So I got a bit bored at work today and decided to do a "top 3 games" retrospective of my FAVORITE DTF RIVALRY, with Adout3000's Fargo Wheatshuckers.
It's not easy to have out-of-conference rivalries in DTF, even with small organized tourneys like the DeACCon. Over my 15 seasons as the head coach of the Evansville Rachelwoods (née Dunkbot 3000s, in a strangely poetic twist on this post), I played more than five games against non-conference opponents only four times: Frankfort (6), Dearborn (6), and Stockton (6, surprisingly, with none of them coming in DeACCon play) made up the first three. The fourth? Fargo, with a staggering 11 (!) matchups, plus an additional 3 exhibition games. Calling them a rival could seem disingenuous on my part, as we've gone a disappointing 3-8 against the 'Shuckers, but 5 of the games in that series have been decided by 4 points or fewer.
Why has this matchup been so frequent? It probably has to do with timing. Adout3000 took over Fargo in S69, just one season after I took over Evansville. He did have a considerably easier time building things up, as Fargo would make the NTT in their inaugural Wheatshuckin' season. To contrast, Evansville was in the depths of a pretty miserable C13 conference when I arrived. Fargo would slip back to the PTT in S70 (the first time these two teams met), while Evansville's S70 PTT appearance was considered a step forward for the program. Neither team has missed the NTT since.
Another reason: Recruiting. Fargo and Evansville have recruited exceptionally well under Adout3000 and I, respectively, on similar schedules. Fargo has landed some 11 classes with top 20 rankings under Adout3000 (including 2 with 1st overall rankings), while Evansville has landed 10 of those classes (3 with 1st overall rankings). The infusion of talent in both programs has been steady enough to keep them on the same tiers as the DeACCon grew in size. An interesting note here: We've been frequent recruiting rivals of late, too, as we were two of the earlier (and more vocal) coaches to aggressively target poor-scouted players.
Anyway. Let's start this ish.
1.) Season 71, NTT Consolation Bracket (Game 23): Evansville 104, Fargo 103 (2 OT)
If nothing else, a harbinger of what was to come. It's too easy to call this a meaningless game-- this season functioned as a warning shot for both teams, and speaking for myself, Evansville was hungry to prove itself as we finished out the year. Fargo entered the game at 19-3 (a year that had
already seen them achieve the then-3rd winningest season in school history), while Evansville's 20-2 record had already set their school record for wins at that point. Both teams had just gotten knocked out of the Elite Eight (the first ever such appearance for Evansville, and just the second for Fargo). It was sort of a grudge match, too. This was the 3rd ever matchup between Evansville and Fargo-- the first had come in a S70 exhibition game (which Fargo took, 85-82), while the second had come in the S71 regular season opener (an Evansville win, 84-74). This game mattered, because both teams were hungry.
I don't have a PBP log of the game, but it's worth noting that the teams both seemed to say "hey, screw it, let's just let our guards keep shooting." Evansville's star PG John Lawson led all scorers with 34 points (on 13-29 shooting), while Fargo's Roger Murdoch racked up 29 points on 14-30 shooting, with both the 14 FGM and the 30 FGA setting career highs for Murdoch. This game occurred long before I officially embraced an all-3s perimeter offense, but 3-pt shooting won the game for me here: despite shooting 10% worse from the floor, we went 11-26 from deep. Fargo shot just 1-6 from deep in the game.
Fargo would go on to finish S71 with a win over Duluth; Evansville was blown out by 35 in their season finale against Fort Worth.
2.) Season 78, National Championship Game (Game 24): Evansville 89, Fargo 79
Is it unfair of me to start this list off with 2 of my 3 wins in the series? Maybe, but shut up.
This was a rare all-Deac championship, and
it found me at the very height of my tinkering phase. The moves paid off, leading to my 2nd title. Interestingly, this was our 2nd matchup of the year, after a season opener in which Fargo won, 79-78. Fargo star SG Mike Jones led all scorers in both games, with a combined 60 points.
3.) Season 79, NTT Final Four (Game 23): Fargo 86, Evansville 73
Revenge is sweet, probably. Fargo got to their second straight title game, avenging the S78 loss to my Rachelwoods, en route to an eventual 24-0 season. Interestingly enough, this game happened riiiight around the time I decided to rain down threes on everyone-- Evansville was 2nd in the country in 3s made and 3s attempted (plus 3rd in TS% and 4th in PTS/G). Fargo played a scary man defense at the time, and rather than shoot directly into the teeth of it, I decided to tone down my perimeter offense and try to beat him in the paint. It did not work, as we shot just 3-7 from deep, and 46% from 2, with enough lost battles elsewhere in the box score to seal our fate. Fargo SG Doug Caldwell torched us for 33 points, and despite the 'Shuckers not having a single other player in double digits, Caldwell's performance was enough to push them through.
Fargo's national title game with Fort Worth was an instant classic, a double-overtime win that secured a perfect season. Evansville would go on to take the 3rd place game, in a tight victory over Scranton.
There were some other good games down the list, not the least of which was Fargo's S79 Game 3 win, 79-78, which was a nice first dose of revenge for S78's NTTCG. There was also Fargo's S72 Game 3 win (85-82), a game in which we were playing with 9 players (due to star PG John Lawson's injury in the preceding game, and my inability to notice said injury in a timely fashion). It would be our first of four losses on the season, before going on a tear to win my first NTT title.
Anyway. I'm going to go get on with my day now. If you are still reading this: hey why are you still reading this
