ND-fan

Was Chaves there how can you as head of Athletic department watch this and not even have some comment to fans of UND on performances this women’s basketball team has had last few games. A division I team averaging over 20 turnovers and now a game with one assist for the game. Just those two stats you know we lost by double digits. How many games this season have we exceeded 20 turnovers? Also the team gave up some where in last part of third quarter. Also we didn’t have many shots at timeouts don’t want us to see what’s happening on the coaching either. I think this is worse this season of coaching than her first season when we won only two games we have enough talent to be better than this.

South Dakota made adjustments but we have not adjusted run any kind offense to much individuals play just said one assist. Hutter gets us prepared then Mallory slowly through game reverts us back to what she has been doing for tenure here. To where we are making turnovers and playing for our selves. I am so tired of this nothing changes. Val Sussex I can’t stand to listen too either has no concept of what’s happening on the floor and never even mention some criticism of coaching moves or what we are not doing.

There is discussion on men’s basketball sight about extension for Paul Sather but nothing here about Mallory Berhard extension or even I should she continue as Head Basetball coach at UND. I don’t think rest of season record could result to lead to extension unless she would win Summit Conference make the NCAA tournament. The latter would be winning back to back lotteries. I wonder where are the UND faithful on this seems to be very quiet response.

Because athletic department has been my observation is small group.of people and donors and alumni are big part these people are close and friends from top to bottom and when things get to where needed change they take care of people like Mallory and Bubba. They then always have money to make it happen. There have been just firings like Chris Mussman, Brewster, and Logan but these were coaches not part of inner UND family and Grand Forks community. This is my observation from afar and have seen this over the 50 years I have been following UND sports since I was junior high.

I agree Mallory is green through and through but problem is she hasn’t been able to become coach many thought she could become. It time for UND find her position she can still contribute to athletic department and women’s sports. The UND family needs to step back see the facts of where we are just like we did with Bubba move on.

Larkins looks like she beat us. What beat us is the turnovers we give up to many possessions and those possessions turnover turn into points to them. We out rebounded and shot better percentage but it still was not enough to offset the turnovers. Foul shooting was 60% but season average of 78% would have netted us another 4 points. Not mentioned how we had to pressure them to stay in game resulting putting them to free throw line 23 times. Reason we even got back in this game was they continued to shoot three point shots at terrible percentage and still we couldn’t come back. Take back turnover points to even 15 which should be on high end we win by 6 points even if Larkins scores 40.

All you can say is 20 turnovers and points off turnovers 31 to our points off turn overs of 6. I could say number of things but we’re trying to play fast again and guess what return to same old results turnovers and we can’t win games like that.

We’re not running any offense it just push try to create drive and score. This is Mallory game up tempo game then one on one individual scoring and offensive rebounding scoring.but all individual. Announcer said we’re playing like we’re at track meet. This is not formula to win and be successful in the Summit. The result ends in loss, Ruth Sinn out coached us and just played fundamental game and team game. Mallory lost patience and goes back to her style of basketball and we were never in the game really and we lost. This should have been winnable game for us playing at home but we just took step backwards again or should I say returned to what we have been for Mallory’s tenure as head coach. Chaves and Armacost I hope were at this game because they should not be pleased with this performance when St. Thomas is beating us now regularly even in their probation period transitioning from D3. I thought we had chance finish 5 in conference now we’re looking at probably finishing 6 and maybe 7th so we will end up probably playing SU ending our season having 3 loss season to them.

I was it in other day look of condition there have to be code violations other mechanical things not up to standards the city can start applying pressure so the cost and hassle of not being in compliance becomes reasons to sell. Grand Forks needs to improve its shopping or people will continue to go to the south. My wife complains about selection and nobody selling different things in Grand Forks so she continues on to Fargo or goes on line to find the products. Grand Forks has demographics and regional shopping area to support number of stores but needs to have facilities to support businesses in prime area of shopping where the mall is located. The shopping is essential also for large designation casino they provide entertainment but people if they come and stay need full array of services to or they will go farther to find that.

The need to have Columbia fixed seems to me to have casino built the two are tied together can’t there be.some economics put together free Columbia mall to new ownership and the city finally to start rebuilding there consumer shopping in the community. I have to think condition of Columbia mall there have to be some political solutions to force change of ownership and now if tied to casino there should be investors and money for this to happen. I would think this might be opportunity to fix major problem with Grand Forks because until this is fixed. It will limited Grand Forks growth for all sectors. Even for university and getting new employers to come to the area and retain younger generation want to live here.

I am advocating for new coach for us. My point is that even our assistant head coach would be step up for us then where we are now and who next coach should be based on who is best candidates for the position. When the season is over women’s basketball needs to be addressed we shouldn’t be in lower half of conference but one of the teams in Summit that is considered to play in NCAA tournament. Traditionally we have fan base and looked at place to go to for women’s basketball but that has slipped away in last 10-12 years. When we have records like we do against other Dakota schools we need to make changes.

I agree with your last comment and I would bet if Hutter was head coach right now from beginning of the year we would have winning record and would be competing with SU for second place. This with talent on this team as it stands now. I would even bet we would view number of players in even more positive light because he would have worked on fundamentals and execution of playing defense and offense. When I was young UND had top flight coaching for both men’s and women’s basketball but standard has slipped Tom Clifford would never put with this kind of performance. I think our current president has held academic side of university to this I hope he turns to athletics side as well

Mallory’s record against SDSU is 0-11; NDSU is 1-10, ORU is 2-10; USD 2-9 and St. Thomas 3-3 most of our wins have come against Omaha, Denver, KC, and Western Illinois. This up to current games and including her interim coach year but we’re almost done with her sixth season people on this site demanded change of coaches when Bubba was slightly over 500 and had played competitive games against Dakota schools. Then look at Mallory record and there is no curve upwards in the program but Chaves has continued to extend contracts. Where is expectation of winning but accepting to be bottom third of the conference. Women’s basketball of sports we have potential where we could be factor where we could regularly go to one of national tournaments but this slowly slipping as Women’s basketball becomes more popular. We need to find a coach that wants to build a winner and it could happen if we hire new coach. I am going to say something controversial but if we look at male coach probably could find high qualified coach cause majority of schools are still into DEI and top of that would be able to retain coach like this like SDSU has because large universities aren’t hiring male women’s basketball coaches. I am not against hiring woman coach but it’s hard to find applicants because of great demand universities are placing on meeting DEI. UND needs to look to change coaches because Mallory has been given enough time and program has not improved in 6 seasons . This is my opinion I am sure there other people feel differently but please why we should continue as we are now.

Demers can play better than she did Saturday and I think she was trying to much in being in rivalry game especially with local fan base that follows her from Grafton. She is undersized at the post at listed 6’ 1” post player but I think she is probably closer to 6’. Somebody said why they didn’t the play her and Ibrahim both and I though that possibility too especially when Horne was in foul troubled but I also could see would have caused problems on ball movement on offense. We definitely need another girl with length who can play the four spot on the team. We have Mathern and Piekney to play there and both of them are also undersized for playing the four. I like our new recruits coming in but we need another post player since VanderWal they have given up on for playing any minutes now in conference season. I think we have to many guards that are taking up roster positions that are under 5’10”. When UND went to ncaa and won conference championships they were long these were teams roebuck had recruited before retiring he could see what was needed to play at this level. Mallory hasn’t given up on up tempo team concept and it reflects on her recruiting.

I was wrong it wasn’t Draper but number 40 who was guarding Pemberton that held Schiller and Ibrahim was at top of the key just standing covered by Draper. Nobody else moved on play with Aumer going to near corner and Pemberton going to far corner. There were no other people screened or moving towards Hurst. Everything centered on Schiller receiving the ball SU held Schiller enough in crossover that her defender was right with her. I was right before the key to the play Schiller needed to be open after cross over otherwise Schiller had to get open enough to get pass to her. There was secondary person to get the basketball I then think Schiller then would drive basketball with one on one drive to tie the game.

I just pulled up the replay of the game and I not sure what the last play of game was it started with Schiller at bottom of the lane and Pemberton at elbow and Ibrahim at near top of the key. Aumer at sideline close Hurst taking the ball out. Schiller and Pemberton cross each other rubbing each other but Draper runs into Schiller kind of holds Schiller for second and Schiller moves all way up to Hurst forcing her defender to Hurst then looking for pass from Hurst who over throws her and SU recovers loose ball. Pemberton when Schiller is moving up cuts to far corner was open for second in far corner. Aumer had moved to near corner. Ibrahim moved down the lane. Now I can’t understand why play ended up with pass ending up in the bison half of the court. If there was any chance to get ball in quick scoring position it should have gone into Ibrahim who was pretty much ignored by Bison or hit Schiller after her and Pemberton rubbed to shake off defender where Schiller could have driven from there with safety valves of Aumer and Pemberton in the corners. I think Draper dropping off Ibrahim cut off Hurst entry pass to Schiller then whole play blows up. Hurst should have then enter pass to Ibrahim where she could have passed to either outlet or she could have shot at the elbow where she has hit shots this season. This play was all Mallories play Hutter and other assistants just stood and was never involved even at beginning of timeout. Only thing was hearing play Hutter got Hurst to check in. When play blew up I did see Hutter throw his hands up when play blew up and through his back and just sat there. I am sure Mallory wanted this ball pretty much no matter going to Schiller but SU just played defense that way. Also Pemberton going to far corner took her out play for getting shot. This was to way complicated play and you had your best players moving away from the basket instead of play going down hill toward basket especially when your out of timeouts. I may don’t see how this play should have worked but evidently our player’s weren’t able to execute the play either. If anybody else sees something different I would glad to hear what I am missing.

Mallory since she was named coach has believed in star system of lead star with several skilled players that help complimented , that star player. She has never invested in developing team concept and offense concept running offense that creates offense by running that offense will create a good opportunity to get high percentage shot by running the offense. We again are creating this star system with Schiller but we also have star scorer in Pemberton now leaving very little for the team create assist to score. If your one of other players you take your shot whenever you get opportunity so very little concept of running offense that creates high percentage shots and winning by controlling possessions and winning the percentage over your opponent in successful possessions. This also reflects on turnovers and definitely assists. Yesterday NDSU runs offense that finds player who will have highest percentage of scoring. They got away from this in second quarter and some of that was from foul trouble. If you listened to Jory there coach he pretty much said that going into half. The second half did make this change and they gradually controlled second half on winning scoring possessions. They found Koenen on inside because we had hard time matching up to her size length and especially with how they got ball to her down low and we had no help for Horne to stop her down low besides fouling her. Which resulted in her fouling out. Mathern didn’t have much better luck until late when she blocked shot but referees had called fouls several possessions in row before that so let lot contact slide. This is how Jory has beat us 10 out of 11 times and how SDSU has beaten us for years. I have hoped Mallory would learn this but she wants to coach liked she played aggressive and up tempo but that is not how you win consistently. It works when you are deep in talent and out class your competition like we were when we were in division II but now when we’re like teams we played in division II and not going school with dominant talent. NDSU found this out when they moved up into division I and went through over 10 years of loosing but after falling to terrible program they went out found coach Jory that has transformed the program into program that is going to as successful small midmajor program can be in division I basketball. I thought maybe coach Hutter would teach her something but I don’t think Mallory can change but UND needs to change if we’re going to be successful.

Better yet, Hurst played 5 minutes and had three turnovers and scored three points on three but missed her second attempt not even hitting the rim same as turnover. This had to be Mallory putting her in she hasn’t played any significant minutes in last few games. We have several other players that have length, quicker than her, shoot equally as well.

This looks like we’re about to get blown away.

I don’t know how everyone else feels but this was game we should have won making it the third game I think we could have won but again got out coached in the game especially at the end. The ORU and Omaha games we should have won I feel too. We’re now at 3 and 4 in the conference will be lucky finish 5 in the conference. Dom was talking the young team they had on the floor but we were just as young on the floor also. They had one senior always on the floor and at least 3 sophomores that have played big minutes in past two years. They had one freshman Frost with other two freshmen playing some minutes. But down the stretch they had two seniors and two sophomores and one freshmen. We ar the end had one junior, two sophomores, and two freshmen at the end of the game. Except when they brought junior in and we know what happened. This team has played better fundamentally now in last six games than they have played in past two seasons but I wonder what level could we be at with these players if they would have had better coaching. Since Jory has coached at SU that has been what he has improved recruiting players coaching them up on fundamentals and building them up physically. Look at Draper how she has improved since coming to SU from Bradley. This hasn’t happened here at UND until we have seen some signs this year. We need need for administration to evaluate coaching in all our sports there has to be some accountability on job performance.

Mallory did it again what is it with Her love with Hurst the players we had on the floor was we’re going to win with. Hurst has been?en liability for us last two seasons.

Loss of Horne is big loss we need to help Mathern o defense. Refs starting calls .for the home team

Oxbow6 UND made adjustments and Demers was trying not to get in foul trouble. UND was letting SU posts to get entry passes down low where Demers is undersized to stop SU posts now we’re making harder to get low and giving help on back side. SU was deny UND in first quarter drives but they were picking up fouls and they had to substitute other players our guards were quicker getting points on the drive. Second half a lot will depend if refs let game go or not physical SU plays much more physically which if allowed will prevent UND from scoring will be interesting how each team makes adjustments.

I hope that is just spin for Fargo media because at this time of the season it’s all about winning because more wins in conference sets up for better position in the conference tournament. Second yes your working on getting better but now you have to find ways to win even when your not playing Well or not playing like you would like. I am afraid if she wasn’t spinning it means they have started over Hutters system and she not comfortable with it she has reservations and why she is not sleeping at night with her ending comment about kids to Dom. This final stretch they have to perform and she knows this.

Rivalry weekend for UND with NDSU but now what will be game plan be for UND. I pretty much know what SU game plan will be to take advantage of their length and try to get open looks at three. They will try to out rebound us on offensive side and get us in foul trouble on inside. Und has choice of man to man pressure defense or go to match up zone force SU into trying to beat them with three where they have been his season. I think they may change up on defense depending what is having best results and to protect them from getting in foul trouble. Offensively we will need to have good afternoon from outside and then be able to push them on transition where I believe they could be vulnerable if we do it smartly. The other question will SU pressure us full court to create turnovers and trap our smaller players. We will need big games out of Demers and Ibrahim on inside and then will be if Schiller and Aumer will be able to score with length that SU will have against them. I think we will have difficult time winning Jory has gad our number and hasn’t lost to us at home. I also worry our turnover problems will return especially in hostile gym if things start going wrong.