The Rattlers (21-13) captured the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title Saturday night, took a 6 a.m. flight Sunday to Tallahassee and then left at 6:30 Monday morning for Dayton, Ohio, and tonight's qualifying game against Niagara (22-11)."If they use all their criteria and baloney sauce on how you played at the end of the season, hey, these two are playing pretty darned good," Mike Gillespie said in a telephone interview from Dayton. "Obviously we're worried about fatigue. This team is drained."
Gillespie said the last two schools chosen by the selection committee should be scheduled for the play-in game instead.
"Let them come and play the damn game," said Gillespie, who has taken the Rattlers to the play-in matchup twice in the past four seasons.
"Our guys didn't even get a chance to enjoy the championship they just won, to savor what it's like to be in the NCAA Tournament," he said. "We didn't even get a chance to do our laundry."
But, the 55-year-old coach found a silver lining in the perceived slight.
"Hey, 2 million people are going to watch us play," Gillespie said about tonight's 7:30 game, set for coverage by ESPN. "We're the only show in town. It'll showcase our program."
A win tonight would be rewarded by a chance to play second-ranked Kansas, the top seed in the West regional.
"Right now we're playing at the highest level we've played all season," Gillespie said. "We have managed to find a way to win 21 games. We've got to continue to play to our strengths."
Rattlers win MEAC
Play-in games for HBCUs?
Student Government will be showing the games in the Grand Ballroom today at 7 pm! Any and all people are welcome and we would like faculty, staff, alumni, community and most importantly students to be there!
ReplyDeleteRattler, is it possible for you to post this comment?
ReplyDeleteLETS WATCH NIAGARA FALL!!
ReplyDeleteYou tell me that rubin carter, let a ex-pro and NFL scout go to bring in a Div. 3 coach from a small school the size of our football stadium. I hear you was S L O W! rubin.
ReplyDelete