Note: This game is on Wednesday Night/Thursday Morning
Another midnight game on Blackout Wednesday.
The Cal Baptist Lancers are in their 5th season of Division 1 Basketball and have been over .500 in all 5 seasons. The Lancers are coached by Rick Croy in his 9th year with the program. Croy led the Lancers to 5 straight Division II NCAA Tournaments including the Elite Eight in their last year at D2. The Lancers have been to the CBI twice in their first 4 seasons at D1.
The Lancers started the year with a home loss against Long Beach State but won 3 in a row including a win at Washington by 9 points. They fell in overtime in the opening game of the SoCal Challenge.
Meet the Lancers:
Cal Baptist was picked 5th in the WAC preseason poll behind Grand Canyon, New Mexico State, Stephen F. Austin, and Abilene Christian. The Lancers are 35th in the country in D-1 Experience (2.76 years) and 35th in the country in average height (78.2").
What the Lancers do well:
So far this season, Cal Baptist has done a good job taking care of the basketball. They're 82nd in the country in the offensive end in turnover %. The Lancers have been very good on the defensive end this year as they're 62nd in the country in 3 point % against (27.4%) and 113rd in the country in effective field goal % against (47.1%). The Lancers are also 97th in the country in offensive rebounding % on the defensive end (25.4%).
What the Lancers don't do well:
Cal Baptist has really struggled shooting this season. The Lancers are 207th in the country in 3 point % (32.2%), 243rd in the country in 2 point % (46.8%), and 241st in the country in effective field goal % (47.4%). They also struggle at grabbing rebound as they're 266th in the country in offensive rebounding % (24.4%).
Cal Baptist is led by 6'6 Sophomore Taran Armstrong. Armstrong came over to Cal Baptist from Australia and grew up in Burnie, Tasmania and is getting looks from NBA teams, and for good reason. Armstrong averaged 10.5 points per game, 6.3 assists per game, and 5.2 rebounds per game in his Freshman season and was named WAC Freshman of the Year. He broke the program record for most assists in a game with 15 in a win over North Dakota in his Freshman season. Armstrong was 4th in the country in assist rate last year (40.9%). This season Armstrong has taken more of a scoring load averaging 16 points per game. Armstrong is currently 26th in the country in 3 point % (58.8%) and 48th in the country in assist rate (35.2%). Armstrong scored 24 points in Cal Baptist's loss to Minnesota on Monday on 9-18 shooting.
The Lancers leading rebounder is 6'7 Junior Hunter Goodrick with 6.8 rebounds per game. Goodrick is from Sydney, Australia and started his collegiate career at South Dakota where he spent two seasons before transferring to Cal Baptist this offseason. Goodrick started 31 games last season and grabbed a career high 19 rebounds in a game against North Dakota. Goodrick was 51st in the country in defensive rebounding % last season (24.6%). He also contributed on the offensive last year as he was 131st in the country in 2 point % (61.1%) and 82nd in the country in effective field goal % (59.4%). Goodrick hasn't gotten it going on the offensive end yet this year but he's currently 233rd in the country in defensive rebounding % (22.0%).
After Armstrong, 6'2 Senior Joe Quintana is 2nd on the Lancers in scoring averaging 13.3 points per game. Quintana spent five seasons at Loyola Marymount before transferring to Cal Baptist this offseason. Quintana is currently 39th in the country in turnover rate (2.2%) and 462nd in the country in free throw rate (37.0%). Quintana has struggled a bit this year at the free throw line (64.7%) but last year he was 9th in the country at the line (91.9%).
Other names worth mentioning on the Lancers include 6'9 Senior Riley Battin, a transfer from Utah. Battin is 13-13 from the free throw line this year and 170th in the country in offensive rebounding % (12.0%). 6'7 Junior Reed Nottage is 402nd in the country in 3 point % (40.0%).
Links:
SIU Game Notes
Cal Baptist Game Notes
Armstrong is a stud, you shut him down, you can win this Dawgs.
Another midnight match - DirecTV 221
Armstrong is a stud, you shut him down, you can win this Dawgs.
Another midnight match - DirecTV 221
Armstrong seems very similar to Domask (if Domask were 2 years younger). Will be fun to see if they guard each other. Pretty excited to see what he can do.
CBU beat Washington and almost beat Minnesota, although Minnie is a lower division Big 10 team this year. This will be a tough game.
Domask will be tired, D'Amico will play diminutive center, Clarence will get 18 mins, Cade will wish he was back in high school getting to play, blah, blah, blah.
I hope we win but don't have good feelings about this game honestly.
Salukis are -3, per ESPN
Gotta win this one. Hopefully we see some offensive (shooting earlier in the shot clock) and lineup adjustments!
Gotta win this one. Hopefully we see some offensive (shooting earlier in the shot clock) and lineup adjustments!
I would guess we’ll see more of the bench for Midnight Madness part II tonight. Would be great to get a spark from some of those younger guys, and that might actually be necessary to beat Cal Baptist, which has some legit offensive firepower.
Bryan Mullins pregame:
https://siusalukis.com/watch/?Archive=6559&type=Archive
Clarence Rupert with Rodney Watson:
https://siusalukis.com/watch/?Archive=6558&type=Archive
sounds like we will not see much of Foster Wonders, AJ and Cade in this one either. Maybe Rupert will get some more time. Expect a game similar to last night.
i just don't know if i can put myself thru this again. last game, didn't get to bed until 230, then laid there all pissed off staring at the ceiling until about 4. then up for work at 7. old bobber still has bills to pay. but damn, they sure ain't gonna win without me.
i just don't know if i can put myself thru this again. last game, didn't get to bed until 230, then laid there all pissed off staring at the ceiling until about 4. then up for work at 7. old bobber still has bills to pay. but damn, they sure ain't gonna win without me.
quit crying and stay awake old man. We need you and all you have to do tomorrow is eat and overdo the wine
In his defense this tournament does have some bizarre scheduling. I assume from CBS Sports trying to counter ESPN in OOC tournament games while not having multiple channels and a streaming platform to help with that amount of content.
Also watching this random high school host a college tournament makes me want to see a school like Pinckneyville do the same. Let's bring some big schools to the sunken coal mine.
Bucky says 12:12 AM tipoff
