Elite 8

[Bearcat97]

Re: Elite 8

Uhhh, Chico had the 9th best defense in D2 coming into the Elite Eight (only allowing 64.8 ppg). Only 2 defenses in the Elite Eight were ranked higher: Bellarmine (8th 64.7 ppg) and Northwest Missouri (2nd 61.9 ppg).

I'm not talking over the course of the season. I'm talking in the game I just watched. Like I said to Ian, maybe Lincoln is THAT athletic.

[Augieholic]

Re: Elite 8

Whomever seeded these teams knew what they were doing because these Final Four are significantly ahead of the pack.

Watching NW deal with LMU's size inside is the key in my mind. If the Splitters maintain the sort of discipline that UIU/SMSU/St Thomas (for a half) displayed in executing the "hug Pitts/Schneider and make Kurth/N'Dow/Woods/Dougherty beat you" strategy and allow their length/athleticism to do its thing it'll be a fantastic game. Perry and Terry will be a load for the Cats to handle on both ends especially in how Pitts chooses to attack the paint.

LMU doesnt appear to be as good as they were last year and I think NW is due for the sort of game they played against Augie in the Regional Semifinal so I like the Bearcats by 12-15.

[Ian Carlson]

Re: Elite 8

Maybe Lincoln Memorial is THAT athletic. Chico relied on their bigs to clean-up their perimeter D. I saw a ton of scrambling defensively.

Could be. Still, LMU was under 30% shooting in the first half and took a much better second half to get to 43%... and still finished 19 points below their season average.

Gonna be interesting to see how it shakes out.

[laker]

Re: Elite 8

#1 Fairmont vs Rollins at Noon
#4 Bellarmine vs #5 Colorado Mines 2:30
#2 NW Missouri vs #7 St. Thomas Aquinas 6:00
#3 Lincoln Memorial vs #6 Chico State 8:30

I was at all four games. Wore my purple MSU garb with the Mav cap but didn't hear any catcalls from Northwest fans. Sat with a group of Augie fans, survived without any stab wounds. Did run into two USF fans who had planned on changing the Augie national championship banner with a Coo one, but lacked the mountain climbing equipment to get it done. Texas Tom almost managed to collapse the same structure, but Felton Spencer was big enough to hold up the building and the evening went on.

Rollins managed to stay within a point at half time, but Fairmont was just too much.

Bellarmine's support was very impressive and I heard that reinforcements are on the way tonight. The play run before half with 2.2 seconds to play was very Valpo like- well coached and well executed at the buzzer.

NW had the most fans there. STA gave them some real fits with the press. I noticed that Pitts was employed in several spots- some times as inbounder, sometimes as receiver, and they did seem to want to let someone else take the ball up to either give him a break or get him open.

The LM-Chico game lacked the atmosphere of the previous game. It does make a difference when you have a band, cheerleaders, dance line and a large group of worked up fans.

All in all- Sioux Falls and the Pentagon is a great place to host a tournament. I hope to return there next year.

[laker]

Re: Elite 8

Watching Fairmont ST, guard Jason Jolly 5' 7" 160lbs. reminds me a lot of Justin Pitts right down to the floater shot and fast drives to the basket, he put up 28 points. Justin is a bit more polished than the sophomore Jolly. Would be fun to see them against one another.

That is what I thought. He was really impressive.

[laker]

Re: Elite 8

I'm in the Mav purple, holding court with a group of Augie fans. And of course, I am sitting next to a blonde.

[IowaBearcat]

Re: Elite 8

I don't know. The NW team that looked like it was going to control its destiny earlier in the season has taken on a "try not to lose" look. Offensively we are out of sync and tentative. Seems we are just content to let Pitts do everything for us offensively. Schneider, Endow, Dougherty and Mosby need to pick up their games. Woods just looks like a liability offensively and what is going on with Kurth? What happened to control your own destiny? Seems we have accepted this "survive and move on" mantra.

Schneider can't have 1 good and 1 really bad half. He's gotta be the whole game to win. He missed a lot of good looks in the first half that could have separated us early.

[BearcatMediaStudent]

Re: Elite 8

Schneider can't have 1 good and 1 really bad half. He's gotta be the whole game to win. He missed a lot of good looks in the first half that could have separated us early.

Zach has really struggled as of late. In the last 5 games he is shooting 27.7% from 3 (13/47). Well below his average this year of 46% (103/224) and his career average of 44.3% (365/824).

[Taxman]

Re: Elite 8

Why would they need to do that? NWMSU fans made it quite clear 3 or so weeks ago that Pitts is inexhaustible and should never need to rest. :)

References?

[Taxman]

Re: Elite 8

Zach has really struggled as of late. In the last 5 games he is shooting 27.7% from 3 (13/47). Well below his average this year of 46% (103/224) and his career average of 44.3% (365/824).

He's been more off than on in his 7 games at the Pentagon. 14-44 (31.8%) from 3 in those games. Only twice has he shot greater than 33.3%.

[MrAugustana]

Re: Elite 8

References?

Basically the gist of a gigantic chunk of the Central Region Tourney Talk thread from two weeks ago. And the overplayed and seemingly somewhat misunderstood general conversation about the Bearcats having to go on back-to-back nights that has taken place on 2-3 threads.

To be clear, it was a joke. That's why I added a smiley face at the end.

[laker]

Re: Elite 8

I noticed that the Fairmont logo and the Fanatic's.com logo are very similar.

[laker]

Re: Elite 8

Got to visit with former MSU basketball coach Butch Raymond yesterday. He introduced me to the Mountain East commissioner. Young guy, excited about his relatively new league. Nice to see some different teams from around the country in action.

[NSU4LIFE]

Re: Elite 8

Basically the gist of a gigantic chunk of the Central Region Tourney Talk thread from two weeks ago. And the overplayed and seemingly somewhat misunderstood general conversation about the Bearcats having to go on back-to-back nights that has taken place on 2-3 threads.

To be clear, it was a joke. That's why I added a smiley face at the end.

Even your smiley face is sarcastic, we all know that.

[laker]

Re: Elite 8

CBS Sports Network will be showing the D2 semifinals starting at 6 PM CDT.

Channel 158 on DISH network. Check it out. I'll be watching from my recliner instead of in person tonight.