VMI @ Wofford preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 14, 2019 ) VMI 84, Wofford 95

Top-seeded Wofford, which is riding a 17-game winning streak, begins its play in the Southern Conference tournament in Asheville, N.C. on Saturday with a quarterfinal matchup against eighth-seeded Virginia Military Institute. The 22nd-ranked Terriers are coming off an 85-64 win at Samford last Saturday that completed a perfect regular season in conference play, while the Keydets advanced on Friday with their fourth straight win, a 96-83 victory over Western Carolina in the opening game of the tournament.

Fletcher Magee - the Southern Conference Player of the Year - leads the offensive attack for Wofford coach Mike Young as he averages 20.7 points and is coming off a season-high 36 in the win over Samford. Cameron Jackson averages 14.5 points and 7.5 rebounds while Nathan Hoover (13 points) provides another outside shooting threat as he is shooting 44.1 percent from 3-point range. Bubba Parham (20.8 points) edged out Magee for the conference scoring title and leads the Keydets with 3.5 assists per contest. Coach Dan Earl hopes to receive the same defensive effort his team produced the first time it faced Wofford this season, when Magee was held to five points on 1-of-9 shooting - although he bounced back with 18 in the rematch three weeks ago.

TV: Noon ET, CW62

ABOUT VMI (11-20, 4-14 Southern): When a big upset happens in conference tournaments, it often is powered by a hot scorer, which is why VMI feels it has a puncher's chance against the Terriers. Parham scored 41 points in Friday's win over Western Carolina, the third time he recorded at least 30 in his last four contests, and registered 30 in the Keydets' loss at Wofford on Feb. 14. But the rest of VMI's players can't wait around for Parham to take over, especially with the Terriers likely to be focusing on stopping him, and big shooting performances from Garrett Gilkeson (10.9 points, 46 3-pointers) and Sarju Patel (9.9, 42) would help open up the floor for the Keydets.

ABOUT WOFFORD (26-4, 18-0): The Terriers already are favored to win the conference tournament, but they also have the advantage of depth as they face the possibility of three games in as many days. Young likes to say he has 11 starters, and the Terriers' reserves usually will maintain or even increase a lead when they take the court, allowing Young the benefit of being able to rest his starters more often than most coaches as only Magee (31.3 minutes) averages over 28 minutes. Young likely will try to get his starting five as much rest as possible in the team's first two contests of the tournament so they'll be fresh for Monday's championship game, assuming the Terriers advance that far.

TIP-INS

1. Magee leads the nation in made 3-pointers (139) and 3-pointers per game (4.63) while ranking second in free-throw percentage (92.7 percent).

2. Wofford posted an 18-0 conference record, marking the first time a Southern Conference team has been undefeated since Davidson went 20-0 in 2007-08.

3. Hoover is two 3-pointers away from reaching 200 made 3-pointers for his career.

PREDICTION: Wofford 88, VMI 74