WKU seems to be real confident!
I visited there message board....Check it out!
http://p211.ezboard.com/fhilltopperh...cID=9907.topic
WKU vs. ULaLa breakdown
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Hilltoppers will rematch the most entertaining game from last season when they travel to Lafayette Thursday. No one here need be reminded that our Tops lost to ULaLa 110-102 last season after allowing the Flamin' Cajuns to shoot 64% for the game.
Good news: We have a MUCH better defensive unit than we had last year. Laurie Bridges is gone and so is Brad Boyd. I couldn't stand those guys.
Bad news: They still have Brian Hamilton who gives us fits and they've added Tiras Wade.
PG-Orien Greene a 6'4 SR transfer from Florida. Greene's been back for 11 games now (I believe it was academic probation) and has started 9 of them. Greene is more of a scoring threat at the point than a passing threat, but at 4.2 assists per game, he does find the open man as well. His height makes him a tough matchup for either Haynes or Rumph, but I'm pretty sure it will have to be one of the two on him. Greene shoots a decent percentage from the field, but is not much of an outside threat at 30.6%. He's a great FT shooter if you put him on the line. With a still gimpy Haynes and an inconsistent Rumph, WKU will struggle with this matchup.
ADVANTAGE: Flamin' Cajuns
SG- Tiras Wade, a 6'6 JR transfer from ETSU is one of the conference's leading scorer. He puts up about 19.5 ppg, he shoots well from the floor (45%) and from 3 (44%) so he's a tough matchup for anyone. With his tall frame and awkward shooting style, WKU doesn't really have an answer for him. I look for Lee to draw the assignment since he can matchup athletically with him. If Lee is aggressive in driving to the hole and with his pull up jumpers, then he can come close to keeping this one even. Wade grabs 6 boards per game, but seldom passes. Shoots a good percentage at the line as well.
ADVANTAGE: Flamin' Cajuns
SF-Dwayne Mitchell a 6'5 Jr transfer from Auburn. (Did Jessie Evans ever recruit? Or did he just wait for disgruntled and troubled cast-offs? I think we know the answer to that, but I digress.) Mitchell most resembles Lee to me. He can do a bit of everything averaging 9.4ppg, 5.1rpg, and 3.4apg. He is a bit foul prone and has fouled out of two games this year. If Haynes starts at PG, I look for Rumph to pickup Mitchell. He's ZERO threat from outside, but shoots well overall. He does turn the ball over a lot at almost 4 per game. If you're talking head to head against Rumph, he gets a slight edge.
ADVANTAGE: Flamin' Cajuns
PF- Brian Mitchell is a 6'6 SR transfer from TAMCC averaging 13ppg and 7.9rpg. The athletic forward also leads the team in blocks with 17 (1 per game.) Talks a lot of trash and will be in Winchester's face all night. Good news is he's not a banger per se, so Winchester should get a bit of a night off from that. He is the most foul prone Cajun so AW might use some of those pump fakes to get Mitchell in the air. Mitchell is a terrible FT shooter and turns the ball over quite a bit. Not a good passing big man either.
ADVANTAGE: Hilltoppers
C- Chris Cameron 'mate! a 6'11 SR who actually came to ULaLa from high school in Australia. Cameron is about the same player he was when he got to Lafayette. He aveages only 6.8ppg, 3.6rpg as a near 7 footer. He's a wide body at 270 and he'll be tough for Grace to get around and over for shots. If we get Thursday night's Elgrace, we're in good shape. If we get Saturday night's Elgrace...we're still in good shape. Grace won't have to put up double digit points to win this matchup. Keep Cameron off the offensive glass and we'll call it a job well done.
ADVANTAGE: Hilltoppers
Bench-First guys off the bench (and almost the only guys off it) are Spencer Ford (6'5 JUCO transfer G) and Ross Mouton (6'6 So F). Neither is a threat. Both are shooting under 38% from the floor, both shoot terrible from the line and neither are good three point shooters. They eat minutes and that's about it. If we get some (ANY) production from Boris and Ty, we've got that one.
ADVANTAGE:Hilltoppers
Coaching/X FACTORS: This is Robert (no E.) Lee's first season with a bunch of 1st year assistants. The team's commitment to defense and rebounding show that to be true. Defensively, this is one of the worst teams in the Belt. Opponent's shoot 47% overall and 39.4% from three. WKU's defense is much better and the coaching is much better. We'll be the first Sun Belt title contender that ULaLa has played.
ADVANTAGE: Hilltoppers
We should see nothing that resembles last year's ridiculous game at Diddle. I like our chances even though their athleticism should give us fits. If the threes are falling and we stay out of foul trouble, give us a double digit win.
WKU 83
ULaLa 71
lifetimefan,
WKU Class of 2000
topper fan
Registered User
Posts: 2922
(1/25/05 12:11 pm)
Reply re
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Good analaysis. I expect the the game to be very close. We can't expect to win by double figures at home right now, so I don't think we can win by 10+ on the road. I hope you are right. I will say WKU 75 ULL 73
Ford is ineligible to play thurdsay- www.theadvertiser.com/app...50310/1006
Their coach said (notice how he changed great to pretty good team)-- "Western Kentucky is a great, no, a pretty good team that's been playing well," Lee said. "It's a great rivalry."
www.theadvertiser.com/app...50309/1006
Crowley Cajun
Registered User
Posts: 33
(1/25/05 9:02 pm)
Reply Re: WKU vs. ULaLa breakdown
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
lifetimefan,
You're incorrect about Greene. He's been out due to injury, not due to academic probation. His problems with grades were last year. Since coach Lee has taken over, this is a different team. He stresses academics.
Topper Jeff
Registered User
Posts: 4558
(1/25/05 9:10 pm)
Reply
ezSupporter
Re: WKU vs. ULaLa breakdown
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
He stresses academics.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You're not admitting that Coach Evans was not academically minded are you?
Gilbert
HH Original
Posts: 6785
(1/25/05 9:55 pm)
Reply Re: WKU vs. ULaLa breakdown
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't give Crowley a Hard Time. He's one of the Good Guys.
Gilbert
Topper Jeff
Registered User
Posts: 4559
(1/25/05 10:00 pm)
Reply
ezSupporter
Re: WKU vs. ULaLa breakdown
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm not really trying to. It was just amazing how much UL fans stood up for Jessie Evans in front of everyone, but badmouthed him on their own board. Now that he is gone, he wasn't a good coach.
Well ok, so they sound kinda like HH topper fans hah.
Quote
