The reasons for watching the UND women's basketball team number at least a half-dozen. Reasons are:
1. They play hard.
2. They play together.
3. They play the game the right way.
4. They're entertaining.
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5. They win.
And . . .
6. Almost all of them can get home in two hours.
In other words, they're local. And whether you think that's a parochial outlook or not, it's the truth. Most fans will agree it's more enjoyable to cheer for players you know than cheer for a uniform.
Take the starting lineup. The guards are Carissa Jahner of Fargo and Karla Beck of Munich, N.D, and the posts are Kierah Kimbrough of Greenbush, Minn., and Ashley Langen of Kennedy, Minn. Only Beck may need to lean on the accelerator a bit to make it home in two hours.
Key area players off the bench are Kayla Baagason of Clearbrook, Minn., Jossy Bergan of Valley City, N.D., Val Sannes of Wahpeton, N.D., and Alys Seay of Grand Forks. Again, home is only two hours away.
The only players in their top-10 rotation who are out of the area are starting forward Kelsey Maffin of Van Meter, Iowa, and top reserve Danye Guinn of St. Francis, Minn.
The deeper reserves on the active roster also have area roots - Anna Leigh Brady, who played at Four Winds in Fort Totten, N.D., and Lake Region State College in Devils Lake; Jordan Holthusen of Newfolden, Minn.; and Cierra Roebuck, who was recruited in the coach's kitchen.
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To recap, 12 of the 13 are from Minnesota or North Dakota and 11 of the 13 are within a two-hour drive of home.
"Recruiting needs to start at home and then you expand your area from there," coach Gene Roebuck said. "We've been very fortunate in having so many local players who can play at such a high level. Many of them had D-I offers, but chose to come here."
Having area players helps attendance and enthusiasm at games, Roebuck said. It's easier to have a cohesive team when the players have things in common on and off the court.
"You always have to work on chemistry," Roebuck said. "In college, many players have to play roles after being the key player on their high school team. So, you have to bring in the right kids who will do that.
"I don't think you can go wrong recruiting from North Dakota and Minnesota. You know all about them and how they'll plug into the program."
It also helps when the recruits are familiar with the tradition and success of the team, Roebuck said.
But when UND goes Division I in the 2008-09 season, the ability to rely on mostly homegrown talent probably will disappear.
So, if you're a Sioux fan, you may want to savor UND's appearance in the Elite Eight this week more than ever. Because of the rules, UND won't be allowed to participate in the NCAA tournament for its first five years of D-I. Plus, the ranks of local talent wearing the green-and-white probably will thin.
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"The grass is not necessarily greener on the other side," Roebuck said. "But our recruiting landscape might, and probably will, change. In D-I, you need bigger and quicker players.
"Our players will have to come from a wider area. But I'll still recruit my area first. I still want to have a core of players who are familiar to our fans."
Bakken reports on local news and writes a column. Reach him at 780-1125; (800) 477-6572, ext. 125; or rbakken@gfherald.com .
