Cougs make stand at arc
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The mantra is heard constantly this time of year, probably because it holds true more often than not.
Live by the 3, die by the 3.
It’ll certainly be in play today as Washington State tries to win a second NCAA tournament game for only the second time in school history today.
Vanderbilt, the Cougars’ second-round opponent, will shoot early and will shoot often from outside. If the Commodores, who hit 12 3-pointers in their 33-point win over George Washington on Thursday, do the same this afternoon, then WSU will probably see its season expire. If not, the third-seeded Cougars (26-7) will likely live on to see the Sweet 16 and a trip to East Rutherford, N.J., for a second week of March Madness while Vanderbilt (21-11) goes home.
“When they’re on, they’re definitely a tough team to handle,” WSU guard Kyle Weaver said. “They can shoot the ball. They stroke it and they showed that here in their last game. Our perimeter defense definitely has to be up to par.”
Only three WSU opponents have made double-digit 3-pointers this season, and it should probably come as no shock that the Cougars are 0-3 in those games. (Oregon did it twice and USC once in the Pac-10 tournament.)
WSU hasn’t been spectacular defending the perimeter in some recent games, and so head coach Tony Bennett had his team working on closing out on defense Friday.
“You have to be able to contest their shots and make them shoot tough shots, and hopefully that lowers their percentages,” Bennett said. “Just make them work like they’re going to make us work. If you let them get their feet set and have a good look at the rim, you might as well just take it out of the net.”
The Cougars can help themselves dramatically by limiting SEC player of the year Derrick Byars, and doing so quickly.
Byars has received limited attention this season nationally, but he’s been the Commodores’ leading threat all season. WSU is expected to use a number of defenders against the 6-foot-7 wing, at least in part because Vanderbilt plays a four-guard look that is somewhat similar to what both Oregon and USC employ.
WSU will have to stop him early because a suspect first half – like the one it played against Oral Roberts in its first-round win – might put it in tenuous position against this more potent opponent.
“When they get off to a good start and they’re hitting 3-pointers and you get down by 10 or 15 it feels like 30, almost, to try and fight back,” Weaver said. “We definitely can’t get off to a slow start.”
The Cougars should, however, have the advantage of playing with fewer nerves. With an NCAA tournament win under their belts, the Cougars say they should be more comfortable when the ball is tipped at 2:40 p.m. in Arco Arena.
“I hope I can sleep a little bit more tonight than I did Wednesday night,” junior forward Robbie Cowgill said after practice Friday. “This is totally different. We’ve never experienced anything like this.
“The jitters are out. Guys can be a little more relaxed and into the flow.”
Of course, the challenge is also there for Vanderbilt. Head coach Kevin Stallings readily admitted that his team hasn’t faced a squad that plays like WSU this season, and he can only hope that the style his team plays – which has given the Cougars problems this season – does so once more.
“It’s going to be a test,” Cowgill said. “Can we beat a team like that? And if we do, then I think it’ll only give us more confidence going into the next round.”