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Tuesday, March 14, 2006
(Originally posted Mon. night at 11:13 p.m.)
When Bucknell coach Pat Flannery addressed a media audience during a conference call Monday afternoon, it was clear his team will have its work cut out for it Friday when it takes on Arkansas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
His staff began breaking down the Razorbacks shortly after Sunday night's selection show, taking advantage of the video archives on the Arkansas Web site to get a look at the Hawgs while awaiting delivery of game tapes from a service that records televised games all season long.
Even on a small screen, the Razorbacks made a big impression.
"We know we have our hands full with their athleticism. Certainly the league they play in is one of the best leagues in the country," Flannery said.
"They are long and they are very athletic. If you go in weak with stuff, they really can reach out and grab you and knock balls away, They get a lot of turnovers that way."
Long is coachspeak for all arms and legs. It goes beyond being just tall. It means having the kind of wingspan that allows a guy to play bigger than he is. And Arkansas is long.
The Razorbacks trot out a starting lineup with just one guy under 6-5. Their wings are the size of Patriot League big men, their big men taller than small trees.
Flannery said his team didn't know a whole lot about Arkansas yet. The staff was still putting together the full scouting report. When the time comes to share it with his team, they will know plenty.
"We have worked hard on them and will give them a lot on them," Flannery said.
That doesn't mean the players had not gotten a glimpse of the Razorbacks.
"So far from our tape and what our coaches have told us, they are going to be very physical. There's definitely some physicalness in there," said Bison senior co-captain Charles Lee, who at 6-3 will be giving up a couple of inches to almost any Razorback he is matched against.
"It is very early in the week, so preparation hasn't quite kicked in to full gear yet. From preliminary scout, we have seen that they are a very athletic team. We have noticed their defense. Offensively, they are going to really crash the glass and they have some great offensive threats in (Ronnie) Brewer and (Jonathon) Modica. The big boy down there definitely alters some shots. That is definitely something us guards, as well as the big men, will have to be wary of."
The "big boy" Lee referred to is 7-footer Steven Hill, a 248-pound sophomore who has blocked 87 shots this season. Hill has had a tendency to foul trouble. He is averaging only 22.3 minutes per game and has been disqualified five times. But the Razorbacks don't get a lot smaller when he sits down.
The starter at the four, Charles Thomas, is a 6-8 sophomore who averages 10 points and almost 5 rebounds per game. Darien Thomas is a 6-10 kid who comes off the bench after having started a dozen games. He has blocked 52 shots himself. For a little perspective, the entire Bucknell roster has blocked 53.
The Hawgs also bring 6-10 sophomore Vincent Hunter and 6-9 freshman Cyrus McGowan off the bench.
Modica is a 6-5 senior guard and second-team All-Southeast Conference pick who averages 16 points per game. He'd be the superstar on most teams, here he plays second fiddle to Brewer, the 6-7 All-SEC first team son of Ronnie Brewer Sr., who was one of Arkansas famed "Triplets" who led the Razorbacks to the Final Four in 1978.
A legitimate All-America candidate, Brewer averages an SEC-leading 18.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per contest.
"At times the Brewer kid is sensational. At other times he is just really good. He can score and has the pedigree. He's been a basketball player," Flannery said.
The only place the Bison matchup size wise is at the point where 6-0 Abe Badmus will take on Arkansas' Eric Ferguson, a 6-1 senior who moved into the starting lineup late in the season and seemed to be the thread that pulled the team together. After a 16-8 start, the Hawgs went 7-1 in their last 8 games, coinciding with when Ferguson was inserted into the first five.
Despite the Razorbacks' considerable size advantage, don't expect Flannery to try anything out of the ordinary when the Bison take the American Airlines Center floor Friday afternoon.
"You have to do what you do, what you have done during the course of the year, or you confuse your kids," Flannery said.
He might resort to some gimmicks in practice this week, like playing five on seven to try to simulate the way Arkansas plays the passing lanes and swarms on defense ("It's really hard to simulate," Flannery said).
But the last time Flannery tried getting cute was the Villanova game, when he started Donald Brown instead of Darren Mastropaolo, then second-guessed himself after the loss for letting the Wildcats dictate style.
"We'll play the way we've been playing," said Flannery.
That means relying in defense first. The Bison rank second in the nation in scoring defense, fourth in field goal percentage defense. Their matchup zone has been known to give opponents fits, especially teams who have not seen it before.
"People haven't shot the ball very well against us," said Flannery. "That is what happens sometimes. As far as what we do and how we do it, we have five guys that believe in it. We will put guys on the floor that will work hard on it. That kind of an attitude is what allows us to establish ourselves."
"We all buy into it. We all realize that is what gives us our best opportunity to win. Whether we play man to man or matchup or whatever, the main thing is we play good team defense," Lee said.
"We have a lot of returning guys, We have played a long time together. That doesn't just help offensively. Defensively, we all know what our strengths and weaknesses are and help each other out."
Another thing Bucknell has going for it is experience. While eight of Bucknell's top nine in the rotation were key players in last season's opening round upset of Kansas, none of the Razorbacks has ever been to the Big Dance. This is Arkansas' first bid since 2001.
"(Last year's experience_ is going to help us tremendous amount. Now we are used to this big stage. We have taken a lot from last year. Last year was last year. We recognize that. But I think we got a lot of confidence from that game and it is something that has carried over throughout the year," Lee said.
"It is really going to help us. We grew up from that experience and really handled being hunted all year. I'm just hoping that we come out and are relaxed, now that we have had a year to really see what it is like."
"Going into the tournament, the fact that they know how to travel, and we know what to expect as far as the media attention, how to handle that -- a couple of things we were on this year really helped us to be able to handle those kind of things, That part of it we can handle," Flannery said.
Another edge for the Bison could be the their road warrior mentality. While Arkansas didn't play on an opponent's floor until its conference season got underway, Bucknell has traveled all over the country, literally taking on all comers. Bucknell has wins at Syracuse and DePaul and played Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium a day after flying back east from two games on the West Coast.
"I've said all along, people make a big thing out of Kansas, and it was, it was historic. It was wonderful. But going up to Holy Cross, again, if you have ever been to Worcester, there's not a whole lot of people going in there to win ballgames. Going up there and winning on the road just took these kids and made them realize, and wins at Pitt and Saint Joe's, gave us a lot of confidence," Flannery said.
"Knowing that you have been in against some people like that helps to prepare you for anything that comes down the road. It doesn't mean you will always execute. But it does mean that you are prepared and you know physically what some people are capable of doing and you prepare in a certain way," Flannery said.
The Patriot League season helped, too.
"Our league isn't the exposure that you have down in the SEC, but we think going to places like Hamilton and Worcester prepare us during the year, plus our out of league schedule was tremendous as well," Flannery said.
"Things leading up to it will be things we can handle. It will come down to the ballgame."
When Bucknell coach Pat Flannery addressed a media audience during a conference call Monday afternoon, it was clear his team will have its work cut out for it Friday when it takes on Arkansas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
His staff began breaking down the Razorbacks shortly after Sunday night's selection show, taking advantage of the video archives on the Arkansas Web site to get a look at the Hawgs while awaiting delivery of game tapes from a service that records televised games all season long.
Even on a small screen, the Razorbacks made a big impression.
"We know we have our hands full with their athleticism. Certainly the league they play in is one of the best leagues in the country," Flannery said.
"They are long and they are very athletic. If you go in weak with stuff, they really can reach out and grab you and knock balls away, They get a lot of turnovers that way."
Long is coachspeak for all arms and legs. It goes beyond being just tall. It means having the kind of wingspan that allows a guy to play bigger than he is. And Arkansas is long.
The Razorbacks trot out a starting lineup with just one guy under 6-5. Their wings are the size of Patriot League big men, their big men taller than small trees.
Flannery said his team didn't know a whole lot about Arkansas yet. The staff was still putting together the full scouting report. When the time comes to share it with his team, they will know plenty.
"We have worked hard on them and will give them a lot on them," Flannery said.
That doesn't mean the players had not gotten a glimpse of the Razorbacks.
"So far from our tape and what our coaches have told us, they are going to be very physical. There's definitely some physicalness in there," said Bison senior co-captain Charles Lee, who at 6-3 will be giving up a couple of inches to almost any Razorback he is matched against.
"It is very early in the week, so preparation hasn't quite kicked in to full gear yet. From preliminary scout, we have seen that they are a very athletic team. We have noticed their defense. Offensively, they are going to really crash the glass and they have some great offensive threats in (Ronnie) Brewer and (Jonathon) Modica. The big boy down there definitely alters some shots. That is definitely something us guards, as well as the big men, will have to be wary of."
The "big boy" Lee referred to is 7-footer Steven Hill, a 248-pound sophomore who has blocked 87 shots this season. Hill has had a tendency to foul trouble. He is averaging only 22.3 minutes per game and has been disqualified five times. But the Razorbacks don't get a lot smaller when he sits down.
The starter at the four, Charles Thomas, is a 6-8 sophomore who averages 10 points and almost 5 rebounds per game. Darien Thomas is a 6-10 kid who comes off the bench after having started a dozen games. He has blocked 52 shots himself. For a little perspective, the entire Bucknell roster has blocked 53.
The Hawgs also bring 6-10 sophomore Vincent Hunter and 6-9 freshman Cyrus McGowan off the bench.
Modica is a 6-5 senior guard and second-team All-Southeast Conference pick who averages 16 points per game. He'd be the superstar on most teams, here he plays second fiddle to Brewer, the 6-7 All-SEC first team son of Ronnie Brewer Sr., who was one of Arkansas famed "Triplets" who led the Razorbacks to the Final Four in 1978.
A legitimate All-America candidate, Brewer averages an SEC-leading 18.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per contest.
"At times the Brewer kid is sensational. At other times he is just really good. He can score and has the pedigree. He's been a basketball player," Flannery said.
The only place the Bison matchup size wise is at the point where 6-0 Abe Badmus will take on Arkansas' Eric Ferguson, a 6-1 senior who moved into the starting lineup late in the season and seemed to be the thread that pulled the team together. After a 16-8 start, the Hawgs went 7-1 in their last 8 games, coinciding with when Ferguson was inserted into the first five.
Despite the Razorbacks' considerable size advantage, don't expect Flannery to try anything out of the ordinary when the Bison take the American Airlines Center floor Friday afternoon.
"You have to do what you do, what you have done during the course of the year, or you confuse your kids," Flannery said.
He might resort to some gimmicks in practice this week, like playing five on seven to try to simulate the way Arkansas plays the passing lanes and swarms on defense ("It's really hard to simulate," Flannery said).
But the last time Flannery tried getting cute was the Villanova game, when he started Donald Brown instead of Darren Mastropaolo, then second-guessed himself after the loss for letting the Wildcats dictate style.
"We'll play the way we've been playing," said Flannery.
That means relying in defense first. The Bison rank second in the nation in scoring defense, fourth in field goal percentage defense. Their matchup zone has been known to give opponents fits, especially teams who have not seen it before.
"People haven't shot the ball very well against us," said Flannery. "That is what happens sometimes. As far as what we do and how we do it, we have five guys that believe in it. We will put guys on the floor that will work hard on it. That kind of an attitude is what allows us to establish ourselves."
"We all buy into it. We all realize that is what gives us our best opportunity to win. Whether we play man to man or matchup or whatever, the main thing is we play good team defense," Lee said.
"We have a lot of returning guys, We have played a long time together. That doesn't just help offensively. Defensively, we all know what our strengths and weaknesses are and help each other out."
Another thing Bucknell has going for it is experience. While eight of Bucknell's top nine in the rotation were key players in last season's opening round upset of Kansas, none of the Razorbacks has ever been to the Big Dance. This is Arkansas' first bid since 2001.
"(Last year's experience_ is going to help us tremendous amount. Now we are used to this big stage. We have taken a lot from last year. Last year was last year. We recognize that. But I think we got a lot of confidence from that game and it is something that has carried over throughout the year," Lee said.
"It is really going to help us. We grew up from that experience and really handled being hunted all year. I'm just hoping that we come out and are relaxed, now that we have had a year to really see what it is like."
"Going into the tournament, the fact that they know how to travel, and we know what to expect as far as the media attention, how to handle that -- a couple of things we were on this year really helped us to be able to handle those kind of things, That part of it we can handle," Flannery said.
Another edge for the Bison could be the their road warrior mentality. While Arkansas didn't play on an opponent's floor until its conference season got underway, Bucknell has traveled all over the country, literally taking on all comers. Bucknell has wins at Syracuse and DePaul and played Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium a day after flying back east from two games on the West Coast.
"I've said all along, people make a big thing out of Kansas, and it was, it was historic. It was wonderful. But going up to Holy Cross, again, if you have ever been to Worcester, there's not a whole lot of people going in there to win ballgames. Going up there and winning on the road just took these kids and made them realize, and wins at Pitt and Saint Joe's, gave us a lot of confidence," Flannery said.
"Knowing that you have been in against some people like that helps to prepare you for anything that comes down the road. It doesn't mean you will always execute. But it does mean that you are prepared and you know physically what some people are capable of doing and you prepare in a certain way," Flannery said.
The Patriot League season helped, too.
"Our league isn't the exposure that you have down in the SEC, but we think going to places like Hamilton and Worcester prepare us during the year, plus our out of league schedule was tremendous as well," Flannery said.
"Things leading up to it will be things we can handle. It will come down to the ballgame."
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