Editor's note: Valley to Summit is a semi-daily roundup of news impacting the UND football and basketball programs, as well as updates from around the Missouri Valley Football Conference and Summit League.
For the first time in about a year, the UND men's basketball program handed out a scholarship offer to a 2022 prospect.
On Wednesday, 2022 prospect Jackson Loge of Morris Area High School (Minn.), a 6-foot-8 forward, said he received a scholarship offer from the Fighting Hawks.
Loge is the first 2022 offer for UND since the program offered Enderlin (N.D.) twins Gus and Joe Hurlbert. Joe Hurlbert now has offers from Iowa and Colorado.
UND is Loge's first offer. But Ryan James, a Minnesota basketball recruiting expert, tweeted earlier this month that Loge was hearing from Minnesota-Duluth, South Dakota State, Appalachian State, Liberty, Belmont, Augustana, North Dakota State and St. Thomas.
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Jackson Loge is the son of former Minnesota Gophers basketball player Kevin Loge. Jackson averaged 23 points per game for Morris Area this past season.
Former UND coach sees cuts again
Chris Maiello was the head swimming and diving coach at UND when the school cut both the men's and women's programs in 2017.
Maiello, who was impressive as he publicly defended his sport at UND while the school considered athletic cuts, quickly landed on his feet as the head men's and women's swimming and diving coach at the University of Connecticut.
On Wednesday, UConn announced its cutting men's swimming and diving, along with three other sports at the end of the 2020-21 season.
UConn athletics said it had to cut 25 percent of the budget from the university, around $10 million by 2023 and it will eliminate men’s cross country, women’s rowing, men’s swimming and diving and men’s tennis. Around 124 student-athletes will be affected.
The university is also reducing the cost of scholarships, including for athletics, beginning in the 2020-21 academic year and the number of scholarships offered in men’s golf and men’s track and field will be decreased.
Former UND standout Freije going to Sweden
Former UND women's basketball standout Fallyn Freije is embarking on a pro basketball career.
Freije, a North Dakota native, transferred to Montana State for her final season of eligibility. Freije put together an historic season at Montana State in 2019-20 before the coronavirus pandemic cut her dream short of an NCAA Tournament appearance.
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On Wednesday, Freije announced she's heading to Sweden to start her professional stint.
