Jumping Through Hoops

One Jackrabbit basketball team proved that they could be a threat for the Summit League Tourney and another one did anything but over the weekend.

The men showed up long enough to score the first basket before falling into oblivion for the rest of the night, losing 84-61. NDSU dominated the glass much like they did in the first meeting in Brookings and turned it into a dunk contest at the Bison Sports Arena. Add in the fact the Jacks didn't shoot the ball well at all and it was a pretty deflated SDSU club after the game. The Jacks didn't put up much of a fight and that was likely the most disappointing thing to take away from the night's proceedings. The Jackrabbits will likely make a statement at the Summit League Tournament this weekend and what their statement will say is still up in the air. Nevertheless, much of their season will be defined by these next few days.

For the SDSU women, it is really all coming together right now. They've been victors in eight of their last nine games and five in a row, capped by a 64-51 win at NDSU. On Saturday, they saw their veterans in Kristin Rotert, Macie Michelson and Jill Young carry the load and out-dueled the Bison combo of Danielle DeGagne and Abby Plucker. Frankly, this is what was expected at the beginning of the season but really nothing has gone as planned this season. With the strong play of Jennie Sunnarborg and Katie Lingle, this could be a good formula for success in Sioux Falls. I won't call them the favorite to win it but the Jacks could ride the momentum and the partisan crowd to the finals.

Player of the Year? Not so fast.

After the game on Saturday, one of the Fargo TV reporters asked SDSU head coach Aaron Johnston if he thought that Plucker was the best player in the Summit. Johnston wisely ducked around the question and talked about how she is plenty talented and how SDSU has some pretty good players too. Now, I have asked some pretty dumb questions in my short time and not that this wasn't a decent question, because Plucker is pretty good, but really? She's probably a 1st-team All-Summit pick but I would put three or four players ahead of her. Maybe, I'm wrong and maybe she'll win Player of the Year but I don't see it. (Sidenote: Don't get me started on the Fargo TV stations at press conferences.)

Marcus' Marks

• T. Denny Sanford's cash can't come fast enough for the Bison Sports Arena. I was very unimpressed after my first experience in there for a basketball game. Also, why is it so cold in there? Is it because it looks like ice arena from the outside? (Can you believe I considered going to NDSU? Holy cow, I'm glad I made the choice I did.)

• This is awesome.

• I recently dusted off the SNL Harry Caray vault and it is still beautiful. Here and here. 

• I'm unbelievably pumped for the Summit League Tournament. Free food and great seats!

• Spring Training baseball is starting to move the meter for me on the "Pumped-up for baseball scale." But only a little.

• Let the crazy plugging begin: Stay tuned to sdsucollegian.com all week, especially starting on Friday for coverage from Sioux Falls.