In their second year in the Big Sky, and second year of full DI eligibility, North Dakota will be playing for a spot in the Big Dance. In the first semifinal, they beat Portland State 79-63, jumping out to an early lead and never looking back.
UND jumped out of the gates by pounding the ball inside with great efficiency, and hitting the glass whenever they missed. They couldn't hit outside shots all game (1/9 from three), but they still scored 79 by getting it down low, and grabbing 18 offensive rebounds. Early, it was Jaron Nash (13 points, 6 rebounds and Alonzo Traylor (8 points - all early) that led the way, getting UND a big start.
As the game wore on, PSU had a tough time containing Aaron Anderson, who was brilliant once again. He had 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists, constantly getting to the bucket with his quick acceleration. Troy Huff struggled from the floor again (3/14 FG), but his aggressive attacking at the basket led to a 12/15 night from the charity stripe.
All night, North Dakota never let up offensively. Though their field goal percentage doesn't look great, their offensive rebounding and free throw totals tell the story. They were constantly attacking the basket and getting it inside, and PSU just couldn't find ways to slow them down with their four-guard lineups.
It's a tough end to the season for Portland State, thought there are still many reasons to be proud. When they were sitting at 6-8 in the conference with a tough schedule down the stretch, I'm not sure anyone expected that their season would end in the Big Sky semifinals. Though they need to find some frontcourt players, they will still return a lot of talent next season.
But this was North Dakota's day. They played without key reserve Josh Schuler (out after McKinney's foul last night), but it didn't matter. On Saturday night, they play for their first ever trip to the NCAA Tournament.
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Showing posts with label Aaron Anderson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aaron Anderson. Show all posts
Friday, March 14, 2014
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Northern Colorado Makes Big Statement in Victory Over North Dakota
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It was an impressive effort that saw UNC take care of business in all facets of the game. They shot 60% from the floor while holding UND to 39% shooting. They outrebounded UND by 16. At one point in the first half, they turned an 11-7 deficit into a 32-11 lead thanks to a 25-0 run. Their gameplan was sound, and they executed it perfectly.
North Dakota came into the game allowing opponents to shoot 57% on two-pointers, and they showed today that was not a fluke. They constantly took chances defensively (and to their credit, they did force 20 turnovers), but when they didn't cause a steal, it would often result in open lanes for the Bears, who got a ton of easy looks. At times, North Dakota looked hopeless on help defense, and guys would drive from the three-point line all the way in for an open layup, which simply shouldn't happen. The Bears shot 22/36 inside the arc.
On the contrary, Northern Colorado played excellent defense all day, holding the powerful duo of Aaron Anderson and Troy Huff to 20 points on 5/21 FG. They switched all ball screens, which is a luxury BJ Hill has with big men as agile as Derrick Barden and Dominique Lee, who were both outstanding. North Dakota got some open looks outside, but they are at their best when they are able to attack the rim and score in transition, and the Bears packed things in so that UND wasn't able to get to the rim often. It was a great defensive performance, and at times UND simply had no answers in the half-court offense.
Another nice thing that UNC showed was a three-quarter court trapping press, similar to one that Montana uses. While they didn't really force a lot of turnovers, it really slowed North Dakota down and made them take a lot of time to get into their sets.
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One bright spot for North Dakota was the play of Jaron Nash, who consistently finished well at the rim, as he was able to create angles using his athleticism. He finished with 22 points on 10/14 shooting.
North Dakota will have better days than this for sure, but for one day at the start of the conference season, Northern Colorado looked every bit the conference title contender that the non-conference season showed that they could be. It's back to the drawing board for UND, especially defensively, but for now, Northern Colorado will wake up on Monday morning as the Big Sky leaders.
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Monday, November 25, 2013
North Dakota Takes Down Rival NDSU
Every North Dakota fan or alum will tell you that there is nothing better than beating NDSU. Though we all know that the University of North Dakota has the superior athletic program(!), NDSU fans like to claim that their football success and NCAA Tournament appearance makes it more of a discussion. So, it always feels good to beat NDSU. In this case, it felt especially good to beat a good NDSU team by 18 points, scoring a blistering 1.25 PPP.
UND won this game by simply being excellent offensively. They made 24/39 shots from two-point range, and got to the line an astounding 41 times (making 33 of them, which is no small thing for a team that has struggled at the line the past couple of seasons). (It should also be noted that NDSU made 36 trips to the free throw line themselves).
The star was Troy Huff, who was fantastic again. He followed up his 39 points, 9 rebound performance against Wisconsin with 32 points and 10 rebounds in this game. He was 8/12 from the floor and 13/17 from the foul line. He had three steals. He led the team in scoring and rebounding, and was efficient from downtown (3/6). So far, has looks like every bit the Big Sky POY contender that everyone thought he would be, and then some.
Aaron Anderson once again was his efficient self, scoring 18 points despite taking four field goal attempts. (He was 10/12 from the FT line). Jaron Nash scored 12 points, Chad Calcaterra had 11 off the bench, and Jamal Webb was creating plays for other guys. They got production from their bench, which is another thing that hasn't always been there for UND.
Defensively, UND shut down guys who weren't named Taylor Braun (the NDSU star scored 34 points). All other Bison players were 17/43 from the floor, and 8/14 from the stripe.
UND moves to 2-1 on the year, but this is a win they will feel good about it, especially since NDSU beat them by 20 in Fargo last season. This game, along with the play of Northern Colorado and Eastern Washington, has shown us that the Big Sky is going to be very competitive at the top. North Dakota finished last season strong, and they appear to have picked up right where they left off.
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UND won this game by simply being excellent offensively. They made 24/39 shots from two-point range, and got to the line an astounding 41 times (making 33 of them, which is no small thing for a team that has struggled at the line the past couple of seasons). (It should also be noted that NDSU made 36 trips to the free throw line themselves).
The star was Troy Huff, who was fantastic again. He followed up his 39 points, 9 rebound performance against Wisconsin with 32 points and 10 rebounds in this game. He was 8/12 from the floor and 13/17 from the foul line. He had three steals. He led the team in scoring and rebounding, and was efficient from downtown (3/6). So far, has looks like every bit the Big Sky POY contender that everyone thought he would be, and then some.
Aaron Anderson once again was his efficient self, scoring 18 points despite taking four field goal attempts. (He was 10/12 from the FT line). Jaron Nash scored 12 points, Chad Calcaterra had 11 off the bench, and Jamal Webb was creating plays for other guys. They got production from their bench, which is another thing that hasn't always been there for UND.
Defensively, UND shut down guys who weren't named Taylor Braun (the NDSU star scored 34 points). All other Bison players were 17/43 from the floor, and 8/14 from the stripe.
UND moves to 2-1 on the year, but this is a win they will feel good about it, especially since NDSU beat them by 20 in Fargo last season. This game, along with the play of Northern Colorado and Eastern Washington, has shown us that the Big Sky is going to be very competitive at the top. North Dakota finished last season strong, and they appear to have picked up right where they left off.
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Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Dissecting the Big Sky's Top Scorers
Before the year started, I thought Collin Chiverton would be the leading scorer in the Big Sky, for a variety of reasons. Things obviously haven't quite worked out that, but there is a good race going on for the scoring title. There are three realistic contenders for the scoring title during conference games, but let's take a look at the top six right now, and go through a quick dissection of where they are at their best.
1. Jackson Stevenett (Southern Utah) - 19.9 PPG
Stevenett has been his normal self, as this is right in line with what he has done throughout his career. This is his highest scoring output, but that is only because he is a bigger part of the offense than ever - he has remained his efficient self. He shoots over 50% on his twos, and has a three-point shot that at least has to be respected (20/61 on the year). He is also good at getting to the line, and has shot a remarkable 120/135 (88.9%) from the line this year. For as much as he does for them, his efficiency and ability to pick his spots is fun to watch. He should get consideration to the conference POY.
2. Gabe Rogers (Northern Arizona) - 19.5 PPG
Rogers fires up eight threes per game - 215 total on the year - which, shockingly, isn't even in the top ten in attempts. He shoots 34.4%, which is not great, but not bad at all. Rogers is in a spot where sometimes he is forced to take a lot of shots, because (other than himself and DeWayne Russell), NAU guys struggles to create their own shots at times. He is 13th in the country in % of his team's shots he takes while he's out there, at 33.8%. He doesn't have a great game going to the hoop and scoring inside (41.7% inside the arc, which remarkably is a huge improvement on last year's 31.1%), and doesn't draw a lot of trips to the line.
3. Troy Huff (North Dakota) - 19.3 PPG
Huff is fifth in the country in % shots taken, at 35.8%. He might be the most athletic player in the conference, and is the most likely (along with Joel Bolomboy of Weber State) to throw down a highlight reel dunk, which he has done on multiple occasions this season. He has been amazingly consistent on his two-point percentage in his career - 48.6% (2011), 48.6% (2012), and 48.4% (2013). He is not a great outside shooter, though much better than last season. He doesn't get to the stripe a lot, and only shoots 68% when he gets there. If he can work on his three-point shot and/or free throw shooting this offseason, he can be a major force next year.
4. Damon Heuir (Southern Utah) - 17.3 PPG
Unlike his teammate Stevenett, Heuir is a little bit more of a gunner than an efficient offensive machine. He shoots the same percentage as Stevenett from three, but he has taken more than twice as many, hoisting up six per game. Inside the arc he is only at 41.2%, which is not great. He is solid at getting to the FT line, where he shoots a solid 78%. I think all of his shooting is at least partially due to the fact that SUU is not teeming with a lot of guys that can create their own shot, which can force Heuir to try to make something out of nothing. There is no denying that even though his percentages aren't great, he is a key cog in their offense this year.
5. Davion Berry (Weber State) - 15.2 PPG
Berry has matched the hype, becoming the top scoring option for a deep Weber State team. He doesn't force thing, and will pass the ball if someone else has a better look or if he is just having an off day (22.5 ARate). He has shot 53.5% from inside the arc, and 43.5% outside it, both of which are excellent marks. He has been good but not great at getting to the line, but is only shooting 71% from there. Room for improvement. He has been everything Randy Rahe could have asked for, and more.
6. Aaron Anderson (North Dakota) - 15.2 PPG
Anderson has been asked to do more than ever this year, and while his shooting percentage from three has dropped (48.1% down to 41.1%), he has made it up it with a better assist rate and lower turnover rate. But alas, this is about his scoring ability. Even though the three point shooting it down a little, 41.1% is still really solid. He has really improved in his ability to get to the line, which is especially important since he shoots 85% from the stripe. Before the year, I thought Anderson's ceiling might be a good role player. I was wrong. He has shown he can be a really good #2 scoring option. He might be the most improved player in the Big Sky.
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Wednesday, February 20, 2013
North Dakota Gets Thrilling Win Over Northern Colorado
In Wednesday's night tilt between North Dakota and Northern Colorado, there was about 37 minutes of tight defense and inconsistent offensive play. UND took a lead into halftime, UNC came out in the second half and led by as much as 11, and the rest of the game was a tight, back and forth affair.
After a flurry of buckets back and forth, Northern Colorado led 61-60 with the ball late. Tevin Svihovec made only one of two, giving UND the ball down 62-60 with 18 seconds to play. After working the ball around, it made its way to Aaron Anderson, and the junior guard delivered. He buried a back breaking three. On the ensuing possession, Tate Unruh tried to make something happen, but got the ball stolen. After making 1 of 2, the Bears needed to go the length of the court in 1.8 seconds.
Remarkably, they got off a great shot. The ball got tipped to Tim Huskisson, who had what seemed to be a wide open layup (would like to see a replay), but he missed it as the buzzer went off. It looked like he was a bit surprised to actually get the ball right there, in that spot. With the miss, UND won the game 64-62.
Two things that add injury to insult for the Bears in this game:
1) North Dakota was shorthanded, as Brandon Brekke and Josh Schuler did not make the trip because of injuries. If you're keeping track at home, that's their fourth and fifth leading scorers.
2) It was a game that North Dakota wanted to win, obviously, but a game that Northern Colorado NEEDED to win. The loss drops them to 7-10 in the Big Sky. That means they almost certainly will need to split their road games next week (at Eastern Washington and Portland State), and then beat Southern Utah at home.
Some other thoughts from the game:
- Troy Huff was not at his best (19 points on 6/18 FG, two rebounds), but he stayed aggressive down the stretch and made some nice plays. Plus, his drive and two-handed slam was perhaps the most athletic play in the Big Sky this year. That or this allep oop slam he had earlier in the year.
- Apart from the last three, Anderson was solid. He was money down the stretch from the line, finishing 7/7 from the stripe. Even though he was only 1/5 from deep. He had 21 points, six rebounds, and five assists. He is a really good all-around player.
- Connor Osborne had his best game of the season, finishing with 19 points and 6 rebounds, including some huge plays down the stretch. Derrick Barden didn't really stand out, and finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds. That is a compliment. Makes tons of plays every night, and it has become commonplace.
- Tevin Svihovec was very shaky down the stretch. He got swiped by Jamal Webb, almost got swiped by Troy Huff, and badly missed a FT in the final 20 seconds. If UNC will take the next step, Svihovec has to take the next step. No other way to say it.
- Tate Unruh is a fine player, but this had to be one of the worst games of his life. He was 2/11 from the floor, and 0/5 from downtown. If you are BJ Hill, you want him to keep shooting... they just weren't falling tonight. It was shocking to see because he is such a great shooter.
Anything other thoughts on this game?
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Thursday, February 7, 2013
North Dakota Gets Big Road Win Over Montana State
It seemed like not that long ago that North Dakota was the team that couldn't win a road game. Well, they have put that idea to bed.
Despite trailing by double digits early in the second half, UND stormed back to beat Montana State 82-73 in Bozeman on Thursday night. Simply put, UND looked like the more athletic team in this game, constantly attacking the basket late in the second half to put the Bobcats away.
To nobody's surprise, Troy Huff led the way with a game high 25 points. He also chipped in five rebounds, four steals, and three assists in this game. If you want to argue that nobody in the conference is playing as well as Huff is right now, I will not disagree. He has been utterly fantastic.
He had help in this game. Aaron Anderson finished with 17 points, including a nail-in-the-coffin and-one late in the game. Shane Benton had a surprising 13 points off the bench, and Jamal Webb chipped in 12 points, six assists, three steals, and only two turnovers.
The key for Montana State was their turnovers, as they had 17 of them. Avoiding turnovers is vital to their success, and they have a tough time winning when they are this sloppy with the ball. Xavier Blount led them with 19 and 7, while Blake Brumwell had a career day with 14 points and give rebounds.
North Dakota is now 3-3 on the road in conference play, and moves to 7-6 overall. Montana State drops to 7-6, and they are currently tied for fourth in the Big Sky.
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Despite trailing by double digits early in the second half, UND stormed back to beat Montana State 82-73 in Bozeman on Thursday night. Simply put, UND looked like the more athletic team in this game, constantly attacking the basket late in the second half to put the Bobcats away.
To nobody's surprise, Troy Huff led the way with a game high 25 points. He also chipped in five rebounds, four steals, and three assists in this game. If you want to argue that nobody in the conference is playing as well as Huff is right now, I will not disagree. He has been utterly fantastic.
He had help in this game. Aaron Anderson finished with 17 points, including a nail-in-the-coffin and-one late in the game. Shane Benton had a surprising 13 points off the bench, and Jamal Webb chipped in 12 points, six assists, three steals, and only two turnovers.
The key for Montana State was their turnovers, as they had 17 of them. Avoiding turnovers is vital to their success, and they have a tough time winning when they are this sloppy with the ball. Xavier Blount led them with 19 and 7, while Blake Brumwell had a career day with 14 points and give rebounds.
North Dakota is now 3-3 on the road in conference play, and moves to 7-6 overall. Montana State drops to 7-6, and they are currently tied for fourth in the Big Sky.
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Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Montana and North Dakota Notch Their First Victories
After 0-1 starts, North Dakota and Montana each had a home game against small schools who are not exactly known for their basketball prowess. It allowed each school to get their first win of the year.
North Dakota beat Crown College (which, it appears, is a Division III school near Minneapolis) by a final score of 87-51. Playing without Troy Huff (who was hurt) and Jamal Webb (serving a one game suspension), they played a solidly efficient game, especially offensively.
Aaron Anderson was stellar, scoring 18 points and a career high eight assists, as he also shot 8/8 from the stripe. Sophomore Lenny Antwi was equally impressive, with 16 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists.
UND was 12/22 from downtown, which is huge for them. They have not been a great outside shooting team the past couple of years, so it would be a big boost to their offense if they can establish that. They were also 13/16 from the stripe, which has been another area of concern for them.
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Montana took a while to put Minot State away, but once they did, it was swift. They led by just ten at halftime (39-29), but put on a full court press early in the second half which quickly doubled the lead. They eventually won 82-53.
Mathias Ward led the team with 19 points, while Kareem Jamar had 18 points, six rebounds, and five assists. One other thing to note is that Keron DeShields started at PG for Montana (and had 7 assists), while Jordan Gregory came off the bench.
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North Dakota beat Crown College (which, it appears, is a Division III school near Minneapolis) by a final score of 87-51. Playing without Troy Huff (who was hurt) and Jamal Webb (serving a one game suspension), they played a solidly efficient game, especially offensively.
Aaron Anderson was stellar, scoring 18 points and a career high eight assists, as he also shot 8/8 from the stripe. Sophomore Lenny Antwi was equally impressive, with 16 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists.
UND was 12/22 from downtown, which is huge for them. They have not been a great outside shooting team the past couple of years, so it would be a big boost to their offense if they can establish that. They were also 13/16 from the stripe, which has been another area of concern for them.
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Montana took a while to put Minot State away, but once they did, it was swift. They led by just ten at halftime (39-29), but put on a full court press early in the second half which quickly doubled the lead. They eventually won 82-53.
Mathias Ward led the team with 19 points, while Kareem Jamar had 18 points, six rebounds, and five assists. One other thing to note is that Keron DeShields started at PG for Montana (and had 7 assists), while Jordan Gregory came off the bench.
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Saturday, March 10, 2012
North Dakota Stays Alive in the Great West
Last season, North Dakota won the Great West title game in double overtime over South Dakota, propelling them to a birth in the CBI Tournament. This year, it looked like UND's goal of winning the tournament for the second straight year was going to be in serious jeopardy.
After taking a 23-17 over Texas-Pan American in the first half, UTPA went on a 20-0 run going into the half, leading 37-23. Their lead swelled to as much as 16 points, but that is when North Dakota made their move. They went on a 25-5 run over a 12 minute span, which sparked them onto victory, 63-59.
UND was led by Jamal Webb with 19 points and six rebounds. Troy Huff (17) and Aaron Anderson (12) were also in double figures.
North Dakota will take on New Jersey Institute of Technology today in the Great West title game, looking to capture their second straight conference title. They split the regular season series with them. It would again be a good momentum builder heading into next season, when they will enter the Big Sky.
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After taking a 23-17 over Texas-Pan American in the first half, UTPA went on a 20-0 run going into the half, leading 37-23. Their lead swelled to as much as 16 points, but that is when North Dakota made their move. They went on a 25-5 run over a 12 minute span, which sparked them onto victory, 63-59.
UND was led by Jamal Webb with 19 points and six rebounds. Troy Huff (17) and Aaron Anderson (12) were also in double figures.
North Dakota will take on New Jersey Institute of Technology today in the Great West title game, looking to capture their second straight conference title. They split the regular season series with them. It would again be a good momentum builder heading into next season, when they will enter the Big Sky.
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Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Future Big Sky Member Beats Current Big Sky Member
Idaho State traveled to Grand Forks to take on the University of North Dakota on Tuesday night, and the future Big Sky member had their way with the current Big Sky member. The Fighting Sioux won 63-47 in a defensive battle.
Aaron Anderson led the Sioux with 17 points, including getting to the line for 9 FT attempts. Jamal Webb, a guy I believe has the potential to be one of the best mid-major PGs in America, contribued 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. It was a night when UND's most talented player, Troy Huff, contributed just 8 points, but the rest of the team was more than able to pick up the slack.
For the Bengals, it was an ugly performance. They shot 36% from the field, 14/27 from the foul line, and made just three 3-pointers. For the second straight game Melvin Morgan did not play well, this time going scoreless in 11 minutes. Jakub Kusmieruk was their best player when he was on the floor (as he should have been - UND does not have a strong or deep front line), but he only played 23 minutes.
For Joe O'Brien and the Bengals, the near upset of Oklahoma suddenly seems very far away.
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Sunday, October 30, 2011
A Look at North Dakota
FightingSioux.com had a good little preview article on the men's hoops team, so let's take a look at it. The Fighting Sioux will be in their final season in the Great West Conference, and will be joining the Big Sky next year (if you did not already know).
They should be fun to watch play this year, and perhaps the best team that UND has seen in quite some time.
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Head coach Brian Jones has all five starters back from his 2011 Great West Conference Tournament championship team. The squad posted a 19-15 record and earned an automatic berth to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. The sixth-year head coach only lost 9.4 percent of his team's scoring as senior captains Derek Benter (4.0 ppg) and Chris Clausen (3.1 ppg) were the only departures.This is why everyone around the program is excited about this team now and in the future. They have an excellent five-man class that will all be sophomores, which means that they should have a two solid years together in the Big Sky. If they can improve this year, they will be very interesting entering the Big Sky and ready to possibly compete right away.
Huff earned second team All-Great West honors after leading the team with a 13.3 ppg average. His 452 points also broke the UND freshman scoring record held by Scott Guldseth (418, 1989-90). He finished the season with five 20-plus scoring efforts, including a career high 31-point outing in a road win at Houston Baptist.Huff is the potential player of the year in the Great West, and will be one of the most talented guys in the Conference the minute UND enters the Big Sky. A lot of the Sioux's hopes rest with Huff, who will need to be a star for UND to take the next step.
Huff, Schuler and Webb teamed with fellow freshmen Brandon Brekke and Aaron Anderson to be the highest-producing rookie class in Division I basketball last season. The freshmen quintet accounted for 65.4 percent of UND's scoring a season ago (1,517 points). The freshmen at Memphis finished second, scoring 63.9 percent (1,615 of 2,524 points) of the Tigers' buckets and the rookies at Kentucky were third, producing 60.5 percent (1,721 of 2,845 points) of the Wildcats' scores.See above. The hopes of the program rest with these five guys.
Juniors Spencer Goodman and Mitch Wilmer will return to the playing rotation after having their seasons prematurely cut short with injuries. Goodman started all 11 games he appeared in before suffering an injury in the opening minute of play at UMKC (Dec. 18). Wilmer appeared in nine games off the bench, but was lost for the season after suffering an injury in the second half of the North Dakota State tilt (Dec. 11).The biggest weakness for UND is their size and depth up front, and hopefully the return of these guys will help. They have a lot of talent in the backcourt, but they were often undersized last year. If this can be helped by players such as Goodman and Wilmer, and stressed in recruiting, that will help immensely.\
They should be fun to watch play this year, and perhaps the best team that UND has seen in quite some time.
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Tuesday, August 23, 2011
North Dakota Player Previews
I have written before about Future Big Sky Conference member North Dakota's Five Man Class of 2014, and now Fetch from Sioux Blog has some solid write-ups on individual players.
Check out his previews of Troy Huff, Patrick Mitchell, Jamal Webb, Aaron Anderson, Josh Schuler, and Brandon Brekke.
The Sioux will have a chance to contend in the Big Sky right from the get go, so fans should get to know them. They will also be playing a few games this year against Big Sky opponents.
If the freshman can keep improving, UND will be dangerous.
Check out his previews of Troy Huff, Patrick Mitchell, Jamal Webb, Aaron Anderson, Josh Schuler, and Brandon Brekke.
The Sioux will have a chance to contend in the Big Sky right from the get go, so fans should get to know them. They will also be playing a few games this year against Big Sky opponents.
If the freshman can keep improving, UND will be dangerous.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
North Dakota's Five Member Class of 2014
In the Mid-2000's, then North Dakota State University coach Tim Miles (current Colorado St. coach) recruited a class that included Ben Woodside (who would go on to become the school's all-time leading scorer and score 60 points in a game during his collegiate career), Mike Nelson, Lucas Moorman, and Brett Winkleman. All 4 players redshirted their freshman year, meaning they would be eligible to make the NCAA Tournament their freshman year (NDSU was transitioning from D2 to D1). All the hopes of the program rested on that class, and they delivered with a NCAA Tourney berth their senior year, the first year they were eligible.
Though the circumstances aren't exactly the same, North Dakota's class of 2014 (they were freshman last year - 2 of them redshirts) feels similar in that everyone in counting on this class of five to be the one that leads them to an NCAA Tournament when they are eligible, starting next season in the Big Sky. This excitement only increased when they finished strong last season, surging to win the Great West Tournament before bowing out to Air Force in the CBI. Of the 10 youngest teams in America last year, UND was one of two (along with Memphis) to have a winning record.
All of which begs the question - who are these guys and are they really that good?
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The best of the bunch (after one season of work) is Troy Huff, who at 6'4'' is the most athletic member of the team, and probably the best player in the fledgling Great West Conference. He led the team in scoring at 13.1 PPG, but he came on especially strong at the end of the year, scoring in double figures in the last 14 games of the season (including 20 against Air Force). In his second career game he scored 21 points against Wisconsin, so clearly he has the talent to contribute and be the star for UND.
He is a solid rebounder (which is nice for a team without a lot of size) as he snagged 13.2% of defensive rebounds and 7.5% of offensive rebounds. He needs to improve his shot selection a bit and his FT shooting (your star guard has to shoot more than 62% from the line), but he has the talent to be one of the best players in the Big Sky when he joins the conference.
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Jamal Webb played the most minutes on the team, and it is right to be excited about his potential as a 6'1'' PG. He shot a respectable 48% from 2PT and a solid 40% from beyond the arc, giving him a solid EFG%. He also had an excellent 29.7 Assist rate, one of the 100 best in the country (and would have been top 5 in the Big Sky). Also, for his size he was an excellent rebounder - pulling down 5.4 RPG including 16.6 DR%. He combined all of this with the best steal rate on the team, giving him a poor man's Jason Kidd-like line: 9.3 PPG / 5.4 RPG / 4.0 APG / 1.6 SPG. That is making a lot of things happen as a freshman.
However, there are two things he will need to improve to take the next step. First is FT shooting... like Troy Huff, he was mediocre there, shooting 44/80 from the line (55%). He needs to get to the line more and needs to shoot a better percentage, and he could become a dangerous scorer at around 12-15 PPG. He also needs to cut down on his turnovers, where he had a 30.0 TORate, worst on the team. He coughed it up 3.4 times per game, which is tough to handle for a team when that is your primary ballhandler. He needs to work on that.
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Aaron Anderson is the smallest member of the class at 5'9'', but he does a lot of things very well. He was great at getting to the free throw line, as he drew 5.8 fouls ever 40 minutes, giving him 145 attempts for the year, most on the team (impressive given his smaller usage rate compared to other guys). And unlike Huff and Webb, he was diligent on those attempts, making 80% of them. He is also a solid passer and defender for his size.
Like everyone else, there are some areas to work on. He turns it over more than he gets assists, which is always a problem for a PG (only one person on the team posted a better assist rate than TO rate, and we will get to him in a second). Also, Anderson needs to improve shot selection, or shot efficiency. He shot an ugly 36.8% from inside the arc last year (compared to 35% from beyond the arc)... A lot of that was offset by the fact that he is such a good FT shooter and so adept at getting to the line, but if he had shot 45% he is that much better and really would become an extremely dangerous offensive weapon as the 6th man.
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Josh Schuler was a little under the radar when compared to guys like Huff and Webb, but he is a huge part of the future for UND. At 6'2'' he was the team's 4th leading scorer, but one of the team's most efficient players. He shot just 43% inside the arc, but 35& outside of it, as well 78% free throws. He also took care of the ball, as he was the only member of the team to post a higher assist rate (15.4%) than TO rate (13.2%), which is huge to maximize scoring opportunities.
As always, his game is not perfect. On a team that lacks ideal size, everyone needs to chip in and rebound, and Schuler was the worst rebounder on the team. He needs to get in there and get better (and granted, he is the third smallest guy on the team). He also could definitely become a more efficient scorer, as 43% shooting on 2s is not a very good mark still, would like to see that closer to 50%.
(Photo from Kody Wallen of FightingSioux.com)
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Last is Brandon Brekke, who is the closest thing to a post presence the Sioux have in this class, though he is just 6'6''. He had a fine freshman season, though he played only 15.8 minutes per game, that was one of the most for post players in UND's guard heavy lineup. He was a very efficient scorer, shooting over 61% from the field (for 5.8 PPG). He was one of the best rebounders on the team (and the best offensive rebounders - with a very solid 11.2% OR rate). Again, he is only 6'6'' so he could struggle against big low post scorers, but those are the players he will be called on to defend. The Sioux had no regular over 6'7'' last season, and that fact probably won't change much this season.
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All in all, UND was one of the better stories of the season, being so young and so reliant on freshman, and they really put things together after a 5-9 start to the year, finishing with 19 wins. Brian Jones will be looking to take the next step this year, winning over 20 games and the Great West Conference again in their final season before moving to the Big Sky. It is all about getting ready to be a competitor in the Big Sky, and they should have the talent to do that.
What do you think of these five and about North Dakota as a whole? How will they stack up against the rest of the Big Sky? With games at least against Montana, Sacramento St, and Idaho St. this year (they haven't released their full schedule), they will get a little taste of how things will go and how hard they are going to have to work.
Though the circumstances aren't exactly the same, North Dakota's class of 2014 (they were freshman last year - 2 of them redshirts) feels similar in that everyone in counting on this class of five to be the one that leads them to an NCAA Tournament when they are eligible, starting next season in the Big Sky. This excitement only increased when they finished strong last season, surging to win the Great West Tournament before bowing out to Air Force in the CBI. Of the 10 youngest teams in America last year, UND was one of two (along with Memphis) to have a winning record.
All of which begs the question - who are these guys and are they really that good?
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He is a solid rebounder (which is nice for a team without a lot of size) as he snagged 13.2% of defensive rebounds and 7.5% of offensive rebounds. He needs to improve his shot selection a bit and his FT shooting (your star guard has to shoot more than 62% from the line), but he has the talent to be one of the best players in the Big Sky when he joins the conference.
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Jamal Webb played the most minutes on the team, and it is right to be excited about his potential as a 6'1'' PG. He shot a respectable 48% from 2PT and a solid 40% from beyond the arc, giving him a solid EFG%. He also had an excellent 29.7 Assist rate, one of the 100 best in the country (and would have been top 5 in the Big Sky). Also, for his size he was an excellent rebounder - pulling down 5.4 RPG including 16.6 DR%. He combined all of this with the best steal rate on the team, giving him a poor man's Jason Kidd-like line: 9.3 PPG / 5.4 RPG / 4.0 APG / 1.6 SPG. That is making a lot of things happen as a freshman.
However, there are two things he will need to improve to take the next step. First is FT shooting... like Troy Huff, he was mediocre there, shooting 44/80 from the line (55%). He needs to get to the line more and needs to shoot a better percentage, and he could become a dangerous scorer at around 12-15 PPG. He also needs to cut down on his turnovers, where he had a 30.0 TORate, worst on the team. He coughed it up 3.4 times per game, which is tough to handle for a team when that is your primary ballhandler. He needs to work on that.
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Aaron Anderson is the smallest member of the class at 5'9'', but he does a lot of things very well. He was great at getting to the free throw line, as he drew 5.8 fouls ever 40 minutes, giving him 145 attempts for the year, most on the team (impressive given his smaller usage rate compared to other guys). And unlike Huff and Webb, he was diligent on those attempts, making 80% of them. He is also a solid passer and defender for his size.
Like everyone else, there are some areas to work on. He turns it over more than he gets assists, which is always a problem for a PG (only one person on the team posted a better assist rate than TO rate, and we will get to him in a second). Also, Anderson needs to improve shot selection, or shot efficiency. He shot an ugly 36.8% from inside the arc last year (compared to 35% from beyond the arc)... A lot of that was offset by the fact that he is such a good FT shooter and so adept at getting to the line, but if he had shot 45% he is that much better and really would become an extremely dangerous offensive weapon as the 6th man.
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As always, his game is not perfect. On a team that lacks ideal size, everyone needs to chip in and rebound, and Schuler was the worst rebounder on the team. He needs to get in there and get better (and granted, he is the third smallest guy on the team). He also could definitely become a more efficient scorer, as 43% shooting on 2s is not a very good mark still, would like to see that closer to 50%.
(Photo from Kody Wallen of FightingSioux.com)
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Last is Brandon Brekke, who is the closest thing to a post presence the Sioux have in this class, though he is just 6'6''. He had a fine freshman season, though he played only 15.8 minutes per game, that was one of the most for post players in UND's guard heavy lineup. He was a very efficient scorer, shooting over 61% from the field (for 5.8 PPG). He was one of the best rebounders on the team (and the best offensive rebounders - with a very solid 11.2% OR rate). Again, he is only 6'6'' so he could struggle against big low post scorers, but those are the players he will be called on to defend. The Sioux had no regular over 6'7'' last season, and that fact probably won't change much this season.
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All in all, UND was one of the better stories of the season, being so young and so reliant on freshman, and they really put things together after a 5-9 start to the year, finishing with 19 wins. Brian Jones will be looking to take the next step this year, winning over 20 games and the Great West Conference again in their final season before moving to the Big Sky. It is all about getting ready to be a competitor in the Big Sky, and they should have the talent to do that.
What do you think of these five and about North Dakota as a whole? How will they stack up against the rest of the Big Sky? With games at least against Montana, Sacramento St, and Idaho St. this year (they haven't released their full schedule), they will get a little taste of how things will go and how hard they are going to have to work.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Three Ways for North Dakota To Improve In 2011-2012
Check out an excellent post from Mr. Fetch over at Sioux Blog.
North Dakota was the 5th youngest team in college basketball last season (fast fun fact: of the 10 youngest teams in America last season, only North Dakota and Memphis had winning records), but finished 19-15, including winning the Great West Tournament (which was something very positive to build on for a program that hasn't had a ton of positives over the past decade).
With a sophomore class-to-be featuring Troy Huff, Jamal Webb, Aaron Anderson, Josh Schuler, and Brandon Brekke, the Fighting Sioux (or whatever they will be called by that time) could be a factor in the Big Sky.
North Dakota was the 5th youngest team in college basketball last season (fast fun fact: of the 10 youngest teams in America last season, only North Dakota and Memphis had winning records), but finished 19-15, including winning the Great West Tournament (which was something very positive to build on for a program that hasn't had a ton of positives over the past decade).
With a sophomore class-to-be featuring Troy Huff, Jamal Webb, Aaron Anderson, Josh Schuler, and Brandon Brekke, the Fighting Sioux (or whatever they will be called by that time) could be a factor in the Big Sky.
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