Winning is Everything

[randy]

Rank (Media/Coaches): #24 / NR; RPI: #13; Bubble watch: (In) #29

Feb 17, 2001: #24 Towson (19-5, 13-2) @ Hofstra (11-13, 6-9)

• SF Aaron Hale injured - strained calf (76% - 6 days)

Start of 1st half

We're attacking the hoop at almost every opportunity. HOF with 4 off rebounds already; we should do a better job securing def rebounds. Up 15-11, 11:34. We got the lead up to 7 by HOF sinking their outside shots to get back within a single pt. C Byron Hardy scored 6 straight pts, and we ended the half strongly. Halftime, Up 34-27.

Key stats / Notes (Halftime)

• Pts in paint: TOW 22, HOF 6

Start of 2nd half

HOF with a great start in the 2nd half, scoring 7 straight pts, to tie the game. Fouls are also being called heavily on us, and I got called for a T for complaining. 6 of our next 10 pts were score by SG Haven Wilkerson, as we regain control of the game. Up 44-39, 15:24. But HOF able to come back again, mostly due to our turn overs. Up 45-44, 11:39.

HOF got into penalty, and we are scoring more on the FT line. But HOF has still kept this game close. Up 55-52, 7:02. HOF leveled the score after they hit thier 7th triple of the game. Tied at 60, 3:57.

TOW: HOF got called for a foul again. PF Bevon Green hits both FTs. We have shot 26-30 FTs today. Up 62-60, 3:46.

HOF: We got called for a foul. We're also in the penalty. HOF splits but they get the off rebound. The put back is good, and they take the lead! Down 62-63, 3:23.

TOW: HOF packing up the lane with their 3-2 zone. Still, C Alex DeMond able to get squeeze in the lane and get an inside basket. Up 64-63, 2:52.

HOF: They miss a 3. Timeout. Up 64-63, 2:35.

TOW: We isolate PF Bevon Green on the low post. Green puts up a shot but missed
HOF: We'll go m2m defense. PF Bevon Green steals the ball
TOW: Outlet to SG Haven Wilkerson who scores on the jam! Up 66-63, 2:04.

HOF: Their PG hits a big 3! Tied at 66, 1:44.

TOW: I didn't called a timeout. This time we go to C Byron Hardy on the low post. Hardy shoots and scores! Hardy has been dependable today, 25 pts, 10-12 FG. Up 68-66, 1:28.

HOF: Their PG drives and scores again. He scored their last 5 pts. Timeout. Tied at 68, 1:09.

TOW: C Alex DeMond receives the pass on the low post. DeMond shoots and scores! Timeout HOF. Up 70-68, 0:56.

HOF: We'll put a bigger defender on their PG. They go to their C this time. Puts up a shot from the high post, but there was a foul. 2 FTs. Split. Timeout. Up 70-69, 0:44.

TOW: We need to go 2-for-1 so we can get the ball back. PF Bevon Green receives the pass. Green is getting ready to make his move off the dribble. Green shoots and rattles one home. Up 72-69, 0:35.

HOF: PF Bevin Green intercepts the pass. Green with 2 consecutive plays big plays, on both ends of the floor.
TOW: C Byron Hardy is ahead of everybody else. He gets the pass on the break and scored on the jam. 2 possession game now. Should be over. Up 74-69, 0:23.

HOF got 3 opportunities on their next possession, but they came up empty each time. Time expired


Final Score: Towson - 74, Hofstra - 69


Box Scores
[INDENT]Hardy 27, 8, 0 (*)
Wilkerson 17, 8, 2
DeMond 13, 6, 1
Green 6, 3, 3
Toxey 4, 0, 1
Martin 2, 4, 6, 4 tos
Weaks 2, 3, 0
Desmond 2, 2, 0
Hill 1, 0, 0
Granger 0, 1, 1, fouled out
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 49-43%
REB: +11
TO: +3
Pts in paint: +26
2nd chance: +8
Fast break: -3
[/INDENT]
Notes

• Very close the entire game, as no team was able to pull away at any point in the match. My 3-man post rotation were all in the end game, with PF Bevon Green playing the 3 slot. All 3 of of them (Green / Hardy / DeMond) all came up with clutch baskets

CAA Conference Standings

1. Towson, 14-2 (W3)
2. Delaware, 11-5 (L2)
3. James Madison, 10-6 (W2)
4. Georgia St, 10-6 (L1)
5. VCU, 10-6 (W1)
6. NC Wilmington, 9-7 (L1)
7. Northeastern, 7-9 (W2)
8. Drexel, 6-10 (W1)
9. George Mason, 6-10 (L3)
10. Hofstra, 6-10 (L1)
11. Old Dominion, 4-12 (W1)
12. William & Mary, 3-13 (L2)
    
    With DEL's loss, we secured the CAA regular season championship!

[randy]

Rank (Media/Coaches): #25 / NR; RPI: #10; Bubble watch: (In) #28

Feb 19, 2001: Campbell (19-7, 12-3) vs #25 Towson (20-5, 14-2)

• SF Aaron Hale injured - strained calf (83% - 4 days)

Start of 1st half

CAMP started 8-9 FG, including 3-3 3PT. C Byron Hardy and C Alex DeMond combined to score our 1st 16 pts. Down 20-23, 10:50. We went down by 6 when CAMP converted their 4th 3pt shot of the game. SG Haven Wilkerson then scored 8 pts on a 14-3 run, and the game has been close the remainder of the 1st half. Halftime, Up 42-38.

Key stats / Notes (Halftime)

• 2nd chance pts: CAMP 2, TOW 16 (we had 11 off rebounds)

Start of 2nd half

We continue to dominate the boards at both ends, but our poor shooting and turn overs, allowed CAMP to keep themselves in this game. Up 49-45, 14:21. CAMP tool the lead after we keep on throwing the ball away (13 turn overs). CAMP got into penalty with almost 10 mins remaining. Down 53-54, 7:48.

CAMP's shooting has gone sour, while 5 of our next 7 pts came from the foul line. Up 60-56, 4:16. We committed our 16th turn over, in which CAMP was able to capitalize and converted 2 FTs. SG Haven Wilkerson answered back with a 3pt shot. A traveling on CAMP's next possession, while we got fouled on the other end and scored 2 more FTs. Up 65-58, 2:51.

After a CAMP miss, we turn it over once again (#17). It was a crucial turn over, as CAMP knocks down their 7th 3pt shot of the game. Timeout. Up 65-61, 2:00

We turn it over once again. Fortunately, CAMP missed on their end. On our next possession, PF Bevon Green hits a medium-range jump shot. Up 67-61, 1:09

CAMP called for traveling. And the C Alex DeMond converted a 3pt play opportunity, to seal this game.


Final Score: Campbell - 63, Towson - 74


Box Scores
[INDENT]Hardy 17, 12, 0 (*)
DeMond 16, 6, 1
Wilkerson 15, 3, 4
Martin 12, 6, 5, 7 tos
Green 10, 5, 0
Desmond 2, 5, 1
Toxey 2, 0, 0
Hill 0, 5, 0
Weaks 0, 4, 2
Granger 0, 1, 0
Roberson 0, 0, 0
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 43-37%
REB: +26
TO: +8
Pts in paint: +16
2nd chance: +12
Fast break: +4
[/INDENT]
Notes

• We won, or even dominated, every major statistical category. But there was a point in the 2nd half where we looked like we are about to lose the game. Goes to show that turn overs, in which we committed 18, can offset whatever advantage we have in this game

CAA Conference Standings

1. Towson, 14-2 (W3) (*)
2. Delaware, 11-5 (L2)
3. James Madison, 10-6 (W2)
4. Georgia St, 10-6 (L1)
5. VCU, 10-6 (W1)
6. NC Wilmington, 9-7 (L1)
7. Northeastern, 7-9 (W2)
8. Drexel, 6-10 (W1)
9. George Mason, 6-10 (L3)
10. Hofstra, 6-10 (L1)
11. Old Dominion, 4-12 (W1)
12. William & Mary, 3-13 (L2)

(*) Regular season champions

[randy]

Rank (Media/Coaches): #25 / NR; RPI: #10; Bubble watch: (In) #28

Feb 21, 2001: Northeastern (13-12, 7-9) @ #25 Towson (21-5, 14-2)

• SF Aaron Hale injured - strained calf (91% - 2 days)

Start of 1st half

SG Haven Wilkerson providing an early jump start, 18 pts, 7-7 FG. Up 28-4, 11:45. The rest of the team continued our good start, as both our big men also in double figures. Halftime, Up 53-20.

Key stats / Notes (Halftime)

• FG shooting: NORTH 27%, TOW 71%
• We dominated just about all major categories, including turn overs, where we only committed 2 in the 1st half

Start of 2nd half

This game is over in the 1st half. Only remaining unknown is the final score.


Final Score: Northeastern - 56, Towson - 98


Box Scores
[INDENT]Wilkerson 35, 4, 6 (*)
Hardy 22, 12, 0
DeMond 14, 10, 1
Granger 11, 3, 3, 5 tos
Desmond 10, 3, 3
Green 4, 1, 2
Martin 2, 3, 6, fouled out
Weaks 0, 1, 2
Roberson 0, 0, 1
Hill 0, 0, 0
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 69-38%
REB: +25
TO: -3
Pts in paint: +48
2nd chance: +11
Fast break: +14
[/INDENT]
Notes

• The team is peaking up just at the right time, a couple of weeks before the tournament games start. Both our inside and outside offense were working today, plus we got unusual double figure scoring from back up C Herbert Desmond and PG Nick Granger

CAA Conference Standings

1. Towson, 15-2 (W4) (*)
2. Delaware, 12-5 (W1)
3. Georgia St, 11-6 (W1)
4. VCU, 10-7 (L1)
5. James Madison, 10-7 (L1)
6. NC Wilmington, 10-7 (W1)
7. George Mason, 7-10 (W1)
8. Northeastern, 7-10 (L1)
9. Hofstra, 6-11 (L2)
10. Drexel, 6-11 (L1)
11. Old Dominion, 4-13 (L1)
12. William & Mary, 4-13 (W1)

(*) Regular season champions

[randy]

Rank (Media/Coaches): #25 / NR; RPI: #10; Bubble watch: (In) #28

Feb 24, 2001: NC Wilmington (14-12, 10-7) @ #25 Towson (22-5, 15-2)

Start of 1st half

SG Haven Wilkerson with another good start, 8 pts, 2-2 3PT. Up 18-10, 11:53. C Alex DeMond also having a big game, 11 pts. Up 31-15, 6:55. C Byron Hardy (16 pts) took over the scoring the latter part of the 1st half, as we threaten to blow this game away early. Halftime, Up 48-25.

Key stats / Notes (Halftime)

• Pts in the paint: UNCWI 6, TOW 26

Start of 2nd half

Another blowout. Starters get an early rest.


Final Score: NC Wilmington - 55, Towson - 81


Box Scores
[INDENT]Hardy 22, 10, 0 (*)
Wilkerson 20, 2, 4
DeMond 13, 5, 0
Desmond 8, 5, 1
Hale 6, 5, 3
Green 4, 7, 1
Granger 4, 3, 4
Weaks 4, 0, 0
Martin 0, 0, 4
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 51-36%
REB: +8
TO: -5
Pts in paint: +38
2nd chance: +2
Fast break: +2
[/INDENT]
Notes

• Getting ready for tournament games. SF Aaron Hale's 1st game back from his injury, and he performed well. C Herbert Desmond continues to show good improvements, and he'll provide us a deeper bench on the front court.

CAA Final Conference Standings

1. Towson, 16-2 (W5) (*)
2. Delaware, 13-5 (W2)
3. James Madison, 11-7 (W1)
4. Georgia St, 11-7 (L1)
5. VCU, 11-7 (W1)
6. NC Wilmington, 10-8 (L1)
7. George Mason, 7-11 (L1)
8. Hofstra, 7-11 (W1)
9. Northeastern, 7-11 (L2)
10. Drexel, 6-12 (L2)
11. William & Mary, 5-13 (W2)
12. Old Dominion, 4-14 (L2)

(*) Regular season champions

[randy]

Rank (Media/Coaches): #21/ #22; RPI: #8; Bubble watch: (In) #25

Mar 2, 2001: (9) Northeastern (14-14, 7-11) vs (1) #21 Towson (23-5, 16-2)

Start of 1st half

NORTH outside shots are falling, 4-5 3PT. Up 17-16, 13:57. NORTH's starting back court scoring 18 of their 20 pts, as they continue to shoot well from the outside. We opened up the gap because of NORTH's turn overs. Up 25-20, 10:19. SG Haven Wilkerson in double figures with 12 pts, and PF Bevon Green off the bench with 8 pts. Up 34-25, 5:37. Strong 1st half finish by our big men gave us a commanding lead. Halftime, Up 51-32.

Key stats / Notes (Halftime)

• Turn overs: NORTH 8, TOW 2
• FT shooting: NORTH 1-4, TOW 12-13
• Both teams shot more than 50% FG; we just had more possessions, and went to the FT more

Start of 2nd half

NORTH has no problems scoring at the start of the 2nd half; they just couldn't make stops on the defensive end, as SG Haven Wilkerson (23 pts) and C Byron Hardy (18 pts) continue to score at will. Up 70-49, 12:09. Just like in the 1st half, NORTH's offense stalled when their starting back court goes to the bench. This game is virtually over. Up 78-51, 7:34.


Final Score: Northeastern - 66, Towson - 96


Box Scores
[INDENT]Wilkerson 29, 4, 3 (*)
Hardy 22, 7, 2
DeMond 20, 7, 1
Green 10, 5, 0
Hale 9, 2, 1
Desmond 6, 6, 0
Martin 0, 6, 5
Granger 0, 2, 3, fouled out
Weaks 0, 1, 3
Roberson 0, 1, 2
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 59-48%
REB: +19
TO: -6
Pts in paint: +50
2nd chance: +7
Fast break: +5
[/INDENT]
Notes

• We had many multiple weapons that NORTH can't overcome; 3 players with 20 or more pts. SG Haven Wilkerson was hitting outside shots, but it's his drive penetrations that NORTH had no answer. The big men also had tier field day inside, as we scored 68 pts in the paint!
• We only committed 6 turn overs
• NORTH shot 9-19 3PT

[randy]

Rank (Media/Coaches): #21/ #22; RPI: #8; Bubble watch: (In) #25

Mar 3, 2001: (12) Old Dominion (8-21, 4-14) vs (1) #21 Towson (24-5, 16-2)

• Old Dominion with a surprising run in the CAA tournament. There can't be a more dangerous team to meet in a tournament game, than someone who has nothing to lose.

Start of 1st half

SG Haven Wilkerson and C Byron Hardy making sure OLD's run ends today, as they combine to score all of our 19 pts thus far. Up 19-9, 11:52. OLD's shooting woes continue, 35% FG. C Alex DeMond (6 pts) providing scoring support outside of Wilkerson and Hardy. Up 30-13, 6:12. We continue to attack the inside, to take advantage of OLD's penalty situation, and got rewarded with a number of FTs. Halftime, Up 42-24.

Key stats / Notes (Halftime)

• FG shooting: OLD 32%, TOW 48%
• FT shooting: OLD 4-6, TOW 11-15

Start of 2nd half

We opened up a 22-pt lead, but OLD currently on an 8-0 run. Up 50-36, 13:09. Our shooting has dipped to 43% FG, but we're getting enough offense from fast breaks and going to the FT line. Up 59-38, 9:41. OLD getting back again, as we lapsed to our familiar turn over problems. Up 61-45, 5:07. OLD's shooting may have improved a bit in the 2nd half, but it was too late for them.


Final Score: Old Dominion - 49, Towson - 70


Box Scores
[INDENT]Wilkerson 23, 1, 1 (*)
Hardy 15, 7, 1
DeMond 14, 10, 1
Hale 9, 5, 1
Desmond 3, 1, 0
Martin 2, 4, 10
Green 2, 4, 0
Granger 2, 0, 2
Weaks 0, 4, 1
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 41-39%
REB: +7
TO: -5
Pts in paint: +22
2nd chance: +1
Fast break: +4
[/INDENT]
Notes

• Our offense was far from efficient as compared to our last game, but our 14 fast break pts and 18-22 FT were enough to provide us a comfortable lead most of the game.
• We played good perimeter defense today, as OLD was cold from beyond the arc, 2-15 3PT (14%)

[randy]

In an upset-filled conference tournament, where both the 11-seed (William & Mary) and 12-seed (Old Dominion) reached the semi-finals stage, order has been restored and the top two teams will slug it our for the championship

Rank (Media/Coaches): #21/ #22; RPI: #8; Bubble watch: (In) #25

Mar 4, 2001: (2) Delaware (21-9, 13-5) vs (1) #21 Towson (25-5, 16-2)

Start of 1st half

DEL with a furious start to the game, earlier with 7-9 FG including 6-6 3PT! Down 14-20, 13:27. We committed a succession of turn overs, and I have to burn an early time out as we can't afford to be down big early given how well DEL is shooting. Down 16-24, 9:54. Went down by as many as 11, but our big men starting to get inside pts. Down 24-29, 5:34. Got the deficit down to 2 but more turn overs gave the opportunity for DEL to add to their lead. Halftime, Down 32-41.

Key stats / Notes (Halftime)

• Fast break pts: DEL 10, TOW 2; this is the main difference in the game, not DEL's 9 3pt conversions
• It's our turn overs that gave DEL that advantage in fast break pts. So frustrating because we did well in almost offsetting DEL's torrid outside shooting, but threw it all away

Start of 2nd half

We have not made any improvements, and most of the pts that DEL scored in the 2nd half were off our turn overs. Down 37-48, 15:48. SG Haven Wilkerson has been awful today, as he just committed his 6th turn over of the game; on DEL's succeeding possession, they hit their 11th 3pt shot of the game to give them their biggest lead. Down 41-53, 11:42.

C Alex DeMond (15 pts) trying his best to keep us in the game. Down 49-56, 8:10. We got a couple of stops; C Byron Hardy hits 4 straight FTs and we were down by just 3. And then DEL hits their 13th triple. We're going m2m defense now. Down 53-59, 6:36. Both teams only had a FG each since; the rest of the pts were on FT. Down 58-63, 3:33.

DEL: Another 3 for DEL; their 14th. Our defensive adjustment not making any difference. Down 58-66, 3:20.

TOW: C Byron Hardy (17 pts) connects on an off rebound put back. Down 60-66, 2:53.

DEL: Miss

TOW: SG Haven Wilkerson (17 pts) sinks a medium range jumper. Down 62-66, 2:06.

DEL: They score on a drive. Timeout. Down 62-68, 1:41.

TOW: C Byron Hardy (19 pts) with a quick 2 in the low post. Down 64-68, 1:34.

DEL: We commit a shooting foul. 2 FTs. Split. Timeout. Down 64-69, 1:13.

TOW: SG Haven Wilkerson (19 pts) scores on a drive. Down 66-69, 1:02.

DEL: We need to make a stop. And we did, by forcing a turn over. Timeout. Down 66-69, 0:41.

TOW: Tough decision here. Do we go for a 3? I think we still have time even if we go for a quick 2 now. We just need to make sure we go 2-for-1. SG Haven Wilkerson gets the ball. Without any hesitation, he fires up a three. He feels he need to atone himself for his poor play for most of the game. And he did, by sinking a long one! Tied at 69, 0:30.

TOW: They are not calling a timeout. They want to get the last shot here. They wisely kill off the clock, With 7 secs left, there was a kick ball violation. TOW inbounds again. With 1 sec left, DEL's SG Greg Paben fires up a 3 with a defender on his face. Prior to this shot, Paben is 4-7 3PT. BANG! A game winning shot at the buzzer for DEL! What a frantic finish


Final Score: Delaware - 72, Towson - 69


Box Scores
[INDENT]Wilkerson 22, 3, 7, 6 tos
Hardy 19, 8, 0
DeMond 17, 3, 3
Desmond 5, 0, 0
Green 4, 1, 1
Hale 2, 4, 3, 4 tos
Weaks 0, 5, 0
Granger 0, 2, 1
Martin 0, 1, 3
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 56-41%
REB: +2
TO: +2
Pts in paint: +24
2nd chance: -7
Fast break: -11
[/INDENT]
Notes

• The game was not lost in the last second of the game, but rather on the poor plays we did the entire match: allowing DEL to grab 9 off boards (and getting 13 2nd chance pts), our poor transition defense after we turn the ball over (15 fast break pts for DEL)
• Our RPI should get still get us in the NCAA tournament, but this game was a wasted opportunity to get us a better seed
• DEL finished 15-28 3PT (54%)

[randy]

Rank (Media/Coaches): #18/#22; RPI: #10

We're in the Midwest Regionals (Kansas City)

1st round matchup:
(6) #18 Towson vs (11) Arizona

Teams in the Midwest Regionals

• (1) #1 Temple - 4-time National champions (defending champion), 7 Final Fours
• (2) #7 Gonzaga - 1-time National champion, 5 Final Fours
• (3) #20 Pittsburgh - 1-time National champion, 9 Final Fours
• (4) #12 Bradley
• (5) #10 Arkansas-Little Rock
• (6) #18 Towson
• (7) #23 Memphis - 1-time National champion, 3 Final Fours
• (8) Providence
• (9) Massachusetts
• (10) Rhode Island
• (11) Arizona - 3-time National champions, 8 Final Fours
• (12) Play-In
• (13) Delaware
• (14) Detroit
• (15) Louisiana-Monroe
• (16) North Dakota St

Other Ranked Teams

East

• (1) #6 Iowa
• (2) #5 LSU
• (3) #2 UNLV
• (4) #14 St. John's
• (5) #11 Southern Illinois
• (6) #25 Oklahoma

South

• (1) #3 Kansas
• (2) #15 Villanova
• (3) #16 Michigan St
• (4) #21 Kentucky
• (5) #22 Oregon

West

• (1) #4 Georgia
• (2) #13 North Carolina St
• (3) #17 Duke
• (4) #8 Toledo

On Probation

• #9 Indiana
• #19 Syracuse
• #24 Louisville

CAA teams appearing on post-season tournaments

NCAA

• Midwest: (13) Delaware vs (4) #12 Bradley
• Midwest: (11) Arizona vs (6) #18 Towson

NIT

• Midwest: (8) VCU vs (1) California

CBI

• West: (8) James Madison vs (1) Drake

[randy]

Mar 16, 2001: (11) Arizona (19-11, 12-6) vs (6) #18 Towson (25-6, 16-2)

Scouting Report

1. Primary defense: M2M
2. Offense focus: Balanced (fast)
3. Key players:
   
   
   
   • So C BJ Cooper (9.1 ppg, 10.9 rpg, 2.0 spg, 3.0 bpg, Pac 12 POY and DPOY, #13 class rank)
   • So SG JD Brinkley (11.0 ppg, 42% 3PT, #19 class rank)
4. Strengths:
   
   • Very balanced scoring, and deep bench; 10 players score at least 4.3 ppg (8 score at least 6.2 ppg)
   • Ball handling: 13.1 topg (#2 Pac 12)
   • Defense: 16.7 opp topg (#1 Pac 12), 7.5 spg (#1 Pac 12), 4.0 bpg (#1 Pac 12, #8 Nat'l)
   • Def rebounding: 74.5 DR% (#2 Pac 12)
5. Weaknesses:
   
   • FG shooting: 40.6 % FG (last Pac 12, #338 Nat'l); part of the reason is they take more than 24 3PAs/g, in which they shoot only 30.7% (last Pac 12, #313 Nat'l)
6. How they got here:
   
   • Finished 3rd Pac 12; Lost Conference Tournament Semi-Final

Strategies

1. Cooper is the anchor of their defense. We'll try to get him into foul trouble early
2. We'll gamble on letting them shoot a lot of 3s

Start of 1st half

ARIZ is 3-5 3PT. C Byron Hardy has already been blocked twice by ARIZ's C BJ Copper; I will switch Hardy to play the 4 spot, so he won't be guarded by Cooper. Down 6-10, 15:03. Our shots not falling (32% FG). ARIZ got into penalty with more than 10 mins remaining in the 1st half, and we scored 5 FTs since, to keep ourselves close. Down 18-20, 7:39. After their ht start, ARIZ has converted only one 3pt shot in their last 12 attempts from beyond the arc. SG Haven Wilkerson scored his 1st 2 pts of the game, to give us our 1st lead of the game. SF Aaron Hale added another basket, to bring his tally to a game-high 11 pts. Up 28-25, 1:47. We added 2 more FTs, and an off rebound put back. Halftime, Up 32-25.

Key stats / Notes (Halftime)

• FT shooting: ARIZ 3-4, TOW 10-12
• FG shooting: ARIZ 25%, TOW 33%; ARIZ wasn't able to sustain their hot start, and converted only 2 FGs in the last 7 and a half mins of the 1st half
• ARIZ's defensive ace C BJ Cooper sat out the last 5 mins after he picked up his 2nd foul, which allowed our players to get inside pts and take the lead
• ARIZ' has not committed a single turn over in the 1st half

Start of 2nd half

ARIZ going mostly to C BJ Cooper on offense, but he has struggled also, 6 pts, 2-10 FG. Up 37-28, 15:55. ARIZ's Cooper has been successful in fishing up fouls from us, but he is only 3-8 FT. Both teams are now below 30% FG. SG Haven Wilkerson had a chance to get us ahead by 10, but muffed both FTs. Up 40-32, 11:38.

ARIZ hits a 3pt shot after missing 15 of their last 16 from beyond the arc. SG Haven Wilkerson commits 2 consecutive turn overs, and missed an ill-advised 3 pt shot; I'll replace Wilkerson (3-14 FG, 3 tos) for a while, so he can gather his thoughts and finish strong later. We need to go Heavy Inside while ARIZ's C BJ Cooper is on the bench. C Alex DeMond did just that, went inside, got fouled, and scored a FT. Up 41-35, 9:12. C Byron Hardy also powering himself inside the paint on 2 plays, which netted him a split FTs, and a FG. We go up by 9. ARIZ missing 4 consecutive 3 pt attempts, but nailed their last one. Up 44-38, 6:24

ARIZ had 4 attempts (including 3 from downtown) on their next possession, and they missed all of them. We finally grabbed the rebound, but we turned it over; I wasn't pleased because we allowed ARIZ 4 chances to shoot, and we weren't able to attempt even a single shot on our end. And as almost always, when we commit a stupid turn over, the opponent scores a basket at the other end which is what ARIZ did to cut our lead to 4. SG Haven Wilkerson missed another shot. On ARIZ's next play, C BJ Cooper got fouled while attempting a shot. 2 FTs. Split. Cooper is 4-10 FT today. Timeout. Up 44-41, 4:37

PF Bevon Green hits a short jumper, and we go up by 5. We needed that basket as it is almost 4 minutes since we last scored. ARIZ goes to C BJ Cooper again, and he hits a jumper from the FT line. Our lead down to 3 again. Another miss by SG Haven Wilkerson (3-16 FG). We got caled for another shooting foul on another end, this time against their SF. Last media timeout. Up 46-43, 3:28

ARIZ: Reserve SF Eric Simmons to shoot 2 FTs. Missed both. But ARIZ's C BJ Cooper grabs the off board. Cooper shoots. Miss. We finally secured the def rebound

TOW: Shot block

ARIZ: They go to C BJ Cooper again. Cooper shoots and this time he scores! Up 46-45, 2:48.

TOW: I opted not to call a timeout. SG Haven Wilkerson drives. Another block by ARIZ's C BJ Cooper, his 8th of the game

ARIZ: They go to their man of the moment, Cooper. Cooper with another jumper ... it's good! Timeout. Down 46-47, 2:22

We'll go m2m defense on our next defensive play, double on Cooper. But we need to score first.

TOW: SG Haven Wilkerson get the ball at the right corner. Wilkerson lets one go, and scores! That is only the 4th FG of Wilkerson in this game. Up 48-47, 2:02.

ARIZ: As discussed in the huddle earlier, we'll go m2m defense. They try to force a pass inside to C BJ Cooper. PF Bevon Green gets the steal

TOW: SG Haven Wilkerson gets the ball and shoots again. This time, he missed. Out of of bounds. ARIZ ball

ARIZ: Good denial defense on ARIZ's C BJ Cooper. ARIZ forced to take a 3. Miss. We get the long rebound. Timeout. Up 48-47, 1:15

TOW: SG Haven gets the pass. This time, Wilkerson drives strong to the basket. He left his man behind and the help defense was late. SLAM DUNK! Up 50-47, 1:07

ARIZ: BJ Cooper get's the pass. One on one against C Byron Hardy. Hardy playing good defense. Cooper forced to kick outside. Another pass. We steal the ball.

TOW: We're running the break. C Byron Hardy gets the ball inside. He misses the easy score. But SG Haven Wilkerson is there for the off rebound. Second serving is good! Wilkerson has scored our last 6 pts. Timeout ARIZ. Up 52-47, 0:36

ARIZ: Their PG puts up a quick 3. It's good! This is not yet over. Timeout. Up 52-50, 0:28.

TOW: No need to hurry up a shot. ARIZ would need to foul. They did give up a foul. 1-and-1 for PG Anthony Martin. Martin is scoreless today. 1st shots is good. 2nd shot is in also, to make it a 2 possession game. Up 54-50, 0:21

ARIZ: They can't get a 3, and opted to drive. Foul called. 2 FTs. Split. ARIZ has shot poorly from the line today, 8-18 FT. Up 54-51, 0:14

TOW: PG Anthony Martin was able to dribble some time off the clock before being fouled. 1-and-1 again for Martin. Makes the 1st. Missed the 2nd. ARIZ gets the def board but with only 5 secs left

ARIZ: Desperation 3 bounced off the front iron


Final Score: Arizona - 51, Towson - 55


Box Scores
[INDENT]Wilkerson 14, 10, 2 (*)
Hardy 13, 13, 0
Hale 11, 7, 1
DeMond 7, 9, 0
Green 6, 6, 0
Martin 3, 5, 5
Granger 1, 1, 1
Desmond 0, 2, 0
Weaks 0, 1, 0
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 29-27%
REB: +17
TO: +5
Pts in paint: +12
2nd chance: +11
Fast break: -3
[/INDENT]
Notes

• What a baptism of fire on my first NCAA tournament game. The FG shooting comparison showed that there are no easy pts scored in tournament games, as both teams had to bleed for their production. SG Haven Wilkerson was struggling on his shots, but persistence paid off and he delivered in the end
• With all those missed shots, there were plenty of rebounds to grab; we had 54 (14 offensive), while ARIZ did well also with 37 (10 offensive)
• Very good effort from ARIZ's C BJ Cooper, 14 pts, 16 rebs, 8 blks

[randy]

Mar 18, 2001: (6) #18 Towson (26-6, 16-2) vs (3) #20 Pittsburgh (21-10, 10-6)

Scouting Report

1. Primary defense: 1-2-2 zone
2. Offense focus: Balanced (fast)
3. Key players:
   
   
   
   • So SG Steve Wheeler (20.0 ppg, 4.9 rpg, All Conf team, #25 class rank)
   • Sr PG Ben Daniels (11.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 6.1 apg, #14 class rank)
   • So C Danny Williams (7.0 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 2.3 spg, 2.6 bpg, All Conf team, #38 class rank)
4. Strengths:
   
   • Offense: 68.8 ppg (#2 Big East), 16.8 apg (#2 Big East)
   • Interior defense: 3.9 bpg (#2 Big East)
5. Weaknesses:
   
   • Starting SF (3rd leading scorer) and backup SF are injured
   • They don't got to the FT line too much: 296 FTM (#13 Big East)
6. How they got here:
   
   • Finished 5th Big East (very competitive conference, with the top 6 teams separated only by 1 game); Lost Conference Tournament Final
   • (Round 64) Def Detroit, 70-56 (Wheeler and Daniels combined for 40 pts)

Strategies

1. We may have to use m2m defense much earlier in the game, depending on PITT's dependence on their starting guards on offense

Start of 1st half

Good start on offense, 5-9 FG. PITT's two FGs came from 3pt shots. Up 10-6, 15:14. We're getting good results on our inside plays, with at least 8 pts coming from low post plays. Up 15-11, 11:45. PF Bevon Green has come up big off the bench, 6 pts. SG Haven Wilkerson also very efficient on offense, 9 pts, 4-6 FG, 4 asts. PITT already committed 6 turn overs. Up 26-11, 7:57. Wilkerson scored 7 pts in a strong 10-0 run to finish the 1st half. Halftime, Up 42-19.

Key stats / Notes (Halftime)

• FG shooting: TOW 59%, PITT 24%
• Big men (4/5) scoring: TOW 19, PITT 0; we can let PITT's perimeter players continue to take the load on offense, which we don't think will be sufficient for them to beat us

Start of 2nd half

Our offense cooled off, as we were scoreless during the 1st 3 mins of the 2nd half. However, PITT has not done anything much to significantly cut to our lead. Up 44-25, 15:28. PITT best effort was cutting down our lead to 16, but SG Wilkerson continues to shoot well from the outside (20 pts, 8-12 FG), PF Bevon Green is still perfect (10 pts, 5-5 FG), and C Byron Hardy got his double-double (14 pts, 13 rebs). Up 55-32, 10:51.

We opened up a 28-pt lead with 7 mins remaining, which make the game practically over at that point. I rested my starters early.

On to the Sweet 16!


Final Score: Towson - 64, Pittsburgh - 42


Box Scores
[INDENT]Wilkerson 25, 3, 6, 5-6 3PT (*)
Hardy 14, 13, 0, 4 tos
Green 10, 6, 1
DeMond 7, 4, 2
Martin 4, 3, 4
Hale 2, 6, 1
Desmond 2, 1, 0
Granger 0, 4, 0, fouled out
Weaks 0, 3, 1
Roberson 0, 0, 0
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 46-26%
REB: +18
TO: +8
Pts in paint: +18
2nd chance: +8
Fast break: Even
[/INDENT]
Notes

• Our strategy of keeping with 2-3 zone paid off, as PITT almost got nothing on it's interior game (only 10 pts in the paint, zero on 2nd chance pts), and their outside shooting was inefficient for majority of the game. PITT shot 7-26 3PT (27%), and their starting guards combined for 21 pts on 8-31 FG.
• We committed 17 turn overs, but only allowed PITT to get 6 fast break pts