For DU Pioneers, stellar season on line Saturday versus New Mexico State
The Pioneers have been exceling this season; have you been watching? You have a chance Saturday as they host New Mexico State in a big game for DU.
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Welcome to March, when the sports world turns their eyes onto college basketball.
And while no one’s given much notice, Denver University is quietly enjoying a stellar season on the hardwood.
The Pioneers are currently on a seven-game win streak, profoundly performing against all odds to sit second in the Western Athletic Conference.
DU, of course, is more well known for their powerhouse hockey team and even their world-class education than the basketball team; yet, the men on the court keep winning.
How they win is heartwarming.
The Pios play team-first basketball, not just because they have to – as one of the shortest squads in DI – but because it simply works.
With no dominating big man in the middle, they pass around the perimeter, searching for open shots. More often than not, that persistence pays off; DU is one of the most effective half-court teams in collegiate basketball.
They love to move the ball, their 16.1 assists per game are 16th-best in the nation. Swinging the ball around the horn is a slow and methodical approach; one that’s worked for the Pioneers this year.
All that passing leads to clean looks at the rim says their 14th-best 48.0 percent shooting from the field. It’s astounding how well they shoot the rock; of the five players that receive the most playing time, none makes less than 45.5 percent of their attempts, and four of them average double digit scoring.
At 18-8 overall, Denver is proving they’re a team to be respected, and one to be feared. Especially in conference, where they’ve lost only two contests, one of which to leader and No. 25 Jacksonville State.
Their other loss came at the hands of New Mexico State (19-9, 12-3 WAC), and there’s no doubt the Pioneers want revenge Saturday evening when the two teams clash again.
The Aggies come to town looking for the sweep of DU and to take sole possession of second in the conference, and the most notable mismatch is on the boards. NMSU out-rebounds DU by a whopping 13 per game, and they won the battle of the boards 40-24 in the teams’ first meeting. 17 of the 40 were on the offensive end, giving the Aggies extra chances to score; they won 53-42. It was also the least amount of points the Pioneers have scored all season due to terrible shooting.
Playing inside the friendly confines of Magness Arena should help cure what was ailing Denver six weeks ago against NMSU and the Pios need leading scorer Chris Udofia to play like his usual self (12.4 points, 4.8 rebounds per). Point guard Brett Olson has been hot lately, winning WAC Player of the Week for his 16-point performance in the team’s overtime win at Utah State, and if he’s on, it will certainly bode well for DU’s chances.
For the Aggies, guard Daniel Mullings leads in scoring (13.9), while forward Bandja Sy grabs the most rebounds (7.2). Similar to DU, NMSU has four starters that average double digit points; which teams’ starters out-performs the others will likely determine the outcome.
A win for the Pioneers would be a big confidence-booster heading into their final two games, including the season finale against No. 25 La Tech, and it would keep alive their hopes of winning the WAC.
The game will be televised on ESPN3 and tips off at 4 p.m. MT on Saturday.
