Archive for the ‘College Basketball Picks’ Category
How They Got Here: The Runnin’ Rebels were consistently the third best team in the Mountain West this year. Because New Mexico and BYU were so strong, there was never a doubt about a third team getting into the field from the MWC. UNLV marched to the conference final before losing to San Diego State. How They Got Here: There wasn’t much more than the Panthers could do than win BracketBusters and dominated the MVC, but based on this seeding, it’s a good thing that UNI won the conference. An at-large bid may not have been a given. How They Got Here: To be frank, the Zags got here by coasting their way into the tournament as an at-large when they could’ve nailed down the West Coast Conference’s automatic bid if they wanted it. HC Mark Few hopes a 19-point loss to St. Mary’s isn’t a sign of things to come on Friday. How They Got Here: FSU had to be wincing just a little bit after losing to NC State in its first game in the ACC Tournament. Still, the Noles put together a great body of work this year, including ten wins in the tough ACC to lock up an at-large bid weeks ago. How They Got Here: We’re not so sure how the Longhorns really got here. They started off 17-0 before falling apart down the stretch, so the correct answer to how Texas made it to the NCAA Tournament is, “Very tenuously.” How They Got Here: Many wonder if Wake Forest really deserved a nod to the dance over Virginia Tech in the ACC, particularly after the Demon Deacons laid a total egg in the conference tournament, but thanks to a solid OOC slate, HC Dino Gaudio’s team finds itself in March Madness once again. How They Got Here: Many will tell you that the Bears got here because someone had to win all of those games in Pac-10 play this year! Truth be told, Cal played one of the toughest schedules in the nation, which is why it was rewarded with a decent seed in the field of 65. How They Got Here: The Cardinals got here so easily because they took a chunk out of the Orange not just once, but twice this season. Those two wins paired with a decent showing against the rest of the Big East was more than enough to send HC Rick Pitino’s team dancing.
UNLV Runnin’ Rebels
(25-8, #8 Midwest Region)
Player to Watch: G Tre’Von Willis is a true scoring who can shoot the ball from anywhere on the court. He led the Rebels at 17.3 points per game this season, but he may struggle against the UNI inside defense when he tries to slash into the lane.
Expectations: UNLV was hoping for a better seed and an easier road into the second round, but it also drew a very dangerous #9 in the Missouri Valley champs. There aren’t many expectations for a team that should be bounced in Round 1.
Northern Iowa Panthers
(28-4, #9 Midwest Region)
Player to Watch: Senior F Adam Koch was shut out in the Valley Final against Wichita State, which was very uncharacteristic for a player that has always come up big in big games for the Panthers. He should do better against UNLV this week.
Expectations: The Panthers have a chip on their shoulder for being a #9 seed. Expect to see them march right through their Mountain West foes in Round 1 before giving the Jayhawks everything that they can handle in Round 2.
Gonzaga Bulldogs
(26-6, #8 West Region)
Player to Watch: G Matt Bouldin, 16.0 points per game, loves to slash into the paint and try to score easy buckets. He won’t find any of that against Florida State, so he’ll have to be more creative to get his points.
Expectations: It feels like forever since the Zags have really made an impact on this tournament. They’re a toss-up to get through Round 1, but even if they survive Florida State, there really aren’t any expectations against Syracuse.
Florida State Seminoles
(22-9, #9 West Region)
Player to Watch: F Chris Singleton could be ready to make his jump to the NBA. He’s going to want to put together a big tournament to do so. Singleton was the ACC’s Defensive Player of the Year, and he’ll be expected to put the Noles on his back to lead them into the second round.
Expectations: HC Leonard Hamilton has a bad coaching history in this tournament, especially last season against Wisconsin. The Florida State faithful want to see the team fight hard and get through Round 1, but anything beyond that is gravy.
Texas Longhorns
(24-9, #8 East Region)
Player to Watch: F Damion James could go off for a double-double on any team in the country. He’s going to have a great post matchup against the horses for the Deacs on the inside in what should be a very fun battle to watch.
Expectations: If HC Rick Barnes doesn’t get his Longhorns out of the first round of the tournament after being projected as a #1 seed just two months ago, he’s going to have a lot of questions to answer in Austin when his team gets home.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
(19-10, #9 East Region)
Player to Watch: We mentioned the bigs for Wake Forest that are going to have to body up with James for Texas, and the man that will be tabbed with that job is F Aminu Al-Farouq. He’s another player that averaged a double-double this year that can have a fantastic game at the drop of a hat.
Expectations: Wake fans know that this isn’t the best set of Demon Deacons ever. Just getting out of the first round would be good enough, but even the likely early exit to the Longhorns will be acceptable so long as it’s not embarrassing.
California Golden Bears
(23-10, #8 South Region)
Player to Watch: G Jerome Randle had a bad Pac-10 final against Washington, scoring just 12 points, but his previous two games (both 20+ point efforts) showed how dangerous he can be. Randle is the key to stopping Louisville’s pressure defense.
Expectations: Pac-10 backers will hope that this league proves that it is good enough to play with the big boys, but the truth of the matter is that it just isn’t. The Bears should go bye-bye in round 1.
Louisville Cardinals
(20-12, #9 South Region)
Player to Watch: The best scoring option that this team has is F Samardo Samuels. He’s got a ton of tournament experience as a key cog in last year’s run, and he’ll be expected to be the man once again that carries the Birds into March.
Expectations: Expectations may not be through the roof for this team in the media, but Pitino will tell you that this is a team that can win the whole enchilada. We’re not one to bet against him either, especially against a bunch of Dookies that look vulnerable in Round 2.
Tags: Bracketology, California Golden Bears, college basketball betting, Florida State Seminoles, Gonzaga Bulldogs, Louisville Cardinals, March Madness, march madness betting, NCAA Tournament, NCAA Tournament betting, Northern Iowa Panthers, Texas Longhorns, UNLV Runnin' Rebels, Wake Forest Demon Deacons
How They Got Here: The Jayhawks captured the top seed in the Midwest by winning the Big XII crown and putting together a fantastic regular season. They’re clearly one of the deepest teams in the country, but they don’t look like a team that has quite turned it on as of yet. How They Got Here: Lehigh largely dominated the Patriot League tournament by coasting to three victories by an average MOV of 18.7 PPG. Even though the Mountain Hawks have won five straight, they still were only narrowly left out of the play-in game. How They Got Here: It clearly wasn’t the greatest Big East Tournament in the world for the Cuse, who were one and done after losing to Georgetown. However, Syracuse earned a #1 seed by beating up the rest of the nation all year in the regular season. HC Jim Boeheim will be happy never to see Louisville again after the Cards handed his squad two losses this year. How They Got Here: It took some help from Boston U to ditch Stony Brook out of the America East Tournament, but when it was said and done, home court advantage led the Catamounts back to the dance for the first time since ‘05. How They Got Here: To put it mildly, the Wildcats got here because they were the best team in a respectable conference. Kentucky earned the SEC Championship by beating Mississippi State in overtime, but a #1 seed was already certainly wrapped up before that point. How They Got Here: The Atlantic Sun was tight all year long, but the Buccaneers proved to be the best of the bunch, as they disposed of Mercer on its home court to win the conference to go dancing for the second straight year. How They Got Here: The ACC might’ve been a down conference this year, but the Dookies still blew through a tough schedule with no problems this entire year. As a reward for winning the conference tournament, albeit against a weaker set of teams than was originally expected, Coach K’s club was given a #1 seed and the ability to stay relatively close to home. How They Got Here: It took a mammoth upset in the Big South Final over Coastal Carolina, but the Eagles proved to be worthy and took out the Chanticleers to advance to the play-in game of the tournament. How They Got Here: The Golden Lions aren’t going to be proud of the fact that they only scored 50 points in their conference championship game, but a ticket to the dance is a ticket to the dance. Thanks to the surprising early exit from the SWAC Tournament by Jackson State, Arkansas-Pine Bluff seized its chance to go dancing.
Kansas Jayhawks
(32-2, #1 Midwest Region)
Player to Watch: C Cole Aldrich is the heart and soul of this team. Even though he isn’t the best scorer of the bunch (11.2 PPG), he can take a game over in the paint, as demonstrated by his 9.9 RPG in ‘09-’10.
Expectations: Anything less than a Final Four appearance will be considered a brutal disappointment for this team, but with the way that it has played with fire all season long, an earlier exit than that seems like it could be possible. Expect to see the Jayhawks get bounced in the Elite 8 in a very difficult bracket.
Lehigh Mountain Hawks
(22-10, #16 Midwest Region)
Player to Watch: G CJ McCollum is a big time score at 18.8 points per game. He was even stronger than that down the stretch (25.3 PPG L/9), and will have to be totally unconscious to wear down the Jayhawks.
Expectations: There really aren’t any expectations here for Lehigh. There’s a reason that this team is a 25.5-point underdog against the top overall seed in this tournament. If the Mountain Hawks can at least keep the game respectable looking for a half of basketball, they should feel accomplished.
Syracuse Orange
(28-4, #1 West Region)
Player to Watch: F Arinze Onuaku suffered a nasty looking injury at the end of the Georgetown game. His health is paramount for the Orange, who would sorely miss his 10.5 PPG if he was out of the lineup.
Expectations: As long as Onuaku is healthy, this is still the best team in the West Bracket. Relatively speaking, this is an easy march to the Final Four. Look for the Orange to be cutting down the nets in Salt Lake City before moving on to Indy for the Final Four.
Vermont Catamounts
(25-9, #16 West Region)
Player to Watch: F Marqus Blakely is going to be a real pain defensively for the Orange to deal with. Blakely is averaging 2.4 steals, 1.9 blocks, and 9.4 rebounds per game for Vermont, and he’s the leading scorer at 17.4 points per game to boot.
Expectations: Can the Catamounts wake up the echoes from that ‘05 tournament in which they beat this same Syracuse team in the first round? Not so fast. This is a nice story and a decent club that probably deserved better than a 16 seed, but when push comes to shove, it’s still largely overmatched and will be an easily dismissed team in its first game.
Kentucky Wildcats
(32-2, #1 East Region)
Player to Watch: Where else could we go with this than G John Wall? One of the Naismith Award candidates this season, Wall averaged 17.0 points, 6.3 assists, and 1.8 steals per game as a true freshman. He’s going to be expected to make a big time name for himself over these next three weeks.
Expectations: HC John Calipari knows that this team won’t be nearly as strong next year, as Wall and Fs Patrick Patterson and DeMarcus Cousins are going pro. He’ll keep the team together to win the East Region even though there may be some adversity along the way.
East Tennessee State Buccaneers
(20-14, #16 East Region)
Player to Watch: G Micah Williams is one of the few holdovers from last year’s tournament team. He’s second amongst Buccaneers this year with 12.5 points per game. He’s also the team’s best three-point shooter at 35.1%, but he’ll need to do a lot better than that to stick with the Cats.
Expectations: In fairness, this is a team that has already exceeded its own expectations for the year. Look for ETSU to hold its heads up high in this one and not get totally run off the court, but even if the Bucs lose by 40, there’s nothing to be ashamed of from this season.
Duke Blue Devils
(29-5, #1 South Region)
Player to Watch: F Kyle Singler is hot and cold for the Blue Devils, but he’s usually a lot more hot than otherwise. He went off for 22.5 PPG in his L/4, and he’ll have to be big to bring out a big guy from the paint.
Expectations: Many think this is a very weak South Bracket, and largely, they’re right. But the weakness starts right at the very top with the Dookies, who, for our money, is the worst of the #1 seeds. Someone’s going to pick this team off, and it could come very, very early. Expectations are high again from the Cameron Crazies, but their perception is greater than what the reality will actually be.
Winthrop Eagles
(19-13, #16 South Region)
Player to Watch: There aren’t a ton of huge scoring threats on this team, but F Mantoris Robinson will do a little bit of everything for Winthrop. He’s got four double digit scoring games under his belt in his L/5 and is a solid post player averaging 6.2 RPGs.
Expectations: Even though all Winthrop supporters should just be happy that the team is still playing basketball into the middle of March, a loss to the SWAC champions would be awfully disappointing. The Eagles will at least want to march on to the real dance to feel content.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions
(17-15, #16 South Region)
Player to Watch: G Terrance Calvin is certainly a streaky player, and he’ll be the difference maker if the Golden Lions advance on Tuesday night. He’s averaging 10.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game.
Expectations: If you’re picking your tournament brackets based on who has the coolest logo, you’ve got high expectations from the Golden Lions. But if you’re taking any approach that is far more logical than that, anything you get out of the SWAC Champs will be a bonus.
Tags: Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions, Bracketology, college basketball betting, Duke Blue Devils, East Tennessee State Buccaneers, Kansas Jayhawks, Kentucky Wildcats, Lehigh Mountain Hawks, March Madness, march madness betting, NCAA basketball betting, NCAA Tournament, NCAA Tournament betting, Syracuse Orange, Vermont Catamounts, Winthrop Eagles
By Tony George Of SportsAudioShows MANAGE YOUR EXPECTATIONS. I went 63% overall in the Big Dance last year. I hit a big play for 3 units in the second round. I consider that a HUGE success. Anyone who exceeds 65% in the post season in the NCAA should be dipped in gold, and I mean some talented cappers, or the average Joe will struggle to reach that mark of excellence While 18 years of experience counts, I have learned through failures and losses that left me in a stupor and scratching my head, that again, NOTHING comes easy in the post season tourneys in the NCAA. There will be thrillers, last second miracles, big seeds will fall early, the usual drama that affects bankrolls quickly and often. Proceed with caution and some expert advise and lots of homework to narrow down your choices and FLAT BET your plays. Everyone gets very excited with brackets and their bets, but do not lose site of the fact that the wagering in this tourney has to be approached with low volume and surgical strikes, which means finding ways and angles to emphasize underdogs at every turn. Defense is KEY in the post season and good guard play always is a huge advantage as well as free throw percentage. If you bet more than 4 plays a day, YOU WILL LOSE MONEY. It is just too risky to lay more than 6 out there right now in any game, and after the top 10-12 teams, it will be a crapshoot because there is going to be more parity in this tourney that I have seen in quite some time. There are not a lot of GREAT teams out there this year, and lots of average teams. Many non brand name cappers will be selling the moon and hyping it up (ones not on this site) to capture the publics attention because this is the biggest betting deal around, the grand daddy of them all, more so than the Super Bowl, so again, use your head. There is no clear cut favorite to win it all, and I am talking straight up. Kansas will struggle to win it all, as they faced no frontcourt all season in the Big 12 that challenged them. That will not be the case in this Tourney, especially against teams from the Big East and Kentucky as an example from the SEC. The NIT tourney is all about Home Teams in the opening 2 rounds. Look at home records of teams, the road records of their opponets, and do some math on the numbers. It will serve you well. There will be a TON of equally matched teams in this tourney and the homecourt may be the advantage at days end. Just some random thoughts from an 18 veteran capper who has seen his fair share of March Madness games over the span of time. I tell it like it is. There IS opportunity to win some good money in the post season, but using your head and staying level with your bets, and managing those expectations will mazimize profits and minimize losses.
THE SUPER BOWL OF BETTING IS HERE. Bear in mind with March Madness already showing that underdogs rule this time of year and nothing comes easy, it is good food for thought in the NIT and NCAA Tourneys.
Tags: March Madness, march madness betting, ncaa betting, NCAA Tournament, sports betting
What They’re Playing For: The Temple Owls and Richmond Spiders might be playing for spot on the brackets for Selection Sunday, but more importantly, they’re playing for the championship in one of the toughest leagues in the country. What They’re Playing For: Are the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets absolutely in the field of 65 now? Common logic says so, but if the bubble shrinks any more, someone that thinks they’re already in is going to be in some trouble. The Duke Blue Devils are most likely playing for a #1 seed in the tournament. What They’re Playing For: The Kentucky Wildcats only have the SEC Championship to hang on their mantle to play for, as they know that they’re going to be the top seed in one of the brackets come this afternoon. The Mississippi State Bulldogs may be playing in an all-or-nothing game, as they could be left out of the NCAA Tournament without the SEC’s automatic bid. What They’re Playing For: If you take the situation for Mississippi State and that of Duke, you’ve got the exact same things that the Minnesota Golden Gophers and Ohio State Buckeyes are playing for. However, this game may not mean a heck of a lot if Kentucky wins the SEC and Duke wins the ACC. Minnesota may already be in the field and Ohio State may already be locked in to a #2 seed.
Richmond Spiders
(26-7)
Temple Owls
(28-5)
How They Got Here: Temple defeated St. Bonaventure 69-51 & Rhode Island 57-44. Richmond defeated UMass 77-72 & Xavier 88-85.
Who to Watch: G Kevin Anderson is coming off of a 27 point showing against the X-Men. He can take over a game from long range, but can also be shaky and inconsistent. Case in point: He shot just 4/14 against Massachusetts. G Ryan Brooks scored 16 points against Rhode Island and is Temple’s top scorer at 14.3 points per game.
Previous Meetings: February 6th – Richmond 71 – Temple 54
What to Expect: If you like defense, this is the game for you. Both of these teams rank in the Top 25 in the nation in almost every defensive category. Temple is rolling right now though, and even though the Spiders have only been defeated once since January, they’ll suffer another setback in the A-10 Final, as the regular season champs will prevail.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
(22-11)
Duke Blue Devils
(28-5)
How They Got Here: Georgia Tech defeated North Carolina 62-58, Maryland 69-64, & North Carolina State 57-54. Duke defeated Virginia 57-46 & Miami 77-74.
Who to Watch: G-Tech’s leading scorer F Gani Lawal has been totally missing in action in this tournament. He’s going to be the most likely candidate to dominate the post for the Jackets, but he’ll need to have more of an effect than he has had recent to get the job done. G Jon Scheyer is a real pain to opposing teams because he can shoot the ball from anywhere on the court with a ton of hands in his face. He scored 16 points against the Canes and could be good for 20 points almost every single time out.
Previous Meetings: January 9th – Georgia Tech 71 – Duke 67, February 4th – Duke 86 – Georgia Tech 67
What to Expect: Last season, we saw the Dookies come out and take care of a Florida State team which exerted a ton of energy to reach the ACC Final. It should be a similar story today, as Georgia Tech has just been through too much over the L/3 days to be able to compete. Coach K will want to see his squad put up a dominant effort to wrap up the regular season, which isn’t what he’s seen so far in the ACC Tournament.
Mississippi State Bulldogs
(23-10)
Kentucky Wildcats
(31-2)
How They Got Here: Mississippi State defeated Florida 75-69 & Vanderbilt 62-52. Kentucky defeated Alabama 73-67 & Tennessee 74-45.
Who to Watch: F Jarvis Varnado is going to be bodying up with Kentucky’s bigs all day long on Sunday. He blocked six shots on Saturday against the Commodores, bringing his total up to 158 for the season. He’s also the team’s leading scorer at 13.4 PPG. There isn’t much of anything that G John Wall can’t do? He’s averaging 16.9 points, 4.0 boards, and 6.1 assists per game.
Previous Meetings: February 16th – Kentucky 81 – Mississippi State 75
What to Expect: If Kentucky feels like it has proven its point as the dominant team in this conference, it may not come to play. Beating Tennessee down yesterday might’ve done just that. There’s no doubt that the Bulldogs are going to bring it as if this was their last lifeline. That should be enough to carry MSU to another SEC championship.
Minnesota Golden Gophers
(21-12)
Ohio State Buckeyes
(26-7)
How They Got Here: Minnesota defeated Penn State 76-55, Michigan State 72-67, & Purdue 69-42. Ohio State defeated Michigan 69-68 & Illinois 88-81.
Who to Watch: G Blake Hoffarber was the only player that really didn’t come to play against the Boilermakers on Saturday. He’ll probably have to step up as the team’s second leading scorer (10.7 PPG), as the rest of his team probably won’t be able to come up with a similar effort on Sunday. Is there anyone else that could possibly be watched for OSU than F Evan Turner? The AP’s National Player of the Year scored 31 points and played 49 minutes in Saturday’s double overtime marathon, and he’ll inevitably be all over the court again on Sunday.
Previous Meetings: January 9th – Minnesota 73 – Ohio State 62, January 31st – Ohio State 85 – Minnesota 63
What to Expect: The Golden Gophers are going to have to come back to earth on Sunday. There’s no way that they can play up to the standard that they set on Saturday in the blowout of Purdue. Look for Turner and the Buckeyes to clinch another Big Ten Championship and at least make a case for a #1 seed, while HC Tubby Smith’s crew will be biting its finger nails for a few hours after that until the brackets are released.
Tags: ACC Tournament Final, Atlantic 10 Tournament Final, Big Ten Tournament Final, Bracketology, college basketball betting, Duke Blue Devils, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Kentucky Wildcats, March Madness, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Mississippi State Bulldogs, NCAA basketball betting, Ohio State Buckeyes, Richmond Spiders, SEC Tournament Final, Temple Owls
What They’re Playing For: Now that the top seed of this tournament has been dismissed, the Vermont Catamounts and Boston Terriers will battle for the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. What They’re Playing For: After each played hard-fought semifinals against solid opponents, the top two games in the Southland will face off for a spot in the NCAA Tournament when the Sam Houston State Bearkats play the Sam Houston State Lumberjacks. What They’re Playing For: The carnage in the Conference USA Tournament has left the Houston Cougars with the task of knocking off the top seed in this tourney, the UTEP Miners. UTEP knows that it is already dancing, so bubble teams will be watching this team closely, as a bid to the dance can clearly be stolen. What They’re Playing For: The Big West champion probably won’t be hanging around the NCAA Tournament for very long, but the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos and Long Beach State 49ers will duke it out for the league’s automatic place on the bracket come Sunday. What They’re Playing For: The Georgetown Hoyas and West Virginia Mountaineers will face off at Madison Square Garden for the 2010 Big East Championship even though both teams are already locks for next week’s NCAA Tournament. What They’re Playing For: Truth be told, there may be absolutely nothing on the line here. The Kansas Jayhawks already have the #1 seed in the Midwest Bracket on lockdown, while the Kansas State Wildcats probably don’t have enough bulk to move anywhere aside from the #2 seed in either the South or Midwest Regions. This should just be a good old fashioned duel between two great teams for Big XII bragging rights. What They’re Playing For: Unless a ton of stuff wrecks the brackets over these next two days, the only thing that the San Diego State Aztecs and UNLV Runnin’ Rebels will be playing for in the grand scheme of things is seeding the NCAA Tournament. Both teams should firmly be in the field of 65. What They’re Playing For: When the dust all settled in a miserable year in the Pac-10, the California Golden Bears and Washington Huskies will play for the conference’s automatic spot in the NCAA Tournament. Washington may still need that bid if all heck breaks loose over the weekend, but many think that both of these teams have done enough to go dancing regardless of who the winner is. What They’re Playing For: All the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions and the Texas Southern Tigers are playing for is a right to face either Winthrop or other team of the sorts in Tuesday’s play-in game to the NCAA Tournament. The winner will claim the SWAC title. What They’re Playing For: This Aggie battle between New Mexico State and Utah State will be for bragging rights in the WAC and the conference’s automatic ticket to the dance. USU is already in regardless in all likelihood, while NMSU will have to play its way in with the WAC’s crown. What They’re Playing For: The Morgan State Bears will look to parlay their regular season MEAC championship into the league’s automatic bid when they take on the South Carolina State Bulldogs. What They’re Playing For: Two teams that played in the East Division of the MAC will duke it out for the right to capture the conference’s only bid to the NCAA Tournament when the Akron Zips face the Ohio Bobcats.
Boston University Terriers
(19-12)
Vermont Catamounts
(24-9)
How They Got Here: Boston University defeated Hartford 87-46 & Stony Brook 70-63. Vermont defeated Maryland-Baltimore County 76-59 & New Hampshire 57-38.
Who to Watch: Boston is going to look for a great game from F John Holland. Holland is shooting 46% from the field on the season, making him the best shooter on the team. He’s also the squad’s top scorer at 19.3 points per game. Holland only scored ten points in the semifinal affair with Stony Brook, but better should be expected out of him in the finale. Vermont will counter with F Marqus Blakely, who does a little bit of everything on both sides of the ball. Blakely is the team’s best scorer (17.2 PPG), as well as its best defender (9.1 RPG, 2.5 steals per game, 2.0 blocks per game).
Previous Meetings: January 17th – Vermont 78 – Boston 58, February 9th – Vermont 76 – Boston 75
What to Expect: The Terriers have made a nice little story in the America East Tournament, but it won’t be parlayed into an NCAA Tournament appearance. Vermont is just so much more of a well-rounded team, and unless someone shows up offensively for BU aside from Holland, it will be dismissed by a comfortable margin.
Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks
(23-8)
Sam Houston State Bearkats
(24-7)
How They Got Here: Stephen F. Austin defeated Texas Arlington 77-54 & Texas A&M Corpus Christi 60-53. Sam Houston State defeated Nichols State 62-57 & Southeast Louisiana 88-85.
Who to Watch: The Lumberjacks have a well-rounded team defensively, and the man in charge of the paint is F Jordan Glynn. Glynn may not be the most prolific scorer on the team (8.6 PPG), but he is averaging 8.4 rebounds per game. F Gilberto Clavell fought foul trouble all night long against SE Louisiana, but he still finished with 16 points to lead the way for the Bearkats. He’s the team’s leading scorer at 16.7 PPG, and he’ll be the man that needs to step up if SHSU is going to go dancing.
Previous Meetings: January 9th – Sam Houston State 66 – Stephen F. Austin 57
What to Expect: These were the best two teams in the Southland all season long, and it’s hard to not like the way that the Lumberjacks are playing right now, especially defensively. They’re only conceding 59.7 PPG and have kept four of their L/5 foes under the 55-point barrier. That should take Stephen F. Austin to March Madness.
UTEP Miners
(26-5)
Houston Cougars
(18-15)
How They Got Here: Houston defeated East Carolina 93-80, Memphis 66-65, & Southern Mississippi 74-66. UTEP defeated Central Florida 76-54 & Tulsa 75-61.
Who to Watch: This is certainly a game for the stars. UTEP’s G Randy Culpepper and Houston’s G Aubrey Coleman are amongst the best scorers in the conference. Culpepper is scoring 17.8 points per game, while Coleman is amongst the leading point men in the nation at 25.9.
Previous Meetings: January 13th – Houston 75 – UTEP 65, February 3rd – UTEP 65 – Houston 58
What to Expect: The Cougars were the last team to beat UTEP this year, as the Miners have rolled off 16 straight games since that point. Culpepper and a host of talented Miners had better capture this game, or there are going to be a lot of bubble teams that are awfully unhappy. UTEP has the more well-rounded team, and that will give it the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament as long as it shows up to play.
UC Santa Barbara Gauchos
(19-9)
Long Beach State 49ers
(17-15)
How They Got Here: Santa Barbara defeated UC-Davis 76-62. Long Beach State defeated Cal-Poly 79-69 & Pacific 68-61.
Who to Watch: The 49ers continue to get great play out of F TJ Robinson this year. He’s averaging a double-double per night at 15.4 points and 10.1 rebounds per game, and he’ll be the man in charge of keeping the paint clear of Gauchos on Saturday. G Orlando Johnson is a slasher, and he’s not afraid to try to get down and dirty for UCSB. He’s averaging right at 18.0 PPG this year, but he’s coming off of a slightly sub-par 14 point showing against UC-Davis.
Previous Meetings: January 14th – Long Beach State 67 – Santa Barbara 47, February 13th – Santa Barbara 64 – Long Beach State 62
What to Expect: The Big West has been a wacky conference all season long, and this game will be no exception. On paper, the Gauchos should be the team to march onto the dance, but we have a sneaking feeling that the tough manner in which the 49ers have played foes lately will show on the court on Saturday. Look for Long Beach State to steal the league’s ticket onto the dance floor.
West Virginia Mountaineers
(26-6)
Georgetown Hoyas
(23-9)
How They Got Here: Georgetown defeated South Florida 69-49, Syracuse 91-84, & Marquette 80-57. West Virginia defeated Cincinnati 54-51 & Notre Dame 53-51
Who to Watch: C Greg Monroe has probably earned himself a lot of money in this tournament. The big man went for 23 points, 13 boards, and seven assists against Marquette and is now averaging 16.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per night. F Da’Sean Butler has had two 20+ point efforts in games in which his team has failed to reach the 55-point mark. He’s the team’s leading scorer at 17.1 points per game, and he’ll need another fantastic effort to win the Big East crown.
Previous Meetings: March 1st – West Virginia 81 – Georgetown 68
What to Expect: It’s payback time for the Hoyas! Though West Virginia is playing well defensive, it’s a bit fluky that it is even still alive in this tournament. G’Town is just playing too well right now to be denied. As long as Monroe and the other four starters on this team don’t tire out, the Hoyas are going to be very, very tough to knock off the way that they’ve been playing.
Kansas State Wildcats
(26-6)
Kansas Jayhawks
(31-2)
How They Got Here: Kansas State defeated Oklahoma State 83-64 & Baylor 82-75. Kansas defeated Texas Tech 80-68 & Texas A&M 79-66.
Who to Watch: It’s hard to pick just one player off of either of these squads to look out for. Kansas’ C Cole Aldrich isn’t always the most prolific of scorers, but he a junkyard dog on the glass. He’s KU’s leading rebounder at 9.9 per game, and he is pouring in 11.3 PPG to boot. The Wildcats are all about G Jacob Pullen, who is scoring 19.1 PPG and is coming off of a 26 point showing against Baylor.
Previous Meetings: January 30th – Kansas 81 – Kansas State 79, March 3rd – Kansas 82 – Kansas State 65
What to Expect: This is a tough one to call. It’s probably more important for KSU’s psyche to win this game than it is for Kansas. The Jayhawks have won five straight in this series, but they look vulnerable at this point. The Wildcats are a spunky squad, and that unexpected home loss to Iowa State really seems to have woken them up. Look for them to capture the Big XII title and at least make a bit of a case for a #1 seed in the dance.
UNLV Runnin’ Rebels
(25-7)
San Diego State Aztecs
(24-8)
How They Got Here: San Diego State defeated Colorado State 72-71 & New Mexico 70-69. UNLV defeated Utah 73-61 & BYU 70-66.
Who to Watch: Both teams have little men that are coming off of huge games in the conference semifinals. The Aztecs watched G Billy White shoot 11/14 from the field to total a whopping 28 points in the big win over the Lobos. Mr. Do-It-All G Tre’Von Willis put up 18 against BYU for the Rebels and is the team’s best (and sometimes only) offensive weapon.
Previous Meetings: January 13th – UNLV 76 – San Diego State 66, February 13th – San Diego State 68 – UNLV 58
What to Expect: If this game was played on a truly neutral court, it would probably be more competitive and swing the edge to the Aztecs. However, considering this one is in Sin City, it probably means more for the Rebels to take down the tournament crown. There has to be a sense of job completion for SDSU, which heard nothing but that it needed to beat New Mexico to go dancing. The deed is done. UNLV will clean up the pieces and take down the MWC title.
Washington Huskies
(23-9)
California Golden Bears
(24-9)
How They Got Here: California defeated Oregon 90-74 & UCLA 85-72. Washington defeated Oregon State 59-52 & Stanford 79-64.
Who to Watch: F Quincy Pondexter has all the experience in the world in this, his senior season. He needs to lead the Huskies as he did in the semifinal against the Cardinal when he scored 19 points and brought in seven boards. Cal’s best scoring option is G Jerome Randle, who has two 20+ point performances under his belt in the Pac-10 Tournament and will be looking for a third to boost his 18.9 PPG average.
Previous Meetings: January 16th – Washington 84 – California 69, February 11th – California 93 – Washington 81
What to Expect: If Cal tries its best to play at the Huskies’ pace, it’ll get run off the court in a hurry. We like the way that U-Dub is playing right now, as the mix of defense is starting to get thrown in there as well for a squad that is traditionally all offense. They’ll remove any doubts that were left about them reaching the NCAA Tournament by taking the one bid from this conference that absolutely can’t be taken away.
Texas Southern Tigers
(17-15)
Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions
(16-15)
How They Got Here: Texas Southern defeated Prairie View A&M 66-49 & Grambling 60-57. Arkansas-Pine Bluff defeated Mississippi Valley State 69-66 & Alabama State 46-44.
Who to Watch: The Tigers got 20 points out of G Deandre Hall on Friday night. He’s the team’s leading scorer at 16.5 points per game. The Golden Lions don’t have a ton of prolific scorers, but G Terrance Calvin has the hot hand right now after scoring 43 points in his L/3 games.
Previous Meetings: January 25th – Texas Southern 70 – Arkansas-Pine Bluff 67, February 22nd – Arkansas-Pine Bluff 57 – Texas Southern 53
What to Expect: Neither one of these teams have exactly been convincing to get to this point. Pine Bluff was given a scare by two inferior foes, while the Tigers were spooked by an awful Grambling team after getting a favor from it for dumping Jackson State out of this tournament. We’ll bank on the Golden Lions, as they have won 10 out of 11 games, but either way, the winner will probably never get a chance to face a #1 seed.
Utah State Aggies
(27-6)
New Mexico State Aggies
(21-11)
How They Got Here: New Mexico State defeated San Jose State 90-69 & Nevada 80-79. Utah State defeated Boise State 84-60 & Louisiana Tech 85-55.
Who to Watch: Utah State’s top sharpshooter is G Jared Quayle, and games often change on one of his three-pointers. Quayle, who is shooting 43.3% from beyond the arc, is the team’s second leading scorer at 12.1 PPG. NMSU relies heavily on G Jahmar Young, who is the team’s top point man at 20.7 points per game, though he is one of five players scoring in double figures.
Previous Meetings: January 2nd – New Mexico State 55 – Utah State 52, March 4th – Utah State 81 – New Mexico State 63
What to Expect: New Mexico State is a nice little story, but the reality of the whole thing is that Utah State is just playing too well right now to be denied. The regular season WAC champs are just killing teams on this 17-game winning streak, as they have flushed their L/4 foes by an average of 27.3 PPG. Anything less than another double digit win for USU would be surprising.
South Carolina State Bulldogs
(18-13)
Morgan State Bears
(26-9)
How They Got Here: Morgan State defeated North Carolina A&T 84-57 & Hampton 74-67. South Carolina State defeated Maryland Eastern Shore 59-53 & Delaware State 70-66.
Who to Watch: It’s hard to ignore just how hot of a shooter that G Jason Flagler has been on late. He’s put up 20+ points in three of his L/4 games for the Bulldogs, and he leads the team with a shade over 15 points per contest. Morgan State has one of the best scorers in the nation in G Reggie Holmes. Holmes hasn’t lived up to his potential in the MEAC Tournament, but he is still averaging 22.1 points per game in spite of his two dismal efforts which have only totaled 28 points.
Previous Meetings: January 16th – Morgan State 72 – South Carolina State 67, February 15th – South Carolina State 71 – Morgan State 68
What to Expect: Not only was SCSU the only team to beat the Bears on their home court this season, but it is also the only squad that has beaten them since January 6th. Morgan State is just too hot to lose this game. The Bears should get a significantly better effort from Holmes than what they’ve gotten of lately, and that should send them to the NCAA Tournament.
Ohio Bobcats
(20-14)
Akron Zips
(24-9)
How They Got Here: Ohio defeated Kent State 81-64 & Miami (OH) 54-42. Akron defeated Eastern Michigan 97-89 & Western Michigan 66-64.
Who to Watch: G Armon Bassett has been a man on a mission for the Bobcats in this tournament. He has logged games of 28 and 38 points already, raising his average to a team-high 16.7 points per game. On the flip side, the Zips are going to count of F Jimmy Conyers to put forth some better efforts. His 17 total points and five total boards are nowhere near his averages of 9.9 PPG and 6.8 RPG.
Previous Meetings: January 13th – Akron 67 – Ohio 62, February 14th – Akron 91 – Ohio 88
What to Expect: The Zips clearly should’ve taken this tournament over after the Golden Flashes were eliminated. However, all that’s happened is that the squad has continued to flirt with disaster. On Saturday, it will bite them in the butt, as Ohio is just playing fantastic ball right now and is coming off of its best defensive game of the season. If Bassett lights it up, no one may respond for Akron.
Tags: Akron Zips, America East Final, Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions, Big East Final, Big West Final, Big XII Final, Boston Terriers, college basketball betting, Conference USA Final, Georgetown Hoyas, Houston Cougars, Kansas Jayhawks, Kansas State Wildcats, Long Beach State 49ers, MAC Final, March Madness, MEAC Final, Morgan State Bears, Mountain West Final, NCAA basketball betting, NCAA Tournament, New Mexico State Aggies, Ohio Bobcats, Pac-10 Final, Sam Houston State Bearkats, San Diego State Aztecs, South Carolina State Bulldogs, Southland Final, Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks, SWAC Final, Texas Southern Tigers, UC Santa Barbara Gauchos, UNLV Rebels, Utah State Aggies, UTEP Miners, Vermont Catamounts, WAC Final, Washington Huskies, West Virginia Mountaineers
There are only two days left in the college basketball wagering season, and the SEC will take center stage on Saturday afternoon in the Music City, where the Tennessee Volunteers and the Kentucky Wildcats will meet for the third time this year. HC Bruce Pearl’s club has already been through two grueling games in the SEC Tournament, winning over LSU 59-49 and Ole Miss 76-65, while Kentucky survived a big scare from Alabama, but came away with a 73-67 win to advance to the semifinals. The #2 team in the country has to be questioning whether it’s even remotely worth it to try to win the SEC Tournament. The Wildcats already know that they’re either going to be the #1 seed in the East or South Regions, and they have very little to nothing to prove to the rest Selection Committee. Still, G John Wall is coming off of a game in which he played like a lunatic, scoring 23 points and bringing in seven boards. F DeMarcus Cousins is going to want a better showing than what he put forth on Friday afternoon, as he only scored seven points in 26 minutes of action, as he was limited due to foul trouble. Give the Volunteers all the credit in the world. They could’ve just folded up tent and called it a season when G Tyler Smith was kicked off the team, but they’re inventing new ways to win and have marched all the way to the semifinals in their conference tournament, albeit of the relatively weak SEC. F Wayne Chism came to play on Friday, scoring 16 points and bringing down a stellar 15 boards in the ‘W’ over Ole Miss. It was his second double-double of this tournament after record just one double-double in his L/10 leading up to that point. The only thing that Kentucky may want to prove in this game is that it can get some revenge for that defeat on Rocky Top suffered earlier this season. However, HC John Calipari is a smart man, and he knows what it takes to win the NCAA Tournament. No one is going to ask whether or not his team went 1-2 or 2-1 against Tennessee in the regular season if he wins the National Championship. Tennessee has a great history in this tournament, playing in the finals last season. Look for the Volunteers to make a second straight trip to the SEC title game by dismissing the Cats. Selection: Tennessee Volunteers Since beating Kentucky on February 27th, the Vols are 3-0 ATS in games against teams that are potentially going to be in the NCAA Tournament. Diamond Sportsbook is your home for all of the great NCAA basketball betting action from now through the end of March Madness!
Kentucky Wildcats
(30-2, 16-14 ATS)
Tennessee Volunteers
(25-7, 13-15-1 ATS)
The semifinals of the Big XII Tournament will get underway on Saturday afternoon at the Sprint Center in Kansas City when the Kansas Jayhawks battle with the Texas A&M Aggies for positioning in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Rock Chalk probably already has the #1 seed in the Midwest Region locked up, but it won’t want to take any chances by getting bounced prematurely from a tournament in which it was a -300 favorite for. The Aggies have probably moved all the way up to the #5 or #6 line in the dance after advancing to the semis of this tournament, but it has its sights set on the Big XII crown, which would surely boost their seeding. The Jayhawks continue to have one of the most well-balanced teams in the nation, and even though they were pushed to the brink on Thursday against Texas Tech, they turned it on late in the second half and got through with a solid win by a dozen points. Their average margin of victory since losing to Oklahoma State on February 27th has been 16.7 points per game. KU is scoring 82.2 points per game, which is the fifth best mark in the nation. That scoring efficiency makes life incredibly difficult on opposing offenses, which are only shooting 37.7% from the floor against it this year, the second best mark in the country. The Aggies had Nebraska nailed down early in the second half, but let the Huskers sneak back into it. In the end, a 70-64 final probably doesn’t do justice to the effort, as Texas A&M was never really in danger of losing the game for any stretch of action. It was A&M fourth straight win, but it stopped a string of ten straight victories against the college basketball betting line that ended the regular season. The Aggies have only allowed 60.3 points per game in their L/7 overall. One of those seven great defensive efforts came against these Jayhawks. A&M held down mighty Kansas to just 59 points in a narrow five point defeat in College Station. History may be on the Jayhawks’ side, as they are 14-1 SU and 10-5 ATS against the Aggies since 1997, but we’re going to back the underdogs in this one. Kansas’ motivation to play this game can’t be high, and this looked like a team that would rather rest for next week’s NCAA Tournament than win the Big XII. Take any points you can get. Selection: Texas A&M Aggies
Kansas Jayhawks
(30-2, 12-16-1 ATS)
Texas A&M Aggies
(23-8, 18-9 ATS)
Tags: Big XII Tournament, college basketball betting, Kansas Jayhawks, March Madness, NCAA basketball betting, Texas A&M Aggies
What They’re Playing For: The winning team from the Patriot League Championship may only live to see Tuesday’s play-in game, but the winner of this college basketball betting battle between the Lafayette Leopards and the Lehigh Mountain Hawks will get a chance to go dancing.
Lehigh Mountain Hawks
(21-10)
Lafayette Leopards
(19-12)
How They Got Here: Lafayette defeated Colgate 73-65 & Holy Cross 66-63. Lehigh defeated Army 64-45 & American 79-57.
Who to Watch: G Jim Mower has been on fire for the Leopards, scoring 17 against the Crusaders and 19 against Colgate in the Patriot League Tournament. He’s also got a 26 point game to his credit against Army in the second to last regular season game. G CJ McCollum is the man to keep an eye on for the Mountain Hawks. He’ll be impossible to miss, as he’s scored at least 20 points in seven of his L/8 games and is averaging 18.8 points per game.
Previous Meetings: January 23rd – Lehigh 75 – Lafayette 57, February 21st – Lafayette 90 – Lehigh 75
What to Expect: The Mountain Hawks played the significantly better basketball of these two teams for the majority of the season, and they’re probably the team to go with in this one. Lehigh is shooting 40.2% from three-point range on the season, and McCollum leads the way at 43.0%. Unless this team just totally loses its rhythm, the Patriot League regular season champs should make their way on to March Madness.
Tags: Lafayette Leopards, Lehigh Mountain Hawks, March Madness, NCAA Tournament, Patriot League Final
After two days of bubble-bursting action, two teams that know that they’re going to the NCAA Tournament square off in what could be one of the more competitive games of the day when the Syracuse Orange face the Georgetown Hoyas. Syracuse, the top seed in the Big East Tournament, enters this college basketball betting affair against the #8 seed, Georgetown, who dismissed South Florida 69-49 on Wednesday afternoon. Earlier this year, the ‘Cuse took out G’Town twice, winning 75-71 in Washington DC and 73-56 at the Carrier Dome. The good news for Georgetown is that the team is shooting 49.6% from the floor on the season, the fourth best percentage in the nation. The bad news is the team is getting the least production from its bench in the entire country. This is a team that only goes three deep on the bench at best, but F Hollis Thompson, F Jerrelle Benimon, and C Henry Sims are only combining to put up 7.2 points per game. C Greg Monroe battled foul trouble during the entire game against South Florida, but he still scored 16 points and brought in eight boards, proving once again that he is one of the most feared big men in the nation. The Orange have been waiting at home patiently while 12 other teams in the Big East beat each other up. This is one of the most deadly offenses in the nation, but there’s a big question regarding this team’s motivation. Last season, the Orange played an epic six overtime game in the Big East Tournament, only to ultimately get bounced in the Big East finale before posting a short run in the NCAA Tournament. HC Jim Boeheim had to learn from that experience. However, this year’s team is significantly deeper than the one of ‘08-’09, as the Cuse have seven players on their squad that are averaging at least 8.3 points per game. The Hoyas have to feel like they have something to prove in this one. They were swept by the Orange this year and have fallen from the #2 line down to a potential #4 seed. In order to move up from there, that’s going to require an upset of the #3 team in the nation. For Syracuse, the #1 seed in the South Region seems like it is a foregone conclusion regardless of what happens in this tournament. With all of that in mind, it’s hard to not like catching five points to boot. Selection: Georgetown Hoyas The Hoyas are 4-1 ATS in their L/5 neutral site games. Diamond Sportsbook currently has an NCAA basketball betting line of Georgetown +5. Be sure to find all of your March Madness betting lines there for the rest of the regular season and the NCAA Tournament!
Georgetown Hoyas
(21-9, 14-12 ATS)
Syracuse Orange
(28-3, 19-8 ATS)
Tags: Big East Tournament, college basketball betting, Georgetown Hoyas, March Madness, NCAA basketball betting, NCAA Tournament, Syracuse Orange
Big East betting action ensues on the second day of the conference tournament on Wednesday, and the action won’t get much hotter than it will be when the Seton Hall Pirates and Notre Dame Fighting Irish get it on in the most important game of the day. The Pirates probably need just one more win to make it to the NCAA Tournament, but it’s going to have to come against a Notre Dame team that may or may not need another victory just to feel safe about its chances of hearing its name called on Selection Sunday. HC Bobby Gonzalez had to warn his team that last night’s emotional 109-106 win over Providence wasn’t the end of the road if it planned on going dancing. As expected for a game with two of the top offenses in the Big East, defense was certainly optional. If there’s one godsend here for the Pirates, it’s that G Jeremy Hazell didn’t wear himself out thanks to the fact that he was in foul trouble the entire night. He ultimately only played 24 minutes before fouling out, but he still scored 18 points. The biggest question for the last few weeks in South Bend is whether or not F Luke Harangody is ever going to be able to suit it up again full-time for the Irish. He came off the bench in Notre Dame’s most recent win at Marquette, but there’s a big question whether or not HC Mike Brey is going to risk using his injured All-American in a game that may have little to no consequence. Depth is going to be key for this team against the fast-paced Pirates, though. Notre Dame only really utilizes seven players, one of which is Harangody. If he can’t play, there may only be six in the normal rotation, and if foul trouble becomes an issue, the Fighting Irish could get run off of the court. These teams only met once this year, and that was just under a month ago. The Pirates knocked off Notre Dame 90-87 at home in a game that Harangody played 29 minutes in. The pace of this one is just going to be too much for the Irish to keep up with. Seton Hall is going to crack the will of this Irish team early, and unless someone like F Tim Abromaitis (17.2 PPG) or G Ben Hansbrough (12.0 PPG) starts raining three-pointers like it’s no one’s business, we expect Seton Hall to march into the NCAA Tournament with a second straight victory in the Big East Tournament. Selection: Seton Hall Pirates The underdog is 7-1 ATS in the L/8 college basketball betting clashes between these schools. Bookmaker Sportsbook is your home for all of the great NCAA basketball betting action from now through the end of March Madness!
Seton Hall Pirates
(19-11, 8-16 ATS)
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
(21-10, 14-10-1 ATS)
