Drake Preview and Game Thread -- 2-5-2019

[JCT]

Tuesday, February 5, 2019, 6:00 p.m.
Gentile Arena, Chicago, Illinois

Loyola defeated Drake 82-70 in Des Moines on Jan. 5, but it wasn’t an easy ride. The Ramblers fell behind 27-13 early before closing the first half on a 32-13 run. Marques Townes (28) and Clayton Custer (26) both had career highs.

After the season-ending injury to Nick Norton (who powered Drake’s impressive non-con record) and loss to Loyola, many fans assumed the Bulldogs were going to fade away. But since the Loyola loss, Drake is 6-2 overall and 3-1 in conference road games, with the only road loss by three points.

Senior Nick McGlynn is making a case for MVC First Team honors, averaging 15.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game. Freshman guard D.J. Wilkins (11.1 ppg), senior Brady Ellingson (11.0 ppg), Tremell Murphy (9.3 points, 6.0 rebounds per game), and sophomore guard Noah Thomas (6.4 points, 2.4 assists per game) fill out the starting lineup. The Bulldogs usually go eight players deep, with 6’3” freshman guard Garrett Sturtz, 6’5” juco forward Anthony Murphy, and 7’0” freshman Liam Roberts coming off the bench.

Loyola is coming off a loss at Illinois State where some of the recurring problems that plagued Loyola in road losses at Evansville and Missouri State again plagued the team. The Ramblers scored only 57 points, only one bench player (and only four of the starters) scored any points, and the Ramblers shot only 40% from the field for the game, mostly because of 20 missed three-point attempts.

When the Ramblers shoot 40% or worse from the field, they’re 0-6. When Loyola shoots 20% or worse from the three-point line, they’re 0-5, and that includes all three conference losses this year. Meanwhile, Drake has the league’s best three-point field goal percentage defense (.295). The Bulldogs have held two of its last three opponents to .136 and .125 shooting from behind the arc, and they’ve held seven opponents this year to under 20% three-point shooting (all Drake wins).

Loyola game notes: https://loyolaramblers.com/documents/20 ... df?id=8331

Drake game notes: https://godrakebulldogs.com/documents/2 ... Loyola.pdf

TV/Streaming video: CBS Sports Net https://www.cbssportsnetwork.com/

Live stats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=234966

Vegas odds: Loyola by 5.5

[ahunte1]

Let's hope the CBS Sports Network crew gets to see the good Ramblers, finally!

[goramblers2011]

Need the outside shots to be falling. I see us attacking downlow with Krut early. Then when they start to collapse on him, we start kicking it out for 3's.

[01grad]

Forecast says possible ice storm tonight. The weather hasn’t been very kind the last few home games

[goramblers2011]

Nasty elbow to Krut's face. Might be a concussion/broken nose. NOT what we need.

[NuncEstBibendum]

Nasty elbow to Krut's face. Might be a concussion/broken nose. NOT what we need.

They showed that play a few times, and I have no idea why the Drake player would be throwing a punch/elbow directly at Krutwigs face (after the ball careened off the rim in the opposite direction) unless he wanted to make contact.

[Dansen]

Doubling McGlynn is leading to a lot of open 3's.

I would rather let Krutwig handle him unless he gets super deep, he is too good of a passer to double that far outside the paint

[goramblers2011]

Yet another team raining 3's on us.

[01grad]

Cooper Kaifes...oooh my

[goramblers2011]

Cooooooooper!


And what a first half by Marques! Hope to see Custer hit some shots in the 2h and get that confidence back.