Southeast Missouri State Preview: Where Rubber Meets Road

The Mocs come home feeling pretty good about themselves after having a good showing in a 69-55 loss at Kansas on Thursday night. They played a really good first half, and then let it get away a bit in the second half against the Jayhawks. There is plenty to be pleased about as a Mocs fan after that performance.

But does it mean anything? In the end, it doesn't mean much. The Mocs are 1-1, right where everyone expected them to be at this point. The excitement for the Moc fans can be extended with a good performance in these three games. This is where the season really starts for the Mocs. This is where the rubber meets the road. This is where we begin to figure out what the Mocs are made of.

Southeast Missouri State is 2-1 after a loss to Kansas, and wins over Lyon and McNeese State. They have two big guys that are going to be trouble for anyone in the Chattanooga version of the CBE Classic. Nino Johnson and Tyler Stone are each 6-8. Stone is averaging 17.0 points per game and 6.3 rebounds per game. Johnson is averaging 15.3 points per game and 11.0 rebounds per game.

Stone is shooting 53.8% from the floor. In the mean time, Johnson is up over 70% from the floor. They also are a combined 15 of 19 from the free throw line. Johnson was not a major player last year, while Stone was the team's best player a year ago. Stone is probably the best player in Chattanooga. In the mean time, Johnson is the player that has a chance to really start making a name for himself. The two combined to shoot 17 of 22 with 38 points, and 16 rebounds against McNeese State. This is the challenge for Drazen Zlovaric, Z Mason, Jared Bryant, Sam Watson, and Lance stokes. They will need to come up with a way to defend against the Redhawks without getting into foul trouble. The way the Mocs defend Stone and Johnson will make a huge difference in this game.

The funny thing for Southeast Missouri is that they are really not big outside of those two players. Josh Tolbert is 6-7 and averaging just under ten minutes per game. Colin Ferguson is 6-9 and averaging eleven minutes per game in two games. No one else who has played is above 6-4.

Lucas Nutt is the team leader in assists. He is averaging four assists per game. He is only averaging 2.7 points per game, though. AJ Jones averages 8.7 points and six rebounds per game. Marland Smith averages 8.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. That rounds out the projected starting five.

Nick Niemczyk is averaging 10.3 points per game and is the sub getting the most time off the bench. He's averaging 26 minutes per game. He is shooting nearly 36% from three point range, which is basically what he shot last year. He is a good shooter, and the most likely one to make shots from outside for the Redhawks.

The Redhawks are a good defensive team, allowing opponents to shoot 40.3% eFG. They also have done a good job on the defensive boards this year as a team, whereas they aren't as good on the offensive glass. They do not commit a lot of turnovers, though they don't force a lot of turnovers.

The Mocs will need to contain Johnson and Stone, both on offense and also on the boards. Zlovaric and Mason are good enough to give them problems, but this is not going to be an easy task.

What would really help the Mocs is to have someone get hot from three point range like Farad Cobb was the other night against Kansas. Who will be that guy against Southeast Missouri State? Will it be Cobb again? Rico White, the Mocs best returning shooter who is yet to get on target this year? Eric Robertson? What about Gee McGhee, who has shown the ability to get into the lane, but hasn't shown the ability to finish yet? Or could it be Casey Jones? The Redhawks have some weakness out on the perimeter. Do the Mocs?

The Mocs need to show some consistency. It is very early in the year, but I think the thing that I will be looking for the most is to see similar effort to what I saw against Kansas against the Redhawks. If the effort is the same and the execution is the same, then good things will happen this year. When I say execution, I am not necessarily referring to shooting, because shots can fall or they won't. That does not concern me as much as taking good shots and playing good assignment defense.

We'll see. It's time.

LEAD PIPE LOCK PREDICTIONS THAT ARE SURE TO GO WRONG

--Stone and Johnson will combine to score 40 points, and make at least one Moc fan mention the word FIRE.
--At least one Moc will be hot shooting the ball from long range. Not sure if it will be Cobb again this game. Call it a gut feeling that Rico White is about to have a big game as the "experienced" backcourt player. (Still funny for me to call White experienced since he is only at the beginning of his sophomore year.)
--The rebounding will be about equal.
--Drazen Zlovaric responds with a big game as he is challenged by Stone and Johnson.
--Mason makes at least one play that will explain why he is my kids favorite player.
--Mocs 73, Southeast Missouri State 70. This game will be tight the whole way. It will be nip and tuck the whole way. Something tells me that this team is hungry to prove that they can win, and that being competitive against Kansas only made this team hungrier. I could be wrong about that. The Mocs performance will get Mocs fans excited about what this team is capable of.

GO MOCS!