The third-year Kentucky Wesleyan coach likes what his squad has done to put itself in the spotlight in recent weeks, but he knows the No. 15 Panthers will have to fight to stay there — beginning with a home matchup against conference foe Davis & Elkins on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
"I think being ranked helps recruiting, and it makes you hope you're becoming more nationally relevant, but it doesn't mean a thing when they throw that ball up," Osborne said. "That's something we welcome, but I think when the ball goes up, we better be ready."
KWC won the season's first meeting, and the Panthers (21-3, 7-1 in G-MAC) will have a chance for some breathing room at the top of the conference standings with a second victory over the Senators (10-13, 4-5).
The Panthers enter Thursday's game following a 70-59 home victory over Trevecca Nazarene on Friday, and they currently sit a half-game ahead of Alderson Broaddus for the league lead thanks to an 85-78 Davis & Elkins victory over the Battlers on Saturday.
Though the Senators' win helped KWC at the time, Osborne pointed to that contest as a indicator of how dangerous Davis & Elkins can be.
"It was a huge win for them over Alderson Broaddus on Saturday," he said. "They've got Kevin Bracy-Davis back, who didn't play the first time against us ... A lot of people think he's the best player in the league."
Bracy-Davis, a 6-foot-6 guard, leads the Senators with 20.9 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. He'll be joined in the starting lineup by 6-foot guard Wesley Sprinkle (14.0 points, 3.7 assists), 5-10 guard Kevin Simpson (13.2 points), 6-6 forward Aleksandar Vasiljevic (10.7 points, 7.9 rebounds) and 6-4 guard Jordan McElveen (8.0 points).
"They're playing very well," Osborne said of the Senators, who have won four of their last five games. "Any time you beat AB, you've got a good team. They're coming on. Their point guard, Simpson, is a really, really good player, Sprinkle is a good shooter. They're long, they're got a lot of good young
players, and they're starting to bring it. It's going to be a huge test for us.
"They shoot the 3 well, and they're very good offensively. When the 3-ball is going in, they're hard to beat. What Bracy-Davis does is make the defense focus on him, and everybody else is open. We've got to be able to stay with their shooters and stay with Bracy-Davis."
"The key to our team is our balance," Osborne said. "The thing that has really been nice lately is the improved play of Jermaine Morgan and Tamron Manning. That gives us even more balance. On a positive note, Marcus Fuggins practiced well this week too."
Thursday's game will follow the KWC women (14-7, 7-3) taking on Davis & Elkins (10-12, 6-4) at 5:30 p.m.
The Panthers will have just one home game remaining after Thursday with a meeting against Alderson Broaddus on Saturday, and Osborne stressed the importance that a good crowd could mean for his team down the stretch.
"We had a great crowd Friday night, and I hope that continues," he said. "It's our last two home games our guys have, and it would be great to have a super turnout."
