BASKETBALL Middle Tennessee (5-6) vs St. Mary's (6-5), (ESPN+), 9PM, Tuesday, December 19, 2023

[SpaceRaider]

Location: Moraga, CA
Enrollment: 2,765
Conference: West Coast Conference
Arena: University Credit Union Pavilion (3,500)
Website: smcgaels.com Twitter: @saintmaryshoops
Colors: Red & Blue Nickname: Gaels
Head Coach: Randy Bennett Record at School: 507-208 (23rd Season) Career: 507-208 (23rd Season)
2022-23 Record: 27-8, 14-2 2022-23 Finish: 2nd 2022-23 Postseason: NCAA Second Round
Starters R/L: 3/2 Letterwinners R/L: 12/3
Roster: Gaels


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[SpaceRaider]

Unlike the Raiders who are off until the game with Gaels, SMC, plays UNLV this Saturday evening in Phoenix, AZ at the Jerry Colangelo Classic.

 

[MTFAN61]

St Mary's is out of its early season funk. Just went on the road & knocked off previously undefeated #13 Colorado St.
I'm not anticipating a Titans vs Dolphins upset part 2 in Moraga.

 

[SpaceRaider]

#	Player	Pos.	Listed	Year	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3PT%

20	Aidan Mahaney	G	6-3	So.	30.5	13.9	2.1	2.0	0.9	0.1	42.8	40.0
3	Augustas Marciulionis	G	6-4	Jr.	15.5	5.9	1.2	1.6	0.5	0.1	41.4	25.0
44	Alex Ducas	G/F	6-7	5th	31.3	12.5	4.3	1.0	0.9	0.4	43.3	41.4
5	Joshua Jefferson	F	6-8	So.	8.1	2.2	1.4	0.5	0.5	0.1	43.4	31.0
11	Mitchell Saxen	C	6-10	Sr.	31.2	11.6	7.6	1.7	0.7	1.2	55.7	–
	Mason Forbes**	F	6-8	R-Sr.	26.6	8.0	5.3	1.2	0.4	0.8	59.7	–
	Jordan Ross	G	6-1	Fr.	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
1	Harry Wessels	C	7-1	So.	6.9	2.6	1.8	0.3	0.1	0.1	59.6	–
33	Luke Barrett	G	6-6	R-Jr.	9.6	2.4	2.0	0.1	0.2	0.2	46.8	36.0
15	Chris Howell	G	6-6	R-So.	4.1	0.6	0.4	0.1	0.2	0.1	26.1	11.1
	Andrew McKeever	F	7-0	Fr.	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
	Jensen Bradtke	F	6-10	Fr.	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
	Rory Hawke	G	6-5	R-Fr.	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–

 

[SpaceRaider]

from a preview

THE OUTLOOK​

It’s been two straight 5 seeds for the tiny institution in Moraga. Frankly, a third at-large invitation looks signed, sealed and delivered with the roster returning for the 2023-24 rodeo.

All that’s lost in Johnson’s departure is negated by all that’s possible with a full season of ‘seasoned’ Aidan Mahaney. His confidence and moxie are special, and they will shine through at the game’s key moments. There’s plenty of help around him, but how will Mahaney respond to being the bullseye of opposing scouting reports?

Don’t worry. Even through the ebbs and flows, you can count on the safety-blanket defensive curtain being there night in and night out. Though, we’ll soon find out how important Johnson’s ballhawking presence was on that end of the floor, too.

Overall, it’s hard to find a glaring hole on the roster. It’s just a matter of how high the ceiling can be for Saint Mary’s to make a potentially deep tournament run next March.

 

[SpaceRaider]

Middle Tennessee State vs. Saint Mary's Prediction, Preview, and Odds - 12-19-2023

St. Mary;s has won three in a row and hosts Middle Tennessee State, who has lost two of three games.

statsalt.com

 

[SpaceRaider]

SMC's NET ranking is 80, the highest currently of any of MT's non-conference opponents, KenPom has them at #65

 

[SpaceRaider]

Blue Raiders head west to take on Saint Mary's - Middle Tennessee State University Athletics

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee men's basketball returns from a 10-day hiatus Tuesday when it takes on Saint Mary's in its first true road game of the season.

goblueraiders.com

 

[MTFAN61]

Good viewing for those who are gluttons for punishment.

 

[sWiley]

+16



zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

[SpaceRaider]

 

[SpaceRaider]

"Sports is the only entertainment where, no matter how many times you go back, you never know the ending."

~ Neil Simon

 

[sWiley]

"Sports is the only entertainment where, no matter how many times you go back, you never know the ending."

~ Neil Simon

Not tonight. We all know how this one ends.

 

[sWiley]

There is no shame left amongst this team or program.

How can you keep going forward with a coach who clearly is in over his head ?

 

[Brew_Raider]

This is awful. We can’t make it to the under 12 media timeout.

22-3. Thank god we are playing a 6-5 team WCC team and not Arizona or Kentucky.

 

[Brew_Raider]

CNM with the technical. At least we broke the 18-0 run.

 

[Brew_Raider]

31-11 SMC at the under 8 TO.

Complete domination.

 

[Brew_Raider]

31-14 under 4 TO.

We adjusted to a matchup zone and they don’t shoot the 3 well, so the scoring slowed a bit.

We are running an offense but it does t result in decent looks. It’s lets weave and motion for 15/20 seconds then throw up a circus shot.

 

[SpaceRaider]

SMC has doubled up on rebounds but otherwise they are not shooting all that great. Good grief.

Team Comparison

TEAM	FG%	FG	3F%	3F	FT%	FT	TO	PtTO	REB	OR	B	S	A
MT	27%	6-22	17%	1-6	75%	3-4	8	2	13	2	5	1	2
SMC	35%	14-40	23%	3-13	67%	2-3	2	12	27	14	0	3	6

 

[Brew_Raider]

33-16 at half. Lucky to be this close.

Too many turnovers, dominated on the glass, and struggle getting shots/making the looks we get. Only bright spot was the switch to the zone and their inability to shot the 3.

 

[MTFAN61]

Just checked in. Good thing is none of us were surprised. Never even turned on to ESPN+. If it wasn't for CNM's fat paycheck I would feel bad for him because the fellow has no idea how to fix this disaster he's created.

 

[Brew_Raider]

40-16 at the under 16:00 TO.

Just awful

 

[Brew_Raider]

45-18 at 14:05.

The lack of effort by some players on the court is more indicting than the score.

 

[Brew_Raider]

Finally broke 20 at the 13:17 mark.
49-21.

 

[SpaceRaider]

I'm old enough to remember when an MT team went to the state of California and whipped UCLA...

 

[BRaiderDave]

Bring back Kermit

 

[SpaceRaider]

49-21 looks like a score against a Rick Stockstill coached football team.

 

[Brew_Raider]

51-21 at the under 12:00 TO

 

[Brew_Raider]

61-26, 6:38 left

 

[Hop45]

Just brutal. Didn't expect a win, but expected a closer game than this. Waste of money to travel our there for this.

 

[Brew_Raider]

66-34 3:09 left

 

[Brew_Raider]

71-34 Final

 

[SpaceRaider]

Team Comparison

STATISTIC	MT	SMC
FG%	28%	42%
FGs	12-43	28-66
3FG%	27%	25%
3FGs	3-11	5-20
FT%	44%	83%
FTs	7-16	10-12
TOs	18	9
PtsOffTO	7	23
TotReb	24	46
DefReb	17	25
Off Reb	7	21
2ndChPts	4	27
BenchPts	10	26
PtsPaint	16	44
FstBkPt	5	4
Blocks	7	3
Steals	4	9
Assts	6	12
Times Tied:	0
Time Tied:	0:32
Lead Chg:	0
LeadTime	0:00	39:28

 

[MTFAN61]

Actually this final including the 70-40 loss to UIC earlier are so extreme they could & should be the catalyst for McPhee's next coaching change. With the next major multi million $ investment going towards the Murphy Center, it's practically impossible to see him keeping CNM after what's taken place in football with the excitement generated by Mason's hiring.

 

[MTFAN61]

I'm old enough to remember when an MT team went to the state of California and whipped UCLA...

Along with Kentucky, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Michigan St, West Virginia, and Florida St to name a few more. Remember all those great victories very well. And now just 5 short years after Kermit's departure Middle Tennessee basketball has become one of the weaker programs in the country.
Just very sad to see what was once a proud program fall into such a state of collapse.

 

[FranklinRaider315]

I fell asleep in my chair at halftime of the Memphis / Virginia game. Woke up around 9:30pm and turned this on ESPN+ at the 7:44 mark. It was already 33-12.

I chuckled, turned it off and went to bed.

What a beatdown.

If it’s any consolation, Western Carolina has beaten MT, TN Tech and now Vanderbilt last night. Maybe we need to check out their coach.😂😂

 

[FranklinRaider315]

49-21 looks like a score against a Rick Stockstill coached football team.

Who? 😂

 

[JohnDavidBlue]

NM has to go.

Don’t need to read a dissertation on this mess.

 

[Brew_Raider]

We’ve gone from predicted 21 wins to predicting 12-19 (6-10).

CNM would have a losing record in conference, 4 conference losing seasons out of 6 and own the 3 year worst stretch in program history. Plus we are not competitive with mid teams at this point. I don’t see how we can keep a coach if we don’t turn this around. Then again, it’s M&M. I could 100% see them keeping CNM and saying he had 2 great years and was on track for a great year this year before Cam’s injury.

Do we know if CNM got a super secret contract extension they forgot to make public? I would FOIA, but they won’t give records to non-Tennessee residents.

 

[mtfblue]

I've never seen a team this inept on offense. No one can shoot, the big man misses 2 layups on the same trip. Only kid that seemed into the game is the freshman big man, everyone else was just going through the motions. He better find some portal guys and get in for the 2nd half of the season