NDSU Bison vs. Florida Gators, could it be?
Rumor from over at the Bison Media Blog is that the NDSU basketball team is trying schedule a game with the two-time defending champion Florida Gators.
This is the word from Steve Hallstrom on his blog. "Nothing finalized as of early this evening (Tuesday) with Florida, but I know there was something to be decided one way or another on Tuesday. Now it appears it will be at least late Wednesday. There's been a lot of speculation about it being a tournament, but the way I'm hearing it it's a game with Florida on November 9th. Could be both, who knows. What a way that would be for the Saul era to begin. First game at FL against the 2 time defending champs."
Yes, you heard it. There may possibly be a match up between NDSU and Florida. I mean, with Florida's top players gone, I really think NDSU could pull this off. They upset #13 Wisconsin in 2005 and #9 Marquette this past season. And it's not like Florida will be a top 15 team next year, but you never know with Billy Donovan on the sidelines.
This could be another big step for NDSU basketball. Imagine the upset of the two-time defending national champions. What kind of headlines it could draw. I really hope this game gets finalized and it could mean even more time in the national spotlight for NDSU.
This could be another big step for NDSU basketball. Imagine the upset of the two-time defending national champions. What kind of headlines it could draw. I really hope this game gets finalized and it could mean even more time in the national spotlight for NDSU.
10 comments:
I really don't see why Florida would schedule a game like this (if its true)... they'd have nothing to gain. If they win, it wouldn't get much pub because they're supposed to. If they lose (which would be a possibility because of the experience for NDSU) they'd gets lots of flack.
Most of these small school vs. powerhouse matchups are done through coaching connections. I don't know alot about NDSU coaches, etc, but it could be a possibility. This would be very good for the NDSU program in terms of gaining respectibility in scheduling, etc.
However, Florida will be a top 15 school next year even after losing their big 4. Why you ask? It is called recruiting. Florida has a bunch of talent coming in, they may struggle at the beginning of the year just like the Florida team of two years ago, but they will be a school to recon with come tourney time again.
Nice post and nice find ming. But...
"This could be another big step for NDSU basketball. Imagine the upset of the two-time defending national champions. What kind of headlines it could draw. I really hope this game gets finalized and it could mean even more time in the national spotlight for NDSU."
There is no doubt that if this happens it will indeed be a huge step for NDSU basketball. However, I can't really imagine them upsetting the Gators....I think it's pretty safe to say that they won't, even though NDSU will be good, experienced, and had some big upset wins last year. Whether they win or lose scheduling a game like this puts NDSU even more inthe spotlight.
I just have trouble imagining the upset of the two-time defending nat. champs.
yeah many others thought that too when they played the Wisconsin Badgers and Marquette Golden Eagles...
agreed, how many ppl just like you Grittysquirrels thought the same thing when the Bison tookn Marquette and Wisconsin? And it's not like Florida's going to be a top team this year. Ming01 is right.
Florida 95-NDSU 60. NDSU lost their best player, lost their coach. No chance
Personally I think that Marquette and Wisconsin were not quite what FL was/is. Now, granted you can say they lost their 6 top scorers, which they did. If they hadn't NDSU would have no chance. I think that Donovan will have around a top 10 team next year...certainly better than last year's Golden Eagles. They won't be nearly what they were but they have some good young guys coming in (back-to-back ships will do that for you).
I think NDSU will beat Oral Roberts and CSU next year but not FL. They're just on a whole other level.
But they don't have their top 6 guys back. If their 4 junior starters from this past season were back, obviously they would have no chance. But their gone... Florida will not be a top 10 team, they may crack the top 20. If they play, Florida will be the favorite obviously, but look who they lost. Wisconsin was a much better team two years ago when they lost to NDSU then Florida will be next year. Plus, the game will be in the beginning of the season. Florida will be young and a little inexperienced. NDSU will be experienced. You can no longer overlook NDSU's bball team, atleast for the next couple seasons, because look what happened to some top 15 teams when they did the same thing... I'm out.
Wisconsin 2 years ago was not as good as the Gators will be this year. They were an 8 seed that got absolutely run out of the gym in the Tourney... obviously still a great win for NDSU but the Badgers weren't exactly world-beaters.
One of the things that makes college basketball so beautiful is that it is possible for a George Mason, a Loyola Maramount or an Indiana St. to happen. But I'm afraid those folks licking their chops over getting a chance to play the Florida Gators ex-three #1 draft choices and ex-five total NBA draftees are in for some serious disappointment. Billy Donavon has put together consecutive top-5 recruiting classes. Last year's super recruits, ex-Brandon Powell, is a solid bunch. Maurice Speights got more and more playing time as the season wore on. Another year of maturity is going to make hime a serious weapon inside. The leap from Freshman to Sophomore is usually the most resounding as seen by Joakim Noah and Taureen Green's play two years ago and Walter Hodge last year. Depth will be an issue in the middle, but while he's in there you will not see a big drop-off versus an Al Horford or Joakim Noah. Dan Werner will get his shot going (my opinion), but his defensive play was already a force last year. Jonathan Mitchell, another 6-7 forward is also a defensive animal who probably needed a year of discipline under Donovan's tutilage. I expect big improvements from both forwards in 2007-2008. Both were top recruits and both have the potential to make giant leaps in maturation from their freshman campaigns. I can't underestimate what Taurean Green meant to the Gators offense as the point guard. To this day, he does not get the credit he deserved. He was a major cog, albeit underapreciated. But with Hodge back, the seventh man, and now a junior, he will be a force at guard. He had a higher 3-point percentage than Lee Humphrey. He just did not get the playing time behind Green and Humphrey. But incoming McDonalds All-American, Jai Lucas, may end up being the best ball handler on the squad. My guess is that he will start out as a second guard as he learns the system. But he is amazingly quick and can sink the three. The other McDonald's All-American coming in as a frehsman, Nick Calathes was desinged for Gator basketball. He will get playing time immediately. He's an amzing passer and is fashioned after a Jason Williams and a Corey Brewer. He is also a point guard so it will be interesting where and how Donovan spreads the wealth at guard. The other two incoming frosh are Chandler Parsons and Alex Tyus. The Gators will need Tyus' at power forward and will also need to learn the center position given the Gators lack of depth their. Same with sophomore Mitchell. But his athletiscism will make him a pesky presence. Parson will probably need to work his way into the line-up. He's a bit slight at just 180-pounds, but he has a beautiful stroke and will light it up before his Gator days are behind him. In a nutshell, the Gators will be a diferent team absent three #1's, but they are loaded with talent and may even be able to make another run deep into March. Their starting line-up will probably be C-Speights, F-Werner, PF-Mitchell, 2G-Calathes/Lucas, PG-Hodge. This is a top-10 starting line-up, talent-wise. Marutity-wise, it may take January or February of 2008 for it to really blossom.
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