Friday, February 17, 2023

Hated Rockets, MBB, Part II

 So now the Rockets come down to the Stroh.  It's hard to imagine two teams going in more different directions. Starting with the UT loss, BG has lost 6 straight and 9 of 11 overall. The Rockets have won 10 straight since their loss @Kent with the BG game in the middle of that streak. That's the nation's 3rd longest winning streak.

The first game with UT was competitive for 18 minutes.  BG was only down 2...then UT went on a 26-7 run spanning into the second half and the game was over.  Final score, 91-77.

UT has a very clear game plan.  Score.  They are #1 in the MAC in offensive efficiency (MAC game) and #14 in the country (all games). They lead the MAC in EFG and in not turning the ball over. That's #2 in 2FG and #2 in 3FG and #3 at the line. Meanwhile, they are #6 in defense...and they do not foul.

They scored 1.29 points per possession in the first game, which is well above their average. BG had a decent offensive game at 1.09 points per possession, which is pretty good. But nowhere near good enough against that kind of onslaught, especially when you see the turnovers.


They are led by RayJ Dennis, a bona fide all-MAC player. He's #3 in scoring at 18.5 PPG and #16 in offensive efficiency, really good for a high-volume scorer. He is #2 in assists and #1 in A/T ratio. Millner is #18 in scoring and #14 in efficiency, Shumate is #18 in scoring and #3 in efficiency and Mattox is #21 and #8. 

This would be one of the bigger upsets for us in recent memory.  UT has Akron on Tuesday at Savage, maybe that helps.  UT will eventually lose and you'd like to see us rally.  Obviously, a big offensive team against us is not a great matchup, but maybe the rivalry gets us focused.

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