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Guru 
Group: Members
Posts: 2
Joined: Oct. 2003
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Posted on: Oct. 26 2003,5:27 pm |
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Ben Woodside just verbally committed to play basketball at North Dakota State University. If the school stayed Division II, he might have been decent for them in a couple years, but now that they are going Division I, he is in over his head. I have watched him play. He is quick, and can dribble decently, but he really needs to improve on his defense (staying low and off the ball help are the main two areas a point guard will need to excel at, he isn't near that level yet). One part of his game that can use a couple hundred hours of off-season work to improve is his jump shot. A couple hundred hours sound like too much? Not if he wants to make an impact within a couple years. It is too inconsistent now for him to make a difference at the top level. At Div. II, he could have become a very solid player with the one-on-one work with coaches, but I see the higher level of play being over his head. It is tough to get better without seeing playing time, and I don't anticipate him seeing a lot unless he put in a lot of time this summer. Woodside, I wish you the best of luck. You are a good basketball player, but at the level you wish to play at, you will need it. Those boys who play Div. I don't mess around. They play for keeps. Good Luck Woody.
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| Post Number: 2
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minnow
Group: Members
Posts: 2243
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Oct. 26 2003,9:00 pm |
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Huh? Who is he and why would I possibly care.
It's all about me and how much money I can make. Not about how much bling someone else can get. 
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| Post Number: 3
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shaker
Group: Members
Posts: 435
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Oct. 26 2003,11:44 pm |
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Guru, this guy is good, but I agree that it is going to be a tough road to go for him, I feel he needs to hit the weight room hard and I think that they will red shirt him the first year, your rite div. 1 is tough and I think this kid has got what it takes, wish him well.
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| Post Number: 4
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The Advocate
Unregistered
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Posted on: Oct. 31 2003,3:12 pm |
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Do you recall that Lindsey Whalen of the Ladies Golden Gophers was not tauted nationally or even regionally. During her sophomore year she was not only Big Ten Female Player Of The Year she was National Female Player Of The Year. In Division I ashe was able to play with the level of competition that brought out the best in her and Woodside will do the same. He is a natural athlete and will only get better as time goes on. Come on, he is the best basketball player Albert Lea has ever had. Our teams have been dismal but he has brought life back to this sport here. I only wish him the very best and know he will do very well in D-I
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| Post Number: 5
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Tiger
Group: Members
Posts: 606
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Oct. 31 2003,3:33 pm |
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He needs to hit the weights and put on some muscle to be able to play with the big boys. Just because he is a huge fish in a tiny pond doesn't mean squat. However, I too wish him the best and hopefully he can prove all his critics wrong.
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| Post Number: 6
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Tiger
Group: Members
Posts: 606
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Oct. 31 2003,3:33 pm |
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He needs to hit the weights and put on some muscle to be able to play with the big boys. Just because he is a huge fish in a tiny pond doesn't mean squat. However, I too wish him the best and hopefully he can prove all his critics wrong.
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| Post Number: 7
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hoosier
Group: Members
Posts: 1476
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Oct. 31 2003,4:21 pm |
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Just because he is in div. 1 doesnt mean he will be with the socalled big boys. N.D. State, last time I looked wasnt exactly a basketball powerhouse. When and if his team compete against bigger schools like the ones in the big ten, pac ten, big twelve, acc, big east, sec, the whole ND team will be in over their heads. I grew up in Indiana, have you guys heard of Valpo? Valporaiso University. Very small religious school in northern Indiana, made the ncaa's the last few years, even had a good run in the ncaa's. Anyway, they still play smaller schools just like they are, they do get invites to play the big boys now and then, but they are expected to lose. 90 percent of the time the competition he plays against will be no different than if ND hadnt changed to div. 1. The thing about div. 1 though is that he wont be expected to be and do everything. If he finds his role on the team and does it well, he will do ok.
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The power of accurate obsvervation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it.
George Bernard Shaw
The devil begins with froth on the lips of an angel entering into battle for a holy and just cause. Grigory Pomerants
We have crossed the boundary that lies between Republic and Empire. Garet Garrett
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| Post Number: 8
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The Advocate
Unregistered
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Posted on: Oct. 31 2003,9:56 pm |
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I have to laugh when I hear you say he's just a "Big fish in a little pond". Very interesting. If I can be so bold I would like to relay a story similar to this, but having to do with academics. My oldest daughter was attending the University Of North Dakota in Grand Forks and was in competition for a prestigious internship at a world embassy. She was at first pretty intimidated and even had decided she didn't have a chance. You see she was an excellent student there but would be competing with students from Harvard, Yale, Notre Dame etc. Long story short, she applied and was given a post at the Embassy in Stockholm beating out students from the above named universities. A professor of hers had encouraged her stating that she was "A big fish in a little pond but she too was meant to do great things" And she has. A most valuable and life altering experience she met with Kings, Queens, Ambassadors, Senators, Congressman, Statesman from around the world. All things in life are truly relative. If we do the very best we are capable of great things will happen. And they have. Our local boy will make us proud!
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| Post Number: 9
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Tiger
Group: Members
Posts: 606
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Nov. 01 2003,9:08 am |
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Congrats to your daughter advocate!!! I hope he does prove his critcs wrong like I said before. It is always fun to see the "underdog" succeed. Albert Lea basketbal has never been good. Albert Lea sports as a whole have never been outstanding. Is it because we don't have athletes among us? NO!! I think the coaching and philosophy the school has behind sports is distorted. We have had many great athletes in the past years but for some reason we can't ever put together a championship team. Politics play a huge role in athletics in Albert Lea and I think that plays a huge role. Parents need to step back and let coaches coach as they see fit. And coaches need to have discipline for the athletes. I played sports here in high school and the structure in the programs was lacking. You look at Roch Mayo, Mankato East etc. They have weight programs and grueling practices. The kids are focused during the season and in the off season and it shows with championship banners. Sorry I got off the subject a bit. But I think AL athletes are getting the short end of the stick.
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| Post Number: 10
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hoosier
Group: Members
Posts: 1476
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Nov. 01 2003,9:40 am |
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I agree Tiger, you know something is wrong with your sports program when a loser like Cunningham can keep his job as long as he did without even winning a game. A lot of kids went through hell in their high school football career because this idiot couldnt coach, and most of the boys didnt want to play for him. He was the greatest thing to ever happen to the boys soccer program. You dont just stand by and let someone like Cunningham destroy the whole football program. When he could barely get the numbers of kids to come out to make a team, someone in power should have done something. It just seemed in this case, it was more about the coach than it was doing what was best for the kids and the program.
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The power of accurate obsvervation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it.
George Bernard Shaw
The devil begins with froth on the lips of an angel entering into battle for a holy and just cause. Grigory Pomerants
We have crossed the boundary that lies between Republic and Empire. Garet Garrett
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