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The 8-4 Blue Raiders come to Bartow Arena Saturday afternoon. Middle Tennessee is the top rated team in C-USA after the OOC schedule. ODU and WKU round out the top three teams. UAB (9-4) is rated either the fifth (KenPom) or sixth (Massey Composite) best team. If you just use RPI, UAB is way down the chart.

Stats	MT	UAB
Record	8-4	9-4
RPI	37	244
KenPom	62	123
Massey Composite	58	140
OOC SOS	12	337
Top 100 Record	3-4	0-2

KenPom.com has the game: MT 73 - UAB 72

(OOC SOS and Top 100 Record from KenPom)

Nick King is rated as the top player in the conference, while Chris Cokley is 5th. Cokley’s health will play a huge factor in this game.

King has been virtually unstoppable offensively so far this season. He has scored in the 30s twice and in the 20s seven times this season. He gets to the free throw line a lot, where he converts at an 82% pace. The 6’7”, 225 lbs senior also attempts a few threes each game at 41%. Although King had four fouls in his last game against Miami, he has never fouled out in his college career.

King has been the KenPom MVP in 6 of MT’s 12 games.

MT’s main 3-point threat is Giddy Potts, who is 26-67 for 39%. Potts is a thief on the court where four times he has had four steals this season.

Potts hasn’t had to score quite as much with King on the team, but he did have 19 points against Auburn when he was 9-9 from the foul line.

Tarik Dixon had 9 assists in MT’s win over Ole Miss.

Middle Tennessee’s big men are Brandon Walters (6-10 250 Sr) and Karl Gamble (6-9 224 Jr). Walters typically starts, but Gamble gets plenty of playing time as well. Walters had 20 points against Ole Miss, and has reached double digit points in 7 of the games.

MT has played four away games, going 4-0. Their best away win was at Vanderbilt (68). They have played at four neutral sites, going 1-3. MT is well tested already, and they have a big-time player in Nick King. Potts is quite good too.

Middle Tennessee has to be favored in this one. I’ll be rooting loud for UAB, but I have it MT 81 - UAB 72.

If I remember correctly, Nick King started out at Memphis. Transfers to UAT, then it was between us and MT for him. You’re dang right I would have promised him a starting spot. Lee to the bench. Of course, they knew Jacorey Williams will have graduated by the time he got to play.

If this guy didn't come to us bc we wouldn't bench Lee, then we are idiots.

(12-29-2017 02:37 PM)BlazinBham Wrote:  If I remember correctly, Nick King started out at Memphis. Transfers to UAT, then it was between us and MT for him. You’re dang right I would have promised him a starting spot. Lee to the bench. Of course, they knew Jacorey Williams will have graduated by the time he got to play.

We were never in the running for him. Jacorey Williams is the player that contacted us.

(12-29-2017 01:31 PM)KevMo4UAB Wrote:  MT’s main 3-point threat is Giddy Potts, who is 26-67 for 39%. Potts is a thief on the court where four times he has had four steals this season.

Potts hasn’t had to score quite as much with King on the team, but he did have 19 points against Auburn when he was 9-9 from the foul line.

Tarik Dixon had 9 assists in MT’s win over Ole Miss.

Middle Tennessee’s big men are Brandon Walters (6-10 250 Sr) and Karl Gamble (6-9 224 Jr). Walters typically starts, but Gamble gets plenty of playing time as well. Walters had 20 points against Ole Miss, and has reached double digit points in 7 of the games.

We missed on Potts big time for some reason.

(12-29-2017 03:15 PM)Jball Wrote:  

(12-29-2017 02:37 PM)BlazinBham Wrote:  If I remember correctly, Nick King started out at Memphis. Transfers to UAT, then it was between us and MT for him. You’re dang right I would have promised him a starting spot. Lee to the bench. Of course, they knew Jacorey Williams will have graduated by the time he got to play.

We were never in the running for him. Jacorey Williams is the player that contacted us.

It's more fun to start complaining about how we turned him away because we are dedicated to William Lee starting.

For whatever reason, I thought wrong. Maybe it was just me thinking we should’ve went after him and mixed it with news about Jacorey Williams picking between us.

(12-29-2017 02:37 PM)BlazinBham Wrote:  If I remember correctly, Nick King started out at Memphis. Transfers to UAT, then it was between us and MT for him. You’re dang right I would have promised him a starting spot. Lee to the bench. Of course, they knew Jacorey Williams will have graduated by the time he got to play.

Didn't know we were after king. All three couldve started.

(12-29-2017 03:43 PM)Big Dee Wrote:  

(12-29-2017 02:37 PM)BlazinBham Wrote:  If I remember correctly, Nick King started out at Memphis. Transfers to UAT, then it was between us and MT for him. You’re dang right I would have promised him a starting spot. Lee to the bench. Of course, they knew Jacorey Williams will have graduated by the time he got to play.

Didn't know we were after king. All three couldve started.

We weren’t, I’m drunk.

Why has MTSU been able to build such a solid program the past 4 or so years after being really irrelevant in college bball? Where did our two programs diverge and what caused it? Three years ago, I thought we'd be having their level of success with this core group of players. Certainly hasn't played out that way.

Kind of interesting that we got rid of a coach in large part due to the fact that he wasn't recruiting at a high level, or even a mediocre level. Now, we have had two coaches that can recruit at a fairly high level, but their coaching and talent development abilities are in serious question.

(12-29-2017 04:32 PM)The Answer UAB Wrote:  Kind of interesting that we got rid of a coach in large part due to the fact that he wasn't recruiting at a high level, or even a mediocre level. Now, we have had two coaches that can recruit at a fairly high level, but their coaching and talent development abilities are in serious question.

I always thought the issue with Davis was the quantity of quality players. His teams were good. Probably better than what we have on the court today. He just couldn't find enough players to field a team. He hurt himself with APR issues, which I think limited his recruiting hours.

(12-29-2017 04:32 PM)The Answer UAB Wrote:  Kind of interesting that we got rid of a coach in large part due to the fact that he wasn't recruiting at a high level, or even a mediocre level. Now, we have had two coaches that can recruit at a fairly high level, but their coaching and talent development abilities are in serious question.

Aside from Lee, I disagree with your assessment of talent development level. Chris Cokley has become a much better player. As late as last year, he was foul prone and this year he is rarely in foul trouble and is a better defensive player. Sullivan has improved since his freshman year. Nick has been hampered by injury, but he is getting better.

Ehsan is a much better manager of the players this year and seems more in control. He is still learning on the job and UAB fans need to be patient and let him grow in the job. That was the situation when we hired him.

(12-29-2017 04:47 PM)Dracorex Wrote:  

(12-29-2017 04:32 PM)The Answer UAB Wrote:  Kind of interesting that we got rid of a coach in large part due to the fact that he wasn't recruiting at a high level, or even a mediocre level. Now, we have had two coaches that can recruit at a fairly high level, but their coaching and talent development abilities are in serious question.

I always thought the issue with Davis was the quantity of quality players. His teams were good. Probably better than what we have on the court today. He just couldn't find enough players to field a team. He hurt himself with APR issues, which I think limited his recruiting hours.

Again how did Davis hurt himself with Apr issues?

(12-29-2017 04:18 PM)The Answer UAB Wrote:  Why has MTSU been able to build such a solid program the past 4 or so years after being really irrelevant in college bball? Where did our two programs diverge and what caused it? Three years ago, I thought we'd be having their level of success with this core group of players. Certainly hasn't played out that way.

(12-29-2017 04:32 PM)The Answer UAB Wrote:  Kind of interesting that we got rid of a coach in large part due to the fact that he wasn't recruiting at a high level, or even a mediocre level. Now, we have had two coaches that can recruit at a fairly high level, but their coaching and talent development abilities are in serious question.

Lol That's the elephant in the room. Look at Kermit been at mtsu about 15-16 years only been to the tournament about three times there. How many years wouldve Davis taken us there in 15-16 years.

Don't understand how Davis didn't recruit well when he's had drafted guys and a guy or two in around the NBA or G League. Had a few guys have success overseas.



A sidenote away from Davis, I wonder what Mo Finley saw in Smallwood that he called up Haase since Thomas is such a terrible player to a few here on the board.

(12-29-2017 03:18 PM)blazers9911 Wrote:  

(12-29-2017 01:31 PM)KevMo4UAB Wrote:  MT’s main 3-point threat is Giddy Potts, who is 26-67 for 39%. Potts is a thief on the court where four times he has had four steals this season.

Potts hasn’t had to score quite as much with King on the team, but he did have 19 points against Auburn when he was 9-9 from the foul line.

Tarik Dixon had 9 assists in MT’s win over Ole Miss.

Middle Tennessee’s big men are Brandon Walters (6-10 250 Sr) and Karl Gamble (6-9 224 Jr). Walters typically starts, but Gamble gets plenty of playing time as well. Walters had 20 points against Ole Miss, and has reached double digit points in 7 of the games.

We missed on Potts big time for some reason.

Did we recruit him? Imagine if we had brought in Potts or Wesley Person instead of Jarvis Calhoun the same year as Cokely, Lee, Norton, and Sullivan.

I don’t think we really did for whatever reason, but we still missed. He was a little undersized and i know Haase seems to prefer bigger guards, but he is outstanding. I remember we were in on Person, not sure if we backed off or he just decided to go elsewhere though.