29Jan/100
Some Friday notes
A few items from Sioux basketball and football:
- Freshman Doug Archer was starting to find a groove with the Sioux men's basketball team. The freshman from Conception Junction, Mo., scored 12 points last Saturday against South Dakota in his best performance of the season. But Archer suffered a serious knee injury duirng a practice earlier this week. He will be lost for the season. The Sioux also are missing starting center Derek Benter, who was hurt in the USD game. Benter accompanied the Sioux on their two-game Great West Conference road trip to Texas this week but did not play Thursday during UND's win at Texas-Pan American. He's not expected to play Saturday at Houston Baptist, either.
- UND guard Travis Bledsoe is the second-leading scorer in the Great West. He's averaging 21.3 points in league play. Scoring from the perimeter has been lacking for UND for much of the season. Bledsoe, who has been injured for much of the season, finally is healthy and his scoring has helped UND win two of its last four games.
- Last week's turnout for the Meltdown at the Ralph wasn't that bad, considering the poor weather and the schedule the Sioux men's basketball team has played this season. It's hard to promote an event like the Meltdown when Sioux fans get to see the men's team play only one once in 43 days. UND has only one home game in January, and that was the Sioux game against South Dakota during the Meltdown.
- National signing day is next Wednesday. Sioux football coach Chris Mussman said he hopes to sign as many as 22 players. He said Friday that the Sioux have received commitments from 21 recruits. California appears to be the one state that UND coaches recruited hard this season. There also may be a few recruits added after the signing day.
- No more news on UND's 2010 schedule. It looks like the Sioux will remain at 10 games. The Sioux would play 11 only if they can get a sixth home game. And that possibility doesn't look good.
