By Sean Kennedy
Today’s Action
2:00 PM: Pennsylvania (1-1, 0-0 Ivy) vs. Penn State (1-1, 0-0 Big Ten)
Penn enters the weekend having split its two opening games of the season, a close loss to Temple and a solid road win over Monmouth. The Quakers have received contributions from a lot of different sources, with senior Miles Jackson-Cartwright and sophomore Tony Hicks leading the way, representing the old guard and the new in the process. Those two guards will have their hands full as they take on a dynamic backcourt on Saturday.
The Nittany Lions have split their first two contests as well, defeating Wagner before blowing a second-half lead in a loss to Bucknell. Just as it did a season ago, the Penn State offense runs entirely through their starting backcourt, with senior Tim Frazier and junior D.J. Newbill both first and second on the team in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. The pair does a nice job this season as the Lions sport a productive offense rating on the season, propelled by a above-average 39.5% mark behind the arc, and a propensity for getting to the free throw line.
With the talented backcourts out there for both teams, the key for the Quakers may lie in their frontcourt. Darien Nelson-Henry has played well thus far in his sophomore season and will be the largest man on the floor Saturday, while senior Fran Dougherty is a big body as well who can do some damage on the offensive end. I expect those guys to make the difference and the Quakers to pull off the mild upset in what should be a tight contest.
3:00 PM: La Salle (1-1, 0-0 A-10) vs. Siena (0-2, 0-0 MAAC)
The Explorers have not looked sharp in the early going this season, but will look to get healthy against a Siena Saints team with plenty of struggles of their own. The Saints have lost both games on the season, ranking as one of the worst offenses in the country, shooting just 35.2% from the floor. 6’5″ junior Rob Poole does the majority of the ‘damage’ for Siena, leading the team with 18.5 ppg. Shockingly, Poole is the only non-freshman in the starting lineup for the Saints. Among those four freshmen, Siena starts Marquis Wright at the point, who is still very much learning the position. So while the future may be bright for the Saints, they are sure to have plenty more growing pains ahead this season.
With the main players for La Salle in Tyreek Duren, Tyrone Garland, and Jerrell Wright all upperclassman possessing experience with the rigors of an NCAA campaign in addition to the Big Dance, look for the Explorers to easily take of Siena. These are the types of games the Explorers have to use to get off the schneid, figure out their current roles and come together before getting into the meat of their schedule.
7:00 PM: Saint Joseph’s (2-0, 0-0 A-10) vs. Creighton (2-0, 0-0 Big East)
The Hawks have played solid ball their first two games but will face their toughest challenge of the season when they take on the Creighton Bluejays and their star 6’8′ forward Doug McDermott. The senior is the premier inside-outside threat in college basketball, able to bang down low while also being an elite three-pointer shooter. McDermott shot 49.0% from three last season, on his way to a 23.2 ppg average which was good for second in the nation. Coming off two consecutive first-team All-American honors, McDermott is getting some talk for national player of the year. He’s certainly lived up to the billing thus far, averaging 28.5 points and 6.0 rebounds in just 25.5 minutes per game, including 37 points in the Bluejays’ last game against UMKC. Creighton has a solid roster led by coach Greg McDermott, but his son Doug makes things go for them and the Hawks will have their hands full.
It will be interesting to see if the Hawks opt to go with any man defense, as Ronald Roberts Jr. has the size and speed needed to match up with Creighton’s star. In their zone defense, the Hawks can’t afford to lose McDermott on the perimeter. Offensively, Roberts, Jr. and Langston Galloway will need to maintain their scoring efficiency as the Bluejays are top ten in the nation in offensive rating. As well as they’ve played this season, I still don’t think the Hawks are able to pull out this contest against Creighton.
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