The Big South was dominated by two teams this year, and it would have been a huge surprise if one of those two teams didn’t make it into the NCAA Tournament. No worries, though, and crisis averted so to speak, because the team from the Big South who ran through the competition most of the season, the High Point Panthers, won the conference regular season and the conference tournament to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
It is the second straight appearance for High Point, and only their second appearance ever. Last year, High Point, under head coach Alan Huss, was a popular upset pick before losing to Purdue. This year, coach Huss is gone, and the new coach for the Panthers is Flynn Clayman. Clayman has built a better team than Coach Huss did and has a team that can make a legitimate run. Here are the three things to know about High Point as they get ready for their Cinderella run.
Athletes Galore
The purpose of these are to make sure that fans who have not watched any of the featured teams game could get a crash course into what to look for when watching that team play, well this one isn’t going to be one I would have to write about for very long before it became glaringly obvious that the Panthers are not your ordinary run of the mill low major school.
High Point is one of the more athletic teams I have seen at a mid-major school. They can do things that a lot of power conference teams can’t do.
A lot of teams have one or two guys who can create off the bounce. The Panthers have 3 starters who can all create their own shots and get to the rim. That factor makes the Panthers extremely hard to guard. High Point does have some of the best efficiency numbers in basketball, and given that they have so many guys who can get to the rim, that explains the high efficiency metrics.
As mentioned, this ability allows High Point to do things that others cannot; it shows a lot on the defensive end of the floor, which allows High Point to lead the country in steals and, in the same regard, be in the top five in turnovers forced. The Panthers are really hard to play and hard to guard. Short prep for a team that can do the things High Point can do. They are poised for a run, and if everything goes right, they are going to play in the second weekend.
Revenge
All week long, you are going to hear that High Point was a trendy upset pick against Purdue last season, only to get blasted in their first-round matchup and not show well. After that game, the Panthers lost their head coach, Alan Huss, to Creighton, and most of their roster transferred out. New head coach Flynn Clayman went back to the drawing board and brought in one of the most talented rosters in the mid-major ranks, and far and away the best roster in High Point history.
Clayman was the associate head coach for High Point last year and was on the sidelines when his team lost to Purdue. Coach Clayman is going to have his guys ready for revenge. Coaches say that the second time in the NCAA Tournament is easier than the first because you know what to expect, and many teams use it as a learning experience. That is likely true, but the fact that High Point got a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament after last year is something many teams from one-bid leagues don’t get the chance to do as well. Â
The Panthers are on a mission and are built to make a run last year because the talent is deeper and more athletic. High Point currently holds the school record for wins with 30 and is a confident group that isn’t going to be scared by playing a power school. This year, the Panthers are going to be a 12 seed, and some poor 5 seed is going to see the wrath of the Panthers.
Close the Game
We have all seen it before, right? The low major team has the lead, and then, in the last five minutes of the second half, the defense gets locked in, the mid major team starts turning the ball over, getting destroyed on the glass, and then won’t make free throws to close the game out. That won’t be the case with the Panthers.Â
High Point has elite ball security; it is one of the nation's best at controlling turnovers. It was already mentioned that High Point turns teams over a lot and gets out in transition for easy baskets. They will constantly put pressure on teams on the defensive end and keep the big power teams on their heels for the duration of the game. High Point does the exact opposite; they do not turn the ball over. They are one of the nation's leaders in fewest turnovers. That is going to help them close out a game; if High Point has a lead late, they will close it out.
Let’s get to free throws, which, to be honest, are annoying when teams miss them to close a game. There is never anyone guarding you, and missing them is the easiest way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. High Point makes sure that doesn’t happen. Panthers fans can rest easy when their team is on the line, which it is about 30 times a game. High Point shoots over 70% from the line, which is good enough to win games. It probably should be a little higher given the volume, but 74% with their ability to not turn it over and turn teams over at a high rate is a winning recipe nearly every night. It will take a perfect game to beat High Point.