UND92,96

Yup. He didn't have five years NCAA experience, and therefore was not even considered at UND nine years ago. I feared at the time that we'd look back at the whole process 5 to 10 years later and realize what a joke it was. And here we are.

UND is ranked 10th in the Big Sky in terms of RPI. When you add in the Summit, UND is ranked 18th out of 21 teams, and last among the six ex-NCC schools.

I'm not doubting what you're saying. I'm just a little surprised. On the other hand, it's always been my belief that the people whose families go back a few generations in EGF sometimes have a very different viewpoint from the more recent transplants. I graduated from Central in 1988, and I can think of at least a dozen people from Grand Forks who graduated the same year as me who have since moved across the river, mostly due to the housing being a bit more affordable. Some of these people have kids who have recently played hockey for the Green Wave, and they would never dream of rooting for the Gophers over UND. For that matter, neither would any of the EGF people I knew in high school. But then again, I mostly knew the kids who played football and/or basketball. I guess maybe some of the hockey families felt differently.

That is interesting. I would be interested to know the identities of some of these Section 8 kids Gino didn't recruit but should have. Was Mack one? Obviously I remember the Christian's, Burggraf's, Bowen, Pelawa, Riendeau and a few others. In terms of kids UND didn't get, such as the Broten's and Erickson from Roseau, I assume that wasn't due to a lack of trying.

UND was 1-12 against the field. But on the bright side, we were 3-2 against teams that didn't make it. So we've got THAT going for us. Which is nice.

In the case of basketball, the second half of the conference season has been about as bad of a combined stretch as I can recall. The men finished 1-8 in the second half; the women 3-6.

Yes, I should have remembered that. He was a very good athlete as I recall.

It would have been really nice to have gotten both Klabo and Stewart. Especially since Stewart is on record as saying she was planning on going to UND until she got so much national recruiting attention while playing AAU ball last summer.

It seems crazy that in the first half (give or take) of the season, UND was able to beat Montana (RPI 100), win at UNC (RPI 138), give USD (RPI 76) and Colorado (RPI 115) all they could handle on the road, and play Minnesota (RPI 39) tough even without having Evers for most of the game. And yet despite not having any major injuries, lose six of its last seven games. What happened? Starting with the game at Montana, pretty much nothing went right.

If Jones is retained, I highly recommend that he try "doing the opposite" of what his instincts tell him to do. Couldn't hurt.

Given all the connections between current and recent graduate EGF high school players and UND, that would be bizarre if true. I don't doubt there's a certain segment of the long-time EGF population that resents Grand Forks, and by extension North Dakota and possibly even UND. However, what's the ratio of UND to UM grads in EGF? 20 to 1? 50 to 1? Maybe even higher? And how many EGF kids have ever played at UM in hockey? Any? None that I'm aware of. But I do remember Mishler, Bowen, Riendeau, Tyler Palmiscno, etc. Not to mention athletes in other sports such as Vonesh, Zeller, Perkins, Lueck, Brekke, etc. The reality is that unless somebody is a UM grad living in EGF, the fact that there are two EGF grads playing at UND, with another on the way, plus one on the women's team, should be enough to prefer UND over the Gophers.

Quite honestly, if there's any doubt in Faison's mind about Jones' future, this absolutely has to be a big consideration. Nine years ago, a good chunk of the casual fan base had mostly given up on UND men's basketball. Now, what has changed? Nothing in my opinion. UND is losing long-time fans to old age and apathy at a much quicker rate than new fans are being added.

I think we can safely count on Loyd, Dyer and Szabla to all be consistent double-figures scorers next season. But as for the rest of the returnees, I think only Strand and maybe Sawatzke are capable of scoring more than about 4 per game. That's a problem. We will need Klabo, Freije, Hass and at least one of the incoming guards to be part of the regular rotation, and provide some offense.

A buyout may or may not end up being much of an issue. For one thing, it would be due in monthly installments, as opposed to a lump sum. Secondly, it would be reduced by any coaching income he would derive in the next two years. I'm fairly confident the contract also provides a provision that Jones would have to actively seek other employment, as well, so he couldn't just sit back and have an extended "summer of George" while collecting checks. As for the potential loss of players, that's a real possibility, although it could probably be obviated to a large degree if the next coach kept a current assistant on staff.

Montana was picked 8th in the coaches' poll, and 5th by the media.

I doubt he'll ever be a college head coach again after UND, but I think he'd have a good shot at getting an assistant job somewhere. Maybe even at his alma mater. How ironic would that be considering Jake also hired Rich Glas nine years ago?

I'm sure we'll know one way or the other by tomorrow afternoon. I still say it's a 50-50 deal.

UND will play UNC again in the first round.

Lately, there have been so many kids with UND hockey connections playing at EGF--Poolman, Ausmus, Eades, Bowen, the Lovens, etc. Not sure we'll see a run like that again anytime soon, but who knows? I think the allure of MN high school hockey compared to ND definitely helps EGF attract people. I assume it's been the same way with Moorhead compared to Fargo for years.

Fiction.

It's just hard to be optimistic given the fact UND comes into it having lost six of the last seven games.

Bemidji State just knocked off the Gophers.

UND falls to UNC on senior day, 67-56. No sugarcoating it--this season has been a big disappointment. Brew had better hope the incoming freshmen are ready to play, or next season might be worse.

A month ago, I'd have said no way. Now? Maybe 50-50. Regardless of circumstances, not a lot of 9th-year coaches with a career record well under .500 survive an 8-22 season, especially given the 1-9 home record vs. division I opponents.

Actually it was the 1990-91 team that was the best one, as that was Vonesh, Burkett and Boschee's senior year, with Guldseth and Jacobson sophomores and Gardner a freshman. UND made it to the Elite 8, but blew a big lead (20 points or so) to Virginia Union and lost. The 1992-93 team didn't have as good of a record as it probably should have, but was still a very good team. UND lost to USD in OT in the region final in Grand Forks. That was maybe the most devastating home loss in UND basketball history, at least in my lifetime.