Tournament produces unique challenges and strategies for coaches

TULSA Okla. — Many coaches have one philosophy for their teams this March at the conference tournaments: win or go home.

At the Conference USA Tournament in Tulsa, Okla., many teams face that same problem. So for them, there is more incentive to make a run at the championship game.

And what makes tournament time exciting for people is that everybody has a chance to lose.

"It puts pressure on everybody, and that's why all things are equal," said Rice head coach Ben Braun.  "Unless you're a team that is already slated to go to tournament, your loss could mean your season is over. Half of the teams around the country going into the conference tournament know they are going to be in anyway, and then there are teams that don't know, so that puts you on your guard to be your best. That's what makes tournament play so exciting."

With postseason tournaments a week away, the only way many in C-USA will head to the big dance is with a win in Saturday's championship game.

But the road for those who start playing today is a bumpy one to follow. For eight teams to make the championship game, you have to win four games in four straight days. For four teams, it just takes three.

But as SMU head coach Matt Doherty said, it's not as big of a deal because so much can happen in those four days.

"I'm going to tell them take it one game at a time," Doherty said "And if we get to the finals, I'll let adrenaline take over. Anything can happen. That's why they call it March Madness."

For some of the coaches it's not about winning the fourth game but just trying to get past the first game.

Houston head coach Tom Penders said if you start worrying about going home, you will get there a lot sooner.

"Playing the first game is always the biggest game," Penders said. "If you win you feel like you are on a roll and that second game you are feeling familiar with the building, and the pressure of the first game is off."

Tulsa head coach Doug Wojcik told his players that with the post season starting, it's like a third season for the team.

With the non-conference schedule counting as the first season, and the conference schedule counting as the second, Wojcik said getting his players to fix things from earlier in the year is the key to having a chance in the third season.

"The third season is when I tell them to work on the things we have done well and lets get it from good to great," Wojcik said. "You've been good, now lets be great."

But as the tournament goes on, players might start playing safe and trying not to lose instead of playing to win. 

Penders said that while it's good to be comfortable, a team has to have a desire to be standing at the end of the weekend.

"I want them confident, but I want them hungry," Penders said. "You got to be hungry in these tournaments. If you get tight, if you're worried about losing, you're going to go home early. You want them confident, but you want them aggressive. Don't be afraid to foul out. Don't be afraid to let it all hang out."

Another problem players have is worrying about the other games and things that teams can't control.

Many coaches look at their players and tell them to focus on what they have been doing all season, executing what the team has worked on.

"You just have to stay focused on your game plan," said UCF head coach Kirk Speraw. "You do not need to get worried about things you have no control over. You just got to stay locked in on what you are trying to do offensively and defensively, and hopefully you execute the best that you can."

While executing the game plan and keeping hungry is what the coaches suggest, it all comes back to what the players know they are playing for.

With a win, you get a chance in the NCAA tournament and chance to become national champions.

"Any tournament you win will put you in the big dance," said Tulsa center Jerome Jordan. "So you want to go out there and win the tournament and leave everything on the floor."

C-USA teams will fight to earn a spot in the Big Dance starting today at noon when the C-USA tournament begins with No. 7 seed Houston taking on No. 10 East Carolina.

Marshall doesn't play until Thursday at 6:30 p.m., against the winner of the No. 5 Tulsa vs. No. 12 Rice.
 
Kyle Hobstetter can be contacted at hobstetter@marshall.edu.