Looking for its second win of the season, the William Woods University men's basketball team hits the road this weekend for the second of four regular season tournaments on the slate this year. WWU is set to take on tournament hosts Ashford University on Friday evening. The second game of the Ashford University Classic is set for an 8 p.m. tipoff, with the Owls to close out tournament action against Bellevue University on Saturday at 2 p.m.
The Matchups
William Woods brings a 1-4 record into the tournament action, and is the lone NAIA Division I school in the tournament. The Owls are led offensively by
Logan Decker, who averages 13.6 pts/gm. Despite their record, WWU has done well on the offensive side of the ledger, averaging just shy of 70 points per game on the year. WWU shoots the ball at a solid .405 clip on the year, with a .349 success rate from long range. The squad hasn't seen as much success from the free throw line, however, connecting on just 77 of 122 chances from the stripe for a .631 pace.
Ashford comes into the tournament with a 5-1 record on the year and is averaging 74.8 pts/gm. The Saints are powered offensively by DeAndre Lowery's 14.3 pts/gm, though they boast three players who are averaging 10 points or more per game. AU hits at a .441 clip for the year from the floor to go with a middling .318 clip from outside the arc. The Saints are strong from the free throw line, hitting at a .739 pace through six games.
Bellevue's concentrated offense has piloted the Bruins to a 3-2 record through five games, as they've averaged 73.8 pts/gm. Darius Robinson is shooting a team-high .507 from the floor as he averages 20.6 pts/gm on the year, with Dominique Grant just behind him with 15.4 pts/gm. Bellevue is shooting .443 from the floor and .417 from distance on the year, and is also hitting at a .740 pace from the charity stripe.
National Rankings
Despite struggling in the results column, the Owls find themselves in the national rankings in a number of categories. The Owls top out at 29th in offensive rebounds per game (12.8) and total rebounds (186) on the year, and rank 33rd in total points scored with 349. WWU is 35thi in 3-pt shooting defense, holding opponents to just a .313 clip on the year, while they rank 50th in 3-pt shooting on the year with a .349 pace. The Owls are 48th in assists (52) and 40th in steals (35) on the campaign as well.
Individually,
D.J. Hoskins's .727 three point accuracy rate is the third best in NAIA Division I.
Blake Burgess and
Roy McElroy are both among the top rebounders in the country, with Burgess 18th in total rebounds with 43 and 26th in rebounds per game with 8.6. On the offensive glass, Burgess is 20th in the nation, averaging 3.6 boards per game, with McElroy grabbing 3.0 for 42nd in the country.
Tournament Time
The Owls find themselves in a number of quick turnarounds on the season, as they will be taking part in four tournaments over the course of the season. This weekend marks the second one on the slate, with the Owls set to host the second annual Arris' College Basketball Classic on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1.
William Woods will welcome Columbia College, Lindenwood University-Belleville and Mid-Continent University to Anderson Arena in the second installment of the Owls fall tournament. WWU closes out the year at the Columbia College Cougars vs. Cancer Classic.
Quick Look - Ashford University
Ashford is coming off a 20-11 record in 2011-12, with a 12-6 mark in the Midwest Collegate Conference tied for second. The Saints have gotten off to a solid start this year, posting a 5-1 record through the opening part of the campaign. The record includes a 64-47 win over American Midwest Conference foe Benedictine University at Springfield.
The Saints have five players averaging nearly 10 points or better on the year, led by DeAndre Lowery's 14.3 pts/gm pace. Damon Overton (11.7) and Vesteinn Sveinsson (11.2) are also strong contributors on the year, with Overton shooting at a team-high .543 pace from the floor.
Austin Uhrig leads the Saints' rebounding charge, pulling down 7.0 boards per game. AU holds a slight edge (37.5-34.0) over its opponents on the year. Ashford is also very unselfish on the year, handing out 98 assists on 163 baskets.
Quick Look - Bellevue University
The Bruins dominated the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference last season, rolling to a 13-1 record and posting a 28-6 overall mark. The have opened the 2012-13 campaign with a 3-2 mark and have a focused offensive threat in Darius Robinson. He leads Bellevue, averaging 20.6 pts/gm on the year, shooting at a .507 pace from the floor.
While he is the main offensive threat for the Bruins, Robinson also has assistance from Dominique Grant and Jamil Goodwin, who add 15.4 pts/gm and 11.8 pts/gm respectively to Bellevue's average output of 73.8 points per game on the year. Bellevue also holds a slight (35.2-33.2) rebounding edge on its opponents, led by Goodwin's pace of 7.4/game.
Although the Bruins have a winning record on the year, they have been outscored by an average of 2.4 pts/gm, as the two losses on the slate have been by 17 (Dordt) and 14 (Cardinal Stritch) points, with their wins coming in smaller margins - seven (Tabor), 10 (Concordia) and two (Concordia-Mich.) - on the year.
