The Pokes open up the tournament tomorrow night when they host North Carolina Central. Here is a little bit of background information on the Pokes opponent for those who are interested:
NC Central was picked 7th out of the 13 team MEAC in the preseason poll. Their current record is 1-1. They opened the season with a road loss to Wichita State, 57-71. The score is closer than the game really was. Wichita State had the game in hand by halftime before playing the back-ups for most of the 2nd half. NC Central got their first win last night when they clobbered Johnson and Wales (Div III) at home.
The player to watch for NC Central is #55 Ray Willis. He is a 6'6 senior guard who played his first two years at the University of Oklahoma before transferring to NC Central. He was named to the MEAC 2nd team last year and is one of the top returning players in the conference this year. He is a threat with his dual ability to get to the rim off the dribble and knock down outside shots. His size will present a match-up problem for the Pokes. Do they try and guard him with a smaller, quicker guard like Gilmore, Grabau, or Adams or do they put someone with more length on him like McManamen or Haldorson?
While this team is certainly better than Western State, they still should not present a significant challenge for the Pokes. It would be nice to see the Pokes come out and play well from the opening tip and have a good sized lead by halftime against an inferior opponent like this. Looking forward to this tournament!
NC Central was picked 7th out of the 13 team MEAC in the preseason poll. Their current record is 1-1. They opened the season with a road loss to Wichita State, 57-71. The score is closer than the game really was. Wichita State had the game in hand by halftime before playing the back-ups for most of the 2nd half. NC Central got their first win last night when they clobbered Johnson and Wales (Div III) at home.
The player to watch for NC Central is #55 Ray Willis. He is a 6'6 senior guard who played his first two years at the University of Oklahoma before transferring to NC Central. He was named to the MEAC 2nd team last year and is one of the top returning players in the conference this year. He is a threat with his dual ability to get to the rim off the dribble and knock down outside shots. His size will present a match-up problem for the Pokes. Do they try and guard him with a smaller, quicker guard like Gilmore, Grabau, or Adams or do they put someone with more length on him like McManamen or Haldorson?
While this team is certainly better than Western State, they still should not present a significant challenge for the Pokes. It would be nice to see the Pokes come out and play well from the opening tip and have a good sized lead by halftime against an inferior opponent like this. Looking forward to this tournament!
