The Hall of Fame Tip-off NCAA Basketball tournament features Saint Louis, Miami, Providence, and Maryland. All are competitive teams who hope to win the event.
While the Hall of Fame Tip-Off won’t get the attention of the Maui Invitational or maybe the PK85 tournaments, the matchups and teams are extremely intriguing on a national NCAA Basketball level. Miami and Providence are both coming off of very good seasons and successful NCAA Tournament runs.
Saint Louis has high hopes for their season and could have one of their best teams in a long time. Maryland is a huge brand with a coach in year one that is looking to overachieve. All four teams have their own versions of expectations, but this weekend could potentially move those expectations.
Saint Louis looks to make a name for itself against a high-ceiling Maryland team
TV Schedule: Saturday, Nov. 19 – 1:00 p.m., ESPN News
There were more than just a couple things wrong with Maryland last season. Mark Turgeon had been on the hot seat for quite some time and some of the losses they had in the off-season certainly didn’t help the cause. Even when Danny Manning took over as the interim coach, it felt like Maryland’s talent wasn’t being used in the correct way and their players hadn’t quite developed to the point where they maybe should’ve.
Enter Kevin Willard. Willard’s resumé when it comes to postseason results wasn’t the strongest. However, he develops talent and he recruits the DMV extremely well. Both of those traits are looking like they will continue at Maryland. Julian Reese looks to have taken a massive jump in Willard’s new system as he was one of the players that were destined to benefit from a change. The Terrapins have also gotten quality play out of transfer guard Jahmir Young. This team isn’t super big, but if Donta Scott and Reese can rebound effectively as undersized players, Maryland’s smaller lineups could be nightmares to defend.
Saint Louis might as well be the polar opposite team from Maryland when it comes to the type of program and where they’re at. The Billikens are hoping to have their best season and snag a single-digit seed for the first time since 2014 and they certainly have the roster to do it.
Yuri Collins has proven to be one of the best point guards in the country early on, as his passing seems to have only gotten better. Collins also led the team with 22 points in a quality win over Memphis on Tuesday. Gibson Jimerson is a name that is flying under the radar right now as an elite shooter. Jimerson has an extremely quick release which is beneficial when you play with a guard that sees the floor as well as Collins.
In addition to those two, Javonte Perkins is back from an injury and despite not playing great against Memphis, has looked very solid in his first couple of games back. For the Billikens, their ceiling might depend on what kind of impact they can get from their role players. Javon Pickett has played really well early and could be a glue guy to watch out for.
The Terrapins have looked as good as their fans could have hoped so far, but Saint Louis’ fast-paced attack should get it done on Saturday.
Prediction: Saint Louis 77, Maryland 71
Providence and Miami face off after nearly meeting in the Elite Eight last season
TV Schedule: Saturday, Nov. 19 – 4:00 p.m., ESPN News
New faces, same games. That’s the story of Providence’s early games so far. While the Friars are 3-0 (to nobody’s surprise), they have dropped all the way down to 61 in KenPom. Ed Cooley’s squad trailed Rider by double digits in their opener but fought back to win by one. Against Northeastern and Stonehill, they weren’t very efficient either. However, Providence defied metrics all of last season and they could be poised to do it again.
The Friars have been going with a lineup of three transfers and two returners, and one of those transfers has been their best player thus far. Bryce Hopkins, a former highly-ranked recruit and Kentucky transfer, is averaging nearly 15 points and eight rebounds per game to start the season. If Hopkins can keep this up, he’d be a key complement to Jared Bynum, who hasn’t quite gotten going yet.
However, Hopkins has gotten some major help. Providence has six players averaging double figures right now and their frontcourt is doing a tremendous job filling in for Nate Watson. Clifton Moore and Ed Croswell are both making an impact scoring the ball, but also by protecting the rim and rebounding. Another transfer, Noah Locke, has been a dependable shooter on the wing to help the floor spacing for the Friars as he’s leading the team in three-point percentage.
On the other hand, we’ll see how Providence handles the depth of Miami’s guards. Not only does Isiah Wong return for the Canes, but Nijel Pack has All-American potential in Jim Larrañaga’s system. Miami also has depth at the guard spot. Bensely Joseph was out last season with an injury and is back at full strength. Many people also expect Wooga Poplar to have a mini breakout season as a sophomore.
Miami’s frontcourt will definitely be their weak spot, but if the Canes can play to the style they want to, it might not end up being a weak spot at all. Without Sam Waardenburg, it made all the sense in the world for the Hurricanes to go small. As reported in the preseason, Miami is playing Arkansas State transfer Norchad Omier as a small ball five. While this could cause some problems on the glass in some games, so far, it is working as Omier is averaging a double-double. This style also allows Miami to spread the floor better than most.
Providence is not a small team, so this is a classic case of guards vs. bigs. Miami exposed Auburn like this in the tournament, but Ed Cooley has a longer time to prep for this game. He can come up with a game plan that allows Providence’s length to counter Miami’s speed.
Prediction: Providence 67, Miami 64
Day two of the event
Championship: Sunday, Nov. 20 – 1:00 p.m., ESPN OR ESPN2
Consolation: Sunday, Nov. 20 – 3:30 p.m., ESPNU
While Providence might be able to counter Miami’s speed with length, it will be tougher for them against a Saint Louis team that not only is good in transition but plays really well together in the half-court. Saint Louis will also be able to rebound much better than Miami, even while being undersized.
Championship Prediction: Saint Louis over Providence
In the third-place game, Miami will be a really tough scout without a day off no matter if it is Maryland or Saint Louis. Maryland’s backcourt could really struggle with the guards that Miami can put out there and playing against speed without any rest is a difficult ask.
Consolation Prediction: Miami over Maryland