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

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Top 25 roundup: Minnesota upends No. 15 Purdue
January 1, 2017

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Nate Mason had 31 points and Minnesota used an 11-0 run early in overtime to pull away from No. 15 Purdue 91-82 on Sunday in Mackey Arena.

Eric Curry added seven of his 10 points in overtime and Jordan Murphy had 16 points before fouling out as the Golden Gophers (13-2, 1-1 Big Ten) won in Mackey Arena for the first time since Feb. 26, 2005.

Purdue (12-3, 1-1) had its seven-game winning streak snapped despite getting 28 points and 22 rebounds from Caleb Swanigan, whose layup with 4.6 seconds left in regulation tied it at 73 and forced overtime.

No. 13 Butler, 78, Providence 61

Kelan Martin paced a balanced attack with 15 points to help guide Butler past Providence in Big East action at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

The Bulldogs (12-2, 1-1) handed the Friars (10-5, 0-2) their third straight loss. Providence had won six of the previous seven meetings in the last three seasons.

Joining Martin in double figures were Avery Woodson and Andrew Chrabascz with 11 points each and Kethan Savage with 10 points. Providence's Kyron Cartwright finished with a career-high 26 points.

No. 19 Arizona 91, Stanford 52

STANFORD, Calif. -- Arizona continued its dominance against Stanford in a Pac-12 game at Maples Pavilion, leading by as many as 21 points in the first half and cruising to its seventh straight victory overall and its 14th straight over the Cardinal.

With 13 minutes left, Arizona (13-2, 2-0) was shooting 65.7 percent from the floor, had made 7 of 10 3-point shots and hit all 12 free throws while opening a 29-point lead. The Wildcats finished at 62.5 percent while making 10 of 14 3-pointers and 21 of 23 free throws.

Rawle Alkins had 19 points to lead Arizona. Dorian Pickens led Stanford (8-6, 0-2) with 10 points but was just 3 of 10 from the field.

No. 23 Cincinnati 92, Tulane 56

Freshman guard Jarron Cumberland scored a career-high 19 points off the bench and senior point guard Troy Caupain did a little bit of everything to lead No. 23 Cincinnati past struggling Tulane at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati.

Caupain, the American Athletic Conference preseason player of the year, finished with nine points, eight assists, five rebounds and two steals for the Bearcats (12-2, 2-0), who have won five in a row and 17 straight at home. Cincinnati hit 10 of its first 11 shots of the second half and put away Tulane with a 21-7 run.

Junior guard Cameron Reynolds scored 17 points for Tulane (3-11, 0-2), which dropped its fourth straight game under first-year coach Mike Dunleavy Sr.

[StarDust Bum]

Monday’s 6-pack

Week 17’s most popular selections in the Westgate SuperContest:

6) Carolina Panthers +6 (350)- W

5) Denver Broncos -1 (374)- W

4) Baltimore Ravens +2 (389)- L

3) Detroit Lions +3.5 (405)-L

2) Miami Dolphins +9.5 (417)- L

1) Green Bay Packers -3.5 (538)-W


Monday’s List of 16: Wrapping up an NFL Sunday……

Titans 24, Texans 17— Houston QB Savage left with concussion, Osweiler wound up throwing 40 passes; Titans scored a defensive TD 5:03 into the game, never looked back. Texans will be a home underdog in playoffs next week. Tennessee has to have mixed emotions; they improved a lot this year, but Mariota’s broken leg and Week 16 loss to Jacksonville prevented a happy ending. Good news for Titans: they have a lot of draft picks from the Rams, as a result of LA trading up to draft Jared Goff.

Jets 30, Bills 10— Buffalo owner Terry Pagula changed history when he bought the Bills; the person he beat out for the franchise? Donald Trump.

Now Bills have to hire a coach, have to decide if Tyrod Taylor is their QB of future. Lot of work for them, since other teams with coaching openings are seen as more attractive jobs. Jets’ last TD scored when Buffalo neglected to field a kickoff and the Jets recovered the free ball in the end zone- they finish 5-11, but swept the Bills.

Bengals 27, Ravens 10— Putrid effort by Baltimore; Flacco threw a horrendous end zone INT when game was 17-3 and still in doubt. Flacco targeted Dennis Pitta 16 times in this game, including the fateful end zone pick- he plays like Pitta is on his fantasy team.

Why is Chris Simms a network TV analyst? Because his dad is? I’ll give you two guys who do college games who are better and more qualified: Andre Ware (ESPN) and Sherdrick Bonner, who does Mountain West games on ROOT Sports— he played Arenaball for the Arizona Rattlers. Ware is soft-spoken and a good listen. Bonner is very smart.

Colts 24, Jaguars 20— Jacksonville led 17-0 20:45 into game, led 17-3 at the half- hopefully they’ll hire Josh McDaniels as coach so the Rams can’t. Think Jaguars are closer to being good than you’d expect; they only trailed one of their last seven games at halftime. Colts finish 7-1 vs spread this year in the game following a loss.

Question for Colts’ owner Jim Irsay is: Do you fire your coach after an 8-8 season? I’m not saying you don’t, I’m just asking.

Eagles 27, Cowboys 13— Philly finishes 7-9 after a 3-0 start with the ill-timed Week 4 bye. Still think Eagles had a pretty good year; they established Wentz as their starting QB, now they need to build around him.

Dallas has next week off and will be favored to win the NFC; I remember 1999, when the Rams lost a meaningless Week 17 game in Philly, then won the Super Bowl. Cowboys hope history repeats itself there.

Vikings 38, Bears 10— Minnesota finishes 8-8 after a 5-0 start and they don’t have their #1 draft pick in April, because they dealt it for Sam Bradford. Good news for Vikings; their new stadium is real nice. Good news for the Bears is that their dismal 3-13 season is over. Now they have to decide who they want their QB to be going forward.

Chances are it won’t be Matt Barkley; Bears turned ball over 14 times in their last three games. 14 times. In. three. games.

Buccaneers 17, Panthers 16— Carolina scored TD with 0:17 left, went for two points and the win but failed. 8th year in a row this series was swept. Panthers went 2-6 on the road this season. Tampa Bay was down 7-3 until Newton threw a pick-6; he didn’t have a good season.

Steelers 27, Browns 24 OT— Cleveland’s team bus broke down on their way to the stadium Sunday morning, which pretty much sums up their whole franchise. Steelers’ top guys on offense didn’t play, but they won anyway, scoring a TD in overtime after Cleveland kicked a FG.

Browns clinched 1st pick in April’s draft.

Patriots 35, Dolphins 14— New England won its 7th straight game, snapped a 3-game losing streak in Miami. Dolphins are in playoffs for first time in 2008, but go to playoffs with backup QB Moore playing- he’s one of the better backups. Seeing how so many AFC playoffs teams have QB injury issues, hard to imagine the Patriots not playing in the Super Bowl.

Cardinals 44, Rams 6— Merciful end to a horrendous season for the Rams, one of the worst offenses I’ve ever seen…..’76 Buccaneers level of bad. Time to take a big broom to coaching staff; keeping special teams coach Fassel would be a good move- everyone else needs to go and I do mean everyone else. LA was outscored 78-21 in second half of their last four games, a sign the players gave up. Lot of them need to go, too.

Chiefs 37, Chargers 27— Andy Reid is this generation’s version of Chuck Knox; wins a lot of games, sound coach but when January and playoffs roll around, his teams will lose. Win here and Oakland’s loss in Denver gives Chiefs #2 seed in AFC and next week off, which is really important, but does anyone think they can go to Foxboro in three weeks and win?

Chargers finish their last season in San Diego 5-11; this is a ridiculous situation where no one likes the owner, but they do avidly support the team in this stadium. Why can’t the Chargers just stay in San Diego? Does every NFL team have to play in a new stadium? Does the NFL want cities like St Louis and San Diego to hate the NFL?

Falcons 38, Saints 32— Over/under on Atlanta’s points in this game was 32; they had 35 at the half. Falcons get #2 seed in NFC and next week off; Over was 13-3 in Atlanta games this year.

Interesting situation if Rams are really interested in Sean Payton as their next coach; would he re-unite with Gregg Williams (they won a Super Bowl together with Saints)? Saints have had a terrible defense for several years now (since Williams left).

Giants 19, Redskins 10— Rooting for a team that finishes 4-12 is not fun, but not half as bad as rooting for a team that has to win one of its last two home games to make playoffs, but loses both of them.

Losing to a team that had nothing to play for is just intolerable. Giants are now 8-3 in last 11 games here; seven of their last eight games overall stayed under total- they have a road playoff game next week.

Seahawks 25, 49ers 23— Something is wrong with Seattle; they had to fight to win this game, against a 2-14 team that fired its GM before kickoff. Seahawks will play at home next week- they split last six games.

No idea what direction the 49ers will go in; sounds like they’re firing Chip Kelly, too. NFC West is going to look a lot different next year.

Broncos 24, Raiders 6— Things turned ugly quickly for Oakland; backup QB McGloin hurt his shoulder, they lost the NFC West title, now have to go to Houston for a rematch of the Monday night game in Mexico City that Oakland won 27-20. it is possible that Michigan St rookie QB Connor Cook (14-21/150) might be under center for that game. Oy.

As for Denver, looks like Gary Kubiak is going to resign for health reasons, a year after he won the Super Bowl. Coaching is very stressful and not necessarily healthy- we wish him well. The next coach is going to have to spruce up the offense. Will Siemian, Lynch or someone else be the Denver QB next year?

[StarDust Bum]

CBB SEASON RECORD OPINIONS AND BEST BETS:

WLT Pct Units

ATS Picks 611-585-22 51.09% -16250

O/U Picks 167-166-4 50.15% -7800

DAILY RECORD OPINIONS AND BEST BETS

01/01/2017 20-20-1 50.00% -1000

DAILY BEST BETS RECORD:

ATS: 5 - 4 - 1

O/U : 4 - 2 - 0

[StarDust Bum]

Bracketology Update
December 1, 2017

We're still early enough in the college hoops season that Joe Lunardi's name has yet to become commonly mentioned on ESPN's telecasts. Don't worry, "St." Joe and other "bracketologists" will soon enough dominate discussions once the season is beyond New Year's and March Madness begins to loom on the horizon.

Though December is a bit early to make progostications for the NCAA Tournament, not really, as this time of year can be a barometer of sorts regarding where teams stand as we hit the holidays and prepare for the commencement of conference play. Obviously, our many "bracketology" updates will have a different look as we move into 2017, but as a measuring stick for the first month-and-a-half of the season, we believe it to be a worthwhile exercise in late December.

We will wait until our January updates before including each team's "RPI" (Ratings Percentage index) number, a calculation that begins to become more illuminating as we get deeper into conference action. For now, we just offer our "seeding" as of Christmas week, with straight-up records thru December 21.

Remember, for all of our "bracketology" updates, the term "protected seed" refers to seeds 1 thru 4 in each region, and likely favorable geographic placement in the sub-regional round.

As usual, we break down the projected matchups by each region, beginning with the sub-regionals, which this season will begin on Thursday, March 16, with the Dayton "First Four" games played on March 14 and 15. Remember, Selection Sunday is less than three months away!

EAST REGIONAL (New York City-MSG)

At Buffalo...

1 Villanova (Straight Up Record 12-0) vs. 16 New Hampshire (8-4)...Defending national champs, still unbeaten, and top-ranked in the polls. Yes, it's easy to put Jay Wright's Villanova as a number one seed at Christmas. The Big East will surely provide a couple of detours, but the question right now regarding the Cats is if they can stay on the top line into Selection Sunday. A lot of basketball between now and then. Meanwhile, the America East looks like a scrum at the moment, though experienced New Hampshire has everyone back from last year's 20-win, CIT qualifier. Vermont, UMBC, and Albany will also have a say in the A-East.

8 Ohio State (9-3) vs. 9 Kansas State (11-1)...How deep will the Selection Committee look in the Big Ten? We have a hard time envisioning that the esteemed members would bypass Ohio State on Selection Sunday, though right now we have Michigan State on the wrong side of the cut line. The Spartans have plenty of good losses but need to add a few wins as conference play gets going. At some point in the winter we likely have Tom Izzo's team joining the Buckeyes in the field, but not yet. Which brings us to Kansas State, which has not had a terribly tough schedule but is 11-1 entering Xmas, and the Big 12 looks pretty deep this year. Though another of those teams, Texas, is at the moment on the bubble and in our "first four out" list (along with Michigan State).

At Orlando...

4 Virginia (10-1) vs. 13 Harvard (4-4)...So far, Tony Bennett's UVa has not skipped a beat even after the graduation of do-everything Malcolm Brogdon and the early-season dismissal of Memphis transfer Austin Nichols, who projected as an important contributor. We have gone ahead and projected Harvard as the rep from the Ivies, which will be having a tournament (yes it's true!) for the first time in March, though it will consist of only four teams. Tommy Amaker's side has key PG Siyani Chambers back in the fold after missing last season due to injury, and Amaker has uncovered a couple of frosh (Seth Towns and Bruce Akins) who figure to take the Ivy by storm. By March we suspect Amaker's group will be the clear team to beat in the first Ivy Tourney.

5 Florida (9-3) vs. 12 Seton Hall (9-2)/SMU (10-3)...There figures to be a scramble for the second slot in the SEC, and ascending Florida looks to be as good a bet as any to emerge as the top contender to Kentucky. The Gators would also love the sub-regional assignment in Orlando, where in our projections they are a de facto protected seed (even though listed as a five). There are going to be a lot of elbows thrown in the crowded Big East elevator, and Seton Hall is going to have to fight its way through, but chemistry seems better on the Pirates than at the end of last season when things fell apart down the stretch and into an early elimination in the Dance. Post-Larry Brown SMU is eligible for the Dance and figures to have as good a shot as any to emerge from the American, though we have the Mustangs in an at-large play-in game for our first projections.

At Indianapolis...

2 Louisville (11-1) vs. 15 Tennessee State (8-3)...After Wednesday's rousing win over Kentucky at the KFC Yum! Center, it is much easier to put the 'Ville on the 2-line, and Rick Pitino's squad has served notice that it should stay among the nation's elite. Though a very deep ACC awaits and might knock the Cards down a peg or two by March. In the Ohio Valley, HC Dana Ford has assembled a dangerous collection of transfers at TSU, and the Tigers might be the team to beat, though Rick Byrd's Belmont, as usual, figures to be in the mix.

7 Texas A&M (8-3) vs. 10 Monmouth (10-2)...A&M will be one of a handful of SEC teams looking to emerge as the chief challenger to Kentucky. More intrigue with Monmouth, denied on Selection Sunday a year ago after seeming to construct a viable at-large case. To be safe this March, however, King Rice's Hawks are advised to take care of business in the Metro-Atlantic Tourney, where nemesis Iona and others will await.

At Milwaukee...

3 Xavier (10-2) vs. 14 Lehigh (5-5)...Whether the top Big East contenders such as Xavier can avoid enough of the speed bumps in the Big East to stay among the protected seeds remains to be seen. From what we have seen thus far, however, the Musketeers look like a Sweet 16-or-better entry, and at this stage fit nicely at the 3 spot. Lehigh's so-so 5-5 mark belies a dangerous Patriot entry, as the Mountain Hawks (what was wrong with old "Engineers" nickname, anyway?) have been saddled with a tough pre-league slate. But likely league MVP C Tim Kempton (22.8 ppg) could post some really big numbers when Patriot play commences. Bucknell, Army, Loyola-Maryland, and Holy Cross are also likely involved in the Patriot chase.

6 Arizona (11-2) vs. 11 Clemson (9-2)...Arizona's star-studded frosh lineup figures to continue improving as the season progresses, though the Cats continue to wait on the availability of soph G Allonzo Trier, the leading returning scorer who has been sidelined with academic issues. If and when Trier returns, the Cats could make a move into protected seed territory. This week's rousing win at South Carolina has been enough for us to put Clemson into the field, as the Tigers seem built for tourney play, with depth, solid defense, and a go-to scorer in sr. F Jaron Blossomgame (17.4 ppg)

SOUTH REGIONAL (Memphis)

At Greenville...

1 Duke (12-1) vs. 16 Grambling (5-7)/Long Beach State (4-10)...Here we go with the first effects of the NCAA's decision to pull tournaments out of North Carolina based upon the state's LGBT restroom policies. We'll save commentary for another day. In the meantime Tobacco Road will be out of sub-regional mix for the first time in many years. Right now we suspect Duke gets to the top line, especially as its star frosh are now healthy and contributing, though Grayson Allen's continued petulance and immaturity are becoming serious issues (he is now on suspension after midweek antics vs. Elon). In one of the 16 vs. 16 play-in games it seems prudent to project SWAC and Big West entries since neither league has a team over .500 at the moment. Big West Long Beach isn't even close at 4-10, but we give the 49ers several mulligans because of an early schedule that even an NBA team would not envy.

8 Michigan (9-3) vs. 9 Pittsburgh (10-2)...Michigan has taken a few hits in pre-league play, but most regional observers expect John Beilein's side to land on the safe side of the cut line, unless injuries derail the Wolverines as a year ago. Pitt also seems to be gaining momentum, and new HC Kevin Stallings is no stranger to the Dance after several trips with previous employer Vandy. The ACC is unforgiving this season, however, and a few quality loop entries might be penalized on Selection Sunday if the league cannibalizes itself.

At Salt Lake City....

4 West Virginia (10-1) vs. 13 Akron (9-3)...This would be an intriguing matchup as it would pit Bob Huggins against his alma mater. Thus far we have seen enough good things from the Mountaineers to place them in a protected seed, but several banana peels await in the Big 12. The MAC is closing in on two decades as a one-bid league and that might not change this season, though the loop has several teams that could appear in other postseason events. At this stage the entry we believe most likely to qualify for the Dance is Akron, which has been there before for underrated HC Keith Dambrot.

5 Purdue (11-2) vs. 12 Middle Tennessee (10-3)...After beating Notre Dame in rousing fashion last week at Indianapolis, Purdue might believe it has a case for a protected seed. The Boilermakers can burnish those credentials in Big Ten play and improve chances to qualify for a sub-regional in Big Ten country. Speaking of the Big Ten, Michigan State was dumped by C-USA Tourney champ MTSU in a first-round shocker last season, so Purdue will be forewarned if the Blue Raiders await. MTSU HC Kermit Davis has much the same squad as last season, plus the addition of Arkansas transfer F Jacorey Williams, who has made a big impact already.

At Indianapolis...

2 Kentucky (10-2) vs. 15 Winthrop (7-3)...We're still trying to figure out where Coach Cal's latest collection of one-and-done blue-chippers, this season led by explosive 6-3 G Malik Monk, ranks among other similar recent Calipari Wildcat editions. December losses to UCLA and Louisville suggest UK remains a work in progress, but by March the Cats could be a load again. Winthrop is a familiar Big Dance participant and appears the early favorite in the Big South, with UNC-Asheville, Campbell, and Gardner-Webb (from Boiling Springs, NC!) looking to be the other top contenders.

7 Wichita State (8-3) vs. 10 Oklahoma State (9-2)...Last year Gregg Marshall had to sweat out Selection Sunday after Wichita was upset in the MVC Tourney, and was then given a lifeline of an at-large playoff game in Dayton (which the Shockers won handily against Vandy). We doubt Wichita has to worry as much this season, though the Valley could definitely be a one-bid league if the Shockers are not upset at "Arch Madness" in St. Louis. Ok State has responded to new HC Brad Underwood, recently at Stephen F Austin, and the Cowboys look like one of many potential at-large qualifiers from the Big 12.

At Buffalo...

3 Creighton (12-0) vs. 14 East Tennessee State (9-2)...After another impressive road win at Arizona State, Creighton wings into the holiday break still unbeaten and suddenly drawing lots of attention because of its depth and firepower, all augmented by Kansas State transfer G Marcus Foster, an early "transfer of the year" candidate. We are keeping a close watch on the SoCon, as it might have two teams (ETSU and Chattanooga) with at-large credentials by March. At the moment a measured vote for the Bucs, but this could evolve into quite a chase for the Dance with the Mocs.

6 Oregon (11-2) vs. 11 Texas Tech (11-1)...Oregon has been showing signs of reviving since an unimpressive beginning to the season (which included a shocking loss to reeling Georgetown at the Maui Classic), though getting key cog Dillon Brooks (who missed some early games) back in action has been a plus. Still time for the Ducks to work their way into a protected seed and a western assignment in the sub-regionals. Meanwhile, new Texas Tech HC Chris Beard has picked up where he left off a season ago at Little Rock, as the go-go Red Raiders are rolling. Though the schedule gets tougher, and soon.

MIDWEST REGIONAL (Kansas City)

At Tulsa...

1 Baylor (12-0) vs. 16 Long Island (7-6)/NC Central (7-5)...For the first six weeks of the season, has any team impressed more than Baylor? Consider the impressive array of scalps (Oregon, VCU, Michigan State, Louisville, Xavier) already claimed by the Bears, who at the moment have a case for the overall top seed. It seems a good bet that Northeast and MEAC champs will be involved in the 16 vs. 16 play-in games, as has often been the case in recent years. The Clair Bees, er Blackbirds, from LIU do have a nice win over nearby St. John's in their satchel, while NCC is the only MEAC rep above .500 (in fact it is the only one even close, as no other MEAC team has won more than three games thru Dec. 21!).

8 Miami-Fla. (8-2) vs. 9 Northwestern (10-2)...Nothing fancy about this Jim Larranaga Miami edition, which can bludgeon its way back to the Dance on the back of a rugged defense allowing only 57.4 ppg (ranked behind only Virginia nationally). And, look-ee here, we're going out on a limb (as are several Big Ten insiders) and projecting Northwestern into the field for the first time in its history! Chris Collins' current edition seems to be the best NU team in memory. And hey, it's a magic time in Chicagoland...if the Cubs can win the World Series, why can't the Wildcats make the Big Dance?

At Sacramento...

4 Butler (11-1) vs. 13 Valparaiso (9-2)...After Indiana threw everything but the kitchen sink at Butler last Saturday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, we have even more appreciation for the gnarly Bulldogs and believe they can be a protected seed. Some Big Easy observers are drawing parallels in style to Villanova, which should please Butler fans. Meanwhile, even after HC Bryce Drew departed for Vandy, Valpo remains the team to beat in the Horizon, especially with NBA-caliber 6-9 F Alec Peters (25.6) looking like a potential first-round pick next June (the Crusaders are pleased as punch that he pulled his name from the last draft). With Peters, Valpo is the clear team to beat once again in the Horizon.

5 Southern Cal (11-0) vs. 12 UT-Arlington (9-3)...Andy Enfield's "Dunk City" revival at SC has continued after the former Florida Gulf Coast mentor quieted his critics with LY's run to the Dance with the Trojans. That bitter first-round loss to Providence seems to have fueled SC, which has survived a few injuries (including key frontliner Bennie Boatwright missing several games) to stay unbeaten into this weekend's holiday tourney at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. UTA thought it was going to the Dance until key F Kevin Hervey injured his leg in warmups last February. With a healthy Hervey, the Movin' Mavs are the pick in the Sun Belt, though UL-Lafayette, Arkansas State, and Georgia State have impressed in pre-league play.

At Greenville...

2 North Carolina (11-2) vs. 15 Florida Gulf Coast (8-5)...This would be a rematch from a first-round game that was not so easy for the Tar Heels last March. As for North Carolina, losses at Indiana and in Las Vegas vs. Kentucky are temporarily keeping the Heels off of the top line, though they have plenty of time to work their way back into that mix. If the Eagles qualify, it will be their third Big Dance visit in five seasons, though Artis Gilmore's Jacksonville and upstart USC-Upstate should offer a spirited battle in the Atlantic Sun.

7 South Carolina (9-2) vs. 10 Dayton (8-3)...It took Frank Martin a couple of years, but he has the Gamecocks poised for a long-awaited return to the Dance. An upgraded non-league slate should help them after SC's weak non-ACC schedule proved a major negative last Selection Sunday. Suspended top scorer G Sindarius Thornwell (18.7 ppg) is scheduled to return to active duty on January 4 at Georgia. The A-10 might be slightly down this season, and there is a chance this premier mid-major loop (a description that makes the A-10 chafe) might be a one-bid league this season. Dayton and (and perhaps Rhode Island) appear the best bets to get at-large bids if needed.

At Indianapolis...

3 Indiana (9-2) vs. 14 Fort Wayne (9-3)...Based on the home win over North Carolina a few weeks ago, Indiana's protected seed case has enough heft (for the moment) to place it in preferred Indianapolis for the sub-regional. If the Selection Committee taps its occasional devilish streak, and capable Fort Wayne survives the Summit Tourney, it could match up these two Hoosier State rivals in a rematch of a wild OT win by the Mastodons in mid-November at the refurbished Allen Country Fieldhouse (long ago home of the NBA Fort Wayne Pistons).<

6 Saint Mary's (9-1) vs. 11 Florida State (12-1)...Too often in recent years, the Gaels have been the first team defended by Doug Gottlieb on Selection Sunday for not making the Dance. Saint Mary's probably doesn't have to worry about that this season if it limits WCC losses to just Gonzaga. We admit that Florida State's 12-1 mark deserves better than an 11th seed, but we're projecting a bit here, as we expect an extremely deep ACC (with TEN reps in this Bracketology update!) to take its toll on several contenders such as the Seminoles.

WEST REGIONAL (San Jose)

At Sacramento...

1 UCLA (13-0) vs. 16 Eastern Washington (8-4)...Consider this season (at least to date) as Steve Alford's revenge, as he was under the microscope of many impatient UCLA backers, who had reason to be upset at last year's collapse to below .500. But fortified with star frosh such as G Lonzo Ball and F TJ Leaf, and several big wins including AT Kentucky, the Bruins belong on the top line for now. The Big Sky race could go in any direction, and some believe a Montana side currently well below .500 might emerge as the team to beat. At the moment, a measured vote for Jim Hayford's EWU, though the aforementioned Grizzlies, perennial contender Weber State, and sleeper Portland State remain teams to watch.

8 Arkansas (10-1) vs. 9 Iowa State (8-3)...We're still not sure about the non-Kentucky portion of the SEC, but suspect that Arkansas once again emerges from the pack as one of the top challengers to the Wildcats, as Mike Anderson seems to have another team that no one will want to play in March. A bit of a disappointment to date in the Big 12 has been Iowa State, though close losses to Gonzaga and Cincinnati are not alarming. Getting run by rival Iowa, however, suggests 2nd-year HC Steve Prohm still has some work to do with these Cyclones in semi-rebuild mode.

At Milwaukee...

4 Wisconsin (10-2) vs. 13 UNCW (11-1)...Greg Gard seems to have established himself as a worthy successor to Bo Ryan in Madison, and Wisconsin looks tough as ever with a very experienced roster that was able to benefit greatly from the decision of F Nigel Hayes to pull his name from last June's NBA draft. It's a good bet we see the Badgers on the 3 or 4 line and assigned to nearby Milwaukee on Selection Sunday. UNCW could be a scary foe, with most of the pieces still in place from LY's Big Dance qualifier out of the Colonial for up-and-comer HC Kerry Keatts. The CAA has a few mine field this season, however, with Charleston, William & Mary, Towson, and giant-killer Northeastern all having scored good pre-league wins.

5 Cincinnati (9-2) vs. 12 Nevada (10-2)...Mick Cronin continues to keep Cincy relevant, and the Bearcats are still trademark-tough and looking like one of the teams to beat in the American (which might not go too deep in the Dance). With San Diego State declining, Eric Musselman's Nevada has the look of the team to beat in the Mountain West. Remember, the Wolf Pack won the CBI last March and has added key MVC transfers Marcus Marshall (via Missouri State) and Jordan Carolina (via SIU) to complement beastly 6-8 soph Cam Oliver, a possible MW MVP. The Reno bunch has a good chance at its first Dance bid since 2007, though the MW looks again like a one-bid league.

At Tulsa...

2 Kansas (10-1) vs. 15 New Mexico State (11-2)...Still plenty of time for Kansas to claim a spot on the top line, though at the moment we have Big 12 rival Baylor a bit more deserving of a number one seed. Regional sources believe Bill Self has a chance to get back to the Final Four, which the Jayhawks thought they were going to go last March before running into Villanova at the Elite Eight. In the WAC, though HC Marvin Menzies moved from NMSU to UNLV, he left behind a pretty good core for successor Paul Weir, and the Aggies have moved into the favorite's role in the league. The WAC is a bit more interesting these days after Rod Barnes' CS Bakersfield broke NMSU's recent monopoly on the league last March, and Utah Valley appears an improved side.

7 Virginia Tech (10-1) vs. 10 Providence (10-2)...Credit Buzz Williams for getting VPI to contending status in the ACC much sooner than most regional observers expected. The Hokies were a long way from the Big Dance when Williams took over two years ago. Only a late cold snap vs. Texas A&M at the Wooden Legacy Classic in November is keeping VPI from an undefeated mark and consideration for a protected seed. We're getting the idea that HC Ed Cooley knows what he's doing at Providence, as the Friars keep on ticking despite losing several stars to graduation the past couple of years. A lot of banana peels in the Big East, but Cooley should get to his fourth straight Dance.

At Salt Lake City...

3 Gonzaga (12-0) vs. 14 Sam Houston (9-5)...Fortified with key Pac-12 transfer Gs Nigel Goss-Williams (via Washington) and Jordan Mathews (via Cal), plus emerging 7-foot frosh Zach Collins, Mark Few might have a better chance to reach the Final Four than either of the past two years with Domantas Sabonis on the roster. The Southland is a league worthy of some respect after SF Austin's recent exploits in the Dance. At the moment, Sam Houston, which has been in the Dance in recent years, appears the clear favorite, though Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and SE Louisiana could be troublesome.

6 Notre Dame (10-2) vs. 11 TCU (11-1)/Colorado (9-3)...Mike Brey has steered Notre Dame to the Elite Eight each of the past two seasons, so the Irish cannot be dismissed. Though last week's bitter loss to Purdue in Indianapolis temporarily knocked Brey's team off consideration for a protected seed. We'll see if a rather light early schedule has been responsible for TCU's quick break under new HC and alum Jamie Dixon, who moved from Pitt, but the Frogs are a greatly improved bunch. Tad Boyle's Colorado likely rides the bubble into Selection Sunday, but we believe the Buffs have enough dimensions to land on the safe side of the cut line (though perhaps just barely if forced into an at-large play-in game at Dayton).

Last four in: Seton Hall, SMU, TCU, Colorado.

Last four out: Michigan State, Texas, NC State, Minnesota.

Next four out: Rhode Island, Cal, Houston, Auburn.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Dunkel

Monday, January 2

Samford @ Western Carolina

Game 561-562
January 2, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Samford
54.123
Western Carolina
48.678
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Samford
by 5 1/2
137
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Samford
by 7 1/2
131
Dunkel Pick:
Western Carolina
(+7 1/2); Over

Mercer @ Furman

Game 559-560
January 2, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Mercer
51.671
Furman
53.140
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Furman
by 1 1/2
136
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Furman
by 7
127 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Mercer
(+7); Over

Monmouth @ St Peter's

Game 557-558
January 2, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Monmouth
56.105
St Peter's
54.174
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Monmouth
by 2
148
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Monmouth
by 6
140 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
St Peter's
(+6); Over

Quinnipiac @ Niagara

Game 555-556
January 2, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Quinnipiac
43.535
Niagara
53.052
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Niagara
by 8 1/2
139
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Niagara
by 4 1/2
151 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Niagara
(-4 1/2); Under

The Citadel @ Wofford

Game 553-554
January 2, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
The Citadel
40.587
Wofford
57.490
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Wofford
by 17
164
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Wofford
by 15
185 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Wofford
(-15); Under

Chattanooga @ NC-Greensboro

Game 551-552
January 2, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chattanooga
58.539
NC-Greensboro
55.757
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chattanooga
by 3
142
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chattanooga
by 5 1/2
135 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
NC-Greensboro
(+5 1/2); Over

Iona @ Fairfield

Game 549-550
January 2, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Iona
52.344
Fairfield
55.818
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Fairfield
by 3 1/2
146
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Iona
by 1 1/2
156
Dunkel Pick:
Fairfield
(+1 1/2); Under

Manhattan @ Marist

Game 547-548
January 2, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Manhattan
51.986
Marist
45.579
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Manhattan
by 6 1/2
137
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Manhattan
by 1
144
Dunkel Pick:
Manhattan
(-1); Under

Siena @ Canisius

Game 545-546
January 2, 2017 @ 2:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Siena
50.065
Canisius
62.683
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Canisius
by 12 1/2
172
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Canisius
by 2
156 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Canisius
(-2); Over

Troy @ South Alabama

Game 543-544
January 2, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Troy
51.778
South Alabama
49.384
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Troy
by 2 1/2
152
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
South Alabama
by 2
143
Dunkel Pick:
Troy
(+2); Over

Coastal Carolina @ Texas State

Game 541-542
January 2, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Coastal Carolina
52.271
Texas State
46.612
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Coastal Carolina
by 5 1/2
147
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Texas State
by 2 1/2
133 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Coastal Carolina
(+2 1/2); Over

Appalachian St @ TX-Arlington

Game 539-540
January 2, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Appalachian St
45.261
TX-Arlington
67.339
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
TX-Arlington
by 22
135
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
TX-Arlington
by 16
146 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
TX-Arlington
(-16); Under

LA-Monroe @ Arkansas St

Game 537-538
January 2, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA-Monroe
48.994
Arkansas St
61.061
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Arkansas St
by 12
146
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Arkansas St
by 10
138
Dunkel Pick:
Arkansas St
(-10); Over

Coll of Charleston @ Drexel

Game 535-536
January 2, 2017 @ 6:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Coll of Charlesto
61.038
Drexel
50.539
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Coll of Charlesto
by 10 1/2
127
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Coll of Charlesto
by 7
113
Dunkel Pick:
Coll of Charlesto
(-7); Over

LA-Lafayette @ AR-Little Rock

Game 533-534
January 2, 2017 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA-Lafayette
58.359
AR-Little Rock
54.577
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA-Lafayette
by 4
159
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA-Lafayette
by 1 1/2
146
Dunkel Pick:
LA-Lafayette
(-1 1/2); Over

Marshall @ Florida Atlantic

Game 531-532
January 2, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Marshall
58.779
Florida Atlantic
51.233
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Marshall
by 7 1/2
152
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Marshall
by 5 1/2
170
Dunkel Pick:
Marshall
(-5 1/2); Under

Western Kentucky @ FIU

Game 529-530
January 2, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Western Kentucky
54.933
FIU
50.097
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Western Kentucky
by 5
137
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Western Kentucky
by 1
131
Dunkel Pick:
Western Kentucky
(-1); Over

Rice @ Charlotte

Game 527-528
January 2, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Rice
60.905
Charlotte
50.728
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Rice
by 10
150
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Rice
by 1 1/2
166 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Rice
(-1 1/2); Under

Elon @ NC-Wilmington

Game 525-526
January 2, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Elon
51.012
NC-Wilmington
68.378
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NC-Wilmington
by 17 1/2
136
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NC-Wilmington
by 12
154 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
NC-Wilmington
(-12); Under

Towson @ James Madison

Game 523-524
January 2, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Towson
56.444
James Madison
49.239
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Towson
by 7
145
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Towson
by 3 1/2
133 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Towson
(-3 1/2); Over

North Texas @ Old Dominion

Game 521-522
January 2, 2017 @ 5:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
North Texas
44.020
Old Dominion
62.160
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Old Dominion
by 18
126
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Old Dominion
by 12 1/2
118 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Old Dominion
(-12 1/2); Over

Northeastern @ Drexel

Game 519-520
January 2, 2017 @ 4:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Northeastern
61.079
Drexel
51.547
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Northeastern
by 9 1/2
138
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Northeastern
by 3 1/2
151
Dunkel Pick:
Northeastern
(-3 1/2); Under

William & Mary @ Hofstra

Game 517-518
January 2, 2017 @ 4:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
William & Mary
53.570
Hofstra
62.499
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Hofstra
by 9
144
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Hofstra
by 3
158 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Hofstra
(-3); Under

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Monday, January 2

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


WM & MARY (6 - 6) at HOFSTRA (9 - 5) - 1/2/2017, 4:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WM & MARY is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in January games over the last 2 seasons.
WM & MARY is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) off a loss against a conference rival over the last 3 seasons.
HOFSTRA is 6-17 ATS (-12.7 Units) in all home games over the last 3 seasons.
HOFSTRA is 6-17 ATS (-12.7 Units) in home lined games over the last 3 seasons.
HOFSTRA is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) in home games against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
HOFSTRA is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) in home games after a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
HOFSTRA is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) off a win against a conference rival over the last 3 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
HOFSTRA is 3-3 against the spread versus WM & MARY over the last 3 seasons
HOFSTRA is 3-3 straight up against WM & MARY over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




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


NORTHEASTERN (8 - 5) at DREXEL (6 - 8) - 1/2/2017, 4:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.


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




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


N TEXAS (6 - 7) at OLD DOMINION (8 - 5) - 1/2/2017, 5:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
N TEXAS is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
N TEXAS is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
N TEXAS is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in road lined games over the last 2 seasons.
N TEXAS is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in road games after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
N TEXAS is 4-15 ATS (-12.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
OLD DOMINION is 66-93 ATS (-36.3 Units) in home games against conference opponents since 1997.
OLD DOMINION is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in home games in January games over the last 3 seasons.
OLD DOMINION is 90-123 ATS (-45.3 Units) off a win against a conference rival since 1997.


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




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


TOWSON ST (8 - 6) at JAMES MADISON (3 - 11) - 1/2/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
JAMES MADISON is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) in all games this season.
JAMES MADISON is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) in all lined games this season.
JAMES MADISON is 1-7 ATS (-6.7 Units) as an underdog this season.
JAMES MADISON is 88-122 ATS (-46.2 Units) in all home games since 1997.
JAMES MADISON is 88-122 ATS (-46.2 Units) in home lined games since 1997.


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




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


ELON (8 - 6) at UNC-WILMINGTON (12 - 2) - 1/2/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UNC-WILMINGTON is 158-120 ATS (+26.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
ELON is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
ELON is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) in road lined games over the last 2 seasons.
ELON is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in road games off a loss against a conference rival over the last 2 seasons.
ELON is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.


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




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


RICE (10 - 4) at CHARLOTTE (7 - 5) - 1/2/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
RICE is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
RICE is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) in all home games over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) in home lined games over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in January games over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) after scoring 80 points or more over the last 2 seasons.


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




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


W KENTUCKY (7 - 7) at FLA INTERNATIONAL (4 - 10) - 1/2/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
W KENTUCKY is 66-93 ATS (-36.3 Units) in January games since 1997.
FLA INTERNATIONAL is 60-91 ATS (-40.1 Units) when playing with one or less days rest since 1997.


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




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


MARSHALL (8 - 6) at FLA ATLANTIC (4 - 8) - 1/2/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MARSHALL is 100-133 ATS (-46.3 Units) in road games since 1997.
MARSHALL is 100-133 ATS (-46.3 Units) in road lined games since 1997.
MARSHALL is 77-108 ATS (-41.8 Units) in road games against conference opponents since 1997.
MARSHALL is 17-32 ATS (-18.2 Units) in road games when playing with one or less days rest since 1997.
MARSHALL is 75-106 ATS (-41.6 Units) in road games after a conference game since 1997.
MARSHALL is 35-57 ATS (-27.7 Units) in road games off a win against a conference rival since 1997.
MARSHALL is 20-9 ATS (+10.1 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
MARSHALL is 20-9 ATS (+10.1 Units) after scoring 80 points or more over the last 2 seasons.


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




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


LA-LAFAYETTE (10 - 4) at ARK-LITTLE ROCK (10 - 4) - 1/2/2017, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ARK-LITTLE ROCK is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.


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




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


COLL OF CHARLESTON (10 - 4) at DELAWARE (7 - 7) - 1/2/2017, 6:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLL OF CHARLESTON is 4-18 ATS (-15.8 Units) when playing with one or less days rest over the last 3 seasons.
COLL OF CHARLESTON is 70-97 ATS (-36.7 Units) off a win against a conference rival since 1997.
COLL OF CHARLESTON is 110-80 ATS (+22.0 Units) in road games since 1997.
COLL OF CHARLESTON is 110-80 ATS (+22.0 Units) in road lined games since 1997.


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




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


LA-MONROE (6 - 8) at ARKANSAS ST (10 - 4) - 1/2/2017, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA-MONROE is 42-28 ATS (+11.2 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
LA-MONROE is 42-28 ATS (+11.2 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
LA-MONROE is 19-7 ATS (+11.3 Units) when the total is 130 to 139.5 over the last 3 seasons.
LA-MONROE is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
LA-MONROE is 29-16 ATS (+11.4 Units) after a conference game over the last 3 seasons.


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




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


APPALACHIAN ST (5 - 7) at TX-ARLINGTON (11 - 3) - 1/2/2017, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
APPALACHIAN ST is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) in road games against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.


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




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


COASTAL CAROLINA (5 - 9) at TEXAS ST (8 - 5) - 1/2/2017, 8:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.


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




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


TROY (8 - 6) at S ALABAMA (7 - 6) - 1/2/2017, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TROY is 14-26 ATS (-14.6 Units) against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
S ALABAMA is 112-148 ATS (-50.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.


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




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


SIENA (4 - 9) at CANISIUS (8 - 5) - 1/2/2017, 2:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CANISIUS is 28-12 ATS (+14.8 Units) when the total is 150 to 159.5 since 1997.
SIENA is 22-10 ATS (+11.0 Units) as a road underdog of 3 points or less or pick since 1997.
SIENA is 45-26 ATS (+16.4 Units) after scoring 60 points or less since 1997.
CANISIUS is 5-15 ATS (-11.5 Units) in home games after playing 3 consecutive road games since 1997.


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




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


MANHATTAN (5 - 8) at MARIST (4 - 10) - 1/2/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MANHATTAN is 7-18 ATS (-12.8 Units) when playing with 7 or more days rest since 1997.
MANHATTAN is 48-26 ATS (+19.4 Units) in road games after allowing 60 points or less since 1997.


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




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


IONA (9 - 5) at FAIRFIELD (6 - 5) - 1/2/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
IONA is 12-2 ATS (+9.8 Units) in road games against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
FAIRFIELD is 1-13 ATS (-13.3 Units) as a home underdog of 3 points or less or pick since 1997.
FAIRFIELD is 33-53 ATS (-25.3 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.


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




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


UT-CHATTANOOGA (10 - 3) at UNC-GREENSBORO (10 - 5) - 1/2/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UT-CHATTANOOGA is 68-101 ATS (-43.1 Units) when playing with one or less days rest since 1997.
UT-CHATTANOOGA is 35-55 ATS (-25.5 Units) in road games off a win against a conference rival since 1997.
UNC-GREENSBORO is 123-157 ATS (-49.7 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
UNC-GREENSBORO is 47-69 ATS (-28.9 Units) when playing with one or less days rest since 1997.


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




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


THE CITADEL (7 - 8) at WOFFORD (6 - 8) - 1/2/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
THE CITADEL is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) when playing with one or less days rest over the last 3 seasons.
WOFFORD is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in all home games over the last 2 seasons.
WOFFORD is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in home lined games over the last 2 seasons.
WOFFORD is 49-30 ATS (+16.0 Units) after scoring 80 points or more since 1997.
WOFFORD is 3-15 ATS (-13.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game after 15+ games since 1997.
WOFFORD is 9-23 ATS (-16.3 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game since 1997.


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




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


QUINNIPIAC (4 - 8) at NIAGARA (4 - 9) - 1/2/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
QUINNIPIAC is 7-16 ATS (-10.6 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
QUINNIPIAC is 16-28 ATS (-14.8 Units) against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
NIAGARA is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
NIAGARA is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) in all home games over the last 3 seasons.
NIAGARA is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) in home lined games over the last 3 seasons.


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




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


MONMOUTH (10 - 4) at ST PETERS (5 - 7) - 1/2/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MONMOUTH is 24-12 ATS (+10.8 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
MONMOUTH is 24-12 ATS (+10.8 Units) in road lined games over the last 3 seasons.
MONMOUTH is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) in road games against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
MONMOUTH is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) when playing with one or less days rest over the last 2 seasons.
MONMOUTH is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) in road games after a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
ST PETERS is 63-94 ATS (-40.4 Units) in all home games since 1997.
ST PETERS is 63-94 ATS (-40.4 Units) in home lined games since 1997.
ST PETERS is 58-83 ATS (-33.3 Units) in home games against conference opponents since 1997.
ST PETERS is 24-43 ATS (-23.3 Units) in home games in January games since 1997.
ST PETERS is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in home games after scoring 60 points or less over the last 3 seasons.
ST PETERS is 19-45 ATS (-30.5 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.


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




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


MERCER (6 - 8) at FURMAN (8 - 6) - 1/2/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MERCER is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
MERCER is 13-26 ATS (-15.6 Units) after a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
MERCER is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) off a loss against a conference rival over the last 2 seasons.
FURMAN is 37-22 ATS (+12.8 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
FURMAN is 37-22 ATS (+12.8 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
FURMAN is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) when the total is 120 to 129.5 over the last 3 seasons.
FURMAN is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) in all home games over the last 3 seasons.
FURMAN is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) in home lined games over the last 3 seasons.
FURMAN is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) in home games against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.


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




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


SAMFORD (10 - 4) at W CAROLINA (5 - 9) - 1/2/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
W CAROLINA is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) when the total is 130 to 139.5 over the last 3 seasons.
W CAROLINA is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
SAMFORD is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in road games this season.
SAMFORD is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in road lined games this season.
SAMFORD is 18-7 ATS (+10.3 Units) when playing with one or less days rest over the last 3 seasons.
W CAROLINA is 1-7 ATS (-6.7 Units) in all games this season.
W CAROLINA is 1-7 ATS (-6.7 Units) in all lined games this season.
W CAROLINA is 1-7 ATS (-6.7 Units) as an underdog this season.
W CAROLINA is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.


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

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, January 2

Hofstra won its last three games, allowing 59.3 pts/game; they won CAA opener by hoop at Delaware, using 15-0 run early in 2nd half. Pride only used 7 guys, with three starters playing 34+ minutes. Wm & Mary is 1-6 in true road games, with only win at Old Dominion- they’re 6-6 vs schedule #63. Hofstra beat Wm & Mary three times LY by 28-6-3 points; these teams split pair of meetings in last two CAA tourneys, with games decided by total of four points. Tribe lost four of last five visits to Long Island.

Drexel is 0-5 vs top 200 teams, with losses by 13-21-11-1-8 points; Northeastern won seven of last nine games with Dragons, winning last three by 10-10-2 points, but Huskies lost five of last seven visits to Drexel. Dragons are turning ball over 20.4% of time- they’ve got #212 eFG%. Northeastern won its last four games, including a win at Michigan State; they beat Wm & Mary by 20 in their CAA opener. Huskies are 8-5, but oddly, just 1-3 vs teams ranked outside the top 200.

NC-Wilmington won nine of last ten games with only loss at Clemson; Seahawks are forcing turnovers 23.7% of time (#11), have #42 eFG%- they’re shooting 57.1% inside arc. UNCW won three of last four games with Elon, winning 82-65/86-82 in two games played here. Home side won three of four series games. UNCW isn’t as deep as LY- they only used six guys more than 6:00 in last game. Elon lost five of last seven games; they’re 0-3 vs top 100 teams, losing by 3-11-12 points.

Charlotte won its last four games with Rice, last three by 10+ points; home side lost three of last four series games, but Owls lost 102-73 in last visit here. 49ers are 6-1 vs teams ranked outside top 100; they won C-USA opener by 25 over North Texas. UNCC is playing #13 pace in country, forcing turnovers 22.2% of time- they’re one of worst rebounding teams in country. Rice is 10-4 vs schedule #296; they lost by 6 to Old Dominion in their league opener. Owls are shooting 39.1% from arc, have #19 eFG%.

Western Kentucky won two of last three games with Florida International, winning 65-58 in only visit here. Road team won two of three series games. Hilltoppers are 2-6 in true road games, winning C-USA opener by 15 at FAU Saturday- they’re 4-2 vs teams ranked outside top 200, with losses to Eastern Kentucky/Detroit. FIU is 2-10 vs schedule #254, with best win vs #272 Binghamton, not good for the #16 experience team- they’re turning ball over 20.2% of time, shooting just 31.1% on arc.

Marshall lost five of last seven D-i games but they took Cincinnati to OT, lost at Pitt by 6; they are playing #6 pace, are shooting 39.2% on arc- their eFG% is #23- they won three of last four games with Florida Atlantic, winning last two by 16-23 points; Thundering Herd lost 76-62 in last visit here, two years ago. FAU lost five of last six D-I games, but win was in OT at Ohio State; Owls’ last three losses are all by 13+ points. FAU is 1-3 vs teams in top 150; they have #286 eFG% in country, are shooting just 44.1% inside arc.

Little Rock beat UL-Lafayette three times LY, by 20-4-7 points, beating Cajuns 72-65 in Sun Belt tourney. ULL lost three of last four visits to Little Rock, with losses by 9-11-20 points. Trojans are on third coach in three years; they’re 10-4 vs schedule #339- they won Sun Belt opener by 4 in OT over ULM- they made 11-29 on arc, blew 10-point second half lead. ULL is 10-4 vs schedule #260; they force turnovers 23.3% of time, are 2-3 vs top 200 teams, with best win over La Tech. Cajuns are 3-4 on road; they lost Sun Belt opener by 3 at Arkansas State.

Charleston won seven of last eight games, winning CAA opener by 12 at Elon; Cougars play pace #339, force turnovers 22.2% of time- they also shoot 29.5% on arc (#324). None of their top nine guys are seniors. Delaware won five of last seven games with Charleston, winning last three meetings here, all by three points. Cougars beat Delaware 67-63 in CAA tourney LY. Blue Hens are 6-0 when they allow 56 or less points, 1-7 when they allow more; they lost CAA opener by hoop to Hofstra. Delaware has #329 eFG%, shooting 29% from arc.

Siena beat Canisius twice LY, by 21-23 points, after losing previous six series games. Saints lost three of last four visits here, by 23-15-34 points. Favorites covered five of last six series games. Siena is 0-8 in true road games, with three losses by 4 or less points; they’re 2-8 vs top 200 teams, with best win over #120 Bucknell. Canisius won its last five games, winning last two in OT over Buffalo/St Bonaventure- they’re shooting 40.8% on arc (#12), haven’t played in 11 days. Griffins took 38 3’s (15-38), only 33 2-pointers in their last game.

Manhattan allowed 54 pts/game in winning last two games after a 3-8 start; they’re turning ball over 26.7% of time (4th-worst in country) while playing pace #74. Jaspers are 4-2 vs teams ranked outside top 200; their best win is over #146 Hofstra. Manhattan won eight of last nine games with Marist, winning last three games in McCann Center by 11-13-8 points. Red Foxes lost their last six games (five by 9+ points), with three losses to teams ranked outside top 200; their subs are playing 5th-fewest minutes in country.

Iona won five of last six games (favorites 4-2 vs spread) with Fairfield, but split last four visits here, losing here LY. Gaels are 2-3 in true road games- they also won Alaskan Shootout. Iona is #101 experience team that is working two transfers into its lineup. Fairfield lost four of last five games, but win was over Boston College, their only win over a team ranked better than #200; Stags lost by 11-21 points in its two top 150 games, vs Bucknell/NC State. Fairfield turns ball over 20.3% of time.

Chattanooga won seven of its last eight games with only loss by hoop at Vanderbilt; Mocs are forcing turnovers 23.8% of time (#7), are #26 experience team that is shooting 55.1% inside arc- they won three of last four games with NC-Greensboro, winning 61-58/73-60 in last two visits here. Spartans are turning ball over 21.9% of time (#312); they’re 0-3 vs top 100 teams, losing by 25-3-22 points- they’re 2-4 vs top 200 teams. Chattanooga won by 16 at Western Carolina in its SoCon opener. Greensboro split its first two SoCon tilts, losing to Samford by 11.

Monmouth lost at home in OT to Rider last game, their first loss in seven games vs teams ranked #200 or lower. Hawks are 4-3 in true road games, with all three losses to teams in ACC or SEC- they won their last three games with St Peter’s by 5-16-7 points. Underdogs covered four of last five series games; Hawks won 63-58/82-75ot in last two visits here. St Peter’s lost four of last five games; they lost by 10-8 points in only two top 100 games, vs Notre Dame, Maryland. Peacocks’ only top 200 win was by 13 over Boston U.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB

Monday, January 2

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Trend Report
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2:00 PM
COLUMBIA vs. MAINE
Columbia is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
No trends available

See more trends!
JANUARY 2, 2:00 PM
SIENA vs. CANISIUS
Siena is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Siena is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Canisius
Canisius is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Siena
Canisius is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

See more trends!
JANUARY 2, 4:00 PM
WILLIAM & MARY vs. HOFSTRA
William & Mary is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Hofstra
William & Mary is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Hofstra
Hofstra is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
Hofstra is 16-5 SU in its last 21 games at home

See more trends!
JANUARY 2, 4:30 PM
NORTHEASTERN vs. DREXEL
Northeastern is 6-12 SU in its last 18 games when playing on the road against Drexel
Drexel is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Northeastern
Drexel is 5-17 SU in its last 22 games at home

See more trends!
JANUARY 2, 5:00 PM
NORTH TEXAS vs. OLD DOMINION
North Texas is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Old Dominion is 13-4 SU in its last 17 games at home
Old Dominion is 18-6 SU in its last 24 games

See more trends!
JANUARY 2, 6:00 PM
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON vs. DELAWARE
College of Charleston is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Delaware is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Delaware is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games

See more trends!
JANUARY 2, 7:00 PM
CHATTANOOGA vs. UNC GREENSBORO
Chattanooga is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Chattanooga is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against UNC Greensboro
UNC Greensboro is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Chattanooga
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of UNC Greensboro's last 8 games when playing at home against Chattanooga

See more trends!
JANUARY 2, 7:00 PM
QUINNIPIAC vs. NIAGARA
Quinnipiac is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Niagara is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing Quinnipiac
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Niagara's last 5 games when playing Quinnipiac

See more trends!
JANUARY 2, 7:00 PM
IONA vs. FAIRFIELD
Iona is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Iona's last 12 games when playing on the road against Fairfield
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Fairfield's last 12 games when playing at home against Iona
Fairfield is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing at home against Iona

See more trends!
JANUARY 2, 7:00 PM
KENNESAW STATE vs. TENNESSEE STATE
No trends available
Tennessee State is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games
Tennessee State is 17-3 SU in its last 20 games at home

See more trends!
JANUARY 2, 7:00 PM
RICE vs. CHARLOTTE
Rice is 6-16 SU in its last 22 games on the road
Charlotte is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games at home
Charlotte is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Rice

See more trends!
JANUARY 2, 7:00 PM
WESTERN KENTUCKY vs. FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL
Western Kentucky is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Florida Internati
Western Kentucky is 3-6-1 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
Florida International is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
Florida International is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games at home

See more trends!
JANUARY 2, 7:00 PM
SAMFORD vs. WESTERN CAROLINA
Samford is 6-12 SU in its last 18 games on the road
Samford is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Western Carolina is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Samford
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Western Carolina's last 6 games when playing at home against Samford

See more trends!
JANUARY 2, 7:00 PM
MERCER vs. FURMAN
No trends available
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Furman's last 5 games when playing Mercer
Furman is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Mercer

See more trends!
JANUARY 2, 7:00 PM
ELON vs. UNC WILMINGTON
Elon is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games on the road
UNC Wilmington is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games
UNC Wilmington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

See more trends!
JANUARY 2, 7:00 PM
TOWSON vs. JAMES MADISON
Towson is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against James Madison
Towson is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against James Madison
James Madison is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Towson
James Madison is 4-1-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Towson

See more trends!
JANUARY 2, 7:00 PM
THE CITADEL vs. WOFFORD
The Citadel is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of The Citadel's last 8 games when playing on the road against Wofford
Wofford is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games when playing The Citadel
Wofford is 18-2 SU in its last 20 games when playing The Citadel

See more trends!
JANUARY 2, 7:00 PM
HARVARD vs. VERMONT
Harvard is 4-1-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Harvard is 6-14 SU in its last 20 games on the road
No trends available

See more trends!
JANUARY 2, 7:00 PM
MARSHALL vs. FLORIDA ATLANTIC
Marshall is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Marshall's last 5 games on the road
Florida Atlantic is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games at home
Florida Atlantic is 5-15 SU in its last 20 games

See more trends!
JANUARY 2, 7:00 PM
HARTFORD vs. YALE
No trends available
Yale is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Yale is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

See more trends!
JANUARY 2, 7:00 PM
CORNELL vs. ALBANY
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cornell's last 5 games on the road
Cornell is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
No trends available

See more trends!
JANUARY 2, 7:00 PM
MANHATTAN vs. MARIST
Manhattan is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Marist
Manhattan is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Marist is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
Marist is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games

See more trends!
JANUARY 2, 7:00 PM
MONMOUTH vs. SAINT PETER'S
Monmouth is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Monmouth is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Saint Peter's
Saint Peter's is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Monmouth
Saint Peter's is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games

See more trends!
JANUARY 2, 7:35 PM
USC UPSTATE vs. UMKC
No trends available
UMKC is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home
UMKC is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games

See more trends!
JANUARY 2, 8:00 PM
COASTAL CAROLINA vs. TEXAS STATE
No trends available
Texas State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Texas State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

See more trends!
JANUARY 2, 8:00 PM
LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE vs. ARKANSAS-LITTLE ROCK
Louisiana-Lafayette is 8-16 SU in its last 24 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Louisiana-Lafayette's last 6 games when playing on the road against Arkansas-Little R
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Arkansas-Little Rock's last 6 games when playing at home against Louisiana-Lafayette
Arkansas-Little Rock is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Louisiana-Lafayette

See more trends!
JANUARY 2, 8:00 PM
APPALACHIAN STATE vs. TEXAS-ARLINGTON
Appalachian State is 1-11 SU in its last 12 games on the road
Texas-Arlington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Texas-Arlington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

See more trends!
JANUARY 2, 8:00 PM
LOUISIANA-MONROE vs. ARKANSAS STATE
Louisiana-Monroe is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Louisiana-Monroe's last 10 games when playing on the road against Arkansas State
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Arkansas State's last 10 games when playing at home against Louisiana-Monroe
Arkansas State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Louisiana-Monroe

See more trends!
JANUARY 2, 8:05 PM
TROY vs. SOUTH ALABAMA
Troy is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against South Alabama
Troy is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games on the road
South Alabama is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
South Alabama is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games at home

See more trends!
JANUARY 2, 9:00 PM
ANTELOPE VALLEY vs. UTAH VALLEY
No trends available
Utah Valley is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
Utah Valley is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

[StarDust Bum]

MONDAY, JANUARY 2

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

SIE at CAN 02:00 PM

O 156.5

CWM at HOF 04:00 PM

HOF -3.5 ******

O 158.5

NE at DREX 04:30 PM

NE -3.5 ******

UNT at ODU 05:00 PM

ODU -13.0

O 119.0

COFC at DEL 06:00 PM

DEL +8.0 ******

U 115.5

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


TOWS at JMU 07:00 PM

JMU +5.0

U 133.5

ELON at UNCW 07:00 PM

ELON +12.0 ******

O 155.5

MAN at MRST 07:00 PM

MAN -2.5 *****

QUIN at NIAG 07:00 PM

O 151.5

IONA at FAIR 07:00 PM

IONA -2.5

U 158.0 *****

MONM at SPC 07:00 PM

MONM -6.0 *****

O 139.5

RICE at CHAR 07:00 PM

RICE -2.0

O 164.5 *****

SAM at WCU 07:00 PM

SAM -7.5 *****

O 132.0

MRSH at FAU 07:00 PM

O 168.0 ******

WKU at FIU 07:00 PM

O 131.0

MER at FUR 07:00 PM

FUR -6.0 *****

O 129.5

CHAT at UNCG 07:00 PM

CHAT -6.0 *****

CIT at WOF 07:00 PM

O 182.0 *****


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

CCAR at TXST 08:00 PM

TXST -3.5

ULM at ARST 08:00 PM

ARST -10.0 ******

O 137.5

APP at UTA 08:00 PM

UTA -14.5 *****

U 146.5

TROY at USA 08:05 PM

USA +1.0 *****

O 141.0

ULL at UALR 09:00 PM

UALR +1.5 *****

U 145.0

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday’s 6-pack

— Florida 30, Iowa 3— Hawkeyes lost their fifth bowl in a row, last three by an average score of 40-16.

— Wisconsin 24, Western Michigan 16— Broncos hung in there, but lost for first time.

— Portland State’s basketball team was 4-21 on the foul line in a game over the weekend- they lost 73-59 to Northern Colorado. Kids should be able to shoot 4-21 if they’re drunk.

— Average exit velocity on a major league home run last year was 103.4 mph.

— Out of 2,430 major league baseball games LY, seven ended on a bases-loaded walk.

— A 32-year-old Starbucks barista named Damon won more than $900,000 in the Westgate SuperContest, the most prestigious football handicapping contest in the world. He went 54-28-3 with his weekly picks. Life-changing money; good for him.



Tuesday’s List of 13: Nobody asked me, but……..

13) USC 52, Penn State 49— Tremendous game; Penn State scored TDs on seven straight possessions….and lost!!!! Sam Darnold is Trojans’ freshman QB who will be very wealthy in a couple years. Looks a little like Andy Dalton, plays a little like Drew Brees.

12) Mike Krzyzewski is having a back operation Friday, will take a leave of absence from his job as Duke’s basketball coach. This happened once before, in 1996 and it didn’t go well- Blue Devils went 13-18 that year and Pete Gaudet, the interim coach then, wound up teaching phys ed at an Ohio college.

Jeff Capel will be the interim coach now; he was the best player on that ’96 Duke team. He’s been the head coach at VCU/Oklahoma, so he is capable, but very big shoes to fill.

11) Couple of other Duke-related issues:
a) When does Grayson Allen come back? I said all along he would be back for the Florida State game on January 10; maybe he comes back on Saturday when Capel coaches his first game.

b) Every Duke assistant coach is a former Duke player; this is a bad idea- they need an older guy who Coach K can trust to give him honest input. A former player is less likely to disagree with his boss. Joe Paterno needed someone like that at Penn State, to avoid the situation he wound up in.

10) I met a guy in Las Vegas who owns a home in Laguna Beach, CA, where the chairman of the home planning board is Eve Plumb, better known as Jan from the Brady Bunch. This guy was at odds with Ms Plumb for most of the last year over his house being remodeled. At odds to the point that she accused him of stalking/terrorizing her. Fun times.

I had no idea you needed approval to remodel your home, but still, it must be nice to live near a beach.

9) Lane Kiffin is out as OC at Alabama; he won’t be at the national title game. Nick Saban is a control freak and apparently Kiffin’s act became a bit too dramatic, so he was told to take a hike. Steve Sarkisian will be the Alabama OC. Clemson has to be a live underdog, right?

8) This week I heard a college basketball analyst say, “He isn’t a real high percentage shooter” which is a nice way of saying, “Damn he is a lousy shooter.”

7) There are 40 bowl games that are jammed with Chik-fil-A commercials; least they could do if they show all these commercials is to put a Chik-fil-A in the Albany area, right?

6) There were two twins born in San Diego late Saturday night; one was born at 11:56pm, the other at midnight, meaning there are twin girls who were born in different years. Unusual.

5) Do people still use pencils? I saw a pencil in a movie the other night; had forgotten about them.

4) When I see NBA players taking nights off to “rest” I think of this: John Stockton played all 82 games in 17 of his 19 NBA seasons. Players are becoming more babyfied (is that a word?) these days. Kids in AAU play 2-3 games a day, it isn’t that hard to play 82 games in 162 days.

3) Tyreke Hill has been a huge steal for the KC Chiefs, a 5th-round pick who has been dynamic as hell as a WR/returner. Why did he slip in the draft? He had domestic violence issues while at Oklahoma State, so teams laid off drafting him. Whoops.

You’re going to see kids in Hill’s shoes get drafted higher this April, because teams have to be kicking themselves for passing on Hill.

You lose you get fired and no one gives you bonus points if you passed on drafting a kid because he got into a fight with his girlfriend. It is a cut-throat business where you have to win to keep your job and talented players help you win.

2) Pet Peeve #1 of 2017: Red zone efficiency in football. Instead of TD %age, it is something that needs to be measured by points per possession.

Say Team A has three trips to red zone and kicks three FGs, that is 0%, but nine points.

Team B scores one TD, goes for 2 and makes it; they also lose two fumbles in red zone.

Team B has a 33% TD rate in red zone but only 2.67 pts/possession. Team A has 0% but 3.00 ppp. Points per possession is a more accurate measure of efficiency.

1) Over last three years in NFL Wild Card round, road team is 8-4 SU, 5-1 in games involving the #’s 3-6 seeds.

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday’s games

Tennessee is 8-5 vs schedule #23; they won SEC by 10 at Texas A&M. Vols are #330 team in experience that is 2-5 vs top 100 teams, beating A&M, East Tennessee State- they’re forcing turnovers 22.1% of time (#37). Arkansas beat Tennessee twice LY, by 18-10 points after having won 8 of previous 10 series games. Razorbacks lost five of last six visits to Knoxville, with four of five losses by 7+ points. Arkansas had won 8 in row before losing SEC home opener by 9 to Florida; Hogs are 3-2 vs top 100 teams- they lost by 14 at Minnesota in only true road game.

Florida is 10-3 vs schedule #9, winning at Arkansas by 9 in SEC opener. Gators are experience team #72; they’re forcing turnovers 22.8% of time (#25). Florida beat Ole Miss twice LY by 9-5 points, after losing four in row to Rebels, all by 4 or less points. Ole Miss lost six of last seven visits here, with four of six losses by 10 or less points. Rebels are 1-4 vs top 100 teams with only win over Memphis; they lost by 5 at Va Tech in their only true road game this season. Florida coach White was an Ole Miss PG in his college days.

Eastern Michigan won five of last seven games with Central Michigan; Chippewas lost three of last four visits to Ypsilanti, with losses by 6-22-15 points. Eastern forces turnovers 23.3% of time (#13) but thats about all they do well defensively; Eagles are 2-5 vs top 200 teams, with only wins over Omaha/Long Beach State. Central is #1 team in country at not turning ball over; they won seven of last eight games, are 3-1 in true road games, with only loss by 19 at Illinois. CMU is 10-3 vs schedule #296; they’re #164 experience team but they do not sub much at all.

Northern Illinois is 5-5 vs schedule #288; they also have three non-D-I wins. Huskies have #331 eFG%, shoot just 28.6% on arc, 44.2% inside arc- they do have #81 eFG% defense. Underdogs covered four of last five Northern Illinois-Miami games; Huskies won two of last three visits here, four of last six series games overall. Miami is 7-6 vs schedule #337; they’re 1-5 vs top 200 teams, with only win by 3 over IUPUI. RedHawks are #332 team that subs a lot but shoots only 32.8% on arc- they’re 6-2 at home, losing to Delaware/Northern Kentucky.

St Joe’s just lost 20-point scorer Newkirk for year, huge blow for them. Hawks won four of last five games but this is their first full game without Newkirk. Hawks’ bench had #248 minutes, so not lot of quality depth to step in for a key player. Rhode Island won last three games by 11-11-34 points; they’re 3-4 vs teams in top 150, forcing turnovers 20.6% of time. Hawks won seven of last eight games with URI, losing twice LY by 5-9 points, but now Rams are much the better team. St Joe’s won three of last four visits here.

North Carolina won its last eight games with Clemson, last five by 9+ points; Tar Heels won last three visits to Littlejohn by 2-9-24 points. UNC got upset at Ga Tech in ACC opener Saturday; they split last four games overall, are 1-2 in true road games, also losing at Kentucky, with win by 15 at Hawai’i. Clemson won ACC opener at Wake Forest Saturday; they’ve won nine games in row, last four vs top 80 teams. Tigers are 7-2 vs top 100 teams; they’re #27 experience team that is forcing turnovers 23% of time (#20).

Indiana allowed 82 pts/game in losing its last two games to Nebraska/Louisville; Hoosiers are 2-3 vs top 100 teams, with wins over Kansas/North Carolina, but they’re #311 experience team that is turning ball over 21.8% of time (#307). Wisconsin won its last eight games with three of them vs top 70 teams; Badgers split pair of true road games, losing by 12 at Creighton, winning at Marquette- this is their first road game in 24 days. Home side won last five Wisconsin-Indiana games; Badgers lost 75-72/59-58 in last two visits to Bloomington.

Dayton is 15-2 in its last 17 games with St Bonaventure, winning last three played here by 3-17-6 points. Flyers won eight of last nine games; they won only true road game at Alabama by 5, lost to Northwestern in Chicago (not Wildcats’ home court) by 3. Dayton is #46 experience team that forces turnovers 22.3% of time (#31). Bonnies are 9-4 vs schedule #220; they won eight of last ten games, are 0-2 vs top 100 teams, losing to Florida/NC-Wilmington by total of eight points. St Bonaventure is making 39% of its 3-pointers (#46).

Alabama won six of last seven games with Mississippi State, with last three meetings decided by total of seven points. Crimson Tide won last three visits to Starkville by 32-4-2 points. Bama is 7-5 vs schedule #194; they’re 0-2 in true road games, losing at both Texas/Oregon by nine points each. Crimson Tide is shooting just 31.8% on arc. Bulldogs are 9-3 vs schedule #344; they’re least-experienced team in country but Howland is very good coach. State is 1-3 vs top 100 teams, losing by 25-14-2 points; their only top 100 win was by 12 over Boise State.

Kansas is 10-2 in its last 12 games with K-State, sweeping three games LY by 18-9-22 points. Wildcats lost last ten visits here, with nine of ten losses by 17+ points. Jayhawks won its last 12 games since losing season opener to Indiana- they won Big X opener by 6 at TCU, tough game. Kansas is 12-1 vs schedule #51; they’ve got #5 eFG%, are shooting 40.9% on arc (#8). K-State won its only true road game by 3 at Saint Louis; they’re 12-1 vs schedule #34, so obviously this is a huge step up in class for them. Wildcats’ only loss was to Maryland by a point.

Things have flipped in Big X; TCU is a double digit favorite over Oklahoma, despite losing six in a row to Sooners, all by 7+ points. Horned Frogs lost Big X opener by 6 to Kansas; they’re 1-2 vs top 100 teams with win by 9 over Illinois State. TCU is forcing turnovers 22.2% of time (#32); coach Dixon has given Frog fans hope, but asking them to cover as double digit favorite is bit of a reach. Oklahoma is inexperienced (#321) team that lost its last four games, all to top 100 teams, three by 5 or less points. Oklahoma lost only true road tilt by 20 at Wisconsin.

Last three Texas A&M-Kentucky games went OT; Wildcats won four of last five series games- teams split last two games played here (last one in ’14). Aggies are #293 experience team that is 8-4 vs schedule #293- they’re 1-4 vs top 100 teams with all four losses by 10 or less points- their only top 100 win was by 3 over Va Tech. Kentucky is at home for first time in four weeks; they’re 4-2 vs top 100 teams, winning SEC opener by 23 at Ole Miss. Wildcats are experience team #347 that is playing pace #9- they force turnovers 21.7% of time.

West Virginia starts Big X play every year with western swing- they won by 17 at Oklahoma St in Big X opener Friday night, now visit Lubbock. WVU won its last six games with Texas Tech, covering last four. Mountaineers won last four visits here, by 16-3-11-4 points. West Virginia won its last eight games, winning by 9 at Virginia in its other true road game. Texas Tech is #43 at protecting ball, a must vs Huggins’ team; they lost Big X opener 63-56 at Iowa State after they led by 14 in second half. Tech’s other loss was to Auburn by 2 on a neutral floor.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rebels (9-4) at Gators (10-3)
Date: January 03, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

KeVaughn Allen is on a shooting roll and that is one of the last things Mississippi coaches and players want to hear.

The Florida sophomore guard has connected on five 3-point baskets in each of the past two games and he will look to help the No. 24 Gators notch their fourth consecutive victory when they host Ole Miss in SEC play on Tuesday night.

Allen tortured the Rebels (9-4, 0-1) last season by averaging 21 points in two Florida victories. In the meeting at Ole Miss, Allen scored 27 points and drained a career-best six 3-pointers.

He had been a bit quiet from 3-point range with only 17 makes in the first 11 games. But the back-to-back explosions against Little Rock and Arkansas show he's back on track, and he matched his season high of 21 points in the SEC-opening 81-72 win over the Razorbacks on Thursday

"KeVaughn is as steady a kid as I've ever coached," said Gators coach Mike White, a former standout player and assistant coach for Ole Miss. "He's as even-keeled as any player, as calm, as laid back on the court and off the court. He's not a guy who gets easily rattled."

Allen is averaging a team-leading 14.2 points for Florida (10-3, 1-0), which is averaging 87.3 points during its three-game winning streak. Junior forward Devin Robinson has posted 11 double-digit scoring outings while averaging 12.8 points and senior guard Canyon Barry is averaging 10.9 off the bench.

Junior point guard Kasey Hill (9.4 points, team-best 4.8 assists) and sophomore center John Egbunu (8.6 points, team-best 8.0 rebounds) also are solid contributors.

Meanwhile, Ole Miss is looking to bounce back from a 99-76 loss to Kentucky in its SEC opener. The Rebels allowed 60 first-half points and were totally outclassed by the Wildcats.

Avoiding an 0-2 conference start won't be easy.

"We're going to line up and play who's in front of us," Rebels coach Andy Kennedy said. "We knew opening up with Kentucky was going to generate a lot of excitement. ... Now you go and play in what I always thought (is a) great, spirited crowd. They're playing really well, so I know it's going to be a tough environment.

"But for us, it is what it is. My hope is we can go down and respond to the poor performance we had on Thursday night to give ourselves a chance."

Another stellar effort from senior forward Sebastian Saiz would help an upset bid. The 6-foot-9 Saiz has registered four straight double-doubles and is averaging 17.8 points and 14.3 rebounds during the stretch.

Saiz had 23 points and 13 rebounds against Kentucky for his 17th career double-double. He averages 15.8 points and ranks third nationally in rebounding at 12.2 per game.

Junior guard Deandre Burnett leads Ole Miss in scoring with a 19.2 average but is making just 36 percent of his shots from the field. Sophomore guard Terence Davis (12.3) and junior guard Cullen Neal (11.3) also average in double digits.

Florida is 37-12 all time at home against the Rebels.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Tar Heels (12-3) at Tigers (11-2)
Date: January 03, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

There's a buzz about Clemson basketball, too.

The Tigers are off to their best start under coach Brad Brownell and they take on No. 14 North Carolina on Tuesday night at refurbished Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, S.C.

Since Brownell became coach in 2010-11, the Tigers had never won nine games in a row until reaching that mark last weekend, so this is special territory.

Part of the success comes because the Tigers (11-2) have found ways to win when they haven't been at their best. They used a game-ending 15-0 run to defeat host Wake Forest 73-68 on Saturday.

"We were fortunate because we didn't play the way you should play to win a game like this for 32, 34 minutes," Brownell said of the team's Atlantic Coast Conference opener.

North Carolina (12-3) is coming off only its 12th loss in an ACC opener -- a loss at Georgia Tech on Saturday.

The Tar Heels are opening ACC play with consecutive road games for only the 10th time -- the first time since 2003. They lost both only once -- in 1980.

Clemson has a chance to build on the general excitement at the school.

With the football team less than a week away from a national championship showdown with Alabama, this is a chance for the basketball team to work the fan base into a tizzy against a national power.

The basketball Tigers haven't always been flashy, but they've been relentless.

"I give our guys credit," Brownell said. "We kept playing. We didn't play as well as we've been playing in some parts of the game (against Wake Forest)."

North Carolina coach Roy Williams had been providing much of the same message for weeks, and some of that has yet to be fully delivered.

The Tar Heels were expecting to make sure they had addressed all the details before ACC play, but then came the surprising 75-63 setback at Georgia Tech on Saturday.

"This is where it really counts," swingman Justin Jackson said. "This is where it goes down in the column that really matters for us. There are definitely things that we'll fix. There are things that we'll get better at. And we have to."

North Carolina fell to 52-12 in ACC openers -- eight of those setbacks coming on the road.

Williams said his primary concerns have been opponents' field-goal percentage and turnovers. Plus, he'd like to see more consistent play when point guard Joel Berry isn't on the court.

That falls mostly to Nate Britt and Seventh Woods.

"I want to get more positive numbers from those guys," Williams said. "That part has been unsettling."

Berry, second on the team at 14.2 points per game, suffered from illness last week and that limited his playing time in a romp past Monmouth. Then Berry scored eight points at Georgia Tech, shooting 3-for-13.

North Carolina leads the all-time series with Clemson by 130-20, including eight victories in a row. The Tar Heels didn't visit Clemson last season.

Clemson senior forward Jaron Blossomgame made his 105th career start during the weekend, moving to 10th on the school's all-time list.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Badgers (12-2) at Hoosiers (10-4)
Date: January 03, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Not long ago, the Indiana Hoosiers were off to a promising start, burying opponents with a barrage of 3-pointers and ascending to a No. 3 ranking.

Now coach Tom Crean's team is teetering on the brink of being unranked after back-to-back losses, including a 77-62 dose of humble pie served by No. 6 Louisville in Saturday's Countdown Classic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

The loss before could potentially loom larger, considering it was an 87-84 home setback to Nebraska in the Big Ten opener. The Hoosiers (10-4, 0-1) can ill afford to stumble in conference again Tuesday when No. 13 Wisconsin (12-2, 1-0) brings an eight-game winning streak to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

Indiana's issues start on the defensive end, although facing stingy defenses has been a problem, too. Wisconsin has always prided itself on defense and playing a controlled half-court game.

The Badgers are allowing just 58.8 points per game, or 27.7 fewer than the Hoosiers are scoring. Indiana is giving up 68.3 points per game and Wisconsin is averaging 77.6.

"My biggest thing, I don't want them trying too hard," Crean said after the loss to Louisville. "I mean, we've got a group of guys who are going to be back in the gym and trying to work their way out of it. There's a time and a place for that. We haven't had a good week."

First-year Badgers coach Greg Gard has his team playing well. Wisconsin opened conference play with a 72-52 home win over Rutgers.

"We've gotten better," Gard said. "I don't think we're where we need to be. I think we can be more consistent, specifically from guys that are coming in off the bench. That's one area that I'd like to continue to see growth.

"There are little things here and there, we can become more efficient for longer stretches of the game."

Both teams have lost twice to ranked opponents. Wisconsin's last loss was more than a month ago, 71-56 to No. 4 North Carolina on Nov. 23 in Hawaii. One of Indiana's most impressive wins was a 76-67 home victory over the then-No. 3 Tar Heels.

The Hoosiers have hit 55 more 3-pointers than the opposition. When they're hot, they look unbeatable. Junior guard James Blackmon Jr. averages a team-high 17.3 points and has hit 41 of 94 3-pointers (.436).

Junior guard Robert Johnson was the team's hottest shooter a week ago but quickly went cold with a 1-of-13 game against the Cardinals. Johnson averages 13.8 points and has hit 32 of 77 3-pointers (.416).

The Badgers' 115 3-pointers are 17 fewer than the Hoosiers' total, but Wisconsin shares the ball well to produce points. Senior guard Bronson Koenig averages 14.1 points, senior forward Nigel Hayes is at 14.0 and sophomore forward Ethan Haps is at 12.7.

Hayes scored a game-high 20 points against Rutgers and senior guard Zak Showalter, an 8.1-point scorer, had 18.

"We really don't hold the ball," Hayes said. "It's kind of like, we just move it around and when you get out of position then we score on you. We can play up and down, we think we've shown that earlier in non-conference.

"It's not that we play slow or that we want to play slow, we just try and take good shots. Good shots lead you to high percentage shots, more chance that the ball goes in. Some other teams that we play against have a different motto, maybe more shots equals more opportunities, more points. We go better shots equals more points."

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Wildcats (12-1) at Jayhawks (12-1)
Date: January 03, 2017 9:00 PM EDT

LAWRENCE, Kan. -- A weakness in No. 3 Kansas was exposed in the Jayhawks' Big 12 opener.

Do not bother scouring through game film. The flaw was identified and thoroughly criticized by coach Bill Self after Kansas (12-1) went on the road and nipped perennial conference doormat TCU.

"We don't guard. We don't guard," Self repeated. "We can look at stats and stats can be misleading and stuff, but we'll watch this game, when we got stops, they missed. It wasn't because we created things to make them miss. We don't guard."

Whether it is too late in the season to correct that deficiency is unknown. No doubt, however, Self will emphasize defense, beginning with a home game Tuesday against Kansas State (12-1, 1-0 Big 12) in Allen Fieldhouse.

"The thing that we've always hung our hat on we're just not very good at yet," said Self, "and we've got to improve on that."

Offensively, the Jayhawks click just fine. Despite one of the poorer performances of the season by 6-foot-8 freshman wing Josh Jackson, who played sparingly against TCU because of foul trouble magnified by a technical, the Jayhawks still overcame an early deficit.

Senior point guard Frank Mason, the Jayhawks' leader in scoring (19.8 ppg.) and assists (5.9), was again instrumental, scoring 22 points and going 9 of 10 from the free throw line. Senior forward Landen Lucas also responded with an emphatic double-double, adding 15 points and 17 rebounds.

Again, though, Self examined both ends of the floor after the man Lucas guarded scored 28 points.

"I think Landen would be the first to tell you, you go on the road and if your mindset's not to be tough and get stops, you're very fortunate when you get a 'W,' and that was the case for us," Self said.

The Jayhawks did overachieve at the foul line, making 20 of 25 free throws despite shooting 61 percent on the season.

Kansas State, coincidentally, also shot better than usual from the line in its Big 12 opener, securing a 65-62 home win over Texas by going 9 of 10 inside the final minute and 26 of 33 overall. The Wildcats are making 67.1 percent of their free throws on the season.

"You've got to have confidence going to the line and you have to work on it in practice," explained point guard Kamau Stokes, who had 15 points and six assists, going 4 of 4 from the line in the final minute and 9 of 10 for the game.

The free throw shooting enabled the Wildcats to overcome dreadful shooting (17 of 47) from the field. Kansas State led by 13 inside the 8-minute mark of the second half.

"Instead of being solid in space, trying to move the ball, we were a little antsy trying to make some plays," Kansas State coach Bruce Weber said. "We're going to have to be better, especially moving on into the league and when we go to Kansas."

The Wildcats were led by sophomore forward Dean Wade, who scored 18 points on 7-for-10 shooting. Sophomore guard Barry Brown averages a team-high 12.1 points, though each of the Wildcats' starters average at least 9.7 points. Their bench is limited, contributing no points in the Texas win.

In launching its bid for a 13th consecutive league championship, a Division I record set by UCLA from 1967-79, Kansas claimed its 26th consecutive win in a league opener by downing TCU. The last time the Jayhawks lost a Big 12 home opener was in 2006, a 59-55 setback against Kansas State.

Weber is the third coach the Wildcats have had since that upset. The fifth-year coach stands 2-9 against Kansas. Self is 27-5 against K-State.