BASKETBALL MBB: Middle Tennessee @ S. Dakota St., 4:30PM Sunday, December 27

[SpaceRaider]

goblueraiders.com:

MT LOOKS TO REBOUND IN SOUTH DAKOTA

GAME INFORMATION
(FULL GAME NOTES)

Hashtag: #TrueFamily, #BlueRaiders
Twitter: MT_MBB
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Facebook: Blue Raider Athletics

Date: Sunday, Dec. 27
Time: 4:30 p.m.
Teams: Middle Tennessee (7-3) vs South Dakota State (10-3)
Location: Sioux Falls, S.D.
Stadium: Sanford Pentagon (3,250)
TV: Fox Sports North
Radio: WMOT-FM (89.5), WGNS (1450 AM/100.5 FM/101.9 FM), Game 2 (102.5/94.9/95.1)
Play-by-Play:Chip Walters
Analysis: Kyle Turnham

Live Audio/Live Streaming | Live Stats

 

[SpaceRaider]

excerpt:

...The South Dakota State Jackrabbits and the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders face off on Sunday in college basketball action.

The South Dakota State Jackrabbits are 10-3 this season but they have lost two of their last three games. South Dakota State is averaging 65.3 points and they are shooting 39.9 percent while defensively they are allowing 68 points and their opponents are shooting 46.9 percent. Deondre Parks leads South Dakota State averaging 17.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Mike Daum is averaging 11.8 points and 5.2 rebounds, Jake Bittle is averaging 11.4 points, and Reed Tellinghuisen is averaging 10.2 points and 5.8 rebounds. South Dakota State has been solid this season but their defense has hurt them of late.

The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders are 7-3 this season and they are coming off of a loss that ended a three game winning streak. Middle Tennessee is averaging 70.2 points and they are shooting 43.8 percent from the floor while defensively they are allowing 66.3 points and their opponents are shooting 40.1 percent. Giddy Potts leads MTSU averaging 14.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Darnell Harris is averaging 12.7 points and 5.4 rebounds, Reggie Upshaw is averaging 12.3 points and 8.0 rebounds, and Perrin Buford is averaging 10.6 points and 5.2 rebounds. Every player on Middle Tennessee contributes by pounding the boards.

South Dakota State is 5-0 against the spread following a loss, 8-1 against the spread at home against a team with a winning road record, and 13-4 against the spread against a team with a winning record. Middle Tennessee is 4-0 against the spread in their last four games, 5-1 against the spread against a team with a winning record, and 15-36 against the spread in their last 51 road games....

 

[SpaceRaider]

MT currently a 6 point dog

 

[TeKEraider]

MT currently a 6 point dog

With no giddy that's about right.

 

[SpaceRaider]

http://bbstate.com/games/2015-12-27/MTSU-SDST

 

[Blueraider_Mike]

I don't feel good about this game...no stories in the DNJ stating Potts will not be playing

 

[SmithO1906]

I don't feel good about this game...no stories in the DNJ stating Potts will not be playing

http://www.dnj.com/story/sports/col...potts-sidelined-due-academics-issue/77940872/

 

[TeKEraider]

I don't feel good about this game...no stories in the DNJ stating Potts will not be playing

Been there all day. I recommend giving Aldo a follow on Twitter. He is on top of it.

 

[MTFNBY5]

Un----ing believable - How did this happen? With him dressing out in Atlanta I thought for sure this "academic issue" would have been taken care of by now. It would not surprise me if we've not seen the last of Potts in a BR uniform. Par for the course.

Just as I got home after making plans so I could watch this afternoon. Not so sure I want to even keep up now.

Looks like MT will be going 0 for 3 over this stretch of games we really needed to win (BkB with Ga. St., FB bowl game, and now this)

 

[MTBig Blue]

Giddy is the key to this team. With him in the game at GSU we probably would have won by 10+. If this issue is tha he failed a class, doesn't that mean he will have to be out the rest of the year?

 

[SpaceRaider]

Kermit in pregame just now said they found out about the academic thing the day of the game with gastate. Giddy Potts still out for South Dakota State, who's favored over the Raiders by six points. Kermit says Giddy at home finishing up some academic obligations, hopes to get Giddy back by end of week OR near future.

 

[Blueraider_Mike]

Been there all day. I recommend giving Aldo a follow on Twitter. He is on top of it.

Sometimes I just don't want to know

 

[SpaceRaider]

MT down 10-0, Kermit calls 2nd timeout.

 

[MTBig Blue]

Horrible start

 

[SpaceRaider]

Upshaw fouled hard and wrist hurt, 1st FT missed, 2nd FT good at 17:03, 10-1

 

[SpaceRaider]

15:02 media timeout 10-3

 

[TeKEraider]

We look terrible.

 

[SpaceRaider]

Haversham is awful.

18-7

 

[MTBig Blue]

You won't beat a church league team shooting 13%

 

[TeKEraider]

Reggie just went beast mode. Steal dunk and one.

 

[SpaceRaider]

7:34

18-14

 

[TeKEraider]

Looking better after a rough start. 19-16

 

[SpaceRaider]

20-19 MT leads

 

[TeKEraider]

We have the lead!

 

[TeKEraider]

Reggie steal and dunk changed the momentum completely.

 

[SpaceRaider]

27-22 MT leads

 

[SpaceRaider]

halftime:

Wow. SDSU shooter with :10 left fouled on a three point shot. 85% FT shooter misses all three. MT hits shot at buzzer.

MT 31
sdsu 27

 

[SpaceRaider]

39-37 SDSU retakes the lead

 

[SpaceRaider]

how many charges have been called in this game?

 

[SpaceRaider]

41-37

 

[SpaceRaider]

7:13

MT 50
sdsu 51

 

[SpaceRaider]

60-55 MT trails 3:37

last media timeout

 

[SpaceRaider]

65-61 MT loses again

Giddy Potts 0-2 on the road.

 

[dukewayne]

I really hate to say this, but without Potts MT just doesn't have any guards to play high quality D1 bball. No guards are stepping up that seem dependable, that can make plays, or MT can rely on to significantly contribute in big games. I hate to say that because I don't like to enter the realm of bashing players. My intent is more of what has happened to the guards under Kermit the last couple of years. It seemed that a year and a half ago that MT was overstocked at guard. It seemed frontcourt players were the weakness mainly by being thin at those positions i.e. lack of players and depth.

I think Ga State and SDSU clearly demonstrated that all you have to do now to almost stop MT is pack in the defense in the paint. The frontcourt is MT's main offensive strength. Packing in the paint keeps the Forwards from being able to get to the basket. The guards seem almost incapable of attacking the rim AND finishing at the rim. They then seem to settle for 3pt shots where they look cold and are settling for poor shots instead of taking good shots.

Raymond is painful to watch. He has so much athletic ability and potential, but he just has never seemed to realize that potential. It's like if he would just let himself go to his physical ability without thinking too much, he would breakout with incredible play.

Simpson seems to have some ability. He just seems way too inconsistent still. I'm not sure what it will take for him to breakout. Maybe just developing with experience???

Copeland has tons of quickness and good ball handling, but he seems to make poor decisions. Especially at critical times in the game. While I love his quickness in slashing to the basket, he struggles mightily to finish at the rim.

Overall for the team, passing and ball distribution is just not there on a level that would allow them to be a lot more successful. There is very little dishing by driving players to the offside slashing Forwards that would really help in finishing at the rim. While Upshaw is really strong at the rim, there just is not enough assists to the weakside cutter while the driver draws in the defense. It's pretty much the same for the guards. They really don't seem to be dishing out assists when penetrating. While Copeland has a fastball with quick release with reasonable view of court, the recipient hardly ever seems ready much less expecting the ball. There just does not seem to be good chemistry on the team on offense.

When Kermit's teams had so much success, number of assists were almost always really high. Those players were constantly feeding the offside cutter when they would drive into the paint and draw in the defense. The offside cutter would have a tremendously high rate of success of finishing at the rim when receiving those assists. The other thing missing is when the ball goes into the paint and no good shot is available, there seems to be a big lack of kicking it back out and ball reversal swinging it around the perimeter for the extra pass that would result most of the time with a good high percentage 3 pt shot.

With generally poor guard play and little or poor chemistry, I think MT will struggle vs most any team that is of a reasonably decent quality. Fight in general especially defense and really good individual play by the forwards in Upshaw, Harris, and Buford are what most wins will come from particularly vs less talented or poor performing teams. Really good teams already have exposed MT problems on offense.

 

[MTFNBY5]

Good analysis. Couldn't agree more about Raymond. With few exceptions he is so frustrating to watch.

Guards: Within the last year: Three star freshman JaQuel Richmond transferred during the season just as he was beginning to show his potential. Rising Sr. DeVante Jones (who was instrumental in our tournament run last year) and highly-touted freshman Jalen Perry (runner-up KY Mr. BkB) were both dismissed after the Caribbean trip but before classes started for the nebulous "violation of dept. rules". Ivory has been hit with recurring concussion problems which at the very least have hindered his development. And now Potts has an academic issue discovered immediately before the 3rd game after the end of the semester. In all my years of following Blue Raider BkB I can't remember one position being so decimated time after time. I'm not sure I've ever heard it at any school.

As for where we are: Looking at RPI rankings this morning we sit at #69 having just lost to #50 Ga. State (on their floor) by 2 and losing to #53 South Dakota St by 4 on a "neutral" floor 40 miles from their campus. Those two schools were pre-season picks in the SunBelt and Summit respectively. We have defeated #76 Auburn and #89 Belmont. Our bad losses were not so bad: #132 VCU and # 145 Murray both of whom are disappointments this season and were higher ranked when we played them (1st game and 1st home game).

Overall a very challenging schedule and considering where we are (#3 RPI team in TN behind UT-C and VU - best in-conference RPI) knowledgeable fans should be very excited about the conference race. Here's to hoping Giddy returns soon (and this problem doesn't reoccur) and that we start getting more from Phillips and the highly-touted Gamble.

 

[SmithO1906]

I didnt get to watch yesterday's game(listened to a little bit of it on the radio)Our guard play is awful without Giddy on the floor. I can pretty much agree with everything that has been stated above
I am absolutely baffled as to what has happened to Raymond he has regressed as a player. I'm not sure that we wont see the Copeland and Simpson fully reach their potential until next year. I cringe every time I see Ivory run into a screen or fall to the floor.

 

[dukewayne]

I, too, cringe and hope Ivory is ok when he takes a hard hit.

While I'm frustrated about the guard situation, there is still some hope for a decent season. Granted, "decent seasons" around here turn out to be hopes dashed a little too often. Right now, I don't see MT as a NCAA team. Maybe, maybe at best, a low seed NIT team. If players stay healthy, Giddy returns, and some level of reasonable growth occurs throughout conf play, maybe MT solidifies a decent NIT seed if things don't work out in B'ham come early March.

With a reasonably decent RPI, I think it would take incredible growth with an incredible run for the ages through C-USA to have a shot at an at-large NCAA bid. I just don't think MT built a resume that will deserve serious at-large consideration in the ooc season. Maybe had MT beat VCU and split for at least one of those last two games might MT have been able to start to make an argument for an at-large bid.

Considering the losses at guard and where MT finished last season, a decent NIT seed I would argue would be progress for this team considering the rebuilding season last year. It would be really nice to see MT build upon some success with some high quality additions next season.

D Harris showed early flashes of brilliance early upon arriving at MT. He is now a dominant force for MT. I really like Harris.

I would love to see Raymond finish the 2nd half of his Sr season with one heck of a run. Every so often, he shows flashes of such incredible athletic ability. I suspect he probably has the most raw athletic ability on the team. And that is saying something IMO. I have to wonder if some coach earlier in Raymond's playing days didn't try to break and control Raymond instead of letting that wild stallion run free like God gave him the gift to do. Being a man and not horse, there is hope that Raymond can change. I would really love for him to just let go and play wild and aggressive to the rim. Of course, all of this is speculation as I have no personal knowledge of Raymond's career. It is just obvious though that he has just untapped ability and athleticism that he just seems to hold back. Perhaps him being moved around from pos to pos at MT has not helped his development i.e. Raymond playing PG almost necessitates him playing more controlled ball instead of him being able to play his seemingly natural pos at SG.

Finally, please Giddy Potts take care of things and get back on the court immediately. He could be the difference between a long grinding conf season and a really enjoyable conf season where MT has a real shot at a conf championship.