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

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NCAAB

Sunday, March 19

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Trend Report
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12:00 PM
BELMONT vs. GEORGIA TECH
Belmont is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Georgia Tech's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Georgia Tech's last 6 games

12:10 PM
MICHIGAN vs. LOUISVILLE
No trends available
Louisville is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games
Louisville is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games

2:40 PM
WICHITA STATE vs. KENTUCKY
No trends available
Kentucky is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Kentucky is 6-13-1 ATS in its last 20 games

5:00 PM
TCU vs. IOWA
The total has gone OVER in 4 of TCU's last 5 games on the road
TCU is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Iowa is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Iowa's last 9 games at home

5:15 PM
MICHIGAN STATE vs. KANSAS
No trends available
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Kansas's last 5 games when playing Michigan State
Kansas is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Michigan State

6:10 PM
ARKANSAS vs. NORTH CAROLINA
No trends available
North Carolina is 6-2-1 ATS in its last 9 games
North Carolina is 16-4 SU in its last 20 games

7:10 PM
RHODE ISLAND vs. OREGON
No trends available
Oregon is 16-5-1 ATS in its last 22 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Oregon's last 8 games

7:30 PM
OAKLAND vs. RICHMOND
Oakland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Richmond is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Richmond's last 6 games at home

7:45 PM
USC vs. BAYLOR
No trends available
Baylor is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Baylor's last 5 games

8:40 PM
SOUTH CAROLINA vs. DUKE
No trends available
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Duke's last 6 games
Duke is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

9:40 PM
CINCINNATI vs. UCLA
No trends available
UCLA is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
UCLA is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB

Sunday, March 19

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Sunday's NCAA Tournament betting preview: Midwest Region
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Two of the country's most successful programs meet in the second round when Kansas takes on Michigan State. The No. 1 seed Jayhawks are 8-point faves.

(7) Michigan Wolverines vs. (2) Louisville Cardinals (-3, 142)

Game to be played at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana

Second-seeded Louisville and No. 7 seed Michigan will renew their NCAA Tournament hostilities when they meet in the second round of the Midwest regional in Indianapolis, IN on Sunday. The Cardinals downed Jacksonville State 78-63 in the first round while Michigan held on to beat Oklahoma State 92-91 on Friday to set up a rematch of the classic 2013 National Championship game, which Louisville won 82-76.

"It will be the toughest second round matchup I've had since I've been in the business," Louisville coach Rick Pitino told reporters. "Michigan is on a great run right now and I think it will be a heck of a game." The Cardinals won the battle of the boards 36-23 and forced 14 turnovers to finally pull away from the Gamecocks to earn their fifth consecutive opening round victory in the NCAA Tournament. Michigan has won six consecutive games, including five in a row since its charter plane skidded off the runway en route to the Big Ten Tournament in Washington D.C. The Wolverines set an NCAA Tournament program record with 16 3-pointers, including 11 from beyond the arc in the second half, to vanquish the Cowboys and hope to continue their hot shooting by beating Louisville for the first time in program history.

TV: 12:10 p.m. ET, CBS

LINE HISTORY: Louisville hit the board as slight 1-point faves against red-hot Michigan, but bettors are like the Cardinals here, moving the line to -3. The total opened at 140 and has been bet up slightly to 140.5.

ABOUT MICHIGAN: Senior point guard Derrick Walton Jr. led the way with 26 points, 11 assists and five rebounds in the win against Oklahoma State to notch his fifth double double of the season, and became the first player since Dwyane Wade in 2003 to register at least 25 points, 10 assists and five rebounds in an NCAA Tournament game. D.J. Wilson added 19 points, five rebounds and four blocked shots while Muhammad-Ali Abdur Rahkman and Zak Irvin each scored 16 points. "I think the Big Ten Tournament really got us ready for this," Wilson told reporters. "I didn't feel any pressure at all and it felt like a normal game for me."

ABOUT LOUISVILLE: Senior power forward Mangok Mathiang matched his career high with 18 points to go along with five rebounds in the win against Jacksonville State. Sophomore forward Deng Adel scored 16 points in his first NCAA Tournament appearance after the Cardinals missed last season's tournament due to a postseason ban while Quentin Snider added 16 points and five assists against the Gamecocks. Donovan Mitchell shrugged off a 3-for-15 performance from the field in his first tournament appearance by grabbing a career-high 10 rebounds as Louisville finished with 16 offensive boards.

TRENDS:

* Michigan is 6-1 ATS in its last seven neutral site games.
* Louisville is 7-1-1 ATS in its last nine games vs. Big Ten opponents.
* Over is 5-0 in Michigan's last five non-conference games.
* Under is 6-1-1 in Louisville's last eight non-conference games.




(9) Michigan State Spartans vs. (1) Kansas Jayhawks (-8, 148)

Game to be played at BOK Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Two of the most successful programs in college basketball meet Sunday when top-seeded Kansas takes on ninth seed Michigan State in the second round of the Midwest Regional in Tulsa, Ok. Kansas can reach the Sweet Sixteen for the 30th time in its history after rolling past UC Davis 100-62 in the first round while the freshman-heavy Spartans produced one of their best efforts in a 78-58 win over Miami (Fla.) on Friday.

Michigan State, hampered by injuries much of the season, shot 56.6 percent from the field and rallied from an early double-digit deficit to give itself a chance at a 20th trip to the Sweet Sixteen and fifth in six years. “The only thing I’m happy about is I get to work another night,” Spartans coach Tom Izzo, who is 47-18 in the NCAA Tournament, told reporters. “. … And I wanted a shot at Kansas.” The Jayhawks washed away the memory of a disappointing performance in a loss to TCU at the Big 12 quarterfinals by getting back to basics on the defensive end of the floor Friday. “We locked in as a team,” Kansas senior guard Frank Mason III told reporters. “We talked about it up to (Friday) that we have to guard like it’s the last possession in a tie game. We did a good job of defending.”

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

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened the No. 1 seed Jayhawks as 8.5-point chalk, but after the Spartans big game in the first round, bettors have brought the line down to Kansas -8. The total hit the board at 147.5 and has been bet up a half-point to the current number of 148.

ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE: It’s been a building process for the young Spartans and Izzo told reporters he hopes their performance Friday will lead to more: “Do they have a benchmark now to say ‘hey we did this, we did that?’ I think the answer was, yes. I can’t think of anybody who didn’t play well.” Freshman swingman Miles Bridges (16.7 points, 8.3 rebounds) and freshman forward Nick Ward (13.9, 6.6) combined for 37 points and 16 boards in the win over Miami. Joshua Langford also scored 13 and fellow freshman guard Cassius Winston had seven points and five assists Friday.

ABOUT KANSAS: Second-leading scorer Josh Jackson showed no ill-effects after returning from a one-game team suspension for off-court issues, as the freshman scored 17 on 8-of-12 shooting with seven rebounds Friday. Mason leads the team overall (20.8 points, 5.2 assists) while Jackson (13.2 points, 7.2 boards) and junior guard Devonte’ Graham (13.2) are the other double-figure scorers for the productive Jayhawks offense. Senior forward Landen Lucas produced a double-double (13 points, 11 rebounds) in the opening round and 6-8 junior Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk (9.8 points) scored 16 against UC Davis.

TRENDS:

* Michigan State is 5-2 ATS in its last seven NCAA Tournament games.
* Kansas is 4-1 ATS in its last five NCAA Tournament games.
* Over is 4-0 in Michigan State's last four NCAA Tournament games.
* Under is 4-0 in Kansas' last four games versus a team with a winning SU record.




(11) Rhode Island Rams vs. (3) Oregon Ducks (-5, 139.5)

Game to be played at Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California

Oregon’s imposing frontline figured to take a step back without injured forward Chris Boucher, but the Ducks’ first-round win over Iona may have eased some of those fears. The third-seeded Ducks look to build on the impressive victory Sunday in a second-round Midwest Region matchup against No. 11 seed Rhode Island in Sacramento.

Several players have stepped up in Boucher’s absence, including sophomore guard Tyler Dorsey, who scored a season-high 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting in Friday’s 93-77 win over No. 14 seed Iona. Dorsey is averaging 22.8 points on 60 percent shooting over his last four games for the Ducks, who will be without Boucher for the rest of the season after the 6-11 senior suffered a torn ACL in last week's Pac-12 tournament. Oregon dominated the paint against the smaller Gaels but face a tougher test against Rhode Island, which led from start to finish in Friday’s 84-72 upset of No. 6 seed Creighton. “Rhode Island is a very good basketball team,” Creighton coach Greg McDermott told reporters. “That's a top-25 basketball team that on the right night can beat anybody in this tournament.”

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, TBS

LINE HISTORY: The Ducks hit the board as 4.5-point favorites and they have been bet up slightly to the current number of -5. The total opened at 138.5 and has moved up one point to sit at the current number of 139.5.

ABOUT RHODE ISLAND: Freshman guard Jeff Dowtin scored a career-high 23 points against Creighton and senior forward Kuran Iverson added 17 as the Rams recorded their ninth straight victory and first in the NCAA Tournament since 1998. Forward Hassan Martin registered a double-double and helped limit Creighton big man Justin Patton to eight points on 3-of-12 shooting. Junior guard E.C. Matthews averages 14.9 points to lead the Rams, who finished tied for third in the Atlantic 10 Conference regular season but earned an automatic bid after winning three games in three days in Pittsburgh.

ABOUT OREGON: Junior forward Kavell Bigby-Williams is filling Boucher’s role off the bench and had six rebounds in 15 minutes against Iona, but even more encouraging was the play of guards Payton Pritchard and Casey Benson, who combined for 25 points after struggling in the Pac-12 tournament. Forward Dillon Brooks, the Pac-12 player of the year, scored 18 points in the first round and is shooting 48.3 percent over his last two games. Boucher’s absence has placed a greater burden on forward Jordan Bell, who was named the Pac-12 defensive player of the year after leading the league with 72 blocks and will need to avoid foul trouble against the Rams.

TRENDS:

* Rhode Island is 4-0 ATS in its last four games overall.
* Oregon is 9-3 ATS in its last 12 NCAA Tournament games.
* Over is 4-1 in Rhode Island's last five games overall.
* Over is 5-1 in Oregon's last six games overall.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB

Sunday, March 19

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Sunday's NCAA Tournament betting preview: South Region
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Will Lonzo Ball and the country's best offense be slowed down by the stingy Cincinnati defense? UCLA is currently a 4-point fave.

(10) Wichita State Shockers vs. (2) Kentucky Wildcats (-4.5, 153.5)

Game to be played at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana

Wichita State paid the price in the NCAA Tournament four seasons ago when it faced an under-seeded squad in Kentucky, which promptly ended the Shockers' run at history at 35-1. While the faces may have changed and the expectations - based on their seeding in this Tournament - almost are opposite of what they were in their 2014 meeting, much feels the same between the teams as they prepare to square off again Sunday in South Region second-round action in Indianapolis.

The Wildcats, who rode a No. 8 seed to the championship game in 2013-14, sent then-No. 1 seed Wichita State home in the Round of 32 when Fred VanVleet missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer, stopping the Shockers' bid to become the first team since Indiana in 1975-76 to finish a season undefeated. None of the 17 players who participated in Kentucky's 78-76 victory that day will be around to take part in the second act, although this time it will be the second-seeded Wildcats playing the role of favorite over 10th-seeded Wichita State. The Shockers extended their winning streak to 16 games with Friday's 64-58 first-round win over Dayton, holding the Flyers to season lows in points and field-goal percentage (31 percent). The Wildcats earned their 12th straight victory in Friday's nightcap in Indianapolis, upending Northern Kentucky 79-70 on the strength of 15 points and a career-high 18 rebounds by 6-10 freshman Edrice Adebayo.

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

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened Kentucky as 3.5-point favorites and they have been bet up to the current number of -4.5. The total hit the board at 153.5

ABOUT WICHITA STATE: In addition to owning far and away the Missouri Valley Conference's top scoring offense (81.5 points), the Shockers boast the conference's top marks in field-goal percentage defense (37.6 - fourth in the nation), 3-point percentage defense (30.9 - 17th) and rebounding margin (plus-9.2 - third). Leading scorers Markis McDuffie (11.7 points) and freshman guard Landry Shamet (11.2) shot a combined 4-of-17 against Dayton but received plenty of help from Zach Brown (12 points, 3-of-3 from beyond the arc) and Rashard Kelly (eight, career-high 11 rebounds). Shamet has connected on a 3-pointer in 24 consecutive games and made a freshman school-record 70 on the season, while Conner Frankamp has recorded at least one in 21 straight contests and leads the team with 71.

ABOUT KENTUCKY: Adebayo (13.3 points, team-high 8.1 boards), whose 18 rebounds were the most by a Wildcat in an NCAA Tournament game since Jerry Bird grabbed 24 in 1956, is averaging 13.8 points and 10.5 boards during Kentucky's winning streak. Leading scorer Malik Monk (team-high 20.2 points) continued to struggle to find his range Friday with a 3-of-11 effort, including 0-of-6 from beyond the arc, leaving the sharpshooter 3-of-21 from long range and averaging 11.4 points over his last five contests. Fellow freshman De’Aaron Fox (16.2 points, 4.8 assists) led the Wildcats in scoring Friday for the fourth time in as many games with 19 points and is averaging 20.8 on 56.5-percent shooting during Monk's slump.

TRENDS:

* Wichita State is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games as an underdog.
* Kentucky is 1-4 ATS in its last five NCAA Tournament games.
* Under is 4-0 in Wichita State's last four games overall.
* Under is 7-1 in Kentucky's last eight games overall.




(8) Arkansas Razorbacks vs. (1) North Carolina Tar Heels (-10.5, 162)

Game to be played at Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, South Carolina

North Carolina has unfinished business in the NCAA Tournament, but the next step for the top-seeded Tar Heels is Sunday's encounter with eighth-seeded Arkansas in Greenville, S.C. The Razorbacks advanced to the second round in the South Region with a close win over Seton Hall, while the Tar Heels cruised in their tournament opener.

Justin Jackson was the story for North Carolina on Friday, posting 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting (5-of-8 from the arc) in a much-needed performance for the ACC Player of the Year. The junior had shot 7-of-31 from the arc during a four-game shooting slump and also pulled down seven rebounds in the Round of 64 - his highest total in two months. “Everybody panics when somebody is having an off day, multiple off days,” point guard Joel Berry II said after the 103-64 win against Texas Southern, “but that’s just part of the game. Sometimes it doesn’t go in for you and just seeing (Jackson’s) 3s go down tonight, it was pretty good. And I have confidence in him no matter what.” Arkansas received a combined 43 points from Moses Kingsley and Jaylen Barford in its 77-71 victory against Seton Hall and is eyeing its first Sweet 16 since 1996.

TV: 6:10 p.m. ET, TNT

LINE HISTORY: The Tar Heels hit the board as 9-point favorites, but that number didn't last long as North Carolina hit double digits and currently sits at -10.5. The total opened at a high 161.5 and has still moved up to the current number of 162.

ABOUT ARKANSAS: The Razorbacks are 0-8 all-time against No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament, although they enter this weekend having won nine of their last 11 games and proved they can win despite getting outrebounded by 14 against Seton Hall. Five players combined to score all 77 points for Arkansas with Kingsley shooting 10-of-13 and Barford adding seven rebounds and four steals to go with his 20 points. Dustin Thomas gave the team a lift in the first round with 13 points - matching a season high - while Dusty Hannahs chipped in 14 points, scoring in double-digits for the 15th time in his last 16 games.

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA: In their first NCAA Tournament game since losing the 2016 national title at the buzzer, the Tar Heels shot over 50 percent from the field and doubled up Texas Southern on the boards, 54-27, while overcoming a poor performance from their point guard. Berry shot 1-of-8 from the field and 1-of-6 from long range and has missed 10 of his 12 3-point attempts over the last two games, although he remains the team's best 3-point shooter (40.7 percent). Kennedy Meeks has increased his shooting percentage in five straight games, from 37.5 percent to 42.9 to 57.1 to 64.3 to 75 percent (3-of-4) as part of a 13-point effort in the Round of 64.

TRENDS:

* Arkansas is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games versus ACC opponents.
* North Carolina is 5-1 ATS in its last six NCAA Tournament games.
* Under is 5-1 in Arkansas' last six non-conference games.
* Over is 5-0 in North Carolina's last five NCAA Tournament games.




(6) Cincinnati Bearcats vs. (3) UCLA Bruins (-4, 153)

Game to be played at Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California

The top-scoring team in the country will take on one of the toughest to score against when third-seeded UCLA meets sixth-seeded Cincinnati in an East Region second round game Sunday evening at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. The Bruins average a nation-leading 90.6 points a game following their 97-80 first round win Friday against Kent State, and the Bearcats are fifth in the NCAA in scoring defense (60.8) following their 75-61 win against Kansas State in the opening round.

Cincinnati also flashed its offensive capabilities in its win against Kansas State, shooting 62 percent from the field and owning a 34-22 advantage in the paint. That skill and determination on both ends of the floor could make them a legitimate threat against UCLA, which has shown flaws in its defense during the season, especially when guarding man-to-man. The Bruins will depend on freshman point guard Lonzo Ball to break through the Cincinnati defense, but his movement will be something to watch after he took a hard fall against Kent State after getting undercut while leaping for a pass in the post. UCLA has four players who average more than Cincinnati leading scorer Jacob Evans (13.5), but all the Bearcats' starters are capable of huge games, most recently senior guard Troy Caupain, who scored a season-high 23 points with seven rebounds in the win against Kansas State.

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

LINE HISTORY: UCLA hit the board as 3-point favorites and have been bet up to the current number of -4. The total opened at 153 and has yet to move off that number.

ABOUT CINCINNATI: The Bearcats are the only No. 6 seed to survive to the second round, and they'll need a strong defensive effort and big offensive games from at least three of their starters if they hope to make it to the Sweet Sixteen. Evans, a 6-6 sophomore guard, should be ready to break out after being held to nine points against Kansas State and 10 in a loss to SMU in the American Athletic Conference tournament championship last weekend. Kyle Washington, the team's second-leading scorer at 13.1, and Gary Clark at 10.1, should have a big impact in this matchup as they'll hold down the front court against a longer UCLA team.

ABOUT UCLA: None of the current UCLA players likely remember when the Bruins knocked off the top-seeded Bearcats in double-overtime to reach the Sweet Sixteen in 2002, but the Bruins probably learned a lot about it during their off day. Like that day when Dan Gadzuric dominated the middle, Jason Kapono was sharp from outside and freshman point guard Cedric Bozeman ran the offense smoothly and efficiently, UCLA will need 6-10 freshman T.J. Leaf to be the best post player on both teams, Bryce Alford to shoot a high percentage from outside and Ball to distribute the ball well. A player the Bearcats may have trouble matching against is 7-foot forward Thomas Welch, who should find room to implement his dangerous mid-range game.

TRENDS:

* Cincinnati is 5-1 ATS in its last six games overall.
* UCLA is 0-4 ATS its last four games overall.
* Over is 3-0-1 in Cincinnati's last four games overall.
* Under is 5-1 in Bruins last 6 games following a SU win.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB

Sunday, March 19

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Sunday's NCAA Tournament betting preview: East Region
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It's no coincidence that Jayson Tatum and the Blue Devils are peaking at the same time. They're 5-0 SU/ATS since the start of the ACC tournament.

(11) USC Trojans vs. (3) Baylor Bears (-7, 143)

Game to be played at BOK Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Two teams that seem to save their best for last match up in the second round of the East Regional when No. 3 seed Baylor faces No. 11 seed USC on Sunday in Tulsa. The Bears rallied from a second-half deficit to win for the 12th time this season in their 91-73 first-round victory over New Mexico State, while the Trojans have been the feel-good story of the tournament so far, coming back from 17 down to defeat Providence, 75-71, in a First Four game on Wednesday night and then rallying from a 12-point second half deficit to edge sixth-seeded SMU, 66-65, on Friday afternoon.

It was the 13th time that USC had a double-digit comeback win this season, the most such victories in Division I. "Our players are amazing the way they come back," Trojans coach Andy Enfield said. "They get down, they come back. They keep playing for 40 minutes." Baylor, which suffered first-round exits to 14th-seeded Georgia State and 12th-seeded Yale the previous two years, avoided making NCAA Tourney history by losing as a top-five seed in the first round three consecutive years, rallying from a 42-38 deficit with a little over 19 minutes remaining to defeat the Aggies. "Yeah, for sure," All-American forward Johnathan Motley said when asked if the early exits served as extra motivation for his team. "No wants to leave the tournament early. Our ultimate goal was to come in and just win it, so we just want to take every game for what it is and make sure we come in and play our hardest, play desperate, because after this, you lose, you go home."

TV: 7:45 p.m. ET, truTV

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened the Bears as 6-point chalk and they have been bet to the current number of -7. The total hit the board at 143 and has yet to move off of that number.

ABOUT USC: Junior guard Elijah Stewart, one of four Trojans averaging in double figures (12.0), was the hero against SMU, sinking a 3-pointer with 37 seconds to play for what proved to be the game-winner. "I feel like I was blessed that I was able to come back and redeem myself," Stewart, who finished with 22 points, including 6-of-13 3-pointers, said referring to the fact he went scoreless in the First Four victory over Providence. Bennie Boatwright, a 6-10 sophomore forward, leads the team in scoring (15.1) while 6-11 Chimezie Metu (14.5) and junior point guard Jordan McLaughlin (13.2) also are averaging in double-digits with the long-armed, quick-leaping Metu also leading the team in rebounds (7.9) and blocks (1.6).

ABOUT BAYLOR: The 6-10 Motley, a Naismith Award semifinalist and the 16th All-American in school history, had his 14th double-double (15 points, 10 rebounds) of the season against New Mexico State despite sitting out a large chunk of the first half because of foul problems. He leads the team in scoring (17.3) and the Big 12 in rebounding (9.9) and is considered a potential NBA lottery pick. Junior point guard Manu Lecomte, the Big 12's Newcomer of the Year, is second in scoring (12.3) while also shooting a team best 41.7 percent from 3-point range while junior guard Al Freeman (10.2) came off the bench to score a season-high 21 points, including 3-of-3 3-pointers, in Friday's win.

TRENDS:

* USC is 5-1 ATS in its last six games overall.
* Baylor is 7-1 ATS in its last eight non-conference games.
* Under is 5-1 in USC's last six games overall.
* Over is 4-0-1 in Baylor's last five non-conference games.




(7) South Carolina Gamecocks vs. (2) Duke Blue Devils (-7.5, 142)

Game to be played at Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, South Carolina

Duke was considered one of the hottest teams in the nation entering the NCAA Tournament, while South Carolina slipped into the 68-team field despite a late-season swoon. The seventh-seeded Gamecocks came to life in a blowout first-round win, though, making for an intriguing matchup with the No. 2 seed Blue Devils in the second round of the East Region on Sunday in Greenville, S.C.

The Gamecocks were somewhat of an afterthought after losing five of their last seven leading up to the tournament, but they used a dominant second half to rout Marquette 93-73 on Friday for their first NCAA Tournament win since 1973. They also figure to have something of a home-court advantage playing at Bon Secours Wellness Arena, though the Blue Devils say they relish the thought of a hostile environment. "We like a game with noise," Duke guard Grayson Allen told reporters. "That brings energy. We like playing in buildings where it's loud. It gives everybody on the court energy." The Blue Devils had little trouble in their opening game, pounding Troy 87-65 and picking up where they left off in last week’s run through the ACC Tournament.

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

LINE HISTORY: The Blue Devils hit the board favored by a converted touchdown and have been bet to the current number of -7.5. The total opened at 142 and has yet to move off that number.

ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA: The Gamecocks don’t boast the bevy of offensive stars that Duke has, but they might have the most dynamic player on the court in SEC Player of the Year Sindarius Thornwell (21.3 points, 7.3 rebounds). Thornwell went off for 29 points and 11 rebounds against Marquette, and fellow guard PJ Dozier (13.9 points, 4.8 rebounds) put up 21 points. Guard Duane Notice (10.1 points) is the only other Gamecock who averages double-digit scoring, but South Carolina counts on its defense to create offense and turned 18 Marquette turnovers into 25 points.

ABOUT DUKE: Much of the Blue Devils’ inconsistency throughout the season was tied to injury woes, and Duke is undoubtedly among the nation’s most talented teams when healthy. Leading scorer Luke Kennard (19.8 points, 5.2 rebounds) managed just eight points on 3-of-12 shooting against Troy, yet the Blue Devils were never in danger thanks to 18 points and 12 rebounds from freshman star Jayson Tatum (16.9 points, 7.5 rebounds) and 21 points off the bench from Grayson Allen (14.3 points, 3.5 assists). Big man Amile Jefferson (10.8 points, 8.2 rebounds) also had a relatively quiet night Friday but could be a major factor against the Gamecocks.

TRENDS:

* South Carolina is 0-5 ATS in its last five games following a SU win.
* Duke is 5-0-1 ATS in its last six games overall.
* Under is 7-1 in South Carolina's last eight games versus ACC opponents.
* Under is 13-3 in Duke's last 16 non-conference games.

[StarDust Bum]

SUNDAY, MARCH 19

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

BEL at GT 12:00 PM

BEL +3.5

MICH at LOU 12:10 PM

MICH +3.5 **********

O 143.0

WICH at UK 02:40 PM

WICH +3.5

O 151.5

TCU at IOWA 05:00 PM

IOWA -2.0 **********

O 152.5 **********

MSU at KU 05:15 PM

KU -8.0

U 148.0 **********

ARK at UNC 06:10 PM

UNC -11.0 *********

O 163.5 *********

[StarDust Bum]

EVENING BEST BETS:

URI at ORE 07:10 PM

URI +5.0

U 144.5

OAK at RICH 07:30 PM

RICH -4.5 **********

USC at BAY 07:45 PM

USC +5.5 **********

O 142.5

SCAR at DUKE 08:40 PM

DUKE -6.5 **********

O 145.0 **********

CIN at UCLA 09:40 PM

UCLA -3.5 **********

U 154.5 **********

[StarDust Bum]

2017 NCAA Tournament Results
March 20, 2017

NCAA TOURNAMENT BETTING RESULTS

Wager Favorites-Underdogs

Straight Up 40-12
Against the Spread 23-29

Total
Over-Under 35-16-1

First-Four Games
TUESDAY, MARCH 14
Matchup Score ATS Result
Mount St. Mary's (+1) vs. New Orleans 67-66 Underdog-Over (132)
Kansas State (-1) vs. Wake Forest 95-88 Favorite-Over (147)

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15
North Carolina Central vs. UC Davis (+3.5, ML +150) 67-63 Underdog-Under (131)
Providence vs. Southern California (-2) 75-71 Favorite-Over (141.5)

First Round - Thursday March 16
SESSION 1
Matchup Score ATS Result
Notre Dame (-6) vs. Princeton 60-58 Underdog-Under (133.5)
Virginia (-7.5) vs. UNC Wilmington 76-71 Underdog-Over (134.5)
Butler (-10.5) vs. Winthrop 76-64 Favorite-Under (145)
Gonzaga (-23.5) vs. South Dakota State 66-46 Underdog-Under (157)

SESSION 2
Matchup Score ATS Result
West Virginia (-13) vs. Bucknell 86-80 Underdog-Over (148.5)
Florida (-9.5) vs. East Tennessee State 80-65 Favorite-Under (148)
Minnesota vs. Middle Tennessee State (-1.5) 81-72 Favorite-Over (128)
Northwestern (+2, ML +115) vs. Vanderbilt 68-66 Underdog-Over (130)

SESSION 3
Matchup Score ATS Result
Maryland vs. Xavier (+2, ML +115) 76-65 Underdog-Under (142)
Mount St. Mary's vs. Villanova (-25) 76-56 Underdog-Over (131.5)
St. Mary's, CA (-4) vs. Virginia Commonwealth 85-77 Favorite-Over (128.5)
Purdue (-8) vs. Vermont 80-70 Favorite-Over (134.5)

SESSION 4
Matchup Score ATS Result
Florida State (-11) vs. Florida Gulf Coast 86-80 Underdog-Over (149.5)
Wisconsin (-6) vs. Virginia Tech 84-74 Favorite-Over (136)
Arizona (-18.5) vs. North Dakota 100-82 Underdog-Over (147)
Iowa State (-6) vs. Nevada 84-73 Favorite-Over (157.5)

First Round - Friday, March 17
SESSION 1
Matchup Score ATS Result
Michigan (-2.5) vs. Oklahoma State 92-91 Underdog-Over (155)
Baylor (-11.5) vs. New Mexico State 91-73 Favorite-Over (135)
Arkansas (+1, ML -105) vs. Seton Hall 77-71 Underdog-Over (147)
Oregon (-15) vs. Iona 93-77 Favorite-Over (156.5)

SESSION 2
Matchup Score ATS Result
Louisville (-18.5) vs. Jacksonville State 78-63 Underdog-Over (133)
Southern Methodist vs. USC (+7.5, ML +310) 66-65 Underdog-Under (142)
North Carolina (-26.5) vs. Texas Southern 103-64 Favorite-Over (157.5)
Creighton vs. Rhode Island (-2) 84-72 Favorite-Over (144.5)

SESSION 3
Matchup Score ATS Result
Kansas (-23) vs. UC Davis 100-62 Favorite-Over (144)
Dayton vs. Wichita State (-6.5) 64-58 Underdog-Under (144)
Duke (-19.5) vs. Troy 87-65 Favorite-Under (155.5)
Cincinnati (-3) vs. Kansas State 75-61 Favorite-Over (130)

SESSION 4
Matchup Score ATS Result
Miami-Florida vs. Michigan State (+2, ML +105) 78-58 Underdog-Over (127)
Kentucky (-20) vs. Northern Kentucky 79-70 Underdog-Under (155)
South Carolina (PK) vs. Marquette 93-73 Favorite-Over (143.5)
UCLA (-19.5) vs. Kent State 97-80 Underdog-Over (163.5)

Second Round
SATURDAY, MARCH 18
Matchup Score ATS Result
Notre Dame vs. West Virginia (+2.5, ML +130) 83-71 Underdog-Over (150)
Wisconsin (+5.5, ML +230) vs. Villanova 65-62 Underdog-Under (134)
Northwestern vs. Gonzaga (-10.5) 79-73 Undedog-Over (140.5)
Xavier (+7.5, ML +270) vs. Florida State 91-66 Underdog-Over (154)
Middle Tennessee State vs. Butler (-2.5) 74-65 Favorite-Push (139)
St. Mary's, CA vs. Arizona (-5) 69-60 Favorite-Under (137)
Virginia vs. Florida (-1.5) 65-39 Favorite-Under (126)
Iowa State vs. Purdue (-1) 80-76 Favorite-Over (154.5)

SUNDAY, MARCH 19
Matchup Score ATS Result
Arkansas vs. North Carolina (-11.5) 72-65 Underdog-Under (165.5)
Rhode Island vs. Oregon (-5) 75-72 Underdog-Over (144.5)
Michigan State vs. Kansas (-8) 90-70 Favorite-Over (149)
Michigan (+3, +140) vs. Louisville 73-69 Underdog-Under (142.5)
Southern California vs. Baylor (-5.5) 82-78 Underdog-Over (142)
South Carolina (+6.5, ML +280) vs. Duke 88-81 Underdog-Over (145.5)
Wichita State vs. Kentucky (-3.5) 65-62 Underdog-Under (149.5)
Cincinnati vs. UCLA (-4) 79-67 Favorite-Over (153.5)

**********************

Sweet Sixteen

THURSDAY, MARCH 23
Matchup Score ATS Result
Michigan vs. Oregon - -
West Virginia vs. Gonzaga - -
Purdue vs. Kansas - -
Xavier vs. Arizona - -

FRIDAY, MARCH 24
Matchup Score ATS Result
Butler vs. North Carolina - -
South Carolina vs. Baylor - -
UCLA vs. Kentucky - -
Wisconsin vs. Florida - -

Elite Eight

SATURDAY, MARCH 25
Matchup Score ATS Result
TBA vs. TBA - -
TBA vs. TBA - -
SUNDAY, MARCH 26
Matchup Score ATS Result
TBA vs. TBA - -
TBA vs. TBA - -

Final Four & Championship

SATURDAY, APRIL 1 & MONDAY APRIL 3
Matchup Score ATS Result
TBA vs. TBA - -
TBA vs. TBA - -
TBA vs. TBA - -

[StarDust Bum]

2017 NIT, CBI, CIT Results
March 20, 2017

National Invitation Tournament (NIT)

REGION 1 - CALIFORNIA
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 14 CSU Bakersfield (+6.5, +240 ML) at California 73-66 Underdog-Over (125)
Mar. 14 College of Charleston at Colorado State (-4.5) 81-74 Favorite-Over (136)
Mar. 15 Texas-Arlington (+5.5, ML +220) at Brigham Young 105-89 Underdog-Over (166.5)
Mar. 15 Akron (+7.5, ML +300) at Houston 78-75 Underdog-Over (144)
Mar. 20 CSU Bakersfield at Colorado State - -
Mar. 20 Akron at Texas-Arlington - -
Mar. 22 TBA at TBA - -

REGION 2 - SYRACUSE
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 15 UNC Greensboro at Syracuse (-12) 90-77 Favorite-Over (146)
Mar. 14 Mississippi (+1) at Monmouth 91-83 Underdog-Over (167)
Mar. 14 Indiana at Georgia Tech (+2.5, +125 ML) 75-63 Underdog-Under (143)
Mar. 15 Belmont (+5, ML +180) at Georgia 78-69 Underdog-Under (147.5)
Mar. 18 Mississippi (+7.5, ML +290) at Syracuse 85-80 Underdog-Over (158.5)
Mar. 19 Belmont at Georgia Tech (-4) 71-57 Favorite-Under (138.5)
Mar. 21 Georgia Tech at Mississippi - -

REGION 3 - ILLINOIS STATE
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 14 Boise State (+12, +575 ML) at Utah 73-68 Underdog-Under (156)
Mar. 14 Valparaiso at Illinois (-9) 82-57 Favorite-Over (138.5)
Mar. 15 UC Irvine at Illinois State (-10) 85-71 Favorite-Over (130.5)
Mar. 15 Colorado at UCF (-3.5) 79-74 Favorite-Over (139)
Mar. 20 Boise State at Illinois - -
Mar. 20 UCF at Illinois State - -
Mar. 22 TBA at TBA - -

REGION 4 - IOWA
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 14 Richmond (+8, +315 ML) at Alabama 71-64 Underdog-Under (139)
Mar. 14 Oakland (+10.5, +525 ML) at Clemson 74-69 Underdog-Under (157)
Mar. 15 South Dakota at Iowa (-11) 87-75 Favorite-Under (164)
Mar. 15 Fresno State at Texas Christian (-8.5) 66-59 Underdog-Under (145)
Mar. 19 Oakland at Richmond (-4.5) 87-83 Underdog-Over (159)
Mar. 19 Texas Christian (+3, ML +130) at Iowa 94-92 (OT) Underdog-Over (155)
Mar. 21 Richmond at Iowa - -

SEMIFINALS & FINALS
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 28 TBA vs. TBA - -
Mar. 28 TBA vs. TBA - -
Mar. 30 TBA vs. TBA - -

College Basketball Invitational (CBI)
FIRST ROUND
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 15 Utah Valley (+4.5, ML +170) at Georgia Southern 74-49 Underdog-Under (156.5)
Mar. 15 Loyola-Maryland (+10, ML +450) at George Mason 73-58 Underdog-Under (141)
Mar. 15 Hampton at Coastal Carolina (-9) 83-67 Favorite-Over (145)
Mar. 15 Toledo at George Washington (-6) 73-69 Underdog-Under (146.5)
Mar. 16 Stony Brook at Illinois-Chicago (-2.5) 71-69 Favorite-Under (147)
Mar. 15 Green Bay at Missouri-Kansas City (+1.5, ML +110) 92-82 Underdog-Over (169)
Mar. 15 San Francisco at Rice (-1.5) 85-76 Favorite-Over (154.5)
Mar. 15 Eastern Washington at Wyoming (-4.5) 91-81 Favorite-OVer (163)

QUARTERFINALS AND SEMIFINALS
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 20 Loyola-Maryland at Coastal Carolina - -
Mar. 20 George Washington at Illinois-Chicago - -
Mar. 20 Utah Valley at Rice - -
Mar. 20 Missouri-Kansas City at Wyoming - -
Mar. 22 TBA at TBA - -
Mar. 22 TBA at TBA - -

FINALS (BEST-OF-THREE)
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 27 TBA at TBA - -
Mar. 29 TBA at TBA - -
Mar. 31 TBA at TBA - -

CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT)

FIRST ROUND
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 13 Norfolk State at Liberty (-7) 73-64 Favorite-Over (131)
Mar. 14 St. Francis, PA (+4, +165 ML) at Jacksonville 78-76 Underdog-Under (157.5)
Mar. 14 Houston Baptist at Campbell (+1.5, +105 ML) 98-79 Underdog-Over (150.5)
Mar. 14 Canisius at Samford (-3.5) 78-74 Favorite-Under (164)
Mar. 15 Ball State at IUPUI Fort Wayne (-4.5) 88-80 Favorite-Under (171)
Mar. 15 Fairfield at Maryland-Baltimore County (-3) 88-83 Favorite-Over (153)
Mar. 15 Georgia State at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (+3, ML +135) 80-64 Underdog-Under (146.5)
Mar. 15 Stephen F. Austin at Idaho (-4.5) 73-50 Favorite-Under (138.5)
Mar. 16 Lamar at Texas State (-9.5) 70-60 Favorite-Under (135.5)
Mar. 16 St. Peter's (+2, ML +110) at Albany 59-55 Underdog-Under (121.5)
Mar. 16 Furman (-6.5) at South Carolina-Upstate 79-57 Favorite-Under (148.5)
Mar. 16 UNC Asheville at Tennesse-Martin (+5, ML +180) 89-75 Underdog-Over (151)
Mar. 16 Weber State (+2.5, ML +120) at CS Fullerton 80-76 Underdog-Over (148)

SECOND ROUND AND QUARTERFINALS
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 18 St. Francis, PA at Maryland-Baltimore County (-6.5) 87-79 Favorite-Over (165)
Mar. 20 Tennessee Martin at Campbell - -
Mar. 20 Samford at Liberty - -
Mar. 20 Weber State at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi - -
Mar. 22 Idaho at Texas State - -
Mar. 23-26 TBA at TBA - -
Mar. 23-26 TBA at TBA - -
Mar. 23-26 TBA at TBA - -
Mar. 23-26 TBA at TBA - -

SEMIFINALS & FINALS
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 29 TBA at TBA - -
Mar. 29 TBA at TBA - -
Mar. 31 TBA at TBA - -

[StarDust Bum]

Tipping Off: On to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament
March 20, 2017

It's on to the weekend that many consider the defining mark of a season. Reach the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament and a season is a success. Two wins from the Final Four and all the weekday games are in prime time.

''I just told everybody, just wait,'' Michigan's John Beilein, one of three coaches taking a Big Ten team to the round of 16, said of the conference's early struggles. ''The level of coaching in this league, the resources in this league, the level of talent in this league, it will come to the top at the end of the year.''

The regionals start Thursday and are in New York City (East), Memphis (South), San Jose, California, (West) and Kansas City, Missouri (Midwest).

---

CONFERENCE CALL: The Big Ten, Southeastern Conference, Big 12 and Pac-12 will all have three teams in the Sweet 16. The Pac-12's run is the most impressive considering it had four teams in the field of 68. Now, Oregon, Arizona and UCLA are all still alive in the one-and-done tournament.

The SEC had three of five advance while the Big 12 had six teams in the field and the Big Ten had seven.

The conference that had the toughest early rounds was the Atlantic Coast Conference. North Carolina is the only remaining team from the nine that started the tournament. The ACC went from having 19 percent of the entire field to having 6.3 percent of the Sweet 16.

---

SEED THOUGHTS: The No. 4 seeds all advanced to the Sweet 16, the only line that didn't lose a team. Florida, Purdue, West Virginia and Butler were the four No. 4 seeds that moved on.

The No. 1 line and the No. 3 both had three teams move on while the No. 2 and No. 7 had two each.

The only double-digit seed still playing is No. 11 Xavier, which faces No. 2 Arizona in the West Regional semifinals.

---

ALL WET: This tournament has started a new postgame tradition, spraying everybody with water in the locker room. Few coaches have escaped the wet form of congratulations.

Michigan coach John Beilein arrived for his postgame news conference having been through the water treatment.

''A little damp right now, but our guys, we started a tradition of taking a shower, I guess, without going into the shower after good wins,'' he said. ''It's not stopping.''

---

NO DUKE: One of the more stunning losses by an ACC team was Duke, which lost 88-81 to South Carolina. Coach Mike Krzyzewski explained what happened in his locker room after the game.

''I told them I love these guys. I'm proud of them. I'm disappointed that we didn't win tonight. But at the end of the season I want my guys to either be crying because we've lost or crying because we've just won,'' he said. ''And it shows that if you're not doing one of those, that means you never really became a team. It was never really that important. And for these guys, they were a really good team. This is one of the most proud teams for me.''

---

TOUGH SELL: Whether it's as a No. 1 seed in 2014 or as a 10 seed this year, it seems Wichita State can't get the credit they deserve as a successful program.

''How many years do we have to do this to make people respect our program? I don't know. That's up to you guys,'' coach Gregg Marshall told reporters after his 10th-seeded Shockers lost 65-62 to Kentucky on Sunday. It was a rematch of the 2014 game when eighth-seeded Kentucky ended top-seeded Wichita State's perfect season in the second round. ''I know that we have the heart of a champion.''

''This will just be more fuel for us. ... It really doesn't matter what other people think, to be honest. It matters what we think. And we can't change people's perception of our program. We can't change people's perception of the Missouri Valley Conference or the talent level. It's more important that we know what we're about, and we sleep really well at night knowing what we have and what we continue to prove and what we continue to do as a program.''

---

ANY WIN: Gonzaga's Nigel-Williams-Goss explains how teams feel who won two games to advance to the regional semifinals.

''It's survive, advance and move on,'' he said. ''We'll take the win whether it's pretty, ugly. Can you go back and get better? Sure. That's what you have to do because the competition is going to get better.''

''We have a motto, let's be better next week than we were last weekend, and I think that's going to stay consistent,'' he said.

---

BIG REMATCH: Back on Dec. 3, Kentucky and UCLA met in Lexington. Just over three months later, the two will meet in Memphis in the South Regional's Sweet 16.

When they met the first time, UCLA was ranked 11th in the country and the Wildcats were No. 1.

UCLA won 97-92, its second win over Kentucky in as many years.

It was the Bruins' first-ever visit to storied Rupp Arena - where the Wildcats had won 42 straight coming in and 89 percent overall. It was the most points scored against a Kentucky team coached by John Calipari. It was UCLA's 12th win over a No. 1 team, one behind North Carolina on the all-time list.

''It's a very, very good basketball team,'' UCLA coach Steve Alford said of Kentucky. ''I think they're better now in March than they were when we played them in December and I think we're better than what we were in December as well. Makes for a great matchup.''

[StarDust Bum]

NCAA Tournament picks up steam just before Sweet 16
March 20, 2017

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) The first three days of this year's NCAA Tournament lacked the drama and multitude of upsets the previous few tournaments had, more March Meh-ness than madness.

A scintillating Sunday of games jolted the tournament to life like a triple shot of espresso.

The madness is back in March.

North Carolina, the South Region No. 1 seed, had the most frenetic finish , blowing a 17-point lead and then scoring the game's final 12 points to hold off Arkansas. South Carolina, the No. 7 seed in the East, had the biggest takedown, knocking off No. 2 Duke 88-81 in what was essentially a home game in Greenville.

''This is a new platform,'' Gamecocks coach Frank Martin said. ''It's the first time in the history of our university that we're going to the Sweet 16.''

Kentucky had its hands full until the end against Wichita State, needing two blocked 3-pointers in the final minute to beat the Shockers 65-62.

Oregon trailed most of the second half against spunky Rhode Island in the Midwest Region before scoring the final 7 points to beat the No. 11 seed Rams 75-72 . Baylor had a late spurt to beat Southern California in a taut game and UCLA kicked its offense in high gear after a sluggish first half to beat Cincinnati .

Even the 20-point win by Kansas over Michigan State was filled with highlight-reel plays.

''It was a fast-paced game,'' Kansas coach Bill Self said. ''The pace was faster than the final score indicated even in number of points.''

Before Sunday, the bracket had been like a deflated balloon compared to previous iterations.

Last year's tournament was filled with upsets, buzzer beaters and spectacular individual performances. And that was just the first round. The dance ended in glorious fashion with Villanova's Kris Jenkins splashing a walk-off 3-pointer for the national title.

The highlights from the first three days of this year's tournament: The top overall seed going down in the second round and a player mistakenly fouling in the closing seconds when his team was up, not down.

Villanova, the defending national champion and the top overall seed, lost 65-62 to No. 8 seed Wisconsin. The Badgers play in the Big Ten and are headed to the Sweet 16 for the fourth straight season, so it wasn't exactly a David-and-Goliath scenario.

The other what-just-happened moment came in the first-round game between Northwestern and Vanderbilt in Salt Lake City.

That's where Commodores guard Matthew Fisher-Davis inexplicably grabbed Northwestern's Bryant McIntosh on purpose despite his team leading by 1. His mistake - he thought they were down 1 - sent McIntosh to the free throw line for the go-ahead points with 14.6 seconds left. Vanderbilt lost 68-66 .

''An honest mistake,'' Northwestern coach Chris Collins called it. ''You feel bad for players. He was tremendous today. Certainly, I was surprised.''

Northwestern's magical run to its first NCAA Tournament in 113 years as a program ended in the next round, when the Wildcats put together a furious rally, only to come up short against No. 1 West seed Gonzaga.

As for upsets, Middle Tennessee had a decent one, knocking off Minnesota as a No. 12 seed, but then the Blue Raiders did it last year against Sparty - so why not expect it again?

Three No. 11 seeds got through the first round with upsets over No. 6 seeds, but two are out of the bracket already. Only Xavier, which beat Maryland and Florida State, is through to the Sweet 16.

Besides, 11-over-6 upsets are not really much of a surprise. No. 6 seeds have a winning record against the 11s once in the last eight years.

The buzzer beaters came down to a miss and a make that didn't matter.

Princeton's Devin Cannady had the miss, an open 3-pointer against Notre Dame. Oklahoma State had the make in a 1-point loss to Michigan, which didn't matter to anyone except for gamblers, as the 3 meant the Cowboys ended up covering the spread.

The best shot of March Madness so far? Destiny Slocum's 70-foot heave for Maryland that looked like a soccer throw-in.

Sunday restored the drama-filled aura of March Madness, giving perhaps a springboard for the rest of the bracket.

Butler's Blue III is still in the tournament, so there's that. And it's safe to say what comes next is unexpected - by most, at least.

According to ESPN, just 18 of the 18.8 million brackets filled out on its website correctly predicted the entire Sweet 16. For some reason, that seems high.

[StarDust Bum]

Monday’s six-pack

— Former NBA star Penny Hardaway is a high school coach in Tennessee; his Memphis East team won the state championship this weekend.

— Only once in last 21 years have all four 2-seeds made it to the Sweet 16.

— Steve Alford has a $7.8M buyout at UCLA; if he wants to go back home to Indiana to coach the Hoosiers, adidas is expected to pay the $7.8M.

— Indians 2B Jason Kipnis is out 4-5 more weeks with shoulder inflammation.

— Big change in MLB this year; there is a 10-day disabled list now, not 15 days.

— Arkansas State hired Louisville assistant Mike Balado as its new hoop coach; little weird that they announced it while Louisville was playing Michigan Sunday.

**************************

Monday’s List of 13: Wrapping up a basketball weekend…….

13) Michigan 73, Louisville 69— Wolverines shot just 6-17 on arc; they shouldn’t win this game with those numbers, especially with Walton going 3-13 from floor. Snider was 0-9 for Louisville, 0-7 on arc, bad time for a game like that. Michigan was +5 (11-6) in turnovers; they’re on the roll of a lifetime here, finding ways to win.

12) Kentucky 65, Wichita State 62— Just like 2014, these teams play a tense second round game and Wildcats prevail. Whats next for a Wichita team that returns all its players next year? Will they be in a different league? Will Gregg Marshall still be there? UCLA whacked the Wildcats back in December in Lexington; the rematch should be fun.

11) Kansas 90, Michigan State 70— Spartans were #323 experience team in country; they played #49 non-conference schedule, had some injury issues, but got to the round of 32. Izzo is a great coach, but tough coaching such a young group, albeit a very talented team. Since 2010, Kansas is just 5-3 in this round; this is a solid win- they move on to play Purdue in regional semis.

Jayhawks scored 1.31 pts/possession in first two tournament games, which is really good.

10) North Carolina 72, Arkansas 65— Razorbacks were down 30-13 early, rallied to take the lead, led as late as when score was 65-60, but Tar Heels scored the last 12 points of the game, holding Arkansas scoreless over 3:30 of game. Razorbacks needed to keep game chaotic; when it slowed down, they fell apart.

9) Oregon 75, Rhode Island 72— Conference of Champions wins again; this was a hard-fought game, with Rams up 46-38 at half, but they only scored 26 in 2nd half. Oregon plays Michigan next in Kansas City- they outscored URI 18-6 on foul line, made 7-16 on arc. Rams shot 65% inside arc, but were just 6-8 on foul line, 6-22 on arc. This was a fun game to watch.

Bobby Hurley was with his brother Danny this weekend in Sacramento; had to be weird for him, since he played for the NBA’s Kings and got into a car accident outside the old arena there that ruined his playing career. Bobby was a much better player than his brother, but Danny Hurley seems like he is the better coach.

8) Baylor 82, USC 78— Trojans’ Metu killed the Bears inside (28 points), but Baylor’s bench outscored USC’s 25-4- they were +11 on boards and Lecomte took over a segment of the game that put Baylor ahead for good. USC was 9-22 on arc; they had a great week, but fell little bit short here.

7) South Carolina 88, Duke 81— This regional was supposed to be played in North Carolina, but was yanked because of the Bathroom Law, so Duke, a team that refuses to play true road games in pre-conference play, winds up playing the Gamecocks in Greenville, SC, basically a road game in the Round of 32.

Gamecocks were down 30-23 at halftime, but stormed back in 2nd half, scoring 65 points, most points a Duke team has allowed in one half under Krzyzewski. South Carolina is in Sweet 16 for first time ever; last time they had even won one tournament game was in 1973.

6) UCLA 79, Cincinnati 67— Bearcats led 33-30 at half, then UCLA scored 30 points in first 9:50 of second half, and pulled away in last ten minutes. Underdogs were 6-2 vs spread on Sunday.

There are rumors on the Interweb that Indiana will offer Steve Alford $31.7M for seven years to be its new coach, but now all that has to wait. UCLA is headed to Memphis to play Kentucky in the gym that John Calipari used to call home. Bruins beat Kentucky 97-92 in Rupp Arena in December.

5) Washington hired Syracuse assistant Mike Hopkins as its new hoop coach. Hopkins was supposed to be Jim Boeheim’s successor (and he may still be), but he is 47, which is a little late to be getting your first head coaching job- guess he got tired of waiting.

4) A Las Vegas gambler risked $20,000 to win only $500, playing Louisville on the money line against Jacksonville State Friday.

3) Another investor risked $50,000 on a Villanova/Gonzaga money line parlay, which went down the drain when Wisconsin upset the Wildcats. Thats a bad day.

2) Here’s a good day: When Kansas State won their play-in game with Wake Forest, K-State coach Bruce Weber banked a $164,000 bonus for winning an NCAA tournament game. Hope he sends his agent a nice gift.

1— World Baseball Classic has to be a financial bonanza; they put 65,000+ fans in Petco Park for two separate admissions Saturday. Not sure what tickets cost, but they should have good crowds in Dodger Stadium for the finals this coming week.

[StarDust Bum]

Monday’s extra tournaments

Central Florida coach Dawkins won NIT twice when he was at Stanford, part of reason they fired him; no one wants to be in the NIT. Knights are 10-3 outside AAC, 7-1 in last eight games overall; they won last two road games, at ECU/Temple. UCF is #50 experience team that turns ball over 21.9% of time (#334). Illinois State spit pair with Tulsa of AAC; Redbirds won 21 of last 23 games- they’ve got #5 eFG% defense in country, are #98 experience team. Illinois State is 15-0 at home this season.

Tex-Arlington is 9-3 outside Sun Belt; they scored 62 points in first half of last game, a 105-89 win at BYU. Mavericks are #13 experience team that has #67 eFG% defense- they’re 11-0 at home this season. Akron beat Ga Southern of Sun Belt 75-67 in November; Zips won four of last five games- they’ve got #18 eFG% offense in country. MAC teams are 3-1 vs spread in tourney games this postseason; Sun Belt teams are 3-3.

Illinois is being coached by an assistant/interim coach after Groce was fired; they hired Brad Underwood two days ago, but he won’t coach Illini tonight. Illini won five of last seven games after being 14-12 at one point. Illini beat Northwestern/Michigan St in last two home games. Boise State is 8-4 outside Mountain West; they won last game 73-68 at Utah, despite shooting 3-16 on arc. Broncos are 5-8 vs top 100 teams; they split last eight games overall.

Colorado State is 9-5 outside Mountain West; their 7-man team should be better rested after its conference tourney run. Rams won 13 of last 16 games after an 11-8 start; they beat WAC’s New Mexico St (Bakersfield’s big rival) by 3 in season opener. Bakersfield won last game at Cal; they beat Fresno St of MW at home in November. Roadrunners are one of five worst foul shooting teams in country- they force turnovers 23.4% of time, #9 in country, are #15 experience team.

Coastal Carolina is 4-8 outside Sun Belt, but 8-1 vs teams ranked outside top 200; they beat a MEAC team last round. Chanticleers split their last eight games, but won five of last six home tilts. Coastal shoots 64.8% on line (#328). Loyola MD is 6-5 outside Patriot League- they had an impressive win over George Mason last round. Greyhounds turn ball over 21.9% of time (#336); they’re #242 experience team. Loyola lost six of its last nine games overall.

Pace #14 vs Pace #17. Rice won 10 of last 13 games; they’re #274 experience team that is playing pace #17- if VCU coach Will Wade gets another coaching job, Rice coach Rhoades will bolt to VCU. Owls shoot 39% on arc (#21 in country); they start three sophs, one junior. Utah Valley lost by 6 at UTSA of C-USA back in December; Wolverines won five of last six games, losing 4OT game in semis of WAC tourney. UVSU is #123 experience team; they play pace #14.

Wyoming is 9-3 outside Mountain West; they’re 3-5 in last eight games, since a 4OT win over Fresno- they won last three home games, by 11-12-10 points. Cowboys play pace #11 in high altitude; they start three juniors, one junior. UMKC is 6-9 outside WAC; they beat Green Bay at home last round, making 13-23 on arc- Kangaroos start five seniors, are #51 experience team that shoots 37.3% on arc for season (#68)- they play pace #49.

Ill-Chicago is somehow in a postseason tournament despite being 16-18; they’re 6-6 outside Horizon, beating Stony Brook of America East by 2 at home last game. Flames are 0-6 this season vs teams ranked #125 or better- their best win was over #184 DePaul. George Washington won seven of last eight games, with road wins at Duquesne/Fordham; Colonials played schedule #101- they’re 9-0 against teams ranked outside the top 200.

Tenn-Martin lost OVC final to Jacksonville State; Skyhawks are #8 experience team, starting a senior and four juniors- they’re 9-5 outside OVC, beating NC-Asheville in last round, team that finished ahead of Campbell in Big South. Camels won five of last six games; they’re 5-5 outside Big South,- they’re #318 experience team. Martin turns ball over 21.7% of time (#330); they’re #6 team in country on offensive boards grabbing 37.8% of their own misses.

Samford is in the #13 league, Liberty in the #27 league. Samford beat Campbell by 13 in its only Big South game; Bulldogs won three of last four games, but lost their last four true road games- their last road win was Jan 28 at VMI. Liberty lost NC-Greensboro by 7, Furman by 3 in its two SoCon games; Flames are 3-8 outside Big South- they won last game by 9 over a MEAC team. Liberty is #294 experience team that plays a very slow pace.

A&M-Corpus Christi lost Southland final in OT; they’re 5-4 outside Southland. Islanders are a thin team that forces turnovers 22.5% of time (#12)- they don’t shoot well (32.8% on arc), are 2-3 vs teams ranked #175 or higher. Weber State lost Big Sky final in OT; they won four of last five games, winning last round at Cal State-Fullerton. Wildcats shoot 39.7% on arc (#13); they are 4-3 in last seven true road games.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Dunkel

Monday, March 20


Weber State @ TX-Corpus Christi

Game 635-636
March 20, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Weber State
54.081
TX-Corpus Christi
50.671
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Weber State
by 3 1/2
152
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
TX-Corpus Christi
by 1
145
Dunkel Pick:
Weber State
(+1); Over

Samford @ Liberty

Game 633-634
March 20, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Samford
55.712
Liberty
46.844
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Samford
by 9
138
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Samford
Pick
143
Dunkel Pick:
Samford
Under

UT-Martin @ Campbell

Game 631-632
March 20, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
UT-Martin
55.084
Campbell
48.630
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
UT-Martin
by 6 1/2
144
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
UT-Martin
by 1
149 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
UT-Martin
(-1); Under

George Washington @ Illinois-Chicago

Game 629-630
March 20, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
George Washington
62.449
Illinois-Chicago
50.834
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
George Washington
by 11 1/2
146
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
George Washington
by 5 1/2
152
Dunkel Pick:
George Washington
(-5 1/2); Under

UMKC @ Wyoming

Game 627-628
March 20, 2017 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
UMKC
45.745
Wyoming
57.204
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Wyoming
by 11 1/2
162
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Wyoming
by 9
168 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Wyoming
(-9); Under

Utah Valley @ Rice

Game 625-626
March 20, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Utah Valley
57.298
Rice
57.583
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Utah Valley
Even
168
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Rice
by 5
163 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Utah Valley
(+5); Over

Loyola-Maryland @ Coastal Carolina

Game 623-624
March 20, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Loyola-Maryland
51.876
Coastal Carolina
50.079
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Loyola-Maryland
by 2
146
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Coastal Carolina
by 6 1/2
140
Dunkel Pick:
Loyola-Maryland
(+6 1/2); Over

CS-Bakersfield @ Colorado State

Game 621-622
March 20, 2017 @ 11:15 pm

Dunkel Rating:
CS-Bakersfield
60.966
Colorado State
62.972
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Colorado State
by 2
134
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Colorado State
by 5 1/2
129 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
CS-Bakersfield
(+5 1/2); Over

Boise State @ Illinois

Game 619-620
March 20, 2017 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boise State
59.593
Illinois
63.382
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Illinois
by 4
149
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Illinois
by 8 1/2
145 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Boise State
(+8 1/2); Over

Akron @ TX-Arlington

Game 617-618
March 20, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Akron
58.263
TX-Arlington
66.734
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
TX-Arlington
by 8 1/2
147
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
TX-Arlington
by 5
153 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
TX-Arlington
(-5); Under

UCF @ Illinois State

Game 615-616
March 20, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
UCF
59.048
Illinois State
70.570
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Illinois State
by 11 1/2
116
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Illinois State
by 5
127 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Illinois State
(-5); Under

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Monday, March 20

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

UCF (22 - 11) at ILLINOIS ST (28 - 6) - 3/20/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UCF is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) as a road underdog of 3.5 to 6 points since 1997.
ILLINOIS ST is 20-35 ATS (-18.5 Units) in a home game where the total is 120 to 129.5 since 1997.

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

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

AKRON (27 - 8) at TX-ARLINGTON (26 - 8) - 3/20/2017, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TX-ARLINGTON is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
TX-ARLINGTON is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.

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

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

BOISE ST (20 - 11) at ILLINOIS (19 - 14) - 3/20/2017, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOISE ST is 83-112 ATS (-40.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games since 1997.
ILLINOIS is 26-11 ATS (+13.9 Units) as a home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points since 1997.
ILLINOIS is 38-20 ATS (+16.0 Units) in home games after scoring 80 points or more since 1997.
BOISE ST is 26-14 ATS (+10.6 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
BOISE ST is 26-14 ATS (+10.6 Units) in road lined games over the last 3 seasons.

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

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

CS-BAKERSFIELD (23 - 9) at COLORADO ST (24 - 11) - 3/20/2017, 11:15 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO ST is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) in all games this season.
COLORADO ST is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) in all lined games this season.
CS-BAKERSFIELD is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
CS-BAKERSFIELD is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
CS-BAKERSFIELD is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in March games since 1997.

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

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

LOYOLA-MD (16 - 16) at COASTAL CAROLINA (17 - 17) - 3/20/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOYOLA-MD is 25-6 ATS (+18.4 Units) as a road underdog of 3.5 to 6 points since 1997.
LOYOLA-MD is 108-59 ATS (+43.1 Units) in road games since 1997.
LOYOLA-MD is 108-59 ATS (+43.1 Units) in road lined games since 1997.

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

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

UTAH VALLEY ST (16 - 16) at RICE (23 - 11) - 3/20/2017, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
RICE is 20-31 ATS (-14.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
RICE is 20-31 ATS (-14.1 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
RICE is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) in home games in March games since 1997.

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

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

MISSOURI-KC (18 - 16) at WYOMING (19 - 14) - 3/20/2017, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WYOMING is 20-11 ATS (+7.9 Units) in all games this season.
WYOMING is 20-11 ATS (+7.9 Units) in all lined games this season.
WYOMING is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
WYOMING is 41-24 ATS (+14.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game since 1997.
WYOMING is 27-45 ATS (-22.5 Units) in March games since 1997.

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

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

GEORGE WASHINGTON (20 - 14) at IL-CHICAGO (16 - 18) - 3/20/2017, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
IL-CHICAGO is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) when the total is 150 to 159.5 this season.
IL-CHICAGO is 28-13 ATS (+13.7 Units) in March games since 1997.
IL-CHICAGO is 52-29 ATS (+20.1 Units) in home games after a non-conference game since 1997.
IL-CHICAGO is 119-89 ATS (+21.1 Units) in non-conference games since 1997.
IL-CHICAGO is 46-27 ATS (+16.3 Units) in all tournament games since 1997.

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

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

TENN-MARTIN (22 - 12) at CAMPBELL (18 - 17) - 3/20/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TENN-MARTIN is 77-108 ATS (-41.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
TENN-MARTIN is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 3 seasons.

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

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

SAMFORD (20 - 15) at LIBERTY (20 - 13) - 3/20/2017, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAMFORD is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
SAMFORD is 13-3 ATS (+9.7 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
SAMFORD is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in all tournament games over the last 2 seasons.
SAMFORD is 14-3 ATS (+10.7 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

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

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB

Monday, March 20

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

TBA
OAKLAND vs. RICHMOND
Oakland is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Richmond is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Richmond's last 7 games at home

7:00 PM
TENNESSEE-MARTIN vs. CAMPBELL
Tennessee-Martin is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Tennessee-Martin is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games on the road
No trends available

7:00 PM
CENTRAL FLORIDA vs. ILLINOIS STATE
Central Florida is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Central Florida is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Illinois State is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games at home
Illinois State is 13-1 SU in its last 14 games at home

7:05 PM
SAMFORD vs. LIBERTY
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Samford's last 6 games on the road
Samford is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
No trends available

8:00 PM
UTAH VALLEY vs. RICE
Utah Valley is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games on the road
Utah Valley is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Rice's last 6 games at home
Rice is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home

8:00 PM
GEORGE WASHINGTON vs. ILLINOIS-CHICAGO
George Washington is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games on the road
George Washington is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Illinois-Chicago is 1-5-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Illinois-Chicago is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games

8:00 PM
WEBER STATE vs. TEXAS A&M C.C.
Weber State is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Weber State's last 5 games on the road
No trends available

8:00 PM
AKRON vs. TEXAS-ARLINGTON
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Akron's last 8 games on the road
Akron is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games on the road
Texas-Arlington is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games
Texas-Arlington is 18-1 SU in its last 19 games at home

9:00 PM
BOISE STATE vs. ILLINOIS
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boise State's last 5 games on the road
Boise State is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Illinois's last 14 games
Illinois is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games

9:00 PM
UMKC vs. WYOMING
UMKC is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Wyoming's last 9 games
Wyoming is 15-4 SU in its last 19 games at home

11:00 PM
CS BAKERSFIELD vs. COLORADO STATE
CS Bakersfield is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Colorado State is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games
Colorado State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home