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???

I agree...and I definitely think it's worth a flyer (especially if not a full ride). But I saw we had an offer out to a 265 lb. JUCO DE that has the body type I think we should be looking for in a DE. I'm just not sure this kid is twitchy enough to be an OLB at the FCS level. But he wrecked a whole lot of NSAA offensive linemen! There are talent upgrade needs along our entire defense. I would like to see us address them more aggressively than we have...and typically that involves players from a higher level. Maybe we swing and miss...but I'm to the point where that would be preferred to going down with the bat on the shoulder...

That's why my hopes are tempered here...he's a classic "tweener"...not big enough to play DE at the D1 level...not sure if he's quick enough to be an every-down MVFC OLB. If he was coming in as an 18 year old kid I'd be thrilled...but he's got one year. That's not a developmental signing...it's an impact signing. I really hope I'm wrong because by all accounts he's a great kid and a college grad...but we need help on D, and I'm not sure we're going to get much here.

You are correct...he was a monster for VCSU and a great all-around athlete in high school. Thing is...he's a 230-ish lb NAIA defensive end. Ben McNaboe was undersized, and Gerhardt is 15-20 lbs smaller. If he's going to play OLB that could be an option as a pass rusher but color me skeptical. The North Star Athletic Association to the MVFC is a massive jump. I hope he surprises but I'm not expecting much...

You nailed it...NDSU Teammakers runs laps around the UND Champions Club...LAPS!!! Alston awards are cool...but if you have a stud that's getting $25k+ offers in the portal...do we have any mechanism we can tap to keep him in Grand Forks? Currently we don't...NDSU and SDSU do. Need a new starting tackle? Sure we can peruse the portal...but we don't have much to offer other than opportunity (which isn't nothing)...but NDSU/SDSU can fire up the collective and buy what they need. Is it greasy? Sure! Do I like it? Not particularly! But if we want to compete for relevancy in our back yard we need these things. At best we are late to the ballgame...at worse we'll stay behind...

One more thing I'll add...we as fans/supporters/boosters play a big part in this too! Show me the plan...show me what you need to execute it...and I better be willing to pony up to make sure it happens! If not...then my apathy is saying that I'm ok with the status quo...and I have no right to complain!

Then they should leave too the way this whole "lame duck" coaching setup is going...

I'm sorry that your post is going to inspire my rant CM...but here it comes anyway... Why does everyone think we have to be so dang "North Dakota Nice" on a stinking message board?!?! Of course this is where everyone comes to complain and vent...that's how every message board in the COUNTRY works!!! Fan is short for "fanatic" after all...and if recruits are turned off by a message board then they should just go to a school like Southern Utah or Idaho State where fan apathy is so strong that they don't have these kinds of sites...of course they won't get NIL or any kind of great support...because those "fanatics" are the types that write those checks...because they CARE! Of course...if/when UND goes 4-8 next year, blows the whole thing up, and the rebuild fails...UND football might look awfully similar... Most of us would just be happy to see a freaking VISION from the athletic dept. that shows WHAT the expectations are for the program, HOW we are going to meet said expectations...and then a follow through on holding people in leadership positions accountable if those expectations aren't met. Hell we are part of that as fans! If you need an extra million a year to compete in recruiting come up with a plan and pitch it to us! It's not unreasonable to expect greatness...hell its healthy! We get a taste of success...a lot of teams build on it. Some teams lose steam because those responsible for success move on to bigger pastures. Meanwhile the events of the last 3.5 months at UND are so stereotypically UND under Bubba that I'm not even surprised anymore. It's 2 steps forward 1 step back. Bubba's had 10 years at UND. That's an ETERNITY in his profession! If you're not going to take the program any further then we need to do something else...because when it goes stale it's not a pretty sight. Meanwhile our athletic department let the two most talented coaches we have on staff walk for lateral jobs where they got paid more and have a better chance to succeed. Again...reeks of stale air in the program. Of course nobody is coming after our defensive coaches and offering them opportunities. Makes sense...we are a defensive minded football team after all... And why should I feel bad for hurting a recruit or players' feelings?!? They're pseudo employees now after all. We give them a chance and they ball out...chances are they'll just hit the portal anyway to get that bag! This is now de facto professional sports. So how dare you question my loyalty by saying that you pay your dues no matter what (and inferring that I don't)...my loyalty is the only reason I'm pissed off at the direction of the program! And ya know...more and more every passing day I'm questioning why I even bother...that's dangerous ground for an FCS football program trying to compete with the others on I-29...because I know I'm not the only one that feels that way...and their fan bases are much more dialed in. UND might be a top 20 ish team in the FCS...problem is they are consistently #4 on the list of those that actually matter in this area...out of 4! Tough draw no doubt...but life's not fair! Even when we house NDSU at home...this is what we follow it up with (while SDSU wins a title and NDSU makes a deep playoff run, hires a new staff, poaches our OC, starts a collective that keeps attractive transfer candidates at home)?!?! Gross... I expect this program to be great. That's been the expectation for UND football for as long as I can remember. If we are content with 7-5 every year and a first round exit please just let me know and I'll find something else to do in the fall. Those of you who wear the "In Bubba we Trust" shirts walking around parking lots are getting to be more and more in the minority. If the portal bleeds us dry and we go 5-7 or 4-8 next fall, it's going to be ugly. Chaves and Bubba should get their walking papers together. Hope everyone figures their crap out...but I'm not holding my breath...

If there is one thing I've learned in all of this...if you don't have the stones to extend a coach when they have two years or less left on their contract...then you better just buy them out and move on! I'd have been ticked had we extended Bubba last fall...but now I'm arguably more pissed...and it's with Chaves not Bubba on this. I'd argue the only two coaches we had that anyone else wants are now gone (could argue RB coach also but from past experience we don't pay RB coaches squat so they likely will always come and go)...we'll likely see players on their side of the ball (our strength) hit the portal when it opens...and we'll likely limp to something like 4-8 with a house cleaning a year later. Saved $265k or so in buyout costs...but what's it cost the University to have 5-6k at football games when the team isn't successful? Also what's the lost momentum cost us in future years? Maybe I'm overly pessimistic...but all the hits have come on the strong side of the ball for us. Defense is our liability and I haven't seen much to make me think we've addressed it. Also...$71k max to be an FCS OL coach?!? I'll never blame a guy for moving on to make more in this day and age. This might not be a popular thing to say...but it's not hard for a college educated capable young person to make $71k in this day and age. And they'd have to put in a whole lot less hours than a college OL coach at the D1 level.

Should UND perform as many on here expect in 2024...I'd hope to see Luke's name in the mix for a job in Grand Forks come 2025...I'll let the readers decide what job that would be...

It goes to show how much coaches value relationships...Polacek and Landry worked together for one season...and it's why he was hired now! Meanwhile NDSU has a former D2 OC of the year on staff as a RB coach...and their OL coach and QB coach both have several years of OC/Head Coaching experience...just a wildly different environment...