South Dakota St. does it again!

[Bravesfan]

Wasn't it a couple of years ago they beat a top 25 team early in the season? While not a top 25 team, SDS beats another BCS team, this time Iowa at Iowa 79-68.

Didn't Iowa lose to Northwestern St. in the Big Dance a few years ago (and I'm not talkinig about their football team losing to Northwestern again yesterday!)?

This team seems to have a tendency to lose to directional schools from the high plains and upper midwest!

[tornado]

Some other interesting scores...

WIU picks up road win!! Congrats Mo!

I thought EIU was supposed to be better this year?? They are losing by 31 to Ball State for crying out loud!!

Early on Indiana is losing to Wright State but it's only 8 minutes into the game..

..and you gotta wonder if DePaul's Mike Bizoukas is terribly regretting the day he reneged on his verbal to UNI and
missed a run to the Sweet 16 and a couple Valley titles, just so he could sit the bench or go 0-5 and no assists for lowly DePaul!!

[FarmerClone]

Wasn't it a couple of years ago they beat a top 25 team early in the season? While not a top 25 team, SDS beats another BCS team, this time Iowa at Iowa 79-68.

Didn't Iowa lose to Northwestern St. in the Big Dance a few years ago (and I'm not talkinig about their football team losing to Northwestern again yesterday!)?

This team seems to have a tendency to lose to directional schools from the high plains and upper midwest!

I think you are thinking of NDSU who nearly beat a ranked team or two a few years back but SDSU did beat Iowa State a couple years ago. Was just a sign that ISU would once again suck that year.

[Bravesfan]

I think you are thinking of NDSU who nearly beat a ranked team or two a few years back but SDSU did beat Iowa State a couple years ago. Was just a sign that ISU would once again suck that year.

Well it was one of those schools, and it probably was Iowa St. I was thinking of. Though I believe that it was Northwestern St. that did beat Iowa in the tourney (possibly the same year VCU upset Duke in the first round).

I believe this would mean Iowa will suck again this year though!

[Bravesfan]

Some other interesting scores...

WIU picks up road win!! Congrats Mo!

I thought EIU was supposed to be better this year?? They are losing by 31 to Ball State for crying out loud!!

Early on Indiana is losing to Wright State but it's only 8 minutes into the game..

..and you gotta wonder if DePaul's Mike Bizoukas is terribly regretting the day he reneged on his verbal to UNI and
missed a run to the Sweet 16 and a couple Valley titles, just so he could sit the bench or go 0-5 and no assists for lowly DePaul!!

Officially Bizoukas was 0 for 2 shooting tonight (both 3 point attempts), with 2 points from free throws. What is interesting about this is that DePaul routed hapless Chicago St. 114-81 thanks to the new pressure, run and gun defensive system that new DePaul coach Oliver Purnell established. Not a good offensive output for Bizoukas considering five DePaul players scored in double figures tonight!

[cpacmel]

..and you gotta wonder if DePaul's Mike Bizoukas is terribly regretting the day he reneged on his verbal to UNI and
missed a run to the Sweet 16 and a couple Valley titles, just so he could sit the bench or go 0-5 and no assists for lowly DePaul!!

He probably is regretting it some. Though I don't think his #'s were as bad as reported.

He played 17 minutes. 2 points 2 assists 3 steals 3 boards. Not great, but not terrible either.

[depaulfan]

He probably is regretting it some. Though I don't think his #'s were as bad as reported.

He played 17 minutes. 2 points 2 assists 3 steals 3 boards. Not great, but not terrible either.

Great kid, great hustle, great attitude, gives it his all...but that being said he doesn't really fit Purnells system. Purnell has a very fun system to play in which will attract a lot of recruits to DePaul. Bizoukas has one year left of eligibility after this year but I'll be surprised if he comes back.

[tornado]

I grew up and spent the first 18 years of my life just a few steps away from Munster, IN where Bizoukas played his high school ball...so I followed his fine career thru HS...
Bizoukas was UNI's top target as a point guard back in 2005-2006, and he verballed to UNI in the summer of 2006.
But -- even tho he was verballed, he kept getting calls from Jerry Wainwright who was desperate for a PG who he thought would feed zillions of passes to his gravy train Mac Koshwal and turn DePaul into a contender.

Hard to know which idea was more laughable -- that DePaul could ever be a contender with their best player averaging only 12 ppg or that a relatively short, slow white guy was going to be able to play for any Big East school.

Anyway -- as good of a kid as Bizoukas is..even Wainwright recruited over him and used Kelly and others as PG and Biz never got his averages over 3 ppg and 2 apg...

And I agree, that now Purnell's run & gun style is in place, Bizoukas is getting left behind--
DePaul put up 107 pts in their exhibition and took 72 shots -- but Bizoukas got only 3 of them, and in their win over hapless Chicago State, DePaul ran the score up to 114 pts, with Bizoukas missing his only 2 shots. This would be fine if he handed out some assists -- but just about everyone on the team had more assists than he did.

BUT -- since he's used his redshirt year - I can't see him transferring after the season -- so if he's gonna transfer, he needs to leave NOW so he can play next year after 1st semester.

[FarmerClone]

I grew up and spent the first 18 years of my life just a few steps away from Munster, IN where Bizoukas played his high school ball...so I followed his fine career thru HS...
Bizoukas was UNI's top target as a point guard back in 2005-2006, and he verballed to UNI in the summer of 2006.
But -- even tho he was verballed, he kept getting calls from Jerry Wainwright who was desperate for a PG who he thought would feed zillions of passes to his gravy train Mac Koshwal and turn DePaul into a contender.

Hard to know which idea was more laughable -- that DePaul could ever be a contender with their best player averaging only 12 ppg or that a relatively short, slow white guy was going to be able to play for any Big East school.

Anyway -- as good of a kid as Bizoukas is..even Wainwright recruited over him and used Kelly and others as PG and Biz never got his averages over 3 ppg and 2 apg...

And I agree, that now Purnell's run & gun style is in place, Bizoukas is getting left behind--
DePaul put up 107 pts in their exhibition and took 72 shots -- but Bizoukas got only 3 of them, and in their win over hapless Chicago State, DePaul ran the score up to 114 pts, with Bizoukas missing his only 2 shots. This would be fine if he handed out some assists -- but just about everyone on the team had more assists than he did.

BUT -- since he's used his redshirt year - I can't see him transferring after the season -- so if he's gonna transfer, he needs to leave NOW so he can play next year after 1st semester.

If he is on track to graduate this spring, he could graduate and transfer to a different D1 school for grad school and then be eligible immediately with a waiver from the NCAA.

[shaunguth]

I thought EIU was supposed to be better this year?? They are losing by 31 to Ball State for crying out loud!!

Yes.....they were picked 3rd in the OVC.

[depaulfan]

I grew up and spent the first 18 years of my life just a few steps away from Munster, IN where Bizoukas played his high school ball...so I followed his fine career thru HS...
Bizoukas was UNI's top target as a point guard back in 2005-2006, and he verballed to UNI in the summer of 2006.
But -- even tho he was verballed, he kept getting calls from Jerry Wainwright who was desperate for a PG who he thought would feed zillions of passes to his gravy train Mac Koshwal and turn DePaul into a contender.

Hard to know which idea was more laughable -- that DePaul could ever be a contender with their best player averaging only 12 ppg or that a relatively short, slow white guy was going to be able to play for any Big East school.

Anyway -- as good of a kid as Bizoukas is..even Wainwright recruited over him and used Kelly and others as PG and Biz never got his averages over 3 ppg and 2 apg...

And I agree, that now Purnell's run & gun style is in place, Bizoukas is getting left behind--
DePaul put up 107 pts in their exhibition and took 72 shots -- but Bizoukas got only 3 of them, and in their win over hapless Chicago State, DePaul ran the score up to 114 pts, with Bizoukas missing his only 2 shots. This would be fine if he handed out some assists -- but just about everyone on the team had more assists than he did.

BUT -- since he's used his redshirt year - I can't see him transferring after the season -- so if he's gonna transfer, he needs to leave NOW so he can play next year after 1st semester.

Jerry Wainwright was the worst coach in DePaul history and quite honestly could be one of the worst coaches in NCAA history. He was very stubborn, and hardly any of our players progressed over the years. DePaul was the only team in 2006 to have two players drafted and not make the NCAA tournament. So hearing what you told me...doesn't surpise me at all. The guy was just an ***** that would blame the players before he ever blamed himself.

I believe Bizoukas is set to graduate credit wise...thats why I think he will be gone. I could be completely wrong. He is a great kid..but I just don't think he is suited for the Big East night in and night out. UNI definently would have been the best fit for him.

With regards to running up the score...DePaul was in the double bonus with 13 minutes to go in the first half! Very ticky tack calls...but Chicago State was trying to push ball and was turning it over. We've only won 1 Big East game in 2 years We need to get our confidence up somehow. Now we have to face Western Carolina...which I believe upset Louisville and you guys last year....but they lost a ton of talent...so it will be interesting to gauge how they do and see how could of a fit Purnells system will be.

[tornado]

.. you gotta wonder if DePaul's Mike Bizoukas is terribly regretting ..

ran across this old article in which top recruiting analyst for scout.com, Dave Telep once said this about Mike Bizoukas when he was in high school --

“capable of playing (his) way up the charts"
and
is a "high-major"..."capable of starting in the Big Ten.”

obviously someone thought that and look where it landed Bizoukas

http://calstatefullerton.scout.com/a.z?s=45&p=2&c=535798