Line: Torvik has it Broncos -13 and 88% win probability; ESPN matchup predictor has it 86%.
Hawaii: 3-2 on the year, 2-2 vs. D1 teams. Wins over Pacific and Ill-Chicago, losses to Northern Colorado and South Alabama. Statistically, 6-9 forward Bernardo da Silva is their best player at 15pts, 8 rebs but that was garnered in the 1st 3 games and he hasn’t played in the past two, not sure his status. Next up is 6-6 guard Junior Madut at 13pts, 4 rebs. So far, Hawaii has been poor defensively ranking #281 in adjusted defensive efficiency on Torvik.
This is an opportunity for the Broncos to get healthy against a not very good team that is subpar defensively after losing to two very solid defensive teams. And the rebounding absolutely needs to improve…hope to see progress in that regard.
Prediction: Broncos get back on the winning track, 82-71
That said, how many of those games were against Non D1 opponents or sub 200 D1 teams? Likely more a measure of Sendeks super weak out of conference scheduling (this year is by far his toughest, and that’s not saying a whole lot)… otherwise we’d have a great home record in the WCC as well, right?
Oh, certainly. And there’s the weird caveat that last year we played “home” ooc games in Santa Cruz.
That said, Kerry Keating even in the “good” years where we won the CBI and CIT lost clunkers at home to Delaware and and 11 win UCSB team. Even in the last year of his tenure, we lost to Milwaukee and Lipscomb at home… we got absolutely smoked by Denver at home too.
Herb has no doubt lost some home OOC clunkers… UC Davis, Tennessee State, Prairie View, and now UC Irvine thrice, but at least as time as gone on, it’s gotten better. And there’s some good home wins, USC, Nevada, Stanford, etc.
Losing stupid home games is a tradition though… anyone remember them losing to Yale and Central Connecticut after upsetting UNC?
I concur Nashty, KK was a complete clown of a coach. The one thing I will say is that he brought in a decent amount of talent (and then proceeded to royaly screw that up).
Yes, I think things are better, but the real question is how much better are they?
I certainly expected more from Sendek’s first 5 seasons. Beating the bottom 100 D1 teams doesn’t count for much in my estimation. Herb was given a bonus year after the crazy covid season. If the results aren’t there this year it would be hard to justify continuing on with him.
Tonight: Gotta get a win against a less than mediocre Hawaii team. SCU 78-67
I think the previous post quantified how much better.
Better enough to have a very much improved home non-conference record. Better enough to be competitive or better with the half team that is currently available.
To everyone else – did I not nail this guy’s game or what? Still ranked in the top 75 and he already has the knives out. He simply is irrational and overemotional in his constant negative characterizations of the program.
Unlike the Fresno State game, this Hawaii defense looks very exploitable. Really disappointed to see our boys take a few lean back mid-range jumpers when there are paths straight to the hole on literally every single possession.
The offense works much better with Tomley on the floor. He made some key mistakes, but the flow was something at least loosely resembling the Broncos of a few games ago.
We need DevCon Construction to get Jalen Williams a serious NIL deal. I’m afraid that dude might be in the portal & at a power five school next year. He’s legit.’
This is not a knock on the program or Williams (I don’t know the kid at all), just how College Hoops is these days…