The AU men’s basketball team played its first game at Bender Arena Tuesday night against Hampton University for a crowd of over 1,200 people, but fell short 61-48. After a slow first half from both teams, the Eagles went into the break with a 23-21 point lead. Hampton, however, owned the second half, as the Pirates hit an 18-4 run over the first six minutes to take a 39-27 lead. The Eagles clawed their way back into the game when senior guard Jesse Reed hit a layup to bring AU within 4 trailing 50-46 with 1:12 left in the game. However, AU failed to close the gap any further. On the next play, Hampton senior guard Reginald Johnson hit an “and-1” and converted on his free throw to push the lead back up to seven. The Pirates continued to hit their foul shot success down the stretch and extended their lead for a 61-48 victory. Here are some big takeaways from Tuesday night’s game.
Long scoreless droughts have emerged as an issue
Friday night against Rhode Island University, the Eagles enduring two different five minute scoring droughts.. Tuesday, the Eagles had similar struggles that played a major role in the outcome of the game. After junior center Paris Maragkos hit a layup to put the Eagles up 6-2 with 17:05 left in the first half, AU played the next eight-plus minutes without scoring. Freshman guard James Washington hit a layup to put AU back on the board and ahead 8-6 at 8:47. The Eagles faced a similar issue later in the game when they failed to score a point for five minutes early in the second half. With so many new faces this season, scoring difficulties will be expected. But come conference play, the Eagles will need to avoid these droughts if they hope to compete for a championship.
Poor under pressure
The Eagles faced a tough full court press the entire game which put head coach Mike Brennan’s offense out of sync. Hampton’s speed and athleticism forced AU into 16 turnovers that resulted in 20 points for the Pirates. Brennan said in a press conference after the game that he expects more teams to press with a shorter shot clock. He also added that he expects the Eagles to face pressure again next Wednesday as the Eagles play Virginia Commonwealth University, a team that has a tradition of success rooted in a hard full court press. The Eagles must be better equipped to handle the pressure, especially considering how they value every possession under the Princeton Offense.
The offense runs through Paris Marakgos
For the second straight game, Marakgos led the team in field goal attempts with 14 shots. The GW transfer also tied Jesse Reed as the leading scorer with 12 points. Marakgos’s efficiency, or lack thereof, however, distinguished his strong performance against Rhode Island last week from last night’s showing. After hitting six of his ten field goals against Rhode Island, Maragkos went just 5-14 from the floor last night, missing multiple close shots and a dunk. On a more positive note, Maragkos hit a three-pointer tonight and remains perfect, at 2-2, from outside the arc. The 6’9 junior gives the Eagles a post presence that the team missed dearly last season. If he can find a soft touch around the rim while continuing his success beyond the arc, Marakgos will be an incredibly difficult player to guard.
Poor three-point shooting continues.
After going 2-14 from three-point range against Rhode Island, the Eagles again struggled from beyond the arc hitting just three shots on 12 attempts. The most concerning player is Reed, who, after going 0-4 tonight, is now 0-7 on the season for threes. Junior guard Jalen Rhea, who was a 40 percent three-point shooter last year, also struggled against Hampton, going 0-3 from downtown. AU’s ability to hit open threes is crucial because it helps space the floor and create passing lanes for backdoor cuts and easy layups. If the Eagles struggle to shoot from beyond the arc, teams will start to lay off and crowd the paint to prevent easier shot attempts.
The establishment of Delante Jones
On a night filled with struggles, the emergence of freshman Delante Jones stood out as the silver lining. The 6-5 forward played 30 minutes, scoring 10 points on 4-8 shooting including 2-3 from three-point range. Jones ability to put the ball on the floor and create shots gives the Eagles a nice piece to work with moving forward. While Jones still has plenty to improve on, he looks like he will be a very solid player who could potentially be the face of AU basketball for the next four years.
