Played like champions

[Borg]

Let me say that these teams are: 1(a) and....1(a). So, different, so talented, so very good.

My only wish is that some of you could have been there last night to see two teams just giving everything they had. This was basketball (athletes) at their finest. Totally lived up to all the hype. I loved every minute of that game. BOTH teams will come away from this game 'better' than they previously were.

Thoughts from the game (re: the Aztecs)-
The officials: (so hard to tell when it's live and you only see the obvious things...so, I'm not going to comment too much as I couldn't tell from my seat on the other things happening)...but, it seemed like they officiated this game like it was an NCAA tournament game (which is nice) very physical, and both teams got a taste of what it is going to take to win at that level. I'm happy about that. You are so deep, maybe you all would like to see a tightly called game so that other teams bigs foul out, and if you lose one or two as well, maybe your reserves are better than other teams reserves?

3's: in the first half...did the Aztecs even miss a three? Nothing but net...and I was having one of those..."Oh crap" moments. Not sure why they didn't attempt more...seemed open all night long.

Your bigs: Kawhi and company was everything they were billed to be. There was so much pressure on Kawhi and Jimmer, and they both delivered, and then some. Talk about a force to recon with...when your bigs crashed the boards..it seemed like BYU players were just trying to get anything, even a finger to tip the ball out..was crazy. When Davies went out, there was a serious problem getting ANY boards of any kind. Your frontcourt is awesome.

Before the game:
Crazy. I got there way early as I wanted to watch the teams warm up. The Student section was full just about an hour and a half prior to game tip off. So...they were there to see the Aztecs warm up. Throwing up signs, chants etc. to let the Aztecs know they were there....and as I watched the players, they would read a few signs, kind of nod...laugh. They particularly thought it was funny when a bigger than big head of Jimmer was put up wayyyy up in the top. They laugh at that. And as I looked, it seemed like a giant Jimmer was way up in the top peering through the people. Loved the demeanor of your team, you can tell they're great young men. They were loose, looking confident, hitting shots in warmups, looking every bit the part of winners.

Both teams were a little tight coming out of the gate...but, after a few minutes, kind of got things rolling.

The place was crazy loud at times...almost painful to the ears...but, every time it got wild like that, the Aztecs either hit a shot to silence the crowd, or drew a foul.

Free throws:
I haven't looked at the stats, but, it seemed to me that you didn't miss too many. Well, I guess I do remember some, but, it seemed you hit a high percentage.

Substitutions:
Seemed both teams went mostly with their money players. Did you like how Coach Fisher subbed his players? I know he subbed more often than Coach Rose, but, it didn't seem like Fisher rotated that much either.

Defense:
Jackson Emery had zero points with about 7 minutes left in the game. SDSU shut him down. I wouldn't have thought that we could win with that kind of point production opposite of Jimmer. Hartsock was effectively shut down too. Great defense on those guys...Thank goodness Davies was not shut down completely!

As I get older, I love my team, but, I am becoming a very big fan of the "athletes" too. I can appreciate what the coaches do to teach these guys the game, strategy, effort, sportsmanship, etc.

The athletes and all their hard work...on both teams. Both fanbases should be proud of their teams after that game...they left nothing in the tank. Things look bright for both teams.

For those that have tickets at Viejas...you are going to have so much fun. THIS is what it is all about. So bummed we are leaving..what a great basketball conference. So fun to see San Diego ramping up the hype machine with their winning team. What I have been hoping for for the last several years. With Utah leaving, these two universities could have really had it going on.

Congrats to both the Aztec and Cougars.



It was an incredible game, incredible effort and I applaud the athletes who did their best.

[chris92065]

yup to all your points. The nation found out that elite basketball doesn't have to come out of the east or midwest.

I really think byu-sdsu rival was fast becoming on the scale of unc vs duke and I mean that 100 percent.

I still wake up everyday and hope byu comes out with a press release canceling their independent status and rejoins the mwc.

oh well...maybe will join the big 12 together...i can dream right?

[sleepy]

It seemed to me we couldn't throw a pea in the ocean last night.

But what really was blaringly obvious was the way you guys were so much more effective underneath than we were -- and that's where SDSU should have had a huge advantage. It just evaporated. I'm guessing that's a result of good BYU team defense. Time and again, chippies were turned into altered shots that missed -- with no second opportunities for SDSU, which has been our hallmark all season.

All that said -- our worst performance of the year against a team not named Cal Poly. Picked a bad time for it. And we were STILL in it deep into the game. And because of that, I think we've got you dead to rights in Viejas and where it matters most: Las Vegas.

[Borg]

I'm thinkin' I should be in Vegas. THAT is going to be a humdinger. Especially if you repay the favor in Viejas.

Oh...and another fun thing. I don't know if SDSU was putting on the intimidation factor showing BYU what their "bigs" could do...

But, early in the warmups, when both teams were out shooting around/stretching. SDSU broke in to the two line/layup drill....with a twist.

Aztec players started to really put on a show. Started throwing it down one after the other, roundhouses, tomahawk jams, etc. BYU students loved it...drawing "OOOohhhs and Ahhhhhhs". Good times. Tough loss for your players, but I hope they can retell their stories later in life with 'fun' (relative) memories of the crazy environments/crowds they played in, ie. MC.

Sat by a TON of NBA scouts/media etc. all taking notes and looking all important. From my browsing your board, it seems to be the consensus that Kawhi is turning pro after this year?
What does your team look like next year? Rebuild or reload?

[sleepy]

Jan 27, 2011 8:11:46 GMT -8 Borg said:

I'm thinkin' I should be in Vegas. THAT is going to be a humdinger. Especially if you repay the favor in Viejas.

Oh...and another fun thing. I don't know if SDSU was putting on the intimidation factor showing BYU what their "bigs" could do...

But, early in the warmups, when both teams were out shooting around/stretching. SDSU broke in to the two line/layup drill....with a twist.

Aztec players started to really put on a show. Started throwing it down one after the other, roundhouses, tomahawk jams, etc. BYU students loved it...drawing "OOOohhhs and Ahhhhhhs". Good times. Tough loss for your players, but I hope they can retell their stories later in life with 'fun' (relative) memories of the crazy environments/crowds they played in, ie. MC.

Sat by a TON of NBA scouts/media etc. all taking notes and looking all important. From my browsing your board, it seems to be the consensus that Kawhi is turning pro after this year?
What does your team look like next year? Rebuild or reload?

I'm still wondering what is going on with Kawhi health-wise. This has gotten strange. The NBA stress-level is no joke -- travel-wise and games-played/frequency. Much tougher than college. And if he's getting hooked up to IV's and hurling into courtside garbage cans every other week right now...

My guess is that it's nothing more than an unlucky streak, but it'd be a good idea to get checked out.

[Borg]

sleepy-
Agreed. As a parent, and that was my son/daughter...I'd be checking in to that big time. I am sure that Coach Fisher is all over that making sure he's ok, etc. But still...it's disconcerting not knowing any additional info.

Hopefully, he is like other highly competitive athletes and gets super nervous before games. I am reminded of Steve Young (I think it was him anyway)...and he used to hurl before every game.

So...hopefully, he's following in his footsteps only in the NBA and will be an NBA all-star and MVP someday in the future.

[longtimebooster]

FWIW, my thoughts on the game:

• A great, great college hoops game with some great, great college hoops players. The game lived up to its billing. Had the Aztecs not faded down the stretch, it might've been a real, epic nail-biter. The Aztecs won't fade in Viejas. I fully expect that to be Ali-Frazier II. The hype will be even bigger with the national CBS audience and the accompanying late-season Jimmer POY push. There will be no knockout or TKO in that game, I fear. It'll come down to a last-second shot. Bank on it.
  
  
• The Aztecs played great D, except on Fredette. There's been great consternation over whether Gay should've guarded Jimmer so much, or whether it should've been Tapley, or maybe White. The bottom line is this: doesn't matter. I watch a lot of college basketball. I know a lot of college coaches. I've been to a lot of NCAA Tourney games. I've seen in person dozens of NBA lottery picks and even a bunch of hall-of-famers. So know this: Jimmer Fredette is the best college basketball player I've ever seen in person. Sorry Isiah Thomas. Sorry Mark Aguirre. Sorry Ralph Sampson. Sorry Larry Johnson. Sorry Danny Manning. I keep racking my brain trying to think of someone to compare Jimmer to. And only two athletes come to mind: Larry Bird and Marshall Faulk. Bird had an unbelievable ability to create shots and to do things on the basketball court that no one had ever seen before. He wasn't an overpowering physical presence like Magic or Kareem, but he just knew everything that was going on in the game and on the court. But Jimmer reminds me more of Marshall. Faulk would simply make the best defenders in college football look silly. I still remember Willie McGinest of USC -- and the best linebacker in college ball -- with his own jock strap tangled up around his ears after one of Faulk's flybys. Additionally, Faulk was vastly underestimated by most fans (and even a lot of scouts) coming out of college. They said he was too short. They said he played in the WAC. They said he'd be so-so in the SEC. They said he wouldn't even start for Florida, Miami or Ohio St. I remember I sat next to a Notre Dame DB at a dinner once. Guy got drafted and had just played one year at Detroit. We spent the entire night talking about Faulk. This guy was so down on Faulk it was crazy. Said all the things I just talked about. Two years later, I watched Faulk ring up about 180 yards rushing and 120 yards receiving against the Lions. Wonder what the Notre Dame honk thought then? Guys who say Jimmer won't play in the NBA or won't be a lottery pick or will only play back-up duties, etc., aren't really paying attention. Like Bird, Jimmer has mad skills. And like Bird, it really doesn't matter who guards him -- Nash, Paul, Fisher -- Jimmer's gonna get his. As for those who say Jimmer's not athletic enough, well, that's just code for "he's not black." And, yes, his frog-belly-white complexion is noticeable. However, dude is more than plenty athletic. He's very stocky, very strong and has an amazing vertical leap, especially on his jumper. If you're still confused about Jimmer's athleticism, go back and watch the replay of the BYU/UNLV game. Jimmer took the extremely athletic Chace Stanback apart. On two occasions, Stanback was guarding Jimmer out past the arc. Stanback was in perfect defensive position, right in Jimmers face. The tips of their sneakers were practically touching. Jimmer went up for a shot. Stanback went up for a block. Jimmer's 6'2". Stanback's 6'7". I replayed this on my DVR several times just to make sure I saw things correctly. Jimmer elevated at least 6 inches higher than Stanback. He then did a fall-away. By the time Jimmer released the ball, there was two feet of separation between Jimmer and Stanback. Oh, and the shot? Nothing but net. With one of the best players in the MGC in your shorts from four feet behind the arc. No one's going to stop that. Not even the NBA guys.
  
  
• Much has been made about how BYU is a one-man show. But c'mon. That man is Jimmer. That's sort of like saying that Indiana St. was a one man show, therefore, they're not really that good. OK. If that logic makes you feel better, go ahead and use it. Having said that, BYU does have a very good team and a very good coach. Davies is much, much better than I expected. He could start on any team in the MGC and most teams in the Pac-10. IJimmer aside, Davies is the reason BYU won. He's very athletic, gave Thomas fits and blocked at least three of Thomas's shots, while altering several others right near the rim.
  
  
• Altitude was killer. My guess is that Kawhi had altitude sickness. His body probably doesn't do well with travel, elevation and dry air. You could see the team hit a wall 10 minutes into the second half. It wasn't a minor issue. It was a huge issue. Fish was between a rock and a hard place. He could've subbed more like he did at UNM. But when Shelton and Carlwell came into the game, they couldn't handle the speed, pace and general havoc that Jimmer created. Both were at least a step behind on defense for the short time they were on the court. The roof would've caved in earlier had Fish given them big minutes.
  
  
• Our three-point shooting was brutal. Gay was gassed from chasing Jimmer. And it showed.
  
  
• Kawhi had a great game. Did everything he was supposed to, and then some. But he got no support in the second half. The problem with riding Leonard the whole game was that with Jimmer going off, you're effectively trading twos for threes. Leonard's not the scoring machine that will keep you in the game. He needs to be able to dish some of those rebounds to teammates and those teammates need to hit some shots. That's the only way to keep pace. Leonard's teammates let him down.
  
  
• The refs played no role in this game. Anyone who says so is in left field. And if Chad Bunn was in the building, he certainly wasn't anywhere near anything electronic.
  
  
• Back to Jimmer. Dude should be hands-down POY. Kemba and Sullinger are nice players. But Jimmer's on another planet. Having said that, there's such an East Coast bias in hoops. It's far more tilted than fball, even. When it comes down to actual voting, Jimmer could get Faulked.
  
  
• I'm not a stats honk, but this has got to be the first game SDSU has played all year where it didn't go on a run. I'm guessing the most points we scored in a row was 5, perhaps, on a two and a three. This from a team that leads the nation in runs. We've had at least a couple dozen occasions where we've had 9-0 runs or better. BYU never cracked, we never got going.
  

[/list]

[jcljorgenson]

If you guys think this was a big game, just wait for the redemption game at our house on 2/26. We could both potentially have just one loss and be in the Top 5 "together." And it is on national TV, CBS. Can't wait!

BYU played us well, Jimmer is legit - I didn't think he could have that kind fo a night against us.

[longtimebooster]

Jan 27, 2011 8:54:22 GMT -8 Borg said:

Hopefully, he is like other highly competitive athletes and gets super nervous before games. I am reminded of Steve Young (I think it was him anyway)...and he used to hurl before every game.

I heard Jim Kelly interviewed in Dan Patrick's radio show a couple weeks back. Kelly hurled before every single game.

When I ran track, I hurled a couple of times before big meets, but never after my sophomore year. When I was a senior at the CIF Championships, about 5 minutes before the start of my race, a teammate standing next to me hurled. Got a lot of it on my shoes. The whole race, I would look down at my shoes and think, "Dude, you sure drank a lot of orange juice this morning."

[Borg]

THAT is why I like this board. A very gracious summary LTB. I believe what you wrote...but, I have some pretty thick blue glasses, and if the same sentiment came from me, ...well, I do try to keep the peace, and a zoob has a very low tolerance rating around here.

Should BYU pull off a miracle of miracles at Viajas...we are once again going to have to discuss the terms of our 'deal'. I would like to think I have a teeny tiny bit of integrity, and I'm telling you right now...I couldn't let you write that letter!
1) because even I know and admit it was a fumble;
2) I have no room in my house for you and your family!

As a fan of sports...guys, I saw some incredible athletes last night and it was so fun, I was very proud of both teams. Preaching to the choir here, but those of us who post on sports boards know the quality of these two teams, players, coaches. It's a fun ride while it lasts. I am enjoying every moment, taking my teenage girls (who have no interest in college basketball) just so they can say: "I saw that guy play once when he was in college". Same with me and Kawhi..."I've seen him play in person a couple times, when he was in college"

[azdick]

My ONLY regret about THE CHEATERS leaving the MWC is that Hugh/Borg might not be on here posting. Hugh, how about having a margarita with us at T&M in March? I'll be sure to make yours with lime juice only! ;D

[Borg]

Jan 27, 2011 11:47:22 GMT -8 azdick said:

My ONLY regret about THE CHEATERS leaving the MWC is that Hugh/Borg might not be on here posting. Hugh, how about having a margarita with us at T&M in March? I'll be sure to make yours with lime juice only! ;D

Deal.

[chakha]

Longtime,

I'm not trying to make this a kumbaya moment or anything, but your comparison of Jimmer to Faulk brought back memories of Faulk. I hated that guy, and loved him at the same time. He torched us so badly, I still see "299" in my head, in red, when we play SDSU. Probably my all-time favorite non-BYU college FB player.

[azdick]

Jan 27, 2011 11:49:40 GMT -8 Borg said:

Jan 27, 2011 11:47:22 GMT -8 azdick said:

My ONLY regret about THE CHEATERS leaving the MWC is that Hugh/Borg might not be on here posting. Hugh, how about having a margarita with us at T&M in March? I'll be sure to make yours with lime juice only! ;D

Deal.

I'll post particulars about our tailgate plans. You are forewarned that you will be in the company of a lot of 'tec fans who surely will have had too much tequila and most will be sporting BYU Sucks T's!

[Steve Aztec]

Jan 27, 2011 7:29:35 GMT -8 Borg said:

Let me say that these teams are: 1(a) and....1(a). So, different, so talented, so very good.

My only wish is that some of you could have been there last night to see two teams just giving everything they had. This was basketball (athletes) at their finest. Totally lived up to all the hype. I loved every minute of that game. BOTH teams will come away from this game 'better' than they previously were.

Thoughts from the game (re: the Aztecs)-
The officials: (so hard to tell when it's live and you only see the obvious things...so, I'm not going to comment too much as I couldn't tell from my seat on the other things happening)...but, it seemed like they officiated this game like it was an NCAA tournament game (which is nice) very physical, and both teams got a taste of what it is going to take to win at that level. I'm happy about that. You are so deep, maybe you all would like to see a tightly called game so that other teams bigs foul out, and if you lose one or two as well, maybe your reserves are better than other teams reserves?

3's: in the first half...did the Aztecs even miss a three? Nothing but net...and I was having one of those..."Oh crap" moments. Not sure why they didn't attempt more...seemed open all night long.

Your bigs: Kawhi and company was everything they were billed to be. There was so much pressure on Kawhi and Jimmer, and they both delivered, and then some. Talk about a force to recon with...when your bigs crashed the boards..it seemed like BYU players were just trying to get anything, even a finger to tip the ball out..was crazy. When Davies went out, there was a serious problem getting ANY boards of any kind. Your frontcourt is awesome.

Before the game:
Crazy. I got there way early as I wanted to watch the teams warm up. The Student section was full just about an hour and a half prior to game tip off. So...they were there to see the Aztecs warm up. Throwing up signs, chants etc. to let the Aztecs know they were there....and as I watched the players, they would read a few signs, kind of nod...laugh. They particularly thought it was funny when a bigger than big head of Jimmer was put up wayyyy up in the top. They laugh at that. And as I looked, it seemed like a giant Jimmer was way up in the top peering through the people. Loved the demeanor of your team, you can tell they're great young men. They were loose, looking confident, hitting shots in warmups, looking every bit the part of winners.

Both teams were a little tight coming out of the gate...but, after a few minutes, kind of got things rolling.

The place was crazy loud at times...almost painful to the ears...but, every time it got wild like that, the Aztecs either hit a shot to silence the crowd, or drew a foul.

Free throws:
I haven't looked at the stats, but, it seemed to me that you didn't miss too many. Well, I guess I do remember some, but, it seemed you hit a high percentage.

Substitutions:
Seemed both teams went mostly with their money players. Did you like how Coach Fisher subbed his players? I know he subbed more often than Coach Rose, but, it didn't seem like Fisher rotated that much either.

Defense:
Jackson Emery had zero points with about 7 minutes left in the game. SDSU shut him down. I wouldn't have thought that we could win with that kind of point production opposite of Jimmer. Hartsock was effectively shut down too. Great defense on those guys...Thank goodness Davies was not shut down completely!

As I get older, I love my team, but, I am becoming a very big fan of the "athletes" too. I can appreciate what the coaches do to teach these guys the game, strategy, effort, sportsmanship, etc.

The athletes and all their hard work...on both teams. Both fanbases should be proud of their teams after that game...they left nothing in the tank. Things look bright for both teams.

For those that have tickets at Viejas...you are going to have so much fun. THIS is what it is all about. So bummed we are leaving..what a great basketball conference. So fun to see San Diego ramping up the hype machine with their winning team. What I have been hoping for for the last several years. With Utah leaving, these two universities could have really had it going on.

Congrats to both the Aztec and Cougars.



It was an incredible game, incredible effort and I applaud the athletes who did their best.

Good recap Hugh.

I was very proud of the Aztecs. Especially when I saw Kawhi busting his butt with 40 seconds left as if it was a 2 point game.

[Borg]

Jan 27, 2011 14:48:09 GMT -8 azdick said:

Jan 27, 2011 11:49:40 GMT -8 Borg said:

Deal.

I'll post particulars about our tailgate plans. You are forewarned that you will be in the company of a lot of 'tec fans who surely will have had too much tequila and most will be sporting BYU Sucks T's!

No worries. That's what makes if fun....as long as you and your buddies don't start looking at me like you want to roast me over a fire.

[NTU]

I wish he would've subbed in Carlwell more, especially in the 2nd half. He might have been able to help negate what Davies, Hartsock, and Anderson were doing. I certainly don't think it would've hurt.

[hoobs]

Jan 27, 2011 16:07:07 GMT -8 NTU said:

I wish he would've subbed in Carlwell more...

Edited to reflect my thoughts.

With elevation, and the amount of energy required to guard Jimmer, we needed to sub QUITE a lot more than was done last night. LBF, JF, AW & Cheriet even. I think JF's athleticism might have been really useful to guard Jimmer...

[NTU]

Jan 27, 2011 16:18:59 GMT -8 hoobs said:

Jan 27, 2011 16:07:07 GMT -8 NTU said:

I wish he would've subbed in Carlwell more...[/quote]

Edited to reflect my thoughts.

With elevation, and the amount of energy required to guard Jimmer, we needed to sub QUITE a lot more than was done last night. LBF, JF, AW & Cheriet even. I think JF's athleticism might have been really useful to guard Jimmer...

But the problem was in the low post, where Malcolm was getting owned and Billy was nowhere to be found. I'm just thinking that 6'11, 295 might have been useful. Jimmer was going to do what Jimmer did, but there were WAAAAAAAYYYY too many points left out there on the floor because Thomas and White couldn't finish around the basket. Besides, I thought he played pretty well in the few minutes he got in the first half.

Carlwell's been a lot more aggressive about attacking the rim lately, and that's what we needed to see. Might not have pushed us over the top, but I think it probably would have at least closed the gap significantly.

Besides, from what we've seen of LBF and JF, had either one of them been thrown into that fire last night it very well could have been disastrous. There's a reason they're not getting a lot of minutes yet. Neither of them is quite ready for prime time, certainly not in a game or an atmosphere or pressure like last night.

[Section T(urn Up)]

I am optimistic that Jamaal Franklin will become a premier perimeter defender, a true lock-down guy. But are we seriously entertaining the idea of putting a very green freshman in to guard the best player in college hoops today? Maybe in 3 years there will be a "Jimmer" who Franklin can lock down but today I am afraid he would just pick him apart just like he did DJ Gay and Chase Tapley.

Hugh, as to your questions about reload/rebuild and whether Kawhi will go pro. Everything Fisher has said re: Kawhi is that he "will either be an Aztec or an NBA Lottery Pick next year." We also have heard that Fish believes, and tells Kawhi, that if he's an NBA Lottery Pick lock he should go. If he's not a first rounder he should stay. If he's in between it's a tough decision. I think Kawhi will listen to Fish, but the general consensus is that Kawhi continues to impress scouts with every performance and will likely be or believe himself to be a lottery pick. Thus, we assume he'll go.

Next year anything could happen, but we're probably looking at a rebuild more than reload year. The backcourt looks strong despite losing DJ Gay.

Labradford Franklin played a bit earlier in the season during non-conference play and looks as advertised. He's a pure PG with great handles and a phenomenal passer by all accounts. He looks a bit green but extremely promising.

Chase Tapley will be back, as will Rahon.

Jamaal Franklin looks extremely raw but also extremely athletic. He will be a good defender at 6'5 with long reach and if he can develop any outside game he'll be a good wing player.

Xavier Thames is a transfer sitting out this year who will be a SO from Washington State. He has a tremendous midrange game and is more of a combo guard than a pure PG. From what I read I sorta expect a taller DJ Gay type ball handler/decision maker with a better midrange game and a lesser 3 point game.

The frontcourt is where things get dicey as SDSU will lose Carlwell, Thomas, White, Cheriet and probably Kawhi. That leaves Tim Shelton whose knees are always a concern. And Alec Williams who is buried on the bench and hasn't been impressive when he has played. He looks like he has an ok midrange game but has looked suspect in his limited minutes on defense and in the post.

Deshawn Stephens is a 6'8 Santa Monica JC player coming in who has grown 6 inches since finishing HS so he's obviously a project player. Supposedly he's looking better with his back to the basket this season at Santa Monica...that'd be good.

Kevin Young was a starter at LMU the past two seasons but is not in college ball this year. He left LMU for some reason and sorta fell off the map. He is 6'8, extremely athletic and a good shot blocker. He is like a poor man's Billy White from what I hear.

So, as you can see, we have some work to do in bringing in one more good big. Either a true C or someone who can plug the middle. If Shelton is healthy and somehow Kawhi stays I think SDSU is a tournament team next year, if not then I think it's bubble time--but it's way too early to really consider that.