There are a lot of things you have to do right to beat WKU, of course, but like most running teams, they have to get defensive rebounds to key it. So, if you want to beat them, your front line has to be hitting the offensive boards big time, because you won't be able to get much help from the perimeter since they will have to release against the break.

I don't know, that might be a gamble. If you get the board, sure. A big strong team (like UALR will be) could probably get putbacks and have time to set up the D after the made shot. But if you don't get the board... we may see some smart coaches bringing everybody back. This team will be to the goal before you can blink.


I think the key (to beating WKU) would be 1) control turnovers in the back court. We'll press. A lot. You'll have a lot of swarming, quick guys altering passes and picking off quite a few. You'd have to have guys looking back for the outlet. Turnovers will lead to dunks. 2) control the tempo. Not many Sunbelt teams outside of maybe Troy and UNT will want to run with us. I'm not sure that those two do. 3) Deny the penetration. You'd want to make us shoot mostly threes understanding that the secret to hitting threes is going inside first to collapse the defense. If we can't score in transition, and we run into a wall of big men when trying to penetrate, and then your gaurds have a hand in our gaurds face when they shoot the three, then that is the trifecta. South Alabama was infuriatingly good at that a couple of years ago. Doing that for forty minutes will be easier said than done.

In a half court game it might be a tough, fair fight, especially against a big physical team like UALR on the road.

From today's BG daily news blog:

Quote:Monday was the first time the media’s really been able to sit down and discuss the upcoming season with WKU men’s basketball coach Ken McDonald.

– When asked about where this team is now compared to where it was last season at this time, McDonald replied ‘light years ahead.’Being in his second season, McDonald said that the feeling out process is now gone and the returning veterans are immediately all on the same page. McDonald also said he was extremely excited about his team’s possible depth this season – as last year, the Hilltoppers basically rode just six player for the entire season. That shot at having more depth has in turn made practices much more intense. leaving as many as eight to ten players working hard for significant minutes.

– McDonald didn’t shy away from any outside expectations entering this season. Saying that from the very first practice session, he gathered the team and set forth the goal of winning the Sun Belt Conference and heading back to the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season. McDonald said he’s not afraid to admit that he feels he has the best team in the league, and feels that if his team plays to its capability, it will win the league.

– When asked about how the first few practices have gone thus far, McDonald said they were ‘very intense.’ He used an example of redshirting senior Juan Patillo and junior Steffphon Pettigrew battling each other for a rebound – saying that while both players are obviously on the same team, both were going for broke trying to outwork one another. With that said, McDonald added that he’s been very impressed with the incoming true freshmen’s ability to be able to hang in there throughout full practice sessions with the veterans. Saying that there wasn’t any one new player that stood out, and that the class as a whole has impressed him over the first three days of practice.

Confidence goes a long way. I'd like to see you guys run the table.

And then get beat by UALR in the finals. That way we're both in.

(10-19-2009 05:58 PM)Scotto Wrote:  Confidence goes a long way. I'd like to see you guys run the table.

And then get beat by UALR in the finals. That way we're both in.

You know what. I could live with that.

It's a deal.

Now the hard part. Which one of us gets to convince UNT, DU, MTSU, etc, etc to play along?

Rock, paper, scissors works for me.