Sunday, January 4, 2015

PW's College Basketball Predictions for January 4

 By Peyton Wesner

12:00 PM EST-ESPN-NEWS/ESPN3
7-5 (0-1) UCF
at 10-4 (1-0) Temple

Team Resumés

7-5 (0-1) UCF
Solid Wins:
-None Currently
"Never Should Have Happened" Losses:
-Illinois-Chicago 71-60 (Road)
-Florida Atlantic 54-41 (Home)
Last Game:
-Loss to Tulsa 56-54 (Home)
Key Players:
---#1 B.J. Taylor (FR) 
-13.5 PPG, 3.0 RPG, & 2.5 APG.
---#10 Adonys Henriquez (FR
-11.8 PPG, 3.6 RPG & 2.6 APG.
---#22 Brandon Goodwin (SO) 
8.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG, & 3.8 APG. 

10-4 (1-0) Temple
Solid Wins:
-Louisiana Tech 82-75 (Home)
-La Salle 58-57 (in Philadelphia)
-#10 Kansas 77-52 (Home)
Losses Against Unranked Opponents:
-UNLV 57-50 in Consolation Championship of Coaches Vs Cancer Classic.
-Saint Joseph's 58-56 (Road)
Last Game:
-Win Against Connecticut in Overtime 57-53 (Road)
Key Players:
---#3 Jesse Morgan (SR)
-16.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG, & 2.3 APG.
---#25 Quenton DeCosey (JR)
-14.2 PPG, 3.9 RPG, & 1.7 APG. 
---#2 Will Cummings (SR)
-13.7 PPG, 5.1 RPG, & 4.1 APG.

Prediction: 
Whoever this Jesse Morgan kid is, who transfered from Massachusetts, he is a very good player. Without him I am 100% positive Temple would not have beaten tenth ranked Kansas nor UConn. Morgan fits perfectly into the Owls system, which gives him ample opportunities to touch the ball and make plays whwn he feels he has the chance. Also, with Morgan's emergence, Temple now has a trio of good guards with DeCosey and Cummings. Can UCF's young guards of Taylor, Henriquez, and Goodwin defeat a hot Temple team that has won their last four games? Last Wednesday on New Years Eve, the Knights erased a fifteen point lead behind seventeen points from Adonys Henriquez just to lose 56-53 to AAC newcomer Tulsa. If you are wondering how Goodwin and Taylor did, they both struggled and shot four for thirteen (Taylor 3 for 11, Goodwin 1 for 2) while combining for just nine points. This afternoon, I believe that Morgan, DeCosey, and Cummings will all have double-digit performances while Taylor and Henriquez will both struggle from the field as the Temple Owls put a Philly beatdown on the Knights.
---Temple 69, UCF 53

8:30 PM EST-BIG 10 NETWORK
13-1 (1-0) 4. Wisconsin
at 10-4 (1-0) Northwestern

Team Resumés

13-1 (1-0) 4. Wisconsin
Solid Wins:
-Georgetown 68-65 in Battle 4 Atlantis Semi-Final.
-Oklahoma 69-56 in Battle 4 Atlantis Championship
-Marquette 49-38 (Road)
-California 68-56 (Road)
Only Loss:
-#4 Duke 80-70 (Home) ACC/Big 10 Challenge
Last Game:
-Won Against Penn State 89-72 (Home)
Key Players:
---#44 Frank Kaminsky (SR) 
-16.6 PPG, 8.4 RPG, & 2.1 APG.
---#10 Nigel Hayes (SO) 
-12.6 PPG & 7.4 RPG.
---#15 Sam Dekker (JR) 
-12.4 PPG & 4.4 RPG.
---#12 Traevon Jackson (SR)
-9.4 PPG, 1.8 RPG, & 2.9 APG.

10-4 (1-0) Northwestern
Solid Wins:
-Elon 68-67 in Overtime (Home)
-Western Michigan 67-61 (Home)
"Never Should Have Happened" Losses:
-Central Michigan 80-67 (Home)
Last Game:
-Won Against Rutgers 51-47 (Home)
Key Players:
---#14 Tre Demps (JR)
-11.8 PPG, 3.6 RPG, & 2.2 APG.
---#20 Bryant McIntosh (FR)
-11.7 PPG, 2.6 RPG, & 4.9 APG.
---#22 Alex Olah (JR)
-10.4 PPG, 7.1 RPG, & 1.9 APG.

Prediction:
Really? I mean really is there any way that Northwestern will win this game? I don't think so unless someone puts an actually lid on Wisconsin's basket. Okay, down to business, I feel like the Badgers have a better team on both ends of the floor and that Olah will not be able to handle Kaminsky down in the paint. This one could get ugly so if their is any competitive moments at the beginning of the game, enjoy it because those moments could go by quick.
---Wisconsin 84, Northwestern 54

10:00 PM EST-ESPNU
11-2 (0-1) 21. Washington
at 9-3 (1-0) Stanford

Team Resumés

11-2 (0-1) Washington
Solid Wins:
-UTEP 68-65 in Championship of Wooden Legacy.
-#13 San Diego State 49-36 (Home)
-#15 Oklahoma 69-67 (in Las Vegas)
"Never Should Have Happened" and Only Loss:
-Stony Brook 62-57 (Home)
Last Game:
-Loss to California 81-75 (Away)
Key Players:
---#5 Nigel Williams-Goss (SO)
-14.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, & 6.8 APG.
---#12 Andrew Andrews (JR)
-11.8 PPG, 4.4 RPG, & 2.2 APG.
---#24 Robert Upshaw (JR)
-11.2 PPG, 7.5 RPG, & 4.6 BPG.
---#40 Shawn Kemp Jr. (SR)
-9.8 PPG & 4.2 RPG.

9-3 (1-0) Stanford
Solid Wins:
-UNLV 89-60 in Semi-Final of the Coaches Vs. Cancer Classic.
-#9 Texas 74-71 (Road)
"Never Should Have Happened" Losses:
-DePaul 87-72 (Home)
Last Game:
-Win Against Washington State 71-56 (Home)
Key Players:
---#5 Chasson Randle (SR)
-18.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG, & 2.5 APG.
---#4 Stefan Nastic (SR)
-14.5 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.9 APG, & 1.3 BPG.
---#21 Anthony Brown (SR)
-13.9 PPG, 7.1 RPG, & 2.8 APG.

Prediction:
This is my PAC-12 Matchup of the night for various reasons but the big one is because it is a great matchup with good guards. Weirdly both teams are trending in opposite directions as Stanford is on a three-game winning streak while Washington is on a two-game losing streak. I really look forward to seeing if Stanford's experience can continue to play be an advantage against a Washington team with a little more youth and talent than Washington State (Stanford's Last Opponent). Lastly, which point guard is better UW's Nigel Williams-Goss or Stanford's Chasson Randle? Williams-Goss is one of my "Sophomore Studs" that can score the ball at will but also can do the other things like rebound and score. Chasson Randle is a bit different and is just a straight up score first point guard that can drop thirty points on any given night. Tonight I feel like Randle, Brown, and Nastic will combine for 45+ points while leading the Cardinal to 2-0 conference record to begin the year.
---Stanford 74, Washington 70

PW's Prediction Record after Saturday: 45-25 (5-2 in the MVC) 

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