Does Utah State = Notre Dame?

[bamamarquettefan]

Admit I haven't seen them at all, but just looking over their stats their best player is a 6-foot-9 power forward who can score and rebound and will go at the end of the 2nd round the NBA, and they are one of the best shooting teams in the nation on threes as well as twos, but don't seem to steal the ball at all.

Plus we are going into a very hostile environment, just like going to South Bend.

Obviously we beat ND, but it was close until the closing minutes.  Has anyone seen them on TV at all?  Do they play like Notre Dame?

I am so locked into this weekend - I don't even know what city we go to next if we win the first two.  Both these teams are legit tourney teams, with Utah having a chance to shoot lights out to beat us and Missouri having a couple of good guys around the basket at 6-8 and 6-9.  It's never going to be easy to come out of the first weekend as a 6-seed, BUT both of these games are winnable and that's all we could have asked for.  Another matchup against one of the tallest teams in the country on their own turf (like Stanford last year) would have taken another near perfect game just to have a chance.

[rocky_warrior]

I am so locked into this weekend - I don't even know what city we go to next if we win the first two. 

Not to distract you from your current state of mind, but a quick tip: If you have any relatives in the Glendale, AZ area you might want to start making nice with them this week.  Just saying, no particular reason.   

[Wareagle]

Admit I haven't seen them at all, but just looking over their stats their best player is a 6-foot-9 power forward who can score and rebound and will go at the end of the 2nd round the NBA, and they are one of the best shooting teams in the nation on threes as well as twos, but don't seem to steal the ball at all.

Plus we are going into a very hostile environment, just like going to South Bend.

Obviously we beat ND, but it was close until the closing minutes.  Has anyone seen them on TV at all?  Do they play like Notre Dame?

I am so locked into this weekend - I don't even know what city we go to next if we win the first two.  Both these teams are legit tourney teams, with Utah having a chance to shoot lights out to beat us and Missouri having a couple of good guys around the basket at 6-8 and 6-9.  It's never going to be easy to come out of the first weekend as a 6-seed, BUT both of these games are winnable and that's all we could have asked for.  Another matchup against one of the tallest teams in the country on their own turf (like Stanford last year) would have taken another near perfect game just to have a chance.

Eh, my answer would be "sort of."  They have a big guy who is the focal point of their offense, and both teams have efficient offenses and crappy defenses.  

The difference in their offenses is that Utah St. is much better at shooting 2's (9th in the nation, vs. 262nd for ND).  The reason why ND is so efficient is because so many of their shots are 3's, and they shoot a ridiculous % from 3 and they don't turn the ball over.  Utah State, on the other hand, shoots 2's and 3's well, takes less 3's, and gets more points from FT's than ND does.

Neither team forces turnovers or blocks shots, but Utah St. is ranked a lot higher in 2 pt. FG defense than ND (41st vs. 112th).  Utah St. is horrible at defending the 3, whereas ND is middle of the road (297th vs. 115).

Based on the few points teams score from the line against Utah St. (other teams pts. from FT's ranks 243rd in the nation) my guess is that they sag off shooters to cut off penetration and try to play position D OR they play zone to accomplish the same thing.  However, Utah State doesn't give up a lot of offensive rebounds (18th best in the nation at preventing opponent's offensive rebounds, ND is 114th), so my guess is they play position D rather than zone.

The big question in my mind is who guards Gary Wilkinson (their big).

[RawdogDX]

interesting comparison, I sure hope so.

[MUfan12]

They sound like a more religious version of UW.