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

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Sunday, March 18

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TEXAS A&M (21 - 12) vs. N CAROLINA (26 - 10) - 3/18/2018, 5:15 PM
Top Trends for this game.
N CAROLINA is 309-251 ATS (+32.9 Units) as a favorite since 1997.
N CAROLINA is 174-137 ATS (+23.3 Units) after a non-conference game since 1997.
N CAROLINA is 174-136 ATS (+24.4 Units) in non-conference games since 1997.


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




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MD-BALT COUNTY (25 - 10) vs. KANSAS ST (23 - 11) - 3/18/2018, 7:45 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MD-BALT COUNTY is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
MD-BALT COUNTY is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
MD-BALT COUNTY is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in all tournament games over the last 3 seasons.


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




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BUTLER (21 - 13) vs. PURDUE (29 - 6) - 3/18/2018, 12:10 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUTLER is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BUTLER is 3-10 ATS (-8.0 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game this season.
PURDUE is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
PURDUE is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) in non-conference games this season.
PURDUE is 20-8 ATS (+11.2 Units) after allowing 60 points or less over the last 3 seasons.
PURDUE is 17-4 ATS (+12.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
BUTLER is 74-40 ATS (+30.0 Units) in all neutral court games since 1997.
BUTLER is 43-26 ATS (+14.4 Units) in road games in March games since 1997.
BUTLER is 151-110 ATS (+30.0 Units) after a non-conference game since 1997.
BUTLER is 74-40 ATS (+30.0 Units) when playing on a neutral court since 1997.
BUTLER is 26-14 ATS (+10.6 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
BUTLER is 78-47 ATS (+26.3 Units) in all tournament games since 1997.
BUTLER is 26-9 ATS (+16.1 Units) in a NCAA tournament games since 1997.
PURDUE is 5-12 ATS (-8.2 Units) when the total is 140 to 149.5 this season.


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




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SYRACUSE (22 - 13) vs. MICHIGAN ST (30 - 4) - 3/18/2018, 2:40 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MICHIGAN ST is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
MICHIGAN ST is 9-18 ATS (-10.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
MICHIGAN ST is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.


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




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NEVADA (28 - 7) vs. CINCINNATI (31 - 4) - 3/18/2018, 6:10 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEVADA is 39-26 ATS (+10.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NEVADA is 39-26 ATS (+10.4 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
NEVADA is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
NEVADA is 28-14 ATS (+12.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
NEVADA is 30-14 ATS (+14.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 3 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 120-161 ATS (-57.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games since 1997.


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




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FLORIDA ST (21 - 11) vs. XAVIER (29 - 5) - 3/18/2018, 8:40 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA ST is 5-15 ATS (-11.5 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
XAVIER is 21-13 ATS (+6.7 Units) in all games this season.
XAVIER is 21-13 ATS (+6.7 Units) in all lined games this season.
XAVIER is 266-219 ATS (+25.1 Units) as a favorite since 1997.
XAVIER is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
XAVIER is 29-15 ATS (+12.5 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
XAVIER is 25-11 ATS (+12.9 Units) in a NCAA tournament games since 1997.
XAVIER is 242-188 ATS (+35.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
FLORIDA ST is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
FLORIDA ST is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) in non-conference games this season.


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




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MARSHALL (25 - 10) vs. W VIRGINIA (25 - 10) - 3/18/2018, 9:40 PM
Top Trends for this game.
W VIRGINIA is 21-8 ATS (+12.2 Units) in a NCAA tournament games since 1997.
MARSHALL is 21-11 ATS (+8.9 Units) in all games this season.
MARSHALL is 21-11 ATS (+8.9 Units) in all lined games this season.
MARSHALL is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) when the total is 150 to 159.5 this season.
MARSHALL is 10-0 ATS (+10.0 Units) when playing with one or less days rest this season.
MARSHALL is 37-22 ATS (+12.8 Units) after scoring 80 points or more over the last 3 seasons.


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




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CLEMSON (24 - 9) vs. AUBURN (26 - 7) - 3/18/2018, 7:10 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CLEMSON is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
CLEMSON is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) in non-conference games this season.


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




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MISSISSIPPI ST (23 - 11) at BAYLOR (19 - 14) - 3/18/2018, 12:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BAYLOR is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) against SEC opponents over the last 3 seasons.


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




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OREGON (23 - 12) at MARQUETTE (20 - 13) - 3/18/2018, 4:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OREGON is 60-43 ATS (+12.7 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
OREGON is 60-43 ATS (+12.7 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
OREGON is 72-48 ATS (+19.2 Units) in March games since 1997.
OREGON is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
OREGON is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game after 15+ games over the last 2 seasons.
OREGON is 33-19 ATS (+12.1 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.


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




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DRAKE (17 - 16) at N COLORADO (22 - 12) - 3/18/2018, 5:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
N COLORADO is 20-10 ATS (+9.0 Units) in all games this season.
N COLORADO is 20-10 ATS (+9.0 Units) in all lined games this season.
N COLORADO is 13-6 ATS (+6.4 Units) as a favorite this season.
N COLORADO is 13-6 ATS (+6.4 Units) after scoring 80 points or more this season.
N COLORADO is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in all tournament games this season.
N COLORADO is 18-9 ATS (+8.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
DRAKE is 22-12 ATS (+8.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.


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




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MIDDLE TENN ST (25 - 7) at LOUISVILLE (21 - 13) - 3/18/2018, 6:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOUISVILLE is 29-17 ATS (+10.3 Units) in all home games over the last 3 seasons.
LOUISVILLE is 29-17 ATS (+10.3 Units) in home lined games over the last 3 seasons.
LOUISVILLE is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) in home games in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
MIDDLE TENN ST is 39-23 ATS (+13.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MIDDLE TENN ST is 39-23 ATS (+13.7 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
MIDDLE TENN ST is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) when the total is 140 to 149.5 over the last 3 seasons.
MIDDLE TENN ST is 26-11 ATS (+13.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
MIDDLE TENN ST is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.


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

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, March 18

North Carolina is 8-2 in last ten 2nd round games, winning last three, by 9-19-7 points; Tar Heels won four of last five games- they played two guys more than 30:00 in Friday’s win over Lipscomb. UNC beat Arkansas by 19, Tennessee by 5 in their two games vs SEC teams this year. Texas A&M is 12-1 outside SEC (NC sked #36); they’re 8-4 in last 12 games overall. Aggies were a top 10 team at Christmas, beating West Va, USC. Last three years, ACC teams are 35-24 vs spread when facing an SEC team. Last six years, #2-seeds are 7-11-1 vs spread in this round.

UMBC is first-ever #16-seed to play in this round; their senior G’s Maura/Lyles played 40/39 minutes Friday— Lyles was having trouble with cramping in 2nd half. #15-seeds are 2-5-1 vs spread in this round- I know they’re not a 15-seed, but its as close as I’ve got. Retrievers made 12-24 on arc in shocking Virginia by 20- they’re 3-5 vs top 100 teams, with losses by 11-25-23-15-28 points. K-State won six of last nine games; they’re 11-1 vs teams ranked outside top 100; they played four guys 32:00+ Friday. Wildcats force turnovers 21.4% of time (#27).

Purdue big man Haas (broken elbow) is out here; big loss. Boilermakers beat Butler 82-67 in Indy Dec 16- it was 35-19 at half, with Purdue shooting 60% inside arc for night. Boilers won six of their last seven games; they won by 15 points in both games vs Big East foes (Marquette was other) this year. Butler is 1-2 vs Big 14 teams this year, losing to Purdue/Maryland, beating Ohio St in OT; Bulldogs are 11-3 outside Big East- they ran out to 21-2 lead over Arkansas Friday, blew the lead, won by 17 anyway. Last three years, Big 14 faves are 13-14 vs spread vs Big East.

Syracuse played all five starters 34:00+ in Wednesday’s win, then three guys all 40:00 Friday vs TCU, so starters are likely to be tired- their bench plays least minutes in country. SU is #309 experience team; they beat Maryland by 2 at home in only Big 14 game this year. Syracuse is 5-2 in its last seven 2nd round games. Michigan State pulled away in 2nd half Friday, but Bucknell made 11-20 on arc to make game respectable at end. Spartans are 7-1 in last eight second round games; MSU split pair of games with UNC/Duke in pair of ACC games this season.

Nevada was down 14 in 2nd half Friday, rallied to beat Texas in OT; Wolf Pack played only six guys- five of them played 38:00+. Nevada is 12-3 outside Big West (#65 NC sked); they’re 1-3 vs spread as an underdog this season, 4-4 SU vs top 50 teams. Cincinnati won its last eight games; they force turnovers 22.3% of time (#12). Bearcats have #2 eFG% defense in country, are 3-4 vs top 50 teams. Favorites are 9-7 vs spread in last 16 second-round games with #2 vs #7-seeds. Cincy played two guys more than 27:00 Friday; Cumberland/Clark played 40/39:00.

Xavier made 11-16 on arc, crushed Florida State 91-66 LY in 2nd round of NCAA’s; they scored 1.34 ppp. Musketeers won 14 of last 16 games this year; they’re #123 experience team that plays pace #61. Xavier is 13-1 outside Big East (NC sked #103); they made 11-24 on arc in easy win vs Texas Southern Friday. Musketeers start three seniors, are #123 experience team. Florida State was up 22 at half vs Missouri Friday; Seminoles are 12-1 outside ACC (NC sked #329)- they used only two guys more than 29:00 vs Mizzou. Last two years, Big East is 12-6 vs ACC teams.

West Virginia/Marshall used to play every year; Mountaineers ended series. Marshall plays fast tempo (#6 pace); they’ve won 11 of last 13 games, are #260 experience team that is 10-4 outside C-USA (#331 NC sked). Herd played four starters 35:00+, seven guys overall in 81-75 win over Wichita Friday. Last four years, #12/#13-seeds are 1-6 vs spread in 2nd round games. West Virginia forces turnovers 23.4% of time; they’re #196 experience team that is 11-2 vs teams ranked outside top 50- Huggins is 4-1 in second round games at West Virginia.

Over last five years, favorites are 8-2 vs spread in #4/#5 2nd round games. Clemson won four of its last six games; they’re 12-1 outside ACC (NC asked #209)- teams shoot only 44.2% inside arc against them. Clemson played three guys 32:00+ in workmanlike win over New Mexico St Friday. Auburn lost four of last six games after starting season 23-3; they’re #308 experience team. None of eight guys in Auburn’s rotation are seniors. Auburn was 15-32 on foul line, 5-24 on arc in ugly 62-58 win Friday; they played two guys 28:00+.

Other tournaments
Baylor lost four of its last six games; they’re 11-3 outside Big X (#282 NC sked). Bears lost by 21 at Florida in their only game vs an SEC team this year. Baylor is #69 experience team that starts three seniors. is 8-5 in its last 13 games, winning four of last five home games. Mississippi State is 9-5 in last 14 games, but they lost seven of last nine true road games. Bulldogs are 13-1 outside SEC (NC sked #345)- they’re #325 experience team, with no seniors who play.

Oregon won six of its last eight games; they were 14-26 on arc in first round win over Rider. Ducks are #285 experience team that is 11-3 outside Pac-12 (NC asked #315)- they beat DePaul in OT in only game this season vs Pac-12 team- they’re 7-10 vs top 100 teams. Marquette won six of its last eight games; they’re #313 experience team that is 10-3 outside Big East (NC sked #171). Eagles are shooting 41.5% on arc, #5 in country.

Drake lost three of its last four games, winning first game in this tournament in OT; Bulldogs are #7 experience team, starting four seniors, but they lost five of last seven true road games. Drake is 7-7 outside top 100 (NC sked #170). Northern Colorado is 6-4 outside Big Sky; they haven’t played in nine days. Bears won five of last six home games, with only loss by 9 to Big Sky champ Montana. Northern Colorado is #129 experience team.

Middle Tennessee State slipped up in C-USA tournament so they’re in NIT; playing Louisville gives them chance to thrive on national stage. Blue Raiders are 9-4 outside C-USA (NC sked #13); they lost by 3 to Miami on neutral floor in their only ACC game. Louisville has better, bigger talent; they lost five of last seven games, they’re 11-3 outside ACC (NC sked #233). Middle Tennessee won its last five true road games.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB

Sunday, March 18

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Trend Report
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MISSISSIPPI STATE @ BAYLOR
MISSISSIPPI STATE

Mississippi State is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Mississippi State's last 5 games
BAYLOR

Baylor is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Baylor is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
BUTLER @ PURDUE
BUTLER

Butler is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Purdue
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Butler's last 5 games when playing Purdue
PURDUE

Purdue is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Purdue's last 5 games when playing Butler
SYRACUSE @ MICHIGAN STATE
SYRACUSE

Syracuse is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Syracuse is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
MICHIGAN STATE

Michigan State is 14-1 SU in its last 15 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Michigan State's last 8 games
OREGON @ MARQUETTE
OREGON

The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oregon's last 5 games
Oregon is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
MARQUETTE

Marquette is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Marquette is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
DRAKE @ NORTHERN COLORADO
DRAKE

Drake is 5-16 SU in its last 21 games on the road
NORTHERN COLORADO

The total has gone OVER in 9 of Northern Colorado's last 10 games at home
Northern Colorado is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games
TEXAS A&M @ NORTH CAROLINA
TEXAS A&M

Texas A&M is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Texas A&M's last 11 games
NORTH CAROLINA

The total has gone UNDER in 5 of North Carolina's last 6 games
North Carolina is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
NEVADA @ CINCINNATI
NEVADA

Nevada is 17-4 SU in its last 21 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Nevada's last 6 games
CINCINNATI

Cincinnati is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cincinnati's last 6 games
MIDDLE TENNESSEE @ LOUISVILLE
MIDDLE TENNESSEE

Middle Tennessee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Middle Tennessee is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games
LOUISVILLE

Louisville is 16-5 SU in its last 21 games at home
Louisville is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
CLEMSON @ AUBURN
CLEMSON

Clemson is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Clemson is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games
AUBURN

The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Auburn's last 5 games
Auburn is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games
UMBC @ KANSAS STATE
UMBC

No trends to report
KANSAS STATE

Kansas State is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games
Kansas State is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
FLORIDA STATE @ XAVIER
FLORIDA STATE

Florida State is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games
XAVIER

Xavier is 14-2 SU in its last 16 games
Xavier is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
MARSHALL @ WEST VIRGINIA
MARSHALL

Marshall is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Marshall is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
WEST VIRGINIA

West Virginia is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Marshall
The total has gone OVER in 6 of West Virginia's last 7 games

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday's NCAA Tournament second round betting preview: South Region

(7) Nevada Wolf Pack vs (2) Cincinnati Bearcats (-8, 137)

Game to be played at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.

Cincinnati not only got a win in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, it also watched the top-seeded team in its region fall in a stunning upset. The second-seeded Bearcats will try not to worry about the road ahead and instead focus on making it to the Sweet Sixteen when they face seventh-seeded Nevada on Sunday in Nashville, Tenn.

The top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, Virginia, fell late on Friday, making Cincinnati the top remaining seed in the South Region after it came alive late and pulled away from Georgia State in the first round for a 68-53 victory on Friday. "No matter what happens, we've had an unbelievable season," Bearcats coach Mick Cronin told reporters. "We're in a tournament right now. There's five games left to win it. And I think that's always been my mindset, no matter what our seed has been. As long as I'm honored to be the head coach at Cincinnati, to me, you enter a tournament to win it." The Wolf Pack are just happy to advance after overcoming a 14-point deficit and knocking off 10th-seeded Texas 87-83 in overtime. "I don't know how we won," Nevada coach Eric Musselman told reporters. "I mean, just the progress of where the program's come, you know, we made it here last year. We've grinded, you know, all of us hard since the beginning of the summer with a goal in mind, and that was try to advance."

TV: 6:10 ET, TNT

LINE HISTORY: Cincinnati opened as 7-point chalk and has been bet up a fullpoint to -8 as of Saturday night. The total hit betting boards at 138 and money coming in on the under pushed that number quickly down to 137.

BETTING STATS:



ABOUT NEVADA: Caleb Martin hit three of his four 3-pointers in overtime and Josh Hall scored 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting off the bench on Friday for the Wolf Pack, who won a game in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2007. "I want to win. Plain and simple, I just want to win," Hall told reporters. "Not only do I want to play good, but I want my team to play well. I want to advance. We didn't win last year. Winning this game was really big for us and shows we're a better team than last year and moving in the right direction. So, I just want to win." Nevada is trying to advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the second time in program history (2004).

ABOUT CINCINNATI: Senior Gary Clark did his part in the first round with 11 points and 13 rebounds and is trying to lead his team in his final chance at NCAA Tournament success. "In this game, we had to adjust," Clark told reporters. "In every game, that's how it's going to be. You've got to adjust to how the team's doing. Our adversity allows us to do that well. Being my fourth year, tell young guys to just enjoy it, live in the moment and not get too riled up about the crowd and all that. Just do what we've been doing all year." One of those young guys is sophomore guard Jarron Cumberland, who exploded for 27 points and 11 boards.

MATCHUP CHART:



TRENDS:

* Wolf Pack are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 6-1-1 in Wolf Pack last 8 games following a ATS win.
* Under is 5-1 in Bearcats last 6 overall.

CONSENSUS: Consensus data is showing 56 percent of bettors taking the underdogs from Nevada, while 54 percent of totals wagers are on the Over.




(16) MD Baltimore County Retrievers vs (9) Kansas State Wildcats (-10.5, 135.5)

Game to be played at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Maryland-Baltimore County returns to the court two days after pulling off the biggest upset in men's NCAA Tournament history as it takes on Kansas State in Round 2 of the South Region from Charlotte, NC. Prior to Friday night, No. 16 seeds were 0-135 all-time against first seeds - they are now 1-135 after the 16th-seeded Retrievers beat No. 1 Virginia 74-54.

UMBC poured in 53 points in the second half on 67.9 percent shooting against the top-ranked Virginia defense that was allowing just 53.4 points per game before the tournament. Graduate student guard Jairus Lyles was simply unstoppable for the Retrievers, scoring 23 of his game-high 28 while playing through leg cramps in the second frame. It isn't a surprise to see No. 9 seed Kansas State in the second round as the Wildcats were a strong favorite to get by eighth-seeded Creighton and did so with relative ease, 69-59. Junior guard Barry Brown led the Wildcats with 18 points and played strong defense on Marcus Foster, holding the star Bluejays guard to just five points on 2-of-11 shooting.

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

LINE HISTORY: Kansas State opened as 10-point favorites and has been bet up slightly to 10.5. The total hit betting boards at 135.5 and has yet to move off the opening number.

BETTING STATS:



ABOUT MARYLAND-BALTIMORE COUNTY: With the game tied 21-21 at the half, UMBC came out flying in the second, speeding up the tempo and dictating the pace of the game - something that almost no other team has been able to do against the Cavaliers this season. Lyles was certainly the story of the second half but it was a true team effort that got the Retrievers through to the second round. Three other players finished in double digits (Joe Sherburne 14; Arkel Lamar 12; K.J. Maura 10) and UMBC had 16 assists on 26 made field goals while outrebounding Virginia 33-22.

ABOUT KANSAS STATE: Kansas State, playing without All-Big 12 First Team selection Dean Wade and his team-leading 16.5 points per game, knew it couldn't go basket for basket with Creighton's 10th-ranked offense so it put a focus on defense and held the Bluejays to a season-low 59 points on 33.8 percent shooting from the floor and 26 percent from the 3-point line. Wade suffered a stress fracture in his left foot in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals and hasn't been ruled out for Sunday but will be limited if he does play. Freshman guard Mike McGuirl stepped up offensively in Wade's absence, scoring a career-high 17 on 6-of-10 shooting and 3-of-5 from beyond the arc.

MATCHUP CHART:



TRENDS:

* Retrievers are 6-1-1 ATS in their last 8 games following a ATS win.
* Wildcats are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 non-conference games.
* Over is 7-0 in Retrievers last 7 neutral site games.

CONSENSUS: Consensus data is showing 59 percent of bettors taking the underdogs Retrievers, while 61 percent of totals wagers are on the Over.

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday's NCAA Tournament second round betting preview: West Region

(7) Texas A&M Aggies vs (2) North Carolina Tar Heels (-6, 151.5)

Game to be played at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Texas A&M will try to benefit from its height advantage when the seventh-seeded Aggies play second-seeded North Carolina in the second round of the West Region on Sunday in Charlotte, N.C. Texas A&M has an experienced starting front court that stands 6-10, 6-10, and 6-9 and helped the Aggies become the fifth-ranked rebounding team in the nation during the regular season, while North Carolina's tallest starters are 6-6, 6-8 and 6-8.

The defending tournament champion Tar Heels will counter with better team speed and perimeter shooting skills, assets they didn't rely on much during their 84-66 first-round win against Lipscomb on Friday. Luke Maye is one of the 6-8 starters for North Carolina, and he's also one of the most versatile players in college basketball, averaging 17 points and 10.1 rebounds while also converting 43.8 percent of his 3-point tries. Robert Williams will likely have the task of guarding Maye, and the 6-10 sophomore forward played a key role in the 73-69 win against Providence in the first round, finishing with 13 points and 14 rebounds, and helping the Aggies to a 44-26 rebounding edge. That matchup should open space in the paint for Texas A&M leading scorer Tyler Davis (14.5), the other 6-10 starter who had 14 points and 15 rebounds against Providence.

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

LINE HISTORY: North Carolina opened as 6-point favorites and has yet to move off the opening number . The total hit betting boards at 151.5 and like the point spread has held firm.

BETTING STATS:



ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA: Joel Berry II also averages a team-high 17 points for the Tar Heels, but the 6-foot senior point guard hasn't bettered that mark in his past six games. He'll certainly be looking to shoot the ball better inside Spectrum Center after converting 6-of-15 from the floor against Lipscomb, including 2-of-9 from 3-point distance. Berry might look to distributor more off the drive against Texas A&M, and attempt to counter their shot-blocking ability, but he hasn't been doing a lot of distributing lately, averaging just 3.3 assists in his past 11 games.

ABOUT TEXAS A&M: Sitting on the edge of a Sweet Sixteen appearance is nothing new for Davis and three other members of the Aggies; DJ Hogg, Admon Gilder and Tonny Trocha-Morelos, who played key roles for Texas A&M in its run to the Sweet Sixteen two years ago. Hogg is a 6-9 forward who leads the Aggies in 3-point attempts, Gilder is a 6-4 guard who's second on the team in scoring at 12.4 points a game, and Trocha-Morelos is a 6-10 back-up center who plays 22.2 minutes a game. Another player the Tar Heels need to find on the floor is freshman guard T.J. Starks, who's averaging 9.7 points, but has reached double figures in nine of the past 10 games.

MATCHUP CHART:



TRENDS:

* Under is 4-1 in Aggies last 5 vs. Atlantic Coast.
* Under is 8-1 in Tar Heels last 9 Sunday games.
* Under is 5-1 in Tar Heels last 6 overall.

CONSENSUS: Covers consensus data is showing 68 percent of bettors taking the favorites from North Carolina, while 61 percent of totals wagers are on the Over.




(9) Florida State Seminoles vs (1) Xavier Musketeers (-5.5, 159)

Game to be played at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.

Xavier has routinely proved it possesses one of the best offensive teams in the country - something it displayed in its NCAA Tournament opener as well as the last time it faced Florida State. The top-seeded Musketeers attempt to end the ninth-seeded Seminoles' season in the second round of the West Region for the second straight year Sunday when they meet in Nashville, Tenn.

Riding 20-point performances from each of its top three scorers Friday, Xavier drained 11 3-pointers en route to setting a program record for most points in a NCAA Tournament game with its 102-83 victory over Texas Southern, marking the fourth time this season the nation's eighth-highest scoring team topped the century mark. The Musketeers enjoyed similar success exactly one year ago versus Florida State, shooting 55.6 percent from the field in a 91-66 rout of the Seminoles behind 29 points from Trevon Bluiett. Florida State recovered nicely from losing three of its previous four in the nightcap Friday, getting 42 points from its bench and holding a shorthanded Missouri squad to 32.7 percent from the field in a 67-54 win. "All season, our identity was the quality of our depth. We knew they were a little short on the bench, so we needed to attack them … we used that to our advantage," freshman forward Mfiondu Kabengele told reporters.

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

LINE HISTORY: Xavier opened as 6-point favorites and has bet down slightly to 5.5 as of Saturday night. The total hit betting boards as low as 159.5 and money coming in on the under forced that number down to an even 159.

BETTING STATS:



ABOUT FLORIDA STATE: Ten players scored during the Seminoles' 42-point first half, and all three of Florida State's double-digit scorers Friday came off the bench, marking the third straight game Florida State got at least 40 points from its reserves; over that same span, the bench is responsible for 58.4 percent of the team's offensive output. Kabengele (team-high 14 points, career-high tying 12 rebounds Friday), sophomore guard Trent Forrest (10 points, six rebounds, eight assists, two blocks and three steals) and junior guard PJ Savoy (12 points) led the change from Florida State's bench. Second-leading scorer Terance Mann (12.8 points), who needed to be helped back to the locker room in the second half after aggravating a first-half groin injury, is questionable for Sunday.

ABOUT XAVIER: J.P. Macura (12.7 points) moved into 19th place on the program's all-time scoring list and halted a four-game stretch where he failed to top his season scoring average Friday, going 11-of-16 from the field - including 5-for-6 beyond the arc - to finish with a career-high 29 points. Bluiett (19.6), who ranks second in Musketeers' history with 2,253 career points and buried three 3-pointers to run his season total to a school-record tying 104, topped the 20-point mark for the 20th time with 26 versus the Tigers. Kerem Kanter (10.8) tied his career high with 24 points despite playing only 20 minutes Friday; over the last 22 games, he has reached double figures in every game in which he has played more than 12 minutes.

MATCHUP CHART:



TRENDS:

* Seminoles are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win.
* Musketeers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
* Musketeers are 24-6-2 ATS in their last 32 NCAA Tournament games.
* Over is 3-0-1 in Musketeers last 4 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.

CONSENSUS: Consensus data is showing 74 percent of bettors taking the chalk from Xavier, while 58 percent of totals wagers are on the Over.

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday's NCAA Tournament second round betting preview: Midwest Region

(11) Syracuse Orange vs (3) Michigan St. Spartans (-9, 129.5)

Game to be played at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan.

Michigan State looks to advance to its first NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen in three seasons when it takes on surprising Syracuse in a Midwest Region second-round matchup Sunday in Detroit. The third-seeded Spartans advanced with a victory over Bucknell while the Orange, the 11th seed, got past TCU in first-round contests Friday.

Sophomore guard Tyus Battle leads the Syrcause offensive attack, averaging 19.7 points, while forwards Oshae Brissett and Frank Howard each chip in 14.9 points per contest. But the story of the Orange is coach Jim Boeheim's matchup zone defense that causes teams lots of troubles and will be a big test for a Michigan State team that has struggled with zones this season. Forward Miles Bridges (17.3 points) is a versatile offensive force, hitting 68 3-pointers but also capable of getting to the hoop and finishing at the rim. The key for the Spartans will be the play of point guard Cassius Winston (12.6 points, 51.4 3-point percentage, 6.9 assists), who must handle the zone and the size of the Syracuse defenders when they extend the zone to apply pressure on the ball.

TV: 1:40 p.m. ET, CBS

LINE HISTORY: The Spartans opened as 8-point chalk and money coming in on Michigan State pushed that line to 9 at most shops. The total hit betting boards at 129.5 and has yet to move off the opening number.

BETTING STATS:



ABOUT SYRACUSE: Freshman forward Marek Dolezaj had scored in double figures just twice in the last 14 games prior to the Orange's first-round contest against TCU, but the Slovakian had a team-high 17 points to give Syracuse an offensive boost. Boeheim would love to see the same thing when his team faces Michigan State in the second round because as good as Syracuse's defense is, it will need to score points against a very tough defensive team in the Spartans. With Battle finishing with fewer than 10 points for just the second time this season, Dolezaj's production was much needed, and it will be needed again for as long as the Orange stay alive in the tournament.

ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE: Since the Spartans' first loss of the season to Duke in November, the question of whether Bridges is aggressive enough offensively in big games has been there for coach Tom Izzo. The sophomore has tried to find balance in his offensive game, with the deep Michigan State rotation allowing him to not have to dominate the ball, but against Bucknell, it was Bridges who closed the door, scoring 14 of his 29 points in a nine-minute spurt in the second half that pushed the Spartans' lead from six to 14. Bridges will have to work on that balance again when facing Syracuse, as the Orange's zone doesn't have much room to drive against but doesn't give many open looks from the perimeter either.

MATCHUP CHART:



TRENDS:

* Orange are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 NCAA Tournament games.
* Spartans are 1-5-2 ATS in their last 8 games following a ATS loss.
* Under is 5-0 in Orange last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Under is 6-1 in Spartans last 7 games following a straight up win.
* Orange are 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings.

CONSENSUS: Consensus data is showing 61 percent of bettors taking the underdogs from Syracuse, while 51 percent of totals wagers are on the Under.




(5) Clemson Tigers vs (4) Auburn Tigers (-1.5, 146.5)

Game to be played at Viejas Arena in San Diego, California.

It’s been 15 years since Auburn made a trip to the Sweet Sixteen, and even longer for Clemson. One of their droughts will end Sunday when the two Tigers square off in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in San Diego.

Auburn is in the tournament for the first time since 2003, when it made a run to the Sweet Sixteen as a No. 10 seed. The fourth-seeded Tigers survived a scare in a 62-58 win over College of Charleston in Friday’s first-round matchup, forcing 21 turnovers to help overcome a lackluster offensive outing. Clemson hadn’t won an NCAA Tournament game since a First Four victory over Alabama-Birmingham in 2011, and it hadn’t reached the second round since a Sweet Sixteen trip in 1997. Shelton Mitchell scored 23 points and Gabe DeVoe added 22 in Clemson’s 79-68 win over New Mexico State on Friday.

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

LINE HISTORY: Auburn opened as 1-point favorites and the pointspread has waivered between the opening number and 1.5 - as of Sunday morning Auburn is sitting as 1.5-point chalk. The total hit betting boards as low as 146.5 and has held firm.

BETTING STATS:



ABOUT CLEMSON: Clemson had lost two of three and five of its last eight entering the tournament, but the Tigers didn’t have much trouble with the Aggies in the first round. The starting backcourt trio of Marcquise Reed (15.9 points), DeVoe (13.5 points), and Mitchell (12.3 points) combined for 60 points, but center Elijah Thomas (10.6 points, 8.0 rebounds) was limited to six points on 2-of-7 shooting despite grabbing 10 rebounds. The Tigers only attempted nine free throws against New Mexico State and likely will need to do a better job at getting to the line to advance Sunday.

ABOUT AUBURN: The fourth-seeded Tigers won the SEC regular-season title but stumbled a bit down the stretch, losing three of their last five going into the SEC Tournament, where they were bounced by Alabama in their first game. Their offensive struggles continues against the Cougars, as they shot below 40 percent for the fourth straight game. Leading scorer Mustapha Heron (16.6 points, 5.5 rebounds) scored 16 points and Desean Murray (10.4 points, 6.8 rebounds) had a characteristic 11 points and seven boards, but Bryce Brown (16 points) struggled to find his stroke, going 3-for-10 from 3-point range.

MATCHUP CHART:



TRENDS:

* Tigers are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 non-conference games.
* Tigers are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
* Under is 4-1 in Tigers last 5 non-conference games.
* Under is 4-1 in Tigers last 5 overall.

CONSENSUS: Consensus data is showing 57 percent of bettors taking the underdogs from Clemson, while 55 percent of totals wagers are on the Under.

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday's NCAA Tournament second round betting preview: East Region

(10) Butler Bulldogs vs (2) Purdue Boilermakers (-3.5, 144)

Game to be played at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan.

Big Ten champion Purdue appeared to suffered a key injury in its 74-48 first round NCAA Tournament victory over Cal State Fullerton when 7-foot-2 center Isaac Haas suffered a fractured right elbow while fighting for a rebound in the second half. But Haas, who will need surgery to fix the injury, took part in some drills during Saturday's practice and may play in Sunday's Round of 32 contest with Butler at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit if the NCAA approves a special elbow brace he's been fitted with.

Haas, who had nine points and 10 rebounds before suffering the injury, is the second leading scorer for the Boilermakers (14.9) and also averages 5.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. The finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award which goes to the nation's top college center had 15 points and three rebounds in just 16 foul-plagued minutes in a 82-67 victory over the Bulldogs in a Dec. 16 meeting in the Crossroads Classic in Indianapolis, so his loss would be a big one for Purdue which is the No. 2 seed in the East Regional. "He's trying to convince me, but it is what it is," Purdue coach Matt Painter said. "I don't see him playing. His future is more important." No. 10 seed Butler, which is trying for its fourth Sweet Sixteen appearance in nine years, opened the tournament with a 79-62 victory over Arkansas.

TV: 12:10 ET, CBS

LINE HISTORY: Purdue opened as 3.5-point favorites and the line has yet to move off that opening number . The total hit betting boards at 144.5 and was bet down a full point to 143.5 until rebounding slightly to 144 on Sunday morning.

BETTING STATS:



ABOUT BUTLER: The Bulldogs are 15-3 when outrebounding an opponent and finished with a 45-25 edge on the boards over the Razorbacks in Friday's first round victory. Senior forward Kelan Martin went over 2,000 career points in the victory and the all-Big East pick finished with 27 points on 9-of-16 shooting, including five 3-pointers. Sophomore guard Kamar Baldwin also had a big game, finishing with 24 points, his seventh 20-point game of his career and sixth this season.

ABOUT PURDUE: The Boilermakers held Butler, which averages 8.3 3-pointers per game, to just one 3-pointer in the first 28 minutes in their December victory while building a 26-point lead. Sophomore guard Carsen Edwards, who leads the team in scoring (18.4), had a team-high 18 points in the first meeting with the Bulldogs while senior forward Vincent Edwards, who is third on the team in scoring (14.5), finished with 15 points, including 4-of-5 3-pointers. Senior guard Dakota Mathias is also averaging in double figures (12.3) and has connected on 92-of-199 3-pointers (46.2 percent).

MATCHUP CHART:



TRENDS:

* Bulldogs are 21-5-2 ATS in their last 28 NCAA Tournament games.
* Boilermakers are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 5-1 in Bulldogs last 6 non-conference games.
* Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.

CONSENSUS: Consensus data is showing 61 percent of bettors taking the favorites from Purdue, while 64 percent of totals wagers are on the Over.




(13) Marshall Thundering Herd vs (5) West Virginia Mountaineers (-12.5, 159.5)

Game to be played at Viejas Arena in San Diego, California.

There is no love lost between Marshall and West Virginia and the in-state rivals present perhaps the most tantalizing second-round matchup in the NCAA Tournament when they meet Sunday in the East Region at San Diego. The 13th-seeded Thundering Herd won their first-ever tournament game with an 81-75 upset of Wichita State on Friday, presenting them with a chance to meet a hated foe, although the initial reaction was to downplay the bitterness.

"Hell, I’m still celebrating this one. You’re off on the other one?" Marshall coach Dan D'Antoni told the media when asked of a matchup with the Mountaineers. "I have no idea. ... Let's enjoy this a little bit and we'll get ready for West Virginia and I really don’t have to worry. These are all gym rats. They're going to be ready to go when it's time to go." The two schools - separated by about 200 miles - played every year from 1977 through 2015 before the Mountaineers elected to end the annual clash in a somewhat contentious decision. West Virginia coach Bob Huggins, who shot back at D'Antoni in 2014 when the latter suggested that the Mountaineers were planning to back out of the series because they were afraid, initially dodged questions about the renewal of the rivalry after his fifth-seeded team defeated Murray State 85-68 in the first round. "Can I say one thing?" he said later in the press conference. "I've got great respect for Danny and what he's done. He took over. They were down and I've got great respect for him since he's become the coach. ... This is not a Hatfields and McCoys thing. We have great relationships [between the] staffs."

TV: 9:40 p.m., TBS

LINE HISTORY: West Virginia opened as 11.5-point favorites and have been bet up a full point to 12.5 as of Saturday night. The total hit betting boards as low as 159.5 and has yet to move off the opening number.

BETTING STATS:



ABOUT MARSHALL: Jon Elmore, who led Conference USA in scoring this season, scored 27 points in the win over Wichita State and has at least 22 in 12 of his last 14 games. Ajdin Penava, the league's Defensive Player of the Year, chipped in 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting to go along with three blocks as the Thundering Herd picked up their first postseason victory since the 1967 NIT, when D'Antoni was on the team. "I told them the beginning goal is to win the NCAA Tournament," D'Antoni said. "Wherever we get in the car driving down the road to that championship, when it stops we'll all get off and we'll be happy because we like who is in the car. We like the journey we're on. We're looking forward to the next leg, and I have confidence in these guys that they'll give you a real good ballgame and got a great chance to win."

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA: Senior Jevon Carter was a force in Friday's win with 21 points, eight assists, six steals and five rebounds while stifling Murray State star Jonathan Stark, and the Mountaineers' defensive stalwart will be a handful for Elmore. "I would be shocked if he didn't play that way," Huggins said of Carter's performance. "He plays that way all the time. He plays that way in open gym. But he's always done that." Freshman Teddy Allen produced his first double-digit scoring effort in a nine-game span with 16 points, while Sagaba Konate contributed 14 points, seven rebounds and three blocks for West Virginia, which is seeking a Sweet 16 berth for the third time in four years.

MATCHUP CHART:



TRENDS:

* Thundering Herd are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 14-6 in Thundering Herd last 20 non-conference games.
* Over is 6-1 in Mountaineers last 7 overall.

CONSENSUS: Consensus data is showing 69 percent of bettors taking the underdogs from Marshall, while 53 percent of totals wagers are on the Under.

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday - Session 2
March 18, 2018

West Region – Charlotte – Spectrum Center
#7 Texas A&M vs. #2 North Carolina (-6.5, 151.5) – 5:15 PM EST – CBS

The Tar Heels will have to defend their championship by prevailing out West next weekend just to get to San Antonio but can’t get ahead of themselves by even thinking about L.A. just yet. Hardened by persevering through one of the most challenging SEC seasons in years despite being shorthanded, Texas A&M will look to ruin the UNC coronation in Charlotte.

After surviving a tight game with Providence, the Aggies have now won four of five, losing only a 71-70 result to Alabama in the SEC Tournament. When healthy early in the season, A&M beat West Virginia, Oklahoma State, Penn State and USC. It owns wins over Kentucky and Auburn and losses to Arizona and Kansas. Billy Kennedy’s team won’t be intimidated.

North Carolina lost three starters and a 7-foot freshman reserve off last year’s national championship team, but their smaller group shoots it better and rebounds impressively. Pittsburgh transfer Cameron Johnson has become invaluable due to his versatility, but teams often try and give him space to shoot since he’s been erratic shooting it. Although he’s got a pair of games with six makes, he’s had his share of clunkers and entered the NCAA Tournament on a 5-for-18 run but went 2-for-3 against Lipscomb in the Heels’ relatively painless 84-66 first-round win.

Point guard Joel Berry shot 2-for-9 from beyond the arc in the first round and is in a 12-for-45 slump from 3-point range, so he needs to start turning it around. Fellow senior Theo Pinson has shined down the stretch as a facilitator, rebounder and defender, emerging as the most valuable member of this group that’s attempting to win a second straight title. He’s also played at least 35 minutes in three of his last four games and will be up against a larger, stronger frontcourt with multiple dynamic athletes.

We’ll see here whether playing four games in as many days in the ACC Tournament last weekend affects Roy Williams’ team since there isn’t a ton of depth available and they’ll be up against a team that will create issues in the paint both ends thanks to power forward Robert Williams and center Tyler Davis, each of whom average over nine boards per game and will challenge UNC’s supremacy on the boards. The duo outrebounded Providence by themselves, 29-26.

Williams called rebounding the most critical factor in his team’s game, which makes this a test for them to prove exactly how good they are at it and put it on display once again. A&M can pull off an upset if its superior size wins out, which will require staying out of foul trouble.

The under has prevailed in five of the last six games involving North Carolina this month as it has ramped up its defense in tournaments. The over has hit in eight of the last 11 A&M games, though only one of their games have gotten into the 150s, where this one started at. That contest, an 81-80 win at Auburn on Feb. 7, surpassed the posted total (153.5).

South Region – Nashville – Bridgetone Arena
#7 Nevada vs. #2 Cincinnati (-8, 137.5) – 6:10 PM EST – TNT

The Bearcats didn’t play well at all despite winning the American Athletic Conference Tournament in Orlando last weekend, struggling against SMU, Memphis and Houston last weekend. They were down in the second half of all those games, so a relatively slow start against Georgia State where they failed to cover the first-half number probably should have been expected.

Once again, their defensive intensity wore down Georgia State in a 68-53 win where they were able to cover after the Panthers fouled unnecessarily in the final minute despite the game already being decided. Cincinnati is second in the nation in points allowed per game (57), second in field-goal percentage defense (37.1), eighth in blocks (5.5) and ninth in 3-point percentage defense (30.9). The Bearcats have allowed 61 or fewer points in 18 of their last 22 games.

In Nevada, Mick Cronin’s Bearcats will have by far their most daunting defensive challenge since the regular-season finale at Wichita State. Tough to contain, the Wolf Pack haven’t scored fewer than 64 points all season. Xavier, the best offensive team Cincy saw this season, won 89-76 at Cintas Center. Cronin wasn’t singing his opponents’ praises just to talk up an opponent. He called Sunday’s opponent “nightmare to cover.”

Texas did a nice job of containing Nevada until Mo Bamba got into foul trouble and then had problems solving the mismatches that Cody Martin, Caleb Martin and Jordan Caroline all create. They’re all big wings who can shoot it, put it on the ground and set plays up for one another.

Purdue transfer Kendall Stephens is an elite shooter who also benefits from the attention teammates command, adding teeth to the attack with his touch from the perimeter. We’ll see if they’ll be able to gang rebound with to keep the bigger Bearcats from controlling the boards, but if they can hit from the perimeter, should be able to do some damage.

Nevada did lose to San Diego State twice down the stretch but were able to produce against strong defensive teams in Texas Tech, UC-Davis, UC-Irvine and Rhode Island. Losing guard Lindsey Drew late in the season means Eric Musselman is now just seven-deep, so we’ll see if the Wolf Pack have enough left in the tank to pull off another upset after working overtime against Texas. Cincinnati is deeper, so Cronin can attempt to try and wear down his opponent by keeping lineups fresh.

The x-factor for the Bearcats will be whether Jacob Evans and Jarron Cumberland can score effectively on the wing consistently. Cincinnati likes to shorten games and will want to keep Nevada from finding a rhythm, but it runs the risk of bogging its offense down if jump shots don’t go down and the Wolf Pack turn misses into run-outs.

Nevada must find a way to generate easy baskets and hit a good share of their 3-pointers to overcome the favored Bearcats but seem to have a puncher’s chance if Martin’s foot holds up. Cincinnati has stifled foes on the 3-point line. The Wolf Pack have thrived there. That battle of will decides whether there’s a chance of an upset.

Midwest Region – San Diego – Viejas Arena
#5 Clemson vs. #4 Auburn (-1.5, 146.5) – 7:10 PM EST – TBS

No 12-seed defeated a No. 5 this season, a rarity in that it’s only happened one other time in this decade. Even though these teams were favored to meet, it’s somewhat of an upset that two Southern powers better known for their football each avoided an upset in order to square off for a Sweet 16 berth.

Only Clemson’s Tigers covered, putting together an impressive win against New Mexico State. Auburn never got into a flow due to point guard Jared Harper’s foul trouble but managed to survive against a veteran College of Charleston squad that pushed the Tigers to the limit, winning in part due to a mistake by the officials that worked out in their favor. Refs never noticed that Harper, an 82 percent free-throw shooter, wasn’t supposed to be on the line for the attempts that helped secure the result. Chuma Okeke, a 69 percent shooter was. Harper helped lock up a 62-58 win.

In fairness, Auburn would’ve likely held on against Charleston, but one can’t say that for sure given the buzzer-beater bug flying around this tournament. The Tigers won despite shooting 5-for-24 from 3-point range and missing 17 of 32 free throws, which is another reason those Harper makes took on increased importance.

Since losing key forward Anfernee McLemore to an ankle fracture one month ago in a loss at South Carolina, Auburn is just 3-3. The Tigers also lost their most important frontcourt piece when Donte Grantham tore an ACL in late January, so they’re relying more on their shooting these days.

Shelton Mitchell, Gabe DeVoe and Marcquise Reed combined to make 20 of 30 shots against an athletic New Mexico State defense that is shut down shooters all season. Many of the looks were well-contested, but the three guards were simply too locked into miss. David Skara joined the Clemson starting lineup to help add more depth to the first five, while Elijah Thomas added 10 rebounds and two blocks.

Neither Bruce Pearl nor Brad Brownell have much depth to lean on. Both will also rely almost entirely on their guards. Harper, Mustapha Heron and Bryce Brown helped Auburn survive Charleston despite combining to shoot 10-for-33, so the three-guard combos involved in this matchup couldn’t come into this Round of 32 game off more different performances.

Despite that, there are striking similarities between personnel and an approach of attacking the boards collectively. Guard play will decide this game, but it probably won't be solely about who shoots it best. Defense, decision-making and perhaps most important, pace, will be major determining factors.

Auburn thrives in chaos and will pressure the Tigers with varying looks and degrees of intensity. Clemson prefers to work the shot clock, searching for the best looks even if it takes all 30 seconds. Brownell doesn't want them sped up, so it will be interesting to see how they strike a balance between attacking the press and making the most of opportunities without getting away from their personality.

Auburn leads the series 15-12, but Clemson won the most recent meeting on Dec. 14, 2015, 72-61. Pearl lost that game against Brownell, but neither had won an NCAA Tournament at their present school until Friday night. Now, one will be headed to the Sweet 16.

The under has prevailed in four of the last five Auburn games, all of which have resulted in ATS losses for Pearl's Tigers. Clemson has covered in each of its last three games, all of which have surpassed the posted total.

[StarDust Bum]

SUNDAY, MARCH 18
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

BUT at PUR 12:10 PM
PUR -4.0
U 144.5

SYR at MSU 02:40 PM
MSU -9.5
U 128.0

DRKE at UNCO 05:00 PM
UNCO -7.0
O 153.5

TAM at UNC 05:15 PM
TAM +6.5
U 151.5

NEV at CIN 06:10 PM
CIN -9.0
O 137.5

[StarDust Bum]

CLEM at AUB 07:10 PM
AUB -2.0
U 146.0

UMBC at KSU 07:45 PM
KSU -10.5
O 135.5

FSU at XAV 08:40 PM
XAV -5.5
U 155.5

MRSH at WVU 09:40 PM
MRSH +13.0
O 156.0

[StarDust Bum]

Monday’s 6-pack

Since 1985, North Carolina’s worst losses in NCAA tournament:

1990— Arkansas 96, North Carolina 73

2018— Texas A&M 86, North Carolina 65

1996— Texas Tech 92, North Carolina 73

2008— Kansas 84, North Carolina 66

1986— Louisville 94, North Carolina 79

2012— Kansas 80, North Carolina 67

In fairness, the Tar Heels’ NCAA record since 1985: 88-26.

Quote of the Day
“This is life. It can’t define you. You enjoy the good times and you gotta be able to take the bad times. When you step into the arena…the consequences can be historic losses…and you have to deal with it.”
Tony Bennett, after Friday night’s loss to UMBC

Monday’s quiz
Which retired NBA great once co-starred with Gabe Kaplan in the 1979 basketball movie Fast Break?

Sunday’s quiz
Michigan coach John Beilein was the coach at West Virginia before Bob Huggins.

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

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

Monday’s List of 13: Wrapping up a great sports weekend

13) Not the best day in the city of Cincinnati.

Florida State 75, Xavier 70— West #1-seed Musketeers blew a 12-point lead.
Nevada 75, Cincinnati 73— Southeast #2-seed Bearcats blew a 22-point lead.

12) From 2005-17, 46 of 52 #1-seeds made it to the Sweet 16. This year, Virginia/Xavier won’t be going, the 3rd time (2000, 2004) since 1985 that two #1-seeds got KO’d early.

11) Nevada was down 14 to Texas on Friday; they were down 22 in this game. Eric Musselman’s team is the mentally toughest team in America. Seriously— they only used six players in this game, and the same six guys played against Texas Friday.

— Musselman was an NBA head coach for three years, going 108-138 with Kings/Warriors.
— He has coached everywhere:
CBA— 270-122 with the Rapid City Thrillers
USBL— 53-3 with the Florida Sharks and Florida Beach Dogs
G-League— 77-30 with the Reno Bighorns and Los Angeles D-Fenders

— He played high school basketball with Tom Tupa, who went on to QB at Ohio State— Tupa scored the first 2-point conversion in NFL history.
— Musselman went to U of San Diego where his roommate was George Tarkanian, son of the late Jerry Tarkanian, the great coach at UNLV.

10) Nevada-Loyola game in Sweet 16 is the first #7-11 seed matchup in a regional semifinal since a George Mason-Wichita State game in 2006.

9) Jordan Caroline is one of Nevada’s best players; his dad is Simeon Rice, the old linebacker for the Tampa Bay Bucs. His grandfather is JC Caroline, who played 10 years in the NFL— he picked off Johnny Unitas’ first-ever NFL pass and ran it back for a touchdown. JC Caroline is in the College Football Hall of Fame.

8) Syracuse 55, Michigan State 53—Over the last ten years, #11 or lower seeds in regional semifinal games are 3-14 SU but 9-8 vs spread- since 2012, they’re 7-2 vs spread.

7) Texas A&M 86, North Carolina 65— Tar Heels played in national title game last two years, but they got bamboozled here. UNC was 6-31 on arc, A&M was 10-24.

6) Purdue 76, Butler 73— Boilermakers won despite not having their big man Haas, who broke his elbow Friday. Purdue scored 1.27 ppp, making 11-24 on the arc.

5) Clemson 84, Auburn 53— Epic tank job by Auburn had Charles Barkley congratulating Clemson during the halftime studio show. Clemson is in Sweet 16 for first time since 1997, when they lost in double overtime to Minnesota.

4) Gonzaga coach Mark Few stood on his hands in the locker room Saturday after his Zags held off Ohio State to reach the Sweet 16. Coach Few is 55; I am three years older— I’m lucky I can stand on my feet.

3) Kansas State 50, UMBC 43— In the 24 hours after they upset Virginia for the first 1-16 upset ever, UMBC sold more gear on their website than they had in the previous YEAR!!!!

2) Seton Hall’s Angel Delgado had 24 points, 23 rebounds in the Pirates’ loss to Kansas Saturday; he is the first player to grab 23+ rebounds in an NCAA tournament game since 1977, when Phil Hubbard did that for Michigan when they beat a Detroit team coached by Dick Vitale, 87-81.

1) For the first time ever, the Sweet 16 in a region won’t have any of the top four seeded teams in the region: the Southeast Region in Atlanta is: #5 Kentucky, #7 Nevada,#9 Kansas State, #11 Loyola.

[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 (-4) 76-73 Underdog-Over (144.5)
Syracuse (+10, ML +460) vs. Michigan State 55-53 Underdog-Under (126)
Texas A&M (+7, ML +320) vs. North Carolina 86-65 Underdog-Under (152)
Nevada (+8.5, ML +400) vs. Cincinnati 75-73 Underdog-Over (140)
Clemson (+7, ML +105) vs. Auburn 84-53 Underdog-Under (146.5)
Maryland-Baltimore Co. vs. Kansas State (-10) 50-43 Underdog-Under (136.5)
Florida State (+6, ML +230) vs. Xavier 75-70 Underdog-Under (157.5)
Marshall vs. West Virginia (-12.5) 94-71 Favorite-Over (156)

Sweet Sixteen

THURSDAY, MARCH 22
Matchup Score ATS Result
Loyola-Chicago vs. Nevada - -
Michigan vs. Texas A&M - -
Kentucky vs. Kansas State - -
Gonzaga vs. Florida State - -

FRIDAY, MARCH 23
Matchup Score ATS Result
Villanova vs. West Virginia - -
Purdue vs. Texas Tech - -
Kansas vs. Clemson - -
Duke vs. Syracuse - -

[StarDust Bum]

2018 NIT, CBI, CIT Results
March 18, 2018

National Invitation Tournament (NIT)

UPPER LEFT BRACKET

Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 13 Notre Dame (-19.5) vs. Hampton 84-63 Favorite-Under (151.5)
Mar. 13 Oregon (-11) vs. Rider 99-86 Favorite-Over (159)
Mar. 14 Marquette (-12) vs. Harvard 67-60 Underdog-Over (146.5)
Mar. 14 Penn State (-9.5) vs. Temple 63-57 Underdog-Under (144.5)
Mar. 17 Notre Dame vs. Penn State (+5.5, ML +210) 73-63 Undedog-Under (154.5)
Mar. 18 Oregon vs. Marquette (-5) 101-92 Favorite-Over (150.5)
Mar. 20 Penn State vs. Marquette - -

LOWER LEFT BRACKET

Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 13 Baylor (-13) vs. Wagner 80-59 Favorite-Over (138)
Mar. 13 Louisville (-7.5) vs. Northern Kentucky 66-58 Favorite-Under (147.5)
Mar. 13 Middle Tennessee (-6) vs. Vermont 91-64 Favorite-Over (137)
Mar. 14 Mississippi State (-4.5) vs. Nebraska 66-59 Favorite-Under (142.5)
Mar. 18 Baylor vs. Mississippi State (+5.5, ML +200) 78-77 Underdog-Over (133.5)
Mar. 18 Louisville (-4.5) vs. Middle Tennessee 84-68 Favorite-Over (142)
Mar. 20 Mississippi State vs. Louisville - -

UPPER RIGHT BRACKET

Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 13 USC (-14) vs. UNC Asheville 103-98 Underdog-Over (151.5)
Mar. 13 Western Kentucky (-4) vs. Boston College 79-62 Favorite-Under (159)
Mar. 13 Oklahoma State (-11) vs. Florida Gulf Coast 80-68 Favorite-Under (160)
Mar. 14 Stanford (-3) vs. BYU 86-83 Push-Over (149)
Mar. 19 USC vs. Western Kentucky - -
Mar. 19 Oklahoma State vs. Stanford - -
Mar. 21 TBD vs. TBD - -

LOWER RIGHT BRACKET

Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 13 St. Mary's (-14.5) vs. SE Louisiana 89-45 Favorite-Under (139.5)
Mar. 14 LSU (-3.5) vs. Louisiana-Lafayette 84-76 Favorite-Push (160)
Mar. 14 Utah (-12.5) vs. UC Davis 69-59 Underdog-Under (139)
Mar. 14 Boise State vs. Washington (+2, +120 ML) 77-74 Underdog-Over (147.5)
Mar. 19 LSU vs. Utah - -
Mar. 19 St. Mary's vs. Washington - -
Mar. 21 TBD vs. TBD - -

SEMIFINALS & FINALS
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 27 TBD vs. TBD - -
Mar. 27 TBD vs. TBD - -
Mar. 29 TBD vs. TBD - -

College Basketball Invitational (CBI)

FIRST ROUND
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 13 Eastern Washington at Utah Valley (-6.5) 87-65 Favorite-Over (148)
Mar. 14 Miami-OH at Campbell (-3.5) 97-87 Favorite-Over (144)
Mar. 14 Jacksonville State (+4.5, +170 ML) at Canisius 80-78 (OT) Underdog-Over (144)
Mar. 14 North Texas (+11.5, +550 ML) at South Dakota 90-77 Underdog-Over (148.5)
Mar. 14 UT Rio Grand Valley at New Orleans (-3) 77-74 Push-Under (154)
Mar. 14 Colgate at San Francisco (-7) 72-68 Underdog-Push (140)
Mar. 14 Mercer (+6, +240 ML) at Grand Canyon 78-73 Underdog-Over (142)
Mar. 14 Central Arkansas (+6.5, +250 ML) at Seattle 92-90 (OT) Underdog-Over (159.5)

QUARTERFINALS AND SEMIFINALS

Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 19 Jacksonville State at Central Arkansas - -
Mar. 19 Utah Valley at San Francisco - -
Mar. 19 New Orleans at Campbell - -
Mar. 19 Mercer at North Texas - -
Mar. 21 TBD vs. TBD - -
Mar. 21 TBD vs. TBD - -

FINALS (BEST-OF-THREE)
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 26 TBD vs. TBD - -
Mar. 28 TBD vs. TBD - -
Mar. 30 TBD vs. TBD - -

CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT)

FIRST ROUND
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 12 Central Michigan (+5.5, ML +205) at Fort Wayne 94-89 Underdog-Over (164)
Mar. 12 Abilene Christian at Drake (-8.5) 80-73 (OT) Underdog-Over (151)
Mar. 12 North Carolina A&T at Liberty (-12) 65-52 Favorite-Under (139.5)
Mar. 12 Hartford at San Diego (-10) 88-72 Favorite-Over (138)
Mar. 14 St. Francis-PA at Illinois-Chicago (-5) 84-61 Favorite-Under (156.5)
Mar. 14 Niagara at Eastern Michigan (-8.5) 83-65 Favorite-Under (153.5)
Mar. 14 Lamar at Texas-San Antonio (-3) 76-69 Favorite-Under (150.5)
Mar. 15 Louisiana-Monroe at Austin Peay (-5) 80-66 Favorite-Over (144.5)

SECOND ROUND AND QUARTERFINALS
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 16 Central Michigan (+5.5, ML +180) at Wofford 98-94 Underdog-Over (149)
Mar. 17 Portland State at San Diego - -
Mar. 18 Drake at Northern Colorado (-7) 81-72 Favorite-Under (154)
Mar. 19 Eastern Michigan at San Houston State - -
Mar. 21 TBD at Austin Peay - -
Mar. 22 TBD at Texas-San Antonio - -
Mar. 24 TBD at Liberty - -
Mar. 22-25 TBD at Illinois-Chicago - -
Mar. 22-25 TBD at TBD - -

SEMIFINALS & FINALS
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 28 TBD at TBD - -
Mar. 28 TBD at TBD - -
Mar. 30 TBD at TBD - -

[StarDust Bum]

Monday's NIT Tip Sheet
March 18, 2018

The second round of this year’s NIT Tournament comes to a close on Monday with four intriguing matchups on the slate. Things tip off at 7:00 p.m. with a Big 12-Pac-12 tilt between Oklahoma State and Stanford.
Next up at 9:00 p.m., another Pac-12 team will look to advance with Utah taking on the SEC’s LSU Tigers.

The two nightcaps also feature teams from the Pac-12 starting with the WCC’s St. Mary’s Gaels hosting the Washington Huskies. The other late start sends the Conference USA’s Western Kentucky Hilltoppers to the West Coast to tangle with USC.

No. 3 Stanford at No. 2 Oklahoma State (ESPNU, 7:00 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Oklahoma State -7 ½, 153

Betting Matchup

Stanford was tied for third in the Pac-12 regular season standings at 11-7 straight-up and it was knocked out of the conference tournament with an 88-77 loss to UCLA as a four-point underdog. The Cardinal faced BYU in the opening round of this tournament and squeezed-out an 86-83 victory to cover as 2 ½-point favorites. They are now 5-2 against the spread in their last seven games with the total going OVER in six of their last eight contests.

Junior forward Reid Travis scored 25 points and pulled down 14 rebounds against the Cougars to post his six-straight double-double. He is averaging a team-high 19.6 points and 8.7 rebounds a game. Senior forward Michael Humphrey added 11 points and 14 rebounds to help pace last Wednesday’s win.

The Cowboys came into the NIT with a huge chip on their shoulder after getting passed over for the NCAA Tournament for their bitter rival Oklahoma. To really make matters worse, they beat the Sooners 71-60 in the Big 12 Tournament as slight 1 ½-point underdogs. Oklahoma State took some of its frustration out on Florida Gulf Coast in its NIT opener with an 80-68 victory as an 11-point home favorite. It is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games and the total has stayed UNDER or ended as a PUSH in its last six games.

Oklahoma State shot just 35.6 percent from the field while going 6-for-22 from three-point range and still manage to cover the double-digit spread in last Tuesday’s NIT opener. Senior guard Jeffery Carroll led the way with 18 points. He has now eclipsed his 15.2-point scoring average in three of his last five starts. As a team, the Cowboys are averaging 76.5 points per game.

Betting Trends

-- The Cardinal are 5-11 ATS in their last 16 nonconference games and the total has gone OVER in six of their last eight games against the Big 12.

-- The Cowboys have failed to cover in five of their last six games against the Pac-12 with the total staying UNDER in their last 11 nonconference games.

-- These two last met in 2011 and Oklahoma State has a 2-1 edge both SU and ATS in the last three meetings. The total has gone OVER in two of the three games.

No. 3 LSU at No. 2 Utah (ESPNU, 9:00 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Utah -3 ½, 147 ½

Betting Matchup

The Tigers stumbled into the NIT with just one victory in their previous four contests both SU and ATS. In last Wednesday’s opener, they knocked off the rival Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns 84-76 to cover as 3 ½-point home favorites. The total went OVER 159 ½ points in that game and it has gone OVER in six of LSU’s last eight games. It is now 7-0 both SU and ATS in its last seven home games.

The trio of Tremont Waters (15.8 points), Duop Reath (12.7 points) and Skylar Mays (11.2 points) have provided the bulk of the Tigers’ 77.8-point scoring average this season. Reath had the hottest hand in last Wednesday’s win with 26 points while going 10-for-14 from the field. He also pulled down 11 rebounds.

Utah made an early exit from the Pac-12 Tournament with a 68-66 loss to Oregon in a game that ended as a PUSH. In the opening round of the NIT, it beat UC Davis 69-59 but failed to cover as a heavy 12 ½-point home favorite. The total stayed UNDER 139 ½ points in last Wednesday’s win and it has stayed UNDER in the Utes’ last four games. Over their last six contests they are 4-2 SU, but a shaky 2-3-1 ATS.

Despite watching their coach Larry Krystkowiak get tossed out of last Wednesday’s game before halftime, the Utes rallied from an 11-point deficit to move onto this second round matchup. Senior guard Justin Bibbins has been Utah’s leading scorer all season long with 14.8 PPG. He scored 15 of his game-high 21 points in the second half to help pace the come-from-behind victory.

Betting Trends

-- The Tigers are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games against the Pac-12 and the total has gone OVER in four of their last five Monday games.

-- The Utes have covered in their last five games against the SEC with the total staying UNDER in their last four home games.

-- Utah has a 3-1 edge both SU and ATS in this Pac-12/SEC matchup with the total staying UNDER in three of the four games. They last met in 2010.

No. 5 Washington at No. 1 Saint Mary’s (ESPNU, 11:00 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: St. Mary’s -10 ½, 144

Betting Matchup

With just three SU wins in their last nine games, the Huskies fell out of favor with the selection committee for the NCAA Tournament. They had also fallen out of favor with bettors by going 3-6 ATS in this same span. Last Wednesday against Boise State, Washington redeemed itself a bit with 77-74 upset as a two-point home underdog. The total went OVER 148 points in that win and it has gone OVER in four of the Huskies’ last seven games.

Big second halves from Jaylen Nowell (25 points) and Matisse Thybulle (18 points) helped Washington advance to Monday’s second round. Each player scored 14 points over the final two quarters to hold off the Broncos’ attempt at a comeback. Nowell has been the team’s leading scorer all season long with 16.1 PPG.

Saint Mary’s is a team that could take issue with the folks calling the shots in the NCAA Tournament after going 28-5 SU. However, the Gaels appear to be focused on making the most of the NIT with a dominating 89-45 beatdown of Southeastern Louisiana in the opening round. They covered as 14 ½-point home favorites in last Tuesday’s win after failing to cover in seven of their previous nine games. The total has stayed UNDER or ended as a PUSH in 14 of Saint Mary’s last 15 games.

Senior center Jock Landale has been the Gaels’ driving force all season long with 21.5 points and 10.2 rebounds a game. He scored 26 points in the NIT opener with six rebounds after putting up 17 points and pulling down 19 rebounds in an opening-round victory against Pepperdine in the recent WCC Tournament.

Betting Trends

-- The Huskies have failed to cover in their last six games against a team from the WCC and the total has gone OVER in six of their last seven games against this conference.

-- The Gaels have gone 12-4 ATS in their last 17 games against the Pac-12 with the total staying UNDER in seven of their last eight games against this conference.

-- These two have not played one another since the late 90’s with Washington winning both games SU in a two-season series.

No. 4 Western Kentucky at No. 1 USC (ESPN2, 11:30 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: USC -4, 150

Betting Matchup

The Hilltoppers were the third-best team in C-USA this season at 14-4 and they missed out on a trip to the Big Dance by one point in a 67-66 loss to Marshall in the conference tournament’s title game. They failed to cover as 5 ½-point favorites as part of a 6-3 record ATS in their previous nine games. Last Tuesday in its NIT opener, Western Kentucky hammered Boston College 79-62 as a four-point home favorite. The total stayed UNDER the 159 ½-point closing line.

Senior forward Justin Johnson has led this team in scoring all season with 15.4 PPG. He is playing some of his best ball of the year with five-straight double-doubles in points and rebounds. He scored 19 points against BC with 12 rebounds to average 19.2 points and 11.6 rebounds during this five-game tear.

USC was second in the Pac-12 regular-season standings at 12-6 and a 75-61 loss to Arizona as a 4 ½-point underdog ended its stay in the conference tournament. The Trojans drew UNC Asheville in the opening round of this tournament and they outlasted the Bulldogs 103-98 in overtime. They could not cover the inflated 14-point spread at home to fall to 2-3 ATS in their last five games. The total went OVER 151 points after staying UNDER in previous 10 games.

Three of USC’s starters ended last Tuesday’s win with 20+ points led by senior guard Jordan McLaughlin (26 points). The Trojans shot 51.3 percent from the field and 11-for-27 from three-point range. Junior forward Chimezie Metu had been the team’s leading scorer all season (15.7 points), but he decided to opt out of the NIT to focus his efforts on this year’s NBA draft.

Betting Trends

-- The Hilltoppers are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 nonconference games with the total going OVER in four of their last five games played on Monday.

-- The Trojans have failed to cover in four of their last five Monday games and the total has gone OVER in six of their last eight games outside the conference.

-- This will be the first meeting between the two in recent memory.

[StarDust Bum]

Saint Mary's hopes to win in NIT at home
March 18, 2018

For only the fourth time, a team in the Associated Press Top 25 poll failed to be included in the NCAA Tournament.

Southern Methodist in 2014 was ranked 25th, Utah State in 2004 was ranked 22nd and UNLV in 1993 was 19th when they were relegated to the National Invitation Tournament.

This year, No. 25 Saint Mary's joined that list. But the Gaels hope to perform better than the past three snubbed teams. SMU won one game and Utah State and UNLV bombed out in the first round.

The Gaels showed why they're the No. 1 seed in Region 4 when they demolished Southeast Louisiana 89-45. Instead of playing on the big stage, the tournament selection committee deemed the 28-5 Gaels not worthy of an at-large bid.

"I was a little worried about our guys," Saint Mary's coach Randy Bennett told the San Francisco Chronicle. "That was a jolt the other day, and I don't know how long you need to get over that."

To say the Gaels are playing with a chip on their collective shoulder would be an understatement. But now the competition gets much more challenging.

The Gaels welcome the Washington Huskies to McKeon Pavilion -- where Saint Mary's went 17-1 this season -- on Monday for a second-round NIT clash. After nearly blowing a 10-point lead in the final 44 seconds, the Huskies held on for a 77-74 first-round win over Boise State on Wednesday.

The Huskies (21-12) under first-year coach Mike Hopkins were led by Jalen Nowell and Matisse Thybulle with 25 and 18 points, respectively.

All-Pac 12 forward Noah Dickerson was in foul trouble throughout the night and was held to 13 points.

Now it's on to scenic Moraga, Calif., and one of the toughest road venues in college basketball.

"Saint Mary's is an incredible program. They're very skilled, great passers, great open-look shooters and very disciplined," Hopkins said. "The message to our players is we have a great opponent and great opportunity on national TV."

The fifth-seed Huskies will have their hands full with the top-seed Gaels, who set school record by with their 29th victory. Senior center Jock Landale is the undeniable leader. His leadership extends beyond 21.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.

Before the Gaels took the court against Southeast Louisiana, the 6-foot-11 native of Australia had words of advice for his teammates.

"I just said, 'Look, we've got to prove these guys wrong. If we don't go the distance in the NIT, they're going to keep thinking that Saint Mary's doesn't deserve to be in the NCAA Tournament.' ... I think that woke everyone up and I think that from then on, it was easy for us."

Landale proceeded to score 26 points on 11-of-15 from the floor. Landale also became the school's career scoring leader, passing Omar Samhan.

The Huskies can try to double Landale every time he touches the ball -- teams had success using that strategy in the regular season -- but that will leave the Gaels' sharpshooters open. Calvin Hermanson connects on 44.4 percent of his 3-point attempts and Jordan Ford makes 44.2 percent.

Point guard Emmett Naar, who holds the school record for assists, also shoots 40.7 percent from beyond the arc.

The Huskies have a good idea about how difficult it will be for them to win at McKeon Pavilion. Washington notched road wins over Colorado, USC and most-impressively, Kansas, this season.

"We're just going to go in, try hard and play our game," Huskies junior guard Dominic Green told reporters.

Monday's matchup will be the seventh all time and first since Nov. 22, 1999.