NCAA Basketball: 2018 Hall of Fame Belfast Classic preview and predictions
Who will win the Goliath bracket?
In the Goliath bracket, Milwaukee will take on Buffalo in the first game. Bulls and their 85.8 points per game and their ability to force turnovers facing a team that struggles to hold on to the ball makes this is a very tall task for the Panthers. The senior-laden Buffalo squad, led by Massinburg, Perkins, and Harris should have little problem getting by Milwaukee into the title game of this bracket.
Prediction: Buffalo
San Francisco and Stephen F. Austin will do battle for the right to play Buffalo in the championship game. The Dons are off to a strong start at 6-0 including a win over Ivy favorite Harvard. The Dons can score at a good clip and with five players averaging double figures, not only do they score a lot of points but they also do so efficiently, shooting 48%. On the flip side, the Lumberjacks score 69.2 per game, that along with committing 17.8 turnovers per game will make it hard for SFA to keep up with the Dons, because of that I think it will be San Francisco battling Buffalo for the title.
Prediction: San Francisco
In the consolation game, the Lumberjacks will take on the Milwaukee Panthers. In this game I see Stephen F. Austin’s Shannon Bogues taking over and leading the Lumberjacks to a victory. The big key in the game is the fact that Milwaukee shoots just 41.6% from the field, that along with the fact that SFA has the edge in experience should be enough to give the Lumberjacks a 3rd place finish.
Prediction: Stephen F. Austin
The title game pitting Buffalo and San Francisco should be another high-scoring contest where the first team to 75 may win the game. Both teams are averaging over 80 points per game and between the two teams, there are nine players that average at least 10 points per game.
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Given the difference in early-season schedules, the Bulls have been more battle-tested so far, with wins over NEC favorite Saint Francis (PA), an overtime win over nationally-ranked West Virginia, and another victory over a good Southern Illinois team, and that experience should carry them to the Goliath bracket title.
Prediction: Buffalo