Saint Joseph's students cheer on the Hawks during the championship game of the inaugural Big 5 Classic on December 2, 2023. (Photo: Wells Fargo Center)
By AARON BRACY
September 25, 2024
The Big 5 Classic got another boost with Monday’s announcement that the Tri-State Toyota Dealers Association is the title sponsor in a three-year deal that follows the news in June that the event will remain at the Wells Fargo Center at least through 2026. The WFC hosted the first-ever one-day, winner-take-all Big 5 tripleheader last season.
Now known as the Toyota Big 5 Classic, the second annual men’s event will be held on Saturday, December 7, 2024, with a tripleheader featuring all six Big 5 teams – Drexel, La Salle, Penn, Saint Joseph’s, Temple and Villanova. Toyota also signed on as the sponsor for the first-ever women’s event, to be held on Friday, December 6, 2024, at Villanova. Officials also announced that tickets for the event are now on sale HERE.
In light of Monday’s announcement, Big5Hoops.com kicked off a five-part series on the Big 5 on Monday that features the following:
–Monday: A look back at the inaugural Big 5 Classic last season
–Tuesday: Toyota’s Paul Muller on why the event is a good fit
–Wednesday: Wells Fargo Center’s Mike Sulkes on expectations for this year’s event
–Today: A close look at the matchups this year
–Friday: Big 5 mailbag
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The Big 5 matchup between Villanova and Saint Joseph’s is always a highly anticipated one every year. This year, though, the game between the Catholic school rivals is heightened even more because the Hawks beat Villanova last season and because both teams are expected to be very good this season.
Below is a capsule look at the Hawks-Wildcats game and each of the six preliminary round pod matchups. The top teams of each pod will meet in a winner-take-all Big 5 championship game on Saturday, December 7 at Wells Fargo Center.
POD 1
Villanova at Saint Joseph’s
When: Tuesday, November 12, 5 p.m.
Where: Hagan Arena
Series: Villanova leads 65-26
Last season: At the Pavilion on November 29, 2023, Erik Reynolds II and Xzayvier Brown combined for 40 points and nine 3-pointers to lead the Hawks to a 78-65 upset of No. 18 Villanova. “To have this opportunity, it’s God-given, that’s the only thing I can say,” Hawks coach Billy Lange said of earning a spot in the first-ever Big 5 title game by going 2-0 in their pod. Rasheer Fleming added 12 points and 11 rebounds for St. Joe’s, which held the Wildcats to 27 percent (10 of 37) from long range. Justin Moore scored 17 points and Eric Dixon chipped in 14 for Villanova.
Key matchup: The Hawks return many of the same players who experienced the upset, including Reynolds, Brown and Fleming. Villanova, however, is a completely different team after remaking its roster in the offseason, including adding a pair of Big 5 transfers in Jhamir Brickus (from La Salle) and Tyler Perkins (from Penn). It’s going to be fascinating to watch fifth-year point guard Brickus, like Brown a former Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year, match up with the sophomore Brown.
Tip-ins: The Hawks snapped an 11-game losing streak to Villanova last season. … The last time St. Joe’s won two straight contests against the Wildcats came on February 3, 2003, when the Hawks led 40-9 before winning 92-75, and February 2, 2004, when St. Joe’s won 74-67. The latter game is detailed in my upcoming book on the 2003-04 Saint Joseph’s Hawks, which you can read about and preorder HERE.
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Saint Joseph’s at Penn
When: Friday, November 15
Where: Palestra
Series: Saint Joseph’s leads 54-37
Last season: At Hagan Arena on November 10, 2023, Saint Joseph’s took control at the half and stretched its 13-point lead at the break to as many as 19 points in the second half before a furious 19-2 Quakers run made a game of it late. The Hawks held on for a 69-61 victory that was their fourth straight win in the series. Erik Reynolds II and Lynn Greer III shared team-high scoring honors with 13 points apiece, with Greer dishing 11 assists. Chris Essandoko, who has since transferred to Providence, had a big game for St. Joe’s, with nine points and 10 rebounds in 22 minutes. Penn’s Clark Slajchert led everyone with 27 points.
Key matchup: Penn’s Sam Brown vs. St. Joe’s Derek Simpson. Brown, the son of former 76ers coach Brett Brown, is a sharpshooter. The sophomore hit 43.3 percent from distance as a rookie when he averaged 10.9 points for the Quakers. This is just the type of game that Simpson, an excellent perimeter defender, can make a difference for the Hawks after transferring from Rutgers. If Simpson can slow down Brown, the Hawks will like their chances.
Tip-ins: Brown is the only Quakers player who averaged in double-figures returning to the team for 2024-25. Their next-highest scorer, Cam Thrower, averaged 5.0 points last season. … Reynolds (17.3), Brown (12.7) and Fleming (10.7) all averaged in double-figures in scoring last season.
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Penn at Villanova
When: Tuesday, November 19
Where: Pavilion
Series: Villanova leads 50-20
Last season: At the Palestra on November 13, 2023, Penn downed No. 21 Villanova 76-72 in the opening Big 5 game for the Wildcats that would be the first of a shocking 0-3 Big 5 finish. Tyler Perkins, who transferred to Villanova after the season, had 22 points and six rebounds for Penn, leading five Quakers in double-figures in scoring. Penn sat in a 2-3 zone, and Villanova couldn’t take advantage, shooting 27.3 percent (9 of 33) from the arc. Justin Moore had a game-high 25 points for Villanova. Penn took a 32-30 lead at the break by scoring the last four points of the first half and never relinquished its advantage after halftime.
Key matchup: Eric Dixon vs. Penn’s frontcourt. Dixon is back at Villanova for a fifth season after withdrawing his name from the NBA draft in late-May. He will be motivated to make amends for his senior campaign when the Wildcats went winless in the Big 5, and he now he has plenty of talent around him to take some of the load off of his able shoulders. Look for Dixon to have big games in the Big 5 this season.
Tip-ins: Last season’s victory was Penn’s first over a ranked team since beating then-No. 17 Villanova on December 11, 2018. The Quakers have 21 victories all-time against ranked opponents. … Before last season, the Wildcats had won 17 of 18 contests in the series, including 15 in a row between December 9, 2003 and November 29, 2017. … Villanova last lost two straight games to Penn on December 5, 2001, a 75-74 overtime win for the Quakers, and December 10, 2002, when Penn rolled to a 72-58 victory.
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POD 2
Drexel at Temple
When: Tuesday, November 12
Where: Liacouras Center
Series: Temple leads 33-10
Last season: In the first game at the DAC for Temple since 1985, Hysier Miller had 19 points, six rebounds and four assists to lead the Owls to a 66-64 victory on November 14, 2023. Luke House had a game-high 20 points, along with six rebounds, and Justin Moore contributed 18 points, four rebounds and four assists for the Dragons.
Key matchup: The reins to Temple’s offense likely will be in the capable hands of Lynn Greer III after he transferred from St. Joe’s. It will be interesting to see how newly acquired point guard Kevon Vanderhorst matches up with Greer. Vanderhorst, a native of Raleigh, North Carolina, averaged 13.0 points, 4.4 assists and 3.6 rebounds as a freshman last season at Brunswick Community College in Bolivia, N.C.
Tip-ins: The Dragons lost their top five scorers, 59.1 percent of their offensive output, to exhausted eligibility or transfer. Moore (Loyola Chicago) and Amari Williams (Kentucky) transferred after averaging 12.4 points and 12.2, respectively, last season. Out of eligibility are House (9.2 ppg), Lucas Monroe (6.7) and Mate Okros (6.4). … Coach Adam Fisher remade the Owls’ roster with a host of transfers, including Philadelphia native Jameel Brown.
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La Salle at Drexel
When: Saturday, November 16
Where: DAC
Series: La Salle leads 25-8
Last season: Jhamir Brickus had 18 points and five rebounds, and La Salle closed the game on an 8-1 run in a 67-61 home win over Drexel at Gola on November 7, 2023. Anwar Gill added 15 points for the Explorers. Amari Williams had 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists to pace the Dragons, who also got 15 points from Justin Moore.
Key matchup: Good question. There are so many unknowns for both teams that it’s hard to pinpoint a key matchup. We’ll go with La Salle rookie Deuce Jones against Drexel’s perimeter defenders, mainly because we’re really looking forward to watching Jones play.
Tip-ins: Transfers Mac Etienne (DePaul/UCLA), Demetrius Lilley (Penn State) and Jahlil White (Temple) give La Salle a new look in the frontcourt. Besides Jones, the Explorers added Corey McKeithan (Rider) and Eric Acker (LIU) in the backcourt. La Salle lost Jhamir Brickus (Villanova), Anwar Gill (Howard) and Khalil Brantley (Oklahoma State) in the transfer portal. Still, coach Fran Dunphy is excited about the season based on what he has seen in the offseason and with the building of Glaser Arena, which will debut this season.
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Temple at La Salle
When: Saturday, November 30
Where: Glaser Arena
Series: Temple leads 69-37
Last season: In a classic Big 5 tussle, Temple outlasted the Explorers 106-99 in triple-overtime at the Liacouras Center. In defeat, Jhamir Brickus set a Big 5 single-game scoring record with 41 points. Khalil Brantley added 29 points for La Salle as the duo combined for 70 points and 108 minutes. Brantley played all 55 minutes. Hysier Miller had 20 points to lead six Owls in double-figures. Temple led 70-62 with 1:39 left in regulation before a furious comeback by La Salle was capped by Brickus’ 3-pointer with 5 seconds to play to send the game to OT. The Explorers nearly had it won in the extra session before Steve Settle III hit a game-tying 3-pointer to force a second OT.
Key matchup: Jahlil White vs. Temple. White averaged 7.8 points and 5.5 rebounds in 86 career games for the Owls before transferring to 20th & Olney this offseason. He is healthy and motivated entering his final year of eligibility.
Tip-ins: The combined 205 points between the teams last season were the second-most in a Big 5 game, topped only by the 216 tallied by La Salle and Villanova in another three-overtime game in 1958. … Last season’s Temple-La Salle contest was the fifth three-OT game in Big 5 history.
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Coming tomorrow: Big 5 mailbag
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Aaron Bracy has been covering Philadelphia sports since 1996. His byline regularly appears on Associated Press stories. Follow Bracy on X: @Aaron_Bracy and like his Facebook and Instagram pages. His book on the 2003-04 Saint Joseph’s men’s basketball team is expected to be published on March 1, 2025. Read a summary and preorder it by clicking HERE. Contact him at aaron@big5hoops.com.