Last week welcomed the start of the much anticipated 2021-22 NCAA college basketball season.

With student sections filling up and college memorabilia flying off the shelf, there may not be a better time for college hoops fans than Opening Week. Fresh starts and high expectations as 350 basketball programs all kickoff the season with hopes of making the big dance aka the NCAA tournament.

With that being said, both the men’s and women’s programs for the Towson Tigers got off to solid starts as they started their journeys toward being major players in the Colonial Athletic Association.

In this article, we will review the games played by the teams last week and determine some key takeaways that could be applicable to storylines throughout the season. We will also take a look at the week ahead and point out notable matchups and keys to victory.

Towson Men’s Basketball

Towson’s men’s team enters this week at 1-1 and currently are tied for 4th place in the CAA alongside Drexel, Delaware, Hofstra and UNCW.

The Tigers opened the season on the road to take on the Albany Great Danes. The story of this game was the return of Antonio Rizzuto who was a part of the Albany program for four seasons before transferring to Towson this offseason.

In route to a 77-56 victory, Rizzuto had 11 points but in the end this game was more about two of the Tigers other recent transfers. The guard tandem of UT-Martin transfer Cam Holden and Bradley Terry Nolan Jr., combined for 32 points in their Towson debut. Holden topped off his performance by securing a double-double with 11 rebounds as well.  Junior guard Gibson also had a solid outing as he had 14 points and four rebounds in 19 minutes.

This was a six-point game at half but in the second half, the Tigers pounced as they jumped out to as much as a 28-point lead. Towson dominated on the boards 45 to 28, grabbed 16 offensive rebounds along with ten steals. After a slow start, the Tigers pretty much coasted as the three transfer guards showed out.

The second game for the Tigers was not as favorable. In their home opener against Monmouth on Saturday, senior guard George Papas and the Hawks played spoiler as they came out with the 79-71 victory. Towson got off to a slow and sloppy start as they were scoreless in the first six minutes and Monmouth was once up 24-1 in the early part of the first half. But the Tigers fought back and closed the gap, going into half down 43-31.

For the Tigers it was pretty much the Cam Holden and Nicolas Timberlake show as the two combined for 35 points. Holden also nearly completed back-to-back double-doubles but fell one rebound short. Towson also got solid minutes from senior forward Juwan Gray who had 12 points and five rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench.

When looking back at this game, Towson should view this as one that slipped out of their hands because beyond the first six minutes, the Tigers played like the better team.

Biggest Takeaway: Towson’s Four Transfers Will Be Heavily Leaned On

Head coach Pat Skerry uncharacteristically dove early and often into the transfer portal this offseason and he does not plan on wasting his efforts. Through two games, the three guards Holden, Rizzuto, and Nolan Jr. have all played in starting lineups.

Holden has probably had the most impact of the three as he has 30 points and 20 rebounds total and is playing 28 minutes a game. After a solid opening game for Rizzuto and Nolan Jr., they combined for only eight points and were 2-of-8 from beyond the arc.

Considering that all three of them are coming from situations where they were the team’s leading scorer, it should not be a surprise that all three of them are transitioning as smoothly as Holden is. But it will be imperative for Rizzuto and Nolan Jr. to carve out roles for themselves if the Tigers have any hopes of balancing out the starting lineup.

Then there is junior forward George Washington transfer Chase Paar. Paar has not had the kind of impact that the guards have had but it’s hard to not play a guy who is 6-foot-10, 250 pounds.

Paar is getting about 14 minutes off the bench behind junior forward Charles Thompson and pretty much is acting as a big body that can soak up some frontcourt minutes. So far besides Cam Holden, no Towson player is averaging five rebounds or more. Paar is only averaging 2.5 per game but the Tigers will need to be more effective on the glass if he is going to be useful in coach Skerry’s big lineups.

These four transfers are already being heavily leaned on by the Tigers and it will mainly be this group’s responsibility to carry the offensive load alongside returners like Timberlake and Gibson.  

Notable Matchup of the Week: Friday Nov. 19th on the road against the 1-1 Pittsburgh Panthers

The players to watch for the Panthers are John Hugley and Femi Odukale. Hugley is averaging 22 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. He opened the season with a double-double of 27 points and ten rebounds in a win over The Citadel. He is a physical big man standing at 6-foot-9, 240 pounds so it will be important to crowd him and crash the glass.

Hugley has the capability of being an offensive rebounding machine if he is not met with a body or two under the basket. Hugley will be a tall task for Charles Thompson, but this matchup between the two could play a major role in both who wins the rebounding battle and who wins the game.

As a table setter for the Panthers, Odukale is averaging 13.5 points and 4.0 assists so far this season. He is an aggressive perimeter defender meaning the Tigers will need to lean on guys like Timberlake and Holden who are the team’s two best shot creators to create offense for them. Odukale has the ability to switch, but if Towson attacks him with multiple looks, it may be enough to at least slow him down.

Towson’s Women’s Basketball

On the women’s side, the Lady Tigers got off to a hot start as they kicked off the season at 3-0 sitting atop the CAA. When it comes to Towson’s top performers thus far, you cannot start the conversation without talking about junior guard Aleah Nelson.

With the departure of multi-time All-CAA 1st team guard Kionna Jeter who was the first player in program history to be drafted to the WNBA, the Lady Tigers came into the season in need of a leader. Well through games, Nelson has slid into the role seamlessly and is making history along the way.

On the season she is currently averaging 23.7 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and is shooting 55% from three. Notably she became the highest scorer in Reynolds Coliseum history when dropped 39 points as the Lady Tigers took down the Florida Gators, 87-70.

Two other notable players to watch for the Lady Tigers are junior guard Anissa Rivera and sophomore forward Allie Kubek.

Rivera is averaging a double-double with 13.3 points and ten rebounds. She kicked off the season with a monster game as she had a game-high 21 points and 14 rebounds in 23 minutes in Towson’s home opener against Frostburg State.

Kubek is quietly growing into the Lady Tigers’ second option in the backcourt as she is coming off of having 25 points, six rebounds and three blocks in last night’s win over Wofford. She is averaging 17.7 points and 5.3 rebounds while shooting an astounding 67.7% from the floor.

It was just three seasons ago that head coach Diane Richardson and the Lady Tigers were playing in the opening round of the 2018-19 NCAA tournament, and they have high hopes of returning this season. This group has the chance to return atop the CAA with the trifecta of Nelson, Rivera and Kubek at the helm, if they continue to play at an All-CAA level.

Biggest Takeaway: The Lady Tigers Defense Is No Joke

So far we have talked about some of the dominant performance by the Towson offense, but it pales in comparison to what they have done on the defensive end.

In the home opener against Frostburg State, the game was 50-44 in favor of the Lady Tigers. They then went on to allow only 15 points in the second half as they went on to blow the Bobcats off the floor, 113-59. The Florida Gators were held to only 70 points as they watched Aleah Nelson score over half of that by herself. Lastly in last night’s game against Wofford, they held the Terriers to 19 total points in the second half.

So basically, when it comes to the Lady Tigers defense, you better jump on them early because they are not giving up anything easy in the second half. As the cherry on top, through three games, the Lady Tigers have scored 100 points off of turnovers alone.

In short: They are locking up opposing offenses, forcing turnovers, and creating easy offense for themselves by converting off of those turnovers. The perfect formula for an elite level defensive team.

If Towson continues to defend at this level matched with what they are doing on offense, it won’t be long before the Lady Tigers start making at least a little noise the conversation amongst some of the other top-tier teams in women’s basketball.

Notable Matchup of the Week: Monday Nov. 15th on the road against 1-1 No. 5 Ranked NC State Wolfpack

The two players to watch out for NC State are Jakia Brown-Turner and Kayla Jones.

Brown-Turner is averaging 14 points, 4.5 rebounds and despite the loss, she dropped 18 points in the season opener against No. 1 ranked South Carolina. She is a high energy forward that can get hot in a hurry. She is coming off a quiet performance with five points against Florida so best believe she is looking for the perfect opportunity to bounce back.

Alongside Brown-Turner in the frontcourt, Kayla Jones is averaging 11 points per game, and she dropped 15 points in the win over Wofford. Jones is not a high usage player in terms of shot attempts, but when she does shoot she has been nearly automatic. Through three games she is shooting 72.7% from the floor.

The goal from the Lady Tigers should be physical with these two and force them to lean on Wolfpack guards to carry the offense instead. In a matchup between the Towson and NC State guards, the Lady Tigers have the slight talent advantage, but they have to lean into that if they want to get the win.

Jalon Dixon
Jalon Dixon

BSL Analyst

Hi there! My name is Jalon Dixon, but most people just call me Jay. As an aspiring, young sports writer and podcaster, I enjoy discussing sports (mainly basketball and football) and sharing my knowledge with others. Growing up right in the middle of Towson University, Morgan State, Goucher College and others, I have gotten the chance to learn so much about a handful of the different athletic teams that thrive here in Baltimore. I want to be the voice of local fans and teams that may not get the same spotlight as others, but still play a big part in our everyday lives. My motto is “Always Embrace Conversation,” so if you ever want to give me feedback on a piece or even just have a friendly sports debate, feel free to email me! Hope you enjoy my work and maybe even learn something along the way.

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