UND08

If I'm contributing to the collective it's 100% my business as a "member"...if I'm going to be treated as the "customer" then I better get something for what I'm paying! Hence why I will likely never contribute to a collective. Non-deductible "contributions" to a for-profit and I don't get to see that the money I am "donating" is actually going where I want it to...sorry that doesn't work for me. I can't wait for the first case of cooked books/theft by a "collective" officer/CEO...I'm guessing there will be plenty!

Moni came in at Northern and averaged 14/5 as a Freshman...has never been anything but productive in Aberdeen and shoots 86% from the FT line and 35% from 3 as a 6'10" big man (up to 21/8 this past year). He should have been in the Summit to start with but was raw coming out of HS...he grew up quickly in Aberdeen though! The Hurlburt twins couldn't get their high school team out of the Region 1 tournament and Joe couldn't find his way to the floor in two years in Boulder. Not saying he's a complete bust but there's a lot of unknown with him. And I'll be honest I'm not sure he'd have done as well as Moni at Northern...

I said what I said...haha! I've seen them both play...Moni > Hurlburt...and I'll stand by that.

Moni by a country mile!!!

Don't disagree...but from what I saw of him in high school he's far from a sure thing...even with two years playing in the Pac-12.

I mean...Hurlburt is probably worth an offer...but I wouldn't stake my coaching career on him if it were me...but that's just my opinion!

Yep...but they won't devote the same level of time/effort to the gig if it's just freelance... Really unfortunate...I'm surprised Midco didn't find other areas to cut before talent and content...after all it's why I subscribe in the first place!

NIL could play a part in recruitment situations like this...

I mean...I wasn't going to say it out loud...but I fully agree...

I agree...the Bell comparison is interesting. If LeeLee played with the fire on both ends of the floor that Schiller brings...it probably wouldn't even be close. Bell has a higher ceiling...but Schiller gets more out of what she has. There are a lot of big schools betting on whether or not they can get Bell to play as hard without the ball in her hands as she does with it. We'll see if it works out for them...

Well...maybe I'm wrong on this, but in my opinion his 282-151 career record prior to his coming to Grand Forks gives me the inclination that the guy knows what he's doing. Lord knows I've had nightmares about the guy getting canned at UND and then going somewhere else and just sticking it to us regularly. I did say earlier that his approach requires patience. You can see it in his prior stops that years 4-6 are where he gets it going. Many D1 programs aren't so patient...and I get that. Thing is...UND doesn't support basketball like it's a D1 program (a MAJOR mistake in my opinion). If you aren't going to give a coach everything he needs in this modern world to get it done...then you better give him some time to build a program the "old fashioned way." It'll be funny when Sather gets this program to the Dance either this year or next (assuming he keeps the core together) and then bolts at the first higher offer he gets. I can't say I'd blame him...this is not a Bubba situation, the program is trending in the right direction with a core of players that have an opportunity to make multiple trips to the Big Dance if they stay together. And in regards to your frustration with "not running plays"...I've watched my nephew play a lot of high school basketball this year. Every night, his dad and grandpa yell from the stands about crashing the glass when a teammate drives, or helping on d when an opponent is driving. The poor kid has told his dad and grandpa multiple times this year that they are taught NOT TO DO THAT (ie don't leave a shooter or crowd the lane)...which is much different then how things used to be done. Point is...basketball is changing...it's evolving...and I'm willing to give the coach of the first place team in our conference the benefit of the doubt (although I wish we had another shooter or two in order to help spread out opposing defenses...but hopefully that comes!).

What about the fact that Omot and Eaglestaff are still here?!? Maybe you're right (I doubt it) that Eaglestaff only committed to UND because of his legacy...but a coach he doesn't want to play for would have chased him out awfully quick. Recruiting isn't only about who you bring in each year...it's about who you KEEP here. That's where we are nowadays in the world of college basketball... Since a 6 win season in 2021-22, we've improved to 13 wins, and now 17 and counting, with a core of the team being made up of sophomores and juniors (not sure what's left for COVID years). If you look at Sather's career trajectory this isn't unfamiliar territory for him. His approach seems to require patience...which I'll admit I wasn't sure we'd have being a D1 program. That said...he's won everywhere he's been...and the arc is looking good for the program. Hope we have a big finish to the season and are talking extensions at the end of the year (because we don't want to lose him).

Ok...so now that we are supposedly the shining star of the MVFC in facilities and Alston awards...when do the increased expectations that come with those investments start to show up?!? Honest question...but we are slowly peeling away the excuses for why the program can't ascend to the next step. The defenders of the status quo will have fewer and fewer places to seek shelter...meanwhile NDSU and SDSU will be able to utilize their NIL collectives to plug holes in their lineups, retain players and attract portal entrants. I've been to SDSU...I've been to both Montana's...I've been to Fargo...I'm not so sure I would put us at the top of the arms race. We will definitely have closed the gap however, which is good! But if anything that makes 7-5 next year and in the years to come even less impressive in my book...

That's my first thought... One of my biggest frustrations with this defense has been trying to plug poor-fitting body types into it. If we are going to recruit 250-260 lb DEs and 275 lb DTs...we probably should be playing a 4-3 base. I know a lot of what we do is nickel now due to spread offenses and what not...but the 3-4 in my opinion is highly dependent on your 3 guys up front being able to eat blockers, command double teams and get penetration into the backfield. We've lacked that the last few years...and it really hurts us in my opinion...

Honestly he still needs to gain 20+ lbs unless he's strong as an ox...when was the last time we had a DT that commanded a double team every down???