classes, too. After his game-winner ripped the net, his fans and teammates started tearing at Woodside. Teammate Freddy Coleman, a football player at St. Paul Johnson, smacked him. Woodside went down beneath a pile of fans, and a look of panic crossed his face.

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"I wanted to get up and jump around," Woodside said. "I didn't want to be on the floor, in a monkey pile."

With that shot, North Dakota State became the first school since 1970 to qualify for the NCAA tournament in its first year of eligibility. With a flick of his wrist, Woodside turned himself, his coach and his teammates into SportsCenter celebrities. They did interviews across the nation, but only after their story acquired a familiar Upper Midwest flavor.

If NDSU is the Cinderella of March Madness, then we're going to have to fit the Pumpkin Coach with snow tires. With a blizzard closing highways, they spent the night of their big victory in Sioux Falls, in a hotel with their families and fans, then bused back to Fargo the next day. Woodside spent the ride answering text messages.

"I've never done so many interviews," he said this week from Fargo. "I'm on the go all the time. All my friends are telling me how much they've watched SportsCenter. They say, 'We've seen the same thing over and over, and we just keep watching that highlight."'

Woodside said his exposure to major program recruiting was limited because he lacked size and played only one year of AAU basketball. The Gophers touched base with him, but gave a scholarship to point guard Rico Tucker, who transferred from Minnesota after his sophomore season.

At NDSU, Woodside has grown from a skinny kid into a muscular (he's 5-11, 185), multidimensional point guard. He's NDSU's all-time leading scorer, has scored 60 in a game and is averaging 22.8 points, 6.3 assists and 3.3 rebounds this season.

"He's been confident in his abilities since he got here," said teammate and roommate Mike Nelson. "Every time he steps on the floor, he knows he's the best player. He can do it all. I think what separates him from most point guards is he can not only get to the rim, he can finish."

Woodside is a little different than the average kid shooting at the local park. He never dreamed of being an NBA star, never dreamed of taking the winning shot for the Lakers or Celtics.

"I was always being myself," he said. "It was never a layup -- it was always a jump shot. It was never Michael Jordan, it was Ben Woodside hitting a jumper.

"I always wanted to be a Division I basketball player, and I always wanted to hit the shot that sent us to the tournament. The dream came true."

Jim Souhan can be heard Sundays from 10 a.m.-noon on AM-1500 KSTP. • jsouhan@startribune.com