BGSU v Tennessee Martin -- Daaaaaaaaaamn Gina!

[threestooges]

Wanted to get this thread started early, to avoid the Sunday morning rush.

[Globetrotter]

Damn Gina!

[hammb]

Very good first half. Up 49-33

Best minutes I've seen from fields all year. Did brick a wide open 3 but made a couple others. Made some defensive plays as well.

Lillard hit 3 huge threes to push our bignlate run.

Wiggins was great on the glass and mostly good finishing strong on offense as well. He did let their big guys get free for easy looks on defense a few times though.

Most encouraging to me was a full half of great passing and ball movement and we put up 49 points without Turner doing anything.

Let's finish them off and head to the MAC season!

[hammb]

Wow...just checked the box score. 16 assists at the half. Nice!

[Falconwriter]

Okay, I'll ask Globe and Hammb...was this game a mirage (had to throw in that reference to the OSU-TTUN game) or is this really the talent level of the team? As I don't get to see games all that often, I rely on the expertise of you guys to tell me what you believe is really happening. I've felt for a while now that the deep shooting has been a weakness for this team, and passing hasn't been all that great, either. I'd love some honest analysis (not that I think you guys provide anything else, by the way.) Thanks, and Happy Talons Up to all BG folks!

[Globetrotter]

Okay, I'll ask Globe and Hammb...was this game a mirage (had to throw in that reference to the OSU-TTUN game) or is this really the talent level of the team? As I don't get to see games all that often, I rely on the expertise of you guys to tell me what you believe is really happening. I've felt for a while now that the deep shooting has been a weakness for this team, and passing hasn't been all that great, either. I'd love some honest analysis (not that I think you guys provide anything else, by the way.) Thanks, and Happy Talons Up to all BG folks!

I am just about to watch it. I saw bits and pieces. The team has played much better with Lillard off the Bench and Fields starting. Uju on the bench and Plowden starting. More energy and more space for Wiggins.

Was this game a mirage? We shot 45% from 3 with Lillard going 4-5. In that sense yes. I would bet there is some scale where if we shoot over X percent from 3 we win, and if we don't we lose.

[Globetrotter]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQgaO0E ... e=youtu.be" target="_blank

[Globetrotter]

Some thoughts as I watch the first half.

1. Getting Wiggins space makes him even better.
2. We discussed Gluju's qualities as a guy who just makes things run well. Caleb Fields does that. Good passes, smart, in the right place at the right time. It's the reason I think that Lillard got benched. You can play him when he is hot but don't have to. I love him off the bench.
3. Mattis and Sierra are dominating minutes at the 4 and as Wiggins backup. That's how it should be. Mattis can stretch the floor and Sierra is a brawler who brings a different tone. I wonder if we can't credit some of Wiggins improved play (he's blocking shots this game...?!? who is this guy?) with having to bang a bit with him.
4. Rotation of

1 Frye-Laster
2 Fields
3 Turner-Lillard
4 Plowden-Sierra-Mattis-Uju
5 Wiggins-Mattis

Looks pretty good.

5. Loving Fields getting confident. Remember we offered 2 of his HS teammates for next years class.
6. Our defense is bad. We get blown by way too much.

[hammb]

As globe said, yesterday was a likely a mirage because we shot insanely well from 3, and I don't think we're that good of a shooting team in an empty gym. Lillard goes 4-5? We know he's not a great outside shooter and be alone probably gave us 6-9points better than his typical shooting night.

Until proven otherwise it was also a mirage because we actually moved the ball crisply, made the extra passes, and consistently found the open guys. Until I see us play that way consistently I won't believe it. Could we be that team? Sure, but it takes a commitment and a buy in we have not seen in years. And it's somewhat easier to be that team when a) you're playing a lesser opponent, and b) guys are knocking down all those open shots they're getting. Need to string those types of possessions together in tight games as well. Typically we've reverted to post feeds and isolation in tight spots. We'll see.

I like what I've seen of fields though, definitely the best of our new faces. He can do more things than Frye and if he can shoot like he did yesterday he deserves the minutes he's been gaining. Mattis is ok but he's not hitting the outside shots as well as I think he should...the shot looks smooth but needs to knock them down.

Turner has MAC poy type talent, and Wiggins is, at the very least, dominant on the glass.

If we commit to moving the ball and not letting Turner and Wiggins dominate the offensive looks we should shoot a better percentage overall, but I'm still not convinced we have anybody on the team who will shoot more than 35-40% from 3. That really hurts in this era of basketball.

And I agree with Globe, I don't think our defense is good at all for a coach who is always preaching it over and over again. Especially since our offense oftentimes is stagnant in the half court and wants to rely on the defense to create break opportunities. Wiggins is mediocre inside, poor on help. Frye can't guard anybody. Uju and Matiss don't have nearly enough athleticism to play good defense. I have yet to see anything from Laster on that end to get excited about either.