by The Republican Sports Desk Tuesday March 24, 2009, 9:13 PM
Brian Toomey, of North Brookfield, attaches Elite Eight banners to the MassMutual Center scoreboard Tuesday, March 24, 2009. The NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament quarterfinals are Wednesday.By JEFF THOMAS
jthomas@repub.com
SPRINGFIELD - No one is happier than Augusta State University men's basketball coach Dip Metress at the absence of Winona (Minn.) State in the Elite Eight.
Over the last three years since the NCAA Division II men's basketball championship returned to Springfield, Winona State has sent home eight teams, most recently Augusta State in last year's national championship game.
The Jaguars wouldn't mind taking over the mantle as the team to beat in the Elite Eight.
"A lot of people are happy Winona's not here," Metress said. "Hopefully, if we're fortunate to advance, our experience will help later on, but for now we've got to focus on Christian Brothers."
Augusta State (29-4), of Augusta, Ga., had Winona State's Warriors on the ropes last year, leading by as many as 16 points in the second half. For the game, the Jaguars shot 57.1 percent from the floor.
The problems were rebounding and turnovers, which gave Winona State a bevy of more shot attempts. Winona State had 40 of its 69 field goal attempts in the second half, while Augusta State took only 28 shots.
Twenty-one offensive rebounds and only seven turnovers helped the Warriors, while the Jaguars had two of their eight offensive rebounds in the second half and 11 of their 17 turnovers in the second 20 minutes.
It wasn't the way Metress would have preferred to end the season, but he knows his players learned a thing or two that should carry over to this Elite Eight.
"I think our returning guys are more excited this year because they know what a great experience it was, and part of the great experience was playing three games," Metress said. "And our new guys listened to our returning guys who came up here last year and were shellshocked a little bit."
The Jaguars have three starters returning from last year's team, including 7-foot center Garret Siler, who made the all-tournament team along with Tyrekus Bowman, now playing professionally in Portugal.
"We lost two starters, but we return the big fella (Siler) and the Australian Ben Madgen, and our guards played some," Metress said. "Six of our guys played big roles, but four of them had real prominent roles."
Siler is a force. In the title game last year he had 20 points and five blocked shots.
This year, he leads the nation in field goal percentage at 79.1. He's averaging 16 points and 7.9 rebounds a game, and ranks 10th nationally in blocked shots at 2.7 a game.
Siler's height and size (300 pounds) will be a big test for Christian Brothers and its big gun, 6-8 center Nick Kohs, but the Princeton offense run by the Buccaneers will be a challenge for the Jaguars.
"That's not our way in the South, not in our part of the country," Metress said of the Princeton offense. "They have a unique style. Three of the last four teams we've played we played a style we haven't seen all year.
"So we'll make adjustments, and obviously we've got the big guy we've got to deal with and guard him," he added. "With that unique style you always give them the edge, but at this stage you stick to what got you here, and you make some slight adjustments during the game."
Hot News Update Daily Home
No comments:
Post a Comment