Next year.

[NebraskaJack]

Re: Next year.

Chad does a lot of things very, very well. He averaged 1 less rebound per game and 1 less point per game than Griff, had 9 more assists, and 6 more blocks despite playing 4 less minutes a game. He did have 2 more turnovers than Griff, but I would expect a senior to play better than a sophomore. On top of all that, Chad shot over 47% from 3. Long story short, Chad would get minutes if he shot 35% from 3.

The exciting thing to me is that Chad does so much AND has obvious room for improvement (he has 2 more years). Say what you want about Griff (and I would probably agree), but he had reached his full potential. 10 points, 5 rebounds, and stellar defense is everything you could get from him.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if Chad were an all conference selection next year.

I think Griff did so much more than what showed up in the box score. A couple of things that really stood out for me was....

a) The hard foul on the ORU player who tried to dunk at the end of the game. He easily could have let it happen because the play meant nothing to the outcome....but he didn't because it meant something to him. What was Brayden Carlson's tweet, something along the lines of "my hero". That kind of stuff rubs off on people.
b) Blocking the shot of 6'11" post from Baylor.....could have been anyone......but it wasn't, it was Griff because honestly he just didn't quit that easy.


I really enjoyed the Grantland piece that retold the story of the Summit league championship. Notice who was the one who challenged everyone at halftime. That isn't because he was the lone senior, it's because it was his personality and he is a leader. Couldn't help but notice the part of the article where it talked about how Nate just sat there staring ahead not saying a word. Not everyone is cut out to be the vocal and emotional leader, Griff was...I just hope we have someone who is ready to take that place.

[Southeast]

Re: Next year.

6'10 with a 7' wingspan - I think we can work with that! It will be great to have a shot blocker making life miserable for other Summit teams.

Others have mentioned Chad White. I just watched this week's Jackrabbit Insider (great episode - by the way) and the highlights they showed reminded me of how many big shots he hit during that Baylor game. With two more years to play and 6'6 size, he is going to leave his mark on this program by the time he is done.

[NebraskaJack]

Re: Next year.

Don't we get to have 12 kids on scholarship? Wouldn't Bittle put us at 12?

1) Wolters
2) Fiegen
3) Carlson
4) White
5) Dykstra
6) Heemstra
7) Prince
8) Horstman
9) Monaghan
10) Francis
11) Devine
12) Bittle

Also, what freshman redshirted this season?

Thanks for any answers anyone can give!!

[SDSUAlum08]

Re: Next year.

Don't we get to have 12 kids on scholarship? Wouldn't Bittle put us at 12?1) Wolters2) Fiegen3) Carlson4) White5) Dykstra6) Heemstra7) Prince8) Horstman9) Monaghan10) Francis11) Devine12) BittleAlso, what freshman redshirted this season?Thanks for any answers anyone can give!!

I believe they get 13 scholarships.Those red shirting were Francis and all the walkons.

[SF_Rabbit_Fan]

Re: Next year.

I think Griff did so much more than what showed up in the box score. A couple of things that really stood out for me was....

a) The hard foul on the ORU player who tried to dunk at the end of the game. He easily could have let it happen because the play meant nothing to the outcome....but he didn't because it meant something to him. What was Brayden Carlson's tweet, something along the lines of "my hero". That kind of stuff rubs off on people.
b) Blocking the shot of 6'11" post from Baylor.....could have been anyone......but it wasn't, it was Griff because honestly he just didn't quit that easy.


I really enjoyed the Grantland piece that retold the story of the Summit league championship. Notice who was the one who challenged everyone at halftime. That isn't because he was the lone senior, it's because it was his personality and he is a leader. Couldn't help but notice the part of the article where it talked about how Nate just sat there staring ahead not saying a word. Not everyone is cut out to be the vocal and emotional leader, Griff was...I just hope we have someone who is ready to take that place.

I agree with everything you wrote.

You could compare anyone on the team to Griff by those standards, and no one currently on the team would be worthy of filling his role.

That doesn't mean White isn't a perfectly capable player.

Earlier this season multiple people were saying Brayden wasn't a DI player. Now people are saying all Chad does is shoot 3's. Neither of those statements is true.

That's all I'm saying.

[filbert]

Re: Next year.

One thing about being a senior is that you as a player face the realization that This Is It--this is your last go-round in the college game.

This tends to make you get a bit more serious about things than you were before.

Wolters and Fiegen will be the seniors next year. They'll have to step up. (The concept of Wolters "stepping up" his game from where it is right now is . . . intriguing, isn't it?)

And then the next year, 2013-14, it will be the turn of Carlson, White, Heemstra, and Djkstra to step up to the demands and expectations of assuming the senior leadership role. That looks a bit like "reloading, not re-building" from this far out, but we'll just have to see.

It's been so long since SDSU has had a regular, annual procession of true, "normal" senior classes that maybe it still seems a bit more traumatic to us when our seniors depart than it would if things had been different since the beginning of the D-I move. You could say that 2013-14 will (knock on wood) be the first real, "normal" SDSU senior class we have seen since the D-II days.

[jack power]

Re: Next year.

One thing about being a senior is that you as a player face the realization that This Is It--this is your last go-round in the college game.

This tends to make you get a bit more serious about things than you were before.

Wolters and Fiegen will be the seniors next year. They'll have to step up. (The concept of Wolters "stepping up" his game from where it is right now is . . . intriguing, isn't it?)

And then the next year, 2013-14, it will be the turn of Carlson, White, Heemstra, and Djkstra to step up to the demands and expectations of assuming the senior leadership role. That looks a bit like "reloading, not re-building" from this far out, but we'll just have to see.

It's been so long since SDSU has had a regular, annual procession of true, "normal" senior classes that maybe it still seems a bit more traumatic to us when our seniors depart than it would if things had been different since the beginning of the D-I move. You could say that 2013-14 will (knock on wood) be the first real, "normal" SDSU senior class we have seen since the D-II days.

I hope you're right. The new "normal" in college basketball is that players tend to transfer more and more.

[jack power]

Re: Next year.

When does the non-conference schedule come out? I assume that probably won't happen for a while, but I'm looking forward to seeing it.

I agree about the freshman-to-sophomore improvement. We've seen a lot of that over the past few years. One guy not on your list of examples is Carlson. He progressed from a handful of minutes to a quality starter who could handle tough defensive assignments and hit big shots. There's a good chance that we'll see similar progress from at least one of the 3 freshman from this year's team. Hopefully they work hard this off-season.

The non-conference schedule can start getting pieced together mid summer or so. Last year the official schedule didn't come out until the first of September.

[joeboo22]

Re: Next year.

The non-conference schedule can start getting pieced together mid summer or so. Last year the official schedule didn't come out until the first of September.

Yeah, I'm sure most of the games are already known, but a few remain and the dates are yet to be determined.

My guess, the Jacks play Minnesota again, they probably play Buffalo (I believe they have option to play it following year), they have a 3 game tournament in New York, so prolly expect the Buffalo game to be parlayed with that game, and probably another game in the region. Expect 2-3 more BCS games, my guess Kansas, Mizzu and Oregon St. I doubt we'll play Washington again, and Nagy seemed not to like playing Nebraska.

Wouldn't be surprised if SDSU went out and tried to buy a home game with a MVC team, in hopes of getting it ESPN in the house. There is a bracketbuster away game. I think the league cut the non-DI schedule from 2 to 1. So probably add a NSIC team to the schedule.

Just my theories on the schedule.

[Theee Catrabbit]

Re: Next year.

It sounds like there is a chance that Ceola Clark might get a 6th season. REALLY don't want to see him back, hopefully he feels it is time to move on.

I believe there was chat where TV said he if Ceola wants it he can have his 6th season. There is no reason for them to deny it.

[Jacked_Up]

Re: Next year.

I suspect that Tony Fiegen will step up and become a vocal leader next year. Coach Nagy has a track record of giving seniors a lot of responsibility and also a lot of credit (love?). Nate Wolters can lead by example. That's a pretty good pair of potential captains.

[YanktonRabbit]

Re: Next year.

Has anyone heard Coach Nagy comment on Samuel Francis and how he has looked this year in practice? In some on the videos last year, I that he looked more athletic than Prince did.

[joeboo22]

Re: Next year.

Has anyone heard Coach Nagy comment on Samuel Francis and how he has looked this year in practice? In some on the videos last year, I that he looked more athletic than Prince did.

The only thing I heard him say was right after he signed, said he was more athletic, but less finished then Prince. I think he was hurt early on, but other then that I don't know much.

[goon]

Re: Next year.

The only thing I heard him say was right after he signed, said he was more athletic, but less finished then Prince. I think he was hurt early on, but other then that I don't know much.

He might need a little bit more time to develop but really if he has a good grasp of how european style of basketball which I honestly think should translate well to SDSU. a lot of guard work, passing and player movement. Seems like tremendous upside. I thought just from video which is hard to tell but I felt he looked better then Prince.

[RabbitNation]

Re: Next year.

This was a while back during the football season, someone in the know, made a comment that Prince was way better and that this person was not sure if Francis was athletic enough to cut it.