Truman Game Notes (.PDF)
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. - Through four games of the 2016-17 season, the Truman men's basketball team is 3-1 with a pair of nonconference affairs coming up to round out the month of November. Tuesday, the Bulldogs will host their second home game in a row against Hannibal-LaGrange (7 p.m.) followed by a Saturday game at Lincoln (4 p.m.).
Scouting the Trojans
Hannibal-LaGrange is off to a 4-1 start for the 2016-17 season and it is year No. 12 at the helm for head coach, Jason Durst. Since taking over prior to the 2005-06 season, Durst has coached seven American Midwest Conference All-Conference players, 37 Academic All-Conference players, five Academic All-Americans, and one NAIA All-American. This year, the Trojans' four wins have come against the likes of Saint Ambrose (75-72), Culver-Stockton (63-43 and 66-55) and Saint Louis College of Pharmacy (98-53). Tuesday's meeting will count for Truman, but will only be an exhibition for Hannibal-LaGrange. The Trojans have been led by a trio of scorers averaging double-figures including Tim Pace (22 points per game), Reed Plunkett (12 ppg) and D'Avonte Garland (11.4 ppg). Pace is definitely the one to keep an eye on as he has surpassed 20 points in three of the four games he has played including 24 against St. Ambrose, 32 against Missouri Valley and 25 against Culver-Stockton the second time. The Staten Island, NY native is shooting 48.5 percent from the floor (33-of-68) including 39.1 percent from behind the arc (9-for-23).
Scouting the Blue Tigers
John Moseley took over his program in Jefferson City the same year
Chris Foster became the head coach at Truman prior to the 2014-15 campaign. In those three seasons, Moseley has an overall record of 23-39 (.371) and a mark of 12-29 (.293) in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. Just like Hannibal-LaGrange, Lincoln has three players putting up at least 10 points per game and they are Jaylon Smith (28 points per game), Anthony Virdure (20.5 ppg) and Richie Lewis (10.8). At 3-1, the Tigers have beaten Mary (83-71), Minnesota-Crookston (76-65) and Langston (78-65), but fell to Missouri S&T (88-91). Saturday's meeting between the two teams will be Lincoln's 2016-17 home opener as well as the first-ever meeting between Foster and Moseley as the head coaches of their respective programs.
What Sophomore Slump?
The term sophomore slump means nothing to
Jake Velky. After averaging just over seven points per game as a rookie, the Waverly, Iowa native has more than stepped up for this season. Velky is first on the team in total points (63), points per game (15.8), field goals made (20), and three-point field goals made (12). Not to mention the fact that he's making over 62 percent of the shots he takes including 60 percent of them from behind the arc as well as 84.6 percent of his chances at the free throw line. Most recently against Upper Iowa, the 6-1 guard tied his career high in points with 24 on 7-of-9 shooting, 3-for-3 from behind the arc and 7-of-8 at the charity stripe.
High-Powered Attack
Not only does Truman boast one of the best offenses in the GLVC, but in the entire country as well. Among the league ranks, the Bulldogs are first in three-point field goal percentage (48.9 percent), first in three-point field goals made (43), fourth in scoring offense (86 points per game), fourth in field goal percentage (51.5 percent), fourth in free throw percentage (79.7 percent), fifth in scoring margin (+12.3). Nationally, Truman is ninth in three-point field goal percentage, 19th in free throw percentage, 26th in three-point field goals per game (10.8), 30th in three-point field goals made, 32nd in field goal percentage, 45th in assist-to-turnover ratio, and 50th in scoring margin.
Three-Point Land
As mentioned above, Truman is making nearly 50 percent of the shots it takes from behind the arc. Individually, eight different Bulldogs have made an attempt from deep while Velky and
Nathan Messer have each made more than 10 of them with 12 apiece. Velky (60 percent) and
Jack Green (62.5 percent) have both made over 60 percent of their attempts from three-point land.
