Post by pdlglm on Oct 31, 2024 14:53:10 GMT -5
Gardner Webb Big South (0-0)
The Vols finished up an exhibition season that saw a relatively easy win against Davidson in a secret scrimmage and disappointing loss against a ranked Indiana squad where the offense looked exactly like the offense from all of our nightmares. Now we get to lift the lid on Deacon Barnes 10th season at the helm of the Vol hoops program against Big South member Gardner Webb. The Running Bulldogs are a small school in Boiling Springs North Carolina with not a lot of men’s basketball success. They have one NCAA tourney appearance which I suspect very few people remember. But they do have one improbable win which I am unlikely to ever forget.
Last year Gardner Webb was 3rd in conf and then saw their coach of the past 11 years take off for the head coaching gig at Western Carolina (which I am not exactly sure is a step up, but whatever). The new guy is a long time assistant, Jeremy Luther. His only head coaching experience is a couple of division II stops, so there really isn’t much in the way of a philosophy footprint out there. Luther is a long time friend of ex-head coach Tim Craft and was a big recruiter on Craft’s staff who apparently has a lot of local family connections.
His first team is picked to finish 6th in the big south preseason poll and 6th in blue ribbon preseason preview. They come in at #272 in the KP, while Torvik is a little friendlier slotting them at #235. Last season 30.6% of their shots were in transition which was 10th nationally. They got 41.6% of their shots at rim – which was just inside the top 100. They were middle of the pack-ish in the % of shots taken in the mid range.
Does any of that mean anything for this year? Your guess is as good as mine. In addition to bringing in a new coach who is a relative unknown, Gardner Webb lost their top 5 scorers from last year and 3 of the top 4 rebounders. No player on roster averaged even 6pts a game last yr, at least not in division 1.
Anthony Seldon (6-6 220, sr) did have double digits points a couple of years ago (11.5 pts) before transferring to Rice. Shot 37.5% from three in 2022. That year 40% of his shots were at the rim but he converted at only just over 50%. In the 2022 season he took 42% of his shots from 3. That figure dropped to 24% against better competition at Rice last year and his 3pt% dropped to under 25%.
Ademine Badmus (6-7, 257lb sr) has been a low usage guy for all 3 seasons at GW, he doesn’t shoot threes, gets about 70% of his looks from the rim – finishes at under 60%. He is nothing more than an OR% play. 88th in the country last yr at 12.1%.
Jamaine Mann (6-6, 230lb sr) started at GW, went to Vandy for a year and then Georgia State for two. The best of those was a 10.3pt and 5 board season his first yr at Ga State. On 8.4 shots. Hasn’t been over 49% eFG% since his freshman year at GW.
None of those three have a player rating over 0.5 on Torvik (To give you some idea, Cade Phillips is an 0.8).
The Runnin’ Bulldogs best player according to Torvik’s site is Isaiah Richards (6-10 225lbs, Sr) who spent three years at Louisiana getting minor minutes only to transfer to GW last year to average 15 minutes a game. He was efficient in very low usage, shot 64% from the field while getting 77% of his looks at the rim. Did go 4-11 from three. Good rebounding numbers as you would expect, decent FT shooting: 71% FT on 66 attempts. But, I would take the Torvik player rating with a grain of salt, according to his site the Vols two best players are Chaz Lanier (4.4) - which, I mean, I don't think so but whatever, and Darlingstone Dubar (4.2) - who I will be surprised if he plays over ten minutes in this game.
They have a JUCO transfer, Pharrell Boyogueno (6-6, 215lb Jr) that scored 14 a game and shot 49.5% from three and 65% inside the arc…. But it was JUCO. I mean, he was All Region.
Shahar Lazar (6-2, 215lb Soph) is a three point gunner who shot less than 30% from outside as a freshman.
Have a 6-4, 231lb Freshman guard from Sunrise Christian.
How in the world there are three rosters worse than this in the Big South, I can’t imagine. There is not one player on this team that should scare Tennessee, rather it is a collection of guys who have been low usage role players, guys who are really stepping up in competition, and second or third options on low major teams. Their players are so obscure that I basically couldn't find decent video on any of them. KP says this is a 25pt game while Torvik only favors UT by 24, but I can’t imagine that this game will be that close. If this game is at all in question at any point in the second half, then it will pretty clearly be a failure on the part of Tennessee. The Vols should get to play 10 guys and let the walk ons have a little run during the last two minutes.
Still, so glad to have basketball back.
GBO
The Vols finished up an exhibition season that saw a relatively easy win against Davidson in a secret scrimmage and disappointing loss against a ranked Indiana squad where the offense looked exactly like the offense from all of our nightmares. Now we get to lift the lid on Deacon Barnes 10th season at the helm of the Vol hoops program against Big South member Gardner Webb. The Running Bulldogs are a small school in Boiling Springs North Carolina with not a lot of men’s basketball success. They have one NCAA tourney appearance which I suspect very few people remember. But they do have one improbable win which I am unlikely to ever forget.
Last year Gardner Webb was 3rd in conf and then saw their coach of the past 11 years take off for the head coaching gig at Western Carolina (which I am not exactly sure is a step up, but whatever). The new guy is a long time assistant, Jeremy Luther. His only head coaching experience is a couple of division II stops, so there really isn’t much in the way of a philosophy footprint out there. Luther is a long time friend of ex-head coach Tim Craft and was a big recruiter on Craft’s staff who apparently has a lot of local family connections.
His first team is picked to finish 6th in the big south preseason poll and 6th in blue ribbon preseason preview. They come in at #272 in the KP, while Torvik is a little friendlier slotting them at #235. Last season 30.6% of their shots were in transition which was 10th nationally. They got 41.6% of their shots at rim – which was just inside the top 100. They were middle of the pack-ish in the % of shots taken in the mid range.
Does any of that mean anything for this year? Your guess is as good as mine. In addition to bringing in a new coach who is a relative unknown, Gardner Webb lost their top 5 scorers from last year and 3 of the top 4 rebounders. No player on roster averaged even 6pts a game last yr, at least not in division 1.
Anthony Seldon (6-6 220, sr) did have double digits points a couple of years ago (11.5 pts) before transferring to Rice. Shot 37.5% from three in 2022. That year 40% of his shots were at the rim but he converted at only just over 50%. In the 2022 season he took 42% of his shots from 3. That figure dropped to 24% against better competition at Rice last year and his 3pt% dropped to under 25%.
Ademine Badmus (6-7, 257lb sr) has been a low usage guy for all 3 seasons at GW, he doesn’t shoot threes, gets about 70% of his looks from the rim – finishes at under 60%. He is nothing more than an OR% play. 88th in the country last yr at 12.1%.
Jamaine Mann (6-6, 230lb sr) started at GW, went to Vandy for a year and then Georgia State for two. The best of those was a 10.3pt and 5 board season his first yr at Ga State. On 8.4 shots. Hasn’t been over 49% eFG% since his freshman year at GW.
None of those three have a player rating over 0.5 on Torvik (To give you some idea, Cade Phillips is an 0.8).
The Runnin’ Bulldogs best player according to Torvik’s site is Isaiah Richards (6-10 225lbs, Sr) who spent three years at Louisiana getting minor minutes only to transfer to GW last year to average 15 minutes a game. He was efficient in very low usage, shot 64% from the field while getting 77% of his looks at the rim. Did go 4-11 from three. Good rebounding numbers as you would expect, decent FT shooting: 71% FT on 66 attempts. But, I would take the Torvik player rating with a grain of salt, according to his site the Vols two best players are Chaz Lanier (4.4) - which, I mean, I don't think so but whatever, and Darlingstone Dubar (4.2) - who I will be surprised if he plays over ten minutes in this game.
They have a JUCO transfer, Pharrell Boyogueno (6-6, 215lb Jr) that scored 14 a game and shot 49.5% from three and 65% inside the arc…. But it was JUCO. I mean, he was All Region.
Shahar Lazar (6-2, 215lb Soph) is a three point gunner who shot less than 30% from outside as a freshman.
Have a 6-4, 231lb Freshman guard from Sunrise Christian.
How in the world there are three rosters worse than this in the Big South, I can’t imagine. There is not one player on this team that should scare Tennessee, rather it is a collection of guys who have been low usage role players, guys who are really stepping up in competition, and second or third options on low major teams. Their players are so obscure that I basically couldn't find decent video on any of them. KP says this is a 25pt game while Torvik only favors UT by 24, but I can’t imagine that this game will be that close. If this game is at all in question at any point in the second half, then it will pretty clearly be a failure on the part of Tennessee. The Vols should get to play 10 guys and let the walk ons have a little run during the last two minutes.
Still, so glad to have basketball back.
GBO
