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

[StarDust Bum]

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

03/18/2018 8-10-0 44.44% -15.00
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

03/18/2018.............................................. ..2 - 7..............................-28.50
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............................................ .........26 - 32............................- 46.00


over/under

03/18/2018.............................................. ..5 - 1................................+19.50
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............................................ . .....17 - 22................................+36.00

[StarDust Bum]

What. Just. Happened?! NCAAs amp up the March Madness
March 19, 2018

One word succinctly describes what's transpired so far in the NCAA Tournament:

Madness.

But even that's probably underselling it.

A comeback for the ages by Nevada. An entire region left without a Top 4 seed in the Sweet 16 for the first time in tourney history. The 16-seed winner UMBC, falling short in its attempt to extend its historic run as underdog darlings. Oh, and defending national champion North Carolina is out, routed in its own state by Texas A&M.

And that was just on Sunday. When No. 1 seed Xavier was bounced, too.

A memorable, zany first two rounds - even by March Madness standards - set up what could be another wild two weekends in a tournament where anything can become reality.

''It's what makes March Madness special and it kills the coaches because it's so hard and you think you have a great team,'' Kansas State coach Bruce Weber said. ''It's March Madness and you never know what's going to happen.''

Before the first tipoff on Thursday, many prognosticators had deemed this tournament one of the most wide-open in recent history.

It's turned into a nutty, once-in-a-generation kind of ride.

Loyola-Chicago won two thrillers to get to the Sweet 16, making a social media star out of their 98-year-old chaplain, Sister Jean. And then the telegenic nun who provides her own scouting reports to players got overshadowed by the ultimate Cinderella team.

The UMBC Retrievers became the first No. 16 seed in the history of the men's tournament to beat a No. 1 seed, defeating Virginia in the first round Friday night.

By 20 points. Over the top overall seed and the unanimous No. 1 team in the AP poll.

The Retrievers' run came to an end on Sunday night in a 50-43 loss to ninth-seeded Kansas State, but not before tattooing a lasting imprint on American sports, drawing attention from stars of the NFL, NBA and Twitch - and love from underdogs everywhere.

''We put our name on the map. We (gave) hope to teams that come to the tournament with lower seeds,'' guard K.J. Maura said.

UMBC's success story contributed to the messy, unprecedentedly jumbled bracket in the South Region, where the highest-remaining seed is No. 5 Kentucky. It's the first time in tourney history that a regional semifinal will be held without a top 4 seed, according to the NCAA.

Seventh-seeded Nevada added to that by matching the second-biggest comeback in tournament history to beat No. 2 seed Cincinnati 75-73 after trailing by 22 points in the second half.

''That locker room right now, I've never seen anything like it in my life. It's the happiest I've ever seen. It's the happiest I've ever been in my life,'' Wolf Pack coach Eric Musselman said.

The way reigning champion North Carolina got bounced from the tournament in an 86-65 loss to Texas A&M might have been the top storyline on any other tournament day. It left coach Roy Williams with the most lopsided tournament loss of his Hall of Fame career.

It was also the second straight year the titleholder lost before the Sweet 16. And it happened in UNC-friendly territory in Charlotte, North Carolina, where the Tar Heels hadn't lost a tourney game since 1979.

''I didn't picture it ending it like this,'' said Williams with his players sitting nearby. ''I pictured it ending with these guys having a huge smile on their face, but that's not college basketball.''

WHO'S LEFT: A look at the teams and matchups for the Sweet 16 by region.

South: No. 5 Kentucky vs. No. 9 Kansas State; No. 7 Nevada vs. No. 11 Loyola-Chicago.

West: No. 4 Gonzaga vs. No. 9 Florida State; No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 7 Texas A&M

Midwest: No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 5 Clemson; No. 2 Duke vs. No. 11 Syracuse

East: No. 1 Villanova vs. No. 5 West Virginia; No. 2 Purdue vs. No. 3 Texas Tech.

CALL IT A COMEBACK: Nevada's comeback from a 22-point deficit matched Duke's rally after beating Maryland in the 2001 Final Four. The biggest comeback belongs to BYU, which trailed by 25 points before beating Iona in the 2012 First Four.

GLASS SLIPPERS IN SOUTH: What a mess in the underdog-laden South.

The top four seeds - No. 1 Virginia, No. 2 Cincinnati, No. 3 Tennessee and No. 4 Arizona are all done.

''You know, just obviously we didn't think 16 was going to ... beat a 1,'' Weber said. ''You thought it would be a little different situation, but we just said we could write history tonight. No 9 has ever beaten a 16 to go to the Sweet 16, so we wrote our own history tonight.''

SPOILED HOME COOKIN': Don't invite Texas A&M and Syracuse to homecoming parties.

The Aggies manhandled North Carolina in Charlotte in surprisingly easy fashion to get to the round of 16 for the second time in three seasons. After holding a 47-36 edge on the glass, Texas A&M should scare a Michigan team that has had to slog through two victories and deliver a buzzer-beater 3 to get to the Sweet 16.

In Detroit, Syracuse tuned out the noise from a Michigan State-partisan crowd for a 55-53 win . The Orange's trademark 2-3 zone gave another unfamiliar opponent fits after holding the more talented Spartans to 26 percent shooting.

An NCAA tourney run that started with the First Four in Dayton for Syracuse will continue against Duke in the Sweet 16 in Omaha, Nebraska.

TWO ONES ARE DONE: Two No. 1 seeds didn't make it out of the tournament's opening weekend for the first time since 2004, when Stanford and Kentucky both lost in the second round.

This time around, Virginia and Xavier were the top seeds that were bounced.

The Cavaliers went home on Friday after the historic loss to No. 16 seed UMBC. The Musketeers gave up a 12-point lead on Sunday and fell to Florida State, 75-70. It was a disappointing ending for a program that returned four starters from a team that lost in the Elite Eight last year to Gonzaga.

The only other years when two top seeds lost in the first weekend were 1981 and 2000.

[StarDust Bum]

What's an NCAA Tournament upset worth? Units big bucks
March 19, 2018

UMBC made more than history in the NCAA Tournament.

By becoming the first No. 16 seed to beat a No. 1, the Retrievers made about $1.7 million for the America East Conference. Loyola-Chicago's buzzer-beating run to the Sweet 16 will be worth double that to the Missouri Valley Conference. Nevada's consecutive comebacks were also worth about $3.4 million for the Mountain West. The MVC and Mountain West will pocket at least as much from NCAA Tournament units as the Pac-12, which had three teams in the field, all bounced after one game each.

Units are what the NCAA calls its revenue distributions from the basketball performance fund, which rewards teams for tournament performance. The NCAA Tournament generates more than $700 million in revenue for the association and its schools, the vast majority from its media rights deal with CBS and Turner.

Units for this year's tournament are worth approximately $273,000, according to the NCAA, but their value ends up being greater than that.

The units are paid out annually each of the next six years, increasing in value each year by about 2-3 percent. The payout system means that one upset by UMBC should be worth more than $1.7 million. Units are earned every game a team appears in, with the exception of the first game played by an automatic qualifier and the NCAA championship game.

The money goes to the conferences, unless the school is an independent in basketball. The NCAA encourages equal distribution by conferences among its members, but it is not required. Most do.

The Missouri Valley has in the past received multiple bids, but only champion Loyola-Chicago got in as an automatic qualifier this year. The MVC distributes the units revenue equally among 10 members - though the NCAA Tournament participants receive an additional half-share to cover travel expenses, MVC spokesman Ryan Davis said Sunday.

The Atlantic Coast Conference has been rolling in units in recent years, with a total of 64 from 2015-17, worth more than $100 million . This season, the ACC got nine teams into the field, more than any other conference, and placed four teams in Sweet 16. Two of them - Duke and Syracuse - play in the regional semifinals, limiting the conference's earning potential.

The Big 12 also placed four teams in the round of 16. The Southeastern Conference and Big Ten each have two.

For the ACC - and other Power Five conferences - NCAA units account for less than 10 percent of conference revenue. The ACC reported $373.4 million in revenue for fiscal year 2016 - most of which comes from a television rights deals with ESPN - and paid out about $25 million to each of its members.

For low-major Division I schools such as UMBC and the eight other members of the America East, those units are real money.

UMBC's athletic budget for 2017 was $9.3 million. NCAA records from 2010-15 show the America East earned a total of eight units and $2,086,514 in basketball revenue.

Over that same period of time, the Missouri Valley earned 21 units and $5,477,099. The Mountain West earned 33 and $8,606,870.

All that money helps explain why the American Athletic Conference lured tournament-regular Wichita State from the MVC last year, despite the Shockers not having a football team, and why the Mountain West is trying to strike a similar deal to pull Gonzaga out of the West Coast Conference.

The Shockers went out in the first round, upset by Marshall, Conference USA's only tournament team. But Gonzaga is back in the Sweet 16 after padding the WCC coffers with a Final Four appearance last year.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Monday, March 19

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STANFORD (19 - 15) at OKLAHOMA ST (20 - 14) - 3/19/2018, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
STANFORD is 33-52 ATS (-24.2 Units) in road games in March games since 1997.
STANFORD is 7-16 ATS (-10.6 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA ST is 119-86 ATS (+24.4 Units) after a non-conference game since 1997.
OKLAHOMA ST is 121-84 ATS (+28.6 Units) in non-conference games since 1997.
STANFORD is 11-4 ATS (+6.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games this season.

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

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LSU (18 - 14) at UTAH (20 - 11) - 3/19/2018, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LSU is 17-30 ATS (-16.0 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
UTAH is 154-113 ATS (+29.7 Units) in all home games since 1997.
UTAH is 154-113 ATS (+29.7 Units) in home lined games since 1997.
UTAH is 71-42 ATS (+24.8 Units) in home games after a non-conference game since 1997.
UTAH is 63-37 ATS (+22.3 Units) in home games after allowing 60 points or less since 1997.
UTAH is 108-77 ATS (+23.3 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WASHINGTON (21 - 12) at ST MARYS-CA (29 - 5) - 3/19/2018, 11:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 24-35 ATS (-14.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 24-35 ATS (-14.5 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 16-26 ATS (-12.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 6-19 ATS (-14.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
ST MARYS-CA is 28-13 ATS (+13.7 Units) as a home favorite of 9.5 to 12 points since 1997.
ST MARYS-CA is 69-46 ATS (+18.4 Units) in home games after a non-conference game since 1997.
ST MARYS-CA is 67-44 ATS (+18.6 Units) in home games in non-conference games since 1997.
ST MARYS-CA is 82-112 ATS (-41.2 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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W KENTUCKY (25 - 10) at USC (24 - 11) - 3/19/2018, 11:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
USC is 57-37 ATS (+16.3 Units) in March games since 1997.
USC is 28-15 ATS (+11.5 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
W KENTUCKY is 21-12 ATS (+7.8 Units) in all games this season.
W KENTUCKY is 21-12 ATS (+7.8 Units) in all lined games this season.
W KENTUCKY is 50-26 ATS (+21.4 Units) in March games since 1997.
W KENTUCKY is 59-38 ATS (+17.2 Units) in all tournament games since 1997.
USC is 15-29 ATS (-16.9 Units) as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points since 1997.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEW ORLEANS (16 - 16) at CAMPBELL (17 - 15) - 3/19/2018, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ORLEANS is 13-30 ATS (-20.0 Units) in all tournament games since 1997.

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

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JACKSONVILLE ST (22 - 12) at C ARKANSAS (18 - 16) - 3/19/2018, 6:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
JACKSONVILLE ST is 28-15 ATS (+11.5 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
JACKSONVILLE ST is 28-15 ATS (+11.5 Units) in road lined games over the last 3 seasons.
JACKSONVILLE ST is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) in a road game where the total is 145 to 149.5 since 1997.
JACKSONVILLE ST is 48-29 ATS (+16.1 Units) in road games after a non-conference game since 1997.
JACKSONVILLE ST is 22-11 ATS (+9.9 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
JACKSONVILLE ST is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game after 15+ games over the last 3 seasons.
JACKSONVILLE ST is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game 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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MERCER (19 - 14) at N TEXAS (16 - 17) - 3/19/2018, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
N TEXAS is 21-37 ATS (-19.7 Units) in home games after a non-conference game since 1997.
N TEXAS is 13-32 ATS (-22.2 Units) in home games 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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UTAH VALLEY ST (23 - 10) at SAN FRANCISCO (19 - 15) - 3/19/2018, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 89-128 ATS (-51.8 Units) after a non-conference game since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 87-127 ATS (-52.7 Units) in non-conference games since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 56-80 ATS (-32.0 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 32-53 ATS (-26.3 Units) in home games 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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E MICHIGAN (22 - 12) at SAM HOUSTON ST (19 - 14) - 3/19/2018, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
E MICHIGAN is 118-154 ATS (-51.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
E MICHIGAN is 18-10 ATS (+7.0 Units) in all games this season.
E MICHIGAN is 18-10 ATS (+7.0 Units) in all lined games this season.
SAM HOUSTON ST is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) when the total is 130 to 139.5 since 1997.

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

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB

Monday, March 19

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STANFORD @ OKLAHOMA STATE
Stanford is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Stanford is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
Oklahoma State is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oklahoma State's last 6 games

EASTERN MICHIGAN @ SAM HOUSTON STATE
Eastern Michigan is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Eastern Michigan's last 5 games

JACKSONVILLE STATE @ CENTRAL ARKANSAS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Jacksonville State's last 5 games on the road
Jacksonville State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

MERCER @ NORTH TEXAS
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of North Texas's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of North Texas's last 5 games at home

LSU @ UTAH
The total has gone OVER in 7 of LSU's last 8 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LSU's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Utah's last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Utah's last 5 games

UTAH VALLEY @ SAN FRANCISCO
Utah Valley is 16-5 SU in its last 21 games
Utah Valley is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
San Francisco is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of San Francisco's last 11 games at home

WASHINGTON @ SAINT MARY'S-CALIFORNIA
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Washington's last 20 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Washington's last 19 games
Saint Mary's-California is 23-2 SU in its last 25 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Saint Mary's-California's last 11 games at home

WESTERN KENTUCKY @ USC
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Western Kentucky's last 5 games on the road
Western Kentucky is 18-5 SU in its last 23 games
USC is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of USC's last 11 games

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Dunkel

Monday, March 19


Stanford @ Oklahoma State

Game 617-618
March 19, 2018 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Stanford
64.412
Oklahoma State
68.509
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oklahoma State
by 4
148
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oklahoma State
by 7 1/2
154
Dunkel Pick:
Stanford
(+7 1/2); Under

LSU @ Utah

Game 619-620
March 19, 2018 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LSU
63.713
Utah
66.248
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Utah
by 2 1/2
143
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Utah
by 4
148 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LSU
(+4); Under

Washington @ St Mary's

Game 621-622
March 19, 2018 @ 11:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
58.736
St Mary's
72.135
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St Mary's
by 13 1/2
148
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St Mary's
by 10 1/2
144
Dunkel Pick:
St Mary's
(-10 1/2); Over

Western Kentucky @ USC

Game 623-624
March 19, 2018 @ 11:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Western Kentucky
60.602
USC
66.712
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
USC
by 6
156
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
USC
by 4
150
Dunkel Pick:
USC
(-4); Over

New Orleans @ Campbell

Game 626-626
March 19, 2018 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New Orleans
45.402
Campbell
48.823
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Campbell
by 3 1/2
149
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Campbell
by 6
144
Dunkel Pick:
New Orleans
(+6); Under

Jacksonville St @ Central Arkansas

Game 627-628
March 19, 2018 @ 6:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Jacksonville St
51.338
Central Arkansas
52.419
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Central Arkansas
by 1
154
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Jacksonville St
by 1
148
Dunkel Pick:
Central Arkansas
(+1); Over

Mercer @ North Texas

Game 629-630
March 19, 2018 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Mercer
56.745
North Texas
53.317
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Mercer
by 3 1/2
136
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Mercer
by 1
141
Dunkel Pick:
Mercer
(-1); Under

Utah Valley @ San Francisco

Game 631-632
March 19, 2018 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Utah Valley
60.271
San Francisco
56.118
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Utah Valley
by 4
134
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Utah Valley
by 1
141 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Utah Valley
(-1); Under

Eastern Michigan @ Sam Houston St

Game 633-634
March 19, 2018 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Eastern Michigan
54.672
Sam Houston St
55.774
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Sam Houston St
by 1
130
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Eastern Michigan
by 2
135 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Sam Houston St
(+2); Under

[StarDust Bum]

MONDAY, MARCH 19
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

UNO at CAMP 07:00 PM
CAMP -7.0
O 146.5

STAN at OKST 07:00 PM
OKST -8.0
O 155.0

EMU at SHSU 07:30 PM
EMU -1.5
U 135.5

JVST at CARK 08:00 PM
JVST -2.5
O 150.5

MER at UNT 08:00 PM
MER -2.0
O 143.0

LSU at UTAH 09:00 PM
UTAH -5.0
U 148.5

UVU at SF 10:00 PM
UVU +2.0
O 143.0

WASH at SMC 11:00 PM
WASH +10.0
O 143.5

WKU at USC 11:30 PM
WKU +5.0
O 150.0

[StarDust Bum]

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

03/19/2018 9-9-0 50.00% -4.50
03/18/2018 8-10-0 44.44% -15.00
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

03/19/2018.............................................. ..4 - 5...............................-7.50
03/18/2018.............................................. .2 - 7..............................-28.50
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............................................ .......30 - 37............................- 53.50


over/under

03/19/2018.............................................. ..3 - 1.................................+9.50
03/18/2018.............................................. .5 - 1................................+19.50
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............................................ . .....20 - 23................................- 26.50

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday's NIT Tip Sheet
March 19, 2018

The first two matchups in the quarterfinals for this season’s NIT men’s basketball tournament take place this Tuesday night on ESPN.

First up in Region 1, Penn State travels to Milwaukee to face the Marquette Golden Eagles at 7:00 before the Cardinals will host Mississippi State in a Region 2 matchup from Louisville.

No. 4 Penn Stateat No. 2 Marquette (ESPN, 7:00 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Marquette -1 ½

Betting Matchup

The Lions knocked Ohio State out of the recent the Big Ten Tournament as five-point underdogs before falling to Purdue by eight points in the semifinals as 8 ½-point underdogs. They came into the NIT as 9 ½-point home favorites in an opening round matchup against in-state rival Temple and went on to win 63-57. Enjoying the role of underdog, Penn State went on to beat Notre Dame 73-63 in Saturday’s second round matchup as a 5 ½-point underdog on the road. It is now 6-1 against the spread in its last seven games closing as an underdog.

Against Temple, the Lions overcame an 11-point deficit on the strength of junior guard Josh Reaves’ double-double (19 points and 11 rebounds) and a pair of clutch three-point shots by senior guard Shep Garner late in that game. In the victory against the Fighting Irish, sophomore guard Tony Carr elevated his game as the team’s leading scorer (19.5 points) with game-high 24 points. Penn State shot just 37.9 percent from the field on Saturday while going 9-for-26 from three-point range.

Marquette’s run in the Big East Tournament ended with a 94-70 loss to Villanova as a 11 ½-point underdog. It opened play in this tournament with a 67-60 victory at home against Harvard as a 12-point favorite. Covering at home as 4 ½-point favorites, the Golden Eagles advanced to the quarterfinals with a 101-92 victory against Oregon. This was the first time in the Golden Eagles’ last four games they covered a spread and the total has gone OVER in four of their last six games.

The 101 points scored against the Ducks was Marquette’s highest total of the season. Senior guard Andrew Rowsey led the way with 29 points and nine assists as one of four players in double figures playing off the bench. The Golden Eagles shot a blistering 57.6 percent from the field and they connected on 12-of-26 attempts from three-point range. Sophomore guard Markus Howards has been the team’s leading scorer all season long with 20.4 points per game and he added 18 points in the winning cause.

Betting Trends

-- The Nittany Lions have gone 6-0-1 ATS in their last seven games against the Big East and the total has stayed UNDER in 16 of their last 21 nonconference games.

-- The Golden Eagles are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games against a team with a SU winning record. The total has stayed UNDER in six of their last seven Tuesday games.

-- This will be the first meeting between the two schools.

No. 4 Mississippi State at Louisville (ESPN, 9:00 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Louisville -4 ½

Betting Matchup

The Bulldogs lost to Tennessee 62-59 in their second game of the SEC Tournament, but they manage to cover as six-point underdogs. With Sunday’s 78-77 upset against Baylor as 5 ½-point road underdogs in the second round of the NIT, they are now a perfect 4-0 ATS in their last four outings. The total went OVER 135 points against the Bears after staying UNDER in four of their previous five games. Mississippi State is 6-1 ATS in its last seven road games and the total has gone OVER in five of those contests.

In a 66-59 opening round victory against Nebraska, the Bulldogs got a big effort from junior forward Aric Holman off the bench with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Quinndary Weatherspoon was the hero against Baylor with a game-winning three-point shot with time running out on the clock. The junior guard has led the way all season long with a team-high 14.5 points while converting on 48.4 percent of his shots from the floor. The Bulldogs are averaging 73.6 PPG.

Louisville dropped four of its last five regular season games SU, but it did beat Florida State as a 2 ½-point underdog before losing to Virginia by 17 points as a seven-point underdog in the ACC Tournament. After getting past Northern Kentucky at home in this tournament, the Cardinals beat Middle Tennessee 84-68 on Sunday as 4 ½-point home favorite. They are 4-1 ATS in their last five home games with the total going OVER in four of their last six games at home. Louisville is 5-4 ATS over its last nine games overall.

The duo of Ray Spalding and Jordan Nwora playing off the bench combined to score 34 points in Sunday’s win. The Cardinals also got a big effort from sophomore guard Ryan McMahon off the bench with 15 points while going 5-for-8 from the field. Louisville shot 53.7 percent from the field and 52.4 percent from three-point range. This was just the second time it surpassed its 76.1-point scoring average in its last nine games.

Betting Trends

-- The Bulldogs have failed to cover in seven of their last eight games against an ACC team and the total has gone over in five of their last seven games following an ATS win.

-- The Cardinals are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games against the SEC. The total has stayed UNDER in four of their last five Tuesday games.

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

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday’s 6-pack

Conferences with 3+ teams but no wins in an NCAA tournament:

1981 Pac-10 (0-3)

1985 Pac-10 (0-4)

1989 SEC (0-5)

1990 WAC (0-3)

2004 Mountain West (0-3)

2018 Pac-12 (0-3)

Quote of the Day
“Um, I think it’s probably well overdue. You know understanding what he’s been going through throughout this season so — obviously health is uh, the most important with everything. In life like, not surprised by it at all.”
Lebron James, on Cavaliers’ coach Tyronn Lue

Tuesday’s quiz
John Calipari went 72-112 as the head coach of which NBA team?

Monday’s quiz
Bernard King 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.


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


Tuesday’s List of 13: Nobody asked me, but…..

13) First of all, thanks to Ken Thomsen for having me on his excellent sports talk show last night from Las Vegas. Sportsxradio is well worth your time for knowledge about sports, with emphasis on the gambling side of it; it is on from 10-12 every weeknight here in the East.

12) Sports is big business; read today that when Florida Gulf Coast made the 2013 Sweet 16, applications to attend FGCU went up 27.5% the next year.

When Butler made two Final Fours under Brad Stevens, applications went up 50%, so UMBC is expecting a boost to their coffers this coming year. Their online store did more sales Saturday than they did in the previous year combined.

11) Penny Hardaway will be introduced as the new basketball coach at Memphis today; Tigers won 21 games under Tubby Smith this year, but obviously the big-$$$ boosters wanted things to change, so they changed. Hardaway has been coaching a high school team in Memphis, a really good team, so the thought is that this opens the door for Memphis HS recruits to stay home.

10) Looks like Vikings @ Eagles is the NFL season opener September 6. Defending Super Bowl champ almost always opens the following season with a Thursday night home game.

9) Eight NFL quarterbacks will make more $$$ than Tom Brady this coming season; four of the eight have never won a Super Bowl.

8) Red Sox-New York will play two AL East games in London in June 2019, as baseball tries to suck every last dollar out of other countries now. Think A’s-Seattle open next season in Japan for first time since 2012. I’m not a fan of all this, but no one asked me.

7) Look up JReidDraftScout on Twitter; there is an interesting 140-second clip on there of the interview Carson Wentz had with the Eagles at the 2016 NFL Combine. They showed him clips of some of his college plays and asked him to explain what he saw and why he did what he did on that particular play. Interesting stuff.

6) Did lot of research on Nevada coach Eric Musselman Sunday; his dad Bill was also a really good coach, in college and the pros. He once went 48-6 as coach of a CBA team here in Albany. When Bill Musselman was coaching the Virginia Squires in the ABA (1976), he once played his whole starting lineup the whole 48:00. Imagine someone doing that today?

5) Was doing some fantasy baseball research Monday; Cincinnati OF Scott Schebler hit .215 in 393 PA vs righties LY, but with 38 walks. he hit .271 vs lefties, but with only one walk in 135 PA vs southpaws. One walk in 135 PAs? A .290 OB% vs lefties is no bueno.

4) Arizona Diamondbacks put a humidor in their stadium this year, hoping to make baseballs less “happy” with the goal to reduce the amount of home runs hit there this season. They did this in Colorado a few years ago and it worked a little bit.

3) Oklahoma State 71, Stanford 65— Chippy game where host Cowboys came back in 4th quarter to extend their season.

2) Utah 95, LSU 71— I turned this game on and it was 31-9 Utah; guess LSU kids weren’t too excited about playing in high altitude.

1— Get well soon to Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue, who has taken a medical leave of absence after leaving three games with an unknown illness. Hopefully he’ll be back soon.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Tuesday, March 20

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PENN ST (23 - 13) at MARQUETTE (21 - 13) - 3/20/2018, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MISSISSIPPI ST (24 - 11) at LOUISVILLE (22 - 13) - 3/20/2018, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOUISVILLE is 30-17 ATS (+11.3 Units) in all home games over the last 3 seasons.
LOUISVILLE is 30-17 ATS (+11.3 Units) in home lined games over the last 3 seasons.
LOUISVILLE is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) in home games in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, March 20

Penn State won four of its last five games; they’re 13-4 outside the Big 14 (NC sked #324). Nittany Lions used four starters 36:00+ minutes in Saturday’s win at Notre Dame- Carr, Reaves played whole 40:00. PSU is #239 experience team that plays pace #209. Marquette won seven of its last nine games; they played two guys more than 28:00 in Sunday’s 101-92 home win over Oregon Sunday, making 12-26 on arc. Eagles are shooting 41.7% on arc (#3); they split pair of Big 14 games this year, losing at home to Purdue, winning at Wisconsin.

Louisville won three of its last four games; they lost by 29 at Kentucky in their only SEC game this season. Cardinals played one guy more than 29:00 in Sunday’s 84-69 home win over Middle Tennessee State, when they made 11-21 on arc. Mississippi State won three of its last four games; they’re #325 experience team that is 14-1 outside SEC, albeit vs #345 non-conference schedule. Bulldogs split last six true road games, winning at buzzer at Baylor Sunday, when they played three starters 33:00+.




NCAAB

Tuesday, March 20

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PENN STATE @ MARQUETTE
Penn State is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
Penn State is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Marquette is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Marquette is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games

MISSISSIPPI STATE @ LOUISVILLE
Mississippi State is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Mississippi State is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Louisville is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Louisville is 17-5 SU in its last 22 games at home


------------------------------------------------
NCAAB
Dunkel

Tuesday, March 20


Penn State @ Marquette

Game 665-666
March 20, 2018 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Penn State
69.086
Marquette
68.135
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Penn State
by 1
158
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Marquette
by 2 1/2
153
Dunkel Pick:
Penn State
(+2 1/2); Over

Mississippi State @ Louisville

Game 667-668
March 20, 2018 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Mississippi State
65.954
Louisville
68.466
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Louisville
by 2 1/2
138
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Louisville
by 5 1/2
144
Dunkel Pick:
Mississippi State
(+5 1/2); Under

[StarDust Bum]

2018 NIT, CBI, CIT Results
March 20, 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 (+4.5, ML +190) 79-75 Underdog-Over (152)
Mar. 19 Oklahoma State (-8) vs. Stanford 71-65 Underdog-Under (154.5)
Mar. 21 Western Kentucky vs. Oklahoma State - -

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 (-5) 95-71 Favorite-Over (148.5)
Mar. 19 St. Mary's (-11) vs. Washington 85-81 Underdog-Over (142.5)
Mar. 21 Utah vs. St. Mary's - -

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 (-2.5) at Central Arkansas 80-59 Favorite-Under (150.5)
Mar. 19 Utah Valley at San Francisco (-2) 78-73 Favorite-Over (143)
Mar. 19 New Orleans at Campbell (-7) 71-69 Underdog-Under (147)
Mar. 19 Mercer at North Texas (+2.5, ML +125) 96-67 Underdog-Over (143.5)
Mar. 21 Jacksonville State at North Texas - -
Mar. 22 Campbell at San Francisco - -

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 (-6.5) 67-64 Underdog-Under (156.5)
Mar. 18 Drake at Northern Colorado (-7) 81-72 Favorite-Under (154)
Mar. 19 Eastern Michigan at San Houston State (+1.5, ML +105) 69-62 Underdog-Under (135.5)
Mar. 21 Illinois-Chicago at Austin Peay - -
Mar. 21 Northern Colorado at San Diego - -
Mar. 22 San Houston State at Texas-San Antonio - -
Mar. 24 Central Michigan at Liberty - -
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]

Sweet 16 Primer
March 20, 2018

Sixteen teams survived the first weekend and advanced to the Sweet 16. Fifty-two schools have been sent home, including a pair of No. 1 seeds in Xavier and Virginia.

UMBC became the first No. 16 seed to beat a No. 1 seed since the NCAA Tournament expanded the field to 64 in 1985. There had been close calls before. Of course, Georgetown had the most famous close call in 1989 when it escaped Princeton’s scrappy effort thanks to an Alonzo Mourning blocked shot of a potential game-winning shot before the buzzer.

That same ’89 Tournament saw East Tennessee State race out to a 17-point first-half lead over Billy Tubbs’s top-seeded Oklahoma Sooners. The Buccaneers still had a nine-point advantage with 6:14 remaining, but OU rallied to win 72-71 at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville.

Michigan State needed overtime to beat Murray State at the 1990 Tournament, Purdue only beat Western Carolina by two in 1996, Albany led UConn 50-38 at the under-12 timeout in ’06 and Cliff Ellis’s Coastal Carolina squad built a double-digit first half lead over Virginia, only to see its five-point advantage at intermission evaporate when UVA took the lead for good with 8:34 left and eventually won a 70-59 decision.

But UMBC wouldn’t let the top-seeded Cavaliers off the hook Friday night in Charlotte. The Retrievers took it to Tony Bennett’s team in a 74-54 win as 20.5-point underdogs. They surged ahead for good by starting the second half with a 17-3 run, and UVA never even cut the deficit to single digits.

UMBC’s stunning run came to an end Sunday when Kansas State playing without its best player Dean Wade, won a 50-43 decision as a 10-point favorite. The Wildcats advanced to face Kentucky at Philips Arena in Thursday’s South Region semifinals in Atlanta.

UK blasted Buffalo 95-75 in the Round of 32 at Taco Bell Arena in Boise, ID. John Calipari’s club easily covered the number as 5.5-point favorites versus the Bulls, who had throttled Arizona by an 89-68 count as nine-point underdogs 48 hours earlier. Buffalo hooked up money-line supporters with a +425 return in the win over Sean Miller’s team.

As of Tuesday morning, most books had Kentucky listed as a six-point favorite with a total of 138.5. Big Blue Nation might not have been happy about being sent to Boise, but it is no doubt thrilled to return to ‘Catlanta, the site of so many of its successful runs to SEC Tournament titles.

Wade, who averages 16.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.9 blocked shots per game, is listed as a ‘questionable’ with a foot injury. Meanwhile, UK’s Jarred Vanderbilt (5.9 PPG, 7.9 RPG) is also ‘questionable’ with an ankle injury that kept him out of the wins over Davidson and Buffalo in Boise.

This game will tip 30 minutes after the conclusion of Nevada vs. Loyola-Chicago. The Wolf Pack were favored by 1.5 points over the Ramblers, as of Tuesday morning. The total was 143.5 points.

Loyola-Chicago beat Miami on a buzzer beater from Donte Ingram, who lifted his team to a 64-62 victory with his smooth southpaw stroke from about 25-28 feet out beyond the top of the key. Two days later, third-seeded Tennessee went ahead of the Ramblers on Grant Williams’s three-point play the hard way with 10.5 seconds left.

Again, the Ramblers found themselves down 62-61 in the closing moments. And Loyola-Chicago would prevail again, this time on Clayton Custer’s mid-range jumper that got a friendly roll with 3.6 seconds remaining. With zero timeouts remaining, UT had to be happy with the shot it got, a relatively clean look from Jordan Bone at the top of the key for the win at the buzzer. It was off the mark, giving the Ramblers their first Sweet 16 trip since 1985.

Nevada had to pull out similar heroics to survive and advance to just the school’s second Sweet 16 appearance. Eric Musselman’s team recovered from a 14-point deficit to force overtime in its opener against Texas. With the Wolf Pack trailing by one, Jordan Caroline’s putback attempt in the closing seconds of regulation earned Longhorns’ star center Mo Bamba and his fifth foul.

Caroline missed the first free throw but made the second to force the extra session. Then Caleb Martin went to work in the extra session, scoring nine of his 18 points to propel his team to an 87-83 win.

In the Round of 32, second-seeded Cincinnati raced out to a 10-0 start on Nevada. Mick Cronin’s team led 44-32 at halftime and extended that lead to 22 by the under-12 timeout. Sitting on Nevada tickets at +9 and on the money line for a +375 payout, I decided to get in the shower before heading to the sports bar for the next set of games.

To my surprise and joy, Nevada had quickly gone on a 16-0 run and trimmed the deficit to single digits by the time I was out. Hello! At that point, I was just hoping for the spread cover. The Wolf Pack, however, had more in mind such as pulling off the second-biggest comeback in Tournament history behind only BYU’s rally from a 25-point deficit to beat Iona in the 2012 First Four.

Aided by Cronin’s decision to leave Jarrod Cumberland in after he was whistled for his fourth foul with more than 5.5 minutes remaining, Musselman’s team would do just that. Cumberland would commit a silly fifth foul by reaching in 65 feet from the basket with Nevada already in the double bonus.

Nevada would take its first and only lead with 10 seconds left on Josh Hall’s short jumper in the lane. Cincinnati was unable to counter, falling short of the Sweet 16 for the sixth straight time in the Tournament.

Sunday was a day that will live in infamy in the agonizing sports history of the city of Cincinnati. Hours after the Bearcats’ epic collapse, top-seeded Xavier would allow a 12-point lead over Florida State to get away with less than 10 minutes left. The Musketeers committed six turnovers at crunch time and the Seminoles rallied to win 75-70 as 5.5-point underdogs, hooking up money-line supporters with a +220 return.

Leonard Hamilton’s FSU team is off to Staples Center in Los Angeles where it will square off against Gonzaga. As of early Tuesday morning, most books had the Bulldogs installed as 5.5-point ‘chalk’ with a total of 153.5 or 154. The ‘Noles were +210 on the money line.

Gonzaga needed a game-winning trey from freshman Zach Norvell just to sneak past UNC Greensboro in the opening round. Mark Few’s squad moved past Ohio State thanks to Norvell’s first career double-double. He had career-high in points (28) and rebounds (12) in the win over the Buckeyes, who failed to cover as four-point underdogs in the 90-84 loss.

The other West Region semifinal in L.A. pits Texas A&M vs. Michigan. The Wolverines needed freshman Jordan Poole’s game-winning 3-ball at the horn from deep on the right wing to beat Houston, 64-63. The Cougars, who failed to put the game away when Devin Davis missed 3-of-4 free throws at winning time, nonetheless covered the spread as 3.5-point underdogs.

Michigan, my pick to cut the nets down in 13 days, had beaten Montana and covered the number on Thursday night. The Aggies trailed for most of the first 25-30 minutes of its opener Friday vs. Providence, yet they advanced and covered in their 73-69 win over the Friars as three-point ‘chalk.’

Billy Kennedy’s team didn’t trail much in Sunday’s showdown against the defending national champion, North Carolina. Texas A&M surged to a 14-point lead by intermission and never let up, winning in dominant fashion by an 86-65 score as a seven-point underdog. The Aggies hooked up money-line backers with a +300 payout.

As of Tuesday morning, most spots had the Wolverines favored by three with a total of 134.5 points.

Let’s move to Friday’s games now. No. 1 seed Kansas is set to tangle with fifth-seeded Clemson in Omaha at the Midwest Region semifinals. As of Tuesday morning, the Jayhawks were favored by 4.5 points with a total of 143. The Tigers were +170 on the money line.

Clemson absolutely smashed Auburn 84-53 as a 1.5-point underdog after building a 43-19 halftime lead thanks to a 17-0 roll. Meanwhile, KU advanced with wins over Penn and Seton Hall. The Pirates hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to capture a backdoor cover as 4.5-point ‘dogs in the 83-79 win.

The other Midwest Region game features Duke vs. Syracuse. In my Bracket Analysis column last week, I pointed out how Jim Boeheim was in my top five of coaches I trust in March. Since then, the ‘Cuse has ripped off three consecutive wins with the combination of the Orange and the ‘under’ cashing in all three games.

This certainly isn’t a Syracuse team as talented as many others in the past, but it does have great length to execute Boeheim’s zone and stymie opposing shooters. I’ve been saying for more than a month that I simply couldn’t see Michigan State’s season ended on a happy not despite its abundance of talent. This notion came true when the Orange sent the Spartans packing in a 55-53 win as a 10-point underdog. The ‘Cuse cashed money-line tickets in the +475 neighborhood.

Duke throttled Atlantic-10 regular-season champ Rhode Island in the Round of 32. As of early Tuesday morning, most books had the Blue Devils listed as 11.5-point favorites with a total of 133. The Orange was +550 on the money line.

Villanova is set to take on former Big East rival West Virginia in Boston. As of early Tuesday, most books had the Wildcats listed as 5.5-point ‘chalk’ with a total of 154.5.

Jay Wright’s team wouldn’t have lost to any team in America on Saturday in Pittsburgh. ‘Nova erupted with a staggering performance early in the second half, rapidly turning a two-point game into a complete runaway vs. red-hot Alabama.

West Virginia senior point guard Jevon Carter was probably the Tournament’s best player in the first weekend. Carter had 21 points, eight assists, six steals and five rebounds in an 85-68 opening-round win over Murray State as a 10-point favorite. He also shut down the Racers’ leading scorer, Jonathan Stark (22.0 PPG), who made 1-of-12 field-goal attempts and scored only nine points.

Then in the Round of 32 vs. in-state adversary Marshall, Carter produced 28 points, five assists, five steals and four boards. In addition, he shut down another high-scoring guard. This time it was Jon Elmore, who was averaging 23 points, seven assists and six rebounds per contests. Elmore torched Wichita State for 27 points in the opening round, but he committed eight turnovers and went 4-of-12 from the field in the blowout loss to WVU.

The other game in Boston will pit Texas Tech up against Purdue. The Boilermakers lost 7’2” star center Isaac Haas to a broken elbow in the opener, yet they still advanced past Butler 76-73 thanks to a clutch trey by Dakota Mathias in the final minute.

As of early Tuesday, Purdue was listed as a 1.5-point favorite with a total of 137.5. The Red Raiders beat Florida 69-66 as 1.5-point favorites thanks to brilliant performances from Keenan Evans and Zhaire Smith. Evans hit the go-ahead 3-ball with just over two minutes remaining vs. UF. He scored 33 of his 45 points for the weekend in the second halves of wins over the Gators and Stephen F. Austin. The Red Raiders are back in the Sweet 16 for the first time since Bobby Knight’s team lost to WVU in ’05.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

-- Penny Hardaway will be announced as the new head coach at Memphis at a press conference on Tuesday.

-- Danny Hurley is reportedly mulling offers from both UConn and Pitt. The Rhode Island head coach was scheduled to meet with URI athletic director Thorr Bjorn on Tuesday.

-- The Wesgate Las Vegas SuperBook’s adjusted future odds look like this:

Villanova 3/1
Duke 7/2
Gonzaga 7/1
Kentucky 8/1
Kansas 8/1
Michigan 10/1
Purdue 12/1
West Virginia 15/1
Clemson 25/1
Texas A&M 25/1
Texas Tech 25/1
FSU 40/1
Nevada 50/1
Kansas State 50/1
Loyola-Chicago 50/1
Syracuse 60/1

[StarDust Bum]

Mississippi State advances to NIT semifinals at MSG
March 20, 2018

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) Quinndary Weatherspoon scored 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds and Mississippi State advanced to the NIT semifinals at Madison Square Garden in New York with a 79-56 victory over Louisville on Tuesday night.

Mississippi State (25-11) will face Penn State (24-13) on March 27.

Lamar Peters opened the second quarter with a 3-pointer and Mississippi State led by at least nine points the rest of the way. Weatherspoon scored eight points during a 12-3 run to start the third for a 51-31 advantage and MSU cruised.

Aric Holman added 16 points and eight rebounds for Mississippi State, which has won its most games since the 2009-10 season. Xavian Stapleton and Nick Weatherspoon each chipped in with 12 points. Abdul Ado had three blocks to tie Jarvis Varnado for the most blocks by a MSU freshman with 67.

Ray Spalding paced Louisville (22-14) with 13 points and 11 rebounds for his 11th double-double of the season. The Cardinals shot 35 percent from the floor and were outrebounded 42-32.


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

Stevens' 30 points leads Penn State past Marquette in NIT
March 20, 2018

MILWAUKEE (AP) Lamar Stevens tied his career high with 30 points, Tony Carr added 25 and Penn State beat Marquette 85-80 on Tuesday night to advance to the NIT semifinals.

The Nittany Lions (24-13) will face Mississippi State (25-11) at Madison Square Garden in New York on March 27. They advanced to the NIT semis for the first time since winning the 2009 tournament.

Stevens hit three crucial buckets in the final three minutes, including a dunk off an alley-oop pass from Josh Reaves for an eight-point lead with one minute left. The 6-foot-8 Stevens then maneuvered through a couple Marquette players to secure a rebound off Andrew Rowsey's missed 3 with 46 seconds left.

Carr went 5 of 8 from the foul line over the final 30 seconds to give Marquette another chance. Rowsey hit a 3 and a layup to get the Golden Eagles as close as 83-80 with six seconds left before the Golden Eagles ran out of time.

Shep Garner scored 19 points and set two Penn State records, including most 3s in a season (112). Garner's 73 career wins are the most in a four-year span since Penn State joined the Big Ten in 1992-93.

Rowsey, a senior, scored 29 points for Marquette (21-14).

The Golden Eagles had whittled a 14-point deficit early in the second half to 72-68 with 2:39 left on three foul shots by Rowsey. Penn State went nearly three minutes without a bucket and got sloppy with the ball and the sharpshooting Golden Eagles started hitting 3s to get back in the game.

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday’s 6-pack

Current odds to win the college basketball national title:

3-1: Villanova

7-2: Duke

7-1: Gonzaga

8-1: Kansas, Kentucky

10-1: Michigan

12-1: Purdue

15-1: West Virginia

25-1: Clemson, Texas A&M, Texas Tech

40-1: Florida

50-1: Nevada, Kansas State, Loyola

60-1: Syracuse

Quote of the Day
“If you can’t spot the sucker in your first half-hour at the table, then you are the sucker.”
Mike McDermott, from the movie Rounders

Wednesday’s quiz
What actor played Teddy KGB in the poker movie Rounders?

Tuesday’s quiz
John Calipari went 72-112 as the head coach NBA’s Nets.

Monday’s quiz
Bernard King co-starred with Gabe Kaplan in the 1979 basketball movie Fast Break.

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

13) Memphis Tigers were down to 4,000 season tickets this season; they claim their program lost $4.7M this year, which is why they named Penny Hardaway basketball coach Tuesday.

Not great being a struggling college team in a city where there is also an NBA franchise.

12) Shortly after that, the first domino fell: 4-star PG Alex Lomax got out of his commitment to Wichita State and signed on with Memphis— he played for Hardaway in high school.

If Penny Hardaway dominates recruiting in talent-rich Memphis, the Tigers will be back in the NCAAs soon. Hardaway won three state titles in his brief career as a high school coach.

11) Dodgers lost 3B Justin Turner with a broken left wrist, after he was hit by a pitch. That’ll put him out for 4-6 weeks. Will they move Logan Forsythe to 3B and platoon Taylor/Utley at 2B?

10) Alex Cobb signed a 4-year deal with the Orioles; lot of teams could’ve used him.

9) If you’re betting games in Las Vegas this week, go to SouthPoint Casino- they’re offering bets at -$105 instead of the normal $110, so if you go 7-5 on $100 bets, you win $175 instead of $150. Plus its a good casino with good pizza and a very good ice cream stand on the way out the door.

8) Ole Miss signed Middle Tennessee State coach Kermit Davis; his salary goes from $750K to $2.5M. Davis’ dad was the coach at Mississippi State a long time ago; he is very good.

7) Jacksonville State’s campus was hit hard by a tornado in Alabama Monday night; the Gamecocks’ hoop team is still playing- they’re at North Texas tonight.

6) ESPN signed former NFL coach John Fox as a studio analyst; will be interesting to see what he has to say. When he was coaching the Panthers, he got Carolina to the Super Bowl with Jake Delhomme as his quarterback.

5) Graduate transfer QB Gardner Minshaw moves from East Carolina to Washington State; he threw for 2,140 yards LY, with 16 TD’s, 7 INTs. Before he heads to Pullman, the young man is being tutored by Hal Mumme, the father of the Air Raid offense, who is OC at Jackson State these days. Playing for Mike Leach is good for a quarterback.

4) Shohei Ohtani is 3 for 28 batting in spring training— I started to call it hitting, but 3-28 isn’t hitting, it is batting. Angels may have been sold a bill of goods with Ohtani being a 2-way player- they gave CJ Cron away to Tampa Bay to make room for Ohtani’s bat.

3) On April 17, Oakland A’s are celebrating the 50th anniversary of their move to Oakland- they’re playing the White Sox that night, and admission is free. Team got 300,000 requests for tickets for that night.

In 1968, the A’s sold out their home opener; they had 5,700 fans the next night. Probably won’t be a whole lot different this year, on April 18.

2) Back in the early 70’s, Austin Peay (pronounced Pee) had a really good player named James (Fly) Williams; he played in the ABA for a season after that. Prolific scorer.

Austin Peay fans had a great chant: “The Fly is Open. Let’s go Peay!!!”

1— Underrated gambling day today; first round of the Match Play golf tournament, with 32 matches going on. Kind of like a country club version of March Madness. Kind of.