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Abmas Shoots Texas to Win

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Austin, TX – Texas State didn’t travel very far to square off against University of Texas in this Central Texas battle. Texas State was looking for the upset to break their 27-game losing streak against the Longhorns. However, Texas State couldn’t hold on as they lost to Texas 77-58. While the score seemed like a blowout. Texas State made this a very competitive game until the 10-minute mark of the second half.

Within the first 10 minutes of the game, thanks to Max Abmas’s three-point shooting, Kadin Shedrick’s rebounding, and Dillion Mitchell’s lock down defense, Texas took an early 25-4 lead eight minutes into the game. While it seemed that the Longhorns would cruise to an easy win. Texas State fought back and closed the gap to 36–26 at the half.

At this point. The Bobcats played scrappy defense and the Longhorns stopped playing their normal brand of switch heavy and off ball screen offense and started shooting early and inefficient shots. This allowed the Bobcats to make this a competitive game. Once the 10-minute mark hit, Abmas decided to take over and scored 13 of his 26 points in that frame to put the Bobcats away.

Max Abmas scored his season best 26 points and has absolutely caught fire on the 3-point line. Over the last 3 games, he has made 10-of-23 three-pointers (43%). The transfer from Oral Roberts’ playmaking was also on full display with six assists. Abmas is proving that he can light it up regardless of what team he plays for. It wasn’t just his shooting, but his difficult shot-making was vital for Texas to win tonight.

While Abmas was the star of the night Texas would not have won the game without the defensive presence of Dillon Mitchell. Mitchell had a complete game. He ended the night with 11 points, 11 rebounds, one steal, and four blocks. He was the equivalent of a human wrecking ball. While you wish with all the physical tools that Mitchell has that he could develop more of an offensive game, it’s simply fun to watch him make such an impact without the ball in his hands.

The other Texas transfer player. Kadin Shedrick dominated the glass and the defensive end of the floor. He finished the night with 11 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks. However, the Bobcats had a game plan for him and trapped him every time he touched the ball and Shedrick really struggled finding his offense tonight. He had four turnovers  and they were all when he got the ball in the post. He will need to learn how to play against players that are stronger than him or this will be a weakness that other teams will exploit through the season.

For Texas State, Brandon Love was a major surprise in this game. He finished the night with 14 points, five rebounds, three steals and two blocks. His assignment was Shedrick and he was the main reason Shedrick  had an off night offensively. While shooting 6-of-14 from the floor. Love clearly dominated the paint. His effort along with Dylan Dawson’s 15-point game were the reasons that Texas State was able to make this a game while battling a clearly superior opponent.

The Longhorns had an off night. They are lucky that Abmas was able to shoot them to a win. Even though they had five players score in double figures Texas was wildly inefficient and didn’t let the game come to them until the final 10 minutes. It seemed they didn’t play their brand of basketball tonight. They still won the game though which can’t be forgotten. The Longhorns have a lot of film to learn from and they will need bring their best as they play against No. 3-ranked Marquette on their home turf December 6th.  Shaka Smart probably has been circling this game on his calendar after his tumultuous exit as the former Longhorns head coach.

This article was written by Matthew Lawyer, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.

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Ellis Helps USC Romp Over Eastern Washington

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Los Angeles, CA – The USC Trojans let out some frustration after their tough loss to Oklahoma last Friday by dismantling the Eastern Washington Eagles 106-78 on Wednesday night. Boogie Ellis led the charge with a spectacular performance. He put on a show for the home fans tallying 28 points on eight made three-pointers. Isaiah Collier, Kobe Johnson, Vincent Iwuchukwu, and Kijani Wright all scored in double-digits as USC put up a season high in points. Jake Kyman led Eastern Washington with 25 points  and LeJuan Watts also had a nice game nearly achieving a double-double with 16 points and 8 rebounds.

The game started off very fast as both teams came out of the gates firing on all cylinders. Both teams shot around 60% from the field the first 10 minutes of the game and Eastern Washington kept it close trailing only 24-19. That’s as close as it would get though as the Trojans really started to pull away the rest of the half. They went on a 17-3 run and by the 5-minute mark USC had opened up a 41-22 lead. Ellis had an unbelievable half with 19 points and five made threes. For the visitors, UCLA and Wyoming transfer Kyman did his best to keep the Eagles in it by racking up 13 first half points but Eastern Washington really struggled to find a second source of offense and went into the half trailing 52-33.

In the second half, USC continued to open up the lead and never let their foot off the gas going up by 30 points as the game went into the under-16 media timeout. The big name that everyone wanted to see is potential first overall pick Isaiah Collier and he didn’t disappoint. After a very quiet first half scoring only two points, Collier found his groove and really woke up finishing with 15 points and six assists. He kept his turnovers down as well, finishing with only two which is a good sign for him and the Trojans as they continue to move forward in their season. The game never got close after the opening 10 minutes and USC coasted to the 28-point victory to improve to 5-2 on the season.

The one aspect that really stands out with Collier is his physical frame. He uses that frame to his advantage by getting to the rim and drawing fouls at will. He’s unstoppable when he gets going to the basket. This game had to be very encouraging for NBA scouts even though he had a bad first half. The fact that he was able to stay engaged throughout the duration of the contest even though he had a discouraging first half is a great sign. In the second half he stayed with it and showed a complete offensive game making a three pointer, getting to the rim, and going 4-of-4 from the line. He doesn’t hang his head after a bad performance and stays engaged whether he’s on the bench or on the court.

While Collier is undoubtedly the big NBA prospect on USC, Boogie Ellis was the one who had the performance of the night. Ellis was red hot as he poured in 28 points in 27 minutes going 9-of-13 from the field and 8-of-10 from beyond the arc. If the game was closer there’s no doubt he would’ve gotten 30 points and maybe even broke the 40-point mark. But with the game being so one-sided coach Andy Enfield made the decision to sit him in the later part of the game. Ellis did a great job against Eastern Washington of relocating after the initial pass to free himself up for a jump shot. He is a phenomenal score-first guard who has been highly efficient in his college career. After making First-team All-Pac-12 last season and averaging over 20 points so far this season, Ellis isn’t on many mock drafts but could see a role at the next level as a microwave scorer off the bench. Efficiency, shooting range, and scoring like his don’t come around very often at the collegiate level.

A couple bright spots for Eastern Washington were Jake Kyman and LeJuan Watts. Kyman was able to lose Collier and Kobe Johnson a few times as he finished the game with 25 points on an excellent 7-of-10 from three. He’s not the type of player that will fill the stat sheet, but he has proven both at UCLA and now Eastern Washington that if you fall asleep on defense and leave him open he will make you pay. Watts continued to play hard even in a blowout loss and finished the game with 16 points and eight boards. He only went 2-of-7 from the free-throw line, but getting to the line seven times is a great sight to see if you’re head coach David Riley and the Eastern Washington coaching staff.

USC was ranked in the AP Poll top 25 before their loss to Oklahoma last Friday and have since fallen out of the polls and become unranked. However, their next game is on Saturday night in Las Vegas vs #11 Gonzaga and a win could go a long way towards them becoming ranked again. Meanwhile, Eastern Washington has no doubt had a very frustrating season as they sit at 1-6 after this blowout loss. Eastern Washington has lost every game this season by double-digits but will look to turn things around as they play Air Force on Saturday afternoon.

This article was written by Omar Hillo, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.

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UNLV Edges Akron

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Las Vegas, NV — The UNLV Runnin’ Rebels and Akron Zips faced off at Thomas and Mack Center Tuesday night. The Rebels rode a hot-shooting first half (53.3% from the floor and 58.3% from 3) to build a 41-31 lead and snapped their two-game losing streak and improve to 3-3, winning 72-70. The Zips never had a lead larger than two points and dropped their third straight, falling to 4-3.

For UNLV, fifth-year guard Luis Rodriguez led the way in the first half with 10 points on near-perfect shooting, only missing one shot from the floor and knocking down two triples. Rodriguez also pulled down two rebounds and had an assist and a steal. Junior guard Jackie Johnson III came off the bench and provided instant offense, scoring nine points on 3-of-4 shooting (one made three-pointer) and an assist. Freshman guard Dedan Thomas Jr. showed why he was the No. 33 player in the class of 2023 (according to 247Sports) and the only top-100 recruit to commit to a Mountain West school, scoring eight points and dishing out three assists.

For Akron, the duo of fifth-year senior and small forward Mikal Dawson and senior center Enrique Freeman combined for 19 points in the first half. Dawson made all of Akron’s three-point attempts (3-of-6 as a team), while Freeman had a team-high 10 points. The Zips needed every point from their star players and even cut UNLV’s lead down to four points multiple times but could not string together enough defensive stops.

Freeman and Dawson continued their strong starts for Akron, but only one other player (senior forward Sammy Hunter, 15 points) finished in double figures. Freeman, who was fourth in the nation in rebounding average last season (11.9 RPG), finished with a double-double – 22 points and 13 rebounds on 9-of-17 shooting and three blocks. Dawson made another two shots, including another  three-pointer to finish with 14. Hunter did all he could to will the Zips back in it, going on a personal 8-0 run in 30 seconds, but fell short.

Thomas Jr. (12 points), Rodriguez (13 points), Kalib Boone (12 points) and Johnson III (11 points) all finished in double figures for the Runnin’ Rebels. Boone in particular stuffed the stat sheet, finishing with 12 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three steals and four blocks.

There were only a combined five free-throw attempts by both teams in the first half, but the two teams combined for 13 in the second half. UNLV’s hot shooting from beyond the arc cooled down (2-of-8 in the second half) but the Rebels used their presence in the paint (40 points) to sustain their lead. Akron cut the lead to two with 48.5 seconds half and had a chance to tie or take the lead, but Dawson missed a three-pointer and Thomas Jr. secured the rebound. He would get fouled immediately and missed the front end of a one-and-one, but Akron could not get a shot off after securing the rebound.

Both teams are heading to Ohio for their next game. The Rebels will travel to Dayton next Wednesday to take on the Flyers at 6:00 p.m. PST, while the Zips will be at home to take on Bradley at 7 p.m. local time.

This article was written by Mason McFee, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.

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San Francisco Runs Past Minnesota

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

San Francisco, CA – The San Francisco Dons (5-2) took an early 9-1 lead against the Minnesota Golden Gophers (4-2).  The Gophers were 0-for-5 from the field for the first four minutes of play.  San Francisco’s lead swelled to 11 points with 6:31 on hot three-point shooting from point guard Ryan Beasley who hit a pair of threes and Mike Sharavjamts added another which made the score 26-15 San Francisco.  Mike Mitchell Jr. stemmed the tide with a smooth short corner jumper.  Mitchell’s jumpers proved to be the first steps toward the Gophers comeback as they cut San Francisco’s lead down to eight points (37-29) by the end of the first half.

In the second half, the Dons and Gophers traded baskets for the first three minutes.  Then, the Gophers’ Elijah Hawkins made two jumpers in a row that cut the Don’s lead to four points – 43-39.  Minnesota’s Cam Christie’s three ball cut the Dons lead to just one – 47-46.  But this was as close as the Gophers would get. Sharavjamts made a jumper to push the lead back to three points. The Gophers could not keep pace and succumbed to a rash of turnovers and missed shots.  Despite Christie and Mitchell being above average three-point shooters the Gophers insisted on getting the ball to their bigs Dawson Garcia (19 points and 6 rebounds) and Pharrel Payne (15 points and 6 rebounds) who scored almost exclusively in the paint during the second half.   San Francisco pulled away to win the contest 76-58.

USF’s Jonathan Mogbo, (So,. Forward) scored 28 points with 10 rebounds and three assists.  Mogbo’s chiseled frame is perfect to dominate mismatches and he’s a versatile defender who scores efficiently, shooting 76% from the field.  t the rim.  Mogbo scored exclusively at the rim, he could be an interesting NBA prospect if he can establish at least some three-point shooting effectiveness.

USF’s senior guard Marcus Williams scored 20 points.  While he was 0-of-3 from 3, he effectively pushed the tempo and scored in a variety of ways – jumpers, layups as well as free throws.

Senior forward Dawson Garcia is the hub of the Gophers scoring.  Garcia has a nice touch around the rim and even stepped out and nailed two threes.  However, at 6’11” he averages just 1.1 blocks per game.  The Gophers will need Garcia to make a much bigger defensive impact if the they are going to make any noise in the Big 10 come conference play.

Minnesota’s freshman forward Cam Christie scored seven points on 3-of-7 shooting (1-3 3PT).  Cam is the younger brother of Max Christie, the Lakers 2022 NBA second round draft pick.  For a freshman Christie looked smooth and completely comfortable.  He had three turnovers but with time and experience he showed glimpses of a high ceiling with his shooting and shot creation. 

Minnesota’s Mike Mitchell Jr., a transfer from Pepperdine, scored nine points with six rebounds and four assists.  Mitchell, a natural point guard, plays the shooting guard position for the Gophers, no doubt because of his +40% three-point shooting on high volume his previous two years.  The Gophers play a traditional slow it down offense that doesn’t seem to play to Mitchell’s strengths.  Look for Mitchell to be a big part of the Gophers scoring arsenal going forward.

This article was written by Damon Burris, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.

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Texas Romps Over Wyoming

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Austin, TX – The Texas Longhorns (5-1) easily defeated the Wyoming Cowboys (4-2) in a declarative 86-63 victory. The Longhorns and Cowboys traded buckets early on. However, after the 10-minute mark Texas took control and never let their foot off the gas. This was a complete game for the Longhorns offensively and defensively which showcased their versatility and athleticism.

Offensively, Texas was very creative with the plays they ran seemingly every time they set up in half-court offense. The Longhorns would have double off ball screens (Mitchell and Cuningham) to get their guards open with the option to get Shedrick 1 on 1 in the low post or get an open shot from one of the guards. There were many permutations of this set and it was fun to watch.  Defensively, they mostly ran switch heavy man, but this played into their strength which is to have size on the perimeter, and they took advantage of the lack of size of the Cowboys.

From the start, The Longhorns looked to get the ball into senior forward Kadin Shedrick’s (Virginia transfer) hands, and he did not disappoint. He finished the game with 17 points, two rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks. He was extremely efficient from the floor shooting 7-of-10. Shedrick had complete control of the low post. Defensively, he dominated in the interior with two blocks. Equally as impressive was his ability to switch onto guards and engulf them with his 6’11 height and 7 foot plus wingspan. It is nice to see an extremely big player be able to use his size with such fluidity. If he can sustain this level of play, Texas might have gotten themselves one of the best transfers in the country.

Putting Shedrick’s production aside, it wasn’t until senior guard Max Abmas started to hit some big-time shots that gave Texas a double-digit lead. Abmas finished with 23 points, four rebounds and theee assists. He was 57% from the floor and 50% from the 3-point line. To simply put, Abmas caught fire. He hit catch and shoot threes, He hit multiple off the dribble mid-range shots, He even hit a buzzer beater step back 3-pointer to close the half. Abmas showcased a serious ability to create for himself in today’s game. He will look to continue his hot shooting with their match-up against Texas State this Thursday.

Dillon Mitchell had himself another good game. He finished with 12 points, nine rebounds, one assist and one block. Offensively, he scored his points on offensive rebounds and slashing to the rim. He has an extremely high finishing ability around the rim. He limits the ceiling of his team because he doesn’t shoot the ball well and doesn’t have good mechanics. However, his relentless motor energizes the team and is simply fun to watch. Defensively, he uses his monster size and strength to demoralize players. Mitchell has clearly separated himself on this team as the best defender. He might not have had the defensive counting stats of Shedrick, but he imposed his will that won’t show up in the box score. Mitchell has the highest ceiling on this team. If he can fix his shot, the Longhorns will be dangerous come March.

Off the bench, sixth-man Ithiel Horton serves an important role. He doesn’t start, but he might be one of the best players on this team. In this game, he had 11 points, three rebounds and two assists. On the season, he is averaging 52.2% from the field  and 47.6% on 3-pointers. If he shot better free throws. He could be flirting with a 50-40-90 season. Being a bigger guard at 6-5, he could get his way on an NBA team via a 2-way contract if he remains consistent with his efficiency.

Wyoming wasn’t expected to compete in this game. Texas just has too much size, length, and depth on their side. However, Texas has a historical tendency to play at the level of their competition and it’s refreshing that they are dominating teams they are supposed to beat.  Texas will look to build on this win this Thursday against Texas State.

This article was written by Matthew Lawyer, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.

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St. John’s Easily Handles Holy Cross

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Jamaica, NY – The St. John’s Red Storm (4-2) raced out to a quick lead vs. the Holy Cross Crusaders (2-5) in an easy 91-45 victory. St John’s dominance in this game stemmed from a balanced attack from their starters and the second unit.

They were led in scoring by senior Joel Soriano who finished with 16 points on 8-of-9 from the field. Soriano is very effective at getting his shot off at the rim and has good control and hands to finish through contact. Soriano makes his move quickly off the catch before the double team can establish solid positioning which makes for high percentage shots or trips to the line. With that said he hasn’t developed a perimeter shooting game which keeps him from being a serious draft prospect in his final year, but with his production he’s still a reliable go-to scoring option for Rick Pitino’s offense.

Among the seniors leading the way for St John’s early this season is guard Daniss Jenkins. He finished this contest with only two points on 1-of-4 shooting in 16 minutes but still was able to rack up a game high six assists, right at his season average of 5.8 . Jenkins demonstrated his command of the offense throughout the first half. He’s able to assess where his shooters are on the wings and on fast breaks and can quickly the ball to them for open shots. He and Soriano were unstoppable in the pick and roll action, constantly being able to break down the defense and get deep in the paint to make something happen for one of his teammates. Jenkins fed his big men with accurate dump in passes, rewarding them for establishing good position. On an off scoring night, he was able to still effect the game and contribute to the blowout win.

Off the bench sophomore Zuby Ejiofor made several highlight plays. His shooting numbers didn’t reflect the overall impact he had as he went 2-of-9 for only five points. However his energy and hustle on both ends helped the second unit maintain the huge lead. He ended the game with seven rebounds, five of those offensive. He constantly provided second chance opportunities on that end of the floor showcasing his athleticism by chasing down and fighting for those loose balls and rebounds. He did struggle to finish a lot of those second chance shots and rushed a few that he should’ve made. On defense his long arms and speed led to fast break dunks for himself or his teammates which showed in the box score with a game high four blocks. His high energy and defensive intensity were infectious as the entire second unit came in and picked up where the starters left off.

As a team defensively St John’s had Holy Cross stifled the enter game, forcing 20 turnovers and collecting 14 steals and six blocks. The Crusaders couldn’t find much production from anyone this game as no player was able to get in double digits scoring. They’ll have a chance to bounce back from tonight’s loss on Wednesday at home vs Maine (4-4) while the Red Storm head to West Virginia on Thursday to face the Mountaineers (2-3).

This article was written by Frank Amankwah, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.

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Ball Dawgs Classic – Day 2

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Henderson, Nevada – The match-ups changed, but the teams remained the same in what was another great day of hoops at Day Two of the Ball Dawgs Classic. The results, however, were more of the same.

Game One was between the Indiana State Sycamores and the Pepperdine Waves. The Sycamores were only up two points at the first stoppage of play, but it was all Indiana State in the first half afterwards. Indiana State shot 17-for-28 (60.8%) from the floor while Pepperdine had nearly as many turnovers (10) as made shots (14). The Sycamores stole the ball five times en route to a hot-shooting first half.

While Indiana State was the story of the first half, there were some strong individual performances in the first half as well. Pepperdine guard Houston Mallette started a perfect 3-for-3 from the floor, including one made three-pointer for seven early points. He would finish the half with 13 points on 6-12 shooting (1-2 3PT). Fellow junior guard Isaiah Swope had the exact same start as Mallette for Indiana State and would finish with 17 in the first half (7-11 shooting, 2-5 3PT, 1-2 FT).

Pepperdine turned the page in the second half. After never leading in the first half, the Waves scored 51 points, but their comeback effort fell short as the Sycamores would hold on to win 90-82. Mallette led the charge for the Wave and would finish with a game high 31 points (12-20 shooting, 5-6 from 3, 2-2 from the free-throw line) and five rebounds. Mallette would hit a couple of deep threes to keep Pepperdine within striking distance. Hybrid guard/forward Michael Ajayi recorded 25 points of his own, including eight rebounds, five assists and two steals, leaving it all out on the floor.

Indiana State got timely buckets and clutch free throws from sophomore center Robbie Avila (18 points, 4-5 shooting, 1-2 from 3, 9-12 from the charity stripe) and Swope to close out Pepperdine. The Sycamores finished the game shooting 59.2% from the floor, 43.5% from distance and shot 15-for-19 at the line. Indiana State improved to 4-1, while Pepperdine dropped to 3-4.

Game Two saw the New Mexico Lobos take on the Rice Owls. They say basketball is a game of runs, but that’s pretty much what the first half was. New Mexico jumped out to an early 12-4 lead and continued to outplay Rice, building a 21-10 lead. Rice would respond with an 12-5 run of their own to cut the deficit to five. The Lobos would then go on a 13-2 run to regain a double-digit lead before the Owls flew past them with a 15-6 run to close the half. The Lobos responded with a 44-17 run in the second half to cruise past the Owls 90-56.

The two teams’ first half stats were fairly even – both had only made three 3-pointers, Rice had three more made free throws and New Mexico had the rebounding edge 19-15 (five offensive to Rice’s 4). The difference was the shooting from the floor – New Mexico made 52.8% (19-36) of their shots, while Rice made just 39.3% (11-28).  

New Mexico also got contributions from every starter in the first half of play, with freshman forward JT Toppin leading the way with 11 points on 5-7 shooting, four rebounds, one steal and three blocks. Guards Donovan Dent and Jamal Mashburn Jr. combined for 17 points, with Mashburn getting four of his nine from the free-throw line and Dent also dishing out seven assists.

Rice senior guard Travis Evee picked up where he left off yesterday, dropping 11 points in the first half on 4-7 shooting with one three-pointer and a pair of free throws. Sophomore guard Mekhi Mason chipped in with seven points, but no other Owl had more than five points in the first half. Evee would finish with 15, while Mason had 17. Rice is now 1-4.

In the second half the Lobos took full control, quickly building another double-digit lead and not letting go of it. Freshman guard Tru Washington had a strong game off the bench, going 5-7 (1-2 for 3, 3-3 at the line) from the floor for 14 points and six rebounds. Four starters finished in double figures as New Mexico moved to 4-1.

In the last game of the night the UC Irvine Anteaters defeated the Toledo Rockets 77-71. The first half was closely contested until the last 2:55, when UC Irvine went on an 8-2 run to have a 39-32 halftime lead. Freshman guard Derin Saran was the Western Carolina Player of the Year last season and showed why in the first half, doing a little bit of everything – scoring 13 (4-5, 5-6 FT) to go with two rebounds, one assist and one steal.

Junior guards Ra’Heim Moss and Dante Maddox Jr. combined for 18 points in the first half, but no other Rocket had more than four points.

Last season Toledo’s defense was ranked 295th nationally and is the only roster in D1 this season comprised solely of juniors (5) and freshmen (six). The lack of defense and inexperience both showed as Toledo had costly turnovers and gave UC Irvine several uncontested shots and late closeouts.

For UC Irvine, their halftime lead ballooned quickly, but the Rockets did go on an 11-2 run late in the second half to cut the lead to three with 26.3 left and fell short.

The Anteaters got double-digit contributions from redshirt junior forward Devin Tillis (25), redshirt senior guard Justin Hohn (11) and Saran (15). UC Irvine improves to 5-1, while Toledo drops to 3-2.

The final three games of the Ball Dawgs Classic will be played on Friday, starting with Toledo versus Indiana State. Rice versus UC Irvine will follow, and Pepperdine versus New Mexico will close out the tournament on the men’s side.

This article was written by Mason McFee, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.

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Ball Dawgs Classic – Day 1

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Henderson, NV — It was an exciting afternoon and evening on Day One of the Ball Dawgs Classic at the Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nevada. The men’s field of the Ball Dawg Classic features the Indiana State Sycamores, the New Mexico Lobos, the Pepperdine Waves, the Rice Owls, the Toledo Rockets and the UC Irvine Anteaters.

Game One was between Indiana State and Rice. What seemed like it was going to be a close contest between the two teams quickly changed, as the Sycamores found their stroke from beyond the arc and turned a 19-18 Rice lead at the 11:57 mark to an Indiana State 33-21 lead with 7:01 to go in the first half. The Owls had no answer for junior guard Masen Miller, who came off the bench and hit five threes, helping his team end the half on a 37-16 run and end up resulting in a 103-88 victory.

Rice could not contain sophomore Indiana State center Robbie Avila either. Avila had 16 points, four rebounds and five assists with one block and one steal on 6-11 shooting (2-5 from 3 and 2-4 from the free throw line) at halftime and would finish the game with 27 points, eight rebounds, eight assists on 10-19 shooting (3-6 from 3 and 4-6 from the free throw line). Avila has continued his strong play from a season ago, when he earned a spot on the Missouri Valley Conference’s All-Freshman team.

Rice did a better job of rotating to the ball to prevent Indiana State from taking as many threes, but it didn’t seem to matter, as Miller’s hot shooting was passed onto his teammates – Indiana State hit 5-of-13 from distance in the second half and 16-of-34 for the game. Rice did put up 54 points in the second half and outrebounded the Sycamores 42-30 but Indiana State’s 48 points in the second half were too much to overcome. The Owls did shoot better and more often from distance in the second half (7-16) but could not stop the Sycamores’ hot shooting. Indiana State’s biggest lead was 23.

Sophomore guard Mekhi Mason and senior guard Travis Evee did what they could to keep their team in the game, but Mason picked up his fourth personal foul at 13:39 to go in the game, dealing a blow to the Owls’ offensive rhythm. Evee scored double-digits in both halves and would finish with a team high 25 points on 7-14 shooting, 2-5 from beyond the arc and perfect from the line (9-9) to go with four rebounds and one steal, but he would end up fouling out of the game.  Freshman guard Camp Wagner only got seven minutes of playing time but made the most of them – scoring 11 points, including three three-pointers.

Avila was Indiana State’s leading scorer, but four other players finished in double figures, including two players from the bench – the aforementioned Miller and redshirt senior guard Xavier Bledson. Head coach Josch Schertz would empty the bench with 3:08 to go in the game and the Sycamores picked up their third win of the season, while the Owls lost their third in a row.

Both teams are back in action tomorrow in Day Two of the Ball Dawgs Classic. Indiana State will look to pick up another victory versus Pepperdine, while Rice will look to snap their losing streak against New Mexico.

Game Two saw the Pepperdine Waves take on the UC Irvine Anteaters in what was largely a back-and-forth affair. Neither team gave each other much ground until the Anteaters started to pull away during the latter part of the second half, winning 76-60. UC Irvine’s largest lead was 20, while Pepperdine’s was three.

UC Irvine’s leading scorer did not come from the starting unit, but rather the bench. Freshman guard Derin Saran poured in 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting with only one three-pointer made to pair with his eight rebounds and two assists. Saran’s eight rebounds also led the team. Senior guard Andre Henry helped out with 10 points, five rebounds and one assist, but had eight of his 10 points in the first half.

The Anteaters only had two players finish in double-digits, using an egalitarian approach on offense and letting the shots come to them. They were able to do so due to their dominance on the boards, outrebounding the Waves 43-29 (14 offensive). UC Irvine also more than doubled Pepperdine’s 3-point shooting, going 6-for-13 compared to Pepperdine’s 3-14. Every player on UC Irvine made at least one shot.

Junior guard/forward Michael Ajayi was Pepperdine’s leading scorer, but also their best player when he was on the floor. Ajayi pulled down 11 rebounds to record a double-double, by far the most of any Wave. No other player had more than five.

Junior starting guard Houston Mallette did a little bit of everything for the Waves, scoring 10 points and tallying two steals, two assists and one rebound. Redshirt freshman guard Cord Stansberry also contributed 12 points– nine from the floor and three from the free-throw line.

UC Irvine will look to add to the win column against the Toledo Rockets in Day Two of the Ball Dawgs Classic, while Pepperdine will try to start a new winning streak when they take on Indiana State. 

Game 3, the final game of Day One, pitted the Toledo Rockets against the New Mexico Lobos, with the Lobos picking up  a 92-84 victory. New Mexico improved to 3-1, while Toledo (3-1) suffered their first loss of the season,. The first half produced some interesting stats – both at the individual and team levels:

  • New Mexico shot 51.4% from the floor, but did not make a single three-pointer (0-3)
  • The Lobos outrebounded the Rockets 22-12 – 7-2 on the offensive end
  • Toledo’s junior guard Ra’Heim Moss had more made free throws (4) than field goals (3)

Neither team had a lead larger than five points until New Mexico went on a 6-0 run to go up 42-32 at half. In the second half the Rockets’ offense soared, scoring 52 points, but New Mexico’s 46 points were enough to hold on for the win.

Freshman forward JT Toppin was nearing a double-double at halftime with 16 points and six rebounds. Toppin finished the game with 27 points and 11 rebounds and his presence was felt on both offense and on the boards.

In his second season with the Lobos, Jamal Mashburn Jr. (son of former NBA player Jamal Mashburn) was a large part of New Mexico’s offense, finishing with 27 points including a timely  and-one with 2:46 remaining that helped the Lobos pull away for good.

Senior center Nelly Junior Joseph was all over the glass for New Mexico, gobbling up 10 rebounds – four of which were offensive, a game-high.

For Toledo, three players kept the Rockets in the game. Junior forward Andre Lorentsson came off the bench and made an instant impact, scoring 10 points (3/3 from three) and grabbing two rebounds in the first half. Lorentsson added seven points in the second half to conclude the game with 17. Ra’Heim Morris followed up his solid first half with a strong second half, scoring 12 of his 22 points to keep the Rockets within striking distance. Junior guard Dante Maddox was the catalyst for Toledo all night, finishing with a team-high 23 points, scoring clutch bucket after clutch bucket to keep the deficit small or retake the lead.

New Mexico plays Rice on Day 2 of the Ball Dawgs Classic. Toledo will face UC Irvine.

This article was written by Mason McFee, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.

We are looking for those interested in our basketball scout apprenticeship program. For information contact us and forward your resume.

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Blog

UCLA Romps Past LIU

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Los Angeles, CA – The UCLA Bruins improved to 3-0 after a 78-58 victory over the Long Island University Sharks on Wednesday night. LIU scored the first basket of the game but that was the only lead they held as UCLA cruised for the rest of the contest. Sophomore guard Dylan Andrews did not play due to an undisclosed reason but Jan Vide filled in nicely and had his best game of the young season finishing with 12 points and 7 assists. Adem Bona led the Bruins in scoring with 20 points while Eric Acker and Terell Strickland shared the top spot for the Sharks with 18 points each.

Right from tip-off it was apparent that UCLA was going to impose their size on LIU by starting the 6’10” Bona and 7’3” Aday Mara in the frontcourt. UCLA quickly jumped out to an early double-digit lead and never looked back. The Bruins were just too big and too physical for LIU to handle as they finished the first half with 22 rebounds, 7 of them being offensive boards to LIU’s 11 rebounds. UCLA also attempted 17 free throws in the first half connecting on 11.  For the visitors, R.J. Greene had a nice first half with 7 points and was the main source of offense. He is a capable driver with the ball in his hands and earned 3 free throws and created a few layups. Eric Acker chipped in with 4 points and 4 boards as the Sharks went into halftime trailing 35-17.

The second half was much of the same as UCLA nearly doubled up LIU 49-25 five minutes into the second half. However, LIU exploded on offense in the second half scoring 41 points, but just couldn’t string together any stops to ever really make the game close. One of the concerns coming into the season for Mick Cronin’s Bruins was a lack of perimeter shooting, and it continued again as the Bruins broke a 792-game streak of making at least one 3-pointer in a game. UCLA only attempted 6 triples as a team and connected on none.

Bona continued to show why he is considered by many to be a first round pick in the 2024 NBA draft if he declares. Bona was all over the court as usual, dominating the paint on both ends and showing off an improved free throw stroke which many scouts will love to see. Bona, after shooting only 57% from the line last season as a freshman, has gone 14/18 (78%) in the first 3 games of this season so far. He also finished with 20 points for the second time already after having no 20 point games last year.

Mara had his best game this season as he finished with 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Mara is a lanky 7’3” freshman center from Zaragoza, Spain who was a consensus 5 star recruit. Mara was just too big for anyone on LIU to handle as he did a great job protecting the paint and scoring easy buckets on the other end. Not only did he accumulate 4 blocks but there were many times where he deterred an LIU player from even attempting a shot around the rim. Mara also hit two 15-foot jump shots and flashed a nice back to the basket game. One area he needs to improve on is strength as he did have a few rebounds get ripped away.

On the other side, LIU was buoyed by R.J. Greene’s 7 first half points but he really tailed off as the game went on finishing with only 8 points. Terell Strickland (son of 15 year NBA veteran and LIU head coach Rod Strickland) put on a show in the second half as he collected 15 points and all of his 3 threes. Freshman guard Eric Acker was solid all night finishing with 18 points and 5 assists and could be one to watch in the Northeast Conference.

Looking ahead, UCLA will travel to Hawaii as they participate in the Maui Invitational and take on #4 Marquette on Monday night. This will undoubtedly be the first real test for Mick Cronin and the Bruins as they look to stay undefeated and gauge where they’re at. LIU will look to claim their first victory of the season as they travel back east and match-up with Columbia on Tuesday night.

This article was written by Omar Hillo, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.

We are looking for those interested in our basketball scout apprenticeship program. For information contact us and forward your resume.

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