Lipscomb Bisons
ASUN (23-9, 10-4)
Lipscomb made program history by reaching their first ever NCAA Tournament. Coach Casey Alexander and company had to go to top-seeded Florida Gulf Coast with the NCAA bid on the line and the Bisons got out to a huge lead in that game. They had to hang on in the end, but Lipscomb ended up with a 108-96 victory.
Big Wins: 11/27 at Belmont (74-66), 12/4 Belmont (69-54), 3/4 at Florida Gulf Coast (108-96)
Bad Losses: 1/11 at North Florida (96-102), 1/13 at Jacksonville (69-87), 2/3 NJIT (77-81)
Coach: Casey Alexander
Why They Can Surprise:
Lipscomb has a high scoring offense and wants to push the ball and score in transition as much as possible. But with Rob Marberry on the floor, the Bisons will get the ball to their big man in the paint. Marberry averages 16.0 points per game, but Garrison Mathews is the team’s top scorer and leader. The 6-5 junior averages 22.1 points per game and is a massive threat to score from anywhere on the floor. Those two are the main reason why only a couple teams in the country take more free-throws than Lipscomb. Point guard Kenny Cooper will also get to the basket and draw a foul, finish or find one of his teammates.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Lipscomb is going to give up points. They rank 294th in the nation by allowing 77.5 points per game. However, giving up points is not the problem. This team has plenty of scoring options and can tally enough points when their shots are falling to beat almost anybody. Giving up easy points is the problem. Lipscomb commits 15 turnovers per game and even for a high scoring offense that is way too many. In order to continue their magical run and pull off a huge upset, Lipscomb is going to have to score in transition much more than their opposition.
Probable Starters:
Kenny Cooper, Sophomore, Guard, 9.9 ppg, 4.0 apg, 2.1 spg
Michael Buckland, Sophomore, Guard, 7.5 ppg, 3.1 apg, 4.3 rpg
Garrison Mathews, Junior, Guard, 22.1 ppg, 1.7 apg, 5.5 rpg
Rob Marberry, Junior, Forward, 16.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg
Eli Pepper, Junior, Forward, 7.0 ppg, 7.9 rpg
Key Role Players:
Matt Rose, Sophomore, Forward, 8.4 ppg, 2.9 rpg
Aaron Korn, Senior, Guard, 4.3 ppg, 1.1 apg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 82.6 (23rd in nation, 1st in conference)
Scoring Defense: 77.5 (294, 4)
Field-Goal Percentage: 45.6 (133, 3)
Field-Goal Defense: 44.6 (219, 3)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 8.1 (128, 3)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 33.1 (273, 8)
Free-Throw Percentage: 71.5 (162, 4)
Rebound Margin: 3.8 (58, 2)
Assists Per Game: 15.7 (55, 1)
Turnovers Per Game: 15.0 (324, 8)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
No Recent Tournament History
*all team stats through 3/4
