IWU vs #1 Wash U

Well after laying an egg in the second half at Olivet Nazarene, we'll see what the Titans are made of here in the early going. IWU travels to St. Louis to take on defending national champs and current #1-ranked Washington University.

I'm very familiar with the Bears, having seen their last four NCAA tournament games last season as well as their exhibition game vs NCAA Division II Missouri-St. Louis this year (which Wash U won). Wash U has three All-American-caliber perimeter players - point-guard Sean Wallis, shooting-guard Aaron Thompson, and wing Tyler Nading. That trio is about as good as a Division III perimeter group gets.

Coming into the year I assumed Wash U's low-post game would be its weakness after they graduated D3 Player of the Year Troy Ruths, their 6-7 stud center. The Bears have been getting great contributions from 6-7 Zach Kelly though. Kelly had 18 points and 10 rebounds in Wash U's big overtime win at Augustana and then followed that up with 23 & 9 vs Aurora.

Wash U is a tremendous basketball team, but IWU can play with them if the defend and rebound. The Bears are shooting .511 from the field on the season and are out-rebounding opponents by 14 per game. IWU will have to work very hard to defend and rebound.

It should be a great test to see where this team really is...I don't really know what to make of the Olivet Nazarene loss. Wash U is providing a live video stream, so if you can't make it to St. Louis, you can watch!

http://www.iwuhoops.com/notes09.htm