The Official USD to D-I Smack Thread

[Jack4Life]

Re: The Official USD to D-I Smack Thread

Finally, Lavin is WAY OFF base saying UND is a top 30 DI team, WAY OFF. I think he feels like he is smarter than the average guy and can say something like that without getting called out. Chad needs to think a little more before he speaks.

I have to agree here. Watched Udot and UND woment the other night and there is no way either of these teams could compete with us. Speed, strength and quickness is no where near our team. I don't feel we are even near a top 30 team and then he says UND is...Come on, Lavin. As I watched the other night, I thought it was strange he had been so quiet lately. But, as per usual, he sticks his foot in his mouth. MD, you are correct. He thinks he knows more than most and feels he can say whatever and people will buy into it. Unfortunately, many in our area have drank too much of the Udot kool-aid and believe whatever he says.

[Drake]

Re: The Official USD to D-I Smack Thread

[quote=Nidaros;78649]Something I have noted this week and there seems to be building a jeolous outlook by all the state assisted universities and maybe Augustana too, but not so directly, but their release of a new logo and mascot logo, two or three days after SDSU is indeed kind of odd, like don't let SDSU hog the media here with their logo change. I get the feeling that Augie did not have any motivation to update logo until it got into the Argus that SDSU was making a change. Then they made their logo change very quietly and waited for SDSU to make its move. If we have a SDSU copy cat in SD, it goes to Augustana, they are very good at doing this. quote]

I believe Augie announced a few months ago that they were going to redo their logo. They set about it, finished it and announced it, all in good time.

SDSU announced many months ago that they were going to redo their logo, hired an east coast firm, rejected their design and then started the process over. It was finally announced much later than the original timeline.

Don't believe Augie was trying to hog the attention.

[Drake]

Re: The Official USD to D-I Smack Thread

Finally, Lavin is WAY OFF base saying UND is a top 30 DI team, WAY OFF. I think he feels like he is smarter than the average guy and can say something like that without getting called out. Chad needs to think a little more before he speaks.

I did a little more research on his remarks ... USD beat Creighton handily in a scrimmage four days before USD beat UNI by 40 in Cedar Falls. Both UNI and Creighton beat Northern Illinois when they were ranked No. 19 in the country. I don't believe he thinks he is smarter than the average guy, he just has some sense of how good some teams really are.

UND has two outstanding posts and I think having played them twice this year and playing Creighton and UNI, Lavin has some basis to how UND would stack up.

Also, in checking the box scores, UNI's top player did not play against SDSU, not even sure if she is still on the team.

SDSU is very good and has earned their reputation but once you get out of the top 30-40 teams in DI, the difference between good DII teams and the rest of the DI squads, is not that great.

[Nidaros]

Re: The Official USD to D-I Smack Thread

Nidaros (my reply to Augie logo/mascot comment) - being as this is a smack forum I don't know if you are being serious or not but if you are serious I think it's time you put on your tin foil reflector beanie before the aliens take total control of your mind.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tin-foil_hat

I beg your pardon??? I was serious and I am hardly parnoid, but where have you been? You never noticed that Augie loves to copy SDSU? Got to have some Augdog connect here somehow and maybe you can get a new augie logo hat to wear as your parnoid detector. I really dont have a need for one. BTW Augie, NSU and USD probably dont have 29 gifts FOR ATHLETICS over 5K to talk about!! Now that hurts you and your Northern buddy Greenfield.

[joeybrownerHOF]

Re: The Official USD to D-I Smack Thread

Nidaros (my reply to Augie logo/mascot comment) - being as this is a smack forum I don't know if you are being serious or not but if you are serious I think it's time you put on your tin foil reflector beanie before the aliens take total control of your mind.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tin-foil_hat

[jackmd]

Re: The Official USD to D-I Smack Thread

Folks, as many of you know, I closely follow Tennessee's women's basketball team (by marriage).

I know what good D-I women's basketball looks like. I've been to the past three Women's Final Fours (and, as long as I'm married to my Lady Vol wife, I'll continue to go, I think).

SDSU is NOT a top 25 women's basketball team, yet.

I think most of the posters here recognize that the top teams in women's BB at the DI level are leaps and bounds ahead of SDSU primarily because of their level of talent. They have the facilities and reputation to get the best players from anywhere in the world. We can't do that at SDSU.

That said, there is a drop off from the top tier of teams to the rest. Not sure where to put that top tier (and yes that top tier is further divided into teams like Tennessee, UConn, Baylor, Duke, UNC, Rutgers, etc...) but its probably around 20-30. I think we can compete with some of the teams in that top tier on one given night, not night in and out.

We are definitely approaching top 50 status and if we can find athletic 6 foot plus players like Jen W. who are maybe a little quicker we can move further up the rankings. Until then, I think AJ is doing as well as he can with the talent he has. I'm satisfied with that.

Finally, Lavin is WAY OFF base saying UND is a top 30 DI team, WAY OFF. I think he feels like he is smarter than the average guy and can say something like that without getting called out. Chad needs to think a little more before he speaks.

[JackJD]

Re: The Official USD to D-I Smack Thread

I didn't know Augie announced a new mascot.

[Nidaros]

Re: The Official USD to D-I Smack Thread

Something I have noted this week and there seems to be building a jeolous outlook by all the state assisted universities and maybe Augustana too, but not so directly, but their release of a new logo and mascot logo, two or three days after SDSU is indeed kind of odd, like don't let SDSU hog the media here with their logo change. I get the feeling that Augie did not have any motivation to update logo until it got into the Argus that SDSU was making a change. Then they made their logo change very quietly and waited for SDSU to make its move. If we have a SDSU copy cat in SD, it goes to Augustana, they are very good at doing this.


Then there is Senator Greenfield and his ties to Northern that seemed to be speaking volumes in is anti vote against the Dykhouse facilty, and before him, and I recall the AD from Northern making a stupid public suggestion about SDSU to the BOR. Refresh me was enrollement caps? I dont recall the words, but do recall the implied attitude. NSU seems to be going through an identity crisis right now and they seem to be tasting the SDSU dust that is in the air.

USD well they are waiting for an opportunity to one up us, but its going to be slow in coming in the next five years. So keep the smack board alive, we need it to reply.

I was looking at the Basketball Program back pages from Friday's NDSU game, which lists the participation finiancially by alums and we seem to have an all time high in number of alums and friends who have contributed over 5k. I counted 29 names. For a full membership, meaning a gife of 10k or more, I counted like maybe 16 names. Then if you were to compare this years program name listing, for gifts under a 1k, you might find many more names that you would have found in a program from 5 years ago. SDSU has financial support and increased support since going D1 and what the jeolous people around the state think and say means very little and they are fools, not the ones who have put their money where their mouth is at. I am very proud of those folks who are supporting SDSU financially for athletics as well as academics. We are the leader so not much to worry about, but younger siblings do have to be put in their place.

[filbert]

Re: The Official USD to D-I Smack Thread

Haven't looked at this thread for some time. USD and SDSU won't be playing women's basketball or anything else unless they both get into the NCAA tournament. That won't happen for years. Why talk about this if the rivalry is dead?

Because every once in a while a USD person will say something rather silly (or report that someone else who should know better said something silly), and some of us feel the need to respond.

[Grizzled_Jack]

Re: The Official USD to D-I Smack Thread

Haven't looked at this thread for some time. USD and SDSU won't be playing women's basketball or anything else unless they both get into the NCAA tournament. That won't happen for years. Why talk about this if the rivalry is dead?

[JimmyJack]

Re: The Official USD to D-I Smack Thread

AJ knows talent and I think he spots talented athletes that other coaches are missing. He also develops raw talent into players other teams wished they had recruited.

I think AJ and Melum have some kind of time-machine hidden over there in Frost somewhere. They're able to project years down the road what kind of potential they can be expecting from these players, and then they do what it takes to help those young women achieve their potential. Look at somebody like Morgan Meier. Role player last year. Now she's a defensive specialist contributing in every game this year. Look at the end of the bench this year. I wouldn't be surprised to see Alison Anderson and Laura Nielsen contributing a lot of quality minutes next year.

The point is that they're constantly developing players who are ready when their turn comes to step up. That's why we haven't seen any major drop-off year-to-year in the program. It's really remarkable.

Oops, forgot this is a smack thread. USD is very good, but UNI's coach doesn't strike me as someone who knows much about D1 talent. Just look at her team. SDSU is four years ahead of USD in this process. I have no doubt that USD's women's program will get there, but it just takes time. And with a new coaching staff, it'll set them back a bit. Five years from now, though, there's no reason why USD won't have a very competitive D1 women's basketball team. Now, though. We'd beat them with our depth and athleticism.

[JackJD]

Re: The Official USD to D-I Smack Thread

Have to give rep points to filbert on his analysis. Well stated.

With respect to Rotert and recruiting. AJ knows talent and I think he spots talented athletes that other coaches are missing. He also develops raw talent into players other teams wished they had recruited.

Many of us remember a time when a fellow named Mark Tetzlaff was recuited to SDSU from Hamlin High School. He had a good high school career but was not heavily recruited by colleges. The kid was fabulous. He was simply overlooked by most coaches.

Recently, Illinois overlooked Steve Holdren in their own backyard.

The list of overlooked or under-recruited players could go on and on. Rotert will have many school records when she concludes her senior year.

[Jacked_Up]

Re: The Official USD to D-I Smack Thread

Rotert did not play at all Saturday night because of an injury, and SDSU beat NDSU by 20 points. The Jacks have two seniors on the team, and only one starts. SDSU is still a young team on the rise.

[filbert]

Re: The Official USD to D-I Smack Thread

Folks, as many of you know, I closely follow Tennessee's women's basketball team (by marriage).

I know what good D-I women's basketball looks like. I've been to the past three Women's Final Fours (and, as long as I'm married to my Lady Vol wife, I'll continue to go, I think).

SDSU is NOT a top 25 women's basketball team, yet.

They are now, quite possibly, a top 50 team. UNI's coach did not see a complete SDSU team, so his/her opinion regarding the comparative levels of SDSU and USD need to be considered in that context.

USD is a very, very, very good Division II team.

SDSU is a very, very good Division I team.

I think that SDSU's women this year are generally, stronger, quicker, and better-shooting than USD. If the teams played ten games this year, USD might win one. Maybe two. That's my considered opinion. Others are free to differ.

I really don't think USD fans have a good idea how GOOD the top level of D-I teams are. SDSU is NOT a top D-I team, yet. But they're about one 6'5" athletic center away from being a Top 25 team. That's how good SDSU is. Go talk to some of the players and coaches in top programs in D-I, like I have. They are all quite aware of what SDSU can do.

I really don't want to take anything away from what USD has done this year. They're very, very good.

But a team like Tennessee or Baylor would undoubtedly run USD completely out of whatever building the teams might be playing in. I think it's fair to say that USD would have NO SHOT at Tennessee.

Tennessee would probably run SDSU out of the building too, but if the Jacks' 3's are falling and Tennessee didn't bring their A game, SDSU has the team quality and depth to make life difficult for the Lady Vols. That's where things are right now. Tennessee is to SDSU as SDSU is to USD.

The education regarding the strength of Division I vs. Division II of USD fans will begin next year. I hope they're ready for it.

[jacksfaninne]

Re: The Official USD to D-I Smack Thread

If this years team is so good a freshman who was not widely recruited would not be one of the top players.

Ask Notre Dame football about what "widely recruited" players gets you.