2017-18 Season

[Kab]

So 6’7 will be our tallest starter?

[BarnWinterSportsEngelstad]

Ouch

[fightingsioux4life]

I don't like where this season is apparently going. Looks like the Women's team will be much better this year.

[hoops44]

UND starting 5 bigger than last season..per inflated heights listed on official roster...no shanks means no option to go big however.  BSC schedule a killer... play all the favs twice and the bottom feeders  once this season....could be a tough out in conference tourney... If Jones is 100% and Stewart lives up to his prep recruitment pedigree

[SWSiouxMN]

Preseason Polls are out:

UND was picked 5th in the media and 6th by the coaches.  

http://www.undsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=13500&ATCLID=211672837&_ga=2.107065154.1707445058.1507929281-1267981987.1487729103

Idaho picked as preseason favorites (no shock there).  Coaches really like UNC to make a jump this year. Other than that, no real surprises to me. 

[darell1976]

https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/ranking-all-351-college-basketball-teams-from-duke-to-alabama-a-m/

 

237. North Dakota Fighting Hawks

With versatile Geno Crandall at the center of some of the best pick-and-roll sets you'll see at the mid-major level, the Fighting Hawks figure to be top-three in the Big Sky. 

[sioux24/7]

Any players going to redshirt? No idea who Ethan Igbanugo is so maybe him? It would be nice if Buchanan and Franken did as well. I guess I am not as familiar with some of the players as I have been in the past.

[UND92]

I could see only Moody playing much this year.  Al depends on the new faces.  If they all play well, he could also redshirt.  He is a scorer and three point shooter.

[SWSiouxMN]

The season starts in a week and a half

I can't wait

[BarnWinterSportsEngelstad]

Bouncy Ball is just over a week away!!!!

[SWSiouxMN]

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. 

 

[hoops44]

Avants 3rd year junior....geno and kinsey 4th year juniors and most likely to be eligible for grad transfer...Gophs still looking for a pg/combo guard next guard next season  and would be willing to give crandall the scholly 

[hoops44]

based on Jones media guide comments it appears that he likes Buchanan to get the most PT of the freshman guards

[jdub27]

My thoughts/concerns:
-One senior on the team and he's new (Jones). Someone or multiple people need to step up and fill the gigantic hole left by the graduation of Q and his leadership.
-Can UND play effective up and down basketball and can they get other teams to go along with them? They are going to need to in order to be effective since they are incredibly thin at the post.
-Play fundamental basketball, will go a long way with the current roster make up. I see a lot of three pointers being shot this year, securing position and getting second chance points, while limiting them on the other end, will be huge.
-Replacing Q's leadership. So important I put it twice. I don't think it can be overstated what someone with that amount of talent and leadership brings to the table and how huge that is for a program.

[hoops44]

Carson Shank logged a grand total of 3 minutes in loyola exhibition win....Bernstine  injured at Wa. St....Hooker doing ok for Polish pro team....

[Dagger]

In one of their articles on their team, Loyola reporter said Carson Shanks was a vital cog on UND's run to the post season tourney.  Not sure vital is the appropriate word. 

[SWSiouxMN]

On ‎11‎/‎2‎/‎2017 at 5:28 PM, hoops44 said:

Avants 3rd year junior....geno and kinsey 4th year juniors and most likely to be eligible for grad transfer...Gophs still looking for a pg/combo guard next guard next season  and would be willing to give crandall the scholly 

I never claimed perfection ok

On ‎11‎/‎3‎/‎2017 at 2:54 PM, hoops44 said:

based on Jones media guide comments it appears that he likes Buchanan to get the most PT of the freshman guards

Not surprised. Think its the best move

[SWSiouxMN]

Season starts this week.

I'm excited to see how this team looks.

[MoSiouxFan]

On 11/3/2017 at 3:52 PM, jdub27 said:

My thoughts/concerns:
-One senior on the team and he's new (Jones). Someone or multiple people need to step up and fill the gigantic hole left by the graduation of Q and his leadership.
-Can UND play effective up and down basketball and can they get other teams to go along with them? They are going to need to in order to be effective since they are incredibly thin at the post.
-Play fundamental basketball, will go a long way with the current roster make up. I see a lot of three pointers being shot this year, securing position and getting second chance points, while limiting them on the other end, will be huge.
-Replacing Q's leadership. So important I put it twice. I don't think it can be overstated what someone with that amount of talent and leadership brings to the table and how huge that is for a program.

"Gigantic hole" is no overstatement.  Amongst other potential concerns, if someone, or several someones, can fill the huge leadership hole left by Q, it will somewhat minimize concerns in other areas.  Need everyone to stay healthy and, might I add, eligible.

[jdub27]

21 minutes ago, MoSiouxFan said:

"Gigantic hole" is no overstatement.  Amongst other potential concerns, if someone, or several someones, can fill the huge leadership hole left by Q, it will somewhat minimize concerns in other areas.  Need everyone to stay healthy and, might I add, eligible.

If one or two things start falling into place early in the season, I think they make a nice run this year. If they hit some adversity and that void isn't filled, I'm not very optimistic.

[SWSiouxMN]

25 minutes ago, MoSiouxFan said:

"Gigantic hole" is no overstatement.  Amongst other potential concerns, if someone, or several someones, can fill the huge leadership hole left by Q, it will somewhat minimize concerns in other areas.  Need everyone to stay healthy and, might I add, eligible.

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.  

 

[MoSiouxFan]

14 minutes ago, jdub27 said:

If one or two things start falling into place early in the season, I think they make a nice run this year. If they hit some adversity and that void isn't filled, I'm not very optimistic.

Totally agree.  Lots of new faces that I have no idea what or how much they'll bring to the table.

[MoSiouxFan]

24 minutes ago, SWSiouxMN said:

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.  

 

If he has matured, I think he can, too; but I think that's a big if.  He's certainly had a great role model to learn what it means to be a leader the last two seasons.

[The Sicatoka]

Gino needs to step up, but Gino shouldn't try to be anyone but Gino. 

[homer]

19 minutes ago, The Sicatoka said:

Gino needs to step up, but Gino shouldn't try to be anyone but Gino. 

This.  His play is what made the team go last season.  He can’t change that.  Lead by effort and attitude.  Doesn’t have to be vocal.