Three MBB Players Enter Portal

The Portal opened yesterday, and it has pretty much gone as expected.  Marcus Johnson, Javonte Campbell, and Jamai Felt have all entered the portal.  Assuming they do actually move on, we thank them for their time at BG.  Each of them was part of a plucky, undermanned team and played under circumstances we would not have expected at the start of the year.  Campbell playing with a broken hand. Johnson and Felt logging way more minutes than you would expect.

This is how it is going to be, until...I don't know.  But essentially, we will have to find new guys who excel every year or figure out a way to pay them at least comparable to our peer schools.

Best of luck to them all.  Meanwhile, no non-P4 schools qualified for the Sweet Sixteen and this is the primary reason why.

Coaching Staff Finalized

The coaching staff has been finalized.  It's four guys from the old staff, one new guy and the remainder from the staff at Tennessee State.  Not too far from what I would expect.

Josh Crawford is the RB Coach, a position he held at TSU. He has a degree in medicine from Vanderbilt and was a graduate assistant at TSU and then at Utah for one year before moving to TSU.

And then there's WR Coach Bruce Johnson.  He has coached since 1998 and in college since 2000, including Indiana, Mississippi and Liberty.  He was at Central Connecticut and moved to TSU just a few days before all this went down.

Partridge, QB

Nosal, OL

Crawford, RB

Johnson, WR

Bayer, ST

Alexander, TE, AHC

Fisher, DC

McNutt, DB

Jackson, DB

Simmons, DL

Bowden, OL

New Football Assistant

There are reports in The Tennessean of another football assistant being named to the BG staff.  This one is Dewayne Alexander, who will be assistant head coach and TE coach. Alexander was the head coach at Tennessee Tech. Last year he was an assistant at Sewanee and was set to the OL Coach and TSU when George left for BG.

Updated unofficial list.

Partridge, QB

Nosal, OL

White, RB

Bayer, ST

Alexander, TE, AHC

Fisher, DC

McNutt, DB

Jackson, DB

Simmons, DL

Bowden, OL

More Coaching Updates

So, the football staff appears to be rounding into shape.  Based on reporting on Football Coaching Scoop confirmed by internal sources, the new coaches are all from Tennessee State.

Brandon Fisher will be the DC.  He is the son of Jeff Fisher, who coaches George in the NFL.  He has been the DC at Tennesee State for four years, and coached in the NFL for 8 years.

Richard McNutt will also be coming to BG.  He coached D-backs at TSU. This is one a lot of us identified as an important guy, because he has great connections inside Ohio. He has coached at Youngstown State, Toledo, Kent State, and Ohio State and was also a member of the Cleveland Browns’ staff.  He also played for OSU.  Note that the KSU years were when Doug Martin coached there and they had a very good defensive unit.

Joe Bowden is the associate head coach and LB coach. He played 8 years in the NFL and also coached in the NFL for 5 years, mostly with Tennesee/Houston. Has coached for 18 years.

D-line Coach is Clyde Simmons.  He's an NFL star, playing 15 years, two-time all-Pro, eye-popping numbers and in the Eagles HOF.  He also has 10 years of coaching experience.

There are reports as well that OC/QB coach Travis Partridge is close to coming. He was an NFL signee and played in the CFL with coaching experience at Kansas, UT-Martin, Delta State and TSU.

So, the staff looks like this;

• Partridge, QB
• Nosal, OL
• White, RB
• Bayer, TE/ST
• Fisher, DC
• McNutt, DB
• Jackson, DB
• Simmons, DL
• Bowden, OL

The only position group not represented appears to be WR.  We know the "holdover" guy won't be here, but there is no word on whether the TSU WR Coach is coming.  And the RB might not be final.

One thing: We cannot possibly have had a coaching staff with this many pro players. So, there are four: Bayer, Simmons, Bowden, and George. Then you have pro coaching experience from Fisher and McNutt. It's huge.

I looked at our list of assistant coaches...I didn't do a full count....Cato June, Cornell Brown, Jon Hoke, Vance Joseph, Mark Miller...there are probably more who played in the NFL.

4 at a time is significant.  Let's say that.

So, the staff is coming together. It's time to get to work. Spring practice is coming up fast, and recruiting is going on like crazy.

Football Coaching Updates

Another update on the football staff....Steve Morrison has not been retained and that has left BG with four coaches from the previous staff: 

Derrick Jackson, DB

Alex Bayer, TE/ST

Greg Nosal, OL

Brian White, RB

As I understand it, that's the end of the process.  So next up will be incoming coaches.

Know this.  It's a madhouse down there.  Staffing up, getting coaches, recruiting across numerous levels....'25, '26, portal guys, OUR GUYS.  You want to grind?  Pick up a program in March.

The List Remains at 8

 

Now 57 elapsed years since BG has been in the NCAA MBB tournament.  Here is the company we live with now.  There are 8.

Columbia: Last appeared in 1968
Tennessee Tech: Last appeared in 1963
Maine: Division I since 1962 (Made the conference championship game but lost).
New Hampshire: Division I since 1962
Dartmouth: Last appeared in 1959
Army: Division I since 1948
Citadel: Division I since 1948
William & Mary: Division I since 1948

Three More Football Assistants Will Not Return

Coach George continues to work his way through the holdover staff and evaluate who will return.  We here from people who are not returning....not sure if anyone has been retained (and not said anything) or when those will be announced.

Cornell Brown and Robert Armand revealed themselves on X Friday.

Since then, the following coaches have also been informed they will not return:

• Sammy Lawanson, LB
• Max Warner, OC/QB
• David Cooney, WR

Man, this is a tough business.  These guys are being set adrift in the worst time of the year and this is their livelihood.  Unlike head coaches, they are probably on one-year deals.  It's amazing how quickly things can change. What a way of life.

Cooney is a good example. Guy has been on the BG staff for like 3 weeks.  His last job was in Miami.  Florida.  Moving into his first on-field coaching role.  Ouch.

Not blaming anyone...it's a tough business and that's the nature of the beast.  You can still acknowledge what these guys are faced with.

I suspect we will hear more.

UPDATE:

Also, Brian White, our RB Coach, who looked like he had left for Marshall is now tweeting "Go Falcons" so apparently he is still here.

Also, Justin Lamson has entered the portal. He was a QB who came in from Stanford and also played two years at Syracuse.

As reality zooms in again, BG has question marks at QB and that will need to be one of the first issues for our coach.

There are 4 players in the portal now, two of whom Never played for us.

Travel Revels, an up and coming DB

CJ Brown, a DB who was all-MAC at NIU and played for us last year.

Marcus Moore, a transfer from Akron on the DL who we liked.

Lamson

On we go.

Football Update

 A quick look into football.  No other players have joined the portal...DVDM pointed out in an interview that even if they enter the portal they have to stay at BG until the end of the semester, giving George the opportunity to talk to them.  For guys leaving but not getting paid significant money, that could make a difference.

No assistant coaches have been named.  However, DL Coach Cornell Brown and DB Coach Robert Armand have been told they will not be back.  They are off the website...Brian White is still there, so no idea on his status.

It's over...

The star-crossed, ill-fated MBB season has come to an end.

Ultimately, it was a disappointing season.  Not that I am disappointed in any person or coach or particularly have any fault to find...just that with the guys we had this year, I thought we had a shot at being pretty good and thanks to all the injuries we will never know.  That's disappointing, is all.

Usually after year two in a new coaching system, you look for progress.  Are we getting better?  That's not how it works anymore.  We mostly reboot every year.

A couple of things.

First, the late part of the season, where BG strung some wins together, is a tribute to our coaches and our players.  I liked that our players were resilient, even in games where things were not going well.  The Akron game in the tournament might be an exception, but by and large BG didn't quit.  As an example, we found out that Javonte Campbell has been playing with TWO broken hands since the Ball State game.  I don't think we lacked heart.

Second, I admire our Coaches for being flexible.  I feel like for our last two long-term coaches, the answer always was that we needed to do what we do better.  Simon tried to find ways for these guys to compete--including a zone defense that allowed us to cover up some defensive weaknesses and to play without fouling.

More on the season later.  We have yet to see the high-flying, 3FG shooting offense we were promised at the beginning. In general, for two years we have struggled to score.

Looking forward....who knows, right?  The portal opens in 10 days or so.  Even guys we think are out of eligibility may gain an additional year due to the JUCO ruling. They could also not use the year or use it elsewhere.  

BG also has 3 high-quality HS signees.  Beyond that, look to JUCO and portal players.

The game yesterday was just ugly.  As Coach said, there are some weaknesses to the way we play, and Akron exploited them without mercy.  They were determined to shoot over our zone and they certainly did that.  They made their first 3FGS and just over 4 minutes in, they were up 15-6.  The game was never closer again. 

There were a couple of opportunities when BG got a stop and had the lead at 9 and had a chance to maybe dig into the lead, but BG either gave up a basket or missed a layup.  Eventually the lead stretched and the game was over.

BG scored .88 points per possession.  Their only worse game was against St. Thomas.

We shot poorly (51% and 24%), but the real problem was turnovers.  BG turned the ball over on 28.9% of their possessions--their next worst was 21%. That's a really tough number to turn into a win.

Akron scored 1.26 points per possession, 4th fourth-worst this year for BG. Akron made 16 3FGs, far and away the most allowed by the Falcons.

So, yes, a disappointing end to a season that was disappointing.  There were things to like--resilience, coaching (from above), along with Marcus Johnson and seeing Jamai Felt turn into a player.  

Now to the off-season part of the game...roster construction.  We'll see who takes the floor in November and whether we can change the MAC's narrative---that the four teams playing tonight and Ohio are the relevant programs when championships are discussed.  

Quarterfinal MBB: Akron

 And now we come to the end...where one loss ends the whole thing.  

We are thrilled to be here. At 2-7 with starters out and the rest of the team coughing up a lung, this did not look very likely.  But we got a little healthier, moved to a zone defense and started getting stops and then came home strong enough to finish 8th (SOLE POSSESSION OF 8th!) and get to Cleveland.  Our guys earned it.  It did not have to go this way.

There are many reasons to think that we have next to no shot tomorrow, however.  Among them:

• Akron's two-decade dominance over us.
• The 10.5 point spread
• Their 17-1 record.
• Number one offense and number two defense in the MAC
• Best shooting and hardest to shoot against in the MAC.
• #1 defending both the 2FG and 3FG.
• #1 shooting the 2FG and #3 shooting the 3FG.
• Strong on the boards both ways
• #8 in preventing FTs.

On paper, you know, it doesn't look great.

Two things give me hope. 

One was January 3, 2025, the one and only time BG and Akron played this year. BG had basically what they have now except Thomas is out and Humphrey is back.  

BG led the game for 36:04.  In fact, BG had 2 shots at the rim inside :25 down 2, but couldn't convert and lost by 3.  So, we know we can play with them.

Second, I was starting to look back to see the last time a #8 beat the #1, and it turns out IT WAS LAST YEAR.   Kent beat UT and ended up in the final.

So it can happen.

Nate Johnson ended up as the MAC Player of the year and the Defensive Player of the Year.  You have to be careful when looking at their stats.  No one has big numbers because their minutes are so limited.  Nate Johnson plays 31 minutes a game, the highest they have.  They have 9 players who average 14 minutes a game or more. They are #24 in the country in bench minutes and #1 in the MAC.

Sharron Young had 17 off the bench in the first game. Okonkwo had 9 rebounds and 3 blocks.  For BG, Trey Thomas had 19 and Butler had 15.

This is our sixth meeting in the MAC tourney.  BG won the first two, and UA won the last 3.  That includes 2009, the year BG was #1 seed. It was a semi.  In 2016, BG made a tourney run, beating Kent at MACC, CMU in Cleveland and then lost to UA in the semi. And in 2021, BG lost in the final Turner/Plowden team.  Turner was badly injured, insisted on playing, but BG came up short.

Nothing but upside here folks.  Why Not Us?

MBB All-MAC Teams are out

 The All-MAC teams are out for MBB...let's take a look at what we ended up with.

For BG, there were two honorees.

Javonte Campbell was third-team All-MAC, which I think is fair.  He's a better player than that healthy, but with his injury that's what he was able to show.  He was also all-defense, where he made a serious impact and set the school single-season steal record.

Jamai Felt was all-FR.  Certainly deserved.  I would have had him all-defensive as well. Would love to have him back in orange and brown next season...we shall see.

Javonte and Jamai...congrats.  Well deserved.

The obvious slight is Marcus Johnson.  Not even honorable mention?  You can't be serious.

Groce was coach of the year.  How can you not?  It was a barren year for player of the year....there was no obvious pick or even three picks.  Nate Johnson won it...as well as defensive player of the year.  It makes sense to pick the best player on the 17-1 team. 

Here are the rest of the picks.

George Opening Presser Big Hit

 Well, Eddie George won the press conference.  What would you expect...the guy's been on Broadway in movies and TV?

No, it was a tour de force.  The Falcon Nation is picking up pitchforks and icepiks and riding to the sound of the battle.

I've got a couple highlights...but you owe it to yourself to listen to the whole thing.  Win or lose...we've never had a coach like this before.

First Van Der Merwe spoke.  (Actually, first Rogers spoke).  In DVDM's part, he said that he reached out to Urban Meyer for names we could talk to.  Urban gave him only one:  Eddie George.  The Lieutenant Governor also gave a strong recommendation for Eddie George.

George said that winning the MAC this year is the goal.  Long-term, beat UT, win the MAC, compete for the national championship.

When asked about the rivalry, he said, "I don't embrace it.  I don't embrace it at all.  When it comes, we are going to put our hands in the dirt and give them the iron fist."  (In fairness, he went on to give respect to the Rocket program).

There was a question from an OSU Blogger, who said that he was eventually doing Tennessee State a favor when he took the job originally.  He largely confirmed that.  He was living in Nashville (letting his blood warm up from the midwest cold), presumably because of his wife's music career.  The program was in real trouble.  He didn't want to coach, but eventually grew to be interested in the idea.

He says we will put a fence around Ohio.  This is a strategy for raising an NIL "warchest" for strategic purposes, but we will mostly "drawing a fence around Ohio" and seekto recruit and develop high school players, which is what he largely did at Tennessee State.

His son plays at TN State as well.

He showed real empathy for the BG assistants left behind.  He knows they are in the balance at a terrible time to find another job.  He will interview them as his first order of business so that he can provide them clarity to their future.  

Last part I really liked was that he is going to assess who we have and then adapt his approach to what they do best.  That's fantastic.  I hate it when coaches come in and say that they are going to take 3 years to install their system.  If you're a coach, you should be able to coach more than one way.  We are going to play physical.  He mentioned it several times.  Of course, you're going to need that in the MAC.

He also said that this is not a rebuild.  Loeffler got us to good.  He wants to take us to elite.

I think we're going to put some people in the stands this year.  His enthusiasm and determination is contagious.

Again, the whole presser is outstanding.  Take a listen.

Welcome to the Falcons, Eddie.  Beat Toledo.

Supplemental reading:

1.    NY Times article:  "Why would Eddie George accept the challenge at Tennessee State?"

2.    The challenge at Tennessee Tech.

• Eddie George led Tennessee State University's football program to back-to-back winning seasons in 2023 and 2024. 
• This was the first time the Tigers had consecutive winning seasons since 2016-17. 
• In 2024, the Tigers had their most wins since 2013 and a national ranking of 19. 
• Before George took over, the Tigers averaged just over three wins per year for four seasons. 
• In 2024, the Tigers had a 9-4 record and shared the Big South-OVC conference title. 
• In 2024, George was coach-of-the-year

3.    TSU is in real financial trouble....here and here.

4.    TSU Tiger Terrell Allen won the Buck Buchanan award in 2023 as top FCS player.

5.    LB Sanders Ellis was the 2024 defensive FR of the year.

6.    George had this to say about his Broadway gig.

7.    George scored his first NCAA TD against BG!

Blade Reports Eddie George Accepts Offer to Coach Falcons

 Well, according to the Blade, the deal is done.  Eddie George will be the next coach of the Falcons.

This is a wow.  It was reported over the weekend by Pete Thamel that George had been interviewed and it was a bombshell announcement.  And a bombshell hire that will get attention around college football.

According to the Blade, the other interviewees were UMass offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian, and Oklahoma State quarterbacks coach Kevin Johns.  Nick Monroe, the former BG assistant, apparently did not make the cut.  For my money, Bajakian and Johns were pretty meh and remember, when you get a football coach and they are meh, you are stuck with them for years.  It was a by-product of when we were doing the hiring...but it's a huge decision.  I would rather have gone for an interim in that case.

And there's no guarantee that George--or anyone--succeeds.  But it brings some energy and he has four more years of head coaching experience than the other two guys.

Tennesee State is an HBCU college.  They have had success, but when George came in they were on a downswing.  George had three years around .500, and then the Tigers broke through last year, going 9-4 and 6-2, conference co-champs, FCS playoff berth, he was Coach of the Year and a nominee for the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year.

Two things have to happen immediately.  He needs to get a staff together and he needs to talk to players and see if he can keep them in the fold.  I think he might have a better shot at that than most.

More to come.

MBB To Cleveland

Wow.  A season that has been absolutely crazy for the Falcon MBB team had a last day that was fittingly equally crazy. 

First, BG lost at home after a terrible call put WMU on the line in a tie game and about 3 seconds left.  One FT put the game away and the Falcons were now reliant on help.  (Note, without the foul, it's probably OT, so there was more to be played.

Ball State had lost to Miami, but BG also needed NIU to beat CMU.  As in, 15-point underdog NIU.  1-16 NIU. 

As BG funnelled into the locker room and loaded the game, CMU was ahead in the last minute.  NIU rallied and tied the game with :11 left to force OT.  The last minute of the 1st OT was scoreless, so on they go to 2OT.

NIU was up 4 with 1:30 left. CMU cut it to 2 with and the Pritchard tied it with :17 left. Then, on the last possession, NIU seemed to be trying to throw a pass to the post, overthrew and it went into the basket to give the Huskies to win.

Pandemonium in the BG locker room.  As well there should be.  Naturally, we would prefer to make it with a win.  But after all the BAD luck that has struck this team, this team was due to have some GOOD luck.  So, the 1-16 team rallies on the road and wins in 2OT on a most improbable shot...we, the team with the injuries and the illness that was at one point 2-7 in league play...we will take it, thank you very much.

See you in Cleveland.  And congrats to our boys.  You deserve it.

Football Update

So a few updates:

BG has a search firm engaged.

A lot of people were attracted to Mike Jacobs as our new coach.  He's the head coach at Mercer, Ohio guy, blah blah.  He's taken an extension at Mercer and will be staying.  In fact, there's a good chance his agent got the mention on Football Scoop with the idea of getting an extension.

Also, Vince Marrow has been mentioned and appears to have interviewed.  There are a couple obstacles.  Most of all, he's a ROCKET.  Right now, he's been at Kentucky for the last 12 years or so and is their TE Coach and assistant Head Coach.

As I said before, I think a sitting head coach will be difficult to swing.  In fact, this is a case study in action. Even once you have a coach, you also have to fill a staff...with the idea we're trying to upgrade the program.

I have heard that BG expects to name someone by tomorrow, early next week or before the MAC Tournament.

Speaking of assistant coaches, Brian White, our RB Coach and BBQ expert is now tweeting before the first day of Spring Practice at Marshall.  Nothing that I can find has been announced.

There have been no other portal entries on twitter, but JD Singletary (a 26 commit) has re-opened his recruiting.

The BIG Game! (MBB)

The regular season ends tomorrow.  BG is playing WMU....with a win, BG is in the tourney...with a loss, they need both Ball State and CMU to lose as well.

It has been a wild and unexpected ride. At one point, BG was 2-7 in MAC play.  A trip to Cleveland appeared nearly impossible.  BG has won 6-8 in the MAC since then (7-9 overall) and put that into play.  With a win, BG is 9-9 in MAC play, which is pretty amazing given the injuries and the flu bug that flew through the team.

I'm proud of this team and our program. Playing like this under duress is the kind of program I want us to have.  I also want us to be the kind that goes 16-2, has nothing go wrong and makes the Sweet Sixteen.  But you face the first scenario more in life than the second.

We beat WMU the first time. The first game was not a defensive affair.  BG had 1.2 points per possession and WMU had 1.14.  BG won by 4. What you see below is a close game.  BG made 7 of 8 at the line coming home.  The key difference was BG going 6 of 17 from 3FG and WMU going 4-21.

WMU is overachieving.  They were picked 10th in the MAC.  They were 4-7 in the MAC, but have gone 4-2 since then, including home wins over OU and Miami. They lost their last one also at home to Kent by 1.

They are 4-4 in MAC play on the road.

It seems to me to be a decent matchup for us.  BG is playing as good on the defensive end as anyone on the MAC.  WMU is last in the MAC in shooting and last in 3FG shooting. They are 10th in 2FG shooting. If we play defense as we have been, we can keep their point total low.  The one thing to watch for is the offensive rebounding, which is 2nd in the MAC, as you would expect from an Izzolyte.

Against a zone, they might make a difference.  As you can see below, they rebounded against us really well last time.

They are 7th in defense. They are 10th against the shot, 9th against the 2FG. They are 9th in terms of giving up FTs, which might be the key number for us.  We offensive rebounded like crazy in the first one, but I don't think we can't count on that.  We have not been crashing the boards at all, presumably to avoid fouling.

Chansey Willis the 2nd leading scorer in the MAC in MAC play at 17.6 PPG. He shoots 51% and 31%, 4.2 RPG and is #2 in the MAC with 5.8 per game. 

JaVaugh Hannah is scoring 12.9 PPG, shooting 50% and 27%. Marki Strickland is scoring 11.4 PPG on 49% and 27%. 

Donovan Williams is scoring 10.1 PPG on 46% and 35%.  He is #5 in the MAC in rebounding with 7.2 rpg.

They have 9 players averaging 10 minutes more a game, which could be a factor. 

So here we go.  Let's hope to see the Falcons get it done.  It's a good run and it would be great to take it to Cleveland.

MBB Wins 4th Straight Road Game

When BG starts next season, they will have a 4-game road winning streak. The Falcons went to DeKalb and got it done, driving the Huskies to their 11th straight loss, which we may only hope they break Friday against CMU.

Though we don't need that.  BG didn't get a lot of help in other games, but with a win, they will qualify to Cleveland.  If they were to lose that one, they would need both Ball State and CMU to lose as well.  Ball State plays @Miami while CMU hosts NIU.

Anyway, the Broncos are next. BG beat them earlier.  They are playing better, winning 4 of their last 6, including beating MU and OU.

The NIU game featured two depleted teams.  NIU probably has had a worse injury season than BG has, and they essentially played with a 6-man rotation while BG played with 7.  

The early part of the game was close and it was tied at 24 with 7:21 left.  Over the next 5 minutes, BG went on a 12-3 run to go up 9, but then did not score again and ended up leading by 5 at the break.

The first half featured 4 ties and 10 lead changes. 

The second was mostly in BG's hands, but NIU was keeping it close.  With 11 left, BG was up 2.  On the next two possessions, BG found Felt for an alley-opp and a slam dunk.  It seemed to spark the Falcons. The game was never closer than 7 again and BG was up more than 10 for the last 3 minutes or so.

And that's a win.  

BG has been getting it done on defense.  In their last 6 wins, they have held teams below 1.01 points per possession. The MAC average is 1.09.  In this one, NIU had .85 points per possession which is BG's 4th best D1 game of the year.  The amazing thing is that NIU took 68% of their shots from 3FG.  That's just incredible...it's the highest against BG in the kenpom era, which dates to 1997.  It's almost for sure the most ever.

The problem is, they only made 28%.  That's a recipe for losing.  They also made 33% from 2FG.  That equals out to 39.5% EFG, third-best for the BG defense this season. BG shot well, making 46% from 2FG and 50% of their 3FGs. BG lost the turnover battle, and kept a terrible NIU rebounding team off the offensive boards. That's the second-lowest offensive rebounding percentage against BG in the kenpom era, the only lowest result being in 1997.

BG was 17 of 26 at the line, while NIU was 13 of 17.

Javonte Campbell had his string of 20+ games end, but just barely.  He had 19 on 7 of 12 shooting.  He was only only 5-9 at the line. He also had 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal and 3 turnovers.

Johnson had 17, but it was not the easiest night. He was 3 of 10 from 2FG and 2 of 3 on 3FG, and he also missed 2 FTs, ending his 32-FT streak. He had 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 turnovers.

Derrick Butler had 14 and 7 rebounds. Humphrey had 11 and 5 rebounds.

So, this is it.  One last regular season game to come...

Two Games Left...MBB makes trip to DeKalb

Who knows, BG MBB might be making their final bus trip to DeKalb, the worst trip in the MAC.

Look, its been a rough season for the Huskies.  In D1 games, they are 2-24.  Their kenpom is 351 out of 364.  They are 1-15 in MAC play...and have lost last 10 straight, including the Sun Belt game.  They are just really struggling.

I watched their last game, and they were within 4 with 7 to play.  They suffered an epic collapse against EMU, blowing a 7-point lead with 1:21 to play. They took BSU to overtime and they staged a frantic late rally to lose to UT by 4.

Once in a while, they get close to winning.  This is their last home game...if it's close, they will do whatever they have to.  Not to be a voice of doom or Mr. This-is-America's-best-2-24-team, but we still need to play the game.

If they are going to steal a win coming home, let it be Friday against CMU when it does us some good.

BG beat them earlier at the Stroh 84-77.  It was the start of BG's turnaround, breaking a five-game losing streak and opening up a 6-2 stretch.  NIU never led, but they kept it close.  They were within 1 in the 2nd half and it was a 6-point BG lead at the game's last media break.  BG stormed home 13-4 to put the win away.

It was the rare game where you can win while being outshot.  BG was better on all of the other stats and were +8 at the line. 

The rebounding was not surprising, because NIU is the worst offensive rebounding team in the country and in MAC play are the worst in offensive and defensive rebounding.  Overall, they are 11th in offense and 11th in defense in the MAC.  They are last in 2FG shooting and last in FT shooting. They try the highest percentage of 3FGs and are #6 at making them.

They are also last in giving up FTs in the MAC, something BG will probably want to take advantage of. BG is #2 in the MAC in getting to the line.

Their leading scorer is Quentin Jones, who scores 17.5 PPG (MAC Games). That's #4 in the MAC.  He leads the MAC in minutes, so that's a little misleading, but he is efficient, making 50% and 40%. Also 5.9 RPG and 47 assists.  He had 19 in the first game.

James Dent is their 2nd leading scorer at 14.6 PPG, making 44% and 31%.  Gets to the line a lot. 

Their other double figure scorer was Quaran MacPherson, who has missed the last 4 games.  No idea of his status.

Nasir Muhammed averages about 9 points and is #7 in the MAC in 3FG shooting at 41%.

So here we go.  Last road game of the year. BG has won 3 straight on the road.  A win doesn't clinch anything, but it keeps our destiny in our own hands.

BG Men's Basketball Wins 3rd Straight

The Falcon MBB team has won three straight for the first time this season.  And 6 of 8. After a long prelude, this team is officially fun again. Coach said after the game that we are on our fifth identity this year, but right now we seem really comfortable in a confounding zone defense, not fouling and letting Javonte Campbell make things happen.

Here's how things stand.  This list starts at #6.  BG and BSU are tied for the last spot.  We need to beat two of the teams on this list.  We can't make it with a win Tuesday....it's going to take at least until the finale.

Tie breakers are wonky, especially as you think about multiple teams.  If BG tied BSU right now, the Cards would take the spot.  The season series is even, so you start working down the standings....both teams are winless vs. Akron, Miami and OU.  KSU is in 4th and Ball State beat Kent whereas BG did not.  There's a lot that could happen....UT could finish third (although it appears BG broke them) and that would favor the Falcons.  Ball State also plays Miami and a win there would lock that two-way tiebreaker up.

I can't see a scenario where we win both and don't make it. In fact, you could argue that if we both, we have a great shot at finishing 6th at 9-9.  

We could make it with 8 wins.  Let's say we lose to WMU, but end up tied at 8-10 with Ball State, EMU and Ball State...we would take that tie breaker.  However, if the tie at 8-10 is only BG and Ball State, as noted above, we would be out.  We would also lose the head to head to EMU because they beat Miami.

FWIW, I asked ChatGPT to list all the possible permutations and it has not been able to do it.  There may be a hole in the ozone layer named for me.

Let's win both.  It's the most likely outcome.  I do worry about our guys running out of gas-- but, Laissez les Bons Temps Rouler.

The first half felt a lot like the first game.  BG was down 14-7 9 minutes in....yes, that's a basketball score.  The game was competitive for the rest of the half, with a small BG surge leaving them ahead by 1 at the break, 25-24.

The second half was much improved.  A Butler transition 3FG 2 minutes in put BG up 4 and BG never trailed again. With about 14 to play they were up 10--a 4-minute 12-2 run in total.  Much like teams have done to us, BG was able to repel runs.  BS got it to 3, Campbell scores on the next possession.  They get it to 2, Felt on the boards and follows up with a tip in. 

At that point, it was 47-43 with 8 to play.  BG went on a four-minute 10-2 run to make the lead 12 with 4:02 to play.  At that point, it's a 99% chance to win and it never got closer than 9, the final differential.

Solid win.  Not a clinging on for dear life win.  Love to see it.

Here is the difference....first the BG offense comparing game 1 and game 2.  Essentially no difference.

Game	BG Offense	EFG	2FG	3FG
Game 1	94.2	47%	49%	30%
Game 2	95.3	46%	49%	26%

And here is the BS offense for the two games...BG simply played much better defense while playing essentially the same offense that got their butt kicked.   You will rarely lose with these kind of numbers.

Game	BSU Off	EFG	2FG	3FG
Game 1	1.24	65%	67%	41%
Game 2	0.81	39%	39%	26%

So here are the four factors for the game. BG combined better shooting with fewer turnovers, a wash in rebounding and better FT shooting.

Which brings up a point.  I noted that Ball State was #2 in the nation at getting to the FT line.  BG allowed them 7 FTs, tied for the lowest free throw rate of the season for them.  As Coach pointed out to the team in the locker room, it's the second straight game under 10 FTs for our opponents.  It's really important...we absolutely cannot play with this depth level if we foul.

Individually, Coach made a point of noting to the team that Jehmari Hill, the #6 scorer in the MAC, scored nothing in the game...0-8 shooting.  And Brittain-Watts also drew a blank. Sparks had 14 but it took him 10 shots.

For BG, Javonte Campbell had 26 points, 9 of 15 and 1 of 3, 5 of 5 at the line, 3 assists, 3 steals and 1 turnover, if that might work for you.  And +13.

He has been over 20 points in his last five games.  He has made over 50% from 2FG in all of them, despite the fact that teams don't expect him to make 3s.  I don't know what it takes to be MAC player of the week, but who cares.  He is carrying the team on his back.

Johnson scored BG's first 7 and then ended up with 15. That's 3 of 5 and 3 of 5, and 8 rebounds.

Felt had 8, making all 4 of his shots, plus 9 rebounds and +16.  Exacte also had 9 rebounds and Braelon Green was +12.

In fact, this is really interesting...BG's top 3 lineups in terms of minutes all had negative differentials.

BG was +14 on lineups that played 2:45, 1:22 and 1:02, respectively.  Campbell, Greene and Felt were the only players in all 3 units.

So on we go.  NIU is something to be nervous about. They have been clinging to victory and they are still playing hard.  BG would expect to win the game, but if they come in feeling that way, NIU can beat them.

Initial Reaction to Loeffler Departure

Given the time we were in the calendar, it was sure that Coach Loeffler's announcement would make big news and it did.  I am happy for him and wish him the best.  This is an incredible opportunity and I don't see how you could turn it down.

Back at home, there was an almost immediate announcement that Mike Jacobs is a candidate, followed by a lot of enthusiasm from the Falcon Nation.  One caveat--and I have no inside information at all--but lots of times these are posts from agents or placement firms looking to get their guy into the conversation.

Having said that....Jacobs is the kind of guy we need, in my opinion.  Days are gone when BG would just find a coordinator at a power school and give them their head coaching start. Many of those guys today make more than our whole staff.  You either need a non-coordinator or a head coach from FCS or below.

I have always liked getting coaches who have been head coaches, while fulling conceding that you have seen both types of coaches succeed in the MAC.  I just like the track record of having run a program.  Ball State, CMU and UMass followed the same track with their coaches this off-season.

Jacobs checks that box, having been a very successful coach in DII and FCS.  He also knows Ohio.  He is the third-generation of a well-known Ohio HS football coaching family.  He is from Maumee.  And he played at Ohio State.

So, you can see why people are excited.  A proven winner. From what i have seen, there is some doubt about whether a head coach would leave his school right before spring practice.  They usually like to bring their assistants...could a guy completely hollow out a program at this point in the calendar?

I guess time will tell.

Chris Vannini of The Athletic had the following list of potential coaches. Note, Jacobs was his first. (It's my commentary).

Mount Union head coach Geoff Dartt.  Lance Leipold without the national tities.

Toledo defensive coordinator Vince Kehres:  The second choice of the Falcon Nation

Michigan running backs coach Tony Alford.  Ohio State apostate.

Kansas offensive coordinator Jim Zebrowski.  I like this guy.  Has been a DIII Head Coach with a 28-12 record.  Assistant at UB during the years they ran crazy on everyone, us included. I would prefer we get an offensive whiz, frankly.  

Minnesota co-defensive coordinator Nick Monroe:  interesting choice.  Was an assistant for Clawson and Babers at BG and a super-recruiter.  Some think he's among the best recruiters we ever had.  Would be his first head coaching gig.

John Carroll University (Ohio) athletic director Brian Polian.  Always is on these lists.  NO NO NO NO NO NO.

Eastern Kentucky head coach Walt Wells.  Good track record.  Has beaten BG.  He's 57, I suspect we are looking for someone younger.

Chattanooga head coach Rusty Wright.  He has coached in the MAC but mostly in the South.  Decent success at UTC.  I'd say we were trying to fill the list out.

Dino Babers:  NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

I have not thoroughly vetted these guys for a complete absence of Texas ties.

Often, the guy we get won't be on any lists.

As for now, 10 AM on Sunday, BG has three players in the portal.

• Travel Revels, an up and coming DB
• CJ Brown, a DB who was all-MAC at NIU and played for us last year.
• Marcus Moore, a transfer from Akron on the DL who we liked.

The main question with transfers is how bad will it get?  We will certainly fill the job within the 30-days you get to transfer when the coach changes, so they have a chance to evaluate the new regime. I would still expect significant departures.