SWSiouxMN

huh?

Fri- Jones Sat- Pogs

I think this might be the toughest game out of the three (Hawaii might be as equally tough but I'll give the respect to the team who made the NCAAs last year and has a decent shot to do so again). I still think UND has too many question marks right now for me to comfortably pick UND in this one, but I do think they can cover the spread. I want to see how the new pieces fit into the equation to start off the year, especially Stewart and Jones. I also want to see how Walter is in year 2, where he should be getting more minutes and curious to see how he will step up. If there is one game that they need to get, its the Ark-PB game, they are picked near the bottom of the SWAC.

Holy..... they got a big

Wait, didn’t Gersich score on Saturday?

No. just no

This is where Geno needs to make that next step and take over the leadership. I get that Avants and Seales are the captains, but Geno is the "straw that stirs the drink" for this team and needs to step into the role of the face of the program like Q was. I think he can do it We will get a better idea of what we got after this weekend. I am anxious to see how the new players (Stewart, Jones) can gel with Seals, Geno and Avants.

Season starts this week. I'm excited to see how this team looks.

I never claimed perfection ok Not surprised. Think its the best move

This game is for the birds. lets finish this season strong

Fri: Jones Sat: Gersich

They looked better last night in a sweep against EWU. Big divisional showdown game against Idaho on Saturday. Lets keep the good vibes rolling

So I give you my Best/Worst/Realistic Cases for the Season (If you are familiar with Pat Forde's Best/Worst case during March Madness, here is my feeble attempt to duplicate it): Worst: The losses due to graduation and transfer are not able to be replaced despite the best efforts of Avants as the rest of the bigs struggle due to injury or ineffectiveness. Geno doesn't take the leap many expect and Stewart has an up and down first year. Seales struggles transitioning into the starting lineup and UND finds replacing the 3 point threat of Baldwin more difficult then they realize. They go 3-9 in non-conference, which unfortunately includes being swept by the Bison (including a 20+ point drumming in Fargo where Geno is harassed all night by Bison fans), and losing by 30 to the Jacks where Daum drops 50 on UND. The conference season gets off to a brutal start and aren't a factor in the race, but start to figure it out in February before being bounced in the first round in Reno. Its 2014-15 all over again, until it gets even worse when Geno and Avants both decided to head the Grad Transfer route, leaving Jones and company with many questions going into Year 1 of the Summit. Adding to the problem? NDSU figures things out and wins the Summit over SDSU and heads to the dance where they given eventual National Champion Duke a run for their money in the first round before falling. Best: In magical seasons, sometimes you need things to go just right. Like the sudden emergence of a player not expected to contribute, the blossoming of a player from star to superstar, and a player putting it together a healthy season. As the confetti settled and Geno lifted up the Big Sky championship trophy once again, UND managed to get all three. Despite his injury history, Jones stays healthy the whole way and provide UND with a great inside-outside threat. Walter pulls together a stunning sophomore campaign that helps the UND bigs. Stewart lives up to the hype and more, providing a secondary scoring option and Seales picks right off where he left off. The main story of course though, is Geno. He fills Q shoes from last year and become a fearless leader. He showed it when he hit the buzzer beat to stun Nebraska, a key part of UNDs sweep of NDSU, where he dropped a stunning 40 points in Fargo to claim he's the "King of Fargo". The 8-4 non-conference record is nothing to sneeze at, and a top 3 finish in the Big Sky isn't either. Until the Tournament starts and Geno goes all Kemba Walker on the bit, beating Weber in the semis and Idaho in the finals with buzzer beaters. UND puts up another respectable performance but loses in round 1. Coach Jones turns down an offer to go elsewhere because with 4 starters returning and Geno getting some national love in the mid-major world, they all have there sights at a 3 peat. This time in Sioux Falls. NDSU gets bounced in Round 1 and the grumbling start in Fargo about Richman. Realistic: The truth was, this was always more of a reorganizing year than rebuilding, a throw back to the 15-16 season if you will. The team has its learning curve in the non-conference but manages to have a respectable showing. The non-conference record is about 6-6, splitting the two games against NDSU (both teams hold serve at home). Geno continues his ascent into stardom and Stewart and Seales provide a solid 2nd and 3rd scoring option. The bigs have their moments but also struggle at the same time. The conference season is a tale of two halves as the first half things are still a struggle, but then take on the typical Jones team in Feb/March and make their charge to a 10-8 conference record. Good enough for 5th place and the first round Bye. They managed to get 1 win in Reno before falling short against Idaho in the semi-finals in an OT thriller. The 17-15 record is good enough for the CIT, where UND actually wins two games before falling. No one leaves for greener pastures and UND turns its attention to the Summit, with 4 returning starters they have high hopes in year 1. NDSU rebounds but falls to a Daum led SDSU team in the semis.

If Bradford never messed up his knee, I don't think this decision is being considered. They would have put him on IR and called it good. But as it stands, it is asking a lot for Bridgewater to come in after a year and a half from a very significant injury and not be rusty, be on the same page, etc. Case has done alright and I agree he should stay as the guy for now. If they still had Cook, I might answer this question differently. The next three games out of the bye will be telling, its possible for the Vikings to lose all 3 and have the division be a muddled mess (and give Green Bay hope to hang on for A-Rog to come back potentially and give the Lions the critical tiebreaker over Minnesota) or to win all 3 and be in a good spot in the division and playoff race (would be a least 2 games up on either Detroit or Green Bay but this gap could be larger). Do I think they could win a SB with they way Case is playing? Unlikely. Do I think they could make the playoffs and win 1 game with him. I do. My gut feeling: Teddy gets activated and is the backup and is starting the last regular season game at home verses the Bears.

Dumba decided to giftwrap a goal for the Jets that proved to be the difference. Hellebuyck was awesome yet again.

The season starts in a week and a half I can't wait

Man the more I heard it thrown around, the more I think Teddy is going to be starting sometime this year and I do not know what to think of it.

Unrelated to your question but your post brought this up. What’s the Summits plan to get to 10 here?

Well that pretty much screams going for it all. What a steal by the Eagles. They should win the east with ease now.

If Hellebuyck can keep these numbers up, or close to them, the Jets are going to be a playoff team.

It just seems like something has been off ever since that trip out west. Of course it could have been just an awful week (47 attack errors isn't going to get the job done), but I just have this nagging feeling.... They need to turn this around or this promising season might end with a thud.

Excellent.

They lost in 5.

UND/MSU going to a 5th set.

I am sticking with this until he puts one in. Pogo