Red Wolves and Mountaineers to Trade Buckets in the Sun Belt Tournament Semi Finals

The last time the Red Wolves faced the Mountaineers was a little more than a week ago in the thin air of Boone. It’s wasn’t pretty. Appalachian State pounded Arkansas State 80-57 behind a Trevon Spillers double-double.

However, there are a few caveats to the loss. Freddy Hicks Jr., who put down 23 points in the quarterfinal victory over Louisiana, played just 10 minutes in Boone. The Red Wolves floor general, Caleb Fields, was only on the court for 14 minutes. The two combined for 8 points in a game where it seemed Coach Bryan Hodgson was resting his key assets in what amounted to a contest that didn’t effect the Red Wolves standing one way or the other.

This in no way diminishes the accomplishments and abilities of Appalachian State, the Sun Belt regular season champion and one of the toughest defense teams in the nation. Lead by Spillers and SBC Defensive Player of the Year Justin Abson, the Mountaineers are the most prolific shot blockers in college basketball. Dustin Kerns was named the conference Coach of the Year, leading the Younglings of Yosef to a perfect home record (which included wins over Auburn and James Madison). The 6’11” CJ Huntley, who seems to have played hoops in Boone since the mid 1980s, offers leadership with his rebounds. It the Mountaineers aren’t the best team in the Sun Belt, I’d like to hear the argument for an alternative.

And yet, Appalachian State had a particularly difficult time dispatching 9th seeded Georgia Southern during its quarterfinal matchup, needing overtime to secure an 85-80 win. Meanwhile, the Red Wolves destroyed 5th seeded Louisiana 89-62, rocking the Cajun’s notably tough perimeter defense with nine three-pointers and 50% overall shooting. In addition to Hicks’ 23, guards Taryn Todd and Derrian Ford dropped 18 points apiece, and the team out rebounded the Cajuns 43-26. The Red Wolves looked unstoppable; the Mountaineers seemed vulnerable.

How Do the Red Wolves Move Past Appalachian State?

Keep the Burners Lit

There was some fear that the long, double-bye layoff would produce some rust on Arkansas State’s game. Instead, the Red Wolves opened the game against Louisiana hot and ended it lethally sharp. One would want more of the same against the Mountaineers, who tend to flummox opposing teams with air tight defense that frustrates big-points scoring teams.

Fast is Smooth, Smooth is Fast

With 32 games in the books, the Red Wolves are playing to Coach Hodgson’s desired speed – and keeping the number of turnovers manageable. Blazing speed might be the key to thwarting Appalachian State’s defense, beating the Mountaineers on transition and forcing them to watch Izaiyah Nelson and Hicks put up easy lay-ups.

Double D Comes Up Big

Dyondre Dominguez was held to zero buckets in the last game against Appalachian State. The 6’9″ Dominguez rebounded with three 3-pointers against Louisiana. The Red Wolves will need similar numbers from Dominguez on Sunday if they want to see the SBC Finals.

PHOTO CREDIT: Sun Belt