Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic Championship Preview and Pick

It’s hard to keep track of all the Feast Work tournaments and events but over at the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic two talented teams will face off in the championship game, as the Univerity of San Francisco Dons takes on Wichita State. Both teams have had really good starts to the season so we’ll get into a preview of the game along with a best bet for the action.

San Francisco vs. Wichita State Game Preview

The Dons of San Francisco enter today’s championship game with a 5-0 record and fresh off their first-round win over Northern Iowa. It may be early but it looks like the Dons could be another team vying for a top spot in the WCC. Despite not shooting the ball at an incredibly high-level San Francisco is still averaging 76 points a game.

Khalil Shabazz is leading the Dons in scoring averaging 15.8 ppg as he is truly the focal point of the team. Big man Zane Meeks has been a huge presence down low leading the team in rebounds and blocks. Meeks has played a big factor in the Dons' ability to defend this season as they only allow 65 ppg. The defense was a huge reason for yesterday's win as they limited Northern Iowa to only 26 points in the second half.

San Francisco isn’t the only team in this tournament that plays stellar defense as it just so happens that their opponent this afternoon Wichita State has been one of the best defensive teams in the country. In their win yesterday the Shockers limited Grand Canyon to only 43 points in the entire game.

Entering this afternoon's game the Shockers are now only allowing an average of 54.3 points per game which is tied for 16th in the country. If not for that defense the Shockers might not have the solid early season record they do as they have shot the ball really poorly from the field and three-point range.

As of today, the Shockers are only shooting 23.5% from three and have relied on Craig Porter Jr. to carry them on offense. Porter Jr. leads the team in scoring, assists, rebounds, steals, and blocks so it’s safe to say he’s an integral part of the team.

Pick for the Game

The Shockers opened as -1.5 point favorites but that number is down to only -.5 in most sportsbooks. The bet I’ll be targeting in this one though is the under of 136.5 points. Neither team has been shooting the ball well at all so they both know the key to victory is on the defensive end.

The over is a combined 1-7 so far this season for both teams and I don’t expect that trend to change today. San Francisco can focus most of its efforts on stopping Porter Jr. and make the rest of the team prove that they can score. Even if the Shockers shoot it better than yesterday this game should still go under.

Both of the Dons' big scoring games this season came against far inferior opponents, when they play someone who can match them defensively it has resulted in a low-scoring affair. The Shockers love to slow the pace of play down and I think they will look to do that again today against this San Francisco team who likes to get out in transition a bit.