WKU Basketball: Assessing the Adversary — St. Mary’s

What can I say? No matter who writes these things the results just aren’t what the fans of our beloved Tops hope for. Whether it’s a bad team in Troy or a likely tournament team in the Belmont Bruins, the guys can’t seem to get their act together.

Game Info

Time: 2 p.m. CT
Location: E.A. Diddle Arena | Bowling Green, Ky.
TV: CBS Sports Network on Facebook Watch
Radio: The Hilltopper IMG Sports Network

But never fear! I’ll continue to tell you random stuff about schools you don’t care about, all while making terrible jokes right at a fifth grade level. And if that doesn’t cheer you up, just yell into the void of Twitter like I do. It makes everything better. *sobs uncontrollably into my WKU blanket*

The Tops match up next against the fighting Gaels of St. Mary’s College of California. Or as I like to call them, Miscellaneous Catholic College Mid-Major #53.

Here’s a quick look at the school:

• Location: Moraga, CA (Seriously sounds like an ancient mythical city harboring a great evil)
• Student Population: Approx. 4,109
• Endowment: $165 Million
• Motto: The Sign of Faith (This isn’t even a complete sentence. Come on Gaels, get it together)
• Unofficial Motto: U WOT MATE?!?!?
• Mascot: Gaels/Gael Force Once
• Number of Fosters Beers consumed annually by Australian students and staff: Roughly 25,732
• Number of Australian students and staff: 14.5 (Kiwis count as half Aussie right?) (ed. note — that’s like saying Canadians count has half Ameri…you know what, nevermind. Good point, Jacob)
• Unofficial School Theme Song: Down Under by Men at Work
• Notable Alumni: Several wombat chasers. One of which invented an iconic basketball tradition

I’ve decided to forego making jokes about the deeply held Catholic faith that helped shape St. Mary’s College. Instead I’ll focus on the entire continent of Australia. Or at least the odd connection their basketball program has to it.

I’m not sure what is it about St. Mary’s College, but they attract a lot of talented Aussie basketball players and even a coach to their program. Maybe their campus smells like Vegemite and Fosters. Maybe Moraga, California reminds them of home because it’s a desolate wasteland filled with hundreds of critters that want to kill them at every turn. Seriously Australia, New Zealand isn’t filled with murderous beasts, just Hobbits. Why do you have to be difficult?

Regardless, players like Patti Mills and Matthew Dellavedova have made St. Mary’s the college destination for men who come from the land down under, where the women glow and the men plunder.

Also, Mills reportedly invented the “three goggles” gesture which is kind of awesome.

One quick note about their mascot. They were named the Gaels, a term for someone of Gaelic heritage, back in the 1920’s, because their football team was made up of mostly Scotts Irishmen. Until very recently their Mascot was Gael Force One, just a knight. (Booooorrrrring). But the Gaels have stepped up and changed it to a scantily clad Highlander who, according to some accounts, moons opposing mascots. ** golf clap**

But enough about the homeland of these wombat chasing, kangaroo punching maniacs. What about their team this year?

• 2018–19 Record: 8–5
• KenPom/NET ranking: 47/56
• Projected Conference Finish: 2nd (behind perennial powerhouse the Zags)

In recent memory the St. Mary’s men’s basketball team have become a bit of a G5 power and though their record doesn’t show it, they are impressing the advanced stats and present a chance for another top 50 win for the Tops. They are led by junior guard Jordan Ford (6’1” 175 pounds, 22.8 points per game) and redshirt sophomore forward Malik Fitts (6’8”, 230 pounds, 13.9 PPG). I would break down what they do well and what they don’t, but as we’ve seen from several teams the Tops have played this year, past performance is not a predictor of future results.

The Gaels are outscoring, out rebounding, out assisting…pretty much out everythinging (That’s a word now, @ me Webster’s Dictionary) their opponents on the year. They put together pretty complete games and are holding teams to 67 PPG and less than 30% from deep.

Oh, and did I mention they have four players 6’10” or taller and two 7 footers?

What to Watch

If I’m a betting man, I wouldn’t touch this game with a ten foot pole. I’m apprehensive to say the least. The Gaels are going to have a bit of a depth advantage when it comes to the bigs which might allow for them to take advantage of the Charles Bassey foul trouble. They are also an experienced team. And seeing as how effort and youth have been our main issue recently, this game scares me.

This week, I think key to victory for the Tops is to out-athlete the Gaels and put together one complete effort on both sides of the ball. While they are tall as a team, most of the guys don’t appear to kill you with speed or power. They look like a finesse team. For Stans, I hope he comes to this game having made defensive adjustments based on past performance. He has got to shake things up to get the guys going.