When everyone wakes up on Friday morning and checks the Big Sky standings (I assume this is something that people do), they will see Sacramento State alone atop the Big Sky at 3-0 after their 63-61 win over North Dakota. Eastern Washington and Idaho are currently 2-0, but the Hornets are the lone team with three wins.
It took a tough battle on the road to get the win, but the Hornets ended the game on a 9-3 run, and got a Mikh McKinney floater with 2.6 seconds left to give them the win. Among the notables, Sac State's 9-5 overall mark and 3-0 Big Sky mark is their best start since 2005-06, and they are 3-0 in the Big Sky for the second time since they joined the conference in the 90s.
There is nothing terribly impressive about North Dakota right now, though Grand Forks is always a tough place to go win, but I thought the way they won was encouraging. Their offense was bogged down a bit, and UND was able to do an excellent job on McKinney and Dylan Garrity, who combined for 23 points on 8/20 FG, which is a slow night for them.
However, the Hornets got others guys to step up. Senior forward Zach Mills played 35 minutes, and scored 17 points, including hitting 3/4 from downtown. Alex Tiffin had 12 points and 5 rebounds off the bench. Defensively, UND was 2/10 from the floor, and even though they shot the ball well overall, the Hornets didn't allow them second chance opportunities.
It was a full team win, and for a team that at times can be overly reliant on their two man backcourt, that is an even better sign than the fact that it happened to bring them to 3-0.
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Showing posts with label Alex Tiffin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alex Tiffin. Show all posts
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Monday, October 27, 2014
Sacramento State Outlook
It's time to get ready for the Big Sky season again with some overviews of each team this month, and then eventually we'll get into more detailed looks at everything.
What They Lost: One of the biggest reasons for optimism around Sac State this year is the fact that they did not lose a lot of key contributors from last season's team. The biggest loss was Jordan Salley, a forward who played about 40% of the team's minutes last year. He was a nice piece for them, as he shot 60% from the floor and was a solid rebounder in the frontcourt. Their other loss was forward Joey Quigley, who got some nice hype as a versatile forward when he committed, but never converted it into any reliable production. He was a bit player that struggled to produce when he did play. They did not lose anyone else that played any type of minutes, even inconsistently.
Who Returns: The other big reason for optimism around the Hornets is their backcourt, which certainly has a strong case to be the best in the league. Dylan Garrity and Mikh McKinney are both seniors, and both could be first-team all-conference players. Garrity has had a sterling four-year career, turning from a pass-first PG with limited scoring ability as a freshman (his assist rate was 12th in the nation his first year) into a dynamic scoring guard who is still a good distributor. Last year he made 48% of threes on five attempts per game. You may also remember his 70 footer to beat Weber State, one of the best moments in college basketball last year.
McKinney, meanwhile, was one of the most improved players in the Big Sky last year. He greatly improved his scoring efficiency (53% twos, 33% threes, and 82% FT on plenty of attempts), while becoming one of the best assist men in the conference, surpassing even Garrity. Improbably, he was better than Garrity last season, and should be poised for a big senior year. Cody Demps is the nominal small forward, but has the versatility to play some different spots. He would be better served not taking so many threes (9/44 last year), but is a glue guy for them. Dreon Bartlett also returns in the backcourt as a three-point shooting specialist off the bench.
Up front, they will rely on Eric Stuteville, a big man that got better and better as the season went along. Toward the end of the year, he showed flashes as a diverse scorer in the post who holds his own on the glass. His potential is probably as one of the better bigs in the conference. Zach Mills is only 6'5'', but he did some nice things for them as a junior, and can play the four spot. He is a good outside shooter, and decent on the defensive glass. Senior Alex Tiffin will be in his second year, and there seems to be some optimism about him, though he didn't flash a ton as a junor. He shot just 43% last year. Nick Hornsby is one other returner that will contribute. He was a well regarded recruit coming into last year, though he got lost in the shuffle a bit as a freshman. In a bit under 15 minutes per game, he showcased nice versatility and skill on the glass, but struggled to score. He shot just 38% on twos and 4/18 from three. If he can find good shots and become a bit better putting the ball in the basket, he will be a nice all-around player for them.
Newcomers: One name to watch it Mason Stuteville (brother of Eric), who seems to be getting some pub as one of the best freshman in the league. He is a dynamic big man (though thin), who appears to have some inside-out capability. He will add another dynamic to the frontcourt which was a weak point for the squad last year. Another big man in the recruiting class is 6'10'' James Herrick, who averaged 11 and 11 last year, and is a bit more of a traditional big man as compared to Stuteville. They also have early signee Justin Strings, a 6'6'' forward who fits in the mold of shorter power forwards which have been so effective in the Big Sky. He averaged 18 and 8 last year and looks like he will be an impact player for them in time.
They also signed two guards. One is 5'10'' Jiday Ugbaja, a very good athlete who could be a great shooter for them. He may not have an impact right away because of the other depth, but he could be starting as soon as next season. He could be joined next year by Marcus Graves, who had the impressive stat line of 17.6 PPG/5.4 RPG/ 4.6 APG last year. Coach Katz compared his game to Garrity's, calling him a "shooter that can drive." Similar to Ugbaja, it's hard to say how many minutes will be available this year, but he should be an important long-term piece for them.
General Outlook: Sacramento State has never had a winning record at the DI level, but this looks like the year it will happen. In a league often dictated by guard play, they are in great hands with a senior backcourt of Garrity-McKinney. Though the frontcourt doesn't have the experience yet, they appear to have the talent with the Stuteville brothers and Zach Mills. After getting a taste of the Big Sky tournament last year, they are one of the favorites heading into this season. Don't be surprised if they not only have a winning record, but win the league, which would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.
Note: This post was updated to include the part about Nick Hornsby, who I forgot about on my first posting.
Follow me on Twitter @bigskybball
What They Lost: One of the biggest reasons for optimism around Sac State this year is the fact that they did not lose a lot of key contributors from last season's team. The biggest loss was Jordan Salley, a forward who played about 40% of the team's minutes last year. He was a nice piece for them, as he shot 60% from the floor and was a solid rebounder in the frontcourt. Their other loss was forward Joey Quigley, who got some nice hype as a versatile forward when he committed, but never converted it into any reliable production. He was a bit player that struggled to produce when he did play. They did not lose anyone else that played any type of minutes, even inconsistently.
Who Returns: The other big reason for optimism around the Hornets is their backcourt, which certainly has a strong case to be the best in the league. Dylan Garrity and Mikh McKinney are both seniors, and both could be first-team all-conference players. Garrity has had a sterling four-year career, turning from a pass-first PG with limited scoring ability as a freshman (his assist rate was 12th in the nation his first year) into a dynamic scoring guard who is still a good distributor. Last year he made 48% of threes on five attempts per game. You may also remember his 70 footer to beat Weber State, one of the best moments in college basketball last year.
McKinney, meanwhile, was one of the most improved players in the Big Sky last year. He greatly improved his scoring efficiency (53% twos, 33% threes, and 82% FT on plenty of attempts), while becoming one of the best assist men in the conference, surpassing even Garrity. Improbably, he was better than Garrity last season, and should be poised for a big senior year. Cody Demps is the nominal small forward, but has the versatility to play some different spots. He would be better served not taking so many threes (9/44 last year), but is a glue guy for them. Dreon Bartlett also returns in the backcourt as a three-point shooting specialist off the bench.
Up front, they will rely on Eric Stuteville, a big man that got better and better as the season went along. Toward the end of the year, he showed flashes as a diverse scorer in the post who holds his own on the glass. His potential is probably as one of the better bigs in the conference. Zach Mills is only 6'5'', but he did some nice things for them as a junior, and can play the four spot. He is a good outside shooter, and decent on the defensive glass. Senior Alex Tiffin will be in his second year, and there seems to be some optimism about him, though he didn't flash a ton as a junor. He shot just 43% last year. Nick Hornsby is one other returner that will contribute. He was a well regarded recruit coming into last year, though he got lost in the shuffle a bit as a freshman. In a bit under 15 minutes per game, he showcased nice versatility and skill on the glass, but struggled to score. He shot just 38% on twos and 4/18 from three. If he can find good shots and become a bit better putting the ball in the basket, he will be a nice all-around player for them.
Newcomers: One name to watch it Mason Stuteville (brother of Eric), who seems to be getting some pub as one of the best freshman in the league. He is a dynamic big man (though thin), who appears to have some inside-out capability. He will add another dynamic to the frontcourt which was a weak point for the squad last year. Another big man in the recruiting class is 6'10'' James Herrick, who averaged 11 and 11 last year, and is a bit more of a traditional big man as compared to Stuteville. They also have early signee Justin Strings, a 6'6'' forward who fits in the mold of shorter power forwards which have been so effective in the Big Sky. He averaged 18 and 8 last year and looks like he will be an impact player for them in time.
They also signed two guards. One is 5'10'' Jiday Ugbaja, a very good athlete who could be a great shooter for them. He may not have an impact right away because of the other depth, but he could be starting as soon as next season. He could be joined next year by Marcus Graves, who had the impressive stat line of 17.6 PPG/5.4 RPG/ 4.6 APG last year. Coach Katz compared his game to Garrity's, calling him a "shooter that can drive." Similar to Ugbaja, it's hard to say how many minutes will be available this year, but he should be an important long-term piece for them.
General Outlook: Sacramento State has never had a winning record at the DI level, but this looks like the year it will happen. In a league often dictated by guard play, they are in great hands with a senior backcourt of Garrity-McKinney. Though the frontcourt doesn't have the experience yet, they appear to have the talent with the Stuteville brothers and Zach Mills. After getting a taste of the Big Sky tournament last year, they are one of the favorites heading into this season. Don't be surprised if they not only have a winning record, but win the league, which would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.
Note: This post was updated to include the part about Nick Hornsby, who I forgot about on my first posting.
Follow me on Twitter @bigskybball
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
What Will Sacramento State's Frontcourt Look Like?
Last season, Sacramento State had one of the most experienced frontcourts in the conference, with senior starts Konnor Veteto, Joe Eberhard, and John Dickson. The flipside is that this year, with all of those guys gone, there is not a lot of certainty in their frontcourt heading into this season.
Like we did with Southern Utah's scoring, let's just take a rundown of some of the guys that might be involved.
- Joey Quigley - Of their returners, Quigley logged the most minutes among those vying for frontcourt roles, so that seems to put him at the top of the list. He is a versatile guy that seems to have the skillset to play inside and outside, but he struggled last season as a junior, his first year in the program. He shot just 31% on twos, and 4/16 from deep, not really dishing out assists or grabbing any offensive rebounds, making him a serious liability last year. He did grab a solid number of defensive rebounds (15.3% DR%), but he needs to improve offensively. The skills appeared to be there, so maybe he can be more comfortable as a senior.
- Jordan Salley - He was efficient when he shot, at 22/36 for the year, but didn't get a ton of time as he was very turnover prone and only an average rebounder. Those things have to improve for him to be a good starting frontcourt player. He has the athletic ability to play and be effective, but he needs to clean things up around the edges of his game.
- Ryan Okwudibonye - He missed almost all of last season because of a knee injury. His numbers from junior college suggest that he could be a frontcourt rotational player that can get some rebounds and defend, but is probably not a guy that will be counted on to play heavy minutes.
- Alex Tiffin - He sat out last season after transferring from UC Davis, and he could factor in for a starting role. Even though he didn't put up many numbers in his two seasons for the Aggies, the Hornets hope he can have a Konnor Veteto like impact in Sacramento, as Veteto improved a lot in his redshirt year after transferring.
- Eric Stuteville - He is the most intriguing guy in their frontcourt to me, a 6'10'' F that can play inside and out. Last year as a senior in high school, he averaged about 21 and 12 per game. He also averaged 3.5 blocks per game as a junior. He appears to have the most upside of anyone in the frontcourt rotation, and I think he could see big minutes early on in his career.
- Zach Mills - Mills is only 6'5'', but looks like he can play either the three or four spot for the Hornets. He is a great rebounder for his size, after grabbing over eight per game last season in junior college. He is in the mold of Joe Eberhard, a versatile player that can potentially fill in a lot of roles for Sac State.
Anyone stand out as someone that figures to get a lot of time for the Hornets?
Follow me on Twitter @bigskybball
Like we did with Southern Utah's scoring, let's just take a rundown of some of the guys that might be involved.
- Joey Quigley - Of their returners, Quigley logged the most minutes among those vying for frontcourt roles, so that seems to put him at the top of the list. He is a versatile guy that seems to have the skillset to play inside and outside, but he struggled last season as a junior, his first year in the program. He shot just 31% on twos, and 4/16 from deep, not really dishing out assists or grabbing any offensive rebounds, making him a serious liability last year. He did grab a solid number of defensive rebounds (15.3% DR%), but he needs to improve offensively. The skills appeared to be there, so maybe he can be more comfortable as a senior.
- Jordan Salley - He was efficient when he shot, at 22/36 for the year, but didn't get a ton of time as he was very turnover prone and only an average rebounder. Those things have to improve for him to be a good starting frontcourt player. He has the athletic ability to play and be effective, but he needs to clean things up around the edges of his game.
- Ryan Okwudibonye - He missed almost all of last season because of a knee injury. His numbers from junior college suggest that he could be a frontcourt rotational player that can get some rebounds and defend, but is probably not a guy that will be counted on to play heavy minutes.
- Alex Tiffin - He sat out last season after transferring from UC Davis, and he could factor in for a starting role. Even though he didn't put up many numbers in his two seasons for the Aggies, the Hornets hope he can have a Konnor Veteto like impact in Sacramento, as Veteto improved a lot in his redshirt year after transferring.
- Eric Stuteville - He is the most intriguing guy in their frontcourt to me, a 6'10'' F that can play inside and out. Last year as a senior in high school, he averaged about 21 and 12 per game. He also averaged 3.5 blocks per game as a junior. He appears to have the most upside of anyone in the frontcourt rotation, and I think he could see big minutes early on in his career.
- Zach Mills - Mills is only 6'5'', but looks like he can play either the three or four spot for the Hornets. He is a great rebounder for his size, after grabbing over eight per game last season in junior college. He is in the mold of Joe Eberhard, a versatile player that can potentially fill in a lot of roles for Sac State.
Anyone stand out as someone that figures to get a lot of time for the Hornets?
Follow me on Twitter @bigskybball
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Sacramento State Begins Practice
Sac State Sports provides lots of good Hornets' content, and they have a nice article on the start of practice.
They focus on transfer big man Alex Tiffin, and how he will be using his redshirt year during the transfer year to get stronger and better.
Follow me on Twitter @bigskybball
They focus on transfer big man Alex Tiffin, and how he will be using his redshirt year during the transfer year to get stronger and better.
Katz has high hopes for Tiffin’s development. Konner Veteto had similar numbers (3.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 12.6 minutes per game) when he transferred from UC Irvine.There is lots of optimism in the Sacramento State camp this year, and the presence of guys like Tiffin in practice every day should help to make the team better.
“He’s getting an extra workout each week on weights on his own,” Katz said. “Our goal for him is to improve his vertical. He’s an ‘at the rim’ player right now. We feel like he can get above it.”
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Monday, September 3, 2012
Alex Tiffin of UC Davis Transfers to Sacramento State
Bryan Metcalf of SacStateSports.com has informed me that forward Alex Tiffin of UC Davis has decided to transfer to Sacramento State.
Tiffin is a 6'9'' F that played 16.3 minuters per game last season for the Aggies as a sophomore, averaging 3.3 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. He played two seasons at UC Davis, so would then presumably have two seasons of eligibility remaining after sitting out for a season.
He shot 46% from the field last season, and 63% from the charity stripe. He was an ok rebounder for the Aggies, posting a 9.4 OR% and a 10.4 DR% for them. To be honest, that defensive rebounding rate does not jump out at you for a big man. He averaged three fouls per game and seemed to have some trouble staying on the court.
Last year when UC Davis played the Hornets, Tiffin played 11 minutes, scoring one point and grabbing one rebound while racking up four personal fouls. As a freshman, he played in 13 minutes against Sac State, but posting no line.
You can probably never have enough big guys, but Tiffin has struggled to make an impact in two seasons with UC Davis. Perhaps with a year to sit out, he will be a nice rotational player for them in his final two years.
Follow me on Twitter @bigskybball
Tiffin is a 6'9'' F that played 16.3 minuters per game last season for the Aggies as a sophomore, averaging 3.3 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. He played two seasons at UC Davis, so would then presumably have two seasons of eligibility remaining after sitting out for a season.
He shot 46% from the field last season, and 63% from the charity stripe. He was an ok rebounder for the Aggies, posting a 9.4 OR% and a 10.4 DR% for them. To be honest, that defensive rebounding rate does not jump out at you for a big man. He averaged three fouls per game and seemed to have some trouble staying on the court.
Last year when UC Davis played the Hornets, Tiffin played 11 minutes, scoring one point and grabbing one rebound while racking up four personal fouls. As a freshman, he played in 13 minutes against Sac State, but posting no line.
You can probably never have enough big guys, but Tiffin has struggled to make an impact in two seasons with UC Davis. Perhaps with a year to sit out, he will be a nice rotational player for them in his final two years.
Follow me on Twitter @bigskybball
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