TEXAS A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI (0-2)Last Game: Vanderbilt 71, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 66 on 11/11/19
Last Game with SBU: First meeting
Checkmate Unofficial Line: Pick 'em
Net Ranking: TBD
KenPom RPI: Stony Brook 235, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 308
KenPom Prediction: Stony Brook 64, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 63
Listen/Watch:TV:
http://bit.ly/BBallGm4VidNotables:6-5/210 sr G Jashawn Talton-Thomas 18.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.0 spg, .545 FG%, .545 3-pt FG%, .778 FT%
6-4/185 jr F Nolan Bertain 8.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, .333 3-pt FG%
6-0/190 jr G Myles Smith 8.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.0 spg, .500 3-pt FG%
6-8/220 sr F Elijah Schmidt 6.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg
Anything less than two out of three from this weekend would be disappointing. All these games should be pretty close though.
On the surface, you might fear TAMCC for taking an SEC down to the wire in what's a traditionally difficult place to play for visitors. But Vanderbilt went winless in conference last year – even we did better against the SEC! – and they're supposed to be bottom of the barrel again. And then you see TAMCC's 33-point loss at Louisiana Tech and some peripherals – 39 turnovers in two games, only 21 forced, a heavy reliance on the three – and I think it's a good matchup for us.
They were projected to finish in the middle of the pack in a pretty lowly Southland Conference – good in some sports but not really basketball. They did have the Thomas Walkup years with Stephen F. Austin in the tournament, but last year ranked fourth to last in non-conference record at 30-89 (ahead of the MEAC 21-128, SWAC 12-100 and NEC 33-73). But TAMCC does have some tradition. They made four straight postseasons earlier this decade and even made it to the CIT championship game in 2017. One of the two stars on their CIT run transferred to Oregon and played meaningful minutes last year. The other ended up in the G League and is now playing professionally in Serbia.
Perhaps you dismissed the CIT success. I'll remind you that we have one postseason win all time.
Louisiana Tech absolutely pantsed TAMCC in the 2019 opener, so it's a good sign that they responded at Vandy with a solid effort. The big difference was a 4 for 17 night from three against Tech, and a 12 for 23 performance in the near upset of Vandy (TAMCC led at the half and was within two late). This is where they'll win or lose the game offensively. TAMCC has been outscored a combined 72-38 in the paint in the first two games, and the way we attack the hoop, I have to think that trend will continue.
Hoping to see TSM this weekend (no knowledge of his status). With three games in three days, I expect we will be using everybody, including Christie and Ochefu.
The opening line came in at Stony Brook -1.5. I'm inclined to think we pull this thing out.