The Pre-Game Meal- Virginia Intermont

LIKELY STARTERS
Virginia Intermont (0-3, 0-0)
G Jimmie Ross (6-6 So)
G Wade Bryant (6-4 Jr)
G Tihlee Anderson (5-9 Fr)
F Marquette Knight (6-5 Jr)
C Delonte McDaniel (6-7 So)

Mocs (0-0, 0-0)
G Keegan Bell (6-1 RSo)
G Ricky Taylor (6-5 So)
G Josh Odem (6-5 Fr)
F Ridge McKeither (6-5 Jr)
C Jeremy Saffore (7-1 RJr)

KNOW THY OPPONENT

Virginia Intermont Basketball Homepage- http://my.vic.edu/ics/Athletics/Basketball_-_Men's.jnz
Here’s what we know. Berea hammered Virginia Intermont 99-66 last Friday night. On Saturday, Asbury beat the Cobras 79-57. On Tuesday night, Virginia Intermont lost at Southern Virginia, 86-47. That means that the Cobras are 0-3, with an average score of 88-57. The average margin is 31.3. Those are not pretty numbers for Virginia Intermont.

The Cobras return just six players from last year’s team and one starter. Five of them are sophomores. There are seven freshman and four junior college transfers on the roster. Last year, the Cobras were 7-25 and 5-13 in Appalachian Athletic Conference. In case you missed it in the above statement, the Cobras have no seniors on the roster.

Jordan Spurling and Delonte McDaniel are not huge, but they are big enough. McDaniel is 6-7 and Spurling is 6-9. Both are sophomores. Jimmie Ross is the leading returning scorer, averaging 4.1 points per game a year ago.

VIC is only shooting 22.6% on their three point shots so far this year. That is through all three games. They are making 61.5% of their free throws. They committed thirty turnovers in their last loss to Southern Virginia, and are averaging committing 23 turnovers per game so far this year.

The leading scorers through two games are Marquette Knight and Wade Bryant, both of whom have averaged eleven points per game. Spurling and McDaniel are combining to average 14.5 points per game, and seven rebounds. Bryant is the team’s leading rebounder, averaging six rebounds per game. Tihlee Anderson committed ten turnovers in those first two games with only four assists as he adjusts to the college game. Ross has also been struggling, with just three assists and eight turnovers.

BREAKDOWN AND MATCH-UPS

While this should not be much of a battle, there are some interesting battles. The Mocs don’t have tremendous size. This should help VIC, who also does not have great size. In fact, watching McKeither go against McKnight could be interesting. Both are the same size, and both are expected to be go-to guys for their team as junior college transfers.

Jefferson and Saffore going against Spurling and McDaniel inside could also be intriguing. Spurling and McDaniel do not have great size, but they should match-up reasonably well with Jefferson and Saffore.

The Mocs shot very well last Saturday against Tennessee Wesleyan. Ricky Taylor was draining threes from everywhere. The Mocs made a lot of shots from the field, and VIC has struggled slowing teams down so far this year.

Jimmie Ross will be a key player for the Cobras. He appears to be the point guard, and has been turning the ball over too much early in the season. He will need to get the ball into the right players hands. Going up against Bell will make it that much more challenging. Bell can handcuff a lot of guys, and Ross will have to play great defense to contain Bell. Bell will also need to control his emotions a little bit better and play more relaxed than he did last Saturday, when he shot just 1 for 7.

QUESTIONS I WANT ANSWERED

- Can McKeither, Jefferson, and Saffore dominate on the inside?
- Who should be playing more- Jefferson or Saffore?
- Can the Mocs make free throws?
- Will Ricky Taylor be there every night or was last Saturday just a hot night?
- Is Keegan Bell going to shake off the rust and play better tonight?
- Will Odem play like a freshman?

THE PICK

The Mocs won by 43 against a team that is picked to finish second in the AAC last weekend, albeit in an exhibition game. On opening night, the Mocs should be even more focused and more prepared. Going against the team that is picked to finish last in the AAC and has been getting blown out so far this year should only help matters.

Look for McKeither to have a big night, and for Bell to show why everyone has been so high on him in the offseason. Also, expect everyone to play plenty of minutes, much like last Saturday against TWC.

The free throw problems are still going to be there, more than likely. But in a game like this, it won’t matter. Plenty of players will play and get their confidence up before Tuesday’s showdown with ETSU. Mocs 106, Virginia Intermont 54.