VMI

[Jacks02]

Re: VMI

I listened to the postgame comments by Frias too and was pretty impressed with the kid as well. Sounded like he had a good head on his shoulders, was very positive and sounds like he can be someone to provide some needed leadership this season. Hopefully this was a breakout game for him and he can contribute like this the rest of the season.

[rcjacks]

Re: VMI

I will say this about Garrett, after watching 5 practices in which he participated I can truly say this kid is a play maker and a difference maker.  He is quite possibly better than Hansen, Sempsrott, and Norberg.  3 of the best Points I've seen play here.  

He better be because the Mid-Con is a lot tougher conference than the NCC - even the NCC's hay day!

[jackmd]

Re: VMI

He better be because the Mid-Con is a lot tougher conference than the NCC - even the NCC's hay day!

Correct, the Mid-Con may be a lower division I conference but it is DI. The top of the Mid-Con would always be better than the top of the NCC.

Is 33 turnovers a record? I can't imagine playing on a team that turned the ball over 33 times in one game. That should be more like the season total thus far.

[Haldersham]

Re: VMI

Turnover record? I have no idea, but yesterday we had more than we should have for this opponent. I think playing three days in a row for younger kids this might have been a bit of a fatigue factor, plus from what I heard of the broadcast VMI was using a pressure defense that forced many of the turnovers. A more experience team would have beat this pressure. Coach Nagy alluded to that in the pregame interview. I think we are about where we can expect to be with this youthful of a team.  Add to that the inability to defend the primeter again the 3 pt shot and we have a third loss in a row.

I think its way to early to compare Callahan a true freshman to our recollections of say Jason Sempsrott in his senior year. I think Garrett will be a very good player and somewhere down the road he will make a difference. He probably is not going to be an instant explosion or impact on the team, but I would love to be proven wrong.

[Grizzled_Jack]

Re: VMI

Since I seem to be second to only Haldersham in the age department (and apparently like to live in the past). I keep remembering the days before freshman eligibility. There were some pretty good Bunny recruiting classes in the sixties but I doubt if they could have ever stood up to any of the varsity players from any of the NCC teams. Mid-sixties players like Tom Timpone were certainly very different in 1963 then they were in 1967. Unless SDSU keeps their talent in harness for the full run, this is going to be an ongoing frustration. How many other transitional programs have had this kind of difficulty?

[MilwaukeeJacksAlum]

Re: VMI

Unless SDSU keeps their talent in harness for the full run, this is going to be an ongoing frustration.  How many other transitional programs have had this kind of difficulty?

That's my biggest concern. At some point the dam has to be repaired. I don't blame Coach Nagy because it's hard to say that he can control kids from what happened with the criminal matter last year (those are 2 huge losses for this year's team - size, speed and experience) and a kid who had a questionable attitude bolting for a perenial power of Illinois. If those 3 kids are on the roster, this year's team is entirely different. No matter what, we are having a run of extremely bad luck and timing on the hoop's end.

[Haldersham]

Re: VMI

Since I seem to be second to only Haldersham in the age department (and apparently like to live in the past).  I keep remembering the days before freshman eligibility.  There were some pretty good Bunny recruiting classes in the sixties but I doubt if they could have ever stood up to any of the varsity players from any of the NCC teams.  Mid-sixties players like Tom Timpone were certainly very different in 1963 then they were in 1967.  Unless SDSU keeps their talent in harness for the full run, this is going to be an ongoing frustration.  How many other transitional programs have had this kind of difficulty?

Yep I remember Tim Timpone, seemed like a nice kid who is now probably very middle aged guy. The SDSU alum Jim Ryan from Platte was coaching in Chicago and that's how we got him. Ryan was a distinguished alum this year. I think the three year eligibilty was a good thing, and the freshman got a chance to fully acclaimate and you are right few of them would have been able to handle the NCC as true freshman. The redshirt year is suppose to do the same thing, but it does not work in all cases. Even after the redshirt year some are still struggling. I dont know what the reason is except that some kids mature and catch on quicker than others.

[Grizzled_Jack]

Re: VMI

If you Google "Tom Timpone" and click on images you'll get several pictures of him at his fortieth class reunion in 2003. He aged a lot better than I did.

Timpone started life at SDSU being very Chicago/Italian surrounded by a bunch of South Dakota farm boys. I remember him wandering the pre-63 Hobo Day festivities saying things like "Hey man, where are all the chicks?" By 1966 he was all NCC. But you wouldn't have won many games with five of him out there in 63-64.

[1bunnies]

Re: VMI

I used to keep stats listening to Norm Hilson do the play by play when Timpone and Schoolmeester played. They were soon followed by the Thomas boys, Mackner, Zulk, and Duarte. Raul's daughter played for Minnesota State-Mankato a couple years ago.

[Grizzled_Jack]

Re: VMI

Funny you bring up Duarte. He came along a year or two after I graduated. I was in graduate school at OU and drove up to Stillwater for an OSU/SDSU game. Hank Iba was still coaching so OSU had a successful if retro look about it. Gallagher was a real small venue at that time, but unlike OU's games--- John McLeod and NO ONE in the stands---, there was real interest in basketball. OSU fans were really impressed with Duarte, at least in that game, which I believe was quite close maybe single digits.

It so happens that was the last SDSU game I ever saw live. Not a program that gets a lot of play in St. Louis. Division I and the Internet brought my interest back. I'll try to get to a road game this year if possible.

Oh well, enough of this reminiscing except to say that it seems they were better able to hang on to people and that they were probably a little less challenged academically in those days.

[Jacks02]

Re: VMI

VMI beat NAIA school VA Intermont 156-95 tonight. Man they must really like to run!