Beat the Rockets

It might well be turning into the most anticipated game in the Orr era at Bowling Green.  Word on twitter from BGSU is that the game is nearing a sell-out, and while that will include some Rocket fans, it will also be the first real big-game atmosphere in the Stroh Center and in the Orr Era.  Our crowds have been tweaking up...we started at 1,500 and now we are up to 2,000....and it would be great to re-introduce our program to all those new fans by delivering a victory over our hated arch-rivals.

Over the past few years, UT is clearly at a low point for their program.  Having said that, I think they have some players now and are starting to point their way out of the swamp. They are the only West team with two wins over the East, winning @Miami and at home against OU, both of which the Falcons also did.  Overall, they are 3-7 in MAC play and that win over Miami is their only win on the road in the conference this year.

Yes, on paper, the Falcons should win this game.  BG has played well at home--though we are clearly not bullet-proof--and we are playing well and it will be a big crowd and things will be crazy and I think we're probably better right now than UT is...even so, you know, its the Rockets, and until you have driven a wooden stake into their heart, you don't let up.

UT will be jacked up for this game, too, and they are coming off their biggest win in conference in quite some time...and it is a rivalry game for them, too.  Nothing will soothe my nerves until the clock has nothing but zeros on it and BG has the most points.  Until then, the Rockets are an imminent threat.  The fight against evil never sleeps.  Code Orange.

The Rockets are lead by Rian Pearson, who is emerging very quickly as one of the MAC's top players.  He came with Kowalczyk from Green Bay.   In conference, he is averaging 19 points, first in the MAC.  Now, he is on a struggling team and is using 30% of their overall possessions (3rd in MAC, also taking 33% of all shots) to get those 19 points, so you have to balance how you view that.  His offensive rating is 34th, for example.  He's also 3rd in rebounding with 8 per game, and he's only 6'4".  Conclusion:  he's a good player, maybe not as good as he appears at first blush.

Curtis Dennis (New Mexico) is also scoring 11 points a game, but those are their only double figures scorers.  Julius Brown and Dominique Buckley both scored a lot against UT's very soft non-conference schedule, but have been struggling more in MAC play.

In other stats, Fr. PG Julius Brown has 4.9 assists per game over 4.2 turnovers.  Reese Holliday is 2nd on the team in rebounds.  Holliday is also their best 3 shooter, but he doesn't do it often...the guys who do it most often have not been effective.

Their turnover has been incredible.  Of the 8 players averaging more than 10 minutes per game, 5 were not on the team last year, and they are also the top 5 in minutes.

This team is a lot like Bowling Green on offense.  They do not shoot 3s.  In fact, they are last in making the 3 and 10th in trying them.  Accordingly, they lead the MAC in FG%, which is what you would expect when you shoot close to the basket.  Overall, they are 9th in offensive efficiency (.96 per possession) and 8th in EFG%.  They are 10th in getting to the line, 6th in turnover % and 6th in offensive rebounding.  To me, that adds up funny....you'd think a team with those numbers would be higher.  I guess it shows how hard it is to rack up points without some 3s in the mix.

On defense, they are 8th allow 1.03 ppp.  They are 10th in EFG% and 8th in allowing FTs.  They are good at forcing turnovers, second in the MAC, which probably accounts for how they get to 8th overall.  They are 10th in allowing offensive rebounding.

NCAA Basketball

The fear...the fear is that the cross-over schedule indicates a team that plainly has talent is beginning to gel, and this is the wrong time to be playing them.  Now, whether that's what actually is happening or not, we will not know under later.  All I know is this...this UT team is going to get better than they are now, which is not very good.  At all.  Let's hope the Falcons (who could be gellin' too) keep them there one more game...play the way we should at home, and win a game we should.