I'm excited about the Pokes getting back on the court tomorrow and having the opportunity to rebound after their first loss. I have been happy with what I've seen from Hankerson Jr. and Granberry so far. However, we will need both to step up their play another notch if we want to make some noise in the MWC this season. I'm still waiting to see Nance Jr. take over a game. He still doesn't look completely comfortable with the ball on the lower block. I still believe he is one break-out game away from becoming a dominating presence in the front court.
Arkansas State is a game we should win, but they are a decent basketball team. They are coming off of a 19-12 record a season ago and were picked to finish 3rd in the 10 team Sun Belt Conference this year. We share a common opponent in UT-Martin, whom Arkansas State also beat, 72-62. The strength of their team is without doubt their backcourt, but they have gotten a suprising amount of production out of their frontcourt in this young season. I expect the Pokes to grind this team down over the course of the game, but I think a blowout win is unlikely. Arkansas State has the talent to walk out of the AA with a win if the Pokes come out without their best effort. Personally, I think the Pokes will be hungry to get back in the win column.
Player to Watch: Brandon Reed (G, 6'4, 182 lbs, Sr.)
Mr. Reed is the best athlete and basketball player on the Arkansas State roster. He has taken quite an unusual route to his senior year at Arkansas State. Reed was a fairly high level recruit coming out of high school in Georgia. Some recruiting services considered him a top 200 recruit nationally. Ultimately, he ended up signing with Arkansas State and made an immediate impact when he lead the team in scoring and was named the Freshman of the Year in the Sun Belt Conference. Following his break-out freshman season, he was coveted by several high major programs and chose to transfer to Georgia Tech. After sitting out a year he went on to start 45 games in his two years at Georgia Tech. He graduated with a bachelors degree from Georgia Tech this summer and chose to transfer back to where his college career began for his senior year of eligibility. He has started slowly this season, with a horrific game in their opener, but played better against UT-Martin. Regardless of his slow start, he remains the biggest offensive threat the Pokes will need to prepare for.
On a side note, Arkansas State has a TWIII clone on their team in Ed Townsel (G, 6'0, 171 lbs, Sr.). Small, with quick hands, he is dangerous in the passing lanes and will pick off any lazy passes. He is also a very good streak shooter from deep. I'm not sure we can afford to but Grabeau on him defensively, as he will rise up and shoot the 3 if given even the smallest amount of space. We cannot let him get hot from behind the arc.
