No Counter to this point

UAB will make a run in the second half. Need to get UAB'a offensive rebounding under control.

Keeler is leaving SHSU for Temple, so hey, another team in rebuild mode!

halftime

MT 38
uab 28


Team Comparison

Hard to believe two winters ago we were coming off of back to back bowl seasons & back to back bowl wins. Gonna be hard to even get back to that point I think.

03:11

MT 32
uab 21

07:55

MT leads 23-17

Counter will play today, AO not yet

SpaceRaider said:

24.8%


ken pom:

uab 124
MT 150

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+8.5

To have our best opportunity today if Counter can play, he needs to be a go. Even though we have lots of age & experience individually we are a young team. As soon as things started meshing well which was the first half of the USF game Counter went down. Typical MT basketball luck. I'm not saying USF wouldn't have made a run in the second half if Counter had not gone down, but I will say it wouldn't have been as close.
If he's as healthy now as he will be against Rhodes play him now. Just like Sims & Jefferson made the 2022 a tough out so does Counter & Porter for this squad.

AP article on espn site:

"The Blue Racers shot 28% in the first half and finished at 31.5%."

SpaceRaider said:

2024 CUSA Standings​

Team	CONF	OVR
Jacksonville State	7-1	8-4
Western Kentucky	6-2	8-4
Sam Houston	6-2	9-3
Liberty	5-3	8-3
Louisiana Tech	4-4	5-7
UTEP	3-5	3-9
Florida International	3-5	4-8
New Mexico State	2-6	3-9
Middle Tennessee	2-6	3-9
Kennesaw State	2-6	2-10

Click to expand...

Thanks Space. So in conference we are tied for last.
Geebus.

MTTim said:

I'm thankful for Kennesaw State. If they did not join us we would be tied with NMSU for last place in the conference.
Something to think about.

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2024 CUSA Standings​

I'm thankful for Kennesaw State. If they did not join us we would be tied with NMSU for last place in the conference.
Something to think about.

The first true road game in nearly a month and this will be a larger test than Abilene Christian. UAB was picked to finished 1st in the AAC but after Memphis’ display in Maui, and inversely UAB’s 7th place finish at the Paradise Jam, I would imagine the minds have have been changed.

UAB still has an upper half AAC team led by Yaxel Lendeborg (#3, 6’9” C) who was preseason AAC POY, and on some National Watchlist. A lengthy, athletic forward averaging 17.8 ppg, 8.9 rpg on 55% FG that will give us problem as we saw with Kyeron Lindsay of Murray State (27 points) — very similar play styles. Adding to their low post depth is Christian Coleman (#4, 6’8” F). He will play the 4 to Lendeborg’s 5 and creates his shots from over help on Lendeborg, second on the team with nearly 12 ppg, and 7 rpg. They don’t have the guard play we’re used to seeing AK teams have, but Alejandro Vasquez (#10, 6’4”) was really impressive in the Paradise Jam scoring 19 and 25 in their final two games coming off the bench immediately in both contests.

UAB is very different because of their frontcourt strengths. The Blazers attempt the fewest 3 pointers of almost every team in the country (bottom 10) and bottom 1/4 in assists. That styles says they will get it down low quick and let their forwards go to work. After watching their win against Louisiana, they transition quickly. Another top 100 scoring efficiency team that will need a great showing from Mostafa/Loofe/Alston on the defensive end to give us a chance. Defensively, UAB is a poor on-ball defending team. Granted Louisiana had a very quick, talented SG and it was game 3 in 4 days but they’re bottom 100 in Def eFG% and 2 pt FG% would confirm what I saw. JP has a chance to have a good game and get plenty of FT opportunities.

Keys are to defend the front court without fouling. I know we brag on the front court depth but we really need to see Loofe take another step forward because I don’t see Mostafa matching up well down low. Also utilize our speed advantage at the guards. JP and JB will get opportunities at the rim today. Get downhill and get to the rim. The offense cannot afford to sleep in this one — similar to Bradley.

TrueBlue147 said:

Will probably be a loss at UAB. They usually have a good athletes and we always play terrible there. When was the last time we even won at their place.

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2019. Antonio Green and Donovan Sims combined for 51 of our 79 points. Sims was fouled with 1 second left and hit both FTs to win.

Where’s raiderdoug and all those excited to see how we would play against “weaker” teams?

I still remember everyone preaching patience when we were getting shit on by the goliaths of the world like WKU and Jax State….(this is sarcasm, by the way, these are supposed to be our peers)

I guess NMSU and FIU were too talented too LOL

What’s next we gonna try to see how we match up with the local high schools? Is that more our level?

Team looks worse with each passing week. I would say I’m ready for a new head coach but that process is futile. McPhee, Massaro, and Steve Smith have to be fired first or else they will just make the worst possible hiring decision all over again.

29-41 (.414) since playing for conf championship.

Oh, we played today. The fact I didn’t care to know that says more than anything else I could say