Finding ways to win

[randy]

Offense: 34 (+6)
Defense: 32 (+6)
Recruiting: 38 (+2)
Scouting: 28 (+3)
Development: 32 (+6)
Reputation: 17 (+5)

Record: 53-13 (0.803)

[randy]

HS Seniors

1. SG Joe Lewis (#19); SCR: A, PAS: A, HAN: A, OVR: A
2. C Marcus Moore (#35); REB: A, BLK: A, STL: A, INS: A, OVR: A

Jr College

1. SF Jason Brown (#27); SCR: A, REB: A, OVR: A

[randy]

#46: SG Haven Wilkerson

[randy]

Starting Lineup

• 1: Sr PG Johnny Victor, 6-4, 3.0/3.0 (White Plains, NY)
• 2: Fr SG Joe Lewis, 6-0, 5.0/5.0 (Centre, AL); Norton candidate
• 3: Jr SF Jason Brown, 6-5, 4.0/5.0 (Galena, IL)
• 4: Sr PF David Andrews, 6-8, 3.5/3.5 (Alexander, NY)
• 5: Fr C Marcus Moore, 6-10, 4.0/5.0 (Oneonta, AL)

Bench

• 1/2: So SG Drew Walker, 6-1, 2.5/4.0 (Bowling Green, KY)
• 4/5: So C Robbie Wise, 6-10, 1.5/2.5 (Hackett, AR)
• 3/4: Sr SF Terrance Walls, 6-8, 3.0/3.5 (Robersonville, NC)
• 1/2: Sr PG Thomas Scott, 6-1, 1.5/3.5 (Harvard, MA)
• 4/5: Jr C Chris Hawkins, 6-8, 1.5/3.0 (Pelatka, FL)
• 2/3: So SF Thurman Clark, 6-6, 1.0/4.0 (Nicholasville, KY)
• 1/2: Jr PG Travis Reuter, 6-2, 1.5/2.5 (Pasadena, TX)
• 4/5: Jr C Will Perkins, 6-8, 1.0/3.5 (Oakland Park, FL)

Walk-ons

• Sr SG Eric McCray, 6-4, 1.5/1.5 (Clayton, AL)
• So PF Marcus Thompkins, 6-6, 1.5/1.5 (Birmingham, AL)

Departures (last year's stats)

• SG Haven Wilkerson (22.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg)
• C Seneca Popp (4.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg)
• SG Solomon Hillier (1.7 ppg); cut from the lineup

Notes:

• Hard to replace a volume scorer like Wilkerson, but everyone on campus is excited with the arrival of 2 local kids, Lewis and Moore. Lewis is a superstar in the making, and a potential NBA lottery pick in the future. Moore provides the defensive presence we sorely lack in the paint for the past 2 seasons. JuCo recruit Brown is probably our best 2-way player in the lineup
• Our bench is also deep, with last season's All Conference 2nd team Walker and Wise leading our 2nd unit. We have 2 seniors manning the PG spot, in Victor and Scott.
• It's a young and inexperienced lineup, but definitely has the potential to be a great team and a contender during the tournament later in the season.

[randy]

Nov 16, 2002: Alabama St (0-0) @ Fordham (0-0)

Pregame Notes

• FORD likes to play fast pace game

Tip off

SG Joe Lewis picked up 2 quick fouls. I elected him to stay, and it was a bad decision, as he was called for #3. We started the game shooting 1-9 FG
13:28, Down 7-11

Our early penalty has hurt us, but also our 7 turn overs. We're beginning to play better on the defensive end, but we need to take care of the ball better.
7:00, Tied at 24

Good debut so far for SF Jason Brown (10 pts), scoring in a variety of ways. SG Drew Walker (11 pts), always a reliable outside shooter, has knocked down 3 triples already.


Halftime, Up 43-40
I hope the trigger-happy refs can allow SG Joe Lewis (3 pts, 3 fouls) to see more action in the 2nd half. FORD is 6-12 3PT; we'll use more m2m defense in the 2nd half.


Start of 2nd half

FORD keeping close by doing well on the offensive glass. SG Joe Lewis picked up his 4th foul. SF Jason Brown continues his good game with 16 pts, helping us keep the lead.
13:44, Up 54-50

Our 2nd unit able to hold their own, playing good defense and scoring some baskets as well.
7:37, Up 64-57

Costly turn overs by FORD gave us the opportunity to score more on transition, and increased the lead to 14. FORD cut our lead to 9 with less than 2 mins remaining, but another basket by SF Jason Brown and SG Drew Walker's 5th triple of the game virtually put an end to this game.


Final Score: Alabama St - 89, Fordham - 72
We certainly have the depth to match up against teams who likes to play fast and score quickly.


Box Scores
[INDENT]Brown 20, 7, 3, 2 stls (*)
Walker 19, 6, 0, 5-12 3PT
Victor 11, 2, 5, 3 tos
Moore 8, 7, 1, 2 stls
Andrews 6, 2, 0
Scott 5, 2, 6, 3 tos
Lewis 5, 0, 0, fouled out
Hawkins 5, 1, 1
Wise 4, 4, 2, fouled out
Walls 4, 1, 1
Perkins 2, 0, 0
Clark 0, 1, 3
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 52-38%
REB: +4
TO: -4
Pts in paint: +16
2nd chance: Even
Fast break: +10
[/INDENT]

[randy]

Nov 19, 2002: Arkansas St (0-1) @ Alabama St (1-0)

Pregame Notes

• ARKST lost badly during their home opener, shooting 3-21 3PT

Tip off

Energetic start on both ends of the court. ARKST already with 4 turnovers. SG Joe Lewis and SF Jason Brown playing well together, both have 6 pts.
13:56, Up 18-4

I tried playing SG Joe Lewis on the 1, and it didn't matter, as Lewis continues to lead our scoring with 11 pts. ARKST shooting just 27% FG, plus 6 turn overs
7:52, Up 24-8

Our other players started to get involved in our offense also. ARKST's offense has not built any kind of rhythm because of our defense.


Halftime, Up 35-15
We've actually shot a below average 44% FG, but ARKST's inability to put pts on the board still gave us a comfortable lead.


Start of 2nd half

ARKST trying to match our 7-0 start in the 2nd half, but they continue to throw the ball away (14 turn overs)
13:33, Up 46-22

We've missed quite a number of shots in the paint, which we normally make. We've also piled up on our turn overs, and our scoring has slowed down. Good thing our defense remains solid, and we have a big lead as a cushion.
7:32, Up 48-30

Our offense got a little better late in the game, as I opted to stay with my starting unit, giving them more time together to develop familiarity.


Final Score: Arkansas St - 36, Alabama St - 63
Not exactly an ideal 2nd half for us in terms of offensive production (28 pts), but I am very pleased with our significant improvement in rebounding at both ends of the floor. SG Joe Lewis finally showing us what he is capable of doing, as long as he stays out of foul trouble.


Box Scores
[INDENT]Lewis 23, 3, 4, 4 tos, 3-6 3PT (*)
Andrews 14, 6, 2, 3-4 3PT
Brown 10, 8, 2, 2 blks
Moore 8, 10, 1
Scott 3, 1, 1
Hawkins 3, 0, 0
Wise 2, 5, 3
Victor 0, 2, 4
Walls 0, 2, 0
Walker 0, 2, 0, 3 tos
Clark 0, 0, 0
Perkins 0, 0, 0
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 39-24%
REB: +5
TO: -8 (ARKST: 18)
Pts in paint: +10
2nd chance: +8
Fast break: +7
[/INDENT]

[randy]

Nov 23, 2002: Alabama St (2-0) @ Akron (1-1)

Pregame Notes

• AKR's inside-outside combo of C Chris Poge and PG Devin Brooks averaging a combined 36 ppg

Tip off

AKR getting off to a fast start, as their PG Devin Brooks exploded for 11 pts, including 3 from beyond the arc. We have since moved to a tight m2m defense, slightly increasing def intensity. AKR already in the penalty
13:10, Down 12-13

We've capitalized on AKR's penalty situation, scoring 9 from the line already in the 1st half. SG Drew Walker, who went scoreless in our game, able to hit twice from downtown. And we've gotten plenty of easy transition baskets off AKR's 7 turn overs. Just like that, we've taken control of the game and built a commanding lead.
7:02, Up 31-15

SG Joe Lewis, who was quiet for most of the game so far, scored 10 pts in the last 2 minutes of the 1st half.


Halftime, Up 46-26
Our scoring balance was on display during the 1st half, with 6 players contributing at least 5 pts each.


Start of 2nd half

We started the 2nd half connecting on 3 straight triples, and there is no doubt anymore that this game is over very early in the 2nd half.
14:59, Up 60-30

Got a chance to try some different combinations, but in general, the starters spent more time on the bench the rest of the game.


Final Score: Alabama St - 94, Akron - 51
40 pt wins will be the result, if our A-game on both offense and defense happen at the same time.


Box Scores
[INDENT]Lewis 29, 4, 4, 2 stls, 10-14 FG, 5-8 3PT (*)
Walker 13, 4, 0, 3-7 3PT
Andrews 12, 1, 0, 4-6 3PT
Wise 10, 1, 2, 2 stls
Walls 9, 2, 2, 2 stls
Hawkins 8, 1, 0
Moore 6, 6, 3
Brown 5, 9, 2
Perkins 2, 0, 1
Victor 0, 4, 9
Scott 0, 2, 3
Clark 0, 0, 0
Reuter 0, 0, 0
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 55-34%
REB: +7
TO: -10
Pts in paint: +16
2nd chance: -2
Fast break: +5
[/INDENT]

[randy]

Nov 26, 2002: Florida Atlantic (4-1) @ Alabama St (3-0)

Pregame Notes

• FAU averaging 76 ppg, on 49% FG shooting. We may be in for a high-scoring game here
• SF Terrance Walls unavailable due to an injury

Tip off

C Marcus Moore active in offense early, scoring all of our 7 pts. Both teams perimeter shooting is cold.
13:27, Up 7-5

Scoring has increased, as the outside shots starting to fall on both sides. SG Drew Walker quickly with 8 pts off the bench
7:28, Up 20-18

FAU getting the lead on a buzzer-beating 3. SG Joe Lewis went scoreless in the 1st half, 0-7 FG. Good to have SG Drew Walker who was able to step in and score 14 pts.


Halftime, Down 30-32
FAU having the more consistent shooting performance so far, going 5-8 3PT. We'll go m2m defense in the 2nd half, increasing def intensity.


Start of 2nd half

Our shooting still not improving, and FAU slowly pulling away. We'll go more on the inside.
13:37, Down 38-46

We were down 10. A small rally cut down our deficit to 5, but FAU able to climb back up again to 10 pts. I then went with a 3-guard lineup, and we were able to force more turn overs on FAU. We're currently on a 8-0 run, despite SG Joe Lewis shooting a miserable 1-12 FG. FAU is in the penalty
7:14, Down 49-51

We extended to a 10-0 run to tie the game. Teams then traded baskets, until a drive by SF Jason Brown gave us the lead for the 1st time in the 2nd half. After another miss by FAU, it was SG Joe Lewis turn to penetrate the lane and he scores, just his 2nd FG of the game. Brown gets a steal on the next play, and the outlet to PG Johnny Victor produced an easy layup to extend our lead to 6
3:38, Up 62-56

FAU can't buy a basket over the next 2 minutes, only managing a single FT, while we scored a couple more on transition to go up in double digits.
1:05, Up 68-57

FAU resorted to fouling, and we made 8 straight FTs (6 by SG Joe Lewis). The score was 41-51 midway in the 2nd half. A 35-9 run in the last 10 minutes of the game. What a turn around


Final Score: Florida Atlantic - 60, Alabama St - 76
It was like turning on a switch, and all of a sudden we can't stop scoring. We also shot a perfect 22-22 FTs. SG Joe Lewis even managed to finish with 16 pts, despite making only 2 FGs the entire game


Box Scores
[INDENT]Lewis 16, 7, 3, 12-12 FT (*)
Walker 16, 3, 1, 2 stls, 3 blks, 4-9 3PT
Moore 13, 4, 1
Victor 10, 0, 4
Brown 7, 5, 2, 4 stls
Andrews 6, 4, 1
Wise 4, 5, 0
Hawkins 2, 4, 0
Perkins 2, 1, 0
Scott 0, 2, 1
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 39-37%
REB: +4
TO: -9
Pts in paint: +12
2nd chance: -2
Fast break: +2
[/INDENT]

[randy]

Nov 30, 2002: De Paul (1-3) @ Alabama St (4-0)

Pregame Notes

• DEP has not scored more than 56 pts during their current 3-game losing streak

Tip off

Shades of our last game, as we started out with very cold shooting, 1-10 FG. But we got DEP early in the penalty, and we've scored 9-10 FTs.
12:52, Tied at 11

We finally got a couple of 3PT shots to fall. SG Joe Lewis must be in some for of a shooting slump, going 0-6 FG so far.
7:18, Up 21-17

We scored 2 more from 3PT territory, and then some transition baskets off DEP's turn overs. Both teams shot an identical 40% FG, but we got more more opportunities from the line because of DEP's early penalty.


Halftime, Up 39-30
Even though he's 0-8 FG, SG Joe Lewis has scored 8-8 FT. SF Jason Brown having another good all-round game, 9 pts, 7 rebs.


Start of 2nd half

We have allowed DEP a lot of open looks from the perimeter, and uncontested drives to the basket. We talked about increasing the def intensity during the last timeout
13:47, Up 50-46

DEP got into penalty again, and we started shooting some more FTs. I've also noticed our players putting more effort on our defense
6:53, Up 62-52

Similar to the last game, our defense was on a higher level at the latter part of the 2nd half, giving no chance to DEP to even start a rally.


Final Score: DePaul - 58, Alabama St - 77
Both teams did well in crashing the offensive boards. However, DEP just couldn't sustain their offense, which was dependent on outside shooting, in the 2nd half.


Box Scores
[INDENT]Brown 22, 9, 0, 7-10 FG (*)
Lewis 14, 2, 1
Walker 11, 5, 2, 3 stls
Wise 10, 9, 1
Moore 7, 7, 3, 2 stls
Andrews 5, 0, 0
Hawkins 3, 2, 0
Clark 3, 0, 1
Victor 2, 1, 4
Scott 0, 1, 2
Perkins 0, 0, 0
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 45-36%
REB: +2
TO: -5
Pts in paint: +20
2nd chance: +4
Fast break: +3
[/INDENT]

[randy]

Dec 3, 2002: Alabama St (5-0) @ Radford (3-1)

Pregame Notes

• RAD (2-0 at home) is a balanced-scoring team, with 7 players scoring at least 7 ppg

Tip off

RAD just 1-8 FG. I noticed that SG Joe Lewis (7 pts, 3-5) plays much better on road games than at home
13:13, Up 11-5

We're mixing our outside shooting, with inside pts particularly from C Marcus Moore (6 pts, 3-3 FG).
7:44, Up 30-14

A combined total of 23 fouls and 32 FT attempts were taken in the 1st half. But in the end, our 61% FG shooting (including 6-12 3PT) was the huge difference.


Halftime, Up 50-30
Just too much firepower on our offense. Aside from our 3PT shooting, we're ahead 20-0 in pts in the paint.


Start of 2nd half

It must be a head-scratching game for RAD. They shoot a decent 48% FG, including 5-7 3PT, but they find themselves still down by 20. SG Joe Lewis already with 26 pts.
12:31, Up 67-47

RAD couldn't break the 20-pt barrier the rest of the game, and we coasted to an easy road win.


Final Score: Alabama St - 90, Radford - 64
C Marcus Moore showing today why he is a key piece in our squad. If our big men are scoring inside, it also makes it easier for our shooters to get good looks outside. RAD just looked confused on defense not knowing where we will score our next points


Box Scores
[INDENT]Lewis 35, 3, 3, 3 tos, 4-8 3PT (*)
Moore 16, 2, 3, 8-9 FG
Brown 10, 4, 1
Walker 9, 2, 0, 3-6 3PT
Scott 5, 1, 5
Andrews 5, 1, 1
Wise 4, 7, 2
Hawkins 4, 2, 0
Victor 2, 5, 9
Clark 0, 0, 2
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 60-44%
REB: +8
TO: -5
Pts in paint: +40 (40-4)
2nd chance: +5
Fast break: +12 (12-0)
[/INDENT]