The Bills over RI by 8

[The Wiz]

A big win yesterday against the Bonnies. A quality win against a very good team....we were the better team...the only question was which Bills team would show up...Fortunately, "the good enough to win"  team showed up. What that means is we are still in recovery mode.  The game yesterday was an average (prepause) Bills game.  The good news is we should be getting better  as the season progresses....If you want more details on the how and what we did vs St. B ...check out the post game analysis on the St. B spread thread. 

Further, good news is we are back to A- ranking . The numbers right now show that we are a Dancing team...but only as a  last 4 in....No room for error.  A concern at this point ,  is we are trending at B+ . While this is improving,  we need  to get back to A,   where we were....or at least for now to A- to stabilize the ship.  So, we are not out of the woods yet but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  We just need to get to the tunnel....which brings us once again to the "rust" chart.  Based on the last chart,  we exceeded the spread and have sped up our recovery.

Here is where we stand going into this game....

If we beat RI

by 12+...we are back

by  5-11...on target...1 more game to go

by 4 or less....stalled ...2 games to go

If we lose ...we are slipping back....3+ games to go

Personally, I would like to see us win by 12+ and be done with the chart. However a win around the spread and a spread victory over Fordham works too.

OK back to the game....As I mentioned above , we are A- overall trending at B+ ...RI comes in at B...not bad...BUT trending at C+. Let's see what the report card shows.

 

.............................SLU.................................RI........................................................SLU.......................................RI

.............................................OFF.....................................................................................................DEF...............

PPG.........................A....................................C-............................................................B........................................C+

FG%.........................A....................................C+...........................................................B......................................A-

3Pt%........................A-...................................D............................................................D........................................B

FT%.........................B-.... ..............................D.......................................................................................................

Reb.........................B-....................................B+..........................................................A+...9th ITN.....................B-

 OFF Rebs  = total rebs...DEF Rebs = opp reb

UP....Offense...none ......Defense ...PPG...FG%

Down...Offense....FG%%........Defense....none

Top 100 ITN (In The Nation)

Assts...Collins...8th ...unch

Rebs...Goodwin....20th....dn

3P%....Perkins....84th...up

Blks...French...73rd ...dn

FT%...Perkins...88th...up

Double Double....Goodwin...13th ...dn

RI

FG%....Walker...40th

Stls...Russell...46th

Blks...Makhel Mitchell...42nd

Injuries

Makhi Mitchell...C...Knee...12/17/20...out for season

F Russell...G...Leg...2/7/21...Questionable...Unclear at this point whether he will be available against the Bills

 

If Fatts doesn't play it could widen the spread ...but that could change if Perkins and Jacobs status change....keep an eye on this spot in the coming days.

So what the report card shows for RI is a team with slightly less offense than St. B and a lot less defense ....although still very good. For us, it shows an improving defense  with still some work to do on 3P defense.  Fortunately, for us, like St. B,  RI is weak on 3P shooting. 

WWN2D2W

What we did last time only a little better...Shooting inside the arc needs to be clicking...48/ 38 /73...75 pts should be a game winner ...although this game could be slower....similar to St. B...We go into this game as the reb underdog ..again... as we did against the Bonnies...Bonnies and Rams have similar numbers ...beat them on the boards.  ...Russell is their main guy...he leads in PPG, Assts, and Stls...I am going to assume he will either not play or be at full strength....which leaves them a good starting 4...with not much behind them...Hold their top 3 scores to a combined 35 pts....Our depth should be a positive factor...Sheppard is their 3P threat...hold him to 1 or 2   3PM.  They are vulnerable to the TO (grade D- )...with some pressure there could be extra pts... win the TO battle by 4. 

Bottom line....If we can build on our St. B game, this game should be ours.  It's time to shear the sheep.

 

 

[HoosierPal]

14 minutes ago, The Wiz said:

F Russell...G...Leg...2/7/21...Questionable...Unclear at this point whether he will be available against the Bills

 

If Fatts doesn't play it could widen the spread ...but that could change if Perkins and Jacobs status change....keep an eye on this spot in the coming days.

Fatts is reportedly on a minute limit.  He did play 27 yesterday, but did not start.  He has been playing all year while hurt.  They Rhody board would like to see him sit for a while in order to heal enough for them to have a fighting chance in the A10 Tourney.

Mitchell has turned in some impressive performances since the calendar turned.  Measured from the start of the season to now, he might be the most improved player in the A10.

[The Wiz]

20 minutes ago, HoosierPal said:

Fatts is reportedly on a minute limit.  He did play 27 yesterday, but did not start.  He has been playing all year while hurt.  They Rhody board would like to see him sit for a while in order to heal enough for them to have a fighting chance in the A10 Tourney.

Mitchell has turned in some impressive performances since the calendar turned.  Measured from the start of the season to now, he might be the most improved player in the A10.

Here is some additional info on Fatts's injury...

https://bustingbrackets.com/2021/02/05/rhode-island-basketball-impact-fatts-russells-injuries-rams/

[Taj79]

Rhode Island as a team is who I thought they'd be ----- in search of an identity.  Now is not the time to find it.  Too many transfers floating around the court trying to determine just what their role is on the team.  Fatts' injury makes them even more suspect however Fatts was much better as a microwave sixth man two years ago, and a better off-guard last year with Jeff Dowtin running the point.  He has always seemed to be pressing in games I have seen this year.  But that does not mean he can't go off and couple up with another teammate going off as well and beat you.  They did this winning handily at VCU  83 to 68 .... although some VCU folks seem to believe Rhode Island has a curse over VCU like Dayton does us.  VCU went into Kingston and beat them by 1 jsut last week so it's a typical up-n-down A10 circus.  

Russell is currently leading the team scoring at 14.2 ppg.  But as HP noted, he didn't start last game and there is an injury concern.  If he doesn't start, that will make the starters Walker (transfer from Georgetown), Mitchell (Maryland), Sheppard (east Carolina), Leggett and Betrand (Towson).  Sheppard is the 2G averaging about 11 ppg.  Mitchell is next with just under 10 ppg.  The loss of the other Mitchell twin is immaterial in my book.  Guy seemed to be a tagalong in both the Umd and RI recruiting sagsa with these two.  The remaining Mitchell is the better player.  Makhel's weakness appears that he shoots FTs slightly better than Hasahn, which ain't too good.  Ismael leggett is a nice-looking freshman but inconsistent; Allen Betrand is the PG.  Nothing special there either.  Walker is a nice player but he too blows hot and cold too many times.  DJ Johnson has some nice hops but Martin (Charlotte) and Carey (Syracuse) have yet to find their transfer ways at this new location.  Which leaves my favorite four-star disappointment, Jermaine Harris, alone on the bench.  URI can send guys at you, just don't know what you will get night in and night out.

In watching these guys play, no one is any consistent in shooting from distance.  Walker and Mitchell has nice numbers, but it is mostly based on their inside work.  Betrand, Leggett and Sheppard are all near 40% from three; Fatts, like Lofton at Bonaventure, is not having a good year shooting from distance.  Not a time to let him find his groove either.  

Currently, they are 6 and 7 in the A10 but on a three-game losing streak (@Dayton, VCU, Umass).  Their lone road win of consequence was at VCU.  They beat the Bonnies at home in December 63 to 57.  We need to continue to COVID climb back but cannot take anyone lightly.

[NH]

This is a crucial game (as most will be from this point forward). Rhode Island is one of the few teams in the conference that can match our athleticism. They will attack the offensive boards and look to draw fouls. Hasahn has to stay out of foul trouble, we cannot afford to have him play less than 20 minutes like he has the last two games. Rhode Island turns the ball over a ton. If we win the turnover battle and the rebounding battle we will win the game, simple as that.

Honestly, I have never understood why Fatts is allowed to dominate the ball the way he does, and I don't think his injury hurts Rhode Island much. 

[HoosierPal]

Not exactly the news we wanted to read.  As mentioned by many, Perkins and Jacobs both had 'lower body injuries' (hockey talk) and Goodwin fell hard twice.

 

[Pistol]

I was wondering about Perkins' status after that awkward plant he had with his right leg late in the Bona game. The other two didn't look as serious to me, although Goodwin certainly is playing like he's dinged up.

[HoosierPal]

7 minutes ago, Pistol said:

I was wondering about Perkins' status after that awkward plant he had with his right leg late in the Bona game. The other two didn't look as serious to me, although Goodwin certainly is playing like he's dinged up.

This reads as if we won't know until the game develops.  Everyone dresses out, so no hints there.  'How much they play, I don't know' says see how the game flows.  He didn't mention "See who starts", but that doesn't necessarily mean as much as 'How much they play'.  I'm sure this board will over analyze the minutes played in this upcoming game after it is over.

[AnkielBreakers]

I read that quote as ‘Perkins is mostly out’. May be able to play if necessary. The fact that it is followed by a TJ comment solidifies it in my mind. Hopefully I am wrong, but expect zero minutes from him.

[Matty Light]

Get Jimmy Bell some more minutes. He always looks like he's lumbering out there but his hands and shot patience seem much improved. 

Bell currently reminds me of Cory Remuken during his junior year. Cory had a nice development bump going into his senior year. Jimmy could be that guy next year with a breakout senior season. I could easily see that playing out in that fashion.

[brianstl]

2 minutes ago, Matty Light said:

Get Jimmy Bell some more minutes. He always looks like he's lumbering out there but his hands and shot patience seem much improved. 

Bell currently reminds me of Cory Remuken during his junior year. Cory had a nice development bump going into his senior year. Jimmy could be that guy next year with a breakout senior season. I could easily see that playing out in that fashion.

If both Goodwin and Perkins are limited, I could see us going big for extended periods of time with both Bell and Linssen getting more minutes.  Perkins and Goodwin combine for 66 minutes a game so far in the 3 conference games.  That is a lot of minutes that will have to be spread out.  Thatch, Jacobs and now Hargrove will pick up many of them, but their is still going to be times that Ford is going to need to look at other options.  Especially with Thatch's foul rate.  

[Taj79]

Goodwin's injured?  Thought it was Perkins and Jacobs?

[SLU_Nick]

20 minutes ago, Taj79 said:

Goodwin's injured?  Thought it was Perkins and Jacobs?

Jacobs?  I didnt see him get dinged up last game.  If it is him that is really unlucky.  He might be the one player who has surpassed expectations this season.  He comes in, plays within himself, and knocks down shots.  He was a big time steadying force against the Bonnies.  

If Perk is limited I would like to see us go Bell, Has, Gibby, Goodwin, and Yuri as the starters.  

Has being the only big man on the court really hampers his upside in my opinion.

[A10Ref]

2 hours ago, AnkielBreakers said:

I read that quote as ‘Perkins is mostly out’. May be able to play if necessary. The fact that it is followed by a TJ comment solidifies it in my mind. Hopefully I am wrong, but expect zero minutes from him.

where was this quote that "Perkins is mostly out?"

[AnkielBreakers]

That is mine. I said it out loud as I was typing. 
 

Technically, I didn’t use the “x” and instead used ‘x’, but I apologize for the confusion.

[Reinert310]

This reminds me of a couple years ago, before the SIU game, everybody was worried about Bess’ ankle and he ended up play the whole game. Now, we ended up losing that game, so I’m absolutely probably jinxing the game tonight , but the fact that everyone is gonna dress is a positive in my book. That means everybody is at least good enough to test it out and see how they feel. We’ll see if anybody’s status changes before game time, but I wouldn’t rule out the idea that Ford may be throwing some misinformation out there as well.

[cgeldmacher]

4 hours ago, Matty Light said:

Get Jimmy Bell some more minutes. He always looks like he's lumbering out there but his hands and shot patience seem much improved. 

Bell currently reminds me of Cory Remuken during his junior year. Cory had a nice development bump going into his senior year. Jimmy could be that guy next year with a breakout senior season. I could easily see that playing out in that fashion.

Not sure he reminds me of Remekun other than the hope that he breaks out like Remekun did at this end of his time here.

I think that Jimmy is a force down low with the ball in his hands.  He showed us last year, not yet this year, that he can make a move and have a soft finishing touch.  If we get him the ball down low with his back to the basket, he can play the game that French plays of "leave me one on one and I'll beat my guy and score" or "double team me and I'll kick out to a guy for an open three."  I feel like getting Bell in that position will allow him to start to shine.

[HoosierPal]

Lots of guessing.  That's what a Basketball Forum is for.

Both Perkins and Jacobs twisted ankles/knees during the St. B game.  Both came back into the game.

Goodwin hit the floor hard twice and was noticeably slow to get up.  He may, or may not, be one of those referenced in Fords' comment.

[almaman]

I would like TF to try this lineup for a bit; JB, ML, DJ, FTJ, & Hargrove.

[A10Ref]

I would love to see a little Markhi tonight if we have limited minutes from a few of our guards

[HoosierPal]

3 minutes ago, A10Ref said:

I would love to see a little Markhi tonight if we have limited minutes from a few of our guards

Rammer was on the Press Box this morning and briefly talked about Markhi.  He said his athletic talent is through the roof, but he needs to figure out how to play college basketball. He said he is progressing and expects to see him on the floor soon. 

(Me talking here:  he would need to jump over Hargrove or either Thatch or Jacobs on the bench pecking order to get significant minutes.  Ford is not used to playing 11 players.)

[Basketbill]

5 hours ago, SLU_Nick said:

Jacobs?  I didnt see him get dinged up last game.  If it is him that is really unlucky.  He might be the one player who has surpassed expectations this season.  He comes in, plays within himself, and knocks down shots.  He was a big time steadying force against the Bonnies.  

If Perk is limited I would like to see us go Bell, Has, Gibby, Goodwin, and Yuri as the starters.  

Has being the only big man on the court really hampers his upside in my opinion.

When he went in for the poster dunk, he had trouble putting weight on his right ankle afterward. Got a tape job, but was not comfortable on the sideline did not play any further.

[Basketbill]

2 hours ago, HoosierPal said:

Lots of guessing.  That's what a Basketball Forum is for.

Both Perkins and Jacobs twisted ankles/knees during the St. B game.  Both came back into the game.

Goodwin hit the floor hard twice and was noticeably slow to get up.  He may, or may not, be one of those referenced in Fords' comment.

Do not think Jacobs went back in..

[Matty Light]

2 hours ago, cgeldmacher said:

Not sure he reminds me of Remekun other than the hope that he breaks out like Remekun did at this end of his time here.

I should have elaborated. Big men at SLU the last 30 years have come in basically 3 tiers:

1) Requisite player skillset - can contribute right away if not blocked by other teammates (they can get in the pool and won't drown).

2) Have size, skills, and/or strength and stamina. They have a couple of these attributes but not all three. And the skillset is never a complete one.

3) Project Big Man. These Billikens have only one of size/skills/strength. These are guys likely to depart before the end of eligibility or graduate never averaging double digit minutes.

The Ones you can expect to start by the second season if they are not blocked by a veteren.

The Twos might never start but they will start getting rotation minutes Yr2 or 3, and given a shot to compete for starter minutes by the time they are upperclassmen.

Remuken and Bell are definitely Twos. Bell playing significant minutes as a true frosh is pretty significant for his development. Remember that if Remuken would have been able to keep his redshirt like Coach Majerus had planned, he would have started and played a lot of minutes as a 5th year senior. COVID has given Bell the opportunity to do that if he chooses.

The Threes...well they are often message board legends in GIF form. We all know them.

[The Wiz]

 

Here is an injury update just released....

Player		Status/Updated	Notes
Terrence Hargrove Jr.	F	Prob Wed - Undisclosed - 2/10/21	Hargrove Jr. has missed the last two games with an unknown injury, but is expected to be back in the lineup against Rhode Island on Wednesday.