Tomorrow is going to be a hell of a game. Let's not beat around the bush, or nest, as it were, since once again we've got a battle of the birds between our Eagles and the Hooters of FAU. While we can all hope that our boys make buffalo wings and poorly-disguised innuendos out of our nocturnal Floridian neighbors, it's not going to be an easy feat. This FAU team is far and away the best that we've faced this year. They're currently 3-1 (the lone loss was at Portland). FAU is making a move this year for sure. They're a young team (only one senior) but tremendously talented. As much as I berate him, Mike Jarvis is one hell of a coach. Right now his team has 4 players averaging double figures and one is knocking on the door.
Unlike the Eagles, the Owls have a number of guys who can kick in points. They're led by talented sophomore guard Greg Gantt who's averaging almost 16 a game. The Owls also play pretty good defense. They're more up-tempo than AU, and opponents ARE scoring 71 points per game. The Owls are also forcing their opponents to turn it over almost 16 times a game.
So what can we do? Well, all four scorers who are averaging double digits are guards. If Nick Hendra, Troy Brewer, and our point guard platoon can hold the perimeter and keep pressure on the Owl backcourt, they'll be forced to go inside to their big men who are less prodigious. If Tony Wroblicky really does start tomorrow over Lumpkins, look for Lump to play with a fire, nay, raging inferno, in his belly to try to earn his starting gig back. A fired up Lump in the paint is something the Owls will not be well equipped to deal with.
Similarly, cover Vlad may or may not be a problem for the Owls. Vlad will have a height advantage on whoever Mike Jarvis throws at him, BUT Vlad also had some trouble in games where he was covered by smaller, quicker defenders last year. Let's see if he worked on that at all during the offseason.
What else can we do? Slow the game down to limit the number of possessions that the Owl offense gets. Take good care of the ball to limit turnovers. Actually MAKE some three pointers. That means you, Eagles other than Vlad.
I'm sure the guys will give it their all tomorrow, because I'm sure Jeff Jones has, hrm, exhorted them quite powerfully to prepare them for this matchup. As a fan base, however, we need to be prepared for the very real possibility that our winning streak thus far ends at 3. Going on the road is always difficult, and it's especially difficult against a well-coached team with a lot of weapons.
We'll be here to liveblog the game tomorrow, I think. I'll let you know if that changes. Check Twitter.
Pro deo et patria and GO EAGLES!
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