Sizzling in the Spotlight: Bennett & Wesner's College Basketball Picks For … – VAVEL.com
Who said mid-major basketball isn’t important? Today on “Sizzling in the Spotlight,” VAVEL US’ Tyler Bennett and Peyton Wesner predict some of the biggest mid-major showdowns of the day.
1:30 PM EST
2-1 Belmont @ 2-0 Evansville (ESPN3)
***Spotlight Game
Coming In:
Belmont: 90-85 Win vs Western Kentucky
Evansville: 84-59 Win vs Marian
Players to Watch:
Belmont:
Craig Bradshaw (SR)
—14.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.0 APG, & 2.3 SPG.
Evansville:
D.J. Balentine (SR)
—-18.5 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 6.5 APG, & 1.0 BPG.
Bennett:
In one of the best mid-major contests of the 2015-16 season, the Evansville Purple Aces welcome the Belmont Bruins to town in what should be a game filled with a ton of offense. While Evan Bradds and Craig Bradshaw know how to put the ball in the net for the Bruins, D.J. Balentine is one of the premier scoring guards in the country, making the duel between him and Bradshaw can’t-miss television. On their home court, Evansville comes away victorious.
—Evansville 88, Belmont 83
Wesner:
Not only will two of the most talented mid-majors of the 2015-2016 season take the floor this afternoon at the Ford Center, but two of the most prolific scorers in Belmont’s Craig Bradshaw and Evansville’s D.J. Balentine. Last season on their home floor, the Bradshaw-less Bruins were dropped by the Purple Aces for their first home loss of the season. Time for some revenge! Although Marty Simmons’ squad has 6’11” Egidijus Mockevicius manning the middle, Evan Bradds will pull the big man away from the paint with his accurate shooting from outside, which will lead to Bradshaw and Taylor Barnette to getting to the rim for two. While “Giddy” has the potential to dominate on the offensive end, he gets flustered easy causing him to miss some of the easiest shots in basketball. There is a reason this matchup is our “spotlight game,” so tune into ESPN3 and enjoy an exciting game.
—Belmont 82, Evansville 67
2:00 PM EST
North Carolina @ Northern Iowa (ESPN3)
William & Mary @ Dayton
Southern Illinois @ Sam Houston State
4:00 PM EST
Ohio vs Norfolk State
—Consolation Semi-Final of Paradise Jam
6:30 PM EST
Florida State vs DePaul
—Consolation Semi-Final of Paradise Jam
7:30 PM EST
Cleveland State @ Rhode Island
—Cancun Challenge
8:00 PM EST
UMKC @ Drake
Western Illinois @ Eastern Illinois
8:30 PM EST
Chattanooga @ Illinois (BTN)
—Emerald Coast Classic
10:30 PM EST
New Mexico @ USC (PAC 12)
Standings:
1. Wesner 58 pts (55-22)
2. Bennett 58 pts (54-23)
***The Spotlight Game is worth two points while the rest are only worth one.
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