I sure hope so. This is the most excited I have been for an upcoming season since Dave Rice.
Has the Sleeping Giant finally been awoken?
- Thread starter Doneoett
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We will see, Rice won 0 NCAA Tourney games, but at this point I’ll take a one and done tourney appearance.
As exciting as recruiting has been, we have to do it when the lights are on, especially come January in MW conference play!
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Too soon to tell. Let's wait until they play all of the non conference games before we anoint anyone with a label. We might be Airport All Americans and crap the bed OR they could be a contender if they are cohesive and CKK outlaws hero ball.
We had much better recruiting years under Rice and some wins like against UNC. CKK hasn't reached the same highs yet and the sleeping giant is still in a deep doze if you ask me. But hopefully we can say otherwise in a few years
I’m hesitant to say the sleeping giant is awake. Like you said, maybe in a few years.
The difference between the recruiting done here and what rice did is the level experience. Rice hit home run after home run with the high school kids. We are getting some true experience here that Rice never brought in, at least to this level. I just hope it translates the way we hope.
This is desperation mode for the super seniors. We’ve got 5 of em, all of which could have made their way to a more consistent tournament team. They must feel like they’ve got something going here and I like that.
We have a long ways before that can really be assessed IMO. Gotta have years of sustained success with regular appearances in the NCAA. Give me a 5 year run with 4-5 appearances with one of those getting to the 2nd weekend or elite 8 and then we can start talking about awakening the giant. I know we hate to admit this, but being what SDSU has been the last 15+ years is what we should be shooting for.
Nah, they just changed the IV and our pulse jumped a little...
That said, having a solid HS recruit is nice, and adding a bunch of talented Seniors should create competitive push, but we've had high hopes with off season recruiting before- remember, we had Zaon and Kaluma committed, we even had Menzies land McCoy, and we're still middle of the pack MWC team with 0 post season in a decade... so again, nice offseason banner, but I like the kind you hang in the Mack, not Rebel Net... 🤣🤣
That said, having a solid HS recruit is nice, and adding a bunch of talented Seniors should create competitive push, but we've had high hopes with off season recruiting before- remember, we had Zaon and Kaluma committed, we even had Menzies land McCoy, and we're still middle of the pack MWC team with 0 post season in a decade... so again, nice offseason banner, but I like the kind you hang in the Mack, not Rebel Net... 🤣🤣
Yeah every year we get some summertime excitement only to have it flushed down the toilet but conference season. I'll be excited and curious, not optimistic of a top MWC finish just yet. Too many new pieces, I'll stay tempered but love the schedule compared to last years mish mash.
Wouldn’t go that far. I’d rather wait to see who is healthy, how we round out the roster and schedule, see how they click over the summer and early fall.
Even if you take the best by way of paper, I wouldn’t call it an awakened giant. I think we will probably complete to be top 4 in the conference.
But we’ve seen better talent (on paper) not come close. We’ve seen mediocre on paper completely flop. We’ve seen garbage on paper that’s been, well, garbage.
Talent is just one of several things needed to be successful. We haven’t had much lately, we definitely upped it. But we’ve been lacking with other things as well …
For me it’s a wait and see … but it’s always that way.
There is no sleeping giant, that's just delusion/denial. UNLV is dirt and bones trying to rebuild from there.
Yeah, I see it more like that.
To me sleeping giant means we have the potential to do what Tark did here, essentially a top 10 program for 15 years, a regular FF contender. SDSU isn’t even close to that, not many are, and we just don’t have that ability anymore.
We need to re-create ourselves, build from scratch and our potential will never be what it once was.
Dug the hole and buried ourselves too. I appreciate anyone attempting to dig us out but the hole feels way to deep.
Necromancer level resurrection then.
New Mexico is going to be a tough out this year. They've had a good recruiting year. Boise is always tough. USU lost some strength but, for some reason, they seem to be able to annually reload. And, as usual, SDSU will be a very tough out.
Depending on how all the teams schedule OOC we could have a four-bid league. If that's the case I'm very hopeful of an invite. I think it will take some luck to get to the top of our league.
Depending on how all the teams schedule OOC we could have a four-bid league. If that's the case I'm very hopeful of an invite. I think it will take some luck to get to the top of our league.
It's all going to be about coaching... situational coaching. Talent is there, but we can't get worked for stretches especially out of halftime or mid 2nd half.
I expect USU to drop with every coaching change but they are a stable program. Still, I think they’ll drop a little bit.
SJSU is SJSU, it’s a good place for Miles and Miles is good for them, imo. But there is only so much you can do there. I think all always view them as 6-12 which an occasional blip above.
Wyoming is a mess. Fresno is awful. AFA is AFA.
SDSU is a couple lengths ahead of everyone else until proven differently. They are tier 1 and alone there.
UNM, eh … don’t know. They seem to get enough talent but can’t put anything consistent together. They’re similar to UNLV in my eyes.
Alford will always get it done at a moderate level, some years better than others but still … it’s Reno. If he does things well enough, he’s gone, he hates that place in the same way Muss hated it.
UNLV shouldn’t have a problem finishing in the top 5. There shouldn’t be excuses for less than that in this conference. But there are always more excuses than total wins every single year, warranted or not.
It was previously ignored, unfortunately, or there were some massive miscalculations … probably the latter. That will happen from time to time, but it should never happen with multiple players/positions. These rosters were flawed from the start, imo.
The only liches I know of are the ones in the old Heroes of Might and Magic 3 game and they're badass so, yes!
I think top 5 is too low! Maybe that’s what will happen but I wouldn’t be happy with that. The talent says top 3 MWC so if we are at 5 going into the MWC tournamen, it means we had injury or coaching issues.
The bar needs to be set for a top 3 with worst case top 4!
The bar needs to be set for a top 3 with worst case top 4!
I also think we need to be top 3 or it is a disappointing season. But to be honest I have no idea what other mwc teams lost or brought in.
The bar should always be top 3 but unfortunately we struggle to even get top 5 for a bye and can’t even get to Friday in the MW tournament.
San Dieg State, New Mexico, Nevada, Boise State, and Utah State are always tough. New Mexico had a high quality recruiting class not to mention their starting guards are back. San Diego State is San Diego State nuff said, Utah State lost some good players, but I'm sure they gained some good ones and will be tough specially at home. Boise State not sure about their class, and Transfers but I'm sure they will be good. Nevada has both their starting senior guards back. Top three would be nice and a special season because it would most likely put us in the tourney. Dedan will definitely need PG IQ and his talent to shine. I'm hoping for 3 or better but we will see
Just my opinion here; 3rd is the lowest I'll accept. SDSU is always SDSU. New Mexico got much better and they'll be in the tourney and dangerous.
As ignorant as it sounds, I'm not worried about Boise or Nevada right now. They don't have the depth we have. I'm not scared of Little Man Rice without Shaver and Blackshear can't handle pressure.
Not to rile anyone up but if our last roster slot is who Im hearing it'll be, its really over with for everyone.
And a last note; I don't think anyone is sleeping on Jalen, but he is going to be so good for us. He changed our trajectory and everything. His versatility >>>>
As ignorant as it sounds, I'm not worried about Boise or Nevada right now. They don't have the depth we have. I'm not scared of Little Man Rice without Shaver and Blackshear can't handle pressure.
Not to rile anyone up but if our last roster slot is who Im hearing it'll be, its really over with for everyone.
And a last note; I don't think anyone is sleeping on Jalen, but he is going to be so good for us. He changed our trajectory and everything. His versatility >>>>
Even if we fall flat on our face, at least I had a glimmer of hope.
Nevada did lose a couple transfers but I still think they will be tough with senior guards. But if we beat them twice last year we should definetly beat them down this year too. Is it a big man for that last spot. Could it be one from Washington State or maybe San jose
Can't say who the last spot will go to but there was a lot of communication today so I think this might end soon. Not 100% sure though.
I'm not afraid of Blackshear and Lucas because they play scared. When they're up they play freely but neither of them have that dog in them. Idc about the age difference, Dedan will run circles around both. Lucas better pray he doesn't get that defensive assignment because it'll be a long night for him
U don't have to tell me who just maybe a hint. Like is it one of the two? 😅 Or hopefully we will find out soon!
Or could the player be a ex teamate of Dennis Rodman's son? Just putting it out there.
Reno players play extremely scared. I’m kinda pissed Baker is gone because he may have been the softest big we’ve ever played against. Any big who gets shut down by Muoka and victor needs a reality check. I think Lucas is their only good player, blackshear is just an idiot who commits stupid fouls and doesn’t have an outside shot.
Top 25 in attendance and 3 ncaa’s in a row! That’s an awakening.
I’ve been conditioned over the last 20 years not to put expectations on our team. On paper they should compete but we all know how things have gone for us. My hope is we make the tournament no matter how we get there. Don’t really care about where we land in the conference in the end if we end up in the NCAA. It’s where UNLV belongs as a program. That’s my hope at least. Expectation? Not so much.
I have never heard of San Jose State or Wazzu or DJ Rodman😂😂😂🤷♂️
Don't kill me for saying this, but expect a lot! But yeah I do feel you in terms of it doesn't matter nor should we care how we get there. We def do belong in march madness.
I'm already planning on hosting something for this board if (when) we make it to the tourney. Perhaps the selection show or a game in the tourney or even big away games. Don't hold me to it because I might not even be in town but I'd like to do that so we can build something
Since nobody seems to have much on BSU, I'll fill y'all in. I'll state here, UNLV wasn't the only squad to have a good off-season, personnel-wise but I'd still give the nod to the Rebs.
BSU lost starters Marcus Shaver and Najee Smith. Last season was a letdown for Shaver, as he either played injured or didn’t play for much of it. His confidence suffered and he wasn’t nearly as clutch as the year before. As a do everything wing who wasn’t afraid to mix it up and do the dirty work, Smith was probably even more valuable in the locker room. He’ll be missed a lot. Returning starters: Tyson Degenhart, Max Rice, Chibuzo Agbo.
Transfers out: seldom-used 6-11 C Burke Smith, little used 6-10 G Sada Nganga, a disappointment who never seemed to look anything but lost on the court, and 6-2 G Pavle Kuzmanovic, who looked to be a promising shooter but saw playing time diminish as 2nd or 3rd guard off the bench with the emergence of Jace Whiting.
Transfers in: 6-8 Cameron Martin, Kansas, coming off a shoulder injury and didn’t play last year; very mobile and very good shooter. 6-2 Roddie Anderson, UC San Diego, HM All-Big West as freshman, 15.8 ppg 3.9 apg, expected to step right in for Shaver. 6-8 O’Mar Stanley, St Johns, came on strong late in the season, seen as a Najee Smith type with a big, positive locker room presence.
Incoming freshmen: 6-7 wing Andrew Meadow could be an immediate contributor in the Degenhart mold, 6-3 G Chris Lockett, Louisiana Gatorade POY should see time early, 6-8 F Emmanuel Ugbo, who played for Porsche BBA Ludwigsburg in Germany last year.
Broncos should be the deepest they've been in the Leon Rice era (since 2010) and, arguably, the most talented. If Leon can't get the BSU NCAA tourney all-time win tally off of '0' this season, he might never be able to do it.
BSU lost starters Marcus Shaver and Najee Smith. Last season was a letdown for Shaver, as he either played injured or didn’t play for much of it. His confidence suffered and he wasn’t nearly as clutch as the year before. As a do everything wing who wasn’t afraid to mix it up and do the dirty work, Smith was probably even more valuable in the locker room. He’ll be missed a lot. Returning starters: Tyson Degenhart, Max Rice, Chibuzo Agbo.
Transfers out: seldom-used 6-11 C Burke Smith, little used 6-10 G Sada Nganga, a disappointment who never seemed to look anything but lost on the court, and 6-2 G Pavle Kuzmanovic, who looked to be a promising shooter but saw playing time diminish as 2nd or 3rd guard off the bench with the emergence of Jace Whiting.
Transfers in: 6-8 Cameron Martin, Kansas, coming off a shoulder injury and didn’t play last year; very mobile and very good shooter. 6-2 Roddie Anderson, UC San Diego, HM All-Big West as freshman, 15.8 ppg 3.9 apg, expected to step right in for Shaver. 6-8 O’Mar Stanley, St Johns, came on strong late in the season, seen as a Najee Smith type with a big, positive locker room presence.
Incoming freshmen: 6-7 wing Andrew Meadow could be an immediate contributor in the Degenhart mold, 6-3 G Chris Lockett, Louisiana Gatorade POY should see time early, 6-8 F Emmanuel Ugbo, who played for Porsche BBA Ludwigsburg in Germany last year.
Broncos should be the deepest they've been in the Leon Rice era (since 2010) and, arguably, the most talented. If Leon can't get the BSU NCAA tourney all-time win tally off of '0' this season, he might never be able to do it.
