Beware the Ides of March

Bryan did some more good work on the NCAA Tournament at Maydogma. Good for a laugh or two, and about as reliable as whatever method you used to fill out your bracket.

Many thanks to Jeremy (eaglefan) over at Winthropfans.com for his overview of the Eagles basketball team:

Starters:

#10 PG - Chris Gaynor, junior, 5-10 - Smart, dependable point guard...runs offense well, can hit the three at times, doesn't turn it over much...
#11 SG - Michael Jenkins, junior, 6-3 - Big surprise this year...was recruited as an outside shooter but really struggled to find his range his first two years. This year he's hit around 45% of his threes and has learned to look for more opportunities on the break and off the dribble...leads team in scoring and is best on-the-ball perimeter defender.
#12 SF - Torrell Martin, senior, 6-5 - The 'face' of the program..can do a just about everything well. Most Zag fans will remember him as the guy that hit a ton of threes against you guys in the tourney two years ago. Strong outside shot, very good rebounder, very athletic. Solid defender too. Invited to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament..
#33 PF - Phillip Williams, senior, 6-8 - He usually defends the toughest interior player. Not a huge offensive threat, but he has his moments when his mid-range shot is falling. Decent rebounder.
#5 C - Craig Bradshaw, senior, 6-10 - Also invited to Portsmouth. Versatile center from New Zealand who has the ability to hit the three and can score in the paint. He's been up-and-down this year, but has played great toward the end of the season.

Primary Bench Players:

#24 PG - DeAndre Adams, sophomore, 5-7 - Quicker than Gaynor, but doesn't shoot as well and lacks size...Usually brings a little more energy off the bench and is a very good defender (draws more charges than anyone else on the team).
#1 SF - Antwon Harris, junior, 6-3 - JuCo transfer who started slow this year but has become a big part of the team down the stretch. Good around the basket and brings alot of energy off the bench as well.
#31 PF - Taj McCullough, junior, 6-7 - Extremely athletic and finishes very well around the basket. Has developed a very strong outside shot this year (shooting over 40%) and likes to take big shots.
#3 SF - Mantoris Robinson, freshman, 6-5 - Been hampered by a knee injury over the last month or so, which has really limited his minutes and mobility. More of a defensive presence than anything, his offensive game is still a little raw.

Nobody else will likely see much time...

Strengths -

Strong defensively, especially in half-court situations (they do get burned in transition sometimes). Good rebounding team (the few times they struggled on the glass this year, they got beat). Experienced squad that has played in big games.

Weaknesses -

They don't handle teams that are good at breaking you down off the dribble and dish to outside shooters. Sometimes rely too much on three-point shot.

Offensively, WU is patient and will use alot of shot-clock. They generally run a motion offense and will shoot the open three-pointer if available, but they like to try and get Bradshaw and Williams some touches first. WU will run off of rebounds if they have the numbers, but they rarely force it.

Defensively, WU will use a variety of defenses, but will most likely be in a man-to-man or a match-up zone (especially against ND's shooters...I doubt you'll see much 2-3 zone). You may see some token full court pressure, but nothing too intense. WU will go for steals at times, but usually relies on forcing the opposition to take tough shots late in the shot clock.

Coach Marshall is very intense and animated on the sidelines...