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

[StarDust Bum]

Hot & Not Report
February 19, 2016


Who's Hot

Loyola-Chicago Ramblers (4-0 ATS L/4) – Loyola travels to Missouri State Sunday for a Missouri Valley battle. The Ramblers have shown vast improvement since the start of the season, going 3-1 SU and 4-0 ATS over their past four games, including wins at Southern Illinois and against Northern Iowa. Not bad. They fell against MO State Jan. 9 by a 56-54 score, but they're much improved since. And the Bears enter Sunday's tilt on a 1-3 SU skid while going 1-4 ATS over their past five outings.

Manhattan Jaspers (4-0 ATS L/4) – In recent years the Jaspers of Manhattan have been a regular tournament team and one of the most recognizable names in the MAAC. That ship has sailed and it will take a miracle run in the conference tournament to get into the big dance, but the Jaspers are faring well against the number lately. They have covered four straight, including an 84-77 win over Quinnipiac Feb. 11. They face the Bobcats Sunday.

Seton Hall Pirates (8-1 ATS L/9) – The Hall has been on quite the roll lately, winning five of their past six, while covering nine of their past 10. They'll take the quick jaunt into the city to battle St. John's, a team they clubbed 79-60 to cover a 16-point number back on Jan. 27. The Johnnies enter 4-5 ATS in their past nine as a double-digit dog.

Tulsa Golden Hurricane (8-2-1 ATS L/11) – The Golden Hurricane has slowly been improving its resume for a potential at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. A home win against Cincinnati, a road win at SMU, a home win against Houston and a few other convincing conference victories at least have them in the conversation. Bettors like them a lot lately, too, as Tulsa is 4-0 ATS over the past four, and 8-2-1 ATS in their past 11. They hit the road for suburban Orlando to meet UCF, a team they belted 75-60 back on Jan. 24 as an 11-point favorite. Tulsa has covered four of their past six on the road.

Who's Not

Maryland Wolverines (3-7 ATS L/10) – The Wolverines have failed to cover in seven of their past 10, and they're 2-4 ATS in their past six road and neutral site games heading into Sunday's rematch at Maryland. They were able to knock off the Terps 70-67 Jan. 12, but overall they have been a very flat team away from Ann Arbor.

Quinnipiac Bobcats (0-5 ATS L/5) – The Bobcats enter Sunday's game against Manhattan on a 1-4 SU and 0-5 ATS slide, and that includes an 84-77 loss at Manhattan back on Feb. 11. The Jaspers, on the other hand, have been red hot (see above). While Quinnipiac has dominated this series in recent seasons, they'll have a difficult time with an improving Manhattan team Sunday.

Temple Owls (2-5 ATS L/7) – The Owls have been playing very good basketball lately, winning five of their past six straight up, and eight of their past 10 overall. However, they haven't been cashing winners on a regular basis, hitting against the number just twice in the past seven. They travel to Houston Saturday to meet a Cougars team that buried them 77-50 in Philly back on Jan. 2 despite Temple entering as a six-point favorite.

Valparaiso Crusaders (1-4 ATS L/5) – Valpo hung on for a big win over Horizon League rival Oakland Friday night, but they failed to cover for the fourth time in the past five outings. The Crusaders had been a pretty reliable play until the calendar turned to February. The 'under' is also 4-1 in their past five games, although the 'over' cashed in their first meeting at Detroit Jan. 10. They host the Titans in Sunday's game. Valpo also crushed the Titans 92-74 as a 7 1/2-point favorite in the first meeting during a span which the Crusaders went 8-1-1 ATS from Jan. 2-30.

Washington State Cougars (2-10 ATS L/12) – The Cougars have really hit the skids lately, losing 12 straight games since their shocking 85-78 win over UCLA back on Jan. 3. They're not much better against the number, either, failing to cover in five of the past six, and 10 of the past 12. They face a California team they are just 1-5 SU and 2-4 ATS over the past six meetings.

Total Notes

-- The 'under' has cashed in four of the past six for Middle Tennessee heading into their game against Alabama-Birmingham Sunday. The 'over' hit the last time these teams met Jan. 3, and the 'over' has cashed in four straight for UAB.

-- The 'over' has connected in each of the past six for Missouri State agoing into Sunday's home game against Loyola-Chicago.

-- While the 'over' cashed last time out for San Diego State, the 'under' is 7-3 over their past 10 games. They travel to for San Jose State Sunday. The 'over'

-- Seton Hall has it on lockdown lately, as the defense has allowd 65 or fewer points in five of their past six games. As a result, the 'under' is 5-1 during the span which includes their previous meeting with St. John's Jan. 27. They face the Red Storm Sunday at MSG.

-- The 'over' has hit in three straight for Tulsa heading into their road game at UCF Sunday. On the flip side, the 'under' has connected in six straight for the Golden Knights, and eight of their past nine, including the first meetings at Tulsa back on Jan. 24.

[StarDust Bum]

Rusty Home 'Dogs
February 19, 2016

Generally speaking, the first rule most good handicappers look to apply is ferreting out live dogs that have a realistic shot at winning the game. That’s because three things can happen when you bet on an underdog – and two of them are good. Thus, understandably, my pet handicapping philosophy is searching for live dogs in winning situations.

There are, however, certain dogs that can bite the hand that feeds them if they are not conditioned to win. For the most part they are either bad teams with faulty defenses or fatigued to the point where their stats simply don’t matter.

On the opposite end of fatigue are teams who become a bit too rusty due to an excessive amount of time off. This rule especially holds true to teams in College Basketball. We call them the Rust Brigade. That’s because…

COLLEGE HOOPS HOME DOGS WITH 7 OR MORE DAYS OF REST TURN TO RUST

Too much rest tends to make teams lethargic.

That’s confirmed by the fact that Division-1 College Basketball teams playing at home as conference dogs with 7 or more days of rest during the regular season are 86-110-4 ATS since 1990.

That’s a dismal 43.8% ATS, making these teams prime ‘Play Against’ material. Worse…

RUSTY HOME DOGS OFF BACK-TO-BACK LOSSES SIMPLY DON’T CARE

Lethargic home dogs playing poorly continue to play badly.

Once again, the numbers do not lie. College Basketball teams playing off back-to-back losses at conference home as dogs with 7 or more days of rest during the regular season are 28-47-1 ATS since 1990.

Even worse…

POOR RUSTY HOME DOGS OFF BACK-TO-BACK LOSSES REALLY DISAPPEAR

There is nothing worse than a team that knows it’s beat before they take the court.

That is born out by the fact that these rusty home dogs with a losing record, playing off back-to-back losses against well-rested (three or more days of rest) conference opponents are just 8-32-1 ATS since 1990.

Worse, these pacified puppies are a paltry 1-19 ATS in this role if they scored more than 60 points in their last game!

There you have it. Another solid betting strategy to follow from now until the College Conference Tourneys begin later this month.

Enjoy the games and remember to let sleeping dogs lie.

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday's ACC Tips
February 19, 2016

**Duke at Louisville**

-- This is a vintage letdown spot for Duke after pulling out an improbable comeback win over North Carolina on Wednesday night in Chapel Hill. The Blue Devils captured a 74-73 win as 8.5-point underdogs thanks to a pair of clutch free throws for Grayson Allen in the final seconds. UNC elected not to a call a timeout on its final possession and Joel Berry’s shot in the lane was rejected by Duke freshman Derryck Thornton. Allen finished with 23 points and seven rebounds, while freshman star Brandon Ingram contributed 20 points, 10 boards, four assists, two blocked shots and one steal. Duke was already down starting forward Amile Jefferson, then it lost starter Matt Jones to a sprained ankle in the first half. Nevertheless, despite trailing nearly the entire game, the Blue Devils managed to pick one of their best regular-season wins in the history of this storied rivalry.

-- Louisville (20-6 straight up, 11-11 against the spread) has won 16 of its 17 home games, producing a 9-4 spread record. Rick Pitino’s squad avoided a three-game losing streak by beating Syracuse 72-58 Tuesday as a nine-point home favorite. The Cardinals trailed by nine in the first half, but they rallied late in the stanza and took a one-point lead to halftime. U of L broke things open early in the second half and cruised to the finish line. Lee led the way with 15 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals, while Chinanu Onuaku had 13 points and 15 boards.

-- As of late Friday afternoon, one offshore book had U of L favored by five points.

-- Duke (20-6 SU, 12-12 ATS) owns a 5-2 record both SU and ATS in seven road assignments.

-- Duke has been an underdog three times, going 1-2 both SU and ATS.

-- Duke is No. 9 in the RPI Rankings, compiling a 4-5 record against the Top 50 and a 12-6 ledger versus the Top 100.

-- Allen is averaging team-bests in scoring (20.7 points per game), assists (3.6 APG) and field-goal percentage (48.4%). Ingram is averaging 17.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.

-- U of L is No. 25 in the RPI, going 3-5 against the Top 50 and 7-6 versus the Top 100. The Cardinals’ top wins have come at home against Pitt, UNC and the ‘Cuse.

-- Lee is averaging team-highs in scoring (16.5 PPG) and steals (1.6 SPG).

-- When these schools squared off at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Feb. 8, Duke collected a 72-65 win as a 3.5-point home ‘chalk.’ The 137 combined points stayed ‘under’ the 147-point tally. Ingram led the winners with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Allen scored a game-high 19 points by draining 4-of-6 from 3-point range. In the losing effort, Donovan Mitchell had a team-best 17 points for U of L. Damion Lee was limited to 10 points and had an awful shooting performance, going 3-of-15 from the field and 0-of-5 from downtown.

-- Jones (11.2 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 2.4 APG) is ‘out’ Saturday at U of L.

-- The ‘under’ has cashed in three in a row and five of the last six for Duke. The Blue Devils have seen the ‘under’ go 13-12 overall, 4-3 in their road outings.

-- The ‘under’ is 12-9-1 overall for U of L, 8-4-1 in its home games.

-- Tip-off is slated for noon Eastern on ESPN.

**Miami at North Carolina**

-- As of late Friday afternoon, one offshore shop had North Carolina (21-5 SU, 10-15 ATS) installed as a 6.5-point home ‘chalk.’ CBS will have the telecast at 1:00 p.m. Eastern.

-- In Wednesday’s loss to Duke at home, Brice Johnson scored 29 points and pulled down 19 rebounds. However, Justin Jackson was the only other UNC player in double figures with 13 points and eight boards. Marcus Paige had a miserable night with the same amount of turnovers (three) as assists (three). The senior guard was held to seven points on 2-of-10 shooting from the field. Paige missed all six of his attempts from 3-point range.

-- Johnson is averaging team-highs in scoring (16.9 PPG), rebounding (10.4 RPG), field-goal percentage (62.3%) and blocked shots (1.2 BPG).

-- Miami (21-4 SU, 15-8 ATS) has won five of its eight road games, but it has struggled to a 3-5 ATS ledger in those contests.

-- Miami has won eight of its last nine games. Since losing 85-69 at North Carolina St. on Jan. 30, the Hurricanes have won five in a row while going 4-1 versus the number. They are off a 65-49 win over Va. Tech on Wednesday as 15-point home favorites. Angel Rodriguez was the catalyst with 14 points, four assists and three steals.

-- Miami has been an underdog only twice this year, going 1-1 both SU and ATS. The ‘Canes lost at Virginia but won at FSU as ‘dogs.

-- Sheldon McClellan leads UM in scoring with a 16.1 PPG average. Rodriguez (11.5 PPG) averages team-highs in assists (4.4 APG) and steals (1.6 SPG).

-- The ‘over’ is 14-12 overall for UNC, 8-6 in its home games. However, the Tar Heels have seen the ‘under’ prevail in five consecutive games and eight of their last nine.

-- The ‘under’ is 13-11 overall for UM, 4-4 in its road assignments. The Hurricanes have seen the ‘under’ hit in four straight and seven of their last nine.

-- The ‘under’ is 9-3 in the last 12 meetings in this rivalry.

-- Miami had won four in a row over UNC both SU and ATS until last season’s lone meeting in Coral Gables, where the Tar Heels captured a 73-64 victory as one-point road favorites. Johnson had a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds for the winners. Paige added 17 points for UNC. Rodriguez left the game with an injury just three minutes into the first half and did not return. McClellan was limited to 11 points.

-- Miami is No. 7 in the RPI, posting an incredible 7-1 record against the Top 50 and an 11-3 ledger versus the Top 100.

-- UNC is No. 13 in the RPI, going 3-4 versus the Top 50 and 11-4 against the Top 100.

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday's Pac-12 Tips
February 19, 2016

The struggling No. 16 Oregon Ducks will look to get back on track against the rival Oregon State Beavers in the featured Pac-12 matchup on this Saturday night’s college hoops schedule. On the undercard of this conference triple-header, Stanford will go on the road to face the Washington Huskies in an 8 p.m. (ET) tip and the late-game on the slate is an 11 p.m. start at Pauley Pavilion between the Colorado Buffaloes and the UCLA Bruins.

Oregon State Beavers at No. 16 Oregon Ducks (Pac-12 Network, 10 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Oregon -10 ½

Betting Matchup

Oregon State’s three-game winning streak both straight-up and against the spread came to an end last Saturday in a 83-71 loss the California Golden Bears. The total went OVER 137 ½ points in that game after staying UNDER in three of its previous four outings. The Beavers are 12-11 ATS overall with a 3-6 record ATS on the road. Freshman forward Tres Tinkle scored a team-high 22 points in the loss to Cal while senior guard Gary Payton II added 10 points and five rebounds. This season, these two have combined for 28.6 of the team’s 71 points a game.

The Ducks stumble into this game following back-to-back losses to California on the road as 1 ½-point underdogs and Stanford on the road as 6 ½-point favorites. In last Saturday’s 76-72 loss to the Cardinal, the total went OVER 143 ½ points. It also went OVER in their 83-63 loss to Cal against a closing line of 144 ½ points. Sophomore forward Dillon Brooks scored 24 points in Saturday’s losing effort and he continues to lead the team with 17.2 points per game. Oregon shot 43.1 percent from the field against Stanford after hitting 42.6 percent of its shots against the Golden Bears.

Betting Trends

-- The Beavers are 7-19 ATS in their last 26 road games and they are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 road games against a team with a SU winning record at home. The total has gone OVER in 10 of their last 12 games following a SU loss.

-- The Ducks are 8-1 ATS in their last nine home games against a team with a SU losing road record and they are 16-5 ATS in their last 21 home games overall. The total has stayed UNDER in five of their last six games at home.

-- Head-to-head in this bitter rivalry, the home team is 5-1-1 ATS in the last seven meetings and the total has gone OVER in the last four meetings at Oregon. Oregon State stunned the Ducks 70-57 on Jan. 3 as a 2 ½-point home underdog. The total stayed UNDER the 146 ½-point closing line.

Stanford Cardinal at Washington Huskies (Pac-12 Network, 8 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Washington -6

Betting Matchup

Stanford followed-up its big win against Oregon with a 72-56 romp over Washington State this past Thursday as a 2 ½-point road favorite. This two-game run (SU and ATS) followed a 1-5 SU (0-5-1 ATS) slide in its previous six contests. The total has stayed UNDER in three of the last four games. The Cardinal are averaging just 69.9 points per game and they are ranked well down the list in Division I in rebounds with 34.7 a game.

The Huskies were the latest Pac-12 team to fall victim to a suddenly hot Cal Golden Bears in Thursday’s tight 78-75 loss as two-point home favorites. This was Washington’s fourth SU loss in a row while going 2-2 ATS. It is now an even 7-7 SU in conference play with a 9-5 record ATS. The total has gone OVER in five of its last seven games. The Huskies are ranked sixth in the nation in scoring with 84.3 PPG, but this average has fallen to 77.3 points during this four-game slide. Senior guard Andrew Andrews continues to lead the team with 20.5 PPG.

Betting Trends

-- The Cardinal are 1-4 ATS in their last five road games and they are 1-3-1 ATS in their last five games on Saturday. The total has gone OVER in four of their last five Saturday games.

-- The Huskies have covered ATS in six of their last seven games following a SU loss and the total has gone OVER in eight of their last 11 home games.

-- Washington has a 5-2 edge ATS in its last seven home games against Stanford and the total has stayed UNDER in eight of the last 11 meetings overall.

Colorado Buffaloes at UCLA Bruins (FOX Sports 1, 11 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: UCLA -5

Betting Matchup

The Buffaloes are coming off a 79-72 loss to USC this past Wednesday to fall to 2-3 SU in their last five games. After closing as 7 ½-point road underdogs, it was the first time they covered during this five-game stretch. The total stayed UNDER 152 ½ points in that loss and it has stayed UNDER in four of their last six games. Senior guard Josh Scott came off the bench to score a team-high 17 points in Wednesday’s loss and he continues to lead the team in scoring with 16.7 PPG. He is also Colorado’s top shooter with a 56.2 field goal percentage.

Thursday’s 75-73 loss to Utah as a slight 1 ½-point home favorite dropped UCLA to just 2-5 SU (3-4 ATS) in its last seven games. The Bruins are now 5-8 SU in conference play while going 6-7 ATS. The total has gone OVER in nine of those 13 games. They are fifth in the Pac-12 in scoring with 78.8 PPG, but they have had their issues at the other end of the court with a defense that is giving-up 76.6 points a game. Thursday was the first time they held an opponent to fewer than 80 points in their last six losses.

Betting Trends

-- The Buffaloes are 2-6 ATS in their last eight games played on Saturday and the total has stayed UNDER in their last four road games.

-- The Bruins are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 home games, but they have covered in six of their last eight Saturday games. The total has gone OVER in five of their last six home games.

-- The home team has won the last three meetings both SU and ATS with the total staying UNDER in the last two games. UCLA has a 5-1 edge ATS in the last six meetings.

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday's Top Action
February 19, 2016

DUKE BLUE DEVILS (20-6, 9-4 ACC) at LOUISVILLE CARDINALS (20-6, 9-4 ACC)

KFC Yum! Center - Louisville, KY
Tip-off: Saturday, Noon ET
Sportsbook.ag Line: NA

Two ACC title hopefuls will meet for the second time in two weeks on Saturday when No. 20 Duke visits No. 18 Louisville.

The red-hot Blue Devils (12-12-1 ATS overall) are unbeaten this month, as their 74-73 upset at 8.5-point favorite North Carolina on Wednesday makes them a perfect 5-0 SU (3-2 ATS) in February. Each of the past three wins has been versus a top-15 team in the nation, including a victory over the Cardinals (11-11 ATS), who they beat 72-65 on Feb. 8 in Durham. Louisville also lost its subsequent game at Notre Dame, but bounced back with a 72-58 home victory over Syracuse on Wednesday.

These schools are meeting for just the third time in ACC play, with the Blue Devils also prevailing at Cameron Indoor Stadium last season, 63-52, and they also split a pair of neutral-court meetings three seasons ago with the Cardinals rolling to an 85-63 blowout in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight to avenge a 76-71 loss four months earlier.

Both sides have positive betting trends to wager on. Duke has been a very good road team recently at 11-2 SU in its past 13 games, including 5-2 (SU and ATS) this season. But beating Louisville at home has proven to be a difficult task this season, as the school is 16-1 SU (9-4 ATS) at the KFC Yum! Center, where they are destroying opponents by an average of 25.1 points per game.

The only major injury concern is Blue Devils G Matt Jones (11.2 PPG), who severely sprained his ankle during Wednesday's win and is doubtful to return on Saturday.

Duke is always known for its high-octane offense, and this season is no exception as the group is averaging a robust 83.1 PPG on 47.3% FG and 39.1% threes. This is a decent foul-shooting team (72.5% FT) that rarely turns the ball over (10.0 TOPG), but has a pedestrian +2.3 RPG margin this season, as top rebounder Amile Jefferson (11.4 PPG, 10.3 RPG) hasn't played since Dec. 5 due to a broken foot. This offense needs to be super efficient, because its defense is not strong with 71.0 PPG allowed on 47.3% FG and 33.8% threes.

In addition to Jefferson, four other Duke players average at least 11 points per game, led by G Grayson Allen (20.7 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.0 SPG) and F Brandon Ingram (17.3 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.5 BPG, 1.1 SPG). The sophomore Allen has scored at least 15 points in 15 straight games, where he has averaged 21.1 PPG while getting to the foul line exactly 100 times (83% FT, 83-of-100).

Allen has been especially hot during his team's five-game win streak with a whopping 22.4 PPG on 45% FG and 50% threes (16-of-32). This stretch includes when Allen lit up Louisville for 19 points on 4-of-6 threes.

The 6-foot-9 Ingram is also on fire, recording 19 straight games of 13+ points, where he's averaged 19.7 PPG (49% FG, 45% threes) with 8.0 RPG. This run included a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds in the Feb. 8 win over the Cardinals.

The other two healthy double-digit scorers on this team are freshman F/G Luke Kennard (12.1 PPG, 3.3 RPG) and junior G Matt Jones (11.2 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.0 SPG). Kennard can hurt opponents from anywhere on the court, and loves getting to the foul line where he is nearly automatic at 91% FT (74-of-81). He scored 11 points versus Louisville two weeks ago and also came up big at North Carolina on Wednesday with 15 points on 6-of-9 FG (3-of-4 threes).

With Jones not likely to play with his sprained ankle, the team will rely heavily on freshman G Derryck Thornton (8.0 PPG, 2.7 APG), who was forced to play 39 minutes on Wednesday. Thornton is a quality shooter at 37% threes and could be the team's best perimeter defender with eight steals over his past four games.

Louisville leads the nation in scoring margin at +17.0 PPG, as its offense puts up 77.7 PPG on 47.8% FG and 36.2% threes, while the elite defense allows only 60.7 PPG on 38.1% FG and 31.3% threes. This team is relentless on the glass with its +8.7 RPG margin and 14.1 offensive RPG, and forces many more turnovers (14.4 TOPG) than it commits (11.8 TOPG). The biggest weakness for the team is foul shooting (69.3% FT), but that number has risen to 73% FT (88-120) over the past seven games.

Louisville has three main scorers that pace the offense in G Damion Lee (16.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.6 SPG), G Trey Lewis (12.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.3 APG) and C Chinanu Onuaku (9.7 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 2.0 BPG). The senior Lee has scored at least 10 points in every game except for two, but made only 3-of-15 shots in the loss at Duke. He has been much better in two games since that defeat though, including a well-rounded stat line of 15 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals in Wednesday's victory over Syracuse. Lee, who played his first three collegiate seasons at Drexel, is shooting a career-best 45% FG to go along with strong rates of 37% threes and 86% FT.

Lewis, who is also a senior transfer, has scored 11+ points in four straight games, including 11 points on 5-of-10 FG at Duke and 14 points on 6-of-11 FG on Wednesday. He is knocking down 38% threes and 85% FT this season after draining 42% threes at Cleveland State last season. The 6-foot-10 Onuaku is coming off a huge performance against the Orange with 13 points (6-of-9 FG), 15 rebounds and four assists, but was a complete non-factor at Duke two weeks ago. In that defeat, the sophomore managed only two points and three rebounds in 22 foul-plagued minutes, but he did block three shots.

Another key to the Cardinals' success is the play of G Quentin Snider (9.6 PPG, 3.7 APG), who carries a stellar 2.9 Ast/TO ratio this season with 97 assists and 33 turnovers. Snider had a strong effort at Duke when he scored 12 points (4-of-9 FG, 2-of-5 threes) in 25 minutes before fouling out, but has made only 5-of-19 shots (2-of-10 threes) over the past two games.

[StarDust Bum]

SBPI Ratings (2/19/16)
February 19, 2016

Here is the 2015-16 College Basketball SportsBoss Power Index ratings covering action through Thursday, Feb. 18, 2016.

RS - Returning Starters
NON-ADJ RANK - Pure statistical rating prior to SOS (Strength of Schedule) adjustment
SUM - Ratings for each Team
RANK - Ranking of each team’s SOS Adjusted performance

FINAL ADJUSTED RATINGS

Team Returning Starters Conference NON-ADJ RANK SUM RANK

West Virginia 3 B12 1 428.1 1

Kansas 4 B12 29 374.8 2

Duke 1 ACC 25 374.3 3

Villanova 3 BIG EAST 11 373.2 4

Baylor 3 B12 15 368.2 5

Oregon 3 P12 27 364.8 6

Xavier 3 BIG EAST 10 360.9 7

Miami (FL) 4 ACC 29 357.9 8

Florida 3 SEC 44 357.4 9

Texas A&M 3 SEC 18 356.3 10

Wisconsin 2 B10 33 352.7 11

Virginia 3 ACC 60 348.6 12

Purdue 4 B10 7 347.4 13

Louisville 1 ACC 5 347.2 14

Kentucky 0 SEC 33 344.9 15

Michigan State 2 B10 23 344.0 16

North Carolina 4 ACC 44 337.3 17

Wichita State 3 MVC 2 333.3 18

Pittsburgh 4 ACC 18 332.0 19

Texas 4 B12 119 331.5 20

Oklahoma 4 B12 113 330.1 21

Providence 2 BIG EAST 42 328.0 22

Notre Dame 3 ACC 65 324.5 23

Kansas State 1 B12 84 324.0 24

Iowa 4 B10 70 322.9 25

Georgia Tech 3 ACC 98 322.5 26

Arizona 1 P12 18 318.4 27

Arizona State 4 P12 104 317.4 28

Utah 4 P12 72 315.7 29

Syracuse 4 ACC 84 315.3 30

Cincinnati 5 AAC 11 313.3 31

Seton Hall 2 BIG EAST 55 312.9 32

Stanford 2 P12 123 312.2 33

Butler 3 BIG EAST 33 311.2 34

North Carolina State 3 ACC 104 308.8 35

Colorado 3 P12 58 308.2 36


Strength of Conference & breakdown by conference:

CONFERENCE BREAKDOWN

Rank Conference Average Rating Number

1 B12 324.3 6

2 ACC 310.4 10

3 P12 298.0 6

4 BIG EAST 284.3 5

5 B10 278.8 4

6 SEC 275.9 3

7 AAC 241.4 1

8 COLONIAL 237.3 -

9 HORIZON 231.4 -

10 A10 226.5 -

11 MWC 222.2 -

12 MVC 215.0 1

13 SUMMIT 208.3 -

14 MAC 206.6 -

15 BIG WEST 203.7 -

16 SB 201.6 -

17 WCC 201.1 -

18 IVY 194.5 -

19 SOUTHERN 192.7 -

20 BIG SOUTH 170.3 -

21 OVC 169.2 -

22 MAAC 165.9 -

23 CUSA 164.9 -

24 WAC 155.1 -

25 SOUTHLAND 154.6 -

26 BIG SKY 151.8 -

27 AMERICA EAST 147.3 -

28 ATLANTIC SUN 140.9 -

29 PATRIOT 140.5 -

30 SWAC 128.1 -

31 MEAC 122.5 -

32 NORTHEAST 115.2 -

We can really see how the Power 6 conferences are ranked well above the rest of the pack here.

Next up let’s look at the Top 20 non-Power 6 (ACC, B12, B10, BE, P12, SEC) conference teams:

ADJUSTED RATINGS - TOP 20 NON-POWER 6

Team RS Conference NON-ADJ RANK SUM Rank

Wichita State 3 MVC 2 333.3 18

Cincinnati 5 AAC 11 313.3 31

VCU 3 A10 6 303.5 42

Southern Methodist 3 AAC 24 302.9 43

Tulsa 5 AAC 72 302.3 44

Valparaiso 5 HORIZON 3 286.3 52

Gonzaga 2 WCC 16 284.5 56

Boise State 5 MWC 32 283.6 58

Dayton 4 A10 56 280.1 59

George Washington 3 A10 53 277.9 62

North Carolina-Wilmington 2 COLONIAL 14 276.9 63

Long Beach State 0 BIG WEST 197 275.1 64

Rhode Island 4 A10 51 272.9 65

UNLV 2 MWC 51 272.7 66

Princeton 5 IVY 37 271.9 67

Connecticut 4 AAC 84 269.7 69

South Dakota State 4 SUMMIT 47 265.8 72

San Diego State 4 MWC 84 264.3 73

Hofstra 4 COLONIAL 60 264.3 74

Saint Joseph's 4 A10 74 260.7 76

[StarDust Bum]

Poison Ivy
February 19, 2016

With the college basketball season now in full conference swing, let’s examine a handicapping theory that yields a much better return on your investment than the banks do these days.

It deals with teams playing back-to-back days without rest during the regular season. In particular, Ivy League games, noted for playing back-to-back contests on Friday and Saturday nights.

What we’re looking to target on is how brain-chain teams fare the second night of these affairs no-rest affairs. Let’s take a closer look at a few of the more suitable situations.

Creaky Double Digit Chalk

According to our database the worst role for these teams is as double-digit home favorites, where they are just 58-90-3 ATS overall since the 1990-91 season in games thru 2/13/16.

Even worse, double-digit favs with a .687 or greater win percentage are just 20-42 ATS.

Digging deeper, if these tired double-digit hosts with a .687 or greater win percentage are facing an opponent off back-to-back losses they fare more like high school dropouts, going a paltry 3-20 ATS.

Fool Me Twice

Revenge serves as a motivating tool in these no-rest Ivy League matchups, especially when we bring a visiting team in with double-revenge incentive from a pair of losses suffered last season.

That’s confirmed by a 53-39-2 ATS mark when these wonder-boys are in the road, including 41-21-2 ATS when taking seven or more points when fueled with double-revenge incentive.

Better yet, bring these guys in with a lukewarm win percentage of .375 or less in this role and they automatically make the Dean’s List, going 27-9 ATS, including 17-3 ATS when facing a host off back-to-back wins.

Triskaidekaphobia Road

Out third and final theorem occurs when these non-rested Ivy Leaguers are on the Saturday night road as dogs off a loss of 13 or more points.

Dress them up as road dogs off a loss in this role and they are 41-24 ATS.

Better yet, bring them into these same games with a win percentage of .400 or less and they ratchet up to 36-14 ATS, including 20-5 ATS when facing a foe that was favored by 15 or more points in its previous game.

There you have it, the perfect calamine lotion for Ivy League teams in constant motion.

Keep an eye on this hypothesis throughout the end of the Ivy League campaign. Remember, should you feel a strange itch coming on, don’t scratch it. Simply apply the proper antidote.

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B]Kentucky faces A&M in crucial SEC tilt
February 19, 2016
[/B]
Here are a few things to watch in the Southeastern Conference this week:

GAME OF THE WEEKEND: No. 14 Kentucky at Texas A&M: Kentucky is just 3-5 in true road games, but the Wildcats trounced South Carolina 89-62 the last time they played away from Rupp Arena. Kentucky can demonstrate it has solved its road woes with a win Saturday at Texas A&M, which had been ranked as high as fifth. Texas A&M dropped four straight games to tumble out of the Top 25 before ending the skid Tuesday with a 71-56 victory over Ole Miss.

LOOKING AHEAD: Kentucky's essentially a lock to make the NCAA Tournament, but every other SEC team probably has some work to do in late February if it wants to join the Big Dance. LSU stumbled in a loss to Alabama on Wednesday, erasing much of the momentum the Tigers have built. South Carolina and Texas A&M still have good RPI numbers, but both faded after great starts to conference play. Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Vanderbilt are also still in the tournament conversation, though the Commodores' last-second road loss to Mississippi State on Tuesday might have been a resume killer.

NUMBERS GAME: Texas A&M's Danuel House reached 1,500 career points and Alex Caruso got to the 1,000-point mark Tuesday in a 71-56 victory over Ole Miss. House played two seasons at Houston before coming to Texas A&M. ... South Carolina is 1-4 when it gets outrebounded and 20-1 otherwise. The Gamecocks were outrebounded 46-39 in their loss at Missouri. ... Mississippi State freshman Quinndary Weatherspoon is leading the team with 14.9 points per game in conference play. He hit the game-winning 3-pointer as time expired to lead the Bulldogs over Vanderbilt 75-74 on Wednesday.

PLAYER TO WATCH: Missouri F Ryan Rosburg. This hasn't been a banner season for Missouri, but Rosburg is helping the Tigers show some progress. He scored 18 points Tuesday in Missouri's 72-67 upset of South Carolina. That performance came three days after he had 21 points in a 75-64 triumph over Tennessee. This marks the first time in Kim Anderson's two seasons as coach that Missouri has won back-to-back SEC games. Rosburg, a 6-foot-10 senior, is averaging 20 points over his last four games and has scored at least 17 points in each of them.

ON THE WOMEN'S SIDE: No. 3 South Carolina clinched the SEC regular-season championship outright Thursday with a 61-51 victory over Georgia. South Carolina also won the outright title in 2014 and tied Tennessee for first place last season. The Gamecocks are seeking to become the first SEC team to go undefeated in conference play since the 2011 Tennessee squad. ... No. 24 Tennessee's six conference losses are the most in the program's history.

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SJU Hawks flying high as A10 contenders
February 19, 2016

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Perhaps it was Pope Francis' visit to Saint Joseph's in the fall that turned the Hawks into birds of prey.

Maybe it's the `fro.

Whatever the juju, the high-flying, wing-flapping good times are back on Hawk Hill.

Next stop, March Madness?

''Other people can do that if they want,'' coach Phil Martelli said. ''I only have 24 hours worth of energy and I give every ounce of my energy to make sure this team is prepared to play now on Saturday.''

The Hawks are on a hot streak not seen around campus since Jameer Nelson and Delonte West led the program all the way to No. 1 and the Elite Eight in 2003-04. SJU's 79-70 win over No. 15 Dayton 79-70 on Wednesday gave it 11 wins in 12 games and a tie for first in the Atlantic 10.

''We feel like it's, `when' we get to the tournament,'' forward DeAndre' Bembry said.

Bembry, the junior with the throwback afro and the NBA-ready game, has led Saint Joseph's charge. He had 16 points and 13 rebounds against Dayton and helped bolster Saint Joseph's bid (22-4, 11-2) for an at-large spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Bembry, yet to decide if he'll return for a senior season, has some offensive help this season. Unlike a year ago, when he outscored the second-leading scorer on a 13-win team by 7 points, Bembry has formed a potent 1-2 punch with forward Isaiah Miles.

''DeAndre' doesn't have to think, or in reality, do it, alone,'' Martelli said. ''Last year, that wasn't the case. Now he can do what he does best, facilitate.''

Martelli, who has 397 career wins on Hawk Hill, found Bembry on a recruiting trip for eventual Maryland forward Jared Nickens. Martelli returned to his staff and told him he found a prospect that caught his eye more than Nickens. Martelli pressed on, returned the next summer for AAU games and confirmed his gut feeling: ''He's the guy.''

''His IQ was ridiculously high,'' Martelli said. ''The ease with which he played, nothing was too much. Tremendous defender. At least from afar, you'd say, that kid is about winning. He's not about the flash.''

But, the balding Martelli concedes with a smile, ''the hair jumps out at you.''

Bembry's `fro is sprouting into Questlove proportions.

The afro has been trimmed but not seriously cut since the start of his junior year of high school. When a trim earlier this season sheared about an inch more than expected, Saint Joseph's student newspaper slapped the headline ''Barbershop of Horrors'' on the hair-raising breaking news.

''It's going to get higher,'' Bembry said.

So is Saint Joseph's spot in the national rankings.

The Hawks, 9-0 on the road, earned 57 points in this week's poll, third most among teams that fell short of the top 25. Should the Hawks win at Davidson (15-9, 7-6) Saturday, they have a good shot of making the Top 25 for the first time since they finished the `04 season fifth.

There were 27 straight wins to open the season, the first No. 1 ranking and first No. 1 NCAA tournament seed in team history, a 30-win season, a trip to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1981, and the first All-America nod (Nelson) in team history.

But even with banners and collages of that season plastered around the arena, it's so long ago that today's players were in kindergarten or grade school when Hawk Hill morphed into THE place to be in college basketball.

The Hawks made the tourney only two more times, the last in 2014 when they won the A-10 tournament.

Martelli was the star of that March run - Philip Martelli. He was just 4 when he made more headlines than the Hawks with his pitch-perfect impersonation of his grandfather. He wore a blazer and oversized tie to games, pumped his fist at the student section walking in, just like Phil, sat behind the bench, folded his arms and shouted ''Hey!'' in perfect synch.

Now 6, Philip wore SJU gear Wednesday night and sat with granddad for the postgame press conference.

So maybe it's the kid who's the true rabbit's foot for the Hawks.

Ah, probably not.

It's Bembry and Miles each averaging about 17 points and 8 boards a game. It's Shavar Newkirk and ''Fresh'' Kimble thriving in a point guard platoon. It's Aaron Brown and James Demery buying into team ball.

It's a team that should join No. 1 Villanova in the tourney and infuse March with Philly flavor.

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Texas Tech could give Big 12 seven NCAA Tournament teams
February 19, 2016

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) The Big 12 has bragged the past few years that it's the toughest conference in college basketball, and its brutal double-round robin format has consistently produced strong RPI ratings.

When March Madness rolls around, the league keeps coming up empty.

After qualifying seven of its 10 teams for last year's NCAA Tournament, conference aficionados were aghast when none reached the round of eight. No. 3 seeds Baylor and Iowa State were upset by 14-seeds in their openers, and second-seeded Kansas was bumped the opening weekend by Wichita State.

Might that dubious track record come into play Selection Sunday?

With conference tournaments beginning in just a couple of weeks, the Big 12 has more than half of its schools in the Top 25, led by second-ranked Kansas and No. 3 Oklahoma. West Virginia, Iowa State, Texas and Baylor give the conference a virtual certainty that it will qualify six for the field of 68 teams.

But sitting firmly on the bubble is Texas Tech, which is going through a renaissance under Tubby Smith. The Red Raiders knocked off the Sooners on Wednesday night to improve to 16-9 overall, and they still have winnable games remaining against TCU and Kansas State, and opportunities in Kansas and West Virginia to make another strong statement to the selection committee.

''At the beginning of the season, we didn't close out those games like we needed to. I think we're starting to mature,'' senior guard Toddrick Gotcher said. ''We're growing up.''

But the Red Raiders (6-7 Big 12) haven't been to the NCAA Tournament since 2007 and may be hurt by the perception that the Big 12 is overrated when it comes to March Madness.

''We've been underdogs for quite a few games,'' said Smith, whose team has won three straight against ranked teams. ''We have the incentive to get to postseason play. It's at hand and a possibility for us.''

Indeed, the Red Raiders appear on the way up.

Here are some others changing the bubble outlook:

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ON THE RISE

- Alabama: The Crimson Tide (16-9, 7-6 SEC) have won five straight, including victories over Texas A&M and LSU, to give first-year coach Avery Johnson a legit shot at the dance. That ugly stretch of five losses in six league games earlier this year? A distant memory.

- Ohio State: Thad Matta's crew has been playing catch-up ever since losing four straight to non-conference opponents. But the Buckeyes (17-10, 8-5 Big 10) have rattled off three straight wins, and can make a big statement with a strong finish. They play Nebraska before home-and-home games against No. 8 Michigan State sandwiched around a visit from fourth-ranked Iowa.

- Houston: Nobody has ever doubted that Kelvin Sampson can coach. After winning 13 games in his first season, the Cougars (19-7, 9-5) are on the precipice of 20 wins. They've also climbed onto the NCAA Tournament bubble along with fellow AAC foe Tulsa thanks to six wins in seven games.

- Wichita State: The Shockers can take the drama out of Selection Sunday by winning the Missouri Valley tourney, where they'll be heavy favorites. But after a rough, injury filled start to the season, the Shockers (20-7, 13-2) have made a compelling at-large case with 15 wins in 17 games.

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FADING HOPES

- Florida State: The Seminoles (16-10, 6-8 ACC) are led by a brilliant bunch of youngsters, but consecutive losses to Syracuse, Miami and Georgia Tech have hurt their NCAA Tournament hopes. They still have games against top-20 teams Duke and Notre Dame to turn things around.

- Marquette: Is there a more difficult team to figure out than the Golden Eagles? They won nine straight to enter Big East play, but a poor conference record may doom them. Marquette (16-10, 5-8) has lost three of four, though their lone victory did come against then-No. 20 Providence.

- Washington: The Huskies (15-11, 7-7 Pac-12) had a solid non-conference win over Texas, swept UCLA and nearly beat Arizona. But nearly may not be enough. Lorenzo Romar's team has dropped five of its last six, including one to fellow bubble team California on Thursday night.

- Oregon State: Another Pac-12 team on the bubble, the Beavers (15-9, 6-7) had things rolling with three straight wins before stumbling at Cal. Their finishing kick begins Saturday at No. 16 Oregon, a good opportunity to prove they are still worthy of the NCAA Tournament.

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Duke G Jones to miss Louisville game
February 19, 2016

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) Duke says guard Matt Jones will miss the Blue Devils' game at No. 18 Louisville on Saturday with a sprained left ankle.

Team spokesman Cory Walton said Friday that X-rays performed on Jones' ankle showed no fractures, and an MRI confirmed the injury was a sprain.

Jones was hurt in the first half of the 20th-ranked Blue Devils' victory over No. 5 North Carolina on Wednesday. He landed awkwardly after a shot, had to be helped off the court by two teammates and spent the second half on crutches.

Jones' injury leaves already-thin Duke (20-6, 9-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) with just three healthy guards on scholarship. He started each of the team's first 26 games, averages 11.2 points and has made a team-best 59 3-pointers.

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Struggling Pitt searching for consistency
February 19, 2016

PITTSBURGH (AP) Tray Woodall had seen enough. Too much, maybe.

The former Pittsburgh point guard watched the Panthers let lowly Wake Forest force a second overtime on Tuesday night when Woodall - watching underneath one of the baskets adjacent to a surprisingly sparse student section - pulled his phone out and vented.

''No disrespect to this Pitt team, but I hope this doesn't go into triple OT,'' Woodall tweeted. ''This isn't a Pitt vs. WVU 3OT game.''

Woodall was a redshirt freshman during Pitt's 98-95 win over the Mountaineers six years ago, scoring 12 points as two Top 25 teams and longtime rivals took turns trading big shots and big moments.

Tuesday night was ... not that.

While the Panthers survived 101-95 in double overtime to improve to 18-7 overall and 7-6 in the ACC, the sense afterward wasn't elation but a mix of relief and exasperation after barely fending off the league's worst team. Pitt let a 10-point lead in the second half disappear and needed some help from Wake Forest - which missed 16 of 28 free throws in regulation - to avert an upset that would have been a gut punch to the program's NCAA tournament hopes.

Coach Jamie Dixon did his best to remain upbeat, saying ''I'll believe we'll get better.''

If Pitt wants to avoid getting passed over by the selection committee in consecutive seasons for the first time in Dixon's 13-year tenure, the Panthers don't have a choice. While the remaining schedule is tough - the Panthers travel to Syracuse Saturday then host Louisville and Duke next week - Pitt's biggest problem is the quality of its own play.

The program that molded itself on grit while becoming one of the most consistent winners in the Big East has lost its way on defense. Pitt is 14th in the 15-team ACC in opponent's field goal percentage and well outside the top 100 nationally in defensive efficiency. Open 3-pointers, emphatic dunks. It isn't one thing that's bothering the Panthers, it's everything.

Pressed on if this group simply lacks the physical and mental toughness that for so long served as Pitt's trademark, Dixon runs his right hand through his hair and shakes his head.

''That would be making an excuse and saying we can't do it so I'm not going to do that,'' he said. ''We can do it. I go in every day believing that we can.''

He's just not seeing it on the floor. Though Dixon is quick to point out the Panthers remain effective rebounders - they grabbed 26 offensive boards against the Demon Deacons alone - they offer only infrequent resistance when forced to guard the rim. Pitt has been outscored in the paint by 46 points during its last four games against teams of varying pedigree, from blue bloods North Carolina and Virginia to slowly rebuilding Wake.

The most painful setback may have come at Miami. Playing a rare close game, the Panthers had a chance to beat a ranked team on the road disappear when they failed to box out 5-foot-10 guard Angel Rodriguez, who sliced through a sea of blue jerseys to tip in the winner.

''You can't predict everything,'' Dixon said. ''Not everything makes sense.''

Including Pitt's retreat into the middle of the ACC.

While Louisville and Syracuse did little to modify their style while leaping from the Big East to the ACC before the 2013-14 season, the Panthers made it a point to bring in versatile, highly skilled offensive players. Dixon called Josh Newkirk a prototypical ACC point guard when Newkirk arrived on campus in the fall of 2013. It lasted two years, Newkirk struggled to find a role and stay healthy, eventually transferring to Indiana.

While the Panthers have two of the ACC's better big men in junior forwards Michael Young and Jamel Artis, neither have distinguished themselves when forced to get in a defensive stance and graduate transfer centers Rafael Maia and Alonzo Nelson-Ooda have proven only sporadically effective. Dixon continues to tinker, even throwing a 3-2 zone at the Hurricanes, while allowing there are bad habits his team needs to change. At this point, simply being average would be an improvement.

''I wouldn't say we're a soft team,'' senior point guard James Robinson said. ''I think we can get a lot tougher. At this point in the season everybody wants to turn it up that other notch.''

Long after the Petersen Events Center emptied on Tuesday night, Woodall and assistant coach Brandon Knight pulled Young aside for an impromptu pep talk. The two links to Pitt's recent past and perhaps the most important player in the Panthers' uneven present huddled for more than half an hour. When it was over, Woodall took to Twitter to offer a reminder and maybe hope.

''Passion,'' Woodall tweeted, followed by another that said simply ''Panther Pride.''

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Preview: Bonnies (17-7) at Flyers (21-4)
Date: February 20, 2016 12:00 PM EDT

Dayton coach Archie Miller is hoping an end to a lengthy winning streak has motivated his players for another important matchup against a conference contender.

They'll certainly need to be focused defensively against St. Bonaventure's high-scoring trio.

With third-leading scorer Kendall Pollard uncertain to play, the 15th-ranked Flyers will try to keep pace with the Atlantic-10 leaders Saturday when they go after their 21st consecutive home win.

Dayton (21-4, 11-2) had gained sole possession of the lead with a nine-game run that led to the best start in Miller's five-year tenure. After winning by an average of 16.9 points over the first seven on the streak, the Flyers edged Duquesne and Rhode Island by a combined four before Wednesday's 79-70 loss at Saint Joseph's.

They had just 27 points in the first half and allowed the Hawks to shoot 45.3 percent for the game, falling into a first-place tie with Saint Joseph's and VCU with five games remaining.

"This is the first time we've lost in a while," said Miller, whose squad hasn't dropped consecutive contests since a four-game skid in January 2014. "It stings. Hopefully it stings in a good way."

It doesn't help that Pollard, averaging 11 points, remains day-to-day after missing the past two games with a knee injury. Miller said it has been challenging to play without the 6-foot-6 forward.

"Kendall's one of our best guys," he added. "He's one of the best guys in the league."

Since allowing 48.8 points per game on 33.3 percent shooting over a four-game stretch, Dayton has given up an average of 73 and a 45.4 percentage in its last three. That's an area of concern ahead of facing a St. Bonaventure team that ranks fifth in the A-10 with 76.3 points per game.

Senior forward Dion Wright, senior guard Marcus Posley and sophomore guard Jaylen Adams form the second-highest scoring trio in the conference, averaging a combined 52.7 points. Individually, Posley ranks fourth with 18.7 per game, while Adams is eighth at 17.9 and Wright 15th at 16.1.

The Bonnies played their way back into the league chase with five straight wins before falling two back of the leaders following Wednesday's 71-64 loss at LaSalle. The Explorers snapped a 10-game skid that started after they upset Dayton 61-57 on Jan. 9.

Posley, Wright and Adams had a combined 49 points on just 14-of-41 shooting. Posley scored 31 and Adams added 27 in an 85-79 home loss to the Flyers on Jan. 19, though most of that production came in the second half while St. Bonaventure (17-7, 9-4) tried to claw out of a 31-point hole.

Charles Cooke led Dayton with 21 points and seven rebounds, and Dyshawn Pierre had 20 and seven. Cooke averages a team-high 16 points, while Pierre is second at 13.2.

The Flyers should feel confident back at UD Arena, where they've won nine in a row and 35 of their previous 36. They've also won six in a row there and 15 of the last 16 overall versus the Bonnies.

St. Bonaventure hasn't won on the road in this series since 2002, but it's riding a three-game win streak versus ranked opponents after losing its prior 26 such matchups.

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Preview: Blue Devils (20-6) at Cardinals (20-6)
Date: February 20, 2016 12:00 PM EDT

They're maybe the underdog story of the ACC season - the defending national champion Duke Blue Devils.

It's both a ridiculous notion and possibly true given the trajectory of the narrative. Coach Mike Krzyzewski's once-destitute team is rattling off wins during a stretch that only a few weeks ago looked capable of ruining the Blue Devils' conference record to the point of calling an NCAA tournament bid into question.

Instead, Saturday's visit to No. 18 Louisville presents No. 20 Duke with a chance at a six-game winning streak with the top of the league within sight, and adding to the underdog status will be the absence of Matt Jones.

The guard is dealing with a sprained left ankle suffered in the first half of the Blue Devils' 74-73 victory over No. 5 North Carolina on Wednesday, but Duke (20-6, 9-4) managed to emerge without him scoring in nine minutes. It was their fifth straight win with the last three coming against teams ranked no worse than 13th - Louisville, Virginia and the Tar Heels - as part of a span that looked almost unmanageable after losing four of five and three straight to unranked foes to dip to 4-4 in the league.

Those struggles came with Blue Devils already down to essentially a six-man rotation after key forward Amile Jefferson broke his right foot in December. They've clearly adjusted since and incorporated plenty of perimeter success with the team shooting 43.4 percent from 3-point range on the winning streak, nearly twice their opponents' rate of 23.0.

"I think we have a lot of guys who are fighters, and even if they miss some shots, even if they get tired, even if they get banged and bruised, they're going to keep fighting," said Marshall Plumlee, who's shooting 73.9 percent on the winning streak. "And I'm so proud of my teammates. I love them."

Grayson Allen scored 23 points against North Carolina, while Brandon Ingram had 20. Luke Kennard chipped in 15, and the freshman has averaged 13.0 while hitting 11 of 20 from 3-point range in the last four games after shooting 29.6 percent from beyond the arc in his first 22.

The sophomore Allen has averaged 22.4 on 46.6 percent in his last seven games, including 19 while hitting 4 of 6 from long range in a 72-65 win over Louisville on Feb. 8.

Duke has won both meetings since the Cardinals entered the league, including a 63-52 victory at Louisville on Jan. 17, 2015.

The Cardinals (20-6, 9-4) followed the loss at Duke with a 71-66 defeat at Notre Dame on Feb. 13 but recovered with Wednesday's 72-58 home win over a Syracuse team that had won five straight. It was their third straight home win, over which they've limited teams to 56.7 points, 36.9 percent and 27.4 from 3-point range for an average winning margin of 17.3.

"It was a lot of fun," said Damion Lee, who had a team-high 15 points but was limited to 10 on 3-of-15 shooting against Duke. "Definitely a game we needed."

It got Louisville to 2-2 since the school announced a self-imposed postseason ban on Feb. 5 after its investigation into an escort's book allegations that a former staffer paid her and other dancers to strip and have sex with recruits and players revealed that violations did occur. That might make this game against a fellow conference contender that much more important since the ACC is all Louisville has to play for this season.

"We had a long meeting the other day," coach Rick Pitino said, "and I just told them, we're all emotionally drained (and) the object right now is not to be bitter, but to get better. Bitterness gets you nothing. Getting better is what it's all about."

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Preview: Bulldogs (18-8) at Wildcats (23-3)
Date: February 20, 2016 2:30 PM EDT

Josh Hart has been efficient as Villanova's top scoring option in his first full season as a starter while leading the team in scoring and shooting at one of the best rates in the Big East.

He's also had plenty of help on the rare occasions when he had an off night.

Hart's big effort helped the top-ranked Wildcats beat Butler in the first meeting last month, and they'll look to run their winning streak to seven while remaining perfect all-time against the visiting Bulldogs on Saturday.

The junior started two of his first 70 games for Villanova (23-3, 12-1) but has taken on a larger role this season, starting each contest and averaging 14.8 points with a 50.5 field-goal percentage that ranks second in the conference.

Hart hasn't been at his best over the last two, though, scoring seven against St. John's on Saturday before finishing with four Wednesday at Temple. He went 3 for 15 from the field in those contests after scoring in double figures in each of the first 24.

Daniel Ochefu stepped up with a career-high 25 points in the 73-63 win over the Red Storm, and freshman Jalen Brunson matched that total for his season high in the 83-67 victory over the Owls.

Ochefu and Brunson are averaging 10.7 points apiece, joining Hart, Ryan Arcidiacono (12.1) and Kris Jenkins (10.9) in double figures on the season. Ochefu had 16 against Temple and Jenkins scored 15, but coach Jay Wright especially was impressed with the performances of Brunson and reserve Phil Booth, who added 12 points.

"It was just one of those games where they were taking Arch away from us and did a great job on Josh Hart," Wright said. "That's why I think Booth and Jalen both got it going. I think Jalen took the plays that came to him. I don't think he did anything other than he normally does. He just took the opportunities that were there."

Hart's 22 points helped Villanova hold off then-No. 18 Butler 60-55 on Jan. 10 as it improved to 6-0 in a series that dates to 1996, with the last five matchups coming since the new Big East was formed in 2013-14.

The Bulldogs (18-8, 7-7) led by six at halftime but fell short despite Roosevelt Jones' 20 points. Five of their losses in conference play have come against ranked opponents, dropping them to a fringe NCAA Tournament team despite an 11-1 start.

Leading scorer Kalen Martin has been on fire lately, though, averaging 23.2 points over his last six after scoring 21 in Tuesday's 88-75 win over Creighton. Austin Etherington added a career-high 17 points off the bench.

The victory helped Butler bounce back after a 74-57 loss to Xavier on Saturday. The Bulldogs, averaging a Big East-high 80.8 points, scored their second-fewest points of the season, just above their lowest total in the first meeting with the Wildcats.

"I'm really proud of this effort," coach Chris Holtmann said. "Our guys responded after a really bad showing on Saturday. I'm really pleased for Austin. His leadership behind the scenes has been critical. Whether it's a minute or 20 minutes a game, he just wants to win."

Jones tied his season low with five points against Xavier before finishing with 12 on Tuesday, but the Wildcats are expecting more from him in this matchup.

"He's so big," Arcidiacono said. "He gets in there, and it's hard to keep him out of the paint. He's really effective."