Santa Clara @ Pilots @ 5:30 Saturday February 18

The last home game of the 2022-2023 season is this Saturday, which of course means it is "Senior Night."

Well, what all of us remember as "Senior Night," that is.

Now it is "Graduation Night," and the following grads will be honored:

Joey St. Pierre
Jack Perry
Tyler Robinson
Mike Meadows
Kristian Sjolund

T-Rob announced to his teammates today that he plans to return to the squad next season to get his MBA, and apparently Mike and Kristian will do the same.

Also graduating is Moses Wood, but I am told he did not want to be honored, and I do not know if he plans to return...but I think he does.

Oh, and the game. It is another of those "must win" games if UP wants to avoid a Thursday game in Las Vegas.

SCU scored 47 points in the first half and the outcome was really not in doubt as the Broncos kicked the BYU Cougars, 81-74, in Provo.

I am not sure how UP will stop Illinois transfer Brandin Podziemski, the 6-5 wing who scored 26 points with 12 rebounds tonight...but they are going to have to get the win.

DoubleDipper wrote:I am not sure how UP will stop Illinois transfer Brandin Podziemski, the 6-5 wing who scored 26 points with 12 rebounds tonight...but they are going to have to get the win.

NBA scouting report on Podzienski:

https://www.si.com/nba/draft/prospect-profiles/nba-draft-scouting-report-santa-claras-brandin-podziemski#gid=ci02b7c33f2000241a&pid=usatsi_19745939

DoubleDipper wrote:T-Rob announced to his teammates today that he plans to return to the squad next season to get his MBA, and apparently Mike and Kristian will do the same. Also graduating is Moses Wood, but I am told he did not want to be honored, and I do not know if he plans to return...but I think he does.

Awesome news!

And a great opportunity for UP tonight. Go Pilots!

Two bright takeaways from the night.
1) Mike Meadows put up 39 points
2) The mystery is over about which is the first night in Vegas.

Geezaldinho wrote:2) The mystery is over about which is the first night in Vegas.

Not over yet, though it felt like it early in the second half after they went up by 30 or whatever.

As long as SMC doesn't lose at home to Pacific, the Pilots would still finish as the 6 or 7 seed with two wins on the upcoming roadie. I think?

Dean Murdoch wrote:

Geezaldinho wrote:2) The mystery is over about which is the first night in Vegas.

Not over yet, though it felt like it early in the second half after they went up by 30 or whatever.

As long as SMC doesn't lose at home to Pacific, the Pilots would still finish as the 6 or 7 seed with two wins on the upcoming roadie. I think?

So you're telling me there's a chance ...

If the pilots win out they're 6th at worst. San Francisco and Pacific each have 8 losses. The pilots have 9, byu has 9. Portland plays Pacific and San Francisco. So they'll each get a 9th loss if Portland wins. Portland owns the tie breaker against Pacific. Byu and San Fran play so one of them would end up with 10 losses. If BYU ends up with 10 losses and Pacific, Portland, San Fran with 9 pilots get the 5 seed.

If they lose either game 7th is the highest they can finish and they can go as low as 9 if they lost both, but only if the toreros beat Gonzaga