canadagael's guys at Pilots - February 3 @ 8pm

I really thought canadagael would start this thread...maybe next season.  

The St. Mary's Gaels (17-4/5-1) are visiting the UP campus for the first time in four years for tonight's match with the Pilots (11-10/2-4), but most of us still remember that great "Nacho Night" game 11 years ago when the Pilots blew out the highly favored Gaels, 85-70.

Tonight, SMC (KenPom 20/NET 23) is again highly favored over UP (KenPom 229/NET 224), and the margin of victory is not close:

KenPom 71-58
Las Vegas 13.5 points and o/u 132.5

Remember, the game is televised on ROOT at 8pm, preceded by the Pilot Women (NET 62) taking on BYU (NET 12) at 5pm... also televised on ROOT

Anyone know how to watch the game on ROOT with a cable subscription. I do have a valid verizon password to use, but can't seem to make it work on the ROOT app. Verizon says ROOT games are in home only.

I'd go to the game, but like so many people these days, I'm getting over the Rona.

SMC has 4 guys averaging 28 to 29 min/gm, and all scoring in double figures. They are pretty deep, having 8 guys who have played in every game and played at least 10 mins or more. They are shooting 46.5%, but only 34.3% from 3P range. 37% of their shots come from 3P range. Don't think the Pilots will be able to get them into a run and gun game.

DoubleDipper wrote:most of us still remember that great "Nacho Night" game 11 years ago when the Pilots blew out the highly favored Gaels, 85-70.

Can't bring this up and not link this gem featuring Jasonn Hannibal and Nemanja Mitrovic:


Also featured Kramer Knutson making SC Top 10 (best quality I could find):

blacksheep wrote:Anyone know how to watch the game on ROOT with a cable subscription.  I do have a valid verizon password to use, but can't seem to make it work on the ROOT app.  Verizon says ROOT games are in home only.  

I'd go to the game, but like so many people these days, I'm getting over the Rona.  

There is a Root Sports app you can download - might work?

Pilot14 wrote:

blacksheep wrote:Anyone know how to watch the game on ROOT with a cable subscription.  I do have a valid verizon password to use, but can't seem to make it work on the ROOT app.  Verizon says ROOT games are in home only.  

I'd go to the game, but like so many people these days, I'm getting over the Rona.  

There is a Root Sports app you can download - might work?

When I try to log in with TV provider, it doesn't give me Xfinity as an option.

blacksheep wrote:

Pilot14 wrote:

blacksheep wrote:Anyone know how to watch the game on ROOT with a cable subscription.  I do have a valid verizon password to use, but can't seem to make it work on the ROOT app.  Verizon says ROOT games are in home only.  

I'd go to the game, but like so many people these days, I'm getting over the Rona.  

There is a Root Sports app you can download - might work?

When I try to log in with TV provider, it doesn't give me Xfinity as an option.

Poor reading on my part to begin with, seeing as you mentioned the app in your original post *facepalm*

Can you log into your xfinity acct online and use the xfinity stream to watch the Root channel? Root, unfortunately, is pretty hard to stream - they don't have deals in place with many services. I believe they are available on fuboTV - maybe you can use a free trial and watch that way (or, know somebody who has fubo and would lend their login)?

blacksheep wrote:Anyone know how to watch the game on ROOT with a cable subscription.  I do have a valid verizon password to use, but can't seem to make it work on the ROOT app.  Verizon says ROOT games are in home only.  

I'd go to the game, but like so many people these days, I'm getting over the Rona.  

Root is now on FuBo. Get a free trial subscription if you don’t have it. Both games are listed tonight.

FloridaPilot wrote:Can't bring this up and not link this gem featuring Jasonn Hannibal and Nemanja Mitrovic:

A couple of Canadians, eh.

And then they played the game:

DoubleDipper wrote:I really thought canadagael would start this thread...maybe next season.  

Haha! I thought about it, but I don’t think I’ve earned that privilege yet.

On my way over to Dean Murdoch’s house to play Settlers of Catan, then watch this epic battle.

Prediction: neither of us is happy by the end of the night.

YARU!!!

Dean Murdoch wrote:YARU!!!

It was a 4 point game when I posted this. Good lord

Dean Murdoch wrote:

Dean Murdoch wrote:YARU!!!

It was a 4 point game when I posted this. Good lord

Was starting to feel Porter-era vibes in that second half.

Sound Voltex wrote:Was starting to feel Porter-era vibes in that second half.

Except that this was/is not about the coaching but about the personnel on the court compared to the top-tier teams in the WCC.

Considering one of the starters is a preferred walk-on who was recruited by the Porter staff and was likely unknown to the current staff when he walked in the gym, it would seem there will have to be some player turnover to get the ship going the right direction.

That is in no way a knock on Legs and his staff as they had less than 5 months to recruit an entire team and were recruiting until the beginning of the school year to an institution that is academically rigorous with a VERY crappy record on the basketball court...

DoubleDipper wrote:

Sound Voltex wrote:Was starting to feel Porter-era vibes in that second half.

Except that this was/is not about the coaching but about the personnel on the court compared to the top-tier teams in the WCC.

Considering one of the starters is a preferred walk-on who was recruited by the Porter staff and was likely unknown to the current staff when he walked in the gym, it would seem there will have to be some player turnover to get the ship going the right direction.

That is in no way a knock on Legs and his staff as they had less than 5 months to recruit an entire team and were recruiting until the beginning of the school year to an institution that is academically rigorous with a VERY crappy record on the basketball court...

Yes, nothing personal with the staff itself, just one of those "...it's going to be one of those games, isn't it?" moments.

Thought it was very classy of the SMC players to bump fists with all our players at the beginning of the game. Nobody does that anymore.

bullwinkle wrote:Thought it was very classy of the SMC players to bump fists with all our players at the beginning of the game.  Nobody does that anymore.  

Must be something they've decided to do on their own or suggested to them by one of the assistant coaches, 'cause Bennett does blow-byes all the time at the end of the game.

DoubleDipper wrote:

bullwinkle wrote:Thought it was very classy of the SMC players to bump fists with all our players at the beginning of the game.  Nobody does that anymore.  

Must be something they've decided to do on their own or suggested to them by one of the assistant coaches, 'cause Bennett does blow-byes all the time at the end of the game.

Haha, Randy didn't blow-bye LMU's Stan Johnson tonight after SMC's victory, but if he's fired up he does for sure.

I imagine that Randy's blow-byes are legendary across the WCC.  Because SMC has been so good for so long, most of their games are probably televised and Randy's blow-byes are a very public display of poor sportsmanship and a lack of self-control and graciousness.  But I like Randy.  The two smallest schools in the WCC are SMC and UP - and we're identical in size.  Randy has an outstanding record at St. Mary's.  I'm sure he's had offers from all over the country to coach at more pretigious schools that would pay him a lot more.  Yet he has stayed at SMC for 21 years.   I hope Shantay Leggans will do the same for us.  The other thing I like about Randy is he does a very emotional hand-slap with every one of his players and assistant coaches before every game begins.  I suspect it's become a superstition for him and the team.

On the subject of SMC, I have heard that SMC as a whole is suffering financially.