Game 24- Bowling Green

[clarkwgriswold]

The first place Bowling Green Falcons come into the JAR to face the Zips Tuesday night.  The Falcons are 8-2 in the MAC.  They are coming off of a last second 85-83 win over their biggest rival, Toledo.  The Falcons are led by All-MAC 6'4" junior guard Justin Turner at 19 ppg.  Turner had a hamstring injury early in the season that slowed him down but not seems to have his legs back under him.  6'6" junior guard/forward Daeqwon Plowden leads rebounding at 8+ rpg while also kicking in  12 ppg.  The Falcons were dealt a blow today when their second leading scorer Dylan Frye left the team for "personal reasons."  

 

Here's hoping Matiss Kulackovskis still has those awful braids in his hair.  

 

This is a HUGE game for the Zips.

[clarkwgriswold]

The BG/Toledo game was entertaining.   Justin Turner is really good.  I hope Channel is healthy for Tuesday as the Zips will need him against Turner.

[NWAkron]

16 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said:

The BG/Toledo game was entertaining.   Justin Turner is really good.  I hope Channel is healthy for Tuesday as the Zips will need him against Turner.

The Zips haven't had like a really awful/head scratching game this year in the MAC.  Yesterday was on the verge of that but for X and Channel being heroes and 15 seconds of solid play.  Maybe without BGs Frye, LCJ can get back in the groove.

[clarkwgriswold]

15 minutes ago, NWAkron said:

The Zips haven't had like a really awful/head scratching game this year in the MAC.  Yesterday was on the verge of that but for X and Channel being heroes and 15 seconds of solid play.  Maybe without BGs Frye, LCJ can get back in the groove.

 

The Canada game wasn't exactly a thing of beauty, but I guess it wasn't that bad.  The shooting was bound to cool off eventually.  I'm just hoping it rebounds a little.

 

Teams have figured out that the Zips go as LCJ goes.  He's going to continue to get bounced around by defenses and given no space.  That's easier to do with a zone like EMU as you don't have as much opportunity to ball screen and do other things to free him up on the perimeter.  

 

Reece needs to be smarter so that he can give them more quality minutes.  As the Zips best big, he needs to cut out the dumb fouls and be more game aware so that he can be there in crunch time.

[infofan]

In defense of Reece, I thought at least two of his fouls were ticky tack at best.  One involved the player behind him (Toure) reaching over for a rebound but the ref calling white 5. offensively his hands are so much better than Deng's.  I think they need to give Sayles a few minutes earlier in game too -not just when Cam and Deng are fouled out.  As of today in the NET ratings Akron has dropped to 88. Still tops in MAC.  Amazingly BG is 154

[kreed5120]

22 minutes ago, infofan said:

Amazingly BG is 154

Not all that surprising when you take into account they lost to Norfolk State and Quinnipiac. In their defense they were without Turner, but the ranking systems don't care about those type of things.

[Let'sGoZips94]

On 2/8/2020 at 6:29 PM, clarkwgriswold said:

The Falcons were dealt a blow today when their second leading scorer Dylan Frye left the team for "personal reasons."  

 

I'm sorry, what?! What is it with BG players and leaving the program in recent years? Huge blow to their team, but I'm not complaining. 

[clarkwgriswold]

29 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

I'm sorry, what?! What is it with BG players and leaving the program in recent years? Huge blow to their team, but I'm not complaining. 

 

Yep, going into the rivalry game with Toledo no less.

[kreed5120]

I actually watched a good chunk of the Toledo-BGSU game. I was impressed with Davin Zeigler, who is going to be the main beneficiary of Frye's departure. Losing Frye will hurt them some, but I don't see it derailing their season. Kind of crazy how he was hardly playing prior to Frye's departure yet he looked better than anyone Akron has on our bench. I guess that's a luxury of having lots of depth.

[NWAkron]

Looked at BG message board.  No answer on what happened with Frye.  Maybe girlfriend problems?  Anyway...they see this as biggest game of season for them.  They haven't won at the JAR since March 1, 2009.  Akron crushed them at JAR late last season, but I think Huger tanked that game by benching and resting his top players.  They had already locked up a top 4 seeding. Huger is a tough customer.  Lots of turnover on that team as he rebuilt it.  I expect this to be an incredibly intense game with another all out assault on LCJ.  

[clarkwgriswold]

I said this before, but I think it bears repeating- Banks being healthy is critical.  Turner may be the best player in the MAC and Channel is the logical guy to guard him and the Zips best defender.  Also, I'm not sure how the lineup adjusts if he's out.  I'm assuming Tribble steps in.

[kreed5120]

34 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said:

I said this before, but I think it bears repeating- Banks being healthy is critical.  Turner may be the best player in the MAC and Channel is the logical guy to guard him and the Zips best defender.  Also, I'm not sure how the lineup adjusts if he's out.  I'm assuming Tribble steps in.

I'd imagine Ali would be the guy because of his length and defense. Having Tribble or LCJ guarding Turner would be a huge liability.

 

Edit: I'm actually of the mindset Banks will play. If his back is still aching, my concern is it will impact his shooting.

Edited February 10, 2020 by kreed5120

[clarkwgriswold]

1 hour ago, kreed5120 said:

I'd imagine Ali would be the guy because of his length and defense. Having Tribble or LCJ guarding Turner would be a huge liability.

 

Edit: I'm actually of the mindset Banks will play. If his back is still aching, my concern is it will impact his shooting.

 

His lateral quickness concerns me.  Actually, Cheese would probably get the assignment of primarily guarding Turner.  They are switching quite a bit on ball screens.

[zipfan84]

On 2/9/2020 at 10:47 AM, clarkwgriswold said:

Reece needs to be smarter so that he can give them more quality minutes.  As the Zips best big, he needs to cut out the dumb fouls and be more game aware so that he can be there in crunch time.

Couldn't agree more.

[NWAkron]

27 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said:

 

His lateral quickness concerns me.  Actually, Cheese would probably get the assignment of primarily guarding Turner.  They are switching quite a bit on ball screens.

Ball screen?

[MDZip]

Zips and BUGS had quite similar endings in their Saturday games. After the Zips dispatched EMU on a last second shot, BUGS won on two free throws with one second remaining. This is a pretty big game for the Zips. While they have owned BUGS over the last 20 years, they have really improved and certainly are heading for a top four seed. I was even rooting for them against Buffalo last year but obviously won't be if they face the Zips. With all the senior talent on the Zips this needs to be the year. So this is a pretty big game, win and the Zips and BUGS are tied in the loss column and the Zips remain very much alive for the top seed. A loss at home for a two game deficit with only seven games after that would be tough to make it. This needs to be a statement game and turn around the recent spate of poorer play.  

Edited February 10, 2020 by MDZip

[NWAkron]

11 minutes ago, MDZip said:

Zips and BUGS had quite similar endings in their Saturday games. After the Zips dispatched EMU on a last second shot, BUGS won on two free throws with one second remaining. This is a pretty big game for the Zips. While they have owned BUGS over the last 20 years, they have really improved and certainly are heading for a top four seed. I was even rooting for them against Buffalo last year but obviously won't be if they face the Zips. With all the senior talent on the Zips this needs to be the year. So this is a pretty big game, win and the Zips and BUGS are tied in the loss column and the Zips remain very much alive for the top seed. A loss at home for a two game deficit with only seven games after that would be tough to make it. This needs to be a statement game and turn around the recent spate of poorer play.  

I don't expect the whole enchilada the third year into Groce's tenure.  BG had 31 points off bench against Toledo and that was without Frye.  But going into two long haul back to back road games in the Michigan wilderness a win here is crucial.  Toledo didn't have time to set up for a Frye-less BG.  Groce and company will certainly have a plan for that.

[clarkwgriswold]

1 hour ago, NWAkron said:

Ball screen?

 

Ball Screen - A ball screen is when an offensive player sets a screen for another offensive player who currently has the ball in possession.

 

Translation- when those guys run into each other out top.

Edited February 10, 2020 by clarkwgriswold

[Let'sGoZips94]

4 hours ago, kreed5120 said:

I actually watched a good chunk of the Toledo-BGSU game. I was impressed with Davin Zeigler, who is going to be the main beneficiary of Frye's departure. Losing Frye will hurt them some, but I don't see it derailing their season. Kind of crazy how he was hardly playing prior to Frye's departure yet he looked better than anyone Akron has on our bench. I guess that's a luxury of having lots of depth.

 

Derail their season? Maybe not. But the absence of a 31 min/game participant shooting the 3 ball at a 42%+ clip will most definitely be felt. 

 

Interestingly enough, 6 of their MAC wins are by 3 pts or less, with their biggest MAC win point differential being 9. Buckle up. This could be a tight one. 

[kreed5120]

8 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

Derail their season? Maybe not. But the absence of a 31 min/game participant shooting the 3 ball at a 42%+ clip will most definitely be felt. 

 

Interestingly enough, 6 of their MAC wins are by 3 pts or less, with their biggest MAC win point differential being 9. Buckle up. This could be a tight one. 

Where are you coming up with that number? He's shooting the ball 31.8% from 3, which isn't good. He's also shooting 37.9% from the field and 68.7% from the charity. He's been an extremely inefficient scorer this season.

 

[Let'sGoZips94]

19 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

Where are you coming up with that number? He's shooting the ball 31.8% from 3, which isn't good. He's also shooting 37.9% from the field and 68.7% from the charity. He's been an extremely inefficient scorer this season.

 

 

Stupid ESPN. They pulled the away numbers and put them below the upcoming game. 

 

[clarkwgriswold]

BG website says he's shooting .379 from the field, .318 from 3-point range and .687 on free throws in 31.1 minutes per game.  Those go up to .405, .339 and .703 in MAC play.  He's their second leading scorer and has twice the assists if the next closest player.

[The Hip Zip]

I'm somewhat surprised to see us open up as a 7' point chalk in this match up. I expected 4-5 or so.

 

As far as Frye is concerned. I'm not sure how his departure will play out. BG does possess decent depth so I believe that they can overcome this. Huger is a very competent coach so I suspect he can pull the right strings to make it all work out.  They will probably be more athletic and this will open the door for the freshman Ziegler to jump into the fray and get more minutes. He impressed me while at Benedictine and I believe he will evolve into a solid MAC player.

[NWAkron]

13 minutes ago, The Hip Zip said:

I'm somewhat surprised to see us open up as a 7' point chalk in this match up. I expected 4-5 or so.

 

As far as Frye is concerned. I'm not sure how his departure will play out. BG does possess decent depth so I believe that they can overcome this. Huger is a very competent coach so I suspect he can pull the right strings to make it all work out.  They will probably be more athletic and this will open the door for the freshman Ziegler to jump into the fray and get more minutes. He impressed me while at Benedictine and I believe he will evolve into a solid MAC player.

I will take those odds.  I have no idea what to expect other than Zips haven't had it going well these past four games.  If they beat Ohio and EMU by one, hoe can the be expected to beat BG by 8?

[kreed5120]

Akron's 1st 6 games of conference play is the best stretch of games any MAC team has played this season. We lost the Toledo game during that stretch, but Toledo kind of shot the ball out of their mind that game. We had some defensive lapses, but even the low percentage shots they were putting up were falling. Since then not only has our shooting regressed, which it was bound to, but I feel our defense has regressed quite considerably as well. I'm not sure if teams have learned how to attack our defense better or if we're just not giving the same level of effort on the defensive end that we were earlier in the season. We were 2nd in the MAC in defensive efficiency per kenpom a few weeks back. Now we're 5th. We need to get back to that hunger we had earlier in the season of wanting to have the MAC's #1 defense.