photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence junior Cami Nauholz passes the ball in a first round substate game against Shawnee Mission Northwest on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Lawrence.

Over the last year, Cami Nauholz’s recruitment took off.

Colleges from Division II and Division I started to reach out last summer, thanks to her summer work with club team Della Lamb and her sophomore year at Lawrence High. The interest and offers only grew after she averaged over 20 points per game and led the Sunflower League in blocks and rebounds this last season.

But pretty quickly, North Dakota State University separated from the rest, and on Tuesday, Nauholz announced her commitment to the Bison.

“I kind of knew deep down that it was North Dakota State pretty quick,” Nauholz said. “It was also just a great place, and the coaches and players are amazing, so it all worked out really well.”

Nauholz and the Bison first got in touch when Lawrence coach Jeff Dickson sent the NDSU coaching staff some film of Nauholz, and the staff saw Nauholz play during the club season last summer.

“They were always very straightforward with me, which was something that I really liked,” Nauholz said. “You don’t get that a lot. I was very interested from the beginning.”

Nauholz got to watch the team play in Kansas City last year and continued to keep up communication with the program.

Recently, Nauholz went on a visit to Fargo and got to see things in person. Between the team, the town and school, everything fit what Nauholz was looking for in a college home.

“They’re like a big family, and all the girls were just talking about how supportive the (students) are,” Nauholz said. “Their average attendance, they were saying, was like 2000. It’s like that just feels so good to have those people that are like family when you’re away from home

Nauholz had a dominant junior season with the Lions, where she led the team in points by consistently scoring in the paint. While Nauholz does have a size advantage over most of the centers in the Sunflower League, what makes her so effective at scoring in the paint is her footwork.

When it comes to her club team, she faces more bigs who have size and physicality to match her, so she ends up having to stretch the court and score from multiple levels. That helps Nauholz remain effective in games, and it helped her in the recruitment process.

“They want to see everything that you can do, and not just one thing,” Nauholz said. “Showing them that I was able to pop out and hit 3s and drive to the basket and handle the ball was a very big help.”

Nauholz said that the NDSU coaching staff likes her post game and her technique. Nauholz works on her specific post moves to perfection, and the NDSU staff believe they can coach some more complex post moves when she gets there.

“(North Dakota State women’s basketball coach Jory Collins) thinks I would be a great fit,” Nauholz said. “He was talking about how when they watched me in club, he saw the ability that I could shoot the 3 and pop out more. He really loved that too, because he said they do a lot of pick and pop and stuff.”

The North Dakota State University women’s basketball team went 29-5 last season, including a 15-1 record in the Summit League. The Bison went to the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament and went 1-1 with a 75-62 win over Chattanooga and an 86-57 loss to Columbia.

Most of the bigs on the roster are going to be seniors, which means that by the time Nauholz gets into town for the 2027-28 season, the Bison will need some skilled bigs who can step in and contribute. With her versatility and skill, Nauholz has the ability to make an impact early into her career in Fargo.

But before she gets to that, Nauholz still has another year of high school, which she’s looking forward to. Only once that’s over does Nauholz get to fulfill the lifelong dream of playing Division I basketball.

“I just kind of always wanted to play at the highest level I could, and so I think it will just help me grow a lot more as a player,” Nauholz said. “I feel like I play it my best when I’m playing the best girls, so I’m really excited.”