Big game today in Jonesboro in a battle of the two teams tied in 2nd place right now in the conference as Texas State takes on Arkansas State.
Saturday Schedule
Coastal Carolina @ Georgia State (-5.5) - 1pm
Texas State @ Arkansas State (Pk) - 2pm
App State @ Georgia Southern (-1.5) - 2pm
South Alabama (-4) @ ULM - 2pm
UTA (-4) @ Little Rock - 2pm
Troy @ Louisiana (-4.5) - 7pm
Conference Standings
1. Troy 4-1
2. Arkansas State/Texas State 3-1
4. App State 5-2
5. South Alabama 3-2
6. UTA 4-3
7. Louisiana 3-3
8. Coastal Carolina 2-4
9. ULM 2-5
10. Georgia Southern 1-4
------Currently below 80% threshold-----
11. Little Rock 1-2
12. Georgia State 0-3
So I read a bit more thoroughly on the 80% threshold and its not that you have to play 80% of your scheduled games, but you have to play 80% of the average number of games played after cancelations. So this rule is likely to remain in place. If games are canceled for other schools teams like Little Rock and GSU who are currently below the threshold could jump back above it. Right now the threshold sits at 4 games, which we are right at.
NET Rankings
117. Texas State (+2)
128. South Alabama (+6)
148. Arkansas State (-2)
153. Coastal Carolina (+10)
156. Troy (+12)
177. Louisiana (-17)
182. App State (+7)
217. Georgia Southern (-10)
229. UTA (-2)
250. ULM (-5)
266. Georgia State (-4)
306. Little Rock (-1)
TXST News
Arkansas State has an identical record as the Bobcats. 12-4 overall and 3-1 in league play. Nothing stands out on their schedule. Its pretty weak, they've beaten the bad teams they've played and lost to the good teams they've played. If they were to beat us today it'd be their best win of the season.
The Red Wolves are having a bit of a breakout season as they weren't expected to be so competitive up to this point in the season. Last year they went just 11-13 overall and 7-8 in conference play, finishing 4th of 6 in the West. They were expected to improve however and were picked to finish 6th in the league this year in the preseason poll.
The main reason for their resurgence has been the continued success of 6'7" Fr. F Norchad Omier. Omier was the SBC freshman of the year after averaging 12.6 PPG and 12.3 RPG in his true freshman season. He was 2nd in the nation last year with 15 double-doubles and has probably about already cemented the conference player of the year award this year barring an injury or something. Originally from Nicaragua, Omier also had a big summer playing for the Nicaraguan national team as he averaged 15 PPG over 6 games in FIBA World Cup Qualifiers. This year he's 4th so far in the conference in scoring at 16.7 PPG, 1st in every rebounding category at 11.2 RPG, 4.0 ORPG, and 7.2 DRPG, 1st in FG% (by almost 12%!) at 66.5%, 2nd in blocks at 2.2 BPG, I'm not gonna go count but I feel like I see his name every other week pop up as the SBC player of the week.
The other player to watch for A-State is 6'2" Sr. G Marquis Eaton. I feel like Eaton has been there like 10 years and I've never been a huge fan of his game as he's always come off as a very hot and cold player to me, but when he's hot he's really dangerous. He was a preseason 2nd team all-SBC selection this year after leading A-State in scoring last year. He's just 3rd on the team in scoring this year at 13.1 PPG, but is the team's top 3-point threat and leads the conference (and 4th in the country) in FT shooting at 94.6%. Another player to keep an eye on is Jonesboro native Arkansas transfer Desi Sills. Sills played in every single game over 3 seasons for the Razorbacks and averaged 7.5 PPG on last year's Elite 8 team. He's 2nd on the team in scoring for the Red Wolves this year 13.8 PPG. Adding Sills to the already potent combo of Omier and Eaton is another big reason the Red Wolves are having such a good year. They have a true Big 3 similar to us (Harrell, Asberry, Small), and I haven't even mentioned PG Caleb Fields who I was really impressed with last year.
These are the two best FT shooting teams in the conference, so neither team is going to want to be putting the other on the line with much frequency. A-State makes fewer 3s than any other team in the conference per game, so they'll look to do most of their damage at the rim with Omier (Sills isn't a great perimeter shooter either) and at the FT line.
Last Meeting/Series History
Texas State has mostly dominated this series since we joined the Sun Belt. The Bobcats own a 10-3 series advantage, won last year's lone meeting by 5 in Jonesboro, and haven't lost in 7 years to the Red Wolves. Reading their game thread we may have won the last 10 in the series it looks like.
Betting Odds
Texas State opened as 1 point road favorites, and that got up to 2 early this morning, but late money coming in on A-State has this game as a pickem. Toss a coin, this game should be about as competitive as it gets.
Arkansas State Message Board
Saturday Schedule
Coastal Carolina @ Georgia State (-5.5) - 1pm
Texas State @ Arkansas State (Pk) - 2pm
App State @ Georgia Southern (-1.5) - 2pm
South Alabama (-4) @ ULM - 2pm
UTA (-4) @ Little Rock - 2pm
Troy @ Louisiana (-4.5) - 7pm
Conference Standings
1. Troy 4-1
2. Arkansas State/Texas State 3-1
4. App State 5-2
5. South Alabama 3-2
6. UTA 4-3
7. Louisiana 3-3
8. Coastal Carolina 2-4
9. ULM 2-5
10. Georgia Southern 1-4
------Currently below 80% threshold-----
11. Little Rock 1-2
12. Georgia State 0-3
So I read a bit more thoroughly on the 80% threshold and its not that you have to play 80% of your scheduled games, but you have to play 80% of the average number of games played after cancelations. So this rule is likely to remain in place. If games are canceled for other schools teams like Little Rock and GSU who are currently below the threshold could jump back above it. Right now the threshold sits at 4 games, which we are right at.
NET Rankings
117. Texas State (+2)
128. South Alabama (+6)
148. Arkansas State (-2)
153. Coastal Carolina (+10)
156. Troy (+12)
177. Louisiana (-17)
182. App State (+7)
217. Georgia Southern (-10)
229. UTA (-2)
250. ULM (-5)
266. Georgia State (-4)
306. Little Rock (-1)
TXST News
- Texas State is coming off a 69-59 road win at Little Rock that improved the overall record to 12-4 and conference record to 3-1.
- This was in the recruiting thread, but in case anyone missed it, say hello to incoming freshman Shawn Jones:
Arkansas State has an identical record as the Bobcats. 12-4 overall and 3-1 in league play. Nothing stands out on their schedule. Its pretty weak, they've beaten the bad teams they've played and lost to the good teams they've played. If they were to beat us today it'd be their best win of the season.
The Red Wolves are having a bit of a breakout season as they weren't expected to be so competitive up to this point in the season. Last year they went just 11-13 overall and 7-8 in conference play, finishing 4th of 6 in the West. They were expected to improve however and were picked to finish 6th in the league this year in the preseason poll.
The main reason for their resurgence has been the continued success of 6'7" Fr. F Norchad Omier. Omier was the SBC freshman of the year after averaging 12.6 PPG and 12.3 RPG in his true freshman season. He was 2nd in the nation last year with 15 double-doubles and has probably about already cemented the conference player of the year award this year barring an injury or something. Originally from Nicaragua, Omier also had a big summer playing for the Nicaraguan national team as he averaged 15 PPG over 6 games in FIBA World Cup Qualifiers. This year he's 4th so far in the conference in scoring at 16.7 PPG, 1st in every rebounding category at 11.2 RPG, 4.0 ORPG, and 7.2 DRPG, 1st in FG% (by almost 12%!) at 66.5%, 2nd in blocks at 2.2 BPG, I'm not gonna go count but I feel like I see his name every other week pop up as the SBC player of the week.
The other player to watch for A-State is 6'2" Sr. G Marquis Eaton. I feel like Eaton has been there like 10 years and I've never been a huge fan of his game as he's always come off as a very hot and cold player to me, but when he's hot he's really dangerous. He was a preseason 2nd team all-SBC selection this year after leading A-State in scoring last year. He's just 3rd on the team in scoring this year at 13.1 PPG, but is the team's top 3-point threat and leads the conference (and 4th in the country) in FT shooting at 94.6%. Another player to keep an eye on is Jonesboro native Arkansas transfer Desi Sills. Sills played in every single game over 3 seasons for the Razorbacks and averaged 7.5 PPG on last year's Elite 8 team. He's 2nd on the team in scoring for the Red Wolves this year 13.8 PPG. Adding Sills to the already potent combo of Omier and Eaton is another big reason the Red Wolves are having such a good year. They have a true Big 3 similar to us (Harrell, Asberry, Small), and I haven't even mentioned PG Caleb Fields who I was really impressed with last year.
These are the two best FT shooting teams in the conference, so neither team is going to want to be putting the other on the line with much frequency. A-State makes fewer 3s than any other team in the conference per game, so they'll look to do most of their damage at the rim with Omier (Sills isn't a great perimeter shooter either) and at the FT line.
Last Meeting/Series History
Texas State has mostly dominated this series since we joined the Sun Belt. The Bobcats own a 10-3 series advantage, won last year's lone meeting by 5 in Jonesboro, and haven't lost in 7 years to the Red Wolves. Reading their game thread we may have won the last 10 in the series it looks like.
Betting Odds
Texas State opened as 1 point road favorites, and that got up to 2 early this morning, but late money coming in on A-State has this game as a pickem. Toss a coin, this game should be about as competitive as it gets.
Arkansas State Message Board
