The NEW Official Thread of the Augustana Vikings

[MrAugustana]

Re: The NEW Official Thread of the Augustana Vikings

Congrats to Mike Busack for being named this week's South Division Player of the Week: http://northernsun.org/news/2017/1/9...109172727.aspx. Although the numbers themselves are relatively tame for a Player of the Week award, they are numbers I'm more than happy to see (and continue seeing in the future).

Also must've been fun for him to win it over a weekend that included a game against the Mavericks. Wonder if he ever won any PotW awards when he was wearing purple and yellow. I don't remember and I'm too lazy to look it up.

In other news, huge, huge weekend coming up for the Vikes. From a standings standpoint, two wins this weekend would not only help boost the Vikings' regional hopes, but they would also help our cause when it comes to a conference championship and final standings. Northern and Moorhead are right there at or near the top, so wins over both would be huge.

Last year's team wasn't able to pull off the Moorhead/Northern weekend sweep, so here's to hoping we fare a little bit better at home this time around.

Also of note, the Northern game will be broadcast via ESPN3. Hopefully that doesn't hurt fan attendance, but a big crowd and a fun game would certainly make that ESPN3 appearance a little more exciting. And a win would obviously be ideal.

Feels weird going into the weekend hoping we win one of two instead of expecting to win two of two and being shocked when we don't. But even after the SMSU/USF weekend's disastrous outcome, all is not lost. Still a lot of conference play left if we can stay focused and do things the right way at the right time.

[vikingfaithful]

Re: The NEW Official Thread of the Augustana Vikings

Big Big weekend on the road. Last season we lost to the Wolves and came back angry the next night and took it out on the Dragons for an easy win. Hopefully the Vikings have it in them for a split. Probably the toughest road trip of the season. Go Augie Go!

[simple as a $3 bill]

Re: The NEW Official Thread of the Augustana Vikings

Big Big weekend on the road. Last season we lost to the Wolves and came back angry the next night and took it out on the Dragons for an easy win. Hopefully the Vikings have it in them for a split. Probably the toughest road trip of the season. Go Augie Go!

You do understand that the games are in Sioux Falls this weekend, right? smh

[vikingfaithful]

Re: The NEW Official Thread of the Augustana Vikings

You do understand that the games are in Sioux Falls this weekend, right? smh

That's good. Yeah been a little off my game recently.

[MrAugustana]

Re: The NEW Official Thread of the Augustana Vikings

Texas Tom was on KWSN yesterday talking about this weekend's games. Hate to chip away at your unmitigated dislike for anything Augustana, NSU4LIFE, but he actually said some nice things about Northern and their style of play a little over halfway through the interview: http://kwsn.com/podcasts/sports-talk...-of-home-games

[MrAugustana]

Re: The NEW Official Thread of the Augustana Vikings

Congrats to Augie's Jordan Spencer for being named NSIC South Division Player of the Week: http://goaugie.com/news/2017/1/23/me...-the-week.aspx

Spencer named NSIC South Division Player of the Week

Obviously two wins would've been preferred over the split, but still very, very solid numbers either way. Spencer has definitely become a more well-rounded player in the absence of the Jansen/Schilling/Richter trio (still waiting on a great nickname for that trio, Augieholic or others). Here's to hoping another Vike is PotW next week after securing two wins rather than one.

[laker]

Re: The NEW Official Thread of the Augustana Vikings

Spencer has definitely become a more well-rounded player in the absence of the Jansen/Schilling/Richter trio (still waiting on a great nickname for that trio, Augieholic or others).

Since they are now departed, how about the Ring-lings in honor of the national title and the circus?

[Guest69]

Re: The NEW Official Thread of the Augustana Vikings

Obviously two wins would've been preferred over the split, but still very, very solid numbers either way. Spencer has definitely become a more well-rounded player in the absence of the Jansen/Schilling/Richter trio (still waiting on a great nickname for that trio, Augieholic or others). Here's to hoping another Vike is PotW next week after securing two wins rather than one.

As my hot take has been brewing this for nearly a year, but I think Spencer was the most important player for Augie the last two seasons -- partly because he was already so talented and mature -- and I have been waiting for a weekend like this, but I wish it would have contributed to two wins. I think he was already well-rounded, but his skills were better used as a distributor over the past two seasons. If Spencer doesn't split half of the ball screens set for him last year, Richter doesn't get wide open corner threes. If he doesn't possess the ability to drag screens out and let let Jansen, pop or roll, Jansen isn't NPOY. Schilling was the least dependent on Spencer last year and if it is my dying wish, I will rewrite the NSIC record books with him as the NSIC Player of the Year.

Anyway, I would prefer to call that trio: Schilling/Richter/That Blonde Guy

[MrAugustana]

Re: The NEW Official Thread of the Augustana Vikings

As my hot take has been brewing this for nearly a year, but I think Spencer was the most important player for Augie the last two seasons -- partly because he was already so talented and mature -- and I have been waiting for a weekend like this, but I wish it would have contributed to two wins. I think he was already well-rounded, but his skills were better used as a distributor over the past two seasons. If Spencer doesn't split half of the ball screens set for him last year, Richter doesn't get wide open corner threes. If he doesn't possess the ability to drag screens out and let let Jansen, pop or roll, Jansen isn't NPOY. Schilling was the least dependent on Spencer last year and if it is my dying wish, I will rewrite the NSIC record books with him as the NSIC Player of the Year.

Anyway, I would prefer to call that trio: Schilling/Richter/That Blonde Guy

It's like they created this video just for you after you wrote your post:

[Guest69]

Re: The NEW Official Thread of the Augustana Vikings

It's like they created this video just for you after you wrote your post:

It's proper mental to finally have a bloke (Lucas Walford) who can fininsh his pocket passes with a dunk.

[vikingfaithful]

Re: The NEW Official Thread of the Augustana Vikings

https://twitter.com/sdattack/status/823347314706251776

Wow! an early scholarship offer to a legendary last name in Augustana basketball history.

[vikingfaithful]

Re: The NEW Official Thread of the Augustana Vikings

https://www.hudl.com/video/3/6964017...5b3d264439b94d
The sophomore can dunk.

[vikingfaithful]

Re: The NEW Official Thread of the Augustana Vikings

http://www.argusleader.com/story/spo...kota/97023446/

Very good article in the SF Argus leader on incoming freshman Tayt Vincent.

[MrAugustana]

Re: The NEW Official Thread of the Augustana Vikings

http://www.argusleader.com/story/spo...kota/97023446/

Very good article in the SF Argus leader on incoming freshman Tayt Vincent.

I think he and Matt Cartwright from O'Gorman are going to be really, really solid for the Vikes in a few years. Paired with our young bigs like Lucas Walford, Andy Kerkman and Bodey Behrends (redshirting this year), we could be looking at a special group a couple of years from now. Also excited to see how Jameson Bryan from MN fits into the puzzle too.

The biggest thing will be whether or not the Vikes can pull in a good small forward/wing type player to fill out our starting spots from top to bottom. If we can find another Al Richter type of kid in the next year or two to fill that 3 spot, we'll have a pretty salty squad.

[MrAugustana]

Re: The NEW Official Thread of the Augustana Vikings

With the Vikes picking up 1-1 splits on the road the past two weekends, I've noticed that my desire to check these boards has diminished. Probably why I wrote a novel and a half or so over on the football side a little while ago. No wonder Crookston, Duluth, U-Mary, etc. fans don't flood these boards with posts that frequently (and the only U-Mary fans that ever did contribute followed along with the Randall Herbst/Anthony Moody "meteoric two-year rise and immediate vanishing act" approach).

That being said, this is essentially a must-go-2-and-0 weekend for the Vikes with Crookston and Bemidji coming to town. Anything less would, I assume, make us a 100% lock for win-the-NSIC-Tourney-or-hang-up-the-sneakers territory. We continue to put the puzzle together for 30-33 minutes or so pretty consistently followed by 7-10 minutes of a "how do we fit these last few pieces into place" stall that ends up being our downfall. Hopefully the upperclassmen can guide our young warriors past those little blips and help us maintain leads when we're up 7 or 8 around the 7 minute mark of the 2nd half.

If we can get a good groove going this weekend, it would be great to head into next weekend against USF and SMSU with some confidence. I think those are both very winnable games if we play as well as we are capable of, even on the road. But it starts with tomorrow and Saturday night's efforts and making sure we win the ones we need to win. Although just about every game from here on out is kind of a need to win at this point.