Rebounding, defense, fatigue, handling the hostile environment -- Western Michigan coach Steve Hawkins believes all of those elements will play a role in how his team fares in tonight's first-round NIT matchup at Marquette.
Scouting, however, will not.
Because of the short turnaround from Western's MAC semifinal loss to Buffalo on Friday -- the Broncos' practice in Milwaukee on Sunday night was their only on-court preparation for the Golden Eagles -- Hawkins has no idea what his team will face when Marquette (19-11) takes the floor. Marquette's statistics and record are irrelevant. Film on the Golden Eagles is almost worthless.
It all stems from a Feb. 22 season-ending hand injury to star guard Travis Diener, which changed the complexion of the Marquette team. Minus Diener, who averaged 19.7 points and 7.0 assists, the Golden Eagles haven't been so golden.
Since Diener went down, Marquette is 1-3, including double-digit losses to Cincinnati and Saint Louis. However, that isn't enough to make Hawkins overly comfortable. In fact, the Golden Eagles' lack of identity is exactly what scares him.
"They were one team throughout the entire season and now they're in the process of being a different team. Any film we have or scouting reports can almost be thrown out. We know their personnel, but it's hard to predict how they'll play."
One player who worries Hawkins is 6-foot-10 sharpshooter Steve Novak. For the season, the senior "Levi Rost-like" forward is averaging 13.9 points while connecting on 47 percent of his 3-point attempts. Yet, in Marquette's Diener-less era, Novak has taken charge of the offense, scoring 18.5 points per game, including a 25-point effort in the loss to Cincinnati.
"He's one of the premier 3-point shooters in the country," Hawkins said of Novak.
Marquette is just as respectful, though more certain, of what Western brings to the court. Golden Eagles coach Tom Crean grew up in Mount Pleasant and is a veteran of the Central Michigan-WMU rivalry. Still, Crean insists the sight of Broncos jerseys won't bring back any childhood hatred.
"I have a lot of respect for Western Michigan," Crean said. "That program has been at a high level for some time. I think everybody has got a grasp on just how good they are.
"They're a great running team, an outstanding offensive rebounding team and they run their stuff very well. We've got to play a solid, smart game for 40 minutes if we're going to have a chance to win. One thing I know is that we have to beat them. They do not beat themselves."
WMU isn't the only MAC school headed to the NIT. After seeing their slim NCAA Tournament hopes dashed Sunday night, Buffalo (vs. Drexel), Kent State (at Western Kentucky) and Miami (vs. TCU) all earned a berth in the 40-team NIT field.
Scouting, however, will not.
Because of the short turnaround from Western's MAC semifinal loss to Buffalo on Friday -- the Broncos' practice in Milwaukee on Sunday night was their only on-court preparation for the Golden Eagles -- Hawkins has no idea what his team will face when Marquette (19-11) takes the floor. Marquette's statistics and record are irrelevant. Film on the Golden Eagles is almost worthless.
It all stems from a Feb. 22 season-ending hand injury to star guard Travis Diener, which changed the complexion of the Marquette team. Minus Diener, who averaged 19.7 points and 7.0 assists, the Golden Eagles haven't been so golden.
Since Diener went down, Marquette is 1-3, including double-digit losses to Cincinnati and Saint Louis. However, that isn't enough to make Hawkins overly comfortable. In fact, the Golden Eagles' lack of identity is exactly what scares him.
"They were one team throughout the entire season and now they're in the process of being a different team. Any film we have or scouting reports can almost be thrown out. We know their personnel, but it's hard to predict how they'll play."
One player who worries Hawkins is 6-foot-10 sharpshooter Steve Novak. For the season, the senior "Levi Rost-like" forward is averaging 13.9 points while connecting on 47 percent of his 3-point attempts. Yet, in Marquette's Diener-less era, Novak has taken charge of the offense, scoring 18.5 points per game, including a 25-point effort in the loss to Cincinnati.
"He's one of the premier 3-point shooters in the country," Hawkins said of Novak.
Marquette is just as respectful, though more certain, of what Western brings to the court. Golden Eagles coach Tom Crean grew up in Mount Pleasant and is a veteran of the Central Michigan-WMU rivalry. Still, Crean insists the sight of Broncos jerseys won't bring back any childhood hatred.
"I have a lot of respect for Western Michigan," Crean said. "That program has been at a high level for some time. I think everybody has got a grasp on just how good they are.
"They're a great running team, an outstanding offensive rebounding team and they run their stuff very well. We've got to play a solid, smart game for 40 minutes if we're going to have a chance to win. One thing I know is that we have to beat them. They do not beat themselves."
WMU isn't the only MAC school headed to the NIT. After seeing their slim NCAA Tournament hopes dashed Sunday night, Buffalo (vs. Drexel), Kent State (at Western Kentucky) and Miami (vs. TCU) all earned a berth in the 40-team NIT field.