The Billikens Bench Improvement Just Hit a Wall

Following an offseason with some injury concerns—chief among them Robbie Avila’s recovery from a back injury—the Billikens’ fall was met with a rash of injuries that affected the lineup early and often. Robbie Avila’s ankle, Josiah Dotzler’s knee and AJ Casey’s lower-body issues meant the roster’s margin for error was shaved razor thin. 

Then came the departure of Larry Hughes II after the Jackson St. game (7th game of the season) & the unfortunate curiosity that is the Kellen Thames situation (Averaged 23 minutes/game and started 8 of the first 9 games of the season including the Chicago St. game. Played 9 minutes/game, appearing in 8 of the next 11 games for the Billikens). Has missed the last six games.

That left the Billikens with a short bench of three freshman (McCottry, Warlick* & Pikaar) & and one sophomore (Brockhoff). 

Despite all these handicaps, there were still more games than not that at least one player from the bench would give you reason to hope. Pikaar showing out in the first half at Fordham, Warlick icing the game vs. VCU, & Amari’s heroics in the UMass victory. After an especially poor three-game stretch in early January that saw a grand total of 4 points scored across 41 minutes played, that bench group saw gradual improvement with showings of 5, 5, 8, 7, 10, 9, 8 in the next seven games. 

Those games didn’t produce stat lines that would impress anyone, but they were undoubtably game-changing in multiple instances. (That stretch includes both Warwick’s games vs. Richmond, VCU & Amari turning the UMass game) There has been a large chunk of games throughout this season where one possession or one play has shifted the results in both ways—any impact from the bench group has been crucial. 

That brings us to the Billikens 0-2 week following an OT loss at home against George Mason and a rough loss away at Loyola Chicago in which the bench contributed a grand total of…ZERO total points across 27 total minutes played. 

This group doesn’t need to score much, but giving the starters—who are mostly playing 35+ minutes every game—any sort of breather without the game falling apart would’ve been a huge addition in either game. Any of those starters being able to rest instead of playing 40+ minutes could’ve been the X-factor in overtime versus George Mason. Those huge droughts from the offense in Chicago would’ve been helped by a Warlick three or Amari drive opening things up.

The bench’s impact has been a question the whole season and hitting the wall with just five games left in the regular season is a worrisome development. Billikens HC Josh Schertz has talked about the importance of being better in February than you were in December. Unfortunately for the Billikens bench, that hasn’t happened. And unfortunately for the Billikens hopes of double-bye, it has stalled out at an unfortunate time.