Get to Know South Dakota State

The 2011-2012 South Dakota State Jackrabbits

As a #3 seed in the South Regional of the NCAA Tournament, the Baylor Bears were selected to play a team you probably know nothing about in their Round of 64 matchup. So, here is your chance to get to know the South Dakota State Jackrabbits. 

South Dakota State is located in Brookings, South Dakota with an enrollment of nearly 11,000 undergraduate students. Adam Vinateri, now an NFL kicker, was once a Jackrabbit and is honestly the only alumni that I truly deem worth mentioning. 

The Jackrabbits basketball team has only been a Division 1 member since 2004-2005, and this is their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament. South Dakota State, led by head coach Scott Nagy finished the year with a 27-7 overall record. Their 15-3 conference record was good for second in the Summit League, behind only Oral Roberts. 

South Dakota State cruised passed IUPUI and Southern Utah in the Summit League tournament knocking off Western Illinois in a 52-50, come from behind win, in the Summit Championship. This earned the Jackrabbits a tilt with Baylor (27-7, 12-6) in the NCAA Tournament. 

The Jackrabbits are led by all conference performer Nate Wolters who averages 21.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 6 assists per game. Wolters has the 18th highest Usage Percentage in the country (32.1) which means he uses approximately 32 out of every 100 South Dakota State possessions while he is on the floor. Wolters is 6'4" and while he isn't incredibly quick does an excellent job of getting to the basket and finishing with contact. Wolters struggled from deep this year, but hit over 40% of his threes in 2010-2011, and is also capable of knocking down the midrange jumper. 

The Jackrabbits will set lots of high screens for Wolters and surround him with three-point shooters. South Dakota State has four different players that play 24 or more minutes and shoot above 40% from beyond the arc. The most notable of the quartet is Jordan Dykstra who is 6'8" and shooting 48.6% from deep and is capable of drawing opposing big men out of the lane. 

Defensively South Dakota State typically plays a half-court man to man defense. Against Western Illinois the Jackrabbit guards weren't afraid to switch all guard on guard screens and dribble handoffs which is something that could cause them problems in the tournament. South Dakota State could potentially get abused inside against bigger teams as their starting center is only 6'7" and his front court mate is the 6'8" Dykstra. They bring a 6'9" Sophomore (Marcus Heemstra) off the bench, but he averages only 9 minutes per contest.

How to Beat South Dakota State

Baylor, in my opinion, would be best served continuing what they did in the Big XII Conference Tournament going with a three guard lineup more often than not and using either Freshman Deuce Bello or Junior A.J. Walton to check Wolters. Western Illinois did an array of things when the Jackrabbits set a ball screen when Wolters was the ball handler. On occasion WIU's bigs would simply show, occasionally they would hedge hard, and they also mixed in a trap every now and then. This along with running big bodies at Wolters when he got into the lane was a large part of the reason Western Illinois held Wolters to 5 of 22 from the field. 

South Dakota State isn't going to be easy defend. They are the eighth most efficient team in the nation scoring over 115 points per 100 possessions. This is in large part due to only 10.5 turnover per game, good for tenth in the nation, and shooting nearly 40% from three on the season. Baylor's rotations in the man defense will have to be crisp, and I expect them to try to run South Dakota's shooters off of the three point line. 

Offensively, I expect Baylor to exploit its two main advantages, size and speed. ESPN Insider identifies the achilles heal of this Jackrabbit team as playing teams that are ultra athletic. After watching the Jackrabbits play Western Illinois, it is clear that there isn't a guard on South Dakota State's roster that is capable of keeping up with Baylor's Pierre Jackson. Jackson and A.J. Walton should have no trouble getting into the lane, it will simply be a matter of making the right decisions win they get there. 

The Bears are also sure to feed Perry Jones III, Quincy Acy, and Quincy Miller down low where they will more than likely have a size advantage on their opponents. For this to succeed for the Bears, the bigs will have to do a better job of keeping the ball high, as Kim English for Missouri negated Quincy Miller's height advantage again and again while slapping the ball away from Miller's waist. 

More Questions or comments? Bring them on, I'd love it. 

The Hero Baylor Needed

Robert Griffin III was supposed to be a Houston Cougar. Art Briles was one of a few Coaches willing to let him play Quarterback. Texas and Texas A&M recruited him as an Athlete, telling him he'll be headed to the Wide Receiver slot because of his world class speed. Then Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh recruited him with the pitch of a two-quarterback system including Griffin and Luck. Art Briles, who has an eye for Quarterbacks (Kevin Kolb, Case Keenum), believed in Griffin from day one.

The Baylor football program, then under Guy Morriss was coming off a 3-9 season in which they had gone winless in the Big XII. Baylor had won only eleven conference games in twelve Big XII seasons. The Bears were the perennial cellar dweller of the Big XII.

The biggest thing to come out of Baylor's athletic department in the decade was a scandal. The Baylor Men's Basketball team, led by Dave Bliss encountered a tragedy and responded in an utterly disgusting manner. Baylor basketball player Patrick Dennehy had gone missing and his body was later found. Dennehy had been murdered by then teammate Carlton Dotson and Dave Bliss was caught on tape by an assistant coach ordering a financial coverup.

Luckily for Baylor fans, Art Briles came to coach at Baylor in 2008 and brought Robert Griffin III, or RGIII as he is now popularly known. Griffin turned heads the moment he stepped onto the field in the midst of a season opening blowout loss at the hands of Wake Forest. Heading out of bounds, Griffin slowed up, watched a defender fly by, and turned upfield for an extra ten yards. The Briles- Griffin pairing never looked back.

After a 2009 season cut short by an ACL tear, Griffin came back and led the Bears to their first Bowl game in sixteen years. Griffin clearly improved before the 2011 season as the Bears offense moved away from the screen pass and threw the ball down the field more often than before. Eighteen of Griffin's thirty-six Touchdown passes were 35 yards or more, giving Baylor the most electrifying offense in the nation.

Griffin not only led Baylor to a third place finish in the Big XII, but also has them a bowl win away from the first ten win season since 1980. But more impressive than any pass Griffin made, or any tackle Griffin avoided was who RGIII was, off the field.

Media member after media member lined up to praise Griffin's character. Even though some thought this statement was cocky, Griffin explained it wasn't an insult to anyone but rather a complement to Baylor nation. Jason King (@JasonKingESPN) tweeted "Always nice to see good things happen to good people" in reference to Griffin winning the Heisman.

Griffin was well spoken and articulate in dozen's of interviews leading up to the Heisman trophy presentation on Saturday night. Then after Griffin won the award he gave a great speech, one that Stephen A. Smith (@StephenASmith) called a "Beautiful Thing" on twitter. Dennis Dodds (@DennisDoddscbs) said he "wanted Griffin as his lawyer" speaking of Griffin being a "Great orator."

On a night where Xavier and Cincinnati got in an on court brawl prompting Tu Holloway to talk about the "gangstas" in his locker room. On a night where news of reinging National League MVP Ryan Braun failing a test for performance enhancing drugs breaks. Baylor has its hero.

Dennis Dodds put it best on twitter, "On the same night Ryan Braun tests positive, RGIII restores our faith."

The Truth About Tony Romo

Once upon a time, the Dallas Cowboys were America's team. The harsh reality for Cowboys fans is that they are no longer America's team. Thanks to inventions such as the internet, NFL Redzone, and Fantasy Football America is left without a team.

However, I'm more than happy to give the Cowboys the title of "America's Most Talked About Team." As part of Quarterbacking AMTAT, Tony Romo immediately vaults to the top of the "most talked about players list." In my estimation, no player inspires as much controversy as Romo with one side arguing he's uber talented and the other arguing that he is a choke artist. 

So, let's set things straight. Like most stories, the answer to the legend of Romo is actually found somewhere near the middle ground of the opposing sides. Tony Romo is a top talent in the National Football League, but has given his haters plenty of ammo by failing to succeed in the playoffs. 

The Bad (At least for now)

Fans of AMTAT fell in love with legends Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman not simply because they threw touchdowns while wearing the legendary silver helmet with a blue star. Fans fell in love with Staubuch and Aikman because they won a combined Five Super Bowls for AMTAT. Staubauch had an 11-6 record in the postseason, twice leading AMTAT to Super Bowl Championships (VI, XII). Aikman went 11-4 leading the AMTAT to three Super Bowls (XXVII, XXVIII, XXX). 

Tony Romo hasn't been himself in four playoff appearances. AMTAT finds themselves with a 1-3 record when Romo leads them into playoff battles. Romo finds his completion percentage under 60% in playoff football with a Quarterback Rating of nearly 81. Romo and AMTAT have struggled to find the endzone through the air in his playoff starts with four touchdowns and two interceptions. 

More notable than any of the above stats, Romo haters tend to bring back up one simple moment from the 2006 postseason. With the Cowboys trailing by 1 point Romo botched the hold on the go ahead field goal (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yh1DyvTuDA). While Romo clearly choked in this scenario, his haters need to drop it. He does not hold anymore. 

Outside of Romo seemingly smiling to much even after key plays (which would frustrate me), this is about all the ammo that Romo detractors have. 

The Good 

Tony Romo is a very very good Quarterback. Outside of Aikman's 1993 season, Romo has put up consistently better numbers than either of the other "AMTAT Legends." In Romo's 2007 season he threw for 36 Touchdowns, 19 Interceptions, over 4,000 yards while completing over 64% of his passes. Look at the people that have done that (http://bit.ly/mTiebK) and you'll see names like Steve Young, Tom Brady, and Peyton Manning. It is a season that has only happened 7 other times post merger. 

Two years in 2009 Romo through 26 Touchdowns, 9 Interceptions, 4400 yards, and completed 63% of his passes. Looking through that list of 22 other seasons (http://t.co/6wh1Isab) you'll see some of the most talented Quarterbacks to ever take the field. 

Two names you won't find on either list? Aikman and Staubach. Romo might be the most talented Quarterback to ever play for AMTAT, he just needs to prove it.

So both sides stop arguing, because you are both wrong. And right.  

Hey Baylor, Don't Be Scared

It wasn't so many years ago that the old Southwestern Conference was breaking up and lawmakers were keeping Texas Christian University out of the newly forming Big XII and clearing paths for the Baylor Bears to become the football doormat of the league. 

Now with conference armageddon on the horizon TCU sits in a much better position than Baylor having secured a move to the Big East next year. With A&M expected to hear from the SEC by Wednesday and Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State flirting with the Pac-12 (16) the Big XII appears to be on very shaky ground. 

However, Baylor fans don't need to panic. Here's why:

1. The Big XII is NOT dead. A&M is as good as gone, but Texas and crew are far from it. There are multiple obstacles standing in the way of the Pac-12 (16) exodus.  Texas is tangled within the Longhorn Network and while it appears that they are capable of getting out of that web (read here), it might not be beneficial for them. Texas doesn't have to deal with equal revenue sharing in the Big XII and hold more power than they ever could in another league. 

Along those same lines, many think the fate of Oklahoma is tied very closely to that of Texas. Oklahoma would lose leverage in recruiting the state of Texas without the anual Red River shoot out and the loss of games against Baylor and Texas Tech within the state of Texas. On top of all of this is the fact that Oklahoma reached out to the Pac-12, not the other way around. 

2. A bid from the Big East isn't out of the question. Sources have said the Big East has reached out to at least some of the Big XII have not's (Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Baylor, and maybe Missouri). Why not believe that Baylor could secure one of those invitations? TCU has one and we all saw what happened the last time Baylor and TCU met in football. Also, maybe the Big East would piggy back onto the Pac-12's "Noah's Arc" theory and want there teams in two's. If that is the case, what better option is there in Texas than the Bears.

Even if the Big East doesn't want to go with the Noah's Arc idea, Baylor is worth an invite. The Big East would be able to recruit Texas more easily, guaranteeing perspective players at least Four games in their home state over four years. The Big East also has the reputation of being a basketball conference, and in case you didn't know, Baylor has been pulling in some very good recruits. 

3. Worst case scenario (at least temporarily) for Baylor is an invite from a lower conference, most likely either the Mountain West or Conference USA. Baylor would take a hit financially, not making nearly as much money in a smaller conference with a lesser TV deal. However, Baylor could ride their current athletic momentum and become a dominant force in one of these conferences. It would take continued success in recruiting, and the retainment of big time coaches (Briles, Drew, Mulkey), but it could be done.

Look at the Gonzaga's or Boise State. Then realize that Baylor has a leg up on them by moving from a major conference with excellent competition, to a minor conference. Baylor would be a top team in football (the only sport that matters), and basketball (the only other sport anyone cares about). 

No matter what happens in the conference landscape, if Baylor continues to spend smart money, recruit the right players, and draw in more fans, they'll be just fine. 

@gbkcraw

The Weekend Rewind

In what might become a weekly feature here on the Buckets blog I'll break down what I believe to be the three biggest stories of the weekend. On a big weekend it might go beyond just three stories, and I'll probably throw any relevant Baylor information in this segment.

3. The SEC has decided to hold off on allowing Texas A&M into the league for now. University of Florida President Bernie Machen said:

"We recognize, however, that future conditions may make it advantageous to expand the number of institutions in the league," Machen said. "We discussed criteria and process associated with expansion. No action was taken with respect to any institution including Texas A&M."

While momentarily it is enjoyable to laugh at the Aggies and the fact that the SEC decided not to extend an invitation to them, we need to come to a realization that is only a matter of time. Orangebloods.com is reporting that the A&M will be a SEC member within three weeks, while many others are thinking the SEC is just waiting for A&M to depart from the Big XII before extending an invite to avoid legal problems.

2a. Dan Uggla's hit streak came to a halt Sunday at 33 games. Uggla's hitting streaking was the longest the MLB has seen in five years, and Cubs second baseman Darwin Barney made a diving catch to keep Uggla hitless in the 5th inning. Uggla's streak ending at 33 games leaves many people believing Joe DiMaggio's 56 game hit streak is the most untouchable in sports.

2b. Hot headed Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano got rocked on Friday night in Atlanta. After giving up five homers, Zambrano through dangerously close to Chipper Jones (who has been playing for 18 years!) twice in a row drawing an ejection. Zambrano then stormed into the Cubs locker room, through a tantrum, cleaned out his locker, and said he was retiring. Zambrano thought about his actions, realized he was an idiot, took back his retirement and has been placed on the Cubs disqualified list. For Zambrano this means he won't play or have any contact with the Cubs for 30 days, look for a grievance to be filed on Monday.

1. With only three holes to play at the 93rd PGA Championship Keegan Bradley found himself trailing Jason Dufner by 5 strokes. Combined with an epic collapse from Dufner, Bradley stormed back and forced a playoff. Bradley then birdied the Par-4 16th in the first hole of a three hole playoff and hung on to win by one stroke. In his only major of the season, Keegan won over 1.4 million dollars and became the 13th different golfer to win a major in the past 13 events.

Baylor Bonus
The Baylor men's basketball team is in Canada and has played three games on the trip. Saturday night their game against Ryerson University was broadcast online giving Baylor fans a chance to get a look at the team. Luckily I got a chance to watch the game, so here are some things I took from it:

• Perry Jones looked excellent. While Ryerson isn't comparable to any team the Bears will be playing, Jones scored from all over the court. He hit smooth turn around jumpers, faced up and blew by his man, and found himself hitting back to back three's. 
• Baylor's newcomers looked excellent. Pierre Jackson brings a new dynamic to the Bears and was by far the quickest player on the court. Brady Heslip is better than advertised. Not only did he hit trey after trey, he worked hard defensively and ran the point at times for Baylor.
• Gary Franklin, Quincy Acy, and Quincy Miller, all sat out for different reasons. Acy has a minor injury and is resting up, Miller is still recovering from ACL surgery his senior year, and Franklin isn't eligible until December. 
• Cory Jefferson has put up some excellent numbers thus far on the Bears trip to Canada. He might be the answer in the middle that Baylor has been missing since the graduation of Josh Lomers.
• After struggling last season at Point Guard, the Bears have multiple options this year. Heslip provides an outside shooting threat, Jackson will provide great court vision, and Walton will be his same old self providing plenty of defense. On top of all that, who knows what Cal transfer Gary Franklin can provide. 

@gbkcraw