One of the hardest things to do in college sports is to replace a star player. It’s even harder when that star player is the all-time leading scorer and arguably the finest player in school history. However, for Bison senior point guard Josh Vaughan, this is a moment four years in the making. A moment made easier by the fact that Vaughan doesn’t care how many points he scores or assists he dishes out. The only number that Josh Vaughan cares about is the number in the win column. 

 

Vaughan has seen his minutes more than double this year, and while it was tough to play limited minutes in years past, Vaughan said that he always knew he would get his chance. “I’ve always known my role; whether it was starting or coming off of the bench…I knew that my time would come,” he explained. While expectations from fans and media types might be very high for the man replacing Ben Woodside, Vaughan has been able to keep a good perspective. “All I want to do is play well enough to help the team win.” Vaughan said. “I’m not Ben Woodside; all I can do is try and be a leader and help show the young guys what to do. I just want the team to be successful and to get back to the (NCAA) tournament.”

 

Vaughan grew up and played high school ball in Braham, Minn., a town of little more than 1,200 people that is known as the homemade pie capital of Minnesota. Along with pie, Braham has a strong tradition of basketball success, and Vaughan was a big part of that. The Braham Bombers — coached by Josh’s father Robert Vaughan — won class AA state titles in 2004 and 2005. Vaughan was a three-time all-conference player and a finalist for the Minnesota Mr. Basketball award his senior year. 

 

Vaughan only visited one college while trying to decide where to continue his career. Fortunately for Bison fans everywhere, that one place was NDSU. “It was the only visit I took,” he said “I really liked the coaches and the atmosphere…I wanted to make the decision early so I could enjoy my senior year, and I really liked NDSU.” Much like previous NDSU recruits Vaughan would redshirt his first year. He took the floor for the first time in the 2006-2007 season, during which he played in 26 of the 28 games. Towards the end of his freshman season though, Vaughan hit a slump. He went nine consecutive games without making a field goal before hitting a then-career high 6-of-8 3-pointers in a rout of New Jersey Tech. 

 

As a sophomore he started 13 games, scored in double figures three times and was named to the Summit League Winter/Spring All-Academic Team as well as the Commissioners’ List of Academic Excellence. It was during his junior year that Vaughan became a key contributor to the success of the Bison. Vaughan played in all 33 games, averaged 15.5 minutes per-game, as well as shot 42.9 percent from behind the 3-point line, making him the second leading 3-point shooter on the team. 

 

This year, as he has received more playing time his numbers have risen as well. Vaughan is averaging just over 11 points per game, including a career high 27-point outburst in a season opening loss to Utah Valley. However, for Vaughan it’s about winning more than personal glory. “We’re still trying to find a rhythm on offense; we are playing well defensively…but we need to work on shot selection, especially myself,” Vaughan said. 

 

NDSU head coach Saul Phillips feels that Vaughan brings a steadiness to the Bison lineup. “Other than a couple of tough shooting nights at home, he has been very steady – not too high and not too low,” Phillips said. “He’s such a smart player…and he’s always had the ability to hit big shots.” Phillips isn’t surprised that Vaughan has been able to fit so well into the starting lineup. “He has been a consistent contributor pretty much since he got here,” Phillips said. “He has played in a lot of big moments, mostly because he is such a good free throw shooter.” 

 

While Vaughan has had some big individual performances in his time in the green and gold, it’s no surprise that his favorite memories come from when the team has been at its best. “Obviously beating Wisconsin and Marquette were huge (moments), but seeing Ben (Woodside) hit that shot to send us to the tournament was amazing; I wouldn’t trade the NCAA’s for anything,” Vaughan said. Vaughan was on the bench when Woodside hit the game winning shot against Oakland in last March’s Summit League title game, and he was taken down by a teammate in the immediate aftermath. “Right after Ben hit the shot, Freddie Colman knocked me down. He’s a big guy, and he hits pretty hard…I’ll always remember that,” he recalled.

 

Vaughan played nine minutes against Kansas in last year’s NCAA tournament, scoring three points on 1-of-4 shooting. However, for Vaughan one of his favorite memories of the tournament came after returning to Fargo. “Going back and watching the game was great…I’ve watched the NCAA tourney my whole life and being able to watch it and see myself and my team playing was surreal,” he said. 

 

Like most college players, Vaughan hopes to pursue a career in basketball once his playing days are over. “I want to be a basketball coach (because) when I’m not playing basketball I’m watching it.” Vaughan said. “My dad was my coach growing up so it’s in my blood.” Vaughan is majoring in sports management with a coaching minor. Phillips thinks that becoming a coach would be a natural progression for Vaughan. “There’s no question he could do it,” Phillips said. “It’s in his genes. I don’t know how he could avoid it…his family eats and breathes basketball; the knowledge of the game that his family has will make him a successful coach.”

 

In the meantime it’s all about the goals that Vaughn and his teammates have for this season. “We just want to build on last year,” he said. “This program is at a point where we should expect to win, and we expect nothing less than making the NCAA tournament.”