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

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Dunkel

Saturday, March 18

Ole Miss @ Syracuse

Game 533-534
March 18, 2017 @ 11:00 am

Dunkel Rating:
Ole Miss
64.178
Syracuse
73.964
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Syracuse
by 10
152
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Syracuse
by 6 1/2
159
Dunkel Pick:
Syracuse
(-6 1/2); Under

St Mary's @ Arizona

Game 531-532
March 18, 2017 @ 7:45 pm

Dunkel Rating:
St Mary's
67.377
Arizona
78.371
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Arizona
by 11
138
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Arizona
by 4 1/2
132
Dunkel Pick:
Arizona
(-4 1/2); Over

Northwestern @ Gonzaga

Game 529-530
March 18, 2017 @ 5:15 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Northwestern
64.906
Gonzaga
79.447
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Gonzaga
by 14 1/2
143
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Gonzaga
by 10 1/2
136 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Gonzaga
(-10 1/2); Over

Iowa State @ Purdue

Game 527-528
March 18, 2017 @ 9:40 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Iowa State
71.812
Purdue
74.668
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Purdue
by 3
144
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Purdue
Pick
152 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Purdue
Under

Middle Tennessee @ Butler

Game 525-526
March 18, 2017 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Middle Tennessee
70.897
Butler
67.545
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Middle Tennessee
by 3 1/2
135
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Butler
by 4
130 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Middle Tennessee
(+4); Under

Xavier @ Florida State

Game 523-524
March 18, 2017 @ 6:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Xavier
63.098
Florida State
71.116
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Florida State
by 10
157
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Florida State
by 6
150 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Florida State
(-6); Over

Virginia @ Florida

Game 521-522
March 18, 2017 @ 8:40 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Virginia
70.196
Florida
74.026
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Florida
by 4
132
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Florida
by 1 1/2
126
Dunkel Pick:
Florida
(-1 1/2); Over

Wisconsin @ Villanova

Game 519-520
March 18, 2017 @ 2:40 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Wisconsin
71.101
Villanova
79.652
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Villanova
by 8 1/2
124
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Villanova
by 5 1/2
130
Dunkel Pick:
Villanova
(-5 1/2); Under

Notre Dame @ West Virginia

Game 517-518
March 18, 2017 @ 12:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Notre Dame
73.330
West Virginia
71.181
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Notre Dame
by 2
138
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
West Virginia
by 3
145 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Notre Dame
(+3); Under

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Saturday, March 18

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NOTRE DAME (26 - 9) vs. W VIRGINIA (27 - 8) - 3/18/2017, 12:10 PM
Top Trends for this game.
W VIRGINIA is 22-11 ATS (+9.9 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
W VIRGINIA is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) in a NCAA tournament games since 1997.
W VIRGINIA is 3-10 ATS (-8.0 Units) when the total is 140 to 149.5 this season.
W VIRGINIA is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) on Saturday games this season.

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

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WISCONSIN (26 - 9) vs. VILLANOVA (32 - 3) - 3/18/2017, 2:40 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VILLANOVA is 62-43 ATS (+14.7 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
VILLANOVA is 62-43 ATS (+14.7 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
VILLANOVA is 60-42 ATS (+13.8 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
VILLANOVA is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) on Saturday games this season.
VILLANOVA is 28-16 ATS (+10.4 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
VILLANOVA is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
VILLANOVA is 107-77 ATS (+22.3 Units) after allowing 60 points or less since 1997.
VILLANOVA is 48-30 ATS (+15.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
WISCONSIN is 147-109 ATS (+27.1 Units) after a non-conference game since 1997.

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

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

VIRGINIA (23 - 10) vs. FLORIDA (25 - 8) - 3/18/2017, 8:40 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) as a favorite this season.
FLORIDA is 125-93 ATS (+22.7 Units) in non-conference games since 1997.
FLORIDA is 74-47 ATS (+22.3 Units) in all tournament games since 1997.
FLORIDA is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) against ACC opponents over the last 3 seasons.

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

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XAVIER (22 - 13) vs. FLORIDA ST (26 - 8) - 3/18/2017, 6:10 PM
Top Trends for this game.
XAVIER is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in all neutral court games over the last 2 seasons.
XAVIER is 70-48 ATS (+17.2 Units) in March games since 1997.
XAVIER is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) when playing on a neutral court over the last 2 seasons.
XAVIER is 27-15 ATS (+10.5 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
XAVIER is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in all tournament games over the last 2 seasons.
XAVIER is 23-9 ATS (+13.1 Units) in a NCAA tournament games since 1997.
XAVIER is 224-176 ATS (+30.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
FLORIDA ST is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) in road games after scoring 80 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA ST is 9-18 ATS (-10.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA ST is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games this season.

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

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MIDDLE TENN ST (31 - 4) vs. BUTLER (24 - 8) - 3/18/2017, 7:10 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUTLER is 36-25 ATS (+8.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BUTLER is 36-25 ATS (+8.5 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
BUTLER is 71-34 ATS (+33.6 Units) in all neutral court games since 1997.
BUTLER is 54-33 ATS (+17.7 Units) in March games since 1997.
BUTLER is 143-103 ATS (+29.7 Units) after a non-conference game since 1997.
BUTLER is 71-34 ATS (+33.6 Units) when playing on a neutral court since 1997.
BUTLER is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
BUTLER is 75-42 ATS (+28.8 Units) in all tournament games since 1997.
BUTLER is 24-8 ATS (+15.2 Units) in a NCAA tournament games since 1997.
BUTLER is 14-7 ATS (+6.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BUTLER is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game this season.
MIDDLE TENN ST is 22-10 ATS (+11.0 Units) in all games this season.
MIDDLE TENN ST is 22-10 ATS (+11.0 Units) in all lined games this season.
MIDDLE TENN ST is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) when the total is 130 to 139.5 this season.
MIDDLE TENN ST is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) in all neutral court games over the last 2 seasons.
MIDDLE TENN ST is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in road games in March games over the last 2 seasons.
MIDDLE TENN ST is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) on Saturday games over the last 2 seasons.
MIDDLE TENN ST is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) when playing on a neutral court over the last 2 seasons.
MIDDLE TENN ST is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) in road games in non-conference games this season.
MIDDLE TENN ST is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in all tournament games over the last 2 seasons.
MIDDLE TENN ST is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MIDDLE TENN ST is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.

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

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IOWA ST (24 - 10) vs. PURDUE (26 - 7) - 3/18/2017, 9:40 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PURDUE is 18-10 ATS (+7.0 Units) in all games this season.
PURDUE is 18-10 ATS (+7.0 Units) in all lined games this season.
PURDUE is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) when playing with one or less days rest over the last 2 seasons.
PURDUE is 16-5 ATS (+10.5 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
PURDUE is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
PURDUE is 43-26 ATS (+14.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
PURDUE is 28-16 ATS (+10.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 3 seasons.
PURDUE is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game this season.
IOWA ST is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) in March games over the last 3 seasons.
IOWA ST is 24-11 ATS (+11.9 Units) on Saturday games over the last 3 seasons.
IOWA ST is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) in all tournament games over the last 2 seasons.
IOWA ST is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
IOWA ST is 154-117 ATS (+25.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games since 1997.

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

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NORTHWESTERN (24 - 11) vs. GONZAGA (33 - 1) - 3/18/2017, 5:15 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GONZAGA is 22-8 ATS (+13.2 Units) in all games this season.
GONZAGA is 22-8 ATS (+13.2 Units) in all lined games this season.
GONZAGA is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) when the total is 130 to 139.5 this season.
GONZAGA is 22-8 ATS (+13.2 Units) as a favorite this season.
GONZAGA is 144-103 ATS (+30.7 Units) when playing with one or less days rest since 1997.
GONZAGA is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
GONZAGA is 15-4 ATS (+10.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
NORTHWESTERN is 21-11 ATS (+8.9 Units) in all games this season.
NORTHWESTERN is 21-11 ATS (+8.9 Units) in all lined games this season.
NORTHWESTERN is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
NORTHWESTERN is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in non-conference games this season.
NORTHWESTERN is 18-9 ATS (+8.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

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

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ST MARYS-CA (29 - 4) vs. ARIZONA (31 - 4) - 3/18/2017, 7:45 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ST MARYS-CA is 81-111 ATS (-41.1 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
ST MARYS-CA is 78-106 ATS (-38.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games since 1997.
ST MARYS-CA is 50-34 ATS (+12.6 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
ST MARYS-CA is 50-34 ATS (+12.6 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
ST MARYS-CA is 16-4 ATS (+11.6 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
ST MARYS-CA is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
ST MARYS-CA is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) after scoring 80 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 47-71 ATS (-31.1 Units) after allowing 80 points or more since 1997.

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

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OLE MISS (21 - 13) at SYRACUSE (19 - 14) - 3/18/2017, 11:00 AM
Top Trends for this game.
SYRACUSE is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) in all home games this season.
SYRACUSE is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) in home lined games this season.
SYRACUSE is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
SYRACUSE is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games this season.
OLE MISS is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) as an underdog this season.
OLE MISS is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) as a road underdog of 6.5 to 9 points over the last 3 seasons.
OLE MISS is 25-10 ATS (+14.0 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
OLE MISS is 25-10 ATS (+14.0 Units) in road lined games over the last 3 seasons.
OLE MISS is 44-27 ATS (+14.3 Units) in road games on Saturday games since 1997.
OLE MISS is 16-5 ATS (+10.5 Units) in road games in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
OLE MISS is 16-8 ATS (+7.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
SYRACUSE is 9-21 ATS (-14.1 Units) on Saturday games over the last 3 seasons.

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

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ST FRANCIS-PA (17 - 16) at MD-BALT COUNTY (19 - 12) - 3/18/2017, 2:00 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.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Short Sheet

Saturday, March 18

Notre Dame at West Virginia, 12:10 PM ET
Notre Dame: 38-20 ATS after a close win by 3 points or less
W Virginia: 47-28 UNDER after scoring 85 points or more

Wisconsin at Villanova, 2:40 PM ET
Wisconsin: 4-11 ATS after one or more consecutive overs
Villanova: 42-22 ATS after allowing 60 points or less 2 straight games

Virginia at Florida, 8:40 PM ET
Virginia: 8-19 ATS in a post-season tournament game
Florida: 11-4 ATS after 1 or more consecutive unders

Xavier at Florida State, 6:10 PM ET
Xavier: 11-3 ATS when playing on a neutral court
Florida St: 3-13 ATS in road games after scoring 80 points or more

Middle Tenn State at Butler, 7:10 PM ET
Mid Tenn St: 12-4 ATS when the total is 130 to 139.5
Butler: 14-4 UNDER after having lost 2 of their last 3 games

Iowa State at Purdue, 9:40 PM ET
Iowa St: 1-9 ATS in road games after scoring 80 points or more 4 straight games
Purdue: 10-2 ATS after 4 straight games forcing opponent to commit 14 or less turnovers

Northwestern at Gonzaga, 5:15 PM ET
Northwestern: 6-0 OVER in road games in March games
Gonzaga: 7-1 ATS when the total is 130 to 139.5

Saint Mary’s CA at Arizona, 7:45 PM ET
St Mary’s: 13-26 ATS after a game with 5 or less offensive rebounds
Arizona: 7-1 ATS after covering 4 of their last 5 against the spread

Mississippi at Syracuse, 11:00 AM ET
Mississippi: 12-4 ATS as an underdog
Syracuse: 8-1 OVER after 2 straight games with 9 or less offensive rebounds

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB

Saturday, March 18

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

11:00 AM
MISSISSIPPI vs. SYRACUSE
Mississippi is 10-3-1 ATS in its last 14 games on the road
Mississippi is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Syracuse's last 8 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Syracuse's last 15 games

12:10 PM
NOTRE DAME vs. WEST VIRGINIA
No trends available
West Virginia is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Notre Dame
West Virginia is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

2:40 PM
WISCONSIN vs. VILLANOVA
No trends available
Villanova is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 16 of Villanova's last 23 games

5:15 PM
NORTHWESTERN vs. GONZAGA
No trends available
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Gonzaga's last 6 games
Gonzaga is 18-6-1 ATS in its last 25 games

6:10 PM
XAVIER vs. FLORIDA STATE
No trends available
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Florida State's last 6 games
Florida State is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games

7:10 PM
MIDDLE TENNESSEE vs. BUTLER
No trends available
Butler is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games

7:45 PM
ST. MARY'S vs. ARIZONA
No trends available
Arizona is 4-0-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Arizona is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

8:40 PM
VIRGINIA vs. FLORIDA
No trends available
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Florida's last 5 games
Florida is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games

9:40 PM
IOWA STATE vs. PURDUE
No trends available
Purdue is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games
Purdue is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB

Saturday, March 18

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Saturday's NCAA Tournament second round betting preview: West Region
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gonzaga is 20-5-1 ATS in their last 26 vs. a team with a winning SU record and Northwestern is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 following a SU win.

(5) Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs (5) West Virginia Mountaineers (-3, 145.5)

Game to be played at KeyBank Center, Buffalo, New York

Notre Dame barely survived its NCAA Tournament opener and has a chance to reach the Sweet 16 for the third straight season when it takes on fourth-seeded West Virginia in the West Region on Saturday in Buffalo, N.Y. The fifth-seeded Fighting Irish led by as many as 11 in the second half and had a five-point advantage entering the final minute before holding on for a 60-58 win over Princeton in Thursday's first round.

"We gave everybody a show, right?" Notre Dame coach Mike Brey told reporters. "We escaped. We've been in a lot of games like that where game situations need a big defensive stop. We've been there. I'm proud we're still alive." The Mountaineers, who were upset in the first round a season ago, held on to top Bucknell 86-80 in the second game at the KeyBank Center on Thursday. Senior guard Tarik Phillip scored 16 points and two others had 15 for West Virginia, which hauled in 17 offensive rebounds and had a 42-32 advantage on the boards overall. The Irish own a 27-12 series advantage against the Mountaineers, the majority of the meetings taking place when the teams were in the Big East together from 1995-2012.

TV: 12:10 p.m., CBS

LINE HISTORY: West Virginia opened as 2.5-point favorites, that line dropped to 2 and since has been bet up to to a even 3. The total opened at 145 and has inched up to 145.5.

ABOUT NOTRE DAME (26-9 SU, 18-10-1 ATS, 14-14-1 OU): Three of the Fighting Irish's four double-digit scorers - forward Bonzie Colson and guards Matt Farrell and Steve Vasturia - combined for 44 points, while forward V.J. Beachem finished with a season low-tying two points on 1-of-9 shooting. "No matter how it looked, we got the win and that's all that matters," Colson - who has scored at least 18 points in seven straight contests - told the media. Notre Dame entered the tournament as the top free-throw shooting team in the country (79.9 percent), but it was 14-for-21 in this one.

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA (27-8 SU, 13-16-1 ATS, 17-12-1 OU): Junior guard Jevon Carter shot 2-of-9 from the floor and is now 8-for-38 in his career in the tournament, but coach Bob Huggins was quick to credit him and senior forward Nathan Adrian for getting the team to the finish line. "We weren’t very good today in pressure," Huggins told reporters. "(Carter and Adrian) were pretty good but the rest of the guys called it off way too early." Adrian finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds for his third double-double of the season.

TRENDS:

* Fighting Irish are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games as an underdog.
* Mountaineers are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 Saturday games.
* Mountaineers are 0-5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 6-1-1 in Fighting Irish last 8 overall.
* Fighting Irish are 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.




(8) Northwestern Wildcats vs (1) Gonzaga Bulldogs (-11, 136.5)

Game to be played at Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah

Top-seeded Gonzaga seeks its third consecutive Sweet 16 appearance when it faces eighth-seeded Northwestern in Saturday's second-round West Regional game in Salt Lake City. The Bulldogs won their NCAA Tournament opener for the ninth consecutive time while the Wildcats are fresh off the first NCAA tourney win in school history.

Northwestern aims to record an epic upset after edging Vanderbilt 68-66 on Thursday and coach Chris Collins is striving to make sure his team doesn't celebrate too long. "The tournament is about one thing, trying to see another day," Collins said in the postgame press conference. "And we fortunately were able to do that and we've got to get back and get regrouped and get ready to play one of the very best teams in the country in Gonzaga on Saturday." The Bulldogs were stout in the second half while dispatching South Dakota State 66-46 and junior point guard Nigel Williams-Goss said his squad needs to play a much-improved game in the second round. "We were able to grind out a tough game, not a pretty game," Williams-Goss said after the contest. "It feels good when you win a game when you know you didn't play your best."

TV: 5:15 p.m. ET, CBS

LINE HISTORY: Gonzaga opened as 10.5-point favorites and that lined has been bet up half-point to 11. The total opened at 135 and has spiked up to 136.5.

ABOUT NORTHWESTERN (24-11 SU, 20-12 ATS, 12-18-2 OU): Standout junior guard Bryant McIntosh scored 25 points against Vanderbilt for his 11th 20-point outing of the season and he hit the tying and go-ahead free throws with 14.6 seconds left. McIntosh leads the Wildcats in scoring (14.7) and assists (5.2) while junior guard Scottie Lindsay (14.2) and sophomore forward Vic Law (12.1) also average in double digits. Northwestern is stingy on defense by allowing an average of 65.1 points and holding seven opponents to 60 or fewer points.

ABOUT GONZAGA (33-1 SU, 22-8-1 ATS, 15-16 OU): The Bulldogs scored under 70 points for just the fourth time all season in their first-round game as they shot 39.7 percent from the field - including 8-of-30 from 3-point range - and 8-of-14 from the free-throw line. Junior power forward Johnathan Williams (averages of 10 points and 6.7 rebounds) was Gonzaga's top performer by providing strong defense on South Dakota standout Mike Daum (17 points, more than eight below his average) and by collecting 14 rebounds to raise his average to 10.8 boards over the past eight contests. "J3 is one of those guys that what he does get the rest of the guys excited and gets us going," Bulldogs coach Mark Few said of Williams. "We're at our best when we play with emotion. You look back at all our really good games this year, it's been when we've been high emotion and high energy."

TRENDS:

* Wildcats are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win.
* Bulldogs are 20-5-1 ATS in their last 26 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Over is 4-0 in Wildcats last 4 overall.
* Over is 4-0-1 in Bulldogs last 5 vs. Big Ten.
* Under is 5-1 in Bulldogs last 6 NCAA Tournament games.




(11) Xavier Musketeers vs (3) Florida State Seminoles (-6, 151)

Game to be played at Amway Center, Orlando, Florida

LINE HISTORY: The Seminoles opened as 5.5-point favorites and was bet up half-point to an even 6. The total opened at 151 and has yet to move off that number.

TRENDS:

* Musketeers are 22-5-1 ATS in their last 28 NCAA Tournament games.
* Musketeers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
* Seminoles are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 NCAA Tournament games.
* Under is 5-0 in Musketeers last 5 games following a ATS win.
* Under is 4-1-1 in Seminoles last 6 overall.




(7) St. Mary’s Gaels vs (2) Arizona Wildcats (-4, 132)

Game to be played at Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah

After registering a season-high point total in its first-round win over North Dakota, Arizona will be hard-pressed to maintain that pace Saturday against Saint Mary’s in a second-round West Region matchup in Salt Lake City. The second-seeded Wildcats face one of the most deliberate teams in the nation in the seventh-seeded Gaels, who controlled the tempo and shot 56 percent in Thursday’s 85-77 first-round victory over No. 10 seed VCU.

Arizona forward Lauri Markkanen had 20 points and six rebounds in Thursday’s 100-82 win over No. 15 seed North Dakota as the Wildcats dominated the paint and shot 58 percent from the field. The 7-foot freshman averaged 20 points to lead Arizona to the Pac-12 tournament title but faces a tough matchup Saturday against Saint Mary’s 6-11 center Jock Landale, who averages 16.2 points along with 9.2 rebounds and recorded his 16th double-double of the season in the win over VCU. Landale will need to avoid foul trouble against a formidable Arizona frontline that includes 7-foot center Dusan Ristic, who had 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting against North Dakota. Arizona averages 76.9 points but may need to slow things down against Saint Mary’s, whose defense is holding opponents to 57.1 points - second in the nation to Virginia (56.1).

TV: 7:40 p.m. ET, CBS

LINE HISTORY: Arizona opened as 3.5-point favorites and was quickly bet to 4, it briefly faded back to the opening number but returned to 4 and has held there. The total opened at 132 and briefly inched up half-point before returning to 132.

ABOUT SAINT MARY’S (29-4 SU, 17-11-2 ATS, 13-17 OU): Junior forward Calvin Hermanson made three 3-pointers and finished with 16 points against VCU, while guards Emmett Naar and Joe Rahon continued their strong play by combining for 29 points and eight assists. Naar and Rahon ranked 1-2 in the conference in assists per game but committed eight turnovers against VCU and will need to take better care of the ball against the opportunistic Wildcats. Coach Randy Bennett’s balanced offensive attack includes reserve guard Tanner Krebs, who scored a career-high 12 points in 19 minutes off the bench against VCU.

ABOUT ARIZONA (31-4 SU, 18-14-3 ATS, 17-17-1 OU): Guard Allonzo Trier missed the first 19 games of the season with a PED-related suspension, but the sophomore is peaking at the right time after averaging 20.7 points, five rebounds and 3.3 assists at the Pac-12 tournament. The Wildcats’ stellar backcourt includes Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Kadeem Allen, whose three-point play sparked a key 12-0 run in the second half against North Dakota. “Kadeem is our heart and soul,” coach Sean Miller told reporters. “He’s always in the play, whether it's a big rebound, a defensive stop, a good pass, he does everything. He could care less about his stats, and I think sometimes that's his best quality.”

TRENDS:

* Gaels are 6-1-1 ATS in their last 8 games overall.
* Wildcats are 0-3-1 ATS in their last 4 NCAA Tournament games.
* Under is 5-1 in Gaels last 6 NCAA Tournament games.
* Under is 5-1 in Wildcats last 6 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB

Saturday, March 18

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Saturday's NCAA Tournament second round betting preview: East Region
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Defending National champs Villanova are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 NCAA Tournament games and Wisconsin are 0-4 in their last 4 as a pup.

(8) Wisconsin Badgers vs (1) Villanova Wildcats (-5.5, 128.5)

Game to be played at KeyBank Center, Buffalo, New York

There will be plenty of Final Four experience on the court Saturday when top seed Villanova faces No. 8 seed Wisconsin in the East Region's second round of the NCAA Tournament in Buffalo, N.Y. The Wildcats won the national championship last season, while the Badgers need to pull the upset if they have any hopes of returning to the Final Four for the third time in four seasons.

Villanova opened its title defense with a 20-point win against Mount St. Mary's in which the team overcame a dreadful start, missing its first eight shots and not taking a lead until 2:33 remained in the half. "I'm not annoyed," Villanova coach Jay Wright said afterward. "I really am shocked, not how Mount St. Mary's played, but that we didn't start the game with energy. We don't have time to figure it out." The Wildcats likely can't afford another slow start against a Badgers team that topped Virginia Tech on Thursday behind Bronson Koenig and Nigel Hayes, two seniors with a pair of Final Fours on their resume. "I think it definitely helped a lot for us to have the older guys that we have to have been through some of the runs that we've had in the tournament," said Hayes. "I think it showed with Bronson, the way he responded to each time they went on a run. Each time they hit a big shot he responded with a big shot. And it's something that you need."

TV: 2:40 p.m. ET, CBS

LINE HISTORY: Villanova opened as 5.5-point favorites and that number hasn’t moved as of Friday evening. The total opened at 128.5 and briefly went to 129 before fading back to 128.

ABOUT WISCONSIN (26-9 SU, 16-16 ATS, 13-16-3 OU): The Badgers received 28 points from Koenig and a 16-point, 10-rebound effort from Hayes in their opening-round win and only committed eight turnovers in a smooth overall performance. Koenig made a school-record eight 3-pointers versus Virginia Tech and is shooting nearly 58 percent from the arc over the last six games. Hayes is eying his fourth consecutive double-double and has outperformed his season scoring average (13.6) in each of the last three outings.

ABOUT VILLANOVA (32-3 SU, 18-16 ATS, 12-22-0 OU): Donte DiVincenzo led the way with 21 points in the opening round as the Wildcats overcame a first half in which they led by one point at intermission to cruise in the final 20 minutes. Josh Hart, the Big East Player of the Year, was held to modest totals of 11 points and five rebounds, although the bigger concern for Villanova has to be fellow senior Kris Jenkins. Ther hero from last season's national title game was 2-of-13 from the floor against the Hokies and is 2-of-17 from the arc over the last three games.

TRENDS:

* Badgers are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 non-conference games.
* Wildcats are 11-1 ATS in their last 12 vs. Big Ten.
* Under is 9-2-1 in Badgers last 12 neutral site games.
* Under is 4-1 in Wildcats last 5 games following a ATS loss.




(5) Virginia Cavaliers vs (4) Florida Gators (-1, 125.5)

Game to be played at Amway Center, Orlando, Florida

Florida and Virginia meet Saturday in the second round of the NCAA tournament’s East Regional in Orlando, Fla., in a matchup of two power-five conference teams with excellent defenses. Both teams will look for better performances in round two, after the fourth-seed Gators shook off a sluggish first half to pull away from East Tennessee State University and the fifth-seed Cavaliers actually relied on their offense to hold off UNC-Wilmington.

Virginia, which leads the nation in scoring defense, shot 51 percent from the field and got a career-high 23 points off the bench from Marial Shayok in the five-point victory. “We were down, and we just knew we had to get aggressive,” Virginia coach Tony Bennett told reporters after the Cavaliers rallied from 15 points down in the first half. Florida, which came into the tournament averaging 9.5 turnovers per game (third in the nation), committed eight in the first half before turning a one-point halftime lead into a comfortable 15-point victory. “We had to rev it up,” Florida forward Devin Robinson told the media after scoring a career-high 24 points. “We got comfortable at the end of the first half.”

TV: 8:40 p.m. ET, TNT

LINE HISTORY: Florida opened as 1.5-point favorites and that was briefly bet down to an even 1, before returning to the opening number Friday evening. The total opened at 127.5 and was bet down as low as 125 before rebounding to 126.

ABOUT VIRGINIA (23-10 SU, 18-13 ATS, 11-19-1 OU): London Perrantes (24 points) and Shayok combined to shoot 17-of-31 from the field as the Cavaliers reached the second round for the fourth consecutive season. Virginia gave up 10 3-pointers, just the third time in 33 games an opponent has hit double-digit shots from beyond the arc. The Cavaliers posted their highest point total in a regulation game since scoring 79 against Wake Forest on Jan. 8.

ABOUT FLORIDA (25-8 SU, 18-13 ATS, 14-17-0 OU): The Gators led the SEC and ranked 13th nationally in field-goal percentage defense (39.5 percent), but gave up 48.2 percent shooting to ETSU in the opening 20 minutes. Florida’s defense improved in the second half, the Gators limiting ETSU to six field goals in the first 17 minutes of the half. Robinson hit 10-of-17 shots and added seven rebounds, while Kevarrius Hayes added seven points, seven rebounds and six steals.

TRENDS:

* Cavaliers are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Gators are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games as a favorite of 0.5-6.5.
* Over is 4-0 in Cavaliers last 4 NCAA Tournament games.
* Over is 9-2 in Gators last 11 NCAA Tournament games as a favorite of 0.5-6.5.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB

Saturday, March 18

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Saturday's NCAA Tournament second round betting preview: South Region
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Middle Tennessee are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 vs. a team with a winning % above .600 and Butler are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following a ATS win.

(12) Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders vs (4) Butler Bulldogs (-4, 140)

Game to be played at BMO Harris Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

A decade ago, Butler began establishing itself as one of the gold standards for mid-major basketball programs. Relative unknown Middle Tennessee, a 12th seed which is coming off a first-round upset in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season, will be looking to take another step toward that end when the Blue Raiders tangle with the fourth-seeded Bulldogs in the second round of the South Region on Saturday in Milwaukee.

Middle Tennessee, which led by as many as 17 in Thursday’s 81-72 triumph over fifth-seeded Minnesota, beat Michigan State in the first round last season as a No. 15 seed before falling to Syracuse. The Blue Raiders, who have already set a school record for wins (31), have won 20 of their last 21 games and have wins this season over SEC schools Ole Miss and Vanderbilt. "We think we belong on a national stage," coach Kermit Davis said after Reggie Upshaw scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds against the Golden Gophers. "I don't think (this was an upset). "I knew we'd play well. I think our record speaks for itself, and what we've done all year long." Butler, which got a career high-tying six 3-pointers from Avery Woodson in an easy 76-64 win over No. 13 Winthrop on Thursday, is coming of its best regular season in program history but hasn’t advanced to the Sweet 16 since losing the national championship games in 2010 and 2011.

LINE HISTORY: Butler opened as 4.5-point favorites and that line has been bet down half-point to an even 4. The total opened at 141.5 and dropped to 140.

ABOUT MIDDLE TENNESSEE (31-4 SU, 24-10 ATS, 14-20 OU): Arkansas graduate transfer forward JaCorey Williams, the Conference USA Player of the Year who had 13 points and six boards in the first round, leads the team in scoring (17.2 points on 53 percent shooting) and rebounding (7.3). Junior guard Giddy Potts contributes 15.8 points, a team-high 76 3-pointers and 5.4 rebounds while Upshaw contributes 14.6 points and 6.9 rebounds. The Blue Raiders are a tough defensive team, yielding just 63.6 points per game while holding foes to 42 percent shooting and carrying a plus-3 turnover margin.

ABOUT BUTLER (24-8 SU, 18-12 ATS, 14-14-2 OU): The 6-2 Woodson (8.9 points, team-best 42.8 percent from the arc), a graduate transfer from Memphis, drained three shots from the arc in the opening four minutes against Winthrop and finished with 18 points. Senior forward Andrew Chrabascz added 12 points, four rebounds and three assists and junior forward Kelan Martin chipped in 10 points and eight rebounds. Martin leads the team in scoring (15.9) and rebounds (5.8) while Chrabascz adds 11 points per game and guards Kamar Baldwin, Kethan Savage and Tyler Lewis split time with Woodson in the backcourt and chip in a combined 24.5 points per game.

TRENDS:

* Blue Raiders are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Bulldogs are 21-5-2 ATS in their last 28 NCAA Tournament games.
* Bulldogs are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following a ATS win.
* Over is 5-1 in Blue Raiders last 6 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 5-1 in Bulldogs last 6 games following a straight up win.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB

Saturday, March 18

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Saturday's NCAA Tournament second round betting preview: Midwest Region
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OVER is 10-1 in Iowa State’s last 11 games following a SU win and OVER is 7-0 in Purdue’s last 7 neutral site games as a chalk. Total is 152

(5) Iowa State Cyclones vs (4) Purdue Boilermakers (-1, 151.5)

Game to be played at BMO Harris Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

A contrast in styles figures to make for an intriguing second-round NCAA Tournament Midwest Region matchup Saturday night when Iowa State takes on Purdue in Milwaukee. The fifth-seeded Cyclones feature a high-scoring four-guard attack while the fourth-seeded Boilermakers boast one of the nation’s most-imposing front lines, led by national player of the year-candidate Caleb Swanigan.

The 6-9, 250-pound Swanigan totaled 16 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and a trio of blocked shots in Thursday’s 80-70 first-round win over Vermont while fellow forward Vincent Edwards added a game-high 21 points, with 15 coming in the second half. Swanigan, Edwards and a 7-2 Isaac Haas combined for 25 of Purdue’s 38 rebounds as the Boilermakers finished a plus-10 on the glass and overwhelmed the Catamounts in the paint. Iowa State, meanwhile, received a combined 59 points, including eight 3-pointers, and 14 assists from starting guards Monte Morris, Naz Mitrou-Long, Deonte Burton and Matt Thomas in beating 12-seeded Nevada for its 10th win in its last 11 games. “Purdue is a big team – a really big team, and it’s going to be David and Goliath out there,” Burton told the media following Thursday night’s win. “We’re going to have to bring a lot of toughness (Saturday) because we’re not as big.”

TV: 9:40 p.m. ET, TBS

LINE HISTORY: Purdue opened as 1-point favorites and the total opened at 151.5, neither number has yet to move.

ABOUT IOWA STATE (24-10 SU, 19-12 ATS, 19-12 OU): The Cyclones shot 55.6 percent from the field, including 8-of-19 3-pointers, and improved to 17-0 this season when scoring 80 or more points. Morris (16.4 per game), Mitrou-Long (15.4), Burton (14.8) and Thomas (12.1) are all averaging double figures, and Morris’ 6.1 assists per outing ranks third among NCAA tourney players. In all, five Cyclones have made at least 40 3-pointers this season and as a team, Iowa State is connecting on 40.3 percent of its long-range attempts which ranked 13th nationally entering play Friday.

ABOUT PURDUE (26-7 SU, 18-10-2 ATS, 17-12-1 OU): Swanigan’s double-double Thursday gave him a Big Ten-record 27 on the season, and only three major-conference players (Blake Griffin with 30, Tim Duncan with 29 and Michael Beasley with 28) have had more in a single campaign in the last 20 years. Swanigan leads the team with 18.4 points and 12.6 rebounds per outing and is joined in double-digit scoring by Haas (12.6), Edwards (12.5) and guards Carsen Edwards (10.5) and Dakota Mathias (10.0). Purdue shot 52.1 percent from the floor versus Vermont and is now 16-2 this season when shooting 48 percent or better.

TRENDS:

* Cyclones are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games following a ATS win.
* Boilermakers are 7-1-2 ATS in their last 10 Saturday games.
* Over is 13-3 in Cyclones last 16 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Over is 17-4 in Cyclones last 21 overall.
* Over is 7-0 in Boilermakers last 7 neutral site games.

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday’s six-pack

— NC State hired UNCW coach Kevin Keatts as its new hoop coach.

— Tom Crean got $4M to leave Indiana, so hard to feel too bad for the guy……

— Miguel Cabrera, Martin Prado both have minor injuries at WBC; I’m sure the major league teams that pay them millions are thrilled with that news.

— Josh Donaldson has a calf injury, hasn’t played in a sprint training game yet.

— The flagrant foul called against Seton Hall at the end of their game lacked common sense. Correct by the book, but a wrong call.

— One of Kansas Jayhawks’ subs spent LY as a practice player for the women’s team. Lot of women’s teams utilize male students to practice against.

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Saturday’s Den: Wrapping up a Friday of basketball……..

Michigan 92, Oklahoma State 91— Wolverines made 16-29 on arc and win by only one; they played four starters 38:00+. Cowboys are one of best teams ever that lost their last four games of the season, with three of the four losses by 5 or less points. Evans was 10-26 for the day, stuck a 3 at the buzzer to cover the spread, a big win for Las Vegas sportsbooks.

Baylor 91, New Mexico State 73— First 10:00 of this game had James Naismith turning over in his grave, but reality set in and Bears move on to second round for the first time in three years. WAC games are rarely on TV, but with Grand Canyon eligible for NCAA’s next year, and Aggies, Bakersfield really moving up the power ratings, maybe ESPN should show them some love.

Arkansas 77, Seton Hall 71— Razorbacks took only seven 3-pointers (3-7) the whole game; they were -14 on boards, but held Seton Hall to 39.2% inside arc. This was just 4th win for SEC teams in their last 18 games against the Big East. You wonder whats up with Seton Hall; supposedly Kevin Willard tried to get the South Florida job, and they didn’t hire him.

Oregon 93, Iona 77— This was a terrible game; Iona had no answers and stopped trying for a while midway thru second half. Ducks led 55-37 at half, looked bored for most of last 15:00. Final score doesn’t tell story here; Jordan Washington played his butt off for Iona, but he was by himself in that regard.

Louisville 78, Jacksonville State 63— Gamecocks beat spread by going 10-19 on arc; they had a great season, making NCAA’s for first time. Louisville now has an interesting game coming up with Michigan, which extended his starters big time in their game. If I’m Rick Pitino, I’m glad we’re playing Michigan and not Oklahoma State.

USC 66, SMU 65— Mustangs had every advantage in this game; Trojans had to play a day game after playing late game in Dayton Wednesday night- SMU had revenge motive, after USC beat them in LA in December and Mustangs are more experienced team. Problem is, USC has great athletes across board— they shot 76% inside arc in this game- they attacked the basket.

North Carolina 103, Texas Southern 64— Tar Heels missed 44 shots, rebounded 20 of them in this mismatch. Since 2007, UNC is 6-3 vs spread in second round games, losing back/back to Kansas/Iowa St in ’13/’14- they beat Arkansas 87-78 in 2nd round two years ago, forcing 21 turnovers while going 29-37 on foul line. They play Razorbacks again on Sunday.

Rhode Island 84, Creighton 72— Rams won ninth game in row; they shot 59% inside arc, made 28-31 foul shots and had a fairly easy time with a Creighton team that went 7-9 once their PG got hurt- they were 18-1 when he got hurt. Rams’ game with Oregon Sunday will be fun to watch.

Kansas 100, Cal-Davis 62— Cal-Davis did great this year, winning first Big West title, but the Big West was terrible this year, dropping to #29 out of 32 nationally (they were 13th last two years). Reality set in here. Kansas hadn’t played much recently, losing in 1st round of Big X tourney; did it help refresh their legs? Jayhawks lost in 2nd round two of last three years; they’re 3-4 vs spread in last seven 2nd round games.

Wichita State 64, Dayton 58— Dayton players other than Scoochie Smith were 9-41. Oy. Shockers beat Archie Miller’s team here, beat Sean Miller’s team LY; there are rumors Wichita could be headed to the AAC, there are also rumors that Gregg Marshall will be pursued by Indiana, but he already makes $3.3M at Wichita, unsure why Indiana would be a better job..

Duke 87, Troy State 65— Blue Devils made 13-28 on arc; beating the #6-seed in the Sun Belt tourney wasn’t a big deal, though athletic Trojans did get within nine in second half. Duke won its last six 2nd round games, covering four of last five. Troy gets to NCAA’s for first time in 14 years- the Sun Belt is an underrated league, getting stronger.

Cincinnati 75, Kansas State 61— Mick Cronin pretended to want the UNLV job last spring so he could extort improvements to the facilities from his bosses at Cincinnati, which worked. Now his offense is a lot better than previous years, and he has a legit shot at the Sweet 16. Their game with UCLA Sunday is going to be a really good one.

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday’s games

West Virginia forced only 15 turnovers in 86-80 win over Bucknell Thursday; Bison scored 47 pts in second half- WVU will need to defend better here. Mountaineers won seven of last nine games; they won 66-57 at ACC’s Virginia back on Dec 3. Notre Dame hung on to beat Princeton by point; Irish won in 2nd round last two years, by 1-3 points over Butler/SF Austin. Last three years, favorites are 4-2 vs spread in #4-5 seed second round games. Last two years, ACC teams are 11-1 SU in second round, 9-3 vs spread; West Virginia won four of its last five 2nd round games.

Virginia won five of last six games; they were down 14 in 1st half to UNCW, rallied to win by 5. Cavaliers are 11-1 outside ACC, with one loss to West Va. Florida is 0-2 vs ACC teams, losing by 10/5 to Duke/FSU. Gators shot 59.4% inside arc vs ETSU- Virginia’s defense provides different challenge. Last three years, favorites are 4-2 vs spread in #4-5 seed second round games. Last two years, ACC teams are 11-1 SU in second round, 9-3 vs spread; only loss was Virginia losing 60-54 to Michigan St. two years ago. Florida won its last six second round games (5-1 vs spread) but that was when Donovan was coaching.

Middle Tennessee isn’t a normal 12-seed- over last two years, Blue Raiders are 5-0 vs Big 14/SEC teams, winning by average of 12.6 pts/game. MTSU won its last 11 games; when Minnesota got within 62-58 Thursday, Upshaw took game over, scoring Middle’s next nine points to preserve lead. Butler won five of last seven games; they got to foul line 30 times in fairly easy win over Winthrop in first round. Last three years, 12-seeds are 1-4 vs spread in second round when facing a 4-seed. Butler lost in second round last two years, by 3-8 points.

Since 2003, Gonzaga is 5-7 SU in 2nd round games, but they won in 2nd round last two years, by 19-28 points. Zags struggled for half Thursday, then won by 20- they’re 13-0 outside WCC, with six of those wins vs top 100 teams. Northwestern held off Vandy by 3 Thursday; their subs played total of 29:00- five starters played 31:00+. Last seven years, #1 seeds are 17-11 vs spread in second round games, with five SU losses. Last five years, Big 14 teams are 16-7 SU in second round games. Since 2010, Big 14 teams are 8-6 vs spread as a 2nd round underdog.

Villanova is 13-0 outside Big East this year, with 79-76 win at Purdue of Big 14. Wildcats dozed for a half before winning by 20 over a 16-seed Thursday- they’ve won six games in row, are #20 in country at defending the arc (31.1%). Wisconsin was 13-31 on arc in 84-74 win over Va Tech in 1st round; Koenig was 8-17 on arc by himself. Badgers won four of last five games, are in bottom five in country in terms of tempo of games. Wisconsin is 2-1 vs Big East this year, losing by 12 at Creighton. Last seven years, #1 seeds are 17-11 vs spread in second round games (five SU losses).

Xavier won four of last five games after a 6-game skid jeopardized their season; Musketeers used a freshman PG 39:00 in win over Maryland Thursday- they played three starters 34:00+. Last five years, 11-seeds are 3-5 in this round when playing 3-seeds (2-0 vs 14-seeds). Xavier beat Wake Forest/Clemson this fall, but that was when PG Somner was healthy. Florida State is deep; they went toe-to-toe with FGCU Thursday, getting to line 39 times in 86-80 win. Seminoles are 13-1 outside the ACC, with only loss 89-86 to Temple on a neutral court in November.

Iowa State won nine of last ten games; they’re 9-3 outside Big X, losing by 14 at Iowa in only gams vs Big 14 foe. Cyclones are #6 experience team; they’re #9 in country, making 40.3% on arc for season. Purdue was only up 37-36 at half, beat Vermont by 10 in 1st round, they’re 12-2 outside Big 14. Vermont was 10-27 on arc; if they don’t defend arc vs Iowa State, could be very bad news. Last I’ve years, Big X teams are 10-6 SU in second round games. Last three years, favorites are 4-2 against the spread in #4-5 seed second round games.

Arizona lost 69-62 to Gonzaga on neutral floor in LA in December; now they face St Mary’s, which has only lost four times all year, three times to Gonzaga. Wildcats ran up-and-down in a 100-82, 74-possession win over North Dakota Thursday, when Hawks just went toe-to-toe and got smacked by Arizona. St Mary’s WILL NOT do that; they were 29-39 on foul line in an 85-77 win over an athletic VCU team Thursday. Gaels play slowest games in America; Since ’09, 2-seeds are 15-12 vs spread in second round games. ’09 was last time all four 2-seeds made it to the Sweet 16.

[StarDust Bum]

TOURNAMENT GAMES AS OF MONDAY:

Date W-L-T % Units Record

03/17/2017 12-18-0 40.00% -3900

03/16/2017 19-18-0 51.35% -400

03/15/2017 15-9-0 62.50% +2550

03/14/2017 10-7-0 58.82% +1150

BEST BETS:

03/17- ATS- 7 - 6...........TOTALS- 1 - 2

03/16- ATS- 7 - 7...........TOTALS- 4 - 4

03/15- ATS- 4 - 2 ..........TOTALS- 5 - 2

03/14- ATS- 5 - 2...........TOTALS- 0 - 2

STAR RATED PLAYS: 6 - 2

[StarDust Bum]

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS[/B]

MISS at SYR 11:00 AM

MISS +7.0

U 158.5

ND at WVU 12:10 PM

ND +2.5 **********

O 147.0

WIS at VILL 02:40 PM

VILL -6.0 **********

O 128.5

NW at GONZ 05:15 PM

GONZ -11.0

O 137.5

XAV at FSU 06:10 PM

FSU -6.0 **********

O 151.0

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday - Session 1
March 17, 2017

The second round of this season’s NCAA Tournament gets underway early Saturday afternoon with a pair of matchups in both the West and East Regions.

First up, No. 5 Notre Dame will square off against No. 4 West Virginia for a spot in the Sweet 16 out of the West followed by an East Region clash between No. 8 Wisconsin and the tournament’s overall No. 1 seed Villanova.

West Region (Buffalo, NY)
No. 5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. No. 4 WVU Mountaineers (CBS, 12:10 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: West Virginia -2 ½, 145

Betting Matchup

The Fighting Irish had their hands full with No. 12 Princeton in Thursday’s tournament opener in a tight 60-58 victory as 5 ½-point favorites. They are now 9-2 straight-up in their last 11 games with a 7-4 record against the spread. The total stayed UNDER 134 points against the Tigers and it has stayed UNDER in seven of their last eight games.

Notre Dame (26-9 SU, 18-10-1 ATS) shot 40.4 percent from the field in Thursday’s win while going just 4-for-11 from three-point range. Junior forward Bonzie Colson basically matched his team-high 17.5 point scoring average in that game with 18 points after posting 29 points in Notre Dame’s 75-69 loss to Duke as a 4 ½-point underdog in last Saturday’s ACC Tournament Championship.

Things were also a bit tighter than expected as heavy 13-point favorites in the Mountaineers’ 86-80 victory over No. 13 Bucknell in their tournament opener. The total went OVER 148 ½ points in Thursday’s win and it has gone OVER in three of their last five games.

West Virginia (27-8 SU, 15-16-1 ATS) is now a costly 1-7-1 ATS in its last nine games. It brought a nine-point lead into halftime of that game, before being outscored by three points in the second half. Three of five starters ended the game in double figures, while guard Tarik Phillip and forward Lamont West combined for 31 points off the bench.

Junior guard Jevon Carter is the Mountaineers’ leading scorer this season with 13.0 PPG and he ended Thursday’s tilt with 11 points while going 2-for-9 from the field.

Betting Trends

-- The Fighting Irish are 5-1 ATS in their last six games as underdogs, but they are just 4-11 ATS in their last 15 NCAA Tournament games. The total has stayed UNDER or ended as a PUSH in their last six games following a SU win.

-- The Mountaineers are 6-2 ATS in their last eight NCAA Tournament games when closing as favorites, but they have failed to cover in nine of their last 10 games played on a Saturday. The total has stayed UNDER or ended as a PUSH in six of their last seven games in this tournament.

-- Head-to-head in this ACC/Big 12 clash, Notre Dame has a 4-1 edge ATS in the last five meetings and the total has stayed UNDER in 15 of the last 16 meetings.

East Region (Buffalo, NY.)
No. 8 Wisconsin Badgers vs. No. 1 Villanova Wildcats (CBS, 2:40 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Villanova -5 ½, 129

Betting Matchup

The Badgers advanced to the second round with a solid 84-74 victory against No. 9 Virginia Tech on Thursday as 5 ½-point favorites. They are now 4-1 both SU and ATS in their last five games with the lone loss coming against Michigan in a 71-56 pasting by Michigan as two-point favorites in last Sunday’s Big Ten Tournament’s title game.

Wisconsin (26-9 SU, 16-16 ATS) pulled away from the Hokies behind senior guard Bronson Koenig’s game-high 28 points. He hit eight three pointers in 17 attempts to help put the game away for good. Senior Nigel Hayes added 16 points and 10 rebounds to the winning cause. Koenig has been the team’s leading scorer all season long with an average of 14.5 PPG

Villanova (32-3 SU, 19-16 ATS) shook off a slow start in its tournament opener on Thursday to post a 76-56 victory over No. 16 Mount St. Mary’s as a heavy 25-point favorite. The total went OVER 131 ½ points in that game after staying UNDER in four of the Wildcats’ previous five contests. They are now 4-2 ATS during their current SU six-game winning streak.

Holding just a one-point lead at the half, Villanova went on a 21-6 run to start the second half and never looked back. Freshman guard Donte DiVincenzo led the team in scoring with 21 points off the bench while going 9-for-15 from the field. Senior guard Josh Hart ended the game with 11 points and five rebounds. He is the Wildcats’ leading scorer this season with 18.7 PPG.

Betting Trends

-- The Badgers have gone 6-2 ATS in their last eight NCAA Tournament games, but they fall to just 2-5 ATS in their last seven games following a SU win. The total has stayed UNDER in five of their last seven games against the Big East.

-- The Wildcats are still 6-1 ATS in their last seven games in this tournament and they have covered in 11 of their last 12 games against a team from the Big Ten. The total has gone OVER in five of their last six NCAA Tournament games.

-- This will be the first meeting between these two teams in recent memory.

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday - Session 2
March 17, 2017

West Region (Salt Lake City, UT)
No. 8 Northwestern Wildcats vs. No. 1 Gonzaga Bulldogs (CBS, 5:15 p.m. ET)

Odds: Gonzaga -11 136

Betting Matchup

Thanks in part to an incredible, inexplicable gift from Vanderbilt guard Matthew Fisher-Davis, the Wildcats survived their first-ever NCAA Tournament game and will now take a crack at the No. 1 seed. Not only did Bryant McIntosh etch his name in Northwestern lore by capitalizing on the foul with a pair of go-ahead free-throws, he ended up with 25 points as the driving force in the first-round upset. After closing as a 2.5-point underdog, the Wildcats now eye a massive upset with the Zags favored by double-digits.

Dealing with the Bulldogs requires finding a way to match up with their size, an obstacle that will require Northwestern's Derek Pardon to stay out of foul trouble since he's their strongest post defender and veterans Sanjay Lumpkin and Gavin Skelly don't really stack up. The Wildcats went 1-4 against the three biggest teams in the Big Ten and were beaten by nine or more points on three occasions.

After going undefeated through the season's first 29 games, the Bulldogs closed out February with a 79-71 home loss against BYU and seem better off for not having an unblemished record hanging over their heads. Mark Few's team struggled with Santa Clara in the semifinals of the WCC Tournament but has blown out Pacific, Saint Mary's and South Dakota State in their other three games this month, all at neutral sites.

Between center Prez Karnowski, power forward Jonathan Williams and backups Zach Collins and Austin Tillie, Gonzaga is loaded with rim protectors and blessed with length along the perimeter. Defensively, the Bulldogs have surrendered 70 or more points in only eight of their 34 games thus far. Statistically, they're the top defense in the country.

Betting Trends

-- The Wildcats are a double-digit underdog and won outright the only time they've been in this position this season, winning at Wisconsin. They were defeated by 21 points as a 9.5-point underdog at Purdue in their most lopsided result this season. The over has prevailed in each of their last four games, all tournament contests.

-- Gonzaga is 5-0 against power-five schools this season, although this will be the first against a Big Ten team. They've swept through a pair of Pac-12s, two SEC teams and the Big 12's Iowa State, going 4-1 against the spread. The under has connected in five of their last six games.

West Region (Orlando, FL)
No. 11 Xavier Musketeers vs. No. 3 Florida State Seminoles (TNT, 6:10 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Florida State -6, 151

Betting Matchup

After nearly playing their way out of the NCAA Tournament with losses in six consecutive games from Feb. 11-March 1, the Musketeers have overcome the absence of injured point guard Edmond Sumner (ACL) thanks to wing Trevon Bluiett getting back to 100 percent. An upset of Butler in teh Big East Tournament helped solidify an at-large bid that was validated with a first-round upset of Maryland, who they beat 76-65 as a two-point underdog.

Xavier will be playing its 14th game as an underdog this season and has won consecutive games in the role after losing nine of its first 10 in this spot. Besides getting the flammable Bluiett comfortable early by getting him touches, the Musketeers must find a way to rebound with the bigger, deeper 'Noles, which will require big games from Rashid Gaston and Sean O'Mara. Hanging around and pulling off an upset will hinge on getting a huge lift from 3-point shooting since that is an areaw were FSU struggles most.

The Seminoles are just 5-4 over their last nine games and didn't inspire confidence nearly blowing a substantial lead down the stretch against Florida Gulf Coast. Six of their first seven games against ranked competition resulted in wins. Few teams have the depth this team enjoys. Versatile forward Jonathan Issac and leading scorer Dwayne Bacon (16.9) are likely NBA first-round picks. Guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes and wing Terance Mann project as second-rounders. Head coach Leonard Hamilton has played 11 guys an average of 10 or more minutes per game.

Betting Trends

-- Xavier has picked up its defense and slowed the pace down over their last five games, resulting in five consecutive covered spreads and five straight covers while going 4-1 straight up. The Muskies beat their lone ACC opponent this season, beating Clemson 83-77 on Nov. 18 in Puerto Rico.

-- The Noles haven't covered the spread in three straight games, matching their longest streak of futility against the number this season. The 86 points managed against FGCU was their second-highest scoring output since Feb. 8, a run of eight games. The under had prevailed in five straight before easily eclipsing 149 in Orlando on Thursday night.

South Region (Milwaukee, WI)
No. 12 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders vs. No. 4 Butler Bulldogs (TBS, 7:10 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Butler -4 ½, 140

Betting Matchup

The Blue Raiders dominated Minnesota in the first round, winning 81-72 as a 1.5-point favorite despite being seeded 12th. After last year's win over Michigan State, Middle Tennessee fell short of reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history, losing 75-50 to eventual Final Four participant Syracuse. MTSU is 0-3 when attempting to reach the regional semifinals.

Veterans Reggie Upshaw and Giddy Potts still lead the group, but they've all gotten an enormous boost from Arkansas transfer Jacorey Williams, who helped the team go 17-1 in regular-season play in Conference USA before three double-digit wins in the league tournament. Don't discard any of this team's accomplishments as a fluke. They're long, defend every possession intensely, rebound well as a group and control the pace of almost every game as a result.

The Bulldogs won their first eight contests this season, which included wins over NCAA Tournament teams Arizona, Northwestern, Vanderbilt and Bucknell. After a shock loss at Indiana State, Butler tookout Cincinnati, Indiana, Vermont, Villanova, Xavier and Marquette in Indianapolis, all by mid-January. They stumbled down the stretch, going just 5-5 entering this tournament following a quarterfinal exit in the Big East. Although they handled Winthrop thanks to Avery Woodson leading this year's team in scoring for only the second time, this group hasn't exactly inspired much confidence.

Top forward Kelan Martin, a 6-foot-7 versatile scorer who mixes it up on the boards and can really create mismatches with his shooting range, snapped out of a February slump and led the teams in scoring in four straight entering these NCAAs. Big men Andrew Chrabascz and Tyler Wideman aren't tall, but their versatility allows Butler to play through them, creating a more diverse offense. Butler is 22-3 when scoring at least 68 points and is 2-5 when they fail to, so keeping Middle Tennessee from bogging it down with its defense and pace will be the key to advancing.

Betting Trends

-- Middle Tennessee was favored in all of its C-USA games, so they'll be an underdog for just the fourth time all season. They defeated UNC-Wilmington and Ole Miss while losing at VCU in the role. The Blue Raiders are 3-0 against the number when getting points and have seen the over prevail in five of their last six despite their desire to defend and slow tempo.

-- Butler has seen the under connect in three straight games, which spells trouble given their lack of success when their offense falters. The Bulldogs are looking to avoid a loss in their second game of the tournament for the fourth straight time since reaching the 2011 National Championship game.

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday - Session 3
March 17, 2017

West Region (Salt Lake City, UT)
No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 7 Saint Mary’s, CA (CBS, 7:30 p.m.)

-- This is a 2/7 matchup in the West Region that’ll be contested in Salt Lake City. As of late Friday afternoon, most betting shops had Arizona (31-4 straight up, 18-14 against the spread) installed as a five-point favorite with a total of 132. The Gaels were +180 on the money line (risk $100 to win $180).

-- Sean Miller, along with Mark Few, are widely considered the nation’s best head coaches who have never taken their teams to a Final Four. Miller has an excellent shot at changing that this year. In fact, if form holds, Arizona and Gonzaga will meet in the West Region finals in San Jose with one of them ending their national-semifinal drought.

-- Arizona advanced to the Round of 32 by beating North Dakota 100-82 as an 18-point favorite. Lauri Markkanen hit 8-of-12 shots from the field in a 20-point effort. Rawle Alkins shared team-high scoring honors with 20 points and five assists without a turnover. Alkins buried all eight of his attempts from the field, including both 3-pointers. Allonzo Trier finished with 18 points, six rebounds and three assists compared to merely one turnover.

-- Trier missed UA’s first 19 games due to an NCAA suspension, but he’s played in the 16 games since then. Trier is averaging a team-high 17.3 points per game He is also grabbing 5.1 rebounds per game while draining 40.5 percent of his 3-pointers. Markkanen, a true freshman power forward, is averaging 15.7 points and 7.1 RPG. He’s making 42.9 percent of his treys. Alkins (11.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG) and Dusan Ristic (10.6 PPG) are also averaging double figures. Ristic has buried 50.0 percent of his 3’s and 54.7 percent of his shots from the floor. Parker Jackson-Cartwright has a 121/40 assists-to-turnover ratio and he makes 43.1 percent of his 3-balls.

-- Arizona has been a single-digit ‘chalk’ nine times this season, posting a 6-3 spread record.

-- Arizona is 19th in the nation in 3-point shooting (39.7%), 22nd in free-throw percentage (76.1%) and 32nd in field-goal percentage (47.9%). The Wildcats are ranked 21st nationally at defending the 3-point line (31.1%).

-- Saint Mary’s (29-4 SU, 17-11 ATS) has been an underdog three times this year, going 0-3 both SU and ATS. We should note that all three of those games were against Gonzaga.

-- Saint Mary’s improved its all-time NCAA Tournament record to 5-8 with Thursday’s 85-77 win over VCU as a four-point favorite. The Gaels, who are making their ninth NCAA appearance in their program’s history, are hoping to get to their second Sweet 16 and their first since 2010. Jock Landale was the catalyst against the Rams, producing 18 points, 13 rebounds and two blocked shots. Joe Rahon and Calvin Hermanson chipped in 16 points apiece, while Emmett Naar had 13 points, six assists and two steals. Tanner Krebs added 12 points and five boards in just 19 minutes of playing time from off of the bench.

-- Landale leads Saint Mary’s in scoring (16.9 PPG), rebounding (9.4 RPG), field-goal percentage (61.2%) and blocked shots (1.2 BPG). Hermanson (13.1 PPG) shoots at a 44.1 percent clip from 3-point land. Naar averages 9.6 points and 5.8 assists per game.

-- Randy Bennett’s team is ranked eighth in the country in FG percentage (49.7%) and 18th in 3-point accuracy (39.8%). The Gaels are second in the nation in scoring defense (57.1%), ninth at defending the 3-point line (29.9%).

-- The ‘under’ is 17-13 overall for the Gaels.

-- Totals have been an overall wash (17-17-1) for Arizona, but it has seen four consecutive ‘overs.’

-- This game will tip at around 7:45 p.m. Eastern on CBS.

East Region (Orlando, FL)
No. 4 Florida vs. No. 5 Virginia (TNT, 8:30 p.m.)

-- As of late Friday afternoon, most books had Florida (25-8 SU, 18-13 ATS) listed as a 1.5-point favorite with a total of 126.

-- Florida improved to 43-17 in 60 all-time NCAA Tournament games with Thursday’s 80-65 win over East Tennessee State as a 9.5-point favorite. Junior forward Devin Robinson was the catalyst with 24 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots. Chris Chiozza, who finished with 14 points, five rebounds, three assists and one steal in 23 minutes of playing time from off of the bench, sparked a 10-1 second-half run that gave UF the separation it needed. The junior guard hit 4-of-5 shots, including both of his launches from downtown. Senior guard Kasey Hill, the only player on UF’s roster that wasn’t making his NCAA Tournament debut, had 14 points, six boards, five assists and a pair of steals. Kevarrius Hayes, who became the starting center when John Egbunu was lost to a season-ending injury, contributed seven points, seven rebounds, six steals and two blocked shots.

-- Along with Northwestern’s Chris Collins, Mike White has a 1-0 record in the NCAA Tournament as a head coach. He has to feel good about that when his team’s leading scorer KeVaughn Allen went 1-of-11 from the field against the Buccaneers. To his credit, the sophomore guard out of Little Rock dished out four assists and didn’t commit a turnover. Allen has went 4-of-4 from the free-throw line.

-- Allen averages a team-high 13.7 PPG. He is making 38.5 percent of his 3-balls and 87.8 percent of his FTs. Canyon Barry, a senior grad transfer from Charleston who is the youngest son of NBA Hall-of-Gamer Rick Barry, is averaging 11.9 PPG. Robinson averages 11.3 points and 6.2 RPG while shooting at a 39.0 percent clip from long distance.

-- UF’s best wins came at home over Kentucky, Arkansas and South Carolina. The Gators also won at Arkansas, in addition to beating Miami and Seton Hall on neutral courts. They didn’t lose to anyone outside of the RPI Top 50, and there were two losses to Vandy by three combined points and a third defeat to the Commodores in overtime at last week’s SEC Tournament.

-- Virginia (23-10 SU, 18-13 ATS) advanced to the Round of 32 with a 76-71 win over UNC-Wilmington, but the Seahawks took the cash as 7.5-point underdogs. As usual, London Perrantes led the way with 24 points and three assists compared to only one turnover. Marial Shayok dropped 23 points on ETSU, draining 3-of-5 shots from 3-point range. Darius Thompson added 10 points, four boards and four blocked shots.

-- Perrantes paces the Cavs in scoring (12.9 PPG) and assists (3.8 APG).

-- UVA junior forward Isaiah Wilkins is listed as ‘doubtful’ with strep throat. Wilkins tried to play against UNC-Wilmington, but he contributed just one rebound in five minutes of action. Wilkins averages 6.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.3 blocked shots per game.

-- UVA leads the nation in scoring defense (56.1 PPG) and is 13th in FG percentage defense (39.6%).

-- This is UF’s lowest total of the season. The previous low was 129.5 points in a 65-56 win over Miami that saw the 121 combined points fall ‘under’ the number. The ‘under’ is 17-14 overall for the Gators, going 8-3 in their last 11 contests.

-- The ‘under’ is 19-11-1 overall for UVA, but the ‘over’ has hit in each of its last three outings.

-- The winner will advance to Madison Square Garden in New York City, where it will meet the Villanova-Wisconsin survivor on Thursday night.

-- Tip-off on TNT is scheduled for 8:40 p.m. Eastern, depending on how long Xavier vs. FSU takes to conclude.

Midwest Region (Milwaukee, WI)
No. 5 Iowa State vs. No. 4 Purdue (TBS, 9:30 p.m.)

-- As of late Friday afternoon, most spots had Purdue (26-7 SU, 18-10 ATS) listed as a one-point favorite with a total of 152.

-- Iowa State (24-10 SU, 19-12 ATS) might be the nation’s hottest team, winning 10 of its last 11 games while going 9-2 ATS. The Cyclones won their fifth consecutive game Thursday by besting Nevada 84-73 as six-point ‘chalk.’ The foul-fest by the Wolf Pack in the final minute allowed late ISU free throws to get the 157 combined to slip ‘over’ the 156.5-point total.

-- ISU senior point guard Monte Morris was the catalyst against Nevada, tallying 19 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Deonte Burton finished with 14 points and eight rebounds, while Naz Mitrou-Long contributed 13 points, three boards and three steals. Donovan Jackson needed only four shots from the field to score 12 points in 16 minutes of PT from off of the bench. Jackson hit all four of his shots from the field and all four of his FT attempts.

-- If this line holds, Iowa State will be in the underdog role for the 15th time. The Cyclones have compiled a 10-4 spread record with seven outright victories in those 15 games as ‘dogs.

-- Morris leads ISU in scoring (16.4 PPG) and assists (6.1 APG). He also pulls down 4.9 rebounds per game, makes 39.0 percent of his 3-pointers and has an incredible 208/39 assists-to-turnovers ratio. Burton (14.8 PPG) paces the Cyclones in rebounding (6.3 RPG), steals (1.7 SPG) and blocked shots (1.4 BPG). Mitrou-Long (15.4 PPG) and Matt Thomas (12.1 PPG) are shooting at 39.0 percent and 44.4 percent clips from 3-point land, respectively.

-- Iowa State is ranked 27th nationally in scoring (81.0 PPG) and 13th in 3-point accuracy (40.3%).

-- Purdue won the Big Ten regular-season championship, only to get bounced from the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals by Michigan in overtime. That result led the Boilermakers to enter the Tourney with fresh legs, which might’ve been an impact as they pulled away from Vermont in the second half to win 80-70 as 8.5-point favorites. Vince Edwards led the way with a team-best 21 points to go with five rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block. Edwards made 10-of-16 shots from the field. Caleb Swanigan finished with 16 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots. Dakota Mathias produced 13 points, six boards and five assists compared to just one turnover. Carsen Edwards and P.J. Thompson were also in double figures with 12 and 10 points, respectively.

-- Swanigan earned Big Ten Player of the Year honors by averaging 18.4 points and 12.6 rebounds per game. He has posted four straight double-doubles. Swanigan also averaged 2.9 assists and 0.8 blocked shots per game. He makes 53.2 percent of his shots from the field and can also step out beyond the arc, as Swanigan has buried 32-of-75 from downtown (42.7%).

-- The win over the Catamounts was Purdue’s first in the NCAA Tournament since 2012. Matt Painter’s squad is looking to make the Sweet 16 for the first time in seven years.

-- Iowa State is looking to qualify for the Sweet 16 for the third time in four years.

-- The ‘over’ has hit in 10 consecutive games for the Cyclones, who have seen the ‘over’ go 17-4 in their last 21 outings to improve to 19-12 overall.

-- The ‘over’ is 17-12-1 overall for Purdue, going 4-1 in its last five games. This is the third-highest total the Boilermakers have seen this season. In the five previous games Purdue had with totals in the 150s, the ‘over’ is 3-1-1.

-- The winner advances to the Midwest Region semifinals in Kansas City to play the 1/8 or 9 winner, which will be either Kansas, Michigan State or Miami. The Cyclones split a pair of regular-season games with KU, with both teams winning on the road.

-- TBS will have the telecast from Milwaukee at around 9:40 p.m. Eastern.