Denver lost on a missed foul shot by super freshman Joe Rosga with virtually no time left on the clock to end a great effort, 53-54, at the Summit League Semifinals. Rosga was tripped earlier in the waning seconds but it was a ‘non-foul’, allowing the Jackrabbits to take the lead and win the contest by the narrowest of margins. Continue reading Pioneers Scorch Jackrabbits in Second Half Tear but Come Up Short 53-54 →

Photo: Dave Eggen/Inertia Media

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.

Continue reading Part 1. Longshot Conference Tournament Upsets Not Impossible →

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 →

Joe Scott calls this team ‘gritty’.

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.

Here are some of their ups and downs… Continue reading True Grit – Resilient Pioneers Respond to Ups & Downs →