ECU faces one of their very stiffest tests yet when SMU comes to town for a 2 pm matchup in Minges Coliseum on Saturday.
The Pirates have been practicing full throttle since the 62-59 win earlier in the week against an improving South Florida ball club.
With a still young team that has the kind of players you need in order to succeed in the tough American Athletic Conference, the Pirates will find out just where they stand in the big scheme of things league wise.
If they are able to pull off a win or even keep it close, it will set notice to the rest of the conference that ECU is a team that can no longer be over looked.
"They are very balanced. They play very fast. Great offensive team, their numbers are off the chart," Dooley told PirateIllustrated.com, "They are very, very athletic. It's probably the best and most athletically balanced team we've played against."
"It's a huge game and it's probably the best team we've faced this season and we've just got to be able to put all our execution and game play together and try to come out of here with the W," said Jayden Gardner.
"It would be huge because I know there will be a lot of people here at the game tomorrow," Gardner told PI, "We just want to show the people what we've been working on this whole break and try to put the pieces together."
PirateIllustrated.com was there to bring you Dooley and Gardner's comments in their entirety in the very latest from Minges Coliseum.
