Monday, January 26, 2015

Can SJSU win on Wednesday?

Call me crazy.

You wouldn't be the first and your pejorative would actually be a rather mild one compared to others directed this way.

Anyway, here goes: San Jose State University has a chance to defeat Air Force on Wednesday.

Here's why:

* elevation, actually the lack thereof

The game will be played at sea level rather than the 6,500 feet of Colorado Springs and that should help reduce any in-game fatigue the shorthanded Spartans experience.

* Max Yon is out on personal leave

The Air Force senior guard produced 13 points and six rebounds in the January 7 matchup between these two teams that concluded as a 78-56 loss for the visiting Washington Square crew. He shot 5-8 overall, 2-3 from beyond the arc.

* Rashad Muhammad

The best Spartan talent for producing points, he tallied 26 back on January 7, shooting 6-12. Daryl Gaynor II also shot well, 4-8 overall, 2-4 from long distance for 11 points but did suffer seven turnovers, half of what the team committed.

* Jaleel Williams

He produced just three points and four boards in 38 minutes. It's within the realm of possibility for his point total to say be tripled on Wednesday. It won't be a victory without an elevated game from him.

What must also happen:

* Shooting percentage

SJSU shot a respectable 45% overall last time but any likelihood of that going higher is nil. So what the Spartans must do is somehow diminish the Cadets shooting percentage -- 61% in the earlier pairing cannot be repeated.

* (Reducing) scoring in the paint

SJSU isn't going to put up big numbers close to the basket this season but the 46-16 point differential in the last game has to become much closer. Therefore, reducing layups and chippies are tied as job one defensively.

And no, neither Miss Cleo, The Amazing Kreskin nor Carnak the Magnificent were consulted for this post.

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