For those who don’t know, Troy University is located in Alabama. I am an Alabama native, and when I played high school basketball, we would go to Troy every year for team camp (great cafeteria!). With that said…I had never seen a Troy basketball game until I started scouting them Saturday night. On Tuesday evening, they bring a 5-3 record to the Fertitta Center to take on the Houston Cougars.

I REALLY enjoyed doing this scout. Some teams I scout are not fun to watch because they are boring and unskilled. Troy plays a really fun basketball style. They play uptempo on offense and typically full-court pressure defense (you’ll see below that they play several types of defense). They play hard and have some really fun players to scout!

I will go with #4 Myles Rigsby as my “Head of the Snake” for this one. He is their leading scorer and loves to get in the paint as much as possible. The Coogs have done a great job this year preventing that type of player from succeeding. I think the same will happen on Tuesday night.

My favorite player to watch for the Trojans is #12 Tayton Conerway. Tayton is an electric passer. He may set a new personal record for turnovers against the Coogs on Tuesday night (his current career-high is 7 at Texas State in March). Still, I hope he won’t avoid his flashy pass attempts on the big stage in his home state (Burleson Centennial/Ranger College).

The Cougars are entirely too athletic for Troy in this one. Troy does not shoot the ball extremely well from outside, and they are a bit turnover-prone. Houston should annihilate them on the offensive glass, as UH’s big men should be a major problem for them. Also, the UH guards will likely be too quick, meaning the Coogs win big.

Troy Offense

• Troy likes to run in transition. They occasionally have a snowbird back for fast break layups.
• They are a decent outside shooting team. Troy would prefer to get the ball in the paint. UH’s length inside should be a big problem for them.
• The offense goes through Rigsby. He’s a decent shooter but would prefer to get the ball in the paint. He will likely be frustrated in this one and forced to take more outside attempts.
• Their top three outside shooting threats are #2 Marcus Rigsby Jr., #11 Victor Valdes, and #3 Cooper Campbell.
• The Trojans struggle to inbound the ball on their baseline out-of-bounds (BLOB) plays. When JoJo or Ja’Vier are guarding the inbound passer, it will likely be a problem for them.

Trojan Defense

• In the two years I’ve done these, I have not scouted a team that changes their defenses as much as Troy. As an opposing coach, that keeps you on your toes because you never know what they will call.
• The Trojans are likely to play aggressive full-court, man-to-man (FC M2M) pressure defense. Most teams back off after the ball is inbounded. These guys tend to stick with the guard and defend them up the court.
• Troy may attempt some three-quarter court, 1-2-2 or a 1-2-1-1 “diamond” zone trap defense. They want you to dribble just past the half-court so they can trap you and use the half-court line as a third defender. UH will be better off passing when trying to break a zone press versus dribbling through it. (Fake a pass to make a pass!)
• Troy plays intense M2M in the half-court, where they are bodied up to the player with the ball. I would love to see UH clear out an entire side of the floor for Terrance Arceneaux and/or Mercy Miller and let them go one-on-one against their defender. They REALLY struggle defending the paint when in their HC M2M.
• They like to “blitz” trap on pick and rolls (similar to UH).
• The Trojans will likely run some 1-3-1 and 2-3 half-court zone defense. They typically do this when several of their reserves are in the game simultaneously.
• They struggle in defensive transition. The Coog guards should look for the post players on the rim run.

Troy Personnel (*Indicates Probable Starters)

*#4 – Myles Rigsby – 6’6″ – SO – Forward – 14ppg, 4rpg.

• Athletic/scoring forward; He is patient and typically a good decision maker (the UH defense will likely change that);
• Outstanding at getting downhill and attacking the rim; He wants to get there often to score in the paint or at the free-throw line; 28/33 FTs (85%);
• Solid mid-range shooter;
• Capable three-point shooter; Has not shot a high percentage so far; 4/18 (22%).

*#12 – Tayton Conerway – 6’3″ – SR – Guard – (Grayson College/Ranger College) – 10ppg, 4rpg, 5apg, 3spg.

• Combo guard;
• Willing to make some unorthodox moves; Great with ball-fakes;
• Makes some sick passes against “lesser” competition; Not sure they’ll work against UH, but I don’t hate the idea of him attempting them;
• Solid at getting to the basket;
• He gets a little chippy, so he could mix it up at times;
• He is so much fun to watch…but he is not a great shooter.

*#15 – Jackson Fields – 6’8″ – JR – Forward – 9ppg, 5rpg.

• Houston (Missouri City) kid – Elkins HS;
• Big body/forward; Appears to have a long wing-span;
• Not overly gifted on offense; Not terrible around the rim; The Coogs length will be a problem for him.
• Has attempted a few three-point shots (0/6).

*#1 – Thomas Dowd – 6’8″ – SO – Forward – 8ppg, 5rpg.

• Long/stretch forward;
• Sneaky athletic; Solid at driving to the basket;
• Capable, but not a great outside shooter; 8/29 3pt (28%).

*#2 – Marcus Rigsby Jr. – 6’3″ – JR – Guard – (Tyler College) – 7ppg, 3rpg.

• Three-point shooting guard; Must know where he is!;
• Most three-point attempts on the team; 13/34 3pt (38%).

#10 – Jerrell Bellamy – 6’9″ – RS JR – Forward – (Chattahoochee Valley CC) – 8ppg, 3rpg.

• Long/really athletic forward; Does not have great hands. He bobbles catches often;
• Runs the floor hard in offensive transition;
• Tries to dunk everything; Aggressive around the rim;
• Strong finisher..Had several And-1’s in the game I watched;
• Not great, but not bad at making a move in the post.

#33 – Theo Seng – 6’9″ – SR – Forward – (San Fransisco State/Sacramento State/Eastern Arizona College) – 6ppg, 4rpg.

• World Traveler! Nicknamed “Big Bird” as he is a Larry Bird fan, and they kind of look alike;
• Tall/stretch forward; Similar to McCaffrey for Butler;
• Did not dress out in the game I watched; Unsure of his status for Tuesday night;
• 65% of his shots are from beyond the arc; 7/23 (30%) on the season.

#11 – Victor Valdes – 6’7″ – SO – Forward – (Zentro Basket Madrid) – 6ppg, 2rpg, 2.5apg.

• Big forward; I’m very impressed by his skills; Similar game to Nick Spinoso from Penn that we saw in the Fertitta Center last year (He struggled vs UH, but was outstanding in the Ivy League);
• Should probably be a starter for them;
• Skilled ball-handler and passer for his size;
• Solid three-point shooter; 7/19 (36%).

#3 – Cooper Campbell – 6’2″ – FR – Guard – 5ppg, 1rpg.

• Red hair/back-up point guard;
• Really solid three-point shooter; They should look to get him more shot opportunities; 8/13 3pt (62%);
• Solid off the bounce; Good at creating shots in the paint;
• Terrible defender; Whoever he is guarding should look to take advantage.

#24 – Randarius Jones – 6’7″ – SR – Center – (Paris JC/LA Southwest CC) – 4ppg, 2rpg.

• Did not play in the game I watched.

#00 – Kerrington Kiel – 6’6″ – RS FR – Forward – 2ppg, 1rpg.

• Did not play in the game I watched.

Key’s to Victory

1. Keep #4 Myles Rigsby out of the paint. He is their leading scorer and is at his best when driving the lane and drawing fouls. He is an 85% free-throw shooter and wants to get to the line. If the Coogs defend him as they did Telfort from Butler, they will be in good shape.
2. Dominate the Offensive Glass. Houston is a much superior/athletic team. They should be able to dominate the offensive glass and create several extra-shot opportunities.
3. Turn them over. The Coogs are looking to get easier shot opportunities. I believe they will be able to do so by forcing Troy to turn the ball over, and they should have some highlight dunks in this one.
4. Get the bench involved early and often. This should be a good opportunity to get everyone involved. You never know who you will need down the season’s stretch (See Cedric Lath last year). Anytime you can play them early in the season, the better off you will be.
5. Get J’Wan going early. This could be the 2024/2025 break-out game for J’Wan Roberts. I would look to get him some early looks and build his confidence.