 |
| I hope Coach Jones brings the celery, because Buffalo Wings are on the menu |
First, if you haven't experienced one recently, check out Bill's great Reality Check from earlier this afternoon. Then, in case you've been living under a rock and just discovered we are 4-0 to begin the season for the first time in about a quarter century, keep reading - it only gets better.
Tomorrow evening at 7:00 we skip across town to take on cross-town rival Howard (1-3) at Burr Gymnasium. In short, we are 12-3 all time against the Bison, including victories in the last seven straight contests. In fact, this is the first game of the year that is not a stop on the Sweet, Sweet Revenge Tour 2010, as Howard provided us our first victory last year in eight tries.
Unfortunately for the Bison, they're squarely in the same position they were in last season, and we're going to be eating Buffalo Wings all night long. "Are you mad, Josh!?", you must be thinking, "only last week you predicted a blowout of UMES on our own court and it went right down to the wire! Stop right now before you jinx everything!" Fear not, concerned reader, for I remain confident in my prediction. Let's break down why:
- Injuries: The worst thing that can happen to a team is to have its key players taken out of commission by unfortunate injuries. First, 6'9" freshman center and top recruit Theodore Boyomo tore his ACL in an exhibition game and was out for the season. Next, junior guard Calvin Thompson, a pre-season all-MEAC second team selection (about as good as it gets for the Bison this year) tore his ACL at Purdue last Sunday in what would have been a very tough physical game for us as well. Thompson put up a team-high 14 points, 3 assists, and 2 steals against us last season. Finally, Howard's lone senior, guard Kyle Riley, injured his ankle at Purdue and may or may not play tomorrow. Without a doubt, injuries are bad luck, but this is bordering on disastrous for Howard. Ultimately, injuries can happen to any team at any time, and for mid-majors who lack a lot of depth, it can be crippling. No matter who it is, I feel bad for these players who aren't able to hit the court and do what they were recruited to do. Nevertheless, it does give us an advantage.
- Size: Like many of our opponents so far, the Bison are a smaller team. Similarly, they lack the powerful front court that allowed FAU to confidently put four guards on the floor at once. Last season, they relied on 6'9" senior Paul Kirkpatrick, whose line last year was 13 points, 1 assist, 2 blocks, and 3 steals against the Eagles. Still, Lumpkins and Riley combined for 25 of our 59 points, and Lumpkins was 1 board away from a double-double. Without Boyomo, the Bison will be relying on 6'6" forward Dadrian Collins, who also had 13 points, 1 block, and 2 steals last year in Bender. With the addition of Vlad and Tony, our inside game has only gotten better, and I don't foresee the Bison finding a way to stop it, especially as they're not particularly strong with the dribble penetration that was our greatest defensive struggle in the last few games. Frankly, I also expect Danny and Steve to run circles around their guards, so I'm hoping for some good offensive output from the backcourt tomorrow as well.
- Records: In what I suspect is largely a function of its injuries, the Bison just dropped a huge game to St. Francis (NY), 70-52. Although identical in name and conference, this is not the same St. Francis we downed in our first game of the season. Still, such a tough loss certainly has the Bison fearing for the future of their season, which did begin on a bright note with a narrow 54-52 victory over Bowling Green at home. Although I can't really hold their next loss to Purdue against them, since we'd likely drop that game as well, their 66-34 drubbing versus Delaware wasn't a great vital sign either (again, post-injuries). Need I remind anyone that we are 4-0?
That's pretty much it. The Bison are suffering, and it's our predicted 5-0 record that's to benefit. Without a prize recruit, a top player, or size and athleticism to match ours, the Bison's home court advantage won't do much for them this season. I do want to take a moment to give Howard credit for something, however: they remain the only local team in a city that breathes college basketball that has deigned to play us this season. I love local rivalries as much as the next guy (especially because it means I'm actually able to attend an away game prior to League play), and I'll take them where I can get them. Thanks Howard.
Oh, and if you're wondering what the title of the post is referring to, it's first-year Howard Head Coach Kevin Nickelberry and his online portfolio...erm, website. I can't help but think its purpose is to help him find another job, which is why I'm confused as to why Howard features the link so prominently on their athletics page. I know we've said in the past that we'd enjoy Coach Jones having a presence on the web, but for the love of Clawed and all that is holy, I hope that if he ever does it looks nothing whatsoever like that (and let's not mention the soundtrack).
That's all for today. Hopefully we'll have a liveblog running, but many of our contributors will be traveling for the holidays and I'll be at the game in person, likely without an internet connection or phone intelligent enough to do so much as tweet. So, it's tentative, but our fingers remain crossed! Tomorrow night, 7 PM, Burr Gymnasium at Howard University!
WHAT DO WE EAT? BISON MEAT!
Pro Deo Et Patria and GO EAGLES!
Josh
No comments:
Post a Comment