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ASI Inc. 1* EIU at Tennessee Tech
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Play Tennessee Tech -10.5 1*
Tennessee Tech 12-0 at home this yr,
Tennessee Tech has beaten EIU last five times by a minimum of 13 points each.
1* (3-1)
2* (1-1)
3* (1-0)
GLTA ASI
Sutton orders extra coal for Panthers
Saying that the heat is on is more than just a tournament-time cliché at Tennessee Tech.
"You do have more a comfortable feeling at home," Eastern Illinois coach Rick Samuels said. "The backgrounds, the baskets. Of course at Tech, the visiting locker room is about 90 degrees."
"One hundred and five," Tech coach Mike Sutton interjected during Monday's Ohio Valley Conference pre-tournament coaches teleconference. "I've been working with the maintenance man on that. We have to bring coal in from the train."
Don't be too certain Sutton was only joking.
The visiting locker room, small enough that overheating does not break the budget, is a secret weapon at the otherwise impressive Eblen Center.
Along with usually enthusiastic fans, the visitors' sauna might have contributed to Tech winning 65 of 70 home games over five years, including a 12-0 mark this season.
To extend its season, Eastern must beat the heat and Tech's home-court mastery in today's 7:30 p.m. OVC tournament quarterfinal game.
But Eastern, 12-15 overall after finishing 7-9 for eighth place in the OVC regular season, has more than just the Eblen Center mystique to overcome against the Golden Eagles, 17-10 overall and the regular season conference champion at 12-4.
Since the OVC went to its eight-team format eight years ago, no eighth-seed has been able to beat the top seed in a first-round game.
The Panthers get the chance to be the first to pull such an upset and have to do that in order to advance to a Friday semifinal game at Nashville, Tenn., against the winner of tonight's quarterfinal sending No. 5 Austin Peay to No. 4 Samford.
"As I've said, over the course of the season Tennessee Tech has been the best," Samuels said. "Even though it was a close race, they came out on top.
"I do think there is great parity in this league. Now whether there is between 1 and 8, I don't know. I think and hope it is closer than in other years."
Sutton said, "What Rick is telling you is they are preparing to win."
Tech already owns two double-digit wins over the Panthers, the teams' OVC openers and then sixth games of the league season on Jan. 22.
"I'm not sure people realize how well Rick's team has played the last few games," Sutton said.
In fact, since their last meeting at Lantz Arena, both EIU and Tech went 6-4 although the Panthers played six of their at home and Tech only four.
But Tech has the likely OVC Player of the Year to be announced later this week in senior forward Willie Jenkins.
The 6-foot-6 Jenkins ranks second in OVC scoring at 19.7 points per game, fifth with 6.9 rebounds per game, fifth with a .471 field-goal percentage, sixth with .397 3-point percentage, seventh with 2.0 3-pointers made per game and eighth with 1.67 steals per game.
"Obviously, Willie Jenkins is so important to the program because he brings such a great work ethic," Sutton said. "Work ethic does not guarantee you success, but lack of work ethic does guarantee you failure. He is a standard for other players. He works so hard. He is not our most athletic player, but he makes up for that with heart and desire."
Maybe the only guy rivaling Jenkins' importance to the Eagles is that maintenance man who has visiting players sweating before they step onto the Eblen Center court where the Eagles have been so dominant.
"Certainly, there is a comfort level playing at home," Sutton said. "We have some good fans. But the bottom line is you have to outperform teams."
NO. 1 VS. NO. 8
These are results of first round games pitting No. 1 against No. 8 seeds since the Ohio Valley Conference tournament went to its current eight-team format in 1997, the first year Eastern Illinois was in the league. In each case, the No. 1 seed was the winner:
2004 n Austin Peay 75, Tennessee State 71
2003 n Austin Peay 83, Eastern Kentucky 80
2002 n Tennessee Tech 73, Southeast Missouri 56
2001 n Tennessee Tech 69, Tennessee-Martin 58
2000 n Murray State 83, Tennessee State 58
1999 n Murray State 96, Tennessee Tech 61
1998 n Murray State 84, Tennessee Tech 63
1997 n Austin Peay 106, Morehead State 83
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Play Tennessee Tech -10.5 1*
Tennessee Tech 12-0 at home this yr,
Tennessee Tech has beaten EIU last five times by a minimum of 13 points each.
1* (3-1)
2* (1-1)
3* (1-0)
GLTA ASI
Sutton orders extra coal for Panthers
Saying that the heat is on is more than just a tournament-time cliché at Tennessee Tech.
"You do have more a comfortable feeling at home," Eastern Illinois coach Rick Samuels said. "The backgrounds, the baskets. Of course at Tech, the visiting locker room is about 90 degrees."
"One hundred and five," Tech coach Mike Sutton interjected during Monday's Ohio Valley Conference pre-tournament coaches teleconference. "I've been working with the maintenance man on that. We have to bring coal in from the train."
Don't be too certain Sutton was only joking.
The visiting locker room, small enough that overheating does not break the budget, is a secret weapon at the otherwise impressive Eblen Center.
Along with usually enthusiastic fans, the visitors' sauna might have contributed to Tech winning 65 of 70 home games over five years, including a 12-0 mark this season.
To extend its season, Eastern must beat the heat and Tech's home-court mastery in today's 7:30 p.m. OVC tournament quarterfinal game.
But Eastern, 12-15 overall after finishing 7-9 for eighth place in the OVC regular season, has more than just the Eblen Center mystique to overcome against the Golden Eagles, 17-10 overall and the regular season conference champion at 12-4.
Since the OVC went to its eight-team format eight years ago, no eighth-seed has been able to beat the top seed in a first-round game.
The Panthers get the chance to be the first to pull such an upset and have to do that in order to advance to a Friday semifinal game at Nashville, Tenn., against the winner of tonight's quarterfinal sending No. 5 Austin Peay to No. 4 Samford.
"As I've said, over the course of the season Tennessee Tech has been the best," Samuels said. "Even though it was a close race, they came out on top.
"I do think there is great parity in this league. Now whether there is between 1 and 8, I don't know. I think and hope it is closer than in other years."
Sutton said, "What Rick is telling you is they are preparing to win."
Tech already owns two double-digit wins over the Panthers, the teams' OVC openers and then sixth games of the league season on Jan. 22.
"I'm not sure people realize how well Rick's team has played the last few games," Sutton said.
In fact, since their last meeting at Lantz Arena, both EIU and Tech went 6-4 although the Panthers played six of their at home and Tech only four.
But Tech has the likely OVC Player of the Year to be announced later this week in senior forward Willie Jenkins.
The 6-foot-6 Jenkins ranks second in OVC scoring at 19.7 points per game, fifth with 6.9 rebounds per game, fifth with a .471 field-goal percentage, sixth with .397 3-point percentage, seventh with 2.0 3-pointers made per game and eighth with 1.67 steals per game.
"Obviously, Willie Jenkins is so important to the program because he brings such a great work ethic," Sutton said. "Work ethic does not guarantee you success, but lack of work ethic does guarantee you failure. He is a standard for other players. He works so hard. He is not our most athletic player, but he makes up for that with heart and desire."
Maybe the only guy rivaling Jenkins' importance to the Eagles is that maintenance man who has visiting players sweating before they step onto the Eblen Center court where the Eagles have been so dominant.
"Certainly, there is a comfort level playing at home," Sutton said. "We have some good fans. But the bottom line is you have to outperform teams."
NO. 1 VS. NO. 8
These are results of first round games pitting No. 1 against No. 8 seeds since the Ohio Valley Conference tournament went to its current eight-team format in 1997, the first year Eastern Illinois was in the league. In each case, the No. 1 seed was the winner:
2004 n Austin Peay 75, Tennessee State 71
2003 n Austin Peay 83, Eastern Kentucky 80
2002 n Tennessee Tech 73, Southeast Missouri 56
2001 n Tennessee Tech 69, Tennessee-Martin 58
2000 n Murray State 83, Tennessee State 58
1999 n Murray State 96, Tennessee Tech 61
1998 n Murray State 84, Tennessee Tech 63
1997 n Austin Peay 106, Morehead State 83
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