Saint Joseph’s Hawks vs. Villanova Wildcats NCAAB Preview
Where: The Pavilion – Villanova, Pennsylvania
When: Saturday, December 3, 2016, 1:00 PM ET
Line: Saint Joseph’s Hawks (TBA) vs. Villanova Wildcats (TBA) – view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: CBSSN
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Betting on the Saint Joseph’s Hawks (TBA)
After starting out with a trio of victories, St. Joseph is back to square one, as they dropped three consecutive games to become 3-3 in the season (2-4 ATS). In Wednesday’s 78-72 loss, they simply couldn’t stop Temple, allowing the Owls to shoot 58-percent from the perimeter and only commit five turnovers.
With departures from their top three scorers from last season, particularly Isaiah Miles and DeAndre Bembry, Shavar Newkirk has stepped in to be the Hawks’ new number one option. The junior is averaging 21.8 points on 52.4-percent shooting, and has led the way in scoring in four of the six contests.
He’ll still have Lamar Kimble (14.5 PPG, 4.5 APG) as his running partner, despite not being the most reliable shooter out there, with a very low 35.6 field goal percentage. Against the defending national champs, the two will be in for a long night. They’ll have to deal with Villanova’s active guards and swingmen and it’s not going to be easy.
The awful rebounding (284th in the nation) and thin inside presence will also play a part. St. Joe’s biggest player in the rotation is 6’8 Javon Baumann, and he only gets 16.7 minutes per outing. The lack of interior D has resulted in the last three power forwards they have faced averaging 21.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, and three three-pointers per game.
Betting on the Villanova Wildcats (TBA)
It’s been smooth-sailing for the Wildcats so far. They have charged into a 7-0 start (4-3 ATS) with an averaging winning margin of 17 points. Head coach Jay Wright and his boys are well-balanced from everywhere once again, ranking second in offense and 10th in defense.
The scoring has been efficient, as four guys are averaging in double figures and three of them are shooting above 50-percent. It was showcased perfectly versus Pennsylvania Tuesday night, as six guys recorded 10 or more points and the team made 27 of 49 attempts from the floor.
St. Joe’s is just another team on ‘Nova’s schedule. With the aforementioned weak paint defense, expect Josh Hart, Kris Jenkins, and company to have an easy day breaking down the defense. The dynamic swingmen should have their points in the high teens.
The team’s two sophomores, playmaking Jalen Brunson and 6’7 guard Mikal Bridges, should also cause problems for the visiting Hawks. Both have upped their play, increasing their averages in points, rebounds, assists, and field goal percentage.
Writer’s Prediction
Villanova stays undefeated, 84-69.
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