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

[StarDust Bum]

NCAA Tournament Capsules
March 23, 2017

Results from the regional semifinals of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday:

WEST REGION

XAVIER 73, ARIZONA 71

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Trevon Bluiett scored 25 points, Sean O'Mara scored inside with 40 seconds left and No. 11 seed Xavier upset No. 2 Arizona 73-71 in the West Region on Thursday night.

Xavier (30-13) stayed with the second-seeded Wildcats behind Bluiett's 18 first-half points and tracked down the Wildcats after they tried to pull away in the second half. O'Mara scored on a power move inside, but missed a free throw to give Arizona (32-5) a final chance.

Allonzo Trier missed a 3-pointer in the closing seconds and Xavier was able to dribble out the clock, earning its first trip to the Elite Eight since 2008.

The Musketeers held Arizona scoreless over the final 2:52 to earn a sport in the West final against No. 1 seed Gonzaga on Saturday.

Trier scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half and Dusan Ristic had 17 for Arizona.

GONZAGA 61, WEST VIRGINIA 58

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Jordan Mathews hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with under a minute to play and top-seeded Gonzaga survived a rough shooting night for both teams to beat No. 4 seed West Virginia 61-58 Thursday night to advance to the West Regional final.

On a night that featured 51 fouls and only 34 made baskets, Mathews delivered the big shot that sent the Bulldogs (35-1) to their third Elite Eight in school history.

It didn't come easily. West Virginia (29-8) had three shots to tie the game but Tarik Phillip missed a shot from the lane and Jevon Carter missed two 3-pointers after Silas Melson made one foul shot. The Mountaineers rebound both misses but couldn't get another shot off before the buzzer.

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MIDWEST REGION

OREGON 69, MICHIGAN 68

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Tyler Dorsey scored 20 points and made the go-ahead layup with 1:08 left, and third-seeded Oregon ended No. 7 Michigan's dramatic postseason run with a 69-68 victory in a Midwest Regional semifinal on Thursday night.

Dorsey, the man the Ducks call ''Mr. March,'' had his sixth straight game scoring 20 or more points.

The Wolverines (27-11) had one more chance to extend their run after Dylan Ennis missed a free throw with 15 seconds left. But Derrick Walton, who had carried the Wolverines the last three weeks, was off with his long jumper just before the buzzer.

Jordan Bell had a double-double for the Ducks (32-5), with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Pac-12 player of the year Dillon Brooks added 12 points and Dylan Ennis had 10.

Walton led the Wolverines with 20 points, eight assists and five rebounds. Zak Irvin had 14 of his 19 points in the second half and DJ Wilson had 12 points.

Oregon plays Kansas on Saturday in the regional final.

KANSAS 98, PURDUE 66

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Player of the year front-runner Frank Mason III poured in 26 points, Kansas turned on the jets in the second half and the top-seeded Jayhawks soared to a 98-66 blowout of No. 4 seed Purdue on Thursday night in the Midwest Regional semifinals.

Devonte Graham also had 26 points and Josh Jackson had 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Jayhawks (31-4), who led by 7 at halftime before their up-and-down pace finally wore down the Boilermakers.

Kansas used two big runs, including an 11-0 charge highlighted by Lagerald Vicks' 360-degree drunk, to coast into a matchup with No. 3 seed Oregon on Saturday for a spot in the Final Four.

The Ducks survived a nail-biter against Michigan earlier in the night.

Caleb Swanigan had 18 points and seven boards for the Boilermakers (27-8), but the 6-foot-9, 250-pound All-America candidate had to work for all of it.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

Prop bets for tonight’s NCAA tournament games:

— Total 3-point field goals made by Wisconsin/Florida: 14½

— Total 3-point field goals made by UCLA-Kentucky: 16½

— Total 3-point field goals made by South Carolina-Baylor: 13½

— Total 3-point field goals made by Butler/North Carolina: 14½

— Largest lead of the game by Wisconsin/Florida: 12½

— Largest lead of the game by UCLA/Kentucky: 14½

— Largest lead of the game by South Carolina/Baylor: 13½

— Largest lead of the game by Butler/North Carolina: 16½

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Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Wrapping up a terrific Thursday……

13) Xavier 73, Arizona 71— Wildcats led by 8 with 3:45 left; going to be a long summer for Sean Miller, who is 220-66 at Arizona, 107-37 in conference games, but 13-6 in NCAA games, 0-3 in regional finals. Lot of winning, but no Final Fours. This year, he lost in the regional semis.

From Feb 11-March 1, Xavier lost six games in a row; they looked like a dead team without their injured PG Edmond Somner- their upset of Butler in the Big East tournament got them in this tournament- they at least would’ve had to play a play-in game otherwise. Great coaching job by Chris Mack; they switched to a more passive 2-3 zone and it has worked.

Musketeers are first 11-seed in a regional final since Dayton three years ago, a team coached by Archie Miller, Sean’s brother.

12) Oregon 69, Michigan 68— Wolverines were 11-31 on arc, 14-27 inside arc, forced only five Oregon turnovers in an exciting, tense game. Ducks get to Elite 8 despite not having their best shot blocker Boucher, who is out for the year.

When Oregon hired Dana Altman as coach seven years ago, he was like their 5th choice for the job. Guys they wanted to hire didn’t want to coach in Oregon. Sometimes not getting what you want is the best thing that can happen.

11) Gonzaga 61, West Virginia 58— WVU games are hard to ref; they’re physical as hell, and they miss a lot of shots, so there is a ton more bodily contact in their games than a normal game, and lot more calls to make/not make. Mountaineers were 5-23 on arc, 11-37 inside arc in this game; you don’t deserve to win shooting like that, but thought Gonzaga got the better of the whistle in this game.

How happy were the Zags when Arizona got beat? Xavier is on a roll, but reality is, they’re an 11-seed whose starting point guard is in street clothes. They’ll still be tough, but would you rather play a healthy Arizona team? I think not.

10) Kansas 98, Purdue 66— Purdue’s best player is a really good 6-9 kid, muscular, so of course they ran up and down with Kansas, going 10-27 on arc, 14-29 inside arc. Game was 47-40 at the half, too fast for the Boilers, who went in tank in last 10:00.

9) Then there was the day at UMass; Pat Kelsey signed a contract Tuesday to be the new coach of the Minutemen, but 30 minutes before a 4:00 press conference Thursday, with band/cheerleaders/fans waiting, Kelsey backed out of the deal and went back to Winthrop (we think).

Conspiracy theories abound: Kelsey went to college at Xavier; if Chris Mack leaves his alma mater for a new job, Xavier would probably want to hire Kelsey. Time will tell, but looks like Kelsey could be staying at Winthrop for a long time, unless Mack changes jobs.

8) Georgetown fired John Thompson III Thursday, after 13 years with the Hoyas; last two years, Georgetown was 12-24 in Big East games. Two years ago, Hoyas were 22-11, 12-6 in Big East- they lost to Utah in the second round of NCAA’s. Not good enough.

Former NFL commish Paul Tagliabue, a Georgetown alum, is heading the search committee. No idea where they turn for a coach, unless Hornets’ assistant Patrick Ewing is interested.

7) In the history of major league baseball, 866 players have worn #22, making it the most popular number. #80 is the lowest number that has never been worn in a big league game.

6) Detroit Tigers’ 2B Ian Kinsler’s dad has been a prison warden in Arizona for 25 years; doesn’t sound like a fun job.

5) Virginia Cavaliers lost 65-39 to Florida Saturday, ending a 23-11 season; in five days since then, three Cavaliers have transferred out of the program. Must be a good story there.

4) In his great playing career, John Stockton dished out 15,806 assists; 2nd-best on that list is Jason Kidd, with 12,091. Thats amazing- 3,715 more assists than anyone else who ever played the game. Stockton, by the way, played 19 seasons; he played every game in 17 of them.

3) Jeff Van Gundy said this on TV Wednesday night, working the Knicks-Jazz game: “Lot of (NBA) teams have shut it down for the season already.” It was March 22, four weeks before the regular season ends. Not a great commentary on the league.

2) If I had to choose my all-time starting five in NBA history, it would be: Kareem at center, Bill Russell at power forward, then Lebron James, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson on perimeter.

1— Quite a set of games Thursday; three great ones and Purdue’s tank job. Good entertainment. Hopefully tonight’s four games will be just as much fun. I’m definitely looking forward to the Kentucky-UCLA game.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Dunkel

Friday, March 24

Butler @ North Carolina

Game 877-878
March 24, 2017 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Butler
73.097
North Carolina
77.142
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
North Carolina
by 4
158
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
North Carolina
by 7 1/2
152 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Butler
(+7 1/2); Over

UCLA @ Kentucky

Game 875-876
March 24, 2017 @ 9:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
UCLA
74.362
Kentucky
77.901
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Kentucky
by 3 1/2
174
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
UCLA
by 1
168 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Kentucky
(+1); Over

South Carolina @ Baylor

Game 873-874
March 24, 2017 @ 7:25 pm

Dunkel Rating:
South Carolina
64.570
Baylor
76.144
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Baylor
by 11 1/2
133
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Baylor
by 3
137 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Baylor
(-3); Under

Wisconsin @ Florida

Game 871-872
March 24, 2017 @ 9:55 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Wisconsin
72.466
Florida
76.443
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Florida
by 4
126
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Florida
by 1 1/2
131 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Florida
(-1 1/2); Under




NCAAB
Long Sheet

Friday, March 24

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WISCONSIN (27 - 9) vs. FLORIDA (26 - 8) - 3/24/2017, 9:55 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) as a favorite this season.
FLORIDA is 126-93 ATS (+23.7 Units) in non-conference games since 1997.
FLORIDA is 75-47 ATS (+23.3 Units) in all tournament games since 1997.
WISCONSIN is 24-14 ATS (+8.6 Units) when the total is 130 to 139.5 over the last 2 seasons.
WISCONSIN is 148-109 ATS (+28.1 Units) after a non-conference game since 1997.
FLORIDA is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) in road games after allowing 60 points or less 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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S CAROLINA (24 - 10) vs. BAYLOR (27 - 7) - 3/24/2017, 7:25 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BAYLOR is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
S CAROLINA is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in road games after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
S CAROLINA is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
S CAROLINA is 30-15 ATS (+13.5 Units) in road games after scoring 80 points or more since 1997.

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

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UCLA (31 - 4) vs. KENTUCKY (31 - 5) - 3/24/2017, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UCLA is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) when the total is 160 to 169.5 over the last 2 seasons.
UCLA is 20-32 ATS (-15.2 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
UCLA is 18-29 ATS (-13.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
UCLA is 9-19 ATS (-11.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
UCLA is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
KENTUCKY is 85-59 ATS (+20.1 Units) in March games since 1997.
UCLA is 11-4 ATS (+6.6 Units) in non-conference games this season.

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

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BUTLER (25 - 8) vs. N CAROLINA (29 - 7) - 3/24/2017, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
N CAROLINA is 292-240 ATS (+28.0 Units) as a favorite since 1997.
BUTLER is 37-25 ATS (+9.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BUTLER is 37-25 ATS (+9.5 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
BUTLER is 95-67 ATS (+21.3 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
BUTLER is 72-34 ATS (+34.6 Units) in all neutral court games since 1997.
BUTLER is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) against ACC opponents since 1997.
BUTLER is 55-33 ATS (+18.7 Units) in March games since 1997.
BUTLER is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in road games when playing with 5 or 6 days rest over the last 2 seasons.
BUTLER is 144-103 ATS (+30.7 Units) after a non-conference game since 1997.
BUTLER is 72-34 ATS (+34.6 Units) when playing on a neutral court since 1997.
BUTLER is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
BUTLER is 76-42 ATS (+29.8 Units) in all tournament games since 1997.
BUTLER is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in a NCAA tournament games over the last 3 seasons.
BUTLER is 15-7 ATS (+7.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BUTLER is 78-55 ATS (+17.5 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games since 1997.

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

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NCAAB
Short Sheet

Friday, March 24

Wisconsin at Florida, 9:55 PM ET
Wisconsin: 11-3 ATS after 1 or more consecutive unders
Florida: 2-11 ATS in road games after allowing 60 points or less

South Carolina at Baylor, 7:25 PM ET
S Carolina: 1-7 ATS after 2 straight games giving up 9 or less offensive rebounds
Baylor: 6-0 ATS after 2 consecutive non-conference games

UCLA at Kentucky, 9:35 PM ET
UCLA: 6-15 ATS when the total is 160 to 169.5
Kentucky: 69-40 ATS after a win by 6 points or less

Butler at North Carolina, 7:05 PM ET
Butler: 12-3 ATS as a neutral court underdog of 6.5 to 12
N Carolina: 8-18 ATS in road games after 1 or more consecutive unders




NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, March 24

Friday’s NCAA tournament games
Roy Williams has been a 1-seed in four regionals where 1-4 seeds all made it to this point; he advanced to Final Four three of those four years. Since 1993, North Carolina is 12-1 in this round, losing to Wisconsin two years ago; Tar Heels are #113 experience team, starting three juniors two seniors- they’re 14-2 outside ACC, but didn’t play any Big East teams. Butler won six of last eight games; they beat 13/12-seeds to get here last weekend. Bulldogs are #63 experience team, starting three seniors- they’re in Sweet 16 for first time since Brad Stevens bolted for NBA. Since ’06, 1-seeds are 8-10 vs spread when facing a 4-seed in this round, 3-0 the last two years.

Before last week, South Carolina hadn’t won an NCAA game since 1973; Gamecocks scored 93-88 points in beating Marquette/Duke LW after coming into tourney on 3-6 skid. Carolina has two terrific seniors (Thornwell/Notice) but otherwise is very young- they force turnovers 24.5% of time (#4). Baylor is 13-0 outside Big X; they scored 91-82 points in wins over New Mexico St/USC last week. Bears are #102 experience team starting two sophs, two juniors- they’re #305 at protecting the ball, bit of a red flag. Since 2009, 7-seeds are 4-0 in Sweet 16 games against 3-seeds. Gamecocks were in NYC in November, beating Syracuse in Brooklyn.

UCLA made 10-23 on arc, won 97-92 in 83-possession track meet at Rupp Arena Dec 3, where six of 10 starters were freshmen. Six Bruins scored between 13-19 points. UCLA plays #15 pace but have thin bench (#331 minutes); they won 12 of last 13 games, are 15-0 outside Pac-12, with wins over Texas A&M/Kentucky of SEC. Kentucky won its last 13 games; they’re 12-2 outside the SEC, splitting pair with Pac-12 (beat ASU by 46). Wildcats play #22 pace; their subs play #217 minutes- they had to work in both games last week, wins over No Kentucky/Wichita State. Over last two years, Pac-12 teams are 13-2 vs SEC teams (both losses Kentucky over ASU).

Wisconsin is 16th team in last 30 years to upset a 1-seed in 2nd round; previous 15 teams went 8-7 SU in this round, 7-5 vs spread as an underdog. Badgers are #59 experience team; they’ve got guys who’ve played/won a lot together (115-34 last four years, 13-3 in NCAA games)- they’re 7-1-1 vs spread in last nine NCAA tourney games as an underdog. Florida won its two games LW by 15-26 points, after coming in on a 1-3 skid; Gators are #71 experience team, starting a junior, two seniors- they weren’t in last two NCAA’s, so this is new for players/coach. Florida is #11 in country at defending the arc; like just about everyone, they prefer a faster pace than Wisconsin.




NCAAB

Friday, March 24

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Trend Report
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7:09 PM
BUTLER vs. NORTH CAROLINA
No trends available
North Carolina is 17-4 SU in its last 21 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of North Carolina's last 9 games

7:29 PM
SOUTH CAROLINA vs. BAYLOR
No trends available
Baylor is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing South Carolina
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Baylor's last 6 games

9:39 PM
UCLA vs. KENTUCKY
No trends available
Kentucky is 1-2-2 ATS in its last 5 games
Kentucky is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

9:59 PM
WISCONSIN vs. FLORIDA
No trends available
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Florida's last 6 games
Florida is 12-3 SU in its last 15 game

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB

Friday, March 24

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NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 betting preview and odds: Butler vs. North Carolina
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Butler is trying to knock off a No. 1 seed for the third time after doing so in 2010 and 2011. The Bulldogs are 20-4-2 ATS in their last 26 NCAA Tournament games.

Butler Bulldogs vs North Carolina Tar Heels (-7.5, 153)

Game to be played at FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee

Butler has a history of pulling off upsets in the NCAA Tournament, but the fourth-seeded Bulldogs face a tough matchup against No. 1 seed North Carolina in the South Region semifinals Friday in Memphis, Tenn. Butler is trying to knock off a No. 1 seed for the third time after doing so in 2010 and 2011 en route to back-to-back championship game appearances.

The Bulldogs breezed through the first weekend with relative ease as they never trailed in wins over Winthrop 76-64 and Middle Tennessee 74-65, and spent a total of 1:18 tied in those contests. The Tar Heels had a much tougher time and had to rally from a five-point deficit in the final three minutes of a 72-65 victory over Arkansas in the second round. “Sometimes you need games like that,” North Carolina guard Joel Berry II told reporters. “We haven’t had a game like that in a while. Now we know we can win a game when we’re down five with three minutes to go.” The Tar Heels are in the Sweet 16 for the third straight year and the ninth time in the past 13 seasons.

TV: 7:09 p.m. ET, CBS

LINE HISTORY: The Tar Heels hit the board as 7-point favorites and that number has yet to move. The total opened at 152.5 and has been bet up half-point to the current number of 153.

INJURY REPORT:

Butler - No injuries to report

North Carolina - G Joel Berry II (Questionable, ankle), G Kenny Williams (Out For Season, knee)

ABOUT BUTLER: The Bulldogs have been crisp on offense in the tournament, shooting 50 percent overall and 47 percent from 3-point range, with Memphis transfer Avery Woodson (8.9 points) going 8-of-14 from behind the arc. They’ll need to continue that to keep pace with North Carolina, and Butler also needs to keep limiting its turnovers – the Bulldogs average 10.2 per game, ninth-fewest in the nation. Swingman Kelan Martin (16 points, 5.8 rebounds) leads the Bulldogs in scoring and rebounding, while forward Andrew Chrabascz (11.1 points, 4.5 rebounds) and freshman guard Kamar Baldwin (10 points) also score in double digits.

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA: The Tar Heels nearly met their match with Arkansas’ frenetic style of play, but their up-tempo game should match up better against the Bulldogs. North Carolina has no shortage of offensive weapons, beginning with swingman Justin Jackson (18.1 points, 4.7 rebounds) and forwards Kennedy Meeks (12.7 points, 9.1 rebounds) and Isaiah Hicks (12.4 points, 5.7 rebounds). The biggest question for the Tar Heels is the status of Berry (14.4 points, 3.7 assists), who has been hobbled by an ankle injury and struggled to a 2-for-13 shooting performance against the Razorbacks.

TRENDS:

* Bulldogs are 6-1-1 ATS in their last 8 games as an underdog.
* Bulldogs are 20-4-2 ATS in their last 26 NCAA Tournament games.
* Under is 4-0 in Bulldogs last 4 overall.
* Under is 9-1-1 in Tar Heels last 11 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 4-1 in Tar Heels last 5 games as a favorite of 7.0-12.5.

CONSENSUS: Fifty-eight percent of users are taking the underdog Butler Bulldogs and OVER is grabbing 62 percent of the action on the totals.


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NCAAB

Friday, March 24

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NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 betting preview and odds: South Carolina vs Baylor
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South Carolina had barely began celebrating the victory over the Blue Devils in the locker room when Martin told his squad, "Hey, let's go win this thing."

(7) South Carolina Gamecocks vs (3) Baylor Bears (-3.5, 135)

Game to be played at Madison Square Garden, New York, New York

Seventh-seeded South Carolina takes part in the school's first Sweet 16 under the current NCAA Tournament format when it faces third-seeded Baylor on Friday night in the East Region at Madison Square Garden in New York. And Gamecocks coach Frank Martin, whose team advanced thanks to what some are calling the biggest win in school history -- an 88-81 upset of second-seeded Duke on Sunday night, wants to make sure his team isn't satisfied just to be there.

South Carolina, which tied Arkansas for third place in the SEC, had barely began celebrating the victory over the Blue Devils in the locker room when Martin told his squad, "Hey, let's go win this thing." Mighty big talk for a team that hadn't won an NCAA Tournament game in 44 years until knocking off No. 10 seed Marquette 93-73 in the first round but Martin wasn't backing down when asked about the comment during a press conference this week. "I was too emotional to talk," Martin said, "and at the same time I want those kids to believe (that) you guys have earned the right to go to the Sweet 16, that means you're good enough to play anyone in the country. ... I thought it was a powerful moment to let them know. It's doesn't mean that we're going to win it but I believe we can win it." With No. 1 Villanova and No. 2 Duke out of the way in the East, Baylor, which began the year unranked, also has it sights set on getting to the Final Four as All-American forward Johnathan Motley told reporters: "I'm thankful for the opportunity and I want to take advantage of it."

TV: 7:29 p.m. ET, TBS

LINE HISTORY: The Baylor Bears opened as 3-point favorites over South Carolina and by Monday afternoon that number was up a half point to -3.5. The total hit the board at 136.5 and has been bet down to 135.

INJURY REPORT:

South Carolina - G Kory Holden (Out For Season, eligibility).

Baylor - No injuries to report.

ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA: SEC Player of the Year Sindarius Thornwell was somewhat under the radar nationally until Sunday's upset of Duke when the 6-5 senior guard filled up the stat sheet with 24 points, six rebounds and a team-high five assists as the Gamecocks exploded for 65 second-half points. Thornwell leads the team in scoring (21.4), rebounding (7.3) and steals (2.2) while shooting 39.8 percent from 3-point range and is the leader of a tough and physical defense that forced 18 Duke turnovers. Chris Silva, a 6-9 sophomore forward, added a career-high 17 points to go along with 10 rebounds against the Blue Devils and is averaging 10.0 points and 5.8 rebounds.

ABOUT BAYLOR: This marks the fourth time in 14 seasons under Scott Drew that the Bears made it to the Sweet 16 and they've advanced to the Elite Eight twice with wins over Saint Mary's in 2010 and Xavier in 2012 while losing to No. 2 seed Wisconsin in 2014. Motley, a 6-10 junior forward who has played himself into NBA lottery consideration, leads the team in scoring (17.3) and led the Big 12 in rebounding (9.9), and had 19 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in the Bears' 82-78 second-round victory over USC. Junior point guard Manu Lecomte (12.3) is the only other player averaging in double figures but 7-0 junior forward Jo Lual-Acuil Jr., who averages 9.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks, and junior guard Al Freeman, who had 21 points in the team's 91-73 first-round victory over New Mexico State, have also been impact performers.

TRENDS:

* Gamecocks are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win.
* Bears are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 vs. Southeastern.
* Over is 7-0 in Gamecocks last 7 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Over is 6-1 in Bears last 7 NCAA Tournament games as a favorite.
* Underdog is 6-0 ATS in the last 6 meetings.

CONSENSUS: 60 percent of users are taking chalk with the Baylor Bears and Over is picking up 54 percent of the totals wagers.


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[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB

Friday, March 24

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NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 betting preview and odds: UCLA vs. Kentucky
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Lonzo Ball had one of his most impressive performances of the season in the second round and should be motivated to play well against the freshman backcourt of Kentucky.

UCLA Bruins vs Kentucky Wildcats (PK, 165.5)

Game to be played at FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee

UCLA knows what it takes to defeat Kentucky, and the third-seeded Bruins try to take down the No. 2 seed Wildcats for the second time this season when they meet in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 on Friday at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn. UCLA defeated Kentucky on Dec. 3 in 2015 and again in 2016, each time when the Wildcats were ranked No. 1 in the coaches' poll.

The Bruins earned their latest victory against Kentucky much the way they've beaten every team on their schedule this season, getting balanced scoring on high-percentage shots from their starting five. UCLA's five starters scored from 14 to 19 points and Aaron Holiday contributed 13 off the bench in the 97-92 win in December. The Wildcats lean on 6-3 freshmen guards Malik Monk and De'Aaron Fox, who each had big games in the earlier meeting against the Bruins. Monk, who averages 20 points, scored 24 in December, and Fox, who averages 16.1, scored 20. The key matchup could be between 6-10 freshman forwards Bam Adebayo of Kentucky and T.J. Leaf of UCLA, who logged double-doubles in their earlier matchup.

TV: 9:39 p.m. ET, CBS

LINE HISTORY: UCLA hit the board as 1-point favorites but that number quickly jumped the fence and, as of Thursday afternoon, Kentucky was sitting at -1. The total meanwhile, has slowly and continually been fading since opening at 169. the current number is 165.5.

WHAT SHARPS SAY: "Kentucky is a dog for just the second time all year. The first occasion did not go well as they were handed a 22-point defeat in Gainesville." - Power Sports.

WHAT BOOKS SAY: “The line has seemingly settled at pick ‘em, after UCLA opened as a 1-point favorite. A bit of sharp money came in on Kentucky +1. However, the betting action has been dead even on the game for the last day and a half.” - Lines Manager at GTBets.

INJURY REPORT:

UCLA - G Armani Dodson (Out Indefinitely, shoulder), G Prince Ali (Out For Season, knee), F Alex Olesinski (Out For Season, foot)

Kentucky - F Sacha Killeya-Jones (Out Indefinitely, illness)

ABOUT UCLA (31-4 SU, 17-18 ATS, 16-17-2 O/U): Bruins freshman point guard Lonzo Ball had one of his most impressive performances of the season in the second round and should be motivated to play well against the freshman backcourt of Kentucky. Ball had 18 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and one turnover in the 79-67 victory Sunday against Cincinnati, shooting 7-for-10 from the floor and 4-for-7 from 3-point range. He had 14 points, seven assists and six rebounds in the first meeting with the Wildcats, so they have a blueprint of the damage he can inflict.

ABOUT KENTUCKY (31-5 SU, 18-17-1 ATS, 17-19 O/U): Isaiah Briscoe is the third starting guard for the Wildcats and also has good size at 6-3, and is the best rebounder in the backcourt, posting four double-doubles this season and ranking second on the team at 5.4 rebounds. The Bruins need to decide who to put on Briscoe, and that could be Ball, who has the length at 6-6 to keep him off the glass. That would require UCLA senior guard Bryce Alford to guard Fox or Monk, and he doesn't have the foot speed to stay in front of either one.

TRENDS:

* Bruins are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 non-conference games.
* Wildcats are 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 NCAA Tournament games.
* Under is 6-1 in Bruins last 7 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 12-2 in Wildcats last 14 games following a straight up win.
* Bruins are 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings.

CONSENSUS: 58 percent of users are siding with UCLA and Under is picking up 52 percent of the totals wagers.


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NCAAB

Friday, March 24

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NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 betting preview and odds: Wisconsin vs. Florida
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Something's gotta give: Florida is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 non-conference games, while Wisconsin is 7-1 ATS in its last eight non-conference games.

Wisconsin Badgers vs. Florida Gators (-2, 131.5)

Game to be played at Madison Square Garden, New York, New York

Florida and Wisconsin are two of the most impressive teams in the NCAA Tournament, and one is about to move a step closer to another Final Four trip. The fourth-seeded Gators and eighth-seeded Badgers square off Friday in New York City in an intriguing Sweet 16 matchup in the East Region.

Florida, of course, won back-to-back national championships in 2006 and 2007 and returned to the Final Four in 2014, while Wisconsin is aiming for its third Final Four berth in the last four seasons. The Badgers became the only team in the nation to advance to four straight Sweet 16s when they upset No. 1 overall seed Villanova in the Round of 32 last weekend thanks to continued terrific play from Bronson Koenig. "We talked about the legacy we want to leave," the senior guard said this week. "Getting to the Final Four is one of the goals we talked about since the end of last season." The Gators held Virginia to 39 points in the second round and hope to get another strong performance out of Devin Robinson as they aim to derail the Badgers.

TV: 9:59 p.m. ET, TBS

LINE HISTORY: The Gators opened as 1.5-point chalk against the Badgers and that number has been bet up half-point to an even 2. The total hit the betting board at 131.5 and briefly faded to 131 before returning to the opening number, where it currently stands.

INJURY REPORT:

Wisconsin - No injuries to report.

Florida - C John Egbunu (Out For Season, knee), F Dontay Bassett (Out For Season, foot)

ABOUT WISCONSIN: The Badgers have two key seniors with multiple Final Four experience in Koenig, who has drained 11 3-pointers en route to 45 points through two games of this event, and Nigel Hayes, who is averaging 17.5 points and nine boards through two NCAA contests. Ethan Happ, who notched at least 10 points and eight rebounds in five straight games, is another cause for concern for the Gators. On the downside for Wisconsin, its bench shot a collective 5-of-16 in the Big Dance and the reserves totaled three points against Villanova.

ABOUT FLORIDA: The Gators are 8-1 all-time in the Sweet 16 and have an excellent shot at improving that mark if Robinson continues to shine. The junior forward had 14 points and 11 rebounds against Virginia and is averaging 19 points - way up from his season average of 11.4 - through the first two games of the tournament. On the other hand, Florida's leading scorer on the season is KeVaughn Allen, a normally sweet-shooting sophomore who is 1-of-13 from 3-point range and 3-of-21 overall in the tournament, totaling 11 points in the Gators' two victories.

TRENDS:

* Badgers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games as an underdog of 0.5-6.5.
* Gators are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 games as a favorite of 0.5-6.5.
* Under is 10-1 in Badgers last 11 games as an underdog.
* Under is 12-3-1 in Badgers last 16 neutral site games.
* Under is 6-1 in Gators last 7 games following a ATS win.

CONSENSUS: 55 percent of users are siding with the underdog Badgers. As for the total, 53 percent of wagers are taking the Over.

[StarDust Bum]

Sweet 16 - East Regional
March 23, 2017

Four schools are headed to the bright lights of the big city for the East Region semifinals. One will emerge Sunday with a bid to next week’s Final Four in Phoenix. Let’s take a look at Friday night’s doubleheader at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

No. 7 South Carolina vs. No. 3 Baylor

-- As of early Thursday night, most books had Baylor (27-7 straight up, 15-14 against the spread) listed as a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 135. The Gamecocks were available on the money line for a +150 payout (risk $100 to win $150).

-- Baylor was eliminated from the 2015 and 2016 NCAA Tournaments via first-round upsets by Georgia State and Yale, but the Bears are back in the Sweet 16 this year for the first time since 2014. They own a 2-1 record in the region-semifinals round during Scott Drew’s tenure.

-- Drew owns an 8-6 record in the Tournament during his reign at Baylor.

-- Baylor advanced to the second round with a 91-73 triumph over New Mexico State as an 11.5-point ‘chalk.’ The 164 combined points went ‘over’ the 135-point tally. The Aggies actually held a two-point advantage at halftime, but the Bears outscored them by a 53-33 margin in the final 20 minutes. Ali Freeman scored a team-best 21 points thanks to 3-of-3 shooting from 3-point range and 6-of-6 shooting at the free-throw line. Terry Maston added 19 points and nine rebounds in 22 minutes of action from off of the bench. Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. finished with 16 points and three blocked shots, while Johnathan Motley contributed 15 points, 10 boards and two blocks.

-- Baylor advanced to the East Region semifinals thanks to an 82-78 win over Southern Cal as a 5.5-point favorite. The Trojans took the cash on a one-handed buzzer-beating putback from several feet out. Maston led the winners with 19 points and nine rebounds, while King McClure hit 5-of-8 shots from 3-point land in a 17-point effort. Motley finished with 19 points and 10 boards before fouling out after 27 minutes of playing time.

-- I’ve always felt rim protection and interior defense is about as important as any factor for a team looking to make noise in March. The Bears are good in this area thanks to Lual-Acuil, who averages 2.5 blocked shots per game.

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-- Motley averages team-highs in scoring (17.3 PPG) and rebounding (9.9 RPG).

-- Baylor is ranked 20th in the nation in scoring defense (63.5 points per game) and 22nd in field-goal percentage defense (40.4%).

-- South Carolina (24-10 SU, 13-16 ATS) has been an underdog eight times this year, compiling a 4-3-1 spread record with four outright victories.

-- Frank Martin’s team pulled the Tournament’s biggest stunner to date with last Sunday night’s 88-81 win over second-seeded Duke as a 6.5-point underdog. USC trailed by seven at intermission after making just 7-of-35 first-half shots (20.0%), only to score 65 points in the second half. Sindarius Thornwell, the SEC Player of the Year, produced 24 points, six rebounds and five assists. Chris Silva had a double-double, contributing 17 points, 10 rebounds and two blocked shots. Duane Notice finished with 17 points, four boards and three steals, while Rakym Felder had 15 points, four rebounds and three assists without a turnover.

-- South Carolina advanced to the Round of 32 thanks to a 93-73 blowout win over Marquette in a pick ‘em affair. The 166 combined points soared ‘over’ the 143.5-point total. Thornwell was the catalyst with 29 points, 11 rebounds, three steals, two blocked shots and two assists compared to only one turnover. P.J. Dozier added 21 points, four boards, four assists and a pair of steals.

-- South Carolina had not won an NCAA Tournament game since 1972 until last weekend in Greenville. In nine all-time Tourney appearances, the Gamecocks own a 6-9 record. This is their first Tourney showing since 2004.

-- South Carolina is ranked ninth in the nation at defending the 3-point arc (30.0%), 18th in FG percentage defense (40.0%) and 32nd in scoring defense (65.2 points per game).

-- During Frank Martin’s tenure at Kansas State, he posted a 4-4 record against the Bears. -- The ‘under’ is 17-13-1 overall for the Gamecocks, but they’ve seen the ‘over’ hit in back-to-back contests.

-- Tip-off is scheduled for 7:25 p.m. Eastern on TBS.

No. 4 Florida vs. No. 8 Wisconsin

-- As of early Thursday night, most betting shops had Florida (26-8 SU, 19-13 ATS) installed as a two-point favorite with a total of 131.5. The Badgers were +110 or +115 on the money line.

-- Florida is back in the Sweet 16 for the first time in three years and the 11th time in the program’s history. The Gators have thrived in region semifinals play, posting an 8-2 record. The lone defeats came in 1987 (Syracuse in the Meadowlands) and 1999 (Gonzaga on Casey Calvary’s tip in Phoenix). They have won seven straight Sweet 16 games.

-- According to Chris Harry, the long-time UF hoops beat writer, the team arrived at Newark Airport around 5:40 p.m. Easter on Wednesday. The Gators took a bus to their headquarters at the Grand Hyatt at Park Avenue Central. MSG is within 15 blocks or about a mile and change. On Thursday, UF practiced at St. Francis University before an open shoot-around at MSG.

-- Mike White owns a 2-0 career coaching record in the NCAA Tournament after last weekend in Orlando. Florida only led East Tennessee State by one at halftime last Thursday night, but Chris Chiozza sparked a 10-1 second-half run that allowed the Gators to get separation en route to an 80-65 victory as 9.5-point favorites. Devin Robinson paced UF with 24 points, seven rebounds and a pair of blocked shots. Kasey Hill added 14 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals, while Chiozza contributed 14 points, five boards, three assists and one steal.

-- Florida faced Virginia from out of the ACC in the Round of 32. UF raced out to an early lead and coasted to an easy 65-39 win as a two-point ‘chalk.’ The 104 combined points dropped ‘under’ the 125.5-point total. Justin Leon and Robinson both posted double-doubles. Leon went for 14 points and 10 rebounds, while D-Rob finished with 14 points and 11 boards. Chiozza added seven points, four rebounds, two steals and five assists compared to just one turnover.

-- Two developments to note coming out of UF’s first two games: The Gators easily advanced despite the shooting struggles of their leading scorer, KeVaughn Allen, who was an abysmal 3-of-21 from the field in Orlando. However, the sophomore guard out of Little Rock was on fire when UF faced Duke at MSG on Dec. 6. Allen dropped 21 points on the Blue Devils, draining 8-of-12 shots from the field, including 3-of-5 launches from long distance. Also, White played freshman center Gorjok Gak in both games. With starting center John Egbunu out for the season with a torn ACL, Gak providing quality minutes on the interior is a big deal for this squad. Gak, who had played in only eight regular-season games, scored four points and grabbed one rebound in seven minutes of action vs. ETSU. Then in the blowout win over UVA, he had six points and two rebounds on 3-of-3 shooting from the field in 10 minutes of playing time.

-- Robinson has been a big help on the boards since Egbunu went down. In the eight games since then, D-Rob is averaging 8.5 RPG.

-- UF’s defense is extremely underrated. It starts with the on-ball pressure on the perimeter by Hill and Chiozza. Leon and Robinson are versatile and athletic, capable of defending on the perimeter and on the post. Kevarrius Hayes, the sophomore who became the starting center when Egbunu was injured, has 16 blocked shots in the last nine games and had six steals vs. ETSU. The Gators are ranked 10th in the nation at defending the 3-point line (30.4%).

-- Wisconsin (27-9 SU, 17-16 ATS) was inexplicably made a No. 8 seed and the Tournament’s No. 1 overall seed, Villanova, paid for the ignorant decision by the Selection Committee. After all, Minnesota was made a No. 5 seed even though the Badgers dusted the Gophers twice, including a 66-49 shellacking in Madison.

-- Wisconsin won a 65-62 decision over the defending national champs this past Saturday afternoon in Buffalo. The Badgers won outright as 5.5-point underdogs, hooking up money-line supporters with a nice +230 return (risk $100 to win $230). Nigel Hayes led the way with 19 points and eight rebounds in 39 workmanlike minutes of playing time. Hayes had to carry the load with Ethan Happ and Bronson Koenig dealing with foul trouble that limited them to 23 and 27 minutes of PT, respectively. Koenig was feeling it and wanting the ball at crunch time. The senior point guard, who finished with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field, including three makes on six launches from downtown, buried a pair of 3-balls at crunch time, including a tie-breaking trey fading away on a catch-and-shoot off a down screen. Hayes scored the game-winning bucket with his team down on with 11.4 seconds remaining. Happ finished with 12 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and a pair of rejections. His defense on Josh Hart in the closing seconds was crucial. As the ‘Nova PG penetrated into the lane and went up looking to draw contact, Happ expertly jumped up straight with his long arms extended and not only didn’t commit a foul, but also made Hart miss.

-- Greg Gard’s squad advanced to the Round of 32 by thumping Va. Tech 84-74 as a six-point favorite. Koenig led the way with 28 points on eight made 3-pointers. The senior PG also had three rebounds and three assists compared to only one turnover. Hayes added 16 points, 10 boards and three assists.

-- Happ (13.8 PPG) leads the Badgers in rebounding (9.1 RPG), assists (2.8 APG), FG percentage (58.5%), steals (1.8 SPG) and blocks (1.2 BPG).

-- Wisconsin is in its fourth consecutive Sweet 16. The Badgers have knocked off three No. 1 seeds during their four-year span of deep March runs.

-- Wisconsin is ranked 11th in the country in scoring defense, giving up only 61.8 PPG.

-- These schools split a home-and-home series in 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 campaigns. The Gators blasted UW by a 74-56 count as six-point home favorites on Nov. 14 of ’12, while the Badgers won a 59-53 decision as 5.5-point home faves on Nov. 12 of ’13.

-- The ‘under’ is 17-13-3 overall for the Badgers, 4-2-1 in their last seven outings.

-- The ‘under’ is 18-14 overall for the Gators, cashing in their last three games and five of their last six.

-- This game will tip 30 minutes after the South Carolina-Baylor game concludes.

[StarDust Bum]

Sweet 16 - South Regional
March 24, 2017

Four schools have taken over Memphis for tonight’s South Region semifinals at FedEx Center. The top three seeds are still alive and consist of blue-blood material, while a familiar March darling is poised to play the spoiler yet again.

First, seventh-seeded Butler will try to wreak havoc on gamblers backing North Carolina to win this year’s bracket bonanza. These teams will tip at 7:05 p.m. Eastern on CBS.

Then in the nightcap game, UCLA and Kentucky will do battle in March for only the third time in the history of these storied programs. This will be a rematch of the Bruins’ 97-92 win over Kentucky as 11 ½-point road underdogs back in December.

If tonight’s games can match the three thrillers we saw decided by six combined points Thursday, hoops junkies are loving life. Let’s get to the games before crushing Chris Webber in Bonus Nuggets.

No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 4 Butler

-- As of early this morning, most books had top-seeded North Carolina (29-7 straight up, 18-15 against the spread) listed as a 7.5-point favorite with a total of 153. The Bulldogs were +280 on the money line (risk $100 to win $280).

-- Roy Williams is coaching in the Sweet 16 for the 18th time. He’s fortunate to be there after trailing Arkansas 65-60 with less than three minutes remaining in last Sunday’s second-round showdown in Greenville, SC. However, UNC finished the game on a 12-0 run to captured a 72-65 win as an 11.5-opoint favorite. Kennedy Meeks was the difference, tallying 16 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots. Justin Jackson added 15 points, eight rebounds, five assists and five steals. The Tar Heels won the rebounding battle by a 40-30 margin.

-- UNC cruised in its first-round game last Friday, beating Texas Southern 103-64 as a 26.5-point ‘chalk.’ Jackson was the catalyst with 21 points and seven rebounds, as he drilled 5-of-8 launches from 3-point range. Isaiah Hicks chipped in with 17 points and six boards, while Meeks finished with 13 points, six boards and a pair of rejections.

-- UNC owns an 8-6-1 spread record in 15 games as a single-digit favorite this season.

-- Butler (25-8 SU, 7-4 ATS) has been an underdog four times this year, going 3-1 both SU and ATS with wins over Indiana and Villanova (twice).

-- Butler improved its all-time NCAA Tourney record to 23-14 with wins over Winthrop (76-64) and Middle Tennessee (74-65) both SU and ATS last weekend. The Bulldogs are in the Sweet 16 for the sixth time in the history of their program.

-- Butler took out Middle Tennessee as a 2.5-point favorite behind 19 points, six rebounds and four assists from Kelan Martin, who hit 6-of-9 shots, including 3-of-6 from downtown. Andrew Chrabascz had 15 points and Kamar Baldwin finished with 13 points, four boards and four assists compared to merely one turnover.

-- Martin leads Butler in scoring (16.0 points per game), rebounding (5.8 RPG) and steals (1.7 SPG).

-- These schools met on Nov. 26 of 2014 with Butler beating UNC 74-66 as a nine-point underdog in the Bahamas. Martin and Chrabascz were freshmen at the time. Martin came off the bench for 17 minutes of playing time, producing 17 points and six rebounds, while Chrabascz finished with seven points and six boards. Meeks had seven points, 10 rebounds and five blocked shots in defeat.

-- In a Nov. 20 encounter in 2012, Butler downed North Carolina against as a nine-point underdog. This time the Bulldogs won 82-71 in Hawaii.

-- The ‘under’ is 15-14-2 overall for the Bulldogs after cashing in four consecutive games.

-- The ‘under’ is 20-13-1 overall for UNC, but the ‘over’ is 3-2 in its last five games.

No.2 Kentucky vs. No. 3 UCLA

-- As of early this morning, most betting shops had UCLA (31-4 straight up, 17-18 against the spread) installed as a one-point favorite with the total in the 165-166 range. The tally has dripped down after opening at 169 points. There were some spots at pick ‘em and a few offshores had Kentucky as the one-point ‘chalk.’

-- UCLA leads the nation in scoring (90.2 PPG), FG percentage (52.1%), assists (21.6 APG) and assists-to-turnovers ratio (1.93).

-- UCLA owns a 105-40 all-time record in 48 NCAA Tournament appearances. Steve Alford has the Bruins in the Sweet 16 for the third time in his four-year tenure, but he’s 0-2 in two previous region-semifinal games, including a 79-68 loss to Florida in the 2014 South Region semifinals in Memphis.

-- Steve Alford’s team went to Rupp Arena on Dec. 3 and emerged victorious with six players scoring at least 13 points. Lonzo Ball produced 14 points, seven assists and six rebounds, while Isaac Hamilton scored a team-best 19 points. T.J. Leaf scored 17 points and pulled down 13 rebounds and Thomas Welsh finished with 14 points and eight boards. In the losing effort, UK’s Malik Monk had a game-high 24 points and five steals, draining 4-of-8 shots from downtown. De’Aaron Fox contributed 20 points and nine assists compared to merely two turnovers. Edrice Adebayo finished with 18 points, 13 rebounds and four blocked shots.

-- UCLA has won four of the last six head-to-head meetings with Kentucky, going 5-1 ATS.

-- UCLA snapped out of a 0-4 ATS slide with Sunday night’s 79-67 win over Cincinnati as a 3.5-point ‘chalk.’ The Bruins had five players in double figures led by Ball’s 18 points, seven rebounds, two steals and nine assists compared to just one turnover. Bryce Alford went for 16 points, while Welsh and Leaf added 11 apiece.

-- Ball, a freshman point guard who is going to be a lottery pick, leads UCLA in assists (7.6 APG) and steals (1.9 SPG). Ball is averaging 14.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game while shooting 55.6 percent clip. He is hitting 42.0 percent of his 3’s and has 26 blocked shots. Leaf is averaging 16.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game with an 85/49 assists-to-turnovers ratio. The freshman forward is second on the team in blocked shots with 38. Alford, the senior guard who is the head coach’s son, is the Bruins’ second-leading scorer (15.6) and is shooting at a career-high level from 3-point land (43.3%).

-- Kentucky (31-5 , 18-17 ATS) has won 13 in a row and hasn’t tasted defeat since taking an 88-66 pimpslap from Florida on the night before the Super Bowl. John Calipari’s team won the SEC Tournament with wins over Georgia, Alabama and Arkansas before winning a pair of games last weekend. The Wildcats didn’t earn many style points but like I’ve always said, you either survive or advance this time of year. They’re in the Sweet 16 for the sixth time during Cal’s eight-year tenure.

-- UK failed to cover the number in last Friday night’s 79-70 win over Northern Kentucky as a 20-point favorites. Fox scored a team-high 19 points, but he coughed up six turnovers compared to only two assists. Isaiah Briscoe had 17 points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots, while Adebayo went for 15 points and 18 boards.

-- Kentucky beat Wichita State in the Round of 32 for the second time in four seasons last Sunday afternoon. The Wildcats won 65-62 for a push as three-point favorites. The Shockers had two chances to tie with 3-pointers in the final seconds, only to see to both trey attempts blocked. Monk and Adebayo get credit for those defensive efforts. The duo combined to produce 27 points and 12 rebounds.

-- Monk paces UK with his 20.0 PPG scoring average, while Fox averages 16.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

-- When these schools squared off in the finals of the 1975 Tournament, UCLA won by a 92-85 score to send John Wooden into retirement with his 10th national championship. I was at a Sweet 16 game between the ‘Cats and the Bruins at The Trop in St. Pete in the 1998 Tournament when UK rolled to a 94-68 victory.

-- The ‘under’ is 19-17 overall for UK, cashing in three straight games and eight of its last nine. The ‘under’ is 5-2 when the ‘Cats have a total in the 160s.

-- The ‘under’ is 17-16-2 overall for the Bruins, going 6-2 in their last eight outings.

-- CBS will provide the broadcast 30 minutes after the conclusion of UNC-Butler.

B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets

-- West Virginia’s final possession in last night’s gut-wrenching loss to Gonzaga will go down as one of the worst in NCAA Tournament history. There was zero reason to only be thinking about a potential tying three-pointer. Not even when the clock was down to 15 seconds. The ‘Zags are in the Elite Eight for the only the third time in school history. They won a 61-58 decision after a ferocious defensive stand that didn’t allow the Mountaineers to get a shot off in the final 13 seconds. The final score resulted in a push, while the ‘under’ was an easy winner.

-- Gonzaga will face Xavier in Saturday’s West Region finals. The Musketeers won an instant classic over second-seeded Arizona (73-71) thanks to a 9-0 run to finish an epic contest. They won outright as 7.5-point underdogs, delighting their money-line supporters who cashed an outstanding +310 ticket (paid $310 on $100 wagers.

-- Think about this coaching job Chris Mack has done this season. Xavier lost its best player (Edwin Sumner) to a season-ending injury and after losing six in a row in February, it went into the Big East Tournament on the proverbial bubble. The Musketeers might’ve been left out of the NCAA field if not for a win over Butler at MSG in NYC.

-- Where I come from, we call Trevon Blueitt a ‘hoss.’ Translation: Stud.

-- Oregon hasn’t been to the Final Four since 1939. That could change Saturday when the Ducks take on the Kansas Jayhawks, who handed Purdue its worst loss in NCAA Tourney history in Thursday’s late game at Sprint Center in Kansas City. KU and Oregon also met in the Elite Eight in the 2002 Tourney when the Jayhawks to a 104-86 win.

-- Come Saturday night, either Mark Few or Chris Mack will on the way to his first Final Four.

-- I like me some Buzz Williams. “I’m not sure about SnapChat,” he remarked on CBS last night.

-- C-Webb is so stuck in the early 1990s. What a freakin’ clown!

-- Maybe I was just in a foul mood because I went 0-1-1 in with a tough loss and a chafe push in the early games? Maybe not. Listening to C-Webb’s relentless analysis is like being in a dentist’s chair – you just want out ASAP.

-- Seriously, why does CBS torture America with the presence of Webber and Seth Davis? They’re “Worse-Than-Mark-May” bad, which is comparable to outdoor wind sprints at noon Eastern on a sunny day in August. Give those dudes the hook.

-- I’ll be at MSG tonight – can’t wait!

[StarDust Bum]

Sweet 16 newcomer SC meets Baylor
March 23, 2017

Sweet 16, East region; New York, 7:29 p.m. EDT.

BOTTOM LINE: This is all new for the Gamecocks. They are in the Sweet 16 for the first time since the field expanded to 64, having beaten Duke in the second-round at Greenville, South Carolina, along the way. Before their first-round victory against Marquette, the Gamecocks hadn't won an NCAA Tournament game since 1973. They hadn't even been in the tournament since 2004. Baylor is back in the Sweet 16 after first-round exits the last two years. This is the Bears' fourth Sweet 16 under coach Scott Drew, but they haven't been to a Final Four since 1950.

THE SHOW: South Carolina's Sindarius Thornwell is the Southeastern Conference player of the year - despite a six-game suspension early in the season - and he has lived up to his star billing in the NCAA Tournament. The senior had 29 points and 11 rebounds against Marquette and 24 and seven vs. Duke. Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski called him ''the best, unheralded, great player in the United States.''

NO. 1: Baylor had a short stint in January as the No. 1 team in the AP college basketball poll, a first in program history. The Bears went 4-5 in February. Otherwise it was another successful year for Drew's program. Baylor is one of 13 teams to reach the Sweet 16 at least four times since 2010.

FAMILIARITY: Gamecocks coach Frank Martin left Kansas State to take over in Columbia, South Carolina, in 2012. Martin went 4-4 against Drew and Baylor while he was in coaching in the Big 12. The teams have met twice since Martin came to South Carolina and Baylor won twice, the last time in 2014. Martin said familiarity with Baylor's matchup zone helps some but more so the Gamecocks benefit from having played zone teams Syracuse and Michigan. South Carolina won both games.

MOTLEY'S CREW: Johnathan Motley is Baylor's best player. An All-Big 12 pick and potential All-American, Motley averages 17.3 points and 9.9 rebounds per game.

[StarDust Bum]

TIPPING OFF: Point guard battle part of Kentucky-UCLA allure
March 24, 2017

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) UCLA's Lonzo Ball and Kentucky's De'Aaron Fox have spent the season putting up big numbers and highlight-reel plays to power two blueblood programs.

Come Friday night, one of those talented freshman point guards will move their teams within a win of the Final Four, too - at the expense of the other.

The Wildcats and Bruins meet in the South Region semifinals in Memphis, Tennessee, the headliner of Friday's four-game slate in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. And part of the buzz comes from the matchup of potential one-and-done floor leaders who have already met this season.

Fox won the individual matchup with a better statistical day in December, but Ball helped his team win 97-92 to upset the then-No. 1 Wildcats and snap their 42-game winning streak at Rupp Arena.

Fox finished with 20 points - though he needed 20 shots to get there - and nine assists with two turnovers in 34 minutes.

''He's just such an elite skill set as a ball handler, and his speed and quickness to get by people, you just don't see very often,'' UCLA coach Steve Alford said Thursday. ''He's like a lot of them that are elite like he is. As they get older, it seems like they just get better.

''He's one of those guys that he looks a lot better now than what he did in December, and we had an awful lot of respect for him in December.''

Ball finished with 14 points and seven assists in 38 minutes, but committed six turnovers in the win. Ball leads the country in assists (7.6 per game) for third-seeded UCLA (31-4), which boasts an offense ranked second nationally in KenPom's adjusted efficiency (124.1 points per 100 possessions).

The second-seeded Wildcats (31-5) are ranked 12th (119.0) entering a game that marks the return of Kentucky coach John Calipari to Memphis - where he coached the Tigers for nine years before leaving in 2009.

''This is about two unbelievably talented teams,'' Calipari said. ''That's what this is, and people are going to watch this game, not because I'm coaching and not because I came back to Memphis and not because Steve is coaching. They're going to watch it because this is a talented two teams. Both teams. And it should be a lot of fun.''

Here are things to know about Friday's games in the Sweet 16:

THE SCHEDULE: It's not often that the top seed takes a backseat, but South top seed North Carolina (29-7) meets No. 4 seed Butler (25-8) in the undercard to the UCLA-Kentucky throwdown. The East Region features No. 3 seed Baylor (27-7) against No. 7 seed South Carolina (24-10), and No. 4 seed Florida (26-8) against No. 8 seed Wisconsin (27-9) in New York.

THE INJURY: The health of Tar Heels point guard Joel Berry II is in question. Berry rolled his right ankle when he landed awkwardly on a 3-point attempt in the first-round rout of Texas Southern, then struggled throughout UNC's second-round escape against Arkansas. Berry pronounced himself ''almost close to 100 percent'' Thursday.

THE TRANSFER: Butler guard Tyler Lewis has familiarity with the Tar Heels after playing two seasons for rival North Carolina State before transferring. The pass-first point guard - a Statesville, North Carolina native - lost three of four meetings and shot 2 for 13 in those games, but he's settled in at Butler by averaging 6.5 points and starting 24 games while posting a 4:1 assist-to-turnover margin as a senior.

THE UPSTARTS: The East looks nothing like expected after the Badgers took out No. 1 seed Villanova and the Gamecocks beat No. 2 seed Duke. Wisconsin's appearance in the Sweet 16 is nothing new; the Badgers have been here for four straight and six of seven years. Friday marks the Gamecocks' first appearance since the tournament's expansion to 64 teams in 1985.

THE REST: No. 3 seed Baylor reached No. 1 in the AP Top 25 for a week in January for the first time in program history and stands as the favorite (by seed, anyway) in the shaken-up East bracket. As for No. 4 seed Florida, the Gators went from unranked in the preseason to No. 12 in mid-February before losing three of four entering the NCAA Tournament.

TIP-INS: Top seeds Gonzaga and Kansas moved within a win of the Final Four on Thursday night, with the Jayhawks blowing out Purdue and the Bulldogs holding off West Virginia to reach their second Elite Eight under Mark Few. ... Arizona became the third No. 2 seed to lose when it fell to No. 11 seed Xavier. ... Four of the top eight seeds are now gone. ... Oregon is headed to a second straight regional final.

[StarDust Bum]

Vegas casino owner no longer has to sweat $1M payout
March 23, 2017

LAS VEGAS (AP) Michigan's loss to Oregon has saved a Las Vegas casino owner $1 million.

Golden Nugget owner Tilman Fertitta personally approved a $12,500 bet on Michigan at 80-to-1 odds from Derek Stevens, who owns The D casino.

Oregon beat Michigan 69-68 to move on to the Elite Eight.

The payout if Michigan had won the NCAA mens' basketball tournament would have been 10 times larger than any the Nugget's sports book has ever made.

Stevens, a Michigan native and University of Michigan alumnus, bet $11,000 each on all 32 first-round games, but got off to a rocky start. He was down $109,000 after the opening round.

Fertitta also owns Atlantic City's Golden Nugget casino, which he bought from President Donald Trump's former company, and Landry's Inc., one of the nation's largest restaurant companies.

[StarDust Bum]

Bye, Michigan - time for new lovable underdogs Xavier, SC
March 24, 2017

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Thanks, Michigan. It was fun while it lasted.

So who's going to be the lovable underdog in the NCAA Tournament now?

Take your pick: Xavier or South Carolina.

The Musketeers are a No. 11 seed after losing their starting point guard to a knee injury in late January and finishing seventh in the Big East. They stomped No. 3 Florida State by 25 points to make the Sweet 16 and are in a regional final for the third time since 2004 after a stunning 73-71 win over No. 2 Arizona on Thursday night.

The Gamecocks might merit a little more love than Xavier, even though they're seeded four rungs higher as a No. 7. Unlike Xavier, which has been there, done that when it comes to the Sweet 16, the Gamecocks are in new territory.

They not only won their first game in the NCAAs since 1973 when they beat Marquette last week, they knocked out love-'em-or-hate-'em Duke in the round of 32 for their first win over the Blue Devils since 1970. They take aim at Baylor on Friday night at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Michigan, that all-sports powerhouse from the Big Ten, doesn't usually endear itself to anybody but its own fans. In some corners (Ohio, for example) the Wolverines are the team everyone loves to hate, no matter the sport.

For the last two weeks, though, college basketball fans kind of fell for the Wolverines - if not the team, then its story.

The script: Plane skids off runway as the bubble-team Wolverines try to fly to the Big Ten Tournament in Washington. Team hitches ride on Detroit Pistons' plane, arriving a couple hours before game time. Wearing practice uniforms because game unis are still on the other plane, Wolverines beat Illinois to begin four wins-in-four days run that ends with conference tournament championship. Dispatches Oklahoma State in the first round of the NCAAs and No. 2 Louisville in the round of 32 .

The fun ended when team leader Derrick Walton Jr.'s long jump shot bounced off the rim just before the buzzer in a 69-68 loss to Oregon in the Midwest Regional on Thursday night.

''We felt confident. We've been able to stick them out recently,'' senior Duncan Robinson said. ''The ball didn't really bounce our way down the stretch. That's part of the game. Sometimes you've got to will your way to victory, and clearly we didn't do that tonight.''

Michigan was sloppy in the first half, committing an uncharacteristic seven turnovers after giving the ball away a combined 10 times in its first two tournament games. The Wolverines cleaned things up in the second half, coughing up the ball just once, and were still in position to win at the end.

''It's the tightest bunch I've been around in all my years of playing basketball. Just a very selfless group,'' Walton said. ''I had the joy of being a part of it and being one of the leaders. I wish we could have more games to play together because I think a couple minutes throughout the game we didn't show the type of team we were becoming.''

Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman said fatigue was not a factor even though the Wolverines played seven games in 15 days.

''You're pretty much in tournament mode,'' he said. ''We had a lot of motivation going into the games. Everybody's tired at this point. Everybody's even. You just try to ride that emotion and that motivation.''

If nothing else, the Wolverines made lifelong memories.

''That,'' senior Duncan Robinson said, ''is what college athletics and sports in general are all about.''

[StarDust Bum]

2017 NCAA Tournament Results
March 24, 2017

NCAA TOURNAMENT BETTING RESULTS
Wager Favorites-Underdogs

Straight Up 42-14
Against the Spread 24-31-1

Total
Over-Under 36-19-1

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 (+1, -105) 69-68 Underdog-Under (149)
West Virginia vs. Gonzaga (-3) 61-58 Push-Under (150.5)
Purdue vs. Kansas (-5.5) 98-66 Favorite-Over (155.5)
Xavier (+7.5, ML +350) vs. Arizona 73-71 Underdog-Under (145)

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
Gonzaga vs. Xavier - -
Kansas vs. Oregon - -

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]

Armadillo: Wednesday's six-pack

-- NFL teams train in obscure places: the Clippers are training in Las Vegas. Oy.

-- Texas Longhorns are a 16-point home dog this week, first time in at least 38 years they've been a double digit home underdog.

-- Former Dolphin coach Tony Sparano is interim coach of the Oakland Raiders.

-- Oregon Ducks played four games before classes started in Eugene; how big an advantage was that for the Ducks, if at all?

-- Former pro wrestler/turned actor Dwayne Johnson was once on practice squad of the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL.

-- Braves' hitting coach Greg Walker "resigned", a scapegoat for the front office stupidly signing the Upton brothers to big money contracts.

**********

Armadillo: Wednesday's List of 13: Our bottom 5, top 8 in NFL......

32) Raiders (0-4)-- When you fire your coach (by telephone) four games into the season when you’re starting a rookie QB, you’re the worst team in the league. Good news; they won’t lose this week, its their bye week.

31) Jaguars (0-4)—Saw reason for optimism with rookie QB Bortles in his first start, but the defense needs work; Chargers easily could’ve scored 50 points against them Sunday- they kicked FG on all four red zone drives. .

30) Titans (1-3)—Three lopsided losses since opening win, Locker is hurt already. Look for LSU rookie Mettenberger to emerge as their #1 QB.

29) Jets (1-3)—Vikings are only NFC North team that hasn’t beaten them and that is only because they haven’t played yet. If Geno Smith doesn’t stop turning ball over, he’s going to be playing for a new coach and GM next season.

28) Rams (1-2)—Blew 21-point lead at home to Dallas is Week 3; am encouraged by new QB Austin Davis, but at some point, this group needs to learn how to win.

8) Ravens (3-1)—Pitta’s injury is big blow to offense that likes tight ends to catch the ball. Imagine the media’s outrage if Ray Rice somehow gets reinstated? The Internet might implode.

7) Cowboys (3-1)—Jones Family could be unusual; son Steven might be wiser than his old man, who wanted to draft Johnny Manziel. In most of these rich families that own franchises, the kids turn out to be nitwits. Steven Jones is the Dallas voice of reason and they’ve improved.

6) Eagles (3-1)—Have been behind by 10+ points in all three wins; reason for concern that Foles might not finish season behind shaky OL.

5) Broncos (2-1)—The rich get richer: Peyton Manning goes to Denver, buys a few Papa John’s pizza places, marijuana gets legalized in Colorado, and #18 gets even wealthier. I’d say luck favors the prepared, but then you’d think I was talking about the Colts.

4) Seahawks (2-1)—Dicey Monday nighter in nation’s capitol, against Redskin team that turned ball over six times vs Giants last Thursday. Washington is 6-3 in last nine series games; all three losses came in playoffs.

3) Chargers (3-1)—Will be pass-oriented until they get Mathews healthy. Already on their third center this season.

2) Cardinals (3-0)—7-point underdog in Denver this week, despite their unbeaten record. Bruce Arians almost never got a chance to be an NFL head coach; in his 60’s now, he’s proving to be a very good one.

1) Bengals (3-0)—Will get stern test from New England Sunday night in Foxboro, after Patriots’ debacle in Arrowhead. Not ready to bury Pats yet; Cincy will get their best shot this week.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Saturday's six-pack

— Celtics 130, Suns 120— Devin Booker scored 70 points in a losing cause, 51 in 2nd half.

— Keep in mind that if Booker hadn’t left school early, he’d be a junior at Kentucky.

— 76ers 117, Bulls 107— Three of five Sixers who scored in double figures didn’t start.

— Nuggets 125, Pacers 117— Denver was 40-43 on line, Indiana 8-11. Game was in Indy.

— Cavaliers 112, Hornets 105— Four Charlotte subs played 79:00, were a combined -79.

— Nine different NBA players have scored 50+ points in a game this season.

**********

Armadillo: Saturday's List of 13: Clearing out a cluttered mind…….

13) California and Oklahoma State both hired on the cheap with new basketball coaches, two guys I’ve never heard of who were mainly recruiters up until now. Maybe one or both will be the next John Wooden, but they’re both rookies who will be coaching in very deep water.

Cal hired Wyking Jones, who was on Cuonzo Martin’s staff; OSU hired Mike Boynton, who had been with Brad Underwood for the last four years— he played ball at South Carolina.

12) Duquesne fired its basketball coach after the season, but can’t find a replacement; guys keeping dropping out of the coaching search. Dukes haven’t been in NCAA’s since ’77; they’re in the Atlantic 14, a pretty good league. Not sure why they’re never good- maybe they need to commit a few more resources into trying to win.

11) Mirage Casino in Las Vegas offers “first team to 15 points” prop bet; that would be fun to research and see which coaches’ team got ahead the most early in games. Actually, would be fun to see the results; doing the research would be a major pain-in-the-butt. ��

10) Mets’ TV analyst Keith Hernandez is having a knee replaced on June 2, which means Mets’ fans get to listen to him whine about his knee for the first two months of the season. Hernandez is a good analyst when he isn’t bored, but if it is a bad game, he complains about traffic, weather, his health, etc…..

9) Was watching Tampa Bay Rays in a spring training game in Port Charlotte the other day; the dugouts there are HUGE, not long, just very large, from front-to-back.

8) 43 years ago Friday was my favorite college basketball game ever: NC State 80, UCLA 77 in double OT at the 1974 Final Four, a game that ended UCLA’s streak of seven national titles in a row.

I was 14, a big NC State fan— David Thompson-Tom Burleson-Monte Towe. Also Tim Stoddard, who later pitched for the Orioles in the ’79 World Series. Used to listen to their games on radio station WBT in Charlotte- they beat Maryland in OT in ACC title game, back when you had to be the league champ, just to get into the NCAA’s.

About 10-12 years ago, I met Monte Towe at an AAU tournament in Florida; he was an assistant for NC State then. Good guy. Too bad ESPN didn’t exist back then; people have very little idea how great a player David Thompson was.

7) Odd stat: Last two years, Louisville is 0-8 vs spread as a road underdog in ACC games.

6) Mets’ SS Asdrubel Cabrera got thrown out of a spring training game this week- he asked for time while batting, didn’t get it, jawed at umpire Angel Hernandez and got tossed. Don’t see that a lot.

5) Kansas Jayhawks are first team since UConn in ’05 that scored 90+ points in its first three NCAA tournament games.

4) North Carolina 92, Butler 80— Not much of a game; Butler just couldn’t stop them- they had beaten Winthrop/Middle Tennessee to get here, and didn’t handle the sep up in class very well.

3) South Carolina 70, Baylor 50— Complete ass-kicking. Baylor’s players looked intimidated by their opponents. I’m thinking Frank Martin’s family didn’t have the Gamecocks going this far in their brackets- they play in their first-ever regional final Sunday.

Last time a 7-seed or lower won a Sweet 16 game by 15+ points? Davidson in ’08- they had a pretty good guard named Steph Curry.

2) Kentucky 86, UCLA 75— Game stayed under the outrageous 183.5 total; Wildcats play more defense— now they play the Tar Heels Sunday.

Now Lonzo Ball is off to the NBA, soon to be followed by half the Kentucky team. Will Indiana hire Steve Alford? A season ends and then things change very quickly for these people.

My biggest thing will be if Steve Alford leaves UCLA, who the hell do they bring in to replace him? Not an easy job, having to deal with the #2 and #3 Ball brothers.

1—Florida 84, Wisconsin 83 OT— Gators led by 8 with 2:10 left, then didn’t foul on last possession when Wisconsin had ball down 3, so of course Badgers hit a 3-pointer with 0:02.5 left. CBS gets their late night drama- this would’ve been first tournament since 1970 with no OT games thru the Sweet 16.

Chris Chiozza hit a running 3-pointer to win the game; we’ll be seeing that on TV for the next 30 years. What a ballgame.

Early in game, CBS showed golfer Andy North sitting next to Aaron Rodgers at this game; North is a big Badger booster who I believe paid for the new basketball court in the Wisconsin arena a few years ago, but he went to college at Florida- golfers need warm weather. No mistake though, North always roots for the Badgers.

Wisconsin had won its last eight overtime games.

Three of the Elite 8 are SEC teams? Didn’t see that coming.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Saturday, March 25

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OREGON (32 - 5) vs. KANSAS (31 - 4) - 3/25/2017, 8:45 PM
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS is 12-2 ATS (+9.8 Units) in road games on Saturday games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS is 19-6 ATS (+12.4 Units) in road games after scoring 80 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS is 25-12 ATS (+11.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
OREGON is 21-13 ATS (+6.7 Units) in all games this season.
OREGON is 21-13 ATS (+6.7 Units) in all lined games this season.
OREGON is 69-45 ATS (+19.5 Units) in March games since 1997.
OREGON is 33-21 ATS (+9.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
OREGON is 23-11 ATS (+10.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
OREGON is 18-5 ATS (+12.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game after 15+ games over the last 2 seasons.
OREGON is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game this season.

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

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XAVIER (24 - 13) vs. GONZAGA (35 - 1) - 3/25/2017, 6:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GONZAGA is 22-9 ATS (+12.1 Units) in all games this season.
GONZAGA is 22-9 ATS (+12.1 Units) in all lined games this season.
GONZAGA is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) when the total is 140 to 149.5 this season.
GONZAGA is 22-9 ATS (+12.1 Units) as a favorite this season.
GONZAGA is 12-2 ATS (+9.8 Units) against Big East conference opponents since 1997.
GONZAGA is 144-104 ATS (+29.6 Units) when playing with one or less days rest since 1997.
GONZAGA is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
XAVIER is 332-280 ATS (+24.0 Units) in all games since 1997.
XAVIER is 332-280 ATS (+24.0 Units) in all lined games since 1997.
XAVIER is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in all neutral court games this season.
XAVIER is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) in March games this season.
XAVIER is 28-16 ATS (+10.4 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
XAVIER is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) when playing on a neutral court this season.
XAVIER is 19-10 ATS (+8.0 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
XAVIER is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in all tournament games this season.
XAVIER is 25-9 ATS (+15.1 Units) in a NCAA tournament games since 1997.
XAVIER is 226-176 ATS (+32.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.

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

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FURMAN (22 - 11) at CAMPBELL (19 - 17) - 3/25/2017, 2:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FURMAN is 16-8 ATS (+7.2 Units) in all games this season.
FURMAN is 16-8 ATS (+7.2 Units) in all lined games this season.
FURMAN is 22-11 ATS (+9.9 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
FURMAN is 28-11 ATS (+15.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
FURMAN is 21-8 ATS (+12.2 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.

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ST PETERS (20 - 13) at TEXAS ST (22 - 13) - 3/25/2017, 5:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS ST is 32-21 ATS (+8.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS ST is 32-21 ATS (+8.9 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS ST is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in March games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS ST is 21-9 ATS (+11.1 Units) in all tournament games since 1997.
ST PETERS is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) in all games this season.
ST PETERS is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) in all lined games this season.
ST PETERS is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) as a road underdog of 3 points or less or pick over the last 2 seasons.
ST PETERS is 13-1 ATS (+11.9 Units) in road games this season.
ST PETERS is 13-1 ATS (+11.9 Units) in road lined games this season.
ST PETERS is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) after allowing 60 points or less this season.
TEXAS ST is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) in home games versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game since 1997.

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

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NCAAB
Short Sheet

Saturday, March 25

Oregon at Kansas, 8:45 PM ET
Oregon: 10-2 UNDER in road games after 2 consecutive non-conference games
Kansas: 19-6 ATS in road games after scoring 80 points or more

Xavier at Gonzaga, 6:05 PM ET
Xavier: 9-19 ATS after playing a game as an underdog
Gonzaga: 14-4 ATS when the total is 140 to 149.5

Furman at Campbell, 2:00 PM ET
Furman: 22-11 ATS as a favorite
Campbell: 2-5 ATS after playing a game as favorite

St. Peter’s at Texas State, 5:00 PM ET
St Peter’s: 8-1 ATS at road when the line is +3 to -3
Texas St: 0-6 ATS as a home underdog of 6 points or less or pick




NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, March 25

Saturday’s NCAA games
Kansas won 11 of last 12 games, losing to TCU in Big X tourney; they beat pair of Big 14 teams in last two games. Jayhawks beat Stanford by 15 in only Pac-12 game this year. Oregon lost at Baylor of Big X in November. Since ’07, favorites are 6-2 vs spread when 1-seed plays a 3-seed in regional final; only 3-seed of those eight to win was Villanova (+2) over Pitt in ’09. Bill Self is 2-4 in regional finals at Kansas; he lost to Villanova in this round LY. Big X teams are 11-4-1 vs spread this postseason, 9-2 as favorites; Pac-12 teams are 7-6-1 vs spread, 2-1 as underdogs. Over last two seasons, Big X teams are 13-5 SU vs Pac-12 squads, 7-5 vs spread when favored.

Double digit seeds covered last five regional finals, winning 3 of 5 SU. Last non-cover? Kent St with vs Indiana in ’02.Xavier is 13-2 outside Big East, losing by 5 at Baylor, by 2 at Colorado in a western swing in early December; Musketeers three starters played 36:00+ in their upset of Arizona Thursday- two subs played 21-19 minutes. Gonzaga won a rock fight with West Virginia Thursday; they played one guy (Williams-Goss) more than 29:00- they’re 15-0 outside WCC; their only loss was at home to BYU in regular season finale. Zags are 4-0 vs top 30 teams, beating Florida/Iowa State/Arizona in addition to West Va Thursday.

Saturday’s extra games
Furman is 1-3 vs Big South teams this season, losing at home to NC-Asheville; other three games were on road. Paladins haven’t played in nine days- they’re #156 experience team that is 2-3 in its last five games- they’re 8-6 outside SoCon, 10-2 vs teams ranked outside top 200. Campbell won six of last seven games; they’re 2-1 vs SoCon this year, but wins were over VMI, Citadel, worst teams in league. Camels are #318 experience team that won three games to get to finals of Big South tourney. Both teams prefer a slowish pace. Favorites are 5-0 vs spread in SoCon’s postseason games; Big South underdogs are 0-3 vs spread in postseason.

St Peter’s is 6-7 outside MAAC; they’ve won eight of last nine games, have been off for nine days. Peacocks won their last five true road games- their last road loss was at Monmouth in OT Feb 3. St Peter’s is #35 experience team that plays pace #348. Texas State plays pace #345; they’ve won seven of last nine games, are 7-5 outside Sun Belt. Bobcats are #155 experience team- they beat Idaho at home Wednesday- they start three seniors. Texas State won its last seven home games; their last home loss was Jan 21 to UL-Lafayette.