The No.8-seeded Saint Joseph’s Hawks (27-7) and No.9-seeded Cincinnati Bearcats (22-10) square off in the first round of the NCAA tournament at Spokane Arena. Action gets underway at 9:57 pm ET on Friday, Mar. 18 and can be seen on TRU.
The Hawks defeated VCU 87-74 in the 5 of the Atlantic 10 tournament. DeAndre’ Bembry was the game’s high scorer with 30 points on 13-for-16 shooting. The Bearcats, meanwhile, are coming off a 104-97 loss to Connecticut in the 2 of the American Athletic Conference tournament. Troy Caupain had a solid game, registering his second double-double of the season with 37 points and 10 rebounds.
Caupain has been on a tear for the Bearcats, averaging 21.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 2.4 three-pointers over the past five games.
Baskets could be hard to come by as Saint Joseph’s ranks 13th in the nation, allowing just 99.5 points per 100 possessions, while Cincinnati is second (93.7). Also, the Bearcats commit the 11th-fewest errors in the nation (TO% of 16.6%), while the gambling defense of the Hawks causes the 30th-most (opponents’ TO% of 16.4%).
The Hawks enter the game with records of 27-7 Straight Up (SU) and 22-11 Against The Spread (ATS). Saint Joseph’s is one of the most disciplined teams in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.49. Turning to the defensive side, opposing offenses have been stifled by the Hawks, allowing a field goal percentage of only .415.
Across the court, Cincinnati has a SU record of 22-10 and an ATS record of 14-16-1. The Bearcats rarely make costly errors handling the ball. They have the 33rd-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the country at 1.40. Cincinnati’s defense is one of the top in the nation, with opponents shooting only .390 from the field.
Saint Joseph’s and Cincinnati will be facing off for their first head-to-head game in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – Cin, ATS Winner – Cin
Notes
“Saint Joseph’s is 14-6 ATS in its last 20 games “.
“Saint Joseph’s is 16-4 SU in its last 20 games “.
“The total has gone OVER in 11 of Saint Joseph’s’s last 13 games “.
Ranked 13th, the Saint Joseph’s Hawks have one of the top defenses in the country, giving up just 99.5 points per 100 possessions. The Cincinnati Bearcats rank 86th in offense, scoring 109.9 points in the same number of possessions.
The Cincinnati Bearcats average a field goal percentage of 42.8% this season. The Saint Joseph’s Hawks have a solid 10-5 record in games where opponents have a FG% of 42.8% or greater.
The Saint Joseph’s Hawks rank higher based on their field goal percentage (105th) than their effective field goal percentage (128th). The Cincinnati Bearcats rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (230th) than their field goal percentage (239th).
Saint Joseph’s ranks 68th in assists, recording 15.1 per game. Cincinnati ranks 50th with 15.5 assists per game.
Cincinnati, the fifth-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 5.8 per game. Saint Joseph’s ranks lower at 176th with 3.4.
When it comes to offensive rebounds, Cincinnati ranks 20th. Saint Joseph’s ranks 18th in defensive rebounds.
Though Cincinnati is one of the best in the country in forcing turnovers with opponents averaging a TO% of 20.8% (ranked fifth), Saint Joseph’s is undefeated (1-0) when its TO% is 20.8% or greater.
