A D1 College Roster

[collegewatcher]

SF_Rabbitt_Fan said in another thread:

"I think you could say every program has 5 kids who can play DI basketball. Look at most elite college teams and they have 2 MAYBE 3 good players, 5-7 average players, and 2-5 marginal players. Very few teams have 1 player who goes pro, even among the elite programs in the nation. More and more those 2-3 top players are freshman and sophomores. SDSU is the type of school where we need those 2-3 players to develop over their entire career. We will never get Greg Oden to come to SDSU, and that is probably a good thing. "

I just can't agree with the first couple of sentences. No one is talking about sending kids off to the NBA here, but tell me one kid that we have that would get any minutes for Creighton. Maybe Williams, although he probably would have redshirted. Maybe Cadwell as an off the bench shooter. And I am not talking UCLA, Florida, or Ohio State. I am talking about a program that I have heard more than once used by fans as a standard we should hope to reach someday. I read some posts that talk about us in terms of "mid-major". Well then, we need to get there with our talent. I know that the coaching staff, which I feel is great, is working very hard toward that end.

But I think a lot of folks need to take a much more realistic look at this roster, even if we get a veteran or two back.

[2002jack]

Re: A D1 College Roster

SF_Rabbitt_Fan said in another thread:

"I think you could say every program has 5 kids who can play DI basketball.  Look at most elite college teams and they have 2 MAYBE 3 good players, 5-7 average players, and 2-5 marginal players.  Very few teams have 1 player who goes pro, even among the elite programs in the nation.  More and more those 2-3 top players are freshman and sophomores.  SDSU is the type of school where we need those 2-3 players to develop over their entire career.  We will never get Greg Oden to come to SDSU, and that is probably a good thing. "

I just can't agree with the first couple of sentences. No one is talking about sending kids off to the NBA here, but tell me one kid that we have that would get any minutes for Creighton. Maybe Williams, although he probably would have redshirted. Maybe Cadwell as an off the bench shooter. And I am not talking UCLA, Florida, or Ohio State. I am talking about a program that I have heard more than once used by fans as a standard we should hope to reach someday. I read some posts that talk about us in terms of "mid-major". Well then, we need to get there with our talent. I know that the coaching staff, which I feel is great, is working very hard toward that end.

But I think a lot of folks need to take a much more realistic look at this roster, even if we get a veteran or two back.

Creighton's leading scorer is Sioux City Heelan graduate, Nate Funk.  Clint Sargeant........?  Lots of potential.

[filbert]

Re: A D1 College Roster

Senior Leadership. We haven't had it.

Can Beran and maybe Berte provide it next year?

Will Williams be able to take his game to another level as a sophomore?

Can Cadwell rediscover the joy of the game and start having some fun playing basketball again, or will (comment self-deleted by moderator, who was having trouble sleeping and so had a nip or two and can't resist mocking everybody including himself right now)?

Cue the cheesy organ music, for the next thrilling episode of that soap opera - - - As The Jackrabbits Dribble!

[collegewatcher]

Re: A D1 College Roster

.

[/quote]

Creighton's leading scorer is Sioux City Heelan graduate, Nate Funk.  Clint Sargeant........?  Lots of potential.[/quote]

Nate Funk did not choose between Creighton and UND or other D2 schools.

I hope he is a great player for us, but not every 6'4" kid from Sioux City is Nate Funk or Ben Jacobsen.

[collegewatcher]

Re: A D1 College Roster

Senior Leadership.  We haven't had it.

Can Beran and maybe Berte provide it next year?

Will Williams be able to take his game to another level as a sophomore?

Can Cadwell rediscover the joy of the game and start having some fun playing basketball again, or will (comment self-deleted by moderator, who was having trouble sleeping and so had a nip or two and can't resist mocking everybody including himself right now)?

Cue the cheesy organ music, for the next thrilling episode of that soap opera - - - As The Jackrabbits Dribble!  

Good for you! You deserve more than one or two for some of the threads that have come up lately!

[SoDak]

Re: A D1 College Roster

I think Steve Holdren was a legitimate D1 player, and I think Kai Williams is also. But there's a good point in this discussion. If we're fighting St. Cloud, or UND or Winona State for a player, the news ain't wonderful.

[Haldersham]

Re: A D1 College Roster

If we want a good and stable roster, I think we need to be more thorough in recruiting. We seem to be worried about athletic ability and no more. Are we concerned beyond making certain that they qualify beyond NCAA regs? I believe SDSU has had a mission statement that should not have changed with the transition to D1. I dont know the statement verbatim, but I beleive it relates to making certain that athletes are both students and athletes and they leave SDSU with a pleasant experience.

I think too attempting to find athletic ability, we end up with whats out there and then two or three years later, we ring our hands and wonder why individuals have left or why they are not happy. I dont run this board nor do I run the Men' bb program. I have my opinion and I think we need to recruit people who have academic goals besides athletic goals. Once they get here we need to provide them every means to met both set of goals. The individuals that make up the roster should feel good about their experience at SDSU. If they don't then some one on campus needs to find out why.

Also look at the women's program, again maybe the D2 championship set us up for good recruiting, but I dont think there is anyone on that staff that has not paid attention to whom they are pursuing as a prospect and whether they are going to behappy at SDSU. The over GPA  for the Women's BB program speaks for its self in term of well being within the roster.

[89rabbit]

Re: A D1 College Roster

From the 2006 annual report

http://www3.sdstate.edu/ClassLibrary...port_05-06.pdf

Cumulative GPA by Team

Men’s Sports
Baseball 2.91
Basketball 2.83
Cross Country 3.24
Football 2.86
Golf 3.01
Swimming 2.89
Tennis 3.12
Track and Field 3.23
Wrestling 2.69

Women’s Sports
Basketball 3.60
Cross Country 3.62
Equestrian 3.33
Golf 3.46
Soccer 3.30
Softball 3.20
Swimming 3.03
Tennis 3.20
Track and Field 3.48
Volleyball 3.34

All GPAs figured through fall 2005 semester


Not too bad considering that both SDSU's Men's and Women's programs are short one full time assistant coach (from a recruiting stand point I am sure each program could benefit from another body hitting the highways and byways).

Go State!  

[89rabbit]

Re: A D1 College Roster

Also from the '06 annual report:

http://www3.sdstate.edu/ClassLibrary...port_05-06.pdf

Vision, Mission and Values of the SDSU Athletic Department

Every undertaking of South Dakota State University is driven by a common force — a relentless commitment to excellence.
Within the Athletic Department, excellence is measured by much more than wins and losses.We are committed to providing
each and every student-athlete with a comprehensive collegiate experience that is second to none. Every decision that guides
our program is made with the student-athlete in mind. Is Athletic Achievement important? Yes, because it is the fundamental
purpose of the student-athlete experience. Is Social Responsibility a vital component? Yes, we expect to contribute to the
well-being of our campus, community, and state. How about Positive Student-Athlete Experiences and Competitive Success?
Those also define our program because they are integral to the student athlete’s growth. That is what it means to be studentcentered,
and why our vision is:

VISION: To be a premier student-centered
collegiate athletic program.
How will SDSU Athletics achieve that vision? By working
tirelessly to create a special place where student-athletes
who share our drive and determination can develop life
skills that lead not only to athletic success, but pave the
way for victories long into their lives.The important work
of creating that setting is the heart of our mission:


MISSION: To passionately and relentlessly create
an environment, rooted in sportsmanship and
ethical conduct, where motivated student-athletes
can develop into lifelong champions.
To be a lifelong champion, one must maintain a discipline of taking the
highest road. Similarly, SDSU is guided by a stringent value set that
will not be compromised:


VALUES: Honesty, equity, academic integrity,
fiscal integrity and social responsibility with the
expectation of competing at the highest level.


Go State!

[bballfan54]

Re: A D1 College Roster

Will Williams be able to take his game to another level as a sophomore?

Definately.....I know him well

[EQguy]

Re: A D1 College Roster

I agree 89. I was watching the last few minutes of the MAAC championships last night and couldn't believe the huddles. There had to have been 4 or 5 coaches on each bench and they certainly didn't look young enough to be Grad Assistants.

I think this is a problem across the board with our sports. I think the department set a priority with scholarships and thought the rest will have to wait. That was their plan and I am fine with it. I just think that everyone has to be a bit more patient and wait until we are on an even playing field across the board until they expect teams that fit the mold of Creighton.

Women's BB is the exception because they have been able to do it with athletes that live largely within 4 hours from here. But if they are going to make noise in the NCAA's they are going to have to find a few better athletes. That is going to take a few more assistant coaches and some more recruiting dollars.

[SF_Rabbit_Fan]

Re: A D1 College Roster

SF_Rabbitt_Fan said in another thread:

"I think you could say every program has 5 kids who can play DI basketball. Look at most elite college teams and they have 2 MAYBE 3 good players, 5-7 average players, and 2-5 marginal players. Very few teams have 1 player who goes pro, even among the elite programs in the nation. More and more those 2-3 top players are freshman and sophomores. SDSU is the type of school where we need those 2-3 players to develop over their entire career. We will never get Greg Oden to come to SDSU, and that is probably a good thing. "

I just can't agree with the first couple of sentences. No one is talking about sending kids off to the NBA here, but tell me one kid that we have that would get any minutes for Creighton. Maybe Williams, although he probably would have redshirted. Maybe Cadwell as an off the bench shooter. And I am not talking UCLA, Florida, or Ohio State. I am talking about a program that I have heard more than once used by fans as a standard we should hope to reach someday. I read some posts that talk about us in terms of "mid-major". Well then, we need to get there with our talent. I know that the coaching staff, which I feel is great, is working very hard toward that end.

But I think a lot of folks need to take a much more realistic look at this roster, even if we get a veteran or two back.

I think I agree with you more than you realize. What I am saying is that for freshman and sophomores, they are at or above the curve for like institutions. I'm not sure if I mentioned Mid Major status, but if I did, I realize (and so should everyone else) that doesn't come overnight. More than likely it will take 10-20 years, or more. Somebody mentioned Funk. He is a senior. In fact, out of the top 4 minute getters for Creighton, 3 are seniors. One is a junior. And the only way they get into the dance is by winning the conference tourney. Our seniors, while committed, hard working, and loyal, were either a JC transfer or a DII leftover. I guess what I am saying is that the team has tremendous upside and potential.

And I agree that everyone needs to take a realistic look at our roster. Its probably not as good as the optimist would say, but not as bad as the pessimist would say.

IMO, Kai Williams has the physical tools to be better than Nate Funk if he continues to progress. Callahan has shown brilliance at times, and at times makes you groan. Sounds like the typical freshman point guard. Good news is next year he will be a Sophomore point guard. Both Bassett and Engen showed flashes of special things to come during the last 2-3 games. These are all freshman with 3 more years to develop. Loney will work his tail off day in and day out. Beran (who put up 25 against Kentucky) and Berte (who tallied 17 while helping hold Smith to 12 at NDSU) will help more than many realize. Maybe I'm too optimistic, but hey, its better than any alternative I've found.

Like I said, I think we are all about 12 months from being happy with where the program is headed.

[JimmyJack]

Re: A D1 College Roster

Will Williams be able to take his game to another level as a sophomore?

Definately.....I know him well

From what I've seen, Kai has already elevated his game, improving every game during his freshman year. I don't doubt that young man for a minute. Thank heavens he's on our team.

[collegewatcher]

Re: A D1 College Roster

Stats concerning the basketball team GPA through the fall of 2005 do not really tell us anything.

There has been a heck of a lot of movement on the roster since then, including Bilitz flunking out and Cordova failing to qualify.

[vantage]

Re: A D1 College Roster

I have followed Heelan athletics for a long time. I, like many at Heelan, i consider Clint Sargent to be almost a clone of Nate Funk. At Clint's age, Nate was a slightly better ball handler and shooter, while Clint is longer and more athletic. Nate entered Creighton at 6-3 165 lbs. Clint is already 6-4 195 lbs.

Nate didn't receive his Creighton offer until he had a great state tournament his senior year. At that time the Jays weren't real successful either.

I think as the Jacks exit this transition period and enter the Mid-Con, they will find it a hell of alot easier to attract good athletics.

Keep The Faith !