UND92,96

I'm not positive, but I believe the Minnesota A.P. player of the year, Jake Machacek from Eastview High in Apple Valley, visited UND this past weekend. I assume his speed has kept dI schools from seriously recruiting him, as I believe he runs somewhere in the 4.6 or 4.7 range in the 40. However, I do think he's potentially a very good NCC back. He put up huge numbers in high school.

In addition to the one Bisonmav posted above, here's the other Argus-Leader article from yesterday: link.

I've heard good things about Mankato's arena but I haven't seen it. Question--I assume the seats are all permanent, so is there room for just one court? How big of a deal is it to have room for multiple courts like the Betty has? The reason I ask is that I would have liked to have seen the Betty more like what I envision that the Ralph in TRF is (although I've never seen it)--seating in a full bowl all the way around, with an outer concourse (similar to the old Ralph, as well). It seems to me that would have been ideal, unless the ability to have multiple courts going at one time is critically important.

It looks like there are a couple of articles in the Sioux Falls Argus-Leader today regarding the future of the NCC, and the whole dI issue at UND (and elsewhere). Unfortunately, they're apparently having technical problems with the website as I can't access any of today's sports stories. If it works later, I'll provide links.

I only turned it on very late in the first half, and it was unlistenable (is that a word?). It apparently started working (again) some time at the half.

UND up 32-24 at half. Poor shooting so far.

I agree. It would be a shame to lose him after so many years at UND in one capacity or another.

link After just eight months at his current job?

Thanks for the info. Minnesotapreps.com had him rated as the 20th best senior in Minnesota prior to the start of the season. link.

I just looked at USD's schedule to see whether they've lost at home yet this year. They haven't, but the really odd thing about their schedule is that they've played just one dII opponent at home so far (Chadron St.). Apparently it's not only their men's team that likes to schedule cupcakes.

No spin intended. I'm just calling it like I see it, and Omaha has been a bust. I am glad the Sioux men are apparently improving, though. I didn't think there was any way we'd win an NCC road game this year, at least not against anybody aside from perhaps Augie.

Speaking of Koenig, this was in a Wayne Nelson Herald article yesterday:

In a season full of disappointments for the NCC, Omaha's performance thus far has to be the biggest disappointment of all. They were picked to win the league, and returned a lot of talent from last year, but are sitting at just 10-9 (1-2 in the NCC). I didn't expect that the loss of their coach would have this big of an effect, but apparently it did.

With ZBJ's departure, that would seem to point to sophomore-to-be Matt Bodoh starting at weakside outside linebacker, with Tyson Giles as the backup, unless one of the freshmen is able to step in and challenge for playing time.

You're probably right on the location. If it happens at all, it would likely be in Sioux Falls.

UND does apparently recruit NDSCS (Tyler Morrow last year, for example), but clearly not to the same extent as programs who rely on jucos, e.g. Mankato. My feeling is that if there's a potential impact player at a position of need and he's a good kid, then he should be recruited. I'd love to have another Mathews, but I want no part of a guy like Abrian Stovall (UNO via NDSCS). He was a good player but a thug, judging by his on-field behavior.

I think the hesitancy to play conference teams too many times in a year was a lot more valid back when it was a 9 or 10 team league and there were far fewer non-conference games to schedule. Now, with all the non-dII teams on the schedule, it doesn't look so bad, but perhaps the coaches would disagree with me on that one.

Since it's obvious that non-conference basketball scheduling is a huge challenge for everybody in the NCC, I was just thinking that perhaps it's time to reinstate the old holiday tournament that the NCC used to have. Granted, with just seven teams is would require somebody to have a first round bye (presumably either the host school or the conference champion from the previous year). At least it would result in three more games (for all but the first round bye team), none of which would be against a dIII/NAIA opponent. It could rotate locations between all the teams. With the NSIC having fewer open dates starting next year with the addition of Mary and Upper Iowa, I think it's time to do something different or else we're going to end up playing everybody in the DAC every year. I realize it becomes a moot point for UND should we go dI, but it's something to consider.

I haven't been able to find anything too interesting in a couple of weeks. I believe there are still several good North Dakotans who are apparently undecided, including Evan Sauvageau, Travis Mertens, Ryan Kasowski and Jake Landry, all of whom I believe either have visited or will visit UND, along with other North Dakota possibilities including Dylan Glaser, Cole Zarak and Zack Winkler (I have no idea whether there has been any mutual interest between the latter three and UND). I don't believe this year's group of North Dakota recruits will be as good as last year's for UND, so hopefully we do very well in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The other unknown factors are whether we get any impact transfers, or jucos. Those have been pretty rare in the past, but you never know when another Travis Lueck or Glen Mathews may show up.

Does anyone know whether Northern Colorado hired a consultant prior to its move to dI? Has a consultant ever said to one of its clients that it has very little chance of successfully making the jump to dI? I don't know, I'm just asking.

Apparently the annual NCC winter meetings were held last week (per a poster on the d2football.com board). It certainly would be interesting to know what, if anything came out of that meeting with regard to the dI issue and/or the progress in finding new members.

Yes, that's my recollection, as well.

I agree that having the fans so close to the floor makes for a good atmosphere, and it does provide a significant homecourt advantage. The was something that was definitely missing when the games were played at the Ralph.

No, I don't think they would try to move the game at this point. It would create more problems than it would solve.

Coachdags, teamsioux and dakotadan--very good points. I don't think any of us had some sort of pre-conceived notion that we weren't going to particularly like the Betty. I really wanted to like it. There are just some rather glaring miscalculations in its design. I don't know who's ultimately responsible, and it really doesn't matter at this point because what's done is done. In retrospect, I would have much preferred to remain at Hyslop until a bit more study had gone into exactly what type of arena we wanted and could afford. It really does seem as though everything was rushed, and rushing something of this magnitude is rarely a good idea.