The Bobcats’ overall record is 12-11 with a conference record of 5-6, and are projected by VSIN to be the No. 11 seed team for the conference tournament. However, with eight regular season games left to play, the Bobcats have a strong identity that could result in the team succeeding come late February.
Positives
Starting with the basic basketball fundamentals, the Bobcats lead the Sun Belt in team free throw percentage. They have made 396 free throws on 511 attempts for 78%, the best in the conference.
“Nothing will be said in the locker room. We lead the conference in free throw shooting percentage. [The poor free-throw shooting performance is] just something that doesn’t happen very often,” Johnson said after the Bobcats shot 61% against Georgia State.
The Bobcats rank second in total offense in the Sun Belt, averaging 76.7 points per game— a massive jump from last season, when they ranked dead last with 69.9 points per game. They also lead the conference in not only field goal percentage but three-point percentage as well. Shooting about 47% from the field and 38% from three, the team has made drastic improvements on offense to show why it can be a contending team in the conference.
Senior forward Tylan Pope has taken a big leap in his collegiate career, leading the Bobcats in scoring with 15.5 points per game on 52% shooting.
Although Johnson knows Pope can make plays, he still thinks he hasn’t reached his full potential. In the loss against Arkansas State on Feb. 1, Pope struggled early in the game, picking up two early fouls, which led to him being benched for most of the first half. He shot 1-for-6 in the first half but finished the game leading Texas State with 17 points.
“The game is about impact. [Pope’s] energy was good, but he picked up two fouls early and had to sit for a long stretch,” Johnson said. “So when you’re trying to make plays throughout a meaningful time in the game, [whether to comeback] it’s different… I still think he is capable of making a larger impact away from points.”
Negatives
Games, where the Bobcats would clean up turnovers, would be traded off for a poor shooting performance and getting outrebounded completely, where they’re ranked 12th in the conference, just two spots above last place. However, allowing 72.6 points per game, 9th in the Sun Belt is a likely reason for the poor rebounding stats.
“[We must] put together 40 minutes,” guard Kaden Gumbs said. “I think that’s a simple answer, put together 40.”
Turnovers are an issue for the Bobcats, as their turnover margin is -0.04, ranking them 6th in the conference.
Next, Texas State will face Old Dominion on Wednesday, Feb. 5, at Chartway Arena in Norfolk, VA.
