Central Basketball Association

2016 Semifinal Playoff Preview:

Sunday, May 15, 2016

Shortridge High School (Indianapolis, Ind.)

Note: All playoff games are scheduled to be broadcasted live this weekend on the CBA YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/c/PlayCBA. Be sure to follow league action on the CBA Twitter (@playCBA), Instagram (@playCBA), and Facebook social media pages. 

 

Semifinal Game #1

• Middle Tennessee (7-1) vs. Columbus (6-3)

When:

• 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Series History:

• First meeting between the teams. 

Organization History: 

• Middle Tennessee, who posted their best regular season record (7-1) in their four-year organization history, earned their third consecutive semifinal berth this season, by virtue of winning the South Division and receiving a first-round bye. They also won the CBA Championship in 2014. 
• Columbus, who compiled a 5-3 regular season record in their first year in the league, advanced to the semifinal round via a 17-point victory last night over Memphis in the first round of the playoffs. 

​Coaches:

• Carlin Alford (Middle Tennessee) has a 7-2 career record, including a 7-1 record in his first full season as head coach in the league. This is his first postseason game. 
• Dick Reynolds (Columbus) has a 6-3 career record in his first season as head coach. Reynolds is 1-0 in the post season. 

Key Players: 

• Joshua Sain (Middle Tennessee) was in the top-five in the league in points per game (20.7) and was second on the team in free-throw shooting percentage (74.2%) and three-point shooting (37.3%)
• Myles Thrash (Middle Tennessee) was second on the team in points per game (17.0) and was in the top-five in the league in free throw shooting percentage (83.3%) and third on the team in three-point shooting (36.2%)
• Roy McFadgon (Middle Tennessee) was one of only five players in the league averaging a double-double this season with 15.6 points per game and 11.6 rebounds per game. He also set two league records in rebounds in a game (23) and blocks in a game (8).
• Brett McKnight (Columbus) led the league in scoring at 26.0 points per game, second in the league in 3-point percentage (47.6%), and in the top-10 in the league in field goal percentage (56.0%)
• Anthony Hitchens (Columbus) scored in double-digits in all but one game this season, averaging 14.2 points per game, was one of the top assist leaders in the league (4.0) as well as shooting from the outside (42.1%). 
• Trent Weaver (Columbus) led the league in rebounds, as well as being one of only five players in the league averaging a double-double this season (18.1 points per game, 12.8 rebounds per game).

Darkhorse Players:

• Torye Pelham (Middle Tennessee) led the team in field goal percentage (69.8%), and averaged a double-double this season (14.3 points per game, 10.1 rebounds per game); however, has battled ailments and foul trouble at times this season. 
• James Helton (Columbus) was a late-season pickup for Columbus this regular season, who previously played in Romania and Poland. His outside shooting helped the team pull through in the final minute versus Indianapolis in the season finale, as well as take the game out of reach for Memphis in the first round of the playoffs last night. 

Key Head-To-Head Team Statistics:

• Points Scored Per Game (Middle Tennessee 102.6, Columbus 97.0)
• Points Allowed Per Game (Columbus 87.8, Middle Tennessee 95.5)
• Field Goal Percentage (Columbus 45.9%, Middle Tennessee 44.9)
• Free Throw Percentage (Columbus 67.3%, Middle Tennessee 65.2)
• 3-Point Percentage (Columbus 37.0%, Middle Tennessee 32.5%)
• 3-Point Percentage Allowed (Columbus 23.1%, Middle Tennessee 29.8%)
• 1st-quarter Point Differential (Columbus +25, Middle Tennessee -1)
• 2nd-quarter Point Differential (Middle Tennessee +60, Columbus -1)
• 3rd-quarter Point Differential (Columbus +53, Middle Tennessee -14)
• Rebounds Per Game (Middle Tennessee 46.9, Columbus 41.1)
• Turnovers Per Game (Middle Tennessee 16.5, Columbus 17.8)
• Blocks Per Game (Middle Tennessee 5.0, Columbus 1.4)

Prediction:

• Columbus 105, Middle Tennessee 99

 

Semifinal Game #2:

• Fort Wayne (8-0) vs. Indianapolis (5-4)

When:

• 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Series History:

• Fort Wayne leads the series 2-0. The last meeting was on April 17, 2016 in Indianapolis, as Fort Wayne defeated Indianapolis 99-88. 

Organization History: 

• Fort Wayne, who completed the first undefeated season in league history this year, will play in the semifinals for the third time in as many years. They will look to become the first team since St. Louis (2013-14) to advance to the title game in back-to-back seasons. 
• This is the first season for Indianapolis in the league, where they compiled a 4-4 regular season record. They earned their first playoff win last night versus Bowling Green to advance to their first semifinal in team history. 

Coaches:

• Rod Wilmont (Fort Wayne) has a 21-9 career record in his third season as head coach. He is the winningest coach in league history. Wilmont has a 2-2 career record in the postseason. 
• Dominique Ingram (Indianapolis) has a 5-4 career record in his first season as head coach, and is 1-0 in the postseason. 

Key Players: 

• Greg Foster (Fort Wayne), who played previously in the NBA D-League, led the team in points per game (23.9) and was second amongst guards on the team in field goal percentage (49.7%) and free throw percentage (74.4%)
• Antonio Cannon (Fort Wayne), who was the league's MVP in 2014, was second on the team in points per game (22.8) and in three-point shooting (35.7%)
• Corey Wickware (Fort Wayne) led the league in three-point shooting (48.1%) and was in the top-10 in the league in field goal percentage (53.8%) and free throw shooting (80.8%)
• Anthony White (Indianapolis) finished the season as the second-leading scorer in the league, averaging 25.6 points per game. He also leads the team in free throw shooting percentage (83.9%) and 3-point shooting (39.5%). 
• Chrishawn Hopkins (Indianapolis) was second on the team in both points per game (19.6), field goal percentage (54.1%), and free throw shooting percentage (70.3%). He is also fourth in the league in rebounding amongst guards, averaging 7.1 rebounds per game. 
• Dion Smith (Indianapolis) was second in the league in rebounds per game as well as only one of five players in the league averaging a double-double this season, with 14.5 points per game and 11.9 rebounds per game.

Darkhorse Players:

• Raymon Austin (Fort Wayne), who played in Oman last season, averaged 12.5 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-8 forward shot 72.2% from the free throw line this season. 
• Jaylen Moore (Indianapolis), who after not scoring in double-digits all season, posted a 28-point, 11-rebound performance in the season finale versus Columbus. 

Key Head-To-Head Team Statistics:

• Points Scored Per Game (Fort Wayne 103.6, Indianapolis 98.9)
• Points Allowed Per Game (Fort Wayne 89.5, Indianapolis 94.0)
• Field Goal Percentage (Fort Wayne 48.4%, Indianapolis 45.9%)
• Free Throw Percentage (Fort Wayne 70.7%, Indianapolis 68.9%)
• 3-Point Percentage (Fort Wayne 38.3%, Indianapolis 31.4%)
• 3-Point Percentage Allowed (Fort Wayne 27.5%, Indianapolis 29.8%)
• 3rd-quarter Point Differential (Fort Wayne +38, Indianapolis -25)
• 4th-quarter Point Differential (Fort Wayne +14, Indianapolis -5)
• Rebounds Per Game (Indianapolis 42.8, Fort Wayne 40.9)
• Turnovers Per Game (Indianapolis 18.8, Fort Wayne 20.4)
• Steals Per Game (Fort Wayne 10.4, Indianapolis 9.1)
• Blocks Per Game (Fort Wayne 5.2, Indianapolis 2.5)

Prediction:

• Fort Wayne 108, Indianapolis 93

 

 

 

(Photo by: Kindell Moore / CBA Photos)