in Cleveland, the following must happen:

*The Big 3 of Knapke, Jackson and Jackson must lead the way both on and off the court next week.

* Need Double Doubles by W Jackson and L Knapke in all 3 Games

* M. Jackson must let the game come to him, play within himself and eliminate “live ball” turnovers that lead to easy points for our opponents. It is a balancing act with him to score but to also get other players involved on the offensive end.

* Toledo must guard against dribble penetration and three point shooting which is easier said than done for this team!

* Spencer Littleson must play aggressive on the offensive end like he did last night against EMU as we will need a 4th scorer to complement the Big 3.

* KeShaun Saunders must contribute some on the offensive end, unlike the past 2 games and other past games where he has been a non factor.

* Need “quality” minutes from Alderson, Smith and Maranka to give our starters a few minute to rest as playing 5 games in 9 days, will take its toll. I’m not talking about a bunch of points and rebounds, just being able to “hold their own” until the Starters get back on the floor.

* Play loose and with confidence. There is no pressure or expectations on this team like the past 2 seasons, as no one gives them any chance to win the Tournament next week.

It is going to be a “live wire act” for Toledo with very little margin for error, but as we’ve already seen in other leagues like the Missouri Valley Conference -- it doesn’t matter what you did in the regular season, it is what you can do in the next 4 games!

Step 1: get to Cleveland

gotta keep improving and peaking. other than the Buffalo and NIU games the Rockets have been consistently improving for the past month. the wmu game should be about continuing that process of playing at a higher faster level and coming into cleveland sharp and loose. BG may have lost 3 straight but they will attack and play fast.