Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
03-24-19 | Washington v. North Carolina -11.5 | 59-81 | Win | 100 | 9 h 47 m | Show | |
My 9* Situational Stunner is on North Carolina at 2:40 ET. Washington easily won the Pac-12's regular season title with a 15-3 record (three clear of ASU) but lost in the conference tourney title game to red-hot Oregon. The Huskies received a 9-seed in the Midwest Region but bounced back in impressive fashion on Friday with a 78-61 win over 8-seed Utah State. Washington's Jekyll-and-Hyde season continues Sunday in Columbus, Ohio, where the Huskies face top-seeded North Carolina in a Midwest Region second-round matchup of the NCAA Tournament.The Tar Heels had some early struggles against 16th-seeded Iona but shot 63 percent in the second half to secure the 88-73 win. Washington scored a season-low 44 points in a loss to Oregon in the Pac-12 Tournament title game but bounced back by shooting 49 percent from the floor, including 10-of-17 from three-point range against Utah State. Pac-12 Player of the Year Jaylen Nowell (16.3-5.3-3.2) had 19 points, five rebounds and five assists in the win over Utah State, while Nahziah Carter (8.0) stepped up after David Crisp (12.3 PPG) fouled out with eight minutes left and finished with 13 points off the bench. Thybulle (9.3 & 3.5 SPG), the two-time Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, added 10 points, five steals, three blocks and three rebounds for the Huskies, who held MWC Player of the Year Sam Merrill to 10 points on 2-of-9 shooting. Washington also received a welcome spark from 6-8 senior forward Noah Dickerson (12.4 & 7.5), who broke out of a mini-slump by recording 20 points and 12 rebounds. Senior guard Cameron Johnson (17.1 & 5.9) scored a team-high 21 points for the Tar Heels against Iona.He and fellow senior, the 6-8 Maye (14.8 & 10.4), plus freshman guard White (16.1-3.5-4.2) have been team leaders all season, However, 6-6 freshman reserve forward Nassir Little (9.7 & 4.6) added 19 points for the Tar Heels in his first NCAA Tournament game. Washington’s Jekyll-and-Hyde season continues Sunday in Columbus, Oh and I wonder if the Huskies are in the WRONG place at the WRONG time. Washington's second-year head coach Mike Hopkins (former Jim Boeheim assistant at Syracuse) has effectively implemented his mentor’s 2-3 matchup zone defense, as the Huskies allow 64.3 PPG (28th). However, North Carolina averages 86.1 PPG (3rd-best) and is coming off a sluggish effort. Washington only averages 70.1 PPG (252nd) and I believe will NOT be able to keep up with a North Carolina team headed for yet another Sweet 16. Beating MWC champ Utah St is one thing. Beating (or even staying close) to a blue-blood program like North Carolina is another. Lay it Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-23-19 | Auburn v. Kansas +2.5 | Top | 89-75 | Loss | -110 | 16 h 33 m | Show |
My signature 10* LEGEND Play is on Kansas at 9:40 ET. Auburn and Kansas both played in their respective conference tournament championship games last weekend (Auburn won / Kansas lost) and both advanced to this second round contest. However, 5th-seeded Auburn barely survived 78-77 over 12th-seeded New Mexico St, while 4th-seeded Kansas rode a 32-6 second-half run to coast to an 87-53 win over 13th-seeded Northeastern. Auburn made 15 three-pointers and recorded 14 steals en route to securing its first SEC Tournament title since 1985 with Sunday's 84-64 rout of Tennessee, its fourth game in four days. However, the collective wear-and-tear of a FIFTH game in eight days nearly caught up with the Tigers on Thursday when they escaped with a 78-77 victory over New Mexico State after nearly blowing a seven-point lead in the final minute! Senior guard Bryce Brown leads the balanced Tigers, averaging 15.7 PPG. Junior PG Harper adds 15.3 and 5.7 APG. The team's lone big man of note is the he 6-8 Okeke averages 11.8 & 6.8. he Auburn bench averaged 26.3 points during the SEC Tournament and added 28 points vs New Mexico St. Kansas scored 50 points in the paint for the second straight game in its win over Northeastern and the Jayhawks set several season bests in Thursday's rout, field-goal percentage for a half (70.4), field-goal percentage for a game (55.7) and field-goal percentage defense (28.7). That's not a bad 'trifecta.'The 6-9 Dedric Lawson (19.1 & 10.3) had 25 points and 11 rebounds in only 27 minutes to post his 21st double-double on the season. Freshman guard Devon Dotson (12.3-3.7-3.5) scored 18 points and did not commit a turnover Thursday. Since Vick (14.1 & 4.0) was lost after 23 games, Agbaji (8.9 & 4.8) and Garrett (7.3 & 4.2) have stepped up on the perimeter to complement Dotson. Auburn comes in on a nine-game winning streak but almost didn't survive against New Mexico St. Auburn features a guard-oriented attack and puts up 79.5 PPG but I took New Mexico St against them nothing that playing at altitude (Salt Lake City) could have an effect for a team playing its FIFTH game in eight days. It's now a SIXTH game in 10 days and note that EIGHT of Kansas' nine losses this season have come in true road games (Jayhawks went 3-8 on the season). That makes this Bell Self-coached team 23-1 SU in home and neutral games (16-0 at home / 7-1 in neutral) on the season. Auburn's last Sweet 16 appearance came back in 2002-03, so look for the nation's preseason No. 1 team to make it 24-1 and be the ones advancing to this season's Sweet 16. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-23-19 | Villanova +3.5 v. Purdue | 61-87 | Loss | -107 | 12 h 8 m | Show | |
My 9* play is on Villanova at 9:00 ET. 26-9 Villanova is the South Region's No. 6 seed and will play the No. 4 seed Purdue (24-9) tonight in Hartford, Ct for a spot in the Sweet 16. 'Nova outlasted Saint Mary's 61-57 on Thursday by holding the Gaels to 41.8 percent shooting and limiting them to just six free-throw attempts. "The tempo was excruciating," Wildcats head coach Jay Wright told reporters. "We felt going in we were going to have to grind with them."Meanwhile, Purdue (the Big Ten's regular-season co-champ), held Old Dominion to just 26.9 percent shooting in a suffocating 61-48 triumph on Thursday. The team's leading scorer, Carsen Edwards (23.1), scored 26 points to lead the way. It was no surprise that the Wildcats were led on Thursday by seniors Phil Booth (20 points) and Eric Pachall (14), Both were members of the All-Big East first team, as guard Booth averages 18.7-3.9-3.9 and the 6-8 Paschall 16.5 & 6.2. Sophomore guard Gillespie (10.9) is the team's only other double digit scorer but a trio of frontcourt players (Bey, Samuels and Cosby-Roundtree) combine to chip in about 20 points and 6 rebounds per game. Edwards had 26 points but made just 7 of 23 of shots against ODU. He has really struggled with his shooting over the last four games, connecting on just 27 percent of his shots over that stretch, including 11-of-45 (24.4%) from three-point land. Edwards' backcourt partner Ryan Cline (11.7 & 3.4 APG) was just 1-of-11 fromthree3-point range against Old Dominion and has scored eight points or fewer in FOUR of the last six games. Purdue's lone big man of note is the 7-3 Haarms but he averages a modest 9.2 & 5.3. Villanova has won TWO of the last three NCAA titles and enters this contest 14-1 in its last 15 NCAA Tournament games. In veterans like Booth and Paschall plus head coach Jay Wright, 'Nova has an edge. Booth has not been held below 13 points since Dec 8, while his counterpart, Edwards, is slumping (see above). Jermaine Samuels has scored at least 10 points in FIVE of his last seven contests and along with Bey and Cosby-Roundtree (again, see above), joins the veteran Paschal to give Purdue's so-so frontcourt all sorts of trouble. Even better, we get a few points with the Wildcats,. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-23-19 | Murray State v. Florida State -4.5 | 62-90 | Win | 100 | 10 h 38 m | Show | |
My 8* play is on Florida St at 6:10 ET. Murray State (28-4) pulled off the 12 vs 5 upset Thursday in beating Marquette 83-64. Potential NBA Draft lottery pick Ja Morant (24.4-5.7-10.2) did not disappoint by posting the first triple-double in the NCAA Tournament since Draymond Green recorded one in 2012, scoring 17 points with 11 rebounds and 16 assists. Meanwhile, the fourth-seeded Seminoles (28-7) got a first-round scare from Vermont in the West Region when they found themselves tied with the Catamounts at the half, before pulling away from Vermont in a 76-69 win. Morant scored or assisted on 53 points against the Golden Eagles but the Racers were far from a one-man show. Freshman guard Tevin Brown (12.0 & 4.8) had a team-high 19 points while fellow guard Shaq Buchanan (13.1 & 4.3) added 14. The 6-9 KJ Williams (7.8 & 4.7) had 16 points and is joined up front by the 6-8 Cowart (10.3 & 6.6). Murray St averages 83.3 PPG (11th) on 49.7% shooting (6th). The 6-11 Mfiondu Kabengele(13.1 & 5.9) is FSU's leading scorer and comes off the bench (he's the ACC's Sixth Man of the Year). He scored a game-high 21 points on 6-of-13 shooting while also going 9-of-12 from the free-throw line and adding 10 rebounds against the Catamounts. Senior guard Terance Mann (11.4 & 6.4) helped fuel FSU's second-half surge by scoring 17 of his 19 points in the second half. PG Forrest (9.0 & 3.7 APG) plus Walker (7.8) give FSU a solid guard trio. Up front, the 6-8 Cofer (7.4 & 3.5) plus the 7-4 Koumadji (6.6 & 5.5 in just 15 MPG), make for a very balanced FSU offense. As always, FSU plays solid D, allowing 67.2 PPG (61st in the nation). Murray State has won 12 straight and along with Morant, have received plenty of pre-tournament coverage. However, FSU will be a tough matchup. The Seminoles came out a bit flat vs Vermont but that shouldn't have been too much of a surprise considering they were coming off an intense run to the ACC Tournament championship game. Leonard Hamilton just may have his best-ever team this season, as Florida State’s 28 wins are the most in program history. One more and it's off to the Sweet 16. Bye-bye Ja. See you on draft night. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-23-19 | Florida v. Michigan -6 | Top | 49-64 | Win | 100 | 9 h 54 m | Show |
My 10* play is on Michigan at 5:15 ET. Second-seeded Michigan (29-6) routed No. 15 seed Montana 74-55 on Thursday and now moves on to take on 10th-seed Florida in the West Regional (game is in Des Moines, Ia). Florida nearly squandered an 18-point second-half lead but held on to knock off seventh-seeded Nevada 70-61 on Thursday. The Wolverines's victory over Montana was their 17th NCAA Tournament win since 2013, which is the most of any team during that span. Michigan is looking advance to the Sweet 16 for the fifth time in its last six appearances. As for Florida, the Gators needed a pair of wins in the SEC Tournament to punch their ticket to the Big Dance but have won three of their last four games after dropping the previous three and hope to build off their upset of the Wolf Pack by advancing to the Sweet 16 for the second time in the last three years. Florida center Kevarrius Hayes (8.3 & 6.2) scored a team-high 16 points to go along with three blocks before fouling out with 2:20 to go, as the Gators scored the final seven points to stave off a late rally by Nevada. Guard Jalen Hudson (9.2) added 13 of his 15 points in the first half while SF Keyontae Johnson (8.1 & 6.3) chipped in 10 points and 10 rebounds against the Wolf Pack. KeVaughn Allen (team's leading scorer at 11.9 PPG) scored all 10 of his points in the second half while freshman PG Andrew Nembhard (8.1 & 5.3 APG) had eight points, seven rebounds and five assists. It's no surprise that Florida won with defense (63.6 PPG ranks 21st), as it held Nevada to 34.5 percent from the floor, including 5 of 24 from three-point range. Michigan guard Charles Matthews 12.3 & 5.0) was bothered by an injured right ankle in the Big Ten tourney but looked fine vs Montana, leading the way with 22 points and 10 rebounds to register the seventh double-double of his career in the win. 6-7 Ignas Brazdeikis (15.0 & 5.3) was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and added 14 points and seven rebounds, while PG Zavier Simpson (9.1-5.0-6.7) had just four points but produced 10 assists and seven rebounds against the Grizzlies to become the first player in program history to have eight games with at least 10 assists in a single season. Guard Poole (12.7) and 7-1 center Teske (9.7 & 7.0) round out Michigan's core, one which is more than capable of furthering John Beilein's recent NCAA successes. I noted Florida's strong defensive numbers earlier but Michigan has held 20 opponents to 60 or fewer points this season and enters this contest allowing 58.5 PPG, the second-fewest points in the nation. Michigan is holding opponents to 39.7% shooting (17th), including 28.7% on threes (5th-best). Michigan's D is even better than Florida's plus the Wolverines have more scoring options on the offensive end of the court. Lay the points. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-23-19 | Maryland v. LSU -140 | 67-69 | Win | 100 | 6 h 49 m | Show | |
My 9* Situational Stunner is on LSU at 12:10 ET. LSU head coach Will Wade was suspended indefinitely after a Yahoo! Sports report on March 7 detailed his comments from June of 2017 on FBI tape about making an "offer" and a "deal" for current guard Javonte Smart, one of the top recruits in the nation at the time. The Tigers clinched the SEC regular-season title with an 80-59 victory over Vanderbilt (their first title since 2009 under interim coach Tony Benford) but while Smart played, the Tigers were upset by eighth-seeded Florida in their first game in the SEC tournament. With suspended coach Will Wade dominating the headlines this past week, No. 3 seed LSU managed to place all the distractions behind it and advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a 79-74 win over 14th-seed Yale. Early Saturday afternoon, it's a game with sixth-seeded Maryland, which was able to hold off 11-seed Belmont, 79-77. Maryland trailed by six points at halftime but used a 14-0 run to start the second half. After Belmont took a seven-point lead midway through the second half, the Terps went on a 14-4 run to take a 74-71 lead with 2:47 left and held on. Maryland survived due to the inside play of inside play of 6-10 freshman Jalen Smith (11.6 & 6.8) and 6-10 sophomore Bruno Fernando(13.7 & 10.5). Smith had 19 points & 12 rebounds (eight offensive) and Fernando had 14 points, 13 rebounds, two blocks..Sophomore guard Darryl Morsell (8.4) scored 18 points. Maryland's top scorer, PG Cowan (15.8 & 4.4 APG) had a modest effort (nine points / six assists). The Tigers opened a 16-pont halftime lead over Yale but needed to withstood a late three-point barrage by the Bulldogs to hold on for a 79-74 victory. Guard Skylar Mays (13.5) finished with a team-high 19 points to provide the Tigers their first NCAA Tournament game win since 2009. 6-10, 240-pound freshman Naz Reid (13.8 & 7.3) had 14 points and 10 rebounds, while the 6-11 Kavell Bigby-Williams (7.9 & 6.7) added 10 points and 10 rebounds. Leading scorer Waters (15.1 & 6.0 APG) had 15 points. Maryland's five-game postseason losing streak (NCAA and Big Ten) wasn't secured until Eric Ayala tipped away a pass on a backdoor cut intended for Belmont's leading scorer Dylan Windler (35 points) with three seconds to play. I doubt Maryland will be that fortunate again here vs LSU. The Tigers have excellent balance inside and out and the Yale final is somewhat misleading. LSU opponents usually have their hands full with Reid but when Bigby-Williams is complementing Reid on the inside, it's "big trouble." The Tigers improved to 10-0 in games in which Bigby-Williams has had a double-double in the win over Yale. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-22-19 | Ohio State +5.5 v. Iowa State | 62-59 | Win | 100 | 15 h 49 m | Show | |
My 8* play is on Ohio St by 9:50 ET. Iowa State entered the Big 12 tourney on a three-game losing streak but came away from Kansas City with the Big 12 Tournament championship trophy for the FOURTH time in six years. The 23-11 Cyclones earned a No. 6 seed in the Midwest Region after a 78-66 victory over Kansas in the Big 12 Tournament championship game. Awaiting them are the 11th-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes. Ohio St was considered a bubble team entering the Big Ten tourney but a win over Indiana seemingly was good enough to earn an at-large bid., despite the team's modest 19-14 overall record. Iowa State had the better season but both teams experienced an up-and-down stretches Ohio State opened 12-1 but then lost five straight, ending the season with an 8-12 record in Big Ten play. The Buckeyes enter the tournament with four losses in their last five games, but three of those losses were without big man Kaleb Wesson, who returned from a three-game suspension for the Big Ten Tournament. Wesson (14.4 & 6.8) returned from his suspension against Indiana and made a huge impact with 17 points and 13 rebounds before managing only seven points and three rebounds in a loss to Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals. Ohio State need production from its guards, point guard C.J. Jackson (12.2-4.0-3.5), heralded freshman Luther Muhammed (8.0) and battle-tested Keyshawn Woods (7.7), a Wake Forest graduate transfer. Let's not forget Wesson's 6-6 brother Andre, who averages 8.8 & 4.0 and typically draws the toughest defensive matchup. Steve Prohm's Iowa St team is loaded on the perimeter with the 6-9 Jacobson (11.5 & 6.0) being ISU's lone frontcourt player of note. Shayok (18.6 & 4.9) is the team's leading scorer, followed by fellow guards Wigginton (13.5 & 4.1), Horton-Tucker (12.1 & 5.0), PG Weiler-Babb (9.2-5.0-4.0 and Haliburton (). When "on its game," Iowa State is one dangerous team. Iowa State is playing in the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time in the past eight years and the 20th time in school history However, which Cyclones team will show up. The one that lost the final three games of the regular season and six of its final eight, or the squad that swept through the Big 12 tournament last week? Sure, Ohio State has had it's fair share of Jekyll-and-Hyde moments but Kaleb Wesson should dominate the much smaller Cyclones plus Ohio St can dominate the glass on both ends. Head coach Chris Holtmann (ex-Butler) loves the role of tournament underdog. Take the points. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-22-19 | UCF v. VCU +1 | Top | 73-58 | Loss | -108 | 15 h 4 m | Show |
My 10* 1st Round Game of the Year is on VCU at 9:40 ET. 23-8 UCF earned an at-large bid for the first time in program history and the 9th-seed in the East Regio. The Knights will face No. 8-seed VCU in a first-round matchup on Friday in Columbia, SC. UCF set a program record with 23 regular-season wins, while posting statement victories over then-No. 6 Houston on the road and then-No. 19 Cincinnati in the span of five days. However, UCF (3rd in the AAC) fell in the quarterfinals of the AAC Tournament 79-55 to Memphis. VCU was predicted to finish seventh in the conference in a preseason poll but claimed the Atlantic 10 regular-season title with a 16-2 league record. However, the top-seeded Rams suffered a 75-70 setback to Rhode Island in the quarterfinals of the A-10 Tournament and take a 25-7 record into the Big Dance. The Knights have an excellent guard trio in Taylor (16.0), Dawkins (15.2 & 5.0) and PG Allen (6.8-3.2-4.3). Up front, it's the 7-6 Fall (10.9 & 7.3) and the 6-11 Smith (8.3 & 5.2). Defense is the team's strength, holding opponents to 64.3 PPG (28th) on 39.5% shooting (13th). VCU's best player Marcus Evans (13.8-3.0-3.2) was forced to leave last Friday’s quarterfinal loss in the first half with a knee injury but is expected to play in the NCAA Tournament. Backcourt mate Jenkins (11.4 & 3.9) joins him in double digit scoring, as do a pair of forwards, the 6-6 Vann (10.9 & 3.5) and the 6-7 Santos-Silva (10.1 & 7.4). Speaking of defense, the Rams allow 61.6 PPG (10th) on 38.4% shooting (6th), including 27.6 on threes (3rd). This marks the first at-large bid in program history for UCF and only its fifth NCAA appearance all-time. UCF has never been seeded higher than 14th before. VCU was just 18-15 in 2017-18, missing the postseason for the first time in 12 years iIt also ended a stretch of SEVEN straight NCAA appearances). This year's turnaround was envisioned by head coach Mike Rhoades, who told his team they could make the tournament after last year's disappointment. Expect the loss to Rhode Island in the A-10 tourney to be a HUGE motivating factor for the Rams. Does VCU have anyone to handle the 7-6 Fall? Not really but Fall only plays about 25 minutes per game, doesn’t run the floor well and his offensive game is VERY limited! VCU wins this battle of defensive teams. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-22-19 | Georgia State v. Houston -12 | 55-84 | Win | 100 | 12 h 24 m | Show | |
My 9* play is on Houston at 7:20 ET. The 31-3 Houston Cougars were American Athletic Conference regular-season champions, posting the fourth 31-win season in the program's history and first since 1983-84. The Cougars were 16-2 in AAC play and earned their first outright regular-season title since 1984, when they were members of the Southwest Conference. However, the Cougars lost to Cincinnati 69-57 in the AAC championship game on Sunday, after beating the Bearcats twice in the regular season. They now must refocus as the No. 3 seed in the Midwest Region with a first round matchup against 14th-seeded Georgia State (24-9), which both the Sun Belt Conference regular-season and tournament championships. Georgia State makes its third appearance in the Big Dance over a five-year stretch and will meet Houston for the first time ever. FIVE players scored in double figures last Sunday as the Panthers beat Texas-Arlington 73-64 in the Sun Belt final (team's fifth straight victory and eighth in nine games). Junior guard D’Marcus Simonds leads the Panthers in scoring at 18.4 PPG (adds 5.0 RPG and 3.7 APG) but 6-6 senior forward Malik Benlevi (12.0 & 5.8) was named the Sun Belt Tournament’s most outstanding player. He's recorded three straight double-doubles, averaging 16.3 points and 10.3 rebounds in the process. Mitchell (12.2) and Williams (11.4 & 3.6 APG) join Simonds in the backcourt, while 6-5 SF Thomas (11.7 & 4.5) gives Ga St five double digit scorers. Senior guard Corey Davis Jr. (team-high 16.7 PPG) was bothered by a hip strain Sunday while going 3-of-13 from the floor. Houston expects (hopes?) he'll be fine for this one. Houston regularly plays five guards, as Brooks adds 13.6 PPG (and a team-high 6.5 RPG) plus there's PG Robinson (8.0 & 4.9 APG), Jarreau (8.9 & 3.9) and Hinton (7.6 & 4.4) Houston's strength is a defense allowing 61.2 PPG (8th) on 36.7% shooting (1st), including 27.6% on threes (2nd). Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson has taken four teams to a total of 16 Big Dances in his 26 years of coaching. He was the AAC's coach of the year and said his team needed a rest and welcomed not having to start the tournament with a game on Thursday. Playing Friday plus a short trip from Houston to Tulsa, gives the Cougars an extra day to heal after a 34-game season and a brutal stretch in the AAC tournament. The Panthers, bussing home from New Orleans to Atlanta on Sunday, pulled into a truck stop to watch the NCAA Tournament selection show, where they found out who and where they would be playing. I say Houston was NOT a team Ga St wanted to draw. The Cougars will likely be well-supported in Tulsa and should be primed to extend there season. Expect just that, with "room to spare!" Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-22-19 | Washington v. Utah State -3 | 78-61 | Loss | -102 | 12 h 56 m | Show | |
My 8* play is on Utah St at 6:50 ET 26-8 Washington easily won the Pac-12's regular season title with a 15-3 record (three clear of ASU) but lost in the conference tourney title game to red-hot Oregon. The Huskies received a 9-seed in the Midwest Region and will face 8-seed Utah State. The Aggies have won 10 straight and 17 of their last 18 contests, including a 64-57 title-game win over San Diego St in the MWC finals. Both schools are making their first NCAA appearance since 2011.. The Huskies are led by Pac-12 player of the year Jaylen Nowell (16.2-5.3-3.1) and the league’s defensive player of the year, Matisse Thybulle (9.3 PPG and 116 steals). Guard Crisp (12.5) and the 6-8 Dickerson (12.2 & 7.4) join Nowell in double digits for a team that ranked just 11th in the Pac-12 in scoring at 69.8 PPG (255th nationally). However, Washington's D allows only 64.4 PPG, which ranks 29th in the nation. Utah State was picked ninth in the Mountain West Conference preseason poll but tied Nevada for the regular season title and then won the MWC tourney. MWC player of the year Sam Merrill (21.2-4.0-4.2) scored 24 points in the 64-57 title-game win over the Aztecs, while 6-11 freshman center Neemias Queta (11.1 & 8.9) had 17 points and eight rebounds. Few know much about Queta, a rim protector with a 7-5 wingspan who blocked NINE shots during the MWC tournament. Guards Brito (8.2) and Miller (8.0) complement Merrill in the backcourt, while the 6-8 Taylor (8.0 & 6.3) helps Queta up front. Washington's second-year head coach Mike Hopkins (former Jim Boeheim assistant at Syracuse) has effectively implemented his mentor’s 2-3 matchup zone defense but Utah State has an well-oiled offense that averages 79.2 PPG (10 points more that UW) and ranks 10th in Division I with 17.2 assists per game. FIVE of the Aggies' top-six scorers hit 35% or better from beyond the arc, so watch out! Utah State has to be excited to play a team from the Pac-12 and Washington, which comes in on a 1-6 ATS run, should play the perfect foil. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-22-19 | Oregon v. Wisconsin -1.5 | 72-54 | Loss | -112 | 10 h 52 m | Show | |
My 9* Weekly Wipeout Winner is on Wisconsin at 4:30 ET. Oregon was a top-20 team to begin the season and the preseason choice to win the Pac-12. However, the Ducks lost 7-2 freshman Bol Bol (21.0 & 9.6) - a likely NBA lottery pick - to a foot injury just after nine games should didn't have the look of an NCAA Tournament team, with a 15-12 record after dropping three straight on a win-less road trip from Feb 16 to Feb 23. All of a sudden, a 79-51 home win against Arizona State sparked a dominant close to the regular season in which Oregon won all four of its games by an average of 18.3 points. The Ducks kept it going in Las Vegas, claiming an automatic berth by winning the Pac-12 title game with their third double-digit victory in four days following Saturday's 68-48 rout of top-seeded Washington. The 12th-seeded Ducks (23-12) will face No. 5 seed Wisconsin (23-10) in the first round of the South Region in San Jose, Ca. on Friday afternoon. The Badgers finished fourth in the Big Ten (14-6) with a strong finish to the regular season. Wisconsin won FIVE of its last six (lone loss was a double-overtime road loss to Indiana). The Badgers then edged Nebraska in the Big Ten quarterfinals Friday, before bowing out to Michigan State in the semifinals. Oregon PG Payton Pritchard (12.7-3.7-4.5) was the Pac-12's tournament MVP, averaging 19.3 points and 6.7 assists over the last three games in Las Vegas. Three more guards combine to average almost 20 PPG but a trio of 6-9 frontcourt players have been making 'waves.' Freshman King (12.7 & 5.5), joined by fellow forwards White (10.6 & 3.9) and Wooten (6.2 & 4.6) The 6-11 Happ leads Wisconsin in scoring (17.5), rebounding (10.1) and assists (4.6). He is the first player in program history to be named to the All-Big Ten first team three times in his career and he's attempting to join LSU's Ben Simmons as the only Division I players over the last 20 years to averaging at least 16 points, 10 rebounds and four assists.The 6-11 Reuvers (7.8 & 3.8) plays alongside Happ up front The Badgers own a deep backcourt, led by Trice (11.7) & Davison (10.7) plus a trio of other backcourt players who combine for about 16 points per game. Dana Altman's Oregon teams have been traditionally know for their scoring but this year's edition has won with its defense. The Ducks have forced over 15 turnovers per during their eight-game winning streak and only Arizona State (75 points in overtime) has scored more than 61 points over that span. Then again, don't preach defense to Wisconsin, as the Badgers allow just 61.4 PPG (9th) on 39.3% shooting (11th). Oregon's run ends here, as teams don't out-defense the Badgers! Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-22-19 | Iowa +4.5 v. Cincinnati | 79-72 | Win | 100 | 5 h 29 m | Show | |
My 9* Situational Stunner is on Iowa at 12:15 ET. The Cincinnati Bearcats won the American Athletic Conference tournament championship by beating then-No. 11 Houston 69-57 on Sunday. 28-6 Cincinnati expected a much higher seed than the one it got (No. 7 in the South Region) but looking on the bright side, the Bearcats will only have to travel 107 miles north (Columbus, Ohio) when they take on 22-11 Iowa (10-seed). The Hawkeyes are back 'dancing' after missing out the last two seasons. Iowa was sitting pretty at 20-5 overall on Feb.16 (9-5 in the Big Ten). The Hawkeyes were ranked for 14 weeks in a 16-week span but they crumbled down the stretch in losing SIX of their last eight games, including a 74-53 setback Friday against Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals. 6-9 forward Tyler Cook leads the way for the Hawkeyes in scoring (14.9) - on 52.8 percent shooting from the floor - and rebounding (7.9) for the second straight season. The 6-11 Garza (12.9 & 4.4) and 6-7 Baer (6.7 & 4.6) lend solid support. A four-guard rotation is led by Bohannon (11.3 & 3.4 APG) and Wieskamp (10.8 & 4.8). The Bearcats beat Houston behind 33 points from AAC player of the year Jarron Cumberland (18.8-4.5-3.1). Cincy's depth is good, with five more players averaging between 8.0 and 10.1 PPG. A trio of guards chip in about 25 PPG plus the 6-8 Scott (9.3 & 6.9) and the 6-11 Brooks (8.0 & 6.4) handle the frontcourt. However, Cincy's bread-and-butter is a defense that allows 62.2 PPG (12th) on 40.6% shooting (30th). The Columbus venue is nice but it's NOT Cincy's home floor. Was Cincy's rousing win over Houston last Sunday to capture the AAC’s automatic bid a confidence-builder or does a "let down" lay in wait for the Bearcats? I will note that Cincy limped into the AAC tourney on an 0-8 ATS run, before going 3-0 (2-1 ATS) to win the title. Remember, this Iowa team was ranked for 14 weeks in a 16-week span. I want ANY points I can get. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-21-19 | Baylor v. Syracuse -2 | 78-69 | Loss | -108 | 35 h 38 m | Show | |
My 9* play is on Syracuse at 9:57 ET. Syracuse dropped five of its last seven contests but at 20-13 earned an 8-seed in the West Region. The Orange will met the 9th-seeded Baylor Bears who enter the tourney on a four-game slide. The Bears were picked to finish ninth in the Big 12 preseason coaches' poll and lost 6-9 sophomore forward Tristan Clark (14,6 & 6.3) to a season-ending knee injury Jan 8. They have since navigated injuries to senior guards Makai Mason (foot) and King McClure (knee), who each missed several games. Mson averages 14,6 PPG and McClure 8,7 & 5.2. Mason McClure are the only two players on the team with NCAA Tournament experience. If the Bears are going to get past Syracuse, Mason and McClure will need to be at their best. Junior guard Tyus Battle leads Syracuse with 17.2 PPG but he missed the past two games because of a bruised hip. However, he practiced Sunday and is expected to be close to 100 percent Thursday. PG Howard (8.9 & 2.9 APG) showed some of his offensive ability in the ACC Tournament, averaging 23 points in two games. Part of that was because Battle was sidelined, but if Howard can be more of a scoring threat, Syracuse will greatly benefit. Up front, the 6-6 Hughes (13.4 & 4.4) and the 6-8 Brissett (12.4 & 7.5) should give Baylor fits. The winner of this contest advances to face No. 1 Gonzaga (barring a Fairleigh Dickinson shocker), so this will likely be a "One & DONE" game. We've seen Boejheim 'work his magic' in the NCAAS before and why shouldn't his match-up zone D give a less than 100 percent healthy Baylor team fits. Syracuse limped into the Big Dance as a No. 10 seed three years ago, after losing five of six. The Orange then ripped off four consecutive victories in a thrilling ride to the Final Four, where they were stopped by North Carolina. Last year, the Orange snuck into the NCAAs after losing four of their last six games but then won a First Four game and two more before narrowly losing 69-65 to Duke in the Sweet 16. Same old, same old for Boeheim. Maybe, Gonzaga had better watch out on Saturday. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-21-19 | Seton Hall v. Wofford -2.5 | 68-84 | Win | 100 | 34 h 15 m | Show | |
My 8* play is on Wofford at 9:40 ET. 20-13 Seton Hall of the Big East is a 10-seed in the Midwest Region and will face 29-4 Wofford of the Southern Conference Thursday night in Jacksonville. Yes, Wofford is riding a 24-game win streak but the Terriers' 7-sed raised more than a few eyebrows. After going 9-9 in conference play, the Pirates played their way off the bubble with a run to the Big East Tournament championship game, where they lost 74-72 to Villanova. Seton Hall is playing in its FOURTH consecutive NCAA Tournament and as a No. 8 seed knocked off North Carolina State 94-83 in the first round. Wofford wanted no part of counting on the Selection Committee and ensured its spot in the field with a fifth Southern Conference Tournament championship in the last 10 seasons (first since 2015). It’s the fifth NCAA Tournament appearance for the Terriers, who still are looking for their first victory. Myles Powell (22.9) is Seton Hall's go-to guy and he averaged 26 points and 4.7 assists in the Hall's run to the Big East title game. Fellow guard Cale (10.3) is far behind Powell, even though he's the team's second-leading scorer. PG Quincy McKnight (9.5 & 4.0 APG) is a defensive stopper who is likely to draw the tough task of guarding Fletcher Magee (more later). Up front, the 6-8 Nzei (9.2 & 5.3) and the 6-10 Sandro Mamukelashvili (8.9 & 7.8) could give Wofford's frontcourt players trouble but maybe not (more on that in a bit, too)? The Terriers are one of the most efficient offensive teams in the nation, averaging 83.0 PPG (12th) on 49.3% shooting (10th), which includes 41.6% on threes (2nd). The aforementioned Fletcher Magee (20.5 points) is the Southern Conference's Player of the Year. Backcourt mates Nathan Hoover (13.3) and PG Murphy (7.8 & 3.1 APG) round out the starters. Up front, it's the 6-8 Jackson (14.6 & 7.5) and the 6-9 Aluma (6.9 & 6.8). The Terriers will have heh motivation to prove they’re worthy of their No. 7 seed, much like Belmont had in proving the OVC school deserved an at-large bid. "Mission Accomplished" for Belmont with its 81-70 win over Temple on Tuesday. It's Wofford's turn here and note that the Terriers were 11-1 ATS in their last 12 league games AND they've out-rebounded 27 of their 33 opponents this season, going 26-1 in those games. Wofford's headed to a Round of 32 game on Saturday. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-21-19 | St. Mary's v. Villanova -4.5 | Top | 57-61 | Loss | -105 | 37 h 57 m | Show |
My 10* PERFECT STORM is on Villanova at 7:20 ET. Villanova is the defending NCAA Tournament champions (two titles in the last three years) and enters the Big Dance after winning the Big East regular-season and tournament titles. 25-9 Villanova earned a modest 6-seed in the South region and opens its quest for third national championship in four years against No. 11 seed Saint Mary's in Hartford, Ct. Saint Mary's was not expected to make this year's field of 68 but it upset then-No. 1 Gonzaga in the WCC championship game, 60-47. Saint Mary's head coach Randy Bennett has led the Gaels since 2001 but 22-11 St Mary's has advanced to the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in the last six years. In contrast, Villanova has made the NCAA Tournament in seven straight years and 14 of the last 15. Junior guard Jordan Ford averages a team-best 21.3 PPG, after averaging 11.1 last season. The only other St Mary's player in double digits is 6-8 sophomore forward Malik Fitts (15.3 & 7.6). Nobody else on the team averages more than nine points, although the 6-10 Jordan Hunter is a presence on the interior with averages of 7.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks. Villanova relies heavily on guard Booth (18.6-3.9-3.8) and the 6-8 Paschall (16.5 & 6.2), a pair of first-team Big East selections who have been part of both national title winners. Sophomore guard Gillespie (11.1) is the team's third double-digit scorer plus the 6-8 Saddiq Bey (8.4 & 5.3) has emerged in the second half of his freshman season, registering double-digit points in 11 of the last 16 games. Villanova became the first school to win three consecutive Big East tournaments titles and will likely remember that it was bounced by the Gaels in the second round of the 2010 NCAA Tournament. This Hartford venue is a LONG way from St Mary's home in Moraga, Ca and I don't believe the Gaels can beat the defending champs right after upsetting Gonzaga. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-21-19 | Florida v. Nevada -1.5 | 70-61 | Loss | -110 | 31 h 29 m | Show | |
My 8* play is on Nevada at 6:50 ET THREE of Nevada’s four losses (Wolf Pack are 29-4) have come in the team's last eight games. Nevada lost 81-76 at Utah St on Mar 2 and then lost in the MWC semis 65-56 to SD State, as a 10-point favorite. As a result, the Wolf Pack drew only a seventh-seed in the West Region and will open against 10th-seeded Florida (19-15) in Des Moines, Iowa. The Gators ended the regular season on a three-game slide but then beat Arkansas (66-50) and top-seeded LSU (76-73) in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals, before falling 65-62 to eventual-champion Auburn in the semis. Mike White's Gator allow 63.6 PPG (21st) and force an average of 14.8 turnovers per contest. Th guard-oriented team has just one double digit scorer in KeVaughn Allen (12.0). Fellow guards Noah Locke (9.6) and Jalen Hudson (9.0) are close behind plus PG Nembhard adds 8.1 and a team-high 5.3 APG. The 6-9 Hayes and SF Johnson both average 8.1 PPG and combine to grab 12.5 RPG. The Martin twins, Caleb (19.2 & 5.1) and Cody (11.7-4.5-5.1) plus the 6-7 Caroline (17.3 & 9.6) are Nevada's stars. However, six more players contribute about 27 points and 12 rebounds per game. Nevada's D is almost as good as Florida's, as the Wolf Pack allow a modest 66.7 PPG (55th). However, let's NOT ignore that while Florida averages just 68,3 PPG, Nevada averages 80.7 (25th). Florida is making its third straight Big Dance appearance but its No. 10 seed matches its lowest in 22 appearances since the NCAA tourney expanded to 64 teams in 1985. To say the least, this is not a vintage Florida team! Meanwhile, head coach Eric Musselman’s Nevada team opened 24-1, en route to matching the single-season program record for wins with 29. The Wolf Pack are also in the Big Dance for the third straight season. Last March, with virtually the same roster, the seventh-seeded Wolf Pack rallied from double-digit deficits to beat Texas (87-83) and upended second-seeded Cincinnati (75-73), before losing a 69-68 thriller to eventual regional champ Loyola Chicago in the South semifinals.Can Ne vada make another run? Yes, but FIRST things FIRST. Florida has won at least one NCAA tourney game in its last six appearances but that streak ends right here! Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-21-19 | New Mexico State +6 v. Auburn | 77-78 | Win | 100 | 31 h 52 m | Show | |
My 9* Situatuional Stunner is on New Mexico St at 1:30 ET. Auburn reached a high of No. 7 in the AP poll but after a slump fell out of the poll for six weeks. However, Auburn won its final four games of the regular season, including an 84-80 home win over Tennessee. The Tigers then won FOUR games in four days to capture the SEC Tournament title, ending with an impressive 84-64 victory in the SEC final over Tennessee on Sunday, The eight-game winning streak earned 26-9 Auburn the fifth seed in the Midwest Region and a first-round matchup with 12th-seeded New Mexico State in Salt Lake City. The Aggies come in 30-4, after winning the WAC tourney for the third straight year and seventh time in the past eight seasons. New Mexico St routed Grand Canyon 89-57 in Saturday’s title game and the Aggies will bring a 19-game winning streak into the Big Dance. First-team All-WAC honoree Terrell Brown is the only player on the roster averaging in double figures, scoring 11.3 PPG. Head coach Chris Jans has 11 more players seeing 10 minutes or more of "PT." FIVE of them chip in between 7.5 and 9.8 PPG New Mexico St plays outstanding defense (64.1 PPG allowed ranks 26th) and is an excellent rebounding team. Bryce Brown (15.8) averaged 16.5 points en route to winning the SEC Tournament MVP. PG Harper adds 15.2 PPG and 5.8 APG and Auburn's best frontcourt player is the 6-8 Okeke averages 11.7 & 6.8. The Auburn bench averaged 26.3 points during the SEC Tournament. The Tigers have made an SEC record 396 three-pointers and rode that prowess to an eight-game winning streak that produced the school's first conference tournament championship since 1985. As for the Aggies, they are in the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time in the past eight seasons but they have been one-and-out in each of their past 10 appearances. In fact, they last won an NCAA Tournament game in 1993, when they beat Nebraska before losing to Cincinnati. Auburn carries what some call the “anti-angle” of being a major conference tournament winner favored in the NCAA First Round. Auburn relies heavily on an overload of the lowest-percentage of shots (three-pointers) and this game will be played at "altitude." The elevation is customary for New Mexico State which is long overdue for a first-round NCAA win. Upset? Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-21-19 | Yale v. LSU -6.5 | 74-79 | Loss | -112 | 30 h 57 m | Show | |
My 9* Eye-Opener is on LSU at 12:40 ET. 22-7 Yale (14th seed) takes on 26-6 LSU (3rd seed) in a first round game from Jacksonville. Yale wrapped up the Ivy League championship with a 97-85 victory over arch-rival Harvard on Sunday to earn the Ivy's automatic bid. LSU coach Will Wade was suspended indefinitely after a Yahoo! Sports report on March 7 detailed his comments from June of 2017 on FBI tape about making an "offer" and a "deal" for current guard Javonte Smart, one of the top recruits in the nation at the time. Neither Wade nor Smart were participants when the Tigers clinched the regular-season title with an 80-59 victory over Vanderbilt (their first title since 2009 under interim coach Tony Benford. However, while Smart played, the Tigers were upset by eighth-seeded Florida in their first game in the SEC tournament Ivy League Player of the Year Miye Oni (17.6-6.3-3.5) starts in the backcourt with Copeland (13.8). Up front, it's the 6-7 Reynolds (11.4 & 4.5), the 6-9 Bruner (10.2 & 8.3) and the 6-11 Atkinson (9.1 & 5.1). Guards Swain and Phills combine to add about 15 PPG, as Yale averages a healthy 81.1 PPG (24th) on 49.8 percent shooting (9th). LSU's sophomore guard Tremont Waters leads the team in scoring (15.1) and assists (5.9). Fellow guards Mays (13.4) and Smart (11.5) give the Tigers a strong perimeter group. 6-10 freshman Naz Reid averages 13.7 & 7.2 and many are touting him as a future NBA star (he had 26 & 14 vin the loss to Florida). Like Yale, LSU averages an excellent 81.4 PPG and let me add, vs a much tougher schedule. The Tigers looked distracted when kicking away their SEC Tourney game to Florida but I'm betting that's "old news." This is just Yale's fifth trip to the NCAA Tournament and its only victory came when the Bulldogs defeated Baylor 79-75 in 2016. Don't expect "lightning to strike twice." Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-20-19 | Arizona State -1.5 v. St. John's | 74-65 | Win | 100 | 29 h 49 m | Show | |
My 9* First Four Play (Part 2) is on Arizona St at 9:10 ET. Bobby Hurley won a pair of NCAA titles as Duke's PG (1991 &1992) and Chris Mullin helped St. John's to the 1985 Final Four, before going on to have an excellent NBA career. The two will now butt heads as coaches, when Arizona State and St. John's meet Wednesday in the First Four at Dayton, looking to advance to a Friday game as the a No. 11 seed (winner will meet No. 6 Buffalo in the West Regional). 22-10 ASU was the Pac 12's No. 2 seed but lost a tough OT game to red-hot Oregon in the semis (Ducks won the Pac 12 tourney). St John's, with the benefit of playing the Big East tourney at MSG (the Red Storm's home-away-from-home), was able to get past DePaul but then got buried 86-53 by a Marquette team seeking double-revenge. The 6-10 center De'Quon Lake (4.5 & 3.8) starts but adds little, a three guards and three forwards comprise ASU main 'guns.' The 6-8 Zylan Cheatham (11.8 & 10.4) was the only Pac-12 player to average a double-double this season, recording 13 double-doubles. The 6-8 White (8.7 & 5.3) starts alongside of him, with the 6-7 Lawrence (8.7 & 3.6) coming off the bench. 6-4 guard Luguentz Dort (16.1 & 4.3) was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, reaching double figures in 17 of 20 conference games. Sophomore PG Remy Martin adds 13.4 PPG and team-best 5.1 assists. Edwards (11.3) comes off the bench to give ASU four double-digit scorers. St John's features five double digit scorers, including four guards. PG Ponds leads the way (19.5-4.2-5.2 ), followed by Heron (14.9 & 4.7)), Figueroa (14.3 & 6.2) and Simon (10.4). The 6-7 Clark (10.8 & 45.4) is the lone frontcourt player of note. St John legend Chris Mullin is in his fourth season as head coach and has made steady improvement. St. John's is making its first NCAA appearance under Mullin and the Red Storm last made the NCAA Tournament in 2015. The Red Storm opened the season 12-0 but then went 8-10 in Big East play (also lost a non-conference game to Duke on ), before losing to Marquette in the Big East tourney (after beating DePaul). “St. John’s was the last team in,” NCAA Tournament selection committee chair Bernard Muir said on CBS after the bracket was revealed and note teh Red Storm haven't won a Big Dance game since 2000. Meanwhile, ASU is playing well, winning SIX of its last eight games. After Friday's 79-75 overtime loss to Oregon in the Pac-12 semifinals, Hurley proved prophetic by telling reporters: "When the committee looks at our season, I think that we’ll be rewarded for being great in the non-conference, beating the No. 1 team in the country at one point (Kansas in December) and having a very strong effort in the league.” Arizona State is in the First Four for the second consecutive season, but this time around, Hurley is bringing a much better team to Dayton. Last year's team relied too heavily on the three-point shot and didn't have enough easy offense to get past Syracuse in the First Four, losing 60-56. This year's team is bigger and more balanced. St John's Clark will be over-matched by Cheatham, White and Lawrence plus ASU's trio of guards is plenty good enough to 'hang' with St John's excellent perimeter quartet. Arizona State is making back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time since 1981 and Hurley "gets it right" this year against a St John's team that is just 2-5 over its last seven games, with all losses coming by double digits. A win will set up a Friday game against Buffalo, a school he led to a 42-20 record as its head coach from 2013-15, before taking the Sun Devils reins. See you Friday. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-19-19 | Belmont -3 v. Temple | 81-70 | Win | 100 | 14 h 21 m | Show | |
My 9* First Four Opoener is on Belmont at 9:10 ET. Fran Dunphy is a Philadelphia sports icon, having coached Penn for 17 years and now 13 years at Temple. Dunphy announced prior to this season that 2018-19 would be his his final season as a college basketball coach and he's going in style, as Temple is back to the NCAA Tournament. The 23-9 Owls won six of their final seven games before falling to Wichita State 80-74 in the quarterfinals AAC Tournament and likely needed every one of those wins to sneak into the field of 68. The Owls will play Belmont in a First Four game for the 11-seed in the East Regional (winner will play 6-seed Maryland on Thursday). The 26-5 Belmont Bruins were the No. 1 seed in the OVC but were upset by Ja Morant and Murray State in the conference title game. However the Selection Committee gave them a reprieve with an at-large bid (one of seven for a Mid-Major). This marks Belmont's eighth NCAA Tournament but its first with an at-large bid (note: this is the first at-large bid for an OVC team in 32 years!). The announcement of Belmont's at-large selection brought veteran coach Rick Byrd to tears. I'm emotional right now," he said to The Tennessean in Nashville Sunday. "I get that way about those I care about, and I feel that way about this team. We were hopeful but you never know. This is an unbelievable accomplishment for this team and this program. Belmont is led by 6-8 "big guard" Dylan Windler, who averages 21.4 PPG (shoots 43% from three) and an impressive 10.7 RPG. Fellow guard McClain adds 16.3 PPG plus PG Murphy (9.8-4.5-6.6) make up a terrific perimeter trio. Belmont enters the tourney as the second-highest scoring team in Division I behind Gonzaga at 87.4 PPG and its 49.9 percent from the floor ranks fourth-best. It's good news that the 6-11 Nick Muszynski (14.9 & 5.9), who missed the conference title game with an ankle injury, is expected to play. Temple is led by American Athletic Conference scoring leader Shizz Alston (19.7 PPG), who also leads the AAC in free throw percentage (90.7), minutes per game (37.1) and ranks second in assists (5.0). The Owls also have an outstanding perimeter group, as Rose adds 16.5 PPG and Pierre-louis (13.3 & 5.7). At issue is the lack of much of a frontcourt presence, as the 6-10 Aflokoi (5.9 & 7.0) and the 6-7 Moorman (5.8 & 4.1) are not major contributors. Looking closer, Temple's Rose is just 12-of-42 (28.6 percent) from long distance over his last nine games and Pierre-Louis has failed to surpass his scoring average in any of his last four games. Noting the likely return of Belmont big man Muszynski, he has 65 blocks while Temple has only 72 as a team. Dunphy has been an NCAA regular (16 previous appearances with Penn and Temple), but he's won his first game just THREE times (he's NEVER won a second game / 3-16 overall). I will admit that Belmont is winless in seven previous Big Dance appearances but Belmont IS the better team here (87.4 PPG on 49.9% shooting) and I believe won't miss this "at-large" opportunity to finally get the school's first-ever NCAA win. Expect more tears from Rick Byrd and Maryland had better watch out come Thursday. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-19-19 | San Diego v. Memphis -6.5 | Top | 60-74 | Win | 100 | 13 h 2 m | Show |
My NIT 10* Game of the Week is on Memphis at 8:00 ET. The San Diego Toreros finished seventh in the West Coast Conference and lost in the semifinals of the MWC tourney to eventual champion Saint Mary's. At 21-14, the Toreros didn't even bother to hold a team watch party on Sunday night to view the selection show, feeling chances were so slim at garnering the school's first-ever NIT invite. However, San Diego was the 32nd and final team announced to the NIT field (the 6-seed in the TCU bracket). Often, schools invited to the NIT experience a letdown, disappointed after failing to garner a spot in the NCAA Tournament. That is clearly NOT the case with San Diego. However, San Diego opens its first-ever NIT game against a school that is also FAR from being disappointed to be playing in the NIT. 21-13 Memphis is headed to a postseason tournament for the first time since the 2013-14 season as the No. 3 seed in the TCU bracket. The Tigers' last trip to the NIT came in 2010 and Memphis won the tournament in 2002. Under first-year head coach Penny Hardaway, Memphis forced its way to the edge of the Big Dance bubble with a late-season run that ended with a three-point loss to Houston in the AAC semifinals last Saturday. The Toreros are led by an impressive trio of seniors. The 6-7 Pineiro (19.1 & 9.5) will be the best player on the floor, supported by a pair of veteran guards in Carter (14.8) and Wright (13.8 & 4.7 APG). That said, Memphis counters with a superb pair of seniors, as well. PG Martin leads the team in scoring (19.6), assists (4.4) and steals (2.2) and was a first team All-AAC pick. Up front, it's 6-8 senior forward Kyvon Davenport (13.2 & 7.1). Hardaway loves to use multiple players, as while freshman guard Tyler Harris (10.6) also averages in double figures, SIX more Tigers chip in between 4.8 and 8.5 PPG. I wish these teams weren't playing each other but that's the luck of the draw. Memphis was 15-12 SU at home during the regular season (lost to only Tennessee and Cincinnati), while averaging about 85.0 PPG. The Tigers got to play on their home floor (FedExForum), beating Tulane 83-68 and UCF 79-55, before barely losing 61-58 to Houston (31-3 and 11th-ranked in the final AP poll). Memphis will likely have to win on the road the rest of the way in this year's NIT but that's NOT the case here. Lay it! Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-17-19 | Michigan +1 v. Michigan State | Top | 60-65 | Loss | -108 | 8 h 32 m | Show |
My 10* Rivalry Rout is on Michigan at 3:30 ET. Michigan is 10th in the latest AP poll but opened the Big Ten tourney as the No. 3 seed behind No. 3 Purdue and No. 6 Michigan St. Purdue lost its first tourney game to Minnesota, while Mich and Mich St have each won two straight to advance to Sunday's title game at the United Center in Chicago. Michigan now gets a third crack Michigan State, which owns wins of 77-70 and 75-63 over the Wolverines. The Spartans are positioned for a potential No. 1 NCAA tournament seed with a win Sunday and the stakes are high for the Wolverines, as well. A win would likely elevate them to a No. 2 seed and would also enable them to get the last word in a rivalry that is beginning to approach Duke-North Carolina in terms of national interest. Michigan's 6-7 Ignas Brazdeikis (14.9 & 5.2) was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Guards Poole (12.8) and Matthews (12.3 & 5.0) join him in double digits. However, let's not forget PG Zavier Simpson (9.3-5.0-6.5), who earned All-Big Ten Second Team honors. In fact, the junior PG scored 15 points and dished nine assists Saturday as Michigan routed Minnesota 76-49 for its 10th straight Big Ten tournament victory. That came less than 24 hours after a 10-point, 11-assist performance in a 74-53 blowout of Iowa. Throw in 7-1 center Teske (9.6 & 6.8) and John Beilein has a core that has Michigan on the cusp of a third straight Big Ten championship. Michigan State never trailed in a 67-55 win over Wisconsin on Saturday, as the Spartans led 27-10 just over 12 minutes into the game. However, the win might have come with a price. PG Cassius Winston (19.0 & 7.5 APG) scored 21 points and dished out six assists but played the second half at less than 100 percent and limped off the floor when he was subbed out for good in the last minute (he's gritty but has a very bothersome ankle). Remember, MSU has already lost shooting gaurd Langfors d (15.0), who hasn't played in 2019. Up front, MSU is loaded with the 6-8 Ward (14.4 & 6.4), the 6-8 Tillman (9.5 & 7.0) and the 6-7 Goins (8.5 & 9.0).. Great coaching matchup between Beilein and Izzo but I just HAVE to play Michigan in this "double-revenge" situation, as the Wolerines make it a 'lucky' 11th straight Big Ten tourney win. Good luck...Larry. | |||||||
03-17-19 | Cincinnati +5.5 v. Houston | 69-57 | Win | 100 | 6 h 46 m | Show | |
My 8* play is on Cincinnati at 3:15 ET. Short and sweet with this pick. 31-2 Houston is the AAC's top seed and will try for a three-game sweep of second-seed Cincinnati (27-6) this season when the teams meet in the American Athletic Conference Tournament final on Sunday in Memphis. Both clubs were tested in Saturday's semifinals as the No. 11 Cougars held on to defeat third-seeded Memphis 61-58, before the No. 24 Bearcats ousted sixth-seeded Wichita State 66-63. Houston lost to Cincinnati 56-55 in the 2018 AAC Tournament final but has defeated the Bearcats 65-58 back on Feb 10 and won at Cincinnati 85-69 on March 10 to capture the conference's regular-season title. These teams aver VERY similar, Both have superior defenses, are led by prolific guards and have veteran leadership. The Cougars are allowing 61.0 PPG (8th), while holding opponents to 36.5% shooting (1st). Cincy allows a modest 62.4 PPG (12th). Cincy PG Jarron Cumberland (18.6 & 3.7) was named AAC player of the year, while many thought Houston guard Corey Davis Jr. (16.8) was going to win it. Expect another game like last year's 56-55 Cincy win. Take the points! Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-17-19 | St. Louis +1 v. St Bonaventure | 55-53 | Win | 100 | 5 h 55 m | Show | |
My 8* play is on St Louis at 1:00 ET. The Saint Louis Billikens and St. Bonaventure Bonnies will square off this Sunday afternoon at the Barclays Center in the for the A-10 tourney championship. The sixth--seeded Saint Louis Billikens (10-8) will be looking to punch their first ticket to the NCAA Tournament since 2014, after upsetting the second-seeded Davidson Wildcats, 67-44. The fourth-seeded St. Bonaventure Bonnies (12-6) come into the championship game playing some of their best basketball of the season and had no trouble reaching the finals after defeating the 8th-seeded Rhode Island Rams, 68-51 on Saturday. St Louis was led by guard Javon Bess (15.4 & 6.6), who had 24 points and seven rebounds in the win over Davidson. St Louis shot 48.1% from the floor while holding Davidson to just 25.9% shooting. Bess is joined by fellow guards Isabell (13.9-4.3-4.7) and Goodwin (10.4-7.3-3.5) in double figures. A trio of frontcourt players combine for 24.2 PPG and 16.9 RPG. St Bonaventure used a 13-0 run at the end of the 1st half to trail by just a 29-27 margin. The Bonnies were then able to pull away from the Rams in the 2nd half after a 14-0 run gave the Bonnies a 64-46 lead. Guard Kyle Lofton (14.7) led the way with 23 points. 6-5 SF Stockard (14.8 & 5.4) is St Bonny's leading scorer and has help up front from the 6-6 Griffith (10.7 & 6.0) and 6-10 freshman Osunniyi (7.6 & 6.6). St Bonaventure may be 14-6 in A-10 play, while St Louis is 12-8 (includes tourney wins), but the Billikins are 22-12 on the season, compare to St Bonny's 18-15 mark. In fact, this is a very talented St Louis team which had solid wins against Seton Hall, Butler, & Oregon State in non-conference play. The Bonnies have over achieved this season, as it looked like they would be more in rebuilding mode after losing both Jaylen Adams (19.8 & 5.2 APG) & Matt Mobley (18.1 & 5.0) from last year's 26-8 NCAA team. The Bonnies defeated the Billikens by a 66-57 margin at home in early Ma Birch but the Billikens get their revenge in this one. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-17-19 | Auburn v. Tennessee -4.5 | 84-64 | Loss | -110 | 4 h 30 m | Show | |
My 9* play is on Tennessee at 1:00 ET. No. 8 Tennessee (29-4) overcame an eight-point deficit in the final 2:58 on Saturday to defeat No. 4 Kentucky 82-78 in one semifinal, while No. 22 Auburn (25-9) used its trademark three-point shooting and quick hands on defense to defeat Florida 65-62 in the other. The two SEC tournament survivors, 3-seed Tennessee and 5-seed Auburn, are both tired but Auburn will really be tested, playing its FOURTH game in four days. It’s been 34 years since Auburn won the SEC Tournament and six years longer since Tennessee accomplished the feat. One of those droughts will end. Guard Brown (15.7) and Harper (15.4 & 5.8 APG) lead the way and Auburn's only other double-digit scorer is 6-6 forward Okeke (11.6 & 6.6). Auburn has made an SEC-record 381 three-pointers, including 13 against Florida. The Tigers have won six straight and eight of their last nine, including a March 9 home victory over Tennessee (84-80) that cost the Vols a first-place finish in the regular season. The Vols have won five of their last six games, with the lone defeat coming at Auburn. 6-7 junior forward Grant Williams (19.2 & 7.5) was named SEC Player of the Year for the second straight season. Senior wing Admiral Schofield (16.6 & 62.) also earned first-team recognition and junior PG Jordan Bone (13.4) leads the SEC in assists with 6.2 per game. Guards Bowden (10.5) and Turner (10.0) make it five double digit scorers for the Vols, while the 6-11 Alexander (7.6 & 6.6) supports Williams up front. Auburn is playing for the championship for the first time since 2000 and seeking its first tournament title since 1985.Meanwhile, Tennessee is playing in its second consecutive SEC Tournament title game but it hasn’t won the crown since 1979.Something's gotta give! Rick Barnes has "done it" at Providence, Clemson and Texas and now is poised to break through at Tennessee. His first two teams went 15-19 and 16-16 but lastarera's team went 26-9. At 29-4, this year's team could end the Vols' long SEC tourney drought, as well as give Barnes his third 30-win season (did it twice at Texas with Elite-8 teams). Expect Auburn to 'run out of gas' and for the team's three-point shots NOT to fall with regularity. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-17-19 | Yale -4.5 v. Harvard | 97-85 | Win | 100 | 4 h 5 m | Show | |
My 9* Eye-Opener is a 9* on Yale at 12:00 ET. The 18-10 Harvard Crimson and the 21-7 Yale Bulldogs meet in the Ivy League championship game from the John J. Lee Amphitheater on Sunday afternoon. The two schools tied for first-place in the regular season (10-4) but Harvard has beaten Yale in both meetings this year, so comes in as the No. 1 seed. However, the game will be played on Yale's home floor ( John J. Lee Amphitheater), where the Bulldogs have gone 11-2. Yale bested Princeton 83-77 in a semifinal game on Saturday, as leading scorer Miye Oni (17.6 & 6.4) led the Bulldogs with 23 points. Fellow guard Alex Copeland (13.4) had 16 points, as did forward Blake Reynolds (11.7 & 4.5). Yale has SEVEN players seeing 20 minutes or more this season, chipping in between 7.0 and 17.6 PPG. The Bulldogs shoot 49.4% as a team (9th-best in the nation), while averaging 80.6 PPG (26th). Harvard began the season without its two best players, forward Seth Towns (16.0 & 5.7 LY) and guard Bryce Aiken (14.1 LY). Towns hasn't played at all but Aiken has returned to play the team's last 15 games. Aiken led the Crimson with 19 points in Saturday's 68-65 win over Penn and that's no surprise. He's averaging 21.7 PPG, more than DOUBLE that of any other Harvard player. Harvard is averaging almost 10 points less per game than Yale, at 71.0 per. As already noted, Harvard has won both regular season meetings, including Feb 23 at this venue by the score of 88-86. The Crimson score 1d7 points higher than their season's average in that game, making 50.9% from the floor, while getting to the FT line 27 times to Yale's 10 (outscored the Bulloigs 22-8 at the line). Think that will happen again? I sure don't. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-16-19 | Oregon v. Washington +2 | Top | 68-48 | Loss | -105 | 12 h 18 m | Show |
My 10* NCAAB 10* Game of the Year is on Washington at 10:30 ET. Washington is currently 26-7 and won the Pac 12's regular season title by three games. The Huskies should be "off the bubble" but the Pac 12 gets little respect (deservedly so this year), so Washington hopes to win its first conference tournament title since 2011 on Saturday night in Las Vegas. Standing in the way is 22-12 Oregon, the Pac 12's preseason favorite. However, the Ducks' season was derailed early, when 7-2 freshman Bol Bol (21.0 & 9.6) was lost for the season after just nine games. Oregon finished 10-8 in league play (No. 6 seed) but have now beaten Wash St, Utah and Arizona St to reach the title game. Are the Ducks now a possible at-large team? The sixth-seeded Ducks won their SEVENTH straight game and third and in three nights on Friday, knocking off No. 2 seed Arizona State 79-75 in overtime to move within one win of an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. "I'm really happy for the guys," Oregon head coach Dana Altman said (note: Altman became the all-time leader by winning his 18th Pac-12 Tournament game, moving past Arizona's Sean Miller). "Washington will be a tough game. We played them just a week ago and we played really good against them. I hope we can muster up the same kind of effort." The Ducks have made their late winning run thanks to some strong defense, holding their last seven opponents to an average of 55.1 PPG. Junior PG Payton Pritchard (12.5-3.7-4.4) is the lone returning starter from the Ducks' 2017 Final Four squad but so many others have stepped up this season. 6-9 freshman forward Louis King (13.1 & 5.8) plus another a pair of 6-9 forwards, senior White (10.5 & 3.9) and sophomore Wooten (6.3 & 4.6) have been noteworthy. Washington opened the second half last night with a 25-5 run and held Colorado to 20 percent shooting, including 2-of-16 on three-pointers, after the break in rallying to defeat the Buffaloes 66-61 in the other semifinal. Huskies' head coach Mike Hopkins lobbied after Friday night's win that 6-5 senior guard Matisse Thybulle (9.4 & 3.1), who had 12 points, three blocks and a steal to move into a tie with Gary Payton for the Pac-12 career steals record of 321, should be the national defensive player of the year. FIVE Huskies finished in double figures last night, led by sophomore guard Jaylen Nowell (16.5-5.4-3.2), the Pac-12 Player of the Year, and 6-9 sophomore forward Nahziah Carter (8.0 & 2.6), who both finished with 14 points.On the season, guard Crisp (12.7) and the 6-8 Dickerson (12.4 & 7.5) joined Nowell in double digit scoring. I noted at the top that an at-large bid may not be coming to the loser of this game. Washing would be a favorite to get one but the Huskies sure don't want to 'sweating' Selection Sunday. More motivation is provided by the fact that Oregon spoiled Washington's Senior Night last Saturday by handing the Huskies their ONLY home loss of the season, 55-47. Four wins in four days is just too much to ask of the Ducks against the avenging Huskies! Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-16-19 | Western Kentucky +1 v. Old Dominion | Top | 56-62 | Loss | -108 | 11 h 54 m | Show |
My 10* Revenge Rout is on Western Ky at 8:30 ET. The Old Dominion Monarchs and Western Kentucky Hilltoppers meet at the Ford Center at The Star in the C-USA championship game. ODU won the regular season title at 13-5, while Western Ky finished in a four-way tie for second at 11-7. The Monarchs are coming off a 61-59 win over the UAB Blazers and enter having won NINE of their last 11 games. The Hilltoppers are coming off a 70-59 win over the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles and have won NINE of their last 12. Old Dominion features a dynamic one-two guard duo of Stith (17.0 PPG and 7,5 RPG are both team highs) plus PG Caver (16.7-4.4-5.5). Defense is key for ODU, as the Monarchs also just 60.9 PPG (7th-best in the nation). Western Ky will own the best big man in the game, the 6-10 Bassey (14.6 & 100). The Hilltoppers also have an excellent trio of guards, who combine to chip in just under 40 PPG (Hollingsworth leads the way at 14.6 per). The Monarchs won both meetings against Western Kentucky this season, games in which they controlled the pace and kept the Hilltoppers in check defensively. However, both games were played on ODU's homecourt, due to C-USA's "bonus play" schedule (new this season). ODU was able to hold Western Ky in check but beat them by just FOUR and THREE points on their home floor. Western Ky now gets ODU in a neutral-site setting and the Hilltoppers are a money-making 46-21 ATS in their last 67 neutral site games. Meanwhile, the Monarchs are just 18-37 ATS in their last 55 vs Conference USA opponents and 1-6 ATS in their last 7 neutral site games (0-2 in this tourney, so far.). No home cookin' for ODU in this one and the "double-avenging" Hilltoppers make the third time a 'CHARM!' Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-16-19 | Seton Hall v. Villanova -3.5 | 72-74 | Loss | -116 | 8 h 6 m | Show | |
My 8* play is on Villanova at 6:30 ET. The Wildcats are defending NCAA champs (won TWICE in the last three years) and after rallying past Xavier on Friday to escape with a 71-67 overtime win, 'NOVA can become the first team ever to win three straight Big East Tournament titles when they face Seton Hall at Madison Square Garden on Saturday. 24-9 Villanova routed Seton Hall by 28 in the first matchup on Jan.27 but the Pirates won the rematch 79-75 on March 9. Third-seeded Seton Hall (now 20-12)) outlasted Marquette late Friday night, escaping with an 81-79 win . Myles Powell (22.9) led the way for Seton Hall with 22 points and seven assists. He's made at least four 3-pointers in five consecutive games and scored at least 20 points in six straight. The 6-8 Michael Nzei (9.2 & 5.3) had 15 rebounds on Friday - five more than his previous season high - and added 14 points for his second double-double of the season. Guard Cale (10.3) is the only other Seton Hall player averaging in double digits. Clutch baskets from seniors Phil Booth (28 points!) and Eric Paschal got 'Nova through vs Xavier. Booth (18.7-3.9-3.8) and the 6-8 Paschall (16.5 & 6.2) earned All-Big East honors. Sophomore guard Gillespie (11.3) is a third double digit scorer for the Wildcats. Note that 6-9 sophomore Jermaine Samuels (5.9 & 5.4) had 17 points against Xavier (delivered some clutch baskets of his own), his third double-digit scoring effort in the last five games following an 11-game run of single-digit scoring efforts. Villanova needed OT to get past Seton Hall in last year's Big East title a game and BOTH teams remember. BOTH teams earned hard-fought wins last night (Seton Hall's games vs Marquette was brutal) but I'm siding with the champs at this price. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-16-19 | Iowa State v. Kansas -1.5 | 78-66 | Loss | -109 | 8 h 39 m | Show | |
My 9* play is on Kansas at 6:00 ET. I noted in taking Iowa St last night against Kansas St, that the Cyclones have grown to love playing here in Kansas City's Sprint Center. After all, the 5th-seeded Cyclones have won THREE of the last five Big 12 Tournaments, all at the Sprint Center. Marial Shayok (18.7) came up big down the stretch for Iowa State in Friday's 63-59 semifinal victory over top-seeded Kansas State, draining two key three-pointers and two insurance free throws over the final 1:55, as the Cyclones moved to 11-2 in Kansas City since the start of the 2013-14 season. Michael Jacobson (11.4 & 6.0), the lone Cyclone starter who stands taller than 6-6, pulled down a career-high 16 rebounds Friday to tie a school record for the most rebounds in a Big 12 Tournament game Iowa State is unbeaten in four previous title games but to move to 5-0, the Cylones will have to get past third-seeded and 18th-ranked Kansas. The Jayhawks famously failed to win a 15th straight Big 12 regular season title but Kansas has won this tournament 11 time. The 6-9 Dedric Lawson (conference-best marks of 19.2 points and 10.4 rebounds) bounced back from a poor offensive effort by his standards in Thursday's quarterfinal win over Texas with 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting and eight rebounds in last night's 88-74 win ovr West Va. Freshman guards Quentin Grimes (8.3 points) and Devon Dotson (11.9-3.7- 3.6 assists) each had solid games. Grimes added 18 points (his best offensive output since a 19-point outburst vs the Cyclones on Jan 5), while Dotson continued his recent steady play with 13 points, five rebounds and six assists (he's averaging 15 points over his last three games). Iowa St can claim the Sprint Center as its "home away from home" but don't tell that to the Jayhawks. Kansas improved to 41-9 all-time at the Sprint Center with last night's win, including 3-0 this season. What's more, ALL eight of Kansas' losses this year have come in true road games, meaning that the Jayhawks are 22-0 at home and in neutral site games this season, Make that 23-0 ! Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-16-19 | San Diego State v. Utah State -6 | 57-64 | Win | 100 | 8 h 36 m | Show | |
My 8* play is on Utah St at 6:00 ET. The San Diego State Aztecs and the Utah State Aggies will meet in the MWC championship game from the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on Saturday night. The Aztecs advance to this game by taking down No. 14 Nevada, 65-56 (as a 10-point underdog ). PG Devin Watson led the Aztecs with 20 points on 5 of 10 shooting and the 6-10 Jalen McDaniels added 12 points and 10 rebounds for the double-double. McDaniels averages 16.2 & 8.4) and Watson 15.9-3.1-4.2), as the duo has led SDSU all season. Utah St had little trouble in taking out Fresno State in the semifinals by a final score of 85-60. Sam Merrill led the Aggies with 22 points, while fellow guard Diogo Brito (8.4 & 4.3) added 20 points and seven rebounds. Merrill is the team-leader is points (21.1) and assist (4.3), while the 6-11 Queta has been the team's best inside player (11.7 & 8.9). Queta had 10 points and a team-high 13 rebounds last night. The Aztecs shocked observers by winning this tourney last year and are now poised to "do it again." However, I'll say, "Not so fast!" The Aggies tied Nevada (15-3) during the regular season but know if there is an at-large bid coming from the MWC, it's Nevada, NOT Utah St. The Aggies come in having won 16 of their last 17, with the LONE loss coming at San Diego St. Yes, the Aggies avenged that loss with a 16-point home win on Feb 26 but 27-6 Utah St almost HAS to know it's win or the NIT tonight! Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-16-19 | Memphis +8 v. Houston | 58-61 | Win | 100 | 7 h 4 m | Show | |
My 9* Oddsmaker's Error is on Memphis at 3:00 ET. Houston opened its postseason by easily handling UConn (No. 9 seed), 84-45 in the AAC quarterfinals on Friday afternoon, Houston reached the 30-win mark (30-2) for the first time since the days of Phi Slama Jama more than 35 years ago. The Cougars now set their sites on a second straight trip to the American Athletic Conference Tournament title game but standing in their way are the fifth-seeded Memphis Tigers. The Tigers entered the tournament needing to do some work to impress the NCAA Tournament selection committee and they just might have turned some heads with a 79-55 victory over fourth-seeded Central Florida on Friday to reach 21-12. Kelvin Sampson's team is a perimeter-oriented group, as the team's top-five scorers are guards.Corey Davis Jr. (16.8) led the way vs UConn with 22 points and PG Galen Robinson Jr. (8.1 & 5.1 APG) added 16. Davis has been above his seasonal average in five straight games, averaging 23 points in that span.Some good news for Houston is, none of its starters played more than 30 minutes in the rout over UConn and 10 players scored for the Cougars. Memphis took apart UCF Friday afternoon, despite the AAC's leading scorer Jeremiah Martin (19.5-4.1-4.5) making just 1-of-6 from the floor! Junior forward Isaiah Maurice (just 6.0 PPG on the season) was the catalyst, scoring a career-high 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting. The always steady 6-8 senior Kyvon Davenport (13.4 & 7.1) contributed his 10th double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. The only meeting between these teams this year came in Houston back on Jan 6. The Cougars won that one 90-77 but this game is on Memphis' home floor, the FedExForum. Memphis comes in having won SIX of seven and after its rout of UCF, sits 16-2 SU here at home. Note that the Cougars were favored by eight points on their home floor back on Jam 6, so why are they again favored by that number here on Memphis' home floor? Good question. I say the answer is, Memphis is not getting enough respect. Expect Martin to rebound from his poor Friday performance and also look for Davenport to be a big factor, as Houston does not have much of any inside presence. This is a 'home dog' and I expect the Tigers to 'bark' LOUDLY! Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-16-19 | Rhode Island v. St Bonaventure -1.5 | 51-68 | Win | 100 | 5 h 4 m | Show | |
My 9* Daytime Dominator is on St Bonny's at 1:00 ET. It's A-10 semifinal action Saturday from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, as Rhode Island takes on St Bonaventure. The Rams upset VCU 75-70 on Saturday, the A-10's No. 1 seed, The Rams' leading scorer, PG Jeff Dowtin(15.4 & 3.8 APG) keyed the win with 22 points. Fellow guard Tyrese Martin (8.1 & 5.1) added 13 points, five rebounds and three assists. The team's top frontcourt player, the 6-8 Cyril Langevine(14.7 & 10.0), had a modest seven points but nine rebounds.Meanwhile, St Boony's knocked off the George Mason Patriots 68-57. PG Kyle Lofton (14.4 & 3.7 APG) scored 20 points, as did fellow guard Dominick Welch (Welch averages just 6.7 PPG on the season). Rhode Island comes into this contest on a six-game winning streak but one wonders if the Rams just might suffer a bit of a "let down" off beating VCU, which won the A-10 with a 16-2 record. The Bonnies' are equally hot. These schools met just once in the regular season, as Rhode Island won 75-63 at home back on Jan 16. St Bonny's lost its next game in OT at home to Dayton but since then has won 11 of 14! . St Bonny was 12-6 in A-10 play (now 13-6 with the win over George Mason) and is simply the better team, playing with revenge. St Bonaventure plays excellent D (63.7 PPG ranks 21st in the nation) and expect them to easily handle the Rams. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-15-19 | Oregon -2 v. Arizona State | 79-75 | Win | 100 | 14 h 34 m | Show | |
My 8* play is on Oregon at 11:30 ET. Arizona State found itself being mentioned as a potential NCAA bubble team heading into the Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas. The second-seeded Sun Devils (12-6 in Pac 12 play) cruised to an 83-72 victory over UCLA in Thursday's quarterfinals and at 22-9 on the season, have a chance to build on their at-large resume when they face Oregon in Friday's semifinals at T-Mobile Arena.The Ducks were the preseason favorite in the Pac 12 but when 7-2 freshman Bol Bol (21.0 & 9.6) was lost for the season after just nine games, those hopes went with him. Oregon finished 10-8 in league play (No. 6 seed) but have beaten Wash St and Utah to reach 21-12 on the season. Could the Ducks climb into at-large consideration with a win here? Junior PG Payton Pritchard (12.3 & 4.3 APG) is the lone returning starter from the Ducks' 2017 Final Four squad but so many others have stepped up this season. 6-9 freshman forward Louis King (12.4 & 5.5) joined Pritchard by scoring 20 points in the quarterfinal victory over Utah. Also making impacts are a pair of 6-9 forwards, senior White (10.4 & 7.8) and sophomore Wooten (6.4 & 4.6). 6-9 freshman forward Francis Okoro tied a Pac-12 tournament record with six blocks.Defense was the key in the win over the Utes, as Utah was held to 34 percent shooting, including 2-of-23 from 3-point range, Arizona State led by as many as 23 points early in the second half in its Thursday victory over the Bruins The Sun Devils had five players in double figures in the win, led by forward Romello White, who had 19 points and seven rebounds. Most of ASU's scoring comes from the team's three-headed guard rotation of freshman Dort (16.1 & 4.3)., PG Martin (13.7 & 5.2 APG) and Cleveland State transfer Edwards (11.2). The 6-8 Cheatham adds 11.1 & 10.5, while forwards White and Lawrence combine to chip in 17.5 & 8.9. ASU head cioach Bobby Hurley made it clear afterward that he felt his team, with non-conference wins over Kansas, Mississippi State and Mountain West co-champion Utah State, had done enough to warrant an invite to March Madness for the second straight year. "I'm going to start by saying after this game, 'What uncertainty?' " Hurley said when the topic of his team's at-large prospects was brought up. "Yeah, it's a big step (reaching the semifinals)." Could ASU be "satisfied?" That could be a concern, as Oregon's Dana Altman is one terrific coach (Altman is tied with Arizona's Sean Miller for most coaching wins in the Pac-12 tournament with 17). Sixth-seeded Oregon j\has won SIX straight game and since allowing UCLA to score 62 points in the second half of a 90-83 loss on Feb 23, hasn't allowed a team to score 62 points in a game. Quack! Quack! Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-15-19 | Duke -3 v. North Carolina | Top | 74-73 | Loss | -109 | 10 h 44 m | Show |
My CBB 10* Late-Breaker is on Duke at 9:00 ET. 27-5 Duke is ranked 5th in the latest AP poll, while North Carolina (with an identical 27-5 mark) is ranked 3rd. Carolina is the No. 2 sedd in the ACC and Duke No. 3, as the two schools renew their storied rivalry in the ACC Tournament semifinals Friday at Charlotte, N.C. It doesn't get much better than this for college hoops fans.EVERYONE knows the set-up. Zion Williamson, the Blue Devils' freshman phenom, suffered a knee injury in the first minute of the first meeting (Feb 20) between the two schools, as the Tar Heels romped 88-72 at Duke. North Carolina again prevailed 79=70 this past Saturday, in Chapel Hill. The 6-7 Williamson (21.9 & 9.0) missed the five games that Feb 20 contest but made a triumphant return in Duke's 84-72 victory over sixth-seeded Syracuse in Thursday's quarterfinals. He showed no rust at all on Thursday, making all 13 of his field-goal attempts in a dominating performance that included 29 points, 14 rebounds and five steals. RJ Barrett (23.3-7.5-4.1) and Williamson are 1-2 in the ACC in scoring, with freshman guards Reddish (14.0) and Jones (8.9 & 5.4 APG) rounding out this special class. The Tar Heels opened with an 83-70 victory over seventh-seeded Louisville on Thursday for their EIGHTH straight win. Freshman guard Colby White (16.4 & 4.2 APG) led the way with 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists. However, North Carolina's two 'main guns' are senior guard Johnson (16.8 & 5.9) and 6-9 senior Maye (14.8 & 10.4). Duke averages 84.1 PPG (7th) and North Carolian 86.5 PPG (3rd). North Carolina and Duke each have 101 victories in the ACC Tournament and have combined to win 38 of the 65 titles. I hesitated on this, wondering if Duke was "too obvious" but in the end decided I HAVE to take Coach K in this "double-revenge" scenario and live with it. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-15-19 | Mississippi State v. Tennessee -5.5 | 76-83 | Win | 100 | 11 h 12 m | Show | |
My 9* play is on Tennessee at 9:30 ET. Tennessee spent four weeks as the AP's No. 1 team this season but squandered an opportunity to earn a share of a second straight SEC title with a late-season meltdown, including blowing an 11-point lead in an 84-80 loss at Auburn last Saturday. The now eighth-ranked Volunteers, who dropped to the third seed for the SEC Tournament, will look to correct some of their mistakes when they open SEC tourney play against sixth seed Mississippi State in a quarterfinal matchup Friday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. Mississippi jumped out to a 15-point halftime lead Wednesday against 11-seed Texas A&M and rolled to an 80-54 win over the Aggies. That victory sets up a rematch with a Tennessee team that posted a 71-54 home victory over the Bulldogs back on March 5, in the only game between the teams this season. Quinndary Weatherspoon, an All-SEC First-Team performer (18.3 & 4.8) had a modest 12 points but nine rebounds and three steals on Thursday, as the 23-9 Bulldogs all but guaranteed their first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2008-09. PG Peters (11.6 & 5.2 APG) and fellow guard Carter (10.7) give Miss St a solid trio of perimeter players. Up front, it's a pair of 6-10 players, freshman Perry (9.7 & 7.0) and senior Holman (9.3 & 6.2). 6-7 junior forward Grant Williams (19.3 & 7.7 rebounds), who shot 57 percent from the floor and 83 percent from the foul line, was named SEC Player of the Year for the second straight season. Senior wing Admiral Schofield (16.3 & 6.3) also earned first-team recognition and junior PG Jordan Bone (13.4) led the SEC in assists with 6.1 per game. Guards Bowden (10.5) and Turner (10.3) make it five double digit scorers for teh Vols, while the 6-11 Alexander (7.5 & 6.7) supports Williams up front. As noted, Miss st has all but clinched an NCAA at-large bid and I strongly believe the Bulldogs are in the WRONG place at the WRONG time in this one, After running off a school-record 19 consecutive victories and spending four weeks at No.1, Tennessee has gone 4-3 in its last seven games, albeit all by opponents projected to safely make the NCAA Tournament. "It really goes back to the other three losses we had this year, they pretty much played out the same way, with too many threes and not getting to the foul line enough," Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes. Getting back on the court (and WINNING) has to be major priority for Barnes' team, after that late collapse cost the Vols a share of the SEC's regular season title. Blowout alert! Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-15-19 | Iowa v. Michigan -8 | Top | 53-74 | Win | 100 | 11 h 32 m | Show |
My 10* Revenge Rout is on Michigan at 9:25 ET. 26-5 Michigan is 10th in the latest AP poll but opens the Big Ten tourney as just the No. 3 seed. Michigan begins its quest for its THIRD straight Big Ten Tournament championship when it takes on 22-10 Iowa, the No. 6 seed. Iowa got off to a hot start and never looked back last night, routing 11-seed Illinois 83-62. The Hawkeyes had lost their previous four games to fall out of the national rankings but came out firing on all cylinders as they knocked down six 3-pointers in the first half before finishing 12-of-23 from beyond the arc, The 6-6 Baer (6.9 & 4.6) came off the bench to knock down five 3-pointers en route to a team-high 17 points. He's part of a frontcourt trio that includes teh 6-9 Cook (14.9 & 8.) and the 6-11 Garza (12.8 & 4.4). Joe Wieskamp (11.1) scored 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the floor, to go along with seven rebounds. He joins Bohannon (11.7) ansd Moss (9.1) as Iowa's top perimeter people. Michigan's 6-7 Ignas Brazdeikis (15.0 & 5.3) was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Guards Poole (13.0) and Matthews (12.8 & 5.1), join him in double digits. However, let's not forget PG Zavier Simpson (9.1-5.1-6.3), who earned All-Big Ten Second Team honors. Throw in 7-1 center Teske (9.7 & 6.7) and John Beilein has a core that could just earn Michigan that third straight Big Ten championship. Michigan head coach John Beilein has had his team ready to play at a high level entering the Big Ten tournament the past two seasons and why not here. Up first is Iowa, which embarrassed Michigan 74-59 Feb 1 in Iowa City, when Michigan shot a woeful 32.3% from the floor (8-33, 24.2% on threes). Iowa shot 45.6% in that game (including 6 of 14 from long range) but will face a 'mean' Michigan defense allowing 58.8 PPG (2nd-best in the nation). Iowa is hoping to advance to the semifinals for the first time since 2006 but that won't happen here vs Michigan, which has won EIGHT straight Big Ten tourney games (7-1 ATS). Good luck...Larry. | |||||||
03-15-19 | Iowa State +1 v. Kansas State | 63-59 | Win | 100 | 9 h 41 m | Show | |
My 8* play is on Iowa St at 7:00 ET. 25-7 Kansas St is the Big 12's No. 1 seed but 21-11 Iowa State has grown to love playing here in Kansas City's Sprint Center. After all, the 5th-seeded Cyclones have won THREE of the last five Big 12 Tournaments, all at the Sprint Center. The Cyclones dropped five of six to close the regular season but their confidence did not appear to be shaken at any point during Thursday's 83-66 victory against Baylor. Meanwhile, Kansas State won for the SIXTH time in its last seven tries with Thursday's 70-61 triumph against TCU, turning an 18-9 edge in turnovers into a 22-4 advantage in points off miscues. One of the main reasons for Iowa State's fade down the stretch was the team's lack of efficiency beyond the arc. However, Iowa State made 13 of its 25 three-point attempts in downing Baylor. Leading scorer Shayok (18.6) finished with 18 points and has now scored at least 17 points in 25 of his 31 outings. The undersized Cyclones start four guards, along with the 6-9 Jacobson. FIVE of the team's top-six scorers are guards, while Jacobson adds 11.6 & 5.1. The Big 12's Sixth Man of the Year Lindell Wigginton has scored 16 or 17 points in four straight contests. Kansas St may be the No. 1 seed but All-Big 12 forward, the 6-10 Dean Wade (12.9 & 6.2), is expected to miss the entire tournament with a foot injury. Junior 6-5 forward Xavier Sneed (10.3 & 5.4) who stepped up Thursday with 19 points (including 16 in the second half), seven boards and five assists. However, guard Barry Brown (team-high 15.0 points) shot only 5-of-16 vs the Horned Frogs. Many have called the Sprint Center "Hilton (Coliseum) South."They may just be right. The Cyclones looked VERY comfortable vs Baylor and note that Iowa State is 11-1 when making 10 or more three-pointers. Meanwhile, without Wade, Kansas St struggled with TCU, getting a win mostly due to poor and SLOPPY play by the Horned Frogs. The Wildcats can't count on that from the Cyclones. Iowa St heads to Saturday's championship game. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-15-19 | Memphis +2.5 v. UCF | 79-55 | Win | 105 | 6 h 21 m | Show | |
My 9* Oddmaker's Error is on Memphis at 2:30 ET. 23-7 Central Florida impressed with consecutive wins against ranked teams earlier this month and now hopes to make a run in the American Athletic Conference Tournament. The Knights handed Houston its only home loss of the season 69-64 on March 2 and held off visiting Cincinnati 58-55 five days later, before ending the regular season with a loss at Temple. The 4th-seeded Knights (13-5) will take on 20-12 Memphis, which is the AAC's fifth-seed (11-7). The Tigers recorded a season-high 52 points in the first half yesterday, rolling to an 83-68 victory over Tulane. Jeremiah Martin (19.7 & 4.6) scored 21 points in Thursday's win and is an AAC first-team selection. Martin is averaging 28.3 PPG over his last 11 contests. 6-8 senior forward Kyvon Davenport (13.3 & 7.0), who had averaged just 7.5 points the final four games of the regular season, scored 17 on Thursday and hauled in seven rebounds. Fellow senior forward Mike Parks Jr. recorded his first double-double of the season with 14 points and 13 rebounds against Tulane, after managing 25 and 22 total, respectively, in his previous six outings. UCF is led by an outstanding backcourt duo. Senior guard B.J. Taylor (16.2) and junior guard Aubrey Dawkins (15.4 & 5.1) was an American second-team pick. 7-6 senior center Tacko Fall was a third-team selection, averaging 10.9 PPG on 75.1 percent shooting (tops in the nation), to go along with team highs of 7.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks. Conference tourneys are typically neutral-site games but NOT here. The FedEx Forum is Memphis' home court and the Tigers are 15-2 on their home court this season (lost to Cincy and Tenn), including a 77-57 victory over UCF on Jan 27. In that contest, the Tigers held UCF’s starters to 32 points on 13-of-38 shooting from the floor. Deja vu? I say yes, as UCF may be a little complacent off those late-season wins at Houston and home against Cincinnati. Memphis was a slight favorite at home vs UCF (-1.5) and won by 20! Why would the Tigers be getting ANY points here at home in this one? Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-15-19 | Florida v. LSU -2.5 | 76-73 | Loss | -109 | 7 h 43 m | Show | |
My 9* Eye-Opener is on LSU at 1:00 ET. LSU (26-5 / 16-2) is the SEC's No. 1 seed but the Tigers will be without head coach Will Wade. The coach and school are embroiled in controversy amid a federal corruption probe tied to recruiting. Wade has been suspended and interim coach Tony Benford, who guided LSU to its 80-59 win over Vanderbilt in the regular-season finale Saturday, is expected to call the shots in today's game against the 18-14 Florida Gators. Florida knocked off Arkansas 66-50 in Thursday's second round to snap a three-game slide and is hoping a win over the SEC's top-seed would cement an at-large bid to the Big Dance. Freshman forward Keyontae Johnson (7.9 & 6.0) scored a career-high 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting to go along with 12 rebounds in Thursday's win. Senior guard KeVaughn Allen scored 17 points versus Arkansas after four straight single-digit efforts. He's Florida's top scorer at a modest 12.1 PPG. Freshman PG Andrew Nembhard (7.9 & 5.3 APG) recorded eight assists for the second straight game.Florida's counts on its "D," which allows only 63.3 PPG (20th). LSU freshman guard Javonte Smart, LSU's fourth-leading scorer at 11.5 PPG, did not play for the Tigers against Vanderbilt. The school has yet to decide whether he will suit up for today's game. However, 6-10 freshman forward Naz Reid (13.3 & 6..9), who missed the win over the Commodores with injuries sustained at Florida three days earlier, has practiced this week and is expected to play. The Tigers are led by All-SEC first teamer Tremont Waters, a sophomore guard who paces the team in scoring (15.3 PPG), ranked third in the SEC in assists (5.9) and was second nationally in steals (3.1), which garnered him a co-Defensive Player of the Year honor in the conference. Junior guard Skylar Mays is also a noteworthy player, averaging 13.6 PPG. These schools split two OT affairs this season, so I'm not expecting an LSU romp. However, with this line, a romp is NOT needed. The Tigers won their last five games of the regular season to claim the conference regular-season crown for the first time since 2009, so do NOT expect them to 'flame out' in their SEC tourney game. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-14-19 | Long Beach State +2.5 v. Hawaii | 68-66 | Win | 100 | 13 h 22 m | Show | |
My 8* play is on Long Beach St at 11:30 ET. It's a Big West tournament quarterfinal matchup from the Honda Center in Anaheim late tonight, as the 14-18 Long Beach State 49ers (8-8 in league play) take on the 18-12 Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (9-7). The 49ers started conference play 2-0 but lost EIGHT of their next nine games to fall to 3-8, before rattling off FIVE straight wins to finish the regular season at .500 in conference play. Hawaii started conference play off at 2-0 and 4-2. The Warriors made it to 7-4 before a three-game losing skid brought them back to a .500 mark in conference play. However, Hawaii rebounded by finishing the regular season with back-to-back road victories to get above .500 in Big West play and lock up the #4 seed (LBSU is the no. 5 seed). The 6-9 Jack Purchase led the Warriors with 11.5 PPG and 6.0 RPG. The 6-8 Raimo (11.4 & 5.9) checked in right behind him. Hawaii owns a solid trio of guards in Stansberry (11.3), Stepteau (10.4 & 3.4 APG) and Buggs (8.9-.4,3-5.4). The 49ers are led by PG Booker (18.9-3.4-4.5), who will be the best player on the floor. He's joined in the backcourt by Alberts (10.7). Up front, it's the 6-7 Yussef (11.0 & 6.5), the 6-7 Byars (7.8 & 6.2) and the 6-9 Riggins (6.6 & 5.4). Hawaii finished the regular season in California (won at UC-Davis and CS-Fullerton), so has remained on the mainland. However, Long Beach will right at home in Anaheim, just a 20-minute drive away. What's more, I have to side with long-time LBSU head coach Dan Monson, who has some extra time to tweak things after finishing the regular season a week ago Wednesday. "Double-revenge" works in this one and don't be surprised to see the 49ers still playing on Saturday. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-14-19 | Georgetown v. Seton Hall -2.5 | 57-73 | Win | 100 | 12 h 33 m | Show | |
My 9* play is on Seton Hall at 9:30 ET. 19-12 Georgetown is seeded 6th in the Big East tourney and will take on 18-12 Seton Hall, which earned the No.3 seed despite the fact that both schools were 9-9 in league play (tie-breakers decided the seedings). The Hoyas are off an 86-84 win in their regular season finale at Marquette, while to the Pirates snapped a three-game slide with victories over Marquette and Villanova (Big East's top-two teams) to close out the regular season. 6-10 center Govan leads the Hoyas is scoring (17.6) and rebounding (7.6) but most feel freshman guards James Akinjo (13.7 & 5.4 APG) and Mac McClung (13.4) are the real reason the Hoyas produced their first winning season in four years. The 6-7 LeBlanc (9.4 & 7.5) was a nice complement to Govan up front. Seton Hall has 'ridden' guard Myles Powell all season, the No. 2 scorer in the Big East at 22.6 PPG. The Big East Player of the Year award will likely go to either Powell or Marquette's Markus Howard, but Powell may have settled the debate with the way he played over the final five weeks of the regular season. He scored 17 points or more in each of the final 10 games, averaging 25.5 points over that span. Fellow guards McKnight (9.4 & 4.1 APG) and Cale (10.4 & 4.3) are solid backcourt partners plus up front, the 6-10 Mamukelashuili (8.8 & 7.6) and the 6-8 Nzei (9.1 & 4.9) are capable of battling Govan to a draw. Seton Hall owns wins over over Kentucky (neutral site) and at Maryland earlier thsi year and teh Pirates surely realize a loss here would really negatively effect the team's at-large chances. My bet says Powell is the 'wild card.' He is one of four players to earn unanimous All-Big East first-team honors along with Howard (conference-high 25.0 points) and Villanova's Phil Booth and Eric Paschall. I noted earlier his 25.5 PPG average over his last 10 games but he got it done in other ways too, averaging 5.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.4 steals in those final 10 contests. What's more, he has averaged 28.8 PPG in his last four games. "The Hall" is the play! Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-14-19 | SMU v. Tulsa +2 | 74-65 | Loss | -115 | 10 h 53 m | Show | |
My 8* play is on Tulsa at 8:00 ET. Short and sweet with this one. SMU crushed Tulsa 77-57 back on Jan 12 and sat at 11-5 on the season. However, the Mustangs enter the AAC tourney having lost 11 of their last 14 games (now 14-16 overall, including 6-12 in league play). The Mustangs own a veteran backcourt featuring McMurray (17.8) and PG Whitt (12.1-6.5-4.1) plus two solid frontcourt players in the 6-9 Chargois (12.5 & 6.3) and the 6-8 Miller (11.9 & 5.4). Tulsa 8-13 on the season (8-10 in conference play), led by swingman Jeffries (13.0 & 5.7). Four guards average between 5.2 and 8.7 PPG, with PG Taplin (8.7 & 4.1 APG) being the best of the group. Up front, it's the 6-8 Igbanu (12.6 & 5.7) and 6-7 (9.8 & 4.9). Tulsa is the better-balanced team and I'm not sure why a team that's lost 11 of 14 could have been installed as the slight favorite in this one. Tulsa wins comfortably. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-14-19 | Alabama v. Ole Miss -2.5 | Top | 62-57 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 26 m | Show |
My 10* SEC Tourney G.O.Y. is on Ole Miss at 7:00 ET. 17-14 Alabama will square off with 20-11 Ole Miss in the second round of the SEC tourney on Thursday night. The winner gets second-seeded and fourth-ranked Kentucky in the quarterfinals on Friday. The Crimson Tide went 8-10 in SEC play (No. 10 seed), after falling 82-70 to Arkansas on Saturday to conclude a 2-6 end to the regular season. Meanwhile, Ole Miss rallied from a double-digit deficit to upend Missouri and reach 20 victories (10-8 in the SEC / No. 7 seed). Freshman PG Kira Lewis Jr.earned all-conference freshman team honors. He leads the Crimson Tide in scoring at 13.9 points per game and is the second-youngest Division I player in the nation. Petty (10.6 & 4.4) joins him in double digit scoring in the backcourt, while three more guards combine to chip in 20.5 PPG. 6-9 senior forward Donta Hall leads the SEC in double-doubles (13) and is Alabama's main (only?) frontcourt presence (10.5 & 8.5).. Ole Miss was picked to finish last in the SEC preseason media poll but the Rebels, under first-year head coach Kermit Davis, experienced a remarkable turnaround in Davis’ first season as coach. Junior guards Breein Tyree (18.5-3.0-2.9) and Terence Davis (15.5-5.8-3.4 points) combine to form the highest-scoring duo in the SEC. Two more guards, Shuler (10.1-4.1-3,0) and Hinson (8.1) add excellent depth. Up front, the 6-8 Stevens (8.4 & 4.5) is the best performer but two others combine to add 11.6 & 7.4. Ole Miss opened the season 14-3, going a remarkable 15-2 ATS. No way the team could have kept up that pace but the Rebels did win EIGHT more games than a season ago (the eight-victory jump is the largest among all Power 5 teams this season!). Hard to believe Ole Miss WON'T remember its lone meeting with Alabama this season, a 74-53 loss at Tuscaloosa. Ole Miss may have already clinched an at-large bid but NO WAY Davis will let his team get complacent. Alabama limps in 2-6 in its last eight games (1-7 ATS), having failed to score more than 70 points in ANY of those eight games (note: The Tide are 2-10 this season when held under that mark!). Expect the Rebels to win here (COMFORTABLY), making Selection Sunday a formality. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-14-19 | St. John's v. Marquette -2.5 | Top | 54-86 | Win | 100 | 7 h 10 m | Show |
My 10* Late-Breaker is on Marquette at 7:00 ET. St John's opened 12-0 in non-conference play but a three-game losing streak to end the regular season left the Red Storm in a serious at-large predicament. St John's seemed to have an NCAA Tournament at-large bid locked up before two losses to Xavier sandwiched around a second setback of the current season to DePaul. However, the Red Storm took care of DePaul 82-74 in Wednesday's opening round, as the Blue Demons went 4 of 20 on three-pointers. St John's would likely could cement an NCAA Tournament berth with a win Thursday evening against 23-8 Marquette, the Big East's No. 2 seed. The Golden Eagles lost twice this season to seventh-seeded St. John's but more importantly enter this game having lost FOUR in a row! Junior PG Shamorie Ponds leads the Red storm in scoring (19.7) and assists (5.3) with four more players averaing in double digits. Sophomore guard LJ Figueroa (14.6) leads the team in rebounding at 6.3 per plus guard Heron (an Auburn transfer) chips in 15.1 & 4.8. The 6-7 Clark (11.1 & 5.4) and junior guard Justin Simon (10.3-4.9-3.2) round out the group (Simon was named the league's Defensive Player of the Year). Marquette's Markus Howard (25.0-3.9-4.0) was just named the Big East Player of the Year. However, Howard was relatively quiet over his final five games during the regular season, shooting just over 35 percent from the floor and barely over 31 percent from three-point range during that stretch. The Hauser brothers have supported Howard all season, with 6-9 junior Sam adding 14.8 & 7.1 and 6-9 freshman Joey chipping in 9.8 & 5.3. That said, Sam Hauser (like Howard) has struggled lately, with performances of three points and seven points, shooting 1-of-7 and 2-of-11 from the floor in two of his last three games. So will Marquette 'roll over?' I CAN'T see that. The Red Storm beat Marquette by 20 in early January and by one in early February. If that alone wasn't motivation enough, how about the Golden Eagles current four-game slide which began with a 67-61 loss at Villanova on Feb 27. Steve Wojciechowsk's team is TOO good to go out with a loss in this one! Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-14-19 | UNLV v. San Diego State | 55-63 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 60 m | Show | |
My 9* Daytime Dominator is on UNLV at 5:30 ET. The MWC tourney moves into its second day with games at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. SD State is 19-12 overall and UNLV enters 17-13 (both were 11-7 in league play). The Aztecs enter having lost THREE of four, after an 81-53 defeat at the Nevada Wolf Pack. Meanwhile, the Rebels won consecutive contests to end the regular season after squeezing by the Colorado State Rams 65-60 as a small road underdog. SDSU will have the best big man on the floor in the 6-10 McDaniels (16.0 & 8.1) plus PG Watson (15.7 & 4.2 APG) will be the game's best backcourt player. However, I like UNLV's depth a little bit more in this one. Clyburn (13.9 & 5.3), Hardy (13.2) and PG Robotman (9.5 & 5.0 APG) are a solid trio plus after UNLV lost its best frontcourt player early in the season (the 6-7 Juiston, who averaged 10.8 & 8.8), a couple of big men have developed over the season. They are the 6-9 Ntambwe (11.9 & 5.5) and the 6-11 Mbacke Diong (7.0 & 6.8). This game is being played on UNLV's homecourt and while clearly it no longer offers the domianting advantage it once did, I like the Rebels in this 'double revenge" situation from the regular season. UNLV lost 60-59 at home to SDSU back on Feb 23 but overall, the Rebels ended the season winning FIVE of seven (only other loss was to then-No. 8 Nevada). The THIRD time will be the 'CHARM' (win & cover!) for the Rebels! Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-14-19 | Iowa State -2 v. Baylor | 83-66 | Win | 100 | 6 h 5 m | Show | |
My 9* Eye-Opener is on Iowa St at 12:30 ET. The 20-11 Iowa State Cyclones (9-9 in Big 12) will square off against the 19-12 and Baylor Bears (10-8) at the Sprint Center Thursday afternoon in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tourney. The 5th-seeded Cyclones got to as high as No. 17 in this year's AP poll but will enter this game having lost FIVE of their last six games. The 4th-seeded Bears suffered a huge blow after losing the 6-9 Tristan Clark (14.6 & 6.3) halfway through the season but the Bears survived to win 19 games overall, including going 10-8 in league play. The undersized Cyclones start four guards, along with the 6-9 Jacobson. FIVE of the team's top-six scorers are guards, led by senior Marial Shayok (18.7 & 5.1). Jacobson adds 11.6 & 5.1). Guard Makai Mason(14.6) took over as Baylor's leader when Clark went down but he has an injured foot (he is listed as probable). I noted already that Iowa St comes in having lost five of six but Baylor lost its last three games, including a shocking 67-64 loss at home to Oklahoma State (Bears are 0-4-1 ATS their last five games). Simply put, Iowa State is the more talented team and playing with "double revenge" (ISU lost by THREE and FOUR points!), should be able to handle a Baylor team that can't match the Cyclones offensive 'punch' (ISU averages 77.7 PPG / 60th in the nation) and doesn't have the size to hurt Iowa St up front. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-13-19 | DePaul v. St. John's -5 | 74-82 | Win | 100 | 12 h 18 m | Show | |
My 9* play is on St John's at 9:30 ET. St John's opened 12-0 in non-conference play but a three-game losing streak to end the regular season leaves the Red Storm in a serious at-large predicament. St John's seemed to have an NCAA Tournament at-large bid locked up before two losses to Xavier sandwiched around a second setback of the current season to DePaul, The team's 8-10 league mark leaves them as the Big East's No. 7 and with a first round game against 15-11 Blue Demons (the No. 10 seed with a 7-11 record). DePaul finished with its most Big East wins (seven) in 12 years and had won two in a row prior to a 91-78 loss at Creighton to finish the regular season. . Senior guard Max Strus, an All-Big East second team selection, leads the way at 19.0 PPG, as a well as adding 6.1 RPG (he erupted for a career-high 43 points in the 92-83 win over the Red Storm earlier this month). Five more DePaul players average between 7.2 and 13.3 PPG, including the team's top rebounder, the 6-9 Reed (11.2 & a Big East-leading 8.2 RPG). Junior PG Shamorie Ponds ranked third in the Big East in scoring (19.8), second in assists (5.2) and first in steals (2.6) during the regular season en route to a first team selection. He is one of five players on the team who average at least 10 points per game. Sophomore guard LJ Figueroa (14.6) leads the team in rebounding at 6.3 per. Guard Heron (an Auburn transfer) chips in 15.0 & 5.7, the 6-7 Clark (11.2 & 5.9) plus junior guard Justin Simon (10.0 PPG) was named the league's Defensive Player of the Year. These schools have never met in the Big East tournament but it's impossible to ignore that the Blue Demons are an awful 2-11 in Big East tourney play, including first-round exits in each of the last four years. MSG is St John's defacto "home arena" and with DOUBLE-revenge on its mind, expect St John's to win going away. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-13-19 | North Texas -1 v. Florida International | 71-57 | Win | 100 | 12 h 13 m | Show | |
My 8* play is on North Texas at 9:30 ET. My 3-in-1 STP is based on "double-revenge" games. I've offered a detailed analysis in St John's over DePaul but with North Texas over FIU and UAB over MTSU, I'll make it SHORT & SIMPLE. North Texas sat 20-4 (8-3 in C-USA play) on the morning of Feb 9 but lost its final SEVEN games of the regular season. Two of the losses came at FIU (19-12 / 10-8), 57-47 (Feb 14) and 73-58 (Mar 9). C-USA began bonus play-in games towards the end of the regular season, setting up North Texas losing to FIU with both games being played in Miami. This game is in Frisco, Tx, a site MUCH more favorable to the mean Green. Play North Texas. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-13-19 | Middle Tennessee v. UAB -4.5 | 61-70 | Win | 100 | 10 h 13 m | Show | |
My 8* play is on UAB at 7:30 ET. My 3-in-1 STP is based on "double-revenge" games. I've offered a detailed analysis in St John's over DePaul but with North Texas over FIU and UAB over MTSU, I'll make it SHORT & SIMPLE. The Blue Raiders of Middle Tennessee (11-20 / 8-10) found ways to beat the UAB Blazers (18-13 / 8-10) twice within a four-day span, 71-65 at home on Jan 30 and 79-79 at UAB on Feb 2. However, the bottom line is this. UAB is the superior team. The third time WILL be "the charm!" Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-13-19 | Oklahoma State v. TCU -3.5 | 70-73 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 40 m | Show | |
My 9* Weekly Wipeout Winner is on TCU at 7:00 ET. Eighth-seeded TCU (7-11) meets No. 9 seed Oklahoma State (5-13) at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo on Wednesday night in the Big 12's first round. However, while the Horned Frogs are 19-12 overall, the Cowboys limp in just 12-19. TCU's NCAA Tournament hopes for an at-large bid were helped by the team's Big 12 regular-season finale win at Texas (TCU won 69-56). OSU will not be playing in the postseason but the Cowboys, who dismissed four players from the team in January, will enter the Big 12 tourney on a roll after consecutive wins to end the regular season, 67-64 at Baylor and 85-77 against West Virginia on Saturday The 6-7 McGriff leads OSU in scoring (12.5) and rebounding (7.4) with four guards chipping in between 8.3 and 11.9 PPG. Junior guard Lindy Waters III scored 19 points against the Mountaineers, freshman Isaac Likelele (team-high 4.0 APG) added a season-high nine assists and the 6-7 Yor Anei (7.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, Big-12 leading 2.5 blocks) scored 16 points and added eight blocks - a program record for a freshman. TCU has played exactly seven players in each of its last six games. The starting guards are Bane (15.2 & 5.5) and PG Robinson (12.7 & 6.9 APG). Up front, the 6-7 Noi (14.1 & 4.8) and the 6-8 Miller (11.0 & 6.5) surround 6-11 center Samuel (7.2 & 7.0). Bane scored a career-high 34 points in Saturday's win at Texa. Senior Alex Robinson earned third-team all-conference honors (led Big 12 in assists) while sophomore forward Kouat Noi was named honorable mention all-conference selection. The teams split the season series with TCU winning at home 70-68 on a running fadeaway jumper by JD Miller with one second left back on Feb 6 and the Cowboys pulling off a 68-61 triumph 12 days later. The winner of this game will face top seed Kansas State on Thursday, so while tonight's loser is out, the winner will likely be gone by Thursday night. Then again, TCU does own two wins this season over a good Iowa St team (20-11) and the Horned Frogs would almost assure an at-large bid by beating the Wildcats. First things first. Expect TCU to handle OSU "with room to spare!" Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-13-19 | Butler -1 v. Providence | Top | 57-80 | Loss | -107 | 13 h 54 m | Show |
My 10* Big East Tourney Game of the Year is on Butler at 7:00 ET. Butler has gone 'dancing' in 10 of the previous 12 seasons but at 16-15 overall entering the Big East tourney, will need to capture the championship to make it to the Big Dance in 2019. Providence is just 17-14 overall and is a VERY unlikely at-large pick, so the Friars face a similar scenario as Butler. In this contest, Providence seeks its third win over Butler in a span of just over two weeks, as the eighth-seeded Friars take on the ninth-seeded Bulldogs in the first round of the Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden (both schools were 7-11 in league play). The Bulldogs had a couple of wins over SEC teams (Ole Miss and Florida) during a 9-4 non-conference slate and then split their first six conference games while eyeing a fifth straight NCAA Tournament berth, but it's been a downward trend ever since. Butler finished the regular season with a 1-4 slide Junior guard Kamar Baldwin leads the way with 17.5 PPG and was an All-Big East second team selection. Senior guard Paul Jorgensen (11.8 PPG) was named Big East Sixth Man of the Year. The Bulldogs have talent up front, with the 6-6 McDermott (9.7 PG) being the top scorer. The 6-11 Brunk (7.7 & 3.7) and the 6-10 Folwer (5.4 & 3.6) share time at center, while 6-7 Duke transfer Tucker (9.4 & 4.4) has been a solid addition since becoming eligible in mid-December. 6-7 Diallo is a big guard who leads the Friars in scoring (16.1), rebounding (8.2) and assists (3.1). Five more perimeter players chip in about 37 points per game. However, the only frontcourt player of note is the 6-10 Watkins (11.7 & 5.2). Noteworthy coming into this tourney are freshman guard AJ Reeves, who missed nine games in the middle of the season due to a foot injury bur scored 24 points against Butler last week. Senior guard Isaiah Jackson is averaging 18.3 points - nearly double his average for the season - over his last three games. Yes, Providence has won 10 of 13 matchups since Butler joined the Big East and Butler is just 1-5 in Big East tourney play. However, I have to believe the LAST team Providence wanted to face in its first Big East games was Butler. The Friars beat the Bulldogs twice in their last four games, in overtime on the road and then by 13 points at home. Butler will definitely be gunnin’ for Providence. Look at the line, the two-time loser this season opened a one-point choice. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-13-19 | Wyoming v. New Mexico -7.5 | 68-78 | Win | 100 | 11 h 33 m | Show | |
My 9* Daytime Dominator is on New Mexico at 4:30 ET. The Wyoming Cowboys enter the MWC tourney as the No. 10 seed. They finished the regular season with an 8-23 overall record, including 4-14 in conference play. League play was tough for the Cowboys, as they started 0-5, 1-8 and 2-14, before finally picking up back-to-back wins for the first time to finish the regular season. The New Mexico Lobos enter the tourney as the No. 7 seed, finishing the year with a 13-17 overall record that includes 7-11 in conference play. New Mexico finished in a three-way tie with Colorado State and Boise State but won the No. 7 seed on a head-to-head tiebreaker. The Lobos split their first six conference games before losing SEVEN of their next nine. New Mexico won back-to-back game but then lost to these same Wyoming Cowboys in its regular season finale 88-81 in Laramie. Wyoming is one of the nation's lowest-scoring teams, averaging 65.7 PPG (327th) and depends almost solely on 6-7 guard Justin James. He leads the team in scoring (21.8), rebounding (8.6) and assists (4.4). The only other double digit scorer is fellow guard Hendricks (10.9). The Lobos have way more talent. Mathis (14.7) is the team's leading scorer and is joined in the backcourt by McGee (9.0). Four frontcourt players average between 8.9 and 12.5 PPG. The 6-9 Jackson tops in scoring at 12.5 PPG and the 6-10 Bragg grabs 9.3 RPG (he had 22 & 20 at Wyoming in the recent loss). These teams just met this past Saturday (see above), as Wyoming, which averages just 65.7 PPG on 41.8% shooting (302nd), scored 88 points while shooting 51.9% from the floor. NO chance that happens again here in Las Vegas. Note that New Mexico was a five-point favorite at Laramie and is barely more than that here, in a neutral setting. In this quick turnaround I'm "all over" New Mexico. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
03-11-19 | San Diego +5 v. St. Mary's | Top | 62-69 | Loss | -105 | 17 h 47 m | Show |
My 10* Perfect Storm is on San Diego (11:30 EST). The Toreros obviously won’t be going down without a fight today. In fact, with a tight spread like this, the outright victory is clearly not out of the question either. San Diego has played well during the WCC Tournament, winning its first three games. The Toreros play with “double revenge” here as well after losing both regular season games to the Gaels. Overall San Diego averages 72.6 PPG and it allows 68. Over their last three games though the Toreros have conceded an average of just 49.6 points. Saint Mary’s played well during the regular season, but it lost its regular season finale to Gonzaga to snap a five-game winning streak. Saint Mary’s averages 73.5 PPG and they allow 65. Over its last four it’s conceded just 48.7. These teams are evenly matched. The Toreros though have the added incentive of double revenge. Also note that the Gaels are just 2-7 ATS in their last nine neutral site games, while San Diego is 4-1 ATS in its last five neural site affairs. Grab the points. Good luck…Larry | |||||||
03-11-19 | Ohio +4 v. Northern Illinois | 61-80 | Loss | -105 | 15 h 33 m | Show | |
My 8* Las Vegas Insider is on Ohio (9:00 EST). It’s the first round of the MAC Tournament and I’m expecting a battle until the end between these two hungry teams. Both teams struggled for the most part this year, but each closed well. NIU won its last two, while Ohio won two of three. Also note that this is a prime “revenge” scenario for Ohio, who can avenge two regular season losses to the Huskies this year. The Bobcats average 70.4 PPG and they allow 73.6. Jason Carter leads the way with 16.5 points and 6.7 boards per game. Note though that Ohio’s defense has been much better of late, cone ding only 62.6 over its last three. NIU averages 73.5 PPG and it allows 71.1. Eugene German leads the nightly charge with 19.6 points and 5.1 boards per game. I’ll point out though that the Huskies are poor 0-4 ATS in their last four vs. teams with losing SU records, while Ohio is 4-0 ATS in its last four following an ATS victory. In a contest which I see coming down to whichever of these hungry schools has its hands on the ball last, I’m grabbing the points. Good luck…Larry | |||||||
03-11-19 | Green Bay v. Wright State -6 | 54-66 | Win | 100 | 12 h 17 m | Show | |
My 9* Oddsmaker’s Error is on Wright State (7:00 EST). It’s a semi-final matchup in the Horizon League in Detroit with the winner advancing to the title game on Tuesday. Green Bay got here by getting the better of UIC 82-77, while Wright State smashed IUPUI 71-56. Wright State won’t be looking past the Phoenix obviously, as these teams split a pair of games in the regular season. Previous to their win over UIC, the Phoenix lost two straight to end the regular season. Green Bay averages 81.2 PPG. Which is good. However, the Phoenix need to score a lot of point, because they allow 80.2. Sandy Cohen III leads the nightly charge with 17.3 points, 6.3 boards and 4.5 assists per game. Wright State is on a mission though and it come in on top form still having won eight of its last nine. Billy Wampler had 18 points off the bench in its latest victory. The Raiders average 73.8 PPG and they concede just 67.5. The Raiders are also 6-1 ATS in their last seven following a SU win, while the Phoenix are just 3-7 ATS in their last ten in the same position. The Raiders’ defense is firing on all cylinders right now (just held IUPUI to 56 points) and I think Green Bay has difficulties here as well. Lay the points. Good luck…Larry | |||||||
03-10-19 | Wisconsin v. Ohio State +3 | Top | 73-67 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 32 m | Show |
My 10* Situational Stunner is on Ohio State (3:30 EST). This one simply “means more” to Ohio State. While the Badgers have already wrapped up their NCAA Tournament berth, the hungry Buckeyes who have lost two straight, are firmly on the bubble. The home side will also be without leading scorer Kaleb Wesson for a third straight, meaning guards Keyshawn Woods (15 points) and Duane Washington (11) are going to be leaned on here to step up and fill the void. The Badgers got 21 points from Ethan Happ in their 65-45 win over Iowa on Thursday. Note though that Wisconsin is a terrible 4-9 ATS this year after playing two straight games as a favorite, while Ohio State is 4-1 ATS in its last five off a poor road loss in which it scored 60 points or less in. Despite Wesson being out, I think that Ohio State rallies on Senior Night in this critical end of season contest. Grab the points. Good luck…Larry | |||||||
03-09-19 | UCLA +4.5 v. Utah | Top | 81-92 | Loss | -108 | 13 h 31 m | Show |
My 10* Revenge Rout is on UCLA (7:00 EST). Clearly the outright win isn’t out of the question, but in a contest which I envision coming down to whichever of these hungry teams has its hands on the ball last, I’m going to recommend grabbing the points. As the title of this package suggests, this is indeed a “revenge” game for UCLA, after Utah took the reverse fixture on the road 93-92 earlier in the season. UCLA comes in determined after its poor 93-69 loss to Colorado last time out, while Utah comes in complacent after its 83-74 home win over USC. Kris Wilkes was a bright spot for the Bruins in their latest setback, scoring 19 points and grabbing five boards. Overall the Bruins average 78.3 PPG and they concede 77.3. The Utes got 19 pints from Timmy Allen in their win over USC on Thursday. Utah averages 75.8 PPG and it concedes 74.6. I’ll point out though that UCLA is a solid 6-2 ATS in its last eight revenging a loss vs. an opponent which scored 85 points or more. Utah on the other hand is a money-burning 3-7 ATS this season after scoring 80 points or more. Grab the points and expect a “nail biter.” Good luck…Larry | |||||||
03-09-19 | Arizona State +1 v. Arizona | 72-64 | Win | 100 | 10 h 31 m | Show | |
The first pick of my Superstar Triple Play (8*) is on Arizona State (4:00 EST). Arizona saw its three game win streak come to an end with a loss at Oregon on Wednesday and I think it’ll stumble here as it tries to move to .500 in conference play (currently 8-9.) The Sun Devils come in on top form and they won’t want to take the foot off the gas. ASU is 4-1 in its last five and is 11-6 in conference play after defeating Oregon State on Sunday. It wasn’t pretty, but Arizona State posted the 74-71 win over Oregon State to secure the No. 2 seed in the tournament. However note that ASU remains firmly “on the bubble:” “There’s no more time to relax,” forward Zylan Cheatham assessed. “I mean, we’ve dropped games that we feel like we shouldn’t have dropped and we put ourselves in this position. So there is no more margin for error. I feel like we need to get every game going forward.” Arizona comes in off its worst effort of the year in last weekend’s 73-47 loss to the Ducks. I think the team is still collectively mentally caught up on that “dud.” Chase Jeter is expected to miss this one with a bruised knee, but Brandon Williams is expected to be activated. Despite that though the Wildcats are just 19-28 ATS the last two season as a home favorite or pick. ASU on the other hand is 5-0 ATS in its last five after playing two consecutive games as a road underdog. Grab the points. Good luck…Larry | |||||||
03-09-19 | UNLV v. Colorado State -3 | 65-60 | Loss | -105 | 9 h 23 m | Show | |
The second pick of my Superstar Triple Play (8*) is on Colorado State (4:00 EST). Colorado State looks to close out the regular season with a victory. The Rams had won three in a row before back-to-back losses to New Mexico and Utah State. The home side comes in as the more focused/hungry team, as UNLV broke a two game slide last time out with a win over Boise State. It was an emotional 85-81 OT win on senior night for UNLV and I think a predictable letdown on the road here vs. this determined home side is imminent. The Rams pushed conference leader Utah State to OT, but eventually came up short 100-96 on Tuesday. Five players scored in double figures though, led by Kris Martin with 20 points and ten boards. This is a revenge game as well, as the Rebels won the reverse fixture 78-76 at home. The Rams though are a money-making 7-3 ATS in their last ten games following a loss, while UNLV is still only 12-30-5 ATS in its last 47 on the road. Lay the points. Good luck…Larry | |||||||
03-09-19 | West Virginia v. Oklahoma State -4.5 | Top | 77-85 | Win | 100 | 9 h 23 m | Show |
The third pick of my Superstar Triple Play (10*) is on Oklahoma State (4:00 EST). The Mountaineers come in off a 90-75 home win over Iowa State on Seniors Night Wednesday. The Cowboys will look to do the same here in their regular season finale. OKS comes in with momentum as well after its 67-64 road win over Baylor. The Cowboys posted the 85-77 road win over WVU in the first meeting and I think they’ll lay the hammer down here as well. WVU has gotten back-to-back double-doubles from Derek Culver, but the Mountaineers still are second to last in the Big 12. Overall WVU averages 72.8 PPG and it concedes 76.5. OKS won’t be taking anything for granted here as it looks to post a win on Seniors night. The Cowboys had lost three straight previous to their latest road victory. Isaac Likekele had 23 points and nine boards against the win over the Bears. Overall the Cowboys average 67.4 points, while allowing 71.3. I’ll point out though that WVU is still just 1-6 ATS in its last seven on the road and only 1-4 ATS in its last five following an ATS win, while the Cowboys are 4-1 ATS in their last five vs. the conference. Lay the points. Good luck…Larry | |||||||
03-09-19 | Villanova -3 v. Seton Hall | 75-79 | Loss | -105 | 6 h 31 m | Show | |
My 8* Eye-Opener is on Villanova (12:00 EST). Villanova beat Butler 75-54 last Saturday and with a win today, it’ll lock up the No. 1 seed in the upcoming tournament. Phil Booth had 28 points and all seven players scored at least four points in the win for Villanova. The Wildcats won’t be taking anything for granted here either, as they’ve dropped four straight road games (note that they haven’t lost five straight on the road since 2011.) Villanova though has won three straight at Seton Hall and six in a row overall in this series. that included an easy 80-52 win at home in the reverse fixture on January 27th. Seton Hall would get an invite to The Big Dance with an upset win here, but I think it’s poised for a classic letdown after its upset win over No. 16 Marquette (73-64) on Wednesday. Myles Powell exploded for 34 points in the victory. The Wildcats are rested and I think this is a major match-up issue for the Pirates once again. Lay the points. Good luck…Larry | |||||||
03-08-19 | Minnesota +7 v. Maryland | Top | 60-69 | Loss | -105 | 12 h 26 m | Show |
My 10* LEGEND is on Minnesota (7:00 EST). Maryland backs its way into the conference tournament. The Terrapins have lost two straight as they head in the regular season finale. The Golden Gophers are surging in the opposite direction, as they’ve won two straight, most recently an epic upset over Purdue, avenging an earlier loss. Right now Minnesota is seventh in the conference standings, six games behind Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue. The Gophers are still on the bubble for the big dance, but an outright victory today would guarantee a spot. It’s a big game for Minnesota and I expect it to play with desperation from the opening tip, until the final horn. Minnesota averages 71.5 PPG and it concedes 68.7. Amir Coffey leads the way with 15.8 points and 3.7 boards per game. Maryland took the first game in Minnesota, but I think it’ll have its hands full here. The Terrapins are locked into the fifth spot in the Big Ten standings and it’s a No. 5 seed in the NCAA tournament. Only winning the ACC tournament itself would change that. The Terps average 71.8 PPG and they concede 65.1. Anthony Cowan Jr. averages 15.7 points and 4.3 assists per game. Note though that the numbers support the visitors here, as they’re 5-1 ATS in their last six road games vs. a team with a home winning percentage of greater than .600, while Maryland is just 3-7-1 ATS in its last 11 home games vs. a team with a road winning percentage of less than .400. I’m grabbing the points and expecting an all out war until the final horn. Good luck…Larry | |||||||
03-08-19 | Miami-OH +1.5 v. Ohio | 57-66 | Loss | -105 | 12 h 21 m | Show | |
My 8* Situational Stunner is on Miami Ohio (7:00 EST). The Ohio Bobcats come in with zero momentum, having lost eight of their last ten games. Miami Ohio hasn’t been too much better this season and it comes in off back-to-back setbacks. Most recently the Redhawks fell 75-68 to Kent State on Tuesday. Nike Sibande was a bright spot in a losing cause with 21 points and ten boards. The Redhawks catch a break though facing the impotent Bobcats. Ohio gave its best shot vs. the Buffalo Bulls last time out, but it still wasn’t enough int he 82-79 setback (just 3 of 17 from range.) Overall the Bobcats are just 9-19 ATS this season, rarely even putting up a fight. The RedHawks on the other hand are at least a very respectable 5-1 ATS in their last six following a SU loss. Grab the points. Good luck…Larry | |||||||
03-07-19 | USC +3 v. Utah | 74-83 | Loss | -108 | 15 h 9 m | Show | |
The second pick of my Superstar Triple Play (8*) is on USC (10:00 EST). USC is 8-8 in league play, while Utah is 9-7. This is a revenge game for USC after it fell 77-70 at home in the first matchup between the schools this season. Most recently the Trojans fell at UCLA on Thursday. Bennie Boatwright was a bright spot in a losing cause with 25 points, 15 boards and six assists. Overall the Trojans are averaging 76.7 points and conceding 72.6. USC has struggled on the road this year, but it won’t be lacking for motivation here. Utah is 8-5 at home this year, but the Utes have lost three of their last four, including a home loss to Arizona State 98-87, and two of three on the road. Utah averages 75.5 PPG and it concedes 74.6 (ranked last in the conference in forcing turnovers.) USC has shown signs of life, taking UCLA to OT in its last game on the road. The Trojans smoked Cal by 23 on the road, lost at Stanford by three and then destroyed Washington State. USC has looked great from range as well, hitting 38.2 percent, while Utah has struggled in defending the three, allowing 36 percent from three-point land. While the outright isn’t out of the question, I’m grabbing the points. Good luck…Larry | |||||||
03-07-19 | Hawaii v. UC-Davis -2 | Top | 76-69 | Loss | -110 | 15 h 9 m | Show |
The third pick of my Superstar Triple Play (10*) is on UC Davis (10:00 EST). It’s a big game. Regular season finale and each of these teams is tied for fourth in the Big West standings with a 7-7 record. I don’t think that the home court advantage can be overlooked as a deciding factor in this particular situation. Hawaii comes in hungry, but with absolutely no momentum or confidence whatsoever after three straight losses (most recently 84-73 to Cal State Northridge.) Jack Purchase was a bright spot with 20 points. The Warriors average 103.0 points per 100 possessions, while allowing 107.4 points per 100 possessions. While their offensive average does go up during conference play, the Warriors’ weakness clearly remains on the defensive side of the floor. UC Davis is suddenly moving in the opposite direction, snapping a three-game slide with a confidence-building 66-59 home win over Cla State Fullerton on Saturday. TJ Shorts had 18 points in the victory. The Aggies average only 96.5 points per 100 possessions, while allowing 102.8 per 100 possessions. I’ll point out though that UC Davis is 20-8-1 ATS in its last 29 home games vs. a team with a losing road record. Also note that the Warriors are a money-burning 1-4 ATS in their last five road games vs. a team with a home winning percentage greater than .600. I’m laying the points. Good luck…Larry | |||||||
03-07-19 | UCLA +6 v. Colorado | 68-93 | Loss | -105 | 14 h 20 m | Show | |
The first pick of my Superstar Triple Play (8*) is on UCLA (9:00 EST). UCLA comes in with considerable momentum and I don’t think it’ll go down without a fight tonight either. The Bruins won their third straight in a 93-88 OT effort over USC on Thursday. Jaylen Hands had 21 points, ten assists and three boards. UCLA enters averaging 78.6 PPG, while conceding 76.8. The Buffs come in off a win as well, pulling away for a 71-63 victory over Utah on Saturday. Tyler Bey led the way with 17 points and ten boards. Colorado averages 74.2 PPG, and it concedes 68.5. Both teams are hungry, but the Bruins’ recent form could even see this out have an outright upset. That said, grab the points! Good luck…Larry | |||||||
03-06-19 | South Florida -7.5 v. Tulane | Top | 75-70 | Loss | -109 | 14 h 35 m | Show |
My 10* Wipeout Winner is on South Florida (8:00 EST). South Florida will look to keep the foot on the gas from start to finish. USF won’t want to be the team to lose to the Green Wave, who enter on an 18-game losing streak. USF in fact enters on a losing streak of its own and it’s going to be desperate to break the slide and get back into the winners circle with a big win here (the Bulls have lost three straight to Houston, UCF and UConn.) USF hasn’t finished with 20 wins since 2011, but with 18 victories right now and with two very “winnable” games left, the Bulls have their fate in their own hands. The Green Wave have been terrible all year and looking back sees them 20-42-3 ATS in their last 65 home games. USF has been struggling of late, but it enters 11-2 ATS in its last 13 on the road. Lay the points, expect a rout. Good luck…Larry | |||||||
03-05-19 | Purdue v. Minnesota +5 | 69-73 | Win | 100 | 13 h 28 m | Show | |
My 8* Situational Stunner is on Minnesota (8:00 EST). Outright win? Clearly it’s not out of the question. But in a contest which I envision coming down to whichever of these hungry sides has its hands on the ball last, I’m going to recommend to grab the points. The Boilermakers come in complacent after five straight wins? Probably not. That said, the team has been playing at a very high level over the last month and a half and a letdown at some point is imminent. Overall the Boilermakers average 76.8 points and they allow 66.7. Carsen Edwards leads the way with 23.5 points and 3.4 boards per game. The Golden Gophers won’t be taking anything for granted here as they’d break a two game losing streak with their latest victory. The Gophers average 71.5 points and they allow 68.7. Amir Coffey leads the nightly charge with 15.2 points and 3.6 assists per game. The Boilermakers have been rolling of late, but all good things must come to an end. The home side won’t be lacking for motivation. I’m grabbing the points. Good luck…Larry | |||||||
03-05-19 | Rhode Island v. St. Joe's -1 | Top | 86-85 | Loss | -107 | 12 h 29 m | Show |
My 10* Conf. Crusher is on St. Joseph’s (7:00 EST). This is the first meeting between the schools this season. Last year they split a pair of games. I think that the home floor advantage will prove to be the difference in the end between these two hungry teams. Rhode Island comes in off a thrilling 72-70 road win over Dayton and I think it’s asking too much of the Rams to try and pull off back-to-back upsets away from friendly confines. St. Joseph’s enters off a 72-62 home win over La Salle and I believe the team will carry that momentum over here. The Rams are 4-7 SU on the road this year. So far in A-10 action they’ve averaged 68.2 points and conceded 67.3. Jeff Dowtin had ten points and five assists in his team’s most recent upset victory. St. Joe’s has won two straight. Charlie Brown Jr. has now posted at least 20 points eight times in A10 play after the win over La Salle. The Hawks average 69.9 points and allow 71.7. Rhode Island is a poor team which comes in off a monumental victory. The Hawks had lost three in a row before their two-game win streak and I don’t see them taking the foot off the gas this close to the end. Rhode Island suffers a letdown and the surging Hawks pull away down the stretch. Good luck…Larry | |||||||
03-04-19 | Texas +8.5 v. Texas Tech | Top | 51-70 | Loss | -109 | 14 h 15 m | Show |
My 10* CBB UNDERDOG SPECIAL is on Texas (9:00 EST). Texas Tech comes in having won seven straight, including a victory over TCU on Saturday. Texas hasn’t thrown in the towel though. Far from it. After two straight losses the Longhorns enter off a 17-point win over Iowa State. Texas is almost assuredly going “dancing” this year, but one last signature upset victory would completely seal the deal. Either way, I’m not expecting the visitors, led by Courtney Ramey with 15.3 points over the last three games, to go down without a fight tonight. Texas Tech beat TCU 81-66 to keep its conference title hopes alive. The Red Raiders are led by Jarrett Culver with 17.9 points and 6.2 boards per game. But Texas Tech has been susceptible for letdowns in this spot, going just 2-7 ATS in its last nine home games against teams with a road winning percentage under .400. Texas on the other hand is 6-1 ATS in its last seven vs. teams with winning records. Grab the points and expect a war. Good luck…Larry | |||||||
03-03-19 | Arizona State v. Oregon State -3 | 74-71 | Loss | -109 | 14 h 45 m | Show | |
My 9* Wipeout Winner is on Oregon State (8:00 EST). Arizona State enters off a 79-51 road loss to Oregon and I think it’ll struggle in the second game of its Pacific Northwest road trip. Oregon State comes in off a close 74-72 loss to Arizona and it plays with revenge here after losing the reverse fixture in the desert 70-67 back on January 17th. Oregon State only sits a half game behind ASU as well in the standings, so to say this is a big game and opportunity for the home side would be an understatement in my opinion. ASU averages 78.1 PPG and it concedes 73.3. Luguentz Dort leads the way with 16.1 points and 4.4 boards per game. Oregon State averages 73.5 PPG and it allows 68.9. Tres Tinkle leads the nightly charge with 20 points, eight boards and 4.1 assists per game. Additionally I’ll point out that ASU is just 5-12-2 ATS in its last 19 road games vs. a team with a winning home record, while the Beavers are 9-1 ATS in their last ten following an ATS loss. Lay the points. Good luck…Larry | |||||||
03-03-19 | Washington -2 v. Stanford | Top | 62-61 | Loss | -109 | 10 h 45 m | Show |
My 10* Conf. Crusher is on Washington (4:00 EST). Washington is still atop the PAC 12 standings, but it won’t be taking anything for granted here after suffering a loss earlier in the week. The Huskies in fact lost to previously winless Cal, 76-73 on Thursday. David Crisp was a bright spot in a losing cause with 32 points, while Jaylen Nowell added 22. The Huskies average 108.2 points per 100 possessions and they allow just 92.6 points. After “looking past” the Golden Bears, I’m expecting the No. 1 team in the conference to come in very focused here. Stanford broke a two-game slide with a 98-50 beatdown win over WSU last time out, getting 22 points from KZ Opala. Overall the Cardinal average 105.3 points per 100 possessions, while allowing 98.6. Washington has struggled at Stanford over the years, but the overall situation favors the Huskies here. I expect the “better” team to keep the foot on the gas from start to finish. This line could easily be a few points higher in my opinion. Play on Washington. Good luck…Larry | |||||||
03-02-19 | San Diego +6 v. BYU | Top | 73-87 | Loss | -115 | 15 h 35 m | Show |
My 10* CBB GAME OF THE MONTH is on San Diego (9:00 EST). San Diego finished 18-12 (BYU is 18-12 overall as well). The Toreros won’t be playing in the NCAA Tournament, but they enter the regular season finale “firing on all cylinders” and I believe the team carries that momentum over here. San Diego has won two of three. The Toreros are a well balanced team, averaging 72.9 PPG and allowing 69.2. Keep your eyes on Isaiah Pineiro, who leads the team with 19.5 points and 9.4 boards per game. BYU has faltered under the pressure as the season has wound down, as it enters having lost two straight. The Cougars have a decent offense which averages 79.4 PPG, but their defense has been poor in conceding 76.1 (note that BYU gave up 102 points in their last game.) I think it’s significant to note as well that this is a “revenge” game for the Toreros after they fell 88-82 in OT at home on February 14th (and that is INDEED significant, as note that San Diego is a money-making 6-1 ATS in its last seven revving a loss where an opponent scored 85 points or more in!) In a contest which I envision coming down to whichever of these evenly matched sides has its hands on the ball last, I’m grabbing the points. Good luck…Larry | |||||||
03-02-19 | Memphis v. Cincinnati -9.5 | 69-71 | Loss | -105 | 14 h 37 m | Show | |
My 9* Rivalry Rout is on Cincinnati (8:00 EST). Memphis comes in off an 81-73 win at home over Temple last time out, while Cincinnati held on for a much tougher than expected 52-49 road win over SMU on Wednesday. The Bearcats have won five straight in this series, but they won’t be taking anything for granted here after their slim 69-64 road win in Memphis on February 7th. Memphis has won three straight and it sits in fifth place. The Tigers average 82.3 PPG, but they concede 76.7. Cincinnati is averaging 72.4 PPG and it’s conceding 61. The Bearcats are 15-1 at home this year. The Tigers are 3-6 in true road games. After its lacklustre performance last time out, and after having a difficult time with Memphis in the reverse previous fixture, I believe the home side comes in focused on the task at hand tonight. Lay the points. Good luck…Larry | |||||||
03-02-19 | Baylor v. Kansas State OVER 126.5 | Top | 60-66 | Loss | -110 | 14 h 36 m | Show |
My 10* (BIG 12) CONF. TOTAL OF THE YEAR is on the over Baylor/K-State (8:00 EST). Two teams which normally focus on the defensive end of the floor collide on Saturday night, but I think this total will sneak above this lower number once it’s all said and done. Baylor enters on top form having won three straight, including a thrilling 84-83 win over Texas last time out. Mario Kegler led the way with 24 points and seven boars, while Devnonte Bandoo added 18 points. Overall Baylor averages 72.6 PPG. The Wildcats are looking to bounce back after a rough 64-49 loss to Kansas in their last outing. Kamu Stoked was a bright spot in a losing cause with 12 points and four assists. Overall the Wildcats average 65.9 PPG. K-State allows just 59.5 PPG, which is ranked fourth in the country, but I think the home side is going to be out to push the pace from start to finish in this one after such a lack lustre effort in its most recent beat down loss. This one sets up great from a situational stand point in my opinion, as I’m expecting each side to push the pace from start to finish. This number is a little low, play the over. Good luck…Larry | |||||||
03-02-19 | Kentucky v. Tennessee -2.5 | 52-71 | Win | 100 | 8 h 37 m | Show | |
My 8* Revenge Rout is on Tennessee (2:00 EST). The Wildcats enter off a tougher than expected 70-66 home win over Arkansas on Tuesday, while the Vols held on for a 73-71 road win over Ole Miss. This is my “revenge rout” for Saturday and that’s because in the first meeting between the schools back on February 16th, the Wildcats easily handled Tennessee 86-69. Tyler Herro had 29 points for Kentucky in the win over Arkansas. Clearly this won’t be a cake walk. Kentucky is 7-1 on the road and it averages 78 PPG, while conceding 64.9. The Vols rebounded from their loss to LSU with the most recent win over the Rebels. Tennessee remains in a first place tie for the conference lead with LSU and Kentucky. Grant Williams had 21 points and six boards in the win over Ole Miss. Tennessee averages 83.2 PPG and it concedes 68.1. Note as well that the Vols are 5-1 ATS in their last six in revenging a loss where the winning opponent scored 85 points or more in. “Revenge” works in this one. Lay the points. Good luck…Larry | |||||||
03-02-19 | Syracuse -8 v. Wake Forest | 79-54 | Win | 100 | 6 h 38 m | Show | |
My 8* Eye-Opener is on Syracuse (12:00 EST). Wake Forest is 4-11 in league play after its 76-75 nail-biting victory over Miami last time out, while the Orange will be eager to return to the winners circle after falling to 9-6 in conference action after their 93-85 loss at UNC. Syracuse has no shot at the conference title, but it still has opportunity to move up in the standings. It’s also on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament, so wins are paramount at this point. Especially after the close loss to the Tar Heels last time out. The bright spot in the setback was that the Orange would play decently defensively, holding the Heels to 40.3 percent from the floor, including 31 percent from range. Syracuse averages 70.3 PPG and it concedes 65.2. Wake Forest is averaging 69.1 PPG and it’s allowing 75.9. It’s an uphill battle for the Deacons with upcoming games vs. Duke and FSU still to come. Wake has won two of its last three, but the victories came against teams that have gone a combined 7-23 in league play so far. I’m expecting a blowout from start to finish. Lay the points. Good luck…Larry | |||||||
02-28-19 | Arizona State v. Oregon -2 | 51-79 | Win | 100 | 15 h 21 m | Show | |
The 3rd play of my STP is an 8* on Oregon at 11:00 ET. Bobby Hurley's Sun Devils generated national headlines by handing then-top-ranked Kansas its first loss of the season, 80-76, back on Dec. 22. However, Arizona State has proven to be one of the most inconsistent teams in the country. That said, if here’s an at-large Pac-12 team to qualify for the NCAA Tournament, Arizona State certainly has a decent case. The Sun Devils have won four of their last five and their NCAA Tournament resume includes wins over Kansas, Mississippi State and Washington. ASU is 19-8 (10-5 in Pac 12) as it heads to Eugene to take on the Oregon Ducks. Oregon was the Pac-12's preseason favorite but at 15-12 (6-8 in Pac 12), an at-large bid is almost definitely not in play. Freshman guard Luguentz Dort is the leading scorer for ASU at 16.4 PPG (also adds 4.6 RPG) plus two more ASU guards score in double digits. PG Martin checks in at 13.0 & 5.2 APG and Edwards at 11.5 PPG. Up front, senior forward Zylan Cheatham is averaging 11.7 points and a Pac-12-best 10.8 rebounds The 6-7 Lawrence (9.7 & 3.7) plus the White (8.9 & 5.4) are also quality frontcourt players. Oregon lost its best player, 7-2 freshman center and likely lottery pick Bol Bol, to a left-foot injury before conference play started. Bol was leading the the team in scoring (21.0), rebounding (9.6) and blocks (2.7) while also shooting an eye-popping 52 percent from three-point range. Louis King, a 6-9 freshman forward, has helped pick up some of the slack, averaging 12.3 & 5.5 RPG on the season. Junior PG Payton Pritchard (11.8-3.8-4.3) runs the team and the 6-9 White (10.7 & 3.8) is the other double digit scorer. The schedule isn’t in the Sun Devils’ favor, as they close out the regular season with three road games, as March 9 date at rival Arizona follows the two-game Oregon swing. Oregon comes in off a 72-57 Civil War loss at second-place Oregon State on Saturday but still has games at home against Arizona State and at likely Pac-12-champ Washington on the agenda, as it tries to build its case for a highly-unlikely NCAA at-large berth.The fact that Oregon has prevailed in 11 of the last 13 meetings with ASU has me on the Ducks here, as they play 'spoiler!' Good luck...Larry | |||||||
02-28-19 | San Diego v. San Francisco -6 | 91-90 | Loss | -109 | 14 h 21 m | Show | |
The 2nd play of my STP is an 9* on San Francisco at 10:00 ET. No. 1 Gonzaga is 27-2 overall and sits 14-0 in the WCC to no one's surprise. However, there is a three-way logjam for 2nd-place in the conference, between St Mary's (10-4), BYU (10-5) and San Francisco (9-5). The 21-7 Dons will look to rebound from a 68-65 loss to Santa Clara in their last outing. They welcome San Diego to San Francisco and teh Toreros come to town 17-12 overall, including 6-8 in WCC paly. San Diego limps into San Francisco having lost four of its last five, most recently 'laying an egg' in Saturday's 66-46home loss to Saint Mary’s. San Diego's 6-7 Isaiah Pineiro(19.2 & 9.4) will be the best player on the floor tonight and he gets help up front from the 6-10 Massalski (7.4 & 6.0) and the 6-8 Floresca (5.2 & 2.9). There is nothing wrong with San Diego's backcourt, either. Carter averages15.9 PPG, Wright 12.5-3.9-4.9 and Williams 8.5-4.1-3.2. San Francisco starts guards Ferrari (14.8-5.6 APG), Mineland (14.4 & 4.7), and Ratinho (9.5), with the 7-0 Lull (8.4 & 5.2) and the 6-8 Renfro (7.3 & 5.2) up front. However, the 6-9 McCarthy comes off the bench to average 9.3 PPG and a team-high 6.4 RPG. The Dons came out the gate quickly, opening 14-2 (including 2-0 in WCC play). However, the Dons are a modest 7-5 (4-8 ATS) since that start and need to bounce back from that loss at Santa Clara, as well as trying to avenge a 67-63 loss at San Diego.The Toreros are just 4-7 in true road games, while averaging a poor 67.7 PPG. Meanwhile, San Francisco is 13-1 SU at home, averaging 79.4 PPG. This sets up as a San Francisco win with "room to spare!" Good luck...Larry | |||||||
02-28-19 | USC v. UCLA -3 | 88-93 | Win | 100 | 13 h 29 m | Show | |
My 9* Rivalry Rout is on UCLA at 9:00 ET. Los Angeles cross-town rivals USC and UCLA square off night at Pauley Pavilion. The Trojans and Bruins are each 15-13 overall and both are also 8-7 in Pac 12 play,leaving them tied for fifth in the conference, one game behind Utah (9-6) in their bid to receive a first-round bye in the Pac-12 tournament (each schools also has a road game remaining against the Utes). USC comes in off a 67-62 loss to Oregon State on Saturday in its final home game of the regular season, falling to 8-7 in league play. Meanwhile, UCLA got to 8-7 by erasing a 19-point deficit en route to a 90-83 home victory over Oregon on Saturday (Bruins edged Ore St 68-67 on Thursday). In the schools' first meeting this season (back on Jan 19 at USC), the Trojans snapped a four-game losing streak in the series with an 80-67 victory. 6-10 senior forward Bernie Boatwright is third in the conference in scoring with a team-high 18.3 PPG (adds 6.3 RPG). He's joined up front by 6-11 junior forward Nick Rakocevic (15.1 & 9.4), who leads the Pac-12 with 13 double-doubles. Junior guard Jonah Mathews (12.5) is also averaging in double figures, while freshman guard Porter just misses at 9.1 & 4.0. USC's depth on the perimeter is noteworthy, as four more guards combine to add about 30 PPG. Sophomore swingman Kris Wilkes (17.2 & 4.7) has been a model of consistency for UCLA, reaching double figures in 26-of-28 games this season. PG Hands (13.5 points) scored a career-high 27 points (all in the second half) in Saturday's comeback win over Oregon and averages 13.5 & 6.4 APG. He enters this rivalry game averaging 21.4 points while shooting 50 percent from three-point range in his last five contests. 7-0 freshman center Moses Brown (10.5 & 8.5) is UCLA's lone frontcourt contributor of note. UCLA dismissed head coach Steve Alford on December 31, 2018, two days after the Bruins' ugly 73-58 loss to Liberty. It marked the first time the program ever had made a coaching change in the middle of the season. Murry Bartow (son of former UCLA coach Gene Bartow) was named interim coach for the Bruins and in his first game (at home vs Stanford), UCLA ended a four-game slide with a 92-70 win over the Cardinal. Two more wins followed but the 'honeymoon' period is over for UCLA's interim coach, as following that 3-0 start in the conference, UCLA dropped SEVEN of its next 10 Pac-12 games. However, B2B wins over the two Oregon schools last weekend has breathed some new life into UCLA. USC is just 2-6 in true road games this season, allowing 80.9 PPG. That hardly bodes well vs the Bruins, who are averaging 82.1 PPG at home this season and this marks UCLA's final regular season home game of the year. The Bruins have won 42 of 50 games in Pauley Pavilion since the start of the 2016-17 season. Expect UCLA to avenge its earlier loss at the Galen Center. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
02-28-19 | Arizona v. Oregon State -4 | 74-72 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 21 m | Show | |
The 1st play of my STP is an 8* on Ore St at 9:00 ET. Disappointing Arizona (16-12 / 7-8 in Pac 12) heads to Corvallis on Thursday to face surprising 17-9 Oregon State (9-5 in Pac 12), which has clinched its third winning season in five seasons under coach Wayne Tinkle. The Beavers are now in search of their first winning Pac-12 record in 29 years, as Oregon St closes out its home schedule with a pair of games this week with the two Arizona schools. The Wildcats are up first, coming off a pair of much-needed home wins last weekend over Cal and Stanford. The Wildcats are essentially the mirror-opposite of the Beavers (see above), as they are seeking to avoid only the program’s second losing Pac-12/Pac-10 season in the last 35 years. Arizona wraps its regular season schedule with this two-game Oregon road swing, followed by its home finale against second-place Arizona State. G Thursday night’s date with Arizona. Guards Brandon Randolph (13.1) and Brandon Williams (11.7 & 3.7 APG) score in double digits, joined by 6-10 center Chase Jeter (11.7 & 6.9). The good news here is that Williams returned to score four points and dish out three assists in 18 minutes vs Stanford, after missing the previous six games with right-knee soreness. OSU is led by the coaches' son, 6-8 forward Tres Tinkle. He leads OSU in scoring (19.8), rebounding (8.2) and assists (4.2). Along with guards/brothers Stephen Thompson Jr. (16.4-5.4-3.5) and Ethan Thompson (13.2-4.9-3.4), the trio accounts for more than two-thirds (67.1 percent) of Oregon State’s scoring (73.6 PPG). Arizona has won SIX straight and 13 of the last 14 meetings with Oregon State, including an 82-71 victory in Tucson on Jan 19.However, the 2018-19 season is DIFFERENT. Arizona ranks ninth in the Pac-12 in scoring (72.1) and only winless Cal (42.3) owns a worse overall field-goal percentage than the Wildcats’ 42.9 mark. To make matters worse, headlines continue to swirl around the program’s involvement in an FBI-investigated recruiting corruption and reports that head coach Sean Miller will be subpoenaed to testify at a trial in April. The Beavers currently reside in third place, a half-game ahead of Utah and 1 1/2 games in front of USC and UCLA in the Pac 12. A win here would be a HUGE step in clinching a top-four seed in teh Pac 12 tourney. Play the home team. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
02-28-19 | Connecticut v. Wichita State -4.5 | Top | 63-65 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 26 m | Show |
My 10* Conference Crusher (AAC) is on Wichita St at 7:00 ET. UConn sits at 13-14 (4-10 in AAC play) after its latest game. The Huskies took a late lead after battling back from a 15-point deficit with nine minutes remaining Sunday against now 23rd-ranked Cincinnati but saw their losing streak reach five games after suffering a 64-60 setback. “The crowd just was awesome and certainly willed us in the second half, when we were on the ropes,” Huskies head coach Dan Hurley told reporters. “Credit Cincinnati. They have the culture we want. They have the culture on the court that we want.” Wichita State began last Saturday’s game against Memphis as if it was determined to reach .500 after its 1-6 conference start but let its 16-point, first-half lead evaporate and dropped an 88-85 decision. The Shockers are 13-13 overall, including 6-8 in league play. Hurley made the decision to bring Christian Vital off the bench for the first time in 46 games and it seemed to work for the Huskies, as the 6-2 junior guard recorded team highs of 14 points and seven rebounds in 26 minutes (his fewest during conference play). With senior guard Jalen Adams (17.0-3.8-3.) out for the season, Vital leads the Huskie sin scoring at 14.0 PPG and also in assists (6.0). Fellow guard Alterique Gilbert (12.6 & 3.8 APG) is the only other UConn player averaging in double digits. Gilbert’s offensive woes continued Sunday, as the sophomore guard is shooting 28.6 percent (8-for-28) and is 0-for-12 from three-point range in two games since being removed from the starting lineup. WSU's 6-11 Echenique (8.9 & 6.0) provided his best performance in a Shockers uniform, registering a team-leading 17 points on a season-best 87.5 shooting effort (7-for-8) while pulling down a career-high 12 rebounds in last Saturday's loss to Memphis. Also, one game after registering the first double-digit assist performance by a Wichita State freshman in 46 years, Jamarius Burton (6.0) added a team-best nine against Memphis and is leading the squad with 3.2 per game. The 6-8 Markis McDuffie (18.2 & 4.8) leads Wichita St in scoring. followed by guard Haynes-Jones (12.3). Joining Haynes and Burton on the perimeter are freshman guards Dennis (7.8 & 4.7) and Stevenson (7.4). UConn is still searching for its first win in a true road game this season, entering 0-7 SU, while allowing 78.3 PPG. Yes, UConn beat Wichita St back on Jan 26 but Adams was around in that one, scoring 19 points. However, the team hasn't won since his season ended. Head coach Gregg Marshall was hoping to register his 300th victory with the program on Saturday, but instead the 88 points allowed by the Shockers were the most recorded by a visiting team during his 12-year tenure. I sure expect a "bounce-back" here, as it is hard to ignore that even with Saturday's home loss to teheTigers, Wichita St is 81-7 the last six-plus years at Koch Arena!Good luck...Larry | |||||||
02-27-19 | Marquette v. Villanova -4.5 | Top | 61-67 | Win | 100 | 12 h 8 m | Show |
My 10* Revenge Rout is on Villanova at 9:00 ET. Questions surrounded Villanova after the Wildcats lost back-to-back games to Penn and Kansas, as the defending champs (actually, two titles in a three-year span) sat just 8-4 in mid-December. However, 11 consecutive wins later (including a 10-0 start in the Big East) erased most doubts that the Wildcats were again VERY relevant. A 66-65 loss at Marquette was no big deal, especially since Villanova bounced back in its next game with a 85-67 win over Providence. However, 'Nova comes into this rematch with now-No. 10 Marquette (23-4 and a Big East-leading 12-2 mark) off THREE consecutive losses (at St John's. Georgetown and Xavier). Marquette can clinch at least a share of the regular-season league title and the No. 1 seed in the Big East tournament with a win ('Nova is 20-8 / 11-4 in Big East). The Golden Eagles' dynamic PG Markus Howard led Marquette with 38 points in that Feb 9 win and the potential All-American checks in averaging 25.3-4.1-4.0. The 6-8 Sam Hauser (15.7 & 6.9) is joined by his 6-9 younger brother Joey (10.0 & 5.4). Marquette connects on 39.9 percent from three-point range (15th) with each of its top-three scorers (see above) draining at least 40 percent of their three-pointers. The Wildcats continued their recent shooting woes against Xavier, as they shot under 34 percent from the floor and just 10-of-36 from three-point range. Senior guard Phil Booth, who averages a team-high 18.4 points, is just 5-of-25 from three-point range during teh team's three-game slide. 6-8 senior forward Eric Paschall (17.2 & 6.1) and sophomore guard Collin Gillespie (11.2) are the team's other double digit scorers. Villanova was ranked 13th before its slide (now unranked) but as head coach Jay Wright noted after the loss to Xavier, "I don't think confidence is the issue. We're not executing the way we want to, not getting easy baskets off of our defense. It just makes every shot we take monumental. I thought we got some good looks, but we didn't get any second shots in the second half." It's HAS to be noted that Marquette's Howard battled through a groin pull and was just 2-of-12 shooting in the team's last game. Can he be effective against Villanova? This is a HUGE test for 'Nova and let's not forget the etam's 11-2 home record or more importantly, the team's TWO titles in the last three years. Home team gets its revenge! Good luck...Larry | |||||||
02-27-19 | Texas v. Baylor -4 | 83-84 | Loss | -104 | 10 h 17 m | Show | |
My 9* Conference Crusher (Big 12) is on Baylor at 9:00 ET. Texas is 15-12 on the season, including 7-7 in Big 12 games. The Longhorns come in off nearly erasing a 17-point, second-half deficit against Oklahoma last Saturday, before falling just short in a 69-67 defeat. Leading scorer Kerwin Roach II (14.4 PPG) missed Saturday's game due to a suspension and will not play tonight in Waco vs Baylor. The Bears upset Iowa St 73-69 on the road on Feb 19 and then used a 16-5 run to end the game to escape with an 82-75 home victory over West Va this past Saturday. Baylor is 18-9 overall, including 9-5 in the Big 12. In Roach’s absence, guard Jase Febres (8.0) made his first start since Dec 21 on Saturday and attempted all of his shots from three-point range, finishing with a team-best 15 points in a career-high 35 minutes. Starting guard Coleman (10.1 & 3.6 APG) is joined by a trio of guards chipping in just over 20 PPG, combined (a group which includes Febres). Up front, 6-11 freshman Hayes (10.4 & 5.3) and 6-9 senior Osetkowski (10.2 & 7.7) are a solid duo. Hayes led the second-half charge against Oklahoma with 12 points, six rebounds and a career-high six blocks. “I’m really proud of the last five minutes to win the way we did,” Baylor head coach Scott Drew told reporters after leading scorer Makai Mason was held to a season-low four points. “Makai had zero field goals and we win a game in the Big 12. When you have zero field goals from your leading scorer, it means other people are stepping up. That’s what makes a great team.” Makai Mason, a graduate transfer from Yale (you don't hear that often), is averaging 15.0 PPG. Fellow guards like Kegler (10.0 & 5.9 ) and Butler (9.4) have stepped up at times, as well. McClure is averaging 9.9 & 5.4 but is questionable with a knee injury. Baylor lost the 6-9 Clark (14.6 & 6.2). to a season-ending knee injury on Jan 8 but the Bears have not given up. Scott Drew's teams had won 20-plus games for nine of the previous 10 seasons but finished just 19-15 last season. Four starters are gone from that team but the Bears are just two wins away from a 20-win season this year. Baylor will be looking for redemption on Wednesday when it hosts Texas, which snapped the Bears' six-game winning streak on Feb 6 with an 84-72 victory. With leading scorer Kerwin Roach II out for Texas, Baylor gets its revenge against a team that is just 2-6 SU on the road. Baylor is 12-4 SU at home, holding opponents to just 62.6 PPG. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
02-27-19 | UCF v. South Florida +3 | 75-63 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 22 m | Show | |
My 8* Oddsmaker's Error is on USF at 7:00 ET. Central Florida and South Florida meet tonight for their second matchup in two weeks, this time at the home of the Bulls. UCF comes in 20-6 (10-4 in the AAC), while USF 18-9 (7-7 in AAC play). I'll note that UCF was the preseason favorite in the AAC, while in stark contrast, USF opened the current season off seasons of 10, 7, 8, 9 and 12 wins. I will also note that UCF has dominated the War On I-4, seeking its EIGHT straight victory (and fourth straight sweep) over its intrastate rivals after taking this season's first encounter 78-65 on Feb 13 in Orlando. Senior guard B.J. Taylor, the conference preseason player of the year, is bidding to lead the club in scoring for the third straight season with an average of 16.6 points and the coaches' son, Aubrey Dawkins averages 15.3 PPG and 5.0 RPG. PG Allen (7.3 & 4.2 APG) makes for a nice guard trio plus 7-6 senior center Tacko Fall (10.9 points, team-high 7.3 rebounds ) leads the conference and was seventh nationally with 2.7 blocks per game. He paces the American in field-goal shooting at 76.6 percent to help the Knights shoot a conference-best 47.0 percent. Fall registered a season-high 23 points and a career-best 20 rebounds as he became the first Knight to produce a 20-20 game in the team's Division I era in UCF's recent win over SMU. The 6-11 Smith (8.0 & 5.3) is a quality side-kick. Sophomore guard David Collins is USF's leading scorer (15.3 ppg). The team needs a strong effort on the boards from redshirt freshman Alexis Yetna (12.0 PPG), who leads the conference with 9.7 rebounds per game and had 12 against UCF back on Feb 13. PG Laquincy Rideau is averaging 13.3 PPG and a team-high 5.5 APG. The Bulls entered the first meeting (Feb 13) on a five-game winning streak but they couldn't get going against the Knights. The Bulls haven't won a conference game since, so why play them here (USF has lost SEVEN straight to UCF). USF is an outstanding 14-3 at home (the Bulls can tie the school mark for home victories in a season with a win over the Knights) and note that UCF is just 3-4 SU in true road games this season. Also note that UCF comes in off its most dominating performance of the season in a 95-48 victory over SMU. The Knights earned their largest margin of victory since 2010 as they limited the Mustangs to just 24.6 percent shooting from the floor. This sets up as "Let-down City," even against an in-state rival. USF is ready, willing and able to pull of the "non-upset!" Good luck...Larry | |||||||
02-26-19 | Temple v. Memphis -3 | Top | 73-81 | Win | 100 | 13 h 19 m | Show |
My 10* Conference Crusher (AAC) is on Memphis at 9:00 ET. No. 8 Houston is 26-1 (the nation's lone one-loss team) and leads the AAC at 13-1. In American Athletic Conference action tonight from Memphis, it's the 20-7 Temple Owls (10-4 AAC) taking on the Tigers, who are 17-11 overall, including 9-6 in league play. Temple has posted victories in five of its last six and enters on a four-game winning streak, looking to match a season high of five consecutive wins. The Tigers are off an impressive 88-85 win this past Saturday at Wichita St (Shockers are 81-7 the last six-plus years at Koch Arena!) and will be seeking their FIFTH victory in six games. The Owls get the bulk of their scoring from a trio of guards in Shizz Alston (18.9 & 5.1 APG), Quinton Rose (16.5) and Nate Pierre-Louis (13.9 & 5.8). Quinton Rose and Shizz Alston Jr. combined for 49 points in Saturday's 84-73 win over Tulsa. Nate Pierre-Louis has scored in double digits in 15 of his last 16 games and had ZERO turnovers in 32 minutes against Tulsa. Helping out up front are the 6-10 Ernest Aflakpui (6.2 & 7.1) and the 6-7 J.P. Moorman II (5.4 & 3.9). Senior PG Jeremiah Martin is by far the top scorer for Memphis, averaging 19.0 PPG, along with 4.4 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 2.4 steals. He has been on a tear over the last seven games with point totals of 25, 26, 31, 37, 41 and 43 in that stretch (he had 37 versus Wichita State on Saturday). The 6-8 Davenport chips in 13.7 & 7.1 plus freshman guard Harris adds 11.5 PPG. First-year head coach Penny Hardaway likes to use his bench and Memphis has six more players averaging between 4.7 and 9.1 PPG. Memphis lost 85-76 at Temple back on Jan 24 but this contest will be played at FedEx Forum, where the Tigers are 13-2 SU (losses to Cincy and Tenn), where they average a whopping 88.0 PPG. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
02-26-19 | Alabama v. South Carolina -1.5 | 68-62 | Loss | -109 | 11 h 18 m | Show | |
My 9* Weekly Wipeout Winner is on South Carolina at 7:00 ET. The Alabama Crimson Tide are 16-11 (7-7 in the SEC) as they travel to Colonial Life Arena in South Carolina to take on the 14-13 Gamecocks. Alabama snapped a three-game skid with a 68-61 home win over Vanderbilt on Saturday but the Tide have lost SIX of their last eight road contests. South Carolina is coming off a 76-61 setback at Mississippi State on Saturday, a contest in which it squandered a 16-point, first-half lead. The Gamecocks may be just 14-13 overall but they are 9-5 in SEC play, leaving them tied for fourth with Ole Miss. Heavily-recruited freshman PG Kira Lewis Jr. leads the Crimson Tide in scoring at 14,2 PPG. Up front, 6-9 senior forward Donta Hall (10.9 & 8.5 rebounds) leads the SEC with 11 double-doubles and three-point specialist John Petty Jr. (10.6) also averages double digits. However, Alabama head coach Avery Johnson relies on a deep bench, with 10 players averaging double digits in minutes and eight scoring at least 5.5 PPG. The Gamecocks had an offensive outage in the second half against Mississippi State, scoring just 25 points while allowing 47! However, South Carolina features a dominant big man in the 6-9 Chris Silva (14.0 & 7.2). He has scored in double figures in eight of his last 10 games. South Carolina can also stretch the floor by making 36.6 percent of its three-point attempts. Freshman guard A.J. Lawson (14.0 & 4.5) is joined by fellow guard Hassani Gravett (11.1 & 4.0) to form a solid guard duo. Silva gets help up front from the 6-11 Bryant (8.6 & 3.6) and the 6-6 Kotsar (7.4 & 4.8). As noted above, Alabama has lost SIX of its last eight road games and I'll add here that Sourh Carolina has won SEVEN of its last eight at home, with the lone defeat coming against No. 7 Tennessee (Vols were ranked No. 1 when they beat South Carolina). The Gamecocks basically need to win here (to cover), leaving Alabama no "margin for error." South Carolina remains in a position to earn a top-four seed AND a double-bye in the upcoming SEC tournament.Don't expect them to let this "winning opportunity" to slip away. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
02-26-19 | Miami-OH v. Bowling Green -6 | 82-69 | Loss | -109 | 11 h 17 m | Show | |
My 9* Revenge Rout is on Bowling Green at 7:00 ET. Buffalo is ranked 21st in the latest AP poll and is 24-3 overall, including 12-2 in MAC play. Bowling Green is 19-8 and that includes an 11-3 mark in the MAC East, just one game behind the Bulls. That said, both schools know that at-large bids almost NEVER get awarded to MAC teams. Bowling Green returns home off a 92-87 overtime loss to Ohio last time out to face 14-13 Miami-Ohio, which is just 6-8 in MAC play. The Redhawks come in having alternated wins and losses in each of their last eight games, following a 70-58 loss to Akron in their last outing Miami owns a solid guard duo in leading scorer Sibande (15.3 & 4.7) and PG Ringo (7.7 & 5.0 APG). Up front, the team's top-two contributors are the 6-7 Brown (12.0 & 5.5) and the 6-8 Bowman (9.9 & 5.2). BG owns a deep perimeter, led by Turner (18.9-3.9-3.3). He's joined by Frye (13.0), Lillard (9.2 & 4.0) and Laster (6.7). The 6-11 Wiggins (12.9 & 11.3) will easily be the best big man on the court tonight. Miami beat Bowling Green at home 67-53, which BG is unlikely to forget.Miami is just 3-8 SU on the road, while scoring a modest 64.6 PPG. Meanwhile, the Falcons are 13-1 at the Stroh Center, outscoring opponents on average, 81.2-to-68.9 PPG. Bowling Green had lost just TWO of its last 1* SU prior to Friday's loss to Ohio and it's "bounce-back" and "payback" time tonight. That's sweet 'daily double!' Good luck...Larry | |||||||
02-25-19 | Kansas State v. Kansas -3.5 | Top | 49-64 | Win | 100 | 14 h 43 m | Show |
My 10* Feb Game of the Month is on Kansas at 9:00 ET. It's been well-documented that Kansas has won or shared the Big 12's regular season title each of the last 14 seasons, the longest such streak in Division I history. However, the 12th-ranked Jayhawks head into Monday night’s game with in state-rival Kansas St (Wildcats are ranked 23rd) in basically a "must-win" situation. Kansas enters the contest off the worst loss of the Bill Self era, 91-62 on Saturday at No. 14 Texas Tech. The loss dropped Kansas to 9-5 in the Big 12, while Kansas St sits 11-3 and Texas Tech at 10-4. With just FOUR games remaining for all teams, you can "do the math." Kansas State won the first meeting between the two schools this season (74-67 back on Feb 5 in Manhattan) and comes in off an 85-46 blowout of Oklahoma State on Saturday. The Wildcats enter having won SIX consecutive Big 12 road games. KSU's 39-point win over the Cowboys marks the school's biggest conference margin of victory since a 55-point win over Missouri back in 1998. The Wildcats shot 61.5 percent from the floor, including 10-of-20 from three-point range. Senior guard Barry Brown Jr., who has played in a school-record 132 consecutive games, leads the team in scoring (15.7) and steals (2.0). PG Stokes adds 10.1 PPG and 3.3 APG. SF Sneed checks in at 10.4 & 5.4 plus the 6-10 Wade, the preseason Big 12 Player of the Year, is second in scoring (13.1) while grabbing a team best 6.2 RPG. However, Wade has missed SIX full games this season and played just 11 minutes vs Oklahoma St (how healthy is he?). “Coach (Self) talked about getting ready for Kansas State,” forward Dedric Lawson told the Kansas City Star. “He said, ‘Can’t get this one back. Worry about the next one.’ I think we’ll bounce back pretty well. Sometimes a loss can be a blessing in disguise.” The 6-9 trnsfer from Memphis has been as good as advertised for teh Jaywhawks, as he lead in scoring (19.0) and rebounding (10.1). However, his brother KJ has been a MAJOR disappointment. After averaging 12.3 & 8.1 in his last year at Memphis, KJ Lawson has disappeared at Kansas, averaging 3.4 & 1.8. The 7-0 Azubuike (13.4 & 6.8) was lost for the season after playing just NINE games and guard Vick (14.1 & 4.) was recently sidelined due to personal reasons. Guards Dotson (12.0 & 3.7) and Aybaji (10.1 & 4.9) are solid contributors while Vick's absence gives more "PT" to Grimes (7.5) and Garrett (7.3). Kansas still hopes to claw into position for a 15th consecutive Big 12 championship but there is now "no margin for error." Kansas leads the series 196-94 and has won 57 of the last 63 meetings with Kansas State 9Regardless of teh venue. Kansas is 14-0 S at home this season (has won 18 straight at home) and while teh Jayhawks are just 7-7 ATS, they are winning on average by a margin of 80.9-to-66.8 PPG. Knasas is an outstanding defensive team (59.3 PPG allowed ranks 4th) but it needs to be, as the Wildcats average just 66.5 PPG (319th). Kansas has won the last 12 meetings with Kansas St at Allen Fieldhouse (Wildcats' last win at Kansas came back in 2006). Self's Jayhawks are 248-13 (.950) at home since his arrival. Lay the 'cheap' price. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
02-23-19 | San Diego State v. UNLV +1.5 | 60-59 | Win | 100 | 12 h 58 m | Show | |
My 8* Bailout Blowout is on UNLV at 10:00 ET. Note: Larry was able to complete full analysis with SEVEN of his nine plays for Feb 23 but an unforseen emergency left him with no time to do so for his final two plays. Sorry for the inconvenience. Back to "normal" on Sunday. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
02-23-19 | St. Mary's v. San Diego +2 | Top | 66-46 | Loss | -109 | 14 h 35 m | Show |
My 10* PERFECT STORM is on San Diego at 9:00 ET. No. 2 Gonzaga is 26-2 overall (maybe No. 1 come Monday?) and sits 13-0 in the WCC to no one's surprise. What is somewhat new this year is that St Mary's is NOT right on the Bulldogs' heels. The Gaels are 18-10 overall and at 9-4, are tied for third in the WCC (with San Francisco), as both schools trail 10-4 BYU. St Mary's will travel to the Jenny Craig Pavilion in San Diego on Saturday night to take on 17-11 San Diego. The Toreros are 6-7 in league play, after ending a three-game skid witha 63-52 home win over Portland. St Mary's embarrassingly lost 94-46 at Gonzaga back on Feb 9 but has won three in a row since (just 1-2 ATS). Randy Bennett's first six seasons at St Mary's resulted in just one postseason appearance (a first round NCAA loss in 2005) but he's led the Gaels to 11 straight postseason berths entering this season. That streak should continue this year but it will be one of the three-lettered tourneys, not the Big Dance (unless the Gaels win the WCC tourney). Guard Jordan Ford has almost doubled his average from last season (up to 21.8 from 11.1 PPG) and up front, the 6-8 Fitts (16.0 & 87.5) and the 6-10 Hunter (8.1 & 6.3). However, St Mary's depth is not what it used to be. San Diego's 6-7 Isaiah Pineiro(19.4 & 9.2) will be the best p[layer on the floor tonight and he gets help up front from the 6-10 Massalski (7.4 & 5.9) and the 6-8 Floresca (5.2 & 2.9). There is nothing wrong with San Diego's backcourt, either. Carter averages16.1 PPG, Wright 12.6-4.0-5.0 and Williams 8.8-4.2-3.2. St Mary's didn't get an at-large NCAA bid last year despite 30 wins, so one won't be coming its way this season. Meanwhile, the postseason-seeking Toreros are SURELY looking forward to this rematch, after their 'ugly' 76-59 loss in Moraga back on Jan 19th (note: Carter missed that contest due to an injury). The Gaels come to San Diego just 2-6 ATS on the road since December and San Diego is an impressive 12-3 SU on its homecourt. There's a 'storm brewing' in San Diego and St Mary's gets swallowed up. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
02-23-19 | Seton Hall v. St. John's -3.5 | 70-78 | Win | 100 | 10 h 54 m | Show | |
My 9* Conference Crusher (Big East) is on St John's at 8:00 ET. Note: Larry was able to complete full analysis with SEVEN of his nine plays for Feb 23 but an unforseen emergency left him with no time to do so for his final two plays. Sorry for the inconvenience. Back to "normal" on Sunday. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
02-23-19 | Memphis v. Wichita State -3.5 | Top | 88-85 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 32 m | Show |
My 10* Revenge Rout is on Wichita St at 8:00 ET. Jeremiah Martin set the American Athletic Conference single-game scoring record with a career-high 43 points in a 102-76 Memphis victory over Tulane. The Tigers' senior guard will now lead 16-11 Memphis (8-6 in AAC play) into a road game with the 13-12 Wichita State Shockers (just 6-7 in AAC play). Memphis will be visiting Wichita State for the first time in over FOUR decades on Saturday! As for the Shockers, Wichita State will look to get back to .500 after a 1-6 conference start, as it won for the FIFTH time in six games Wednesday with an 81-60 rout of Tulsa. The Shockers tied a school record by draining 15 three-pointers and Dexter Dennis matched a freshman mark by hitting six 3-pointers en route to his team-high 18 points. Martin (28.3-4.1-4.5) is averaging 29.6 points over his last six contests and became the first Memphis player – and first in AAC history – to record 40 or more twice in a career. The 6-8 Davenport chips in 14.0 & 7.1 plus freshman guard Harris adds 11.7 PPG. First-year head coach Penny Hardaway likes to use his bench and Memphis has six more player averaging between 4.8 and 9.0 PPG. Jamarius Burton posted a career-high 10 assists in Wednesday’s victory, the most by a Wichita State freshman since 1973. Leading scorer Markis McDuffie (18.3 & 4.8) saw his career-high streak of 15 straight games with a three-pointer come to an end Wednesday, as the senior finished with just nine points (0-6 on threes). However, the Shocjkers still won at Tulsa by 21 points! PG Haynes-Jones (12.6) joins McDuffie as Wichita State's lone double digit scorers but the 6-11 Echenique (8.5 & 5.8) and freshman guard Dennis (7.4 & 4.7) are rounding into solid contributors. Memphis is great at home but a modest 2-6 on the road, where the Tigers allow 83.2 PPG. This Wichita St team is not like recent additions but the Shockers are rounding into form (see above). The revenge motive will be huge here (lost 85-74 art Memphis to open conference play on Jan 3) and let's NOT ignore the fact that Wichita St is 81-6 the last six-plus years at Koch Arena!. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
02-23-19 | South Carolina v. Mississippi State -9 | 61-76 | Win | 100 | 12 h 41 m | Show | |
My 3rd pick of Saturday's STP is a 9* on Miuss St at 6:00 ET. South Carolina may be just 14-12 overall but after back-to-back home wins last week ( 84-77 over Texas A&M and 79-64 over Ole Miss), the Gamecocks are now fourth in the SEC at 9-4 and remain in a position to earn a top-four seed (AND a double-bye in the upcoming SEC tournament). South Carolina travels to Starkville on Saturday to face the 19-7 Miss St Bulldogs, who find themselves just 7-6 in SEC play, two games behind the Gamecocks (Miss St is in a three-way tie for sixth place in the SEC). The Gamecocks won 87-82 in overtime at home in the first meeting of the season between the two schools. South Carolina features a dominant big man in the 6-9 Chris Silva (14.3 & 7.4). He has scored in double figures in eight of his last nine games and is averaging 16.0 & 7.8 in SEC play. That said, South Carolina can also stretch the floor by making 36.4 percent of its three-point attempts. Freshman guard A.J. Lawson (13.9 & 4.6) had one of his best all-around games against Ole Miss with 15 points, nine rebounds and six assists and fellow guard Hassani Gravett (11.3 & 3.5) is shooting an SEC-best 49.3 percent from three-point range in league games. Silva gets help up front from the 6-11 Bryant (8,8 & 3.5) and the 6-6 Kotsar (7.2 & 4.8). Miss St is somewhat of a disappointment (ranked 11th before the season by The Blue Ribbon Yearbook and18th in the AP's preseason poll) but don't count the Bulldogs out just yet, They are one of the SEC’s most balanced teams, as SIX players average at least 9.2 PPG. MSU is led by Quinndary Weatherspoon (18.6 & 5.1), who scored a career-high 31 points in last week's 68-67 win at Georgia. He is averaging 23.5 over his last six games, while PG Lamar Peters (12.0 & 5.3 APG) runs the team with great efficiency. Miss St has excellent size up front, as the 6-10 Holman comes off the bench to add 9.7 & 6.5 plus 6-10 freshman forward Reggie Perry (9.2 & 6.6) has emerged as a major force inside lately, recording double-doubles in FIVE of his last seven contests. South Carolina has struggled on the road this season (sit just 3-6), after dropping four of their last five road games.Meanwhile, Miss St comes in off three straight wins, including confidence-building road wins at Arkansas (77-67) and Georgia (68-67). Take Miss St (in payback mode) in this one, as the Bulldogs are 11-3 SU at home (averaging 84.0 PPG) against the poor-traveling Gamecocks who are averaging only 70.1 points in true road games. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
02-23-19 | St. Joe's v. Massachusetts -2 | 79-80 | Loss | -107 | 8 h 41 m | Show | |
My 2nd play of Saturday's STP is an 8* on UMass at 2:00 ET. St Joe's is 11-15 (4-9 in A-10 play) as it travel to Amherst to face UMass. The Minutemen are just 9-17 overall and are tied for last-place in the A-10 with Fordham, at 2-11. The Hawks are led by the 6-7 Brown (19.9 & 5.7) who will be the best player on the floor but St Joe's also owns a pair of solid guards. SG Kimble averages 16.7 PPG plus PG Bynum adds 11.3 PPG and 4.6 APG. UMass' best player is PG Pipkins, who averages 16.6 PPG, as well as 5.0 RPG and 5.2 APG. Pierre (11.4) and Cobb (8.4) join him on the perimeter, while the 6-11 Hollaway (9.2 & 5.6) and the 6-6 Laurent (8.2 & 4.4) are the Minutemen's best inside players. Why play this "nothing-burger" of a game? St Joe's was barely able to eke out a 64-62 home win over UMass and now must win on the road, where the Hawks are an abysmal 1-9 in true road games this season. UMass has split 14 home games and if the Minutemen could almost beat St Joe's in Philly, where leading scorers Pipkins and Pierre combined to make just 2 of 11 shots (and total a combined FIVE points!), UMass should not have an problem exacting revenge in this one. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
02-23-19 | Iowa State -1.5 v. TCU | 72-75 | Loss | -108 | 8 h 30 m | Show | |
My 1st play of Saturday's STP is an 8* on Iowa St at 2:00 ET. No. 19 Iowa State (19-7 / 8-5 in Big 12) is reeling somewhat off back-to-back losses. BOTH came at home, the latest being 73-69 loss to Baylor this past Tuesday. TCU is 17-8 overall, including just 5-8 in Big 12 play, as the Horned Frogs have lost THREE in row (lost Monday 68-61 at Okla St). The undersized Cyclones start four guards, along with the 6-9 Jacobson (11.8 & 5.8). Senior guard Marial Shayok is averaging a team-high 19.1 PPG (5.4 RPG) and is joined on the perimeter by Horton-Tucker (12.2 & 5.3), Babb (9.6-4.8-4.2) and Haliburton (7.13.5-4.0). Sophomore reserve guard Lindell Wigginton is second on the team in scoring at 13.1 PPG. The Cyclones average 78.5 PPG (53rd) and allow 66.9 PPG (63rd) TCU is led by the guard duo of Bane (15.0 & 5.5) and Robinson (13.0 & 7.0 APG). However, the Horned Frogs own size the Cyclones do not, with the 6-7 Noi (14.8 & 4.4), the 6-8 Miller (10.5 & 6.6) and 6-11 center Samuel (7.0 & 7.3). The good news is that Noi is expected to be cleared to start Saturday, after missing the last two games with a left-ankle injury. However, Robinson is listed as questionable with an ankle issue. TCU is typically tough at home but Iowa St is looking to avenge a 92-83 loss to TCU at Hilton Coliseum back on Feb 9, when the Horned Frogs quieted the home crowd with a 27-4 first-half run before shooting 63.3 percent in the second half. That's HIGHLY unlikely to happen again.Iowa St is angry after losing at home to Baylor ("You're not supposed to lose at home," said Iowa State fifth-year senior Nick Weiler-Babb. "A place like this, it has a history of winning at home. We're not doing any justice to it. It's embarrassing."), as ISU led 63-62 with 6:22 minutes to play but missed its next nine shots and turned over the ball on another possession, allowing Baylor to escape with the win. TCU's 92-83 upset win at ISU on Feb 9 is the Horned Frogs' only ATS win in its last SEVEN games. The Cyclones have won at Texas Tech, Ole Miss, and Kansas State in recent weeks, so why not here in Fort Worth? Good luck...Larry | |||||||
02-23-19 | Texas v. Oklahoma -3.5 | 67-69 | Loss | -105 | 6 h 46 m | Show | |
My 9* Eye-Opener is on Oklahoma at 12:00 ET. Texas has beaten Oklahoma in each of the last three meetings (2-0 last season and 75-72 in Austin earlier this season) and the Longhorns will be in Norman at 12 noon ET today, looking a second straight regular season sweep of the series. Texas is 15-11 overall (7-6 in the Big 12) but will have to play without its leading scorer in this one, as senior guard Kerwin Roach II (15.0-4.5-3.1) has been suspended indefinitely following an unspecified violation of team rules. Oklahoma is in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three years, as the Sooners check in at 16-10 overall, including a poor 4-9 in conference action. Roach's suspension comes at a bad time, as Texas was hoping to build momentum off a 68-57 victory over Oklahoma State last Saturday, when Roach scored a team-high 16 points for his 12th straight double-digit performance. The Longhorns do own backcourt depth though, as Coleman (10 & 3.5 APG) is joined by a trio of guards chipping in just over 20 PPG, combined. Up front, 6-11 freshman Hayes (10.3 & 5.2) and 6-9 senior Osetkowski (10.1 & 7.8) are a solid duo. The Sooners snapped their five-game losing streak with a 71-62 road triumph against TCU last Saturday and they'll welcome the week of rest and a return to Norman. "(The win) feels really good. We haven’t had one in a while,” Oklahoma’s Christian James told reporters after scoring 14 points last Saturday. James leads Oklahoma in scoring (15.3) and rebounding (6.5) but no Oklahoma player is hotter right now than 6-7 forward Kristian Doolittle (9.9 & 6.6). He led the Sooners with 21 points and 10 rebounds during Saturday’s win. He's averaging a team-high 12.8 points in 13 Big 12 games (up from the 6.9 he averaged in 13 non-conference contests). The 6-9 Manek (11.7 & 6.5) is Oklahoma's only other double digit scorer on the season but the Sooners have depth on the perimeter, with a trio of other guards combining to average about 22 PPG. I have to believe that Oklahoma is "overdue" to break though vs Texas, after THREE close losses to the Longhorns since last season (includes a 75-72 nail-biter at Austin on Jan 19 when the Sooners had a chance until the final seconds, three times missing on triple attempts in the waning moments that could have given them the win). Oklahoma head coach Lon Kruger dusted off a zone defense to help Oklahoma contain TCU in that crucial 71-62 win last Saturday and note that Texas continues to rely on the three-ball, having attempted the most three-pointers in the conference (654). However, Texas makes just 33.0 percent of its three-point attempts (second-to-last in the Big 12 and 254th in the nation). Expect Oklahoma to win and cover. Good luck...Larry | |||||||
02-22-19 | Green Bay v. Illinois-Chicago -4.5 | Top | 63-62 | Loss | -109 | 14 h 16 m | Show |
My 10* Revenge Rout is on Illinois-Chicago at 9:00 ET. The Green Bay Phoenix will travel to UIC Pavilion to take on the UIC Flames this Friday night in Horizon League play. Both teams are 14-13 overall on the season, including 8-6 in league play. Green Bay fell behind by a 44-33 margin early in the 2nd half against Detroit in its last game but was outstanding on both ends of the court down the stretch to come away with an 82-73 win. As for UIC, the Flames trailed by a 43-38 margin at halftime vs Youngstown State but after taking the lead midway through the 2nd half, were done in by an 11-0 Penguins run in an 81-73 loss (the defeat snapped a four-game Flames' winning streak). The Phoenix are a high-scoring team, averaging 82.7 PPG (18th). PG Cohen leads the team in scoring (16.6), rebounding (6.4) and assists (4.7), while fellow guard McCloud comes off the bench to average 13.9 PPG. Three more guards combine to chip in about 22.5 PPG. The lone frontcourt player of note is the 6-6 Hemphill (11.5 & 5.4). Green Bay's problem is a defense allowing 81.3 PPG (345th). The Flames are a guard-oriented team as well with SG Marcus Ottey (15.9), PG Tarkus Ferguson (15.1-6.7-5.1) and fellow Godwin Boahen (14.5-3.3-2.9) leading the way. A trio of forwards chip in about 23 points and 13 rebounds per game. The Flames average 75.0 PPG and allow the exact same amount (hence a 14-13 record). This is a key battle for 3rd-place in the Horizon League standings (Northern Ky and Wright St are each 11-4) and I favor the home team in "revenge mode." UIC lost 90-85 in Green Bat back on Jan 19, the most points the Flames have allowed in any game this season (excluding OT). Now, here at home (where the team is 11-3), the Flames can serve up some "payback" vs a Green Bay team that's just 3-11 SU on the road, allowing a whopping 87.8 PPG! Good luck...Larry | |||||||
02-21-19 | Oregon State v. UCLA -1.5 | 67-68 | Loss | -105 | 16 h 47 m | Show | |
Oregon State is 16-8 on the season, including 8-4 in Pac-12 play (Beavers are a surprise, sitting in second-pace in the Pac-12). Oregon State comes to Los Angeles this weekend to play UCLA and USC, looking to nail-down a top-four seed in the upcoming Pac-12 tourney. However, the Beavers know that there is little margin of error, as they sit just a half-game ahead of Arizona State and Utah. Up first are the UCLA Bruins, who are only 13-13 on the season, including 6-7 on conference play. UCLA dismissed head coach Steve Alford on December 31, 2018, two days after the Bruins' ugly 73-58 loss to Liberty. It marked the first time the program ever had made a coaching change in the middle of the season. Murry Bartow (son of former UCLA coach Gene Bartow) was named interim coach for the Bruins and in his first game (at home vs Stanford), UCLA ended a four-game slide with a 92-70 win over the Cardinal. Two more wins followed but the 'honeymoon' period is over for UCLA's interim coach, as following that 3-0 start in the conference, UCLA has dropped SEVEN of its last 10 Pac-12 games. Oregon State is fresh off its first season sweep of rival Oregon in nine years, as the Beavers' 72-57 win over the Ducks was the team's fourth win in its last five games (the 8-4 start is the program’s best 12-game conference start since the 1990-91 squad began 11-1). 6-8 forward Tres Tinkle leads OSU isn scoring (20.1), rebounding (7.6) and assists (4.1). Along with guards/brothers Stephen Thompson Jr. (16.3-4.6-3.5) and Ethan Thompson (13.7 &5.), the trio accounts for more than two-thirds (67.6 percent) of Oregon State’s scoring. Scoring hasn't been the problem for the Bruins, who are averaging a conference-best 79.6 in Pac-12 play (78.0 PPG on the season ranks 62nd in the nation ). However, sloppy ball handling (league-most 16.2 turnovers in conference action), off-target free-throw shooting (conference-worst 62.8 percent for the season) and poor defense (79.5 points surrendered per Pac-12 contest) have been UCLA’s downfalls. The Bruins' 104-80 loss at Stanford last Saturday night is only the latest example. 6-7 swingman Kris Wilkes (17.3 & 4.8), PG Hands (13.0 & 6.2 APG) and fellow guard Ali (9.7) give UCLA a formidable perimeter group. However, 7-0 freshman center Moses Brown (11.0 & 8.8) is UCLA's lone frontcourt contributor of note. Sure, Oregon St has had the much better season but the Beavers are ripe for the taking in this one. Oregon St is fresh off its first season sweep of rival Oregon in nine years and the Beavers are now eyeing another sweep Thursday when they visit UCLA (beat the Bruins 79-66 on Jan 13 at home). However, if Oregon St was to complete the series sweep tonight at Pauley Pavilion, it would mark the first time that it would have happened in 31 years! UCLA may be a modest 10-5 at home this season but the Bruins have won 40 of 48 games in Pauley Pavilion since the start of the 2016-17 season. Expect a UCLA 'uprising!' Good luck...Larry |
Service | Profit |
---|---|
Ross Benjamin | $675 |
Sean Murphy | $454 |
William Burns | $419 |
Ricky Tran | $323 |
Sean Higgs | $237 |
Will Rogers | $192 |
Joseph D'Amico | $127 |
Joey Tron | $16 |