Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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03-08-18 | Butler v. Seton Hall OVER 148.5 | Top | 75-74 | Win | 100 | 14 h 23 m | Show |
The set-up: Both 19-12 Butler and 21-10 Seton Hall have spent time in the AP's top-25 this season but will square off Thursday in quarterfinal action in the Big East Tourney at Madison Square Garden unranked. The two teams met just six days ago (to close their respective regular seasons), as Seton Hall won 77-70 on Saturday at home to complete a sweep of the season series Butler. The Pirates are the Big East's three-seed (10-8), while the Bulldogs are the six-seed (9-9). Butler: The 6-7 Kelan Martin (21.2 & 6.4) was one of three unanimous selections to the All-Big East first team and is a contender for Player of the Year honors. Sophomore guard Kamar Baldwin was not honored by the league despite averaging 15.0-4.9-3.2 assists, including scoring in double figures in each of the first 14 Big East games. Guard Jorgensen (10.7 ) and the 6-8 Wideman (9.4 & 5.2) are two other major contributors. Seton Hall: The Pirates start four seniors plus a sophomore. The "core four" includes 6-6 senior Desi Rodriguez (18.1 & 5.0) and the 6-10 Delgado (13.4 & 11.6) up front, along with a pair of guards in sophomore Powell (15.6) and senior Carrington (14.8-3.1-4.5) in the backcourt. Rodriguez missed the final three regular season games with a sprained knee but is expected to suit up Thursday. The pick: The Bulldogs did not close the regular season strong with losses in five of seven, which cost the team a top-four finish. Butler hopes it can win here, for the school's first Big East Tournament victory, after first-game losses in its first four years in the conference. A quick turnaround with Seton Hall may be just what the doctor ordered, especially with the Bulldogs playing with double-revenge. Then again, Carrington and Delgado have enjoyed great success against the Bulldogs this season and in their careers. Carrington has put up 54 points and eight assists while making 15-of-30 from the floor and 10-of-14 from the three-point line in two games this season, plus has scored in double figures in seven of eight games with the Bulldogs. Meanwhile, Delgado has five double-doubles in the series, including 49 points and 25 rebounds this season. I say make the Over an 8* play. |
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03-08-18 | Duquesne +2 v. Richmond | Top | 68-81 | Loss | -102 | 11 h 54 m | Show |
The set-up: It's A-10 conference tournament second round action on Thursday from Capital One arena in Washington DC, as the 16-15 Duquesne Dukes take on the 11-19 Richmond Spiders. Duquesne had the better overall record but the Spiders went 9-9 in A-10 games (Dukes were just 7-11), so Richmond comes in as the seven-seed while Duquesne is the 10-seed. The Dukes finished their non-A10 schedule with a 9-4 mark but after opening 3-0 in A-10 play, finished by losing nine of their 11 league games. The Spiders started the year 2-10 (only wins over UAB and James Madison) but after a 1-3 start in A-10 play, won five straight and six of seven. Richmond did lose five straight in league play but finished with back-to-back wins to wind up at .500. Duquesne: The Dukes use a four-guard lineup with all averaging in double figures. 6-5 freshman Williams leads in scoring (14.5) and rebounding (8.9), joined by Lewis (14.4), Castro-Caneddy (13.2) and Smith (12.5). The Dukes don't score all that well (72.2 PPG ranks 215th) but they do hold opponents to 69.8 PPG (108th). Richmond: The Spiders don't score much either (71.3 PPG ranks 244th) but allow about six points more than the Dukes (75.6 PPG ranks 251st). The 6-10 Golden (16.0 & 6.60 is the etam's leading scorer but is joined by four guards who all average in double digits. That quarter includes the team's top rebounder in Buckingham (7.1 RPG) and top playmaker, Gilyard (4.1 APG). The pick: The teams met just once during the regular season, with Richmond winning on the road, 77-73 in OT on Jan. 24th. Richmond connected on 49.1% from the floor in that win, something I don't expect will be repeated. History favors Richmond in this matchup (Spiders are 17-4 ATS the last 21 matchups) but my gut is saying Duquesne. Make the Dukes a 10* play. |
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03-07-18 | Oklahoma v. Oklahoma State | Top | 60-71 | Loss | -103 | 20 h 8 m | Show |
The set-up: Oklahoma limped to the finish line in Big 12 play, losing seven of their last nine games to finish 18-12 overall, including 8-10 in league play. Amazingly, most bracketologists have the Sooners safely in the NCAA Tournament despite the late swoon. I'm not sure I get it. The Sooners will meet 18-13 Oklahoma State (also 8-10 in Big 12 play) in this first-round Big 12 Tourney but their " Bedlam rivals" surged to the finish line by winning three of their last four, including upsets of Texas Tech (79-71) and Kansas (82-64) when each of those opponents were ranked No. 6 in the AP poll at the time of those games!. Oklahoma: Trae Young leads the nation in both scoring (27.5) and assists (8.9) but he suffered an injured left hip in a 87-64 loss at Baylor on Feb. 27. He missed most of practice last Thursday but returned to play 32 minutes in a 81-60 victory over Iowa State on Friday, finishing with 15 points on just 5-of-19 shooting and dishing off six assists to go with three steals and two turnovers. "I never want to sit out anything," Young told the Tulsa World after watching the Sooners' practice on Sunday. "It's tough sitting out today, but it's best for me and my body, and it'll be better for me for Wednesday, too." Junior guard Christian James (12.5 & 4.4) and 6-9 freshman forward Brady Manek (10.4 & 5.2) also average in double digits for the Sooners, who rank fourth nationally in scoring (86.0) and have scored 90 points in 12 contests. However, Oklahoma ranks last in the Big 12 and 337th out of 351 Division I teams in scoring defense, allowing an average of 82.0 PPG. Oklahoma State: The Cowboys celebrated Senior Night with a court-storming upset of Kansas, sweeping the regular-season series with the Big 12-champion Jayhawks and all but cementing an NCAA berth. Senior guard Kendall Smith, who began his career at UNLV and then played two years at Cal State Northridge before moving on to Stillwater, finished with 25 points. He ranks second on the team in scoring (12.9) and has totaled 21 or more points in three of the last five games. 6-6 senior swingman Jeffrey Carroll leads the team in scoring (15.1) and is second in rebounding (5.9), while six other Cowboys average between 5.4 and 10.0 PPG. That group includes the 6-8 Solomon (8.3), who also leads the team in rebounding at 6.4 per. The pick: This marks the 236th meeting between the two schools, with Oklahoma having won eight of the last 11. Despite what the bracketologists are saying, the Sooners have to be thinking that a loss here, which would make them 2-8 their last 10, could cost them an at-large bid. Also, Young could be a man on a mission after getting snubbed by Big 12 coaches for conference-player-of-the-year honors which went to Kansas senior Devonte' Graham. Make Oklahoma an 8* play. |
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03-07-18 | Louisville v. Florida State | Top | 82-74 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 9 m | Show |
The set-up: The 19-12 Louisville Cardinals and the 20-10 Florida State Seminoles are the 9th and 8th-seed teams, respectively, in the ACC tourney. Their records were good enough to earn them a bye into the second round (Cards and Seminoles were both 9-9 in league play) and they will square off at high noon ET on Wednesday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. The teams split the season series this year, with each winning on the road. The winner of this contest may not stay around for long in this tourney, as up next will be the top-seeded Virginia Cavaliers on Thursday. Louisville: The Cardinals started the year 10-3 but their three losses entering conference play came against the better competition, including Kentucky, Seton Hall and Purdue. The Cards got off to a strong 5-1 start to the ACC season but fell back to earth after losing four of five, then losing four of five again to close out the regular season. 6-7 junior swingman Deng Adel was an honorable mention All-ACC selection. He is riding a streak of 22 straight double-digit scoring outings and checks in averaging . The 6-10 Ray Spalding (12.0 & 8.8) is also an honorable mention All-ACC performer. PG Quentin Snider (12.2 & 4.0 APG) is the team's third double digit scorer. Florida State: The Seminoles got off to a strong start of their own, opening 9-0 and were 11-1 to enter conference play with a win over Florida on the road (their lone defeat coming against Oklahoma State). However, consistency was an issue for FSU, as the Seminoles never got more than one game above .500 in ACC play, despite posting a three-game winning streak in late January. Terance Mann (13.3 & 5.7) is one of three double digit scorers for FSU and earned honorable mention All-ACC honors this season. He's joined by fellow guard Angola (13.0) but note that three other backcourt palyers chip in between 7.5 and 8.7 PPG. The 6-8 Cofer (13.2 & 5.2) had a breakout senior season and is joined up front with some real size in the 7-4 Koumadje (7.5 & 4.7) and the 6-9 Kabengele (7.0 & 4.4). The pick: This may be Leonard Hamilton's best offensive team ever in his stay at FSU, as the Seminoles have scored 80 or more points 17 times this season are averaging 82.0 PPG (29th). Louisville's No. 9 seed is the school's lowest in a conference tournament since its No. 11 seed in the 2006 Big East Tournament. The year began badly for Louisville (remember a coach named Rick Pitino?) and it ends with a thud, right here. Make FSU a 10* play. |
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03-06-18 | Long Island +8 v. Wagner | Top | 71-61 | Win | 100 | 11 h 9 m | Show |
The set-up; Tuesday night it's the championship game of the Northeast Conference from the Spiro Sports Center in Staten Island, N.Y. The Wagner Seahawks are the host team by virtue of their 14-4 regular season mark (tops in the NEC) and will welcome the LIU-Brooklyn Blackbirds, who at 10-8 were the No. 4 seed in this tourney. These teams have split the regular season series, with the home team taking each game. LIU-Brooklyn won 69-67 back on Jan. 13 and Wagner returned the favor at this venue on Feb. 17, winning 78-74. LIU-Brooklyn: The Blackbirds are just 17-16 overall but a win tonight will earn them an automatic invitation to the Big Dance. In their last game, the Blackbirds led 71-64 with 5:30 remaining before Fairleigh Dickinson mounted an 11-0 run to lead 75-71 with 1:58 left. It was the Knights' first lead since midway through the first half. LIU's Julian Batts hit a wide-open three to tie 76-76 and set up the final minute. Missed free throws hurt Fairleigh Dickinson (19 of 27) and it which missed four of its last six. After Kaleb Bishop missed two with nine seconds remaining, Jashaun Agosto drove the length of the court and was fouled at the rim, setting up the winning free throws of a 78-77 LIU win. The Blackbirds feature a four-guard lineup and all average in double figures. Raiquan Clark scored 28 points, Joel Hernandez added 25 in the win over Fairleigh Dickinson, while Agosto made both free throws in his only trip to the line with 3.6 seconds on the clock. Hernandez (20.5 & 5.8) is the leading scorer, followed by Clark (17.3 & 7.1), Agosto (11.0-4.1-4.2) and Batts (10.1- & 4.2). Wagner: The Seahawks have won five of their last six games and enter this game 23-8 on the season. JoJo Cooper scored 20 points with six assists, Romone Saunders added 18 points and top-seeded Wagner beat No. 7 seed Robert Morris 75-64 in Saturday's Northeast Conference semifinal. Blake Francis added 15 points with three 3-pointers for Wagner, which shot 51 percent from the floor and held the Colonials (16-17) to 39 percent. Like LIU, Wagner's top players are all guards. Francis leads the way averaging 17.4 PPG, followed by PG Cooper (14.6-5.3-6.2) and Saunders (14.4 & 6.4). The pick: Wagner is playing at home but note that LIU lost at this venue less than a month ago, by just four points. LIU has won four in a row since that contest and the Blackbirds are making their first championship appearance since 2013. I realize that Wagner is a perfect 16-0 SU at home on the season but the pressure is always high on regular season champs from leagues like the NEC, as those teams "must win" their respective conference tourneys, or find themselves in the NIT. That is the case here and with LIU beating Wagner by two points at home and then losing to them by just four points in the rematch (at this venue), I see the Blackbirds making the Seahawks 'sweat' until the final buzzer. Take the points and make LIU a 10* play. |
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03-05-18 | BYU v. St. Mary's -5 | Top | 85-72 | Loss | -105 | 15 h 23 m | Show |
The set-up: No. 22 Saint Mary's nearly saw it's NCAA Tournament bubble burst in Saturday's WCC tournament quarterfinals in Las Vegas. The 28-4 Gaels needed to rally from a 15-point first half deficit to edge Pepperdine, 69-66 (Waves were the WCC's 10th-seed and finished their injury-plagued season with a 6-26 record). The second-seeded Gaels now move on to a semifinal matchup Monday with third-seed BYU, who squandered a 17-point lead and was tied with San Diego with three minutes to go before surging to an 85-79 victory (Cougars are 23-9). A St. Mary's win will almost assuredly set up a championship game showdown with the WCC's No. 1 seed Gonzaga, which is currently ranked 7th in the latest AP poll. BYU: The Cougars lost 81-50 to Saint Mary's in last year's WCC Tourney semifinals and enter tonight's matchup on a five-game losing streak to the Gaels, including a 74-64 overtime loss in Provo back on Dec. 30. "I think our guys would be excited (to play Saint Mary's again) because we played them tough both games, for the majority of the games," BYU head coach Dave Rose told the Salt Lake Tribune. "You look forward to the opportunity to change the outcome." The one-two punch of junior guard Elijah Bryant (17.9 & 6.4) and 6-8 sophomore forward Yoeli Childs (17.5 & 8.7), who combined for 49 points in the win over San Diego, lead the Cougars with sophomore point guard TJ Haws (12.0 & 4,2 APG) also averaging in double figures. However, no other Cougar averages more than 6.0 PPG. St. Mary's: Pepperdine jumped out to a 19-4 lead on the Gaels and led 62-57 with 4:17 to go but forward Calvin Hermanson came to the rescue, sinking three consecutive three-pointers over a two-minute span. "It wasn't pretty but we will take the win," Saint Mary's head coach Randy Bennett told reporters. WCC Player of the Year, the 6-11 Jock Landale, leads the Gaels in scoring (21.3) and rebounding (10.3). The 6-6 Hermanson adds 11.0 PPG (on 44.4 percent shooting from three-point range) and PG Naar is the team's third double digit scorer (10.4) while averaging a healthy 8.0 APG to rank 2nd nationally to Oklahoma's Trae Young. Two other starters, guards Ford (9.9) and Krebs (8.0 & 4.2), just miss double digit territory. The pick: After getting 'scared' by Pepperdine, I expect St. Mary's to bring its "A-game" to this contest. The Gaels shoot a nation's best 51.5% from the floor as a team (are 10th from three-point range at 40.8%) and defensively, have held opponents to a modest 63.8 PPG (11th). Landale presents a big problem for a many teams but he has been especially troublesome for BYU. Landale had 31 points and 13 rebounds in the overtime win in Provo and finished with 32 points and 14 rebounds in a 75-62 victory over the Cougars on Jan. 25 at home. The Gaels get their showdown with Gonzaga with an easy win over BYU. Make St. Mary's a 10* play. |
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03-04-18 | Cincinnati v. Wichita State -2.5 | Top | 62-61 | Loss | -105 | 4 h 27 m | Show |
The set-up: No. 10 Cincinnati (26-4 / 15-2 AAC) will travel to No. 11 Wichita State (24-5 / 14-3) on Sunday and this showdown between the Bearcats and Shockers at Charles Koch Arena with the American Athletic Conference regular-season title at stake, is being billed as The Game of the Year in the American Athletic Conference! Cincinnati sits in first place in the AAC, one game ahead of Wichita State, but the Shockers can earn a share of the league title in its first year since coming over from the Missouri Valley Conference with a win. What's more, after winning the first matchup 76-72 last month, the Shockers also can earn the No. 1 seed in the AAC tournament if they can top the Bearcats on Sunday. Cincinnati had won a national-best 39 straight home games before Wichita State notched its key road victory back on Feb. 18th. Cincinnati: The Bearcats have won three in a row since the loss to Wichita State, including Thursday's 78-49 rout at Tulane. Cincy ranks second in the nation in points allowed (57.2 PPG) and in opponents FG percentage (36.9%), something which was on display as Tulane was held under 50 points on 31.4 percent shooting (including going 3 of 14 from three-point range). The 6-9 Kyle Washington led the way with 16 points but at 11.2 & 5.3, he's Cincy's third-leading scorer. PG Evans (13.3-4.4-3.4) and the 6-8 Clark (12.8 & 8.3) are the top-two. Guard Cumberland (11.1) is thete's fourth double digit scorer. With a defense allowing under 60 PPG, Cincy's 76.1 PPG on offense (102nd), has been more than enough. Wichita State: The Shockers got off to a hot start to their first year in the conference, winning their first five AAC games. They then managed to bounce back from an up-and-down stretch midway through the season that saw them lose three of five games, as they've since won seven in a row, including a hard-fought 75-71 overtime win at Central Florida on Thursday. Wichita State a middle-of-the-pack defensive team (71.7 PPG allowed ranks 143rd) but the team averages 83.9 PPG (15th), after having scored at least 75 points in 10 straight games. PG Landry Shamet (14.5 & 5.2 APG) leads four players averaging between 10 and 15 points on the season, while nine of the team's top 10 scorers average at least one assist per game. The 6-8 Shaquille Morris averages 14.2 & 5,4 but has scored at least 19 points in seven of his last 10 games. The 6-9 Willis (10.7 & 6.0) and guard Frankamp (10.40 round out the team's top-four scorers. The pick: Wichita State head coach Gregg Marshall said beating Cincinnati for a second time and earning a share of the AAC regular-season title would be a well-deserved reward for his senior-laden team. "It would mean that this two and a half months we proved to be one of the best, if not the best team in the league," he said. "That's good, especially like I said, that we moved up a couple of weight classes and these guys met the challenge." The "revenge angle" is on Cincy' side but Wichita State was able to shoot 52.9 percent in its road win at Cincy (when does that happen?) and now get the Bearcats on their home floor, where the Shockers average 90.0 PPG. Revenge DOES NOT work here. Make Wichita State a 10* play. |
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03-03-18 | North Carolina +7 v. Duke | Top | 64-74 | Loss | -105 | 21 h 18 m | Show |
The set-up: No. 5 Duke (24-6 / 12-5 in ACC) will host No. 9 North Carolina (22-8 / 11-6 in ACC) at Cameron Indoor Stadium in the two long-time rivals' annual regular season finale. Virginia has run away with the ACC's regular season title but these two legendary Tobacco Road rivals will meet Saturday night (it marks the 246th meeting between the two schools) with the second seed in next week’s ACC tournament on the line. Duke saw its five-game winning streak come to an end with a 64-63 loss at Virginia Tech on Monday and the Tar Heels had won six straight contests before Miami (Fla.) beat them at the buzzer, 91-88 on Tuesday. North Carolina: This game is of even more importance to the Heels, as they can finish as low as the sixth-seed with a loss. Carolina knocked off the Blue Devils 82-78 back on Feb. 8 at home with just two turnovers overall and Duke held North Carolina to just 39 percent shooting in that contest, then followed up that effort up with five more wins while allowing just 55.6 PPG before Virginia Tech forced 18 turnovers to help it rally from a six-point halftime deficit for the 91-88 victory. Berry matched his career high with 31 points in the loss to Miami and took over the team lead at 18.2 PPG. Senior swingman Theo Pinson (9.9 & 6.0) leads the team in assists (4.8) and has played a big role in the Tar Heels’ recent success by averaging 17.5 points over the last four games. 6-8 junior forward Luke Maye (17.9 PPG & team-high 10.2 RPG) has cooled off of late, averaging 12.5 and 8.5 respectively in four games since scoring a career-high 33 with 17 boards against North Carolina State. The 6-8 Johnson (13.1 & 4.0) and guard Williams (11.2) round out the defending champs' double digit scorers. Duke: Coach K starts four freshman along with senior Grayson Allen. Allen (15.4 & 4.5 APG) has scored at least 20 points in four of the last six games but freshman backcourt mate Gary Trent Jr. (14.3 & 4.1) is just 9-for-36 from the floor over his past four contests. 6-11 freshman standout Marvin Bagley III has connected on 13-of-18 from the floor and averaged 15.5 points in two outings since returning from a four-game absence with a knee injury. He averages 20.7 & 11.1 on the season and is joined by 6-10 freshman Wendell Carter Jr., who averages 14.3 & 9.5. Duke's fourth freshman is PG Duval (10.5 & 5.3 APG). The pick: Yes, Duke is in "revenge mode" but as noted, this game has more meaning (consequences) for the Tar Heels. I will also note that Duke is 79-56 under Krzyzewski in games with both teams ranked in the top-10. That said, this is a big pointspread in a game with so much on the line for North Carolina. Take the points and make the Tar Heels an 8* play. |
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03-03-18 | California +20.5 v. Arizona | Top | 54-66 | Win | 100 | 19 h 29 m | Show |
The set-up: What a difference a few hours can make. Arizona fans were unsure of what the future held for the 19th-ranked Wildcats and the program moving forward on Thursday morning. Head coach Sean Miller had not been with the team since a report broke late last week alleging the ninth-year Arizona coach was recorded by FBI wiretaps discussing a $100,000 payment to star freshman Deandre Ayton with an employee of a sports agency, Christian Dawkins. However, Miller read a statement on Thursday afternoon in front of the local media refuting the claims made in the report and announced he would be returning to coach his team against Stanford that evening as it looked to secure a share of the Pac-12 Conference regular-season title. The 75-67 win over Stanford as the 23-7 Wildcats (13-4 in Pac 12) secured a share of the Pac-12 title and the top seed in next week’s conference tournament. They will welcome the Cal Golden Bears to the McKale Center on Saturday, a team that has lost six straight to fall to 8-22 overall, including a Pac 12-worst 2-15. California: The no-so Golden Bears own the league’s worst offense (68.5 PPG) and defense (78.0 PPG). Other than that, things are going well for Cal. The Bears lost 84-53 at Arizona State on Thursday, in a truly ugly effort. Cal committed 17 turnovers and missed all of it 18 shots from three-point range. Junior guard Don Coleman had 16 points in the loss and averages 14.9 PPG to lead the Bears, who have set the school’s all-time record with 22 losses. That said, the Bears do have several building blocks in place for next season, with eight freshman on this team. 6-7 forward Justice Sueing being the most prominent. He is averaging and has scored in double figures in 22 games this season, while averaging a team-high 15.7 PPG in Pac 12 games. Arizona: With its head coach back on the bench and its second-leading scorer (Trier at 19.5 PPG) back in the lineup, No. 19 Arizona suddenly looks like a national title contender again. Trier returned after missing three games and scored 18 points against Stanford, helping Arizona exhale following a rough few days. “I think we can flip the story,” center Dusan Ristic told reporters. “Two days ago, everybody was against us, the whole nation. And I think we’re gonna use that as motivation. From this point on, the whole thing made us stronger, much tougher as a team and I think we’re going to try to do something special now.” The 7-0 Ristic (12.1 & 6.9) scored a team-high 21 points on 10-for-15 shooting in the win over Stanford and is averaging 14.8 points and 7.2 rebounds over his last 13 games. The senior has proven to be a perfect complement to 7-1 freshman Deandre Ayton. Ayton is a leading contender for Pac-12 player of the year averaging 19.7 points and 11.1 rebounds with 59 blocks. |
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03-03-18 | Louisville v. NC State -3 | Top | 69-76 | Win | 100 | 19 h 59 m | Show |
The set-up: Louisville is 19-11 (9-8 ACC) and NC State is 20-10 (10-7 in ACC) when the two schools meet tonight in Raleigh. Both are coming off losses but Louisville will almost assuredly have the tougher time bouncing back. The Cardinals had possession and a one-point lead over No. 1 Virginia with 0.9 seconds remaining on Thursday but turned the ball over on an inbound play (Deng Adel moved his feet and was called for traveling while inbounding the ball on the baseline) and then watched as Virginia's De'Andre Hunter drained a 30-footer off the backboard for a 67-66 UVa victory. Interim head coach David Padgett called it the "toughest loss I've ever had." NC State is coming off a 78-75 loss at Georgia Tech, where the Wolfpack were perhaps guilty of looking past a Yellow Jackets team that didn't win a game in February. Louisville: The Cardinals led the No. 1 Cavs by as many as 13 points but despite the loss, did wind up scoring more points (66) against Virginia's top-ranked defense than any other ACC team this season. Two missed free throws in the final minute and the late turnover led to the loss. Adel, who had that fateful turnover, did have a team-high 18 points plus added six rebounds and four assists. Ray Spalding had 16 points and nine rebounds, while Quentin Snider added 13 points. The 6-7 Adel (15.4 & 5.3) leads the team in scoring, the 6-10 Spalding (12.0 & 8.9) leads in rebounding and PG Snider(12.2 & 3.9 APG) leads in assists. NC State: The Wolfpack led the Yellow Jackets by seven points at the half but Georgia Tech's Ben Lammers scored eight straight points late for Ga. Tech while Braxton Beverley (.9 & 4.1 APG) missed a pair of game-tying threes in the dying seconds as the Wolfpack saw their four-game win streak come to an end. Allerik Freeman (15.2 & 4.0) led NC State with 19 points on 7-of-16 shooting, 6-5 guard Torin Dorn (13.7 & 6.2) added 18 and 7-0 center Omer Yurtseven (13.7 & 6.9) had 17 points and nine rebounds. PG Markell Johnson (8.7 PPG), who leads the ACC and is third in the nation with 7.6 assists per game, had an uncharacteristically poor game with five turnovers in only 18 minutes. The pick: Louisville has lost six of its last nine games as it travels to PNC Arena for its regular season finale. NC State's first-year head coach Kevin Keatts, after getting UNCW to the NCAAs the past two seasons, has "worked wonders' with the Wolfpack this season (NC St was coming off a 15-17 / 4-14 ACC mark) and his four-guard lineup will be a tough matchup for the bigger but slower Cards. Note that NC State is 15-3 at home this season with wins against Duke and Clemson (has outscored opponents, 87.6-to-72.1 PPG). Make NC State an 8* play. |
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03-03-18 | Boston College v. Florida State -7.5 | Top | 76-85 | Win | 100 | 15 h 59 m | Show |
analysis coming |
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03-03-18 | Kentucky +4 v. Florida | Top | 67-80 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 60 m | Show |
The set-up: A double-bye to the quarterfinals in the SEC Tournament is on the line Saturday when No. 23 Kentucky (21-9) heads to Gainesville for a rematch with 19-11 Florida in the regular-season finale for both teams. Owners of a double bye in the 14-team SEC field need only win three games in three days to claim the tournament title and the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. League leaders Auburn and Tennessee have already secured double byes, leaving Kentucky, Florida and Arkansas to fight it out for the two remaining spots. Those three teams are in a three-way tie for third place at 10-7. The winner between Kentucky and Florida gets a double bye, although the Wildcats could still secure one should Missouri beat Arkansas on Saturday because the Wildcats beat the Razorbacks earlier this season. Kentucky: The Wildcats find themselves in the rare position of not being able to win the SEC title in this regular season finale. After all, Kentucky began the year as the AP's No. 5 ranked team. Kentucky has sure had its ups and downs but the Wildcats have regrouped and are clicking at the right time heading into the SEC Tournament. They have won four straight with a 16-point average margin of victory, as the Wildcats have topped 80 points in each game, with their high-water mark in SEC play coming Wednesday in a 96-78 romp past Ole Miss in their final home game of the season. Five Wildcats have scored in double figures in each of the four games of the winning streak, led by freshman forward Kevin Knox, who had a game-high 22 points against Ole Miss for his third straight 20-point outing. Freshman point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander came close to a triple-double against the Rebels with 17 points, a career-high 10 assists and a career-high-tying seven rebounds. The 6-7 Knox (15.8 & 5.4) leads the team in scoring and PG Gilgeous-Alexander (13.0 & 4.9 APG) has run the show. Guard Diallo (10.7 & 3.7) and the 6-7 Washington (10.2 & 5.3) round out the double digit scorers. Calipari teams are typically known for their three-point shooting but this year's squad thrived on stopping opponents form behind the arc, allowing opponents to make just 29.3% of their threes (3rd-best in the nation). Florida: The Gators come in off back-to-back victories over No. 14 Auburn and Alabama, putting themselves solidly back in the NCAA Tournament picture. Florida's defense surrendering just 18 first-half points to the Crimson Tide in its 73-52 win on Tuesday. Guard Chris Chiozza figures to celebrate Senior Day with a school record as he needs one more assist to become Florida’s all-time leader, snapping the tie with Erving Walker for the UF record (547). Grad transfer Egor Koulechov scored 15 points in the win over Alabama and junior guard Jalen Hudson came up big against Alabama by scoring 27 points on 9-of-13 shooting for his first 20-point game since Jan. 17. However, he still leads the team in s scoring at 15.4 PPG. PG Chiozza leads the team in assists (6.1) and adds 11.1 PPG. Koulechov averages 13.7 & 6.6 and Allen 11.3, giving Florida four double digit scorers but all play on the perimeter. Despite its lack in size, Florida's played solid defense, allowing 69.2 PPG (94th). The pick: The loss of the 6-11 John Egbunu to a torn ACL has hurt Florida and it is not yet known if he plans to petition the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility. Often, the word revenge is overused in handicapping but I believe it applies here. Florida does not have the inside presence to stop Kentucky's frontcourt players in this one plus the Wildcats will be looking to avenge their 66-64 loss to the Gators back on Jan. 20, one that ended the team's 30-game home winning streak against SEC opponents! Make Kentucky a 10* play. |
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03-02-18 | Ball State v. Northern Illinois +3.5 | Top | 65-66 | Win | 100 | 12 h 15 m | Show |
The set-up: It's the final game of the regular season for MAC teams Ball State and Northern Illinois. The Cardinals will look to rebound from back-to-back losses, including a 75-51 road loss to Central Michigan in their last outing. However, Ball State is 19-11 overall, including 10-7 in league play, good enough for 2nd-place tie in the MAC West standing s with Eastern Michigan. Meanwhile, the Huskies limp in having lost 12 of their last 16 games following a 97-67 loss to Toledo (the Mac West's top team at 13-4) in their last outing. Northern Illinois is 12-18 overall, including a 5-12 league mark which leaves them in last-place in the MAC West. Ball State: PG Persons (14.6-3.3-4.3) leads in scoring and assists plus two "big men," the 6-8 Teague (11.8 & 7.4) and teh 6-9 Moses (11.5 & 8.4) give Ball State a solid inside presence. The 6-7 Mallers (9.8 & 4.7) and guard Sellers (9.6 & 4.7) round out a starting-five in which all have played in every game this season for Ball State. The Cardinals average a respectable 75.7 PPG (125th) but allow 74.0 PPG, which ranks 217th. Northern Illinois: The Huskies are a guard-oriented team, with Eugene German (20.7) leading the way. Levi Bradley (14.3 & 5.1) and Dante Thorpe (10.8) round out the team's double digit scorers. Similar to Ball State, Northern Illinois scores 73.1 PPG and allows 76.0 PPG. The pick: Ball State could find itself in one of the lesser postseason tourneys but the MAC doesn't get much respect, so even a 20-plus win season could leave them at home after the MAC tourney. The Cardinals have not had much success against the Huskies in recent years, going just 2-7-1 ATS in the last 10 meetings between these two schools. As for NIU, it lost 97-67 at home to Toledo in its last outing but note that not only are the Huskies still 10-4 SU at home this season but they are also capable of bouncing back off a humbling loss. Note that NIU is 7-2 ATS in its last nine following a loss of 20 or more points . Make Northern Illinois a 10* play. |
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03-01-18 | Western Kentucky v. Middle Tennessee -4 | Top | 64-82 | Win | 100 | 12 h 28 m | Show |
The set-up: No. 24 Middle Tennessee State entered the AP's top-25 two weeks ago, for the first time in school history. The 23-5 (15-1 in C-USA) Blue Raiders can clinch their second straight Conference USA regular-season title when they host second-place Western Kentucky (22-7, including 14-2 in C-USA play) Thursday night in Murfreesboro. The Blue Raiders have vaulted into the national rankings on the strength of a 10-game winning streak that began with a 66-62 raod win over the Hilltoppers back on Jan. 20. Western Kentucky comes in having won six in a row while averaging 87.7 PPG and trails Middle Tennessee by one game with two to play. Western Kentucky: The Hilltoppers capped their home slate with an 88-66 triumph over Old Dominion on Saturday behind 20 points from Taveion Hollingsworth, as head coach Rick Stansbury's team has shot at least 55 percent from the floor in five straight games (it's the program's longest such stretch since 1979!). The 6-7 Justin Johnson had 19 points and 11 rebounds in the win over the Monarchs, his 10th double-double of the season. He is tied for the team lead in scoring at 14.8 PPG (also a team-high 9.4 RPG) with fellow senior, PG Darius Thompson (4.7 RPG & 4.9 APG). Hollingsworth (13.6), a freshman guard, has hit the 20-point mark in four of his last seven games and is shooting 50 percent for the season after going 8-for-13 on Saturday. The 6-9 Dwight Coleby (11.9 & 8.1) ranks second on the team to Johnson with nine double-doubles. Middle Tennessee State: "We're proud of our ranking, proud of it for our fans and most proud for our players," chead oach Kermit Davis told reporters after Saturday's 79-54 win over UAB. "We talked about it on Monday that with more success comes more motivation and it drives you. I think it drives our team. We looked like a Top 25 team tonight and that was good to see." The 6-7 Nick King (21.5 & 8.3) led the way on Saturday with 22 points and he ranks second in the conference in scoring (21.5), including 24.8 over the last four games. Guard Giddy Potts (13.1 & 4.3) buried 5-of-9 from three-point range in the win and is posting an average of 16.2 points over a five-game stretch. Guard Antwain Johnson (10.2) is 19-for-30 from long range over a span of seven contests after going 17-for-57 to start the season. The 6-10 Walters (10.1 & 5.1) is the team's fourth double digit scorer. The pick: MTSU has won 31 of its last 33 in C-USA play and is now generating legitimate Big Dance at-large talk. That said, the Blue Raiders would be well-advised to win the conference tourney. Kermit Davis’ bunch won first showdown by four on road at WKU (back on Jan. 20) but will need a little bigger margin here, to "get the cash." Considering MTSU is 10-1 SU at home, outscoring opponents 77.4-to-60.8 PPG, I'll lay the modest points and make MTSU an 8* play. |
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03-01-18 | Tulsa v. East Carolina +9 | Top | 72-58 | Loss | -107 | 11 h 28 m | Show |
The set-up: The East Carolina Pirates are 10-17 overall and just 4-12 in American Athletic Conference. They get set to welcome the 17-11 Golden Hurricane (10-6 in AAC) to Greenville for the team's home finale on Thursday. The Pirates enter having lost three in a row and most recently absorbed a 109-58 pummeling at the hands of No. 25 Houston. Tulsa looks to bounce back after its six-game winning streak was ended with an 82-74 loss this past Sunday at No. 10 Cincinnati. |
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03-01-18 | Northwestern +5.5 v. Penn State | Top | 57-65 | Loss | -106 | 11 h 4 m | Show |
The set-up: The second round of the Big Ten tournament will take place Thursday at Madison Square Garden. Seventh-seeded Penn State (19-12 / Big Ten) will take on No. 10 Northwestern (15-16 / Big Ten). The Nittany Lions wrapped up the regular season with three consecutive losses to fall out of the NCAA Tournament picture and now hope to make a deep run in this tourney, as that is their only path to play their way back into contention for an at-large bid. Of course, Penn State could just win the tourney, which would give them an automatic bid. Penn State's opponent is Northwestern, who enter the tourney having dropped six consecutive games. The Wildcats' only chance at making the Big Dance would be to win this tourney, meaning the Wildcats have no chance at all of 'dancing' in 2018. Northwestern: The Wildcats returned most of their core players from the team that earned the first NCAA Tournament berth in program history last year but they have struggled under the weight of expectations. Their goal in this tourney would be to avoid their first losing season since 2014-15 but that would take at least two wins. "Our confidence is low right now," Northwestern head coach Chris Collins told reporters. "Let's play tough, let's play together and try to see if we can find a way to win a game on Thursday." Senior guard Scottie Lindsey matched a program record with nine three-pointers en route to a career-high 32 points in the Sunday's 77-70 loss to Iowa. Lindsey leads the team in scoring at 15.3 PPG but the 6-7 Vic Law, who is averaging 12.0 & 5.8, will miss the Big Ten Tournament with a toe problem. Senior PG Bryant McIntosh (12.0 & 5.1 APG) will play through a shoulder injury, which caused him to miss two games in February, plus the team's fourth double digit scorer is the 6-8 Dererk Pardon (11.2 & 7.1) and he earned All-Big Ten honorable mentions from the media. Penn State: The Nittany Lions eased past the Wildcats 78-63 in the first meeting of the season before suffering a 70-61 setback on Jan. 20. Penn State expects (hopes?) to advance to the quarterfinals of this tourney for the first time since 2015. 6-5 sophomore guard Tony Carr (19.9-4.5-4.8) was a consensus All-Big Ten first team selection after leading the conference with 20.1 points to go along with 4.9 assists per game. Head coach Pat Chambers uses an "Iron-5," with all getting 26-plus minutes of playing time and all averaging in double digits. The 6-8 Lamar Stevens has scored 43 points in the two meetings with Northwestern this season, including a career-high 30 in the win over the Wildcats on Jan. 5. He averages 15.2 & 6.3 and is joined by the 6-9 Watkins (12.1 & 8.9) up front, while Garner (10.3) and Reaves (10.3-4.8-3.3) join Carr on the perimeter. The pick: One could reasonably argue that Northwestern enters the tournament in the worst form in the conference (six straight losses coming in) but Penn State comes in off three straight losses, as well. Just don't see Penn State being favored by this much, as Northwestern still has a nucleus of guys left over from last year's magical season. Take the points and make Northwestern an 8* play. |
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02-28-18 | Butler v. St. John's +3 | Top | 68-75 | Win | 100 | 13 h 14 m | Show |
The set set-up: The 19-10 Butler Bulldogs (9-7 in Big East) will visit the Carnesecca Arena in Queens to take on the host 14-15 St. John's Red Storm (3-13 in Big East). Butler knocked off Providence on Feb. 17 and then routed No. 24 Creighton 93-70 three days later, which may have all but clinched an NCAA at-large berth for the Bulldogs. St John's is 11-2 in non-conference play (which includes an upset of Duke) but the team's 3-13 conference mark has done in the Red Storm. Butler: Butler shoots (47.8% ranks 40th) and scores (80.3 PPG ranks 50th) well. Senior forward Kelan Martin (20.9 & 6.4) is finishing his career on a high note while averaging 26.2 points over the last six contests to push his Big East-leading mark to 23.3 in league games. Junior guard Paul Jorgensen (10.8) played a big part in the last two wins for the Bulldogs, averaging 14.5 points and draining 12-of-18 from the floor. Sophomore guard Kamar Baldwin (15.4 & 5,4) is the team's second-leading scorer but is coming off a 3-for-11 shooting performance. St. John's: The Red Storm opened Big East play 0-11 but have been a much better team the last month with shocking wins over Duke and Villanova. Still, they sit at the bottom of the league standings after losing their last two contests to Marquette and Seton Hall. Sophomore guard Shamorie Ponds leads the Big East in scoring overall (21.6) and has been especially productive during the Red Storm’s revival, averaging 29.1 points over the last seven contests. He adds 5.1 RPG and 4.9 APG, similar to his backcourt partner, Simon (11.5-7.1-5.0), who also rebounds and 'dishes' with authority. The 6-7 Clark (11.9 & 4.7) is the team's best frontcourt player. Justin Simon is shooting better than 50 percent from the floor the last four games, while Clark is scoring 18.3 PPG over the last three while connecting on 21-of-40 from the floor. The pick: Butler destroyed St. John's 70-45 at home back on Jan. 27 and has won six of the last seven matchups between the two schools. However, Butler has lost four of its last six road games. Meanwhile, the Red Storm have played Creighton and Xavier close at home, upset Duke (at MSG) and won at Villanova by four points as a 16 1/2-point dog. Make St. John's an 8* play against a Butler team which is likely looking more towards the Big East tourney and an expected NCAA bid. |
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02-28-18 | Temple v. Connecticut +2.5 | Top | 66-72 | Win | 100 | 11 h 14 m | Show |
The set-up: It's AAC college hoops from Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Ct. when the 16-12 Temple Owls (8-8 in AAC) visit the 13-16 UConn Huskies (6-10 in AAC). Temple has won eight of its last 11 games and still has an outside shot of playing its way into the NCAA Tournament. Meanwhile, UConn has lost seven of nine and is closing in on finishing with back-to-back losing seasons for the first time in 31 years. Temple: The Owls rolled to an easy 75-56 win over Central Florida on Sunday but a crushing 21-point home loss to Houston on Feb. 18 will put added emphasis on the American Athletic Conference tourney for Temple. Freshman guard Nate Pierre-Louis (8.0) has endured plenty of highs and lows in his first season, but Temple's sixth man supplied 11 points off the bench Sunday to reach double figures for the sixth time in eight games. 6-8 guard Rose (15.0 & 4.4) leads the team in scoring with fellow guard Alston (13.2) and the 6-10 Enechionyia (10.9 & 6.1) joining him in double figures.The Owls are not a high scoring team, averaging only 70.1 PPG (263rd) on 42.8% shooting (282nd). UConn: The Huskies fell into a 23-point hole midway through the second half of Sunday's 83-79 loss to Memphis, before making a late run behind Jalen Adams, who scored 21 of his 25 points after the break. When these teams met back in Philly last month, the Owls demolished the Huskies in a 28-point romp that marked the start of a UConn tailspin which has seen them lose seven of nine. Adams (18.1-4.2-4.5) was limited to just seven points last month versus Temple. Joining Adams in double digits are fellow guard Vital (15.0 & 5.2) and the 6-8 Larrier (13.8 & 4.5). The pick: Temple is the better team and just could be getting hot at the right time but the Owls are just 4-7 SU on the road and UConn is still capable of 'barking quite loudly' as a home dog against a Temple team which averages a modest 67.1 PPG on the road. Make UConn a 10* play. |
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02-27-18 | Boise State +3 v. San Diego State | Top | 64-72 | Loss | -106 | 15 h 26 m | Show |
The set-up: The 22-6 Boise State Broncos are 12-4 in the MWC and will finish second in the league to 14-2 Nevada. The Broncos will play their second-to-last regular season game tonight at Viejas Arena against the host San Diego State Aztecs who are 17-10, including 9-7 in MWC play. Boise State comes in off back-to-back wins, after losing at Utah State and home to Nevada in its prevuious two. As for SDSU, the Aztecs have won their last four games. Boise State: The Broncos took out Colorado State last Wednesday, led by 6-7 guard Chandler Hutchison's 27 points. Hutchinson leads the etam in scoring (19.9), rebounding (7.60 and assists (3.5). He's joined in double digits by guard Jessup (11.6 & 4.9)a nd the 6-9 Sengfelder (11.5 & 6.5). Boise averages 78.4 PPG (69th) and allows 67.7 PPG (62nd). San Diego State: The Aztecs score 77.5 PPG (81st) and allow 68.0 PPG (65th). They have no player like Hutchinson, a legitimate POY candidate in the MWC, but do have seven players averaging between 7.7 and 12.7 PPG. That group is led by the 6-10 Pope (12.7 & 7.1) and PG Watson (12.5 & 3.9 APG). The pick: San Diego State has been playing pretty well lately and is 11-2 SU & 9-2 A TS at home. Note that Boise just edged SDSU 83-80 back in Boise, so this is by no means an easy "W." However, the Broncos are currently on Joe Lundardi’s "Next Four Out List" and have no margin of error down the stretch if they hope to earn an at-large bid (assuming Nevada wins MWC tourney). After consecutive shaky outings, Boise has allowed just 106 points in back-to-back wins, scoring at least 76 in both games. Make Boise State an 8* play. |
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02-27-18 | Florida +2.5 v. Alabama | Top | 73-52 | Win | 100 | 11 h 16 m | Show |
The set-up: The Florida Gators and Alabama Crimson Tide meet Tuesday night in SEC action at the Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa. Both schools come in having lost six of their last 10, with the Gators checking in at 18-11 (9-7 in SEC) and the Tide at 17-12 (8-8 in SEC). Setting the conference standings, Florida is in a four-way tie for third place, while Alabama is a game behind that group, tied with Missouri for seventh. Florida: The Gators' days of being in the top-25 have long ago disappeared but beating first-place Auburn 72-66 on Saturday boosted their postseason resume, as well as their chances of securing a top-four seed and a double-bye in the upcoming SEC tournament. The Gators had lost three straight before besting the Tigers behind. Florida has heavily relied on its three-point shooting, as the team's top four scorers are all guards who like to shoot from the outside. Jalen Hudson (15.0 & 4.0) and Egor Koulechov (13.7 & 6.7) have been the team’s most consistent scorers and most prolific three-point shooters. PG Chris Chiozza (11.3-4.4-6.2) is the catalyst and leads the team with 54 steals. The Gators Alabama: Many still have the Crimson Tide in the "Big Dance" (I'm not convinced) but they are one of the SEC’s top defensive teams and own one of the nation’s best freshmen in guard Collin Sexton (18.2-3.6-3.5). Fellow freshman John Petty (10.8) and sophomore Dazon Ingram (10.0 & 5.6) give Alabama a trio of talented guards who can match up well with Florida’s strong backcourt. The 6-9 Donta Hall (11.1 & 7.1) works hard inside and feasts on easy baskets in the paint, shooting 74.2 percent. The pick: The Crimson Tide easily handled the Gators in the first meeting of the season, posting a 68-50 road victory back on Feb. 3. However, while Alabama has won two of the last three meetings, Florida has captured 12 of the last 14 and hasn’t lost two straight in the all-time series since 1998. Revenge works. Make Florida a 10* play. |
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02-26-18 | Texas Tech v. West Virginia UNDER 141.5 | Top | 74-84 | Loss | -110 | 15 h 60 m | Show |
The set-up: Texas Tech is watching its season unravel at the worst possible time. The Red Raiders opened Big 12 play 10-3 before losing back-to-back road games against Baylor and Oklahoma State, followed by Saturday's home setback against Kansas, which clinched its 14th straight Big 12 regular-season title. Texas is 22-7 (10-6 in Big 12) and its current ranking of No. 6 in the AP poll will not hold up when the new poll is released Monday afternoon. The Red Raiders will look to end their three-game slide Monday night but will have to do so in a very tough venue, as they will travel to Morgantown to face current No. 21 West Virginia, which is 21-8 (10-6 in Big 12) . Texas Tech: The Red Raiders edged West Virginia 72-71 back in January at Lubbock, with Keenan Evans scoring 20 points and Brandone Francis adding a career-high 17. Evans is the team's top scorer at 17.2 PPG but his last three contests have been awful, as he has shot a collective 3-of-19 for 12 total points while battling a toe injury. 6-5 freshman Zhaire Smith (11.4 & 4.7) was the high man against Kansas with 20 points and has shot at least 50 percent from the floor in six of his last seven outings. The only other Texas Tech player scoring in double digits is Culver (11.2 & 4.2), who is also a 6-5 freshman. Tech's defense has been its strength on the season, allowing 63.5 PPG (9th). West Virginia: The Mountaineers can sympathize with the Red Raiders, as they lost five of six to close out January, after opening the season 15-1. However, West Virginia has rebounded by winning five of seven in Feb, including double-digit wins over Baylor and Iowa State last week. Five players average in double digits (a sixth averages 9.5 PPG), led by Jevon Carter (17.0 & 5.0 & 6.5). He led four starters in double figures with 24 points against Iowa State, while Esa Ahmad (10.3 & 4.7) chipped in 18 points and 11 rebounds and Sagaba Konate (10.5 & 8.0) had 14 points, nine boards and six blocks. Konate has six straight games with multiple blocked shots and has recorded 15 blocks in the last two games alone, while also going 16-of-16 from the foul line over the last seven game. Carter is the first major-college player in NCAA history to record more than 1,500 points, 500 rebounds, 500 assists and 300 steals, . The pick: I noted Tech's excellent defense above but note that West Vs. allows just 63.8 PPG here at WVU Coliseum. With Evans nowhere near 100 percent, this will be a hard-fought low scoring contest. Make the Under a 10* play.
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02-25-18 | Florida State +3 v. NC State | Top | 72-92 | Loss | -107 | 11 h 41 m | Show |
The set-up: Florida State and North Carolina State each have just three games left before the ACC tourney, as they prepare to clash on Sunday in Raleigh. The 19-8 Seminoles (8-7 in ACC) come in rested with a full week off since beating Pittsburgh 88-75 to extend their winning streak to two and with a No. 25 ranking in the latest AP poll. Meanwhile, the unranked but surprising Wolfpack won their third in a row Tuesday, defeating Boston College 82-66. NC State is 19-9 and at 9-6, one game better than FSU in league play. Florida State: The Seminoles are a strong offensive team (83.0 PPG ranks 23rd) and that's been on display in back-to-back wins over No. 15 Clemson and Pitt. FSU connected on a combined 52.7 percent from the floor and averaged 84.5 points in those two wins. Guard Terance Mann is one of only four players in the ACC leading his team in both scoring (career-high 14.0) and rebounding (5.8) but he only had four points and two rebounds in the win over Pittsburgh after sitting out the entire first half for what Hamilton called a "small indiscretion." PJ Savoy (18 points, 5-for-7 on three-pointers) and MJ Walker (14) combined for 32 points in rare starting roles against Pitt with Mann and Braian Angola (12.7 & 4.0) on the bench. The 6-8 Cofer (13.4 & 5.4) has been the team's most productive frontcourt player but both the 7-4 Koumadje (8.0 & 4.9) and the Kabengele (7.1 & 4.8) are solid contributors. NC State: Guard Allerik Freeman (14.8 & 4.2) has emerged as the go-to guy for the Wolfpack, leading the team in scoring in each game during the current winning streak, including a 20-point outing the last time out against Boston College. Freshman Braxton Beverly (10.0 & 3.9 APG) is a threat from long range and in the last six games has hit 17-of-28 from three-point land while failing to register even a single turnover in 97 minutes the last three contests. The 7-0 Yurtsen (13.6 & 6.8) is the team's best big man and PG Johnson (8.8 & 7.8 APG) is the floor leader. The pick: This is the only scheduled meeting between the teams this season and it's a big one for both. NC State is 7-1 when it has less turnovers than its opponents but the Seminoles have been protecting the ball during the win streak, averaging just three second-half turnovers and a total of three points off of turnovers in the second halves of its last two games. Florida State needs one more victory to record its third straight season with at least 20 and has won its last three meetings with NC State. Make it four in row in the series and four straight 20-win seasons for the Seminoles. Make FSU a 10* play. |
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02-25-18 | Colorado State +17.5 v. Nevada | Top | 83-92 | Win | 100 | 9 h 51 m | Show |
The set-up: The Colorado State Rams are 11-18 overall and just 4-12 in MWC play, as they head to Reno, Nv. to take on the Nevada Wolf Pack. Nevada is 24-5 (13-2 in MWC play) and is ranked No. 20 in the AP poll. The Wolf Pack are clearly the class of the conference and with a win at home on Sunday, can clinch at least a share of the school's second consecutive Mountain West regular-season championship and also would claim the No. 1 seed for the upcoming conference tournament. Colorado State: The Rams are locked into the No. 10 spot for the Mountain West Tournament and will play the seventh place finisher, which could be any of five teams, in the first round on March 7 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. The Rams will be without head coach Larry Eustachy (administrative leave) for the sixth straight game and enter having won just one of their last 10 games. The school is reportedly trying to work out an exit strategy for Eustachy and will be playing for their second interim head coach (Jase Herl). Junior guard Prentiss Nixon leads the team in scoring (15.3) but had just nine points in the team's 87-54 home loss to Boise State. Nixon is just 1-of-18 from the floor over the last two games, including 0-of-8 from three-point range, Nevada: The Wolf Pack will be honoring three seniors before the contest in the final home game of the season. Head coach Eric Musselman said there's another reason it could be a special day. "You don't get to cut down nets in your own building very often," Musselman told the Reno Gazette Journal. A victory over the Rams would give Nevada a two-game advantage in the loss column over second-place Boise State (22-6, 12-4) with two games to go, and the Wolf Pack own the tiebreaker by virtue of a regular-season sweep of the Broncos. That said, all is not right with Nevada. The Wolf Pack are down to seven scholarship players after starting PG Larry Drew (8.1 & 4.3 APG) was lost for the season with a torn Achilles last week. Senior guard Kendall Stephens (13.8 PPG and a 45.2 percent shooter from three-point range) had a career-high 30 points, including seven three-pointers, in Wednesday's 80-67 win over San Jose State but injured his shooting thumb late in the game. Word is, he will play with a splint the rest of the year." Three other players are averaging double figures including Mountain West Player of the Year candidate Caleb Martin (19.2 & 5.1), reigning MW tourney MVP Jordan Caroline (17.0 & 8.7) and Cody Martin (13.5 & 6.4), twin brother of Caleb. The pick: The Rams may be banged up more mentally than physically and the 87-54 loss to Boise was the team's worst in nine years! Sure, Nevada can clinch the MWC's No. 1 seed with a win here but is there really any reason to blow out the sad-sack Rams? Take the YUGE points and make CSU an 8* play. |
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02-24-18 | Appalachian State v. Arkansas-Little Rock +2 | Top | 69-67 | Push | 0 | 11 h 2 m | Show |
The set-up: I'm zeroing in on a meaningless game in the Sun Belt Conference on Saturday, as the 12-17 Appalachian State Mountaineers (7-9 in SBC play) play the 6-22 Little Rock Trojans (3-12 in SBC) tonight at the Jack Stephens Center. Appalachian State: The Mountaineers fought back from a 56-45 deficit with 8:45 left to force overtime, this past Thursday but fell 82-79 in OT to the Arkansas State Red Wolves. The Mountaineers average a so-so 76.3 PPG (100th) but shoot poorly, converting on just 43.5% from the floor (239th). A pair of guards are the team's lone double digit scorers, featuring junior Shabazz (19.2) and freshman Forrest (13.3). The 6-8 Johnson is the team's leading rebounder at 8.5 RPG (adds 7.2 pPG). Little Rock: The Trojans are in the SBC basement and are coming off 65-60 Thursday loss to the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. Little Rock never held the lead at any time in the game, although the Trojans did fight back some in the second half. Sophomore guard Andre Jones (12.3) is the team's lone double digit scorer, as no other player averages more than 7.5 PPG. That means it should be no surprise that the Trojans' average of 64.0 PPG ranks 341st in the nation. The pick: So why Little Rock? Appalachian State has nothing much to play for either and how can one lay ANY amount of points with a team that is just 3-11 SU on the road. The first time around (in Boone, N.C.), the Trojans played the Mountaineers tough, losing just 72-67 in OT. This time around (at home), the Trojans walk off with a rare "W." Make Little Rock a 10* play. |
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02-24-18 | Kansas +2 v. Texas Tech | Top | 74-72 | Win | 100 | 9 h 58 m | Show |
The set-up: For the better part of the last month, Texas Tech has stood atop the Big 12, arguably the deepest conference in the nation, only to have an ill-timed toe injury to the team's leading scorer and playmaker Keenan Evans have the Red Raiders on the verge of giving up control of the Big 12 to Kansas. Evans is unlikely to be anywhere close to 100 percent on Saturday, when No. 6 Texas Tech hosts No. 8 Kansas in Lubbock. The 22-6 Jayhawks (11-4 in Big 12) have won 13 straight Big 12 regular-season championships, which makes big games in late February nothing new. Meanwhile, Texas Tech finds itself in uncharted territory. The 22-6 Red Raiders (10-5) in Big 12) have never won a Big 12 title in men's basketball and they're just three seasons removed from a 3-15 mark in conference play. Kansas: Devonte' Graham's (17.6 & 7.2 APG) 10-game streak in which he played every minute of every game came to an end Monday but not before he lifted his scoring average in conference action to 19 points per game - second in the Big 12) with 23 points in 35 minutes of action. The 7-0 Udoka Azubuike (14.0 & 7.1) leads the country in field-goal percentage (77.1), but was limited to 18 minutes due to foul trouble. However, he went 5-for-6 from the floor to improve to 25-for-28 (89.3%) over his last four outings. Kansas is averaging 82.2 PPG (38th) on 47.4% shooting (46th). Texas Tech: The Red Raiders fell a full game back in Wednesday's 79-71 defeat at Oklahoma State, as Evans scored only two points and one of the nation's top defenses (63.1 PPG ranks 8th) gave up its second-highest scoring output of the season, along with a season-high 52.2-percent mark from the floor. With Evans (17.6) limited in each of the last two contests, Zhaire Smith (11.1) has stepped up his play, leading the team in scoring each time while averaging 16.5 points on 66.7 percent shooting. Fellow freshman guard Jarrett Culver (10.9) snapped out of a three-game shooting slump during which he went 8-for-34 from the floor, finishing with 15 points on 5-of-12 shooting and six rebounds. Senior guard Justin Gray (5.3), who is the only Red Raider to start all 28 games this season, has also filled some of the offensive void left behind by Evans over the last two games, providing 23 points while also corralling 13 rebounds. The pick: Kansas and UCLA are the only two programs to win 13 straight conference championships in NCAA Division I men's basketball history but with a win on Saturday, the Jayhawks will clinch at least a share of the school's 14th straight conference title and set an NCAA record. Texas Tech has won 17 straight at home and defeated Kansas 85-73 in Lawrence on Jan. 2. However, Kansas once again finds itself in familiar territory, on teh verge of clinching yet another Big 12 title. With "revenge" also on its side, Kansas is an 8* play. |
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02-24-18 | Notre Dame v. Wake Forest | Top | 76-71 | Win | 100 | 8 h 33 m | Show |
The set-up: It's ACC hoops from Winston-Salem as the 16-12 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-9 in the ACC) visit the 11-17 Wake Forest Demon Deacons (4-12 in ACC). Notre Dame has alternated wins and losses in each of its last four games, following a crushing 77-74 home loss to Miami in its last outing. Trailing by seven at the break, the Fighting Irish used an early second-half surge to give them a 62-57 lead, but Miami used a 13-0 run late in the game, delivering a severe blow to ND's already slim tournament chances. It has been a struggle for most of the season for Wake Forest (see record above) but the Demon Deacons have won two of three, after Wednesday's 63-57 victory over Pittsburgh. Notre Dame: A promising season for Notre Dame has been derailed by injuries as the team has lost 28 combined man games from three of its top six players; ACC Preseason Player of the Year Bonzie Colson (14), senior guard Matt Farrell (5) and freshman forward D.J. Harvey (9). The Irish were also without starter Rex Pflueger in the Miami game after he injured his back Feb. 17 but the junior guard is expected to return the lineup against Wake Forest. Sophomore guard T.J. Gibbs (15.8 PPG & 5.5 APG) has had a breakout season in wake of all the injuries and has hit double-digits in scoring in 16 straight games, while Farrell has been red-hot since returning to the lineup Feb. 3, averaging 20.8 points per game in six contests (is averaging 17.0 PPG & 5.5 APG on the season). Wake Forest: Guards Crawford (16.9 & 5.0 APG) and Woods (12.6) plus the 7-1 Moore (11.7 & 9.5) are Wake's lone three double digit scorers. Crawford's 14-point performance in the win over Pitt marked the 27th time in 28 games that he has reached double-digits. Junior center Doral Moore stuffed the stat sheet against the Panthers with 13 points, nine rebounds and three blocks, narrowly missing his fifth straight double-double and having his double-digit rebounding streak snapped at 10 games. The Demon Deacons played some of their best defense of the year Wednesday as Pitt's 57 points were the lowest for a Wake opponent in conference play this season. The pick: Notre Dame's NCAA hopes are likely all but 'dead,' but Wake Forest is 3-11 ATS in its last 14 games overall, while Notre Dame is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings between these two schools. Make Notre Dame an 8* play. |
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02-24-18 | Marquette -3.5 v. DePaul | Top | 62-70 | Loss | -105 | 5 h 44 m | Show |
The set-up: It's Big East college hoops from WinTrust Arena in Chicago as the 16-11 Marquette Golden Eagles (7-8 in Big East) take on the host 10-17 DePaul Blue Demons (3-12 in Big East). Marquette is off an 85-73 win over St. John's in its last outing, giving the team three wins in its last four. DePaul suffered a 93-62 loss to Villanova in its last outing, falling for the sixth time in its last seven games (remain in the Big East basement). Marquette knocked off DePaul 70-52 last month in Milwaukee. Marquette: The Golden Eagles rely on a three-headed scoring attack from the backcourt, as guards Markus Howard (21.3), Andrew Rowsey (19.5 & 4.5 APG) and Sam Hauser (14.6 & 5.9 combine for more than 55 points per game. The problem here could be, Howard injured his hip against Creighton and missed the St. John's game. The sophomore guard could also sit out Saturday's contest, which would put more pressure on Rowsey, who is averaging 22.3 points and 7.3 assists over his last four games, and Hauser, who is 14-of-21 from three-point range over that span. DePaul: The Blue Demons are just playing out the string (again!), The team's 31-point loss to Villanova made it three straight losses and six of seven. A seemingly disinterested (or incapable) DePaul squad attempted only one foul shot and turned it over 20 times. 6-6 guard. Max Strus (17.0 & 5.5) scored 21 points and 6-11 center Marin Maric (14.0 & 6.3) chipped in 12 but the bench didn't give the Blue Demons much help, combining for eight points on 4-of-16 shooting. The pick: Some feel as if Marquette still has a shot at earning an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament but the team would need to win out in the regular season and then make some noise in the Big East tourney for that to happen. That means a win here is a MUST! The Golden Eagles are quietly one of the most consistent offensive teams in the nation, having scored at least 70 points in every game since Dec. 2. Marquette averages 82,2 PPG (38th) on 47.4% shooting (46th) and teh Blue Demons s don't have the talent or will to compete. Make Marquette an 8* play |
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02-23-18 | Ohio State v. Indiana OVER 137 | Top | 80-78 | Win | 100 | 12 h 21 m | Show |
The set-up The Ohio State Buckeyes were picked to finish 11th in the preseason Big Ten poll. However, first-year head coach Chris Holtmann (via Butler) saw his team end a two-game skid with a 79-52 victory against Rutgers on Tuesday. Ohio State now has a chance to grab a share of their first conference title since 2012 if they are able to beat the Indiana Hoosiers tonight and No.2 Michigan State falls to Wisconsin on Sunday. Ohio State was just 17-15 last season (7-11 in Big Ten) but the Buckeyes are currently No. 16 in the AP poll with a 23-7 record (14-3 in Big Ten). Ohio State cruised past Indiana 71-56 in the first meeting back on Jan. 30 in Columbus and cnow have a chance to sweep the season series for the first time since 2010-11. Indiana's chances of earning a postseason bid took a big hit following a 66-57 setback to Nebraska on Tuesday. The Hoosiers had won four consecutive games, including two straight at home by double digits, before being held to their lowest point total in nearly a month. The Hoosiers are 16-13 overall, including 9-8 in the Big Ten. A victory here would give them 10 conference wins for the first time since the 2015-16 season. Ohio State: The Buckeyes own a strong frontcourt led by the 6-7 Bates-Diop (19.0 & 8.7). He's joined up front by SF Tate (12.6 & 6.2) and 6-9 freshman Wesson (11.0 & 5.2), with PG Jackson (12.4-3.8-3.9) running the show in the backcourt. C.J. Jackson led the way with 18 points in the bounce-back win vs. Rutgers,while Kaleb Wesson added 14 on 6-of-7 shooting. Guard Kam Williams (7.9) scored 13 points in his final collegiate home game while fellow senior Jae'Sean Tate contributed nine points and 10 rebounds. Big Ten Player of the Year candidate Keita Bates-Diop was held to six points on 3-of-11 shooting against the Scarlet Knights and is a troubling 12-of-39 (30.8%) from the floor over his last three games. The Buckeyes are an efficient offensive team (48.8% shooting ranks 23rd) and a strong defensive one, allowing 66.2 PPG (39th) on 41.5% shooting (48th). Indiana: The Hoosiers also have a first-year head coach in Archie Miller (via Dayton) and he knows he will need his team to be extremely dialed in to play a team that is trying to win a league championship. Justin Smith (just 6.2 PPG on the season) continued his stellar play down the stretch as he scored 16 points and pulled down eight rebounds vs. Nebraska, but the Hoosiers were undone by 19 turnovers. Senior guard Robert Johnson added 16 points and six rebounds against the Cornhuskers. while 6-8 junior Juwan Morgan had13 points and nine boards. Morgan (16.5 & 7.3) and Johnson (14.0 & 4.6) are the only two Hoosiers in double digits on the season. The Hoosiers average a modest 71.8 PPG, which ranks 236th. The pick: Ohio State is sniffing a Big Ten regular season title but the Buckeyes come in having lost their last two road games by an average margin of 17.5 PPG. Indiana will have a "packed house" for this bitter rival and would like nothing more than to play spoiler, plus 10 league wins would be a nice bonus for Miller in his first season in the Big Ten. Indiana has won four of the last five home meetings with Ohio State and while I'm not 100% behind the Hoosiers, I do see a high scoring game, which gives me a 10* play on the Over. |
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02-23-18 | Wright State -5.5 v. IUPU-Indianapolis | Top | 56-66 | Loss | -118 | 4 h 32 m | Show |
The set-up: After a rare down season in 2014-15 when the Raiders won just 11 games, Wright Stare checks in at 21-8 so far in 2017-18, following seasons of 22 and 20 wins. The Raiders have won 14 of their last 17 games, after a 72-65 home win over Cleveland State on Monday. Wright State is 13-3 in Horizon play ((tied for first with Northern Kentucky) and will finish its regular season with road games at IUPUI tonight and then at UIC on Sunday. The Jaguars have won three of their last four but are just 10-17 overall (7-9 in Horizon play). Wright State: Grant Benzinger had 20 points in Monday's win and leads the team in scoring at 14.5 PPG. Love, a 6-9 freshman, adds 12.6 PPG and a team-high 9.6 RPG plus five others get regular minutes while averaging between 5.1 and 10.1 PPG. Head coach Scott Nagy is in his second season and Wright State plays very solid defense, allowing 65.7 PPG (29th) while holding opponents to 41.6% shooting (53rd). IUPUI: The Jaguars beat Oakland on Monday but as noted above, are going nowhere this season. Brennan is a 6-6 forward who leads the team in scoring at 12.8 PPG and a pair of guards join him in double digits, They are Patterson (10.9) and Henderson (11.7). Offense is not a strength for this team, which averages 69.3 PPG (283rd). The pick: The Jaguars will have their work cut out for them scoring much against Wright State. In the season's first meeting, the Raiders took an eight-point decision, holding the Jaguars to 52 points on 35.3 % shooting. Wright State is 6-2 ATS in its last six road games and moves one game closer to capturing the Horixzon's regular season title with a comfortable win in this one. Make Wright State an 8* play. |
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02-22-18 | Arizona State v. Oregon -3 | Top | 68-75 | Win | 100 | 16 h 40 m | Show |
The set-up: The Arizona State Sun Devils will look to rebound after having their three-game winning streak was snapped in a 77-70 loss at home to Arizona in their last outing. ASU opened the season unranked but rose as high as No. 3 in the AP poll after beginning the season 12-0 in non-conference play. However, the Sun Devils lost their Pac 12 opener Dec. 30 at Arizona and currently check in at 19-7, including 7-7 in Pac 12 games (team is no longer ranked). ASU travels to Eugene, Oregon Thursday night for a contest with the 17-10 Oregon Ducks (also 7-7 in Pac 12 play), who will also be looking to bounce back from back-to-back losses, including an 86-78 setback at the hands of UCLA in their last outing. Arizona State: Tra Holder led ASU with 20 points in the loss to Arizona, something he's done all season. He leads the etam in scoring at 19.3 PPG. Fellow guards Evans (16.8) and Justice (12.4) are also in double digits but Arizona State has gone without meaningful offensive support from its forwards most of this season. The exception has been 6-8 freshman White (11.6 & 7.40. Head coach Bobby Hurley has moved 6-9 freshman Vitaliy Shibel into the starting lineup in place of 6-7 sophomore Mickey Mitchell since the team last faced Oregon but Shibel has been even less effective, combining for two points in 46 minutes over the past five games. Oregon: The Ducks lost four starters off last year's 33-win team which made it all the way to the Final 4. PG Payton Pritchard is the lone returning starter and he's been getting better as the season winds down. He is averaging 17.8 points over the past four games to inch his scoring average up to a team-high 14.9 PPG (also lead the team with 4.9 APG). Then there is 6-7 senior forward MiKyle McIntosh (10.6 & 6.3), who just had his best week of the season, combining for 42 points on 17-for-28 shooting in the losses to USC and UCLA. 6-7 freshman Troy Brown averages 11.9 & 6.9 and guard Elijah Brown, 12.8 PPG. The pick: Arizona State is sinking since league play began. The Sun Devils are 3-10-2 ATS in their last 15 conference matchups, while the Ducks are 27-13 ATS in their last 40 conference games. Oregon comes in off four straight comfortable wins and covers at home and it's putting it mildly to say Oregon is a good home team. The Ducks are 123-16 at Matthew Knight Arena since its home court opened in 2011. With Oregon off back-to-back losses USC and UCLA, let me note that the Ducks haven't lost three in a row since dropping five straight in January 2014. Make Oregon a 10* play. |
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02-22-18 | Southern Miss v. Texas-San Antonio -5.5 | Top | 56-64 | Win | 100 | 12 h 20 m | Show |
We have some C-USA action Thursday night as the Southern Miss Golden Eagles take on the UTSA Roadrunners at the Convocation Center in San Antonio, Texas. The Golden Eagles limp in having after lost five of their last seven after an 87-69 loss to UAB in their last outing. That leaves Southern Miss 13-15 overall, including 6-9 in C-USA play. As for UTSA, the Roadrunners have won five of their last six following a 97-89 overtime win over Charlotte the last time out. UTSA now sits 15-12 overall, including 8-6 in C-USA play. Southern Miss: The Golden Eagles own an excellent guard duo in leading-scorer Edwards (15.8 & 6.1) and PG Griffin (15.0-4.1-6.0). A third guard is Magee (12.2) is also in double digits plus he also leads the team in rebounding (6.1 per). That's because Southern Miss gets no real frontcourt help, as no "big man" averages as much as 5.5 PPG. The not so-Golden Eagles average 71.9 PPG and allow 72.4 PPG, which indicates why the team is two games under .500. UTSA: The Roadrunners average 80.1 PPG (2nd) and own some fairly decent balance. Guard Jackson (19.2) leads the team in scoring and reserves Wallace (11.4) and Lyle (10.1) come off the bench in the backcourt to provide some scoring punch. The 6-8 Allen (8.4 & 5.1) and the 6-6 Frohnen (7.0 & 6.,8) are solid frontcourt players. The pick: The home team is 7-0-1 ATS in the last eight meetings between these two teams and Southern Miss is averaging only 62.5 PPG on the road. The home team is an 8* play in this one. |
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02-21-18 | UCF v. Tulsa UNDER 129.5 | Top | 61-70 | Loss | -110 | 14 h 19 m | Show |
The set-up: It's an AAC matchup tonight in Tulsa (Don W. Reynolds Center) when the 17-9 Central Florida Knights (8-6 in AAC) take on the host Tulsa Golden Hurricane, who are 16-10 overall, including 9-5 in AAC play. UCF has won three in a row but Tulsa has won five straight, as the Golden Hurricane lead the Knights by a game in the league standings. Both are hoping to secure a top four finish in the AAC (which earns a first-round bye in the tourney) and a win by UCF would mean the two schools would be tied for fourth place (a win by UCF would also give the Knights the tiebreaker between the two). Central Florida: UCF’s success has been in large part due to its suffocating defense, which allows just 60.3 points a game, third-best in the nation. That's no surprise as UCH was expected to be a defensive stalwart because of the presence of 7-6 center Tacko Fall. However, even with Fall out for the season since mid-January, the Knights have been sterling on the defensive end, as on teh season, opponents are shooting just 38.6% against them (4th). Guard BJ Taylor has been the leader of the offense for coach Johnny Dawkins, despite missing 16 games with a foot injury after the season opener. He's now averaging 14.0 PPG (through 10 games) and is the team's top-scoring option now. The 6-9 Davis (11.7 & 8.9) has even more pressure on him now, with the loss of Fall. Tulsa: The 6-8 Etou leads Tulsa in scoring (15.3) and rebounding (7.9) and is joined by two other double digit scorers in PG Taplin (12.1-3.8-4.3) and SF Jeffries (10.0 & 5.1). However, two more players just miss, guard Henderson (9.9) and the 6-8 Igbanu (9.2 & 5.2. )Head coach Frank Haith's squad has sported a balanced attack (five players averaging between 9.2 & 15.3 PPG) and one of the things that he likes most about his team this season is the grit his players are showing as the regular season comes down the stretch. The pick: This is a big game for both teams and expect a low-scoring one. UCF plays great D (see above) plus has real trouble scoring, averaging only 63.0 PPG (346th). Make the Under an 8* play. |
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02-21-18 | Michigan +3 v. Penn State | Top | 72-63 | Win | 100 | 12 h 19 m | Show |
The set-up: 22-7 Michigan (11-5 in Big Ten) will visit Happy Valley tonight to take on 19-10 Penn State (9-7 in Big Ten). Michigan is No. 17 in the latest AP poll and hopes to overtake Nebraska (12-5) in the race for fourth place to earn a double bye in the Big Ten Tournament. Penn State has played itself into at least being in the conversation for an NCAA Tournament berth because of a strong second half and has an opportunity to earn what would assuredly be a resume-boosting win here at home: Penn State: The Nittany Lions' four-game winning streak came to an end as they dropped a 76-73 decision to Purdue on Sunday. The Nittany Lions were doomed by some late misses from the free-throw line in their search for another signature win to add to their NCAA Tournament resume. Sophomore guard Tony Carr was named the Big Ten Player of the Week for the first time in his collegiate career after averaging 24.5 points, five rebounds and four assists against Ohio State and Purdue. Carr (19.6 & 4.6) led the way with 19 points to go along with five rebounds and five assists in the loss to the Boilermakers while fellow guard Shep Garner (10.6) buried five 3-pointers en route to 17 points to finish in double figures for the 13th time this season. The 6-8 Stevens (15.1 & 6.2), the 6-9 Watkins (12.5 & 9.2) and guard Reaves (10.7 & 4.7) give Penn State five double digit scorers. The pick: Penn State has morphed into one of the Big Ten's better teams in the second half of the season and returns home here, where they have won four straight games. The Nittany Lions hope to move on the right side of the bubble by knocking off Michigan but the Wolverines have won the last six meetings with the Nittany Lions (Penn State's last win over Michigan came back on Feb. 27, 2013), as well as 11 of the last 12. Michigan can still catch Nebraska for the No. 4 seed plus it also wants to enhance its RPI in order to get an even better seed for the NCAA Tournament. Make Michigan a 10* play. |
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02-20-18 | St. Louis v. Dayton -5 | Top | 50-53 | Loss | -105 | 14 h 19 m | Show |
The set-up: Archie Miller led Dayton to four straight NCAA appearances, winning 102 games in that span (never less than 24 in any season). However, he left for the Indiana job. The Flyers brought in former alum Anthony Grant (played under Don Donoher), who has had success of his own on the bench, coaching VCU and Alabama (he was also an assistant under Billy Donovan at Florida and most recently in the NBA with OKC). However, the loss of four starters has taken its toll, as Dayton is just 12-14 (6-8 in A-10). The Flyers will welcome the 15-12 Saint Louis Billikens (8-6 in A-10) Tuesday nigh to the UD Arena. St. Louis hadn't won more than 12 games in any of the previous three seasons (win totals of 11, 11 and 12, respectively) but led by four returning starters in Travis Ford's second season at the school, the Billikens have a chance to secure a top-four finish in the Atlantic-10 for the postseason tourney. St. Louis: The Billikens are making run at just that (currently alone in fourth-place), having won four of their last five games. St. Louis is not a good offensive team, averaging just 66.8 PPG (315th) on 42.2% shooting (302nd). A trio of guards score in double digits, Bess (13.1 & 7.4), Goodwin (11.5-7.5-4.0) and Roby (11.1). The best frontcourt player is teh 6-7 French (8.8 & 6.9) but note the rebounding numbers for guards Bess and Goodwin, who also leads the team in assists. The Billkens' deliberate style of play leads to them also allowing a modest 65.6 PPG (30th). Dayton: The Flyers have lost four of five following an 85-67 defeat at George Mason and the team's lone role down the stretch (and in the A-10 tourney) will be that of spoiler. The duo of 6-7 forward Cunningham (16.4 & 8.6) plus guard Darrell Davis (16.2 & 4.3) provide Dayton with a solid 1-2 punch. Those two are supported by a trio of guards chipping in between 8.3 and 10.5 PPG. Dayton averages 73.9 PPG and allows 73.8 PPG, so it's not difficult to see why the Flyers are a 12-14 team on the season. The pick: The Billikens won the first meeting 76-65 back at St. Louis in late January but winning on the road here won't come easily, even against a struggling Dayton team. The Flyers have always been a "tough out" at home and even in a season in which the team is two games under .500, Dayton is 10-4 SU at home, owning four wins in its last five league home games (only loss to powerhouse Rhode Island). St. Louis is no Rhode Island. Spoiler alert! Make Dayton a 10* play. |
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02-20-18 | The Citadel +20.5 v. East Tennessee State | Top | 84-82 | Win | 100 | 12 h 19 m | Show |
The set-up: It's Southern Conference action tonight from Johnson City, Tn. when the East Tennessee State Buccaneers host The Citadel Bulldogs. ETSU won the SoCon's regular season and postseason titles last year, then lost to Florida in the NCAAs, finishing with 27 wins. The Buccaneers are 23-5 this season, including 14-1 in league play, giving them a two-game cushion. The Bulldogs were just 12-21 last season (4-14 in SoCon) and check in this season at 9-18, including 4-11 in league play. The Citadel: The Bulldogs enter on a four-game slide, after a 75-71 loss to VMI. The 6-7 Najdawi kept the The Citadel close with 23 & 14. He leads the team in scoring at 15.2 PPG. Guard Frierson (13.8) added 20 points. Despite shooting 42.0% as a team (307th), The Citadel is averaging 84.2 PPG (16th). The problem is, the Bulldogs are allowing 89.6 PPG (350th) on 48.7% shooting (337th). East Tennessee State: The Buccaneers are the SoCon's dominant team and bounced back from their first conference loss (at UNC-Greensboro) to down Western Carolina 72-61. This team hasn't much missed a beat, despite losing four starters from last year's team. The lone returning starter is guard Desonta Bradford, who leads the team in scoring (15.2), rebounding (5.9) and assists (3.5). The only other double digit scorer is fellow guard McCloud (11.7). Defense has been the key for ETSU, holding opponents to 65.4 PPG (26th) on 39.9% shooting (12th). The pick:This is a game between the league's best team and one of its "have-nots." However, the road team is 8-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings and The Citadel is 6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings between the schools. Take the big points and make The Citadel an 8* play. |
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02-19-18 | Oklahoma v. Kansas OVER 167 | Top | 74-104 | Win | 100 | 23 h 36 m | Show |
The set-up: The Kansas Jayhawks edged West Virginia at home on Saturday and when Baylor knocked off the Texas Tech later that night, drew even with the Red Raiders atop the Big 12 standings at 10-4. No. 13 Kansas (21-6) will visit No. 7 Texas Tech (22-5) next weekend but must first take care of business tonight when slumping No. 23 Oklahoma and Trae Young come calling. The Sooners rallied for an 85-80 victory back on Jan. 23 in Norman against the Jayhawks but Oklahoma has lost six of seven since (including five in a row) to fall to 16-10 (6-8 in Big 12). Oklahoma is currently ranked No. 23 but will undoubtedly fall out of the new AP poll which comes out this afternoon. Oklahoma: The Sooners dropped their fifth straight game on Saturday in a 76-66 home loss to Texas. They shot a season-low 30.8 percent, as Young continued his struggles. He scored 26 points but shot 7-of-21 from the floor and is 18-for-58 (31.0%) over his last three games, including 4-of-27 (14.8%) from behind the arc. Young snapped a streak of 20 consecutive missed three-pointers on Saturday and while he remains the nation's leader in scoring (29.0) and assist (9.2), he is averaging 23.6 points per game during the losing skid, while his shooting percentages remain abysmal. Oklahoma has two other double digit scorers this year, junior guard Christian James (12.3 & 4.8) and 6-9 freshman Brady Manek (11.0 & 5.7) but James was held to 11 points against Texas (after scoring at least 20 in his previous two games) and Manek connected on just 3-of-13 after entering the game shooting 61.7 percent from the floor at home on the season. Kansas: The Jayhawks closed out the Mountaineers with a 19-3 run as Udoka Azubuike scored 21 points and Devonte' Graham contributed 15 points. The victory put Kansas in a position to challenge for a 14th consecutive regular-season championship. "It keeps us in a position to play for something," Kansas head coach Bill Self told reporters afterward. "It was big for our guys' confidence, probably." The 7-foot Azubuike (14.1 & 7.0) made 7-of-8 shots from the floor against West Virginia to lift his shooting percentage to 76.9%. Lagerald Vick (12.8) has now scored 29 points in his last two games, after after reaching double figures in four of his previous 12 contests. Joining the 7-0 Azubuike and guard Vick in the starting lineup are three more of guards, led by the team's best player, Graham (17.4-4.1-7.2). Mykchailiuk (15.3 & 4.0) and Newman (12.0 & 5.12) round out Self's 'Iron-Five." The pick: The Sooners were ranked in the top five just a month ago but their current slump has them sliding onto the NCAA "bubble." Oklahoma has lost 16 straight at Kansas dating to a 1993 win in the Big Eight under Billy Tubbs, so it would be hard to expect them to win here, especially since Kansas is in "revenge mode" and needs to take some momentum into its visit to Lubbock this coming Saturday. Then again, it's also hard to see Oklahoma NOT getting up for Kansas. Oklahoma opened 11-1 to the over this season, then saw six of its next seven go under. However, four the its last six games are back on an over trend. The Sooners are the nation's top-scoring team (87.5 PPG) but allow a whopping 82.0 PPG, ranking 337th. With Kansas averaging 81.6 PPG, the Over is the 10* play in this one. |
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02-18-18 | Stanford v. California +6.5 | Top | 77-73 | Win | 100 | 13 h 55 m | Show |
The set-up: Johnny Dawkins led Stanford to two NIT titles in his tenure at the school but he was not hired to win NIT championships. He was let go after the 2015-16 season and replaced by Jerod Haase. The Cardinal would have welcomed an NIT invite in Haase's first year at Stanford (2016-17 season), as the Cardinal finished just 14-17 (6-12 in Pac 12). Stanford is just 13-13 on the season so far this year but despite losing five of its past seven, Stanford remains just one game out of second place in the Pac-12 standings at 7-6 The Cardinal take to the road to tonight for a game at Haas Pavilion against the 8-18 Cal Bears, who are just 2-11 in Pac 12 play. Cal has a first-year head coach in Wyking Jones and the team's 23 and 21-win seasons of the past two year seem 'light years' ago! Stanford: The Cardinal have lost two straight, the most recent being a 64-56 loss at Colorado where a 20 point first half set the tone. Guard Dorian Pickens (14.1) paced the Stanford attack with 18 points. PG Daejon Davis (10.6-4.3-4.8) gave the Cardinal 12 points and four pulls on 5-16 while leading scorer and rebounder, the 6-8 Reid Travis (19.0 & 7.7) added 10 points and six rebounds. The 6-9 Humphrey (10.4 & 7.40 is the team's fourth double digit scorer. California: The Golden Bears have been struggling on both ends of the floor and that trend continued in a 77-43 loss at Utah as a 13- point road dog. Cal never found their offense and the defense didn’t help with the team getting out-shot 54.9%-30.2%. Guard Darius McNeill (11.7) was the only Cal player to reach double digits (just barely with exactly 10 points!) at Utah. However, three other Golden Bears are averaging in double digits on the season. Guard Coleman (15.6) is the team's top scorer, joined by the 6-7 Sueing (13.5 & 5.3) and the 6-11 Lee (12.2 & 7.6) in teh frontcourt. Overall though, Cal doesn't score enough (69.3 PPG ranks 284th) and allows too many points (78.2 PPG ranks 307th). The pick: Oddly enough, one of Cal's two Pac 12 wins came in a 77-74 win up in Maples Pavilion. However, not much has gone right for Golden Bears since, who’ve subsequently won SU just once (at Haas Pavilion vs. Oregon State). Sure, Stanford is the better team and Cal is the Pac 12's worst team, but Stanford has lost its last two games at Haas Pavilion by an average of 13.5 points.Take the home dog, as I believe Cal just may get its first regular-season sweep of Stanford since 2009-10. Make Cal a 10* play. |
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02-18-18 | Duke -2 v. Clemson | Top | 66-57 | Win | 100 | 6 h 55 m | Show |
The set-up: Virginia has led the way this season in the ACC and the Cavs currently own a conference mark. However, early this afternoon at Littlejohn Coliseum, No. 12 Duke (21-5) and No. 11 Clemson (20-5) will square off with second-place in the ACC on the line (both are 9-4). This is the first and only scheduled meeting of the season between teh two schools Duke and Clemson but with plenty of teams chasing them in the league standings, this becomes a critical matchup for seeding in next month's ACC Tournament. Duke has won two in a row following an uncharacteristic 1-3 stretch while Clemson had won five in a row before falling to Florida State on Wednesday, when the Tigers blew an 18-point lead before losing in overtime. Duke: The Blue Devils have won twice without league scoring and rebounding leader Marcus Bagley III (21.2 & 11.4), as the 6-11 freshman has sat out the team's last two as a precaution with a mild knee strain. His status for this game is uncertain. Senior Grayson Allen picked up the slack against Virginia Tech with 25 points (made 7 of 15 three-pointers), while 6-10 freshman Wendell Carter Jr. registered 13 points and 13 rebounds for his seventh double-double in the last 10 games. Yet another freshman, Gary Trent Jr, went 5-of-9 from the arc against the Hokies and is shooting over 60 percent from three-point range over the last five games. Trent averages 15.2 & 4.6, Allen 15.0-3.5-4.6, Carter 14.4 & 9.5 and PG Duval (another freshman) 11.0 & 5.6 APG for the nation's highest scoring team (88.2 PPG). Clemson: The Tigers can't match Duke's firepower (Clemson averages 75.2 PPG) and not only are the Tigers already without the 6-8 Donte Grantham (14.2 & 6.9), who was lost to an ACL tear, the team likely will likely be without PG Shelton Mitchell (11.8 & 3.8 APG) on Sunday, who suffered a head injury. Marcquise Reed (15.7-4.6-3.4 registered 23 points against Florida State in a strong bounce-back effort after totaling four points in the previous game. Gabe DeVoe (13.4 & 4.6) has been on a tear from 3-point range, draining 25-of-40 (62.5 percent) over the last five games. The Tigers are a quality defensive team, allowing 65.8 PPG (32nd), while holding opponents to 41.6% shooting (53rd). The pick: It's true that Clemson is 13-0 at home this season but no Grantham and likely no Mitchell will make it tough to win here. Sure Clemson owns an excellent D (see above) but Duke not only averages just under 90 PPG, it shoots a blistering 50.4% as a team (9th-best). A game of this magnitude is "nothing new" for Duke, while the same can't be said for Clemson. The Tigers lose again, falling in back-to-back games for the first time this season. Make Duke an 8* play |
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02-17-18 | Marquette +7.5 v. Creighton | Top | 90-86 | Win | 100 | 24 h 40 m | Show |
The set-up: It's a Big East game from CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska, as the 19-7 Creighton Bluejays (8-5 in Big East) host the 14-11 Marquette Golden Eagles (5-8 in Big East). Marquette comes in looking for a big road win but has lost five of its last six overall, after falling 86-78 loss to St. John’s in its last outing. Meanwhile, the Bluejays are looking to gain a measure of consistent play after alternating wins and losses in each of their last five games, including a 94-46 win over subdivision Bemidji State in their most recent outing. However, I should note that Creighton can lock down its third straight 20-win season with a victory in tonight's game. Marquette: Guard Andrew Rowsey (19.4 & 4.2 APG) led Marquette with 34 points on 11 of 26 shooting plus added team-highs of seven rebounds and six assists in the loss to St. John's. Fellow guards Markus Howard (team-high 21.9 PPG) and Sam Hauser (14.2 & 6.0) each added 18 points. That trio is really the core of Marquette's team, certainly on the offensive end. While the Golden Eagles average 81.8 PPG (33rd), no player outside of the three aforementioned guards score more than 7.0 PPG. Marquette shoots 40.2% from the three-point line (16th) and a nation-best 80.0% from the free-throw line. Creighton: Head coach Greg McDermott has won 20 or more games in six of his first seven seasons with the Bluejays (making it seven of eight is a lock!) and he gave his bench a lot of minutes against Bemidji State, resulting in Marcus Foster's streak of seven straight 20-point games coming to an end. Foster is one of five players averaging better than 20 points in Big East games along with Butler's Kelan Martin. Foster leads the team at 20.3 PPG and while Creighton averages 85.4 PPG (7th), the Blue Jays feature just two other double digit scorers. They are reigning Big East Defensive Player of The Year Khyri Thomas (14.5) and the 6-9 Martin Krampelj (11.9 & 8.1). The pick: Creighton has been a solid team at home this season (typical) but the Bluejays have been struggling as of late, going 0-4 ATS prior to their non-lined game with Bemidji State. Marquette is a 'live dog,' as the Golden Eagles can score, shoot well from three (see above) and are the nation's best free-throw shooting team. Watch out for the "backdoor cover!" Make Marquette an 8* play. |
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02-17-18 | Texas Tech v. Baylor +1 | Top | 57-59 | Win | 100 | 21 h 55 m | Show |
The set-up: The Texas Tech Red Raiders have responded to Chris Beard in his second season at Lubbock. After an 18-14 season last year, Texas Tech is 22-4 (10-3 in Big 12) and ranked No. 7 in the latest AP poll. The Red Raiders have won their past four games by a combined 59 points and their seven-game winning streak has vaulted them to the top of the conference standings. Meanwhile, the Baylor Bears have won four straight to move into a fifth-place tie in the Big 12 (at 6-7), while improving to 16-10 on the season.. Texas Tech: The Red Raiders have used a solid offense (76.7 PPG ranks 101st on 47.0% shooting, which ranks 61st) and the Big 12's best defense (62.7 PPG ranks 8th nationally) to get to where they currently are (Red Raiders are holding opponents to 39.4% shooting, which ranks 8th). Senior guard Keenan Evans leads the Red Raiders with 18.7 PPG. Texas Tech gets a combined 21.5 PPG from freshmen guards Jarrett Culver and Zhaire Smith. 6-9 center Orense Odiase adds just 4.5 PPG but also a team-high 5.0 RPG. He has come on strong in big games, recording 12 points and eight rebounds in an upset of Kansas and a season-high 14 points in Tuesday's win over Oklahoma.
Baylor: The Bears' 4-0 run has also been fueled by defense, holding its opponents to an average of 26 first-half points during the win streak after allowing 44.5 before halftime until that point this season. Senior guard Manu Lecomte leads the Bears with 16.8 points and 3.7 APG but has had more freedom to move without the ball since junior Jake Lindsey (5.1 & 3.3 APG) joined the starting lineup five games ago. The lineup change gives the Bears a strong bench, led by senior forward Terry Maston's 10.0 & 5.8. It has outscored opponents' benches 153-49 in the past five games. 7-0 senior Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. (11 double-doubles) adds 14.5 PPG, a team-best 9.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks. |
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02-17-18 | Auburn v. South Carolina +6 | Top | 75-84 | Win | 100 | 17 h 56 m | Show |
The set-up: Bruce Pearl has always been considered an excellent head coach but he's also had his fair share of controversies (if unfamiliar, try Google). After winning just 15 and 11 games in his first two season at Auburn, he led the Tigers to an 18-win season last year and all five starters were back for this season. Many felt Auburn could win 20 games in 2017-18 but few (if any) could have predicted that the Tigers would be 23-3 (11-2 in the SEC) and ranked 10th in the AP poll come mid-Feb. Auburn is off a 76-66 home victory over Kentucky, and will visit Columbia, S.C. on Saturday afternoon to take on the slumping 13-13 Gamecocks, who are 4-9 in SEC play. South Carolina nearly knocked off Tennessee on the road this past Tuesday, erasing a 14-point deficit before falling 70-67 (its sixth consecutive loss). Auburn: The Gamecocks have won two straight meetings with Auburn and three of the last four. Bruce Pearl is aware and told reporters. “We can’t afford to not (get up) or we won’t win. It’s real simple. If you’re big enough, talented enough, deep enough, you can show up sometimes and win.” Pearl is making his guard-oriented lineup work. Bryce Brown leads with 16.6 PPG, plus backcourt mates Mustapha Heron (16.1 & 5.3 rebounds) and Jared Harper (13.5 & 6.0 APG) help push the pace, can score and are pesky at the defensive end. The undersized Desean Murray (10.9 & 7.0) plays much bigger than his 6-3 frame,and fellow forwards, the 6-7 Anfernee McLemore (7.7 & 5.3) and the 6-8 Horace Spencer (4.2 & 4.7) are tough post defenders. South Carolina: The Gamecocks have one of the SEC’s best big men in the 6-9 Chris Silva (14.2 & 7.6) but their guard play leaves much to be desired (they sure miss Thornwell and Dozier from LY's Final 4 team). Reserve guard Frank Booker (11.6 points), a graduate transfer from FAU, has averaged 14.2 points over his last five games but the rest of the members of the backcourt rotation have been inconsistent. Coach Frank Martin’s teams typically are known for tough defense (allow 68.0 PPG to rank 6th) but South Carolina has allowed five straight opponents to shoot at least 46 percent (not good). The pick: It's true that Auburn's Bruce Pearl is a leading candidate for National Coach of the Year but are the Tigers really as good as their record? The team's win over Kentucky was a real 'high' and a letdown seems more than possible. Note that South Carolina is 12-1 when scoring at least 70 points and while the Gamecocks haven’t hit that mark in their last four games, they do average 70.2 PPG at home and Auburn is allowing 72.2 PPG on the season. Take the home dog and make South Carolina an 8* play. |
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02-17-18 | Texas v. Oklahoma -6.5 | Top | 77-66 | Loss | -105 | 13 h 26 m | Show |
The set-up: Part 1 of the Red River Rivalry (basketball edition) took place back on Feb. 3 in Austin and although the Sooners controlled most of the game (held a nine-point lead with less than eight minutes remaining), the Longhorns went on a 14-0 run en route to a 79-74 victory. No. 23 Oklahoma was still very much in the thick of the Big 12 race when it last faced Texas but the Sooners now find themselves 16-9 and just 6-7 in Big 12 play. Texas will travel to the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman with a 15-11 overall mark, including only 5-8 in Big 12 play. Both teams could badly use a win but in the case of Texas, it's a matter of getting back into NCAA Tournament contention. Texas: Nothing has gone right for Texas since it beat Oklahoma back on Feb 3, as the Longhorns have sandwiching a pair of one-possession defeats around a blowout loss avergae about two 'TDs' less than Oklahoma (72.4 PPG) but Shaka Smart's team does play defense, allowing 68.3 PPG (66th) on 41.7% shooting (63rd). Texas is awful from three-point range, converting on just a conference-worst 32.1 percent (ranks 329th nationally). The Longhorns have a terrific one-two inside duo in 6-11 freshman Bamba (13.7-10.8-4.1 BPG) and 6-9 junior Osekowski (13.6 & 7.1). Bamba leads the conference with 13 double-doubles. However, the loss of guard Jones (13.5) for the season (after just 10 games), has been a huge blow. Oklahoma: That Feb. 23 loss in Austin began a four-game slide for the Sooners. Freshman Trae Young continues to lead the country in scoring (29.1 points) and assists (9.3), but he's shooting only 35.4 percent (17.1 percent beyond the arc) in Oklahoma losing skid (he is coming off a game in which he failed to hit a three-pointer for the first time in his career, going 0-for-9!). Junior guard James (12.4 & 4.9) and 6-9 freshman Manek (11.2 & 5.6) are OU's only two double digit scorers outside of Young. James has delivered his first two 20-point performances over the last two contests, averaging 22.5 points on 16-of-30 shooting. The Sooners are the nation's top-scoring team at 88.4 PPG but they also allow 82. PPG, ranking 338th. The pick: Texas just played in its sixth overtime game last Saturday (matching a school record for the most in a season) and could be wearing down. Sure, Oklahoma has clearly struggled as of late (1-9 ATS run started on Jan. 13) but the Sooners have won five straight home games against the Longhorns and are 11-1 in Norman this season, where they are averaging 95.5 PPG (Texas is averaging 66.0 PPG on the road). Make Oklahoma an 8* play. |
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02-17-18 | SMU v. UCF -3 | Top | 37-52 | Win | 100 | 12 h 26 m | Show |
The set-up: The SMU Mustangs continue to play short-handed and their 70-67 home loss to Memphis this past Wednesday was the team's fourth straight. SMU's once-promising season has slipped away, as the Mustangs are 15-11 (5-8 in AAC). UCF has won two in a row following a 2-5 stretch that included losing massive 7-6 center Tacko Fall for the season due to a shoulder injury. The Knights will welcome the Mustangs to CFE Arena in Orlando early on Saturday, checking in at 16-9 (7-6 in AAC). SMU: When the calendar turned to 2018, SMU stood at 12-3 but the Mustangs are just 3-8 since. The team's best player, PG Shake Milton (18.7-4.7-4.4), is currently listed as “out indefinitely” after missing SMU’s last 4 games (Mustangs are 0-4) and the Mustangs will also be without 6-6 Jarrey Foster, who is out for the season due to a knee injury. Foster was lost seven games ago and was averaging 13.2 PPG and a team-high 5.9 RPG. Guard Jahmal McMurray did everything he could Wednesday against Memphis, knocking down nine three-pointers en route to a career-high 33 points but it still wasn't enough. He has taken on a larger role for the injury-plagued Mustangs and checks in averaging 13.9 PPG. SMU's defense remains its strength, allowing just 63.5 PPG (11th). UCF: Fall averaged 11.3 & 7.3 in his 16 games and his loss leaves two double digit scorers for the Knights. Guard Taylor leads with 14.8 PPG and forward AJ Davis adds 11.4 & 8.0). Those two Knights carried the bulk of the scoring load the last time out against USF, as Davis registered 26 points and Taylor chipped in 21. Meanwhile, the other three starters totaled four points on 1-of-6 shooting. Even without Fall's presence, UCF has remained one of the nation's elite defensive teams, allowing 61.2 PPG (3rd) on 38.9% shooting (4th). The pick: SMU beat UCF 56-51 in Dallas back on Dec. 27. However, Milton and Foster played in that one, combining for 28 points & 15 rebounds. That duo will be 'MIA' for this one and also note that in that late-Dec. loss, the Knights were missing the irreplaceable B.J. Taylor due to a serious foot injury. Shorthanded SMU comes in just 3-7-1 ATS since Jan. 1, while UCF is 12-4 ATS over its last 16 home games.Make UCF an 8* play. |
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02-16-18 | Yale -2 v. Dartmouth | Top | 77-65 | Win | 100 | 12 h 1 m | Show |
The set-up: If it's a Friday in February, then the Ivy League is always near center stage in college hoops. Tonight, from the Edward Leede Arena in Hanover, New Hampshire, the Dartmouth Big Green will host the Yale Bulldogs. Yale comes in 11-13 overall (including 4-4 in Ivy play), after downing Cornell 74-65 last Saturday. As for Dartmouth, it's been a season-long struggle that's carried over into conference play. The Big Green just ended a 10-game losing streak with a 72-56 rout of Princeton but that leaves them just 5-16 overall, including 1-7 in Ivy games. Yale: The Bulldogs have six players averaging 20-plus minutes per game, contributing 7.8-to-15.1 PPG. Oni, a 6-7 guard, leads the etam in scoring at 15.1 PPG (adds 5.5 RPG) and is joined by guard Copeland (12.2) and forward Reynolds (10.1 & 5.5) in double digits. Yale shoots a decent percentage (46.9% ranks 567th) but the Bulldogs average a modest 74.6 PPG (161st). Dartmouth: The Big Green went just 7-20 last season, so this year's 5-16 record is no major surprise. Dartmouth is off an impressive rout of Princeton (see above), as Taylor Johnson led all scorers with 21 points. Johnson is a senior guard checking in with a team-high 12.6 PPG (3.9 RPG & 3.1 APG). Three more players contribute double digits in fellow senior guard Wright (12.0 & 4.5),sophomore PG Barry (10.5 & 4.1 APG) and freshman forward Knight (10.4). The pick: Yale won all both matchups against Dartmouth last season and won this season's first matchup by 10 points. A change of venue from New Haven to Hanover shouldn't alter the margin of victory by too much. Make Yale a 10* play! |
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02-15-18 | Oregon +5 v. USC | Top | 70-72 | Win | 100 | 13 h 23 m | Show |
The set-up: The Oregon Ducks have won five of their last six games to reach 17-8, including 7-5 in Pac 12 play. They will visit the Galen Center tonight in Los Angeles, where they will take on the USC Trojans, who after three straight losses, are 17-9, including 8-5 in Pac 12 games. Oregon enters playing better basketball at the moment but Trojans have already beaten Oregon 75-70 in Eugene earlier this season. Oregon: Sophomore PG Payton Pritchard helped Oregon bounce back from a 35-point loss to Stanford by averaging 15.5 points on 52.2 percent shooting in home wins over Washington (65-40) and Washington State (84-57). Pritchard is averaging 14.4 points and 4.9 assists, while backcourt mate Elijah Brown is averaging 12.8 points. A trio of frontcourt players include the 6-7 Brown (12.2 & 6.6), the 6-7 McIntosh (9.7 & 6.3) and the 6-9 White (9.6 & 3.3). Troy Brown is a freshman and averaged 18.5 points and 7.5 rebounds with seven steals in last week’s sweep of the Washington schools. Head coach Dana Altman had four freshmen on the court at one point of last Saturday’s win over Washington State, including 6-9 forward Kenny Wooten, who averages 7.2 points and 4.5 boards and leads the Pac-12 with 73 blocks. USC: Head coach Andy Enfield remained optimistic even after last Saturday’s 81-67 loss to Arizona, which outrebounded the Trojans by 18 and shot 56.1 percent for the game. Sophomore guard Derryck Thornton, a transfer from Duke, made his first career start for USC and had seven points in place of junior Shaqquan Aaron, who was unavailable due to a coach’s decision. USC has two excellent big men in the 6-11 Metu (15.7 & 7.4) and the 6-10 Boatwright (14.2 & 6.4) plus the 6-11 Rakocevic (7.9 & 5.4), Then there is team's guard trio of McLaughlin (12.7 & 7.5 APG), Stewart (10.9) and Mathews (9.0) USC: Boatwright has been slow to recover from a foot injury for USC and his recent efforts have been underwhelming. Meanwhile, Dana Altman’s Ducks are making progress in recent weeks and are playing their most consistent ball of the season right now (have outscored teams by nearly eight PPG in their last five contests). That's not really new, as under Altman, Oregon is 48-18 during the second half of Pac-12 play. The Ducks are 3-0 ATS as an underdog (2-1 SU) since Dec 1. Take the points and make Oregon a 10* play. |
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02-15-18 | Purdue v. Wisconsin +10.5 | Top | 53-57 | Win | 100 | 11 h 24 m | Show |
The set-up: The Purdue Boilermakers entered their Feb. 7th game with Ohio State on a 19-game winning streak and as the No. 3 team in the AP poll. However, the Buckeyes edged the Boilermakers 64-63 to snap the the team's school-record 19-game streak. Purdue then dropped a 68-65 decision at top-ranked Michigan State to fall out of first place in the Big Ten standings and drop to No. 6 in the latest AP poll. Purdue looks to bounce back Thursday at Madison (and avoid its longest losing streak in over four years!), when it takes on the 11-16 Wisconsin Badgers (4-11). Talk about a fall from grace! Wisconsin opened the season having gone to 19 consecutive NCAA tournaments and with 13 NCAA wins over the previous four season, ranked second in that category to only North Carolina's 14. So much for that. Wisconsin trailed by as many as 25 points before making a late run in the 83-72 loss to No. 21 Michigan on Sunday, defeat all but ensured it will finish the regular season with a losing record for the first time since 1997-98. Purdue: The Boilermakers are 23-4, including 12-2 in the Big Ten, just one game back of 13-1 Ohio State (Michigan State is 13-2). The 7-2 Isaac Haas (15.0 & 5.3) scored a team-high 25 points in the loss to Michigan State to finish with at least 18 points for the fifth time in his last six games. Guard Carsen Edwards (16.9) added 14 points against the Spartans while the 6-8 Vincent Edwards (15.1 & 7.8) was held to eight on 3-of-11 shooting from the floor. "There's a fine line between winning and losing," Purdue coach Matt Painter told reporters. "You've got to learn from it, that's the main thing as you can be better because of it down the road in March." Back-to-back losses don't diminish what this team has accomplished. Purdue averages 82.5 PPG (30th) on 49.6% shooting (16th), while allowing just 64.3 pPG (18th) on 40.1% shooting (20th). Wisconsin: The Badgers have dropped six of their last seven games, including three straight at home but hope to salvage some pride by knocking off the Boilermakers for the first time since Jan. 7, 2015. "That's two games in a row that we came out flat and haven't been as prepared as we should have," Wisconsin guard Brad Davison told reporters. "That's definitely been an issue for us and something that we'll have to keep working on." The 6-10 Ethan Happ (18.2 & 8.7) led the way with a season-high 29 points to go along with seven rebounds, but it wasn't enough as the Badgers allowed Michigan to shoot 56 percent from the floor. Happ and Davison (11.3) are the only players in double digits. Brevin Pritzl (8.7) added 13 points and is 7-of-11 from the floor in his last two games after going 0-for-13 in his previous two outings. Wisconsin has trouble scoring (67.6 PPG ranks 307th) but allows only 67.1 PPG (53rd). The pick: Purdue had scored 70 or more points in 17 straight games before its two-game skid but hopes to rediscover its shooting touch against the Badgers. However, I'm not so sure about that. I realize that the Badgers are 0-7 against ranked teams this season but this is a prideful program (see history above) and Wisconsin is set to honor Frank Kaminsky, who led the Badgers to back-to-back Final Four appearances in 2014 and 2015, by retiring his No. 44 jersey during a ceremony on Thursday. Home dog rises to the moment. Make Wisconsin an 8* play. |
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02-14-18 | NC State +5.5 v. Syracuse | Top | 74-70 | Win | 100 | 13 h 58 m | Show |
The set-up: The NC State Wolfpack are 16-9 (6-6 in ACC) and the Syracuse Orange 17-8 (6-6 in ACC) as they get set to meet Wednesday at the Carrier Dome. Their records are similar and so are their recent performances. The Wolfpack have split their last 12, after losing back-to-back games prior to winning three in a row. Meanwhile, the Orange followed a pair of losses with back-to-back wins and have now split their last 14 games. North Carolina State: The Wolfpack have given up 181 total points in back-to-back losses, after a 96-89 loss to North Carolina. N .C. State shot 54.7 percent and had six players reach double digits in scoring but it couldn't find an answer for North Carolina's Luke Maye, who scored a career-high 33 points. PG Markell Johnson pushes the pace for N.C. State's uptempo offense and is averaging 11 assists per game over his last six (averages 7.8 APG on the season). Guard Allerik Freeman (14.1 & 4.) is the etam's leading scorer and 6-5 junior guard Torin Dorn (13.6 & 6.4) is coming off one of his best games of the season in which he dropped a team-high 21 points on 10-of-15 shooting while adding three steals. The 7-0 Yurtseven (13.8 & 6.9) is the team's best frontcourt player. The Wolfpack check in averaging 80.9 PPG (40th). Syracuse: The Orange rely on three players offensively, as no other team member averages as much as six point per game. Guards Battle (20.3) and Howard (15.0 & 5.1 APG) are the team's top-two scorers, with 6-9 freshman Brissett (14.2 & 9.0) leading the way in the frontcourt. Jim Boeheim always coaches defense-first and it's no different this season. Syracuse holds opponents to 63.4 PPG (12th) on 38.6% shooting (4th). The pick: The Wolfpack have been a poor road team (especially ATS) but Syracuse is in a bad situational spot here, having gone 2-10 ATS in their last 12 games following a ATS win (won and covered its last game over Wake forest). The Wolfpack are 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings in Syracuse and the road team is 7-2 ATS in the last nine meetings of this series. Make NC State an 8* play.. |
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02-14-18 | Clemson v. Florida State -4.5 | Top | 79-81 | Loss | -105 | 11 h 59 m | Show |
The set-up: No. 11 Clemson aims for its fifth consecutive victory when it visits Florida State on Wednesday. The Tigers, coming off a 17-16 season (6-12 in ACC), sit 20-4 overall and 9-3 in ACC play. In fact, Clemson is just one win shy of tying the program record for ACC victories in a single season. The 17-8 Florida State Seminoles (6-7 in ACC) have lost two straight and three of their last four. The Seminoles lost 84-69 at Notre Dame on Saturday, just three days after pushing now top-ranked Virginia to the brink in a 59-55 defeat. Clemson: The Tigers are coming off a 72-48 rout of Pittsburgh on Thursday that clinched their third 20-win season under coach Brad Brownell. Clemson has adjusted well to the loss of 6-8 power forward Donte Grantham (14.2 & 6.9) to a season-ending knee injury, relying more on its backcourt for scoring. Guards Marcquise Reed (15.4 & 4.7), Gabe DeVoe (13.5 & 4.6), and Shelton Mitchell (12.0 & 3.9 APG) all are capable scorers. DeVoe drained seven three-pointers in a 25-point performance against Pittsburgh, and the Tigers have made 10 or more from beyond the arc in four straight games for the first time since 1983. With Grantham out, the frontcourt 'load' falls on the 6-9 Thomas (10.3 & 7.5), Florida State: Like Clemson, FSU relies on its backcourt. The duo of Terance Mann (14.5 & 5.9) and Braian Angola (13.4 & 4.2) are the team's top-two scorers plus both present matchup problems at 6-6. The Seminoles match up much better with the Tigers now that Grantham is out of the picture with the 6-8 Cofer (13.2 & 5.4), 7-4 center Christ Koumadje (8.6 & 5.4) and the 6-9 Kabaengele (7.1 & 4.8) giving Thomas likely more than he can handle up front. The pick: Clemson is heading to the final stretch of its regular season and is a lock for the NCAA Tournament. Meanwhile, FSU (which opened 11-1) is now a "bubble team" and could sure use a win here. FSU averages 82.9 PPG (27th) on the season and is 10-2 SU at home, where it averages 88.2 PPG. Clemson has lost three straight games to FSU and is just 5-11 under head coach Brad Brownell against Florida State, including 2-5 in games played in Tallahassee. Make Florida State a 10* play. |
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02-13-18 | Michigan State v. Minnesota +10.5 | Top | 87-57 | Loss | -106 | 13 h 29 m | Show |
The set-up: The Spartans edged Purdue on Saturday for their eighth straight victory, pulling them into a second-place tie with the Boilermakers in the Big Ten at 12-2 (Ohio State leads at 13-1). Michigan State is 24-3 overall and Monday captured the top spot in the Coaches' Poll, while ranking second in teh AP poll to No. 1 Virginia. The Spartans will travel to Williams Arena to taking on the 14-13 Minnesota Golden Gophers. The Gophers have been far from 'golden' these days, as they limp in on a seven-game slide, after suffering an 80-56 blowout loss at Indiana on Friday. Michigan State: The Spartans own a dynamic starting-five, led by 6-7 swingman Bridges (17.8 & 7.1) He's joined up front by the 6-8 Ward (13.1 & 7.4) and 6-11 freshman Jackson (11.0 & 6.1) plus in the backcourt by 6-5 guard Langford (12.7) and PG Winston (12.1 & 7.1 APG). That said, Izzo has been quick to sit his starters when they've been in early foul trouble this season and the Spartans' depth has been instrumental in rewarding him to stick with that strategy. With freshman Jaren Jackson Jr. having a hard time with fouls against Purdue, senior forward Gavin Schilling showed why the Michigan State bench is considered one of the best in the country, not only for his 3-for-3 shooting but more for his seven rebounds and defense of Boilermakers center Isaac Haas down the stretch. The defense of Schilling, Tum Tum Nairn and Matt McQuaid off the bench gives the Spartans another dimension when Izzo goes to his reserves, and all have shown the ability to come through on both ends of the floor in crunch time. This unit is one of Izzo's best-ever offensive teams, averaging 83.1 PPG (25th) on 51.6% shooting (2nd).. Minnesota: Injuries have been devastating to the Golden Gophers this season, as Amir Coffey (14.0 & 5.1) and Dupree McBrayer (9.5) are currently out. Then there is the indefinite suspension of center Reggie Lynch (10.1 & 8.1), with the Gophers going 1-10 in the games he's missed. Pitino has been to go with freshman guard Isaiah Washington, 6-8 senior Davonte Fitzgerald and 6-7 sophomore Michael Hurt in the starting lineup, with that trio averaging only 14.6 points combined. Forward Jordan Murphy (17.4 & 11.6) has been the most consistent player for Minnesota, while guard Nate Mason is also dangerous, averaging 16.5-3.9-4.2. The pick: Michigan State is on a roll but reaching No. 1 (at least in the Coaches' poll), could set-up a letdown situation, especially with the Spartans coming off their hard fought win over Purdue over the weekend. The home dog barks in this one. Make Minnesota 10* play. |
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02-13-18 | Texas A&M +1.5 v. Missouri | Top | 58-62 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 39 m | Show |
The set-up: Texas A&M posted two wins over ranked opponents last week, winning at Auburn (81-80) and then beat Kentucky, 85-74. The Aggies are now 17-8 (6-6 SEC) and are ranked 21st in Monday's latest AP poll. The Missouri Tigers survived a wild one against visiting Mississippi State on Saturday, registering an 89-85 overtime win after letting a double-digit lead slip away in the final two minutes of regulation. The Tigers’ four-game streak is their longest in conference play since reeling off seven straight Big 12 wins during the 2011-12 season. The run has 17-8 Missouri tied for fourth in the SEC standings (7-5), one game ahead of the Aggies. Texas A&M: The Aggies own one of the SEC’s top frontcourts with the 6-10 Tyler Davis (14.3 & 8.8) and 6-10 Robert Williams (10.8 & 9.6) dominating inside, while 6-9 swingman D.J. Hogg (11.7 & 5.5) creates matchup problems on the wing. Guard Admon Gilder (11.8 & 4.2) is a solid scorer and an excellent defender but the Aggies will be without PG Duane Wilson (9.0 & 4.0 APG) for the remainder of the season, after he aggravated a nagging knee injury in the win over Kentucky. However, reigning SEC Freshman of the Week T.J. Starks (7.9) has averaged 15.2 points in five games since assuming Wilson’s starting role. Missouri: Guard Kassius Robertson (16.6 PPG) has emerged as the Tigers’ clear leader and the graduate transfer from Canisius has earned SEC Player of the Week honors in consecutive weeks. Robertson poured in a season-high 27 points at Ole Miss on Tuesday and followed up with 22 against Mississippi State. However, the 6-7 Jordan Barnett (13.6 points, six rebounds) is the team’s only other double-digit scorer. That said,6-7 senior Kevin Puryear (9.2) plus a pair of 6-11 freshman, Jontay Porter (8.8 & 6.5) and Jeremiah Tilmon (8.1 & 4.0), give the Tigers a deep and talented frontcourt. The pick: Missouri has recorded nine more victories than it had all last season, the third-largest improvement in the nation behind North Carolina A&T (12) and UC Santa Barbara (13). However, A&M will be a severe test. After a month and a half absence from the AP top-25, Texas A&M jumped back into the rankings this week at No. 21 on the strength of a four-game win streak. The fact is, the Tigers will be seeking to snap a seven-game Texas A&M winning streak in the series and to avenge a 60-49 loss to the Aggies in College Station on Jan. 20. Not happening. Make Texas A&M an 8* play. |
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02-12-18 | Notre Dame +9.5 v. North Carolina | Top | 66-83 | Loss | -105 | 20 h 1 m | Show |
The set-up: It's hardly been a "walk in the park" for the North Carolina Tar Heels, the defending national champs. The 21st-ranked Tar Heels (19-7 / 8-5 ACC) will play their third game in five days, after knocking off No. 9 Duke on Thursday and following that up with a furious 96-89 triumph at North Carolina State on Saturday. North Carolina will try to complete the trifecta when Notre Dame visits the Smith Center on Monday night. 15-10 Notre Dame (5-7 ACC) has rebounded from a seven-game losing streak with back-to-back home wins over Boston College and Florida State. Notre Dame: The return of senior PG Matt Farrell from an ankle injury for the past three games has been a big boost for the Fighting Irish. Farrell poured in a career-best 28 points Saturday and enters averaging a team-high 16.5 PPG (as well as a team high 5.2 APG), with preseason All-American Bonzie Colson (21.4 & 10.4) still sidelined (missed last 11 games). Junior guard Rex Pflueger (9.1-4.3-3.2) and also had a career-high total with 19. Senior guard Gibbs (16.3) also added 19 points in the win over FSU. Farrell is averaging 21 points and has drained 15-of-31 from three-point range in three games since a stretch in which he missed five of seven contests with an ankle injury. “We take our lead from (Farrell) - he’s been the warrior for us,” Irish head coach Mike Brey told reporters after his team shot almost 50 percent from the floor against Florida State and drained 10 shots from behind the arc. Sophomore guard T.J. Gibbs has also played a big role for Notre Dame while averaging 21.3 points over the last six contests. North Carolina: The 6-8 Maye (18.7 & 10.5) leads in scoring and rebounding, with a trio of guards chipping in double figures. Berry (17.4-3.6-3.1) tops that trio, followed by Johnson (13.1 & 4.8) and Williams (11.5). The Tar Heels shot 78.1 percent from the floor in the second half Saturday at North Carolina State, marking the highest rate in a half with Williams as the coach. Maye had quite a bit to do with it by racking up a career-high 33 points (27 in the second half) and adding 17 rebounds. Maye is averaging 24.7 points over the last three games, after scoring a season-low four against Clemson. Senior swingman Theo Pinson (8.7-6.0-4.5) told reporters after Maye’s effort Saturday: “I mean, that was a performance.” Pinson also came through in Saturday’s win with 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting with seven assists after connecting on 3-of-13 from the field in his previous three outings. Berry has averaged 19 points over the last four games. The pick: This is North Carolina's third game in five days, a grueling stretch that has included victories against two huge neighboring rivals. "Got to be ready," coach Roy Williams said, figuring there was no use bemoaning the assigned schedule. However, it's difficult to ignore that this is the first time North Carolina has had three ACC regular-season games scheduled in a five-day period since 1980 (note: the Tar Heels are the only ACC team with such a setup on the schedule this season). My bet says that the Irish give the Tar Heels "all they want" in this brutal scheduling spot for the defending champs. Make Notre Dame a 10* play. |
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02-11-18 | Cincinnati v. SMU +8 | Top | 76-51 | Loss | -109 | 9 h 38 m | Show |
The set-up: No. 6 Cincinnati has won 15 straight, opening 11-0 in the AAC and standing at 22-2, overall. With just seven games to go in league play, Cincinnati is well on its way to winning its first outright AAC regular season championship (the Bearcats, who shared the 2014 crown with Louisville), as Cincy's two closest challengers are 9-3 Wichita State and 8-3 Hosuton. Sunday, it's a road game at injury-ravaged SMU, which is 15-9 overall, including 5-6 in the AAC. The Mustangs are down to seven available scholarship players with junior guard Jarrey Foster (knee), who is second in scoring (13.2 points per game), and freshman forward Everett Ray (foot) both sidelined with season-ending injuries. Junior guard Shake Milton, the preseason AAC player of the year who is averaging 18.0-4.7-4.4 this season, is questionable with a left-hand injury that has forced him to miss the last two games. Cincinnati: After this game, the Bearcats will play the two teams right behind them, at Houston and home vs. Wichita State, next Thursday and Sunday. Few teams play better defense nationally year-in and year-out than the Bearcats who rank second in scoring defense (56.1 PPG) and first field-goal percentage defense (36.3%) here in the 2017-18 season. They have held three of their last five opponents to 48 points or fewer. With that kind of D, the team's 76.8 PPG on offense is more than enough. Four players average in double figures, led by junior swingman Jacob Evans (13.7), who is shooting 41.1 percent from 3-point range, and 6-8 senior forward Gary Clark (12.9), who also leads the team in rebounding (8.9). Versatile senior forward Kyle Washington (11.3 & 5.5) and reigning AAC co-Sixth Man of the Year Jarron Cumberland (10.7), round out the players in double figures. SMU: Milton is one of 13 players nationally averaging 18 points, four rebounds and four assists per games, so his loss would be a big one for the Mustangs. "It really is day-to-day, but it could be a week and a half," head coach Tim Jankovich told 247Sports.com. "He's slowly getting better, but I don't know when it's going to be good, where he's good to play and be effective." With Milton and Foster out, junior guard Jahmal McMurray, who is third in scoring (12.1) and shooting 43.2 percent from three-point range, has stepped up to average 19.7 points over the last three games while three other Mustangs, guard Ben Emelogu II (10.7 & 5.0), the 6-9 Ethan Chargois (10.3 & 4.7) and guard Jimmy Whitt (10.3 & 5.2), average in double figures. The pick: "No matter if Shake Milton plays or not, they've still been an unbelievable home team in the last four or five years," Bearcats head coach Mick Cronin told Cincinnati.com. "We've got to be ready to take their best shot, ready for a hostile environment." He knows of what he speaks. SMU is 13-1 at Moody Coliseum this season and 81-5 there since the 2013-14 season. Note that Cincy comes into this contest a fairly modest 12-8-1 ATS. We've already seen Purdue's 19-game win streak end this week with TWO straight losses, then St Mary's 19-game winning streak ended abruptly last night in a 78-65 home loss to Gonzaga while earlier on Saturday, Virginia's 15-game winning streak came to an end with a one-point OT loss to Va. Tech. Is Cincy's 15-game streak next? I say make SMU a 10* play. |
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02-10-18 | USC v. Arizona -5.5 | Top | 67-81 | Win | 100 | 23 h 14 m | Show |
The set-up: The 13th-ranked Arizona Wildcats are 19-6, including 9-3 in Pac 12 play to lead the conference. They welcome USC to the McKale Center Saturday night, with the Trojans coming in 17-8 overall and 8-4 in league play (USC is tied with UCLA for second-place). Washington ended the Wildcats’ seven-game winning streak with a buzzer-beating victory last Saturday and then Arizona had few answers for UCLA's offense in Thursday’s 82-74 loss (that's two losses in a row!). While UCLA was taking care of Arizona on Thursday, USC missed an opportunity to move into a first-place tie with an 80-78 loss at Arizona State. USC: The Trojans have four players averaging in double figures, led by the 6-11 Chimezie Metu at 15.7 PPG. He adds a team-high 7.4 RPG and has 41 blocks. The 6-10 Bennie Boatwright (14.6 & 6.5) had been limited by a foot infection over the past two weeks but scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds in 28 minutes off the bench against the Sun Devils. The team’s strong interior also includes the 6-11 Nick Rakocevic (7.8 & 5.3), who has averaged 16.5 points on 76.4 percent shooting over his last two games. Guards McLaughlin (12.1 & 7.6 APG) and Stewart (11.1) round out the double digit scorers with fellow guard Mathews (9.4) just missing. Arizona; Junior guard Allonzo Trier had 17 points against the Bruins, while 7-1 freshman Deandre Ayton added 16 points and 12 rebounds. Trier leads in scoring a 19.8 PPG and Ayton is second (19.5), while leading in rebounding at 10.8. Guard Rawle Alkins (13.2) is considered the glue of the Wildcats but the sophomore has gone 4-of-20 from the floor in his last two games, including 1-of-8 from three-point range. The pick: After back-to-back losses, I expect Arizona to rebound strongly in this one. USC's two-point loss at Arizona State should come as no surprise, as the Trojans have been swept in their last five trips to face the Arizona schools (note: Arizona is 39-10 all-time in Tucson against USC). Make that their last six trips. Lay the points and make Arizona an 8* play. |
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02-10-18 | Tennessee -2.5 v. Alabama | Top | 50-78 | Loss | -103 | 19 h 1 m | Show |
The set-up: The No. 15 Tennessee Volunteers are 18-5 (8-3 SEC) on the season and will head to Tuscaloosa on a six-game winning streak to take on the 15-9 Alabama Crimson Tide (6-5 SEC). Tuesday's 61-59 win at Kentucky vaulted the Vols into second-place in the SEC, while the Crimson Tide are badly in need of a confidence boost after dropping three of their past five contests, the latest a 67-63 setback Tuesday at Mississippi State (Alabama is in a four-way tie for 4th, meaning a loss or two would see them drop dramatically). Tennessee: Lamonte Turner continues to make the most of his minutes off the bench, as he made the go-ahead three-pointer Tuesday at Kentucky. He finished with a game-high 16 points and despite not having started a single game, is the team’s third-leading scorer at 11.4 PPG. 6-7 sophomore forward Grant Williams leads Tennessee in scoring at 15.9 PPG (also adds 6.1 RPG) and 6-5 small forwards adds 12.5 PPG plus a team-high 6.3 RPG. Alabama: Freshman guard Collin Sexton enters the weekend third in the SEC in scoring at 18.6 PPG. Three others join him in double digits, 6-9 forward Hall (10.8 & 7.) plus giards Petty (10.7) and Ingram (10.3 & 6.0). Defense has kept Alabama in the SEC hunt, as the the Crimson Tide have allowed 65.7 points PPG while holding opponents to 39.8 percent shooting from the floor in league games (No. 1 in the conference in both categories). The pick: Speaking of defense, Tennessee has allowed just 58.5 PPG during its five-game SEC winning streak (last six opponents overall, have all been held to 63 points or fewer). For the season, the Volunteers are averaging 77.0 PPG, the school’s highest mark since scoring 78.4 points per game in 2008-09. That's a sweet combo for Rick Barnes' team. The Vols are for real and put Alabama in its place in this one. Make Tennessee an 8* play. |
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02-10-18 | Miami-FL -3 v. Boston College | Top | 70-72 | Loss | -106 | 15 h 2 m | Show |
The set-up: No. 25 Miami is 18-5 on the season (7-4 in ACC) and heads to Boston College having won three straight ACC victories for the first time all season, after an 87-81 triumph over Wake Forest on Wednesday. Making its recent surge more impressive is that Miami's Bruce Brown Jr. (11.4 & 4.0 APG) has missed the last three games due to foot surgery. Boston College (14-10 / 4-7 ACC) has lost four of its last five. Miami: The Hurricanes have rallied around the injury to Brown, with different players stepping up each night to fill the void, as Brown is the team's third-leading scorer, its top assist man and its best defender. The 6-11 Huell (12.8 & 6.9) and freshman guard Walker (11.5) are Miami's only other double digit scorers but four others contribute between 8.0 and 9.5 PPG. Case is point, the Hurricanes had five or more players score at least 10 points for the sixth time this season against Wake Forest. Senior guard Newton (8.6) finally seems to be rounding into form with 16 points, his second straight double-digit scoring game. Boston College: The Eagles' 96-85 Wednesday loss to Notre Dame pushed them further away from the NCAA Tournament picture, although guard Jerome Robinson 20.1-3.6-3.3() had a performance to remember with 46 points. It was the highest total by an ACC player since another Eagle, Tyrese Rice, matched that total on March 1, 2008. The Eagles have featured the same starting lineup for all 11 of their ACC games and Robinson has been a monster as the top scoring guard (25.2 in ACC action) in the conference, scoring in double figures in 21 straight games, with 20 or more points 11 times following his 46-point explosion. Sophomore guard Ky Bowman (16.6-7.0-5.0) and fellow guard Chatman (13.1) are the only others joining Robinson in double digits, after senior forward Hawkins (12.4 & 9.1) was lost for the season after just eight games. The pick: Boston College's four ACC wins are two more than it recorded last season and four more than the winless year before that. BC owns a one-game advantage over Miami overall in the all-time series (24-23) but that hardly seems relevant considering the Hurricanes have won the last 12 meetings! Miami did not commit a turnover in the final 15:20 of its win over Wake Forest and it's that kind of play that will "win the day" in this contest. Make Miami a 10* play. |
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02-10-18 | Marquette v. St. John's | Top | 78-86 | Loss | -106 | 13 h 2 m | Show |
The set-up: The 14-10 Marquette Golden Eagles have lost six of their last nine games and visit Carnesecca Arena in Queens at just 5-7 in Big East play. The host St. John's Red Storm are looking to get back to .500 with a win, as they are 12-13 overall and a pathetic 1-11 in the Big East. However, that lone conference win came just this past Wednesday when the Red Storm shocked No. 1 Villanova 79-75, as a 16 1/2-point dog. That major upset came just four days after the Red Storm upset then-No. 4 Duke (at plus-10.5) last Saturday, 81-77. As Vince Lombardi famously once said, "What the hell is going on out there?" Marquette: The Golden Eagles are a high-scoring squad averaging 81.9 PPG (33rd) on 47.2 percent shooting (56th) but the team allows 77.8 PPG (302nd) on 47.5% shooting (317th). A trio of guards are the core of Marquette's team, Markus Howard (22.0), Andrew Rowsey (18.8 & 4.2 APG) and Sam Hauser (14.1 & 5.9). Marquette had dropped four in a row before knocking off Seton Hall 88-85 on the road this past Wednesday. The Pirates will play four of their remaining six regular-season games on the road. "We have a group that really wants to win," Marquette head coach Steve Wojciechowski told reporters. "What we're trying to learn and develop is doing what it takes to win. And that's all of us together. I thought (against Seton Hall) we did the things that it took to win a game against an outstanding team on their home floor." St. John's: There are not many schools in the nation who are 1-11 in conference play and have as much talent as the Red Storm. Before back-to-back major upsets of Duke and Villanova, the Red Storm took now-No. 5 Xavier right to the wire in a 73-68 loss. After that game, Xavier head coach Chris Mack told reporters. "That might be the best 0-11 team I've ever seen anywhere in a conference. Period." As noted, St. John's had dropped 11 straight games to open Big East play before stepping out of conference last Saturday and stunning Duke. The Red Storm then proved that was no fluke four days later, when they came back into conference play with a trip to No. 1 Villanova and came away with a second straight four-point win. St John's doesn't score like Marquette (72.9 PPG) but also allows a six-plus PPG fewer (71.3 per). Despite losing guard LoVett (14.9) after just seven games, the Red Storm still own a perimeter group to match up with the Golden Eagles. The trio of Ponds (20.5-5.2-4.7), Simon (11.2-7.3-5.0) and Ahmed (11.8 & 4.6) is quite formidable. Just ask Duke and 'Nova. The pick: St. John's is better than its record but off wins over Duke and Villanova, I just can't play them here. After all, before winning last Saturday against Duke in Madison Square Garden (considered a home game for the Red Storm), St John's had lost six consecutive home contests. Make Marquette an 8* play. |
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02-09-18 | Princeton v. Harvard -1.5 | Top | 51-66 | Win | 100 | 22 h 54 m | Show |
The set-up: The Princeton Tigers have won six of their last nine games to inch over .500 at 11-10 on the season. Princeton will visit Harvard on Friday night, which would need a win over the Tigers to level its record at .500, as the the Crimson are 10-11, after winning four of their last five. However, while Princeton is 3-3 in Ivy League play, Harvard is 5-1, one game back of 6-0 Penn. Princeton: The Tigers have a guard trio leading the way in both scoring and rebounding. Devin Cannady is averaging 18 points and 5.1 rebounds, Myles Stephens is averaging 14.5 & 6.1 and Amir Bell checks in at 10.5 & 5.4. Princeton averages 73.3 PPG and allows about the same at 70.3. Harvard: The Crimson also have a trio of double digit scorers, all of whom are sophomores. Bryce Aiken(14.1) is thetetam's top backcourt player but the other two top performers play in the frontcourt. The 6-7 Towns (15.6 & 5.2) is the team's leading scorer and the 6-9 Lewis (11.7 & 5.3) barely edges Towns as the top rebounder. Harvard scores less than Princeton at 65.6 PPG but also allows fewer points at 67.2. The pick: Some (most?) view Princeton as the better team but as Bill Parcells once said, "You are who your record says you are." Harvard is 5-1 in Ivy play and Princeton just 3-3. At this near pick-em price on Harvrad's home floor (the Lavietes Pavilion), I'll make Harvard the 10* play. |
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02-08-18 | Gonzaga v. Pacific UNDER 147.5 | Top | 71-61 | Win | 100 | 14 h 10 m | Show |
ANALYSIS COMING |
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02-07-18 | UNLV v. Nevada UNDER 163.5 | Top | 86-78 | Loss | -110 | 15 h 24 m | Show |
The set-up: Nevada joined the MWC for the 2012-13 season, meaning the in-state rivalry between the Wolf Pack and Runnin' Rebels only intensified. When it comes to bragging rights for the state of Nevada, there's no love lost between UNLV (located in Las Vegas) and Nevada (located in Reno), although the schools are 430 miles apart. Nevada moved back into the AP top-25 rankings this week at No. 23, thanks in part to a 9-1 record in Mountain West play, the school's best conference start since joining the league. As for UNLV, the Runnin' Rebels have rebounded from a 11-21 record in head coach Marvin Menzies' first season at the helm and will enter this contest at 16-7. However, the school took advantage of a weak non-conference schedule to go 11-2. UNLV is just 5-5 in MWC play. UNLV: The Runnin' Rebels are off a 93-91 overtime loss at second-place Boise State on Saturday night. Brandon McCoy is a 7-1 center who was selected the conference preseason freshman of the year. He's lived up to expectations by averaging 18.0 & 10.0 with 12 double-doubles. He's one of four double digit scorers, the others being guards Johnson (14.6 & 5.9 APG) and Mooring (13.5) plus the 6-7 Juiston (14.6 & 9.7), who was last year's national junior college player of the year. Nevada: The Wolf Pack are just a 104-103 double-overtime loss at Wyoming from being undefeated in Mountain West play. They are led in scoring by 6-7 junior forward Caleb Martin (19.8 & 5.3), a transfer from North Carolina State who is shooting 46.9 percent from three-point range and is coming off a 26-point, seven-rebound outing in a 76-67 victory at Colorado State. Jordan Caroline is a 6-7 guard who is the reigning Mountain West Tournament MVP. He is second in scoring (16.7) and leads the team in rebounding (8.8). Cody Martin, twin brother of Caleb and also a N.C. State transfer, is averaging 13.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, while senior guard Kendall Stephens (12.6 points), a transfer from Purdue, also is averaging double digits. The pick: UNLV used to dominate the series between the two Silver State schools and hold a 59-25 series advantage but Nevada is 3-1 since Eric Musselman took over as head coach and handed UNLV a pair of lopsided beatdowns last season, winning 104-77 at Lawlor Events Center and 94-58 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. Both schools feature very different roster from last year but the intensity remains. last yera's whe win in Reno featured the Wolf Pack unveiling new "Battle Born" jerseys, pre-game introductions by famed boxing ring announcer Michael "Let's Get Ready to Rumble" Buffer and Nevada players walking through a record crowd of 11,841 to enter the court before delivering the impressive 27-point knockout. I expect UNLV to remember and note that Nevada has lost the last three times after entering the national poll. However, all three of those games were on the road, not here at home where the Wolf Pack are 40-4 under Musselman, including 29-1 in their last 30 home contests. Not sure I want to buck Nevada but a low scoring game should be expected. Make the Under an 8* play. |
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02-07-18 | Virginia -3 v. Florida State | Top | 59-55 | Win | 100 | 11 h 15 m | Show |
The set-up: The No. 2 ranked Virginia Cavaliers are a perfect 11-0 in ACC play and have won 14 in a row overall to reach 22-1, thanks to beating teams by an average of 16.4 PPG. Meanwhile, 17-6 Florida State is stuck in the middle of the ACC pack with a 6-5 mark heading into the final weeks of the regular season. Florida State welcomes the 2nd-ranked Cavs to the Donald L. Tucker Center looking to make a bold statement with a marquee victory. Virginia's defense was "on its game in winning 59-44 at Syracuse on Saturday and FSU comes into this matchup with some confidence of its own, after an 80-76 victory at Louisville avenged a Jan. 10 loss to the Cardinals that halted the Seminoles' 28-game home winning streak. Virginia: The Cavaliers are allowing just 52.3 PPG, fewest in the nation and the second-best mark in in school history. They have held 11 opponents to fewer than 50 points. Virginia's slow, deliberate style creates turnovers as the Cavs leas the nation with 9.2 takeaways per game and six opponents have committed more giveaways than successful baskets. Defense has the key, so the Cavaliers haven't needed an explosive offense. UVa averages a modest 68.7 PPG, with guards Guy (15.5) and Hall (12.1 & 4.2) being the team's lone double digit scorers. The team uses an eight-man rotation and the biggest contributors among the other six have been guard Jerome (9.6) and the 6-7 Wilkins (6.0 & 6.7). Florida State: The Seminoles are the anti-Cavaliers, as they like to push the ball up the court with a fast-break offense (84.7 PPG ranks ) led by guard Terance Mann, the team's leading scorer (15.5). Fellow guard Angola checks in at 14.1 & 4.4 and the 6-8 Cofer has come into his own this season, averaging 13.4 & 5.5. Five other players contribute between 6.1 and 9.3 PPG, including the 7-4 Koumadje (8.9 & 5.5) The pick: The Cavs have to "slip up" sometime and somewhere, right? I realize that no team has scored more than 68 points against the Cavaliers this season but the Seminoles are 10-1 at home where they have averaged 91.2 PPG. One of these days, the Cavs lack of offense ( (ranks 290th in scoring) will come back to 'bite' them. How about right here, where the Seminoles have won 32 of their last 33 games? Make FSU a 10* play. |
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02-06-18 | Nebraska +1.5 v. Minnesota | Top | 91-85 | Win | 100 | 13 h 24 m | Show |
The set-up: The Nebraska Cornhuskers have rebounded nicely this season after winning 13, 16 and 12 games the last three seasons. The Cornhuskers have won six of their last eight and will travel to Williams Arena in Minneapolis at 17-8 (8-4 in Big Ten). Waiting for them are the Minnesota Golden Gophers, who have not been so golden these days in losing eight of their last nine. Minnesota was 8-1 and ranked 14th when it met Nebraska for the first time this season (Cornhuskers won 79-68 in Lincoln) and after a win over Illinois, stood at 13-3. Those days are long gone now, as Minnesota is 14-11, including only 3-9 in the Big Ten. Nebraska: Three players are averaging in double figures for Nebraska, James Palmer Jr. (17.6 & 4.4), the 6-9 Isaac Copeland (13.2 & 6.4) and Glynn Watson Jr. (11.0 & 3.5). Nebraska's three-game winning streak has come against Big Ten bottom-feeders, most recently an 11-point win against Wisconsin. "You could just see our guys growing in confidence," said coach Tim Miles. The Cornhuskers trailed Wisconsin at halftime, shot just 4-of-19 from three-point range for the game and had two of their starters go scoreless but still rallied for a 74-63 win. James Palmer Jr. registered 28 points and has matched or exceeded that total in three of the last four outings. Isaac Copeland added 17 points and is averaging 21 points over his last three games while committing only one turnover in 100 minutes over that stretch. Minnesota: The Gophers put in a good effort at Michigan their last time out but it still resulted in a loss. "I'm proud of our guys for their effort," Minnesota head coach Richard Pitino said after the three-point loss in overtime. "To play in front of a sold-out crowd when you're down two of your top six (players), no team in college basketball can sustain that. We're not feeling sorry for ourselves. We're not making excuses. We've got to play as close to perfect as we possibly can in order to win. We were close. We know we can play with anybody if we play the right way."Minnesota's demise began when the 6-10 Reggie Lynch (10.1 & 8.0) was sidelined due to sexual assault investigation. Amir Coffey, the team's third-leading scorer at 14.0 PPG has a shoulder injury and has missed the last two (he's missed seven game sin all, this season). Forward Jason Murphy is having a superb year (17.5 & 11.3) and guard Mason (15.7-3.9-4.3) has been the team's best guard. Freshman guard Isaiah Washington delivered the best performance of his rookie season with 26 points off the bench against Michigan but checks in averaging a modest 7.7 PPG on the season. The pick: Minnesota is no slouch at home (10-4 SU and averaging 80.7 PPG) but without the shot-blocking Lynch (4.1 per game), the Golden Gophers have lost their last three at home. Without a healthy Coffey as well, this team is VERY vulnerable and looking like an NIT-bound squad. Meanwhile, the Cornhuskers are now on the radar of the NCAA Tourney Selection Committee. The committee doesn't consider ATS records but we sure do and will note that Nebraska is on a highly-profitable 12-1-1 ATS run. Let's not forget that Nebraska handled this team at home when Minnesota had "all hands on deck,' plus it's a bonus that 6-11 center Jordy Tshimanga has recently been reinstated (20 combined points and 12 rebounds over his last two games). Make Nebraska a 10* play. |
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02-05-18 | Indiana -2 v. Rutgers | Top | 65-43 | Win | 100 | 12 h 48 m | Show |
The set-up: Both Indiana (12-12) and Rutgers (12-13) are basically .500 teams on the season but while the Hoosiers are 5-7 in Ben Ten play, the Scarlet Knights are a woeful 2-10. Indiana travels to New Brunswick Monday night and comes in off losing five of its last six games, including a current four-game slide. Rutgers welcomes Indiana to the Louis Brown Athletic Center., where the Scarlet Knights have lost five of their last seven home games. Indiana: The Hoosiers fell short in their upset bid of fourth-ranked Michigan State on Saturday, dropping a 63-60 decision to the Spartans on Saturday. "We're coming down the home stretch and we're trying to fight and claw for every win that we can," Indiana head coach Archie Miller told reporters. "It's all about Rutgers right now and we've got to get ready to go." The 6-8 Juwan Morgan (16.5 & 7.2) led the way with 23 points and 11 rebounds against Michigan State, registering his seventh double-double of the season. Freddie McSwain Jr. (3.8 & 4.3) added eight points and set a career high with 16 rebounds, including nine offensive boards. Guard Devonte Green (7.3) contributed eight points and dished out a career-high six assists, but Indiana was undone by a 28.8 percent performance from the floor in the three-point loss. Other than Morgan, guard Johnson (13.2 & 4.6) is the only other double digit scorer. Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights made a valiant effort last Saturday, losing just 78-76 to No. 3 Purdue (team's fifth straight loss). That effort came despite playing without key players Mike Williams (9.2 & 4.2) do to an ankle problem and Eugene Omoruyi (7.6 & 4.7) out with a knee issue. "We can play with anybody when we play like that and follow the game plan and execute," Rutgers head coach Steve Pikiell told reporters. "When building a program you have to go through a lot of stuff." Guard Corey Sanders (14.2-4.4-3.2) poured in a season-high 31 points and pulled down seven rebounds in the loss to Purdue to move into 22nd place on the program's all-time scoring list. The 6-7 Deshawn Freeman (11.3 & 7.5) narrowly missed a double-double as he scored 16 points and pulled down nine rebounds, to finish in double figures for the 20th time in 25 games this season. Freshman guard Geo Baker (11.6) went 3-of-4 from the three-point line en route to 14 points. The pick: The Indiana Hoosiers aren't winning many games, but they are playing better basketball recently (see Michigan St. game). The Scarlet Knights are connecting on just 38.0% of their shots in their five-game slide and they hope to avoid a seventh consecutive loss to the Hoosiers. Not happening, off that all-out try against Purdue. Make Indiana a 10* play. |
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02-04-18 | Temple -2.5 v. Tulane | Top | 83-76 | Win | 100 | 7 h 27 m | Show |
The set-up: Both the Temple Owls (12-10 / 4-6 AAC) and the Tulane Green Wave (13-8 / 4-5 in AAC) are in the bottom half of the American Athletic Conference standings The two schools meet on Super Bowl Sunday in New Orleans, with the Owls looking to build off wins in four of their last five games, including an an 81-79 overtime win over No. 16 Wichita State on Friday. Meanwhile, the Green Wave are looking to turn their momentum around after losing four of their last six, although they did take a step in the right direction with a 71-69 overtime win over East Carolina in their last outing. Temple: Guard Quinton Rose led Temple with 19 points against the Shockers, while fellow Josh Brown (8.3-3.5-3.5) added 15 points along with three assists and three steals. Rose is the etam's leading scorer at 14.4 PPG (also adds 4.4 RPG) and the team's second-leading scorer is guard Shizz Alston Jr. (13.0 & 3.4), who added 12 points but shot a miserable 5 of 22 from the floor. The The 6-10 Obi Enechionyia (11.3 & 6.6) andfreshman guard Nate Pierre-Louis (7.3), each added 11 points. Temple's 81-point outburst is not typical, as the Owls average 68.1 PPG (299th) on 41.7% shooting from the floor (310th), including just 33.8% from behind the arc (239th and 68.1% from the foul line (279th). Tulane: Melvin Frazier led Tulane with 22 points, while adding eight rebounds and a team-high four assists in the team's OT win against East Carolina. Frazier (17.3 & 5.7) is the team's leading scorer, joined in double digits this season by the 6-8 Reynolds (15.8 & 6.3), PG Embo (10.1-3.2-3.4) and the 6-9 Sehic (10.0 & 5.4). Tulane can score slightly better than Temple, averaging 75.1 PPG. The pick: Temple’s win over Wichita State was huge, perhaps the school's biggest win since joining this conference in 2013. Does that mean this contest against Tulane has "letdown written all over it?" Not in my opinion. Temple preceded its upset of Wichita State with a well-played 85-67 romp over UConn, making me believe the Owls are more of a "play on" team at the moment. Revenge should work here, after Temple lost at home to Tulane 85-75 in its AAC opener back on Dec. 28th. Temple was a 9 1/2-point choice in that one but shot a season-worst 4 of 21 from three-point range in that 10-point loss. Obi Enechionyia was a season-worst 1 of 9 from the floor in the first meeting and surely will play better, plus Temple can't possibly shoot worse from beyond the arc, right?. Make the Owls a 10* play. |
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02-03-18 | Arizona v. Washington +6 | Top | 75-78 | Win | 100 | 15 h 54 m | Show |
The set-up: Arizona lost all three games in the Battle for Atlantis tourney but has recovered to win 16 of 17 and at 19-4 (9-1 in Pac 12), is ranked 9th in the latest AP poll and sits atop the Pac 12 standings, one game better than 8-2 USC. The Wildcats have reeled off seven straight wins after a 100-72 blowout victory over host Washington State in their last game. Arizona travels to Seattle tonight to take on the surprising Washington Huskies, who are 16-6 overall, including 6-3 in Pac 12 play. Washington has third place in the Pac-12 to itself (2 1/2 games back of Arizona), after being picked 10th in the preseason. Arizona: The Wildcats' lone loss in their 16-1 run came 80-77 at Colorado back on Jan. 6). Junior guard Alonzo Trier (19.9) and 7-1 freshman Deandre Ayton (19.7) rank 1-2 atop the list of Pac-12 scoring leaders and Ayton leads the conference in rebounding (10.7) plus ranks second in field-goal percentage (63.2). Guard Rawle Alkins (14.7 points), who has missed three of the last five games while dealing with a sore foot, and the 7-0 Ristic (11.3 & 6.7) also are averaging double figures while PG Parker Jackson-Cartwright is averaging 7.4 points and a team-best 5.0 assists. Arizona is averaging 82.5 PPG (30th) on 51.4% shooting (3rd). Washington: The Huskies have made the most of a three-game homestand so far, routing Washington State (80-62) on Sunday and out-dueling 23rd-ranked Arizona State (68-64) on Thursday night. 6-8 forward Noah Dickerson had 21 points and 16 rebounds – his second double-double in the last three games – to bump up his season averages to 14.5 points and a team-leading 8.1 RPG. Guards Jaylen Nowell (16.6), David Crisp (11.8) and Matisse Thybulle (11.3) also are averaging double digits for the Huskies, who lead the conference in steals (8.7) and turnovers forced (15.6). The pick: Arizona has won the last eight meetings in the series but Washington seems like a very different team this season under after 76-68 (road) and 77-66 (home) victories a season ago. Saturday’s game will be their only regular-season meeting this year under first-year head coach and former Boeheim assistant, Mike Hopkins. It’ll be strength-vs.-strength from the three-point arc as Arizona is shooting a Pac-12-best 40.0 percent from long range while the Huskies own the conference’s top three-point defense, limiting the opposition to a 32.9-percent success rate. The cry out of Seattle these days is, "Who needs Markelle Fultz!" The One and Done former Huskie was the NBA's No. 1 pick and while he struggles with an injury and shooting woes (doing NOTHING for the 76ers), Washington is thriving with four of last year's five starters back. Upset alert. Make Washington an 8* play. |
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02-03-18 | Georgetown +14.5 v. Xavier | Top | 91-96 | Win | 100 | 10 h 24 m | Show |
The set-up: The Xavier Musketeers are ranked No. 6 in the latest AP poll and are now 20-3 (8-2 in Big East) after squeaking by St, John's 73-68. "We're fortunate to come away with a win," head coach Chris Mack told reporters. "That might be the best 0-11 team I've ever seen anywhere in a conference. Period."Xavier will be at home on Saturday to host the 13-8 Georgetown Hoyas, who benefited from a weak early-season slate to open 8-0. However, the Hoyas are just 5-8 since, including 3-7 in Big East play. Georgetown: The 6-10 Jessie Govan has been the heart and soul of the Hoyas attack, leading the team in points (16.2) and rebounds (10.3) but the junior center is mired in a lengthy slump, having averaged just 10.2 points and 5.6 rebounds over his previous five outings. 6-7 forward Marcus Derrickson (15.6 & 7.3) has picked up the scoring slack during Govan's cold snap, averaging better than 22 points over his past three games, including a season-best 27 points in a thrilling double-overtime win over St. John's on Jan. 20. That duo comprises the team's lone double digit scorers, although the Hoyas average a respectable 78.0 PPG (79yth). Xavier: The Musketeers boast one of the most well-balanced offenses in the nation, ranking 19th in scoring (84.2 points per game), 15th in assists (17.5), 16th in field-goal success rate (49.9 percent) and and 27th in free-throw percentage (76.8). Xavier's scoring leader is the 6-6 Trevon Bluiett (18.7 & 5.7) but he has been in a minor scoring funk, averaging 14 points over his previous three games while shooting 6-for-20 from three-point range. J.P. Macura (13.0 & 4.3) broke out for 27 points in a Jan. 20 win over Seton Hall but has scored just 18 points in two games since, shooting a combined 5-of-16 from the floor. The 6-10 Kanter (10.2 & 5.4) is the team's only other double digit scorer and will be tasked with slowing Govan. The pick: Foul shooting has helped the Hoyas remain competitive in the majority of their Big East games so far as Georgetown ranks second in the conference and fifth in the country in free-throw percentage (78.6). Georgetown head coach Patrick Ewing took solace in the way his team battled back against Creighton in a tough environment. After trailing 46-33 at halftime, the Hoyas rallied to cut the Bluejays' lead to 71-70 with less than four minutes remaining, before falling 85-77. "We didn't start the game out with the intensity and with the right frame of mind that I would have liked," Ewing said. "In the second half, we came with a lot more intensity, a lot more effort, a lot more focus." The Hoyas are 5-1 as a rod dog in Big East play and this is a lot of points. Make Georgetown an 8* play. |
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02-03-18 | Kentucky +2 v. Missouri | Top | 60-69 | Loss | -109 | 7 h 35 m | Show |
The set-up: The Kentucky Wildcats opened the season No. 5 in the AP's preseason poll and was at No. 18 when it lost back-to-back games on Jan. 16th & 20th. The Wildcats fell out of the AP's Jan 22nd poll, ending a run of 68 straight weeks of being in the top-25. However, with Kentucky's big comeback win over then-No. 7 West Va. last Saturday (trailed West Virginia by 15 at halftime, before outscoring the Mountaineers 50-28 after intermission), the Wildcats were back in the top-25 at No. 21 this past Monday. The Wildcats overcame another slow start this past Wednesday (trailed by 14 points in the second half against Vanderbilt), before coming back to win 83-81 in overtime. Kentucky is 17-5 (6-3 in SEC) as it visits 14-8 Missouri (4-5 in SEC) on Saturday afternoon in Columbia, Mo. at Mizzou Arena. The Tigers snapped a three-game skid with a 69-60 win at Alabama on Wednesday. Kentucky: Freshmen account for 86.6 percent of the Wildcats’ scoring (Kentucky averages 77.6 PPG, which ranks 91st), as four of their five starters, as well as their top six scorers, are first-year players. The 6-9 Kevin Knox (15.6 & 5.8) picked up National Player of the Week honors last week after averaging 26.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in wins over Mississippi State and West Virginia, while PG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (12.6 & 4.3 APG) has upped his production to 15.7 points and 4.4 assists in six games since moving into the starting lineup. Guard Hamidou Diallo (12.2 & 4.4) and 6-7 reserve forward P.J. Washington (10.6 & 5.0) also average double digits in points. Missouri: This is Cuonzo Martin's first season at Missouri but the coach spent three years at Tennessee from 2012 to 2014. The Tigers are thin in the backcourt, as reserve point guard Terrence Phillips has been suspended indefinitely in the midst of a Title IX investigation .while freshman point guard Blake Harris transferred earlier in the season. Missouri is led by Robertson, a graduate transfer, at 16.0 PPG. He has topped 20 points the last three games. Two 6-7 forwards follow, Jordan Barnett (14.0 & 5.9) and Kevin Puryear (9.0 & 4.7). The Tigers also count on two big freshmen in key roles, the 6-10 Jeremiah Tilmon (8.3 & 4.2) and Jontay Porter (8.1 & 6.5 rebounds). Both had big games against Alabama (Porter had 13 points and Tillman 12) and can make a major impact at both ends of the floor when they aren’t in foul trouble. The pick: Kentucky assistant Tony Barbee is filling in for coach John Calipari, who has been ill. He said about Missouri, "They're one of the most talented teams in this league. Don't let their record fool you. They've had some great wins. Going to Alabama and winning. Beating Tennessee, beating Georgia, beating South Carolina. I mean, this team is as good top to bottom as any team in this league and they present a lot of difference challenges for us." Forewarned is forearmed and the Wildcats can't keep falling behind their opponents. A "very focused' Kentucky team is the 10* play in this one. |
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02-03-18 | Cincinnati v. Connecticut +13 | Top | 65-57 | Win | 100 | 4 h 25 m | Show |
The set-up: The No. 9 Cincinnati Bearcats have won 13 straight games (9-0 in AAC) with an 80-70 home victory over Houston their last time out. They visit the the 11-11 (4-5 AAC) UConn Huskies at Gampel Pavilion for a 12 noon ET tip-off on Saturday. While the Bearcats are off a stirring 18-point comeback win against the Cougars on Wednesday, the Huskies have lost four of their last five after a particularly humbling 70-61 loss to a Central Florida team that had dropped 11 of the previous 12 meetings between the schools.Cincinnati: The question I've had for this team all year is when the time comes, when the moment of truth comes, will we be able to take our game to another level," coach Mick Cronin told "reporters after the game. "I thought that's what we did." The Bearcats own the nation's second-best defense (56.8 PPG) and after allowing 40 points in the first half against Houston, held the Cougars to 30 second-half points while limiting the AAC's second-leading scorer Rob Gray to nine points on 4-of-15 shooting. The 6-8 Gary Clark (13.3 & 9.2) has been Cincinnati's most consistent option of late, reaching double figures in 10 consecutive games while averaging 11.3 rebounds over his previous six contests. PG Jacob Evans (13.9-4.2-3.4) is the team's leading scorer and has reached double figures in nine straight contests and had 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists versus Houston. The 6-9 Washington (11.1 & 5.40 and guard Cumberland (10.9) round out the double digit scorers.
UConn: The Huskies' latest slump has seen a growing call by fans to fire former national champion-coach Kevin Ollie.UConn is a team 'stuck ion neutral' and the team's paltry 9.9 APG ranks ahead of only four other Division I teams. Junior guard Jalen Adams leads the team in scoring at 17.6 PPG but has been held to just 18 in his previous two games combined. Backcourt mate Christian Vitale (14.0 & 4.7) scored just nine points in the loss to UCF and is shooting a dismal 36.6 percent from the floor on the season. On the bright side, the Huskies got Terry Larrier back in the lineup against UCF, who wore a mask to protect his face after suffering a fractured sinus wall that required surgery after he took a shot to the face Jan. 10 and was in and out of the lineup with severe headaches. Larrier scored 15 points and grabbed six rebounds in his return against UCF. However, UConn has already PG Alterique Gilbert to shoulder surgery for a second straight season (he has played just nine games in his two years at UConn). The pick: Cincinnati is one of two teams in the country with a scoring margin north of 20 (plus-20.2). So is it the Bearcats? Not so fast. The Cougars almost beat the Bearcats in BB&T Arena on Wednesday, where Cincy has won 38 in a row. Sure, the 'wolves are howling' in Storrs but with Larrier back, expect the home dog to 'bark' in this one. Make UConn an 8* play. |
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02-02-18 | Rhode Island -3.5 v. VCU | Top | 81-68 | Win | 100 | 12 h 48 m | Show |
The set-up: The 18-3 Rhode Island Rams take their 13-game winning streak and a No. 22 ranking in the latest AP poll to the Siegel Center in Richmond, Va. to take on the 14-8 Virginia Commonwealth Rams in Atlantic 10 action on Friday. Rhode Island is 10-0 in league play, while VCU is 6-3. Rhode Island trailed by as many as 13 points against UMass on Tuesday night, before prevailing 85-83, and is in the midst of its longest winning streak since 1939-40. VCU has won its last three games and is 10-3 at home on the season. Rhode Island: Senior guard Jared Terrell is the leading scorer for Rhode Island on the season, averaging 18.0 PPG, However, after going out with an injury after the season's first two games, 6-5 senior EC Matthews (13.7 PPG in 15 games) returned on Dec. 16, which was the beginning of Rhode Island's 13-game winning streak. Joining that guard duo in double digits are the 6-8 Andre Berry (10.0 & 4.1) and another senior guard, Stanford Robinson (10.0 & 5.6). Virginia Commonwealth: The 6-8 Justin Tillman leads in scoring (18.2) and rebounding (9.7) with guard De’Riante Jenkins (13.1 & 4.0) and PG Jonathan Williams (10.2 & 5.8). Registering double-doubles is commonplace for Tillman, who has had 18 in his last 30 conference games, but Khris Lane got into the act for the first time this season during Saturday's win over George Mason. The 6-7 senior forward, who had six double-doubles last season while averaging 17.1 points and 7.3 rebounds at Longwood, had 25 points and 12 rebounds, both season highs, against George Mason. However, he is averaging just 8.0 & 3.7 on the season. The set-up; Rhode Island has not only won 13 straight overall, it enters this contest on an 18-game conference winning streak, with 10 of those wins coming on the road. The 18-game league win streak for Rhode Island is tied with George Washington for the fourth-longest in A-10 history behind Saint Joseph's (21) and Temple (25, 27). The streak will end sometime (somewhere), but NOT here. Make Rhode Island a 10* play. |
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02-01-18 | Oregon State v. Stanford -4.5 | Top | 71-80 | Win | 100 | 15 h 14 m | Show |
The set-up: Two middle-of-the-road Pac 12 teams meet tonight at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto, Ca, as the 11-9 (3-5 in Pac 12) Oregon State Beavers take on the 11-11 (5-4 in Pac 12) Stanford Cardinal. The Beavers could sure use a win here after losing five of their last seven games, while a Cardinal victory gets Stanford one game over .500. Oregon State: The 6-8 Tres Tinkle is the coach's son and leads in scoring (17.9), rebounding (7.2) and assists (3.4). Guard Stephen Thompson Jr. is right behind him at 16.3 & 3.3 plus the 6-10 Drew Eubanks is the third double-digit scorer (12.3 & 6.6). The Beavers shot just 3-of-17 from three-point range in last Saturday’s 66-57 loss to rival Oregon. Stephen Thompson Jr. led the Beavers against the Ducks with 16 points and has scored in double figures in nine straight games. However, head coach Wayne Tinkle sure needs more production from forward Drew Eubanks, who has scored a total of eight points in his last two games. OSU averages a modest 72.5 PPG (221st). Stanford: The Cardinal are averaging 75.0 PPG and allowing 75.4, so it's no surprise they are 11-11. The 6-8 Reid Travis leads in scoring at 19.4 and adds 7.6 RPG. Three other players are averaging in double digits. Guard Pickens, back from missing seven weeks due to a foot injury, is at 13.4 PPG (in 12 games), the 6-10 Humphrey averages 11.4 PPG and leads in rebounding (7.9) plus PG Davis checks in at 10.4-4.1-4.6. Oregon State: The Beavers haven't won a road game in over a year and a half (since March of 2016), while Stanford is providing plenty of spread value since the first of the year, covering seven in a row before losing at UCLA on Jan. 27. Stanford has won 21 of its last 23 games against Oregon State at Maples Pavilion, so I'm laying the points and making the Cardinal an 8* play. |
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02-01-18 | Wichita State -6 v. Temple | Top | 79-81 | Loss | -107 | 11 h 14 m | Show |
The set-up: After 72 years in the MVC, Wichita State is "trying the AAC on for size" in the 2017-18. So far, so good. The Shockers are 17-4 (7-2 in AAC) as they head to Philly tonight to take on the 11-10 Temple Owls (3-6 in AAC). Wichita State has bounced back from a two-game losing streak with back-to-back 19-point victories, including 90-71 over Tulsa on Sunday. Meanwhile, Temple's 85-57 win over Connecticut on Sunday, its largest margin of victory this season, gives the Owls three wins in their last four to creep one game over .500, overall. Wichita State: The team's leading scorer is sophomore guard Landry Shamet (14.6 & 5.2 APG) but he's just 5-for-27 from the floor (18.5%) in his last three games, including a horrific 1-for-18 from three-point range. Senior forward Shaquille Morris (12.8 & 4.6) is 20 points shy of becoming the 46th player in school history to reach 1,000 after totaling 39 in his last two games. Sophomore guard Austin Reaves (7.0 points) set a school record for three-pointers in a half with seven Sunday en route to a career-high 23 points. Senior forward Rashard Kelly (team-high 7.7 rebounds) will try to become the first Shocker in more than 21 years to record four straight double-figure rebounding games after grabbing 31 in his last three contests. Wichita State is an excellent offensive team, averaging 83.4 PPG (25th) on 48.2% shooting (30th). Temple: The Owls' largest margin of victory this season (see above) came right after the team's 75-42 setback at No. 8 Cincinnati on Jan. 24, its most-lopsided loss of the season. Sophomore guard Quinton Rose averages a team-high 14.2 points after scoring 17 versus Connecticut but had only 12 in his previous two games combined. Junior guard Shizz Alston Jr. Alston averages 13.1 PPG and the only other Owl in double figures is 6-10 Senior Obi Enechionyia (11.3 & 6.9). The Owls can't come close to matching the Shockers' firepower, averaging a modest 67.5 PPG (309th) on 41.7% shooting (311th). The pick: Having just switched leagues, Wichita State has not seen much of Temple and will be looking for its first-ever win over the Owls (0-3 in previous meetings). However, this is a classy Wichita State group, one which ranks fourth nationally in rebounding margin (plus-10.5) and third in the country in assists at 19.1 per game. That bodes well against an offensively-challenged and erratic-shooting (see above) Temple team. The Shockers lead the nation in road wins (71) and road winning percentage (.826) since the start of the 2010-11 season and while Temple has defeated a top-25 team in each of the last 10 seasons, it is 0-3 in such games this campaign and won't get a win here. Make Wichita State a 10* play. |
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01-31-18 | Pittsburgh +16.5 v. Miami-FL | Top | 57-69 | Win | 100 | 11 h 16 m | Show |
The set-up: The Miami Hurricanes opened 10-0 and 13-2 but then suffered back-to-back losses to Clemson and Duke. things began looking up for Miami following wins over North Carolina State and Louisville but the Hurricanes fell 103-94 in OT on Saturday at rival Florida State. The 'Canes hope to put that dismal defensive performance behind them and earn a season sweep of Pittsburgh, which began ACC play with a 67-53 loss to Miami on Dec. 30 and a month later is still looking for its first conference win (0-9) after a hard-fought 60-55 loss to Syracuse. Pittsburgh: The Panthers attempted a season-high 65 field goals in the loss to Syracuse but they connected on a season-low 27.7 percent (18-of-65) from the floor. Pitt now hopes to avoid losing 10 consecutive games for just the third time in school history. Pittsburgh has started three or more freshmen in a game 14 times this season, including each of the last 12 contests, with four – Marcus Carr, Khameron Davis, Parker Stewart and Terrell Brown – starting in the first meeting with Miami. PG Carr (10.4 & 4.1 APG) is the only freshman averaging in double digits, as junior guard Wilson-Frame (12.8) and 6-9 senior Luther (12.7 & 10.1) are the team's top scorers. Miami: A tough week for Miami got even tougher on Tuesday with the news that versatile sophomore guard Bruce Brown (11.4-7.1-4.0) hurt his foot in practice and will undergo surgery that will keep him out at least six weeks. The Hurricanes will now need to make their push for the NCAA Tournament without their top rebounder and second-leading scorer. Miami will need to lean more on The Huell (13.5 & 6.9), the team's leading scorer, and heralded freshmen Lonnie Walker IV (10.8), the ACC's Co-Rookie of the Week after putting up 25 points against Louisville and 23 versus Florida State. The pick: The Panthers have used 15 different starting lineups (the most in the NCAA) and are still looking for their first victory since December 22. However, while Miami's defense was a strength early on, that hasn't been the case with the team splitting its last 10 games. In fact, Miami couldn't contain the Seminoles, who became the first team to shoot 60 percent in a game against Miami since Villanova shot 62.7 percent on March 24, 2016.Pittsburgh hasn't won a road game since February 8 of last year but Miami, especially with the loss of Brown, should not be laying this many points. Make Pittsburgh a 10* play. |
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01-30-18 | Vanderbilt v. Kentucky -10 | Top | 81-83 | Loss | -102 | 13 h 22 m | Show |
The set-up; The Kentucky Wildcats opened the season No. 5 in the AP's preseason poll and was at No. 18 when it lost back-to-back games on Jan. 16th & 20th. The Wildcats fell out of the AP's Jan 22nd poll, ending a run of 68 straight weeks of being in the top-25. However, with Kentucky's big comeback win over then-No. 7 West Va. last Saturday (trailed West Virginia by 15 at halftime, before outscoring the Mountaineers 50-28 after intermission), the 16-5 Wildcats (5-3 in SEC) are back in the top-25 at No. 21. The Wildcats will host an 8-13 Vanderbilt team coming off a quality win of its own in Tuesday's SEC action. Vanderbilt edged 15-6 TCU 81-78 on Saturday, as part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge. Vanderbilt: Riley LaChance led the 'Dores with 24 points and Jeff Roberson added 20 points. The 6-6 Roberson (15.6 & 7.0) has scored between 17-21 points in nine of his last 11 games and said after the win, "More than anything, it's just a big confidence builder going forward." LaChance (12.7) is one of three guards averaging in double digits for Vandy, joined by senior Fisher-Davis (11.9 & 5.1) and freshman Lee (10.1). However, the Commodores are tied for last place in the SEC standings plus they are 0-4 on the road in league play. Kentucky: The 6-9 Kevin Knox (15.5 & 5.7) had a career-high 34 points in the win over West Va. but Calipari can't be happy that his team had only one other double-digit scorer against the Mountaineers, with guard Hamidou Diallo (12.7 & 4.6) recording 13 points, his second-highest total in the last nine outings. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (11.8-3.8-4.4) continues to do a little bit of everything for Kentucky, registering six points, five assists, five rebounds and two blocks versus West Virginia. The 6-7 PJ Washington (10.8 & 5.0) notched a career-high 22 points against Mississippi State last week but followed up that effort by scoring only two points in 11 minutes against the Mountaineers. The pick: It would be hard to argue that this is a vintage Coach Cal edition but the comeback win in Morgantown was impressive. Plus, let's not forget Vandy's 0-4 SEC road mark, where the 'Dores have scored just 60, 62 and 62 points in three straight SEC road losses. Make Kentucky a 10* play. |
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01-29-18 | Kansas -2 v. Kansas State | Top | 70-56 | Win | 100 | 13 h 12 m | Show |
The set-up: The 17-4 Kansas Jayhawks (6-2 in Big 12) are currently ranked No. 5 in the latest AP poll (a new poll will be released Monday afternoon), as thy head to Manhattan Kansas to take on in-state and Big 12 rival Kansas State. The Wildcats are 16-5 (5-3 in Big 12) and are looking to avenge a one-point loss suffered in Lawrence just two weeks ago (Jan. 13). Kansas leads the overall series with Kansas State, 194-93, including having won 55 of the last 60 meetings dating to Feb. 12, 1994. Kansas: Devonte Graham scored 23 points and Malik Newman hit two go-ahead free throws with 15 seconds left to provide Kansas that 73-72 win in the first meeting. Kansas features a four-guard lineup in which Graham ( leads in scoring (17.3) and assists (7.3). The remaining three starting guards are Mykhailiuk (16.8 & 4.0), Vick (13.4 & 5.5) and Newman (11.9 & 4.9). The 7-0 Azubuike (13.9 & 7.6) is the fifth starter. No other player scores as much as 5.0 PPG. Mykhailiuk scored 24 points and Newman added 15 and a team-high seven rebounds in the Jayhawks’ 79-68 victory over Texas A&M on Saturday but the Jayhawks lost last Tuesday 85-80 at Oklahoma. The Sooners fouled center Udoka Azubuike repeatedly in the second half to come from behind, as Azubuike missed all but one of his eight free throws. Kansas coach Bill Self blamed himself for not taking Azubuike out in crunch time, and said he expects other teams to do the same thing if he leaves in his big man, who is shooting 37.5 percent from the line. "Bad decision," Self said after Tuesday's game. "It was on me, for this game. I did not do our team any favors Kansas State: The 6-8 Dean Wade has taken center stage for Kansas State over the last two weeks. He kicked off a streak of five consecutive 20-point outings with 22 in that 73-72 loss to the Jayhawks back on Jan. 13 and capped it with 20 points and eight rebounds as the Wildcats pushed their winning streak to four games in a 56-51 win over Georgia on Saturday. The winning run has corresponded with the insertion into the lineup of backup PG Cartier Diarra. Starting guard Kamau Stokes (13.4 & 4.6 APG) is sidelined with a broken bone in his foot (happened against against Texas Tech on ). Diarra (6.9) has averaged 13.2 points per game in his six starts. Guard Barry Brown also has picked up the slack. He's averaging 22.0 points in those games, compared with his team-leading 17.3 on the season. Getting back to Wade, he's averaging 16.2 & 6.5, while guard Sneed (11.0 & 4.4) also adds double digits. The pick: Kansas State coach Bruce Weber has his team playing very well. KSU has not trailed in a conference game since a brief one-point deficit in the first half against Oklahoma back on Jan. 16. The Wildcats defeated the Sooners 87-69 with a second-half eruption, then led wire-to-wire at home against TCU and at Baylor. In their most recent game, they overcame a second-half deficit to defeat Georgia 56-51 Saturday in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. However, as note already, this series is lopsided in Kansas' favor. Then again, not as much as it was a decade ago. Kansas won 25 straight games between 1983 and 2007 on the Wildcats' home floor but Kansas-State has won four of the last 10 games in Manhattan. Kansas' Bill Self, in his 15th season, has won all but one conference championship in his time there. He relies on strong guard play, a dependable big man, at least away from the free-throw line (see above), and a solid defense. The Wildcats may be 11-1 at home this season but these are the type of games Kansas has been winning against Kansas State (and the rest of the Big 12, as well), for years. Make the Jayhawks a 10* play. |
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01-28-18 | Purdue v. Indiana +11 | Top | 74-67 | Win | 100 | 8 h 47 m | Show |
The set-up: The Purdue Boilermakers were pushed for 40 minutes for one of the few times in Big Ten play this past Thursday versus No. 25 Michigan, eventually coming away with their 11th consecutive conference win,. Purdue is 20-2 overall this season (including 9-0 in Big Ten play) and riding a 16-game winning streak. The Boilermakers may be ranked "only" No. 3 in the latest AP poll but the way the team is shooting from long-range and playing defense (see below), the Boilermakers can make a claim they have the best team in the country. Purdue will venture into Assembly Hall in Bloomington, In. on Sunday, to take on the 12-9 Indiana Hoosiers (5-4 in Big Ten play). The Hoosiers are perhaps the conference's most Jekyll-and-Hyde team when it comes to playing at home versus on the road, going 4-0 at Assembly Hall during league action but just 1-4 away from Bloomington. Purdue: The Boilermakers enjoy a size advantage in just about every game with 7-2 Isaac Haas (14.1 & 5.30 and 7-3 Matt Haarms (5.8 & 3.8) patrolling the paint. Sophomore guard Carsen Edwards (17.0-3.8-3.1) leads the team in scoring, followed by 6-8 senior forward Vincent Edwards (15.6 & 7.3), who is scored a career-high 30 points against Michigan. Purdue averages 85.1 PPG (15th), while shooting 50.8% as team (11th). That includes the nation's second-best three-point percentage of 44.2. Purdue is holding opponents to 38.7% shooting (38.7), while allowing just 63.4 PPG (16th). Indiana: The Hoosiers are coming off maybe their most disheartening road loss of the season, as despite shooting 56.8 percent, they committed 18 turnovers to allow Illinois to get its first conference win (1-8) in a 73-71 decision on Wednesday. The 6-8 Juwan Morgan, who is one of only two Big Ten players who rank inside the top-10 in the conference in scoring (16.0), rebounding (7.1) and field-goal percentage (59.8), is averaging 26.5 points on 22-of-32 shooting over his last two games. The second-leading scorer (and the only other Indiana player in double digits) is Robert Johnson (13.6) but he was held to eight points in Wednesday's loss, after averaging 16.4 PPG over his previous 10 outings. The pick: Purdue and Virginia are the only Power-5 schools that remain undefeated in conference play. Could Purdue fall victim here to Indiana, which is a perfect 4-0 vs. Big Ten foes at home? Hoosiers head coach Archie Miller could sure use a 'marquee win" and this would sure qualify. All good things must come to an end. "Upset alert" today in Bloomington. Make Indiana a 10* play. |
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01-27-18 | Virginia Tech v. Notre Dame -3 | Top | 80-75 | Loss | -104 | 22 h 42 m | Show |
The set-up: Both Virginia Tech (14-6, 3-4 ACC) and Notre Dame ( (13-7, 3-4 ACC) have been in the top-25 at one point this season but that's not the case now, as the teams square off at the Joyce Center in South Bend. The Hokies had lost two straight games but beat No. 10 North Carolina on Monday, 80-69. As for Notre Dame, the Irish have lost their last four games, after a 67-58 loss at Clemson in their last outing. Virginia Tech: The Hokies have a nice six-man rotation, with five players scoring in double digits The 6-6 Clarke just misses, but is a valuable contributor at 8.7 PPG & a team-high 6.9 RPG. Guard Hill (14.9) is the leading scorer and joined in double digits by PG Robinson (12.5 & 5.5 APG). The 6-10 Blackshear (13.5 & 6.5) is the team's best frontcourt player. Va. Tech shoots well, ranking third in the nation in field-goal percentage (51.8), second in the ACC in points per game at 85.4) (15th in the nation) and first in the ACC in three-point percentage at 39.7 (25th in the nation). Notre Dame: Injuries continue to hurt Notre Dame, as guard Matt Farrell (15.7 & 5.3 APG) will join fellow starters Bonzie Colson (21.4 & 10.4) and D.J. Harvey (5.8) on the sidelines Saturday with an ankle bone bruise. The Fighting Irish continue to struggle offensively in wake of all the injuries, averaging just 61.6 PPG over their last five. The Irish will lean heavily on senior forward Martinas Geben (10.0 & 8.1) and sophomore guard T.J. Gibbs (14.9) to put up points on Saturday. Geben is one of five players averaging a double-double in ACC action (12.6 points, 10.9 rebounds), while Gibbs is sixth in the conference in three-point percentage (40.7) and seventh in assist/turnover ratio (2.21). The pick: Virginia Tech may shoot well (see above) but the Hokies have turned the ball over 10 or more times in 15 of their 19 games this season (note: have 41 TOs in their last three games). Injuries have crippled Notre Dame but the Fighting Irish are still playing smart basketball, committing the fewest fouls in the NCAA at 13.2 per game. Make Notre Dame a 10* play. |
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01-27-18 | Tennessee -3 v. Iowa State | Top | 68-45 | Win | 100 | 18 h 47 m | Show |
The set-up: The 22nd-ranked Tennessee Volunteers (14-5) look to record a sixth win in seven games when they visit Hilton Coliseum on Saturday to take on the 11-8 Iowa State Cyclones as part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge. Tennessee raced out to a 17-point halftime lead and then held on for a 67-62 home win against Vanderbilt in its last game. As for Iowa State, the Cyclones fell behind early and never recovered in a 73-57 loss at Texas on Monday. Tennessee: Jordan Bowden broke out of a shooting slump Tuesday just in time to beat Vanderbilt. He scored 19 points and tied a career high with five three-pointers, after entering the night shooting 25 percent in conference games. Bowden (10.3) is one of four guards averaging between 6.3 and 10.3 PPG. However, the team's top-two producers are the 6-7 Williams (16.5 & 6.2) and 6-5 small forward Schofield (12.8 & 5.8). Tennessee leads the SEC in assists per game (14.6), ranks second in field-goal percentage (45.6) and third in scoring offense (76.5), scoring margin (plus-3.5) and free-throw percentage (77.3). Iowa State: Nick Weiler-Babb and Lindell Wigginton finished with 15 points each, while Cameron Lard added a double-double (12 & 12) to go along with three blocks, in the Cyclones' loss vs. Texas. Wigginton a two-time Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honoree, is averaging 20.2 points and 3.6 three-pointers in the last five outings, as well as a team-leading 16.2 PPG on the season. Meanwhile, fellow freshman, the 6-9 Lard, is averaging 13.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.2 blocks in six career starts (12.1 & 7.3 on the season). Iowa State is one of four programs in the six major conferences to have two freshmen averaging at least 12 points (minimum 10 games played), joining California, Duke and Kentucky. Veteran guards Jackson (15.5) and Weiler-Babb (12.2-7.2-7.2) are also big-time contributors. The pick: The Big 12/SEC Challenge features 11 games on Saturday between two of the top conferences in the nation. Data analyst Ken Pomeroy has the Big 12 ranked No. 1, and the SEC No. 4. It's hard to ignore that Iowa State has won its last five games against top-25 non-conference teams at Hilton Coliseum but the Cyclones have lost seven seniors from last year's team that reached the Sweet 16. Tennessee is worth an 8* play. |
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01-27-18 | Georgia +7.5 v. Kansas State | Top | 51-56 | Win | 100 | 16 h 42 m | Show |
analysis coming |
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01-27-18 | Texas Tech v. South Carolina +3 | Top | 70-63 | Loss | -110 | 14 h 43 m | Show |
The set-up: It's a day filled with games from the Big 12/SEC Challenge and it starts at 12 noon ET when the 16-4 and 14th-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders visit Columbia, South Carolina to take on the 13-7 South Carolina Gamecocks. The Big 12 and SEC split their annual matchup last season, 5-5. That snapped the Big 12's three-year streak of winning the challenge. Oddly enough, the Big 12/SEC Challenge does not feature a top-25 matchup on the card (note: Kentucky at West Virginia is slotted in prime time but the Wildcats fell out of the top-25 on Monday after being ranked for 68 straight weeks. However, Trae Young and Oklahoma at Alabama and/or the Red Raiders versus the Gamecocks could steal the show before the Wildcats and Mountaineers tip off. Texas Tech: The Red Raiders fell at Oklahoma on Jan. 9, then dropped back-to-back road games to unranked Texas and Iowa State last week, before pulling out of the slide with a 75-70 home victory over Oklahoma State on Tuesday. Senior guard Keenan Evans was a combined 5-of-20 from the floor in the losses at Texas and Iowa State but he found his shooting stroke on Tuesday and scored 26 points on 7-of-13 shooting. Evans leads the Red Raiders in scoring at 17.1 PPG ((3.1 RPG & 3.4 APG). Joining him in double figures are a pair of 6-5 freshman guards, Jarrett Culver (10.9 & 4.2) and Zhaire Smith (10.1 & 4.6). Tech relies on its top-notch defense, holding opponents to 62.0 PPG (7th) on 39.3% shooting (16th). South Carolina; The Gamecocks are fresh off a 77-72 victory on the road against No. 20 Florida and can add another "quality win" to their NCAA Tournament credentials. The South Carolina duo of 6-9 forward Chris Silva and guard Wesley Myers combined for 40 points in the win over Florida. The Gamecocks also nailed 11 of 21 three-pointers. Silva leads the team in scoring (14.7) and rebounding (8.0) with only guard Booker (11.1 & 3.2) joining him in double digits. All Frank Martin teams must play defense and this year's edition is no exception, allowing 65.8 PPG (38th). The set-up: The Gamecocks will be facing their fourth consecutive ranked opponent and are looking to move to 3-1 in that span. South Carolina sandwiched wins over Kentucky and Florida around a home loss to Tennessee but note that the victory over the Gators on Wednesday gave the program its first road win over a ranked opponent in nearly two years. FAU senior transfer guard Frank Bookeis r now scoring in double digits most nights, taking some of the pressure off Silva. Meanwhile, Chris Beard's Texas Tech team has been slugging it out in the tough Big 12 and is beginning to show some wear and tear. This trip to Colonial Life Arena is likely an unwelcome one at this time of the season. Make South Carolina an 8* play. |