Game 4: vs. Southeastern Louisiana

Tip-off: Saturday, 5pm @ Leavey
TV: ESPN+
Line: Torvik- Broncos -13, 87% win probability; ESPN- 87% win probability, no line.

Southeast LA:
The Lions are 1-2, 0-2 in D1 games. Coming off a blowout loss to BYU, 105-48. As buckets noted in the his thread, Southeast LA simply isn’t good.
Their top players are:

  • 6-5 wing Roger McFarlane (17.3pts, 7.7 rebs, 45% from 3)
  • 6-11 post Brody Rowbury (10.7pts, 6rebs)
    Aside from Rowbury, they don’t have much size and have a couple of sub 6’ guards in their rotation.
    As you might expect they have struggled rebounding giving up a 41% offensive rebound %.

The Broncos need to pound the glass and take advantage of their significant size advantage; not just our posts, our tall and athletic wings should have an advantage as well.

The offense was firing on all cylinders vs. Stanford with strong and balanced scoring from Marshall, O’Neil and Bal plus solid contributions from Bryan, Tilly and Caffarro. I’m hoping to see that continue.

Similar to the St. Francis game it would be great to have another blowout so we can go deep in to the bench early and give some solid PT to Tongue, Ensminger, Knapper and Kosy.

Prediction: Broncos continue to roll, 88-69.

3 Likes

THIS

Seriously, I would be a bit disappointed if we only win by 19. The key against this SLU team is perimeter defense - there were a couple of times late in the game when BYU let their guard down (up by 50 pts of course) and the SLU shooters started sinking some beautiful 3pt shots. Thankfully, we have a deep team, so I don’t think that the 4 guys 92 mentioned will play soft, they’ll all be eager to show coach that they belong in the starting 5.

SCU 91 - 62 SLU

2 Likes

Just starting this thread, please feel free to move it over once our “official” game thread gets posted.

I’m watching BYU play SLU and wow, I’ll be very surprised if we have any trouble with SE Louisiana on Sat. BYU is up 84-39 with 9 minutes remaining in the game.

My only gripe is that it is a 5pm start!!! WHY, for the love of God, are these mid- to late-afternoon games scheduled? I think our 4-decade record in Sat games before 6pm is 3-138 or something ridiculous like that.

I expect or at least hope we’ll be up 25 to 30 by mid 2nd half.

My 19 point margin was acknowledgement that things may get choppy at the end if/when Oboye, McEldon, etc. are on the floor.

2 Likes

I’d love to see the subs come in and get a chance to prove themselves for extended minutes. Oboye is really raw. I’m intrigued by McEldon’s size. For a team with two 7-footers, somehow McEldon seems like the biggest player on the team. He’s broad and strong looking. But it usually takes big guys a little while to catch up to college speed and coordination. Herb clearly likes and trusts Hammond, as he has been the first frosh off the bench through the first three games. He seems confident and skilled, though hasn’t popped yet.

Give me 84-60 Santa Clara. Tilly’s hooks finally drop for 14 pts and 10 boards. Cam gets a double-double of his own, and Hammond hits 4/5 from three.

4 Likes

Fair enough…but I am seriously tempted to place this game on a pleaser betting card (giving up an extra 6 pts for better payout odds) because I think we’ll crush them. My only reticence is that it is a late afternoon game…as I mentioned, we historically seem to underperform in these games. Maybe Coach Sendak can be sure to get the boys awake earlier to reset their biological clocks!

KenPom has SLU at #238 - not good, but then again, over a hundred spots higher than our next opponent, Mississippi Valley (who he has as the dead last D1 team, #362) or our previous opponent Saint Francis (#359). So KenPom sees these guys as closer to Utah Tech than those two.

Just win. BYU did beat them 105-48, so it’s tempting to predict a massive blowout… Ideally we only lose a game or two at home this year.

Go Broncos.

3 Likes

Great setup as usual, ‘92. I enjoy any description of SCU hoops that includes the words “tall and athletic.” Nice to have them in our lexicon.

6 Likes

Current line on ESPN: Broncos -15.5.

I got my bet in at -16

Playing man D is literally the only way that SE Lousiana keeps this one close. Herb playing right into their strength. SCU is 20+ points better than this club. Someone with a brain should clue Herb in at half time. Zone D and this game is over quick. Simple as that.

2 Likes

Broncos need to wake up or they will be in for a surprise. Marshall in foul trouble so some pother guys need to pick it up.

1 Like

First game I have watched this year and have to say not impressed at all. Where was Marshall in the first half. We have all these bigs but yet we just shoot 3s and miss almost every shot. Bal for all his hoopla very disappointing. This team couldn’t even beat the 2022 Broncos! Lets hope they figure things out in the 2nd half or this is no more then a .500 team.

19-2 run by SE Louisiana over the course of 7 minutes is unacceptable.

Not the kind of team SCU should be losing to if we’re serious about making any kind of noise.

1 Like

Yah, a long ugly stretch mid/late half.
Settling for way too many 3’s (and not making them).
When shots aren’t falling you need to attack the basket, get some post touches, try to get to the FT line…just 1 FT the whole half and didn’t get that until very late with Tilly’s And1 attempt.

We did post Carlos up once and successfully. I like him getting a couple of touches down there each game. He had a couple successful post ups in earlier games as well. He’s strong and athletic and has an advantage on the block against most of the guys who are matched up with them.

Well, more or less what I ordered up to begin the 2nd half.
First 10pts for the Broncos were all in the paint or at the rim. A couple of post touches for Tilly. No 3 pointers.
Broncos now tied…keep it up.

All SE Lousiana is doing on offense is spreading the floor, making SCU bigs come defend 20 ft from the hoop (isolation) and then blowing by them.
Bal playing point again… not what the doctor ordered.

2 Likes

Much better 2nd half this far. Almost as if Sendak said anyone who jacks up a 3 is benched. Get the ball inside!

1 Like

Too many silly TO’s especially in fast break situations. At least 3 so far.

It shows why having a traditional point guard on the court is still of value even with everyone wanting to play positionless basketball. All the TO’s were wings leading the break or bigs fumbling the ball.

3 Likes

Despite Sendek’s efforts to minimize SCU’s advantages and simultentously accentuate the best parts of SE Lousiana’s game, the Broncos get the W.

WORST coached game since KK era. Absolutely horrendous.

3 Likes