RIDER GAMEDAY: BRONCS RESUME MAAC PLAY AT QUINNIPIAC
WHO: Rider (3-10, 0-2) at Quinnipiac (9-4, 1-1)
WHEN: Friday, 7:30p.m., Peoples United Bank Center, Hamden, Conn.
TV: ESPN+
LAST TIME OUT: Rider lost to Penn State, 90-63; Quinnipiac lost to Florida,
STREAK: Rider L2; Quinnipiac L1
SERIES HISTORY: Rider leads, 13-10. After dominating the series early on by winning 12 of the first 14meetings, the script has flipped on the Broncs as the Bobcats have won eight of the last nine and six in a row. Three of Quinnipiac’s last eight wins in the series have come in overtime, including a 90-88decision last season in Hamden.
NCAA NET RANK: Rider 302; Quinnipiac 184 KENPOM RANK: Rider 284; Quinnipiac 238 SCOUTING RIDER: The Broncs are hoping that flipping the calendar to 2024 allows them to put a tough two months behind them and focus on the remaining 18MAAC games. They are already in an 0-2hold after fumbling away two league games back in early December. If Rider is going to begin the long climb back, it has to start this weekend and on the defensive end, particularly the 3-point line where it is outscored by about nine points per game. The Broncs only make 25.7% of their 3-pointer and the two players they were counting on to make those — Allen Powell and T.J. Weeks Jr. — are both below 29%. Rider could also stand to protect the ball better as its averages 13.2turnovers per game. Mervin James has scored in double figures in all 13games and is averaging 19.2points and 7.4rebounds. He became the 43rd player in program history to reach 1,000 career points when he went over the milestone in the loss to Penn State. The Broncs need to get the ball inside to James and Tariq Ingraham because when the ball touches the paint and they score in there then the rest of the offense opens up (see win at Delaware).
SCOUTING QUINNIPIAC: The Bobcats have the most wins of any team in the MAAC, but they have largely feasted on one of weakest schedules in the country. The average KenPom rating of Quinnipiac’s eight Division I victories is 310.2and its non-conference strength of schedule ranked 348th out of 362teams (Rider, by comparison, played the 33rd toughest non-conference schedule). Still, the Bobcats deserve credit for going out and winning those games, which is often easier said then done. They begin the 18-game MAAC run with a 1-1record after splitting the Western New York trip at the beginning of December. Matt Balanc is probably the chief rival to James for MAAC Player of the Year through two months. The 6-4senior guard is averaging 18.4points on 44.7% shooting (he’s averaged 20.3points in six home games). Balanc (39.6%) is also one of four players who shoot 36% or better from 3; the others are Amarri Tice (36.4), Rihards Vavers (40.0) and Alexis Reyes (36.2). That’s usually equates to a bad matchup for the Bronc, who struggle to make 3s and defend the 3-point line consistently.