CBB Matchups

Every D1 game with tempo-free ratings, four factors and market lines, one place.

College basketball is being built for the 2026-27 season (tip-off Nov 3). What's here fills in as games are played.
Non-conferenceWestern Hall, Macomb, IL
Mercyhurst
Efficiency #261
2025-26: 17-17 · 12-9 conf
@
W Illinois
Efficiency #362
2025-26: 5-26 · 1-19 conf
Sun, Nov 22 · TBD
71.5
win 65%
Projected
67.0
win 35%
No line posted yet.
Model: MERC −4.6 · total 138.5 · ratings as of Sat, Oct 3
Preseason ratings start from 2025-26's final adjusted ratings, regressed toward the D1 average. The stats below are 2025-26's too; both update once 2026-27 games are played.

How the projection is built

each step, from an average D-I game to this one
Projected total
Average D-I game
148.2
PaceAdjusted tempo: W Illinois 67.7, Mercyhurst 66.5 → 65.9 possessions
−5.3
W Illinois offense vs Mercyhurst defense
−6.4
Mercyhurst offense vs W Illinois defense
+1.9
Projected total
138.5
Axis starts at 130 pointsPoints added or removed at each step
Projected margin
Even game
0.0
W Illinois offense vs Mercyhurst defense
−6.4
Mercyhurst offense vs W Illinois defense
−1.9
Home court+2.9 points per 100 possessions to the home offense, −2.9 to the visitors
+3.8
Mercyhurst by 4.6
4.6
Mercyhurst side ◂▸ W Illinois side

Steps are rounded to one decimal, so they can differ from the total by 0.1: the total steps add to 138.4 against a projected 138.5, and the margin steps add to −4.5 against −4.6. The margin is the same build seen from the home side; positive numbers help W Illinois.

Pace & total

possessions per 40 minutes
Tempo, possessions per 40 minutes

Projected possessions: 65.9, from each team's opponent-adjusted tempo. On raw 2025-26 season pace, W Illinois is the faster team (67.3, #230 of 365) and Mercyhurst the slower (64.6, #338). When tempos clash, the slower team usually pulls the pace harder (study weights 0.80 vs 0.66).

Projected possessions
65.9
per team, 40 min
Projected total
138.5
model
Projected team totals
71.5 / 67.0
Mercyhurst / W Illinois
Adjusted tempo, vs an average opponent
66.5#321
Mercyhurst
67.7#231
W Illinois

How this game plays

what the study found each side's numbers actually do when these two teams meet
AdvantageW Illinois
Where W Illinois struggles: shooting
W Illinois shoots an effective 44.5% (#361); Mercyhurst allows 50.1% (#107). Expect about 46.8%, 4.5 points below an average D1 matchup — worth roughly -6.4 points per 100 possessions.
Pace
Half-court grind
W Illinois averages 67.3 possessions per 40, Mercyhurst 64.6. Slower teams pull the pace toward themselves more than fast teams push it (0.80 vs 0.66 in five seasons of games), so expect about 65 — more possessions mean more points in the total and more chances for the better team to separate.
AdvantageMercyhurst
Where Mercyhurst scores: ball control
Mercyhurst turns it over on 14.3% of possessions (#32); W Illinois forces turnovers on 14.9% of opponent possessions (#297). Expect about 14.2%, 2.6 points below an average D1 matchup — worth roughly +3.2 points per 100 possessions.
ClashMercyhurst
Style match: 3-point volume
Mercyhurst rarely shoots threes (31.1% of its shots); W Illinois runs teams off the line (34.6% of shots allowed from three) (D1 average 39.5%). Expect about 29.6% — both habits push the same way.
ClashW Illinois
Style match: 3-point volume
W Illinois rarely shoots threes (33.3% of its shots); Mercyhurst runs teams off the line (33.6% of shots allowed from three) (D1 average 39.5%). Expect about 30.8% — both habits push the same way.
Watch for noise
3-point caution
A notable season 3-point number here (W Illinois) is close to a coin flip going forward — the study's model of next-game 3P% barely beats guessing the D1 average. Shot volume is what actually carries: expect Mercyhurst at about 29.6% of its shots from three, W Illinois about 30.8%.
Mercyhurst has the ball
OffenseW Illinois allowsvs D1 avg
49.5% #269
54.2% #303
+0.6 pt/100
14.3% #32
14.9% #297
+3.2 pt/100
26.4% #312
34.8% #334
-0.4 pt/100
25.6% #361
34.8% #173
-0.6 pt/100
74.1% #129
—
+0.1 pt/100
Mercyhurst net across the four factors + FT%, vs. a D1-average matchup: +3.0 pts/100
W Illinois has the ball
OffenseMercyhurst allowsvs D1 avg
44.5% #361
50.1% #107
-6.4 pt/100
17.5% #236
18.7% #64
-2.0 pt/100
27.0% #293
29.9% #153
-1.6 pt/100
37.7% #108
42.6% #332
+0.7 pt/100
66.2% #351
—
-0.5 pt/100
W Illinois net across the four factors + FT%, vs. a D1-average matchup: -9.8 pts/100

Shot diet

Where each offense shoots from and where each defense lets teams shoot · 2025-26 numbers
Mercyhurstoffense vsW Illinoisdefense
Share of shots by zone
Mercyhurst shoots
W Illinois allows
D-I average
FG% by zone
ZoneD-I avg
Rim56.5%#25662.3%#30658.6%
Short 2 (≤9 ft)48.7%#1640.5%#20039.5%
Mid 2 (10 ft+)42.5%#4333.7%#4438.0%
Three32.1%#27635.6%#28833.7%
W Illinoisoffense vsMercyhurstdefense
Share of shots by zone
W Illinois shoots
Mercyhurst allows
D-I average
FG% by zone
ZoneD-I avg
Rim51.3%#35357.8%#14158.6%
Short 2 (≤9 ft)29.0%#35242.7%#24539.5%
Mid 2 (10 ft+)35.0%#29333.3%#3538.0%
Three30.9%#32232.3%#8033.7%
RimShort 2 (≤9 ft)Mid 2 (10 ft+)Three

Zones from play-by-play shot descriptions; garbage time removed. Bars show the share of field-goal attempts in each zone; where a slice is too thin for its number, the shares are listed under the bar. FG% ranks: #1 = best for that side (most accurate shooting, stingiest defense).

Shot volume

Extra scoring chances from rebounds, turnovers and the foul line · 2025-26 numbers
Mercyhurst
−2.3extra scoring chances per game vs a D-I average team#278 of 365
Off reb %
26.4%
#312
Def reb %
70.1%
#153
Turnover %
14.3%
#32
Forced TO %
18.7%
#64
FT rate
25.6%
#361
FT allowed
42.6%
#332
Where the chances come from (per game)
Offensive rebounding−1.3
Defensive rebounding+0.2
Ball security+1.7
Forcing turnovers+1.3
Foul shots drawn−2.4
Foul shots allowed−1.9
W Illinois
−3.4extra scoring chances per game vs a D-I average team#311 of 365
Off reb %
27.0%
#293
Def reb %
65.2%
#334
Turnover %
17.5%
#236
Forced TO %
14.9%
#297
FT rate
37.7%
#108
FT allowed
34.8%
#173
Where the chances come from (per game)
Offensive rebounding−1.1
Defensive rebounding−1.4
Ball security−0.5
Forcing turnovers−1.2
Foul shots drawn+0.7
Foul shots allowed+0.1

Mercyhurst has more extra scoring chances per game: −2.3 (#278 of 365) to W Illinois’s −3.4 (#311).

Grade = extra shots and foul-line trips per game compared with a D-I average team, built from six season rates. Cell shading is the national rank for each rate (greener = better for that team).

Rotation

Mercyhurst2025-26 numbers
#PlayerPosClHtGP-GSMPGPPGRPGAPGTOVeFG%3P%3PA/gFT%UsageStatus
4Bernie Blunt IIIGSr5'11"34-3430.917.63.12.21.349.8%35.5%5.986.5%34.1%
11Jake LemelmanGSo6'2"34-3430.013.92.53.21.750.2%39.6%4.586.4%30.6%
7Deshaun Jackson Jr.GSo6'2"34-122.46.03.03.01.446.8%0.0%0.165.9%20.6%
10Christian GambleGSr6'0"34-3321.13.91.62.10.644.6%28.8%2.173.1%13.9%
5Mykolas IvanauskasFSo6'8"32-3119.67.45.10.41.157.9%22.6%1.058.6%23.6%
1Sean LangGSr6'3"32-013.40.82.41.00.326.6%15.8%0.662.5%6.9%
3Cameron JohnsonFJr6'5"33-412.23.42.40.50.644.9%32.1%0.875.0%20.8%
15Kaden FuhrmannGSr6'5"32-011.63.30.80.80.451.6%31.3%2.587.5%18.6%
34James ThomasFSr6'6"33-09.61.42.00.40.348.8%—0.027.3%12.2%
23Or FaranGFr6'5"9-05.21.20.30.20.033.3%28.6%0.833.3%20.8%
33Vladimir PavlovicGJr6'2"8-04.40.80.00.40.633.3%0.0%0.3—23.4%
2Brady ConnerGFr6'6"6-05.00.30.80.50.511.1%0.0%1.00.0%25.1%
13Chris LemanFFr6'9"6-04.31.20.70.20.343.8%33.3%0.50.0%24.3%
21Emilis ButkusGSr6'6"0-00.00.00.00.00.0——0.0——
Rosters come from ESPN and are still filling in; incoming transfers and freshmen may be missing.

Tale of the tape

national rank toned left for away, right for home
MercyhurstW Illinois
Efficiency
103.8
98.4
108.8
116.1
66.5
67.7
—
—
Shooting
49.5%
44.5%
50.0%
43.5%
32.1%
30.9%
74.1%
66.2%
25.6%
37.7%
Ball control & glass
14.3%
17.5%
18.7%
14.9%
26.4%
27.0%
29.9%
34.8%
7.7%
10.0%
6.3%
11.1%
Style
31.1%
33.3%
46.5%
43.2%
11.3%
11.9%
54.2%
37.0%
34.3%
30.1%
Roster
3.05
3.10
6'2.6"
6'5.1"
84.5%
—

Offseason

roster movement into this season — descriptive, not a model input
Mercyhurst
Returning minutes: 84.5%Returning production: 78.6%
Lost
  • Qadir Martin 31.4 mpg, 11.6 ppg · transferred to Fairfield
Added
  • Emilis Butkus no D1 minutes last season

No incoming D1 transfers are listed on ESPN's roster yet — until they are, returning shares read high.

Returns 85% of last season's minutes; lost 1 of its top 5 (1 transferred). Teams returning at least 65% of last season's minutes have historically gained about 2.2 points of AdjEM (n=156 team-seasons, 2022-2026).

W Illinois
Returning minutes: 100.0%Returning production: 100.0%
ESPN hasn't posted W Illinois's roster for this season yet — no movement to show.

Returns 100% of last season's minutes. Teams returning at least 65% of last season's minutes have historically gained about 2.2 points of AdjEM (n=156 team-seasons, 2022-2026). (ESPN hasn't posted this season's roster yet -- this may still be last season's list.)

Head-to-head

this season and last
No meetings the last two seasons.

The CBB Matchups tab lays out the day's Division I slate: matchup, tip time, records and rank, and — once posted — Pinnacle's spread and total (the median across books when Pinnacle has no line). Three views switch the table between projected scores, pace and totals, and each team's offensive and defensive tendencies. Each game opens into opponent-adjusted possessions, efficiency and four-factor tendencies for both teams, plus recent form, rotation and head-to-head history. Every game also carries our projected score, spread and total, built bottom-up from those same numbers: expected possessions times each side's opponent-adjusted points per possession, plus home court.

What these numbers mean: line shopping.