Pepperdine Game Preview: Waves Play Struggling Denver in Consolation Game
By Josh Horton
Nov 12, 2013; Berkeley, CA, USA; Denver Pioneers guard Cam Griffin (30) controls the ball against the California Golden Bears during the first half at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Pepperdine vs. Denver (Great Alaskan Shootout)
Game Time: 3:00 p.m. PST
TV: None
Radio: http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/pepperdine.portal?mode=link#
Team’s Records: Pepp – 4-2 – Den – 0-3
Leading Scorers: Pepp – Davis 17.5 – Den – Udofia 11.3
Leading Rebounders: Pepp – Lane 10.8 – Den – Griffin 5.0
Leading Distributors: Pepp – Major 5.8 – Den – Olson 3.7
Projected Starters:
Pepperdine
Jeremy Major
Malcolm Brooks
Malte Kramer
Stacy Davis
Brendan Lane
Denver
Jalen Love
Cam Griffin
Brett Olson
Chris Udofia
Drick Bernstine
After dropping its first game in the tournament to Green Bay yesterday, Pepperdine will take on Denver in a consolation round game.
Denver lost its opening round matchup to Tommy Amaker’s Harvard Crimson by a score of 68-60.
Denver was paced by junior guard Brett Olson, who scored a team high 16 points. The Pioneers were pounded on the glass and lost the rebounding battle to Harvard by 15 (23-38).
The Opponent
AP Poll: NR
Coaches Poll: NR
RPI: 210
KenPom: 128
Denver has dropped its last three games to quality opponents, and are hungry for its first victory of the season. The Pioneers were blown out at California, then lost by single-digits to both Stanford and of course Harvard.
The Pioneers under head coach Joe Scott play a slower brand of basketball. Scott’s ball club has been averaging 63.0 possessions per game, which ranks 327th in the NCAA. The Pioneers 53.5 points per game is ranked dead last in the NCAA.
Denver spreads the wealth on the offensive end of the ball, but expect to get a healthy dose of Chris Udofia and Cam Griffin when playing the Pioneers. The senior and junior guard are averaging 11.3 and 10.3 points respectively this season.
Key to the Game
Use its Size
The Pioneers are a very guard oriented team that lacks a great deal of size and overall depth in their front-court.
This plays right into the strength of the Waves, which is their frontcourt.
Expect Brendan Lane, Stacy Davis, and David Jesperson to get a plethora of looks down on the low block today.