The Bum's Top 25 College Basketball Previews For 02/01/16 !

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday’s List of 13: Mid-week musings…….

13) In mid-September, the Atlanta Falcons were 100-1 to win the Super Bowl.

12) Matt Ryan was the 25th-rated QB in the high school class of 2003. One of the QB’s ranked ahead of him was Clayton Richard, who pitched for the Cubs/Padres last year- he’s spent eight years in the major leagues. Richard was a backup QB at Michigan for a while in college.

11) Speaking of the Padres, they’ll be paying a lot of money this season to BJ Upton, James Shields and Hector Olivera, none of whom are Padres anymore.

No one on the current San Diego roster will earn as much money as any of those three guys this year.

10) St Louis Cardinals’ first pick in the June amateur draft will be the 94th pick in the draft.

9) ESPN hired David Ross (baseball), Rex Ryan (NFL) as analysts. Ryan should be TV gold, unless he wants to coach again and watches his words, which has never happened before.

8) Barclays Center in Brooklyn is booting the NHL’s Islanders out, saying they could make more money if they just had concerts and the Nets there.

Where will the Islanders go? Here is a novel idea: how about moving the team to Canada, where I’m told that hockey is very popular? Quebec City, Hamilton, Saskatoon; I’m sure they would all love to have an NHL franchise of their own.

7) Take the Power 6 college basketball conferences (ACC, Big X, Big 14, SEC, Pac-12, Big East); this year, those teams are averaging 73.3 pts/game, compared to 71.7 LY and 66.2 the year before, so thats a good trend.

Imagine if they let refs call continuation on drives to the basket; would increase scoring even more.

6) In 1992, the Florida Marlins drafted a pitcher from Stanford in the 2nd round, kid named John Lynch— he pitched two years in the NY-Penn League, then dedicated himself to football, where he was a great player. Now Lynch is the GM of the 49ers, despite having no experience in the front office. Will be interesting to see how he does.

I’ll say this: as a Ram fan, I can’t root for Lynch to succeed, but he’ll be missed on TV. He was smart and fair and teamed up well with FOX’s Kevin Burkhardt.

5) There have been 94 Kentucky players who played in the NBA, 88 from UCLA; they were talking about that on the Memphis-Phoenix NBA game Monday night.

4) Northwestern is going to make the NCAA’s this year for the first time; one of their best players is Bryant McIntosh, who is from Greensburg, IN. He was saying last week how Indiana Hoosiers recruit nationally more than they do in Indiana, so they weren’t so interested in him, but now he is helping put the Wildcats on the national map for the first time. Good for him.

3) You look at Gonzaga as a #1 seed that has never been to a Final Four; they’ll be the #1 seed out west if they wind up as a #1— now you look at Bracketology to see who they could possibly face in a second round game, just to get to the Sweet 16. They’ll have lot of pressure on them.

Here are the 8-9 seed matchups that ESPN has up right now; I know it is still early, but it gives you a little bit of an idea what could be ahead for Gonzaga.

USC-Indiana…..Marquette-Arkansas……Va Tech-Kansas State…….Michigan St-Dayton

Wow, being a #1 seed and playing a Michigan St-Dayton winner would be a really hard second round game. We’re 5.5 weeks away from all that, but it is food for thought.

2) Carroll Hardy played eight years in the majors, from 1958-67; he hit .225 with 17 career HR’s. His claim to fame is that he is the only player who ever pinch-hit for Ted Williams.

Hardy also played 10 games for the 49ers in 1955; he caught 12 passes, four for TD’s. After his playing days, he became player personnel director for the Denver Broncos in the 70’s. Interesting career.

1— Next four Super Bowl sites: Minnesota-Atlanta-Miami-Los Angeles, with three of those four coming in very new stadiums. Wonder if there will be a Super Bowl in Las Vegas someday.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Wildcats (20-2) at Friars (14-9)
Date: February 01, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

Villanova surrendered its No. 1 perch in the nation with last week's loss at Marquette.

But the defending national champions, faced with the prospect of losing two games in a row for the first time since 2013, rallied to defeat No. 9 Virginia in a non-conference game in Philadelphia on Saturday.

The now-No. 4 Wildcats (20-2, 7-2 Big East) return to Big East play on Wednesday with a visit to Providence.

"They're an explosive team, especially at the Dunk," Villanova coach Jay Wright said. "They're tough to prepare for because they have so many weapons -- Rodney Bullock, Kyron Cartwright, Jalen Lindsay. It's a hard group to defend and they're playing with a lot of confidence after their win at Marquette."

The Friars (14-9, 4-6) snapped a two-game losing streak with their win at Marquette. They are 4-7 in their last 11 games, losing at Villanova Jan. 21, and continue to deal with life without draft picks Kris Dunn and Ben Bentil.

"Life is tough on the road and we know how passionate the crowd is at the Dunk," said Wright, whose team plays five of its remaining nine conference games on the road before heading to Madison Square Garden and the Big East Tournament. "We look forward to that challenge."

Josh Hart scored 25 points and added six rebounds and four assists, Kris Jenkins had 19 points and four assists, Mikal Bridges 15 points and four helpers and Darryl Reynolds pulled down 10 rebounds in Villanova's 78-68 victory over the Friars in the first meeting.

Providence went 13-for-26 from 3-point range to hang in that game. Bullock led the scoring with 17 points while Lindsey added 14 and Cartwright 12 points and five assists.

The Friars won for the first time in 11 games in Milwaukee against Marquette, with Kevin McNamara of the Providence Journal calling it "another wacky twist to this season."

"I thought our guys were energetic and we made some timely plays," Providence coach Ed Cooley said. "We made it a little rough with all the free throws we were missing but I'm just proud. We had never won in this building. We've had some really tough losses this year so I'm just proud the grit our guys are showing."

As this young team does with most thing, Cooley's club made things difficult on itself, leading by seven with 1:32 left and then missing four free throws in the final 47 seconds before hanging on.

"We knew we had our hands full," Cooley said. "Marquette is playing as well as anybody in America and had a couple of incredible wins coming into this game. Offensively they're as gifted as any team we've played this year. They're an NCAA team."

So is Villanova.

Wildcats sophomore Jalen Brunson received word Monday that he is one of 10 finalists for the Bob Cousy Award, which goes to the nation's top point guard. He is averaging 14.2 points per game and has 93 assists and 43 turnovers on the season.

Wright's team pushed its departure from Philadelphia to Providence up from Tuesday night to the morning because of the expected snow in Rhode Island.

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Preview: Hokies (16-5) at Cavaliers (16-4)
Date: February 01, 2017 8:00 PM EDT

After a win over No. 14 Notre Dame on the road and a buzzer-beating loss at No. 1 Villanova catapulted Virginia back into the top 10, the ninth-ranked Cavaliers start a tough final eight games of their Atlantic Coast Conference slate by hosting in-state rival Virginia Tech on Wednesday night.

While the rivalry has been mostly in Virginia's favor over the past decade, the Hokies have shown they can compete with anybody in the conference. Virginia Tech is coming off an 85-79 win over Boston College on Sunday night.

Virginia Tech (16-5, 5-4) and Virginia (16-4, 6-2) have similar lineups. Both teams feature a four-guard lineup at times with veteran guard play from the Cavaliers' London Perrantes and the Hokies' Seth Allen.

Perrantes is coming off of a four-point performance against Villanova in which he struggled from the floor, but he is still averaging a team-high 12 points per game.

Allen enters the game against Virginia averaging 12.4 points per game and is one of five Hokies averaging in double figures.

Virginia Tech, with an offense that is putting up 81 points per game, will challenge Virginia's stout defense.

"This is certainly a big game for us," Virginia coach Tony Bennett said. "You always do what you think is best and what the matchup dictates, but Virginia Tech is really good and good in transition."

The Hokies are likely to play the majority of the game in a zone defense which coach Buzz Williams has used a lot this season. They will test Virginia's outside shooting, which is among the best in the ACC but also has struggled at times when the team needed points.

"You have to be sharp at all times," Bennett said when asked about Virginia Tech's zone. "So many teams play different types of basketball and you just never know what you are going to get. The quickness and mobility that Virginia Tech has is tough, they can really pressure you and zone you up."

Virginia got a spark off of the bench in its past two games from freshman Ty Jerome, who had eight points against Notre Dame and a career-high 15 points against Villanova. Jerome is averaging just three points per game but is proving he can come off of the bench and be a solid backup point guard.

"He is just going to continue to get better," Bennett said of his freshman. "He was coming off of hip surgery last year, so we didn't want to rush anything with him."

The Cavaliers are playing their only home game in a five-game stretch that ends Saturday at Syracuse. A win over the Hokies on Wednesday night would catapult Virginia to first place in the ACC, a feat that seemed nearly impossible two weeks ago.

The Hokies, meanwhile, are above .500 at the middle of ACC play for the first time in six seasons.

"It's very encouraging," junior guard Justin Bibbs told the Roanoke (Va.) Times. "Better than last year. Better than the year before. I'll take it."

Williams told the Roanoke Times, "Encouraged (at 5-4), but I also understand what's coming."

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Preview: Seminoles (18-4) at Hurricanes (14-6)
Date: February 01, 2017 8:00 PM EDT

Amazing how quickly fortunes can change in college basketball.

A week ago, Florida State was sitting at No. 6 in the national polls and at the top of the Atlantic Coast Conference standings after negotiating a stretch of six consecutive games against ranked teams with a 5-1 record.

Meanwhile, Miami was reeling a bit after back-to-back double-digit losses in which it gave up 96 points to Wake Forest and blew an 11-point halftime lead to Duke in seemingly nanoseconds.

Now, as they get ready for their Wednesday night clash, it is the 15th-ranked Seminoles (18-4, 6-3 ACC) who have dropped their last two games by double digits -- to unranked opponents -- while the Hurricanes (14-6, 4-4 ACC) are on a two-game win streak that they topped off by dealing then-No. 9 North Carolina its worst defeat of the season.

Tipoff time at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Fla., is 8 p.m. ET.

"I think the league is so talented from top to bottom that you could win any night or you could lose any night," Miami coach Jim Larranaga said. "You have to play very, very well the night you're playing. It doesn't matter who you're playing against."

Or anywhere. As an example, Larranaga noted how Virginia lost at Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh lost at home by 55 points to Louisville, and Virginia beat Louisville at Louisville.

"You can't explain that," Larranaga said.

Seminoles coach Leonard Hamilton agrees that a higher-ranked team simply can't afford a letdown.

"I've been preaching that since the beginning of the year," he said. "Media dubbed our little six-game stretch against ranked teams as the 'gauntlet' and after each game I had to remind them that this is a different ACC than what we have been accustomed to.

"The nonranked teams are good enough that they can beat anybody in America. That's the quality of the league that we're playing in. From top to bottom you have quality coaches and quality players. If you're not at your best every night you play, you can lose a game."

Leonard will be bringing in what Larranaga calls the best Florida State team he has seen in his six-year tenure. The Seminoles are deep, have one of the top backcourts in the league in guards Dwayne Bacon (17.2 ppg) and Xavier Rathan-Mayes (10.4), and are solid inside with 6-10 freshman Jonathan Isaac (13.2 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 30 blocks) and 7-1 center Michael Ojo, back from an injury that sidelined him for the 2015-16 season.

Miami will counter with a lineup led by veteran guards Davon Reed (15.5 ppg) and Ja'Quan Newton (15.2) and freshman guard Bruce Brown (12.1). Brown is coming off a sensational 30-point game in the 77-62 win over North Carolina.

The Hurricanes countered North Carolina's inside presence with a 2-3 zone defense that turned last Saturday's game completely around and may have to rely on a similar ploy against the Seminoles.

"We have to do whatever gives us the best chance to defend," Larranaga said.

This will be the first of two meetings between the two teams in the regular season. The rematch comes in the finale on March 4 in Tallahassee.

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Preview: Wildcats (18-4) at Boilermakers (17-5)
Date: February 01, 2017 8:30 PM EDT

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Northwestern quickly is becoming the Big Ten Conference basketball darling.

The No. 25 Wildcats will attempt to enhance their feel-good story on Wednesday when they play No. 23 Purdue in Mackey Arena.

Fourth-year Northwestern coach Chris Collins' team is building an impressive resume that very well could lead to the school's first-ever NCAA tournament berth. Beating Purdue (17-5, 6-3) would provide yet another chapter.

Northwestern is 18-4, 7-2 and has won six consecutive Big Ten games since losing on Jan. 5 to Minnesota. The 7-2 Big Ten start is the school's best since the 1937-38 team also started 7-2.

Led by junior Scottie Lindsey (15.4 points a game), redshirt sophomore Vic Law (14.0) and junior point guard Bryant McIntosh (12.8), the Wildcats lead the Big Ten in field goal percentage defense (38.3), 3-point field goal percentage defense (30.7) and are second in scoring defense (63.7).

"I just think we are a tough-minded team," Collins said. "My first year, we couldn't score at all, so we had to play great defense. Then the last two years, with all of our youth, we got beat up a little bit. We had to figure it out playing a lot of young guys.

"This year, our guys kind of understand our principles. We are a function of each other on both ends of the floor. We are not a one-man band."

McIntosh, a Greensburg, Ind., native who leads the Big Ten in assists at 5.7 per game, had 21 points on Sunday in Northwestern's 68-55 victory against Indiana.

"We feel we are really good, but we can be even better," McIntosh said. "The fun part is going in each and every day knowing what everyone thinks of this program. That gives us a little extra fire in our bellies. This isn't the same Northwestern."

Purdue guard Dakota Mathias knows this isn't the old Northwestern, which regularly finished at or near the bottom of the Big Ten.

"I think you could see this coming a few years ago," Mathias said. "They have a good group of juniors. McIntosh, Law and Lindsey all are very versatile. They can dribble, pass and shoot, and even at this level, not a lot of guys can do that.

"I think the challenge for us in this game is defending their ball screens. They are good at pick and roll, and the high ball screens spread you out. They are a very good, well-coached team. They play well together and are a very unselfish team."

Purdue coach Matt Painter likes this Northwestern team.

"Vic Law has really developed, Lindsey has really improved and McIntosh was an all-conference guy last year," Painter said. "Those guys can make shots and make plays. They all do a lot of little things.

"More than anything, overall, it's their team defense. They are a good defensive team. You watch film and you think that, and you look at the numbers and you think that. They have established themselves in conference play as one of the better defensive teams in our league."

Purdue junior forward Vince Edwards said the Boilermakers are eager to get back on track after being upset 83-80 at Nebraska on Sunday.

"We don't want to repeat the same thing," Edwards said. "Guys come out with more of an edge after a loss. Every game has to be a big game for us, because we are trying to build an NCAA resume and win a Big Ten championship."

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Bearcats (19-2) at Golden Hurricane (12-8)
Date: February 01, 2017 9:00 PM EDT

If Cincinnati's Kyle Washington is to be believed, there will be no letdowns for the 14th-ranked Bearcats for the remainder of the season.

"We know what's at stake," he said Sunday after a 94-53 rout of hapless South Florida. "We want to make a long run in March. We're always focused. Every team says that, but we live it. We push each other."

The Bearcats' pushing and prodding has resulted in 12 straight wins, a 19-2 overall record, and an 8-0 American Athletic Conference mark going into Wednesday night's key conference contest with Tulsa at Reynolds Center in Tulsa, Okla.

This is a different Cincinnati team from the ones that Mick Cronin has coached for most of the last 12 seasons. While the Bearcats still defend fiercely, allowing opponents to make just 36.8 percent of their field goals and score only 61.8 points per game, they have added offense to their arsenal.

With six players averaging at least 7.5 ppg, led by sophomore swingman Jacob Evans' 14.3, Cincinnati is piling up 78.5 ppg and shooting 48.1 percent from the field. In the last four games, the Bearcats are scoring 84.8 ppg, including Sunday's game, in which they topped 90 for the sixth time this season.

How deep is Cincinnati? Jarron Cumberland, who hasn't started a game this season and plays just 16.5 minutes per game, is the reigning AAC Player of the Week. Cumberland went off for a career-high 26 against South Florida after tallying 13 second half points Thursday night in the Bearcats' comeback win over cross-town rival Xavier.

Depth has also been a staple for the Golden Hurricane (12-8, 6-2), which have fashioned a surprisingly good season despite returning only three players from last season's team. Their 77-66 win Saturday over Central Florida featured 42 points off the bench, tying a season high.

"We had that next-man mentality," Tulsa coach Frank Haith said. "I know that our bench wasn't as great the other night down at East Carolina, but it has been good throughout most of the year and I think that is the strength of our team."

Picked to finish in the middle of the AAC pack, the Golden Hurricane are in third place with a big chance to make a statement this week. After Cincinnati leaves town, Tulsa welcomes second place SMU for a Saturday night showdown.

Junior Etou paces the balanced Golden Hurricane at 12.7 ppg, with Pat Birt - the only returning starter from last season's 20-12 team that reached the First Four - next in line at 10.2 ppg. Tulsa has made nearly as many free throws (336) as its opponents have shot (360).

The Golden Hurricane figures to have to do some real work at the foul line if it's to make headway against Cincinnati's staunch defense. They shoot just 43.4 percent from the field and 33.1 percent at the 3-point arc.

"That is a big part of what we try to do," Haith said of his team's ability to draw fouls. "We want to put pressure on the basket to force how soon we get to the one-and-one. We are a good free throw shooting team."

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Preview: Bruins (19-3) at Cougars (11-10)
Date: February 01, 2017 9:00 PM EDT

UCLA and Washington State have two different mindsets entering Wednesday night's Pac-12 game at Pullman, Wash.

Ironically, the Cougars (11-10, 4-5) are a more confident bunch than the 11th-ranked Bruins (19-3, 6-3).

UCLA has lost two consecutive games and the Bruins had time to stew over that without a contest since last Wednesday's loss at cross-town rival USC.

"We needed mentally more than anything to get away from basketball a little bit and kind of reboot everything that we want to do," said UCLA coach Steve Alford, whose team also lost at home to Arizona on Jan. 21.

The week-long break for UCLA ends Wednesday with its game against the Cougars, who have won two of their last three contests.

Ernie Kent's team also kept the game close at Arizona last Thursday before the fifth-ranked Wildcats rallied in the last seven minutes to pull away for a 79-62 win. The Cougars followed that with a 91-83 victory at ASU last Sunday.

"Controlling the game and controlling the environment (at ASU), I think is a sign of the character of our basketball team," said Kent, in his second season at Washington State. "These young men want to perform well, they want to win. They want to buy in that losing is not acceptable here anymore."

Washington State's recent success against UCLA in Pullman also has the Cougars confident.

They won their only Pac-12 game of last season by upsetting the then No. 25-ranked Bruins 85-78. It was their third consecutive victory over UCLA in Pullman. That ties for their longest home winning streak in the series, with the previous being from 1935 to 1937.

"They are so different than what they were last year," Kent said of UCLA, referring to the addition of high-caliber freshmen Lonzo Ball and T.J. Leaf. "They score like an NBA team scores. There's gotta be some things you try to take away and limit their scoring as best as you can."

UCLA has averaged 92.2 points per game, the fourth-highest average in school history. The Bruins' 22.1 assists per game is the second-highest mark in school history behind the 1973-74 team (22.4).

Ball triggers the offensive flow. He is currently averaging 8.0 assists per game, the highest single-season average in UCLA history. His 176 assists are the most in one season since Kyle Anderson had 233 in 2013-14 as a sophomore.

Ball reportedly said after the loss to USC that players "split ways" during the game, a contention that Alford denies. A players-only meeting was held following that defeat.

Alford's son Bryce Alford, a senior guard who leads the Bruins with 16.9 points a game, said the meeting was more like an "informal conversation."

"(The meeting let) everybody know they could bring whatever they need to bring to the table; if we've got issues, we've got issues and there weren't any," Bryce Alford said.

Washington State is led by senior forward Josh Hawkinson, who is only 81 rebounds shy from the school career record of 992, set by Steve Puidokas from 1974-77. He is 89 away from becoming the 13th Pac-12 player to reach 1,000 rebounds in his career.

Hawkinson also has 1,271 career points, ranking 18th on the school-record list.

Forward Ike Iroegbu, who also has more than 1,000 career points, is coming off a 22-point, 10-rebound game at ASU.

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Preview: Bears (20-1) at Jayhawks (19-2)
Date: February 01, 2017 9:00 PM EDT

LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Bill Self is not a big fan of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. At least not when the leagues conduct the basketball showdown at a time usually reserved for conference play.

However, winning at Kentucky, which is something Kansas managed on Saturday, provides a bonus the Jayhawks coach recognizes.

"If you're going to take a break, at least have it be one that really matters, and certainly that game did," Self said. "But I think if anything it'll be a momentum push for us. It doesn't guarantee success moving forward, but certainly I think that it was definitely something that was very positive for our team."

Convincing the Jayhawks their next game is even more critical should not be a problem. No. 2 Baylor (20-1, 7-1 Big 12), which shares the league lead with No. 3 Kansas (19-2, 7-1), visits Allen Fieldhouse for a Wednesday clash that wraps up the first half of Big 12 play.

"They're obviously better than they have been, and I think they've been very good in the past," Self said. "They're longer up front with their bigs and their depth up front, and certainly I think their zone is probably better than it has been, but they're playing more man too."

While Self struggles to verify his team's identity, he was quick to cite Baylor's defense. The Bears rank ninth nationally and first in the Big 12 by holding opponents to 38.3 percent shooting.

Their diverse lineup also includes offensive variety, led by junior forward Johnathan Motley, who is averaging 22.0 points and 11.5 rebounds over the last four games. Motley ranks as the Big 12's top rebounder with a 9.6 average, while leading the Bears with a 16.2 scoring average.

The issue regarding frontcourt depth is most acute for Kansas. It will again be without sophomore forward Carlton Bragg, who is serving an indefinite suspension after previously fulfilling a role as the one big man to come off the bench in the Jayhawks' slim rotation.

That places more pressure on senior forward Landen Lucas to not only control the backboards, but also stay out of foul trouble.

Backup frontliners the Jayhawks can tap are junior Dwight Coleby, a 6-foot-9 Mississippi transfer slow to recover from an ACL tear suffered in October 2015; and Mitch Lightfoot, a slender 6-8 freshman. Coleby provided an effective lift against Kentucky, logging 10 minutes after playing just three minutes combined in the Jayhawks' first eight Big 12 games.

Baylor's lone defeat was on the road against another Big 12 contender, No. 7 West Virginia. The 89-68 setback came one day after the Bears jumped to No. 1 for the first time in history after beginning the season unranked.

History will not be on their side at Kansas. Baylor has never won in Allen Fieldhouse. Bears coach Scott Drew stands 0-9 in games at Kansas, the same number of losses Self has suffered at home (216-9) in 13-plus seasons coaching the Jayhawks.

"Playing Kansas doesn't dictate who wins or loses the league," Drew said. "We could've lost to them the last five, six years, both games, and won the league if we'd have beaten everybody else. That being said, it's a great opportunity with a lot of national attention."

Indeed, the Bears' stingy defense will go up against a prolific Kansas offense shooting 49.8 percent overall and 41.2 percent from 3-point range, marks that lead the Big 12.

"It's almost like an environment where you've got to go in and you've got to take the fight to them," said sophomore guard Jake Lindsey, a reserve who factors into Baylor's deep rotation. "They're a great team and you know they're prepared. We think we're just as prepared. They've taken some hits in their depth, so hopefully we can find ways to exploit that."

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Preview: Gamecocks (17-4) at Tigers (9-11)
Date: February 01, 2017 9:00 PM EDT

South Carolina has climbed to No. 19 in the country and is tied with Kentucky for the SEC lead.

The Gamecocks (17-4, 7-1) visit free-falling LSU (9-11, 1-7) to conclude the first half of the SEC schedule on Wednesday night in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La.

It's an opportunity for South Carolina to move a step closer to what would be its first NCAA Tournament berth in coach Frank Martin's five seasons.

"I didn't talk to them about it when we were in dead-last. I'm not going to start talking about it when we're ... whatever our record is," Martin told The State. "That mindset of being excited for who we are, we tried to create that even when our record was not very good. We didn't throw in the towel when we lost some games and we were written off a couple of years ago. I'm hoping we don't get engulfed by the opposite, either."

The Gamecocks took care of business in a 63-53 road win against last-place Missouri on Saturday. Now they stay on the road to play a team that is just one game better than Missouri.

"It can all change with a couple losses," South Carolina senior guard Sindarius Thornwell said. "You can go from first to fourth. One of those teams could have a good day. We just have to protect ourselves."

The Gamecocks are better known for their defense than their 3-point shooting, but they have been long-range marksmen in their last two games.

They had almost as many 3-point field goals (nine) as two-point field goals (11) in the victory at Missouri. In their last game before that, they made 15 3-pointers in a 98-69 victory against Auburn.

Before those two games, they were averaging six 3-pointers per contest.

The ability to make 3-pointers could come in handy against the Tigers. LSU allowed Texas Tech to make 12 3-pointers, including 10 in the first half, in the Red Raiders' 77-64 victory last Saturday in Lubbock, Texas.

Three days before that, Florida made a school-record 19 3-pointers in an easy 106-71 victory in Baton Rouge.

"When guys get open shots they've been good," LSU coach Johnny Jones told NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune. "Teams have been efficient against us. We just have to keep playing as hard as we can to defend that area as well as take away driving lanes."

Still the Gamecocks' defense is their biggest strength on a consistent basis. The team ranks sixth nationally in scoring defense (60.8 points per game), fifth in field-goal defense (37.2 percent), first in 3-point defense (25.4 percent) and eighth in turnovers forced (17.05 per game), all of which lead the SEC.

LSU has lost seven consecutive games and nine of its last 10.

"We're just keeping our heads up," Tigers guard Antonio Blakeney told NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune. "We have some good-spirited guys and just never give up until it's all over. We're trying to do our best to turn this thing around."

Blakeney might have had a turning point with a sore right ankle in LSU's last game, scoring a team-high 23 points.

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Top 25 Capsules
January 31, 2017

AMES, Iowa (AP) Nathan Adrian scored a career-high 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as No. 7 West Virginia overwhelmed Iowa State 85-72 on Tuesday night for its third straight win.

Tarik Phillip had 15 points for the Mountaineers (18-4, 6-3 Big 12), who hit 10 3s and forced 16 turnovers in winning their third road game in league play.

West Virginia's pressure defense got the typically sure-handed Cyclones out of rhythm in the second half. A late 9-0 run capped by a layup by Jevon Carter put the Mountaineers up 70-55 with 5:36 left, sending some Iowa State fans to a rare early exit.

Matt Thomas scored 19 points for Iowa State (13-8, 5-4), which lost at home to a top 10 team for the second time in 15 days. The Cyclones lost to Kansas by four points on Jan. 16.

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No. 8 KENTUCKY 90, GEORGIA 81, OT

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - Malik Monk made two 3-pointers and scored eight of 37 points in overtime, and Bam Adebayo and Dominique Hawkins added baskets to help Kentucky end a two-game losing streak.

The Wildcats appeared headed to their third straight loss until Monk's jumper with 8 seconds remaining in regulation tied the game at 76. Hawkins' desperation heave from midcourt bounced off the rim as the horn sounded.

Monk's first 3 game Kentucky a five-point lead. His second made it 85-81 and Adebayo followed with a slam off Monk's lob for a six-point cushion. Isaiah Briscoe (23 points, 11 rebounds) made a free throw and Monk added two more with 43.3 seconds left to seal the win.

Adebayo had 12 points as Kentucky (18-4, 8-1 Southeastern Conference) avoided its longest losing streak since dropping its final four regular season games in 2008-09.

J.J. Frazier had 23 points before fouling out and Yante Maten added 22 for the Bulldogs (13-9, 4-5), who lost for the fourth time in six games.

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No. 10 WISCONSIN 57, ILLINOIS 43

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) - Ethan Happ scored 14 points to lead Wisconsin.

Wisconsin (19-3, 8-1 Big Ten) started the game with a 16-2 run and never trailed.

Much of the hot start came from the open 3-pointers Illinois allowed Wisconsin's players to take - the Badgers shot 7 of 23 from 3-point range in the game.

The Badgers big men dominated the game in the post, out-rebounding Illinois 45-36, including 19-6 on the offensive boards.

Nigel Hayes scored 11 points and added eight rebounds for Wisconsin.

Malcolm Hill and Maverick Morgan both had 10 points for Illinois (13-10, 3-7).

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No. 12 NORTH CAROLINA 80, PITTSBURGH 78

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) - Justin Jackson scored 20 points and North Carolina held on.

Joel Berry II had 19 points, Isaiah Hicks added 18 and Kennedy Meeks finished with 10 for the Tar Heels (20-4, 8-2 Atlantic Coast Conference). The league leaders never trailed but also never got comfortable against the last-place Panthers.

Cameron Johnson matched a career high with 24 points and hit a career-best six 3-pointers, Michael Young finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds and Jamel Artis had 17 points for Pitt (12-10, 1-8), which lost its seventh straight but kept this one tight throughout by shooting nearly 56 percent.

The Panthers had a chance to win it at the buzzer after Artis took an inbounds pass with 4.8 seconds to play and hurried down the right side before uncorking an off-balance 3-pointer that caromed harmlessly off the glass.

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No. 22 CREIGHTON 76, No. 16 BUTLER 67

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Justin Patton, Khyri Thomas and Marcus Foster all scored 15 points and Creighton made 13 3-pointers.

The Bluejays (20-3, 7-3 Big East) have won two straight to move into second place in the conference standings.

Kamar Baldwin finished with 14 points for Butler (18-5, 7-4), which has lost two straight at home.

Creighton finished 13 of 21 on 3s, shooting a season-high 61.9 percent. The Bluejays earned their 20th win for the 17th time in 19 seasons.

Kelan Martin added 11 points for Butler, which has lost back-to-back games for the first time this season.

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No. 17 MARYLAND 77, OHIO ST. 71

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Justin Jackson had 22 points and 12 rebounds for Maryland.

The Buckeyes pulled within one point four times in the second half but the Terps always had an answer. A jumper by Melo Trimble with 32 seconds left put Maryland up 75-71, and Jared Nickens hit two free throws with 14 seconds left to seal it.

Trimble had 13 points and Anthony Cowan added 11 as Maryland (20-2, 8-1 Big Ten) won their seventh straight. The Terps haven't lost since Jan. 1 and have won all six of their games on the road this season.

Jae'Sean Tate scored 20 points and Marc Loving added 18 for the Buckeyes (13-10, 3-7 Big Ten), who have lost three of their last four.

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday’s games

VCU is 6-2 in A-14, 3-1 as a home favorite, with home wins by 17-30-38-5 points; Rams force turnovers 22% of time and grab 38.5% of their own missed shots. Richmond is 7-2 in A-14, 3-1 on road, with only loss by 16 at Dayton; Spiders are 3-1 as road underdogs. VCU won seven of last nine games with crosstown rival Richmond; Spiders won only one of last nine games in this gym, with last four losses here by 22-11-11-13 points (Richmond won at VCU in 2015). Double digit home favorites are 7-11 vs spread in A-14 games this season.

Clemson snapped a 6-game skid with win at Pitt Saturday; they’re 2-2 as an ACC favorite. Tigers lost their last three home games, by 3-1-4 points. Georgia Tech covered its last six games (4-2SU); they’re 3-1 as a road underdog, losing away games by 53-1-13 points, with win at NC State. Tech held Clemson to 36.7% on floor in 75-63 upset win over Tigers Jan 12, Tech’s third straight win over Clemson, after losing 12 of previous 13 series games. Jackets lost their last ten games in Littlejohn. ACC home favorites of 9+ points are 8-9 vs spread.

Villanova rebounded from Marquette loss with comeback win over Virginia Sunday; Wildcats are 2-2 as Big East road favorites, losing at Butler/Marquette. Providence covered four of last five games; they’re 2-2 at home in Big East, with losses by 14-5 points. Villanova won three in row, 8 of last 9 games with Providence, winning last three visits here, by 3-6-12 points. Wildcats won first meeting this year 78-68 at home 11 days ago, despite Friars going 13-26 on arc. Villanova also beat Friars in last two Big East tourneys. Big East road favorites are 7-8-1 vs spread.

Syracuse is 0-4 on road, 5-0 at home in ACC play, losing away games by 15-10-17-18 points- they’re 0-3 as a road underdog. NC State lost five of last seven games, allowing 80+ points in four of last five games- they’re 2-2 at home, beating Va Tech/Pitt, losing to Wake Forrest/Ga Tech. Home side won all three NC State/Syracuse ACC games; Orange lost 71-57 here two years ago, also lost by 3 to Wolfpack in ’14 ACC tourney as teams split last four meetings. ACC home favorites of 3 or less points are 4-5 vs spread.

Kansas State is 3-1 at home in Big X, with only loss to Baylor; underdogs are 3-0-1 vs spread in those games. Wildcats are 0-2-1 as home favorites. TCU lost three of last four games, is 2-2 as a road underdog, wth 64-61 win at Texas their only win on Big X road- they lost road games by 12-6-13 points at West Va, Texas Tech, Okla State. K-State is 7-2 vs TCU in Big X meetings, sweeping Frogs by 14-25 points LY; TCU is 0-4 in Little Apple, losing by 11-12-5-25 points. Big X home favorites of 5+ points are 2-14-2 vs spread this season.

Florida State allowed 80 pts/game in losing its last two games by 22-10 points after starting season 18-2; Seminoles are 1-3 on ACC road, with only win by hoop at Virginia- they lost last three road tilts. Miami is 3-1 at home in ACC, with only loss to Notre Dame by 5; they’re 1-4 as an ACC favorite, 1-2 at home. FSU has #13 eFG% in ACC- they don’t shoot well. Miami won three in row, six of last eight games with Florida State, winning by 4-13 points in last two series games played here. ACC home favorites of 3 or less points are 4-5 vs spread.

Northwestern’s leading scorer Lindsey (illness) is out here, bad news for Wildcat squad that won/covered its last six games. Wildcats are 4-1 on Big 14 road, 1-1 as a road underdog- their only road loss was by 9 at Michigan State. Purdue won three of last four games, is 4-1 as a home favorite, with only loss to Minnesota. Purdue won last two games with Wildcats by 8-10 points, but teams split last six meetings overall. Northwestern lost four of last five visits here, losing by 13-10-31-10 points. Big 14 home favorites of 7 or less points are 19-9 vs spread.

Cincinnati won its last 12 games; they’re 3-1 as an AAC road favorite, winning on road by 5-9-9-17 points. Bearcats are shooting 39.4% on arc, holding teams to 39.9% inside arc in AAC games. Tulsa won five of its last six games; they’re 3-0 vs spread as an AAC underdog, 4-1 SU at home, with only loss by 3 to East Carolina. Tulsa is shooting 78.6% on line, best in AAC play. Cincinnati is 2-1 vs Tulsa is AAC meetings, losing 70-68 in OT here LY, winning other two by 19-9 points. AAC road favorites of 8+ points are 6-3 against the spread.

Baylor is 7-1 in Big X with only loss by 21 at West Virginia when they turned ball over 29 times. Bears are 1-1 as a Big X underdog; they beat Oregon/Louisville as underdogs earlier in season. Kansas is coming off win at Kentucky; they’re 1-3 as Big X home favorite, winning home games by 2-17-7-12 points. Jayhawks won their last eight games with Baylor, beating Bears by 10-4 points in last two Big X tourneys; Baylor lost last nine visits here, with last five all by 10+ points. Big X home favorites of 5+ points are 2-14-2 vs spread this season.

First game for Xavier without injured star Somner; Musketeers are 3-1 as home favorites, with home wins by 26-15-11 points, with loss to Creighton. Seton Hall lost four of last five games, is 0-4 on big East road, 1-2 as a road underdog, losing away games by 14-3-4-30 points. Seton Hall is 5-2 in Big East games vs Xavier, losing last two visits here, by 11-8 points. Home side won last five regular season meetings- Hall beat Xavier 87-83 in LY’s Big East tourney. Big East home favorites of 6+ points are 14-8-1 vs spread this season.

Nevada is 7-2 in Mountain West, winning last three road games by 1-15-19 points; their depth is better with couple injured subs back healthy. Wolf Pack is 4-3 as a MW favorite, 1-1 on road. Utah State lost four of last five games; they’re 3-2 at home in MW, losing to Boise/Colorado St. Home side covered seven of Aggies’ nine conference games. Nevada swept Utah State LY by 5-5 points, after losing 7 of previous 10 series games. Teams split last four series games in Logan. Mountain West road favorites are 5-7 vs spread this season.

New Mexico is down two starters (Williams/Kuiper) for rematch with UNLV, which upset Lobos 71-66 in The Pit Jan 10. New Mexico won three of last four meetings here. UNLV lost its last two games by total of five points; Rebels are 2-2 at home in MW, losing to Boise/San Diego St; they’re 3-5 vs spread as an underdog, 1-2 at home. New Mexico won four of last five games, is 3-2 on MW road, losing at Utah State by 4, Nevada by 17. Mountain West home teams are 7-6 vs spread in games with spread of 2 or less points.

USC won three of its last four games; they’re 2-2 on Pac-12 road, 0-1 as road favorite- they won by 7 at Oregon St., 3 at Colorado, lost at Oregon/Utah. Trojans are shooting just 42.7% inside arc. Huskies are worst defensive rebounding team in Pac-12- they shoot 57.4% on foul line. Washington lost its last three games, by 22-11-11 points; Huskies are 2-3 at home in Pac-12, beating Oregon St/Colorado. Home side won last six USC-Washington games; Trojans lost last four visits to Seattle, by 28-8-7-2 points. Totals in LY’s meetings were 172-186.