ST. LOUIS – From Mark Edwards, to Andrew Sanders, and Matthew Highsmith, they'll all tell you the same thing.
“I've liked the way the guys have played together," said Mark Edwards. The Washington University men's basketball coach then added, "They're feeding off each other. They're setting each other up, and it's not just like one guy has to get all the points.”
“It's really difficult for teams to guard us because I think we have five or six guys scoring double-figures on average," said Highsmith.
Highsmith is right. The 10th ranked Bears have five guys averaging double figures.
“It helps us be a stronger team because one night someone's knocking down their three-point shots and if their threes aren't falling, they can throw it inside to me or Schmelter," said Sanders.
Edwards' offense allows the Bears to get those open shots and the numbers back it up. They're averaging 82 points per game.
“Well that's what experience does," Edwards said with a smile. "They take your system that you put in, and the stuff that you work on every day in practice, and they recognize where the scoring opportunities are going come.”
But Edwards doesn't want his players to just shoot to shoot. It's quality over quantity — and it's why they're shooting 45 percent from the field and knocking down 36 percent of their three-pointers.
“Once we get into half court we really slow it down and wait for the right shot to come to us. We don't rush it. We use the full shot clock and I think that helps us and it's shown by shooting percentage.”
Up until December 29, in a 72-57 loss to No. 3 Augustana, the Bears were on pace be the highest scoring team in the school's history with 85.3 points.
