RE: Official Game Thread: USC-Upstate
In one sense, we could hardly know know USCU better - the core of the team has been the same for 3 years. But in another sense, we have no clue what version of that team will show up in the Dome.
For the third game in a row we will be playing a team that we know well – unathletic slow and scrappy UNK that defends tenaciously but can’t score; short but physical and high scoring Lipscomb, with no D. And now – the big, athletic front line of USCU that can kick your butt. Or not show up.
Go by the stats and USCU is up there with Mercer and FGCU – with a 2nd in the ASun +6.4 rebounding margin in conference play, a 3rd place +5.3 scoring margin in conference, 3rd in the ASun in field goal percentage at .448, 1st in the ASun in field goal percentage defense at .398 (it’s hard to score in the paint against their athletic bigs).
This is the most inconsistent team in the ASun. You can’t count on them to do the expected on any given night. They can drop a game to a weak UNC Asheville team and beat South Carolina the next night. They can beat Virginia Tech, and lose to an indifferent Winthrop team the next game. They can drop 5 road games in a row in the ASun – but power past Virginia Tech and South Carolina on the road. They can lose their best guard, leading scorer, 3 point shooter and assist man Ty Greene – and go out and CRUSH league leading Mercer, and win their first ASun road game at NKU the night after. They have actually been playing better without Greene, as if some combination of losing him and the approaching ASun tournament had been a wake up call for the Spartans.
So we know exactly who we’ll be facing – the same guys we’ve played for 3 years now. We just don’t know what version of the team will show up.
Front Court: Sr. Torrey Craig, 6’6” 215 (35.1 min., 7.6 reb.; 15.8 ppg on .402 from the field, .295 from 3 and .543 from the line); 6’8” 246 Sr. Ricardo Glenn (29.6 min., 9.1 reb., 12.2 ppg on .667 from the field); Sr. Jodd Maxey, 6’8” 200 (25.2 min., 5.1 rpg, 8.2 ppg on .571 from the field). These 3 Seniors are the heart of the team, and have been for 3 years now. Craig is the quintessential USCU player – NBA body and athleticism, who can scorch you for 30 or disappear. He’s only .318 from 3 in conference, but he keeps firing them up for 2 makes per game. He has not developed at all these last 3 years, and may have regressed a little. It’s hard to score inside against these guys, and hard to get rebounds. Lester will have a hard time taking it inside, and Jalen will get swatted away on a lot of the drives that worked against Lipscomb. It’s one thing to blow past their weak guards – quite another to finish at the rim against their long athletic front court.
Back Court: 6’4” 200 Jr. Fred Miller 6’2 185 (23.8 min., 8.7 ppg on .397 from 3 in conference), 6’2 165” Jr. Mario Blessing (18.7 min., 2.3 ppg, .333 from 3) 6’0” 170 Fr. Karim Mawuenyega (15.3 min. 4.5 ppg, .444 from 3 on only 1 make per game). Without Ty Greene this team is weak from 3 (but will keep firing them up - excluding Greene's stats they are .317 from 3 with 5.3 makes per game), and weak from the free throw line, with only Fred Miller and Mario Blessing shooting over 64%. Exclude the injured Greene and they are 64% as a team from the line, with 5 or 6 less made free throws per game than the Bucs (77.9% in conference play).
Bench: Sr. 6’7” 220 Babatunde Olumuyiwa (8.0 min, 2.2 ppg, 1.8 rpg) Rs-Fr 6’10” Michael Buchanan (9.3 min, 2.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg) 6’5” 245 So. Shunquez Stephens (15.4 min., 3.0 ppg); 6'5" 185 Fr. Josh Cuthbertson (11.2 min., 3 ppg, 1.3 rpg). Olumuyiwa, an athletic super leaper, has hurt us some before, but seems to be fading away this year
This team CAN play well on the road – just ask the VA Tech, South Carolina or UNK. But more often than not in the ASun, they haven’t, going 1-5 in conference away games - and being the only conference team thus far to lose at Kennesaw. We need to push the ball up the court hard for transition scores, after made baskets as well as turnovers. They are hard to score on in the half court. We need Hunter to play smart and avoid foul trouble (and for Murry to protect him) and Lukas to give us some hard, physical minutes. He won’t win beauty contests against these athletes – but he needs to play them tough anyway. And we need to pressure the heck out of their guards and generate turnovers. Drive at them, get fouled and make free throws. We have a big advantage at the line.
Defend the house and we’ll be in a strong position to close out this season well.
(This post was last modified: 02-10-2014 02:29 PM by swvabucsfan.)
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