November 2011
39 posts
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Too Much TV: Gaskins
This week on the Too Much TV podcast, we head back in time to the south to catch up with old pal John Gaskins. Formerly of KWSN in Sioux Falls, he’s now hosting sports radio shows for 93.7 The Ticket in Lincoln, Neb.
Gaskins gives us the lowdown on University of Nebraska football and men’s basketball, which are hardly on level standing in the Cornhusker state.
It’s good...
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SDSU gets on the board
Just hours after a reader hit me up on Twitter asking if SDSU was going to land any football recruits this year - voila - the Jacks got on the board with an in-state standout.
Milbank senior Nick Mears (above) said Tuesday that he has verbally accepted a scholarship offer to play for SDSU. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound senior played defensive back for four years and quarterback for three, earning...
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Tuesday Tidbits
No Jacks games for me this week, meaning I actually get to use a vacation day outside of summer. That feels odd:
A quick summary of the completed CBE Classic men’s basketball tournament: South Dakota State finished at 3-1 overall, going unbeaten in its non-major subregional. George Washington did the same. The participating power-conference teams went unbeaten in preliminary play, while...
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Can't score in Cancun
I wasn’t with the South Dakota State women’s basketball team in Cancun. Was able to pull that off once - and a return trip is probably a tall order in the current economic climate.
That is, I don’t have any first-hand insight into what happened in the Jackrabbits’ 55-22 loss to Cincinnati on Thursday night, in which they narrowly escaped tying an NCAA Division I record...
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A Force again?
Did a quick Google image search while on the hunt for a Skyforce logo and this is what I came across:
Yes, this computer graphic featuring the name of Sioux Falls’ NBA D-League team set atop an exploding plane is pretty fitting considering the way things went in the 2010-11 season. The 10-40 record was the worst in franchise history by several games.
But today is a new today. The Force...
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What does it all mean?
Still trying to wrap my head around Tuesday’s news that the University of South Dakota will not renew the contract of football coach Ed Meierkort …
Why? Because while it’s entirely possible this is a unique situation that boiled down to a clash of personalities or difference of opinions, it just seems, well, significant on several levels.
For starters, this is the first time in...
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Too Much TV: Recasner
The man pictured above is this week’s guest on the Too Much TV podcast. No, not Michael Jordan, the other guy, Eldridge Recasner.
The former NBA player is the new assistant coach with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, who begin their season this week. Beyond that, Recasner is outgoing, opinionated and informed. He seems to know everyone in the hoops world, especially if they have any ties to the...
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Tuesday Tidbits
Hope you all are handling this relatively cold weather better than I am:
SDSU senior receiver Dale Moss has found representation and places to workout in preparation for a pro career. The former Brandon Valley star said that he’ll work with XAM Sports, the same company that reps ex-Jacks star and Buffalo Bills linebacker Danny Batten. Moss will go to Florida in January to work out with...
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Macon moves
For the second time in less than a week, the SDSU men’s basketball team is in Georgia for the CBE Classic. The Jacks will play three games in three days, all against fellow non-majors. Here is what they’re up against:
Niagara, 3:30 p.m. CT today - The Golden Eagles are 1-1 coming off a 31-point loss to Missouri … They play in the Metro Atlantic and went just 9-23 last season,...
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WatchSDSU seniors Jennie Sunnarborg and Jill Young answer questions from the media after a win against Washington State.
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WatchWashington State women’s basketball coach June Daugherty speaks to the media after a loss to South Dakota State on Sunday in Brookings.
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WatchSDSU women’s basketball coach Aaron Johnson addresses the media after a win against Washington State on Sunday at Frost Arena.
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Football wrap: Moving on?
The 2011 football season was complicated at South Dakota State from the schedule to the injuries to the quarterback quitting the team to the late surge.
What does it all mean? That 2012 is going to be an important one for the future of the program.
Think back to the start of the season: SDSU was coming off a 5-6 campaign and with less senior star power than it has had in years, maybe in its NCAA...
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Gophers to Georgia
A few reflections on the first two games of an eight-game swing for the South Dakota State men’s basketball team:
In case you missed it, here’s a little video tour of Stegeman Coliseum, Georgia’s impressive (if relatively empty) basketball arena.
The Jacks simply were not themselves in terms of shooting the ball this week, hitting at less than 40 percent from the field compared...
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Too Much TV: Rayno
This week on the Too Much TV podcast, we talk University of Minnesota men’s basketball with Amelia Rayno, the team’s beat writer for the Star Tribune.
Rayno is new to covering the Gophers, which gives her perhaps a fresh perspective on a program that has yet to get over the hump under Tubby Smith. Plus, she knows college hoops having grown up near Tobacco Road.
Here’s the...
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Tuesday Tidbits
This week, it’s an on-the-road edition …
Former SDSU pitchers Kirby Morsching and Caleb Thielbar were among the Jacks fans on hand Monday night at Williams Arena to support the men’s basketball team. Thielbar pitches in the Minnesota Twins system - he was picked up last summer from the St. Paul Saints - and is living in his hometown of Randolph, Minn., this offseason.
Gophers...
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Fin
Some final news and notes from SDSU’s 27-7 win at Western Illinois on Saturday in its season finale. I’ll have a more complete season wrap at a later date:
For the second year in a row, the Jacks went 4-4 in Missouri Valley Football Conference play. And for the second year in a row that was with wins against Missouri State, Western Illinois, Southern Illinois and Youngstown State and...
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WatchSDSU guards Steph Paluch and Ashley Eide speak to the media after a home win against Utah State.
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WatchUtah State coach Raegan Pebley addresses the media after a loss at South Dakota State.
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WatchSDSU women’s basketball coach Aaron Johnston answers questions after a win against Utah State.
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WatchSDSU junior forward Tony Fiegen and junior point guard Nate Wolters speak to the media after a win over Western Michigan in the season opener.
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WatchWestern Michigan men’s basketball coach Steve Hawkins speaks to the media after a loss to SDSU.
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WatchSDSU men’s basketball coach Scott Nagy addresses the media after a home win against Western Michigan.
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Macomb your hair
Some news and notes in advance of SDSU’s season-finale at Western Illinois on Saturday. Seems like a very early end, no?
The game features three of the top receivers in the FCS in SDSU’s Dale Moss and Aaron Rollin and WIU’s Terriun Crump (above). All three are in the top 12 nationally in receiving yards. Moss, of course, is the biggest surprise in that group. “He’s...
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Game time, huh!
What’s this - another fresh blog on a Friday? Must be a special occasion.
Indeed. The South Dakota State basketball teams open the 2011-12 season this weekend with three home games. The women take on St. Cloud State tonight and Utah State and Sunday, while the men face Western Michigan on Saturday.
Here are a few notes heading into that basketball bonanza:
About the Huskies: Coach Lori...
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Live chat 11/10
Here’s the replay from this week’s live chat - the last leading up to an SDSU football game this season.
Related note: I will NOT be in Macomb on Saturday for the season finale at Western Illinois. Instead, I’ll be in Brookings with live coverage of the SDSU men’s basketball game - the season opener - against Western Michigan and the SDSU women vs. Utah State on Sunday...
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Live chat 11/10
Here’s the replay from this week’s live chat - the last leading up to an SDSU football game this season.
Related note: I will NOT be in Macomb on Saturday for the season finale at Western Illinois. Instead, I’ll be in Brookings with live coverage of the SDSU men’s basketball game - the season opener - against Western Michigan and the SDSU women vs. Utah State on Sunday...
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Valley teleconference 11/9
Some news and notes from this week’s Missouri Valley Football Conference coaches call:
No. 23-ranked Indiana State (5-4) is at Missouri State (1-8), still chasing a playoff bid. The Sycamores will have to win our to have a chance at that despite losing two in a row. “You’ve got to get to six (wins) before you can get to seven,” coach Trent Miles said. “I think...
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Too Much TV: Graham Hays
It’s opening week in college basketball - no better time to talk to ESPN’s Graham Hays.
The women’s hoops guru stops by the podcast to talk mid-major hoops. Turns out that two Summit League squads will be in his first top-10 list.
Some good discussion about the new 3-point line, what separates the BCS from mid-majors and storylines for the season. Big thanks to Graham for his...
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Tuesday Tidbits
Last week of the football-basketball overlap. Bittersweet, no?
The early signing period for basketball starts Wednesday. The SDSU women are expected to ink two guards - Yankon’s Chloe Cornemann and Jess Hart of Eagan, Minn. - and the men should sign Alaska big Connor Devine. That may be it for now. Seems like at least three others (Jake Bittle, Bixby, Okla.; Gabe Levin, Oak Park-River...
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Time to shave
Some final thoughts from the Jacks’ 45-34 win over Southern Illinois on Hobo Day:
SDSU was called for just three penalties, a season low. Meanwhile, SIU committed seven infractions, marking the first time since Week 3 that the Jacks came out on the positive side in that category. Meanwhile, SDSU has gained more yards than its opponent six straight weeks (and all but once since Austin Sumner...
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WatchSouthern Illinois coach Dale Lennon addresses the media after a loss to SDSU on Hobo Day.
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WatchSDSU coach John Stiegelmeier speaks to the media after a win against Southern Illinois.
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WatchSDSU players QB Austin Sumner, WR Dale Moss and LB Ross Shafrath speak after a Hobo Day win over Southern Illinois.
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Hobo mojo
Some news and notes in advance of South Dakota State’s annual Hobo Day game. This year, the opponent is Southern Illinois. I’ll have live coverage starting at 1 p.m. Saturday:
SIU’s leading rusher is Jewel Hampton (above), a transfer from the University of Iowa. He has 666 yards rushing this season with 11 scores. “Good player,” Jacks coach John Stiegelmeier said....
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Live chat 11/3
Here’s the replay from this week’s bearded live chat. Yes, bearded. Because it’s Hobo Day on Saturday.
Of course, I’ll be there and will have live coverage of South Dakota State vs. Southern Illinois starting at 1 p.m. Kickoff is at 2.
Terry Vandrovec also posts regular updates on his Twitter page.
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Too Much TV: Mike Brown
This week on the Too Much TV podcast, we skew toward analysis as Mike Brown - the Oral Roberts beat writer for the Tulsa World - talks about the Golden Eagles’ decision to move from the Summit League to the Southland Conference starting in 2012-13.
Brown has been covering ORU and the Summit for eight years, and offers insight into the school’s decision and the future of the league...
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Tuesday Tidbits
Once again, it’s on:
The SDSU women’s basketball team isn’t scheduled to play play anybody ranked in the Associated Press preseason top 25 (a poll that I now vote in). However, the Jacks will play five games against four teams who are receiving votes: Kansas State, Marist, Marquette and Oral Roberts (twice).
A No. 1-ranked team is coming to Brookings this week - the Auburn...
