Jordan Allard

[Bison Pride]

If scholarships would have been available instead of walk-on offers, they might all been going to NDSU, it doesn't really matter. The name of the game for mid-major recruiting is early interest and early committments. Why does jealousy and petulance enter into every topic here?

[sultan]

Jealousy and petulance enters into every conversation here because...Because Bison fans come on here and spoil every attempt to carry on a civil and adult conversation about sports topics. They turn every topic into either anti-Sioux or pro-Bison rhetoric. It's gets real old. They should keep all that banter at their website. They specialize in that sort of talk there.

[soohockey15]

There are kids at 5'11" in ND HS BB that post those numbers! If you are 6'6" or taller in ND and have any BB skill you should post numbers of 20 and 13 or better. Mertens will suprise some people next year. People wet themselves over Tyler Koenig before he was hurt, but Mertens is more athletic and more polished offensively.

Good lord, I played against them both and Koenig was head and shoulders better...not even close. Nothing against Mertens, Koenig was just an absolute force.

[Oxbow6]

Good lord, I played against them both and Koenig was head and shoulders better...not even close. Nothing against Mertens, Koenig was just an absolute force.

I believe you but that was when all of you were 16. Mertens is entering UND as a collegiate Jr. Koenig was as good his Jr. year in college as he was a Sr. in HS and that might be a stretch. He hasn't been a "force" since coming to UND and I know injuries have played a big role in that, but to say Mertens is the same talent/skill as when you played him in HS is absurd. He will be the better college player when it is all said and done as compared to Koenig.

[soohockey15]

I believe you but that was when all of you were 16. Mertens is entering UND as a collegiate Jr. Koenig was as good his Jr. year in college as he was a Sr. in HS and that might be a stretch. He hasn't been a "force" since coming to UND and I know injuries have played a big role in that, but to say Mertens is the same talent/skill as when you played him in HS is absurd. He will be the better college player when it is all said and done as compared to Koenig.

Obviously I was talking about them when they were both in HS.

I was no way implying that Mertens was the same skill level now as in HS. That is just absurd.

[tnt]

Mertens is enough of an athlete that both UND and NDSU recruited him heavily for football. At 6'4" or 6'5" with great leaping ability, he was a very intriguing prospect at receiver.

So when his basketball eligibility is up, can he play a year of football ala Chad Mustard?

[Oxbow6]

Obviously I was talking about them when they were both in HS.

I was no way implying that Mertens was the same skill level now as in HS. That is just absurd.

I got a hit off Helling in HS and use to wear a size 30 waist. Stop living in the "was". I care about what Mertens is going to bring to UND now, not that Koenig hung 35 on you as a Jr. in HS.

[Big10Sioux]

Fact is that UND essentially got all the best talent in the region, which probably couldn't have been said for a number of years. I think its the way to go to get this program rolling in the right direction again. You have to start in your backyard and work from there a la other successful UND programs (football, women's bball, hockey). I look forward to watching these players set the foundation for a successful transition.

[soohockey15]

I got a hit off Helling in HS and use to wear a size 30 waist. Stop living in the "was". I care about what Mertens is going to bring to UND now, not that Koenig hung 35 on you as a Jr. in HS.

There was a debate about who was the better HS player. I gave my opinion. You are somehow misinterpreting my obvious statement into something ridiculous. "Living in the was"? Get real, I was just saying what I saw.

[Oxbow6]

There was a debate about who was the better HS player. I gave my opinion. You are somehow misinterpreting my obvious statement into something ridiculous. "Living in the was"? Get real, I was just saying what I saw.

I trust your opinion on this. Mertens is just going to be better at UND than most think and Koenig never lived up to his expectations.

[UND92,96]

There was a debate about who was the better HS player. I gave my opinion. You are somehow misinterpreting my obvious statement into something ridiculous. "Living in the was"? Get real, I was just saying what I saw.

I guess to me, it's an apples to oranges comparison. Koenig and Mertens were three years apart in high school (Koenig was a 2003 grad; Mertens a 2006 grad), and they played different positions. Sadly, we'll never know what Koenig may have been, because injuries rendered him a shadow of what he once was athletically. Hopefully Mertens fares better.

[mnbison]

I think it's a good start for UND. This class reminds me of UND in the late 80's early 90's with Guldseth, Robertson and Gardner, all very good ND high school players. I hope they all do well, always good to see ND kids play at a higher level. I like that Jones is red shirting all of these kids to start, very much like what Miles did at SU and it's hard to argue with the results so far. Recruiting in the transition phase will be tough for anyone, so starting the foundation with talent in your own back yard is a good way to go. I don't think UND fans or most college basketball fans for that matter want to see the team loaded with JC kids. A filler here and there will probably be needed, but to build the program you need to get good four year players. I do wish one of the three would have walked on at SU, Mertens if I had to pick one, but like I said earlier, I hope they all do well.

[sultan]

It truly is fun to have a "civil" conversation about sports.