MBB Defeated Again

 BG MBB fell again last night, their fifth straight.

We lost to Queens University of Charlotte, a team ranked higher than us on kenpom.  They were a DII team last year, but this is a well-coached team with good players.  They beat Marshall (picked #6 in Sun Belt) and are #206 in kenpom.  They also beat Morgan State, who we play Saturday.

The issue isn't Queens...only 5 teams in the MAC have a better kenpom today...the issue is why is BG ranked #286, our lowest in the history of the ranking.  Why aren't we beating the #206 team in the country on our floor?  It doesn't matter if it is Queens, Norfolk State (similarly ranked, also on our schedule) or High Point...whatever.

I listened to Todd Walker and Coach Huger after the game.  They discussed what appeared to me to be the difference in the game...which is that we don't finish at the rim and Queens did.

The Royals made 51% of their 2FGs and BG made 46%.  You could see it...BG just doesn't make what Coach Orr called "zero footers."  We just don't make those shots and it costs us games.

Here's why.  We are a terrible 3-point shooting team. The NCAA average is 33% and we have made under 30% for each of the last 5 games. Last night it was 19%.  We are #327 in the country in 3FG shooting.

Which means we need to score with 2FGs. Across the NCAA, 38% of shots are 3FGs.  BG takes 34% and took 30% last night.  That's logical, given our lack of success from 3FG.

To succeed that way, you need to make 2FGs at a good clip.  The NCAA average is just under 50% and as mentioned, we made 46%.  We have been over the NCAA average only once this season.  And that's the average...to succeed with our shot mix you'd need to be above average.

We had this same dynamic when Orr was here...heavy 2FG focus and not making them at a high rate.

To illustrate, Ayers, Towns and Turner were 8 of 27 on 2FGs last night.

The other issue is just winning basketball.  After playing a lackluster first half, BG actually played with some energy in the second half.  We trailed by 9 at the half, but several times got the game within 1 point in the second half, but never tied or took the lead.  There was always an untimely turnover or missed shot and then Queens would come down and score.

But the key illustration came with :39 left.  We are down 3.  Get a stop and we have a shot to win the game.  Apparently, there was some confusion and one of our players thought we needed to foul and did foul and that was it.  We lost by 6.

Coach talked about it after the game.  We need to be smarter than that, he said.  Claims it was talked about in the huddle.  

I would just ask this....would Kent, Akron or Toledo have done that?

It's discouraging. That's 5 losses in a row...yes a couple tough games but winnable home games as well.  The schedule gets even softer from now until the end of the year...and it's possible BG only loses once from now until then.  It's also possible BG hits conference play 5-8 with 3 D1 wins.