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  • NCAAB
    Armadillo's Write-Up

    Wednesday, February 15

    Xavier is without Somner for year; now Bluiett is a ??? here (check status). Musketeers won five of last six games, are 3-2 on Big East road, losing at Villanova/Butler. Providence lost four of last six games, is 3-3 at home in league, 2-1-1 as a home dog. Friars are 6-1-1 vs spread in last eight games. Xavier made 24-33 shots inside arc, crushed Providence 82-56 in Big East opener Dec 28; home sides are now 6-1 in series games, with Musketeers winning last four series games, by 9-7-11-26 points- they lost two of three visits here, winning 75-68 LY.

    South Carolina won five of last six games; they’re 3-3 as home favorites, winning home games by 11-11-4-29-2 with 4OT loss to Alabama. Gamecocks force turnovers on 26% of possessions in league games. Arkansas is 4-2 on SEC road, 3-1 as a road dog, with losses by 26 at Kentucky, 5 at Missouri- their four SEC road wins are by total of 15 points. Hogs/SC split last 14 meetings; Razorbacks lost four of last five visits here, with losses by 12-6-4-7-21 points- two of those losses were in OT. SEC home favorites of 8+ points are 9-15 vs spread this season.

    Maryland lost two of last three games, but covered nine of last ten; Terrapins are 5-0 as Big 14 road underdogs- their only road loss was by 6 at Penn State. Northwestern had great win at Wisconsin Sunday, their 3rd game without leading scorer Lindsey; Wildcats are 3-2 as home favorite- they lost to Minnesota/Illinois at home, shaky losses. Maryland is 3-0 vs Northwestern in Big 14 tilts, winning 72-59 in first visit here LY. Big 14 home favorites of 3 or less points are 12-10 against the spread this season.

    Iowa State split its last eight games, is 3-3 on Big X road, 4-1 as a road underdog, with losses on road by 2-7-2 points. Kansas State lost four of last five games; dogs are 5-0-1 vs spread in their Big X home games- they’re 0-3-1 as home favorites. Cyclones blew a 20-point second half lead, then outscored K-State 13-7 over last 5:00 in 70-65 home win Jan 24. Cyclones won last three series games by 13-19-5 points- they lost three of last four visits to Little Apple, winning 76-63 here LY. Big X home favorites of 5 or less points are 6-7-1 vs spread this season.

    NC State PG Smith got in foul trouble early, Wolfpack got hammered 107-56 in Chapel Hill Jan 8; game was 33-7 at one point. Carolina won three in row, seven of last eight series games- they won last three visits to Raleigh, by 14-2-12 points. Wolfpack lost its last five games (0-5 vs spread) amidst rumors that Gottfried will be fired; they’re 2-4 at home in ACC, 1-1 as a home underdog, 2-6 as an ACC dog overall. Carolina hasn’t played in six days; they’re 1-4 as an ACC road favorite. Double digit favorites are 11-14 in ACC games, 3-3 on road.

    Seton Hall lost six of last nine games, with two of wins in OT; Pirates are 4-1 at home in Big East with only loss to Butler by 7. Creighton won three of last four games, is 5-1 on Big East road, even with star Watson OFY- they’re 3-1 as a road favorite. Creighton was +8 in turnovers (18-10), shot 68% inside arc in beating Seton Hall 89-75 in Big East opener Dec 28; teams have split eight Big East meetings. Bluejays won two of three visits to the Garden State. Big East road favorites of 3 or less points are 3-5 vs spread this season.

    Indiana lost five of its last six games, is 1-4 on Big 14 road, 1-2 as a road underdog, losing on foreign soil by 3-30-13-5 points- their only win in last six games was in triple OT. Minnesota won its last three games by 9-12-9 points; they’re 2-2 as a home favorite, losing three of five Big 14 home games SU. Indiana won its last three games with Minnesota by 19-7-6 points; Hoosiers lost five of last seven visits to Twin Cities, but won 70-63 here LY. Big 14 home favorites of 6 or less points are 20-14 vs spread this season.

    TCU won three of last four games, is 4-2 at home in Big X, losing to Kansas/Baylor; Frogs are 2-2 as a home favorite. Oklahoma State won five of last six games, winning last three on road. Cowboys are 5-1 vs spread on Big 14 road. OSU never trailed in 89-76 home win over TCU Jan 23; game was tied with 12:00 left. Cowboys are 7-2 in Big X series games, losing by 15-7 points in last two visits here- home teams are 7-2 in series games, winning last five meetings. Big X road teams are 9-5 vs spread in games where number was 2 or less points.

    Virginia lost two of last three games but won last four at home; they’re 3-2 as home favorites, beating Louisville by 16 in last home tilt. Duke won its last five games, winning by 8-8-2 points in three games since Coach K returned. Blue Devils are 1-4 vs spread on road, 0-2 as road dogs. Duke is 3-2 in its last five games with Virginia, after winning previous eight series games; Blue Devils won four of last five games at Virginia- five of last six series games were decided by 6 or less points. ACC home favorites of 5 or less points are 12-9 vs spread this season.

    Nevada lost its last two road games; star G Marshall was 2-22 on arc in those games. Wolf Pack is 3-3 on MW road, 1-2 as a road favorite, with road wins by 1-15-19 points. Air Force lost four in row, seven of last eight games; they’re 3-3 at home in MW (2-1 as home underdog), with losses by 9-7-4 at home. Nevada blew a 17-point 2nd half lead, held Air Force off 83-76 at home Jan 18; Wolf Pack won seven of last eight series games- they split four series tilts in Clune Arena. Mountain West road favorites are 8-9 vs spread this season.

    San Diego State won three of last four games but is 2-4 on MW road, 1-2 as road favorite, with wins by 13 at UNLV, 3 at Fresno. Aztecs made 10-24 on arc in 74-55 home win over Utah State Jan 14; Aztecs are 8-0 vs Aggies in Mountain West games, winning last two trips to Logan by 5-3 points. Utah State won three of last five games, winning last three home games, scoring 77.7 pts/game- they’re 5-2 vs spread at home, 2-0 as a home underdog. Mountain West road favorites are 8-9 against the spread this season.

    NC-Greensboro had its 6-game win streak snapped in 93-74 loss at Wofford Jan 24; Terriers made 11-25 on arc, scored whopping 1.35 pts/poss. Wofford won five of last six series games, but lost two of last three visits to Greensboro. Terriers are 2-4 on SoCon road; underdogs are 5-1 vs spread in those games. Wofford’s two road wins were at Citadel/Mercer. UNCG is 4-2 at home, 1-3 as a home favorite; their losses were to Samford/Furman. SoCon home favorites of 3 or less points are 6-4 vs spread this season.

    Fort Wayne is 3-5 in its last eight games; two of their last three went OT. Mastodons are 2-4 as home favorites, with home wins by 11-4-30-7 points. North Dakota State won five of last seven games, is 3-2 on Summit road, with losses at Denver, IUPUI. Bison was 13-22 on arc in 89-83 home win over Fort Wayne Jan 19; Mastodons were 16-31 on arc and lost by six!!!! Home side won 10 of last 11 series games; Bison lost last three visits to Ft Wayne, by 11-6-5 points. Summit League home favorites of 6 or less points are 16-13 vs spread this season.
    Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

    Comment


    • NCAAB

      Wednesday, February 15

      ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Trend Report
      ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

      6:30 PM
      XAVIER vs. PROVIDENCE
      Xavier is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
      Xavier is 15-8 SU in its last 23 games on the road
      The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Providence's last 5 games at home
      Providence is 16-4 SU in its last 20 games at home

      See more trends!
      FEBRUARY 15, 6:30 PM
      ARKANSAS vs. SOUTH CAROLINA
      The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Arkansas's last 14 games on the road
      Arkansas is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games on the road
      South Carolina is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Arkansas
      The total has gone UNDER in 5 of South Carolina's last 6 games when playing Arkansas

      See more trends!
      FEBRUARY 15, 7:00 PM
      CINCINNATI vs. SOUTH FLORIDA
      Cincinnati is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against South Florida
      The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cincinnati's last 5 games when playing on the road against South Florida
      South Florida is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cincinnati
      South Florida is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home

      See more trends!
      FEBRUARY 15, 7:00 PM
      WICHITA STATE vs. SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
      The total has gone OVER in 5 of Wichita State's last 5 games when playing on the road against Southern Illinois
      Wichita State is 4-7-2 ATS in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Southern Illinois
      Southern Illinois is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games at home
      Southern Illinois is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games

      See more trends!
      FEBRUARY 15, 7:00 PM
      FORDHAM vs. RHODE ISLAND
      The total has gone OVER in 4 of Fordham's last 6 games on the road
      Fordham is 6-19 SU in its last 25 games on the road
      Rhode Island is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Fordham
      Rhode Island is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games at home

      See more trends!
      FEBRUARY 15, 7:00 PM
      FURMAN vs. WESTERN CAROLINA
      Furman is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Western Carolina
      The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Furman's last 6 games when playing on the road against Western Carolina
      The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Western Carolina's last 5 games when playing Furman
      Western Carolina is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Furman

      See more trends!
      FEBRUARY 15, 7:00 PM
      IOWA STATE vs. KANSAS STATE
      The total has gone OVER in 5 of Iowa State's last 6 games on the road
      Iowa State is 5-12 SU in its last 17 games on the road
      Kansas State is 10-4-1 ATS in its last 15 games when playing at home against Iowa State
      Kansas State is 12-3 SU in its last 15 games when playing at home against Iowa State

      See more trends!
      FEBRUARY 15, 7:00 PM
      GEORGE WASHINGTON vs. DAVIDSON
      The total has gone OVER in 4 of George Washington's last 5 games on the road
      George Washington is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
      Davidson is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
      The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Davidson's last 6 games

      See more trends!
      FEBRUARY 15, 7:00 PM
      LA SALLE vs. ST. BONAVENTURE
      La Salle is 2-5-1 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
      The total has gone OVER in 7 of La Salle's last 10 games on the road
      The total has gone UNDER in 5 of St. Bonaventure's last 5 games when playing at home against La Salle
      The total has gone UNDER in 9 of St. Bonaventure's last 11 games when playing La Salle

      See more trends!
      FEBRUARY 15, 7:00 PM
      TEMPLE vs. EAST CAROLINA
      The total has gone OVER in 6 of Temple's last 7 games on the road
      Temple is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
      East Carolina is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Temple
      The total has gone OVER in 4 of East Carolina's last 5 games when playing Temple

      See more trends!
      FEBRUARY 15, 7:00 PM
      WOFFORD vs. UNC GREENSBORO
      Wofford is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against UNC Greensboro
      The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Wofford's last 9 games when playing on the road against UNC Greensboro
      UNC Greensboro is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Wofford
      UNC Greensboro is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Wofford

      See more trends!
      FEBRUARY 15, 7:00 PM
      SAMFORD vs. EAST TENNESSEE STATE
      The total has gone OVER in 5 of Samford's last 6 games on the road
      No trends available

      See more trends!
      FEBRUARY 15, 7:00 PM
      CHATTANOOGA vs. VMI
      Chattanooga is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
      Chattanooga is 16-8 SU in its last 24 games on the road
      No trends available

      See more trends!
      FEBRUARY 15, 7:00 PM
      MASSACHUSETTS vs. DUQUESNE
      Massachusetts is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Duquesne
      The total has gone OVER in 7 of Massachusetts's last 9 games when playing on the road against Duquesne
      Duquesne is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
      Duquesne is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games

      See more trends!
      FEBRUARY 15, 7:00 PM
      MARYLAND vs. NORTHWESTERN
      The total has gone OVER in 5 of Maryland's last 7 games on the road
      The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Maryland's last 19 games on the road
      Northwestern is 18-3 SU in its last 21 games at home
      The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Northwestern's last 5 games

      See more trends!
      FEBRUARY 15, 8:00 PM
      GEORGIA TECH vs. MIAMI
      The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Georgia Tech's last 5 games when playing on the road against Miami
      Georgia Tech is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Miami
      Miami is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games when playing Georgia Tech
      The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Miami's last 10 games when playing Georgia Tech

      See more trends!
      FEBRUARY 15, 8:00 PM
      BRADLEY vs. NORTHERN IOWA
      Bradley is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
      Bradley is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
      Northern Iowa is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Bradley
      The total has gone OVER in 10 of Northern Iowa's last 15 games when playing Bradley

      See more trends!
      FEBRUARY 15, 8:00 PM
      INDIANA STATE vs. LOYOLA OF CHICAGO
      Indiana State is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games on the road
      Indiana State is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
      Loyola of Chicago is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Indiana State
      The total has gone OVER in 6 of Loyola of Chicago's last 9 games at home

      See more trends!
      FEBRUARY 15, 8:00 PM
      CREIGHTON vs. SETON HALL
      The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Creighton's last 6 games on the road
      Creighton is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games on the road
      Seton Hall is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Creighton
      Seton Hall is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home

      See more trends!
      FEBRUARY 15, 8:00 PM
      NORTH CAROLINA vs. NORTH CAROLINA STATE
      North Carolina is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against North Carolina St
      The total has gone OVER in 4 of North Carolina's last 5 games when playing on the road against North Carolina St
      North Carolina State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
      North Carolina State is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games

      See more trends!
      FEBRUARY 15, 8:30 PM
      ST. JOHN'S vs. BUTLER
      The total has gone OVER in 6 of St. John's last 7 games on the road
      St. John's is 4-20 SU in its last 24 games on the road
      Butler is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games
      The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Butler's last 6 games

      See more trends!
      FEBRUARY 15, 8:30 PM
      ALABAMA vs. MISSOURI
      Alabama is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
      The total has gone OVER in 5 of Alabama's last 5 games on the road
      Missouri is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games at home
      Missouri is 2-14 SU in its last 16 games

      See more trends!
      FEBRUARY 15, 9:00 PM
      TULANE vs. SOUTHERN METHODIST
      Tulane is 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Southern Methodis
      Tulane is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Southern Methodis
      Southern Methodist is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Tulane
      Southern Methodist is 5-1-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Tulane

      See more trends!
      FEBRUARY 15, 9:00 PM
      INDIANA vs. MINNESOTA
      The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
      Indiana is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
      Minnesota is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Indiana
      The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 6 games

      See more trends!
      FEBRUARY 15, 9:00 PM
      OKLAHOMA STATE vs. TCU
      Oklahoma State is 7-16 SU in its last 23 games on the road
      The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oklahoma State's last 5 games on the road
      TCU is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Oklahoma State
      The total has gone UNDER in 4 of TCU's last 5 games when playing at home against Oklahoma State

      See more trends!
      FEBRUARY 15, 9:00 PM
      NEVADA vs. AIR FORCE
      The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Nevada's last 5 games on the road
      Nevada is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games on the road
      The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Air Force's last 9 games at home
      The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Air Force's last 5 games

      See more trends!
      FEBRUARY 15, 9:00 PM
      ILLINOIS STATE vs. MISSOURI STATE
      Illinois State is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games on the road
      The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Illinois State's last 6 games on the road
      Missouri State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Illinois State
      The total has gone OVER in 10 of Missouri State's last 15 games when playing Illinois State

      See more trends!
      FEBRUARY 15, 9:00 PM
      DUKE vs. VIRGINIA
      Duke is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Virginia
      The total has gone OVER in 5 of Duke's last 5 games on the road
      Virginia is 22-3 SU in its last 25 games at home
      Virginia is 18-6 SU in its last 24 games

      See more trends!
      FEBRUARY 15, 10:00 PM
      SAN JOSE STATE vs. FRESNO STATE
      San Jose State is 5-18 SU in its last 23 games on the road
      The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Jose State's last 5 games on the road
      The total has gone OVER in 4 of Fresno State's last 6 games at home
      Fresno State is 19-2 SU in its last 21 games at home

      See more trends!
      FEBRUARY 15, 10:00 PM
      CAL POLY vs. CS NORTHRIDGE
      Cal Poly is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games when playing on the road against CS Northridge
      Cal Poly is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against CS Northridge
      CS Northridge is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing Cal Poly
      The total has gone UNDER in 6 of CS Northridge's last 7 games when playing Cal Poly

      See more trends!
      FEBRUARY 15, 10:00 PM
      SAN DIEGO STATE vs. UTAH STATE
      San Diego State is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
      San Diego State is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
      The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Utah State's last 7 games when playing San Diego State
      Utah State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Diego State
      Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

      Comment


      • NCAAB
        Dunkel

        Wednesday, February 15


        LIU-Brooklyn @ St. Francis-NY

        Game 595-596
        February 15, 2017 @ 6:00 pm

        Dunkel Rating:
        LIU-Brooklyn
        45.958
        St. Francis-NY
        37.771
        Dunkel Team:
        Dunkel Line:
        Dunkel Total:
        LIU-Brooklyn
        by 8
        144
        Vegas Team:
        Vegas Line:
        Vegas Total:
        LIU-Brooklyn
        by 4 1/2
        134
        Dunkel Pick:
        St. Francis-NY
        (+4 1/2); Over

        IUPUI @ South Dakota St

        Game 593-594
        February 15, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

        Dunkel Rating:
        IUPUI
        51.313
        South Dakota St
        55.436
        Dunkel Team:
        Dunkel Line:
        Dunkel Total:
        South Dakota St
        by 4
        148
        Vegas Team:
        Vegas Line:
        Vegas Total:
        South Dakota St
        by 6
        159
        Dunkel Pick:
        IUPUI
        (+6); Under

        North Dakota St @ IPFW

        Game 591-592
        February 15, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

        Dunkel Rating:
        North Dakota St
        59.573
        IPFW
        57.608
        Dunkel Team:
        Dunkel Line:
        Dunkel Total:
        North Dakota St
        by 2
        147
        Vegas Team:
        Vegas Line:
        Vegas Total:
        IPFW
        by 6
        152 1/2
        Dunkel Pick:
        North Dakota St
        (+6); Under

        Samford @ E Tenn State

        Game 589-590
        February 15, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

        Dunkel Rating:
        Samford
        47.653
        E Tenn State
        63.636
        Dunkel Team:
        Dunkel Line:
        Dunkel Total:
        E Tenn State
        by 16
        142
        Vegas Team:
        Vegas Line:
        Vegas Total:
        E Tenn State
        by 11
        150 1/2
        Dunkel Pick:
        E Tenn State
        (-11); Under

        Wofford @ NC-Greensboro

        Game 587-588
        February 15, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

        Dunkel Rating:
        Wofford
        53.864
        NC-Greensboro
        52.828
        Dunkel Team:
        Dunkel Line:
        Dunkel Total:
        Wofford
        by 1
        152
        Vegas Team:
        Vegas Line:
        Vegas Total:
        NC-Greensboro
        by 2 1/2
        146 1/2
        Dunkel Pick:
        Wofford
        (+2 1/2); Over

        Furman @ Western Carolina

        Game 585-586
        February 15, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

        Dunkel Rating:
        Furman
        61.139
        Western Carolina
        43.304
        Dunkel Team:
        Dunkel Line:
        Dunkel Total:
        Furman
        by 18
        136
        Vegas Team:
        Vegas Line:
        Vegas Total:
        Furman
        by 10 1/2
        129
        Dunkel Pick:
        Furman
        (-10 1/2); Over

        Chattanooga @ VMI

        Game 583-584
        February 15, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

        Dunkel Rating:
        Chattanooga
        59.751
        VMI
        42.652
        Dunkel Team:
        Dunkel Line:
        Dunkel Total:
        Chattanooga
        by 17
        141
        Vegas Team:
        Vegas Line:
        Vegas Total:
        Chattanooga
        by 13
        146 1/2
        Dunkel Pick:
        Chattanooga
        (-13); Under

        San Diego St @ Utah State

        Game 581-582
        February 15, 2017 @ 10:00 pm

        Dunkel Rating:
        San Diego St
        59.286
        Utah State
        62.075
        Dunkel Team:
        Dunkel Line:
        Dunkel Total:
        Utah State
        by 3
        138
        Vegas Team:
        Vegas Line:
        Vegas Total:
        San Diego St
        by 4
        132
        Dunkel Pick:
        Utah State
        (+4); Over

        Cal Poly @ Northridge

        Game 579-580
        February 15, 2017 @ 10:00 pm

        Dunkel Rating:
        Cal Poly
        44.498
        Northridge
        55.818
        Dunkel Team:
        Dunkel Line:
        Dunkel Total:
        Northridge
        by 11 1/2
        146
        Vegas Team:
        Vegas Line:
        Vegas Total:
        Northridge
        by 7
        154
        Dunkel Pick:
        Northridge
        (-7); Over

        San Jose St @ Fresno State

        Game 577-578
        February 15, 2017 @ 10:00 pm

        Dunkel Rating:
        San Jose St
        56.498
        Fresno State
        58.272
        Dunkel Team:
        Dunkel Line:
        Dunkel Total:
        Fresno State
        by 2
        152
        Vegas Team:
        Vegas Line:
        Vegas Total:
        Fresno State
        by 7 1/2
        144 1/2
        Dunkel Pick:
        San Jose St
        (+7 1/2); Over

        Nevada @ Air Force

        Game 575-576
        February 15, 2017 @ 9:00 pm

        Dunkel Rating:
        Nevada
        58.077
        Air Force
        55.847
        Dunkel Team:
        Dunkel Line:
        Dunkel Total:
        Nevada
        by 2
        144
        Vegas Team:
        Vegas Line:
        Vegas Total:
        Nevada
        by 6
        151
        Dunkel Pick:
        Air Force
        (+6); Under

        Tulane @ SMU

        Game 573-574
        February 15, 2017 @ 9:00 pm

        Dunkel Rating:
        Tulane
        46.342
        SMU
        80.701
        Dunkel Team:
        Dunkel Line:
        Dunkel Total:
        SMU
        by 34 1/2
        144
        Vegas Team:
        Vegas Line:
        Vegas Total:
        SMU
        by 23 1/2
        140
        Dunkel Pick:
        SMU
        (-23 1/2); Over

        Illinois State @ Missouri State

        Game 571-572
        February 15, 2017 @ 9:00 pm

        Dunkel Rating:
        Illinois State
        64.671
        Missouri State
        56.770
        Dunkel Team:
        Dunkel Line:
        Dunkel Total:
        Illinois State
        by 8
        141
        Vegas Team:
        Vegas Line:
        Vegas Total:
        Illinois State
        by 3 1/2
        130
        Dunkel Pick:
        Illinois State
        (-3 1/2); Over

        Duke @ Virginia

        Game 569-570
        February 15, 2017 @ 9:00 pm

        Dunkel Rating:
        Duke
        76.573
        Virginia
        75.013
        Dunkel Team:
        Dunkel Line:
        Dunkel Total:
        Duke
        by 1 1/2
        122
        Vegas Team:
        Vegas Line:
        Vegas Total:
        Virginia
        by 5 1/2
        127
        Dunkel Pick:
        Duke
        (+5 1/2); Under

        Oklahoma State @ TCU

        Game 567-568
        February 15, 2017 @ 9:00 pm

        Dunkel Rating:
        Oklahoma State
        74.894
        TCU
        68.454
        Dunkel Team:
        Dunkel Line:
        Dunkel Total:
        Oklahoma State
        by 6 1/2
        149
        Vegas Team:
        Vegas Line:
        Vegas Total:
        TCU
        by 1 1/2
        157
        Dunkel Pick:
        Oklahoma State
        (+1 1/2); Under

        Indiana @ Minnesota

        Game 565-566
        February 15, 2017 @ 9:00 pm

        Dunkel Rating:
        Indiana
        65.796
        Minnesota
        69.213
        Dunkel Team:
        Dunkel Line:
        Dunkel Total:
        Minnesota
        by 3 1/2
        148
        Vegas Team:
        Vegas Line:
        Vegas Total:
        Minnesota
        by 6
        144
        Dunkel Pick:
        Indiana
        (+6); Over

        St John's @ Butler

        Game 563-564
        February 15, 2017 @ 8:30 pm

        Dunkel Rating:
        St John's
        61.246
        Butler
        76.237
        Dunkel Team:
        Dunkel Line:
        Dunkel Total:
        Butler
        by 15
        138
        Vegas Team:
        Vegas Line:
        Vegas Total:
        Butler
        by 10 1/2
        150 1/2
        Dunkel Pick:
        Butler
        (-10 1/2); Under

        Alabama @ Missouri

        Game 561-562
        February 15, 2017 @ 8:30 pm

        Dunkel Rating:
        Alabama
        69.044
        Missouri
        58.280
        Dunkel Team:
        Dunkel Line:
        Dunkel Total:
        Alabama
        by 11
        148
        Vegas Team:
        Vegas Line:
        Vegas Total:
        Alabama
        by 4 1/2
        130
        Dunkel Pick:
        Alabama
        (-4 1/2); Over

        Creighton @ Seton Hall

        Game 559-560
        February 15, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

        Dunkel Rating:
        Creighton
        66.240
        Seton Hall
        73.694
        Dunkel Team:
        Dunkel Line:
        Dunkel Total:
        Seton Hall
        by 7 1/2
        139
        Vegas Team:
        Vegas Line:
        Vegas Total:
        Creighton
        by 1 1/2
        148
        Dunkel Pick:
        Seton Hall
        (+1 1/2); Under

        Bradley @ Northern Iowa

        Game 557-558
        February 15, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

        Dunkel Rating:
        Bradley
        54.260
        Northern Iowa
        56.655
        Dunkel Team:
        Dunkel Line:
        Dunkel Total:
        Northern Iowa
        by 2 1/2
        132
        Vegas Team:
        Vegas Line:
        Vegas Total:
        Northern Iowa
        by 12
        121
        Dunkel Pick:
        Bradley
        (+12); Over

        Indiana State @ Loyola-Chicago

        Game 555-556
        February 15, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

        Dunkel Rating:
        Indiana State
        52.188
        Loyola-Chicago
        60.963
        Dunkel Team:
        Dunkel Line:
        Dunkel Total:
        Loyola-Chicago
        by 9
        149
        Vegas Team:
        Vegas Line:
        Vegas Total:
        Loyola-Chicago
        by 6
        141
        Dunkel Pick:
        Loyola-Chicago
        (-6); Over

        North Carolina @ NC State

        Game 553-554
        February 15, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

        Dunkel Rating:
        North Carolina
        76.904
        NC State
        58.081
        Dunkel Team:
        Dunkel Line:
        Dunkel Total:
        North Carolina
        by 19
        162
        Vegas Team:
        Vegas Line:
        Vegas Total:
        North Carolina
        by 10
        171
        Dunkel Pick:
        North Carolina
        (-10); Under

        Georgia Tech @ Miami-FL

        Game 551-552
        February 15, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

        Dunkel Rating:
        Georgia Tech
        66.774
        Miami-FL
        70.520
        Dunkel Team:
        Dunkel Line:
        Dunkel Total:
        Miami-FL
        by 4
        134
        Vegas Team:
        Vegas Line:
        Vegas Total:
        Miami-FL
        by 10 1/2
        124 1/2
        Dunkel Pick:
        Georgia Tech
        (+10 1/2); Over

        Iowa State @ Kansas State

        Game 549-550
        February 15, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

        Dunkel Rating:
        Iowa State
        71.177
        Kansas State
        69.145
        Dunkel Team:
        Dunkel Line:
        Dunkel Total:
        Iowa State
        by 2
        152
        Vegas Team:
        Vegas Line:
        Vegas Total:
        Kansas State
        by 4
        140
        Dunkel Pick:
        Iowa State
        (+4); Over

        Maryland @ Northwestern

        Game 547-548
        February 15, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

        Dunkel Rating:
        Maryland
        66.805
        Northwestern
        73.353
        Dunkel Team:
        Dunkel Line:
        Dunkel Total:
        Northwestern
        by 6 1/2
        129
        Vegas Team:
        Vegas Line:
        Vegas Total:
        Northwestern
        by 2
        137
        Dunkel Pick:
        Northwestern
        (-2); Under

        Massachusetts @ Duquesne

        Game 545-546
        February 15, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

        Dunkel Rating:
        Massachusetts
        57.590
        Duquesne
        50.509
        Dunkel Team:
        Dunkel Line:
        Dunkel Total:
        Massachusetts
        by 7
        138
        Vegas Team:
        Vegas Line:
        Vegas Total:
        Massachusetts
        by 3 1/2
        152
        Dunkel Pick:
        Massachusetts
        (-3 1/2); Under

        Fordham @ Rhode Island

        Game 543-544
        February 15, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

        Dunkel Rating:
        Fordham
        50.080
        Rhode Island
        69.504
        Dunkel Team:
        Dunkel Line:
        Dunkel Total:
        Rhode Island
        by 19 1/2
        146
        Vegas Team:
        Vegas Line:
        Vegas Total:
        Rhode Island
        by 14 1/2
        132 1/2
        Dunkel Pick:
        Rhode Island
        (-14 1/2); Over

        George Washington @ Davidson

        Game 541-542
        February 15, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

        Dunkel Rating:
        George Washington
        54.692
        Davidson
        66.794
        Dunkel Team:
        Dunkel Line:
        Dunkel Total:
        Davidson
        by 12
        156
        Vegas Team:
        Vegas Line:
        Vegas Total:
        Davidson
        by 7
        138 1/2
        Dunkel Pick:
        Davidson
        (-7); Over

        LaSalle @ St Bonaventure

        Game 539-540
        February 15, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

        Dunkel Rating:
        LaSalle
        60.405
        St Bonaventure
        57.977
        Dunkel Team:
        Dunkel Line:
        Dunkel Total:
        LaSalle
        by 2 1/2
        141
        Vegas Team:
        Vegas Line:
        Vegas Total:
        St Bonaventure
        by 5
        154
        Dunkel Pick:
        LaSalle
        (+5); Under

        Temple @ East Carolina

        Game 537-538
        February 15, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

        Dunkel Rating:
        Temple
        56.564
        East Carolina
        58.942
        Dunkel Team:
        Dunkel Line:
        Dunkel Total:
        East Carolina
        by 2 1/2
        125
        Vegas Team:
        Vegas Line:
        Vegas Total:
        Temple
        by 6
        131
        Dunkel Pick:
        East Carolina
        (+6); Under

        Cincinnati @ South Florida

        Game 535-536
        February 15, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

        Dunkel Rating:
        Cincinnati
        71.954
        South Florida
        47.815
        Dunkel Team:
        Dunkel Line:
        Dunkel Total:
        Cincinnati
        by 24
        152
        Vegas Team:
        Vegas Line:
        Vegas Total:
        Cincinnati
        by 19
        133
        Dunkel Pick:
        Cincinnati
        (-19); Over

        Wichita State @ Southern Illinois

        Game 533-534
        February 15, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

        Dunkel Rating:
        Wichita State
        73.889
        Southern Illinois
        57.313
        Dunkel Team:
        Dunkel Line:
        Dunkel Total:
        Wichita State
        by 17 1/2
        147
        Vegas Team:
        Vegas Line:
        Vegas Total:
        Wichita State
        by 13 1/2
        141
        Dunkel Pick:
        Wichita State
        (-13 1/2); Over

        Arkansas @ South Carolina

        Game 531-532
        February 15, 2017 @ 6:30 pm

        Dunkel Rating:
        Arkansas
        66.745
        South Carolina
        66.547
        Dunkel Team:
        Dunkel Line:
        Dunkel Total:
        Arkansas
        Even
        140
        Vegas Team:
        Vegas Line:
        Vegas Total:
        South Carolina
        by 9 1/2
        142
        Dunkel Pick:
        Arkansas
        (+9 1/2); Under

        Xavier @ Providence

        Game 529-530
        February 15, 2017 @ 6:30 pm

        Dunkel Rating:
        Xavier
        67.831
        Providence
        70.894
        Dunkel Team:
        Dunkel Line:
        Dunkel Total:
        Providence
        by 3
        132
        Vegas Team:
        Vegas Line:
        Vegas Total:
        Providence
        No Line
        N/A
        Dunkel Pick:
        Providence
        N/A
        Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

        Comment


        • Wednesday's Tip Sheet
          February 15, 2017


          **Maryland at Northwestern**


          -- Maryland and Northwestern are poised to do battle in a crucial Big Ten showdown tonight at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston. The Terrapins are 9-3 in league play, leaving them one game back of conference-leading Wisconsin and its 10-2 record. The Wildcats are 8-4 in Big Ten play, two games back of the Badgers.

          -- As of early this morning, most books had Northwestern (19-6 straight up, 15-7 against the spread) installed as a two-point favorite.

          -- Chris Collins’s team will be without junior guard Scottie Lindsey (mono) for a fourth consecutive game. Lindsey averages 15.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Northwestern had won six in a row both SU and ATS before Lindsey was injured. Since then, the Wildcats have lost two of three both SU and ATS.

          -- Northwestern dropped its first two games without Lindsey, only to go into Madison on Sunday and win a 66-59 decision as an 11.5-point road underdog. Bryant McIntosh was the catalyst with 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists compared to just two turnovers. Vic Law and Dererk Pardon chipped in 11 points apiece while combining to grab 14 rebounds.

          -- Barring an epic collapse down the stretch, Northwestern is en route to its first NCAA Tournament bid in school history. The Wildcats are No. 34 in the RPI Rankings, producing a 1-4 record against the Top 25, a 3-5 mark versus the Top 50 and an 8-6 ledgers against the Top 100. They have quality road wins at Wisconsin, at Penn State, at Nebraska and at Ohio State. In addition, the Wildcats have home wins over Wake Forest, Nebraska and Indiana, in addition to a road scalp of Dayton. They have just one loss to an opponent with an RPI lower than No. 41, falling 68-61 at home to Illinois (No. 66) without Lindsey.

          -- McIntosh (14.0 points per game) is Northwestern’s second-leading scorer behind Lindsey. He has a 140/67 assists-to-turnovers ratio. Law averages 13.5 PPG thanks to 43.2 percent shooting from 3-point range.

          -- Northwestern is ranked No. 15 in the country in free-throw shooting percentage (76.7%), while it is 12th in the nation in field-goal percentage defense (38.9%).

          -- Maryland (21-4 SU, 13-7-3 ATS) has won four in a row over Northwestern, including all three meetings since joining the Big Ten. When these teams met in College Park last year, the Terps needed overtime to escape with a 62-56 win, although the Wildcats took the cash as 12-point underdogs.

          -- Mark Turgeon’s squad has won six of seven road games both SU and ATS.

          -- Maryland is one of the nation’s biggest surprises this season. It raced out to a 21-2 record before dropping back-to-back games at home vs. Purdue (73-72) and at Penn State (70-64). The Terps avoided a three-game slide Saturday by capturing an 86-77 win over Ohio State as 7.5-point home ‘chalk.’ Anthony Cowan produced 19 points and four assists compared to only one turnover, while Kevin Huerter finished with 18 points, four rebounds and three assists. Melo Trimble added 10 points and four assists with just one turnover.

          -- Maryland is No. 23 in the RPI, compiling a 1-1 record against the Top 25, a 3-1 mark versus the Top 50 and a 12-4 record against the Top 100. The Terps own road scalps at Minnesota, at Georgetown, at Michigan, at Illinois and at Ohio St. They’ve also won on neutral floors against Richmond and Kansas State, in addition to home triumphs over Oklahoma State, Illinois, Towson, Indiana and Ohio St.

          -- Turgeon’s troops are led by Trimble, who averages 16.6 points, 3.6 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game. Justin Jackson, a highly-touted freshman forward, is averaging 11.1 points and 6.4 RPG while shooting at a 44.2 percent clip from 3-point range. Huerter (9.3 PPG) is draining 38.5 percent from long distance, pulling down 4.9 RPG and has a 61/31 assists-to-turnovers ratio.

          -- Maryland’s Dion Wiley (4.0 PPG, 1.8 RPG) has been dealing with a back injury and is ‘questionable’ at Northwestern.

          -- Northwestern (19-6 SU, 15-7 ATS) has won 12 of 14 home games while posting a 7-4 spread record.

          -- The ‘under’ has been a major money maker in Northwestern games this year, cashing at a 14-6-2 overall clip. The Wildcats have seen the ‘under’ go 7-3-1 in their home contests. They’ve seen the ‘under’ go 6-1-1 in their last eight (regardless of venue).

          -- The ‘under’ is 13-10-3 overall for the Terrapins, but they’ve watched the ‘over’ go 4-3 in their seven road assignments.

          -- Tip-off is slated for 7:00 p.m. Eastern on the Big Ten Network.

          **Duke at Virginia**

          -- As they prep to square off tonight in Charlottesville, Virginia and Duke are in a fourth-place tie in the ACC standings. However, both schools are just one game off the pace being set by league-leading North Carolina with its 9-3 ACC mark. FSU and Louisville are one-half game behind UNC (and one-half game ahead of the Blue Devils and Cavaliers).

          -- As of early this morning, most books had Virginia (18-6 SU, 14-8 ATS) listed as a five-point home ‘chalk.’ The Cavs owns a 10-2 SU record and a 6-4 ATS mark at home this season.

          -- Tony Bennett’s squad has dropped three of its last five games, including an 80-78 loss Sunday night at Virginia Tech. The Cavs failed to cover the five-point number in the overtime setback. UVA blew a 14-point halftime lead in part due to mediocre free-throw shooting (14-of-24; 58.3%). London Perrantes scored a game-high 22 points in the losing effort. Kyle Guy scored 12 points off the bench in 23 minutes of playing time.

          -- Virginia is No. 13 in the RPI, posting a 3-2 record against the Top 25, a 6-4 mark versus the Top 50 and a 10-6 ledger against the Top 100. The Cavs own notable road wins at California, at Louisville, at Notre Dame and at Clemson. They’ve also posted home victories over Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Louisville, Ohio State and Georgia Tech, in addition to neutral-court wins over Providence and Iowa.

          -- UVA leads the country in scoring defense, limiting foes to 55.1 PPG. The Cavs are 18th in field-goal percentage defense (39.4%).

          -- Duke (20-5 SU, 10-14 ATS) has won three of its six road assignments while going 2-4 ATS. The Blue Devils have been underdogs twice, going 0-2 in both spots that were on the road.

          -- Duke is No. 14 in the RPI, going 3-3 against the Top 25, 7-4 versus the Top 50 and 11-5 against the Top 100. The Blue Devils have neutral-court wins over Penn St., Florida and Rhode Island, while also winning at Wake Forest and at Notre Dame. They’ve also registered home wins vs. Michigan St., Miami, North Carolina Ga. Tech, Pitt and Clemson.

          -- Since losing three of four games, Duke has ripped off five consecutive victories, including Saturday’s 64-62 win over Clemson as an 11-point home favorite. Luke Kennard led the way for the winners with a game-best 25 points on 4-of-8 shooting from 3-point land.

          -- Kennard has the smoothest lefty jumper I’ve seen since Chris Mullin was shredding the nets at St. John’s in the mid-1980s. He is averaging a team-high 20.0 PPG while making 52.7 percent from the field, 45.9 percent from beyond the arc and 84.7 percent at the free-throw line. Kennard also pulls down 5.1 RPG and has a decent 62/40 assists-to-turnovers ratio. Grayson Allen (15.9 PPG) has been turning his game up of late after dealing with a lot of controversy a few weeks ago. Jayson Tatum, a true freshman, is scoring at a 15.6 PPG clip while also grabbing 7.0 RPG. Amile Jefferson (11.3 PPG, 9.1 RPG) has a team-high 33 rejections.

          -- The ‘under’ is 13-10-1 overall for the Blue Devils, but they’ve watched the ‘over’ hit at a 5-1 clip in their road assignments. Regardless of the venue, the ‘over’ is on an 8-3-1 roll in Duke games.

          -- The ‘under’ is 13-8-1 overall for the Cavs, 5-5 in their home contests. They had seen the ‘under’ go on a 5-0-1 spree until recently seeing back-to-back ‘overs.
          Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

          Comment


          • Trends to Watch - Wednesday
            February 15, 2017


            West Meets East...err, South

            Arkansas heads east to meet South Carolina in a battle between two teams with at least 18 victories. Both of these sides will be dancing in March, and now it's just a matter of how they'll be seeded. A quality win will go a long way toward securing a solid line in the NCAA Tournament.

            The Razorbacks haven't been able to piece together lengthy streaks against the number. The Hogs are 2-5 ATS in their past seven after a straight up win, and they're 1-4 ATS in their past five following a cover. The Gamecocks haven't been very good against the number lately, either, as they're 1-3-1 ATS in their past five as favorites and 1-4 ATS in their past five against teams with a winning straight up record. However, South Carolina is 7-0 ATS in their past seven home games against teams with a winning road mark. The ranked 'Cocks are also 17-8-1 ATS in their past 26 against teams with a winning percentage over .600.

            The road team has cashed in four of the past five meetings in this series, although Arkansas is just 2-5 ATS in their past seven trips to Columbia. If you're considering the total, the 'under' is 5-1 in the past six meetings. However, the 'over' is 4-0 in South Carolina's past four games overall, and 4-0 in their past four as a favorite. On the flip side, the 'under' is 10-4 in Arkansas' past 14 road outings, and 8-3 in their past 11 as an underdog.

            Triangle Tussle

            North Carolina takes the quick jaunt east on Interstate 40 over to PNC Arena to battle North Carolina State. As of Tuesday night the Tar Heels are favored by 10 1/2 points. The Heels will be mighty ornery after slipping up in the first installment of the Battle of the Blue against rival Duke. UNC might be in better shape health-wise, as F Isaiah Hicks (hamstring) might be able to return after being a no-show in the Duke game due to a hamstring ailment. If Hicks remains on the shelf it would be senior F Kennedy Meeks being asked to pick up the slack.

            It will be head coach Roy Williams' 500th game on the sidelines as coach of UNC. The Heels haven't been very good against the number lately, going 0-4 ATS in their past four on the road, 0-4 ATS in their past four league games and 1-4 ATS in their past five as a favorite. They're also 1-5 ATS in their past six as a road favorite. The Wolfpack haven't been much better, however. While they were able to something UNC couldn't do - beat Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium - the Pack are 1-4 ATS in their past five home games and 0-4 ATS in their past four as an underdog. N.C. State is also a dismal 0-5 ATS in their past five overall, and 0-5 ATS in their past five against teams with a straight up winning mark. UNC has cashed in nine of their past 13 trips to Raleigh, and the favorite is 14-6 ATS in the past 20 in this series. While the 'over' has connected in four of the past five at PNC Arena, the 'under' is 4-0 in the past four meetings overall.

            American Oxygen


            Cincinnati is in action at South Florida. For most of the season the Bearcats were the only team getting national attention in the AAC. However, Southern Methodist has burst on the scene, and they're in action against Tulane. The Mustangs are coming off a 60-51 win against the Bearcats, their seventh consecutive cover. SMU is an impressive 8-0-1 ATS over their past nine outings, too. That one push came in an 80-64 victory at Tulane on Jan. 15.

            The Green Wave limp in with a 4-20 SU record, although they have been a good value on the road lately. Tulane is 4-1 ATS in their past five road games, and 4-1 ATS in their past five as a road underdog. SMU is 13-3 ATS in their past 16 games at home, while going an impressive 20-5-1 ATS in their past 26 as a favorite. They're also 5-1-1 ATS in their past seven against teams with a losing overall record. The public has bet down the number from 26 to 23 1/2 as of early Wednesday morning, but the Green Wave are 0-5 ATS in their past five trips to the Metroplex and 0-3-1 ATS in the past four meetings overall. The favorite is an impressive 14-2-1 in the past 17 in this series.

            If you like to bet totals, the 'under' is 10-4-1 in the past 15 in this series, and 5-0-1 in the past six meetings at SMU.

            The Bearcats will hit the road for USF, licking their wounds after a 60-51 loss at SMU on Sunday. The last time these teams met, Cincinnati emasculated South Florida by a 94-53 score as 25-point favorites on their home court. The 'over' hit in that meeting. That's been a familiar theme for USF, as the over is 7-1 in their past eight overall, 7-1 in their past eight as an underdog and 4-1 in their past five at home. However, the under is a perfect 4-0 in the past four meetings in the Sun Dome.

            Cincinnati is 4-1 ATS in their past five games as a favorite of 13 or more points, and they're a perfect 5-0 ATS in their past five against teams with a losing overall mark. However, the Bearcats are a dismal 1-5 ATS in their past six trips to Tampa, and 4-13 ATS in the past 17 meetings overall. The underdog has hit in six of the past eight overall in this series.

            In Other Action...

            Oklahoma State takes on Texas Christian in Fort Worth looking to sweep the regular season series. The Cowboys won 89-76 in Stillwater on Jan. 23, covering a 4 1/2-point number. TCU hasn't had a lot of success against the spread recently, going 2-6 ATS over the past eight and 2-4 ATS in their past six at home. The Cowboys have been much better, going 6-1 SU/ATS over their past seven games overall.

            Illinois State is going to be a tough out in the NCAA Tournament for someone, whether it is in the first round or later. They head to Missouri State in a key Missouri Valley Conference battle, and they're favored by just 3 1/2. The Redbirds are 8-1 ATS in their past nine on the road, but just 2-5 ATS in their past seven games overall. Still, they're 7-0 ATS in their past seven as a road favorite. The Bears are 1-6 ATS in their past seven at home, and 1-4 ATS in their past five against winning teams. Perhaps the reason Illinois State is favored by so little is because they're just 2-6 ATS in the past eight meetings, and 1-4 ATS in their past five trips to JQH Arena in Springfield, Mo.
            Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

            Comment


            • Big East Snapshot
              February 14, 2017


              Injuries to a pair of key players have limited the overall season potential of a Big East conference that grabbed a lot of early season headlines. The conference still has last season’s national champions leading the way and eight teams are still in the conversation to make the NCAA Tournament.

              Here is a look at relevant contenders in the Big East with many big games ahead in the next two weeks.

              Favorite – Villanova (12-2 S/U, 6-8 ATS): After starting the season 14-0 the defending national champions have taken two losses in Big East play but they have a comfortable cushion in the standings with only four games to go. The remaining four games are all of a difficult variety with road games vs. a pair of NCAA Tournament bubble teams with Seton Hall and Georgetown seeking a marquee win as well as road games vs. Butler and Creighton as it would be perhaps a surprise if the Wildcats don’t suffer at least one more setback before opening the conference tournament as the top seed, after failing to win that tournament title last season.

              There isn’t much depth on this year’s team but Josh Hart remains one of the nation’s top all around players while Final Four hero Kris Jenkins has delivered a solid senior season. Jalen Brunson has made a big leap as a sophomore as has Donte DiVincenzo. This year’s team isn’t quite as strong defensively as last year’s championship team but they are actually an even stronger shooting team and a squad with a realistic shot at a repeat Final Four run.

              Contender – Creighton (8-4 S/U, 8-4 ATS): The Blue Jays lost their first two games without senior point guard Maurice Watson but with wins in three of four games since Creighton remains a long shot threat to win out and catch Villanova if the Wildcats stumble. Getting to play Villanova is a big part of keeping that door open and the rest of the schedule provides a reasonable opportunity for Creighton to win out to reach 14-4 in league play even if the probability of that type of run is very low.

              Three of four Creighton losses this season have come at home surprisingly as they have notable road wins in league play vs. Butler and Xavier and they won’t have to play either of those teams again until possibly in the Big East tournament. Xavier’s remaining path looks much tougher in comparing the two second place teams in the league and a strong finish could push the Blue Jays to a top four seed line in the Big Dance although the perfect non-conference season hasn’t held up that well outside of a win over Wisconsin.

              Overachiever – Xavier (8-4 S/U, 5-7 ATS): The Musketeers have already surpassed last season’s loss count when Xavier earned a #2 seed in the NCAA Tournament only to fail to survive the first weekend. This year’s team picked up some meaningful non-conference wins beating Clemson, Utah, and Wake Forest but only a road win vs. Creighton stands out in Big East play. Xavier was blown out in both meetings with Villanova and the remaining schedule features four road games plus home dates with Butler and Marquette as multiple losses look possible the rest of the way and the Musketeers aren’t that far from falling onto the NCAA Tournament bubble having gone 1-6 vs. AP Top 25 teams this season.

              This year’s team has far worse offensive and particularly defensive efficiency numbers compared with last season’s squad and while the Musketeers won their first three games after the injury to Edmond Sumner, his loss is likely to show up more prominently in the final weeks. Five of Xavier’s eight Big East wins have come by five or fewer points as this squad could easily be a few spots lower in the standings. Three straight tough road games in succession are ahead for Xavier with the team potentially heading in the wrong direction entering March.

              Sleeper – Butler (8-5 S/U, 7-6 ATS): Butler is in great shape to make the NCAA Tournament with quality wins over Arizona, Northwestern, Utah, Indiana, and Vanderbilt in non-conference action. Big East play has featured checkered results with a high end win hosting Villanova but also a loss to St. John’s and last weekend’s loss to Providence as well as a pair of home defeats. Butler has snuck out two overtime wins this season but every loss has been in a competitive game and the Bulldogs will certainly be a threat to win a few games in March as a national sleeper out of the Big East.

              Butler gets road shots vs. Villanova and Xavier in late February and while the Bulldogs aren’t a realistic threat to catch the Wildcats on top of the Big East, they are a threat to move up into the top three in the standings and with a decent Big East Tournament run Butler remain a top four seed in the Big Dance picture, as they were listed in the Selection Committee rankings last week. Butler has faced one of the toughest schedules of any Big East team and while the statistics don’t paint the Bulldogs as amazing in any area, they are above average almost completely across the board.

              Bubble Team – Marquette (6-7 S/U, 6-7 ATS): Right now most project Marquette as one of the very last teams to make the NCAA Tournament and a candidate to head to Dayton for a First Four game. After not making the NCAA Tournament since the Elite Eight run in 2013 that would be a good result for a young team that lacks size in Steve Wojciechowski’s third season in Milwaukee. Marquette’s comeback home win over Villanova is pulling a lot of weight and the Golden Eagles should pull for the Wildcats to keep winning for that win to look as strong as possible by season’s end. Marquette has wins over Georgetown, Seton Hall, and Creighton but also losses to two of those squads while taking back-to-back defeats to Providence and St. John’s following the big Villanova win in the stretch of the season that will be to blame if Marquette misses the Big Dance.

              The bad news for Marquette is that they still play Xavier twice while games at Providence and hosting Creighton are certainly difficult remaining tests. Getting to .500 in league play by the end of the season would probably be enough for Marquette to feel good about its postseason chances but losing any of the remaining games is possible featuring some of the worst defensive numbers in the Big East. Marquette is currently the nation’s top 3-point shooting team while also excelling at the line as the up-tempo squad will be a difficult matchup for many teams but they have work to do solidify a NCAA Tournament berth with a weaker RPI than expected thanks to a handful of wins vs. teams outside the top 300 padding the numbers and non-conference losses to Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pittsburgh not looking quite as noble as expected.

              Enigma – Georgetown (5-8 S/U, 5-8 ATS): Early season wins over Oregon and Syracuse away from home are big pluses on Georgetown’s 14-12 resume and league wins over Creighton and at Butler are also valuable despite a losing league record almost assured for the Hoyas. Losing both meetings with Providence as well as a home meeting with Seton Hall with a road meeting still to come could be crushing results in comparing teams that might end up looking rather similar out of the Big East in the eyes of the Selection Committee.

              Georgetown has lost two Big East overtime games among four home losses in league play and the team needs a strong run to close out the season to move ahead of the bubble which they are currently behind in most current projections. They get a big game at Creighton this weekend and finish the season hosting Villanova as the opportunities will be there if the right Hoyas squad shows up.

              Underachiever – Seton Hall (5-7 S/U, 5-7 ATS): Wins over Iowa, California, and South Carolina put some weight into Seton Hall’s profile but the Pirates haven’t defeated any of the top teams in Big East play. They’ve needed overtime for wins over Georgetown and Providence and a 3-point home win over Marquette is all that stands out as the Pirates are 0-4 vs. the top four teams.

              The good news is Seton Hall has plenty of opportunities for a big win down the stretch but the bad news is they have games remaining with each of the top four teams in the conference and too many more losses will burn a team that is in a fragile bubble position at the moment. The first three big games are all at home in succession and if Seton Hall can find a way to win two of those three games while avoiding an upset loss at DePaul they probably have done enough to get into the tournament but given the many close game losses in league play and a 62 percent free throw rate this is a team that will be tough to count on.

              Cash Collector – Providence (5-8 S/U, 8-5 ATS): The Friars have covered in seven of the last eight Big East games despite just a 5-8 S/U record on the season in conference play. The wins have all come against the better teams in the league but losses to DePaul and St. John’s plus a non-conference loss to Boston College greatly cripples the slim NCAA Tournament hopes for Ed Cooley’s team. This team could be an upset threat the rest of the way and a profitable underdog with three big games in a row coming up.

              The past seven ATS wins for Providence have all come in an underdog role and to date Providence has played the toughest rated Big East schedule at this point in the season with the revenge games vs. the two bottom teams in the conference still to come. 3-point shooting on both sides of the ball is a strong suit for the Friars who have had an admirable season despite losing two NBA draft picks from last year’s team and with a 4-1 record vs. Georgetown, Marquette, and Seton Hall, they might be able to work themselves into a favorable bubble spot with a strong finish despite lacking any great non-conference wins and currently trailing most of their conference peers in the RPI ratings.
              Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

              Comment


              • Preview: Razorbacks (18-7) at Gamecocks (20-5)
                Date: February 15, 2017 6:30 PM EDT


                In need of a sparkplug win, Arkansas heads to No. 21 South Carolina on Tuesday with an opportunity at improving its tenuous NCAA tournament position.

                The Razorbacks (18-7, 7-5 SEC) are coming off a road win at LSU, but have lost two of three overall, including an ugly 83-78 loss to a bad Missouri team. The rocky stretch has Arkansas teetering on the NCAA tournament bubble.

                The Gamecocks (20-5, 10-2 SEC) are sitting pretty. They are tied with No. 13 Kentucky and No. 15 Florida for first-place in the league standings. South Carolina already has 20 wins and is showing up around the 6-seed line on NCAA tournament bracket projections.

                "It seems like (South Carolina) is on a mission," Arkansas coach Mike Anderson said. "They're focused, they're going to be physical and get in the passing lanes. We're going to have to match their physicality on the boards."

                The Gamecocks bounced back from a rugged triple-overtime home loss to Alabama by going on the road and topping Mississippi State. It was South Carolina's fifth win in its last six outings. But coach Frank Martin's team knows far too well that they can't afford to lighten up down the stretch.

                Last season, South Carolina was 21-3 on Feb. 10, but lost five of its last eight games and was left out of the NCAA tournament field.

                A similar slump to close out this regular season would be stunning.

                "We have to not change our mindset, not get overwhelmed with a loss or overjoyed with a win," South Carolina coach Frank Martin said during his Monday press conference. "I hope we're able to continue to put what's in our past in the rearview mirror. This team has been pretty good with that."

                Senior guard Sindarius Thornwell leads the Gamecocks in points (19.8), rebounds (7.2), steals (2.2) and is tied for the team lead in assists at 2.8. Thornwell has the full attention of Anderson and the Razorbacks.

                "Not many people have stopped him so far," Anderson told reporters about his approach to slowing down the Gamecocks' star. "We're going to have to do it by committee."

                Martin believes Thornwell deserves SEC Player of the Year consideration, but knows where his senior's focus is at.

                "You tell me another player in the country that plays four different positions on the basketball court: Point guard, two guard, small forward, power forward, defends four different players on the court," Martin said. "(He) leads the team in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals, if I'm not mistaken, defends the best player on the other team, by the way. Tell me somebody else in the country another player that does that, let alone our conference. But I think if you asked him he'd tell you that he just wants to win and play in the NCAA tournament."

                The Razorbacks are 4-2 on the road in conference play this season.

                The Gamecocks won last year's meeting at Arkansas 76-61 to close out the regular season, but followed it up with loss to Georgia in their first game in the SEC tournament and ended up being left out of the NCAA tournament.
                Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

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                • Preview: Terrapins (21-4) at Wildcats (19-6)
                  Date: February 15, 2017 7:00 PM EDT


                  A first-ever NCAA tournament invitation is tantalizingly close and Northwestern could further cement its post-season credentials when it hosts No. 23 Maryland on Wednesday at Welsh-Ryan Arena.

                  It's also arguably the most important week of the season for the Terrapins (21-4, 9-3), who also have Wisconsin looming on Sunday in Madison.

                  Northwestern gave Maryland some help as with a 66-59 victory over then-No. 7 Wisconsin last Sunday.

                  It was a signature victory for the Wildcats (19-6, 8-4), who entered that game mired in a two-game losing streak and without leading scorer Scottie Lindsey (15.4 points) for the third straight game.

                  But Bryant McIntosh stepped into the breach with a game-high 25 points plus seven assists while the Wildcat defense repeatedly double-teamed and limited Badger big man Ethan Happ to 9 points.

                  "A lot of teams can feel sorry for themselves when they have their leading scorer out and things look like they're falling apart," McIntosh said.

                  The Wildcats, who received some poll attention this week but remained out of the Top 25, will apparently be without Lindsey again on Wednesday as continues to battle mononucleosis.

                  Lindsey had scored in double figures in all 22 games he's appeared in, all starts. The Wildcats are otherwise healthy heading into the game.

                  Maryland, meanwhile, is coming off its most productive offensive outing since late December with last Sunday's 86-77 victory over Ohio State. Four Terrapins score in double figures including a game-high 19 from Anthony Cowan.

                  "Offensively we were terrific," said Maryland coach Mark Turgeon. "We shared the ball nicely, had nine assists to eight turnovers and scored 86 points. We (also) did a lot of great things offensively. First half we were great defensively but we weren't any good in the second half defensively."

                  Melo Trimble, named last week to the John R. Wooden Award list, is averaging a team-high 16.6 points per game. Justin Jackson has a 11.1 average while Cowan scores at a 10.6 clip.

                  Northwestern is second in the Big Ten in fewest average points allowed (64.4 per game) and leads the league in defensive field goal percentage (.389).

                  They limited the Badgers to 38 percent shooting from the field (19-of-50).

                  "I thought our defense was the story of the game," said Northwestern coach Chris Collins. "(And) certainly Bryant's play was magnificent."

                  The Wildcats will need another exceptional defensive effort against a Terrapins team that average 75.6 points, good for fourth in the league and also with designs on the NCAA tournament.

                  Maryland, which reached the NCAA Sweet 16 last year, broke its own two-game losing streak with last Saturday's 86-77 victory over Ohio State.

                  Northwestern, which had a school record 20-win season in 2015-16 but failed to qualify for the NCAA or NIT tournaments, continues Big Ten play at home on Saturday against Rutgers.
                  Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

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                  • Preview: Bearcats (22-3) at Bulls (7-17)
                    Date: February 15, 2017 7:00 PM EDT


                    After suffering its first loss in more than two months, Cincinnati will try to get back on track Wednesday night when the 18th-ranked Bearcats travel to play South Florida in an American Athletic Conference game at the USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Fla.

                    Cincinnati (22-3, 11-1 AAC) suffered a 60-51 loss to then-No. 25 SMU last week. The loss ended the Bearcats' 15-game winning streak and caused them to drop seven spots in the Top 25.

                    South Florida (7-17, 1-12) is coming off a 64-57 victory over East Carolina. The Bulls had lost 12 in a row and 14 of their last 15, including a 94-53 loss to Cincinnati on Jan. 29.

                    Cincinnati shot just 34.7 percent against a red-hot SMU squad that has won 19 in a row at home and 18 of its last 19 overall. The Mustangs moved into first place in the AAC with the win, a half-game ahead of the Bearcats.

                    "We were gonna have to play really, really well for 40 minutes to win, and we didn't," Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin said.

                    The Bearcats were held to 25.9-percent shooting in the second half. Forward Gary Clark grabbed 12 rebounds but scored just six points on 2-of-7 shooting. Guard Troy Caupain was held to two points on 0-of-7 shooting.

                    "They pack it in so tight and they're so physical, especially in their own gym," Cronin said. "The key to the game is that Gary Clark had some opportunities around the basket and he just couldn't get it in the basket. That allowed them to play on-on-one in the post, so we didn't have quite as many wide-open looks in the second half."

                    The Bearcats struggled defensively as well, particularly in the second half. The Mustangs shot a sizzling 62.5 percent after the break.

                    "We just got stagnant," Cincinnati guard Kevin Johnson said. "The offense got stagnant and the defense lost some focus on some guys. Offense is always second to defense on this team. We know we're not going to make every shot. We're human beings. But at the end of the day, you've still got to guard and make sure we get stops."

                    Caupain, the AAC Preseason Co-Player of the Year, has struggled recently. In the past two games, he is 2 of 19 from the field and 1 of 12 from 3-point range.

                    "He'll be fine," Johnson said. "He's the Preseason Player of the Year, a great ballplayer. We all struggle, but I expect him to pick it up toward the end of the year and lead us to victory."

                    South Florida earned a long-awaited victory over East Carolina. Guard Geno Thorpe had 22 points and eight assists.

                    "I'm just proud of the guys," USF interim coach Murry Bartow said. "Their spirit is so incredibly good. Practices have been great. The energy has been good. Obviously, we've lost a lot of games in a row, but they never pout, they never get down and they never feel sorry for themselves. We knew at some point we'd get one."
                    Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

                    Comment


                    • Preview: Tar Heels (21-5) at Wolfpack (14-12)
                      Date: February 15, 2017 8:00 PM EDT


                      RALEIGH, N.C. -- With time to ponder a rare loss, No. 10 North Carolina figures to be eager to pounce on another opponent.

                      The next assignment comes Wednesday night at North Carolina State, which has been reeling the past few weeks and will look to pull an upset at PNC Arena.

                      It has been almost a week since North Carolina last played in a setback at Duke. Yet after the weekend results, the Tar Heels are back alone in first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference

                      N.C. State is trying to stay out of last place.

                      North Carolina (21-5, 9-3 ACC) blew out the Wolfpack 107-56 on Jan. 8 in Chapel Hill.

                      "It just snowballed on them," North Carolina coach Roy Williams said, not referring to the fact that the game was pushed back one day because of a winter storm.

                      This time, N.C. State (14-12, 3-10) will be the home team and North Carolina's arrival is usually met with a spirited effort and a hostile crowd.

                      "It's different with North Carolina State," said Williams, who'll coach in his 500th game in charge of the Tar Heels. "It's a big-time rivalry and they'll be very enthused to play us."

                      Knowing the margin in the first game was so extreme, Williams is finding ways to make sure his team is alert.

                      "I saw North Carolina State go into Cameron (Indoor Stadium) and beat Duke at Duke and we couldn't do that," Williams said.

                      The Tar Heels are motivated after the weekend without a game.

                      "Time to relax after everything that went on," guard Joel Berry said. "But I was ready to get back to work after we lost."

                      There's no simple solution for the Wolfpack, who are stuck in a five-game losing streak since an upset victory at Duke.

                      "You've got to keep trying," N.C. State coach Mark Gottfried said. "I don't know that you try and reinvent anything at this point. When you've got a lot of younger guys, there are things that we've done differently, but every day you're trying to do something new.

                      "We've got to become more solid with the fundamental things defensively, and some of that is just moving your feet side to side."

                      Several blowout losses are particularly troublesome amid speculation that Gottfried's job could be in jeopardy.

                      "There's a concern (about morale), there's no question about it," Gottfried said. "You've got to eliminate some of the other things that are around us and we've got to draw in a little closer together as a team. Stay together."

                      Gottfried said the alarms going off aren't so much about strategy issues, just having a better approach when things go awry.

                      "Poise means executing your offense and getting a better shot," Gottfried said. "Poise means fixing something defensively without dropping your head a little bit."

                      The first matchup with North Carolina included countless problems for the Wolfpack. Rebounding was among those.

                      "One way or another, you have to rebound with them and keep them off the glass," Gottfried said. "The first time around, that game was unacceptable from our side."

                      Meanwhile, it's possible that North Carolina forward Isaiah Hicks, who missed the game against Duke with a hamstring strain, could play Wednesday, Williams said.

                      North Carolina has allowed the second-most 3-point baskets of any team in the conference. That's an area that Williams wants addressed.

                      "You have to do a better job guarding the ball so you don't have to help (and leave shooters)," he said. "We have to be able to challenge the 3-point shot.
                      Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

                      Comment


                      • Preview: Bluejays (21-4) at Pirates (15-9)
                        Date: February 15, 2017 8:00 PM EDT


                        NEWARK, N.J. -- Since star point guard Mo Watson suffered a season-ending knee injury in mid-January, Khyri Thomas has done a nice job filling the void and running the show for No. 20 Creighton.

                        Watson, the nation's active assists leader, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during Creighton's 72-67 victory at Xavier on Jan. 16. Thomas, a sophomore from Omaha, made the transition from shooting guard to point guard seamlessly in Watson's absence.

                        The Bluejays (21-4, 8-4 Big East) meet Seton Hall (15-9, 5-7) at the Prudential Center on Wednesday.

                        Thomas averaged 15.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists with a 4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio in the past four games.

                        He produced 12 points, seven assists and five rebounds in Creighton's 93-58 victory over DePaul on Saturday. He also held DePaul's top scorer, Eli Cain, to five points on 2-of-9 shooting. For the season, Thomas leads Creighton in steals and is second on the team in rebounds, assists, and blocks.

                        "Besides everything happening on the floor, his (Thomas) leadership has elevated as well," Creighton coach Greg McDermott said. "He's speaking his mind more. He's encouraging and being demanding defensively with his teammates, which he can do because of the effort he gives each and every possession.

                        "He's changed for the better in almost every aspect of the game, and a lot of has taken place the last three weeks. His game has changed for the better. His shooting percentage is more consistent. His ball-handling and his assist-to-turnover ratio since Maurice went down has been outstanding. We wouldn't be where we are without him."

                        Creighton is 10-1 away from home (7-1 road, 3-0 neutral), outscoring opponents by an average of 12.3 points per game. The Bluejays are shooting 45.3 percent from 3-point range in road/neutral games, while holding foes to 29.1 percent from deep.

                        Kansas State transfer Marcus Foster (17.8 points) leads the Bluejays in scoring, and is averaging the most points by a Bluejays newcomer since Cyril Baptiste in 1969-70. He's scored 12 points or more in all but two games.

                        The Bluejays, who are second in the Big East behind Villanova, face a desperate Seton Hall team that is trying to keep its NCAA Tournament hopes alive.

                        The Pirates lost six of their last nine games, but play their next three games at home, where they are 9-1, starting with Creighton. No. 2 Villanova visits Saturday followed by Xavier on Feb. 22.

                        "We still have a great opportunity in front of us," Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard said after Saturday's loss to St. John's. "We have three great teams at home. ... We have to step up to the challenge."

                        Seton Hall features the best big man in the Big East Conference in the form of 6-10 junior Angel Delgado. He's the nation's top rebounder with 13.0 per game, and has 6.3 more per game than any other player in the conference.

                        The biggest struggle offensively for the Pirates this season comes at the free-throw line. The team is shooting 62 percent from the stripe, but 72.5 percent over the last three games.

                        Seton Hall leads the series 10-5.
                        Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

                        Comment


                        • Preview: Red Storm (12-14) at Bulldogs (19-6)
                          Date: February 15, 2017 8:30 PM EDT


                          INDIANAPOLIS -- With five regular-season games left before the Big East tournament, Butler coach Chris Holtmann is focused on his team's development.

                          "None of the games are more important than the other. What's most important is how your team is growing and playing," said Holtmann, whose No. 24 Bulldogs (19-6, 8-5) host St. John's (12-14, 6-7) at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday. "We showed some things the other day against Providence (a 71-65 road loss on Saturday). We just need to put more good moments together. That will be a challenge for us against a really good team."

                          The Red Storm, which has won two of their last three games, knocked off the visiting Bulldogs 76-73 on Dec. 29 in the conference opener for both teams.

                          "Their guards are extremely talented," Holtmann said of St. John's. "They can score the ball and they are active defensively. I think they're one of the most talented teams in the league."

                          The Bulldogs have lost three of the last four games.

                          "I don't look at it as funk necessarily," Holtmann said. "The reality is you are going to get beat up in league play. We've struggled at moments in this stretch. We also played well in some of these stretches, we just haven't played well enough to win.

                          "When you start out 18-3, that kind of changes everyone's perspective. None of us, including myself, would have picked us to be where we're at right now before the season. Our guys have done a good job with these new group, playing together, really from day one. We know our margin for error is pretty small."

                          Butler was picked to finish sixth in the Big East in the preseason poll by conference coaches.

                          One problem for the Bulldogs is junior Kelan Martin's struggles. Martin, who still leads the team with 15.4 scoring average, has scored just 20 points in the past three games, making 8 of 26 shots.

                          "When you are player who gets a lot of attention, you got to focus on how you can impact the game," Holtmann said. "He's got to think how can he help the team win possessions. Hopefully, his shooting will come around but that's not completely what he's defined by so he needs to grow and impact the game in other areas."

                          Red Storm coach Chris Mullin is encouraged by his team's recent play, beating Seton Hall 78-70 on Saturday.

                          "If we play really tough defense, smart and tough, and show some resistance and play unselfish on the offensive end, I think we can play with just about anybody," Mullin said. "We've shown we can be dangerous to our opponents and we can be dangerous to ourselves. We just have to make sure we are dangerous to our opponents more often."

                          St. John's guard Marcus LoVett said the team is making steady improvement.

                          "We're taking a step every day," said LoVett, who was named Big East Freshman of the Year after scoring 19 against Seton Hall. "Slowly, we're progressing, and that's what we talk about in practice and the coaches stress just trying to get better each and every day in practice."
                          Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

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                          • Preview: Green Wave (4-20) at Mustangs (22-4)
                            Date: February 15, 2017 9:00 PM EDT


                            Teams heading in opposite directions collide when Tulane visits No. 19 SMU on Wednesday night.

                            SMU (22-4, 12-1 American Athletic Conference) is coming off a momentous 60-51 victory over No. 18 Cincinnati on Sunday. The win put the Mustangs in first place in the AAC by a half-game.

                            SMU's win also avenged a 66-64 loss at Cincinnati last month, the Mustangs' only stumble since November.

                            "Pretty good run," SMU coach Tim Jankovich said Tuesday. "Things have gone great. But I'm also looking forward and seeing lot of challenges. Wednesday night, the challenge is to try to get Sunday off of our minds."

                            Tulane (4-20, 1-11 AAC) is also trying to forget its last game. The Green Wave had a week to stew about a 91-62 loss to Houston, which represented Tulane's eighth loss in a row and 13th in its last 14 games.

                            The Green Wave trailed 21-19 deep into the first half when the bottom fell out.

                            "We took a real step back tonight," Tulane coach Mike Dunleavy told The New Orleans Advocate. "For the first 14 minutes, we were doing what we needed to do, and then we just caved."

                            Five Green Wave players scored in double figures in the loss, led by forward Cameron Reynolds' 13 points and six rebounds. However, Tulane was outscored 36-16 in the paint and gave up 27 points off turnovers.

                            "We hung our heads -- everyone, including me," Reynolds told The Advocate. "As one of the leaders on the team, I have to make sure that doesn't happen again."

                            SMU used only six players against Cincinnati. Without reserve guard Dashawn McDowell, who is still day-to-day with a concussion, the six Mustangs overcame a nine-point deficit while holding Cincinnati to 26 percent shooting in the second half.

                            "We've got some really tough individuals on this team," SMU guard Shake Milton said. "You can come to one of our practices and just see how competitive it is. Nobody wants to lose. We just have a tough team all-around."

                            One of the toughest is 6-7 forward Semi Ojeleye, who has the bulk to score inside and the soft touch to bury a trio of 3-pointers in the win over Cincinnati. Ojeleye was named the AAC Player of the Week after scoring 18 on Sunday and 30 in a win at Temple.

                            "He's a huge piece to the puzzle," Jankovich said. "He's a tough matchup, but we have a lot of guys I think are tough matchup problems. The beauty of our team from an offensive standpoint is you don't know where the fire might break out."
                            Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

                            Comment


                            • Preview: Blue Devils (20-5) at Cavaliers (18-6)
                              Date: February 15, 2017 9:00 PM EDT

                              With just a handful of ACC games left before postseason play, Wednesday night's matchup between No. 12 Duke and No. 14 Virginia will come with a bevy of storylines and opportunities.

                              The Blue Devils have reeled off five straight victories, including a win over bitter rival North Carolina last week, after it looked as though Duke was trending downward after losing three of four games.

                              With coach Mike Krzyzewski recovered and back on the sideline after back surgery, the Blue Devils find themselves tied for second in the ACC with an 8-4 conference record.

                              Virginia enters the game tied with Duke, also with an 8-4 ACC record after a somewhat bazaar week last week. The Cavaliers knocked off fourth-ranked Louisville in Charlottesville, Va., before going on the road and losing in double overtime to in-state rival Virginia Tech 80-78.

                              "It was a hard-fought game," Virginia coach Tony Bennett said of the loss to Virginia Tech. "You have to be real good to come away with wins in this league be it home or away."

                              The loss to the Hokies on Sunday night dropped the Cavaliers two spots in the latest AP poll. Duke climbed six spots after its 2-0 week.

                              Duke guard Luke Kennard enters the game averaging 20 points and five rebounds for the season.

                              Kennard's ability to make outside shots along with the ability to get into the paint could provide a challenge for a Virginia team that struggled against Virginia Tech's dribble penetration.

                              "Luke has always been a guy who carries his team no matter what sport he plays," Krzyzewski said of his sophomore guard. "He's accustomed to having the ball in his hands in pressure situations. He's a high-percentage player who is about more than shooting. He's a very good passer as well and I'm very pleased with the year he's had."

                              Virginia guard London Perrantes is coming off of a 22-point performance against the Hokies but had to take a career-high 22 shots to reach that mark.

                              Perrantes will need to continue to pace the Cavaliers from the point position against a Blue Devils team who will be keying on the senior.

                              "He's like an old-school ACC guy who gets better every year," Krzyzewski said of Perrantes. "He's always been good, but he's an exceptional player now and an exceptional leader."

                              Duke has beaten Virginia in three consecutive regular-season matchups, including a 63-62 nail-biter last season in Durham.

                              Look for this one to be another classic as both teams continue to chase North Carolina at the top of the ACC standings.
                              Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

                              Comment


                              • LAST FEW DAYS RECORD TOP 25 AND OPINIONS:

                                Date W-L-T % Units Record

                                02/14/2017 18-14-0 56.25% +1300

                                02/13/2017 12-18-0 40.00% -3900

                                02/12/2017 15-11-0 57.69% +1450

                                02/11/2017 50-58-3 46.30% -6900

                                02/10/2017 7-4-0 63.64% +1300


                                TOP 25 BEST BETS:

                                WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15

                                GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

                                ARK at SCAR 06:30 PM

                                SCAR -8.5

                                U 146.5

                                CIN at USF 07:00 PM

                                CIN -19.0


                                U 134.0

                                MD at NW 07:00 PM

                                MD +2.0

                                U 136.0

                                CRE at HALL 08:00 PM

                                CRE -1.5

                                O 146.5

                                UNC at NCST 08:00 PM

                                NCST +11.5

                                O 168.0


                                SJU at BUT 08:30 PM

                                SJU +9.5


                                U 151.5

                                DUKE at UVA 09:00 PM

                                DUKE +4.5

                                O 129.0


                                TULN at SMU 09:00 PM

                                TULN +23.0

                                O 137.0
                                Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

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