State of NDSU Women's Basketball Program
I've read more stupid posts on this topic alone than I have read on all other sports forums combined. The truth is that NDSU thrived in NCAA Division II in several sports, but has struggled since the move up to Division I. Especially so in Women's basketball. IMHO, NDSU should have remained an NCAA Division II school for all sports. That is the division where NDSU belongs.
Back to the stupid posts: I've read on here where some are actually calling "for the coach's head." Given a deplorable situation that she inherited and as mentioned the program should be in D II, she has done the best that virtually any coach could do.
Fact: Fargo, North Dakota and surrounding area is NOT a high school basketball hotbed.
Fact: The university itself is not highly ranked academically.
Fact: NDSU now has the reputation as one of the worst women's basketball teams in all of Division I.
Fact: It doesn't have a lot of wealthy donors or huge alumni base.
Fact: DeHoff couldn't win here at this level and neither can Walseth. Starting to see a pattern?
Fact: Unless you love winter & cold weather the climate doesn't suit the majority of prospective students.
Fact: In order to win at a high level consistently in any college sport (men's or women's) you have to have the 'horses'. Meaning you have to get some of the top players every recruiting class.
Fact: Fargo not appealing to most high school student-athletes in terms of socially.
Fact: Recruiting top basketball talent (5 star & 4 star players) to come to NDSU is almost impossible for the above reasons and more.
The AD could hire a new coach to replace Walseth but the results are still going to be the same for a myriad of reasons. Also fans here keep using the phrase of "at this level." Well, playing in the Summit League is not remotely like playing for a Power 5 conference such as the B1G conference for example. Like night and day difference there. So there are many "levels" of quality within Division I women's basketball. The Summit League would be at or near the bottom. NDSU should have stayed at the Division II level. No doubt MONEY was at the heart of the administration decision to move up. Hard for me to see how the move up has helped NDSU Women's basketball in particular or NDSU athletics in general.
Last, on the coach thing...I doubt that Geno Auriemma himself could turn this program around as HE (Auriemma) would be the only recruiting selling point. And he is clearly one of the top all time winning college hoops coaches up there with Wooden and Krzyzewski. So get off the coach's back, she doesn't have the players to win consistently playing any kind of Division I basketball, even in the Summit League. Again the top 4 and 5 star players will gravitate to schools that excel in basketball, in academics, have a warm climate, where other great players already play, where there are major social activities to do and on and on. NDSU doesn't have those. Should have stayed in Division II. Proof is in the pudding.
Re: State of NDSU Women's Basketball Program
The milk you made your pudding with is rotten. If you can't see the difference in quality of sports at NDSU, you might want to go find a different past time than watching sports. Offseason trolling starts early this year.
Re: State of NDSU Women's Basketball Program
Appropriate name it seems ... Stargazer.
You are correct that the woman's basketball team at NDSU has struggled for quite a few years now.
There are a lot of factors that go into this. The coach is one factor, but not the only one. To say, as your post suggests, that Coach Walseth should not be held accountable at all is ludicrous. I like her and she might be a better coach than the record of the W BB team suggests. But coaches make a difference one way or another. We aren't losing to LSU, Connecticut, Notre Dame, and Tennessee. We are losing to IUPUI, UT-Rio Grande, UC-Santa Barbara, and so on.
As for your assertion that NDSU should have stayed in Division II for all sports, perhaps you should ask the football, wrestling, or men's and women's Track and Field Programs if they agree. Or the woman's Golf and Softball programs. They have all been able to ratchet up their programs, and being Division I helps with recruiting b/c the athletes know they will get an opportunity to compete with some of the country's best. Good athletes want this, they want to see what they can do, see if they can't be giant killers.
There undoubtedly are many reasons why the W BB program is struggling. But one would be irresponsible IMO to fully exculpate the coaching staff from this result. And the woes of the W BB team is not a reason that the other sports programs should have stayed at Div II. Many of them are getting better and better and it is a pleasure to see this.
Re: State of NDSU Women's Basketball Program
The University of South Dakota won the women's NIT last year (beat Oregon by 50) and they are only the 2nd best team in the Dakota's after South Dakota State. Both teams used to be NDSU and UNDs bitches back in the D2 days and have the same climate, worse facilities, and way less entertainment.
We play in a 50 million dollar arena and pay out head coach 150k. Not a hotbed? The Summit League tournament (which is primarily Dakota schools) blows away many so called hot bed areas in attendance.
Overall Ndsu has thrived in D1 and we will get it figured out like the other Dakota schools have. I mean is Vermilion and Brookings some vacation destination? They can do it and so can we.
You are a complete moron.
Re: State of NDSU Women's Basketball Program
This is a troll. Don't feed it. Let it die the miserable lonely death it deserves. NDSU has done quite well at D1, thank you very much. FCS football, wrestling, track, men's BB. Any one who says otherwise is an idiot who has their head up their *ss.
Re: State of NDSU Women's Basketball Program
Quote:
Originally Posted by
WhoRepsTheLurker
This is a troll. Don't feed it. Let it die the miserable lonely death it deserves. NDSU has done quite well at D1, thank you very much. FCS football, wrestling, track, men's BB. Any one who says otherwise is an idiot who has their head up their *ss.
If it's troll than Tony should just lock the thread. But someone who obviously spent an hour writing something this ignorant deserves a quick response and then told they are ignorant and told to GFT. Then lock it.
Re: State of NDSU Women's Basketball Program
Another good candidate for the preposterous statement contest :rofl:.
Re: State of NDSU Women's Basketball Program
Granted a few programs arent competing as well as others. BUT-----If he cant see the benefits to the move up then hes just a complete idiot.
Re: State of NDSU Women's Basketball Program
This is Stargazer's first post ever. Maybe we can be a little lenient with him or her.
Re: State of NDSU Women's Basketball Program
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Buffalo.Rider
This is Stargazer's first post ever. Maybe we can be a little lenient with him or her.
Why? There's so much blatant BS in that post it's hard to know where to start. Do you want an itemized response?
Sorry, I left Softball and Golf out of my response. I've really enjoyed watching Softball these past few years, especially the postseason. Very much looking forward to it again this year!!