University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Basketball Continuing Preseason Practice, Set For Final Exhibition Game
11/9/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Basketball Continuing Preseason Practice, Set For Final Exhibition Game HATTIESBURG, Miss.
The Golden Eagles, 79-61 winners of their exhibition opener against Belhaven on Saturday, have been hard at work since opening preseason practice on Oct. 16. Though there has been progression, Eustachy still wants to see harder, more physical, play out of his team.
"We are making progress," Eustachy said. "We still don't play hard enough, and we have nothing until we can play hard. We have to get to a point where we play hard enough, because at this level, everybody does. That's the foundation that we need. Once you do that, you have to execute. We are just doing things to try to get the team get to the loose balls, rebound the ball, and play physical on offense and defense. We are probably where we should be but not where we need to be."
Eustachy said the team didn't have the greatest effort in the win over Belhaven, but that was something to be expected.
"It's apparent that for the majority of the game, we didn't play at the intensity level that we needed to," Eustachy said. "That was something that I already knew, because it's an extension of our practice. But I think we have gotten better since that exhibition."
The team now is set to face West Alabama in the final exhibition game of the preseason, Thursday, at the Coliseum. Eustachy expects a much tougher opponent this time around, but feels that his team will play much better than it did last week.
"West Alabama is a good team, so this game will be a test for us," Eustachy said. "We should play a better quality of basketball, but not nearly what we are going to or what it takes, to be successful."
Tipoff for Thursday's game is set for 7 p.m. Following that game, the Golden Eagles travel to Reno, Nev., to take part in the Jim Thorpe Classic, hosted by Nevada, Nov. 20-21.