Seattle U 75 @ Wichita State 95
Seattle U: FGs 28-59 (47.5%), 3pt 10-22 (45.5%), FTs 9-17 (52.9%), TOs 18, Reb 22
Wichita State: FGS 39-64 (60.9%), 7-17 (41.2%), FTs 10-14 (71.4%), TOs 14, Reb 33
Game Thoughts: Expectations might have to change for this team after starting 0-4. The season is not over, they have lost to 4 teams that will be in postseason tournaments, but they have work to do if they want to qualify for one themselves. This was not a bad offensive performance by any means, the offense shot the ball well from deep, but Wichita State did whatever they wanted on offense. The Shockers are a solid group but are not offensive juggernauts by any measurement. Again, it was the perimeter defense that really let the Redhawks down. SO PG Jayce Andrews had a career day with 23 points (9-15 from the field), 8 assists and 4 steals. Wings Cory Chatman and Itai Conradi could not miss either, pouring in 20 apiece on efficient shooting. Out of Wichita State's 95 points, only 20 were in the paint. Lineup changes will have to be made in order to solve this in some way.
On the other hand, the big men for Seattle had solid offensive outputs. Ballard and Crystal had 15 each on 6-11 and 5-8 shooting, respectively. Crystal was 3-5 from deep as his hot offensive start continued. Off the bench, SO C Hayden Krueger had his best game of the season with 13 points (6-9) and 3 steals. Forsythe was 3-6 from deep (11 points) and High Point transfer Louis Mott had 9 off the bench.
Going forward, we might explore moving Mott and Aygar into the starting lineup to replace Crispin and Forsythe. Forsythe has been productive for a borderline top 500 freshman, but this team needs a shakeup in the backcourt. Another lineup combination that should see some action is PG Aygar SG Henderson SF Crystal PF Krueger C Ballard. This is a big and slower lineup but the offensive capabilities from this group are high. We would just have to see how they perform defensively. I still believe in this team but they need to start stringing some complimentary performances together.
Next game: @ Idaho State (0-4) 163 NET Seattle U (-8)
The Bengals are a major step down in competition for Seattle U and offer an opportunity to (hopefully) gain some confidence. However, Idaho State has a solid, experienced backcourt. Fred Owens (11.3 PPG) and Bryan McInnis (11.5 PPG) split point guard duties and are 4-year starters for the Bengals. There just is not much punch outside of those two offensively. Idaho State does employ a 2-3 zone at time, with those two at the top. The Redhawks should be able to force turnovers and in man-to-man be able to find success down low with Ballard, Krueger and co.