Common sense and the rule of three
Wednesday, Mar. 5, 2008 @ 1:21 am
If you go by the numbers, the Nevada men’s basketball team clearly wants no part of Boise State during the Western Athletic Conference Tournament next week.
The Broncos, after all, have two double digit wins against the Wolf Pack.
Instead, logic suggests, the Wolf Pack would be better off facing host New Mexico State, a team it drubbed in both games this season.
It won’t be easy either way, but here’s something to consider: it’s extremely difficult to beat the same team three times in a single season.
So while it seems the Wolf Pack matches up well with the Aggies, the Raggies might be due.
The WAC Tournament will be brutal no matter what.
Utah State, New Mexico State, Boise State and the Wolf Pack all have about even odds to grab the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, so it’s not like one path is all that easier than another.
To me, the Wolf Pack is the most talented team in the tournament. The Raggies are talented, too, but referring to them as a team is about like believing that Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama could team up on the Democratic side of the ballot this November.
Still, I’d be weary of another Wolf Pack-NMSU matchup in the tournament. The Wolf Pack has so much success against New Mexico State because the Aggies can’t overwhelm it with size and athleticism.
The Aggies are an almost impossible matchup for the Broncos and UtAgs because neither team has the personnel to win one-on-one matchups with the Aggies. But here’s a secret - NMSU’s pressure defense isn’t very good, it just appears that way when they can overwhelm opponents.
The Wolf Pack isn’t bothered too much by the pressure, and is able to penetrate and create good shots, something the Raggies struggle with.
Still, the Raggies are going to be tough to beat in Las Cruces. At this point, I’d call them the tournament favorite. They’re more than capable of taking down the Wolf Pack.
And I actually like the way the Wolf Pack matches up with Boise State from a personnel standpoint. The Wolf Pack is much bigger and more athletic, but the Broncos are so experienced and play well together.
Utah State is the least talented of the group, but the Aggies feature a senior backcourt that includes Jaycee Carroll, who can win games on his own.
To me, the Wolf Pack’s best bet involves the UtAgs and the Broncos. I understand the Wolf Pack’s success against the Raggies, but coach Marvin Menzies’ squad is incredibly dangerous at home.
Unfortunately, it looks like the Wolf Pack is going to have to play the home squad no matter what.
Who do you think the Wolf Pack matches up best with?
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, March 5th, 2008 at 1:21 am and is filed under Uncategorized.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
© 2008 The Nevada Sagebrush
