Announcement

**StarDust Bum** · 03-11-2016, 07:05 PM

EVENING GAMES:

TULN at HOU 07:00 PM

TULN +12.0

BAY at KU 07:00 PM

KU -7.0

ND at UNC 07:00 PM

UNC -7.0

ALA at UK 07:00 PM

UK -12.5

TXST at UTA 08:30 PM

UTA -8.5

SHSU at AMCC 08:30 PM

AMCC -3.5

SCST at NORF 08:30 PM

SCST +4.5

UND at WEB 08:30 PM

UND +5.5

NEB at MD 08:55 PM

MD -8.0

**StarDust Bum** · 03-11-2016, 07:09 PM

UMKC at NMSU 09:00 PM

UMKC +10.5

MIA at UVA 09:00 PM

MIA +4.0

BUFF at OHIO 09:00 PM

OHIO -1.0

OKLA at WVU 09:00 PM

WVU -1.0

HALL at XAV 09:00 PM

XAV -6.0

NEV at SDSU 09:00 PM

SDSU -7.5

DAV at SBON 09:00 PM

SBON -1.0

ARIZ at ORE 09:00 PM

ARIZ -2.0

MEM at TLSA 09:00 PM

TLSA -5.0

UGA at SCAR 09:00 PM

UGA +1.5

UCSB at HAW 09:30 PM

HAW -3.5

SOU at TXSO 09:30 PM

TXSO -5.5

**StarDust Bum** · 03-11-2016, 07:12 PM

IDHO at MONT 11:00 PM

MONT -3.5

CAL at UTAH 11:30 PM

UTAH -2.0

SEA at CSB 11:30 PM

CSB -11.5

CSU at FRES 11:30 PM

FRES -4.0

LBSU at UCI 11:59 PM

LBSU +4.0

**StarDust Bum** · 03-12-2016, 11:03 AM

Saturday's Betting Notebook
March 12, 2016

-- Michigan and Indiana served as an excellent appetizer for Friday’s shenanigans in conference tournaments from coast to coast. We saw just about everything you can witness in a day of watching hoops. There were blown leads, backdoor covers, buzzer-beaters from beyond half court and off the glass, coaching debacles, complete no-shows, heartbreakers, overtimes and even one four-OT thriller. IU, the Big Ten regular-season champ, was in a tight battle with Michigan to start the day at noon Eastern. The Hoosiers, who closed as 7.5-point favorites at most books, appeared to create a tad bit of separation when they went ahead 66-61 with 2:26 left on a Troy Williams layup. With an and-one opportunity to potentially go ahead six, bettors on IU had to feel decent about their chances. However, Williams missed the free throw, Michigan secured an offensive rebound after a miss at the other end and took advantage when Duncan Robinson converted a three-point play the hard way. Robinson’s heroics trimmed the deficit to two at the 1:50 mark. After trading a bucket for a pair of free throws, IU’s Yogi Ferrell made just 1-of-2 at the charity stripe. Down three, Robinson tied the game with a trey at the 53-second mark. When IU committed a turnover, the Wolverines were able to hold the ball for the last shot. Derrick Walton kicked to Kameron Chatman in the corner and he buried a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. When the refs went to review the clock, they put 0.2 seconds back on but it wouldn’t matter. Michigan collected a 72-69 win, hooking up money-line backers with a +320 payout (paid $320 on $100 wagers).

-- Michigan has to feel great about its at-large hopes after the win over Indiana, but it can remove all doubt with a win today in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. John Beilein’s team will take on the Purdue Boilermakers, who were 7.5-point favorites as of early Saturday morning. Matt Painter’s team blasted Illinois 89-58 as an 11.5-point favorite to advance to the semifinals.

-- The other Big Ten semifinal will pit Maryland against Michigan State There was no early line as of early this morning. The Terrapins captured a 97-86 win over Nebraska as eight-point ‘chalk.’ They led by as many as 25, only to allow the Cornhuskers to get within six and ahead of the number with 1:37 remaining. Tim Miles’s team would get no closer, though, and the Terps closed the game with five straight free throws. Jake Layman scored 26 points and Diamond Stone finished with 23 points and eight rebounds. Melo Trimble scored 16 points, handed out eight assists and pulled down seven rebounds.

-- Michigan State made quick work of Ohio State for the second time in a week, cruising to an 81-54 win to end any hopes of an NCAA bid for the Buckeyes. The Spartans took the cash easily as 13-point favorites. They have now covered the spread in 12 consecutive games. These teams met once during the regular season, with Tom Izzo’s team winning a 74-65 decision over Maryland as a four-point home favorite at Breslin Center on Jan. 23. Michigan State is 11-1 SU and 12-0 ATS since then, suffering its only loss by one in overtime at Purdue. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Eastern on CBS.

-- The ‘over’ is 8-2 in Michigan State’s last 10 games.

-- Texas A&M advanced to the SEC Tournament semifinals by capturing a 72-66 win over Florida. Wagers on the side and total were completely determined by when gamblers placed their bets. Most spots opened the Aggies as four-point favorites with a total of 140. But most shops closed Texas A&M as a favorite of 5.5 or six points. The total closed anywhere from 136 to 137.5 points. Tyler Davis led the winners with 15 points and eight rebounds. Danuel House also had 15 points, but he was 5-of-20 from the field and took a terrible shot early in the possession leading by four with less than a minute remaining. UF would cut the deficit to two on a pair of free throws by Kasey Hill with 30 ticks left. But the Aggies made a pair of free throws and then forced a turnover that led to a run-out layup to seal the deal.

-- Texas A&M will take on LSU today at 1:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN. William Hill opened the Aggies as seven-point favorites, while several offshores had the total at 150 on the send-out. The Tigers beat Tennessee 84-75 in a game that was closer than the final score indicated. Playing its third game in as many days against a fresh LSU squad, UT simply ran out of gas in the final five minutes. LSU took advantage and covered as a 4.5-point favorite.

-- Kentucky rolled past Alabama 85-59 as a 13-point favorite. The Wildcats also covered the spread for first-half bets as seven-point ‘chalk.’ They are now 7-4 ATS in their last 11 games as double-digit favorites. Jamal Murray led the way against the Crimson Tide with 23 points and four assists. Alex Poythress finished with 20 points and seven rebounds, draining 4-of-5 from 3-point range.

-- UK will face Georgia in the second SEC semifinal at around 3:30 p.m. Eastern today. These teams played once during the regular season with the ‘Cats coasting to an easy 82-48 win as 13-point favorites. Mark Fox’s team played from behind nearly all night Friday against South Carolina, which was playing without star Michael Carrera due to a hip injury. UGA didn’t take its first lead of the game until late in the second half. Trailing by two at crunch time, J.J. Frazier found himself double-teamed out near half court with 7-8 seconds left on the shot clock. The lightning-fast junior point guard still had his dribble, though, and somehow sliced through both defenders, maneuvered into the lane and made a wild floater in traffic to tie the game with 24 seconds remaining. On S-Carolina’s ensuing possession, Sindarius Thornwell tried to penetrate but Frazier tapped the ball away and then secured the loose ball in a scramble before being fouled with 2.1 seconds left. Frazier made the first free throw to put the Bulldogs in front before Fox wisely called his last timeout. As he and every other coach should always do in this situation (keep in mind that Frank Martin was out of timeouts), Fox instructed Frazier to miss the second free throw on purpose while making sure to hit the rim. In this scenario, the opponent is forced to heave a 75-80 footer. If Frazier were to make the second free throw, South Carolina would’ve had the same chance Oklahoma would get about 20 minutes later (more on this below). Instead, the Gamecocks made a pass after rebounding Frazier’s miss and didn’t get a shot off. UGA beat South Carolina for the third time this year, 65-64, as a 1.5-point underdog. Frazier finished with 20 points one night after scoring 28 in a win over Mississippi State. Yante Maten added 17 points and 12 boards.

-- Iowa State. pulled out an improbable backdoor cover in its loss to Oklahoma on Thursday. It was Baylor’s turn to pull the same trick Friday night at Sprint Center in Kansas City. Scott Drew’s team trailed by 16 with 1:50 left, yet it was able to cut the deficit to three with eight ticks left. Kansas would prevail by a 70-66 count, but Baylor posted an improbable backdoor cover as a 7.5-point underdog. The Jayhawks face West Virginia in the Big 12 finals tonight at 6:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

-- I’ve always been a big fan of Bob Huggins and will remain so for a long time (if not forever). With that said, I lost a lot of respect for his coaching acumen late Friday night in KC. Jaysean Paige’s midrange jumper with 11.1 seconds remaining put West Virginia up 68-67 on Oklahoma. After a miss by OU’s Christian James, Jonathan Holton snared the rebound and was fouled with 1.8 left. Twenty minutes before in a similar situation, Mark Fox’s coaching savvy was on full display when he directed J.J. Frazier to miss as described above. Huggins did no such thing. Hell, it didn’t even occur to him. After Holton missed the first free throw, he made the second. Big mistake! Now OU can throw the ball down the court without dripping clock. The Sooners inbounded to Buddy Hield, who took two quick dribbles and went into the air at half court. A WVU defender caused Hield to lean a little in mid-air before releasing the shot, which kissed home off the glass. The refs counted it to give Oklahoma the win. But in real-time, I didn’t think Hield got the shot off, just as I had thought Thursday on Wade Baldwin’s buzzer shot for Vanderbilt. As Brent Musberger and Fran Fraschilla went nuts and Hield jumped into the crowd and celebrated, I tweeted, “I don’t think he got it off in time.” Moments later, Musberger recognized the refs going to look at the replay. After a long delay, the shot was waved off to give WVU a 69-67 win as a 1.5-point favorite. Jevon Carter scored a game-high 26 points in honor of his late grandmother on her birthday. The Mountaineers will be underdogs to KU in their first appearance in the Big 12 Tournament finals.

-- Providence and Villanova squared off in the first Big East Tournament semifinal Friday at Madison Square Garden in New York City. One night after dropping 38 points on Butler, PU’s Ben Bentil fouled out with 9:40 remaining and only three points. But his dismissal from the game with PU down 11 seemingly ignited his teammates. The Friars went on a 12-3 run to cut the Wildcats’ lead to two with 6:59 remaining. But Ryan Arcidiacono (15 pts., seven boards, four assists and two steals) and Kris Jenkins (21 pts.) were too much for the Friars, who nonetheless covered the number as 8.5-point underdogs.

-- Villanova will collide with Seton Hall in tonight’s Big East finals at MSG in NYC. The Pirates improved to 11-2 ATS with eight outright wins in their last 13 games as underdogs by beating Xavier, 87-83. Kevin Willard’s squad hooked up money-line backers with a +190ish return. Khadeen Carrington led the way with 23 points and seven rebounds, while Isaiah Whitehead finished with 20 points, eight assists and five boards. The Hall is in the Big East Finals for the first time since 1993 during the P.J. Carlesimo Era. This game will tip at 5:30 p.m. Eastern on Fox Sports 1.

-- North Carolina smashed Notre Dame by a 78-47 count as a 7.5-point favorite to advance to the ACC Tourney finals. The Tar Heels will meet Virginia at 9:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN. The Cavaliers nearly blew a spread cover due to uncharacteristic misses at the charity stripe in the final minute. UVA controlled its semifinals showdown against Miami from the opening jump, yet the Hurricanes made it interesting late, especially for our purposes. In fact, a UM layup with three seconds left cut the deficit to three. Fortunately for UVA backers like me, UM fouled immediately and Malcolm Brogdon drained both of the ensuing free throws. Brogdon’s makes gave the Cavs a 73-68 win as four-point ‘chalk,’ but their backers didn’t cash until a Miami half-court heave was off the mark at the horn.

-- Virginia beat UNC 79-74 as a 2.5-point home favorite on Feb. 27. The 153 combined points sailed ‘over’ the 137-point total. Brogdon dropped 26 points on the Tar Heels.

-- How did we wait this long to get to the AAC Tournament?! UConn and Cincinnati squared off with the Bearcats looking for a third win this season over the Huskies, who are on the proverbial bubble and almost certainly had to have a win to keep their at-large hopes alive. Those hopes seemed completely dashed when Cincy’s Kevin Johnson drained a deep trey from the left wing with 0.8 seconds left in the third overtime. But the Bearcats were too busy showboating when the game wasn’t over. Therefore, Jalen Adams was able to get a running start, catch the inbounds pass and get a clean look at about a 60-footer. Adam’s shot went off the glass and in to force a fourth extra session. What?! For a minute, I thought we might have the makings of a challenger for the best game ever in ANY conference-tournament game (with apologies to Maryland-N.C. State in 1974), which obviously was the six-OT thriller won by Syracuse over UConn in 2009 at MSG. But the Huskies went to work in the fourth OT and pulled away for a 104-97 win as two-point underdogs. Daniel Hamilton had 32 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists for the winners. In the losing effort, Troy Caupain tallied 37 points, 10 boards, three steals and five assists without a turnover in 56 minutes of playing time.

-- UConn will face Temple at 3:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2. Most spots had the Huskies favored by three early this morning. Five UConn players logged 43 minutes or more against the Bearcats, so fatigue will be an issue. Hamilton played 55 minutes, Sterling Gibbs went for 54 and Rodney Purvis was on the floor for 49 minutes.

-- I mentioned a no-show earlier, remember? That honor goes to Tulsa, which went into the AAC quarterfinals on the bubble and needing a win over Memphis. Josh Pastner had never won an AAC Tourney game previously, but that changed Friday. The Tigers destroyed the Golden Hurricane from start to finish in an 89-67 shellacking as five-point underdogs. You know, that sort of beatdown couldn’t get dealt to a better guy than Frank Haith. Here’s to you, Frankie!

-- So what does Memphis get next? How about 10th-seeded Tulane? Come again?! That’s right, Tulane is still alive. Even though CBSSports.com’s Gary Parrish reported early Friday that Tulane coach Ed Conroy was about to taste a pink slip, that dismissal hasn’t taken place yet. Conroy’s team beat Houston 72-69 as a 12.5-point underdog to advance to the AAC semifinals. Hey, just up the road in Baton Rouge a few months ago, Les Miles was on his way out the door at LSU. I tell you what, Mr. Conroy. You beat Memphis today and my money says you’ll still be the Green Wave’s coach next week and next year. And if you pull a Dennis Felton circa 2008 SEC Tournament and win the AAC and get to the NCAA Tourney (minus the tornado and venue switch like that ’08 weekend in Atlanta), your AD will be handing you an extension offer in the next two weeks.

-- How late did the action go into this morning at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. By the time Utah knocked off California 82-78 as a 2.5-point favorite in overtime, it was 2:36 a.m. Eastern. The Utes forced OT thanks to Lorenzo Bonam’s driving layup that barely beat the buzzer to tie the game. Jakob Poeltl scored five of his game-high 29 points in OT.

-- Utah will face Oregon in the Pac-12 finals at 10:00 p.m. Eastern tonight on Fox Sports 1. The Ducks inexplicably needed an extra session to dispose of Arizona. The Wildcats, who trailed by as many as 17 in the second half, hit a three to pull within one with 0.8 seconds left. Then the Ducks threw the inbounds pass right to UA’s Mark Tollefsen. They did what?! Tollefsen goes straight up but misses at the buzzer. But wait….there was a whistle. Really?! Yes, Oregon fouled him. With a chance to win at the line, Tollefsen missed the first, only to make the second to force the extra session. Nevertheless, Dana Altman’s team won 95-89 in OT in a pick ‘em affair, but only after taking months (if not years) off of Altman’s life.

-- John Calipari announced Friday that sophomore point guard Tyler Ulis will turn pro after this season.

-- What a day of college basketball – an all-timer for sure! I’m going to bed. I went 4-2 today and my picks are 10-4 in college hoops the last three days. I’ll have some posted shortly…

**StarDust Bum** · 03-12-2016, 11:11 AM

Championship Week Results

ACC
Venue: Verizon Center
Location: Washington, DC

ACC TOURNAMENT BETTING RESULTS

First round – Tuesday, March 8 ATS Results

N.C. State (-3) 75 Wake Forest 72 Push-Under (150)

Florida State (-11.5) 88 Boston College 66 Favorite-Over (134.5)

Second round – Wednesday, March 9 ATS Results

Pittsburgh (-4.5) 72 Syracuse 71 Underdog-Over (133)

Duke (-8) 92 N.C. State 89 Underdog-Over (148)

Georgia Tech (+3) 88 Clemson 85 (OT) Underdog-Over (134)

Virginia Tech (+5) 96 Florida State 85 Favorite-Over (147)

Quarterfinals – Thursday, March 10 ATS Results

North Carolina (-7.5) 88 Pittsburgh 71 Favorite-Over (150.5)

Notre Dame (+2) 84 Duke 79 (OT) Underdog-Over (157)

Virginia (-10) 72 Georgia Tech 52 Favorite-Under (128)

Miami, FL (-9.5) 88 Virginia Tech 82 Underdog-Over (140)

Semifinals – Friday, March 11 ATS Results

North Carolina (-7) 78 vs. Notre Dame 47 Favorite-Under (158.5)

Virginia (-4) 73 vs. Miami, FL 68 Favorite-Over (125.5)

Championship – Saturday, March 12 ATS Results

North Carolina vs. Virginia -

Pac-12
Venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

PAC-12 TOURNAMENT BETTING RESULTS

First round – Wednesday, March 9 ATS Results

Washington (-3) 91 Stanford 68 Favorite-Over (150)

Colorado (-9.5) 80 Washington State 56 Favorite-Under (139.5)

USC (-2) 95 UCLA 71 Favorite-Over (156)

Oregon State (-4.5) 75 Arizona State 66 Favorite-Over (140.5)

Quarterfinals – Thursday, March 10 ATS Results

Oregon (-8) 83 Washington 77 Underdog-Under (162)

Arizona (-7.5) 82 Colorado 78 Underdog-Over (144.5)

Utah (-6.5) 80 USC 72 Favorite-Under (146)

California (-8) 76 Oregon State 68 Push-Over (138)

Semifinals – Friday, March 11 ATS Results

Oregon (-1) 95 vs. Arizona 89 Favorite-Over (152.5)

Utah (-2.5) 82 California 78 Favorite-Over (137.5)

Championship – Saturday, March 12 ATS Results

Oregon vs. Utah -

Big 12
Venue: Sprint Center
Location: Kansas City, Missouri

BIG 12 TOURNAMENT BETTING RESULTS

First round – Wednesday, March 9 ATS Results

Kansas State (-4.5) 75 Oklahoma State 71 Underdog-Over (127)

TCU (+7.5) 67 Texas Tech 62 Underdog-Under (135.5)

Quarterfinals – Thursday, March 10 ATS Results

Baylor (-2.5) 75 Texas 61 Favorite-Under (137.5)

Kansas (-12.5) 85 Kansas State 63 Favorite-Over (140)

West Virginia (-16.5) 86 TCU 66 Favorite-Over (141)

Oklahoma (-4.5) 79 Iowa State 76 Underdog-Under (158)

Semifinals – Friday, March 11 ATS Results

Baylor 66 vs. Kansas (-7) 70 Underdog-Under (145)

West Virginia (-1) 69 vs. Oklahoma 67 Favorite-Under (147)

Championship – Saturday, March 12 ATS Results

Kansas vs. West Virginia -

Big East
Venue: Madison Square Garden
Location: New York City, New York

BIG EAST TOURNAMENT BETTING RESULTS

First round – Wednesday, March 9 ATS Results

Georgetown (-9) 70 DePaul 53 Favorite-Under (141.5)

Marquette (-8.5) 101 St. John's 93 Underdog-Over (146.5)

Quarterfinals – Thursday, March 10 ATS Results

Villanova (-11.5) 81 Georgetown 67 Favorite-Over (140.5)

Providence (+3.5) 74 Butler 60 Underdog-Under (147)

Xavier (-10.5) 90 Marquette 72 Favorite-Over (154.5)

Seton Hall (-1) 81 Creighton 73 Favorite-Over (146)

Semifinals – Friday, March 11 ATS Results

Villanova (-8.5) 76 vs. Providence 68 Underdog-Over (138.5)

Xavier 83 vs. Seton Hall (+5) 87 Underdog-Over (153)

Championship – Saturday, March 12 ATS Results

Villanova vs. Seton Hall -

Big Ten
Venue: Bankers Life Fieldhouse
Location: Indianapolis, IN

BIG TEN TOURNAMENT BETTING RESULTS

First round – Wednesday, March 9 ATS Results

Illinois (-11) 85 Minnesota 62 Favorite-Over (135.5)

Nebraska (-14.5) 89 Rutgers 72 Favorite-Over (141)

Second round – Thursday, March 10 ATS Results

Michigan (-2.5) 72 Northwestern 70 (OT) Underdog-Over (134.5)

Illinois (+10.5) 68 Iowa 66 Underdog-Under (143.5)

Ohio State (-6) 79 Penn State 75 Underdog-Over (128.5)

Nebraska (+6) 70 Wisconsin 58 Underdog-Under (129)

Quarterfinals – Friday, March 11 ATS Results

Michigan (+7.5) 72 Indiana 69 Underdog-Under (147.5)

Purdue (-11.5) 89 Illinois 58 Favorite-Over (139.5)

Michigan State (-13) 81 vs. Ohio State 54 Favorite-Under (143.5)

Maryland (-8) 97 vs. Nebraska 86 Favorite-Over (137)

Semifinals – Saturday, March 12 ATS Results

Purdue vs. Michigan -

Michigan State vs. Maryland -

Championship – Sunday, March 13 ATS Results

TBD vs. TBD -

SEC
Venue: Bridgestone Arena
Location: Nashville, Tennessee

SEC TOURNAMENT BETTING RESULTS

First round – Wednesday, March 9 ATS Results

Tennessee (-2.5) 97 Auburn 59 Favorite-Over (145)

Second round – Thursday, March 10 ATS Results

Florida (-2.5) 68 Arkansas 61 Favorite-Under (146)

Tennessee (+12) 67 Vanderbilt 65 Underdog-Under (146)

Alabama (+3) 81 Mississippi 73 Underdog-Over (135)

Georgia (-2.5) 79 Mississippi State 69 Favorite-Over (138)

Quarterfinals – Friday, March 11 ATS Results

Texas A&M (-5.5) 72 Florida 66 Favorite-Over (136.5)

LSU (-5) 84 Tennessee 75 Favorite-Over (153.5)

Kentucky (-13.5) 85 vs. Alabama 59 Favorite-Over (136.5)

South Carolina 64 vs. Georgia (+1.5) 65 Underdog-Under (138.5)

Semifinals – Saturday, March 12 ATS Results

Texas A&M vs. LSU -

Kentucky vs. Georgia -

Championship – Sunday, March 13 ATS Results

TBD vs. TBD -

**StarDust Bum** · 03-12-2016, 11:12 AM

Armadillo: Saturday's six-pack

Looking at six of the conference tournament finals for Saturday......

-- C-USA-- Middle Tennessee-Old Dominion-- Blue Raiders won the Alaskan Shootout back in November.

-- Big East-- Seton Hall-Villanova-- Kevin Willard rewards his bosses' patience.

-- Big X-- Kansas-WestVirginia-- This will be road game for Mountaineers.

-- MAC-- Buffalo-Akron-- Zips' coach was Lebron James' high school coach.

-- ACC-- Virginia-North Carolina-- These two could meet again at Final Four.

-- Pac-12-- Oregon-Utah-- Ducks already spanked Utah twice this season.

**********

Armadillo: Saturday's List of 13: Wrapping up a full Friday......

13) UConn 104, Cincinnati 97 4OT-- This game tops the 6OT game in the Big East a few years ago, since UConn drained a 60-footer at the buzzer of the third OT to send the game to another five minutes. Not sure how the Huskies will react today against a Temple team they've already lost to twice, but this game was special.

12) West Virginia 69, Oklahoma 67-- Buddy Hield drained a shot from just inside half-court at the buzzer, but it was ruled to be a split-second too late and Bob Huggins makes his first conference tourney final since the 2010 Big East tournament.

11) Oregon 95, Arizona 89 OT-- Wildcats scored four points in last 0:00.6 of game to send it to OT, but Ducks prevailed in OT, sweeping season series with Arizona. Oregon was 10-19 on arc. Arizona has still only won this tournament once since '03.

10) Michigan 72, Indiana 69-- One of Michigan's scrubs hit a 3 from the deep corner at the buzzer and was immediately engulfed by jubilant teammates-- this was so early in the day I almost forgot about it. Michigan could be off the bubble now.

9) Word leaked out that Tulane will fire basketball coach Ed Conroy as soon as their season is over, but there is one small problem:

News spreads quickly these days; people were telling Conroy during the game yesterday that he was being fired. Then his 13-point underdog Green Wave shocked Houston 72-69 and made the AAC semifinals- they play 6-seed Memphis today.

So what if Tulane wins the next two days and makes the NCAAs? Then what?

8) Conroy's uncle was the great writer Pat Conroy who passed away last week- he wrote Conrack, The Great Santini and Prince of Tides.

7) Denver fired hoop coach Joe Scott; this will be a tougher rebuild job than normal, since Scott ran the Princeton offense, so you'll need to recruit players who are suited to a more traditional style of play. Summit League is an underrated conference.

6) Baltimore Orioles are 0-10 this spring, with two ties. I went out of my way the other day to say that this doesn't mean much, but at some point, it has to be at least a little troubling, doesn't it?

Sidebar: I am constantly amazed that people bet on exhibition baseball. Why?

5) Prince Fielder was recently diagnosed with sleep apnea, which had gotten so bad his doctors were alarmed by it. We all need our proper rest, especially athletes.

4) Beach volleyball is a college sport? Since when? If you're a high school kid out there and are trying to choose a college, pick one that has a beach volleyball team. I'm guessing those schools are more fun than most schools.

3) Denver Broncos won the Super Bowl 34 days ago; Friday they traded for Mark Sanchez, putting the celebrations to a complete halt immediately. Quarterback is an important position, or so I'm told. Trading for Sanchez is an emphatic red flag.

2) San Antonio Spurs are 14-0 this season on back end of a back/back, only team not to lose one of them- they're 9-5 vs spread in those games. .

1) Since 2012, only one NFL team has used two #1 picks on a QB, and Cleveland cut both of those picks after only two seasons-- Brandon Weeden and Johnny Manziel.

**StarDust Bum** · 03-12-2016, 11:16 AM

NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, March 12

Big 14 tournament (Indianapolis)

Michigan State won its last seven games, all by 12+ points; they waxed Ohio State by 27 Friday, using only one guy more than 27:00. Maryland is 3-4 in its last seven games overall; they lost 74-65 Jan 23 at Michigan State; Terps led by 4 early in second half; Maryland made 13-22 on arc in 97-86 win over Nebraska Friday- three Terps played 31:00+. State is 12-3 in its last 15 conference tourney games, winning it in 2012, 2014.

Atlantic 14 tournament (Brooklyn)

St Joe's beat GW Friday after being down 16 in first half; Hawks used three guys 33:00+- Bembry played whole game. St Joe's beat Dayton in only meeting this year, 79-70 at home Feb 17- Flyers were 8-31 on arc that night. Dayton beat Richmond easily Friday; no one played more than 28:00; since '05, Flyers are 2-7 in second conference tourney game. St Joe's won eight of its last 12 conference tournament games.

VCU beat Davidson twice this year, both by 10 points; Rams won first meeting 79-69 in Charlotte, racing out to 29-7 lead, then 70-60 at home 10 days ago, shooting 66% inside arc (1-14 outside it). VCU were 1-16 on arc Friday in 85-70 win over UMass- they used three guys 31:00+, were 26-32 on foul line. Wildcats needed OT to beat Bonnies 90-86, as three Davidson guys played 41:00+- they turned ball over only 5 times.

AAC tournament (Orlando)

UConn won epic 4-OT game Friday, making 60-footer at buzzer of third OT; Huskies played five kids 43:00+- two played 54:00. UConn split its last six games; they lost twice to Temple this year, 55-53 at home on Jan 5 (went 4-20 on arc), 63-58 on road Feb 11 (led by 12 with 5:51 to play). Owls won easily Friday, their 10th win in last 12 games. Huskies are 13-3 in conference tourneys last five years. Temple is 3-5 the ast six years in conference tourneys, after winning tourneys from '08-'10.

Conference USA tournament (Birmingham)

Old Dominion won its last seven games, winning last three days, all by 12+ points; Monarchs lost 64-61 at home to Middle Tennessee Jan 16, going 3-16 on arc. ODU plays 5th-slowest tempo in nation; they used four guys 32:00+ Friday. Blue Raiders won last five games, are 15-4 in last 19- they won Alaskan Shootout in fall, but are 4th-worst team in the country on foul line (60.5%). LY, Middle was team that lost playing its fourth day in row, losing to UAB by 13 in this game.

Big East tourney (NYC)

Villanova won 12 of last 13 games, with only loss by 7 at Xavier Feb 24. Wildcats shot 57.5% inside arc in win over Providence Friday- they used only two kids more than 28:00. Seton Hall is 11-2 in last 13 games, with both losses to Butler; Pirates turned ball over 25 times Friday but hung on to beat Xavier 87-83. Hall is 11-2 in last 13 games but lost twive to Villanova this year, 72-63 on road Jan 6 (Villanova was 26-32 on line), 72-71 at home Jan 20 (Pirates led by 2 with 2:28 left).

Big 12 tournament (Kansas City)

Kansas is 15-3 in last six Big X tourneys, since losing in first round back in '09; they won last 13 games; five of its last seven wins were by nine or less points. West Virginia won its last six games, surviving Oklahoma Friday, when Hield's game-winning shot was just after horn- WVU split with Kansas this year, beating Jayhawks 74-63 at home Jan 12 (WV had 33-13 edge on line), losing 75-65 in Lawrence Feb 9, as Jayhawks shot 67% inside arc. West Virginia was 5-20 on the arc that might. .

MAC tournament (Cleveland)

Buffalo is 9-2 in last 11 games Bearden played (they went 0-3 with him out of lineup); he had 13 assists, 2 turnovers last two nights. Bulls lost to Akron twice this year, 75-71 at home Jan 5 (Bulls led by 5 with 6:24 left), 80-70 at Akron Feb 16 (Bulls were up 13 in first half). Bulls made 14-27 on arc in 88-74 win Friday; two kids played 37:00. Akron won its last five games; they shot 69% inside arc vs tired BG Friday. Since '07, Zips are 22-6 in MAC tourney, winning it three times.

ACC tournament (Washington DC)

North Carolina won six of its last seven games, hammering teams by 17-31 last two days; UNC lost 79-74 at Virginia two weeks ago; Cavaliers outscored Tar Heels 18-7 on foul line. Virginia won its last five games; they've won six of last seven games in ACC tournament. Carolina hasn't won ACC tourney since 2008; Virginia won it two years ago. Cavaliers beat Miami by 5 Friday; both teams shot 55%+ inside arc. Virginia had only two guys play more than 23:00.

Big Sky tournament (Reno)

Since 2010, home team is 13-0 in Weber State-Montana regular season games, but Griz is 4-0 vs Weber in Big Sky tourney, beating Wildcats by 3 in OT LY. Weber won nine of last 10 games; they needed OT to beat North Dakota Friday- they were 14-36 on arc, 14-23 inside it. Couple of starters played 40:00+; four played 31+. Montana won eght of its last 10 games; they lost 60-54 at Weber two weeks ago in only meeting this year-- Weber outscored the Griz 20-8 on the foul line.

Mountain West tournament (Las Vegas)

San Diego State hasn't won Mountain West tourney since '11, losing in final three of last four years; Aztecs are no lock for NCAAs this season, but are 18-2 in MW this year, splitting pair with Fresno. Aztecs won at home 73-67 in OT Jan 19, then got upset 58-57 in Fresno Feb 10, after Aztecs led by 11 in second half. Bulldogs won last seven games, have veteran guards, but best scorer Harris doesn't look in shape (7-23 in win Friday) and Fresno is playing for third night in row.

Pac-12 tournament (MGM, Las Vegas)

Oregon is 8-2 in Pac-12 tourney last three years; they won seven games in row overall, needed OT to beat Arizona Friday- four Ducks played 37+ minutes. Oregon beat Utah twice this year, 77-59 on road Jan 14- Poeltl was held to 7 points, then 76-66 at home Feb 7 (Ducks shot 56% inside arc, held Poeltl to 13). Utah held off Cal in OT last night; they've won nine games in row since loss in Eugene- three Utes played 38:00+ in last night's win. These teams won two of last three Pac-12 tourneys.

Big West tournament (Anaheim)

Hawai'i lost twice to Long Beach this year, losing 74-72 on road a week ago tonight- Rainbows led by 8 with 5:30 left. 49ers won 78-64 Jan 30 on islands, with 47-28 edge on boards. Hawai'i is 4-1 in this tourney last two years, after being 1-8 before then; Rainbows won nine of last ten on mainland, with the loss last week. Long Beach won 11 of last 12 games; they avenged pair of losses to Irvine with win Friday. 49ers played three guys 32:00+ last night.

**StarDust Bum** · 03-12-2016, 11:17 AM

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Saturday, March 12

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MICHIGAN (22 - 11) vs. PURDUE (25 - 7) - 3/12/2016, 1:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PURDUE is 37-21 ATS (+13.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PURDUE is 37-21 ATS (+13.9 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
PURDUE is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in road games in March games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PURDUE is 4-1 against the spread versus MICHIGAN over the last 3 seasons
MICHIGAN is 3-2 straight up against PURDUE over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MARYLAND (25 - 7) vs. MICHIGAN ST (27 - 5) - 3/12/2016, 3:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MARYLAND is 2-1 against the spread versus MICHIGAN ST over the last 3 seasons
MICHIGAN ST is 2-2 straight up against MARYLAND over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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LSU (19 - 13) vs. TEXAS A&M (25 - 7) - 3/12/2016, 1:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LSU is 11-19 ATS (-9.9 Units) in all games this season.
LSU is 11-19 ATS (-9.9 Units) in all lined games this season.
LSU is 1-7 ATS (-6.7 Units) in road games after a conference game this season.
LSU is 1-7 ATS (-6.7 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
TEXAS A&M is 78-51 ATS (+21.9 Units) revenging a road loss vs opponent since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS A&M is 4-2 against the spread versus LSU over the last 3 seasons
TEXAS A&M is 4-2 straight up against LSU over the last 3 seasons
5 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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GEORGIA (19 - 12) vs. KENTUCKY (24 - 8) - 3/12/2016, 3:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
KENTUCKY is 3-2 against the spread versus GEORGIA over the last 3 seasons
KENTUCKY is 5-0 straight up against GEORGIA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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ST JOSEPHS (25 - 7) vs. DAYTON (25 - 6) - 3/12/2016, 1:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ST JOSEPHS is 20-11 ATS (+7.9 Units) in all games this season.
ST JOSEPHS is 20-11 ATS (+7.9 Units) in all lined games this season.
ST JOSEPHS is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) when the total is 140 to 149.5 over the last 3 seasons.
ST JOSEPHS is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) in road games against conference opponents this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST JOSEPHS is 5-0 against the spread versus DAYTON over the last 3 seasons
ST JOSEPHS is 4-1 straight up against DAYTON over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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DAVIDSON (20 - 11) vs. VA COMMONWEALTH (23 - 9) - 3/12/2016, 4:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
DAVIDSON is 3-2 against the spread versus VA COMMONWEALTH over the last 3 seasons
VA COMMONWEALTH is 4-1 straight up against DAVIDSON 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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LA-LAFAYETTE (17 - 13) vs. ARK-LITTLE ROCK (27 - 4) - 3/12/2016, 2:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
ARK-LITTLE ROCK is 4-1 against the spread versus LA-LAFAYETTE over the last 3 seasons
ARK-LITTLE ROCK is 3-3 straight up against LA-LAFAYETTE 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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TX-ARLINGTON (23 - 9) vs. LA-MONROE (19 - 12) - 3/12/2016, 4:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA-MONROE is 3-2 against the spread versus TX-ARLINGTON over the last 3 seasons
TX-ARLINGTON is 4-3 straight up against LA-MONROE over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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OLD DOMINION (22 - 12) vs. MIDDLE TENN ST (23 - 9) - 3/12/2016, 2:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIDDLE TENN ST is 5-0 against the spread versus OLD DOMINION over the last 3 seasons
MIDDLE TENN ST is 5-0 straight up against OLD DOMINION over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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CONNECTICUT (22 - 10) vs. TEMPLE (21 - 10) - 3/12/2016, 3:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TEMPLE is 196-150 ATS (+31.0 Units) against conference opponents since 1997.
TEMPLE is 14-6 ATS (+7.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
CONNECTICUT is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) in tournament semi-final games since 1997.
TEMPLE is 37-60 ATS (-29.0 Units) in road games versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
TEMPLE is 4-2 against the spread versus CONNECTICUT over the last 3 seasons
TEMPLE is 4-2 straight up against CONNECTICUT over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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TULANE (12 - 21) vs. MEMPHIS (18 - 14) - 3/12/2016, 5:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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SETON HALL (24 - 8) vs. VILLANOVA (29 - 4) - 3/12/2016, 5:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
SETON HALL is 4-3 against the spread versus VILLANOVA over the last 3 seasons
VILLANOVA is 5-2 straight up against SETON HALL over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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FRESNO ST (24 - 9) vs. SAN DIEGO ST (25 - 8) - 3/12/2016, 6:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
FRESNO ST is 5-1 against the spread versus SAN DIEGO ST over the last 3 seasons
SAN DIEGO ST is 4-2 straight up against FRESNO ST over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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W VIRGINIA (26 - 7) vs. KANSAS (29 - 4) - 3/12/2016, 6:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
W VIRGINIA is 4-2 against the spread versus KANSAS over the last 3 seasons
KANSAS is 3-3 straight up against W VIRGINIA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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BUFFALO (19 - 14) vs. AKRON (26 - 7) - 3/12/2016, 7:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
AKRON is 5-2 against the spread versus BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
AKRON is 4-3 straight up against BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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VIRGINIA (26 - 6) vs. N CAROLINA (27 - 6) - 3/12/2016, 9:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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UTAH (26 - 7) vs. OREGON (27 - 6) - 3/12/2016, 10:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
OREGON is 4-1 against the spread versus UTAH over the last 3 seasons
OREGON is 5-0 straight up against UTAH over the last 3 seasons
5 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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LONG BEACH ST (20 - 13) vs. HAWAII (26 - 5) - 3/12/2016, 11:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
LONG BEACH ST is 4-3 against the spread versus HAWAII over the last 3 seasons
LONG BEACH ST is 5-2 straight up against HAWAII over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MONTANA (21 - 10) vs. WEBER ST (25 - 8) - 3/12/2016, 8:45 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
WEBER ST is 3-3 against the spread versus MONTANA over the last 3 seasons
WEBER ST is 3-3 straight up against MONTANA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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VERMONT (21 - 12) at STONY BROOK (25 - 6) - 3/12/2016, 11:00 AM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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S CAROLINA ST (19 - 13) vs. HAMPTON (20 - 10) - 3/12/2016, 1:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
S CAROLINA ST is 2-1 straight up against HAMPTON over the last 3 seasons

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SOUTHERN U (21 - 12) vs. JACKSON ST (19 - 14) - 3/12/2016, 6:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
SOUTHERN U is 4-2 straight up against JACKSON ST over the last 3 seasons

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TEXAS A&M CC (25 - 6) vs. SF AUSTIN ST (26 - 5) - 3/12/2016, 9:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
SF AUSTIN ST is 4-1 straight up against TEXAS A&M CC over the last 3 seasons

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CS-BAKERSFIELD (23 - 8) vs. NEW MEXICO ST (23 - 9) - 3/12/2016, 11:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CS-BAKERSFIELD is 2-0 against the spread versus NEW MEXICO ST over the last 3 seasons
NEW MEXICO ST is 8-0 straight up against CS-BAKERSFIELD over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

**StarDust Bum** · 03-12-2016, 11:25 AM

Conference Championship Betting Previews

ACC Conference Championship Game Betting Preview

A North Carolina victory Saturday would be the program’s 96th ACC tournament win, snapping a tie with Duke for most in league history.

Virginia Cavaliers vs. North Carolina Tar Heels (OFF)

The dominance missing from North Carolina’s performance most of the season may be appearing just in time to end the Tar Heels’ eight-year ACC title drought – and potentially serve as a springboard to the Final Four. The Tar Heels roll into Saturday’s ACC championship game against Washington, D.C., against Virginia following a 31-point rout of Notre Dame in Friday’s semifinal, a display illustrating just how difficult North Carolina could be for opponents in the NCAA tournament.

“We didn’t play great offensively, but our defense is peaking,” guard Marcus Paige told reporters after scoring 16 points, highlighting a dominant display that moved the Tar Heels to the cusp of their first league tournament crown since 2008 and most likely a No. 1 seed entering the NCAA tournament. Standing in the way are the Cavaliers, whose current five-game winning streak started with a five-point home victory over North Carolina on Feb. 27. Malcolm Brogdon again sparked Virginia in its 73-68 semifinal victory Friday over Miami (Fla.), scoring 24 points to bring the Cavaliers a victory away from their second ACC tournament title in three years and potentially a No. 1 seed in the NCAAs. “We know how good UNC is,” Virginia coach Tony Bennett told the media, “and we’ll need to be at our best.”

TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN, ESPN3

BETTING STATS:

Virginia - 26-6 SU, 17-13 ATS, 12-18 O/U
North Carolina - 27-6 SU, 15-17-1 ATS, 17-16 O/U

POWER RANKINGS: Virginia Cavaliers (-16.95) - North Carolina Tar Heels (-15.85) = Virginia -1.1

ABOUT VIRGINIA (26-6): The Cavaliers have been models of efficiency on both ends of the floor, ranking second in the nation in scoring defense (59.6) while leading the ACC and ranking in the top 10 nationally in field-goal percentage and 3-point shooting. Brogdon is one of the ACC’s best, averaging 18.8 points per game while shooting 47.8 percent from the field and 88.3 percent from the free-throw line. Virginia shot 52 percent from the field against the Hurricanes, topping 50 percent for the third consecutive game and fourth time in its past seven contests.

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA (27-6): Paige has struggled with his shooting all season – going 9-of-33 from the field in his final three regular-season games – but he hit 4-of-7 from 3-point range Friday and sparked a crippling 24-0 run with eight points. The Tar Heels have won four in a row and six of seven overall, forcing 17 turnovers Friday in holding the Fighting Irish to 30 percent shooting from the field. Forward Brice Johnson’s streak of five consecutive double-doubles ended Friday (12 points, seven rebounds in 15 minutes due to foul trouble), but the senior leads North Carolina in scoring (16.7 points) and rebounds (10.6).

TRENDS:

* Cavaliers are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Tar Heels are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 9-1 in Cavaliers last 10 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 5-0 in Tar Heels last 5 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.

Big 12 Conference Championship Game Betting Preview

Kansas has won five of the eight meetings since West Virginia entered the Big 12 in 2012.

West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Kansas Jayhawks (-5, OFF)

Win or lose in Saturday’s Big 12 Tournament championship game, top-ranked Kansas already has locked up the NCAA Tournament’s No. 1 seed in the eyes of many national analysts. But that doesn’t mean senior Perry Ellis or his Jayhawks’ teammates necessarily plan on taking it easy against West Virginia in the title tilt at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo.

“I think (winning the tournament) is real important just from a team standpoint and getting a lot of momentum going forward,” Ellis said in a post-game news conference Friday after top-seeded Kansas held off Baylor 70-66 in the semifinals to notch its 13th straight win overall. “All of our guys are trying to win this.” Ellis scored a game-high 20 points as the Jayhawks overcame a 21-point first half – their lowest-scoring of the season – to shoot 46.2 percent from the field, outrebound the Bears 44-32 and advance to their 12th title game in 20 Big 12 tourneys. No. 8 and second-seeded West Virginia, meanwhile, will be playing in its first Big 12 championship after surviving a replay-nullified half-court heave at the buzzer by Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield to win the second semifinal 69-67.

TV: 6 p.m. ET, ESPN

BETTING STATS:

West Virginia - 26-7 SU, 20-10 ATS, 13-16-1 O/U
Kansas - 29-4 SU, 20-11 ATS, 11-19-1 O/U

POWER RANKINGS: West Virginia Mountaineers (-14.95) - Kansas Jayhawks (-17.6) = Kansas -2.65

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA (26-7): The Mountaineers came to Kansas City without a win in their first three Big 12 tourney appearances, but have routed TCU 86-66 and withstood a late Oklahoma comeback to reach their first conference championship game since the 2010 Big East final. It was West Virginia’s sixth straight win overall, and not surprising, the team’s pressing defense played a key role, forcing the Sooners into 21 turnovers and holding Hield, the Big 12 Player of the Year, to a season-low six points on 1-of-8 shooting. On the other side of the stat sheet, guard Jevon Carter scored a season-high 26 points and joins leading scorers Jaysean Paige (14.1) and Devin Williams (12.8) as three of six Mountaineers averaging at least 9.2 points per outing.

ABOUT KANSAS (29-4): The Jayhawks didn’t exactly win going away Friday as Baylor cut a 16-point deficit with 1:51 remaining to three points in the final 10 seconds against the Kansas reserves, giving coach Bill Self something to focus on entering the title tilt. Ellis hit 7-of-15 field goals and all six of his free throws to notch his fourth straight 20-point game and up his team-leading scoring average to 16.7. Guards Frank Mason III (13.4 points), Wayne Selden Jr. (13.1) and Devonte’ Graham (11.2) also are averaging double digits for the Jayhawks, who rank in the top 10 nationally in field-goal (49.4) and 3-point (42.2) percentage.

TRENDS:

* Mountaineers are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 vs. Big 12.
* Jayhawks are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 neutral site games.
* Under is 5-1 in Mountaineers last 6 neutral site games.
* Under is 6-1-1 in Jayhawks last 8 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.

Big East Conference Championship Game Betting Preview

Seton Hall is the only Big East team that defeated Villanova in each of the previous two seasons.

Seton Hall Pirates vs. Villanova Wildcats (-6.5, OFF)

After silencing Providence's two stars Friday, Villanova hopes for a similar defensive effort against the 1-2 punch of Seton Hall. The top-seeded Wildcats try to win the Big East tournament for the second straight year, while the third-seeded Pirates can clinch their first tournament crown since 1993 when the teams meet at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

If there was any doubt of Villanova's status as a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament, the Wildcats erased those concerns by topping Georgetown and Providence in its first two games at this event. Jay Wright's team has won 12 of its last 13 games, most recently an eight-point triumph over the Friars in which Villanova limited Kris Dunn and Ben Bentil to 12 points - 26 below their combined average - on 2-of-13 shooting. "We did the best job we've done, I think, on two great players. That's the best we've done," said Wright, whose team turns its attention to Seton Hall guards Isaiah Whitehead and Khadeen Carrington. The sophomores combined for 43 points in Friday's semifinal upset against second-seeded Xavier as the Pirates continued to enhance a solid NCAA Tournament resume.

TV: 5:30 p.m. ET, FOX

BETTING STATS:

Seton Hall - 24-8 SU, 22-9 ATS, 14-17 O/U
Villanova - 29-4 SU, 15-16-1 ATS, 17-14-1 O/U

POWER RANKINGS: Seton Hall Pirates (-10.7) - Villanova Wildcats (-17.45) = Villanova -6.75

ABOUT SETON HALL (24-8): The Pirates have won 11 of their last 13 games with the only losses in that stretch coming against Butler as they have reached the Big East tournament title game for the first time in 23 years. They were shaky down the stretch Friday but prevailed 87-83 thanks to 23 points from Carrington and 20 from Whitehead, who knocked down three 3-pointers apiece. "I feel like I've got the best two guards. I have total confidence in them. As long as I've got those two knuckleheads on the court, I feel pretty good," said Pirates coach Kevin Willard, whose squad overcame 25 turnovers against Xavier.

ABOUT VILLANOVA (29-4): Versatile forward Kris Jenkins led the way with 21 points against Providence - his 16th double-digit scoring effort in 17 games, a span during which he has made multiple 3-pointers 15 times. Senior center Daniel Ochefu has been dealing with a nagging ankle injury and has played a total of 28 minutes in this tournament, totaling eight points and one rebound. Jenkins and Ochefu are two of the three big men who see significant time for Villanova, which relies on an assortment of guards led by Josh Hart, who registered 15 points and 10 rebounds in each victory against Seton Hall this season.

TRENDS:

* Pirates are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 vs. Big East.
* Wildcats are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 5-0 in Pirates last 5 vs. Big East.
* Over is 7-0 in Wildcats last 7 vs. Big East.

Pac-12 Conference Championship Game Betting Preview

Utes coach Larry Krystkowiak is 1-9 against the Ducks over five seasons.

Utah Utes vs. Oregon Ducks (OFF)

Oregon has an eye on the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament’s West Region, but first the top-seeded Ducks need to get past No. 2 Utah in Saturday’s Pac-12 tournament title game at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Both teams needed overtime in Friday’s semifinals as Oregon defeated fourth-seeded Arizona 95-89 and Utah edged No. 3 seed California 82-78.

The Ducks won the league’s regular-season title after winning 11 of its last 13 games and opened the tournament with an 83-77 victory over No. 8 seed Washington before playing a dominant first half against Arizona and holding on for the victory. While Oregon is playing in the league’s tournament title game for the third time in four seasons, Utah is making its first appearance behind Pac-12 Player of the Year Jakob Poeltl, who had 29 points and 11 rebounds in the semifinal win over Cal. The Utes have won nine straight games and 14 of their last 16, including an 80-72 victory over No. 7 seed USC on Thursday, but have struggled against the Ducks in recent years. Oregon swept the regular-season series and has won six in a row against Utah.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

BETTING STATS:

Utah - 26-7 SU, 16-14-1 ATS, 17-13-1 O/U
Oregon - 26-7 SU, 18-12 ATS, 13-17 O/U

POWER RANKINGS: Utah Utes (-14) - Oregon Ducks (-15.25) = Oregon -1.25

ABOUT UTAH (26-7): Poeltl, a 7-footer looking to become the league’s first player of the year to win the tournament title since UCLA’s Kevin Love in 2008, was held to seven points and seven boards in the Utes’ 77-59 home loss to Oregon on Jan. 14. The sophomore center was limited to 13 points and eight rebounds in a 10-point loss to the Ducks on Feb. 7 as the Utes struggled to contain forward Dillon Brooks, who recorded career highs of 30 points and nine assists. Forward Kyle Kuzma averaged 13 points in the two losses to Oregon and needs another strong outing to help draw attention away from Poeltl.

ABOUT OREGON (27-6): Coach Dana Altman’s squad lost to Arizona by 28 points in last season’s title game but left an impression on Wildcats coach Sean Miller following Friday night’s battle. “I guess everyone has a different opinion but they’re certainly one of college basketball’s best teams,” Miller told reporters. “To me, why they’re so, so good is because of how together they are. And if you add up their individual talent, though they have some tremendous players, their whole becomes greater.” The Ducks have the talent to matchup against Poeltl in the frontcourt, where Brooks is accompanied by seniors Dwayne Benjamin, Elgin Cook and Chris Boucher.

TRENDS:

* Utes are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 vs. Pacific-12.
* Ducks are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 5-0 in Utes last 5 neutral site games.
* Under is 6-0 in the last 6 meetings.

AAC Tournament Semifinals Betting Preview

Connecticut meets Temple Saturday in the semifinals of the AAC tournament, and the Huskies can thank freshman Jalen Adams for the opportunity - and perhaps a spot in the NCAAs.

Is UConn gearing up to repeat their shocking 2014 performance? The Huskies' thrilling victory over Cincinnati, 104-97 in four overtimes, has them all set up for the ultimate test in their conference, the Temple Owls, in Saturday's semifinal. The second semifinal will feature No. 10 Tulane vs. No. 6 Memphis.

Tournament to be played at Amway Center, Orlando, Florida.

Connecticut Huskies vs. Temple Owls (+2.5, 127.5)

* Connecticut meets Temple on Saturday in the semifinals of the American Athletic Conference tournament in Orlando, Fla., and the Huskies can thank freshman Jalen Adams for the opportunity - and perhaps a spot in the NCAAs. Adams made a game-tying shot from beyond half court at the buzzer to end the third overtime and propel fifth-seeded Connecticut to a 104-97 quarterfinal victory over No. 4 seed Cincinnati on Friday in four extra sessions. Amida Brimah, a 7-0 junior center, averages a team-best 2.6 blocks after recording five Friday and none was bigger than denying Troy Caupain's potential game-winning bucket at the regulation buzzer to force overtime. Daniel Hamilton (12.3 points per game) scored a career-high 32 points while also contributing 12 rebounds and eight assists in a team-high 55 minutes.

* The top-seeded Owls - also believed to be on the NCAA tournament bubble - should be relatively well-rested after easily defeating No. 9 seed USF 79-62 in Friday's first quarterfinal. "We are worried about this tournament and if we win two more games, we know we are in," Temple's Josh Brown told reporters about the NCAAs. The Owls are riding a four-game winning streak and hope their depth proves key as five players scored in double figures against USF. Two were Quenton DeCosey (team-best 15.7 points), who scored 23 in the second meeting against Connecticut, and Obi Enechionyia (11.4 points) - the only other Temple player averaging double figures. Jaylen Bond (team-high 8.2 rebounds) recorded 17 points, eight boards and four steals against USF.

Betting Stats:

Connecticut - 22-10 SU, 14-13-1 ATS, 12-15-1 O/U

Temple - 21-10 SU, 17-12 ATS, 14-14-1 O/U

Trends:

* Huskies are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
* Owls are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 neutral site games.
* Under is 5-0 in Huskies last 5 games after scoring more than 90 points in their previous game.
* Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.

Tulane Green Wave vs. Memphis Tigers (OFF)

* Tenth-seeded Tulane will try to repeat its inspired performance against sixth-seeded Memphis in Saturday's American Athletic Conference semifinal at the Amway Center in Orlando, Fla. Multiple outlets reported Tulane coach Ed Conroy would be fired after the season during Friday's 72-69 upset of second-seeded Houston. The Green Wave - the first double-digit seed to reach the conference semifinals - rallied from an eight-point halftime deficit and took the lead on a Cameron Reynolds' 3-pointer for the second straight day. Senior guard Louis Dabney (14.6 points) moved into ninth place on the school's all-time scoring list (1,463 points) with 16 against Houston, his 11th straight double-digit scoring game.

* AAC freshman of the year Dedric Lawson recorded his league-best 16th double-double to lead Memphis to its own upset Friday. Lawson (team-high 15.6 points and 9.3 rebounds) has scored in double figures in 10 straight games, recording eight double-doubles during that span. Shaq Goodwin adds 14.9 points and 7.8 rebounds while Ricky Tarrant Jr. - who went 5-of-8 from the 3-point line Friday - adds 12 points. Avery Woodson, who adds 9.6 points, hit two 3-pointers against Tulsa to move into fifth place in Memphis' single-season list with 77 made 3s.

Betting Stats:

Tulane - 12-21 SU, 11-15-1 ATS, 15-12 O/U

Memphis - 18-14 SU, 12-17 ATS, 15-14 O/U

Trends:

* Green Wave are 2-9-1 ATS in their last 12 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Tigers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 6-1 in Green Wave last 7 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Over is 4-0 in Tigers last 4 neutral site games.

Big Ten Conference Tournament Semifinals Betting Preview

The Boilermakers face another upset-minded team Saturday in the semifinals when they square off with No. 8 seed Michigan.

Michigan shocked No. 1 seeded Indiana in their quarterfinal and will meet another stiff test in the Purdue Boilermakers Saturday. The other semifinal will feature the Michigan St. Spartans, who destroyed Ohio St., against Maryland.

Tournament to be played at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN

Michigan Wolverines vs. Purdue Boilermakers (-7.5, 143)

* The Wolverines entered this event very much on the NCAA Tournament bubble, but they strengthened their resume with a 72-70 overtime win against Northwestern in the second round Thursday and again with Friday's thrilling 72-69 victory over top-seeded Indiana. Sophomore Kameron Chatman, who averaged seven minutes and 2.8 points entering Friday's contest, nailed the go-ahead 3-pointer with 0.2 seconds remaining to send Michigan to its sixth conference tournament semifinal appearance. Zak Irvin (11.8 points) poured in a game-high 17 points against the Hoosiers and has led the Wolverines in scoring in each of their three upsets over ranked league opponents this season, including a season-high tying 22 in a 61-56 home victory versus the Boilermakers on Feb. 10.

* Purdue easily squashed its first opponent with a potent mix of dominant inside play and prolific 3-point shooting in its first game of the Big Ten tournament. Buoyed by a combined 37 points and 23 rebounds from its large frontcourt of 7-0 A.J. Hammons, 7-2 reserve Isaac Haas and 6-9 Caleb Swanigan, Purdue drilled a school-tournament record 13 3-pointers in Friday's 89-58 quarterfinal rout of No. 10 Illinois, which edged fifth-seeded Iowa a day earlier. Haas (26.8) and Hammons (24.7) entered Friday ranked first and second, respectively, in the Big Ten in points per 40 minutes and only enhanced those marks on a combined 13-of-15 effort from the field, with Haas tallying 16 points in 18 minutes and Hammons posting 10 points in 17 minutes.

Betting Stats:

Michigan - 22-11 SU, 16-15 ATS, 19-11-1 O/U
Purdue - 25-7 SU, 16-11-1 ATS, 15-13 O/U

Trends:

* Wolverines are 1-6-1 ATS in the last 8 meetings.
* Boilermakers are 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 vs. Big Ten.
* Under is 4-1 in Wolverines last 5 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 5-0 in Boilermakers last 5 vs. Big Ten.

Maryland Terrapins vs. Michigan St Spartans (OFF)

* Maryland advanced to the semifinals for the second straight year after holding on for a 97-86 win against No. 11 seed Nebraska Friday. The hot-shooting Terrapins knocked down 13 3-pointers and set a new single-game tournament record for most points and hope to use that momentum to take down the surging Spartans. Jake Layman knocked down six 3-pointers en route to a season-high 26 points as all five starters finished in double figures in the win over Nebraska. Diamond Stone added 23 points and eight rebounds in his first Big Ten Tournament appearance while Melo Trimble scored 16 points to go along with eight assists against the Cornhuskers.

* The Spartans are one of the hottest teams in the nation as they have won 11 of their last 12 games and have beaten Ohio State three times in less than three weeks after cruising past the Buckeyes 81-54 in the quarterfinals Friday. Michigan State has won 10 of its last 12 Big Ten Tournament games, including a 62-58 triumph over Maryland in the semifinal stage last season. Denzel Valentine showed why he was named the Big Ten Player of the Year as he racked up 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in the win over Ohio State. Eron Harris added 12 of his 13 points in the second half while Deyonta Davis added 12 points and seven rebounds against the Buckeyes.

Betting Stats:

Maryland - 25-7 SU, 14-16-1 ATS, 12-18-1 O/U
Michigan St - 27-5 SU, 22-9 ATS, 16-15 O/U

Trends:

* Terrapins are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 neutral site games.
* Spartans are 14-3 ATS in their last 17 vs. Big Ten.
* Under is 6-0 in Terrapins last 6 games following a ATS win.
* Over is 8-2 in Spartans last 10 vs. Big Ten.

SEC Conference Tournament Semifinals Betting Preview

LSU are still widely considered to be on the wrong side of the bubble despite an 84-75 win over Tennessee Friday night.

The SEC is on to the semifinals with a pair of fantastic matchups Saturday afternoon. No. 1 Texas A&M will take on Ben Simmons and the LSU Tigers in the opening semifinal while No. 2 seed Kentucky will battle No. 6 Georgia.

Tournament to be played at Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN

Louisiana State Tigers vs. Texas A&M Aggies (-7.5, 149)

* A lot would still have to go right for LSU to sneak back into the NCAA Tournament picture, beginning with an upset of top-seeded Texas A&M in the SEC tournament semifinals Saturday. Freshman star Ben Simmons (19.4 points, 11.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists) grabs much of the attention, with good reason, but it was fellow freshman Antonio Blakeney (12.8 points) who carried the Tigers with 22 points against Tennessee. Blakeney is one of the players LSU is counting on to step up and fill the void left by Keith Hornsby’s season-ending internal injury, as is Josh Gray (5.4 points), who contributed 11 points in a starting role Friday.

* The Aggies don’t need a strong performance this weekend to punch their ticket, but they have designs on their first conference tournament title since winning the 1987 Southwest Conference tourney. Texas A&M didn’t have an easy time putting away Florida, needing a late 7-0 run to pull away for a 72-66 victory – the Aggies seventh in a row. The Aggies have an impressive freshman of their own in center Tyler Davis (11.4 points, 6.1 rebounds), who collected 15 points and eight rebounds against the Gators. Davis has grown into a nice complement to Texas A&M’s bevy of perimeter scorers, including 6-7 wings Danuel House (15.3 points) and Jalen Jones (15.7 points, 4.8 rebounds), who present matchup problems for most opponents.

Betting Stats:

LSU - 19-13 SU, 11-18 ATS, 13-16 O/U
Texas A&M - 25-7 SU, 14-11-2 ATS, 11-16 O/U

Trends:

* Tigers are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games following a straight up win.
* Aggies are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 vs. Southeastern.
* Under is 11-1 in Tigers last 12 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Under is 11-1 in Aggies last 12 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.

Georgia Bulldogs vs. Kentucky Wildcats (OFF)

* The sixth-seeded Bulldogs upset No. 3 seed South Carolina 65-64 on Friday when J.J. Frazier tied it with a late basket, and came up with a steal and was fouled with 2.1 seconds left before delivering the winning free throw. The Bulldogs are making their third straight appearance in the semifinals and need to spring an upset to be considered for an NCAA Tournament berth, but will probably have to win the tournament to reach the Big Dance. Frazier, a junior guard, scored 15 of his 20 points in the second half Friday and averages a team-best 16.6 points - 22.9 in his last seven games. Sophomore forward Yante Maten (16.0 points, 8.1 rebounds) recorded 17 points and 12 boards against South Carolina - his 13th consecutive game scoring in double figures.

* Kentucky appears to be peaking at the right time as it meets Georgia on Saturday in the semifinals of the SEC tournament in Nashville, Tenn., and has a hot player on its hands in 6-5 freshman guard Jamal Murray. The second-seeded Wildcats crushed No. 10 seed Alabama in Friday's quarterfinals behind 23 points from Murray, who has scored at least 21 points in 11 consecutive games - averaging 25.2 during that span to raise his season number to 20.1 points per game. The Wildcats do not possess the depth of last season's team that nearly went undefeated but remain potent with players such as 5-9 sophomore guard Tyler Ulis (16.6 points, 7.3 assists), the SEC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.

Betting Stats:

Georgia - 19-12 SU, 18-13 ATS, 17-14 O/U
Kentucky - 24-8 SU, 16-16 ATS, 17-14-1 O/U

Trends:

* Bulldogs are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
* Wildcats are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 vs. Southeastern.
* Over is 6-1 in Bulldogs last 7 vs. Southeastern.
* Over is 4-1 in Wildcats last 5 neutral site games.

**StarDust Bum** · 03-12-2016, 12:03 PM

Preview: Wolverines (22-11) at Boilermakers (25-7)
Date: March 12, 2016 1:00 PM EDT

Purdue easily handled one upset-minded team in its Big Ten tournament opener and will seek to knock off another in Saturday's semifinals.

The 13th-ranked Boilermakers will try to deal a blow to Michigan's NCAA Tournament hopes while advancing to their first conference title game in seven years.

Purdue, the fourth seed in Indianapolis, blew out No. 12 seed Illinois 89-58 on Friday. The Illini beat 20th-ranked Iowa 68-66 on Thursday, but the Boilermakers avoided that fate by outshooting them 58.3 percent to 39.3 and holding a 42-24 rebounding edge.

Isaac Haas had 16 points on 8-of-9 shooting in 18 minutes off the bench to lead five players in double figures.

"When you're in a tournament and playing back-to-back days, it's a struggle on your body. To be able to get a game like this and be able to get rest for all of our core guys, it's a good feeling," forward Vince Edwards said. "I feel like it will be an advantage for us."

Purdue (25-7) will face a Michigan team that knocked off the league's regular-season champ, No. 10 Indiana, 72-69 on Friday on Kameron Chatman's 3-pointer with 0.2 seconds left. The sophomore swingman, averaging 2.8 points, is 8 of 28 from beyond the arc this season.

Zak Irvin scored 17 points after having 19 in a 72-70 overtime win against Northwestern on Thursday, including the go-ahead basket with 3.3 seconds left.

The Wolverines (22-11) lost four of their final five regular-season games, a stretch that followed leading scorer Caris LeVert's last appearance in a Michigan uniform. LeVert is done for the season because a nagging leg injury, and the team's other senior, Spike Albrecht, went out in December following hip surgery.

"We battled a lot of adversity during the year," coach John Beilein said. "At the same time, as this year has gone on, we have gotten better and better and better."

The Wolverines split their two games with Purdue, beating the then-No. 18 Boilermakers 61-56 in Ann Arbor on Feb. 13.

Irvin matched a season high with 22 points, scoring 16 in the second half and five in a game-ending 11-0 run. Derrick Walton Jr. scored six points during that rally but has missed all 10 of his shots in Michigan's two tournament games while totaling four points.

"We have to play harder than Michigan. Playing a team that beat you will motivate us. It was a terrible feeling in that locker room," Boilermakers guard Rapheal Davis said.

Irvin was held to seven points on 2-of-10 shooting in an 87-70 loss at then-No. 20 Purdue on Jan. 7. A.J. Hammons led the Boilermakers with 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting and four blocks, while Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman tried to keep the Wolverines afloat with a career-best 25 points.

The sophomore guard, averaging 8.0 points, has reached double figures in a personal-high three straight games after scoring 15 against Indiana.

The Boilermakers are looking to reach the Big Ten championship game for the first time since claiming their lone tournament title in 2009. They lost 71-51 to top-seeded Wisconsin in last year's semifinals.

Michigan reached the title game in 2014, losing to Michigan State, and had a title victory over Purdue in the Big Ten's inaugural 1998 tournament later nullified by NCAA sanctions.

**StarDust Bum** · 03-12-2016, 12:05 PM

Preview: Tigers (19-13) at Aggies (25-7)
Date: March 12, 2016 1:00 PM EDT

Texas A&M and LSU are meeting in the semifinals of the SEC tournament thanks to solid play from their freshmen.

In the Tigers' case, it wasn't Ben Simmons that led the way in their quarterfinal win, and if they don't beat the 17th-ranked Aggies on Saturday, it's likely Simmons will never get a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament.

Top-seeded Texas A&M (25-7) needed a late 7-0 run to defeat Florida 72-66 in the quarters Friday. Leading scorers Jalen Jones and Danuel House combined to shoot 11 for 35, but freshman center Tyler Davis picked up his senior teammates.

Davis went 6 of 10 from the floor and finished with 15 points, eight rebounds and three blocks in a season high-tying 29 minutes.

"His maturity on the floor is beyond a freshman," coach Billy Kennedy said. "Just a pace that he plays with, the decision-making. And I thought and I planned all week in the game-type atmosphere, maybe hurt him a little bit just because he got winded quick. But if you look at it, he played 29 minutes. That's probably a few more minutes than he usually plays. ... He's a special freshman for sure."

House and Jones totaled 28 points despite being off, and Texas A&M shot 39.4 percent overall and 25.0 from 3-point range in its seventh straight victory.

"The first game in any tournament is the hardest game to win," Kennedy said. "All the places I've been coaching, you've got to get past an ugly first-round game. ... Hopefully, we got the ugliness out of us."

An ugly stretch last month has fourth-seeded LSU (19-13) likely needing to win the SEC title to advance to the NCAAs for the second straight season. The Tigers lost four of five Feb. 10-23 but have played better since.

They won for the third time in four games Friday, beating Tennessee 84-75 behind freshman guard Antonio Blakeney's 22 points. Blakeney is averaging 22.2 points and shooting 50.0 percent over the last six games.

Simmons, expected to be the top overall pick in June's NBA draft, had 15 points and eight rebounds but was forced to sit out the final 15:13 of the first half after picking up his second foul.

"It's been big having (Blakeney) come in and hit shots. He's another threat on the team," said Simmons, who played a season-low 25 minutes. " ... Antonio's been playing really well the past few games, and he's been one of the main players."

These teams split two meetings this season with each winning at home. The Aggies struck first when Jones had 20 points and Davis added 18 in a 71-57 victory Jan. 19.

Simmons had 10 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and three steals in that one before having 16, 11, seven and three in a 76-71 win over then-No. 15 Texas A&M on Feb. 13 - the Aggies' last loss. House led Texas A&M with 20 points.

Another stat-stuffing performance from Simmons could move LSU into the championship game with a chance to secure an automatic bid to the NCAAs.

"We have to play well," coach Johnny Jones said. "If we do that, we'll be at 20 wins. As well, we finished in the top (four) in our league. We feel that we're in a very powerful league. We hope that stands for something, and it will certainly carry some weight. That's what we look forward to."

**StarDust Bum** · 03-12-2016, 12:10 PM

Preview: Terrapins (25-7) at Spartans (27-5)
Date: March 12, 2016 3:30 PM EDT

Denzel Valentine had one of the worst performances of his career when Michigan State met Maryland in last year's Big Ten tournament semifinals. That team wasn't as dependent on him as the current version of the Spartans, who still pulled out a victory before advancing to the Final Four.

The senior stepped up in the only matchup this season, though, and he'll look to help the second-ranked Spartans reach their third straight tournament championship game when they face the 18th-ranked Terrapins on Saturday.

Valentine shot 1 for 8 from the floor - his only made basket of any kind came on one of his seven 3-point attempts - in last year's semis. But its then-seniors helped Michigan State (27-5) overcome a 16-point deficit in a 62-58 victory over Maryland (25-7) before falling to Wisconsin in overtime in the title game.

The conference player of the year and Wooden Award finalist played much better in his first game in Indianapolis this year and is determined to get the Spartans back to the Big Ten final again as they seek a conference-record fifth tournament championship.

Valentine finished with 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in Friday's 81-54 rout of Ohio State in the quarterfinals, keeping him on pace to become the first player to average at least 19, seven and seven since the NCAA started keeping assists as an official stat in 1983-84.

'We didn't accomplish one of our goals, to win the Big Ten (regular-season) championship outright, and we're kind of mad about it,' Valentine said. 'Me and (fellow senior) Matt (Costello) never won a Big Ten championship outright, so we're kind of mad right now and we've got something to play for.'

The Spartans have made it clear that giving coach Tom Izzo his eighth Final Four appearance and second national title are the main focus, and winning it all in Indianapolis would be a great way to transition into the NCAA Tournament.

Eron Harris scored 13 points while freshman Deyonta Davis added 12 and seven rebounds for Michigan State, which was able to empty its bench toward the end and give the starters extra rest for the weekend.

'Our goal when we got here was to win a national championship and we haven't accomplished that yet,' Valentine said. 'I think we have the perfect team to do it this year, and we're really hungry to do that this year.'

Bryn Forbes scored 25 points in the only regular-season meeting with the Terps on Jan. 23, and Valentine's 19, career-high 14 rebounds and eight assists helped the Spartans defeat Maryland 74-65 in East Lansing.

Melo Trimble finished with 24 points in that contest for the Terps, who advanced to the semis with a 97-86 victory over Nebraska. Maryland led by 23 at one point before the Cornhuskers closed to within six in the final two minutes.

Jake Layman scored a season-high 26 points and freshman Diamond Stone added 23 for the Terrapins, who shot 60.3 percent while hitting 13 of 22 from 3-point range.

Trimble's eight assists were his most in 14 games.

"(The Spartans) play fast," Layman said. "We are going to try to slow them down a little bit and see if that works for us. They're playing well right now. It's going to be a fun game."

Trimble has been stellar in his last three against the Spartans, averaging 23.3 points while shooting 49.0 percent.

**StarDust Bum** · 03-12-2016, 12:12 PM

Preview: Bulldogs (19-12) at Wildcats (24-8)
Date: March 12, 2016 3:25 PM EDT

All that stands between Kentucky and its sixth trip to the SEC championship game in seven years is a team that needs to close a 34-point gap.

The second-seeded Wildcats meet sixth-seeded Georgia on Saturday in Nashville just over a month after John Calipari's team trounced the Bulldogs in Lexington, and his team is looking even better offensively heading into this meeting.

Sixteenth-ranked Kentucky (24-8) reached the semifinals with Friday's 85-59 win over Alabama to improve to 14-3 in the SEC tournament since the start of the 2010. In that time, they've reached five finals and won three with one one-and-done showing in 2013.

Against the Crimson Tide, the Wildcats shot 54.5 percent and hit 13 of 22 from 3-point range. Over a three-game winning streak, they're at 53.3 percent and 54.0 from long range.

"Sometimes it happens, sometimes it don't, you know," said Alex Poythress, who finished with 20 points and went 4 of 5 from beyond the arc after entering with two 3s on the season. "Everybody was just great offensively. We played a complete game today."

Poythress has gone 13 of 15 over the last two games, but one of his teammates has had it together for a much longer stretch.

Jamal Murray continued to dominate, scoring 23 points and surpassing 20 for the 11th straight game while averaging 25.2 points and shooting 50.9 percent overall - 50.5 from 3-point range. The guard hasn't shot under 50 percent in his last five, and the freshman has committed three turnovers just once in those 11 games after posting a 0.68 assist-to-turnover ratio through his first 21.

"The people that have watched at the beginning of the year know how much his game has changed," Calipari said. "And what's happened is he went from degree of difficulty shots, avoid the contact, and just throw a ball at the rim, not getting to the foul line, not shooting enough catch and shoots. Assist-to-turnover ratio was under water. And we just kept demanding. This is what the best version of you looks like."

Kentucky has won the last five meetings, including an 82-48 home win on Feb. 9 in which it held Georgia to 22.0 percent shooting. Murray had 24 points and hit 6 of 10 from 3-point range, while Georgia's Yante Maten finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Bulldogs top scorer J.J. Frazier, however, was 0 of 8 with four points.

Georgia (19-12) had another off shooting night in the quarterfinals but emerged with a 65-64 win over South Carolina. The Bulldogs shot 38.9 percent but rallied from an 11-point deficit to win on a Frazier free throw with 2.1 seconds remaining.

Frazier scored 15 of his 20 points in the second half to help the Bulldogs reach the semifinals for the third straight season along with Kentucky. The guard has averaged 23.2 points in his last six games.

"J.J.'s extremely competitive, and a lot of guys have unbelievable ability," coach Mark Fox said. "But when the game's on the line or they're keeping score and the game's close, they don't get better. J.J. gets better because he has a great competitive nature."

It was Georgia's season-best fifth straight win, and a sixth would get it to the championship game for the first time since winning the tournament in 2008.

That'll take some improvement against the Top 25. The Bulldogs have lost 11 of their last 12 against ranked opponents, and their 1-3 mark this season comes with a scoring differential of minus-16.2 while shooting 34.9 percent.

**StarDust Bum** · 03-12-2016, 12:15 PM

Preview: Pirates (24-8) at Wildcats (29-4)
Date: March 12, 2016 5:30 PM EDT

Villanova has a chance to become the first team since 1999 to sweep all of the Big East titles over a two-year span.

Stopping that dominance would give Seton Hall a conference tournament championship for the first time in 23 years.

The third-ranked Wildcats look to beat the Pirates for the third time this season Saturday night at Madison Square Garden and head into the NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed with major momentum.

Villanova (29-4) has already won the last two regular-season conference championships, and can now make it two straight tournament titles. It would become the first Big East team to take all four in consecutive seasons since Connecticut in 1998-99.

The Wildcats, who beat Xavier in last year's tournament final, have enjoyed a relatively easy road to this championship game. They avoided an early scare and pulled away for an 81-67 victory over Georgetown on Thursday before beating Providence 76-68 in Friday's semifinals.

"Yeah, it's something that, you know, we look at and we love," forward Kris Jenkins said of playing for another championship. "Taking it one game at a time. We're looking forward to it."

Jenkins is making a case to be the tournament's most outstanding player, scoring 21 points against the Friars after getting 15 a day earlier. He's averaging 20.7 points on 54.6 percent from the floor and 48.1 from 3-point range over the past seven games.

Production from Jenkins might be important again since Daniel Ochefu is dealing with an ankle injury sustained against the Hoyas. The 6-foot-11 senior was limited to 15 minutes off the bench Friday but chipped in eight points.

"Daniel does a lot for our team," Jenkins said. "When he's not out there, everybody on the floor has to step up, not just me. We were able to do that (Friday) and come out with a win."

Ochefu had 20 points and a season-high 18 rebounds in a 72-63 win over Seton Hall (24-8) on Jan. 6. However, he only scored six while foul trouble limited him to 17 minutes in a 72-71 road win Jan. 20. Jenkins, Josh Hart and Ryan Arcidiacono picked up the slack by combining for 37 points.

Both of those defeats came during a 1-4 stretch for the Pirates, who are 11-2 in 13 games since with a chance to win the Big East tournament for the first time since 1993 - before all but one of their current players were born.

Seton Hall followed Thursday's 81-73 win over Creighton with an 87-83 victory against fifth-ranked and second-seeded Xavier.

"This is what we talked about before we even came here, getting Seton Hall back on the map back to where it was," Khadeen Carrington said of a team that will be making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2006.

Like Jenkins, Carrington and fellow sophomore guard Isaiah Whitehead are also in the running for tournament MVP.

Carrington has totaled 50 points on 18-of-28 shooting through two games, scoring 23 with seven rebounds Friday.

Whitehead isn't far behind with totals of 44 points, 17 boards and 14 assists. He's averaging 25.2 points over the last six games, and he's scored 41 in two matchups with Villanova.

Whitehead and Carrington are Brooklyn natives, and coach Kevin Willard is from nearby Huntington.

"It still hasn't hit me," Willard said of reaching the final. "To be playing in the Big East championship in the Mecca in New York City on Saturday night. I think these guys are starting to understand the greatness of this tournament.

"I've tried to talk to them a little bit about the tradition and the great programs, the great players."

Villanova is 5-0 in New York City this season and has won eight straight games at MSG.

**StarDust Bum** · 03-12-2016, 12:16 PM

Preview: Mountainers (26-7) at Jayhawks (29-4)
Date: March 12, 2016 6:00 PM EDT

With the final days of his Kansas career winding down, Perry Ellis is playing like someone determined not to let it end without collecting some championship hardware.

Jevon Carter looks to be making the Big 12 tournament his own personal coming-out party for West Virginia, which survived a near-heartbreaking semifinal defeat.

After helping them endure a less-than-stellar performance in Kansas City, Ellis will try to lead the top-ranked Jayhawks to their 14th consecutive victory and seventh conference tourney title in 11 years on Saturday night against the surging ninth-ranked Mountaineers.

Ellis had been averaging just 12.4 points on 42.3 percent shooting over a five-game stretch before coming alive to score a combined 42 on 18-of-30 shooting in the final regular-season games to help Kansas (29-4) hold off West Virginia (26-7) for its 12th straight Big 12 crown.

An All-Big 12 first teamer for the second straight year, Ellis then had 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting in Thursday's 85-63 win over Kansas State before scoring 20 on Friday to help the Jayhawks recover from an ugly first half and a late Baylor rally in a 70-66 semifinal victory.

Ellis, the team's leading scorer with 16.7 per game, went on a personal 8-0 run early in the second half to give Kansas some cushion after trailing 23-21 after the first 20 minutes.

Devonte' Graham chipped in with 14 points and eight assists as Kansas punched a ticket back to the Big 12 title game for the second year in a row. The Jayhawks are looking to lock up the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament with their first Big 12 tourney crown since 2013.

The Mountaineers had been averaging 82.4 points in their previous five games before falling well short of that mark while shooting 34.2 percent from inside the arc in Friday's 69-67 semifinal win over Oklahoma. They hit 10 of 22 from 3-point range en route to their sixth straight victory and first title game appearance since joining the Big 12 in 2012-13.

With leading scorer Jaysean Paige limited to 10 points, Carter stepped up with a season-high 26. The sophomore has totaled 41 points while sinking 9 of 14 from 3-point range in two tourney contests after averaging 5.5 and shooting 15.1 percent from 3 over his previous 15.

Paige came through late by sinking a jumper to give West Virginia the lead with 11.2 seconds left before Oklahoma star Buddy Hield banked in a mid-court heave at the buzzer. The Mountaineers could finally exhale when officials ruled Hield didn't get the shot off in time.

'It's a win against a great, great team,' coach Bob Huggins said. 'But we came to win (the championship). We didn't come to play. We came to win. And that's my focus.'

The Mountaineers hope to give their NCAA Tournament seeding a lift with their fourth win in six meetings versus Kansas. Paige had 26 points and Devin Williams added 17 and 12 rebounds Jan. 12 when Kansas coach Bill Self said his team "got punked" in a 74-63 road loss.

The Jayhawks, however, got even Feb. 9 when they held Paige to 14 points on 5-of-16 shooting. Ellis had his second straight 21-point game in the series in a 75-65 home win.

"You have to handle pressure, in which one game we did an average job of it and one game we weren't very good at all," Self said. "It will be a fun game for us."

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