2024-2025 season

[CMSioux]

Athletes stay after entering the portal all the time.

[NewUndFan]

33 minutes ago, CMSioux said:

Athletes stay after entering the portal all the time.

I hope Josie stays, but her Twitter post didnt seem like she was just exploring options, it was a good bye.  

[gfhockey]

https://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/college/in-a-flash-its-dennis-hutters-turn-to-lead-und-womens-basketball

[ND-fan]

It would be be helpful if some of transfers would reconsider coming back if could get Schiller, Horne, and Ibrahim back all these player fit in they have been good players and they are playing close to home where they are playing in front of family.  Hutter emphasized creating family here and style of basketball he wants to play here these players would thrive here as players because of this style. This is not to mention Pemberton but she is long way from home. All these players would see significant playing time and I believe with few additions to this team we could become successful where they would be playing on winning team.  If this doesn’t happen life will go on and I think he knows how to construct team that can compete but may take year or two get personal around to compete to reach contention in the conference. This change in coaching had to happen but sad part is AD could have managed this better we probably not looking at number of players to be replaced.. I also believe number of these players if you ask them in couple years may regret leaving but they had to do something because of situation here and wanting change but once done it always hard to reverse a decision and now your hearing from so many different sources. I agreed with Iramurphy of stepping up to support the program and look to future go forward from here. 

[NewUndFan]

Bottom line Chaves is to blame. He should have fired Mal a long time ago and now has basically blown up the program.  Mal couldn't even keep a grand forks girl who grew up having dreams playing for university and is now considering going to its biggest rival ?  How blind can Chaves be? Mal has sunk women's basketball way more then Sather has in men's and he has taken men's down pretty low.  Maybe once Sather totally destroys the mens teams he will hire the assistant men's coach.  

[NewUndFan]

3 hours ago, NewUndFan said:

Bottom line Chaves is to blame. He should have fired Mal a long time ago and now has basically blown up the program.  Mal couldn't even keep a grand forks girl who grew up having dreams playing for university and is now considering going to its biggest rival ?  How blind can Chaves be? Mal has sunk women's basketball way more then Sather has in men's and he has taken men's down pretty low.  Maybe once Sather totally destroys the mens teams he will hire the assistant men's coach.  

I do want to say though I feel Coach Hutter is a good hire.  I think it was because of him only that this team seen any improvement this year.  I feel he deserves a shot to see what he can do.  He has never coached at this level either, if there is no improvement in 3 years we move on.  We dont keep extending coaches that dont deserve to be!  

[UND92,96]

46 minutes ago, NewUndFan said:

I do want to say though I feel Coach Hutter is a good hire.  I think it was because of him only that this team seen any improvement this year.  I feel he deserves a shot to see what he can do.  He has never coached at this level either, if there is no improvement in 3 years we move on.  We dont keep extending coaches that dont deserve to be!  

It sounds like he's going to get back to recruiting the area/region moreso than what we've seen in a while, so that's a positive in my opinion. Until this most recent recruiting class, MN in particular hasn't been enough of a priority in recent years. One Minnesotan on the roster this year. That's pretty hard to believe.

[homer]

1 hour ago, UND92,96 said:

It sounds like he's going to get back to recruiting the area/region moreso than what we've seen in a while, so that's a positive in my opinion. Until this most recent recruiting class, MN in particular hasn't been enough of a priority in recent years. One Minnesotan on the roster this year. That's pretty hard to believe.

I think either way with Josie or without I’m reaching out to get the temp on Kinnebrew from UMary and the center from Kindred at Moorhead.  Both local talents that are all conference and can play at this level.  
 

I really don’t think a rebuild to at least be more competitive than last year is a long term thing.  Our fundamentals have been such a problem for the last 3 years and seem the easiest to improve.  

[UND92,96]

Just now, homer said:

I think either way with Josie or without I’m reaching out to get the temp on Kinnebrew from UMary and the center from Kindred at Moorhead.  Both local talents that are all conference and can play at this level.  
 

I really don’t think a rebuild to at least be more competitive than last year is a long term thing.  Our fundamentals have been such a problem for the last 3 years and seem the easiest to improve.  

Totally agree. I don't know if Kinnebrew has any interest in leaving Bismarck, but she absolutely could help. Same with Johnson at Moorhead.

[ND-fan]

The recruiting of Canada has been positive too number of these recruits were as close as twin Cities in distance. It fits in our geographic foot print of recruiting when we’re less than 100 miles from the border we can offer educational opportunities to these recruits they might be looking for.  If we can find players meeting our needs and our geographical area it should be pursued Manitoba, eastern Saskatchewan, Western Ontario have population bases as large or greater than North Dakota, or South Dakota have climate similar to us helping recruiting of coming to more wintery place to live.  We need to recruit our area and also need to work on kids here to stay play here in state presently we’re loosing to out state schools but this is upon us to get program back to being top program. 

[JackJD]

On 3/25/2025 at 1:46 PM, Coach4Life said:

SDSU doesn't take transfers. Coach commits to his recruits and hopes they reciprocate. It's worked very well for him, obviously.

I think Coach4Life’s underlying point is accurate: AJ has not had to depend on transfers and builds his teams the old fashioned way by keeping players in the system for four years. But as we all know, sometimes transfers are necessary to fill a gap or avoid disaster.

Compare:  SDSU's men have been stung badly by transfers (e.g. Shierman to Creighton two years ago...now with Boston Celtics; last year, Zeke Mayo to Kansas and Wm Kyle III to UCLA) but we’ve also had to depend on in-coming transfers including, for example, this past season's outstanding big man, 6-11 Oscar Cluff from Australia/Washington State. 

The really unique thing about AJ's teams is the lack of athletes transferring out. I can only think of one in the past 10 years and she left for one year but then returned the  following year and finished out at SDSU. 

Going back to the 2019-20 season, here are the SDSU women's team in-coming  transfers:

2019-20:  (1) Ryle Cascio Jensen (Fremont NE) transferred from Nebraska...she arrived 17-18 and played three very good years for the Jacks; and (2) Tagyn Larson (Sioux Falls, SD) transferred in after two years at Iowa and played the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons for the Jacks.

2020-21 AND 2021-22: Haley Greer (Winnetka, IL) transferred in from Colgate.

2022-23:  Dru Gylten (Rapid City, SD) wasn’t a typical transfer student – she came in as a grad student with one year of eligibility left after a very good four years at Utah (4^th on the all-time assist leaders list at Utah). 

2023-24:  No transfers BUT AJ’s team lost five players due to injury for the upcoming season. If my memory is correct, three or four were starters and one or two were top producers coming off the bench. Three of those players were lost to injuries before the season started and the other two were lost very early in the season. AJ resorted to recruiting from campus and brought in Isabel Aesoph, a sophomore from Faulkton, SD and a SD Class B all-state player in high school; and Tori Tollefson, a senior. Tollefson was a four-year letterwinner on SDSU’s softball team but basketball was in her background: she lettered five years at Chanhassen MN, scored more than 1000 points in her high school career, set school records for career assists, double-figure scoring average her senior year etc. etc.

Edited Thursday at 05:52 PM by JackJD
additional info

[JackJD]

Figures. About the time I write a long, boring post including the following:  "The really unique thing about AJ's teams is the lack of athletes transferring out," I turn on the 6 pm local news only to hear two players on SDSU's women's team entered the portal. One is Hallie Timmer, a starter and an important part of the Jacks' success. The other is freshman Jenna Hopp.  Hopp showed a lot of promise in her limited minutes.  I've heard Timmer will graduate this spring and will pursue a Master's degree and wants to try playing on a different team.

 

Edited Thursday at 11:06 PM by JackJD

[UND1983]

42 minutes ago, JackJD said:

Figures. About the time I write a long, boring post including the following:  "The really unique thing about AJ's teams is the lack of athletes transferring out," I turn on the 6 pm local news only to hear two players on SDSU's women's team entered the portal. One is Hallie Timmer, a starter and an important part of the Jacks' success. The other is freshman Jenna Hopp.  Hopp showed a lot of promise in her limited minutes.  I've heard Timmer will graduate this spring and will pursue a Master's degree and wants to try playing on a different team.

 

Welcome to the club!  

[CMSioux]

1 hour ago, JackJD said:

Figures. About the time I write a long, boring post including the following:  "The really unique thing about AJ's teams is the lack of athletes transferring out," I turn on the 6 pm local news only to hear two players on SDSU's women's team entered the portal. One is Hallie Timmer, a starter and an important part of the Jacks' success. The other is freshman Jenna Hopp.  Hopp showed a lot of promise in her limited minutes.  I've heard Timmer will graduate this spring and will pursue a Master's degree and wants to try playing on a different team.

 

Not as painful when a player transfers for academic goals or it's a freshman who wants more playing time. What UND fans are worried about would be scorched earth.

[ND-fan]

If this is true that Haleigh Timer is leaving SDSU this is big loss for them for next year. They are loosing Page Myer, Mesa Byom, Kallie Theisen, andMadysen Valasiun to graduation this is big loss of talent and experience from this team. They will have  Brooklyn Myer,Madison Mathiowetz, Emily Fox, Ellie colbeck, and Katie vaseska still talented group of players but will be relying on number younger players and new recruits to round out this team. Timmer is hard match up because she can play both inside and out such valuable player because of her offense but also her defense ability.  The loss to graduation now couple transfers this will not be as deep and experienced team  where they can just where you down over 40 minutes. Also Brooklyn Myer will be easier to defend with loss players tograduation and will not have Timmer to dish back to create that inside outside threat. This beginning even for AJ dealing with loss of talent and experience loss of any other of their remaining core could change this team dramatically.

[SiouxFan100]

Maybe UND can pick up these types of players 

[sioux24/7]

Hard to say what Jocie will do but she has recently followed NDSU, SDSU and Iowa State head coaches. Let’s hope she goes to Iowa State. I can stomach that. 

[und1995]

14 hours ago, sioux24/7 said:

Hard to say what Jocie will do but she has recently followed NDSU, SDSU and Iowa State head coaches. Let’s hope she goes to Iowa State. I can stomach that. 

Interesting. Iowa State is losing their all time leading assister this year so that could be a good fit. 

[ND-fan]

South Dakota State has big advantage in recruiting process for girls in surrounding their campus in that they have had success and Summit tournament being played in Sioux Falls it’s close for the families and friends to drive to the tournament. Plus it pretty much becomes home game for them in front of their fans who either live Sioux Falls or from Brookings for students and fans less than hour drive. It creates for full arena but for most part and generates revenue for Summit it does very little to promote other non South Dakota schools it is not neutral court to play on when playing the two South Dakota Schools.

this has to change if Summit is to grow and if not promotes number of schools in conference looking to move to another conference and I expect this to happen as soon as some neighboring conferences need teams to grow or replace lost members. There is need to develop rotation of sites to host the tournament and yes it probably reduce revenue for conference but this is not healthy for longterm for the Summit conference. Also restricts the conference on getting better players if only these two teams that continue to dominate the conference. it also becomes problem in attracting better coaches because it not something coaches trying to advance want to have to overcome to get recognized elsewhere.

[CMSioux]

I am conceding that the silence from the team's current players in the portal means none of them are changing their minds? 

[forksandspoons]

16 minutes ago, CMSioux said:

I am conceding that the silence from the team's current players in the portal means none of them are changing their minds? 

I was hoping some would have change their mind by now too 

[Kab]

1 hour ago, forksandspoons said:

I was hoping some would have change their mind by now too 

I suppose they will wait and see what interest is in them and from where 

[CMSioux]

25 minutes ago, Kab said:

I suppose they will wait and see what interest is in them and from where 

Most are in for a surprise, as a majority who have entered the portal have discovered. However, as has been shared, the team is better off for the future with some of them gone. 

[The Sicatoka]

The stats say most portal entrants just disappear. 

[jdub27]

Some are contemplating coming back. Others that have changed their mind have been told their spots are gone. Going to be a handful that probably should have taken a longer to think the decision through.