As we head into the holidays, some of the recent Racer Men's Basketball games haven't ended up so festive, but "Voice of the Racers" Neal Bradley says the best is still yet to come for this team. He says 5-5 is about right at this time in the season. Some of the wins weren't against teams he expected the Racers to beat and some of the losses weren't expected either. He speaks with Tracy Ross on Sounds Good, recapping some of the recent games and a look ahead at the last games of 2015 and the first of 2016, as OVC play begins with three home games.
December 2 vs Houston, 78-83
Houston has a good team this year, Bradley says, and this game was one of those where the Racers got off to a bad start. They were down at halftime and couldn't make a shot. Houston hit a good percentage and had some luck with a bench player. The Racers regrouped and focused better in the second half, but not enough to close the points gap. It was a good game for Gee Mcghee, Jeffery Moss and Wayne Langston.
December 5 vs Evansville, 81-85
The Racers had a chance to win this at the end of regulation. They were "gassed" at overtime, he says, and Evansville got the win. They had two premiere players: D.J. Balentine and Egidiju Mockevicius. The Racers played better defensively and shot rather well. Wayne Langston and Bryce Jones stood out in this game. Bradley says there's no shame in losing to Evansville as they'll end up winning 24 or 25 games.
December 13 vs Illinois State, 61-63
Illinois is a team that wasn't shooting as well as the Racers and were out-rebounded as well. But the Racers didn't get to the line enough and ended up with a close loss in the end. Wayne Langston and DeMarcus Croaker played well, however. Bradley says he liked what he saw out of the team.
Tonight, December 18 vs Southern Illinois
They were the surprise team in the Missouri Valley Conference. Anthony Beane is one of their top players to watch. It's a good team and a high scoring team, Bradley says.
December 22 vs Wright State
Similar to Belmont, they like to shoot three-pointers. This will be one of those games where if the Racers don't play well, they'll have a great chance of losing. If they do play well, it could be their first true road win of the season. They'll need to defend the perimeter and make their shots.
December 30 vs Brescia
This is one of those games where we're writing the paycheck, Bradley says. The Racers will be heavily favored in this match. It will help them test their bench and is one of those games you really need after Christmas.
January 2 vs Morehead State
OVC play begins with the first of three home games. Morehead has been a very good team, playing with a wide roster and using their fouls. They're a hard-nosed defensive team, he says. In the OVC East, they'll give Belmont a run for their money. This will be a stiff challenge for the Racers.
