Teeder11

6-5. Hawks. Bottom of 6.

Last season's Freshman walk-on Palmborg will be factored in too next season.

Yes, it stinks for all of us who love watching their talents at UND. It's two years in a row now that we have lost a talented underclassmen from Minnesota to the Division II ranks. Pioske now Place. But I am sure they did what's best for them and their future. Much respect and luck to all who are making these decisions!

I think we're unfortunately going to have this same debate "blow up" every time UND rolls out the legacy collection regardless of how clear UND tried/tries to be in detailing the reasons behind it. It will be a reoccurring dream moving forward with new people who weren't paying attention noticing it being offered in stores and bringing all this up again. It was painful listening to KNOX radio yesterday afternoon with all the uninformed opinions back and forth between host(s) and callers on this topic. Did a great disservice to what UND is doing, and what it has been mandated to do by the NCAA.

Cheering for the Fighting Hawks and revering our past great Fighting Sioux legacy and history are not mutually exclusive. It is possible to do both. If you want to continue to embrace the Fighting Sioux nickname then go nuts and do it. If people have an issue with it or criticize you for it, you'll just need to realize that it comes with the new territory moving forward. Just like those that are overtly embracing the new FH nickname have to realize that the dirty looks and the shouting down of their "Go Hawks" cheers with "Sioux Forever" chants is also part of that new territory. For some people, being criticized for trying to hold on to the past is annoying, for others hearing their school's new nickname booed and drowned out by chants is annoying. Both opinions are valid and both feelings are genuine.

I like Ed, though, I do think he's got an easier road as interim than any sitting president would have. It may be because he's still in a honeymoon phase (that will probably last the duration of his interim stint). It's funny. A lot of us are pretty hard on Bresciani for his ticket-gate thing, but there was nary a word on here of Ed's comments last week on KFGO where he defended Bresciani's actions. Kelley would have gotten grilled for doing the same thing. Opinions of Kelley are colored by the broad nickname brush; Ed doesn't have that burden around his neck to the same extent, so in many ways, gets a pass. It is what it is. But still interesting.

I was thinking the same thing. Depending on the issue Kelley is a mamby pamby all-things-for--all-people kind of leader or a dictatorial megalomaniac bent on ramming his PC ways down the throats of all -- ND people be damned. LOL! It's been funny to watch people describe him both ways sometimes in the same breath.

It would amaze some of our younger fans that UND basketball was once relevant, and probably more so that our hockey team went through some very lean years. I remember sitting in the old Ralph when it was maybe half full at best for a conference tilt, the place seated around 6,000 if i remember correctly. I like it better now when both programs are having fun!

Wayne goes way back so I took it has a reference to the old hey day of UND Div. II basketball at old Hyslop when that place was rocking and people were hanging from rafters. For the women, I recall the NCAA Div. II playoff games of the late1990s as being one of those times. Or maybe the Phil Jackson and Dave Vonesh eras, respectively. Wayne's no spring chicken! Sorry Wayno!

Nice assessment. I can see that now that you point it out.

I think that's a good point. Everything that I've heard is that, for the most part, this team checks its egos at the door, and that they all LOVE playing basketball with each other. In past years, it seemed like we had more of a hodgepodge of individuals, complicated by a slew of hit and miss players transferring in, with all the baggage that they brought with them (i.e. the reasons they left other teams... i know we have a few transfers on this team with Shanks and Wheeler.) Even when we had Huff, Webb, Anderson, Brekke, Wilmer and Schuler off the bench, there were only spurts of team play, strong defense, making the extra pass and the like. Huff would both dazzle me and drive me nuts with his tendency to take the team on his back. This year's recruiting class is the first sizable one to come in together and start fresh together (plus Geno) in a long time, and the best part is they are playing strong defense and unselfish BB.

It's uncanny how winning, or relative progress compared to before, shapes that perception. I've seen little difference court side from the coaching staff but I have witnessed marked improvement from the players' execution and the leadership of Q, plus the steady maturation and gelling of Bernstine, McBuckets, Avants and Crandall. I guess you are right in that, behind the scenes,the coaches do have considerable influence on that on-court process but I see it less as a light switch that all of a sudden turned on at conference time but rather a slow developing process that's been needling upward since the beginning of this season. I hope it continues. It's been nerve wracking at times and a lot of of fun at other times to watch this team grow.

It's believed to be academics related. Reminiscent of when Alonzo Traylor had to sit a few years back. I don't know the rules we'll enough to know whe he's eligible to return.

I think Avants has earned a start in the next two games. Let Shanks come off the bench to provide depth and to keep his fouls down. Also none too impressed with the BSC officials this weekend. They were horrible both ways. But lots of phantom calls on Carson, and a brutal anticipation traveling call on Hooker on Thursday night. Are they too proud in those cases to reverse their original call? This guy just got more adement about it when mildly challenged by Jones and wildly challenged by the crowd.

Only to add to the fun: Collins is said to be the best all around athlete on the team, and has shown only short spurts of what he could be. Shanks is still a raw project but young. He needs to focus on defense and build confidence off that. Oh, and quit holding the ball down by your waist in the paint. Get it up and got to the hole with authority. Cashman at 6-10 has the tools if he could ever put it together on a good team.

This we can totally agree on!

Totally agree! I'm calling out the yahoos who clearly had a problem with people who were cheering for the Fighting Hawks.. It goes both ways. And furthermore shouldn't those booing the use of the FH name at hockey games take up your same benevolent stance on the subject, or are they exempt from the opinion?

Valid opinion.. But the fight is over, thank goodness. Let the kids embrace it if they want to. I will continue to be amused by the those that can't do the same. Not necessarily talking about you. Just the people who grumble at the students and others who want to embrace it.

NAU beats Idaho! Color me stunned! 72-70.

Good point.

And just a freshman!

Ok. Different sources. Different feedback. It is what it is. Let's move on.

Sometimes it takes time. We fans are impatient and want immediate gratification. That said, I'm not even saying that this will last. Just enjoy the moment. One additional comment: UNI has a tendency to make a lot of low to mid major teams look silly -- home or away. As for NDSU, we've done the same thing to them when they had better teams then they have now. All things being equal, early season basketball is a bit of a crapshoot. I think that is why a lot of us were saying don't get too wrapped up in the nonconference schedule, but do pay attention to conference games, that's where we will earn it or sell the farm. Noncon games are far bigger for major teams that have legit shots at at-large bids, IMHO.

That edict might have stemmed from a parent or two trying to encourage a player or two to play/ do things a certain way that may have been contrary to coaches' guidance. Yes, some choppy waters to be sure, but the fact it's relatively staying in house is a victory in itself.

It's not really home team message board fodder. But it was certainly a locker room issue. Let's just hope they continue their strong play and can keep the underclassmen intact in the offseason for next year and beyond.