After the Falcon men’s basketball team started the season off on the right foot defensively against Wayne State, their last two opponents have had a field day shooting the ball.
BG held WSU to a 36.2 field goal percentage, while allowing them to make just one 3-pointer.
However, Xavier and Iowa combined to shoot 56.2 percent and make 24 3-pointers, leaving BG’s defense a point of concern for coach Louis Orr.
‘From a statistical point of view, we haven’t played defense,’ Orr said. ‘We really haven’t guarded like we did in the past.’
In the most recent past – the 2008-09 season – the Falcons were among the Mid-American Conference leaders in field goal defense, allowing opponents to make 39.3 percent of shots and just 30.1 percent of 3-point shots.
But after losing three seniors to graduation, Orr’s squad is now a work in progress that, amongst other things, simply gives up too many easy baskets as it struggles to find a defensive system that suits the players best.
‘We have to find the right balance between our man and our zone because neither one has really stopped people,’ Orr said. ‘We’re a work in progress and our goal is get better every day.’
Free throwing
BG is averaging less than 10 free throw attempts a game this season and is hitting only 48.1 percent (13-for-27) of those attempts.
And considering their opposition has made more free throws (37) than the Falcons have attempted, Orr said the team needs to play more aggressively.
‘That’s a sign of a couple things,’ Orr said. ‘One is not being as solid fundamentally as you need to be. Also, you’re not playing physical basketball.’
Against Iowa, BG only attempted two free throws, both coming late in the second half, and the team’s top three players in minutes are a combined 1-for-3 from the stripe this season.
NBA star in BG
Former Detroit Pistons standout Isaiah Thomas will be in Bowling Green Nov. 30.
The Falcons will be taking on Florida International, which is coached by Thomas.
Eurotrip
Brian Moten and Nate Miller – two seniors from last season’s MAC championship team – are playing basketball in Europe this season.
Moten is playing for the UBC Hannover Tigers in Germany and is averaging 15.9 points per game on the strength of a 62.5 shooting percentage through nine games.
Nathan Miller, as he is referred to in Spain, is playing for the Leyma Basquet Coruna and averaging 12.5 points and 6.7 rebounds per game through his first 10 games with the team.
Up next
BG will take on Wisconsin-Milwaukee at Anderson Arena Saturday at 2 p.m. before welcoming Thomas and FIU Monday at 7 p.m.’
