2015 Recruiting

[shep]

It's looking like a great recruiting class. Any guesses on redshirts?

[jjensen]

Don't see a 2016 thread by looks like Ally Gorres a 6'1" center out of Cottage Grove committed. Played AAU ball with MN Fury.

[UND92,96]

Gorres is apparently a really good athlete. She's actually a good sprinter--something you don't often see in a 4/5. If her basketball skills catch up to her athleticism, she could be a player.

[UND92,96]

Looks like several players won't be returning: http://www.undsports.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPSID=58573&SPID=6389&DB_OEM_ID_COUNT_=2&DB_OEM_ID_1_=13500&DB_OEM_ID=13500&DB_OEM_ID_0_=13500&Q_SEASON=2015

[Teeder11]

Looks like several players won't be returning: http://www.undsports.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPSID=58573&SPID=6389&DB_OEM_ID_COUNT_=2&DB_OEM_ID_1_=13500&DB_OEM_ID=13500&DB_OEM_ID_0_=13500&Q_SEASON=2015

A quick glance shows the absence of Dillon, Kiser, E. Thompson. C. Thompson and Buckley.

[Teeder11]

Dillon was a hard luck case, hampered by injuries.

Kiser showed spurts at the 5 but utimately got pushed around with her slight frame.

E. Thompson was recruited to play volleyball originally. Gave it up and tried b-ball.

C.thompson was a walk on from lower division Northern State.

Buckley never saw a lick of action as a freshmen last season, as opposed to Strand and Sawatzke, who both got a lot of bench minutes. Meyer also sat for the season.

[UND92,96]

Buckley was coming off a serious injury as a high school senior. It may have just been a case of her being physically unable to play.

[Smoggy]

Any idea if player choice or Brewster choice?  I know he cleaned house when he took over, and I don't like the idea of this becoming a habit.

[UND92,96]

Any idea if player choice or Brewster choice?  I know he cleaned house when he took over, and I don't like the idea of this becoming a habit.

 

I don't know the circumstances surrounding the departures, but frankly it is Brewster's fault that he's recruited a lot of players who simply aren't/weren't good enough to play at this level. That was abundantly clear last season. You can only carry so many scholarship players like that on a roster and still be remotely competitive. He needs to do a better job with his evaluation of talent. There will always be a few mistakes, but he's just had far too many IMO.

[obborg]

It's looking like a great recruiting class. Any guesses on redshirts?

By my math, there will have to be 3 redshirts this season:  There are ten roster spots set as of right now, I assume all of which are scholarship players.  There are also 8 previously announced newcomers on the way (6 freshmen and 2 transfers).  That totals 18, and with 15 scholarships to give it means there will be 3 players without.  (Someone check my math).

 

My first guess would be Boike, given that Brewster has been quoted using the word "develop" regarding her.

 

After her I would guess the 2 guards, Asuncion and Morton.  The position is already crowded as 7 out of the 10 established roster spots are listed as guards (plus another coming in from UM).

[oldskool]

I don't know the circumstances surrounding the departures, but frankly it is Brewster's fault that he's recruited a lot of players who simply aren't/weren't good enough to play at this level. That was abundantly clear last season. You can only carry so many scholarship players like that on a roster and still be remotely competitive. He needs to do a better job with his evaluation of talent. There will always be a few mistakes, but he's just had far too many IMO.

Have you talked with him? If he's giving you info, then you must be close to him because the times I've talked with him, he's protective of the players, no matter there skill and contributions to the team. A better job.... Pretty quick to judge, considering he's been with the program for established period of time. The team played post season again. I've heard him say it was a "adequate" season but not his "ideal one". Sounds like he wants to achieve more for the university. IMO

[UND92,96]

Have you talked with him? If he's giving you info, then you must be close to him because the times I've talked with him, he's protective of the players, no matter there skill and contributions to the team. A better job.... Pretty quick to judge, considering he's been with the program for established period of time. The team played post season again. I've heard him say it was a "adequate" season but not his "ideal one". Sounds like he wants to achieve more for the university. IMO

 

No, I haven't talked to him. I just think he's recruited too many players who scored 10-14 ppg, and sometimes even less, in high school. Sometimes they've worked out, such as Evers. But more often than not, if a kid isn't much of a scorer in high school, she's probably not going to be an effective division I player, unless maybe she's a pure point guard or a defensive stopper. And I don't think too many players on last year's roster fit into the latter two categories.

 

It's also been frustrating to me for years that UND hasn't recruited more 3-point shooters. This has been a fairly consistent weakness going at least all the way back to the Langen-Kimbrough years. This has not been entirely Brew's fault, of course, but he did play a role in recruiting going back several years before he took over for Roebuck.

 

None of this is meant to imply that Brewster is not, or can not be a good coach. I certainly think he can be. But considering where they were picked pre-season, last year was a big disappointment. I don't think too many people would dispute that.

[tnt]

No, I haven't talked to him. I just think he's recruited too many players who scored 10-14 ppg, and sometimes even less, in high school. Sometimes they've worked out, such as Evers. But more often than not, if a kid isn't much of a scorer in high school, she's probably not going to be an effective division I player, unless maybe she's a pure point guard or a defensive stopper. And I don't think too many players on last year's roster fit into the latter two categories.

 

It's also been frustrating to me for years that UND hasn't recruited more 3-point shooters. This has been a fairly consistent weakness going at least all the way back to the Langen-Kimbrough years. This has not been entirely Brew's fault, of course, but he did play a role in recruiting going back several years before he took over for Roebuck.

 

None of this is meant to imply that Brewster is not, or can not be a good coach. I certainly think he can be. But considering where they were picked pre-season, last year was a big disappointment. I don't think too many people would dispute that.

But they were picked that high because of the season they had the year before, when they weren't expected to do anything, and kind of flew under the radar.  Montana and everyone else had them in their sights this past year.  

[UND92,96]

But they were picked that high because of the season they had the year before, when they weren't expected to do anything, and kind of flew under the radar.  Montana and everyone else had them in their sights this past year.  

 

Were they picked too high this past year? Maybe. The loss of Buck was huge. But UND returned six of its top eight players from 2013-14, plus got Lauck back after missing all of 2013-14. Anyway, not winning the league again wasn't really the issue. Midway through the conference season UND appeared poised for a second or third place finish. And that would have been fine. But instead they lost seven of the last eight games against Big Sky opponents, and finished in a tie for fifth, with a one-and-done in the tournament. That seemed like a collapse.

[SWSiouxMN]

No, I haven't talked to him. I just think he's recruited too many players who scored 10-14 ppg, and sometimes even less, in high school. Sometimes they've worked out, such as Evers. But more often than not, if a kid isn't much of a scorer in high school, she's probably not going to be an effective division I player, unless maybe she's a pure point guard or a defensive stopper. And I don't think too many players on last year's roster fit into the latter two categories.

 

It's also been frustrating to me for years that UND hasn't recruited more 3-point shooters. This has been a fairly consistent weakness going at least all the way back to the Langen-Kimbrough years. This has not been entirely Brew's fault, of course, but he did play a role in recruiting going back several years before he took over for Roebuck.

 

None of this is meant to imply that Brewster is not, or can not be a good coach. I certainly think he can be. But considering where they were picked pre-season, last year was a big disappointment. I don't think too many people would dispute that.

 

If Josie had only stayed healthy, she definitely would have been able to fill that void.

[oldskool]

I researched shooters for this team from articles I read this year:

Lauck-senior

Dillon-injured

Dyer-sophomore

Strand-freshman injured

Buckley-injured

Only 2 out of 5 played the whole season.

Hopefully the incoming group will help fill the void from the perimeter

[obborg]

The lack of production from the arc isn't about recruiting.  It's a side effect of a coaching strategy that emphasizes the inside game, where pounding the ball into your massive center is always plan A.

 

Both Burck and Szabla would have been top 7 in the BS in 3FG% if not for having too few attempts.  Dyer is consistently good from 3.  We all know Lauck could fill it up when asked to.  The problem isn't too few makes, but too few attempts.  In fact as a team we were 10th in BS in makes, but when we did attempt 3s we shot well  enough for 5th in BS 3FG%.

 

Evers' departure changes everything.  Now Brewster is going to have to find a new plan A.  I predict 3-pt production will go way up next season.

[UND92,96]

The lack of production from the arc isn't about recruiting.  It's a side effect of a coaching strategy that emphasizes the inside game, where pounding the ball into your massive center is always plan A.

 

Both Burck and Szabla would have been top 7 in the BS in 3FG% if not for having too few attempts.  Dyer is consistently good from 3.  We all know Lauck could fill it up when asked to.  The problem isn't too few makes, but too few attempts.  In fact as a team we were 10th in BS in makes, but when we did attempt 3s we shot well  enough for 5th in BS 3FG%.

 

Evers' departure changes everything.  Now Brewster is going to have to find a new plan A.  I predict 3-pt production will go way up next season.

 

I'm going to disagree with you a little bit on that one. The past two years with Evers and Wall (2013-14 only), UND had a total of just three players with 30 or more 3's. The highest total was Buck with 43 in 2013-14. In 2006-07 and 2007-08 when UND had Langan and Kimbrough, there were a total of nine players with 30 or more, with a high of 51. Was UND making MORE of an effort to get the ball inside the past two years than in the Langen-Kimbrough era? I would say probably not.

 

It will be interesting to see whether next year's team might have to be more like 2009-10, when there was no big scoring threat in the post. That year, the top three shooters combined for 214 made 3's.

[Dagger]

The bottom line is we just haven't been as much of a 3 point threat like we used to be.  We need to have more snipers.  We are  easier to defend lately.

[obborg]

I'm going to disagree with you a little bit on that one. The past two years with Evers and Wall (2013-14 only), UND had a total of just three players with 30 or more 3's. The highest total was Buck with 43 in 2013-14. In 2006-07 and 2007-08 when UND had Langan and Kimbrough, there were a total of nine players with 30 or more, with a high of 51. Was UND making MORE of an effort to get the ball inside the past two years than in the Langen-Kimbrough era? I would say probably not.

 

It will be interesting to see whether next year's team might have to be more like 2009-10, when there was no big scoring threat in the post. That year, the top three shooters combined for 214 made 3's.

Combining the past 2 season, 21% of our FG attempts came from 3 range.  Compare that to the 2 years you mention, when that number was 26%. They put up 335 more 3-point attempts than the modern era team. Yes, I do think this shows less desire to hammer it down low.

 

Studying the difference in makes only tells half the story, unless we also study the difference in attempts.

[UND92,96]

Combining the past 2 season, 21% of our FG attempts came from 3 range.  Compare that to the 2 years you mention, when that number was 26%. They put up 335 more 3-point attempts than the modern era team. Yes, I do think this shows less desire to hammer it down low.

 

Studying the difference in makes only tells half the story, unless we also study the difference in attempts.

 

Just curious--who on the 2014-15 roster do you think opposing teams actually feared as 3-point shooters? I would say maybe Lauck, and that's probably it. Yes, Dyer and Szabla can knock down 3's, but I believe opposing defenses will give them those shots because they are better penetrators than shooters. I think we need to get a few more shooters like Youngblut or Bagaason were. 

[obborg]

Bring on Frieje!

[obborg]

Just curious--who on the 2014-15 roster do you think opposing teams actually feared as 3-point shooters? I would say maybe Lauck, and that's probably it. Yes, Dyer and Szabla can knock down 3's, but I believe opposing defenses will give them those shots because they are better penetrators than shooters. I think we need to get a few more shooters like Youngblut or Bagaason were. 

Actually there is no reason to fear anyone on a team that doesn't feature the longball in its gameplan very often.  (And you're right that Lauck was the weapon of choice when they did).  

 

I have a feeling that teams will learn to fear Dyer from anywhere on the floor if Brewster ever hands her the keys.

[jjensen]

Looks like Sarah Jacobsen is ending up at NDSU. Verballed yesterday.

Minnesota Fury AAU ‏@MinnesotaFury  Sep 19

Big congratulations to Sarah Jacobson @sarahj1221 on her commitment to North Dakota State University! Very proud of you!

 

[nd1sufan]

Looks like Sarah Jacobsen is ending up at NDSU. Verballed yesterday.

Minnesota Fury AAU ‏@MinnesotaFury  Sep 19

Big congratulations to Sarah Jacobson @sarahj1221 on her commitment to North Dakota State University! Very proud of you!

 

Jacobsen isn't even the best point guard in the Fargo-Moorhead area. There is a sophomore guard at Moorhead High who is possibly already better. She has received a lot of interest from schools from all of the P5 conferences already. She will be a challenge to keep in the area.