By and large and in general, all other things being equal, I'm a big believer in guard play. Show me two teams of comparable ability, and I will pick the one with the better guarda, however slight the advantage. And one of my great delights this year was watching Rorie and Oguine, and speculating how good they will be the next two years. I think they match up against any guards in the country.
But in these early rounds, it's the bigs who make the difference. Just the time you think a Mt. St. Mary's might take down a one, or North Dakota is rallying in the second half against a two, up pop the bigs, with their superior size, mobility and talent, and it really becomes no contest. A reminder again of how out-manned we were this year, especially against that killer non-con schedule, and how much we anticipate the arrival of Akoh, Anderson and Nicholas next year.
Dickie V was on a local talk show this morning, and commented on what he looks for in tournament teams. As I listened, I mentally compared his outlook to our Griz.
1. Cohesive team defense. (Griz: Very good.)
2. A solid offensive scheme, with few turnovers. (Griz: Good.)
3. Ability to make free throws. (Griz: Oh,oh. Not good especially in the clutch.)
4. A dynamic three-point shooter who can spark a run or wake up a slumbering offense. (Griz: Maybe my biggest disappointment this year. Rorie was our most consistent threat, but Gfeller and Moorehead slumped most of the year. I'm hoping Bevins and Falls remedy this for us next year.)
Of course, Dickie V. assumes you've got the bigs, that all other things are equal. Do we? Time will tell.
But in these early rounds, it's the bigs who make the difference. Just the time you think a Mt. St. Mary's might take down a one, or North Dakota is rallying in the second half against a two, up pop the bigs, with their superior size, mobility and talent, and it really becomes no contest. A reminder again of how out-manned we were this year, especially against that killer non-con schedule, and how much we anticipate the arrival of Akoh, Anderson and Nicholas next year.
Dickie V was on a local talk show this morning, and commented on what he looks for in tournament teams. As I listened, I mentally compared his outlook to our Griz.
1. Cohesive team defense. (Griz: Very good.)
2. A solid offensive scheme, with few turnovers. (Griz: Good.)
3. Ability to make free throws. (Griz: Oh,oh. Not good especially in the clutch.)
4. A dynamic three-point shooter who can spark a run or wake up a slumbering offense. (Griz: Maybe my biggest disappointment this year. Rorie was our most consistent threat, but Gfeller and Moorehead slumped most of the year. I'm hoping Bevins and Falls remedy this for us next year.)
Of course, Dickie V. assumes you've got the bigs, that all other things are equal. Do we? Time will tell.