Bowling Green Falcons
2021-2022 Overall Rank: #104
Conference Rank: #4 Mid-American
Bowling Green took a step back in 2020-2021. After a couple 20 win seasons in the previous campaigns, the Falcons finished last season with a disappointing 14-12 record. With an experienced roster returning, Coach Michael Huger should get closer to 20 wins again in 2021-2022, but losing Justin Turner will make this team feel quite different. Turner averaged 19.3 points, 4.4 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals last season.
2020-21 Record: 14-12, 10-8
2020-21 Postseason: CBI
Coach: Michael Huger
Coach Record: 102-87 at Bowling Green, 102-87 overall
Key Departed Players:
Justin Turner, Guard, 19.3 ppg
Jacob Washington, Forward/Center, 3.0 ppg
Key Returning Players:
Daeqwon Plowden, Senior, Guard/Forward, 13.4 ppg
Tre Diggs, Senior, Guard/Forward, 11.5 ppg
Kaden Metheny, Sophomore, Guard, 10.2 ppg
Caleb Fields, Senior, Guard, 6.0 ppg
Josiah Fulcher, Sophomore, Guard, 6.0 ppg
Dylan Swingle, Junior, Center, 4.0 ppg
Cam Young, Sophomore, Guard/Forward, 2.3 ppg
Chandler Turner, Junior, Guard/Forward, 2.1 ppg
Issac Elsasser, Junior, Guard, 0.3 ppg
Jackson Watson, Sophomore, Guard, 0.2 ppg
Matiss Kulackovskis, Senior, Forward, dnp last season
Key New Players:
Samari Curtis, Junior, Guard, Transfer from Evansville
Ubong Etim, Freshman, Forward
Myron Gordon, Senior, Guard, Transfer from Samford
Brenton Mills, Sophomore, Guard, Transfer from Binghamton
Gabe O’Neal, Junior, Forward, Transfer from Kent State
Joe Reece, Junior, Forward, Transfer from Old Dominion
Projection:
Even without Turner, BGSU has three proven scorers on the roster who averaged double-digits in the scoring column a season ago. Daeqwon Plowden has started for the Falcons for three years now and tallied 13.4 points and a team high 7.8 rebounds. The 6-6 wing is obviously a tough rebounder, but he is developing into a dangerous outside shooter as well. Trey Diggs, another very experienced 6-6 wing, led the team with 59 made three-pointers last season. Kaden Metheny added 10.2 points and 1.9 assists and is a dangerous shooter as well. With those three providing Bowling Green with three proven scorers, Bowling Green just needs a point guard and a center. The center position was manned by Dylan Swingle last season and will be again in 2021-2022. Caleb Fields was a starter last season too and averaged 6.9 points and 2.2 assists. He will be asked to take over more point guard duties this year, but Coach Michael Huger has also brought in five Division I transfers and welcomes the return of Matiss Kulackovskis who missed last season with an injury. The headline may be that Turner is gone, but this is a deep and experience Bowling Green team that will make some noise in the MAC.
Projected Postseason Tournament: CBI/CIT
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 77.5 (41st in nation, 5th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 74.6 (274, 8)
Field-Goal Percentage: 41.8 (274, 10)
Field-Goal Defense: 44.4 (216, 8)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 8.2 (82, 6)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 31.9 (258, 11)
Free-Throw Percentage: 73.6 (77, 7)
Rebound Margin: -1.0 (223, 9
Assists Per Game: 12.6 (216, 7)
Turnovers Per Game: 9.8 (5, 1)
