Cnotes College Hoops Picks,Trends News 2018-2918 !

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Collins scores 19, South Florida beats DePaul for CBI title
April 5, 2019
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CHICAGO (AP) David Collins had 19 points and eight rebounds as South Florida beat DePaul 77-65 on Friday night for the College Basketball Invitational championship.

USF made three 3-pointers in a four-minute span to take the first double-digit lead of the second half at 57-47, and extended it to a 14-point advantage after an 8-0 run. The Bulls led by double figures for five-plus minutes until Max Strus made three free throws at 1:06 to pull to 71-64. Xavier Castaneda sealed it with two free throws at 40.4.

Justin Brown had 12 points for South Florida (24-14), which was picked to finish last in the preseason American Athletics Conference coaches' poll. Laquincy Rideau added 10 points. Antun Maricevic had seven rebounds for the visitors.

South Florida led by 17 points, 37-20, with 6:15 remaining in the first half but didn't score again until Rideau beat the halftime buzzer with a layup for a 39-34 lead. DePaul went on a 14-0 run during USF's drought to get within three points with 25.7 seconds left.

Devin Gage had 19 points for the Blue Demons (19-17), who never led in the game. Strus added 16 points. Femi Olujobi had 14 points and 10 rebounds.

[StarDust Bum]

CBB MARCH / APRIL MADNESS RECORD OPINIONS AND BEST BETS !

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

04/05/2019 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
04/04/2019 1-3-0 25.00% -11.50
04/03/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
04/02/2019 3-5-0 37.50% -12.50
04/01/2019 0-1-1 0.00% -5.50
03/31/2019 3-1-0 75.00% +9.50
03/30/2019 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00
03/29/2019 6-4-0 60.00% +8.00
03/28/2019 7-7-0 50.00% -3.50
03/27/2019 5-1-0 83.33% +19.50
03/26/2019 6-4-0 60.00% +8.00
03/25/2019 8-6-0 57.14% +7.00
03/24/2019 12-12-2 50.00% -6.00
03/23/2019 8-14-0 36.36% -37.00
03/22/2019 12-15-0 44.44% -22.50
03/21/2019 15-12-1 55.56% +900
03/20/2019 10-14-0 41.67% -27.00
03/19/2019 9-14-1 39.13% -32.00
03/18/2019 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00

Totals..........110-118-4......48.24%.....-89.00


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BEST BETS:

DATE........................ATS................... ..UNITS..................O/U..................UNITS.............TOTALS

04/05/2019.............0 - 1......................-5.50...................0 - 1..................-5.50................-11.00
04/04/2019.............0 - 2......................-11.00.................1 - 1..................-0.50................-11.50
04/03/2019.............1 - 0......................+5.00..................0 - 1..................-5.50................-0.50
04/02/2019.............2 - 2......................-1.00...................1 - 3..................-11.50...............-12.50
04/01/2019.............0 - 0 - 1.................+0.00..................0 - 1..................-5.50.................-5.50
03/31/2019.............1 - 1......................-0.50...................2 - 0..................+10.00..............+9.50
03/30/2019.............1 - 1......................-0.50...................1 - 1..................0.50..................-1.00
03/29/2019.............3 - 1.....................+9.50...................3 - 1.................+9.50................+19.00
03/28/2019.............4 - 2.....................+9.00...................2 - 2.................-1.00.................+8.00
03/27/2019.............3 - 0.....................+15.00.................2 - 1.................+4.50...............+19.50
03/26/2019.............1 - 2......................-6.00...................2 - 2..................-1.00................-7.00
03/25/2019.............5 - 1.....................+19.50.................2 - 3...................-6.50...............+13.00
03/24/2019.............6 - 2.....................+19.00.................4 - 5...................-7.50...............+11.50
03/23/2019.............3 - 6......................-18.00.................4 - 5...................-7.50................-25.50
03/22/2019.............5 - 6......................-8.00...................5 - 6...................-8.00................-16.00
03/21/2019.............6 - 3......................+8.50..................3 - 7...................-23.50..............-15.00
03/20/2019.............3 - 7......................-23.00.................1 - 1...................-0.50................-23.50
03/19/2019.............5 - 5......................-2.50...................2 - 6..................-23.00...............-25.50
03/18/2019.............1 - 0......................+5.00..................1 - 0..................+5.00..............+10.00


Totals....................50 - 42.....................+14.50..............36 - 47................-78.50..............-64.00

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday’s 6-pack

At M Resort in Las Vegas, you can wager on NFL wins matchups for 2019:

— 49ers (-$115) —1.5 wins vs Raiders (-$125)

— Eagles ($115) —0.5 win vs Steelers (-$115)

— Browns (-$120) -2.5 wins vs Bengals (-$110)

— Jaguars (even) -1.5 wins vs Buccaneers (+$130)

— Jets (-$110) -1 win vs Giants (-$120)

— Cowboys (-$105) -0.5 win vs Texans (-$125)

Quote of the Day
“He’s not going to respect you if he thinks he’s smarter than you.”
Former Green Bay personnel guy, talking about Aaron Rodgers

Saturday’s quiz
When the Red Sox won the 2004 World Series, who was their manager?

Friday’s quiz
Russell Westbrook played his college basketball at UCLA

Thursday’s quiz
Last five World Series champs (five different teams).
— 2014 Giants
— 2015 Royals
— 2016 Cubs
— 2017 Astros
— 2018 Red Sox


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Saturday’s List of 13: My favorite non-sports movies……

These are 13 of my favorite non-sports movies. Make your own list.

Remember, these are my favorite movies, not the movies that are necessarily the best. Of the 50 movies USA Today listed as the best ever, I’ve seen two of them. Seriously.

13) Runaway Jury— I’m a big fan of the John Grisham books; this was my favorite of the ones that were turned into movies. Gene Hackman plays a jury consultant whose client is a gun manufacturer; John Cusack is on the jury to manipulate the verdict.

T12) Moon Over Parador— Richard Dreyfuss is an actor who is hired to stand in for the dictator of a Latin American country who suddenly dies. Jonathan Winters is a weird CIA agent whose wife is Polly Holliday, who played Flo in the old TV series Alice.

T12) Dave— Made five years after Moon Over Parador, this is basically the same movie, just set in Washington, DC.

Guy who looks just the President runs a temp service in Washington; when the real president has a stroke while screwing around with his mistress, the guy (Kevin Kline) is hired as the stand-in president. Sigourney Weaver is the First Lady.

11) The Verdict— Paul Newman is a struggling lawyer who is handed a winning case, which is easier said than done. His friend is played by Jack Warden, one of my all-time favorites.

10) The Gambler— Remake of a James Caan movie from the mid-70’s. College professor (Mark Wahlberg) seems to have an excellent life, but he has a huge gambling problem which drags him down. John Goodman plays one of the people he owes money to; he is very good in this.

9) The Bodyguard— Whitney Houston is a famous singer with a contract on her head; Kevin Costner is the ex-Secret Service hired to protect her.

8) A Few Good Men— The last scene, with Jack Nicholson on the witness stand, is tremendous. Kevin Bacon, Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin Pollak, JT Walsh as supporting actors is pretty strong.

7) Leap of Faith— Steve Martin plays a traveling preacher whose bus breaks down, stranding his crew in a drought-stricken Kansas town. Miracles ensue. Liam Neeson, Debra Winger, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meat Loaf all have supporting roles.

6) Molly’s Game— Young woman runs high stakes poker games for celebrities/rich guys, but when members of the Russian mob enter the game, things get complicated. This is a true story, and as we’re learning nowadays, real life is often stranger than fiction.

5) Lost In Translation— Bill Murray plays a washed-up actor who is in Tokyo getting paid $2M to do a whiskey commercial. He meets Scarlett Johansson in the hotel bar and they become friends.

4) Begin Again— Down-and-out movie producer stumbles into a Manhattan bar and discovers a young singer who can resurrect his career.

3) Good Will Hunting— Janitor at MIT can do complicated math problems better than the professors can, but he also has a criminal record, and has to get counseling for that. Robin Williams is great as the counselor.

2) Last Vegas— Four old friends get together in Las Vegas for the bachelor party of the one bachelor in group (Michael Douglas) who is marrying a woman 40 years younger than him. It is Douglas, Robert Deniro, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Kline.

1) Rounders— Law student decides he’d rather play high stakes poker. The scenes with Matt Damon and his law professor (Martin Landau) are excellent. Same guys who wrote this write the great Showtime series Billions now.

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday's Final Four Tips
Joe Williams

Final Four - National Semifinal (Minneapolis, MN)

No. 5 Auburn vs. No. 1 Virginia (CBS, 6:09 PM EST)

Opening Odds: Virginia -5½, 131

-- Auburn (30-9 SU, 21-16 ATS) has had an NCAA Tournament that won't soon be forgotten by the Tigers faithful. The only low point was the lost of start forward Chuma Okeke, who scored 20 points with 11 rebounds in a double-double against North Carolina before suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

-- That was about the only thing which hasn't gone right for the Tigers and head coach Bruce Pearl, although the first game of the tourney was a bit hairy. The Tigers tried their hardest to give away their opening-round game against New Mexico State, eeking out a 78-77 win over the 12-seed New Mexico State, the only game of the NCAA Tournament which the Tigers failed to cover. After that they throttle blue bloods Kansas and North Carolina before edging SEC rival Kentucky by a 77-71 score in overtime to punc their ticket their their first-ever Final Four.

-- Jared Harper picked up the slack with Okeke on the shelf, scoring 26 points with five assists and four rebounds to go along with two blocked shots across 39 minutes, and he is averaging 17.5 points per game (PPG) with 6.5 rebounds per game (RPG) through four NCAA Tournament games. Bryce Brown stepped up in a big way against Kentucky, hitting 8-for-12 from the field with four triples, giving him 24 points. He is averaging 18.3 PPG with 3.0 RPG in this tournament.

-- Auburn has done well on offense in the tournament, and that's not a surprise since they averaged 80.2 PPG to rank 28th nationally. They also dropped in 3-pointers at a 37.9-percent clip, ranking 31st in the country in that department. The Tigers jack up a lot of shots, though, and were just 134th in the nation with a 45.1 field-goal percentage. They're not a great free-throw shooting club, either, ranking 166th at 70.9 percent, so that will be interesting to watch in the final minutes as the intensity gets ratcheted up to a level they've never seen in program history.

-- Defensively, Auburn is just so-so. In the tournament they've allowed at least 71 points in each of their four outings, good for an average of 75.8 PPG. That's slightly more than their 68.9 PPG average allowed, which was good for just 107th in the country.

-- Auburn enters this one having covered eight of their past 10 games overall, and they're 4-1 ATS in the past five against teams with a winning record. They're also 4-1 ATS in the past five neutral-site affairs.

-- The 'over' has cashed in five in a row for Pearl's squad, while going 7-0 in their past seven against teams with a winning percentage over .600. The over is also 5-0 in their past five neutral-site affairs, and 4-1 in the past five non-conference tilts, although the under has actually hit in five of their past six matchups against ACC foes.

-- These teams used to meet semi-frequently, with the underdog cashing in four in a row. The last meeting was Dec. 7, 2009, though, with the Tigers coming away with a 68-67 win.

-- Virginia (33-3 SU, 25-11 ATS) can finally stop answering questions about their historically bad loss to No. 16 seed UMBC last season, and talk about the good times instead. It's their first trip to the Final Four under the leadership of Tony Bennett, following in the footsteps of his dad, Dick, who took the Wisconsin Badgers to the Final Four back in 2000.

-- It looked like lightning was going to strike the Hoos twice, as 16-seed Gardner-Webb opened up a double-digit lead on the No. 1 seed in the first round before the Cavaliers pulled away in the second half for a 71-56 victory. After that scare from the Bulldogs, and the confidence from winning that one game, UVA hasn't looked back.

-- In the second round the Cavs steamed past Oklahoma by a 63-51 score, and then they edged Oregon in a defensive dogfight in the Sweet Sixteen, outlasting the Ducks 53-49 in a game with a score resembling the days before the 3-point line and the shot clock. Last, but certainly not least, they persevered against Purdue in what might have been the best game of this season's NCAA Tournament to date, winning 80-75 in overtime.

-- In that game against the Boilermakers, UVA was up against it in the final seconds, down two. However, Mamadi Diakite had the put-back after a missed free throw, tipping it in after the rebound to force overtime. Diakite saved the season, ending up with 14 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots across his 42 minutes. Kyle Guy finally had a decent game after scuffling in the first three tournament battles, going for 25 points, 10 rebounds, a steal and five 3-pointers. Ty Jerome also contributed 24 points with seven assists and five boards while turning it over just once, and he dumped in four triples.

-- UVA was able to overcome 14 3-pointers from the Boilers, and a good reason they were so successful was their ability to get to the free-throw line, and efficiency once they were there. The Hoos ended the night 17-for-20 (85.0 percent) at the charity stripe, a good reason why they're here, although the final miss is also a big reason they're here, too.

-- Virginia is the last remaining No. 1 seed in this season's Field of 68 still alive.

-- The Cavaliers are just 2-6 ATS in the past eight NCAA Tournament games, and only a bad beat in the final moments of their overtime win against the Boilermakers prevented that from being 1-7. They're 8-3 ATS in the past 11 games outside of the conference, and 40-19-1 ATS in the past 60 following a straight-up win.

-- The over in their OT win against Purdue was a rarity, as the under is 7-2 in their past nine non-conference games, and 5-2 in the past seven neutral-site contests. The under is also 6-1 in their past seven vs. SEC opponents.


Final Four - National Semifinal (Minneapolis, MN)

No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 2 Michigan State (CBS, 8:49 PM EST)

Opening Odds: Michigan State -2½, 132½

-- Texas Tech (30-6 SU, 19-16 ATS) is easily the best defensive team remaining out of the four teams still alive for the national title, and we'll find out if defense wins championships on the hardwood. They ranked third in the country, allowing just 59.0 PPG this season, and they were second in defensive field-goal percentage at 36.9 percent. They also yielded just 29.3 percent of their 3-pointers against, checking in 10th in the nation.

-- The Red Raiders have rolled up an impressive resume getting to Minneapolis, so don't discount them even though they're slight underdogs. They racked up a 72-57 win over Northern Kentucky of the Horizon League in the opener, covering a 13-point number, and they throttled Buffalo by 20 points in a game against a team which spent a majority of the season in The Associated Press Top 25. Perhaps their most impressive win was in the Sweet Sixteen, as they dismantled Michigan by a 63-44 score, showing off an unbelievable defensive effort.

-- The most points they allowed in the NCAA Tournament came against No. 1 seed Gonzaga in the Elite Eight, but they still held the nation's top scoring offense to 69 points, well below their average.

-- Texas Tech is methodical on offense, posting just 73.0 PPG to rank 158th in the nation. The shots they took take go in, however, as they were a very efficient 47.1 percent from the field to rank 46th, and a respectable 69th in 3-pointer shooting at 36.5 percent.

-- Texas Tech is an impressive 13-3 ATS in their past 16 games overall, including 4-0 ATS in the NCAA Tournament, adthey're 11-1 ATS in the past 12 games against teams with an overall winning record.

-- The over against Gonzaga was the first in five NCAA Tournament games for the Red Raiders. The under is 19-8 in their past 27 neutral-site battles, and 46-22-1 in the past 69 non-conference tilts.

-- This is Texas Tech's first appearance in the Final Four.

-- Michigan State (32-6 SU, 27-11 ATS) started out rather sluggishly in their first NCAA Tournament game against Bradley from the Missouri Valley Conference, winning 76-65 as 17 1/2-point favorites. That seems to be the theme for each of the Final Four participants, who went a combined 1-3 ATS in the first round.

-- Michigan State hammered Big Ten foe Minnesota by a 70-50 count in Round 2 to get their sea legs, and they roughed up a good LSU side in the Sweet Sixteen by an 80-63 count. The most impressive game was their win over Duke, 68-67, as they punched their ticket to Minneapolis.

-- Duke had been winning those close games in the end, but Michigan State was able to make sure they weren't the latest victim of the Blue Devils at the buzzer. They beat a team with a handful of players expected to be NBA lottery picks next season, led by Cassius Winston. He poured in 20 points with 10 assists and four steals while hitting a pair of 3-pointers. Xavier Tillman was also rock-solid, going for 19 points on 8-for-12 shooting, while adding nine boards, three steals andtwo blocked shots. Kenny Goins added 10 points, nine boards and two steals with a pair of triples, as the Spartans were very balanced in the win for Tom Izzo's group.

-- A lot has been mentioned about Texas Tech's defense, but Michigan State knows a little something about defense, too. The allowed just 65.1 PPG to rank 34th in the country, and they had the third-best defensive field-goal percentage allowed at 37.9 percent. This game could be quite the slugfest in Minneapolis.

-- The difference in this one might be rebounding, as Michigan State used their size to rank ninth in the nation with 40.6 boards per game, while yielding just 28.3 RPG to check in 24th in the country defensively.

-- The Spartans won't be fazed by Texas Tech and their defense. They're been there and done that against rival Michigan, who plays a similar style. Sparty is 21-5 ATS in the past 26 games against teams with winning overall records, too, while going 26-9 ATS in their past 35 games overall. Michigan State is also 5-1 ATS in the past six on a neutral floor.

-- The under is 5-1 in the past six games overall, and 4-1 in the past five in the NCAA Tournament. The under is also 19-7-1 in the past 27 against teams with a winning percentage over .600, and 5-2 in Michigan State's past seven against the Big 12.

-- These teams have never met on the hardwood.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Dunkel

Saturday, April 6


Auburn @ Virginia

Game 803-804
April 6, 2019 @ 6:09 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Auburn
79.723
Virginia
78.204
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Auburn
by 1 1/2
138
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Virginia
by 5 1/2
130 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Auburn
(+1 1/2); Over

Texas Tech @ Michigan State

Game 801-802
April 6, 2019 @ 8:49 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Texas Tech
79.887
Michigan State
77.985
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Texas Tech
by 2
124
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Michigan State
by 3
133
Dunkel Pick:
Texas Tech
(+3); Under




NCAAB
Long Sheet

Saturday, April 6

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TEXAS TECH (30 - 6) vs. MICHIGAN ST (32 - 6) - 4/6/2019, 8:49 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS TECH is 140-185 ATS (-63.5 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
MICHIGAN ST is 27-11 ATS (+14.9 Units) in all games this season.
MICHIGAN ST is 27-11 ATS (+14.9 Units) in all lined games this season.
MICHIGAN ST is 24-9 ATS (+14.1 Units) as a favorite this season.
MICHIGAN ST is 21-8 ATS (+12.2 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
MICHIGAN ST is 23-7 ATS (+15.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MICHIGAN ST is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games this season.
MICHIGAN ST is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game after 15+ games this season.
MICHIGAN ST is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game this season.
TEXAS TECH is 12-5 ATS (+6.5 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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AUBURN (30 - 9) vs. VIRGINIA (33 - 3) - 4/6/2019, 6:09 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VIRGINIA is 25-11 ATS (+12.9 Units) in all games this season.
VIRGINIA is 25-11 ATS (+12.9 Units) in all lined games this season.
VIRGINIA is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) when the total is 130 to 139.5 this season.
VIRGINIA is 23-11 ATS (+10.9 Units) as a favorite this season.
VIRGINIA is 9-0 ATS (+9.0 Units) in road games on Saturday games over the last 2 seasons.
VIRGINIA is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
VIRGINIA is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
VIRGINIA is 17-9 ATS (+7.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
VIRGINIA is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
VIRGINIA is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
AUBURN is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) in all tournament games this season.

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

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NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, April 5

Last six years, favorites are 7-5 vs spread in national semis; last outright upset in Final 4 game was 2015, with two #1-seeds playing.

Auburn won its last 12 games; their last setback was Feb 23. Tigers lost Okeke in Sweet 16 game, a big loss; they played two subs 30:00+ in their OT win over Kentucky in Elite 8. Tigers are 1-2 vs ACC teams, beating UNC by 17, losing by 6 to Duke, by 7 at NC State. Auburn forces turnovers 24.9% of time (#1); Virginia turns ball over 14.7% of time (#12) while playing slowest tempo in nation. Guy made 5-12 on arc last game, ending a 5-31 skid; Cavaliers are 16-0 outside ACC this year. Last seven #1 seeds to play non-#1-seed in this round went 2-5 vs spread. A #1-seed has played in national title game 10 of the last 12 years.

This is first time a #2-seed plays a #3-seed in national semis since 2004; Georgia Tech upset Oklahoma State that day. Michigan State is 14-1 since a 3-game losing skid around Super Bowl time; Spartans are 2-0 vs SEC teams this year, beating Florida/LSU. MSU is experience team #138; their defensive eFG% is #4 in country. Izzo is only coach in Final Four who has been here before; he is 2-5 in national semi-final games, with last win in 2009. Texas Tech won 13 of its last 14 games, is 16-1 outside Big X, but vs NC schedule #307; Red Raiders are experience team #102 whose defensive eFG% is #2 in country.




801Texas Tech -802 Michigan St
MICHIGAN ST is 12-0 ATS (12 Units) vs. excellent teams (Win Pct: 80%+) in the current season.

803Auburn -804 Virginia
VIRGINIA is 8-0 ATS (8 Units) in road games after a game where they made 78% of their free throws or better in the current season.




NCAAB

Saturday, April 6

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

Auburn Tigers
Auburn is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Auburn is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Auburn's last 5 games
Virginia Cavaliers
Virginia is 17-8 ATS in its last 25 games
Virginia is 13-1 SU in its last 14 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Virginia's last 6 games

[StarDust Bum]

AUBURN TIGERS VS VIRGINIA CAVALIERS (+5.5, 131)

THREE REASONS WHY VIRGINIA COVERS

NO. 1 DEFENSE WINS

Defense wins championships: It's an old cliche/mantra but it has more than a kernel of truth. Of the last 11 national champions, none have been ranked lower than 18th in adjusted defensive efficiency according to KenPom.com, while four have been ranked in the Top 5 in that category. Virginia is ranked fifth in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency, while Auburn is just 38th.

Virginia allows an NCAA-low 55.4 points per game on 38.4 percent shooting, while Auburn gives up 69.3 ppg on 44.1 percent shooting.

But it's not just about defense with championship-caliber teams. Nine of the previous 11 NCAA champions were ranked among the Top 10 teams in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency, and seven of them were in the Top 3. As good as Auburn's offense is, it's ranked outside the Top 3. However, Virginia is at No. 2.

With a significantly better defense, and a more efficient offense as well, UVA should be able to cover the 5.5 points.

NO. 2 THE FRONTCOURT EDGE

Both of these teams largely play small ball, with guard-heavy lineups. Auburn is led by Bryce Brown and Jared Harper, while Virginia has the three-headed monster of Ty Jerome, Kyle Guy and De'Andre Hunter. But this is still basketball and size matters. Auburn has a true center in Austin Wiley, but he averages just 13.1 minutes per game. Virginia counters with a pair of big men in Jack Salt and Jay Huff, who log a combined 26.5 mpg.

The real advantage though is at forward where Auburn will miss Chuma Okeke. Okeke was Auburn's leading rebounder and affected the game in so many ways on both ends of the court. He was arguably Auburn's best player against North Carolina before tearing his ACL.

Virginia has a long, active forward of its own in Mamadi Diakite. Diakite has really stepped up recently, averaging 13 points, nine rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game during the tournament. With Okeke out, Auburn will have no answer for Diakite.

Factor in the fact that Virginia is 14th in the country in rebounding rate, while Auburn is 243rd, and UVA should be able to dominate the boards and in the paint.

NO. 3 TENACIOUS D FROM DEEP

Auburn loves to shoot threes, we all know this. But Honey Badger don't care. And by Honey Badger, I mean this Virginia defense which generally shuts down 3-point shooting teams.

Now, I know you're going to say two words in response to that: Carsen Edwards. Yes, Edwards did go off against Virginia, connecting on 11 of 19 attempts from deep. But he was just unstoppable all tournament and kept taking and making insane shots that the vast majority of players aren't going to. A matter of fact, the rest of the Purdue lineup went just 4 for 13 from long range.

On the season, UVA allows only 6.3 3-pointers per game and holds opponents to just 28.7 perecent shooting from beyond the arc - the third-lowest figure in the country.

Keep in mind that this is the same Auburn squad that went 5 for 20 from 3-point range against Mississippi, 8 for 27 against Kentucky and 7 for 25 against Alabama, all within the last two months. You live by the three, you die by the three. Auburn will die by the three Saturday.


THREE REASONS WHY AUBURN COVERS

NO. 1 THE ULTIMATE WEAPON

I’m just going to say it. The Auburn Tigers are the best 3-point shooting team in the country. Argument over. Don’t @ me. No team shoots as many threes as the Tigers do, while hitting them at the rate they do. They rank fifth in the country in 3-point attempts per game (30.0), third in made threes per game (11.5), while hitting 38.3 percent of their attempts, good for 15th best. During their 12-game winning streak (also the best in the country) they are hitting nearly 40 percent of their 3-point attempts.

The Tigers are led by standout and experienced guard play (another big tournament plus). Senior Bryce Brown and junior Jared Harper led the Tigers with 16.0 and 15.4 points per game respectively, while hitting a combined 39.1 percent of their attempts from beyond the arc.

And don’t give me this, “Well, Virginia’s defense is going to lock them down,” crap. Auburn has played plenty of great defensive teams during this run. Kentucky, North Carolina and Kansas all rank in the Top 17 of the KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency metric. The Tigers can spread the floor like not many others in the county. They’ll get their shots, even against Virginia. And they’ll make a bunch of ‘em.

NO. 2 HUSTLE AND FLOW

A quick look at the Tigers’ adjusted defensive efficiency and you’ll see that they aren’t on the same level as Virginia, Michigan State or Texas Tech. But they get the job done on the defensive end in other ways. And first and foremost, that's with hustle and effort.

That translates to steals and blocks. And a lot of them. The Tigers rank fifth in the country with 9.4 steals per game and 21st in blocks per game at 4.8. In the tournament alone, the Tigers have forced 59 turnovers, recorded 18 blocks and are a plus-24 in the turnover margin.

Virginia doesn’t turn the ball over a lot, but it hasn't faced a team that gets its hands in the passing lanes like Auburn can. These plays result in a lot of breakout transition plays for the Tigers and that could be the key in breaking down the Cavaliers’ vaunted defense. The more fast-break opportunities Auburn can get, the fewer chances Virginia will have to get set in its half-court defense.

Virginia loves to slow teams down and make them play at its pace, but Auburn won’t let them in this one.

NO. 3 PEARL JAM

Auburn coach Bruce Pearl gets made fun of for his antics on the sideline. And yes, his yelling and motioning may be a little over the top, but it distracts viewers from what he's actually doing: coaching. Pearl never takes a play off. He's coaching his team each and every second of the game. It may mean going through a shirt or two during a game, but it’s worth it.

Pearl has come in and built a real basketball culture and at Auburn and you could really feel it after the loss Chuma Okeke in its upset defeat of North Carolina. The team was devastated for their brother and it would be totally understandable if they got to the regional final against Kentucky and it was just too much for them to overcome. Okeke was their third-leading scorer, shooting the lights out from deep and was their best defender. But the Tigers didn’t fold. Pearl kept his team in the right frame of mind and they were able to overcome that adversity, not only showing the mental toughness to take out a strong Kentucky team, but to do it in overtime.

Does Virginia have that sort of mental toughness? I’m not sure (*cough* UMBC *cough*).

Reason No. 2 and No. 3 are related. No matter the score Pearl has his guys set up properly and they in turn are diving on the court for every lose ball. That preparedness and effort will not only be the difference in the Tigers covering the 5.5-points they’re getting but advancing to the National Championship.

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TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS VS MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS (-2.5, 132.5)

THREE REASONS WHY MICHIGAN STATE COVERS

NO. 1: OWN THE BOARDS

Michigan State is one of the better rebounding teams in college basketball – ranked fifth in total rebounds per game - and has been especially strong on the glass during the NCAA Tournament. The Spartans were able to keep bigger opponents like LSU and Minnesota off the boards and held their own against a very active Duke team and Zion Williamson, totaling 11 offensive rebounds which added up to extra scoring chances in that Elite Eight win.

The Red Raiders are 224th in total rebounds per game and allow foes to find offensive boards 8.4 times an outing. Texas Tech has been outworked on the glass in all but one of its tournament games (Buffalo) and doesn’t pose much of a threat for put-back buckets, sitting 236th in offensive rebounding.

While TTU is the defensive monster in this matchup, MSU should not be dismissed on that end of the floor. The Spartans are eighth in defensive efficiency and will get stops against Texas Tech, collecting those misses on defense as well as scoring second-chance points on the offensive glass.

NO. 2: TAKING CARE OF TURNOVERS

Outside of a brain fart versus Minnesota in the Round of 32, in which Michigan State coughed the ball up 20 times, the Spartans are very careful when it comes to turnovers. They had just six against one of the best ball-hawking defenses in Duke, recorded only six in the win over LSU, and tightened up in the second half versus Bradley with nine turnovers in that NCAA opener.

Texas Tech thrives on those mistakes, ranked 15th in creating chaos with 15.7 forced turnovers per outing. The Red Raiders made Gonzaga’s surehanded backcourt cough it up 15 times in the Elite Eight and squeezed 14 turnovers out of Michigan, which averaged only nine per game on the season. Cassius Winston is a rock in the backcourt for Tom Izzo, and had only one turnover against a very aggressive Duke defense.

Texas Tech isn’t going to generate those extra possessions or score on easy transition buckets, forcing their inconsistent offense to play a halfcourt set. Between their scoring lulls and MSU’s tough defense, the Red Raiders will struggle to scrounge up points.

NO. 3: CAN’T BULLY THE BULLY

Texas Tech is a physical force on the hardwood, using its size and speed to plug up gaps and beat opponents to the spot with intuitive help defense. And when shots do go up, the Red Raiders are fantastic at forcing bad ones and turning away their fare share, averaging five blocks per game.

They’ve been able to physically dominate and wear down their opponents and made Gonzaga’s top-ranked offense look like an ordinary team from the WCC. The Red Raiders are extremely active and hustle for every possession they can get, but run into a MSU program with that same fire.

The Spartans are tough, which is nothing new for a crew from East Lansing. Michigan State has battled bigger bodies in Minnesota and Louisiana State and stood toe-to-toe with the freakish strength of Zion. They won’t get rattled when TTU starts throwing its weight around – in fact, MSU will welcome it.

Turning to the battle of brains – not brawn – Izzo will have the insight and experience edge over Red Raiders head coach Chris Beard, having a week to prepare for this defense and prep his men for what should be a war Saturday night in Minneapolis.


THREE REASONS WHY TEXAS TECH COVERS

NO. 1: DEFENSE!

This one is easy because defense wins championships, right? And Texas Tech has an elite defense that ranks first in the NCAA in defensive efficiency (85.1 percent), first in KenPom’s Adjusted Defensive Efficiency metric (84), and third in points against per game (59).

The Red Raiders have been in shutdown mode in the tournament, allowing 57, 58, 44, and 69 points so far. What’s even more impressive is that two of these games came against two of the top-ranked offenses in the country in Buffalo and Gonzaga. Texas Tech held the Bulls 26 points below their season average and the Bulldogs 19 points below their season average.

Texas Tech is also one of the best teams in the nation at limiting team assists, allowing just 9.8 per game, the fifth-fewest in the nation. That just happens to be a strength of the Spartans as they have totaled 40 assists over the last two games and are third in the nation in averaging 18.7 per game. The Red Raiders are going to frustrate the Spartans by not allowing them to move the ball like they are used to and that’s going to be one of the biggest edges they have in this one. Michigan State’s defense is good but Texas Tech’s defense is better and it’s one of the reasons why the Red Raiders will be playing on Monday.

NO. 2: OFFENSIVE EDGE

Texas Tech has the best offensive player in this game and that is a huge advantage in a game with a total set in the low 130s. Sophomore guard Jarrett Culver is a legitimate NBA lottery prospect who is playing incredible basketball at the right time of year, averaging 21.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in four NCAA Tournament games. The Big 12 Player of the Year takes 32.3 percent of Texas Tech’s shots while he’s on the court and will need a big game to get his squad through to the Final Four.

But Culver isn’t alone at the offensive end of the court. The Red Raiders feature a couple of sharp-shooting guards who can light it up from long range in Davide Moretti (46.3 percent from three) and Matt Mooney (38.1 percent from three). If these two get hot from downtown, the Red Raiders should find themselves playing for the national championship.

Some might argue that Texas Tech’s offense ranks the lowest of any team left in the tournament according to KenPom’s Offensive Efficiency Ranking, and that is true as the Red Raiders rank 29th. But their offense is much improved over the past two months and they actually rank No. 8 in the nation since Feb. 2. Texas Tech managed to score against Michigan’s second-ranked scoring defense (58.3 points against) and should also find a way to score against the Spartans defense that allows 65.1 points per game.

NO. 3: TAKING CARE OF THE BALL

The public narrative all week has been that Michigan State beat Duke. And of course Duke was the No. 1 overall seed and it has Zion Williamson, so the Spartans must be the real deal, right? But let’s be realistic. The Blue Devils were not playing their best basketball in the tournament and would have — and should have — lost to both UCF and Virginia Tech had it not been for some very fortunate events and bad calls late in the games that went their way.

Duke was sloppy with the ball in the Elite Eight, turning it over 17 times, and that is biggest factor that led to its loss. Texas Tech is not going to give the ball away 17 times. The Red Raiders turn the ball over 12.3 times per game on the season and have given it away just 11.5 times per game so far in the tournament. That includes giving it away just eight times when they played Michigan in the Sweet 16 and that is important as the pace of this game should be similar to the Red Raiders-Wolverines matchup last weekend.

Texas Tech is going to take care of the ball in a game that doesn’t have many possessions and that’s going to help push the Red Raiders into the National Championship game.

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Adams masterminds T-Tech's defense
April 5, 2019
By The Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) As a young Texas Tech assistant, Chris Beard liked to unwind from a hectic day by heading to the late-night movies. No cellphone, no interruptions, just Beard and a mostly-empty movie theater.

On more than one occasion, he looked over and saw Mark Adams, the coach at nearby Howard Junior College, in the theater watching the same movie. The two already knew each other in basketball circles and pretty soon were going to the movies together two or three times a week.

Both are movie buffs, but the late-night gatherings were more about comradery and basketball than the flick.

''We would sit next to each other because we talk basketball,'' Beard said. ''It really didn't matter what the movie was.''

The two long-time friends are now writing their own script in Minneapolis.

Sparked by Beard's tenacity and a defense spawned in Adams' ample mind, the Red Raiders are on the cusp of the biggest game in program history.

Saturday night's matchup with Michigan State will be the first Final Four in 93 years of Texas Tech basketball. It's also the culmination of ideas germinated from those early basketball-talking, movie-watching West Texas days.

''I feel like the luckiest coach in America to be here in this setting,'' Adams said. ''It's always been a dream to coach on this national stage in the Final Four. Coach Beard, I've known him forever, but he still surprises because it's something daily that he comes up with that's unique and impressive.''

Beard and Adams took divergent, nomadic paths from Lubbock before reuniting in West Texas.

Beard's 12-stop journey took him across the spectrum of basketball: Midwestern junior colleges, Division II schools, the ABA in South Carolina, back to Division I in the South.

Adams' career began at Clarendon College in 1981 and his resume includes stops at Wayland Baptist, West Texas A&M and Texas-Pan American.

The basketball lifers reconnected in 2015 at Arkansas-Little Rock, where Beard, using Adams' attacking defense, led the Trojans not only to a massive turnaround but an upset of No. 5 seed Purdue in the NCAA Tournament.

Little Rock's Cinderella run made Beard a hot coaching commodity and, after a short, aborted stint at UNLV, it landed him back in Lubbock to lead the Red Raiders.

Adams followed and they orchestrated a quick turnaround in Lubbock, taking a program with one NCAA Tournament the previous decade to its first Elite Eight a year ago. The Red Raiders took another leap this year, sharing the Big 12 regular-season championship and marching through the bracket to the Final Four.

The key: defense.

And it's no ordinary defense.

Basketball coaches are not shy about borrowing concepts from other coaches. See something that works for another program or in the NBA and it gets quickly adopted.

Adams hatched Texas Tech's diabolical defense on his own.

The main goal of the defense is to keep teams out of the lane, so the Red Raiders pack it in, forcing teams to the perimeter and to the baselines.

Texas Tech also attacks the offense rather than sitting back and react, ''icing'' ball handlers on ball screens by angling them away from the middle. Forcing a ball hander to the sides of the court limits his options and effectively turns the sideline into a sixth defender.

This season, Texas Tech had the best adjusted defensive efficiency - 84.1 points per 100 possessions - since KenPom.com began tracking the stat in 2002, and it has held teams to 57 points per game in the NCAA Tournament.

''Coach Adams is the best defensive coach I've ever seen,'' Beard said. ''Mark Adams has a way about defense and it's been a big part of our team, our identity.''

Adams is a taskmaster in practice, often making players rerun Texas Tech's infamous ''Kill Drill'' - three straight possessions with a defensive stop - if someone was in the wrong place or wasn't talking.

He's also known as The Candy Man.

As a way of luring players into his office to talk defense, Adams has a stash of candy out to keep them in there watching film. The longer they stay, the more candy they get.

''Yes, it is a bribe,'' Adams said with a laugh. ''It's kind of like a trap.''

Just like Adams' defense.

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This Final Four group led by defense
April 5, 2019
By The Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) A short year ago, it not only felt inevitable, it was already happening.

America's favorite spectator sports had become video games in which 3-pointers and Steph Curry wannabes ruled basketball, quick touchdowns and high-powered offenses ruled football and the days of slow, boring games, the likes of which your grandfather might have enjoyed, were a relic from the past.

Then, the Super Bowl happened. And March Madness. And now, America's sports fans are faced with what seems again like a novel concept: Defense wins championships.

Three of the four teams playing in the Final Four on Saturday are among the top nine in defensive efficiency, which measures points allowed per 100 possessions. Leading the way is Texas Tech, which not only has the best number this season (84), but the best in the 18 years the stat has been tracked by advanced-metrics guru Ken Pomeroy.

''It's in our DNA. It's our identity,'' said Red Raiders coach Chris Beard. ''And we'll never change. We've always been a team that tries to guard.''

The trend isn't going unnoticed around the country.

Coaches who will be watching the Final Four this weekend are meeting at their annual convention in downtown Minneapolis. On Friday, Russ Turner of UC Irvine was on his way to conduct a clinic on - what else? - his program's style of defense. The Anteaters have led the Big West in defense for the last six seasons; this year, they made the tournament and pulled a first-round upset of Kansas State.

''The thing is, most fans prefer offense, yet sometimes, the best path to ultimate success is the other way,'' Turner said.

Many fans were ecstatic last November, when declarations rang out from far and wide that football had officially entered a new era.

The Rams beat the Chiefs 54-51 in a game featuring two young quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes and Jared Goff, who were anointed as the men leading the NFL into a new age, one in which running, defense and time of possession were virtually meaningless.

That line of thinking went full steam ahead through the playoffs - not even pausing when Clemson held Alabama to 16 points in a College Football Playoff title-game blowout - until the Patriots brought it to a screeching halt. They beat the Rams 13-3 in a sleep-inducing Super Bowl. Complaints rang out across the country. The trophy, however, looked and weighed exactly the same.

''It's a cliche saying, but I think it's ultimately true: Defense wins championships,'' Rams defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh said after the game. ''Their defense outplayed us.''

Fast forward to April.

Texas Tech's nation-leading defense finally started getting some national pub; the last step on the road to the Final Four came with a takedown of Gonzaga, the team that, ironically, had the nation's leading offense.

Virginia's defense needs no introduction. It's the Pack Line Defense. Designed by coach Tony Bennett's legendary father, Dick, it's a man-to-man hybrid that calls for one player to put heavy pressure on the ball handler while the others sag and close down gaps in the middle.

''I would say Dick Bennett taught me, through clinics and tapes, a lot of how we try to guard, even still to this day,'' said Auburn's Bruce Pearl, whose trapping, pressure defense was the only Final Four D not ranked in the top 10.

Only four seasons ago, faced with too many free throws and the lowest average scoring in a generation, the NCAA tweaked rules with the goal of making the game more entertaining, in part by freeing up movement around the court.

Hand-checking on the perimeter was verboten. It played into an already burgeoning love affair with the 3-pointer - a trend that reached its pinnacle last season when Villanova won the title on the strength of a record-setting 464 long-range field goals. Scoring is up nearly 5 points a game since the rule changes.

But one minor tweak to those rules came before the 2016-17 season, and could be having an impact this year. It allowed shot blockers under the basket to jump straight up and reject, even if they were standing inside the ''restricted'' semicircle under the basket. Previously, defenders in that area got whistled for virtually any contact.

Michigan State (six), Texas Tech (15) and Auburn (18) are all in the top 20 in blocks this season. (Though Auburn's top shot-blocker, Chuma Okeke, is out with a knee injury.)

''Hopefully, you look at the teams here and they're winning by playing defense, and hopefully that sticks,'' said St. Bonaventure coach Mark Schmidt, whose Bonnies had a top-50 defense this season. ''Because it can't just be an offensive game. It can't just be an All-Star game.''

In its eighth Final Four of the Tom Izzo era, Michigan State has had its share of All-Stars over the years, but has also made it other ways. This season's team is led by veterans who aren't on the fast path to pro hoops. One thing that's been consistent through all those years: Defense.

Izzo, whose team starred in one of the modern era's all-time Final Four clunkers - a 53-41 semifinal win over Wisconsin in 2000 - said he wasn't in position to decide if this year's transition to `D' is a permanent thing.

''Whatever the way they want to play it, I'll adjust to it,'' he said. ''And I'll complain if we lose and be happy if we win.''

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The Latest: Auburn stars dealing with colds at Final Four
April 5, 2019
By The Associated Press

The Latest on the Final Four (all times local):

4:15 p.m.

Auburn has Sir Charles, Michigan State has Magic and Virginia has Ralph Sampson.

Texas Tech will have Patrick Mahomes.

The Chiefs quarterback and reigning NFL MVP plans to watch the Red Raiders play the Spartans in the Final Four on Saturday night. Mahomes doesn't have any official obligations, though he may give the team a shout-out, but he's looking forward to the festive Final Four atmosphere.

Mahomes played high school basketball and still loves the game, even though it got him into trouble recently. A grainy video of Mahomes making a slick crossover move in a pickup game went viral, and Chiefs general manager Brett Veach - concerned about a potential injury - put an end to those endeavors.

He'll have to settle for getting his basketball fix as a fan.

- Dave Skretta reporting from Minneapolis.

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3:50 p.m.

Texas Tech assistant coach Mark Adams loves spinning a yarn, often telling of conflicts to motivate the Red Raiders.

One of his favorites involves dogs named Sugarfoot and Foxy.

''Actually, they're real dogs and coach (Chris) Beard has talked a lot about street dogs and has labeled this team that,'' Adams said. ''He likes the underdogs, the street dog mentality, kind of a blue-collar guy anyway. Those were stories about two dogs, friendly dogs except when there was another dog in the neighborhood. There also were good fighters and we talk a lot about fighting.''

No word if Adams will use Sugarfoot and Foxy for Saturday's Final Four game against Michigan State. Rest assured, though, there will be a story or two.

- John Marshall reporting from Minneapolis.

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1:45 p.m.

Virginia's Braxton Key just can't get away from Auburn.

The 6-foot-8 junior transferred after two seasons at Alabama, and received a waiver from the NCAA to play right away this season instead of having to sit out a year. Yet his first year with the Cavaliers now has him set to play the Tigers -Alabama's fiercest rival- in Saturday's national semifinals.

Key said he's heard from ''a lot of my frat friends, former teammates, everyone'' from his Alabama days about the importance of beating Key's (former) instate rival.

This will be the sixth time Key has faced Auburn. He scored 18 points and 17 points in two meetings during the 2016-17 season, but managed a total of 24 points in three meetings last season.

---

12:55 p.m.

The sun came up the next day for the Purdue Boilermakers, and coach Matt Painter kept his eye on the big picture.

After that heartbreaking loss to Virginia in the Elite Eight, one way of looking at it was that the Boilermakers were lucky to be there. That's the approach that Painter took, at least.

''It's part of competition,'' Painter said on Friday, after a presentation at the coaches' conference that runs in conjunction with the Final Four. ''The thing you have to keep in mind about our loss is that we were very fortunate to be in the game in the first place.''

In the Sweet 16 game against Tennessee, Purdue's Carsen Edwards got fouled while taking a 3-pointer with the clock running down. He made two of the three free throws to get the game into overtime, and from there, Purdue won.

Against Virginia, Cavs forward Mamadi Diakite made a buzzer beater to send the game into overtime, but that time, the Boilermakers weren't able to overcome.

''Our guys are crushed,'' Painter said. ''It's something that will stick with us forever, but you've got to move on.''

- Eddie Pells reporting from Minneapolis.

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12:30 p.m.

Coach Tony Bennett has taken Virginia to the Final Four for the first time in 35 years, and his appearance has put him in even more exclusive company. He's part of only the second pair of fathers and sons to coach a team in the national semifinals. His father, Dick Bennett, took Wisconsin to the Final Four in 2000.

The first family duo to accomplish the feat was Georgetown's John Thompson, who took the Hoyas there in 1982, 1984 and 1985, and John Thompson III, who went with the same program in 2007.

Bennett said he was proud to be in such a small club, particularly because that means he's even with his dad.

''Now he can't look at me and say, `I'm one up on you, son,''' Bennett said. ''At least he can't do t4hat. There's no bragging rights on his part now.''

- Dave Campbell reporting from Minneapolis.

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Noon

Injured Auburn star Chuma Okeke is not expected to travel to Minneapolis to be with the team when it plays Virginia in the Final Four on Saturday.

Okeke injured his knee a week ago in the Sweet 16 victory against North Carolina. He had surgery in Birmingham, Alabama, to repair a torn knee ligament on Tuesday. An Auburn spokesman said Friday the team was not expecting Okeke to make the trip.

Auburn players have rallied around Okeke, the team's leading scorer. Malik Dunbar wore Okeke's No. 5 jersey during warmups for the Elite Eight game against Kentucky and says he plans to do the same before the Virginia game.

- Ralph D. Russo reporting from Minneapolis.

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11:35 a.m.

Charles Barkley isn't the only big-name fan of Auburn.

Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry surprised the Tigers - and another Under Armour-sponsored school, Texas Tech - with pairs of his new sneakers for their Final Four appearance on Saturday night. Curry recorded videos for both of the teams and wished them well as they compete in the national semifinals.

''It was amazing. He gave us a special shoutout,'' Tigers star Bryce Brown said. ''He said he was an underdog like us, that this run was like the run he was on with Davidson.''

Before becoming an NBA star, Curry led tiny Davidson to the Elite Eight of the 2008 tournament.

Curry is one of Brown's favorite players, so getting a shout-out? ''That meant a lot,'' he said.

- Dave Skretta reporting from Minneapolis.

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11:15 a.m.

Auburn star Jared Harper and some of his teammates are dealing with an illness that he hopes will be better by Saturday night.

Harper started feeling sick Thursday night and began taking some medicine, and team doctors gave him a shot Friday morning. He was still sniffling during his media rounds before taking the floor for the Tigers' open practice ahead of their semifinal date with Virginia.

Fellow guard Bryce Brown felt the worst of it on Thursday, but was on the rebound Friday.

''We've got a bunch of guys that are sniffling and hacking and coughing, be we don't play today,'' coach Bruce Pearl said.

The flu bug swept through North Carolina last weekend in Kansas City, where the Tigers knocked off the Tar Heels in the regional semifinal. It's unclear whether Harper may have gotten the same bug.

Harper is averaging 15.4 points and 5.4 assists.

- Dave Skretta reporting from Minneapolis.

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11 a.m.

Basketball fans have lined up early for the first entry into U.S. Bank Stadium, as the Final Four teams hold open-to-the-public workouts.

Auburn takes the court first, followed by Virginia, Texas Tech and Michigan State. There's no charge to attend the practices. The games, of course, come at a cost. According to secondary market ticket seller StubHub, as of Friday morning, the lowest price for the semifinal games on Saturday evening is $385.

U.S. Bank Stadium opened in 2016, the home of the Minnesota Vikings and the host of the Super Bowl after the 2017 NFL season. The seating capacity has been expanded for the Final Four to 72,000.

- Dave Campbell reporting from Minneapolis.

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Michigan State, Texas Tech get ready for a Final Four grind
April 5, 2019
By The Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Hunker down, hoops fans. This one might be ugly.

The Final Four's second semifinal Saturday features Texas Tech, the team with the best defense in a generation, against Michigan State, the nose-in-the-dirt team whose coach used to put helmets and shoulder pads on his players for practice.

It's a non-glamour pairing pitting two teams that thrive on the grind. Texas Tech (30-6) has allowed more than 70 points only five times this season and not at all in the tournament. Michigan State (32-6), with the ninth-best defense in the country, got here by shutting down more-talented, more-star-studded Duke.

The over/under on the game is 132.5, meaning there's a good chance the first team to 65 will win.

''We try to guard at a high level,'' Red Raiders coach Chris Beard said. ''It's been the identity of our teams at all different levels, and currently at Texas Tech. It's something we try to recruit to. We certainly coach and emphasize it.''

His players are listening.

Jarrett Culver is the team's leading scorer (18.9 points a game) and main NBA prospect, but the defensive help comes from all places. Matt Mooney and Tariq Owens were named to the All-Big 12 defensive team. Owens was also a semifinalist for the Naismith defensive player of the year. His swoop-in rejection of Rui Hachimura was the game-sealer in the Elite Eight victory over Gonzaga last week.

Texas Tech's defense has the best points allowed-per-100 possessions ratio (84) since stat guru Ken Pomeroy started tracking the figure in 2002. The Red Raiders have held teams to 36.9 percent shooting this year, second-lowest in the country.

''The defense, you don't know until you go out there,'' Michigan State guard Cassius Winston said. ''You've got to feel it out, but it doesn't take that long to figure out what you can and can't do at this point.''

Michigan State's defense isn't bad, either. It's built around the hard-nosed lessons coach Tom Izzo has been teaching for years. Back when Izzo was making his first of eight appearances in the Final Four, he would suit his players up in helmets and shoulder pads for rebounding drills.

Yes, the Spartans can be physical.

''This team isn't as physically tough, but they might be as mentally tough as any team I've ever had,'' Izzo said. ''So the word `toughness' is still there.''

Guard Matt McQuaid is considered the team's best defender. In its media guide, Michigan State unfurls a long list of top players - including Purdue's big-scoring Carsen Edwards and pretty much all of the Big Ten - he has held under their season average. The Spartans were fourth in the nation in blocked shots (203) this season.

''This team is very connected,'' Izzo said. ''It's like, when they move, they all move together, and that's why we've been pretty good defensively ourselves.''

EIGHT IS ENOUGH: For all his trips to the Final Four, Izzo has only won it once. He says he does not take much solace in getting close a bunch of times.

''I talk to them all the time, and part of it's my fault because I say, `You know, I've been there, and nobody can take that away from me, but my dream is for you guys to get there,''' Izzo said. ''So if they get there, they're taking me along for the ride. So, that's why I still have bigger fish to fry and bigger things to go after.''

NO DESSERT FOR YOU: Beard has been trying to teach his team self-sacrifice this season, asking all his players to give something up for the larger good of the team. Some said goodbye to Netflix; others took a break from social media; others have handed over their cell phones.

For Beard, it was beer, desserts and candy. One detail, though.

''Did you know a Pop-Tart is not a dessert? It's a breakfast. I've eaten a lot of Pop-Tarts since October,'' he said.

ANY TIPS: Culver had a fairly simple answer when asked how he would play `D' on himself: ''Pray.''

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B]Virginia, Texas Tech ride tough defenses into Final Four
April 5, 2019
By The Associated Press[/B]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Virginia's climb to its Final Four breakthrough began with a sound defensive scheme, a steadfast foundation allowing the Cavaliers to grind down even the best and most balanced of offenses for years.

At Texas Tech, it's as much about pairing an aggressive edge with the X's and O's and scouting work that has led to defensive efficiency not seen in years.

Their presence in Minneapolis for Saturday's national semifinals is the biggest reason why this is such a defensive-minded Final Four. The approaches differ for the Cavaliers and Red Raiders, but the results can look awfully similar - with opponents seeing their best options taken away while finishing with low scoring totals, bad shooting percentages and high levels of frustration.

There's one other common thread, too.

''If you don't want to play defense,'' Texas Tech's Kyler Edwards said, ''you're not going to play.''

The Cavaliers, the lone No. 1 seed to make it to the tournament's final weekend, have been a fixture in the top 10 of Ken Pomeroy's defensive efficiency rankings since their breakout 2014 season under Tony Bennett. They enter Saturday's semifinal against Auburn ranked fifth nationally, surrendering 88.7 points per 100 possessions, a metric that factors out Virginia's slower offensive pace and offers a better measure of performance than scoring averages depressed by slower tempos and low-possession games.

Texas Tech has made a rapid rise in three seasons under Chris Beard, entering its semifinal against Michigan State leading in defensive efficiency (84.0) with the lowest score in KenPom's records dating to the 2002 season.

So how do they do it?

For Virginia, it's all about the pack-line defense - a man-to-man scheme that packs four defenders inside an imaginary arc to clog the paint against driving lanes while having one player applying pressure on the ball.

When working right, there's crowd of defenders to greet any driver. Those driving lanes open if the players are in the wrong spot, and lacking that ball pressure allows a ball handler to - as Alabama transfer Braxton Key put it - ''window shop'' for an easy pass.

It's a simple approach, just not so easy to beat.

''They're very vanilla,'' said ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla, a former coach at Manhattan, St. John's and New Mexico. ''There's not a lot of deviation. There's not a lot of adjusting for opponents' strengths. It's more, `This is what we do and you're going to have to beat us by making outside shots,' because most nights we're not letting you to get into the paint.''

Still, it takes adjustments for players in learning that unwavering approach.

''Just growing up, every basketball place, everywhere I've played, it's just force it to the baseline,'' Key said. ''We force everything to the middle and allow no baseline.''

Virginia's defense depends upon executing its own principles while remaining largely static, regardless of the opponent. The Red Raiders, on the other hand, offer a little more versatility and apply a lot more aggressive pressure.

Former Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg, now an ESPN analyst, pointed to one element in particular: the ability of the Red Raiders to get into passing lanes, making it difficult to reverse the ball out of trouble from one side of the court to the other.

''So basically, they're putting you in a box,'' Greenberg said. ''What they're trying to do is pressure the ball, make you drive it to bad spots on the floor, not allow you to reverse the basketball and again speed you up. ... Say if Virginia switches, they'll switch and stay in their gaps. Texas Tech will switch and deny.''

That leads to turnovers, which the Red Raiders have been eager to convert into baskets. They have 67 points off turnovers in their first four NCAA Tournament games.

Beard, chosen The Associated Press coach of the year Thursday, said he looks for how well his players are communicating defensively to see if they're ready. That much was clear Friday during the Red Raiders' public practice session, when players ran a drill that had them running back quickly as though defending in transition.

''Get out, get out, get out!'' reserve big man Malik Ondigo yelled toward a teammate as he pointed toward the wing. ''Pick up!''

The opponent was imaginary, but the urgency was real.

''It's our plan,'' Beard said in an interview with the AP. ''Everybody kind of has a plan to win, an identity. ... Really it's our culture. It's what we believe in. Not that other teams don't, but it's just who we are. It's not a secret.''

[StarDust Bum]

Auburn's top two players, Jared Harper and Bryce Brown, each battling illness

MINNEAPOLIS -- Auburn's top two scorers on the season, guards Bryce Brown and Jared Harper, are battling illness on Friday just a day before the start of the 2019 Final Four. A third player, backup point guard J'Von McCormick, is also battling a bug.

Harper's voice was noticeably hoarse as he answered questions in the breakout session with media on Friday morning, where he divulged that he has a cold. Harper, according to coach Bruce Pearl, is "under the weather." He got a shot to deal with the symptoms on Friday. Brown got a shot on Thursday to deal with his own illness.

"We've got a couple of guys that are sniffling and hacking and coughing, but we don't play today," Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. "Jared would be less than 100 percent if we had to play today. If we played yesterday, Bryce would have been less than 100 percent. He'll be fine tomorrow."

Auburn perhaps benefitted from a bug in the Sweet 16 when North Carolina forward Nassir Little came down with flu-like symptoms before tip. The Tigers pounced on the Tar Heels in turn, taking them down 97-80 in a dominant win. It would be a cruel twist of irony if in the biggest game of the season the bug impacted them in a major way.

Harper and Brown average a combined 31.4 points and 7.7 assists per game this season. Auburn enters its first Final Four in school history already short-handed after big man Chuma Okeke went down with a season-ending knee-injury in the Tigers' victory vs. North Carolina.

[StarDust Bum]

Best Bet - Red Raiders vs. Sparty
April 4, 2019
By BetDSI

Final Four – Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. Michigan State Spartans

The late game on Saturday in the Final Four on CBS has the Texas Tech Red Raiders taking on the Michigan State Spartans.

Both teams are experienced and they have already proven they can handle the big stage, as Texas Tech took out No. 1 seed Gonzaga, while Michigan State dispatched No. 1 seed Duke.

The Red Raiders and Spartans are both tough defensive squads so this could be a defensive battle. Michigan State is listed as a 2.5-point favorite with the total at 132.5.

Let’s look at Texas Tech vs. Michigan State and Final Four picks.

Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. Michigan State Spartans
Date and Time: Saturday, April 6, 8:49 p.m. ET
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN
College Basketball Odds at BetDSI: Michigan State -2.5, O/U 132.5
Texas Tech vs. Michigan State TV Coverage: CBS

Texas Tech has really not had any trouble reaching the Final Four, as they got past Northern Kentucky, routed Buffalo and Michigan and held down Gonzaga. Michigan State has had a tougher time, as they just barely got past Bradley, were unimpressive in a win over Minnesota, routed LSU and just barely got past Duke.

Both Michigan State and Texas Tech have star players that lead them. The Red Raiders have Jarrett Culver, while the Spartans have Cassius Winston. How well each team defends the other star will go a long way towards deciding who wins this game. The Red Raiders will probably put Matt Mooney on Winston, so that is the matchup that might determine the game.

Keys to Victory

The Spartans have the ability to dissect an opposing team’s defense, and they have the player to do it in Winston. The Spartans have a solid rotation of big men who can make plays inside in Tillman, Henry, Goins and Ward. If the Spartans win the rebounding battle they could have the edge on Saturday night. Michigan State averages about 78 points per game and gives up 65 per contest.

Texas Tech will rely on defense and Culver to score to win. They will look to get into another defensive struggle and hope that Moretti and Mooney can hit big shots to take some of the pressure off of Culver. If Culver doesn’t get some help it is hard to see how the Red Raiders can win. Texas Tech averaged 73 points per game during the regular season and gave up just 59 per contest.

Key Stats

The Red Raiders are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 vs. the Big Ten. The Red Raiders are 11-1 ATS in their last 12 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record. The
Spartans are 21-5 ATS in their last 26 games vs. a team with a winning straight up.

Looking at the total, the Under is 19-8 in the Red Raiders last 27 neutral site games. The Under is 46-22-1 in the Red Raiders last 69 non-conference games. The Under is 5-1 in the Spartans last 6 neutral site games. The Under is 5-2 in the Spartans last 7 vs. the Big 12.

Texas Tech vs. Michigan State Free Picks

The Red Raiders have looked really good so far in the tournament, but there is no question that this will be their toughest matchup. Some people might say Gonzaga was a tougher matchup, but Gonzaga has never won anything and they don’t have the big time players that Michigan State has. Culver is a really good player for Texas Tech, but Winston is a star for the Spartans.

Do you remember the only time that Tom Izzo won a national championship? He had a guard named Mateen Cleaves who led the way. This time around Izzo has a guard in Winston who takes control of games down the stretch. If this game is close then expect Winston to make the plays down the stretch to lead Michigan State to the win.

We’ll lay the small number at BetDSI and take Michigan State to win this game and play for the national championship on Monday night.

Texas Tech vs. Michigan State ATS Pick: Michigan State -2.5
Texas Tech vs. Michigan State Score Prediction: Michigan State 69, Texas Tech 63

[StarDust Bum]

Best Bet - Tigers vs. Cavaliers
April 3, 2019
By BetDSI

Final Four – Auburn Tigers vs. Virginia Cavaliers

The first of the two Final Four matchups on Saturday has the Auburn Tigers taking on the Virginia Cavaliers in a game that can be seen on CBS. The Tigers were not expected to get this far and probably should have lost their first round game, but they have turned it on since and now they get a shot against the only No. 1 seed left in the NCAA Tournament, the Virginia Cavaliers.

This should be a fascinating matchup between an Auburn team that wants to run and gun and a defensive-minded team in Virginia. The Cavaliers are listed as 5.5-point favorites in this contest.

Let’s look at Auburn vs. Virginia and Final Four picks.

Auburn Tigers vs. Virginia Cavaliers

Date and Time: Saturday, April 6, 6:09 p.m. ET
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN
College Basketball Odds at BetDSI: Virginia -5.5, O/U 131
Auburn vs. Virginia TV Coverage: CBS

The Tigers will be making their first-ever appearance in the Final Four and they have not had an easy path. They had to beat Kansas, North Carolina and Kentucky to make the Final Four. The Tigers also had to overcome the loss of Chuma Okeke to defeat the Wildcats. Auburn has some capable scorers in Bryce Brown and Jared Harper, but this could be the game they really miss Okeke. Auburn has been red-hot in this tournament as they have averaged over 12 three-pointers made per game in the tourney. It may be difficult to match that number against a stout Virginia defense.

The Cavaliers are led by Kyle Guy who averages just over 15 points per game, but they have a number of capable scorers including Ty Jerome. Virginia was not impressive in the first round, as they struggled against Gardner-Webb and they were lucky to get past Purdue in the Elite Eight. Perhaps the Final Four is where they will finally play their best.

Matchup to Watch

The Tigers need Brown to hold his own against Guy if they are to have a chance to win this game. Brown has hit 15 of 32 from 3-point range in the tournament and he is the key scorer for Auburn. Guy is just 8 of 38 in the tournament, but he came alive against Purdue. Virginia is 10-0 when Guy hits five 3-pointers or more in a game.

Key Stats

The Tigers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 neutral site games. The Cavaliers are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 non-conference games. The Cavaliers are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 NCAA Tournament games.

Looking at the total, the Over is 5-0 in the Tigers last 5 overall. The Under is 5-1 in the Tigers last 6 vs. the ACC. The Under is 6-1 in the Cavaliers last 7 vs. the SEC.

Auburn vs. Virginia Free Picks

How many times have you seen a team play really well in their first game after losing a player to injury and then fall off after that? The Tigers used the emotion of the Okewe injury to play really well and upset Kentucky, but it will be much tougher in the second game without him. The Cavaliers have a player inside in Mamadi Diakite who can take advantage of Okewe’s absence and there is no question that Virginia plays good enough defense to slow down Auburn. The Cavaliers are capable of getting hot on offense and playing stifling defense, so if Virginia gets off to a strong start this game could be over early. It is also worth noting that now that Virginia has made the Final Four the pressure should be off and the team may finally relax and play their best ball. Auburn does have a very good backcourt with Brown and Harper but you can make a case that Virginia’s backcourt is just as good or better.

All of the edges in this game look to be with the Cavaliers and they should be playing for a national title on Monday night. We’ll lay the points and take Virginia at BetDSI.

Auburn vs. Virginia ATS Pick: Virginia -5.5
Auburn vs. Virginia Score Prediction: Virginia 73, Auburn 62