The Bum's College Basketball Best Bets/Trends/ News Thru The Madness !

[StarDust Bum]

Second Round

SATURDAY, MARCH 17

Matchup Score ATS Result

Alabama 58 vs. Villanova (-11.5) 81 81-58 Favorite-Under 150
Rhode Island 62 vs. Duke (-9.5) 87 87-62 Favorite-Push 149
Buffalo vs. Kentucky (-5.5) 95-75 Favorite-Over 154.5
Loyola-Chicago (+5, ML +200) vs. Tennessee 63-62 Underdog-Under (131)
Seton Hall vs. Kansas (-5) 83-79 Underdog-Over (154.5)
Ohio State vs. Gonzaga (-4.5) 90-84 Favorite-Over (143.5)
Florida vs. Texas Tech (-1.5) 69-66 Favorite-Over (133.5)
Houston vs. Michigan (-4) 64-63 Underdog-Under (135)

SUNDAY, MARCH 18

Matchup Score ATS Result

Butler vs. Purdue - -
Syracuse vs. Michigan State - -
Texas A&M vs. North Carolina - -
Nevada vs. Cincinnati - -
Clemson vs. Auburn - -
Maryland-Baltimore Co. vs. Kansas State - -
Florida State vs. Xavier - -
Marshall vs. West Virginia - -

[StarDust Bum]

march madness record: ( overall record+ best bets ) all wagers based on 5 units

03/17/2018 6-12-0 33.33% -36.00
03/16/2018 8-10-0 44.44% -15.00
03/15/2018 13-20-0 39.39% -4500
03/14/2018 15-8-1 65.22% +31.00
03/13/2018 7-14-1 33.33% -41.50
03/12/2018 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00

best bets:

Ats

03/17/2018.............................................. ..3 - 6..............................-18.00
03/16/2018.............................................. .4 - 4...............................- 2.00
03/15/2018.............................................. .7 - 6..............................+ 2.00
03/14/2018.............................................. .7 - 5..............................+ 7.50
03/13/2018.............................................. .2 - 4...............................-12.00
03/12/2018.............................................. . 1 - 0..............................+ 5.00


TOTALS............................................ .......24 - 25..............................- 17.50


over/under

03/17/2018.............................................. ..2 - 4.................................-12.00
03/16/2018.............................................. .1 - 3................................- 11.50
03/15/2018.............................................. .6 - 8................................- 14.00
03/14/2018.............................................. .2 - 1................................+ 4.50
03/13/2018.............................................. .0 - 5.................................-27.50
03/12/2018.............................................. . 1 - 0.................................+ 5.00


TOTALS............................................ . .....12 - 21.............................- 55.50

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday’s 6-pack

Over/under win totals for baseball season:

96.5– Houston Astros

96.5— Los Angeles Dodgers

94.5– Chicago Cubs

94.5— Cleveland Indians

92.5— Washington Nationals

91.5— Boston Red Sox

Quote of the Day
“The best pillow is a clear conscience.”
Tubby Smith

Sunday’s quiz
Who was the coach at West Virginia before Bob Huggins?

Saturday’s quiz
Comedian Bill Murray’s son is an assistant coach for Xavier.

Friday’s quiz
Frankfurt is the capital of Kentucky.

**************************************
…
Sunday’s List of 13: Wrapping up a sports Saturday…..

13) Michigan 64, Houston 63— Cougars were leading 63-61 and were shooting two foul shots with 0:04 left; the Houston kid misses both shots, Michigan calls time-out. Houston doesn’t put a man on the inbounder (like Duke-Kentucky when Laettner hit that shot) and Jordan Poole, a 36.8% shooter on the arc, hit the walk-off 3-pointer to keep Michigan dancing.

This was the kind of game that if you’re wth the Houston team, you’ll think about it every day the rest of your life.

12) Loyola, Chi 63, Tennessee 62— Clayton Custer got a fortuitous bounce on his game-winning jumper with 0:03.6 left, as the Ramblers won a very exciting game. This is the time in 11 years Loyola had a winning conference record- they’ve won their last 12 games.

This is the 11th year in a row a team seeded 11th or worse makes it to the Sweet 16; Ramblers were ranked outside the top 100 in early January, but they’ve won 12 games in row now and will play the Cincinnati-Nevada in the Sweet 16.

11) Texas Tech 69, Florida 66— This was the best game of the day; Red Raiders hung on after nearly gagging away a 5-point lead in last 0:20. Tech goes to the Sweet 16 for 4th time- Chris Beard won a tournament game with Little Rock two years ago as a 12-seed, and now this. He’s a darned good coach.

10) Gonzaga 90, Ohio State 84— Zags ran out to a 15-0 lead, lost the lead, then pulled away down the stretch, as they advance to the Sweet 16 for the 4th year in a row. Gonzaga beat the Buckeyes by 27 in the PK80 tournament in November- this was way tougher.

9) You think you had a bad day? Thursday, a gambler at SouthPoint Casino in Las Vegas bet $10,000 on Arizona to win SU—- if the Wildcats won, he banked $2,000 for his trouble. If they lost, he was out the $10,000.

A 9-point favorite, Arizona lost by 21. Thats a bad day.

8) One of the truly weird things about being in Las Vegas during March Madness is that there is a wagering proposition: “Which team gets to 15 points first?”

First time I witnessed this was in 2010 at the MGM; I’m watching the first part of the first game, and these three guys start hugging each other as if they had just won the lottery. Score of the game was 15-12.

I actually asked one guy if that was his brother who had scored the last basket; he explained the betting prop to me. Lot of people bet on this, apparently.

7) Jets traded three 2nd round draft picks to Indianapolis Saturday to move up three spots in the draft, from #6 pick to #3. Wonder which quarterback they want? Great move by the Colts, who already have a QB and have many other needs.

6) Few years ago, I was at the Wendy’s near my house, in line behind a basketball team- it was this time of year and the America East tournament was at UAlbany.

It was the UMBC Retrievers, who weren’t very good back then, but they were a good group of guys, patient and respectful in line.

Friday, a guy at the Venetian in Las Vegas put $800 of his hard-earned dollars on UMBC on the money line; he got $16,000 back for his trouble. It takes onions to put $800 on a 16-seed, when in the history of the tournament, no 16-seed had ever beaten a #1-seed (0-135).

5) Jarius Lyles was the star of the show for UMBC Friday; both his parents went to Virginia. UMBC is his third college, after pit stops at VCU, Robert Morris. Kid played high school ball at DeMatha in Washington DC, one of the best basketball high schools in the country.

4) Kirk Cousins’ agent is Mike McCartney, whose dad Bill was a really good football coach for the Colorado Buffaloes, winning a national title in Boulder.

3) Obscure baseball trivia: The first time Hank Aaron played for the Braves in a spring training game was in 1954, when he took the place of Bobby Thomson, who broke his ankle sliding into second base. Yes, the same Bobby Thomson who three years earlier hit a walk-off homer to give the New York Giants the NL pennant.

2) Tampa Bay Bucs signed C Ryan Jensen to a four-year, $42 million deal with $22M guaranteed that makes him the highest-paid center in the NFL.

1) Georgia hired Tom Crean as its new basketball coach, after Thad Matta turned them down.

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday - Session 1
March 17, 2018

The final round of NCAA Tournament games to determine this year’s Sweet 16 kicks off early Sunday afternoon with a pair of Big Ten teams looking to extend their stay into next week.

Starting in the East Region, Purdue takes on the Big East’s Butler Bulldogs followed by a matchup between Michigan State and the ACC’s Syracuse Orange.

East Region (Detroit, MI)
No. 10 Butler Bulldogs vs. No. 2 Purdue Boilermakers (CBS, 12:10 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Purdue -3 ½, 144

Betting Matchup

Butler bowed out of the recent Big East Tournament with in a lopsided 87-68 loss to Villanova as an 8 ½-point underdog. However, it was able to quickly dial-up some of that old NCAA Tournament magic with a convincing 79-62 romp over No. 7 Arkansas in Friday’s opening round as a two-point favorite. This was the first time the Bulldogs covered against the spread in their last five games with the total staying UNDER (150 points) for the third time in that same span.

Holding a modest five-point lead at the half, Butler turned up the heat to bury the Razorbacks over the final 20 minutes of that game. The duo of senior forward Kelan Martin (27 points) and sophomore guard Kamar Baldwin (24 points) led the way in Friday’s win. These two players have been leading the way all season long as the Bulldogs’ top two scorers. Butler is averaging 79.1 points per game this season and shooting 47.3 percent from the field. It has connected on 35.8 percent of its shots from three-point range.

The Boilermakers made a run to the Big Ten Tournament title game against Michigan, but they came up short as four-point favorites in a 75-66 loss. They drew Cal-State Fullerton in the opening round of this tournament and got things going early in a 74-48 romp as 20-point favorites. This was just the second time in Purdue’s last 14 games it covered ATS including a PUSH in a three-point loss to Michigan State on Feb. 10.

Friday’s win came at a very steep price with senior center Isaac Haas’s season-ending elbow injury. He was Purdue’s second-leading scorer with 14.7 PPG while pulling down 5.7 rebounds a game. Sophomore guard Carsen Edwards stepped up his game on Friday as the team’s leading scorer this season with 15 points and four rebounds. He is averaging 18.5 PPG as part of the Boilermakers’ scoring average of 80.9 PPG.

Betting Trends

-- The Bulldogs are 21-5-2 ATS in their last 28 NCAA Tournament games with the total going OVER in five of their last six nonconference games.

-- The Boilermakers have failed to cover in six of their last eight games against the Big East and the total has gone OVER in five of their last seven games against this conference.

-- These two met back in December with Purdue cruising to an 82-67 victory as a seven-point favorite. Butler still has a 3-1 edge both SU and ATS in the last four meetings with the total going OVER in three of those games.

Midwest Region (Detroit, MI)
No. 11 Syracuse Orange vs. No. 3 Michigan State Spartans (CBS, 2:40 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Michigan State -8, 129 ½

Betting Matchup

The Orange will be playing their third game in this tournament after drawing Arizona State in the First Four Round. They got past the Sun Devils 60-56 on Wednesday as slight one-point underdogs before pulling off a 57-52 upset against No. 6 TCU as 4 ½-point underdogs on Friday. Syracuse is 4-1 both SU and ATS in its last four games with the only loss coming against North Carolina in the ACC Tournament. The total has stayed UNDER in four of those five contests.

Syracuse has been known for its stifling defense all season long with a points-allowed average (63.9) that was ranked 12th in the country. The Orange have held teams to fewer than 60 points in three of their last five games. When it comes to scoring, sophomore guard Tyrus Battle has led the way with 19.3 PPG, but he has been held to a combined 22 points in his last two starts. Freshman forward Marek Dolezaj was Syracuse’s leading scorer on Friday with 17 points.

Michigan State won the Big Ten regular season title at 16-2 SU in conference play, but it ran into a buzz saw against rival Michigan to make an early exit from the conference tournament in a 75-64 loss as a five-point favorite. The Spartans faced No. 14 Bucknell in the opening round of this tournament and struggled to an 82-78 victory as 14 ½-point favorites. They have now failed to cover in their last four games as part of a costly 2-9-2 record ATS over their last 13 outings.

Miles Bridges scored 29 points and pulled down nine rebounds to help the Spartans advance to the second round. The talented sophomore guard has been Michigan State’s leading scorer all season long with 17.3 PPG and he is the second-leading rebounder with seven a game. Sophomore guard Joshua Langford added 22 points to Friday’s winning effort as one of three players in double figures. The Spartans are five deep in double-digit scorers this season while averaging 81.0 PPG.

Betting Trends

-- The Orange have covered in six of their last seven games in the NCAA Tournament and the total has stayed UNDER in their last four nonconference games.

-- The Spartans are 4-1 ATS in their last five games against the ACC with the total going OVER in their last six games in this tournament.

-- Going all the way back to 2001, Syracuse is a perfect 4-0 both SU and ATS against Michigan State with the total evenly split 2-2. The last time these two met was in 2010.

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday - Session 3
March 17, 2018

**UMBC vs. Kansas State**

-- It finally happened. For the first time since the NCAA Tournament expanded the field to 64 teams in 1985, a 16 seed beat a No. 1 seed Friday night in Charlotte, where UMBC outscored top-ranked Virginia 53-33 in the second half en route to a 74-54 win. The Retrievers won handily as 20.5-point underdogs, hooking up money-line backers with an enormous 25/1 payout at William Hill. Jarius Lyles stole the show with 28 points on 9-of-11 field-goal attempts, 3-of-4 from downtown and 7-of-9 at the free-throw line. Joe Sherburne scored 14 points and snagged six rebounds, while Arkel Lamar had 12 points and 10 boards. K.J. Maura contributed 10 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals. He played all 40 minutes, hitting 2-of-3 launches from 3-point land. The Retrievers enjoyed a 31-21 rebounding edge, shot 54.2 percent from the field and made 12-of-24 (50.0%) attempts from long distance.

-- Both of Lyles’ parents both graduated from UVA in 1985. His father, Lester, played football at UVA for four years and played seven seasons in the NFL. Lyles averages team-highs in scoring (20.4 points per game) and steals (2.0 SPG). He was a Top-100 recruit out of DeMatha Catholic High School, winning championships as a freshman and sophomore while playing with current Indiana Pacers star Victor Oladipo. Lyles signed with Shaka Smart and VCU out of high school but spent only one year with the Rams. After a brief stop at Robert Morris for merely one semester, Lyles settled in and has enjoyed three productive seasons at UMBC. The opportunity to leave before this season was an option. Lyles graduated early and big-name teams like Kansas, Florida and others were interested in bringing Lyles in as a grad transfer. He resisted, though, and in doing so he and his team are forever a part of NCAA Tournament lore.

-- UMBC (25-10 straight up, 4-1 against the spread) is ranked No. 116 in the RPI, going 1-4 versus the Top 100 before defeating UVA. The Retrievers’ win over Vermont to win the America East Tournament was their lone win over an RPI Top-100 opponent. They lost 103-78 at Arizona, 66-45 at Maryland, 71-56 at Vermont and 81-53 vs. Vermont. They also lost by 11 at SMU before the Mustangs’ roster was stung by multiple injuries.

-- Maura (11.3 PPG) averages team-bests in assists (5.2 APG), FG percentage (46.9%) and FT percentage (87.1%). He has drained 42.8 percent of his 3-balls.

-- As of late Saturday afternoon, most books had Kansas State (23-11 SU, 15-16 ATS) installed as a 10-point favorite with a total of 135.5. The Retrievers were +425 on the money line (risk $100 to win $425).

-- Kansas State’s Dean Wade is ‘questionable’ with a foot injury. Wade averages 16.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.9 blocked shots per game. The junior forward has missed back-to-back games since getting injured at the Big 12 Tournament.

-- Bruce Weber’s team is 6-3 both SU and ATS in its past nine games, including wins over Creighton, TCU, Baylor, Texas, Iowa State and Oklahoma State. Kansas State advanced to the second round thanks to Friday night’s 69-59 win over Creighton as a two-point underdog. Barry Brown was the catalyst with 18 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocked shots. Mike McGuirl added 17 points and four boards, as he connected on 3-of-5 launches from 3-point territory.

-- Kansas State hasn’t been favored by a double-digit margin since Dec. 16. The Wildcats are 1-4 ATS in five such spots.

-- Brown averages 16.0 PPG and has handed out a team-high 3.4 APG. Xavier Sneed averages 10.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

-- UMBC is 29th in the nation in 3-point accuracy, splashing the nets at a 39.0 percent clip from deep.

-- The ‘over’ is 3-2 overall for UMBC.

-- The ‘under’ is 19-11-1 overall for the Wildcats, who limit foes to 67.6 points per game.

-- TruTV will provide the broadcast at around 7:45 p.m. Eastern.

**Florida State vs. Xavier**

-- As of late Saturday afternoon, most books had Xavier (29-5 SU, 21-12 ATS) listed as a 5.5-point favorite with a total of 159. The Seminoles were available on the money line for a +205 return (risk $100 to win $205).

-- Chris Mack’s club is ranked eighth in the nation in scoring (84.8 PPG), 15th in FG percentage (49.3%) and seventh in FT percentage (78.5%).

-- Xavier pushed past Texas Southern 102-83 as a 19-point favorite in Friday’s first-round 1/16 encounter. J.P. Macura buried 5-of-6 treys and 11-of-16 FGAs in a game-high 29-point effort. Macura also had six rebounds and five steals. Trevon Bluiett added 26 points, five rebounds and three assists, while Kerem Kanter finished with 24 points and five boards.

-- Xavier has thrived in single-digit ‘chalk’ roles, posting an 11-4 spread record.

-- Bluiett averages team-highs in scoring (19.6 PPG) and rebounding (5.6 RPG). The senior shooting guard has scored 26 points or more in five of Xavier’s past 10 games, and he dropped 37 on Seton Hall on Valentine’s Day. Bluiett has made 104 triples and shoots at a 41.8 percent clip from downtown and an 85.0 percent rate from the FT line.

-- Since Jan. 13, Xavier has won 14 of its 16 games with the only losses coming at home to Villanova and in overtime vs. Providence in the Big East Tournament semifinals.

-- Macura (12.7 PPG, 4.5 RPG) has 97 assists, 49 steals and 13 blocked shots. The senior guard has hit 47.1 percent of his FGAs, 37.0 percent of his 3-balls and 83.8 percent of his FTs. Kanter averages 10.8 points and 4.5 RPG.

-- FSU (21-11 SU, 16-13 ATS) entered the NCAA Tournament slumping, losing five of its past eight games while posting an abysmal 1-7 ATS record. However, the Seminoles broke out Friday night in a 67-54 win over Missouri as one-point favorites. They led by 22 at intermission, only to see the lead trimmed to six with 9:53 remaining, but the Tigers would get no closer. Mfiondu Kabengele led the way with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and two blocked shots. P.J. Savoy knocked down a trio of 3-balls in a 12-point effort, while Phil Cofer was also in double figures with 11 points, four boards and three assists. Trent Forrest couldn’t buy a bucket, making only 1-of-7 FGAs, but he still found a way to make a positive impact on his team by contributing eight points, six rebounds, three steals, two blocked shots and eight assists compared to just one turnover.

-- Terance Mann, who leads FSU in rebounding (5.6 RPG) and FG percentage (55.9%) and averages 12.8 PPG, was limited to only 15 minutes of action due to a groin injury. When he couldn’t practice Saturday, he was downgraded to ‘doubtful’ vs. Xavier.

-- Cofer averages a team-high 13.1 PPG thanks to 39.7 percent shooting from 3-point range. Forrest (7.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG) has come on strong in recent weeks. He has 127 assists, 46 steals and 12 blocked shots. Savoy, a sophomore guard out of Las Vegas High School, is a big-time shooter from long distance. Of his 50 field goals made this year, 42 have been from downtown. Savoy has scored 11 points or more in five of FSU’s past 10 games, which isn’t bad at all for a player who only averages 12:28 of playing time per game.

-- FSU has lost four in a row both SU and ATS in its past four games as an underdog. For the season, the Seminoles are 4-5 ATS with three outright victories in nine games as ‘dogs.

-- The ‘over’ is 17-13 overall for FSU.

-- The ‘over’ is on a 5-2-1 run for the Musketeers to improve to 19-14-1 overall.

-- TNT will provide television coverage at around 8:40 p.m. Eastern.

**Marshall vs. West Virginia**

-- Who even dreamed these bitter in-state rivals would ever play in an NCAA Tournament game? Well, I’m sure many West Virginians have had this matchup in their dreams, but few ever thought it would become a reality. On Sunday in San Diego, however, Marshall and West Virginia will do battle for the right to advance to the Sweet 16.

-- As of late Saturday afternoon, most spots had West Virginia (25-10 SU, 16-15 ATS) listed as a 12.5-point favorite with a total of 159.5. Bettors can back the Thundering Herd to win outright for a +600 return (paid $600 on $100 wagers).

-- Marshall (25-10 SU, 21-11 ATS) has been an underdog of 9.5 points or more six times this season, producing a 4-2 spread record with a pair of outright victories.

-- Marshall is led by junior guard Jon Elmore, who had 27 points, four assists, four rebounds and two steals in Friday’s 81-75 win over Wichita State as a 13.5-point underdog. He hit a pair of audacious 3-balls that both tied the game in the second half. The first came when he stopped and popped from the timeline. Another was stepback fadeaway trey that was well contests. Elmore played all 40 minutes, making 4-of-8 from downtown and 11-of-15 at the FT line. Ajdin Penava hit 6-of-9 FGAs and finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots. C.J. Burks added 13 points, while Jannson Williams had 10 points and seven boards.

-- Elmore paces the Thundering Herd in scoring (22.9 PPG) and assists (6.8 APG). He also averages 5.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. Elmore has hit 95 treys, making 35.6 percent of his launches from deep. He’s making FTs at an 82.3 percent clip. Penava (15.5 PPG) averages team-highs in rebounding (8.5 RPG), FG percentage (55.6%) and blocked shots (3.9 BPG). He is the nation’s leading shot blocker. Burks averages 20.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He has buried 36.5 percent of his 3-balls, 47.9 percent of his FGAs and 88.5 percent of his FTs.

-- Marshall played at top-seeded Xavier back in December, easily covering the number as a 19.5-point underdog in an 81-77 loss to the Musketeers.

-- West Virginia advanced to the Round of 32 by beating Murray State 85-68 on Friday as a 10-point ‘chalk.’ Senior guard Jevon Carter led the way with 21 points, six steals, five rebounds and eight assists compared to just two turnovers. Sagaba Konate produced 14 points, seven boards and three blocked shots, while Teddy Allen had 16 points and four rebounds in 23 minutes of action from off the bench. Esa Ahmad was also in double figures with 12 points and six rebounds.

-- Carter leads WVU in scoring (17.1 PPG), assists (6.7 APG) and steals (2.9 SPG), and he also averages 4.7 RPG. Konate (10.9 PPG) paces the Mountaineers in rebounding (7.6 RPG), FG percentage (51.2%) and blocked shots (3.3 BPG). Daxter Miles Jr. averages 12.9 PPG and has 109 assists and 44 steals.

-- Bob Huggins’s squad has been horrible in double-digit ‘chalk’ roles, limping to a 2-6 spread record with a pair of outright defeats.

-- Since losing three straight games in late January, WVU has posted a 9-4 SU record and an 8-5 ATS mark. The Mountaineers have won six of their past eight games, going 5-3 ATS, with one of the losses coming at Texas in overtime.

-- It will be fascinating to watch Elmore go at Carter, who most consider the nation’s best on-the-ball defender.

-- Totals have been an overall wash (16-16) for the Thundering Herd, though we’ll note back-to-back appearances from the ‘under.’

-- The ‘over’ is on a 6-1 run for WVU to improve to 16-15 overall.

-- Tip-off is scheduled for 9:40 p.m. Eastern on TBS.

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday's Best Bets
March 17, 2018

NCAA Tournament Best Bets – Second Round

There's nothing quite like the feeling of watching history take place as a fan/bettor and the world got to see it on Friday with a 16 seed beating a #1 for the first time in history. As great as UMBC played in that game and me knowing history was about to be made, the weirdest thing for me came just after the game. It was then that the broadcast put up the graphic of the region going forward and seeing a 16 vs. 9 matchup just stood out as the shocking “ah ha” moment of confirmation of what had actually just happened.

The question is now how do you follow up history?

Without question there will be bettors who are ready (or already) backing up the Brinks truck to fade UMBC in their next outing simply on the letdown factor. Typically I'd be partially in that boat as well as there is probably no greater letdown spot in the world then after the first time history was made, but that's a game I'm probably going to sit back on the sidelines and watch.

Cinderella may have some time left in her yet, and it would be quite fitting that the first time a 16 seed gets by the first round, they actually go on to the second weekend and the Sweet 16.

Yet, there are a couple of games I'm already looking to attack with my bankroll on Sunday, so let's get right to the plays:

Best Bet #1: Syracuse +8

The Orange managed to keep a seven-year streak alive by winning on Friday, as one team from the First Four games has always made it to the weekend of the first week of the tournament since they were introduced. Syracuse's zone schemes baffled TCU on Friday night and Jim Boeheim is no stranger to March success or facing Tom Izzo.

It has been a few years since they've squared off (2010), but with five meetings this century sporting a 4-1 SU and ATS mark for Boeheim and Syracuse, their is a bit of history on the side of the Orange here. However, the last time they met in the NCAA tournament was back in 2000 and it was Michigan State's only SU and ATS win, so take that with as much weight as you want.

For me, it's all bout this Syracuse team finding their groove on defense in this tournament and using that confidence to hang around and frustrate opponents. Both Arizona and TCU eventually cracked under that frustration as it's mind-numbing to try and figure out that zone on a consistent basis, and even though Michigan State does have better athletes overall, I don't believe they'll find much success there either.

We've also yet to see Syracuse have even a “decent” offensive performance – they shot 36.8% against TCU and 40.8% against ASU – and that's got to be pretty scary if I'm coaching against them. The Orange aren't a great offensive team in general, but Michigan State's defense has really lost a step of late and eventually there is going to be a day where the Orange shooters start knocking down shots as a collective.

Simply put, this is too many points to give a streaking Syracuse team that's gaining confidence by the minute and has a defense that can always give them a chance to stay tight. Syracuse has covered the number in four of their last five overall while Michigan State is currently riding an 0-4 ATS run. The Spartans may win, but they continue to get laced with higher spreads then they really deserve as all the chaos off the court at the school has probably affected the team's play on the court. This game comes down to the last possession or two in my eyes.

Best Bet #2: Auburn -1.5

This is the Tigers vs. Tigers matchup that we got in football this year with Clemson taking it on the gridiron, but with the stakes high on the hardwood, I expect the Auburn Tigers to get a bit of revenge for their school and move on to the Sweet 16.

Clemson was able to move on past possibly the trendiest underdog pick in #12 New Mexico State in the first round and the Tigers did it with relative ease. Clemson won the game 79-68 thanks to hitting 55.9% of their shots from the floor and getting 20+ point nights from Shelton Mitchell and Gabe DeVoe. They were clearly the more talented team and with the extra chip on their shoulder they had from listening to them being a popular team to get upset, it was basically a perfect storm of things fro them to play well.

But now they get an Auburn squad who at worst matches them in talent level and survived a scare in the first round against Charleston. Auburn has now lost five in a row and six of seven ATS so you can see why there might not be much support for them here, but essentially that puts them in a similar “perfect storm” spot that Clemson was in for Round 1.

It's always those teams that survived a scare Round 1 that I'm looking to back in Round 2 because they really have nowhere to go but up in terms of their play and production, and when combined with perception being more negative (ie “ I can't take Team X here because they barely beat a 13 seed) actually gives you quite a bit of perceived line value in the number.

At basically a “pick the winner, cover the spread” number here, I'm rolling with Auburn to get their act together and put a complete game out there. Clemson isn't likely to shoot 50%+ again from the floor, and Auburn's percentage of 35.6 % is bound only be much better. I look for the Tigers from the SEC will be the ones who snap their ATS drought and move on to the Sweet 16.

[StarDust Bum]

Butler-Purdue, Marshall-West Virginia duels on tap in East
March 17, 2018

SAN DIEGO (AP) The East Region bracket is serving up two in-state rivalries on Sunday, one testy and complicated and the other one much less so.

In a Hoosier State showdown, No. 2 seed Purdue (29-6) faces No. 10 Butler (21-13) in Detroit.

In the nightcap to the entire round of 32, No. 5 seed West Virginia (25-10) renews its rivalry with No. 13 Marshall (25-10) far from the Mountain State, at San Diego State's Viejas Arena.

Marshall's first-ever NCAA tourney win, an 81-75 thriller against No. 4 seed Wichita State, gave Thundering Herd coach and alum Dan D'Antoni the chance to lobby for the resumption of a rivalry that ended after the 2015 game, mostly because West Virginia and its coach, Bob Huggins, felt there wasn't anything to gain anymore in a series the Mountaineers lead 33-11.

While the coaches had strong words in the rivalry's final seasons, the players are simply looking for a good game.

''I think it's an exciting time for the state,'' Thundering Herd guard Jon Elmore said Saturday. ''You talk to everybody back home, half of the state's population is probably flying out here right now for the game.''

One of those fans likely headed to San Diego is Jarrod West, who banked in a 3-pointer with less than a second left to give West Virginia a 75-74 second-round win against Cincinnati in 1998, when Huggins was the Bearcats' coach.

His son, also named Jarrod, is a freshman guard for the Thundering Herd.

''He's excited,'' the younger West said of his dad. ''I wouldn't say he's very conflicted at all, really. I think he's definitely rooting for us really hard.''

The younger West said West Virginia recruited him ''a little bit, maybe not as much as I think I should have been.''

And the rivalry? ''We try to stay out of the politics and all that stuff,'' West said. ''That's not our responsibility. Our responsibility is to come out and be ready to play.''

West Virginia's players feel the same way.

''Just another game,'' forward Esa Ahmad said a day after the Mountaineers beat No. 12 seed Murray State 85-68.

''Don't matter,'' guard Jevon Carter said. ''This is March. We're here to win a national championship. It just happens that we're matched up against Marshall. Don't matter who it is. We're going to come to play and do our best and get a win.''

While D'Antoni would like to see the rivalry renewed, Huggins, a West Virginia alum, thinks too much is being made about it.

''We don't really cross,'' Huggins said, noting that the schools are on opposite ends of the state. ''You don't want to make it out to be Duke-North Carolina. It's not that at all.''

FRIENDLY FOES?: The East's other in-state rivalry Sunday doesn't appear all that testy.

Purdue and Butler played earlier this season, with the Boilermakers prevailing 82-67. Purdue had actually lost five straight in the series before that, but prior to that streak, the Bulldogs dropped 12 in a row against the Boilermakers.

Second-seeded Purdue takes on 10th-seeded Butler in Detroit - a matchup within reasonable driving distance for fans of the two Indiana schools.

''We're familiar with them, obviously being so close. A lot of those guys are from Indy and I think in the summertime we work out with them, open gyms and things like that,'' Purdue guard Dakota Mathias said. ''I got pretty close with Kelan Martin this summer, just working out together. So we definitely follow their progress and how they've been doing.''

Martin is Butler's leading scorer and had 27 points in a first-round win over Arkansas.

The Bulldogs will try to avoid a repeat of their offensive performance in December, when they shot 7 of 33 in the first half against Purdue.

''Some teams can't pressure without giving up great looks,'' Butler coach LaVall Jordan said. ''They're really well coached, where they can apply a ton of pressure, ball pressure on the perimeter and still keep you from getting wide open, drive-kick 3s. A lot of that is due to they've got rim protectors at the basket. When (Isaac) Haas is in there and the other kid is in there, he blocks shots, so you're forced to drive into him.''

It doesn't sound like the 7-foot-2 Haas will be in there after he broke his elbow in a win over Cal State Fullerton on Friday, but by Saturday there seemed like at least some possibility of a return. Backup Matt Haarms is 7-foot-3, so Purdue can still put plenty of size on the court.

[StarDust Bum]

Grad player, 5-8 point guard comprise UMBC's tough backcourt
March 17, 2018

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) Jairus Lyles says fellow UMBC guard K.J. Maura is ''annoying'' in practice.

Kansas State coach Bruce Weber says the 5-foot-8, 140-pound Maura is ''a little pest'' after studying him on game film.

Maura breaks into a wide smile when relayed the comments - like he's been paid the biggest compliment in the world.

''Oh, I'm definitely a pest, but I have to do that for my team to be successful - and I try to do that at a high level,'' Maura said.

Maura and Lyles, the Retrievers' super smooth combo guard, form the dangerous backcourt of the nation's new favorite underdog.

They combined for 38 points, seven rebounds, six assists and two steals Friday night against Virginia, helping UMBC to the first win for a No. 16 seed against a No. 1 seed after the previous 135 teams failed.

And stopping them is weighing heavily on the mind of Weber, whose ninth-seeded Wildcats take on UMBC in the second round on Sunday night.

''Those two guards are very good - and they always say guards win in the tournament,'' Weber said.

Maura is a diminutive point guard from Puerto Rico who also excels at volleyball. He didn't move to the United States until he was 17 and played a year of junior college basketball before being recruited by UMBC.

He looks more like a high school freshman than a Division I player, joking he's ''5-foot-8 on a good day, but 5-foot-7 most of the time.'' He models his game after Muggsy Bogues and childhood hero J.J. Barea.

But he doesn't view his lack of size as a hindrance.

''My size is an advantage because a lot of guys are taller than me and they don't expect me to be pressuring the ball,'' Maura said.

Maura hounded Virginia's taller guards with his ball pressure, continuously disrupting the Cavaliers' ability to get into their offensive sets.

Weber said he is the type of player no one likes to face in a pickup game.

''He's everywhere and makes plays and he'll steal the ball off you, he'll drive you, flip it back over his shoulder for a 3,'' he said.

The 6-foot-2, 175-pound Lyles is different, fitting the mold of a top-notch Division I player. He was recruited by Shaka Smart and spent one season at VCU before transferring to UMBC. He is now playing as a graduate student, already holding a double major in psychology and sociology.

He had a chance to transfer to a couple power conference schools after last season, but chose to stay at UMBC because of his teammates and school president Freeman Hrabowski, whom he befriended a few years ago.

''I knew I was going to stay there all along,'' Lyles said. ''This is my family. I created a legacy here. I knew we could do things like this. This is one of the reasons I came back.''

Lyles has that certain mojo.

He sliced through Virginia's top-ranked defense while getting to the hole six times for layups, and also knocked down three 3-pointers. He finished the game 9 of 11 from the field and had 23 of his 28 points in the pivotal second half.

Lyles also got UMBC into the NCAA Tournament by hitting a buzzer-beater 3-pointer to beat Vermont in the America East Conference championship.

Weber compares him to Creighton's Marcus Foster, ''a guy that can create (and) scores on all three levels.''

Together, Maura and Lyles simply mesh.

That was evident Friday night when Maura drove near the top of the key against Virginia and left a blind behind-the-back pass to Lyles, who seemed to know the ball was coming, caught it on the way up and drilled an open 3-pointer.

Both players are enjoying their time in the limelight.

The UMBC players didn't go to sleep until after 4 a.m. Saturday, all of them too filled with adrenaline to even consider nodding off.

Once coach Ryan Odom finally sent them back to their rooms, things began to sink in. Maura and roommate Jourdan Grant turned on the television and saw highlights of UMBC's historic win on numerous channels and couldn't contain their excitement.

''We just started jumping from bed to bed and hugging each other,'' Maura said. ''That's my brother for life. We are making big things for ourselves, our program and our families.''

Just how far they can go in the NCAA Tournament remains to be seen. But Maura and Lyles will have a lot to say about that.

For now though, they are still basking in the team's historic accomplishment.

''We're just trying to soak it all in'' Lyles said.

[StarDust Bum]

Michigan State's Winston aims for singles against Syracuse
March 17, 2018

DETROIT (AP) Michigan State's Cassius Winston likes to swing for the fences, throwing alley-oop passes to fire up his teammates and fans.

Sometimes,, Winston goes for a high-flying play and it backfires as he did twice against Bucknell.

''I get in the habit of trying to make a big play or a home run play, which I got better at,'' he acknowledged. ''But I've got to break that habit. I tried to make an alley-oop to Miles (Bridges) and one to Nick (Ward) that almost got him hurt. I've got to do a better job just playing smarter.''

His final numbers were really good - scoring 11 points, making 10 passes and turning the ball over twice - in the first-round win . But if Tom Izzo's team is going to make a deep run, it needs Winston to play more cautiously at times because it rises and falls depending on how their pivotal point guard plays

Winston insisted he's going to settle for more singles when the third-seeded Spartans (30-4) play 11th-seeed Syracuse (22-13) on Sunday in the Motor City with a shot to advance to the semifinals of the Midwest Region. He will have to do that against a tall team that plays a zone defense, a staple of Jim Boeheim's Hall of Fame career.

''Sometimes you let the game get to you so you think there's something that you can make a play,'' he said. ''So if I keep it on the back of my mind and focus on the simple play, then that problem will be fixed.''

The 6-foot, 185-pound Winston might have a problem at the other end of the court, too. He's 5 inches shorter and 20 pounds lighter than Syracuse's Frank Howard, a point guard who is part of Boeheim's Big Three.

''He's going to have his work cut out for him because Howard is a very good,'' Izzo said. ''He's big. He's athletic. This will be a great test for Cassius. We're going to have to guard him with multiple guys, and hopefully we can keep him in front of us. I think that will be the big key to the game.''

Howard, Tyus Battle and Oshae Brissett are each averaging 38-plus minutes and combined to account for 73 percent of Syracuse's scoring.

The 6-5, 205-pound Howard led the ACC with nearly two steals per game and is among conference leaders with 4.8 assists, but also averages almost 3.5 turnovers a game. The junior from Maryland had more turnovers than assists in some games early in the season, including when he gave Colgate the ball nine times and had five assists.

''He started out the year at a horrific rate,'' Boeheim said ''But he's been really good over the last half, three-quarters of the season.''

Winston, a sophomore from Detroit, has been one of Michigan State's best players throughout the season.

He ranks second on the team in scoring with 12.6 points per game and is among the nation's leaders with almost seven assists per game and a 51-percent shooting percentage of 3-pointers. While Winston is known to make ill-advised passes at times, he is averaging just 2.5 turnovers per game.

''I've had him with USA Basketball when I was the chairman of that committee,'' Boeheim said. ''He's a tremendous player. Really, really good player. But he's one of 10. Michigan State's a team you can't focus on one guy or two or three or four. You have to play the whole team.''

Winston, though, is usually the player Izzo wants with the ball to direct the offense even though his decisions are questionable at times. He threw one lob against Bucknell that led to Ward tumbling on his nose, and another that was mishandled between Ward and Miles Bridges.

''Man, you had to bring that up, huh? '' Winston asked a reporter after the 82-78 win over the Bison.

Izzo insisted he was just happy with the final result.

''I don't care right now,'' he said. ''No big deal.''

If a similar pass leads to a setback, Izzo will likely feel differently privately at least.

OUT WEST IN THE MIDWEST: In San Diego, fifth-seeded Clemson (24-9) will face fourth-seeded Auburn (26-7) Sunday night with the winner advancing to the round of 16 in the Midwest Region.

That game may also hinge on guard play, and how well Auburn can keep Clemson from making plays off the dribble.

''Just being able to contain them, keeping them in front, and not allowing them to get their shot at the same time is going to be a tough matchup for us,'' Auburn guard Bryce Brown said.

Clemson point guard Jared Harper, who has started 63 of 65 games in two years, averages 5.6 assists - nearly three times more than any of his teammates.

Auburn, meanwhile, shares the ball with multiple players. Marcquise Reed makes a team-high 3.6 assists and three of his teammates average at least two assists.

''They have good guards,'' Clemson guard Gabe DeVoe. ''We have to limit their offensive rebounds, second-chance points and do a good job on their three guards.''

Both teams, with Tigers for nicknames, are looking to show there's more to their schools than football.

[StarDust Bum]

Xavier suspects Florida State wants revenge in NCAA rematch
March 17, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Dwayne Bacon, Jonathan Isaac and Xavier Rathan-Mayes all are gone, the first two drafted into the NBA. Florida State has only one starter back from a year ago when the Seminoles' expected run through the NCAA Tournament came to a stunning and ugly end so much earlier than expected.

Now the Seminoles are in a second-round rematch against the same team that put an absolute beatdown on them - in the same West Region no less.

This time, it's the Musketeers coming in as the No. 1 seed in the South Region and ninth-seeded Florida State has a chance to ruin Xavier's tourney dreams for sweet payback Sunday night on the way to the Sweet 16.

At least that's exactly what the Musketeers, with four starters back, expect.

''I have a feeling that they're going to try and come out and get some revenge,'' Xavier senior guard J.P. Macura said.

The Seminoles finished tied for second in the Atlantic Coast Conference last season, earning a No. 3 seed that matched the best in school history. They played in Orlando and were stocked in talent with Isaac the sixth overall pick in the NBA draft to Orlando and Bacon taken at No. 40 by Charlotte. Rathan-Mayes just spent a 10-day stint with the Memphis Grizzlies.

Xavier came in as the No. 11 seed and dominated the Seminoles in a 91-66 victory on the Musketeers' way to the Elite Eight.

Coach Chris Mack said his Musketeers weren't that good or Florida State that bad in that game.

''I think we got Florida State on their heels early in the game, and then I think, you know, the game sort of avalanched,'' Mack said.

Roles are reversed this time around. Xavier won the Big East regular season title and is a No. 1 seed for the first time in program history. Florida State finished eighth in the Atlantic Coast Conference defeated No. 8 seed Missouri on Friday night to advance this time around.

Xavier senior guard Trevon Bluiett still sees the Seminoles doing some things that are familiar from that game a year ago.

''I think with how things ended last year, they're definitely going to look for revenge and try to give us their best shot,'' Bluiett said.

The Seminoles downplayed the notion that they want a victory just for revenge. A spot in the regional semifinal in Los Angeles awaits the winner, a place Florida State hasn't been since 2011.

''We look at this game as the next step to get to the Sweet 16,'' Seminoles Mfiondu Kabengele said. ''They're a talented bunch. We knew they got us last year, so it's in the back of our mind. We have to focus on the goal ahead and focus on the game.

Kabengele didn't play in that loss as a redshirt in his first year on campus. Kabengele did turn 14 points and 12 rebounds to help Florida State advance to the second round. The Seminoles have six players back who averaged 10 or more minutes last season.

''I feel like we've learned a lot from that time last year to now, and being able to prepare for this moment, even better than we did last year,'' Florida State sophomore guard Trent Forrest said.

Coach Leonard Hamilton says he hopes the challenge of the moment will bring out the Seminoles' best.

''I know we're going to give a tremendous effort,'' Hamilton said. ''I like our kids' attitude, and we know we've got to be at our best in order to be successful.''

[StarDust Bum]

Rebounding critical in Texas A&M-UNC game in West 2nd round
March 17, 2018

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) North Carolina coach Roy Williams hammers his team so much about rebounding that he has frequently quipped about the existence of an 11th commandment: thou shalt box out.

''I think it's the most critical factor in the game, the way we play,'' Williams said.

And yet, the reigning national champions will be challenged to rely on a traditional strength in a second-round game Sunday against Texas A&M in the NCAA Tournament's West Region. The Tar Heels have leaned on an un-Carolina-like small-ball lineup, while the Aggies have a pair of 6-foot-10 voracious rebounders that helped make them one of the nation's best on the boards.

''I knew we would be a real good rebounding team, because if they didn't rebound and didn't box out, they weren't going to play,'' Williams said Saturday. ''I'd find five guys that would.

''Now you watch Texas A&M and ... maybe the biggest team I've ever looked at. And so we've got to try to do it at a higher level now than anybody else that we've played.''

The second-seeded Tar Heels (26-10) meet the seventh-seeded Aggies (21-12) in Charlotte as one of two Sunday second-round matchups in the West. The other comes in Nashville, Tennessee, where top-seeded Xavier (29-5) meets ninth-seeded Florida State (21-11).

The winners advance to next week's Sweet 16 in Los Angeles.

The Aggies could make things difficult on the Tar Heels with Tyler Davis and Robert Williams inside. They single-handedly out-rebounded undersized Providence in Friday's first round (29 combined rebounds to the Friars' team total of 26).

Texas A&M is 19th nationally in rebound margin (plus-6.3).

''I feel like we always have the advantage on the inside, but their bigs are really talented,'' Davis said. ''It's going to be a different way to guard them. Going to be tough to guard, but I feel like we have the versatility to guard any position.''

UNC has long rebounded through its Hall of Fame coach's preferred two-post style, but this year relies on stretch-4 Luke Maye as the defacto big man surrounded by perimeter players with plenty of length. Yet the Tar Heels rank second nationally in rebounding margin (plus-10.2) by getting on the offensive glass. They rank third in KenPom's offensive rebounding percentage - a measure of possible offensive rebounds collected - at 38.2 percent.

''All we need to do is go - I think that's the biggest thing for us,'' said UNC senior wing Theo Pinson, who averages 6.5 rebounds. ''Just keep attacking the boards. Nobody wants to box out all game, if somebody says that they're lying to you.''

Here are things to watch in the West bracket Sunday:

REMATCH: The roles are reversed between Xavier and Florida State in Nashville when the Musketeers seeded No. 11 pulled off the big upset of the then-No. 3 seeded Seminoles on their way to the Elite Eight last year.

Xavier is coming off its highest-scoring NCAA game ever after a 102-83 win over Texas Southern. FSU, which beat Missouri , will counter with balanced scoring even after losing its top three scorers from a year ago.

''I think it's a much better sum of its parts team than maybe a year ago,'' Xavier coach Chris Mack said. ''That's no disrespect to the guys that were on the team a year ago, but that's sort of what happens when guys start to climb up the draft boards and they feel like they're auditioning in March a little bit.''

INJURY LIST: Xavier freshman forward Naji Marshall didn't practice Saturday with a sore back that limited him in the Musketeers' opening victory. Mack said he hopes Marshall will feel well enough to play against Florida State after starting 17 games this season.

The Seminoles have their own injury worries. Guard Terance Mann, their second-leading scorer with 12.8 points a game, slipped on the court and aggravated a groin muscle during the Missouri win. Coach Leonard Hamilton said Mann was sore Friday night, then had an MRI exam and visited with a doctor Saturday.

''We'll have to wait and see,'' Hamilton said.

HOME COMFORT: The Tar Heels are 34-1 in NCAA games played in their home state. That includes 12-0 in Charlotte, about 2+ hours southwest of the Chapel Hill campus, after Friday's win against Lipscomb.

STILL BUZZING: UMBC's historic upset of No. 1 overall seed Virginia a night earlier still reverberated around the Charlotte arena Saturday and was a frequent topic of conversation for the four teams still alive Saturday in the West and South brackets.

''It's incredible what they did,'' Davis said. ''It really just reassures you, lets you know like, `This is really anyone's game.'''

[StarDust Bum]

Purdue faces familiar foe in Butler
March 17, 2018

DETROIT (AP) No. 2 seed Purdue (29-6) vs. No. 10 seed Butler (21-13)

Second round, East Region, Detroit, Sunday at 12:10 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: An elbow injury to Purdue center Isaac Haas has put a damper on the Boilermakers' chances of a deep run this year. He was ruled out for the season Friday, but it now appears that a return may not be completely out of the question. Purdue and Butler met earlier this season, with the Boilermakers winning that matchup of in-state rivals 82-67. Butler shot 7 of 33 in the first half of that game.

HOW THEY GOT HERE: Purdue routed Cal State Fullerton 74-48 on Friday, and Butler handled Arkansas 79-62. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 21-2 lead in their game, let that advantage slip away before halftime, then pulled away again in the second.

CONSISTENT FACTOR: Butler is one of only eight teams to win at least one game in each of the last four NCAA Tournaments. The others are Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Villanova and Xavier.

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP?: Purdue has had plenty of success against other teams from Indiana this season. In addition to the win over Butler, the Boilermakers beat Valparaiso 80-50, IUPUI 86-61 and Indiana 74-67.

AT THE LINE: Butler averages only 16.1 free throw attempts per game, and Purdue is allowing only 14.3. When the teams played in December, the Boilermakers outscored the Bulldogs 19-8 from the line.

[StarDust Bum]

Cincy's defense facing Nevada's offense
March 17, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) No. 2 seed Cincinnati (31-4) vs. No. 7 seed Nevada (28-7)

Second round, South Region, Nashville, Tennessee, Sunday, 6:10 p.m.

BOTTOM LINE: Cincinnati is the top remaining seed in the South Region following No. 1 seed Virginia's stunning loss to Maryland-Baltimore County. The Bearcats are seeking their first regional semifinal appearance since 2012. Nevada just won its first NCAA Tournament game since 2007 and is trying to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2004.

UNFAMILIAR FOES: This is the first time Cincinnati and Nevada have ever faced off.

OFFENSE VS. DEFENSE: Cincinnati ranks second among all Division I teams in scoring defense (57.0) and field-goal percentage defense (37.1). Nevada hasn't been held below 64 points in a game all season and ranks 16th in scoring offense (83.2).

THEY MEET AGAIN: Cincinnati forward Kyle Washington and Nevada forwards Caleb Martin and Cody Martin played together on the 2014-15 North Carolina State team that reached the regional semifinals.

RECORD CHASERS: A victory over Nevada would give Cincinnati its 32nd win to set a single-season school record. Cincinnati went 31-4 in 2002 before losing in the NCAA Tournament's round of 32.

HOW THEY GOT HERE: After winning the American Athletic Conference's regular-season and tournament titles, Cincinnati beat Georgia State 68-53 in Friday's first-round action. Nevada is the Mountain West Conference regular-season champion and won its first-round game by erasing a 14-point, second-half deficit to beat Texas 87-83 in overtime.

[StarDust Bum]

Rematch for No. 1 seed Xavier, FSU
March 17, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) No. 1 seed Xavier (29-5) vs. No. 9 seed Florida State (21-11)

Second round, West Region, Nashville, Tennessee, Sunday, approximately 8:40 p.m. EDT

HEY YOU: These teams met in the second round a year ago, with Xavier pulling off the upset as an 11 seed over third-seeded Florida State. The Musketeers routed the Seminoles 91-66 to advance on their way to the Elite Eight. Now the Seminoles are trying to reach the Sweet 16 again with Xavier standing in the way of their fifth trip past the second round and first since 2011. This will be the third time these teams have met.

SCORING TIME: The Musketeers are coming off their best-scoring game in the NCAA Tournament, and their 102 points matched their single-game high during the regular season. J.P. Macura, Trevon Bluiett and Kerem Kanter all scored at least 20 points - the first time three players have done that in a game this season. The Seminoles counter with a very deep bench that outscored their starters (40-37) in their tournament opener.

HISTORY WITH NO. 1s: Xavier won its first game as a top seed Friday night, beating Texas Southern 102-83. This will be the third time Florida State has faced a No. 1 seed in the tournament. At least it's not Kentucky, which beat the Seminoles in 1980 and 1993. The last time Florida State knocked off two higher seeded teams, the Seminoles reached the Sweet 16 (2011).

DEFENSE: Even with Florida State piling up points, the Seminoles tied a school record for the fewest points allowed in the NCAA Tournament in beating Missouri 67-54. That matched the 54 points Florida State held Kentucky to in 1972 when the Seminoles advanced to the Final Four.

RARE TERRITORY: Not only would a win put Xavier in its seventh Sweet 16 in 11 years, the Musketeers also would tie the school record for wins (30) set in 2008. That team won the Big East regular-season title and reached the Elite Eight.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Dunkel

Sunday, March 18

Texas A&M @ North Carolina

Game 709-710
March 18, 2018 @ 5:15 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Texas A&M
67.608
North Carolina
72.053
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
North Carolina
by 4 1/2
155
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
North Carolina
by 6 1/2
151 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Texas A&M
(+6 1/2); Over

MD-Baltimore Co @ Kansas State

Game 711-712
March 18, 2018 @ 7:45 pm

Dunkel Rating:
MD-Baltimore Co
62.023
Kansas State
68.943
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Kansas State
by 7
141
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Kansas State
by 10 1/2
135 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
MD-Baltimore Co
(+10 1/2); Over

Butler @ Purdue

Game 713-714
March 18, 2018 @ 12:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Butler
69.383
Purdue
74.412
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Purdue
by 5
138
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Purdue
by 3 1/2
146
Dunkel Pick:
Purdue
(-3 1/2); Under

Syracuse @ Michigan State

Game 715-716
March 18, 2018 @ 2:40 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Syracuse
64.253
Michigan State
75.698
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Michigan State
by 11 1/2
124
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Michigan State
by 8
129 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Michigan State
(-8); Under

Nevada @ Cincinnati

Game 717-718
March 18, 2018 @ 6:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Nevada
63.071
Cincinnati
72.666
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cincinnati
by 9 1/2
144
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cincinnati
by 6 1/2
136 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Cincinnati
(-6 1/2); Over

Florida State @ Xavier

Game 719-720
March 18, 2018 @ 8:40 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Florida State
66.082
Xavier
73.662
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Xavier
by 7 1/2
163
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Xavier
by 5 1/2
158 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Xavier
(-5 1/2); Over

Marshall @ West Virginia

Game 721-722
March 18, 2018 @ 9:40 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Marshall
63.716
West Virginia
72.819
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
West Virginia
by 9
154
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
West Virginia
by 12 1/2
159 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Marshall
(+12 1/2); Under

Clemson @ Auburn

Game 723-724
March 18, 2018 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Clemson
68.623
Auburn
67.514
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Clemson
by 1
141
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Auburn
by 1 1/2
146 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Clemson
(+1 1/2); Under

Mississippi State @ Baylor

Game 725-726
March 18, 2018 @ 12:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Mississippi State
62.197
Baylor
69.982
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Baylor
by 8
132
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Baylor
by 6
137 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Baylor
(-6); Under

Oregon @ Marquette

Game 727-728
March 18, 2018 @ 4:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Oregon
60.992
Marquette
68.662
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Marquette
by 7 1/2
147
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Marquette
by 5
153
Dunkel Pick:
Marquette
(-5); Under

Drake @ Northern Colorado

Game 729-730
March 18, 2018 @ 5:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Drake
53.289
Northern Colorado
57.108
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Northern Colorado
by 4
158
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Northern Colorado
by 7
151
Dunkel Pick:
Drake
(+7); Over

Middle Tennessee @ Louisville

Game 733-734
March 18, 2018 @ 6:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Middle Tennessee
63.841
Louisville
67.424
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Louisville
by 3 1/2
148
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Louisville
by 5
141 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Middle Tennessee
(+5); Over