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ORU vs Missouri State


ORUTerry

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Proud of these guys and the effort they diplayed today! Not a bad crowd either, provided it's the Saturday before Christmas and students out for break.  We were treated to a great game.  Hart to point to one person in particular, because it was a team effort all the way around.  Go Eagles!

 

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Amazing win with only 7 guys....its the return of the Magnificent Seven....hopefully a few guys get healthy over the Christmas Break....sad to hear that Weaver wont play this season...😥

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My thoughts:

- Serious props to Eman, Obanor and Lufile. Incredible collective effort to dominate the glass, KO especially. Tenacious effort all afternoon.

- Seemed to be a point of emphasis to get the ball inside (though our big men are still getting their touches too far from the basket). Heard Coach say on the postgame show that the guys are supposed to get at least one “paint touch” before shooting a three. 
 

- That was a decent MSU team. They’ve got no bad losses this season, and they came to play today. 

- I have wondered for a quite a while if Paul Mills was a great leader of men, and a terrible coach of basketball. Not anymore. This was a big time win that took big time coaching. I think we’re starting to see this team turn the corner. 

- Adam Hildebrandt is a great listen. 

- Injuries are becoming a real concern. Did anybody hear an update on Lacis and RJ? Running 7 guys out there right now is scary. Too high of a workload for everybody. 
 

 

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Observations:

- Like OT said, that was a nice game to watch; physical play with good athletes. 
 

- I was not optimistic about this game. Even less so when we took a 4 point deficit into halftime. I knew that we could do better shooting, but not sure we could given their length. 
 

- Missouri State is a veteran team; deep, long and skilled. I think they were taller than us at almost every position. It bothered us in the first half, but I think maybe our quickness negated their length just a bit in the second half. 
 

- Obanor, Lufile and Nzekwesi were beasts on the boards. MSU averaged a +8.3 rebound margin and we out-rebounded them by 13(!). 
 

- Best game of the season by Obanor. Did not force things on offense. Only took two 3-pointers. Lots of low post moves to the basket. Was relentless on the boards. 
 

- Lufile played their #44 tough. Both guys are really big men. I don’t think #44 is used to not being able to move his opponent off the block. 
 

- Nzekwesi also played well. Grabbed rebounds and didn’t force things for the most part. He and Obanor played high/low post at least once. Need to see more of that. 
 

- Abmas’ shooting was the difference maker in the 2nd half. His 4 threes provided the margin we needed. He also had some nice drives to the basket. 
 

- Burns had a decent game; he made some mistakes but given the amount of minutes he plays and time he handles the ball, that’s to be expected. Had some nice drives to the baskets and pull up/mid range shots. 
 

- I liked our defensive effort. Help in the double team from the back side was nice. 
 

- Mills did a good job of rotating a short bench - keeping guys as fresh as he could. I would vote this as his best win at ORU. 
 

- Was Jones on the bench? If Weaver and Jurgens are red shirting, why are they in uniform? How soon will we see Fuqua and Lacis back on the floor?

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Not sure why Missouri State didn’t have their wings go inside more. After they got down by 7 in the second half, they seemed to just rely on jump shots or go inside to #44 - who was mostly double teamed. 

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Great reflection on the game ORU Terry. Great win for the ORU basketball program. It is possible to see a replay of the game on demand. I am in Florida and went to the Tampa game with Houston at the same time our game was playing and missed it. Watching it now.

 Image result for drinking the kool aid gif

 

 

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Grad, can you share the link for the replay?  I listened to the game but did not get to watch it.  Thanks for sharing the link.

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If you watch to the end of the locker room celebration, I think Lufile bangs his head on the TV... ouch. 
 

Heard that Mills wife told her kids that their father didn’t need anything for Christmas - he just got what he wanted. 

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Good stuff - couple more points:

  • I have wondered (and intimated aloud) whether Paul Mills could instill toughness in his team(s) and/or staff(s) with such a meek outward persona, or would at least not feel threatened if his players exhibited toughness on their own. Question answered:  apparently, “Yes”.  This bunch, however they’ve arrived here, is plenty tough enough.
     
  • Leader in that regard has to be Nzekwesi, who earned newfound respect in my book after I heard he had a tooth knocked out early in the Chicago State game, only to turn in a double-double anyway.  Which goes to show just how much pain he must be experiencing with that bone bruise, to have missed so much time and still be visibly limping. I’m starting to think each game wrung out of him for the rest of the season is a gift. 
     
  • I’ve never seen a big man improve in such leaps and bounds in terms of physical presence as Eli. He totally intimidated the Missouri State big men on both ends of the floor, and they were a handful.  His early offensive rebound and explosive dunk from a flat-footed launch in front of the rim was sublimely epic. From a “big-man-to-big-man“ perspective, it was about as in-your-face as it gets in the paint.  In terms of maturity, he plays like a 5th-year senior with 100 games under his belt. 

 

  • Can’t ever recall an ORU roster with three such physical glass-eaters as Obanor, Nzekwesi and Lufile. It’s a rare combination at the low-to-mid-major level; reminds me of a Wichita State line-up, which is saying something. 

 

  • Missouri State was talented, but not particularly well-coached.  In short, they weren’t very disciplined.  I thought ORU did a good job of baiting the Bears into early foul trouble in the first half, but then failed to take advantage of getting to the line with the bonus opportunities (and surrendering the first half lead in the process). ORU did not make the same mistake in the 2nd half; after reaching the bonus again with over 10 minutes left in the game, the good guys pounded the ball inside or drove to the rim, and it paid off at the line.  Burns, Abmas and Obanor all opted for getting the ball into the paint rather than settling for three-point shots, and it was the difference in the game. 
     
  • Coach Mills in the postgame radio interview, about getting the ball inside in the second half:  “I told the guys at halftime we were shooting 58% on possessions where we got a touch in the paint; and 0% when we didn’t.  I told them this isn’t rocket science.”  Uhh, where have we heard THAT before??? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
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Coach Mills in the postgame radio interview, about getting the ball inside in the second half:  “I told the guys at halftime we were shooting 58% on possessions where we got a touch in the paint; and 0% when we didn’t.  I told them this isn’t rocket science.”  Uhh, where have we heard THAT before???

 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Great OT! Don't tell me they don't read our post. Everyone else in the media does. Was Jones and Lazenby on the bench? 

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3 hours ago, ORUTerry said:

Lazenby was in sweats at the end of the bench...

I did not see that; I was going by trainer John Joslin’s pregame injury (ie health) report on the radio broadcast as I pulled into Mabee Center; he said Lazenby was too sick to be there. 

I wonder if he approved of the sick guys being on the bench around the rest of the team?

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Did not hear the pre-game broadcast. I had the same thought as you, ‘if he is sick, why is he here?’

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The guys have about 9 days to rest and recover from illness/injuries (BYU warm-up) and hopefully get healthy for South Dakota State. Will need all hands on deck for that one. Merry Christmas everyone

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An article on the game said ORU had a depleted roster. Was this due to academics, injury, sickness, or suspension?

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