3-2-1 for MT hoops

The MTSU Blue Raiders headed back home to the Murphy Center after dropping a barn burner to the VCU Rams. Next up was the Georgia State Panthers. As we always do, we look at three things we learned, two questions left, and make one prediction.

MT Suffers Crushing Blow to Georgia State

MT came out on the wrong end of the stick for the second consecutive game. Last Saturday, Kermit Davis’ boys dropped a heartbreaker to the VCU Rams on the road, 80-77. For Wednesday’s game, MTSU was a solid favorite to win as it pertains to the betting line. They laid an egg, though, and failed to come out on top against the Georgia State Panthers, losing 64-56. The Blue Raiders are now sitting with a record of 10-3 but one can’t help but think that at the end of the day, MT squandered a chance to make a statement against GSU, which also put any hopes of an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament in real jeopardy.

JaCorey Williams Did Not Have the Best Outing

Forward JaCorey Williams did not have a banner outing versus the Georgia State Panthers. Williams shot 3-of-10 from the field, an anemic 30 percent. Williams is a guy that has brought his lunch pail to the court and consistently produced throughout the season. Wednesday he was just not on his A-game. This season, Williams is averaging some gaudy numbers with 18 points and seven boards per game, but he failed to reach the double digit mark in points or rebounds against GSU, finishing with nine points and five rebounds. This outing is most likely not indicative of how Williams will fare the rest of the season going forward, but it goes to show how hard it can be for MT to win if he’s not going. Look for him to bounce back and get back in a rhythm, though

Giddy Still Consistent Offensively

A few weeks ago, I wrote that Giddy had struggled for a few games here and there with his shooting. This is definitely not the case anymore. Over the last four games, Potts has scored 88 points, which is an average of 22 points per game. As we dive into his stats, we see that against Vandy he shot 58 percent, 57 percent against Belmont, 63 percent against VCU and then shot 40 percent from the field against Georgia State. Potts scored 19 points against the Panthers, despite not absolutely scorching the nets. Although Giddy was not on his A-game Wednesday, either, he has been putting his offensive prowess on display during this recent stretch. This dovetails with the 3-2-1 that talked about Potts last week. It is worth mentioning again Potts is a beacon of hope for head coach Kermit Davis. Wednesday Potts continued his string of success, despite the Raiders dropping the ball.

Will Two Consecutive Losses Affect MT’s Mindset?

This question may seem redundant, as this was discussed in the last 3-2-1 edition. The question is worth posing again, though. In the last two games, MT has experienced something they are not accustomed to - losing. The Blue Raiders rolled off a bunch of victories in a row after losing to the Tennessee State Tigers. The looming question is whether the two recent losses will affect the Raiders state of mind as they head into conference play. Will the Blue Raiders turn tentative on the court? Will they hit the skids even more so as conference play commences? Sports can sometimes become very mental, especially when it comes to negative outcomes. Will MT hold their heads up high and weather the storm?

How Will MT Fare versus UAB?

This question builds off the last. Can MT get up and shake off the cobwebs when the UAB Blazers come to Murfreesboro on New Year’s Day? Will they sleep walk into the game or will they come out roaring with effort? Despite being 6-6 so far this season, the UAB Blazers are one of the more talented teams in Conference USA and really tested themselves early on with a rigorous schedule.Will JaCorey Williams bounce back and get back to stuffing the stat sheet? Will the bench chip in and provide relief effort for Davis? If UAB hits them in the mouth, will MT punch back? All of these are valid questions at this point.

Without a doubt, Williams has to have a sour taste in his mouth. After losing to VCU he posted on twitter about his performance. I expect Williams to come back full force against UAB. Again, Williams had a sluggish performance versus Georgia State, but I think this is an aberration. Look for Williams to get back in a groove sooner rather than later.