NCAA Hoops - 11/19/04
-- NEXT UPDATE will be out before 5:00am Pacific on SATURDAY, November 20.
RAS Official Plays 0-0 (Recommended as 1 or 2 UNIT plays)
*Three plays Friday:
Lines current as of 4:15am EST
Louisiana Tech vs Lafayette Under 141 (play to 138) - 3:30pm Pacific
Louisiana Tech games averaged 133.5 points per game last season. They have added JC transfer point guard Daevon Haskins to a lineup of four returning starters. Haskins is the first true point guard the Bulldogs have had in a while. La Tech features 6-9 super sophomore Paul Mislap who led the nation in rebounding as well as the WAC in blocked shots as a freshman. He has added 15 pounds in the offseason and should again be a major force. They have another big body in 6-9, 255 pound returning starter Wayne Powell. Both Powell and Mislap led the team in scoring in their two exhibitions. One thing the Bulldogs do not do is shoot well from long range. They ranked 9th in the WAC in 3-point shooting last year and in their two exhibitions shot 10 of 29 from behind the arc vs weak competition. They also do not appear very deep with only 7 players getting double digit minutes in final exhibition game. Clearly, this team will favor a half court style. After one exhibition game, head coach Keith Richard said, "We wanted to run motion and work the clock."
Lafayette games averaged 146 points per game last season which is why this line is somewhat high. In recent years Lafayette would jack up a lot of quick shots and live and die with it. However, head coach Jesse Evans has moved on to San Francisco and new head coach Robert Lee is going to employ a slightly more conservative approach demanding better shot selection and more focus on defense. The Ragin Cajuns also lost three double digit scorers to graduation including top two scorers, top two assist leaders, and top three 3-point shooters who were responsible for 200 of their 237 made 3-point field goals last year. Like Louisiana Tech, Lafayette has a major concern with 3-point shooting coming into the season. They shot just 3-of-21 from behind the arc in only exhibition game. Perhaps their best 3-point shooter, ETSU transfer Tiras Wade, had to sit out last year and may require some time to regain his rhythm. Only 119 points were scored in their exhibition game which is one of the lowest totals I have come across this year. Coach Lee has said the team will need to create some offense from its defense. Said one Lafayette player, "We sleep defense and wake up thinking about defense.?
The experimental rules used in early season tournaments are favoring low scoring games. The widened key makes it difficult to post up close to the basket and the extended 3-point line is lowering shooting percentages. This game features two instate rivals with high hopes for the season playing on a neutral court at LSU. La Tech went under 5 of 6 away from home and Lafayette went under 5 of 8 away from home last season. This game figures to be tightly contested with points coming at a premium.
Under 141 1 UNIT
Continued...
-- NEXT UPDATE will be out before 5:00am Pacific on SATURDAY, November 20.
RAS Official Plays 0-0 (Recommended as 1 or 2 UNIT plays)
*Three plays Friday:
Lines current as of 4:15am EST
Louisiana Tech vs Lafayette Under 141 (play to 138) - 3:30pm Pacific
Louisiana Tech games averaged 133.5 points per game last season. They have added JC transfer point guard Daevon Haskins to a lineup of four returning starters. Haskins is the first true point guard the Bulldogs have had in a while. La Tech features 6-9 super sophomore Paul Mislap who led the nation in rebounding as well as the WAC in blocked shots as a freshman. He has added 15 pounds in the offseason and should again be a major force. They have another big body in 6-9, 255 pound returning starter Wayne Powell. Both Powell and Mislap led the team in scoring in their two exhibitions. One thing the Bulldogs do not do is shoot well from long range. They ranked 9th in the WAC in 3-point shooting last year and in their two exhibitions shot 10 of 29 from behind the arc vs weak competition. They also do not appear very deep with only 7 players getting double digit minutes in final exhibition game. Clearly, this team will favor a half court style. After one exhibition game, head coach Keith Richard said, "We wanted to run motion and work the clock."
Lafayette games averaged 146 points per game last season which is why this line is somewhat high. In recent years Lafayette would jack up a lot of quick shots and live and die with it. However, head coach Jesse Evans has moved on to San Francisco and new head coach Robert Lee is going to employ a slightly more conservative approach demanding better shot selection and more focus on defense. The Ragin Cajuns also lost three double digit scorers to graduation including top two scorers, top two assist leaders, and top three 3-point shooters who were responsible for 200 of their 237 made 3-point field goals last year. Like Louisiana Tech, Lafayette has a major concern with 3-point shooting coming into the season. They shot just 3-of-21 from behind the arc in only exhibition game. Perhaps their best 3-point shooter, ETSU transfer Tiras Wade, had to sit out last year and may require some time to regain his rhythm. Only 119 points were scored in their exhibition game which is one of the lowest totals I have come across this year. Coach Lee has said the team will need to create some offense from its defense. Said one Lafayette player, "We sleep defense and wake up thinking about defense.?
The experimental rules used in early season tournaments are favoring low scoring games. The widened key makes it difficult to post up close to the basket and the extended 3-point line is lowering shooting percentages. This game features two instate rivals with high hopes for the season playing on a neutral court at LSU. La Tech went under 5 of 6 away from home and Lafayette went under 5 of 8 away from home last season. This game figures to be tightly contested with points coming at a premium.
Under 141 1 UNIT
Continued...
