Pilots @ LMU - Martin Luther King Day @ 4pm

In the KenPom ranks, UP jumped from #277 to #251 this morning, and LMU moved up 1 to #120 after their 5-point road loss to USD.  The Pilots also jumped from 247 to #226 in the NET after their win over Pepperdine but still aren't getting much love from the prognosticators against #161 LMU.

KenPom is predicting UP (10-7/1-1) will lose to LMU (7-7/0-2) by 11 points, 78-67.

The early Las Vegas line has LMU winning by 12 points with a 146 o/u.

Remember, this game tips at 4pm and will be streamed on the WCC Network

If the Pilots are going to have a chance against the Lions, someone is going to have to clamp down on 5th-year senior 6-6/235 Eli Scott, who scored 29 with 9 boards yesterday in San Diego.

Scott is shooting 52.0% from short range and is averaging 17 points, while 5th-year senior 6-2 Joe Quintana drops over 13 per game and 6-7 Dameone Douglas puts in 12 for LMU.

But the guy we all love to watch is the Australian with the mullet, Keli Leaupepe...

LMU's record is 7-7, but they have played a tough schedule. KenPom has them #118. Their worst loss is their most recent, at USD (KenPom #189). Their best wins are SMU (#68) at a neutral site and at Tulsa (#134). They also had a 3 week layoff after beating Bellarmine on 12/21, and have lost both their WCC games road games (USF, USD). I think the Pilot starters all need to shoot well to win this game. Against USD, Robertson and Austin had poor shooting nights. Against Pepperdine it was Robertson and Meadows with poor shooting. Go Pilots.
LMU WINS
AZ Christian NAIA
Little Rock 301
SMU 68
Prairie View 294
Long Beach St 249
Tulsa 134
Bellarmine 203
LOSSES
Chattanooga 80
Florida St 54
Grand Canyon 98
New Mexico St 93
Nevada 106
USF 36
USD 189

Moses Wood not available with an ankle issue.

up7587 wrote:Moses Wood not available with an ankle issue.  

I though it was a toe.

Geezaldinho wrote:

up7587 wrote:Moses Wood not available with an ankle issue.  

I though it was a toe.

That was Sjolund.

Down 2 at the half, after LMU stopped making turnovers and started making 3's. Pilots need to find someone who can respond, currently 2-10 on 3's.

Silveira may have an injury after stepping on a foot.  Bench getting thinner and thinner.  Good thing LMU doesn't run.

edit: down 3. Meadows' 3P was ruled a 2P. Thought he might have had a foot on the line at the time. Only 1-9 on 3s.

This team looks gassed.

Rob's Jacket wrote:This team looks gassed.

They may not score in the 2nd half.

First points from the field in the 2nd half come with 11:20 to go.

My webcast cut out. I’m going to miss the Incarnate Word-style comeback.

Dean Murdoch wrote:My webcast cut out. I’m going to miss the Incarnate Word-style comeback.

Yeah, my feed froze, and I moved on.

Dean Murdoch wrote:My webcast cut out. I’m going to miss the Incarnate Word-style comeback.

No comeback tonight.

Will chalk this one up due to a lack of gas and a short bench (that cold 3-point shooting though...) and take the 1-2 road trip.

Sound Voltex wrote:(that cold 3-point shooting though...)

Tyler Robertson is the team leader in assists and rebounds, but in conference play he is 5-25 from the field, and 3-17 on his 3P attempts. Something has to change. Pilots need a 4th scorer. The bench had zero points tonight (LMU's bench had 31!).

Not sure if this is nothing new and I’ve just never noticed, but Nikola Milosevic was in full uniform for the handshake line afterwards.

In the radio pre-game show it was mentioned that Milosevic is close to or ready to play.

Something about the start of the second half… it’s a trend.

up7587 wrote:In the radio pre-game show it was mentioned that Milosevic is close to or ready to play.

With the bench getting shorter and shorter by the day, it is:

1. A good thing the game originally scheduled against USF this Thursday was rescheduled, and
2. There is a possibility Nikola Milosevic will have to give up his redshirt year.

With Quad 1 games coming up this Saturday (1/22) in Provo and the following Saturday (1/29) in Spokane, the game at home against Pacific on Thursday, January 27 looms as target to have enough guys ready to pull off another WCC win.