🐾 Panther’s Toothsayer: Canisius Golden Griffins

Mon, Nov 17 • Qubein Center

📍 Series & Setting

High Point and Canisius have met only once, a 78–70 Panther win in 2023 — and they enter Monday’s matchup carrying wildly different trajectories.

Canisius, the only Griffins in the D1 ranks, arrives from Buffalo at 2–2, picked last in the MAAC (13th of 13), but carrying something they didn’t have a year ago: actual depth and athleticism. Jim Christian rebuilt the roster with 7 transfers and 4 freshmen, moving away from last season’s historically thin rotation.

High Point is 3–1, but the last outing was a harsh reality check: a 90–66 loss at UAB, a game many circled as HPU’s toughest non-conference test — but not one that was expected to unravel the way it did. For a Blazer team that struggled early, HPU’s performance was flat, sloppy, and uncharacteristically disconnected.

The good news?
This is the perfect get-right spot. The Panthers return home, where they’re 16–1 across the last two seasons, and face a Canisius team whose weaknesses line up cleanly with HPU’s strengths.

🔍 Overview

Canisius is rebuilding from the ground up after a 3–28 season. They’ve shown flashes:

Near-upset of St. Bonaventure (89–70 loss but competitive stretches)
A gritty win vs Mercyhurst (58–55)
A comfortable win over Allegheny

…but they’ve also been blown out twice and still profile as a bottom-tier D-I team.

Their numbers say it plainly:

Offensive Efficiency: 97.3 (343rd)
Defensive Efficiency: 113.8 (326th)
Opp. eFG% allowed: 63.3% — fourth-worst in the country
OR% and DR%: Bottom 40 nationally
Bench minutes: High, but production inconsistent

High Point, meanwhile, brings top-70 efficiency and elite tempo… but has to address its most glaring current issue:

🎯 High Point’s Shooting Problem

Coming into the season, shooting was supposed to be a signature strength: Washington, Brady, Hausen, Martinez, Fletcher… all capable shooters.

Instead:

34.5 3P%: Down from last season
70.1 FT% – Not nearly good enough from a team built with so many shooters
Washington, Brady, Martinez: All shooting below expected career marks
Last game at UAB:
- 4-for-23 from three (17%)
- FT struggles compounded scoring droughts
- A season-worst offensive rhythm

Simply put:
The UAB game was pitiful by HPU standards — especially after the early hype and the “maybe they can go undefeated” whispers that Jeff Goodman helped sprinkle around.

It was always unrealistic, but the wake-up call might be exactly what this team needs to lock in.

⚙️ Canisius Team Identity: Rebuild Mode with Real Athletes

Grit & Depth: Christian’s new roster is crowded with long wings, rim runners, and guards who can attack in transition.
0.5-Second Offense: Shoot it, drive it, or swing it — fast.
Motion & Elbow Touches: They like initiating offense above the elbows with cutters and drive opportunities.
Defensive Instability: They’ll mix man and a sagging zone, but neither has held up well.

Weaknesses that matter for HPU:

Rebounding remains awful (31.3 RPG, bottom of D-I)
Rim protection inconsistent despite Wilmoth
Paint defense atrocious — allowing 63% on 2s
Turnovers spike vs teams with length
Offense goes dead for long stretches

This is exactly the type of opponent HPU can overwhelm if they clean up the shooting and get back to pace & pressure.

🧩 Key Golden Griffins

⭐ Bryan Ndjonga – 6’9 F (14.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG)

Mobile, versatile, best athlete on the team. Scores at all three levels but is streaky.

⭐ Kahlil Singleton – 6’3 G (11.7 PPG)

The real shooter. Career 39% from deep. Must find him early in transition.

Chris Kumu – 6’4 G (10.0 PPG)

Freshman with explosive burst, elite vertical, and a slasher’s mentality. Creates chaos.

Mike Evbagharu – 6’4 G/F (8.0 PPG, 5.7 RPG)

A physical, undersized forward with MAAC experience. Plays bigger than listed.

Myles Wilmoth – 6’10 C

One of the league’s best shot blockers (former Butler/Siena). Limited offensively.

Brendan Oliver – 6’6 W

Bench shooter with length. Can impact defensively.

📊 Tempo-Free Snapshot

Canisius Defense:

63.3% allowed on 2s (344th)
39% allowed on 3s
12.2% TO rate forced (terrible)

HPU Offense:

Top-70 efficiency
Top-35 tempo
Shooting slump but elite at generating open looks
Turnover rate among the best in the Big South

HPU Defense:

Still forcing turnovers at a high rate
Strong perimeter length
Rebounding improving game over game

Canisius Offense:

Good FT shooting (59–76% range)
Above-average from three
Struggles violently inside the arc
Doesn’t create second-chance points

This matchup heavily tilts toward HPU’s perimeter pressure, transition game, and physicality.

🧠 Coaching Notes

Jim Christian (Year 2, 323 career wins)

True motion guy
Wants tempo + spacing
Wants depth-based line changes
Not afraid to switch defenses

Adjustments to expect:

Early 5-out looks to pull HPU bigs away from the paint
Zone possessions whenever HPU’s shooters look cold
Singleton/Kumu staggered for continuous dribble pressure
Heavy reliance on Ndjonga mismatches

🏀 Matchup Outlook vs High Point

1. HPU’s Shooting Reset

This is the game to re-establish rhythm:

Canisius gives up elite-quality looks
They don’t guard the glass
They foul a lot
They can’t keep athletes in front
They don’t defend ball screens well

If HPU can’t shoot well in this matchup, that’s a genuine concern — but indicators point to a bounce-back.

2. Guard Size Advantage

Washington, Brady, Fletcher, and Anderson can bully smaller Griff guards.

3. Turnovers → Tempo

Canisius struggles with live-ball turnovers.
HPU thrives on them.

4. Paint Touches Win the Game

Aquino + Fletcher in the high post should shred the Griffs’ interior.

5. Interior Physicality

Wilmoth can block shots.
He cannot guard in space.
HPU will pull him into ball screens repeatedly.

🗝️ Keys for HPU

Reset the Shooting → Hunt quality catch-and-shoot 3s early
Win the Glass by 10+ → This is a must
Target Singleton & Kumu defensively → Make them work both ends
Run on everything → Canisius transition defense is shaky
Stay disciplined → They hunt whistles to keep games close

🔮 Toothsayer’s Take

Canisius is better than last season, deeper, and more athletic — but still very raw and still extremely limited on the boards and in the paint. Their defensive metrics are a giant blinking invitation for HPU to get back to themselves after the UAB meltdown.

High Point should control pace, create clean looks, and use their size across all three levels. Expect a few early jitters after the UAB loss, but once the Panthers settle, the gap in talent, chemistry, and athletic depth widens quickly.

Prediction:
🎯 High Point 86, Canisius 68
A needed reset, a return to form, and a chance to rebuild confidence before the schedule stiffens again in their MTE down in Daytona.