College Knowledge
-- Butler is 3-2 vs top 100 teams, losing by 15 at Xavier, 17 to Illinois on Maui; they beat Northwestern by 9, also beat Marquette/UNC- they played #55 schedule so far this year. Indiana is 2-0 on neutral floor; its two closest games were over Georgia by 13, Georgetown by 10 in OT. Hoosiers are making 39% outside the arc, 58% inside the arc.
-- Michigan coach Beilein had to pay West Virginia ton of money as a buyout to come to Ann Arbor; you don't think game in special to him? West Virginia was up 13 at the half at Duquesne in last game, but lost by 4, bad loss for WV team that is 1-3 vs top 100 teams, with only win by point at home vs Va Tech. Wolverines are 4-0 vs top 100 (5-14-7-13).
-- First game in 10 days for Florida team that won by 25 at Florida State in its only road game; Gators beat Arizona 78-72 in OT LY; they're 5-0 vs top 100 teams-- their closest game this year was 79-66 vs UCF. Best win for 7-0 Arizona was 12-point win at #64 Clemson; Wildcats also beat #93 Southern Miss by 8. SEC road favorites are 6-7 vs spread.
-- Memphis lost 95-87 at Louisville LY; Tigers allowed 78-84 points in their two losses, 66 or less in six wins- they're 2-2 vs top 100's, beating #'s 70-47, losing by 13 to #17 VCU, 9 to #9 Minnesota on neutral floor. Cardinals won last two games by 42-52 points, beating Charleston in its only road game. Louisville forces turnovers on 32% of possessions.
-- Gonzaga just lost at home to Illinois; now they're facing Illini's former coach Weber, whose K-State team is 7-1, but with no wins against team ranked higher than #135 (lost by 14 to #8 Michigan). Wildcats won by 3 at GW in last game; they rebound 46% of their own missed shots (#3 in country). Gonzaga has five top 100 wins; #64 Davidson was best one.
-- Creighton won last three games by 29-22-16 points since getting beat at home by Boise State- they could have trouble with Cal's explosive guards. Cal lost last two games, to Wisconsin/UNLV (playing without injured Moser), allowing 81-76 points; they allowed 70 or less points in their six wins. Creighton won only true road game, by 22 at Nebraska.
-- Home side won last four Northern Iowa-Iowa games, with none of the games close; Panthers lost last two visits here, by 12-19 points. UNI is 1-3 in neutral/road games; three losses are vs teams ranked #41 or better. Their best win was over #96 George Mason. First game in eight day for Iowa, who is 1-2 vs top 100 teams (only win vs #42 Iowa State).
-- Former VCU coach Grant brings his Crimson Tide to Richmond to face Ram squad that is 2-3 vs top 100 teams, with all three losses to top 31 teams. VCU forces turnovers on 27% of possessions- they scored 65 or less points in their losses, 75+ in wins. Alabama lost its last couple games by total of 7 points; their best win was over #74 Oregon State.
-- New Mexico won eight of last nine games vs New Mexico State; LY, Aggies won 62-53 in The Pit, ending 8-game skid in Albuquerque. NM is 4-0 vs top 100 teams; they're #2 team in country, scoring 29% of points from foul line. Aggies are turning ball over 26% of time, making 31% of 3-pointers; they're 1-3 on road, with losses by 1-3-9 points.
-- Marshall won 73-69 in OT at Cincinnati LY; Herd won four of its last five games, is 5-0 at home, but is 0-2 vs top 100 teams, losing by 10 to West Virginia, 12 to Villanova, two struggling teams- their best win was over #159 Nevada. First road game for Cincinnati team that beat Iowa St by 8, Oregon by 11 in Vegas- their opponents shoot 37% inside arc.
-- Texas A&M won six of last seven games with Oklahoma, in what was conference rivalry until this year; Aggies lost 65-62 here LY-- they beat Sooners here the two years before. First game in 10 days for A&M; five of its seven wins are vs teams not in top 200. Sooners are playing for 1st time in 11 days; they're 1-2 vs top 100 teams, beating West Va by 7.
-- Akron beat Detroit last two years, 81-63/77-69; Zips are 0-2 on road this year, losing at Coastal Carolina/Creighton- they're hard team to read, taking Oklahoma State to OT, beating #42 MTSU, then losing to CCU, ranked #242. Detroit is 0-3 vs top 100 teams, losing by 3-15-13 points; they're playing #53 pace, but shooting just 42.5% inside arc. Not good. .
-- Oregon beat Nebraska 83-76 in Lincoln LY; Ducks have played seven of nine games at home, splitting pair in Vegas- six of their eight wins this year are vs teams ranked #213 or worse. Huskers won by 16 at Wake in only road game so far; they're 1-1 vs top 100 teams, losing at home by 22 to Creighton, beating Valparaiso by a basket.
Armadillosports.com
Games to Watch
By David Schwab
VegasInsider.com
No. 6 Florida Gators vs. No. 8 Arizona Wildcats
In the first head-to-head matchup of ranked teams on this week's schedule, the Gators will put their perfect 7-0 SU record on the line. They are coming off a huge 72-47 romp over rival Florida State last Wednesday as six-point road favorites. The victory pushed their record ATS to 4-1 and the total has now stayed UNDER in their last two games.
The Wildcats are also off to a 7-0 SU start after pounding Clemson this past Saturday 66-54 as 5½-point favorites on the road. They are 5-1 ATS and the total has stayed UNDER in all three games this season with a posted line. Arizona is averaging 79.3 points a game while shooting a solid 48.6 percent from the floor.
College Basketball: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com
Florida at Arizona
Eighth-ranked Arizona will host fifth-ranked Florida Saturday night at the McKale Center. Cats' earning a 66-54 victory as 5.5 point favorites at Clemson last time out have look impressive in posting it's 7-0 (5-1 ATS) mark averaging 79.3 points/game. Cats' with three double digit scorers lead by Xavier transfer Nick Johnson (13.6) enter the contest sporting a solid +20.4 scoring margin on the year. Meanwhile, Gators were last seen romping defending ACC champion Florida State 72-47 moving the record to 7-0 on the campaign, 4-1 against-the-oddsmaker. Florida's' bread and butter is it's play at the defensive end of the court, as opponents are shooting 34.9% from the floor managing just 48.3 points/game giving Gators a staggering +25.3 scoring margin over it's seven games. Gators' needing OT to defeat Cats' 78-72 last year in Gainesville losing the loot as 11.5 point favorites have won three straight (1-2 ATS) vs Pac-12 opponent, two consecutive vs Arizona (1-1 ATS) which enters 3-6 (5-4 ATS) against teams in the SEC.
Kansas State at Gonzaga
Gonzaga Bulldogs (9-1, 5-4 ATS) suffering it's first blemish of the season and first loss at McCarthey Athletic Center in 18 attempts an 85-74 loss to Fighting Illini look to right the ship when they play Kansas State Wildcats (7-1, 2-3 ATS) at KeyArena in Seattle. Despite the loss Bulldogs remain a highly efficient team that leads the nation in shooting (52.7%) netting 82.7 points/game behind five players scoring nine or more points/contest. Gonzaga will be tested, Kansas State offense driven by Rodney McGruder (12.9), Angel Rodriguez (10.5) the only two hitting double-digits averages 73.1 PPG which is 9.6 points/game less than Bulldogs but Wildcats are terrific on the defensive end holding foes to 54.6 PPG on a smart 37.4% from the field, 22.2% from long range. Bulldogs have had great success vs the Big-12 of late winning 6-of-7 SU/ATS but it's well to note the lone loss (81-64) and non-cover was against these same Wildcats back in '2010.
Saturday's Tips
By Brian Edwards
VegasInsider.com
West Virginia vs. Michigan
This matchup at Barclays Center in Brooklyn will feature the Big East against the Big Ten. As of late Friday afternoon, most spots had Michigan installed as a 10½-point favorite with a total of 128.
Michigan (10-0 straight up, 5-3 against the spread) looks like the best team in America from my view. Barring injuries, the Wolverines really don’t have a weakness. They have one of the nation’s best point guards (Trey Burke), one of the country’s best post defenders (Jordan Morgan) and one of the nation’s best mid-range jump shooters in Tim Hardaway Jr. On top of those strengths, John Beilein’s squad has a trio of outstanding freshmen in Nik Stauskas, Glenn Robinson III and Mitch McGary. Stauskas has already established himself as one of the premier pure shooters in all of college basketball.
West Va. (4-4 SU, 2-4-1 ATS) has already lost four games to Duquesne, Davidson, Oklahoma and Gonzaga. The Mountaineers led the Dukes by a 36-23 count at intermission Tuesday night, but they went cold offensively in the second half and lost a 60-56 decision as 7½-point road favorites. Juwan Staten scored a game-high 13 points in the losing effort.
To say the least, Bob Huggins’s team is a bit challenged offensively. This is evident by the fact that Staten, a sophomore guard who transferred from Dayton, leads WVU in scoring with merely a 10.6 points-per-game average. Staten has led the team in scoring in four of the past six games.
Burke leads Michigan in scoring and assists, averaging 17.1 points and 6.9 assists per game. The sophomore point guard is shooting better than 50 percent from the field, which is basically unheard of for a PG who takes most of his shots from the perimeter.
This is the first time these schools have squared off in hoops. Beilein coached at WVU from 2002-2007, recording a 104-60 ledger.
The ‘under’ is 6-1 overall for the Mountaineers, but the ‘over’ is 5-3 for the Wolverines.
ESPN will have the telecast at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
Florida at Arizona
BetOnline.com opened Florida (7-0 SU, 4-1 ATS) as a 3½-point favorite late Friday afternoon. However, the number was down to two within a few hours and the total for ‘over/under’ wagers opened at 134.
Billy Donovan’s team has been crushing its opponents, taking out the likes of Wisconsin (74-56), Marquette (82-49) and FSU (72-47) by wide margins. The Gators are coming off the blowout win over the Seminoles in Tallahassee on Dec. 5. Senior guards Mike Rosario and Kenny Boynton scored a team-high 14 points apiece.
Boynton is UF’s leading scorer among a quartet of players who are averaging in double figures. Boynton, who is also one of the nation’s best perimeter defenders (just ask Jimmer Fredette), is averaging 14.4 PPG.
Arizona (7-0 SU, 5-1 ATS) returns to the court for the first time since last Saturday when it captured a 66-54 win at Clemson as a 5½-point road ‘chalk.’ Mark Lyons, a transfer from Xavier, led the way against the Tigers with 20 points, four rebounds and four assists.
Lyons is the Wildcats’ second-leading scorer, averaging 13.4 PPG. Nick Johnson and Solomon Hill are also scoring in double figures with 13.6 and 12.3 PPG averages, respectively.
When these teams met at The O-Dome in Gainesville last season, UF collected a 78-72 win in overtime but ‘Zona easily took the cash as an 11½ -point underdog. Patric Young paced the Gators with 25 points and 10 rebounds.
The ‘under’ is 3-0 overall for ‘Zona, 2-1 for UF.
Tip-off is scheduled for 10:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.
B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets
Will Northwestern ever get to an NCAA Tournament? The chances went from decent to slim Friday when the school announced that star senior forward Drew Crawford is out for the season with a torn labrum that will require shoulder surgery. Crawford, who ranks 10th on the Wildcats all-time scoring list, was averaging 13.5 PPG. He can apply for a medical redshirt and might be able to return next season.
As if things weren’t bad enough for first-year Mississippi St. head coach Rick Ray, now he will be without another key player. Wendell Lewis, a senior center who averages 8.1 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, will miss at least the next eight weeks with a broken kneecap. The Bulldogs will take on Loyola-Chicago on Saturday in a rematch of the landmark 1963 game won by Loyola.
Indiana sophomore forward Austin Etherington is out for the season with a fractured kneecap. Etherington is a reserve who didn’t play major minutes and was averaging 1.9 PPG.
Rutgers head coach Mike Rice has been suspended without pay for three games and fined $50,000 by the university for inappropriate language and behavior at practices. This could be an interesting situation to watch, especially since the last RU coach was dismissed for somewhat similar behavior on campus.
Anthony Grant returns to the school that gave him his first head-coaching gig Saturday when Alabama plays at VCU. The Rams are seven-point home favorites.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of the victims of Friday’s incomprehensible tragedy in Connecticut.
College Basketball Top 25 Betting Cheat Sheet
By Covers.com
If you're looking to get some action down but only have a few minutes to handicap, let our college basketball cheat sheet help you out. We grab the best quick-hitting betting info on each of Saturday’s Top-25 games with odds available.
Western Carolina at (21) Georgetown (-17.5)
With eight players listed at 6-8 or taller, the Hoyas have a distinct height advantage over the Catamounts. By comparison, Western Carolina features just 6-8 forwards Tawaski King and Josh Mendenhall. Georgetown has permitted an average of 44 points during its five-game winning streak. The Catamounts are 8-1 ATS in their last nine road games.
N.C. Asheville at (7) Ohio State (-23.5)
The Buckeyes have won 37 consecutive home games against non-conference opponents - including 14 straight by 20 or more points - and they are 74-2 against non-league foes at home in nine seasons under Thad Matta. Ohio State is 5-0 ATS in its last five games overall.
East Carolina at (18) North Carolina (-16.5)
Jeff Lebo, who scored 1,567 points from 1986-89 as a Tar Heel, has coached the Pirates to their best start since 2008-09. Lebo will have to find a way to slow down a North Carolina offense that averages 83.4 points and leads the nation in assists. The Tar Heels will be well rested, playing only their second game in two weeks. The Pirates are 4-1 ATS in their last five road games.
Butler vs. (1) Indiana (-12)
Indiana, which is one of the top offensive teams in the nation and ranks among the best in scoring (89.1) and field goal percentage (51.5), gets two key freshmen frontcourt players back on Saturday. Center Peter Jurkin from Sudan and forward Hanner Mosquera-Perea of Colombia are expected to make their collegiate debuts after serving a nine-game suspension handed down by the NCAA in October for accepting benefits from a booster. The Hoosiers are 6-1 ATS in their last seven overall.
(12) Cincinnati vs. Marshall (+12.5)
The Bearcats have won all nine of their games this year by an average of 25 points, including victories over Alabama, Oregon and Iowa State, who are a combined 21-3 in their other games. Marshall is 0-8-1 ATS in its last nine games overall.
(6) Louisville at Memphis (+3.5)
Louisville has played its last four games without 6-11 center Gorgui Dieng, who is out with a broken left wrist. Sophomore Zach Price has taken over the starting center role but has hardly filled the shot-blocking void by totaling three in 48 minutes. The injury has led to more prominent scoring role for guard Peyton Siva. Siva scored four points Saturday but has averaged 13.7 points since Dieng's injury. The Cardinals are 1-7-1 ATS in the last nine meetings.
Purdue vs. (24) Notre Dame (-6)
The 24th-ranked Fighting Irish have been strong since suffering their only loss of the season almost a month ago against Saint Joseph's, winning all six games by double digits. Notre Dame is 4-1 ATS in its last five overall.
New Mexico State at (20) New Mexico (-9.5)
New Mexico attempts to stretch its unbeaten start to 11 consecutive wins when it hosts New Mexico State on Saturday in the first of back-to-back games between the in-state rivals. New Mexico State has won four of five games after a shaky start but is just 1-3 on the road. The Aggies, who are 4-0 ATS in their last four games overall, haven’t played since winning at South Alabama on Dec. 4.
Canisius at (4) Syracuse (-21)
The Orange bring a 28.5-point average margin of victory and winning streaks of 28 at home and 50 against non-conference opponents into Saturday's contest. Syracuse has also taken the last 20 meetings with Canisius, which is 4-0 ATS in its last four overall.
Belmont at (9) Kansas (-13.5)
Kansas will seek its 60th straight home win against a non-conference opponent when it hosts Belmont on Saturday night. The ninth-ranked Jayhawks extended that run as well as pushed their overall home winning streak to 26 games with a rout of former Big 12 foe Colorado last Saturday. The Bruins are 1-6 ATS in their last seven road games.
(3) Michigan vs. West Virginia (+10.5)
Michigan is a perfect 10-0 and is ranked seventh in the nation in field-goal percentage, hitting 50.7 percent of its shots. It is a different story for West Virginia, which is 310th nationally in shooting at 39 percent. The Wolverines are 0-4 ATS in their last four Saturday games.
Kansas State vs. (14) Gonzaga (-9)
The Wildcats own a plus-10.4 rebounding margin, and they’ll need a strong effort against Gonzaga’s talented frontcourt. Gonzaga is outrebounding its opponents by an average of almost 12 boards, but dropped just four spots in the rankings after barely beating Washington State and losing at home to Illinois last week.
(5) Florida at (8) Arizona (+3)
Florida has only trailed in two games this season and for a grand total of just over six minutes of playing time. The Gators' average margin of victory this season is 25 points and that includes wins over Wisconsin and Marquette. But Florida hasn’t played in 10 days and has only practiced once during that stretch due to exams.
San Diego at (15) San Diego State (-15.5)
The Toreros are looking to snap San Diego State’s six-game winning streak in the series. The Aztecs have won 27 straight games against teams from California and boast a seven-game overall winning streak since suffering a season-opening loss to Syracuse. The Toreros are 6-1 ATS in their last seven road games.
(13) Creighton at California (+2)
Two of the top six scorers in the country will square off when California hosts 13th-ranked Creighton, which has won three straight since losing to Boise State. Creighton’s Doug McDermott and California’s Allen Crabbe each average over 20 points, and McDermott has scored 21 or more points in each of the last six games. The Bluejays are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games overall.
College Basketball Lines and Leans
By: David Purdum
Sportingnews.com
A late-night matchup in Tucson between No. 5 Florida and No. 8 Arizona highlights one of the best early Saturdays of the college basketball season.
The Gators (7-0, 4-1 ATS) are fifth (147.9) in the Don Best/Linemakers Power Ratings. The Wildcats are 23rd (142.9).
Florida has rolled through its early slate, holding opponents to 48.3 points per game and winning by an average margin of 25.3 points. The Gators have wins over Wisconsin, Marquette and Florida State, but Arizona is expected to be their toughest test thus far.
The Wildcats (7-0, 5-1 ATS) have cruised through a soft opening schedule, with their best win coming at Clemson last Saturday.
Freshman center Kaleb Tarczewski must hold his own against Florida’s talented inside combination of Patric Young and Erik Murphy. All three are NBA prospects.
Arizona has won 16 of its last 20 games, going 11-7 against the spread in lined games during that stretch. Florida is the only top 10 team the Wildcats have faced in their last 20 home games.
Florida opened as 1 1/2-point favorite Friday night at the Las Vegas Wynn.
Linemaker’s lean: We’re going to grab the home underdog in this spot. The Wildcats are tremendously gifted athletically and should be able match up with Florida. How will the Gators respond in a tight game on the road?
Louisville (-3) at Memphis
Rick Pitino said Memphis would be the most physically talented team Louisville has faced this year, strong words from a coach whose team has already faced Duke.
The Cardinals will be without junior big man Gorgui Dieng for a fifth consecutive game.
Memphis has struggled when stepping out of Conference USA play, covering the spread in only 11 of its last 40 non-conference games.
Linemakers’ lean: Louisville beat Memphis, 95-87, last season, and we think the teams will produce another high-scoring affair. Take a look at the over, which we expect to be in the low 130s.
Indiana recruits to debut vs. Butler
The No. 1 Hoosiers get bigger this weekend with the addition of two freshmen: 7-footer Peter Jurkin and forward Hanner Mosquera-Perea. The highly touted recruits are expected to make their debuts Saturday against Butler after serving nine-game suspensions from the NCAA.
The Hoosiers lead the nation in scoring offense. Teams are making 43 percent of their field-goal attempts against Butler.
Butler is 9-4 against big Ten teams under coach Brad Stevens.
The Hoosiers opened as 12-point favorites at the Las Vegas Wynn.
Mississippi State down to 6 scholarship players
Mississippi State will have only six scholarship players for its game at Loyola-Chicago on Saturday.
The Bulldogs will be without big man Wendell Lewis for eight weeks because of a broken right kneecap; they previously lost three guards lost to injury.
Mississippi State was about an 8.5-point favorite as of Friday. The game is at 8 p.m.
Odds & Ends
Ohio State opened as the biggest favorite on Saturday’s board. The Buckeyes were 24 1/2-point favorites over UNC Asheville.
Larry Brown’s SMU Mustangs are off to an 8-1 start and are 6-2 against the number. The Mustangs are small favorites at Rhode Island (2 p.m.).
Northwestern has lost second-leading scorer Drew Crawford for the season due to a torn labrum in his shoulder. The Wildcats host Texas State on Monday.
Rutgers coach Mike Rice will miss the Scarlet Knights’ home game against UAB on Sunday as he begins servinga three-game school suspension for inappropriate behavior on the sideline.