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College women's basketball: Jackrabbits not road kill
Michael Rand, Star Tribune
January 12, 2005 HOOP0112
They are called guarantee games, and usually they guarantee two things: a comfortable victory for the home team and a nice check for an overmatched visitor. In its first season at the Division I level, South Dakota State has traveled to play in several such arrangements. What opponents have found, though, is that the Jackrabbits offer no guarantees.
They are 3-4 against major-conference opponents, and three of the losses were by seven points or fewer (including a 57-50 loss at No. 20 Purdue in which the score was tied with less than six minutes left). The victories came over Alabama, Oklahoma State and Kentucky, and all seven games were on the road or at a neutral site.
"We got paid decent chunks of money to beat some teams," SDSU coach Aaron Johnston said. "They might have gotten a little more from us than they wanted."
The most recent victory, 86-83 at Alabama last Wednesday, improved SDSU to 12-4 overall, 6-4 against Division I teams and 2-0 against the Southeastern Conference, considered one of the best in Division I women's basketball. Senior forward Shannon Schlagel, who is on pace to break the school's scoring record, leads the way with 16.2 points per game.
It's been an almost stunningly smooth entrance into the world of the highest level of college hoops for the Jackrabbits, who were among the premier Division II teams in the country before making the leap.
Johnston put together a daunting schedule that included a spot in the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands over Thanksgiving, where the Jackrabbits defeated Kentucky. The victory over the Wildcats made the SDSU players believe in themselves, Johnston said, and they have been turning heads ever since.
"I really felt coming into the year that this was the best team we ever had," Johnston said. "That being said ... we're very ecstatic about how the season has gone."
The Jackrabbits have 15 of their 28 games against Division I teams this season, including their next two at Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Wisconsin-Green Bay. SDSU will not be eligible for the NCAA tournament until 2008-09. But Johnston said the squad will be eligible for the WNIT next season, when all but a couple games will be against Division I opponents.
What a run
On the strength of three consecutive victories over top 10 teams, Rutgers has moved from No. 24 to No. 4 in the Associated Press poll in the past two weeks, the largest two-week jump in the poll's 29-year history.
The victories over Texas, Tennessee and then-No. 1 LSU coincided with the return of star senior guard Cappie Pondexter, who missed all eight games of Rutgers' 6-2 start for unspecified personal reasons. Opponents beware: Pondexter, who has been coming off the bench, is not even back at full strength.
"I expect it to be another couple of weeks," Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer said. "The team is very happy, and I'm always happy to have Cappie. She's a phenomenal player."
One-and-one
• The good news for Duke is that it was ranked No. 1 in the AP poll this week, the third consecutive season it has achieved the ranking. The bad news is coach Gail Goestenkors announced Tuesday that standout junior point guard Lindsey Harding, who has been suspended since Nov. 1 for violating team rules, will not play this season. The Blue Devils have just eight scholarship players on their active roster.
• Need a break from football? Try the Big East/Big Ten Challenge doubleheader on ESPN2 Sunday: No. 4 Rutgers at No. 5 Ohio State at 2 p.m., followed by No. 20 Purdue at No. 7 Notre Dame at 4 p.m. (Make it a triple-header of women's hoops if you throw in the No. 11 Gophers at No. 9 Michigan State at noon on FSN).
Michael Rand is at mrand@startribune.com.
Michael Rand, Star Tribune
January 12, 2005 HOOP0112
They are called guarantee games, and usually they guarantee two things: a comfortable victory for the home team and a nice check for an overmatched visitor. In its first season at the Division I level, South Dakota State has traveled to play in several such arrangements. What opponents have found, though, is that the Jackrabbits offer no guarantees.
They are 3-4 against major-conference opponents, and three of the losses were by seven points or fewer (including a 57-50 loss at No. 20 Purdue in which the score was tied with less than six minutes left). The victories came over Alabama, Oklahoma State and Kentucky, and all seven games were on the road or at a neutral site.
"We got paid decent chunks of money to beat some teams," SDSU coach Aaron Johnston said. "They might have gotten a little more from us than they wanted."
The most recent victory, 86-83 at Alabama last Wednesday, improved SDSU to 12-4 overall, 6-4 against Division I teams and 2-0 against the Southeastern Conference, considered one of the best in Division I women's basketball. Senior forward Shannon Schlagel, who is on pace to break the school's scoring record, leads the way with 16.2 points per game.
It's been an almost stunningly smooth entrance into the world of the highest level of college hoops for the Jackrabbits, who were among the premier Division II teams in the country before making the leap.
Johnston put together a daunting schedule that included a spot in the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands over Thanksgiving, where the Jackrabbits defeated Kentucky. The victory over the Wildcats made the SDSU players believe in themselves, Johnston said, and they have been turning heads ever since.
"I really felt coming into the year that this was the best team we ever had," Johnston said. "That being said ... we're very ecstatic about how the season has gone."
The Jackrabbits have 15 of their 28 games against Division I teams this season, including their next two at Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Wisconsin-Green Bay. SDSU will not be eligible for the NCAA tournament until 2008-09. But Johnston said the squad will be eligible for the WNIT next season, when all but a couple games will be against Division I opponents.
What a run
On the strength of three consecutive victories over top 10 teams, Rutgers has moved from No. 24 to No. 4 in the Associated Press poll in the past two weeks, the largest two-week jump in the poll's 29-year history.
The victories over Texas, Tennessee and then-No. 1 LSU coincided with the return of star senior guard Cappie Pondexter, who missed all eight games of Rutgers' 6-2 start for unspecified personal reasons. Opponents beware: Pondexter, who has been coming off the bench, is not even back at full strength.
"I expect it to be another couple of weeks," Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer said. "The team is very happy, and I'm always happy to have Cappie. She's a phenomenal player."
One-and-one
• The good news for Duke is that it was ranked No. 1 in the AP poll this week, the third consecutive season it has achieved the ranking. The bad news is coach Gail Goestenkors announced Tuesday that standout junior point guard Lindsey Harding, who has been suspended since Nov. 1 for violating team rules, will not play this season. The Blue Devils have just eight scholarship players on their active roster.
• Need a break from football? Try the Big East/Big Ten Challenge doubleheader on ESPN2 Sunday: No. 4 Rutgers at No. 5 Ohio State at 2 p.m., followed by No. 20 Purdue at No. 7 Notre Dame at 4 p.m. (Make it a triple-header of women's hoops if you throw in the No. 11 Gophers at No. 9 Michigan State at noon on FSN).
Michael Rand is at mrand@startribune.com.
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