I tweeted this at the time, but English running the point was a roller coaster of fun and feces. The first 2 or 3 possessions were beautiful in transition, but everything else was a trainwreck. Next time Lofton is in foul trouble or needs a break, Schmidt has to put Johnson in. He's too talented to waste away on the bench.
Honestly, this should not have even been a close game. We have a very good defense, but the points we do give up are usually threes. KenPom says we are 20th in highest percentage of points given up on three pointers. We are 339th (15th best) in percentage of points given up on two-pointers. Basically, what that means is when teams do make shots on us, it's usually a three-pointer.
I like English's game a lot. He's growing on me (a Vasquez stan) and he absolutely deserves to be a starter...
*extremely Stephen A. Smith voice* BUT...
English is usually a step and a half late on the rotation in man-to-man defense when closing out on a three point shooter at the wing. I don't have the stats to back this up (if someone does or can refute me, please share), but most of the threes we give up are at the wing. Not the corner or at the top of the key, but wing ones. That shit keeps teams in games. If Dunn-Martin/Doug Martin wasn't nailing a bunch of threes from those spots, we would have coasted. It's not just an English thing either, because Vasquez is also a little late and gives up threes in that spot too. I don't know if they are playing too much help defense when Osun/Ikpeze hedge, but it's letting teams like GW and Duquesne hang around.
Speaking of Ikpeze, I know some of you shit on him. Some of you defend him. Personally, I'm an Amadi agnostic. I don't truly know how good or bad he is. I root like hell for him every time he touches the ball because he's a local guy who has worked his ass off, even if the raw talent isn't there. All that is to say he did a GREAT job when Osun had to come out. I don't know if today was his best game as a Bonnie, probably not, but it's in the conversation.
KenPom projects us to win out except losing on March 7th at SLU. I feel like 13-5 is a lock for a double bye and if we were to hit 14-4, now we could be talking 3 seed and avoiding Dayton until the final. Can't drop some of these gimme games to close out. St. Joe's is a tire fire and La Salle ain't much better. We have 7 games before A10s: we play 4 good teams and 3 garbage teams (SJU/LAS). We only play one of the four good teams on the road. Anything less than 5-2 to close out the season is a disappointment, given the talent this team has shown many times.
Shout out to all you Bonafuckers who made the trip today. I have never heard the Bona clap that clearly when we are on the road. The DUQes should have known not to play a team whose mascot is a wolf in a town literally named Moon.