WEEK 12: TRUMAN VS. ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD, VS. MCKENDREE
	Truman Bulldogs 2018-19 Record: 8-10, 3-5 GLVC Coach: Jeff Horner, First season Roster | Schedule | Statistics
	Illinois Springfield Prairie Stars 2018-19 Record: 12-5, 5-2 GLVC Coach: Bill Walker, Fifth season Roster | Schedule | Statistics
	McKendree Bearcats 2018-19 Record: 7-9, 3-4 GLVC Coach: Chris Foster, First season Roster | Schedule | Statistics
	Game Information When? January 24, 2018 | 7:30 p.m. January 26, 2018 | 3:00 p.m. Where? Kirksville, Mo. | Pershing Arena Follow Along GLVCSN | 104.7 KRES (Brad & Hank) | Live Stats Twitter Truman Athletics | #BewareOfDog | Truman Men's Basketball GLVC Men's Basketball Standings | Statistics | News

Truman Game Notes (PDF)

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. - For the first time since 2010, the Truman State University men's basketball team has lost five games in a row. The Bulldogs have fallen to 8-10 overall, 3-5 in GLVC play, and slipped to the No. 7 spot in the GLVC Point Rating System with 10 games to play. The Purple and White will look to get things back on track with Illinois Springfield and McKendree in town this week to wrap up a season-long four-game homestand.

Prior to the start of that four-game stretch, Brodric Thomas had scored 10 or more points in seven of eight games and 20 or more in five of eight to up his season average to 19.5. However, Thomas then failed to score at least 10 in back-to-back games (at Southern Indiana and Bellarmine) for the first time as a Bulldog. The redshirt junior only let that motivate him as he scored 22 vs. UMSL before going off for a career high 35 the following Saturday against Maryville. Thomas is now fifth in the league in scoring at 18.9 points per game.

After Saturday, Truman won't be home again until Feb. 9 vs. rival Quincy. Away from Pershing, the Bulldogs have just three of their eight wins including a 2-6 mark in true road games. That makes these next two games important for several reasons.

Scouting Illinois Springfield
Thursday night's game vs. Illinois Springfield represents the first of three reunions for this week as Truman assistant, Austin McBeth, will face his former employer in the Prairie Stars. McBeth spent two seasons in Springfield as an assistant under head coach, Bill Walker, before coming to Truman prior to the 2018-19 campaign.

In his fifth year at the helm, Walker has Illinois Springfield off to a 12-5 start, including a 5-2 mark in GLVC play, and the Prairie Stars have won three straight with a fourth-place rating in the GLVC Point Rating System (3.50). The last time Illinois Springfield picked up its fifth GLVC win this early in the season was seven years ago. In 2016-17, the Prairie Stars didn't even win five conference games so Walker has things heading in the right direction.

Illinois Springfield boasts a trio of scorers averaging at least 10 points per game and five that put up at least nine per outing. Those five players are Gilwan Nelson (15.3), Peyton Allen (14.3), Aundrae Williams (12.1), Vince Walker (9.6), and Daniel Soetan (9.5). Not to mention the fact that Cole Harper (7.7) and Bahari Amaya (6.2) also average at least five points per effort. Harper leads the way in rebounding with 7.0 per game and Williams is on top of assists with 2.7 per outing.

Scouting McKendree
The second of this week's three reunions will come on Saturday afternoon when Truman's former head coach and McKendree's current head man, Chris Foster, returns to Pershing Arena for the first time. Foster led the Bulldogs to a record of 83-40 (.675 winning percentage) in four seasons (2014-18), which included back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances (2017-18), something that had never been done before in program history.

McKendree's first season with Foster at the top of the program has been an up-and-down one so far. The Bearcats are 7-9 overall, 3-4 in league play, and haven't won or lost more than three games in a row aside from a three-game skid from Dec. 8-16. They'll be looking to avoid a second three-game losing streak at Quincy on Thursday.

Looking at the Bearcats' stats, just 11 players have seen time, but only nine of those have played in nine or more games. Three players are scoring at least 10 points per game including Nate Michael (15.4), Nolan Gerling (12.3) and Logan Kohrmann (10.4). After that, four more average at least five per outing. Gerling is on top of rebounding (6.0) and the assists leader is Giovanni Offard (4.5).

Return of No. 2
The third of this week's three reunions will also come on Saturday afternoon. McKendree assistant coach, Seth Jackson, one of the most prolific players to ever wear the Truman Purple and White, will return to Pershing Arena for the first time as a coach on Saturday. Jackson played for the Bulldogs from 2011-15 and scored the third-most points in program history with 1,655 in 108 games (15.3 points per game). Saturday, the day of the game vs. Truman, is also Seth's birthday.
 
League Leaders
Now that he has played enough to qualify, Brodric Thomas' name is all over the GLVC's statistical rankings. Thomas is tied for second in blocks per game (1.3), fifth in points per game (18.9), tied for sixth in rebounds per game (6.9), eighth in free throw percentage (84.7), 12th in field goal percentage (47.2), tied for 19th in assists per game (2.7), tied for 23rd in steals per game (1.0), and tied for 29th in minutes played per game (28.3).
 
Defend, Defend, Defend
Illinois Springfield is tied for fifth in scoring offense (80.4 points per game) and sixth in scoring defense (72.8), but really defends well. The Prairie Stars are second in the league for both field goal percentage defense (42.2) and three-point field goal percentage defense (33.7). When looking at Truman, the Bulldogs have made the second-most three-pointers in the conference, so that will be an important matchup on Thursday.
 
Dirty Work
Two categories that often get forgotten are blocks and steals, but Illinois Springfield excels in both of them. The Prairie Stars are the best in the GLVC at blocking shot attempts with a league-leading 3.47 blocks per game. Illinois Springfield is also fourth in the conference in steals per game with 7.7.
 
Who's Gonna Score?
Truman and McKendree have the two worst scoring offenses in the GLVC with 72.0 and 71.9 points per game, respectively. For scoring margin, the Bulldogs check in at 12th (-1.9) while the Bearcats also bring up the rear in that category (-5.1). The offense that can get things going when these two teams meet on Saturday will have a major upper hand in deciding the outcome.
 
Floor General
The trigger man for McKendree, Giovanni Offard, is fifth in the GLVC in assists per game with 4.5 and his assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.1 is good for a tie for seventh with Drury's Conley Garrison. Offard is also ninth in total assists (67) despite having played fewer games than all but one other player in the top 10 of that category.
 
Up Next
Truman will travel to Missouri S&T on Thursday, Jan. 31 and Drury on Saturday, Feb. 2.

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