Talent Discussion

[silkamilkamonico]

With all due respect, scoring the basketball is a very outdated way of looking at quality of the player. Otherwise we would call Grinnel College the best basketball school in college.

I do wish NDSU had a better flow on offense and agree there. i don't think it negates all the other really good things Dave does with this program, like the defense and rebounding.

[silkamilkamonico]

I watched Lien and Kretchman a lot in high school and I've watched them quite a bit with the Dragons. I haven't seen Arvidson as much, so I won't comment on him. Our staff did not "miss out" on these kids. They were followed closely by NDSU and Lien was actively recruited as a preferred walk-on. He was probably close to getting a scholarship offer. I was a fan and wanted to see him with the Bison. Would they be difference makers for the Bison? Absolutely not, in my opinion. There is a huge difference in the physicality of the Summit League vs. the NSIC. Some of the guys who score at will in the NSIC would have a hard time getting open shots in D1. There are exceptions to this (think Schilling and Janssen at Augustana). Furthermore, I don't know who a kid like Kretchman would guard in the Summit. Most of the guards are either much longer than him or much stronger, if not both.

I'd also comment on NDSU players who can't seem to shoot or score in games. You would be amazed at how good many of those same guys look in practice or against lesser competition. It is a whole different ballgame when you have D1 athletes guarding you.

I should just delete my post. That sums my thought up much better than I could have said.

[steelbison]

I watched Lien and Kretchman a lot in high school and I've watched them quite a bit with the Dragons. I haven't seen Arvidson as much, so I won't comment on him. Our staff did not "miss out" on these kids. They were followed closely by NDSU and Lien was actively recruited as a preferred walk-on. He was probably close to getting a scholarship offer. I was a fan and wanted to see him with the Bison. Would they be difference makers for the Bison? Absolutely not, in my opinion. There is a huge difference in the physicality of the Summit League vs. the NSIC. Some of the guys who score at will in the NSIC would have a hard time getting open shots in D1. There are exceptions to this (think Schilling and Janssen at Augustana). Furthermore, I don't know who a kid like Kretchman would guard in the Summit. Most of the guards are either much longer than him or much stronger, if not both.

I'd also comment on NDSU players who can't seem to shoot or score in games. You would be amazed at how good many of those same guys look in practice or against lesser competition. It is a whole different ballgame when you have D1 athletes guarding you.

Thanks Kermit, just wanted some actual discussion on how good these three kids were. Your opinion holds a lot of weight as I know you followed both the kids closely in High School.

As far as scoring, don't you think it's odd we havent' seen a lot of improvement by the some of our players? Again I look at a group like Woodside, Nelson Winks and how they improved every year.

I was just curious as to why we are not seeing that in a player like AJ

[unbison]

Thanks Kermit, just wanted some actual discussion on how good these three kids were. Your opinion holds a lot of weight as I know you followed both the kids closely in High School.

As far as scoring, don't you think it's odd we havent' seen a lot of improvement by the some of our players? Again I look at a group like Woodside, Nelson Winks and how they improved every year.

I was just curious as to why we are not seeing that in a player like AJ

Did nelsons scoring improve every year?
As far as khy goes I believe there is a saying the sophomore slump so I'm not sure that he is the only one to struggle some in their second season as a athlete...Paul has certainly improved his ability to get to the rack

[Kujava23]

Just wondering what others are thinking.


Did we miss on some local talent? Curious as what everyone thinks about these three local players we didn't really recruit who are blowing up right now.

Mack Arvidson 6-2 SR Grand Forks Playing for Northern State

19.1 PPG 70-140 FG .50% 51-100 3pt .51%


Aaron Lien Moorhead 6-4 SR Playing for MSUM

18.3 PPG 81-142 FG .57% 21-49 3pt .43%


Tanner Kretchman JR Fargo Playing for MSUM

16.5 PPG 61-129 FG .47% 33-68 3pt .48%



Personally I didn't know much about the GF kid but he sure can shoot the ball and is pretty athletic.


I did think we should have offered both Lien and Kretchman out of HS. Both needed a RS year to get stronger but I thought both were Div 1 BB players.

These Stats don't mean anything in "wondering" if missed on guys. All those stats are playing at DII level. If Aj Jacobson was playing at Moorhead what would he average? Aj Jacobson is and was a better player than Aaron Lien! Could Aaron Lien play at NDSU--sure he could've and who knows how he would've progressed vs quicker and more athletic players on offense AND DEFENDING! Tanner Kretchman is small--not saying he couldn't play but again would be difficult to defend.
Mack Arvidson is a good athlete who has improved his shooting a lot in college. He was a project and needed development going into being a productive college player at D2 level and who knows if would've progressed at D1 level.

Guys that could've helped in MY OPINION order would've been 1. Lien but a bigger gap to next guy 2. Arvidson and even bigger gap to next 3. Kretchman

[Herd]

Geu needs minutes. How is he going to develop at 5-7 minutes a game? He needs to be getting 20/game.

[silkamilkamonico]

Geu's minutes have steadily increased to now averaging almost 14 minutes a game, plenty for him based on his role and impact on the court.

[Kujava23]

Geu's minutes have steadily increased to now averaging almost 14 minutes a game, plenty for him based on his role and impact on the court.

Do you START him---to FORCE minutes for him----shit if Richman can "justify" benching hardest and most productive player Dex to bench for Dylan Miller than should be fine to start DENG and bench----AJ, Carlin, or Khy---take your pick

[Kujava23]

Geu's minutes have steadily increased to now averaging almost 14 minutes a game, plenty for him based on his role and impact on the court.

Do you START him---to FORCE minutes for him----shit if Richman can "justify" benching hardest and most productive player Dex to bench for Dylan Miller than should be fine to start DENG and bench----AJ, Carlin, or Khy---take your pick

[silkamilkamonico]

I would hope Richman would never start, or force any players minutes at the expense of the entire team. I can only imagine he's playing him where he sees fit. The way he's been introduced though he may very average 20+ minutes by the end of the year assuming he isn't the one cut in the shortened rotation when conference starts but that may happen too.

Geu to me comes across as an incredibly individual talent who doesn't really know how to play within the system of what NDSU is running or trying to run yet. He just kind of seems lost out there at times. Ward has made almost a seemless transition, but the ball sticks with Geu and he's to impatient right now to let things develop. The one thing he can do is grab boards and he hasn't really been productive there in that stat either.

Yea not sure what the benching of Dex was for. I think because we don't have any scoring off the bench he wanted a spark to be there but who knows.