Midwest- Round One
Clemson Tigers (5) Vs. Villanova Wildcats (12)
Friday, March 21 @ 9:50 pm
The #22 Clemson Tigers (10- 6 ACC, 24- 9) finished third in the ACC and went to the finals of the conference tourney where they lost to UNC 86- 81. The Clemson squad is deep. Five players average 10 or more point per game and three have six or more rebounds per game. On defense, they average 9.9 SPG and 5.5 BPG.
Guard/forward K.C. Rivers (14.7 PPG, 6.4 RPG) tops all Tiger scorers. Along with being a 41% three-point shooter, he’s a sound defensive player. Forward/center Trevor Booker (11.2 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.9 BPG) hits 55% of his field goals, while forward James Mays (10.9 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.8 SPG) is a 48% shooter. Guard Cliff Hammonds (11.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 4.0 APG), who ably sets up plays, can take the ball to the basket or hit from outside.
The Villanova Wildcats (9- 9 Big East, 20 -12 overall) finished in eighth-place in the Big East. The Cats had a tough time finding consistency throughout most of the season. They have no seniors on their roster and enter the tournament for the most part untested.
Sophomore guard Scottie Reynolds (15.6 PPG, 3.3 APG) is the best player on the squad. Guard Dante Cunningham(10.4 PPG, 6.5 RPG) is the only other Nova player to average double-digits in scoring. The inside game is middling at best, with forwards Shane Clark (7.2 PPG, 4.3 RPG) and Antonio Pena (7.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG) contributing the most.
Although the Wildcats are considered a defensive team, they have not been able to stop opponents from beyond the arc. Villanova struggles without Reynolds in the game. Clemson looks to hold the upper paw in this battle between the Tigers and the Wildcats.
Free Tournament Pick
As for who to bet, small lean towards the more talented Clemson but the better bet is on the total. Although the number has gone up 3 points since the opener of 141, Over 144 still looks like a decent bet. Both of these clubs are athletic and will be more than happy to get in a track meet. With the spread sitting right around 6 that fits squarely into foul fest mode for added insurance.
Take Villanova & Clemson to go over the posted total of 144.
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