McFeely's Tip Sheet: NSIC getting stung by portal transfers, too

McFeely's Tip Sheet is a compilation of notes, quotes, rumors, gossip and commentary by Forum columnist Mike McFeely. If you have a tip, a note or a hot rumor feel free to send it along to mmcfeely@forumcomm.com. Not all will be printed because of, you know, legal reasons. But they might lead to something. All tip sources will remain anonymous.

It ain't just happening in NCAA Division I. The transfer portal is kicking Division II's rear end, too.

The proof is in the regional pudding. The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference — made up of Minnesota State Moorhead and other teams from Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska — saw five all-conference men's basketball players enter the transfer portal already.

And there's possibly more to come. There's always more to come in this wacky new world.

Winona State's Connor Dillon, a first-team all-NSIC pick, was joined by three second-team picks in Portalville on Monday: Josh Dilling of Northern State, Treynell Deveaux of Wayne State and Blaize Sagna of Minnesota-Crookston. On Thursday, Northern State's NSIC first-teamer and former West Fargo Sheyenne player Jacksen Moni went into the portal.

According to the X (formerly Twitter) account Verbal Commits D2, about 300 Division II players have already entered the portal, or indicated their intention to do so.

"It's the equivalent of the NBA signing everybody to one-year contracts. It would be absolute chaos, which we have in the college game right now," Northern State coach Saul Phillips said. "Is it healthy for the sport? Absolutely not. Is it going to change in any meaningful way? Absolutely not.

"College coaches were once long-term investors. Now we're day-traders."

As of Friday morning, no MSUM players had entered the portal. The Dragons are coming off another uber-successful season, which saw them attain a No. 1 national ranking and win 25 games. But nobody ever gets too comfortable in modern college sports.

"You learn to never be surprised," Dragons coach Tim Bergstraser said.

MSUM, actually, has used the portal to improve more than it has been hurt by it. Bergstraser is a guy who likes finding talent, the right fits, and recruiting. He is the perfect coach for the modern era. Three of his key players this season —JaMir Price, Ja'Kair Sanchez and Jacob Jennissen — were transfers.

Depending on which players decide to return, Bergstraser might be scouring the portal again for the pieces to fill holes on the roster.

"I think we're helped by the fact we're winning a lot of games. We've been lucky every year to have success at MSUM. Winning absolutely helps keep players here," Bergstraser said.

The Dragons just completed their season with another trip to the NCAA Central Region tournament. They defeated Pitt State of Kansas in the quarterfinals before falling to No. 1-seeded and Elite Eight-bound Minnesota State Mankato in the semifinals.

There are rumors on top of rumors about other marquee players in the NSIC looking for greener pastures. Stay tuned.

Something that likely won't happen, but if it does I'll look like a genius:

— Division II Northwest Missouri State men's basketball coach Ben McCollum, a familiar name to the Dragons and other teams in the NSIC because the Bearcats play in the Central Region, will be named the new coach at Division I Missouri State of the Missouri Valley Conference soon.

Former North Dakota State guard Boden Skunberg of Jamestown, N.D., told his hometown newspaper he'll take his time finding a new school to play his final year of college eligibility. The senior officially entered the transfer portal Tuesday.

"I’m gonna take my time on the visits," Skunberg said to Jamestown Sun reporter Max O'Neill. "I think I get five official visits so I’ll probably narrow it down within the next month and then take those visits."

Skunberg entering the portal wasn't a surprise. He told NDSU coaches before the season this was going to be his last run as a Bison and that he would explore playing elsewhere for his bonus COVID year. Who can blame him?

"I think after four years at NDSU, living in North Dakota my whole life, it was a tough decision but I want get out, see different things and not get too comfortable and be able to grow as person as well," Skunberg said.

Skunberg told O'Neill he had offers from the University of Iowa, Butler University and a few teams in the Summit League during his high school career. He will graduate this spring from NDSU with a degree in business and minors in communications and psychology.

According to the X account of PDT Scouting, Skunberg had heard from the following schools after entering the portal: Wyoming, North Carolina-Wilmington, Northern Kentucky, Illinois State, Eastern Illinois, Richmond, Montana, Florida Gulf Coast, Bowling Green, Loyola Chicago and George Washington.

McCollum is well-compensated at Northwest Missouri State. According to reporting by Wyatt Wheeler of the Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader, the 42-year-old McCollum is in the second-year of a four-year contract that is automatically extended by a year after every season he completes and stays at the school. He's making $195,000 this season and that would increase to $200,000 next season. That's good dough in D2. ... North Dakota State's football team put out another offer to a 2025 quarterback. Mason Drube of Campbell County High School in Gillette, Wyoming, is the Bison's latest QB target. He's 6-foot-2, 225 pounds and has been offered by Washington State, Oregon State and Nevada. ... According to 247 Sports, the Bison have 34 offers out to 2025 prospects, although the list might be incomplete. ... Former NDSU assistant men's basketball coach Josh Sash, in his first year at Indian Hills Community College in Iowa, led his team to the National Junior College Athletic Association national tournament and was named the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference coach of the year after stockpiling a 27-5 record. ... After Minot State's previous athletic director resigned after improper behavior allegations, the school eliminated the AD position and will have athletics fall under the oversight of VP for Student Affairs Kevin Harmon, who has been serving as Interim AD since January. Harmon will now serve as VP for Student Affairs and Intercollegiate Athletics under President Steve Shirley. ... Former NDSU linebacker and special teams ace Chris Board is returning to the Baltimore Ravens, according to reports. Board got his NFL start with the Ravens in 2018.