The Helias boys basketball team will be playing in the Class 4 Final Four today and Saturday, but the Crusaders might not be making a trip to Columbia if not for a trip to Rogersville about a month and a half ago.
After beginning the season with a 10-6 record, the Crusaders then dropped their first game of the Logan-Rogersville Tournament to Republic.
Rather than continue a descent to .500, Helias righted the ship and has won 10 of its last 12 to be one of the last four teams playing in Class 4. The Crusaders (20-9) will take on St. Joseph Lafayette (27-3) at 7:45 p.m. today in a state semifinal game at Mizzou Arena.
"I think the turning point for us wasn't necessarily any one game, but we came together during our last tournament of the season in late January," Helias coach Josh Buffington said. "We went 2-1 and lost to Republic, a solid class 5 team, when we did not play well. We felt like let one slip away, but since then, we haven't looked back.
"It's not that we've gone undefeated since then or anything like that, but we haven't had a bad practice since that point. Our guys have been dialed-in since then."
The only losses since then for Helias came to eventual Class 3 state champion Father Tolton and Rock Bridge, a 20-win team in Class 5.
"We rode a high early on in the season, staring out 7-1 and getting to the championship game of the Great 8 Classic," Buffington said. "We went into a little lull after that, not necessarily with how we were playing, just that we lost some close games to some great teams.
"We started to wear down a little bit in the middle of the season, mentally and physically. I think that was mostly because we don't have the depth we've had in the past after losing Dalton Weaver and Kale Gerstner, two top-seven players, to season-ending injuries before the season started."
But the team, led by senior co-captains Sam Husting, Adam Bax and Trevor Koelling, quickly regrouped.
"It's not about having a gaudy record going into to the Final Four," Buffington said. "It's about playing your best basketball, no matter what your record is, at the right time and being tested, being prepared, to make as deep a run as you possibly can."
The next step comes today against the Fighting Irish.
"St. Joe Lafayette will be a very tough test for us, a great team, a great program," Buffington said. "They pose some matchup problems for us, and hopefully we will for them as well."
The Fighting Irish have two players averaging in double figures in scoring - senior wing Caleb Bennett (14.7 points per game) and sophomore point guard Diego Bernard (12.2) - while senior guard Gary Wilkinson is just off the pace (9.6).
"They are extremely fast in the open court - their team speed is very dynamic," Buffington said. "So No. 1, we have to stop them in transition - they're gone after long rebounds, side-to-side 3s and turnovers. They score in bunches in transition. If you let them get going in that type of game, they're going to beat you.
"And No. 2, they are trying to get to the rim off the bounce. They do a very good job of seeing both sides of the floor offensively, their ball movement is great."
Helias and Lafayette were both in the Final Four two years ago and both lost to Republic - Helias by five in triple overtime in the semifinals before taking third, and Lafayette by three in the state championship game.
Buffington said this year's installment of the Fighting Irish remind him of a couple teams Helias has faced this season.
"They have the athleticism and the speed of Owasso, Okla., who we saw in the first round of the Great 8 Classic - a very good point guard that makes them go and an off-guard who has some size to him," Buffington said. "They have the intensity and defensive makeup of several teams we've seen, wanting to apply a ton of pressure and mixing up their pressure.
"It's nothing we have not seen, but at the same time, until you're in the fire, it's hard to simulate it."
The keys for tonight are simple.
"Strategy is strategy, and matchups are matchups, but if we don't get every loose ball we can get our hands on and can't rebound the basketball, nothing else is going to matter," Buffington said. "We are going up there to play as hard as we possibly can, not be intimidated, and put forth our best effort."
The winner between unranked Helias and third-ranked Lafayette will play at 8:10 p.m. Saturday against the victor of today's first semifinal between top-ranked Vashon (24-4) and second-ranked Sikeston (28-1). The third-place game will be played at 12:50 p.m. Saturday.
"Those two teams are both extremely athletic, although Vashon has more size, with two 6-8 guys they go to quite a bit," Buffington said. "They're both very well coached and they've both been there and done that. ... They both provide a ton of pressure. They're head-hunters - they're coming after you."
The days leading up to today have all been important ones for the Crusaders.
"The best thing about having a week to prepare for the Final Four is that you need a week," Buffington said. "You're really not just preparing for your semifinal game, you're preparing for three teams. We have film on all three. Obviously we've spent the majority of our preparation on the first game, because you can't look past that one. But you have to show some attention to the other two teams there because you're not going to have a lot of prep time the day of that second game.
"Hopefully we're in the championship game Saturday night, which gives you a full day to recover and prepare. But if not, you still have to be ready for the third-place game that takes place at 12:50."