Southern Illinois Edwardsville’s historic season continues Thursday against Houston. This season the Cougars (22-11) have recorded their first-ever twenty-win season and their first D1 conference tournament title. Now Brian Barone’s team will make its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
While the Cougars will be excited to be go to their first dance, they will be massive underdogs to top seeded Houston (30-4). SIUE was the Ohio Valley’s best defensive team, but Kelvin Sampson’s Cougars are ranked as the nation’s second-best defenders.
Brian Barone’s legendary father Tony coached in two NCAA Tournaments and the younger Barone is coaching in his first. While Sampson will be coaching in his 46th March Madness game, he will be matching wits with Brian after previously coaching against his father.
Three Keys for SIUE to Defeat Houston
1. Block out the noise.
It is crucial for Southern Illinois Edwardsville to stay focused on basketball. Teams that rarely participate in the NCAA Tournament often are overwhelmed by the bright lights, the media exposure and the pressure of the national tournament.
Barone’s team has been playing ‘must win’ games for weeks and have proven to be a mentally tough team, but this is a next level challenge. The sixth-year head coach has led SIUE to its only three Division 1 winning seasons and all of them have come in the last three campaigns. His players listen to him and trust his guidance.
The psychological part of this challenge will take all of the calm Barone can give to his team through his ‘find a way’ mentality. Barone has built the Cougar program emphasizing his team’s family feel and keeping his ‘sons’ calm is crucial for success.
Barone wants his players to fully embrace the experience of the NCAA Tournament, but also to be focused on winning this game.
2. Run set plays for Ray’Sean Taylor
Ray’Sean Taylor is the OVC’s ‘player of the year’ and leading scorer (19.3 ppg). The 6’1 guard is a capable three-point shooter and drives to the rim with reckless abandon, but Barone will need to run some plays for his most-valuable-player. Houston’s defense is too good for Taylor to rely on his one-on-one abilities.
While other Cougars can score, if Taylor doesn’t ‘get his’ SIUE has little chance to upset the mighty Houston Cougars. Brian Taylor II (12.0 and 4.1 rebounds) (Ray’Sean’s cousin) has produced some explosive games and so has Ring Malif (11.5 & 7.2 boards). Malif poured in 21 points in SIUE’s second-place clinching, last game of the season, but this entire team plays bigger and more confidently when Ray’Sean Taylor is scoring.
“He has to be the ‘player of the year’ kind of player, for us to win,” said Barone. “Houston will gear their defense around stopping Ray.”
3. Slow down Houston’s three-point offense.
Houston’s elite defense is its calling card, but offensively the Cougars are a three-point shooting machine. Sampson’s top three scorers, L.J. Cryer (15.3 ppg), Emanuel Sharp (12.0) and Milos Uzan (11.0) all complete better than 40 percent of their three-point attempts and the Cougar roster combines to make .398 from long distance.
SIUE must slowdown that ariel assault.
The health of J’Wan Roberts, bears watching. Houston’s all-defensive team member and double-digit scorer has missed the team’s last several games. He is the Cougars’ leading rebounder and averages nearly eleven points per game.
SIUE is a deep team. Barone rotates post players Kyle Thomas, Myles Thompson and 7’1 Arnas Sakenis effectively as they combine to score 16 points and grab eleven rebounds. Desmond Polk can be a dangerous offensive player and guards Jordan Pickett and Declan Dillon have become valuable defensive stoppers coming from Barone’s bench.
Game time is set for 1:00 pm, Thursday, March 20 and can be seen on TBS.
SIUE will be a massive underdog when they step on to the INTRUST Bank Arena floor, but Barone isn’t playing the ‘underdog’ card. He wants his team to believe they can and will win this game against one college basketball’s elite programs.