"Now real basketball starts" after tuneup game against EWU

[Grizbeer]

says UW player after beating EWU:

Washington's season began last week, but forgive Justin Holiday for saying what everyone else has been thinking ever since the schedule was released.

"Now real basketball starts," said UW's senior co-captain after Tuesday's 98-72 win over Eastern Washington. "You can see where you are, and the rest of the nation. We're ranked. That's good and all, but it doesn't matter unless you come out and play.

"We'll see where we're at this tournament."

The tournament in question is next week's Maui Invitational, which features second-ranked Michigan State and No. 12 Kentucky.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/huskies/2013451492_umen17.html

ugh. how far can our conference drop when Pac10 teams look at BSC teams like we do frontier conference teams. Except, come to think about it, haven't BSC teams already lost to frontier and DII teams this year? Adding SUU and UND can't come fast enough to prop up this horrible conference.

 

[grizd]

Adding those schools won't help arrogance. Lest he forget that if it weren't for the referees last year the Griz would have beaten him and his Huskies and that the Griz pummeled Oregon last year.

 

[GrizDDS]

In the last 10 years, the only Big Sky teams to win a game or even stay within 15 points of their opponent in the NCAA tournament are UM vs New Mexico, UM vs BC, UM vs Nevada, UM vs Washington, and Weber vs Wisconsin. Until that improves we shouldn't expect to be a respected conference in basketball.

Last year's Sagarin ratings have North Dakota at 342 out of 347 and Southern Utah is 321 out of 347 D-1 teams. Those schools will bring down our strength of schedule if they don't improve quick.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/bkt0910.htm

http://www.bracketscience.com/history/index.asp?y=2010

 

[WILDCATFAN]

In the last 10 years, the only Big Sky teams to win a game or even stay within 15 points of their opponent in the NCAA tournament are UM vs New Mexico, UM vs BC, UM vs Nevada, UM vs Washington, and Weber vs Wisconsin. Until that improves we shouldn't expect to be a respected conference in basketball.

A good start would be for a Griz and Wildcat victory in the Huntsman

 

[MT Jack]

Beat the Utes, Griz. U of Utah is not what they used to be in men's hoops.

@ GrizDDS - I realize this is getting a bit picky but 11 years ago NAU lost to # 2 seed St. Johns by 5 (61-56) in the NCAA tournament in Tucson and 13 years ago they lost to # 2 seed Cincinatti by 3 (65-62). This is bordering on ancient history but Big Sky teams have given the bigs a run for their money in the recent past. Weber State with Harlold "the Show" Arceneaux as well.

Big Sky teams beat the bigs during the regular season on occasion also.