1/11 Denver

[bruinbison]

Did not see most of the Coyote game, and did not see Denver, but some numbers do stand out.

SD game - Bison shoot 50% from 3 (11-22) (Cameron Hunter 5-5 three %)

Denver game - Bison shoot 23% from 3 (6-26) (Cameron Hunter 0-5)

50% from 3 is not sustainable and you are not going to do great if you only shoot 23% for the season (or is that just a bad game) (NDSU - 37% 3 shooting 2016-17 season, 39% so far this season)

As I put in another thread, Denver is not that bad a team as their record was up to this point. May finish strong. DU having Amigo and Rosga as returning starters is kinda like last season’s Bison team, with Dexter Werner and Paul Miller returning. That’s something to work with....

[Bisonator98]

To add to what PC says - recruiting is still going well, how often has NDSU gotten a recruit Northern Iowa wanted? (Jarius Cook)

If UNI keeps losing maybe Ben Jacobson will be available.

[Mr. Burgundy]

We graduate one GREAT player. Paul Miller is a stud. Our leader. AJ is AJ, and probably best to just graduate and move on. Great kid. Just not clicking any longer. We have nobody in the junior class worth worrying about. the studs on this roster our kids. You don't win in college basketball at this level with a bunch of kids. This year, I personally get excited about our youth. 35 points on 12 shots at USD from a Freshman PG. Individual performances like that. Rocky is our best big man, I don't think that is debatable. I like our youth. Last night was awful. No energy. Nobody wanted to take "the shot." Nobody was willing to die for a loose ball. Paul did his best to carry them. He cannot do it alone. We aren't very good right now. But can beat anyone at any moment. Love our recruiting. I follow it closely and that is going very well, which is important. Plus, we are redshiting two very talented kids. One is man, one will be a man!

[Bisonator98]

We graduate one GREAT player. Paul Miller is a stud. Our leader. AJ is AJ, and probably best to just graduate and move on. Great kid. Just not clicking any longer. We have nobody in the junior class worth worrying about. the studs on this roster our kids. You don't win in college basketball at this level with a bunch of kids. This year, I personally get excited about our youth. 35 points on 12 shots at USD from a Freshman PG. Individual performances like that. Rocky is our best big man, I don't think that is debatable. I like our youth. Last night was awful. No energy. Nobody wanted to take "the shot." Nobody was willing to die for a loose ball. Paul did his best to carry them. He cannot do it alone. We aren't very good right now. But can beat anyone at any moment. Love our recruiting. I follow it closely and that is going very well, which is important. Plus, we are redshiting two very talented kids. One is man, one will be a man!

This may very well be true but I lack confidence that Richman can get the most out of those guys as a coach. Why is our current team so lacking in upper class leadership and talent? Why did we seemingly waste those post NCAA win recruiting years??

[Professor Chaos]

Did not see most of the Coyote game, and did not see Denver, but some numbers do stand out.

SD game - Bison shoot 50% from 3 (11-22) (Cameron Hunter 5-5 three %)

Denver game - Bison shoot 23% from 3 (6-26) (Cameron Hunter 0-5)

50% from 3 is not sustainable and you are not going to do great if you only shoot 23% for the season (or is that just a bad game) (NDSU - 37% 3 shooting 2016-17 season, 39% so far this season)

As I put in another thread, Denver is not that bad a team as their record was up to this point. May finish strong. DU having Amigo and Rosga as returning starters is kinda like last season’s Bison team, with Dexter Werner and Paul Miller returning. That’s something to work with....

This team will live and die by the 3 ball. When you have no post presence and no player like Woodside or Braun that can get to the rim at will you kind of have to. That leads to inconsistent play as well. They're not good enough to win games against D1 competition when they shoot 6-26 from 3. Going into last night they were 25th out of 351 in the nation shooting 40% from 3 as a team. They held Denver to less than 70 points and they got to the line 3x more than Denver did. But when you can't hit the 3 ball and you can't rebound (which they didn't do well last night either) it's going to be tough for this team to win.

[56BISON73]

This may very well be true but I lack confidence that Richman can get the most out of those guys as a coach. Why is our current team so lacking in upper class leadership and talent? Why did we seemingly waste those post NCAA win recruiting years??

Why does one think those few years could carry the future? Even with those wins were recruits really flocking to play in Fargo?

[bisonfan08]

This team will live and die by the 3 ball. When you have no post presence and no player like Woodside or Braun that can get to the rim at will you kind of have to. That leads to inconsistent play as well. They're not good enough to win games against D1 competition when they shoot 6-26 from 3. Going into last night they were 25th out of 351 in the nation shooting 40% from 3 as a team. They held Denver to less than 70 points and they got to the line 3x more than Denver did. But when you can't hit the 3 ball and you can't rebound (which they didn't do well last night either) it's going to be tough for this team to win.

This is kind of where I see us as well, Paul, Cam and Tyson can get to the rim but we don't have a big that can really score it for us down there and that allows for extra help against those guys driving. We have gotten very good at driving and dishing and getting good open looks from 3 and that's why our percentage has been as high as it has this season, most of the 3's we take are good, open looks. We were 1-12 at half time last night...just awful, 5-14 in the 2nd half for 36%...we only lost by 6. Make a couple more in the first half and we win that game, our defense has been pretty good this year, last night what killed us was 2nd chance points, our defensive rebounding was awful and that's just energy and effort and poor positioning sometimes by some of our young guys. We keep playing defense well and getting open looks from 3 to keep our percentage in that 30-40% range all season and we'll win our fair share of games. Like I said earlier it's just trying to keep that consistency which can be tough when you rely on the 3 ball.

[StL Bison Fan]

We need a Dex or an LA. Not necessarily their talent but guys who put a spark in the game.
Guys who are the emotional leaders. Our team needs to have fun, to enjoy the game. I'm just not feeling that.

[Bisonator98]

Why does one think those few years could carry the future? Even with those wins were recruits really flocking to play in Fargo?

No but it sure as hell doesn't hurt!

[Professorbum]

Slowly but surely we are watching the degradation of a BB program. Richman was handed the keys to a Cadillac and is slowly turning it into a Prius. This team hardly never lost at home and now it is becoming a norm and we shouldn't certainty lose at home to the worst team in the Summit. Look at the slow and steady record decline since Richman took over. Stats don't lie people. I am not one to call for the coaches head until now but a change is indeed needed. Those of you who defend him that is your opinion and that is great but personally I am not fine with mediocrity and a program heading south. He is not the coach that this program needs or deserves.

What do you mean "slowly"? And what do you mean "Prius"? I'd take a Prius right now. He's turning the program into my 2004 piece of $h#t chevy. I almost did not renew my tickets this year. But I did, albeit with cheaper seats. I will not make that same mistake next year. And I won't be teased or fooled into renewing by a late season run, or a deep run into the summit tourney. There is no future in NDSU basketball until the university invests in a coach who can inspire the team, get the most talent out of the roster he has, and improve the roster from year to year. I'm still waiting for certain players (I'm not calling them out; they're young men and students) to become what they were supposed to become. We need a coaching regime that is creative, talented, can out-coach the opposition, and can make something out of these players.