M: Causeway

[SDHornet]

Part 1 – at the Nest

The dungpilers (2-1) finally found the stones to put the Hornets back on the schedule. It’s early so it’s tough to see where their team is at as they graduated all their playmakers from last season. This game is their first road game and they lost their season opener to NDSU in OT; a Bison team that graduated its top scorer from 14/15 but returned pretty much everyone else. Then they convincingly knocked off a Portland team that is completely different team than the one the Hornets beat in the CIT last year. Their most recent win is against a play down opponent.

They run a guard heavy lineup and have shot the ball well so far in this young season so the Hornet defense will need to be on its game. This should be a good game and I think it will be close.

 

[mattman_121]

I'm very excited for this game considering the Hornets have a chance to start out 4-0 with a couple more games left on this homestand. The road team has had some recent success in this series and I think tonight will be very close contest that could go either way. Sac State has played well this year, but don't sleep on UC Davis, they have played well so far this year, even after losing a lot of talent (similar to Sac State).

Here are a couple of things I will be keeping my eye on:

1. Hornets Pressure Defense. So far Sac State has shown the ability to put some pressure on their opponent and force some turnovers, especially with the bench unit. UC Davis has also struggled against pressure last year and have been turning the ball over quite a bit so far this year. I'm sure Les has seen this and we won't be able to totally catch them off guard. One thing I have been particularly encouraged by this year is the defense when Hornsby and Strings share the court, both have a huge wingspan and make the passing lanes very difficult, they are also both very strong so they can guard the post and rebound.

2. Sac State 3 Pt Shooting Defense. 2-17 4-27 6-29 those are the numbers of opponents so far this year beyond the arc. Those numbers are complete smoke and mirrors and will regress.

3. Nolan Berry. I have heard from some that believe he is the best player on the UC Davis roster, but for some reason he hasn't got a ton of playing time from Les so far this year. Watch out for the Sophomore transfer from Butler.

4. Free Throw Shooting. Sac State hasn't been good from the line so far this year, but I don't think it is time to panic yet. This has the potential to be a very tight game and free throws down the stretch could be the difference.

 

[sacstateman]

I'm very excited for this game considering the Hornets have a chance to start out 4-0 with a couple more games left on this homestand. The road team has had some recent success in this series and I think tonight will be very close contest that could go either way. Sac State has played well this year, but don't sleep on UC Davis, they have played well so far this year, even after losing a lot of talent (similar to Sac State).

Here are a couple of things I will be keeping my eye on:

1. Hornets Pressure Defense. So far Sac State has shown the ability to put some pressure on their opponent and force some turnovers, especially with the bench unit. UC Davis has also struggled against pressure last year and have been turning the ball over quite a bit so far this year. I'm sure Les has seen this and we won't be able to totally catch them off guard. One thing I have been particularly encouraged by this year is the defense when Hornsby and Strings share the court, both have a huge wingspan and make the passing lanes very difficult, they are also both very strong so they can guard the post and rebound.

2. Sac State 3 Pt Shooting Defense. 2-17 4-27 6-29 those are the numbers of opponents so far this year beyond the arc. Those numbers are complete smoke and mirrors and will regress.

3. Nolan Berry. I have heard from some that believe he is the best player on the UC Davis roster, but for some reason he hasn't got a ton of playing time from Les so far this year. Watch out for the Sophomore transfer from Butler.

4. Free Throw Shooting. Sac State hasn't been good from the line so far this year, but I don't think it is time to panic yet. This has the potential to be a very tight game and free throws down the stretch could be the difference.

I pretty much agree with everything you say mattman. I especially like our pressure when Jiday comes in. He can be such a disrupter for our opponents. Justin and Nick are long and can clog up the passing lanes and also Dreon is quick off his feet and seems to get a hand on a lot of passes that are attempted over his head. Wu is also good in the trap defense.
It is true that our opponents have shot terribly from 3 land but some of that is due to our being able to close out better than in past years, but I agree that it is skewed a bunch so far.
I'm anxious to see Berry but I think his lack of mins is due to Les being such a guard oriented coach. Les has run off several big men in his time at Davis. I don't think he knows how to utilize big men so he concentrates his efforts on the guards.
Free throw shooting will have to get better for the reasons you cite. I don't see any reason (bad form) for the shooting woes to continue. I think we are about a 72 to 73% ft team.
We need to get all the upset football fans to come out and get some revenge against the Aggies. This is a good barometer game for us and for them.

 

[SDHornet]

84-79 win. Wow what a game, what an atmosphere. Somehow 1400 people were crammed into the Nest. :clap:

If the Hornets kept their foot on the pedal the whole game then they would have curb stomped the dungpilers. Hornets started slow, then got rolling and looked as they would run away with it. Then things kind of fell apart and the Hornets went cold for the last 3 minutes of the first half and first 6 minutes of the second half. Then they just turned it on and took it to them and finished strong. Tons of fouls called on everyone, Hornets had a great showing at the stripe and a solid showing from the arc. Too many missed shots up close by the bigs, and some defensive lapses at the wrong time. Absolutely clutch shooting at the stripe down the stretch.

This team is impressive. Demps struggled from the floor but made up for it at the stripe. Strings...man oh man can this guy play, a perfect night for him. Huge defensive stops and turnovers late in the game. Sloppiest part of the game was too many short misses, and ugly rebounding in the 2nd half. Wow what a game. Hornet Nation needed that win. :nod: :clap:
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66yg7UtQl2E&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]

 

[Green Laser]

Great game and atmosphere! Congratulations and thanks to the players an coaches! The Hornets were more athletic an a step quicker than the dungpilers. Looks like it' going to be a great season! Good that the Prez was there the promote the Events Center at halftime. I sure would like to see us with the same Big Sky Football/ Big West other sports deal that poly and the dungpilers have. It' so much better playing opponents people have actually heard of and that have a connection with, than the BSC schools.



Go Hornets!

 

[BuckeyeHornetFan]

I followed the end of the game and got a bit nervous when Cody Demps missed a 1-and-1 with under :20 to go. But they came up with a big steal and denied the attempt to tie.

I know it's early, but wouldn't it be wonderful if they could best the 21 wins they had last season?

 

[sacstateman]

I followed the end of the game and got a bit nervous when Cody Demps missed a 1-and-1 with under :20 to go. But they came up with a big steal and denied the attempt to tie.

I know it's early, but wouldn't it be wonderful if they could best the 21 wins they had last season?

I'm on board with you Buckeye, I can see 23 or 24 wins now that I didn't see pre season. By the middle of next week I will either feel much more confident about the number of wins or my hopes will be diminished a bit. We have a real chance to start 9-0 and then go to Stanford with enough confidence and ability to pull off another Pac12 azz whoopin. I've been wrong before and will be wrong again but I sure hope I'm right on this one.

 

[Kadeezy]

If we go to 'furd 9-0, I'd be at that game in hopes of a achieving complete Hornet-gasm with a win. Hell, at that point, we'd be getting votes in the Top 25 poll, and likely in it at 10-0. But we're ahead of ourselves...

 

[sacstateman]

As Andy Dufresne said in Shawshank Redemption "Hope is a good thing" BTW, Stanford will at best be 5-4 when we play them, you never know

 

[josephpoint]

Great win and thank goodness the hornets took care of business at the free throw line after coming back in the 2nd half.
So nice to get another win over Davis after a few years of waiting for the Ags to come back to J Street.

Just a wonderful start to the season.

So curious about our capacity in Hornet Gym how do they stuff nearly 1,500 people into a gym with a said capacity of 1,012. There were indeed some standing but not 500?

Anyway, best of luck to our Hornets in there first home tournament in 20 years and first ever perhaps in Hornet Gym this weekend.

Keep it rolling Hornets.

Sac State Pride.

Stingers Up!!

 

[SDHornet]

So curious about our capacity in Hornet Gym how do they stuff nearly 1,500 people into a gym with a said capacity of 1,012. There were indeed some standing but not 500?

There were temp bleachers on the western baseline that were full, and the area behind those bleachers to the wall was jam packed with standing room only people. I don't doubt the head count for the game.

 

[josephpoint]

That is great.

Whatever is happening to make Hornet Gym a gym that holds 1,500 is all good.

The gym was built 60 years ago to hold 1,800 that capacity was reduced to 1,012. when all the original bleachers were taken out for seat backs for Div I play. The old bleacher seating throughout the gym went much higher then the current seating. Just look at how high the ceiling of the gym is compared to ow high the current seating is. Lots of wasted space.

Remember the late 1980s when the gym held 1,800 and they brought in the bleachers at that time from the baseball field under the west basket and the crowds were 2,400. Not making this up i was there.

It is all good. Just want our gym filled every game to capacity and our Hornets to win !!

And of course want a new gym.

But most of all i want what we have right now.

A 4-0 team and getting better game by game!!