After a six-win season, UND men's basketball team looks for better year
Oct. 30—GRAND FORKS — UND finished with a 6-25 record last season, a year in which numerous injuries collided with youth.
Naturally, the Fighting Hawks didn't draw a lot of support in the Summit League preseason men's basketball poll. UND was picked 10th out of 10 teams.
So what's in store this season for a team that returns eight players and landed Mr. Basketball winners from North Dakota and Kansas?
A few answers may be provided Monday night when UND plays an exhibition game against Waldorf College, coached by former UND player Nigel Jenkins.
The Summit League poll is just speculation as far as UND coach Paul Sather is concerned.
His players agree.
"I can't wait until we get out there, play our butts off and show people what we're made of," said Treysen Eaglestaff, the Mr. Basketball winner in North Dakota last season.
The other high school Mr. Basketball winner joining UND is 6-foot-4 guard Elijah Brooks, the all-time leading scorer at Topeka West High School in Topeka, Kan.
Other recruits UND landed include junior college transfer Jalun Trent, a 6-4 guard from Cochise College in Arizona, and 6-8 forward B.J. Omot from Mankato West High School. Omot was nominated for the Minnesota Mr. Basketball award.
The Hawks addressed the point guard position during recruiting. Caleb Nero, last year's point guard, was injured most of last season. He's healthy now and UND brought in Trent, a point guard who averaged 9.2 points, 8.2 assists and 7.2 rebounds per game last season at Cochise.
"With the freshmen we've got, we've got guys who are coming in on both sides of the floor that can really play," said Sather, who enters his fourth season as the Hawks' coach. "I don't think people really understand where we're at. I don't think we know quite where we're at. But we really like what we've seen so far."
With UND's location, scheduling Division I opponents for home games always has been a challenge.
UND was successful in meeting that challenge this season as the Hawks landed seven nonconference home games before Summit play.
The nonconference schedule also has a West Coast feel.
The Hawks will host West Coast Conference opponent Pacific, Western Athletic Conference member Seattle, Big Sky member Montana State and Big West member Cal State Fullerton.
UND will also travel to Portland — another WCC member — and Idaho.
"It'll be a challenging schedule," said Sather.
