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Stephen F. Austin Basketball

SFA / #2 Baylor

December 8, 2020
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SFA (3-0) vs. #2 Baylor (3-0)

WHEN: DEC. 9 (WED) 7:00 P.M.
WHERE: Ferrell Center (Waco, TX)
WATCH: ESPN+/B12Now

 

Anyone that watched the first half of Sunday’s game knows what reality tastes like, but you can just spit that out of your mouth. SFA is going to get to play Baylor tomorrow night, and it’s time to start dreaming again. 

 

Part of the mystique that Keller has sold to his players is their ability to win the big games - the games other teams see as David and Goliath stories. They’re not. This is why these guys came to play here. To beat these “top” teams. Two years ago on some random Tuesday in December, the Jacks were in the midst of a terrible road trip that started with losing their point guard for illness, saw their top recruit get benched, and ultimately was the breaking point that led to two players getting dismissed. In the midst of that, Keller somehow got a limping team to give all they have and down Baylor. It ended something like this:

 

Baylor is a better team. SFA is a better team. On paper, the #2 team in the nation that just blew the doors off of Brad Underwood’s #5 Illinois by double digits should absolutely do the same to our team. Maybe that will happen, maybe we’ll lose by 25 like everyone says we should, or maybe, there’s still some holiday magic that hasn’t worn off from Keller’s jackets.

You can talk stats and matchups for the next 24 hours or so waiting for the game to start. But, this game is going to come down to heart. It’s the kind of heart that sees David drill a three with 10,000 fans screaming at him or Roti fighting to deflect the ball that’s going for an easy bucket or Gavin diving on the floor knowing there is no way that he is not coming up with it...or even a guy with a bad back and two bum knees running 70 feet to score the most important layup of his life. Who’s got heart? Not a team that wears yellow and green. Real hearts bleed purple.

Axe’ em!

SFA / #2 Baylor

39,605 Views | 272 Replies | Last: 3 yr ago by TallTexan
TallTexan
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9:21p, 12/9/20
Glad we got this game or we might not have known where this team was til ACU.
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jboy93
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9:21p, 12/9/20
Roti...30 minutes, 4 points, NO assists, and 7 TO's! There's some stats for ya.
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SFA Jack Fanatic
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9:21p, 12/9/20
We shot 40.9% from the field, 11.1% from three, and 55.6% from the charity strip (which didn't bless us with much charity).
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SFA Jack Fanatic
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9:24p, 12/9/20
Only two in double figures... Johnson with 11 and Kensmil with 10.
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jboy93
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In reply to SFA Jack Fanatic • 9:26p, 12/9/20
SFA Jack Fanatic said:
Only two in double figures... Johnson with 11 and Kensmil with 10.
David somehow had 10 as well.
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jboy93
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9:29p, 12/9/20
Nana was 0-2 from three. Saw him do that in high school. I hope Cox lets him know he is not here for his three-point abilities.
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TallTexan
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9:30p, 12/9/20
Baylor was at 56% on the season from the FT line according to the announcers. Until tonight.
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TallTexan
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9:39p, 12/9/20
Last year David needed more patience bringing down the ball. Hope Mason can sort him out going forward.
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nacluth
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10:17p, 12/9/20
Some post-shower thoughts:

This may be the best team that we have played since 2000. I know Tech was an Elite 8 team, but this was a complete team loaded with guards. Maybe a little light inside, but really good. It was nice to play a really quality team.

I said in the pregame that this SFA team is better than the team that won two years ago. I still think that. That team was just Kevon and Bogues. No point guard! Shannon played point. This is a more complete team, but we're not close to our top teams.

No superstar. Kensmil is great but he's not changing defenses. We miss Kevon, and unless Cam can start playing full games at his top level, we're going to have hard times against tough competition.

No point. Let's just take a second and give some claps to John Comeaux and Trey Pinkney. Those two guys shouldn't have been great, but they worked hard and were top notch players. Man I hope Posey is the answer for this team because we are flat at point. I like David a lot, but he's struggling carrying the team. He is a perfect back up, but it's hard for him to give 30 minutes.

Roti took about 20 games last year to really hit his top level. We don't have that long. He is a great player, but he didn't have it tonight. Seniors have to play up.

I don't need to say it again, but our interior is stout. If they can keep hitting their free throws, then they will be elite. We have positions 3-5 covered. 1-2 will make or break us.

Kalcheries, Ware, Hawkins, Heckard, Elliott, McDaniel, and Posey. These guys have to get it together. There is a collective skill there. We need to see it gel.

Didn't mention Brown. He needs to be last man off the bench. Sorry whoever said they wouldn't take crap about him.

This was a super tough ask of a game with 36 hours notice, but it will only make us better. This game should give the video guy lots of reels to work with. We will get better and should win Saturday. Axe 'em.
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TallTexan
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10:24p, 12/9/20
I don't know what the answer is at point, but I'd run Roti off the bench as a catch & shoot 2 to try to get him going faster.

Let the bigs slam it inside in SLC games to open up the perimeter for shooters.
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Rev007
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5:32a, 12/10/20
I'm not there everyday watching the guys practice, but with the extremely poor guard play we had last night, why wouldn't you give Kharee more than 2 minutes? If Roti plays 30 mins and had 7 TOs and 0 assists and David struggles all night, not just with ball handling, but forcing low percentage shots, give Kharee at least 15 mins playing time. The game was effectively over at halftime because of the disastrous sequence in the last 5 mins of the first half.

Who played ferocious on ball defense? Not anyone I can recall. I guarantee you that Kharee will get up into your face given an opportunity.

In retrospect, I wonder what he has done to not earn the trust of the coaching staff. Usually when you spend a year redshirting, you pick up a ton of knowledge.

Is Posey a point or shooting guard? I'd like to see him and Kharee team up together since they both have 4 years left.

Bewildered and confused, but optimistic. We will beat ACU and win the SLC regular season top seed!
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nacluth
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7:47a, 12/10/20
Rev, I can only think that the confidence isn't there with our coaching staff on Kharee. In the LeTourneau game, the only one where he got some minutes, he did seem lost. But he does seem like a bulldog with the ball, he's fast, and he's got quick hands. Hopefully he can transition.
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No-look
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8:29a, 12/10/20
Not trying to cover for us(or maybe I am) this Baylor team is one of the best overall teams that I have seen. Like Keller said, no weaknesses to exploit. They have the kind of defense that can make a good team look bad. The threes that we did attempt were highly contested and they smothered Gavin in the paint.
Baylor shot almost 50% from three and hit 24-27 free throws. They do the things that elite teams do.
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MasterAxe
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In reply to nacluth • 8:30a, 12/10/20
nacluth said:


Didn't mention Brown. He needs to be last man off the bench. Sorry whoever said they wouldn't take crap about him.


It was me, and about .001 seconds after he airmailed the pull up three from the top of the key...I rescinded my "Brown is my favorite player ever" fanhood.
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Pilotgirl
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In reply to No-look • 8:33a, 12/10/20
No-look said:
Not trying to cover for us(or maybe I am) this Baylor team is one of the best overall teams that I have seen. Like Keller said, no weaknesses to exploit. They have the kind of defense that can make a good team look bad. The threes that we did attempt were highly contested and they smothered Gavin in the paint.
Baylor shot almost 50% from three and hit 24-27 free throws. They do the things that elite teams do.
It is difficult to dig yourself out of a hole when you are playing a team with good defense and one that can rain 3s. They will be dangerous this season...
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MasterAxe
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10:52a, 12/10/20
This is the Lamar ending over ULM.

The Buster kid from Lamar is going to be a handful this year.

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ShootaGym
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In reply to jboy93 • 11:31a, 12/10/20
jboy93 said:
Nana was 0-2 from three. Saw him do that in high school. I hope Cox lets him know he is not here for his three-point abilities.
I saw him hit a ton of 3s in high school. A stretch 4 that can shoot the ball? Whats not to love?
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ShootaGym
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11:34a, 12/10/20
I'm watching practice today. It'll be fun to see how everyone responds.
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MasterAxe
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In reply to ShootaGym • 12:29p, 12/10/20
ShootaGym said:
jboy93 said:
Nana was 0-2 from three. Saw him do that in high school. I hope Cox lets him know he is not here for his three-point abilities.
I saw him hit a ton of 3s in high school. A stretch 4 that can shoot the ball? Whats not to love?
The stretch 4 who thinks he can hit threes and, in reality, cannot. That is what is not to love.
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HJC69
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In reply to MasterAxe • 5:08p, 12/10/20
Regardless of the goal, bad officiating can turn a game south very quickly. I didn't see the game but I trust something was going on with what I'm reading.
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CertifiedAxeman98
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5:32p, 12/10/20
This game was going to be hard to win no matter what but it got out of hand because of what we did not what Baylor did. Officials were better than the mess we have in the SLC and there is no way to blame the refs on the mess that watched last night. Refs make a difference in a close game but last night was not a close game.

The volume of turnovers must stop. If we don't win the turnover battle we are going to have a hard time winning against good competition the way we play. If we are going to play fast and just turn the ball over in transition then what are we doing playing so fast.

I always say we just need to be within 10 down the stretch. The last 2 minutes of the first half killed any chance of that happening. Brown came in near the end of the first half and we were down by less than 10. In his 2 minutes he racked up 2 fouls, turned the ball over twice and jacked up a 3 that had absolutely not chance of making it. I was yelling at Keller for putting him with 2 minutes left in the half. I don't blame Brown, I blame Keller for that. I would rather a tired Kensmil out there. I think Baylor had a 9-0 run to end the half. Brown is not ready to be on the floor with a team like Baylor. He should have come in during garbage time not at such an important point in the game like the last 2 minutes in the half.
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SFAJack_76
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4:35a, 12/11/20
Didn't get to see or listen to the game, and avoided this thread for a bit.

Loved Kevon and Bain, but Comeaux is the guy this team misses the most. He was the heart of the team.

PG, PG, PG.

Ware is a 2. David is a super young man, but not a high D1 quality starting PG. Best providing 15-18 minutes. McDaniel has been decent on ball defense against inferior competition, but has been of little benefit on offense. Although he only played four minutes last year, he practiced most of the season. He should understand the system by now.

Hawkins should be better than he has been. Always looks like he is pressing to me. Also is more of a 2 than a one. I think he will be a steady contributor through the season. Just not yet. Heckard has been the biggest disappointment for me. I thought from his Juco stats, that he would step in as a quality 1, perhaps as the starter. Hasn't happened yet, and hasn't looked good in his minutes I have seen.

I still think this team has a lot of talent, and will be fine. PG play must improve to make it a special season.
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No-look
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In reply to SFAJack_76 • 8:15a, 12/11/20
SFAJack_76 said:
Didn't get to see or listen to the game, and avoided this thread for a bit.

Loved Kevon and Bain, but Comeaux is the guy this team misses the most. He was the heart of the team.

PG, PG, PG.

Ware is a 2. David is a super young man, but not a high D1 quality starting PG. Best providing 15-18 minutes. McDaniel has been decent on ball defense against inferior competition, but has been of little benefit on offense. Although he only played four minutes last year, he practiced most of the season. He should understand the system by now.

Hawkins should be better than he has been. Always looks like he is pressing to me. Also is more of a 2 than a one. I think he will be a steady contributor through the season. Just not yet. Heckard has been the biggest disappointment for me. I thought from his Juco stats, that he would step in as a quality 1, perhaps as the starter. Hasn't happened yet, and hasn't looked good in his minutes I have seen.

I still think this team has a lot of talent, and will be fine. PG play must improve to make it a special season.
is Posey a pg or two? Shouldn't he be back soon?
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SFA Jack Fanatic
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In reply to No-look • 10:52a, 12/11/20
No-look said:

is Posey a pg or two? Shouldn't he be back soon?

I've never seen him play, but based on his HS stats and the fact that he almost single-handedly beat Duncanville with his offense last year, I'm assuming that he is a 2.
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PurpleOut
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11:28a, 12/11/20
Staff
Yeah he's an overall guard. He has good ball handling skills, and decent size.

From what I've heard, the idea a few weeks ago that he was getting close to being ready was premature.
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RichieVan
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11:40a, 12/11/20
If you've read the thread and believe, because of my comments, that the refs were an issue, perish the thought. Baylor was the better team and, in this game, by far. The refs only exacerbated the gap between the two teams. As I continue to say about refereeing, just be consistent. Consistently good or consistently bad.
The statistics don't lie: 34 turnovers, 15-27 from the foul line. Unacceptable numbers, even when playing an extremely good defense. If the team learns from this, then the season will be worth it.
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TallTexan
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In reply to PurpleOut • 1:20p, 12/11/20
PurpleOut said:
Yeah he's an overall guard. He has good ball handling skills, and decent size.

From what I've heard, the idea a few weeks ago that he was getting close to being ready was premature.


Will we see him this year?
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