Adam MacDonald
The Valdosta Daily Times
VALDOSTA — It has been a long time since the Valdosta State Blazers have won a game in the Division II national basketball tournament. They will try to change that today.
The sixth-ranked Blazers (25-4) open their 2010 Big Dance against the No. 22 Clark Atlanta Panthers (24-6) at the Tucker Coliseum in Russellville, Ark. at 9:30 p.m. The Blazers are the South Region’s No. 4 seed and the Panthers are the No. 5 seed.
The game will be broadcast on 92.1 FM.
The Blazers have not won a game in the national tournament since they beat Henderson State in second round of the 2001-02 tournament. Since then they have dropped four games in a row, including last year’s mistake-filled first round game against Claflin.
Blazers coach Mike Helfer is aiming for his first win in the national tournament since arriving at VSU five years ago, and VSU’s seven seniors are trying to improve on a lackluster 3-3 postseason record.
“I’m not sure (the seniors) are looking at it as a career-defining moment, but I think everybody wants to win Saturday as bad as I’ve had any team that wants to win,” Helfer said. “I can tell from being around them.”
One mistake the Blazers hope they do not make again is overlooking their first round opponent. Players on this year’s team admitted they overlooked Claflin last year to the second round. It might be hard not to look past Clark Atlanta with Arkansas Tech presumably waiting for the Blazers in the second round. Tech beat VSU last week in the GSC tournament semifinals and last year in the GSC finals.
“Experience comes into play,” Helfer said. “Kids that have been here before realize that no matter who you play in the first round, if you don’t take them seriously and prepare the right way, you’re going to be out. Our focus is on Clark. We’re not talking about anybody else. We’re not looking at anybody else. We’re going to play Clark in the first round and see what happens.”
Clark Atlanta presents VSU with similar problems that Tech and Claflin did. The Panthers are No. 1 in the nation in scoring defense and No. 2 in the nation in opponents 3-point field goal percentage. Last week the Blazers struggled mightily when Tech pressured the ball and was active in VSU’s passing lanes. That led to a season-high 26 turnovers for VSU.
“Arkansas Tech tries to speed you up. They want a fast game,” Helfer said. “I think Clark just wants to prevent you from scoring at all. If they win by a lower score that’s fine. They take a lot of pride in their defense.”
Helfer said the Panthers run a halfcourt defense and all of their players are committed defensively.
“It’s going to be a slower game,” Helfer said. “It’s going to be very physical, there’s going to be a lot of ball pressure. We’ve got to handle that if we want a chance to win.”
While the Blazers have the GSC East player of the year in Tyrone Curnell, the Panthers have guard Najee Lane. Lane only averages 13.5 points per game, but he was named the MVP of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
“They’re led by their guards (offensively),” Helfer said. “They’re going to play very aggressive. They attack the rim and have a quick point guard.”
The VSU-Clark Atlanta winner advances to face the Arkansas Tech-Tuskegee winner on Sunday. Arkansas Tech is the host team.
If the Blazers beat Clark Atlanta it will be their 50th win in the last two seasons, tying the 1967 and 168 teams for the most wins all time at VSU in a two-year span.
