Sunday, January 25, 2009

Dynamic Demon coaching matchup Monday

Former Northwestern State point guard Mike Brey and former Demon assistant coach Buzz Williams square off Monday night on ESPN.

Brey's Notre Dame team will host Williams' first Marquette squad in a battle of Top 20 teams. Marquette brings a perfect 6-0 Big East Conference record into the contest.

Williams got his first full-time Division I coaching position on Mike McConathy's first NSU staff (1999-2000). Williams helped the Demons to their first-ever Southland Conference Tournament championship game and helped recruit players who got the Demons to their first-ever NCAA Tournament the following season. The SLC Finals appearance was the first of six in 9+ seasons under McConathy, and the 2001 NCAA Tournament trip was followed by a memorable 2006 NCAA appearance in which the Demons upset 15th-ranked Iowa.

Brey played for NSU from 1977-80 and is 7th in school history in assists (311, 4.3 pg). Brey's coach at Northwestern was Tynes Hildebrand, who now serves the NCAA as one of four regional officiating evaluators.

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