Mississippi opens -1 tonight and Total 138.5

[Coach34]

Interesting.

[msstate7]

Our perimeter defense is gonna have to be good tonight bc they can shoot

[MetEdDawg]

I just don't feel confident going on the road on this one.

It's a Quad 1 win if we get it but I just don't like our offense on the road.

UM -1 is an awful line in that I couldn't confidently bet either side.

[msstate7]

I just don't feel confident going on the road on this one.

It's a Quad 1 win if we get it but I just don't like our offense on the road.

UM -1 is an awful line in that I couldn't confidently bet either side.

Then it's a great line

[civildawg]

UM and the under. Unless Hubbard is on fire

[Saltydog]

And I think therein lies the difference on the road...........They can shoot, we can't..........

[MetEdDawg]

Then it's a great line

Exactly. And honestly in college basketball there are a lot of bad lines even this late in the season.

This is not one of them.

[msstate7]

And I think therein lies the difference on the road...........They can shoot, we can't..........

We can defend; they can't

[Coach34]

We can defend; they can't

They have some bigs. I could see them fouling Tolu alot and us losing because we went 16-30 from the FT line

[msstate7]

One stat I do like in this matchup is rebounding. We are a good rebounding team, and they aren't...

We're 5th in sec in rebounding despite playing 4 of the top 6 sec rebounding teams. They're 13th in rebounding. We have to own the glass tonight

[parabrave]

Gonna need DJ to be aggressive on the boards and Cam to help take the slack when they crash in on Toulo.

[PMDawg]

Our perimeter defense is gonna have to be good tonight bc they can shoot

I feel like teams make a lot of 3s against us, many of them ones they normally don't make. I don't think we play bad D out there, but I just feel like teams make lots of hard shots with hands in their faces against us. This feels like a bad matchup for us. However, it's Ole Miss, so a lot of that goes out the window. We usually play well vs. them.

[msstate7]

Gonna need DJ to be aggressive on the boards and Cam to help take the slack when they crash in on Toulo.

If tolu keeps passing out the double teams like in the 2nd half last week, we will be tough to defend.

[PMDawg]

One stat I do like in this matchup is rebounding. We are a good rebounding team, and they aren't...

We're 5th in sec in rebounding despite playing 4 of the top 6 sec rebounding teams. They're 13th in rebounding. We have to own the glass tonight

We need to get a lot of defensive rebounds, because that means they're missing shots. Offensive rebounds are great too, but they need to be missing more shots than us. Obviously. lol

[Coach34]

one good thing that falls into this- we played at home Saturday afternoon. The guys got to get away and relax after the game. The coaches could then start preparing for Mississippi.

Mississippi played the late game Saturday in College Station. So they got home late after midnight and such.

[Coach34]

I feel like teams make a lot of 3s against us, many of them ones they normally don't make. I don't think we play bad D out there, but I just feel like teams make lots of hard shots with hands in their faces against us.

We lead the SEC in 3 PT Defense. Tennessee is 2nd

Even with the toughass schedule we have played to start conference- we are 2nd in conference games only. Auburn was 6/24 from 3. As good as Fla played against us- they were only 8/25 from 3- 32%

[msstate7]

Beating a good team on the road in the sec is extremely difficult, so thank God we got that auburn win... these 2 this week would be a plus, not a necessity

[confucius say]

I think we are 3-6 after this week but then win the next 5 to get to 8-6.

[msstate7]

I think we are 3-6 after this week but then win the next 5 to get to 8-6.

How I see it too. Maybe 7-7 and finish 9-9.

[PGHBulldogBG]

I am seeing us going 9-9 but our conference schedule is probably the hardest in the SEC. I think we drop the 2 this week but then go 5-1 for the next 6 taking us to 8-7. Lose @aub @aTm and best SC at home. I am thinking 9-9 with about a 9 seed. If we upset someone in round 2 of SEC tournament it could bump us up and I think it’s a possibility we can make the semis of SEC tournament.

[BrunswickDawg]

I think Hubbard moving into the starting line up is a spark and we are going to go on a big run.

[Rawdawg]

Interesting.

This point total is where we want games played.

[PMDawg]

We lead the SEC in 3 PT Defense. Tennessee is 2nd

Even with the toughass schedule we have played to start conference- we are 2nd in conference games only. Auburn was 6/24 from 3. As good as Fla played against us- they were only 8/25 from 3- 32%

Yeah, but it seems like there's always one guy that single handedly keeps teams in games against us by popping off. WSU had a 5th year guy who shoots 30% career go 4/7 (57%), GT had a guy that's 28% on the year go 4/9 (44%) against us, Murray State had 4 guys go 50% or better on us and shot 52% as a team at 12-23 (they shoot 33% on the year), Rutgers had a guy go 3-6 (another 5th year with 30% career), TN had 2 guys go 4/9, Bama had a guy 5/9, Florida had a couple of guys combine to go 7/15.

I know overall we do a good job out there. Like I said, it just feels like a lot of 3s get made against us that shouldn't be made. Like it's bad luck. Always seems to be a rando that makes difficult/contested shots that they wouldn't normally make. Maybe it's the law of averages, but it feels like bad luck.

Honestly, it's like someone else already said. They don't shoot a lot, even though they shoot them well. They only average 7.6 made 3P per game. If we hold them to 8 or less made, I like our chances. But, they only attempt 19.6 per game. So, if we force them to take a lot more 3s than they normally do, it could be an issue. If they take 25, then they should make 10 of them, by their average. IDK really - it's an interesting game. I'm really just thinking "out loud" here. :)

[cheewgumm]

I'm going to be opptimistiic (hopefully not delusional).

1) I think Hubbard is turning a corner into going form Star to SuperStar. His insertion in starting lineup and his gettign more time, opens everything up. He is jsut going to do better and better as his confidence grows.

2) I bet Tolu goes off tonight. He's been held down for a few games now, so will feel pressure to perform. Also, i think they do the same thing we do on defense - force to the baseline, then double team. This may feed into our strenght (Tolu). Also, its what we do...do both teams should know how to attack the other.

3) I think we are just better than Ole Miss. I know they have had some decent wins, but real good teams have dismantled them.

If we get a win, this is a big turning point.


I think we get a big win tonight.

[PMDawg]

I am seeing us going 9-9 but our conference schedule is probably the hardest in the SEC. I think we drop the 2 this week but then go 5-1 for the next 6 taking us to 8-7. Lose @aub @aTm and best SC at home. I am thinking 9-9 with about a 9 seed. If we upset someone in round 2 of SEC tournament it could bump us up and I think it?s a possibility we can make the semis of SEC tournament.

It's amazing how much different a 6 seed is than a 9. I'm really hoping we can find a way to get to a 6. I'd rather be an 11 than a 9, unless we had to have the play in game. I'd take a 10 over an 8 or 9 too, obviously.

[Coach34]

It's amazing how much different a 6 seed is than a 9. I'm really hoping we can find a way to get to a 6. I'd rather be an 11 than a 9, unless we had to have the play in game. I'd take a 10 over an 8 or 9 too, obviously.

as bad as an 8-9 can be- I'd love to see Tolu vs the Purdue big

[gtowndawg]

My gut tells me loss based on one very simple stat: Free-throws. They can shoot them and we can't. If we can somehow shoot 75% from the line we might win.

[RockyDog]

I'm going to be opptimistiic (hopefully not delusional).

1) I think Hubbard is turning a corner into going form Star to SuperStar. His insertion in starting lineup and his gettign more time, opens everything up. He is jsut going to do better and better as his confidence grows.

2) I bet Tolu goes off tonight. He's been held down for a few games now, so will feel pressure to perform. Also, i think they do the same thing we do on defense - force to the baseline, then double team. This may feed into our strenght (Tolu). Also, its what we do...do both teams should know how to attack the other.

3) I think we are just better than Ole Miss. I know they have had some decent wins, but real good teams have dismantled them.

If we get a win, this is a big turning point.


I think we get a big win tonight.

Hubbard has to shoot better to step into that superstar category. Right now he's a volume shooter. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. I think he could make that next step if he had ANY help on the perimeter. Having one other guy that is a threat to make an open shot would open things up immensely for him. If we had a 3 in the mold of Shane Power or a poor man's Winsome Frazier, Hubbard would be hell.

[LC Dawg]

We need someone to step up besides Tolu and Hubbard. Against Auburn it was Cam. I think it will be him again tonight. Would like to see Shak driving to the basket a good bit too.

[parabrave]

Hubbard has to shoot better to step into that superstar category. Right now he's a volume shooter. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. I think he could make that next step if he had ANY help on the perimeter. Having one other guy that is a threat to make an open shot would open things up immensely for him. If we had a 3 in the mold of Shane Power or a poor man's Winsome Frazier, Hubbard would be hell.

This will come with more experience. He needs to be a more disciplined shooter. I liked the game he played against Aubbie which I think was his best game so far.

[Maroonthirteen]

They have two big guys that at 7ft but skinny and weak. It will be Interesting to see Tolu, Bell and Matthews can push them around.

[Lord McBuckethead]

UM and the over. No doubt. Until we win a big game following a big game, I will continue to say we can?t do it. It?s been 15 years.

[RocketDawg]

In the pre-game before the big event, South Carolina up on Tennessee 46-42 with 9:37 left in the game.

[Goldendawg]

My gut tells me loss based on one very simple stat: Free-throws. They can shoot them and we can't. If we can somehow shoot 75% from the line we might win.

I'm with you on this. My HS girls team lost by two last night in a very poorly officiated game on a breakaway with about 4 seconds left tied 47-47 after missing their final shot. We missed 13 free throws in the game. Missing free throws and not guarding the three well are killers like a walk in baseball at all levels.

[RocketDawg]

My gut tells me loss based on one very simple stat: Free-throws. They can shoot them and we can't. If we can somehow shoot 75% from the line we might win.

Why are we so bad at free throws? Seems like we've been haunted by that shortcoming for years now.

You'd think the players would practice 25 shots per day, even on their own time.

[Coach34]

Why are we so bad at free throws? Seems like we've been haunted by that shortcoming for years now.

You'd think the players would practice 25 shots per day, even on their own time.

25? lol

Most of them shoot 50-100 a day

Guys miss FT's either because they are a poor shooter or they are mentally weak

[MoreCowbell]

We will win if the offense does not run through Tolu. We are easy to game plan for and beat when we do that.

[PMDawg]

if we force them to take a lot more 3s than they normally do, it could be an issue. If they take 25, then they should make 10 of them, by their average.

So, this happened. They shot their regular 40%, but they took 30 three point shots. They made 12, which is more than 4 more than their average. Many of us said we needed to keep them to 10 or less made.

We outrebounded them by a good margin, like we said we had to.

We also missed the key FTs and ended up shooting only 70% (many on here said we needed to hit at least 75% to win).

So, we did 1 of 3 things most of us thought we needed to do to win, and we barely lost. If we held them to 2 less threes and made 3 or 4 more FTs, we win.

[PMDawg]

We will win if the offense does not run through Tolu. We are easy to game plan for and beat when we do that.

This team goes as far as Hubbard can take us. Tolu is a really good college player, and does a lot of great things. But it's like you said, if he's the only offense, it's easy to plan for and stop. He still misses too many point blank attempts, and he can get outplayed by physical bigs sometimes. The offense stalls when he's not on, because we've never had an outside scorer under Jans. Hubbard is that guy. But we have to get better at those two working it inside to out, and we can't survive either of them having an off night against the better teams because there's no one else that is consistently good. The other guys rotate having good games, and then they'll disappear for multiple games.