MBB at St. Thomas

[BelgradeBobcat]

Saturday's game at the St. Thomas Tommies (yes that's their nickname), will be their first home game as a D-1 school.
My first question: Why are we playing at St. Thomas first? Has MSU fallen so far down the D-1 totem pole that we have to accept road games at former D-3 schools that are still transitioning? Is this part of the Big Sky-Summit League scheduling alliance? Is St. Thomas coming to Bozeman next season? When NDSU, SDSU, and USD were in their transition they came to Bozeman first. We didn't go there until they were fully transitioned.

All that aside, St Thomas, though coming from D-3 last season, appears to be pretty darn good. I would imagine their entire roster will shoot lights out from 3-especially in their cracker box gym. They'll be pretty hyped for their first D-1 home game. It will be big news in the Twin Cities. This is a recipe for a pretty humbling loss I'm afraid.

I think in the long run St. Thomas could become the mid-west's Gonzaga or St. Mary's. Besides the Gophers, they're the only D-1 school in the whole state of Minnesota.

It's really an amazing story. They were kicked out of the MIAC because all their teams are too good. The other MIAC schools threatened to nuke the conference if the Tommies didn't leave. So St. Thomas petitioned the NCAA and were approved to jump from D-3 to D-1 and skip D-2 altogether. Their football team is in the Pioneer Football League. They were very competitive right off the bat.

[Cataholic]

Seems like a pretty savvy marketing move by MSU. First DI game in the area for the Tommies that will get lots of coverage. How many casual fans in that area know MSU is D1? This seems like a great way to make people more acquainted with MSU. Maybe even a way to increase recruiting in that area.

[HelenaCat95]

They may be the "St Thomas Tommies".
But we're the "Touchdown Tommys"

[BelgradeBobcat]

Seems like a pretty savvy marketing move by MSU. First DI game in the area for the Tommies that will get lots of coverage. How many casual fans in that area know MSU is D1? This seems like a great way to make people more acquainted with MSU. Maybe even a way to increase recruiting in that area.

That's certainly an angle I hadn't thought of. If we win (and there's a good chance we will), it could be a big benefit. If we lose a lot of people will think we're worse than a D-3 team. Either way, Montana State will get some press in MSP.

[lv2hoop]

I think you hit the nail on the head Belgrade, when you said that it is part of the Summit - Big Sky scheduling agreement. Otherwise, the game makes no sense. Definitely an interesting story about them and an interesting matchup.

[gtapp]

I will be there! Looking forward to it.

[BelgradeBobcat]

Getting run out of the gym against a D-3 school. This evening is off to a good start. Getting Princeton offensed to death. Sprinkle getting out coached big time here.

[gtapp]

At the game. St. Thomas is NOT a D1 team. All local kids. All shooting guards. Even there 6-7 center hates the paint.

[WYCAT]

Certainly not the defense we saw against NDSU???

[MSU01]

Getting run out of the gym against a D-3 school. This evening is off to a good start. Getting Princeton offensed to death. Sprinkle getting out coached big time here.

Cats by 3 at the half.

[BelgradeBobcat]

Getting run out of the gym against a D-3 school. This evening is off to a good start. Getting Princeton offensed to death. Sprinkle getting out coached big time here.

Cats by 3 at the half.

Early leads are often fools gold but we looked like we were on roller skates. Good job to come back!

[MSU01]

Cats win 72-65! Anything else going on right now?

[BelgradeBobcat]

Cats win 72-65! Anything else going on right now?

I quit watching the bball game and we storm back and win! It was all my fault. Sorry Coach Sprinkle.

[gtapp]

I understand an occasional down game, especially when you look across the court during warmups and see a bunch of short guys from the outskirts of Minneapolis. BUT, it is a little far into the season for this kind of let down. I will put it this way. If St. Thomas was a AA school in MT, they would not win the state championship.

[nevadacat]

Saw Belo and Mohamed each played less than 20 minutes and Gazelas & Tynes got a lot of time. Were we getting beaten by quickness and had to switch a guard-centered lineup to match up?

[BelgradeBobcat]

Saw Belo and Mohamed each played less than 20 minutes and Gazelas & Tynes got a lot of time. Were we getting beaten by quickness and had to switch a guard-centered lineup to match up?

Yes I believe so. I watched the first half of the first half until the football game started. They spread the floor and had 4 guys who could hit threes. What I don't understand is why Belo didn't totally dominate on offense. He does better when he's getting the heck beat out of him inside I guess. We really lacked aggression on offense to start-kind like we didn't know what we wanted to do.

[BelgradeBobcat]

An article about the game from the Tommies perspective: https://www.twincities.com/2021/12/11/m ... ana-state/

[MSU01]

Saw Belo and Mohamed each played less than 20 minutes and Gazelas & Tynes got a lot of time. Were we getting beaten by quickness and had to switch a guard-centered lineup to match up?

Belo's issue was foul trouble, he picked up his 2nd foul 5 minutes in and didn't play for the rest of the first half. Not sure on Abdul.

[DMMDCats]

Off thread but we host Cat griz on Jan 8.

Hope we still playing football then.