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

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Chalk time: Blue bloods Kansas, 'Nova, Duke interrupt upsets
March 24, 2018

We interrupt this March for underdogs with a reality check from some of college basketball's blue bloods.

Kansas, Villanova and Duke are still alive in the NCAA Tournament, ready to tilt the bracket back toward the favorites.

Call Friday the exception to what has been an extraordinarily-maddening, upset-laden March. One that showcased three powerhouse teams, each good enough to be deemed the favorite if they reach the national title game.

In the East, top-seeded Villanova held up to fifth-seeded West Virginia's pressure. In the Midwest, top-seeded Kansas staved off fifth-seeded Clemson's late comeback attempt.

No. 2 seed Duke solved 11th-seeded Syracuse's zone to advance, too, and set up a star-powered regional final on Sunday against the Jayhawks.

Order restored in the tourney - at least for one night.

''But they say this time of year is survive and advance, and we were able to do that,'' Kansas coach Bill Self said after his team held on for a four-point win in the Midwest Region.

Villanova will face Texas Tech in the East final after the third-seeded Red Raiders beat a second-seeded Purdue team without injured starting center Isaac Haas.

The East and Midwest are on the right half of the NCAA tourney bracket, the half that hasn't had as many upsets. That foursome of teams alone would have made for an intriguing Final Four. Even Syracuse doesn't really count as a Cinderella team given its title-winning history.

Underdogs rule the left side.

No. 3 Michigan is the highest seed remaining in that half of the bracket and will face No. 9 seed Florida State in the West Region final on Saturday. In the South final, ninth-seeded Kansas State will face 11th-seeded Loyola-Chicago and its 98-year-old scouting chaplain and social media star, Sister Jean. It's the type of foursome that might meet in some early-season nonconference tournament held in Hawaii.

No favorite feels safe anymore in the NCAAs after 16th-seeded UMBC's history-making win over No. 1 overall seed Virginia last week in the first round.

''I'm not surprised there's low seeds in here. I mean, things happen,'' Ramblers coach Porter Moser said about the Elite Eight. ''They're finding ways to win, and things happen this time of year, especially when you get a group that just believes and has made some really clutch shots down the stretch.''

Kansas guard Devonte' Graham said all the upsets have helped his team to avoid overlooking opponents.

''But also we just know we've got to be focused,'' Graham added. ''If we slip up and don't come prepared, it's going to be the end of the season.''

Under pressure, Kansas passed its test, just like Villanova.

The Wildcats followed a familiar formula, shooting over Press Virginia from the 3-point arc to overcome 16 turnovers.

Villanova didn't wilt in the face of the pressure. Coach Jay Wright decided to attack it head-on.

''So when I started watching film, I just thought, man, this is a tough matchup,'' Wright said, ''and if we survive this, we're a pretty mentally tough team, and this is going to be like an old-school, grind-out game.''

Duke also did what is expected of a tourney favorite, outlasting Syracuse thanks in part to its decided talent advantage. No easy feat, by the way, after the Orange's 2-3 zone took down Michigan State in Detroit in the second round.

Perhaps feeling the heat, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski tore off his jacket and threw it to the floor in frustration after calling a timeout early in the second half to slow a Syracuse run. In time, the best player on the court, Duke's Marvin Bagley III, took over on the floor. He had 13 of his 22 points and eight of his nine rebounds in the second half.

''That was a tough game to be a part of. It came down the wire,'' Bagley said.

But for at least one more game, the higher seed prevailed, sanity ruling on a relatively ho-hum Friday.

[StarDust Bum]

TIPPING OFF: Fittingly, low seed to get 1st Final Four spot
March 24, 2018

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) In a wild NCAA Tournament full of upsets, it's somehow appropriate that the first ticket to the Final Four will go to a No. 9 or No. 11 seed.

And the second could go to another 9-seed.

Welcome to the madder half of the March Madness bracket. The Elite Eight games Saturday in the South and West lack the Selection Sunday favorites and instead feature a surging 3-seed (Big Ten champion Michigan), two teams who were power-conference also-rans (No. 9 seeds Florida State and Kansas State) and the upstart (11-seed Loyola-Chicago).

The Wildcats and the Ramblers meet in the first regional final to wrap up the South bracket in Atlanta, then the Wolverines and Seminoles meet in Los Angeles.

Further down the line, one of those teams will end up playing for the national championship in San Antonio.

It's quite a feat considering three of those teams faced at least some bubble uncertainty in the final month of the regular season. And that was particularly true of the Ramblers (31-5) , who went 15-3 in their Missouri Valley Conference but could have easily been left out of the field of 68 had they not won the league tournament.

Yet, the Ramblers beat 6-seed Miami 64-62 in the first round on 3-pointer by Donte Ingram with 0.3 seconds left. Then came a 63-62 second-round win against third-seeded Tennessee on another late shot, this one a jumper from Clayton Custer with 3.6 seconds left. And finally, they held off No. 7 seed Nevada 69-68 in the Sweet 16, putting them a win away from the national semifinals for the first time since winning the 1963 national title .

Whew.

''I think there's a lot of parity in the game, and I love it for our league,'' Ramblers coach Porter 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. And for us to get in here, I think it's going to spark conversation about this, and I know the committees have such a hard job.''

Now they're meeting the Wildcats in the first 9-vs-11 game in NCAA Tournament history.

Kansas State (25-11) caught a break when UMBC pulled the first 16-vs-1 upset of top overall seed Virginia, allowing the Wildcats to avoid the Cavaliers in the second round. Kansas State beat UMBC then took out Kentucky's latest crop of touted freshmen to reach its first regional final since 2010 and second since 1988.

''We know that every team right now is trying to make history,'' Kansas State guard Barry Brown Jr. said.

Here are things to know about the NCAA Tournament's second week:

ROLLING AGAIN: For the second straight season, the Wolverines (31-7) got hot late in the year to win the Big Ten Tournament title and reach the NCAA regional rounds. Now they're the closest thing to a favorite in their half of the draw.

Last year's team lost by one to Oregon in the Sweet 16, but Michigan blew out Texas A&M on Thursday to reach its third regional final in six seasons.

''I'd prefer more games like that,'' coach John Beilein said afterward. ''I don't think we'll see any more, but I'd prefer it.''

For the record, Michigan has won 12 straight and hasn't lost since falling at Northwestern on Feb. 6 .

LONG WAIT: The last time Florida State was in a regional final, two-sport point guard Charlie Ward was months away from claiming the Heisman Trophy as the Seminoles' quarterback, the Fab Five ruled at Michigan - and the Seminoles were blown out by a Rick Pitino-coached Kentucky team featuring Jamal Mashburn.

That was 1993.

The balanced Seminoles (23-11) got here by upending 1-seed Xavier then beating a 32-win Gonzaga team in the Sweet 16.

''We just don't care who plays or who scores the basket, as long as everybody's happy,'' FSU's Braian Angola said. ''We buy into the system, and that's what we're doing right now.''

SEMBLANCE OF ORDER: The other half of the bracket looks much closer to form.

In the East, Jalen Brunson was fantastic in leading top-seeded Villanova past Press, umm, West Virginia in Friday's Sweet 16. That pushed the Wildcats - the highest overall seed left - into Sunday's regional final in Boston to face third-seeded Texas Tech, which beat 2-seed Purdue.

And in the Midwest, bluebloods Kansas and Duke advanced to a chalk regional final in Omaha, Nebraska. Neither had an easy time of it, with the top-seeded Jayhawks holding off fifth-seeded Clemson while the second-seeded Blue Devils beat No. 11 seed Syracuse in an Atlantic Coast Conference-heavy doubleheader.

CONFERENCE BREAKDOWN: The Big 12 and ACC are leading the way entering the Elite Eight.

The Big 12 earned seven bids and has three teams (Kansas, Texas Tech and Kansas State) still alive to go with an 11-4 tournament record (.733). The ACC tied its own record with nine bids and has two left (Duke and FSU) to go with a 12-7 record (.632).

The Big East (Villanova), Big Ten (Michigan) and Missouri Valley Conference (Loyola-Chicago) have the other spots.

FAIL: ESPN says there were 17.3 million entrees into its bracket contest. And zero -as in nary a one- got the Elite Eight teams correct. So maybe you don't have to feel so badly about your up-in-smoke picks?

[StarDust Bum]

SATURDAY, MARCH 24
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

L-IL at KSU 06:09 PM
L-IL +1.0
O 126.0

FSU at MICH 08:49 PM
MICH -4.0
U 143.0

[StarDust Bum]

Final Four bound: No. 11 Loyola beats Kansas State 78-62
March 24, 2018

ATLANTA (AP) Porter Moser stood in front of the scarf-clad Loyola cheering section, a bit dazed but beaming from ear to ear.

''Are you kidding me! Are you kidding me,'' the Ramblers coach screamed over and over.

No kidding.

Loyola is headed to the Final Four .

An improbable NCAA Tournament took its craziest turn yet Saturday night, when Ben Richardson scored a career-high 23 points and the 11th-seeded Ramblers romped to a 78-62 victory over Kansas State to cap off a stunning run through the bracket-busting South Regional.

The Ramblers (32-5) matched the lowest-seeded team ever to reach the Final Four, joining LSU (1986), George Mason (2006) and VCU (2011). Those other three all lost in the national semifinals.

Don't bet against Loyola, which emerged from a regional that produced a staggering array of upsets. The South became the first regional in tournament history to have the top four seeds - including overall No. 1 Virginia - knocked out on the opening weekend.

In the end, it was the Ramblers cutting down the nets.

After three close calls, this one was downright easy.

''We believed that we could do something like this - do something really special- because we knew we had such good chemistry and we've got such a good group,'' said Richardson, who was named MVP of the regional. ''Everyone would say we were crazy. If we said this was going to happen, people would call us crazy, but you've just got to believe.''

No one believes more than their 98-year-old team chaplain, Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt , who led a prayer in the locker room before the game. Later, she was pushed onto the court in her wheelchair to join the celebration when it was done.

Sister Jean donned a Final Four cap - she even turned it around backward, just to show she's hip to the kids - and gave a gleeful thumbs-up.

She's already looking forward to a bigger game next weekend.

''I'm going to San Antonio,'' she said. ''That's going to be great.''

Also joining the celebration were several players from the Ramblers' 1963 national championship team , which played one of the most socially significant games in college basketball history on its way to the title. It was known as the ''Game of Change,'' matching the Ramblers and their mostly black roster against an all-white Mississippi State team at the height of the civil rights movement, setting up an even more noteworthy contest three years later. Texas Western, with five African-American starters, defeated Kentucky in the national championship game.

Les Hunter, a member of that '63 team, said these Ramblers are capable of bringing home another title.

''I think they're the best right now,'' Hunter said. ''They work so well together. They can play with anybody - anybody - right now.''

Even with a title on its resume, this Loyola performance came out of nowhere. The Ramblers had not made the tournament since 1985 until they broke the drought by winning the Missouri Valley Conference.

Then, as if benefiting from some sort of divine intervention, the Ramblers won their first three tournament games by a total of four points .

Finally, with the Final Four on the line, they turned in a thoroughly dominating performance against the ninth-seeded Wildcats (25-12), the other half of the first 9-vs.-11 matchup in tournament history.

Not the least bit intimidated, Loyola came out in attack mode right from the start against a Kansas State team that rode a stifling defense to the regional final. Moving the ball just as you'd expect from a veteran squad with two seniors and two fourth-year juniors in the starting lineup, the Ramblers kept getting open looks and bolted to a 36-24 lead.

''They jumped out to that big lead and it was tough for us to come back,'' said Xavier Sneed, who led Kansas State with 16 points. ''They kept their foot on the gas.''

The Ramblers shot 57 percent against a team that is used to shutting opponents down, including 9 of 18 from 3-point range.

Kansas State hit just 35 percent from the field - 6 of 26 from beyond the arc.

Early on the second half, Richardson swished a 3-pointer as he was fouled by Kamau Stokes , winding up flat on his back, flashing a huge smile with his arms raised above his head. He knocked down the free throw to complete the four-point play, stretching the lead to 44-29.

Loyola led by as many as 23.

''We're just a bunch of guys that everybody laughed at ... when we thought we were going to play Division I basketball,'' Clayton Custer said. ''Nobody thought we could do any of this.''

They do now.

BIG PICTURE

Loyola: While Richardson was the top scorer, the Ramblers got contributions from everyone. Marques Townes (13 points) and Donte Ingram (12) were also in double figures, while burly freshman center Cameron Krutwig came up big on the inside (nine points, seven rebounds).

Kansas State: The Wildcats were surrendering an average of 53.3 points per game in the NCAA Tournament and had not allowed more than 59 in their first three games. Loyola went by that with more than 9 minutes to go, which was more than enough to hold off the Wildcats even when things got a little sloppy in the closing minutes.

UP NEXT

Loyola: The Ramblers will meet the winner of the West Regional final between Florida State and Michigan next Saturday in San Antonio. They will try to become the lowest-seeded team to win a national championship, a distinction held by No. 8 seed Villanova in 1985.

Kansas State: After their impressive run in the tournament, the Wildcats will face heightened expectations next season. All five starters, plus ailing forward Dean Wade, can return next season.

[StarDust Bum]

Oh Blue!: Michigan nips Florida St 58-54 to reach Final Four
March 24, 2018

LOS ANGELES (AP) Moe Wagner climbed the ladder, snipped the final strand and whipped the net around his head while thousands of Michigan's West Coast fans roared.

The Wolverines hadn't caused much disturbance to those nets at Staples Center during the West Region final. They also knew it didn't matter, because Florida State troubled the twine even less.

When shots aren't falling, Michigan knows it can rely on defense, discipline and tenacity. And by doing all the hard things, the Wolverines muscled their way to the Final Four.

Charles Matthews scored 17 points and Michigan earned its first Final Four berth since 2013 with a 58-54 victory over the Seminoles on Saturday night.

''I've never seen a team work so hard and be so connected on both ends of the floor,'' Michigan coach John Beilein said. ''Even when things do not go right on the offensive end, they were exceptional on defense.''

Wagner added 12 points as the Wolverines (32-7) earned their 13th consecutive victory by persevering through a defense-dominated second half despite shooting 4-for-22 from 3-point range.

After taking a 10-point lead on Duncan Robinson's 3-pointer with 2:26 to play, Michigan's lead dwindled to three before P.J. Savoy missed a potential tying 3-pointer for Florida State with 58 seconds left. The Wolverines held off a late charge from the Seminoles (23-12), who had already knocked off three higher-seeded opponents on their school's longest NCAA Tournament run since 1993.

''We take pride in our defense, so we believe in ourselves,'' said Michigan guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rakhman, who scored nine points on 3-of-9 shooting. ''We knew we had to get stops. We weren't making free throws. That comes with the game sometimes. We just had to continue to get stops.''

With tenacious defense and just enough made free throws down the stretch, Michigan hung on and advanced to San Antonio, Texas, next weekend to face the underdog heroes of Loyola-Chicago (32-5), who stunned the sport by winning the South Region.

The third-seeded Wolverines are much less of a surprise, but the achievement is no less impressive for Beilein's squad, which wore its ''Do More, Say Less'' shirts throughout the week.

Michigan let its fans do the talking: The Wolverines had a distinct home-court advantage from thousands of vocal fans packed into the lower bowl of the Lakers' and Clippers' home arena, and they seemed to need all of those cheers to survive an off shooting night.

''I felt like we were in Ann Arbor,'' Beilein said.

Phil Cofer scored 16 points for the ninth-seeded Seminoles (23-13), who couldn't match their late rally past top-seeded Xavier last week because they simply couldn't score consistently, going 7 for 30 from the field in the second half.

''Even though we were getting good stops, we couldn't get into our offensive flow because they were doing a good job defensively,'' Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton said. ''When we did get into the lane, we didn't finish our plays. The thing about Michigan's team, they are not totally defined by one particular player. They're a complete basketball team.''

Savoy trimmed the Wolverines' lead to 55-52 on a 3-pointer with 1:17 to play. With Michigan fans holding their breath, Savoy then missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer and two more 3-pointers in the final minute, including a final shot under pressure with 12 seconds left.

''They call themselves the junkyard dogs,'' Beilein said, referring to Florida State's nickname for its defense. ''Well, we're pit bulls.''

Michigan's Zavier Simpson and Robinson combined to hit three free throws in the final minute to keep Florida State at bay.

And with Michigan up by four, Florida State allowed the Wolverines to dribble out the clock without fouling again.

BIG PICTURE

Florida State: The loss ended a remarkable March for Hamilton's Seminoles, who hit their stride at the perfect time. Florida State went 9-9 in ACC play and lost in the first round of the conference tournament, but still made the NCAA field and made an impressive run.

Michigan: The Wolverines are carving their own names in their school's rich basketball history with an impressive late-season roll. After winning the Big Ten tournament, Michigan survived a rough opening weekend in Wichita before earning back-to-back wins in Los Angeles. This victory might not contribute many big plays to the highlight videos of this March run, but it's special: Michigan set its school's single-season record for wins, surpassing the 1993 and 2013 squads.

BACKING BLUE

Staples Center was largely packed with maize-and-blue fans of the Wolverines, who have a vast alumni base in California. Beilein predicted a major advantage for his team, and he was proven correct. The crowd included Rudy Tomjanovich, the Michigan alumnus and former Lakers coach, who watched in Wolverines gear near courtside.

CHARLES IN CHARGE

Matthews usually was a complementary scorer during the Big Ten season, but he has stepped into a starring role in the Tournament with three double-digit performances. He added a team-leading eight rebounds.

ROUGH START

The first half wasn't pretty, and Michigan took a 27-26 lead into the break despite failing to get a field goal in the final 5:45. Florida State managed only two points in a 10 1/2-minute stretch spanning halftime, and Michigan took a 10-point lead before Cofer led the Seminoles back into it.

UP NEXT

Florida State: The Seminoles' impressive March should turn plenty of recruits' heads as they continue to bury the myth that Florida State is a football school.

Michigan: Sister Jean awaits in San Antonio.

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday’s 6-pack

Over/under totals for pitching wins this year:

16.5 Max Scherzer

15.5 Justin Verlander

14.5 David Price

13.5 Kyle Hendricks

13.5 Noah Syndergaard

12.5 Johnny Cueto

Quote of the Day
“I really think it could be a record-type thing, this could be another 10 years. Coach (Saban) is extremely healthy, he takes care of himself and you know, people are supposed to lose things as they get up there in age but he doesn’t at all. He doesn’t slow down. He drives himself — he works harder than anyone in the building, regardless of whether it’s a 25-year-old or not. I think him stopping would only be because… by choice he wanted, not for any other reason. He ain’t going to slow down.”
Lane Kiffin, talking about Nick Saban

Sunday’s quiz
Who was the last offensive player the Jets drafted in the first round?

Saturday’s quiz
Lance Alworth, the great WR from the Chargers, 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.

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Sunday’s List of 13: Random weekend stuff…..

13) Loyola, Chi 79, Kansas State 62— Much like #11-seeds George Mason in 2006 and VCU in 2011, who both came from the CAA, Ramblers come from the relative obscurity of the MVC to make the Final Four. No one saw this coming.

Not only has Loyola won four NCAA tourney games, they had to win the MVC tournament or they would’ve been playing in the NIT.

Ramblers didn’t have to play #2-seed Cincinnati after the Bearcats blew a 22-point lead to Nevada. #1-seed Virginia lost to a damn #16-seed, and Loyola took advantage of all that.

Loyola’s first three NCAA tournament wins were by total of four points:
— Ramblers were down 60-55 with 2:46 left in first round vs Miami.
— Loyola needed a lucky bounce on a jumper with 0:03.6 left to nip Tennessee, 63-62
— Loyola was down 20-8 early against Nevada, hung on at the end of its 69-68 win.

12) By way of comparison, two of George Mason’s four NCAA tourney wins in 2011 were by double figures- they were an underdog in three of the four games.

VCU had to win an additional play-in game, but four of their five NCAA tourney wins were by double figure margins- they were an underdog in all five of those wins.

11) A final question on the George Mason/VCU thing; does Porter Moser jump for bigger money? He’ll be in demand. Neither coach at Mason/VCU bolted right away.

In 2006, Jim Larranaga was coach at George Mason; he went 107-59 at Mason the next five years, then jumped to Miami, the ACC and a lot more money.

In 2011, Shaka Smart was VCU’s coach; he went 109-35 the next four years before going to Texas and the big $$$ of the Big X.

10) Michigan 58, Florida State 54— Seminoles went 8:00 without a basket down stretch, then made some questionable decisions on who to foul in last 1:30.

Unusual stat; in the West Region final the last 21 years, underdogs are 17-4 vs spread.

9) I love a good coincidence; USC just hired an assistant basketball coach who has two sons, both of whom are 6-10 or taller and are both in high school. Go figure.

Trojans hired Eric Mobley, an AAU coach for the last 11 years. From ESPN.com:

“His oldest son, Isaiah, is a 6-foot-10 high school junior and the No. 44-ranked prospect in the Class of 2019, while his youngest son, Evan, is 6-foot-10 and considered one of the top players in the country in the Class of 2020.”

I wonder where they’ll go to college?

8) Steph Curry is out with Grade 2 MCL sprain; he might be back for the start of the playoffs.

7) Ferris State 71, Northern State 69— Fun game to watch, for the D2 national title.

Ferris State’s president played the clarinet in the school band during this game. I’m guessing the university president at Kentucky or Duke doesn’t still play in the school band.

Ferris State’s mascot is a bulldog; I’m disappointed they’re not the Ferris Wheels.

6) Dustin Johnson hit a golf ball 489 yards Friday; seriously, he was on a 573-yard par-5 and was 84 yards from the hole for his second shot.

5) It bothers me when baseball teams shift and leave third base totally uncovered; they’re just giving up a base hit to anyone with the basic ability to bunt.

I can see doing it against powerful lefties like Bryce Harper or Freddie Freeman, but against guys who aren’t so great, to me it is just overthinking something that is fairly simple. Maybe the analytics people are trying to justify their position by micromanaging too much.

4) Apparently it costs $30 to park at A’s games this season; for their four home games with the Giants, it’ll cost $50 to park unless you say “Go A’s!!!” at the gate. Trolling Giants’ fans seems a little immature. Paying $30 to park seems a bit excessive.

3) There are rumors around that Gonzaga will be jumping from the WCC to the Mountain West as early as next season, which would give the MW an even dozen teams. Gonzaga is supposed to announce their decision in the next two weeks.

2) #1-seed Kansas is an underdog to Duke today; the previous nine #1-seeds who got points in the regional final went 2-7 SU, 3-6 against the spread.

1) Few years ago, I was at an AAU basketball tournament at Bishop Gorman HS in Las Vegas; I’m sitting in bleachers watching this game when one of the coaches takes his cellphone out while play was going on, looks at a text message, then glares at the couple sitting in front of me and says:

“If you text me again, he’ll never get in!!!!”

Can’t make stuff like that up.

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday's Elite 8 Tip Sheet
March 24, 2018

Game played at TD Garden from Boston, Massachusetts

East Regional - No. 1 Villanova vs. No. 3 Texas Tech (CBS, 2:20 p.m. ET)
Opening Odds: Wildcats -6 ½, Total 144 ½

Tournament favorite Villanova had a very tough battle with West Virginia Friday night as the Mountaineers led early in the second half but a six-point deficit turned into a seven-point lead in a span of about four minutes to completely flip the game around. The Wildcats overcame rebounding and turnover disadvantages to win by 12 with great shooting numbers hitting 23 of 27 free throws for a big edge at the line and hitting 54 percent from 3-point range, an outrageous mark even by Villanova standards.

Villanova was the only Big East team to advance out of the opening weekend of the tournament and Gonzaga was the only Sweet 16 team that the Wildcats beat in the regular season as some scrutiny can be placed on the schedule of the Wildcats. If they can outlast another Big XII team Sunday they will be back in the Final Four for the second time in three years following the 2016 Tournament championship.

This line might be slightly inflated with a higher price than Villanova faced than versus West Virginia with Texas Tech finishing ahead of the Mountaineers in the Big XII standings. The Red Raiders haven’t posted dominant scoring numbers like Villanova and they are in the Elite 8 for the first time in program history led by a defense that ranks third nationally in defensive efficiency.

Texas Tech trailed early in the first two tournament games but after a slow start Friday night the Red Raiders pulled away from Purdue led by a great defensive showing. Unlike West Virginia, Texas Tech has strong numbers defending the 3-point shot which will be critical in this matchup. In the win over Purdue the Boilermakers made just seven 3-point shots and Texas Tech only sent Purdue to the line six times while forcing 17 turnovers against a team that like Villanova possessed a very low turnover rate.

Villanova had 16 turnovers against West Virginia, an incongruent number with the season rate for the Wildcats who have one of the lowest turnover rates in the nation. Texas Tech has good length and athleticism at every spot on the court to fit Chris Beard’s defensive scheme and the Red Raiders will need to play great defense to stay in this game as they won’t win a shooting contest with Villanova.

Texas Tech has benefitted from playing the first two tournament games in Texas in a favorable venue while drawing Purdue without Isaac Haas who was injured in the Round of 64 as the path has featured some good fortune and Texas Tech still trailed at halftime against Stephen F. Austin and Florida. The non-conference schedule for Texas Tech doesn’t grade well overall but the Red Raiders won five times against Sweet 16 teams this season with the Big XII living up to its billing with strong tournament results.

Villanova will likely continue to get heavy support even with the elevated line as the Wildcats are 25-12 ATS on the season while scoring 80 or more points in every tournament game. In the past 11 games vs. top 80 caliber competition however Villanova has three losses and two overtime wins as a lot of the dominance in the statistics was produced early in the season with a 22-1 start.

Battling some late season injuries Texas Tech entered the NCAA Tournament losing five of the final seven games as this tournament run wasn’t expected but it is worth noting that three of those losses came by three or fewer points as this isn’t going to be an easy team to pull away from. Texas Tech has the defensive profile to give Villanova problems but the nation’s top offense has certainly proven capable of shooting its way out of trouble in any matchup.

Game played at CenturyLink Center from Omaha, Nebraska

Midwest Regional - No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 2 Duke (CBS, 5:05 p.m. ET)
Opening Odds: Blue Devils -3 ½, Total 155 ½

In a tournament filled with upsets the Midwest Region has the top two seeds remaining for a heavyweight clash of blue blood programs Sunday to decide the final team into the Final Four. Duke and Kansas have played three times in the last decade in November but haven’t met in the tournament since 2003 with Kansas winning 69-65 in the Sweet 16 in the final season for Roy Williams with the Jayhawks.

Kansas hasn’t looked like an elite national contender this season, stunningly losing three times in Lawrence in what has generally been one of the toughest home courts in the nation. The Jayhawks were only 8-4 in Big XII play in November but they again rallied to win the Big XII title, also delivering the tournament title despite playing some of those games without Udoka Azubuike.

The Jayhawks had a bit of a battle in the 1/16 matchup with Penn trailing early and only slipping past the favorite spread in the final minute of the game. Kansas has four-point wins in the past two contests ironically losing ATS on backdoor covers including a comeback effort from Clemson Friday after Kansas led by 20 in the second half.

The season resume didn’t feature a great deal of notable wins on the non-conference schedule other than beating Kentucky but the Big XII has proven itself with four Sweet 16 teams and three Elite 8 squads, looking like the strongest conference in the nation overall. This year’s team actually has the weakest defensive efficiency ranking in 15 seasons under Bill Self but this is a great offensive team that has shot nearly 41 percent from 3-point range while featuring a very low turnover rate.

Duke turned in big early season wins over Michigan State and Florida but after starting 11-0 the Blue Devils had several surprising losses, falling to Boston College, NC State, and St. John’s. Duke still went 13-5 in ACC play but they drew one of the lighter schedules in the conference and they only won once in the ACC Tournament.

Handed a tough bracket draw with unusual travel for the program plus the expected Sweet 16 matchup with Michigan State the Blue Devils didn’t feel like a great threat to make it to San Antonio. Duke posted 176 points in the first two tournament wins however and they held off Syracuse in an expected grind on Friday night. Facing a #11 seed that likely didn’t even deserve to be in the tournament field in the Sweet 16 has meant a favorable path for Duke as this will certainly be the biggest test for a young Blue Devils squad.

Duke has improved its defense down the stretch with more zone than usual and now holding foes to just 62 points per game over the last 12 contests. Duke has unparalleled size of the remaining teams but lacks the depth and experience of the other contenders, issues that sometimes come into play in the NCAA Tournament setting depending how games get called.

Offensive rebounding is a great area of strength for Duke and they will need those second chance opportunities as Kansas has the stronger shooting profile in this matchup. Duke does have a great 3-point defense holding foes to just over 31 percent shooting from beyond the arc as Kansas will have a hard time maintaining the over 43 percent clip they have hit 3-point shots at so far in the tournament.

A popular Duke team is surprisingly 22-12 ATS this season and only one of 29 Duke wins this season came by fewer than points than the four-point margin Friday night against Syracuse. All seven Kansas losses this season came by five or more points while six of seven Duke losses came by five or fewer points.

Neither team shoots free throws particularly well as there could be some pressure-packed moments down the stretch in this contest in what could be a classic game between two storied programs and high profile coaches. The winner will be expected to draw Villanova in a heavyweight national semifinal that would be fit for a championship game.

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday's Best Bet
March 24, 2018

Sunday Elite Eight Betting Preview

#3 Texas Tech vs. #1 Villanova

Sunday gives us the final two programs who will head to San Antonio for the Final Four next week and in a NCAA tournament full of upsets, Sunday's Elite Eight brings some level of normalcy with it. We've got a #1 vs #2 matchup between Kansas and Duke to end the day, but Sunday's action begins with #3 Texas Tech looking to knock off #1 Villanova. It's that game that I'm focusing on for Sunday as for all the hype and excitement the Duke/Kansas game should bring, it's probably a contest where you can get better value on both sides during live in-game wagering.

Villanova (-6.5); Total set at 144.5

Villanova has definitely look the part of a #1 seed, winning all three of their games by double digits so far with an average margin of victory of 20.3 points. West Virginia gave them a rough go of it for about 30 minutes, but the Wildcats were able to pull away with a huge run about midway through the 2nd half and never looked back. Now this program is looking to make it to its second Final Four in three seasons and they'd love to cap this run off with a title like they did in 2016. Can they run over a very good Texas Tech team to do so?

Without question, Texas Tech has had a harder road to get to this point, but with two of their three wins coming by double digits and an average margin of victory of 8.6 points, they definitely deserve to be here. They are a team that's allowed 66 points or fewer in each of their three games, and it will be that defense that will be tested against a Villanova team that's scored 80 or more in each of their first three games. Tech understands that the goal to have a chance is to frustrate and stifle Villanova's offense every opportunity they get, and hope they don't figure it out. It took Villanova about 30 minutes to figure out West Virginia's press and we all know what happened after they solved it, so can Tech finish what West Virginia started and go for 10 more minutes of frustrating the Wildcats scorers?

I believe that Texas Tech will be the one more likely to accomplish their goal in this one as it's their defense that should be able to make a statement here. If you listened to Villanova's post-game media talks from the West Virginia game - from both the players and head coach Jay Wright - the sentiment that continually came up was just how physical West Virginia was with them. The scoreboard may have shown that they won by double digits, but the game was much more of a grind then that and you've got to wonder if the smaller, guard-oriented team like Villanova can deal with more physicality from another Big 12 team just 48 hours later. I don't believe they can, at least not to the tune of winning by 7+ points.

Texas Tech should be able to keep up offensively with Villanova if their defense holds up well for the full 40 minutes, and keeping this game in the 60's will be the goal. A total of 144.5 with the spread as it is suggests this game would be something like 75-69 going Villanova's way. Outside of the perceived result there, that type of scoreline is something I believe Texas Tech would like their chances to win with (ie a race to 75) and I wouldn't put it past them of getting the job done. The majority of bettors aren't going to want to step in front of this train that Villanova has going right now so we could see this number climb a touch, but even at +6.5 points I see plenty of value there.

Finally, with Villanova scoring 90+ in their Sweet 16 game (this applies to Michigan as well) I thought it was important to let everyone know that over the last four NCAA tournaments, teams that have scored 80+ in a Sweet 16 win are just 4-7 SU in the Elite Eight game. Villanova did account for one of those victories back in 2016, but with just a 36% winning percentage SU for those squads over an 11-game sample size, I'm only interested in taking the points here.


Best Bet: Texas Tech +6.5

[StarDust Bum]

Bluebloods Kansas, Duke square off
March 24, 2018

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) In a tournament defined by unpredictability, there will finally be a regional final that makes sense.

No. 1 Kansas and No. 2 Duke will square off in the Midwest final Sunday for the last spot in the Final Four - and the stakes are huge even by Elite Eight standards.

Mike Krzyzewski is looking to break UCLA legend John Wooden's record of 12 Final Four appearances.

Kansas coach Bill Self, who recently joined Krzyzewski and Wooden in the Naismith Hall of Fame, is hoping to snap a two-year losing streak in regional finals and a 2-7 personal record in Elite Eights.

After scores of upsets produced some rather strange matchups elsewhere, it'll be ''Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk'' vs. Coach K and the Blue Devils in a classic finale in Omaha.

''It's great when you have two programs of this nature, this status in the history of our game play for a Final Four berth. I think it's great for the sport,'' Krzyzewski said.

As for the latest chapter in the Kansas-Duke series, the top-seeded Jayhawks (30-7) are more like a plucky underdog - at least by their high standards - while second-seeded Duke (29-7) and its cadre of ridiculously talented freshmen appear to be rounding into title-contending form. Duke is a betting favorite in the game even though it is the lower seed.

The Jayhawks have clawed their way into their third straight regional final as a No. 1 behind teamwork and a toughness that wasn't always there in the winter.

Their last two wins, over Seton Hall and Clemson, came by just 4 points apiece - but Kansas has won six straight postseason games after tearing through the Big 12 Tournament.

''It'll be a tough game. But it's going to be a fun game,'' Self said. ''We know we've got our hands full. But we like to think they have their hands full too.''

Duke cruised through to the Sweet 16, but then had to survive a furious challenge from ACC rival Syracuse and its bewildering 2-3 zone on Friday night. The young Blue Devils have flourished under the leadership of senior captain Grayson Allen, who is 12-2 in the NCAA Tournament.

''We're both here for a reason. It'll be a good one,'' Duke star Marvin Bagley III said.

Here are some of the story lines to look out for when the Blue Devils face the Jayhawks:

GRAHAM VS. GRAYSON

For all the talk about the young stars on each team, each squad is run by a star senior guard coming off a so-so game. Devonte' Graham, the Big 12 player of the year for Kansas, shot just 4 of 12 from the field in an 80-76 victory over Clemson, and Allen was just 3 of 14 on 3s in a 69-65 win over the Orange. But both Krzyzewski and Self expect their veteran stars to bounce back. ''He's the best intangibles guy we've ever had here,'' Self said of Graham.

MB3 VS. DOKE

It's a good thing that Kansas sophomore big man Udoka Azubuike is fully healthy after a strained knee ligament kept him out of the Big 12 Tournament, because Bagley promises to be a handful. Bagley had 22 points and seven rebounds against Syracuse - no small feat considering how long and athletic the Orange were. Azubuike played an NCAA Tournament-high 25 minutes against Clemson, scoring 14 points with 11 rebounds. Keeping Azubuike out of foul trouble will be crucial for Kansas.

BLUE VS. BLUE IN THE BIG DANCE

Duke and Kansas have met five previous times in the NCAA Tournament, most notably in 1991 when the Blue Devils beat the Jayhawks 72-65 for the first of two straight NCAA championships. The two teams last met in the Big Dance in the 2003 Sweet 16, when Kansas upended Duke 69-65 behind coach Roy Williams, who would leave Lawrence to take over North Carolina shortly after that season ended.

THE NUMBERS

Kansas is ranked second in all-time wins with 2,247, and Duke is fourth at 2,144. ...The Jayhawks will be making their 22nd appearance in the Elite Eight, third-most in Division I history, while Duke will play in their 21st regional final. ...The Blue Devils are 9-6 against No. 1 seeds ...Kansas clinched its third consecutive 30-win season on Friday, a few hours before Krzyzewski picked up his 1,100th career victory. ...Self is 2-5 in the Elite Eight at Kansas. But he also lost regional finals at Tulsa and Illinois before taking the KU job.

HE SAID IT

''When you start thinking about (breaking records) you can rationalize. And rationalization is one of the things that stops people from continued excellence, because they live in the past. And then they stop adapting and they stop getting hungry,'' Krzyzewski said when asked about potentially passing Wooden in Final Four appearances.

[StarDust Bum]

Texas Tech looks to lean on defense
March 24, 2018

BOSTON (AP) No. 3 seed Texas Tech (27-9) vs. No. 1 seed Villanova (33-4)

Fourth round, East Region; Boston; Sunday at 2:20 p.m. EDT.

BOTTOM LINE: With a victory, Villanova can earn its second trip to the Final Four in three seasons. The Wildcats won it all in 2016. They also are trying to win their second regional held in Boston. Villanova was a No. 3 seed in in the East in 2009 when it beat top-seeded Pittsburgh to earn a Final Four berth - its first under coach Jay Wright. Texas Tech is playing in the Elite Eight for the first time, in coach Chris Beard's second season.

3-POINT PROWESS: The Wildcats have made 44 3-pointers in the tournament so far through three rounds. They now have 432 for the season, putting them 11 away from a Division I record. VMI hit 442 3-pointers in 2006-07.

THE BENCH MOB: The Red Raiders have gotten steady contributions from their bench during the tournament. Texas Tech's reserves tallied 27 points in its win over Stephen F. Austin and 15 against Florida before outscoring Purdue's reserves 33-6 in the Sweet 16. ''It's our identity,'' Beard said. ''We have a lot of faith in our whole roster, we use a lot of different guys. ... That is the way we have played all year.''

GETTING DEFENSIVE: Villanova and Texas Tech are two of the best defensive teams left in the field. Including their Big East championship win over Providence, the Wildcats have held opponents to just 90 of 238 shooting from the field (38 percent), including 25 of 91 from the 3-point line (28 percent). Meanwhile, the Red Raiders have held each of their first three NCAA Tournament opponents to 66 points or fewer.

QUOTABLE: ''Guys like me get one shot, and that's just the way we coach.'' - Texas Tech coach Chris Beard.

[StarDust Bum]

Chalk time: Blue bloods Kansas, 'Nova, Duke interrupt upsets
March 24, 2018

We interrupt this March for underdogs with a reality check from some of college basketball's blue bloods.

Kansas, Villanova and Duke are still alive in the NCAA Tournament, ready to tilt the bracket back toward the favorites.

Call Friday the exception to what has been an extraordinarily-maddening, upset-laden March. One that showcased three powerhouse teams, each good enough to be deemed the favorite if they reach the national title game.

In the East, top-seeded Villanova held up to fifth-seeded West Virginia's pressure. In the Midwest, top-seeded Kansas staved off fifth-seeded Clemson's late comeback attempt.

No. 2 seed Duke solved 11th-seeded Syracuse's zone to advance, too, and set up a star-powered regional final on Sunday against the Jayhawks.

Order restored in the tourney - at least for one night.

''But they say this time of year is survive and advance, and we were able to do that,'' Kansas coach Bill Self said after his team held on for a four-point win in the Midwest Region.

Villanova will face Texas Tech in the East final after the third-seeded Red Raiders beat a second-seeded Purdue team without injured starting center Isaac Haas.

The East and Midwest are on the right half of the NCAA tourney bracket, the half that hasn't had as many upsets. That foursome of teams alone would have made for an intriguing Final Four. Even Syracuse doesn't really count as a Cinderella team given its title-winning history.

Underdogs rule the left side.

No. 3 Michigan is the highest seed remaining in that half of the bracket and will face No. 9 seed Florida State in the West Region final on Saturday. In the South final, ninth-seeded Kansas State will face 11th-seeded Loyola-Chicago and its 98-year-old scouting chaplain and social media star, Sister Jean. It's the type of foursome that might meet in some early-season nonconference tournament held in Hawaii.

No favorite feels safe anymore in the NCAAs after 16th-seeded UMBC's history-making win over No. 1 overall seed Virginia last week in the first round.

''I'm not surprised there's low seeds in here. I mean, things happen,'' Ramblers coach Porter Moser said about the Elite Eight. ''They're finding ways to win, and things happen this time of year, especially when you get a group that just believes and has made some really clutch shots down the stretch.''

Kansas guard Devonte' Graham said all the upsets have helped his team to avoid overlooking opponents.

''But also we just know we've got to be focused,'' Graham added. ''If we slip up and don't come prepared, it's going to be the end of the season.''

Under pressure, Kansas passed its test, just like Villanova.

The Wildcats followed a familiar formula, shooting over Press Virginia from the 3-point arc to overcome 16 turnovers.

Villanova didn't wilt in the face of the pressure. Coach Jay Wright decided to attack it head-on.

''So when I started watching film, I just thought, man, this is a tough matchup,'' Wright said, ''and if we survive this, we're a pretty mentally tough team, and this is going to be like an old-school, grind-out game.''

Duke also did what is expected of a tourney favorite, outlasting Syracuse thanks in part to its decided talent advantage. No easy feat, by the way, after the Orange's 2-3 zone took down Michigan State in Detroit in the second round.

Perhaps feeling the heat, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski tore off his jacket and threw it to the floor in frustration after calling a timeout early in the second half to slow a Syracuse run. In time, the best player on the court, Duke's Marvin Bagley III, took over on the floor. He had 13 of his 22 points and eight of his nine rebounds in the second half.

''That was a tough game to be a part of. It came down the wire,'' Bagley said.

But for at least one more game, the higher seed prevailed, sanity ruling on a relatively ho-hum Friday.

[StarDust Bum]

TIPPING OFF: Fittingly, low seed to get 1st Final Four spot
March 24, 2018

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) In a wild NCAA Tournament full of upsets, it's somehow appropriate that the first ticket to the Final Four will go to a No. 9 or No. 11 seed.

And the second could go to another 9-seed.

Welcome to the madder half of the March Madness bracket. The Elite Eight games Saturday in the South and West lack the Selection Sunday favorites and instead feature a surging 3-seed (Big Ten champion Michigan), two teams who were power-conference also-rans (No. 9 seeds Florida State and Kansas State) and the upstart (11-seed Loyola-Chicago).

The Wildcats and the Ramblers meet in the first regional final to wrap up the South bracket in Atlanta, then the Wolverines and Seminoles meet in Los Angeles.

Further down the line, one of those teams will end up playing for the national championship in San Antonio.

It's quite a feat considering three of those teams faced at least some bubble uncertainty in the final month of the regular season. And that was particularly true of the Ramblers (31-5) , who went 15-3 in their Missouri Valley Conference but could have easily been left out of the field of 68 had they not won the league tournament.

Yet, the Ramblers beat 6-seed Miami 64-62 in the first round on 3-pointer by Donte Ingram with 0.3 seconds left. Then came a 63-62 second-round win against third-seeded Tennessee on another late shot, this one a jumper from Clayton Custer with 3.6 seconds left. And finally, they held off No. 7 seed Nevada 69-68 in the Sweet 16, putting them a win away from the national semifinals for the first time since winning the 1963 national title .

Whew.

''I think there's a lot of parity in the game, and I love it for our league,'' Ramblers coach Porter 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. And for us to get in here, I think it's going to spark conversation about this, and I know the committees have such a hard job.''

Now they're meeting the Wildcats in the first 9-vs-11 game in NCAA Tournament history.

Kansas State (25-11) caught a break when UMBC pulled the first 16-vs-1 upset of top overall seed Virginia, allowing the Wildcats to avoid the Cavaliers in the second round. Kansas State beat UMBC then took out Kentucky's latest crop of touted freshmen to reach its first regional final since 2010 and second since 1988.

''We know that every team right now is trying to make history,'' Kansas State guard Barry Brown Jr. said.

Here are things to know about the NCAA Tournament's second week:

ROLLING AGAIN: For the second straight season, the Wolverines (31-7) got hot late in the year to win the Big Ten Tournament title and reach the NCAA regional rounds. Now they're the closest thing to a favorite in their half of the draw.

Last year's team lost by one to Oregon in the Sweet 16, but Michigan blew out Texas A&M on Thursday to reach its third regional final in six seasons.

''I'd prefer more games like that,'' coach John Beilein said afterward. ''I don't think we'll see any more, but I'd prefer it.''

For the record, Michigan has won 12 straight and hasn't lost since falling at Northwestern on Feb. 6 .

LONG WAIT: The last time Florida State was in a regional final, two-sport point guard Charlie Ward was months away from claiming the Heisman Trophy as the Seminoles' quarterback, the Fab Five ruled at Michigan - and the Seminoles were blown out by a Rick Pitino-coached Kentucky team featuring Jamal Mashburn.

That was 1993.

The balanced Seminoles (23-11) got here by upending 1-seed Xavier then beating a 32-win Gonzaga team in the Sweet 16.

''We just don't care who plays or who scores the basket, as long as everybody's happy,'' FSU's Braian Angola said. ''We buy into the system, and that's what we're doing right now.''

SEMBLANCE OF ORDER: The other half of the bracket looks much closer to form.

In the East, Jalen Brunson was fantastic in leading top-seeded Villanova past Press, umm, West Virginia in Friday's Sweet 16. That pushed the Wildcats - the highest overall seed left - into Sunday's regional final in Boston to face third-seeded Texas Tech, which beat 2-seed Purdue.

And in the Midwest, bluebloods Kansas and Duke advanced to a chalk regional final in Omaha, Nebraska. Neither had an easy time of it, with the top-seeded Jayhawks holding off fifth-seeded Clemson while the second-seeded Blue Devils beat No. 11 seed Syracuse in an Atlantic Coast Conference-heavy doubleheader.

CONFERENCE BREAKDOWN: The Big 12 and ACC are leading the way entering the Elite Eight.

The Big 12 earned seven bids and has three teams (Kansas, Texas Tech and Kansas State) still alive to go with an 11-4 tournament record (.733). The ACC tied its own record with nine bids and has two left (Duke and FSU) to go with a 12-7 record (.632).

The Big East (Villanova), Big Ten (Michigan) and Missouri Valley Conference (Loyola-Chicago) have the other spots.

FAIL: ESPN says there were 17.3 million entrees into its bracket contest. And zero -as in nary a one- got the Elite Eight teams correct. So maybe you don't have to feel so badly about your up-in-smoke picks?

[StarDust Bum]

Top seeds vie for final 2 Final Four spots
March 25, 2018

Loyola-Chicago and Sister Jean have completed their divine run to the Final Four. Michigan joined the Ramblers in completing the road to San Antonio.

The upstarts had their fun on the left side of the bracket. Now the final two of the Final Four will be determined by the high seeds on the right.

No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 2 Duke in a blueblood showdown in Omaha for the Midwest Region title. No. 1 Villanova and No. 3 Texas Tech in Boston to take the East.

Yeah, this is going to be fun.

The Jayhawks and Blue Devils are among the premier programs in college basketball, combining for eight national championships.

Duke won its last national title in 2015 behind one-and-done star Jahlil Okafor. The Blue Devils have another one-and-doner in Marvin Bagley III and a player from the last championship team, senior Grayson Allen - even if he was only a bit player back then.

Duke (29-7) lived up to expectations as the No. 2 seed in the Midwest, beating Iona, Rhode Island and Syracuse to reach the Elite Eight.

Waiting for the Blue Devils will be Kansas and coach Bill Self, 2-7 in Elite Eights for his career. The Jayhawks (30-7) were No. 1 in the Midwest and have played like it, beating Penn, Seton Hall and Clemson to reach their third straight regional final.

For all those upsets in this maddest of Marches, the teams at No. 2 and No. 3 in all-time wins will be going head to head for a spot in the Final Four.

''It's great when you have two programs of this nature, this status in the history of our game play for a Final Four berth,'' Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. ''It's good for the sport.''

This battle of bluebloods will have not one great individual matchup to watch, but two.

One will come in the paint. Bagley has been one of the game's best players as a freshman, an athletic 7-footer who can shoot from the perimeter, drive to the basket and soar for alley-oops. He's expected to be one of the top picks in this year's NBA draft, possibly No. 1 overall.

Waiting for him in the middle will be Kansas sophomore big man Udoka Azubuike, who's a load and finally healthy after a strained knee ligament knocked him out of the perimeter.

The other duel to keep an eye on: Allen against Kansas guard Devonte Graham.

Graham was the Big 12 player of the year and Allen is the feisty straw that stirs the Blue Devils and emotions - on both sides.

''It'll be a tough game, but it's going to be a fun game,'' Self said. ''We know we've got our hands full, but we like to think they have their hands full too.''

D IN THE EAST: If you like defensive basketball, the East Region final is for you.

Villanova is known for its 3-point shooting and rightly so, but the Wildcats (33-4) have dominated defensively as they've made their way through the bracket. Villanova held its first three opponents to 38 percent shooting overall and 28 percent from the 3-point arc.

Texas Tech (27-9) has used its depth and length to wear opponents down, allowed 66 points or less through three games of the NCAA Tournament. The Red Raiders matched one of the nation's toughest defensive teams swat for swat in the Sweet 16, knocking off West Virginia to reach the Elite Eight for the first time.

''They're very similar,'' Villanova's Jalen Brunson said. ''They come from a conference with a lot of athletes, a lot of great coaches, a lot of great defensive schemes. They're physical. They play hard. I mean, they wouldn't be in this position if they didn't do those things.''

LUCKY NO. 11: Loyola continued its magical run through the bracket by blasting Kansas State in the Sweet 16 on Saturday. The Ramblers become the third No. 11 seed to reach the Final Four, joining LSU (1986), George Mason (2006) and VCU (2011).

Loyola hopes to make even more history by become the first to reach the title game; the three previous teams lost in the national semifinals.

''After Selection Sunday, we didn't say, `Hey, let's go to the Final Four,''' Loyola coach Porter Moser said. ''We said, what do we got to do to beat Miami, and then it was the next game, and then it was the next game. These guys have done an amazing job on laser-like focus on what's right in front of them instead of skipping steps.''

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Dunkel

Sunday, March 25


Texas Tech @ Villanova

Game 719-720
March 25, 2018 @ 2:20 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Texas Tech
73.650
Villanova
77.989
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Villanova
by 4 1/2
140
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Villanova
by 6 1/2
144 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Texas Tech
(+6 1/2); Under

Duke @ Kansas

Game 721-722
March 25, 2018 @ 5:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Duke
76.830
Kansas
75.289
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Duke
by 1 1/2
161
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Duke
by 3 1/2
155
Dunkel Pick:
Kansas
(+3 1/2); Over




NCAAB
Long Sheet

Sunday, March 25

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TEXAS TECH (27 - 9) vs. VILLANOVA (33 - 4) - 3/25/2018, 2:20 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS TECH is 136-181 ATS (-63.1 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
TEXAS TECH is 31-49 ATS (-22.9 Units) in all neutral court games since 1997.
TEXAS TECH is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) against Big East conference opponents since 1997.
TEXAS TECH is 31-49 ATS (-22.9 Units) when playing on a neutral court since 1997.
VILLANOVA is 25-12 ATS (+11.8 Units) in all games this season.
VILLANOVA is 25-12 ATS (+11.8 Units) in all lined games this season.
VILLANOVA is 25-12 ATS (+11.8 Units) as a favorite this season.
VILLANOVA is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in all neutral court games this season.
VILLANOVA is 13-3 ATS (+9.7 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
VILLANOVA is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) when playing on a neutral court this season.
VILLANOVA is 13-3 ATS (+9.7 Units) in non-conference games this season.
VILLANOVA is 23-9 ATS (+13.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
VILLANOVA is 14-6 ATS (+7.4 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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DUKE (29 - 7) vs. KANSAS (30 - 7) - 3/25/2018, 5:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS is 28-16 ATS (+10.4 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
KANSAS is 25-11 ATS (+12.9 Units) in road games after scoring 80 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
KANSAS is 35-22 ATS (+10.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
DUKE is 22-12 ATS (+8.8 Units) in all games this season.
DUKE is 22-12 ATS (+8.8 Units) in all lined games this season.
DUKE is 21-11 ATS (+8.9 Units) as a favorite this season.
DUKE is 14-6 ATS (+7.4 Units) after a conference game this season.
DUKE is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) in non-conference games this season.

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

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NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, March 25

Villanova won its last eight games; they played four starters 31:00+ in Friday’s win over West Virginia. Wildcats are 16-0 outside Big East this season; they won first three NCAA games by 26-23-12 points, making 44-92 (47.8%) behind the arc. Texas Tech won five of its last six games; they’re 15-1 outside Big X, losing by 10 to Seton Hall in Brooklyn, their only Big East game this season. Only one Red Raider played more than 27:00 in Friday’s win over Purdue. Over last 8+ years, underdogs are 21-12-1 vs spread in regional final games, 8-5 the last 13 times they were getting 6+ points.

Bill Self is only 2-5 in regional finals at Kansas; #1-seeds who are underdogs in regional finals are 2-7 SU, 3-6 vs spread. Kansas beat Duke 77-75 in NYC last season; Graham played whole 40:00 for Jayhawks, but Duke had a whole different team then. Jayhawks are 14-2 outside Big X this season (#71 NC sked); they played four starters 35:00+ when they held on to beat Clemson Friday- they led by 20 with 11:40 left, won by 4. Duke won its first three tourney games by 22-25-4 points; they played three starters 39:00+ in snails-pace 61-possessions win vs Syracuse Friday. Blue Devils are 15-1 outside the ACC this year- they lost to St John’s.




NCAAB

Sunday, March 25

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Trend Report
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TEXAS TECH @ VILLANOVA
Texas Tech is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Texas Tech's last 9 games
Villanova is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Villanova is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games

DUKE @ KANSAS
Duke is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Duke's last 5 games when playing Kansas
Kansas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Kansas's last 5 games when playing Duke

[StarDust Bum]

NCAA Tournament Elite Eight betting preview and odds: Texas Tech vs. Villanova

The East Region wraps up Sunday afternoon with top seeded Villanova taking on Texas Tech. Villanova looks to advance to their second Final Four in three seasons, while Texas Tech is in the Elite Eight for the first time in school history.

(3) Texas Tech Red Raiders vs (1) Villanova Wildcats (-6.5, 144.5)

Villanova appears determined to shoot its way to the Final Four, while Texas Tech is employing an alternative strategy. The top-seeded Wildcats can secure their second Final Four berth in three seasons Sunday when they take on the third-seeded Red Raiders in the East Regional final in Boston.

The Wildcats shot 13-of-24 from 3-point range in Friday's 12-point win over West Virginia, improving the team to 47.8 percent from the arc in their three tournament wins. "The deeper you go, the better the teams are going to be," star guard Jalen 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." While the Wildcats have made 44 3-pointers through three tournament games, the Red Raiders only have made 15 and are shooting just 31.3 percent from long range in this event, but will that percentage rate be enough against Villanova? "They've been the No. 1 team the whole season and are great all-around," Texas Tech guard Keenan Evans said after Friday's 78-65 win over Purdue in the Sweet 16. "They have a great point guard and great bigs that can shoot the ball, so we will just have to get back in the film room and study up on them and get some rest."

TV: 2:20 p.m. ET, CBS

LINE HISTORY: Villanova opened as 6.5-point favorites and heading into game day the line remained at the opening number. The total hit betting boards at 143 and was quickly up to 144.5.

BETTING STATS:



ABOUT TEXAS TECH: The Red Raiders rode a combined 45 points from Evans to first- and second-round wins, but the senior guard was limited to three field goals against Purdue, although he still scored 16 points to lead the team. Zach Smith added 14 points off the bench and is shooting 15-of-19 over the last four games, while freshman Zhaire Smith has registered double-digit points in all three Big Dance contests. Texas Tech, which is playing in the Elite Eight for the first time in school history, would love another big effort out of Justin Gray, who pitched in 12 points against Purdue, matching his second-highest total of the season.

ABOUT VILLANOVA: Brunson led the Wildcats with 27 points versus West Virginia, while freshman Omari Spellman registered 18 points and eight rebounds, not to mention three assists, three blocks and two steals. Brunson has made at least half his shots in six of the last seven games, while Mikal Bridges has done so in 11 of his last 12 games, and Bridges also carries a seven-game streak of draining at least 50 percent of his 3-pointers. Phil Booth, one of the stars from Villanova's national championship game victory two years ago, is just 2-of-11 from the field over the last two games and 5-of-20 over the last four contests.

MATCHUP CHART:



TRENDS:

* Texas Tech 0-4 ATS in their last 4 vs. Big East.
* Wildcats are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 NCAA Tournament games.
* Wildcats are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
* Over is 12-3 in Wildcats last 15 games following a straight up win.