Guard Naseer Dymeck as a more succinct description.

“We just tell ourselves the same thing all day in school; all the time at practice,” Dymeck said. “We’re dogs.”

They are good dogs, but they also provide quite a bite.

Neumann (24-3) reached its second straight Elite Eight after pounding Faith Christian, 61-39, in last Friday’s second round. The Knights have won five straight playoff games and have been progressing in each one.

The St. John Neumann players and coach Jamie Spencer celebrate after a point was scored against Faith Christian at Minersville High School March 11, 2022. Neumann won 61-39. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Neumann faces its toughest challenge yet at Martz Hall against an outstanding District 3 champion which also has produced consecutive double-digit state tournament wins. So, these pack of dogs know they must continue ferociously hunting.

“I think that we all have that dog mentality,” guard Davion Hill said. “Everyone who comes in has it, including the guys on the bench. Everyone has that dog in them.”

That has shown itself throughout the postseason with Neumann rallying from second-half deficits against Lourdes and North Penn-Liberty during its run to a third straight district championship. Neumann has played like attack dogs during its first two state tournament games, come out strong each time, building sizable leads and never letting up.

Neumann has experienced heartbreak in the past two state tournaments and it is doing everything possible to avoid that fate this time. The shots can come and go, but the Knights are controlling what they can, staying hungry and going all-out.

“We want to live in the moment and embrace everything,” Hill said. “We don’t know how it will end but we’re definitely going to play our hardest.”

Davion Hill of St. John Neumann puts up a shot against Faith Christian at Minersville High School March 11, 2022. Neumann won 61-39. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

“I’m so happy for these guys,” Neumann coach Jamie Spencer said. “We are playing, as Naz likes to say, ‘like dogs.'”

The problem earlier this season was a lot of these dogs were battling to become the alpha dog. This team always has featured a strong collective competitive drive, but there were times when players also were looking at their stats.

It was not an overnight fix, but as the season progressed things started changing. Nobody cares who is scoring or stuffing the stat sheet now. Everybody just wants to win. Neumann has learned the best way to do so is not by hunting alone, but by becoming a potent pack.

That is exactly what has happened throughout the playoffs, especially during states. Everyone has been involved, everyone has embraced his role and everyone has produced. Three players scored in double digits against Faith Christian, all five starters scored early in the first-round win against High Point Baptist and Neumann has learned its strength is its pack; not its individual dogs.

“Early on in the season, we struggled a little chemistry-wise because we were worried about who was scoring and who was not. Right now, it doesn’t matter,” Spencer said. “They are working the ball around and getting good shots.”

Neumann may have had chemistry issues earlier, but the Knights have started acing chemistry at the most important time. The offensive execution has been outstanding in two state tournament wins. Neumann is aggressive but under control.

Players and the ball are moving fast, they are sharing the ball well and they are producing higher-percentage shots. Neumann made more than 50 percent of its shots in the opening round and started producing the knockout blow in the third quarter against Faith Christian when it made 8 of 13 shots with the ball efficiently going inside and outside.

“Me and the guys we go over how we should play more as a team and leave the “I’s” out,” Dymeck said. “We’re noticing who we are as basketball players. The chemistry is there now. We’re there now. We weren’t there at the beginning, but we’re there now on offense and defense.”

Defense is another area where Neumann has made massive strides the last few games. Starting against North Penn-Liberty in the district final, Neumann has been playing defense with an intensity only scene in spurts earlier this season. Ultimately, defense is what won Neumann another district championship and it has not let up in states, allowing just 79 points in two games.

One of the oldest sports cliches is that defense wins championships, but it so often also is true. That goes double when the opponents are powerful ones like Linville Hill which has scored 75 and 66 points, respectively, in its two state tournament wins.

“We’ve picked it up on defense. As we were getting closer to the playoffs, we weren’t playing good defense,” Hill said. “We definitely have locked in and are understanding what we have to do with our assignments.”

Neumann has good players, but they have become good students. The Knights have learned from past mistakes and done everything possible to fix them. They have not taken the foot off the accelerator after getting big leads as they did against Lourdes in the district semifinals. They have been patient, when necessary, they have focused more on defense and picked up the intensity there.

Every regular-season game means something, but ultimately, for a team like Neumann it’s about getting ready for the playoff push. There were wrinkles that needed ironed out and the Knights have started doing. Still, the work continues.

The biggest prize remains out there. And these dogs remain hungry.

“We have to leave it all out there,” Dymeck said. “It feels better this year. It’s just a different energy this year.”

These energetic dogs have achieved a lot this season, but there is one goal they want more than any other.

They want to become the top dogs.