Head Coach Jeff Lebo and the ECU Pirates will take on the defending national champion Connecticut Huskies in the heart of Pirate Nation.
The matchup between the Pirates (12-15, 5-9 American Athletic Conference) and the Huskies (15-11, 5-9 AAC) has been the most hyped game on the Pirates? schedule throughout the season, and Lebo understands why.
?It will be exciting for our program. You?ve got the defending national champions coming in here,? said Lebo. ?You?ve got a tremendous player in [Ryan] Boatright. You?ve got a terrific freshman in Hamilton. You?ve got one of the best shot blockers in the country in Brimah.?
The matchup will be the second time these teams have met this season. On Feb. 4, the Huskies pulled away from the visiting Pirates in the second half. ECU managed to build a 10-point first half lead before UConn senior guard Boatright went off late in the game. The guard sank seven three pointers in the game and scored 14 points in the second half.
?We felt that there we let one get away in the second half,? said sophomore guard Caleb White. ?We felt our defense had a lot of letdowns. I know we will rise to the occasion when they come here.?
Stopping Boatright has proven to be nearly impossible for any of the 6-foot guard?s defenders. Boatright averages 17.5 points per game, best in the AAC by a wide margin, and has scored over 20 points in 11 games this season. The guard also ranks third in the conference in assists, making him one of the primer players not only in the American but in all of college basketball.
Minges Coliseum has been a major advantage for ECU this season, and White explained that the home floor gives him a mental edge he doesn?t have on the road.
?I just don?t think as much when I?m at home. You?re just comfortable,? said White. ?You have all the confidence in the world having your fans cheer you on. It?s just different.?
Redshirt sophomore Marshall Guilmette chalks up the Pirates 10-3 home record largely to the positive energy brought by the Pirates crowd.
?Definitely having the fans helps,? said Guilmette. ?Having a lot of energy out there helps a lot. You get home calls. Being on your own rims and being at the place you practice everyday helps a lot.?
Guilmette and the Pirates are coming off a home blowout of USF, a much-needed win after failing badly on the road against Temple and Tulsa. The victory saw a change in the Pirates offensive philosophy, as the team focused on driving to the basket rather than depending on jump shots.
?Our coach talked about that a lot after the Tulsa game, not settling for jump shots and getting the ball to the hoop,? said Guilmette.
Getting easy baskets in the paint won?t prove easy against Connecticut?s 7-foot forward Amida Brimah. Brimah is the second ranked shot blocker in the conference, averaging 3.1 blocks per game. The big man also averages 10.5 points per game, making him a threat on both ends of the court.
ECU?s star freshman, four time AAC rookie of the week award winner, B.J. Tyson will need to bring even more energy than he did on the road against the Huskies earlier in the season if the Pirates hope to pull off the upset. Tyson led the Pirates with 20 points at UConn, and has proven throughout the season that he loves a tough challenge.
The matchup between the Pirates (12-15, 5-9 American Athletic Conference) and the Huskies (15-11, 5-9 AAC) has been the most hyped game on the Pirates? schedule throughout the season, and Lebo understands why.
?It will be exciting for our program. You?ve got the defending national champions coming in here,? said Lebo. ?You?ve got a tremendous player in [Ryan] Boatright. You?ve got a terrific freshman in Hamilton. You?ve got one of the best shot blockers in the country in Brimah.?
The matchup will be the second time these teams have met this season. On Feb. 4, the Huskies pulled away from the visiting Pirates in the second half. ECU managed to build a 10-point first half lead before UConn senior guard Boatright went off late in the game. The guard sank seven three pointers in the game and scored 14 points in the second half.
?We felt that there we let one get away in the second half,? said sophomore guard Caleb White. ?We felt our defense had a lot of letdowns. I know we will rise to the occasion when they come here.?
Stopping Boatright has proven to be nearly impossible for any of the 6-foot guard?s defenders. Boatright averages 17.5 points per game, best in the AAC by a wide margin, and has scored over 20 points in 11 games this season. The guard also ranks third in the conference in assists, making him one of the primer players not only in the American but in all of college basketball.
Minges Coliseum has been a major advantage for ECU this season, and White explained that the home floor gives him a mental edge he doesn?t have on the road.
?I just don?t think as much when I?m at home. You?re just comfortable,? said White. ?You have all the confidence in the world having your fans cheer you on. It?s just different.?
Redshirt sophomore Marshall Guilmette chalks up the Pirates 10-3 home record largely to the positive energy brought by the Pirates crowd.
?Definitely having the fans helps,? said Guilmette. ?Having a lot of energy out there helps a lot. You get home calls. Being on your own rims and being at the place you practice everyday helps a lot.?
Guilmette and the Pirates are coming off a home blowout of USF, a much-needed win after failing badly on the road against Temple and Tulsa. The victory saw a change in the Pirates offensive philosophy, as the team focused on driving to the basket rather than depending on jump shots.
?Our coach talked about that a lot after the Tulsa game, not settling for jump shots and getting the ball to the hoop,? said Guilmette.
Getting easy baskets in the paint won?t prove easy against Connecticut?s 7-foot forward Amida Brimah. Brimah is the second ranked shot blocker in the conference, averaging 3.1 blocks per game. The big man also averages 10.5 points per game, making him a threat on both ends of the court.
ECU?s star freshman, four time AAC rookie of the week award winner, B.J. Tyson will need to bring even more energy than he did on the road against the Huskies earlier in the season if the Pirates hope to pull off the upset. Tyson led the Pirates with 20 points at UConn, and has proven throughout the season that he loves a tough challenge.
