College Basketball

[Dawg83]

State nearly completed a crazy comeback. Cut a 23 point deficit to 3. But lost in the end.

 

And now, pretty much a must win game on Saturday at home against a Top 20 team. I didn’t think this team was capable of a major collapse but they’re another loss or two away from it.

 

You’ve gone from a being in a nice spot to being in a nervous and pressure-filled spot.

[MSTSatchmo]

Saturday, I believe, is a must win for State.  As bad as the losses were, their play should be even more concerning if you’re a State fan.  Auburn pushed them around and State wasn’t even competitive, and A&M, in what I saw, out hustled them.  Not a good look going into a big game against a quality opponent.  

[Dawg83]

50 minutes ago, MSTSatchmo said:

Saturday, I believe, is a must win for State.  As bad as the losses were, their play should be even more concerning if you’re a State fan.  Auburn pushed them around and State wasn’t even competitive, and A&M, in what I saw, out hustled them.  Not a good look going into a big game against a quality opponent.  

Yep. Lose on Saturday and you’re squarely on the bubble going into conference tourney week which is never what you want. They’re still in the tournament right now but have allowed a situation where you only needed one win in four games to become you have one game remaining and you still don’t have that one last win. Gotta take care of business immediately.

 

The first 25 minutes last night were the worst of the Jans era. There is no good reason for falling behind by 23 against that team when a win can lock up a tourney bid.

 

The hope is SC comes out flat on Saturday now that they can’t win the conference. State has a lot more to play for in that game. It needs to show and they need a win.

Edited March 7, 2024 by Dawg83

[Dawg83]

Lunardi has dropped State to the Last Four Byes, basically a fringe 10/11 seed. Yeah, gotta win this game on Saturday.

[Bulldogs4]

I think we will see a much better team Saturday that will take care of business. While SC is a good team, I feel we will be focused and will play well and get the win. 
 

And the team that played the last 15 minutes last night will be the team we will see Saturday. 
 

But my opinion counts for nada so we will see. 

[Dawg83]

And I’ll say that Jans has ordinarily had his teams ready for these “must win, gotta have it” kind of games. It’s the opportunity games that have been a problem. This could’ve been settled multiple times already but they’re taking it down to the wire and now who knows what to expect.

[Bulldogs4]

And to be fair, we were underdogs in the last two games. The KY game was basically a toss up that we came up short on. 
 

It is not like we have fallen into the abyss. I think we will be okay. 

[Dawg83]

19 minutes ago, Bulldogs4 said:

And to be fair, we were underdogs in the last two games. The KY game was basically a toss up that we came up short on. 
 

It is not like we have fallen into the abyss. I think we will be okay. 

It’s just the way they looked for the first 60% of the game last night that has people freaking out. And also the totality of not having clinched a tourney spot yet.

 

3-8 in Q1 games ain’t great. There’s a couple of great wins in that but also a lot of missed opportunities. Win one more of them and this is a done deal already.

[sportsmaniac10]

Lady Dawgs fall to Texas A & M in their SEC tourney opener. Finish the season losing 6 of 7.

 

Quite a rollercoaster in Starkville these past few months. From 0-2 in SEC play to 7-3 to 8-8 and an opening game loss. 

Curious to know what the locker room issues were because they certainly fell apart down the stretch. 
 

State was in the last 4 in going into todays game and Texas A & M was in the first 4 out so odds are the NCAA bubble just busted for State but maybe those LSU and Ole Miss wins can sneak them in. 

[pancho]

state ladies have no business in a tourney

[Bulldogs4]

State women choked, blew it, flopped, melted like the witched witch of the west or insert your own adjective….

They need to go home period. No post season play is deserved by this group. 

[sportsmaniac10]

Welp spoke too soon about the Lady Rebs. That first quarter looked like garbage. Missed free throws, getting beat down the court, stupid turnovers…..coach yo better have a come to Jesus or they’ll be going home.

[rebmus]

I caught some of the second half of the Lady Rebs game tonight, announcers said they were projected as a 7 seed in the NCAAT entering this game. 

After another win, I don't see the projected seeding falling... Lady Rebs aren't playing for a spot, playing for seeding now. 

A win over LSU would certainly boost potential seeding. 

[sportsmaniac10]

Rebs were able to pull it together to get thru tonight but if they play like that tomorrow, LSU is going to murder them.

 

currently solidified a 7 seed unless they lose by 30+ tomorrow. That could maybe drop them back to an 8. But with the losses around the country, a win tomorrow against LSU probably pushes them to a 6.

[Insideradvantage]

10 hours ago, sportsmaniac10 said:

Rebs were able to pull it together to get thru tonight but if they play like that tomorrow, LSU is going to murder them.

 

currently solidified a 7 seed unless they lose by 30+ tomorrow. That could maybe drop them back to an 8. But with the losses around the country, a win tomorrow against LSU probably pushes them to a 6.

Yeah we looked a little uninspired at times last night. I think there’s a considerable gap between South Carolina and LSU and then LSU and us and that’s ok. Our crew has done great things. We’ll have to find another gear to win today. 

[Dawg83]

A&M whooping Ole Miss in Oxford. That result will lock State into the 8 vs 9 game against LSU on Thursday. Ole Miss likely the 10 seed playing A&M back to back.

 

State down 1 at the half. Crucial second half upcoming for the State’s tourney chances.

Edited March 9, 2024 by Dawg83

[Bulldogs4]

Poor showing by State early but we have seemed to settle down and finished the half strongly. Got to rebound on defense and just play solid defense in the second half. 
Let’s Go Dawgs….need this second half to be played at a high level. 

[Bulldogs4]

Free Throws are this team’s Achilles Heel. Missed three down the stretch while SC made all theirs.

Therein lies the difference in the game. 
And SC is just a bit better than us as well. Not much but just a little. 

[MSTSatchmo]

Horrible stretch for State.  Worst case scenario would be they lose first round of the SECT, but this is pretty close.   I expect them to be last four in or first four out after Lunardi’s update.  Even with one win the the tourney, they’re still waiting to see what other teams do from here out.  I didn’t expect that kind of finish from a veteran team.  

[Bulldogs4]

Disappointing finish. Team needs to win two games in the SECT to guarantee a bid. 

[Dawg83]

Yep, disappointing end that I did not at all see coming two weeks ago.

 

I think they still have a decent chance if they beat LSU but it’s not a slam dunk. Only way to not be sweating next Sunday now  is to beat LSU and then beat Tennessee.

LSU is a good matchup for State and there’s no excuse for losing that game. Win that one and root against bid stealers, all you can do for now.

[Dawg83]

1 hour ago, MSTSatchmo said:

Horrible stretch for State.  Worst case scenario would be they lose first round of the SECT, but this is pretty close.   I expect them to be last four in or first four out after Lunardi’s update.  Even with one win the the tourney, they’re still waiting to see what other teams do from here out.  I didn’t expect that kind of finish from a veteran team.  

I think I’ve just decided the talent on this team was never that great to begin with.

 

Prior to last season I didn’t even think that was an NIT roster. That team hit its absolute ceiling and made the tourney and it was a big success of a year.

 

I think most assumed that group would get better in another year, but in reality I think many of those guys were already at their ceiling. And some have not maintained it this year.

 

I thought adding Hubbard to that core would make for a safe tourney bid. And he’s been excellent. But the returning guys have not progressed and we have seen as the year has gone on that the depth on this team has totally disappeared.

 

They’re 7-11 against Q1 and Q2. That’s just not great. The two great home wins are kinda washed by the Southern loss.

 

It’s a bubble resume in every sense.

[sportsmaniac10]

Lady Rebs fall to LSU. Not a bad game by Ole Miss but you needed something extra special if you're gonna upset LSU or South Carolina and while they played tough, there were too many mistakes. 

 

Flau'Jae Johnson is a star for LSU which makes it even more baffling to me that on 3 separate occasions, LSU was inbounding underneath their basket, ran the same play 3 times, and 3 times Johnson was left wide open and drained a 3...that was 3x in the first half. Angel Reese was her normal self. Did excellent on the boards. Finished with 21 points. 

 

But the biggest mistake of the game for the Rebs and one of the biggest mistakes Ive seen by an athlete in quite some time was the technical that Kennedy Todd-Williams got early in the second half. Ole Miss trimmed the lead to 2. They are hitting shots, getting stops on D, and momentum is in our favor. Then got a huge stop by Madison Scott taking a charge and Todd Williams goes and grabs the ball after the whistle and slams it against the ground so hard that the ball went up to the scoreboard hanging from the ceiling....doesnt take a genius to figure out that the ref was gonna call a technical. So instead of being down 2 and having the ball with a chance to tie or take the lead, Ole miss was then down 4 and back on defense.  LSU would then build a little cushion. Ole Miss got it down to 2 one more time a few minutes later but that was a game changing play and I hope Coach Yo rips her a new one at practice and she honestly should've been running suicides after the game for being so stupid. 

 

Ole Miss will be a 7 seed and likely heading to the west coast again this year as a lot of pac-12 teams in the top 3 seed lines. Right now predicted to go to Southern Cal. This team can win but again have to cut out the mistakes. 

I was very impressed with how far Madison Scott and Marquesha Davis have come the second half of the season. Davis will be in the WNBA next year and Scott coming back next year should be a candidate for SEC player of the year if she continues to progress. 

 

One thing that was probably the most surprising for me though, is that LSU does not look that good. They are a top 10 team I agree, but for a team that has probably 7-8 WNBA players on it, I would expect them to be blasting anyone other than a top 5 team off the court. Overall just wasn't that impressed. 

 

Oh and the Rebel men showed up for a game and got blasted by Texas A & M so safe to say they gave up for the year. 

[Insideradvantage]

59 minutes ago, sportsmaniac10 said:

Lady Rebs fall to LSU. Not a bad game by Ole Miss but you needed something extra special if you're gonna upset LSU or South Carolina and while they played tough, there were too many mistakes. 

 

Flau'Jae Johnson is a star for LSU which makes it even more baffling to me that on 3 separate occasions, LSU was inbounding underneath their basket, ran the same play 3 times, and 3 times Johnson was left wide open and drained a 3...that was 3x in the first half. Angel Reese was her normal self. Did excellent on the boards. Finished with 21 points. 

 

But the biggest mistake of the game for the Rebs and one of the biggest mistakes Ive seen by an athlete in quite some time was the technical that Kennedy Todd-Williams got early in the second half. Ole Miss trimmed the lead to 2. They are hitting shots, getting stops on D, and momentum is in our favor. Then got a huge stop by Madison Scott taking a charge and Todd Williams goes and grabs the ball after the whistle and slams it against the ground so hard that the ball went up to the scoreboard hanging from the ceiling....doesnt take a genius to figure out that the ref was gonna call a technical. So instead of being down 2 and having the ball with a chance to tie or take the lead, Ole miss was then down 4 and back on defense.  LSU would then build a little cushion. Ole Miss got it down to 2 one more time a few minutes later but that was a game changing play and I hope Coach Yo rips her a new one at practice and she honestly should've been running suicides after the game for being so stupid. 

 

Ole Miss will be a 7 seed and likely heading to the west coast again this year as a lot of pac-12 teams in the top 3 seed lines. Right now predicted to go to Southern Cal. This team can win but again have to cut out the mistakes. 

I was very impressed with how far Madison Scott and Marquesha Davis have come the second half of the season. Davis will be in the WNBA next year and Scott coming back next year should be a candidate for SEC player of the year if she continues to progress. 

 

One thing that was probably the most surprising for me though, is that LSU does not look that good. They are a top 10 team I agree, but for a team that has probably 7-8 WNBA players on it, I would expect them to be blasting anyone other than a top 5 team off the court. Overall just wasn't that impressed. 

 

Oh and the Rebel men showed up for a game and got blasted by Texas A & M so safe to say they gave up for the year. 

Celebrating has gotten way out of hand and what Todd-Williams did was both stupid and about par for the course nowadays. Back in my day, granted that’s been a while now, I would have just high-fived and moved on. Doing all that bs would never have crossed our minds. 

 

The men regressed over the last few games. Not certain why. Beard pulled no punches in the post-game presser. The icing on the cake was his response to whether Cisse’ and Brakefield were considering coming back. Without saying as much, he pretty much said he didn’t want them back. Cisse’ certainly hasn’t lived up to what we had hoped for. Brake has had his moments, but he can’t “get off the floor” as they say and he needs to introduce himself to a weight room in the worse kind of way. Another words, he’s soft as baby shit. 

Edited March 10, 2024 by Insideradvantage

[Dawg83]

For now the thinking on State from bracket types is they’re still in but zero margin for error. Lose to LSU on Thursday and prepare the Hump for an NIT game. Win on Thursday and it might be just enough for a bid.

 

Amazingly this is almost an identical circumstance to last year for State.

Edited March 10, 2024 by Dawg83