College Basketball Knowledge
Davidson (+3) won 60-59 at Rhode Island LY, teams' first game as A-14 rivals. Wildcats won four of last five games, are 3-2 as home faves, with wins by 13-4-6 points in last three home tilts. URI is 3-4 in last seven games; they're 1-3 as A-14 road underdogs. A-14 home favorites of 4 or less points are 11-7 vs spread. Davidson is 3-7 vs top 100 teams, but did beat Richmond/St Joe's in last two games, pretty solid wins.
Buffalo was 0-3 during best player Bearden's absence; they've won five in row with him in lineup- he had 16 points, 6 assists in his return in last game. Buffalo won 76-67 at Kent State Jan 8, winning despite turning it over 20 times (-8). Bulls won last five series games, winning 71-60/80-55 in last two played here. Kent lost its last three road games by 11-27-5 points. MAC home favorites of 5 or less points are 18-13 vs spread.
LSU's best shooter Hornsby is out; big loss. Tigers lost three of last four games, are 1-3 as SEC road underdogs. LSU beat Arkansas 76-74 Jan 16 at home, despite going 17-31 on line. Tigers won six of last seven games with Arkansas; they lost four of last five visits here, winning 81-78 LY. Hogs are 3-7 in last ten games but covered three of four as an SEC home favorite. SEC home favorites of 3 or less points are 5-2 vs spread.
Alabama had 5-game win streak snapped at home by Miss State in last game; Tide lost 77-61 at home to Kentucky Jan 9, their 11th loss in last 13 series games. Bama lost last five visits here, only one by more than 11 points. Kentucky won four of last five games, is 5-2 as an SEC home favorite. Alabama is 4-2 as an SEC road underdog- they won last three on road. SEC double digit home favorites are 9-9 vs spread.
Florida is 7-3 in last 10 games with Vanderbilt; they lost 60-59 at Vandy Jan 26- Commodores outscored Gators 21-6 on foul line. Vandy lost its last four visits to Swamp, by 4-8-26-3 points. SEC home favorites of 5 or less points are 12-6 vs spread. Florida is 2-3 in ita last five games; its last four were all decided by 6 or less points- they're 3-4 as home faves. Vanderbilt won five of last seven games; they're 1-4 in SEC games that were decided by 7 or less points.
Temple won six of last seven games, winning last three road games with terrific win at Houston Sunday; Owls beat Tulsa 83-79 in OT at home Feb 4- Temple was down 12 with 9:55 left, 5 with 0:25 left. Tulsa beat Temple twice LY, by 7-16 points; Hurricane won four of its last five games and six in row at home since losing opener to SMU. AAC home favorites of 7 or less points are 9-11 vs spread.
Clemson beat Georgia Tech 66-52 at home ten days ago, in brickfest that saw teams go combined 3-23 on arc. Tigers are 12-1 in last 13 games vs Tech- they lost 63-52 here LY, its ifrst loss in last five visits to Atlanta. Celmson lost four of last five road games. Jackets won three of last four games, are 3-4 at home in ACC, 0-2 as home favorites. ACC home favorites of 3 or less points are 9-5 against the spread.
Kansas made 11-19 on arc, raced to 28-8 lead and pounded Baylor Jan 2 at home, 102-74, Jayhawks' 6th straight series win- they won by 1-17 points in last two visits to Waco. Kansas won/covered its last six games, is 3-2 as a Big X road favorite. Big X home favorites of 4 or less points are 5-7 vs spread. Baylor won three of last four games but OT win over Iowa State in last home game was its first in last four home games.
Ball State beat Toledo 87-69 at home Jan 6; Cardinals hit 13-30 on arc, scored 1.32 ppp in snapping 4-game series skid. Ball lost last two visits here, by 11-11 points. Toledo lost last two games, is 3-3 as home fave in MAC games. Cardinals won five of last six games, are 4-1 as MAC road underdogs. Toledo lost last two games, allowing 84 ppg; they won last two at home by 27-45 points. MAC home faves of 8+ points are 6-5.
Michigan State won three of last four games with Ohio State, splitting last four visits here; seven of last nine series games were decided by 4 or less points. Spartans won six of last seven games, are 3-2 as Big 14 road favorites. Buckeyes won last four games, are 6-1 at home in conference, losing by 5 to Maryland. Big 14 home underdogs of 6 or less points are 6-11 vs spread. MSU is 2-2 in last four road games (both losses by 1).
New Mexico lost its last three road games, by 8-5-4 points; they lost in OT at San Diego State, seemed to take something out of them. Lobos are 5-1 in last six games with Colorado State, losing 70-59 here LY. they're 8-3 in last 11 visits here. Rams lost last three games by 7-13-18 points; they won three of last four road games. Mountain West home underdogs of 4 or less points are 4-7 against the spread.
UNLV lost last four road games, all by 5 or less points or in OT; they're 3-1 since losing last big man Zimmerman- home side won all four games. Rebels lost last three visits to Boise by 5-1-9 points, losing last two in OT- their last win here was also in OT. Boise lost five of last seven games; they're 3-4 as home favorites, covering one of last five as favorite overall. Mountain West home favorites of 6+ points are 17-11.
Manhattan lost 70-69 at St Peter's six nights ago, despite shooting 65% inside arc; its first loss in last 12 series games. Peacocks lost last four in Draddy Gym, by 4-8-15-5 points. Jaspers are 6-2 at home in conference games; they covered seven of last nine games overall. St Peter's is 5-1 as MAAC road underdog; their last four games were decided by 4 or less points, or in OT. MAAC home favorites of 4 or less points are 7-10.
Armadillosports.com
Tuesday's Tip Sheet
By Brian Edwards
VegasInsider.com
Kansas at Baylor
The Westgate SuperBook opened Kansas (23-4 straight up, 17-8 against the spread) as a one-point favorite, only to move the number to two within 10 minutes.
Bill Self’s team has won six in a row over Baylor while going 5-0-1 ATS. KU smashed the Bears by a 102-74 count as a 12-point home favorite back on Jan. 2. The 176 combined points coasted ‘over’ the 146.5-point total. Wayne Seldon Jr. scored a team-high 24 points to go with five rebounds and four assists. Seldon drained 5-of-6 launches from 3-point range. Perry Ellis finished with 17 points and six rebounds, while Devonte’ Graham had 15 points, three steals and four assists without a turnover. Taurean Smith had a team-best 17 points for Baylor.
Baylor (20-7 SU, 8-12 ATS) has won 15 of its 18 home games, but Scott Drew’s team has limped to an 8-12 spread record in Waco. The Bears have lost at home to Texas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma. If the line holds Tuesday, they will be home underdogs for the first time this year.
Since dropping an 84-66 decision to the Red Raiders two Saturdays ago, Baylor has captured back-to-back wins vs. Iowa State (100-91) and at Texas (78-64). The Bears raced out to an 18-point halftime lead Saturday in Austin and cruised to the finish line. They took the cash as 5.5-point road underdogs. Johnathan Motley made 12-of-13 shots en route to a 24-point effort for the winners. Prince finished with 17 points and four steals, while Lester Medford had 13 points and three assists.
Baylor had failed to cover in five straight home games until beating the Cyclones by nine in overtime last Tuesday. Motley tallied 27 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots. Medford produced 14 points and nine assists compared to just one turnover, while Prince went for 14 points and nine boards.
Prince is scoring at a team-high 15.1 points-per-game clip. Rico Gathers averages a double-double (12.2 PPG, 10.0 RPG), while Medford (9.7 PPG) averages team-highs in assists (6.9 APG) and steals (1.9 SPG). Motley (11.5 PPG) has a team-best 33 blocked shots.
KU owns a 5-3 record both SU and ATS in eight road assignments.
Kansas is ranked fourth in the nation in 3-point shooting (42.3%), 15th in scoring offense (82.7 PPG) and 14th in field-goal percentage (49.0%).
Kansas has won seven in a row both SU and ATS, including Saturday’s 72-63 victory at Kansas State as a 4.5-point road ‘chalk.’ Frank Mason led the way with 16 points, two steals and five assists compared to only one turnover. Ellis and Selden were also in double figures with 14 and 12 points, respectively.
Ellis averages team-highs in scoring (16.5 PPG), rebounding (6.3 RPG) and field-goal percentage (52.2%).
KU is No. 1 in the RPI Rankings, compiling an 8-3 record against the Top 33 and a 14-3 mark versus the Top 100. The Jayhawks have only one bad loss, falling 86-67 at Oklahoma State on Jan. 19. They own quality road wins at Texas Tech, at Oklahoma and at San Diego State, in addition to neutral-courts scalps of UCLA and Vanderbilt.
Baylor is No. 22 in the RPI with a 4-7 record against the Top 28 and a 8-7 mark versus the Top 100. The Bears have swept Iowa State and won at Texas Tech and at Texas.
The ‘over’ is 14-7 overall for Baylor, 8-4 in its home outings. The Bears have watched the ‘over’ hit in five consecutive games and eight of their last 10.
The ‘under’ is 16-9 overall for KU, 7-1 in its road contests. The Jayhawks have seen the ‘under’ cash at a 5-1 clip in their last six games.
Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2.
Michigan State at Ohio State
The Westgate opened Michigan State (22-5 SU, 17-9 ATS) as a six-point road favorite for this Big Ten showdown in Columbus.
Since losing three straight games in mid-January, Michigan State has ripped off seven straight spread covers while losing outright just once. The Spartans dropped an 82-81 decision at Purdue in overtime on Feb. 9. Nevertheless, they hooked up their betting supporters as three-point road underdogs.
Michigan State beat Wisconsin by a 69-57 score Thursday at Breslin Center as a 9.5-point home favorite. The Spartans saw a four-game run of ‘overs’ halted when the 126 combined points fell ‘under’ the 135-point tally. Denzel Valentine led the winners with 24 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. Bryn Forbes added 17 points.
Tom Izzo’s squad owns a 5-3 record both SU and ATS on the road.
Valentine is averaging team-highs in scoring (19.7 PPG), assists (7.3 APG) and steals (1.0 SPG).
Michigan State is No. 16 in the RPI, posting a 7-4 record against the Top 50 and a 9-4 ledger versus the Top 100. The Spartans have neutral-courts wins over Kansas, Providence and Boise State Their best road win is at Michigan, while they have home scalps of Louisville, Florida, Maryland and Indiana.
Ohio State (18-10 SU, 15-11 ATS) is in dire need of a win here to bolster its shaky resume that has NIT written all over it. Thad Matta’s team is No. 74 in the RPI and has only a pair of Top-100 wins over Michigan (RPI: 54) at home and over Kentucky (RPI: 12) on a neutral floor.
Ohio State has won four in a row while going 3-1 ATS. The Buckeyes won 65-62 in overtime Saturday at Nebraska as two-point underdogs. JaQuan Lyle paced the winners with 19 points and seven rebounds. Jae’Sean Tate added 15 points and 12 boards, while Marc Loving also had 15 points.
OSU is 13-4 SU and 10-5 ATS at home. The Buckeyes have won 11 of their last 12 at home, but they are winless (outright) in a pair of games as home underdogs with a 1-1 spread record in those situations.
The ‘under’ is 14-13 overall for the Buckeyes, 9-7 in their home games. However, the ‘over’ is 4-1 in their last five outings.
The ‘under’ is 14-12 overall for the Spartans, but they have seen the ‘over’ go 5-3 in their eight road assignments.
Michigan State has won three of the last four over Ohio State both SU and ATS. The ‘over’ is 3-1 in those four encounters. This is the first of at least two meetings this year.
ESPN will provide television coverage at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.
B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets
Tennessee leading scorer Kevin Punter is ‘out’ indefinitely after suffering a stress fracture in his foot. He didn’t play in Saturday’s win over LSU. Punter (22.1 PPG) is 11th in the nation in scoring.
LSU starting shooting guard Keith Hornsby sustained a hernia in Saturday’s loss at Tennessee. Hornsby, who is averaging 13.1 PPG and shooting 41.5 percent from 3-point land, could be out for the rest of the year.
Duke is expected to have Matt Jones (ankle) and Derryck Thornton (ankle) for Thursday’s game at home vs. FSU. Thornton (8.0 PPG, 2.5 APG) and Jones (11.2 PPG) were injured in Saturday’s loss at Louisville.
Missouri has covered the spread in six straight games going into Tuesday’s tilt at Ole Miss. The Rebels were favored by 11.5 points late Monday night. The Tigers are 6-2 ATS as double-digit underdogs this year. Meanwhile, the Rebels are 0-4 ATS as double-digit favorites.
Ga. Tech has only been favored twice in ACC play, going 0-2 ATS with one outright loss. The Yellow Jackets are two-point home favorites vs. Clemson on Tuesday. The Tigers are 7-2 ATS in their last nine as underdogs. They have limped to a 2-5 spread record in their last seven games that were preceded by eight consecutive covers.
Miami bounced back from Saturday’s blowout loss at North Carolina by holding off Virginia in Monday’s 64-61 win as a two-point home ‘chalk.’ Davon Reed led the way with a team-high 21 points for the Hurricanes.
Texas held off a late Kansas State rally to win 71-70 Monday night in Manhattan.
NCAAB: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com
Michigan State at Ohio State
The streaking Ohio State Buckeyes will look to give their NCAA March Madness tournament hopes a big-time boost by beating the eighth-ranked Michigan State Spartans when they host their longtime Big Ten conference rivals in an intriguing college hoops oddds pairing of Tuesday night. While both teams enter this contest having won four of its last five games, one ball club looks like a virtual lock to win and cash in from where I’m sitting. Now, let’s find out whom!
Why Bet The Michigan State Spartans
The Spartans (22-5 SU, 17-9 ATS) are a great bet in this contest because they’re the better team on both sides of the ball. Not only has Michigan State won two straight and six of its last seven games, but the Spartans 8.5 points per game more than the Buckeyes while also allowing 3.5 fewer points per game defensively. Michigan State also has arguably the best player in the nation leading them in versatile forward Denzel Valentine, a multi-faceted next-level star that averages 19.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game.
The Spartans pounded red-hot Wisconsin 69-57 on Thursday to cover the spread as a 9.5-point home favorite as Valentine scored a game-high 24 points and added seven rebounds and 10 assists. “I was just trying to control the game and play at my pace,” he said. “Just take what’s there and try to get the best shot we can.”
The Spartans are averaging a national-best 20.7 assists, thanks in large part to Valentine.”It’s been this way all year,” Spartans coach Tom Izzo said. “It’s been 27, 28 games where they average more assists than any team we’ve had. That’s incredible. That speaks volumes for Denzel because he leads the way with his unselfish play.”
Why Bet The Ohio State Buckeyes
The Buckeyes (18-10 SU, 15-13 ATS) look like a solid wager coming into this contest mostly because they’ve won four straight and six of their last eight games overall. Ohio State picked up a thrilling 65-62 overtime win over Nebraska on Saturday to cash in as a 2-point road dog and improve to 3-1 ATS over their last four.
Freshman point guard JaQuan Lyle scored 19 points, including 11 straight at one point in the second half to lead Ohio State to victory. Lyle scored the game’s biggest basket on a driving shot with 31.6 seconds to play. “A month ago we probably would have shut down and they would have won the game in regulation,” Lyle said. “We didn’t do that today. We kept fighting, got to overtime and pulled the game out for a big win.”
Ohio State closes out its regular season campaign with a trio of huge match ups against Top 25 opponents. The Buckeyes face Michigan State home and away, sandwiching a home date against Iowa. “This is a heck of a place to play and Nebraska had a lot on the line, (too),” Buckeyes coach Thad Matta said. “From that perspective, we’re very excited about the win even though we might not have played as well as we could. But they had a lot to do with that.”
Pick & Final Score Prediction
As well as Ohio State is playing right now, I just don’t see the Buckeyes beating the far superior Spartans in this contest. While no point spread is listed right now, I expect Michigan State to be favored by somewhere around nine or 10 points – and I believe they’ll get the double-digit win to cover the spread. The Spartans are a perfect 7-0 ATS in their last seven games overall, 6-0 ATS in their last six games versus a team with a winning record and 4-1 ATS in their last five road games.
The Buckeyes are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games and they likely won’t go down without a fight, but Ohio State is also just 3-9 ATS in their last dozen home dates against the Spartans.
NCAAB: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com
Kansas at Baylor
Kansas (23-4 SU, 17-8 ATS) holding a two-game lead in the Big 12 standings look to build a little breathing room atop the conference when they travel to Waco to take on Baylor (20-7 SU, 8-12 ATS).
The Jayhawks have won and covered the spread in seven straight games including its 72-63 win at Kansas State on Saturday as a -4.5 point road favorite. The Bears mauling Texas 78-64 on Saturday cashing as +5.5 point road dog have won/covered two consecutive games and three of four on the hardwood.
Jayhawks opening small +1.5 point road favorites get the win/cover. Jayhawks ridding a 6-2 ATS stretch as road favorites have owned this series winning/covering six straight and sixteen of nineteen encounters with a 13-6 record against the betting line which includes a sparkling 7-1 SU/ATS record last nine trips into Waco.
Game of the Day: Kansas Jayhawks at Baylor Bears
Covers.com
Kansas Jayhawks at Baylor Bears (+1.5, 151)
Kansas went through a stretch of three losses in five games in January but picked things up on both ends of the floor in the last month to pull away from the pack. "We are in decent position, but we are not satisfied with where we are at,” Jayhawks guard Frank Mason III told reporters. “We are not satisfied with the team we are right now. We still need to get better.” The Bears will put the Kansas defense to the test and knocked off two ranked teams in conference play last week. “We love being the underdog,” forward Taurean Prince told reporters after a 78-64 win at Texas on Saturday. “When we're on the road, we lock in a little better, although we should lock in every game.”
LINE: Overnight odds out of Las Vegas sent out Kansas -1.5. Sportsbooks opened with those odds Monday afternoon.
POWER RANKINGS: Kansas Jayhawks (-17.0) - Baylor Bears (-12.1) + home court (-3.0) = Kansas -1.9
INJURY REPORT: Kansas - Perry Ellis, F (questionable - eye)
WHAT SHARPS SAY: "Kansas is on the verge of another regular season Big 12 conference title. The Jayhawks have played terrific basketball on both ends of the court all season, so Baylor will need to be at their best to get a win in this game. Baylor will be looking to avenge their 28-point loss in Lawrence earlier this season. The Bears are coming off back-to-back SU/ATS wins after going just 1-3 SU/ATS in their four games prior.
"Kansas enters this game on a perfect 7-0 SU/ATS run, however their best player, Perry Ellis, did suffer an eye injury at Kansas State on Saturday. Ellis is listed as probable to play tonight. He leads the team in scoring (16.5 ppg) and rebounding (6.3 rpg) while shooting 52% from the field and 48% from three-point range this season."
WHAT BOOKS SAY: "The clashing of these two teams is an interesting one, as both have had pretty dominant seasons thus far. The thing that really stands out the most to me is that Kansas has been 17-8 ATS this season, and even 5-3 ATS on the road. However, Baylor is a pretty poor 8-12-1 ATS, and even worse 4-8 at home. Kansas is on white a hot streak at the moment, and I would continue to ride it."
ABOUT KANSAS (23-4, 11-3 Big 12, 17-8 ATS): The only time Kansas struggled in Saturday’s 72-63 win at rival Kansas State was when forward Perry Ellis needed to leave the game to receive 12 stitches. “The serious deal was when Wayne (Selden Jr.) scratched him in the eye,” Kansas coach Bill Self told reporters of Ellis’ injury. “We will go back and have an eye doctor look at it – they are hoping it is just a scratch. If that is the case, he should be okay. If there is anything more than that, then who knows? We think he will be fine, but he does not feel very well right now.” Ellis, who leads the team in scoring (16.5 points) and rebounding (6.3) is considered probable for Tuesday.
ABOUT BAYLOR (20-7, 9-5, 8-12 ATS): The Bears are one of three teams sitting two games behind the Jayhawks entering the week and should have its confidence at a high after knocking off Iowa State and Texas last week. Baylor did not have much luck the first time it faced Kansas and suffered a 102-74 road loss in the conference opener on Jan. 2. Sophomore forward Johnathan Motley managed only eight points off the bench in that meeting but exploded in the last week, averaging 25.5 points on 22-of-30 shooting in the last two games.
TRENDS:
* Jayhawks are 5-0-1 ATS in the last six meetings.
* Under is 4-0 in the last four meetings in Baylor.
* Jayhawks are 8-1 ATS in the last nine meetings in Baylor.
* Favorite is 4-1-1 ATS in the last six meetings.
* Under is 3-1-1 in the last five meetings.
* Road team is 15-6-1 ATS in the last 22 meetings.
Tuesday's Top Action
By Sportsbook.ag
MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS (22-5, 9-5 Big Ten) at OHIO STATE BUCKEYES (18-10, 10-5 Big Ten)
Sportsbook.ag Line: Michigan State -6, Total: 139
Two of the top-five teams in the Big Ten will square off on Tuesday when No. 6 Michigan State visits Ohio State.
The Spartans (17-9 ATS overall) are 6-1 SU and 7-0 ATS in their past seven games with the only defeat being a one-point overtime loss at 3-point favorite Purdue. Since that loss, they have rolled past two straight opponents, Indiana 88-69 and Wisconsin 69-57 last Thursday. Even with the setback in West Lafayette, this team is still 10-3 SU (8-5 ATS) in non-home games this season.
The Buckeyes (15-13 ATS overall) are riding a four-game win streak (3-1 ATS) including a thrilling 65-62 overtime victory at 2-point favorite Nebraska on Saturday. They actually have a better conference record (10-5 SU) than their Tuesday opponent (9-5 SU) and are a strong 13-4 SU (10-7 ATS) at home this season.
These teams are meeting for the first time this season, and the score figures to be close, as the past nine games have been decided by an average margin of 4.2 PPG with seven of the nine matchups being decided by four points or less. Although Michigan State won the last meeting by a lopsided 76-67 score in the 2015 Big Ten Tournament, Ohio State prevailed in the past two games in Columbus, which were a 69-67 squeaker two seasons ago and a sizable 68-60 win three seasons ago.
Both schools provide a number of favorable betting trends for this meeting, as the Spartans are 11-1 ATS in road games versus good teams (60% to 80% win pct.) after 15+ games over the past two seasons, and are 15-4 ATS as a road favorite (or pick) in the past three seasons where they have outscored hosts by 13.8 PPG. However, the Buckeyes are 13-5 ATS when the total is 130 to 139.5 this season, including 7-1 ATS at home in this scenario, and home underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points with an average offense (67-74 PPG) facing a good defense (63-67 PPG allowed), after giving up 30 points or less in the first half in two straight games are 72-35 ATS (67%) since 1997.
The only significant absence for either school is Michigan State F Kenny Goins (3.0 RPG), who will miss the remainder of the regular season with a knee injury.
Michigan State's offense averages a strong 79.4 PPG this season on excellent percentages of 48.2% FG and 42.4% threes, which is third-best in Division-I behind Oklahoma and SMU. The team has racked up the most assists in the nation at 20.7 APG and commits only 12.1 turnovers per game for a stellar 1.71 assist-to-turnover ratio (2nd in D-I behind Saint Mary's).
The defense is also elite, as it limits opponents to 63.6 PPG on 37.2% FG (2nd in nation behind San Diego State) and 29.4% threes (6th in nation). These numbers are largely due to the team's NCAA-best +11.6 RPG margin, and the Spartans' only glaring weakness is their mere 9.6 forced TOPG, which is the fifth-fewest in the nation.
Senior G Denzel Valentine is having an All-American season with 19.7 PPG, 7.7 RPG and 7.3 APG. He shoots 47% FG, 45% threes and 86% FT, and has scored at least 19 points in nine straight games where he's averaging 23.0 PPG on 50.3% FG, including a blistering 54% threes (38-of-71). Valentine has also dished out at least 10 assists in the past three contests, tallying 33 helpers and only seven turnovers. He was a big reason why the Spartans swept the Buckeyes last season with 20.0 PPG on 63% FG and 8-of-16 threes with 5.5 RPG, 5.0 APG and 2.5 SPG in the pair of victories.
Senior F Matt Costello (10.1 PPG, 8.2 RPG) also played well against OSU last season with a combined 16 points, eight rebounds and three blocks in his 43 minutes of action. He has at least eight points in 15 of the past 17 games, but netted only four points on 2-of-7 FG in Thursday's win over Wisconsin. Senior G Bryn Forbes (14.1 PPG) is the best long-range shooter on the team with 48.2% threes (15th in nation), and is averaging 17.0 PPG and 54% threes (27-of-50) over the past seven contests. However, Forbes failed to make a single shot in two games versus Ohio State last season, going 0-for-8 FG with just one point in 32 combined minutes.
F Deyonta Davis (7.6 PPG, 5.7 RPG) continues to be a force down low with 2.0 blocks per game (3rd in Big Ten) and is also shooting 62% from the floor this season. The 6-foot-10 freshman has 10 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocks during his team's two-game win streak.
Ohio State's offense is subpar in most areas with 70.9 PPG on 44.5% FG, 34.0% threes and 66.5% FT. However, its defense is top-notch with 66.1 PPG allowed on 38.8% FG and 32.6% threes, and in Columbus, visitors are scoring only 61.2 PPG on 36.6% FG and 31.4% threes. Although the Buckeyes have a minus-0.9 turnover margin due to a meager 5.5 steals per game, they still record 5.5 blocks per game (2nd in Big Ten) and are a quality rebounding team with a +2.8 RPG margin. OSU relies on four main scorers who all average more than 10 points per game.
Junior F Marc Loving (12.6 PPG, 5.3 RPG) is the leading scorer with 20 double-figure efforts including two in a row. His 13 points and 10 boards last Tuesday versus Michigan marked his fifth double-double of the season. Loving played only 27 minutes versus the Spartans last year, which led to a mere three points on 1-of-4 FG, all of which were three-point attempts.
Sophomore F Keita Bates-Diop (12.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.1 BPG) also has five double-doubles this season and is coming off a 16-point effort on Saturday. Bates-Diop logged only 11 minutes in two meetings with Michigan State last season, but the team's top foul shooter (81%) will be counted on to provide much more this time around. Sophomore F Jae'Sean Tate (11.7 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.3 SPG) has been on fire during Ohio State's four-game win streak with 15.0 PPG on 63% FG with 9.0 RPG. Tate was solid in the two defeats to the Spartans last season with 9.0 PPG on 50% FG (9-of-18) with 7.0 RPG.
Freshman G JaQuan Lyle (10.3 PPG, 4.3 APG, 4.0 RPG) has really stepped up his offensive game in the past five contests with 15.6 PPG. Lyle has gotten to the foul line 26 times during this stretch, making 22 of those tries (85%). The club's best long-range shooter is sophomore G Kam Williams (7.8 PPG), who drains 47% (40-of-86) threes this season. Williams has been erratic during the team's win streak though with scoring outputs of 2, 19, 10 and 0 points.