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Thanks Lehigh90. Love the chatter. I watched quite a few Nova games last year, and I agree with everything you are saying.
The matchups that worry me the most are Hilliard and Hart, followed by Pinkston. Hilliard and Hart are bigger, stronger, and more athletic than our wings and just as skilled if not more. Pinkston is a horse underneath and I think JC could really struggle with him on the defensive end and the glass.
Unfortunately as well, Lehigh won’t have the benefit of experience a la the St. John’s game when they were able to hang with a very young team on opening night. It will be the first game, but Nova knows exactly who they are and what they want to do. Hilliard will probably be jacked up to be playing as a SR in the Lehigh Valley, especially after getting snubbed on the preaseason ALL-BE team. Not sure if that will hurt or help him.
Like most mid-major vs high major games, Lehigh is going to need to shoot the ball well from 3, keep Nova off the glass, and not turn the ball over. Beyond that, hope Nova is cold from the outside and maybe some foul trouble and hope for the best.
This is a tough first game, but I’m excited to see the development of the sophs/jrs as well as a first peek at the freshman. I still think this team is a year or two away from being really good but I’m looking forward to seeing what they have for this year.
