Forum › Forum › Lehigh Sports › Lehigh Men’s Basketball › Game 27: Navy
This topic contains 5 replies, has 5 voices, and was last updated by LUHoops00 11 years, 11 months ago.
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February 26, 2013 at 9:36 pm #9605
Game Notes
None published to date.KenPomeroy Rankings and Chances of Winning
LU (18-8, 8-4) 94th
Navy (8-20, 2-10) 315th
LU wins 71-52 (96% chance)BU over AU 67-50 (95% chance)
Army over HC 72-64 (78% chance)
Lafayette over CU 69-67 (57% chance)PL Standings
Bucknell 10-2 (2-game winning streak)
Lafayette 8-4 (3-game winning streak)
Lehigh 8-4 (3-game losing streak)
Army 7-5 (4-game winning streak)
American 5-7 (2-game losing streak)
Colgate 5-7 (winner in their last game)
Holy Cross 3-9 (3-game losing streak)
Navy 2-10 (loser in their last game)The Game
Ok, so this should be easy. Right? We beat the Middies 4 weeks ago by 22 (71-49) in their barn and they are 1 and 5 since then. Their only win in February came at home against a surprised AU squad back on February 20th. One month earlier (January 20th) they got their only other PL win. It came against Army. The Midshipmen, like the cadets of Army, will give you a spirited – never say die – game and can’t be taken for granted. I trust we won’t. Perhaps someone ought to remind our guys that any team that can beat Army and is 17-7 against us all-time, is a threat.Up and coming stars for the Naval Academy you may have heard about include:
> Sophomore Worth Smith paces the Mids in scoring (10.5 ppg), rebounds (5.8 rpg), blocks (34) and steals (32). He needs nine points for 500 in his career and can became the second player in school history to record 500 points, 300 rebounds and 50 blocked shots by the end of his sophomore season.
> Freshman Tilman Dunbar averages 5.1 assists per game to rank third nationally among freshmen. He has moved into the Navy freshman top 10 scoring list and needs 19 points and six assists to become the first Navy player since 1991 (Erik Harris) with 300 points and 150 assists.
> Sophomore Brandon Venturini (8.9 ppg) has moved into Navy’s single-season top 10 three-pointers made list with 62Seeding, seeding, seeding……….
Were we to win-out, i.e., beat Navy on Wednesday and Army on Saturday, and couple that with a Lafayette loss to home-standing Colgate (winners of their last four at Cotterell Gym) on Wednesday or to American (looking for a sweep of the Leopards this year) on Saturday, we claim #2 seed and host #7 a week from tomorrow. Of course, in the highly unlikely event (KenPom would probably put it at 500 to 1) that BU were to drop their final two games (AU, Navy) and we were to win our last two, we would tie for first and come away with the #2 seed, as well. Were LC to also match us in winning their final two while BU drops their last two, a three-way tie at the top would result with LC earning the top seed, BU the second, and LU the third based on the combined wins each team had over the other two. And then there’s Army. Winners of 4 in a row, the Black Knights could clinch the fourth spot with a win in either of its last two games or a loss by Colgate. In fact, should they end up tied with Lafayette for third, Army gets the nod based on their sweep of the Leopards in regular season play. They could even claim #2 were they to win-out (going 9 and 5) coupled with LU and LC each losing their final two. But, those are just some of the seemingly countless scenarios ready to be played-out as 5 teams – yes, even Colgate (http://www.patriotleague.org/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/022513aac.html) – jockey for position and the right to host a quarter-final game on Mach 9th. Who said there’s no excitement left?
Good to be home……..
Tomorrow we start a three-game home stand and a new lease on life. After getting dumped by Colgate and Lafayette on the road, it’ll feel good walk thru the doors at Stabler. The run at home could stretch to four, and even five games, with the help of others. It sure beats the alternative of being away from home for the final two and then beginning the Playoffs on the road. Just ask those who favor and follow AU basketball. The Eagles closeout the year @BU and @LC and no matter how they fare in those games, cannot host a first round game next Wednesday night. Speaking of being at home, LU has played before 20,779 fans in its 11 home dates this year. That’s an average of 1,889 fans/game and represents a 42% gain over last year’s mark of 1,332 and slightly greater than double the average draw of 931 in the 2010-11 season. “Win and they will come,” someone once said.February 27, 2013 at 2:16 am #9608February 27, 2013 at 8:56 pm #9618Two thoughts:
* If there was ever a time that LU needed a statement game to tell the world that they are not going to lie down, this is it.
* Since Adonal Foyle left, have all of Colgate’s home wins been of the “letdown after the big game” variety in their strange gymnasium? I’m sure that’s not true, but it sure seems like it.
February 28, 2013 at 2:30 am #9620Boy, Navy is awful. You need to blow out bad teams, and we did.
February 28, 2013 at 2:38 am #9621Reed, after the game: “ “The X-rays and all of the analysis indicates that the bone is fusing and healing properly.” (per LoRe)
Not sure what that means as far as his chances of returning, but I think it would have been a lot more optimistic if he said the bone is HEALED.
February 28, 2013 at 11:28 am #9624Not much to say about that game, other than it was exactly what was needed. A big blowout, no one played 30+ mins, and we turn the page. Nice to see BJ looking more healthy out there, that is huge.
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