Tad Boyle may be the University of Northern Colorado men's basketball coach, but he'd like nothing better than to see his Bears turn today's College-Insider.com Tournament quarterfinal game against Pacific at the Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion into a track meet.
Boyle knows that the Tigers would like nothing better than to slow the game down to a snail's pace. Pacific, the Great West Conference regular season co-champions, have made a living this season winning games on defense. The Tigers are first in the Great West in fewest points allowed and 17th in the nation, giving up only 60.1 per game. In 13 of its wins this season, the Tigers have held their opponents under 60 points and four times they have held their opponents under 50.
Led by Great West Defensive Player of the Year Joe Ford, the Tigers also led the Big West in field goal percentage defense, allowing opponents to shoot only 40 percent from the field.
?They are a great defensive team,? Boyle said. ?They control tempo and it is going to be a heck of a challenge for us.?
Still, the Bears have shown all season they have plenty of fire power of their own on the offensive end. The Bears are averaging 74 points per game, third best in the Big Sky Conference. Senior guard Will Figures is averaging 17 points per game and 21.2 over his last four games.
?I know one thing, we have got to play the best that we can,? Figures said. ?We know what we are capable of and if we play a good game, we feel we can beat any team. So we have just got to concentrate on playing together, playing smart, playing hard for 40 minutes and we'll be all right.?
Playing smart on the defensive end could be a key as well. While the Tigers don't have the prowess on the offensive end that the Bears do with only one player scoring in double-figures, Pacific has a balanced attack led by forward Sam Willard. Willard, an honorable mention all-conference selection who Boyle tried to recruit to UNC, is averaging 11.9 points and 8.1 rebounds a game. He is coming off the best game of his career, with 23 points and 17 rebounds in the Tigers' quarterfinal win over Loyola Marymount on Wednesday.
Boyle knows that even though the Tigers are known for their defense, they can be a dangerous offensive team as well.
?We have to pressure the ball and we can't let them feel comfortable on the offensive end,? Boyle said. ?Because if we let them run their stuff, they are very good and they are very efficient. So we have to pressure the ball and try to take them out of what they want to do offensively.?
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS
NORTHERN COLORADO
G Will Figures, 5-9, sr., 17.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg
G Yahosh Bonner, 6-1, sr., 6.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
C Mike Proctor, 6-8, so., 8.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg
F Chris Kaba, 6-8, jr., 7.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg
F Taylor Montgomery, 6-7, jr., 8.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg
PACIFIC
G Terrell Smith, 6-4, jr., 8.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg
G Demetrece Young, 5-11, jr., 9.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg
F Michael Nunnally, 6-8, sr., 7.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg
F Sam Willard, 6-9, jr., 11.2 ppg, 8.1 rpg
F Joe Ford, 6-6, sr., 6.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg
THE MATCHUPS
IN THE POST: UNC doesn't have the size disadvantage inside that it did in the first round against Portland, but that doesn't mean it will be any easier for UNC. Willard is a force inside. He was second in the Big West in rebounding this season and averaged 16.3 points and nine rebounds over the last seven games of the regular season. Ford is a first team all-conference selection and the Big West Defensive Player of the Year. Still, the Bears front line of Proctor, Montgomery and Kaba showed how good they were against Portland, outscoring the Pilots 35-20 in the paint and outrebounding Portland 34-26.
ON THE PERIMETER: The Tigers guards are very tough on the defensive end, one of the reasons that Pacific was first in the Big West in points allowed per game (60.1) and 17th overall in the nation. Young, an honorable mention Big West selection, is also a threat on the offensive end, leading the team in 3-pointers. However, Pacific doesn't have the pure scorer that the Bears possess in Figures, who has scored 20 points or more in four straight games. UNC also has its own backcourt stopper in Bonner, the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year.
KEY MATCHUP: Figures can score from anywhere on the floor and Ford is the top defensive player in the Big West. Should be exciting to watch.
Boyle knows that the Tigers would like nothing better than to slow the game down to a snail's pace. Pacific, the Great West Conference regular season co-champions, have made a living this season winning games on defense. The Tigers are first in the Great West in fewest points allowed and 17th in the nation, giving up only 60.1 per game. In 13 of its wins this season, the Tigers have held their opponents under 60 points and four times they have held their opponents under 50.
Led by Great West Defensive Player of the Year Joe Ford, the Tigers also led the Big West in field goal percentage defense, allowing opponents to shoot only 40 percent from the field.
?They are a great defensive team,? Boyle said. ?They control tempo and it is going to be a heck of a challenge for us.?
Still, the Bears have shown all season they have plenty of fire power of their own on the offensive end. The Bears are averaging 74 points per game, third best in the Big Sky Conference. Senior guard Will Figures is averaging 17 points per game and 21.2 over his last four games.
?I know one thing, we have got to play the best that we can,? Figures said. ?We know what we are capable of and if we play a good game, we feel we can beat any team. So we have just got to concentrate on playing together, playing smart, playing hard for 40 minutes and we'll be all right.?
Playing smart on the defensive end could be a key as well. While the Tigers don't have the prowess on the offensive end that the Bears do with only one player scoring in double-figures, Pacific has a balanced attack led by forward Sam Willard. Willard, an honorable mention all-conference selection who Boyle tried to recruit to UNC, is averaging 11.9 points and 8.1 rebounds a game. He is coming off the best game of his career, with 23 points and 17 rebounds in the Tigers' quarterfinal win over Loyola Marymount on Wednesday.
Boyle knows that even though the Tigers are known for their defense, they can be a dangerous offensive team as well.
?We have to pressure the ball and we can't let them feel comfortable on the offensive end,? Boyle said. ?Because if we let them run their stuff, they are very good and they are very efficient. So we have to pressure the ball and try to take them out of what they want to do offensively.?
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS
NORTHERN COLORADO
G Will Figures, 5-9, sr., 17.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg
G Yahosh Bonner, 6-1, sr., 6.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
C Mike Proctor, 6-8, so., 8.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg
F Chris Kaba, 6-8, jr., 7.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg
F Taylor Montgomery, 6-7, jr., 8.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg
PACIFIC
G Terrell Smith, 6-4, jr., 8.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg
G Demetrece Young, 5-11, jr., 9.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg
F Michael Nunnally, 6-8, sr., 7.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg
F Sam Willard, 6-9, jr., 11.2 ppg, 8.1 rpg
F Joe Ford, 6-6, sr., 6.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg
THE MATCHUPS
IN THE POST: UNC doesn't have the size disadvantage inside that it did in the first round against Portland, but that doesn't mean it will be any easier for UNC. Willard is a force inside. He was second in the Big West in rebounding this season and averaged 16.3 points and nine rebounds over the last seven games of the regular season. Ford is a first team all-conference selection and the Big West Defensive Player of the Year. Still, the Bears front line of Proctor, Montgomery and Kaba showed how good they were against Portland, outscoring the Pilots 35-20 in the paint and outrebounding Portland 34-26.
ON THE PERIMETER: The Tigers guards are very tough on the defensive end, one of the reasons that Pacific was first in the Big West in points allowed per game (60.1) and 17th overall in the nation. Young, an honorable mention Big West selection, is also a threat on the offensive end, leading the team in 3-pointers. However, Pacific doesn't have the pure scorer that the Bears possess in Figures, who has scored 20 points or more in four straight games. UNC also has its own backcourt stopper in Bonner, the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year.
KEY MATCHUP: Figures can score from anywhere on the floor and Ford is the top defensive player in the Big West. Should be exciting to watch.
