Top-ranked Georgetown looks familiar to coach...sort of

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In some ways the top-ranked Georgetown College Tigers look very familiar to Wayland Baptist coach Ty Harrelson. In other ways, not so much.

Like Wayland, the Pioneers' opening-round opponent in the 2016 Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Championship likes to run the floor, as evidenced by the Tigers being the highest-scoring team in the NAIA, followed by No. 2 Wayland.

"Their guards really run the floor. They like to score in transition and take the open 3 when they have it," Harrelson said of Georgetown (28-3), which averages 95.52 points a game.

That also would be an accurate description of the Pioneers (21-11), who average 94.41 ppg.

Where the two teams differ is height. While Wayland boasts just three players on its roster 6-foot-5 or taller, topping out at 6-7, Georgetown's roster lists eight players at least 6-5, maxing out at 6-9.

Top to bottom, Harrelson said the Tigers are probably the biggest team the Pioneers have faced all season.

"They have big guards and a couple of big centers," he said. "They're so big I don't know if we can play with them."

Of course the Pioneers will give it their best shot when the teams square off at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday in Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City. All Wayland national tournament games will be broadcast locally on 1090-AM and in Lubbock on 1590-AM, with live streaming available at www.NAIANetwork.org.

"They look like the No. 1 team in the country," Harrelson said. "We'll have our hands full in several different areas of the game."

The tournament's top overall seed sports a pair of impressive senior guards in 6-3 Noah Cottrill and 6-6 Tony Kimbro. Cottrill averages 17.6 points a game and ranks second in the NAIA in 3-point field goal percentage (49.7 percent) and fifth in free throw percentage (88.3 percent). Kimbro is third on the team in scoring at 12.9 ppg to go with 6.3 rebounds an outing.

"Cottrill and Kimbro are two of the better players we've scouted this year," Harrelson said. "Cottrill is just a great player. I'm not sure how we're going to stop him. He's a big guard who shoots 50 percent from the 3-point line. Kimbro is a great athlete who slashes to the basket and can rebound.

"We've going to have our hands full with those two."

A third guard, sophomore Trent Gilbert (11.8 ppg) who transferred from the University of Louisville, also "is a really good shooter. He reminds me a lot of Marshall Nelson," Harrelson said.

Georgetown's top scorer and rebounder is 6-8 senior forward Deondre McWhorter, who gets 17.0 points and 9.9 boards a game, which ranks seventh in the NAIA.

"They have a really good inside presence with McWhorter. He averages a high percentage (54 percent). He can step out and shoot jump shots and he's really tough close to the basket," Harrelson said.

As if that's not enough, the Tigers are deep, too.

"They have a pretty good supporting cast," Harrelson said. "They bring a 6-6 guard off the bench."

While Wayland, making its third straight and 16^th overall appearance in Kansas City, is looking to improve its overall national tourney record of 9-16, Georgetown owns three NAIA championship all-time records for most wins (61), appearances (35) and consecutive appearances (25).  The Tigers have won two national titles, most recently three years ago. A year after that the Tigers and Pioneers met in their only previous matchup, which Georgetown won, 97-90.

Harrelson expects another track meet Wednesday when his two-time Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament champions take on the regular-season and tournament champion of the Mid-South Conference.

"I would expect a similar-style game. They're the No. 1 scoring offense in the nation and we're No. 2, so it should be a high-scoring game," he said.
Each team has put up 100 or more points 12 times this season.

"It's going to be up-tempo. We really need to do a good job of blocking out and trying to control the boards.

"It's going to be a good test to see exactly where we're at," Harrelson added. "It's either going to be a reality-check if Georgetown plays as well as they can, or if we come out and play the way we're capable, I think we have a chance."

The coach said he knows the Pioneers are playing good basketball right now, and they're hungry to snap a two-year, first-round losing streak at nationals, including last year when they dropped a heart-breaker at the buzzer.

"We've played really good basketball the second half of conference, and we're hoping that momentum carries over into the national tournament. We're excited we played our way into the tournament and received an automatic bid.

"Our returners from last year want to perform better," Harrelson added. "And our young guys heard all season about last year's team, then they turn around and win the conference tournament back-to-back."

The Wayland-Georgetown winner advances to a 12:30 p.m. game Friday against either No. 16 Arizona Christian (22-8) or No. 17 William Carey, Miss. (20-11), who meet at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Harrelson said his club is ready.

"We practiced well last week, our seniors are showing great leadership, and everybody is healthy. We're excited to get the opportunity to show the rest of the nation how we play."

NOTE: Wayland's Rob Waters will participate in the 3-point shooting competition as part of NABC-NAIA Shoot & Slam, presented by US Bank. Waters is one of four shooters selected to compete in the event beginning at 4 p.m. Saturday, in between the four quarterfinal games. The winner will face the winner of a separate 3-point contest that features area Kansas City high school players in a winner-take-all 3-point contest. Waters ranks No. 1 in the NAIA in 3-pointers made per game (3.9) and is eighth in points per game (21.2) and free throw percentage (86.3 percent).