The Big 5 Classic is a basketball matchup between the big five Philadelphia schools. The Drexel Dragons are playing La Salle on Saturday, December 6th.
Saint Joseph’s vs Temple
If La Salle-Drexel is about toughness and survival, Temple-Saint Joseph’s is about identity. Both teams sit right around .500, both have played brutally tough stretches early, and both have numbers that say “we are better than what our record shows.” This game is a chance for each side to prove that their best version is the real one. On one side, Temple brings a hyper-efficient three-headed scoring attack and one of the best free-throw profiles in the city. On the other hand, Saint Joseph’s counters with strong guard-play, rebounding, and a relentless downhill mentality that lives at the rim.
Temple Owls:
The Temple offense operates through a balanced, highly efficient trio that is composed of Derrian Ford, Aiden Tobiason, and Jordan Mason – the engines behind the Owls’ 76.4 points per game. Ford leads the way with 16.3 points per game, attacking the rim relentlessly and converting at an excellent 83 percent clip from the free-throw line. Tobiason has been the model of efficiency, shooting 50 percent from the field and nearly 39 percent from three, while Mason provides steady scoring and playmaking, sitting second on the team with 29 assists.
What Temple does best is simple: they score efficiently and get to the free-throw line more than any Big 5 team. The Owls average a staggering 19 made free throws per game, creating offense even on nights when their perimeter shot is not falling. They also protect the ball exceptionally well, turning it over just 8.6 times per game, which allows them to control tempo and prevent opponents from generating transition points.
However, the Owls’ glaring weakness is on the defensive end. Opponents are shooting 47.5 percent from the field and nearly 38 percent from three – numbers far too high for Temple to survive against strong offensive teams. Their defensive inconsistency was on full display in their losses to Boston College, UC San Diego, and Villanova, where long stretches of poor coverage and slow rotations buried them early.
So what do the Owls need to do to win? First, they must defend the perimeter with purpose. Saint Joe’s is shooting just 25.6 percent from deep, but Temple cannot allow this to be a “get right” game for the Hawks’ shooters, who have the capability of being better than their current three-point percentage. Second, they need Ford and Tobiason attacking downhill, forcing the Saint Joe’s defense to collapse and opening opportunities for Gavin Griffiths and AJ Smith on the perimeter. Finally, controlling the glass is critical – Temple is even with opponents at 33 rebounds per game, and cannot afford to give the Hawks extra possessions.
If Temple plays disciplined defense and leans into their efficient scoring, they have the tools to come away with the win.
Saint Joseph’s Hawks:
Saint Joseph’s enters this matchup with one of the most balanced statistical profiles in the Big 5. The Hawks score 77 points per game, out-rebound opponents by four per game, and boast the best free-throw shooting mark in the city at 79.6 percent. Their offense is driven by Deuce Jones II, Derek Simpson, and Jaiden Glover-Toscano, a trio that combines for over 40 points per game and sets the tone with aggressive drives and physical play.
Jones has emerged as the primary scorer after transferring in from LaSalle, averaging 17 points per game while getting to the line at a high volume. Simpson has been one of the more efficient players on the team, shooting 50 percent from the field and adding 5.4 rebounds per game, an impressive number for a guard. Glover-Toscano provides shot creation on the wing and leads the team in three-point makes, despite the Hawks’ early-season struggles from beyond the arc.
SJU’s biggest strength, however, lies in its physicality and rim protection. The Hawks block 5.6 shots per game, led by Justice Ajogbor (two blocks a game). Their ability to use size to disrupt shots has masked their defensive weaknesses on the perimeter, where opponents are shooting 34 percent from three. SJU also boasts a deep arsenal of guards that they can rotate in and out, while still getting high production from the position.
But the Hawks’ flaws are significant. They turn the ball over 13.1 times per game, often due to playing too fast or making poor decisions. Their outside shooting – just 25.6 percent as a team – has put extra pressure on Jones and Simpson to manufacture offense in the paint. Against a Temple team that scores efficiently and protects the ball, Saint Joe’s cannot afford careless possessions.
So what does Saint Joe’s need to do to win? First, dominate the glass. Their 41.3 rebounds per game is one of their greatest strengths, and they must turn offensive rebounds into high-percentage second-chance points. Second, they need to attack Temple’s vulnerable defense, putting pressure on Ford and Mason to defend without fouling. Also, the Hawks must avoid long droughts caused by ill-advised threes, as their best offense comes when the ball touches the paint before finding shooters. Lastly, to pull out a win, the Hawks must lean on Deuce Jones to carry the offensive load.
If Saint Joe’s plays to its physical, fast, and aggressive identity, they will make life difficult for Temple on both ends.
This game has all the makings of a great matchup. Temple is the more efficient offensive team and excels at controlling possessions, while Saint Joseph’s has the rebounding edge and a defensive presence around the basket that Temple has struggled with this season.
In the end, it may come down to which weakness cracks first: Temple’s defense or Saint Joseph’s shooting.
Prediction: Saint Joseph’s pulls away late in a competitive battle, winning 78-74.
Villanova vs University of Pennsylvania
Villanova finds itself back in a familiar spot: playing like the top dog of the Big 5. At 6-1, with six straight wins and a series of comfortable margins, the Wildcats are starting to look more like the Villanova program everyone has come to know and expect – disciplined, efficient, and brutally physical on the glass. The Wildcats’ only loss this season came against BYU with top NBA prospect AJ Dybantsa. Penn, meanwhile, comes in at 5–3 with one of the most explosive offenses in the city, headlined by a star wing in Ethan Roberts and a do-everything forward in TJ Power. The Quakers already own wins over Saint Joseph’s, Drexel, and La Salle, and they have done it by putting points on the board in bunches. On paper, this is a clash between Villanova’s size, depth, and rebounding and Penn’s spacing and shot-making. In reality, it may come down to whether Penn can survive the Wildcats’ relentless physicality for a full 40 minutes.
Villanova Wildcats:
Villanova’s profile is as intimidating as it looks. The Wildcats average 82.0 points per game and outscore opponents by over 15 points per night, but it’s how they get there that makes them so hard to handle. They shoot 47.5 percent from the field, knock down over 10 threes a game at 36.4 percent, and share the ball at a high level with nearly 17 assists per contest. Just as important, they own the glass in a dominant fashion, posting 39.6 rebounds per game and a staggering +11.3 rebounding margin. Opponents are being held to just 28.3 boards a night, and that gap often breaks games open before halftime.
The offense is spearheaded by Bryce Lindsay, who has stepped into a leading role and thrived. Lindsay averages 18.1 points per game, shooting just under 50 percent from the field and a scorching 45.1 percent from three on high volume. Next to him, Acaden Lewis has emerged as the engine at guard, putting up 13.3 points and 5.6 assists per game while shooting over 51 percent from the floor. On the wing, Tyler Perkins adds 12.1 points and 5.0 rebounds, spacing the floor at a 40 percent clip from deep and providing a strong, physical presence on both ends.
The frontcourt is anchored by Duke Brennan, who may be the biggest matchup problem Penn faces. Brennan averages 10.8 points and an absurd 13.3 rebounds per game, cleaning up the glass on both ends and punishing smaller lineups. Matt Hodge chips in 11.1 points and 4.1 rebounds, giving Villanova another versatile forward who can stretch the floor and attack closeouts. From there, the Wildcats roll out waves: Devin Askew as an experienced scoring guard, Malachi Palmer and Tafara Gapare adding length and activity off the bench, as well as constant pressure on the rim and the glass.
Defensively, Villanova’s numbers are just as imposing. Opponents score only 66.9 points per game and, while they actually shoot a strong 41.2 percent from three, they struggle to generate enough total possessions or clean looks inside to keep pace. The Wildcats turn teams over 12.9 times per game, own a positive turnover margin, and rarely beat themselves. The one statistical crack is that three-point defense: teams are hitting from deep, and Penn is not the group you want to give clean looks to.
For Villanova to win this matchup, the formula is familiar. They need to pound the glass and force the Quakers to defend through multiple actions and bodies, wearing them down over time. Offensively, if Lindsay and Perkins establish themselves early, and Brennan controls the paint the way he has all season, Villanova can dictate tempo and force Penn into playing from behind -where the Wildcats’ discipline and half-court execution become overwhelming.
Penn Quakers:
Penn arrives with a very different but equally dangerous identity. The Quakers are averaging 81.9 points per game, outscoring opponents by around five a night and shooting 45.2 percent from the field and a blistering 39.8 percent from three. They hit eight threes per game, get to the line at a high clip, averaging 19.1 made free throws, and rebound well enough – 39.1 boards per game, with a small positive margin – to survive against bigger teams. When the offense is flowing, Penn looks like a team that can beat anyone in the building.
Everything starts with Ethan Roberts, who has made the leap into true star status. Roberts averages 20.3 points per game, shooting 42.0 percent from the field and a blistering 44.7 percent from three. He’s the primary scorer and late-clock option. Alongside him, TJ Power has been equally vital, putting up 15.6 points and a team-leading 7.9 rebounds per game, while knocking down 40 percent of his threes. Power’s ability to stretch the floor and still battle on the glass gives Penn the matchup flexibility it has not always had.
Around that core, the Quakers feature a deep supporting cast. Forward Michael Zanoni, who averages 10.6 points per game is a lethal shooter at 40.5 percent from three, and his gravity is essential to Penn’s spacing. Dalton Scantlebury brings physicality inside, averaging 8.1 points and 5.5 rebounds on 60.5 percent shooting, while Augustus Gerhart adds 5.9 points and 6.8 rebounds as another strong interior presence. Off the bench, Cam Thrower, who provides seven points per game, has shown efficient scoring and strong outside shooting, and AJ Levine has functioned as a connector with 28 assists, helping keep the offense organized.
Defensively, Penn has not been elite, but they have been good enough. Opponents score 77.1 points per game on 43.3 percent shooting, and while teams are only hitting 30.7 percent from three, they are scoring effectively enough inside to keep games tight. Penn’s turnover numbers are basically neutral – 12.4 per game, with opponents at 12.3 – and their assist-to-turnover ratio sits at 1.2:1, mirroring their opponents. What they do extremely well, however, is compete on the glass against bigger frontcourts, and they will need every bit of that toughness to handle Brennan, Perkins, Hodge, and Villanova’s relentless rebounding.
For Penn to have a real chance here, a few things have to go right. Roberts and Power need to play like the best duo in the gym, and not just on the stat sheet – that means efficient scoring, drawing fouls, and forcing Villanova’s defenders into tough decisions in space. The Quakers also have to win the three-point battle, both in accuracy and volume; if they can continue to shoot near 40 percent from deep while limiting Villanova’s rhythm from behind the arc, they can tilt the game in their favor. Just as importantly, Penn must hold their own on the boards. They do not have to win the rebounding battle outright, but they cannot afford to be crushed on the glass the way so many of Villanova’s opponents have been. Finally, they must protect the ball. Empty possessions – especially live-ball turnovers – will fuel Villanova’s transition and energize a Wildcats team that already has the crowd and momentum.
This matchup is a study in contrast: Villanova’s size, discipline, and interior dominance versus Penn’s shooting, spacing, and star-driven offense. The Quakers absolutely have the firepower to hang around and make this interesting, especially if Roberts and Power get loose early and force Villanova to chase on the perimeter. But over 40 minutes, the Wildcats’ advantages on the glass and their ability to create high-percentage looks possession after possession are hard to ignore.
Prediction: Villanova leans on its rebounding and depth to pull away late, taking this one 82–73.
The Big 5 Men’s Classic is this Saturday, Dec. 6 at the Xfinity Mobile Arena. The fifth-place game will begin at 2 pm where Drexel will take on La Salle. The third-place game will begin at 4:30 pm where St. Joe’s will take on Temple. And finally, the championship game will kick off at 7:30 pm, where Villanova will take on the University of Pennsylvania.