The preseason favorite to win the SWAC, Jackson State, raids the Roundhouse on Wednesday night, and the Mocs need to be ready as both teams play their third game in the Global Sports Shootout.
Jackson State is 0-5 on the season, but over their last three games, they have played a ranked Baylor team close, a good Louisville team close, and a pretty good Marshall team close. Of course, that followed a 41 point thumping to TCU.
So, will the real Jackson State please stand up?
Based on the two previous games in the Shootout, Jackson State will try to slow the game down to a snail's pace and try to frustrate the Mocs into turnovers, and hope that they are in it at the end, with a couple of shots to win it.
Surprisingly, Jackson State has done a decent job in rebounding. They outrebounded Marshall, and were not just crushed on the boards by Louisville. That means that again, this will be a key point of contention for the Mocs. They will need to work hard to rebound well against these guys and prove that they can do it. They do rank highly nationally (321st out of 348 teams) in rebounding, but the Tigers have not been embarrassed against like opponents.
Jackson State also has not done an awful job of committing turnovers so far. So the Tigers are not beating themselves, is the basic point.
However, Jackson State is not a good shooting team at all. They rank 342nd in the country in points per game, and 339th in shooting percentage. Their percentage is an awful 32.8%. That is not just bad- it is putrid! The Mocs have made a lot of poor shooting teams look good over the last few years, though.
Tyrone Hanson now leads the Tigers in scoring at 11.4 points per game, and Jenniro Bush is averaging 11.2. Bush has been the team's leading scorer, until being held to three points against Marshall. Rod Melvin is shooting over 50 percent from three point range for the Tigers.
There is little doubt, even at 0-5, that this is going to be the SWAC's best team. They have the look and feel of the SWAC's best team. The schedule is tough, but the team is improving every time out.
The Mocs last year had a tendency to blow some home games that they shouldn't. *cough- Elon- cough, cough* We keep hearing that this year's team is different. Prove it. That's all I'm asking for. Prove it. Win this game. Don't need a last second shot to do it. Just win it. And win it by a reasonable margin.
For the Mocs to win it, they will need to control Bush. Bush is a match-up problem for almost any team. After all, he is listed at 6-8 as a guard. That is a TALL guard for any league. They are relatively tall, but the Mocs should be able to match their height.
This will be an interesting game to watch Keegan Bell. Bell has a tendency to not show up against the lesser opponents, but Bell could be a dominant force in a game like this.Bell needs to set the tone for the team. If he comes out with fire and energy, then the Mocs are likely to play that way. If he does not, then the rest of the Mocs may follow suit- and that would be a major problem. Also, the Tigers like to slow the game down. Bell likes to run. This may be a game that the Mocs need to really try to run. If Bell can get the game more uptempo, then the Tigers could have real problems keeping up. If Bell gets frustrated at the pace that the Tigers force him to play, then Bell could become liability and start turning the ball over.
Also, the Mocs need to start getting a little bit more out of the middle of the floor. Jefferson and Saffore have been fine, but they need just a little bit more for the Mocs to get where they want to go. I wouldn't mind seeing a little bit more from Early either.
Did Wattad finally get hot? Will the hot streak against Louisville carry over at home? Wattad needs to keep it going for sure. He could become a very valuable piece to the puzzle if he keeps on shooting well.
KEYS TO THE GAME
--I say it every game, but rebounding is paramount for the Mocs to have a shot to win this game.
--Bell's energy. Bring it, and the rest of the team should too.
--The tempo of the game. Sped up favors the Mocs. Slow it down favors the Tigers.
--Wattad's shooting. If he keeps on shooting lights out, Jackson State could have real problems.
WHAT I'LL DO IF THE MOCS WIN
--Start thinking about finishing over .500 for the month of November.
--Breathe a sigh of relief that the Mocs beat a team they should beat (these sorts of games always make me nervous).
--Wonder how the Mocs lost to Austin Peay at home.
WHAT I'LL DO IF JACKSON STATE WINS
--Not eat on Thanksgiving.
--Wonder how the Mocs beat Marshall on the road.
--Start thinking more seriously about the what the score will be for the next Heat-O-Meter.
--Sigh, go to bed, and remember that tomorrow is another day.
LEAD PIPE LOCK PREDICTIONS THAT ARE SURE TO GO WRONG
--The Mocs will shoot a little bit better at home than they did against Austin Peay.
--The Mocs will not be able to establish the tempo that they want consistently.
--Wattad will continue to shoot well.
--Bell will commit too many turnovers for my liking.
--Chattanooga will take a comfortable lead heading into the last five minutes, before folding a little bit down the stretch.
--Chattanooga 67, Jackson State 56. Mocs should come out with energy and enthusiasm, particularly if the crowd is behind them. They will win, but it won't always be pretty.
GO MOCS!
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