Treysen Eaglestaff has emerged as one of the premier guards at the mid-major level. The North Dakota junior guard made a national statement with a career-best 40 points against sixth-ranked Alabama on Dec. 18. The Fighting Hawks pushed the Crimson Tide to the brink in a hard-fought 97-90 loss in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Eaglestaff carried his team with an electrifying display, hitting clutch shots throughout the game. He went 15 for 30 from the field and drained eight 3-pointers. Early on, he set the tone by coming off a ball screen and confidently knocking down a quick-release 3-pointer.
His performance against a top-tier opponent highlights Eaglestaff’s notable season, cementing his reputation as a dynamic college scorer.
“I have been getting a lot of different coverages, with being one of the main focuses on offense this season,” Eaglestaff said. “They played me straight up. I knew I had an opportunity to show that I can play against that higher talent. I know what I can do out there. It was really cool and a special experience for me.”
Eaglestaff remains one of the top scorers in college basketball, even amid an uncharacteristic start to Summit League play. The junior guard is averaging 18.6 points per game, ranking 49th nationally.
Eaglestaff entered conference play, averaging 20.1 points per game. But his production has dipped in North Dakota’s first four Summit League contests. He has averaged 13 points per game on 28.6% shooting, including 13.6% from beyond the arc, in conference play.
Despite his recent struggles, Eaglestaff has increased his scoring average by more than four points per game compared to last year.
“I’ve been treating basketball more as a job than just a sport,” he said. “I feel like I took the last two years seriously, but I didn’t think of it as a job. Now, every day, I wake up, do everything I am supposed to do, get as many shots up as I can, and have the same mentality each and every day. I know what I am supposed to do and the time and place when I should go score. The maturity is the biggest thing that has helped me maintain myself.”
Eaglestaff has made remarkable strides in his journey to become an impactful scorer at the collegiate level. Despite not being highly recruited out of high school, as he earned just two college offers, Eaglestaff’s dedication to refining his skills has helped him succeed.
Growing up as an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Eaglestaff often competed in Native American high school basketball tournaments. He played just one year of AAU basketball, and that came after he had already committed to North Dakota. The Fighting Hawks offered him as a junior due to his impressive high school statistics and status as an in-state recruit.
The opportunity to play close to home and contribute immediately made North Dakota’s offer especially appealing. Much like in high school, Eaglestaff had to earn every opportunity on the court at North Dakota. As a freshman, he averaged 8.4 points in 19.5 minutes per game, starting 11 of the 32 games he played. As a sophomore, he raised his scoring average to 14.4 points per contest last season.
Eaglestaff’s perseverance has been instrumental in his growth into one of the most dynamic players in the Summit League. His jersey number, 52, is a constant reminder of the hard work that has shaped him into the player he is today.
“My sophomore year of high school, I wasn’t supposed to play on varsity,” Eaglestaff said. “I was the last one to pick my jersey, so I got the biggest XXL jersey on our squad, and it was 52. I kept it throughout the years because it reminds me of where I came from and how hard I need to work to be where I’m at.”
During an up-and-down start to the season, Eaglestaff has been a consistent bright spot for North Dakota. The Fighting Hawks have a 7-12 record, including a 1-3 mark in conference play. They face South Dakota State (10-8, 1-2 Summit League) at 8 p.m. ET Thursday in Brookings, South Dakota.
The conference race is still wide open, with only three of the nine teams holding a record above .500 in league play. Eaglestaff believes the Fighting Hawks have the talent to contend for the conference title if they can tighten up their execution in critical moments.
“We just need to have that grit that we had against Alabama,” Eaglestaff said. “That’s how we need to go out every game. We need to make sure that after every game, our bodies and legs are hurting because of how hard we are playing. That’s something we are working on and really emphasizing.”
