Game 4: Zips -v- Georgia Southern

[Blue & Gold]

Ga. Southern comes in at 1-2 with their sole win being over NAIA member school Coastal Georgia by a count of 92-43.

 

However, one of their losses was a nail biter to NC State, 79-81.

 

Their leading scorer is 6-4 G Ike Smith, who's pouring in over 20 PPG.

Ike is followed in scoring by 5-11 G Tookie Brown (who plays almost the entire game) and.... wait for it...

 

B.J. Gladden, yes, former Zip BJ Gladden, coming in at 11.7 PPG.

 

No other Georgia Southern player comes close to averaging double digits.

 

BJ will be geared up for this game, but I'm going with a Zips win.  If BJ Gladden is your 3rd-leading scorer, the Zips should be able to shut down the offensively-challenged Georgia Southern Eagles.

 

P.s. For those who haven't seen BJ play, he's a cool dude.  Just wanted more PT than would have been available for him at UA.  BJ's got an NBA physique but the game always seemed to move just a little too quickly for him at this level.

[Blue & Gold]

 

[skip-zip]

Blue and Gold.  I agree with you about most of what you said about BJ.   I hope you're right that his two teammates shouldn't scare us.  But if BJ is a Senior now, and there's 2 guys that are that much better than him, I think those 2 guys might really be worth watching.  

 

What I really hope to see is a repeat of Sunday on the defensive end.  Keith has certainly been clamping down on these guys about defense, and I think I saw some real commitment from our guys that will hopefully continue.  

[Blue & Gold]

 

[LZIp]

BJ Gladden was one of KD's highest rated recruits. I'm expecting a big game out of him tonight, especially since he will have a nice size advantage.

Edited November 22, 2016 by LZIp

[Blue & Gold]

3 minutes ago, LZIp said:

BJ Gladden was one of KD's highest rated recruits. I'm expecting a big game out of him tonight, especially since he will have a nice size advantage.

He's the size of Utomi.  We may have to guard him with either Utomi or Eubanks?  He's twice as strong as any of our starting three guards.

[skip-zip]

4 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

He's the size of Utomi.  We may have to guard him with either Utomi or Eubanks?  He's twice as strong as any of our starting three guards.

 

BJ will score on our guards, for sure.  But, I wonder if Keith will change lineups just for the purpose of guarding him?

[Captain Kangaroo]

1 hour ago, skip-zip said:

 

BJ will score on our guards, for sure.  But, I wonder if Keith will change lineups just for the purpose of guarding him?

I'm not the least bit concerned about BJ Gladden. 

 

1.) Dambrot knows his game.

2.) His game isn't all that good.

[kreed5120]

If there is a player that I'm concerned with on their team it would be their guard Tookie Brown. He puts up a lot of 3s and shoots them at a decent clip. Also, he has a knack for getting to the charity stripe as he averages over 5 FTA per game.

[ogzips]

BJ IS GUARDABLE , Jimond will keep him in check . If this guy was that good he would have not had to transfer for playing time !

[Blue & Gold]

Oh no.  Apparently it's Tookie's birthday?!

We'd better bring our "A" game!

[Blue & Gold]

 

[kreed5120]

They are doubling Big Dog really hard anytime he touches it. We will need to hit our 3's tonight to keep them honest.

[kreed5120]

How about we get some better ball movement and actually run some offensive plays.

[akronzips71]

Anyone getting an audio feed????

[Blue & Gold]

17 minutes ago, akronzips71 said:

Anyone getting an audio feed????

No. But I am getting a consistently frozen video stream 

[kreed5120]

Views great from these rock hard bleachers 

[kreed5120]

This Georgia Southern team should be able to pick up some wins in the Sun Belt with their length and athleticism.

[Sportsjunkie330]

The video feed sucks. The audio feed sucks. The team twitter hasn't tweeted an update in 35 minutes. 

 

This is like high school sports. How can we complain about the ABJ not covering them when hey don't even take this stuff seriously! 

 

 

[UAZippers]

One thing that is incredibly frustrating about this team is that, according to ESPN's app, Antino, Noah, Josh, Aaron, and Tavian all did not take a two-point shot all game. It was all threes. I understand what our team is, but that is a little ridiculous. That is half our team! Jimond is so important for this team to be able to create space and get all of these shooters open. I really hope that he gets to a point that he moves into the starting rotation.

[morris buttermaker]

The University is broke, maybe we need to lower our expectations, be happy with the new uniforms. Twitter and streaming media is just a fad.

[Blue & Gold]

I'm calling it now... the first truly disappointing season of the KD era.  We'll finish in the middle of the MAC, behind OU, Buffalo & K.e.nt & not win KD's coveted 21 games.

[skip-zip]

2 hours ago, UAZippers said:

One thing that is incredibly frustrating about this team is that, according to ESPN's app, Antino, Noah, Josh, Aaron, and Tavian all did not take a two-point shot all game. It was all threes. I understand what our team is, but that is a little ridiculous. That is half our team! Jimond is so important for this team to be able to create space and get all of these shooters open. I really hope that he gets to a point that he moves into the starting rotation.

 

That is a pretty amazing stat.  

 

I think we've been very content for a long time with allowing some big guys in the post to bring the defense in, and spread the floor and take the 3s with everyone else.  And every new generation seems to follow that formula.  I think our coaches and players have gotten pretty accustomed to it, whether we like it or not.  

 

But I do think that both Jimond and Antino can get into the lane and score, or create plays.  Jimond can finish.  Antino might be more of a creator than a scorer in the paint.  But those two guys have a chance to do some things that make us not so reliant on that "inside back out" attack. 

[1981 grad]

I thought that Ivey has been outplaying Josh Williams and deserves to start in front of Williams.  During the second half Williams could not keep his man in front of him and he scored several easy baskets.  Josh seems to be a step slow on defense and undersized as a small forward.  KD finally pulled him and Ivey finished the game.  Josh is a great shooter but needs to work on his defense.  I have also noticed that Kwan seems to start out fast but cannot make a shot in the second half.  I saw it tonight and in the game in Youngstown.  Kwan did play great defense.  Jimond, Big Dog and Antino carried the team tonight.   Michael Hugh also did well backing up Big Dog.  He has a great deal of intensity for a frosh.  Utomi played for 3 minutes, missed a 3 and then got pulled.  I have seen it a million times from KD with backup players, one bad decision and your gone.  I would have like to see him play more.   I wish these bench players would understand that you earn minutes playing great defense.  A quick 3 miss will get you to the bench in record time.  

[skip-zip]

16 minutes ago, 1981 grad said:

I thought that Ivey has been outplaying Josh Williams and deserves to start in front of Williams.  During the second half Williams could not keep his man in front of him and he scored several easy baskets.  Josh seems to be a step slow on defense and undersized as a small forward.

 

Year after year, we have Guards who can't stop a dribble drive.  Nothing much ever changes.  Ivey at least has the athletic ability to challenge the shot.  Josh does not.  

 

But what really made me want to respond to your post is that it's even being discussed that Josh might be getting asked to fill the role of a SF.