Scouting Report: Missouri Western State Griffons

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The Kentucky Basketball season is officially here. On Sunday evening, a bunch of former Wildcats will bring the Missouri Western State Griffons to Rupp Arena for the first exhibition game of the season. Led by former Kentucky manager Will Martin, the Griffons went 14-17 last season. Coach Martin went 14-11 in his first season at Missouri Western State leading them to an NCAA Tournament berth.

Alongside head coach Will Martin, former ‘Cats Jon Hood and Perry Stevenson are assistants for the Griffons to make Sunday evening’s matchup somewhat of a homecoming. Missouri Western State lost their leading scorer from a year ago to the transfer portal. Their best 3-point shooter also moved on, leaving 25 points per game between the two of them for the Griffons to make up. An impact transfer from Morehead State headlines the incoming class alongside the return of seven of nine primary rotation pieces from last season.

As we will do prior to each game, it is time to go over the scouting report. Generally, for the first exhibition game, there won’t be anything too in-depth. The focus is on yourself, executing what you want to execute, and getting the opportunity to compete against somebody else. To keep things as realistic as possible, this scouting report will be more surface-level than our regular season breakdowns. Still, we will dive into their personnel and take a quick look at their offensive and defensive schemes. Let’s take a closer look at the Missouri Western State Griffons.

Missouri Western State Griffons Personnel

Starters

#1 Reed Kemp: 6’0″ 181 lbs, Sophomore Point Guard

2.3 ppg, 0.4 rpg, 0.8 apg

Point Guard. Small, thin frame and doesn’t like pressure. Get up and pressure him as much as possible. Make him uncomfortable and create turnovers. Much better going to his right hand. No right-hand drives! Likes to reject ballscreens. Do not let him reject. When he gets into the paint he is driving to pass. Do not over-help when he drives it. Just get your hands up and make him finish over you. Start by going over the ballscreens and handoffs. Will shoot open 3s. Not super aggressive looking to score.

#13 Taye Fields: 6’4″ 201 lbs, Sophomore Guard

6.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 0.7 apg

Much more of a driver than a shooter. NO RIGHT-HAND DRIVES!!! He is a non-shooter. Just 7-25 from 3-point range last season. Closeout short and back up. You are closing out to stay between him and the basket. Go under the ballscreens and handoffs. You can go up through down screens and underneath flares. Don’t let him curl to the basket. Help off of him when he doesn’t have it. He is a long, athletic right-hand driver. Likes to turn his drives into post moves and score over his left shoulder. Excellent offensive rebounder! Averaged over two offensive rebounds per game last season. Stay between him and the basket.

#0 Julius Dixon: 6’7″ 206 lbs, Redshirt Sophomore Guard

3.6 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 0.0 apg (Morehead State)

SHOOTER!!! NO 3’S! 84 of 127 shots were 3s in two seasons at Morehead State. You need to be tight on him at all times to take away the catch-and-shoot 3s. Chase him off of down screens and get over the flares. Switch any time there is too much space. Switch if he ballscreens. He will pick and pop some in their offense. Shoots them from deep. Find him in transition. Made four 3s in their exhibition game. When he drives it he will be driving it right. No right-hand drives. Always coming back to his right hand to finish. Take him away from 3-point range. Absolutely no help off of him.

#23 Will Eames: 6’7″ 225 lbs, Junior Forward

13.0 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 1.6 apg

Skilled face-up 4-man. SHOOTER! NO 3s! Made 50 of 154 3-pointers last season. Stay tight to him at all times. Need to switch anytime he ballscreens to take away the pick-and-pop 3s. Be there on the catch any time he is on the perimeter. Really good from the trail spot in the secondary break. Once you take away the catch-and-shoot 3 he is going to want to drive it right. No right-hand drives! Help off anyone besides #0 or #3 to come and make him give it up. Loves to isolate in the mid-post area and shoot the turnaround jumper. Give it a hard contest. Very skilled offensive player. Don’t help off of him when he is on the perimeter. No pick-and-pop or trail spot 3’s!

#11 Matt Nunez: 6’10” 247 lbs, Sophomore Center

1.1 ppg, 0.7 rpg, 0.3 apg (East Tennessee State)

Big 5-man. Primarily used as a ball screener who will then roll to the basket. Looking for it on the roll. When you are guarding the ballscreen stay lower than him on the roll. Will post up hard on the block at the end of his roll. Right hand, left shoulder in the post. Be physical on his left shoulder and get him off of the block. His percentages will go down the further off of the block you make him catch it. Make contact when the shot goes up. Box out!

Bench

#3 Reese Glover: 5’10” 167 lbs, Junior Guard

9.6 ppg, 1.9 ppg, 1.6 apg

SHOOTER!!! NO 3s!!! 116 of 140 shots were 3s last season. Really looking to squeeze them off. 37.9% from deep. Have to be tight to him at all times. Chase him off of downscreens and get over the flares. Get over the ballscreens and handoffs. Switch anytime there is too much space. Moves very well without the ball. Make sure you are staying attached to him. Communicate early if there is space and you need to switch. Absolutely no help off of him. Tighten up as the ball is driven toward you. Take him away from 3!

#21 J.C. Anthony: 7’0″ 187 lbs, Sophomore Center

1.7 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 0.2 apg

Long and thin 5-man. Does not want the game to be physical. Will ballscreen and roll to the basket. Caught a lob for a dunk on the roll in their exhibition game last weekend. When guarding him stay lower than him on the roll to take away the lob. Wants to score everything up around the rim. Do not help up off of him at the rim when the ball is driven or he will dunk it. Just stay between him and the basket and be physical. Percentages go way down when you get him off of the block. Right hand, left shoulder in the post. Be physical. Box out!

#4 Alex John: 6’8″ 222 lbs, Junior Forward

4.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 0.2 apg

Backup big man. Plays with his back to the basket. Very physical. Looking for deep post catches on the block. Don’t let him duck you in. Right hand, left shoulder in the post. Need to be physical and get him off of the block. Be ready to be physical when the shot goes up. Box out! Averaged 1.6 offensive rebounds per game last season. Make him score with you between him and the basket.

#12 Zion Swader: 6’0″ 181 lbs, Sophomore Point Guard

2.9 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 0.4 apg

Backup point guard. Very quick. Capable shooter but more aggressive as a driver. No right-hand drives! We will start by going over the ballscreens and handoffs, but give a good hedge to keep him from getting downhill. Stay between him and the basket. Contest if he shoots from the perimeter. Play with your hands up to contest the floaters and anything at the rim. Pressure him and get him to turn it over. Don’t over-help when he drives. Make him finish. No right-hand drives. No layups.

Missouri Western State Griffons Offense

Coach Martin’s group won’t play super fast and will make a lot of calls in the halfcourt. However, they do run a lot of actions from secondary and score from it a lot. The Missouri Western State Griffons are not a great shooting group, but having the pick-and-pop ability of #0 Dixon and #23 Eames at the “3” and “4” spots can be hard to guard.

A lot of the halfcourt actions they run will play through #23 Eames because he is their most dangerous and skilled offensive player. We have to be willing to switch when he is involved to take him away from 3 and then stay between the other guys and the basket. Here is a look at some of the Griffons’ favorite actions.

#23 Eames is the most dangerous offensive player for the Griffons. He is skilled enough to rebound it and start the break. He is also looking to pick-and-pop on the wings. We have to switch the ballscreens and handoffs to stay tight to him and take him away from 3. It will also shorten closeouts so he can’t attack as he does in this clip.

This is a look at a called halfcourt action that Missouri Western State will run. They are looking to get to the little two-man game on the wing with #23 Eames popping into space. Again, we have to switch the ballscreens and handoffs with #23 Eames so he isn’t this wide open from 3-point range.

Missouri Western State Griffons Defense

The Missouri Western State Griffons play a very conservative style of defense. Last season, opponents averaged just shy of 73 points per game, shot over 47% from the field, and 35.3% from beyond the arc. Based on their exhibition against NAIA Benedictine College last Friday, the Griffons want to stay between their man and the basket as much as possible without switching. They seemed very well to play off of their man without ball pressure, go underneath screening action to maintain matchups, and were shadowing ballscreens with both forwards most of the time. This conservative style should be exploited by our level of skill and athleticism.

Coach Martin’s squad has smaller guards but is big on the wing with #0 Dixon and has legitimate size around the basket. In their exhibition game, 7-footer #21 Anthony played the majority of the minutes at the “5” despite #11 Nunez starting. When #4 John comes in he isn’t as tall at 6’8″ but is certainly the strongest and most physical of the group. However, no matter who is in there, we should have the clear and obvious advantage around the basket.