Preview of NCAA 1st Round

The University of New England will be tipping off against Farmingdale State College on Friday night at Rhode Island College. The Rams received an at-large bid out of the Skyline Conference, after a final second loss to St. Joe's (NY).
Like the Nor'easters, several Rams have been recognized by their conference for their performance on the floor. Senior guard, Damien Santana, was awarded Player of the Year for the Skyline Conference for the second year in a row, and is the all-time leading scorer in Rams history. Santana averaged 19.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.6 steals per game this season. Junior forward, Mike Campbell, was named to the All-Conference First Team this season, averaging team highs 20.3 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. The Rams are guided by Coach Erik Smiles, who was awarded Coach of the Year by the Skyline Conference. This is Smiles seventh time receiving the award. This season's award was deserved after leading Farmingdale to a conference championship appearance, stringing together 20 straight wins, and finishing with a 24-3 overall record this season.
The Nor'easters and the Rams play two different styles of basketball, and it will be exciting to watch them clash on Friday. The Rams rely greatly on their size, having seven players whom stand taller than 6'5", whereas the Nor'easters tallest player, Johnnie Jefferson, is only 6'4". The Rams out rebounded their opponents by an average of 13 boards per game, and that number will probably increase against a small UNE team.
The Farmingdale offense is run primarily for Santana and Campbell. These two players are responsible for nearly 50% of the points that the Rams have scored this year. Both players have had outstanding seasons, but UNE will have to find a way to slow these guys down and force other guys to take shots.
The Rams also have three other players who have averaged 10 points per game or higher, all starters. Despite their starting five, Farmingdale is not a deep team, which is an advantage for UNE who does not stop running all game long. The talent and depth of the Nor'easters will bring tired legs, forcing the Rams to go to their skeletal bench.
There is no doubt that Friday will be an exciting day, and a historic day for UNE athletics. The game will start at 8pm at Rhode Island College. The winner of this game will face the winner of Rhode Island College versus MIT, which will be played at 6pm on Friday.