Boise State

[UD90]

The scariest part of this whole fiasco is I think Boise State is likely the best team we will face this week. They are 25-8, 3-3 verse Top 50, Hold two wins over San Diego State (that's right 8 seeded), and are 7-1 on the road in the MWC. Although the MWC is rated 12th this year we know from our series with New Mexico that they play very good basketball in the Mountain West Conference.

Compare that to Providence who beat Rhode Island by 8 at Providence.

or 22-10 Oklahoma who lost to Creighton and Washington this year.

We have to play well Wednesday. I think we roll in Columbus if we can get by Boise State.

While this will be a home crowd it will have a very different feel.
* No student section
* Limited equal band space.
* It should be pretty rowdy though with a 9pm start. I remember the last 9:30 Xavier ESPN2 game about 5-6 years ago. The arena ran out of beer 5 minutes into the game. - oh sh!t - No beer???

The stands might be fairly sparse for the Ole Miss game. See you at Flanagan's

	Xavier XAVIER MUSKETEERS Dayton's biggest rival dating back to the early 1900s. Founded in 1831, Xavier University is a Jesuit, Catholic university in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its three colleges offer 78 undergraduate majors, 43 minors and 11 graduate programs to 6,646 total students, including 3,961 undergraduates. The University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation and one of 28 Jesuit colleges and universities nationwide. Xavier's nickname is the Musketeers and are fellow A10 Conference members.

	Rhode Island RHODE ISLAND The University of Rhode Island was chartered as the state's agricultural school in 1888. The school became the Rhode Island College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in 1892. Located in southern Rhode Island, URI is a quintessential New England campus - rural in feeling yet close to the city of Providence, the state's capital. Linked to the city, the beaches, and nearly every corner of the state by both rail and public transit, the campus is easily accessible from Boston and New York URI currently offers 100 majors in seven degree-granting colleges. There are more than 12,000 students on the Kingston campus, about 3,000 in Providence, and a complement of about 700 faculty. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Rams.

[Fudd]

I read their board a bit and it sounds like they can shoot the 3 pointer. And it sounds like they have a few very athletic big forwards. Very general info, I know, but that is about all I know so far.

Because this is a NCAA tournament game, will signs at UD Arena be allowed? I'll bet that we could come up with some really good ones for the national audience concerning our seeding and the nonsense about UCLA and Indiana.

[ud2]

I would expect this to be a very loud/angry crowd. Should be one of the loudest crowds at UD Arena in quite a long time.

[UD90]

The sad part is both Dayton and Boise State are better than:

Texas
UCLA
Indiana
Purdue
Ole Miss
Georgia
LSU
Oklahoma St
....

and the list goes on....

http://www.sbnation.com/college-bask...ed-list-dayton

Compare their list to this list:

http://www.udpride.com/images/rpi.htm

Or this list:

http://kenpom.com/

[ruechalgrin]

Kenpom.com has Dayton with a 65% chance of winning and 66-62 score.

Boise State 48th best offense and 64th best defense = 39 overall.
Dayton has 73rd best offense and 38th best defense = 40 overall.

What scares me most is Boise State shoots 39% from 3 which is 19th best in the nation.

[Fudd]

Highlights of various games they have played this year. It looks like they have some very dangerous shooters from the perimeter and at least one big man (#23 James Webb) who can really finish inside and shoot the three well. There is more video out there on YouTube if you search for it.

+ YouTube Video

+ YouTube Video

+ YouTube Video

+ YouTube Video

[ud2]

8 Losses

-Loyola(Chicago) at neutral site, 123 rpi
-NC State, 40 rpi, away
-Wisconsin, 4 rpi, away
-Colorado State, 30 rpi, away
-Wyoming, 72 rpi, lost twice, home and away
-Utah State, 143 rpi, home
-Fresno State, 182 rpi, away

Swept rpi 26 San Diego State home and away.

Won at rpi 68 St. Mary's.

http://www.rpiforecast.com/teams/Boise%20St..html

They have 6'8" Nick Duncan #13, averaging 9 and 3 and 6'9" James Webb III, #23 averaging 12 and 8.

Those appear to be their productive big men.


http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/teams/bal/stats/


http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/teams/bal/roster/

[longtimefan67]

Originally Posted by UD90 The sad part is both Dayton and Boise State are better than: Texas UCLA Indiana Purdue Ole Miss Georgia LSU Oklahoma St .... and the list goes on.... http://www.sbnation.com/college-bask...ed-list-dayton Compare their list to this list: http://www.udpride.com/images/rpi.htm Or this list: http://kenpom.com/

No question that not only did UD get screwed- but so did Boise St., so both teams will have an axe to grind and something to prove. Also looks like they are road warriors this year so that sets up these story lines:

- UD's home winning streak vs this team which is very good on the road
- the controversy of giving UD a "home" game
- "just how good is this road team?"
- "Two very similar teams in a first four finale"

Not to mention the "packed UD arena- this is a great basketball town!"
And I hate to say it...'UD administration gleeful at getting another 2,000-3,000 paying fans buying concessions. And the NCAA getting more rating for the first 4

Yes it's all pathetic
Posted via Mobile Device

[rollo]

DDN's Brian Kollars is a HUGE Boise State fan...I'm looking forward to his thoughts on this match-up.

[hawkoooo]

Derrick Marks went to my high school (Plainfield Central, very close to Naperville where Bobby is from). As such I have followed his career very closely and watch as many of his games as I can. All bias aside he is the real deal. He is Mountain West POY for a reason. The definition of a "pure" scorer.

They lost their second best player for the year to injury, but that didn't seem to slow them. I think Pollard and Pierre will have a field day down low. Our main focus should be trying limit the 3s.

[Flyer 86]

Kyle Davis and our guards need to limit their outside game.

Their bigs aren't THAT big.

So agreed, gotta let Pierre and Pollard get early touches inside.

Gotta limit their outside game. Our defensive efficiency rating favors us .

Also need D Davis and Sibert to open up the floor.

I like our chances!

[Medford]

Originally Posted by rollo DDN's Brian Kollars is a HUGE Boise State fan...I'm looking forward to his thoughts on this match-up.

So you're the one?

[Flyer 86]

These guys can score. We need to keep this game in the 60's and play tough, posession type of ball.

Unless Jordan and Co are stroking it early. I'd like to see Archie work shots for Kyle, Sibert, and DD early in the game. Think Boise would /will expect a Pollard/Pierre plan early.
If our outside shots go down early, we are golden.

If not, it's a grinder.

[forego1]

Flyers have adopted an even plodding approach to save energy.

I anticipated they would let go and ratchet up considerably in NCAA.

I wonder now if that is counterproductive for first game. Either way, I have to believe they go to Columbus tired.

The great thing is True Team Flyers think differently. I'm telling you old farts to start getting to know these words:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIp8UrgRGxQ

[forego1]

Here is new slogan for you rollo:

I DON'T GET TIRED

[Flyer68]

Does BSU play on a blue basketball court? I am as angry as anyone about having to play a "play in" game to get an 11 seed but nothing can be done about it now. Start strong, get ahead early and make those foul shots. Will save some Guinness from March 17 and be routing loudly from New Jersey.

[BeckysTXA]

Originally Posted by forego1 Flyers have adopted an even plodding approach to save energy. I anticipated they would let go and ratchet up considerably in NCAA. I wonder now if that is counterproductive for first game. Either way, I have to believe they go to Columbus tired. The great thing is True Team Flyers think differently. I'm telling you old farts to start getting to know these words: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIp8UrgRGxQ

BSU will press early and often...right up to the point we rack up too many easy baskets. I think we are very good at breaking a press. All our guys can handle the rock.

I think BSU will have to adjust to a game without their press. On the other side of the coin, UD will have to come out hitting 3's. If we hit even close to our average amount of 3's yesterday and we are A-10 champs.

And I agree, P&P down low should have big games since BSU's bigs aren't that tall and P&P are probably quicker and more athletic. And finally, we will have to defend their 3's. They hit almost .400. We are around .350 -- but have slowed recently. (legs?)

So my 4 points of the game are:

1. Break their press early and often.
2. Hit our 3's better than we have recently.
3. Get the ball down low, utilizing P&P and our quick step to drive.
4. Defend their 3's.

[cj]

http://www.broncosports.com/sports/m.../teamcume.html

They go 10 deep.
They shoot almost 40% from 3
They average almost 9 made 3's per game
They average 70 ppg and allow 60 ppg

Many, many more stats to look at.

[Fudd]

If you were non-BCS and made it into the tournament this year, you must be pretty good. I think this will be a very stiff test, even on our floor.

[rollo]

Originally Posted by Fudd If you were non-BCS and made it into the tournament this year, you must be pretty good.

There are 31 teams with 10 or more losses in this Tournament and 13 teams with 12, 13 or 14 losses...meaning there's not a lot of separation between most of the match-ups. This tournament might see more 'upsets' than any other.

Originally Posted by Fudd I think this will be a very stiff test, even on our floor.

Yuuuup. Should be a great game.

[forego1]

Originally Posted by Fudd If you were non-BCS and made it into the tournament this year, you must be pretty good. I think this will be a very stiff test, even on our floor.

That is RIGHT too! Of course I KNOW you are referring to the Flyers. They are very good, ESPECIALLY on our floor.

[DaytonDecibelDungeon]

Originally Posted by forego1 That is RIGHT too! Of course I KNOW you are referring to the Flyers. They are very good, ESPECIALLY on our floor.

Haven't the Flyers won a few games in a row at The Arena?

[T-Bone 84]

Don't count your chickens, boys. Many a battle, and many a war, has been lost because one opponent underestimated the other. Just because the site for this game is 1 mile from campus doesn't mean our guys are automatically going to walk onto the floor and get handed keys to Nationwide Arena in C-bus.

I'm sure Archie and his staff will have them as mentally prepared as possible for this one, but if our fans take it for granted that we're going to win this, Boise will have us right where they want us. We all need to take this as seriously as we did our recent match-ups with VCU & RI - and maybe more so.

I remember a lot of posters saying we were a lock before we even started in Brooklyn, and several others saying we were a lock after our win vs. St. Bonnie. H@!!, I was on that latter bus! Turns out we were only a lock after UConn lost yesterday. Shows you what we all knew. And yes, I know both us and Boise State got screwed by the Selection Committee, and that we both should have been 9-10 seeds somewhere. All the more reason to not take our opponent (a conference co-champ with SDSU) lightly. We're pi$$ed. They probably are, too.

We have a good opportunity here, if we just take advantage of it. Pedal to the metal, and don't let-up until after the final horn Wednesday night!

[Marysville Flyer]

I'd always rather play an over seeded middle of the pack BCS 6 seed than a quality 'mid-major' that was under seeded (i.e. Tulsa and now Boise).

This should be a great game. Maybe it'll open up dialogue with the MWC for our mutual benefit since teams in that conference are equally disrespected.
Posted via Mobile Device

[Flyer 86]

Home court will be what saves our bacon. Seems like teams are very evenly matched, they with a fuller,deeper bench.

I'd like to someone to find out shooting stats for our home games. Anecdotal and my own viewing tell me that Jordan Sibert, Kyle , and Pierre love our rims.

Time for some home cooking!

[DaytonDecibelDungeon]

Originally Posted by Flyer 86 Home court will be what saves our bacon... Time for some home cooking!

Funny you should mention that. According to an article written on FiveThirtyEight Sports they would agree with you.

The East region also features an unusual circumstance: The University of Dayton will get to play on its home court in its “play-in” game against the other No. 11 seed, Boise State. This is part of why our model considers Dayton a 73 percent favorite in that game despite having only a slightly stronger power rating than the Broncos.

http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/...arity-is-over/

[maddog07]

Originally Posted by Flyer 86 Home court will be what saves our bacon. Seems like teams are very evenly matched, they with a fuller,deeper bench. I'd like to someone to find out shooting stats for our home games. Anecdotal and my own viewing tell me that Jordan Sibert, Kyle , and Pierre love our rims. Time for some home cooking!

There are no rims that like Kyle for anything more than a close range shot. 17 of 71, a worse percentage than Pollard. He's in Ray Charles territory . And he's always open. --wonder why ??? Stop him before he shoots again . Love to see a game of horse between he and London
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[LKB]

Hello Flyer fans...

Excited for Wednesday's game! This will be our 2nd trip to Dayton in the last few years, albeit under very different circumstances this time. Part of me is feeling like Boise State got screwed. Nobody should be playing a road game in the NCAA Tournament. That said, our conference mates, Colorado State, being snubbed altogether has me thinking we should just be glad we got in at all.

I'm sure you're curious about what to expect from Boise State. I wish I knew.

The season started with somewhat high expectations. A top 3 finish in the MW at least. Then Anthony Drmic, the preseason MW POY had to take a medical redshirt because of an injury. Then we opened conference play 0-3. We were toast. The murmurs started..."Ugh...when does spring football start?".

Then the team inexplicably won 14 of their next 15...winning for the first time ever @ Utah State, UNLV, New Mexico, and especially ranked San Diego State. Derrick Marks went on a tear, and we suddenly figured out how to play defense. Even the best shooting opponents were struggling vs. the Bronco defense. We won the regular season title, sort of sharing it with SDSU (weird, cause they lost to us twice). For the first time in program history, we were ranked and on a serious high.

....then the MW Tournament happened.

Suddenly the dominant defense that we had seen for weeks vanished, and Derrick Marks torrid scoring pace finally cooled off. Against Wyoming, he couldn't buy a bucket. Considering the level this team played at for so long, the trip to Vegas was a disappointment.

So what do we expect from Boise State? I think any fan claiming to know what's ahead is kidding themselves. The dominant defensive team from late January-early March with great shooting can play with anyone. The team we saw in Vegas this past weekend? They'll lose by double-digits in Dayton. I don't know which team is arriving.

All that said...here are the key players for the Broncos from my POV.

PG - Derrick Marks

From his freshman season through his junior season, Marks was a frustrating player. Brilliant one moment, invisible the next. After Drmic got hurt, Marks stepped up as the team alpha dog and flourished. Shot 50% from the field and 44% from three, averaging near 20 PPG. When Marks is on, he is too physical to handle. He backs down smaller guards with ease and beats them with a sweet jumper. In Vegas however, Marks suddenly lost his great touch and frankly was not effective. Time will tell if that was an aberration or if Marks' career will end on a cold streak.

F - Nick Duncan

Our portly 6'8" forward. He can't jump, struggles on defense, and overall doesn't look like a basketball player. But when he's on from 3, he is a maddening opponent. Don't fall a sleep in the corner or he'll shoot from there all night long. When he's on, he's ON. When he's not....ugh.

F - James Webb III

JWIII...the 6'9" forward who can jump out of the gym arrived on campus with a lot of hype, but how often do players really meet those expectations? Often times, fans exaggerate the overall athletic ability of players. After Drmic got hurt, JWIII saw more minutes, and eventually ended up starting. We knew he was raw, but had ridiculous athleticism. Then he started burying threes and everyone was like wut. He went 7/7 from 3 at The Pit in New Mexico, and can hit the shot consistently. He's a fun player to watch who can shoot, rebound, and play defense.

Others

Chandler Hutchison starts for BSU. He is a true freshman, 6'8" guard/forward. He is Boise State's first ever consensus Top 100 recruit. He is as raw as it gets. Looks confused at times, can't shoot and frankly lacks the confidence to shoot. But he's really long, can jump into the rafters, and is a great on-ball defender. I expect Archie to force BSU to make Hutchison beat UD. Iggy is our other guard. He isn't very good athletically, but plays good defense. Dribbles the ball too much. Mikey Thompson is a decent guard with quickness, who is easing his way back into the lineup after getting into trouble a month ago. C David Wacker (6'10") will come into the game occasionally. Like Hutchison, a highly-touted freshman who will eventually be very good, but is still raw.

Ultimately, Boise State goes as Marks, Webb, and Duncan go. Those three need to be shooting well for BSU to have a chance. Also, the defense that earned this team a regular season MW championship needs to reappear or this will get ugly.

Good news for BSU? While Dayton's 16-0 home record is intimidating, this BSU team has been making a habit of ruining home winning streaks. St' Mary's had an 18-game home winning streak, until Boise State came to town. Utah State has NEVER lost at home to Boise State. Until this year. Same went for New Mexico and UNLV. San Diego State hadn't lost at Veijas since November of 2013, and that was to #1 ranked Arizona. The Broncos won by double-digits in front of 13K fans. So yes, the numbers are stacked against Boise State, but they've pulled through before.

Overall, my gut says Boise State drops this game. Playing literally @Dayton being the deciding factor, along with some of the MW Tournament issues carrying over to this week. That won't stunt my excitement though. After the Drmic injury + 0-3 start to conference play, I was content for being respectable. Getting to the NCAA Tournament blew expectations at the time out of the water. I'm hoping for the best, bracing for the worst. It's been a great year though. Football team won a NY6 bowl, and the basketball team made the big dance. Not many schools can say that.

Wednesday will be fun. Go Broncos!

[anthonycharles]

I would MUCH rather play Indiana, UCLA or Texas. But it is what it is. This game scares me.

[frisco flyer]

Boise St. lost to NC State. Also notable is the fact that NC State played in Dayton last year and won

I'm willing to bet Archie checked in on his old coach to say hello sometime on Sunday night. Mark Gottfried just might be the ace in the hole that gives Dayton an edge over Boise. A sellout crowd at the arena won't hurt either.

[ud2]

Not sure if it was mentioned, but BSU played in the 2013 First Four as a 13 seed, they lost to 13 seed LaSalle 80-71. They played on a Wednesday night in Dayton that year. LaSalle went onto the Sweet 16.


http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_...Dayton.2C_Ohio

	LaSalle LA SALLE In 1863, La Salle University was established through the legacy of St. John Baptist de La Salle and the Christian Brothers teaching order, which De La Salle founded 300 years ago. Located in Philadelphia, La Salle is an educational community shaped by traditional Catholic and Lasallian values. La Salle's main campus is an ideal place for students to pursue an education. The 130-acre park-like setting includes 54 buildings and is located approximately six miles from Center City Philadelphia. The University can accommodate 2,114 resident students in its 12 residence halls, two apartment complexes, and 75 townhouses. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Explorers. Notable athletes include Tom Gola and Lionel Simmons.

[CoffeeCan]

Andy Katz on ESPN highlighed the fact that Boise State is a three point shooting team. This concerns me, as the last three games in the A10 tourney we have been torched from 3 point land.

[Whacker]

This team needs Baby D to hit some triples. He looked more confident in Brooklyn, but they didn't fall. Kyle appears to have lost all confidence in his ability to hit threes. He's finding other ways to contribute though. He's always the first one down the court - so much so Dayton is automatically looking for him on turnovers and in transition. He passed up an open 3 vs VXU, but took a dribble or two in and knocked down 17 footer. That's a good shot for him as keeps defenses a bit more honest.

[shapanud]

Originally Posted by frisco flyer Boise St. lost to NC State. Also notable is the fact that NC State played in Dayton last year and won I'm willing to bet Archie checked in on his old coach to say hello sometime on Sunday night. Mark Gottfried just might be the ace in the hole that gives Dayton an edge over Boise. A sellout crowd at the arena won't hurt either.

Gottfried was coaching at Alabama when Archie was at NC State, so I don't know how much of a relationship they would have. He has been at NC State since 2011.

[frisco flyer]

Originally Posted by shapanud Gottfried was coaching at Alabama when Archie was at NC State, so I don't know how much of a relationship they would have. He has been at NC State since 2011.

You are right. Archie played for Herb Sendek at NC State and later worked on his staff at ASU. I had the two coaches mixed up in my semi-vegetative state of mind since Selection Sunday.

[dnutz77]

FWIW, my old man attended all the practice sessions today and sat near one of the tunnels. He said that towards the end of the UD practice, he could hear the Boise State players mocking our guys and mouthing off about how UD will be one and done and that Boise is going to end the home winning streak. All pretty common I'm sure but I certainly don't like someone coming into MY house and disrespecting me or my family.

I'd be there if I could and Lord knows I would do my part to contribute to a crazy atmosphere, but I'll have to settle for watching it on my tube and hoping that I don't wake up the family!!

NO one, and I MEAN No one comes into OUR house and pushes us around!!

[The Gem]

These guys aren't going to be bothered by the crowd at all. This game scares the crap out of me.

[FlyingArrow]

@LKB: That sounds like us from last year. In January, fans were calling for Archie's head. Then we went on a run and made the tournament. Then we went on another little run...

[ScottyExpress]

Originally Posted by The Gem These guys aren't going to be bothered by the crowd at all. This game scares the crap out of me.

If you're not a little scared by your competition in the NCAA tournament, something is wrong. That being said, I have trust in this team, I know the crowd will raucous and loud , and I have absolute faith in Archie Miller. Go Flyers!