It's time to get ready for the Big Sky season again with some overviews of each team this month, and then eventually we'll get into more detailed looks at everything.
What They Lost: North Dakota made the Big Sky championship game in their second season, but unfortunately it will be tough to build on that success right away, as they lost most of the key pieces from that team.
Troy Huff was one of the elite performers in the conference, and athletic matchup nightmare that caused a lot of turnovers, and could score 25 points or grab 10 rebounds any night. He dominated possessions for them at a fairly efficient rate, and will be impossible to replace. Another guy that may have been just as valuable was Aaron Anderson, a perennially underrated guard. Anderson was a great shooter and driver who got to the line often. He also took care of the ball and had a solid assist rate.
Jamal Webb was a guy that had his strengths and weaknesses, but he was a good defender in the backcourt that could distribute the ball. Josh Schuler missed some time with injuries, but at his best he was a good third or fourth scorer and glue guy. Alonzo Traylor was a surprisingly good big man that shot 61% from the floor and rebounded well. I would also be remiss not to mention Brandon Brekke, who missed all of last season due to injury was an integral part of building the program with his steady work down low. Simply put, nobody is even close to losing as much production as UND has lost.
Who Returns: The best news of the offseason came when the NCAA announced that Jaron Nash would be eligible to play another season. At 6'8'', Nash had major conference athleticism, even though he showcased some inconsistency at times. At his best, he is a capable inside scorer (57% on two-pointers), and a good enough three-point shooter to keep teams honest (20/59 last year). He also made just 33% of free throws. He plays the four spot, but doesn't necessarily have the bulk to play that position defensively. However, he can be a difference maker, and UND will call on him often.
Another big returnee is guard Quinton Hooker, who started many games last year as a true freshman. He did not necessarily showcase himself to be a great scorer (41.9% EFG) or distributor (17.5 ARate compared to 22.4 TO Rate), but he was steady, and I expect the experience will be a big plus for him. Also in the backcourt, Cole Stefan got some time in his first year as a junior, and should have an expanded role. He profiles as a shooting specialist, having made 21 threes. Lenny Antwi is a senior, but it's still unclear if he can be an average guard off the bench. He was an amazing 3/20 from inside the arc last year (not a misprint). Shane Benton is also back, and despite a fair amount of PT his first two years, he also has struggled to make an impact.
Upfront, Chad Calcaterra and Ryan Salmonsen return for their senior years. Both guys had their moments last year and potentially average scoring threats, but will be called on to do much more. Dustin Hobaugh played in nine games last year and played well, but it was in a too small sample of 71 minutes.
Newcomers: Estan Tyler could have the biggest impact right away, as he sat out last season after transferring from Kansas City. He averaged 11.4 PPG as a sophomore and looks to be a very good outside shooter. He should be a solid addition to the backcourt for his final two seasons. Carson Shanks is a redshirt freshman big man who will be eligible in the second semester after transferring from Utah State. He should get plenty of chances to play once he is eligible.
Depending on how ready he is physically, Kraig Shields could get immediate playing time right away after averaging a double double as a senior in high school in Texas. Bryce Cashman is another freshman big man. Josiah Coleman is at UND after two years at Iowa Western CC, but he averaged just 7 and 4 last season. Geno Crandall is a nice prospect in the backcourt after a nice high school career in Minneapolis, but I'm not sure how much run he'll get right away in a crowded backcourt. Finally, Terrel de Rouen is a transfer from New Mexico State who is eligible to play right away. He should add to a strong backcourt, and it would not be a surprise to see UND run a lot of three and even four guard lineups out there.
General Outlook: After a nice year last season, UND will likely take a big step back just because of the sheer amount of talent that graduated. Their defensive identity will likely change, and it's unclear where their offense will come from with the departures of Huff and Anderson. If they are going to compete for a tournament spot, they need Jaron Nash to be a star for them, and guys like Hooker, Stefan, and Estan to morph into an above average backcourt. These things are not out of the question, but I wouldn't bet on it either. I would expect UND to be in the bottom four this year, but to get a lot of young guys good experience.
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Showing posts with label Cole Stefan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cole Stefan. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
A Look at North Dakota's Bench
Over the past couple of seasons, North Dakota has had an excellent starting lineup, but there has been a drop-off when they have gone to the bench. This season, that has the chance to be different. UND has their deepest team in a long time, and that depth will be a big help. So, let's take a look at the bench and see who the key contributors might be.
When assessing the bench, it's obviously important to know who the starters will be. For the purposes of this post (I don't know what the lineup will actually be), here is the starting lineup I am going with:
G Aaron Anderson
G Jamal Webb
F Troy Huff
F Jaron Nash
C Brandon Brekke
Backcourt
At the PG spot, the most likely guy to see minutes behind Webb is junior Lenny Antwi. Antwi is a good outside shooter (36% from three), but has some holes in his game. His Assist Rate was 7.0 compared to a TO Rate of 22.0, which is a really bad ratio for a ballhandler. He also shot just 50% from the stripe (7/14) and 35% on twos, so there is room for improvement all around. He could be pushed for minutes by freshman Quinton Hooker. UND is very high on Hooker, and while it might make sense to redshirt him, we still might see him out on the court. He earned a lot of high school accolades in the Twin Cities area.
At the two and three spots, the first backup would be senior Josh Schuler. He has started at many points in his career, so it wouldn't be a shock to see him in the starting lineup somehow, but it makes more sense to bring him off the bench. He shot 37% from downtown last year, and has always taken very good care of the basketball. He is a guy that can provide an offensive spark. Even if he doesn't start, he will see starter-type minutes. Another guy in the mix is sophomore Shane Benton. It took Benton a while to get comfortable last year, but he scored in double digits three times in conference games. I'm not sure how many minutes they will have for him this year, but he is clearly a big factor in UND's plans going forward.
Another guy to watch is Cole Stefan, if he gains eligibility this season. He is an excellent shooter that will be a big boost for the lineup. My current guess would be if Jaron Nash didn't get eligibility last year, Stefan may not this year... but it is something to watch.
Frontcourt
In particular, the added depth should be huge upfront for UND, which has been very thin in this area in recent years. Alonzo Traylor was ineligible for the second semester last year, but I really liked his game when he did play. He was a versatile frontcourt scorer, and scored 30 points in his last two games last season. He is an excellent rebounder, and had a 13.8 OR% and 21.6 DR% in his time. Against SUU in his final game last year, he had 13 points and 11 rebounds. As long as he is eligible, he would be a capable starter for them.
Chad Calcaterra is a transfer from Colorado State and Western Nebraska CC. He does have some NCAA tournament experience for the Rams, and averaged 3.6 PPG last year for Western Nebraska. Ryan Salmonson redshirted last year, and provides nice depth after averaging 9.5 PPG and 5.3 RPG at a junior college in his sophomore season.
Who do you guys think will be the biggest contributors?
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When assessing the bench, it's obviously important to know who the starters will be. For the purposes of this post (I don't know what the lineup will actually be), here is the starting lineup I am going with:
G Aaron Anderson
G Jamal Webb
F Troy Huff
F Jaron Nash
C Brandon Brekke
Backcourt
At the PG spot, the most likely guy to see minutes behind Webb is junior Lenny Antwi. Antwi is a good outside shooter (36% from three), but has some holes in his game. His Assist Rate was 7.0 compared to a TO Rate of 22.0, which is a really bad ratio for a ballhandler. He also shot just 50% from the stripe (7/14) and 35% on twos, so there is room for improvement all around. He could be pushed for minutes by freshman Quinton Hooker. UND is very high on Hooker, and while it might make sense to redshirt him, we still might see him out on the court. He earned a lot of high school accolades in the Twin Cities area.
At the two and three spots, the first backup would be senior Josh Schuler. He has started at many points in his career, so it wouldn't be a shock to see him in the starting lineup somehow, but it makes more sense to bring him off the bench. He shot 37% from downtown last year, and has always taken very good care of the basketball. He is a guy that can provide an offensive spark. Even if he doesn't start, he will see starter-type minutes. Another guy in the mix is sophomore Shane Benton. It took Benton a while to get comfortable last year, but he scored in double digits three times in conference games. I'm not sure how many minutes they will have for him this year, but he is clearly a big factor in UND's plans going forward.
Another guy to watch is Cole Stefan, if he gains eligibility this season. He is an excellent shooter that will be a big boost for the lineup. My current guess would be if Jaron Nash didn't get eligibility last year, Stefan may not this year... but it is something to watch.
Frontcourt
In particular, the added depth should be huge upfront for UND, which has been very thin in this area in recent years. Alonzo Traylor was ineligible for the second semester last year, but I really liked his game when he did play. He was a versatile frontcourt scorer, and scored 30 points in his last two games last season. He is an excellent rebounder, and had a 13.8 OR% and 21.6 DR% in his time. Against SUU in his final game last year, he had 13 points and 11 rebounds. As long as he is eligible, he would be a capable starter for them.
Chad Calcaterra is a transfer from Colorado State and Western Nebraska CC. He does have some NCAA tournament experience for the Rams, and averaged 3.6 PPG last year for Western Nebraska. Ryan Salmonson redshirted last year, and provides nice depth after averaging 9.5 PPG and 5.3 RPG at a junior college in his sophomore season.
Who do you guys think will be the biggest contributors?
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Sunday, October 6, 2013
Cole Stefan Joins North Dakota Program
Late last week, it was announced that former Wisconsin Green Bay (and former LaSalle) guard Cole Stefan had joined the North Dakota program. I first saw it made official by Tom Miller.
Out of high school, he committed to LaSalle, and also had offers from schools like Auburn, Northern Iowa, USC, Utah State, and Nevada, a nice collection of schools. He left LaSalle after one season, citing medical reasons. He joined four others who transferred out of UWGB after last season, after an investigation in their head coach.
He didn't do a lot last season, scoring 3.4 PPG, shooting 34% from the field and 33% from downtown. He played about 14 minutes per game.
He will be seeking a waiver from the NCAA to play immediately, and could play right away if he is granted that waiver, adding to UND's backcourt depth. With the high grades he got out of high school, it's clear he could be a big help, even though he has struggled through his first two years. It's a good pickup for head coach Brian Jones.
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UND basketball announces long-rumored addition of Wisconsin-Green Bay transfer Cole Stefan
— Tom Miller (@tommillergf) October 2, 2013
Out of high school, he committed to LaSalle, and also had offers from schools like Auburn, Northern Iowa, USC, Utah State, and Nevada, a nice collection of schools. He left LaSalle after one season, citing medical reasons. He joined four others who transferred out of UWGB after last season, after an investigation in their head coach.
He didn't do a lot last season, scoring 3.4 PPG, shooting 34% from the field and 33% from downtown. He played about 14 minutes per game.
He will be seeking a waiver from the NCAA to play immediately, and could play right away if he is granted that waiver, adding to UND's backcourt depth. With the high grades he got out of high school, it's clear he could be a big help, even though he has struggled through his first two years. It's a good pickup for head coach Brian Jones.
Follow me on Twitter @bigskybball
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