Miami Redux

BG is back at it, a top-finish assured and looking for more.  They will play Miami, on paper the easiest game on their remaining schedule, but then again, it is the MAC and it is on the road and nothing is for sure.  Miami is only 4-11 in MAC play.  However, a couple weeks ago they beat NIU without Silende and Brown and this week they beat CMU without Brown for the first half.  Both games were at Millett.

And there's the first game between the two teams.  BG was down 14 and possibly looking like dropping their first two, both at home.   In a pattern that would become familiar, the Falcons rallied and won a squeaker.  BG was up 1 very late but Miami had the ball.  BG got a blocked shot and Frye hit 2FTs to make it a 3 point lead with :04 to play.  Miami went for a hand-off screen and Fields had it covered but he got caught in the wash and fouled the 3-shooter at the buzzer.  Thankfully, Miami's player only made one of the 3 FTs and BG got the board to close the game off.

Dalonte Brown scored 20 for Miami in the game.  He has been injured but returned for the second half of their last game.  He would win the Naismith Trophy if he only played against BG.

So, here is how it shakes out.  First, pace will be critical.  They play the 10th fastest pace in the MAC and BG plays the 3rd fastest.  In the past, BG has tended to settle in at the slower team's pace.  If BG can get stops, they can push the pace to their advantage.

MU is 9th in the MAC in offense and 11th in defense...the numbers of a 4-11 team. A note here...BG is playing very good defense of late, holding each of its last 3 opponents under .96 points per possession...and those were teams that can score.

Miami is the 8th best shooting team in the MAC, and completely reliant on the 3FG.  They are 2nd in 3FG shooting and 12th in 2FG shooting.  They try 40% of their FGs from 3...which is 5th in the MAC.  BG certainly got a ton of missed 3FGs from Akron and would hope to build on that.  They are good at taking care of the ball--and BG forces very few turnovers, so that's not likely to be a factor.  MU doesn't offensive rebound and BG is a good defensive rebounding team.  They are 9th getting to the line and 11th in making FTs.  BG does allow some FTs, but let's hope with MU's poor 2fG shooting that the Falcons don't get drawn into too many fouls.

Turning things around, Miami is 11th in defending the shot.  That's 11th against the 3FG and 12th against the 2FG.  They also foul a lot--sometimes teams can manufacture a lower opponent shooting% by fouling guys taking a good attempt, but that's not the case here.  They are 6th at forcing turnovers and 7th at defensive rebounding.  One note here...BG has been excellent with the ball all year, but have allowed 17% turnovers in each of their last 4 games.  That's still good--the national average is 19%--but it puts additional pressure on BG to make shots.

So, individually, Miami has 2 double-figure scorers.  Nike Sibandie is scoring 12.5 PPG.  He is shooting 41% overall and 31% on 3FG, so it isn't efficient.  He also has a 1:2 A/TO ratio, but leads the team with 5.9 RPG.  Dae Dae Grant is scoring 10.1 ppg on 35% shooting overall and 36% from 3FG.  Isaiah Coleman-Lands comes off the bench and shoots 42% from 3FG.  Brown, mentioned above, is scoring 8 ppg and shooting 36%...he's having a tough year.  In the 10 games since he hung 20 on BG, he has been in single digits for 8 of them and that includes the last 5.

It is disorienting with Miami having this long dry spell in MAC play.  When I was young, they were the league's most consistently excellent team.  The last years of the Evil Genius left them in a hole, but they continue to struggle. 

Anyway, this is a game BG should win, especially as well as they have played on the road.  The biggest challenge is playing hard with the game having slightly less meaning.  Still, you'd like to see us respond with renewed confidence after the Akron game and put this one away.

2020 Football Schedule Released

Here it is...a football interlude...the 2020 BG football schedule.  A few thoughts...

• That LU stands for Liberty...the Liberty Flames
• This is our new normal configuration.  We have two buy games at P5 opponents, we have one G5 game and an FBS game. 
• I think this is good.  Playing 3 P5 games is really tough, in my opinion.  It's nice to have a new opponent on the home schedule and have it be someone we are a little more competitive with.
• For the first time in recent memory, BG isn't finishing with Buffalo.
• Interestingly, we are finishing with cross-over games as we have in previous years.  It's mixed, some teams do and some teams don't.
• The Akron/BG game at Summa will be the only Saturday game played in November in the MAC.
• An alert commenter has corrected me...we also play at @ EMU on a Saturday.  We regret the error.
• BG will have two November weekday games...the Kent game and then the NIU game on the hated day after Thanksgiving.
• As a fan, that three game home stretch in late September into early October looks nice, with the hope of continuing decent weather.
• Back to basketball!

Permutations in MBB

So, the question of the bye is done.  BG will play in the Thursday game in Cleveland.  That's important.  BG has a bye two times in a row for the first time ever.  It has only had a bye four times prior to now period...and one of those was last year.

There are still other things to be decided...let's take a look.

First, as to the MAC title, BG has a one-game lead.  If they win the same numbers of games as Akron coming home, then BG will win the regular-season title and the #1 seed.  In the 20 years since the tournament moved to Cleveland and adapted the current format, the #1 seed has won the tournament 9 times.

If Akron wins two more games than BG, they would take the #1 seed.

If BG and Akron end up tied, then things get a little more complicated.  The tiebreaker works that it's your winning percentage against the teams in descending order of the standings.  So, it depends on who finishes 3rd, 4th etc.  An asterisk indicates there are still games to be played in that tiebreaker.

So here are the records again teams in current descending order.  BG currently leads the UB tiebreaker, the Kent is up for grabs, BG wins UT, OU up for grabs and Miami still open too.  The UB one is most promising and would be locked up if UB beats Akron Saturday, which is certainly possible.

NIU:  BG 1-0, AK 1-0
UB:    BG 1-0* AK 0-1*
BS:  BG 2-0 AK 1-0
KS:  BG 0-1* AK  0-1*
CMU:  BG 0-1 AK 1-0
UT:  BG 2-0 AK 0-1
OU:   BG 2-0 AK 1-0*
EMU:  BG 1-0 AK 2-0
WMU:  BG 1-0, AK 2-0
MU  BG 1-0*, AK 2-0

OK, so what about the other positions.

Simply put, with one win by BG or one loss by NIU and UB, the Falcons would lock down at least a top-two finish.  If BG goes to Miami and takes care of business, they can finish no worse than 2nd.

Great year....gets better all the time.

Falcon MBB Punch Ticket to Cleveland

So, you wanted an easy win?  You got it...in one of the two biggest games of the year.

BG did what it needed to do, coming up with a complete, all-round performance to beat the Zips, the highest-ranked team in the MAC.  BG is alone in first place with three games to play, has clinched a bye and is one win from clinching a top-two finish.

As noted in the preview, BG's history against Akron is ridiculous.  That 15-year, 29-3 run for Akron is unprecedented in our history.  To be a top program, BG had to rewrite the narrative, and getting regular-season splits over the last two seasons is a great start.

And, of course, we might see the Zips one more time.

Let me tell you how good it feels to write a game summary and not have to do a tick tock on the final two minutes.  BG was up 12-5 with 14 left in the first half.  Akron had a terrible shooting night and it put them behind right away.  BG popped the lead to 11 with 9 minutes left and put it to 10 with 4 minutes left on a Frye 3FG.  For the final 24 minutes of the game, the lead was never in single digits again.

BG led by 15 at the half, heading to the locker room on another Frye 3FG.  As you would expect, Akron came out hard in the second half, but BG absorbed the blow and lead by 21 with about 16 left.  About 8 minutes in Akron had a little run to get it to 12, but dead-eye shooter Marlon Sierra hit 3s on two possessions to put the lead over 20.

From there on in, BG held them back.  Unlike the Ball State game, BG continued to play incredibly hard.  Everytime someone from Akron drove to the basket, there were hands swatting at the ball from all directions.  BG played closeout, championship defense at the end and Akron never made it a game again.

So, you lead 24 straight minutes by double digits over a very good team...that's a convincing performance.  BG led for 36 minutes overall.

It was a tough game.  There were numerous technicals.  Terry Wymer was one of the officials and they were determined to keep control of the play.

BG has won 27 of its last 30 at home.

The game was played fast, at 72 possessions, above the conference average of 69.  BG scored 1.09 per possession, one of their better games of the season.  They scored more against UT and CMU, but when you take into account an opponent that plays actual defense, it was probably our best game.   It was Akron 3rd worst defensive game of the MAC season.

Meanwhile, BG held Akron to .83 points per possession, their second-worst of the season and their worst in MAC play....by a lot.  The next MAC worst was .9....against EMU!

Shooting pretty much told the whole story.  Akron is the top shooting team in the MAC, #1 in 3FG and #2 in 2FG...and they try about half of their FGs from 3.  They did the same thing at the Stroh, trying 49% of their FG attempts from 3FG....the most of any MAC opponent this year.

They did not shoot well at all.  They made only 5 of 35 3FGs...that's incredible.  At one point, they were 1 of 24.  Yes, they missed some open looks but BG guarded them hard, especially in the second half.  UA also shot the 3FG poorly in our game at the JAR (not this poorly, but poorly) but Akron compensated by beating an overplaying BG defense to the rim.  In this case, BG had its defense down, rotating and helping.  UA shot 44% from 2FG, well below their season average of 50%.

Meanwhile, BG didn't have a great shooting game, shooting 36% on 2FGs.  But, BG made 44% of 3FGs and ended up with a decent shooting percentage.

BG turned the ball over a lot, really for the third straight game.  They had some early and it did get stabilized as the game moved on.  Not turning the ball over is a key to our attack, because we aren't a great shooting team.  Both teams had a good game on the offensive boards and BG had a great game at the line.  BG made 22 of 27.  Akron came in leading the MAC and making 80% (nearly) but made only 13-19 (68%).

Before we get to BG individually, let's stop and appreciate Loren Christian Jackson.  This guy is a player.  He's 5'7" and he cannot be stopped.  It's something to watch and you just have to admire him.  He scored 35 points.  BG made him work for it...he was 9 of 13 on 2FG but 3 of 13 from 3FG. (Imagine if that had been normalized).  He also made all 8 of his FTs.  That's 58% of their points.

He's an absolute nightmare.

For BG, their nightmare had a nice game.  Just like at the JAR, they put constant pressure on Turner, double-teaming him.  Coach has been saying he wants Justin to attack those double teams and you could see him making the effort, but that's a tough double team to split--you're going to get played physically--and it caused problems.  He was 2 of 7 from 2 FG and 2 of 3 from 3FT, but made them pay for that physical play by making 9 of 10 from the line for 19 points.

Dylan Frye?  He showed why he matters.  He scored 16 on 3 of 7 from 3FG, made 5 of 7 at the line, and had 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 1 turnover....in 23 minutes.  If that kind of thing interest you.

Caleb Fields had 13, including 2 key 3FGS in the early second half to keep AK on their back foot.  He made 3 of 5 overall from 3FG, had 3 steals and took the brunt of the work on Jackson.  He even did a good job there...you might not think so, given Jackson's 35 points, but they run their offense through him and Fields guarded him hard.

Daeqwon Plowden had a great game.  He scored 10 on 4 of 8 2FG shooting (0-3 from 3FG), but added 13 rebounds and played lock-down defense on Xeyrious Williams.  Here's a team guy...doing the dirty work and taking the points when they come his way.  Love Daeqwon Plowden's game so much.

Mattos had 9 rebounds in 16 minutes...I just feel like when he gets comfortable around the rim on the offensive end we might have a decent player.  Sierra made those shots.  Matiss provided some good minutes.

It was a great night to be a Falcon.  So proud of these guys and what they have built.  We're not done, but it's been a great ride. You can't deny it.  We got a shot to get this thing done.

BG Football Coaching Change in Defensive Secondary

BG had one vacancy on the defensive staff.  LaMarcus Hicks--who coached the secondary--had left the program and is now at EMU.  Hicks was the last hold-over from the Jinks staff...and he was part of the Pelini hiring to re-tool for the last season.

The new coach is named Eric Lewis.  Yes, he coached at Boston College, but also plenty of other places over his 17 years, including 3 stops in the MAC.

2019: Boston College, Defensive Backs
2018: Colorado State, Cornerbacks
2017: Tennessee, Quality Control Assistant
2015-16: Georgia State, Secondary/Special Teams Coordinator
2014: Buffalo, Secondary
2012-13: Weber State, Defensive Coordinator
2009: Eastern Michigan, Defensive Coordinator
2008: Louisville, Cornerbacks
2006-07: Green Bay Packers, Defensive Quality Control
2003-05: Ball State, Safeties
2002: Bucknell, Defensive Backs
2001: Michigan State, Graduate Assistant

He will coach CBs.  Jacob Schoonover is coaching the safeties and special teams.

You might remember his Father, Sherman Lewis, who was the offensive coordinator for Green Bay, Minnesota and Detroit in the NFL and coached for 4 Super Bowl Champion teams.  His years at BG coincided with Brett Farve's time.

Blade: Caleb Bright to Retire from Football

So, the Blade this morning has the news that Caleb Bright is retiring from football.  You should check out The Blade story for a detailing of the health issues Caleb has battled.  The most well-known was the critical heat stroke issue from the Georgia Tech game, but there are lots more.

Bright was a warrior for BG.  Originally recruited by Babers, he stuck with BG after the coaching change because "my word is my bond."  He was two-time Academic All-MAC who started 24 games for BG.  As the article indicates, he clearly sacrificed his body and well-being for this program and did it during our darkest days.

We wish him the best.  He's a Falcon forever.

Time to change the Zips Narrative

So here we are.  The Big Game, Part II.  The winner will have the inside track for the MAC regular season title.  The Stroh should be hopping, right up with the Buffalo game last year.  BG won last year over Akron at the Stroh, is very tough to beat at home.

Here's why this game is important.  After the last ten years, BG needed to begin to change some narratives.

UT is a good example.  This year's sweep is a start.

Falcon fans know that Akron has dominated us in a way that no other team has.  Going back 15 years, Akron is 29-3 against Bowling Green.  It's just incredible.  The Falcons have won 2 of the last 6 against the Zips. 

If we're going to be where we want to be, as a program and I'm talking over multiple seasons, not just the next three weeks, we have to change this narrative.

And not to put too fine a point on it, but this might not be the last time we play Akron this year and we might need to beat them to get where we want to go.

The game in Akron wasn't as one-sided as it might appear.  BG was down 1 with 12 minutes left and there was a period inside 8 minutes when BG got 4 straight stops and couldn't convert layups on the offensive end.  I'm not trying to minimize it--Akron was clearly the better team--but it wasn't as bad as it might have appeared on the scoresheet.

Akron is the highest-ranked team in the MAC.  They came into the first BG game in a bit of a shooting slump, but that seems to have reversed itself.  They have won three straight since the BG game--part of a five-game winning streak--and have scored well in 2 of those 3 games.

They are the best offensive team in the MAC and the #3 defensive team. This is a more typical route for a first-place team than the one BG had followed, but to each his own.  They lead the MAC in shooting overall and in 3FG% and they are #2 in 2FG%.  They are also first in FT shooting and they are 5th in turnovers and offensive rebounding.

In the first game (see below), BG worked hard to stop the 3FG...holding AK to 29%.  Problem was, they just adapted, shot their lowest 3FG rate of the MAC season and made 54% of their 2FGs.  And drew a shload of fouls.

They are #3 in the MAC in FG defense and in forcing turnovers.  And, as you can see, that worked in the first game.  BG shot 43% and 24% and had more turnovers than they usually do.

To win this one, BG needs to make more shots (duh), but it really has to play highly effective defense.  Selling out to stop the 3FG won't work against this team.  And you have to keep them off the line.

Individually, a few notes.  UA was BG's first game without Frye, and they really put the clamps on Turner.  I expect BG to have a better plan for dealing with those double-teams and hopefully in a more comfortable offensive flow we can take advantage.

No idea about Caleb Fields.

On their side, Loren Christian Jackson is incredible.  He had 29 on 6 of 10 and 3 of 7 shooting, plus 7-7 at the line.  He's the most efficient offensive player in the MAC, the second-best shooter overall, #1 in 3FG%, #3 FT shooter, #5 in assist rate and #5 in drawing fouls.  We love Justin Turner, but there's no issues if this young man is MAC POY.

Tyler Cheese had 17 in the first match up.  He shot 4-9 and made 9 of 10 FTs.  He's also very good...the #6 offensive player in the MAC, #12 shooter, #10 in assist rate and #14 in 2FG%.  He's also #5 at the FT line.

Add in Xeyrius Williams, the #5 rebounder in the MAC...anyway, these guys have good players.

So BG needs to change the narrative with Akron.  And it needs to start tomorrow night.  Let's pack the Stroh and give them our best...

Permutations for BG

So here is where we stand.

First, for the regular-season title.  Obviously, we play each other Tuesday.  If Akron wins, they take a one-game lead plus the tie-breaker with 3 to play and would have a pretty good lock on it.  If BG wins, they'd lead by 1 but the tie breaker would be even.  They'd need to match Akron over the last 3 games to get the regular season title outright.  If the teams end up tied after a BG win, the next tie-breaker is to compare records against other conference teams, starting (in this case, probably) with the #3 team.  Again, it can't be determined for sure, but Akron's loss to UB means this tiebreaker tends to BG's way...unless BG loses to UB which they would almost have to to even have the conversation.

You see what I mean.

Also, just to clarify my last post, the regular-season title is a huge accomplishment.  It's a better test than the tournament title.  I said it was meaningless, which I guess it is not.  You do get an NIT bid if you lose the tournament, but frankly we're going to get sent down to play Alabama or something on the road and normally we don't go too far.  And, no one...no one...wants to be in the NIT.  But winning the regular season would be an accomplishment I would happily celebrate.

So, for the bye.  BG needs to eliminate 8 teams.  They have essentially eliminated six.  We have five eliminated by record right now....everyone you see from OU down.

Also, Ball State and CMU play.  The loser of that game is eliminated...Ball State with a 7th loss and a BG tie breaker and CMU by an eighth loss.

Two more have to go.

If BG lost out and Kent won out, they would have the tie-breaker and be ahead of us.  So one BG win or Kent loss and that's one.  And they play, which could decide it right there.

The winner of CMU or Ball State would also have to win out.  For Ball State that would mean winning @UT and @NIU and for CMU it would mean winning five straight (Ball State and FOUR others) to get it.  A BG or a Ball State or CMU loss would be 2.

The upshot is one more win gives BG a bye.  Even no more wins probably ends up with a bye, but one more win would lock it down.

A Great Day to be a Falcon....OU Falls

This is how we do it, do it.

Ooof.  What a team this is.  Man.  Cardiac kids...but winning, not losing close games.  And the beat goes on.

This has been a great season.  A great two seasons, regardless of how this all ends.  This is where we want our program...tough at home, competitive, exciting and winning.  Coming to the Stroh is a thrill every time.

Can't wait for Tuesday.  Can. Not. Wait.

The win locks up BG's 2nd consecutive 20-win season.  Amazingly enough, that hasn't happened in 72 years.  HARRY TRUMAN WAS PRESIDENT.  Harold Anderson was coach.  The Captain of that team was Mac Otten, whose Hall of Fame photo I looked at on the walls of the Ice Arena for my entire childhood.  That team was #9 in the country at one point and beat #3 St. John's and #8 USF at Madison Square Garden before losing to Bradley....historic BG team, for sure.

We've won 20 games 15 times, and twice since last year.

Here's a cool tidbit from BGSU:

Since 2018, Bowling Green has racked up a record of 26-3 at the Stroh Center. That record is good enough for a conference-leading .897 winning percentage. The Falcons are 12-1 at home in 2019-20. BGSU is 52-24 at home in the Michael Huger Era.

Good programs are tough to beat at home.  And we're there.

And what a crowd it was yesterday.  It was especially great because it wasn't for UT or Buffalo...it was for a traditional MAC game but not a rivalry game and the place was packed and rocking.  Love to see the community fall in love with this team and pack that arena.  And thrilled we rewarded them for a win.

It was a great day to be a Falcon.

At halftime, the 2000 team was honored and it was a terrific trip down memory lane.  What days those were, too.  And really, nothing in between.

All I'm saying is...appreciate and enjoy it.  And thank you to the coaches, players, and staff whose hard work has made this possible.  We might make the Big Dance or some kid might sink a half-court shot.  Enjoy.

Yesterday's win was one of those games...I remember back in the Dambrot days you'd play Akron and you might be leading and you might be thinking you were going to win, but they had a way of locking down and doing what they had to in the last 6-8 minutes and you'd look up and they'd won.

This team has had that.

OU was in control for most of the day.  BG led for only a little over two minutes.  The first half was an unmitigated disaster, with BG down 15 with about 8 left and then down by as much as 18 (more than once) and eventually 15 at the break.  OU was hitting open shots without remorse and BG was 1-14 on 2FG attempts.

BG bolted out of the locker room and scored the first 11 points, transforming the storyline.  The 11 points came in 3:08.  OU popped the lead back up to 11 with 11 left.

Then, Michael Laster sparked the game's decisive trend.  Nine minutes left, BG down 9.  Laster gets into the lane and goes all Derrick-Rose and contorts himself but gets the ball off the glass and scores it.  OU comes down and gets a 3, so it's 10.  Laster comes down and Rose's it again to cut it to 8 and then after a trade of stops he picked up a rebound, took it down and dimed Sierra to cut the lead to 6.

This is what depth is.  We needed a spark and there it was.

There was 7:30 left at that point.  The run Laster started ended up with 7 more straight points and a BG lead with 5 minutes left, the first lead since 3-2.  It was, in total, an 11-3 run.

The rest of the way it was on the edge of a knife, two teams in a possession-possession battle.  Great entertainment and agonizing for a fan.

The game was tied at 58 from 2:49 until it was inside one minute.  Vander Plas made an and-one to put OU up 3.

Who puts the cape on?  You know who...

Note:  Justin Turner is shooting 1-11 at this point.  Make a note.

First, he's fouled with :30 left and hits 2 FTs.  BG down 1, has to foul twice to get OU into the one and one.  Roderick finally gets to the line with :19 left.  He's an 80% shooter, but man the 1-1 is some pressure.  He misses and Turner rebounds.

He comes down the floor.  No doubt what's coming, 1-4 alignment and Turner going 1-1.  BG sends Plowden out on a ball screen early in the possession, which OU switched as I assume BG knew they would, putting Vander Plas onto Turner.  Coach said after the game that "we liked that matchup." Having set up the matchup they wanted, Turner went to work, eventually putting Vander Plas onto roller skates and hitting a step back for the win...and his second basket of the game in 12 attempts.

Two seconds left, OU doesn't get a shot off and BG wins by 1. Watch the clip below twice (at least).  Watch Turner the first time.  Watch the defender the second time.

Justin Turner called GAME ❄️❄️@BGSUMHoops | @MACSports pic.twitter.com/QvSDKMk82T

— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) February 23, 2020

So here is how it stacked up. The game was played at a very slow pace...63 possessions.  The only slower one was Norfolk State and the next slowest was the first game against OU.  BG scored .98 per possession and OU .96.  BG is 14-0 under 1.02 points per possession allowed.

The teams ended up even in shooting.  Even at that, it was a tale of two halves.  BG played much better defense in the second half. holding OU to 32% overall and 1-13 from 3FG.  Meanwhile, BG shot 56% overall and 46% from 3FG.

Anyway, BG had to overcome the even shooting and a terrible turnover game.  BG leads the MAC in turnover percentage (the good way) and is 5th in the country.  Their only worse turnover games were Cleveland State and Norfolk State. Meanwhile, OU hardly turned the ball over...BG is last in the MAC and #309 in the country in forcing turnovers.  OU netted 8 possessions on turnovers. 

BG overcame that with a slight edge on the offensive boards and a +8 advantage at the FT line.  BG as 9-11 at the line and OU was only 1-3.

The leading scorer was Trey Diggs.

Oh, it should be noted that Caleb Fields was injured and did not play, as did Lunden McDay, who is one of OU's better defenders.

So Diggs started for Fields.  He was spectacular on offense.  He made 7 of 10 3FGs and ended up with 22 points. Without his scoring, BG does not win.  Turner was largely held down...he scored 12 on 2 of 11 and 0 of 5 shooting,  but 8 of 10 at the line and 7 rebounds.  Plowden had 8 rebounds and Michael Laster had 6 points on 3 of 6 shooting, 5 assists and 1 turnover in 14 minutes. If that works.

Dylan Frye?  Dylan did not start and played about 20 minutes.  He had 5 points...but beyond the stats, he's just a calming presence with the ball and I think everyone settles into a famililar flow when he is out there.  The fans welcomed him back with a standing ovation which he was thankful for on social media.

And on we go.  I'll look at the MAC standings a little bit later, but for now, we're 11-3, tied for first with a showdown game on our floor Tuesday.

BE.
AT.
THE.
STROH.

MBB Preview: Here Kitty, Kitty, Kitty

BG returns back to action after its bye to host the Ohio U Bobcats on Saturday.

BG beat OU by 9 at the Convo...believe it or not, BG's biggest win in MAC play.  Even so, OU had the lead for the first 25 minutes of the game before the Falcons took control and put the game away.  It was never a one-possession game after the 8-minute mark of the second half.

OU is 5-8 in MAC play.  They have won three of their last four, though that includes Miami and WMU and CMU....all at home.  They lost @ Kent.  They are 1-5 in the MAC on the road, with the win at EMU.

Here's how it went in the first game.  As you can see, shooting was even.  BG won the game because of the extra possessions they generated on turnovers and on the offensive boards and having a net +1 advantage on FTs.  Turner had 29 and Frye had 19 for BG.  Vander Plas had 25 for OU and Preston had 15.  I don't have numbers on this but Vander Plas appears to save his productivity for when they play BG.

So, you have two teams that are basically scoring what they are allowing.  Basically, BG is 3rd in the MAC in offense and 9th in defense, while OU is 7th in offense and 6th in defense.

So, having established that OU is #6 in offense, how do they get there.  They are 5th in shooting and 9th in turnovers...which was reflected in the first game.  They are decent on the offensive boards and they are poor at getting to the line.  They are 6th in 3FG and 7th in 2FG and 9th in FTs.  BG is last in the MAC in forcing turnovers, so if that holds it would help OU produce more. 

Flipping it around, things are pretty evenly matched here. OU is 5th forcing turnovers and BG is #1 at preventing them, so that's an issue.  Also, OU is #1 on their defensive boards.  BG had a large number of offensive boards in the first game, so that's something to watch.  OU doesn't give up a ton of FTs, but their opponents are making 76% of it--that's the highest in the MAC.  Nothing OU can do about it, but it makes it harder to win.

Same as shown in our first meeting, Ben Vander Plas and and Jason Preston lead OU in scoring.  Vander Plas is scoring 17 PPG, shooting 48% and 33% with 7.2 RPG, a team high.  Preston has scored 16 PPG on 51% and 37% shooting, making him the more efficient player.  He's 2jnd on the team in 6.8 RPG and leads the MAC with 7.3 APG and is second in A/TO ratio. (Laster is #1).  Both of these players are sophomores.

Dartis, a senior, is scoring 12.6 PPG, shooting 38% on mostly 3FGs.  Sylvester Ogbonda also gets 6.6 rebounds.

So, based on what has happened this year, BG should win this game and hit 11 for the season, a key step in their drive for a bye.  They are also in the running for the regular-season title, for which a win is essential. 

Dylan Frye will be back.  It will be interesting to see how the team reacts and how Dylan reacts.  Players miss a couple games with injuries all the time, but this is a little different.  Hopefully he's refreshed and we get the guy back who started the season and the team molds back around him.  If so, this game should be a W.  They are all needed.

Another Plot Twist in MBB...Frye is back

Dylan Frye is back. Bowling Green says the senior guard has formally rejoined the team.

— Nick Piotrowicz (@NickPBlade) February 19, 2020

Well, this is a wow. I heard Todd Walker in our most recent game make some cryptic reference to the possible temporary nature of Frye's situation...don't remember exactly what he said, but Dylan Frye is back and will be dressed and available to play Saturday against OU.

Hang on kids.

Update: Frye's statement

pic.twitter.com/Miwu41cHL6

— Dylan (@DylanFrye05) February 19, 2020

MBB Taking a Breath

We've hit the bye week, no game tomorrow.  I think it's a good time to look at the success we are having and put it in a little context.  Because we are seeing something we have not seen in a long time at Bowling Green, and something we hope can continue.

The Falcons are 19-7.  That's (obviously) one win from 20.  That would put BG over 20 for two straight seasons.

FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1949...a team that was ranked #10 in the AP Poll.

Many of you know that I tend to use the WVU year as a dividing line for our program.  Not that WVU caused what followed, but it's a clear line in the geologic record.  When WVU happens, we are 24-9 and feeling robbed of an at-large bid.

Since then, in 17 seasons coming into this year

• Four winning seasons
• No (ZERO) back to back winning seasons
• One MAC Final appearance (last year)
• Two 20-win seasons (one last year)
• Two tournament byes (one last year)
• One regular season title

It's just a sad story.  That's 15 years where this program simply lagged behind the others in our conference.

In the last two years:

• Our first back to back winning seasons, overall and in the MAC.
• As mentioned, back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time in 70 years (with one more win)

Just wanted to put this out there to make this point:  we might or might not make the Dance.  This system is just cruel.  Everything has to go right.  All the tumblers have to fall into place.  Look at the injury UT had one year.  Or the half-court Miami shot.  It is just very difficult.

But, and here's the key point, our program is as good as it has been in 20 years.  We've finally rebuilt the program.  We are continuing to recruit well.  What we need is a program that is consistently relevant in the MAC...and then we'll get there.

Not saying we won't make it this year.  I think we have as good a shot as anyone--possibly except Akron, who present matchup issues for us.  Looking forward to seeing a rematch.

We all want to make it so bad.  But, we have waited a long time to even be competitive again, and we should enjoy this team at that level, too.

MBB MAC Scenarios

So, with the bye, a chance to look in on where things stand right now.

Here's the chart the MAC puts out...you remember when I did these first, right?  Me too.  Love they are doing it, mostly because the tiebreakers can give you a headache.

So, first, the primary concern here is to get one of the 4 byes.  We can talk about winning it all, but it gets you nothing and really, once you're in Cleveland you have to win three games.  The seed doesn't matter except for matchups and you might get a better match up for your team  in the 2 seed than the 1 seed.

If BG wins out, they win the whole enchilada.  That's a big accomplishment, it just doesn't mean anything.  If they don't win out, it depends on how Akron does and of course there is that head-to-head game.

Now, BG has eliminated 5 teams already.  They have to eliminate 8. (Well, OU could technically knot the tie-breaker Saturday.)  BG does have home court sewn up.

If BG wins 4...they would clinch a bye and could not finish below the #2 seed.

If BG wins 3....that's 13-5.  That puts them over NIU and Ball State, who the Falcons have tie-breakers over (2).    Leaving only Kent, UB and CMU who can end 13-5.  Only two of them can do it because Kent and UB play (3).  And BG plays both Kent and UB.  And that's only if they win out...Kent still has to play @EMU (don't laugh) and @AK.  And UB has Ball State and Akron, though at home.  CMU has the tie-breaker over BG, but would need to win seven. due to the coronavirus-game.  In short, at 13-5, BG is virtually assured a bye.

No, what if BG wins 2?  And let's assume they are the least tie-breaking friendly OU and Miami wins.

12-6 was good enough last year.  Probably would be again.  NIU and Ball State play each other and one will end up with a 6th loss (1).  You'd need one additional loss from the winner of that game (2), and then two of the following three teams to lose twice: UB, KSU and CMU.  And UB and KSU play each other, the loser would need to win out beyond that.  And CMU has 2 extra games.

At 12-6 BG is in very solid shape for a bye.  It would take a lot.

At 11-7...yeah, that's a different story.  If BG wins just one out of 5 going home, the answer is in the wind.

I don't think that's going to happen.  Honestly, I don't think there are any unwinnable games left.  Yeah, we didn't go fantastic against Akron and Kent, but I don't think either of them has shown themselves to be unbeatable.  Last year we limped a little to Cleveland and I am hoping we don't this year.

But, to be clear.  The purpose of the regular season to finish 1-4.  And we're in excellent position and in control of whether we make it.  We need no help at all and we don't even need to win out.  Win and advance.

MBB Makes Statement

I said in my preview that BG would be making a statement if they won at Ball State on Saturday.  They did win...and the statement is clear.  Even without Frye, BG is capable of winning the MAC Title.  I'm not going to say they are better without Frye, because I don't think that's true, but with that win BG is not going anywhere.  We're in this race to stay.

More on all the permutations in another post.  For now, BG has 10 wins in MAC play.  12 got them a bye last year and almost certainly would again. 

This is a statement win because Ball State was undefeated at home.  BG, coming off the Akron loss where they could not score, came into the den of the best defensive team in the conference.  And BG adjusted their approach, played good D and got the win they needed.

Not without two minutes of absolutely ridiculous play...but we'll get to that.

Ball State actually led for most of the first half.  They led by 1 with 2:55 left, but BG scored the last 8 points of the half (with two 3FGs by Justin Turner) and led by 7 at the half.  BG then scored the first 4 points of the second half to go up 11.  BG then took control of the game....BG had the lead to 16 with 11;50 left.  In the interim, it had never been closer than 8. 

The lead stayed in that comfortable range.  BG led by 20 with 4:14 left to play and by 17 when the final media timeout hit at 2:31.  At those points, BG had a 99.9% chance of winning the game.

And almost didn't.  I mean, they did...but they almost didn't.

BG came out of that timeout.  The Falcons had been just milking clock.  Justin Turner is a huge asset because you can put him up top, have him run the clock down and you know you are going to get a good shot anyway.

So, the game's over if that keeps happening, so Ball State put full-court pressure on BG and the Falcons completely folded.  It was complete chaos.  Inbounding the ball directly into corner traps, intercepted passes, tie-ups that led to turnovers, even getting the ball up the floor once and turning it over...it was ugly.

BG turned the ball over on 6 straight possessions and 7 of 8, with the odd possession out being the missed front end of a 1-1.  BG had 5 turnovers in the game's first 37 minutes and 8 in the last 3 minutes.

The lead vanished.  Between that 2:37 timeout and :30, it went from 17 to 3.  It was incredible to watch.

Coming off the FTs that made it 3, BG was able to get the ball up floor.  Thankfully, it was inside :30 and Ball State had to foul.  BG maneuvered Turner to get the foul and he made both FTs to put the lead back to 5.

Ball State wasn't done...they came down and missed a shot but had two offensive rebounds and scored again to make it 3 with :13 left. 

BG successfully got the ball in to Turner and he was fouled with :11 left and he made both FTs again to go to 5.  Teague missed a 3FG on the other end and it was finally over.  BG had joined the 999 teams out of a thousand who win with a 17-point lead with 2:31 left.

It's not the first time something like that has happened...BG's Norfolk State collapse is one of the notable ones in NCAA basketball this year.

Coach said BG came out of the timeout thinking they had it won.  They missed open passes and didn't execute the game plan for getting up court.  He also said that it's good to be able to learn when you win...not lose.  And that's fine.  But teams have seen this.  We need to make sure this is figured out.

Here's how it looked.  Pretty close.  Imagine how it would have looked with 3 minutes left.  BG held Ball State to .94 points per possession, a winning number.  Ball State's offensive strategy is inexplicable to me.  They are 10th in the MAC in 3FG shooting and lead the MAC in how many 3FGs they take.  Yesterday was no different.  They took 45% of their FGs from the 3FG and only made 28%.  They were 51% from 2FG.

BG turned them over a little and kept them off of the offensive boards.  Two of their 8 offensive rebounds came on that one possession in the last minute.  And they got to the line only 15 times, making 11.

BG didn't shoot any better, but it was a smarter mix.  I mentioned that Coach Huger had said BG had to drive to contact and get to the rim more, especially post-Frye and as teams are double-teaming Turner.  In this one, BG tried only 12 3FGs.  That's 19% of their total attempts, their lowest since 2016 (Cleveland State, right before Christmas).  They made 45% of the 2FGs and 33% of their 3FGS but shot 22 FTs, making a very solid 17.  Coach said that it was the same offense against Akron but guys made their shots in this one. 

They took very good care of the ball...until...and had a good game on the offensive boards.

In total, BG had 1.01 points per possession against a team that came in allowing .91.

BG was led--and saved--by Justin Turner.  We should really appreciate what we are seeing.  This guy is just a magical player and, as I understand it, a better teammate and friend.  Against constant double-teams and hard-hedges, he scored 33 points.  That's 8 of 16 on 2FGs and 2 of 3 on 3FG.  Both 3FGs came on that key run in the late first half and he made the 4 FTs BG had to have at the end.  He shot 11 of 13 at the line.  He added 6 rebounds and 6 assists...and 4 turnovers. 

Michael Laster had 12 points on 5 of 11 shooting, 6 rebounds and 3 steals.  He also had 1 assist and 3 turnovers, two in the late meltdown.  He's going to be needed as a ballhandler in those situations.

Plowden had 8 points and 8 rebounds, but the shooting wasn't great at 4-13 and 0-3.  Mattos had 6 points and 6 rebounds in 11 minutes.  Mattis had 6 rebounds and 3 turnovers.

So, here's how it looks.  With that win, BG greatly solidified their position.  More on that later.  The Falcons are off on Tuesday with some time to heal up.  Well needed, I'm sure.  I think you always want a late bye if you can get it.  Also, you want one off a win.  Being off after blowing that lead would have been awful.

But that didn't happen.

In the meantime, this is exactly what we have waited for all these years.  Enjoy.

Ball State, Deux

So, BG had its worst offensive game of the season against Akron, it's first post-Frye game against a team that plays defense. Ball State, tomorrow's opponent, plays the best defense in the MAC.

That's exactly the kind of game it was when the two teams played at the Stroh a little while ago.

If you recall, BG won by 6.  Justin Turner had 10 points in the last 3 minutes of the game to salt it away.

So, the MAC average is 1.01 points per possession.  Ball State is allowing .91 points per possession, but BG got .95 points per possession against them in the first meeting.  The mix you see below was how it played out.  For reference, BG's EFG was 40% against Akron Tuesday.  So, while it was a poor offensive night, BG mixed very average shooting with low turnovers and 15 of 19 at the line to get to that level.

Ball State is 11th in the MAC in offense, and BG was able to maximize that part of the equation to get the win.  They scored .86 points per possession--they average .97--and had the worst shooting game of any BG opponent this year.  Again, that's worse than BG shot at Akron Tuesday.

They have won 3 of 4 since playing BG, winning @Kent and ending NIU's winning streak in Muncie.  Their formula has not really changed. They scored under 1 per possession in each win. They held Kent and OU under .8 per possession--a legit shutdown--and you that's a worst-case scenario for BG on Saturday.

From my viewpoint, BG played its first game post-Frye against UT, a terrible defensive team. Against Akron, a good one, the Zips took Turner away and BG's other players had shots conceded and they didn't go down.

BG has had a few days...some kind of adjustment needs to be made.  One thing:  Ball State is #1 defending the 3FG and #8 against the 2FG.  It seems like BG needs to attack the basket in this one...and do it strong, "drive to contact" as Coach said after the game.  I think if BG is going to try and win on the perimeter, that's not going to work.

With KJ Walton down, Ball State basically has been using a six-man rotation.  They are led by two guys.  Tahjal Teague, a legit all-MAC player, scoring 16.5 on 50% shooting, 10 rebounds, two blocks and a steal a game.  Not a good FT shooter.  Ishmael El-Amin 13 on 41% shooting overall but 40% from 3FG.  Jarron Coleman is their PG, with basically a 1:1 A/TO ratio.

So here we go.  This would be a huge one for BG to get.  You'd get to 10 MAC wins with a road win against a team that has not lost at home this year in conference.  You'd establish some confidence in the team's ability to rebound from Frye's departure--it would just make a statement.

JAR of Horrors

So, the JAR remained what it has been for BG over the past 11 years...a place of horror and disappointment.  Just to wallow in it for a minute, among those 11 defeats, 8 have been by double digits, three by 20 or more and one by 30 or more.  It just has been a place where nothing good happens to BG.

For the record, BG did not come in and lay a complete egg or get blown off the floor by any stretch of the imagination.  BG didn't have enough to win, but they were in the game much of the way.

In the first half, for example, it was very evenly played.  BG was only down 2 with 4 minutes left when AK went on a 9-3 run to go up and 8 and they led by 6 at the half...certainly still a game at that point.

As they have sometimes done, BG came storming out of the locker room and scored the first six points to tie the game just 1 minute in.  Alas, that was the high point of the half.  AK pumped the lead to 6.  Still, BG had it at 1 at 12:27.  Akron got it back to 6 and then a 7-0 run to build the lead from 4 to 11 with 8 minutes left.  At that point, the game went almost 3 minutes without any points at all, during which time BG had 1 turnover and missed 4 layups and it never got closer than 9 again and ended up at 15.

BG did not lead in the second half.

My preview noted that Akron has been a good shooting team but slumping and BG needed to score against them to compete.  Akron did, in fact, have their fourth straight sub-par shooting game.  BG held them to 1.02 points per possession, which should be a for-sure winning number for us.  Sadly, BG had its worst offensive game of the season, at .82 points per possession.  They were that low in a MAC game only once last year. Only 3 times since 2002 has BG won a game scoring that low or less.

From my view, it was clear what Akron wanted to do.  They wanted to take Justin Turner out of the game and force other players to make shots for BG, and they did not.  Coach said in the post-game that BG got open looks but didn't make them and that other players are going to have to learn to step up.  He tripped over himself quite a bit in trying to avoid saying it, but losing Frye has required different guys to do different things and they have to make adjustments and it wasn't evident at the JAR that night.

BG shot 43% from 2FG and 24% from 3FG, their 4th worst shooting night this year.  They also turned the ball over....17%, not a terrible amount for more than usual...did OK on offensive rebounds and never really got to the line at all and shot under 50% when they did. Coach emphasized the BG needed to drive to contact to get fouls called.

Meanwhile, BG did a nice job on Akron's 3FG shooting, holding them to 29%.  The problem, as Coach noted, was that Akron adjusted and drove the ball and the Falcons gave up too many straight-line drives.  Akron shot 54% from 2FG.  They took reasonable care of the ball, didn't have much success on the boards and made a ton of FTs, partly as BG was fouling at the end.  Still, they shot 93% in the second half at the line.

Individually, Daeqwon Plowden played well for BG with 18 points and 10 rebounds.  He shot 8 of 15, so he had a good night.

Justin Turner really had to work.  He had 12 points of 4 of 12 and 1 of 3 shooting, 3 assists and 4 turnovers.  Any team in the MAC would consider that a success.  He was double-teamed much of the night and didn't make much of it and his teammates didn't take advantage of the open space.  Tayler Mattos had 7 points and 6 rebounds in 10 minutes.

Akron is really long on the edges and that seemed to be a problem for BG.  If I had a chance to ask Coach a question, I would wonder why Matiss, who would seem to be the antidote to that, didn't get more than 3 minutes in the game.  And, why does Mattos only play 10 minutes?

Here's where we are.  BG is 9-3 in MAC play and has a negative scoring differential.  You just don't see that happen.  This is why, by the way, BG is so poorly ranked in all the computer rankings and why they are considered "lucky."  Akron is +9 per game, by comparison.

The Falcons do not have any time to feel sorry about this game.  They have a very tough roadie at Ball State on Saturday.  BSU is unbeaten in the MAC at home and certainly has a shot to win the title this year.  BG remains in decent shape--and let's remember we would have identified this as the toughest week of the season all along--but they don't have the luxury of time in adjusting to playing without their 2nd leading scorer.  They have time...but not a lot.

Akron Preview....

The echoes of Saturday's game have barely died down and here we are again, on the court with a game against the team that has the highest ranking, if not the best record, in the MAC.

Akron is 17-6 and 7-3 in the MAC.  Their non-conference losses were to Louisville, WVU and Liberty.  They started out 6-1 in MAC play, but lost 2 of their next 3 (and barely beat EMU at the JAR).  They lost at home to Toledo (not part of the streak).  I'll take a look at why they are losing in a second.

Falcon fans know that Akron has dominated us in a way that no other team has.  Going back 15 years, Akron is 28-3 against Bowling Green.  It's just incredible.  The Falcons have won 2 of the last 5 against the Zips.  Their last win at the JAR was the 2009 shocker that led to a MAC regular season title...10 straight losses.

BG split with Akron last year and lost by 24 in Akron.

One thing we know is that John Groce can coach in the MAC.  He was highly successful at OU and now he has rebuilt the Akron program after it was down to bare wood after Dambrot left.

The Zips are the top offensive team in the MAC and #39 in the country.  They combine that with being #4 in defensive efficiency and that's how they get where they are.  They won their first five MAC games in blow outs...for the year, their average margin of victory is 9 points, whereas BG's is .5.

This is a little different from playing UT and CMU--who can score the ball but don't play great defense.  AK is strong on both sides of the ball.  Basically, BG and AK present similar profiles.

The key to Akron's success for the year is shooting.  They lead the MAC in EFG and are #50 in the country.  They lead the MAC in 3FG and are 2nd in 2FG.  The 43% of the FGs from 3FG, 2nd in the MAC.  The other numbers are fine...they are #6 in protecting the ball and on the offensive boards.  They are 9th in getting to the line, but lead the MAC with 81% made.  They are #13 in FT shooting.'
They will be a test for BG--who attempted to outscore CMU and UT and didn't have much success on defense.

So Akron has lost 2 of their last 3.  That's UB, @KSU and then they beat EMU by 1 at the JAR.  What's going on?  As you can see here, they are a shooting team that has not been making shots for the last 3 games.  So we can only hope to see that continue...

Flipping that around, UA's biggest defensive calling card is forcing turnovers.  They lead the MAC.  Their are #6 defending the shot and are #11 in rebounding and allowing free throws. 

I think those middle two factors will be key.  AK is #1 at getting turnovers and BG is #1 at preventing them.  We know BG has had a change at the guard position and Akron will present a real test to how well BG moves on from losing Frye.  BG has been decent on the offensive boards and could help their cause a lot with some offensive boards.  Finally, BG can't chose tonight to miss shots, either FGs or at the line.

The Zips are led by Loren Cristian Jackson, who is #2 in the MAC with 21.9 PPG.  He's efficient as hell.  He makes 50% overall and leads the MAC with 55% from 3FG.  He makes 86% of his FTs (#3 in MAC) and is #3 with 4.9 assists per game.  He's #2 in A/TO ratio...behind Michael Laster.  He's just a really good player...POY candidate.  Transferred from Long Beach State.

He is joined by Tyler Cheese.  He scores 18 PPG, but less efficiently.  He shoots 48% and 35%, which are plenty good.  He makes 87% of his FTs and has 3.7 assists per game.  He's a very good player.

If that wasn't enough, they probably have the MAC's top newcomer in Xeyrius Williams.  He's a 6'9" transfer from Dayton.  He is scoring 15.2 PPG to go with 8.9 RPG.  He shoots 45% overall but 44% from 3FG and makes 93% of his FTs, though he rarely is fouled.

They don't have tremendous depth.  They are 10th in the MAC in bench minutes (BG is #3) and they are the 3rd most experienced team in the MAC.

This is another test on the road to the championship.  BG is taking on a very good team on the road in a place where we rarely win and we're going it without a key player.  Unless Akron's shooting woes turn out to be permanent, I think they are likely to be in the title game.  BG will play them twice and these will be good tests. 

Akron is obviously beatable...so why not BG?  Looking very forward to tonight's game.

Momentous Day for BG MBB: Dylan Frye and Sweet Victory

What a day yesterday was in men's basketball at BG.

To start with...I'm on my way to the game and I see the tweet from NickP of The Blade:  Dylan Frye had left the program.

I don't think I'd seen anything that shocking since I was in a meeting and I got a text that Chris Jans had been fired.  It's just jaw-dropping news, one month before the end of the season, one where the team is in first place.  Clearly, it changes everything on a team to lose its second-leading scorer suddenly like that.  Just when you felt like things were moving along, you get a gut punch like that.  It felt almost like the curse of 1968 rearing its head again.

After the game, Huger said that Frye left of his own volition. When asked if the door was open to come back, he said "we'll see."

He also said "we all wish Dylan the best and, hopefully, everything will be all right."

I think everyone echoes those sentiments.  There's no point in trying to guess what happened and we might never find out, which is fine.  Whatever it is, I wish Dylan the best in dealing with it.

And things move on.

Frye was BG's point guard and the team had to figure out how to handle that most demanding of positions.  Further, he had been effective...his shooting had been not great, but he was largely responsible for BG being among the top teams in college basketball in protecting the ball.  Michael Laster is the backup PG, but coach did something different.  He kept Laster in that role and moved Davin Zeigler--the team's PG of the future--into the starting spot.

And you know, he did pretty well.  He's been producing in the minutes he has gotten.  He would have started for our team three years ago.

But now we are getting into the game...so let's do it.

Oh, sweet victory.  It was a great game, right down to the wire, but BG pulled it out in their first game with the new lineup.  Oh, it was a sweet, sweet victory.

UT came out and played hard.  They lack depth and rely on 3 players to do their scoring, but they are getting the most out of that setup, even after five straight losses.  They led for most of the first 11 minutes of the game and were up 24-22 with 9 left.  Over the next four minutes, BG went on a 17-4 run to go up 11.  The run featured two 3FGs by Mattis, one of them a Steph Curry distance 3.  From there, BG led by 8 at the half.

There were some foul issues in the first half, but BG was able to continue to use its depth to keep in the game and even take the lead.

One of them was Plowden, who had 2.  UT came out in the second half and ran a play right at him and drew his third.  He stayed in and didn't foul out, but it was a great move by UT because it impacted his interior defense the rest of the way.

UT never led in the second half.  BG would push the lead up a little bit...8 or 10 points, but the Rockets would battle it back.  It was an incredibly entertaining and heart-stopping half of basketball.

About 3 minutes into the half, Marreon Jackson was shooting a 3FG from the corner and there was contact.  I looked away but the ref came charging out and called Jackson for kicking his legs into contact, something I have not seen called this year in many hours of basketball watching.

Put a pin in that.

With 2:31 left, BG was up 5.  Knapke hit a 3FG.  Zeigler was fouled and, cool as can be, hit both FTs and BG was up 4.  Knapke hit another 3FG with 1:38 left to play.  Both plays featured Jackson driving to the basket, attracting the defense and then kicking out to Knapke.

Place is just crazy right now.  BG is running clock.  Actually, they had been for a couple of minutes, even with a slim lead.  The set up is simple.  It's a high one-four, Turner up top.  At ten on the clock, the 5 comes out and offers a screen and Turner goes to work.  In this case, BG ate up one-third of the remaining game and Turner hit Caleb Fields for a layup and BG was up 3 with 1:08 left to play.

With :49 left, Jackson hit a 3FG and the game was tied.

BG ran clock again and Turner got into the paint and missed with :25 left, but Matiss was there to tip the ball into the basket.  Pandemonium...and then the ref was signaling that it was basket interference.

It was right in line with my seat and the ball was clearly outside the cylinder.  They went to the replay and lo and behold, reversed the call to put BG up 2.

UT came down and Marreon Jackson was driving and Plowden bumped him in the open court with :14 left.  I didn't think it was a bad play.  Worst case, they tie the game and we have the ball last.

Which is what happened...Jackson hit both FTs (you knew he would) and BG came down the floor.

Same play.  Isolate Turner.  He drove the ball and ended up with a step back 2 to try and win the game.  There was contact with Littleson and both players fell to the floor.  The arena froze and 5,000 people didn't breathe.  And they called the foul with 1.2 left.

Kowalczyk went insane, the Rocket coached turning into a Rockette as he kicked his leg out and demanded the call that had been made against Jackson at the other end.  I find it hard to believe that a man's head can get that red without requiring medical intervention.

There's been plenty of debate about the call.  Kowalcyk ripped it post-game.  Jordan Strack posted a picture showing Turner's leg extended.  David Briggs went back and edited his column to say it should have been a no-call.

Coach Huger had a different perspective.  He said that Littleson had run through Turner and not allowed him to land, a clear foul.

Here's the play in real time--which supports the call that was made way more than a still frame.  Turner was stepping back, I think the leg was part of that motion.  Anyway, here's the look from NickP of The Blade, see for yourself.  I note that the defender pounded the floor immediately...to me, he knows he got too close.  Turner was undercut and it's a foul at any time in the game, especially a tightly called one like this one.

This was my view of the call that decided the game. Judge for yourself: pic.twitter.com/XUPlSzuwoP

— Nick Piotrowicz (@NickPBlade) February 9, 2020

Turner made both free throws and BG had the win.  It was a thriller and one we will take all day.  There were calls made the whole way and many of them went UT' way.

In other words, to respond to the presser by Kowalczyk :

Boo-hoo.

Here are the numbers that reflect a razor-thin game.  BG ended up with 1.21 points per possession against the defensively-starved Rockets.  Two of BG's 3 best offensive games have been against UT this year.  The Rockets had 1.18 points per possession, which is BG's second-worst defensive game of the year...only matching up against the last one.

BG shot well.  The Falcons shot 53% on 2FG and 41% from 3FG.  UT was 48% and 50%. Given the number of close looks UT gets in their post action, I'm always surprised that 2FG number isn't higher. BG had a +4 advantage in turnovers...which might well have been the difference.  The Rockets were +4 at the line, making 20-29 against BG's 16 of 24.  A better FT effort from either team might have been decisive.

Individually, BG had so many contributions.  Turner had a rough 21, on 7 of 21 shooting.  They made him work for his points, which I'm sure was their goal.  He was 3 of 8 from 3FG, missed 3 FTs (but made the ones we had to have) and added 5 rebounds, 5 assists and no turnovers.

Plowden had 13 points and 8 rebounds in only 26 minutes.  He was big on the defensive boards in the second half.  And Matiss had a career-high 12 points in 22 minutes.  He shot 3-3 from 2FG and 2 of 5 from 3FG added 3 rebounds...plus defending Knapke.

He's coming into his own at just the right time.  Coach said that this is the player he saw in high school, before he was injured early in his BG career.

Davin Zeigler, making his first start.  Eight points in 14 minutes.  Two of four shooting, made all 4 FTs, including two super-clutch ones and had 2 steals on a team that doesn't really get steals.

Michael Laster?  He had 7 points, 3 assists and no turnovers in 23 minutes.

Tayler Mattos?  Seven points on 3 of 4 shooting in 21 minutes.

Caleb Fields...a long day blanketing Marreon Jackson and making him work for his 31 points---that kid is a great player.

Sierra and Diggs...six points each.  It was a team win under trying circumstances.  It is a credit to the team's leadership that they absorbed Friday's drama and got the win in a tightly-fought game.

So, on we go.  Big week next week.  At Akron and at Ball State.  Difficult assignment, but BG is in good position, as you can see below.  Remember, you need to finish in the top 4.  Honestly, Akron has lost 2 in a row and nearly lost at home to EMU. They're not unbeatable.

The question is, can a team lose its second-leading scorer more than halfway into the MAC season and still win it all?  We shall see.

Hated Rockets Part II

UT becomes the first team BG has played twice this season.  I can do a slightly abbreviated preview, since we just played UT.  As we all remember, that was a thrilling win for BG inside Savage Hall.

Since then, UT has been reeling.  The BG loss was the first of what is now four-game losing streak.  Of the 3 games since BG, 2 of the losses were at home...to Kent and NIU...and then they lost @EMU to give the Eagles their first conference win.




Here's the game report from that game.  As you can see, BG shot very well.  There were very few turnovers either way, and BG dominated the glass.  As I recall, UT rarely crashed the offensive glass.

Simply put, UT is a strong offensive team (2nd in the MAC) and a very poor defensive team (11th in the MAC).

Beyond that, this team has no depth.  Out of 353 teams in D1 basketball, they are 351st in bench minutes.  For two of the four games on this losing streak, they also played without Stuart Littleson, making the situation even worse.  They essentially play a six-man rotation with only one bench player getting even ten minutes.

I remember back to some of the DD teams that were very short-handed.  The conference schedule is a very rough grind.

One other note from the first game.  Luke Knapke had a season-high 23 against BG, who had no one able to handle him in the post.  Matiss eventually got it done, but in general BG had no answer.  I'd expect UT to try and force that hand and hopefully the Falcons have made an adjustment.

This is probably the first time that we have been favored over UT since Kowalcyk's first year.  Even so, you know, it's the Rockets.  You know they'd love to get us back and break their losing streak.

It's going to be an electric environment.  The place is sold out, there should be people standing in the aisles. Every game is a march to Cleveland, but it would be oh-so-sweet to finish this series with a sweep.

BG has not beaten UT twice in the same year since the 98-99 season.  It was a Stan Joplin 19-win UT team and Dan Dakich was coaching a BG team featuring Anthony Stacey and Keith McLeod.  (Note:  for many of those years they only played UT once every year).

Signing Day Part Two

So, it's done.  BG is bringing in 31 players, which is a huge class.  I know the limit is 25...Coach didn't address how it worked out.  I have read that early enrollees can count in the previous class if there were slots open and we only reported 20 on signing day last year--but also added Wade and McDonald after that.  Anyway, who knows.  We have 31 guys coming in and it will all be clear in the end.

BG added four guys.  Most of the news is something we already looked at when they committed.  The one that is interesting is Charles Rosser, the WR from Benedictine in Cleveland.  Coach said with his size and athleticism he could end up at WR, TE or even LB, depending on where they think he fits.

Coach said the focus of this class was QB, OL and DL.  He says those are the toughest positions to recruit and the ones where the developmental time is the longest.  And...you gotta be strong up front and at QB to have a shot at winning.

He says that next year, there will still be a focus on the players upfront but more effort will also be put into skill players.

BG will still be short on numbers this year, but expects to be at or near 85 for 2021, which Loeffler says is a year ahead of schedule if it happens.

BG has a long way to go.  It will take more than one good class to get us where we need to be.  Having said that, you can't get two until you get one.  This class had to be good.

Was it?  It certainly appears so, as the #2 class in the MAC.  That has to be proven out on the field, but for now I do feel like we've taken a first step to getting back where we want to be.

BG MBB Win Streak Snaps

Well, nothing lasts forever.

BG's MBB 8-game winning streak and four-game road winning streak came to an end at McGuirk Arena in Central Michigan.  BG remains in first place in the MAC and remains in excellent position to win a bye to Cleveland, provided that the one loss doesn't turn into a losing streak.  They have a reeling UT at home on Saturday and then a key matchup @ Akron the following Tuesday.  No time to feel sorry for themselves.

BG got out to one of its poor starts, trailing 11-2 early.  BG got it to 2 with about 11 minutes left, but CMU was scoring relentlessly and with 6 minutes left had a 12 point lead.  They trailed by 13, 48-35 at the half.

Not an unusual place to be, but the story does not end with a big comeback.  BG never got it closer than 8 and trailed double digits most of the time--by as many as 15.  The 92-82 final is sort of your classic CMU game.

It was a game dominated by the offenses.  BG scored 1.15 points per possession, a normally winning number.  In fact, they haven't scored this well and lost since the Abilene Christian game of 2016.  Problem is, CMU scored 1.29 points per possession, BG's worst since 2018.  (As a note, BG allowed 9 teams to score over 1.24 in 2018, but it hadn't happened against until last night.)

The pace was 71 possessions, which is normal.  Both teams shot well and took good care of the ball.  Problem is, CMU took better care of the ball.  If BG isn't going to force turnovers in order to focus on defending the shot, then they need to get more misses than that.  Nobody did much on the offensive boards.  BG was good at the time--15 of 17--but CMU was better, with an eye-popping 24 of 26.  Gads.

CMU made 52% of their 3FGs--BG's most since the Detroit game last year--and 44% of their 2FGs.  BG reversed that, making 44% of 2FG and 52% of 3FG.  BG has beaten a team making 52% of its 3FGs since Florida Gulf Coast in 2016.

Justin Turner had an incredible night.  He scored 31 on 8 of 16 shooting, 4 of 9 from 3FG and made all 11 of his FTs.  None of the other starters got into double figures.  Diggs had 11 on 4 of 8 and 1 of 1 shooting.  Laster added 10 points on 5 of 8 shooting, 6 assists and no turnovers, which is a really solid night.

Frye and Sierra led the team with 5 rebounds.

And on we go.  Will BG rally and make this a bump in the road or will it turn into an off-ramp.  I believe in this team and I believe they won't let derail them, but that has to happen on the floor.

Chip Preview

BG, 4-0 in MAC road games, gets a chance for a 5th straight road win and a nine-win overall when they take on CMU Tuesday night in Mt. Pleasant.  BG is 8-2 and CMU is 5-2.  The Chips have played two fewer games because they already had their bye week and then they had the game canceled because of "coronavirus" in Oxford.  So, they have a couple to make up but can get even in the loss column with a win and they were missing their leading scorer for 3 games, going 1-2.

They are 12-8 with 3 non-D1 wins.  They have an uncanny ability to schedule the lowest ranked D1 teams, as well, and their best non-conf win was over Sam Houston State, #162.  Their worst loss was @ Robert Morris (#219).  Their kenpom is #193.

Often a team that plays like that has trouble in MAC play, but as mentioned CMU is off to a good start.  They are 3-1 at home, beating Miami, NIU and BSU and losing to UB, while they are 2-1 on the road, beating WMU and UT and losing @ Kent.

BG won both meetings last year, including at McGuirk.  Over the last 10, the teams are even 5-5.

Normally, CMU in the Keno Davis era has been an offensive juggernaut.  They are balanced...5th in offensive efficiency and 6th in defense.  BG is 4th and 8th...so the place where there is the bigger difference is when BG has the ball and that should be the bigger challenge.

So, not only are the overall numbers pretty close, but each of these numbers are pretty close as well.  CMU is doing almost exactly the same thing offensive as BG is defensively.  They take a low percentage of 3s overall, but are #6 at making them and #9 at shooting the 2FG. BG is #4 defending the 3FG and #5 against the 3FG.  While CMU does get to the line and they are #3 at making FTs.

Looking at the more key matchup, a big part of the battle will be shooting and turnovers.   They are 11th defending the shot...11th against the 3FG and 9th against the 2FG.  They make up for it by getting turnovers.  BG leads the MAC in protecting the ball and CMU is #2 at forcing turnovers. They are #2 in steals, the more valuable turnover. So, if BG can make shots and take care of the ball, they have a good shot at this game.

Their leading player is Kevin McKay, a 6'5" G.  He's scoring 16.5 PPG and shooting 71%.  He'd be the MAC leader, but he missed 3 games and returned for Ball State, their most recent game, and played 29 minutes.  He also leads the team with 8.5 RPG.

Dallas Morgan is scoring 14 PPG.  He's shooting 45% overall and 34% from 3FG.  He's a JUCO player in his senior year.

David DiLeo, who we are well familiar with, is scoring 13.9 PPG.  He is efficient, shooting 49% overall and 45% on 3FG. 

Finally, Rob Montgomery, is scoring a rough 10 PPG on 36% and 21% shooting. Devontae Lane leads the team with 17 assists and 20 turnovers.

I'l tell you, CMU might be a bit of a sleeper.  On the other hand, BG is playing well and every win puts them closer to the next step, which is a berth in Cleveland.  Will be intersting.