WKU Basketball: Keys to Winning the Conference USA Tournament

A quick dive into how WKU should approach the C-USA Tournament from a mental perspective

It’s that time of the year. It’s March, baby.

Four of the eight teams remaining have a game under their belt, and the other four are coming in feeling the emotions and excitement of a new adventure.

Conference tournaments are extremely tricky. You play all season with at least a two day break between games, and usually you play two games per week and Saturday is a bit tricky if you’re worn out from a battle on Thursday.

Well, now everything is accelerated in a conference tournament setting. Your entire season comes down to three to five games in the same number of days, and often, you’re working on much less than 24 hours of rest at least once.

It’s extremely important to handle the mental side of the tournament. Frankly, I think if your team is not significantly superior, the mental side in addition to the load management side is what is going to win you the tournament.

WKU’s Keys to Winning a Conference Tournament

Play Well

Seems simple, right? But Western Kentucky’s bench is more shallow than Shallow Hal before he realized Tony Robbins had bewitched him. Western only plays six players and may sprinkle in any of three other players (Jaylen Butz, Isaiah Cozart, and Sherman Brashear) periodically for literally 2-6 minutes per game. Very rarely do those guys see more than that. So almost all of it comes down to the six guys that play performing at an incredible level. I believe the formula that will work on most nights is at least four guys playing well. The other two can have an off night, but it can’t go much less than two guys being off. If the other team is really good or is playing really well, the margin is smaller. But I think that’s the magic formula: 4 of 6.

Understand Where Your Opponent is Coming From

For example, Louisiana Tech already has a game under their legs. You will have the advantage in terms of being fresh, but on the negative side, they’re already in the middle of their tournament. You’re just getting started. They’re locked in, and you’re staring at the curtain wondering how to judge the basket. You’re feeling the jitters. They’re feeling the high of a nice win against a quality Marshall team that played well. I think the semifinal game is the most difficult mentally. That’s where you see the most surprises, and it’s because everybody’s tired and you’re not having the adrenaline rush of being in the final game. The Finals are about even mentally, but you also have to factor in what your opponent is thinking. Did they get screwed last year? Did they make it? Does anyone know what a championship game is like? Are they fresh? Were they supposed to make it? How are they approaching this game? Understand it, or you won’t be able to explain why you lost: Because you didn’t anticipate their determination, their responses to your runs, etc. Pay attention to the mental side on your side of the court as well as the opponent’s.

Load Management

If WKU is going to win three games in three days, they could use some rest. If WKU could play in a blowout or two, it will make the challenge of 120 minutes of action much less daunting if no one has to play more than 100 minutes of game action in three days. If there is any time it makes sense to sub in around the TV timeouts, this is the time to do so. If you’re not comfortable playing your bench, put them out there for 30 seconds and hope a break comes right after. And if you’re worried about it, have them harmlessly foul (if not in the bonus) and get them off the court. But I would love to see some bench play in this tournament or it’s hard to see game three going well.

Don’t Mess Around

One of the best ways to screw yourself is to lose focus and allow a team back in it. Western has done this in almost every game, one way or another. Very few times has WKU controlled a game and expanded the lead over the rest of the game. The other team is going to score. The other team is going to make three baskets in a row. That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about La Tech. I’m talking about USM, being up well into double digits and allow them to have multiple possessions to take the lead. I’m talking about UTSA. I’m talking about Alabama A&M. I’m talking about FIU. I’m talking about FAU. I’m talking about Charlotte and ODU. There are others, as well. WKU has held leads in nearly every game, many in the second half, and they have faded at some point and allowed the opponent to feel they had a chance.

Understand Who You Are

You’re freaking Western Kentucky. You’re not some program that just fiddles around with the NCAA Tournament every decade or two. You have the most tradition in your conference. You are a top 25 program of all-time. You can compare yourself to Kansas and Kentucky in some categories and not blink. Put all of that pain from the last four years and bottle that stuff and whenever you feel tired, whenever you’re down 10 or 20, whenever you feel like you need to be subbed out, re-piss yourself off and get out there and dive all over the floor. Take pride in that red and white. You’re meant to go dancing this year. You’re expected to. Your seed means nothing. You’re the favorite year in and year out. Everyone half expects you to find a way to win it every year. Go take this thing, and let’s cut down some nets, TOPS!