Onward and upward

[rcjacks]

Re: Onward and upward

Ben Beran would have average 20 a game in the NCC - especially the current version of the NCC. The NCC's likely player of the year was a non-factor at Iowa St. This year's SDSU men's team would have won the NCC handily - that's the opinion of many of my friends who played for non-SDSU NCC basketball teams within the past 5-10 years. Guys who have no bias or reason to make those statements.

I would hope so. We are in our last year of D1 transition. We have more scholarships to give out, have a bigger recruiting budget, etc. It would be embarassing if a team in its 5 year of D1 transition wouldn't win a championship in a depleted NCC.

[JackFan96]

Re: Onward and upward

Interesting debate. I think Ben would have had a great year in the NCC. It's hard to compare the NCC now with what it was five years ago, I guess. There's been a dropoff, but I don't know that we'd dominate it now with the team we have. Maybe it's a matter of mental mindset as much talent. We beat Mary from the NSIC eary this year, but it wasn't easy. Few of our early-season wins against lower-division schools have been easy/pretty. So I guess I wonder. But I haven't seen enough of them or us play this year. Again, I have no answers, but I do think this topic makes for interesting fodder.

I would hope so. We are in our last year of D1 transition. We have more scholarships to give out, have a bigger recruiting budget, etc. It would be embarassing if a team in its 5 year of D1 transition wouldn't win a championship in a depleted NCC.

[SUPERBUNNY]

Re: Onward and upward

No debate at all in my mind! This team would have dominated the NCC this year!

There is just such a huge move up in talent between divisions and we obviously have a long way to go. At the D2 level this year's team would have been winning early in the season and gathered confidence as the went on.

I don't know why I'm entering this debate because it is a moot point! We wouldn't have many of the players we have now if we were still in the NCC.

Let's just focus on becoming a good D1 team!

SUPERBUNNY

[JimmyJack]

Re: Onward and upward

I watched the Augie-Northern game yesterday (there was an Internet broadcast that was picked up on Sioux Falls cable, and I was visiting my sister in Sioux Falls.)

Watching that game, a semi-final in the North Central Region, reminded me of the steep jump from D2 to D1 basketball. The players were good, but with the exception of Augie's point guard (an Iowa State transfer) the enormous gap in athletic ability between D2 and D1 was obvious to me. The game was slower. The players weren't nearly as big and strong. You got the idea that every possession wasn't as "precious" as they are in D1 games (lots of questionable 3's heaved up by both teams.)

It's just a different game. Here were two teams in the semi-finals of a D2 regional, and neither team has more than one or two players who could play for us, and we were at the bottom of our league in D1. Augie and Northern are good D2 teams, but they would get blown out of the gym by every Summit League team I saw this year, including ours. There are no Kai Williams-type players there. Beran would have been by far the best big man on the floor. Mike Palarca is about a step-and-a-half quicker than any guard out there. We are 20+ points better than either of those semi-final D2 regional teams on an average night.

[rabbitstail]

Re: Onward and upward

It is interesting on how brainwashed everyone on this board is.....people here really don't have a clue on the state of the program. Everyone is stating on how much better we are now than we were in the NCC (when the NCC was good and basically a mid major conference, not the shambles it is in today). People, this is the same team that beat Dakota Wesleyan by 5 points in the pre-season, yet we are 20 points better than some of the best DIIs in the country. Get a grip on the reality of the program, just because we play in the Summit League does not mean our talent or team is better than it was. I bet if you sat down privatly with Coach Nagy he would tell you the same thing. Of course he is not going to say it publicly. I am really confused on how the program is going to get better when most of its fans truely don't understand how bad the current situation of the program is.

[joeboo22]

Re: Onward and upward

It is interesting on how brainwashed everyone on this board is.....people here really don't have a clue on the state of the program. Everyone is stating on how much better we are now than we were in the NCC (when the NCC was good and basically a mid major conference, not the shambles it is in today). People, this is the same team that beat Dakota Wesleyan by 5 points in the pre-season, yet we are 20 points better than some of the best DIIs in the country. Get a grip on the reality of the program, just because we play in the Summit League does not mean our talent or team is better than it was. I bet if you sat down privatly with Coach Nagy he would tell you the same thing. Of course he is not going to say it publicly. I am really confused on how the program is going to get better when most of its fans truely don't understand how bad the current situation of the program is.

Its also the same team that played neck and neck with Minnesota..... does that mean we would of made it to the Big 10 finals?

[Nidaros]

Re: Onward and upward

It is interesting on how brainwashed everyone on this board is.....people here really don't have a clue on the state of the program. Everyone is stating on how much better we are now than we were in the NCC (when the NCC was good and basically a mid major conference, not the shambles it is in today). People, this is the same team that beat Dakota Wesleyan by 5 points in the pre-season, yet we are 20 points better than some of the best DIIs in the country. Get a grip on the reality of the program, just because we play in the Summit League does not mean our talent or team is better than it was. I bet if you sat down privatly with Coach Nagy he would tell you the same thing. Of course he is not going to say it publicly. I am really confused on how the program is going to get better when most of its fans truely don't understand how bad the current situation of the program is.

This sounds like a good solid argument to go back to D2. I, think with tongue in cheek, SDSU made a big mistake going D1.
Lets go back and join the NISC. Then we will see some great basketball. Might win a few more too.

[MilwaukeeJacksAlum]

Re: Onward and upward

I am really confused on how the program is going to get better when most of its fans truely don't understand how bad the current situation of the program is.

I agree with the first 4 words of your statement and would say that it is maybe you who doesn't understand basketball talent. The players on the current SDSU roster are physically more talented than a great deal of the players SDSU had on their roster when we were winning 25 games in DII. I would welcome you to send Coach Nagy an email and see if he feels any differently. The fact that our talent has increased is not the issue. The talent we have now is much better than when we were DII. Does that meant the talent is good enough to be a successful program at the D1 level? That's an entirely different question and one that has not yet been answered sufficiently in mind.

Ben Beran - NCC freshman of the year in the height of the NCC - struggled to consistently score points this season and stay out of foul trouble in the D1 level. If he was playing in the NCC he would have been first team all conference and would have been in the running for conference player of the year along with averaging over 20 points a game. Big men in D1 are stonger, jump higher, are quicker and simply more athletic than even the best big men in DII. Ben didn't become a poorer basketball player since his freshman year, the competition simply increased.

Our style of play at SDSU under coach Nagy has revolved around post play and we simply don't have the horses to play that style of game. His change in offense shows Coach Nagy probably agrees with my assessment.

[SUPERBUNNY]

Re: Onward and upward

I am really confused on how the program is going to get better when most of its fans truely don't understand how bad the current situation of the program is.

So you stroll in here with your fifth post and start talking about how most of us don't understand how bad the current situation is? Seriously??? Have you not bothered to read a few pages on this thread? Are you a Coyote fan in disguise?

Almost all of us are frustrated but nobody more than the players and coaches. We all want to win! We are used to winning at SDSU.

I don't look at it as how bad the situation is but more how big the challenges are moving up to be a competitive D1 team. Transition sucks and we are now through it and it is time to start improving. That is what most of us are looking for. I think it will happen others disagree. Maybe I've had too much blue Kool Aid but damn it's tasty stuff!

You obviously don't understand or agree with the huge difference in talent between divisions. Can't help you with that. You probably don't know much about where SDSU has been and where it is going. I invite you to do a little reading on the situation, not necessarily here because it is a chat board but get informed and then chime in and give us a valuable opinion.

Off rant!

SUPERBUNNY

[91jack]

Re: Onward and upward

It is interesting on how brainwashed everyone on this board is.....people here really don't have a clue on the state of the program. Everyone is stating on how much better we are now than we were in the NCC (when the NCC was good and basically a mid major conference, not the shambles it is in today). People, this is the same team that beat Dakota Wesleyan by 5 points in the pre-season, yet we are 20 points better than some of the best DIIs in the country. Get a grip on the reality of the program, just because we play in the Summit League does not mean our talent or team is better than it was. I bet if you sat down privatly with Coach Nagy he would tell you the same thing. Of course he is not going to say it publicly. I am really confused on how the program is going to get better when most of its fans truely don't understand how bad the current situation of the program is.

I noticed that this was your 5 post. Have you followed the team the last few years? The "state of the program" is better than it has been since the DII days. It was better in the DII days because they didn't play the competition that they play now.
I don't understand why Nagy didn't have his team play harder against DWU. DWU played a zone the whole game and SDSU didn't run any plays. SDSU played several players to get them some minutes. The bunch players should have played better but they were true freshmen and walk-ons. I think Nagy said that he didn't want to give any plays away in an exhibition game.
SDSU was "better" this year than they were last year. They beat teams or played them tougher than they did last year. SDSU has a young and improving team. I'm sure most fans(especially the ones on this board) know the current situation isn't as good as we want it to be.
Finally, I think the program will get better regardless of what the fans think.

[jackmd]

Re: Onward and upward

Finally, I think the program will get better regardless of what the fans think.

Agree. Important to note that things are bad right now noting that we expected some struggles. I thought we would have a little better team this year than we did. Close losses are not necessarily a sign of progress. Good teams find ways to win close games so I don't buy the argument that being close to winning equates to improvement as it stands alone. That said, there is no reason, need, or logic when trying to compare out DI program to the DII days. We want to succeed at this level regardless of our past accomplishments.

Onward and upward.

[Jacked_Up]

Re: Onward and upward

I am really confused on how the program is going to get better when most of its fans truely don't understand how bad the current situation of the program is.

You can help, tail. Just write out a nice, big check with a lot of numbers on it for the athletic department. Even a small check would help. Or at least talk a little about the potential of the SDSU. Most of us are very aware of the recruiting, staffing and facility shortcomings that SDSU is slowly overcoming. Discussing those problems is fine, but be part of the solution, too, not just a critic with nothing positive to offer.

[rabbit_boy]

Re: Onward and upward

Are our facilities really that lagging? I thought they were pretty good and our fan support (when we have at least a decent team) were strengths. I am obviously biased in also feeling our uni and state (save the weather) are also pluses.

[Jacks15]

Re: Onward and upward

I would say Frost is fine. We are behind in the locker rooms and lounge areas. Just look around on the internet to see what some of the other schools have.

[MontanaRabbit]

Re: Onward and upward

Frost Arena is an awesome facility, but the locker rooms and such are a little lagging. But, for basketball overall we are in good shape facility-wise.

As far as some of the other sports we do have facilities that are lagging. For example, the football field, lockers, and meetings rooms. The good news is they are addressing these shortfalls now. We also have no track for track team.

One area we need to improve on for basketball is the coaching staff. They are currently undermanned which hurts us when compared to almost all D-I teams.