Use this thread to talk about anything game-related.

Date: March 26th, 2014  7:00 PM

Opponent: VMI   (21-11, 11-5 Big South)

Site: Convocation Center

TV: None

Radio:  Ohio Radio

Webcast: CollegeInsider.com (Free)

VMI's media guide, roster and statistics.  

In looking at their schedule, they lost to Elon yet beat Wright State by 20 points.  Ohio's had a much more difficult schedule it seems.

If Nick finds his shot that should be a nice way to flank their offensive.  

Additionally, I think our defense is a notch or two higher than they normally face.  

Nonetheless, this has the makings of another battle on the court.

Go CATS!!!

I can see now what Wright's "travel difficulties" were -- they didn't want to go there again.

We had two common opponents with them this season: Longwood (each team beat them by 20+) and UNCA (we beat them by nine; they beat them by four).  Four of their 100+ games were vs non-D1 teams.  They generally put up a lot of pts vs their D1 opponents but they also gave up a lot, especially OOC.  I think we can score on them, so our D will be the key here.  They're also smallish (one guy at 6-9, two guys at 6-7, nobody else taller than 6-6) so we should take advantage of our size.

Seems to me the keys are to slow the game down and defend the arc, either zone or man to man.  If we don't do that, I have a feeling they could run all night and hit 15 3s.  that would not be good!  Don't want to see a 90+ game.

Somebody from a VMI thread is going to pop in here and feel like I'm dissing them and I want them to know I mean no disrespect.  I'm sure they are capable of beating us.  But it is really odd to be progressing through a tournament and in each round think that the next opponent is in each case on paper clearly inferior to the last.

I doubt many possessions will last long enough to sit in a zone.

VMI's offense ranks 54th in the nation in points per possession, and the Cadets play at the second-fastest tempo of any team in the nation. According to Ken Pom, their offense is 96th when adjusted for strength of schedule and pace, so that's still pretty good. Their shooting numbers are sort of middle-of-the-pack in the NCAA when you looking at true shooting and shooting efficiency, but they rarely turn it over. They're efficiency (points per possession) in road games is middle of the NCAA. A fairly high percentage of their points come on 3-pointers but they don't shoot the 3-pointer especially well. A pretty low percentage of points come at the foul line.

Stop their outlet passes and defend guy (a guard, presumably) trying to dribble or pass it upcourt to get the break going.  Stop the break in the backcourt instead of trying to defend it in the front court.

 

If they are really completely a transition team I think we will miss Jon Smith more than normal against VMI. I love AC but he doesn't run the floor as well as our other bigs.

I am a VMI graduate and a follower of their basketball team (no official connection to the program/ school). I happened upon this site in anticipation of the Wednesday game and thought that I would throw my own two cents in- especially since there is no comparable message board for VMI athletics.
So I come as a visitor and with respect.
VMI has played some of its best basketball in the last two games (against Canisius and IPFW). Both teams came in rated significantly higher in the RPI and we handled them both fairly easily. A lot of that has to do, I believe, with the style of play that VMI employs. It's the classic uptempo, Paul Westhead-style. Ever since our current coach went to it, VMI has achieved success way beyond what it had done previously. It's important to note that this is all relative, that we are now averaging about 17 wins per season, after averaging about 10 prior to the "system."
Teams in the Big South have generally gotten used to it and can effectively counter it. Coastal Carolina, the tourney winner, did so and held us to a fraction of what we put up in the CIT.
I believe that the other teams, Canisius and IPFW, seemed totally unprepared for that style (even though there has been considerable national media attention to it over the years and one player in the NBA from VMI.... Reggie Williams).
So I am hoping that Ohio does the same, but that seems unlikely.
We are painfully small: three guard lineup all below or around 6 feet.
Power forwards are all small forward size.
Our center, DJ Covington, has been playing out of his mind recently. He is undersized at 6-8 but he completely took IPFW's center out of the game.
We shoot a lot of threes (and indeed don't make a very good percentage).
Did I mention that we play very little defense? Covington is a tremendous shot blocker but is prone to foul trouble. Other than that, the strategy is to go for the steal and then give up a 2.
We ran a 1-3-1 at IPFW which had some success
INTANGIBLES: similar to your squad, there seems to be a bit of "team of destiny" aura around this squad. Covington and the point guard, Rodney Glasgow, are seniors and have been eliminated in the Conference Tournament Semis or Finals in most of their years. There was thus a huge feeling of regret particularly because it is hard to recruit big men to a military school and this is Covington's last year.

CONCLUSION: It should be an interesting game and I would not be surprised at any outcome. Our road game in the first round was interesting, again, because it just seemed like Canisius looked at our RPI and the fact that VMI was a small military school and then thought it would be a cakewalk at home. We went up 15-0 and it was more or less over.

Great report from our guest VMI fan. Win or lose, I hope he sticks around a bit.