Jahmal Burroughs does not get mentioned as much as many other players do on this blog. For that, I take full responsibility. Obviously.
Other players that are not mentioned enough include Ricky Taylor. Drazen Zlovaric, Keegan Bell, Omar Wattad, Chris Early (no longer on the team), Z Mason, Rico White, Jared Bryant and Dontay Hampton all get some amount of consistent discussion on here fitting to their playing time, with Mason probably exceeding the amount of discussion he deserves considering his playing time. Lance Stokes is another offender in the getting too much attention category. I feel bad for Ricky Taylor. He's so consistent he gets forgotten sometimes.
But there I go again. This post is supposed to be dedicated to Burroughs, and didn't mention him for a whole paragraph.
Last year, Burroughs got more mention on here. That was because of all things that are so evident this year. He brings so much energy to a game. I love watching Burroughs play because he is so energetic. What he lacks in offensive and defensive skill he makes up for in heart. I always love guys like that. Last year that got a lot of play on here.
This year, I have been more focused on talent, and less focused on heart. That's why I have been missing Burroughs. But the fact is that he still plays with just as much heart and energy as he did last year. Yes, offensive and defensive skill sets are lacking, but he's an emotional leader. That's what everyone says, and as I watch the team, it is so true. He has become a big part of the glue that holds this team together. As much as Keegan Bell holds the team together, Burroughs does the same. I've long held that Bell was the glue of this team, but as the season progresses it is becoming more and more clear that both of them are key players to keeping this team together.
Burroughs will continue to be a valuable asset on this team as it continues down the road. Mason and he will continue to split time. Mason will provide some moments, and continue to grow into a dynamic player. Burroughs will continue to bring energy and heart and emotion. He will rebound the ball, and make shots when given an opportunity.
Life without Early? Maybe it won't be so bad after all.
GO MOCS!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Double Dribbles- 1-10-12
1) With ten games between North and South this week, the Battle of North vs. South will get very interesting this week. The South has been a dominant 6-2 so far this year against the North. The North can get back into it this week with a big week. Six of them are at the South team. Of course, two of those are the South's worst team- The Citadel. UNCG and Elon will need to win at The Citadel for the North to get back into the race. Davidson also plays two very interesting games- Western Carolina at home, and at Appalachian State. This should be an interesting week for the North and South. It should be a great week, and a very interesting week.
2) Wofford also has a huge week. At 2-2 in SoCon play, they have established themselves as a real contender, since they have played a very difficult schedule so far. This week, they travel to Chattanooga on Thursday, and then face 3-1 Georgia Southern at home on Saturday. If the Terriers have any dreams of getting a bye in the SoCon Tournament, they need to sweep these two games. Remember, no team has ever won four games in four days at the SoCon Tournament. Getting a bye is absolutely huge for any team really hoping to win the automatic bid.
2) Wofford also has a huge week. At 2-2 in SoCon play, they have established themselves as a real contender, since they have played a very difficult schedule so far. This week, they travel to Chattanooga on Thursday, and then face 3-1 Georgia Southern at home on Saturday. If the Terriers have any dreams of getting a bye in the SoCon Tournament, they need to sweep these two games. Remember, no team has ever won four games in four days at the SoCon Tournament. Getting a bye is absolutely huge for any team really hoping to win the automatic bid.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Early Off The Team
Chris Early's suspension has turned into a permanent dismissal from the team. No, there is no new information. He is planning on staying in school and finishing up the rest of his senior year and graduating. He will have access to the athletic facilities. After graduation, he will attempt to continue his basketball career overseas.
There positive points here. The first point is that everyone keeps on talking about how Jahmal Burroughs has turned into the emotional leader of this team. Yesterday, I expected Early to be coming back, and I wondered how things would go. What happens when a former starter returns to a team to try to take minutes away from the emotional leader of the team? I have no idea. It was actually scaring me a little bit to find out.
The negative side is that there is no question that at this point in time, Chris Early is a better basketball player than Z Mason or Burroughs. That's not to say that Mason and Burroughs can't be better than him. Early could challenge even big schools with his abilities. He did not consistently bring it, though. If he had finally started to consistently bring it, then Early could have been a very valuable addition to the Mocs down the stretch.
So which side wins?
We'll have to let that play out before we can figure that out.
Some of the more interesting questions that are left unanswered:
1) Why now? If Early was going to be dismissed, couldn't this decision have been made back before the Dr Pepper Classic? What about right after the Dr Pepper Classic? Why now? This is why I thought he'd be reinstated. It just seemed likely that was why no decision had been made until Early was back in classes.
2) Who really made the decision not tohave Early return? Shulman? Early? The seniors on the team? Hart? Shulman said it was his decision, but maybe it was Early deciding that he didn't want to return. Or it could have been the seniors, and Shulman doesn't want to throw them under the bus.
3) Is the chemistry better because the Mocs have started winning? Or have the Mocs started winning because of better chemistry? May never know this one. It's basically the question that has plagued humanity from all time- which came first, the chicken or the egg?
I'll be intersted to see what happens when the Mocs play Davidson, and if they play Davidson and College of Charleston again in the SoCon Tournament. The Wildcats are the best SoCon team in rebounding. This is when they may miss Early the most.
GO MOCS!
There positive points here. The first point is that everyone keeps on talking about how Jahmal Burroughs has turned into the emotional leader of this team. Yesterday, I expected Early to be coming back, and I wondered how things would go. What happens when a former starter returns to a team to try to take minutes away from the emotional leader of the team? I have no idea. It was actually scaring me a little bit to find out.
The negative side is that there is no question that at this point in time, Chris Early is a better basketball player than Z Mason or Burroughs. That's not to say that Mason and Burroughs can't be better than him. Early could challenge even big schools with his abilities. He did not consistently bring it, though. If he had finally started to consistently bring it, then Early could have been a very valuable addition to the Mocs down the stretch.
So which side wins?
We'll have to let that play out before we can figure that out.
Some of the more interesting questions that are left unanswered:
1) Why now? If Early was going to be dismissed, couldn't this decision have been made back before the Dr Pepper Classic? What about right after the Dr Pepper Classic? Why now? This is why I thought he'd be reinstated. It just seemed likely that was why no decision had been made until Early was back in classes.
2) Who really made the decision not tohave Early return? Shulman? Early? The seniors on the team? Hart? Shulman said it was his decision, but maybe it was Early deciding that he didn't want to return. Or it could have been the seniors, and Shulman doesn't want to throw them under the bus.
3) Is the chemistry better because the Mocs have started winning? Or have the Mocs started winning because of better chemistry? May never know this one. It's basically the question that has plagued humanity from all time- which came first, the chicken or the egg?
I'll be intersted to see what happens when the Mocs play Davidson, and if they play Davidson and College of Charleston again in the SoCon Tournament. The Wildcats are the best SoCon team in rebounding. This is when they may miss Early the most.
GO MOCS!
Double Dribbles-1-9-12
1) Elon's losing streak keeps on growing. Elon now has lost five straight. Sure, there were road losses to North Carolina and San Diego State in there, and the road trip to Dartmouth wasn't good, but at least it was on the road. The home loss to Georgia Southern was explainable, and I supposed yesterday's home loss to Columbia is too. Still, when you add it all together, it is five straight losses. The Phoenix, once 7-2, and 2-0 in SoCon play, is now 7-7 and 2-1 in SoCon play. The good news? The North doesn't appear to be a killer division this year and they have a chance to stay in the race until the end. They are only one half game out of first right now. The bad news? They have two games with Chattanooga, Appalachian State, and Western Carolina left on the schedule, not to mention two with College of Charleston, one with Davidson, and one with Wofford, with both the Davidson and Wofford games on the road. In other words, the Phoenix, the clear cut favorite to win the North just two weeks ago, suddenly looks like a team that may have to fight and claw and scratch just to avoid finishing fourth. Want another silver lining for the Phoenix? They get The Citadel twice this year- beginning with this Thursday's game in Charleston. Win there, and maybe things get back on track. Lose, and the wheels could really start coming off.
2) Honestly, teams have played at most four conference games, and already it is becoming clear that we have two sets of four team races. Yes, Furman is an OK team with a very good defense that can keep them in games, but unless they find a way to score or someone who can score the ball, the Paladins are going to struggle to finish anywhere but fifth. The Citadel is probably locked into the sixth spot in the South. In the North, already both Samford and UNC-Greensboro are two wins behind the other four teams. The South race appears to be divided into battles for first (Davidson and Charleston) and third (Georgia Southern and Wofford), though that could change. But the North looks like a logjam. The Mocs are playing better all the time but still goes through long stretches where they can not put the ball in the basket, Elon (as discussed above) is playing worse, Western Carolina is flawed (little inside play), and Appalachian State seems to lack leadership without Donald Sims. I'm not putting it by a North team to get hot and run away with the division, but the race got real interesting this weekend with the Mocs win and the Western Carolina home win over Wofford. Should be a great week of games to help start sorting this whole thing out.
2) Honestly, teams have played at most four conference games, and already it is becoming clear that we have two sets of four team races. Yes, Furman is an OK team with a very good defense that can keep them in games, but unless they find a way to score or someone who can score the ball, the Paladins are going to struggle to finish anywhere but fifth. The Citadel is probably locked into the sixth spot in the South. In the North, already both Samford and UNC-Greensboro are two wins behind the other four teams. The South race appears to be divided into battles for first (Davidson and Charleston) and third (Georgia Southern and Wofford), though that could change. But the North looks like a logjam. The Mocs are playing better all the time but still goes through long stretches where they can not put the ball in the basket, Elon (as discussed above) is playing worse, Western Carolina is flawed (little inside play), and Appalachian State seems to lack leadership without Donald Sims. I'm not putting it by a North team to get hot and run away with the division, but the race got real interesting this weekend with the Mocs win and the Western Carolina home win over Wofford. Should be a great week of games to help start sorting this whole thing out.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
SoCon Monster Game of the Week- Elon at College of Charleston
The Phoenix disappointing loss at home to Georgia Southern has taken a lot of luster off of this match-up. However, that being said, the Phoenix are desperately needing to win this game to stay ahead of the pack in the SoCon North.
The Cougars, on the other hand, had a very difficult loss at Wofford on Thursday. Charleston will need to win this game to stay right at the top of the South bye race.
This should be a great match-up. We get to find out if Elon is for real in the SoCon race. We'll also find out if the Cougars can play more consistent basketball. Should be a great Saturday match-up.
The Cougars, on the other hand, had a very difficult loss at Wofford on Thursday. Charleston will need to win this game to stay right at the top of the South bye race.
This should be a great match-up. We get to find out if Elon is for real in the SoCon race. We'll also find out if the Cougars can play more consistent basketball. Should be a great Saturday match-up.
Scanning the SoCon- Week Ten
Welcome back, conference play! It made for one of the more interesting weeks yet in the 2011-12 season. Upsets, last second shots, and memorable moments happened around the conference. Let's get to the introductions.
DavidsonCats- Davidson Wildcats fan.
MocsMania- Chattanooga Mocs fan.
TheSportsArsenal- Citadel Bulldogs fan.
UNCGBasketballFan- UNC-Greensboro Spartans fan.
SCHEDULE
DavidsonCats- Davidson Wildcats fan.
MocsMania- Chattanooga Mocs fan.
TheSportsArsenal- Citadel Bulldogs fan.
UNCGBasketballFan- UNC-Greensboro Spartans fan.
SCHEDULE
Sunday, January 8
Columbia at Elon
Thursday, January 12
Furman at Appalachian State (ESPN3)
Western Carolina at Davidson
UNC-Greensboro at College of Charleston (ESPN3)
Wofford at Chattanooga
Samford at Georgia Southern
Elon at The Citadel
Saturday, January 14
Davidson at Appalachian State
Furman at Western Carolina
Chattanooga at Samford (SoCon Network/ESPN3)
Elon at College of Charleston (ESPN3)
UNC-Greensboro at The Citadel
Georgia Southern at Wofford
POWER RANKINGS
1) Davidson 48 (4)
2) College of Charleson 44
3) Wofford 38
4) Elon 36
5) Western Carolina 28
6) Chattanooga 27
7) Georgia Southern 26
8) Appalachian State 21
9) Furman 20
10) Samford 9
11) The Citadel 8
12) UNC-Greensboro 7
QUESTIONS
Sum up your team.
DavidsonCats- Davidson is 10-4 now and 4-0 in the conference. The team is showing plenty of depth, with various players making major contributions. De'Mon Brooks played an outstanding game against GSU, but was overshadowed by Jake Cohen's numbers (29 points on 8-9 shooting including 2-2 on 3s, 11-12 FTs, and 12 rebounds ). The next two games are a home game against WCU and a road game at ASU. Last year the Wildcats lost to those two teams by 8 points each.
MocsMania- The Mocs got beat by Tennessee in Knoxville on Monday in a reasonably close game that was very disappointing to Mocs fans. The Mocs then went out and beat Western Carolina and Appalachian State at home. The comeback win over Appalachian State was exhilirating, and was without Omar Wattad. The win over Western Carolina showed how good the Mocs can be when they play well. They outrebounded the Catamounts by 24. The Mocs are starting to show signs of the team that was picked to win the North in the preseason. I think the Mocs can still win the North, but they really need play well in these next three games- home against Wofford, before trips to Samford and UNC-Greensboro. A 2-1 mark in those three games would put them in position to make a real run at the North title. A 3-0 mark would be even better.
TheSportsArsenal- The Citadel picked up its initial SoCon victory on Saturday, which was also the Bulldogs' first league home game of the season. Mike Groselle made all 10 of his field goal attempts and finished with 25 points, while Cosmo Morabbi, the lone senior on the roster, added a career-high 20 points and also dished out 6 assists. It was a badly needed positive performance after the Bulldogs were embarrassed at Furman earlier in the week. The Citadel continues to struggle with turnovers and allowing easy baskets (no team in the country has a worse defensive 2-point FG%), but the Bulldogs do show flashes of offensive potential, including a 30-point effort from freshman Ashton Moore in The Citadel's victory over UVA-Wise, an NAIA opponent, a game played before the Furman contest. This week, the Bulldogs have two more home conference games, against Elon and UNCG.
UNCGBasketballFan- What a ridiculous week for the Spartans. UNCG went to Coral Gables and played a solid game against Miami on national TV. Trevis Simpson went off for 36 points and the team played very inspired for almost the entire game. It took a major effort on the part of Miami big man Kenny Kadji to keep the Canes from being upset. The Spartans then came home and were routed as thoroughly as possible by Davidson. It took a billion shots for Trevis Simpson to be the only G player in double figures. I'm not sure whether it was the perfect storm of a great game by Davidson and a terrible night for G or something else. However, I don't know what to think of this team anymore. I keep telling people this isn't the worst team in the SoCon, but it sure is starting to look that way. A Saturday date at the Citadel should answer that question.
Which game are you most looking forward to this week other than your own team's?
DavidsonCats- I'm looking forward to the GSU at Wofford game on Saturday. I expect these two teams to battle all season for the 3S seed. In spite of the lopsided final score yesterday, this is the best GSU team that I've seen in several years. Their defense isn't good, but it'll be hard for Wofford to stop them. Should be a great game.
MocsMania- I'd be lying if I didn't say that I'm looking forward to the two Davidson games this week, as they host Western Carolina before heading to Appalachian State. But the best game is probably Elon's trip to College of Charleston. Elon's loss to Georgia Southern takes something off this game, but the Phoenix will need to win to stay on pace with the pack of four teams battling for the top two spots in the North. But College of Charleston needs a win to stay on track to win the South, or at least get a bye.
TheSportsArsenal- Western Carolina-Davidson is probably the most interesting of the Thursday games, all of which are North vs. South division affairs. Elon-College of Charleston on Saturday features two teams that will be fighting for first-round conference tournament byes.
UNCGBasketballFan- Elon at Charleston ...time to see if Elon is a contender or pretender.
Who would you pick for Player of the Year as we head into the bulk of conference play? Why?
DavidsonCats- The flashiest, most flamboyant, best NBA prospect is Eric Furguson. In cases where there isn't a player who is significantly ahead of the competition, I think the POY should go to the best player on the best team. Right now, that player is De'Mon Brooks.
MocsMania- I said De'Mon Brooks of Davidson the last time this question was asked. I see no reason to back off that statement. Antwaine Wiggins of College of Charleston and Mike Groselle of The Citadel both at least deserve mention in the race though. Groselle would be the winner if he could just play on a better team. Wiggins would be the winner if he could just play smarter and more consistently. But Brooks is the one who deserves it right now.
TheSportsArsenal- I'm still going with Jake Cohen of Davidson for POY honors. Davidson has multiple POY candidates, which is not surprising given it has had the best season of any league team thus far. It isn't that easy to separate Cohen's value from that of De'Mon Brooks.
UNCGBasketballFan- Even though it was Nik Cochran that destroyed UNCG on Thursday, I'm picking his teammate De'Mon Brooks. Brooks has been very good at almost everything for the Wildcats and I think he's the best player on that team. When you're the best player on the best team, I think that makes you the league POY.
Who would you pick for Coach of the Year as we head into the bulk of conference play? Why?
DavidsonCats- A few weeks ago, I thought the COY was Matt Matheny. There are arguments that could be made for Charlton Young and Mike Young. I'm really impressed with what Coach McKillop is doing at Davidson right now. He's my COY at this point.
MocsMania- Mike Young of Wofford is the clear winner at this point to me. His team has been substantially better than anyone expected. Their win over College of Charleston has only cemented his place as the top coach in the conference so far. To have the Terriers in contention in the SoCon South is unexpected, and he deserves a lot of credit.
TheSportsArsenal- I'm still going with Matt Matheny of Elon for COY honors.
UNCGBasketballFan- Mike Young at Wofford has taken what I thought would be a very bad team and really molded it into a fine club. This week alone his team won at Wake Forest and against Charleston. Right now I give him a slight nod over Elon's Matt Matheny.
After their performance against Wofford, what do you think the chances are that College of Charleston does not get a bye out of the South?
DavidsonCats- The odds of CofC not getting a bye are miniscule. It would require the intervention of illness or injury. They'll be the 1S or the 2S.
MocsMania- I'd put the chances at "very small." I believe that this team is just inconsistent enough to blow several more games that they should win. They have very little depth, so an injury would really hurt their chances too. But they have more talent than anyone else in the league, and it is really not that close. Wofford and Georgia Southern both could unseat them for a bye if they play inconsistently for the rest of the year. Assuming that Thursday was a blip on the radar, the more reasonable question would be "what do you think the chances are that the Cougars do not win the South division?"
TheSportsArsenal- College of Charleston is still a solid bet to finish no worse than second in the South division. Wofford is probably the only team with a shot of upsetting the applecart, and the Terriers do not appear to be consistent enough to challenge for that spot.
UNCGBasketballFan- I still think the south bye will go to Davidson and Charleston. I'm not convinced that Thursday night wasn't just a very hot Wofford team catching the Cougars not ready to play.This next week should tell a lot more about Charleston though.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Mocs 65, Appalachian State 63
FOUR FACTORS (plus two)
eFG%
Mocs- 46.2%
Appalachian State- 47.6%
Advantage- Appalachian State
TO%
Mocs- 12.4%
Appalachian State- 14.0%
Advantage- Mocs
OR%
Mocs- 22.2%
Appalachian State- 22.5%
Advantage- Appalachian State
FTRate
Mocs- 47.2%
Appalachian State- 14.5%
Advantage- Mocs
FT%
Mocs- 64.0%
Appalachian State- 44.4%
Advantage- Mocs
3PtRate
Mocs- 28.3%
Appalachian State- 41.9%
PLAYER RATER
Overall
1t) Ricky Taylor 22.7
1t) Jahmal Burroughs 22.7
3) Drazen Zlovaric 21.0
4) Z Mason 14.9
5) Dontay Hampton 13.7
6) Keegan Bell 9.0
7) Lance Stokes 8.2
8) Jared Bryant 3.2
9) Rico White 0.1
Per 40
1) Jahmal Burroughs 43.1
2) Z Mason 31.3
3) Lance Stokes 27.3
4) Jared Bryant 25.6
5) Ricky Taylor 25.2
6) Drazen Zlovaric 23.9
7) Dontay Hampton 23.8
8) Keegan Bell 9.2
9) Rico White 0.4
ANALYSIS
Exhilirating. There's only one place to start here, and that's with Dontay Hampton's buzzer beater shot. Before we get any further into that, remember- Hampton got the rebound and took it coast to coast. Hampton had seven rebounds. Think about that. Small little Dontay Hampton, former walk-on, just collected seven rebounds, drove the ball coast to coast and came up with a huge, well defended shot at the buzzer to bring the Mocs back from twelve down to come up with a two point win. Can you ask for any more from any Mocs player? I sure can't. Tremendous effort by Hampton. He's slowly working his way up my favorite players list.
This was a day that the Mocs could have folded. They had excuses. Lots of them. Chris Early is still suspended, but that's hardly an excuse anymore. However, Omar Wattad came out during shoot around and could not get his back loose. So he could not play. I know Wattad is a good offensive player, but I never realized just how important he was. There were many times during the game that I sat there and thought, "No- really. Where are the points going to come from here?" On top of all that, Keegan Bell shot a nightmarish 1 of 13 from the floor and just 1 of 10 from three point range. Yes, the one was huge. Without Wattad, and with Bell struggling, where was the scoring going to come from? Ricky Taylor played well, scoring 19, but really, where was the rest of the scoring going to come from?
And for all those reasons, the Mocs could have folded in this one. Down 12 halfway through the second half, the Mocs could have given in. I'm going to say again, last year's team WOULD have folded in that situation. I've said that several times this year. The Mocs are a hard working team, that don't give up this year. They are not the most consistent team ever. But they keep on fighting all the way to the end.
I wish they could have gotten the ball into Drazen Zlovaric more. He was the one that was going to end the long droughts that the Mocs kept on going on. However, they did not do it. Bell, who was ice cold, shot the ball 13 times, and Zlovaric shot it just seven. Really, that's borderline unacceptable. In fact, this is what I was going to focus on if the Mocs lost. Since they won, I'm going to back off of it a little bit. Also, the ice in Bell's veins must be frigid. To step up and make that three with two minutes left after missing all those shots to start with- clutch. So, obviously my views might be wrong on this.
The other two players to really talk about are Jahmal Burroughs and Z Mason. Burroughs really stepped up when the Mocs needed him most. He scored eleven points and had eight rebounds. The two combined to shoot 6 of 9 from the floor, 6 of 9 from the free throw line, 14 rebounds, including three offensive boards, 18 points, an assist, and a block, in forty minutes. Eighteen and fourteen in 40 minutes? Yes, sir, I will take that every night from the four spot.
Truthfully, despite the way the numbers play out in the player rater, I was not overly impressed with Jared Bryant or Lance Stokes in this game (other than Stokes incredibly athletic put back in the first half). I've been high on both Bryant and Stokes this year. I also was disappointed in White, who has regressed to some degree in recent weeks. I've been very high on White this year as well, so this is not a condemnation of their play on the whole, just saying that tonight was a disappointment on that front.
But in the end, the Mocs came up with the win. They did not rebound as well. They did not force nearly as many turnovers as I thought they would have to to win the game, forcing just nine. But the turned the ball over just eight times. They did not make quite as many hustle plays as they did against Western Carolina on Thursday. They did not shoot the three well. They did not pound the ball to Zlovaric as much as I would like. Ricky "Mr. Consistent Therefore Goes Relatively Unnoticed" Taylor played exactly like I thought he would once I heard that Wattad was not going to play.
Hampton's shot won it. It was thrilling. The Mocs are back to 2-2 in SoCon play, and are now one game out of first in the North (behind Western Carolina by one game), and are a half game behind Elon. They are tied with Appalachian State for third. I said they needed to win four of these next five before going to Elon, at least. And now they are 2-0. They have won six of eight overall.
Great night. Didn't play great- found a way to win.
GO MOCS!
eFG%
Mocs- 46.2%
Appalachian State- 47.6%
Advantage- Appalachian State
TO%
Mocs- 12.4%
Appalachian State- 14.0%
Advantage- Mocs
OR%
Mocs- 22.2%
Appalachian State- 22.5%
Advantage- Appalachian State
FTRate
Mocs- 47.2%
Appalachian State- 14.5%
Advantage- Mocs
FT%
Mocs- 64.0%
Appalachian State- 44.4%
Advantage- Mocs
3PtRate
Mocs- 28.3%
Appalachian State- 41.9%
PLAYER RATER
Overall
1t) Ricky Taylor 22.7
1t) Jahmal Burroughs 22.7
3) Drazen Zlovaric 21.0
4) Z Mason 14.9
5) Dontay Hampton 13.7
6) Keegan Bell 9.0
7) Lance Stokes 8.2
8) Jared Bryant 3.2
9) Rico White 0.1
Per 40
1) Jahmal Burroughs 43.1
2) Z Mason 31.3
3) Lance Stokes 27.3
4) Jared Bryant 25.6
5) Ricky Taylor 25.2
6) Drazen Zlovaric 23.9
7) Dontay Hampton 23.8
8) Keegan Bell 9.2
9) Rico White 0.4
ANALYSIS
Exhilirating. There's only one place to start here, and that's with Dontay Hampton's buzzer beater shot. Before we get any further into that, remember- Hampton got the rebound and took it coast to coast. Hampton had seven rebounds. Think about that. Small little Dontay Hampton, former walk-on, just collected seven rebounds, drove the ball coast to coast and came up with a huge, well defended shot at the buzzer to bring the Mocs back from twelve down to come up with a two point win. Can you ask for any more from any Mocs player? I sure can't. Tremendous effort by Hampton. He's slowly working his way up my favorite players list.
This was a day that the Mocs could have folded. They had excuses. Lots of them. Chris Early is still suspended, but that's hardly an excuse anymore. However, Omar Wattad came out during shoot around and could not get his back loose. So he could not play. I know Wattad is a good offensive player, but I never realized just how important he was. There were many times during the game that I sat there and thought, "No- really. Where are the points going to come from here?" On top of all that, Keegan Bell shot a nightmarish 1 of 13 from the floor and just 1 of 10 from three point range. Yes, the one was huge. Without Wattad, and with Bell struggling, where was the scoring going to come from? Ricky Taylor played well, scoring 19, but really, where was the rest of the scoring going to come from?
And for all those reasons, the Mocs could have folded in this one. Down 12 halfway through the second half, the Mocs could have given in. I'm going to say again, last year's team WOULD have folded in that situation. I've said that several times this year. The Mocs are a hard working team, that don't give up this year. They are not the most consistent team ever. But they keep on fighting all the way to the end.
I wish they could have gotten the ball into Drazen Zlovaric more. He was the one that was going to end the long droughts that the Mocs kept on going on. However, they did not do it. Bell, who was ice cold, shot the ball 13 times, and Zlovaric shot it just seven. Really, that's borderline unacceptable. In fact, this is what I was going to focus on if the Mocs lost. Since they won, I'm going to back off of it a little bit. Also, the ice in Bell's veins must be frigid. To step up and make that three with two minutes left after missing all those shots to start with- clutch. So, obviously my views might be wrong on this.
The other two players to really talk about are Jahmal Burroughs and Z Mason. Burroughs really stepped up when the Mocs needed him most. He scored eleven points and had eight rebounds. The two combined to shoot 6 of 9 from the floor, 6 of 9 from the free throw line, 14 rebounds, including three offensive boards, 18 points, an assist, and a block, in forty minutes. Eighteen and fourteen in 40 minutes? Yes, sir, I will take that every night from the four spot.
Truthfully, despite the way the numbers play out in the player rater, I was not overly impressed with Jared Bryant or Lance Stokes in this game (other than Stokes incredibly athletic put back in the first half). I've been high on both Bryant and Stokes this year. I also was disappointed in White, who has regressed to some degree in recent weeks. I've been very high on White this year as well, so this is not a condemnation of their play on the whole, just saying that tonight was a disappointment on that front.
But in the end, the Mocs came up with the win. They did not rebound as well. They did not force nearly as many turnovers as I thought they would have to to win the game, forcing just nine. But the turned the ball over just eight times. They did not make quite as many hustle plays as they did against Western Carolina on Thursday. They did not shoot the three well. They did not pound the ball to Zlovaric as much as I would like. Ricky "Mr. Consistent Therefore Goes Relatively Unnoticed" Taylor played exactly like I thought he would once I heard that Wattad was not going to play.
Hampton's shot won it. It was thrilling. The Mocs are back to 2-2 in SoCon play, and are now one game out of first in the North (behind Western Carolina by one game), and are a half game behind Elon. They are tied with Appalachian State for third. I said they needed to win four of these next five before going to Elon, at least. And now they are 2-0. They have won six of eight overall.
Great night. Didn't play great- found a way to win.
GO MOCS!
Battle of North vs. South- 1-7-12
Saturday's Scores
Wofford (S) 57
Western Carolina (N) 67
Samford (N) 62
The Citadel (S) 73
at South
North- 0
South- 4
at North
North- 2
South- 2
Overall
North- 2
South- 6
ANALYSIS
Western Carolina's win over Wofford was a huge win for both the Catamounts and for the North. The Terriers have looked like they could be a legitimate contender for at least a South bye after their win over College of Charleston on Thursday, but the Catamounts were not really challenged by the Terriers on Saturday. Yes, they only won by ten, but they were really in control most of the night. As far as the match-up between Samford and The Citadel, the home team was able to jump out to a double digit lead early in the second half and never looked back. This was a big game for the North. This was a chance to cut the lead down to 5-3 overall in this battle. With The Citadel's win, it is beginning to look like the South is in firm control of this race at this point.
Wofford (S) 57
Western Carolina (N) 67
Samford (N) 62
The Citadel (S) 73
at South
North- 0
South- 4
at North
North- 2
South- 2
Overall
North- 2
South- 6
ANALYSIS
Western Carolina's win over Wofford was a huge win for both the Catamounts and for the North. The Terriers have looked like they could be a legitimate contender for at least a South bye after their win over College of Charleston on Thursday, but the Catamounts were not really challenged by the Terriers on Saturday. Yes, they only won by ten, but they were really in control most of the night. As far as the match-up between Samford and The Citadel, the home team was able to jump out to a double digit lead early in the second half and never looked back. This was a big game for the North. This was a chance to cut the lead down to 5-3 overall in this battle. With The Citadel's win, it is beginning to look like the South is in firm control of this race at this point.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Appalachian State Preview: Continued Growth
The Mocs were a dominant force in the paint against Western Carolina, and despite the close nature of the game for most of the night, the Mocs outplayed, outhustled, and outmuscled the Catamounts for nearly the entire night.
Now, they face another challenge. This one in the form of Appalachian State. This challenge will be completely different.
Isaac Butts did not make the trip for the Mountaineers and is suspended for conduct detrimental to the team. This is huge for the Mocs, because Butts is the Mountaineers tallest player (outside Brian Okam, who is 7 feet tall, but plays just six minutes per game and has not played in a SoCon game yet).
But this does not mean that the Mountaineers do not have some capable players on the inside. Reigning SoCon Player of the Week Andre Williamson plays inside, and Nathan Healy, who came up with 14 points and three blocks off the bench on Thursday against Samford, also can contribute. Both are only 6-7, but both can make an impact inside.
Williamson is one of the leading shot blockers in the SoCon, with 1.7 blocks per game. He is also averaging 9.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. He will be an important part of the Mountaineers game plan in this game. The Mocs will need to find a way to keep him from changing or blocking too many shots on the inside. The same is true of Healy, who had those three blocks against Samford, but has just four blocks on the season.
This makes things slightly more difficult for the Mocs to dictate the game inside. However, this does not put a full damper on the strategy since Butts did not make the trip. The Mountaineers are much less imposing without Butts and his 5.8 rebounds per game. They outrebounded Samford without Butts, however Samford is one of the worst rebounding teams in the SoCon. This is a whole different beast against the Mocs, who are one of the top rebounding teams in the SoCon.
Appalachian State's biggest problems this year come when they turn the ball over too much. They rank last in the conference in turnover margin and have one of the worst assists to turnover ratio in the league. They turned the ball over 29 times in their first match-up with ETSU, and 22 times against East Carolina. That really hurts their offensive efficiency. They turned the ball over 19 times against Samford on Thursday night, and nearly lost a game where they shot 54% from the floor.
Omar Carter was the preseason SoCon Player of the Year. He has not lived up to the hype so far. Not that he has been terrible- he still leads the team in points per game (13.2), and is second in rebounds per game (5.9), while being second in assists per game (2.2). But he shooting under 32% from three point range and just 58% from the free throw line. He's had some really bad nights (scoring four or less on three occassions) but has been mostly pretty good.
To my untrained eyes, it appears that Carter is putting too much pressure on himself. With Donald Sims now gone, Carter is no longer the second option, but the first option, and that pressure seems to be hurting him a bit.
Jamaal Trice is the player that should be voted most likely to make six out of seven three pointers as the Mocs double team the post. He is shooting 45% from three point range, while averaging 10.8 points per game. Trice is a good shooter, and a dangerous one. He went 0 for 3 from behind the arc against Samford, so he is probably due to make up for that in this one. He is a transfer from Connecticut.
Appalachian State ranks 194th in the country in points per game, while ranking 165th in field goal percentage. They are not a great shooting team and are playing against the Mocs, a solid defensive team most of the time, though they did not play great against Western Carolina on Thursday night early in the game.
KEYS TO THE GAME
--Rebounding. The Mocs absolutely wiped the glass clean against Western Carolina. Expecting another performance like that would be unrealistic. The Mocs need to continue to show that kind of rebounding intensity to win this one against a slightly smaller Catamounts team.
--The Z-Men. What happens now? How do Drazen Zlovaric and Z Mason follow up that great showing against Western Carolina? Do they play equally well against Appalachian State? Can they slow down Williamson, and also still be effective inside against his defensive presence.
--Shot selection. The Mocs shot just 16 threes against Western Carolina on Thursday night. That is a really good number for the Mocs offense. They will probably need to take more against Appalachian State. They just need to make sure they are good ones in the flow of the offense. This means you Omar Wattad and Keegan Bell. (Bell did shoot a couple of very quick threes in the second half against Western on Thursday- but once he made one and started feeling it, I had no problem with the other two, just for the record.)
--Carter. Omar Carter seems like he is waiting to go off for 30 on somebody. He has not scored more than 24 this year. With just two games over 20 points, Carter, the leading returning scorer from the SoCon, has not scored as well this year. He's been relatively consistent- when he gets more than four points, he scores around 15. It's just what he's done all year. The Mocs need to make sure they hold him to a nice, normal 15 points.
--Controlling Trice. This guy can shoot the three ball very well. If the Mocs keep him in check, then that puts more pressure on everyone else. If Trice goes off, that puts added pressure on the rest of the Mocs.
--Hustle points. The Mocs won the hustle points Thursday night. They will need to do that again.
LEAD PIPE LOCK PREDICTIONS THAT ARE SURE TO GO WRONG
--Ricky Taylor scores about 15 points. He just keeps on doing it.
--Rico White and Dontay Hampton both put together more good basketball off the bench.
--Trice makes six threes for the Mountaineers.
--Carter scores more than four.
--Z Mason and Zlovaric score plenty against Williamson, showing off the paint, while Williamson comes up with at least three blocks.
--Mocs 72, Appalachian State 61. The Mocs rebounding will lead the way here. This is a game where I'd like to see the Mocs put some full court pressure on Appalachian State so that maybe the Mocs can force them into a number of turnovers up around 20, like ETSU, East Carolina, Samford, and others before them. If they do that, then they may win by more than this margin. Without Butts, Appalachian State does not have the size to match up with the Mocs. This game could be very different in Boone. Trice will be the main offensive weapon for the Mountaineers in this one, with Williamson and Carter chipping in most of the rest of the points.
GO MOCS!
Now, they face another challenge. This one in the form of Appalachian State. This challenge will be completely different.
Isaac Butts did not make the trip for the Mountaineers and is suspended for conduct detrimental to the team. This is huge for the Mocs, because Butts is the Mountaineers tallest player (outside Brian Okam, who is 7 feet tall, but plays just six minutes per game and has not played in a SoCon game yet).
But this does not mean that the Mountaineers do not have some capable players on the inside. Reigning SoCon Player of the Week Andre Williamson plays inside, and Nathan Healy, who came up with 14 points and three blocks off the bench on Thursday against Samford, also can contribute. Both are only 6-7, but both can make an impact inside.
Williamson is one of the leading shot blockers in the SoCon, with 1.7 blocks per game. He is also averaging 9.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. He will be an important part of the Mountaineers game plan in this game. The Mocs will need to find a way to keep him from changing or blocking too many shots on the inside. The same is true of Healy, who had those three blocks against Samford, but has just four blocks on the season.
This makes things slightly more difficult for the Mocs to dictate the game inside. However, this does not put a full damper on the strategy since Butts did not make the trip. The Mountaineers are much less imposing without Butts and his 5.8 rebounds per game. They outrebounded Samford without Butts, however Samford is one of the worst rebounding teams in the SoCon. This is a whole different beast against the Mocs, who are one of the top rebounding teams in the SoCon.
Appalachian State's biggest problems this year come when they turn the ball over too much. They rank last in the conference in turnover margin and have one of the worst assists to turnover ratio in the league. They turned the ball over 29 times in their first match-up with ETSU, and 22 times against East Carolina. That really hurts their offensive efficiency. They turned the ball over 19 times against Samford on Thursday night, and nearly lost a game where they shot 54% from the floor.
Omar Carter was the preseason SoCon Player of the Year. He has not lived up to the hype so far. Not that he has been terrible- he still leads the team in points per game (13.2), and is second in rebounds per game (5.9), while being second in assists per game (2.2). But he shooting under 32% from three point range and just 58% from the free throw line. He's had some really bad nights (scoring four or less on three occassions) but has been mostly pretty good.
To my untrained eyes, it appears that Carter is putting too much pressure on himself. With Donald Sims now gone, Carter is no longer the second option, but the first option, and that pressure seems to be hurting him a bit.
Jamaal Trice is the player that should be voted most likely to make six out of seven three pointers as the Mocs double team the post. He is shooting 45% from three point range, while averaging 10.8 points per game. Trice is a good shooter, and a dangerous one. He went 0 for 3 from behind the arc against Samford, so he is probably due to make up for that in this one. He is a transfer from Connecticut.
Appalachian State ranks 194th in the country in points per game, while ranking 165th in field goal percentage. They are not a great shooting team and are playing against the Mocs, a solid defensive team most of the time, though they did not play great against Western Carolina on Thursday night early in the game.
KEYS TO THE GAME
--Rebounding. The Mocs absolutely wiped the glass clean against Western Carolina. Expecting another performance like that would be unrealistic. The Mocs need to continue to show that kind of rebounding intensity to win this one against a slightly smaller Catamounts team.
--The Z-Men. What happens now? How do Drazen Zlovaric and Z Mason follow up that great showing against Western Carolina? Do they play equally well against Appalachian State? Can they slow down Williamson, and also still be effective inside against his defensive presence.
--Shot selection. The Mocs shot just 16 threes against Western Carolina on Thursday night. That is a really good number for the Mocs offense. They will probably need to take more against Appalachian State. They just need to make sure they are good ones in the flow of the offense. This means you Omar Wattad and Keegan Bell. (Bell did shoot a couple of very quick threes in the second half against Western on Thursday- but once he made one and started feeling it, I had no problem with the other two, just for the record.)
--Carter. Omar Carter seems like he is waiting to go off for 30 on somebody. He has not scored more than 24 this year. With just two games over 20 points, Carter, the leading returning scorer from the SoCon, has not scored as well this year. He's been relatively consistent- when he gets more than four points, he scores around 15. It's just what he's done all year. The Mocs need to make sure they hold him to a nice, normal 15 points.
--Controlling Trice. This guy can shoot the three ball very well. If the Mocs keep him in check, then that puts more pressure on everyone else. If Trice goes off, that puts added pressure on the rest of the Mocs.
--Hustle points. The Mocs won the hustle points Thursday night. They will need to do that again.
LEAD PIPE LOCK PREDICTIONS THAT ARE SURE TO GO WRONG
--Ricky Taylor scores about 15 points. He just keeps on doing it.
--Rico White and Dontay Hampton both put together more good basketball off the bench.
--Trice makes six threes for the Mountaineers.
--Carter scores more than four.
--Z Mason and Zlovaric score plenty against Williamson, showing off the paint, while Williamson comes up with at least three blocks.
--Mocs 72, Appalachian State 61. The Mocs rebounding will lead the way here. This is a game where I'd like to see the Mocs put some full court pressure on Appalachian State so that maybe the Mocs can force them into a number of turnovers up around 20, like ETSU, East Carolina, Samford, and others before them. If they do that, then they may win by more than this margin. Without Butts, Appalachian State does not have the size to match up with the Mocs. This game could be very different in Boone. Trice will be the main offensive weapon for the Mountaineers in this one, with Williamson and Carter chipping in most of the rest of the points.
GO MOCS!
Rankings- 1-6-12
RPI
1) Davidson 40
2) College of Charleston 63
3) Wofford 142
4) Elon 163
5) Western Carolina 189
6) Furman 235
7) Georgia Southern 241
8) Appalachian State 251
9) Chattanooga 286
10) UNC-Greensboro 299
11) Samford 315
12) The Citadel 328
SoCon Rank: 21
Sagarin
1) Davidson 64
2) College of Charleston 119
3) Wofford 176
4) Furman 207
5) Chattanooga 228
6) Georgia Southern 233
7) Western Carolina 236
8) Elon 246
9) Appalachian State 252
10) Samford 304
11) UNC-Greensboro 320
12) The Citadel 332
SoCon Rank: 24
Pomeroy
1) Davidson 75
2) College of Charleston 132
3) Wofford 182
4) Chattanooga 198
5) Furman 208
6) Western Carolina 234
7) Elon 240
8) Appalachian State 243
9) Georgia Southern 245
10) UNC-Greensboro 292
11) Samford 294
12) The Citadel 331
ANALYSIS
Davidson, College of Charleston, and Wofford are the top three in that order in all three ranking systems. That shows who are the three clear favorites at this point.
The most interesting development is that the SoCon has moved up to 21st in the conference rankings in the RPI. This is good news. It was not that long ago that the conference was suffering back in the low 20s. Now they are in the high 20s. The SoCon champ will certainly be helped by this development- if they can stay this high. An Elon win over Columbia on Sunday would certainly be useful to this. Any other non-conference win would be useful as well.
Next update: Wednesday, January 11, 2012.
1) Davidson 40
2) College of Charleston 63
3) Wofford 142
4) Elon 163
5) Western Carolina 189
6) Furman 235
7) Georgia Southern 241
8) Appalachian State 251
9) Chattanooga 286
10) UNC-Greensboro 299
11) Samford 315
12) The Citadel 328
SoCon Rank: 21
Sagarin
1) Davidson 64
2) College of Charleston 119
3) Wofford 176
4) Furman 207
5) Chattanooga 228
6) Georgia Southern 233
7) Western Carolina 236
8) Elon 246
9) Appalachian State 252
10) Samford 304
11) UNC-Greensboro 320
12) The Citadel 332
SoCon Rank: 24
Pomeroy
1) Davidson 75
2) College of Charleston 132
3) Wofford 182
4) Chattanooga 198
5) Furman 208
6) Western Carolina 234
7) Elon 240
8) Appalachian State 243
9) Georgia Southern 245
10) UNC-Greensboro 292
11) Samford 294
12) The Citadel 331
ANALYSIS
Davidson, College of Charleston, and Wofford are the top three in that order in all three ranking systems. That shows who are the three clear favorites at this point.
The most interesting development is that the SoCon has moved up to 21st in the conference rankings in the RPI. This is good news. It was not that long ago that the conference was suffering back in the low 20s. Now they are in the high 20s. The SoCon champ will certainly be helped by this development- if they can stay this high. An Elon win over Columbia on Sunday would certainly be useful to this. Any other non-conference win would be useful as well.
Next update: Wednesday, January 11, 2012.
SoCon Saturday Is Back....and Better than Ever!
The SoCon Saturday should be incredible this week. A day's worth of games that every game is worthy of attention. Five games- all of them super competitive. It should be a great Saturday- especially thanks to Georgia Southern's upset of Elon and College of Charleston's loss to Wofford.
Let's briefly look at each game.
College of Charleston at Furman
The Cougars are a great team. At least, I thought they were. Then losses to George Mason and Wofford happened in the last two games. Suddenly, I have to at least ask a few questions about how good the Cougars are. Furman is one of the better defenses in the SoCon. They do not have elite offensive production. They will struggle to keep up with the Cougars offense. However, with the game in Greenville, this game could be a problem for them. The Paladins will need to produce better on offense to win, but with the way Wofford performed against the Cougars on Thursday, I don't put it by them. A Furman win would make both teams 2-2 in SoCon play.
Georgia Southern at Davidson
The Eagles are unbeaten in SoCon play. The Wildcats are also unbeaten in SoCon play. They are the only two remaining unbeaten teams in SoCon play. People thought Davidson would be here. Few thought Georgia Southern would be here. They have athletes and have played very well so far. Davidson has to play smart to be able to win. They are not quite as athletic as many other teams, but they play smarter and harder than most other teams. Their dominante performance against UNCG on Thursday showed what they are capable of. This is the game on the SoCon Sports Network/ESPN3 at 3:00. Everyone should be watching.
Appalachian State at Chattanooga
Don't want to go into too much detail here, because there will be a full preview later on the Mocs-Mountaineers game. But let's just say that the Mountaineers are 2-1 in SoCon play and have a chance to jump into first in the North Division with a win and a Western Carolina loss. If the Mocs win, they would move to .500 in SoCon play and move ahead of Appalachian State (and possibly Western Carolina) based on tiebreakers. They were the top two teams in the SoCon North in the preseason predictions.
Wofford at Western Carolina
Western Carolina has been good at times this year. They are undersized on the inside, and were dominated on the boards by the Mocs on Thursday night. Now they return home, hoping to jump into first in the North with a win and an Appalachian State loss. But they will be playing a Wofford team that has suddenly turned into a team that looks like a world beater. Their dominating win over College of Charleston (that was closer than the score indicated) was very impressive and served notice that they were a contender to win their third straight SoCon Tournament title. The Terriers and Catamounts both need to win this game in their bye races. The Georgia Southern-Davidson game may be the better game on paper, but it's hard to imagine that game could be more interesting than this one. This should be a great game.
Samford at The Citadel
Both Bulldogs are winless in SoCon play. It's not like this game really matters to winning the division or anything, but these teams need to come up with a win just to get going in the right direction. Can Samford, who has only lost by a total of nine points in their two SoCon games, come through with a big win against The Citadel? This is interesting just because both teams need a win so badly. A loss by either team would really be devastating to the fan base of that team.
Let's briefly look at each game.
College of Charleston at Furman
The Cougars are a great team. At least, I thought they were. Then losses to George Mason and Wofford happened in the last two games. Suddenly, I have to at least ask a few questions about how good the Cougars are. Furman is one of the better defenses in the SoCon. They do not have elite offensive production. They will struggle to keep up with the Cougars offense. However, with the game in Greenville, this game could be a problem for them. The Paladins will need to produce better on offense to win, but with the way Wofford performed against the Cougars on Thursday, I don't put it by them. A Furman win would make both teams 2-2 in SoCon play.
Georgia Southern at Davidson
The Eagles are unbeaten in SoCon play. The Wildcats are also unbeaten in SoCon play. They are the only two remaining unbeaten teams in SoCon play. People thought Davidson would be here. Few thought Georgia Southern would be here. They have athletes and have played very well so far. Davidson has to play smart to be able to win. They are not quite as athletic as many other teams, but they play smarter and harder than most other teams. Their dominante performance against UNCG on Thursday showed what they are capable of. This is the game on the SoCon Sports Network/ESPN3 at 3:00. Everyone should be watching.
Appalachian State at Chattanooga
Don't want to go into too much detail here, because there will be a full preview later on the Mocs-Mountaineers game. But let's just say that the Mountaineers are 2-1 in SoCon play and have a chance to jump into first in the North Division with a win and a Western Carolina loss. If the Mocs win, they would move to .500 in SoCon play and move ahead of Appalachian State (and possibly Western Carolina) based on tiebreakers. They were the top two teams in the SoCon North in the preseason predictions.
Wofford at Western Carolina
Western Carolina has been good at times this year. They are undersized on the inside, and were dominated on the boards by the Mocs on Thursday night. Now they return home, hoping to jump into first in the North with a win and an Appalachian State loss. But they will be playing a Wofford team that has suddenly turned into a team that looks like a world beater. Their dominating win over College of Charleston (that was closer than the score indicated) was very impressive and served notice that they were a contender to win their third straight SoCon Tournament title. The Terriers and Catamounts both need to win this game in their bye races. The Georgia Southern-Davidson game may be the better game on paper, but it's hard to imagine that game could be more interesting than this one. This should be a great game.
Samford at The Citadel
Both Bulldogs are winless in SoCon play. It's not like this game really matters to winning the division or anything, but these teams need to come up with a win just to get going in the right direction. Can Samford, who has only lost by a total of nine points in their two SoCon games, come through with a big win against The Citadel? This is interesting just because both teams need a win so badly. A loss by either team would really be devastating to the fan base of that team.
Double Dribbles- 1-6-12
1) Two upsets changed the face of the early season conference standings dramatically on Thursday night. Georgia Southern's upset of Elon served notice of two things. First of all, the Eagles are a dangerous team in the SoCon South title race, despite what the general thought around the league was. Secondly, Elon's loss really opens the door in the North. The Phoenix were supposed to be the class of the North, but have been coming back to the pack in recent weeks, and now they look like they may have some real problems. They are tied with Appalachian State and Western Carolina for the division lead now. Wofford beat College of Charleston by 18 points. This serves notice that the Terriers can contend in the South as well. They are now 2-1, and ahead of Charleston in the South, and behind Georgia Southern and Davidson. Who would have guessed that Charleston would be fourth in the standings at any point this year? I'm really stunned by this turn of events. The Cougars obviously are not in real trouble yet. The Terriers are serving notice that they are a contender in the South after all.
2) It's also clear where the two bottom teams (at the moment) reside. The Citadel and UNC-Greensboro both were humbled in losses. Davidson beat the Spartans by 29 points. The Citadel lost to Furman by 32 points. While Samford is the other team popularly considered to struggle in conference play, they have lost two games in SoCon play by a total of nine points. The Bulldogs head to The Citadel this weekend in a key game for both teams trying to come up with a conference win. The Spartans are more mysterious at this point. I expected them to battle for a bye in the North in the preseason, and saw them turning it around in recent weeks, but the Wildcats were looking for revenge after what happened in the SoCon Tournament last spring. They did not let up. It was a thrashing. UNCG and The Citadel certainly appear to be at the bottom of the conference right now.
2) It's also clear where the two bottom teams (at the moment) reside. The Citadel and UNC-Greensboro both were humbled in losses. Davidson beat the Spartans by 29 points. The Citadel lost to Furman by 32 points. While Samford is the other team popularly considered to struggle in conference play, they have lost two games in SoCon play by a total of nine points. The Bulldogs head to The Citadel this weekend in a key game for both teams trying to come up with a conference win. The Spartans are more mysterious at this point. I expected them to battle for a bye in the North in the preseason, and saw them turning it around in recent weeks, but the Wildcats were looking for revenge after what happened in the SoCon Tournament last spring. They did not let up. It was a thrashing. UNCG and The Citadel certainly appear to be at the bottom of the conference right now.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Mocs 78, Western Carolina 62
FOUR FACTORS (plus two)
eFG%
Mocs- 52.5%
Western Carolina- 50.0%
Advantage- Mocs
TO%
Mocs- 18.9%
Western Carolina- 15.8%
Advantage- Western Carolina
OR%
Mocs- 52.6%
Western Carolina- 21.1%
Advantage- Mocs
FTRate
Mocs- 45.8%
Western Carolina- 13.3%
Advantage- Mocs
FT%
Mocs- 59.3%
Western Carolina- 25.0%
Advantage- Mocs
3PtRate
Mocs- 27.2%
Western Carolina- 58.3%
PLAYER RATER
Overall
1) Drazen Zlovaric 39.1
2) Keegan Bell 27.0
3) Ricky Taylor 23.9
4) Z Mason 19.2
5) Omar Wattad 18.0
6) Dontay Hampton 14.0
7) Jahmal Burroughs 9.3
8) Rico White 1.4
9) Jared Bryant -0.7
Per 40
1) Drazen Zlovaric 52.1
2) Dontay Hampton 50.9
3) Z Mason 33.3
4) Ricky Taylor 29.8
5) Keegan Bell 29.2
6) Omar Wattad 20.5
7) Jahmal Burroughs 19.6
8) Rico White 11.2
9) Jared Bryant -3.5
ANALYSIS
Anyone that wants to rip the Mocs for this performance would be missing the point. Yes, the Mocs trailed 60-58 before going on a 20-2 run to end it to win it going away. Yes, the Mocs allowed Western Carolina to shoot the ball too well, which has not been the Mocs problem most of the time this year. But the Catamounts were slowed down in the key stretch of the game.
No, the most telling stat is the rebound edge. The Mocs outrebounded Western Carolina 50-26. Think about that. The Mocs had 20 offensive rebounds. Western Carolina had 18 defensive rebounds. It is really unusual to see a rebounding stat that lopsided. The Mocs are a tremendous rebounding team when they put the energy and effort into the game.
It was that energy on the glass that has me assured, even when the Mocs were trailing. I simply could not imagine a situation where the Mocs lost the game when they were rebounding that well. When they put that kind of effort into rebounding, it is going to be tough for the Mocs to lose a game like that.
The Mocs also only turned the ball twelve times. That sort of protection of the ball combined with that kind of rebounding will lead to a lot of wins for the Mocs in SoCon play.
Possibly even better news for the Mocs is the play of Drazen Zlovaric, Z Mason, and Jahmal Burroughs. Burroughs wasn't brilliant but he was good enough. However, Mason and Zlovaric were great. Zlovaric scored 19 points, a team high, and had 12 rebounds. Mason had 9 and 9. The two were dominant players. This is the sort of effort I think the two can put forth every night in the SoCon play. They can dominate on the inside most of the teams in the SoCon.
This Mocs team has some real potential to be great. The inside play and the rebounding could really lead the Mocs to a lot of wins in the coming months of SoCon play.
GO MOCS!
eFG%
Mocs- 52.5%
Western Carolina- 50.0%
Advantage- Mocs
TO%
Mocs- 18.9%
Western Carolina- 15.8%
Advantage- Western Carolina
OR%
Mocs- 52.6%
Western Carolina- 21.1%
Advantage- Mocs
FTRate
Mocs- 45.8%
Western Carolina- 13.3%
Advantage- Mocs
FT%
Mocs- 59.3%
Western Carolina- 25.0%
Advantage- Mocs
3PtRate
Mocs- 27.2%
Western Carolina- 58.3%
PLAYER RATER
Overall
1) Drazen Zlovaric 39.1
2) Keegan Bell 27.0
3) Ricky Taylor 23.9
4) Z Mason 19.2
5) Omar Wattad 18.0
6) Dontay Hampton 14.0
7) Jahmal Burroughs 9.3
8) Rico White 1.4
9) Jared Bryant -0.7
Per 40
1) Drazen Zlovaric 52.1
2) Dontay Hampton 50.9
3) Z Mason 33.3
4) Ricky Taylor 29.8
5) Keegan Bell 29.2
6) Omar Wattad 20.5
7) Jahmal Burroughs 19.6
8) Rico White 11.2
9) Jared Bryant -3.5
ANALYSIS
Anyone that wants to rip the Mocs for this performance would be missing the point. Yes, the Mocs trailed 60-58 before going on a 20-2 run to end it to win it going away. Yes, the Mocs allowed Western Carolina to shoot the ball too well, which has not been the Mocs problem most of the time this year. But the Catamounts were slowed down in the key stretch of the game.
No, the most telling stat is the rebound edge. The Mocs outrebounded Western Carolina 50-26. Think about that. The Mocs had 20 offensive rebounds. Western Carolina had 18 defensive rebounds. It is really unusual to see a rebounding stat that lopsided. The Mocs are a tremendous rebounding team when they put the energy and effort into the game.
It was that energy on the glass that has me assured, even when the Mocs were trailing. I simply could not imagine a situation where the Mocs lost the game when they were rebounding that well. When they put that kind of effort into rebounding, it is going to be tough for the Mocs to lose a game like that.
The Mocs also only turned the ball twelve times. That sort of protection of the ball combined with that kind of rebounding will lead to a lot of wins for the Mocs in SoCon play.
Possibly even better news for the Mocs is the play of Drazen Zlovaric, Z Mason, and Jahmal Burroughs. Burroughs wasn't brilliant but he was good enough. However, Mason and Zlovaric were great. Zlovaric scored 19 points, a team high, and had 12 rebounds. Mason had 9 and 9. The two were dominant players. This is the sort of effort I think the two can put forth every night in the SoCon play. They can dominate on the inside most of the teams in the SoCon.
This Mocs team has some real potential to be great. The inside play and the rebounding could really lead the Mocs to a lot of wins in the coming months of SoCon play.
GO MOCS!
SoCon Monster Game of the Week- Appalachian State 68, Samford 63
Samford's Tyler Hood was held to four points, and that really slowed down the Bulldogs. Drew Windler lead the team with 15, and Jeffrey Merritt had 14.
The Mountaineers Omar Carter had 17 points and eight rebounds, showing that maybe he could still get into the SoCon Player of the Year race. Nathan Healy also scored 14 points and had eight rebounds off the bench.
The Mountaineers shot a stunning 54% from the field. Samford made just 26.1% of their three pointers. This is why Appalachian State won the game.
The Mountaineers turned the ball over 19 times. This is their biggest weakness. They turn the ball over too much. This could take Appalachian State down eventually in the SoCon North race. The good news for Appalachian State is now that they are 2-1 in the SoCon, and are now tied with Western Carolina and Elon for the division lead. They have a huge game in Chattanooga on Saturday.
Samford is 0-2 in SoCon play. They have lost two games by a total of nine points. They head to The Citadel on January 7, who is 0-4 in SoCon play. This is a huge opportunity for both Bulldogs to come up with a win in SoCon play. This might be the most important game for Samford. They really need to come up with a win on Saturday. They need to shoot better to have a shot to win consistently in SoCon play. The Mountaineers shot over 50% against them, and the Bulldogs still only lost by five. Their best offensive weapon in recent weeks was held to four points- and they lost by five. In some ways, this was not a bad showing by Samford.
The Mountaineers Omar Carter had 17 points and eight rebounds, showing that maybe he could still get into the SoCon Player of the Year race. Nathan Healy also scored 14 points and had eight rebounds off the bench.
The Mountaineers shot a stunning 54% from the field. Samford made just 26.1% of their three pointers. This is why Appalachian State won the game.
The Mountaineers turned the ball over 19 times. This is their biggest weakness. They turn the ball over too much. This could take Appalachian State down eventually in the SoCon North race. The good news for Appalachian State is now that they are 2-1 in the SoCon, and are now tied with Western Carolina and Elon for the division lead. They have a huge game in Chattanooga on Saturday.
Samford is 0-2 in SoCon play. They have lost two games by a total of nine points. They head to The Citadel on January 7, who is 0-4 in SoCon play. This is a huge opportunity for both Bulldogs to come up with a win in SoCon play. This might be the most important game for Samford. They really need to come up with a win on Saturday. They need to shoot better to have a shot to win consistently in SoCon play. The Mountaineers shot over 50% against them, and the Bulldogs still only lost by five. Their best offensive weapon in recent weeks was held to four points- and they lost by five. In some ways, this was not a bad showing by Samford.
Battle of North vs. South- 1-5-12
Thursday's Scores
Davidson (S) 92
UNC-Greensboro (N) 63
Georgia Southern (S) 69
Elon (N) 63
at North
North- 1
South- 2
at South
North- 0
South- 3
Overall
North- 1
South- 5
ANALYSIS
The first major things happened in the Battle of the North vs. South. Two road teams won for the South against the North. One was not unexpected. Davidson beating UNC-Greensboro by 29 points was not surprising. However, Georgia Southern's upset of Elon was. Elon had been the clear North favorite up until now. Georgia Southern was unbeaten in SoCon play, but most people believed that they had kind of played over themselves. The Eagles beat the Phoenix on the road. Elon may not be as good as people think. The North looks way more up for grabs now than it did about three weeks ago. More importantly for this post, the South looks more and more clearly like the better division. It has never been so clear. And who would have thought that at this point, College of Charleston would rank fourth in the South, which is where they find themselves in the standings tonight. This once again proves just how strong the South is.
Davidson (S) 92
UNC-Greensboro (N) 63
Georgia Southern (S) 69
Elon (N) 63
at North
North- 1
South- 2
at South
North- 0
South- 3
Overall
North- 1
South- 5
ANALYSIS
The first major things happened in the Battle of the North vs. South. Two road teams won for the South against the North. One was not unexpected. Davidson beating UNC-Greensboro by 29 points was not surprising. However, Georgia Southern's upset of Elon was. Elon had been the clear North favorite up until now. Georgia Southern was unbeaten in SoCon play, but most people believed that they had kind of played over themselves. The Eagles beat the Phoenix on the road. Elon may not be as good as people think. The North looks way more up for grabs now than it did about three weeks ago. More importantly for this post, the South looks more and more clearly like the better division. It has never been so clear. And who would have thought that at this point, College of Charleston would rank fourth in the South, which is where they find themselves in the standings tonight. This once again proves just how strong the South is.
Double Dribbles- 1-5-12
1) Davidson ranks third in the country in free throw percentage, shooting over 80% from the line. This is how the Wildcats will win so many of their close conference battles. When a team shoots over 80% from the free throw line, they are not going to blow a lot of late leads and they are going to win a lot of very close games. Not only are the Wildcats more talented and smarter than most teams in the league (not more athletic, but more talented), they are a better free throw shooting team than most. They are going to win plenty of games in SoCon games.
2) Speaking of free throw shooting, Nik Cochran of Davidson ranks first in the country in free throw shooting at 94.3%. Davidson's Jake Cohen ranks 3oth in the country in free throw shooting at 88%. Western Carolina's Trey Sumler is third in the country in free throw shooting at 94.2%. The SoCon has some of the country's best free throw shooters. Not the most exciting stat in the world, but one of the most important to consistently winning basketball games.
2) Speaking of free throw shooting, Nik Cochran of Davidson ranks first in the country in free throw shooting at 94.3%. Davidson's Jake Cohen ranks 3oth in the country in free throw shooting at 88%. Western Carolina's Trey Sumler is third in the country in free throw shooting at 94.2%. The SoCon has some of the country's best free throw shooters. Not the most exciting stat in the world, but one of the most important to consistently winning basketball games.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Western Carolina Preview: No Time Like the Present
The Mocs begin the biggest stretch of their season on Thursday night. They have a three game homestand against good teams, in Western Carolina, Appalachian State, and Wofford, before going to the road to take on UNC-Greensboro and Samford, the two teams most people expect to finish in the bottom two in the North Division of the SoCon. That means that there are five games that are winnable for the Mocs on the schedule. The problem for the Mocs is that they are 0-2 in the SoCon right now. A 2-3 stretch here would kill most of their chances for a bye. A 3-2 record would not help them much. A 4-1 would put the Mocs in solid contention for a bye while a 5-0 record would put the Mocs in strong position for winning the division or at least getting right into the race when they head to Elon for the first game after this stretch.
Five games- four of them against North teams. This is the time for the Mocs to get going. They have been playing much better as of late. But not showing up for any one of these games could prove very costly.
The Mocs rank 33rd int he country in rebounds per game, and are 29th in the country in assists per game. Keegan Bell ranks fourth in the country in assists per game with 7.0. Omar Wattad has been getting hotter and Ricky Taylor and he both are averaging 13.1 points per game. Drazen Zlovaric is averaging 7.0 rebounds per game.
Harouna Mutombo leads Western Carolina with 14.9 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per game. Mutombo could be on his way to being on the All SoCon team if he keeps this up. Trey Sumler is averaging 11.3 points per game, and is averaging 3.6 assists per game. He is averaging 4.9 rebounds per game, second on the team. Sumler is shooting 94% from the free throw line. His 3.6 assists per game are counter balanced by his 3.5 turnovers per game. Keaton Cole is shooting 41% from three point range. He is averaging 10.6 points per game. Brandon Boggs is averaging 11.2 points per game.
Western Carolina ranks eighth in the SoCon in rebounding margin, while the Mocs rank third in the conference. Western Carolina ranks first in turnover margin, while the Mocs rank second. Western Carolina ranks ninth in both field goal percentage and field goal percentage defense.
KEYS TO THE GAME
--Rebounding. The Mocs should have the rebounding edge in this one, but they need to make sure and not let that edge slip away like they have done against lesser rebounding teams each of the last two years.
--Mutombo. He is the active SoCon leader in points scored and steals, and ranks fourth in rebounding. He needs to have a big game for the Catamounts to win.
--Wattad's shooting. He has been getting warmer. His shot selection could play an important role in this game.
--Energy. The Mocs need to bring the energy that they have so often lacked in games this year. If they can bring the energy, then that will help them overcome whatever the Catamounts throw at them.
LEAD PIPE LOCK PREDICTIONS THAT ARE SURE TO GO WRONG
--Look for a lot of energy to come from Jared Bryant, Jahmal Burroughs and Z Mason and also from Drazen Zlovaric. The bigs for the Mocs will put a decent game together.
--Wattad will have an off shooting night. Just a gut feeling here.
--Mutombo and Sumler will have good games for the Catamounts.
--Mocs 74, Western Carolina 65. The Mocs are playing well, and bringing high energy to important games like this one. They are hungry to get a SoCon win. Keegan Bell will not let the Mocs lose this one. Bell is going to be the MVP of this game, and of many games in the future. He is going to purely will the Mocs to victory.
GO MOCS!
Five games- four of them against North teams. This is the time for the Mocs to get going. They have been playing much better as of late. But not showing up for any one of these games could prove very costly.
The Mocs rank 33rd int he country in rebounds per game, and are 29th in the country in assists per game. Keegan Bell ranks fourth in the country in assists per game with 7.0. Omar Wattad has been getting hotter and Ricky Taylor and he both are averaging 13.1 points per game. Drazen Zlovaric is averaging 7.0 rebounds per game.
Harouna Mutombo leads Western Carolina with 14.9 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per game. Mutombo could be on his way to being on the All SoCon team if he keeps this up. Trey Sumler is averaging 11.3 points per game, and is averaging 3.6 assists per game. He is averaging 4.9 rebounds per game, second on the team. Sumler is shooting 94% from the free throw line. His 3.6 assists per game are counter balanced by his 3.5 turnovers per game. Keaton Cole is shooting 41% from three point range. He is averaging 10.6 points per game. Brandon Boggs is averaging 11.2 points per game.
Western Carolina ranks eighth in the SoCon in rebounding margin, while the Mocs rank third in the conference. Western Carolina ranks first in turnover margin, while the Mocs rank second. Western Carolina ranks ninth in both field goal percentage and field goal percentage defense.
KEYS TO THE GAME
--Rebounding. The Mocs should have the rebounding edge in this one, but they need to make sure and not let that edge slip away like they have done against lesser rebounding teams each of the last two years.
--Mutombo. He is the active SoCon leader in points scored and steals, and ranks fourth in rebounding. He needs to have a big game for the Catamounts to win.
--Wattad's shooting. He has been getting warmer. His shot selection could play an important role in this game.
--Energy. The Mocs need to bring the energy that they have so often lacked in games this year. If they can bring the energy, then that will help them overcome whatever the Catamounts throw at them.
LEAD PIPE LOCK PREDICTIONS THAT ARE SURE TO GO WRONG
--Look for a lot of energy to come from Jared Bryant, Jahmal Burroughs and Z Mason and also from Drazen Zlovaric. The bigs for the Mocs will put a decent game together.
--Wattad will have an off shooting night. Just a gut feeling here.
--Mutombo and Sumler will have good games for the Catamounts.
--Mocs 74, Western Carolina 65. The Mocs are playing well, and bringing high energy to important games like this one. They are hungry to get a SoCon win. Keegan Bell will not let the Mocs lose this one. Bell is going to be the MVP of this game, and of many games in the future. He is going to purely will the Mocs to victory.
GO MOCS!
SoCon Monster Game of the Week Preview- Appalachian State at Samford
Samford hung around with Maryland in their last outing, concluding their run of three consecutive losses. However, Maryland and Kentucky (which made up two of the three losses) are nothing to sneeze at. The Bulldogs are not playing too poorly.
They are only 0-1 in SoCon play and still have a shot at getting into the bye race in the North. Plenty of Samford fans are hoping for this.
The offense has been faster paced than in years past. They are averaging about five points per game more than they did last year. Tyler Hood is averaging a team high 13.6 points per game since he was inserted into the starting lineup about a month ago. The freshman is also averaging 4.9 rebounds per game during that span, also a team high. Hood has been a real impact freshman.
Jeffrey Merritt leads the team in minutes played and rebounds. He is playing in just over 31 minutes per game, while averaging 8.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per contest. He also is second on the team in assists with 2.8 per game.
There are seven Bulldogs averaging at least two three point attempts per game. This is a team that likes to take a bunch of threes. They are making 35.3% of there three pointers, which is not a particulalry high percentage. yet nearly 49% of their shots are threes.
Appalachian State is relies on preseason SoCon Player of the Year, Omar Carter. He leads the team in scoring with 12.8 points per game. He is second on the team in rebounding with 5.8 rebounds per contest. But Carter has been struggling from three point range- he is shooting 29.3% from three point range. He is shooting just 43.1% from the field, and 58.8% from the free throw line. In other words, he has been a disappointment. The Mountaineers were counting on much more from him.
Fortunately for the Mountaineers, Jamaal Trice has stepped up. Trice is averaging 11.5 points per game. He is shooting 47.4% from three point range. Andre Williamson, the reigning SoCon Player of the Week, has also been playing well. Williamson is third on the team with 9.8 points per game, and 6.9 rebounds per game, and is the second leading shot blocker in the SoCon with 1.8 blocks per game. He is shooting 56% from the field.
Isaac Butts is also back after being injured last year. He is only playing 24 minutes per game and is second on the team in rebounds with 5.8 per game. He is also averaging 7.2 points per game.
KEYS TO THE GAME
--Appalachian State and Samford both are not particularly good rebounding teams, though the Mountaineers have a slight edge here. Appy will need to maintain the rebounding edge over the Bulldogs.
--Home court advantage. The Bulldogs have a chance to have a nice home court advantage in this game. They need to capitalize on this and keep the crowd in the game by jumping out to an early lead.
--Falling shots. The Bulldogs need to get the threes to fall to stay in this game. Not a great shooting team normally, they need to keep on shooting well.
LEAD PIPE LOCK PREDICTIONS THAT ARE SURE TO GO WRONG
--Samford will knock down shots. Not a ton of them, but more than enough to keep them in the game.
--Carter will score in double digits- meaning he won't score four as he has done three times this year, or two, which he finished with in one game.
--Appalachian State 73, Samford 72. Call it a gut feeling that the Bulldogs hang around in this one. The Mountaineers have lost five out of six, including a 30 point dismantling at the hands of Miami in their last game. Samford can win this game at home. The game means more to the Bulldogs, who need to get some positive momentum going and win some home games. But in the end, the talent level is much higher at Appalachian State, and they find a way to come up with a win.
They are only 0-1 in SoCon play and still have a shot at getting into the bye race in the North. Plenty of Samford fans are hoping for this.
The offense has been faster paced than in years past. They are averaging about five points per game more than they did last year. Tyler Hood is averaging a team high 13.6 points per game since he was inserted into the starting lineup about a month ago. The freshman is also averaging 4.9 rebounds per game during that span, also a team high. Hood has been a real impact freshman.
Jeffrey Merritt leads the team in minutes played and rebounds. He is playing in just over 31 minutes per game, while averaging 8.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per contest. He also is second on the team in assists with 2.8 per game.
There are seven Bulldogs averaging at least two three point attempts per game. This is a team that likes to take a bunch of threes. They are making 35.3% of there three pointers, which is not a particulalry high percentage. yet nearly 49% of their shots are threes.
Appalachian State is relies on preseason SoCon Player of the Year, Omar Carter. He leads the team in scoring with 12.8 points per game. He is second on the team in rebounding with 5.8 rebounds per contest. But Carter has been struggling from three point range- he is shooting 29.3% from three point range. He is shooting just 43.1% from the field, and 58.8% from the free throw line. In other words, he has been a disappointment. The Mountaineers were counting on much more from him.
Fortunately for the Mountaineers, Jamaal Trice has stepped up. Trice is averaging 11.5 points per game. He is shooting 47.4% from three point range. Andre Williamson, the reigning SoCon Player of the Week, has also been playing well. Williamson is third on the team with 9.8 points per game, and 6.9 rebounds per game, and is the second leading shot blocker in the SoCon with 1.8 blocks per game. He is shooting 56% from the field.
Isaac Butts is also back after being injured last year. He is only playing 24 minutes per game and is second on the team in rebounds with 5.8 per game. He is also averaging 7.2 points per game.
KEYS TO THE GAME
--Appalachian State and Samford both are not particularly good rebounding teams, though the Mountaineers have a slight edge here. Appy will need to maintain the rebounding edge over the Bulldogs.
--Home court advantage. The Bulldogs have a chance to have a nice home court advantage in this game. They need to capitalize on this and keep the crowd in the game by jumping out to an early lead.
--Falling shots. The Bulldogs need to get the threes to fall to stay in this game. Not a great shooting team normally, they need to keep on shooting well.
LEAD PIPE LOCK PREDICTIONS THAT ARE SURE TO GO WRONG
--Samford will knock down shots. Not a ton of them, but more than enough to keep them in the game.
--Carter will score in double digits- meaning he won't score four as he has done three times this year, or two, which he finished with in one game.
--Appalachian State 73, Samford 72. Call it a gut feeling that the Bulldogs hang around in this one. The Mountaineers have lost five out of six, including a 30 point dismantling at the hands of Miami in their last game. Samford can win this game at home. The game means more to the Bulldogs, who need to get some positive momentum going and win some home games. But in the end, the talent level is much higher at Appalachian State, and they find a way to come up with a win.
Rankings- 1-4-12
RPI
1) Davidson 32
2) College of Charleston 59
3) Elon 114
4) Western Carolina 157
5) Wofford 179
6) Furman 220
7) Appalachian State 275
8) Georgia Southern 289
9) UNC-Greensboro 294
10) Chattanooga 302
11) Samford 309
12) The Citadel 321
SoCon Rank: 22
Sagarin
1) Davidson 73
2) College of Charleston 101
3) Wofford 194
4) Elon 208
5) Western Carolina 210
6) Furman 225
7) Chattanooga 249
8) Appalachian State 263
9) Georgia Southern 265
10) Samford 300
11) UNC-Greensboro 323
12) The Citadel 329
SoCon Rank: 25
Pomeroy
1) Davidson 87
2) College of Charleston 120
3) Wofford 209
4) Chattanooga 212
5) Western Carolina 218
6) Elon 229
7) Furman 233
8) Appalachian State 246
9) Georgia Southern 259
10) UNC-Greensboro 282
11) Samford 294
12) The Citadel 323
ANALYSIS
Things are shaken up a little bit after Chattanooga's performance last week in the Dr Pepper Classic. They jumped up to number four in Pomeroy's rankings, to become the first team to crack the top six in several weeks. Appalachian State had been number seven in all the rankings as well. In the Sagarin rankings, the Mocs have moved ahead of the Mountaineers into the seven spot as well. The RPI is the lone holdout on the Mocs at this point keeping them at number ten.
The SoCon is ranked 22nd in the RPI rankings, which is a big improvement. The SoCon is moving up little by little. The conference is not exactly highly regarded, but if they can hang around number twenty, then that will be good for the SoCon, and the potential SoCon champ.
It's pretty clear that Wofford is moving up to number three and that Elon's claim on the third spot is rapidly weakening. The Terriers upset win over Wake Forest has established that Wofford is going to be a threat to win their third straight tournament title. Davidson and College of Charleston have clearly established themselves as the top two teams.
Western Carolina and Furman are not bad teams either and are making some moves. Things are really getting interesting in these rankings. This weekend with two sets of SoCon games will only lead to more drastic changes.
Next update: Friday.
1) Davidson 32
2) College of Charleston 59
3) Elon 114
4) Western Carolina 157
5) Wofford 179
6) Furman 220
7) Appalachian State 275
8) Georgia Southern 289
9) UNC-Greensboro 294
10) Chattanooga 302
11) Samford 309
12) The Citadel 321
SoCon Rank: 22
Sagarin
1) Davidson 73
2) College of Charleston 101
3) Wofford 194
4) Elon 208
5) Western Carolina 210
6) Furman 225
7) Chattanooga 249
8) Appalachian State 263
9) Georgia Southern 265
10) Samford 300
11) UNC-Greensboro 323
12) The Citadel 329
SoCon Rank: 25
Pomeroy
1) Davidson 87
2) College of Charleston 120
3) Wofford 209
4) Chattanooga 212
5) Western Carolina 218
6) Elon 229
7) Furman 233
8) Appalachian State 246
9) Georgia Southern 259
10) UNC-Greensboro 282
11) Samford 294
12) The Citadel 323
ANALYSIS
Things are shaken up a little bit after Chattanooga's performance last week in the Dr Pepper Classic. They jumped up to number four in Pomeroy's rankings, to become the first team to crack the top six in several weeks. Appalachian State had been number seven in all the rankings as well. In the Sagarin rankings, the Mocs have moved ahead of the Mountaineers into the seven spot as well. The RPI is the lone holdout on the Mocs at this point keeping them at number ten.
The SoCon is ranked 22nd in the RPI rankings, which is a big improvement. The SoCon is moving up little by little. The conference is not exactly highly regarded, but if they can hang around number twenty, then that will be good for the SoCon, and the potential SoCon champ.
It's pretty clear that Wofford is moving up to number three and that Elon's claim on the third spot is rapidly weakening. The Terriers upset win over Wake Forest has established that Wofford is going to be a threat to win their third straight tournament title. Davidson and College of Charleston have clearly established themselves as the top two teams.
Western Carolina and Furman are not bad teams either and are making some moves. Things are really getting interesting in these rankings. This weekend with two sets of SoCon games will only lead to more drastic changes.
Next update: Friday.
Double Dribbles- 1-4-12
1) The SoCon Player of the Week was named on Tuesday, and Andre Williamson from Appalachian State came away with the award. He averaged 17.5 points per game and 6.0 rebounds per game during the week. He is tied for the league lead in blocked shots at the moment with 1.8 blocked shots per game and is fifth in the league in rebounding. He had a nice week for the Mountaineers. He needs to have a big week for the Mountaineers to contend in the North. At 1-1 in SoCon play, Williamson will need to have a big weekend against Samford and Chattanooga for the Mountaineers to stay in the race.
2) Mike Groselle of The Citadel leads the SoCon with eight double-doubles so far this year. This is really a remarkable stat. Trent Wiedeman is second in the league in double-doubles. The Charleston big man has three on the year, far behind Groselle's eight. Groselle gets a little lost on the Bulldogs since The Citadel has been near the bottom of the SoCon all year, but he deserves to be on plenty of All SoCon teams if he keeps up the pace to the end of the year.
2) Mike Groselle of The Citadel leads the SoCon with eight double-doubles so far this year. This is really a remarkable stat. Trent Wiedeman is second in the league in double-doubles. The Charleston big man has three on the year, far behind Groselle's eight. Groselle gets a little lost on the Bulldogs since The Citadel has been near the bottom of the SoCon all year, but he deserves to be on plenty of All SoCon teams if he keeps up the pace to the end of the year.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Consistency, Part II
Something that I said preseason was that the Mocs desperately needed to find some consistently and just play consistently well.
Well, the season is nearly two months old. And the Mocs still have not found the level of consistency necessary.
That being said, the Mocs are starting to find small hints of consistency. They played well during much of December, with a hiccup against Mercer the only thing separating a relatively consistent month from the College of Charleston game all the way through the Dr Pepper Classic. The Mocs played decent basketball in every game outside of the Mercer game during December.
The Tennessee game was a bit of a disappointment. The Mocs did not come out and play with the intensity or the consistent effort that was needed to make the Mocs the victors on Monday night. They simply did not do that.
It's time to start showing that consistency. There is a lot of frustration here for the Mocs. The SoCon schedule kicks off Thursday. Honestly, the 0-2 SoCon start makes it very difficult to accomplish several of the preseason goals- like winning the SoCon regular season title or even winning the North title. To get back into the race for a bye in the SoCon Tournament, the consistent solid play needs to start on Thursday night.
It's time for the leadership to step up and show the consistency that this team desperately needs and that the fans are longing for.
GO MOCS!
Well, the season is nearly two months old. And the Mocs still have not found the level of consistency necessary.
That being said, the Mocs are starting to find small hints of consistency. They played well during much of December, with a hiccup against Mercer the only thing separating a relatively consistent month from the College of Charleston game all the way through the Dr Pepper Classic. The Mocs played decent basketball in every game outside of the Mercer game during December.
The Tennessee game was a bit of a disappointment. The Mocs did not come out and play with the intensity or the consistent effort that was needed to make the Mocs the victors on Monday night. They simply did not do that.
It's time to start showing that consistency. There is a lot of frustration here for the Mocs. The SoCon schedule kicks off Thursday. Honestly, the 0-2 SoCon start makes it very difficult to accomplish several of the preseason goals- like winning the SoCon regular season title or even winning the North title. To get back into the race for a bye in the SoCon Tournament, the consistent solid play needs to start on Thursday night.
It's time for the leadership to step up and show the consistency that this team desperately needs and that the fans are longing for.
GO MOCS!
Double Dribbles- 1-3-12
1) It was a decent night for the SoCon last night. Chattanooga and UNC-Greensboro hung close against Tennessee and Miami, while Wofford beat Wake Forest. Both The Citadel and Georgia Southern hammered their non-D1 opponents. All in all, no complaints about the night from a SoCon perspective. It would have been nice to come up with another win. What does this mean? That the North may be a five team race after all, with the Spartans sneaking into the mix with the other four, and the South number three is getting closer and closer to belonging to the Terriers.
2) With SoCon play kicking off again on Thursday, now is as good of a time as any to look at where things are. Chattanooga has a huge weekend, playing Western Carolina and Appalachian State. Those teams were the preseason favorites in the North. If the Mocs want to get into the race in the North, they need to win both of these games against teams that are a combined 3-1 in SoCon play so far. UNCG is 0-3 in the North, and hosts Davidson. They absolutely need to win if they want to get into the bye race. Furman hosts The Citadel and College of Charleston. The Paladins are 0-2 in SoCon play so far. Georgia Southern is 2-0 in SoCon play, and they travel to Elon and Davidson, who are a combined 4-0 in SoCon play. This is a weekend that the Eagles can really prove themselves. These are the teams with the most to prove this weekend in SoCon play.
2) With SoCon play kicking off again on Thursday, now is as good of a time as any to look at where things are. Chattanooga has a huge weekend, playing Western Carolina and Appalachian State. Those teams were the preseason favorites in the North. If the Mocs want to get into the race in the North, they need to win both of these games against teams that are a combined 3-1 in SoCon play so far. UNCG is 0-3 in the North, and hosts Davidson. They absolutely need to win if they want to get into the bye race. Furman hosts The Citadel and College of Charleston. The Paladins are 0-2 in SoCon play so far. Georgia Southern is 2-0 in SoCon play, and they travel to Elon and Davidson, who are a combined 4-0 in SoCon play. This is a weekend that the Eagles can really prove themselves. These are the teams with the most to prove this weekend in SoCon play.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Tennessee 76, Mocs 63
FOUR FACTORS (plus two)
eFG%
Mocs- 44.6%
Tennessee- 49.3%
Advantage- Tennessee
TO%
Mocs- 17.2%
Tennessee- 14.4%
Advantage- Tennessee
OR%
Mocs- 18.0%
Tennessee- 30.2%
Advantage- Tennessee
FTRate
Mocs- 40.0%
Tennessee- 20.6%
Advantage- Mocs
FT%
Mocs- 63.6%
Tennessee- 64.3%
Advantage- Tennessee
3PtRate
Mocs- 47.3%
Tennessee- 57.4%
PLAYER RATER
Overall
1) Ricky Taylor 25.6
2) Omar Wattad 23.5
3) Keegan Bell 22.1
4) Drazen Zlovaric 17.8
5) Rico White 6.4
6) Z Mason 2.7
7) Jahmal Burroughs 1.2
8) Lance Stokes 0.0
9) Jared Bryant -1.1
10) Dontay Hampton -2.3
Per 40
1) Omar Wattad 33.6
2) Ricky Taylor 30.1
3) Keegan Bell 23.2
4) Drazen Zlovaric 19.7
5) Rico White 18.3
6) Z Mason 6.0
7) Jahmal Burroughs 2.2
8) Lance Stokes 0.0
9) Dontay Hampton -13.1
10) Jared Bryant -14.7
ANALYSIS
The Mocs hung around nearly all night long. They fell behind early 7-0, but then came back to take a seven point lead later in the first half, before falling behind by twelve at the half. The Mocs were in the game the entire second half, but could not pull off the upset.
The biggest flaws for the Mocs were two areas that do not look too bad on paper. The Mocs only turned the ball over twelve times, and gave up thirteen offensive rebounds and was outrebounded by eight. Neither of those are terrible stats. However, it seemed like at critical moments throughout the second half, the Mocs turned the ball over or gave up a key offensive rebound.
The Mocs did not have a perfect game by any means, whereas the Vols played very well. They looked about as good as they have in recent weeks. They made thirteen three pointers. That is a bunch of threes, and the Mocs did not have an answer to that. Trae Golden scored 29, while Skylar McBee scored 16. They combined to shoot 9 of 20 from three point range as well.
Honestly, only four guys for the Mocs really played well tonight. They were Keegan Bell, Omar Wattad, Drazen Zlovaric, and Ricky Taylor. Jahmal Burroughs was OK, but Dontay Hampton, Lance Stokes, Rico White, Jared Bryant, and Z Mason all were not at their best tonight.
In some ways, that's comforting. The Mocs were not playing their best basketball, Tennessee was playing well, and the Mocs still hung around the entire night.
It's important to remember that College of Charleston beat Tennessee at home in a reasonably close game in a game that the Cougars clearly brought everything they had, as evidenced by how the team reacted when they won. Tennessee is not a great team, but they are an OK team.
The Mocs really are in must win mode for the next three home games against Western Carolina, Appalachian State, and Wofford. This is a massively huge next week and a half for the Mocs. They are still not where they need to be, but if they can come up with wins in their next three SoCon games, the Mocs can get right back into good shape.
GO MOCS!
eFG%
Mocs- 44.6%
Tennessee- 49.3%
Advantage- Tennessee
TO%
Mocs- 17.2%
Tennessee- 14.4%
Advantage- Tennessee
OR%
Mocs- 18.0%
Tennessee- 30.2%
Advantage- Tennessee
FTRate
Mocs- 40.0%
Tennessee- 20.6%
Advantage- Mocs
FT%
Mocs- 63.6%
Tennessee- 64.3%
Advantage- Tennessee
3PtRate
Mocs- 47.3%
Tennessee- 57.4%
PLAYER RATER
Overall
1) Ricky Taylor 25.6
2) Omar Wattad 23.5
3) Keegan Bell 22.1
4) Drazen Zlovaric 17.8
5) Rico White 6.4
6) Z Mason 2.7
7) Jahmal Burroughs 1.2
8) Lance Stokes 0.0
9) Jared Bryant -1.1
10) Dontay Hampton -2.3
Per 40
1) Omar Wattad 33.6
2) Ricky Taylor 30.1
3) Keegan Bell 23.2
4) Drazen Zlovaric 19.7
5) Rico White 18.3
6) Z Mason 6.0
7) Jahmal Burroughs 2.2
8) Lance Stokes 0.0
9) Dontay Hampton -13.1
10) Jared Bryant -14.7
ANALYSIS
The Mocs hung around nearly all night long. They fell behind early 7-0, but then came back to take a seven point lead later in the first half, before falling behind by twelve at the half. The Mocs were in the game the entire second half, but could not pull off the upset.
The biggest flaws for the Mocs were two areas that do not look too bad on paper. The Mocs only turned the ball over twelve times, and gave up thirteen offensive rebounds and was outrebounded by eight. Neither of those are terrible stats. However, it seemed like at critical moments throughout the second half, the Mocs turned the ball over or gave up a key offensive rebound.
The Mocs did not have a perfect game by any means, whereas the Vols played very well. They looked about as good as they have in recent weeks. They made thirteen three pointers. That is a bunch of threes, and the Mocs did not have an answer to that. Trae Golden scored 29, while Skylar McBee scored 16. They combined to shoot 9 of 20 from three point range as well.
Honestly, only four guys for the Mocs really played well tonight. They were Keegan Bell, Omar Wattad, Drazen Zlovaric, and Ricky Taylor. Jahmal Burroughs was OK, but Dontay Hampton, Lance Stokes, Rico White, Jared Bryant, and Z Mason all were not at their best tonight.
In some ways, that's comforting. The Mocs were not playing their best basketball, Tennessee was playing well, and the Mocs still hung around the entire night.
It's important to remember that College of Charleston beat Tennessee at home in a reasonably close game in a game that the Cougars clearly brought everything they had, as evidenced by how the team reacted when they won. Tennessee is not a great team, but they are an OK team.
The Mocs really are in must win mode for the next three home games against Western Carolina, Appalachian State, and Wofford. This is a massively huge next week and a half for the Mocs. They are still not where they need to be, but if they can come up with wins in their next three SoCon games, the Mocs can get right back into good shape.
GO MOCS!
Scanning the Socon- Week Nine
It may be a day late, but as we prepare for SoCon play to start in earnest, the Scanning the SoCon features should become only more interesting.
DavidsonCats- Davidson Wildcat fan.
MocsMania- Chattanooga Mocs fan.
TheSportsArsenal- The Ciatdel Bulldogs fan.
UNCGBasketballFan- UNC-Greensboro Spartans fan.
SCHEDULE
Monday, January 2
Chattanooga at Tennessee (SportSouth/ESPN3)
Wofford at Wake Forest (Fox SportSouth/ESPN3)
Virginia Wise at The Citadel
Brewton Parker at Georgia Southern
UNCG at Miami, FL (Fox SportSouth/ESPN3)
Thursday, January 5
The Citadel at Furman
Georgia Southern at Elon
Davidson at UNCG
College of Charleston at Wofford (ESPN3)
Western Carolina at Chattanooga
Appalachian State at Samford
Saturday, January 7
College of Charleston at Furman
Georgia Southern at Davidson (SoCon Sports Network/ESPN3)
Wofford at Western Carolina
Appalachian State at Chattanooga
Samford at The Citadel
POWER RANKINGS
1) Davidson 48 (4)
2) College of Charleston 44
3) Elon 39
4) Western Carolina 36
5) Wofford 33
6t) Appalachian State 24
6t) Chattanooga 24
8) Furman 21
9) Georgia Southern 19
10) UNC-Greensboro 9
11) Samford 8
12) The Citadel 7
QUESTIONS
Sum up your team.
DavidsonCats- The Wildcats enter 2012 at 8-4 and 2-0 in the conference. In the next 9 weeks we have 16 conference games and the Bracket Buster game. There is plenty of room for improvement, but most of the fans are very pleased with the results so far. Home attendance has been good and there is good enthusiasm in the fan base for some of the upcoming road games. We've seen some really inconsistent performances from some players (like Jake following a 0 point UNCW game with 26 at Wofford, De'Mon following 24 against Vandy with 3 at Charlotte, and Chris following 0 at UMass with 23 against Penn). Some of that is linked to foul trouble. Some of it avoids explanation. Free throw shooting has been a pleasant surprise for the team so far, with the team shooting right at 80% for the year. It has been a fun season so far and holds lots of promise.
MocsMania- The Mocs finally got their act together this week. They dominated Longwood and Utah Valley to win the Dr Pepper Classic. Sure, those are not great teams, but the Mocs dominating performances really showed a lot. They now lead the league in margin of victory per game, although their easier schedule plays a role in that. The Mocs are starting to look like a team that has a chance to get things done in the SoCon. The next four games are huge for the Mocs, with Western Carolina, Appalachian State, and Wofford all at home, while a trip to Tennessee comes first.
TheSportsArsenal- The Citadel lost badly to Tennessee this week, despite 21 points and 8 rebounds from Mike Groselle. The Bulldogs continue to struggle, although against the Vols the offensive side of the court wasn't much better. Next up for The Citadel is UVA-Wise, an NAIA school. The Bulldogs need to win that matchup before resuming the SoCon schedule with a game at Furman and a home contest against Samford.
What game are you looking forward to this week that your team is not involved in?
DavidsonCats- I want to see how GSU does against Elon. GSU is historically terrible on the road and they play at Davidson just two days after playing the Phoenix.
MocsMania- College of Charleston at Wofford. If the Terriers are going to contend in the South race this year, they need to come up with a win over the Cougars at home. If they do that, they can absolutely contend in the South. Not sure if they are quite ready to do that. The Cougars have been a little up and down too. They need to come out and show why they are the co-favorites to win the South with a solid road performance against the reigning champs.
TheSportsArsenal- College of Charleston-Wofford is probably the most interesting league matchup next week. It will be interesting to see how the Cougars respond to losing at home to George Mason.
UNCGBasketballFan- I'm interested to see the outcomes of both of the games at Chattanooga this week. Those 2 games will go a long way towards settling which team is going to challange for a bye in the North.
DavidsonCats- Davidson Wildcat fan.
MocsMania- Chattanooga Mocs fan.
TheSportsArsenal- The Ciatdel Bulldogs fan.
UNCGBasketballFan- UNC-Greensboro Spartans fan.
SCHEDULE
Monday, January 2
Chattanooga at Tennessee (SportSouth/ESPN3)
Wofford at Wake Forest (Fox SportSouth/ESPN3)
Virginia Wise at The Citadel
Brewton Parker at Georgia Southern
UNCG at Miami, FL (Fox SportSouth/ESPN3)
Thursday, January 5
The Citadel at Furman
Georgia Southern at Elon
Davidson at UNCG
College of Charleston at Wofford (ESPN3)
Western Carolina at Chattanooga
Appalachian State at Samford
Saturday, January 7
College of Charleston at Furman
Georgia Southern at Davidson (SoCon Sports Network/ESPN3)
Wofford at Western Carolina
Appalachian State at Chattanooga
Samford at The Citadel
POWER RANKINGS
1) Davidson 48 (4)
2) College of Charleston 44
3) Elon 39
4) Western Carolina 36
5) Wofford 33
6t) Appalachian State 24
6t) Chattanooga 24
8) Furman 21
9) Georgia Southern 19
10) UNC-Greensboro 9
11) Samford 8
12) The Citadel 7
QUESTIONS
Sum up your team.
DavidsonCats- The Wildcats enter 2012 at 8-4 and 2-0 in the conference. In the next 9 weeks we have 16 conference games and the Bracket Buster game. There is plenty of room for improvement, but most of the fans are very pleased with the results so far. Home attendance has been good and there is good enthusiasm in the fan base for some of the upcoming road games. We've seen some really inconsistent performances from some players (like Jake following a 0 point UNCW game with 26 at Wofford, De'Mon following 24 against Vandy with 3 at Charlotte, and Chris following 0 at UMass with 23 against Penn). Some of that is linked to foul trouble. Some of it avoids explanation. Free throw shooting has been a pleasant surprise for the team so far, with the team shooting right at 80% for the year. It has been a fun season so far and holds lots of promise.
MocsMania- The Mocs finally got their act together this week. They dominated Longwood and Utah Valley to win the Dr Pepper Classic. Sure, those are not great teams, but the Mocs dominating performances really showed a lot. They now lead the league in margin of victory per game, although their easier schedule plays a role in that. The Mocs are starting to look like a team that has a chance to get things done in the SoCon. The next four games are huge for the Mocs, with Western Carolina, Appalachian State, and Wofford all at home, while a trip to Tennessee comes first.
TheSportsArsenal- The Citadel lost badly to Tennessee this week, despite 21 points and 8 rebounds from Mike Groselle. The Bulldogs continue to struggle, although against the Vols the offensive side of the court wasn't much better. Next up for The Citadel is UVA-Wise, an NAIA school. The Bulldogs need to win that matchup before resuming the SoCon schedule with a game at Furman and a home contest against Samford.
UNCGBasketballFan- Just one Spartan game this past week. The team played at a tough Richmond team and again played a solid 30+ minutes. However, in what is really turning into the story of the season, UNCG went through another late game swoon and lost by 20. The schedule doesn't really get any better for UNCG as they have a quick turnaround and play at Miami tonight and then host Davidson on Thursday. Trevis Simpson is really making a solid push to be all conference. Unfortunately, he really needs some scoring help.
What game are you looking forward to this week that your team is not involved in?
DavidsonCats- I want to see how GSU does against Elon. GSU is historically terrible on the road and they play at Davidson just two days after playing the Phoenix.
MocsMania- College of Charleston at Wofford. If the Terriers are going to contend in the South race this year, they need to come up with a win over the Cougars at home. If they do that, they can absolutely contend in the South. Not sure if they are quite ready to do that. The Cougars have been a little up and down too. They need to come out and show why they are the co-favorites to win the South with a solid road performance against the reigning champs.
TheSportsArsenal- College of Charleston-Wofford is probably the most interesting league matchup next week. It will be interesting to see how the Cougars respond to losing at home to George Mason.
What do you think the standings in the SoCon North will be at the end of the year?
DavidsonCats- I expect Samford to finish 6th, UNCG 5th, WCU 4th, Chattanooga 3rd, Elon 2nd, and ASU 1st. I really like Elon, but I don't think they'll win the division this year. Maybe next year. ASU and Chattanooga have too much talent to keep performing so poorly. I like WCU's guards, but they are weak in the middle. If their freshman big guy becomes eligible, they could finish higher. I was pretty high on UNCG before the season. They took 2 of 3 from the Wildcats last year and only lost 1 guy. I thought they'd be pretty good. They have talent. I don't see much hope for Samford this year.
MocsMania- The North is anybody's guess. Samford is likely the worst team, and not quite ready to contend for anything higher than fifth in the division. UNC-Greensboro is a potential team to contend in the North, but the Spartans have struggled so far. They look like the fifth best team to me. The other four appear to be toss-ups. Elon appears to be the favorite, though they have been coming back to the pack as of late. The second bye should go to Western Carolina. The Catamounts have been showing the most signs of getting it together at this point. The Mocs are a very close third. They have played two road games so far, both of them difficult trips, including their only battle against College of Charleston this year. If they get rolling this week, they will be a contender until the end for a bye in the North. That leaves Appalachian State for fourth. They are not far off from a bye. They could certainly get it.
TheSportsArsenal- I have absolutely no idea what the North standings will look like. Chattanooga was the preseason choice to finish first in the division but has not played up to expectations. I believe that the Mocs, Elon, Western Carolina, and Appalachian State could each conceivably win the division. Samford and UNC-Greensboro will try to avoid the cellar. Elon has had the best results out of league play in the division, so I will give the Phoenix the slight edge over WCU and UTC.
UNCGBasketballFan- The North is alomst a complete crap shoot at this point. I think the bottom 2 teams are pretty solidified. The top 4 could be in any random order.
1. Elon
2. Chattanooga
3. Western Carolina
4. App State
5. UNCG
6. Samford
What do you think the standings in the SoCon South will be at the end of the year?
DavidsonCats- I expect Citadel to finish 6th, GSU 5th, Furman 4th, Wofford 3rd, Davidson 2nd, and CofC 1st. Citadel may improve in the next two months, but they have a long way to go. GSU has talented players, but I don't see them surpassing Furman or Wofford. Furman and Wofford have been pleasant surprises, but I don't see them taking down Davidson or CofC. The top spots are a toss-up. Both teams have some outstanding players and have played some excellent basketball so far. Both have also turned in some poor performances. Charleston's guard play has been better than most people anticipated and Antwaine Wiggins has really stepped up in his senior season. I watched CofC's game against George Mason. Baru is developing rapidly. He'll be nasty by March. Davidson has gotten solid play from the veterans and some solid contributions from young guys like Chris Czerapowicz, Tyler Kalinoski, and De'Mon Brooks.
MocsMania- It seems clear at the top and at the bottom. Davidson and College of Charleston will fight it out for the first spot. Call it a gut pick, but I'm going with the Cougars as the favorite. The last place team is The Citadel. No one else could finish behind them, I don't think. The other three teams are all very even. I like Furman the least of the other three teams. The Paladins just don't have the offensive explosion necessary to finish higher than fifth. That leaves Georgia Southern and Wofford fighting for third. I'm going with the Terriers. They have been better than anyone thought they would be and will edge out Furman and Georgia Southern for third.
TheSportsArsenal- In the South things are more clear-cut. Davidson and the College of Charleston are the league's two best teams. The Wildcats are balanced and well-coached, and I think will win the South. Wofford is my pick to finish third, ahead of Georgia Southern, Furman, and The Citadel. Although the Bulldogs have struggled, I would not be that surprised if either GSU or Furman finishes behind them in the standings.
UNCGBasketballFan- This one is a lot easier to predict. The top 2 and bottom team seems a lock.
1. Davidson
2. Charleston
3. Wofford
4. Ga Southern
5. Furman
6. Citadel
Double Dribbles- 1-2-12
1) Three SoCon games televised today on SportSouth, Fox SportSouth, or ESPN3. Chattanooga travels to Tennessee to take on a vulnerable Vols team. Wofford goes to Wake Forest and UNCG heads to Miami as the SoCon takes on the ACC. None of those games is totally unwinnable for the SoCon team. It is very possible that the SoCon produce an upset on Monday night. That would be a nice way to start the new year.
2) This is also the last day before non-conference play is over for the year for the SoCon. Sure, there a handful of out of conference clashes down the road, but conference play picks up in earnest later on this week. As the conference play kicks in, this should be one of the most exciting weeks of the season. Every team still has plenty on the line as they head into conference play. The 0-2 teams still have hope of turning things around, no matter how bad things have been so far. This is a really great time to be a fan of your team in the SoCon.
2) This is also the last day before non-conference play is over for the year for the SoCon. Sure, there a handful of out of conference clashes down the road, but conference play picks up in earnest later on this week. As the conference play kicks in, this should be one of the most exciting weeks of the season. Every team still has plenty on the line as they head into conference play. The 0-2 teams still have hope of turning things around, no matter how bad things have been so far. This is a really great time to be a fan of your team in the SoCon.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Tennessee Preview- In State War
Tennessee has a bigger in-state battle coming up on Wednesday when they take on Memphis (for the second time this year) at Memphis.
But first, they have to take on the Mocs, who think they have a real shot to beat the Vols in Knoxville on Monday. The Vols have struggled since November 28. They lost to Oakland by 8, lost to Pitt by 5, lost to Austin Peay by 4, lost to Charleston by 6, beat UNC-Asheville by 4 and beat ETSU by 3. Then, on Thursday night, the Vols hammered The Citadel by 31 points. They also played Duke and Memphis close in the Maui Invitational. So, which Vols are for real? The team that lost to Oakland and Austin Peay and couldn't put away UNCA or ETSU? Or the team that hammered The Citadel, and played Duke, Memphis, and Pitt close?
That's the burning question about these Vols. The Mocs hope that they can add some fuel to the fire and beat Tennessee to show what they are capable of.
The Vols have four players that average in double figures. Trae Golden is averaging 13.0 points per game, Jeronne Maymon 12.1, Jordan McRae 11.5, and Cameron Tatum 10.2.
Skylar McBee is a deadly three point shooter. He shoots 46.3% from behind the arc. Tatum is shooting 44.49% from behind the arc.
Maymon averages 7.6 rebounds per game, while Kenny Hall averages 5.3.
The good news for the Mocs is that no one is really tall on the Mocs roster. Hall is 6-9, while Maymon and Tatum both are 6-7. Renaldo Woolridge is also 6-9. Drazen Zlovaric is tall enough to compete with those guys. Jahmal Burroughs and Z Mason are not tremendously tall, but they can compete with these guys.
What we have seen from the Mocs throughout the year is that they compete better in terms of rebounding when they are presented with a challenge, such as against Indiana or against Kentucky. The Mocs need to hope that the challenge exists against Tennessee enough to motivate the players to compete at that level. If they do compete like that, the Mocs can certainly win the rebounding war.
KEYS TO THE GAME
--Rebounding. The Mocs need to win the rebounding battle to be able to continue to compete. They absolutely can not give the Vols a lot of second chance opportunities to win this game.
--Trae Golden vs. Keegan Bell. With Golden's 5.7 assists per game, and 13.0 points per game, and 40% three point shooting, Bell could really produce a challenge against Golden. Bell has not been shooting well from three point range, but is averaging 7.1 assists per game. This point guard match-up is very important to both teams to win the game.
--Omar Wattad's shooting. He needs to shoot the ball well to give the Mocs a chance. Ricky Taylor is another key shooter for the Mocs, but he has been more consistent than Wattad has been. He is starting to come on strong it looks like. If he can continue to shoot that well, the Mocs are going to be a tough out in this one.
--The Bigs. Zlovaric, Mason, and Burroughs all had very good games against Kentucky. If they play that well again, the Vols could have their hands full inside.
--Strong start. The Mocs need to start well to get their confidence up in a big game.
LEAD PIPE LOCK PREDICTIONS THAT ARE SURE TO GO WRONG
--Rico White and Dontay Hampton will play a bigger role in this game than I am giving them credit for in the above discussion.
--Zlovaric will step up and have a nice game.
--Wattad and Bell will have good games as well.
--Maymon and Hall will be too much for the Mocs to control down low.
--Tennessee 72, Mocs 65. The Vols are athletic, and athletic teams have given the Mocs problems over the years. The Mocs are good enough to win this game, make no mistake. The Mocs defense is very solid, and could produce a real challenge to the Vols high octane offense. But in the end, Maymon and Hall will be too tough, and Golden will make a couple of big shots down the stretch to come up with the win in Knoxville.
GO MOCS!
But first, they have to take on the Mocs, who think they have a real shot to beat the Vols in Knoxville on Monday. The Vols have struggled since November 28. They lost to Oakland by 8, lost to Pitt by 5, lost to Austin Peay by 4, lost to Charleston by 6, beat UNC-Asheville by 4 and beat ETSU by 3. Then, on Thursday night, the Vols hammered The Citadel by 31 points. They also played Duke and Memphis close in the Maui Invitational. So, which Vols are for real? The team that lost to Oakland and Austin Peay and couldn't put away UNCA or ETSU? Or the team that hammered The Citadel, and played Duke, Memphis, and Pitt close?
That's the burning question about these Vols. The Mocs hope that they can add some fuel to the fire and beat Tennessee to show what they are capable of.
The Vols have four players that average in double figures. Trae Golden is averaging 13.0 points per game, Jeronne Maymon 12.1, Jordan McRae 11.5, and Cameron Tatum 10.2.
Skylar McBee is a deadly three point shooter. He shoots 46.3% from behind the arc. Tatum is shooting 44.49% from behind the arc.
Maymon averages 7.6 rebounds per game, while Kenny Hall averages 5.3.
The good news for the Mocs is that no one is really tall on the Mocs roster. Hall is 6-9, while Maymon and Tatum both are 6-7. Renaldo Woolridge is also 6-9. Drazen Zlovaric is tall enough to compete with those guys. Jahmal Burroughs and Z Mason are not tremendously tall, but they can compete with these guys.
What we have seen from the Mocs throughout the year is that they compete better in terms of rebounding when they are presented with a challenge, such as against Indiana or against Kentucky. The Mocs need to hope that the challenge exists against Tennessee enough to motivate the players to compete at that level. If they do compete like that, the Mocs can certainly win the rebounding war.
KEYS TO THE GAME
--Rebounding. The Mocs need to win the rebounding battle to be able to continue to compete. They absolutely can not give the Vols a lot of second chance opportunities to win this game.
--Trae Golden vs. Keegan Bell. With Golden's 5.7 assists per game, and 13.0 points per game, and 40% three point shooting, Bell could really produce a challenge against Golden. Bell has not been shooting well from three point range, but is averaging 7.1 assists per game. This point guard match-up is very important to both teams to win the game.
--Omar Wattad's shooting. He needs to shoot the ball well to give the Mocs a chance. Ricky Taylor is another key shooter for the Mocs, but he has been more consistent than Wattad has been. He is starting to come on strong it looks like. If he can continue to shoot that well, the Mocs are going to be a tough out in this one.
--The Bigs. Zlovaric, Mason, and Burroughs all had very good games against Kentucky. If they play that well again, the Vols could have their hands full inside.
--Strong start. The Mocs need to start well to get their confidence up in a big game.
LEAD PIPE LOCK PREDICTIONS THAT ARE SURE TO GO WRONG
--Rico White and Dontay Hampton will play a bigger role in this game than I am giving them credit for in the above discussion.
--Zlovaric will step up and have a nice game.
--Wattad and Bell will have good games as well.
--Maymon and Hall will be too much for the Mocs to control down low.
--Tennessee 72, Mocs 65. The Vols are athletic, and athletic teams have given the Mocs problems over the years. The Mocs are good enough to win this game, make no mistake. The Mocs defense is very solid, and could produce a real challenge to the Vols high octane offense. But in the end, Maymon and Hall will be too tough, and Golden will make a couple of big shots down the stretch to come up with the win in Knoxville.
GO MOCS!
SoCon Monster Game of the Week- Appalachian State at Samford
In the interest of getting all twelve SoCon teams at least once into the SoCon Monster Game of the Week, Appalachian State visits Samford on Thursday night. Samford is 0-1 in SoCon play, while the Mountaineers are 1-1. This is a big week for Appalachian State. They visit both Samford andd Chattanooga this week. Samford heads to The Citadel after hosting Appalachian State. So it is a big week for the Bulldogs as well.
So as we head into the bulk of the conference schedule, every team still has hope of going somewhere. That includes Samford, which has shown a few signs of life in recent weeks, as they hope to get back into the bye race in the North. Appalachian State is a popular pick in the North this year. They really need to win in Birmingham if they are going to keep pace in the North.
This could be a very interesting game as SoCon play picks up.
So as we head into the bulk of the conference schedule, every team still has hope of going somewhere. That includes Samford, which has shown a few signs of life in recent weeks, as they hope to get back into the bye race in the North. Appalachian State is a popular pick in the North this year. They really need to win in Birmingham if they are going to keep pace in the North.
This could be a very interesting game as SoCon play picks up.
December in Review: Improvement
Don't believe what anyone tells you- the Mocs improved drastically during the month of December. Sure the numbers don't really show that. The Mocs 4-4 record in the month of December is hardly one to leap for joy for.
But in the two biggest games of the month, at Charleston and at Kentucky, the Mocs were anything but embarassed. They took the Cougars to double overtime. They did not get humbled by Kentucky.
The loss to Georgia Southern was not great, but was expected. The Eagles are much improved this year. They can win a lot of games in the SoCon this year.
The loss to Mercer was not great either, and was probably their worst performance of the month. But the Bears are a solid team that is capable of beating a lot of teams. The Mocs should not have expected to win that game.
The wins over Spalding and Hiwassee were not impressive in terms of who they beat. However, they did not struggle with either team.
The wins over Longwood and Utah Valley were dominant and thorough. People want to downgrade the competition, but the Mocs beat the Lancers by more points that Virginia, Vanderbilt, or Seton Hall. Utah Valley was receiving votes in the Mid Major Top 25 in the preseason, so this was not a gimme win.
All in all, hard to complain about the performance this month on the whole. Yes, things could certainly have gone better, but it is also clear that the Mocs are a much better team than they were when November ended.
This is a huge month for the Mocs coming up. We'll see where they stand then.
Grade: B-. If the Mocs had beaten Charleston, the Mocs would have earned a B+. If they could have beaten Mercer and Georgia Southern, they could have gotten up even higher. This was not a bad month in terms of performance, as the performance was much higher than I expected when I predicted a 3-5 month, despite the fact that they just won one more game than that. It was a bad month in terms of results. That's why they get a B-. The results weren't quite there to earn higher.
GO MOCS!
But in the two biggest games of the month, at Charleston and at Kentucky, the Mocs were anything but embarassed. They took the Cougars to double overtime. They did not get humbled by Kentucky.
The loss to Georgia Southern was not great, but was expected. The Eagles are much improved this year. They can win a lot of games in the SoCon this year.
The loss to Mercer was not great either, and was probably their worst performance of the month. But the Bears are a solid team that is capable of beating a lot of teams. The Mocs should not have expected to win that game.
The wins over Spalding and Hiwassee were not impressive in terms of who they beat. However, they did not struggle with either team.
The wins over Longwood and Utah Valley were dominant and thorough. People want to downgrade the competition, but the Mocs beat the Lancers by more points that Virginia, Vanderbilt, or Seton Hall. Utah Valley was receiving votes in the Mid Major Top 25 in the preseason, so this was not a gimme win.
All in all, hard to complain about the performance this month on the whole. Yes, things could certainly have gone better, but it is also clear that the Mocs are a much better team than they were when November ended.
This is a huge month for the Mocs coming up. We'll see where they stand then.
Grade: B-. If the Mocs had beaten Charleston, the Mocs would have earned a B+. If they could have beaten Mercer and Georgia Southern, they could have gotten up even higher. This was not a bad month in terms of performance, as the performance was much higher than I expected when I predicted a 3-5 month, despite the fact that they just won one more game than that. It was a bad month in terms of results. That's why they get a B-. The results weren't quite there to earn higher.
GO MOCS!
January in Preview: Time To Rock
The Mocs have bumbled and stumbled through the first two months. The struggles were very real in November. The December struggles were not so severe. They battled hard in most of the games, and had two dominating performances to end the month.
All that left the Mocs with some positive feelings as they head into January. This month will be one to make or break the Mocs season, as the SoCon season heats up. The Mocs desperately need to bounce back from their 0-2 SoCon start. That means that they need to start winning and start winning now. After Tennessee on Monday, the rest of the games on the schedule are SoCon games. It's time to start winning.
Toughest Game: at Tennessee, January 3. The Davidson game is close on this one, but that is a home game. This game presents a unique challenge for the Mocs. The Vols have struggled at times this year, but seem to be playing slightly better right now. The Mocs also have struggled against big name opponents in recent years. This could be another challenge. The Mocs have a real chance in this one, but going on the road to pull this one off will not be easy.
Easiest Game: at Samford, January 14. The Bulldogs will not be an easy game for the Mocs. Going on the road to win is never easy. But the three worst teams in the SoCon so far this year are The Citadel, Samford, and UNC-Greensboro, and the Mocs play none of those teams at home this month. That makes the trips to Samford or UNCG the easiest game. Road games for the Mocs in the SoCon are never easy though. So don't expect this one to be a cakewalk. But this is probably the easiest game on the schedule.
Most Important Game: Western Carolina, January 5. Critical game for the Mocs as they open SoCon play again. They need to get a win in SoCon play or else they will really be right behind the eight ball. The games against Western Carolina and Appalachian State in the first two games in SoCon play in January are absolutely massive. The Mocs really need to win both, and beat Wofford for the third game on their home stand. The first one is the most important though, just to get going in the right direction.
Predicted Record: 6-3. The Mocs could do significantly better or worse than this. I have high hopes for the Mocs this month. I put down losses to Tennessee and Davidson, and probably at Elon as the third loss. It is distinctly possible that the Mocs lose to Western Carolina, Appalachian State, Wofford, Samford, UNCG, or Georgia Southern. They also could beat Tennessee, Davidson, and Elon. Really, anything is possible here. If things start off positively with wins over Western Carolina and Appalachian State (and/or Tennessee), they could go up as high as 9-0. If there are two or three losses in these first three games, then the season could spiral to an 0-9, 1-8, 2-7, or 3-6 month. Those first three or four games are really huge.
GO MOCS!
All that left the Mocs with some positive feelings as they head into January. This month will be one to make or break the Mocs season, as the SoCon season heats up. The Mocs desperately need to bounce back from their 0-2 SoCon start. That means that they need to start winning and start winning now. After Tennessee on Monday, the rest of the games on the schedule are SoCon games. It's time to start winning.
Toughest Game: at Tennessee, January 3. The Davidson game is close on this one, but that is a home game. This game presents a unique challenge for the Mocs. The Vols have struggled at times this year, but seem to be playing slightly better right now. The Mocs also have struggled against big name opponents in recent years. This could be another challenge. The Mocs have a real chance in this one, but going on the road to pull this one off will not be easy.
Easiest Game: at Samford, January 14. The Bulldogs will not be an easy game for the Mocs. Going on the road to win is never easy. But the three worst teams in the SoCon so far this year are The Citadel, Samford, and UNC-Greensboro, and the Mocs play none of those teams at home this month. That makes the trips to Samford or UNCG the easiest game. Road games for the Mocs in the SoCon are never easy though. So don't expect this one to be a cakewalk. But this is probably the easiest game on the schedule.
Most Important Game: Western Carolina, January 5. Critical game for the Mocs as they open SoCon play again. They need to get a win in SoCon play or else they will really be right behind the eight ball. The games against Western Carolina and Appalachian State in the first two games in SoCon play in January are absolutely massive. The Mocs really need to win both, and beat Wofford for the third game on their home stand. The first one is the most important though, just to get going in the right direction.
Predicted Record: 6-3. The Mocs could do significantly better or worse than this. I have high hopes for the Mocs this month. I put down losses to Tennessee and Davidson, and probably at Elon as the third loss. It is distinctly possible that the Mocs lose to Western Carolina, Appalachian State, Wofford, Samford, UNCG, or Georgia Southern. They also could beat Tennessee, Davidson, and Elon. Really, anything is possible here. If things start off positively with wins over Western Carolina and Appalachian State (and/or Tennessee), they could go up as high as 9-0. If there are two or three losses in these first three games, then the season could spiral to an 0-9, 1-8, 2-7, or 3-6 month. Those first three or four games are really huge.
GO MOCS!
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Mocs 74, Utah Valley 59
FOUR FACTORS (plus two)
eFG%
Mocs- 57.6%
Utah Valley- 38.9%
Advantage- Mocs
TO%
Mocs- 14.9%
Utah Valley- 9.9%
Advantage- Utah Valley
OR%
Mocs- 28.6%
Utah Valley- 30.4%
Advantage- Utah Valley
FTRate
Mocs- 28.3%
Utah Valley- 23.8%
Advantage- Mocs
FT%
Mocs- 86.7%
Utah Valley- 66.7%
Advantage- Mocs
3PtRate
Mocs- 43.4%
Utah Valley- 54.0%
PLAYER RATER
Overall
1) Ricky Taylor 30.9
2) Omar Wattad 30.8
3) Keegan Bell 25.5
4) Drazen Zlovaric 20.0
5) Jahmal Burroughs 15.0
6) Rico White 7.1
7) Dontay Hampton 6.6
8) Z Mason 5.4
9) Jared Bryant 1.7
Per 40
1) Omar Wattad 41.1
2) Ricky Taylor 38.6
3) Dontay Hampton 29.3
4) Rico White 28.4
5) Keegan Bell 26.2
6) Drazen Zlovaric 24.2
7) Jahmal Burroughs 24.0
8) Z Mason 14.3
9) Jared Bryant 9.7
ANALYSIS
This performance may not have been quite as good as Thursday night's against Longwood, but it was still a solid performance. A nice 15 point win over Utah Valley is hardly cause for concern.
The Mocs won the Dr Pepper Classic, and that is good news for the Mocs. These were critical games that the Mocs needed to win. They did that. The Mocs had some hot shooting in these tournament- finally turning into the type of offensive team that I have been hoping that they would be this year. Combine that with the excellent defense they played, and it is easy to see why they won two games by an average of 25 points, when the other two games were decided by a total of five.
Keegan Bell had too many turnovers (four) but came up with 15 points and seven assists. Omar Wattad and Ricky Taylor both scored more, with 19 and 16, respectively. Zlovaric finished with 11 and 10.
As you watch this team, you can actually see Zlovaric, Mason, Bryant and Burroughs getting better each time they take the floor. The game against Kentucky was a bit of a turning point for those guys. The outside shooters are only being helped by the better inside play. Rico White and Dontay Hampton continue to play well, and Bell, Wattad, and Taylor are getting more open looks and knocking down more shots.
This team is getting better each time they play it seems like right now. They are going to be a very tough out for anyone in the SoCon for the remainder of this year, if they start playing with the consistency that they have been lacking in recent years. There should be a sense of determination here, as the Mocs are 0-2 in SoCon play. They have a huge hole to dig themselves out of. They got into on their own. Now it's time to work their way out.
GO MOCS!
eFG%
Mocs- 57.6%
Utah Valley- 38.9%
Advantage- Mocs
TO%
Mocs- 14.9%
Utah Valley- 9.9%
Advantage- Utah Valley
OR%
Mocs- 28.6%
Utah Valley- 30.4%
Advantage- Utah Valley
FTRate
Mocs- 28.3%
Utah Valley- 23.8%
Advantage- Mocs
FT%
Mocs- 86.7%
Utah Valley- 66.7%
Advantage- Mocs
3PtRate
Mocs- 43.4%
Utah Valley- 54.0%
PLAYER RATER
Overall
1) Ricky Taylor 30.9
2) Omar Wattad 30.8
3) Keegan Bell 25.5
4) Drazen Zlovaric 20.0
5) Jahmal Burroughs 15.0
6) Rico White 7.1
7) Dontay Hampton 6.6
8) Z Mason 5.4
9) Jared Bryant 1.7
Per 40
1) Omar Wattad 41.1
2) Ricky Taylor 38.6
3) Dontay Hampton 29.3
4) Rico White 28.4
5) Keegan Bell 26.2
6) Drazen Zlovaric 24.2
7) Jahmal Burroughs 24.0
8) Z Mason 14.3
9) Jared Bryant 9.7
ANALYSIS
This performance may not have been quite as good as Thursday night's against Longwood, but it was still a solid performance. A nice 15 point win over Utah Valley is hardly cause for concern.
The Mocs won the Dr Pepper Classic, and that is good news for the Mocs. These were critical games that the Mocs needed to win. They did that. The Mocs had some hot shooting in these tournament- finally turning into the type of offensive team that I have been hoping that they would be this year. Combine that with the excellent defense they played, and it is easy to see why they won two games by an average of 25 points, when the other two games were decided by a total of five.
Keegan Bell had too many turnovers (four) but came up with 15 points and seven assists. Omar Wattad and Ricky Taylor both scored more, with 19 and 16, respectively. Zlovaric finished with 11 and 10.
As you watch this team, you can actually see Zlovaric, Mason, Bryant and Burroughs getting better each time they take the floor. The game against Kentucky was a bit of a turning point for those guys. The outside shooters are only being helped by the better inside play. Rico White and Dontay Hampton continue to play well, and Bell, Wattad, and Taylor are getting more open looks and knocking down more shots.
This team is getting better each time they play it seems like right now. They are going to be a very tough out for anyone in the SoCon for the remainder of this year, if they start playing with the consistency that they have been lacking in recent years. There should be a sense of determination here, as the Mocs are 0-2 in SoCon play. They have a huge hole to dig themselves out of. They got into on their own. Now it's time to work their way out.
GO MOCS!
Mocs 85, Longwood 50
FOUR FACTORS (plus two)
eFG%
Mocs- 55.3%
Longwood- 30.8%
Advantage- Mocs
TO%
Mocs- 21.4%
Longwood- 20.1%
Advantage- Longwood
OR%
Mocs- 42.1%
Longwood- 18.1%
Advantage- Mocs
FTRate
Mocs- 31.8%
Longwood- 36.7%
Advantage- Longwood
FT%
Mocs- 57.1%
Longwood- 59.1%
Advantage- Longwood
3PtRate
Mocs- 40.9%
Longwood- 58.3%
PLAYER RATER
Overall
1) Keegan Bell 40.9
2) Omar Wattad 26.6
3) Drazen Zlovaric 24.1
4) Z Mason 19.1
5) Jahmal Burroughs 18.4
6) Ricky Taylor 15.0
7t) Rico White 9.6
7t) Dontay Hampton 9.6
9) Jared Bryatn 8.5
10) Drew Baker 7.6
11) Trey Brown 0.6
12) Martynas Bareika -1.4
Per 40
1) Drew Baker 76.0
2) Omar Wattad 48.4
3) Keegan Bell 48.1
4) Jahmal Burroughs 46.0
5) Z Mason 40.2
6) Drazen Zlovaric 35.6
7) Rico White 27.4
8) Jared Bryant 26.2
9) Ricky Taylor 26.0
10) Dontay Hampton 18.3
11) Trey Brown 8.0
12) Martynas Bareika -14.0
ANALYSIS
This was a tremendous performance by the Mocs. They hung around in the first half when they were not playing well, and then put together a near perfect second half performance. Sure, it was just Longwood, but the Lancers played Virginia and Vanderbilt just about to the same margin as the Mocs. That makes this an impressive win.
The most impressive thing was the way the Mocs dominated the boards. They completely dominated them. They won the battle of the boards by 25. Rebounding like that will make the Mocs very difficult to beat the rest of this season.
Ricky Taylor scored his 1000th point in this game, and that made this game special for him. On top of that, Keegan Bell was dominating. He scored 10 points, had 16 assists (one short of a school record) and nine rebounds. That means that he was one rebound from his second triple double of the season, which would have been something for this game.
The biggest problem here is that the Mocs did not shoot free throws well. They are going to have to shoot free throws well to win more consistently. But the Mocs will take this. This was their best performance of the year, and it is hard to complain about it honestly. I know people aren't exactly excited about beating Longwood, but this was a team that was capable of beating the Mocs, and with how they played against Gardner-Webb and Kennesaw State, and even Savannah State, coming up with a 35 point win is incredibly satisfying.
GO MOCS!
eFG%
Mocs- 55.3%
Longwood- 30.8%
Advantage- Mocs
TO%
Mocs- 21.4%
Longwood- 20.1%
Advantage- Longwood
OR%
Mocs- 42.1%
Longwood- 18.1%
Advantage- Mocs
FTRate
Mocs- 31.8%
Longwood- 36.7%
Advantage- Longwood
FT%
Mocs- 57.1%
Longwood- 59.1%
Advantage- Longwood
3PtRate
Mocs- 40.9%
Longwood- 58.3%
PLAYER RATER
Overall
1) Keegan Bell 40.9
2) Omar Wattad 26.6
3) Drazen Zlovaric 24.1
4) Z Mason 19.1
5) Jahmal Burroughs 18.4
6) Ricky Taylor 15.0
7t) Rico White 9.6
7t) Dontay Hampton 9.6
9) Jared Bryatn 8.5
10) Drew Baker 7.6
11) Trey Brown 0.6
12) Martynas Bareika -1.4
Per 40
1) Drew Baker 76.0
2) Omar Wattad 48.4
3) Keegan Bell 48.1
4) Jahmal Burroughs 46.0
5) Z Mason 40.2
6) Drazen Zlovaric 35.6
7) Rico White 27.4
8) Jared Bryant 26.2
9) Ricky Taylor 26.0
10) Dontay Hampton 18.3
11) Trey Brown 8.0
12) Martynas Bareika -14.0
ANALYSIS
This was a tremendous performance by the Mocs. They hung around in the first half when they were not playing well, and then put together a near perfect second half performance. Sure, it was just Longwood, but the Lancers played Virginia and Vanderbilt just about to the same margin as the Mocs. That makes this an impressive win.
The most impressive thing was the way the Mocs dominated the boards. They completely dominated them. They won the battle of the boards by 25. Rebounding like that will make the Mocs very difficult to beat the rest of this season.
Ricky Taylor scored his 1000th point in this game, and that made this game special for him. On top of that, Keegan Bell was dominating. He scored 10 points, had 16 assists (one short of a school record) and nine rebounds. That means that he was one rebound from his second triple double of the season, which would have been something for this game.
The biggest problem here is that the Mocs did not shoot free throws well. They are going to have to shoot free throws well to win more consistently. But the Mocs will take this. This was their best performance of the year, and it is hard to complain about it honestly. I know people aren't exactly excited about beating Longwood, but this was a team that was capable of beating the Mocs, and with how they played against Gardner-Webb and Kennesaw State, and even Savannah State, coming up with a 35 point win is incredibly satisfying.
GO MOCS!
Friday, December 30, 2011
Travel
Due to travel, I will not be able to analyze tonight's performance against Longwood tonight or preview tomorrow night's game.
I will be breaking down the performance on Friday morning and previewing the game as well, but the posts will be a little smaller and a little less, despite the hugeness of the Dr Pepper Classic for the Mocs this year.
I should also note that Double Dribbles will not be out tomorrow for a change. That's the first time this year I will have missed a Monday-Friday on that. The holidays have thrown a major wrench into my plans for this week.
Thanks for reading. I apologize for the delay.
GO MOCS!
I will be breaking down the performance on Friday morning and previewing the game as well, but the posts will be a little smaller and a little less, despite the hugeness of the Dr Pepper Classic for the Mocs this year.
I should also note that Double Dribbles will not be out tomorrow for a change. That's the first time this year I will have missed a Monday-Friday on that. The holidays have thrown a major wrench into my plans for this week.
Thanks for reading. I apologize for the delay.
GO MOCS!
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Double Dribbles-12-29-11
1) Western Carolina's win was a good one for the SoCon. The other performances- not so much. Wofford lost to South Carolina, and were again unable to score points against a team from a major conference. The game resembled the Georgia game from earlier this year. Samford also was completely dominated by Sam Houston State. The Bulldogs should have been able to compete against SHSU, but they were beaten badly. That was not a good performance by Samford. All in all, a disappointing night for the SoCon, on a night that big things could have happened, especially since Western Carolina won against UNC-Asheville.
2) A somewhat interesting night is coming up for the SoCon on Thursday. Chattanooga gets Longwood at home. Elon travels to North Carolina, in a game that is probably too tall of an order for the Phoenix. Davidson heads to Penn and continues to look for some consistency. This seems to be the type of game that the Wildcats struggle in this year- a road game against a team that they are slightly better than. The Citadel heads to Tennessee. The Vols have not been able to hammer anyone in recent weeks. If they struggle with the Bulldogs, it really will be a sign of bad things that are to come. If the Bulldogs can pull off the upset, it would be a huge win for the Bulldogs as they head into SoCon play.
2) A somewhat interesting night is coming up for the SoCon on Thursday. Chattanooga gets Longwood at home. Elon travels to North Carolina, in a game that is probably too tall of an order for the Phoenix. Davidson heads to Penn and continues to look for some consistency. This seems to be the type of game that the Wildcats struggle in this year- a road game against a team that they are slightly better than. The Citadel heads to Tennessee. The Vols have not been able to hammer anyone in recent weeks. If they struggle with the Bulldogs, it really will be a sign of bad things that are to come. If the Bulldogs can pull off the upset, it would be a huge win for the Bulldogs as they head into SoCon play.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Dr Pepper Classic Preview- Utah Valley vs. Hampton
This is not going to be an in-depth preview, but the player to watch for Utah Valley is Geddes Robinson. He is only 6-5, but he is averaging 10.9 points per game and 10.1 rebounds per game. The Wolverines will hope that he is able to contribute at that level. Isiah Williams is the leading scorer, and averaged 14.5 points per game.
Darrion Pellum and his 17.6 points per game lead Hampton. But the player most Chattanooga fans will be focused on is Jasper Williams. Williams is averaging 7.8 points per game, and shooting 34.4% from three point range, along with 1.4 assists per game.
This should be a very compelling game. I believe that Utah Valley is the slight favorite to win the Dr Pepper Classic, but don't think that Hampton is too far off. This is a big tournament for the Pirates, as they look to right the ship as they go into MEAC play. I look for Utah Valley to come up with a close win, 68-65. This should be a very entertaining game. Hopefully some of Chattanooga shows up to watch this one.
Darrion Pellum and his 17.6 points per game lead Hampton. But the player most Chattanooga fans will be focused on is Jasper Williams. Williams is averaging 7.8 points per game, and shooting 34.4% from three point range, along with 1.4 assists per game.
This should be a very compelling game. I believe that Utah Valley is the slight favorite to win the Dr Pepper Classic, but don't think that Hampton is too far off. This is a big tournament for the Pirates, as they look to right the ship as they go into MEAC play. I look for Utah Valley to come up with a close win, 68-65. This should be a very entertaining game. Hopefully some of Chattanooga shows up to watch this one.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)