Fifth-ranked Findlay Prep was just wrapping up practice last week when the news buzzed through head coach Paul Washington Sr.'s phone. The Pilots were already expecting to make the trip from Henderson, Nevada, to New York City for the third straight season, but their spot at DICK'S Nationals was official.

Their first-round opponent, however, was not as expected. Of course, getting through the tournament was already going to be tough, but having to face No. 6 Oak Hill (VA), the defending champion, in the opening round perhaps came as a surprise.

Findlay Prep (33-3), which is the No. 4 seed in the eight-team tournament, not only played the fifth-seeded Warriors this season but also beat them 78-62 in the Iolani Classic title game back in December.

The showdown arrives next Thursday at Christ The King High School, but this is what the Pilots have worked to get to all season long.

FloHoops: What was going through your mind when you found out who your opponent was?
Washington: Man, I was like, "That's a helluva matchup the first day." Usually you will see Oak Hill and Findlay like in the championship or the final four, but to see them in the first day, I think that's probably the first time in a long time. I thought that it would be a tough matchup. I like the fact that we have film on them. We played them before, so we are familiar with them. But then also, out of any team in the whole tournament, with all of the Division I athletes they have and their size, they're a very well-coached team. That's another team, including ourselves, that can win it all, and nobody would be surprised.

What worked so well the first time you played them?
We were playing well as a team. We went into the event as Findlay Prep, but I was a new coach and no one kind of knew my style. And so I don't think we had a lot of pressure on us as much as Oak Hill had, because Steve (Smith) has obviously been there a ton of years and is a Hall of Fame coach. I didn't have any pressure. It was just a matter of me preparing my kids and getting them to play hard and tough, and that's what we did.

It will be a little different going into this one because obviously we played them and they're going to be prepared for us. If they put two hours into it last time, I'm pretty sure they'll put five hours into preparing for us this time. So, it won't be that element of surprise and not knowing a new coach and all of that stuff. I won't get a chance to use that this time.

What do you like about your team specifically that gives them a chance to make some noise in this tournament?
We have six seniors, so whenever you have half of your team as seniors that definitely gives you a chance. And then our core kids, they have been here three years. They know what it's like to lose in the first round as we did last year. They know what it's like to lose in the second round. They did the year before against Ben Simmons.

If you add that up, we feel like it's our time. It's our time to get to that championship game and bring back that recognition to Findlay Prep as winning three national championships. We feel this team is special. I think we kind of showed that in the year. We've lost some kids with injury and now they're back, and now our bench is even stronger for it because some of those kids we didn't really rely on them to play early on, now we are. They've been playing since January, the last few months, so I think total team-wise we are probably the deepest team out there, one through nine or 10, so I kind of like our chances.

How would you describe this season and this path leading up to this?
I would say that we're right on cue from the standpoint of that was one of our goals is to really have a tough schedule this year to play anybody, anywhere, and I think we accomplished that. Now, granted, I wanted us to be healthy, but obviously we weren't during that stretch where we lost those three games. But, the fact we rallied behind that and won the other 19 after it, it shows a lot of our team. They just didn't fold. 

At the Bishop Gorman game, we had just lost three out of four and our season could have went either way, but you saw that overtime game. We got heart. We got tenacity. We got character. We were down 10 and we still came back and won, and there was never one moment we felt like we weren't going to win.

I really like this team's heart and character and their ability to do what I ask them to do. We don't have a ton of stars. Everybody knows we have PJ (Washington), but this is truly a team effort and not just one individual."

What do you think the biggest key would be to advance past this opening round?
I would say defense and our ability to share the ball. We've got to be very unselfish going forward. If we work on what we do, our plays, and play good quality defense and get in transition, I think we'll advance each around.

We have got to score points and we have got to defend well. For our team, we're a defensive transition-minded team. That's what we have to do well.

Is it safe to say that you've worked up to this point, that this is the one thing you've been striving for all year?
Yeah, this was one of our goals. The schedule has built up to this point. If you look at it, we've already played Oak Hill. We've already played [Wasatch Academy from Utah]. We've already played La Lumiere (IN). So the three teams that's in our pool down at the bottom, we have film on all of them. So no matter who wins that La Lumiere game, we have film on them already, because we set up a great schedule this year building up to this point. We wanted to be prepared and I think we've done that.

You're a first-year coach. This is a big-time event. Do you live for these moments and be part of it?
It's my first year at the helm, the head coach. Obviously, I've been to DICK'S the last two years as a parent watching PJ play so that gives me some familiarity with the tournament, with the program. Just stepping right in, (the previous coaches) did a great job of outlining what Findlay Prep should look like so it's not that hard for me to come in and take the ship at this point.

Do you think you'll be nervous when that ball goes up?
I think if you're not nervous than you are in the wrong profession. I'm nervous every game. I'm excited. I'm into it. I'm out there coaching. I feel like I'm playing, too. I have to matchup against the other coach. It's like playing chess. When they do something, I have to adjust.

Half of it falls on me, to motivate the kids, to have a great game plan, and to encourage them throughout the game to make sure they stay on point with what we are trying to accomplish. That's tough as a coach. 

If you don't get up for DICK'S, you're in the wrong spot. You're in the wrong spot.