ESTERO, Fla. — The Toledo men’s basketball team came to Florida’s Gulf Coast with a swagger and confidence that created an air of inevitability: The Rockets would leave with the Gulf Coast Showcase championship.
Instead, the trip has been memorable for all the wrong reasons. Toledo has to beat Northern Kentucky on Wednesday to avoid an 0-3 record.
Tuesday’s 86-75 loss to East Carolina — one day after a 12-point loss to Missouri-Kansas City — has put the discussions about at-large bid to the NCAA tournament on ice.
“We can’t worry about that,” Toledo coach Tod Kowalczyk said.