January 25, 2008
After a dramatic, last-second layup from senior guard Lorenzo
Bailey to knock off Sewanee 76-75 at home and stay undefeated
in league play, Millsaps will hit the road for a tough, two-game swing
at No.
14 Centre College (14-1,
6-0) and DePauw
University (12-4, 4-2) this weekend. Friday night's matchup with
the Colonels at 8 p.m. ET will be one of the most anticipated in Division
III this
season
and in SCAC men's basketball history. The Majors are trying to stay
just 1 of 4 teams with an undefeated record in Division III play this
season.
Scouting the 14th-ranked Centre Colonels:
Centre lost its opening game of the year to Rust College, 68-67,
and hasn't lost since. The Colonels have won 14-straight games overall
(7-0 home, 7-0 away) by an average of 13.7 points-per-game, including
11 of those by double figures. The NCAA representative from the SCAC
last season with an automatic berth, Centre is currently first in the
league in scoring margin (+12.7) and field goal percentage (.493), second
in scoring defense (63.7 ppg) and third in scoring offense (76.4 ppg)
and free
throw
percentage
(.723).
Four of five starters are averaging double figure scoring, led
by Thomas Britt (15.5 ppg), T.C. Thomason (14.5 ppg), reigning SCAC Player
of the Year Matt Nestheide (12.4 ppg) and reigning Newcomer of the Year
Danny Noll (11.1 ppg). With the whole starting lineup dangerous, Britt
will have the biggest target on his back, ranking first
in the league in 3-point percentage (.500, 35-of-70),
second
in
free
throw
percentage
(.863),
t-third in
the league in steals (30) and seventh in the league in scoring.
Scouting the DePauw Tigers:
The second team to compete in the NCAAs last year with an at-large
bid, DePauw enters the weekend having won 8 of 10 games, including 3
of 4 on the road in league action. The Tigers' last trip home left a
sour taste in their mouths, with Oglethorpe stealing a 69-67 victory
on its home floor.
DePauw is led by the SCAC's fifth all-time rebounder Stephen Schott
who is also a member of the 1,000-point club (1,258). The
6-foot-6, 230-pound senior is currently 16th in the SCAC in scoring (13.5
ppg) and fifth in rebounding (7.9 rpg). Two other Tigers to watch out
for are junior guard Mike Moore (16.3 ppg, 6.69 apg) and senior Brian
Oilar (14.1 ppg, 8.0 rpg) who torched the Majors last
year in Jackson
with 17 points off the bench in a come-from-behind win. Millsaps led
by 21 with 1:03 left in the first before DePauw outscored the Majors
44-26 in the second half to steal a 76-74 win.
Scouting the 18th-ranked Millsaps
Majors:
Millsaps is off to its best 16-game start
(15-1, 7-0 SCAC) since the 1994-95 SCAC Championship season when the
Majors started off 21-1 under then head coach, John Stroud. Current
head coach Tim
Wise,
now in his fifth season with a 61-58 overall record, has Millsaps one
of the hottest teams in the nation having won 29 of its previous 34
games. The Majors are 6-0 against Div. III opponents on the road this
season and are seeking their 13th-straight win overall dating back
to
a Nov.
25 loss to Div. I foe Southeastern Louisiana.
Four of the Majors' five starters are averaging double figures in scoring,
led by Rodney Rogan (14.4 ppg), Edrick
Montgomery (12.6 ppg), Lorenzo
Bailey (11.7 ppg) and Chris Sanders (10.8
ppg). Chad
Songy is right on
their heels at 8.9 ppg in seven starts.
The Majors have done a tremendous job of forcing turnovers and limiting
turnovers midway through the season, ranking
first in the SCAC (second in the nation) in assist/turnover ratio
(1.46), turnover margin (+8.50) and steals (175).
They also rank first
in the league in 3-point field goals made (148)
and assists (280), while ranking second in scoring margin (+10.6),
scoring offense (77.3 ppg) and 3-point field goal pct (.385),
fourth in field goal percentage (.446) and scoring defense (66.8 ppg)
and fifth
in blocks (48) and field goal percentage defense (.432).
The Centre/Millsaps Series:
Friday night's game set to tipoff at 8 p.m. ET on D3hoops.com will mark the 38th meeting between the two teams, with Centre owning
a 21-16
series advantage
and winning the last matchup, 75-59,
in the semifinal round of the SCAC Tournament. Under
Wise, the Majors hold a 3-4 record against the Colonels, including
a 1-1
mark at Alumni Gymnasium.
