For the first time ever, the Winthrop Eagles and Manhattan Jaspers will square off on Tuesday morning. These teams have had roles as mid-major darlings in the NCAA Tournament in the past, but lately neither has been able to break through. However, Winthrop was close once again last season in HC Pat Kelsey’s fourth season and will look to make that long awaited return trip to the dance when this season tips off.
Don’t miss the hardwood action from Draddy Gymnasium at 8:45 a.m. ET on Tuesday, November 15, 2016. Catch every moment of the game live on ESPN2.
College Basketball Odds at BookMaker.eu
Winthrop went 23-9 in regular season play last season but missed out on the postseason following a loss in the Big South Final to UNC Asheville. The Eagles had six of their seven games go under the total though and that was good for bettors.
The Jaspers were a very middle of the road side on both the spread and the total. Manhattan was 14-14 ATS and there was a slight lean toward the under with 15 of 28 games finishing under the number.
Key Stat
Few teams were as high scoring as Winthrop was last season and this team likes to run, run, run. The Eagles had three players average at least 15 PPG and two of those three return for at least one more season.
Keon Johnson might be small, but can light up the scoreboard with his jumper. The 5’7 160 lb guard from Ohio hoisted a load of threes last season, 198 in total, and hit an impressive 39.4 percent of his chances. In addition to that he was able to succeed on the boards by averaging 4.2 rebounds a game. He will likely be on the floor 35 minutes a game in his senior season but his production makes it hard for him to come off the court.
The other returning standout for Winthrop will be Xavier Cooks. Cooks took a major step forward in his second season and was able to contribute in multiple phases of the game. He hit 51.8 percent of his shots, almost 40 percent of his threes, and averaged over 7 rebounds a game. He is able to play the wing or drive down low depending upon who he’s matched up on and that makes him very tough to stop.
Player to Watch
Rich Williams was the Jaspers’ second-leading scorer last season but the number of points he put in varied wildly from week to week. His point totals are all over the place and now that he is the team’s top guy he needs to show a lot more consistency.
On the whole, Williams is a solid shooter, but the streakiness can kill this team and lead to some inexplicable losses. A good indicator of what kind of night he will have though is how often he gets to the line. When he can get to the line and deliver, he typically shoots better and the Jaspers have a much better chance of winning.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
The over might be a good play here. Winthrop likes to run and gun and Manhattan is likely to let them. The Jaspers have played 14 of their last 16 non-conference games over the total and will get in a shooting match with a high-scoring team if it can.
If there’s a factor against the over it’s the time of the game. Many college students don’t wake up until well past 9 a.m. and the time of the tip-off will likely have an effect on more than one person. The good news for this is that each team has a few days after its first game to adjust its sleep cycles and for what will likely be the most watched game either play the thought of putting on a bad show will motivate each side enough to score.
College Basketball Odds: Winthrop 88, Manhattan 81
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