First, I just want to throw it out there that today's Lehigh preview is going to be running a little short as I am running out to catch a train in just a short while. With that in mind, Patriot League play is finally starting as we take on the Lehigh Hill Pigeons (erm...Mountain Hawks) at 7PM this evening in Bethlehem, PA. Will we win? Will we lose? Will we just give up and call it a draw after eight overtimes? Find out after the jump!
I'm not sure about everyone else out there in AU Hoops Land, but I sure as hell am excited to start Patriot League play. Despite our early season troubles, I think we'll come out with a record we're not ashamed of, and at this point, that's all I can ask for. That, of course, starts tonight with Lehigh (9-6). One might notice that Lehigh does in fact have more wins than losses, a rarity in the Patriot League so far this season. Not just that, but they are currently enjoying the longest winning streak in the League at 5. We've shared two common opponent so far in Columbia, who bested both teams, and St. Francis (PA), whom Lehigh solidly put away 76-67. Arguably our non-conference slate was much tougher, as Lehigh has not yet faced a single BCS-conference team, their toughest competition being St. Joe's , Dayton, and Richmond of the A10 and CAA, respectively.
Of course, what might matter most in this game is experience. Lehigh sports two of the most experienced players in the Patriot League in the moment with senior guard Marquis Hall and senior forward Zahir Carrington. Both players did some damage against us last season, although we did succeed in sweeping the Mountain Hawks (we're currently running a 4-game win streak against them). Both players also command some impressive numbers, such as Carrington just making it into the 1000-point club and Hall holding the all-time record for career assists with the Mountain Hawks. Of course, these two aren't the only threats Lehigh sports - freshman guard C.J. McCollum lit up for 31 points on Tuesday against Yale, and the game before that Patriot League Rookie of the Week Gabe Knutson made 23 versus NJIT. Remember when our freshmen were making 20+ points a game? Yeah...me neither.
Marquis Hall might be the most troublesome for us to deal with, however, as he is arguably the best guard in the League right now. The Patriot League, like most mid-major leagues, is really a guard's league. Don't believe me? Just ask Derrick Mercer and Garrison Carr. While Blake Jolivette and Danny Munoz are fine guards with a ton of potential, I don't see them being able to go toe to toe with Hall tomorrow. What about Carrington? Either Vlad or Lump will be on him I predict, and hopefully we can keep him from scoring a third consecutive double-double against us (in our last two outings against Lehigh Carrington notched a double-double). We're also going to need outstanding offensive efforts from both Vlad and Hendra, and rock-solid defense from Lumpkins and McCormack if we want to stand a real chance. A nice balanced effort from Grafft would certainly help, and dangit I want Bersch to see the floor again at least once.
So this seems pretty doom and gloom, doesn't it? Well, I hate to say it, but I don't see us having much of a chance this evening. Of course, we've beaten better teams this season (DePaul, DePaul, and DePaul), but we've also lost to far worse with alarming frequency. We'll just have to hold our breath and hope for the best, though. Make sure to tune in to the audio feed available from Lehigh here. No matter what happens tonight, just remember - be LOUD, be BLUE, be AU. Whether you're in DC or NJ, cheer loud enough that they can hear you in PA. Best part is if you say that last sentence out loud, it rhymes. Mmmh, I'm good.
That's all for now folks! Thanks for reading and remember to tune into the audio feed shortly before 7 PM for the main event! As always if you feel I left out something glaring make sure to let me know in the comments.
IMPORTANT PROGRAMMING NOTE: I probably will not be able to liveblog this tonight either. There's a small possibility that I will, but not a likelihood. Sorry about that folks. If it turns out I am able to, I'll put something out on Twitter, and you can check in between 7-7:15 to see if I got it going or not. Either way, GO EAGLES! - Bill
Pro Deo Et Patria,
Josh
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