Our first game after Cottle's suspension (I believe it will be a forever suspension) was on the road at WKU. I wasn't expecting much, but kudos to Coach Pettway and the team for a solid win.
The announcers were ready with the Point Shaving news and brought it up at the beginning of the game. Cottle's name was mentioned during the game more than many of the players who actually played. They didn't ignore the elephant in the room.
So how did we do without our senior leader, leading scorer, best free throw shooter and frequent ball handler?
Offense: We scored 81 points in the win, and we usually score 80+ in a win. RJ when off with a new career high of 31, Sherman netted 12 and four guys got 8 or 9. Going forward, I think we will need more point production from the supporting cast.
The pace of the offense was quick, but not as frantic as I have seen in many Owl games under Pettway. I liked it, there were fewer rushed shots.
Defense: We took WKU out of their game, they struggled in a number of areas. My observation is they had a bad game (maybe expecting a cake walk), compounded by our good defense which helped us win.
Free Throws: The first half we were 8-13, I was worried that maybe some of the guys were preoccupied with the news, but we righted the ship in the second have to finish at 76%. I think this will be one of the areas where we miss Simeon the most, give him the ball late a close game and make the opponent foul him and he is nearly automatic.
Turnovers: 11 (not horrible)
Overall, it passed the eye test, to get a conference win on the road, where we have struggled mightily, right after the scandal breaks, shows a lot of character. Let's hope this was an isolated incident and we can put it behind us.
