In their 5th game against low-major competition, the Friars finally put together a complete game for 40 minutes. PC raced out to an early lead, would take a 13-point lead into the half, and would cruise to a 78-48 victory Tuesday night at the AMP. Freshman big man Oswin Erhunmwunse would lead the Friars in scoring with 13 points, but it was a balanced scoring attack that saw ten dudes tally points. The Friars continued to show their stout defense holding Delaware St to no more than 25 points in each half.
It was a good close to the early part of their schedule before they head to the Battle For Atlantis.
Shout Out to Christ- St. Joe’s transfer Christ Essandoko has certainly heard criticism coming from Friar fans, including one of our own at the Crier, for his poor play early in the season. Well on this night he met the preseason expectations.
Essandoko played 19 minutes and had 9 points, 12 rebounds (6 offensive), an assist, a block, and a steal. His biggest stat of the night was only one turnover, as giveaways has haunted him through the first four games. He was able to take advantage of some post up opportunities where Delaware St was just no match. This game was a huge development for Essandoko, but potentially this team’s ceiling as well.
https://twitter.com/kmooretv/status/1859074278936695178?s=46
BOC Comment: Mike, it is better to state your opinion, even if unpopular, than remain neutral!
Dominating the Glass– Going in we knew the Friars should have the advantage on the glass, but they really flexed their muscles in this area tonight. PC would hold a +24 edge on the boards, including being +9 in offensive rebounding. Going into the game the Friars were ranked tied for 40th in the nation in rebounds per game at 43. They will certainly climb those rankings after grabbing 48 on the night.
BOC: We talked preseason about how the Friars should use their size and depth to bully on the glass. This game was a perfect example of that. Floyd and Cardet are fantastic rebounders for their position.
Taking Care of and Sharing the Rock– The bad trend for the Friars in their first three games was an inordinate amount of turnovers. They cleaned that up against Green Bay and while they nearly doubled their turnovers in this game, they finished with 10 in this one which is a number you can live with. Especially when they did as good of a job sharing the basketball as they did Tuesday night. The Friars would have 21 assists on 29 makes, and the ball movement is starting to show signs of improvement. If they can do these two things, while maintaining their great defense, they can win a lot of games.
https://twitter.com/bocallday/status/1859026956983165196?s=46&t=jxSpiAPB3PvC74snCH-rvQ
Bryce Hopkins DNP– While fans have waited with bated breath for #TheReturn of Bryce Hopkins, it was not in the cards tonight. Bryce Hopkins sat out once again as he fully recovers from last year’s torn ACL. While we continue to speculate when he comes back, one thing we know for sure is that he’s close. Here’s Kim English in the post game giving an update on his star forward:
https://twitter.com/kevinmcnamara33/status/1859062372377256106?s=46
Conclusion
Now the season shifts for the Friars. After playing their first five games against subpar competition (358th NCSOS per KenPom) that will all change next week. The Friars won’t return to action until they tip off at 5pm next Wednesday in Atlantis. PC will take on Oklahoma in a rematch of last year’s Big East / Big 12 Battle game in their first game with the potential of seeing the likes of Arizona and Gonzaga or Indiana in the second round. When they return to the United States, they will host BYU December 3rd. So we will certainly learn a lot about this team in the coming weeks, in what could be a pivotal juncture of their season. For now let’s just enjoy that they’re 5-0 and rest up for Feast Week.
https://twitter.com/bocallday/status/1859054337281917419?s=46&t=jxSpiAPB3PvC74snCH-rvQ
Great post game analysis 🙌🏻🇺🇸
Once again a spot on recap. Lots to like about the statistical results of the team and some individuals however, lets get to the real crux of the current situation. Did this incredibly easy cupcake schedule, reminiscent of the Pete Gillen years, really help? Their strength of schedule is in the toilet which will not help at the end of the year. Remember what they said last year when picking for the NCAA tournament. As for the ghost, Bryce Hopkins, why is everybody dancing around when he’s making his grand entrance? He’s either ready to play or he’s not, period.
No doubt the Friar’s will be better when he’s on the court but how long will it take and how far down the important ratings will they be. We’ll find out early this season if, a post season is possible without winning the BE championship. From Delaware St currently ranked #344 Pomeroy to Oklahoma #47 lets see what happens.
good analysis Russ. I agree with your SOS comment but I believe it was scheduled owing to the fact that there are so many new players that have never played together in a Friar game. Nevertheless it could definitely hurt us depending on how we do the remainder of the season. I have watched Creighton, Marquette and St. Johns play this season and believe me it is going to be a bumpy ride. In a nutshell we are going to need Bryce Hopkins to come back very soon and play up to his potential very quickly in order for us to have a successful season. He must be the straw to stir the drink! Go Friars!