The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Sports

March 17, 2009

Bolen questions seeding

NAIA No. 3 MSU kicks off national tournament today as fifth seed

By Dave Morrison

Mountain State University coach Bob Bolen and his team will take to the court this morning at 9:30 (CST) with a bit of a chip on their collective shoulder.

Mountain State (27-5) takes on LSU Shreveport in the NAIA national tournament at Kansas City’s Municipal Auditorium.

Bolen is a little incensed over the fact his team went from being No. 3 in the last NAIA poll to the No. 5 seed in the tournament in a matter of two hours. And then, on top of that, the NAIA runner-up last year drew the opening (morning) game of the tournament.

“I don’t know how we went from No. 3 in the poll and then two hours later we are the No. 5 seed when the brackets are released,” Bolen said. “We’ve won more games out here than anyone in the last 10 years (18-9). The two teams with the most wins out here, us and Oklahoma City — which didn’t make the tournament this year — and we get a 9:30 a.m. game?

“That’s fine. We’ll just use that as motivation. We’ve been practicing early in the morning since the brackets were released. I think we are prepared.”

Bolen knows his team will have to be to prepared to beat the Pilots (22-11).

LSU Shreveport features the outside shooting of Chris Gatlin, a gun who has hit on an extraordinary 43.3 percent of his three-point attempts (93-215). He leads the team in scoring at 16.5 points per game.

Then the Pilots added 6-foot-9 post presence Mike Pilgrim, a Cincinnati transfer. Since he became eligible, the Pilots have gone 15-6. Pilgrim averages 14.0 ppg and 7.6 ppg.

Tyrone Hamilton averages 15.9 ppg and Derrick Parker 10.1 and a team-best 7.7 rebounds per game.

“We’re going to have to defend them, get out on Gatlin and play a great defensive game,” Bolen said. “Then we have to get into our transition game and put the ball in the basket. We have to do those things and dominate on the boards. Those are three things we must do.”

MSU does lead the country in rebounding, with three players averaging over seven boards per game.

It’s not like any game is going to be a pushover, as Bolen knows all too well. In 2004, when the Cougars won the national title, Wayland Baptist took MSU to the brink before the Cougars escaped with a 10-point win.

“Two of the past five years, the No. 27 and 28 seed won the tournament,” Bolen said. “When you get out here, all 32 teams are good teams. In the last 10 years, we’ve had one blowout in a first-round game.”

Andrew Lee, the Independent Region player of the year, leads the Cougars in scoring (16.5) and rebounding (7.7). Nick Aldridge, who like Pilgrim became eligible at the semester break after transferring in from Western Carolina, averages 15.9 and 7.4 boards per game. A.J. Pigram averages 14.8 and Bo Harris 12.7 and 7.1 rebounds.

Marcus Hunter (9.8) and Tony Brown (9.6), who form the Cougars’ three-man rotation in the backcourt, will play major minutes along with long, athletic wing Greg Grimes (6.3 ppg), Ermin Tarcin (8.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg) and Vedrin Zivic (3.0 ppg).

The winner of the MSU-LSU Shreveport game will play the winner of Oklahoma Christian-Concordia, Calif. game Friday at 10:45 a.m.

— E-mail: demorrison@

register-herald.com

Text Only
Sports
  • Woodrow holds off Huntington

     It took Woodrow Wilson’s boys basketball team nearly three quarters to figure out that the backside lob was open in Huntington High’s zone.

    January 10, 2012

  • MSU hosts Rio Grande

    For the first time since 1995, Mountain State stands a little past the half-way point at the season with five losses.

    January 10, 2012

  • OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE - WVU to join Big 12 Conference

    The Big 12 Conference Board of Directors have voted unanimously to accept West Virginia University as a full conference member effective July 1, 2012.  The Mountaineers will begin competing in the Big 12 beginning with the 2012-13 athletic season.

    October 28, 2011

  • Friday update: Big East notified WVU leaving for Big 12

    The Big East says it has been notified that West Virginia is leaving the conference and joining the Big 12.

    October 28, 2011

  • Cardinals force Game 7 in World Series

    After one of the greatest games in baseball history, a 10-9, 11-inning victory over Texas in Game 6 in which the Cardinals were twice within one strike of elimination.

    October 28, 2011

  • Schiano sings WVU’s praises

    It hasn’t been the year that Rutgers coach Greg Schiano envisioned.
    Not close.

    December 1, 2010

  • BNI will usher in mat season

    This time around, the Beckley Newspapers Invitational will have a decidedly more local flavor.

    December 1, 2010

  • Huggs likes looks of young Noreen

    Perhaps it was the season. Whatever it was, West Virginia coach Bob Huggins went straight to the pie.
    Well, the figurative pie.
    Huggins had just watched his team beat Virginia Military Institute 82-66 in front of 12,367 fans at the Charleston Civic Center Saturday.

    December 1, 2010

  • Oak Hill places 3 on AA

    Whether it was opposing defenses or illness, nothing stopped Charleston Catholic’s Tom Trupo for long.

    December 1, 2010

  • Spartans open with victory

    Turnovers produce points and the Greenbrier East girls basketball team collected plenty of each en route to an 81-43 season-opening victory against Bluefield on Tuesday night.

    December 1, 2010