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**Udog** · 02-26-2018, 07:55 AM

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

Six top prospects for the Chicago Cubs:

1) Aramis Ademan, SS— Still only 19; he hit .262 in his first two years of A ball.

4) Victor Caratini, C— Hit .254 in 59 big league AB’s last summer.

5) Alex Lange, P— Went 30-9 in three years pitching for LSU.

9) Jen-Ho Tseng, P— Went 6-1, 1.80 in nine AAA starts LY.

12) David Both 2B/3B— Versatile guy hit .270 with 14 HR’s in Southern League LY

30) Jake Stinnett P— Maryland alum is a converted third baseman.

**********

Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports weekend

13) I’m still kind of wondering how Aaron Boone lands a job managing a major league baseball team in New York City, when he has never managed anywhere before, ever.

Dealing with the NYC media is a task in itself; maybe I question that part of it more than the actual X’s and O’s of baseball, which I‘m sure Boone will handle just fine.

Same thing goes for Davey Martinez in Washington, who are expected to make the playoffs again this season. Wouldn’t you want a more experienced guy to handle a really good team?

12) One of the best parts of March is that there is almost constant baseball on TV, mostly replays of spring training games from earlier in the day. Season is starting earlier this year, so exhibition games started earlier too. Excellent.

It does bug me when TV guys appear bored to have to work these games. I know they don’t mean anything, obviously the real games aren’t for another month, but John Kruk on the Phillies’ TV games is a big disappointment, and FP Santangelo on Nationals’ game is like an 8-year old with a live microphone. Its your job, pretend you care about doing it well.

11) New Mexico 91, UNLV 90- Very fun game to watch; Rebels were only 4-7 on arc, 28-40 on foul line. Very bitter loss when you miss 12 foul shots and lose by one. #10 on New Mexico hit the game-winning 3-pointer; he is 31-61 on the arc for the season.

On New Mexico’s last possession, UNLV took freshman star McCoy out and put Diong in, because Diong is a better defender. When McCoy is deciding whether or not to go to the NBA this spring, the fact that his team takes him out on defense on the most important possession of the game should tell him that he’ll make a lot more money (eventually) if he stays in school for another year and gets bulkier/stronger before he gets drafted into the NBA.

10) Duke beat Syracuse 60-44 Saturday night, but were just 2-18 on arc against Syracuse’s 2-3 zone. Blue Devils had been 30-72 on the arc in their previous three games.

9) Last year, the Dodgers played only 45 games where their starting pitcher was working on 4 days’ rest, the fewest in the majors. Next fewest were Bronx (53), Astros/Padres (64) and the Nationals (67).

8) Red Sox/Tampa Bay play 10 times before May 1st this season; Boston TV guys were pretty much assuming on air Saturday that the Red Sox will kick their butts and get off to a fast start this season. Tampa Bay dumped a lot of its better players this winter.

7) There are 15 big league teams training in Arizona, 15 in Florida, so at least one team has to play split squad games every day, to even the schedule out.

6) Logan Morrison turned down $20M for two years from the Indians, winds up signing a 1-year, $6.5M deal with Minnesota that best-case, could become two years, $16.5M. Brilliant!!!!

5) Houston 109, East Carolina 58— Houston led this game 62-13 at halftime. East Carolina will be hiring a new coach soon; sounds like it is a difficult rebuilding job.

4) Unfortunate news from the WCC: San Diego Toreros are having a terrific season this year at 18-12, finished .500 in WCC for first time in 10 years, but coach Lamont Smith was arrested at the Oakland Airport Sunday on three counts of domestic violence.

3) Championship Week is actually two weeks and it starts tonight with the Atlantic Sun tournament being played at campus sites. Florida Gulf Coast is favored to win the tournament.

2) One of the most interesting bubble teams for March Madness is Nebraska; they’re 22-9, 13-5 in Big 14, but the league is down this year and the Cornhuskers’ non-conference schedule is #281, which makes them likely to miss the NCAA tournament.

Lot of interesting debate on Twitter about Nebraska; no one has ever been 13-5 in the Big 14 and missed the NCAA’s. Until maybe now.

1– Sunday night in Iowa City, Jordan Bohannon intentionally missed a foul shot, ending his streak of 34 consecutive made free throws, which was tied for the school record with Chris Street, who was killed in a snowy car accident January 19, 1993 during his junior season. Street is an Iowa legend; his parents still have season tickets to Hawkeye games.

Bohannon did this with 2:15 left and Iowa leading Northwestern 73-65 in their regular season finale. He left the shot short, off the front rim, and pointed to the sky. Pretty cool gesture.

**Udog** · 02-26-2018, 08:00 AM

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Monday, February 26

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MARQUETTE (16 - 12) at GEORGETOWN (15 - 12) - 2/26/2018, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MARQUETTE is 128-89 ATS (+30.1 Units) in road games since 1997.
MARQUETTE is 128-89 ATS (+30.1 Units) in road lined games since 1997.
MARQUETTE is 55-34 ATS (+17.6 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game since 1997.
GEORGETOWN is 9-21 ATS (-14.1 Units) in all home games over the last 2 seasons.
GEORGETOWN is 9-21 ATS (-14.1 Units) in home lined games over the last 2 seasons.
GEORGETOWN is 178-221 ATS (-65.1 Units) against conference opponents since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
GEORGETOWN is 3-1 against the spread versus MARQUETTE over the last 3 seasons
MARQUETTE is 3-2 straight up against GEORGETOWN over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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DUKE (24 - 5) at VIRGINIA TECH (20 - 9) - 2/26/2018, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VIRGINIA TECH is 52-31 ATS (+17.9 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
VIRGINIA TECH is 52-31 ATS (+17.9 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
VIRGINIA TECH is 31-18 ATS (+11.2 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
VIRGINIA TECH is 26-14 ATS (+10.6 Units) in all home games over the last 3 seasons.
VIRGINIA TECH is 26-14 ATS (+10.6 Units) in home lined games over the last 3 seasons.
VIRGINIA TECH is 36-20 ATS (+14.0 Units) against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
VIRGINIA TECH is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) in February games over the last 3 seasons.
VIRGINIA TECH is 12-1 ATS (+10.9 Units) when playing with one or less days rest over the last 3 seasons.
VIRGINIA TECH is 35-20 ATS (+13.0 Units) after a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
VIRGINIA TECH is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in home games revenging a road loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.
VIRGINIA TECH is 44-29 ATS (+12.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
VIRGINIA TECH is 31-16 ATS (+13.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 3 seasons.
DUKE is 18-9 ATS (+8.1 Units) in all games this season.
DUKE is 18-9 ATS (+8.1 Units) in all lined games this season.
DUKE is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) as a favorite this season.
DUKE is 11-4 ATS (+6.6 Units) after a conference game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
DUKE is 2-1 against the spread versus VIRGINIA TECH over the last 3 seasons
DUKE is 2-1 straight up against VIRGINIA TECH over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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TEXAS (17 - 12) at KANSAS (23 - 6) - 2/26/2018, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) in home games against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS is 3-2 against the spread versus TEXAS over the last 3 seasons
KANSAS is 5-0 straight up against TEXAS over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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TEXAS TECH (22 - 7) at W VIRGINIA (21 - 8) - 2/26/2018, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS TECH is 135-179 ATS (-61.9 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
TEXAS TECH is 94-126 ATS (-44.6 Units) in road games since 1997.
TEXAS TECH is 94-126 ATS (-44.6 Units) in road lined games since 1997.
TEXAS TECH is 82-119 ATS (-48.9 Units) in road games against conference opponents since 1997.
TEXAS TECH is 82-117 ATS (-46.7 Units) in road games after a conference game since 1997.
TEXAS TECH is 41-65 ATS (-30.5 Units) in road games off a loss against a conference rival since 1997.
W VIRGINIA is 47-28 ATS (+16.2 Units) in home games off a win against a conference rival since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
W VIRGINIA is 3-2 against the spread versus TEXAS TECH over the last 3 seasons
W VIRGINIA is 3-2 straight up against TEXAS TECH over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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USC UPSTATE (7 - 24) at FLA GULF COAST (21 - 10) - 2/26/2018, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FLA GULF COAST is 36-14 ATS (+20.6 Units) in all games since 1997.
FLA GULF COAST is 36-14 ATS (+20.6 Units) in all lined games since 1997.
FLA GULF COAST is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) against conference opponents since 1997.
FLA GULF COAST is 21-7 ATS (+13.3 Units) after a conference game since 1997.
FLA GULF COAST is 27-10 ATS (+16.0 Units) in all tournament games since 1997.
FLA GULF COAST is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in conference tournament games since 1997.
FLA GULF COAST is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record after 15 or more games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
FLA GULF COAST is 5-1 straight up against USC UPSTATE over the last 3 seasons

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KENNESAW ST (10 - 19) at JACKSONVILLE (14 - 17) - 2/26/2018, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
JACKSONVILLE is 1-10 ATS (-10.0 Units) in conference tournament games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
JACKSONVILLE is 3-3 straight up against KENNESAW ST over the last 3 seasons

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STETSON (12 - 19) at LIPSCOMB (20 - 9) - 2/26/2018, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
STETSON is 1-0 against the spread versus LIPSCOMB over the last 3 seasons
LIPSCOMB is 6-1 straight up against STETSON over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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N FLORIDA (13 - 18) at NEW JERSEY TECH (14 - 15) - 2/26/2018, 7:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
N FLORIDA is 4-2 straight up against NEW JERSEY TECH over the last 3 seasons

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JAMES MADISON (9 - 21) at ELON (14 - 16) - 2/26/2018, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
JAMES MADISON is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in road games this season.
JAMES MADISON is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in road lined games this season.
JAMES MADISON is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) in road games against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
JAMES MADISON is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) in road games after a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
ELON is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) in all games this season.
ELON is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) in all lined games this season.
ELON is 5-12 ATS (-8.2 Units) after a conference game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
JAMES MADISON is 3-2 against the spread versus ELON over the last 3 seasons
JAMES MADISON is 3-2 straight up against ELON over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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FRESNO ST (20 - 9) at AIR FORCE (11 - 16) - 2/26/2018, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
AIR FORCE is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) in all home games this season.
AIR FORCE is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) in home lined games this season.
AIR FORCE is 11-4 ATS (+6.6 Units) after a conference game this season.
FRESNO ST is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
FRESNO ST is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) in road lined games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
AIR FORCE is 5-0 against the spread versus FRESNO ST over the last 3 seasons
FRESNO ST is 4-1 straight up against AIR FORCE over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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**Udog** · 02-26-2018, 08:01 AM

NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, February 26

Marquette forced 25 turnovers (+11), made 13-26 on arc in 74-65 home win over Georgetown Dec 30; Hoyas are 4-3 in last seven series games, winning last three played here, by 6-10-18 points. Marquette lost six of its last nine games; they’re 3-5 on Big East road, losing last game at DePaul Saturday. Hoyas lost six of last eight games, three of last four at home. Georgetown is 4-7 in last 11 games as home underdogs, 2-3 this year; Marquette is 3-5 in last eight games as road favorites, 1-1 this year. Big East home underdogs are 13-11 vs spread.

Duke made 15-33 on arc, crushed Virginia Tech 74-52 at home Feb 14; Blue Devils won 10 of last 11 games with Tech, but lost 89-75 here LY. Duke won its last five games; they’re they won five of last seven road games, losing at St John’s, North Carolina. Tech is 7-3 in last ten games; they split last four home games. Hokies are 5-7 vs top 50 teams this season. Duke is 15-19 in last 34 games as road favorites; Hokies covered 16 of last 19 games as an ACC home underdog. ACC home underdogs are 13-21 against the spread.

Kansas made 17-35 on arc in 92-86 win at Texas Dec 29, its 17th win in row over the Longhorns. Texas lost its last 10 visits to Lawrence, with nine of 10 losses by 17+ points. Texas lost five of its last eight games overall; they’re 3-5 on Big X road, and are shorthanded because of injury/suspension. Jayhawks clinched tie for Big X title Saturday; they’re 6-2 at home in Big X. Kansas is 8-18 vs spread in its last 26 Big X home games, but covered last two; Texas is 12-10 under Smart as road underdogs, 3-4 this year. Big X home favorites are 28-29 vs spread.

Texas Tech outscored West Virginia 24-14 on foul line in 72-71 home win Jan 13; WVU had led by 11 with 12:58 left to play. Mountaineers won seven of last nine series games; Red Raiders lost last five visits here, by 2-6-19-22-9 points. Tech lost its last three games by 2-8-2 points- they’re 3-5 on Big X road, and their PG is playing hurt (toe). WVU won five of last seven games, three of last four at home. Tech is 5-6 under Beard as road underdogs, 2-1 this year; WVU is 7-9 in last 16 games as home favorites, 3-4 this year. Big X home favorites are 28-29 vs spread.

Elon blew a 10-point lead with 1:53 left, then lost 85-74 in OT at James Madison Jan 18; JMU is 5-2 vs Elon in CAA meetings. Dukes lost three of last four games overall, eight of last nine road games; four of their last five games were decided by 3 or fewer points. Elon lost its last five games, scoring less than 60 points in last three; Phoenix is lost three of their last four home tilts. Elon is 9-11 as CAA home favorites, 2-3 this year; JMU is 18-9-1 in last 28 games as road underdogs, 6-1-1 this year. CAA home favorites are 28-34 vs spread.

Fresno State shot 60% inside arc in 71-59 home win over Air Force Dec 30; Bulldogs won nine of last ten series games- they lost 81-72 here LY- teams split last four series games played here. Air Force lost six of its last nine games but they upset Utah St at home Saturday. Falcons are 3-4 a home in MW games. Fresno got upset by Wyoming Saturday; they won five of last six games. AFA is 5-8-1 in last 14 games as home favorites, 1-0 this year; Fresno is 11-6 in last 17 games as road underdogs, 3-1 this year. Mountain West home favorites 29-23 vs spread.

**Udog** · 02-26-2018, 08:04 AM

NCAAB

Monday, February 26

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Trend Report
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DUKE @ VIRGINIA TECH
Duke is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Duke is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Virginia Tech's last 10 games when playing Duke
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Virginia Tech's last 5 games at home

MARQUETTE @ GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Marquette's last 5 games
Marquette is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
Georgetown University is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Marquette
Georgetown University is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Marquette

JAMES MADISON @ ELON
James Madison is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of James Madison's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Elon's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Elon's last 6 games at home

TEXAS TECH @ WEST VIRGINIA
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Texas Tech's last 5 games when playing on the road against West Virginia
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Texas Tech's last 5 games
West Virginia is 15-3 SU in its last 18 games at home
West Virginia is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Texas Tech

TEXAS @ KANSAS
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Texas's last 6 games when playing on the road against Kansas
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Texas's last 21 games on the road
Kansas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Texas
Kansas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Texas

FRESNO STATE @ AIR FORCE
Fresno State is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing Air Force
Fresno State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Air Force is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Fresno State
Air Force is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games at home

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**Udog** · 02-26-2018, 12:04 PM

NCAAB
Dunkel

Monday, February 26

Marquette @ Georgetown

Game 721-722
February 26, 2018 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Marquette
61.092
Georgetown
62.157
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Georgetown
by 1
165
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Marquette
by 1 1/2
160
Dunkel Pick:
Georgetown
(+1 1/2); Over

Duke @ Virginia Tech

Game 723-724
February 26, 2018 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Duke
73.854
Virginia Tech
71.739
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Duke
by 2
166
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Duke
by 5 1/2
157 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Virginia Tech
(+5 1/2); Over

Texas @ Kansas

Game 725-726
February 26, 2018 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Texas
65.276
Kansas
77.686
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Kansas
by 12 1/2
134
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Kansas
by 9
140
Dunkel Pick:
Kansas
(-9); Under

Texas Tech @ West Virginia

Game 727-728
February 26, 2018 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Texas Tech
68.737
West Virginia
77.524
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
West Virginia
by 9
135
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
West Virginia
by 5 1/2
142 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
West Virginia
(-5 1/2); Under

Norfolk State @ Howard

Game 729-730
February 26, 2018 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Norfolk State
44.612
Howard
38.552
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Norfolk State
by 6
144
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Norfolk State
by 2 1/2
149
Dunkel Pick:
Norfolk State
(-2 1/2); Under

SC-Upstate @ FL-Gulf Coast

Game 731-732
February 26, 2018 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
SC-Upstate
35.853
FL-Gulf Coast
57.894
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
FL-Gulf Coast
by 22 1/2
157
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
FL-Gulf Coast
by 19
163
Dunkel Pick:
FL-Gulf Coast
(-19); Under

Kennesaw St @ Jacksonville

Game 733-734
February 26, 2018 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Kennesaw St
44.768
Jacksonville
42.319
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Kennesaw St
by 2 1/2
149
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Kennesaw St
Pick
143 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Kennesaw St
Over

Stetson @ Lipscomb

Game 735-736
February 26, 2018 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Stetson
41.342
Lipscomb
50.448
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Lipscomb
by 9
164
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Lipscomb
by 13
159
Dunkel Pick:
Stetson
(+13); Over

North Florida @ NJ Tech

Game 737-738
February 26, 2018 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
North Florida
41.735
NJ Tech
49.659
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NJ Tech
by 8
156
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NJ Tech
by 6
161 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
NJ Tech
(-6); Under

James Madison @ Elon

Game 739-740
February 26, 2018 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
James Madison
43.563
Elon
48.997
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Elon
by 5 1/2
137
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Elon
by 3
142 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Elon
(-3); Under

Fresno State @ Air Force

Game 741-742
February 26, 2018 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Fresno State
58.236
Air Force
54.309
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Fresno State
by 4
146
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Fresno State
by 8 1/2
139 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Air Force
(+8 1/2); Over

**Udog** · 02-26-2018, 07:25 PM

UNDER is 4-0 in Duke Blue Devils' last 4 overall.
UNDER is 6-0 in Virginia Tech Hokies' last 6 overall.
UNDER is 12-3 in the last 15 meetings.
Spread: Duke -5.5
Total: 154.5

**Udog** · 02-26-2018, 07:31 PM

College basketball small conference tournament previews and betting odds

March Madness begins this week with small conference teams battling in their league tourneys for the coveted automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament. And while a few teams like Gonzaga and St. Mary’s should quality for the Big Dance regardless of how they fare, most teams only route to the Tournament is by winning their league tourney.

We are here for your speedy mid major tourney cheat sheet. We list the faves to win and the underdogs who could pull of a shock or two.

American East (March 3-10, Campus sites)

Favorite: Vermont Catamounts (24-6 overall, 14-1 conference) - The American East defending champions ran through the competition during the regular season without the conference preseason player of the year Anthony Lamb. The sophomore's broken foot is healed and he is expected to make his return to Vermont's lineup after a 17-game absence. Lamb was leading the Catamounts in scoring and rebounding at the time of the injury.

Live dog: Hartford Hawks (18-11 overall, 11-4 conference) - Hartford was the only team to top Vermont during conference play - a one-point win on the road. The Hawks play UMBC on Tuesday night with a shot at grabbing the second seed in the conference tourney. They've won seven of their last eight games and their 18 wins set a new school record for most wins in a season.

Atlantic Sun (Feb. 26-March 4, Campus sites)

Favorite: Florida Gulf Coast (21-10 overall, 12-2 conference) - The Eagles are the favorites and own the No. 1 seed entering the conference tournament but they didn't do much down the stretch to boost the confidence of their backers. Florida Gulf Coast lost to Kennesaw State and Lipscomb in the span of three days and gave up 187 combined points in the process. The Eagles are the best defensive team in the conference but they didn't look it in those two home games in mid-February. FGC flamed out in its non-conference schedule which means it will have to win the Atlantic Sun tourney to get into the Big Dance.

Live dog: Lipscomb (20-9 overall, 10-4 conference) - The Bison are the hottest team in the conference going into tourney week and they possess the leading scorer in the league in Garrison Mathews. The junior guard lives at the charity strip with a 231 attempts in 29 games. Lipscomb lost three of its first four conference games and finished the regular season on a 9-1 run.

Big South (Feb. 27-March 4, Campus sites)

Favorite: N.C. Asheville (20-11 overall, 13-5 conference) 7/4 - The Bulldogs strength lies beyond the arc with marksmen Raekwon Miller and MaClo Teague who both canned more than 42 percent of their combined 322 attempts. N.C. Asheville is 30th in the nation in 3-point accuracy and tops in the Big South at 39.2 percent. Don't read too much into the Bulldogs' loss to Gardner-Webb; they'd already locked up the regular season conference title before tipoff and head coach Nick McDevitt elected to rest Ahmad Thomas, the team's leading scorer, to keep him fresh for the conference tourney.

Live dog: Charleston Southern (14-15 overall, 9-9 conference) Field 8/1 - The Buccaneers turned their season around by winning seven of their final nine games of the regular season after a 2-7 start to conference play. Head coach Barclay Radebaugh credits the late charge to a change in defensive intensity and it was on display during their 78-75 win over Winthrop. The Buccaneers forced the Eagles into 19 turnovers including 12 in the first half. They will most likely play at N.C. Asheville in the second round of the conference tourney but they nearly knocked the Bulldogs off two weeks ago at home before losing in by five points in overtime.

Colonial (March 3-6, North Charleston S.C.)

Favorite: Charleston (23-7 overall, 14-4 conference) 6/5 - The Cougars started out just 2-3 straight up in their first five games of conference play but won 11 straight games before they lost in the last game at William & Mary. Of course, the Cougars already had the regular season title and first overall seed in the conference tourney locked up two days earlier. Charleston doesn't do anything overly flashy but it excels at limiting its mistakes. The Cougars turn the ball over in just 13.2 percent of their offensive possessions which ranks 15th best in the country.

Live dog: Hofstra (19-11 overall, 12-6 conference) 9/2 - The Pride won and covered in each of their last four games of the regular season and went 7-2 SU in their final nine contests. Hofstra boasts the conference's leading scorer in Justin Wright-Foreman. The junior guard piled up 24 points on 4-of-9 shooting from distance and nearly powered the Pride past Charleston at the beginning of February.

Horizon League (March 2-6, Detroit)

Favorite: Northern Kentucky (22-8 overall, 15-3 conference) 4/7 – The Norse captured their first regular season title since being promoted to Division I with most of the same unit that saw Northern Kentucky win the Horizon conference tourney a year ago. The team is one of the more accurate inside and around the paint in the nation because of big man Drew McDonald who leads the Norse in points (16.7) and rebounds (9.4) per game.

Live dog: Oakland (18-13 overall, 10-8 conference) 9/2 – The Golden Grizzlies are the most talented team in the conference but they don’t have all their key players. They’ve lost four scholarship players due to injury including star guard Martez Walker who was lost for the season after he broke his ankle earlier this month. Oakland swept Northern Kentucky in conference play and point guard Kendrick Nunn has taken his game to another level since Walker went down. The Golden Grizzlies covered the spread just once in their final nine regular season games.

MAAC (March 1-5, Albany NY)

Favorite: Rider (22-8 overall, 15-3 conference) 5/2 – The Broncs won the MAAC regular season title for the first time in 16 years thanks to their top 25 offense in the country. Rider improved to 10-0 straight up and 8-0 against the spread in games it scored 90 or more points after it put up 110 against Iona in the regular season finale. The top overall seed in the MAAC conference tournament hasn’t equaled many tourney wins this decade. A first-place team hasn’t cut down the nets in the MAAC tourney since 2010 and just 14 times in 36 years.

Live dog: Niagara (19-12 overall, 12-6 conference) 7/1 – The Purple Eagles beat a very good St. Bonaventure in their season-opener game and they split their games between second-seeded and chief conference rival Canisius during the regular season. Guard play is so important this time of year in college hoops and Niagara has arguably the best point guard in the conference in USC transfer Kahil Dukes. The senior is averaging 21.1 points and is deadly accurate from 3-point land.

Missouri Valley (March 1-4, St. Louis)

Favorite: Loyola-Chicago (25-5 overall, 15-3 conference) 2/3 – The Ramblers went 23-2 in games with their leading scorer and best player Clayton Custer and 2-3 without him this season. Loyola-Chicago is happy to have the Iowa State transfer back in its lineup and ready for the conference tourney. The Ramblers are a deep, talented team that beat the Florida Gators at Gainesville back in December.

Live dog: Evansville (17-14 overall, 7-11 conference) 20/1 – The Purple Aces were terrible away from home this season but their luck might be better at a neutral site rather than playing in other teams’ gyms. Junior guard Ryan Taylor leads the conference in scoring at 22.1 points per game. Evansville will have to win four games in a row to win the conference tourney but it’s not unreasonable if the team catches fire. The Purple Aces rank 11th in the nation in 3-point shooting percentage at 40.7.

Northeast (Feb. 28-March 6, Campus sites)

Favorite: Wagner (21-8 overall, 14-4 conference) – The Seahawks have come close to making the NCAA Tournament in the six years under head coach Bashir Mason but this is without a doubt their best squad. Wagner is one of 10 teams in the country without a loss on its home court. That should be a big boost during the conference tournament.

Live dog: Mount St. Mary's (18-13 overall, 12-6 conference) – The defending NEC tourney champions enter the postseason with eight wins in their last 10 games and their two losses came by a combined three points. The Mountaineers topped Wagner in their regular season finale with Junior Robinson leading the way with 22 points. Robinson leads Mount St. Mary’s in points and assists despite his diminutive stature at just 5-foot-5.

Ohio Valley (Feb. 28-March 3, San Antonio)

Favorite: Murray State (24-5 overall, 16-2 conference) 4/5 – The Racers rank with the big boys of college basketball in average point differential at +11.3. Only 14 other teams in the nation own a better mark. Murray State gave Auburn a scare in a non-conference battle back in December that saw the War Eagle sneak away with a four-point win. The Racers enter the conference tourney riding an 11-game winning streak.

Live dog: Belmont (23-8 overall, 15-3 conference) EVEN – The dog tag isn’t a big one for the Bruins. The Ohio Valley conference was dominated by Murray State and Belmont. The Bruins beat the Racers by seven points in the lone regular season matchup between the two sides. Belmont uses a balanced attack on offense and the team’s front court players are just as likely to knock down a 3-pointer as its guards.

Patriot (Feb 27-March 7, campus sites)

Favorite: Bucknell (22-9 overall, 16-2 conference) – The Bison became the first team in Patriot League history to register 16 conference wins in a single season. Three of Bucknell’s players rank inside the top 10 in league scoring. Forward Zach Thomas (21 ppg), center Nana Foulland (15.6 ppg) and point guard Stephen Brown (14.3 ppg) give the Bison three different scoring options in crunch time.

Live dog: Colgate (17-12 overall, 12-6 conference) – The Raiders lost 65-64 at Bucknell two days before Valentine’s Day but still won nine of its last 12 games of the season. Colgate holds the second seed in the tourney meaning it won’t have to face Bucknell until the championship game.

Southern (March 1-5, Asheville, NC)

Favorite: NC-Greensboro (24-7 overall, 15-3 conference) 8/5 – The Spartans haven’t been crowned Southern tourney champions since 2001 but they’re set up to make it happen this season. NC-Greensboro allows the 14th fewest points per game in the nation at 64.4. Two of their three conference losses came by a combined five points. The Spartans went 13-2 straight up and 11-4 against the spread over their final 15 regular season games.

Live dog: Furman (22-9 overall, 13-5 conference) 9/5 – The Paladins possess the reigning Southern Conference Player of the Year Devin Sibley and are 6-0 straight up and against the spread in their last six contests. First year coach Bob Richey tried Sibley off the bench for a few games while he recovered from an injury but he put his senior and leading scorer back in the starting lineup in the season finale win over East Tennessee State.

Summit League (March 3-6, Sioux Falls, SD)

Favorite: South Dakota State (25-6 overall, 13-1 conference) EVEN – This is a legit good college hoops team and not just small conference good. The Jackrabbits beat Iowa and Mississippi, hung with Wichita State and lost in overtime to Colorado during their non-conference sked. South Dakota State is on a 16-1 run over its last 17 games and 10 ATS covers in its last 14 lined games. The Jackrabbits finished 15th in the country in scoring at 83.7 points per game.

Live dog: South Dakota (24-7 overall, 11-3 conference) 4/5 – The second-seeded Coyotes were the only team to take down the Jackrabbits in conference play and they did so in convincing fashion. South Dakota has a tendency to over-rely on junior guard Matt Mooney. He took 26 of the Coyotes’ 61 field goal attempts in their last game of the regular season.

West Coast (March 1-6, Las Vegas)

Favorite: Gonzaga (27-4 overall, 17-1 conference) 2/5 – The Bulldogs are back in business despite losing four of their best five players from last year’s team that lost to UNC in the national championship game. Gonzaga won its 17th regular season West Coast crown in 18 years and enters the conference tourney as the top seed. Gonzaga is gunning for its sixth straight conference tourney title and the numbers are behind the team. The No. 1 seed has won the West Coast tournament in 15 of the conference’s 30-year history.

Live dog: St. Mary's (27-4 overall, 16-2 conference) 8/5 – The Gaels were the preseason favorite to win finish atop the West Coast standings and they were the only team to get the best of Gonzaga during conference play. St. Mary’s is led by senior big man John Landale. He scored collected 26 points and 12 rebounds in the first meeting against Gonzaga but the Bulldogs double teamed the center and forced St. Mary’s to find its scoring in other places in the second matchup.

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Monday's NCAAB Trends and Indexes - 2/26

Monday's NCAAB Trends and Indexes - 2/26

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