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Around the Herd: Brandon Jennings set to debut, Herd drawing huge home crowds, Cliff Alexander's impressive efficiency, James Blackmon Jr. heating up

Brandon Jennings

[Photo: Yahoo! Sports]

Brandon Jennings to make Herd debut

Former Bucks first-round pick Brandon Jennings is set to make his Wisconsin Herd debut on February 21 against the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. Jennings, who signed with the NBA G League last week after a stint in China, was claimed by the Herd and is set to be in uniform, wearing number 10, on Wednesday in Oshkosh.

Jennings averaged 17.0 points and 5.7 assists per game in his Bucks career after being drafted #10 overall in 2009, and was having a productive NBA career before injuries derailed him. But as a Bucks fan who remembers Jennings' explosive scoring and play-making ability from his early career, it would not surprise me to see the 28-year-old point guard get back to that level of production if he's healthy again.

NBA teams around the league will be watching his Herd debut, as well, because while he plays for the Bucks minor-league affiliate, Jennings is a NBA G League free agent and able to sign with any NBA team at any time.

My guess is, it won't take long -- perhaps as little as one game -- for Brandon Jennings to show NBA teams that he can still make plays and for one of them to offer a call-up.


Wisconsin Herd crowd

[Photo: WBAY]

Herd drawing huge home crowds

Wisconsin Herd fans have been flocking to Menominee Nation Arena all season long, but now every game is a near-sellout. Each of the last five home games were at or near max-capacity in the 3,600-seat arena:

DATE ATT. % FULL
1/20 3,639 101%
1/24 3,142 87%
2/03 3,365 93%
2/09 3,381 94%
2/10 3,365 93%
AVG. 3,378 94%


[Attendance figures: NBA G League]

Herd fans packed the place to the rafters with a sold-out crowd of 3,639 on January 20 against the Windy City Bulls. It was their second sell-out of the season, their Oshkosh home opener on December 1, 2017, being the first.

As you can see, the seats were filled to at least 93% capacity in four of the last five home games and over 3,100 fans showed up for a Wednesday matinee (11:30 AM tip-off) on January 24. Clearly, local fans are embracing their new team.


There are likely any number of reasons for the Herd's big home crowds this season, but not to be overlooked is the arena itself. Menominee Nation Arena is a brand-new, state-of-the-art facility and doesn't have a bad seat in the house. Not only do you get NBA-level basketball on the court, but the concessions are good, they've got huge video boards, and there's family-friendly entertainment during timeouts. In short, it's a great place to watch a game.

Then there's the quality of the team, of course, which has been excellent. For an expansion team operating in their first year of existence, the Herd have done a great job of collecting talent and fielding a competitive team since Day One.

Additionally, the Bucks have been active in using their new minor league affiliate, allowing their young draft picks and two-way players to gain experience running their system with the Herd. It's not uncommon to see multiple current NBA players on the floor during a game in Oshkosh.

The Herd should have another big crowd at their next home game on February 21, when Brandon Jennings is scheduled to make his debut with the team.



Cliff Alexander's efficient game

All season long, Cliff Alexander has been a force for the Herd. The 6'9" forward has been the team's top scoring option off the bench, averaging 16.2 points and 6.6 rebounds on 57% FG shooting in 23.1 minutes per game.

However, his stats are even more impressive when you look at his Per 36 numbers, and see that he actually leads the team in scoring per 36 minutes!

Given "starters minutes," as they say of the Per 36 metrics, Alexander would be averaging a big double-double with 25.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game:

Cliff Alexander - Herd stats (Per 36 minutes)

PPG FG% FT% REB BLK
25.2 56.7 78.2 10.2 1.3


[Stats: basketball-reference.com]

Though he was hampered a bit by injuries before the mid-season break, the former Kansas Jayhawk has displayed a smooth all-around game this year, scoring in a variety of ways and with touch around the rim. His 56.7% FG shooting ranks second on the team (Joel Bolomboy, 58.8%) and he's also a very good free-throw shooter at 78.2%.

If he remains healthy and continues to play well, it would not surprise me at all if an NBA team extends an offer to Alexander as we head down the season's home stretch. He's big and athletic, tough down low, and also a very good passer. His efficient scoring and rebounding numbers show that when he's out on the court, he produces at a big-time level.



James Blackmon Jr. heating up

James Blackmon Jr. has played well since being acquired by the Herd in late January, and really started to hit his stride over the last few games. The 6'4" guard out of Indiana University averaged 18.3 points per game while shooting 43.5% from downtown over the Herd's last three games before the break.

Against the Long Island Nets on February 10, Blackmon scored 24 points in 40 minutes and shot a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line.

In six games played for the Herd this season, Blackmon is averaging 14.7 points and 4.0 rebounds in 29.2 minutes per game while shooting 44% from 3-point range and 95% from the free-throw line.

Prior to joining the Herd, Blackmon had appeared in 28 games (seven starts) for the Delaware 87ers, where he averaged 12.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.

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