USD Week

[SUPERBUNNY]

filbert appropriately put the kibosh on smack in a non-smack thread so let's see if we can have a discussion about the game Thursday without it going south (pun intended).

I really haven't paid any attention to the Yotes and have no idea what to expect out of them on Thursday. Obviously looking for a Big Blue win but wondering who can throw some info out there on the Coyote team.

After Saturday night, I would think that there couldn't be a better time for the Jacks to play this game and that isn't good news for the visiting team.

Looking forward to a great crowd, great atmosphere, and hoping that things stay classy from both sides.

Prediction- 93-68 Jacks win!

SUPERBUNNY

[RowdyRabbit]

Re: USD Week

Without knowing anything about anything, my guess is the SDSU coaching staff will game plan to contain Charlie Westbrook and make someone else beat us?

Also, to answer the question in the locked thread about what time to show up if you have GA seats....if it were me, I'd get there when the doors open to get the best seats available. I have reserved though, and I'm still planning to get there a good half hour before the game. (I'm a sucker for pre-game warmups.)

[jackmd]

Re: USD Week

Coyotes will come to play and they aren't a bunch of schmucks. That said, Jackrabbits have more talent and barring something unusual should win with relative ease. I talked to a former player from the mid 90's teams who has courtside seats at the dome and he isn't impressed with this years team at all. Jacks should win by double digits. The YJC will be gathering at Cubby's as will the USD alums, should be fun.

[RabbitObsessed]

Re: USD Week

Gruis is solid inside, but USD shoots a ton of 3s. If Krogman get's hot, he's got unlimited range. Give up as many 3s to Westbrook if possible, because he likes to shoot them but he isn't a good shooter. Boots can shoot pretty well off the bench, but that's about it. We should win pretty handily. I think one advantage we have is the home court/atmosphere, which may seem obvious, but I think it's even bigger when you consider that other than Boots and possibly Krogman, no one on their team has any idea what they are about to step into. Frost will be bumping.

[jackrabit1]

Re: USD Week

Another thing to take into consideration... the Jacks are coming off a pretty solid drubbing to ORU. I don't think this team wants to lose two League games in a row, and definitely don't want to lose to a team that only has one win in the Summit. That said, the guys best not be thinking about the spectacle and concentrate on the task at hand... getting back into the win column.

[hareball]

Re: USD Week

Rabbits should win by a comfortable margin but will be interesting to see how both teams react to the atmosphere. Yotes keys to victory will be to have 2 players other that Louie or Westbrook to have big games on offense and eliminate (or at least hold him down) on defense.

[NoVaJack]

Re: USD Week

These we should win handily predictions worry me. This rivalry has proven time after time that the relative records of the teams are irrelevant. Not smack, but is there any doubt that this rivalry shouldn't have been renewed?

[sfjacksfan99]

Re: USD Week

This is one of the top 3 teams in the conference versus one of the bottom 2 on the better team's home court. Thus the "Jacks will win handily" comments. That's what should happen.

However, I would be willing to bet none of these guys have played in an environment like this. I specifically remember comments out of the Jacks women 2 years ago after the game saying they came out on the floor and had never experienced anything like it. This coming from members of a team who won the Summit League tournament and an NCAA tournament game. I remember the ladies struggling awhile against that USD women's team who appeared on paper to be inferior to that Jacks team.

I'm not going as far to say whatever team doesn't crap themselves because of the environment will win, but it's going to be a factor.

[jackmd]

Re: USD Week

Gruis is solid inside, but USD shoots a ton of 3s. If Krogman get's hot, he's got unlimited range. Give up as many 3s to Westbrook if possible, because he likes to shoot them but he isn't a good shooter. Boots can shoot pretty well off the bench, but that's about it. We should win pretty handily. I think one advantage we have is the home court/atmosphere, which may seem obvious, but I think it's even bigger when you consider that other than Boots and possibly Krogman, no one on their team has any idea what they are about to step into. Frost will be bumping.

I would add foul troubles to the list of issues for USD's bigs. Gruis has had several games where is time has been very limited by fouls. He has had a couple of monster games as well with double doubles. Jacks need to approach it like just another game and play to the level that they can. USD closed to within 4 of ORU late in the game 2 weeks ago and drubbed UMKC Saturday, they'll be confident.

[yoteforever]

Re: USD Week

We really arent very good right now. We have almost no bigs other than Gruis. If your inside game gets us into foul trouble then it has the potential to be a blowout. We live and die by the 3's. All that said, it is a rivalry game. I am looking forward to being there.

[filbert]

Re: USD Week

I'm going to guess the Thursday night attendance at 5,600--because it's Thursday night, because USD is struggling a bit this year, and because . . . well . . . just because.

The previous high attendance at Frost in the D-I era is 5,547 last year vs. NDSU. I'm not entirely sure that Thursday night's attendance will top that, but I think it's got a chance, so I'll go with the over.

[filbert]

Re: USD Week

Oops . . . missed the 5790 attendance in the 2008-9 year v. NDSU. Not sure that the Thursday USD game will get there. We'll see.

I wouldn't be at all surprised to see the NDSU game this year draw more people than the USD game in Brookings, though.

[SoDakJack]

Re: USD Week

It says a lot about how my fandom has changed since going D1. No longer do I look at the rivalry games as the biggest ones of the year. Now I just see them as another team that we have to beat to improve our tournament seeding. I will be much more excited for the ORU and NDSU home games.

[JackJD]

Re: USD Week

Did SDSU try to recruit any players on USD's roster? Same question: any SDSU players recruited by USD?

My memory is fuzzy on those things but I believe there was a time we were interested in Gruis...I think he was angling for other offers and when we had a sure-thing come along, we took the sure thing. I recall hearing -- don't know if it was fact or speculation -- that SDSU didn't recruit Krogman and that offended some (well, at least the guy who told me the story was offended). Other than Gruis, I don't think we recruited any other player on USD's squad. I have no idea whether they recruited any players who decided to become Jackrabbits.

Hilliard had quite a resume from high school days in Wisconsin -- was Mr. Basketball for that state. I thought we'd hear more from him but he doesn't seem to get a great deal of playing time. Of course, Coach Boots has traditionally played about 7 guys -- not knocking it, just making an observation.

I watched USD play a few times last year...haven't watched this year's team but I've tried to read about them. I think they have some talent but have not been playing well. The UMKC win may be the springboard they needed approaching the game at Frost.

My prediction: First 10 minutes: back and forth, entertaining game for objective fans. Second 10 minutes, Jacks start with an unanswered run and hold a constant lead going into the half: 41-30. Second half: all Jackrabbits. Final: 93-76.

[JackJD]

Re: USD Week

I agree with filbert's assessment on relative crowd size. Personally, the NDSU game is a much bigger game and while I think the attendance for USD will be excellent, the NDSU game will draw a few more.