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

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CBB SEASON RECORD OPINIONS AND BEST BETS:

WLT Pct Units

ATS Picks 642-627-23 50.59% -23850

O/U Picks 194-192-4 50.26% -8600

DAILY RECORD OPINIONS AND BEST BETS

01/01/2017 20-20-1 50.00% -1000
01/02/2017 16-21-0 43.24% -3550
01/03/2017 6-9-0 40.00% -1950
01/04/2017 23-29-1 44.23% -4450
01/05 2017 No Plays
01/06/2017 No Plays

DAILY BEST BETS RECORD:

ATS: 18 - 28 - 1

O/U : 12 - 11 - 0

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Saturday’s List of 13: Random stuff with weekend here……..

13) Apparently George Karl had some juicy stuff in his new book about his time with the Kings in Sacramento, but that part of the book had to be removed because his going-away gift from the Kings had a clause in it that didn’t allow him to tell any stories from his time in Sacramento.

12) Clippers TV voice Ralph Lawler called DeMarcus Cousins “a coach-killer” on the air Friday nite, strong words. Cousins has played for six coaches in his seven years with the Kings, so hard to argue with Mr Lawler, but it sure as hell ain’t all Cousins’ fault.

11) Consider that Sacramento drafted Jimmer Fredette, when Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard were still on the board— can’t blame that blunder on Cousins and there are numerous other drafting miscues that have set Sacramento’s franchise way behind in the west.

10) Odd Stat of the Day: Notre Dame is shooting 84.4% on the foul line, best in country, but their opponents shoot 78.5% against them, best %age against any team in the country.

9) Seattle Mariners made couple of trades Friday, trading Seth Smith/Nathan Karns to different teams; they get Jarrod Dyson/Yovani Gallardo back. Orioles saved $4M by dealing Gallardo. Seth Smith is going to love Camden Yards.

8) Minnesota Gophers quickly signed up coach PJ Fleck from Western Michigan, making me think they used the players’ boycott from last month as an excuse to dump Tracy Claeys to add a coach they think is better. If thats true, karma is going to kick them in the butt.

7) Indianapolis Colts are keeping Chuck Pagano as coach and also keeping their GM, in an odd bit of stability that wasn’t expected. Colts have been 11-5/11-5/11-5/8-8/8-8 in Pagano’s five years, but thats in a weak division when they have Andrew Luck at QB. We’ll see how this works out for them- they did have three rookie starters on the OL this year.

6) Michigan State is playing Penn State today, but at the Palestra in Philly, not in Happy Valley, which is roughly 200 miles away. Giving away your home court edge isn’t a great idea.

5) Miami Dolphins prepped for their playoff game with the Steelers Sunday by using footballs that were stored in a freezer. Matt Moore went to Oregon State, so he’s played in crummy weather before, not sure if he has ever played in frigid weather.

4) Oakland Raiders are playing in the playoffs tomorrow for the first time since 2002; their last road playoff win was in 1980, when I was a junior in college and had a full head of hair.

3) Seems unfair to me that the Eagles denied the Jets permission to interview their QB coach John DeFillippo to be the Jets’ new OC. If you’re moving up to be a coordinator or a head coach, you should be free to interview with whomever you like— I would understand denying a team if the coach is only making a lateral move.

2) You look at the start of conference play in college basketball and Indiana-San Diego State-Georgetown-Louisville, teams that are most always in the NCAAs, are a combined 0-9 already in conference games. Go figure.

1— Lebron James says the Cavaliers still need a point guard, which tells me that pretty soon, Cleveland will be making a trade.

For a point guard.

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Saturday’s games

Major trap game for Butler after they beat Villanova during week, now visits Georgetown team that is 0-3 in Big East for first time ever. Bulldogs won last three series games by 6-11-3 points, winning here in OT LY. Butler won five of last six games, all vs top 100 teams; they’re 1-2 in true road games, losing at Indiana St/St John’s by total of four points- their win was at Utah. Hoyas lost first three Big East games by 10-5-6 points; they’re 2-7 vs top 100 teams, 2-4 in games decided by 6 or less points.

Virginia Tech lost by 26 at NC State Wednesday despite going 13-30 on arc; they were down 25 at half, in letdown game after upsetting Duke at home. Hokies are 4-2 vs top 100 teams, 1-1 in true road games, with win at Michigan. Florida State won its first two ACC games by 16-2 points; they’ve won 10 games in row overall, four of them vs top 50 opponents. Virginia Tech swept Florida State by 10-11 points LY, after losing five of previous six games with FSU. Hokies lost last three visits to Tallahassee by 1-11-20 points.

Providence won its last five games with Creighton, sweeping Bluejays by 2-4 points LY; Creighton lost all three visits here, by 13-12-4 points. Friars are 10-0 at home, with best wins URI/Georgetown; they lost three of last four games overall, are 4-4 vs top 100 teams. Providence forces turnovers 21.9% of time (#35). Creighton is 3-0 in true road games, winning at Nebraska-ASU-St John’s, all by 11+ points; their only loss was by 10 at home to Villanova. Jays are shooting 42.4% on arc (#4); they’ve got #2 eFG% in country.

North Carolina is 25-3 in its last 28 games with NC State, 12-1 in games played here (State’s last win at UNC was two years ago). Tar Heels swept LY’s series by 12-12 points. Carolina is 7-2 vs top 100 teams; they get Pinson back here, making them deeper, but they need OT to beat Clemson and lost at Ga Tech before that, turning ball over 24.2% of time in two ACC tilts. State won seven of last 8 games; they’re 4-1 since big man Yurtseven became eligible; their last six wins were all by 21+ points. Wolfpack is 1-3 vs top 100 teams, though.

Notre Dame is 4-0 vs Clemson since joining ACC, winning by 4-14 in games played here; irish beat Pitt/Louisville by total of 8 points to open ACC play 2-0- 3-2 vs top 50 teams, with losses to Villanova/Purdue. Clemson lost OT game to UNC at home Wednesday; they’re 2-0 in true road games, winning by hoop at So Carolina, 5 at Wake Forest. Clemson is #28 experience team that forces turnovers 23% of time- they start three seniors. Irish are 10-0 at home; they’re #1 in country on foul line (84.4%). Clemson is 3rd-best team in country at not fouling.

This is only second true road game of year for Maryland, which won 76-75 at Georgetown back on Nov 15- they did win couple of neutral court games in NYC. Home side won all three Maryland-Michigan Big 14 games; Terrapins lost 70-69 here LY. Underdogs covered all three games. Michigan won four of last five games, splitting pair of 3-point decisions to open Big 14 play; they’re #67 experience team that is 4-4 vs top 100 teams while playing 5th-slowest tempo in country. Maryland lost last game at home by 2 to Nebraska, which ended game on 14-0 run.

Utah led 44-10 at halftime, hammered Arizona State 81-46 LY in Salt Lake City; think Bobby Hurley had this game circled on his schedule? Utes won last four series games, but are 1-3 in Tempe, with losses by 5-1-4 points. Home side won eight of last nine series games. Arizona State is 2-1 in Pac-12, with two wins by total of six points; they’re 7-1 if they score 80+ points, 2-6 if they don’t. Utah is 1-2 in true road games, losing by 8 at Xavier, 10 at Arizona; their one true road win was at Hawai’i.

Indiana lost its last three games, allowing 79.7 pts/game and is mentioned as a bubble team now; Hoosiers have #6 eFG% despite turning ball over 21.8% of time; they’re 2-4 vs top 100 teams, with wins over KansasUNC. Illinois won seven of last eight games, but lost by 25 at Maryland in only true road game this season- they’re 4-3 vs top 100 teams, start three seniors (#42 experience team). Indiana won its last three games with Illinois by 6-34-27 points; Illini lost last four visits here, by 3-13-10-34 points.

Vanderbilt scored 88 pts/game in winning its first two SEC games after a 6-6 pre-conference slate; Commodores are shooting 40.4% on arc, are 1-2 in true road games, winning at LSU, losing at Middle Tennessee/Dayton. Vanderbilt won its last three games with Alabama, by 8-7-8 points; they won three of last four visits to Tuscaloosa. Crimson Tide is 1-5 vs top 100 teams, with best win over #99 Arkansas State. Will crowd at Bama be down with lot of people in Tampa for Monday’s football game?

Baylor will be #1 in country for first time if they win this game; Bears are 14-0 with eight top 100 wins- they’ve got #8 eFG% defense in country. Baylor is 7-4 in its last 11 games with Oklahoma State, sweeping Cowboys by 12-4 points LY. OSU lost eight of last nine visits to Waco. OSU is 0-2 in Big X games, allowing 87 pts/game, after 10-2 pre-conference slate (#150); Cowboys are 2-2 in true road games, winning in Tulsa/Wichita, losing at Texas/Maryland by total of 4 points. OSU opponents have shortest possessions in country; Baylor’s have 5th-longest.

Cincinnati won its last five games, allowing 53 pts/game in winning first two AAC games by 6-36 points; Bearcats are are 2-1 in true road games, losing by 10 at Butler, winning at Iowa State and Temple. Cincinnati won five of last six games with Houston, losing 69-56 here LY; Bearcats had won by 1-10 points in previous two visits here. Cougars are 3-0 in AAC, allowing 54.3 pts/game in league play; they’re 12-3 vs schedule #257, are 2-1 vs top 100 teams, winning over UR, Vermont by total of six points, losing by 12 at Arkansas.

New Mexico is 7-0 at home this season, but mostly against stiffs; Lobos are 1-4 vs top 100 teams, with win at struggling San Diego State LW- they’re 2-1 in MW, with games decided by 4-5-6 points. Nevada-New Mexico split last four meetings, with two Wolf Pack wins by total of five points; they’re 0-3 in Albuquerque, losing by 13-14-12 points. Nevada beat Lobos 64-62 in MW tourney LY. Wolf Pack is 2-2 in true road games, losing at St Mary’s/Fresno; they’ve got road wins at Bradley/Washington- their last two games were decided by total of four points.

San Diego State is 0-2 in Mountain West, unusual territory for them; Aztecs aren’t shooting ball well, rebounding it well or creating turnovers- they scored 65.5 pts/game in losses by 6-3 points to open MW play. Boise State scored 78 pts/game in winning first three league games; they’re 1-2 in top 100 games, losing to Charleston/Oregon, beating SMU by 9. Boise won three of last four games with San Diego State; underdogs covered last five series games. Teams split last four series games played here.

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Preview: Bulldogs (13-2) at Hoyas (8-7)
Date: January 07, 2017 12:00 PM EDT

What can No. 18 Butler do for an encore after toppling top-ranked and undefeated Villanova for the biggest regular-season win in program history?

Well, help traditional Big East power Georgetown spiral further downward.

The Bulldogs (13-2, 2-1) ended the national champion Wildcats' 20-game winning streak with a 66-58 victory Wednesday night in front of a raucous home crowd at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Andrew Chrabascz and Kethan Savage each scored 13 points for Butler, which won its second straight after opening conference play with a surprising loss to Saint John's.

Villanova, one of the most efficient offensive teams in the country, only shot 37.3 percent from the field and 6 of 26 from beyond the 3-point arc.

"We felt like if we could make it ugly on the defensive end, we'd give ourselves a chance," coach Chris Holtmann told the Indianapolis Star.

Savage, playing his first season with Butler after transferring from George Washington, scored five points during a decisive late run. His three-point play put the Bulldogs up 58-52 with 1:46 to go. Fans stormed the court soon after.

"This is the type of game I've always wanted to play," Savage said. "I came to Butler to win games like this."

Saturday's noon tipoff at Verizon Center will be a homecoming for Savage, who grew up in the nearby Northern Virginia suburbs and spent his first two years of college basketball playing locally for the Colonials.

Nobody could use some home cooking right now more than the Hoyas. Georgetown's 76-70 loss at Providence Wednesday dropped its record to 8-7 overall, but 0-3 in Big East play for the first time in program history.

"We're frustrated," Coach John Thompson III said moments after the Hoyas' latest loss.

The Hoyas entered conference play with momentum thanks to a six-game winning streak. The tides shifted after losing at Marquette and home to No. 17 Xavier. The latest setback occurred despite a career-high 26 points from Marcus Derrickson. The sophomore forward didn't receive much help offensively and the Hoyas once again showed help on defense is what they need most.

Guards Rodney Pryor (19.8 points per game) and L.J. Peak (15.6) have carried the offense most of the season, but both labored from the field against the Friars, finishing 8 of 30 for 22 points.

"There's a big difference between being frustrated and thinking the season's over," said Thompson, who coached Georgetown to a 15-18 record last season. "We're going to keep fighting. We're going to figure this out together. We're in a place right now where we have to pull ourselves up from. In this league, no one's going to help you. No one's going to care about you. And so we have to pull ourselves up."

Butler went 7-of-7 on free throws in the closing 1:46, finishing a perfect 15-of-15. Georgetown clanked at the line for a second straight game, finishing 8-of-16 in the eight-point loss.

One of the most foul-prone teams in the nation, the Hoyas put the Friars on the line 30 times. They were outscored 22-8 on free throws.

The Bulldogs swept the head-to-head series last season, including a 90-87 road win on Feb. 27.

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Preview: Horned Frogs (12-2) at Mountainers (12-2)
Date: January 07, 2017 1:00 PM EDT

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- In dissecting two losses this season by a combined five points, West Virginia's coaching staff emphasizes one commonality.

Deflections, or rather, the lack of them.

The No. 7 Mountaineers and their nonstop pressure defense typically produce nearly 50 deflections per game. Yet they managed only 39 in a Nov. 25 loss to Temple and 32 in Tuesday's 77-76 overtime defeat at Texas Tech.

"We didn't get any deflections, so we didn't get any live-ball turnovers," said coach Bob Huggins. "It's hard to deflect the pass if you don't bring your hands above your head. Texas Tech threw it out of the trap before there actually was a trap, but if you get your hands up, they've still got to throw it over your hands, which gives you time to make rotations."

Huggins' squad seeks to regain its edge Saturday against visiting TCU at Morgantown, W.Va.

Though both teams stand 12-2 overall and 1-1 in Big 12 play, West Virginia was picked to challenge Kansas for the conference title while coaches slotted the Horned Frogs to finish last. Under Jamie Dixon, however, TCU's rebuilding effort shifted into warp speed, resulting in a No. 30 RPI entering the weekend. That's 23 spots higher than the Mountaineers.

Dixon, who owned a 12-7 record against West Virginia during a 13-year tenure as Pittburgh's coach, should expect plenty of intensity from fans -- as well as the Mountaineers' defense, which leads the nation by forcing 24.8 turnovers.

"Their turnover numbers are dramatic, to say the least," Dixon said. "We've been working on a lot of drills and try and improve in that area. We've been a low-turnover team all year until the last two games."

Those last two games (an 86-80 loss to Kansas and a 60-57 win over Oklahoma) saw the Horned Frogs commit 31 turnovers. Dixon is justifiably concerned about the adaptability of a backcourt rotation that features true freshmen Jaylen Fisher and Desmond Bane, and Texas A&M transfer Alex Robinson -- none of whom have never faced the Mountaineers' press.

Fisher has started 13 of his first 14 games after becoming the highest-rated signee in TCU history at No. 34 nationally by ESPN. He's scoring 9.7 points per game and dishing a team-high 4.4 assists.

Robinson (11.2 points, 2.0 steals) and the drastically improved 6-foot-11 Vlad Brodziansky (11.2 points, 5.1 rebounds) are the top scorers, while 6-7 junior guard Kenrich Williams (9.8 points, 9.8 rebounds) is a double-double threat after recovering from last season's knee injury.

Perhaps nothing speaks to TCU's talent infusion more than the diminished roles of seniors Karviar Shepherd and Chris Washburn, frontline regulars during past seasons who are combining to average 21 minutes.

West Virginia, 9-0 against the Horned Frogs since joining the Big 12 five years ago, is paced by forwards Esa Ahmad (12.6 points, 4.9 rebounds) and Nate Adrian (10.4 points, 6.4 rebounds) and the guard tandem of Jevon Carter (10.3 points, 3.4 steals) and Daxter Miles (10.1 points, 1.7 rebounds).

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Hokies (12-2) at Seminoles (14-1)
Date: January 07, 2017 2:00 PM EDT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Congratulations, Florida State: You made the biggest move up the AP Top 25 Poll last week of any team in the country, going up eight spots from No. 20 after an upset victory at No. 12 Virginia.

Your reward?

Oh, just five straight games against Top 25 ACC teams.

No big deal!

"I'm not sure we've ever seen anything quite like this in the history of our conference," Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton said recently. "It's a great league. The best league in the history of college basketball. And it's getting better."

The Seminoles (14-1 overall, 2-0 in the ACC) are one of seven ACC teams currently ranked in the Top 25 - the most of any conference in the nation. Before the end of January, Florida State will have played each of the six other programs in the poll - one right after another.

The gauntlet started last Sunday as the Cavaliers couldn't stop Seminoles leading scorer Dwayne Bacon en route to his career-high 29 points -- including the game-winning 3-pointer with just 2 seconds left.

And now the gauntlet continues Saturday at home against No. 21 Virginia Tech (12-2, 1-1) at the Donald L. Tucker Center, where Florida State has yet to lose all year. The Hokies enter the game just having knocked off then-No. 5 Duke last week, but they followed it up with a stinker of a showing at N.C. State on Wednesday and got pummeled, 104-78, by the Wolfpack.

That left Virginia Tech coach Buzz Williams frustrated, to say the least.

"We were way too flat. We were playing below our man. And whether it was off the pass or the bounce, when the ball got to the paint, our rotation was bad," Williams said of his team, which reached the Top 25 for the first time this season after its upset of the Blue Devils but will likely fall right back out if it can't beat Florida State.

"I thought the plan (against N.C. State) was right. But the execution was obviously near to zero. I just thought the mentality relative to the execution was bad from the start, and it trended toward being too individualistic on both ends of the floor. And we're not good enough to play that sort of game."

Florida State, meanwhile, is that good -- and it has shown flashes of greatness early in the season.

The Seminoles are enjoying their best ranking since the 1992-93 season and -- while still early -- currently sit tied for first place in the ACC. The 14-1 record is also their best 15-game start since the 1988-89 season and they've also won 10 straight games coming into Saturday following their lone loss of the year on the road against Temple during the NIT Season Tip-Off in late November.

All that, of course, adds up to one thing with five daunting opponents - vs. No. 21 Virginia Tech, vs. No. 8 Duke, at No. 14 North Carolina, vs. No. 23 Notre Dame and vs. No. 9 Louisville - looming over the next three weeks: A whole lot of pressure.

"This is a unique experience that we're in," Hamilton told the school's official website. "But because of that, I think our guys are keeping it in perspective. ... You just can't get too far ahead of yourself. You've got to accept it for what it is and understand that in order for you to get the level of success you want to have, you've got to be prepared. You cannot have a bad night."

And despite a bad night against N.C. State recently, Hamilton knows for what the Hokies are capable.

"It doesn't really matter if they won by 100 or they lost," he said. "If they'd have beat North Carolina State, they'd be coming in with momentum. If they'd lost to North Carolina State, they'd be coming in angry. So, either way it goes, it's going to be a motivated team one way or another."

Florida State is being paced by Bacon, who is averaging 17.3 points a game and has scored in double figures 23 straight times dating back to last season. The sophomore guard was also named ACC Player of the Week for the first time in his Florida State career following his heroic performance against Virginia.

Virginia Tech is led by forward Zach Leday, who is averaging 16.1 points per game and 7.4 rebounds per game. And the Hokies boast one of the ACC's top long-range shooters: Ahmed Hill, who is second in the conference with 40 3-pointers made so far.

If the Seminoles can beat the Hokies, it will mark their 11th straight win - tying the school record for consecutive victories. It would also mark their first win against a ranked Virginia Tech team in almost 10 years.

And history, at least, is in Florida State's favor: The Seminoles have defeated Virginia Tech 10 consecutive times in games played in Tallahassee Virginia Tech is 5-18 in games at Florida State and hasn't won in Tallahassee since 1990.

But don't let that stat fool you, Hamilton said. This is the ACC, where every team is great - and anyone can lose at any given moment.

"You have to have clear understanding that every night is a dog fight," Hamilton said. "We want them to be in that mentality."

Florida State leads the all-time series against the Hokies 30-22, but the Seminoles will be seeking some revenge Saturday after Virginia Tech won their last meeting 96-85 on March 9, 2016 in Blacksburg, Va.

Following Saturday's game against Virginia Tech, the Seminoles play host to No. 8 Duke on Tuesday at the Donald L. Tucker Center.

Virginia Tech, meanwhile, will next host Syracuse on Tuesday after its game at Florida State.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Eagles (8-7) at Blue Devils (13-2)
Date: January 07, 2017 2:00 PM EDT

DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke looks to take the next steps in what has been a challenging stretch when it plays Saturday afternoon without its coach on the bench at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

The game against Boston College marks the first assignment for the No. 8 Blue Devils (13-2, 1-1 ACC) since coach Mike Krzyzewski's surgery Friday morning on his lower back. He's expected to miss about a month.

Associate head coach Jeff Capel steps in as the interim coach.

"We have tremendous coaches," freshman forward Jayson Tatum said of the staff. "I don't think it will be that much different."

Capel has been a head coach at Virginia Commonwealth and Oklahoma. That background combined with his sixth season on the Duke staff is what gives him confidence to handle the weeks ahead.

"It's not as difficult because of Coach," Capel said. "He has told me repeatedly to be myself, to trust my instincts."

Duke players said they're so familiar with Capel and assistant coaches Jon Scheyer and Nate James that they anticipate a smooth transition.

"Coach Capel is going to be a very good coach for us and we're confident we're going to be the same team moving forward," said guard Grayson Allen, who returned to active status Wednesday night after a one-game suspension for his third tripping incident in 11 months.

Capel, a former Duke player, filled in for one victory last season when Krzyzewski was ill.

After Wednesday night's 110-57 smashing of Georgia Tech, Krzyzewski said the parts had been put in place by getting freshman forward Harry Giles in the starting lineup for the first time and Allen back from the indefinite suspension that lasted one game.

"A lot of stuff looked good (Wednesday) night, but we have to keep working at it and getting better," Capel said. "... Having Grayson back is big for our team. He's healthy now and he's coming off maybe his best game of the season or one of his best games of the season."

Boston College (8-7, 1-1) has led at halftime of both its ACC games, but after blowing out Syracuse, the Eagles dropped a 79-66 decision Tuesday night at Wake Forest. So Saturday's game will be the second in a row in North Carolina.

"One thing I love about this group (is) even when we lost game we know we should've won, or played poorly, we always bounced back," Boston College coach Jim Christian said. "That's a true testament to the kind of guys we have on our team."

This is a return to the home state for Boston College sophomore guard Jerome Robinson and freshman guard Ky Bowman, who lead the team in scoring with 20.6 and 11.9 points per game, respectively. One of them has led the Eagles in scoring in all except two games.

Bowman has been named the ACC Freshman of the Week in the last two weeks.

"He has got such a good mentality," Christian said. "That's why he's going to be a huge, huge piece of our team moving forward."

Duke leads the all-time series 19-2, including 10 victories in a row.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Cardinals (12-3) at Yellow Jackets (9-5)
Date: January 07, 2017 2:00 PM EDT

ATLANTA -- Things don't get any easier for the Georgia Tech basketball team on Saturday.

Not only do they face another ranked team in No. 9 Louisville -- the third straight top-10 opponent faced by the Yellow Jackets -- but they also face a team that's somewhat desperate after opening the ACC with two conference losses.

Georgia Tech (9-5, 1-1 ACC) will play Louisville (12-3, 0-2 ACC) at 2 p.m. on Saturday at McCamish Pavilion.

The Yellow Jackets, who upset North Carolina three days earlier, were hammered by No. 8 Duke 110-57 in a perfect storm scenario on Wednesday. Duke was coming off a loss in its season opener, it was playing its final game under surgery-bound coach Mike Krzyzewski for at least a month and it welcomed back guard Grayson Allen from a suspension.

"I don't know who would have beaten them," Pastner said. "I didn't matter who there were going to play that night. We just hit them on a perfect storm and we were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

The 53-point loss was the fifth-largest margin in an ACC game. Georgia Tech's worst all-time loss came against Georgia in 1909, a 78-9 Bulldogs win.

The loss was the first game in which Georgia Tech center Ben Lammers (14.2 points. 9.9 rebounds) has not scored in double figures. Freshman Josh Okogie, who had 26 points against North Carolina and averages 14 per game, had only 11 against Duke.

Louisville will be another fierce challenge. Although the Cardinals have lost their first two conference game to Virginia and Notre Dame, they have wins over Kentucky and Indiana.

The Cardinals are led by sophomore Donovan Mitchell (12.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.3 steals), junior Quentin Snider (11.3 points, 3.6 assists) and sophomore Deng Adel (10.7 points, 4.5 rebounds).

"It's a must-win game Saturday," Louisville coach Rick Pitino said. "We've got to get wins. We can't lose any more games at home."

Pitino said his team played well enough to beat Notre Dame earlier this week but wasted a nice comeback in a 77-70 loss. The Cardinals had a few breakdowns that allowed the Fighting Irish to keep getting to the free throw line and outscore them 9-2 in the final two minutes.

"It's little defensive things that keeping us from getting over the hump," Pitino said.

The game could be a defensive battle. Before the Duke game, Georgia Tech had allowed more than 70 points only three times. The Yellow Jackets allow 68.1 points and allow 39.9 percent from the field. Louisville allows 61.5 points and 37.2 percent shooting from the field.

"When you play a team with a sense of desperation, you've got to be more desperate," Pastner said. "We've got to get on the floor and compete. We can never forget this a major rebuild job and this is year one. Let's keep seeing if we can undersell and overperform."

Louisville has won the last five meetings against Georgia Tech and leads the series 18-13. The Cardinals won both games last season, by four points in Atlanta and by three points on Senior Day at Louisville.

Despite expected ice and snow in the Atlanta area, the game is expected to go on as scheduled.

In 2014, a game against North Carolina was played under similar circumstances and forced cancellation of an ESPN2 telecast because the production crew could not reach McCamish Pavilion. That same season, Georgia Tech and Boston College delayed its game by a day because of weather.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Bluejays (14-1) at Friars (11-5)
Date: January 07, 2017 2:00 PM EDT

Creighton coach Greg McDermott may have been stating the obvious after his 10th-ranked Bluejays survived a late St. John's comeback in New York on Wednesday night.

"Nothing comes easy," McDermott said after Creighton improved to 14-1 and ended its one-game losing streak with the 85-72 win. "It's a really good basketball league."

And it really doesn't let up in the Big East, where only one team - Xavier (2-0) - is unbeaten and two of the 10 winless in conference play through the early stretch of the league season.

"When you look at our league is tough, every single night you can't be surprised by the results," Providence coach Ed Cooley said after his team defeated Georgetown at home Wednesday night.

The Bluejays, 2-1 in the conference with the loss coming at home to No. 1 Villanova, complete their two-game eastern swing at Providence Saturday.

Justin Patton scored a career-high 25 points, grabbed nine rebounds and dished out four assists in the latest win. He leads the Big East - and is third in the nation - with a 74.8 shooting percentage.

The 7-footer was 11-for-14 from the floor at St. John's, where McDermott had to rely on his bench to make it through against the aggressive Red Storm.

"By far, they were the toughest team we played," Shamorie Ponds said after his Johnnies came up short. "They're tough. It's going to be hard to beat them on the road, the way they came in here and beat us."

McDermott is 1-6 all-time against Providence. Cooley is 6-2 against the Bluejays, whose 13-0 start to the season was the program's best since 1942-43. But much of that damage was done with NBA draftees Kris Dunn and Ben Bentil and the Friars are in a bit of a rebuild - but still have 12 wins.

The Friars are 10-0 at home.

"I'm just happy that our players were able to respond to a really tough road trip," Cooley said. "It's great to be at home. I'm glad to see our players fought today. I thought we grew up today. It was a great Big East battle."

Providence lost at nationally ranked Xavier and Butler before coming home with the win, their fifth straight over the Hoyas.

"Coming off a couple of road losses in this league, you have to try to keep your players' positive and make sure no one gets too down," Cooley said, "but at the same time, urgent to get the next possible win."

The upcoming game features two of the top distributors in the country. Creighton's Maurice Watson, a preseason All-Big East pick, leads the country in assists at 8.8 per game, while Providence's Kyron Cartwright is third at 7.1.

Transfer Marcus Foster leads the Bluejays in scoring at 18.7 points per game - the highest average by a Creighton newcomer since Cyril Baptiste in 1969-70.

Rodney Bullock leads the Friars (12-5) in scoring (18.1) and rebounding (6.3)per game.

"I'm just really proud of our group to get back on the winning side," Cooley said after the Georgetown game.

The Bluejays return home to face No. 18 Butler Wednesday, while the Friars travel to DePaul for a Tuesday night game.

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Preview: Red Storm (8-8) at Musketeers (12-2)
Date: January 07, 2017 2:30 PM EDT

CINCINNATI -- It's barely a week into the Big East Conference schedule, but after losses by top-ranked Villanova and Butler this past week, there's just one remaining unbeaten team in the league: No. 16 Xavier.

"We have a leaderboard in the locker room," said Musketeers forward Sean O'Mara. "It's nice to see us on top."

Xavier (12-2, 2-0 Big East) have won five straight games and 14 straight at Cintas Center as it prepares to host St. John's on Saturday afternoon in a matchup of the league's best young backcourts.

Xavier leads the series 4-3, but many of the games have been hotly contested.

Last January, the Musketeers led by 12 points at St. John's but the Red Storm rallied to within one point with two minutes left before the Musketeers held on for a 74-66 win. At Cintas Center in February, St. John's led 44-40 in the second half but Xavier pulled away for a 90-83 victory.

St. John's (8-8, 2-1) is led by freshman Shamorie Ponds, who averages 17.6 points and 5.3 rebounds.

"I think he's probably going to be freshman of the year (in the conference)," said Xavier guard Malcolm Bernard. "We just have to make him uncomfortable and not give him too much wiggle room."

Ponds, a three-time Big East freshman of the week, has scored 15 or more points in nine of his past 10 games and already has six 20-point performances.

Xavier coach Chris Mack coached Ponds with USA Basketball this past summer.

"He's not afraid of the moment," Mack said. "I'm a little surprised by the poise and the confidence he plays with as a freshman."

Ponds and fellow freshman Marcus LoVett both are averaging more than 17 points, giving the Red Storm a dynamic guard tandem.

"You could just see the young guys grow up as you watch them on film from the start of the season until recently. I was scared to death of this game," Creighton coach Greg McDermott said after his team defeated St. John's 85-72 on Wednesday at Carnesecca Arena.

The Red Storm upset Butler No. 18 in late December but there won't be much of a fear factor for Xavier entering Saturday's game, not in the friendly confines of Cintas Center and with sophomore point guard Edmond Sumer playing at a high level.

Sumner earned a spot on the Big East's weekly honor roll after averaging 20.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.5 assists in wins over Providence and Georgetown. He scored a career-high 28 points with eight rebounds and six assists in the win over the Hoyas on his 21st birthday.

Sumner, who's finally healthy after dealing with a hand issue for a few weeks, leads the team with 4.8 assists per game, tied for third in the Big East, and is second on the team in scoring at 15.3 points.

"He never offered (the hand) as an excuse," said Mack. "He played through it. He's as close to 100 percent as he's been."

Musketeers guard Trevon Bluiett is living up to his All-American expectations with a team-leading 17.9 points per game and eight 20-point outings.

The schedule doesn't soften at all for Xavier, which on Tuesday begins a stretch of road games at No. 1 Villanova and No. 18 Butler before hosting No. 10 Creighton on Jan. 16.

"The upcoming set of games is really challenging," O'Mara said. "It's good for us as a team."

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Preview: Tigers (11-3) at Fighting Irish (13-2)
Date: January 07, 2017 3:00 PM EDT

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Time for No. 23 Notre Dame to get greedy in Atlantic Coast Conference play.

That's how quickly everything changes when league play commences.

Eight days ago, Irish coach Mike Brey, who will be coaching in career game No. 700 Saturday against Clemson (11-3, 1-1 ACC), wished only for a one-game win streak when ACC play commenced in a New Year's Eve game at Pittsburgh.

Notre Dame (13-2, 2-0) won that one by one in overtime. Four days later, the Irish moved to 2-0 in league play for the second time in three seasons with a seven-point home victory over No. 9 Louisville.

Notre Dame plays its final league home game Saturday before a two-week break and three-straight on the road. Getting this one would be a late Christmas bonus for Brey.

"Let's be greedy, man," Brey said. "If we can get to 3-0 in this league and then we get a little break before we go on the road, it would be unbelievable."

Especially given how wacky ACC play already has been barely a week in. Only two of the 15 league teams are undefeated in conference play -- Notre Dame and No. 12 Florida State. Duke lost. Louisville lost. Twice. North Carolina lost. Virginia lost. Twice.

Back in mid-November, Brey talked of the opportunity for his team to make a move when it traveled to Brooklyn and won games against Colorado and Northwestern to win the Legends Classic championship. The Irish had a chance to make a national move, then made one. This week, Brey talked of another chance to make a move. The opportunity to start 3-0 before a crusher league schedule kicks in is there.

"We get the third one, we've made a heck of a move here in early January," he said.

It won't be easy. Nothing in league play will be this season. And certainly not against Clemson, which is annually a difficult matchup for Notre Dame.

The teams met four previous times -- all as ACC colleagues -- with those four games decided by a total of 26 points. Jaron Blossomgame is a matchup concern. So is Donte Grantham.

"We respect everybody we play, but we worry about us," said Notre Dame point guard Matt Farrell. "We're not going to change; we're going to do what we do."

Clemson is good, and likely a bit ornery after letting North Carolina off the hook early in the week back at Littlejohn Coliseum. With the game tied and five seconds remaining, the Tigers had a chance to start 2-0 in league play with guard Avry Holmes going to the free throw line. But Holmes missed the front end of a one-and-one and the Tar Heels took control in overtime.

Clemson already won on the road in league play. The Tigers opened at Wake Forest, where they erased a 13-point deficit. For coach Brad Brownell, it's about putting a full 40 minutes together.

The Tigers were really good in the first half against Carolina. They moved the ball. Shared it. Made shots. Defended. They did too little of that in the second half to win.

Can they be better in game situations on the road in league play?

"I like our team," Brownell said. "It's a great league. I like the way we're playing and competing.

Nothing will be easy. Brownell expects nothing less.

"Another Top 25 team is par for the (ACC) course," he said.

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Preview: Fighting Illini (11-4) at Hoosiers (10-5)
Date: January 07, 2017 5:00 PM EDT

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Three consecutive losses have No. 25 Indiana in desperate need of a Big Ten win at home when Illinois visits Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Saturday.

The Hoosiers (10-5, 0-2) have already dropped conference games at home to No. 13 Wisconsin and Nebraska, primarily because of defensive lapses. While coach Tom Crean's team is again adept at scoring, the recent inability to get stops has put the squad in a hole rather early on in conference play.

"Our concepts, schemes, things we wanted to do defensively, those were not what beat us," Crean said after a 75-68 loss Tuesday to the Badgers. "It was the next pass or being in overhelp. And when we struggled, that's when those have been our issues, and we've got to get it corrected. Constantly.

"And it's not like I've got to go back and say, 'wow, we better really work on challenging shots more.' We have done it every day since they got back to school. We did it in the summertime. And we did a really good job. We were the No. 1 3-point shooting defensive of all the Big Ten teams going into last week, and we certainly haven't done that this last week."

The Fighting Illini (11-4, 1-1) have had five days to prepare after a 75-70 home win over Ohio State.

"It just came down to players making a play or two," said Illinois coach John Groce. "The game could have went either way. I'm happy that our guys obviously made some of those plays toward the end."

Groce's team dropped its Big Ten opener 84-59 at Maryland and has lost three in a row to the Hoosiers.

"We felt like we needed to really be more resilient and be able to handle another team's run," he said of bouncing back from a loss.

Indiana's inability to guard well was most evident at the end of the Wisconsin game, when the Badgers went on a late 7-0 run. The Hoosiers' leading scorer, junior guard James Blackmon Jr. at 16.8 points per game, was on the bench as Crean searched for the right defensive combination.

Junior guard Robert Johnson, the team's second-leading scorer, has struggled to find his shot in the past two games, too. He's averaging 13.7 points, but has shot 5 of 22 in the past two games.

"They're a hard-working group," Crean said of his players. "They're resilient. They have been resilient. They will be. The hard work, character of those kids, I have no issue with it. We have a long season. That's what we have to focus on."

Illinois senior guard Malcolm Hill averages a team-high 18.7 points, including 20.6 in the past three games. Senior guard Tracy Abrams averages 11.5 points and sophomore forward Leron Black is scoring 10.5 per game.

The Fighting Illini average 78.1 points while allowing 71.2. The Hoosiers average 85.3 points while allowing 68.7. But in the three-game losing streak, Indiana has averaged 71 points while allowing 79.6.

"The fight in us has to be better," said Indiana sophomore forward Juwan Morgan.

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Preview: Volunteers (8-6) at Gators (11-3)
Date: January 07, 2017 5:15 PM EDT

Florida's blowout loss at the hands of Tennessee last year was one of the low points of Gators coach Mike White's first season.

The 24th-ranked Gators will be out for revenge Saturday, when the Volunteers visit the O'Connell Center for a late afternoon game in Gainesville, Fla.

If the Vols are to upset White's improved Gators, Tennessee coach Rick Barnes believes his team will need a much better effort than it gave in a loss to Arkansas on Tuesday. Florida is off to a 2-0 start in SEC play.

Barnes noted Florida's improved perimeter play and stingy defense before questioning his team's competitiveness during the loss to Arkansas.

"I thought we took a step backwards the other night (against Arkansas)," Barnes told reporters. "I didn't just feel like we completed the way we have to. What people might think on the outside, that we're playing hard, but there's a different level that we expect and that we know we have to do every night.

"And for us not to go out and compete and keep moving forward is what disappointed me most."

Florida (11-3, 2-0) didn't play a complete game in its last time out, either, but managed to post a 70-63 win over Ole Miss. The Gators had a 20-point lead midway through the second half but were forced to hold on down the stretch as the Rebels made a serious run.

Sophomore guard KeVaughn Allen leads Florida's balanced attack. Allen is averaging 14.1 points and is one of three Gators averaging in double figures. Junior forward Devin Robinson is averaging 12.6 points and senior guard Canyon Berry, who is coming off his best performance of the season, is averaging 11.6 points. Berry scored 20 points in the win over the Rebels.

Tennessee comes in at 8-6 and 1-1 in SEC play, but White says the Volunteers are much better than their record indicates.

"They'll be very well prepared, typical of a Rick Barnes-coached team," White told reporters this week. "I like their team speed and depth."

Twelve Volunteers are averaging more than 10 minutes per game. Senior guard Robert Hubbs III leads Tennessee in scoring at 15.2 points per game and is second in rebounding at 4.9 boards per game.

"I think Robert Hubbs III is one of the most underappreciated players in the conference," White said.

Freshman forward Grant Williams leads the team in rebounding at 5.9 boards per game and is second in scoring at 10.8. Junior guard Detrick Mostella is the Vols' best weapon off the bench.

Florida had beaten Tennessee four straight times, before last year's 83-69 loss, and would like to start new streak on Saturday.

The Gators will wear all black uniforms for the first time in nearly seven years, as Florida prepares for the first "O'Dome blackout" in the newly renovated O'Connell Center.

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Preview: Ducks (14-2) at Cougars (9-5)
Date: January 07, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

PULLMAN, Wash. -- It will be a battle of teams with perfect Pac-12 records when Oregon visits Washington State on Saturday.

It's no surprise the 15th-ranked Ducks are 3-0 in conference play, but the Cougars were picked to finish last in the Pac-12 before winning its first two conference games.

"We're 2-0, so what?" Washington State forward Josh Hawkinson said. "We've still got 15 or 16 conference games to go. There's a lot more optimism."

Washington State defeated Oregon State 75-62 on Wednesday to exceed its conference win total from last year when it finished 1-17.

"We don't want to go two-and-whatever," Washington State senior guard Ike Iroegbu said. "It's uplifting for sure when we do better than last year."

Oregon has a higher bar to reach in order to exceed last season when it won the Pac-12 championship and reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. Oregon (14-2) has won 12 straight games after starting the season 2-2.

"We are continuing to make steps and strides," Oregon junior guard Casey Benson said. "We know we have a long way to go and that is exciting to have a lot of room for improvement. It is a marathon, not a sprint so we cannot overlook anyone."

Oregon survived a scare in Wednesday's 83-61 win over Washington when junior forward Jordan Bell went down with a knee injury midway through the first half. He feared it was a torn anterior cruciate ligament, but instead he just banged his knee against teammate Dylan Ennis and returned to the game a few minutes later.

"Every bad thing that could happen went through my head," Bell admitted. "Then I calmed down a bit and they started working on it and I said I was ready."

Bell had 10 points and 11 rebounds in 24 minutes during the win over the Huskies. He leads the Ducks with 8.3 rebounds per game while also averaging 10.4 points and 2.2 blocks per game.

Bell said he would see how his knee responds during the 48 hours between games but was hopeful he could play against the Cougars.

"We need him, he's a great asset for us," Oregon guard Tyler Dorsey said. "Thankfully, we have a couple days off to rehab so he might be feeling well by Washington State."

Dorsey scored 28 points, one shy of his career high, against Washington. He was 8 of 12 on 3-pointers to fall two makes shy of matching the school record.

"It was a good night, a great road win for us," Dorsey said. "Just sticking to my form and routine and my teammates were finding me in great spots."

Oregon survived foul trouble against Washington as leading scorer Dillon Brooks was held to eight points, six below his average, in 18 minutes while collecting four fouls.

Chris Boucher, who entered the game averaging 13.5 points and 7.6 rebounds, picked up two fouls in the first half and finished with seven points and two rebounds in 13 minutes.

Washington State (9-5) has won four straight games beginning with nonconference victories over Santa Clara and Sacramento State before opening conference play by defeating Washington and Oregon State.

Hawkinson, a 6-foot-10 senior, leads the conference with 10.6 rebounds while ranking seventh with 16.3 points per game. Freshman point guard Malachi Flynn averages 11.8 points and 3.1 assists per game. Iroegbu is scoring 10.9 points per game.

Seven-foot senior center Conor Clifford ranks second in the Pac-12 with a 61.9 shooting percentage while averaging 10.2 points.

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Preview: Cowboys (10-4) at Bears (14-0)
Date: January 07, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

WACO, Texas -- While Baylor was hustling at home to edge out Iowa State on Wednesday night, something happened on a basketball court in another state that made a significant impact on the rest of the No. 2 Bears' week.

When No. 18 Butler protected its home court and handed top-ranked Villanova a 66-58 defeat, it apparently cleared the way for Baylor to claim the No. 1 ranking for the first time in school history. The next set of rankings will be released next week.

The Bears have already ascended from unranked to start the season to the penultimate spot. Along the way, they have defeated top-10-ranked Oregon, Louisville and Xavier, and college hoops power Michigan State. Now Baylor is a step away from the top of the mountain.

All that stands in the Bears' way is Oklahoma State. Baylor (14-0, 2-0 Big 12) faces the Cowboys on Saturday in Waco, Texas.

The Cowboys have a 10-4 record to this point, but they have stumbled to start Big 12 play. West Virginia stomped Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Okla., 92-75, a week ago. While the Bears were escaping with a two-point victory over Iowa State on Wednesday, Texas claimed an 82-79 win over the Cowboys.

Even so, as soon as the Iowa State game ended and the news of Villanova's loss came down, the Baylor players and coach Scott Drew said they were solely focused on Oklahoma State.

"We're not worried about the rankings," Bears forward Johnathan Motley said. "We just have to handle business every day. Oklahoma State is what we're focused on now and we're going to do everything we can to get a W. This is the Big 12. All the games (on Tuesday) came down to one possession. This was a one-possession game (versus Iowa State) and we knew the things we had to do and how hard we had to play to get the win."

That's a prudent stance for Motley to take. The Big 12 has been the top-ranked league in conference RPI the last couple of seasons. It has slipped to the third spot so far this season behind the Big East and ACC, but still figures to be a tough road from here to March.

Baylor fans, though, can be forgiven for seeing a potential rout on the horizon when the Bears face the Cowboys.

Texas, which has struggled to find its footing this season, used a 15-0 run in the second half to help the Longhorns oust Oklahoma State.

Although the Cowboys have lost just four games, those defeats against North Carolina, Maryland, West Virginia and Texas have come by an average of more than 13 points.

First-year Oklahoma State Brad Underwood admitted his team is fighting to keep from feeling beaten down.

"Losing can be contagious if you allow it to be," Underwood said. "I don't want that to ever be accepted. Showing the emotion and toughness and character that it takes to bounce back is what we've spent a lot of time on.

"I guess I'm as concerned, now that it's two losses, about this becoming something that gets us in to sort of a rut. We're not going to allow that."

Nothing would transform Oklahoma State's collective psyche than keeping Baylor from climbing one more spot to No. 1.

But the Cowboys need Baylor's narrative to change dramatically.

"Honestly, everyone would love to be ranked No. 1," Drew said. "But our bigger goals and our more important goals are the conference and after the conference. So, you chase the bigger goals. And we know Oklahoma State is our next game, we know it's a home game, and we know they're an excellent team, just like every Big 12 team is."