Puerto Rico Tip-Off Preview and Predictions
By Jacob Rund
Nov 14, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Butler Bulldogs guard Tyler Lewis (1) brings the ball down against The Citadel Bulldogs guard Warren Sledge (5) at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports
Given that Butler will likely have a giant target on its back, here is a quick breakdown of the remaining six teams, as well as my predictions for the tournament’s outcome.
Game 1: Temple University Owls (0-1) vs. University of Minnesota Golden Gophers (2-0). 11:30 a.m. ET Thursday.
Temple: Although the Owls are off to a winless start, I think it’s only fair to cut them some slack, as they lost their only game 67-91 to the consensus #1-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels. Temple is a tough team, and definitely not one to take lightly. They have some height in the frontcourt, including a 6-foot-11-inch senior center, and some serious talent in the backcourt. Senior guard Devin Coleman is crafty enough to give any team fits, and opened the season with a 19 point performance against the Tar Heels on 5-of-11 shooting and 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. The Owls were ranked 6th out of 11 teams in the preseason American Athletic Conference coaches poll, and did not have a single player given a preseason honor.
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Minnesota:
The Golden Gophers come into the tournament undefeated, with wins against the University of Missouri- Kansas City and Louisiana-Monroe. However, both victories were less than convincing, with an average margin of victory of only 14.5 points. But a win is a win, and the Gophers still have two more than their first opponent. Senior
Joey King, a 6-foot-9-inch, 240 pound forward is likely to be the difference maker in each game Minnesota plays during the tourney.
At the beginning of the week, King was averaging the second-most points among Big Ten players (21 ppg). He’s an excellent post player, and possesses an innate ability to score from the perimeter as well. If he’s consistently hitting from deep, the Gophers will be tough to contend with.
Prediction: This should be a close one, but I see Minnesota just barely edging out the Owls, which means they would take on the winner of Butler and Missouri State in the second round.
Next: Game Three Preview and Predictions