BG MBB Defends its Way to Big Road Win

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BG MBB Preview for WMU

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

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

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

It's curious.

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

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

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

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

All stats below MAC only.

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

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

This seems like a good matchup.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BG is a 7.5-point road favorite.

BG Football Portal Update

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

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

Armahn Hale, DB

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

Tomondrey Braxton, DB

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

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

Timothy Taylor, DL

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

Ryan Kingston, P

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

Nick Sowell, WR

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

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

And there's a stud FR TE, too.

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

BG MBB Rallies Late, Beats EMU

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Two last notes.

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

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

WMU next.  Need to make it 2 straight.

EMU MBB Preview

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He has been suspended indefinitely.

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

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

The stats for this post are MAC games only.

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

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

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

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

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

Reminder: FTRate = FTA / FGA

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

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

Jon Sanders makes 43% from 3FG. 

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

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

Breaking News: BG Football

 And this is a big one.

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

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 16, 2026

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

Well, how about that?

From 247:

Also competes in track and field.

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

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

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

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

--------

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

Welcome to the Falcons, Austin!

Update on BG Football.

Freshman for Class of 26

Kentrell White, TE

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

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

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

Let's hope we get him in right away.  

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

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

Portal Activity

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

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

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

QB Jay Kastantin

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

LB Sanders Ellis

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

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

WR Isaiah Dawson

Arrives from Richmond at a position of serious need.  

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

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

CB Nick Sawyer

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

DB Mike Wright III

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

OL Gabriel Funk

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

RB Ke'Marion Baldwin

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

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

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

A Couple Notes from Coach Simon's Presser

Two things.

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

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

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

UA Notches 8th Straight Over BG MBB

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

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

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

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

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

Wol missed.  UA turns the ball over.

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

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

1:57 left.  

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

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

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

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

Akron won every factor.

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

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

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

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

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

Akron Preview

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BG Nabs QB from Portal

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

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

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

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

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

Welcome to the Falcons, Jay.

Falcons Lose Close to Kent

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He had another great game.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Next Up For MBB: Kent State

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cian Medley averages 6.2 APG, which is a lot.

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

Kent is a 1.5-point favorite.

Historic Night in Amherst Yields Win

Holy Cow.  The Mullins Center in Amherst, MA, was the site of one of the more remarkable games in years, if not decades, for the Falcons.  It was just craziness, and it ended up with a road victory stolen right off the plate of the home team.

Usually, I look at the players last, but you can't do that in this case.  Javonte Campbell had a historic night for the Falcons.  He scored 47 points on 12 of 18 and 1 of 3 shooting.  And 20 of 27 at the line.  That's an accurate number...he was fouled 18 times.

That is tied for the fifth-most in program history, the most since 1964, and the most ever by a Falcon in a road game.  It is the first 40-point game by a Falcon since Martin Samarco had 43 against Buffalo on Jan. 7, 2007. His performance is the only one in the top 10 to occur since 1966 and the most since 1964. The performance tied Howard Komives, an all-time Falcon great, who scored his against DePaul.

Campbell also went 20-for-27 at the free throw line, tying the program record for free throw attempts in a game, set by Keith McLeod against Ole Miss on Nov. 15, 2001. He was two shy of the free throws made record, currently set at 22 by Ron Lewis against Ball State on March 10, 2003. 

Ball hog?  Nah.  Campbell also had 8 assists and 6 rebounds.  His stats line topped the nation yesterday on KenPom.  It was a historic night, just amazing.

The other amazing thing was the comeback.  If it wasn't for Campbell, we would have talked about this for a long time.  With 54 left, BG was down 7 and had a 2.1% chance of winning.

Ruffin nailed a 3FG and then BG fouled.  UMass made both FTs and it was 6 points with :41 left.

BG came out fast--Frank Martin says we play "bust-out" basketball--and Campbell hit a 3FG...his ONLY ONE of the game.  And it was down to 3 with :35 left.

BG fouled, and UMass split the pair with :30 left to make it 4.  Campbell raced down and scored in the paint, drew a foul, converted the FT and BG was down 1.

The Falcons fouled and UMass made both FTs.  Up 3 with :16 to play. Campbell cuts it to 1 with :11 left.  UMass makes 2 more FTs to lead 3 with :10 left.

And then, with time ticking away, Campbell squared up for a 3FG and he drew the foul that UMass knew you cannot commit. Campbell hit all 3FTs and off to OT we go.

BG never trailed in the OT, but it was not without drama.  With 1:13 left, UMass had tied the game, but Mayar Wol converted a tip-in to put BG up 2 with :42 left. BG got a stop, Campbell cleared the board and was fouled.  He hit both to put BG up 4.  UMass scored at the buzzer, but it was too late...BG won 101-100.

According to KenPom, it was the #28 most exciting game of the year. It was the #25-ranked comeback.

It was a rare game in which BG won despite being outshot. BG had 1.16 points per possession, and they have lost no games this year scoring that well or higher. Overall, they shot 57%, their 3rd best in D1 games this year.  That was 56% and 41%, both excellent numbers. 

UMass shot really well.  They made 60% and 50%. BG was +8 on turnovers, which was one key.  They kept the Minutemen off the offensive boards, which was another.  And in a game with 57 fouls, BG was 30 of 45 at the line, and UMass was 25 of 35, leaving BG +5 at the line.

We mentioned Mayar Wol.  He started as Justin Thomas missed the game, the first time he has not started all season.  (I assume there's an injury).  Wol had a big game.  He scored 21 on 5 of 8 and 3 of 6 shooting, 2-2 at the line, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals.  If that might work for you.  

Ruffin had 10 on 0 of 3 and 3 of 6. Shackleford had 10 points on 3 of 5 from 2FG and 4 of 7 at the line.

Towns had 8 rebounds and 6 assists.

BG played a 7-man rotation, basically, with Leach getting 6 minutes.  Aiden Goins played 20 minutes, his most this year in a D1 game.  Troy Glover fouled out in 21 minutes and was -13.

Whew.  One of those nights.  Gotta turn it right around.  Tuesday at Kent in an OG MAC Battle.

Falcon MBB Heading to Amherst

Tomorrow marks the first game between the BG and UMass Minutemen, who are new members of the MAC in men's basketball.

This is a pretty storied program with some high-level players, including Dr. J, Rick Pitino, Al Skinner and Tom McLaughlin. In 1996 they made the final four, but you won't see that in the record books because Marcus Camby was taking money from agents.  The coach of that team was John Calipari.

They have been to the NCAA Tournament 3 times since then.

Frank Martin was hired to coach in 22-23.  The team was on a streak of 6 straight losing seasons (not counting COVID) and went 15-16 in his first year.  They were 20-11 last year with no post-season.

Frank Martin is a seasoned coach who has been at the top levels, coaching at Kansas State and South Carolina prior to UMass.   He was highly successful at K-state, winning 68% of his games, 4 tourneys and 1 Elite Eight. South Carolina was less successful...he was 54% and made the Final Four in 10 years. 

He's an angry man.  You can find him "ripping angry parents," "epic rant," "exploding," and so on. He introduced himself to the MAC by getting into a non-physical altercation with the mild-mannered Stan Heath.

They were picked #5 in the MAC poll and #6 in Blue Ribbon. They started with a kenpom of 197 and have it up to 176. 

They are 9-5, 8-5 in non-D1 play. Their premier win is a neutral floor victory over #109 Florida State. There was also a win over #154 Boston College--it was semi-home.  They beat LeMoyne by 14 in Amherst, a team BG beat by 23 at the Stroh.

They are 0-2 in the MAC.  They lost at home to Kent and lost @EMU. They are 7-1 at home this year.  They played the #344 non-conference schedule, but that didn't seem to mean much with Miami, so I won't mention it.

They play fast....#23 pace in NCAA and share the ball...assists on 60% of their baskets.

It might be surprising to see that they are more successful on defense than offense.

For raw PPP, they score 1.06, which is about the national average.  Their shooting is average, pretty much from 3FG and 2FG. They are focused on the 2FG...and close up 2FGs.  Their average 2FG is 5.4 feet, which is #98 in the country (new stat!). They also get 34% offensive rebounds, which is #104. They are terrible on free throws, #333 and they are #250 in protecting the ball.

This would appear to be a good matchup for BG.  If we can turn them over and defend the 2FG, we have less to worry about them raining 3FGs, as Miami did.

However, on defense they are strong. On raw defense, they allow 1 point per possession, #79 in the country. They are #7 defending the 3FG but #255 defending the 2FG. That is precisely where BG wants to play, so that will be an interesting matchup. They are average at turning you over, but very good on the defensive boards.  They foul a lot, #340 in free throw rate.

Their leading scorer is Marcus Banks, 16.2 PPG, making 49% and 38%.  High volume of 3FGS and 88% at the line. He's a transfer from UMBC and rarely leaves the floor.

Leonardo Bettiol is their second leading scorer at 15.4 PPG. He's 6'9", Italian, and transferred from Abilene Christian. He makes 56% on nearly all 2FGs.  He also leads the team with 7.4 RPG, and draws 7 fouls a game.

Daniel Sankins-Hanford scores 12.4 PPG. He started at South Carolina, but moved with Martin to Amherst.  He is 6'8" and makes 53% on 2FGs and 14% on limited 3FGs.  He also averages 6.9 RPG. 

K'Jei Parker transferred from Florida A&M and has 10.8 PPG.  He's very good from 3FG at 45%, but selective.

Danny Carbucia, a true-FR, leads them with 5.4 assists in 24 minutes a game.  The assist rate is #23 in the country.

Both teams play short rotations.

This should be a good one. Kenpom gives BG a 57% chance to win and ESPN gives UMass a 57% chance to win.

The Portal is Open

 Today is the big day.  BG football begins a crucial mission of finding players to create a competitive team and culture.  It is Coach George's first real chance to get this set up, and I do think he's going to do it.  The challenges are significant, but he knows that.  He has a positive demeanor, but I wouldn't mistake that for not understanding what the challenges are.

We have about 10 reported offers today.  Your man for those is the same place I go, @thetalontribune.  He's grinding.  Also, the spreadsheet is on the left.  Once guys sign, I'll pop in to take a look at what we know about them.

What a crazy world this has turned into.

Happy New Year!!!!