NIU Preview for MBB

There's a long bus ride, and it's the last one for BG MBB to DeKalb--at least in MAC play.  Can you imagine driving out there for a non-conference game?

Or, maybe NIU will be back.  It's happened before.

NIU has not made the NCAA Tournament since 1996, and its last two appearances were out of other conferences.  They won an early MAC title in 1982 but have not won the MAC since.

In the 28 seasons since they returned to the MAC, they have had a winning season in MAC play three times. Their current coach is Rashon Burno, who is a Hurley guy. He's 39-85 in DeKalb.

This year, they are overachieving.  They were picked last by Blue Ribbon and the MAC pre-season poll.  They are tied for 9th and in the tournament hunt.  In the MAC, they beat CMU, WMU, and UMass, all at home.

The series with BG has been no contest.  The Falcons have won 9 out of 10, the last 3 overall and the last 5 in DeKalb.

MAC Games only.

The Huskies are interesting.  They are the number 2 team in the MAC in defensive efficiency.  They are #4 in defending the shot, #5 in forcing turnovers, and #5 in defensive rebounding.  They are #3 defending the 3FG and #8 defending the 2FG.  Their major weakness on defense is that they are #11 in allowing free throws.  

That's not great news for a Falcon team coming off one of the worst offensive games in recent memory. For the year, BG is #6 in the MAC in offensive efficiency, but they are also wildly inconsistent.  An average D completely flummoxed them in Jonesboro, and we are going to have to battle for a night-and-day recovery, or the last ride home from DeKalb could feel like forever.

NIU is good enough on defense to compete.  If only they could score.  They are last in the MAC in offensive efficiency. They score 0.98 points per possession, and the next-worst team is BSU at 1.02. 

They try the most 3FGs in the MAC.  They are last in making them.  They are #9 in 2FG.

They are #12 overall in shooting and #13 in turnovers.  That's a toxic combo.  It isn't all a disaster; they are #3 in offensive rebounds and #5 at getting to the line, though they make only 68%.

BG has been playing decent defense since the Buffalo debacle. But they were smoked on the defensive boards by A-State, which really makes it tough to get the speed game going.  BG is #2 on the defensive boards for the year and needs to get back to it. (A-State was really tall, and NIU is #314 in average height). 

BG has fallen to #7 in forcing turnovers, so they might not take as much advantage there as they'd like. 

Their leading scorer is Makhai Valentine with 14.6, shooting 48% and 35%.  He makes 83% from the line, #5 in the MAC. He's 6'3" from Missouri State.

Dylan Ducommun is their 2nd leading scorer.  He's a FR from Switzerland, and he's 6'4."  Scoring 13.3 PPG, making a rough 43% and 32%.

Taj Walters is the 3rd leading scorer at 11.6 PPG.  He's a 6'5" FR from the Bronx. He's highly efficient at 56% and 42% shooting and is #15 in the MAC in EFG. He also leads the team with 7.2 RPG. 

Gianni Cobb leads the team with 3.8 APG. 

They run a very tight 7-man rotation. They play most FR and SO, and they are the 15th youngest team in D1 ball.  In the old days, you'd think they might be on the upswing, but most of those guys won't play in a MWC game, if history is a guide.

BG needs a win here.  They are 4.5-point favorites.  We will see if they are ready to rebound or ready to pack it in.

Falcons Embarrassed in Jonesboro

Well, it was just bad news in Jonesboro yesterday.  I know it doesn't count toward the MAC standings, but it was tough to watch and should never have happened.  Just as it has for the Simon era, this team fails to produce competitive performances on a consistent basis, and that's going to make it tough to reach our goals. You need three in a row against top competition to win the MAC.

Yesterday was 100% non-competitive.  And not against a high-quality Sun Belt team, but a team that is 6-6 in their league.  We were 2.5-point dogs... not 37.

They play a multi-zone defense that can be dodgy.  But the metrics show that others have figured it out.  And Coach Simon, in the pre-game with Todd Walker, described what BG had to do to win.  And his team executed none of it.

He put it on missing shots, which certainly was a problem.  It was our worst shooting game in 10 years. But we were frozen like deer in headlights in front of their zones.  We had at least 3 shot-clock violations, a couple of which occurred without a shot even being taken.  We turned the ball over on 22% of our possessions against a team that gets after the ball.

So we knew it was coming. We had prepared a plan.  And then did nothing.  It's on everyone in the program.

The result was our worst defeat since the UT game at the end of 22.  We lost by 40.

There's no reason to delve deeper into this one.  This team has some ability and is relatively healthy. This would be the time to go after it.  But it is not happening.  Maybe all will resolve itself, but we have felt that way before. What you see out there is occasionally good enough.

It has begun to look familiar.  You know, maybe we are just one click away.  It's tough to see that out of yesterday's game.

Seven games left, and 4 at home. Except for Miami, there's not one team on there that we have not proven ourselves capable of beating or losing to. We are 5-6.  Four wins probably gets it done. So, you beat NIU and WMU...you are left with Kent, UT and UMass at home, EMU and Miami on the road.

Are there four wins in there.  My guess is yes, but it leaves us a 7 or 8 seed and one-and-done in Cleveland, with a team that had the ability to be better.  And then we can start over again.

I believe in the short term, we will play a little better.  But I have yet to see us not throw away success.

Sun Belt Part 2

 So it's the second round of the Sun Belt challenge, this time with the MAC on the road.  The impression I have is that the MAC Coaches don't really care for this arrangement.  A couple of them have said so.  One of them (I forget who) quaintly said that "the coaches wanted to make it once a year, but we were "out-voted."  Which is cute, thinking they had a vote.

If you look back at Falcon schedules, we used to regularly play non-conference games during the MAC season.  BG's legendary game with Houston at Anderson was in the MAC season.  The MAC was smaller than.  I like the Sun Belt challenge because it gives us decent D1 opponents, and my fear is that if MAC teams didn't have those games, they would be replaced by NAIA teams.  You could put the second game in December...anyway.

The MAC is going to go to a 22-game schedule relatively soon, with a full round-robin. I'd still keep the Sun Belt challenge, but maybe that's the excuse to drop it to one.

Anyway.  the MAC is the #15 conference and the Sun Belt is #20. The first round--all at MAC Schools--found the MAC going 9-4.  The Challenge was a draw last year and the Sun Belt won the first year.

Teams are paired with a comparable opponent, in theory, to help bracket chances.  Usually, that's a joke. Miami could, in fact, use a nice win, but they got paired with #165 Marshall.

BG is playing Arkansas State.  BG actually played game #2 of the Simon era and beat them at the Stroh. This is our sixth meeting with the Red Wolves, and BG leads the series 3-2, starting with a win in 1950. 

When BG played them two years ago, they had a new coach: Byron Hodgson, who had paced the MAC and SEC sidelines with Nate Oats.  After he left for South Florida, he was replaced by Ryan Pannone, who had also replaced him at Bama.

Roll Tide.

Ark State was picked #1 in Blue Ribbon and #2 in the conference poll.  They are not having that kind of year...14-10/12-10/6-6 and have lost 5 of their last 7.  They were healthy during that seven-game run, but have clearly been struggling to find their feet this year.  They've used 10 starting line-ups...the one they used last time out was #10.

They have beaten Texas State twice...that's the team BG beat in the SB-Challenge opener. (Texas State is 14-11/7-6).

One of the reasons was they picked an Oats-guy to replace an Oats-guy was that they didn't need to change styles...though not sure how much that mattered, since every single player left the program.

So, the Oats style is fast.  Ark State plays at 72 possessions, which is 19th in the country. Their adjusted offense is 1.1 and their defense is 1.11.  D1 average is 1.09.

Offensively, they shoot 44% from 3FG, which is a lot.  Sadly for them, they are bad at it, making 32% when the D1 average is almost 34%. They do make 52% from 2FG, which is a little above average.

They combine sub-par shooting with turning the ball over 20% of the time, which is #341 in the country.  They crash the boards, getting 37% of offensive rebounds, #23in the country. They are respectable at getting to the line and make 76%, which is pretty good.

On defense, they excel on the defensive boards, at 27% and #40 in the nation. They are #208 in shooting defense.  They defend the 3FG well, but are well below average on the 2FG. They are #293 in forcing turnovers and #253 in allowing FTs.

It looks to me like the key for BG starts with forcing those turnovers and being strong on the defensive boards.  If Ark State crashes and we are able to clear the boards, we should be able to get into transition with numbers.

Matt Hayman is their leading scorer. He's a transfer from Stephen F. Austin. He's a 6'5" G.  He scores 12.3 PPG in 22 minutes. He takes 31% of their shots, which is a lot, and shoots 51% and 31% on roughly even distribution. He makes 93% of his FTs.  I want Todd Walker to say he "has only missed 2 FTs all year" every time he goes to the line. He draws only 2.7 fouls per game.

Christian Harmon, a 6'5" G, a JUCO transfer.  He scores 11.8 in 27 minutes, shooting 56% and 33%, mostly on 3FGs. 

Joey Chammaa is a 5'11" G and a transfer from SD.  He missed two months in the middle of the year to injury and comes off the bench. He scores 10.3 PPG in 17 minutes.  He shoots 59% and 34%.

Chandler Jackson scores 10 PPG on 53% and 27% shooting. He also has 4.3 APG.

Their leading rebounder is Jalen Hampton, with 8.3 RPG, a 6'7" Missouri State transfer. They have a 6'10 "guy and a 7'0" who play 15 minutes per game.

Last two things. They are the #42 team in the country in height, and BG is #64. And they play a deep bench... they have 10 available players who average 14 minutes or more.

I get it.  Game doesn't mean anything.  I hope we come and try to stay sharp and get ready for the final run in MAC play.  Or...play our last terrible game of the season.

Football Finalizes HS Recruits

Wednesday was the second NSD for football.  There were four players announced, four more who self-announced (meaning, I assume, they are PWOs) and a position change.  Let's get rolling.  (h/t to @thetalontribune for tracking all this).

The four players were:

Darian Hawkins is a 3-star DL from California. He's a 6'4" LB.  He's a 3-star recruit on 247 and was apparently determined to play for a Falcon team, because his offers were Air Force and Bowling Green. He was honorable mention all-state and All-Mission League First Team and All-Area First Team (2025). 

Marceles Carey certainly has people excited.  He's 5'11" and 165 lbs and plays WR/RB.  If he reminds you of Ta'Ron Keith, a true clutch Falcon gamebreaker, then join the crowd.  He's also from the same hometown as Keith: DeLand, Fl.  He was the Orlando Sentinel Offensive Player of the Year. He had only one other D1 offer and a handful of FCS offers.  Which is fine...certainly appears to be a ballplayer.

• Rushed for 2,313 career yards and 34 touchdowns during career
• Caught 74 career passes for 1,456 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns during career
• As a senior he rushed for 1,479 yards (13.1 ypa) and 21 touchdowns, while also catching 27 passes for 693 yards and seven more scores
• Had 31 total touchdowns as a senior (21 rushing, 7 receiving, 2 INT returns, 1 PR)
• Also notched six interceptions on defense, returning two for scores and posting 40 tackles

Trent Merrell is a DL, 6'3" and 230 pounds. He's from Elyria and BG is his only D1 offer, though he had 3 reported FCS offers.  He was not ranked on 247.

He was, however, a highly recognized and productive HS player.

• Finished his career as a three-time First Team All-Conference, All-District and All-County selection (2024–26)
• Earned Third Team All-Ohio honors in 2024 and 2025, followed by Second Team All-Ohio recognition in 2026
• Helped Elyria Catholic reach the regional final in 2023
• Recorded 62 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks during the 2025 season
• Posted 53 tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, two forced fumbles and two blocked field goals in 2026

Cameron Simmons is 6'3" and 245 and from Sugar Hill, GA. He's a highly recruited, 3-star player.  He had offers from Wake Forest, App State, Georgia State, Arkansas State, Southern Miss and Troy. His Father is 15-year NFL veteran and BG Assistant Clyde Simmons. Posted 81 tackles, 9.0 TFLs and 5.0 sacks as a senior in 2025 as Buford won MaxPreps National Championship.  He also helped lead Buford to the 6A state title, and all-region honors.

The FR class (get to the PWOs in a second) has 25 players.  247 ranks it as the best class in the MAC. CMU was second--and had 38 commits.

It reflects a philosophy of HS first recruiting that Eddie has talked about, as well as the dude from UT and we can see it in CMU.  I'm still not sure how that works, but I'm guessing those guys know what they are doing.

According to rankings, which we don't believe and yet we talk about them all the time, TE Kentrell White is the most highly ranked player we ever recruited.  OT Travis Robertson was #3, QB Jarin Mock is #4  and TE Maddox Hunsted is #7.  (Full bios, etc, available here).

So, after a disappointing season, we were excited to see what Eddie could do with a full season to recruit.  We are seeing it.  Obviously, it will need to translate to wins.

By position:

QB:  1

RB: 2

OL: 3

WR: 3

TE: 4 (Ay yi yi.  Honestly though, the new trend seems to be 13-personnel. And QB Carson Melvin moved from QB to TE).

Offensive total: 13

DL: 6

LB: 3

DB: 3

Defensive total:  12

So, a few other players who committed but were not in BG's announcement.

Carson Lovett is an ATH from Cass Tech, Detroit's D1 football factory.  (Alma mater to Diana Ross and John DeLorean).  He's where stars are funky.  No stars, but offers from Marshall, Louisville, Akron, CMU, Charlotte, Kent, Miami and UMass in FBS. He's listed at 6'1" and 205 pounds.  I don't see any other numbers or stats, except that he was an integral part of Cass Tech's state runner-up team.

Caleb Moyer is a QB from Wapakoneta and is one of those really interesting players.  He was an absolute stud in HS. He was Ohio NW District Offensive POY and first-team All-Ohio.  Coach's kid. And a winner:  they won 44 games in his time at Wapak. And yet, Bowling Green was his only offer. He's 6'2" so size shouldn't be the issue. He's from DIII, which is out of 7 (or VII) total), so not that small a school.  None of that will matter come August.  We've had guys like this shine before.

John Kolarchik is an OL from Orchard Lake St. Mary's. He's 6'6" and 318 pounds. He had offers from Wayne State, and a handful of other smaller schools.  He did get a PWO offer from OU.  That HS is a DII power in Michigan, and they won two state titles while Kolarchik was there. 

Lastly is Dylan Dreasky.  He's really interesting.  A 3-star ranked recruit, he received only one offer.  He is from Linden, MI and lists himself as a QB, WR, S.  Which makes you wonder if he's going to be moved to another position at some point.  He's described online as an explosive playmaker.  Will be fun to watch him.

So there you have it.  Coming up soon, I will look at how we look in the various position groups, with a special focus on the OL, which at this point is dancing with the ones already in the room (for the most part).

As always, you can dig in yourself here.  

Falcon MBB Coast to Easy Win

That's what that is supposed to look like.

BG took on Ball State, a team in the MAC that they should beat, especially at home.  BG never trailed, dominated on both ends of the floor, and rolled to a 25-point victory that was the biggest of the Simon Era.

BG led by 10 for the last 23 minutes.  It was never closer than 13 in the second half.

It was a win BG badly needed.  At 5-6 in MAC play, they need to stack some wins together.  Sadly, having lost opportunities against UB and CMU, the road will be a little rougher.  They have @NIU next after the Sun Belt, and have Toledo, Kent, Miami, UMass on the schedule, along with WMU and EMU.  The good news is that they play 4 of the 6 at home.

Again, qualifying for the tournament is the minimum.  You'd like to get to #6 to avoid MU or UA in the first round...although with Miami, we would have the chance to right a quarter-century-old wrong.

BG scored 1.23 points per possession, their 4th-best D1 game of the year.  They allowed .83 points per possession, their fifth-best D1 game of the season.  That's what we're talking about...that team has showed itself from time to time this year...but needs to stack games like this together.

Coach said they played the "web" zone defense for the whole game — that's a D they created out of necessity last year due to injuries and the need to hide Marcus Johnson.

It was BG's best shooting game of the year (D1), but FWIW, better than they shot against Bethany and Siena Heights. That's 60% on 2FG and 50% on 3FG. Meanwhile, BSU shot 43% on 53% and 19%.  BG destroyed BSU on the boards, and free throw attempts were almost the same, but BG was +6 when making 14 of 15.  Coach Simon rolled his eyes when he talked about how many FTs they have shot in practice.

Ball State actually won the turnover battle.

BG also had much more balanced scoring.  It was nice to have everyone working on it, rather than Campbell being forced to shoot every time. 

In fact, Josiah Shackelford led the scoring with 21 on 4 of 8 and 3 of 5 shooting.  He made 4-4 at the line and had 6 rebounds.  He was back starting, as well as Thomas, with Glover and Ruffin coming off the bench.  

BG actually started a small lineup with no center, though Goins and Glover played 15 minutes each.

Speaking of Goins, he had his best game in BG.  He absolutely abused Mason Jones in the post, scoring 10 points on 5 of 7 shooting, adding 5 rebounds.  Coach said Goins has completely transformed his body since he came to BG.  Also, he's got a 3FG game.  Would be huge to see him contribute.

Wol had 14.  He had been slumping, but went 1-2 and 4-7 in this one.

Campbell had 12 but was highly efficient, making 2-3 from 2FG and his only 3FG and all 5 FTs, to go with 6 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals but 5 turnovers.

Glover had 7 rebounds in 15 minutes.

One other thing...he didn't score, but Thomas seems to just solidify things for us.  He's coming off an injury.  He was +23.

So, one we go.  Now the mid-season Sun Belt game, which apparently no one wants to play....followed by the long ride to DeKalb.  Consistency is what we need. Let's have a good ride home.

Ball State MBB Preview

It's a cold winter, and a cold month or so for the men's basketball team, which has lost three in a row and 5 out of the last 7.  BG and UB are tied for the last playoff spot, with Ball State a half-game behind.

It's not looking great right now.

At one point, Ball State was a MAC basketball power.  From 1981 to 2000, they appeared in the NCAA Tournament seven times in 19 years.  That includes a Sweet 16 appearance.  It was a regular thing, and they had the best fan base in the MAC.  Since then, not so much.  They have not played in the MAC title game since 2000.

Michael Lewis is their current coach and is in his fourth year.  He has losing records the last 2 seasons and this year they are 7-14/5-14/3-6.  They started with a KenPom of 256, and now it is 309.

They were picked 8th in the MAC and 11th in Blue Ribbon. They lost their first 5 MAC games this year, then rallied to beat OU, CMU, and NIU, before losing to UT last time out to snap the streak.

Ball State has won 6 of the last 10 over BG, though the Falcons are 3-1 in the last 4 and the last 2 at the Stroh.

BG is a 12.5-point favorite. Dang.

They have had at least 3 players miss significant time.

This sets up very much like the CMU game.  (All Stats MAC ONLY). BSU is #10 on offense and #11 on defense.  On defense, they are last in allowing the shot, last in defending the 3FG, and 10th in defending the 2FG.  There's no reason BG shouldn't make shots against this team...

There are obstacles.  Beyond that, BSU is solid... they lead the MAC in forcing turnovers and are #3 in keeping teams off the line and #7 in defensive boards. (BG was getting to the line a lot earlier in the year, but in their last four losses, they have been under 25%.  The D1 average is 35%.)  Last FT trivia...BSU earns the bad luck award...they are last in FT% against, at 81%.

If BG is ready to defend again, they should be able to handle the Cards.  They are last in EFG...and last in making 2FGs and 8th in 3FGs.  They take an average number of 3FGs.  They are also last in offensive rebounding, so if there are misses, you hope there are chances to run.  The fewer half-court possessions BG has, the better. BSU is #1 at taking care of the ball, #7 at getting to the line, and #4 at FT shooting.

 They are led by Armoni Zeigler, who transferred from St. Peter's. He is scoring 17.2 PPG.  He's not efficient...making 46% on 2FG and 32% on 3FG.  He does make 84% at the line (#8), and he draws 5 fouls a game. He also leads the team with 5.4 RPG and has 30 turnovers, which, given the amount of time he has the ball, isn't as much as it seems.

Davion Hill is scoring 14.1 PPG. He transferred from NW Florida State College. (Also Trey Diggs). He's 6'2" and makes 58% from 2FG and 37% from 3FG. He takes excellent care of the ball.

They are not a big team...#328 in average height.  They play 8 players for 10 minutes or more, though with some injuries. They had a full lineup at UT, except for Joey Hart, who has not played since 12/20.

No regroup in Mt. Pleasant

 We were hoping to see a re-group yesterday in Mt. Pleasant.  Instead, we settled into 7th place.

BG did seem to play better defense, but they played the flattest and most listless game in years. And they dropped a game that you need to win to compete in this conference.  It's no mystery that yesterday's performance was not competitive.

After a rough start, BG led by 14 with 5 minutes left to play.  We led by 12 at the half and still led by 8 with 4 minutes gone in the first half.  At that point, CMU went on a 15-2 run and took the lead with 9 minutes left to play.  BG was up 5 with 6 minutes to play--on their 2nd 3FG of the game. CMU took the lead back with 4 minutes to play and the game was tied with 1:50 left and BG's ball.

BG missed a 3FG, and CMU turned the ball over.  Still tied, :58 to play.  BG is fouled.  Unfortunately, it's Glover, and he missed both of the FTs.  (Hard to have him out there late in games). BUT WAIT!  BG gets the rebound...and Campbell missed 2 FG.

Then the key sequence happened.  First, Adley got into the paint and hit a 2FG with :33 left, then Towns turned it over with :23 left, and Phat Phat made a 2FG, and CMU was up 4, and the die was cast.  BG hit a 3FG to make it one and had a 3FG to win, but it didn't go down.

BG was simply miserable shooting.  BG scored .84 points per possession, their worst offensive game of the season by a significant amount.  Our last games that were worst were in Simon's first year. BG's EFG was 39%...their previous lowest this year was 45%. We shot 39% from 2FG--worst this year--and 25% from 3FG, sadly only our 7th worst.

Turnovers and offensive rebounds were pretty even and made-FT's were even as well.  CMU didn't shoot a lot better--they only made 19% from 3FG, but they made 52% on 2FG and that was the difference.

It was an ugly, hard-to-watch performance by the Falcons.

Javonte Campbell continues to carry this team.  During a lot of possessions, he appeared to be the only Falcon moving his feet.

He scored 21, but they made him work for it.  He was 8 of 20 on 2FG, 5 of 7 at the line, 4 assists, 4 steals, and 2 TO.

Josiah Shackleford had 17, but 4 of 10 and 3 of 5 from 3FG.  He made 3 of BG's 4 3FGs, with Aidan Goins making the other.  Glover is efficient with 4 of 8 on 2FG and 6 rebounds.  Basically, I don't like to call guys out. If you played on our team and I didn't mention your name, we aren't getting anything out of you on offense.

Nathan Claerbaut was a real difference.  He blocked shots, altered shots, and has a really soft touch in the rim.  Look for him to move up next year.

So Ball State is next.  BG is a half-game ahead of Ball State to be out of the playoff mix.  BG has lost 3 straight and 5 of 7.  Last year, we had injuries...we are mostly healthy this year.  It's off track right now.

Toilet Paper/CMU MBB Preview

So BG tries to bounce back after a debacle on Tuesday.  We've shown resilience in the last couple years, but who knows?  I'm hoping to see it happen. We need a win in this one.  Apparently, there will be a big crowd because they throw toilet paper before the game.  You be you, Mt. Pleasant.

Historically, CMU has had some competitive teams in the MAC.  Under Dick Parfitt, they made 3 NCAA tournaments and produced multiple NBA players. Charlie Coles came next.  Jay Smith coached them to their most recent NCAA tournament in 2003.  He flamed out with 20 wins over the next 3 years. After that, they have been in the wilderness.  Ernie Zeigler. who brought his five-star son Trey, followed by Keno Davis and Tony Barbee. 

They have eight losing seasons out of the last ten in the MAC. When Barbee was fired, they made what I think was a smart move, hiring Andy Brokenma from Ferris State.  Rather than try to find some guy who crashed out at a higher level, they found a success who is used to winning in Mid-Michigan, which is no picnic.  He led Ferris State to the 2017-18 national championship, three NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen appearances, nine overall NCAA tournament appearances and a 278-105 overall record. 

I think this was a good hire.  The hill got higher as he lost every player on the roster.  They were picked 12th in the MAC poll and Blue Ribbon.  

He went out and got 3 D1 players, 7 DII transfers, one NAIA transfer, one JUCO, and 3 FR.

It's been a tough year.  They are 6-15 and 4-15 in D1 games. One D1 win was over Coppin State, the second-worst team in D1. Their KenPom started at 309 and is 302 right now. They are 2-7 in the MAC, with an upset win over Kent and a blowout win over EMU their last time out.  EMU was playing their first game without Carlos Hart or Braelon Green.

Both wins were at home.

They have 12th-place stats.  They are #10 in offense and #9 in defense.

Offense is where the focus should be.  BG failed to guard in their last game and let a team with many shooters slice them apart.  I think it is safe to say they have been encouraged to guard better since Tuesday.  This would be the team to demonstrate that against.

They are 2-focused, trying only 33% from 3FG.  They also make only 32% from 3FG.  Their 52% from 2FG is slightly above average. They are 8th on the offensive boards and 8th at protecting the ball, both things that match against BG strengths.  And they don't get to the line (#12) and don't make the FTs when they are there (#12).

So, a sharpened BG defense that guards the shot without fouling, forces turnovers, and then turns rebounding into transition points should be a good matchup here.  We'll see BG responds to having the pressure turned up this week.

BG is #5 in offensive efficiency in the MAC, and CMU is #9 in defense, and we are on the road, where we apparently like to shoot better.  BG is even more 2FG-focused than CMU is, and BG makes 54%. CMU is #7 at defending the 2FG and #6 at the 3FG.  Their weaker areas are defensive rebounding and putting opponents on the line.  BG has been good at getting to the line and makes 73%, #8 in the MAC. If the defense clicks, BG should be able to score in this one.

CMU plays a nine-man rotation, with no one averaging 30 MPG, and has 5 scorers in double figures. (All stats are MAC only).

Tamario Adley is their leading scorer with 13.3 PPG and 5.4 RPG and #4 in the MAC in steals. He's efficient at 54% and 41%. He also leads the team in assists, but it's only 30 (#12 in MAC). He's a 6'1" G who played at Wayne State and Macomb CC.

Phat Phat Brooks is scoring 12.8 PPG, and takes mostly 2FGs and makes only 43%. He's a 6'2" G who was Mr. Basketball in Michigan (and a bunch of other honors) and played one year at Michigan, getting into 15 games last year.

Nathan Claerbout also scores 12.8 PPG, adding 5.7 RPG. He leads the MAC in blocked shots. He's a 7'0" who came over from Ferris.  He makes 57% of his shots, almost all from 2FG.

Logan McIntire is scoring 11.6 PPG on 33% and 38% shooting, mostly from 3FG. He's a 6'5" G who played at Evansville and then Kentucky Wesleyan.

Keenan Garner is scoring 10.3 PPG and leads the team with 7 RPG. He makes 56% on mostly 2FGs. He's 6'6" and transferred from IU-Indy.

So here we go.  BG is 4-5 and can't leave this one on the table.  CMU is not good, but they have beaten Kent.  And TOILET PAPER.

So here we go. 

BG Doesn't Guard. Bloodbath Scheduled.

Most of the time, I am glad I never really played sports.  In business, when we had a bad day, we might be subjected to questions about our value or (usually) empty threats, and we would spend a day wondering about our future and how we managed to take so many wrong turns.

Todd Simon has promised that practice tomorrow will be a "bloodbath." 

"They’re going to strap up. This is not what we’re about."

Woof.  I'm sure they would have rather skipped the day off and gotten it over with.

The whole thing has a positively Dakichian ring to it, except progress would have been at midnight after the game.

The cause of the bloodbath was BG's defensive performance against UB Tuesday night.  This was a winnable game.  BG has been working hard on defense and has shown some improvement.  Last night was the opposite of that...and therefore the bloodbath.

More Simon:  "The guys that are on the bus to play defense are going to move forward. The guys that are not will still have a seat, but it’s going to be more in different roles."

I'm not exactly sure how that is going to work, given that we only have eight guys or so who are playable.  Maybe we'll play four guys like in Hoosiers.

It was a bad performance in a game we really could have used. 

BG gave up 1.33 points per possession, their second-worst of the season. They allowed 69% EFG, the worst this year.  BG hasn't allowed 70% since 2017.  BG allowed 58% on 2FG...not great, but 54% on 3FG, the worst this season.  Note the similarity between those two numbers. You have to go back two years before you see a team making 3FGs against BG like that.

BG had 1.17 points per possession on offense, which was actually pretty good. BG is 7-2 in D1 games when scoring 1.15 or more.  We scored enough to win.  We did not guard at all.

If this works, I wouldn't want to be CMU on Saturday.  If it doesn't work, I guess it's best to find out now.

Javonte Campbell is having an incredible season.  He just can't be stopped.  He scored 31 on 11 of 17 and 2 of 3 shooting.  Added 7 assists over 2 turnovers. He was 3 of 6 at the line, where he is normally good.

The problem is, no one else got into double figures. Everyone else on the team appears to be slumping, with the exception of Glover, who was efficient with his opportunities.

Last case in point.  BG did get some stops in the second half...7 of 8 possessions that resulted in a 13-2 run and a BG lead. UB responded with a 4-point play, a stop, a 3FG, a stop, and a 2FG, and the lead was back to 8.

Our next 3 games are Central, NIU and Ball State.  This is no time for a slump.  On to CMU.

Football Update

It's game day for MBB, so a good time to peek in on the football team.  The portal deadline is closing, and signing day is next week.  As always, hat tip to @thetalontribune for tracking all this and keeping it in a public place.  It's there all the time.

The "official" roster was put on the BG website.  Not sure what triggered that since there are still portals open and the like, but it did contain some very good news.

JoJo Johnson and Myles Bradley, who had both been in the portal, have decided to return to the team.

This is big for our defense. Johnson was a key D-back for us, leading the MAC in passes defended. He was recruited at Notre Dame and played at Indiana.  And Bradley had 5 sacks and forced three fumbles.

There's four other DBs in the portal, Sanders Ellis at LB, and two (in particular) other additions we will discuss in a minute.  The defense is looking to be in a workable position.

The roster update included 2 new transfers, and since then, another DL has announced his commitment.

John Baker IV, EDGE

He went to Cass Tech in Detroit, riding a proven pipeline to UT, where he redshirted before leaving with the coaching change.  That's a legit D1 factory.  Listed as a three-star recruit by 247Sports and ESPN...No. 25 recruit by ESPN in the state of Michigan...247Sports lists him as the No. 30 player in the state...Two-time Detroit Free Press All-City selection, all-state in his senior year...As a senior, had 55 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, and 18 sacks, leading all edge rushers in Michigan the last two seasons in sacks and tackles for loss....He won three conference titles and the 2024 state championship.

Jonathan Goins, LB

He went to Pine Bluff and then to Alabama A&M, each for one year.  He appears to have been a good player in high school, but generated no numbers for either collegiate team.

Selah Brown, DL

This is another one of these huge prospects who has yet to click in college.  He is a transfer from Louisville.  Has played in 7 games over 2 years. Before that, he was a four-star prospect … listed as the No. 4 player in the state by the ON3 Consensus rankings … ranked as the No. 78 defensive lineman and the No. 6 athlete in Kentucky by ON3 … rated the No. 2 player in the state of Kentucky and the No. 1 defensive end in the state …four-star prospect by 247Sports …named Class 6A Player of the Year by Kentucky Football Coaches Association … finished with 31 tackles and 3.0 tackles for loss as a senior  Had offers from Illinois, Kentucky, Boston College, Northwestern, Missouri, Tennessee, Stanford, Purdue, UCF, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, West Virginia.

As for the players leaving BG, most have found a home. There were 35, plus one guy who dropped off in the roster update. 18 are playing in the FBS, 14 in P4 and 4 in G5.  10 are in FCS. 2 are in D2. 5 more remain in the portal or unkown.  Bam Booker retired.

Interesting that there were few lateral moves.  People either moved up for money or exposure, or down for playing time, which they could use to move up again.

Drew Pyne is not on the roster.  9 of the portal players were on defense, 6 on offense, and only one on the OL to date.

BG MBB Needs a Bounceback Win

Key turnaround here for the BG Falcons MBB team.  BG played well enough to win Saturday at Savage, but took a gut punch when a one-eyed true FR drained a trey to steal the game.

They are back at home...and they need to rebound quickly.  Their next four MAC games are winnable, and if they can get to 8-4, they are almost sure to get to Cleveland.

The opponent is one of the MAC's more interesting teams.  UB struggled when Nate Oats left, but three years ago hired George Halcovage from Villanova.  He was 11-49 for his first two seasons as he tried to work an old-school rebuild.

They were picked 11th by the MAC and 9th by Blue Ribbon.  The magazine appeared to be onto something, as UB did start out in surprising fashion. Playing the #348 non-conference schedule, they were 10-2/8-2 hitting MAC play. They also had a soft start to MAC play, winning @WMU, @NIU, and BSU to open 3-0.

At that point, they transitioned to the murderer's row of their schedule, losing @OU, KSU, @MU, UA, and UMass.  They took Miami to OT--in fact, MU needed buzzer beaters at the half and in OT to beat the Bulls, and that was at Millet.

They are now 3-5 in MAC play and on a five-game losing streak.  In fact, their next two games after this are OU and MU, both in Buffalo.

Their KenPom started at 329 and is now 189, probably one of the biggest increases in the country.

BG has won six of the last 10 against the Bulls, including the last 3 overall and the last 2 at the Stroh. If UB does win against BG (KenPom 113), it would be their second-biggest win of the year.  They beat DePaul (102).

They play at 66 possessions, which is relatively slow.

Their success in MAC play has mostly been driven by their offense. They have the number 4 offense in the MAC. They shot 45% from 3FG, also #4, and they make 38%, which is #2.  They are #4 from 2FG.  They also take good care of the ball, #4 in limiting turnovers. 

That's a tough combo to beat.  They don't offensive rebound at all, and they don't draw fouls, and they make 73% at the line, which is #8.

BG's put together two strong defensive games in a row, and they'll need another one.  It's another good test.  If BG can string those together, the team will be much less inconsistent, which has been a problem. Statistically, BG is #7 in defense, but that is moving up.  They need to force turnovers, which they did not do against the Rockets.

Defensively, UB is not good.  They are #10 in defense and last in defending the overall shot and the 2FG.  And #10 defending the 3FG.  They are #6 in forcing turnovers and don't foul much — as we saw with Toledo.  Other than shooting, their other weakness is OREB, in which they are #9, and BG is #6.

I suspect Coach will have the turnover issues cleaned up, and we'll have to see if BG can make shots at home like they did in the last home game against EMU.

UB has two guys who can really score the ball. (Stats below MAC games only).

Daniel Freitag is the #2 scorer in the conference.  (Campbell is #1).  In HS, he was the #11 PG in the nation and the #104 overall player according to 247. He went to Wisconsin, where he played in 14 games before transferring to UB.  He's scoring 21.6 PPG.  He's not super efficient (48%/33%/75%) and is #2 in the MAC in % of shots taken. He also adds 5.3 APG (#5 in MAC) and #1 in A/T ratio.

Ryan Sabol is scoring 20.1 per game, which is #5 in the MAC.  He plays 94% of their minutes.  He is more efficient than Freitag, shooting 51%/41%/87%. He adds 3.9 APG, which is #10 in the MAC. He came to UB right out of HS.

Angelo Brizzi scores 11.9 PPG. He's efficient at 58%/39%/75% and leads them with 12 steals. He is an example of even this coach having to compromise... he's played at Longwood, Davidson, and Villanova.

Tim Oboh is 6'11" and from England.  He averages 5 RPG and has blocked 10 shots.  Noah Batchelor is 6'8" and transferred from Maryland two years ago. He averages 5.1 RPG and led the team in rebounding last year.

BG plays a short rotation at 28.3 bench minutes.  UB uses 25.7%.

BG is a 7.5-point favorite.  From Vegas's lips to God's ears.  

Heartbreaker for BG MBB at Savage

 Ooof.  BG and UT played an All-time classic last night at Savage.  This year, it was UT's turn to rip our hearts out of our chests... a highly entertaining basketball game that BG should have won, doing a lot right but not enough to beat UT in that arena.

It was a close game the whole way.  Neither team led by more than 7 points at anytime.  With 11 minutes left, the Rockets were up 6.  Over the next four minutes, BG went on a 17-4 run to take a 7-point lead. 

BG still led by 7 with 4:32 left.  Things are starting to feel good, but you remember where we are and who we are playing.

In fact, BG was up 7 WITH THE BALL.  But they turned it over,  UT turned it over, BG had a breakaway layup, which they missed. UT hit a 3FG and then BG turned it over again (+4).  BG got a stop and Campbell was fouled where he split the pair.  BG up 5 with 2:26 to play.

So, in two minutes, BG scored 1 point, should have had at least 3, and made two other turnovers that could have put the game away.

Even so, with 2:26 left, BG was up 5.

That was as good as it would look.  The teams traded stops, as the offense missed another opportunity to extend the lead.  Craig hit a 3FG, and it was a 2-point lead with 1:27 to play.

BG ran clock, but turned the ball over with :54 to play.  BG's defense delivered again, and BG had the ball with :43 to play.  They ran the clock down, and Campbell took a wild shot and missed everything. BG got the board and called time out, but there was only :02 left on the shot clock.

That shot hits the rim, we probably win.  Or the FT...or the breakaway layup.  But it didn't.  BG inbounded to Wol, who missed.

Down comes UT, down a bucket.  They don't take time...and BG loses their leading scorer, Blyden, in the wash.  As he winds up to shoot, wide open, he is 1-7 from 3FG for the night, and his eye looks like he was in the Golden Gloves.  And he drains it.  Because...rivalry magic.

Down 1, Shackelford for a 3FG off, but missed, and the Rockets had yanked BG's heart out.  Kowalcyk said after the game that UT did everything to keep Campbell from beating them on that possession, including kind words for Campbell.

BG did not execute down the stretch and didn't close out a game they should have won.

BG's defense was excellent.  They held UT to 1.08 points per possession. BG was focused on defending the shot, and held UT to 46% from 2FG and 32% from 3FG. That's a 47% EFG.  BG's other strength on defense has been turnovers, but UT took great care of the ball, with 11.3% turnover rate, BG's 2nd worst of the season.

The problem was that BG had 16 turnovers, 9 more than UT.  That was the 3rd worst of the season.  So even though BG outshot UT, the Rockets prevailed because they took 11 more shots.  They were also +3 at the line.  Despite what it felt like, BG actually had an edge in offensive rebounds because it missed fewer shots.

Of BG's 16 turnovers, 4 came in the last 4:03

Javonte Crawford is a stud.  He carried the club again, scoring 29 on 10 of 15 and 2 of 5 shooting. He was 3 of 4 at the line, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists...and evidence they were pressing him, he had 7 turnovers. Towns had 11 on 4 of 5 and 1 of 2 shooting, 7 rebounds, and 4 turnovers. Glover had 9 points and 7 rebounds in 23 minutes after a dumb first-half technical foul gave him a second foul.

They have to bounce back.  Can't lose this one twice.  A slumping UB Bull team comes in on Tuesday. 

Rivalry Preview, MBB. BG and UT.

OK, rivalry game #1, as BG and the Rockets clash at Savage...

This is not the typical Rocket team.  They were picked by #5 by Blue Ribbon and #6 by the MAC poll. While still a quality program, they are not in the top tier of MAC teams...of course, neither is BG. They started the year ranked 167 on KenPom, and they are at 160 now. They are 10-9/8-9, but they played the #123 non-conference schedule.

BG and UT are tied at 4-3 in the MAC standings. They have beaten WMU, @NIU, @CMU, and OU...and lost to Miami, @KSU, and @UMass--their last time out. 

UT has won 7 out of the last 10 meetings.  The teams have split both of the last two years, last year with the backwards split, with each team winning on the road.

The Rockets are 2.5-point favorites.

The teams are relatively similar in profile.  UT is #4 in offense and #8 in defense.  BG is #6 in offense and #7 in defense.  It will be a good test for BG's defense that was unveiling in Kzoo Tuesday.  This is a much different challenge.

UT is 2FG focused team, taking the lowest % of 3FG in the MAC.  They aren't bad, they are #5 at 3FG shooting and #8 at 2FG shooting.  All of which leaves them #7 in overall shooting.

It is the weakest part of their attack.  They are #2 in taking care of the ball, #3 on the offensive boards and #4 at getting to the line.  BG's defense is designed to key the offense, with turnovers and defensive rebounds, so that will be an interesting battle to watch.

Their defense is first and foremost built on not fouling.  They are #1 in the MAC at keeping their opponents off the line.  BG is #1 getting to the line.  So that should be interesting.  They are the 12th 3FG defending team in the MAC and 12th on the defensive boards.  So, same as ever, BG will need to make shots to keep up in this one.

Their leading scorer is the leader for FR of the year, Leroy Blyden.  He's scoring 19 PPG (MAC games only).  He's efficient at 50%, 41% and 89% at the line.

Sonny Wilson, 3rd team All-MAC last year, is scoring 17.6 PPG, making 49% and 44%. He's #5 in the MAC with 5.4 APG.

Sean Craig is scoring 12 PPG and adding 8.4 RPG, which is #4 in the MAC.  He's 6'7" from Sylvania Northview who transferred from IU-Indy.

Kyler Vanderjagt also scores 12 PPG on 53% and 44% shooting. He transferred from CMU.

So there we go.  UT is a very solid team, if not as good as we are used to seeing.  This is a good test for BG....remember the end of the last one, where Javonte Campbell silenced the Savagians with a last-second layup.

BG MBB Defends its Way to Big Road Win

BG took care of its business last night in Kzoo, cruising to a 72-54 victory.  We had Kent and Akron and lost back-to-back, but we had EMU and WMU and won back-to-back.

Here's what Coach said after the game...

"Our complete emphasis is to get back [to defense]. Defense travels. We don't want to be a team that just tries to outscore people. Our emphasis has been, for a few days here, we're going to get back to guarding and that's what practice has been focused on. When you hold a team to 33-percent on their home court, 23-percent from three and 15 turnovers, that's a heck of an outing on the defensive end."

Interesting.  BG played better defense in the non-conference schedule.  It got worse, partly because Miami, Akron and Kent are highly effective on offense.  As noted in the preview, WMU was not a bad offensive team, but BG shut them down with a stifling defense that delivered victory on an average offensive night.

BG came out strong this time, taking a 10-point lead with 11 left to play.  WMU carried the play for a few minutes, cutting the lead to 1 with 4 to play.  BG closed the way winning teams do, going 8-0 for the next 4 minutes to lead by 9 at the half.

BG continued the momentum into the second half, going on an 8-2 run to get the lead to 15 points with 16 left to play. For the last 17:44, the Falcons held the Broncos from making any kind of serious run, with the lead staying over 10 for that whole time.  It got as high as 24.

BG held WMU to .81 points per possession.  That's the 3rd lowest against a D1 opponent this year.  They have not lost a game with that type of defensive performance since 2016 against Miami.

Their EFG was 39%, also BG's 3rd best of the season. That's 43% and 23% shooting.  And BG didn't foul, important given the number of players they used.  And BG kept them off the offensive boards--a big source of their offense.

BG had 1.08 points per possession, which is a little below the national average. BG shot 53% and 25%, taking 36% from 3FG.  However, they had only 8 turnovers and went 19-for-27 at the line, +9 over WMU.

The other interesting point is that BG ran a very short rotation.  Justin Thomas, DNP. BG ran a 6-man rotation for the vast majority of the game--Glover, Campbell, Ruffin, Towns, Wol, and Shackelford. The first thing is, when you play like that, you absolutely cannot foul.  UT has played those kinds of rotations, and they don't foul.  It is a high-risk endeavor.

Also, you are going to see some big individual numbers.  Not to be a spoil-sport, but when guys are playing these kinds of minutes, they are going to pile up some numbers.

Javonte Campbell and Sam Towns carried the team on offense. Campbell had 20 points...5 of 13 and 2 of 3 shooting (yes, he made 2 3FGS), 4-5 at the line, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 block, 5 steals, and only 1 turnover.  If that works for you.

Towns had 21 on 6 of 9 and 0 of 2 shooting.  He was 9 of 12 at the line. Nine rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, and 0 turnovers.

Shackelford had a highly efficient 13, with 1 of 1 from 2, 2 of 4 from 3FG, and 5 of 6 at the line.

How about Troy Glover?  Increasingly, he's a problem.  Nine points, 4 of 6 shooting, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 blocks, and 3 steals with 1 turnover.  The big worry here is that he's a 35% FT shooter and teams are going to start fouling him late.

Wol and Ruffin had off nights, but other guys jumped in.

Justice Williams had 18 and was the only player in double figures for WMU.  But he had to earn it, going 3-for-5 and 2-for-9.  The Broncs are 1-6 since he started to play.

There are no bad 18-point road wins in conference.  Next is Savage and the Rockets.  BG and UT are tied at 4-3 in MAC play, and these promise to be good games.

BG MBB Preview for WMU

BG heads up, if possible, into west Michigan, where a 100-car pile-up seems to happen once a year or so.  Unbelievable. 

Anyway, the Falcons are headed to Kalamazoo to take on the Broncos. WMU once had a strong MAC program, qualifying for the NCAA tournament three times from 1997 to 2014.

Things have gone south since then.  Since 17-18, they have not had a winning season. Three of those years had single-digit wins.  This, while WMU's athletic program, in general, is gradually taking over the MAC and winning an NCAA Hockey Title.

It's curious.

They started with a KenPom of 292 and have it up to 241. They are 7-11/5-11/1-5.  Their one MAC win was a win over EMU in Kzoo, with losses to UB, @UT, @MU, UMass, and @Akron.  BG has won only 6 of the last 10 against WMU, including splitting the games last year, with each team winning on the road. BG has won 5 of 6 in Kzoo.

The big story here is Justice Williams.  He started as a 4-star recruit and played for LSU for 2 years.  It wasn't really clicking, so he went to Robert Morris, where he was OK, scoring 12 a game.  He sat out last year with a knee injury before coming to WMU.

The issue is that Robert Morris was one of the schools where there was suspicion of shaving points.  WMU kept him out of basketball activities in case he was implicated.  He was eventually cleared and returned to action.

He's played 5 games with 20 points in 3 of them.  Highly efficient.  They are 1-4 in those 5 games.  He's 6'4".

All stats below MAC only.

In terms of the matchup, the biggest thing is that they are one of the worst defensive teams in the country and are last in MAC play. They are 11th in defending the shot...#13 against the 2FG and #7 against the 3FG. This should sit well with the attack BG used against EMU. They are last in forcing turnovers, and they are #12 on the defensive boards...they don't foul too much, they are #6 in allowing FTs.

So, BG should score here.  The Falcons are #3 in the MAC in 3FG, I know it doesn't feel like it. We are #12 in the rate of attempted 3FGs.  

This seems like a good matchup.

WMU is #6 in offense in the MAC.  Their Coach is an Izzo disciple, so you know they are going to crash the boards...#3 in the MAC.  They are #6 at shooting and #5 at taking care of the ball.  They are 12th at getting to the line. 

They are 7th in how often their try 3FGS and #5 at making them.  They are #9 on 2FGs and make 72% at the line, which is 8th.

BG's defensive numbers are terrible against the shot (we hope due to the competition we played), and BG fouls a lot.  The two interesting areas are turnovers and defensive rebounding, where BG and WMU are both strong.

Williams is WMU's leading scorer with 19.6 PPG.  He makes 57% and 44%, plus 88% at the line. 

Jalen Griffith is their second-leading scorer. He's 5'10" and played at Jacksonville and Navarro College before the Broncos.  He's scoring 13 PPG on 50% and 42% shooting and 82% at the line.  Adds 3.8 assists per game.

Hudson Ward is a Penn State transfer who has missed the last 5 games.  No idea if he will play or not.

Jayden Brewer is scoring 12.8 PPG on 51% 2FG shooting.  Also leads the team with 7.3 RPG.  He's 6'6" and transferred from FIU.

They are not big...they are ranked #240 in average height.  And they run a very wide rotation...they have 10 players averaging 10 minutes or more in MAC play and playing more than one game.

BG is a 7.5-point road favorite.

BG Football Portal Update

So there are 5 new portal signees, leaving BG with 14 (including a long snapper).  Signees can be completed until the end of the month and I am sure we will continue to work the wires, especially on the front lines.

As always, @thetalontribune has this up to date at this location.

Armahn Hale, DB

An Ohioan (Buchtel), he started his career at Butler CC where he was productive.  Then he went to Kent, had a so-so-year.  And then transferred to New Mexico State where he was a quality player...44 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 2 fumbles forced and two passes defended.  He was not highly recruited out of HS, so he has worked his way into being a competitive D-back.  We can use a guy like this.

Tomondrey Braxton, DB

From Highland Springs, VA, he was also not highly recruited out of HS.  247 makes him a 3-star portal recruit.  He played at North Carolina Central, an FCS school.  He was all-state his senior year.

He played sparingly as a freshman, but had 40 tackles, 2.5 TFL, a sack, 2 INT and 10 PBUs as a sophomore.

Timothy Taylor, DL

He's from the Gainesville area and was all-area-small-school in HS.  He's coming from Jacksonville State...out of HS he had offers from UMass and WKU, along with 14 other FCS schools.  He's 6'0" and 280 pounds and did not play his first year at Jax State before entering the portal.

Ryan Kingston, P

Became a position of need after the incumbent's disappointing season. He is from South Bend and played for EMU as their kickoff specialist for one year, though he spent 3 years at the school.  He was the full-time punter for SEMO last year and averaged 41 yards per kick, 19 inside the 20 with 2 touchbacks and 6 out of 61 over 50.   The team's net was 38.19, which would have been 5th in the MAC.

Nick Sowell, WR

He's from Irmo, SC.  He started at Benedict College DII HBCU.  He had 22 catches his FR year. He transferred to SC State, an FCS HBCU, where he had 21 catches last year.  Here's what you want to know...he's 6'6".  I'm sure we can work him in somewhere.

So, as I noted, we have a couple of weeks left. I think the defense has been largely solidified, with 4 DBs, one LB, and one DL.  There's a LS and a P.  And some work to do offense.  We signed 2 QBs, an OL, a RB and 2 WR.

And there's a stud FR TE, too.

I think we need to close on the OL and a RB and another WR.  I am pleased with what we are doing.  It may have started a little slow, but I think we are getting help.  I saw something recently...you don't build a program, you build a team.  And we're moving in that direction.  Stay tuned. 

BG MBB Rallies Late, Beats EMU

 Here's what Coach Simon said after the game...

"We love that we won.  We don't love this win."

One of the things I like about Coach--I have said it before--is that he will say things we can all see.  Other coaches do not.  Clearly, that's not 100% what you want.

But in MAC play, there's a significant difference between a win and a loss.  We needed a win on home court, and we got it.  

As Urban Meyer has said, "We don't apologize for winning."

The flow of the game was really interesting.  Or "interesting." 

Nine minutes into the game, it was tied 13-12. Five minutes later, BG was up 14.  EMU battled it back, and the Falcons were up 10.  This is one of those situations, though...Todd Walker talked about...where BG really should have been up more.  They missed 2 technical FTs, 5 shots in the restricted area, etc.

BG came out on fire in the second half and, in 2:30, had the lead up to 21.  Honest to God, to myself, I said, "Our goal is not to let the game inside 10."

Yeah.  It was in fact at 10 about 2 minutes later, as EMU went on an 11-0 run.  It was still 10, with about 13 minutes left.  EMU went on an 18-3 run over 3 minutes to take a 5-point LEAD. EMU had 2 shots to even extend that lead, but failed to convert, and then Javonte Campbell hit a rare 3FG to stem the tide.

With 4:06 left, EMU was still up 4. And the Falcons responded.  FWIW, this is what I always say about Akron...they knuckle down in the last 4 minutes.

BG did that.  The comparison may not go further than that, but this was an example. With 3:19 left, BG put together a strong defensive possession.  Troy Glover blocked a shot at the rim, and it was a shot clock violation.

TV timeout.  BG had a turnover, but Troy Glover matched the steal on the other end, and Campbell got into the paint with a jumper to make the lead 2.

EMU missed a 3FG, Glover cleared the board, and Campbell came down and got fouled. Shooting 2, he split the pair. Down 1, with 1:48 to play.  Campbell gets a steal on the other end and converts to put BG up 1 with 1:21 left. 

BG fouled Ellison with :56 left and he had 2 shots.  He made the first to tie the game....and then MISSED the second.

BG ball, they are attacking, EMU is defending and the clock is running.  Campbell scores again to put BG up 2 with :29 left.

EMU came down, and Patterson hoisted a 3FG, which missed, and Shackelford had the board.  He was fouled right away and shooting 1 and 1.  A little more pressure, but he hit them both and BG was up 4 with :18 left.

Patterson essentially airballed a 3FG with :10 left.  Shackleford got the board and was fouled and hit them both again, and that was all...BG closed on an 11-1 run over the last 4:06 to win the game.

The big drama for BG was whether we could make 3FGs at home.  Which we did.  Coach said, "We asked very kindly and nicely to take better 3FGs," to the point where he felt some good ones were passed up early.

And they were selective.  Only 23% of their shots were from 3FG, with only the Davidson game having a lower rate this year. Overall, the 13 shots were the lowest since BG took 11 at the end of Simon I.

But BG made 9 of them. That's 69%, the first time over 50% for BG this year and tied for 2nd in the KenPom era for BG.

To win with that shot mix, you have to do other things well.  BG made 48% from 2FG, which is OK but not great and had 1 more turnover. Most of the different came at the line....BG made 16 of 21 and EMU made 12 of 14.

One thing BG has done well is take the opponent's best player out of the game.  Mohammed Habhab is a quality player.  And he had 15 points....on 14 FG attempts.  He added 12 rebounds, 2 assists, and 4 turnovers.  He was blocked twice and -10 for the game.

Now, Javonte Campbell.  He was quiet for most of the game.  He's facing defenses that are built to stop him.  He even had HIS pocket picked twice by Patterson. And then, well, starting with the key 3FG, see how much his name shows up in that summary of the last 4 minutes.

He will not push what isn't there. I know some people think he should. He scored 18...7 of 11 from 2 FG, made his only 3FG and 3 of 4 at the line. In efficiency terms, Habhab was 89 and Campbell 109.

One last tell.  BG was up 21 when Campbell left with his third foul.  You know what happened after that. 

Mayer Wol.  What a find.  Remember, he signed AFTER Yo-Yo left to play in the Lebanon pros.  He had 19 points in the first half.  They adjusted, but he didn't keep bombing.  He was 1-2 from 3FG for the second half.   Overall, 25 on 3 of 8 and 5 of 7 shooting and 4 of 5 at the line.  Coach likes how his skills match with Towns.

And Troy Glover.  You see that name in the last 4 minutes.  He got a slow start this year, but is playing with big energy lately.  He's in his first D1 season.  He finished with a 10/10 double-double, 4 blocks, 2 steals, and 0 turnovers.

Shackelford had 13, with 7 of 8 at the line, including the 4 we had to have, and 8 rebounds. Ruffin had 12 on 3 of 5 and 2 of 2 shooting. 

Two last notes.

I don't usually talk about officiating.  Complaining about MAC officiating is like complaining about the roads in Michigan, or saying it's not the heat its the humidity.  It's terrible.  But it was sub-terrible last night.  Terrible was an aspiration.

Justin Thomas continues to struggle with his foot.  He is gutting out minutes, but even after the off time, he is still not 100%.  Carlos Hart DNP for EMU, but our old friend Braelon Green picked up the pace with 22 points, possibly motivated to show something to his old Coach.

WMU next.  Need to make it 2 straight.

EMU MBB Preview

The EMU Eagles are coming to town Saturday.  Not to say this is a must-win...but this is probably one we need to win.

We are currently 2-3.  Yes, we have played by far the toughest schedule in the MAC to date, with a brutal six-day run.

And now, we move on to what we expect to be easier games.  We don't even play Akron again.

Here's the thing.  The first goal is to make it to Cleveland.  The second goal is to be at least a 6 seed to avoid Akron or Miami in the first round.

Last year, 8 wins got us into 8th.  So, let's look at a 10-8 record, for example.  We have 5 games left with teams from Michigan.  One with Ball State and one with NIU. Take care of business, that gets you to 8-9 wins, with other games left.

So, we need to take care of teams like this.

EMU arrives in a little turmoil.  Their #2 scorer and #1 scorer in conference play, Carlos Hart, was indicted yesterday for involvement in point shaving.  The allegations focus on his time at New Orleans, not at EMU.  (Two other former EMU players were also named.)

He has been suspended indefinitely.

EMU is 9-9, 8-9 when you remove their one non-D1 game.  They had the biggest upset of the MAC non-conference season with a road win over #56 Cincinnati. They also beat a good Oakland team in Ypsi. They are 3-3 in the MAC, with the second-easiest MAC schedule to date.  They won at home against UMass and NIU and @Ball State, with losses @UA, OU, and @WMU.  In the WMU game, they allowed a late 19-2 run to lose by 17 to the Broncos.

They were picked 8th by Blue Ribbon and 9th by the MAC media.  They started at a KenPom of 274 and are now at 195.  BG is at 117.   I haven't seen a point-spread.

The stats for this post are MAC games only.

EMU plays at the #12 pace in the MAC with 68 possessions.  BG plays fastest at 73 possessions.

Here is it shakes out.  Both teams are around .500. EMU is #10 in offense, and BG is #10 in defense.  EMU is #3 in defense and a #7-ranked BG offense. Remembering that BG has played a tough schedule, this still shakes out to a decent matchup.  BG is capable of better defense than that, especially against a team missing its best scorer.

To date in MAC play, BG is #12 at defending the shot.  You'd hope to see that improve as we get into some easier games.

EMU takes only 33% from 3FG, which is 10th.  They are 8th in making 3FGs and 9th on 2FGs. A key point will be turnovers.  EMU is 4th in protecting the ball, and BG is #1 in getting turnovers. The other key difference is fouls...EMU's FT rate is 36%, ranking 8th, while BG's is 44%, ranking 11th.  EMU's FT% is 69%, 11th in the conference.  EMU does not crash the boards, which is normal for teams looking to control pace.

EMU is #3 on defense, partly on holding Ball State and NIU under 60.  They are the best at defending shots and against the 3FG.  BG is #6 in overall shooting and #9 on the 3FG, and #444 on shooting 3FGs at the Stroh.  This would be a good time to turn that around.   EMU does not force turnovers, is strong on the defensive boards, and gives up a FTR of 30%.  BG is #1 in the MAC with a FTR of 44%.  We make 74%, which is #6.

Reminder: FTRate = FTA / FGA

Individually, the top remaining scorer for EMU is Addison Patterson, who scores 14.7 PPG on 69% and 29%.  He's 6'7" with a college journey that includes Oregon / Nevada / Tallahassee State / Northwestern State.  The 2FG shooting% is #9 in the MAC right now. He also averages 6.7 RPG. He also has 3 APG.  He's one of the better players in the MAC you haven't heard of.

Mohammed Habhab is the 2nd leading scorer. He's 6'9" and transferred from CMU. He's scoring 13.2 PPG but on 38% 2FG shooting, which is poor for a big man. He leads the team with 7.7 RPG and has 9 blocked shots.

Jon Sanders makes 43% from 3FG. 

Former Falcon Braelon Green is a starter and plays 24 minutes per day, 5 PPG.

So, EMU has two good big men, which will be a key for the Falcons.  However you slice it, I think our team is pretty good, and we need to demonstrate that tomorrow.

Breaking News: BG Football

 And this is a big one.

Per an ESPN source, former Oregon quarterback Austin Novosad has committed to Bowling Green. He's a former ESPN300 recruit. https://t.co/KlrCNPWmw6

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 16, 2026

This is a huge wow.  Huge.  Novosad instantly becomes the top player ever to come to Bowling Green, based on the ratings.  He's the only 4-star in our recruiting history.  And, with two weeks left in the portal, I believe it might well help us recruit some additional WRs and maybe a RB.  

Well, how about that?

From 247:

Also competes in track and field.

Ran a 15.67 110-meter hurdles, a 40.78 300-meter hurdles, and triple jumped 42-7.5 as a junior in Spring 2022.

2022: As a senior, led Dripping Springs to a 12-2 record and the Texas 6A D-II state quarterfinals. Threw for 2,911 yards, 39 TDs, and five INTs while completing 64.5 percent of attempts.

2021: Texas District 12-5A-I Overall MVP as a junior. Led Dripping Springs to a 10-1 record and the Texas 5A D-I postseason's first round. Threw for 3,399 yards, 40 TDs, and nine INTs on a 63.6 completion percentage.

2020: Texas District 12-5A D-I Offensive Newcomer of the Year as a sophomore for a 9-4 Dripping Springs team that reached the Texas 5A D-I regional semifinals (third round). Threw for 2,887 yards, 36 TDs, and six INTs on a 61.9 completion percentage.

--------

He played sparingly at Oregon, throwing 15 passes over 2 seasons.  He appears to have two years of eligibility, but who knows.

Welcome to the Falcons, Austin!

Update on BG Football.

Freshman for Class of 26

Kentrell White, TE

BG coaches have begun using #teu to signify our identity as Tight End University.  Kentrell White is well-positioned to be the next in line.  You know we have a love-hate relationship with recruiting rankings...we look, but we "don't believe them."  Ultimately, you're putting a number on an 18-year old.  I know when I left HS, there were lots of us who were going to grow, and some who were as good as they were going to get.

Kentrell is from Atlanta, where he went to Midtown High School. He's 6'4" and 210 and originally committed.  He's a 3-star and, by his composite ranking, is the best player BG ever recruited.  Only warning, a significant number of the Top 20 players based on composite ranking never made a mark at BG.

Kentrell is big and fast.  He qualified for the district in the 100- and 200-yard dashes.  He played in all three phases of the game. He was once committed to Auburn and had offers from Va Tech, K-State, Pitt, Arkansas State, Georgia State, Troy, UTSA, UConn, UNLV, WKU, and 3 non-D1 schools.

Let's hope we get him in right away.  

That takes BG's '26 HS class even further into #1 in the MAC recruiting rankings for the year.  We have articulated a strategy to start with HS players and fill in the portal.  Time will tell if that can still be done.

Last thing:  Kentrell is enrolled and in class right now.

Portal Activity

It's been insane.  The intrepid work of @thetalontribune has allowed us to keep this straight.  The number of players in the portal has gone from 39 to 34...a few players, notably Kal-El Pascal, have de-portaled.  (Or they never officially portaled.)  Cannot imagine earning my living this way.  

Of the 34 players, 17 have found homes.  Eight of those have been in P4 settings and three in G4 and six in FCS.

Anyway, here are the incoming players we have to date.  

QB Jay Kastantin

Already discussed him.  You must have a good QB to win

LB Sanders Ellis

A big one to replace Lampron.  Ellis comes from Purdue, but was highly productive playing for George at Tennessee State, something that I always like to see.  With a healthy Pringle, we have a shot at really strong LBs.  FWIW, he played very sparingly at Purdue, making 6 tackles, 3 of them against Ball State.

•  Jerry Rice Award Finalist and FCS Freshman All-American
• OVC Defensive Freshman of the Year
• Five-time BS-OVC Defensive Freshman of the Week selection
• Totaled 86 tackles, 15.5 tackles-for-loss, 2.5 sacks, three fumble recoveries and two pass breakups
• Finished second in tackles-for-loss and third in total tackles by an FCS freshman
• Finished the season with 10 tackles, 3.0 tackles-for-loss, 1.0 sacks and two fumble recoveries in the FCS Playoffs at Montana

WR Isaiah Dawson

Arrives from Richmond at a position of serious need.  

• He was a KOR and WR for the Spiders and was very productive.  Highly productive FCS players always look really good to me.
• Second Team All-Patriot League
• Played in 12 games, starting six in first season seeing action
• Ranked third in the Patriot League in all-purpose yards, averaging 104.5 a game
• Was third in the Patriot League and 21st overall in kick returns, totaling 543 return yards on the season
• Richmond’s second-leading receiver, recording 42 catches for 575 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 3.5 receptions per game and 13.69 yards a reception
• Ran the ball 11 times for 136 yards and a touchdown
• Against VMI (Sept. 20) and Bucknell (Oct. 4), recorded two receiving touchdowns, including a season and career-long 67-yard touchdown reception against VMI
• Tallied two 100-plus yard receiving performances, picking up a career-high 144 yards on six catches with a pair of touchdowns against Bucknell and (Oct. 4) and 103 yards on seven catches against #25 Lafayette (Nov. 15)
• Returned a 99-yard kickoff for a touchdown in season-opener at #14 Lehigh (Aug. 30)
• Ranked second in the Patriot League and 27th overall in kickoff returns, averaging 23.6 yards a return

He was recruited only by Richmond, based on what I can see.  

CB Nick Sawyer

He is transferring from Charleston Southern.  He started at Kennesaw State, a rising program. He was there for three years, with one red-shirt and two years when he played minimally. He made 15 tackles and had an INT for CSU.  He played QB in HS and was a 3-star recruit who committed to Army.  No idea what happened there. 

DB Mike Wright III

He was at Florida Atlantic for 2 years. He played in 20 games with 9 tackles and an INT.  He was a 3-star out of HS with offers from Indiana, Temple, Ball State and Charlotte, and a handful of FCS schools.

OL Gabriel Funk

Also arriving at a position of need.  He went to App. State where he red-shirted.  He is 6'6" and 305, which is a good start. He was a 2-star HS player who was offered by most of the MAC. He was two-time All-State.  

RB Ke'Marion Baldwin

Went from James Madison to Charleston Southern (Bowling Green South).  He's 5'9" and 200 pounds. He played 6 games for the Dukes.  At CSU he was 159-788, that's 4.9 ypc, with 6 TDs.  If he's able to translate that to FBS, there's a big opportunity at BG, where the RB is empty.  Dendy is back, but you need 2 or 3 to make that work.

He was honorable mention last year.  In HS, tallied over 5,600 rushing yards and 78 touchdowns in his career to set the school career records in both as well as the County ... Ran for over 400 yards in a pair of contests during his high school career.  He had offers from Georgia State, Kennesaw State and Navy.

That's what we have right now.  Between now and when you read it, there might be more.  Here's the key.  They do look good.  We need like 20 more.  We seem to still be look at QBs, 1-2 more lineman would really help, as well as RB and WR.  The defense appears to be solidifying.  But to compete next year, there is still a long way to go.

A Couple Notes from Coach Simon's Presser

Two things.

First, Javon Ruffin was still sick, in fact he was literally sick after the game.  He certainly didn't seem himself and we need his shooting.  He said that those three games in six days were really though and BG has needed to play a really short rotation.  He said he hopes that as the games get a little easier, he is hoping to broaden it out more to normal.

Second, he said that they are all perplexed about why they can't shoot at home.  He said that they don't know whether to shoot more or less.  We are shooting 41% from 3FG on the road (which is really good), and 29% at home, which is really bad.  Obviously, that would be super helpful.  You're not going to get very far if you don't win at home.

On paper, things get easier.  I think we have a good team.  It is always nice when the Coach indicates that he knows what the problems are. 

UA Notches 8th Straight Over BG MBB

There are two clearly outstanding teams in the MAC.  Like, not just this year, but going back several years outstanding. I think Miami and Akron are possibly as strong as the UB team in 19. 

BG has played them both at home.  Miami led by 28 at half time, BG rallied and got the score down to 9 at one point before losing by 10.  Akron led 24-4 in the early moments of the game--conjuring up memories of the previous meeting in Cleveland.  The Falcons rallied to get it to 3 with 4:11 left in the game, but lost by 10.

It's part of an ongoing trend where BG plays less than a full game against solid opponents at home.  You can't win the MAC if you don't win at home.  To be sure, we've played the toughest opening schedule in the MAC and there's a long way to go.

The key exchange in the game actually came with 4:11 left.  Glover had hit a hook shot to cut the lead to 3.  And then BG got a turnover and there was a timeout. This is the moment of the game.  BG needs a basket.  

UA got a steal, Shakleford fouled the guy who stole the ball and then he hit 2 FTs.  Up 5.

Wol missed.  UA turns the ball over.

BG turned the ball over. UA missed a shot, gets the board, scores it with a +1, which is converted.  UA by 8.

BG turns the ball over, UA scores on the resulting fast break. UA by10.

1:57 left.  

In 2:14, BG had 3 turnovers and a missed shot on the four possessions, with Akron scoring on 3 of their 4 possessions and putting the game away.

Akron teams have done this forever.  In crunch time, they have another gear.  BG has not...that's Akron's 8th straight win over BG.

Dakich used to say your goal is to be hard to beat. When one thing gets taken away, you have another.  BG was determined to take Tavari Johnson out of the game.  Our style is to throw different defenses at him.  And it worked.  He was scoreless until the last minutes and shot 1-9 overall.  BG held Miami to 1.07 points per possession, which is their second lowest of the season.  The lowest was the loss to Miami.

But Akron was determined to keep Javonte Campbell out of the game.  On many possessions, they triple-teamed Campbell as he brought the ball up. When he got rid of the ball, they would scramble back into position.  This is a team that works really hard on defense.  And it worked.  They held Campbell to 12 points, on 3 of 11 overall shooting. He only got to the line 8 times.  And despite Wol's 32 point night, BG scored .93 points per possession, their worst offensive game of the season.

Akron won every factor.

Individually, Mayar Wol was unbelievable.  He scored 32 points on 8 of 11 and 5 of 9 shooting, with 5 rebounds. He was just incredible and he carried BG for most of the game, but it wasn't enough.  Campbell had 12, as noted above, but added 6 rebounds, 5 assists, a block, 4 steals and 4 turnovers.

No one else scored in double figures.  Troy Glover played with more energy than he has in a while, and had 9 rebounds and 8 points, making 4 of 6.

Justin Thomas tried to make a run at it, but ended up in a boot by the end of the game.

BG essentially played 6 guys.  Ruffin played 30 off the bench while Leach, Goins and Thomas played 5 mimutes or less.

BG gets a break, with no game Tuesday.  It's a good time.  Maybe Thomas improves.  And BG can take stock of unevent performances that have, nonetheless, showed promise.  Next Saturday is EMU at the Stroh.

Akron Preview

 So here we go.  Tonight, the Akron Zips come to town.

Akron was picked to win the MAC and they have the best kenpom in the MAC at 64, starting the year at 94.  They did lose an early-season showdown with Miami at Millett. 

They are 11-4, 9-4. and 2-1.

They have absolutely owned Bowling Green.  There was a seven-game winning streak starting in 2005, one BG win followed by a 17-game losing streak, a 9-game stretch when BG went 4-5, and then a seven-game losing streak that is currently active.  No team in our history has owned us like this.

I would expect a game much like the Kent game. Akron plays the #36 pace in the nation, and they are a true offensive powerhouse.  In raw (not adjusted for opponents) offensive efficiency, they are #3 in the nation.  When adjusted, it is #18 at 1.22 points per possession.

A team with that kind of offense should be good across the board and they are.  They are #3 in Effective Field Goal % at 60.  They make 39% from 3FG (#12) and 61% from 2FG (#47).  They take 41% of their shots from 3FG.  

Beyond shooting, they are #57 at taking care of the ball and #56 on the offensive boards.  They do not get to the line.  This is a prolific offensive team.

Miami held them to 1.02 points per possession, so it can be done.

They are not as strong defensively. They allow 1.1 points per possession, which is below the national average. They are #210 defending the shot, and #250 on the defensive boards.  They do force turnovers (#90) and #145 at keeping their opponents off the line.

They are led by Tavari Johnson, MAC POY candidate.  He is scoring 20.7 PPG on 66% and 44% shooting. He's the #25 shooter in the country and #40 in Offensive Rating. He also makes 90% at the line.  He also leads the team with 5.3 APG.

Amani Lyles is scoring 15 PPG on 66% and 44% shooting.  (Amazing having two guys that efficient). He is also their leading rebounder at 6.6 RPG. 

Akron is a 4.5-point favorite. BG is not playing well at home against good competition, losing to Miami, Utah Valley, and William & Mary.  They will definitely need to turn that around to make this work for the season.  They have been highly competitive in the last two games on the road, and if they can bring that, they have a shot.  Hopefully, Ruffin is back, and Thomas is back to full strength.  A win would send a message to the league.

BG Nabs QB from Portal

BG has their first portal transfer--and it is at the most important position on the field, QB.  His name is Jay Kanstantin, and he is a transfer from Assumption University in Worcester, MA. They play DII.  Currently unemployed football Coach Brian Kelly attended here.

Kanstantin played 3 years for the Greyhounds.  Each year he improved until he had a very strong season this Fall.

At 6'4" and 215 pounds, he's a dual-threat QB.  Last year he rushed 100 times for 530 yards--that would include sacks as well. There was a long of 46 yards and 5 rushing TDs.

In terms of passing, he was 138 for 223 (62%) for 1,974 yards, which is a really good 14.3 yards per catch.  He had 19 TDs over 5 INT.  He was #18 in passing efficiency in DII.

He plays in the NE10 conference, where he was the MVP last season.

Welcome to the Falcons, Jay.

Falcons Lose Close to Kent

 It's still 13 straight.  But it was a tight, close game.  If it all comes together, BG has a shot this year.  Last night, with Thomas severely limited and without Ruffin, BG battled Kent all the way to the end before succumbing.  Say what you like, the team is good entertainment.

The entire game was in a 13-point span.  BG's biggest lead was 4 and Kent's was 9.

The game was tied at the half.  BG came out playing really poorly, and Kent had a 9-point lead about 4 minutes in.  BG punched right back with a 17-7 run to take the lead with 10 minutes left.  With one exception, for the next 10 minutes, the lead was never outside 3 points for either team. There were 6 ties, including with 1:50 left.

BG got a stop and Mayar Wol drained a 3FG on the fast break to put BG up 3 with 1:28 left.  With 1:10 left, Gillespie finally got fouled after the shots at the rim and he made both FTs, leaving BG up 1.

BG ran clock and with :42 left and the shot clock running down, Javonte Campbell took a rare 3FG attempt and missed everything.

And this is the possession that will haunt the Falcons.  Morgan Safford got into the paint, and Glover blocked his shot with :24 left. Kent got the offensive board but lost the ball and it was sitting at the feet of Javonte Campbell.  Most of the team was racing up the floor...but he fumbled it getting up, Gillespie laid it in and in a blink of an eye you go from having the ball up 1 with :13 left to being down 1 with :13 left.

It's not over. Wol got into the paint and missed and then Gillespie was fouled to put Kent up 3.  And BG ran a play that Coach Gallagher said after the game we have run over and over again in practice, it ended up with Wol, he missed.  BG wanted a foul...doesn't seem like the basketball gods give you that call at the end of two consecutive games.

Absolute heartbreaker.  BG didn't call a timeout leading into the possession that ended with the Campbell 3FG...Gallagher said that Campbell is so good at creating stuff that it almost doesn't make sense to try to draw anything up.

He had another great game.

The final was 96-93 on 70 possessions.  It was a score-a-thon.  BG had 1.32 points per possession, an incredible amount, especially to lose with. The last time they had more offensive output and lost was 2006 to NIU. Kent had 136.4, their second-highest output of the season.

BG had their 2nd-best shooting game against D1 opponents. That's 57% on 3FG and 40% on 2FG. They took excellent care of the ball, did an oustanding job on the offensive boards...but the most important thing was the FTs.  Both teams shot well.  Kent was 17 of 21 and BG was 27-31.

Kent shot better (61% and 44%), took good care of the ball, and was good on the offensive boards, even if not as good as BG.

Campbell had another game. Played every minute for the 2nd game in a row. Had 28 points, 8 of 12 from 2FG and 0-3 from 3FG.  You can see his hesitation to shoot from 3FG, and eventually it will make things tougher for him. Add 9 assists and 2 steals, and 12-13 at the line.                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Towns had 13 in 20 minutes due to foul trouble. Shackelford had 17 on 6-7 and 2 of 2 shooting. 

Wol had a rougher 12, on 0-4 and 3-7 shooting.  Glover had 8 rebounds.

Gillespie had 33 on 8 of 15, 1 of 3 and 13-14 at the line.

At 2-2, it doesn't get easier, with Akron at the Stroh Friday.

Next Up For MBB: Kent State

So, BG has left Amherst--where the natives are freaking out, since they didn't want to join the MAC in the first place, and they have yet to win a game in football or men's basketball since joining--and moved on to a school very comfortable in MAC Basketball:  Kent State.

Once Gary Waters went 23-7 in 1999, they have played 27 seasons without a losing record.  Of those, 23 have been outright winning records, and 21 have been 20-win seasons.  There are 7 NCAA appearances, including one Elite Eight.

It is a model of consistency that any program would aspire to.  When they play BG, it's a little bit more. Kent has won the last 12 meetings between the schools, an absurd result that is starting to look like BG's record against Akron. Last year BG lost by 17 in Kent and 7 at the Stroh.

Kent is 11-3/9-3/2-0.  After losing to Troy in the MAC-SBC, the Flashes went on a 10-game winning streak.  They had a tough loss @Portland (#230) and then also lost @Purdue.  They won @UMass by 10 and beat NIU by 4 at home, a game that had Coach Senderhoff ripping his team for failing to finish.  Kent led by 21 at the half, but NIU had the lead to 10, and it ended up at 2 in the final seconds before Kent put it away at the line.

To start with, they play fast.  They play at 73 possessions, which is #21 in the nation. Kent's offensive efficiency is 1.12, which is #103. 

They have two significant offensive strengths.  They have great shooting, 54% overall. They try 46% of their shots from 3FG and make 35% to go with 54% on 2FG. They are also #10 in the nation at getting to the line and make 75% when they get there. They get 25% of their points at the line (#19).  They are also strong on the offensive boards.

It's an interesting matchup.  BG defends the 3FG effectively, and does turn the ball over (#11).  The biggest worry is that BG fouls a ton — #333 at putting opponents on the line.  That's playing with fire with Kent.

On defense, Kent allows 1.09 PPP, which is #207.  However, they have been locked down in their 2 MAC games — admittedly against weak MAC teams.  

Here's a chance to look at BG's shooting.  BG makes 33.9% on 3FG, which is pretty much average (D1 is 33.6%).  BG only takes 35% from 3FG, which is well below average.  On 2FG, they make 54% and overall, they are 52.6%, which is #114 in the country.  BG also takes good care of the ball, gets to the line a lot, and makes 72.5%. BG makes 21.5% of its points from the line.

Kent has defended the shot poorly. They allow 38% on 3FGs and 52% against 2FGs, neither of which is good. They do create turnovers, and they are (as you would expect) good on the defensive boards.  And they foul a lot.

Kent historically just plays very physically.  I have seen stretches of games where they seem to foul as often as they can, knowing they can't all be called.

Kent is led by Delrecco Gillespie.  He's in his 4th year at Kent.  Last year, he had 8 points and 8 rebounds per game.  This year, he has exploded and is averaging a 19/11 double-double and putting himself in the MAC POY convo.  He makes 61% from 2FG and 78% at the FT line. He also blocks 1.9 shots per game.  

Morgan Safford, in his 2nd year after transferring from Miami, is scoring 14.1 PPG.  He shoots mostly 3FGs and makes 36%. Also adds about 5 RPG.

Rob Whaley--a cousin of Gillespie's--is scoring 10.6 PPG and makes 53% on mostly 3FGs.

Cian Medley averages 6.2 APG, which is a lot.

Kent plays 10 players an average of 10 minutes per game, which is a pretty big rotation. 

Kent is a 1.5-point favorite.