Tip-off: Thursday, 7pm @ the Jenny Craig Pavilion TV: ESPN+ Line: Torvik: Broncos -13, 88% win probability; ESPN: 89% win probability, no line yet.
San Diego:
The Toreros are 4-10 (3-10 vs. D1) and are coming off a win vs. a bad Pacific squad in their WCC opening game on Monday. They have no quality wins and are 3-6 in Quad IV games.
Speaking to USD’s struggles this season, 11 different players have started a game.
Instead of starters, here are their primary contributors with typical starters noted.
6-1 guard Kjay Bradley (15.9 pts, 3.9 assists, 1.9 steals, 29% from 3) didn’t start vs. Pacific but played a ton and leads team in minutes played.
6-10 center Steven Jamerson (8.9pts, 7.1rebs, 0.8 blocks) - starter
6-10 forward Santiago Trouet (9.3pts, 8.7 rebs, 23% from 3) - starting of late
6-8 forward Benji Pierre ( 6.8 pts, 3.6 rebs, 27% from 3) - starting of late
6-2 guard Deven Dahlke (5.3 pts, 33% from 3) started vs. Pacific
6-5 guard Tony Duckett (5.8pts, 31% from 3) started vs. Pacific
The Toreros are terrible on offense, shooting 27% from 3 and with a an effective FG % of 45.6% (328th on Torvik). They’re a little better on D, middle of the pack in most measures.
This is a critical bounce back game for the Broncos, they need to flush the difficult loss in a rivalry game and come out ready to play.
The Broncos have far superior talent, they could have a mediocre performance with mediocre effort and still win this game.
Between their bad team and school being out of session, the Slim Gym may be a ghost town. But no excuses…the Broncos need to bring their own energy and I desperately want to see some sort of improvement in effort, toughness and commitment to playing good D.
This is a game where the Broncos could be up by 30 early in the 2nd half if they impose their will on the Toreros…or it could be much closer than it should be if the Broncos sleep walk through the game. Hoping for the former.
The offense continues to be on an absolute tear, with everyone contributing now–top 35 in the country on Torvik.
The defense…well…there’s a lot left on the table there. No better time to try something new than against a moribund USD squad.
I think it’s a revenge and get right game rather than a hangover. 95-67 Santa Clara. Bal, who loves to dominate a bad team, gets 24 points. O’Neil continues to climb back to the mean with 4-7 from the arc (now at a respectable 33% from three).
Maybe I missed it but all I’ve heard from announcers is: ‘Broncos are playing short handed tonight’, but he didn’t elaborate. Tilly appears to be in sweats on the bench.
This is laughable. Three 3 point shots by our 20% shooters and a defense that continues to foul on USD 3 point attempts.
We’ll shoot 20 threes in the first half when we can pound the middle.
Clueless…
I don’t understand. WHY are the coaches not riding the guards to look inside? Get the wings to back-door? We could eat them inside for sure!!! Cams already pulled three fouls against San Diego on the inside. So they’re foul prone inside obviously. We should take advantage of that.
Just to show how some players are thinking, Johnny O’Neil just said on the Passarelli halftime radio he was going to put his name in for the NBA draft after last season!!! The only draft for him would be Military… Him, Bal, Carlos, etc are playing for something other than SCU.
Very sad and the glaring lack of reality.
O’Neil also said they believe they can win the WCC league title….Wow. Seriously……
I’m starting to think that Sendek is trying to get fired. He’s got a guaranteed contract, so he’s getting paid no matter what…as long as he doesn’t quit.
So why not let the boys play undisciplined street ball?
Mark Few would never let this sh*t happen. I saw him once chew out one of his bench players for a mistake when they were up over 30 points with just a few minutes left in the game.
I normally would be peeved but not mad for the lack of energy against a team like USD (if this team had actually won its big games) but when this has been the consistently maddening characteristic its absolutely infuriating.