Finding ways to win

[randy]

Nov 28, 2000: UC Irvine (1-3) @ Alabama St (4-0)

Pregame Notes

• UCIRV's PG Brian Jackson averaging 11.5 3PApg, but only converting 26%

Tip off

We have taken advantage of UCIRV's weak interior defense, and has scored most of our pts inside the paint.
13:56, Up 16-4

PG Johnny Victor having a good game, 8 pts, 5 asts. We could have had longer scoring runs, if not for our 6 turn overs.
7:21, Up 28-14

SG Haven Wilkerson has been quiet with only 3 pts, until the last 2 minutes where he scored 6 straight pts to blow this game wide open.


Halftime, Up 43-22
We're shooting better from the field (70% FG!) as compared to the FT line (10-19 FT, 53%). UCI is 0-9 3PT.


Start of 2nd half

Both teams just trading baskets. Not yet a safe lead, but I'll try to give bench players some more playing time today.
13:08, Up 54-35

Our bench just doing enough holding off UCIRV. Except for our backup guards who are horrible in throwing the ball away.
7:53, Up 57-43

I decided to use my bench the remainder of the game, even if our lead was reduced to 8 with just over a minute left. We sank 6 consecutive FTs to seal the game.


Final Score: UC Irvine - 56, Alabama St - 70
UCIRV finished the game shooting 3-22 3PT (14%). My bench players need to develop more confidence as the season progresses. Tougher schedule ahead; 4 of our remaining 6 non-conference games are on the road.


Box Scores
[INDENT]Wilkerson 14, 1, 1
Victor 13, 2, 6 (*)
Popp 9, 3, 0
Davis 8, 7, 1
Andrews 7, 3, 3
DeLord 5, 2, 0, 4 tos
Perkins 4, 1, 1
Walls 3, 3, 0
Reuter 3, 1, 1
Scott 2, 2, 1, 5 tos
Hawkins 2, 1, 0
Hillier 0, 1, 0
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 49-36%
REB: -2
TO: Even (17 each)
Pts in paint: +14
2nd chance: +2
Fast break: +6
[/INDENT]

[randy]

Dec 1, 2000: Alabama St (5-0) @ Montana St (4-2)

Pregame Notes

• Montana St won 4 of their 5 home games. Their front court players account for almost 50 ppg.

Tip off

Our 2-3 zone defense forcing MONTST to shoot from the outside; they hit 2 3s so far, but their overall FG shooting is only 33%. We'll continue with the zone. SG Haven Wilkerson has 8 pts.
13:13, Up 14-10

Our zone defense is still effective, but our bench still can't get anything going on offense.
7:00, Up 18-16

We relinquished the lead several times because of our silly turn overs. SF Steffon DeLord able to hit some shots to get us back ahead.


Halftime, Up 36-34
SG Haven Wilkerson and SF Steffon DeLord with 10 pts each. MONTST starting to hit perimeter shots towards the end of the half; we'll use some m2m defense in the 2nd half


Start of 2nd half

SG Haven Wilkerson and SF Steffon DeLord each getting a 3pt basket, but MONTST keeps coming back.
13:30, Up 44-41

Im disappointed with the our bench again; not only we have given up our lead, but also got us into penalty.
9:45, Down 47-49

Turn overs and poor shooting on our part equated to just 3 pts in almost 7 minutes. My entire starting unit is on the floor now, and they will have to extend their minutes for this game.
7:01, Down 47-53

Our penalty situation allowed MONTST to keep their scoreboard running. SG Haven Wilkerson trying his best to get us back in the game.
2:54, Down 56-61

MONST: They try to use some of the clock. They miss a long jumper. We get the rebound

ALST: SG Haven Wilkerson gets the pass. Wilkerson drives strong to the basket. Wilkerson scores.
2:11, Down 58-61

MONST: Wilkerson called for foul #4. MONST able to hit both FTs. I called a timeout
2:01, Down 58-63

ALST: PF David Andrews gets the pass on the low post. Turn over by Andrews on the kick out pass

MONST: They break our press for an easy score. Timeout. Not looking good now.
1:21, Down 58-65

ALST: We isolate SG Haven Wilkerson. Wilkerson drives and scores again.
1:11, Down 60-65

MONST: They try to post up against Wilkerson, hoping to get his 5th foul. They miss. Wilkerson pulling down his 7th rebound of the game. Timeout.
0:45, Down 60-65

ALST: Same play. But Wilkerson elected to pull up a quick jumper. Missed, but got fouled. Wilkerson splits his charities. Still a 2 possession game.
0:41, Down 61-65

MONST: They are not calling a timeout. We dont need to foul. We get a steal. We raced to the front court, and called my last timeout.
0:25, Down 61-65

We'll go for a 3, and then a quick foul.

ALST: Wilkerson puts up a 3. He was well guarded. Missed. MONTST got the rebound. We foul, and they hit both FTs. Game over.


Final Score: Alabama St - 61, Montana St - 70
Gallant effort in trying to come back, but we ran out of gas in the end. We can't reply on 1 or 2 players to carry our scoring most of the time.


Box Scores
[INDENT]Wilkerson 24, 7, 1
DeLord 13, 6, 2
Davis 8, 5, 0, 2 stls
Andrews 6, 1, 0
Popp 4, 3, 0
Scott 2, 2, 1, 3 tos
Walls 2, 2, 0
Perkins 2, 0, 0
Victor 0, 3, 10, 3 tos, fouled out
Reuter 0, 0, 1
Hawkins 0, 0, 0
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 40-44%
REB: Even
TO: +1
Pts in paint: +6
2nd chance: -1
Fast break: -9
[/INDENT]

[randy]

Dec 5, 2000: Alabama St (5-1) @ Central Florida(2-3)

Pregame Notes

• UCF plays a fast pace offense, and their guards shoots lots of 3s

Tip off

We got into early foul trouble; C Reginald Davis with 3, and has to sit the rest of the half.
13:34, Tied at 12

UCF perpetually driving to the lane, and we get called for a foul almost each time. We're switching to a 2-3 zone.
7:43, Down 21-28

On the other hand, our guards are getting clobbered every time they drive to the basket, and no fouls called. We're letting UCF shoot from the outside, and fortunately for us, they are not making them.


Halftime, Down 30-33
As bad as we have shot the ball (27% FG), we managed to keep it close because of our defense (UCF: 9 turn overs). UCF is 1-8 3PT; we'll continue our zone defense as we can't allow them to score easily in the paint as they did early in the game (UCF: 14 pts in the paint)


Start of 2nd half

Both teams have converted only 1 FG each in more than 6 minutes in the 2nd half. SG Haven Wilkerson having a tough shooting day (18 pts, 5-22 FG), but he has provided all our pts in the half so far.
13:27, Down 36-38

We got into penalty once again, and we went down by 8 earlier. SG Haven Wilkerson (22 pts) has been carrying our offensive load.
6:56, Down 44-50

Wilkerson scored another FG. PG Johnny Victor has fouled out. Normally, I would put in backup PG Thomas Scott as his replacement, but Scott is a turn over machine (4 already in this game). I called in seldom-used FR PG Travis Reuter. On 2 defensive sequences, we got a steal, and Reuter was the recipient of easy transition baskets on both occasions. Just like that, we have tied the game.
4:49, Tied at 50

But our efforts were negated, as SG Haven Wilkerson can't get his shot to fall on at least 4 attempts. UCF went on a 10-0 run.
2:04, Down 50-60

We started shooting 3s, but can't get anything to fall. Tough day on the road.


Final Score: Alabama St - 50, Central Florida - 62
We had adequate defense; just not enough offense today. You can't get many wins shooting 26% FG.


Box Scores
[INDENT]Wilkerson 24, 10, 2, 2 stls, 3 tos, 8-32 FG
DeLord 5, 5, 0
Popp 4, 4, 0
Victor 4, 2, 3, fouled out
Perkins 4, 1, 0
Reuter 4, 0, 0
Scott 3, 1, 2, 4 tos
Davis 2, 2, 0
Walls 0, 4, 3
Andrews 0, 9, 0, 0-11 FG
Hawkins 0, 0, 0
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 26-41%
REB: -4
TO: -2
Pts in paint: -4
2nd chance: -3
Fast break: -1
[/INDENT]

[randy]

Dec 8, 2000: Illinois-Chicago (6-1) @ Alabama St (5-2)

Pregame Notes

• UIC is 4-1 on the road; in 3 of those road wins, they limited their opponents to less than 60 pts.

Tip off

SG Haven Wilkerson stroking it today, 11 pts, 5-7 FG. My concern though, has been our rebounding, as we have given up 4 off rebounds early in the game. Also, we have 6 team fouls.
13:05, Up 17-9

UIC able to capitalize on our early penalty situation. PF Johnny Victor again in foul trouble, forcing me to used inexperienced guards at the 1 spot - which turns into a disaster more often than not.
5:52, Down 26-32

We went almost exclusively to SG Haven Wilkerson (25 pts, 4-4 3PT), just to keep us within the game.


Halftime, Down 37-41
Our starting big men have not only gone scoreless, but has allowed UIC to grab 8 offensive rebounds. We'll increase def rebounding intensity in the 2nd half, and switch to 2-3 zone defense.


Start of 2nd half


Despite our zone defense, we're still giving up off rebounds and pts in the paint. I am appalled by the efforts of our big men today.
13:39, Down 45-54

UIC started making shots form the outside, so we went back to m2m defense. However, the story of the game has been the rebounding advantage by UIC, which is now at 38-21.
7:30, Down 55-70

The beat down continues. UIC able to adjust whenever we changed our defensive strategies; when we went m2m, they started driving more to the basket. Our deficit grew to as high as 21; we just made it more respectable towards the end.


Final Score: Illinois-Chicago - 80, Alabama St - 70
Clearly, our worst defensive performance so far in the season. We can't afford to drop home games by the time conference play starts.


Box Scores
[INDENT]Wilkerson 34, 6, 2, 3 stls
DeLord 11, 11, 4, 2 stls
Reuter 10, 1, 3
Davis 6, 5, 1, 4 tos
Hillier 5, 0, 0
Victor 3, 1, 3, fouled out
Popp 1, 0, 0
Andrews 0, 3, 0
Walls 0, 0, 1
Scott 0, 0, 0
Perkins 0, 0, 0
Hawkins 0, 0, 0
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 47-47%
REB: -16
TO: +1
Pts in paint: -12
2nd chance: -8
Fast break: +4
[/INDENT]

[randy]

Dec 12, 2000: Northern Iowa (5-3) @ Alabama St (5-3)

Pregame Notes

• NIA is on a 5-game winning streak, including wins over 2 ranked teams. They are a defensive-oriented team, and likes to pound the ball inside on offense.

Tip off

PF David Andrews suffered an injury. NIA shooting well from the outside to counter our 2-3 zone; switching to m2m defense.
13:39, Down 11-14

We're doing a better job on defense and rebounding. SF Terrance Walls scored 6 pts of the bench.
7:43, Up 24-19

NIA able to claw their way back taking advantage of our penalty situation, and scoring has picked up since then.


Halftime, Up 40-37
Our backup big men (SF Terrance Walls, C Seneca Popp, and C Will Perkins) combined for 16 pts in the half.


Start of 2nd half


Both teams trading runs at the start of the half.
13:54, Up 49-46

I keep pleading to the refs about the fouls being called against us; SG Haven Wilkerson called for his 4th, and has to sit in the bench. C Seneca Popp having his best offensive game of the season so far, 9 pts. NIA starting to power their way on the offensive glass.
6:56, Up 60-56

I brought back SG Haven Wilverson with over 4 mins left, and he scored 5 straight pts to give us some room.
2:58, Up 68-60

We came up with 2 defensive stops, and Wilkerson scored 2 more baskets; Wilkerson with 9 straight pts!
1:35, Up 72-60

We slowed down the game, and hit our FTs to seal the game.


Final Score: Northern Iowa - 66, Alabama St - 76
Scoring balance was excellent the entire game, until SG Haven Wilkerson took over in the end.


Box Scores
[INDENT]Wilkerson 23, 3, 3, 4 tos (*)
Popp 9, 4, 1, 2 stls, 2 blks
Victor 9, 3, 5, 2 stls
Davis 9, 3, 0
Walls 8, 4, 1
DeLord 6, 7, 2
Perkins 6, 3, 1
Scott 4, 1, 2
Andrews 2, 1, 0
Reuter 0, 0, 1
Hawkins 0, 0, 0
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 49-43%
REB: -1
TO: -6 (NIA: 19)
Pts in paint: +2
2nd chance: -10
Fast break: -6
[/INDENT]

[randy]

Dec 15, 2000: Alabama St (6-3) @ Southern Utah (5-3

Pregame Notes

• SUT is undefeated at home; in 3 of those wins, they topped the 80 pt mark. They like to shoot a lot of FTs, and consistently making them (81% FT)
• PF David Andrews suffered a concussion the last game. He wont play today for precautionary measures.

Tip off

We always have problems against teams that likes to push the tempo, and today is no different. SUU shoots very quickly on their possessions.
13:43, Down 13-15

We were in the game early when our shots were falling. But we can't win a shootout with SUT, and they started to create some separation now.
6:50, Down 19-28

Backup PG Thomas Scott scored 10 pts, somehow preventing us from being blown away in the 1st half.


Halftime, Down 33-44
We need a deep bench to compete against the likes of SUT; sadly, we don't have that luxury today. We'll give it our all on defense in the 2nd half, and substitute players more frequently.


Start of 2nd half


We're showing a little more urgency on defense, but SUT just keep making tough shots. SF Steffon DeLord has already scored 9 pts in the 2nd half to keep us within striking distance.
13:41, Down 46-54

Our 2nd unit has done a great job defensively, and even came up with a 10-2 run to tie the game! I just need to continue putting in fresh legs on the floor
9:51, Tied at 56

Wow! Our run continues (27-5), scoring each time on our last 8 possessions. SUT starting to miss their shots
5:35, Up 73-59

We got a little bit careless on our last few possessions. Told the players not to get over excited, as this game is far from over
3:52, Up 76-64

We go a transition layup on a turn over by SUT; plus 2 crucial baskets from SG Haven Wilkerson.
1:09, Up 82-69

We slowed down the game, and hold on for this excellent win


Final Score: Alabama St - 84, Southern Utah - 69
What a fun game to coach, continuously rotating my players, regardless of whether you are a starter or a seldom-used player. This was a total team effort. We outscored SUT 51-25 in the 2nd half!


Box Scores
[INDENT]Wilkerson 16, 6, 4 (*)
Scott 14, 4, 2
DeLord 11, 4, 3, 3 stls
Popp 11, 4, 2
Davis 11, 3, 2
Walls 6, 3, 1
Perkins 6, 3, 0
Victor 5, 3, 7
Reuter 2, 1, 1
Hawkins 2, 1, 0
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 56-41%
REB: +3
TO: -3
Pts in paint: +14
2nd chance: +7
Fast break: +11 (22-11)
[/INDENT]

[randy]

Dec 19, 2000: Alabama St (7-3) @ Bradley (7-4)

Pregame Notes

• Bradley was a ranked team earlier in the season, and played in the finals of the Coaches Classic

Tip off

Calls are clearly against us, as BRAD already taken 11 FTs.
13:01, Down 11-19

I was hoping our bench could provide some spark, but it only made our defense worse. We have to increase significantly our defensive efforts before this game gets ugly
6:25, Down 22-34

Our perimeter players started hitting their shots, in particular SF Steffon DeLord who scored all of his 9 pts in the last 5 mins of the half. But BRAD's shooters are also on the zone today


Halftime, Down 39-46
A high-scoring game is not something that we can win. We have to play a tight m2m defense without fouling; BRAD already has 23 FTAs.


Start of 2nd half


We're slowly chipping away on their lead, thanks to our effort on the offensive glass. PF David Andrews has done a poor job on defense, allowing his man to get easy inside baskets the whole game; I'm taking him out and he's not coming back unless absolutely necessary.
13:15, Down 48-50

We have taken a 4-pt lead as SG Thomas Scott has played well again coming off the bench with 11 pts. But BRAD came up with 9 straight pts to shift momentum on their side. We are also in the penalty
7:13, Down 54-59

We couldn't sustain our defensive effort, as BRAD once again shooting the lights out. We still have time for one last push.
3:55, Down 61-70

Not this time. 3 turn overs on our next 4 possessions doused any hopes of a come back.


Final Score: Alabama St - 65, Bradley - 76
We won't be able to shoot our way if we want to beat good teams in mid-major conferences. We need to play good defense the entire 40 mins


Box Scores
[INDENT]Wilkerson 14, 3, 1, 4 tos
DeLord 13, 7, 3, 4 tos
Scott 11, 1, 2, 3 tos
Popp 7, 6, 3, 3 blks
Davis 6, 8, 2
Victor 5, 1, 1, 4 tos
Reuter 4, 1, 1
Perkins 3, 2, 0, fouled out
Andrews 2, 0, 2
Walls 0, 2, 1
Hawkins 0, 0, 0
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 43-43%
REB: +2
TO: +3
Pts in paint: -6
2nd chance: -8
Fast break: -7
[/INDENT]

[randy]

Preseason Predictions, Non-Conf W-L, RPI

1. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 7-4, 53
2. Alabama A&M, 5-6, 235
3. Alabama St, 7-4, 94
4. Texas Southern, 4-7, 208
5. Austin Peay, 4-7, 177
6. Prairie View, 4-7, 322
7. Jackson St, 3-8, 282
8. Alcorn St, 4-7, 311
9. Northwestern St, 7-4, 109
10. McNeese St, 6-5, 210
11. Grambling, 3-8, 273
12. Mississippi St, 8-3, 24

Mississippi St's performance so far was certainly a surprise, averaging 76.9 ppg (#5 national)

[randy]

Dec 29, 2000: Alabama St (7-4, 0-0) @ Alabama A&M (5-6, 0-0)

Pregame Notes

• Alabama A&M plays fast tempo, and a good rebounding team. However they turn the ball over a lot, ranking last in the SWAC

Tip off


ALAM getting most of their pts on their low post plays. We'll play more 2-3 zone
12:03, Down 14-15

Our defense settling down a bit with the use of the zone. After our last game, I gave PF David Andrews some serious regarding his inconsistent performance lately. So far today, Andrews has already scored 7 pts.
7:41, Tied at 19

We have done a good job controlling the tempo of the game. Even though ALAM hit a couple of 3pt shots, the zone defense was effective in limiting their inside plays.


Halftime, Up 34-31
We're winning the battle of the boards (19-10) which explains why ALAM has not been able to run in transition (ALAM: 2 fast break pts)


Start of 2nd half


ALAM has only converted 3 FGs (2 from downtown) in the 2nd half, as their bigs can't find room to operate inside. SG Haven Wilkerson and C Reginald Davis have scored all of our pts in the 2nd half, as we continue to increase our lead.
13:15, Up 49-39

Scoring has been few and far in between, but we don't mind that at all. ALAM FG shooting has dropped to 36%.
6:36, Up 53-41

SG Michael Everhart scored 7 pts in his 1st game back from academic suspension, and that helped our 2nd unit hold off ALAM at bay. We led by as many as 17. ALAM cut it down to 7, but with less than half-minute left, it was a bit too late for them.


Final Score: Alabama St - 69, Alabama A&M - 62
We executed our defensive game plan and battled hard on the boards, which allowed us to control the pace of the game. Huge game by C Reginald Davis. A sweet win on the road, against one of the better teams in the conference.


Box Scores
[INDENT]Davis 18, 9, 0, 9-11 FG (*)
Wilkerson 13, 8, 1
Victor 10, 5, 4, 4 tos
Andrews 10, 5, 0
Everhart 7, 2, 1
DeLord 5, 3, 1
Scott 3, 3, 1
Walls 2, 7, 1, 3 tos
Popp 1, 4, 0, 3 tos
Perkins 0, 0, 0
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 44-42%
REB: +25 (46-21 total, 17-4 offensive)
TO: +5
Pts in paint: +4
2nd chance: +7
Fast break: -2
[/INDENT]


SWAC Standings

1. Grambling, 1-0 (W1)
2. Alabama St, 1-0 (W1)
3. McNeese St, 1-0 (W1)
4. Jackson St, 1-0 (W1)
5. Nortwestern St, 1-0 (W1)
6. Austin Peay, 1-0 (W1)
7. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 0-1 (L1)
8. Alabama A&M, 0-1 (L1)
9. Mississippi Valley St, 0-1 (L1)
10. Alcorn St, 0-1 (L1)
11. Texas Southern, 0-1 (L1)
12. Prairie View, 0-1 (L1)

[randy]

Jan 2, 2001: Alcorn St (4-8, 0-1) @ Alabama St (8-4, 1-0)

Pregame Notes

• Alcorn St is 0-6 on the road. They rank last in the conference in offensive statistical categories such as pts (also last in the nation), FG%, and 3PT%

Tip off


ALCST wisely trying to shorten up the game by taking a lot of time on their shot clock. Good thing we're shooting 67% FG, including 3-3 3PT.
12:46, Up 19-7

C Reginald Davis has been a dominant force inside, already with 10 pts. I have the luxury of giving more playing time to our bench.
7:11, Up 32-15

Even after their poor start, ALCST has actually shot the ball relatively well today, 52% FG, 5-8 3PT. It's unfortunate for them that our offense was on a completely different level in the 1st half


Halftime, Up 49-32
We're still shooting 67% FG, 5-6 3PT, only 3 turn overs, and as a bonus, a perfect 12-12 FT. Aside from possibly getting a bit relaxed on defense, nothing to complain about in this game.


Start of 2nd half


Challenge I gave to the team is to focus on defense, and they seem to be responding well
13:25, Up 57-38

We were relaxing once again, and ALCST able to cut down our lead to just 14. Definitely not over yet.
6:57, Up 65-51

4 consecutive turn overs by ALCST. A 9-0 run by us. I think we have a safe lead (23) now.


Final Score: Alcorn St - 67, Alabama St - 83
A decent game by ALCST; our lead established in the 1st half was just too much to overcome. I may be a bit concerned that a team that normally shoots less than 40% FG suddenly erupting for 54% FG and 11-25 3PT (44%). Goes to show we can't take anyone lightly.


Box Scores
[INDENT]Davis 14, 4, 0
Wilkerson 13, 1, 5, 3 stls (*)
Andrews 11, 2, 1, 2 stls, 3-4 3PT
DeLord 11, 0, 1
Popp 10, 3, 1
Victor 6, 2, 2
Perkins 6, 2, 1
Scott 5, 1, 0, 3 tos
Walls 4, 4, 2
Everhart 3, 1, 1
Hillier 0, 0, 0
Hawkins 0, 0, 0
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 59-53%
REB: +1
TO: -9 (ALCST: 20)
Pts in paint: +16
2nd chance: +4
Fast break: -4
[/INDENT]


SWAC Standings

1. Grambling, 2-0 (W2)
2. Alabama St, 2-0 (W2)
3. Nortwestern St, 2-0 (W2)
4. Austin Peay, 2-0 (W2)
5. Jackson St, 1-1 (L1)
6. Alabama A&M, 1-1 (W1)
7. Mississippi Valley St, 1-1 (W1)
8. McNeese St, 1-1 (L1)
9. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 0-2 (L2)
10. Alcorn St, 0-2 (L2)
11. Texas Southern, 0-2 (L2)
12. Prairie View, 0-2 (L2)