The chasers, Oakland (10-6), Robert Morris (10-7) and Green Bay (10-7), need major help and probably can’t afford anything less than a perfect finish to have a chance.
But while the league race has generated plenty of buzz among the fan base, there’s been nary a word uttered about it within the program — and that’s just the way coach Clint Sargent wants it.
“We’re just trying to play our best. When you first get (to the top of the standings), it’s pretty innocent because you’re not thinking about it. And then when you get to this point, everybody wants you to START thinking about it. You’ve got to understand that temptation’s there, but it’s not how we got here,” he said.
“That’s a steady drip of conversation (with the players). That’s maturity. We just have a greater purpose inside our locker room of why we’re playing, what we’re playing for and the motivation behind it.”
Sargent still sees areas that can trip up the Raiders. Their last two foes, Detroit Mercy and Cleveland State, shot 52.5% and 51.5% from the field.
Those aren’t defensive efforts will work down the stretch or in the HL tourney.
“We just have not played our best or most consistent basketball. That’s what we’re looking for,” Sargent said.
“If we do that, the results will come. It’s a mixture of all that in steady conversation.”
The Raiders, who are 17-10 overall, went a combined 51-47 the previous three years with three quarterfinal tourney losses in a row.
But when asked how gratifying it is to be in position for a title in his second year as coach, Sargent, not surprisingly, gave a deep and thoughtful answer about life, not basketball.
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
“If I could separate the winning from the walk with these guys and what they’ve given to me — they’ve given me so much confidence as a man and coach, just to be authentic with who I am,” he said.
“It’s unlocked a new part of me. I know I’ve done that for the staff as well. It’s just that iron sharpening iron.”
Sargent deserves plenty of credit, though, for creating what by all accounts is a thriving culture within the team in an era when outside forces (NIL, transfer portal) want to pull players apart.
“When you’re winning, all that excitement is great, but the real appetite is for getting to do life with these guys. The highs and the lows have been awesome. When we lose, the moments of suffering have been very powerful. Those are some of the moments I’ve started to appreciate the most,” he said.
Wait … appreciating LOSSES?
“If you have the right group around you, you can really, in a short amount of time, get significantly better and learn about yourself,” he said.
“That’s what this team’s done, and that’s something I’m thankful for as a husband and a father and as somebody that’s poured a lot of time into this. They’re helping me in other areas of my life, and I know I’m helping them, too.”
Next game
Who: IU Indy at Wright State
When: 7 p.m. Thursday
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 1410-AM, 101.5-FM
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