The No.1-seeded Temple Owls (20-10) and South Florida Bulls (8-24) meet in the second round of the AAC tournament at the Amway Center. Action begins at 12:00 pm ET on Friday, Mar. 11 and can be seen on ES2 and ES3.
The Owls come into this game hoping to repeat their last performance, topping Tulane 64-56 in their last matchup. Obi Enechionyia was the game’s leading scorer with 18 points on 5-for-10 shooting. The Bulls, meanwhile, are coming off a 71-66 win against East Carolina in the 1. Angel Nunez claimed his second double-double of the season with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
Half-court execution will be of utmost importance when two of the nation’s slowest-paced teams square off. Temple ranks 298th in the nation in possessions per game (66.5), while South Florida is 296th (66.5). Furthermore, the defense of the Bulls should have an advantage in terms of eFG%. They’re 35th in the nation in forcing misses (opponents’ eFG% of 47.0%), while the offense of the Owls ranks 298th in eFG% (46.9%).
The Owls have emerged victorious in both games against the Bulls this year, including a 77-65 win the last time these two teams met. Jaylen Bond put up a double-double in the victory with 18 points and 14 rebounds.
Notes
The South Florida Bulls have a defensive rating of 106.9 (ranked 93rd), while the Temple Owls have an offensive rating of 103.1 (ranked 228th).
The South Florida Bulls average 66.5 possessions per game and .950 points per possession. The Temple Owls earn fewer possessions with 66.5, but they score more points with 1.031.
Temple has an average effective field goal percentage of 46.9%. South Florida is an abysmal 1-16 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
Temple attempts an average of 23.0 three pointers per game and South Florida attempts 14.0. In games where they have 20 or more three point attempts, the Temple Owls have a 15-10 record while the South Florida Bulls are winless at 0-5.
South Florida, the 16th-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 5.4 per game. Temple ranks lower at 208th with 3.1.
The South Florida Bulls rank 57th in offensive rebounds. The Temple Owls rank 127th in the nation in defensive rebounds.
Temple has forced an average turnover percentage of 16.6% this season. South Florida has a subpar 5-21 record when its TO% is 16.6% or higher.
