2024-2025 men's basketball recruiting

[Oxbow6]

  On 3/26/2025 at 10:59 PM, GoodGood said:

I know he's a long term project that fits the 3 & D mold. I'm just a little worried because we already have 2 ND kids on the roster who were long term projects and they appear no where near ready to contribute 2 years later. 

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Ouse is a huge reach at best. People in the know in the FM area say his ceiling is D2. Both Century guys would be best served going back home to Mary.

[sioux24/7]

  On 3/27/2025 at 11:32 AM, GoodGood said:

Has a d1 committed kid ever not made all state in ND? 

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Not a great example but Teysean Eaglestaff, Trey’s brother. 

[Baller45]

  On 3/27/2025 at 11:44 AM, Oxbow6 said:

Ouse is a huge reach at best. People in the know in the FM area say his ceiling is D2. Both Century guys would be best served going back home to Mary.

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How do we evaluate a ceiling?  
 

If a ceiling for a player was D2, for example, would that indicate that the player was going to be heavily recruited at a level below D2 and get a scholarship or PWO option at a few D2s? 
 

If a ceiling for a player was D1, for example, would that indicate that the player was going to be heavily recruited at a level below D1 and get a scholarship or PWO option at a few D1s?
 

[Oxbow6]

  On 3/27/2025 at 1:59 PM, Baller45 said:

How do we evaluate a ceiling?  
 

If a ceiling for a player was D2, for example, would that indicate that the player was going to be heavily recruited at a level below D2 and get a scholarship or PWO option at a few D2s? 
 

If a ceiling for a player was D1, for example, would that indicate that the player was going to be heavily recruited at a level below D1 and get a scholarship or PWO option at a few D1s?
 

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If you think he pans out and make an impact at UND....great but I'll be the under.  He was at best the 3rd best player on his HS team. Would potentially be a great fit at MSUM.

[GoodGood]

I guess I just don’t understand taking these long term projects that may not even be d1 talent. With high majors filling a majority of their open roster spots with transfers, there’s a major trickle down in the level of high school talent that low majors can capitalize on. There’s no reason some of these kids on our roster shouldn’t be a Mary or Minot playing and developing. If they’re truly d1 players, we can grab them out of the portal later on

[UND92,96]

  On 3/27/2025 at 2:36 PM, GoodGood said:

I guess I just don’t understand taking these long term projects that may not even be d1 talent. With high majors filling a majority of their open roster spots with transfers, there’s a major trickle down in the level of high school talent that low majors can capitalize on. There’s no reason some of these kids on our roster shouldn’t be a Mary or Minot playing and developing. If they’re truly d1 players, we can grab them out of the portal later on

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I'm a little more optimistic about Ouse's potential than most others on this board, but it's probably a fair point to question whether it even makes sense to sign high school players in this day and age unless you feel there's a decent chance they can contribute almost immediately. Developing a player over the course of several years was fine in the days when you could actually expect to keep him for four or five years, but obviously that almost never seems to happens anymore. 

[Baller45]

  On 3/27/2025 at 3:03 PM, UND92,96 said:

I'm a little more optimistic about Ouse's potential than most others on this board, but it's probably a fair point to question whether it even makes sense to sign high school players in this day and age unless you feel there's a decent chance they can contribute almost immediately. Developing a player over the course of several years was fine in the days when you could actually expect to keep him for four or five years, but obviously that almost never seems to happens anymore. 

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A look at the other side of the coin.  
 

Sather hit on Bruns.  Bruns is back home a year later.  
 

Sather hit on Eaglestaff.  Eaglestaff is here for 3 of 4 years and will go get paid somewhere for his final year, then be an ambassador for the University of North Dakota for the rest of his life. 
 

I am not a college basketball coach but I can see the logic in the Ouse decision.  
 

You are bringing in 3 6’8” wings.  I would imagine the Curtis twins, at least 1 of them, can add value very early.  Do guys from MN stay for 4-5 years?  In this day and age, probably not.  If they are gone after 3 years, you have a guy who has been in your program for 3 years with 2 years of eligibility left that can fill a role.   
 

Just my opinions.  

[Baller45]

  On 3/27/2025 at 2:36 PM, GoodGood said:

I guess I just don’t understand taking these long term projects that may not even be d1 talent. With high majors filling a majority of their open roster spots with transfers, there’s a major trickle down in the level of high school talent that low majors can capitalize on. There’s no reason some of these kids on our roster shouldn’t be a Mary or Minot playing and developing. If they’re truly d1 players, we can grab them out of the portal later on

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The portal is a beast that goes both ways.  If a staff does not recruit guys in high school and they blow up in D2, some guys are not going to consider playing for coaches who did not recruit them earlier in their own region. 

[F'n Hawks]

  On 3/27/2025 at 2:36 PM, GoodGood said:

I guess I just don’t understand taking these long term projects that may not even be d1 talent. With high majors filling a majority of their open roster spots with transfers, there’s a major trickle down in the level of high school talent that low majors can capitalize on. There’s no reason some of these kids on our roster shouldn’t be a Mary or Minot playing and developing. If they’re truly d1 players, we can grab them out of the portal later on

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Still have to take a chance of some HS guys IMO. Sather should have decided which one of the Century guys he wanted more instead of taking both. 2 wasted roster spots

[GoodGood]

  On 3/27/2025 at 3:03 PM, UND92,96 said:

I'm a little more optimistic about Ouse's potential than most others on this board, but it's probably a fair point to question whether it even makes sense to sign high school players in this day and age unless you feel there's a decent chance they can contribute almost immediately. Developing a player over the course of several years was fine in the days when you could actually expect to keep him for four or five years, but obviously that almost never seems to happens anymore. 

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But why do we care about developing guys for 3 years and then hoping they pan out? People complain about high majors using us as a development league, we need to be doing the same with the local d2s. You get too many of these guys on the roster and you end up like last year. One scholarship for a back up guard and you give it to Reggie Thomas who can’t play. 

[NewUndFan]

I dont think we need to take chances on high school players.  We should be raiding the D2 schools for their best proven players and taking Power 4 players not getting playing time wanting to come down.  Unless a high school player can contribute that year there is no reason to take chances.  I believe both Century players were offered to soon and both are a bust in my opinion.  We have to act like the Power 4 is doing to us and get the best talents from the divisions below us or grabbing experienced players from the power schools that drop down.  

[NewUndFan]

  On 3/27/2025 at 3:42 PM, GoodGood said:

But why do we care about developing guys for 3 years and then hoping they pan out? People complain about high majors using us as a development league, we need to be doing the same with the local d2s. You get too many of these guys on the roster and you end up like last year. One scholarship for a back up guard and you give it to Reggie Thomas who can’t play. 

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Looks like you beat me to the point!  I totally agree with this!  

[UND92,96]

  On 3/27/2025 at 3:42 PM, GoodGood said:

But why do we care about developing guys for 3 years and then hoping they pan out? People complain about high majors using us as a development league, we need to be doing the same with the local d2s. You get too many of these guys on the roster and you end up like last year. One scholarship for a back up guard and you give it to Reggie Thomas who can’t play. 

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I was agreeing with you. That strategy isn't realistic anymore, although it was for Sather when he was Northern State. But that was a different time and those days are over. That's not to say you never take a chance on a kid like Ouse, but you can't have four or five guys who you're just hoping maybe can help you in years three and four. 

[HoopsFan03]

  On 3/27/2025 at 3:42 PM, GoodGood said:

But why do we care about developing guys for 3 years and then hoping they pan out? People complain about high majors using us as a development league, we need to be doing the same with the local d2s. You get too many of these guys on the roster and you end up like last year. One scholarship for a back up guard and you give it to Reggie Thomas who can’t play. 

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  On 3/27/2025 at 3:45 PM, NewUndFan said:

I dont think we need to take chances on high school players.  We should be raiding the D2 schools for their best proven players and taking Power 4 players not getting playing time wanting to come down.  Unless a high school player can contribute that year there is no reason to take chances.  I believe both Century players were offered to soon and both are a bust in my opinion.  We have to act like the Power 4 is doing to us and get the best talents from the divisions below us or grabbing experienced players from the power schools that drop down.  

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How does basically everyone know that this is the model mid-majors have to move to except our coaching staff?

[McBuckets]

I think we’re all on the same page here. Im fine with getting a high school mid every year or even a few, but like @UND92,96 mentioned we can’t have 5ish scholarships ties up to developmental guys especially when they’re hasn’t been a great history of developing players or keeping players after a great freshman year

[ND-fan]

I don’t think anyone model just works now for small midmajor programs if go high school can  these kids develop enough now in two years or would they be better served at DII. If you go to portal then your committed to kids that you believe can make jump to next level or it takes them half season to adjust but you get so buried standings you don’t have chance to advance to any post season play. I also think what we saw this year with number of teams in Summit that got hit with young players or DIi players can they stand up to full season DI basketball or are they going to where down and get injured. Also with this teams at small midmajors are not as deep as they were 5 to 10 years ago because of how roster construction has to be done to get portal players to come to your program. I just don’t think small midmajor DI is sustainable, the deck is stacked against them in DI, they are like team played against globe totters never going to see much success other than in conference tournament but at DIi level they have that but also viable chance to play for something national scale. This is still important when your playing as player. DI midmajor is in now similar position of junior college player and I will not be surprised fans loose interest and players will be left playing in front of small crowds with very little interest in their level of basketball.

[wheelsup]

Doppler and Erickson were both pretty big reaches at the time and in reality both would have been better off going to a D2 team where they could have gotten playing time and active development.  With the portal nowadays coaches will also regularly be bringing in experienced players over the top of kids that have been “developing” on the roster. 
 

until the portal pendulum swings the other direction.. it’s in the kids and coaches best interest to look for a place where they can contribute rapidly versus being buried in a development role. 

[jdub27]

  On 3/27/2025 at 3:52 PM, UND92,96 said:

I was agreeing with you. That strategy isn't realistic anymore, although it was for Sather when he was Northern State. But that was a different time and those days are over. That's not to say you never take a chance on a kid like Ouse, but you can't have four or five guys who you're just hoping maybe can help you in years three and four. 

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Agree with it but you still need some guys you are developing because we continue to see that success at the D2 or JuCo level or lack of success at the P4/high mid-major level doesn't translate to being successful where we are. 

Instead of a crapshoot on 2-4 young guys a year, you're now guessing on 6-8 transfers a year and hoping what you see translates. Mistakes are amplified if you miss an 1-2 guys you expect to have immediate impacts because you're plugging your starting line-up with 2-4 brand new guys a year and hoping the hit and can play together.

I don't know what the answer is other than sometimes it will work and other times it won't.

[HoopsFan03]

  On 3/27/2025 at 6:45 PM, jdub27 said:

I don't know what the answer is other than sometimes it will work and other times it won't.

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Well, what our staff has done for 6 years now hasn’t worked. Maybe on year 7 they’ll figure it out 

[sioux24/7]

Believe Sam is visiting this weekend. 

[SiouxFan100]

Obviously we have a lot of holes to fill. We have swung and missed on some existing players - can they be replaced or do they need to stay?  How uncool would that be - very but it sounds like it will happen with football if I read between the lines. Are our coaches just too nice or are they honorable?

[UNDDOM]

They now have 3 freshman and 1 transfer coming in so far?  How many scholarships left to fill? 

[sioux24/7]

Seniors (2)

- Eli King

- Reggie Thomas

Juniors (0)

Sophomores (6)

- Zach Kraft

- Anthony Doppler

- Matthew Bothun

- Ryan Erikson

- George Natsvishvili

- Wylee Delorme (he might be PWO but let’s assume scholarship)

Freshman (3 + 1 PWO)

- Anthony Smith III

- Marley Curtis

- Micah Curtis

- Karson Ouse (PWO)

So that would leave at least 2 scholarships open, right? Assuming 13 scholarship limit as UNDDOM pointed out  

 

[UNDDOM]

  2 hours ago, sioux24/7 said:

Seniors (2)

- Eli King

- Reggie Thomas

Juniors (4)

- Zach Kraft

- Anthony Doppler

- Matthew Bothun

- Ryan Erikson

Sophomores (2)

- George Natsvishvili

- Wylee Delorme (he might be PWO but let’s assume scholarship)

Freshman (3 + 1 PWO)

- Anthony Smith III

- Marley Curtis

- Micah Curtis

- Karson Ouse (PWO)

So that would leave at least 4 scholarships open, right? 15 scholarship limit.

 

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Last year the limit was 13 schollys, not sure UND is offering the max yet.  All the juniors you listed should be sophomores as they all redshirted 

[GoodGood]

  2 hours ago, sioux24/7 said:

Seniors (2)

- Eli King

- Reggie Thomas

Juniors (4)

- Zach Kraft

- Anthony Doppler

- Matthew Bothun

- Ryan Erikson

Sophomores (2)

- George Natsvishvili

- Wylee Delorme (he might be PWO but let’s assume scholarship)

Freshman (3 + 1 PWO)

- Anthony Smith III

- Marley Curtis

- Micah Curtis

- Karson Ouse (PWO)

So that would leave at least 4 scholarships open, right? 15 scholarship limit.

 

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I’m not sure 4 scholarships are enough to fill the holes in this roster