Midnight Madness

[bub94]

Re: Midnight Madness

[quote author=Cadsev link=1131660049/135#148 date=1159929243]Prop 48.....all DI athletes have 5 years to complete 4 years of eligibility so he basically loses a red shirt year. He also can't practice with the squad or individual workouts but can play in "open gyms".

[thebluehatman]

Re: Midnight Madness

It was entertaining to see the students get into it. Students seemed to be in midseason form. I was busy all night so I didn't get to completely enjoy much of it. But it was awesome basketball season is oh so close... I'm ready baby. The girls look good the guys look good. The dunk contest well who would thought Bassett would win it. 17 days until the opener.

[Jacked_Up]

Re: Midnight Madness

Some personal observations about the Madness, based on a 10-minute scrimmage and some loosey-goosey shooting around, to help prime the discussion:
* The 2006-2007 Rabbits are young, athletic and guard-heavy.
* Mark Engen and Robert Blitz will do fine at the post. They have nice touch, if not raw bulk.
* Garrett Callahan looks like a really good outside shooter, a future stud, similar to Cadwell.
* Casey, Frias and Kleinjan are scrappy and improved.
* Didn't notice if Blake Yackley participated. Was he there?
* Kai Williams was the advance pick to win the dunk contest, and it's not hard to see why. He's smooth. But Thomas Bassett won, kind of by default because he missed the fewest clutch dunks. The other three dunk participants were the two big guys and 6-0 Cam Hornby, who showed during layup practice that he can slam with authority too. All of the dunk contestants seemed a bit nervous and unsure of how to procede. They got some bad bounces and doinked several shots off the rim.
I don't know what the starting lineup will be come Oct. 31, but here's a guess: Engen, Brandon, Williams, Cadwell and Frias, with Loney coming off the bench frequently and Casey playing a bigger role than ever.
(Pretty nice crowd at Madness, by the way. The lower level was largely filled on two sides. Don't know how that compares with last year.)

[jackmd]

Re: Midnight Madness

Couldn't make it up to Brookings, sick kids. Cordova is not academically eligible this year. Glad to hear there was a decent crowd. Looking forward to the start of the season.

Don't see Frias as a starter, even if he is markedly improved. Loney needs to be on the court for his leadership alone. It will be interesting to see what Nagy settles on come November, when the real games start.

[thebluehatman]

Re: Midnight Madness

Blake was there. Not sure why he didn't participate...He said he wished he could participate before the event started.

[thebluehatman]

Midnight Madness Minus Two Presented by Aramark

The guys have a lot of newcomers and will have a decent amount but still a lack of experience. The team is really in my opinion set up good for two years down the road and possible runs at the NCAA tourney. A lot is not "decided" on this team besides Caddy starting. Nagy made the quote last night that last night was their night but today is his day. Should be fun to watch these guys mature throughout the year. No idea on who will be redshirted this year yet.

[jackmd]

Re: Midnight Madness

Nagy said 3 true freshman would play a regular role this year. I am guessing those 3 are Bassett, Williams and Callahan. Cordova is an academic casualty and I assume will use a RS. I would expect the senoirs in the backcourt to be nothing more than role players while Nagy grooms the younger guys under Cadwell's leadership. The frontcourt is an uncertainty at best with Bassett vertically challenged and Engen and Bilitz horizontally challenged. Bassett is a stud athlete and I think he can be a force inside against some teams. Loney will be solid as always. Hornby, Yackley, etc.. will have to fill the voids.

[filbert]

Re: Midnight Madness

Nagy said 3 true freshman would play a regular role this year. I am guessing those 3 are Bassett, Williams and Callahan. Cordova is an academic casualty and I assume will use a RS. I would expect the senoirs in the backcourt to be nothing more than role players while Nagy grooms the younger guys under Cadwell's leadership. The frontcourt is an uncertainty at best with Bassett vertically challenged and Engen and Bilitz horizontally challenged. Bassett is a stud athlete and I think he can be a force inside against some teams. Loney will be solid as always. Hornby, Yackley, etc.. will have to fill the voids.

Yup . . . the good news is that our young guys will get a lot of experience. The bad news is that our young guys will get a lot of experience.

It seems to me that Loney and Cadwell will be the heart and soul of our team this year. I'd put that in the "good news" category--Loney just seems to be a rock-solid player night in and night out, and Cadwell brings athletic ability and fire/emotion to spark the team.

Frias and Kleinjan will be critical too, possibly moreso off-the-court than on. Their voice of experience as seniors will be important in shaping the future of this young team. They might wind up being "role players" on the court but I hope they'll be true senior leaders off the court.

I'm really looking forward to watching this group of players come together over the next couple of years. When they figure out how to play as a team, they're going to give opponents some problems down the road.

One thing I think we all need to keep reminding ourselves is that this team has nine freshmen (RS and true) on a 16-man roster. Those guys will need to learn how to play the D-I game, and it might take a while. But learning is what college is for, right?

2006-07 feels to me like the true beginning of the D-I era for SDSU basketball. The past is past, the future is now. We've got a conference. We've got a bunch of promising young players. We'll be playing for the Big Dance starting in 2008-09, when most of this year's freshmen will be juniors. (2009-10 will re-define 'senior-laden,' won't it?) Mid-Con Conference Champions! Visualize it!

Let's Go Rabbits!!!

[SDSUJack3031]

Re: Midnight Madness

It's obvious that Kai was the most athletic. He was the one who got the windmill dunk down but he made it look so natural that it didn't really seem that great. But Im looking forward to seeing all these guys grow up and play together over the next few years.

But Blake Yackley rolled his ankle pretty seriously a couple weeks ago and was in a walking cast. Talked to him last night and he said he'll be back in about a week or so. I could imagine that that's pretty tough because he's now eligible and trying to find his role and playing time on the team. But other than the ankle it's nothing serious.

[bub94]

Re: Midnight Madness

I noticed he was limping at the Madness. Didn't know if it was a knee or ankle so I said nothing. Hope the jumpers work better during the year than they did at Madness.

[1bunnies]

Re: Midnight Madness

I think the future looks real bright. I know we are young, but I believe if this group can avoid the injury bug and off the court issues, we will be above the 500 mark. I will go out on a limb and say that this will happen.

[RodentiaX1]

Re: Midnight Madness

How was attendance at the volleyball game? Sounds like a great idea, making a doubleheader out of it.

[1bunnies]

Re: Midnight Madness

The attendence at the volleyball was around 650. I'm hoping that Tuesday and Friday of this week that they can hit a 1000.

[Jacked_Up]

Re: Midnight Madness

I'm guessing that Mario Brandon, the 6-6 junior transfer, or Loney will start ahead of Bassett and alongside Kai Williams. Take away the two 6-10 guys and this is a short team. Loney and Bassett are the only guys with much heft, and Loney is the heaviest at 225. The roster lists 15 guys (Cordova is not on it) and eight of them are guards.

[89rabbit]

Re: Midnight Madness

Here is a story from the Collegian:

http://www.sdsucollegian.com/media/s...ucollegian.com

Basketball back with a Slam
With contests and prizes, the 2006-2007 basketball season began with a party.

Brian Kimmes

Thunderous dunks and long-distance bombs were just two of the highlights of the beginning of the Jackrabbit basketball season and Midnight Minus Two.

At 10 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 13, the basketball season officially began for Jackrabbit players and fans. As a crowd of approximately 1,500 chanted, "We want the Jacks," the men's and women's basketball teams ran onto the Frost Arena floor.

Midnight Minus Two provides basketball fans with a first look at the teams and a chance to have some fun. . . . (read more)


Go State!