Center Tommy Hannon and guard Will DeBerg stepped on the plane en route to Salem, Va., Wednesday morning with their teammates by their side and hopes of continuing their national championship run with a win.

The No. 1-ranked St. Thomas men’s basketball team (29-1) won’t have home-court advantage for the first time this postseason. The team seeks its second national title in three years as it moves into Elite Eight play against No. 8 Williams College (Mass.) at 11 a.m. Friday.

Williams (26-4) is the third team in the NCAA tournament that St. Thomas has never faced. The Tommies played their first opponent, Aurora, (Ill.), once prior to this year’s tournament in 2009.

Despite an unfamiliar opponent, coach John Tauer said he is excited for the game.

“We had never played Wheaton. We had never played Calvin. We’ve never played Williams, so seeing teams both out of region … and at a different venue on a neutral site … it’s fun this time of year,” Tauer said.

Williams topped Virginia Wesleyan (23-7) 84-75 March 16 in a Sweet 16 matchup on its home floor in Williamstown, Mass.

Williams is led by four double-digit scorers including: forward Taylor Epley (18.6), center Michael Mayer (17.8), guard James Klemm (11.1) and guard Daniel Wohl (10.2).

Tauer said he knows Williams has multiple players who can spark its offense.

“When you look at Williams, they have balance inside and out. Their center, wings and guards can all score,” Tauer said. “They’re really an intelligent team who plays team basketball.”

To counteract a dynamic Williams scoring attack, Tauer has stressed a collective team defense philosophy.

St. Thomas is bolstered by a deep, senior-heavy roster with tournament experience, and players who are primed for the challenge.

“I really like this team,” center Tommy Hannon said. “We have a lot of talent and depth, so I like our chances.”

Also working in St. Thomas’ favor is Williams’ five starters, who all average about 28 minutes or more each game. The Tommies do not have any players who average more than 24 minutes a game.

“We’re hoping we can wear them down,” Hannon said. “They’re going to be a tough opponent. We’re going to have to do a lot of scouting and work hard in practice.”

St. Thomas players know Williams’ starters all log a lot of minutes because they are all productive with playing time.

“They have a bunch of really talented players on their team,” center Conner Nord said. “They may not be as deep as us, but they have guys that average 18 points and 10 rebounds. It’ll be an interesting matchup.”

The Tommies are used to a one-game-per-week schedule, but a win in Friday’s Elite Eight showdown would give them another game just 24 hours later in a Final Four matchup. This game would be against either Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas) or St. Mary’s (Md.).

St. Thomas’ performance could be also dictated by playing in a different time zone and at an early start time. The Tommies are used to playing during afternoons and evenings and will have to work to adjust to the 11 a.m. tipoff.

Tauer said he even plans to get his players to adjust their circadian rhythms so their bodies are ready.

“We’re not used to playing early games so (Tauer) is having us do 8 a.m. practice to wake our bodies up,” Hannon said.

This week, the Tommies honed in on two aspects of the game: team defense and maximizing possessions.

“We’re going to focus on limiting our turnovers. We’ve had way too many turnovers lately,” Hannon said.

Tauer plans to spend time Wednesday and Thursday familiarizing his team with the tendencies and patterns of Williams.

“The first couple days (of the week) are focused on us and getting better,” Tauer said. “Wednesday and Thursday will be more about making sure our guys are comfortable with Williams.”

Trevor Walstrom can be reached at wals0505@stthomas.edu.