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

[StarDust Bum]

THURSDAY, JANUARY 7

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

ODU at LT 09:00 PM

LT -3.0 BEST BET


PRST at MONT 09:00 PM

MONT -8.0 BEST BET


ALA at MISS 09:00 PM

MISS -6.0


ILL at MSU 09:00 PM

MSU -13.0 BEST BET


ARIZ at UCLA 09:00 PM

UCLA +3.0 BEST BET


UNCO at IDST 09:00 PM

IDST -2.5


UND at WEB 09:00 PM

WEB -14.0


CSUS at MTST 09:05 PM

CSUS +2.0


SF at USD 10:00 PM

SF +2.0


PAC at PEPP 10:00 PM

PEPP -9.5


SMC at LMU 10:00 PM

LMU +11.0


ASU at USC 10:30 PM

ASU +5.5 BEST BET


UCD at UCI 10:30 PM

UCI -12.0


CSF at UCRV 11:00 PM

UCRV -4.5


SCU at BYU 11:00 PM

SCU +16.5

[StarDust Bum]

CBB ATS

CBB > (871) VALPARAISO@ (872) OAKLAND | 2016-01-08 19:00:00 - 2016-01-08 19:00:00
Play ON VALPARAISO against the spread in Road games when playing with 5 or 6 days rest
The record is 15 Wins and 2 Losses for the since 1992 (+12.8 units)

CBB > (871) VALPARAISO@ (872) OAKLAND | 2016-01-08 19:00:00 - 2016-01-08 19:00:00
Play ON OAKLAND against the spread in All games as an underdog
The record is 19 Wins and 6 Losses for the last two seasons (+12.4 units)

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CBB MONEYLINE

CBB > (879) UTAH@ (880) COLORADO | 2016-01-08 21:00:00 - 2016-01-08 21:00:00
Play AGAINST UTAH using money line in All games in road games
The record is 7 Wins and 16 Losses for the last three seasons (-21.9 units)

CBB > (875) W MICHIGAN@ (876) AKRON | 2016-01-08 19:00:00 - 2016-01-08 19:00:00
Play ON AKRON using money line in All games in January games
The record is 13 Wins and 3 Losses for the last three seasons (+11.2 units)

CBB > (877) IL-CHICAGO@ (878) DETROIT | 2016-01-08 21:00:00 - 2016-01-08 21:00:00
Play AGAINST IL-CHICAGO using money line in All games off a loss against a conference rival
The record is 49 Wins and 102 Losses for the since 1992 (-62.7 units)

CBB > (871) VALPARAISO@ (872) OAKLAND | 2016-01-08 19:00:00 - 2016-01-08 19:00:00
Play ON OAKLAND using money line in Home games in January games
The record is 9 Wins and 1 Losses for the last three seasons (+8.45 units)

CBB > (873) BUFFALO@ (874) KENT ST | 2016-01-08 18:30:00 - 2016-01-08 18:30:00
Play ON KENT ST using money line in All games off a win against a conference rival
The record is 120 Wins and 48 Losses for the since 1992 (+52.8 units)

CBB > (877) IL-CHICAGO@ (878) DETROIT | 2016-01-08 21:00:00 - 2016-01-08 21:00:00
Play AGAINST IL-CHICAGO using money line in All games in January games
The record is 47 Wins and 84 Losses for the since 1992 (-52.8 units)

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CBB FIRST HALF

CBB > (877) IL-CHICAGO@ (878) DETROIT | 2016-01-08 21:00:00 - 2016-01-08 21:00:00
Play AGAINST IL-CHICAGO ?>in the first halfin All games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 2 Wins and 16 Losses for the last two seasons (-15.6 units)

CBB > (873) BUFFALO@ (874) KENT ST | 2016-01-08 18:30:00 - 2016-01-08 18:30:00
Play ON BUFFALO ?>in the first halfin Road games against conference opponents
The record is 17 Wins and 4 Losses for the last three seasons (+12.6 units)

CBB > (879) UTAH@ (880) COLORADO | 2016-01-08 21:00:00 - 2016-01-08 21:00:00
Play AGAINST COLORADO ?>in the first halfin All games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 10 Wins and 26 Losses for the last two seasons (-18.6 units)

CBB > (877) IL-CHICAGO@ (878) DETROIT | 2016-01-08 21:00:00 - 2016-01-08 21:00:00
Play AGAINST IL-CHICAGO ?>in the first halfin All games versus the first half line in all games
The record is 12 Wins and 29 Losses for the last two seasons (-19.9 units)

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CBB TOTALS

CBB > (877) IL-CHICAGO@ (878) DETROIT | 2016-01-08 21:00:00 - 2016-01-08 21:00:00
Play AGAINST IL-CHICAGO ?>in the first halfin All games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 2 Wins and 16 Losses for the last two seasons (-15.6 units)

CBB > (873) BUFFALO@ (874) KENT ST | 2016-01-08 18:30:00 - 2016-01-08 18:30:00
Play ON BUFFALO ?>in the first halfin Road games against conference opponents
The record is 17 Wins and 4 Losses for the last three seasons (+12.6 units)

CBB > (879) UTAH@ (880) COLORADO | 2016-01-08 21:00:00 - 2016-01-08 21:00:00
Play AGAINST COLORADO ?>in the first halfin All games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 10 Wins and 26 Losses for the last two seasons (-18.6 units)

CBB > (877) IL-CHICAGO@ (878) DETROIT | 2016-01-08 21:00:00 - 2016-01-08 21:00:00
Play AGAINST IL-CHICAGO ?>in the first halfin All games versus the first half line in all games
The record is 12 Wins and 29 Losses for the last two seasons (-19.9 units)

[StarDust Bum]

Top 25 Capsules
January 7, 2016

LOS ANGELES (AP) Bryce Alford scored 25 points, hitting a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1.8 seconds left that gave UCLA an 87-84 victory over No. 7 Arizona on Thursday night for the Bruins' first Pac-12 win after opening conference play with consecutive road losses.

Aaron Holiday added 15 points, Isaac Hamilton had 14 points and Tony Parker had 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Bruins (10-6, 1-2). They lost to the Washington schools last weekend.

Alford hit five 3-pointers and Hamilton added three of UCLA's 11 - a season-high against the Wildcats.

Ryan Anderson had 15 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Wildcats (13-2, 1-1), who had their eight-game winning streak snapped. Allonzo Trier added 13 points, and Kaleb Tarczewski had 12 points and 12 rebounds in his second game back from a foot injury.

NO. 5 MICHIGAN STATE 79, ILLINOIS 54

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Bryn Forbes scored 17 points to help Michigan State rout Illinois.

The Spartans (15-1, 2-1 Big Ten) were without Denzel Valentine for a fourth straight game. Valentine participated in pregame warmups and might play at Penn State on Sunday, nearly three weeks after having surgery on his left knee.

Eron Harris added 13 points for the Spartans.

The Illini (8-8, 0-3) didn't have leading-scorer Kendrick Nunn, who the team said stayed in Illinois for the birth of his child. Maverick Morgan had 15 points for Illinois.

The Illini made barely more than one-fourth of their shots in the first half and allowed the Spartans to connect on 61 percent of their shots before halftime.

NO. 15 SMU 59, CINCINNATI 57

DALLAS (AP) - Jordan Tolbert tipped in Nic Moore's missed shot for the go-ahead score with 28 seconds left and then had a big block as SMU rallied to remain undefeated.

The short-handed Mustangs (14-0, 3-0 American Athletic Conference), off to the best start in school history, overcame a seven-point deficit in the final 3 1/2 minutes.

Moore finished with 14 points. He had two 3-pointers in the game-ending 11-2 run for SMU, which along with No. 22 South Carolina (14-0) are the only undefeated Division I teams.

But when Moore missed, Tolbert followed up to put the Mustangs ahead and then blocked Troy Caupain's shot at the other end. Ben Moore made a free throw with 8 seconds left before Farad Cobb missed a go-ahead 3-pointer on the last shot for Cincinnati (11-5, 1-2).

Cobb led Cincinnati with 18 points.

NO. 16 LOUISVILLE 77, N.C. STATE 72

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Quentin Snider scored a career-high 21 points to help Louisville beat North Carolina State.

Freshman Ray Spalding had 12 points off the bench for the Cardinals (13-2, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference). They shot 51 percent and used a 9-0 run in the second half to build a double-digit lead before having to hang on against a frantic comeback by the Wolfpack.

The Cardinals led by 16 with 3:38 left only to see the Wolfpack (10-5, 0-2) crawl to 75-72 on Anthony ''Cat'' Barber's three-point play with 16.8 seconds left. Barber scored 20 points to lead N.C. State.

NO. 20 PURDUE 87, MICHIGAN 70

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) - A.J. Hammons scored 17 points and had four blocks and Rapheal Davis added 16 points to lead Purdue past Michigan.

The Boilermakers (14-2, 2-1 Big Ten) have won eight of 10 and are 10-1 at home this season.

Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman scored a career-high 25 points on 10-of-16 shooting for Michigan (12-4, 2-1). Derrick Walton Jr. added 12 points.

[StarDust Bum]

Mid-Major Update
January 8, 2016

With almost all of the college hoops non-conference action having wrapped before New Year's, there are few remaining opportunities for the mid-majors to make some noise before Selection Sunday. Which, this season at least, could be dominated even more than usual by the "power conference" entries.

For the mid-majors, this is becoming a disturbing trend. After mid-major ranks secured more Big Dance bids than usual a few years ago, the pattern has once again shifted back to the big boys of college hoops. Last March, on Selection Sunday, once again it was a slant again back toward the power conferences, whose reps dominated the at-large contingent. While last year was not a particularly strong one for the mid-majors, this season might even be worse, to the point where we wonder if some traditional multi-bid mid-major leagues could be one-bid leagues in March. And if there are situations where the mid-majors have to hope for the benefit of the doubt on Selection Sunday, perhaps they should not hold their breath. Last year, one of the flagship mid-major leagues, the Atlantic 10, which looked to have five potential Big Dance invitees, instead got only three, with one of those (Dayton) forced into an at-large play-in game, albeit on its own court, vs. Boise State.

Thus, as we move into college hoops midseason, it's time to take a look at the plight of this season's mid-majors, and rate the chances of their possible postseason participants for this term. Unfortunately, at the moment, it looks like a lot of NIT, CIT, and CBI for the mid-majors...and not much Big Dance. Straight-up records are thru January 6.

AMERICAN... With some justification, perhaps, the American chafes at the mid-major designation. After all, in the league's first year of existence, one of its reps (UConn) won the national title in 2014! But, since the mid-majors need some help this season, we will include the AAC in this review.

Unfortunately for the American, what might be its top national contender this season, SMU (13-0), is on probation and barred from postseason play. The two remaining most-likely Big Dance qualifiers from the American are Cincinnati and UConn (both 11-4). Each has played high-level non-conference slates. In Cincy's case, it lost most of those non-league feature games (vs. Butler, Xavier, and Iowa State), but was in each of those clashes until the final minutes. Wins for Mick "The Ghost" Cronin over George Washington and Big Ten Nebraska will also help. Meanwhile, Kevin Ollie's Huskies probably have a slightly better Big Dance profile with wins over Michigan, Ohio State, and Texas, though setbacks such as last Tuesday vs. Temple do not help the cause. Still, we project both Cincy and UConn steering safely clear of possible "bubble trouble" entering Selection Sunday.

The American entry we're starting to watch is Kelvin Sampson's much-upgraded Houston (13-2), with an almost entirely-new transfer-laden backcourt featuring ex-Purdue Ronnie Johnson, ex-Oregon Damyean Dotson, and juco Rob Gray, all coming in handy with G L.J. Rose still recovering from last January's broken foot. The December win over LSU is looking good, but otherwise there was not much heft in the Cougars' non-conference slate, and losses at Rhode Island and against Dan Majerle's under-the-radar Grand Canyon in a December Las Vegas tourney are not going to help. We are also going to keep an eye on Josh Pastner's Memphis (10-4), which has some "good losses" vs. Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Ole Miss, but no marquee wins. A home loss vs. surprising Sun Belt contender UT-Arlington is another potential negative.

Elsewhere, Tulsa (9-6), Temple (7-6), and UCF (8-5) are probably bound for some postseason tourney, just not the Big Dance (unless one of those pulls a shocker in the conference tourney at Orlando March 10-13).

ATLANTIC 10...Often the flagship league of the mid-major ranks, the A-10 appears to have several intriguing entries this term, though at the moment we only view Dayton (12-2) as a can't-miss NCAA Tourney invitee. The Flyers are probably not going to have to sweat out Selection Sunday as they did a year ago, especially after quality non-conference wins vs. Alabama, Iowa, Vanderbilt, and Arkansas. There's enough heft in that collection of victims to offset a potentially-damaging non-league loss to Chattanooga (though the Mocs look to be the clear favorite in the SoCon), and no shame in the other loss to Xavier in the finals of the Disney World Thanksgiving tourney.

Elsewhere there are a lot of "ifs" in the A-10. George Washington (12-3) has looked like a potential at-large team for much of the season, and recorded one of the best wins by any mid-major when dumping highly-ranked Virginia in November at the Smith Center. The win over Seton Hall also looks good. On the other hand, some damaging losses are beginning to accumulate, with a Dec. 22 setback at a DePaul side that is at the bottom of the Big East, then Wednesday's inexplicable loss to a very down Saint Louis Billikens team. Bad losses often hurt A-10 entries in the eyes of the Selection Committee, and the Colonials are collecting a few too many. Should we begin to keep an eye on St. Bonaventure (10-3)? The Bonnies have one of the best guard tandems in the region in Jaylen Adams and Marcus Posley, but Bona's best non-conference wins were against Buffalo and Ohio, and Mark Schmidt's team missed a chance to record a statement win outside the A-10 when losing to Syracuse.

Virginia Commonwealth (10-5) has dipped in the aftermath of HC Shaka Smart's departure, though the Rams still play a brand of their patented "havoc" with Shaka disciple Will Wade (most recently at Chattanooga) now at the helm. The Rams missed plenty of opportunities vs. high-profile non-league entries (Duke, Wisconsin, Florida State, Georgia Tech, & Cincinnati), so they must recover ground. VCU's midweek win at Saint Joseph's (11-3) might be a good start, but that result was not a good one for the Hawks, who were beginning to generate real momentum for HC Phil Martelli. Losses in potential statement games vs. Florida and Villanova have probably left Martelli with a big hill to climb in the eyes of the Selection Committee.

Elsewhere, the likes of Rhode Island (10-5), Davidson (9-4), plus much-improved Fordham (10-3) and Duquesne (10-5) teams look like postseason-quality entries, but they all are likely on the furthest fringes of the Big Dance "bubble" and likely headed to other postseason events.

COLONIAL...The CAA has been a multi-bid league in recent memory, receiving as many as three invitations a few years ago, but that was before VCU, George Mason, and Old Dominion all flew the coop and went elsewhere.

Nonetheless, the Colonial is pretty deep this season with several compelling entries including Hofstra, James Madison, Northeastern, Charleston, NC-Wilmington, William & Mary & Towson. All are likely bound for the postseason, but almost assuredly just one of those gets into the Dance.

CONFERENCE USA...C-USA had turned into a one-bid league for most of the last seasons when Memphis was dominating the conference before the Tigers moved, with several other C-USA teams, to the American. There is a slight chance C-USA is multi-bid league this season, but a better chance it is not.

Of those who might have an at-large case, we would perhaps look at UAB (11-3), last year's conference tourney winner, with most of its lineup back from the team that advanced to the Round of 32 last March for HC Jerrod Haase. Though close losses to Auburn, Illinois, and Virginia Tech do not give the Blazers much room for error in league play. La Tech (12-2) is cruising quite nicely after the departure of HC Michael White to Florida, as the Bulldogs are winning for new HC Eric Konkol, a recent Jim Larranaga aide at George Mason and Miami. Tech has a good win at Ohio State, but also heavy losses vs. Memphis and Ole Miss in non-league play. The Blazers and Bulldogs, plus Middle Tennessee (8-5), UTEP (10-5) and Old Dominion (8-6) all likely end up somewhere in the postseason, but the only safe ticket for a C-USA rep to the Big Dance goes to the winner of the conference tourney, this year at Birmingham March 8-12.

HORIZON...The Horizon could possibly become a multi-bid league if loop favorite Valparaiso (11-3) loses in the conference tourney. Wins over Rhode Island, Oregon State, Belmont, and Indiana State are not bad for Bryce Drew's Crusaders, with much the same look as last season when they went 28-6 and qualified for the Dance with the Horizon's automatic bid. Valpo was likely an at-large team if it needed to go that route a year ago, and if it rolls again in league play that could once more be the case. Elsewhere, explosive G Kahlil Felder and exciting Oakland (9-6), plus perhaps Milwaukee (10-5), Green Bay (9-5), and perhaps Detroit (8-5) are probably headed for one of the lesser postseason events.

METRO-ATLANTIC...Lots of talk about Monmouth (10-4) having a Big Dance at-large case after King Rice's Hawks beat UCLA, Notre Dame, USC, and Georgetown in pre-league play. But there have also been bad losses to Canisius and most recently at Army, usually not the sorts of results that help with the Selection Committee. Iona (7-6) was more highly-regarded than Monmouth entering the season, but injuries to key cogs Gs A.J. English and Schadrac Casimir have slowed the Gaels. Dancin' Jimmy Patsos' Siena (9-6) is the only other MAAC rep above .500 into early January.

MISSOURI VALLEY...Plenty of moving parts in the Valley, where the early news involved the problems encountered by heavy league favorite Wichita State (9-5), which had myriad injury issues in the first half of the season. But now that G Fred VanVleet and Cleveland State transfer F Anton Grady have returned to active duty, the Shockers have started to roll, and sit 3-0 in Valley play entering the weekend. Though Wichita does not have a non-league victory better than a close home win over UNLV, if Gregg Marshall's team runs away with the league crown, it could have moved itself to the safe side of the Big Dance cut line before Arch Madness commences in St. Louis in early March.

We're keeping a close watch on Southern Illinois (14-2), as the Salukis have broken fast for HC Barry Hinson. But there are no quality non-conference wins on the SIU slate, which was very watered-down. We need more convincing about the Salukis. Northern Iowa (9-6) probably has a better Big Dance profile than SIU because of its big wins over top ten North Carolina and Iowa State. But the Panthers have also piled up several losses and are going to want to stay on Wichita's heels to gain the notice of the Committee. Like SIU, last year's CIT winner Evansville (13-3) also has taken advantage of a lesser non-league slate, and has no win better than Belmont in non-league play. By the start of March, we suspect Wichita will be the only Valley rep with a possible at-large case.

MOUNTAIN WEST...Much like Wichita State in the Missouri Valley, San Diego State (10-6) was a heavy favorite in Mountain West preseason polls, but stumbled several times in pre-league play, with its best win against Cal in Las Vegas. A couple of bad losses to San Diego and Grand Canyon have put the Aztecs in quite hole with the Selection Committee, and SDSU (which has started quickly in league play) probably needs a 15-3 or better Mountain mark to get the Committee to take an at-large look. A better at-large case from the MW might belong to Boise State (11-4), which has three of its losses vs. highly-ranked Michigan State and Arizona (twice), and owns a quality non-league win over Oregon. The Broncos have also started quickly in league play and could get into the mid 20s in wins for HC Leon Rice, who has qualified for a play-in game twice in the past three years.

Elsewhere, the Mountain appears to have no other possible Big Dance at-large candidates, though most of the rest of the league (save San Jose State) will likely have a chance at an invitation from one of the other postseason events.

SOUTHERN...With wins over Georgia, Illinois, and Dayton, Chattanooga (13-2), under first-year HC Matt McCall (former Billy Donovan aide at Florida), has a pretty good at-large profile and could end up making the SoCon a multi-bid league. This year in the SoCon, there are other CBI and CIT-caliber entries from among East Tennessee State, Mercer, and Samford.

SUN BELT...We believe there is a definite chance the Belt becomes a multi-bid league this March thanks to UA-Little Rock (12-1) and UT-Arlington (11-2). The Trojans have a couple of good road wins at San Diego State and Tulsa, while road wins at Ohio State and Memphis have gotten the Movin' Mavs some deserved notice. If these two dominate the Belt, as we suspect they will, both at least stay on the bubble into March.

WEST COAST...The long-time dominance of Gonzaga (12-3) is not quite as clear-cut this season, though with wins over Washington, UConn, and Tennessee, the Zags probably did enough in non-WCC play to get the Selection Committee on board once more. We expect Gonzaga to safely qualify for its 18th consecutive Big Dance in March. Meanwhile, Saint Mary's (13-1) has been much better than expected, though the Gaels did not deal with a robust non-league slate and will have to continue to impress to gain Big Dance at-large notice. BYU (10-5), now finally minus graduated high-scorer G Tyler Haws (who seemed to be at Provo for ten years!), is down a notch this season and seems ticketed to the NIT unless it can show very strongly in WCC play, which could at least keep the Cougs on the bubble entering Selection Sunday.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

-- SMU 59, Cincinnati 57-- Mustangs stay unbeaten, outscoring Cincy 11-2 over last 3:30.

-- Why are Lakers on national TV last night and tonight? They're awful.

-- Ole Miss 74, Alabama 66-- Rebels opened up their brand-new arena.

-- SF Giants signed OF Denard Span for three years, $31M.

-- UCLA 87, Arizona 84-- Bruins blew 13-point lead in last 5:00, won it late.

-- Luke Walton was named after Maurice Lucas, Bill Walton's teammate with the great Trailblazer teams in Portland.

**********

Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Doing some thinking out loud......

13) One college basketball rule that should be changed to increase scoring: when a TV timeout is due and a foul is committed, the TV commercials happen before the foul shots are taken, which makes them harder to make, especially late in a close game. No way to prove this, but I'm telling you more foul shots would be made if the foul shots were taken before the TV commercials, the way they used to be.

12) Your Powerball jackpot is $675M. Good luck to everyone. What would you do if you won that much money?

11) Supposedly the Buccaneers fired Lovie Smith because they do not want to lose OC Dirk Koetter, who worked very well with rookie QB Jameis Winston this year. Smith had six OC's in his 11 years as a head coach; word is Bucs' front office did not have faith in him to find another reliable OC to work with their franchise QB. That is an indication that Koetter could be the Bucs' new HC.

10) Mike Piazza is the first catcher elected to the Hall of Fame since Gary Carter was elected in 2003.

9) 49ers fired coach Jim Tomsula after only one season, which seems unfair, then you realize the guy gets $14M to go away and you stop feeling sorry for him. He can go be an assistant coach somewhere, or try for a TV job or just buy a really nice couch and lay on it for the rest of his life- he's set for life financially.

8) George Karl's son Coby is an assistant coach with Knicks' D-League team in Westchester. He played ball at Boise State, is working his way up the coaching ladder.

7) Six of the ten basketball coaches in the Big X have coached in a Final Four.

6) Not only does Nick Saban make around $7M/year as football coach at Alabama, he is part-owner of a Mercedes dealership in the Tuscaloosa area. So every time one of the rich boosters buys a fancy new car, he's lining coach Saban's pockets even more.

5) Sign of the Times: A daytime show on ESPN this week was discussing betting props for the Clemson-Alabama game Monday night. Interesting stuff; I'm sure the casinos are treating this game like a mini version of the Super Bowl.

4) In his great pitching career, one that will end up in the Hall of Fame eventually, Trevor Hoffman threw to 41 different catchers, first of which was Kevin Higgins, who is now an assistant coach at UNLV. Higgins played in 71 big league games, 26 as a catcher-- pretty good claim to fame, the first catcher for a future Hall of Famer.

3) Rockets are 11-4 if James Harden scores 30+ points, 7-15 when he does not.

2) 1.1 million people entered Germany just last year, looking for asylum from other countries; what the hell do you do with 1.1 million extra people?

1) Every HS/college basketball player should've watched D-League showcase on NBA.TV this week-- there are 19 teams in the D-League, thats roughly 190 guys that are really good basketball players who can't make an NBA roster. Should make guys who are marginal prospects think twice about leaving school early-- it iis really, really hard to make an NBA roster. Maximize your skillset before you go for the money.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Dunkel

Friday, January 8

Valparaiso @ Oakland

Game 871-872
January 8, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Valparaiso
61.200
Oakland
62.105
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oakland
by 1
146
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Valparaiso
by 2
154
Dunkel Pick:
Oakland
(+2); Under

Buffalo @ Kent State

Game 873-874
January 8, 2016 @ 6:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Buffalo
55.743
Kent State
60.264
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Kent State
by 4 1/2
144
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Kent State
by 6 1/2
150 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Buffalo
(+6 1/2); Under

Western Michigan @ Akron

Game 875-876
January 8, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Western Michigan
49.899
Akron
63.379
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Akron
by 13 1/2
147
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Akron
by 11 1/2
141 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Akron
(-11 1/2); Over

Illinois-Chicago @ Detroit

Game 877-878
January 8, 2016 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Illinois-Chicago
40.364
Detroit
57.737
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Detroit
by 17 1/2
163
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Detroit
by 16
160 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Detroit
(-16); Over

Utah @ Colorado

Game 879-880
January 8, 2016 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Utah
68.460
Colorado
66.635
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Utah
by 2
144
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Colorado
by 2
147
Dunkel Pick:
Utah
(+2); Under




NCAAB
Long Sheet

Friday, January 8

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VALPARAISO (11 - 3) at OAKLAND (9 - 6) - 1/8/2016, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) in all games this season.
OAKLAND is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) in all lined games this season.
OAKLAND is 19-6 ATS (+12.4 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) after scoring 80 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game over the last 2 seasons.
VALPARAISO is 30-14 ATS (+14.6 Units) on Friday nights since 1997.
VALPARAISO is 21-9 ATS (+11.1 Units) when playing with 5 or 6 days rest since 1997.
VALPARAISO is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
OAKLAND is 4-0 against the spread versus VALPARAISO over the last 3 seasons
OAKLAND is 2-2 straight up against VALPARAISO over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

BUFFALO (7 - 7) at KENT ST (10 - 4) - 1/8/2016, 6:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
BUFFALO is 4-0 against the spread versus KENT ST over the last 3 seasons
BUFFALO is 4-0 straight up against KENT ST over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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W MICHIGAN (6 - 8) at AKRON (12 - 2) - 1/8/2016, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
W MICHIGAN is 6-17 ATS (-12.7 Units) as a road underdog of 9.5 to 12 points since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
AKRON is 3-2 against the spread versus W MICHIGAN over the last 3 seasons
AKRON is 3-2 straight up against W MICHIGAN over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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IL-CHICAGO (2 - 10) at DETROIT (8 - 5) - 1/8/2016, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
IL-CHICAGO is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) in all games this season.
IL-CHICAGO is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) in all lined games this season.
IL-CHICAGO is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) as an underdog this season.
IL-CHICAGO is 29-47 ATS (-22.7 Units) in road games in January games since 1997.
IL-CHICAGO is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) as a home favorite of 12.5 or more points since 1997.
DETROIT is 19-39 ATS (-23.9 Units) in home games in January games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
IL-CHICAGO is 3-1 against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 3-1 straight up against IL-CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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UTAH (11 - 4) at COLORADO (12 - 3) - 1/8/2016, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 20-9 ATS (+10.1 Units) when the total is 140 to 149.5 over the last 3 seasons.
UTAH is 43-28 ATS (+12.2 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
UTAH is 43-28 ATS (+12.2 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
UTAH is 3-1 against the spread versus COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
UTAH is 3-1 straight up against COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, January 8

Home side won all four Oakland-Valparaiso games in Horizon play, with Crusaders losing 75-70/89-75ot in two visits here. Valpo is 4-3 on road with two top 60 wins, at URI/Oregon State. Crusaders have #17 eFG% defense in country. Oakland is 2-3 in last five games, losing 100-98 in its last game, when Youngstown made 16-32 on arc. Favorites are 7-4 vs the spread in Horizon games, 2-0 on road.

Buffalo won last four games with Kent, winning 78-69/71-65 in last two visits here. Bulls lost two of last three games, are 0-5 in true road games, with all five losses to top 100 teams- they're 7-0 vs teams outside top 100. Kent won six of last eight games; they won MAC opener in OT at Western Michigan, despite blowing 12-point lead in 2nd half. Favorites are 3-3 against the spread in MAC play.

Akron is 15-3 in its last 18 games with Western Michigan; they swept three games with Broncos LY, winning by 20-2-13 points. WMU lost its last seven visits to Akron, with all seven losses by 9+ points. Akron won its last nine games- its last loss was Nov 24. Zips are holding teams to 26.3% on arc (#3)- they have #21 eFG%. Broncos lost three of last four games, are 4-8 vs D-I teams; they turn ball over 20.4% of time (#288).

Detroit won nine of last 11 games with Ill-Chicago, but lost 83-73 here to Flames LY, its first home loss to UIC in last six years. Titans scored 92 ppg in winning first two Horizon games by 9-8 points; they've won six of last eight games overall. UIC has new coach; they've 0-10 vs D-I foes with two wins vs non-D-I teams. Flames' eFG% is 39%, worst in USA. Horizon home favorites are 5-4 vs spread.

Utah won its last three games with Colorado by 11-25-28 points; home side won six of eight series games since this became Pac-12 rivalry. Utes won 79-51 here LY, after losing by 40-10-4 points in its previous three trips here. Utah scored 63 ppg in getting swept on Bay Area trip LW, after starting season 11-2. Three of last four Colorado games were won by 4 or less points. Pac-12 home favorites are 4-2 vs spread.




NCAAB

Friday, January 8

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Trend Report
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6:30 PM
BUFFALO vs. KENT STATE
Buffalo is 2-18 SU in its last 20 games when playing on the road against Kent State
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Buffalo's last 9 games when playing on the road against Kent State
Kent State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Kent State is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games

7:00 PM
VALPARAISO vs. OAKLAND
Valparaiso is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Oakland
Oakland is 16-4 SU in its last 20 games at home
Oakland is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games

7:00 PM
WESTERN MICHIGAN vs. AKRON
Western Michigan is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Western Michigan is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Akron
Akron is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Akron is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

8:00 PM
DANIEL WEBSTER vs. YALE
No trends available
Yale is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Yale is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games

9:00 PM
UTAH vs. COLORADO
Utah is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Utah's last 6 games on the road
Colorado is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games at home
Colorado is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games

9:00 PM
ILLINOIS-CHICAGO vs. DETROIT
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Illinois-Chicago's last 7 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Illinois-Chicago is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Detroit is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Detroit is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

[StarDust Bum]

FRIDAY, JANUARY 8

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


BUFF at KENT 06:30 PM

KENT -6.5 BEST BET


WMU at AKR 07:00 PM

AKR -10.0 BEST BET


VALP at OAK 07:00 PM

VALP -3.0


UIC at DET 09:00 PM

DET -16.0


UTAH at COLO 09:00 PM

UTAH +1.5 BEST BET

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday's Tip Sheet
January 8, 2016

**North Carolina at Syracuse**

-- North Carolina (14-2 straight up, 7-8-1 against the spread) is out to a 3-0 start in ACC play and will be looking to remain unbeaten Saturday night at the Carrier Dome. Roy Williams’s team smashed FSU 106-90 on Monday as a 3.5-point road favorite.

-- Brice Johnson went off in Tallahassee, dropping 39 points and 23 rebounds on the Seminoles while making 14-of-16 shots from the field. The senior power forward also had three steals and three blocked shots. Marcus Paige also enjoyed a stellar performance, producing 30 points, five rebounds and five assists without committing a turnover.

-- Johnson paces UNC in scoring (16.8 points per game), rebounding (10.6 RPG) and blocked shots (1.1 BPG). He is making 64.5 percent of his shots from the field and has excellent touch at the free-throw line (80.6%) for a big man. Johnson also has 16 steals.

-- UNC has lost both SU and ATS in two of its three true road assignments. The Tar Heels lost at No. Iowa (71-67) without Paige and fell 84-82 at Texas.

-- North Carolina loves to push the pace, ranking No. 5 in the nation in scoring (87.8 points per game). The Tar Heels are 13th in the nation in field-goal percentage, knocking down shots from the floor at a 50.0 percent clip.

-- Since missing the first six games, Paige has been dynamite, averaging 16.3 PPG while burying 49.5 percent of his shots from the field, 44.4 percent from 3-point land and 80.6 percent at the charity stripe. He also has a stellar 37/6 assists-to-turnovers ratio.

-- Justin Jackson, a sophomore swingman, is scoring at a 12.8 PPG clip. He has a 52/22 assists-to-turnovers ratio to along with 13 steals, 10 blocked shots and a 4.1 RPG average. Joel Berry II has dished out a team-best 69 assists compared to 33 turnovers. The sophomore point guard is also scoring in double figures (12.5 PPG) and has a team-high 22 steals.

-- Junior forward Kennedy Meeks (12.3 PPG, 7.4 RPG) is expected to miss his eighth consecutive game Saturday night due to a knee injury. Williams hopes to have Meeks back in the next week or two.

-- Syracuse (10-6 SU, 6-9 ATS) has lost three in a row to open ACC action and it has failed to cover the spread in four straight games. The Orange lost at Pitt (72-61) and at Miami (64-51) before dropping a 74-73 decision to Clemson in overtime Tuesday night. The Tigers went into the Carrier Dome and won outright as 4.5-point underdogs. In the losing effort, Michael Gbinije scored a team-high 22 points. Malachi Richardson added 21 points and nine rebounds, while Tyler Roberson and Trevor Cooney also scored in double figures with 14 and 12 points, respectively.

-- Jim Boeheim’s squad has won seven of its nine home games, going 4-4 versus the number. Syracuse lost at home to Wisconsin 66-58 in overtime before its recent defeats against the Clemson. The Orange is in its first home underdog situation here vs. UNC.

-- Syracuse has been an underdog four times this year, producing a 2-2 record both SU and ATS with outright wins against UConn and Texas A&M on a neutral court.

-- UNC is ranked seventh in the RPI thanks to seven wins over Top-100 opponents. The Tar Heels’ best wins have come at home vs. Maryland and vs. Davidson. They also own a road win at FSU, in addition to neutral-court triumphs over Kansas St., Temple and UCLA.

-- Syracuse is No. 71 in the RPI Rankings. The ‘Cuse is 1-2 against the Top 50 and 3-4 versus the Top 100. The Orange’s worst defeats were against Clemson (RPI: 148) and at St. John’s (#182). Their best win was at home vs. St. Bonaventure (#66).

-- Gbinije leads the ‘Cuse in scoring (18.0 PPG), assists (4.6 APG) and steals (2.3 SPG). Cooney and Richardson are both scoring at a 13.0 PPG clip. Tyler Lydon, a 6-8 freshman, is averaging 9.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocked shots per game.

-- The ‘over’ is 8-7 overall for the ‘Cuse, but the ‘under’ has cashed in four of its last six contests.

-- The ‘over’ has hit in eight straight and is 12-4-1 overall for UNC, 2-1 in its three road outings.

-- As of late Friday afternoon, one offshore shop had UNC installed as a seven-point favorite.

-- Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

**Kansas at Texas Tech**

-- Kansas (13-1 SU, 9-3 ATS) is 2-0 in Big 12 play and atop the league standings along with West Virginia. However, Bill Self’s team could be in letdown mode for this road trip to Lubbock. KU is off Monday’s emotional triple-overtime win over Oklahoma by a 109-106 count. The Jayhawks, who were seven-point home ‘chalk’ to OU, saw their 5-0 ATS spree halted.

-- Perry Ellis led the way against the Sooners with 27 points and 13 rebounds. Devonte Graham added 20 points, seven boards and three assists, while Wayne Selden Jr. finished with 21 points and five boards. Frank Mason contributed 15 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals.

-- As of late Friday afternoon, one offshore book had KU listed as a seven-point favorite.

-- KU has won 12 in a row while posting an 8-2 spread record. The Jayhawks are 3-2 ATS in five games as single-digit favorites.

-- KU is No. 3 in the RPI with a 7-1 record against the Top 100. The Jayhawks’ best wins are vs. Oregon State and vs. OU. They also have scalps over UCLA and Vanderbilt on a neutral court, in addition to a 70-57 victory at San Diego St.

-- KU’s lone loss of the season came in the form of a 79-73 setback vs Michigan State on Nov. 17 at United Center in Chicago. The Jayhawks allowed an 11-point lead with 9:42 remaining get away.

-- Ellis leads KU in scoring (16.1 PPG) and rebounding (6.6 RPG). Selden is scoring at a 15.9 PPG clip and is draining 54.2 percent of his shots from downtown. Selden also has a 44/21 assists-to-turnovers ratio. Mason averages 13.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and owns a 78/22 assists-to-turnovers ratio. Mason is tied for the team-high in steals with 26.

-- Texas Tech (11-2 SU, 8-2 ATS) is perfect at home this year with a 9-0 SU record and a 6-0 ATS mark. Tubby Smith’s squad has covered the number in eight consecutive games.

-- Texas Tech saw its 10-game winning streak snapped in Wednesday’s 76-69 loss at Iowa St., but it took the cash as an 11-point underdog. Justin Gray had a team-best 14 points and nine rebounds. Toddrick Gotcher tallied 12 points, seven rebounds and eight assists without a turnover.

-- Texas Tech is 2-1 ATS with one outright win (vs. Minnesota on a neutral floor) in three games as an underdog. The Red Raiders’ only other loss prior to going to Ames was a 73-63 setback against Utah on Nov. 19 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

-- Devaugntah Williams is averaging a team-high 14.8 PPG Gotcher is averaging 11.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and is burying 3-balls at a 42.2 percent clip. Zach Smith is also scoring in double figures (10.2 PPG) and paces the Red Raiders in rebounding (6.5 RPG) and field-goal percentage (58.1%).

-- Totals have been an overall wash (5-5) for the Red Raiders, but they’ve watched the ‘over’ go 4-2 in their home outings.

-- The ‘over’ is 8-3 overall for KU, 1-0 in its lone true road contest.

-- ESPNU will have the broadcast at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Hokies (10-5) at Blue Devils (13-2)
Date: January 09, 2016 12:00 PM EDT

Buzz Williams knew when he took the job that he'd have to be patient during his attempt to build Virginia Tech into an ACC contender.

The Hokies aren't there yet, but an upset win over their biggest rival certainly is a major step in the process.

Virginia Tech hasn't started 3-0 in conference play since it last won at Duke in 2007, a feat it can accomplish by avoiding a ninth straight loss to the 14th-ranked Blue Devils on Saturday.

Williams left Marquette for Blacksburg and went 11-22 with a 2-16 mark in the ACC in his first season. The Hokies (10-5, 2-0) are on the verge of matching that win total already after Monday's 70-68 home victory over No. 4 Virginia.

Virginia Tech beat North Carolina State 73-68 in overtime in last Saturday's conference opener, overcoming a 16-point deficit. It hasn't made the NCAA Tournament since 2006-07, the last time it last started 3-0 in the ACC.

"When you show up as David every day against Goliath, you just kind of have a demeanor or a spirit of, 'Well, we have to fight again,'" Williams said. 'I don't think that we're good enough for it to be pure basketball. I think it has to be more of a fight, pseudo basketball, because that's what gives us our best chance.'

The Hokies beat their rivals despite the Cavaliers shooting 49 percent, their first victory over an opponent that shot at least that well since Feb. 18, 2012. Zach LeDay scored 22 points and Justin Bibbs added 16 for Virginia Tech, which committed eight turnovers and forced 16.

"I'm not surprised at all," said LeDay, who's in his first season with the Hokies after transferring from South Florida. "We play to win games. I came here to win games. It's not surprising. We just need to keep on fighting and keep on working every day and keep on attacking practice with the same mindset. If we do that, we're going to keep winning."

The Hokies nearly stunned eventual national champion Duke in the only meeting last season but fell 91-86 in overtime at home. They've lost eight straight matchups since a home victory Feb. 26, 2011, and five consecutive visits to Cameron Indoor Stadium since last winning there Jan. 6, 2007.

The Blue Devils (13-2, 2-0) enter this contest having won four straight by an average of 23.5 points. Grayson Allen scored 24 and freshman Luke Kennard added 23 in Wednesday's 91-75 rout of Wake Forest.

Kennard was the only one to play more than eight minutes off the bench in a rotation that coach Mike Krzyzewski has had to alter since Amile Jefferson fractured his foot. The senior forward has missed the last six and is out indefinitely.

'There's nobody to sub in,' Krzyzewski said. 'We're literally on an edge all the time. Our guys have to realize that, and they have to play, not conservatively, but smart.'

Marshall Plumlee went 7 for 7 from the field and finished with a career-high 18 points after not attempting a shot in 34 minutes in last Saturday's win at Boston College.

"Coach believes in me just like he believes in every one of us,' Plumlee said. 'And when you have belief of your teammates and a great coaching staff, you feel like you can take on the world.'

Plumlee and Allen are the only two remaining from Duke's win over Virginia Tech last season when they combined for six points - all from Allen - in 13 minutes. Jalen Hudson scored 23 points in the loss.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Terrapins (14-1) at Badgers (9-7)
Date: January 09, 2016 1:00 PM EDT

The Wisconsin faithful braced for Diamond Stone's seemingly inevitable commitment to the Badgers. The highly recruited big man led Milwaukee's Dominican High School to four state championships on the Kohl Center floor, and most felt there was little reason for him to leave a state where he was beloved.

Everything changed when Stone chose Maryland. Badger fans tormented him on social media, with former coach Bo Ryan's daughter even tweeting a subtle jab at him.

Stone feels no regrets about his decision, though, as he prepares to visit Madison with the third-ranked Terrapins on Saturday, choosing instead to ignore the distractions and focus on leading a team dealing with a hobbled Melo Trimble.

"Milwaukee always is going to be home, but Maryland is my new home," Stone said. "If the crowd is loud, then that's the environment I like to play in. I Iike to play in big environments. I'm pretty sure it's going to be a sold-out game, and I'm ready to play."

Coach Mark Turgeon hasn't coddled the potential one-and-done. Stone averaged 9.0 points while starting six of his first seven games, but Turgeon made him the sixth man after Maryland (14-1, 3-0 Big Ten) lost at then-No. 9 North Carolina on Dec. 1.

Stone has averaged 16.9 points while shooting 61 percent during the Terps' eight-game winning streak, including a 39-point effort against Penn State on Dec. 30.

He started Wednesday's 88-63 win over Rutgers and finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds, but Turgeon called that a "mistake that better not happen again" after Stone's name inadvertently was written in the scorebook on one of the top five lines.

Turgeon wants Stone to come off the bench against the Badgers (9-7, 1-2), but Trimble's availability could change that. Trimble scored all four of his points at the free-throw line and sat out the second half against Rutgers with hamstring tightness.

The sophomore point guard has been limited in practice since, and Turgeon is taking a cautious approach.

"Hopefully he'll be better on Saturday," Turgeon said. "It's something we need to be concerned about, something we need to watch, but I think with proper care and stretching and doing everything right, he should be fine."

Trimble scored 16 points as Maryland beat eventual national runner-up Wisconsin 59-53 in the only meeting last season, but the Terps will be facing a shell of that Badgers team in this matchup.

Wisconsin's four home losses equal the amount from the previous two seasons combined, and it is 2-2 under interim coach Greg Gard since Ryan retired abruptly following a win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Dec. 15.

The Badgers are off to their worst start in Big Ten play since dropping three of their first four in 2011-12 following a 59-58 loss at Indiana on Tuesday. Bronson Koenig and Nigel Hayes finished with 15 points apiece as they shot just 41.3 percent.

Wisconsin also committed 14 turnovers, bringing its average to 11.6 per game. It hasn't averaged that many since turning it over 12.2 times per game in 2007-08.

"The loss (Tuesday) stings, and it will," Gard said. "But to be able to bring a younger team on the road in this environment and have a chance to win in the final 50 seconds is a step in the right direction."

Maryland hasn't played at the Kohl Center as a member of the Big Ten and is making its first trip there since losing 69-64 on Nov. 30, 2004.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Aggies (12-2) at Volunteers (8-6)
Date: January 09, 2016 1:00 PM EDT

Texas A&M survived its worst shooting night of the season in someone else's building, but its next opponent seems less likely to let it slip through the cracks.

Tennessee, unbeaten at home, enters Saturday's meeting coming off a prettier victory and will now try to stop the 21st-ranked Aggies short of matching their best start in the SEC since joining the conference in 2012-13.

The Aggies (12-2, 2-0) escaped with Wednesday's 61-60 win at Mississippi State despite shooting a season-low 30.6 percent with 19 field goals made. It was the first time they'd won while shooting under 35.0 percent in more than three years.

"I'm real proud of our guys for fighting through it," said coach Billy Kennedy, whose team can win six straight for the second time this season and open SEC play 3-0 for the second time in the last three seasons. "We didn't shoot the ball well. We didn't finish around the basket like we have and you've got to give Mississippi State some credit for that. But we found a way to win."

That was on the offensive glass, where A&M got a season-high 20 rebounds and held a plus-10 advantage. Replicating it seems less likely against Tennessee, which held a 48.5-38.5 rebounding edge in two conference games with 19.0 per game on the offensive end - but the Aggies might be less reliant on second chances with a key player back.

Second leading scorer Danuel House, who averages 15.2 points, missed the Mississippi State game because of a personal matter and is expected back against the Volunteers.

The Aggies have won the last three meetings, though all four since they joined the SEC have been tight, with Tennessee's 93-85 four-overtime win in 2012-13 the largest margin of victory for either. The latest meeting was a 67-61 win for the Aggies in Tennessee on Jan. 24 in which Jalen Jones scored 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting.

Jones, the team's top scorer at 15.8 points per game, has averaged 18.4 in his last five despite being held to 11 while going 3 of 13 against the Bulldogs.

Tennessee's top scorer has been a bit hotter. Kevin Punter Jr. ranks second in the conference with 23.1 points per game and had 26 in Wednesday's 83-69 home win over Florida. The guard has averaged 26.7 and shot 57.4 percent while going 7 of 14 from 3-point range in the last three games as offseason adjustments settle in.

First-year coach Rick Barnes suggested Punter alter the mechanics of his shot this offseason, which was initially met with timidity.

"I didn't want to do it, to be honest with you, just for the simple fact that I've been (shooting that way) all my life," Punter said. "I always knew my shot was ugly. I didn't want to do it, but I said, 'I'm going to give it a try.'

"And to be honest with you, it worked out."

The Volunteers (8-6, 1-1) have gotten to 8-0 at home after closing last season with five straight losses on their own court. They made 20 of 39 shots for a 53-31 halftime lead, and that advantage grew to 30 in the second half before things cooled off.

"We started turning the ball over and not executing," Barnes said. "But it was a great win for us. It really was. I'm really happy for our guys. We came out, and without question, it was the best game we've played all year."

Barnes will now try to take down a ranked opponent for the first time with his new team, and Tennessee has won seven of its last 10 home games against the Top 25 with all of the losses coming against top-three teams.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Cowboys (9-5) at Mountainers (13-1)
Date: January 09, 2016 1:00 PM EDT

After declaring its legitimacy with a pair of impressive road wins to open Big 12 play, West Virginia is in line for a matchup with the nation's top team next week.

Before turning their attention toward Kansas, the 17th-ranked Mountaineers will try to keep their perfect home record intact Saturday against Oklahoma State.

West Virginia (13-1, 2-0) rolled through the non-conference portion of its schedule with seven straight wins before losing to No. 10 Virginia on Dec. 8. That proved only a momentary blip for the Mountaineers, who bounced back with four more victories by an average of 27.5 points against inferior competition.

Beginning conference play with road contests against Kansas State and TCU figured to be a far more difficult challenge.

While nothing came easy for West Virginia, it emerged with a pair of wins and now returns home to face Oklahoma State (9-5, 1-1) before No. 1 Kansas visits Tuesday.

Coming off an 87-83 double-overtime victory over Kansas State two days earlier, West Virginia looked like a team that had been on the road for six days in Monday's 95-87 win at TCU. The Mountaineers set season highs in fouls (33) and turnovers (22) and missed 13 free throws - eight coming in the second half.

With numbers such as those, it was no surprise they faced a seven-point deficit in the second half. However, Jaysean Paige and Tarik Phillip came up huge down the stretch and the Mountaineers used a 14-2 run to build an 11-point lead with 2:58 remaining.

"We were turning the ball over at an alarming rate," coach Bob Huggins said. "I figured our best chance was to give it to the guys that you trust the most with it, and tell them don't pass it unless you have to."

Paige scored 18 of his 20 points in the second half, with nine coming inside the 6-minute mark. Phillip had 14 of his 18 in the final 20 minutes, including a 3-pointer that triggered the key run.

"Tarik was terrific, Tarik is so competitive. I thought he as much as anybody willed us to win," Huggins said. "Then Jaysean comes in and gets 20 in 15 minutes. ... We're pretty good when he stays in the game."

Paige has averaged 19.8 points in his last four after starting the season with 10.1 through 10 contests.

Phillip also has elevated his play lately, averaging 12.8 points on 61.3 percent shooting over his past six after scoring 4.5 on 27.5 from the field in his first eight.

Avoiding a third straight loss to West Virginia could be difficult for Oklahoma State, which is coming off a 79-62 defeat at Baylor on Tuesday. The Cowboys were outrebounded 44-18 - with Bears forward Rico Gathers grabbing 17 himself - and allowed Baylor to score 44 points in the paint.

"I'm very disappointed to say the least," coach Travis Ford said. "It's one thing to get outrebounded, but it's another thing to have these numbers."

Ford's team relies heavily on its defense, allowing 63.5 points per game for the second-best total in the conference. That's been a necessity because the Cowboys score a league-low 70.8 per contest and are ninth with a 38.7 field-goal percentage.

West Virginia, meanwhile, ranks seventh in the country with 86.6 points per game and has averaged 96.3 during its 6-0 home start.

The Cowboys lost both meetings last season after winning the first four times the teams met since West Virginia joined the Big 12 in 2012.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Flyers (12-2) at Explorers (4-8)
Date: January 09, 2016 2:00 PM EDT

Dayton has its sights set on extending a winning streak deep into conference play as it chases the program's first Atlantic-10 regular-season title in 12 years.

That might not be as easy as it seems against struggling La Salle, which denied the Flyers an opportunity to end their championship drought the last time they met.

While the Explorers look to snap their longest losing streak in six years, No. 25 Dayton will try to end its troubles in Philadelphia and capture a sixth consecutive victory Saturday.

The Flyers have been strong on the defensive end while matching the best 14-game start in coach Archie Miller's five seasons. They rank second among A-10 teams by holding teams to 40.4 percent shooting and third with 65.6 points allowed per game.

Dayton (12-2, 2-0), which moved into the Top 25 for the first time in a year this week, also has forced an average of 16.7 turnovers over its last three games. It scored 26 points off Massachusetts' 16 miscues in Wednesday's 93-63 home victory.

That helped the Flyers reach season highs in points and field-goal percentage (56.7) while also shooting a season-best 11 for 25 from 3-point range. Charles Cooke, who scored 18 points, is averaging 19.5 while hitting 12 of 23 from beyond the arc in his last four games.

'Charles by far and away is a very impactful guy on this team,' Miller said.

Kendall Pollard, who ranks second on the team with 11.5 points per game, could return after sitting out because of a strained Achilles tendon. Dyshawn Pierre started for Pollard and contributed 11 points and eight rebounds in his third game back from suspension.

The Flyers are now faced with trying to continue their run at a venue that hasn't been kind. Although they've won 18 of the past 22 meetings overall, the Flyers have dropped two straight trips to La Salle by a total of four points and four of their last six.

Dayton had a chance to wrap up at least a share of its first A-10 regular-season crown since 2003-04 in its last visit to Tom Gola Arena on March 7. But Jordan Price had 21 points, eight rebounds and made 4 of 8 from beyond the arc in the Explorers' 55-53 win.

"It's the most difficult place for our team and me and my staff to play," Miller said. "We've had some real ugly ones up there where we've laid an egg, particularly last year with a chance to win a conference championship and didn't get the job done."

Price figures to be the focal point of Dayton's defensive effort once again. The junior guard ranks second among conference players with 22.7 points per game, though he's in the midst of a mini-shooting slump at 34.3 percent over his last four.

He had 21 points but missed seven of 10 from 3-point range in Wednesday's 66-61 loss at Fordham. Cleon Roberts, who added 15 points and seven rebounds, is averaging 18.7 points in his last three games despite shooting 8 for 30 from the field in his past two.

The Explorers (4-8, 0-2) have scored 59 per game in the last six of a seven-game losing streak. They haven't dropped eight in a row since late in the 2009-10 season.

La Salle has lost its two games versus ranked foes this season by a combined 75 points.

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Preview: Cavaliers (12-2) at Yellow Jackets (10-5)
Date: January 09, 2016 2:00 PM EDT

As Georgia Tech prepares to face a third straight ranked opponent to begin ACC play, it'll be returning home with some renewed hope.

The Yellow Jackets look to copy Virginia Tech's blueprint and hand fourth-ranked Virginia a second straight shocking loss Saturday.

Though Georgia Tech hasn't come close in recent matchups with the Cavaliers, this Virginia team appears considerably more vulnerable than the ones that combined to go 32-4 in the ACC the previous two seasons. That was evident Monday when the Cavaliers couldn't overcome a host of uncharacteristic mistakes in a 70-68 defeat to the Hokies.

Virginia Tech pulled off the upset by going 9 of 17 from 3-point range and scoring 26 points off 16 Cavaliers turnovers, a stunning amount for a Virginia squad averaging a Division I-low 9.1 giveaways.

Also among the national leaders in scoring defense, Virginia (12-2, 1-1 ACC) allowed the Hokies to post 44 second-half points and shoot 57.7 percent.

"We know at some point we're going to get a stop, and we didn't (Monday) when we needed to," guard Malcolm Brogdon told the school's athletics website. "What we pride ourselves on the most really let us down."

The Cavaliers got plenty of stops in their last meeting with Georgia Tech (10-5, 0-2), setting an ACC regular-season record for points allowed in a 57-28 home rout Jan. 22.

That Yellow Jackets team finished 14th in the ACC in scoring. The current one has displayed far more firepower after adding Virginia Tech graduate transfer Adam Smith to an improved senior duo of Marcus Georges-Hunt and Charles Mitchell.

Smith leads the ACC with 52 made 3s and has shot 56.8 percent from beyond the arc while averaging 20.6 points in a five-game stretch. He went 8 of 13 on 3-pointers and scored a career-high 30 points in Wednesday's 89-84 loss at No. 24 Pittsburgh, which followed an 86-78 defeat at then-No. 7 North Carolina last Saturday.

"I feel like he's the best shooter in the country," Mitchell said. "Whether he has a hand in his face or not, shooting 3-pointers is like shooting a layup to him."

Mitchell tops the conference in rebounding at 11.6 per game and grabbed 17 with 20 points against the Panthers, while Georges-Hunt (15.2 points per game) matched a career high with 25 points against the Tar Heels.

The Yellow Jackets still have work to do on defense. UNC and Pitt combined to shoot 50.0 percent and Georgia Tech forced a mere four turnovers Wednesday.

"That's an area we need to dramatically improve in, because we have improved on the offensive end," coach Brian Gregory said. "We couldn't grind out some key possessions there, and the stops we did get were fouls."

Georgia Tech will need to key on Cavaliers forward Anthony Gill (15.4 ppg), who's gone 14 of 19 from the field and scored 38 points in Virginia's two ACC games, as well as London Perrantes. The point guard went 7 of 9 from 3-point range while scoring 22 points Monday.

The Yellow Jackets have dropped eight straight to ranked teams at home and seven in a row overall to Top 25 opponents.

Virginia has won three straight against Georgia Tech, each by at least 19 points.

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Preview: Commodores (8-6) at Gamecocks (14-0)
Date: January 09, 2016 3:00 PM EDT

South Carolina would love to continue its run as one of only two remaining unbeatens, but it has narrowed its focus to simply starting out strong in conference play.

Seeking their first 2-0 SEC start in six years, the 22nd-ranked Gamecocks try to extend their best overall start in eight decades Saturday when they host reeling Vanderbilt.

South Carolina (14-0) and SMU were left as the nation's lone undefeated teams following Oklahoma's 109-106 triple-overtime loss at Kansas on Monday.

The Gamecocks took care of their business Tuesday with an 81-69 win at Auburn in the SEC opener. Sindarius Thornwell led the way with a season-high 22 points while hitting 5 of 8 from 3-point range to go along with seven assists and three steals.

The junior guard, one of three Gamecocks averaging 12 points, has put up a combined 40 over his last two games. He's now just nine points away from reaching 1,000 for his career.

"It's big for us to start out (SEC play) with a win," Thornwell said. "For us to win (heading) into Saturday, gives us a lot of confidence going into the rest of our games."

South Carolina ranks third among SEC teams with 81 points per game while holding opponents to 37.8 percent shooting. The team has forced an average of 19.3 turnovers over its last three after scoring 28 off the Tigers' 21 giveaways.

The Gamecocks are off to their best start since opening 17-0 in 1933-34. It's also earned them their highest AP ranking since they moved all the way up to fifth in 1998.

South Carolina now has an opportunity to win its first two conference games for the first time since the 2009-10 season by dealing Vanderbilt its first 0-3 start since '12-13.

The Commodores (8-6, 0-2) were 16th in the poll after a 5-1 start, but have since fallen out while losing five of their last seven games. They could have a difficult time against South Carolina after committing 17 turnovers in a 90-82 home loss to LSU last Saturday and a season-high 26 in Tuesday's 90-85 overtime defeat at Arkansas.

Damian Jones matched career highs with 24 points and 15 rebounds against the Razorbacks. Matthew Fisher-Davis, who leads the SEC with a 49.3 3-point percentage, finished with a career-high 20 points while making 4 of 8 from beyond the arc.

Luke Kornet had 11 points after missing the previous five games with a knee injury.

"We have a good effort and didn't take care of the ball well," coach Kevin Stallings said. "It was certainly nice to have Luke Kornet back and Damian gave us good effort."

Stallings' squad has scuffled defensively, sending opponents to the free-throw line an average of 30.3 times in the past four games. That certainly doesn't bode well facing aggressive South Carolina, which has gone to the stripe 121 times over its last three.

The Commodores have won six of the past seven games against the Gamecocks, though their only loss during that stretch came in the most recent meeting in Columbia. Thornwell led the charge with 19 points in South Carolina's 65-59 victory on Feb. 13, 2014.

Riley LaChance scored 19 in Vanderbilt's 65-50 win in the only matchup last season.