Marist coach Brian Giorgis has never been prone to predictions or braggadocio.
At the start of the 2010-11 season, for instance, the opinion he voiced about his team was: "I don't know exactly what we have, but we've got a lot of it.""
Final record in MAAC play: 18-0.
This season's preseason worry? A lack of height and experience, as expressed by the Marist coach.
Final record in MAAC play: 17-1.
As his team approaches the NCAA tournament and a first-round match-up with Georgia of the Southeastern Conference, a power league, Giorgis isn't exactly predicting a victory and another run to the Sweet 16 round like his 2007 team made.
But, he's presenting the possibility, which is a little out of the norm for the close-to-the-vest Giorgis.
"Georgia we've played before (a 75-60 first-round NCAA tournament loss in 2006)," said the Marist coach, at a team gathering for Monday night's selection show. "Andy Landers is one of the legendary coaches of women's basketball. They are an upper echelon SEC team.
"If you look at the other side of the bracket, we know we can play with St. Bonaventure, and Florida Gulf Coast ... it's in their back yard (actually the site for the first two rounds of the bracket that contains Marist and FGCU is in Tallahassee, Fla, about 400 miles north of FGCU's Fort Meyers' location).
"Still, I like our bracket. I like our little pod there. I think we can get someplace there."
So, there it is ... a little dose of confident talk from Giorgis.
But, nothing wrong with that at all. Nothing inflammatory, nothing derogatory about opponents. Merely a little bit of confidence, which Marist should have.
No comments:
Post a Comment