In a 2-1 vote, the captains of the Bucs said they would rather surf than ski.
If their venue for the SoCon tournament is between the East Coast and Rockies, then give Tim Smith and Jerald Fields a surf board.
Zakee Wadood, on the other hand, prefers variety. He will ski into the winner’s bracket if he has to.
Everyday is a battle for this blue collar basketball team. Whether they’re fighting low RPI ratings or the pseudo punditry from Internet sports nerds, they keep on performing at elite levels.
As of Monday, ETSU had received votes in the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today polls for the first time this season.
Since their loss to the College of Charleston, ETSU has shown they’re not just another mid-major wonder. Gonzaga barely beat Santa Clara 63-62 in the semifinals of the Big West. Southern Illinois finally fell in their conference tournament among other mid-major teams.
The Bucs have a character trait that most teams cannot hold onto all season. That trait is vitality.
With their ability to endure a tough regular season schedule, a never easy SoCon tournament and a new head coach, they deserve an award for exuberant mental strength.
There are four strands to the Bucs vitality. One is the ability of Murry Bartow to control the whole floor from the sidelines. Second, there is Tim Smith’s ability to control the game from the point guard position. Third is the incredible senior leadership. The fourth comes from the large contingent of fans that follow the SoCon champs.
Combine those four working at maximum speed and what you get is a trip to the NCAA Tournament via Charleston.
Playing at a level even higher than last season, ETSU probably will upset their first-round opponent. Or, they have a good chance just like Les Robinson’s team in the late ’80s and early ’90s.
Former ETSU coach Robinson said, “ETSU has a strong team. They are very solid.”
“They are as solid as the team I coached when I was at ETSU.”
After Tim Smith’s 25 ppg average this past weekend some are now looking at him through the shades of Mister Jennings.
“He (Tim Smith) is more athletic than Jennings,” Robinson said. “I would take either one of them in a championship game.”
Comparisons and records do not really matter much now as their fate lies in the hands of the selection committee.
“Last year they were fortunate to end up in Tampa,” he said. “We try to put schools as close to home as we can. The goal is not to hurt the higher seed in location.”
As a member of the selection committee, Robinson could not comment on the seed ranking ETSU would get. He did say he thought they could play with anyone.
So do I.

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