DALLAS - The day after their shocking first-round NCAA tournament victory last year, the Bucknell Bison were still caught up in the excitement of what they had done.
“We just wanted to enjoy it for so long,” coach Pat Flannery said Saturday.
“I think we'll be more prepared this year,” guard Kevin Bettencourt said. “Last year, we didn't get back to the hotel until well after midnight and had a hard time getting to sleep with the emotions of beating Kansas.”
Things are much different for the ninth-seeded Bison (27-4) after winning in the first round again this year.
Their tourney-opening 59-55 victory Friday over Arkansas started the day and wasn't the last game like a year ago when they were a No. 14 seed and became the first Patriot League team to win in the NCAA tourney with the 64-63 stunner over Kansas.
And the latest NCAA victory wasn't really seen as an upset.
“This time, we know the task that is in front of us,” Flannery said. “We came here to play two games. Believe me, we're enjoying it, but we're not getting ahead of ourselves.”
Not with top-seeded Memphis (31-3), a 94-78 first-round winner over Oral Roberts, waiting in Sunday's second round of the Oakland Regional. Only three No. 9 seeds have won a second-round game since the NCAA field expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
Still, Memphis coach John Calipari is concerned about a deliberate Bucknell team that is going to try to slow down the Tigers as it did the Razorbacks. Arkansas was held to its fewest points this season and in 41 NCAA tournament games, dating back to 1984.
“This is a hard game to prepare for. They run too much stuff, they hold the ball,” Calipari said. “Our guys, they have no idea that they're not going to run with us. ... This is a terrific team we're playing”
Bucknell has won 18 of its last 19 games, the only loss coming in double overtime. Calipari hadn't even shown his players any film of the Bison before they practiced at the American Airlines Center on Saturday afternoon.
“I don't want to scare them,” Calipari said. “I don't want their heads spinning.”
Like Memphis, Bucknell hit a season-high 11 3-pointers Friday.
While not intimidated, the Bison also don't take the equal number of 3s as an indication that they can run up and down the court for 40 minutes with Memphis.
Bucknell made only six shots inside the arc against Arkansas. The Tigers complemented their long-range shots against Oral Roberts with 26 2-pointers, many of them in transition.
“We have to try to get stops and push it on our terms. That's what we talk about, on our terms,” guard Charles Lee said.
“They're fun to watch the way they get up and down and attack,” Bettencourt said. “We can do it here and there, but to do it for 40 minutes will not give us our best chance to win. We have to slow it down to our pace.”
Memphis has won 20 of 21 games and averages 81 points. Bucknell has held its opponents to 55 points a game, a number Memphis hasn't been held to this season.
The Tigers' lowest scoring output was 57 points, last week in the Conference USA tournament championship game they won over UAB playing for the third straight day.
Bucknell, which lost to top seeds Duke (84-50) and Villanova (79-60) during the regular season, has all five starters back from last year's NCAA team.
The Tigers are led by Conference USA player of the year Rodney Carney, a senior and the only regular player who isn't a freshman or a sophomore.
Carney led five Memphis players in double figures Friday with 19 points, and the Tigers tied a team record with their 31st win, the same as the 1984-85 team that went to the Final Four.
But it was sophomore guard Andre Allen who came off the bench to equal his season high with all of his 11 points, and three 3-pointers, in a 2.5-span. That sparked a 20-2 run late in the first half that finally pushed Memphis ahead to stay. Guard Darius Washington added 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting with six assists.
“They have about 14 guys we can talk about,” Flannery said. “Washington runs the engines so quick. He does a great job getting them into their tempo. They're very impressive. It starts with him.”
“I think we'll be more prepared this year,” guard Kevin Bettencourt said. “Last year, we didn't get back to the hotel until well after midnight and had a hard time getting to sleep with the emotions of beating Kansas.”
Things are much different for the ninth-seeded Bison (27-4) after winning in the first round again this year.
Their tourney-opening 59-55 victory Friday over Arkansas started the day and wasn't the last game like a year ago when they were a No. 14 seed and became the first Patriot League team to win in the NCAA tourney with the 64-63 stunner over Kansas.
And the latest NCAA victory wasn't really seen as an upset.
“This time, we know the task that is in front of us,” Flannery said. “We came here to play two games. Believe me, we're enjoying it, but we're not getting ahead of ourselves.”
Not with top-seeded Memphis (31-3), a 94-78 first-round winner over Oral Roberts, waiting in Sunday's second round of the Oakland Regional. Only three No. 9 seeds have won a second-round game since the NCAA field expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
Still, Memphis coach John Calipari is concerned about a deliberate Bucknell team that is going to try to slow down the Tigers as it did the Razorbacks. Arkansas was held to its fewest points this season and in 41 NCAA tournament games, dating back to 1984.
“This is a hard game to prepare for. They run too much stuff, they hold the ball,” Calipari said. “Our guys, they have no idea that they're not going to run with us. ... This is a terrific team we're playing”
Bucknell has won 18 of its last 19 games, the only loss coming in double overtime. Calipari hadn't even shown his players any film of the Bison before they practiced at the American Airlines Center on Saturday afternoon.
“I don't want to scare them,” Calipari said. “I don't want their heads spinning.”
Like Memphis, Bucknell hit a season-high 11 3-pointers Friday.
While not intimidated, the Bison also don't take the equal number of 3s as an indication that they can run up and down the court for 40 minutes with Memphis.
Bucknell made only six shots inside the arc against Arkansas. The Tigers complemented their long-range shots against Oral Roberts with 26 2-pointers, many of them in transition.
“We have to try to get stops and push it on our terms. That's what we talk about, on our terms,” guard Charles Lee said.
“They're fun to watch the way they get up and down and attack,” Bettencourt said. “We can do it here and there, but to do it for 40 minutes will not give us our best chance to win. We have to slow it down to our pace.”
Memphis has won 20 of 21 games and averages 81 points. Bucknell has held its opponents to 55 points a game, a number Memphis hasn't been held to this season.
The Tigers' lowest scoring output was 57 points, last week in the Conference USA tournament championship game they won over UAB playing for the third straight day.
Bucknell, which lost to top seeds Duke (84-50) and Villanova (79-60) during the regular season, has all five starters back from last year's NCAA team.
The Tigers are led by Conference USA player of the year Rodney Carney, a senior and the only regular player who isn't a freshman or a sophomore.
Carney led five Memphis players in double figures Friday with 19 points, and the Tigers tied a team record with their 31st win, the same as the 1984-85 team that went to the Final Four.
But it was sophomore guard Andre Allen who came off the bench to equal his season high with all of his 11 points, and three 3-pointers, in a 2.5-span. That sparked a 20-2 run late in the first half that finally pushed Memphis ahead to stay. Guard Darius Washington added 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting with six assists.
“They have about 14 guys we can talk about,” Flannery said. “Washington runs the engines so quick. He does a great job getting them into their tempo. They're very impressive. It starts with him.”
