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**StarDust Bum** · 01-28-2017, 03:18 AM

Saturday’s games

Texas A&M is just 11-8 but only team that beat them by more than 11 was Kentucky (100-58). West Virginia lost two of last three games but hammered Kansas by 16 Tuesday in their last game; Mountaineers force turnovers 30.6% of time, #1 in country, but part of that was they’ve played #346 non-conference schedule (23.9% in Big X games), so they’ve bullied lesser teams. Texas A&M won its last two games by total of five points; they’re 1-6 vs top 50 teams, with best win over #49 Va Tech. Aggies start a freshman and three sophomores.

Home side won five of six Notre Dame-Georgia Tech ACC games; Irish lost two of three visits here, last two of which were decided by total of four points. All six games were decided by 8 or less points or in OT. Notre Dame lost two of last three games; they’re 3-1 on ACC road, with wins at Pitt/Miami/Va Tech. Yellow Jackets are 4-4 in ACC despite being picked last by most everyone; they’re 3-1 at home in ACC with only loss to Louisville- they beat Fla St/Clemson/UNC at home. ACC road favorites of 5 or less points are 3-2-1 vs spread.

Florida State was rolling until getting whacked by 22 at Ga Tech last game- they were down 41-15 at the half!!! Seminoles split last four games after a 16-1 start; they’re 1-2 on ACC road, with 60-58 win at Oakland, losses at UNC/Ga Tech. Syracuse won three of four ACC meetings with FSU, winning the two here by 13-13 points. Orangemen are making 78.5% on foul line, #1 in ACC play; they’re 4-0 at home, 0-4 on road in ACC, with home wins by 15-11-23-5 points. ACC road favorites of 3 or less points are 3-1-1 against the spread.

Tulsa is 5-2 in AAC despite losing 7 of top 8 scorers from LY; Hurricane is 3-0 in AAC home games, winning by 2-10-7 points- they get to foul line a lot and make 77.5% once they get there. Central Florida lost its last two games by 5 points each; they’re 1-2 on AAC road, losing by 15 at UConn, winning at Tulane. Tulsa won its last three games with UCF, by 2-15-8 points; Knights are 0-6 in last six visits to Tulsa, losing by 2-18-9-20-5-15 points. AAC home teams are 6-2 vs spread this season in games with spread of 3 or less points.

Young Maryland team (#319 experience) won its last five games, with three of those on road; Terrapins are 10-1 this season in games decided by 8 or less points. They turn ball over 20.8% of time in Big 14 games, but are tied for first anyway. Minnesota lost its last four games after a 15-2 start, losing last three games by 6 or less points- they’re 3-5 in Big 14, with 3 of 8 games going OT. Minnesota/Maryland split first two Big 14 meetings; Gophers pulled upset win LY as a 10-point underdog. Big 14 home favorites of 5 or less points are 12-7 vs spread.

St Bonaventure won its last three games, allowing 56 pts/game, but against lower part of A-14; they’re 5-2 in league, 2-1 on road, losing by 17 at Richmond. Bonnies won five of last seven games with Rhode Island, beating Rams by hoop in Olean LY; teams split last four meetings here, all of which were decided by 6 or less points. URI lost three of last five games; Garrett missed last three games. Rams are 2-1 at home in ACC, beating UMass/St Joe’s; they’re making only 56.1% on foul line. A-14 home favorites of 7 or less points are 7-10 vs spread.

Duke lost three of last four games, allowing 83 pts/game in losing last two on road, at Florida St/Louisville; Blue Devils are 1-3 in true road games this season- they beat UNLV in Vegas, but game was off-campus and UNLV is terrible anyway. Duke won 12 of last 13 games with Wake Forest, winning last four by 8-43-16-8 points- they won three of last four visits here, with wins by 8-5-8 points. Deacons are 3-5 in ACC, 2-2 at home, losing by 5 to Clemson, 6 to Carolina. ACC road favorites of 5 or less points are 3-2-1 vs spread.

Nevada had miracle comeback at New Mexico two weeks ago; they were down 14 with 1:16 left and Lobos had ball, but Wolf Pack won in OT. Nevada was 15-32 on arc, Lobos 26-40 on line yet Wolf Pack won by only a point. Nevada is 3-1 at home in MW, winning by 25-3-7 points, losing to Fresno. New Mexico is best team in MW at getting to foul line; they’re won last four games, scoring 79.3 pts/game. Lobos are 3-1 on MW road, with only loss by 4 at Utah State. Mountain West home favorites of 6 or less points are 8-10 vs spread.

I know this isn’t a conference game, but Kentucky won its four SEC home games by average of 26 points- they’ve struggled some on road. Wildcats are #345 experience team that played #10 pace thus far- they’re 3-2 vs top 50 teams, are 17-3 vs schedule #25. Kansas had its 18-game win streak snapped Tuesday in West Va; Jayhawks will be without backup big man Bragg, who is suspended here. Kansas is shooting 41.8% on arc, #4 in country but only 63.2% on foul line (#332). Kansas starts two juniors, two seniors; they’re a much older team.

Alabama won 68-58 at Mississippi State January 3, in brickfest where teams combined to go 7-34 on arc; Crimson Tide won seven of last eight games with MSU- three of last four series games were decided by 4 or less points, with State winning 67-66 in Tuscaloosa LY. Bulldogs are much improved at 13-6; they’re 2-1 on SEC road, with wins at LSU/Arkansas, are 2-5 vs top 100 teams, with two best wins Arkansas/Texas A&M. Alabama won seven of last nine games, is 5-2 in SEC, with four wins by 10+. SEC home favorites of 6 or less points are 7-16 vs spread.

Cal-Irvine/Cal-Davis are tied in loss column atop Big West; Anteaters are 8-2 in last ten games vs Davis, sweeping Aggies by 1-21 points LY- they won 62-61 here. Irvine had won eight in row before bad home loss to Cal Poly Thursday; UCI is a very young team. especially with Nelson out hurt again. Davis won six of last seven games, with loss at Riverside by 6; Aggies are at home for first time in three weeks- they’re 2-0 at home in league, beating UCSB by 26, Cal Poly by 4. Big West road favorites are 2-3 against the spread this month.

Colorado finally got its first Pac-12 win (1-7) Thursday, beating Oregon St by 7 after losing its previous two games in OT; Buffaloes lost at home to the LA schools by 15-3 in their other home games in Pac-12. Colorado is #39 experience team but is #10 in league at protecting ball, #8 on arc- they’ve underachieved. Oregon is first in Pac-12 in 7 of 9 defensive metrics; they’ve won 17 games in row, are 7-0 in Pac-12, with road wins by 22-19-6 points. Ducks’ last loss was Nov 21 to Georgetown on a neutral floor. Pac-12 road favorites of 5+ points are 7-5 vs spread. Ducks won three of last four games with Colorado, but are 0-4 in Pac-12 visits to Boulder.

St Mary’s won 12 of last 13 games; they were tied at half with USF Thursday, still won by 20. Gaels play slowest tempo in country (Santa Clara is 10th-slowest); they’re an experienced team that is 12-2 in last 14 games with Santa Clara, winning six of last seven visits here. St Mary’s is 3-1 on WCC road, with wins by 12-11-41 points and loss at Gonzaga. Santa Clara is 4-1 at home in WCC with loss by 31 to Gonzaga; they’re 44-108 (40.7%) on arc in last four games. WCC road favorites of 9+ points are 6-2 vs spread this season.

**StarDust Bum** · 01-28-2017, 03:24 AM

Preview: Aggies (11-8) at Mountainers (16-4)
Date: January 28, 2017 12:00 PM EDT

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy hopes his players have turned a corner on committing turnovers, though he cautions "the ultimate test" comes Saturday at No. 18 West Virginia.

If they are to handle their part of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge, the Aggies (11-8) must handle the full-court pressure of the Mountaineers (16-4).

"We've made some progress taking care of the ball and we've growing from it," Kennedy said. "But I don't know about being thrown in the fire now against West Virginia and their pressure."

He's especially concerned about live-ball turnovers that energize West Virginia's transition opportunities.

"I'll take a 10-second call all day," Kennedy joked. "And if we're going to throw it away, throw it in the stands and hit somebody with a musket."

Texas A&M averages 14.1 turnovers per game, which ranks 243rd among 347 teams in Division I, while West Virginia leads the nation by forcing 22.7

In beating No. 2 Kansas 85-69 on Tuesday, the Mountaineers backed off their press and generated only 13 turnovers, fearful the skilled Jayhawks could exploit openings on the back end. Because Texas A&M plays a more deliberate style and relies on its array of big men in the halfcourt, expect "Press Virginia" to go full-throttle again.

The Aggies feature 6-foot-10 center Tyler Davis (13.7 points, 6.8 rebounds) and 6-9 freshman Robert Williams (11.2 points, 6.7 rebounds), whose dynamic athleticism and 7-foot-4 wingspan make him a one-and-done candidate.

Tony Troche-Morelos, a 6-10 junior, averages eight points and five rebounds, but there's a question about the availability of 6-8 swingman DJ Hogg, (13.1 points, 5.3 assists) who's nursing a foot injury that sidelined him during Wednesday's win at Ole Miss.

"It'll be a game-time decision but we're really not expecting it," Kennedy said.

While West Virginia coach Bob Huggins deploys up to 12 players, Aggies guard Admon Gilder (12.4 points, 4.1 assists) could be in search of a breather. The sophomore played 40 minutes in each of the last two games.

Gilder leads the SEC in steals and will be matched up against the Mountaineers' defensive stopper Jevon Carter, who ranks fifth nationally (3.1 steals) while also scoring 11.9 points per game. In his last three outings, the 6-2 Carter grabbed 29 rebounds.

"JC is really athletic, so he gets in there and gets some hard rebounds," Huggins said. "But he's also not running out. We need to gang rebound because we're not as big as some of the people we're going to play."

Esa Ahmad, coming off a career-high 27-point performance against Kansas, leads the Mountaineers in scoring at 12.1 points, while 6-9 senior Nathan Adrian (10.7 points, 6.4 rebounds) has managed to defend guards and big men alike.

Both will be essential in attacking Texas A&M's 2-3 zone, though West Virginia hopes to play at a pace that doesn't allow the Aggies to set up.

"We've got to push everything without getting out of our comfort zone," Huggins said. "But we've got to pick up the pace and get them to play faster."

The Aggies own a 1-7 record against the RPI top 50 and desperately seek a marquee win. Their nonconference losses include 65-63 to USC, 67-63 to Arizona and 74-67 to UCLA.

"They've played really good people," Huggins said. "It's going to be a harder game than some people would perceive."

**StarDust Bum** · 01-28-2017, 03:25 AM

Preview: Seminoles (18-3) at Orange (12-9)
Date: January 28, 2017 12:00 PM EDT

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- As Upset Week in college basketball comes to an end, the Syracuse Orange may have the Florida State Seminoles right where they want them: in the Carrier Dome.

After No. 1 Villanova, No. 2 Kansas and No. 4 Kentucky all lost Tuesday, No. 6 Florida State (and No. 16 Creighton) fell to unranked teams Wednesday. Georgia Tech built a 29-point lead and throttled the visiting Seminoles 78-56 at McCamish Pavilion.

Now, Florida State (18-3, 6-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) will try to avoid its first two-game losing streak of the season when it visits Syracuse (12-9, 4-4) at noon Saturday at the Carrier Dome. The Orange are off to their worst start in coach Jim Boeheim's 41-year tenure, but Syracuse has maintained its longtime home-court advantage.

In games away from the Dome this season, the Orange are 0-7 and have been outscored by an average of 13.3 points. In 14 games at the Dome, Syracuse is 12-2 and outscoring its opponents by 18.1 points.

The Orange improved to 4-0 at home in conference play after rallying from an eight-point deficit midway through the second half to defeat Wake Forest 81-76 on Tuesday.

"We could win every single one of our remaining games if we play like we did at the end (against Wake Forest), if we come together and put our foot on the gas," Syracuse freshman forward Taurean Thompson said. "No doubt in my mind."

Orange fifth-year transfer guard Andrew White scored a game-high 27 points against the Demon Deacons as he shot 5 for 11 from 3-point range and 10 for 10 from the foul line. White, who ranks among the ACC leaders in scoring at 16.3 points per game, and sophomore forward Tyler Lydon (14.3 points and 7.8 rebounds) are Syracuse's most consistent players.

"The key to our season is protecting home court, first and foremost," White said. "So I think if we can come in and compete and make it a game (against Florida State), with all of our faithful behind us, we have the ability to go out and steal one."

The Seminoles rolled into Atlanta having won 14 of 15 games. But Georgia Tech threw a variety of zone looks at Florida State, which made only 20 of 71 shots (6 for 25 from beyond the arc) for a season-low 28.2 percent.

"I think that's every coach's concern: you hope you don't have one of these days, and (you hope) you don't run into a team that's having a great day," Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton said Wednesday. "It inevitably always seems to happen to every team every year. I hope this is the only one that we're going to have."

After missing 18 consecutive shots during one stretch in the first half and scoring only 15 points at intermission, the Seminoles rebounded somewhat by shooting 35.7 percent and outscoring Georgia Tech by four points in the second half. Sophomore guard Dwayne Bacon scored all 12 of his points after the break to reach double-digits for the 30th consecutive game -- the longest streak in the ACC.

Bacon ranks eighth in the ACC in scoring at 17.1 points per game. Freshman forward Jonathan Isaac is averaging 12.9 points and 7.8 rebounds while junior guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes posts 10.1 points and 4.6 assists.

For the Seminoles to notch their first win at the Carrier Dome since 1997, they'll have to make shots against the Orange's 2-3 zone and resemble the team that was averaging 85.7 points per game before the Georgia Tech loss.

"We can't go back and fix it. We can't play Georgia Tech again tonight," Rathan-Mayes said Wednesday. "So we've got to learn and just move on."

**StarDust Bum** · 01-28-2017, 03:26 AM

Preview: Fighting Irish (17-4) at Yellow Jackets (12-8)
Date: January 28, 2017 12:00 PM EDT

ATLANTA -- Notre Dame had plenty of problems with the defensive approach taken by No. 12 Virginia in a loss earlier this week. Now the No. 14 Fighting Irish have to face a team with a similar style on Saturday when they travel to Georgia Tech.

"That's a really good (Virginia) team, better than us right now," Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said. "It counts as one and we've got to go on the road now and bounce back."

Notre Dame (17-4, 6-2 ACC) now squares off with pesky Georgia Tech, fresh off Wednesday's shocking 78-56 win over No. 6 Florida State. The Yellow Jackets (12-8, 4-4) were picked to finish 14th in the ACC, but have instead been one of the league's biggest overachievers with three wins over top-10 programs.

Georgia Tech has the No. 5-rated defense in the ACC, allowing 67.4 points and limiting opponents to 40 percent success from the field. The Yellow Jackets, who play with relentless effort, on Wednesday held Florida State 26 below its season scoring average and limited the Seminoles to 28.2 percent from the field, including 17.1 percent in the first half.

The Yellow Jackets are 4-4 in the conference for the first time since 2009-10, when they went 23-15 and make their last appearance in the NCAA tournament.

"We continue to get better," Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner said. "I don't ever forget the first game, in the first exhibition game, we had to go to overtime to beat (Division II) Shorter. We've come a long way in year one of a major rebuild job, (the Florida State win) is another great win for us for people to see what we're trying to do and the vision for what we are trying to accomplish here in the long term."

Notre Dame has the balanced, intelligent team that can give Georgia Tech trouble. The Fighting Irish have three seniors in their starting lineup and each one averages 14 or more points, the first time that's happened since the 2001-02 season.

Notre Dame's V.J. Beachem needs 10 points to reach the 1,000 mark and join teammate Steve Vasturia, who reached the milestone earlier this season. Bonzie Colson leads the team in scoring with 15.6 points and leads the ACC with 10.5 rebounds.

Georgia Tech has two main scorers: guard Josh Okogie and center Ben Lammers. They each had a double-double in the win over Florida State. In that game Okogie scored 35, become the school's third freshman to score 30 points in multiple games -- joining Mark Price and Kenny Anderson. Lammers has 10 double-doubles.

Georgia Tech leads the all-time series 8-6, but Notre Dame has won four of the last five meetings. Georgia Tech beat Notre Dame 63-62 in the most recent game on Feb. 20, 2016.

Since Notre Dame joined the ACC, the games have been close. The margin of victory in their six conference games has been 4.5 points and includes one double-overtime game.

**StarDust Bum** · 01-28-2017, 03:27 AM

Preview: Badgers (17-3) at Scarlet Knights (12-9)
Date: January 28, 2017 12:00 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- Since joining the Big Ten Conference in 2014, Rutgers has struggled mightily, winning just four of their 46 league games.

Rutgers (12-9, 1-7 Big Ten) faces another stern test when it clashes with No. 15 Wisconsin (17-3, 6-1) at Madison Square Garden on Saturday. The Badgers are tied with Maryland for first place in the league.

Under first-year coach Steve Pikiell, the Scarlet Knights have shown marked improvement from last season's 7-25 campaign. They surpassed their 2015-16 win total thanks to an 11-2 non-conference showing and are fresh off their first Big Ten triumph after rallying to a 65-64 win over Nebraska at the Rutgers Athletic Center on Jan. 21.

"Every team is terrific, and challenges us in a lot of different ways,' Pikiell said. "From top to bottom, they say this is the best the league's been in awhile from 1-to-14. So ... I picked a tough year to get into the league. That's okay. I knew it would be difficult. They picked us 14th, and we're getting better."

Wisconsin has won 13 of the last 14 games and is outscoring foes by an average of 18.8 points (79.6 to 60.8) during that stretch.

Rutgers is fourth nationally in rebounding (42.14), 19th in rebound margin (plus-7.3), 16th in blocks (5.6) and 23rd in field goal percentage defense (39.3). Wisconsin is fifth in rebound margin (plus-10.2), eighth in scoring defense (60.9) and 11th in scoring margin (plus-15.8).

In its Big Ten opener on Dec. 27, the Badgers defeated Rutgers 72-52 at the Kohl Center. After trailing by 21 points in the second half, Rutgers fought back to within nine with possession, but would get no closer.

"We're a totally different team now," offered Pikiell. "We all struggled in that game. We missed a lot of layups, but we're a better offensive and defensive now."

Sophomore guard Cory Sanders led Rutgers in scoring in five of its past six games, and is averaging 18.3 points in that span. He's averaging 12.5 points on the season for a team that ranks last in the conference in points per game (67.5).

Wisconsin's trio of Bronson Koenig (14.6 ppg), Nigel Hayes (13.7 ppg) and Ethan Happ (13.7 ppg) is carrying a heavy load this season. The Badgers have not had a trio of players average at least 13.0 points in the same season since 1983-84

Hayes, the Big Ten's Preseason Player of the Year, is the only active player in college basketball to accumulate 1,600 points, 650 rebounds and 250 assists in his career. He is also just the 13th player in Big Ten history to reach those marks.

Happ is the co-Big Ten Player of the Week with Indiana guard James Blackmon Jr. Happ averaged 19.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 3.5 blocks and 1.5 steals in victories over Michigan and Minnesota. Last season, Happ dished out a total of 44 assists. He already has 58 this season,

"The biggest things are poise and patience -- he (Happ) doesn't try to play too fast out of the double team," Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said. "He doesn't get as frantic as maybe he did when he was younger. He seems to enjoy picking people apart a little bit. For his size, he's a pretty adept passer and sees the floor very well."

The Badgers lead the series 5-1.

**StarDust Bum** · 01-28-2017, 03:28 AM

Preview: Tar Heels (19-3) at Hurricanes (13-6)
Date: January 28, 2017 1:00 PM EDT

Just 39 hours or so after completing a 91-72 victory over Virginia Tech at home Thursday night, No. 9 North Carolina will be on the road to face unranked Miami on Saturday.

Tipoff time for the Atlantic Coast Conference matchup is 1 p.m. ET at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Fla.

It is common quirk throughout the schedules of the 15 league members -- Miami recently went through it with a loss at home to Notre Dame and a road win at Pittsburgh -- but if you polled the coaches, they likely would like to see it gone.

"It's hard," Tar Heels coach Roy Williams said. "It's one of the things I despise about our league schedule. I don't think anybody should ever have to play two games in three days and both of them on the road, and several of the schools in our league have to do that."

At least the Tar Heels had the advantage of playing the first outing at home. Later in the season, they have a Saturday-Monday grind with both games on the road -- at Virginia and Pittsburgh.

"If traveling to both of them," Williams said, "it's more of a problem."

The Hurricanes (13-6, 3-4 ACC) will be facing a different kind of challenge when they take on the conference-leading Tar Heels (19-3, 9-1) after hanging on for a 78-77 victory over perimeter-oriented Boston College in their last outing.

"They're really good players," Miami coach Jim Larranaga said of the Eagles' guards. "But their big guys don't score a lot. Now playing against North Carolina, who have like four guys who can score their brains out in and around the basket, and they throw it to them constantly, certain things repeat themselves.

"So when preparing for Boston College, it's not the same preparing for Carolina. We need time."

Of particular concern for the Hurricanes, who desperately need a signature win to add to their resume, will be 6-foot-10 North Carolina forward Kennedy Meeks.

"He's a monster because he's basically bigger and stronger than the guy he goes against every night," said Larranaga.

Larranaga already has seen what an effective inside player can do against his young team. Sophomore forward John Collins scored a career-high 27 points in leading Wake Forest to a 96-79 rout of the Hurricanes.

Turnovers also have been an issue with the Hurricanes. They have made 96 in seven conference games and will be up against an opponent that likes to keep the pressure on defensively.

"I want to turn people over, but I want to hold them to a low (field goal) percentage, and that's hard to do because you can't turn people over unless you gamble," Williams said. "But if you gamble, you get beat sometimes. So it's a little bit of a balancing act there."

After this game, the Tar Heels return home to take on Pittsburgh on Tuesday night. The Hurricanes end a three-game homestead by hosting Florida State on Wednesday night.

**StarDust Bum** · 01-28-2017, 03:30 AM

Preview: Terrapins (18-2) at Golden Gophers (15-6)
Date: January 28, 2017 2:15 PM EDT

MINNEAPOLIS -- Neither the Maryland Terrapins or Minnesota Gopher men's basketball teams knew quite what to expect coming into this season. Both teams were hopeful an influx of new talent would lead to a strong Big Ten season and an NCAA tournament appearance.

For Maryland, it was building on the Sweet 16 appearance from last year and replacing four starters. Three freshmen would be counted on to complement junior Melo Trimble after he spurned the NBA for another year with the Terrapins.

Minnesota was trying to rebuild the program after one of the worst seasons in school history at 8-23. The Gophers looked to two freshmen and two transfers to bolster the lineup alongside improving sophomores and junior point guard Nate Mason.

Each team has been pleased with the additions as they meet Saturday in Minnesota. But the Gophers have faded a bit in Big Ten play while No. 22 Maryland is off to its best start in 18 years.

"I don't think any of us expected this, to be 18-2 and 6-1," Terrapins coach Mark Turgeon told the Washington Post. "The exciting thing for me is that we can play so much better. We can play better then we're playing; starting with rebounding and taking care of the ball."

Maryland (18-2, 6-1 Big Ten) is tied with No. 15 Wisconsin at the top of the conference. Since losing to Nebraska at home, The Terrapins have rolled off five straight wins, including at Michigan, Illinois and Iowa. Trimble scored 17 points as Maryland beat Rutgers 67-55 on Tuesday.

The 18-2 start is the school's best since the 1998-99 team led by Steve Francis.

"Uh, Steve Francis, I don't really remember that year," the 21-year-old Trimble told the Post, with a laugh. "It's a good start. Our biggest thing is just keep getting better."

Trimble is averaging a team-high 17.4 points per game. Freshmen Anthony Cowan, Kevin Huerter and Justin Jackson have combined to average 29.2 points and 15.1 rebounds per game.

"I think we're getting better at not taking plays off," Huerter told the Post. "I think at the beginning of the year, we would make runs and we would look really good for a stretch. And then we would look really, really bad for a stretch. So I think we're getting better at putting together a full 40 minutes."

Inability to play a full 40 minutes has hurt the Gophers (15-6, 3-5) lately, as end-of-game offensive droughts have ended in back-to-back losses to Ohio State and Wisconsin. Minnesota has lost four in a row after a 15-2 start.

But Gophers coach Richard Pitino is trying to lift up his team, which is still possibly in line for its first NCAA tournament berth since 2012-13. Minnesota is 21st in the NCAA Ratings Percentage Index (RPI).

"After 21 games and eight league games, 75 percent of the league would trade resumes with us," Pitino told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "And we've played five road (Big Ten) games and one of the toughest schedules in the league. So, yes, we're on a four-game losing streak; but if you step back and see the big picture, I think we're in pretty good shape."

Freshman Amir Coffey is second on the team with 12.2 points per game behind Mason's 14.0. Transfer Akeem Springs has started two straight games and has totaled 33 points in those games. Transfer center Reggie Lynch is averaging 8.4 points per game and is fifth in the NCAA with 3.0 blocks per game.

"We shouldn't be down, but we should be concerned with the four-game losing streak," Lynch told the Pioneer Press. "(Coach Pitino) just wanted to relay to us that we shouldn't be too down and we should stay confident, because there are a lot of teams in our conference that would trade resumes with us.

"Even though we're on a four-game losing streak, we're still in very good shape. A quick turnaround, like getting a win Saturday, could easily affect that in a good way."

**StarDust Bum** · 01-28-2017, 03:31 AM

Preview: Gators (15-5) at Sooners (8-11)
Date: January 28, 2017 2:00 PM EDT

NORMAN, Okla.--Lon Kruger built Florida's program.

Billy Donovan turned Kruger's foundation into a consistent college basketball power that eventually won two national championships.

Now, both of those coaches are coaching about 25 miles apart in central Oklahoma, with Kruger at the University of Oklahoma and Donovan with the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder.

"Wouldn't have imagined," Kruger said. "Would not have imagined it."

On Saturday, Kruger's past and present collide when his Sooners host No. 25 Florida as part of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.

Current Gators coach Michael White is in his second season at the helm after taking over for Donovan following the latter's move to the NBA. Donovan took over for Kruger in 1996 following the latter's departure for Illinois.

Florida and Oklahoma come into the game on much different planes.

White's Gators are 15-5 overall, breaking a two-game losing streak with a school-record 19 3-pointers in a 106-71 blowout of LSU last week.

Just two games before, Florida had missed all 17 of its 3-point tries in a four-point loss to South Carolina.

"It's crazy," White said after the game. "I wish we could trade a couple."

Oklahoma understands that twinge of regret.

The Sooners are 8-11 overall and just 2-6 in Big 12 play one season removed from a Final Four berth.

While there have been several bright spots--most notably the recent play of freshmen Kristian Doolittle and Kameron McGusty--Oklahoma's inconsistency and tendency to give up big runs has hurt the Sooners repeatedly.

But Kruger is still enjoying the process.

When Kruger took over Florida in 1990, the Gators were struggling with NCAA investigations, coaching turmoil and apathy from their fans.

After steadily building for three seasons, Kruger's Gators reached the Final Four in 1994 and two seasons later he was off to Illinois after a lull.

Donovan's first two teams--like Kruger's final two in Gainesville--missed the NCAA Tournament, but in his third season, the Gators made the Sweet 16.

They did it with two seniors who were key pieces--as freshmen--on Kruger's final team.

"I think Lon came in an established an incredible amount of credibility," Donovan said. "He did it with a lot of integrity and a lot of character and he built the program the right way."

Donovan witnessed Kruger's program-building first from afar while he was an assistant coach at Kentucky during Kruger's rise at Florida, and then from up close as he took over the Gators.

"I know when I came there, Lon was coming off a couple tough seasons," Donovan said. "My first two years were tough, too. But I would tell you this--those kids were really well-coached. They were great guys to work with. They were classy. They did all the right things. And I think with me coming into Florida at that point, I don't know if that would have been ... possible -- what happened after Lon -- had Lon not been there with what he did, in terms of the foundation that he set. I was very, very fortunate to come in after him."

And White, who has the Gators on the way toward their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2014, credits Donovan as well.

"We're not going to dwell on the past but we are going to use the past," White told CBSSports.com shortly after taking the job. "Billy Donovan has made this a much better job than it was before he got here."

**StarDust Bum** · 01-28-2017, 03:33 AM

Preview: Blue Demons (8-12) at Bluejays (18-3)
Date: January 28, 2017 2:30 PM EDT

OMAHA, Neb. -- Still stinging from a pair of upsets that could cost Creighton its spot in The Associated Press Top 25, the No. 16-ranked Bluejays have another shot Saturday to prove they belong among the country's elite teams before Monday's ratings are published.

Creighton (18-3, 5-3) will host DePaul in a Big East Conference showdown at CenturyLink Center. The Blue Demons (8-12, 1-6 Big East) are dealing with their own struggles, including an 0-7 record in road games.

"They've had some games where they've been really close," Creighton coach Greg McDermott said. "At Villanova they've come as close as anybody has, and they had Butler down 20 the other day and lost in overtime."

Despite the sub-.500 record, Creighton players and coaches understand they can't take any opponent lightly, especially since the loss of point guard and floor leader Maurice Watson to a season-ending knee injury at Xavier on Jan. 16.

"They've been sitting there a week preparing for us," McDermott said. "They're probably licking their chops after watching us play (Wednesday)."

The Bluejays are 0-2 since Watson tore the ACL in his left knee, losing 102-94 at home against Marquette Jan. 21 before a 71-51 rout Wednesday at Georgetown.

While there have been stretches when the Bluejays have stepped up their defensive play in those two games, the offense has struggled, especially against the Hoyas. Creighton's 51-point effort was its lowest output by 15 points (against Oral Roberts).

The Georgetown loss also resulted in Creighton's worst shooting night of the season as the Bluejays were just 20 of 58 (.345) from the field, including a 1 of 18 (.056) performance from 3-point range.

DePaul coach Dave Leitao told the Chicago Tribune that he expects nothing but the Bluejays' best once the game begins.

"Psychologically first, we know that they lost big and we are going to get their best effort," Leitao said. "The structured part of it is that they are still very offensive-minded. Our transition defense has to be really, really good, and our half-court offense has to follow that."

DePaul has three players averaging in double figures, led by sophomore guard Eli Cain and his 17.1 points per outing. Cain also is DePaul's leading 3-point shooter who McDermott said is "one of the more improved players in the league."

Running the show for the Blue Demons on offense is 6-foot-6 guard Billy Garrett. The senior from Chicago is averaging 15.0 points and 3.2 assists per game.

"Billy Garrett does such a great job at the point guard position," McDermott said. "He plays with such great pace and he's got size. He can see over the top of you. He makes a lot of the right decisions.'

Junior forward Tre'Darius McCallum is the third DePaul player with a double-digit scoring average at 10.1 points per game. McCallum also is averaging 7.4 rebounds per game.

Kansas State transfer Marcus Foster continues to lead all Creighton scorers with an average of 18.3 per game. Foster finished with 30 points in the loss to Marquette, but scored just 12 against Georgetown.

One player that McDermott said will need to shoulder a bigger on-court load is redshirt freshman center Justin Patton, who is averaging 14.0 points and 6.5 points per game. That might mean Patton, who is shooting 71.8 percent this season, might not be able to roam the perimeter as much.

"We've got to get him more touches," McDermott said. "When we're struggling, he's got to get down there, he likes to float once in a while. Then we've got to make sure he gets a touch and then get a play out of it once he gets down on the block.

"He's crafty down there. Besides being able to score, over both shoulders he's a very gifted passer. He has to become a more focal point of our offense."

The 7-footer from Omaha North was 9 of 13 from the field in a 20-point performance against Georgetown. He and fellow Omaha native Khyri Thomas both pulled down seven rebounds against the Hoyas.

To get back in the win column, McDermott said the Bluejays need to regain the energy that carried them through the first 19 games of the season.

"We're going to have to be ready, we're going to have to get our crowd in the game," McDermott said. "To do that we've got to play with a little more enthusiasm than we did (Wednesday) night."

**StarDust Bum** · 01-28-2017, 03:34 AM

Preview: Blue Devils (15-5) at Demon Deacons (12-8)
Date: January 28, 2017 3:00 PM EDT

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Duke is still trying to find its way through the Atlantic Coast Conference, with Saturday afternoon's game at Wake Forest the next chance to put things back together.

The No. 17 Blue Devils remain in search of their first true road victory of the season when they play at Lawrence Joel Coliseum.

"I think we're still going the right way," Duke guard Luke Kennard said despite Monday night's failure to keep a late-game lead in a two-point home loss to North Carolina State. "When we have a lead, we've got to take it and run with it. We've got to control the pace of the game and how the game is being played."

Duke (15-5, 3-4 ACC) can't seem to find the right combinations, particularly late in some games. Of the four league losses, the Blue Devils were within range into the second half of three of those before fading.

"I think we have to find (a killer instinct)," senior guard Matt Jones said. "As upperclassmen, we can't expect young guys to have it right off the bat. It starts with us, so I just have to do a better job of leading down the stretch. We've got to learn to put teams away."

Since the latest setback, reports have surfaced that coach Mike Krzyzewski, who's on leave while recovering from back surgery, summoned players to his home and notified them that the team locker room is off limits and that they're barred from wearing Duke apparel in public until they better represent the program's standards.

This sounds like a motivational tactic much like Krzyzewski has used in the past. However, it's interim coach Jeff Capel on the bench during games. The Blue Devils are 2-3 since Krzyzewski's surgery, with the Hall of Fame coach expected back within another week or two.

Wake Forest (12-8, 3-5) has been inconsistent as well, unable to hold off host Syracuse on Tuesday night.

A week ago, the Demon Deacons and Blue Devils were feeling good. Wake Forest ended a 25-game ACC road losing streak by winning last Saturday at North Carolina State and a few hours later Duke rallied to overcome Miami.

The moods change drastically for both teams across the next few days.

Wake Forest coach Danny Manning said the Demon Deacons have set higher expectations, so a visit from Duke doesn't alter those.

"I expect to win every game we play," Manning said. "That's my mindset."

Wake Forest relies heavily on sophomore forward John Collins, who's averaging 17 points and nine rebounds per game. He has eight double-doubles and is the only player in the top 10 in ACC statistics in scoring and rebounding.

Collins, who is 26-for-36 from the field and 19-for-21 on free throws across the past three games, likely will encounter a variety of Duke post players, perhaps led by forward Amile Jefferson.

"John's numbers across the board are pretty efficient," Manning said. "We're asking a lot of him. He's our featured post player."

Blue Devils freshman Jayson Tatum is averaging 17.3 points per game in ACC play for the third-best mark along the league's freshmen.

Duke won the last four meetings with Wake Forest. In the most-recent three matchups, guard Grayson Allen was the Blue Devils' top scorer.

**StarDust Bum** · 01-28-2017, 03:36 AM

Preview: Bears (19-1) at Rebels (12-8)
Date: January 28, 2017 6:00 PM EDT

The scheduled matchups for this weekend's Big 12 vs. SEC Challenge were drawn up months ago, way too far ahead to properly seed the thing.

But if there's a mismatch in the bunch, it appears to be No. 5 Baylor traveling to play an Ole Miss team that's trying to find it's rhythm in SEC play.

The Rebels (12-8, 3-5 SEC) lost four of their first five games in SEC action and most recently dropped a home game versus Texas A&M, 80-76, on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Baylor (19-1, 7-1 Big 12) took a turn as the nation's top-ranked team and is currently tied atop the Big 12 with perennial frontrunner Kansas. The Bears can notch their 20th win by the end of January and have their sights set on lofty goals.

While many teams in the Big 12 and SEC are fighting to make their case for a berth in the NCAA Tournament, Baylor is trying to unseat the Jayhawks as the Big 12 champion and possibly even angle for a No. 1 seed come March.

Still, with a contest at Kansas looming on Wednesday, the Bears are focused on the task immediately in front of them.

"We haven't talked about Kansas," Bears junior point guard Manu Lecomte said. "Coach hasn't talked about Kansas. We don't talk about Kansas right now, just focus on Ole Miss."

Baylor has its own special motivation for performing well in the conference-vs.-conference battle. The Bears are 3-0 in Big 12/SEC Challenge games, having posted victories over Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Georgia.

To add to that, the better the Big 12's conference RPI, the better Baylor's seed will be on Selection Sunday.

"The last three years (the Big 12 has) been the best conference, RPI-wise," Baylor coach Scott Drew said. "Right now, we're not at the top and hopefully this challenge can help with that."

While Baylor is thinking about conference RPI and will eventually turn its focus to battling Kansas next week, Ole Miss is trying to establish its own identity.

"Everybody in the room has got a different view on (the Texas A&M loss) and the Baylor game and the next game," Rebels coach Andy Kennedy said. "Our view has never been anything other than, 'Guys, we've got to get better.' That's what I've said from day one and that's what I'm saying now."

Kennedy compared Baylor to Ole Miss's most recent opponent, Texas A&M, which outrebounded the Rebels 39-23 and scored plenty of points in the paint.

The Bears certainly have a comparable frontcourt, led by forward Johnathan Motley, who is averaging 16.5 points and 10.8 rebounds in Big 12 play. But the difference in Baylor and Texas A&M this season is that the Bears are just as good in the backcourt.

Lecomte, in his first season playing for Baylor after transferring from Miami, averages 12.1 points and better than four assists. He also leads the Bears with 37 3-pointers made this season.

And Lecomte seems to understand the point of getting on a plane and traveling to Mississippi this weekend.

"We want the Big 12 to win the challenge, of course, because the Big 12 is definitely one of the best conferences in the country," Lecomte said. "But we're really focused on Ole Miss."

**StarDust Bum** · 01-28-2017, 03:38 AM

Preview: Jayhawks (18-2) at Wildcats (17-3)
Date: January 28, 2017 6:15 PM EDT

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Any time blue bloods Kentucky and Kansas meet on the basketball court, the game is more than enough to generate buzz across the college landscape.

This time, however, off-the-court storylines threaten to overshadow the contest when the No. 2 Jayhawks and No. 4 Wildcats meet Saturday at Rupp Arena.

On Thursday afternoon, Kansas coach Bill Self addressed the fact that Lawrence police are investigating an alleged rape of a 16-year-old girl on Dec. 17 at McCarthy Hall, the dormitory that houses the men's basketball team and other students. Five KU players were listed as witnesses -- Frank Mason III, Mitch Lightfoot, Lagerald Vick, Tucker Vang and Josh Jackson. No charges have been filed.

"If there was an issue they wouldn't be playing." Self said. "I know positively that we've been given zero information that would warrant suspensions or anything like that that's connected to our players. I certainly will act on it if any information is given to us in the future that would warrant such action."

On Thursday night, Self announced that sophomore forward Carlton Bragg has been suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules. "This violation is not connected to the alleged incident in McCarthy Hall," Self said in a statement.

That's a formidable one-two punch for Kansas to deal with as it preps for Kentucky.

"It's not a distraction, it's a major distraction," Self said. "But when you talk about distraction, you look at it how it affects us. But more importantly, there is an obviously very serious allegation that has been made. So that trumps figuring out how to guard (Malik) Monk or (De'Aaron) Fox, to be real candid with you."

But the game, like the show, must go and it promises to be a dandy. No. 4 Kentucky (17-3, 7-1 SEC) faces No. 2 Kansas (18-2, 7-1 Big 12) at 6:15 Saturday as part of the SEC-Big 12 Challenge.

Kentucky is college basketball's all-time wins leader with 2,222, Kansas is in second place at 2,204. Together, they have been to 31 Final Fours and own 11 NCAA titles.

"When you get Kansas and Kentucky players together," Self said, "obviously it will take center stage."

Kentucky is led by its guard play, with freshman point guard De'Aaron Fox, freshmen Malik Monk and sophomore Isaiah Briscoe. That trio represents UK's top three scorers, topped by Monk's 21.9 points per game.

But Wildcats coach John Calipari has been unhappy with that group of late, saying his team simply isn't playing the way it did three weeks ago.

"If you demand a lot, you get a lot. If you accept mediocrity, you're going to get it every time," Calipari said. "By us not passing the ball, they must have thought that's not what we're demanding. And so, yesterday, we did some things to make them pass and then they did some things just to pass.

"When the ball comes to you, you either shoot it, drive it right away, pass it to the post, but don't hold it. Just don't hold the ball," Calipari said. "That means you've just got to get rid of it. That's what we did yesterday to get better. Now, they'll go in the game and they're going to revert, and somebody's going to get it and he's going to back up, the defense sinks in and you get absolutely nothing. Then you shoot a step-back jumper with your toes up, fade-away and say, 'I almost made it. I can make that shot.' Yeah, one out of six, but we can't win.' Just a young group."

The Wildcats average 92.2 points per game, third best in the nation.

"They go from defense to offense faster than probably anyone in college basketball," Self said.

Of late, UK's inside game has come on strong, too, behind freshmen Bam Adebayo and Wenyen Gabriel and senior Derek Willis.

"They're playing with lottery picks," Self said. "People can worry about their guards, but Adebayo is starting to score the ball equally well. So they have a legitimate inside-out combination that would be hard for anybody to deal with. We just have to make sure that we do something athletically and physically and defensively that doesn't allow them to play at that high, high level offensively."

Adebayo has been best among the bigs of late, hitting on 21 of his last 25 attempts.

"I'm just trying to tell them, 'Look, do I have to call plays for you to throw him the ball? Do you really want to play that way?'" Calipari asked his team. "If he's open then throw it to him. Just have in your mind, 'I'm looking at him first. I'll throw it ahead. If I don't have something I'll get him the ball.'"

Kansas is led by senior guard Frank Mason III, who averages 19.9 points per game. Next comes freshman guard Josh Jackson at 15.5, junior guard Devonte Graham, 13.7; and junior guard Svlatosiav Mykhailuk at 10.8. Senior center Landen Lucas is the top rebounder at 8.0 to go with 7.3 points.

The Jayhawks are without 7-0 freshman Udoka Azubuike, who was injured after 11 games and 6-10 sophomore Bragg, who was suspended Thursday night.

"Thank God it's January," Calipari said. "We're playing the top-ranked team that has veteran guards, that understands their freshmen are as good as any of our freshmen. They play inside-out. Bill does a great job. They're good."

Tipoff is 6:15 Saturday on ESPN.

"I'm a little bit uncertain of how we'll respond, to be quite candid," Self said. "I know there are some people that aren't real happy right now that will, I'm sure, use the basketball court as a way to kind of get away from the distraction. But how we're going to respond, I don't know that I have an answer for that."

**StarDust Bum** · 01-28-2017, 03:39 AM

Preview: Hoyas (11-10) at Bulldogs (18-3)
Date: January 28, 2017 8:00 PM EDT

Butler's depth has proven too much for most opponents. The team's reserves have outscored the opposition in 18 of 21 games, including all nine Big East games.

The No. 11 Bulldogs (18-3, 7-2 Big East), who have won seven of their last eight games, play host to Georgetown (11-10, 2-6) at 8 p.m. on Saturday at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

"Everyone that comes in is a good player and everyone produces," Georgetown coach John Thompson III said.

Butler coach Chris Holtmann said his starting lineup and rotation can fluctuate from game to game.

"Some of it is matchups and what we've seen on film," Holtmann said. "We'd like to continue with the rotation we're playing and I expect some guys will get more minutes on a given night. I like the depth we have."

Holtmann said he is not worried about limiting minutes.

"We're really just focused on improving from one game to the next and one week to the next," Holtmann said. "We're trying to prepare our team to be its best come February and March. If we earn the right to get in the (NCAA) tournament, we'll keep playing from there.

"Our guys have not logged a ton of minutes outside of Andrew (Chrabascz), and Kamar (Baldwin) has played a ton here of late. The other guys have not averaged a ton of minutes."

Senior Kethan Savage, a transfer from George Washington, is averaging 12.6 points in conference play after averaging just 2.3 points in non-league action.

Butler needed overtime to beat the host Hoyas 85-76 on Jan. 7. Holtmann said the Hoyas' record is deceptive.

"We're playing one of the hottest teams in the league right now and how they've played well," Holtmann said. "They've beaten some good teams and played a really good Xavier team down to the wire (at Xavier). We understand the challenge ahead of us."

Host Georgetown upset No. 16 Creighton 71-51 on Wednesday.

"To say it was much needed would be an understatement," Thompson said. "I thought we played well at both ends of the court for most of the game. We are facing one of the best teams in the country right now in one of the toughest venues to play in the country. We're going to have to duplicate what we did Wednesday on Saturday."

Georgetown has lost its last eight Big East road games, including 0-3 this season.

"I'm not going to tell our team we haven't won a Big East game on the road in more than a year," Thompson said. "There are plenty of opportunities to get better and take advantage of the opportunities in front of us."

The Bulldogs have captured 14 consecutive games at home, including 11 this season.

"There is so much parity in our league," Holtmann said. "I think most people understand on any given night if you don't perform well, you can lose. This league is deep and talented with good coaches and excellent players. I think it's going to remain a balanced league."

Junior forward Kelan Martin leads the Bulldogs with a 16.3 scoring average. However, his shooting percentage has dropped to 40.4 percent overall and 33.6 from 3-point range because of recent struggles.

"I'm confident his offense will come around and he'll begin to shoot it at a higher level and be more efficient," Holtmann said. "In particular against Seton Hall, I was pleased with his defense and his rebounding and that has to continue."

**StarDust Bum** · 01-28-2017, 03:40 AM

Preview: Gamecocks (16-4) at Tigers (5-14)
Date: January 28, 2017 8:30 PM EDT

No. 23 South Carolina responded to its first SEC loss in impressive fashion, a positive sign after last year's late-season meltdown cost it a trip to the NCAA tournament.

The Gamecocks have a chance to continue that momentum Saturday, when they travel to struggling Missouri. South Carolina won six of seven while the Tigers have lost 11 in a row.

South Carolina (16-4, 6-1 SEC) shook off last week's loss at No. 5 Kentucky with an emphatic 98-69 win over Auburn on Tuesday. The Gamecocks' senior backcourt tandem of Duane Notice and Sindarius Thornwell combined for 49 points, and South Carolina knocked down 15 3-pointers in the rout.

The Gamecocks' resiliency is notable. Last season, after losing to Kentucky, South Carolina followed it up with a disappointing performance in road loss at Missouri. It was the beginning of a 3-4 finish to the regular season for coach Frank Martin's squad.

The uneven finish was followed by a first-round exit in the SEC tournament that helped keep the Gamecocks outside of the NCAA tournament field.

Thornwell, one of the top contenders for SEC Player of the Year, said a similar fade down the stretch isn't happening this year.

"We won't allow this team to lose any of the games we're not supposed to," Thornwell said after the Auburn win.

Saturday's game at Missouri certainly qualifies.

Missouri's third season under coach Kim Anderson has come off the rails. Heading into Saturday's game, the Tigers are 24-58 under Anderson, and his job security is in question.

Anderson downplayed any increased concern over his job, saying during an SEC media teleconference earlier in the month that "I don't really let that consume me."

For now, his team's performance remains the more pressing worry. Missouri (5-14, 0-7) struggles on both ends of the court. The Tigers are second-to-last in the conference in scoring, averaging 70.2 points per game. They're also near the bottom of the SEC in scoring defense. South Carolina leads the conference in scoring defense.

On the positive side, Missouri ranks behind only Kentucky in the conference in rebounding and may have an advantage on the backboards against the Gamecocks. South Carolina ranks 11th in rebounding in the 14-team SEC.

"We've got to grow up and I think over time we'll learn how to win, because I think (experience is) the missing component," Missouri sophomore forward Kevin Puryear told the Kansas City Star. "It's not the talent. It's not our effort. It's just making winning plays when we need to make them."

South Carolina senior guard Justin McKie, who knocked down three 3-pointers and scored 13 points off the bench against Auburn, says the Gamecocks aren't concerned about Missouri's record.

"From watching them on film, they're scrappy. They'll fight," McKie said of the Tigers. "They're not going to back down from anybody, so we got to come ready to play."

This will be only the eighth meeting between the two teams. Missouri leads the all-time series 4-3. South Carolina has never won in three trips to Missouri Arena.

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