Game 23: vs. Western Michigan (8-15, 5-5)
The Western swing finishes with a visit from the Broncos, who are coming off their first win against the East, beating OU by 14 in Kalamazoo. Previously, the Broncos had lost close ones at BG and at home to Buffalo while losing handily at home to Kent and at Akron. Western went 4-1 in their first round with the East, winning by at least 8 points at home versus Toledo and NIU and at Central and Eastern. Their East Division loss was by 6 at Ball St. Coach Steve Hawkins has an interesting mix of players. His backcourt is arugably the most experienced in the league while his frontcourt is probably the least experienced.
Probable Starters
Shawntes Gary, 6'3" 205 Sr. 11 pts, 6 reb. 43% FG, 18% 3PFG, 73% FT. Very athletic guard who's tried to get to the rim more this year. He has a very quick and long 1st step, which allows him to get to the basket. That 1st step allows him to seal off the defense, especially along the baseline. Watch for him down low, he can post up and score with a quick post move. Not looking to shoot the ball from the outside as much, rarely looks at the basket.
David Kool, 6'3" 205 Jr. 17 pts, 4 reb. 40% FG, 32% 3PFG, 87% FT. His numbers are down because he's had to shoulder more of the scoring burden, but he's just as dangerous. His game is Bramos-like, but probably a little less athletic than Mike. Can shooth the deep ball, moves well without the ball. Likes to go to the spin move when driving in the lane. Scores in the post as well.
Derek Drews, 6'5" 214 Sr. 9 pts, 3 reb. 39% FG, 35% 3PFG, 72% FT. Mainly a catch and shoot guy, has deep range. Have to make him dribble. Can hit pull ups in the lane, but doesn't make his pull up consistently.
Flenard Whitfield, 6'7" 222 Fr. 5 pts, 4 reb. 43% FG, 56% FT. Possesses some good skills for a freshman, but still coming along. Able to finish strong with either hand down low, but has limited scoring moves. Feeds the ball into the post well from up high. Can run the floor well.
LaMarcus Lowe, 6'11" 200 Fr. 3 pts, 4 reb. 33% FG, 62% FT. Another young, athletic big man with a lot of potential. The biggest thing he adds is length and an ability to block shots, which he does very well. Can step out and hit the 17 footer. You can attack him defensively, have to be physical with him in the post.
Off the Bench
Michael Redell, 6' 183 Sr. 5 pts, 3 ass. 39% FG, 34% 3PFG, 63% FT. Is a drive and create point guard first and foremost. He'll only shoot if he's open, but you have to respect his shot.
Donald Lawson, 6'9" 241 Jr. 7 pts, 6 reb. 53% FG, 47% FT. Coming back from an irregular heartbeat, adds some experience up front. Another guy who can block shots underneath. Has a back to the basket game and can hit the spot up jumper.
Andre Ricks, 5'9" 160 Sr. 4 pts. 33% FG, 32% 3PFG, 43% FT. Really struggling with his shot, but has 3 range. His poor shooting has affected his game a little bit, not having the impact at either end he's had in the past.
Demetrius Ward, 6'2" 215 Fr. 2 pts, 2 reb. 40% FG, 13% 3PFG, 65% FT. Athletic guard who wants to take you off the dribble. Good offensive rebounder as well.
Western's offensive sets aren't nearly as complicated as Central's, but the Broncos put more scoring threats on the floor. Even without Joe Reitz, they'll still run quite a bit of the 4 out, 1 in, dribble drive, fill in motion offense that we've come to expect from the Broncos. But Lawson, Whitfield, and Lowe combined still can't fill the shoes of Reitz, so the 4 out loses its effectiveness more quickly. When the Broncos bring in a 2nd big, they'll still run the motion, but their bigs will cross in the lane, high to low and vice-versa. When 2 bigs are in, they'll also do more pick and roll with the other big flashing to the block or the weak side wing coming off a screen for a jumper at the top of the key. Off of inbounds plays, Western likes to get the ball to the wing and run the Kansas pick and roll, where the 1st guy slips to the basket and the 2nd guy rolls. In transition, they like to hit Whitfield in the post from the top with a lob pass.
Defensively, Western's numbers are ok, giving up 65 points on 42% shooting, 34% from 3. The Broncos slow people down by changing defenses. We'll see some man, some 1-3-1, and some 2-3 zone. In each defense, Western will put good pressure on the ball because they have guys in the back who can block shots. However, with young big men often comes confusion defensively, and that is the case with Western. Western's bigs don't see the ball very well and get lost on the weakside, creating chances if you can get past them on the dribble. Also, Western's bigs struggle with inbounding the ball after a make and outlets after securing a rebound. They look to pass and take off too quickly sometimes, often leaving their guards out to dry, which lead to layups.
Against OU, Western shot over 50% for the 1st time all year! Watching them previously, I noted the Broncos weren't shooting the ball confidently like they did the last 2 years. After Wed., maybe that confidence is back, but the gameplan is still the same. Stay in front of them and force them to make tough shots from the outside. Give Gary a couple 3s before crowding him. Make Kool and especially Drews dribble. And our perimeter guys one pass over have to do a great job of helping and recovering to protect the lane and challenge shooters. At the other end, Western will play hard, but good offense will beat them. Inside-out offense is the best way to attack them, especially with their lack of bulk underneath.
Know someone who would find this article interesting? Send them a link!