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**StarDust Bum** · 02-28-2015, 01:59 AM

CBB ATS

CBB > (573) OAKLAND@ (574) WI-GREEN BAY | 02/28/2015 - 02:00 PM
Play ON OAKLAND using the against the spread in All games off a win against a conference rival
The record is 9 Wins and 0 Losses for the this season (+9 units)

CBB > (523) SYRACUSE@ (524) DUKE | 02/28/2015 - 07:00 PM
Play ON DUKE using the against the spread in All games on Saturday games
The record is 8 Wins and 0 Losses for the this season (+8 units)

CBB > (605) ARKANSAS ST@ (606) TEXAS ST | 02/28/2015 - 05:30 PM
Play AGAINST TEXAS ST using the against the spread in All games on Saturday games
The record is 0 Wins and 8 Losses for the this season (-8.8 units)

CBB > (617) MISSISSIPPI ST@ (618) S CAROLINA | 02/28/2015 - 06:00 PM
Play AGAINST S CAROLINA using the against the spread in All games versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game after 15+ games
The record is 3 Wins and 18 Losses for the last three seasons (-16.8 units)

CBB > (723) N ARIZONA@ (724) N COLORADO | 02/28/2015 - 09:00 PM
Play AGAINST N COLORADO using the against the spread in All games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 5 Wins and 23 Losses for the last three seasons (-20.3 units)

CBB > (591) ALABAMA@ (592) VANDERBILT | 02/28/2015 - 04:00 PM
Play ON ALABAMA using the against the spread in Road games versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game
The record is 15 Wins and 2 Losses for the last three seasons (+12.8 units)

CBB > (709) TENNESSEE ST@ (710) BELMONT | 02/28/2015 - 06:00 PM
Play ON TENNESSEE ST using the against the spread in Road games after 3 or more consecutive losses
The record is 11 Wins and 1 Losses for the last two seasons (+9.9 units)

CBB > (627) GEORGE WASHINGTON@ (628) DAVIDSON | 02/28/2015 - 07:00 PM
Play ON DAVIDSON using the against the spread in All games in all lined games
The record is 18 Wins and 5 Losses for the this season (+12.5 units)

CBB > (835) DARTMOUTH@ (836) COLUMBIA | 02/27/2015 - 08:00 PM
Play AGAINST DARTMOUTH using the against the spread in All games in all games
The record is 3 Wins and 13 Losses for the this season (-11.3 units)

CBB > (833) PRINCETON@ (834) YALE | 02/27/2015 - 07:00 PM
Play ON YALE using the against the spread in All games after allowing 60 points or less
The record is 14 Wins and 3 Losses for the last two seasons (+10.7 units)

CBB > (841) MANHATTAN@ (842) IONA | 02/27/2015 - 07:00 PM
Play ON MANHATTAN using the against the spread in Road games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games
The record is 14 Wins and 3 Losses for the last three seasons (+10.7 units)

**StarDust Bum** · 02-28-2015, 02:01 AM

CBB MONEYLINE

CBB > (671) BOISE ST@ (672) SAN DIEGO ST | 02/28/2015 - 08:00 PM
Play ON SAN DIEGO ST using the money line in All games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 32 Wins and 10 Losses for the last two seasons (+24.95 units)

CBB > (529) MICHIGAN@ (530) MARYLAND | 02/28/2015 - 12:00 PM
Play ON MARYLAND using the money line in Home games against conference opponents
The record is 14 Wins and 2 Losses for the last two seasons (+13.25 units)

CBB > (587) ARKANSAS@ (588) KENTUCKY | 02/28/2015 - 04:00 PM
Play ON ARKANSAS using the money line in All games in February games
The record is 16 Wins and 4 Losses for the last three seasons (+17.25 units)

CBB > (553) CINCINNATI@ (554) TULANE | 02/28/2015 - 02:00 PM
Play ON TULANE using the money line in All games on Saturday games
The record is 10 Wins and 6 Losses for the last two seasons (+19.45 units)

CBB > (601) VIRGINIA TECH@ (602) VIRGINIA | 02/28/2015 - 04:00 PM
Play ON VIRGINIA using the money line in All games after a conference game
The record is 24 Wins and 3 Losses for the last two seasons (+19.55 units)

CBB > (615) SAN JOSE ST@ (616) NEVADA | 02/28/2015 - 06:00 PM
Play AGAINST NEVADA using the money line in Home games off a loss against a conference rival
The record is 4 Wins and 10 Losses for the last three seasons (-18.55 units)

CBB > (577) LA-MONROE@ (578) APPALACHIAN ST | 02/28/2015 - 03:30 PM
Play ON LA-MONROE using the money line in All games off a win against a conference rival
The record is 10 Wins and 2 Losses for the this season (+11.7 units)

CBB > (661) NORTHEASTERN@ (662) COLL OF CHARLESTON | 02/28/2015 - 08:00 PM
Play AGAINST NORTHEASTERN using the money line in All games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 6 Wins and 6 Losses for the this season (-23.9 units)

CBB > (541) N CAROLINA@ (542) MIAMI | 02/28/2015 - 02:00 PM
Play AGAINST MIAMI using the money line in All games in all home games
The record is 10 Wins and 12 Losses for the last two seasons (-26.55 units)

CBB > (605) ARKANSAS ST@ (606) TEXAS ST | 02/28/2015 - 05:30 PM
Play AGAINST TEXAS ST using the money line in All games when playing with one or less days rest
The record is 2 Wins and 13 Losses for the last two seasons (-14.5 units)

**StarDust Bum** · 02-28-2015, 02:03 AM

CBB FIRST HALF

CBB > (627) GEORGE WASHINGTON@ (628) DAVIDSON | 02/28/2015 - 07:00 PM
Play ON DAVIDSON in the first half in All games versus the first half line in all games
The record is 19 Wins and 4 Losses for the this season (+14.6 units)

CBB > (515) NC STATE@ (516) BOSTON COLLEGE | 02/28/2015 - 12:00 PM
Play ON NC STATE in the first half in Road games after a conference game
The record is 17 Wins and 3 Losses for the last two seasons (+13.7 units)

CBB > (591) ALABAMA@ (592) VANDERBILT | 02/28/2015 - 04:00 PM
Play AGAINST ALABAMA in the first half in All games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games
The record is 0 Wins and 8 Losses for the this season (-8.8 units)

CBB > (643) UC-IRVINE@ (644) UC-SANTA BARBARA | 02/28/2015 - 11:59 PM
Play ON UC-IRVINE in the first half in Road games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 8 Wins and 0 Losses for the this season (+8 units)

CBB > (593) W VIRGINIA@ (594) BAYLOR | 02/28/2015 - 04:00 PM
Play ON BAYLOR in the first half in All games versus the first half line in all games
The record is 17 Wins and 4 Losses for the this season (+12.6 units)

CBB > (623) BUFFALO@ (624) KENT ST | 02/28/2015 - 07:00 PM
Play ON BUFFALO in the first half in Road games in February games
The record is 12 Wins and 1 Losses for the last three seasons (+10.9 units)

CBB > (523) SYRACUSE@ (524) DUKE | 02/28/2015 - 07:00 PM
Play ON SYRACUSE in the first half in All games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game
The record is 11 Wins and 1 Losses for the last two seasons (+9.9 units)

CBB > (615) SAN JOSE ST@ (616) NEVADA | 02/28/2015 - 06:00 PM
Play AGAINST SAN JOSE ST in the first half in Road games after scoring 60 points or less
The record is 4 Wins and 18 Losses for the last two seasons (-15.8 units)

**StarDust Bum** · 02-28-2015, 02:04 AM

CBB TOTALS

CBB > (695) SOUTHERN UTAH@ (696) N DAKOTA | 02/28/2015 - 03:00 PM
Play OVER N DAKOTA on the total in All games when playing with one or less days rest
The record is 9 Overs and 0 Unders for the this season (+9 units)

CBB > (655) WYOMING@ (656) UNLV | 02/28/2015 - 08:00 PM
Play OVER WYOMING on the total in All games after scoring 60 points or less
The record is 13 Overs and 1 Unders for the last two seasons (+11.9 units)

CBB > (687) W CAROLINA@ (688) THE CITADEL | 02/28/2015 - 01:00 PM
Play OVER THE CITADEL on the total in Home games against conference opponents
The record is 13 Overs and 1 Unders for the last two seasons (+11.9 units)

CBB > (725) SACRAMENTO ST@ (726) PORTLAND ST | 02/28/2015 - 10:00 PM
Play UNDER PORTLAND ST on the total in All games off a win against a conference rival
The record is 2 Overs and 17 Unders for the last three seasons (+14.8 units)

CBB > (669) AUBURN@ (670) TEXAS A&M | 02/28/2015 - 08:30 PM
Play OVER AUBURN on the total in Road games after 3 or more consecutive losses
The record is 18 Overs and 2 Unders for the since 1992 (+15.8 units)

CBB > (579) BOWLING GREEN@ (580) MIAMI OHIO | 02/28/2015 - 03:30 PM
Play OVER BOWLING GREEN on the total in All games versus the 1rst half line in road games
The record is 18 Overs and 3 Unders for the last two seasons (+14.7 units)

CBB > (595) IOWA ST@ (596) KANSAS ST | 02/28/2015 - 04:00 PM
Play OVER IOWA ST on the total in All games versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game after 15+ games
The record is 22 Overs and 4 Unders for the last three seasons (+17.6 units)

CBB > (689) SAMFORD@ (690) VMI | 02/28/2015 - 01:00 PM
Play OVER SAMFORD on the total in Road games off a loss against a conference rival
The record is 10 Overs and 0 Unders for the last three seasons (+10 units)

CBB > (553) CINCINNATI@ (554) TULANE | 02/28/2015 - 02:00 PM
Play UNDER TULANE on the total in Home games after a conference game
The record is 2 Overs and 16 Unders for the last three seasons (+13.8 units)

**StarDust Bum** · 02-28-2015, 02:07 AM

NBA TOP POWER LINES

NBA > (501) DETROIT @ (502) WASHINGTON | 02/28/2015 - 07:05 PM
Line: WASHINGTON -3 BTB PowerLine: WASHINGTON 0
Edge On: WASHINGTON (3)

NBA > (503) TORONTO @ (504) NEW YORK | 02/28/2015 - 07:35 PM
Line: NEW YORK 13.5 BTB PowerLine: NEW YORK 12
Edge On: NEW YORK (1.5)

NBA > (505) ATLANTA @ (506) MIAMI | 02/28/2015 - 07:35 PM
Line: MIAMI 5 BTB PowerLine: MIAMI 6
Edge On: MIAMI (1)

NBA > (507) MEMPHIS @ (508) MINNESOTA | 02/28/2015 - 08:05 PM
Line: MINNESOTA 4.5 BTB PowerLine: MINNESOTA 1
Edge On: MINNESOTA (3.5)

NBA > (513) SAN ANTONIO @ (514) PHOENIX | 02/28/2015 - 09:05 PM
Line: PHOENIX 0 BTB PowerLine: PHOENIX -1
Edge On: PHOENIX (1)

NBA > (511) MILWAUKEE @ (512) UTAH | 02/28/2015 - 09:05 PM
Line: UTAH -3 BTB PowerLine: UTAH -3
Edge On: UTAH (0)

CBB TOP POWER LINES

CBB > (515) NC STATE @ (516) BOSTON COLLEGE | 02/28/2015 - 12:00 PM
Line: BOSTON COLLEGE 5 BTB PowerLine: BOSTON COLLEGE 7
Edge On: BOSTON COLLEGE (2)

CBB > (545) OLE MISS @ (546) LSU | 02/28/2015 - 02:00 PM
Line: LSU -5 BTB PowerLine: LSU -9
Edge On: LSU (4)

CBB > (579) BOWLING GREEN @ (580) MIAMI OHIO | 02/28/2015 - 03:30 PM
Line: MIAMI OHIO 3 BTB PowerLine: MIAMI OHIO -4
Edge On: MIAMI OHIO (7)

CBB > (587) ARKANSAS @ (588) KENTUCKY | 02/28/2015 - 04:00 PM
Line: KENTUCKY -14.5 BTB PowerLine: KENTUCKY -17
Edge On: KENTUCKY (2.5)

CBB > (593) W VIRGINIA @ (594) BAYLOR | 02/28/2015 - 04:00 PM
Line: BAYLOR -5 BTB PowerLine: BAYLOR -11
Edge On: BAYLOR (6)

CBB > (549) MISSOURI ST @ (550) LOYOLA-IL | 02/28/2015 - 04:00 PM
Line: LOYOLA-IL -7 BTB PowerLine: LOYOLA-IL -12
Edge On: LOYOLA-IL (5)

CBB > (601) VIRGINIA TECH @ (602) VIRGINIA | 02/28/2015 - 04:00 PM
Line: VIRGINIA -20 BTB PowerLine: VIRGINIA -25
Edge On: VIRGINIA (5)

CBB > (583) CREIGHTON @ (584) SETON HALL | 02/28/2015 - 04:00 PM
Line: SETON HALL -2 BTB PowerLine: SETON HALL -6
Edge On: SETON HALL (4)

CBB > (655) WYOMING @ (656) UNLV | 02/28/2015 - 08:00 PM
Line: UNLV -3.5 BTB PowerLine: UNLV -10
Edge On: UNLV (6.5)

CBB > (659) TULSA @ (660) MEMPHIS | 02/28/2015 - 08:00 PM
Line: MEMPHIS -2.5 BTB PowerLine: MEMPHIS -5
Edge On: MEMPHIS (2.5)

CBB > (663) ST MARYS-CA @ (664) SANTA CLARA | 02/28/2015 - 08:00 PM
Line: SANTA CLARA 8 BTB PowerLine: SANTA CLARA 12
Edge On: SANTA CLARA (4)

CBB > (669) AUBURN @ (670) TEXAS A&M | 02/28/2015 - 08:30 PM
Line: TEXAS A&M -11.5 BTB PowerLine: TEXAS A&M -16
Edge On: TEXAS A&M (4.5)

CBB > (681) WASHINGTON @ (682) USC | 02/28/2015 - 10:30 PM
Line: USC 0 BTB PowerLine: USC -5
Edge On: USC (5)

**StarDust Bum** · 02-28-2015, 02:15 AM

NBA MONEYLINE ADDED

NBA > (511) MILWAUKEE@ (512) UTAH | 02/28/2015 - 09:05 PM
Play ON MILWAUKEE using the money line in Road games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 12 Wins and 3 Losses for the this season (+13.4 units)

NBA > (507) MEMPHIS@ (508) MINNESOTA | 02/28/2015 - 08:05 PM
Play ON MEMPHIS using the money line in All games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season
The record is 46 Wins and 14 Losses for the last three seasons (+28.4 units)

NBA > (509) BROOKLYN@ (510) DALLAS | 02/28/2015 - 08:35 PM
Play ON DALLAS using the money line in All games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 49 Wins and 10 Losses for the last two seasons (+29.25 units)

NBA > (503) TORONTO@ (504) NEW YORK | 02/28/2015 - 07:35 PM
Play AGAINST NEW YORK using the money line in All games in February games
The record is 9 Wins and 22 Losses for the last three seasons (-21.7 units)

NBA > (501) DETROIT@ (502) WASHINGTON | 02/28/2015 - 07:05 PM
Play AGAINST DETROIT using the money line in Road games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season
The record is 57 Wins and 167 Losses for the since 1992 (-88.4 units)

**StarDust Bum** · 02-28-2015, 02:25 AM

nba

*****...............................17- 15
double play........................21 - 20 - 1
triple play..........................5 - 14
slam dunk.........................13 - 18
gom...................................4 - 0

ncaabb

*****................................67 - 65 - 1
double play.........................62 - 52 - 1
triple play...........................23 - 28 - 1
slam dunk..........................68 - 56 - 2
gom................................... 8 - 2

nhl

*****.............................14 - 12................... + 2.89
double play......................26 - 23.................... - 3.18
triple play........................8 - 12...................... - 15.51
hat trick..........................17 - 35.................... - 92.55

**StarDust Bum** · 02-28-2015, 02:29 AM

Saturday's Early Tips

February 27, 2015

**Northern Iowa at Wichita State**

-- Wichita State (26-3 straight up, 15-11-1 against the spread) is unbeaten in 14 home games with a 6-5-1 spread record. The Shockers have won seven in a row and are 5-0-1 ATS in their last six contests.

-- Gregg Marshall's team is off of Wednesday's 63-53 win over Indiana State as a nine-point road favorite. Darius Carter torched the Sycamores for 20 points and 11 rebounds on 8-of-12 shooting from the field. Fred VanVleet finished with 15 points, five assists and four rebounds, while Tekele Cotton had 12 points, six boards and handed out three dimes. Ron Baker had one of his worst games of the season, making just 1-of-11 from the field and 1-of-4 from the free-throw line. He scored a season-low three points.

-- Baker is averaging 15.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. He's making 40.5 percent of his attempts from 3-point range and has a 64/35 assists-to-turnovers ratio. Baker also has 35 steals through 29 games. VanVleet averages 12.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, while dishing out 154 assists compared to just 49 turnovers. He has a team-high 53 steals.

-- Northern Iowa (27-2 SU, 16-8-3 ATS) hasn't tasted defeat since New Year's Day when it lost a 52-49 decision at Evansville in its Missouri Valley Conference opener. Ben Jacobsen's club has won 16 in a row since then and it is 10-2-3 ATS in its last 15 contests.

-- Northern Iowa is off a 68-57 win over Evansville on Wednesday, but it failed to cover for the first time since Jan. 21 as a 12-point home 'chalk.' Deon Mitchell was the catalyst with 17 points, four assists and a pair of steals. Seth Tuttle added 10 points and eight rebounds.

-- Northern Iowa is led by Tuttle, who averages team-highs in scoring (15.6 points per game), assists (3.2 APG), rebounds (6.6 RPG), field-goal percentage (62.7%) and blocked shots (0.7 BPG).

-- Northern Iowa is 18th in the RPI Rankings, going 1-1 versus the Top 50 and 7-1 against the Top 100. The Panthers' best win was over Wichita State in the first meeting.

-- Wichita State is Northern 14 in the RPI with a 1-2 record against the Top 50 and a 6-3 ledger versus the Top 100. The Shockers' best wins are over Tulsa, Seton Hall and Alabama. They have a neutral-court triumph over Memphis. In addition to the loss at Northern Iowa, Wichita State lost at Utah (69-68) and fell on a neutral court against George Washington (60-54).

-- When these MVC adversaries collided in Cedar Falls on Jan. 31, Northern Iowa collected a 70-54 win as a two-point home underdog. Tuttle enjoyed a monster performance, tallying 29 points and seven rebounds on 9-of-13 shooting from the field. Wes Washpun chipped in with 16 points, three boards, three assists and two steals. In the losing effort, VanVleet had a team-best 18 points. However, VanVleet and Ron Baker combined to make just 7-of-22 shots from the floor.

-- The 'over' is 13-12-1 overall for the Shockers, but the 'under' is 6-4 in their home games.

-- The 'over' is 12-11-3 overall for the Panthers.

-- As of late Friday afternoon, one offshore book had the Shockers favored by six.

-- Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

**Arkansas at Kentucky**

-- For the first time since the mid-1990s when Nolan Richardson and Rick Pitino were roaming the sidelines at Kentucky and Arkansas, the Wildcats and Razorbacks are the top dogs in the SEC. And that's how it should be because these are the two best hoops programs in the league. Of course, Billy Donovan has been the reason that Florida has shared top status in the league with UK for much of the last two decades. The other reason was the dismissal of Richardson, who led the Hogs to the 1994 national title. Since his firing in 2002, Arkansas has won only one -- ONE!! -- NCAA Tournament game. But my point is this: Arkansas should be the second-best basketball program in the SEC. In terms of tradition, facilities and fan support, the Razorbacks are second only to UK in college basketball. At least that's how it should be and is this year, as Mike Anderson is about to take the Hogs to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in his four-year tenure.

-- Since failing to cover the spread in five consecutive games, Kentucky (28-0 SU, 14-13-1 ATS) has gone 3-0-1 ATS in its last four games. The Wildcats went to The Hump in Starkville on Wednesday night and captured a 74-56 win over Mississippi State as 18-point road 'chalk.' Trey Lyles led the way with 18 points and six rebounds. Aaron Harrison added 16 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 12 points, 10 boards and a pair of blocked shots.

-- John Calipari's team has won all 17 of its games at Rupp Arena while posting an 8-9 spread record.

-- Arkansas (23-5 SU, 14-13 ATS) has won three in a row and four of the last five head-to-head meetings with UK both SU and ATS. The Razorbacks swept the season series last year with a pair of overtime wins over the Cats. At Rupp on Feb. 27, Anderson's squad won a 71-67 decision as a 10-point underdog. Michael Qualls led the way with 14 points.

-- Arkansas is led by sophomore power forward Bobby Portis, who leads the team in scoring (17.6 PPG), rebounding (8.5 RPG), field-goal percentage (56.4%) and blocked shots (1.6 BPG). Portis is probably the favorite to win SEC Player of the Year honors.

-- Arkansas has won seven in a row since losing a heartbreaker at Florida on Jan. 31, but it has failed to cover the number in three consecutive outings. The Hogs won an 81-75 decision over Texas A&M on Tuesday, but they disappointed their backers by blowing a 20-point lead and getting back-doored as 7.5-point home favorites. Portis scored a team-best 22 points, while Rashad Madden had 11 points, five board and five assists.

-- Arkansas has been a road underdog five times this year, producing a 4-1 spread record with three outright wins at Ole Miss, at SMU and at Georgia.

-- Kentucky is ranked No. 1 in the RPI with 10 wins over the Top 50 and 15 victories over Top-100 foes.

-- Arkansas is No. 19 in the RPI, going 5-2 against the Top 50 and 8-5 versus the Top 100. The Razorbacks' best win of the year came at SMU and they also have quality road wins at Georgia and at Ole Miss.

-- The 'under' is 17-11 overall for UK, 11-6 in its home games. However, the 'over' is on a 7-2 run in the Wildcats' last seven games.

-- The 'over' is 14-12 overall for Arkansas, but it has seen the 'over' go 7-3 in its last 10 games.

-- The 'over' is 6-3-1 in the last 10 head-to-head meetings between these SEC rivals.

-- One offshore had UK favored by 15 as of late Friday afternoon.

-- CBS will have the telecast at 4:00 p.m. Eastern.

**B.E.'s Bonus Nuggets**

-- After serving a three-game suspension, Dorian Finney-Smith will return to the lineup Saturday for Florida's home game vs. Tennessee. Michael Frazier II, UF's leading scorer, has missed five straight games with a high-ankle sprain. He's getting close to returning and is considered 'questionable' against the Volunteers. Eli Carter (8.2 PPG) missed practice Thursday and has a strep throat for the second time this season. Carter is also 'questionable.'

-- Florida was favored by six late Friday afternoon. The Gators are an abysmal 4-8 ATS in 12 games as home favorites this year.

-- Billy Donovan will be gunning for his 500th career win for the third straight game. He would become the second-youngest coach in NCAA history (behind only Bobby Knight's pace) to reach the 500-win mark.

-- I'm calling it right now -- Georgia beats Kentucky next week at Stegeman Coliseum.

-- Alabama guard Ricky Tarrant (13.1 PPG) has been ruled 'out' for the rest of the season. The transfer from Tulane suffered a leg injury against Florida and will undergo season-ending surgery.

-- Drexel suffered a crushing blow this week when star Damion Lee was ruled out for the rest of the year with a broken hand. Lee was averaging 21.4 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.

-- Houston's L.J. Rose (9.8 PPG, 5.3 APG) will miss the rest of the year with a foot injury.

**StarDust Bum** · 02-28-2015, 02:30 AM

Saturday's Top Action

February 27, 2015

TEXAS LONGHORNS (17-11) at KANSAS JAYHAWKS (22-6)

Allen Fieldhouse – Lawrence, KS
Tip-off: Saturday, 5:00 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line & Total: N/A

Texas looks to end its recent struggles with a win on the road over No. 8 Kansas Saturday.

Texas lost 71-64 at West Virginia on Tuesday and the team has now lost three straight games and seven of its past 10. The Longhorns turned the ball over 17 times against the Mountaineers and this team will need to stop making careless mistakes, as they are now on the NCAA tournament bubble after starting the season off very well. No. 8 Kansas, meanwhile, is coming off of a 70-63 loss at Kansas State on Monday and the Jayhawks have now lost two of their past three games. Kansas has also lost three straight games ATS and will need to shoot the ball better against Texas, as the team shot 15.4% from behind the arc in the loss to Kansas State.

The Jayhawks and Longhorns met on Jan. 24, when Kansas won 75-62 as a 4-point road underdog. The Jayhawks have dominated this head-to-head series recently, going 8-2 SU but just 5-5 ATS in their past 10 meetings. Texas has only won once SU in its 11 trips to Allen Fieldhouse, so it will really need to dig deep if it’s going to pick up a victory in what is a must-win game for the team. While the Longhorns are just 4-6 SU on the road this season, they are 7-3 ATS in those games. They are, however, 4-6 SU and ATS when coming off of a SU loss. Kansas, meanwhile, is 13-0 SU and 8-4 ATS at home this season. The Jayhawks are also 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS when coming off of a SU loss this season as well. Kansas is not dealing with any injuries in this game, but Texas could be without F Jonathan Holmes (Disciplinary) after his ejection last game.

Texas started this season with a 10-1 record, but everything has gone way downhill since then. This Longhorns team was once a near-lock to earn a good seed in the NCAA tournament and now it still needs to win a game or two in order to even make the tournament. Texas is not a great team offensively, averaging 68.7 PPG (150th in NCAA) on 44.1% shooting (143rd in NCAA). Where the team is solid though is on the defensive end, allowing just 60.5 PPG (40th in NCAA) thanks to 7.4 BPG (1st in NCAA). The Longhorns also rebound the ball very well, grabbing 40.3 RPG (4th in NCAA).

G Isaiah Taylor (13.4 PPG, 4.4 APG, 3.5 RPG) is one of the most important players for this Texas team. Taylor is as good as any point guard in the nation, but he’s been struggling with his shot (40% FG, 29% 3PT). Taylor is also averaging 4.0 turnovers per game over the past two contests and that is something that must change. Texas needs its leader to take care of the basketball and knock down some timely jumpers against Kansas. He had 23 points and five rebounds the last time these teams played and if he can come through with that type of performance again then his team should have a good shot of pulling off a big upset.

With F Jonathan Holmes (10.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG) potentially missing this game for disciplinary reasons, F Myles Turner (11.2 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.6 BPG) could see a huge increase in minutes. He was in foul trouble against the Mountaineers and played just 24 minutes, but he had three straight games with 10+ rebounds before meeting West Virginia. Turner is a good shooter and has excellent timing as a shot-blocker. He’ll need to come up big with Holmes likely missing this one. C Cameron Ridley (8.2 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 1.6 BPG) will also need to have a big game in this one. With Holmes out, Ridley will need to be big on the glass and he’s averaging just 3.0 PPG and 6.0 RPG over the past two contests. His dip in production is a big reason this team is struggling to pull out wins. G Demarcus Holland (7.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.5 APG) had a big game against West Virginia, finishing with 14 points in 29 minutes. He is an outstanding outside shooter (48% 3PT) and could provide a major offensive spark in this one.

Kansas is an extremely well balanced team, averaging 71.8 PPG (68th in NCAA) on 44.7% shooting (107th in NCAA) and allowing just 64.6 PPG (128th in NCAA). This team rebounds well (38.0 RPG, 30th in NCAA) and also knows how to share the ball on offense (14.1 APG, 78th in NCAA). F Perry Ellis (14.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG) is Kansas’ best player and he’s been on a tear lately, averaging 23.5 PPG, 8.0 RPG and 2.0 SPG over the past two contests. The last time Ellis faced Texas, the forward had 14 points, five rebounds and three assists in 33 minutes.

The Longhorns could be shorthanded inside with Holmes likely to miss this game, so Ellis will need to go at the basket aggressively on Saturday. F Cliff Alexander (7.1 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.3 BPG) could also get a chance to play some extended minutes in this one. Alexander has played just 11 minutes or less in three straight contests, but he was a monster against Texas in their last meeting. In 27 minutes, Alexander finished the game with 15 points, nine rebounds and two assists. This could very well be a good matchup for the tough, first-year player and Bill Self may opt to give him another chance.

G Frank Mason III (12.1 PPG, 4.3 APG, 3.6 RPG, 1.4 SPG) was lousy against Kansas State, finishing with just four points (1-for-8 FG, 0-for-2 3PT) in 29 minutes. He had averaged 16.0 PPG in his previous two games and must find his stroke against a very good Texas defense. G Wayne Selden Jr. (9.6 PPG, 3.0 APG, 2.7 RPG) is averaging just 5.3 PPG over the past three games. Selden Jr. is usually a very reliable scorer for this Kansas team, but he has gotten away from his strength of driving to the basket. The Jayhawks need him to attack the rim and not settle for jumpers against Texas or they could end up being upset at home.

SYRACUSE ORANGE (18-10) at DUKE BLUE DEVILS (25-3)

Cameron Indoor Stadium - Durham, NC
Tip-off: Saturday, 7:00 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line & Total: N/A

Syracuse storms into Durham to take on No. 4 Duke, looking to take out its second top-10 opponent in a row.

Only in year two of this newly christened ACC rivalry, and due to the self-imposed postseason ban for the Syracuse Orange, this game may have a different feel to it than the one where Orange Coach Jim Boeheim was rendered jacketless in 2014. Postseason or not, Syracuse has gone 3-3 SU (3-3 ATS) since announcing its punishment on Feb. 4th, but they’ve come to play in their biggest games, with wins over then No. 12 Louisville, and a win on Tuesday at No. 9 Notre Dame.

No. 4 Duke is fresh off a shockingly close overtime victory at ACC bottom-feeder, Virginia Tech (91-86) on Wednesday (a game they were favored to win by 16). Duke does, however, stretch their win streak to 8 games with the win. They also welcomed back stalwart freshman C Jahlil Okafor (18.4 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 67% FG) from a 1-game absence due to an ankle injury. Okafor responded with a monster outing in Blacksburg on Wednesday, going for a career-high 30 points. During Duke’s current eight game win streak, they’re 4-4 ATS. The Blue Devils are 6-1 SU (4-3 ATS) at home in conference this season. The total has gone OVER in each of Duke’s last four games. Syracuse is 4-3 SU (2-4-1 ATS) on the road in conference this season, and the total has gone Under in four of Syracuse’s past six road games.

Historically, Duke is 2-1 SU (2-0-1 ATS) versus the Orange since Syracuse joined the ACC last season. Syracuse’s lone win was the inaugural ACC meeting between these two that resulted in a thrilling 91-89 win in the Carrier Dome. Duke won the most recent meeting, 80-72 (barely covering the 7.5-point spread) just two Saturdays ago in Syracuse, as Okafor led the way with 23 points and 13 rebounds. The three results in this series to date have all come within two points of the spread at tip time.

With no postseason play to aim for, every ranked opponent has become the Syracuse Orange’s “Super Bowl”, so to speak. For senior four-year starter, C Rakeem Christmas (18.1 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 2.5 BPG) this is especially true. Enjoying a spectacular year, having quadrupled his career scoring average in the previous three years, Christmas is arguably the most improved player in the country. While Christmas is shooting 57% from the field this season, he struggled mightily at home versus Duke earlier this month to just 5-for-17 from the field and 11 points. Given that Syracuse plays zone, and Duke has started to play more zone in conference play as well, you won’t see as much of “Christmas versus Okafor” as you’d think, but given that he fouled out in only 28 minutes against Notre Dame on Tuesday, Christmas will have to be diligent on defense to avoid being torpedoed with fouls in one of the harshest settings for visiting players in all of sports, Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Syracuse G Michael Gbinije (13 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.8 SPG) is also enjoying a career season. He’ll make his second appearance visiting the campus that got his letter-of-intent, as Gbinije is a Duke transfer. Now given 35 minutes per game to spread his wings, Gbinije scored a career-high 27 points (five threes) at home in the loss to Duke earlier this month. Gbinije has been a dynamo in the past eight games, filling up the box score regularly while leading the Orange in scoring (18.4 PPG, 4.6 APG, 2.6 SPG, 54% FG, 48% 3PT). The Orange, who only regularly play six men, will also need junior sharpshooting G Trevor Cooney (13.5 PPG, 1.9 SPG, 2.4 threes/game) to find his touch, as he’s hit an awful 11-game stretch (32% FG, 23% 3PT – 20-for-89) that can be partially attributed to a sore back (according to Coach Boeheim). The vaunted 2-3 zone has been very effective as of late, as only Duke has broken 65 points versus the Orange in their past four games. The Orange held both Louisville and Notre Dame, their last two top-25 wins, to .96 and .87 points per possession, respectively. However, they didn’t have such luck against Duke (1.16 points per possession; 47% FG, 7-15 from three).

The Blue Devils will have to perform better than their escape act in Blacksburg on Wednesday if they are to defeat a hungry Syracuse team. They match up well versus the Orange, though. Even with their shortened rotation, Duke boasts enough size with Okafor, F Justise Winslow (12 PPG, 5.7 RPG – 15.8 PPG, 8.5 RPG in last four games) and F Amile Jefferson (7.5 PPG, 6.4 RPG) to create a big advantage on the glass versus the smaller Orange. The Blue Devils rank second in conference on the glass (37.4 RPG) during conference play, and outrebounded Syracuse 42-32 in the Carrier Dome earlier this month in their win. Duke’s backcourt of G Tyus Jones (11.5 PPG, 5.7 APG, 88% FT) and G Quinn Cook (15.9 PPG, 47% FG, 41% 3PT – 2.9 threes/game) have also been a terror to contain for defenses lately, as you’d expect for a Blue Devils team that has such an explosive offensive attack (81 PPG, 5th in NCAA).

Cook has been especially unconscious lately, averaging 23 points per game in his last four contests while shooting 54% from the field and hitting an absurd 4.3 threes per game on 50% shooting from deep. Cook, a senior, has scored at least 22 points in four of his last five contests while the freshman, Jones, has averaged an eye-popping 8.8 assists per game on those last five contests as well. The issue with Jones and Cook, however, are on the defensive end, as time and time again, they’re allowing career performances to their guard counterparts (Gbinije in Duke’s last meeting with Syracuse; Virginia Tech reserve Jalen Hudson going for 20 on Wednesday, Devon Bookert on Florida State going for a season-high 23 points on Feb. 9). G Matt Jones (5.6 PPG, 19.6 MPG) has seen a boost in production and playing time (7.8 PPG, 26 MPG) as a regular member of the rotation with the departure of G Rasheed Sulaimon. While Jones is far-and-away the last option on offense for the Blue Devils, the sophomore carries with him a reputation as a knock down shooter, which he’s not yet realized in his young career. Still, don’t be surprised to see him playing a key role in stretching Syracuse’s vaunted zone.

**StarDust Bum** · 02-28-2015, 02:32 AM

Saturday's Late Tips

February 27, 2015

This Saturday night’s schedule in men’s college basketball features a foursome of teams in action that have serious aspirations of much bigger things come the month of March. First, the No. 4 Duke Blue Devils will play host to Syracuse in an ACC clash before two teams vying for the Pac-12 regular season title square-off against each other when No. 7 Arizona goes on the road to face No. 13 Utah. To close things out in the nightcap, we head out to the West Coast Conference where BYU will go on the road to tangle with No. 3 Gonzaga.

Syracuse Orange vs. No. 4 Duke Blue Devils (ESPN, 7 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Duke -14 ½

The Orange come into this matchup fresh-off this past Tuesday’s impressive 65-60 upset of Notre Dame as 8 ½-point road underdogs. They are now 5-2-1 against the spread this season when closing as underdogs. The total has stayed UNDER in four of their last five games. Senior forward Rakeem Christmas continues to lead the way with 18.1 points and 9.3 rebounds a game. Syracuse is averaging 69.2 points per game and shooting 44 percent from the field.

Duke needed overtime to get past Virginia Tech 91-86 this past Wednesday as a heavy 15 ½-point road favorite. The Blue Devils are now an even 5-5 ATS while alternating wins and losses in their last 10 games. The total has gone OVER in their last four contests. They remain the fifth-highest scoring team in the nation with 81 PPG and they are ranked third in shooting the ball with a 50.2 field goal percentage. Freshman sensation Jahlil Okafor leads Duke in both points (18.4) and rebounds (9.4) per game.

Betting Trends

-- The Orange are 7-18-2 ATS in their last 27 conference games and they are 5-16 ATS in their last 21 games following a SU win. The total has stayed UNDER in 13 of their last 19 games following an ATS win.

-- The Blue Devils are 5-0 ATS in their last five games following an ATS loss and they have gone 15-5-1 ATS in their last 21 games played on Saturday. The total has gone OVER in 12 of their last 14 home games.

-- Duke has won two of three meetings since Syracuse joined the ACC last season including an 80-72 victory on Feb. 14 this year as a 7 ½-point road favorite. The Blue Devils are 2-0-1 ATS and the total has gone OVER in two of the three games.

No. 7 Arizona Wildcats vs. No. 13 Utah Utes (ESPN, 9 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Utah -2

Arizona rolled over Colorado 82-54 this past Thursday as a nine-point road favorite to improve to 13-2 SU in conference play. The Wildcats have gone a profitable 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games and the total has gone OVER in four of their last six outings. Four of five starters scored in double figures against the Buffaloes led by freshman forward Stanley Johnson’s 15 points. He leads the Wildcats in scoring this season with 14.2 PPG and, as a team, Arizona is averaging 75.8 PPG while shooting a highly effective 49.1 percent from the field.

The Utes stayed right on Arizona’s tail in the Pac-12 title race with an 83-41 romp against Arizona State as 12-point home favorites this past Thursday. This followed a stunning 69-58 loss to Oregon last Sunday as 4 ½-point favorites on the road. They are now 5-2 ATS in their last seven contests and the total has stayed UNDER in four of their last five games. Utah is averaging 73 PPG and it is shooting an impressive 49.5 percent from the field. Senior guard Delon Wright has led the way with 14.2 PPG.

Betting Trends

-- The Wildcats are 5-1 ATS in their last six road games and they are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games against a team with a SU winning record. The total has stayed UNDER in five of their last seven games following an ATS win.

-- The Utes are 21-5 ATS in their last 26 games played on Saturday and they are 35-13-3 ATS in their last 51 games following a SU win. The total has gone OVER in 10 of their last 14 home games.

-- The road team in this conference clash has gone 8-3 ATS in the last 11 meetings and the total has stayed UNDER in three of the last four games. Arizona has won the last 10 meetings SU and it has a 6-4 edge ATS during this winning streak.

BYU Cougars vs. No. 3 Gonzaga Bulldogs (ESPN2, 10 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Gonzaga -12

BYU brings a five-game winning streak both SU and ATS into this matchup following Thursday’s 82-69 victory against Portland as a 2 ½-point road favorite. The total has now stayed UNDER in the Cougars last four contests. Senior guard Tyler Haws has been a force this season with a team-high 22.3 points while shooting 47.6 percent from the field. The Cougars have an additional trio of players averaging 13 PPG as the top scoring team in the nation with 84.4 PPG. Defensively, they are well down the list after allowing an average of 72.4 PPG to their opponents.

The Bulldogs continue to roll to a West Coast regular season title with a perfect 17-0 SU record in conference play, but they are just 4-5 ATS in their last nine games. Gonzaga did cover a huge 17-point spread this past Thursday with a 59-39 victory at home against San Diego. The total has stayed UNDER in four of their last five games. The Bulldogs are another team that can light-up the scoreboard with 79 PPG and they are the top shooting team in the nation with a lights-out 52.7 field goal percentage. Junior forward Kyle Wiltjer has had the hottest hand with 17 PPG.

Betting Trends

-- The Cougars have covered in their last four games following a SU win and they are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games on the road. The total has gone OVER in six of their last seven road games.

-- The Bulldogs are 5-2 ATS in their last seven home games and they are 13-6-2 ATS in their last 21 games against a team with a SU winning record. The total has stayed UNDER in four of their last five games played at home.

-- Head-to-head in this matchup, the home team has gone 8-1-1 ATS in the last 10 meetings and the total has stayed UNDER in the last five meetings at Gonzaga. The Bulldogs won the first meeting this season 87-80 while covering as five-point road favorites. The total went OVER the closing 149 ½-point line after staying UNDER in the previous seven meetings.

**StarDust Bum** · 02-28-2015, 02:34 AM

Bracketology Update

February 27, 2015

We're getting into nitty-gritty time, with march just around the corner and Selection Sunday looming in two weeks. "Bubble" talk now dominates the college basketball discussion. Now, it's time to take "Bracketology" forecasts a bit more seriously, as most of the regular season is complete, and most of the potential at-large entries are no longer a mystery. Though the composition of those could still be altered somewhat by upset results in upcoming conference tourney action.

For our new update, we include not only each team's straight-up record, but also its "RPI" (Ratings Percentage index) and "SOS" (Strength of Schedule) numbers, calculations that begin to become more illuminating as we get deeper into conference action. All SU records, RPI and SOS are thru February 25.

Note that for all of our "Bracketology" updates, the term "protected seed" refers to seeds 1 thru 4 in each region, and usual favorable geographic placement in the sub-regional round.

As usual, we break down the projected matchups by each region, beginning with the sub-regionals, which this season will begin on Thursday, March 19, with the Dayton "First Four" games played on March 17 and 18.

EAST REGIONAL (Syracuse)

At Charlotte...

1 Virginia (SUR 26-1, RPI-3, SOS-16) vs. 16 FGCU (21-8. 111-238)...A recent close call for Virginia against Wake Forest was reversed in a midweek blowout of the Demon Deacons, and the Cavs have yet to stumble without injured G Justin Anderson, likely out until the ACC Tourney due to a broken finger. UVa was also without another key guard, London Perrantes (face injury), in the Wednesday win at Winston-Salem. A loss before the end of the regular season, and failure to win the ACC Tourney, could still knock the Cavs off of the top line, but we wouldn't count on it. FGSU looks the team to beat in the upcoming Atlantic Sun Tourney, with a few remnants of Andy Enfield "Dunk City" Sweet 16 qualifier from two years ago still on the roster.

8 Oklahoma State (17-10, 28-6) vs. 9 Tulsa (20-7, 36-104)...Three weeks ago we had slotted Seton Hall and Texas into these positions in the East; now we have neither in our projected field of 68. Ok State is in better shape at the moment than the Longhorns in the Big 12 because of a better place in the current standings (sixth compared to eighth) and better RPI and SOS numbers, but the Cowboys are nonetheless advised to halt their current 3-game losing skid ASAP. We move Frank Haith's Tulsa to the safe side of the cut line after recent romps past Temple and Tulane, and staying abreast of Larry Brown's SMU at the top of the American table.

At Columbus...

4 Wichita State (26-3, 13-103) vs. 13 Harvard (19-5, 50-184)...We have Wichita and Northern Iowa basically interchangeable in protected seed slots, and suspect whichever teams wins the Missouri Valley Tourney (and it would be a stunner if it were not the Shockers or Panthers) probably gets a three seed, and the other team a four. The teams likely meet twice in the next ten days, so stay tuned. Harvard at the moment has the pole position in the Ivy League and an important win over closest pursuer Yale. A showdown with the Eli takes place in Cambridge next week, and if the situation remains unchanged until then, Yale is going to have to win that game and then beat Harvard again in an Ivy playoff to steal the Big Dance bid from Tommy Amaker, looking for his fourth straight NCAA trip.

5 Michigan State (19-8, 27-41) vs. 12 Boise State (21-7, 41-108)/NC State (17-11, 40-3)...If Michigan State making a late-season rally sounds familiar, it should, and Tom Izzo appears to be concocting another late-season run by the Spartans, who took a 4-game win streak into Thursday's game vs. Minnesota. The recent switch of G Travis Trice to a sixth-man role has provided a spark off the bench and has coincided with the recent surge. Obviously, the projections for the at-large play-in game at Dayton will vary wildly until Selection Sunday. A couple of stretch runners presently get our nod for one of those matchups, as hot Boise State had won 11 of its last 12 heading into Saturday's Mountain West showdown at San Diego State, while NC State's recent road wins at Louisville and North Carolina, plus an earlier upset over Duke and close call at Virginia, have the Wolfpack firmly on Selection Committee radar.

At Omaha...

2 Kansas (22-6, 2-1) vs. 15 High Point (21-7, 92-232)...Recent losses at West Virginia and Kansas State have probably removed any chance KU could slip onto the top line, and more than likely threaten to drop the Jayhawks to a 3 seed. But as long as KU hangs on to win the Big 12 regular-season title, and maintains its lofty RPI (2) and SOS (1) numbers, it should stay on the second line. Scott Cherry's High Point, featuring highlight-reel F John Brown, will likely be the top seed at next week's Big South Tourney near Myrtle Beach, but note that Cliff Ellis' dangerous tourney host Coastal Carolina has already beaten the Panthers twice this season. Speaking of Cherry, expect him to be targeted by a number of suitors (perhaps former employer George Mason, where Paul Hewitt is on the hot seat and where Cherry worked under Jim Larranaga during the Final Four season) at the conclusion of the campaign.

7 Georgetown (18-8, 23-5) vs. 10 Iowa (18-10, 53-29)...Having recovered from a brief recent dip (three losses in four) with wins in three straight headed into the weekend, the Hoyas look safely in the field and could move up a line or two by Selection Sunday with a deep run in the Big East Tourney. Iowa is not safe yet, but Wednesday's win over Illinois sets up the Hawkeyes as the likely seventh invitee from the Big Ten, which figures to get plenty of respect from the Selection Committee. Iowa should be safe as long as it doesn't lose more than one vs. Penn State, Indiana, and recently-pesky Northwestern before the Big Ten Tourney, and avoids an early exit in Chicago.

At Jacksonville...

3 Arkansas (23-5, 18-72) vs. 14 Iona (23-6, 50-184)...There will be plenty of clamoring for Arkansas to move up to the two line if it can beat top-ranked Kentucky (for a fourth straight time!) on Saturday. Right now, the Razorbacks are too far behind Kansas in the computer numbers to leapfrog the Jayhawks or the other projected two seeds, but that all changes with an upset over Coach Cal's Cats. Tim Cluess' Iona is no stranger to the Big Dance and has drawn clear in the Metro-Atlantic, and will be a solid favorite over top contenders Rider, Monmouth, and Quinnipiac when that tourney begins late next week in Albany.

6 VCU (21-7, 15-11) vs. 11 Stanford (17-9, 56-69)...VCU is not yet home-and-hosed in the A-10 regular-season race, especially after recent double-OT losses to La Salle and Richmond have caused a four-way logjam at the top of the league table. But solid computer numbers suggest Shaka Smart's team is the only league rep with little to worry about on Selection Sunday. Stanford is definitely in some bubble trouble after a recent dip in form, but last weekend's win over Cal temporarily stopped the bleeding. One potential problem for the Cardinal is that its best non-league win (at Texas) is not looking nearly as good as it did in December due to the Longhorns' recent fade in the Big 12. Still some work to do in Palo Alto.

SOUTH REGIONAL (Houston)

At Charlotte...

1 Duke (19-3, 5-13) vs. 16 St. Francis NY (20-9, 165-325)/Albany (20-8, 123-296)...Duke risked slipping off of the top line if Virginia Tech could have pulled the massive upset at midweek, but the Blue Devils avoided that banana peel (barely) and live to fight another day as a projected top seed. Right now, it's wins over Virginia and Wisconsin that have Coach K's bunch projected ahead of Villanova, Arizona, and the Badgers for a spot on the top line. The America East race has been turned inside-out the past few weeks by the Great Danes from Albany, looking for a return trip to the Dance and having zoomed ahead of all else in the A-E with a 14-1 league mark and top seed (and home edge) in the upcoming conference tourney. Vermont and the home team of Strat-o-Matic on long Island, Stony Brook, look to be the top contenders. The Terriers of Brooklyn-based St. Francis (NY) have the pole position in the Northeast, also not insignificant since the conference winner has homecourt edge in a conference tourney played at campus sites. Looming close behind in the NE standings are Smithfield, RI-based Bryant, the home team of the Pittsburgh Airport, Robert Morris, Maurice Stokes' alma mater St. Francis (PA), Mount Saint Mary's, and Bob Beckel's Staten Island-based alma mater, Wagner.

8 Ohio State (19-8, 46-81) vs. 9 Dayton (21-6, 34-126)...For much of the season we have projected Ohio State a bit higher, and even came close to putting the Buckeyes in protected seed territory last month. But too many flat efforts (most of those on the road, like last Sunday's loss at Michigan) have dropped the Buckeyes into the 7-8 seed range. We are not sure how deep the Committee looks into the A-10, but beyond VCU we believe Dayton looks the best bet for an at-large. Remember, Archie Miller's Flyers advanced to the Elite Eight last spring with a similar-looking team.

At Portland...

4 Utah (21-5, 10-42) vs. 13 Georgia State (19-8, 81-187)...Expect Utah's Larry Krystkowiak to garner more than a few votes in national Coach of the Year balloting. The Utes have emerged as the second team in the Pac-12 behind Arizona (which visits Salt Lake City this weekend), though recent road losses at UCLA and Oregon have some observers wondering if Utah is a candidate for an early upset at the sub-regionals. The Sun Belt Tourney begins in two weeks at the U of New Orleans Lakefront Arena, and recent performances suggest Ron Hunter's Georgia State, playing some very nasty defense in recent weeks, can make amends after losing as the favorite to upstart ULL in the finals last March. Georgia Southern is currently abreast of the Panthers in the league race.

5 SMU (22-5, 20-59) vs. 12 Wofford (23-6, 51-159)...After being perhaps the last team to be left out of the 68-team field last March, Larry Brown's AAC-leading Mustangs are not going to have to sweat out Selection Sunday this season. A five seed might be bit aggressive, but the Mustangs can stick here if they win the conference tourney in Hartford (where local favorite UConn will be lurking). Meanwhile, Wofford has taken command in the SoCon as it looks for back-to-back Big Dance trips under vet HC Mike Young and star G Karl Cochran.

At Columbus...

2 Wisconsin (25-3, 6-19) vs. 15 NC Central (21-6, 106-336)...Wisconsin is sitting as the best-rated Big Ten side at the moment, but saw its hopes fora spot on the top line take a hit with the midweek loss at Maryland. Which probably didn't bother Bo Ryan's team as much as the emergency landing the team's plane had to make in Pittsburgh on its way back from BWI. The Badgers still have a shot at a top regional seed if they can win next month's Big Ten Tourney and events elsewhere break favorably, but for now we think a two seed is just about right. Looking for back-to-back Big Dance visits are HC LeVelle Moton's NC Central Eagles, who should be safely clear of the 16 vs. 16 play-in game as long as they maintain current form and don't get KO'd in next month's MEAC Tourney at the Norfolk Scope, once upon a time one of the regional homes for the ABA Virginia Squires during Dr. J's earliest days as a pro hoopster.

7 LSU (20-8, 54-91) vs. 10 Colorado State (24-5, 26-116)...Some observers believe the non-Kentucky teams from the SEC are going to fare much better in March than most realize and almost always mention Johnny Jones' LSU (along with Arkansas) as one of those potentially dangerous entries to watch. We are not as sure about the Selection Committee going too deep in the Mountain West, but Colorado State's solid computer numbers suggest the Rams are probably on the safe side of the cut line as long as Larry Eustachy's team avoids upcoming banana peels at payback-minded Nevada (which was humiliated by 56 at Fort Collins) and Utah State, and averts an early exit at the Mountain West Tourney in Las Vegas.

At Pittsburgh...

3 West Virginia (22-6, 22-49) vs. 14 William & Mary (18-10, 86-150)...After slipping down the seeding ladder in our last update, Bob Huggins' WVU has steadied after that recent wobble with big wins over Kansas and on the road at Oklahoma State and now projects as a protected seed out of the loaded Big 12. Which probably means a sub-regional assignment at nearby Pittsburgh, just what WVU fans would desire. Get ready for a national media blitz if William & Mary can win the upcoming Colonial Tourney in Baltimore, because the Tribe has never qualified for the Big Dance (though it came awfully close last March vs. Delaware).

6 Butler (20-8, 25-22) vs. 11 Miami-Fla. (18-10, 67-68)...Butler has been one of the pleasant surprises in the nation this season , and HC Chris Holtmann (who had the interim tag removed in January) should be getting some votes in the Coach of the Year balloting. Including Jim Larranaga's Miami is something of a reach, especially after the Canes blew a chance to put themselves a bit further from the cut line had they been able to hold on last Saturday at Louisville. Bad losses to Eastern Kentucky and Green bay in pre-league play still hurt, but the January 13 win over Duke helps. But Larranaga cannot afford to lose more than one upcoming game vs. North Carolina, Pitt, or VPI, or suffer an early exit in the ACC Tourney, to stay on the bubble.

MIDWEST REGIONAL (Cleveland)

At Louisville...

1 Kentucky (28-0, 1-31) vs. 16 Texas Southern (15-12, 154-275)/Bucknell (17-13, 144-169)...Kentucky fans have been making their sub-regional reservations in Louisville since last summer, and that assignment to the KFC Yum! Center remains the surest thing on Selection Sunday. The Patriot champ has been involved in past play-in games, and this season's conference race has been turned inside-out with preseason favorite Lafayette taking on some water and CBS head honcho Les Moonves' alma mater Bucknell suddenly emerging along with unheralded Colgate as the leaders in the race. Also keep an eye on Army, with perhaps its best team since Coach K's years in the late '70s, and of course the memorable Bob Knight teams of the late '60s and into 1970. The SWAC has also been involved in many of these 16 vs. 16 play-in games, and Texas Southern is the most interesting rep this season after its pre-league wins over Michigan State and Kansas State. Alabama State and Southern U are other top contenders for the upcoming conference tourney at the Houston Rockets' swanky Toyota Center.

8 Providence (19-9, 21-7) vs. 9 Purdue (18-9, 59-70)...Solid computer numbers have Providence poised to get a single-digit seed on Selection Sunday. Road wins at Georgetown and Butler and vs. Notre Dame on a neutral floor at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut have helped the Friars, whose RPI also got a boost from a Nov. 30 loss at Kentucky. Stretch-running Purdue remains the surprise story in this year's Big Ten, not only saving the skin of under-fire HC Matt Painter but also climbing up the projected seedings for the past month due to an ongoing uptick (wins in 7 of last 8 in the rugged Big Ten).

At Omaha....

4 Oklahoma (19-8, 16-12) vs. 13 Central Michigan (21-5, 71-222)...There are a handful of interchangeable parts (OU, Iowa State, West Virginia, Baylor) in the upper half of the Big 12 table, and developments over the next couple of weeks will help properly slot all. At the moment, we give the Mountaineers and Lon Kruger's Sooners the spots as protected seeds, though OU is projected as low as the six line by other Bracketologists. As usual, the MAC Tourney in Cleveland figures to be a wide-open affair from what at one time was a multi-bid league (but hasn't been so this millennium). A measured vote for Keno Davis' CMU Chips, perhaps the most consistent of all MAC reps this season. Though several others (Bowling Green, Buffalo, Toledo, and last year's tourney champ Western Michigan among them) will all feel as if they have a shot at The Q, too.

5 Louisville (22-6, 19-37) vs. 12 Valparaiso (22-5, 69-262)...Something is presently not right with Louisville, which has eked out recent wins over Miami and Georgia Tech after recent losses to N.C. State and Syracuse and has dismissed troubled G Chris Jones. Combined, it's enough to move the Cards out of protected seed territory. A recent road loss at Detroit might be a warning sign, or a wake-up call, for Valpo, which is still in position to win the Horizon regular-season crown and play at home as long as it stays alive in the conference tourney. But Green Bay, Cleveland State, and perhaps Oakland and even Detroit will believe they have a chance in that upcoming event.

At Seattle...

2 Arizona (24-3, 7-39) vs. 15 South Dakota State (21-8, 103-251)...Arizona was fancying itself as a top regional seed in the West for the first month of the season, but road losses at UNLV and Oregon State are not befitting a top seed. Even with a close December home win over Gonzaga, we think the Zags are more likely to grab the West's top seed, likely moving the Wildcats out of the region. The Summit race remains a jumble, though Scott Nagy's SD State Jackrabbits look to have pole position for top seed in the upcoming conference tourney at hoops-mad Sioux Falls, with the defending champ North Dakota State Bisons, the IPFW Mastodons, the Oral Roberts Eagles, and maybe the South Dakota Coyotes all thinking they have a shot in Sioux Falls, too.

7 Oregon (21-8, 39-58) vs. 10 Georgia (18-9, 30-35)...We didn't even have Dana Altman's Oregon in our projected field until recent weeks. The Ducks were forgotten about after their 2-3 start in Pac-12 play, but have roared back and achieved the marquee win they needed last Sunday vs. Utah. Now, wins at Stanford and Oregon State to close the regular season and a good showing in the Pac-12 Tourney should have the Webfoots wearing their white unis (or perhaps yellow, or a lighter shade of green) as the designated home team in their first sub-regional game. Georgia had placed itself into a box with inexplicable losses to Auburn and South Carolina, but recent road wins at Alabama and Ole Miss have put the Bulldogs back on the safe side of the cut line. Avoiding a collapse in remaining regular-season games and a quick exit in the SEC Tourney at Nashville, and Mark Fox's team won't have to sweat Selection Sunday.

At Louisville...

3 Northern Iowa (27-2, 14-133) vs. 14 Stephen F, Austin (23-4, 66-259)...As mentioned in earlier discussion regarding fellow Missouri Valley contender Wichita State, we view "Virginia Lite" Northern Iowa as interchangeable at the moment with the Shockers, with the winner of the conference tourney likely on the three line and the loser probably getting a four seed on Selection Sunday. At the moment, we opt for UNI on the three line due to its earlier win over Wichita the (the teams meet again this weekend at Koch Arena). Nobody is going to be thrilled to draw Brad Underwood's giant-killers from Stephen F. Austin after the Lumberjacks dumped VCU in a sub-regional at San Diego last March. First, however, SFA must get past dangerous Sam Houston State and a few others in the upcoming Southland Tourney in the Houston suburb of Katy.

6 Baylor (21-7, 11-4) vs. 11 Cincinnati (19-9, 52-57)...As mentioned in our previous discussion involving Oklahoma, the Bears are one of several Big 12 teams we envision being slotted at three-thru-six seeds across the regional map. At the moment, we have the Bears at a six, though their computer numbers suggest something better. Cincinnati has not had an easy season, with HC Mick Cronin forced into a medical-related leave of absence. The Bearcats have also been operating without a double-digit scorer for much of the campaign and recently lost three games in a row. But a pair of wins over SMU, a December triumph over Mountain West leader San Diego State, and a top 25 non-conference schedule are helping to keep Cincy in the field of 68.

WEST REGIONAL (Los Angeles)

at Seattle...

1 Gonzaga (28-1, 8-74) vs. 16 New Mexico State (19-10, 113-177)...There still might be a scenario in which Gonzaga could drop from the top line without losing another game until Selection Sunday, but recent losses by Kansas and Wisconsin, and a couple of bad losses on Arizona's record, suggest that only Villanova appears capable of leapfrogging the Zags (as long as they keep winning thru the ACC Tourney). New Mexico State looks to be the only WAC rep that could miss one of the 16 vs. 16 play-in games. The Aggies, who recently got skywalking G Daniel Mullings back to active duty, will be a heavy favorite for that conference tourney at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, and what would be a fourth straight Big Dance trip for HC Marvin Menzies.

8 North Carolina (19-9, 17-2) vs. 9 Indiana (19-10, 25-33)...There has to be some punishment for North Carolina continuing to lose games. So, despite the Tar Heels' lofty RPI (17) and SOS (2) numbers, we've slotted them in one of the 8 vs. 9 games, with a chance to play their way back up the ladder with a fast regular-season finish and good showing in the ACC Tourney. It only seems fair, right? Tom Crean's Indiana has been floating in the 7-9 range all season, but too many shallow efforts like Wednesday's loss at Northwestern have prevented the Hoosiers from ascending any higher on the seeding ladder.

At Portland...

4 Notre Dame (24-5, 29-106) vs. 13 Murray State (24-4, 74-269)...Notre Dame has been hovering in protected seed territory since January, but we have moved the Irish down a line to a four since our last update, with Tuesday's home loss vs. Syracuse costing Mike Brey's team. Steve Prohm's dangerous Murray State (which won the CIT last spring) has stayed unbeaten in Ohio Valley play and caused trouble in the Dance before. The Racers have emerged as the clear favorite for the upcoming OVC Tourney at the old Nashville Civic Auditorium (the SEC gets the higher-rent digs at the NHL Predators' Bridgestone Arena), where Rick Byrd's local entry Belmont, Heath Schroyer's UT-Martin, and Jeff Neubauer's defending conference tourney champ Eastern Kentucky have the best shot at an upset.

5 Iowa State (20-7, 12-8) vs. 12 St. John's (19-9, 37-28)/Texas A&M (19-8, 31-62)...Regarding Iowa State, ditto earlier discussions involving West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Baylor; for the moment we simply decide to slot the Cyclones on the five line, and wait to see what happens at the upcoming Big 12 Tourney in Kansas City. The second at-large play-in game at Dayton represents the absolute edge of the cut line, and much could change in the next two weeks. For the moment, we give Steve Lavin's St. John's (which enters the weekend having won 5 of its last 6) one more chance despite its inconsistencies, and also reward Texas A&M, whose two wins over LSU and absence of bad losses allow it to squeeze into the field (for the moment, at least) as the SEC's sixth rep.

At Pittsburgh...

2 Villanova (6-2, 4-27) vs. 15 Eastern Washington (20-7, 75-190)...As mentioned earlier, we now believe Nova has the best chance among all our two seeds to move up to the top line, though the Cats are going to have to keep winning to have a chance to leapfrog Gonzaga. Minor consideration, however, as Jay Wright's team likely heads to Pittsburgh regardless for the sub-regionals. Jim Hayford's Eastern Washington has made the most noise in the Big Sky this season due to its pre-league win at Indiana, and the Eagles appear poised to catch a break in the conference tourney by hosting the event even if finishing behind Sac State, whose tiny Hornet's Nest Gym has been deemed too small to host the postseason tourney, usually played at the home of the regular-season Sky winner.

7 Ole Miss (19-9, 43-45) vs. 10 Temple (19-9, 33-51)...Some SEC observers still believe that Ole Miss, and not Arkansas, might be the SEC's second-best team. A midweek home loss to capable Georgia is hardly a bad defeat after wins in eight of its previous nine games, though we don't see the Rebs ascending much higher than the six line on Selection Sunday. Temple has fallen back into some bubble trouble with recent losses at SMU and Tulsa, but a few of the Owls' other defeats came while HC Fran Dunphy was waiting for transfers to become eligible in the first month of the season, and the romp past Kansas should be worth something on Selection Sunday.

At Jacksonville....

3 Maryland (23-5, 9-21) vs. 14 UC Davis (21-4, 72-304)...We weren't sure about putting recently-wobbling Maryland in protected seed category as recently as a week ago, but Tuesday's rousing win over Wisconsin and earlier sweep of Michigan State should have the Terps poised to enter the Dance as no worse than the second-rated Big Ten team. And with developments elsewhere the past week (such as Notre Dame's home loss to Syracuse), Maryland gets bumped up to a 3. Kimberly Guilfoyle's alma mater UC Davis has never made the Big Dance, though it has won lower-division titles under current UCSB HC Bob Williams. Jim Les' Aggies have emerged as the favorite in the upcoming Big West Tourney at Anaheim thanks to an upperclassmen-dominated lineup and high-scoring G Corey Hawkins (Hersey's son; 20.8 ppg), back from recent injury.

6 San Diego State (22-6, 24-83) vs. 11 La Tech (21-7, 65-101)...Good news in the past week for Steve Fisher's SDSU, which has welcomed back versatile 6-7 swingman Dwayne Polee II to active duty after a heart scare. Though the Aztecs still lack the offensive bite of some of their recent versions, solid defense, makes SDSU a "tough out" in March as usual. Conference USA is a logjam at the top, but we don't think there will be more than the winner of the conference tourney (this year held in Birmingham) to make the field of 68. At the moment, a slight nod to Michael White's La Tech, a narrow loser in last year's conference tourney in El Paso. Keep an eye on ascending UAB, which gets home edge in the tourney next month, while Tim Floyd's UTEP could also be a team to watch in Birmingham.

Last four in: Boise State, NC State, St. John's, Texas A&M.

Last four out: Texas, Xavier, Pitt, UCLA.

Next four out: Illinois, Davidson, Rhode Island, BYU.

**StarDust Bum** · 02-28-2015, 12:11 PM

A big day today......i'll have a possible 10 GOM'S GOING today..........good luck to all

**StarDust Bum** · 02-28-2015, 12:31 PM

Saturday, February 28

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Missouri - 12:00 PM ET Georgia -12 500 ***
Georgia -

East Carolina - 12:00 PM ET Central Florida -1.5 500
Central Florida -

Georgia Tech - 12:00 PM ET Clemson -4.5 500
Clemson -

Michigan - 12:00 PM ET Maryland -8.5 500 *****
Maryland -

N.C. State - 12:00 PM ET N.C. State -5.5 500 TRIPLE PLAY
Boston College -

Georgetown - 12:00 PM ET St. John's +1.5 500
St. John's -

Louisville - 12:00 PM ET Florida St. +5 500
Florida St. -

Rhode Island - 12:30 PM ET La Salle +1.5 500 *****
La Salle -

Samford - 1:00 PM ET Samford +3.5 500
VMI -

Nebraska Omaha - 1:00 PM ET Indiana - Purdue -2.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY
Indiana - Purdue -

Western Carolina - 1:00 PM ET Citadel +4 500
Citadel -

**StarDust Bum** · 02-28-2015, 12:38 PM

Drexel - 2:00 PM ET Drexel +16.5 500 *****
William & Mary -

Dayton - 2:00 PM ET Dayton +6.5 500 *****
VCU -

Northern Iowa - 2:00 PM ET Wichita St. -6.5 500 *****
Wichita St. -

Oakland - 2:00 PM ET Oakland +9 500
Green Bay -

Illinois St. - 2:00 PM ET Illinois St. +1 500
Evansville -

Wright St. - 2:00 PM ET Illinois-Chicago +1 500
Illinois-Chicago -

Villanova - 2:00 PM ET Villanova -2 500
Xavier -

Texas Christian - 2:00 PM ET Texas Christian +11.5 500 *****
Oklahoma -

Indiana St. - 2:00 PM ET Indiana St. -1 500
Bradley -

Mississippi - 2:00 PM ET Mississippi +3.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY
Louisiana State -

Butler - 2:00 PM ET Butler -6 500 G O M
DePaul -

Utah St. - 2:00 PM ET Utah St. +1 500
Air Force -

Delaware - 2:00 PM ET Towson -3.5 500
Towson -

North Carolina - 2:00 PM ET Miami-Florida +1 500
Miami-Florida -

Cincinnati - 2:00 PM ET Cincinnati -6.5 500
Tulane -

Jacksonville St. - 2:30 PM ET Morehead St. -9.5 500
Morehead St. -

Middle Tennessee St. - 3:00 PM ET Middle Tennessee St. +4.5 500 G O M
UAB -

Southern Utah - 3:00 PM ET North Dakota -3 500 *****
North Dakota -

Louisiana-Monroe - 3:30 PM ET Louisiana-Monroe -5.5 500
Appalachian St. -

Bowling Green - 3:30 PM ET Bowling Green -4 500
Miami (OH) -

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The Bum's Best Bets For Saturday February 28th NBA -NHL-NCAABB- !

The Bum's Best Bets For Saturday February 28th NBA -NHL-NCAABB- !

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