Tip off 8 PM EST
Spread: SH -12.5
Total: 145
M/L: SH -925, WAK +675
WAKE FOREST
Last season was absolutely miserable for the Demon Deacons, as they finished with a 8-24 record and won only 1 of their 16 in-conference games.
All indications are that things may be better this year. They have already won almost as many games as last season sitting at 6-3 and only lost by 8 to Richmond, while they beat Nebraska by 2. In the game against Richmond, Travis McKie exploded for 25 points on 10 of 17 shooting, while also recording 7 boards (3 offensive) and picking up a steal and a block. If he performs like that regularly, and gets more contributions from players other than C.J. Harris (who scored 18 in that loss), Wake could make even further strides.
But so far it has been mostly McKie and Harris. THe duo combine for an amazing 37.4 points per game, which is slightly more than half of Wake’s offensive output. McKie has scored 20 or more in 3 of the Demon Deacons last 4 games, and has scored over 20 in 5 games so far in total. In addition to the 25 point performance against Richmond, he also put up 25 in a 14 point win over North Carolina Central.
SETON HALL
Last year was a tough one for the Pirates, but this year has been quite the opposite. After going 13-18 last season, and losing to Rutgers in the first round over the Big East tournament, they have jumped out to an impressive 7-1 start, and bthey blewout Auburn on December 2nd. They also knocked off Cinderella story VCU by 15 in the second game of the year. Herb Pope and Justin Theodore both contributed 20 a piece in that game, and Fuquan Edwin chipped in 18 as well.
Pope has been very good so far, in fact. The 6’8″ senior is having his best collegiate season so far, by far, putting up 21.4 points per game while shooting 53.1% from the floor and pulling down 11.0 rebounds per night. Last season he did not even average a double double. Pope has had a rough life and it’s good to see him succeed after having been abandoned by his parents and having been in and out of jails. He’s not the most stable mentally because of all that, but he has talent, and could make the difference in pushing Seton Hall to an NCAA tournament berth this season.
Theodore is the floor general for the Pirates and is averaging 14.9 points per game and 7.6 assists. The diminutive guard scored 25 in the Pirates’ opener against Saint Francis, and he posted 20 in the impressive blowout win over VCU.
Edwin also has a couple more years to improve and has nearly doubled his scoring average from his freshman campaign, while seeing nearly 10 minutes more per game (34.4 this season). His three steals a game help ignite a lot of fast breaks and while he forces so many turnovers, he only commits 1.6 a game himself, which usually helps render him the top +/- player for the Pirates.
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