2008 Woodie Awards
Men's basketball ready for tip off
'Underdog' Gaels waiting to surprise national audience
Megan Manley
Issue date: 11/7/06 Section: Sports
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According to head coach Randy Bennett, the Gaels will look to senior forward Brett Collins and sophomore standouts Diamon Simpson, Ian O'Leary, and Wayne Hunter, as well as transfer junior Tron Smith, to fill the lost of the school's leading scorer, Daniel Kickert.
"We have a tough schedule so hopefully we won't let that beat us up," said Bennett.
Bennett and the Gaels have high hopes for this season, and their tough schedule does not have them cowering. Set to face eight teams who received a ticket to the "Big Dance" last season, the Gaels will be battle-tested after their out-of-conference schedule. "You better have mental toughness," said Bennett. "You can't for one second give yourself an excuse."
The schedule will give a young Gaels team a chance to compete with some of the NCAA's elite teams, such as Univeristy of Connecticut and Seton Hall. "I think it is going to be fun because eight teams went to the tournament and our goal is to get there also, so this is kind of a measuring stick to see where we are at and the level of competition," forward O'Leary.
Picking a tough schedule was a strategic move on Bennett's part, giving the Gaels a second chance to earn a ticket to the NCAA tournament.
"The schedule is tough. It might be a little too tough for as young as we are," said Bennett. "But if we can win some non-conference games, we will have a chance to play our way into the tournament."
This year's team is expected to be more athletic than in the past. "This team is really explosive, athletic, [and] fast. I think it is going to open a lot more things," said O'Leary. "This team is going to be a run and gun type thing."
The faster pace will undoubtedly lead to higher scoring, giving more Gaels a chance to highlight their talents.
"I think our team is more of a balanced team than we have had," said Bennett. "Instead of three real good scorers I think there are five or six pretty good scorers."