Coaching Career of Scott Price

[grahoben]

Both teams came out of the gates slow, but a 53-point outburst by Coastal Carolina was more than enough for the Chanticleers to protect their home court. Troy's offense improved in the second half, but they never really got in a rhythm, as they shot under 40% for the game. One bright spot was Oliver Smith, who had another strong game off the bench with 8 points.

Sun Belt scores:
Appalachian State 68 @ Little Rock 80
Georgia State 79 @ Arkansas State 60
Georgia Southern 68 @ UL-Monroe 77
South Alabama 85 @ UL-Lafayette
Texas State 66 @ UT-Arlington

[PointGuard]

I know Griffin didn't perform well in his test as a starter, but fortunately he often is a valuable piece coming in off the bench.

[grahoben]

Troy's offense wasn't quite as smooth as usual, as the Trojans were limited to just 12 assists on 25 field goals. However, the Trojans turned the ball over only 7 times, with only one of those coming from the starting lineup. Meanwhile, Texas State had 18 turnovers, which prevented them ever getting much going offensively.

Sun Belt scores:
Little Rock 68 @ Coastal Carolina 66
Appalachian State 46 @ Georgia State 73
UL-Monroe 77 @ Arkansas State 74
South Alabama 76 @ Georgia Southern 64
UL-Lafayette 81 @ UT-Arlington 58

AP Poll:
1. Kansas (22-1)
2. Florida (21-2)
3. Michigan State (22-2)
4. Louisville (19-2)
5. Texas A&M (21-2)
6. Maryland (20-1)
7. Duke (18-5)
8. Wisconsin (20-3)
9. Stanford (21-2)
10. Texas (19-4)
11. Ohio State (19-3)
12. North Carolina (18-6)
13. Missouri (19-4)
14. Temple (19-4)
15. Gonzaga (20-4)
16. Indiana (18-5)
17. Villanova (17-6)
18. Texas Tech (18-5)
19. NC State (18-5)
20. Utah (17-4)
21. Georgetown (17-5)
22. South Alabama (19-2)
23. Kentucky (15-8)
24. Harvard (17-4)
25. Utah State (17-5)

Bubble Watch:
Last Four Byes: New Mexico, Arizona, Tulsa, UConn
Last Four In: California, Mississippi State, SMU, Illinois
First Four Out: San Diego, Houston, Wichita State, San Francisco
Next Four Out: Saint Mary's, Kansas State, Minnesota, Iowa State

Sun Belt Bracketology:
South Alabama - 6 seed (auto bid)

[grahoben]

I know Griffin didn't perform well in his test as a starter, but fortunately he often is a valuable piece coming in off the bench.

I was planning on starting him at the beginning of the season, but he got injured in the first game. Stone played well in the next few games, so I've mostly rolled with him in the lineup. It's a tough balance because I think Griffin is a lot better defensively, but he doesn't bring quite as much scoring. Stone has been one of the most efficient scorers on the team, but our defense is pretty bad so I don't want to leave him out there too much.

[grahoben]

Louisiana-Lafayette came into the game at 8-2 and as one of the hottest teams in the Sun Belt, but Troy played its best game of the year as the Trojans rolled to a 12-point win at the Cajundome. Troy's starting lineup came to play, as four starters scored in double figures, led by Rob Stone's 22 points. The biggest difference was points in the paint, as Troy dominated inside with a 42-24 advantage.

Sun Belt scores:
Coastal Carolina 64 @ Georgia State 73
Appalachian State 75 @ UL-Monroe 73 OT
Arkansas State 71 @ South Alabama 82
UT-Arlington 69 @ Georgia Southern 77
Little Rock 69 @ Texas State 87

[grahoben]

After a close start to the game with 13 total lead changes, Troy pulled away at the end of the first half and never looked back. This time, the Trojans got more production from the bench as both Gerald Griffin and Zach Petteway scored in double figures. Rob Stone led the way in scoring once again, going 8-10 from the free throw line and also grabbing 8 rebounds in another good game.

Injury Report:
Rob Stone suffered a sprained toe during the game, and is questionable for the next game at home against Little Rock. If he's unable to go, Gerald Griffin would get the start.

Sun Belt scores:
UL-Monroe 83 @ Coastal Carolina 102
South Alabama 84 @ Appalachian State 67
UT-Arlington 63 @ Arkansas State 50
UL-Lafayette 67 @ Little Rock 84
Georgia State 83 @ Texas State 79

AP Poll:
1. Kansas (24-1)
2. Florida (22-3)
3. Michigan State (23-3)
4. Louisville (21-2)
5. Texas A&M (22-3)
6. Maryland (21-3)
7. Stanford (23-2)
8. Duke (19-6)
9. Wisconsin (21-4)
10. Ohio State (22-3)
11. Texas (21-4)
12. Temple (21-4)
13. Missouri (20-5)
14. Indiana (20-5)
15. North Carolina (18-8)
16. Gonzaga (21-5)
17. Villanova (19-6)
18. Utah (19-4)
19. NC State (19-6)
20. Texas Tech (18-7)
21. South Alabama (21-2)
22. Harvard (21-4)
23. Georgetown (18-6)
24. New Mexico (20-5)
25. Utah State (18-5)

Sun Belt Standings (Conference, Overall)
1. South Alabama 11-1, 21-2
2. Georgia State 10-2, 18-5
3. UL-Lafayette 8-4, 16-7
4. Little Rock 7-5, 10-13
5. Troy 7-5, 12-11
6. UL-Monroe 6-6, 11-13
7. Texas State 5-7, 11-12
8. Coastal Carolina 5-7, 8-15
9. UT-Arlington 5-7, 9-14
10. Georgia Southern 3-9, 5-18
11. Appalachian State 3-9, 5-18
12. Arkansas State 2-10, 7-16

Bubble Watch:
Last Four Byes: Arizona, Butler, UConn, Dayton
Last Four In: SMU, San Diego, Wichita State, California
First Four Out: Houston, South Florida, San Diego State
Next Four Out: Saint Mary's, Purdue, Miami (FL), Memphis

Sun Belt bracketology:
South Alabama - 6 seed (auto-bid)

[Wayne23]

1. Getting the offense/defense balance right is a coaching challenge.
2. Some guys seem to play better coming off the bench than starting.

[grahoben]

With Rob Stone injured, and Gerald Griffin fouling out in just 12 minutes, it looked like Troy would be in big trouble at the center position. Fortunately, Chuck Reid played the game of his life, as the freshman stepped up to score 19 points. Overall, the Trojans dominated the paint, holding Little Rock to just 8 points in that area.

Injury Report:
Steven Haslem suffered a mild concussion, and is questionable for the next game. With the short turnaround, he might be unable to suit up, but he should be back by next week.

Sun Belt scores:
Coastal Carolina 54 @ Texas State 66
Appalachian State 43 @ UL-Lafayette 64
Georgia Southern 80 @ Arkansas State 86
Georgia State 79 @ UT-Arlington 84
South Alabama 60 @ UL-Monroe 77

[grahoben]

Troy picked up another huge win on the road, putting up 91 points against a very strong Georgia State team. Steven Haslem and Rob Stone were both cleared to play before the game, and each responded with great games. Chuck Reid also had a strong performance with 6 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists, and he has solidified himself into the rotation over the last few games.

Sun Belt scores:
UL-Lafayette 74 @ Georgia Southern 72
Arkansas State 60 @ Coastal Carolina 62
Texas State 77 @ Appalachian State 72
UT-Arlington 58 @ South Alabama 68
UL-Monroe 72 @ Little Rock 80

AP Poll:
1. Kansas (26-1)
2. Michigan State (25-3)
3. Florida (23-4)
4. Louisville (23-2)
5. Texas A&M (23-4)
6. Maryland (23-3)
7. Stanford (25-2)
8. Texas (23-4)
9. Duke (20-8)
10. Ohio State (22-5)
11. Wisconsin (21-6)
12. Temple (22-5)
13. Missouri (22-5)
14. North Carolina (20-8)
15. Utah (21-4)
16. Indiana (20-6)
17. Villanova (20-7)
18. Gonzaga (21-6)
19. NC State (20-7)
20. Harvard (23-4)
21. South Alabama (22-3)
22. New Mexico (22-6)
23. Texas Tech (19-8)
24. Georgetown (20-6)
25. VCU (20-5)

Last Four Byes: California, Dayton, Illinois, Creighton
Last Four In: Xavier, San Diego, Minnesota, Arizona State
First Four Out: UNLV, San Diego State, Saint Mary's, SMU
Next Four Out: Oregon, Purdue, DePaul, Loyola Marymount

[grahoben]

The Trojans' winning streak ended at 5, as they were badly outplayed at Louisiana-Monroe. Steven Haslem has frequently been among the leading scorers for Troy, but he was completely shut down, and the Trojans could not find any other sources of offense. Troy will need to put this game behind them, as their next game will be senior night against a ranked South Alabama team.

Sun Belt scores:
Georgia Souther 78 @ Appalachian State 71
Texas State 50 @ Arkansas State 62
Coastal Carolina 70 @ UL-Lafayette 73
South Alabama 81 @ Georgia State 73
Little Rock 61 @ UT-Arlington 64