The Bum's 2016 NCAA Basketball News-Trends-Picks !

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Friday, December 30

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ST BONAVENTURE (8 - 4) at MASSACHUSETTS (10 - 3) - 12/30/2016, 4:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ST BONAVENTURE is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games after allowing 80 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
ST BONAVENTURE is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in road games after scoring 80 points or more over the last 2 seasons.


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




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W VIRGINIA (11 - 1) at OKLAHOMA ST (10 - 2) - 12/30/2016, 4:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA ST is 52-33 ATS (+15.7 Units) in December games since 1997.
OKLAHOMA ST is 114-78 ATS (+28.2 Units) after a non-conference game since 1997.
W VIRGINIA is 25-14 ATS (+9.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
W VIRGINIA is 25-14 ATS (+9.6 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
W VIRGINIA is 20-10 ATS (+9.0 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA ST is 77-106 ATS (-39.6 Units) as an underdog since 1997.


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




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VALPARAISO (10 - 3) at IL-CHICAGO (7 - 6) - 12/30/2016, 5:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
IL-CHICAGO is 77-50 ATS (+22.0 Units) in December games since 1997.
IL-CHICAGO is 52-28 ATS (+21.2 Units) in home games after a non-conference game since 1997.
IL-CHICAGO is 25-11 ATS (+12.9 Units) in home games after scoring 80 points or more since 1997.
VALPARAISO is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) when playing with one or less days rest over the last 2 seasons.


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




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NORTHWESTERN (12 - 2) at MICHIGAN ST (9 - 5) - 12/30/2016, 6:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MICHIGAN ST is 41-26 ATS (+12.4 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
MICHIGAN ST is 197-157 ATS (+24.3 Units) after a conference game since 1997.
MICHIGAN ST is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) off a win against a conference rival over the last 2 seasons.
MICHIGAN ST is 23-12 ATS (+9.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
MICHIGAN ST is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game this season.
NORTHWESTERN is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in all games this season.
NORTHWESTERN is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in all lined games this season.
NORTHWESTERN is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
NORTHWESTERN is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) in road lined games over the last 3 seasons.
NORTHWESTERN is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) in December games over the last 2 seasons.
NORTHWESTERN is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MICHIGAN ST is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) as a home favorite of 3 points or less or pick since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
MICHIGAN ST is 2-1 against the spread versus NORTHWESTERN over the last 3 seasons
MICHIGAN ST is 3-0 straight up against NORTHWESTERN over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




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LASALLE (6 - 4) at DAYTON (9 - 3) - 12/30/2016, 6:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LASALLE is 131-169 ATS (-54.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.


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




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TEXAS TECH (11 - 1) at IOWA ST (8 - 3) - 12/30/2016, 6:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS TECH is 127-172 ATS (-62.2 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
TEXAS TECH is 76-107 ATS (-41.7 Units) in road games against conference opponents since 1997.
IOWA ST is 230-178 ATS (+34.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
TEXAS TECH is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) after scoring 80 points or more over the last 2 seasons.


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




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BAYLOR (12 - 0) at OKLAHOMA (6 - 5) - 12/30/2016, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.


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




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DUQUESNE (7 - 6) at FORDHAM (6 - 7) - 12/30/2016, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FORDHAM is 211-258 ATS (-72.8 Units) in all games since 1997.
FORDHAM is 211-258 ATS (-72.8 Units) in all lined games since 1997.


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




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RHODE ISLAND (8 - 4) at SAINT LOUIS (4 - 8) - 12/30/2016, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
RHODE ISLAND is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
RHODE ISLAND is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) in road lined games over the last 2 seasons.
SAINT LOUIS is 22-42 ATS (-24.2 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
SAINT LOUIS is 22-42 ATS (-24.2 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
SAINT LOUIS is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) when the total is 120 to 129.5 over the last 3 seasons.
SAINT LOUIS is 16-32 ATS (-19.2 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
SAINT LOUIS is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) in December games over the last 2 seasons.
SAINT LOUIS is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
SAINT LOUIS is 9-20 ATS (-13.0 Units) after scoring 60 points or less over the last 3 seasons.
SAINT LOUIS is 13-27 ATS (-16.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.


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




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GEORGE WASHINGTON (8 - 5) at ST JOSEPHS (6 - 5) - 12/30/2016, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GEORGE WASHINGTON is 14-26 ATS (-14.6 Units) against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
GEORGE WASHINGTON is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) on Friday nights over the last 3 seasons.
ST JOSEPHS is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) after scoring 80 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
ST JOSEPHS is 1-10 ATS (-10.0 Units) in home games when playing with 7 or more days rest since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
ST JOSEPHS is 3-0 against the spread versus GEORGE WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
ST JOSEPHS is 2-1 straight up against GEORGE WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
3 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




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TEXAS (6 - 6) at KANSAS ST (11 - 1) - 12/30/2016, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS ST is 48-30 ATS (+15.0 Units) in home games after a non-conference game since 1997.
KANSAS ST is 41-23 ATS (+15.7 Units) in home games after allowing 60 points or less since 1997.
TEXAS is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) in road lined games over the last 3 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS is 3-1 against the spread versus KANSAS ST over the last 3 seasons
TEXAS is 4-0 straight up against KANSAS ST 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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VA COMMONWEALTH (10 - 3) at GEORGE MASON (10 - 3) - 12/30/2016, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VA COMMONWEALTH is 25-15 ATS (+8.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
VA COMMONWEALTH is 25-15 ATS (+8.5 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
VA COMMONWEALTH is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
VA COMMONWEALTH is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) on Friday nights over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
GEORGE MASON is 2-2 against the spread versus VA COMMONWEALTH over the last 3 seasons
VA COMMONWEALTH is 3-1 straight up against GEORGE MASON 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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KANSAS (11 - 1) at TCU (11 - 1) - 12/30/2016, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
TCU is 10-22 ATS (-14.2 Units) as a home underdog of 3.5 to 6 points since 1997.
TCU is 95-135 ATS (-53.5 Units) in all home games since 1997.
TCU is 95-135 ATS (-53.5 Units) in home lined games since 1997.
TCU is 141-181 ATS (-58.1 Units) against conference opponents since 1997.
TCU is 155-207 ATS (-72.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
TCU is 4-1 against the spread versus KANSAS over the last 3 seasons
KANSAS is 5-0 straight up against TCU 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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S CAROLINA (10 - 2) at MEMPHIS (9 - 4) - 12/30/2016, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
S CAROLINA is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) in road games after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
S CAROLINA is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in road games in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
S CAROLINA is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) after scoring 80 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
S CAROLINA is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
S CAROLINA is 54-35 ATS (+15.5 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game since 1997.
MEMPHIS is 9-19 ATS (-11.9 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
S CAROLINA is 1-0 against the spread versus MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
S CAROLINA is 1-0 straight up against MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




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ARIZONA ST (7 - 6) at STANFORD (9 - 4) - 12/30/2016, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ARIZONA ST is 12-23 ATS (-13.3 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
ARIZONA ST is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) in road games against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
ARIZONA ST is 10-24 ATS (-16.4 Units) in road games in December games since 1997.


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




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USC (14 - 0) at OREGON (12 - 2) - 12/30/2016, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OREGON is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) on Friday nights over the last 3 seasons.
OREGON is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) off a win against a conference rival over the last 2 seasons.
USC is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) in a road game where the total is 145 to 149.5 since 1997.


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




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UCLA (13 - 1) at OREGON ST (4 - 10) - 12/30/2016, 11:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UCLA is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) in a road game where the total is 150 to 154.5 since 1997.
OREGON ST is 27-48 ATS (-25.8 Units) in home games when playing with one or less days rest since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
OREGON ST is 2-2 against the spread versus UCLA over the last 3 seasons
OREGON ST is 2-2 straight up against UCLA 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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ARIZONA (11 - 2) at CALIFORNIA (9 - 3) - 12/30/2016, 11:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CALIFORNIA is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in home games against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 76-47 ATS (+24.3 Units) as an underdog since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
ARIZONA is 3-2 against the spread versus CALIFORNIA over the last 3 seasons
ARIZONA is 4-1 straight up against CALIFORNIA 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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FAIRFIELD (6 - 4) at PENNSYLVANIA (5 - 5) - 12/30/2016, 4:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PENNSYLVANIA is 90-124 ATS (-46.4 Units) in all home games since 1997.
PENNSYLVANIA is 90-124 ATS (-46.4 Units) in home lined games since 1997.
PENNSYLVANIA is 25-44 ATS (-23.4 Units) in home games when playing with one or less days rest since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.




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E WASHINGTON (8 - 5) at IDAHO (5 - 6) - 12/30/2016, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
E WASHINGTON is 14-30 ATS (-19.0 Units) as a road underdog of 3.5 to 6 points since 1997.
E WASHINGTON is 33-60 ATS (-33.0 Units) in December games since 1997.
E WASHINGTON is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) in road games after playing 3 consecutive road games since 1997.
IDAHO is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
IDAHO is 4-2 against the spread versus E WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
E WASHINGTON is 4-2 straight up against IDAHO 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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NORFOLK ST (3 - 10) at BOWLING GREEN (5 - 7) - 12/30/2016, 2:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOWLING GREEN is 48-30 ATS (+15.0 Units) in home games after a non-conference game since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, December 30

St Bonaventure won 7 of its last 9 games, with losses by a point or in OT; they’ve been off for 8 days since OT loss to Canisius. Bonnies won six of last eight games with UMass, winning 69-55/88-77 in last two visits here- they won by 6 at Hofstra in only true road game this year. UMass is 10-3 vs schedule #286; they’re 1-3 vs top 100 teams, with only win by 3 over Temple. Minutemen are forcing turnovers 22.6% of time, but they turn it over 20.1% of time, shoot just 30.4% on arc. Bonnies are #84 experience team, UMass #327.

Underwood got Oklahoma State job LY in part due to his 70-56 upset of West Virginia in LY’s NCAAs; he was an assistant to Huggins at Kansas St. Cowboys are 10-2 vs schedule #143, with only losses by 1 at Maryland, by 32 to UNC on neutral floor. OSU forces turnovers 26.6% of time (#3 in country), WVU 35% of time (#1). Mountaineers are 11-1 vs schedule #342; they won by 9 at Virginia in only true road game. West Virginia won its last four games with Oklahoma State, all by 9+ points, winning 73-63/70-56 in two couple visits here.

McClain is rebuilding Ill-Chicago’s program; Flames are 7-6 this year after going 21-74 the previous three years, but they’ve played schedule #301, are experience team #350- they turn ball over 22.3% of time. Valparaiso won its last 15 games with Ill-Chicago, with seven of last eight wins by 10+ points. Crusaders won last seven visits here, with five of seven wins by 6 or less points. Valpo is 10-3 vs schedule #171; they’re 1-2 in true road games with only win by 3 at Missouri State- losses were to Oregon/Kentucky, top 20 teams.

Michigan State pulled one out of the fire in its Big 14 opener at Minnesota Tuesday; they’re lot younger than most Izzo teams, their most talented player (Bridges) is hurt, but Spartans are 22-2 in last 24 games with Northwestern, winning last seven in row, with five of last six wins by 14+ points. Wildcats lost last five visits here, by 9-4-10-15-7 points. Northwestern won its Big 14 opener easily at Penn State. Wildcats are 12-2 with nine wins in row; they’re 3-2 vs top 100 teams, with losses by 2 at Butler, 4 to Notre Dame.

Iowa State split its last six games after a 5-0 start; they’re #5 experience team in country, are 1-3 vs top 100 teams, with 73-56 win over Miami. Cyclones don’t get to line much, but they’re shooting only 63.5% there, so who cares? Home side won eight of last nine Texas Tech-Iowa State games; Red Raiders lost last five trips to Ames, with all five by 6+ points, three by 18+. Tech is 11-1 vs 3rd-easiest schedule in country; they lost by hoop to Auburn on neutral floor in only top 100 game this season. Hard to tell much when Rice is their 2nd-best opponent so far.

Texas is 3-6 in its last nine games with home losses to Tex-Arlington, Kent State; Longhorns are #340 experience team- they lost by 3 at Michigan in only true road game so far. Playing #193 pace, they’re shooting 28.9% on arc. Kansas State is 11-1 vs schedule #345; they lost by 1 to Maryland in only game vs team ranked above #140. Wildcats are #240 experience team. Texas won its last four games with Kansas State, with three wins by 4 or less points; Longhorns won last two trips to Little Apple after losing previous four games there.

VCU won six of last seven games with George Mason; home side is 10-2 in last 12 series games. Rams lost four of last five visits to Fairfax. VCU is 2-0 in true road games, winning by 5 at Liberty, 3 at Old Dominion- they’re #28 experience team that is forcing turnovers 23.2% of time (#19). Mason won its last nine games, is 10-3 vs schedule #297; they’re #305 experience team that lost by 37 to Houston in only top 100 game. VCU’s bench plays #40 minutes in country, Mason’s bench is much shorter, playing #291 minutes.

TCU is 11-1 vs schedule #248 in Dixon’s first year at his alma mater; Horned Frogs are 3-1 vs top 100 teams, with only loss by 15 at SMU. TCU is forcing turnovers 23.4% of time; they have not played in nine days. Kansas won its last eight games with TCU, with four of last five by 9 or less points. Jayhawks won last three visits here, by 22-3-19 points. Kansas is 5-1 vs top 100 teams, losing opener in OT to Indiana; they won only road game by 18 at overmatched UNLV squad that had zero chance to beat them. First real acid test for Dixon at TCU.

South Carolina was 46-63 (seriously) on foul line in 86-76 home win over Memphis LY; Tigers were 30-36 on line in game that was tied at half. Memphis lost its AAC opener this year by 4 at home to SMU on Wednesday; they’re 9-4 vs schedule #295, 2-4 vs top 100 teams, with wins over Iowa/Oklahoma, both inexperienced teams. South Carolina split its last four games after an 8-0 start; they’re 4-2 in top 100 games, losing to Seton Hall/Clemson by total of 5 points. Gamecocks have #2 eFG% defense in country- they won only true road game by 11 at USF.

Home side won last six Arizona State-Stanford games; Sun Devils lost last five visits to Farm, by 8-24-6-19-2 points. ASU is 5-6 in its last 11 games, one of its best freshmen transferred; they won their only true road game by 11 at San Diego State. Sun Devils are 1-4 vs top 100 teams, with losses by 8-46-33-9 points. Stanford lost three of last four D-I games; they’re 1-4 against top 100 teams, with all four losses by 14+ points. Cardinal is shooting just 31.8% on arc; they are #76 experience team that has played #36 schedule with a new coach.

Oregon had emotional home win over UCLA two nights ago; they were down 8 with 3:32 left, rallied for win. Ducks won their last four top 100 games, winning by 4-5-9-2 points. Oregon won its last 12 games with Trojans, with five of last six series wins by 8+ points. USC lost its last six visits to Eugene, by 10-6-3-12-8-8 points. Trojans are surprising 13-0 vs schedule #241; they are 3-0 in true road games, winning by hoop at Texas A&M and beating two other stiffs. USC is #329 experience team- they won by 7 at Oregon State Wednesday.

Arizona is 11-2 vs schedule #150; they’re #326 experience team that hasn’t played in 10 days. Wildcats won by 19 at Missouri in only true road game; their bench has played #308 minutes in country. Wildcats won seven of last nine games with Cal, winning last four, all by 22+ points. Arizona won three of last four visits to Berkeley. Cal Bears haven’t played in nine days since 56-52 home loss to Virginia; Bears are 1-3 vs top 100 teams, with only win over Princeton- losses were by 12-4-3 points. Thing is, Cal has Rabb, an NBA player, on their side.

Idaho won its last two games with Eastern Washington by 4 points each, after losing five of previous six games vs EWU. Eagles won two of last three games here. Vandals lost last three D-I games; they’re 2-4 vs teams ranked outside top 200. Idaho has been off for eight days since suprisingly close 86-80 loss at Stanford. Eastern Washington is 8-5 vs schedule #125; they lost last three games, are 1-5 in true road games, with only win in double OT at Seattle, one of four OT wins (4-0) for Eagles. EWU has also been off for last eight days.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB

Friday, December 30

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Trend Report
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2:00 PM
NORFOLK STATE vs. BOWLING GREEN
No trends available
Bowling Green is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Bowling Green is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games

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DECEMBER 30, 4:00 PM
ST. BONAVENTURE vs. MASSACHUSETTS
The total has gone OVER in 10 of St. Bonaventure's last 13 games on the road
St. Bonaventure is 4-1-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Massachusetts is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games at home
Massachusetts is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games

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DECEMBER 30, 4:00 PM
WEST VIRGINIA vs. OKLAHOMA STATE
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of West Virginia's last 6 games on the road
Oklahoma State is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing West Virginia
Oklahoma State is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing West Virginia

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DECEMBER 30, 5:00 PM
VALPARAISO vs. ILLINOIS-CHICAGO
Valparaiso is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Illinois-Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Valparaiso's last 7 games when playing on the road against Illinois-Chicago
Illinois-Chicago is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
Illinois-Chicago is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Valparaiso

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DECEMBER 30, 5:30 PM
CHICAGO STATE vs. CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Chicago State is 2-23 SU in its last 25 games on the road
Central Michigan is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
Central Michigan is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games

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DECEMBER 30, 6:00 PM
LA SALLE vs. DAYTON
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of La Salle's last 5 games when playing on the road against Dayton
La Salle is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Dayton
Dayton is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Dayton is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games

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DECEMBER 30, 6:00 PM
NORTHWESTERN vs. MICHIGAN STATE
Northwestern is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Northwestern's last 9 games on the road
Michigan State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
Michigan State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games

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DECEMBER 30, 6:00 PM
TEXAS TECH vs. IOWA STATE
Texas Tech is 5-20 SU in its last 25 games on the road
Texas Tech is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Iowa State
Iowa State is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Texas Tech
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Iowa State's last 10 games when playing Texas Tech

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DECEMBER 30, 7:00 PM
MAINE vs. BUFFALO
No trends available
Buffalo is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Buffalo is 18-6 SU in its last 24 games at home

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DECEMBER 30, 7:00 PM
GEORGE WASHINGTON vs. SAINT JOSEPH'S
George Washington is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Saint Joseph's
The total has gone OVER in 4 of George Washington's last 5 games when playing on the road against Saint Joseph's
Saint Joseph's is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Saint Joseph's last 5 games when playing at home against George Washington

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DECEMBER 30, 7:00 PM
URBANA vs. OHIO
No trends available
Ohio is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Ohio is 17-7 SU in its last 24 games

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DECEMBER 30, 7:00 PM
BAYLOR vs. OKLAHOMA
Baylor is 7-14 ATS in its last 21 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma
Baylor is 3-19 SU in its last 22 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Oklahoma's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oklahoma's last 5 games at home

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DECEMBER 30, 7:00 PM
OHIO CHRISTIAN vs. TOLEDO
No trends available
Toledo is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

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DECEMBER 30, 7:00 PM
HOWARD vs. HARVARD
No trends available
Harvard is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Harvard is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home

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DECEMBER 30, 7:00 PM
RHODE ISLAND vs. SAINT LOUIS
Rhode Island is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Saint Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Rhode Island's last 7 games when playing on the road against Saint Louis
Saint Louis is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games
Saint Louis is 8-15 SU in its last 23 games at home

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DECEMBER 30, 7:00 PM
ALBANY vs. COLUMBIA
No trends available
Columbia is 17-4 SU in its last 21 games at home
Columbia is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games

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DECEMBER 30, 7:00 PM
DUQUESNE vs. FORDHAM
Duquesne is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Duquesne's last 7 games when playing on the road against Fordham
Fordham is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Duquesne
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Fordham's last 9 games when playing Duquesne

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DECEMBER 30, 8:00 PM
TEXAS vs. KANSAS STATE
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Texas's last 7 games on the road
Texas is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Kansas State is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Texas
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Kansas State's last 7 games when playing Texas

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DECEMBER 30, 8:00 PM
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH vs. GEORGE MASON
Virginia Commonwealth is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Virginia Commonwealth is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of George Mason's last 11 games when playing at home against Virginia Commonwealth
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of George Mason's last 5 games when playing Virginia Commonwealth

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DECEMBER 30, 9:00 PM
TEXAS EL PASO vs. NEW MEXICO STATE
Texas El Paso is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against New Mexico State
Texas El Paso is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
New Mexico State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
New Mexico State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

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DECEMBER 30, 9:00 PM
ARIZONA STATE vs. STANFORD
Arizona State is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games on the road
Arizona State is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Stanford is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing Arizona State
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Stanford's last 6 games when playing Arizona State

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DECEMBER 30, 9:00 PM
KANSAS vs. TCU
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Kansas's last 5 games on the road
Kansas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
TCU is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
TCU is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games

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DECEMBER 30, 9:00 PM
SOUTH CAROLINA vs. MEMPHIS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of South Carolina's last 5 games on the road
Memphis is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games
Memphis is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games at home

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DECEMBER 30, 10:00 PM
BETHESDA vs. CS FULLERTON
No trends available
The total has gone OVER in 5 of CS Fullerton's last 7 games
CS Fullerton is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games

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DECEMBER 30, 10:00 PM
LIFE PACIFIC COLLEGE vs. UC IRVINE
No trends available
UC Irvine is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games at home
UC Irvine is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games

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DECEMBER 30, 10:00 PM
EASTERN WASHINGTON vs. IDAHO
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Eastern Washington's last 5 games on the road
Eastern Washington is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Idaho is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Eastern Washington
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Idaho's last 6 games when playing Eastern Washington

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DECEMBER 30, 10:00 PM
SEATTLE vs. SANTA BARBARA
Seattle is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Santa Barbara is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games at home
Santa Barbara is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games

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DECEMBER 30, 10:00 PM
USC vs. OREGON
USC is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
USC is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Oregon's last 10 games when playing at home against USC
Oregon is 3-9 ATS in its last 12 games when playing at home against USC

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DECEMBER 30, 11:00 PM
ARIZONA vs. CALIFORNIA
Arizona is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Arizona's last 14 games when playing on the road against California
The total has gone OVER in 10 of California's last 14 games when playing at home against Arizona
California is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Arizona

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DECEMBER 30, 11:00 PM
UCLA vs. OREGON STATE
UCLA is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Oregon State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of UCLA's last 7 games when playing on the road against Oregon State
Oregon State is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oregon State's last 6 games

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Dunkel

Friday, December 30

Norfolk State @ Bowling Green

Game 761-762
December 30, 2016 @ 2:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Norfolk State
44.598
Bowling Green
52.652
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Bowling Green
by 8
142
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Bowling Green
by 10 1/2
137
Dunkel Pick:
Norfolk State
(+10 1/2): Over

East Washington @ Idaho

Game 759-760
December 30, 2016 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
East Washington
49.230
Idaho
51.609
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Idaho
by 2 1/2
145
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Idaho
by 6
138
Dunkel Pick:
East Washington
(+6); Over

Fairfield @ Pennsylvania

Game 757-758
December 30, 2016 @ 4:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Fairfield
55.785
Pennsylvania
56.071
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Fairfield
Even
136
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pennsylvania
by 6 1/2
144 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Fairfield
(+6 1/2); Under

Arizona @ California

Game 755-756
December 30, 2016 @ 11:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Arizona
66.555
California
76.924
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
California
by 10 1/2
144
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
California
by 1
127
Dunkel Pick:
California
(-1); Over

UCLA @ Oregon State

Game 753-754
December 30, 2016 @ 11:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
UCLA
75.241
Oregon State
53.687
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
UCLA
by 21 1/2
156
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
UCLA
by 19
150 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
UCLA
(-19); Over

USC @ Oregon

Game 751-752
December 30, 2016 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
USC
69.555
Oregon
70.576
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oregon
by 1
160
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oregon
by 7
145 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
USC
(+7); Over

Arizona State @ Stanford

Game 749-750
December 30, 2016 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Arizona State
60.506
Stanford
62.803
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Stanford
by 2 1/2
157
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Stanford
by 6
149
Dunkel Pick:
Arizona State
(+6); Over

South Carolina @ Memphis

Game 747-748
December 30, 2016 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
South Carolina
70.332
Memphis
67.290
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
South Carolina
by 3
155
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
South Carolina
by 1
135
Dunkel Pick:
South Carolina
(-1); Over

Kansas @ TCU

Game 745-746
December 30, 2016 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Kansas
78.352
TCU
70.327
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Kansas
by 8
157
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Kansas
by 5 1/2
146 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Kansas
(-5 1/2); Over

VA-Commonwealth @ George Mason

Game 743-744
December 30, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
VA-Commonwealth
68.605
George Mason
60.998
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
VA-Commonwealth
by 7 1/2
152
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
VA-Commonwealth
by 2
143
Dunkel Pick:
VA-Commonwealth
(-2); Over

Texas @ Kansas State

Game 741-742
December 30, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Texas
59.114
Kansas State
72.546
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Kansas State
by 13 1/2
144
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Kansas State
by 8
129
Dunkel Pick:
Kansas State
(-8); Over

George Washington @ St Joseph's

Game 739-740
December 30, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
George Washington
62.456
St Joseph's
61.376
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
George Washington
by 1
135
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St Joseph's
by 3 1/2
142
Dunkel Pick:
George Washington
(+3 1/2); Under

Rhode Island @ St Louis

Game 737-738
December 30, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Rhode Island
62.573
St Louis
52.133
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Rhode Island
by 10 1/2
133
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Rhode Island
by 13 1/2
125 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
St Louis
(+13 1/2); Over

Duquesne @ Fordham

Game 735-736
December 30, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Duquesne
47.173
Fordham
55.714
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Fordham
by 8 1/2
126
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Fordham
by 4 1/2
131 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Fordham
(-4 1/2); Under

Baylor @ Oklahoma

Game 733-734
December 30, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Baylor
75.432
Oklahoma
67.968
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Baylor
by 7 1/2
154
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Baylor
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Baylor
N/A

Texas Tech @ Iowa State

Game 731-732
December 30, 2016 @ 6:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Texas Tech
69.574
Iowa State
71.593
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Iowa State
by 2
149
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Iowa State
by 5
136 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Texas Tech
(+5); Over

LaSalle @ Dayton

Game 729-730
December 30, 2016 @ 6:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LaSalle
60.780
Dayton
64.642
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Dayton
by 4
136
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Dayton
by 9
154 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LaSalle
(+9); Under

Northwestern @ Michigan State

Game 727-728
December 30, 2016 @ 6:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Northwestern
67.625
Michigan State
64.944
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Northwestern
by 2 1/2
146
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Michigan State
by 2
135 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Northwestern
(+2); Over

Valparaiso @ Illinois-Chicago

Game 725-726
December 30, 2016 @ 5:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Valparaiso
58.386
Illinois-Chicago
53.499
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Valparaiso
by 5
148
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Valparaiso
by 8
155 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Illinois-Chicago
(+8); Under

West Virginia @ Oklahoma State

Game 723-724
December 30, 2016 @ 4:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
West Virginia
81.537
Oklahoma State
71.734
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
West Virginia
by 10
154
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
West Virginia
by 1
171 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
West Virginia
(-1); Under

St Bonaventure @ Massachusetts

Game 721-722
December 30, 2016 @ 4:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
St Bonaventure
57.987
Massachusetts
63.567
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Massachusetts
by 5 1/2
168
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Massachusetts
by 1 1/2
157 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Massachusetts
(-1 1/2); Over

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mountainers (11-1) at Cowboys (10-2)
Date: December 30, 2016 4:00 PM EDT

Following West Virginia's final nonconference tuneup, guard Tarik Phillip mulled whether to drive home for Christmas. Regardless of where he spent his break, he knew he would spend it watching video cutups of Oklahoma State.

"It's go time," Phillip said of the approaching Big 12 opener. "We've already got the film uploaded to our phones."

No. 11 West Virginia (11-1), seemingly impatient to face stiffer competition, hopes to extend a seven-game winning streaking when it visits Oklahoma State (10-2) in Stillwater, Okla., on Friday.

And, yes, the Mountaineers are all too aware that coach Brad Underwood will be sitting on the Cowboys' bench. His 14th-seeded Stephen F. Austin club ambushed West Virginia 70-56 in the NCAA tournament opener nine months ago and came within a hair of beating Notre Dame for the Sweet 16.

"You saw what they did to us in the tournament," said Mountaineers guard Teyvon Myers. "Can you imagine what the fellows are thinking right now? Can you imagine what the locker room will be like when we play Oklahoma State? We're going to be ready -- trust me."

Myers, among seven Mountaineers scoring better than eight points per game, had watched Oklahoma State play several times even before receiving the scout video.

"They're playing up the line, trying to take everything away," he said last week.

Given the deep rotation deployed by coach Bob Huggins, it's anyone's guess who'll make key plays game-to-game. It could be one of the versatile forwards, Esa Ahmad (12.9 points, 4.8 rebounds) or Nathan Adrian (10.5 points, 6.3 rebounds). It could be those ever-harassing guards -- Jevon Carter (9.8 points, 4.4 assists, 3.3 steals) or Daxter Miles (9.4 points, 50 percent on three-pointers) or Phillip (8.8 points, 2.8 assists).

Along with routing Wichita State and Georgetown, Oklahoma State lost a double-digit lead in a 71-70 setback at Maryland. The only unimpressive showing so far came during a 107-75 loss to No. 9 North Carolina in Hawaii.

The Cowboys enter league play already on the cusp of matching last season's win total. Then again, the 12-20 swan song of former coach Travis Ford marked the program's lowest point since 1987.

The rejuvenating impact of Underwood and, more crucially, the return to health of guards Jawun Evans and Phil Forte, have this team looking NCAA tournament-worthy. The point guard Evans (20.2 points, 4.6 assists, 2.5 steals) is making an impact again after missing the second half of last year's Big 12 round-robin with a shoulder injury. Forte (13.1 points) is once more combing the perimeter after missing the final 29 games with an elbow injury, though his 34-percent three-point accuracy currently pales next to Evans (56 percent).

Sophomore swingman Jeffrey Carroll (16.2 points, 7.3 rebounds), a 6-foot-6 sophomore, has nearly doubled his production.

Not that the Pokes rely on running pretty offense. Underwood has dialed up the defensive pressure in a nod to what Huggins accomplished. While West Virginia tops Division I in steals (13.9) and forced turnovers (26.2), Oklahoma State ranks in the top five in both categories.

"Both teams will get after it on the defensive end," Forte said. "It'll be a bloodbath, for sure."

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Bears (12-0) at Sooners (6-5)
Date: December 30, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Before the season began, Baylor coach Scott Drew took a look at his team's nonconference schedule and shook his head a bit.

"Yeah, who made that?" Drew joked at Big 12 Media Day when he looked over a schedule that included games against Oregon and Xavier plus a tournament that led to games against Michigan State and Louisville.

More than two months later, Drew can't quite exhale yet as a conference schedule featuring a double round-robin in the top RPI conference in college basketball awaits his Bears, but the strong early season schedule has paid off.

The Bears are 12-0 in non-conference play entering Friday's Big 12 opener at Oklahoma and have climbed up to No. 4 in the polls.

Baylor has done it despite losing lottery pick Taurean Prince, the school's all-time leading rebounder in Rico Gathers and the starting point guard from last season in Lester Medford.

The Bears have been boosted by the improvement of forward Johnathan Motley, who is averaging 16 points per game after averaging 11.1 last season as a sophomore.

"I think he's a guy that's probably as productive as anyone in the league right now," Sooners coach Lon Kruger said.

While the Bears have soared not only due to Motley's emergence but the addition of 7-foot junior college transfer Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. on the interior. Lual-Acuil is averaging 10.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.1 blocks.

That could be a problem for Oklahoma, which hasn't had much production from its inside players to this point.

Khadeem Lattin started well offensively, scoring 10 or more points in five of the Sooners' first six games. He hasn't cracked double digits since, though, and although he remains in the starting lineup, sophomore Jamuni McNeace has had more playing time in the last two games.

At the other inside spot, the Sooners have rotated through three starters -- freshmen Kristian Doolittle and Matt Freeman and sophomore Dante Buford -- with little success.

"We've had good stretches," Kruger said. "We've had too many poor stretches though. Too many poor moments.

"We still need consistency. Conference play is kind of a new season in a way. Guys are anxious to get started."

The Bears enter this game wanting to carry things over from the start of the season as they try to end Kansas' run of winning at least a share of the conference regular-season title for 12 consecutive seasons.

Oklahoma comes in needing to push its non-conference experiences into the past.

For the first time in four years, the Sooners have dropped three consecutive games. Without a marquee win before Big 12 play begins, Oklahoma will need to turn things around quickly to have a chance to make the NCAA Tournament for the fifth consecutive year.

The Sooners get a boost with the expected return of senior guard Jordan Woodard. Woodard, Oklahoma's leading scorer, missed a game for the first time in his career on Dec. 21 after suffering a leg injury in practice.

The experience of playing without Woodard against Auburn might've made it easier for the young Sooners to realize how much ground they had to make up.

"I don't know if they realize how far they've got to grow," Kruger said. "We don't have that core of older guys around them like we did last year. I think they're getting a better sense of it all the time. We've got to string together good minutes."

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Jayhawks (11-1) at Horned Frogs (11-1)
Date: December 30, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

Kansas and TCU have existed on opposite ends of the Big 12 standings ever since the Horned Frogs came into the conference at the start of the 2012-13 season.

While the third-ranked Jayhawks have won 12 consecutive Big 12 regular-season championships, TCU has finished last three times and next-to-last once.

And yet, as the Jayhawks (11-1) and Horned Frogs (11-1) set to tip off conference play on Friday at TCU's Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, there is little evidence to show much separation between the two programs so far in this campaign.

Kansas and TCU have the same nonconference record. While the Jayhawks are second in the Big 12 entering conference play with an RPI of 12, the Horned Frogs are close behind in third at 31. TCU boasts nonconference wins over Washington and UNLV, which are not up to the standard Kansas set with victories against Duke, Georgia and Stanford.

But it at least the wins show the Horned Frogs haven't been just feasting on cupcakes.

The Big 12 comes into conference play with a conference RPI ranking third nationally. That's a step back for the league, which has had a recent run at the top. But the fact that Kansas's trip to TCU isn't an apparent cakewalk shows how competitive the Big 12 could be this season.

"They've got a lot of new guys and they're more balanced," Kansas coach Bill Self said about the Horned Frogs. "I think they've got six guys averaging right at nine (points) or above. They're playing with much more freedom offensively and they're rebounding the ball. They're certainly one of the most improved teams in America."

More so than in performance so far, the disparity between the Jayhawks and Horned Frogs comes in the form of the two programs' respective expectations.

Leading up to the conference opener, both Self and guard Devonte' Graham answered questions about the Jayhaws' chance to win their 13th straight Big 12 title.

"We really don't talk about it too much because everybody knows about it and it's all everybody (outside the team) talks about," Graham said. "What we've been talking about lately is conference play is here and it's time to take another step."

Meanwhile, TCU hopes to prove its mettle by climbing high enough in the conference standings to earn its first NCAA Tournament berth since 1998. TCU first-year coach Jamie Dixon knows the Horned Frogs can't talk their way there.

"I think we're ready," Dixon said. "I think I'm ready. We've got to go do it. I'm not saying we're at our best right now, but you've got to learn from it and get better for it. It's going to be fun for everybody."

The Horned Frogs feature a balanced attack in which four players average in double digits -- sophomore guard Alex Robinson (10.8 points, team-best 5.5 assists), freshman guard Jaylen Fisher (10.5), junior forward Vladimir Brodziansky (10.4) and junior swingman Kenrich Williams (10.4, team-best 10.0 rebounds).

TCU, like everyone in the Big 12, will be aiming to make its name at the expense of the Jayhawks. The Horned Frogs might be able to take advantage of a Kansas team that is still getting used to life without center Udoka Azubuike, who suffered a season-ending wrist injury in practice on Dec. 20. Azubuike needed surgery to repair torn ligaments in his left wrist.

The loss of Azubuike, combined with the graduation of mainstay Perry Ellis following last season, points to a void in the frontcourt for Kansas.

That, along with No. 4 Baylor and No. 11 West Virginia laying in wait, make the Jayhawks' quest for another conference title appear vulnerable.

But Kansas seems ready for the fight.

"You definitely don't want to be that team (that doesn't win the Big 12)," Graham said. "We've definitely said that before to each other in practice. You've got to defend and rebound and do all the little things every game and every possession."

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Trojans (14-0) at Ducks (12-2)
Date: December 30, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

EUGENE, Ore. -- Oregon shaved the number of undefeated teams in college basketball down to five with an 89-87 win over second-ranked UCLA on Wednesday night.

The Ducks will look to cut that list to four on Friday.

No. 21 Oregon (12-2, 1-0 Pac-12) takes a 10-game winning streak into Matthew Knight Arena when it hosts No. 22 USC (14-0, 1-0).

The Ducks extended the nation's second-longest active home winning streak to 34 games when junior forward Dillon Brooks made a 3-pointer with 0.8 seconds left to lead Oregon to an upset win over the Bruins in the Pac-12 Conference opener.

"That felt good, anytime you hit a game-winner, it feels good," Brooks said. "We will celebrate it for now and then move on to another undefeated team in USC. They are an athletic, young team."

USC posted a 70-63 win over Oregon State on Wednesday, continuing its best start since going 16-0 in 1971-72.

Trojans sophomore center Chimezie Metu said the team is taking the simple approach against the Ducks.

"We're just going to (go) on in there and play hard," Metu told the Pac-12 Network. "We're not worried about our record. We're just going to go in there and just try to play as hard as we can and try to win."

Playing hard -- and playing well -- hasn't been a problem for USC.

"That is a good offensive team playing with tremendous confidence," Oregon coach Dana Altman said of the Trojans. "You win 14 games and you are going to bounce around like you know what you are doing, and they do. We are going to have to play well Friday night. There cannot be a letdown emotionally."

Oregon had its first sellout crowd against UCLA as it improved to 9-0 at home after going 18-0 last season at Matthew Knight Arena. Oregon's home winning streak trails only Kansas' 46-game run.

"I am just really pleased that we are starting to build something here at home," Altman said. "This is our place, and I think our fans felt a bit of that. The challenge again Friday is to keep the streak going. That is what you are supposed to do at home."

Oregon was back at full strength against UCLA when leading scorer Chris Boucher returned after missing two games with a sprained ankle. The 6-foot-10 senior played 27 minutes off the bench against UCLA and finished with nine points and seven rebounds.

"I played him a little more than I thought I would," Altman said. "We needed his seven rebounds."

Brooks played a season-high 35 minutes against UCLA while leading Oregon with 23 points and nine rebounds. The preseason All-American missed the first three games following offseason foot surgery and came off the bench in his first eight appearances before starting the past three games.

"I feel so good for Dillon," Altman said. "Dillon had a rough five months. He was excited about his junior year and he loves the game, so for him to hit that after his struggles, it was good."

Altman will have to adjust his starting lineup to get Boucher and Brooks in at the start because those two have not started in the same game all season.

Boucher leads Oregon with averages of 13.7 points and 2.9 blocked shots per game while grabbing 7.6 rebounds. Brooks is second on the team at 13.6 points per game followed by guard Tyler Dorsey at 13.4.

Junior guard Elijah Stewart leads five Trojans in double figures with 15 points per game, while junior guard Jordan McLaughlin averages 14.4 points and 5.0 assists per game.

Metu leads the team with 7.9 rebounds while scoring 13.5 points per game after he contributed 19 points and eight rebounds in the win over Oregon State.

"Just being patient and taking what the defense gives me," Metu said. "Just playing to my strengths."

Sophomore guard Shaqquan Aaron is averaging 10.2 points per game.

The Trojans are without 6-foot-10 sophomore Bennie Boatwright, who averaged 10.8 points in five games before sustaining a knee sprain that is expected to keep him out until next month.

Oregon has won 12 straight games against USC.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Wildcats (11-2) at Golden Bears (9-3)
Date: December 30, 2016 11:00 PM EDT

The home court is always an advantage in college basketball, but it seems to be an even bigger factor when conference play rolls around.

Despite being plagued by personnel issues, 18th-ranked Arizona will try to break through that barrier when it opens Pac-12 play at California on Friday.

The Bears (9-3) had their 27-game home winning streak snapped by 12th-ranked Virginia in a tight 56-52 game in Cal's last nonconference contest on Dec. 21. And an unranked Cal team beat Arizona 74-73 in Berkeley last season when the Wildcats were ranked No. 12.

"Anytime you play at home, it gives you a level of confidence," Cal coach Cuonzo Martin said. "But Arizona, they've been in hostile atmospheres and tough environments. I don't think they'll be fazed by the stage."

The Wildcats (11-2) have played only one game on their opponent's home court this season, and they won that game against Missouri 79-60.

They have played much of the season with a limited roster of just seven scholarship players.

Allonzo Trier, their top returning scorer, has not played all season because of an unspecified eligibility issue, and starting point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright missed the past four weeks with a high ankle sprain.

However, there is a chance Jackson-Cartwright will return for the Cal game.

"We really don't know," Arizona coach Sean Miller said, regarding Jackson-Cartwright's status for the conference opener. "He tried to practice Monday for the first time in a month. Whether he plays this weekend remains to be seen.

"It may be even on Friday, when we have our shoot-around at Cal, to determine if and what role he'll have."

Because of the personnel issues and the lineup shuffling, Miller said his team has not developed the continuity he would like.

"We're maybe not in a groove, maybe not where we want to be just because of all the things that have happened," Miller said.

Arizona has remained in the top 25 thanks to the contributions of three freshmen -- Lauri Markkanen, Rawle Alkins and Kobi Simmon -- who are the team's top three scorers.

The star of the group is Markkanen, a 7-footer from Finland who, despite his size, usually plays the small forward or power forward spot, while 7-foot junior Dusan Ristic occupies the center position.

Markennen leads the team in scoring (16.1 points) and rebounding (7.3 per game) and has made 43.5 percent of his three-point shots.

Depending on how the teams match up, Markennen may be going up against Cal's star, 6-11 Ivan Rabb, at times.

"Cal starts with Ivan Rabb," Miller said. "He's an incredible offensive rebounder, which is where he hurt us last year."

In Arizona's 64-61 victory over the Bears in Tucson last season, Rabb had 13 rebounds, including six on the offensive end.

Rabb is averaging 14.6 points and 9.2 rebounds this season after missing the first two games with a toe injury. Jabari Bird is the team's No. 2 scorer at 15.7 per game, but he missed the first six games with a back ailment.

In their absence, freshman guard Charlie Moore became the focus of the offense. He scored 38 points in the victory over UC Irvine in the second game of the season and is the team's leading scorer at 16.1 points per game.

"He can really score the ball," Martin said, "but with Ivan Rabb and Jabari out early, we needed him to really put points up. I don't know if he would have scored the ball at that level if they had been healthy early."

All three scorers are healthy now for Cal, which relies on defense to win games. The Bears rank eighth in the nation in field-goal percentage defense (36.6 percent) and 11th in scoring defense (59.3).

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Bruins (13-1) at Beavers (4-10)
Date: December 30, 2016 11:00 PM EDT

UCLA will try to bounce back from its first loss of the season when the second-ranked Bruins visit Oregon State on Friday night at Gill Coliseum in Corvallis, Ore.

UCLA (13-1, 0-1 Pac-12) is coming off a dramatic 89-87 loss to No. 21 Oregon. The Bruins led by one in the waning moments, but Dillon Brooks, the reigning Pac-12 Player of the Year, buried a game-winning 3-pointer with 0.8 seconds remaining, setting off a wild scene at Matthew Knight Arena.

"You hate losing," UCLA center Thomas Welsh said. "This is the first loss of the season for us and that was a tough way to go, but it happens. It's a game and you aren't going to win them all, but it's just about playing the way you want to play and learning from the losses like this."

Oregon State (4-10, 0-1) has lost six of its last seven games, including a 70-63 loss to No. 22 USC on Wednesday. The Beavers have struggled without leading scorer Tres Tinkle, who averaged 20.2 points and 8.3 rebounds over the first six games before suffering a broken wrist. He is expected to return in early January.

The Beavers trailed by 19 early in the second half before battling back to get within six in the final minute, but by then it was too late. After the game, Oregon State coach Wayne Tinkle offered a lengthy critique of his team, saying the Beavers are too slow to engage the opposition.

"We kind of came out flat and waited until we got down to show some fight and some intensity, and that's been a little bit of a marker for this group," he said. "We challenged the guys in the locker room. We've got to find some guys to show some leadership out there and get guys fired up.

"It's just been kind of the same old song, and so we challenged our guys that, if it's important, we'll find a way to be more intense, more communicative out there, and become way more selfless. Anybody can show a little bit of fight when it's desperation time. We need guys who are ready to fight coming out of the locker room."

That will be critical against a UCLA squad that is averaging 95 points per game, shooting 54.9 percent from the field and making 42.9 percent from 3-point range. Entering the week, the Bruins were first or second in the nation in scoring, field-goal percentage, total assists, assists per game and assist-to-turnover ratio. They were fifth in 3-point shooting and margin of victory, winning by an average of 21.8 points per game.

Now, for the first time this season, the Bruins are coming off a loss. Senior guard Bryce Alford put it in perspective following the game, saying it could be good news for the Bruins and bad news for the Beavers.

"I think that it's good that we have some adversity," he said. "This team needs some adversity to go through. You never want to lose a game. We had this game. I think we kind of blew it at the end, but we are very confident that we can bounce back in two days and get another win."

[StarDust Bum]

DAILY PLAYS RECORD:

12/01/2016 7-7-0 50.00% -350
12/02/2016 5-5-0 50.00% -250
12/03/2016 40-38-1 51.28% -900
12/04/2016 8-6-0 57.14% +700
12/05/2016 4-8-0 33.33% -2400
12/06/2016 16-17-1 48.48% -1350
12/07/2016 22-19-0 53.66% +550
12/08/2016 5-4-0 55.56% +300
12/09/2016 2-1-0 66.67% +450
12/10/2016 43-39-3 52.44% +50
12/11/2016 12-9-0 57.14% +1050
12/12/2016 2-4-0 33.33% -1200
12/13/2016 8-5-0 61.54%+1250
12/14/2016 13-7-0 65.00%+2650
12/15/2016 7-6-0 53.85% +200
12/16/2016 3-8-2 27.27% -2900
12/17/2016 35-31-153.03%+450
12/18/2016 13-8-1 61.90% +2100
12/19/2016 13-13-050.00%-650
12/20/2016 17-7-2 70.83% +4650
12/21/2016 18-24-0 42.86% -4200
12/22/2016 26-28-2 48.15% -2400
12/23/2016 15-9-0 62.50% +2550
12/25/2016 5-3-0 62.50% +850
12/27/2016 6-8-0 42.86% -1400
12/28/2016 21-23-0 47.73% -2150
2/29/2016 27-21-1 56.25% +1950

WLT Pct Units

ATS Picks 561-536-20 51.14% -14300

O/U Picks 148-136-4 52.11% -800

DAILY BEST BETS:

12/29/16: 11 - 10 - 0

DEC- RECORD

ATS - 150 - 134 - 0 52.81 % + 13.00
TOTALS - 36 - 38 - 1 48.64 % - 2750

OCT-NOV BEST BET RECORD
ATS Picks 124 -113- 1 52.32 % -+ 650
O/U Picks 15 - 17 - 3 46.87% - 2000

NOVEMBERS BIG PLAYS GO 13 - 7

DECEMBERS BIG PLAYS - 34 - 25 - 2 57.62 %

[StarDust Bum]

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

NORF at BGSU 02:00 PM

BGSU -10.0 *****

O 137.0

WVU at OKST 04:00 PM

OKST +3.0 *****

O 169.0 *****

SBON at MASS 04:00 PM

SBON +2.0

O 155.0 *****

FAIR at PENN 04:00 PM

PENN -7.0

VALP at UIC 05:00 PM

VALP -8.0

LAS at DAY 06:00 PM

DAY -8.5 *****

NW at MSU 06:00 PM

NW +1.0

TTU at ISU 06:00 PM

TTU +4.0 *****

O 140.0 *****

[StarDust Bum]

EVENING ACTION:

BAY at OKLA 07:00 PM

BAY -5.0 *****

O 142.5 *****

DUQ at FOR 07:00 PM

FOR -5.5

URI at SLU 07:00 PM

SLU +14.5

GW at JOES 07:00 PM

GW +4.0

VCU at GMU 08:00 PM

VCU -3.5 *****

TEX at KSU 08:00 PM

KSU -8.5 *****

O 130.0


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


ASU at STAN 09:00 PM

ASU +6.5 *****

O 147.5

KU at TCU 09:00 PM

TCU +6.5 *****

SCAR at MEM 09:00 PM

MEM +1.0 *****

EWU at IDHO 10:00 PM

IDHO -5.5 *****

O 139.5

USC at ORE 10:00 PM

ORE -9.0 *****

O 148.5

UCLA at ORST 11:00 PM

UCLA -21.0 *****

ARIZ at CAL 11:00 PM

CAL -2.5 *****

[StarDust Bum]

Friday's Elite Eight
December 30, 2016

A look at the day's top eight college basketball matchups, ranked in order of most attractive.

FRIDAY, DEC. 30

Matchup Records Skinny Projection

USC
Overall: 14-0 SU, 7-6 ATS
Pac-12: 1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS
Totals: 5-5 O/U

Oregon
Overall: 12-2 SU, 5-8 ATS
Pac-12: 1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS
Totals: 4-6 O/U

USC at Oregon, 10 p.m. ET, FS1

The Ducks managed to muscle in on bowls and the NBA to become the top story in sports earlier this week when they took out UCLA, so this can be a really big week for them. Taking out two unbeaten L.A. powers certainly won’t come for the price of one and might require another heroic effort from guard Dillon Brooks, who struggled before his buzzer-beater but remains Oregon’s most dynamic weapon on a team filled with them. The Ducks lost in his season debut against Georgetown on Nov. 21 but have won 10 consecutive games with him in the lineup despite the fact he’s in a 6-for-27 shooting slump from 3-point range. Brooks did play a season-best 35 minutes against UCLA, so the training wheels are off and he appears to be fully covered from foot surgery. He’ll face off with USC’s top scorer Elijah Stewart (15.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg), a really gifted offensive player who comes off a 4-for-13 shooting game in Wednesday’s win at Oregon State. The Trojans’ heartbeat is point guard Jordan McLaughlin, the main reason the team is still undefeated since he does it all on the floor and has won games with his poise down the stretch. Dana Altman has plenty of guards he can throw at him. Big men Chris Boucher and Jordan Bell will duel with USC’s breakout star Chimezie Metu, who has scored in double-digits nine straight games and looks to be blossoming into a pro as a sophomore. They won’t have to contend with versatile forward Bennie Boatright, out for a few weeks with a knee injury. Oregon won both meetings last season to extend their run of victories over the Trojans to 12. The Ducks have won 34 consecutive home games.

Oregon 86
USC 80


Arizona
Overall: 11-2 SU, 7-6 ATS
Pac-12: 0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS
Totals: 5-7-1 O/U

California
Overall: 9-3 SU, 4-8 ATS
Pac-12: 0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS
Totals: 5-7 O/U

Arizona at California, 11 p.m. ET, ESPN2

The Wildcats have been working shorthanded since Allonzo Trier went out due to an eligibility issue and have been missing point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright too, but he’s returned practice and may be back to provide a boost in this Pac-12 opener. The Bears have had injury issues throughout the last two months themselves, missing All-American Ivan Rabb for a few games and wings Jabari Bird and Grant Mullins for longer stretches. Center Kameron Rooks still isn’t back from knee surgery, which could hurt here since Arizona does have quality size in 7-footers Lauri Markkanen and Dusan Ristic. Sean Miller has managed to overcome all the attrition to win five straight, including an upset of Texas A&M in Houston. Most recently, the ‘Cats crushed New Mexico 77-46 on Dec. 20, while Cal had its 27-game home winning streak snapped by stingy Virginia 56-52 on Dec. 21. Miller and counterpart Cuonzo Miller have had ample time to prepare their teams and each preach defense, which is why most of the games for both have gone under despite all the roster chaos.
California 65
Arizona 64


West Virginia
Overall: 11-1 SU, 5-2 ATS
Big 12: 0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS
Totals: 3-4 O/U

Oklahoma State
Overall: 10-2 SU, 4-3 ATS
Big 12: 0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS
Totals: 5-2 O/U

West Virginia at Oklahoma State, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN2

Oklahoma State is pretty satisfied that tickets to the first conference game of the Brad Underwood era are sold out, making it the first time Gallagher-Iba Arena will be packed since a showdown with Oklahoma in Jan. 2015. It’s helped that the Cowboys have hit the ground running under their new head coach, who has had help reinvigorating the program from point guard Jawun Evans (20.2 ppg, 4.6 apg), one of the best in the nation at his position. The partnership should serve Underwood well in this meeting with his coaching mentor, Bob Huggins, who pressures teams more than anyone. Underwood’s Stephen F. Austin team handled Press Virginia effectively enough to earn an upset in last year’s NCAA Tournament, so we’ll see how he fares with an elite ball handler and a homecourt advantage. Of course, the Mountaineers are loaded and lead the nation in turnovers forced (26.2), so this will really be a battle of wills and should be an extremely entertaining show. Free-throw shooting could be a deciding factor since the Cowboys shoot them extremely well (76 percent) and West Virginia (64.4) doesn’t. Phil Forte has hit 44 of 45 (97.8) and can really salt a game away if given the chance. This could come right down to the wire.

West Virginia 74
Oklahoma State 73


Baylor
Overall: 12-0 SU, 6-1 ATS
Big 12: 0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS
Totals: 2-4-1 O/U

Oklahoma
Overall: 6-5 SU, 4-5 ATS
Big 12: 0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS
Totals: 6-3 O/U

Baylor at Oklahoma, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2

The Sooners expect senior leading scorer Jordan Woodard (17.6) to play after missing the Auburn loss with a pulled muscle in his leg following a fall in practice. Oklahoma has lost three consecutive games for the first time since he’s been on campus as the school struggles to replace lottery pick Buddy Hield, Isaiah Cousins and Ryan Spangler, guys that fought you to the end to win the close ones. Of OU’s five losses, two have come in OT and the other were tight setbacks against Auburn and Wichita State that were decided late. Baylor has had only a single one-possession game through its perfect run, beating Louisville. The Bears have blown out Oregon, Michigan State and Xavier and have really taken off with Miami transfer Manu Lecomte and JUCO transfer Jo-Lual-Acuil, Jr. providing dominant play at the point and center, respectively. Holdovers Johnathan Motley, Al Freeman, Ishmail Wainwright and Terry Maston can all really play, so the Sooners are up against it and rightfully a home underdog in Norman as they look to avoid slipping to .500, a rarity under Lon Kruger’s watch and a dramatic fall considering they come off a Final Four appearance.

Baylor 78
Oklahoma 71


Kansas
Overall: 11-1 SU, 4-6 ATS
Big 12: 0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS
Totals: 5-5 O/U

TCU
Overall: 11-1 SU, 6-4 ATS
Big 12: 0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS
Totals: 4-6 O/U

Kansas at TCU, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN2

If this card weren’t so juicy this would be much higher due to morbid curiosity since it appears we’re about to find out just how seriously to take the Horned Frogs. Considering some putrid TCU teams have given the Jayhawks trouble in the past, dealing Bill Self some of his most puzzling, frustrating losses, the fact it has a promising group on its hands is certain to have KU’s attention. Unique pieces like 6-foot-11 Vladimir Brodziansky and high-motor forward Kenrich Williams have helped make Jamie Dixon’s first season at his alma mater surprising successfully, and there are a number of quality guards who give him options. There’s not elite talent at his disposal like Self has in Frank Mason, Josh Jackson and Devonte Graham, but a deep team could certainly test Kansas in a road environment. The Jayhawks will be playing only their second game without center Udoka Azubuike, who suffered a season-ending wrist injury in practice on Dec. 20.

Kansas 79
TCU 68


Texas Tech
Overall: 11-1 SU, 5-3 ATS
Big 12: 0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS
Totals: 5-3 O/U

Iowa State
Overall: 8-3 SU, 4-4 ATS
Big 12: 0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS
Totals: 2-6 O/U

Texas Tech at Iowa State, 6 p.m. ET, ESPNN

Life in the Big 12 won’t be easy for anyone, but for teams like Red Raiders that are perennially punching outside their weight class, the early slate looks pretty daunting. With a home game against West Virginia and a trip to Kansas on tap next week, picking up an upset in Ames would really ease their burden. Despite its gaudy record, Texas Tech has racked up wins many would argue haven’t prepared it for conference play. Chris Beard is coaching his first game in the head seat since the former assistant returned to Lubbock to replace Tubby Smith following a successful stint at Little Rock. This will be Texas Tech’s second true road game of the season – it won at Richmond two weeks ago – and second encounter with a major-conference team, having suffered its lone loss against Auburn (67-65) on Nov. 22 in Cancun. Iowa State lost one-possession games to Gonzaga and Cincinnati around this time last month, but has won its last two home games after the Bearcats ended its 37-game run of non-conference wins at Hilton Coliseum. The Cyclones are hoping to speed up the Red Raiders, who prefer to slow tempo and turn games into grinders, so gang rebounding will be key. Point guards Monte Morris and Keenan Evans know one another well, having started every game for their teams last year. The team’s split last season’s meetings. Morris shot just 10-for-25.

Iowa State 68
Texas Tech 67


South Carolina
Overall: 11-2 SU, 4-4-1 ATS
SEC: 0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS
Totals: 4-4-1 O/U

Memphis
Overall: 9-4 SU, 3-5 ATS
American: 0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS
Totals: 4-4 O/U

South Carolina at Memphis, 9 p.m. ET, ESPNU

This is the lone non-conference game to crack Friday’s list, a showdown between two teams who will turn their attention back to conference play next week but are out to pick up a quality win here. After an 8-0 start grabbed everyone’s attention, the Gamecocks have gone 2-2, with one of those wins coming Tuesday against D-II member Lander. Seton Hall and Clemson each beat South Carolina in a physical, one-possession game similar to what awaits in this, its second true road game. Top scorer Sindarius Thornwell (18.7) remains suspended for getting arrested for marijuana possession last month and isn’t likely to be reinstated until next week at the earliest. His absence would definitely aid the Tigers’ chances since it’s one less headache for the short-handed group to deal with. Tubby Smith has gotten great contributions from twins Dedric and KJ Lawson to pick up wins over Oklahoma, Iowa and UAB. The forwards have combined for 35 points, 19.6 rebounds and 6.7 assists. Veteran starter Markel Crawford will be key here since he and sophomore Craig Randall are Memphis' best shooters.

Memphis 67
South Carolina 63


Northwestern

Overall: 12-2 SU, 8-2-1 ATS
Big Ten: 1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS
Totals: 5-6 O/U

Michigan State

Overall: 9-5 SU, 6-7 ATS
Big Ten: 1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS
Totals: 5-7-1 O/U

Northwestern at Michigan State, 6 p.m. ET, BTN

Freakish freshman athlete Miles Bridges, whose explosive presence on both ends has him slated as a lottery lock so long as he stays healthy, remains sidelined after suffering an ankle injury last month. The Spartans looked NIT-bound without him, but did win at Minnesota in Monday’s Big Ten opener and typically plays its best later in the year under Tom Izzo, so there’s hope that they can salvage a season that has seen them lose at home to Northeastern and all four ranked foes they’ve faced so far. Northwestern has nine straight but lost to its two highest-rated opponents (Butler, Notre Dame) and will need to have a strong run in league play to finally reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. Freshman center Nick Ward comes off a 22-point, 10-rebound effort against the Gophers and won’t be sneaking up on the Wildcats, who have to figure out how to overcome their lack of size since power forward Derek Pardon remains sidelined by a hand injury.

Northwestern 72
Michigan State 69

[StarDust Bum]

Top 25 Capsules
December 30, 2016

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) Lonzo Ball had 23 points, including four 3-pointers, and No. 2 UCLA rebounded from a loss to Oregon earlier in the week with a 76-63 victory over Oregon State on Friday night.

T.J. Leaf added 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Aaron Holiday had 14 points for the Bruins (14-2, 1-1 Pac-12), who led by as many as 14 points.

Stephen Thompson Jr. had 25 points for the Beavers (4-11, 0-2).

Trailing 34-26 at halftime, the surprisingly resilient Beavers pulled into a tie at 38 on Thompson's 3-pointer. While the Bruins never surrendered the lead, Oregon State kept it close, pulling within 44-43 on Kendal Manuel's 3-pointer with 12:52 left.

Ball and Holiday hit consecutive 3s to give UCLA a 53-45 lead midway through the half. Ball made another 3 to extend the lead to 64-50 with 6:12 left and Oregon State could no longer keep up.

---

No. 3 KANSAS 86, TCU 80

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - Frank Mason III scored 22 points and No. 3 Kansas won its 12th consecutive game and 26th straight conference opener, beating TCU 86-80 to start Big 12 play Friday night.

Senior Landen Lucas had 15 points and a career-high 17 rebounds to help the Jayhawks (12-1, 1-0) hold off the Horned Frogs, who led by 10 points in the first half and stayed close after winning 11 of their first 12 under first-year coach Jamie Dixon, a former TCU guard.

Kansas improved to 13-1 against TCU, almost four years after the Jayhawks' only loss in the series on the same court. But it wasn't easy improving to 21-0 in Big 12 openers.

Vladimir Brodziansky had a career-high 28 points and nine rebounds for TCU (11-2, 0-1), and Kenrich Williams had his fifth double-double this season with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

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No. 4 BAYLOR 76, OKLAHOMA 50

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) - Johnathan Motley had 19 points and 13 rebounds as undefeated Baylor prevailed in the Big 12 opener for both teams.

The fourth-ranked Bears (12-0, 1-0) remain one of five unbeaten teams in Division I.

Off to their best start in 16 years, the Bears raced to a 36-17 halftime lead and Oklahoma (6-6, 0-1) got no closer over the final 20 minutes. Baylor expanded the lead to as many as 34 points in the second half.

Manu Lecompte added 14 points for Baylor and Jo Lual-Acuil had 12 points and eight rebounds, as Baylor outrebounded the Sooners 46-30.

Christian James had 11 points for Oklahoma, which lost its fourth straight. It was the worst home loss in coach Lon Kruger's tenure and the worst Big 12 home defeat for the Sooners since 2010-11.

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No. 11 WEST VIRGINIA 92, OKLAHOMA ST. 75

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) - Daxter Miles Jr. scored 22 points and Jevon Carter had 15 points and six assists to lead West Virginia in the Big 12 opener for both teams.

Nathan Adrian added nine points and eight rebounds for West Virginia (12-1, 1-0), which won its eighth straight.

Phil Forte scored 18 points, including four 3-pointers, to lead Oklahoma State, which saw its four-game winning streak snapped. Leyton Hammonds had 17 points and seven rebounds for the Cowboys (10-3, 0-1).

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No. 18 ARIZONA 67, CALIFORNIA 62

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) - Dusan Ristic scored 16 points and Arizona overcame a sluggish and sloppy first half in the Pac-12 opener for both teams.

Kobi Simmons added 14 points while Lauri Markkanen had 13 points and nine rebounds as the Wildcats (12-2, 1-0) rallied from 13 points down and used a big run coming out of halftime to extend their winning streak to six games.

The win was the 200th at Arizona for Wildcats coach Sean Miller.

Ivan Rabb had 16 points and a career-best 16 rebounds for California (9-4, 0-1).

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No. 21 OREGON 84, No. 21 SOUTHERN CAL 61

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - Dillon Brooks scored a season-high 28 points and Dylan Ennis added 21 as Oregon handed the Trojans' their first loss of the season.

Brooks, a preseason All-America, shot 9 of 10 from the field, including 4 of 4 on 3-pointers, and 6 of 6 from the free throw line two nights after his last-second 3 knocked off No. 2 UCLA.

The Ducks (13-2, 2-0 Pac-12) started the second half on a 21-3 run, featuring 14 points by Ennis, to race to their 11th consecutive win and extend the nation's second-longest home winning streak to 35 games.

De'Anthony Melton led USC (14-1, 1-1) with 13 points and Jonah Matthews had 11.