Game 6, 2023-24: at Towson (12/6)

[MikeUMA]

Not getting ahead of myself, but I looked up the CAA's pre-season poll. Towson was picked in a two-way tie for 5th (with Delaware).
https://caasports.com/news/2023/10/17/c ... -year.aspx

Last year, they finished 3rd, at 12-6 in the league, and 21-12 overall. They tripped us up in their visit to Amherst for our game 2.
https://umasshoops.com/wiki/doku.php?id ... 110_towson

[MikeUMA]

UM hits the road this week.

This one might be a listen only party, unless you
Are there in Towson.
Get the Monumental Sports Network in your TV package. I saw something that says that's a rebrand of what was NBC Sports Washington.
Want to get hosed by FloSports for one game. UMMBB isn't slated for Flo the rest of this season.

Jay and Adam will have it for you on traditional radio or streaming audio thru Varsity.

[thecaptain]

there are other ways to watch this game...just make sure you have a good anti-virus program

[Juice Stand]

Does anybody have a scouting report on this year's Towson squad? They're 3-5 and sub-200 in the computer rankings, which I don't put much stock into this early in the season (281 NET and 217 Kenpom). Pat Skerry is still the coach there, but they lost Nicolas Timberlake to Kansas. He torched us last year with 27 points on 10-14 shooting.

Their wins haven't been against good teams, and their losses haven't been close. Maybe a rebuilding year for Skerry?

[umasscollective]

Will be at the game tomorrow with Baltimore native Terrell Vinson. If anyone else is going please reach out!

[MikeUMA]

A little more on the Tigers...

They're 3-5 on the season so far, 2-0 at home. Those 2:
66-62 over Robert Morris
67-58 over Morgan State

Other notable games:
75-57 loss at Colorado to open the season
65-49 loss vs #6 Houston in Charleston
71-61 loss vs Wake Forest in Charleston
65-39 loss vs John Buggs and North Texas in Charleston

Their 57.1 ppg average is near the bottom of all of D1, 359 of 362 teams. Their high was 70 at Coppin State. Aside from that they haven't made it out of the 60s. They're also not great from 3, at just .289

Defensively though, they're doing well at 63.2 ppg, 33rd best in the nation. The 65 that Houston scored on 'em was Houston's lowest score on the season so far.

Towson is averaging +8.2 on the glass on the season. In the game against Wake, Towson was +19, and at Coppin, Towson was +31. Towson is #2 (of 14) in the CAA in rebounding.

Trending along with the low scoring output, the Tigers have just one double-figure scorer: Tyler Tejada with 11.3 ppg. The 6'8 220 Freshman G/F is shooting 40% overall, 31% from 3, with about 3.6 3FGAs per game. The 11.3 ppg isn't within the CAA's top 25 scorers.

Other starters (consistent lineup from their last 3 games):

• Charles Thompson, 6'7 250 Grad F, 8.5 & 8.5. Was CAA Second Team and Defensive Team last season. The 8.5 boards is good for 3rd most within the CAA
• Christian May, 6'5 210 Soph G/F, 7.8 pts, 4.9 boards. He takes their most 3s, five per game, but is only hitting 23%
• Messiah Jones, 6'6 230 Sr F, 7.3 pts, 4.9 boards, plays less than 19 mpg. Transfer from Wofford, averaged 9.0 and 4.8 there
• Dylan Williamson, 6'1 180 Fr PG, 6.5 pts, 1.4 boards

Last season, when Towson humbled us at home...
https://umasshoops.com/wiki/doku.php?id ... 110_towson

• UM up 22-20 with 9:20 left in the first, then Towson goes on a 12-0 run, and a sign of how things go the rest of the night. UM cold with .345 FG overall, .214 from 3, .545 from the line. Kante shoots 5-6. Cross debuts with 5-9 shooting, but cooled off after one hot stretch. Rest of team shoots 10-44. Towson shoots .586 in the first, .532 for the game, and +9 on the glass
• The injury bug hadn't bit us at that time, we just couldn't shoot. Noah 1-6, Luis 0-10
• Nick Timberlake torched us for 27, with 10-14 shooting. The 2x CAA 1st Teamer, thankfully, has transferred to Kansas
• Cameron Holden snared 13 boards. The CAA 2nd Teamer finished his eligibility

I just noticed that the CAA isn't the "Colonial" anymore. This summer, they rebranded to the Coastal Athletic Association.

[Juice Stand]

wow, good stuff. Thanks Mike! Sounds like it might be another rock fight.

[inthescoop]

UMass are 2.5 point favorites.

I believe in this UMass team.. I think they win easy.

[capezona]

It won't be easy if they play ugly like the last game. Let's hope they learned a few things.

[minutefanjsf]

It won't be easy if they play ugly like the last game. Let's hope they learned a few things.

Towson makes the opponent play ugly.

[LS71]

An ugly win is fine with me. There are no style point to be had…

[Floyd]

I don't care if they win 5-4. Just win

Well. Yeah 5-4 would be a pretty shitty game.

[capezona]

I'd feel a lot better if it was 10-9.

[LS71]

Keep ‘em in single digits!

[Upstate10]

Looks like there is a free YouTube stream tonight