SIUE beats Longwood by 7, @jonathanshank's prediction spot on

Yesterday, SIUE had everything working for them in Vegas.

Corey Wickware led the Cougars with 23 points, Kevin Stineman had a career high 14, Cody Rincker had 12 off the bench and Nikola Bundalo had 10 points.

Everything that hasn't went right for the Cougars did Wednesday, and they still managed just a narrow victory over Longwood in the first real game of the IBNsports Las Vegas Classic.

This tournament field is interesting, and I am glad the Cougars are there. The lower-tier bracket matches SIUE against teams it should be playing to get a good feel for where they are right now.

We know this, SIUE is not the worst team in the country, perhaps not even the worst in the OVC, with Jacksonville State claiming the low 345 spot in the RPI polls. We aren't Centenary either (344) but also are not going back to Division III like they are.

This really served as the erm, 1-4 matchup in the tournament.

Longwood: RPI 267
SIUE: RPI 333

Citadel: RPI 279
S. Carolina State: RPI 328

The Longwood matchup was interesting to those who care about teams with no shot at making the NCAA tournament. It was a good barometer for both teams, SIUE saw how far they have come, even in one season, a season without its leading scorer and rebounder, and Longwood to see how much work they still have to do, through all the seasons scheduling as an Independent.

I feel bad for Longwood. They have been done with their transition to NCAA Division I for a year now, and are still without a home. The Lancers made the Division II Final Four in 1980, but that success has come nowhere close to translating at the next level. For SIUE, its one thing to know we have Ohio Valley play beginning next year, but Longwood doesn't have that luxury. Geographically, they fit into  the MEAC, Big South and CAA among others, but no one has reached out to them, and its a damn shame.

I hope they find a home soon.

Onto the game.

The Cougars shot the ball very well.

How well?

26-48 (54.2 percent) and an ungodly, very un-SIUE like 11-16 (68.8 percent) from three point range. Corey Wickware was 6-9 and Cody Rincker was 4-5. Can we play every game in an unseasonably located hockey arena?

SIUE dished out 16 assists.

That's a season-high, and something we don't see very often in this offense.

That's the good.

The Cougars did have some recurring problems come up though, and if they played a little bit more sound, this could have been a blowout.

On the other hand, thankfully they shot as well as they did, because otherwise it could have very easily went the other way.

SIUE was out-rebounded 38-30, including 15-3 on the offensive glass. The Cougars had 16 turnovers to Longwood's 14, and struggled a bit from the stripe, going 15-26.

Disturbing, but we cannot complain with a win.

SIUE takes on the Citadel at 4 p.m. at Orleans Arena looking for win number four.

The game will be broadcast on AM 1380, and I don't think there is a video link, but I will pass one along via Twitter if it comes up.

Tournament Roundup

"B" pool

SIUE 78, Longwood 71
The Citadel 67, S. Carolina State 57

"A" pool

Northern Iowa 67, Indiana 61*
New Mexico 89, Colorado 76

*Thank you UNI for shutting those stupid fans up.

Posted in: Archives,Men's basketball