Northern State Wolves 2023-2024

[Stanger86]

I'm just curious how many points Brayson Boike would average on this year's team....

[NSU4LIFE]

I'm just curious how many points Brayson Boike would average on this year's team....

I don't know who that is, but probably a few

[Purple Mav Man]

Recruiting has been bad, player development has been worse.

His first real recruiting class was actually decent. I've heard Moni was a result of the connections he had made in his time in Fargo so that was a good one. Masten was a result of his connection to Cole Bergan (who had transferred home a year earlier) at Northern Colorado. KWB was a transfer who was an OK player that just couldn't stay healthy. Andrew Bergan was OK, coming back from a year a UND. I still believe Longstreet could have been a solid player, but there was never any development with anybody that Saul ever brought in. Players never got better here.

The second class is where it starts to go downhill. Rumor is that Josh Dilling called Northern and asked to play here, he wasn't ever recruited. Nhial was an athletic freak with raw skills that again got worse under Saul. Obiora was deemed a project, which is not good when you have no development.

The last 2 years have been pretty bleak. Ideally Hagen and Brooke would have redshirted and maybe played in a couple years. I do think Burks could be a solid NSIC guard in his career. The transfers that have come in are probably not NSIC caliber players, maybe 8th or 9th guy but surely not starters.

If any of the rumors have validity, it is no wonder player development has been a complete failure during Saul's tenure. He'd even made the comment in his first year that Sather had left him a loaded roster and he just needed to roll the ball out and stay out of the way. Unfortunately, that seems to still be his philosophy.

I am obviously waaaay further from the program than you, but this just screams:

“Hi, I’m Saul Phillips, and this is my retirement gig.”

[NSU4LIFE]

Last two mens basketball hires by Josh Moon are a combined 5-48 this season. I'm guessing he has another job lined up soon

[unknown]

Last two mens basketball hires by Josh Moon are a combined 5-48 this season. I'm guessing he has another job lined up soon

You're forgetting that he brought Sundance Wicks to Green Bay.

[NSU4LIFE]

You're forgetting that he brought Sundance Wicks to Green Bay.

Correct, a great hire with proven ability to rebuild, splash hires 0-2

[howlingwolves1901]

Previous poster is right on the dot. Development has been embarrassing. The team going into this weekend is worse than it started in Missouri. And this isn't the first team that has gone down hill through the year. Last year's group did the same - good players in that group but absolutely no direction. The rumors that accompanied the end of that campaign, paired with the terrible results with that group, should have ended the Saul era.

Instead, here we are again. Minimal recruiting coming into year. All eggs in Banks basket. Fine - he's a good player. But what else did he bring in? Has anyone seen improvement from any players on this team this year? Is the scheme evolving to fit player strengths? No to both - minimal cuts, same action to same side over and over. Ineffective offense that has no rebounders in the paint most of the time. Shoot threes off dribble, maybe one pass. Pound the rock and then chuck up a bad shot. Its 100 percent on the coaches. There are pieces that can play in this group. There has been zero development.

[howlingwolves1901]

And if you want to get to the heart of it, chat with some people in the region about who wanted to be at NSU but there was never scholarships available. The way the program has been managed from that side is a joke. Previous post highlighted some luck rather than good recruiting. Dilling came in the door with no effort. Masten fell in Saul's lap. Full scholarships used for guys who didn't see the floor regularly (and now have to to justify their place) is a surprising number. Grumbling I read about recruiting local guys is funny - what is their total scholarship impact?

All would be moot point if there was a track record of making fringe guys better. There is no such thing.

[Thunder]

Previous poster is right on the dot. Development has been embarrassing. The team going into this weekend is worse than it started in Missouri. And this isn't the first team that has gone down hill through the year. Last year's group did the same - good players in that group but absolutely no direction. The rumors that accompanied the end of that campaign, paired with the terrible results with that group, should have ended the Saul era.

Instead, here we are again. Minimal recruiting coming into year. All eggs in Banks basket. Fine - he's a good player. But what else did he bring in? Has anyone seen improvement from any players on this team this year? Is the scheme evolving to fit player strengths? No to both - minimal cuts, same action to same side over and over. Ineffective offense that has no rebounders in the paint most of the time. Shoot threes off dribble, maybe one pass. Pound the rock and then chuck up a bad shot. Its 100 percent on the coaches. There are pieces that can play in this group. There has been zero development.

Welcome to the board! Hopefully brighter days are ahead. 3 days, 3 hours, 13 minutes...

[howlingwolves1901]

Thanks - long time lurker. This year pushed me over the edge, I guess.

[Stanger86]

And if you want to get to the heart of it, chat with some people in the region about who wanted to be at NSU but there was never scholarships available.

This randomly got me thinking....Northern has put a lot of money into football in recent years. Could that be a role in basketball's demise at all?

[Purple Mav Man]

This randomly got me thinking....Northern has put a lot of money into football in recent years. Could that be a role in basketball's demise at all?

I thought all NSIC schools were at, or very near, the full 10.
Sounds like poor recruiting and misplaced full rides from the post.

[Stanger86]

I thought all NSIC schools were at, or very near, the full 10.
Sounds like poor recruiting and misplaced full rides from the post.

While on the surface, 8 is "very near" 10, it's the same differential as going from 36 down to 28 in football. I'm not saying that's where Northern is at, but it's pretty remarkable how much of a difference even just one scholarship can make in basketball. So when you do have a "misplaced full ride" as you put it, it can really set back the program.

[vikingfaithful]

Norhtern's old friend Parker Fox was on KFAN radio today, he turns 26 tomorrow and is still on the team. He talked about the Gophers 2 wins in LA against USC, UCLA. He was well spoken and a natural on the radio. He'll do more radio tomorrow. Good for him.

[Purple Mav Man]

While on the surface, 8 is "very near" 10, it's the same differential as going from 36 down to 28 in football. I'm not saying that's where Northern is at, but it's pretty remarkable how much of a difference even just one scholarship can make in basketball. So when you do have a "misplaced full ride" as you put it, it can really set back the program.

Northern is at 8?