BGSU men’s basketball held media availability after their practice Tuesday, with head coach Todd Simon, senior forward Sam Towns, senior forward Troy Glover II and junior guard Javontae Campbell.
Here are the Falcon Four takeaways from the event:
Practices have been physical and competitive
One of the most noticeable aspects of the practice, which was open to the media for the final hour of the standard three-hour period, is the physicality and competitiveness of every player on the court.
“This program is always going to be built on a relentless attitude and effort, and just intensity of competition,” Simon said. “So far, this group’s really embraced that. It’s been physical; guys are sacrificing their body, guys are on the floor. All those things we value and embody our program has been on display.”
Simon doubled down that the physicality and competitiveness will be a key part of the team’s identity this season.
“There’s going to be just a relentless competitiveness. This group is going to embody what we’re about,” Simon said. “We’re going to fight, scratch and claw for everything…We’re going to empty the tank every game.”
The roster is the deepest Simon has had at BG
Simon stated that this year’s roster is the deepest he’s had since taking over the reigns at Bowling Green in 2023.
He also explained the depth was built by design after injuries over the past two seasons.
“Last year, we kind of ran out of bodies and needed more depth. This group has raised the competition level, because I think at any point in time, you have guys that can step up and contribute,” Simon said.
The new Falcons are wasting no time showcasing the unit’s depth with their play in practice.
“It’s a pretty deep team. It’s a lot of competing in practice,” Towns said. “It’s hard to kind of gauge what group is which, it just seems like we’re all merging together, which is good because it’s a long season.”
The deep roster of 17 players will force Simon to make tough decisions on starters and rotations, which is a problem he likes to have.
“Ultimately, the ball is in [the player’s] court. They decide who’s ultimately going to be in the rotation and who’s not. We film things, there’s analytics, there’s all those things, but it’s ultimately the player that’s going to perform or not perform,” Simon said. “Our job is not to put the five best players on the floor, but the best five. It’s a team sport, and we’ve got to make sure that all the pieces, and that’s the fun part of building the puzzle.”
Defense will be a major strength of the team
Defense propelled the Orange and Brown to the Mid-American Conference (MAC) last season and appears to be a key strength for the Falcons again this year.
“Our program’s got to be based on that toughness and being able to get stops and competitiveness. We can run off of that, and that’s kind of the focal point for everything we’re doing right now. We know we can be one of the best defensive teams, and that’s something that’s a huge priority for us.”
Bowling Green’s roster is noticeably taller and lengthier than last season.
“I think coach recruited a lot of intelligent and long, lengthy type of guys that are able to play multiple positions and are versatile. I think our defense will be a big problem for other teams,” Towns said. “I think just us playing so fast and with the guys we got, I think defense and transition will be a good key to us this year.”
Campbell, who set the program’s single-season steals record last year, thinks there are more than just one or two standout defenders on the team.
“I feel like our defense is so great this year. Honestly, I feel like we got five guys competing for (MAC) Defensive Player of the Year,” he said.
Glover also added that there is a domino-like effect with this year’s roster.
“I think once we get our defensive strengths all the way down, I think it starts with one person and goes to the entire team. When you have one good person do one good play, it echoes throughout the entire team,” Glover said.
Exhibition games are back for the Falcons
For the first time since the 2022-23 season, BGSU will play in exhibition games before the start of the regular season.
The Falcons will play on the road against Michigan State on Oct. 23 and Dayton on Oct. 27.
However, Bowling Green will not be viewing those games like typical exhibition matchups.
“These are phenomenally important. Now, being able to play Division I teams in the exhibition season, I mean, they’re essentially played like games. There’s people in the stands, there’s tickets, there’s 40 minutes on the clock and you’re playing. There’s no real difference to me in terms of these exhibitions or the real games, because you’re getting a chance to see your guys compete on those stages against very, very good programs,” Simon said. “We’ll have a good measuring stick in October of what we need to work on to be the caliber program we want to be.”
