BASKETBALL MBB: Middle Tennessee @ UAB (ASN/ MyTV30), 2PM Sunday, January 3

[SpaceRaider]

http://bbstate.com/games/2016-01-03/MTSU-UAB

 

[SpaceRaider]

uabsports.com:

Familiar Foes Open League Play Sunday in Birmingham, UAB and Middle Tennessee Played for the 2015 C-USA Championship

 

[SpaceRaider]

goblueraiders.com:

MT BEGINS C-USA PLAY AT UAB, SUNDAY

GAME INFORMATION
(FULL GAME NOTES)

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

Date: Sunday, Jan. 3
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Teams: Middle Tennessee (8-4) at UAB (10-3)
Location: Birmingham, Ala.
Stadium: Bartow Arena (8,508)
TV: American Sports Network
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]

No Potts...

DNJ:

Blue Raiders prepare for huge challenge without Potts

 

[SpaceRaider]

excerpt:

...The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders and UAB Blazers meet Sunday afternoon at the Bartow Arena.

The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders look to stay hot after winning seven of their last 10 games. The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders are averaging 69.3 points on 43.3 percent shooting and allowing 66.2 points on 40 percent shooting. Giddy Potts is averaging 14.8 points and 6.2 rebounds while Reggie Upshaw is averaging 13.8 points and 1.8 assists. Darnell Harris is grabbing 5.2 rebounds and Perrin Buford is dishing 1.3 assists. The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders are shooting 36.4 percent from beyond the arc and 64.6 percent from the free throw line. Middle Tennessee is allowing 31 percent shooting from deep and is forcing 13.6 turnovers per game. The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders have lost 10 of their last 13 road games.

The UAB Blazers look to build on their impressive seven-game winning streak. The UAB Blazers are averaging 74.1 points on 46.8 percent shooting and allowing 66.3 points on 41.4 percent shooting. Chris Cokley is averaging 16.1 points and 7.2 rebounds while Robert Brown is averaging 12.2 points and 3.6 assists. William Lee is grabbing 5.8 rebounds and Nick Norton is dishing 5.2 assists. The UAB Blazers are shooting 35.5 percent from beyond the arc and 71.3 percent from the free throw line. UAB is allowing 28.3 percent shooting from deep and is forcing 12.5 turnovers per game. The UAB Blazers have won 16 straight home games.

The Blue Raiders are 15-36 ATS in their last 51 road games and 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games overall. The Blazers are 15-6 ATS in their last 21 vs. Conference USA and 3-7 ATS in their last 10 Sunday games. The Blue Raiders are 0-4 ATS in the last 4 meetings in UAB and 0-5 ATS in the last 5 meetings overall.....

 

[SpaceRaider]

 

[Blueraider_Mike]

Well, maybe someone will step up?

And both games are being played at the same time...Why?

 

[MTFNBY5]

Da-n mirror scheduling. Bright idea from C-USA. For one, I'll never attend a women's home game if a men's away game is on TV. Rethinking buying the men's/women's combo season ticket package next year if this continues.

 

[TeKEraider]

Good start. Reggie is playing at another level. POY if he can continue this all year.

 

[MTBig Blue]

These refs in this game...my goodness

 

[MTBig Blue]

I've never seen so many and 1's in all my life as UAB has gotten in this game.

 

[SpaceRaider]

MT can't finish worth a damn

 

[SmithO1906]

1. unreal how many point blank shots we miss
2. not sure i have seen a team blow a double digit lead in the second half and lose by double digits
3. This game turned after the technical/flagrant foul incident

 

[C-Bow]

FINAL: MT squanders their 12-point halftime lead with a total collapse down the stretch. UAB takes it, 78-67.

Sure could've used Giddy Potts out there today...

 

[Blueraider_Mike]

FINAL: MT squanders their 12-point halftime lead with a total collapse down the stretch. UAB takes it, 78-67.

Sure could've used Giddy Potts out there today...

We were lucky to have been this close. Even after the first half, you look at how many 3s we hit. UAB dominated us. It starts with their guard play. #2, the smallest kid on the court made us look silly. We have squandered our early season success.

We went into complete meltdown mode the 2nd half. It was hard to watch.

 

[SmithO1906]

and now we have to turn around and play UTEP

 

[MTFNBY5]

UAB has higher rated players and more of them. W/O Potts we were d--n lucky to have the success we had early. Knew they would make a run. Just didn't think we would fold like a cheap tent when adversity came. Clearly lost our "toughness" in the last 6 minutes.

Davis say anything of note in his postgame?

And: When is the highly-touted freshman (Gamble) going to make an impact? Middle of his jr. year? (I'm so tired of all the hype for new players and then they don't see the floor)

 

[SmithO1906]

at least Gamble is a freshman. When is Josh Phillips going to do anything

 

[MTFNBY5]

Phillips came in as a project. (and there is nothing wrong with taking a 6'-8" local project) If his parents had let him red-shirt his freshman year and had he not been injured he might have made a contribution before graduating (he is playing somewhat better "D" and rebounding more - No offensive skills apparent at this stage).

Gamble, on the other hand, is mentioned as the best recruit out of So. Carolina last year (or at least the best "big") and Davis sang his praises on numerous occasions (special, one of our best recruits ever, USA Today high school All-American, etc.) prior to the season. I was expecting a player who would demand PT and make contributions from the get-go.

 

[SpaceRaider]

at least they are doing what they need to in the classroom...

 

[TeKEraider]

Refs changed the way they called the game after the Raymond dust up. Fouls were even can't complain about that but it kills a physical defense first team like us.

 

[Blueraider_Mike]

Refs changed the way they called the game after the Raymond dust up. Fouls were even can't complain about that but it kills a physical defense first team like us.

Actually, I think we had multiple chances at the FT line but butchered those opps. UAB is just as physical in not more so.

 

[dukewayne]

UAB has higher rated players and more of them. W/O Potts we were d--n lucky to have the success we had early. Knew they would make a run. Just didn't think we would fold like a cheap tent when adversity came. Clearly lost our "toughness" in the last 6 minutes.

Davis say anything of note in his postgame?

And: When is the highly-touted freshman (Gamble) going to make an impact? Middle of his jr. year? (I'm so tired of all the hype for new players and then they don't see the floor)

Kermit admittedly made the simple and obvious comments post game. Missed FTs let momentum get away. Also commented, I think, about no offensive flow in 2nd half.

Now The Duke will tell ya what really happened. The game was lost in the locker room at the half. Haase made the big adjustments at the half that his players were able to execute. Although MT had great momentum going into the half, some more adjustments were needed at the first timeout for MT in the 2nd half. I'm guessing Kermit instructed some adjustments. It just wasn't executed, or communicated clearly??? Credit to Kermit he made adjustments going into the game without Potts. Defenses have been packing it in the paint knowing MT's forwards are the key players without Potts. It won the game for MT's last two opponents. Kermit and team came out in the game looking much more sharp by all players moving and passing around the perimeter. Penetration and kicks back outside were also there. Just as I commented last week, perimeter passing, penetrating and passing for an assist were desperately needed lately. MT did that in the first half vs UAB. Executed it brilliantly. 3pt% go up when you reverse the ball. The extra pass helps out as well. UAB was looking to defend the paint, MT passed well for good outside shots. At half, Haase knew his guys had to adjust and aggressively guard the perimeter. Fouls or no fouls. At least with fouls, they weren't going to get bombed by open 3s and lose by 15-20. That is what the play with the technical represented, but they were already adjusting as soon as the 2nd started. Sadly, MT did not adjust by attacking the paint that UAB just pulled out of. It looked like MT tried for a few minutes. Some of UABs guys were getting big foul trouble. After missing some FTs, MT seemed to start to give up on continuing to drive and drawing fouls. In the closing 5-6 mins when UAB regained a small but surmountable lead, the wheels came off. Instead of driving the rack, fouling out their key players and continuing to shot FTs, the MT guys just started throwing up terrible shots. No flow. No passing. The offense not even back across court in place to attempt rebounds. Terrible shots. That is when the game was over. Then their big kid, Lee, with 4 fouls went wild down the stretch to finish MT off. It was a shame as MT had a whole mess of their key players in big foul trouble.

For about 3/4 of the game, I thought MT was in the fight. The last stretch of the game, it seemed MT uncharacteristically gave up. I did not like seeing that at all. For all of my complaints about Kermit's coaching, the team quitting on a game is usually not one of them. It bothered me to see that vs UAB.

Who knows if Potts will be back? I hated to see MT lose the fight they've had most of the season. Again, it's going to be a long grind of a season if Potts does not return. By long grind, I'm talking a fighting throughout conf play to hopefully just get a reasonably good C-USA tourney seed.

 

[TeKEraider]

Actually, I think we had multiple chances at the FT line but butchered those opps. UAB is just as physical in not more so.

I don't disagree that free throws hurt but we could have hit them all and lost by 2. When is the last time we gave up 48 points in a half?

 

[MTFNBY5]

Big problem: Lack of depth - Look at the box score and the number of players UAB had who made contributions compared to MT. Potts could possibly have helped but his absence is not the only issue.

Stat lines for Buford, Ivory, Copeland, Foote, Gamble and Phillips tell you all you have to know. We can't beat the defending champion (11 of their top 12 returning from last year) and pre-season pick on their home floor with only four players making quality contributions, regardless of the lead we enjoy early in the game.

 

[C-Bow]

The defensive lapses in the second half were driving Kermit mad, I'm sure. I can't tell you how many times a UAB player just drove it straight into the paint without any opposition, especially on break opportunities.

Those easy buckets got UAB back in the game, and gave them a confidence boost they needed. From there, their shots fell while MT couldn't hit the broad side of the barn.

I was looking at Habersham pretty hard yesterday. He got some extended time but honestly, he was the biggest liability on defense.

 

[dukewayne]

When I read almost all of these comments that have good points to make, I can't help but think this all goes back to recruiting.