Watching his team get trampled around the basket Tuesday night generated fond memories of Jordan Goodwin for ºüÀêÊÓƵ University coach Travis Ford.
It was not only what the former Billiken accomplished at SLU but what he had to overcome — something the Billikens are trying to do as a unit and were unable to pull off in an 81-76 loss to Utah State at Chaifetz Arena.
Ford isn’t taking small for an excuse and Goodwin was his example after the loss as he told players who didn’t know about the 6-foot-3 guard who averaged 10 rebounds per game.
“It’s not all about how physically strong you are,†Ford said. “I wouldn’t call (Goodwin) the most athletic guy. He didn’t go above the rim to get rebounds and wasn’t an excuse maker. He accepted challenges, and we see where it got him. We need that mentality. We need guys with the mentality of ‘Hey, whatever it takes.’ We need to figure it out.â€
Utah State scored 52 points in the paint, and powerful forward Great Osobor did much of the inside damage with 24 points and 13 rebounds. The Aggies outrebounded the Billikens 35-25. Their offensive rebounding overpowered the Billikens at times.
Ford thought SLU’s preparation to face Osobor and 7-foot center Isaac Johnson, who does more of his work on the perimeter, was solid. Brad Ezewiro, he thought, had provided a good scout-team replica of Osobor.
But SLU didn’t have an answer with a rotation of inside players that included Terrence Hargrove Jr., Bruce Zhang, Stef van Bussel and Tim Dalger.
“We prepared for two days. We were afraid of what could happen, and we did not do a very good job whatsoever,†Ford said. “It’s kind of the same song and dance. Under the 3-point line we’re just not very competitive right now. We’ve seen it. We know what our issues are. We thought we did some things to camouflage or correct it. We just physically couldn’t do it.
“In the last couple of days we worked on certain things to take away the paint. Their speed and physicality we can’t match at practice other than Brad.â€
The Billikens came out in a zone and had some good results early. They wanted to double team Osobor, but often a second man didn’t get there.
After calling the Aggies the best team the Billikens have faced this season, Ford’s words rang true as the visitors built a double-digit lead in the first half by decimating SLU’s interior defense.
The Aggies then emphasized their power by scoring on three consecutive baskets resulting from offensive rebounds early in the second half to go ahead 60-40. A late surge got SLU within three points, but the Billikens ran out of time.
“We knew (Osobor) did a lot of scoring in the paint,†guard Gibson Jimerson said. “We were late sometimes (to double team) or we’d go and he’d pass it out and there wasn’t rotation on the weak side. We went in with a good game plan. I don’t think we executed it great.â€
Ford used Zhang and van Bussel more than usual as they combined for 19 minutes. Each had a basket and did what they could to provide a physical presence.
With no word on Ezewiro’s waiver request to the NCAA and growing problems with interior defense, Ford said more of both players can be expected.
“We’ve got to do something,†he said. “We need them to come along. We’re going to have to play them it looks like. We don’t have a choice. Maybe we start playing T.J. (Hargrove) at the ‘4.’ â€
Jimerson scored 28 points but there were stretches when no one else was contributing. During a 10-minute stretch between the first and second halves, he scored 12 points and no other Billiken scored.
Ford said there has been excuse making by players for some mistakes. Again, he pointed to Goodwin, who is now with the Phoenix Suns, as the type of attitude he wants the Billikens to emulate.
“We have to rise to challenges,†he said. “I told them I know what it means for everyone to be bigger than you. I get it. I understand. But at some point we all have to throw our shoulders back, grit our teeth and not make excuses.â€
A trend of poor starts in the second half careened out of control for ºüÀêÊÓƵ University on Saturday afternoon at Southern Illinois Universi…
Utah State Aggies forward Max Agbonkpolo (23) and ºüÀêÊÓƵ University Billikens center Stef van Bussel fight for control of a loose ball during a men's basketball game between the Utah State Aggies and ºüÀêÊÓƵ University Billikens at Chaifetz Arena in ºüÀêÊÓƵ on Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023. Photo by David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com