The Bum's College Hoops For December Rated Games -Trends - News !!

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Preview: Peacocks (3-5) at Colonials (9-1)[/B]
Date: December 19, 2015 1:00 PM EDT

Ranked for the first time in a decade, George Washington looks to continue one the best starts in school history.

Having already beaten six teams from major conferences, the No. 21 Colonials should have a good opportunity to continue their early success Saturday against visiting Saint Peter's.

George Washington (9-1) won 46 games the past two seasons while reaching the NCAA Tournament in 2014 and the NIT last spring. It appears the Colonials could be poised for even more success while matching the third-best start in program history.

The Colonials cracked the Top 25 this week for the first time since they were 14th in the final poll of 2005-06.

"We're feeling good," sophomore guard Paul Jorgensen said. "(A 9-1 record) feels good, but we know we can get a lot better."

George Washington has done pretty well through the first month of the season while beating then-No. 6 Virginia, Tennessee, Seton Hall, Penn State and Rutgers. It's lone defeat came 61-56 to then-No. 24 Cincinnati in Brooklyn on Nov. 28.

"There's a lot left in the season though, and we know what we have to do," said Jorgensen, a key reserve who is one of six Colonials averaging at least 8.3 points. "We've just got to handle our business and do what we do."

George Washington has guarded the basketball very well, allowing 66.7 points per game, 39.5 percent shooting, 28.4 from 3-point range and averaging 12.6 forced turnovers. The Colonials might have been at their most dominant on the defensive end in last Saturday's 83-49 rout of Rutgers.

They held the Scarlet Knights to 34.0 percent shooting, 5 of 19 from beyond the arc and set season highs by forcing 22 turnovers and recording 18 steals.

Offensively, 6-foot-9 Wake Forest transfer Tyler Cavanaugh is averaging a team-leading 16.1 points while shooting 51.4 percent and 42.9 from 3. He scored a career-high 22 against Rutgers to pace the Colonials, who have won 21 consecutive nonconference home games by a margin of 20.3 points.

Coming out of its break for final exams, George Washington will try to extend that streak before visiting DePaul and Central Florida next week.

"We've got to really get focused," fifth-year coach Mike Lonergan said.

George Washington has split the six meetings with Saint Peter's (3-5), winning 62-51 in the most recent matchup in December 1994.

"We're going to have our hands full, certainly," Saint Peter's coach John Dunne said. "They're very well coached."

The Peacocks are 1-4 on the road, where they set season lows for points and shooting (32.7 percent) in a 72-46 loss at Seton Hall on Sunday.

"We did compete for 40 minutes but we just couldn't score the ball," said Dunne, whose team is averaging 69.3 points and shooting 41.4 percent. "Every experience you have on the court you have to learn from it."

Freshman guard Antwon Portley is averaging a team-leading 14.9 points despite shooting 38.8 percent. He's gone 3 of 16 in the last two games, and finished with two points and three turnovers against Seton Hall.

The Peacocks are facing their first Top 25 opponent during the regular season since losing at then-No. 11 Xavier in November 2002.

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Preview: Tar Heels (8-2) at Bruins (8-3)
Date: December 19, 2015 1:00 PM EDT

Although the most compelling matchup between North Carolina and UCLA may come in the back court, the players missing inside might make the biggest difference.

While Marcus Paige and Bryce Alford will take the court Saturday, Kennedy Meeks will not for the 11th-ranked Tar Heels when they meet the No. 22 Bruins in the CBS Sports Classic at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Meeks will miss his second straight game with a bruised left knee, and the statuses of UCLA starting center Thomas Welsh and reserve Prince Ali are iffy. Each missed Tuesday's 89-80 win over Louisiana-Lafayette, Welsh with a stomach virus and Ali after bruising his left knee the game before. Welsh's status is unclear and Ali is day to day.

North Carolina (8-2) was without Paige in its first six games and will play at least the next two weeks without Meeks, who is averaging 12.3 points and 7.4 rebounds. UCLA's two big wins - 87-77 over then-No. 1 Kentucky on Dec. 3 and 71-66 at then-No. 20 Gonzaga on Saturday - came with injuries during or before the game to key big men for each.

But the Bruins will still have to handle the inside presence of Brice Johnson, who poured in a career-high 25 points with 10 rebounds in UNC's 96-72 win over Tulane on Wednesday that helped ease the pain of Saturday's 84-82 loss to Texas at the buzzer.

"With Kennedy being out, I knew I'd have to play a little bit more," Johnson said. "I had to be able to step up."

The Tar Heels managed just four offensive rebounds against the Longhorns, their fewest in 13 seasons under coach Roy Williams, but had a season-high 17 against the Green Wave. North Carolina also had 30 assists on 36 field goals and shot 50 percent for the fourth game in a row. It was the team's first 30-assist game since Dec. 8, 2012.

Paige had seven of them to go with 16 points and has averaged 17.3 points and 4.8 assists in four games since returning from a hand injury. He made 4 of 8 attempts from 3-point range to move to 13 of 24 from deep on the season.

Alford has also found his range of late and will try to help UCLA (8-3) to its sixth straight win after opening the season 3-3. He made 10 of 15 shots and 4 of 6 from long range against Louisiana-Lafayette en route to a season-high 27 points - four off his career best. The junior guard has made 10 of his last 19 shots from deep.

He's taken on a larger offensive role this season late in games and made a key 3-pointer with 1:49 left on Tuesday after Louisiana-Lafayette clawed within six points.

"It's something you learn through experience," Alford said. "I went through stretches last year where I had to figure that out.

"Now I know when the team needs me to score."

North Carolina leads the series 7-3 and has won six of the last eight meetings - the latest a 78-56 victory last Nov. 27 in the Bahamas at the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament.

Paige scored 21 points in that win, while Justin Jackson had 12 and Isaiah Hicks added 10. Alford finished with 10 points on just 3-of-10 shooting, missing all four of his 3-point attempts while matching a career worst with six turnovers.

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Preview: Grizzlies (4-5) at Jayhawks (8-1)
Date: December 19, 2015 2:00 PM EDT

(AP) - The biggest problem facing Kansas' Bill Self these days may be precisely the opposite problem faced by every other coach in the country.

He has too much depth.

OK, so it's not really a problem. More like a challenge. Self acknowledges he always prefers to have an abundance of talented players at his disposal. It sure beats looking down an empty bench in the late minutes of a crucial game and throwing his hands up in exasperation.

But as the second-ranked Jayhawks (8-1) grind toward the start of Big 12 play with a visit from Montana (4-5) on Saturday, Self is also reaching a point where he must decide which of his dozen-plus guys give him the best chance of winning.

'What I'm as excited about as anything is for me to figure out how to play and how to sub, because to be candid with you, it varies game to game,' Self explained. 'Because guys can get in better rhythm and I can help them to do that going forward.'

But at the same time, Self said, 'it's kind of frustrating not knowing what to do.'

There have been games when Kansas has spread minutes evenly among 10 or more guys, each one producing. Then there have been games like last Saturday, when the starters were playing so well that Self left them in almost the entire second half of an 82-67 victory over Oregon State.

Frank Mason III wound up playing 38 minutes. Wayne Selden Jr. played 36. Devonte Graham logged 35. Perry Ellis played 31. And the fifth spot was shared by Hunter Mickelson and Carlton Bragg, with nobody else on that uber-deep roster playing more than seven minutes.

Not even Cheick Diallo, a potential NBA lottery pick.

Yes, the starters played great, and that's a big reason why Self insisted that he left the same group in during the comeback win. But just as importantly, the second-team guys played poorly.

'I think he was just happy with how we played the second half, especially us three,' said Graham, flanked by Mason and Selden. 'We just kept the same energy from start to finish. We were happy the way we pressured the ball and still had energy to make plays on offense.'

In doing so, they proved that depth sometimes may be overrated.

'I don't care how it happens as long as we win,' said Selden, the team's leading scorer who poured in 22 points. 'If we're out there a whole half, so be it.'

But playing an entire half in December is one thing. Doing it every night during the brutal, round-robin schedule of the Big 12 is another entirely. And that's why Self may have been fine playing his starters big minutes against Oregon State, but acknowledged in the next breath that he needs to settle on a rotation before conference play begins with No. 16 Baylor on Jan. 2.

'Right now I'd like to see some separation between our bigs, and who gets in,' Self said, 'because it's hard if you want to give guys some minutes and they're all equal.'

If nobody separates themselves? Well, Self sounds quite content to go with a much shorter bench than even he anticipated, even if it means leaving some high-profile prospects sitting there.

'We went to the national championship game (in 2012) and played seven guys at the most, and the only time we played an eighth was if there was serious foul trouble,' Self said.

Regardless, time is slipping by for Self to figure it out. The Jayhawks visit San Diego State on Tuesday and play UC-Irvine on Dec. 29 in their final nonconference game.

Then, they begin pursuit of their 12th consecutive Big 12 championship.

'The reality is,' Self said, 'we've got to get better when given an opportunity.'

Montana avoided a third straight loss with a 79-59 win over NAIA program Great Falls on Tuesday, improving to 4-0 at home. The Grizzlies almost pulled off an upset in the first of those back-to-back defeats, falling 61-58 at then-No. 20 Gonzaga on Dec. 8 before losing by 30 at Washington last Saturday.

They shot 49.1 percent Tuesday and went a season-best 10 of 22 from 3-point range.

'We needed to get a win,' coach Tommy DeCuire said. 'Our goal was to win as many games at home as possible. So It's another win at home, and now we get through finals ... and go see what we've got (at Kansas).'

The Jayhawks beat Montana 68-56 at Allen Fieldhouse in 1962 in the only meeting between these schools.

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Preview: Cougars (7-2) at Hurricanes (8-1)
Date: December 19, 2015 2:00 PM EDT

Miami has a chance to give coach Jim Larranaga a milestone victory against the son of the program's greatest player.

His 100th win at Miami could come Saturday when the No. 15 Hurricanes try to cool off an improved Canyon Barry and College of Charleston.

Larranaga is 99-50 in five seasons at Miami (8-1), one shy of becoming the fifth coach in school history to reach the century mark. He also won 170 games at Bowling Green and 273 with George Mason.

Two of Larranga's wins with the Hurricanes have come against Charleston, including a 67-40 rout last December.

"Miami is a very good team," Cougars coach Earl Grant said. "Coach Larranaga is a very good coach and will have his guys ready for us."

Charleston (7-2) has won five straight and is already within two victories of its total from last season, its first under Grant.

One reason for the turnaround has been the emergence of Barry, who enters the weekend 13th in the nation with 21.4 points per game. The junior guard is the youngest son of NBA Hall of Famer and former All-American Rick Barry, who averaged 37.4 points as a senior for the Hurricanes in 1964-65.

Though the younger Barry is shooting 41.4 percent, he continues to blossom. He averaged 11.2 points on 36.5 percent shooting over the previous two seasons, including 35 scoreless minutes against Miami last year and an eight-point, five-turnover effort in a 70-54 loss to the Hurricanes as a freshman.

Miami has won three straight since a 78-77 home loss to Northeastern on Nov. 27, though it hasn't been easy. The Hurricanes have shot 44.8 percent during the win streak after making at least 51.9 in each of the previous five games, but they held Nebraska, Charlotte and Florida to a combined 38.3 percent.

'Coach has been pretty hard on us, because he knows we can do a lot better,' said guard Angel Rodriguez, who had 17 points in a 66-55 win over the Gators on Dec. 8.

Miami hasn't played since that day, when it shot a season-low 39.2 percent.

The Hurricanes have held the last two opponents to 4 of 30 from 3-point range after the previous three hit 29 of 58.

"The only way to make them miss is to get in their grill," Larranaga said. "(Our) guys pride themselves on their offense but if they learn to pride themselves on their defense as well we can elevate ourselves on how well be play at both ends of the court.

"We're not going to shoot well every night."

The Cougars had their best 3-point shooting effort Sunday, making 12 of 24 and hitting 55.4 percent overall in an 89-52 victory over Division II North Greenville. Though that victory was hardly impressive from a competitive standpoint, they have won at Navy and held a previously ranked LSU squad to a season-low 31.1 percent shooting in a 70-58 home victory Nov. 30.

Their early success has been keyed by a defense allowing averages of 63.8 points, 41.2 percent from the field and 29.5 percent on 3-pointers.

Charleston has dropped four straight against ranked opponents since winning at No. 24 Baylor in November 2012.

"We are excited about the challenge," Grant said. "Our team is going to be really geared up to play them."

Miami leading scorer Sheldon McClellan (16.8 points per game) scored 24 against Florida after he averaged 12.0 in the previous four contests. Rodriguez scored 15 and McClellan had 11 in last season's win over Charleston.

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Preview: Bluejays (7-3) at Sooners (7-0)
Date: December 19, 2015 2:00 PM EDT

Oklahoma is the nation's best 3-point shooting team, and not many are more accurate overall than its next opponent.

The third-ranked Sooners seek to improve to 8-0 and stretch their home win streak to 13 games Saturday when they host one of the best shooting teams in the country in Creighton.

Oklahoma is off to its best start since the 2008-09 team began 12-0. The Sooners are shooting 48.7 percent on 3-pointers, including 57.3 in three games this month, after making a season-high 16 on 27 attempts in last Saturday's 96-73 win over Oral Roberts.

Reigning Big 12 player of the year Buddy Hield matched a season high with 30 points as he drained at least four 3-pointers for the fourth time and added a career-high five steals. Hield is averaging 22.1 points though he hasn't played enough games to qualify to rank among the nation's leaders.

"It felt good out there tonight, just tried to remain aggressive and let the game come to me," Hield said. "My teammates found me in good spots and I had confidence knocking down the shots or finishing with a drive."

Hield is 21 of 42 from 3-point range while Isaiah Cousins and Jordan Woodard are both 17 of 31 (54.8 percent).

Oklahoma is increasingly looking like one of college basketball's best teams because of its experience. Hield, Cousins, Woodard and Ryan Spangler have started all of the Sooners' 75 games over the last three seasons.

"The strength of this group is that these guys, the leadership core, has been through a lot of battles and they know how it works," coach Lon Kruger said. "We don't have to provide them much. The next game is the only one that counts."

The next game is against the Bluejays (7-3), who enter the weekend ranked 11th in Division I in field-goal shooting at 50.6 percent. Oklahoma is limiting opponents to 34.0 percent to rank second.

Creighton has held its last two opponents to 20.5 percent from 3-point range, beating Nebraska and IUPUI by an average of 20.5 points.

Isaiah Zierden scored 17 points in each of those games after he made five 3-pointers in last Saturday's 90-65 rout of IUPUI. Zierden, however, has yet to prove he can find the range on the road, making 1 of 13 shots - 1 of 11 on 3-pointers - for four points in two defeats.

"I think we've learned from (the road losses) and I think we'll do a better job of focusing in and staying true to what we do at Creighton and then relish in the moment to play a Top-10 team like that," Zierden said.

The Bluejays have some injury concerns. Center Geoffrey Groselle has been bothered by an ankle injury, fellow starter Cole Huff has a shoulder problem and reserve big man Toby Hegner has missed practice this week with an ankle issue.

Oklahoma seeks revenge after its 65-63 road loss Nov. 19, 2014. Hield scored 24 points as the Sooners were held to 35.5 percent shooting. Zierden and Hegner are the only Bluejays on the roster who started in that contest.

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Preview: Wildcats (9-1) at Buckeyes (5-5)
Date: December 19, 2015 3:30 PM EDT

(AP) - The early reviews on 6-foot-11 Kentucky freshman Skal Labissiere have gone something like this: He doesn't like physical contact. Plays too straight up. Won't play near the basket.

Some or all of those observations have been evident at one time or another during a four-game slump in which Labissiere has totaled 18 points and seven rebounds. One of his more forgettable performances was in a 72-58 win over Arizona State last Saturday: no points and no rebounds before fouling out in 13 minutes.

John Calipari expected some growing pains for the Haitian native who moved to the U.S. following the devastating 2010 earthquake. The coach even warned it might take time for him to develop the physical and mental skills needed to become a low-post presence.

Labissiere has put in some extra training this week, and Calipari is looking to see how he responds when No. 4 Kentucky (9-1) faces Ohio State (5-5) on Saturday in the CBSSports Classic in Brooklyn, New York.

It's the first meeting between the schools since then-No. 11 Kentucky beat top-ranked Ohio State 62-60 in the regional semifinals of the 2011 NCAA Tournament.

The Buckeyes, who don't have one senior on their roster and start two sophomores and a freshman, are beginning to play better with three wins in four games.

Calipari knows what that's like as he's trying to get the most out of his latest class of prized recruits.

'I would tell you, if they're young they're probably going through what we're going through,' he said.

Labissiere's struggles aren't anything Calipari hasn't seen with other big men.

'He will probably take that step back before he starts taking those steps forward, similar to Josh (Harrellson),' said Calipari, who hosted Labissiere overnight at his house to reassure him that everything will work out. 'He's going to do fine.

'He hasn't been in the kind of condition you need to be in to perform at a high level. It's hard. A lot of it is mental, so you do things to make it tough where he has to convince himself I can do this.'

Trainers have worked to bulk up Labissiere's 225-pound frame, and Calipari has had assistants swatting at him while he holds the ball in practice. Labissiere's high school coach, Terry Tippett, sees progress but believes bulking up is one step toward him transitioning to low-post play.

But Tippett said Labissiere is not soft.

'I didn't need him in the low post because we needed points and let him shoot from the perimeter,' Tippett said. 'He's just in a new position. Some teams would put four guys on him and push him around, but one-on-one, he'd play better against other big men.'

But before anyone can help Labissiere, he first has to develop that willingness to battle inside with opponents preparing to throw bodies at him, former Kentucky star Kenny 'Sky' Walker said.

'The key word is willing,' Walker said. 'He's got to use his size, length and quickness to his advantage, but he's got to be willing to fight when he needs to and be tough when he needs to be.'

Ohio State rebounded from a 20-point loss at Connecticut last Saturday by beating Northern Illinois 67-54 on Wednesday.

'We're still looking for that consistent game all the way through, we had a six-point lead in the first half and that has been a theme of this season like in the UConn game we would go on a good run and start to cut into the lead and then would give it back to them,' coach Thad Matta said. 'We just don't want to shoot ourselves in the foot, I just don't want us to beat ourselves.'

Jae'Sean Tate had 17 points and 10 rebounds and fellow sophomore Keita Bates-Diop added 14 and 10 on Wednesday.

'For once tonight, Jae'Sean Tate during a timeout was very vocal,' Matta said. 'I hadn't seen that before. That energized us a little bit and connected us a little bit.

'After (the game) I said, `That's who you are and that's who you need to be.''

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Preview: Bearcats (9-2) at Rams (5-4)
Date: December 19, 2015 4:00 PM EDT

A loss to VCU marked the lowest point in Cincinnati's 2014-15 season and a frightening time in Bearcats coach Mick Cronin's life.

Cronin will be behind the bench when the No. 23 Bearcats visit VCU for Saturday's rematch, a duty he wasn't able to fulfill in last year's meeting due to a serious health issue.

Just hours prior to the Bearcats' matchup with VCU on Dec. 20, 2014, Cronin announced he would be taking a leave of absence after being diagnosed with a small tear in an artery delivering blood to his brain. His stunned team proceeded to lose 68-47, Cincinnati's most lopsided defeat at home since February 1984.

Cronin sat out the remainder of the season but has Cincinnati (9-2) back in the national rankings in his return, in large part due to a defense that's held opponents to 59.1 points per game and 37.1 percent shooting.

"It changed me in a good way, I think," Cronin told Cincinnati's official website of the health scare. "But it will be exciting to actually coach the game against VCU and not just prepare for it."

The Bearcats will be facing a VCU squad with a far different look than a year ago. Coach Shaka Smart departed for Texas and the program graduated two players instrumental to the Rams' run of five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Smart's "Havoc" defense limited Cincinnati to 33.3 percent shooting and forced 15 turnovers in last season's meeting.

VCU (5-4) has remained among the national leaders in steals under Smart disciple Will Wade but has yet to regain its past success against high-caliber teams. The Rams are 0-4 versus Power 5 programs, suffering narrow losses to Duke and Wisconsin in November and falling to Florida State and Georgia Tech in its past two contests.

"We just haven't been able to get it done in these games," said Wade following Tuesday's 77-64 setback at Georgia Tech. "We've been close in a lot of them. We were close in this one for a half, we just haven't been able to sustain it over longer periods of time."

The Rams shot 28.9 percent while being outscored 50-37 by the Yellow Jackets in the second half, spoiling a career-high 18 points from sophomore forward Justin Tillman.

VCU went 15 of 31 from 3-point range in last year's rout of the Bearcats, with Melvin Johnson's 18 points leading the way. The senior guard ranks fourth nationally in 3-pointers per game (4.0) and averaged 23.5 points in the Rams' previous four Power 5 tilts, highlighted by a career-high 36 against Florida State on Dec. 6.

The Bearcats bounced back from last Saturday's 65-55 loss at No. 10 Xavier with Tuesday's 75-59 win over Norfolk State. Farad Cobb had 20 points and Gary Clark 19 after going scoreless in 29 minutes against the undefeated Musketeers.

Cobb leads Cincinnati at 11.7 points per game but averaged just 7.2 on 31.4 percent shooting over a six-game stretch before finishing 5 of 8 on 3s against Norfolk State.

The Bearcats are making their first trip to the Siegel Center, where VCU has won 24 of 25 against nonconference foes. The Rams are 4-1 against ranked teams at the venue, with last season's 74-57 loss to No. 7 Virginia the lone blemish.

Cincinnati's only win in four all-time meetings with the Rams occurred at home on Jan. 12, 1974.

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Preview: Boilermakers (11-0) at Bulldogs (8-1)
Date: December 19, 2015 5:00 PM EDT

Purdue has dominated its way to its best start in six years, and the ninth-ranked Boilermakers have been especially impressive defensively.

They're about to face their toughest test yet against No. 17 Butler.

Purdue's attempt at a 12-0 record will require slowing down the high-scoring Bulldogs and beating them for the first time in five tries Saturday at the Crossroad Classic in Indianapolis.

The Boilermakers (11-0) are outscoring opponents by an average of 25.9 points while winning each game by at least 12. They're unbeaten this far into a season for the first time since going 14-0 in 2009-10.

Purdue's current run has been buoyed by stingy defense, yielding the lowest shooting percentage (33.3) in the country while its 57.5 points allowed ranks eighth.

The Boilermakers were dominant in every facet in last Saturday's 95-64 rout of Youngstown State. They collected 26 assists on 33 field goals, outrebounded the Penguins 44-29 and had a 40-20 scoring edge in the paint.

"Good passes into the post means a great deal for us," said guard Rapheal Davis, who had 13 points. "You've always got four skill guys out there who can make plays. Any way we can get the ball inside, we have guys who can do it. We have guys who can pass, catch and shoot."

In particular, Purdue has a pair of 7-footers at center in Isaac Haas and A.J. Hammons. Haas leads the team with 13.5 points per game and Hammons is second at 12.6 despite being used exclusively as a reserve.

"I don't think we've played a team with two 7-footers on the front line, so I think we're going to have to game plan specific things to prepare for that kind of size," Butler coach Chris Holtmann said. "You can get overwhelmed with their size and they're certainly elite at finishing around the rim and getting the ball inside."

Scoring isn't a problem for the Bulldogs (8-1), who are second in the nation with 91.7 points per game and eighth with a 51.4 shooting percentage.

They only shot 46.8 percent last Saturday but connected for 10 3s for a second straight game in their fifth consecutive win, 94-86 over Tennessee.

Kelan Martin is looking to continue his terrific stretch. The reserve forward is averaging 23.0 points on 64.3 percent from the field - 7 of 12 from beyond the arc - over the last three games after scoring 25 points with 11 rebounds and a career-high five 3-pointers against the Volunteers.

Kellen Dunham averages a team-best 19.1 per game, but he only had 12 points while missing 10 of 13 from the floor last Saturday. The guard scored 25 in a 76-70 win over Purdue on Dec. 14, 2013.

The Boilermakers' P.J. Thompson will be available to play and will reportedly wear a protective mask after suffering a cut under his right eye just three minutes into the win against Youngstown State. The starting guard didn't return and needed 14 stitches to close the cut.

While this is Purdue's first matchup of the season against a ranked opponent, Butler won 78-76 on the road over then-No. 17 Cincinnati on Dec. 2.

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Preview: Cyclones (9-0) at Panthers (6-3)
Date: December 19, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Iowa State was hoping that Naz Mitrou-Long's absence would be brief, but it will now play without him for the rest of the season.

The No. 5 Cyclones will have a new player available, transfer Deonte Burton, as they try to get through the loss of their starting guard and avoid an upset Saturday night in Des Moines against a Northern Iowa team that's already knocked off a highly ranked opponent.

Iowa State coach Steve Prohm expressed optimism that Mitrou-Long could return from his ailing hips after a 78-64 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Sunday, saying "he can get an extra good day of rest to get ready for Northern Iowa."

However, the school announced Tuesday that Mitrou-Long was taking the rest of the season off to recover fully from hip surgeries in April and May. The senior is expected to seek a medical redshirt so he can return next season after averaging 12.0 points in eight games.

"Naz is a terrific person and an important part of our team both on and off the court. I'm confident his teammates will come together and respond to this in a positive manner," Prohm said.

Mitrou-Long's replacement in the starting lineup, junior Matt Thomas, had 17 points Sunday after scoring a career-high 19 in an 83-82 win over Iowa on Dec. 10. Jameel McKay had a team-best 18 points and eight rebounds against Arkansas-Pine Bluff after posting three consecutive double-doubles.

The Cyclones (9-0) might need similar efforts from both players when they face the Panthers (6-3), who knocked off formerly top-ranked North Carolina 71-67 on Nov. 21.

They'll also have Burton eligible. The swingman averaged 6.8 points in 40 games for Marquette over the last two seasons.

"What he brings to this team is just an aggressive nature," forward Georges Niang said. "His tenacity, his ability to guard other people and rebound ... is really going to help us take the pressure off of me, (point guard) Monte (Morris) and Jameel."

Northern Iowa has dropped two of three to start a monthlong stretch away from home. It lost 76-57 at New Mexico last Saturday while going a season-worst 6 of 25 from 3-point range.

Wes Washpun, who scored a team-best 21 points against North Carolina, had 10. He also scored 10 in an 82-67 loss at Richmond on Dec. 5, but the Panthers' leading scorer with 15.2 points per game had 19 in a 73-65 victory at George Mason three days later.

Washpun scored 18 points while helping take then-No. 17 Iowa State into overtime in the most recent matchup Dec. 7, 2013, in Des Moines. Niang had 22 points before fouling out with 1:42 left in regulation and was one of four players with 17 or more for the Cyclones, who rallied from an 18-point deficit.

This game is part of the fourth straight year for the Big Four Classic, and Iowa will take on Drake in the opener Saturday. The Panthers beat Iowa 56-44 in last season's game.

"I thought last year, the atmosphere and the size of the crowd was terrific," coach Ben Jacobson said. "Not only are we playing a high quality team, but we're going to have the atmosphere to go with it. ... We look forward to both."

Iowa State leads the series against Northern Iowa 36-12 but has lost five of the last seven matchups.

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Preview: Tigers (6-2) at Terrapins (9-1)
Date: December 19, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Though Maryland has been far from dominant during its third 9-1 start in four seasons, Melo Trimble has been able to push the Terrapins over the hump of late.

High-scoring forward Henry Caruso is doing the same for a veteran Princeton team.

The sixth-ranked Terps are seeking some consistency along with a fourth straight win Saturday night when they take on the Tigers at Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore.

Maryland had to rally late to beat unranked Georgetown, Rider and Illinois State by a combined 22 points last month. It then trailed throughout its only matchup against a ranked opponent Dec. 1, falling 89-81 at then-No. 9 North Carolina.

More recently, the Terps had a 20-point lead sliced to three by Connecticut before winning 76-66 on Dec. 8 in New York. They nursed a six-point halftime edge over Maryland Eastern Shore last Saturday before pulling away for a 77-56 victory.

"They expect more out of themselves," coach Mark Turgeon said.

Trimble averaged 16.8 points on 52.6 percent shooting to help the Terps escape a four-game November stretch that included those three close calls. He did his best with 23 points and 12 assists against the Tar Heels, and totaled 43 points in his last two games to earn Big Ten co-player of the week honors.

The sophomore guard went 14 for 15 from the free-throw line against the Huskies and hit 5 of 6 shots from the field - including all four of his 3-point attempts - against the Hawks.

"He has a feel that you can't teach," Turgeon said. "He knows when he needs to do it and when he doesn't need to do it. That's what makes him who he is."

Turgeon's team turned things around last Saturday by going to a 1-3-1 press in the second half. It might need a more complete defensive effort to extend its winning streak.

Princeton (6-2) ranks second among Ivy League teams with 77.0 points per game and isn't far off the school-record 79.7 average set in 1971-72.

The Tigers, who have brought back all five starters, also lead Ivy schools with 11.3 turnovers per game and are second with a plus-6.9 rebounding margin. The Terps have a plus-5.3 margin but were outrebounded 28-26 by Maryland Eastern Shore.

Maryland will certainly need to keep a close watch on Caruso, whose team-high 18.5 scoring average is the team's highest since Brian Taylor had a 25.0 mark in 1971-72.

Since totaling 23 points on 7-of-20 shooting (35.0 percent) in consecutive defeats, the junior forward has scored a combined 53 and shot 54.5 percent (18 of 33) in wins over Lipscomb and Liberty. He had a career-high 29 and nine rebounds in Thursday's 77-72 home victory.

"We're confident that the coaches will give us a great scouting report and plan of attack so we can go down there, compete hard and be in a great spot to win," Caruso said.

This meeting will take place on the 17th anniversary of Maryland's 81-58 victory over Princeton in Baltimore. In the most recent matchup in December 2001, the Terps claimed their fourth straight win in the series, 61-53 in Washington, D.C.

Princeton has dropped 38 of 44 all-time meetings with teams ranked sixth or higher. Its last win over such an opponent came in January 1977 against No. 2 Notre Dame.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Broncs (2-8) at Friars (10-1)
Date: December 19, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

A break for final exams seemed to come at a good time for a Providence team that's hoping to make the most of its final nonconference test on its home court.

The 14th-ranked Friars are expected to get a boost with three starters back in the lineup as they try to extend their best start in 27 years Saturday night against Rider.

Providence survived a scare last Saturday with preseason All-American Kris Dunn and Ryan Fazekas, the team's fourth leading scorer, sidelined with an illness. Ben Bentil, the Big East's second-leader scorer at 17.5 per game, also was limited with an ankle injury.

Bryant took advantage by opening up a 23-12 lead on the Friars, who had won 48 of their previous 49 nonconference games at the Dunkin' Donuts Center. Bentil, though, made a difference after checking in for the first time with 5:15 left in the opening half.

The sophomore forward, who played all but 16.9 seconds of the final 20 minutes, had 16 points and eight rebounds to key a hard-fought 74-67 victory.

'Everyone expects you to win and they expect you to win by X amount of points," coach Ed Cooley said. "Given the way we started the game, I was anxious. When I relaxed, I thought the players relaxed. Obviously Ben helped relax everyone, too.'

Freshman Drew Edwards stepped up with 17 points while hitting five 3-pointers off the bench, while Jalen Lindsey added 15 points and Rodney Bullock had 13 points and 14 rebounds. Bullock also had 17 and seven while Dunn and Bentil played limited minutes and Fazekas was out in a 66-51 home win over Boston College on Dec. 9.

Back in action for the first time in a week, Providence is expected to have all three players back in the starting lineup as it tries to win 11 of its first 12 games for the first time since a 13-0 start in 1988-89. Dunn, the reigning Big East Player of the Year, has totaled 38 points, 23 assists and 20 rebounds in the last two home games he's been able to finish.

The Friars, seeking their fifth straight win, shot just 40.9 percent while shorthanded in their last two games after they had a combined 51.3 mark over the previous four.

They've won two of three meetings with Rider, including a 72-59 home win on Nov. 26, 1994, in the most recent matchup at Providence.

The Broncs (2-8) are going after their first consecutive victories of the season after snapping a four-game losing streak with last Saturday's 82-72 win at Charleston Southern.

Jimmie Taylor finished with 19 points, while Teddy Okereafor had 16 and 11 rebounds as Rider shot a season-high 52.8 percent. Okereafor has averaged 15.8 points over his last four games, but has missed 12 of 14 from 3-point range in his past two.

The Broncs have dropped eight straight versus ranked opponents by an average of 20.5 points since an 88-74 win at No. 18 Mississippi State on Nov. 13, 2009. However, they're undefeated this season when head coach Kevin Baggett doesn't wear a tie.

"I'm not a superstitious man," Baggett told the team's official website, "'but I am now 2-0 without a tie so I guarantee you I will not be wearing a tie Saturday night."

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Bears (8-1) at Aggies (8-2)
Date: December 19, 2015 9:00 PM EDT

Baylor has enjoyed the upper hand in the Battle of the Brazos lately. Extending that success over Texas A&M would give the Bears their longest single-season winning streak in four years.

Sixteenth-ranked Baylor goes for its first road win of the season Saturday night against the No. 24 Aggies.

The Bears (8-1) have won six straight meetings with Texas A&M (8-2), but the average margin of victory is just 6.5 points. Their latest win was their most comfortable over that stretch - 77-63 at home Dec. 9, 2014.

Things were even cozier Wednesday for Baylor, which put together its best scoring effort of the season in a 104-59 victory over Division III Hardin-Simmons at Fort Hood.

The Bears are outscoring opponents by an average of 25.3 points while winning seven straight games in a season for the first time since their 17-0 start to 2011-12. They won 11 straight games bridging two seasons in 2013.

Baylor's current streak, however, doesn't include a true road game. The Bears fell 74-67 at then-No. 25 Oregon in their only road game so far.

Johnathan Motley can change that with another strong performance against the Aggies. The reserve forward had 22 points and 11 rebounds while going 9 for 16 from the floor as a freshman in last year's meeting. He was also a force Wednesday, hitting 11 of 15 shots to finish with 23 points and six boards.

"I'm just going to try to come out and do the same thing I did last year; attack the paint and make sure I get the offensive boards," Motley said. "I think we can come out with a win."

Rico Gathers has totaled 51 points and 27 rebounds while connecting on 22 of 32 field-goal attempts over the past two games.

The Bears have gone 54 consecutive games - 40 wins - without allowing 75 points, the nation's longest active such streak.

The Aggies, though, average 87.8 points and have scored at least 75 each time during their 6-0 start at home. They're scoring 79.4 per game overall and are coming off last Saturday's 78-68 win over Kansas State at College Station.

Texas A&M shot 54 percent from the floor and 7 of 14 from beyond the arc after making 38.1 percent and 23.8, respectively, while dropping two of the previous three games.

"We're still figuring out ourselves. We're not obviously clicking on all cylinders by any means," coach Billy Kennedy said. "Not clicking like we want to be and it's not a surprise. It's still early in the year."

Danuel House leads the Aggies with 15.4 points per game, but the guard had a season-low seven against the Wildcats while missing 9 of 11 from the field.

Alex Caruso picked up the slack, scoring 13 points with nine assists while matching his career high with six steals. The guard's 224 career steals are four back of David Edwards' team record set from 1991-94.

"It's all about playing with energy," Caruso said. "I had a couple of games where I didn't play with good energy so statistically I didn't show up. I think it's more about me focusing and playing hard."

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rebels (8-3) at Wildcats (10-1)
Date: December 19, 2015 9:30 PM EDT

Arizona has the nation's longest home winning streak. It also hasn't faced the stiffest competition at the McKale Center this season.

That will change quickly with Pac-12 play right around the corner and Saturday night's matchup with a UNLV team that has beaten two teams ranked in the top 15 - and one that has given Arizona plenty of problems lately.

The No. 13 Wildcats (10-1) extended their home streak to 45 by blowing out Northern Arizona 92-37 on Wednesday. The 55-point victory was Arizona's largest since beating Saint Mary's 101-41 in December 2000, though Sean Miller's team labored early.

Arizona led by 16 after 20 minutes, but Miller lit into his team at halftime and the Wildcats responded by shooting 74.1 percent after the break and limiting the Lumberjacks to 13 second-half points.

'We can't take a half off, a play off, a game off. We're not that good of a team. Very few teams are,' Miller said. 'We have to stand for something and for us, the one thing we can control is our togetherness and effort on defense.

"Tonight is another learning lesson," he added, "Saturday is a brand new challenge."

There have been few home challenges in the early going. The seven opponents Arizona has played at the McKale Center have a combined .382 winning percentage, with 5-4 Missouri the only one from a major conference.

UNLV (8-3) represents a wholesale departure from that, having defeated then-No. 13 Indiana in the Maui Invitational on Nov. 25 and then-No. 15 Oregon on Dec. 4. The Runnin' Rebels should also be highly motivated after letting a win over another Power 5 opponent slip through their fingers Wednesday.

UNLV had a 14-point lead on Arizona State early in the second half but made three field goals the rest of the way in a 66-56 loss.

'My biggest concern is making sure we stay together. This is a very, very difficult loss,' coach Dave Rice said. 'We have to respond to this and we have to regroup. We got to go defensive rebound the ball. We just got to find a way.'

The Runnin' Rebels had no such trouble with their rebounding against the Wildcats on Dec. 23, winning 71-67 at home for their third victory in four matchups.

Arizona came into that game 12-0 and No. 3 in the poll. The Runnin' Rebels held a 46-33 edge on the glass against a Wildcats team that ended the season second in the nation in rebounding margin.

Arizona is 10th in rebounding margin at plus-12.2 this season, while UNLV is at plus-0.7 and had 13 fewer boards than the Sun Devils.

Ryan Anderson had 18 points and 12 rebounds Wednesday and leads the Wildcats with 15.8 and 9.6 per game.

Mark Tollefsen recorded season highs of 19 points and eight boards in his fourth straight game off the bench. The senior transfer from San Francisco, who averages 9.2 points, scored 17 against Missouri three days earlier.

"Every time he plays a game he gets that much more comfortable," Miller said. "No question he gives us more scoring, more rebounding, more versatility, and it's just great to see."

UNLV didn't have a player reach double figures against ASU, as Ike Nwamu and Stephen Zimmerman each scored nine and combined to shoot 5 of 21. Leading scorer Patrick McCaw (15.8) was limited to five points for the second time in three games.

"It's all about pace and consistency over 40 minutes," Rice said. "I know I keep saying the same thing, but it's that simple yet it's that hard."

[StarDust Bum]

CBB ATS

CBB > (783) INDIANA ST@ (784) SAINT LOUIS | 2015-12-19 20:00:00 - 2015-12-19 20:00:00
Play AGAINST SAINT LOUIS against the spread in All games on Saturday games
The record is 4 Wins and 22 Losses for the last three seasons (-20.2 units)

CBB > (835) COPPIN ST@ (836) CALIFORNIA | 2015-12-19 19:00:00 - 2015-12-19 19:00:00
Play AGAINST CALIFORNIA against the spread in All games in December games
The record is 1 Wins and 11 Losses for the last two seasons (-11.1 units)

CBB > (713) UTAH@ (714) DUKE | 2015-12-19 12:00:00 - 2015-12-19 12:00:00
Play ON DUKE against the spread in All games on Saturday games
The record is 11 Wins and 1 Losses for the last two seasons (+9.9 units)

CBB > (723) CORNELL@ (724) SYRACUSE | 2015-12-19 12:00:00 - 2015-12-19 12:00:00
Play AGAINST SYRACUSE against the spread in All games on Saturday games
The record is 1 Wins and 11 Losses for the last two seasons (-11.1 units)

CBB > (783) INDIANA ST@ (784) SAINT LOUIS | 2015-12-19 20:00:00 - 2015-12-19 20:00:00
Play AGAINST SAINT LOUIS against the spread in Home games after a non-conference game
The record is 0 Wins and 8 Losses for the last two seasons (-8.8 units)

CBB > (715) VILLANOVA@ (716) VIRGINIA | 2015-12-19 12:00:00 - 2015-12-19 12:00:00
Play ON VILLANOVA against the spread in All games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 23 Wins and 7 Losses for the last two seasons (+15.3 units)

CBB > (803) SOUTHERN UTAH@ (804) IUPUI | 2015-12-19 13:00:00 - 2015-12-19 13:00:00
Play AGAINST IUPUI against the spread in Home games after failing to cover the spread in 3 or more consecutive games
The record is 0 Wins and 9 Losses for the since 1992 (-9.9 units)

CBB > (737) COLORADO ST@ (738) KANSAS ST | 2015-12-19 16:00:00 - 2015-12-19 16:00:00
Play AGAINST COLORADO ST against the spread in All games in December games
The record is 1 Wins and 11 Losses for the last three seasons (-11.1 units)

CBB > (749) COLL OF CHARLESTON@ (750) MIAMI | 2015-12-19 14:00:00 - 2015-12-19 14:00:00
Play AGAINST COLL OF CHARLESTON against the spread in All games on Saturday games
The record is 4 Wins and 18 Losses for the last three seasons (-15.8 units)

-----------------

CBB MONEYLINE

CBB > (781) DELAWARE@ (782) BOSTON COLLEGE | 2015-12-19 19:00:00 - 2015-12-19 19:00:00
Play AGAINST BOSTON COLLEGE using money line in All games in all games
The record is 13 Wins and 46 Losses for the last three seasons (-38.9 units)

CBB > (723) CORNELL@ (724) SYRACUSE | 2015-12-19 12:00:00 - 2015-12-19 12:00:00
Play AGAINST SYRACUSE using money line in All games on Saturday games
The record is 1 Wins and 10 Losses for the last two seasons (-12.3 units)

CBB > (749) COLL OF CHARLESTON@ (750) MIAMI | 2015-12-19 14:00:00 - 2015-12-19 14:00:00
Play ON COLL OF CHARLESTON using money line in Road games in December games
The record is 22 Wins and 9 Losses for the since 1992 (+25.45 units)

CBB > (815) S DAKOTA@ (816) ILLINOIS | 2015-12-19 15:00:00 - 2015-12-19 15:00:00
Play ON S DAKOTA using money line in Road games after a non-conference game
The record is 5 Wins and 1 Losses for the this season (+11.7 units)

CBB > (815) S DAKOTA@ (816) ILLINOIS | 2015-12-19 15:00:00 - 2015-12-19 15:00:00
Play ON S DAKOTA using money line in All games after a non-conference game
The record is 5 Wins and 1 Losses for the this season (+11.7 units)

CBB > (761) GEORGIA ST@ (762) SOUTHERN MISS | 2015-12-19 17:00:00 - 2015-12-19 17:00:00
Play ON SOUTHERN MISS using money line in All games in non-conference games
The record is 15 Wins and 5 Losses for the last three seasons (+18.15 units)

CBB > (775) UAB@ (776) S FLORIDA | 2015-12-19 19:00:00 - 2015-12-19 19:00:00
Play AGAINST S FLORIDA using money line in All games in all lined games
The record is 5 Wins and 21 Losses for the last two seasons (-20.1 units)

CBB > (775) UAB@ (776) S FLORIDA | 2015-12-19 19:00:00 - 2015-12-19 19:00:00
Play AGAINST S FLORIDA using money line in All games in all games
The record is 5 Wins and 21 Losses for the last two seasons (-20.1 units)

CBB > (807) MONTANA@ (808) KANSAS | 2015-12-19 14:00:00 - 2015-12-19 14:00:00
Play AGAINST MONTANA using money line in Road games after a non-conference game
The record is 1 Wins and 9 Losses for the last three seasons (-12.5 units)

CBB > (761) GEORGIA ST@ (762) SOUTHERN MISS | 2015-12-19 17:00:00 - 2015-12-19 17:00:00
Play ON SOUTHERN MISS using money line in Home games in non-conference games
The record is 8 Wins and 1 Losses for the last three seasons (+11.5 units)

------------------

CBB FIRST HALF

CBB > (755) IL-CHICAGO@ (756) LOYOLA-IL | 2015-12-19 16:00:00 - 2015-12-19 16:00:00
Play AGAINST IL-CHICAGO ?>in the first halfin All games after a non-conference game
The record is 2 Wins and 16 Losses for the last two seasons (-15.6 units)

CBB > (787) RICE@ (788) NEW MEXICO | 2015-12-19 20:00:00 - 2015-12-19 20:00:00
Play ON NEW MEXICO ?>in the first halfin All games in December games
The record is 9 Wins and 0 Losses for the last two seasons (+9 units)

CBB > (747) KENTUCKY@ (748) OHIO ST | 2015-12-19 15:30:00 - 2015-12-19 15:30:00
Play AGAINST OHIO ST ?>in the first halfin Road games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 4 Wins and 21 Losses for the last three seasons (-19.1 units)

CBB > (723) CORNELL@ (724) SYRACUSE | 2015-12-19 12:00:00 - 2015-12-19 12:00:00
Play ON CORNELL ?>in the first halfin Road games in non-conference games
The record is 69 Wins and 23 Losses for the since 1992 (+43.7 units)

CBB > (775) UAB@ (776) S FLORIDA | 2015-12-19 19:00:00 - 2015-12-19 19:00:00
Play AGAINST S FLORIDA ?>in the first halfin All games in December games
The record is 2 Wins and 15 Losses for the last three seasons (-14.5 units)

CBB > (797) CS-FULLERTON@ (798) PORTLAND | 2015-12-19 20:30:00 - 2015-12-19 20:30:00
Play ON PORTLAND ?>in the first halfin Road games on Saturday games
The record is 12 Wins and 1 Losses for the last three seasons (+10.9 units)

CBB > (775) UAB@ (776) S FLORIDA | 2015-12-19 19:00:00 - 2015-12-19 19:00:00
Play AGAINST S FLORIDA ?>in the first halfin All games versus the first half line in all games
The record is 8 Wins and 26 Losses for the last two seasons (-20.6 units)

CBB > (793) TENNESSEE@ (794) GONZAGA | 2015-12-19 23:00:00 - 2015-12-19 23:00:00
Play AGAINST TENNESSEE ?>in the first halfin All games in all neutral court games vs. the 1rst half line
The record is 0 Wins and 8 Losses for the last two seasons (-8.8 units)

CBB > (797) CS-FULLERTON@ (798) PORTLAND | 2015-12-19 20:30:00 - 2015-12-19 20:30:00
Play ON PORTLAND ?>in the first halfin All games on Saturday games
The record is 22 Wins and 6 Losses for the last three seasons (+15.4 units)

CBB > (733) NOTRE DAME@ (734) INDIANA | 2015-12-19 14:00:00 - 2015-12-19 14:00:00
Play ON INDIANA ?>in the first halfin All games in December games
The record is 10 Wins and 1 Losses for the last two seasons (+8.9 units)

-------------------------

CBB TOTALS

CBB > (795) TEXAS@ (796) STANFORD | 2015-12-19 23:30:00 - 2015-12-19 23:30:00
Play UNDER TEXAS on the totalin All games as a favorite vs. the 1rst half line
The record is 3 Overs and 18 Unders for the last two seasons (+14.7 units)

CBB > (733) NOTRE DAME@ (734) INDIANA | 2015-12-19 14:00:00 - 2015-12-19 14:00:00
Play OVER INDIANA on the totalin All games in non-conference games
The record is 19 Overs and 4 Unders for the last two seasons (+14.6 units)

CBB > (739) CREIGHTON@ (740) OKLAHOMA | 2015-12-19 14:00:00 - 2015-12-19 14:00:00
Play OVER OKLAHOMA on the totalin All games as a home favorite of 7.5 to 8.5 points vs. the 1rst half line
The record is 10 Overs and 0 Unders for the since 1992 (+10 units)

CBB > (825) UNC-GREENSBORO@ (826) ELON | 2015-12-19 13:00:00 - 2015-12-19 13:00:00
Play UNDER ELON on the totalin Home games after a non-conference game
The record is 3 Overs and 19 Unders for the since 1992 (+15.7 units)

CBB > (761) GEORGIA ST@ (762) SOUTHERN MISS | 2015-12-19 17:00:00 - 2015-12-19 17:00:00
Play UNDER SOUTHERN MISS on the totalin All games against Sun Belt conference opponents
The record is 2 Overs and 16 Unders for the since 1992 (+13.8 units)

CBB > (727) N CAROLINA@ (728) UCLA | 2015-12-19 13:00:00 - 2015-12-19 13:00:00
Play UNDER UCLA on the totalin Road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game
The record is 1 Overs and 12 Unders for the last three seasons (+10.9 units)

CBB > (733) NOTRE DAME@ (734) INDIANA | 2015-12-19 14:00:00 - 2015-12-19 14:00:00
Play OVER INDIANA on the totalin All games after scoring 80 points or more
The record is 16 Overs and 3 Unders for the last two seasons (+12.7 units)

CBB > (715) VILLANOVA@ (716) VIRGINIA | 2015-12-19 12:00:00 - 2015-12-19 12:00:00
Play OVER VILLANOVA on the totalin All games in road lined games
The record is 19 Overs and 4 Unders for the last three seasons (+14.6 units)

CBB > (811) NEBRASKA-OMAHA@ (812) WYOMING | 2015-12-19 14:00:00 - 2015-12-19 14:00:00
Play OVER WYOMING on the totalin All games as a favorite
The record is 13 Overs and 2 Unders for the last two seasons (+10.8 units)

CBB > (713) UTAH@ (714) DUKE | 2015-12-19 12:00:00 - 2015-12-19 12:00:00
Play UNDER UTAH on the totalin All games as an underdog vs. the 1rst half line
The record is 3 Overs and 16 Unders for the last three seasons (+12.7 units)

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Saturday's six-pack

Some NFL trends to ponder with Week 15 upon us.........

-- Atlanta is 0-9 vs spread in its last nine games.

-- Eagles covered once in last nine games as a home underdog.

-- Chiefs are 13-5 in last 18 games as a road favorite.

-- Vikings covered ten of their last twelve games.

-- Dolphins covered once in their last seven games.

-- Tennessee is 7-19-2 in its last 28 games as an underdog.

**********

Armadillo: Saturday's List of 13: Random stuff with weekend here........

13) Pistons 147, Bulls 144, 4 OTs-- Epic game. Andre Drummond had 33-21, Reggie Jackson had 31-13 assists for winners. Four Bulls played 44+ minutes; they have a game in New York tonight. Good luck there.

12) I'm tired of NBA types whining about teams hacking lousy foul shooters, but if you want to get rid of it, then any intentional foul is two shots plus the ball and hacking goes away five seconds later. Not just in last 2:00, the whole game.

11) Golden State 121, Bucks 112-- Why do the Bucks play so well against Golden State and so lousy against everyone else? Bucks led this game 70-58 at the half- they are only team to beat the Warriors this season.

10) When NFL posts penalty stats, I'd be curious to see them divided between five yard/procedural type penalties and 10+-yard penalties, which are more subjective in nature. I'm guessing every ref will call most all of the five-yard penalties, they're pretty much cut-and-dry. The major penalties are what differentiate officials.

9) You see Lebron James plow full speed into a fan sitting courtside, you wonder "Why hasn't this happened more often?" Luckily, Mrs Day is alright and out of the hospital, but she took quite a shot and probably hit her head on the floor, too.

8) Fomer Kentucky QB Patrick Towles is transferring to Boston College, which desperately needs a QB. Towles is grandson of Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Bunning.

7) James Fraschilla was a scrub player at Oklahoma, now he is video coordinator for the Maine Redclaws of the D-League. His dad is Fran Fraschilla, who coached three D-I teams and now works on ESPN. The kid's connections got him in, now he's going to have to work his way up in the business. D-Legaue video coordinator is about as entry level position as there is in pro basketball.

6) Ok, mock me: I have never seen Star Wars. Ever. I've seen Moneyball 50 times, Invincible 20-25 times, Begin Again about the same. But never Star Wars.

5) Shaquille O'Neal looked pretty spry jetting around the TNT studio on one of those hover boards kids use now on Inside the NBA late Thursday night. As big a guy as O'Neal is, his hover board had to be specially made. He knew how to use it.

4) They said on TV last night the Golden State Warriors have a waiting list of about 19,000 people for season tickets; we'll see what happens to that when they move from Oakland to San Francisco in a couple years- list might get bigger.

3) Richmond got clocked by North Dakota State in I-AA football playoffs Friday, but the Spiders have very cool white helmets with that excellent spider logo on it.

2) College of Incarnate Word 73, St John's 51-- Oy. CIW is in Southland, they're a D-I school located in San Antonio but this is an ugly result for Chris Mullin's team. A Big East is never supposed to lose by 22 at home to a Southland team. Ever.

1) Today is a very good of college hoop but December has degenerated into a waiting period between the Thanksgiving tournaments and the start of conference play. Lot of these games still find coaches experimenting with lineups, or getting transfers eligible aftert the first semester. When conference play starts, you'll see a big difference.