When Hickory dethroned South Bend Central on the road in the classic movie Hoosiers for the 1952 Indiana state title, coach Norman Dale — played by Gene Hackman — famously measured the free throw line and height of each basket the night before the game.
For Lehigh coach Brett Reed, he will remind his team that the home courts of Syracuse University, the University of Virginia and Purdue University — all of which Lehigh will play on the road this season — are the same as Bethlehem’s Stabler Arena. Perhaps the atmosphere is different, the national audience on ESPN3 will add an additional element and the crowds are louder, but the game is no different and will be treated as such.
“To change our approach would probably be a disservice,” Reed said. “However, I do want our players to realize that those guys put their shorts on one leg at a time just like we do. The environment might still be different, but the baskets are still 10 feet and it’s a chance to play the game they love.”
The Mountain Hawks are no strangers to upsetting top-tier programs on the road, as they took down Arizona State University and DePaul University just last season. It was because of those two wins — coupled with the lingering aura of beating Duke University four years ago — that make programs wary to host Lehigh.
“Actually with our wins over Arizona State and DePaul this last year, many programs were a little reluctant to play us,” Reed said. “Needless to say, they’re concerned about a quality team that could potentially give them a loss.”
Losing to Lehigh could be a Rating Percentage Index nightmare for team trying to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament, but Syracuse, Virginia and Purdue are apparently willing to take the risk.
For the Hawks’ junior All-American center, Tim Kempton, it’s a chance to show the country what he and his team have in their arsenal — despite hailing from a mid-major. In his first two seasons at Lehigh, Kempton has dropped double-doubles on Villanova University, Arizona State, DePaul and a 20-point effort at the University of Pittsburgh. For the reigning Patriot League Player of the Year, the name on the front of the opposition’s jersey doesn’t mean a thing.
“As soon as you cross that line and you take the court for the first time, everything washes away,” Kempton said. “I know the mindset of some our guys, and me specifically, we feel like we’re the best team on the court no matter who we step on with. Good players know right when you cross that line everything is an even playing field and we can go out there and get a win on Friday.”
A Patriot League Tournament championship will be the Hawks’ ticket to this March, but here is a breakdown of how they might fair against their three most notable out-of-conference competitors this season.
Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. on ESPN3
The Orange missed the NCAA tournament last year for the first time since 2008 after the university inflicted self-imposed sanctions on the men’s basketball program. The Orange lost center Rakeem Christmas to the NBA last season, who averaged close to 18 points per game and 9 rebounds per game for the team last year.
Returning for Boeheim’s squad are senior forward Michael Gbinije and senior guard Trevor Cooney. Lehigh’s senior forward Jesse Chuku will likely help counter Gbinije, who averaged 12.7 points per game and 5 rebounds per game last season. Freshman guard Malachi Richardson will begin his college career against Lehigh, as the 6-foot-6-inch four-star recruit has looked promising in the Orange’s preseason.
Lehigh, who spent most of last season combating man-to-man defenses in the Patriot League, will have to adjust to Boeheim’s 2-3 zone. A zone defense that Reed says is difficult to replicate in practice because of the length and athleticism of Syracuse, it will look to be penetrated by the Patriot League’s all-league tandem of Kempton and sophomore point guard Kahron Ross.
Nov. 25 at 7 p.m. on ESPN3
The Hawks’ trip to Charlottesville, Virginia, is unequivocally their most difficult contest on paper. The Cavaliers are ranked as the No. 6 team in the country this season in both the AP Top 25 and USA TODAY Coaches Poll. Virginia, who despite enduring early exits in March, earned a No. 1 overall seed in 2014 and a No. 2 last season by boasting 30 wins each year. Tony Bennett’s squad was the best defensive team in the country last season, surrendering a mere 50.8 points per contest.
The Cavaliers lost their motor, junior swingman Justin Anderson, to the NBA in June but will be returning many of their top performers. Senior guard Malcolm Brogdon averaged 14 points per game and 4 rebounds per game last year and was joined by University of North Carolina’s Marcus Paige as ACC Preseason Co-Players of the Year. Senior forward Anthony Gill, who tallied 10 points per game and 5 rebounds per game on his way to All-ACC Defensive Team honors in 2014-15, will accompany Brogdon.
Nov. 28 at 8 p.m. on ESPN3
Coming just three days after their matchup with the Cavaliers, the Hawks will tip off against the Boilermakers. The Big-10 opponent sits as the No. 24 ranked team in the country by both the AP Top 25 and USA Today polls, coming off a 21-13 season in 2014-15. Purdue is returning senior center A.J. Hammons, who has lead the Big-10 in blocks every season he’s suited up in black and gold. Hammons will be joined by fellow senior Rapheal Davis — the conference’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year.
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