SAN JOSE, Calif. - I just landed in San Jose and like any other SLU fan, I can’t wait for the Billikens to hit the hardwood.
But before they do that, let’s talk about five things they need to do in order to beat Virginia Tech.
The first two things are defense and more defense. You know the old saying, defense wins championships. Well, that couldn't be any truer for the Billikens. It's something Travis Ford has been harping on all season, even when they were winning games.
In route to their A-10 conference championship, SLU held their opponents to fewer than 55 points in three out of four contests. This will be a deciding factor as they play a Virginia Tech team that was ranked the 9th best three-point shooting team in the country, and the best to make the NCAA Tournament. If the three ball starts falling for the Hokies, it may be a long night for SLU as the Billikens average only 6 made three’s a game. So playing physical defense and limiting the three's is something I'm sure Ford is preaching over and over to his team.
The third thing the Billikens need to do is get Jordan Goodwin going. He’s snuck under the radar this season but he’s a guy that does all the dirty work. He’s averaging 11 points per game to go along with 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals, I told you, he does just about everything. As he goes, so do the Billikens.
Something obvious that would help the Billikens chances of reaching the round of 32 is for Tramaine Isabell Jr. and Javon Bess to have huge games. This season both players averaged a combined 29 points per game. In the A-10 tournament, they combined for 35 points per game. An off night by either one of these guys could ultimately hurt SLU, seeing as Goodwin is the only other player that averages double-digits for the Bills.
Lastly, Dion Wiley has to hit big shots. His two threes late in the A-10 championship against St. Bonaventure proved to be game-changing moments. While he’s only shooting 32 percent from the field this season and averaging only four points, Wiley has tournament experience and it would be huge if he could step in and provide valuable minutes off an already short St. Louis bench.
It won’t be easy taking down Virginia Tech, but SLU proved in the A-10 tournament they’re going to fight for a full 40 minutes and if they do that Friday night, they have a legitimate chance of upsetting the No. 4 seed Virginia Tech.