SFA (7-2) vs. Louisiana Monroe (4-3)
WHEN: DEC 14 (SAT) 8:00 P.M.
WHERE: William R. Johnson Coliseum (Nacogdoches, TX)
WATCH: ESPN+
The Lumberjacks are facing their final D1 competition of their non-conference portion of their schedule Saturday night. So far they have gone 5-2 in their previous 7 games with their two losses against top 100 teams. Their win against #1 Duke is the statistical outlier for the season as all the other wins have come against teams rated worse than 246. I believe most watchers of this SFA squad would say that we've been the better of most of the competition, but the schedule so far says we have one good win and no bad losses. We play 21 games against D1 teams before the SLC tournament. Any loss between now and then would be considered bad. That starts this weekend.
UL-Monroe is not a bad team, they are just a blah team. They have good shooters and good defenders. Kind of like last year's SFA squad that had talent that couldn't quite materialize their wins, the Warhawks are just not playing consistently. They are another guard heavy offense. Guards Michael Ertel (6' 2" Jr.) and JD Williams (6' 4" Sr.) put in more than half of all the team's points. Ertel is particularly effective as a catch-and-shoot perimeter threat where Williams uses his speed and size to break through defenses. Williams is also the leading rebounder despite the size of their interior players. 7' 1" junior Chris Efretuei is imposing but still seems to be adjusting to the speed of D1 play. Senior forwards White and Bernard are good at disrupting play in the lane.
ULM's biggest strength is keeping offenses from scoring, but their weakness is playing against stout defenses. If their catch and shoot game is not dialed in, then they struggle offensively. They are a JUCO-built team, so despite their average age, they do not have much experience with team play. The Lumberjacks need to exploit their inability to score except from their two top scorers. Stiff defense will also throw apart their set plays. Like the Arkansas State game, on paper SFA is the much superior team, they just need to execute.
It may be the holiday season, but the Jacks have a fair amount of work to do over this holiday break. An empty campus may make it hard to get up for this late night game, but they have to stay focused on putting away the lesser ranked teams one after another. If we're looking toward the end of the season, then 10 is our magic number. The new NET guidelines that the NCAA uses for seeding dictates that a 10 point win is the highest rated type of win. Against 250+ ranked teams, SFA needs to maximize its double digit wins. Everyone will be important. As said before early, SFA has no bad losses and no home losses this season. If this team is locked in, this is the mission - be definitive in your wins.
The Jacks' biggest weakness right now would be a breakdown of team play. Last time out, Kensmil was frustrated by Alabama's bigs and the refs. He took it out by sniping at Roti during the game. Whether it was something they were both able to shake off, this team needs to always realize that they rise and fall as one. The strength of this team is its depth. If taking out Kevon sinks our offense, then this season is about to get long. Getting back to WRJ and sharing the love will be the best Christmas gift for this team. Let's hope Keller gets everyone on the same page and start ticking off all those W's starting with UL - Monroe.
Axe 'em!
WHEN: DEC 14 (SAT) 8:00 P.M.
WHERE: William R. Johnson Coliseum (Nacogdoches, TX)
WATCH: ESPN+
The Lumberjacks are facing their final D1 competition of their non-conference portion of their schedule Saturday night. So far they have gone 5-2 in their previous 7 games with their two losses against top 100 teams. Their win against #1 Duke is the statistical outlier for the season as all the other wins have come against teams rated worse than 246. I believe most watchers of this SFA squad would say that we've been the better of most of the competition, but the schedule so far says we have one good win and no bad losses. We play 21 games against D1 teams before the SLC tournament. Any loss between now and then would be considered bad. That starts this weekend.
UL-Monroe is not a bad team, they are just a blah team. They have good shooters and good defenders. Kind of like last year's SFA squad that had talent that couldn't quite materialize their wins, the Warhawks are just not playing consistently. They are another guard heavy offense. Guards Michael Ertel (6' 2" Jr.) and JD Williams (6' 4" Sr.) put in more than half of all the team's points. Ertel is particularly effective as a catch-and-shoot perimeter threat where Williams uses his speed and size to break through defenses. Williams is also the leading rebounder despite the size of their interior players. 7' 1" junior Chris Efretuei is imposing but still seems to be adjusting to the speed of D1 play. Senior forwards White and Bernard are good at disrupting play in the lane.
ULM's biggest strength is keeping offenses from scoring, but their weakness is playing against stout defenses. If their catch and shoot game is not dialed in, then they struggle offensively. They are a JUCO-built team, so despite their average age, they do not have much experience with team play. The Lumberjacks need to exploit their inability to score except from their two top scorers. Stiff defense will also throw apart their set plays. Like the Arkansas State game, on paper SFA is the much superior team, they just need to execute.
It may be the holiday season, but the Jacks have a fair amount of work to do over this holiday break. An empty campus may make it hard to get up for this late night game, but they have to stay focused on putting away the lesser ranked teams one after another. If we're looking toward the end of the season, then 10 is our magic number. The new NET guidelines that the NCAA uses for seeding dictates that a 10 point win is the highest rated type of win. Against 250+ ranked teams, SFA needs to maximize its double digit wins. Everyone will be important. As said before early, SFA has no bad losses and no home losses this season. If this team is locked in, this is the mission - be definitive in your wins.
The Jacks' biggest weakness right now would be a breakdown of team play. Last time out, Kensmil was frustrated by Alabama's bigs and the refs. He took it out by sniping at Roti during the game. Whether it was something they were both able to shake off, this team needs to always realize that they rise and fall as one. The strength of this team is its depth. If taking out Kevon sinks our offense, then this season is about to get long. Getting back to WRJ and sharing the love will be the best Christmas gift for this team. Let's hope Keller gets everyone on the same page and start ticking off all those W's starting with UL - Monroe.
Axe 'em!
Ryan
Kinnaird Guitars
Kinnaird Guitars
