The Bobcat Nation

Okay, I've been majorly down on this team most of the season, but with the big win at UND it's time to post something optimistic.

Stephan Holm's season is resembling Danny Sprinkle's freshman season to a certain extent. If I recall, Sprinkle was this skinny kid out of Helena that I, and many Bobcat fans I believe, thought should be redshirting. Sometime about mid-way through the season Sprinkle supplanted Mike Elliot in the starting lineup. He looked like a baby up against the other college basketball players. But he could shoot the rock. And then came the Big Sky title game vs. Weber and the rest is history.

Holm is a little bigger and more athletic than Sprinkle I think. He's had his struggles, but he's playing really well now and if Huse has any sense, will be in the starting lineup by the end of the season. But start or not, it's nice to have a kid that has the confidence and ability to knock down the three, and is athletic enough to take it on the dribble too.

I hope he keeps it going. We haven't had true freshman like Holm since...well since Sprinkle!

Right now, with Coleman apparently still in the doghouse, it looks like Montana State is benefitting from addition by subtraction...

Holm does really seems to be finding a groove. His player profile on msubobcats.com says he's from Utah and "one of 13 children." Doesn't that sound like he might be a member of the LDS (Mormon) church?
If he is, has he said anything about going on a church mission for the next two years?

This kid looks like a player to me. Moves very well, physical enough to mix it up, and from what I've seen if you leave him open he's a deadeye. He needs to work on his game off the dribble as after he stuck a couple shots from the perimeter UND jammed him hard and he wasn't able to get off like he'll need to. To his defense UND has a couple defenders that can lock down pretty effectively on the perimeter. But gotta say I was damn impressed for a true freshman to compete the way he did. Should have a bright future.

Sprinkle could create his own shots because he was quick and athletic enough to curl off a high pick and get a jump shot off. So far Holm needs to get open as a result of reversing the ball while running the offense. However he's the closest thing we have to the slasher that we need!

Helcat72 wrote:Sprinkle could create his own shots because he was quick and athletic enough to curl off a high pick and get a jump shot off. So far Holm needs to get open as a result of reversing the ball while running the offense. However he's the closest thing we have to the slasher that we need!

Sprinkle did do that later in his career as his game developed, but if I recall, his freshman year he was more of a spot up three point shooter-and he had more open looks because nobody had heard of him yet. Holm will have to develop that in his game too as he gets more attention from the opposition as his career goes on. Hopefully he can do what few Huse players have done...improve from one season to the next.

You don't score 30 points in the conference championship game against Weber by spotting up and waiting to get the ball!

Pretty sure Sprinkle "only" had 23 points in that championship game
Against Weber in '96.

98Cat wrote:Pretty sure Sprinkle "only" had 23 points in that championship game
Against Weber in '96.

Nope....he scored 30. Made 11 of 13 FG attempts, including 7 3-pointers. It was a pretty amazing performance, and it's even more amazing to think that it was almost 20 years ago.

How about Danny Sprinkle becoming Stephan Holm's coach?

Ya Johnny Angle. Is he coaching some where???

Nico Harrison was the last true slasher the Bobcats have had...and that has been many moons ago!

catsrback76 wrote:Nico Harrison was the last true slasher the Bobcats have had...and that has been many moons ago!

I loved watching Nico play. Those were the days...eh? It's ridiculous that it's been almost 20 years since our last BSC title/NCAA tourney appearance, and I just don't see us ever getting there with Huse as our coach. It's pretty hard to be enthusiastic about hoops, when you go into every season knowing that we have virtually zero chance to win the conference championship. We're likely going to finish 9-11 or maybe 10-10 in BSC play this season, and will either miss the tourney, or lose in the 1st round...yet again. Wash, rinse, repeat...no matter how many times you watch it, this movie always ends the same.

According to Colter, and I don't necessarily disagree with him, it's not due to a lack of talent. We also returned most of our key players from last year (unlke most years, half the roster didn't defect over the summer), so it's not due to a lack of experience either. That really only leaves one thing, doesn't It?

It's not lack of talent, it's lack of mental toughness. You see Huse teams time and time again just collapse. Things snowball on them. That's why you see losses by 20 points.

Talent wise we aren't bad for a BS squad, but size wise we are still small. You see other teams in the league have bigger more athletic guys at most every position, especially guard. Not just height, but bulk.

And this is clearly Huse's philosphy, but we don 't have a go to guy. Biglow is the closest thing we have to that, and Huse reigns him in too often.

John K wrote:

catsrback76 wrote:Nico Harrison was the last true slasher the Bobcats have had...and that has been many moons ago!

I loved watching Nico play. Those were the days...eh? It's ridiculous that it's been almost 20 years since our last BSC title/NCAA tourney appearance, and I just don't see us ever getting there with Huse as our coach. It's pretty hard to be enthusiastic about hoops, when you go into every season knowing that we have virtually zero chance to win the conference championship. We're likely going to finish 9-11 or maybe 10-10 in BSC play this season, and will either miss the tourney, or lose in the 1st round...yet again. Wash, rinse, repeat...no matter how many times you watch it, this movie always ends the same.

According to Colter, and I don't necessarily disagree with him, it's not due to a lack of talent. We also returned most of our key players from last year (unlke most years, half the roster didn't defect over the summer), so it's not due to a lack of experience either. That really only leaves one thing, doesn't It?