Bulldogs start the season off on the road and come home with a win 80-62. Texas Pan American has traditionally been a tough place to play with Tech losing five of their last seven trips down in south Texas. Always nice to start a season off 1-0.
Starters
DeAndre Brown
Jamel Guyton
Kyle Gibson
Olu Ashou
Magnum Rolle
- Balance – Four players in double figures and a fifth with 9. This team will be hard to defend if they continue to produce both in the paint and from the perimeter.
- Point in the paint 44-16. Enough said.
- Second half points 42-27. What was a three point lead at the half quickly ballooned to ten by the first media timeout and didn’t get any closer. In fact the Bulldogs built it up to 21 with a couple of minutes left. Most impressive part of the 42 point second half – only one three point basketball for the Bulldogs in that half. That’s efficient offense.
- Depth. Rupp played ten players in the first half.
- Negatives. Poor outside shooting (4 for 14) and a negative A/TO margin – 13/17
*Olu Ashalou – a player’s largest jump is from their first year of Division one basketball to their second and Ashalou appears to have made quite a leap. Career highs in points, rebounds, assists, and steals for the sophomore. A tidy 6 for 8 from the field and 6 for 8 from the charity stripe equals 18 points, 12 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 assists in 33 minutes of action. Several nice finishes above the rim as well.
*Magnum Rolle – tell me if you’ve hear this one before: Rolle gets in quick foul trouble and has to sit most of the first half. Rolle played a grand total of four minutes before the break. Played well in the second half when the Bulldogs ran away. Every time Magnum shot the ball tonight it went through the hoop – playing 17 minutes 5 for 5 from the field, 2 for 2 from the line – grand totals of 12 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 blocks.
*Kyle Gibson – a poor shooting night for Gibson from the arc (1 for 5). But as he has shown throughout his career when his jumper is not falling he finds ways to score. 16 points on 5 for 11 shooting.
*Jamel Guyton – the only starter not in double figures Guyton ended the night with nine points. All of his offensive production came from long range as he was 3 for 5 from deep. If he is this efficient with his shot selection the rest of the season only good will happen.
*DeAndre Brown – 13 points, 2 assists in his official debut with the program Brown is a smooth player who always seems under control. Got out on the break and finished the layup a couple times. Had four first half turnovers but none in the second half.
Bench
Not much offensive production from the bench tonight but not a large number of mistakes either.
- Yonas Berhe may be the most improved player on the team. 21 minutes, 2 assist/zero turnovers. Tech has gone from 0 quality point guards last season to two.
- Darius Redding made his first official minute before the halfway mark of the first half. Only took one shot in 12 minutes (made it) but also contributed an assist and a steal.
- David Jackson logged the most bench minutes tonight (as expected as the only non starter senior – 23). As usual put up numbers all over the stat sheet. 5 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and a block.
- Shawn Oliverson – big man got into foul trouble that limited his minutes (3 fouls in 9) but did end the night with two points and one rebound.
- Justin Rake – apparently he’s shooting the ball as well in practice as he did in the scrimmage. Freshman hit the floor in the first half but did not take a shot in five minutes.
Any road win in college basketball is a great win.
Off to New Mexico for a tournament next and an early season measuring stick game with the hosts.
Texas Pan American comes to Ruston Christmas week for round two.
A Closer Look at Latech Hoops 