Live from the DakotaDome
Sports Web Live comes at you Thursday at 5 p.m. from the DakotaDome in Vermillion.
We’ll preview the SDSU-USD men’s basketball game with beat writers Terry Vandrovec and Mick Garry, with USD athletic director David Sayler and SDSU radio voice Tyler Merriam stopping by as special guests.
Viewers can go to argusleader.com at 5 p.m. to ask questions or share comments.
As a gentle reminder of what transpired when these teams met last month, here’s my timeline column from that game:
In the days leading up to Thursday’s men’s basketball game between South Dakota State and the University of South Dakota, every ripple of the rivalry was explored.
By the time the Jackrabbits and Coyotes finally faced each other for the first time since 2004, the time for analysis was over. Even with SDSU earning a lopsided 86-56 victory over its overmatched in-state foe, there were plenty of sights and sounds to soak in.
Enough talk. Time to let the memories roll, one moment at a time:
5:43 p.m. – SDSU assistant coach Austin Hansen, who starred for the Jackrabbits from 1999-2003, is messing with his necktie more than an hour before the game, recalling the glory days of this rivalry.
“It’s a little different than it was in the past,” says Hansen, a former Brandon Valley standout who ranks third all-time in SDSU scoring.
“In the past, it was always a game with a lot on the line, whether it was a (North Central Conference) title or a seeding spot in regions. For guys from South Dakota, of course, it also meant a lot in terms of bragging rights. That part hasn’t changed.”
5:58 p.m. – The game is the first sellout for SDSU since moving to NCAA Division I, and that makes Justin Sell happy and nervous.
It’s a good sign that 6,216 folks showed up at Frost Arena to ring in the renewed rivalry, but that’s more people to keep an eye on. Sell, who dealt with this when the schools played in women’s basketball two years ago, believes the passion surrounding this game doesn’t have to be nasty.
“We’ve been working together to give that cue the past two years,” Sell says. “We all believe in it and think it’s the right way to go. When the games are good and the teams are competitive, that’s what makes a rivalry, and the intensity will be there.”
6:10 p.m. – Out in the concourse, two male fans wearing SDSU and USD gear are sitting next to each other on a bench, casually chatting.
They are 28-year-old Parkston natives Jeff Morehouse and Jason Wagner, one of whom went to college in Brookings while the other headed to Vermillion.
Morehouse, the SDSU graduate, concedes that the rivalry is a good thing for the Jackrabbits moving forward.
“I’ve been looking forward to it since 2004,” he says. “North Dakota State was a good rival for us, but I think USD will take over. I really do.”
The red-clad Wagner, who graduated from USD, understands why it took so long.
“I wish they had played before this, but I understand why they didn’t,” he says. “They led the way and we followed, and that’s how it goes.”
As they stand to find their seats, he adds: “I just hope I don’t get stabbed on the way in there.”
6:54 p.m. – The crowd observes a moment of silence for former governor Bill Janklow, causing even the most ardent student rooters to hit mute. Not many people in this state can overshadow the importance of this athletic rivalry. Janklow was one of them.
6:57 p.m. – SDSU coach Scott Nagy comes out in his trademark blue blazer, the first time he’s donned it this season. Just another game, right?
“It just seemed appropriate,” he would say later.
Nagy and USD coach Dave Boots, holdovers from the heyday of this series, shake hands and exchange smiles near halfcourt. Behind them a heated chorus of “Screw the U!” starts to build.
7:03 p.m. – The loudest boos during pregame introductions are reserved for USD senior guard Louie Krogman. The White River native and all-time prep scoring leader is in for a boatload of abuse all night, with “Louie Sucks!” becoming the chant of choice.
It gets worse when Krogman commits a turnover that leads to a SDSU 3-pointer and a 5-0 lead for the Jacks.
“What were they saying? I didn’t hear them,” joked Krogman, who scored 15 points on 4-for-11 shooting. “Seriously, I knew that was going to happen. It’s all part of the fun. You can’t let it get to you.”
7:11 p.m. A group of security guards keeps close watch over the group of USD fans tucked in southeast corner of Frost Arena, ready to step in if necessary.
Extra security was brought in to search fans at the entrances to make sure no one smuggled in any dead coyotes or jackrabbits. On this night, there would be no such incidents.
“We’re not expecting a whole lot of trouble,” says Jim Heaton, chief of university police, who recalls confiscating dead animals back in the NCC days. “If anyone does anything profane or offensive, they’ll be asked to leave the facility. If they refuse, then we remove them.”
7:16 p.m. – SDSU star Nate Wolters steals the ball from Krogman and scores on a layup, sending the crowd through the roof. The Jacks are up 17-4 and things already are looking bleak for the Coyotes.
“They dominated us in every way that you can dominate a basketball team,” said a somber Boots after the game.
7:20 p.m. – The Jackrabbit cheerleaders go through a routine, but their Coyote counterparts are nowhere to be seen.
“Our crowds can’t be nice to each other, so they didn’t come,” says SDSU cheerleader Jimi Siegling, a senior from Watertown. “We probably won’t go down there, either (for the Feb. 9 game in Vermillion). But tonight will be fun, because it’s easy to get the crowd fired up.”
7:35 p.m. – The Jacks, who will get 20 points from Griffan Callahan in this game, grab a lead of 40-15 with 4:17 left in the half. “What’s the mercy rule?” shouts an SDSU student.
7:40 p.m. – A 3-pointer by SDSU’s Jordan Dykstra makes it 45-15, sucking the life out of the USD players and the crowd. Not even showing U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem on the videoboard can get them going again.
“We want Augie!” chant the SDSU students.
7:47 p.m. – The score is 50-21 at halftime, and the USD corner of the arena is subdued to the point of despair.
One fan wearing a “Hate State” T-shirt expresses his displeasure.
“It’s horrible,” he says. “It’s embarrassing. When you give up 50 points by halftime, that means you’re not trying. I just don’t see the effort.”
8:32 p.m. – A layup by SDSU’s Marcus Heemstra puts the Jacks up 80-43 with 6:09 left in the game, their biggest lead of the night.
“The crowd was great,” said junior forward Tony Fiegen, a Madison native and former SDSU ballboy. “You could really feel the energy in the building, and we fed off that.”
9:20 p.m. – When it’s all said and done, there isn’t much to say. Despite all the hype and hope that the rivalry would pick up where it left off, the Coyotes clearly aren’t ready.
Just like the Jacks struggled in their early Summit era, USD is still finding its way. In the meantime, the rivalry will be more about the fans and less about what happens on the court.
“It’s a fantastic thing for our state to get this game back, but we need to compete with them,” Boots says. “That’s the bottom line. It’s not going to be a rivalry if this is the product we put out there and that’s the product they have. We need to get better, and they already have.”
