BG heads to Mt Pleasant (MBB).

 Well, the march goes on.

CMU is next.  They are in Bowling Green's league in terms of transfer problems.  Six of their top 7 scorers left after last year.  They are 5-11 in D1 games.  They have four non-D1 wins.  They had the MAC's best pre-MAC win with a one-point victory at George Mason (73).

They had a rough schedule to start MAC playing, losing to OU and @UA and @UT.  Things got easier, and they are 3-2 in their last five. They beat EMU by 19 in Mt. Pleasant, won @NIU, lost at home to BSU, won @WMU and then last Tuesday lost @UB.  At 3-5 in MAC play, they are one game ahead of BG.

We have split the last 10 meetings.  BG and CMU played three times last year, with the Chips winning both regular season matchups (both in OT, one in 2 OT) and then BG winning in Cleveland. 

CMU plays the slowest pace in the MAC and has a defensively-oriented team.  They are #3 in the MAC in defense and #7 in offense.  BG is #6 in defense and #11 in offense.

Looking at the CMU defense, they are strong in all facets.  They are #4 against the shot, #2 in creating turnovers, #5 in defensive rebounds, and #4 keeping teams off the foul line.  They are very tough inside, defending the 2FG 4th in MAC.  As you might expect, hey have the highest percentage of 3FGs attempted against them, and are #7 defending the 3FG.

BG is #9 shooting the 2FG and #11 shooting the 3FG.  They are average protecting the ball and on the offensive boards.  The only thing they do well is getting to the foul line.  They are coming off their worst offensive game in the MAC season.

On the other side, CMU is an average offense in the MAC.  They are #11 in attempting 3FGS...for good reason, they are #10 in making them.  They are #8 in 2FG. They are #5 in taking care of the ball and #3 on the offensive boards.  They do not get to the line much.  BG is not a bad defensive team.  They are #10 against the shot overall, and #12 against the 2FG, which would make this looking like a tough matchup for the Falcons.  They will need strong play from Felt and everyone will need to rebound to keep CMU off the boards and second-chance points.

Their leading scorer is Jacori Heady.  He is a 6'6" transfer from Bethune-Cookman.  He is scoring 14.9 on 53% 3FG shooting and 13% 3FG. He averages 7.4 RPG, which is #5 in the MAC, and making 82% at the line. 

Their top player is Anthony Pritchard, who transferred from Tulsa and played with CMU last year. He scores 14 PPG on 41% and 35% shooting and only 50% at the line. He is #5 in the MAC with 4.8 APG.

Kyler Vanderjagt is a Belmont transfer.  He is scoring 11.6 PPG on 64% and 38% shooting.  He has not started a MAC game all year. 

Ugnius Jarusevicius is a 6'10" Lithuanian who has also been a productive scorer. He transferred from Cal State-Bakerfield.  He has missed the last 3 games with an injury and we will have to see if he will play tomorrow.

If BG has any hope of getting this turned around, this is one they will need to exceed expectations in. Right now, the spread and the moneyline are off the board.

Falcon MBB Loses 4th Straight

 The Falcons MBB team fell for the 4th straight time and is down to 2-6 in MAC play, as the year continues to be a slog and success is eluding the Falcons. 

BG never led and the last time with 6 minutes into the first half.  A 4 minute 13-3 run put Kent up 11 with 8 to play.  BG got it down to 5 with 5 minutes left, but a 15-2 run for Kent closed the half out with the Flashes up 18.  BG never got it closer than 15 and trailed by as much as 25 in the second half.

It was one of BG's slower games at 64 possessions. BG had a terrible offensive game at .88 points per possession.  Their only worst game this year was St. Thomas.  It wasn't a stellar night on defense either, as Kent scored 1.17 points per possession.

You aren't going to win either way.

BG had their second-worst shooting night of the year, worsted only by that weird NM State game.  BG tried 49% of their shots from 3FG, which is the most this year.  Unfortunately, they made only 27% and 37% on 2FG%.  Turnovers were OK, offensive rebounding was poor and BG did get to the line.  They were +7 at the line and lost by 18.

Kent's EFG% was 61%, the best shooting against BG since the Ball State game. Kent made 56% from 2FG and 46% from 3FG. Turnovers were even, BG was decent on the defensive boards and we've already covered the free throws.

Marcus Johnson had 19 on 3 of 8 and 4 of 9 shooting. Team-high 6 rebounds and 4 turnovers. Campbell had 16 on 1 of 6 and 1 of 5 shooting as he battles his hand injury, but made 11-12 at the line. BG started Humphrey in place of Butler, I assume due to Humphrey's strong +/- last time out, but that didn't play out this time around.  

So back on the road in Mt. Pleasant Saturday.  The four-game losing streak is the worst in Simon's time here...Huger lost 9 straight in his last season.

UT Gets Rivalry Win at Stroh (MBB)

Sadness accrues.

The premier basketball rivalry in the MAC had its latest iteration last night....and, well, it didn't go our way.  It was a great atmosphere on a very cold night...great crowd, even with hockey at the same time...UT was better than us, but the game didn't get out of reach and the Falcons kept chipping away.  In the end, to bridge a deficit you need stops and UT was really good at getting easy baskets at just the right time.

In the end, the Rockets led for 35 minutes. There were 4 lead changes and 6 ties in the first half.  The last of those ties came with 2 minutes left...but UT closed on a 5-0 run to lead by 5 at the half.  (I don't have any data on this, but we tend to give up runs like that at the end of either half).

As Coach mentioned in his presser, we usually come out and execute well at the start of the second half.  That did not happen this time. We had 3 turnovers in the first four minutes, and UT was sinking everything and at 16 left, they were up 12.  They held us at arm's length until the 9 minute mark, when BG got it to 5.

Crowd rallies.  People are pumped.  Need a stop...Lewis bangs home a 3FG.

BG actually had the ball down 6 with 7 left, but missed a shot in the paint and UT hit a shot to make it 8 again. With 6:32 left BG got it back to 6, but UT hit a 3FG to make it 9.

It only got to 6 one more time and UT pushed back with a dunk. They led by 10 with 3:11 left and the game was not in doubt again.

They performed at high efficiency in key possessions.  As Simon said, "they made us pay."

I kind of thought BG would want to push the pace to keep out of the half-court as much as possible. The game went at 70 possessions,which achieves that goal. UT ended up with 1.19 points per possession, which is tough for BG to beat with our offense.  We have not won at that level yet this year.  To wit, BG's offense was 1 point a possession, which is well below national average and a tough number to win with.

As you can see, BG got badly outshot.  The 2FG was 53%, which is not awful, but they only made 27% from 3FG and that made up 39% of their overall attempts.  Meanwhile, UT came in shooting very few 3FGs and not doing it well (and BG came in #2 defending the 3FG. Everything went the other way...UT took 40% 3FG and made 50%, their best in MAC play.  Coach said BG had to choose and they tried to take the drive away, and UT "made us pay."

BG won the turnover battle but it was nominal.  We were beaten pretty bad on the boards. We got to the line more against UT than any MAC team has and ended up +3 at the line, making 74%.  UT made 82%,

Marcus Johnson was just fantastic.  Coach Kowalcyk was effusive in his praise of Johnson after the game.  Johnson scored 28 points on 7 of 11 and 3 of 9 shooting, plus 5-5 at the line and 4 rebounds. Thomas had 13 on 2 of 4 and 2 of 7 shooting. Three assists, 4 turnovers. Felt double-doubled, with 10 points on 3 of 3 from the field, and 12 rebounds. He blocked 3 shots.

BG played 7 guys.  Coach said Squire was sick.  Khayat is still out.  And Green did not play, no explanation was given. 

So, things get tough.  BG is 2-5 and in a rough part of the schedule.  @KS and @CMU next week.  To get to 9-9, BG has to go 7-4 from here on it.  It's tough to see, but you never know.  We are still playing hard and competing.  The halfcourt offense can be tough to watch.

The Hated Rockets (MBB)

And in come the hated Rockets.  UT is consistently among the top programs in the MAC, yet their NCAA drought (1980) is in many ways more shocking than the BG streak.

The Rockets have won the MAC's regular season four years in a row.  This year, they have been inconsistent.  They started out 5-1 and then lost their next 5 D1 games to be 5-6. Included was a loss @Youngstown State as well as losses @Purdue and @Houston.  

They started MAC play, blew through the Michigans and then lost @UA, beat BS and lost to Kent at Savage by 19.  Earlier, they lost to Oakland at home by 33.

These are not normal results. Right now, their kenpom is 212.  If they end the season at 212, it will be their worst year since TK went 4-28 in his first year mopping up the Gene Cross mess.

And even with all that, with the MAC the way it is...who knows?  This might be the year they win it.  They are 4-2 in MAC play.

The shocking thing is those big home losses.  That just didn't happen.

UT has beaten BG 5 of the last 6.  The win at the Stroh last year broke the streak.

They have been playing at 68 possessions per game.

For each of the four regular season title years, UT has led the MAC in offensive efficiency.  This year, they are 3rd.  More importantly, they were #2, #3, #5 and #5 on defense.  This year, they are #11 in defensive efficiency.  The Falcons are #10 on offense and #6 on defense.  This is the kind of set up that can lead to a decent game.

UT is not a great shooting team.  They shoot the lowest % of 3FGs in the MAC.  You need to be good on 2FGs to make that work, but they shoot 52% on 2FGs, which is OK but not great. They shoot only 32% from 3FG.  However, they are best in the MAC at taking care of the ball and #5 on the offensive boards are #2 at getting to the line, where they make 79.7%, #2 in the MAC.  BG has been playing effective defense by being decent at all four factors.  In particular, BG has to get some turnovers and defensive rebounds, both of which are critical to keep the offense out of the halfcourt, and then it will be very important to keep UT off the foul line.

BG has an interesting defensive split.  They are #2 in the MAC in defending the 3FG and #12 in defending the 2FG. Maybe not a great match up given how UT shoots.

UT is average defending the shot.  They don't force turnovers, and their biggest weakness is on the defensive boards, where they are #11 in the MAC.  They do not foul (they usually don't) and BG is used to getting to the line.

UT has three players scoring 15 PPG.

• Sam Lewis, who is shooting 49% and 32%. He makes 83% at the line and 5.2 RPG.
• Sonny Wilson is shooting 54% and 20% and 5.7 RPG.
• Javan Simmon is shooting 58% on almost all 2FGs and 8.7 RPG, #2 in the MAC.

ESPN gives UT a 58% chance of winning and kenpom gives them a 54%.  It is a rivalry game for two teams having flawed seasons.  Hope for a good crowd of Falcons and BG gets some shots to fall.

MBB Loses 7th straight in Oxford

Another chapter of the same story for the Falcons, who are now 2-4 in MAC play heading into the UT game at the Stroh on Friday.  And another chapter in the Millett Hall story...with the 7th straight loss.

Much of the game was competitive....there were 11 lead changes and 9 ties. 

The first half was highly competitive.  Miami built a 7-point lead with about 5 minutes left.  BG bounced back, went on a 13-5 run, and led by 1 at the break. 

Coming out of the locker room, BG blew the lead up to 6 about 2 minutes in, but Miami had it tied two minutes later. The half's key segment came with about 13 minutes left.  The game was tied again at 56.  MU scored the next 13 points to lead 69-56 with 6:49 left to play.  In total, BG went 8 minutes without a FG. 

BG is playing hard even short-handed and chipped away at that lead until it was 1 with 2:32 left to play.  After a trade of baskets, the lead was still 1 with 1:43 to go.  BG was out-scored 5-0 from there on in, including a late-shot-clock dagger 3 by Suder that was reminiscent of the last minute of the EMU game.

The game was fast with 73 possessions. MU had 1.15 points per possession, which is pretty much an unwinnable number for our ability to score.  They made 69% from 2FG and 30% from 3FG to gain a slight edge in shooting for the night.  Turnovers were even, but MU had a strong edge on the boards and BG was only +1 at the line.

BG shot great from 3FG, making 50%, which kept the game close.  BG made only 47% on 2FG, though the Falcons were 13 of 17 in the restricted area.  With our offensive struggles, we cannot have 22% turnovers. The Falcons made 16 of 20 at the line.  It totaled out to 1.05 point per possession, a little below average.

BG had 2 bench points.  DaJion Humphrey was back and played 12 minutes at -12. 

Naturally, all the starters were in double figures.  Thomas had 17 on 2 of 6 and 3 of 6 shooting, 4 of 5 at the line, and 7 assists over 2 turnovers.  Butler had 17, on 2 of 7 and 4 of 9 shooting and 3 steals. Felt had 15, 6 of 6 from 2FG, 3 of 4 at the line, 6 rebounds and 3 turnovers. Javonte Campbell had 14 points on 3 of 5 2FG shooting and 8-8 at the line. Also 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 1 TO.  Johnson had 11 on 1 of 6 and 3 of 5 shooting. Also 4 assists and 4 turnovers.

The morning found BG tied for 7th at 2-4.  Rivalry game with an up-and-down Rocket team.

MU Preview for MBB

 Next is Miami, in Millet Hall.  

The RedHawks are off to a good start.  Blue Ribbon picked them #8 in the MAC.  To date, they are exceeding that.  They are 13-4. 11-4 in D1 games, and 5-0 in the MAC.  Now, there are a couple caveats....they played the #270 non-conference schedule and they have played, to date, the easiest schedule in the MAC.  They have beaten UB and WMU at home and then @BSU, @NIU and @KS.

Overall, they have won 7 straight, the #10 winning streak in the country.  Millett has been tough for BG, which has lost 6 straight there...the last win was in 2018.  MU is a 9.5-point favorite.

They play a pace similar to BG somewhere in the 69-70 range for the game.

Check this out. Miami has the stats of a 5-0 team...they are #2 in offense and #3 in defense.  BG is #9 in offense and #6 in defense.  This chart shows why MU is a 9+ point favorite.

Miami is the best shooting team in the MAC.  (Spoiler alert, BG is last).  They take 43% from 3FG, which is a lot. They lead the MAC, making 42% from 3FG and they are #3 from 2FG with 58%.  BG is #2 defending the 3FG, so that has the potential to be interesting.  The boards should also be interesting...lastly, MU is decent at getting to the line and BG is decent at keeping opponents off the line.  MU is #4 making 78% of their free throws.

As mentioned, BG is the worst shooting team in the MAC. Miami is #3 defending the shot. They are the best defending the 3FG.  They are only #7 against the 2FG, but BG is #11 on 2FGs, so that might be tough to take advantage of,  Rebounding should be a big battle.  BG needs every offensive rebound it can get.  BG has a chance to get to the line, but they are #11 in the MAC in FT shooting.

Their leading scorer is Kam Craft, with 15.4 PPG. Craft played for Coach Steele at Xavier. He's 6'6" and shooting 68% from 2FG and 41% from 3FG.  Among players using 20% of their team's possessions, he is the #3 most efficient player in the MAC. 

Their 2nd leading scorer is Peter Suder, who scores 13.4 PPG.  He's a 6'5" and a transfer from Bellarmine, where he played in the first of BG's 2 ignominious defeats to that team.  He shoots mostly 2FG and makes 52% and 91% at the line. He also averages 5.6 RPG.

Next is Brant Byers. He is a 6'8" RFR playing for the first time.  Get this...he's scoring 12.8 PPG.  25 of his 28 FGAs have been from 3FG...and he has made 68%. (MAC Play).  That's #1 in the MAC...to say the least. 

Mekhi Cooper is scoring 10.2 PPG with 50% 3FG shooting. 

Eian Elmer is also scoring 10 PPG.  MAC All-FR last year.

Antwone Woolfolk leads the team with 6.6 RPG.

It's going to have to start on defense.  MU is a really good offense with a lot of scoring options.  If BG can get some stops and clear the board, they stand a better chance in transition.  BG has underperformed for a few, it would be great to see than over-achieve tomorrow.

Falcons Add Florida Transfer for Football

BG football landed a high-profile portal transfer...TE Arlis Boardhingham.

Arlis Boardingham is coming to BG from Florida.  Out of HS, he was highly recruited.

• Ranked a four-star prospect and No. 30 overall in the state of California by 247Sports.
• The No. 20 athlete in the Class of 2022 according to 247Sports.
• Recorded 43 receptions for 836 yards, 23 total touchdowns and 67 tackles his senior year.
• Helped high school reach the 2021 CIF Division 3-A Championship..
• Named the 2021 High School Football Back of the Year by the Los Angeles Times.
• Chose Florida over Oregon, USC and Texas, 15 P5 offers in total.

So he went to Florida and red-shirted.  And then his r-FR year was pretty good.  Finished with 26 catches for 289 yards and four touchdowns. He received some honors...FWAA Freshman All-American (2023), and was CFN Freshman All-American Honorable Mention (2023).

For his sophomore year, he played in the first 11 games while making two starts, finishing with 18 receptions for 128 yards and two touchdowns on the season.

Into the portal he went.  This is an important player for BG to add.  Our staff has coached two NFL TEs and I think has a pretty good story to tell.  Alex Bayer's a good coach, I believe.  My guess is he sees an opportunity.

BG will need offensive playmakers and he has the potential to be an immediate focus of the offense.

Welcome to the Falcons, Arlis.