Matt Weiner (@mattweiner20) – Basketball Beat Reporter
Season two of the Tim Miles-era kicked off with San Jose State men’s basketball (1-0, 0-0) convincingly beating Georgia Southern (0-1,0-0) 63-48.
The win settled any nerves that crept in after the Spartans survived an upset scare via Division II Cal State LA in their exhibition match last Friday.
The Spartans led the entire game, holding the Eagles to a 27% shooting and outscored them 36-18 in the paint.
“You win tonight and the guys walk out of there with their chests and heads high,” said head coach Tim Miles, “and I think that their expectation of who they are going to be showed up tonight.”
Takeaway No. 1: Moore from Omari wasn’t needed
Wherever Omari Moore goes, SJSU men’s basketball goes. He’s practically the heart, soul and every vital organ of the team.
The road he traveled on early was bumpy and littered with potholes. He had six points, but shot 2-of-10 with some bricks that felt completely out of place.
But even with his early struggles, SJSU entered the half up 31-22.
“Early in the game I was like, ‘Oh boy, if Omari is going to struggle we are going to struggle,’” said Miles.
Which was not the case as the game played on.
Alvaro Cardenas tied Moore with a team-leading 14 points and provided a fire and spark that transcended the game.
He banged a couple of three-pointers and boasted a floor-high plus-minus of +16. He also had zero turnovers and played great defense, drawing charges on the other end of the floor.
Not to take away what Moore did tonight. He shot 4-of-6 in the second half and tied Cardenas for a team-leading 14 points.
All while flashing some freakish athleticism along the way.
But even without Moore’s 14 points, the Spartans still had enough to win. Best of luck trying to find a stat like that from last year.
Takeaway No. 2: These Eagles ain’t no Golden Eagles
The Eagles of Georgia Southern didn’t hit their first basket until three minutes into the game and didn’t reach double digits until five minutes to go in the half.
They found themselves at the bottom of a well and couldn’t climb themselves out.
“I thought we were much sharper tonight [defensively] than we were the other night,” said Miles.
Holding Georgia Southern to 48 points and a 27% field goal percentage is a breath of fresh air. The Cal State LA Golden Eagles shot the lights out of the gym against the Spartans in last Friday’s exhibition match.
The Golden Eagles hit seven of their first eight shots and went 5-for-5 to start the game from beyond the arc. Although they slowed down, shooting 27% in the second half after sniping for 52% in the first half, they still scored 66 points.
“I thought our guys played with great defensive intensity and edge and really did a great job following the game plan,” said Miles.
Miles admitted that the Eagles missed some open looks from three, but for the most part the Spartans executed on a consistent basis.
Fans should be most pleased with the rim protection from Tuesday night against the Eagles. The Spartans had five blocks, with three coming from Moore and two from Ibrahima Diallo.
Takeaway No. 3: Claiming the paint
SJSU men’s basketball jetted out to a 6-0 lead with center Ibrahima Diallo having his hand in all three buckets.
He scored on back-to-back post ups and when Georgia Southern sent a double team his way, he hit a back-cutting Cardenas in stride for an easy layup.
The Spartans went on to outscore the Eagles 36-18 in the paint which is a valuable harbinger of improvement from last season. SJSU doubling an opponents point total down low was a rarity.
“A lot of that started with Ibrahima Diallo in the beginning and throughout the game,” said Moore, “He made his presence felt and we were able to play inside out.”
Diallo finished with nine points despite going 1-4 from the charity stripe and six rebounds.
Makes you wonder how much of his success stems from hanging out with lions this past offseason.
SJSU men’s basketball looks to improve to 2-0 as they welcome Bethesda this Saturday at 1 p.m., a squad they beat 118-43 last season.