Return of Curtis should help as St. Norbert seeks conference tourney redemption

Return of Curtis should help as St. Norbert seeks conference tourney redemption

COME UP SECONDSSHORT OF THE N-C-A-A TOURNAMENT...LAST SEASON, THEGREEN KNIGHTS LOSTIN THEIRCONFERENCECHAMPIONSHIP,KEEPING THEM OUTOF THE BIG DANCE...A YEAR LATER...THEY FINDTHEMSELVES IN ASIMILAR SITUATION -WITH ONE KEYDIFFERENCE...HORNONE YEAR AGO... AFOUR-POINTCONFERENCECHAMPIONSHIPLOSS...A MEMORY STILLRESONATES WITH THEST.

NORBERT MEN'SBASKETBALL TEAM..."I mean it definitely addssome fuel to the fire.

Itsucked last year, losing onyour home court."THE GREENKNIGHTS HAVERESPONDED WITH AHISTORIC REGULARSEASON...THEY MATCHED APROGRAM RECORDWITH 22 WINS... BUTSTILL NEED TO WINTWO MORE TO CLAIMTHE CONFERENCETOURNAMENT... ANDENSURE A SPOT INTHE BIG DANCE...LEARNING FROMLAST SEASON'SMISTAKE... TOP OFMIND..."Hopefully they embraceit.

That's part of who weare.

I think we're a betterteam this year because ofwhat we went through lastyear."WHILE LAST YEAR'SFINISH WAS ROCKY...THIS SEASON, HASBEEN AS CONSISTENTAS THEY COME...ST.

NORBERT HASUSED THE SAMESTARTING FIVE IN ALL25 GAMES...NOTABLY... SENIORFORWARD CONNORCURTIS... SIDELINEDBY AN INJURY FORLAST YEAR'STOURNAMENT - ISHEALTHY, AND READYTO ROLL..."I feel like if we had me inthat game last year, wewould have won it.""Having Connor back andhealthy has been key."THE PREBLE ALUM ISAVERAGING 14 POINTSAND 6 REBOUNDS PERGAME...MOST OF HISDAMAGE, COMING INTHE PAINT..."To have a dominant postplayer is pretty hard to findso we've been fortunatehe's been healthy allyear."CURTIS NOT ONLY ABIG PRESENCE DOWNLOW... BUT HE'SGROWN AS ALEADER... APRESENCE THAT WILLBE MUCH NEEDEDTHIS WEEKEND, ANDBEYOND..."I wasn't really a leader.

Iwas more of a quiet guyand now... they look up tome and we lead byexample so I'm lookingforward to being back init."AN AT LARGE BID TOTHE D-3 TOURNAMENTIS POSSIBLE, BUT NOTA GUARANTEE FORST.

NORBERT... THEYPROBABLY NEED TOWIN THETOURNAMENT IF THEYWANT TO GET IN...THEIR SEMIFINALGAME FRIDAY TIPS AT5 O CLOCK... AT THEMULVA SPORTSCENTER ON CAMPUS...