High Point at Winthrop 3/1/21 - College Basketball Picks & Predictions

The High Point Panthers will have their hands full when they go on the road to Winthrop Coliseum to take on the Winthrop Eagles in the Big South Quarterfinals. Winthrop closed off their regular-season as Big South Champions, winning their last four games after a home-slip up and finished 20-1 (17-1 conference). High Point has lost four straight heading into the tournament and finished the regular season 9-14 (6-11 conference) but won 65-60 to get past South Carolina Upstate.

Winthrop has been one of the most uptempo teams in the nation, coming in 6th in offensive possession length and 12th in adjusted tempo, and is averaging 79.2 points per game ranking 32nd in the nation in scoring offense. The Eagles are shooting 45.6% from the field, 90th in the nation, and 35.3% from beyond the arc, 103rd in the nation, and are very fundamentally sound.

The offense runs through senior forward Chandler Vaudrin, he leads the team in all three major categories with 12.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game. Vaurdrin was an all-conference player last year and very well could win Big South player of the year this season. Senior guard Adonis Adams is second in the team in scoring with 10.7 points and is second in assists with 1.8 per game.

High Point has struggled on the offensive end all season long averaging 67.2 points per game ranking 276th in the nation in scoring offense, they’re shooting a disappointing 42% from the field, 274th in field-goal percentage, and are making just 5 threes per game, the 9th least in the nation. 

Sophomore John-Michael Wright has carried this offense and is second in the conference in scoring averaging 20.9 points per game. His ability to stretch the floor has been great, shooting 35.3% from beyond the arc on over 6 attempts per game. Wright is second on the Panthers in rebounding with 5.2 and is dishing out a team-high 3.3 assists per game. Senior forward Lydell Elmore is second on the team with 11.2 points and pulling down a team-high 6.3 rebounds per game.

Winthrop’s up-tempo pace has led to them allowing 68.3 points per game ranking 122nd nationally in scoring defense. They’re 6th in the Big Sky in field-goal defense at 44.4% from the field and 7th in three-point defense but limit offensive rebounds, force turnovers, and are 1st in the Big South in KenPom adjusted defense. 

High Point has held teams to 69.3 points per game, 146th in scoring defense, and will have their hands full in this one against a potent Winthrop offense. High Point is 228th nationally in field-goal defense at 44.5% and 265th in three-point defense at 35.2%. The Panthers are 277th in KenPom adjusted defense.