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Friday's NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 betting preview: East Region

Games to be played at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.

(5) West Virginia Mountaineers vs (1) Villanova Wildcats (-5, 152.5)

Few NCAA Tournament teams, if any, looked better than Villanova during the opening weekend. The top-seeded Wildcats aim for a third straight blowout Friday when they take on East Region fifth seed West Virginia in a Sweet 16 matchup in Boston.

Villanova has opened its tournament by beating 16th-seeded Radford by 26 and ninth-seeded Alabama by 23 behind more fabulous work from Mikal Bridges. The junior swingman is averaging 18 points for the tournament (and the season) and has made 8-of-14 from 3-point range through the first two rounds of this event. West Virginia and its havoc defense will pose a legitimate threat for Villanova, which enters leading the nation in scoring (86.9) and may have its hands full against a Mountaineers squad that has won its first two Big Dance games by a combined 40 points. “The pressure they bring with all the guys they play. It’s 40 minutes of pressure; they’re a very physical team, they’re quick, athletic and play so fast paced," Villanova guard Phil Booth told reporters. "They have one of the most rare styles of play in all of college basketball. The preparation for that is going to be big for us.”

TV: 7:27 p.m. ET, TBS

LINE HISTORY: Villanova opened as 4.5-point favorites and steady action on the Wildcats has pushed that number up to -5. The total hit betting boards at 153 and has been dropped slightly to 152.3.

BETTING STATS:



ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA: The Mountaineers are a better offensive team than they typically are, although their defense isn't the top 20 unit that coach Bob Huggins has had many times throughout his career. Senior guard Jevon Carter is the team's on-court leader and has maintained that status through the first two rounds of the tournament, averaging 24.5 points, 6.5 assists, 5.5 steals and 4.5 rebounds on 54.3 percent shooting. "We're just happy to keep playing," Carter told reporters. "This is March. This is what we came to do. We don't just want to go to the Sweet 16 - we want to win it all, go back, prepare for Villanova, watch a lot of film, and get ready for the next game."

ABOUT VILLANOVA: The Wildcats only made eight two-pointers against Radford but thankfully went 17-of-41 from 3-point range in the second round with Bridges (five), Donte DiVincenzo (five) and Jalen Brunson (three) doing the heavy lifting from long distance. Brunson has recovered from a brutal February from 3-point range to shoot 50 percent from the arc over the last six contests. Booth averages 10.6 points but has only totaled 14 in the last three games, while DiVincenzo also endured a quiet stretch before scoring 18 points - his most in a month - against the Crimson Tide.

MATCHUP CHART:



TRENDS:

* Mountaineers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Wildcats are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 neutral site games.
* Over is 7-1 in Mountaineers' last 8 overall.
* Under is 8-2 in Wildcats' last 10 vs. Big 12.

CONSENSUS: Consensus data is showing 65 percent of bettors taking the favorites from Villanova, while 60 percent of totals wagers are on the Over.




(3) Texas Tech Red Raiders vs (2) Purdue Boilermakers (-1.5, 137.5)

Purdue and Texas Tech last met on a basketball court in 1988 at Municipal Coliseum in Lubbock. But the Boilermakers, seeded No. 2 in the East Regional, have a much more recent history with the coach of Friday night's Sweet Sixteen opponent at TD Garden Arena in Boston, Chris Beard of the third-seeded Red Raiders.

It was just two years ago when Beard's 12th-seeded Arkansas-Little Rock squad overcame a 13-point deficit in the final 3:33 or regulation to pull off a 85-85 double overtime upset of the fifth-seeded Boilermakers in first round of the Midwest Regional in Denver. "Every team is different, that was two years ago," Beard told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. "I don't think there's really any similarities. ... What I see from Purdue is just a really well-coached team. They're a team that's been in this position before. We're a team that's new to this as a unit." Senior forward Vincent Edwards had 24 points and 13 rebounds in 41 minutes in the loss for the Boilermakers while guard Dakota Mathias (12 points), center Isaac Haas (seven points) and guards P.J. Thompson (five points) and Ryan Cline also saw substantial action. "I don't know if there's much you take from that," Purdue coach Matt Painter said. "It's just that you're going to have to go in there and compete and play hard and rebound the basketball."

TV: 9:57 p.m. ET, TBS

LINE HISTORY: Purdue opened as 1.5-point favorites and as of Friday night that number has not moved. The total hit betting boards at 137.5 and also remains on the opening number.

BETTING STATS:



ABOUT TEXAS TECH: The Red Raiders lead the nation with seven top-25 wins and have done it with a defense that leads the Big 12 in points allowed (64.6) and field goal percentage defense (40.2). Senior guard Keenan Evans leads the team in scoring (17.8) and assists (3.2) and is the first Red Raider since former All-American Jarrius Jackson (2003-07) to earn first team all-Big 12 honors. Freshman guard Jarrett Culver is second in scoring (11.5) while another freshman guard, Zhaire Smith (11.3), also is averaging in double figures while shooting 44.4 percent from 3-point range and has been one of the stars of the tournament for Tech, flirting with a triple-double with 18 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in Saturday's 69-66 second round victory over No. 6 seed Florida.

ABOUT PURDUE: The Boilers got past Butler, 76-73, in the second round despite the loss of the 7-foot-2 Haas to a fractured right elbow suffered in the team's 74-48 first round win over Cal State Fullerton, but the finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award that goes to the nation's top center, who averages 14.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game, was showing off a special elbow brace designed by some of the school's mechanical engineering students that he hopes the NCAA will approve so he can try and play Friday. "I don't see him playing," Painter said at a Thursday press conference. "Until he can practice and show me a right-handed free throw and get a rebound with two hands. The last two days he hasn't practiced so I don't see it." Purdue ranks second in the nation in 3-point shooting percentage (42.1) with sophomore guard Carsen Edwards, who leads the team in scoring (18.2), Vincent Edwards (14.7), Mathias (12.3) and Thompson (7.4) all shooting 40 percent or better from 3-point range.

MATCHUP CHART:



TRENDS:

* Red Raiders are 1-7-1 ATS in their last 9 games overall.
* Boilermakers are 3-12-1 ATS in their last 16 games overall.
* Under is 12-4 in Red Raiders' last 16 neutral site games.
* Over is 6-1 in Boilermakers' last 7 NCAA Tournament games.

CONSENSUS: Consensus data is showing 59 percent of bettors taking the chalk with Purdue, while 56 percent of totals wagers are on the Over.

[StarDust Bum]

Updated March Madness betting stats after last night's action

* Underdogs 3-1 SU/ATS last night *

Faves:
37-18 SU (67.3%)
25-29-1 ATS (46.3%)

O/U: 22-34 (Under 60.7%)

[StarDust Bum]

FRIDAY, MARCH 23
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

CLEM at KU 07:07 PM
CLEM +5.0
U 143.5

WVU at VILL 07:27 PM
WVU +5.0
O 152.5

SYR at DUKE 09:37 PM
DUKE -11.0
U 132.0

TTU at PUR 09:57 PM
TTU +2.0
U 137.5

[StarDust Bum]

Beard, Texas Tech oust Purdue 78-65 in NCAA East Region
March 23, 2018

BOSTON (AP) Chris Beard has done it to Purdue again.

The Texas Tech coach knocked the Boilermakers out of the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three years, this time leading the third-seeded Red Raiders to a 78-65 victory in the Sweet 16. Keenan Evans scored 12 of his 16 points in the second half, when Texas Tech scored 11 straight points to pull away.

The Red Raiders (27-9) will play No. 1 seed Villanova on Sunday in the East regional final for a spot in the Final Four. The Wildcats advanced earlier Friday night with a 90-78 victory over West Virginia.

Beard is in his second year in Lubbock after leaving Arkansas-Little Rock, where he led the Trojans to a double overtime upset over fifth-seeded Purdue in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament.

This time, No. 2 seed Purdue (30-7) was hoping to join Villanova in the Elite Eight, getting 30 points from Carsen Edwards and 12 points and 13 rebounds from Vincent Edwards.

But Beard was in their way again.

Texas Tech trailed for most of the first before scoring the last 10 points of the half to turn a five-point deficit into a 30-25 lead. The Red Raiders led 58-55 with 5:44 left when Evans hit two free throws and then a three pointer to start an 11-0 run that put the game away.

Purdue star center Isaac Haas, the team's No. 2 scorer and rebounder, could only be a cheerleader - and a one-armed cheerleader, at that. After breaking his right elbow in the first-round game against Cal State-Fullerton, he tried to convince Painter he could play; the Purdue engineering department even pitched in, designing a special brace for his right arm.

But Haas remained on the bench, replaced by Matt Haarms, a redshirt freshman who at 7-foot-3 measures an inch taller but at 40 pounds lighter is hardly the force under the basket of that his senior teammate has been.

Haarms finished with four points and three rebounds.

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Duke turns back Orange 69-65, sets up matchup with Kansas
March 23, 2018

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) Duke found a way to crack Syracuse's zone defense, and now the Blue Devils are a game away from the Final Four for the first time since the 2015 team won it all.

Gary Trent Jr., made two clutch free throws with 6.3 seconds left to help second-seeded Duke hold off the 11th-seeded Orange for a 69-65 chess match of a victory in the Midwest Region semifinals Friday night.

All that talk about busted brackets and the maddest March ever - not happening in the Midwest.

The win by Duke (29-7) set up a 1 vs. 2 showdown Sunday against Kansas, which also escaped with a four-point victory earlier against Clemson.

Syracuse (23-14), the last at-large team invited to the tournament, saw its unlikely run to the Sweet 16 end - unable to overcome 16 turnovers against a Mike Krzyzewski-designed zone that was every bit as pesky as Jim Boeheim's vaunted 2-3.

Early in the second half, Krzyzewski tore off his jacket and threw it to the floor, calling a timeout after Syracuse scored two quick baskets to trim its deficit to three.

''It set the tone for me,'' said Coach K, who has two freshmen, Marvin Bagley III and Wendell Carter Jr., who will likely be NBA lottery picks later this spring. ''You could see. I coach `em, so I could see, they were real young. They had young looks. Thank goodness they got out of it.''

Syracuse was looking for a near-repeat of two seasons ago when it made the Final Four as a 10 seed. This year, the Orange was an 11, but the Elite Eight already has one of those - Loyola-Chicago in the South.

Syracuse is no typical 11, and this was a zone-centric battle of wits between two of the most renowned coaches in the game.

No lead ever reached double digits, and not until Trent Jr. swished his free throws was the game sealed for Duke, which will try to take Krzyzewski to his 13th Final Four.

Bagley III scored 13 of his 22 points and had all eight of his rebounds in the second half. Seven of those boards were on the offensive end and led to second-chance baskets.

Tyus Battle led the Orange with 19 points.

BIG PICTURE

Syracuse's 2-3 zone flummoxed its first three opponents in the tournament, but Duke found holes, throwing lobs behind Syracuse's big men in the middle for layups and dunks. Meanwhile, Grayson Allen was quick to shoot the 3 in the second half. All but one of his 15 attempts from the floor were from 3. He went 3 for 14 from behind the arc and finished with 15 points.

WHAT HE SAID (AND DIDN'T SAY)

''Battle is one of the best players in the country...He's a big-time player. I love Tyus,'' Coach K said. ''I love their team. I love their coach even more. He does such a great job with them.'' But when asked about Kansas, Krzyzewski demurred, saying it was out of respect for Syracuse and his good buddy, Boeheim. Krzyzewski said he'll talk KU Saturday.

[StarDust Bum]

Villanova 3s shoot down West Virginia pressure 90-78
March 23, 2018

BOSTON (AP) Villanova's 3-point party rolled past the intense pressure of West Virginia to bring the Wildcats to the doorstep of another Final Four two seasons after winning a national championship.

The top-seeded Wildcats continued their outside feast in the NCAA Tournament, downing the fifth-seeded Mountaineers 90-78 on Friday night to earn their second trip to the regional finals in three seasons.

Jalen Brunson led Villanova with 27 points and Omari Spellman had 18 with eight rebounds as Villanova overcame the West Virginia press by hitting 13 of 24 shots from 3-point range.

Daxter Miles had 16 points to lead West Virginia. Jevon Carter and Sagaba Konate added 12 each.

Villanova (33-4) has now made 44 3-pointers for the tournament. The outside barrage helped the Wildcats overcome 16 turnovers and played into their Sweet 16 plan for their opponents nicknamed ''Press Virginia'': Attack the stifling defense head-on.

''What a game, man. I hope that looked as good as it did from the bench, man,'' Villanova coach Jay Wright said. ''That was the most physically demanding, mentally draining 40 minutes we've played in a long time. They are so relentless.''

The Wildcats struggled at times, especially in the first half, but dug out of a six-point hole in the second half with an 11-0 run.

The Mountaineers (26-11) stayed close throughout, ramping up the pressure and making Villanova play faster than it wanted to early. But foul trouble throughout the second half was too much for West Virginia to overcome after it gave up the lead.

Carter was called for his third with 17:33 left in the game. That was followed by Miles being whistled for his third and fourth fouls over a two minute stretch that sent him to the bench with 15 minutes remaining.

Coach Bob Huggins said the fouls ''absolutely'' stifled the Mountaineers' ability to keep pressure on Villanova.

''When the whistle keeps blowing it really takes away your aggression,'' he said.

West Virginia adjusted for a while, taking advantage of a more than three-minute Villanova scoring drought to take a 60-54 edge with just over 11 minutes left.

But Villanova heated up again. Its 11-point run was capped by a thunderous block and dunk on the other end by Omari Spellman that pushed the Wildcats back in front 65-60.

The Wildcats kept the momentum going, stretching the lead to 76-66 on a 3-pointer by Brunson.

''The deeper you go, the better the teams are going to be,'' Brunson said. ''For us, most importantly, nothing changes no matter who we play, where we play, what time we play. We play every game like it's our last.''

West Virginia never got closer than 4 points the rest of the way.

''I felt like we gave it everything we had,'' Carter said. ''We just didn't make shots tonight and Villanova did.''

Villanova led 44-42 at the half after a fast-paced opening 20 minutes. Brunson led all scorers with 16 points in the half, with West Virginia getting 11 points from Daxter Miles.

The Wildcats came out firing, connecting on their first seven field goals. They handled the Mountaineers' pressure well early. But the Wildcats had three turnovers over a 65-second stretch during an 8-0 Mountaineers run that put them in front 33-30.

Wright said he never lost faith in his team.

''I just looked at Jalen, Mikal (Bridges) and Phil (Booth) and I could see in their eyes we were good,'' he said.

BIG PICTURE

West Virginia: It's a tough loss for the Mountaineers, but it doesn't diminish the incredible effort by a senior class that reached the Sweet 16 three times in four years.

Villanova: The Wildcats are primed for another title run with their talent led by player of the year contender Brunson, the experience of the 2016 title and the lessons learned from early tournament departures in several years, including a second-round loss to Wisconsin last year.

MILESTONE WATCH

The Wildcats' 13 3-pointers give them 432 for the season, putting them 11 away from a Division I record. VMI hit 442 3-pointers in 2006-07.

NO REGRETS

Despite the outcome, Carter said he is proud of his classmates' four-year run. Friday's game marked the 10th career NCAA Tournament game for Carter and Miles - tying them for the most in school history.

Carter said the tournament will always mean a lot to both of them.

''It's everything. Everybody is in tune with March Madness. I feel like it's bigger than the NBA playoffs,'' he said. ''Anything can happen in March. ... Unfortunately we lost in the Sweet 16.''

UP NEXT

Villanova awaits the winner of Texas Tech and Purdue in Sunday's regional final.


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Kansas brings sanity back to March in 80-76 win over Clemson
March 23, 2018

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) For the third year in a row, Kansas made it through the Sweet 16 - although not before Clemson tried its hardest to add another wild chapter to an already unbelievable tournament.

The top-seeded Jayhawks brought at least a temporary halt to the insanity of this March, withstanding a ferocious rally by fifth-seeded Clemson on Friday for a too-close-for-comfort, 80-76 victory.

Malik Newman led the Jayhawks (30-7) with 17 points in a one-time runaway that got much closer and, quite frankly, won't mean much to KU fans if their team can't finish the job in the Midwest Region final Sunday.

As a top seed the last two seasons, Kansas made it through the regional semifinals, only to flop a game shy of the Final Four both times. In fact, this marks the sixth time Bill Self's team has been seeded first since KU won it all in 2008; the Jayhawks haven't made the Final Four one of those times.

''I think about it all the time. I just told the guys in the locker room...this year, we've got to get over the hump,'' said senior Devonte' Graham, who had 16 points.

Still, it could've ended on Friday - in horrifying fashion - after Clemson stormed back from a 20-point deficit that stunned a crowd filled mostly with fans from Lawrence and surrounding areas, which are only a few hours from Omaha.

''We just kind of played not to lose down the stretch,'' Self said.

Clemson trailed 62-42, but climbed to within six with 2:27 left. Graham's offensive rebound after a Svi Mykhailiuk miss at the 1:57 mark allowed the Jayhawks to run almost a minute off the clock.

Kansas didn't score after Graham's rebound, and the Tigers got the next board for a chance to cut it to a one-possession game. But Shelton Mitchell and Gabe DeVoe each missed from beyond the arc. From there, Kansas overcame a dogged Clemson press just long enough to ensure that the Tigers couldn't pull any closer until the tail end.

DeVoe had a career-high 31 for Clemson (25-10), which couldn't replicate the magic it showed in beating Auburn by 31 to reach its first Sweet 16 in 21 years.

''We didn't have our best game. Sometimes that's not easy to keep fighting like that,'' Clemson coach Brad Brownell said.

PIVOTAL MOMENT

Clemson had scored five straight points to cut KU's lead to 35-27 late in the first half when Elijah Thomas, after a review, was called for a flagrant foul. Silvio De Sousa knocked down the free throws, Lagerald Vick buried a 3 and Kansas cruised into halftime ahead 40-27. Vick, Newman and Graham then opened the second half with 3s to extend the lead to 20.

BIG PICTURE

One of the most encouraging signs for Kansas was that it jumped ahead by 13 at halftime despite a 1-for-7 start by Graham, the Big 12 player of the year. Big man Udoka Azubuike looked strong in his first start of the tournament with 14 points and 11 rebounds in a tournament-high 25 minutes.

FOR REAL?

What a wild 12 months it's been for Brownell, the Clemson coach. He entered the season on the hot seat after six straight seasons without even making the NCAA Tournament. But the Tigers reached the regional semifinals for the first time since 1997 even after losing Donte Grantham, arguably their best player. The big question next is whether 2017-18 will prove a one shot wonder or the start of something big in the Upstate. Clemson has spent money on facilities to become a basketball school - but will it ever get out of the shadow cast by Dabo Swinney's football team?

TIGERS CLAW BACK

For the final 12 minutes, Clemson played like the team that throttled Auburn to earn a crack at the Jayhawks. The Tigers didn't turn it over once down the stretch, and they finished 14 of 19 at the free throw line - which was a strong point all year. But while Kansas hardly looked like a No. 1 seed down the stretch, it did improve to 25-1 this season when leading at the break.

DOKE LOOKED DOPE

Azubuike finished with his sixth double-double of the season. His presence forced Clemson to give more space to KU's shooters, who went 10 of 22 on 3s.

HE SAID IT

''This is the team everyone would have thought ... would not be in this game. We've got a legitimate shot to go to San Antonio. I think we'll play with no `what ifs.' I think we'll be loose,'' Self said.

VEGAS KNOWS

Kansas came in as a 4 1/2-point favorite - a number that didn't look to be in play ... until it was.

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday’s 6-pack

Since 1987, eight lowest-seeded teams to make the Final Four:

2006– #11-seed George Mason

2011– #11-seed VCU

2016— #10-seed Syracuse

2013— #9-seed Wichita State

2000— #8-seed Wisconsin

2000— #8-seed North Carolina

2011— #8-seed Butler

2014— #8-seed Kentucky

Quote of the Day
“I knew there was a lot of time. We just thought it was necessary at that time because they were getting on a good run. And I just wanted to make sure we kept our confidence and stayed committed to our game plan. I just looked at Jalen [Brunson], Mikal and Phil [Booth], and I could see in their eyes we were good.”
Jay Wright, on calling a timeout with 11:08 left Friday

Saturday’s quiz
Who was the first player from the AFL inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

Friday’s quiz
Kevin Bacon played the losing lawyer in the climactic scene of A Few Good Men.

Thursday’s quiz
Topeka is the capital of Kansas.

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Saturday’s List of 13: Wrapping up the Sweet 16

13) Here is our Elite 8: Both #1-seeds won Friday, are now 10-1-1 vs spread in this round the last four years. Rest of the Elite 8? Two #9-seeds, an 11-seed, two 3-seeds and 2-seed Duke.

12) Duke 69, Syracuse 65— Duke won first meeting 60-44; teams combined to go 8-43 in that game. This game snuck over total; teams combined to go 9-39 on arc, but Duke was 20-28 on foul line as they held on at the end.

Turns out that Jim Boeheim’s last game as a Syracuse player was a 91-81 loss to Duke in the NCAA tournament back when the game were televised in black-and-white. Boeheim played at Syracuse with the great Dave Bing, who was a really good player with the Detroit Pistons.

11) Villanova 90, West Virginia 78— Mountaineers went 7-28 on the arc; they lost seven of last nine games this season when shooting less than 35% on the arc. Villanova plays better defense than you’d think. And they have multiple guys who make 3-pointers- they were 13-24 here.

10) Kansas 80, Clemson 76— If you had the Jayhawks (-5), this was brutal. Clemson rallied back from a 62-42 deficit with 11:00 left and cut lead to 4 with 0:04.5 left, called timeout, but never fouled after Kansas inbounded the ball. Very bad beat for Kansas backers.

Bill Self is 8-2 in Sweet 16 games at Kansas; he is 2-5 in regional finals.

9) Texas Tech 78, Purdue 65— Teams that make the Final Four sometimes make it because they get lucky; Purdue big man Haas couldn’t play because he broke his elbow last week, which made the Boilermakers a far less formidable opponent.

Purdue made 11-24 on arc when they beat Butler without Haas; they were 7-18 in this game, and took only six foul shots the whole game.

8) How #11-seeds (or lower) have done in regional finals:
2017— Xavier (+8.5) L83-59 vs Gonzaga
2014— Dayton (+10.5) L52-62 vs Florida
2011— VCU (+11.5) W71-61 over Kansas
2006— George Mason (+8) W86-84 over UConn
2002— #12-seed Missouri (+6.5) L75-81 vs Oklahoma
2001— Temple (+6.5) L62-69 vs Michigan State
1990— LMU (+5) L131-101 vs UNLV

4-3 vs spread, all as underdogs, with two SU wins.

7) Random trend; over last 20 years, in the West Region final, underdogs are 16-4 against the spread. Michigan is -4.5 over Florida State in Staples Center tonight.

6) Generally, if an 8 or 9-seed gets this far, they had to beat the #1-seed to get here, but not this year because UMBC pulled their upset. Here is how #8 or #9-seeds have done in the Elite 8:
2014: Kentucky (-2.5) W75-72 vs Michigan
2013: Wichita State (+6) W70-66 vs Ohio State
2011: Butler (+3.5) W74-71 Florida OT
2004: Alabama (+8.5) L87-71 vs UConn
2000: North Carolina (+2.5) W59-55 vs Tulsa
2000: Wisconsin (+1) W64-60 vs Purdue
1998: Rhode Island (+4.5) L79-77 vs Stanford
1994: Boston College (+1.5) L74-66 vs Florida

6-2 vs spread, 5-3 SU

5) Dayton Flyers went 14-17 this season, its first losing season in 12 years; they had only one senior, but since the season ended, five other players have left the program, two to explore pro possibilities, three others to transfer to other schools.

Next season’s Flyers will be very young, and will take time to get to know each other.

4) Took the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins 25 years to get 100 points in a season; Las Vegas Golden Knights have done it in their first year in the NHL, a tremendous accomplishment.

3) As you know if you read this space at all, I watch a ton of sports on TV, but one thing I’ve lost my appetite for is pre and post-game shows and halftime shows. Mostly they just exist to amuse the people who are on the show, and usually, there are too many people on them anyway.

Highlight shows late at night? Still enjoy them.

2) Traded Marcell Ozuna for Madison Bumgarner in my fantasy baseball league this winter; Bumgarner broke his left pinkie Friday when he was hit by a line drive. Bleepin’ awesome.

Of course, guy who hit the ball that broke his finger is on my team, too. No bueno.

1) On a happier note, Sunday night is the last Sunday night in 2018 without football or baseball, so thats a good thing.

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday's Elite 8 Action
March 23, 2018

Betting Saturday’s Elite Eight Matchups

Thursday was absolutely amazing, and now we know what the Elite Eight in the South and West bracket are going to look like. Can FSU and Loyola-Chicago keep their incredible runs going?

Spoiler alert: I think so!

#11 Loyola-Chicago Ramblers +1.0 over #9 KSU Wildcats (6:09pm ET)

The Cinderella story continues, and we all know how this usually goes. A team like Florida Golf Coast or Loyola-Chicago sweeps us off our feet, so we climb in the pumpkin and think that it’s going to take us all the way to the throne. At best, Cinderella teams usually reach the Elite Eight and then the clock strikes midnight. It’s a tired and true recipe for the bracket. So you should probably bet on Kansas State.

But where’s the fun in that. The path to the Elite Eight for both teams has been cool, but Kansas State sort of waltzed in by squashing Creighton and UMBC before barely surviving Kentucky. To be clear, Loyola-Chicago is not Kentucky.

However, their path to the this point is quite remarkable. They’ve been slipping through by the skin of their teeth and eventually this streak has to break. I’m just not wholly convinced that Kansas State is the team to do it. The Wildcats are undisciplined, and are constantly getting in to foul trouble.

The fact that the oddsmakers have pegged this game as a pick ‘em says a lot. Where Kansas State really excels is in the perimeter game, but Loyola-Chicago is one of the best defensive teams in the country. That is not a typo.

Bettors who scour the world to find great values know the Ramblers well – they’re 22-9 ATS overall, and I know that matters less when there’s basically no spread on the game but the point is that they’re a much better team than their lack of name recognition and metrics represent.

Kansas State doesn’t have a point of difference that can expose the talent gap that the Ramblers have, and I hate the way they responded to their first big challenge in Kentucky. I’ll happily stay aboard this bandwagon knowing full well it’s a pumpkin. It’s a weird year. Why not have an #11 seed in the Final Four?

#9 FSU Seminoles +4.5 over #3 Michigan Wolverines (8:49pm ET)

An immense volume of the BetOnline.ag community has already thundered in to the corner of the Wolverines, who shook off a rough opening weekend and buried a scrappy Texas A&M comeback time and again. On paper, a 99-72 point blowout looks great. But that belies the truth about what happened here.

Michigan exploded from beyond the arc in the first stanza, and never really stopped. They set an unbelievable rate of 58.7 percent from range, when their average overall this season has been 37.0 percent. Do you really think that’s sustainable? Even with that, the Wolverines didn’t really have a shut down effort on defence and the Aggies’ rallied to the very end, refusing to let them off the hook (which I love by the way).

We all know that Michigan can shoot the lights out, but FSU has morphed in to something amazing in this tournament. The Seminoles just stuffed Gonzaga in to a set of matched luggage on Thursday night, limiting them to just 60 points when they had averaged 83.5 all season long. Range, length, athleticism and depth from every corner of their bench gives FSU a dangerous mix. They have the perimeter defense and height to disrupt the Wolverines from distance, which isn’t something a shorter A&M team had in the bag.

This line does seem a bit disrespectful to FSU. I know that the bracket stats and trends will probably say this or that about 9th seeds and 3rd seeds advancing to the Final Four, but from a vacuum standpoint, FSU is just playing a more reliable brand of basketball. They’ve just run through Missouri, Xavier and Gonzaga which boast three of the best programs in the nation. What’s it going to take to get some respect?

Dusting the Wolverines should do it. Yes, I’m advocating a moneyline take on this team but if you’re feeling sheepish, that’s a generous amount of points to lie your head on.

[StarDust Bum]

South Regional Final
March 23, 2018

Ramble On
And now’s the time, the time is now
To sing my song
I’m goin’ ‘round the world, I got to find my girl
On my way
I’ve been this way ten years to the day
I gotta ramble on
I gotta find the queen of all my dreams

-- Led Zeppelin

The great rock tune, “Ramble On,” from Led Zeppelin seems to apply to these Ramblers, who are seeking victory No. 32 and an invite to the 2018 Final Four in San Antonio when they take on Kansas State at Philips Arena in Atlanta on Saturday.

These are the most unlikely of participants in the South Region finals. Loyola-Chicago needed a buzzer beater to edge Miami and a go-ahead bucket with 3.6 seconds left to clip Tennessee in the first weekend. Then high-powered Nevada raced out to a double-digit lead early in the first half of Thursday’s region-semifinal showdown.

But Porter Moser’s team has yet to flinch. And at this point, why would anyone doubt this team, one that’s been a model of consistency all season?

I watched this squad go into Gainesville and put on a defensive clinic at the O-Dome on Dec. 6. The Ramblers led nearly the entire game in a 65-59 win at Florida as 16-point road underdogs.

But here’s the rub: The Gators were the only foe Loyola-Chicago faced that made the field coming into the Tournament. The Missouri Valley, a conference without Wichita State and Creighton any longer, clearly isn’t what it once was.

However, with wins over UF, UM, UT and now Nevada in its pocket, Loyola-Chicago need not fret about playing any “respect card” moving forward. This team can play and that’s been clear as day to all observers in its run to the Elite Eight for the first time since the school won the national championship in 1963.

Most books opened this game as a pick ‘em with a total of 126.5 points. As of Friday afternoon, most spots had Kansas St. (25-11 straight up, 16-17 against the spread) installed as a 1.5-point ‘chalk.’

KSU has an underdog story of its own, wearing that label in two of its three wins to get here. The other victory came over the ultimate ‘dog, the first No. 16 seed to beat a top seed in UMBC.

Bruce Weber’s squad started its run by ousting one that used to be its own. Marcus Foster began his career at KSU, leading the Wildcats in scoring (15.5 points per game) as a true freshman in 2014. However, the relationship between Foster and Weber soured to the point that Foster transferred to Creighton following his sophomore campaign.

After sitting out the 2015-16 season via transfer rules, Foster shined for the Bluejays over the last two years. After averaging 18.2 PPG as a junior, Foster averaged 19.8 PPG this year while shooting at career-best clips from the field (46.1%), 3-point land (41.3%) and the free-throw line (74.4%).

Foster had scored at least 12 points in 31 of Creighton’s first 32 games. His lowest scoring output was nine points coming into the first-round matchup with his former team. Kansas State held Foster to a season-low five points on 2-of-11 field-goal attempts.

Creighton had scored at least 70 points in 29 of its first 32 games and had produced 68 or more in 31 of its first 32 outings. The Bluejays were ranked 12th in the country in scoring with an 83.5 PPG average.

Nevertheless, KSU captured a 69-59 win over Creighton as a 2.5-point underdog, holding it to a season-low scoring output. The 128 combined points fell ‘under’ the 144-point tally. With star center Dean Wade sidelined with a foot injury the first weekend, Barry Brown stepped up with 18 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocked shots. Mike McGuirl drained 3-of-5 attempts form 3-point range in a 17-point effort. The Wildcats hit 3-balls at a 9-for-19 rate (47.4%) to help overcome woeful FT shooting (14-of-25, 56.0%).

Kansas State failed to cover the number in last Sunday’s 50-43 win over UMBC as a 10.5-point ‘chalk.’ Brown led the way again with 18 points to help his club overcome 1-of-12 shooting from downtown (8.3%). Makol Mawien added 11 points, six rebounds and a pair of blocked shots.

This sent Weber’s team to ‘Catlanta to face what was a virtually a road game against Kentucky in Thursday’s region semifinal. For decades, the UK fan base has been notorious for taking over the city of Atlanta for SEC Tournaments, which used to be played at the Georgia Dome nearly every year.

But Big Blue Nation was of no help to the ‘Cats on Thursday, nor was the abysmal FT shooting of freshman P.J. Washington, who had 18 points, 15 rebounds and three steals but went 8-of-20 at the charity stripe.

Kansas State won a 61-58 decision as a 5.5-point underdog, hooking up money-line supporters with a payout in the +210 range. The 119 combined points dropped ‘under’ the 136.5-point total.

Xavier Sneed was the catalyst, scoring 22 points to go with nine rebounds, two steals and one assist without a turnover. He wasn’t available at crunch time after fouling out, though. In fact, overtime would’ve been real scary for KSU with three players fouling out with time to spare in regulation.

But as it has throughout the Tournament to date, KSU got the stops when it needed them most. Brown added 13 points, three boards and three assists. Wade finally played but the foot injury slowed him down and limited him to only eight minutes of playing time. He had four points, one rebound and one steal.

Wade is listed as ‘questionable’ against the Ramblers. He averages 16.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.8 blocked shots per game. Brown (16.0 PPG) averages team-highs in assists (3.3 APG) and steals (1.8 SPG), while Sneed averages 11.0 points and 5.1 RPG. Mawien (6.9 PPG, 3.4 RPG) is the team’s rim protector with 1.2 blocked shots per contest.

Loyola-Chicago (31-5 SU, 22-9 ATS) has tasted defeat just once since Jan. 5, winning 20 of its past 21 games with the lone defeat coming by a 69-67 count at Bradley on Jan. 31. Since then, the Ramblers have won 13 games in a row while producing a 10-3 spread record. If the line holds and leaves them as underdogs, they’ll feel perfectly comfortable in that role that’s resulted in a 6-1-1 spread record with six outright victories.

Moses’s team beat Miami 64-62 as a 1.5-point ‘dog thanks to Deonte Ingram’s 3-ball from well beyond the top of the key to beat the horn. Clayton Custer scored 14 points and handed out four helpers without committing a turnover. Ingram had 13 points and seven rebounds, while Aundre Jackson had 12 points. Cameron Krutwig chipped in 11 points and four boards on 4-of-6 FGAs.

Loyola-Chicago needed Custer’s go-ahead basket with 3.6 ticks left to nip third-seeded Tennessee by a 63-62 count as a five-point underdog in the Round of 32. The Ramblers had balanced scoring with seven players producing six points or more. Jackson had a game-high 16 points on 5-of-7 FGAs, while Custer tallied 10 points on 4-of-5 FGAs and 2-of-2 shooting from long distance.

In a Loyola-Chicago section at Philips Arena on Thursday, there was a sign reading, “Mission From God.” This was obviously referencing the Chicago-centric movie, “The Blues Brothers,” featuring star actors John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. It also had to somewhat elude to one of this Tournament’s beloved characters, 98-year-old Sister Jean Dolores-Schmidt, the nun and team chaplain whose popularity continues to rise.

Sister Jean had Loyola making the Sweet 16 in her bracket, but she didn’t pick her school to advance further. Well, her pre-tourney prediction was off the mark as the Ramblers beat Nevada 68-68 thanks to Marques Townes’s 3-pointer from the right wing off a shot fake and a dribble just before the shot-clock buzzer to put his team up four with 6.1 seconds remaining.

Townes stole the show in the ATL, scoring 18 points on 6-of-10 FGAs. He had five assists, four rebounds and one steal while also hitting both of his attempts form downtown and all four of his FTs. Custer added 15 points, four assists, three rebounds and three steals, while Jackson also finished with 15 points.

Custer paces the Ramblers in scoring (13.4 PPG), assists (4.2 APG) and steals (1.5 SPG). All five starters average in double figures, with Ingram, Jackson and Townes averaging 11.2 PPG apiece. Krutwig (10.4 PPG) paces Loyola in rebounding (6.3 RPG) and FG percentage (60.0%).

The Ramblers are extremely efficient at both ends of the floor, ranking fifth in the nation in scoring defense (62.4 PPG) and third in field-goal percentage (50.7%). They are 19th in the country in 3-point accuracy (39.7%).

After cashing in their eighth straight game in Thursday’s win over UNR, the ‘under’ improved to 20-12 overall for the Ramblers.

The ‘under’ has been a winner in all three of K-State’s Tournament games and is now 21-11-1 overall.

TBS will have the telecast with the tip scheduled for 6:05 p.m. Eastern.

[StarDust Bum]

West Regional Final
March 23, 2018

When I was on the “Out of Bounds Show” with Qualk and Kelly on a 105.5 The Roar in Clemson on Wednesday afternoon, they asked me how I felt about Michigan, the team I picked to win it all. I said, “Michigan played terrible last weekend and yet still advanced. It got through the first weekend without playing well and still has a pulse. That’s a great thing and I expect them to play lights out moving forward.”

Of course, John Beilein’s team will need to play lights out three more times to cut the nets down in San Antonio. But if Thursday’s run-away-and-hide beatdown of Texas A&M was any indicator, Michigan’s chances to get to San Antonio and thrive are looking good.

The Aggies were fresh off dealing out a pimpslap of their own the previous Sunday, when they destroyed North Carolina 86-65 as seven-point underdogs in the Round of 32. But Billy Kennedy’s bunch was on the receiving end Thursday at Staples Center in Los Angeles, where the Wolverines rolled out to a 52-28 halftime lead and coasted to a 99-72 triumph.

Michigan (31-7 straight-up, 24-12-1 against the spread)easily covered the way-too-short 2.5-point number. The 171 combined points dropped ‘under’ the 136-point total.

Muhammad-Ali-Abdur-Rahkman led the way with 24 points, five rebounds, one steal and seven assists compared to just one turnover. Mo Wagner added 21 points, three boards and two steals while shooting making 8-of-12 FGAs, all three of his launches from downtown and both of his FTAs. Charles Matthews had 18 points and five boards, draining 8-of-11 FGAs. Zavier Simpson contributed 11 points, six steals, five assists and four rebounds. Duncan Robinson was also in double figures with 10 points, as he buried 2-of-3 launches from 3-point land.

Before blasting Texas A&M, Michigan had to overcome an early 10-0 deficit to Montana, the winner of the Big Sky’s regular-season title and Tournament championship. The Wolverines would shake that poor start off and lead by three at halftime. Then they outscored the Grizzlies 30-19 in the final 20 minutes to pull away for a 61-47 victory as 10-point favorites. The 108 combined points dipped ‘under’ the 134-point total.

Matthews stole the show with 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Abdur-Rahkman added 11 points, five boards, two assists and two steals.

Waiting for Beilein’s bunch in the Round of 32 was Houston, which closed last Saturday night as a 3.5-point underdog. Neither team would build a lead of more than six points in this back-and-forth affair. The Cougars seemed to be in control late in the final minute but Devin Davis, who had made his first eight free throws of the game, missed three of his last four. The final miss came with UH holding a two-point lead and gave Michigan one last chance.

The Wolverines advanced the ball into the front court and passed to freshman Jordan Poole, who only had time to catch, elevate and shoot a deep 3-ball from the right wing. The buzzer sounded with the ball in mid-air just before it caught nothing but nylon. Final Score: Michigan 64, Houston 63.

Kelvin Sampson’s club took the cash however as 3.5-point underdogs. Abdur-Rahkman and Wagner shared team-best scoring honors with 12 points apiece. Matthews and Robinson chipped in with 11 points apiece.

Wagner paces the Wolverines in scoring (14.4 points per game), rebounding (6.9 RPG) and FG percentage (53.1%). Matthews is averaging 12.9 points and 5.5 RPG, but he’s a liability from the FT line (57.0%). Abdur-Rahkman (12.9 PPG, 3.9 RPG) has a remarkable 128/28 assist-to-turnover ratio and makes 38.5 percent of his 3-pointers. Simpson (7.4 PPG) is the team leader in assists (3.7 APG) and steals (1.3 SPG).

As of Friday afternoon, most books had Michigan listed as a 4.5-point ‘chalk’ with a total of 143.5. The Seminoles are +170 on the money line (risk $100 to win $170).

Michigan is ranked ninth in the nation in scoring defense, limiting foes to 63.3 PPG. The Wolverines are 10-6 ATS in 16 games as single-digit favorites.

FSU (23-11 SU, 18-13 ATS) was in a 1-7 ATS slump entering the Tournament, but it has taken the cash in all three of its Tourney victories. Leonard Hamilton’s team caught a break when Missouri’s second-leading scorer Jordan Barnett was suspended for its opener after being arrested on DUI charges.

Barnett might not have made any difference because FSU took control early and darted out to a 42-20 halftime lead. The Seminoles cruised to a 67-54 win as 1.5-point favorites. Trent Forrest scored eight points, grabbed six rebounds, had three steals, blocked two shots and dished out eight assists compared to only one turnover. Mfiondu Kabengele finished with 14 points, 12 rebounds and two blocked shots.

FSU took on top-seeded Xavier in Nashville last Sunday night and found itself trailing by 12 points midway through the second half. The Seminoles’ defense was dominant at crunch time, however, forcing six turnovers in the Musketeers’ final nine possessions. An 18-4 run to end the game lifted the ‘Noles to a 75-70 victory as 5.5-point underdogs.

Braian Angola scored 16 points to go with six rebounds, three assists, two steals and one blocked shot. Forrest added 13 points, five boards, four steals and three assists.

After playing late Sunday night in Music City, FSU had to travel back to Tallahassee. Then after spending less than 36 hours at home, the ‘Noles had to make the cross-country flight to L.A. to meet Gonzaga, which has played in Boise on Thursday and Saturday of the previous weekend.

These travel factors that seemed advantageous to Mark Few’s team didn’t matter. FSU took a comfortable lead early and had a counter for every run Gonzaga tried to make. Hamilton’s bunch won a 75-60 decision as a six-point underdog to advance to the program’s first Elite Eight appearance since it lost to Kentucky in 1993 with a Pat Kennedy team that featured players like Charlie Ward, Sam Cassell, Doug Edwards, Rodney Dobard and Bobby Sura.

Terance Mann led the way past the ‘Zags with 18 points and five rebounds. Angola and C.J. Walker contributed nine points apiece, but this win was mostly about defense. The Bulldogs made only 33.9 percent of their FGAs and just 5-of-20 (25.0%) launches from long distance.

FSU owns a 6-5 spread record with five outright victories in 11 games as an underdog this season.

Mann averages team-bests in scoring (12.9 PPG), rebounding (5.5 RPG) and FG percentage (56.5%). Phil Cofer averages 12.8 PPG and buries 37.9 percent of his 3-pointers.

The ‘under’ is 18-16-2 overall for Michigan, going 2-0 in its first two games of the Tournament.

The ‘over’ is 17-15 overall for FSU despite three straight ‘unders’ in this Tournament.

These schools met in the first round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament, with FSU winning 87-66 as a 7.5-point favorite. They haven’t squared off since Nov. 22 of 2013 when Michigan won 82-80 in overtime as a two-point ‘chalk.’ Nik Stauskas scored 26 points to help the Wolverines overcome a 10-point intermission deficit.

Tip-off at Staples Center in L.A. is scheduled for 8:45 p.m. Eastern on TBS.

[StarDust Bum]

Hamilton fosters Florida State's spirit
March 23, 2018

LOS ANGELES (AP) Florida State takes its win-by-committee philosophy seriously.

The Seminoles crowded six players on the dais with coach Leonard Hamilton for Friday's news conference at Staples Center. They were only required to bring five, but nobody gets left out on this team, including the walk-ons.

Most coaches shorten their bench the closer they get to the Final Four, but Hamilton won't consider going away from his 11-man rotation. As a result, every player believes they are equally as important as their teammates.

''The coaches preach all the time it's going to be a different guy every night,'' forward Phil Cofer said. ''Everybody is definitely locked into helping each other.''

Ninth-seeded Florida State (23-11) plays No. 3 seed Michigan (31-7) on Saturday in the West Region final. A victory would move the Seminoles into the Final Four for the second time in school history. They lost to UCLA in the 1972 national championship game.

''We always envisioned this and we always talked about it,'' guard Terance Mann said, ''so to finally be here definitely means a lot.''

The Seminoles have knocked off three higher-seeded teams in the NCAA Tournament, including No. 1 Xavier in the second round.

Each opponent experienced Florida State's so-called junkyard defense, a scrappy mindset embodied by pressuring the ball and going after little things like steals and deflections.

''Playing hard to exhaustion,'' Cofer adds. ''That's one of the key things of our junkyard defense.''

At one time, the Seminoles kept a picture of a dog with a collar in the locker room and each player touched it on their way to the court.

''We want to be like junkyard dogs that really want to protect their yard,'' Hamilton said, adding with a laugh, ''It doesn't always work now. Sometimes we run into some junkyard lions, elephants.''

''Coach Ham,'' as he's known to his players, has fostered an unselfish spirit among his players despite initial skepticism.

''Everybody at first was like, `Uh, I don't know about this,''' Cofer said, ''but when we started winning games it kind of changes everything.''

And when they're trailing and the outcome is in doubt, Hamilton is in his players' ears with positivity.

''He's always encouraging us,'' Cofer said. ''We even get down on ourselves and he just keeps telling us to keep pushing through. It gives us confidence. It feels like a second father.''

Hamilton credits his upbringing in the church for his nurturing manner. Growing up in the South, he would attend a different church every Sunday with his grandmother. Living close enough to hear the church organ in his bedroom, he developed a passion for gospel music and owns a record label.

''It's kind of my way of giving back,'' he said.

Hamilton, who at 69 could pass for someone much younger, is known to dance and joke with his players. He doesn't drink or smoke, although he admits to cursing ''every once in a while.''

In his three years at Florida State, Mann has seen a number of former players who come back and visit Hamilton, and also reach out to the current team.

That sense of community, more than his 1978 national championship ring as a Kentucky assistant or his other coaching honors, is what Hamilton enjoys.

''I'm more excited about when they graduate and get their degrees, when I get a chance to go to their weddings and be the godfather to their kids,'' the coach said.

With Michigan and its 12-game winning streak looming, Hamilton is eager to see his players create more memories they can cherish the rest of their lives.

''I hope that my reward would be to see the smiles on their face and hear their tone of voice and the excitement in it if we can win this game tomorrow,'' he said. ''This is a bunch of guys that are connected together. They cheer for one another.''

[StarDust Bum]

Michigan shoots for Final Four berth
March 23, 2018

LOS ANGELES (AP) No. 9 seed Florida State (23-11) vs. No. 3 seed Michigan (31-7)

Final, West Region, Los Angeles, Saturday, approximately 8:49 p.m.

BOTTOM LINE: Michigan could earn a trip to its first Final Four since 2013 by setting a school record with its 32nd victory, but the Big Ten tournament champions must avoid becoming the fourth consecutive upset victim of Florida State. The Seminoles are surprisingly on the brink of the second Final Four in school history after extending the momentum from their upset of top-seeded Xavier last week by knocking out Gonzaga.

BIGGER NUMBERS: After mostly muddling through last week's opening NCAA Tournament games, the Wolverines hit their offensive stride with a 99-point thrashing of Texas A&M in the Sweet Sixteen. Coach John Beilein credits his players' embrace of their up-tempo, aggressive approach while hitting nearly 62 percent of their shots. Michigan had five double-digit scorers in the Sweet Sixteen game, while Florida State had just one while beating Gonzaga.

RARE AIR: Florida State is in the Elite Eight for just the third time in school history, while Michigan has made it three times in the last six years alone. These Seminoles probably aren't coach Leonard Hamilton's most talented team, but they embrace his motto of ''18 Strong'' by playing tremendous team ball on both ends, focused on game-changing defense. Florida State's only other Final Four trip came in 1972.

ON A ROLL: Michigan's 12-game winning streak is the second-longest in the nation thanks to the Seminoles, who ended the Zags' 16-game winning streak.

QUOTABLE: ''We realize they have a unique system. They have a 7-footer that shoots 40 percent (on 3-pointers), which is unusual in itself. We have a couple of 7-footers that are more low post-type guys that don't guard people on the perimeter as well as probably you would need to. So we have adjustments we're going to have to make.'' - Hamilton on Moritz Wagner, Michigan's sharpshooting German big man

[StarDust Bum]

Loyola to test Kansas State's strong D in regional final
March 23, 2018

ATLANTA (AP) Kansas State has been an afterthought through the NCAA Tournament - until now.

Even in the South Region, where the top four seeds were bounced out on the first weekend - a first for the NCAA Tournament - no one was really talking about these Wildcats.

There were those other Wildcats from Kentucky, which Kansas State sent home; the comeback kids from Nevada and of course the feel-good story of the tournament, Loyola-Chicago.

''We played with a chip on our shoulder throughout the whole season, just trying to prove people wrong,'' said Kansas State guard Kamau Stokes. ''And I feel like we're showing them.''

The ninth-seeded Wildcats are indeed making a point. And so is their opponent Saturday night, No. 11 Loyola.

It is an unlikely pairing to play for a Final Four berth.

No. 9 vs. No. 11 in the Elite Eight, another NCAA Tournament first.

But then again, perhaps Kansas State's path to the regional final should not be seen as a surprise. The Wildcats have brought back-alley toughness to the Elite Eight. They don't back down.

They are winning with consistently strong defense that is proving to be the equalizer against higher seeds.

''I don't feel like anyone should pay attention to seeds because they are just opinions, you know? Opinions,'' Stokes said. ''The Top 25 is all opinions and then of course you have to win to get to this tournament. So, once you get here, it's like seeds don't matter at this point.''

Kansas State's opponents can't win if they can't score, and the Wildcats (25-11) have held seven straight teams below 59 points. The latest demonstration of Kansas State's defensive prowess came in Thursday night's 61-58 win over Kentucky, which was held to a season scoring low.

Asked on Friday to define Kansas State basketball, junior Barry Brown said ''First off, it's defending. We take a lot of pride on defense.''

Coach Bruce Weber said ''there's no doubt'' Brown is the team's defensive catalyst.

''When he was a freshman, I said, who's going to be our defensive stopper, and he's very stubborn,'' said Weber of Brown. ''He's a little bit confident, overconfident, but he said `I am going to be, coach.' ... He's been the leader. Xavier (Sneed) has really taken some pride as the season has gone on in being a stopper. We've convinced him of that. And then the other guys just have kind of bought into it.''

Loyola (31-5) has won its three NCAA Tournament games by a combined four points.

In each NCAA win the Ramblers found a different player to deliver the big shot in the closing seconds. In Thursday night's 69-68 win over Nevada, only 6.3 seconds remained in the game when Marques Townes barely beat the shot clock with his crucial 3-pointer.

Loyola's 13-game winning streak, the longest active streak in the nation, has left the Ramblers one win away from only the second Final Four appearance in school history. The 1963 team won the national championship.

Kansas State will play for its first Final Four berth since 1964.

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Here are some more things to know about the Loyola-Kansas State regional final.

LONG-AWAITED REVENGE: Former Kansas State player Ernie Barrett, who played on the team that lost to Kentucky in the 1951 national championship game, hugged players in the locker room following Thursday night's game.

Kansas State had been 0-9 against Kentucky before the regional semifinal. Barrett, 88, had to wait a long time to see his Wildcats finally beat Kentucky.

''It means a lot to us and this program, to the K-State history,'' Brown said Friday. ''He's been to a lot of our practices just to be there and see the hard work that we put in. ... We just wanted to go out there and just do it for him. And once we got it done, I knew he was so proud, was so happy ... just hugging everyone.''

MVC, TAKE A BOW: Loyola coach Porter Moser said his team's success in the tournament should bring more respect to the Missouri Valley Conference.

''I think there's a lot of parity in the game, and I love it for our league,'' Moser said. ''There was a lot of talk that we weren't going to get in if we didn't win the tournament, and we know in the Missouri Valley how good a league it is from top to bottom.''

RESPECT FOR LOYOLA: Weber has tried to make sure his players respect Loyola, even if they may not know much about the team or its history.

''I told the guys, you can't look at the name, you can't look at the league,'' Weber said. ''You've got to look at the team. They're a good team, and I mentioned they beat Florida at Florida earlier in the year, they beat Tennessee who won the SEC; they beat Miami out of the ACC. So they've got to be pretty good, and whatever they've done here as of late, they're hot.''

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday's Best Bet
March 23, 2018

Saturday's Elite 8 Best Bet
Florida State Seminoles vs. Michigan Wolverines - (TBS, 8:40 p.m. ET)

The first wave of Elite Eight games is upon us and I can't imagine many expected the four teams involved in Saturday's contests to all still be standing at this juncture. Three of the four teams were seeded #9 or worse, but make no mistake about it, all four of the teams playing on Saturday deserve to be in the position they are in.

The latter of the two games on Saturday is the one I'm choosing to focus on here, but for those of you that may be action junkies, I would suggest leaning towards Kansas State ML/ATS to win the first contest and get to the Final Four.

Loyola's run has been spectacular, but their luck may be on short supply (they've won their three games by a combined 4 points) against this K-State team that is just brimming with confidence after each impressive win of their own.

Michigan (-4.5); Total set at 143.5

There may not be enough superlatives in the English language to describe how dominant Michigan's shooting performance was in the Sweet 16 against Texas A&M, as the Wolverines came out firing from the outset and basically couldn't miss. That game was over within the first 10 minutes of the contest, and the 99 points Michigan put up was by far their biggest point total of the year against a Division I school.

Michigan hit nearly 60% of their three-pointers taken, and the 61.9% field goal percentage they finished the game with was impressive. Moritz Wagner had by far his best game of the tournament and he and the other Wolverines will be looking for a duplicate performance on Saturday. But will they get it?

It is almost with certainty that I can say there is no chance Michigan's offense replicates the performance we saw on Thursday night and that's actually bad news for Wolverines fans. Obviously it's a different opponent and a different attack strategy is likely needed, but we've seen it time and time again in this sport that teams that shoot the lights out of a building one night often have a tough time getting anything to drop the next time out.

Thankfully that game was more anomaly then common occurrence for the Wolverines, as they are a defensive-minded group that prefers to win games 70-65, but I wouldn't be surprised if Michigan struggles to get more than 65 points here. Florida State has only allowed an average of 61.3 points per game in this tournament and that's against three teams that were all ranked higher than the Seminoles.

Sleeping on that number and who it has come against would be a big mistake if you are considering laying the chalk with Michigan here, and when you combine that with the strong likelihood of the Wolverines coming back down to earth with their shooting numbers, there are two best bets that come to light for this game.

The first would be on the total and taking it to finish well below this number. Florida State's season averages (80 points for, 73 points against) and Michigan's scoring bonanza on Thursday have played a big role in putting this number in the 140's, but anything in that range is still too high in my opinion.

The Seminoles have found a tremendous amount of success this tournament by locking things up defensively, using a rotation that is 10 or 11 deep, and frustrating the opposition with countless different looks to break up any sort of rhythm they might have.

Michigan prefers to play a slower pace and keep games in the low 60's when they can and that's likely what they'll look to do here. Statistically the Seminoles can put points up in a hurry and Michigan knows that, so slowing the game down and letting their own defense try to take control will be a big part of the gameplan.

Furthermore, of all the times Michigan scored 80+ in a game and cashed an 'over' ticket in the process, the next time out saw the Wolverines go 0-6-1 O/U this year and the lone push came because OT was needed. This game will end up being a race to 65 and that gives us plenty of wiggle room to cash this 'under.'

The second play I'm looking at for this game is grabbing the points with FSU. If it does indeed turn out to be a race to 65, I prefer Florida State's chances in that regard as they are the ones that are coming off back-to-back 75 point performances against the likes of Xavier and Gonzaga, and when push comes to shove late and either of these teams absolutely need a bucket to close it out, siding with the better offensive team getting points is never a bad option.

Also, I've already touched on the idea that Michigan's offense will come back down to earth here, and depending on how far that fall ends up being, Florida State could be a very live dog to win this game outright and by a big number.

The Seminoles have had the much tougher path to get to this point and unlike Michigan, they didn't need a miracle three-pointer at the buzzer to simply survive. This Seminoles team has too much depth and offensive talent not to be in this game until the final shot (if they even need it) and giving me multiple possession points here is just too good to pass up.

Best Bet: Florida State +4.5

[StarDust Bum]

NCAA Tournament Elite Eight betting preview and odds: Florida State vs. Michigan

The West Region wraps up Saturday night with Michigan taking on Florida State with a trip to the Final Four on the line. The Wolverines haven't lost a game in more than a month, winning 12 straight and covering in 10 of those wins.

(9) Florida State Seminoles vs (3) Michigan Wolverines (-4.5, 143.5)

Third-seeded Michigan looks to stay on course for its second Final Four appearance in six years when it faces No. 9 seed Florida State in the West Regional Final on Saturday in Los Angeles. The Wolverines set a new NCAA Tournament single-game record as eight players made at least one 3-pointer in the impressive 99-72 win against seventh-seeded Texas A&M on Thursday to advance to the Elite 8 for the third time in their last five tournament appearances.

Michigan, which is coming off its most points scored in an NCAA Tournament game since 1992, has won 12 straight games, including nine in a row away from home, and can set a single-season program record with their 32nd victory at the Staples Center. Florida State overpowered No. 4 seed Gonzaga 75-60 to reach the Elite 8 for the first time since 1993. The Seminoles, who had one player finish in double figures against the Bulldogs, blocked nine shots while holding Gonzaga to 33.9 percent shooting from the floor en route to the upset and hope to put the defensive clamps on the hot-shooting Wolverines to reach their first Final Four in 46 years. "We're a team that operates with the philosophy that we have to win games by committee," Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton told reporters. "They're all able to contribute offensively and defensively because of that philosophy."

TV: 8:49 p.m. ET, TBS

LINE HISTORY: Michigan opened as 4.5-point favorites and heading into game day the line remains at the opening number. The total hit betting boards at 143 and has been bet up slightly to 143.5.

BETTING STATS:



ABOUT FLORIDA STATE: Terance Mann led the way with 18 points to go along with five rebounds despite being hampered by a groin injury while Braian Angola and C.J. Walker each added nine points in the win against Gonzaga. Trent Forrest provided a big spark off the bench with seven points, six rebounds and six assists while fellow reserve Mfiondu Kabengele was an intimidating force in the paint as he registered a game-high four blocks against the Bulldogs. "It feels great," Forrest told reporters. "We're a team that from the beginning of the season knew that we could make it as far as we wanted to."

ABOUT MICHIGAN: Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman scored 16 of his team-leading 24 points in the second half and dished out seven assists against Texas A&M after shooting a combined 7-of-26 from the floor in his previous two NCAA Tournament games. Moritz Wagner bounced back from two pedestrian performances as he tallied 14 of his 21 points in the first half to set the offensive tone as the Wolverines finished 14-of-24 from 3-point range against the Aggies. Charles Matthews continued his stellar play in the tournament by adding 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting while Zavier Simpson contributed 11 points, six steals and five assists.

MATCHUP CHART:



TRENDS:

* Florida State is 4-0 ATS in its last four non-conference games.
* Michigan is 5-1 ATS in its last six games following a SU win.
* Under is 7-1 in Florid State's last eight non-conference games.
* Under is 4-0-1 in Michigan's last five games after scoring more than 90 points in its previous game.

CONSENSUS: Consensus data is showing 68 percent of bettors taking the chalk from Michigan, while 70 percent of totals wagers are on the Over.

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NCAA Tournament Elite Eight betting preview and odds: Loyola-Chicago vs. Kansas State

The bracket busting South Region wraps up Saturday with Loyola-Chicago taking on Kansas State with a ticket to the Final Four on the line. Neither team was projected to make it out of the first weekend and the Ramblers have won three NCAA tournament games by a combined four points.

(11) Loyola-Chicago Ramblers vs (9) Kansas State Wildcats (-1.5, 126.5)

An unlikely trip to the Final Four wouldn’t mark uncharted territory for Loyola Chicago or Kansas State, but neither team has advanced that far in more than five decades. The teams that busted up the NCAA Tournament’s South Regional bracket - the ninth-seeded Wildcats and the 11th-seeded Ramblers - square off Saturday in Atlanta with a long-awaited return to the Final Four on the line.

Kansas State is in the Elite Eight for the first time since 2010, but the Wildcats lost the last six times they had a chance to advance to the Final Four. Their last trip came in 1964 - one year after Loyola claimed the national title in their only Final Four trip. The Ramblers were a power in the 1960s but hadn’t been in the NCAA Tournament since 1985 before this year’s Cinderella run in which the Ramblers have won three games by a total of four points, including a 69-68 win over No. 7 seed Nevada on Thursday. Kansas State, which overcame foul trouble to escape with a 61-58 win over No. 5 seed Kentucky on Thursday, will be the lowest-seeded team Loyola has faced thus far after beating the Nos. 6, 3, and 7 seeds.

TV: 6:09 p.m. ET, TBS

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened Kansas State as 1-point chalk and heading into game day they have been bet up to -1.5 at most books. The total hit betting boards at 127 and has dropped slightly to 126.5.

BETTING STATS:



ABOUT LOYOLA CHICAGO: The Ramblers have won 13 straight - the longest streak in the nation - and 20 of their last 21. They closed out the win over Nevada by shooting 75 percent in the second half, as Marques Townes (11.2 points) and Aundre Jackson (11.2 points) made key 3-pointers down the stretch. Five players averaged double-digit scoring with Clayton Custer (13.4) - the hero of the Tennessee win - leading the way.

ABOUT KANSAS STATE: Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the Wildcats’ run through the tournament - which was aided by No. 16 seed Maryland-Baltimore County knocking off overall No. 1 seed Virginia - is the fact they’ve done it with very little contribution from leading scorer and rebounder Dean Wade (16.2 points, 6.2 rebounds). The 6-10 center missed the first two games with a foot injury and was limited to eight minutes against Kentucky. Point guard Barry Brown (16 points, 3.3 assists) and swingman Xavier Sneed (11 points, 5.1 rebounds) have stepped up to carry the load in his absence.

MATCHUP CHART:



TRENDS:

* Loyola-Chicago is 5-0 ATS in its last five neutral site games.
* Under is 8-0 in Loyola-Chicago's last eight games following a straight up win.
* Under is 7-0 in Loyola-Chicago's last seven neutral site games.
* Under is 6-1 in Kansas State's last seven neutral site games.

CONSENSUS: Consensus data is showing 54 percent of bettors taking the favorites from Kansas State, while 53 percent of totals wagers are on the Over.