Troy University Athletics
Big Week Ahead For Troy Hoops
2/9/2009 6:00:00 AM | General
To say this is a big week for Troy University's basketball programs would be an understatement.
This week will be huge, momentous even. Potentially ground-breaking for both Don Maestri's red-hot men's team and Michael Murphy's suddenly resurgent women's squad.
How big are the two games both teams will play this week? Well, let me tell you.
First of all, on Wednesday night, the Troy women will host arch-rival and nemesis Middle Tennessee. The Blue Raiders consider themselves to be, and with good reason, the class of the Sun Belt.
MTSU comes in with a perfect 12-0 record in the league, and a 20-4 mark overall. Three of their four losses have come to nationally-ranked teams from Oklahoma (2), Tennessee (13) and Louisville (10).
The Blue Raiders, in fact, almost cracked the top 25 this week, hanging at No. 26 in both the AP and the ESPN-USA Today Coaches polls.
Troy comes into the game having won two straight, and the Trojans are now just one game under the .500 mark on the year, both overall and in the Sun Belt. Troy has just five games remaining in the regular season and needs every win they can get to secure a home game in the opening round of the Sun Belt Tournament of March 4.
In addition to facing a nationally-ranked opponent, which is also a big rival, the game will also be a part of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's PinkZone Challenge, to raise money and awareness in the fight against breast cancer. All fans are encouraged to wear pink to the game and donations will be collected for breast cancer research.
The game is also Troy's “Pack The House” challenge. As part of the NCAA's marketing of women's basketball, every program in the country is hosting a pack the house challenge and if Troy can produce a capacity crowd for the game, there will be an award to the athletics department from the NCAA.
So, there are plenty of reasons for all Troy fans to get excited and be in the stands for this game on Wednesday night.
Then, on Thursday night, the Troy men return to Trojan Arena to face Middle Tennessee riding an eight-game win streak, which is tied for the sixth longest active streak in the nation. The Trojan have a 10-3 record in Sun Belt play and face two of the teams that beat them earlier this year.
Troy currently stands second in the East Division of the Sun Belt, just a game behind Western Kentucky. MTSU is a game and half behind Troy in the race for a first round Sun Belt Tournament bye. If the Trojans run their win streak to 10 games with wins over both MTSU and WKU this week, they will be in the thick of the hunt for the regular season Sun Belt title.
In addition to the fact that Saturday will feature a Valentine's Day double-header at Trojan Arena, the men's game will also be televised on Fox College Sports. All Troy fans are encouraged to come out in support of both the Troy women and men on Saturday and to wear Cardinal. We want to show the rest of the Sun Belt Conference what kind of fans we have here at Troy, and that means having a full house in support of a team on a win streak and playing for a league title.
Looking even further down the road, the Sun Belt Conference Championship Tournament is scheduled to be played in Hot Springs, Ark., March 7-10. Tickets for the tournament are available through the Troy University Athletics Ticket Office and are just $75 for an entire tournament book.
Non-Hoops News
As you might have guessed from watching the Troy Athletics web site, we are moving into the busiest time of the athletics year. Almost every team is busy competing or preparing to compete in the near future.
Of course, football season is never far from anyone's mind. The Troy football coaching staff just put together one of the finest recruiting classes in school history. Rivals ranked Troy's recruiting class as far and away the best in the Sun Belt, well ahead of second place FIU. In fact, Rivals ranked Troy's signing class ahead of schools like Cincinnati, Wake Forest, Boise State and Louisville, all of which have played in BCS games in recent years.
Scout.com and ESPN also ranked Troy's signing class as the best in the Sun Belt.
With signing day in the rear-view mirror, the focus now turns toward spring practice, which is scheduled to start on March 18. The Trojans are scheduled to hold three scrimmages over the course of four weeks of practice, with those set for March 21, March 28 and April 3.
Over the weekend, the Troy women's indoor track team turned in a dominant performance at the University of the South's Tiger Invitational. Troy's tennis teams are both well into their seasons and softball started 2009 by capturing the title at the UTC Shootout, with only a 1-0 loss to nationally-ranked Virginia Tech spoiling a 4-1 tournament mark.
The Troy men's golf team opened its season today at the Mardi Gras Invitational in New Orleans. The women's team will open play in two weeks in Jacksonville, Fla.
Tomorrow, preseason All-Conference teams will be announced for baseball and on Thursday morning I will be with coach Bobby Pierce and seniors Michael Precise and Charley Williams in Birmingham for the annual Alabama Sports Writers Association state college baseball media day.
I expect the Trojans to be very good this spring and be right in the hunt for a Sun Belt title. Troy opens up a week from this Friday in Myrtle Beach, SC, against Kentucky in a tournament hosted by Coastal Carolina. Barry McKnight will fly up from a basketball trip to Miami and will be on hand for all four games over the opening weekend.
I will be back with the baseball team on the road this spring after two years off. I am looking forward to working with them again this year, and I'll be pitching in to help Barry on the radio where I can.
Speaking of radio, I made my basketball play-by-play debut on Saturday night in Boca Raton, calling the Troy women's victory over FAU on WTBF. I had done a little color on some basketball games in the past, and plenty of color on baseball, but that was my first foray into play-by-play.
Hopefully everyone who listened enjoyed the game. I had a great time doing it.
Remember to come out and support the Trojans on the court this Wednesday and Thursday against Middle Tennessee and Saturday night against Western Kentucky.
