Scouting Report: Eastern Kentucky Colonels
Kentucky Basketball Scouting Report
Opponent: Eastern Kentucky University Date: 12/7/14
General- Extremely guard oriented; start 4 guards and only have 2 forwards on the roster.
- Good overall scoring ability; averaging 86.8 points per game.
- Reigning OVC champions.
- #2 Walden is one of the better mid-major players in the country.
Walden is an outstanding all-around player & a great defender.[/caption]
Walden is one of the best defenders in the country; he was the OVC Defensive Player of the Year last season and a finalist for the Lefty Driesell National Defensive Player of the year award. He is really a do-it-all player for the Colonels. He is averaging a team-leading 18.3 points per game along with nearly 5 assists and 3 steals a game. He is a good 3-point shooter, but is at his best when attacking the basket off the dribble and getting to the foul line.
#5 G Isaac McGlone: 6’2’’ 175 SO.
McGlone has yet to find his stroke from beyond the arc this season, but when he does he is capable of really going off. Last season he shot 45% from 3-point range, but is just 4/18 so far this year. Along with Walden, McGlone makes up one of the better defensive backcourts in the country. He is averaging 4.8 points and 3 steals a game.
#22 G Timmy Knipp: 6’7’’ 205 SR.
The veteran from Elliott County is a great 3-point shooter averaging 10 points per game. Knipp has good size on the wing and leads the Colonels in rebounding with 5.5 per game. He is coming off of a 4/8 shooting performance from beyond the arc in a loss to Valparaiso.
#32 G Ja’Mill Powell: 6’7’’ 180 JR.
Powell comes to EKU after a very successful junior college career in Oklahoma. He is a pure scorer who can hurt you in a variety of ways. He is very long and athletic, is capable of knocking down 3’s, and uses his athleticism to slash to the basket and elevate over the defense. He is an aggressive offensive player averaging 12.2 points per game.
#42 F Eric Stutz: 6’8’’ 225 SR.
Stutz is back for a 4th season in the Colonels starting lineup. He is a versatile scorer inside; he likes to face-up and use his footwork, strength, and quickness to score around you. So far this season is averaging 12.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. He is an outstanding free throw shooter.
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#11 G Jayle Babb-Harrison: 6’4’’ 187 RS SO.
[caption id="attachment_169806" align="alignright" width="276"]
Eric Stutz & Bill Walton would probably be friends.[/caption]
Like pretty much everyone that EKU plays, Babb-Harrison can really score. He is a great 3-point shooter but is also a good finisher inside. He is shooting 43% from 3-point range and 51% from the field overall. The redshirt sophomore was really good on their summer tour of Australia and has taken that strong play into the season averaging 12 points per game.
#5 G Denzel Richardson: 6’5’’ 200 JR.
Richardson is very athletic and is always active on the offensive glass. The JUCO transfer is averaging 7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game this season.
#23 G Jonathon Hood: 6’4’’ 206 JR.
Hood is a big, strong guard who can really shoot it from beyond the arc. 16 of his 20 shots this season have been 3’s. He will come in the game looking to get some shots off.
#33 F Deverin Muff: 6’8’’ 212 SR.
Muff is very long and extremely athletic, but will not look to do anything offensively when he is in the game. He can get some rebounds and put backs because of his leaping ability, but he primarily plays because he is the only non-guard on the roster besides Stutz.
Keys to the Game
- Absolutely dominate them physically. Eastern Kentucky lost a lot from last season’s OVC championship team, but they still do have a number of talented guys who can really score. However, the start four guards and only play two undersized forwards, so Kentucky is simply a terrible matchup for them. We should be able to manhandle them all over the court.
- Control the pace. The Colonels are one of the highest scoring teams in the country through the first six games, but a lot of that has to do with the competition they have played. They have lost 2 straight to the only two quality teams they have played. If UK slows things up and makes this a half-court game EKU shouldn’t stand a chance.
- Take care of the ball. EKU does have one of the best defensive backcourts with Walden and McGlone bothering ball handlers. Those two can really get after you, especially Walden and have done a great job of forcing turnovers so far this season.
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