DU stunned the University of Nebraska Omaha Mavericks with the help of a red-hot first half en route to a first round win over Summit League 3-seed UNO. Led by the freshmen tandem of Joe Rosga (25 points) and C.J. Bobbitt (12 points) supported by seniors Marcus Byrd (14 points) and Nate Engesser (8 points), DU scorched Omaha 44-29 in the first half and held off the hard charging Mavs in the second half for the first round win. Continue reading DU Wins Thriller to Advance 78-70→
Photo:How do this year’s Pioneers make best use of their time?
DU has never won an D1 NCAA league championship tournament.
So, what does DU have to do to win the Summit League Conference Tournament, starting tonight in Sioux Falls, South Dakota?
While DU has won three or more consecutive games twice this season, they have not won three conference games in a row. So the approach is not about going to Sioux Falls and winning three games in a row. Instead, DU is going to have to break each game into discreet possessions and defensive stands. Continue reading Part 2: Longshot Win Improbable But Not Impossible→
Photo:After a long wait, can the Pioneers reach the Summit?
We can dream.
DU has not made the NCAA basketball tournament in 46 years of D1 play. Is this the year that luck, talent, fate and Summit Conference upsets open the door for a Pioneer appearance in March Madness?
DU will have to play (and win) three games in three straight days while the top seeds play 3 games in four days with an extra day of rest,
DU will be playing on the road – Sioux Falls, SD – with little or no fan support
DU (#6) will be playing against a higher seed which means they have to start out quickly with an upset against the 3 seed (UNO)
DU is young (3 Freshmen starters)
The Summit League is strong this season (11th Strongest RPI) so each game will be tough
Based on DU’s record, RPI, seed (#6), and league, if they did win the conference championship, they would likely be assigned to an NCAA play-in game.
Puck Swami is the internet moniker of a long-time DU fan and alumnus. He shares his views periodically with LetsGoDU.
As I look back on the 2015-2106 DU basketball season, the operative phrase, at least for me, is “pleasant surprise.”
At 15-14, the Pioneers achieved a winning record and sixth-place finish in the regular season where the cognoscenti predicted a last-place (eighth place) finish for DU in the Summit League. It was a return to respectability with a very young, resilient team overachieving after last year’s 12-18 disappointment with a veteran lineup. Continue reading Puck Swami: DU Men’s Basketball Regular Season Review→
In the first half of the basketball and hockey seasons, the Mavericks were battling for the top spot in their leagues. Then, the teams settle into their respective slumps. Maverick hockey has just 3 wins in their last 10 games while the basketball squad went 5-5 down the stretch to blow any chance at the Summit league title.
On Omaha.com, diehard Maverick fans were interviewed about their gameday superstitions and what they will be doing this weekend to drive the Mavericks to victory against the Denver Pioneers in a 2-game hockey road trip and against DU in the first round of the Sioux Falls, S.D. Summit League basketball tournament. Continue reading Superstitious Omaha Fans Fall Behind Slumping Squads→
Lots of people like to argue whether DU plays the pure Princeton offense, a hybrid, or some other form of basketball unique to this planet. So, we looked at the stats for the entire NCAA field (351 teams) to see empirically what DU did on the floor this year.
Denver gets the ball on average 63.2 times per game (350/351) so it is not your imagination – Denver does slow the game pace. This impacts DU’s high scoring defense standings(32/351) by only allowing their opponents 65 ppg.. Denver, in turn, only tallies 65.2 ppg. (318/351). Continue reading Weird Formula – Denver Hoops→
Lots of coaches say that about their teams but this is especially true for this season’s Pioneer squad. Take a look at their path and you will see a team that has had plenty of reasons to quit – but never does.
Following a 12-18 season in 2014-15, the Pioneers were loaded with freshmen (a stunning nine total on the game & practice rosters) and an uncertain future heading into this season. There was every reason to believe the Pioneers were headed for consecutive losing seasons – but they defied the odds with senior leadership, a solid incoming freshmen class, the development of existing players, liberal substitutions and a deep bench. A variety of different players stepped up at different times to finish out this regular season with a winning record, 15-14. Continue reading LetsGoDU Men’s Basketball Regular Season Awards→
It was only appropriate Saturday afternoon that DU seniors Marcus Byrd, Nate Engesser, and Bryant Rucker played key roles in a decisive Pioneer (15-14) victory 70-59 at Magness Arena over North Dakota State University (18-12).
The Pioneers started slowly, trailing 0-5, to start the game but quickly played the Bison even-up through the first half. The teams went to intermission tied at 29 but the Pioneers depth took its toll on the visiting Bison in the second half. A lively crowd, supporting the graduating seniors, combined with spillover from lax, created a great afternoon for a contest that eventually guaranteed a winning regular season for DU. Continue reading Seniors Guide Pios to Winning Regular Season→
LetsGoDU predicted 11 wins for the 2015-16 DU men’s hoops (14-14) squad based on their schedule, roster turnover, inexperience, and a host of unknowns regarding this year’s squad.
