Announcement

**StarDust Bum** · 02-15-2011, 11:32 PM

NCAA Betting Preview: Georgetown at Connecticut

Connecticut rarely loses in Storrs, going 12-2 at home this season.

The 13th-ranked Huskies, though, host red-hot ninth-ranked Georgetown Wednesday at 4 p.m. PT in a Big East Conference matchup.

Georgetown has won eight straight Big East games, a remarkable achievement for being in the toughest conference in the country. This is the Hoyas’ longest Big East victory streak since they won 11 in a row in 2006-07.

The Hoyas are 16-6 ATS in their last 22 games following a straight-up victory. They are 6-2 ATS during their past eight games.

Senior guard Austin Freeman has averaged better than 20 points per game during Georgetown’s win streak. Freeman, the Big East preseason player of the year, sprained an ankle during the Hoyas’ last game this past Sunday.

Georgetown beat Marquette in that matchup, 69-60, as 5 ½-point home favorites. It was Marquette’s largest margin of defeat this season. The combined 129 points went ‘under’ the 144 ½-point total. It was the fifth time in their last six games that the Hoyas have gone ‘under’ the total.

Freeman managed to finish the game scoring 17 points despite a heavily taped ankle. Chris Wright had 20 points for Georgetown while Hollis Thompson added a career-high 13 rebounds. Hoyas coach John Thompson III believes Freeman should be able to play against Connecticut, although Freeman is unlikely to be 100 percent.

The Hoyas made just seven of 27 shots from 3-point range versus Marquette. Still, Georgetown is 13-0 when making at least six 3-pointers. The Hoyas are 16-0 when hitting 33 percent or better from beyond the arc.

The 20-5 Hoyas have now posted at least 20 victories in five of the past seven seasons under Thompson. They are 9-4 in the Big East.

Connecticut holds foes to 32.9 percent from 3-point range. The Huskies halted a two-game home losing skid by defeating Providence, 75-57, as 10-point home favorites this past Sunday. The combined 132 points went ‘under’ the 151-point total. It was the first time Connecticut covered the spread in its last five games. The ‘under’ has cashed in eight of the Huskies’ past 10 games.

The Huskies received a surprising 25 points from Jamal Coombs-McDaniel in their win against the Friars. Coombs-McDaniel, averaging less than five points per game, hit 10-of-17 field goals and pulled down a career-high eight rebounds to go with his highest scoring game ever.

Kemba Walker ended his shooting slump adding 22 points for Connecticut making seven of 10 shots from the field. Walker, the No. 2 scorer in the Big East behind Marshon Brooks of Providence, was shooting just 29.2 percent from the floor in his previous five games averaging 15.2 points during that span. It was just the second time in his last 16 games that Walker hit more than half his shots from the floor.

Walker ranks seventh in the nation in scoring averaging 22.8 points per game, but had failed to break the 20-point barrier in five of his last seven games.

Brooks scored 25 points against Connecticut, but the Huskies held him to seven-of-22 from the floor, including one-of-eight from beyond the arc.

The Huskies, 19-5 and 7-5 in the Big East, made 46.8 percent of their shots from the floor versus the Friars. Only once in their previous four games had the Huskies connected on more than 40 percent of their field goals. Connecticut rated 14th of the 16 Big East teams in shooting percentage prior to beating Providence. Connecticut’s previous four opponents all played zone. Providence, though, opened with a man-to-man defense and stuck with it until falling far behind.

Connecticut is 16-1 when shooting at least 38 percent from the field. Georgetown is holding opponents to 41.1 percent from the field.

**StarDust Bum** · 02-15-2011, 11:33 PM

NHL Odds: Hot Ducks host slipping Capitals

The Washington Capitals will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak when they travel to the West Coast for a Wednesday night tilt at the Honda Center with the Anaheim Ducks. The puck drops at 7 p.m. (PT) and the game will be broadcast regionally on FOX Sports-West.

Washington has been limping toward the postseason with just four wins in its last 10 games. The Capitals are coming off a 4-1 loss to Los Angeles this past Saturday night as 144 home favorite followed by a 3-2 loss to Phoenix as a 106 road favorite on Monday.

The defeats dropped the Caps to 29-18-10 straight up on the year (19-38 against the spread) and five points behind Tampa Bay in the Southeast Division with a total of 68 points. They are currently in sixth-place in the Eastern Conference standings.

Scoring remains an issue for Washington as it is ranked 20th in the NHL with a goals-per-game average of just 2.65. All-Star left winger Alex Ovechkin leads the team with 21 goals and 56 total points and center Nicklas Backstrom has 14 goals and 36 assists, but after that the production from the rest of the team has been average at best.

Defensively, the Capitals remain one of the best teams in the league. They are ranked sixth in the league in goals allowed with a goals-against-average of 2.42 and second on the penalty kill with a kill rate of 86.2 percent. Semyon Varlamov is expected to get the start in goal for Washington against the Ducks. He has a goals-against-average of 2.22 and a .925 save percentage.

In direct contrast the Capitals, Anaheim comes into this game on fire with eight wins in its last 10 games including four straight victories. The past Friday the Ducks edged Calgary 5-4 in overtime as a 126 road underdog and ran their streak to four with a solid 4-0 shutout of Edmonton as a 135 home favorite on Sunday.

They are now just one point behind Phoenix in the Pacific Division and in fifth-place in the Western Conference with a total of 68 points. Anaheim is 32-21-4 SU for the season and 32-25 ATS.

The Ducks are only slightly better than Washington in the scoring department with an average of 2.72 goals a game. Right winger Corey Perry is tied for fifth in the NHL in goals with 28 and seventh in total points with 61. He is joined by Bobby Ryan, who has 27 goals and 18 assist and Teemu Selanne, who has 17 goals and a team-high 36 assists.

Goalie Jonas Hiller has started 45 of the Ducks 57 games this year and should get the start in this one. He has been solid all season long with a 2.50 GGA and a .925 save percentage. Anaheim is ranked 13th in the league in goals allowed with a GGA of 2.72.

Washington is 27-23 as a favorite this year but just 2-5 as an underdog. The total has stayed ‘under’ in 40 of its 57 games, or 70 percent of the time.

Anaheim is 13-6 as a favorite and 19-19 as an underdog. The total has stayed ‘under’ in 31 of its 57 games.

These teams met earlier this season with the Ducks coming away with a 2-1 OT victory as a 173 road underdog. This time around Anaheim should open as a mild favorite and remain a solid pick to add to the Capitals recent misery with another win in a low-scoring game.

**StarDust Bum** · 02-15-2011, 11:34 PM

Knicks and Hawks part of NBA betting slate

The clock is ticking towards the NBA's trade deadline, but the action isn't going to stop for the New York Knicks in their quest to land Carmelo Anthony from the Denver Nuggets.

The men from the Big Apple welcome the Atlanta Hawks to Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night for an NBA betting affair that is sure to be hot and heavy. These two potential playoff combatants will tip-off at 4:30 (PT) in a duel that can be seen locally on Sports South and MSG.

The Hawks have to be thrilled going into the All-Star break. They're 14 games over .500 coming into this one, and if the playoffs were to start right now, they would be in the No. 4 hole in the Eastern Conference playoff chase. Atlanta is within at least plausible striking distance of the Miami Heat, and knows it really shouldn't fall any further than No. 5 when push comes to shove by the end of the season.

Atlanta flew away from home after a February 12 loss to the Charlotte Bobcats, the second home defeat in a row, and the Hawks won't be back in the Peach State again until March. This roadie started well, as they erased a deficit that once reached 15 points to beat the Detroit Pistons by 15 on Monday.

It's not often that all of the pieces to the puzzle have been in the lineup at the same time for the Hawks. Now that Al Horford is back in the fold, head coach Larry Drew can finally count on his normal rotation of players. At least recently, he has been using Marvin Williams off the bench instead of in a starting role, but Williams is still one of the six men on this team counted on to play at least 30 minutes per night. No one else is averaging anywhere near 20 minutes per game. All six are also double-digit point scorers, save for Mike Bibby, who is at 9.5 PPG.

Kicks head coach Mike D'Antoni was sure to voice his opinions to the Madison Square Garden faithful, stating that the chants of "We Want Me-Lo!" and the sorts are only hurting his team. This is the first game in which New York has been back at home since D'Antoni made those comments following a 113-96 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

We know that, at least in their present form, the Knicks are doing quite well offensively, averaging 106.3 PPG this season, second-best in the NBA. The prospects of adding Anthony to the bunch would be nice, but there is still a question about how much of the team might need to be gutted for it.

Any combination of Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Landry Fields and Anthony Randolph could be moved within the next few days, which always makes this team quite the interesting one to keep an eye on.

It's all good news for the Hawks in this series, though. Atlanta is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 NBA betting affairs on the road, and the road team is 10-4 ATS over the course of the last 14 meetings. The Hawks also took the first two meetings of the year of these teams, winning 111-102 at home in January and 99-90 here at MSG in November.

**StarDust Bum** · 02-15-2011, 11:35 PM

NCAA Odds: Longhorns host Oklahoma State

Second-ranked Texas (22-3 straight up, 15-5 against the spread) can ascend to the nation’s top ranking with a couple of victories this week. Big XII rival Kansas held the No. 1 spot briefly before getting routed by Kansas State Monday night. The Longhorns’ first test will come in Wednesday’s home matchup with Oklahoma State (16-8 SU, 10-8-1 ATS).

Texas is an unblemished 10-0 in conference play, and is now 1.5-games ahead of the second-place Jayhawks. Meanwhile the Cowboys, six games off the pace, can build their NCAA Tournament resume with a road victory in this spot.

Oklahoma State had its brief two-game SU winning streak halted with Saturday’s setback to Nebraska as a 5 ½-point road underdog, 65-54. The combined 119 points went ‘under’ the 127 ½-point closing total, ending a string of three straight ‘over’ outings. The Cowboys are now just 1-5 ATS the previous six outings.

Oklahoma State was on the short end of rebounding (35-26) and assists (13-9), while shooting just 36 percent (18-of-50) from the field and 33 percent (5-of-15) from behind the arc. Forward Marshall Moses paced the offense with 18 points and six rebounds, while guard Keiton Page added 14. The Cowboys are now 0-5 SU in Big XII road games.

Texas hasn’t tasted defeat since an overtime setback to Connecticut Jan. 8. The Longhorns continued their winning ways by holding off Baylor Saturday as 11-point home ‘chalk,’ 69-60. The combined 129 points failed to topple the 132-point closing total, helping the ‘under’ cash the seventh consecutive contest.

Texas jumped out to a 16-point halftime advantage, 38-22, before getting outscored in the second half, 38-31. The Longhorns outrebounded the Bears, 38-34, while both schools registered seven assists. Texas shot 42 percent (22-of-52) from the field and 30 percent (3-of-10) from 3-point land. Freshman forward Tristan Thompson accounted for 17 points and 13 rebounds in the victory, while Jordan Hamilton added 17 and seven.

The Longhorns are 3-0 SU and ATS the previous three encounters with Oklahoma State, with the ‘under’ going a solid 9-1 the last 10 meetings. Texas toppled the Cowboys Jan. 26 as a 4 ½-point road favorite, 61-46, while the combined 107 points never seriously threatened the 137-point closing total. The home team is 11-5-1 ATS the past 17 games in this series.

Oklahoma State forward Darrell Williams (suspension) is ‘out’ indefinitely. The Cowboys continue a streak of playing ranked teams after this contest, hosting 17th-ranked Texas A&M before traveling to Lawrence to face Kansas. Oklahoma State is 11-5 ATS its past 16 Wednesday games, and 19-39-2 ATS the last 60 road outings.

Texas has a road game against Nebraska next on the schedule before returning home to tackle Iowa State. The Longhorns are 8-2 ATS their last 10 games overall.

ESPN2 will provide coverage of Wednesday’s Big XII matchup beginning at 6:00 p.m. PT from Frank Erwin Events Center in Austin.

**StarDust Bum** · 02-15-2011, 11:37 PM

Badgers face tough NCAA betting battle at Purdue

The Wisconsin Badgers look to avoid the dreaded letdown whey they travel to the Purdue Boilermakers on Wednesday night.

The Badgers (19-5 straight-up, 13-7 against the spread) are coming off a thrilling 71-67 Saturday home win over then No. 1 and undefeated Ohio State (24-0 SU). That was a ‘cover’ as well as two-point favorites.

Ohio State led by 15 points in the second half (47-32), but point guard Jordan Taylor scored 21 points from there, including a barrage of three-pointers. The rabid Madison fans were going crazy, not to mention ESPN announcer Dick Vitale.

No. 10 Wisconsin continues to cement its reputation as a great home team. The record this year is 14-0 SU and 8-2 ATS, and it’s an incredible 150-11 SU under coach Bo Ryan.

Ryan’s coaching style may turn off some fans. His swing offense and tenacious defensive philosophy make for low-scoring games. The Badgers are eighth in the Big Ten in offense (69.6 PPG) and first in defense (56.7 PPG).

The talent on this team is leaner than in prior years. Taylor (18.1 PPG, 4.8 APG) and power forward Jon Leuer (19.1 PPG, 7.3 RPG) are among the best in the Big Ten, and Keaton Nankivil (9.5 PPG, 4.6 RPG) is another active big man. The rest of the roster is marginal role players, with no one scoring more than 5.6 PPG.

The Badgers’ roster flaws show up more on the road. They’re 5-5 SU and ATS in road and neutral site games. That includes 2-3 SU and ATS in the conference, failing to ‘cover’ the last two at Iowa (62-59 win as seven-point favorites) and Penn State (56-52 loss as 3 ½-point ‘chalk’).

The ‘under’ is 3-0 in Wisconsin’s last three road games, even with the Iowa game going into overtime.

The No. 11 ranked Boilermakers (20-5 SU, 14-8 ATS) are another resilient team under coach Matt Painter. They were considered top-5 in the preseason before the season-ending knee injury to Robbie Hummel in October.

Purdue is coming off one of its best wins of the year, 81-70 at Illinois as 2 ½-point ‘dogs on Sunday. Big man JaJuan Johnson had 24 points and guard E’Twaun Moore added 20. It was 0-4 SU and ATS in its previous four road games.

The Boilermakers have two things in common with Wisconsin. The first is they get most of their scoring from two players, Johnson (20.7 PPG) and Moore (17.8 PPG). Guard Lewis Jackson is next at just 7.2 PPG. The second is they’re very good at home (13-0 SU and 8-2 ATS). The ‘under’ is 4-1 in their last five home games.

These two teams met in Madison on Feb. 1, with Wisconsin winning 66-59 as five-point favorites. That was a very fortunate ‘cover’ as Purdue led 59-58 with 1:10 remaining. Leuer (24) outscored Johnson (23), but the big difference was Badgers’ advantages on the boards (32-25) and forced turnovers (13-7).

Johnson needs to establish himself early in the post on Wednesday and on the boards. Nankivil is a good defender, but Johnson can’t be stopped when on. The Badgers could also come out flat after the Ohio State game and fall behind quickly.

Wisconsin is 2-6 ATS in the last eight meetings at Purdue, although ‘covering’ the 9 ½-point spread last year in a 60-57 loss. The ‘under’ is 4-0 in the last four meetings there.

Wisconsin is not reporting any significant injuries. Purdue swingman D.J. Byrd is probable with a hip injury.

The Big Ten Network will have the early 3:30 p.m. (PT) tip-off from Mackey Arena.

**StarDust Bum** · 02-15-2011, 11:45 PM

Wednesday Tips

February 15, 2011

The final loaded NBA card of the first half comes on Wednesday night with 12 games to bet on. There will be several games with long spreads, but also a handful of contests involving playoff squads. The lone nationally televised game takes place at the Bradley Center when the Bucks host the struggling Nuggets on ESPN. The Blazers return home to battle the Hornets, while the Sixers and Rockets hook up in a possible high-scoring affair. We start in New York with the Hawks and Knicks ready to throw down following a skirmish at Philips Arena last month.

Hawks at Knicks - 7:30 PM EST

The last time these two teams met up, Marvin Williams and Shawne Williams came to blows at the end of Atlanta's 111-102 victory over New York on January 28. Each player was handed a short suspension, as the Hawks put up their most points since a 116-102 win against New Jersey in mid-December. Now, the Knicks look to return the favor as Amare Stoudemire comes back to the lineup after missing Saturday's win at New Jersey with a toe injury.

The Knicks drilled 16 three-pointers in the victory over the Nets as 1 ½-point favorites, while Wilson Chandler put up 21 points. New York had lost four of five prior to Saturday's triumph, including home setbacks to the Lakers and Clippers. The Knicks' defense stepped up against the stumbling Nets as Mike D'Antoni's club allowed 100 points or more in seven straight games before limiting the Nets to 95 points.

Atlanta rebounded from consecutive home losses to Philadelphia and Charlotte by rallying at Detroit for a 94-79 win as four-point 'chalk.' The Hawks are riding an 8-2 SU run on the highway in 2011, even though only two of the victories came against above .500 teams at Miami and Utah. The offense has struggled recently by scoring 99 points or less in four straight games, even though the Hawks held each of their last two opponents to below 88 points each.

Sixers at Rockets - 8:30 PM EST

Philadelphia is making a push to become a playoff team in the Eastern Conference following a 3-13 start as the Sixers head to Houston. The Rockets blew out the Nuggets on Monday night, 121-102 to halt a two-game skid, while putting the most points at home this season. Houston goes for its 16th win of the season at Toyota Center as Philadelphia comes in off of Tuesday's game at Memphis.

Following a substantial amount of 'unders' through the first month of the season, the Rockets are back to play uptempo basketball with 'overs' in 12 of the last 19 games. In this same span, Rick Adelman's team has eclipsed the 100-point plateau 14 times, with the 'over' cashing on 12 occasions. The Rockets have taken care of business against Eastern Conference opponents by compiling seven wins in the last nine opportunities since mid-December.

The Sixers and Spurs each own the best ATS marks in the league at 34-19, as Philadelphia has won nine of 12 games to pull into the seventh spot of the Eastern Conference playoff race. Philadelphia is a solid ATS road squad with a 14-5 mark since late November, including outright wins at Atlanta, Phoenix, Orlando, and Denver. Eleven of the Sixers' last 12 opponents have been limited to 100 points or less, with the Knicks shooting nearly 60% from the floor in a 117-103 win on February 6 at Madison Square Garden.

Nuggets at Bucks - 9:00 PM EST

The tumultuous first half for Denver with all the Carmelo Anthony trade drama comes to a close at the Bradley Center. The Nuggets have dropped four of five after getting run out at Houston, as Denver blew an early 15-point lead. Denver's defense has been sliced up by giving up 116 points or more in each of the last four games, all 'overs.' The Bucks try to close the first half with consecutive victories after dominating the Clippers on Monday, 102-78 as six-point favorites.

Since a 5-2 run at the end of January, Milwaukee is 2-7 SU and 4-5 ATS, while cashing the 'under' in seven of the last eight games. The Bucks are slowly getting back to full strength with Brandon Jennings and John Salmons both healthy, but it took nine games for Milwaukee to break the 100-point plateau against the Clips. Milwaukee looks for its fourth straight home win over Denver, as the Bucks cashed as underdogs in high-scoring battles.

The Nuggets are 3-7 ATS since a four-game ATS winning streak in late January, including a 1-5 SU mark the last six away contests. George Karl's defense has allowed at least 110 points in each of the previous five road defeats, as the Nuggets own a disastrous 9-18 SU mark on the highway. Denver goes for the season sweep of Milwaukee after knocking off the Bucks, 105-94 at Pepsi Center on December 1.

Hornets at Blazers - 10:05 PM EST

Portland returns to the Rose Garden seeking a sixth straight victory after finishing off a perfect 3-0 road trip at Toronto, Detroit, and Minnesota. The Blazers battle a Hornets' squad that has dropped five of six, including Saturday's home loss to the Bulls. New Orleans has been an ATS killer recently with a 1-8 mark against the number since a 10-game winning streak.

The Hornets are still playing without center Emeka Okafor, who has missed the last seven games with an oblique strain. New Orleans hasn't been worthy of a look as an underdog of late by going 1-4 ATS the last five games when receiving points. The only positive is the Hornets have beaten the Blazers twice this season, including a 97-78 blowout at the Rose Garden in late November as four-point 'dogs.

The Blazers are rolling as they look to return to the postseason even with Brandon Roy and Marcus Camby hurt. Portland has covered four consecutive games, while going for its third straight home victory after knocking off Chicago and San Antonio as underdogs. The offense is rolling despite the loss of two starters by scoring at least 100 points in four of the five victories during this hot streak.

**StarDust Bum** · 02-15-2011, 11:46 PM

Wednesday Wagers

February 15, 2011

Wisconsin will be in a classic letdown situation Wednesday when it travels to West Lafayette to face Purdue. The Badgers are coming off Saturday’s come-from-behind win over previously-unbeaten and top-ranked Ohio St.

With that said, however, we would like to point out that FSU, the last team to beat the nation’s No. 1 team (Duke at that time), did not fall victim to the flat spot its next time out in a blowout win over North Carolina St.

Purdue (20-5 straight up, 14-8 against the spread) has won three of its last four games both SU and ATS, including Sunday’s 81-70 win at Illinois as a 2 ½-point underdog. JaJuan Johnson was the catalyst for the Boilermakers, scoring 24 points to go with nine rebounds, two steals and a pair of blocked shots.

Matt Painter’s team has been a serious money maker at home, winning all 13 of its games while compiling an 8-2 spread record.

Bo Ryan’s squad rallied past the Buckeyes thanks to a tremendous performance from junior guard Jordan Taylor, who scored 21 of his 27 points in the second half.

When these Big Ten rivals met in Madison on Feb. 1, Purdue had a 59-58 lead at the 1:00 mark. But the Badgers put together an 8-0 run in the final 50 seconds to not only take down the Boilers, but to also hook up their backers as five-point home favorites in a 66-59 victory.

Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Eastern on the Big Ten Network.

Georgia will play host to Vanderbilt at Stegeman Coliseum on ESPNU at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. The Dawgs will be looking to avenge a 73-66 loss in Music City on Jan. 12, although we should note that they still took the cash as 8 ½-point underdogs. In fact, UGA has a 4-1 spread record in its last five games against the Commodores.

Georgia (17-7 SU, 9-11 ATS) nearly let a 19-point halftime lead get away in Saturday’s 60-56 win at South Carolina as a three-point road favorite. Trey Thompkins led the way for the winner with 16 points and nine rebounds.

Vanderbilt (18-6 SU, 11-8-1 ATS) has won three in a row and six of its last eight, including Saturday’s 81-77 win over Kentucky as a one-point home underdog. We backed the ‘Dores for a winner in that spot and got the cover thanks to a career-high 32 points from sophomore John Jenkins, who knocked down 11-of-17 shots and 6-of-10 from beyond the arc.

The ‘over’ is on a 6-2 run for Vandy, but the ‘under’ has cashed at a 4-1 clip in UGA’s last five outings.

Texas will try to stay hot when it welcomes Oklahoma State into Austin. ESPN2 will have television coverage at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.

Texas (22-3 SU, 15-5 ATS) has been cashing tickets at a frenetic pace. The Longhorns have won 10 in a row to stay unbeaten in Big 12 play, going 8-2 ATS in the process. They are off a 69-60 win over Baylor as 11-point home favorites, coming up short on the cover after leading by 16 at intermission.

Tristan Thompson had 17 points and 13 rebounds against the Bears, who got back in the game thanks to 26 points from LaceDarius Dunn. Jordan Hamilton also had 17 points for the ‘Horns.

Oklahoma State (16-8 SU, 10-8-1 ATS) is on shaky ground as far as its at-large hopes to get to the NCAA Tournament, but the Cowboys can change that by pulling an upset Wednesday. Travis Ford’s squad has lost six of its last nine games both SU and ATS.

Rick Barnes’ team has won 14 of its 15 home games (losing to UConn in OT), posting a 6-4 ATS record. The ‘under’ is hot in Texas games, hitting in seven straight and nine of its last 10. Also, the ‘under’ is on a 9-1 roll in the last 10 head-to-head meetings between these Big 12 adversaries.

Gamblers will have a chance to fade one of the country’s worst ATS squads in the 11:00 p.m. Eastern game on ESPN2. That matchup will feature Saint Mary’s at San Diego against the hapless Toreros.

Saint Mary’s (22-4 SU, 11-9-1 ATS) is a threat to get to the Sweet 16 once again under Randy Bennett, who is one of the rising stars in the coaching profession. The Gaels have won four straight, although they are in the midst of a 2-5-1 ATS slide. They did take the cash in Saturday’s 86-68 win at San Francisco as 9 ½-point road favorites.

Rob Jones, a transfer from USD who helped the Toreros to the second round of the NCAA Tournament three seasons ago, had 18 points and five rebounds against the Dons. Mickey McConnell scored 19 points and dished out eight assists.

San Diego (5-21 SU, 6-17 ATS) has been atrocious all year long, limping to an abysmal 1-7 spread record in its eight lined home games.

**StarDust Bum** · 02-15-2011, 11:48 PM

Conf. Tourney look-aheads

February 15, 2011

Following is our annual mid-February look at the major "board" conferences and their chances of sending multiple entries to the NCAA Tournament, with specific previews of upcoming conference tournament action. . We have divided the teams into three categories--Solid, Looking Good, and Bubble. Solid is self-explanatory. Looking Good teams can expect an NCAA invitation as long as they don't slump badly in the next few weeks. Bubble teams, however, remain at the mercy of the Tourney Committee, and desperately need every win to keep their Big Dance hopes alive.

Keep in mind that nearly every Division I team can qualify for an automatic Big Dance berth by winning its conference tournament. With the Big Ten finally relenting early in the last decade, and the Pac-Ten re-instituting its tourney in 2002 after a 12-year hiatus, the Ivy League remains the lone conference tourney holdout--and even the Ivies are now talking about conducting their own postseason bash in the near future! Stay tuned for further developments. In the meantime, as always, the number of upsets in conference tournaments can alter the look of the Big Dance. Also included below are conference tourney sites and dates; Conference Power Rankings (thru Feb. 13); and last year's postseason participants, including NCAA, NIT, CBI, and CIT action.

ACC--Solid...Duke, North Carolina. Looking Good. ..Florida State, Virginia Tech. Bubble.. .Clemson, Boston College, Maryland, Miami-Florida. Conference Power Rating-4th. Notes.. .Tourney March 10-13 at Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC. Last year. ..NCAA-6 (Duke-Champion, Maryland-2nd round, Wake Forest-2nd round, Georgia Tech-2nd round, Clemson, Florida State); NIT-3 (North Carolina-2nd place, Virginia Tech-quarterfinals, NC State-2nd round).

ATLANTIC TEN--Solid.. .Temple. Looking Good.. .Xavier, Richmond. Bubble. ..Duquesne, Dayton. Conference-9th. Notes...Tourney first round March 8 at campus sites; quarters, semis, and final March 11-13 at Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ. Last year...NCAA-3 (Xavier-Sweet 16, Richmond, Temple); NIT-2 (Dayton-Champs, Rhode Island-semifinals); CBI-3 (Saint Louis-2nd place, Duquesne, George Washington).

BIG EAST--Solid.. .Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Georgetown, UConn, Villanova, Syracuse, Louisville. Looking Good.. .Cincinnati, West Virginia. Bubble...Marquette, St. John's. Conference-1st. Notes...Tourney March 8-12 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY. Last year...NCAA-8 (West Virginia-Final Four, Syracuse-Sweet 16, Villanova-2nd round, Pittsburgh-2nd round, Notre Dame, Marquette, Louisville, Georgetown); NIT-5 (UConn-2nd round, Cincinnati-2nd round, Seton Hall, South Florida, St. John's).

BIG TEN--Solid...Ohio State, Purdue, Wisconsin. Looking Good...Illinois, Minnesota. Bubble...Michigan State, Michigan, Penn State. Conference-2nd. Notes...Tourney March 10-13 at Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN. Last year...NCAA-5 (Michigan State-2nd place, Purdue-Sweet 16, Ohio State-Sweet 16, Wisconsin-2nd round, Minnesota); NIT-2 (Illinois-3rd round, Northwestern).

BIG XII--Solid...Kansas, Texas, Missouri. Looking Good...Texas A&M. Bubble .. .Baylor, Oklahoma State, Colorado, Kansas State. Conference-3rd. Notes...Tourney March 9-12 at Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO. Last year...NCAA-7 (Kansas State-Elite Eight, Baylor-Elite Eight, Kansas-2nd round, Missouri-2nd round, Texas A&M-2nd round, Oklahoma State, Texas); NIT-1 (Texas Tech-quarterfinals).

BIG WEST--Conference tourney champ will be league's only NCAA rep. Conference-20th. Notes...Tourney March 10-12 at Honda Center, Anaheim, CA. Last year...NCAA-1 (UC Santa Barbara); CIT-1 (Pacific-2nd place).

COLONIAL--Looking Good...George Mason. Bubble...Virginia Commonwealth, Old Dominion. Conference-11th. Notes...Tourney March 4-7 at Richmond Coliseum, Richmond, VA. Last year...NCAA-1 (Old Dominion-2nd round); NIT-2 (William & Mary, Northeastern); CBI-2 (Virginia Commonwealth-Champs, Hofstra); CIT-1 (George Mason).

CONFERENCE USA--Looking Good...UTEP. Bubble...Memphis, Southern Miss, UAB. Conference-8th. Notes...Tourney March 9-12 at Don Haskins Center, El Paso, TX. Last year...NCAA-2 (Houston, UTEP); NIT-3 (UAB-quarterfinals, Memphis-2nd round, Tulsa); CIT-2 (Marshall-2nd round, Southern Miss).

HORIZON--Looking Good...Cleveland State. Bubble...Butler, Valparaiso. Conference-10th. Notes...Tourney March 1 at campus sites (first round); quarters and semis March 4-5 at home of regular-season champions, also the number one seed; Final March 8 at home of highest-remaining seed. Last year...NCAA-1 (Butler-2nd place); CBI-1 (UW-Green Bay-2nd round).

MAC--Conference tourney champ will be only NCAA rep. Conference-17th. Notes...Tourney March 8 at campus sites (first round); quarters, semis, and Final March 10-12 at Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH. Last year...NCAA-1 (Ohio-2nd round); NIT-1 (Kent State-2nd round); CBI-1 (Akron).

MISSOURI VALLEY--Looking Good...Wichita State. Bubble...Missouri State. Conference-13th. Notes...Tourney ("Arch Madness") March 3-6 at Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO. Last year...NCAA-1 (Northern Iowa-Sweet 16); NIT-2 (Illinois State, Wichita State); CBI-1 (Indiana State); CIT-2 (Missouri State-Champs, Creighton-Semifinals).

MOUNTAIN WEST--Solid...San Diego State, BYU. Bubble...Colorado State, UNLV, New Mexico. Conference-5th. Notes...Tourney March 9-12 at Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV. Last year...NCAA-4 (BYU-2nd round, New Mexico-2nd round, UNLV, San Diego State); CBI-1 (Colorado State).

PAC 10--Solid...Arizona. Looking Good...UCLA, Washington. Bubble...Washington State. Conference-7th. Notes...Tourney March 9-12 at Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA. Last year...NCAA-2 (Washington-Sweet 16, California-2nd round); NIT-1 (Arizona State); CBI-1 (Oregon State).

SEC--Solid...Florida, Vanderbilt, Kentucky. Looking Good...Georgia, Tennessee. Bubble...Alabama. Conference-6th. Notes...Tourney March 10-13 at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA. Last year...NCAA-4 (Kentucky-Elite Eight, Tennessee-Elite Eight, Florida, Vanderbilt); NIT-2 (Ole Miss-semifinals, Mississippi State-2nd round).

SUN BELT--Conference tourney champ will be only NCAA rep. Conference-22nd. Notes...Tourney March 5-8 at Summit Arena, Hot Springs, AR. Last year...NCAA-1 (North Texas); NIT-1 (Troy); CIT-1 (Middle Tennessee).

WEST COAST--Solid...Saint Mary's. Bubble...Gonzaga. Conference-12th. Notes...Tourney March 4-7 at Orleans Hotel Arena, Las Vegas, NV. Last year...NCAA-2 (Saint Mary's-Sweet 16, Gonzaga-2nd round)); CIT-2 (Loyola Marymount, Portland).

WAC--Solid...Utah State. Conference-14th. Notes...Tourney March 9-12 at Orleans Hotel Arena, Las Vegas, NV. Last year...NCAA-2 (New Mexico State, Utah State); NIT-1 (Nevada-2nd round); CIT-1 (La Tech-quarterfinals).

**StarDust Bum** · 02-16-2011, 12:03 PM

Cincinnati looks to bolster resume hosting Louisville

LOUISVILLE CARDINALS (19-6, 8-4 in Big East)

at CINCINNATI BEARCATS (19-6, 6-6 in Big East)

Tip-off: Wednesday, 7:00 p.m. EDT
Line: Cincinnati -1, Total: 130.5

The rebuilding year. The bridge year. The DOWN year. Pick your descriptors, for the Louisville Cardinals they all meant the same thing: we probably won’t be good, and we might be bad this year. The consensus in Bluegrass country was for Rick Pitino’s 2010-11 squad to finish in the bottom half of the conference, not the top, and to play spoiler to someone above them in the standings at this point of the year, not the other way around. In a season that has featured several outstanding coaching jobs in the Big East, Pitino’s masterful leadership in Cardinal country is arguably the year’s best. Wednesday night in Cincinnati, No. 16 Louisville (19-6, 8-4) will go for a milestone many fans thought they would not witness, regular season win number 20, as they take on a Bearcat team that is desperate for a quality victory.

Mick Cronin’s squad, like Louisville, enters the contest with a 19-6 record, but a look inside the numbers reveals a tournament resume with several question marks. The Bearcats RPI ranks them 55th, and the team’s SOS is only 108th. At present, Cincinnati’s biggest out-of-conference win is over Xavier. Its biggest in-conference win is over St. John’s (15-9, 7-5). Its biggest win against a ranked opponent (crickets, crickets) does not exist. They are 0-4 versus ranked teams. Compound that with the fact that four of their final six games are against ranked opponents, and the Bearcats are in a dangerous portion of the schedule. Cincinnati has lost three of its past four (0-4 ATS), and missed a golden opportunity for a quality win Sunday when it fell to St. John’s at home 59-57. Trailing 52-40 late in the second half, Cincy stormed back to take a 56-53 lead with 2:07 to play, but clutch free throws late by Malik Boothe and Justin Brownlee allowed the Johnnies to hold on for the win despite not scoring a FG in the game’s final 8:58. Top inside scoring threat junior Yancy Gates (10.6 PPG) scored only three points, and played one minute in the second half. This coming one game after he walked off the bench against DePaul, and after being suspended for the game against Pittsburgh for violating team rules. Freshman Sean Kilpatrick (10.1 PPG) led the team with 15 points, but leading scorer Dion Dixon (11.2 PPG) was just 4-of-12 from the field. Gates reportedly could be seen repeatedly sulking on the bench in the second half. Cronin needs to get Gates, his leading rebounder at 6.5 RPG, and the rest of the team re-focused by Wednesday night if the Bearcats are to have any hope of avoiding falling to 0-5 against ranked teams.

Louisville is coming off a 73-69 home victory Saturday over Syracuse. Unlike many of its big wins where the Cards had to overcome large second-half deficits, it was Louisville that nearly blew a huge lead. Syracuse trailed 57-37 with 15:22 left before storming back to within 69-66 with 1:27 remaining. In the end the Cardinals maintained their poise, holding on for the victory as they improved to 5-1 in games decided by four points or less. Louisville buried 13-of-27 three-point attempts en route to beating Syracuse for the seventh straight time. Junior guard Kyle Kuric (10.0 PPG) continued to excel above and beyond, as he scored 23, with Preston Knowles adding 22. Kuric has been a pleasant surprise for Pitino. Last season Kuric only had 4.0 PPG, but over his past five games this year he is averaging 18.8 PPG, while helping his team overcome several nagging injuries to the backcourt. The Cardinals welcomed back power forward Rakeem Buckles (7.5 PPG, 7.4 RPG) to the rotation after he missed 12 games with a broken finger. He responded with seven rebounds versus Syracuse, giving the Cardinals bench a much-needed boost. Louisville last played at Cincinnati in 2009, leaving town with a 72-63 victory. The teams split two meetings last season, with the Cardinals winning at home, and the Bearcats revenging that defeat with a three-point victory in the Big East Tournament.

Although Cincinnati is 8-4 in the past 12 home meetings with Louisville, the Cardinals are 8-4 ATS in those games. Although they are only 4-3 ATS in road games and 6-6 ATS in Big East play, the Bearcats are 3-9 ATS versus conference foes, including 2-8 ATS in their past 10 games. With the Cardinals’ great shooting on the road this year (48% FG) and Cincinnati’s 40% FG in Big East play, Louisville is the pick here. These two FoxSheets trends also predict the Cardinals will win on the road.

CINCINNATI is 3-14 ATS (17.6%, -12.4 Units) after 1 or more consecutive losses over the last 2 seasons. The average score was CINCINNATI 67.7, OPPONENT 65.0 - (Rating = 3*).

LOUISVILLE is 15-4 ATS (78.9%, +10.6 Units) as a road underdog of 3 points or less or pick since 1997. The average score was LOUISVILLE 68.6, OPPONENT 65.7 - (Rating = 1*).

This FoxSheets coaching trends foresees a low-scoring game finishing Under the total.

Rick Pitino is 74-48 UNDER (60.7%, +21.2 Units) versus very good teams - outscoring their opponents by 8+ points/game as the coach of LOUISVILLE. The average score was LOUISVILLE 71.7, OPPONENT 68.2 - (Rating = 2*).

**StarDust Bum** · 02-16-2011, 12:05 PM

Duke favored by 14.5 over struggling Virginia

DUKE BLUE DEVILS (23-2, 10-1 in ACC)

at VIRGINIA CAVALIERS (12-12, 3-7 in ACC)

Tip-off: Wednesday, 7:00 p.m. EDT
Line: Duke -14.5, Total: 132.5

University of Virginia founder Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence that “all men are created equal.” This phrase, as it turns out, pre-dates Dr. Naismith, the invention of the game of basketball, and the series between Duke and Virginia. If Jefferson had it to do all over again, we can only imagine what he’d say about the whole equality of man thing if he knew that Duke leads the all-time series against Virginia by a margin of 113-48, and even leads the series in games played in Charlottesville, 36-33. The dominance most recently has been even more pronounced, with Duke taking 16 of the past 17 matchups, and 27 of 30. To be fair, no one can blame Jefferson for not being more prophetic, after all, he didn’t have much of a crossover move as I remember. The irony here is that while Jefferson and early America was attempting to escape the wrath of a British dynasty, Jefferson’s school will have to deal with another dynasty Wednesday night at 7 p.m. EDT. It’s not run by a Duke, it’s called Duke.

The fifth-ranked Blue Devils have won eight of their past nine, and are coming off an 81-71 victory in Miami over the Hurricanes on Sunday. The Blue Devils were led by national POY candidate Nolan Smith with 18 points, three rebounds and five assists, Kyle Singler, who added 14 points, and Seth Curry with 16 points on 4-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc. Curry (9.1 PPG) is starting to show increased confidence in his offensive game of late. He is averaging 17.0 PPG over his past three games, and his 22 points against arch rival North Carolina was a season-high effort. But the big story on tobacco road has been the play of Smith, who is the Atlantic Coast Conference’s leading scorer at 21.4 PPG, a figure that increases to 23.3 PPG in conference play. "He's had a great year," coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "That's why we've won 10 conference games and 23 regular-season games. He and Kyle (Singler) have been men for us." Under the boards, Mason Plumlee has been a man for Coach K as well, leading the team with 8.6 RPG.

Despite Duke’s prowess, the Cavaliers did have a 31-25 halftime lead in the initial meeting this year between the teams in Durham, before a strong second half allowed the Blue Devils to pull away for a 76-60 victory. Virginia’s defense failed them in the final 20 minutes of that game, as they allowed the hometown team to shoot nearly 59% from the floor in the second half. The Cavaliers are coming off of a 63-56 defeat Saturday to Florida State in Tallahassee. They have dropped their past two games, four of their past five and seven of their past nine contests. Junior guard Sammy Zeglinski scored a career-high 19 points in defeat, while freshman guard Joe Harris added 17 to go with a team-high seven rebounds. Harris and senior guard Mustapha Farrakhan have formed an effective backcourt, with Farrakhan averaging 13.2 PPG, and Harris averaging 10.5 PPG and leading the team with 49 three-point FG made. The Cavaliers love the three-point shot. They are second in the ACC in three-point efficiency at 38.7% and fourth in three-pointers made per game (7.3), yet sometimes they can become addicted to the trey. That was the case on Saturday when they launched 30 of them. One out of every two shots they attempted was a three-point attempt. Defensively, Virginia is fourth in the conference in scoring defense at 63.3 PPG, and will need to bring every bit of that to the meeting against Duke, as the Blue Devils are fourth in the nation in scoring at 84.3 PPG. Virginia has defeated Duke once in John Paul Jones Arena, a 68-66 overtime victory in February 2007.

Although Duke is 25-3 SU in all meetings since 1997, the Blue Devils only hold a slim 14-13-1 ATS advantage in these games. This season, Duke is 6-2 ATS in road games, outscoring opponents by 14.9 PPG, while Virginia is 6-2 ATS in home games, holding opponents to 55.2 PPG on 41.3% FG. In conference play, the Cavaliers have a stellar 8-2 ATS mark while Duke is a subpar 5-6 ATS against ACC foes. UVa usually does a good job in keeping Duke’s shooting in check, holding the Blue Devils to 66.7 PPG on 44% FG (31% from three-point land) in the past three meetings. This game should also feature tight defense, which will allow Virginia to cover the spread. The FoxSheets give another reason to like the Cavaliers to cover at home.

VIRGINIA is 11-3 ATS (78.6%, +7.7 Units) versus good teams - outscoring their opponents by 4+ points/game this season. The average score was VIRGINIA 61.6, OPPONENT 62.9 - (Rating = 2*).

These two highly-rated FoxSheets trends expects the game to finish Under the total.

Play Under - Road teams where the total is between 130 and 139.5 points (DUKE) - excellent shooting team (>=47.5%) against an average defensive team (42.5-45%), in a game involving two good ball handling team (<=14.5 TO's). (59-25 over the last 5 seasons.) (70.2%, +31.5 units. Rating = 3*).

VIRGINIA is 8-0 UNDER (+8.0 Units) in home games after having lost 2 of their last 3 games over the last 3 seasons. The average score was VIRGINIA 64.3, OPPONENT 57.0 - (Rating = 3*).

**StarDust Bum** · 02-16-2011, 12:06 PM

Georgetown seeks 9th straight win visiting UConn

GEORGETOWN HOYAS (20-5, 9-4 in Big East)

at CONNECTICUT HUSKIES (19-5, 7-5 in Big East)

Tip-off: Wednesday, 7:00 p.m. EDT
Line: Connecticut -2.5

We have all heard the argument. One of the drawbacks to a 16-team Big East conference is the depravity factor that fans of treasured rivalries must suffer around this time of the season. When you have to play DePaul or USF once or twice (no offense Bulls/Blue Demons fans) that’s one less chance down the road for Georgetown and Syracuse and Connecticut to face off in the regular season. And while it certainly adds some marquee value to a potential matchup in Madison Square Garden in a few weeks, shucks, somebody give me the good old days. Wednesday night the good old days are back, as fans of No. 9 Georgetown and No. 13 Connecticut get to experience some XL sized nostalgia at the XL Center when the only scheduled matchup of preseason conference POY candidates Austin Freeman and Kemba Walker will stir memories of the first time that Ray Allen and Allen Iverson did battle years ago.

John Thompson III’s Hoyas are hot, winners of eight straight games, all of them in conference play, making what was a brutal 1-4 start to conference play a distant memory. After scoring just 29 points over the three-game losing streak in January, Austin Freeman (18.5 PPG, 53.5% FG%) has taken over the reins of the offense, averaging 20.5 PPG during the eight-game winning streak. Sunday against Marquette, Freeman overcame a first-half ankle injury that sent him limping off the court just before halftime. He returned in the second half to score eight of his 17 points, keying a Hoya comeback in a game they trailed by four at the half. "I was in pain, but I played through it," said Freeman, adding "It didn't hurt as much while I was playing, so I'm good."

Senior point guard Chris Wright added 20 points and five assists as Georgetown extended its longest winning streak against Big East opponents since winning 11 straight in the ‘06-07 season. That season ended with a trip to the Final Four. Coach Thompson was relieved to get the win, and to see his best player healthy enough to come through in the clutch. Is he at 100 percent? No," Thompson said of Freeman. But "standing here now, do I think that will affect Wednesday [at Connecticut]? Not at all."

Connecticut enters the game also coming off of a Sunday home victory, this one was over Providence, 75-57. The big story on Sunday night (beside’s Lady Gaga’s Egg entrance at the Grammy’s) was that someone NOT named Kemba Walker, Jeremy Lamb or Shabazz Napier was the leading scorer for the Huskies. Jamal Coombs-McDaniel, a career 35.8% shooter, nearly doubled his previous career high of 13 points, by scoring 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting, and adding eight rebounds to his night, both new career highs for the 6-foot-7 sophomore forward. Coombs-McDaniel and coach Jim Calhoun’s battles with one another have become legendary, but Sunday was a night to rejoice. "Our relationship has definitely been stormy, but for the good," Coombs-McDaniel said. "He's a competitive guy and I am, too. It's definitely been tough. I just chose to stick with it. Sulking didn't do any good so I'm striving to continue to play and get better and get some minutes on the court."

Walker added 22 points on a night when his shooting stroke (7-of-10 from the floor) flashed little resemblance to the egregious form that was 32-of-99 (32.3%) over Walker’s previous six games. The Huskies average 40.9 RPG, nearly seven more than the Hoyas (34.3 RPG). Georgetown’s Hollis Thompson is coming off of a career high rebounding game (13) versus Marquette. He and his mates will need to bring that work ethic to Hartford on Wednesday, where those extra 1-to-3 possessions could make the difference between extending an eight-game win streak, or starting a one-game losing streak. In their lone meeting last year (Jan. 9, 2010), Freeman scored 28 of his 33 points in the second half as Georgetown came back from a 19-point deficit to win 72-69. Walker was 2-of-7 shooting with five turnovers in that loss.

Despite last year’s defeat, UConn is 11-4 SU (9-6 ATS) in this series since 1997, including 5-1 SU (3-3 ATS) when hosting the Hoyas. But Georgetown is a stellar 7-3 (SU and ATS) in road games this year and 17-7 ATS in road contests versus a team with a winning record over the past two seasons. The Huskies are 1-4 ATS in their past five games and 2-4 ATS in Big East home games this season. With the Hoyas clearly the superior shooting team (50.0% FG, second in nation) to UConn (42.8% FG), red-hot Georgetown is the play here. These two FoxSheets trends also expect the road-tested Hoyas to cover the spread.

Jim Calhoun is 2-14 ATS (12.5%, -13.4 Units) versus bad pressure defensive teams - forcing <=12 turnovers/game after 15+ games as the coach of CONNECTICUT. The average score was CONNECTICUT 67.4, OPPONENT 65.6 - (Rating = 4*).

Play On - Any team (GEORGETOWN) - a good offensive team (74-78 PPG) against a good defensive team (63-67 PPG), after allowing 60 points or less. (226-156 over the last 5 seasons.) (59.2%, +54.4 units. Rating = 2*).

**StarDust Bum** · 02-16-2011, 12:08 PM

UTEP quietly leading C-USA behind Floyd

EL PASO, Texas (AP) - When Tim Floyd began his first season as UTEP's head coach, he warned against having high expectations.

He downplayed his team's ability to repeat as Conference USA champions, said there were a number of good teams and lamented that there was much work to be done.

Yet here is UTEP sitting atop the league standings in a tight race with seven games remaining. The Miners (19-5, 7-2 C-USA) lead second-place UAB by percentage points and third-place Memphis (19-6, 7-3) by a half-game.

Floyd still insists there is a lot left to accomplish, but he has quietly put the Miners in position to win the league again and make another visit to the NCAA tournament. All this after losing big men Derrick Caracter and Arnett Moultrie from a team that finished 26-7 and made the tournament for the first time in five years.

``It's the first time in many, many years, going back to 1994, that I've had a senior-laden team,'' Floyd said. ``I'd forgotten the value of older guys that have talent. That team ended up going to the NCAA tournament and I feel this team is better.''

The season has allowed Floyd to put more distance between him and his time at USC. Under Floyd, the Trojans made three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances and had three straight 20-win seasons. But he quit in 2009 after being accused of giving $1,000 in cash to a middleman who helped steer O.J. Mayo to USC.

Floyd has denied the allegations while the school wound up banning itself from postseason play and throwing out the wins from Mayo's lone season with the Trojans in 2007-08.

He's been able to focus again on UTEP, where he was assistant under coach Don Haskins. He's been able to coach his players to put defense first, and he's had to do it with an inexperienced center.

``We've been able to disguise our deficiencies and as the season has progressed,'' Floyd said. ``We turn down good shots for great shots. Their defensive principals have grown and they love their identity as a defensive club. This team is as good as the teams I had at USC.''

With eight seniors, the team has been driven to do one better than last year. Starting guards Julyan Stone, Randy Culpepper and Christian Polk have led the charge.

``We've got terrific guard play and that carries you a long way in college basketball,'' Floyd said. ``We have the ingredients that other teams have that have had success in the NCAA tournament: seniors with great guards and guys that have won a lot of games.''

Culpepper, who was named preseason C-USA Player of the Year, has lived up to his billing. He has averaged 19 points per game, third best in the conference, and has been the playmaker.

Polk has become a second-half player, shooting 49.5 percent in the final 20 minutes of games while improving his defense, and the 6-foot-7 Stone has become a do-it-all shutdown defender.

``He's accepted his role as the defensive stopper and he's gone and taken that and played it with a great deal of pride,'' Floyd said of Stone. ``He's our best defensive rebounder, our leading rebounder, he leads in assists and he leads in steals. He's stepped up and made big shots when we needed to make a big shot. He's our best post man. He's just been invaluable.''

Four of the final seven regular-season games will be at home and UTEP is also hosting the league tournament, which begins March 9.

``We arguably have the most difficult finishing stretch with the final seven games,'' Floyd said. ``We need to win our home games. We need to take care of our home court and see if we can go steal whatever we can steal on the road and for that to happen, it will require us to play at a high level defensively.''

**StarDust Bum** · 02-16-2011, 12:09 PM

Lebo off to solid debut with long-struggling ECU

GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) - Jeff Lebo promised that success really could happen for long-struggling East Carolina. The coach is giving fans hope in his first season.

The Pirates are flirting with their first winning season in 14 years, as well as their winningest record in Conference USA. Attendance is up, too, creating glimpses of the rowdy atmosphere that follows football but has never consistently taken hold in basketball.

``We're in an area with the kids where we're playing meaningful basketball in the month of February,'' Lebo said. ``That's kind of a new position for them to be in.''

East Carolina has had 27 losing seasons in the past 35 years, hasn't finished higher than ninth in the league and has just two NCAA tournament appearances - the last in 1993. But the Pirates (13-11, 5-5) have already matched their best win total of the past nine seasons and need one more win for a school record for C-USA victories heading into Wednesday's trip to Tulsa.

And with the Pirates nearing their first winning season since 1997, the program also has its best attendance figures for league home games in eight years.

The 44-year-old Lebo spent the past six seasons at Auburn before he was fired after going 96-93. He was hampered by an outdated coliseum then was let go with the Tigers preparing to open a $90 million arena. He then returned to the state where he is best known for playing for Dean Smith in the 1980s at North Carolina, one of the storied Atlantic Coast Conference programs that have long dominated the spotlight and overshadowed the Pirates.

``I've always believed that while there's not a lot of tradition here at East Carolina with basketball, this is a basketball state,'' Lebo said. ``These are educated basketball fans. And they appreciate and will attend basketball (games) if you can put a product out there consistently that will play hard and hopefully learn to play what I always say is the right way.

``We're not going to win every game, but it's sharing the basketball, trying to play smart, playing with effort.,'' he said. ``(Do) all those things, they'll come out. And that's what's happened here - at least to this point.''

It hasn't all been easy. Lebo demanded more effort and intensity from his team during preseason, then tossed several players from practices to make his point.

``It sends the message that he's not playing, that we need to listen to what he's saying because it'll help us in the long run,'' senior guard Brock Young said. ``You look at all these other programs like Duke and these other top schools, they do what it takes to win. They put in the time and effort, and that's what he's trying to instill in us.''

The Pirates also fought through a stretch that included consecutive losses on last-second shots at Coastal Carolina and George Washington, followed by a three-point loss at Memphis a few weeks later.

On Saturday, the Pirates got off to a miserable start and fell behind by 27 points midway through the second half against Marshall. But they nearly pulled off an amazing comeback, getting within five points with 5 minutes left to send the home crowd into an ear-ringing roar before fading late in a 78-65 loss.

Still, the energy in Minges Coliseum was reminiscent of when rowdy crowds greeted big names like Rick Pitino and Louisville - or when ECU upset Dwyane Wade and Final Four-bound Marquette - before those schools left Conference USA for the Big East after the 2004-05 season. And with 6,741 fans, the program set a season-high for home attendance for the third straight game.

Lebo ``has done a tremendous job of pumping new life (into the program),'' said Marshall coach Tom Herrion, whose brother Bill was head coach here from 1999-2005. ``There hasn't been that atmosphere in this building since my brother was here and some of those other bigger schools were coming in here to play. That says a lot about where the program is headed.''

The players have noticed, too.

Lebo recently started pumping in crowd noise for practices before East Carolina's home games because his players didn't communicate well enough, and said his players have even looked tight at home because they want to keep the fans coming back.

Junior Darrius Morrow said some professors even confided that it's the first time they've been excited to come to a basketball game.

``The past two years I've been here, February was just another month away from the season being over,'' Morrow said. ``Now February is very meaningful. ... We're right in the midst of things.''

**StarDust Bum** · 02-16-2011, 12:12 PM

Trending: ATS breakdown of major conferences

As we enter the later stages of regular season conference play, we’ve examined each of the six BCS conferences to find out which schools are performing the best and the worst ATS in conference games. We will go conference by conference, listing any school that is above 60% ATS or below 40% ATS. We’ve also included any matchups for this week that will feature a team from the top and one from the bottom. All records are through Tuesday, Feb. 15.
ACC
Virginia: 8-2 (80.0%)
Boston College: 8-3 (72.7%)
North Carolina: 7-4 (63.6%)
Virginia Tech: 7-4 (63.6%)

Miami: 2-8 (20.0%)
NC State: 2-7 (22.2%)
Wake Forest: 3-8 (27.3%)
Georgia Tech: 4-7 (36.4%)

Big East
Pittsburgh: 8-4 (66.7%)
Marquette: 8-5 (61.5%)
Notre Dame: 8-5 (61.5%)
Cincinnati: 3-9 (25.0%)
West Virginia: 5-8 (38.5%)

Saturday: Notre Dame at West Virginia

Big 12
Texas: 8-2 (80%)

Baylor: 4-7 (36.4%)
Kansas State: 4-7 (36.4%)

Big Ten
Wisconsin: 8-4 (66.7%)
Purdue: 7-4 (63.6%)
Penn State: 8-5 (61.5%)

Michigan State: 4-9 (30.8%)
Minnesota: 5-8 (38.5%)
Northwestern: 5-8 (38.5%)
Ohio State: 5-8 (38.5%)

Thursday: Minnesota at Penn State
Sunday: Ohio State at Purdue

Pac-10
Oregon: 8-5 (61.5%)
Stanford: 8-5 (61.5%)

USC: 2-8 (20.0%)

Saturday: USC at Stanford

SEC
Alabama: 8-1 (88.9%)
Auburn: 6-3 (66.7%)

Kentucky: 3-8 (27.3%)
LSU: 3-6 (33.3%)
Vanderbilt: 3-6 (33.3%)

Thursday: Alabama at LSU
Saturday: Vanderbilt at Auburn

This breakdown yields some observations for each conference. In the ACC, 8 of 12 members fall into one of the two categories. With the exception of Virginia, the top teams are also in the upper half of the ACC standings SU, while all of the four teams on the bottom list are also in the bottom of the standings SU.

By contrast, just 5 of the 16 members of the Big East appear on these lists. That leaves 11 teams between the 40% and 60% marks. This is indicative of the way the conference has gone this year, when virtually any team can win on any night, home or away.

The Big 12 has been similarly competitive, with just 3 of 12 members above 60% or below 40% ATS. That means 9 of 12 members are between 40% and 60% ATS in conference play this season.

The Big Ten is more consistent with what we see in the ACC, although the bottom list includes three solid teams in Ohio State, Minnesota and Michigan State.

The Pac-10 joins the Big East and Big 12 as competitive leagues ATS. Seven of its 10 members are between the 40%-60% range ATS.

The SEC is a little like the Big Ten in which two of its stronger teams SU, Kentucky and Vanderbilt, are on the bottom list, and also a bit like the ACC with one of the worst teams SU, Auburn, in the top list ATS.

Continue to look for these apparent ATS mismatches as conference play winds down.

Announcement

The Bum's Wednesday's Best Bets NBA-NHL-NCAAB + PODS !

The Bum's Wednesday's Best Bets NBA-NHL-NCAAB + PODS !

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment