Nobody is really saying it yet, but in a tournament that only has a Friday break, we are the most dangerous team because of our depth. We have 10 guys that average at least 12 minutes per game, and after that we have Tom and Schwieger. It truly is an 11 man rotation that nobody else in this league has.
The most important thing we have to do is avoid any massive first half runs by our opponents in all 3 games and we should have enough depth in the second half to wear teams down and take control.
I think we want LaSalle to blow out GW and get their starters out early enough to be ready for the Bonnies on Wednesday. From there, I don’t think we care if Saint Bonaventure or LaSalle win, as long as they’re involved in a dog fight and wear each other down.
I know it sounds cliché, but this team really is built for March. Teams like Dayton and Richmond are tied to guys like Holmes and King. If those guys are off, the whole team is off. We don’t have that problem. We can still win if one of our top producers struggles.
Our success in this tournament is predicated on: 1) making adjustments early to find the hot hand to ride each game; 2) keeping guys relatively rested and ready in second halves; 3) making free throws; and 4) limiting turnovers.
Two of those objectives are heavily coaching-based, and two are heavily player-based. Do 3 of those 4 things well and we will win out. Ultimately, it’s all about us and what we do more than it’s about who we play. Thursday cannot come soon enough.
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