Lehigh’s Brett Reed: ‘​I ​think ​we’re ​a ​dangerous ​team’

After winning the Patriot League Tournament on Wednesday, the Lehigh Mountain Hawks(18-16) found out their opponent on Selection Sunday, and the 16th-seeded Mountain Hawks will battle the 16th-seeded Prairie View A&M Panthers(18-17), the SWAC Tournament champions, on Wednesday in the First Four in Dayton, Ohio.

The Mountain Hawks, who have not been to the NCAA Tournament since 2012, have won six straight games and, according to their head coach, Brett Reed, are a dangerous team.

​”We ​​struggled ​with ​injuries ​earlier ​in ​the ​year,” he said. “​In ​fact, ​we ​started ​the ​season ​4 ​and ​11. ​We ​were ​decimated ​by ​injuries ​in ​particular ​positions, ​and ​we ​had ​to ​do ​a ​lot ​of ​patchwork ​stuff ​with ​our ​lineups, but ​as ​we ​got ​healthier, ​we ​got ​hot. ​To ​be ​honest ​with ​you, ​if ​it ​weren’t ​for ​some ​of ​the ​struggles ​that ​we ​had ​earlier ​with ​injuries, ​we ​might ​be ​talking ​about ​a ​much ​higher ​seed. ​I ​think ​we’re ​a ​dangerous ​team. ​I ​think ​we’re ​a ​very ​good ​team. ​ ​I ​believe ​that ​we ​have ​the ​opportunity ​to ​be ​hot ​and ​continue ​our ​momentum.”

Lehigh’s leading scorer, junior guard Nasir Whitlock, who was the Patriot League Tournament MVP, hopes to keep on winning.

“I’m ​here ​to ​win,” Whitlock said. “​I’m ​here ​to ​win. ​Advance ​as ​far ​as ​you ​can.”

Now that Lehigh knows its opponent, Reed says there won’t be much sleep for him over the next few days.

“Yeah, ​I ​won’t ​sleep ​much ​tonight ​at ​all,” he said. “​So ​this ​will ​be  ​a ​comprehensive, all-hands-on-deck ​​analysis ​of ​Prairie ​View. ​You ​don’t ​want ​to ​spin ​your ​wheels ​worrying ​about ​everybody ​until ​you ​know ​your ​matchups, but ​I’m ​going ​to ​be ​very ​diligent ​to ​make ​sure ​that ​our ​team ​is ​prepared ​to ​the ​very ​best ​of ​their ​ability.”

If the Mountain Hawks can get by Prairie View, they would play the number one seed, Florida, in the first round of the South Region. In 2012, Lehigh, the 15th seed, defeated the two-seed Duke. Reed was the coach at the time, and he discussed what needed to happen for David to beat Goliath.

“​One ​of ​the ​first ​things ​that ​you ​gotta ​have ​is ​belief,” Reed said. ​”There’s ​gonna ​be ​a ​lot ​of ​talk ​about ​who ​should ​win ​which ​games ​moving ​forward ​in ​the ​tournament, ​but ​really, ​that’s ​just ​people’s ​opinions. ​What ​matters ​most ​is ​the ​guys ​who ​are ​in ​the ​locker ​room, ​on ​the ​bench, ​and ​on ​the ​court. ​Like, ​do ​they ​believe ​that ​they ​have ​the ​opportunity ​to ​win, and ​if ​they ​do, ​it’s ​amazing ​what ​the ​body ​will ​do ​when ​the ​mind ​believes ​something.”

Hopefully, for Lehigh, the mind and body we’ll come together to do big things starting Wednesday night against Prairie View.