It’s report card time for the Bobcats, and the jury has reached a verdict.
The 2016-17 season is officially in the books for the Quinnipiac men’s basketball team after suffering a quick exit from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament.
The season was widely seen as a disappointment on the court, with a few bright spots that gave hope to the future.
Nevertheless, the grades are in for the Bobcats as we look into every aspect of the team and how they performed this season.
Offense:
Grade: B-
The Bobcats were able to put up points this season, averaging 75.7 points per game. That was good for fourth in the MAAC. Three Bobcats finished in the top 20 in the MAAC in individual points per game (Dixon, Kiss, Daniels), which was tied for the most top 20 scorers in the conference for one team (Siena also had three players in the top 20).
The Bobcats also excelled on the offensive glass (as they always do under Tom Moore), posting a MAAC-best 13.9 offensive boards per game throughout the season. The loss of Donovan Smith hurt the team down the stretch in the rebounding category, but junior Chaise Daniels was solid on the offensive boards all year, finishing sixth in the MAAC in offensive rebounds.
While the Bobcats were able to score at a solid pace, they didn’t always do so with a solid efficiency. The team shot 42 percent from the floor this season, putting them ninth in the MAAC in that category. They didn’t see better results as they ventured further from the basket. The Bobcats shot 32.6 percent from three this season; just 10th in the MAAC. Peter Kiss and Reggie Oliver each had hot nights from downtown this season, but the team wasn’t exactly raining triples at any other point this season.
The free throw line wasn’t much friendlier to the Bobcats, where they shot 68 percent as a team, finishing 10th in the MAAC. The Bobcats were a decent offensive team in 2016-17, but a little added efficiency would have put them among the best in the conference. On the bright side, their offense improved immensely from last year’s team, and that trend should continue next season.
Defense:
Grade: D
You don’t have to look too deeply into this grade. The Bobcats were last in the MAAC in total defense by a healthy margin, surrendering over 83 points per game. Teams shot over 46 percent from the field on the Bobcat defense and 32.6 percent from beyond the arc. Both of those marks were 10th in the MAAC. There was plenty of room for improvement on the defensive end this season.
The lone bright spot would be in the block department, led by Smith and Daniels. Both players posted seven blocks in one game this season, making opponents hesitant to enter the paint when those two towers were occupying the blocks. Still, it doesn’t save the Bobcats from a poor defensive grade.
Underclassmen:
Grade: A
Seriously, how can you not give this group a stellar grade? The performances of Kiss and Dixon were more than enough to warrant the highest overall score on the team this season. The freshmen backcourt duo combined for 10 MAAC Rookie of the Week Awards, with Dixon taking home the MAAC Rookie of the Year Award on Friday. Their combined scoring average eclipsed 30 points per game, fourth best in the nation. The pair ahead of them are these guys named T.J. Leaf and Lonzo Ball out of UCLA. You may have heard of them.
The pair of Dixon and Kiss continued to grow throughout the season, and gives the team a sense of hope as they close the book on a frustrating season. However, they will need some help if the Bobcats are to really turn the corner as a team. In order to do that, some other underclassmen will need to step up.
We have seen that sophomore Andrew Robinson can shoot the three, but his overall field goal percentage of 35 percent has to improve. Fellow sophomore Abdulai Bundu will be relied on heavily by coach Tom Moore next season, but needs to work on his free throw shooting if he is to become a legitimate threat in the paint for the Bobcats. Opponents aren’t afraid to foul a big man who can’t shoot free throws, and Bundu finished the season shooting just 53 percent from the charity stripe. Bundu can score, but unless he can improve his free throw shooting, opposing defenses will elect to send him to the line instead of daring him to shoot.
Upperclassmen:
Grade: C
Daniels had a great year for the Bobcats and will be the face of the frontcourt next season. Smith posted solid numbers himself before injury derailed the rest of his final season.
However, the upperclassmen in the backcourt, specifically Daniel Harris and Reggie Oliver, struggled this season before eventually surrendering their starting jobs to Kiss and Dixon. Harris and Oliver shot 36 and 33 percent from the floor respectively, while combining for just 3.7 assists per game.
Oliver was the fourth leading scorer on the team (7.6 points per game), but there was a significant drop-off from the team’s third leading scorer (Daniels). The Bobcats definitely missed him Oliver their MAAC Tournament loss as he was tending to a family tragedy. There was some good and bad mixed into the performance of the upperclassmen this season, so their grade is no more or less than satisfactory.
Coaching:
Grade: C+
This grade may be debated by many who think he should receive a failing grade, but hear me out: the final product on the floor did not look very good this season. Twenty-one losses and a quick conference tournament exit are ugly sights no matter how you dress it up. Still, you have to like how Moore handled the ascension of his young backcourt studs. Moore patiently eased Kiss and Dixon into their starting roles as the two followed parallel paths to the starting roster, which helped build a solid chemistry between the new faces of the program.
The poor defensive effort this season can certainly be seen as a knock on Moore. I’ll admit that, but let’s be honest: this team wasn’t making any noise in the MAAC this season regardless if there was an added defensive effort. They simply didn’t have the personnel. It’s been a frustrating tenure for Moore as he has been trying to rebuild the program, and now he may finally have the pieces in place to take the next step. Showing him the door right before it happens would be an awfully sad ending.
Before letting Moore go, we should look at another team who went through identical troubles before finding a young backcourt stud named Justin Robinson. Yes, I’m talking about Monmouth, who just won the regular season title and is poised to win this year’s MAAC Tournament and should have made the NCAA Tournament last year if not for an all-time snub on Selection Sunday.
I’m not holding this season’s late slide (seven straight losses) against Moore as much as others might. Smith got hurt, Kiss got sick and Oliver had family matters that were more important than basketball. It’s hard to win with that many obstacles. Moore certainly didn’t do a fantastic job this season that deserves a round of applause, but you can see the bright side of his job performance if you squint a little.
Final Team Grade: C
