Day 2: A tale of two teams

As the sun rose in St. Louis, so did the Indiana Wesleyan men's basketball team. After a good night's rest, the guys grabbed their morning breakfast of champions at the hotel and departed for the next stage of their journey. The bus pulled out at 8:15 sharp for about a three hour drive to Missouri State University, where they took part in their final "intense" practice before Wednesday's game. 

Assistant Coach Fred Hodson said this practice will be crucial in the final preparation at game speed. This is now the ninth day since the Wildcats lost to St. Francis in the MCC semifinals. But Coach Tonagel believes this group is fresh and has the potential to make a deep run in Branson. So he hasn't made it easy for them.

"We had three really tough practices last week," said senior Derrick Troyer. "We would come in at seven in the morning and shoot free throws, practice in the afternoon, and come in at nine at night and shoot free throws."

Troyer and fellow senior David Peters are making their fourth and final trip to Nationals and are embracing their role as leaders this year. I think Coach Tonagel will be the first to admit that this year has not been the easiest in his coaching career. 

After starting the season 9-0, the Wildcats lost nine out of their next fourteen games. They then rattled off six straight conference victories and were somehow able to capture the regular season MCC crown on a tiebreaker with Grace. But they finished the season with two disappointing losses to Taylor on senior night and Saint Francis in the MCC semis. 

Couple that with the loss of starter George Jones IV with a torn achilles, and you might think that this team doesn't have much of a chance coming into NAIA's. But as we travel with the team and interact with the guys, I can sense that they are ready to play and prove something. If there is one thing that I have learned about Coach Tonagel teams, it is that his players love to play for him and step up when they need it most. 

We haven't always seen that this year, but ultimately the Wildcats are right back here in Branson, in the same position they have been the last four years. Those higher ranked teams all won two games to make it to the Elite Eight. While this group may lack the flash of those teams, they pack a punch of their own. Will this team make it to the knockout round or be knocked out early and Marion bound? It doesn't take Mark Twain to draw that up, but the reality is that either could happen. It's just a matter of which team shows up. 

-Chase Evans