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**jackmd** · 01-14-2004, 09:00 AM

Re: SDSU vs MSU

Here is an article from the Mankato Free Press discussing the early NCC season. I think MSU could finish tied for 2nd with UNO as they can definitely sweep Augie and SCSU and should split with USD and the N.D. schools. It will be tough for USD to recover, especially after losing both games in N.D. this weekend (men and women). FOr MSU, it may come down to their head-to-head games with UNO.

SDSU needs to come out with intensity and take control of this game in the first half. UNO demonstrated what can happen if you let a team hang around (old cliche, sorry).

Conference games will test mettle of MSU basketball squadBy Chad Courrier

Free Press
The Minnesota State men&#8217;s basketball team cruised through the nonconference part of its schedule with 11 wins and two losses. Each loss was easily explainable, and a handful of the quality victories were mixed in with the cupcakes.

The Mavericks have dominated just a few of their games, with a victory margin of less than 12 points. The team is outrebounding opponents by more than seven per game.

But who cares? It means nothing.

Starting tonight against North Dakota, we find out if this Mavericks team is a challenger in the North Central Conference.

The schedule is favorable, with a pair of home games this weekend and two next weekend. The Mavericks are tough at home so far this year, having won all nine games at Bresnan Arena. Since moving to the new court four seasons ago, Minnesota State is 39-12 at home.

North Dakota and North Dakota State are teams the Mavericks need to beat this weekend. Next weekend, South Dakota State will be a tougher test, followed by another winnable game against Augustana.

If the Mavericks win all four, they will be NCC and postseason contenders. Three victories would mean that Minnesota State is probably playing for third place in the conference, which isn&#8217;t a bad thing considering how talented the South Dakota State and South Dakota teams are this season.

Go 2-2, and it probably means status quo, an average team that will be hard to predict the rest of the season and likely an afterthought in the conference tournament.

If the Mavericks win just one of the four, people will lose interest and start directing their attention and disposable income elsewhere. Go winless and you might as well pack the basketballs away until next October.

The Mavericks have their best team in recent years, with nine players who could each lead the team in scoring, rebounding or assists in any game.

Depth is certainly a factor in the NCC, playing twice each weekend, and the Mavericks lost some of that when point guard Zach Kiekow quit the team, putting true freshman Tony Thomason in a position where he might lead the team in minutes played.

There is also considerable talent here, which combined with depth is a pretty good recipe.

For two seasons, the Mavericks have not had enough talent or depth to compete in the NCC, going 11-23 in those ballgames. But this season, there is no reason that the Mavericks shouldn&#8217;t be expected to finish in the top half of the eight-team league and play a home game in the opening round of the conference tournament.

If the Mavericks can win nine league games, that would be 20 victories, probably enough to earn a berth in the national tournament. If the Mavericks go 7-7 in the conference, it will be an improvement, but still disappointing.

It&#8217;s time to raise the expectation levels at Minnesota State. This team seems capable of handling that.

Chad Courrier is a Free Press staff writer. To contact him, call 344-6353 or e-mail him at ccourrier@mankato-freepress.com.

**JACKGUY** · 01-14-2004, 12:12 PM

Re: SDSU vs MSU

I too hope jack fans make the Minnesota trip in masses as it will be the last opportunity for such a trip.

**Guest** · 01-15-2004, 05:03 PM

Re: SDSU vs MSU

I just heard that Ziemke, 6'6 redshirted senior, is out for the rest of the season with a hip injury suffered against NDSU last weekend. I had hoped the Mavs could give the Jacks a good game at Mankato; now I doubt it will be much of a contest since we have now lost two starters in the last three weeks.

**JACKGUY** · 01-16-2004, 07:25 AM

Re: SDSU vs MSU

I'm sure Marganthaler will have his team ready to play regardless of who is on the court. We expect a tough game on the road.

**SoDak** · 01-16-2004, 10:35 PM

Re: SDSU vs MSU

Whew, what happened? I was just checking the score online and was shocked to see we got it handed to us. Meanwhile, the ND schools both come down south and win.

**Alumguy** · 01-17-2004, 06:02 AM

Re: SDSU vs MSU

What happened? Well, in the first half, the ball literally didn't bounce our way. There is no way a team like MSU should be able to out rebound SDSU. Then, with the second chances MSU "rained in" ten 3's. SDSU gave it a good run at the beginning of the second half but that soon passed.

Give Matt Marganthaler credit. He had his team up and ready to play.

Oh how we miss Matt Jones.

**SDSUFAN** · 01-17-2004, 07:26 AM

Re: SDSU vs MSU

I have to agree MSU was ready, we were not. Winners and losers often appropriately hang their hat on that comment.

As far as Matt Jones, I have heard so many rumors about him and I am beginning to wonder if he will ever play for the Jacks again. Some of these stories are wild and some may not be. Who knows?

I think some of our bench is not providing the help that we need, mainly Cerveny. His inside size is valuable, but he can not keep up and appears to be out of shape, plus he has caused a number of turnovers by not being able to hang on to passes, and he never is in that position for the inside bucket that he was his first two years at SDSU. Medical redshirts do not always work for the best of the team, and here is one case that it may not. Also Calvin Mehlany is also occupying space. Neither of these two are pulling their weight. Tell me I am being too critical, and I will tell you that you looking through rosey colored glasses.

Coach Nagy said he was very concerned and he has a right reason to be. Our defense and rebounding is no where to be found and how we beat USD is beyond me or maybe happened because USD is worse than we are.

I am not making any reservations for Bakersfield until I see things turnaround. We may not be that good of a team that is worthy of being in the Elite Eight.

Our three true freshman are carrying a load that they should not be but they still are learning, and I guess need not forget that.
Lets hope we can regroup tonight.

On top of my inability to get through my local server to the internet and a 20 point loss, I just am not in a good mood this morning.

**Texas_Jacks_Fan** · 01-17-2004, 07:52 AM

Re: SDSU vs MSU

Yes, my concern has turned to panic. "Ready to play" or not you shouldnt get blown out at Minnesota St. After the Mich Tech road win I thought it would be clear sailing, obviously this isnt the case. Team chemistry? I'm left shaking my head.I do know that another loss tonight and we can all cancel any Bakersfield reservations.

**CatchEmAll_Guy** · 01-17-2004, 07:59 AM

Re: SDSU vs MSU

I was at the game and I can tell you what happened. Jamel Staten was unconscious in the first half. Granted the defense on him wasn't very good, but he couldn't miss. He was so hot that late in the first half someone grabbed his wrist on his way up for a three and he still made the shot plus the free throw. And we got out hustled on the boards bad in the early going. It seemed like MSU scored every time down because they had so many offensive rebounds.

There was some very uninspired play on the part of the Jacks. I hate being critical of young men, but Cerveny looked about as bad as I've seen (many balls slipped through his hands) and Melaney was just going through the motions until he was benched for good.

Who knows how the team will rebound. My bet is that a Scott Nagy coached team takes this as a lesson and comes back just fine.

On a side note, I've heard from a pretty reliable source that Jones is getting new treatment and could be back in two weeks and be healthy, or if the treatment isn't for the correct illness he could be done. Not real positive, but 50-50 is better than no chance at all.

**89rabbit** · 01-17-2004, 08:12 AM

Re: SDSU vs MSU

I listened to the game last night. First things first. We played like dung last night. No two ways around it. We played bad basketball. That being said this is still a good team. We are 17-2. The one thing the boys need to remember is that, though we are 17-2 the other team doesn't care. If we come out and don't play hard we are going to lose. It is dissapointing, to say the least, to see a team with so much talent underachieve and if they don't play harder we will see it again.

Last night by the way MSU-M hit 11-19 three pointers in the first half they finished the game 14-16. We were done by half time. We did make that run, but it was already too late. Their was a point in the first half that I was screaming at my computer for Nagy to take a time out, but it did not come until the Mavs had gone on an 11-0 run. Bottom line, the team was off last night and so was Coach Nagy, we didn't adjust at all.

Can we bounce back and win the NCC, and National Championship? Sure. Can we stagger to a first round play-off loss? Sure. It is up to the team. If they play like they did last night we could miss the play-off and wouldn't that be a shame.

That bieng said I have too much faith in Coach Nagy and the team to believe that they won't wake up and start playing Jackrabbit basketball again.

Finally, they said last night on the Radio that the doctors that have been treating Matt Jones have figured out what is wrong with him (they didn't share what it was on the radio) and they hope to have him back in about a month.

Don't give up hope my fellow Rabbits. We will pull out of this nose dive.

Go State!

**SDSUFAN** · 01-17-2004, 09:16 AM

Re: SDSU vs MSU

I am getting tired about hearing about unconsious perimeter shooters. It was Ty Grahman in UNO game and now this Statem guy. �Something tells me that they are given every opportunity to be unconsious, when our defense is crappy, who cant be unconsicous. Its not a fluke its poor defense :-[

Anyone care to name the unconsious shooter at SCSU.

Nagy knows where is problem is and if things do not turn around tonight, then we are in big trouble. �I dont want to hear about so and so from St CLoud being unconsious with their shooting skills. �The way most NCC players practice, they should be able to knock down 30 pt if no one is defending them. �

Some of you guys last fall got on Stig case for his post game comments, but the one that Coach Naget made last night �troubles mea great deal. Coach said something to the effect that "WE did not think MSU-M would shoot that many threes" �HUHHHHH????

**Alumguy** · 01-17-2004, 09:41 AM

Re: SDSU vs MSU

Let me do something I hate doing. That being, criticizing a student-athlete. The person I'm referring to is Cervany. It is appalling to me that he did not respect the scholarship he has received from SDSU. This university has "stuck" with him through all of his injuries. We made a commitment to him. Yet, he shows up for school in August looking like a big tub of lard. And, he's done very little to trim his weight. That extra weight has cost him mobility and has cost us a good post player. He is no longer a good, or even average, post player.

Cervany let his team down. Cervany let SDSU down. In the end, Cervany let himself down.

**SDSUFAN** · 01-17-2004, 10:06 AM

Re: SDSU vs MSU

Alumguy:
I guess the spanking we got last night is hard on all of us who have had high hopes for the season. I would agree with Cervany and I wonder if Coach will not take some action here soon. I respect Coach Nagy very much and he has helped win some games that we should have lost. I guess my previous post may seem critical to some, but its the sting of defeat that has taken over.

It is good news that Matt may possibly be back and playing. A good athlete.

As far as student athletes, they know what is expected of them during the season and off season, so when they dont live up to expectations, I think the coaching staff should take corrective action.

I dont know Josh personally so I dont know what if anything would put him back on track. The biggest loser in this situation is Josh himself.

**89rabbit** · 01-17-2004, 10:52 AM

Re: SDSU vs MSU

Originally posted by SDSUFAN

I am getting tired about hearing about unconsious perimeter shooters. It was Ty Grahman in UNO game and now this Statem guy. �Something tells me that they are given every opportunity to be unconsious, when our defense is crappy, who cant be unconsicous. Its not a fluke its poor defense :-[

Anyone care to name the unconsious shooter at SCSU.

Nagy knows where is problem is and if things do not turn around tonight, then we are in big trouble. �I dont want to hear about so and so from St CLoud being unconsious with their shooting skills. �The way most NCC players practice, they should be able to knock down 30 pt if no one is defending them. �

Some of you guys last fall got on Stig case for his post game comments, but the one that Coach Naget made last night �troubles mea great deal. Coach said something to the effect that "WE did not think MSU-M would shoot that many threes" �HUHHHHH????

I too am tired of hearing how these guys are having the games of their lives. �I agree that we need to do a better job of defending the 3 point line (especially if they are killing us from there).

SDSUFAN, I was one of those guys last fall all over Coach Stig's post game comments, and I was a little troubled by Coach Nagy's comment that you mentioned. �However the difference was that the Jackrabbits are still very much alive in the NCC and NCAA race, Coach Nagy was not happy (no "the game sure was fun" or something to that effect after the Bison shut us out in Fargo like Stig said), and I think Coach Nagy was trying not to say something that he would regret later. �

I will also cut Coach Nagy some slack because he is a winner. �He has won NCC championships, he has taken us to the NCAA play-offs (with regularity), he has taken us to the Elite Eight. �Again I remind everyone that we are 17-2, true we have lost two in a row and looked really bad doing it, but we are still 17-2. �Lets see how the team looks tonight before we all panic. �We are still South Dakota State University, basketball is OUR game!

Go State!

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