Why schedule L.C. State?

[Zag 77]

Does somebody owe somebody down there a favor? Playing an NAIA team at this point makes no sense otherwise; however I am sure Barham and Backamus are drooling at getting some playing time.

Seriously, there are a bunch of Big Sky bottom feeders that are at least D-1 in the RPI rankings.

[Oregonzagnut]

Hindsight, IMO.

If we are 6-0, L/C will be a tentative "bye" to regroup and heal. We have to take them seriously but it provides a chance to let our local teams play us and give the same chance to upset that we needed at one time.

If we had losses it also is a time to regroup but also experiment with any possible extreme changes that would be needed. either way, it is not a guaranteed win. If Chaminade can win, anyone can.

The biggest thing IMO is Few knows what it means if local teams never get the chance at their biggest neighbors.

L/C will play us but UW won't. Who has the guts? Zags will play anyone, anywhere!

[Ezag]

breather.....

[webspinnre]

Seriously, there are a bunch of Big Sky bottom feeders that are at least D-1 in the RPI rankings.

Presumably this is entirely the point. Big Sky teams would hurt our RPI, where NAIA teams are invisible to RPI.

[zagamatic]

Logic is simple to me.
1) it allows our guys a game to get adjusted back to the west coast time after being on the east coast for a week in the sun.
2) healing time in case there injuries, whether it be to the body or the ego.
3) worst case scenario, we could've come out of that tournament on a losing streak and needed to stop it. The committee punishes losing streaks with banishment to another time zone come March.

[Oregonzagnut]

The committee punishes losing streaks with banishment to another time zone come March.

That is the first I have heard of this, but it makes sense. I am not sure time zones is more important than the match-ups the committee likes to impose on us. Historically we have had matchup nightmares in the Dance and in most of our losses we have been pretty much solidly beaten by over 15 pts.

Any jet lag to Atlanta will be a "pleasure" to deal with at this point.

[rawkmandale]

I looked at the LCSC website. The team is undefeated at 9-0. They have a kid (Danny Marshall) that I watched play at East Valley HS. Marshall is a 6'6" senior and in HS was a second-team all-GSL selection as a senior when he averaged 17 points and nine rebounds a game.

They have a kid from Mead, two from Clarkston, and one from Lewiston. They also have 6'6" senior Nick Fromm from Coeur d'Alene (Lake City), and a bunch of Seattle area players.

Why not give those kids a lifetime memory in playing the Zags? Trust me, they will give everything they have. Yeah, we might blow them out, but I love the fact they they get their shot.

[SWZag]

I looked at the LCSC website. The team is undefeated at 9-0. They have a kid (Danny Marshall) that I watched play at East Valley HS. Marshall is a 6'6" senior and in HS was a second-team all-GSL selection as a senior when he averaged 17 points and nine rebounds a game.

They have a kid from Mead, two from Clarkston, and one from Lewiston. They also have 6'6" senior Nick Fromm from Coeur d'Alene (Lake City), and a bunch of Seattle area players.

Why not give those kids a lifetime memory in playing the Zags? Trust me, they will give everything they have. Yeah, we might blow them out, but I love the fact they they get their shot.

+1

SWZag

[jazzdelmar]

+1

SWZag

noblesse oblige?

[Nevtelen]

It's probably an RPI thing, I think. IIRC non-D-I teams don't count against the RPI whereas any D-I team, win or lose, does. So it actually hurts the RPI a lot more to invite in EWU than LCSC. And, honestly, both of those are probably a blowout win with plenty of time for walk-ons, etc.

[jim77]

LCSC 9-0 = Rocky Balboa.....

[ZagLawGrad]

I see this game as a great opportunity to work on some things. Dranganis looks to me like he needs to work on his confidence, maybe get GJB to shoot 3 times more than usual, Karno needs more time on the floor to get his comfort level up. Just to name a few.

[jazzdelmar]

swb

scrimmage with benefits

[Angelo Roncalli]

scrimmage with benefits

This, plus you don't have to pay LCSC nearly what you'd have to pay a Big Sky team for a guarantee game (the price of which has gone up considerably in the past couple years). It will still likely be the biggest payday in LCSC's season.

[hooter73]

St. Marys entire OOC schedule looks like our one breather game