The personnel report for the Longwood Lancers, Houston’s first-round opponent in Memphis.
Longwood Personnel
(*Indicates likely starters)
*#1 Walyn Napper 6’1″ Sr.- 15ppg, 4rpg, 5apg (Southern Miss)
- Point guard; Getting the Shead assignment?
- Capable three-level scorer, but prefers to get in the paint first when possible;
- Looking to get the ball in the paint to score or distribute to an open shooter;
- Decent three-point shooter; Only 26% on the season (24/92);
- Will look to finish at the rim until someone stops him;
- Should probably be the “head of the snake”:
*#25 Michael Christmas 6’6″ Gr. – 12ppg, 6rpg (James Madison)
- Strong/athletic forward;
- “Head of the snake;”
- Really good three-level scorer;
- Similar to Tre King III from Iowa State with physical stature and ability to play inside/outside;
- Really good three-point shooter;
- Solid face-up game; Likes to catch in the mid/low-post and make a move in the paint:
*#34 Elijah Tucker 6’8″ RS So. – 8ppg, 4rpg (Xavier)
- Did not attend their conference championship game (Personal Reasons); The team had his jersey draped over a chair; I expect him to play AND start Friday night;
- Dominated in over-time vs High Point;
- Long/athletic forward;
- Likes the left-handed hook-shot; Loves using his left hand in the post;
- Solid mid-range shooter:
*#35 Jesper Granlund 6’6″ Sr. – 5ppg, 2rpg
- Long outside shooter;
- European style basketball player;
- Nice “Dirk” fade-away; A less talented Momcilovic (Iowa State):
*#3 DA Houston 6’1″ Sr. – 7ppg, 2rpg (College of Charleston)
- Houston athlete (Episcopal);
- LEFTY
- Solid three-point shooter;
- Capable of scoring in the paint:
#12 Szymon Zapala 7’0″ Jr. – 10ppg, 6rpg, 1bpg (Utah State)
- Started for Elijah Tucker in their last game;
- MASSIVE center;
- Solid shot blocker;
- Aggressive rebounder on both ends;
- Likes the rim-run in transition offense;
- Good post moves; Can score with either hand. High Point made him look like “The Dream,” defending him one-on-one; I think the MONSTER trap will give him nightmares;
- Slow! UH bigs have to look to spin on him and make a strong move to the rim. Also, take advantage of him in the pick-and-roll:
#5 Jonathan Massie 6’6″ Jr. – 11ppg, 5rpg (McNeese State)
- Houston athlete (Legacy School of Sport and Science);
- Long/athletic wing;
- Like to drive to the basket; Can shoot with either hand in the paint;
- Capable three-point shooter:
#4 Emanuel Richards 6’4″ Fr. – 4ppg, 3rpg
- Athletic guard off the bench;
- Solid at driving to the rim and making a move to score;
- Capable three-point shooter:
#7 Johan Nziemi 6’6″ Jr. – 3ppg, 2rpg (Independence CC)
- Long/athletic forward;
- Plays hard; Good energy guy off the bench;
- Solid in the pick and roll;
- Pretty good in the post; MONSTER trap will give him big issues:
Keys to Victory
- Limit Napper and Christmas. These are the two guys who would most likely give UH issues. Napper is going to try to get in the paint at all costs. It will be critical for Jamal to defend him tightly without fouling. Christmas is a special athlete that can play inside or outside. He will look to score based on how the Coogs guard him. These two guys combine for 1/3 of Longwood’s scoring. The Coogs will need to slow them down.
- Defend the paint without fouling. The Lancers want to get the ball in the paint as often as possible. Defending them without swiping at the ball and trying to block everything is okay. Simply contest their shots and make them uncomfortable without fouling. Being on the court is more important than making the highlight reel.
- Drive, kick, make open three-pointers. Longwood plays help-side defense like it’s going out of style. The Coog guards should be able to attack their man and kick to an open shooter when the help-side steps up. They are not quick enough to recover on shooters.
- Force tons of turnovers. They do not like to be pressured. I believe “blitzing” the pick and roll for the “jump steal” by Jamal and “monster trapping” the post is going to lead to nightmares for the Lancers.
- “Out athletic” them. The Coogs are much more athletic than Longwood. They have too much length and speed. Look to create chaos on defense and get “live-ball turnovers” that lead to layups. This game should show off the hard work that Coach Alan Bishop has been putting in with the guys since June and beyond.
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