Game 9- Bucknell

[clarkwgriswold]

The 2-6 Bucknell Bison come to Akron Wednesday night to face our 6-2 Zips.  The Bison have wins over Delaware and Mount St. Mary's and losses to Princeton, Hofstra, Pittsburgh, St. John's, Bowling Green and Buffalo.  

 

6'11" German freshman forward/center Amon Dories leads Bison scoring at 14.8 ppg while contributing 4.2 rpg.  6'9" senior forward Ruot Bijiek is second in scoring at 12.5 ppg while leading rebounding at 4.8 rpg.  

 

The Bison play Cornell today.

[kreed5120]

Here is how ChatGPT breaks this down. I compiled this on my phone while riding passenger on my way to Columbus. I attempted to manually format to make it a little bit cleaner and easier to read.

 

 

 

Offense gap is large. Akron’s AdjO (~120.5) is elite for a mid-major and sits in the top ~25–60 nationally depending on week; Bucknell’s AdjO (~101.5) sits near the bottom third. That ~19 points per 100 possessions gap is the primary story.

 

Tempo matters. Akron plays a noticeably faster pace (~72.4 possessions/game), which tends to amplify offensive advantage (more possessions = more opportunity). Bucknell is slower (~68.1) so they naturally reduce possessions — a classic underdog slowing strategy — but Akron’s offense is efficient enough that tempo moderation probably won’t fully erase the gap.

 

Defense — middling vs below average. Akron’s AdjD (~106) is average-to-slightly-better-than-average; Bucknell’s AdjD (~111) is weaker. So Bucknell needs to get stops AND hope to limit Akron’s chances; that’s a tall order.

 

Efficiency drivers (from box/advanced splits): KenPom’s line for Akron shows a high eFG% and top-50 tempo; Bucknell’s lower AdjO and worse eFG / turnover numbers (KenPom rank indicators) indicate Bucknell struggles to create clean shots and/or avoid turnovers and defensive breakdowns.

 

Team strengths & weaknesses (practical)

Akron (strengths)

High-volume, efficient scoring — they rank well in AdjO and push possessions. That puts scoreboard pressure on opponents. They have players capable of hunting points efficiently.

 

Transition / pace advantage — they do damage in open court and on early offense.

 

Akron (weaknesses / things Bucknell could exploit)

Not elite defensively. Teams that limit their three-point looks or force half-court possessions could narrow margins.

 

Bucknell (strengths)

Tendency to slow tempo and clamp in half-court sets. They try to limit possessions, protect the paint, and control the clock. This can make games lower scoring and increase variance.

 

Bucknell (weaknesses)

Offensive inefficiency. Low AdjO and poor shooting/creation numbers; struggles to score against better defenses. Recent heavy losses underline vulnerabilities. 

 

Defensive lapses vs quality opponents. When pressed by high-tempo teams that move the ball and attack the rim, Bucknell has had trouble.

 

Key matchup factors & X–O chess

Akron’s shooters vs Bucknell closeouts. If Akron shoots well from three, Bucknell’s slower pace won’t matter — Akron can get quick early leads and then control tempo. If Bucknell can force Akron into contested jumpers and reduce open looks, the game gets closer.

 

Rebounding & second-chance points. Bucknell must limit Akron’s offensive rebounds and keep the game to a single possession per trip. Akron’s pace gives them offensive rebound opportunities.

 

Turnover margin. Akron’s efficiency suggests they don’t turn the ball over excessively; Bucknell needs to generate turnovers to create extra possessions. If Akron protects the ball, Bucknell’s lower touchdown-rate offense won’t keep up.

 

Foul/FT game. If Bucknell tries to hack/physical game to stop Akron early (and send them to line), watch Akron’s free-throw rates and make percentage. Teams that draw fouls and convert free throws can blunt a slowing strategy.

 

Matchup projection & numbers

Raw KenPom-style expectation: given Akron’s AdjO ~120.5 vs Bucknell AdjD ~111.1, and Akron’s AdjD ~106.3 vs Bucknell AdjO ~101.5, the net favors Akron by a sizable margin. On a neutral court, that gap commonly translates into a double-digit edge (≈10–15 points). If Akron is home that margin increases; if Bucknell is home it shrinks but Akron still looks favored on paper.