Korey Schroeder has the hardest job in the Big Sky right now, and he knows it. Taking over a Lipscomb program that just got its first taste of Division I hoops is one thing, but doing it in a league that sends teams dancing every March is another. We like that he is not pretending otherwise. Schroeder is talking about the week ahead like a coach who has studied the tape, not like a guy selling season tickets. That is the right approach, and it is the exact energy this program needs if it wants to be more than a warm-up act.
Here is the practical part: this week is not about wins, it is about proof of concept. Schroeder has to show his guys they can hang in the Big Sky, and he has to show the league that Lipscomb is not just a name on the schedule. That is a tall order for a program still building its identity, but it is not impossible. Look at what WSU Cross Country Earns a Spot Among the Nation's Best just did. Those Cougs did not wait for permission to be good. They showed up, ran fast, and forced the conversation. Schroeder needs the same mindset from his guys. You do not earn respect in the Big Sky by hoping; you earn it by making someone else's night miserable. That is the standard now, and it starts with the next game on the schedule.
The other thing worth noting is how Schroeder is handling the spotlight. He is not dodging questions about the step up in competition, and he is not hiding behind youth or inexperience. That is a refreshing change from coaches who treat every press conference like a hostage negotiation. It also reminds us of what we saw with Kirby Moore Breaks Down Kansas State on This Week's Cougar Football Hour. Moore did not sugarcoat what Kansas State was bringing, and his guys went out and took their lumps anyway. The lesson there, and in Three Coug freshmen got their first taste of Kansas State: and the lesson was loud, is that the first punch is going to land. What matters is how you respond in the second half. Schroeder is telling his team the same thing: expect the haymaker, and be ready to throw one back.
Schroeder has the right attitude, but attitude does not win road games. The real test is whether his guys can execute when the other team goes on a run and the crowd gets loud. Watch how Lipscomb handles a five-point deficit with eight minutes left. If they start playing tight, this is a long season. If they keep attacking, they might surprise some folks. That is the detail to watch this week, and it is the difference between a coach who talks a good game and one who builds a program. Go Cougs.