Wright State will make just its third NCAA men's basketball tournament appearance in more than 30 years as a Division I member when coach Scott Nagy's Raiders face Tennessee early this afternoon in Dallas.
It's the first NCAA tournament journey in more than a decade for the program from Dayton, Ohio, but it's the fourth such trip in seven seasons for Nagy, who had consistent success at South Dakota State before accepting the Wright State opening two years ago. Nagy was a guest Wednesday afternoon of "Press Row" on Chattanooga's ESPN 105.1 FM.
Q: What aspect or aspects of Tennessee will give you the toughest matchup issues?
A: "(Admiral) Schofield is a tough matchup for anybody. If you put a big on him, he won't be used to going out there and guarding the 3. If you put a guard on him, he will post you. He is just a very unusual player in terms of his size and athletic ability and his strength.
"You've got (Grant) Williams to deal with. People talk about how physical Tennessee is defensively, but I think they're even more physical offensively."
Q: What do you guys do well?
A: "We've been pretty good defensively all year and rank in the top 50, but we've been pretty inconsistent offensively. We've had games when we've really scored, and we've had games where we can't score at all. It's been a little bit of a struggle that way.
"Against Tennessee, we're not only going to have to play great defensively, but we're going to have to play great offensively, too, to even have a chance."
Q: You've got more NCAA tournament experience than your players. What will you tell them to avoid getting big-eyed?
A: "I've been here three times before and have yet to win a game, so I don't know if I have any answers. I can give them some of my experiences, because it can be overwhelming, especially for a school of our size. Tennessee is going to be a little more used to the media and attention that come along with this.
"It's a tough combination, because we have to play tough and play loose."
Q: How important is it to stress the fun of this moment and how it's a lifetime memory?
A: "That's where it can help you play loose. Anytime you start thinking that you have to play great or have to do anything, that's when you start to play tight. It should be fun, and I think it will be. If it's not, it will be overwhelming for our guys."
Q: What two or three things need to happen for you guys to beat Tennessee?
A: "We have to play great offensively. When we get open shots, we need to make them. We've been a very inconsistent team shooting the ball, but we can't be in this game. We have to stay out of foul trouble, which is a difficult thing to do against Tennessee, and the only way to do that is to be proactive in how physical you are.
"If you're reactive to their physical play, you're just going to wind up in foul trouble. We only have seven guys who play most of our minutes, and three of them are freshmen. Those two things will really determine whether or not we can stay in this game."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.