Last Friday night, the Rhodes College Men’s Basketball team defeated Sewanee 124-104. You read that right. They scored one hundred and twenty four points. In comparison, the NBA average is 105.6 points per game. This score may seem like an outlier, but this isn’t just a one time occurrence for the Lynx. Rhodes averages 110.7 points per game, and it’s not just that they score a lot of points; it’s the way they score all those points that makes their games a truly “can’t miss” event.
When watching, you may feel like you are viewing a professional tennis match. It is constant, up and down the floor action. With ferocious defense, Rhodes utilizes pressing to speed up the game incredibly. As the opposition becomes more and more rushed, they begin to make more and more mistakes. Rhodes averages 13.3 steals a game, and forces 24.8 turnovers per game. In order to keep up the constant feverish energy, they substitute in a way that is similar to ice hockey. Almost every dead ball, a full lineup of 5 players sub out the other five on the floor. With 3 different lines and a total of 15 players almost constantly playing, it is extremely difficult for opposing teams to not get incredibly fatigued by the 3rd and 4th quarters. Staggeringly enough, 13 players for Rhodes average 10 or more minutes a game. Against Sewanee, 15 players had at least 10 minutes of action. In sharp contrast, only 7 players for Sewanee played 10 minutes or more, and 4 played more than 30 minutes.
The Lynx defense is predicated on pressing, but the offense lives and dies by the three point shot. They make about 12 a game, and when they make less than this mark they have a record of 1-7. When they make more than 12 they are 8-2. Incredibly, at 42%, close to half their shots are from beyond the arc. Rhode’s shooting expertise is not limited to a few individuals either. With at least 16 attempts, 10 players make more than 30% of their threes. In the win against Sewanee, Rhode’s shot 44.7% on 38 attempts from behind the line. Particularly late in this game, the three pointer helped the Lynx expand their lead so they could cruise to victory.
Head coach Mike Degeorge implemented the line change system a season ago, and it brought them to their first NCAA tournament since 1993. Due to the fact Rhodes College is a division 3 school, they are not allowed to offer any athletic scholarships to student athletes. This along with the fact that Rhode’s is a prestigious academic school, has limited their talent and recruiting pool. Because of this limatation, Rhodes is quite undersized in comparison to the mammoth like athletes playing division 1 basketball. The system of pressing, playing fast, and shooting the three ball, plays well to their strengths of being skilled and fundamentally sound players.
In conclusion, if you are a fan of basketball, or truthfully any sport, a high speed and electric Lynx Basketball game is the event for you.
Rhode’s Schedule: http://www.rhodeslynx.com/schedule.aspx?path=mbball&
More info on Rhode’s Basketball: https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/sports/columnists/geoff-calkins/2017/01/07/calkins-radical-new-era-rhodes-hoops/96238138/
