The offense has shaky spells, but can heat up in a hurry. Too many slow starts that wear on fans nerves and necessitate second half heroics. But lots of different guys are able to key a spurt. The Bucs can get hot from 3 or turn defense into offense in a heartbeat scoring off turnovers. They have been tough minded about rallying at the end, but it’s better not to have to do that. Taking care of business in conference has earned them an apparently easier road through the tournament, with UNCG, Furman and Wofford all on the other side of the bracket. But the rising performance of Western Carolina and Mercer may make that bracket a lot tougher than it seemed at first.
The Bucs are 1st in conference in limiting opponents points per game to 64.3, in scoring margin with +8.5, in limiting opponent’s 3 pointers (6.6 per game). They are 2nd in turnover margin (tied with Furman at +3.5) and 3rd in rebounding margin at 3.5 (behind Western at 5.1 and Mercer at 4.1).
First game opponent will be the winner of VMI vs Samford. Both of them have played us tough. Kenpom says VMI by 3.
Second game opponent will be the winner of Mercer versus Western Carolina. Kenpom says Western by 2.
Third round championship - likely Furman. Maybe UNCG or Wofford.
FURMAN 15-3 #74, #68 offense, #83 defense:
A well balanced team, #68 on offense and #84 on defense. Steady throughout the season with few let downs and able to win tough ones at the end. Much better offense than UNCG. Able to push the opposition off their mark and force them to set up further out than they would like. Only SoCon losses are on the road to Wofford and ETSU, and at home to UNCG. 2nd in conference in 2pt% at .579 and 4th in 3pt% at .348 for a 1st in conference total FG% of .473. Balance. The biggest departure from the even keel is their reliance on streaky scorer leading scorer Jordan Lyons (17.4 ppg) – when he’s off they struggle. Rebounding remains a weakness: #290 in D1 with -2.7 rebounding margin; 8th in conference with -2.8. Although they defend physically, they are not called for many fouls, sending opponents to the line a 2nd in conference 14.1 times per game. (The ‘defense optional’ Samford Bulldogs are 1st with 13.1 attempts for opponents. Interesting that Furman despite its tough, physical defense does almost as well.)
Wofford VERY likely to be their first game opponent. Kenpom says an 87% chance of Wofford beating The Citadel to get there. Wofford came within a last second bucket of sweeping the season against Furman.
UNCG 13-5, #87, #154 offense, #54 defense:
Ending the season on a down note with 2 straight losses. But to good teams in Furman (split the season, each winning away) and Chattanooga by 2. Have played 2 overtime games against Wofford, winning one and losing one. Four of their five losses are to ETSU (twice), Furman and Wofford. Only other conference loss is by 2 at a good Chattanooga team. Highest rated defense in the SoCon with #54 in Kenpom, best at limiting conference opponents’ 2 pt scores, and 2nd best in 2 pt% defense with .500. Weaker from 3, allowing .368 with 8.1 makes to opponents. Best turnover margin in D1 on the season at 6.4 (5.7 in conference). Offensive efficiency is weaker at #154. Leads the SoCon in steals with 9.4 (5th in D1) and blocks with 3.9. Wes Miller always has these guys playing tough and physical in the tournament.
UNCG faces off against Chattanooga in a replay of their last game, which they lost by 2 at Chattanooga 74-72. Earlier in the season they crushed Chattanooga at home by 20, 72-52.
This time Kenpom says UNCG by 5, 71-66, with a 32% chance (roughly 1 in 3) of another Moc upset.
Mercer 11-7, #196, #201 offense, #185 defense:
The Bears punch above their weight, winning more SoCon games than their stats would predict according to Kenpom where both Chattanooga #154 and Western Carolina #158 rate significantly higher than the Bears at #196. Don’t let them hang around because they are well coached and effective at the end of games, and make .748 of the free throws to close it out. They defend extremely well in conference, with a 1st place 2pt% defense of .498 and a 2nd place 3pt% defense of .308. They also shoot 2nd in conference .357 from 3 (but with only 7.9 makes, 8th in conference) and rebound extremely well for their size with a 2nd in conference rebounding margin of +4.1 to the Bucs 3rd place +3.5.
Kenpom favors Western Carolina over the Bears in a squeaker, 77-75, with a 42% chance of Mercer pulling it out.
Western Carolina 10-8, #158, #75 offense, #265 defense:
The Cats rate just behind Furman and ETSU on offense at #75 in Kenpom. They lead the conference in points per game with 78.4. Their defense is bad with an 8th place 76.9 points allowed and a #265 Kenpom rating. But you must hit your shots against these guys, because Carlos Dotson inside and their 3 point shooters outside are pretty hard to stop (Steger and MCray killed us from 3). Mason Faulkner controls the ball and distributes effectively, but he has had more difficulty scoring in conference as defenses focus on him. That’s a pretty well balanced offensive package. If you cannot make your shots, particularly from 3, you might wind up 10 points down, as ETSU was after going 3-21 from 3 (14.1%!) with 8 minutes left. Of course if you get hot, you can turn that around pretty quickly against the weak Catamount defense, as the Bucs also discovered. Pun Tisdale and Patrick have both gone off for 26 against them this year. There is a good chance that the Cats and the Bucs will get to replay this one in the second round of the SoCon Tournament, as ETSU’s second round opponent would be the winner of Mercer vs. Western. Mercer and Western split the season series with each winning at home. Both have given the Bucs fits. I’d love to see that Western Purple Thunder drumline again – it's one of the highlights of the tournament. The Western offense, I'm not so eager to see again.
Here's the Purple Thunder show from 2016, complete with rockin' DJ Timmy Trumpet riff at 3:00 in ... played on tuba!
Again, the Cats are favored over Mercer in a close one, 77-75.
Decent offense with a 2nd in SoCon FG% of .467 and a 2nd in SoCon 3pt% of .367. A rebounding margin of +2.1, fourth in conference. Defense generally not strong, but a best in SoCon defensive 3pt% of .302 allowing 6.8 makes. Finished conference 5-2, losing only at Furman by 5, and at home to Mercer by 5.
They've got to face a UNCG team that they just beat last Saturday. Repeating that is a tough challenge. Kenpom says UNCG by 5, 71-66.
Wofford 7-11, #165 , #169 offense, #188 defense:
The Terriers had a pretty good out of conference season, playing the toughest schedule in the SoCon and only losing to very good teams. They came into conference ranked about #130 and near the top of D1 from 3, shooting .393 (21st in D1) with 11.1 makes (5th in D1).
But SoCon teams know that if you do nothing else against Wofford, you MUST defend the 3 ball. So in conference play the SoCon held Wofford to .313 with 8.4 makes from 3. ETSU did an extreme version of this, holding Wofford to 4-19 and 6-20 from 3 for 25.6% combined. But allowed inside access to the basket by redshirt Freshmen Messiah Jones and Isaiah Bigelow who got 55 points in 2 games, more than double their average. The bet was that you stop the starters and stop the 3, and it will be tough for the Freshmen to beat you inside. They came close though.
The Terriers come in off a 7 game losing streak – but every one of those to pretty good teams. If they get by The Citadel, they will face Furman (split, and Furman needed a bucket with 12 seconds left to avoid a second loss). And maybe UNCG after that, who split 2 overtime games with the Terriers. Neither of those teams wants any part of the Terriers.
Kenpom favors Wofford over The Citadel by 12, 79-67. A game against Furman will be interesting.
Samford 4-14, #316, #243 offense, #327 defense:
This team can look like the worst in the SoCon, losing 106-66 at Mercer and 109-78 at Western in the last 10 days. Or they can play up to their talent and give ETSU a real scare at Samford. The Bucs needed a late rally to eke out a road win 80-74 between those two blowouts. The Bulldogs got all 4 of their conference wins against the military academies and beat VMI by 6, 84-78, in their last game.
Kenpom favors VMI over Samford by 3, 78-75
VMI 3-15, #265, #214, #300:
Question for former Prof. Thomas Jackson on Friday: will the Institute be heard from today? Kenpom says, “yes”! A disciplined team that rarely gives up meets a talented but relatively undisciplined bunch that will quit if they get down. Don’t let Samford think that they can actually win though, or they might decide to play up to the level of their talent. A couple of talented freshmen in Travis Evee and Kamdyn Kurfman help the Keydets be tougher than expected. They lead the conference in assists.
Kenpom favors them by 3, 78-75, despite dropping 2 to Samford during the season.
The Citadel 0-18, #335, #313 offense, #323 defense:
At 0-18 with 8 straight double digit losses, The Citadel is most likely to go home early. But Wofford comes in with battered confidence and their own 7 game string of losing double digit leads down the stretch. Hang tough and the Bulldogs might be rewarded. Probably not though.
Kenpom says Wofford by 12.
See you in Asheville! Go Bucs!
(This post was last modified: 03-04-2020 05:02 PM by swvabucsfan.)
Nice write up swva, thanks! I’m looking forward to this tourney. Mercer comes in on a hot streak and knows they have a big opportunity. They started 0-4 in conference and finished 11-7. The win @ETSU tells me they have a shot. We’ll see! Western Carolina is a very tough first round game.
(03-02-2020 03:18 PM)MercerFan Wrote: Nice write up swva, thanks! I’m looking forward to this tourney. Mercer comes in on a hot streak and knows they have a big opportunity. They started 0-4 in conference and finished 11-7. The win @ETSU tells me they have a shot. We’ll see! Western Carolina is a very tough first round game.
Great turn around season for Mercer. A fine first year coaching job for Gary who did a good job making up for Mercer weaknesses, e.g. getting great rebounding from an undersized team. Brilliant senior seasons for Ethan and Djordje.
Like I said you've got to score to beat the Cats. They're hard to stop, so you've got to take advantage of their defensive weaknesses. But Mercer has done it once already.
The Cats might be a tougher matchup for ETSU since we have found no real answer for Dotson inside. But then, Mercer is the one that beat us in our worst loss of the year, so pick your poison!
There’s really no easy games for anyone in this tourney. The only exception would be playing the Citadel! SWVA, I also wanted to see if you noticed that Mercer didn’t honor Ross Cummings on senior day. I’d assume that means he’ll be back next year? Add that to two transfers sitting out and the roster is looking good. On topic of this year though, Mercer has got to limit the turnovers and shoot the lights out. Mercer doesn’t get to the free throw line as often as opponents typically, so there’s only one other way to score.
(03-02-2020 03:53 PM)MercerFan Wrote: SWVA, I also wanted to see if you noticed that Mercer didn’t honor Ross Cummings on senior day. I’d assume that means he’ll be back next year? Add that to two transfers sitting out and the roster is looking good.
Ross deserves a better senior year than he was able to get this season.
Along with Alvarez and the big Chilean Haase, that will indeed make for a promising season.
The offense has shaky spells, but can heat up in a hurry. Too many slow starts that wear on fans nerves and necessitate second half heroics. But lots of different guys are able to key a spurt. The Bucs can get hot from 3 or turn defense into offense in a heartbeat scoring off turnovers. They have been tough minded about rallying at the end, but it’s better not to have to do that. Taking care of business in conference has earned them an apparently easier road through the tournament, with UNCG, Furman and Wofford all on the other side of the bracket. But the rising performance of Western Carolina and Mercer may make that bracket a lot tougher than it seemed at first.
The Bucs are 1st in conference in limiting opponents points per game to 64.3, in scoring margin with +8.5, in limiting opponent’s 3 pointers (6.6 per game). They are 2nd in turnover margin (tied with Furman at +3.5) and 3rd in rebounding margin at 3.5 (behind Western at 5.1 and Mercer at 4.1).
First game opponent will be the winner of VMI vs Samford. Both of them have played us tough. Kenpom says VMI by 3.
Second game opponent will be the winner of Mercer versus Western Carolina. Kenpom says Western by 2.
Third round championship - likely Furman. Maybe UNCG or Wofford.
FURMAN 15-3 #74, #68 offense, #83 defense:
A well balanced team, #68 on offense and #84 on defense. Steady throughout the season with few let downs and able to win tough ones at the end. Much better offense than UNCG. Able to push the opposition off their mark and force them to set up further out than they would like. Only SoCon losses are on the road to Wofford and ETSU, and at home to UNCG. 2nd in conference in 2pt% at .579 and 4th in 3pt% at .348 for a 1st in conference total FG% of .473. Balance. The biggest departure from the even keel is their reliance on streaky scorer leading scorer Jordan Lyons (17.4 ppg) – when he’s off they struggle. Although they defend physically, they are not called for many fouls, sending opponents to the line a 2nd in conference 14.1 times per game. (The ‘defense optional’ Samford Bulldogs are 1st with 13.1 attempts for opponents. Interesting that Furman despite its tough, physical defense does almost as well.)
Wofford VERY likely to be their first game opponent. Kenpom says an 87% chance of Wofford beating The Citadel to get there. Wofford came within a last second bucket of sweeping the season against Furman.
UNCG 13-5, #87, #154 offense, #54 defense:
Ending the season on a down note with 2 straight losses. But to good teams in Furman (split the season, each winning away) and Chattanooga by 2. Have played 2 overtime games against Wofford, winning one and losing one. Four of their five losses are to ETSU (twice), Furman and Wofford. Only other conference loss is by 2 at a good Chattanooga team. Highest rated defense in the SoCon with #54 in Kenpom, best at limiting conference opponents’ 2 pt scores, and 2nd best in 2 pt% defense with .500. Weaker from 3, allowing .368 with 8.1 makes to opponents. Best turnover margin in D1 on the season at 6.4 (5.7 in conference). Offensive efficiency is weaker at #154. Leads the SoCon in steals with 9.4 (5th in D1) and blocks with 3.9. Wes Miller always has these guys playing tough and physical in the tournament.
UNCG faces off against Chattanooga in a replay of their last game, which they lost by 2 at Chattanooga 74-72. Earlier in the season they crushed Chattanooga at home by 20, 72-52.
This time Kenpom says UNCG by 5, 71-66, with a 32% chance (roughly 1 in 3) of another Moc upset.
Mercer 11-7, #196, #201 offense, #185 defense:
The Bears punch above their weight, winning more SoCon games than their stats would predict according to Kenpom where both Chattanooga #154 and Western Carolina #158 rate significantly higher than the Bears at #196. Don’t let them hang around because they are well coached and effective at the end of games, and make .748 of the free throws to close it out. They defend extremely well in conference, with a 1st place 2pt% defense of .498 and a 2nd place 3pt% defense of .308. They also shoot 2nd in conference .357 from 3 (but with only makes) and rebound extremely well for their size with a 2nd in conference rebounding margin of +4.1 to the Bucs 3rd place +3.5.
Kenpom favors Western Carolina over the Bears in a squeaker, 77-75, with a 42% chance of Mercer pulling it out.
Western Carolina 10-8, #158, #75 offense, #265 defense:
The Cats rate just behind Furman and ETSU on offense at #75 in Kenpom. They lead the conference in points per game with 78.4. Their defense is bad with an 8th place 76.9 points allowed and a #265 Kenpom rating. But you must hit your shots against these guys, because Carlos Dotson inside and their 3 point shooters outside are pretty hard to stop (Steger and MCray killed us from 3). Mason Faulkner controls the ball and distributes effectively, but he has had more difficulty scoring in conference as defenses focus on him. That’s a pretty well balanced offensive package. If you cannot make your shots, particularly from 3, you might wind up 10 points down, as ETSU was after going 3-21 from 3 (14.1%!) with 8 minutes left. Of course if you get hot, you can turn that around pretty quickly against the weak Catamount defense, as the Bucs also discovered. Pun Tisdale and Patrick have both gone off for 26 against them this year. There is a good chance that the Cats and the Bucs will get to replay this one in the second round of the SoCon Tournament, as ETSU’s second round opponent would be the winner of Mercer vs. Western. Mercer and Western split the season series with each winning at home. Both have given the Bucs fits. I’d love to see that Western drum line again – it's one of the highlights of the tournament. The Western offense, I'm not so eager to see again.
Again, the Cats are favored in a close one, 77-75.
Decent offense with a 2nd in SoCon FG% of .467 and a 2nd in SoCon 3pt% of .367. A rebounding margin of +2.1, fourth in conference. Defense generally not strong, but a best in SoCon defensive 3pt% of .302. Finished conference 5-2, losing only at Furman by 5, and at home to Mercer by 5.
They've got face a UNCG team that they just beat last Saturday. A tough challenge. Kenpom says UNCG by 5, 71-66.
Wofford 7-11, #165 , #169 offense, #188 defense:
The Terriers had a pretty good out of conference season, playing the toughest schedule in the SoCon and only losing to very good teams. They came into conference ranked about #130 and near the top of D1 from 3, shooting .393 (21st in D1) with 11.1 makes (5th in D1).
But SoCon teams know that if you do nothing else against Wofford, you MUST defend the 3 ball. So in conference play the SoCon held Wofford to .313 with 8.4 makes from 3. ETSU did an extreme version of this, holding Wofford to 4-19 and 6-20 from 3 for 25.6% combined. But allowed inside access to the basket by redshirt Freshmen Messiah Jones and Isaiah Bigelow who got 55 points in 2 games, more than double their average. The bet was that you stop the starters and stop the 3, and it will be tough for the Freshmen to beat you inside. They came close though.
The Terriers come in off a 7 game losing streak – but every one of those to pretty good teams. If they get by The Citadel, they will face Furman (split, and Furman needed a bucket with 12 seconds left to avoid a second loss). And maybe UNCG after that, who split 2 overtime games with the Terriers. Neither of those teams wants any part of the Terriers.
Kenpom favors Wofford over The Citadel by 12, 79-67. A game against Furman will be interesting.
Samford 4-14, #316, #243 offense, #327 defense:
This team can look like the worst in the SoCon, losing 106-66 at Mercer and 109-78 at Western in the last 10 days. Or they can play up to their talent and give ETSU a real scare in Freedom hall. The Bucs needed a late rally to eke out a win 80-74 in Freedom Hall between those two blowouts. The Bulldogs got all 4 of their conference wins against the military academies and beat VMI by 6, 84-78, in their last game.
Kenpom favors VMI over Samford by 3, 78-75
VMI 3-15, #265, #214, #300:
Question for former Prof. Thomas Jackson on Friday: will the Institute be heard from today? Kenpom says, “yes”! A disciplined team that rarely gives up meets a talented but relatively undisciplined bunch that will quit if they get down. Don’t let Samford think that they can actually win though, or they might decide to play up to the level of their talent. A couple of talented freshmen in Travis Evee and Kamdyn Kurfman help the Keydets be tougher than expected. They lead the conference in assists.
Kenpom favors them by 3, 78-75, despite dropping 2 to Samford during the season.
The Citadel 0-18, #335, #313 offense, #323 defense:
At 0-18 with 8 straight double digit losses, The Citadel is most likely to go home early. But Wofford comes in with battered confidence and their own 7 game string of losing double digit leads down the stretch. Hang tough and the Bulldogs might be rewarded. Probably not though.
Kenpom says Wofford by 12.
See you in Asheville! Go Bucs!
Top marks.
"Too many slow starts that wear on fans nerves and necessitate second half heroics." I came out of the game Saturday feeling as if I had been bound in a sack and beaten at irregular intervals with a switch.
Every season after what I think is a representative number of games, I like to play a mental exercise with myself that I call "what would a game look like with this team if they played the 'perfect game.' I had to give that up a number of games ago this season. I have struggled to accept that with this team, as genuinely talented, hard working, passionate and determined as I believe they are I have no idea what is going to happen in any upcoming game. Yet, I find myself thinking as I did Saturday at about the 3 minute mark, "I wonder how they are going to pull this one out?"
I expect nothing less or more this weekend. I buy the ticket, I accept the conditions of the ride.
Question: Does the #1 seed get the best tip-off time in the tourney?
Quarterfinals - Saturday, March 7 - Harrah's Cherokee Center Asheville
Game Matchup Time
Game 3 No. 1 ETSU vs. Game 1 winner 12 p.m.
Game 4 No. 4 Mercer vs. No. 5 Western Carolina 2:30 p.m.
Game 5 No. 2 Furman vs. Game 2 winner 6 p.m.
Game 6 No. 3 UNCG vs. No. 6 Chattanooga 8:30 p.m.
(03-02-2020 07:13 PM)Buc66 Wrote: Question: Does the #1 seed get the best tip-off time in the tourney?
Quarterfinals - Saturday, March 7 - Harrah's Cherokee Center Asheville
Game Matchup Time
Game 3 No. 1 ETSU vs. Game 1 winner 12 p.m.
Game 4 No. 4 Mercer vs. No. 5 Western Carolina 2:30 p.m.
Game 5 No. 2 Furman vs. Game 2 winner 6 p.m.
Game 6 No. 3 UNCG vs. No. 6 Chattanooga 8:30 p.m.
I think so. There is a reason the #1 team gets that slot. It gives more rest after the game and the opponent had to just play the previous evening. So I would think it is a great advantage.
(03-02-2020 05:05 PM)BigIslandBuc Wrote: "Too many slow starts that wear on fans nerves and necessitate second half heroics." I came out of the game Saturday feeling as if I had been bound in a sack and beaten at irregular intervals with a switch.
Every season after what I think is a representative number of games, I like to play a mental exercise with myself that I call "what would a game look like with this team if they played the 'perfect game.' I had to give that up a number of games ago this season. I have struggled to accept that with this team, as genuinely talented, hard working, passionate and determined as I believe they are I have no idea what is going to happen in any upcoming game. Yet, I find myself thinking as I did Saturday at about the 3 minute mark, "I wonder how they are going to pull this one out?"
I expect nothing less or more this weekend. I buy the ticket, I accept the conditions of the ride.
For a tad of perspective................beginning Jan. 15, with our home game against Sammie, we won 8 straight games by 11 or more points, ending at the sloppy game at VMI. We really haven't been quite the same since. We've won our last 5 by a total of 27 points - or only 5.4/game - with the *largest* being a 9-win over Furman here. After the home UNC-G game, I posted on that thread that it was maybe our best game since LSU - and I think it was.
As to what all that means in Asheville.................who knows? "That's why they play the games".
(03-02-2020 07:13 PM)Buc66 Wrote: Question: Does the #1 seed get the best tip-off time in the tourney?
Quarterfinals - Saturday, March 7 - Harrah's Cherokee Center Asheville
Game Matchup Time
Game 3 No. 1 ETSU vs. Game 1 winner 12 p.m.
Game 4 No. 4 Mercer vs. No. 5 Western Carolina 2:30 p.m.
I think so. There is a reason the #1 team gets that slot. It gives more rest after the game and the opponent had to just play the previous evening. So I would think it is a great advantage.
Yes, we know the reason, but I'm gonna gently disagree. The extra 2 hours of rest is insignificant for players this age. More importantly.............from players' perspective (historically, and in general), having that early of a start time messes with one's game-day prep and routine. No need to elaborate on all that. And yes, it's the same for both teams, but that adds in an extra variable; some additional uncertainty. I'd MUCH rather have that 2:30 game - altho of course I know the traditional 'wisdom'.
And I might be reading too much into the 'way' Forbes answered that question in his interview, but he seemed almost like he was saying what he was supposed to say. There was zero conviction as he said it.
I don't agree on your take that Forbes was not happy to play early game. He specifically stated it gave the team more rest, it gave the coaches more time to critique the opponent and more time to develope a game plan.
I'll take a more rested team and better prepared team anyday than the opposite.
I believe ETSU has the best team, so I think it's pretty simple. If they play up to their potential (make shots, play consistent defense), then they'll win. I also think the Bucs' superior depth will be a factor, with increasing advantage as they advance through the rounds.
I'm not overly worried about the recent tendency to fall behind and have to play catchup. It was an emotional stretch run, and this week of rest is going to help ETSU as much as anybody. Further, the extra motivation of tournament play should help the Bucs maintain focus from the opening tip to the final whistle. Still, I won't be surprised if our first-round opponent spurts to an early lead. It usually takes a little while for teams to settle in for their first tournament game, and ETSU's opponent, having played on Friday, will have that out of the way.
Coach Forbes said, going into last year's tournament, he just didn't think the Bucs had the "it" factor. This year, he does. From my own perspective, I know I certainly feel a lot better going into the tournament this year as opposed to last.
Furman has changed the starting lineup right at the end of the season. Until the Wofford game on Feb. 22nd the Paladins had started the same lineup all season, one of three teams nationally that had done that. The change was a scorer's mistake, as Mike Bothwell was penciled in instead of Alex Hunter. However, for the games against UNCG and the Citadel Bothwell intentionally started in place of Clay Mounce. Coach Richey wanted another point guard on the floor to begin the game against UNCG's pressing defense. It worked very well. Furman finished with fewer turnovers and points after turnovers than the first game between the teams. The lineup was repeated against the Citadel and will probably be the lineup for the tournament. Truth is, Bothwell has been the most consistent guard the last month of the season and his 39.1% three point shooting is second best on the team, just behind Mounce's 39.9%. Mounce has responded with two solid games coming off the bench for about the same court time and statistical production as before.
Furman has played probably the best defense of the season the past three games - very aggressively attacking the high screen in particular. That is what won against Wofford despite bad three point shooting.
UNCG may have lost the last two regular season games but I doubt that will have any carryover to the tournament, unless it acts as an inspiration.
Western Carolina, UTC, and Mercer all finished the regular season strong and should be tough outs.
I don't know what to expect from Wofford. Their seven game losing streak to end the season was really surprising, especially because Wofford built 9 point leads or more in five of those games but couldn't hold them. The last loss, to Mercer, was their poorest game of all. Will they be second-guessing their game or be refreshed by the week off?
Thanks as always for the info and perspective, FUATT.
Bothwell's role has increased over the season. He's physical and strong defensively, but he makes a difference as a strong scorer, especially valuable on Lyons less heroic nights. I noted in an earlier post that he had stepped up to become one of the better guards in the SoCon. Mounce has lost a few minutes, but the big loser in minutes played is Trey Clark, a strong defender who is an offensive liability. He didn't play against Wofford or UNCG, and got 8 minutes against ETSU. Even in a blowout against lowly Citadel, he got only 14 minutes. Trey had been averaging over 20 minutes a game earlier in the season. Bothwell is now averaging over 30 minutes in recent games.
Bothwell also gives hope for picking up the slack next year when Senior Lyons graduates. In that vein, how is young Marcus Foster coming along in his redshirt year? He was a year younger than most freshmen but looked good in the Bahamas at 6-4 200 with fine athleticism and a long wingspan.
(This post was last modified: 03-04-2020 09:25 AM by swvabucsfan.)
(03-04-2020 07:42 AM)swvabucsfan Wrote: Thanks as always for the info and perspective, FUATT.
Bothwell's role has increased over the season. He's physical and strong defensively, but he makes a difference as a strong scorer, especially valuable on Lyons less heroic nights. I noted in an earlier post that he had stepped up to become one of the better guards in the SoCon. Mounce has lost a few minutes, but the big loser in minutes played is Trey Clark, a strong defender who is an offensive liability. He didn't play against Wofford or UNCG, and got 8 minutes against ETSU. Even in a blowout against lowly Citadel, he got only 14 minutes. Trey had been averaging over 20 minutes a game earlier in the season. Bothwell is now averaging over 30 minutes in recent games.
Bothwell also gives hope for picking up the slack next year when Senior Lyons graduates. In that vein, how is young Marcus Foster coming along in his redshirt year? He was a year younger than most freshmen but looked good in the Bahamas at 6-4 200 with fine athleticism and a long wingspan.
Clark was hit in the head in the first half against ETSU and was held out of the second half and out of the Wofford and UNCG games because of the concussion protocol. At one point they weren't sure if he would be back for the Citadel but he was able to play some and looked OK.
Richey said a few games ago that Foster had made big strides in practice the past month or so and would be in the regular rotation if not being redshirted.
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A look at the SoCon heading into Asheville
