The last week of the regular season is upon us. It is full of meaningful games, as the Flames are pushing to finish this season strong. The last couple of weeks have been tough on the Flames. They are facing a serious gut check. The Flames still hold first place in the ASUN East, but it has been a dramatic ride since January’s end. Here’s another three for three as we approach the end of the regular season.
1. In Darius we trust.
McGhee has proven to be every bit of the special player we thought. Despite having a high turnover night and an inefficient shooting night, he continues to demonstrate he is the driving force of the squad. I anticipate Darius will show us just how much of a gamer he really is. By gamer I mean he is one of those players that simply turns it all on when challenged. I remember watching him courtside at the ECU game earlier this season. A couple of the guards were trying to get under his skin, but this only served to focus Darius all the more. That’s what a competitor is – someone who, when challenged, steps their game to a higher tier and takes over. If you don’t believe it, find the highlights from Saturday’s game.
2. Survive and advance.
At this point, the Flames’ defense is officially lagging. While speculation continues as to why this is, the Flames’ weaknesses in interior defense are being exploited from my observations. As teams are able to get inside and create defensive gaps, the perimeter will be opened. This was evident during the BYU contest earlier this season. The Flames were battered by a more aggressive post. While Stetson’s Chase Johnston did have the game of his career on Saturday, nothing happens simply by chance at this level of collegiate basketball. Their game plan was to play inside out, and it worked…almost. This correlates with my previous article, stating the Flames are being scouted well at this point in the season and are getting exposed in some areas. At this point in the season, I have resided to the fact that the Flames will have to accept that some team’s offenses are simply better than our packline, and they will have to accept the reality of winning close games.
3. Roster fluidity.
In recent games, we have seen Abii, Peebles, Venzant, Warfield, and the list goes on and on. Each player besides primarily Darius, Rode, and Robinson have had their minutes altered. We should tip our hat to Coach McKay and his staff’s savvy with the roster to try different lineups and approaches. This creates defensive issues, scouting inconsistencies, and matchup problems for Flames’ opponents. Those mismatches are especially helpful in giving the Flames the edge. I believe Coach McKay is intentionally using the roster to throw the kitchen sink at teams and disrupt their rhythm, and it has worked. All of the bench players previously mentioned have come off the bench and made significant contributions, even through small means.
As fans, we always want our team to dominate and coast through regular season play. The reality is that most teams are fighting for each win right now. Auburn has had some recent games that prove that there is no team above the competition right now. Every team will have to fight to prove they belong in their conference if they intend to win. The Flames are no exception. Here’s to hoping they bring their best game this week and set themselves up well for the postseason.
