I am a huge college basketball fan. I will watch virtually any game any time during the season. Growing up in Arkansas, I remember Sidney Moncrief, U.S. Reed & the others paving the way for Nolan Richardson & co. to win it all in 1994. The home games I missed while attending Miss State can be counted on 1 hand, with fingers left over. The tickets were free to students & the coliseum is across the street from the Architecture Building.
After 7-1/2 years in Baltimore, MD, I finally had the chance to watch my alma mater play basketball within driving distance. I drove about 1 -1/2 hours down to Fairfax, VA & watched the Bulldogs play George Mason University. I loved every minute of it, even though we lost by 4. GM is a seasoned & extremely well-coached team. State is far more talented, but when there are 3 freshman & 2 sophomores on a court with juniors & seniors who played in the Final Four last season, you guess who comes out on top.
A 4 point loss is probably a good showing. 2 days before New Year, GM had about 8,000 fans in attendance. To our credit, there were about 200 of us in maroon & white. There apparently was at 1 other Orioles fan, who shouted "O" during the National Anthem. If you don't get the joke, I'll try to fill you in later.
Anyway, we had flashes of great play & flashes of 3 freshman & 2 sophomores playing. We turned the ball over at key junctures, but also came up with 9 blocks. We out rebounded GM by 5, but watching the game I would have sworn we were out rebounded. The box score I saw doesn't break out offensive v. defensive rebounds, but I would estimate they beat us by 5 in strictly offensive rebounds.
State had the most talent on the floor by far. If these guys stay together till the sophomores are seniors & the freshman are juniors, they can make some noise in the SEC & NCAA tourney. As is stands today, we will lose probably 75% of our SEC road games, rally late in the season to finish at .500 & win a couple in the NIT. I doubt this team can get their shit together to make the Big Dance. Their point guard is too selfish. The true freshman who plays some point is more of a shooting guard. The center is 6'-9" & only 195. He plays tip drill instead of grabbing rebounds. Any team with a true big man will eat us alive in the paint.
They will be fun to watch, no doubt about it, but we will not hang with the elite in the SEC. And, we showed today that we can't make the big runs to bury teams & quiet their crowds.
