Time to play(-in)
Web-posted Mar 15, 2005
Oakland is worried about Alabama A&M's chaotic press in tonight's NCAA tourney opener
By PAULA PASCHE
Of The Daily Oakland Press
DAYTON, Ohio - It's not just the excitement of having the chance to play in tonight's opening game of the NCAA tournament that has the Golden Grizzlies pumped, it is the opportunity to grab a win and make reservations for Charlotte, N.C.
Advertisement
The winner of tonight's nationally televised play-in game between Oakland and Alabama A&M will advance to play No. 1 seed North Carolina on Friday.
Oakland coach Greg Kampe said it's a thought that is difficult to chase out of his mind.
"It's not like it's just some team out there. You're talking about maybe the most storied program in college basketball. You're talking about a national TV audience and those type of things. You also may be talking about a whooping, too,'' Kampe said.
"I think everybody is thinking about that. I think once the ball goes up (tonight), nobody is going to be thinking about that.''
First thing's first.
Alabama A&M (18-13) earned its way here, too.
"They're going to press you for 40 minutes. It's a type of press, maybe (A&M coach L. Vann Pettaway) knows what he's doing, I don't know what the hell they're doing. They're coming from every angle and everywhere, and I don't know the rhyme or reason to it,'' Kampe said.
He has watched two game tapes and said the Bulldogs press consistently.
Michigan State and Texas A&M pressed Oakland in their games, but it was a man-to-man press and the Grizzlies were able to handle it.
"The key to the game is we'll have to control the ball, limit our turnovers. If we can do that and capitalize on their pressure, we'll be able to be successful,'' senior Rawle Marshall said.
The Grizzlies average just a dozen turnovers per game. If they can stick to that, Kampe thinks it will be a good sign.
"If that number is 22 or 24, we're not going to have a chance to win,'' Kampe said.
"We've got a guy like DeMarcus Ishmeal who is a one-man press breaker. I don't think a press would affect us at all,'' Marshall said.
The key to beating the Bulldogs is stopping guard Obie Trotter, who was the SWAC conference's top offensive and defensive player. He also leads the nation with four steals per game.
"I don't think anybody has the answer to that,'' OU senior Cortney Scott said.
Oakland earned its bid to the NCAA Tournament last Tuesday when they beat Oral Roberts, 61-60, on Pierre Dukes' 3-pointer from the corner with 1.3 seconds left in the game. So they have had nearly a week to prepare for this game.
The Bulldogs earned their way in on Sunday, claiming the SWAC tournament championship with a 72-53 win over Alabama State.
"We could show you a better product if maybe we had another day or so,'' A&M's Pettaway said.
Oakland made it clear from Day One that they cherished the thought of being in the play-in game, in front of a national television audience.
The Alabama A&M coach, who has led his team to the NCAA tournament for the first time, sounds like he would rather be elsewhere.
"I'm still trying to figure out why we're here,'' Pettaway said. "We're supposed to be dancing, maybe not with this partner.''
It all starts tonight. And, like it or not, these are the two teams that will kick off the tournament. Oakland, which is on a five-game winning streak, is confident.
"They're a great team, but it's certainly a game we can win. We're not up against a Duke or North Carolina, so we feel real confident about this game,'' Marshall said. "And if we go out there and play like we've been playing these last five or six games, we have a chance to win."
Web-posted Mar 15, 2005
Oakland is worried about Alabama A&M's chaotic press in tonight's NCAA tourney opener
By PAULA PASCHE
Of The Daily Oakland Press
DAYTON, Ohio - It's not just the excitement of having the chance to play in tonight's opening game of the NCAA tournament that has the Golden Grizzlies pumped, it is the opportunity to grab a win and make reservations for Charlotte, N.C.
Advertisement
The winner of tonight's nationally televised play-in game between Oakland and Alabama A&M will advance to play No. 1 seed North Carolina on Friday.
Oakland coach Greg Kampe said it's a thought that is difficult to chase out of his mind.
"It's not like it's just some team out there. You're talking about maybe the most storied program in college basketball. You're talking about a national TV audience and those type of things. You also may be talking about a whooping, too,'' Kampe said.
"I think everybody is thinking about that. I think once the ball goes up (tonight), nobody is going to be thinking about that.''
First thing's first.
Alabama A&M (18-13) earned its way here, too.
"They're going to press you for 40 minutes. It's a type of press, maybe (A&M coach L. Vann Pettaway) knows what he's doing, I don't know what the hell they're doing. They're coming from every angle and everywhere, and I don't know the rhyme or reason to it,'' Kampe said.
He has watched two game tapes and said the Bulldogs press consistently.
Michigan State and Texas A&M pressed Oakland in their games, but it was a man-to-man press and the Grizzlies were able to handle it.
"The key to the game is we'll have to control the ball, limit our turnovers. If we can do that and capitalize on their pressure, we'll be able to be successful,'' senior Rawle Marshall said.
The Grizzlies average just a dozen turnovers per game. If they can stick to that, Kampe thinks it will be a good sign.
"If that number is 22 or 24, we're not going to have a chance to win,'' Kampe said.
"We've got a guy like DeMarcus Ishmeal who is a one-man press breaker. I don't think a press would affect us at all,'' Marshall said.
The key to beating the Bulldogs is stopping guard Obie Trotter, who was the SWAC conference's top offensive and defensive player. He also leads the nation with four steals per game.
"I don't think anybody has the answer to that,'' OU senior Cortney Scott said.
Oakland earned its bid to the NCAA Tournament last Tuesday when they beat Oral Roberts, 61-60, on Pierre Dukes' 3-pointer from the corner with 1.3 seconds left in the game. So they have had nearly a week to prepare for this game.
The Bulldogs earned their way in on Sunday, claiming the SWAC tournament championship with a 72-53 win over Alabama State.
"We could show you a better product if maybe we had another day or so,'' A&M's Pettaway said.
Oakland made it clear from Day One that they cherished the thought of being in the play-in game, in front of a national television audience.
The Alabama A&M coach, who has led his team to the NCAA tournament for the first time, sounds like he would rather be elsewhere.
"I'm still trying to figure out why we're here,'' Pettaway said. "We're supposed to be dancing, maybe not with this partner.''
It all starts tonight. And, like it or not, these are the two teams that will kick off the tournament. Oakland, which is on a five-game winning streak, is confident.
"They're a great team, but it's certainly a game we can win. We're not up against a Duke or North Carolina, so we feel real confident about this game,'' Marshall said. "And if we go out there and play like we've been playing these last five or six games, we have a chance to win."
