Top Departing #10: John Dickson

I am counting down the top 20 players that are departing the Big Sky via graduation, transfer, or any other way.

John Dickson is a guy that was a solid four year performer for Sacramento State, even though he never made it to star level in the Big Sky. He was a good starter for them, and the rare four-year player that has a big impact each year.

Offensively, it's debatable how well he improved each year. As a freshman, he shot 46% on twos and 40% on threes. As a sophomore, he lost his three point shot (5/39 from downtown), but became very good at getting to the FT line. As a junior, he was still a bad three-point shooter, but didn't get to the line quite as much. As a senior, he reverted back to being more of a jump shooter, which hurt his efficiency. He improved to 30% from downtown, but that is not a great percentage. He shot 45% on twos, which is not great for a power forward. His FT rate dropped to the lowest rate of his career, which was a big blow for his game (since he is a solid FT shooter).

He had the skills to do a lot of things offensively, but didn't always put everything together. That is what kept him as a solid Big Sky player rather than a really good one.

He did grow as a rebounder as his career went along. He posted career best averages of 7.3 OR% and 16.9 DR%, which are good numbers. That was a big area of improvement for him.

While Dickson never necessarily become all that his skills suggested he might be able to, he was still a solid player for the Hornets for four years, which is all that you can hope for when you bring a guy into the program. If any of the recruits Brian Katz brings in have as good of a career as Dickson, he will be a happy man.

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Big Sky Poll - Who Will Lead The Conference in Scoring?

The Big Sky has a poll out there asking the question, "Of the league's five leading scores, who is the most likely end the season as the Big Sky's scoring champion?"

It lists the current top five options, along with an other category. Of the options, here are my thoughts:

DeWayne Russell (NAU) - He was my pick. He is the current leader in scoring, and has looked like an all-conference player. He is efficient, with a 112.8 ORtgm sgiitubg 53% from twos, 43% from threes, and almost automatic from the stripe. His usage should get higher too as he gains more experience.

Gabe Rogers (NAU) - He is currently third, but has a great chance to lead the conference in scoring thanks to a high volume. He takes 35.9% of his team's shots when he's on the court, the ninth highest rate in the NCAA. He is only shooting 33% from twos and 32% from threes, but he takes so many shots that he could lead the Big Sky if he just improves those percentages a little bit.

Justin Crogsile (EWU) - He should have a good shot because he plays PG for a team that likes to get up and down the court and take a lot of threes. The Eagles play a faster pace than anyone else in the conference, which is big. His numbers could take a hit though when Collin Chiverton returns. Chiverton has missed the past few games dealing with personal issues, after losing both his mother and best friend this year.

Kareem Jamar (MT) - He hasn't taken a ton of shots, but has been excellent when he has. He has a 119.3 ORtg, a testament to the fact that he does everything well. The burden to carry the offense will be taken off when Will Cherry returns, but Jamar doesn't really take bad shots, so he should continue at a similar clip to now, where he is at 14.9 PPG.

John Dickson (SAC) - He is currently second in the conference, but I think that could drop a little bit. Nothing against Dickson, but he is playing a little over his head shooting wise, which I expect will drop closer to his career averages. Plus, the Hornets have good balance and a lot of scoring options, which could further push his average down a bit.

Others - Chiverton was my pick before the year, but as mentioned he has been dealing with quite a few personal issues. Will Cherry has the ability to lead the conference, but I am not sure he will quite get there. Another darkhorse is Jackson Stevenett. He is tenth in the conference with 13.4 PPG, but he has been struggling with a shoulder injury. That average should slowly increase.

Go vote in the poll here.

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Weber State, Portland State, Sacramento State All Notch Wins

Weber State, Sacramento State, and Portland State all started the season with home games against lower competition, games they should dominate. All three schools did just that.

Weber State lived well in their first game without Damian Lillard, dropping a ridiculous 110 points on Arizona Christian. AZ Christian is an NAIA school, but still nice to see them score 55 points in each half. Seven guys scored in double figures in this game for the Wildcats, and they shot 64% from the floor (and still wound up with 16 offensive boards)

Two quick guys to focus on... Davion Berry scored a cool 17 points in his debut (in 23 minutes), shooting 6/10 from the floor and 3/5 from downtown. Off the bench, Joel Bolomoboy played 22 minutes and notched a double, with 16 points (5/5 FG, 5/8 FT), 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks. They are deep.

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Sacramento State started things off right with a 96-62 win over UC-Merced. Going into the year I thought the Hornets seemed settled at a starting lineup, but Brian Katz started Joey Quigley and Mikh McKinney, relegating Konner Veteto and Jackson Carbajal to coming off the bench (I believe he used this lineup in the exhibition game also).

Five guys scored in double figures for the Hornets, who led by just 8 at the break before blowing it open in the second half. John Dickson led the way with 18 and 9, while Veteto had 17 and 8. Dylan Garrity picked up where he left off last year, scoring six points, but dishing out nine assists.

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Portland State's victory margin was less than the other two games, but winning was never really in doubt in a 77-58 win over Pacific. Their lead was 26-24 late in the first half, but the Vikings went on a 13-4 run to head into the break, and never looked back.

Dre Winston led the way with 16 points, shooting 5/6 from the field and 3/4 from downtown. Aaron Moore (13) and Michael Harthun (11) also scored in double figures. PSU turned it over 19 times, which is just way too much. Lateef McMullan needs to be the steady hand as a senior PG, but he struggled. He was just 2/7 from the field and had 5 TOs.

The Vikings will travel to face Oregon on Monday night.

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Thursday 2/23 Predictions (Part 1)

There are four games on Thursday night, and we are into the crunch time of the year. Each game matters in some way, so let's break it up and preview in two parts.

Northern Arizona @ Montana
We will start with the game that on paper will be the most lopsided of the day.  Montana has won nine straight games, and Northern Arizona has run their losing streak to 14 games. In theory, there is no real way that the Lumberjacks should stay in the game.

Montana once again has the best defensive club in the conference, and their offense has been playing better and better as the year has gone on, culminating with their 94 point effort against Hawaii. Will Cherry and Kareem Jamar have been playing basketball at a caliber that makes it fair to question if they are the best backcourt in the Big Sky. They bring it on both sides of the ball. Wayne Tinkle has a team where everyone knows their role, and they do it well.

NAU, on the other hand, is playing like a team that has nothing to play for. They are guaranteed to finish last in the Big Sky, and they are playing for a coach that has no chance of being there next year. They only have one senior that plays big minutes (Durrell Norman), so even that sense of urgency is not there. I am afraid this one will not end well for them. MONTANA 78, NORTHERN ARIZONA 49

Portland State @ Sacramento State
In theory, the Hornets have a chance to still make the tournament, though their hopes were probably extinguished with their loss last Thursday to the Vikings. Still, they have a chance to get to six wins in the Big Sky, which would be their most since 2006 and give them a lot of momentum heading into next year, when they return almost everyone. Portland State still has high stakes. They are currently in a tie for third, and still need to lock up a home game in the Big Sky quarterfinals. Plus, a three seed is more likely to draw a reeling team like Montana State, as opposed to a potential sleeping giant in Eastern Washington.

When they met last week, Chehales Tapscott had one of the best games of his career, with 17 points, 11 rebounds, five blocks, three steals, and three assists, showing every side of his versatility. PSU led by 27 at the half, and completely dominated in every phase of the game. Sacramento State will play a lot better at home (they can't really play any worse), but their production down low has been down a bit in the last couple games. To beat quality teams, they need Konner Veteto and John Dickson to play good basketball. They have been very average lately, and I don't think the Hornets have enough talent to overcome that if it happens again. I see Chehales Tapscott having a big day once again, and clinching a return to the Big Sky tournament for the Vikings. PORTLAND STATE 77, SACRAMENTO STATE 71

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Weber State Improves to 2-0 in Big Sky

As expected, Weber State took care of Sacramento State on New Year's Eve afternoon, beating the Hornets 74-63 in Ogden.

Weber State jumped out to fast start, and though Sacramento State was able to keep it within the 10-15 range for most of the day, they were never really able to threaten.

Damian Lillard again led the Wildcats with 22 points, 19 of which came in the second half. He also had 8 rebounds. He did not shoot overly well, but he got to the line often, making 10 of 11 free throws. Scott Bamforth threw in 19 points (though he also struggled with his shot), and Kyle Tresnak had 20 (on 9/12 shooting) for Weber State.

For Sacramento State, they did some things well, but could not force any turnovers and just couldn't hit enough shots. John Dickson led them in scoring with 20 points, but it took him 19 shots to get there. Joe Eberhard also continued his solid season with 15 and 7, but nobody was really able to get it going for the Hornets.

At the end of the day, Weber State improves to 2-0 in the Big Sky, a mark matched by Montana (and Northern Arizona could match as well with a victory tonight), while Sacramento State joins Portland State at 0-2. Weber State will travel to take on Eastern Washington in what should be an excellent game Thursday night, while Sacramento State will host Northern Colorado Thursday.

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Sacramento State Falls to SE Missouri State

In the most exciting Big Sky game of the night, Sacramento State lost a close game to Southeast Missouri State, 77-76.

Lucas Nutt made the first of two free throw attempts with 3.3 seconds left to give the Redhawks (5-7) the lead. When he missed the second one, John Dickson attempted a buzzer-beater from behind half court that was well short.

The Hornets were down by 10 with 4:39 to play, including tying the game with 38 seconds left, but it was not enough to pull out the victory. The loss snaps a two games winning streak for Sac State, and drops them to 5-6.

Freshman PG Dylan Garrity has struggled of late, but he was excellent in this game, posting his first career double-double. He had 11 points (he was very good at getting to the FT line), and finished with a sparkling 12:0 A:TO ratio. It is good to see him get back to the way he was playing at the beginning of the year.

The Hornets got a lot of other nice contributions as well, notably from John Dickson (10/19 FG for 24 points), Joe Eberhard (15 & 8), and Josh McCarver, who had 12 points in 18 minutes. Ultimately, they just didn't get a solid performance from their defense per head coach Brian Katz.

“I don’t think I’ve ever coached a game where we could not get stops,” Katz said. “It was unbelievable.”

Sacramento State will open conference play with a trip to Northern Arizona on the 29th.

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Eastern Washington and Sacramento State Lose Tight Ones

At one point last night, it looked like both Eastern Washington and Sacramento State would beat Pac-12 teams. While moral victories ultimately don't mean anything, both teams have to be encouraged by their play on Thursday night.

Eastern Washington led Oregon by as many as nine points in the second half, but couldn't hold off a Ducks rally late, as they fell 73-65. It was their second straight tight loss against a high level opponent, as they fell in the season opener to Gonzaga.

The culprit was poor shooting for the Eagles. Cliff Colimon led them in scoring with 14 points, but he was just 4/14 from the field. Tremayne Johnson was next with 12 points (and 7 rebounds), but he shot just 4/15 from the field. Collin Chiverton had been averaging 25 PPG in his first two efforts, but he was plagued by some foul trouble in this game, as he only played 15 minutes before fouling out. He finished with 8 points and 3 rebounds.

I am sure that Jim Hayford has to be disappointed with his two close losses rather than having a signature win, but the Eagles have looked very competitive this year, with the consensus being that they look like one of the top three teams in the Big Sky. They travel to Hawaii next Tuesday, a game I am sure they believe they can and will win.

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Meanwhile, Sacramento State put together a great effort against Washington State, leading all of the first half and parts of the second half before losing 73-65 to the Cougars.

The Hornets used an eight-man rotation throughout the game, and built leads of 7-0, 25-12, and 29-16 during the first half. Neither team had a lead larger than four points the first 9:28 of the second half before a layup from Faisal Aden gave Washington State their largest lead - at the time - of five points with 10:32 remaining. The Cougars led the rest of the way as the Hornets were down just six points with 4:37 remaining before a DaVonte Lacy three-pointer put WSU up nine points.

John Dickson led them in scoring and had a real nice game, scoring 21 points (on 9/18 FG) and grabbing 6 rebounds. They need him to be their star, and he delivered in this game. He is probably their most talented and athletic player.

Reigning Big Sky POW Joe Eberhard was also big, finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds. He continues to be a great find for Brian Katz, as he is averaging 13 points and 8.7 rebounds per game so far this year. The other star was a guy I have been praising all year, and that is Dylan Garrity. He has not provided much scoring this year (5 points in this one), but he continues to dish out assists and make plays at a great rate. He had 12 assists in this game, and for the year he has 25 assists to 4 turnovers. He could quickly become one of the best PGs in the Big Sky.

Eagles and Hornets fans, what did you think of your teams' performances?

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Sacramento State Starts 2-0

Sacramento State kept their non-conference schedule light this year for obvious reasons. They wanted to get off to a good start in the win column, and get some momentum heading into conference play. After 18 wins in the past three seasons, I like this strategy.

So far, things are going as planned.

They opened their season with an unimpressive 70-56 win over Menlo College, but then had a nice 75-54 home victory over Central Arkansas. They may not have played the toughest competition, but 2-0 is still 2-0, and they have to be pleased with the start and the way they have taken care of business.

Against Central Arkansas, a lot of guys stepped up. John Dickson (16), Konnor Veteto (16), and Joe Eberhard (12) were all in double figures, and as a team the Hornets shot about 57%. The biggest star might have been Dylan Garrity. The true freshman PG doled out 9 assists compared to 0 turnovers (and chipped in 5 points and 4 rebounds). For the season he has 13 assists to 1 turnover, a great rate even if he wasn't a freshman. I had him on my preseason Third-Team All Big Sky, and he is showing why so far.

Sacramento State's next 4 games are - @ Washington State, @ UC Davis, McNeese State, and @ Cal Poly. Winning at least 3 of these 4 games is not out of the question, and would put the Hornets in a very nice position early in the season in their quest for their first .500 season in 20+ years.

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A Quick Look at Sacramento State

Like other teams have had, Sacramento State's website released a nice article on the start of practice. Let's take a look at some of the most interesting nuggets from their news release.

Sacramento State finished with a 7-21 record last season, but that mark could have easily been better. The Hornets went 3-9 in games that were decided by six points or less, or that went into overtime. Making things even more grueling is the Hornets had late leads in five of those nine losses. The team’s four overtime losses were a single-season program record.

There are two schools of thought on this - One, that this is a stat that shows they are not "clutch" and that they do not know how to win close games. Two, that they got unlucky, and those things tend to balance out. I subscribe to the second theory. If they can turn a couple of those close games around, then they begin to inch closer to the .500 mark, and that would be a nice goal for them this year.

Sacramento State’s four conference wins last season marked the third straight year the team has increased its league win total.

Considering that 4 wins was just good enough to tie for last place, this seems to be an unwitting case of "damning with faint praise." I like their optimism though!

Sacramento State finished the season with a positive rebounding margin (993-969), snapping a streak of 23 consecutive years the team had finished with less rebounds than the opposition.

That stat is hard to imagine... 23 straight years of being outrebounded! Kudos to Brian Katz and last year's team for breaking the streak, that is definitely a good sign. It will be tough to repeat that this year after the loss of Alpha N'Diaye.

Of the 12 Hornets to expire their eligibility under head coach Brian Katz, 10 have graduated and the other players (Sultan Toles-Bey and Duro Bjegovic) are on pace to graduate this fall.

Schools rarely get recognition for this type of thing so kudos to Brian Katz for this. This is the ultimate goal, and so it is good to see guys graduate.

#32 John Dickson - F, 6-6, 195, Jr., San Francisco, Calif.
An honorable mention all-Big Sky Conference selection...appeared in all 28 games, including 25 starts as a true sophomore…averaged 10.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 0.6 blocked shots per game…shot 42.2 percent (97-230) from the field and 76.3 percent (106-139) from the free throw line…was the team’s second-leading scorer and fourth-leading rebounder…led the team in both free throws made and attempted…the 106 free throws made tied for the fourth best mark in the Big Sky Conference…in league play, he increased his numbers to a team-best 12.6 points per game to go along with 4.8 rebounds and 0.9 blocked shots per game…scored in double figures in 12 of the team’s 16 league games.

Dickson is their best returnee in my opinion, and could have a shot at getting some postseason awards in the Big Sky. He is a solid scorer (as long as he stays away from taking 3s) and a decent rebounder for his size. He will be counted on to be a rock for them.

#5 Dylan Garrity - G, 6-2, 170, Fr., Huntington Beach, Calif.
A 2011 graduate of Edison High School in Huntington Beach, Calif…played four years of varsity basketball for the Chargers…a two-time all-state, two-time Sunset League MVP, three-time first team all-section, three-time first team all-league, three-time all-county and three-year team captain…became the first player to have his jersey retired in the 42-year history of the Edison High School boys basketball program…finished as the school’s all-time leader in games (114), points (1,729) and assists (438)…averaged at least 17 points a game each of his final three seasons…finished with career averages of 15.2 points, 3.9 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 48.8 percent (556-1139) from the field, 44.0 percent (211-480) from the three-point line and 84.1 percent (406-483) from the free throw line.

I have already written quite a bit about Dylan Garrity, but he has a chance to be one of the best freshmen entering the Big Sky this year, and he could have a nice impact for them. If he can develop into a big-time player, that is probably the Hornets best chances of becoming a factor in the Big Sky. Maybe not this year, but sometime in the next couple of years.

What are your all thoughts on Sacramento State?

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Where Will Sacramento State Get Their Offense From?

Last season Sacramento State had one of the worst offenses in the NCAA. Their AdjO of 90.1 ranked 319th in the country, and last in the Big Sky. Their EFG% was a dreadful 44.4%, 322nd in the nation. Their turnover percentage was 22.5, 293rd in the country. They shot 30.4% from 3-point range and 43.8% from 2s. They had an inordinate number of shots blocked.

Other than that, their offense was just fine!

After last season, their first and third leading scorers graduated (though I am not positive this is a bad thing. Leading scorer Sultan Toles-Bey shot 34% from the field - though in the interest of fairness he had an excellent 32.0 ARate), and their 5th and 6th leading scorers transferred. All of this begs the question - where are they going to get offense from?

The guy that seems the best best to lead them in scoring is junior John Dickson, a 6'6'' forward. He was an honorable mention Big Sky performer, and finished 2nd on the team in scoring last year behind Toles-Bey. He scored 10.9 PPG for the reason, but upped that to a team-best 12.6 PPG during conference play. His best attribute is his ability to get to the line. He shot 139 FTs last year, making 76.3% of them, a solid number. If he can stay away from shooting 3s (5/39 last year) and focus on what he does best, he will be a nice building block for Coach Brian Katz.

Another returner that will have a big role is Jackson Carbajal, who booked a lot of minutes last year as a freshman. At 6'3'' he will be handling the ball a lot, which may or may not be a good thing (had an almost 3:1 TO:A ratio last year). He took more 3s than 2s, but made 31% of 3s compared to 57% of 2s. He needs to take better care of the basketball this year, and he will likely be one of their leading scorers.

Walter Jackson is another guy that put in solid minutes for them last year, though he was more of a selective scorer. He is a 6'5'' G/F combo that averaged 6.0 PPG last year, but did it with a very efficient 49% shooting (though he too needs to avoid the 3 ball). He is also a solid offensive rebounder, and his 8.7% OR% was highest on the team of anyone that played as many minutes as he did. He started 19 games last year, and should get a starting role again.

Then, there are two newcomers who I think could have a big role in the offense. The first is Dylan Garrity, a 6'2'' G who averaged over 20 PPG last year in high school. He is a dangerous outside shooter, and I think could have command of the offense sooner rather than later. I am excited to see how he plays for the Hornets.

Another key guy could be JUCO F Anthony Costentino, who scored 18.7 PPG last year. At 6'7'' he can play both forward spots, and his versatility will be key for a team without a ton of depth. He can score both inside and offense, and should be their best offensive threat down low. He should get all of the minutes he can handle right away.

Who do you guys see as leading Sacramento State in scoring? Anyone I am missing that will have a big impact?