WeAreNorthDakota

I couldn't help myself so I went exploring. Lakes referenced a MYSPACE page to creep on one of our recruits. You seriously can't make up some of the crap he spews on the interwebs.

11-3 win! They'll play again tomorrow at 5 pm!

Northern Colorado is stranding runners almost every inning. Scored a run in the bottom of the 5th but had the bases loaded with 1 out. We're lucky to be up 4-1 at this point and we're into the bullpen. Can't help but feel we're going to need at least a few insurance runs if we want to hold on to this one.

The Great West does not have an autobid. Utah Valley won last year but was left out of the tournament

I'm selling 4-2. I know they're mostly at home but SDSU, Montana, Montana State and EWU make for a very difficult early stretch especially with a quarterback with zero experience. I think we beat Valpo and ISU and sneak one from the aforementioned four then make a push for the playoffs once we settle in with a quarterback and hit the easier 2nd half of our schedule. I see us starting 3-3 but finishing 7-4 and on the playoff bubble.

Edwards is definitely not 6'2".

FBS transfer, correct?

At the spring game it looked to me like Bartels was more accurate on deep balls but Mollberg was better short and midrange. I'd give the nod to Mollberg because of the mobility he adds but I was pleasantly surprised with the decision making from both. No stupid throws or forcing the issue. It's just a spring game but neither looked like your usual deer in the headlights freshman.

I'm hoping it's Kansas. I can't speak for their volleyball prowess but that would be quite the pair of name brands to be coming to the Betty next fall.

I think Muss deserves to show us what he can do with non-transition recruiting classes. Guys like Mollberg, Edwards, Golloday, Robertson, Stockwell, and Carr are guys we didn't have a chance at during the transition. Now that Muss is playing with a full deck I want to see what he can do. Starting with a freshman quarterback isn't ideal so I won't be calling for his head if he simply matches last year's record but I want to see steady improvement throughout the Mollberg/Bartels era. IMO he has until this year's redshirt freshman graduate to get to the top of the Big Sky and to the point where we are regularly in the playoffs. If we're still a middling Big Sky team at that point, then we make a change.

All sports. 16 teams would be too big for a football conference. That's just my "build an ideal FCS level conference from scratch" scenario.

Went to Wild Bill's on Thursday for their soft opening. Food was very good with a nice beer selection and a good sports bar setup. We'll see how they handle a higher volume but I'll give it a preliminary thumbs up.

Rosters for Saturday have been released. Bartels will have Hardin, Jackson, and Robertson to throw to while Mollberg will have Golloday, Townsend, and Fletcher. Unfortunately we will not be seeing any of Sparks, Edwards, Labat, or Adams. Jake Hanson will play on both sides.

Big Sky adds all three. West coast teams are furious and join the WAC. We're left with us, Montana, MSU, NDSU, SDSU, USD, UNC, NAU, Idaho, Idaho State, Weber State, and SUU.

The problem with your scenario is that it isn't a sustainable model. A coach or program who misses the tournament 5 out of 6 years but happens to win a title in the other year would be viewed as lucky and the coach would likely be judged more on the down years. Under Hakstol, we've been a contender and had a chance every single year. Just the law of averages says he'll break through and win one eventually, and when he does I get the feeling we could go on a run and win 3 out of 5 or something along those lines. He's too good a coach, too good a recruiter, and has too many resources at his disposal to not eventually get over the hump.

But it wouldn't be like Hak. He'd have missed a tournament and failed to host a first round playoff series. Neither of which Hak has failed to do. Ever.

I don't think he has an infinite leash but if he goes 15 years without missing the NCAA tournament, hosts a first round playoff series 15 times, and makes 5 or 6 Frozen Fours I can't see how firing him could possibly be justified. Say he gets fired after next year if he loses in the first round of the tournament. The new guy comes in and makes the Frozen Four twice during Rocco's junior and senior seasons with Gothberg in net but then in his 3rd year he finishes 5th in the NCHC, goes on the road to Miami and loses in 3 games and misses the NCAA tournament. All you people calling for Hak to be fired would be wishing we'd hire a guy who'd make 9 straight tournaments and go to 3 Frozen Fours.

Perfectly happy? Of course he's not perfectly happy. If he was perfectly happy he'd likely get complacent and he'd start missing the tourney once every couple years. In order to stay at the top in sports, or in anything for that matter, you have to constantly strive to be the best just to stay at or near the top. You should ask him yourself if he's satisfied. Every time he speaks at a fan luncheon he opens it up for questions from the crowd. Go to the first fan luncheon next year and ask him when we, as fans, should start being frustrated that he hasn't won a national title yet. I'd bet you my car he says you should be frustrated right now because he is and has been for some time.

Having worked closely with several of the coaches, I always thought the stars of the staff were Kotelnicki, Schleusner, Freund, and Benny Boyd. I was never all that thrilled with Mannausau as a coach because I thought he was too passive. I could tell Breitbach was a smart guy but I didn't see the fire for UND that I see in the Kotelnicki, Luke, Danny, and Benny. I'm glad those guys are being rewarded with promotions because I hope they stick around as long as possible.

Which Pac 12 team is coming for WBB? Is Utah making a return trip?

As a Husker fan, that's always the example I use to deter "Fire Hak"ers. We're still not back to the level we were before Solich was fired and that was 10 years ago.

Discussions with multiple people inside and close to the athletic department.

They're not remodeling. They installed updated lockers that will eventually be used in the IPF. My guess is they don't start by May but I'm confident there will be shovels in the ground this spring. If spring ever decides to show up.

We'll find out tomorrow. Hopefully he's suited up.

Schleusner has been promoted to OC according to several sources on Twitter.