Charleston vs Temple prediction: Derrian Ford anchors Temple as Charleston's rebuilt backcourt comes to Philadelphia

The one known quantity

This opener for both teams arrives with more new faces than familiar ones. Temple brings back 34.5% of last season's minutes. Charleston, under first-year coach John Groce, returns just 15.1%, which makes the Cougars' 21-11 record from last season a weak guide to this team.

That puts the spotlight on Derrian Ford. He averaged 18.1 points last season while playing 35.7 minutes a night, and his offensive rating of 118.4 (points produced per 100 possessions) says that volume came efficiently. He shot 85.2% at the line and is back alongside fellow starter Gavin Griffiths. Fisher said he will use the preseason to settle a starting lineup built around 10 newcomers and five returners, as of Oct. 20.

The game tips at 6:30 p.m. ET Wednesday, Nov. 11, at the Liacouras Center. It is the third meeting ever and the first in Philadelphia; the teams split the previous two, with Temple winning 70-65 at the 2008 Charleston Classic.

Charleston's shooting question remains

Last season Charleston made 29.7% of its threes, 354th of 365 in Division I. Almost everyone who took those shots is gone, but the replacements don't solve the problem by themselves.

Preseason All-CAA first-teamer Eli Ellis shot 27.7% from deep at South Carolina. Second-team pick Xavier Abreu hit 28.3% at Northeastern, and returner Martin Kalu made 28.8%. The exception is Tavari Johnson, who averaged 19.7 points at Akron, where Groce previously coached, and made 37.3% of his threes.

Temple's defense held opponents to 32.4% from three last season, 102nd nationally. If Charleston's guards can't punish an Owls team that sags, Johnson will carry a heavy load. Charleston did win its Oct. 25 exhibition against Furman, 89-83.

The paint emptied out

Charleston's rim protection was a strength last season, with a block rate (blocks per opponent two-point attempt) of 12.5%, 37th in the country. The two centers behind it left: Christian Reeves went to Kansas and Chol Machot, who blocked 2.5 shots a game, went to Georgetown.

The Cougars' minutes-weighted average height is 76.3 inches, against 77.2 for Temple. The Owls added center Christian Beam and forward Edwin Suarez Jr., who pulled down 6.0 rebounds a game at Weber State. Griffiths, a guard, blocked 1.8 shots per game last season, which gives Temple some rim presence from the wing.

Slow pace, few mistakes

Temple played at 65.2 possessions per 40 minutes last season, 298th nationally, and protected the ball with a turnover rate of 13.8% (13th). Charleston forced turnovers at a rate that ranked 305th, so the Cougars aren't built to speed the Owls up.

Both teams lived at the foul line, ranking 42nd (Charleston) and 47th (Temple) in free-throw rate (free-throw attempts per field-goal attempt). The difference came on defense: Charleston rarely fouled, ranking 16th in opponent free-throw rate, while Temple ranked 225th. With rosters this new, treat that as a tendency to test rather than a given, but Johnson shot 87% at the line at Akron and will look for contact.