[Rosiak's Blog] Game 11: Western Carolina

[ToddRosiakSays]

Game 11: Western Carolina


Dec. 18, 2008 8:09 p.m.  




First off, the game will be played regardless of the weather conditions on Friday.

Western Carolina and the officials are already in town, so the opening tip will be thrown up at 7:34 p.m.

Speaking of being in town, the Catamounts arrived earlier Thursday after busing in from their campus in Cullowhee, N.C. They hosted Gardner-Webb last night (and lost, 96-90), then hopped on a bus and drove for a few hours before stopping off for the evening. They then bused the rest of the way to Milwaukee today.

A quick Mapquest search reveals the trip is over 750 miles one way, and would take about 12 1/2 hours in good weather conditions, and without traffic. They're not playing any games on the way back, either, so I guess it can be referred to as a character-building experience for the players. It's a good way to keep expenses low, though.

"It's funny how when your jersey changes, people think differently," said MU coach Buzz Williams. "'Oh, those guys are going to be tired, they've been sitting on a bus.' I think they'll be the most refreshed team that we've played because all those players did was just sit on the bus and sleep.

"I have great respect for how you have to operate at some institutions, because I think that gets to the core of what you want to be about. There is no media covering you, there is no TV, there is no coaches' show or radio show. It's just about the kids, and every dollar and every t-shirt and pair of shoes you can give them is appreciated."

Western Carolina arrives with a 5-3 record, with Division I victories over Louisiana Tech, Northern Illinois and, most impressively, at Kent State in overtime on Dec. 6.

The Catamounts are high-scoring, averaging 83.6 points per game, and rebound at a high rate, averaging 42.9 per game and a plus-5.7 differential. Everyone rebounds, too: the leader, Jake Robinson, averages 5.1, while six other players average at least 3.4.

Western Carolina is also averaging an impressive 11.3 steals. 

On the flip side, the team is only shooting 62.0% from the free-throw line on just 150 attempts. The Catamounts' opponents, meanwhile, have made 151 -- a good sign for MU.

Robinson, a 6-foot-8 forward, also leads Western Carolina in scoring at 15.5 points per game, and three-pointers with 24.

Brandon Giles, a 6-6 guard, is second in scoring at 14.1 points, and Harouna Mutombo, a 6-4 guard and nephew of former NBA center Dikembo Mutombo, is third at 12.6 points.

"I think that they're a really good team," Williams said. "I think that they play very smart, they will not beat themselves. They have good players that play as a team and they're extremely well-coached. (Robinson) presents a matchup problems to most teams just because of how well he can shoot it.

"They've got really good guards, and their 5s do a really good job of banging, and trying to get their teammates extra possessions."

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