College Basketball Betting News and Trends For Sunday, March 18, 2018

NCAA Tournament Best Bets – Second Round

There's nothing quite like the feeling of watching history take place as a fan/bettor and the world got to see it on Friday with a 16 seed beating a #1 for the first time in history. As great as UMBC played in that game and me knowing history was about to be made, the weirdest thing for me came just after the game. It was then that the broadcast put up the graphic of the region going forward and seeing a 16 vs. 9 matchup just stood out as the shocking “ah ha” moment of confirmation of what had actually just happened.

The question is now how do you follow up history?

Without question there will be bettors who are ready (or already) backing up the Brinks truck to fade UMBC in their next outing simply on the letdown factor. Typically I'd be partially in that boat as well as there is probably no greater letdown spot in the world then after the first time history was made, but that's a game I'm probably going to sit back on the sidelines and watch.

Cinderella may have some time left in her yet, and it would be quite fitting that the first time a 16 seed gets by the first round, they actually go on to the second weekend and the Sweet 16.

Yet, there are a couple of games I'm already looking to attack with my bankroll on Sunday, so let's get right to the plays:

Odds per - Intertops.eu

Best Bet #1: Syracuse +8

The Orange managed to keep a seven-year streak alive by winning on Friday, as one team from the First Four games has always made it to the weekend of the first week of the tournament since they were introduced. Syracuse's zone schemes baffled TCU on Friday night and Jim Boeheim is no stranger to March success or facing Tom Izzo.

It has been a few years since they've squared off (2010), but with five meetings this century sporting a 4-1 SU and ATS mark for Boeheim and Syracuse, their is a bit of history on the side of the Orange here. However, the last time they met in the NCAA tournament was back in 2000 and it was Michigan State's only SU and ATS win, so take that with as much weight as you want.

Advertisement
For me, it's all bout this Syracuse team finding their groove on defense in this tournament and using that confidence to hang around and frustrate opponents. Both Arizona and TCU eventually cracked under that frustration as it's mind-numbing to try and figure out that zone on a consistent basis, and even though Michigan State does have better athletes overall, I don't believe they'll find much success there either.

We've also yet to see Syracuse have even a “decent” offensive performance – they shot 36.8% against TCU and 40.8% against ASU – and that's got to be pretty scary if I'm coaching against them. The Orange aren't a great offensive team in general, but Michigan State's defense has really lost a step of late and eventually there is going to be a day where the Orange shooters start knocking down shots as a collective.

Simply put, this is too many points to give a streaking Syracuse team that's gaining confidence by the minute and has a defense that can always give them a chance to stay tight. Syracuse has covered the number in four of their last five overall while Michigan State is currently riding an 0-4 ATS run. The Spartans may win, but they continue to get laced with higher spreads then they really deserve as all the chaos off the court at the school has probably affected the team's play on the court. This game comes down to the last possession or two in my eyes.

Odds per - Intertops.eu

Best Bet #2: Auburn -1.5

This is the Tigers vs. Tigers matchup that we got in football this year with Clemson taking it on the gridiron, but with the stakes high on the hardwood, I expect the Auburn Tigers to get a bit of revenge for their school and move on to the Sweet 16.

Clemson was able to move on past possibly the trendiest underdog pick in #12 New Mexico State in the first round and the Tigers did it with relative ease. Clemson won the game 79-68 thanks to hitting 55.9% of their shots from the floor and getting 20+ point nights from Shelton Mitchell and Gabe DeVoe. They were clearly the more talented team and with the extra chip on their shoulder they had from listening to them being a popular team to get upset, it was basically a perfect storm of things fro them to play well.

But now they get an Auburn squad who at worst matches them in talent level and survived a scare in the first round against Charleston. Auburn has now lost five in a row and six of seven ATS so you can see why there might not be much support for them here, but essentially that puts them in a similar “perfect storm” spot that Clemson was in for Round 1.

It's always those teams that survived a scare Round 1 that I'm looking to back in Round 2 because they really have nowhere to go but up in terms of their play and production, and when combined with perception being more negative (ie “ I can't take Team X here because they barely beat a 13 seed) actually gives you quite a bit of perceived line value in the number.

At basically a “pick the winner, cover the spread” number here, I'm rolling with Auburn to get their act together and put a complete game out there. Clemson isn't likely to shoot 50%+ again from the floor, and Auburn's percentage of 35.6 % is bound only be much better. I look for the Tigers from the SEC will be the ones who snap their ATS drought and move on to the Sweet 16.

March 17, 2018
By Intertops

Sunday - Session 1
March 17, 2018
By David Schwab
VegasInsider.com

The final round of NCAA Tournament games to determine this year’s Sweet 16 kicks off early Sunday afternoon with a pair of Big Ten teams looking to extend their stay into next week.

Starting in the East Region, Purdue takes on the Big East’s Butler Bulldogs followed by a matchup between Michigan State and the ACC’s Syracuse Orange.

East Region (Detroit, MI)
No. 10 Butler Bulldogs vs. No. 2 Purdue Boilermakers (CBS, 12:10 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Purdue -3 ½, 144

Betting Matchup

Butler bowed out of the recent Big East Tournament with in a lopsided 87-68 loss to Villanova as an 8 ½-point underdog. However, it was able to quickly dial-up some of that old NCAA Tournament magic with a convincing 79-62 romp over No. 7 Arkansas in Friday’s opening round as a two-point favorite. This was the first time the Bulldogs covered against the spread in their last five games with the total staying UNDER (150 points) for the third time in that same span.

Holding a modest five-point lead at the half, Butler turned up the heat to bury the Razorbacks over the final 20 minutes of that game. The duo of senior forward Kelan Martin (27 points) and sophomore guard Kamar Baldwin (24 points) led the way in Friday’s win. These two players have been leading the way all season long as the Bulldogs’ top two scorers. Butler is averaging 79.1 points per game this season and shooting 47.3 percent from the field. It has connected on 35.8 percent of its shots from three-point range.

The Boilermakers made a run to the Big Ten Tournament title game against Michigan, but they came up short as four-point favorites in a 75-66 loss. They drew Cal-State Fullerton in the opening round of this tournament and got things going early in a 74-48 romp as 20-point favorites. This was just the second time in Purdue’s last 14 games it covered ATS including a PUSH in a three-point loss to Michigan State on Feb. 10.

Friday’s win came at a very steep price with senior center Isaac Haas’s season-ending elbow injury. He was Purdue’s second-leading scorer with 14.7 PPG while pulling down 5.7 rebounds a game. Sophomore guard Carsen Edwards stepped up his game on Friday as the team’s leading scorer this season with 15 points and four rebounds. He is averaging 18.5 PPG as part of the Boilermakers’ scoring average of 80.9 PPG.

Betting Trends

-- The Bulldogs are 21-5-2 ATS in their last 28 NCAA Tournament games with the total going OVER in five of their last six nonconference games.

-- The Boilermakers have failed to cover in six of their last eight games against the Big East and the total has gone OVER in five of their last seven games against this conference.

-- These two met back in December with Purdue cruising to an 82-67 victory as a seven-point favorite. Butler still has a 3-1 edge both SU and ATS in the last four meetings with the total going OVER in three of those games.

Midwest Region (Detroit, MI)
No. 11 Syracuse Orange vs. No. 3 Michigan State Spartans (CBS, 2:40 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Michigan State -8, 129 ½

Betting Matchup

The Orange will be playing their third game in this tournament after drawing Arizona State in the First Four Round. They got past the Sun Devils 60-56 on Wednesday as slight one-point underdogs before pulling off a 57-52 upset against No. 6 TCU as 4 ½-point underdogs on Friday. Syracuse is 4-1 both SU and ATS in its last four games with the only loss coming against North Carolina in the ACC Tournament. The total has stayed UNDER in four of those five contests.

Syracuse has been known for its stifling defense all season long with a points-allowed average (63.9) that was ranked 12th in the country. The Orange have held teams to fewer than 60 points in three of their last five games. When it comes to scoring, sophomore guard Tyrus Battle has led the way with 19.3 PPG, but he has been held to a combined 22 points in his last two starts. Freshman forward Marek Dolezaj was Syracuse’s leading scorer on Friday with 17 points.

Michigan State won the Big Ten regular season title at 16-2 SU in conference play, but it ran into a buzz saw against rival Michigan to make an early exit from the conference tournament in a 75-64 loss as a five-point favorite. The Spartans faced No. 14 Bucknell in the opening round of this tournament and struggled to an 82-78 victory as 14 ½-point favorites. They have now failed to cover in their last four games as part of a costly 2-9-2 record ATS over their last 13 outings.

Miles Bridges scored 29 points and pulled down nine rebounds to help the Spartans advance to the second round. The talented sophomore guard has been Michigan State’s leading scorer all season long with 17.3 PPG and he is the second-leading rebounder with seven a game. Sophomore guard Joshua Langford added 22 points to Friday’s winning effort as one of three players in double figures. The Spartans are five deep in double-digit scorers this season while averaging 81.0 PPG.

Betting Trends

-- The Orange have covered in six of their last seven games in the NCAA Tournament and the total has stayed UNDER in their last four nonconference games.

-- The Spartans are 4-1 ATS in their last five games against the ACC with the total going OVER in their last six games in this tournament.

-- Going all the way back to 2001, Syracuse is a perfect 4-0 both SU and ATS against Michigan State with the total evenly split 2-2. The last time these two met was in 2010.

Sunday - Session 3
March 17, 2018
By Brian Edwards
VegasInsider.com

**UMBC vs. Kansas State**

-- It finally happened. For the first time since the NCAA Tournament expanded the field to 64 teams in 1985, a 16 seed beat a No. 1 seed Friday night in Charlotte, where UMBC outscored top-ranked Virginia 53-33 in the second half en route to a 74-54 win. The Retrievers won handily as 20.5-point underdogs, hooking up money-line backers with an enormous 25/1 payout at William Hill. Jarius Lyles stole the show with 28 points on 9-of-11 field-goal attempts, 3-of-4 from downtown and 7-of-9 at the free-throw line. Joe Sherburne scored 14 points and snagged six rebounds, while Arkel Lamar had 12 points and 10 boards. K.J. Maura contributed 10 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals. He played all 40 minutes, hitting 2-of-3 launches from 3-point land. The Retrievers enjoyed a 31-21 rebounding edge, shot 54.2 percent from the field and made 12-of-24 (50.0%) attempts from long distance.

-- Both of Lyles’ parents both graduated from UVA in 1985. His father, Lester, played football at UVA for four years and played seven seasons in the NFL. Lyles averages team-highs in scoring (20.4 points per game) and steals (2.0 SPG). He was a Top-100 recruit out of DeMatha Catholic High School, winning championships as a freshman and sophomore while playing with current Indiana Pacers star Victor Oladipo. Lyles signed with Shaka Smart and VCU out of high school but spent only one year with the Rams. After a brief stop at Robert Morris for merely one semester, Lyles settled in and has enjoyed three productive seasons at UMBC. The opportunity to leave before this season was an option. Lyles graduated early and big-name teams like Kansas, Florida and others were interested in bringing Lyles in as a grad transfer. He resisted, though, and in doing so he and his team are forever a part of NCAA Tournament lore.

-- UMBC (25-10 straight up, 4-1 against the spread) is ranked No. 116 in the RPI, going 1-4 versus the Top 100 before defeating UVA. The Retrievers’ win over Vermont to win the America East Tournament was their lone win over an RPI Top-100 opponent. They lost 103-78 at Arizona, 66-45 at Maryland, 71-56 at Vermont and 81-53 vs. Vermont. They also lost by 11 at SMU before the Mustangs’ roster was stung by multiple injuries.

-- Maura (11.3 PPG) averages team-bests in assists (5.2 APG), FG percentage (46.9%) and FT percentage (87.1%). He has drained 42.8 percent of his 3-balls.

-- As of late Saturday afternoon, most books had Kansas State (23-11 SU, 15-16 ATS) installed as a 10-point favorite with a total of 135.5. The Retrievers were +425 on the money line (risk $100 to win $425).

-- Kansas State’s Dean Wade is ‘questionable’ with a foot injury. Wade averages 16.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.9 blocked shots per game. The junior forward has missed back-to-back games since getting injured at the Big 12 Tournament.

-- Bruce Weber’s team is 6-3 both SU and ATS in its past nine games, including wins over Creighton, TCU, Baylor, Texas, Iowa State and Oklahoma State. Kansas State advanced to the second round thanks to Friday night’s 69-59 win over Creighton as a two-point underdog. Barry Brown was the catalyst with 18 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocked shots. Mike McGuirl added 17 points and four boards, as he connected on 3-of-5 launches from 3-point territory.

-- Kansas State hasn’t been favored by a double-digit margin since Dec. 16. The Wildcats are 1-4 ATS in five such spots.

-- Brown averages 16.0 PPG and has handed out a team-high 3.4 APG. Xavier Sneed averages 10.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

-- UMBC is 29th in the nation in 3-point accuracy, splashing the nets at a 39.0 percent clip from deep.

-- The ‘over’ is 3-2 overall for UMBC.

-- The ‘under’ is 19-11-1 overall for the Wildcats, who limit foes to 67.6 points per game.

-- TruTV will provide the broadcast at around 7:45 p.m. Eastern.

**Florida State vs. Xavier**

-- As of late Saturday afternoon, most books had Xavier (29-5 SU, 21-12 ATS) listed as a 5.5-point favorite with a total of 159. The Seminoles were available on the money line for a +205 return (risk $100 to win $205).

-- Chris Mack’s club is ranked eighth in the nation in scoring (84.8 PPG), 15th in FG percentage (49.3%) and seventh in FT percentage (78.5%).

-- Xavier pushed past Texas Southern 102-83 as a 19-point favorite in Friday’s first-round 1/16 encounter. J.P. Macura buried 5-of-6 treys and 11-of-16 FGAs in a game-high 29-point effort. Macura also had six rebounds and five steals. Trevon Bluiett added 26 points, five rebounds and three assists, while Kerem Kanter finished with 24 points and five boards.

-- Xavier has thrived in single-digit ‘chalk’ roles, posting an 11-4 spread record.

-- Bluiett averages team-highs in scoring (19.6 PPG) and rebounding (5.6 RPG). The senior shooting guard has scored 26 points or more in five of Xavier’s past 10 games, and he dropped 37 on Seton Hall on Valentine’s Day. Bluiett has made 104 triples and shoots at a 41.8 percent clip from downtown and an 85.0 percent rate from the FT line.

-- Since Jan. 13, Xavier has won 14 of its 16 games with the only losses coming at home to Villanova and in overtime vs. Providence in the Big East Tournament semifinals.

-- Macura (12.7 PPG, 4.5 RPG) has 97 assists, 49 steals and 13 blocked shots. The senior guard has hit 47.1 percent of his FGAs, 37.0 percent of his 3-balls and 83.8 percent of his FTs. Kanter averages 10.8 points and 4.5 RPG.

-- FSU (21-11 SU, 16-13 ATS) entered the NCAA Tournament slumping, losing five of its past eight games while posting an abysmal 1-7 ATS record. However, the Seminoles broke out Friday night in a 67-54 win over Missouri as one-point favorites. They led by 22 at intermission, only to see the lead trimmed to six with 9:53 remaining, but the Tigers would get no closer. Mfiondu Kabengele led the way with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and two blocked shots. P.J. Savoy knocked down a trio of 3-balls in a 12-point effort, while Phil Cofer was also in double figures with 11 points, four boards and three assists. Trent Forrest couldn’t buy a bucket, making only 1-of-7 FGAs, but he still found a way to make a positive impact on his team by contributing eight points, six rebounds, three steals, two blocked shots and eight assists compared to just one turnover.

-- Terance Mann, who leads FSU in rebounding (5.6 RPG) and FG percentage (55.9%) and averages 12.8 PPG, was limited to only 15 minutes of action due to a groin injury. When he couldn’t practice Saturday, he was downgraded to ‘doubtful’ vs. Xavier.

-- Cofer averages a team-high 13.1 PPG thanks to 39.7 percent shooting from 3-point range. Forrest (7.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG) has come on strong in recent weeks. He has 127 assists, 46 steals and 12 blocked shots. Savoy, a sophomore guard out of Las Vegas High School, is a big-time shooter from long distance. Of his 50 field goals made this year, 42 have been from downtown. Savoy has scored 11 points or more in five of FSU’s past 10 games, which isn’t bad at all for a player who only averages 12:28 of playing time per game.

-- FSU has lost four in a row both SU and ATS in its past four games as an underdog. For the season, the Seminoles are 4-5 ATS with three outright victories in nine games as ‘dogs.

-- The ‘over’ is 17-13 overall for FSU.

-- The ‘over’ is on a 5-2-1 run for the Musketeers to improve to 19-14-1 overall.

-- TNT will provide television coverage at around 8:40 p.m. Eastern.

**Marshall vs. West Virginia**

-- Who even dreamed these bitter in-state rivals would ever play in an NCAA Tournament game? Well, I’m sure many West Virginians have had this matchup in their dreams, but few ever thought it would become a reality. On Sunday in San Diego, however, Marshall and West Virginia will do battle for the right to advance to the Sweet 16.

-- As of late Saturday afternoon, most spots had West Virginia (25-10 SU, 16-15 ATS) listed as a 12.5-point favorite with a total of 159.5. Bettors can back the Thundering Herd to win outright for a +600 return (paid $600 on $100 wagers).

-- Marshall (25-10 SU, 21-11 ATS) has been an underdog of 9.5 points or more six times this season, producing a 4-2 spread record with a pair of outright victories.

-- Marshall is led by junior guard Jon Elmore, who had 27 points, four assists, four rebounds and two steals in Friday’s 81-75 win over Wichita State as a 13.5-point underdog. He hit a pair of audacious 3-balls that both tied the game in the second half. The first came when he stopped and popped from the timeline. Another was stepback fadeaway trey that was well contests. Elmore played all 40 minutes, making 4-of-8 from downtown and 11-of-15 at the FT line. Ajdin Penava hit 6-of-9 FGAs and finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots. C.J. Burks added 13 points, while Jannson Williams had 10 points and seven boards.

-- Elmore paces the Thundering Herd in scoring (22.9 PPG) and assists (6.8 APG). He also averages 5.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. Elmore has hit 95 treys, making 35.6 percent of his launches from deep. He’s making FTs at an 82.3 percent clip. Penava (15.5 PPG) averages team-highs in rebounding (8.5 RPG), FG percentage (55.6%) and blocked shots (3.9 BPG). He is the nation’s leading shot blocker. Burks averages 20.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He has buried 36.5 percent of his 3-balls, 47.9 percent of his FGAs and 88.5 percent of his FTs.

-- Marshall played at top-seeded Xavier back in December, easily covering the number as a 19.5-point underdog in an 81-77 loss to the Musketeers.

-- West Virginia advanced to the Round of 32 by beating Murray State 85-68 on Friday as a 10-point ‘chalk.’ Senior guard Jevon Carter led the way with 21 points, six steals, five rebounds and eight assists compared to just two turnovers. Sagaba Konate produced 14 points, seven boards and three blocked shots, while Teddy Allen had 16 points and four rebounds in 23 minutes of action from off the bench. Esa Ahmad was also in double figures with 12 points and six rebounds.

-- Carter leads WVU in scoring (17.1 PPG), assists (6.7 APG) and steals (2.9 SPG), and he also averages 4.7 RPG. Konate (10.9 PPG) paces the Mountaineers in rebounding (7.6 RPG), FG percentage (51.2%) and blocked shots (3.3 BPG). Daxter Miles Jr. averages 12.9 PPG and has 109 assists and 44 steals.

-- Bob Huggins’s squad has been horrible in double-digit ‘chalk’ roles, limping to a 2-6 spread record with a pair of outright defeats.

-- Since losing three straight games in late January, WVU has posted a 9-4 SU record and an 8-5 ATS mark. The Mountaineers have won six of their past eight games, going 5-3 ATS, with one of the losses coming at Texas in overtime.

-- It will be fascinating to watch Elmore go at Carter, who most consider the nation’s best on-the-ball defender.

-- Totals have been an overall wash (16-16) for the Thundering Herd, though we’ll note back-to-back appearances from the ‘under.’

-- The ‘over’ is on a 6-1 run for WVU to improve to 16-15 overall.

-- Tip-off is scheduled for 9:40 p.m. Eastern on TBS.

Sunday - Session 2
March 18, 2018
By Tony Mejia
VegasInsider.com
West Region – Charlotte – Spectrum Center
#7 Texas A&M vs. #2 North Carolina (-6.5, 151.5) – 5:15 PM EST – CBS

The Tar Heels will have to defend their championship by prevailing out West next weekend just to get to San Antonio but can’t get ahead of themselves by even thinking about L.A. just yet. Hardened by persevering through one of the most challenging SEC seasons in years despite being shorthanded, Texas A&M will look to ruin the UNC coronation in Charlotte.

After surviving a tight game with Providence, the Aggies have now won four of five, losing only a 71-70 result to Alabama in the SEC Tournament. When healthy early in the season, A&M beat West Virginia, Oklahoma State, Penn State and USC. It owns wins over Kentucky and Auburn and losses to Arizona and Kansas. Billy Kennedy’s team won’t be intimidated.

North Carolina lost three starters and a 7-foot freshman reserve off last year’s national championship team, but their smaller group shoots it better and rebounds impressively. Pittsburgh transfer Cameron Johnson has become invaluable due to his versatility, but teams often try and give him space to shoot since he’s been erratic shooting it. Although he’s got a pair of games with six makes, he’s had his share of clunkers and entered the NCAA Tournament on a 5-for-18 run but went 2-for-3 against Lipscomb in the Heels’ relatively painless 84-66 first-round win.

Point guard Joel Berry shot 2-for-9 from beyond the arc in the first round and is in a 12-for-45 slump from 3-point range, so he needs to start turning it around. Fellow senior Theo Pinson has shined down the stretch as a facilitator, rebounder and defender, emerging as the most valuable member of this group that’s attempting to win a second straight title. He’s also played at least 35 minutes in three of his last four games and will be up against a larger, stronger frontcourt with multiple dynamic athletes.

We’ll see here whether playing four games in as many days in the ACC Tournament last weekend affects Roy Williams’ team since there isn’t a ton of depth available and they’ll be up against a team that will create issues in the paint both ends thanks to power forward Robert Williams and center Tyler Davis, each of whom average over nine boards per game and will challenge UNC’s supremacy on the boards. The duo outrebounded Providence by themselves, 29-26.

Williams called rebounding the most critical factor in his team’s game, which makes this a test for them to prove exactly how good they are at it and put it on display once again. A&M can pull off an upset if its superior size wins out, which will require staying out of foul trouble.

The under has prevailed in five of the last six games involving North Carolina this month as it has ramped up its defense in tournaments. The over has hit in eight of the last 11 A&M games, though only one of their games have gotten into the 150s, where this one started at. That contest, an 81-80 win at Auburn on Feb. 7, surpassed the posted total (153.5).

South Region – Nashville – Bridgetone Arena
#7 Nevada vs. #2 Cincinnati (-8, 137.5) – 6:10 PM EST – TNT

The Bearcats didn’t play well at all despite winning the American Athletic Conference Tournament in Orlando last weekend, struggling against SMU, Memphis and Houston last weekend. They were down in the second half of all those games, so a relatively slow start against Georgia State where they failed to cover the first-half number probably should have been expected.

Once again, their defensive intensity wore down Georgia State in a 68-53 win where they were able to cover after the Panthers fouled unnecessarily in the final minute despite the game already being decided. Cincinnati is second in the nation in points allowed per game (57), second in field-goal percentage defense (37.1), eighth in blocks (5.5) and ninth in 3-point percentage defense (30.9). The Bearcats have allowed 61 or fewer points in 18 of their last 22 games.

In Nevada, Mick Cronin’s Bearcats will have by far their most daunting defensive challenge since the regular-season finale at Wichita State. Tough to contain, the Wolf Pack haven’t scored fewer than 64 points all season. Xavier, the best offensive team Cincy saw this season, won 89-76 at Cintas Center. Cronin wasn’t singing his opponents’ praises just to talk up an opponent. He called Sunday’s opponent “nightmare to cover.”

Texas did a nice job of containing Nevada until Mo Bamba got into foul trouble and then had problems solving the mismatches that Cody Martin, Caleb Martin and Jordan Caroline all create. They’re all big wings who can shoot it, put it on the ground and set plays up for one another.

Purdue transfer Kendall Stephens is an elite shooter who also benefits from the attention teammates command, adding teeth to the attack with his touch from the perimeter. We’ll see if they’ll be able to gang rebound with to keep the bigger Bearcats from controlling the boards, but if they can hit from the perimeter, should be able to do some damage.

Nevada did lose to San Diego State twice down the stretch but were able to produce against strong defensive teams in Texas Tech, UC-Davis, UC-Irvine and Rhode Island. Losing guard Lindsey Drew late in the season means Eric Musselman is now just seven-deep, so we’ll see if the Wolf Pack have enough left in the tank to pull off another upset after working overtime against Texas. Cincinnati is deeper, so Cronin can attempt to try and wear down his opponent by keeping lineups fresh.

The x-factor for the Bearcats will be whether Jacob Evans and Jarron Cumberland can score effectively on the wing consistently. Cincinnati likes to shorten games and will want to keep Nevada from finding a rhythm, but it runs the risk of bogging its offense down if jump shots don’t go down and the Wolf Pack turn misses into run-outs.

Nevada must find a way to generate easy baskets and hit a good share of their 3-pointers to overcome the favored Bearcats but seem to have a puncher’s chance if Martin’s foot holds up. Cincinnati has stifled foes on the 3-point line. The Wolf Pack have thrived there. That battle of will decides whether there’s a chance of an upset.

Midwest Region – San Diego – Viejas Arena
#5 Clemson vs. #4 Auburn (-1.5, 146.5) – 7:10 PM EST – TBS

No 12-seed defeated a No. 5 this season, a rarity in that it’s only happened one other time in this decade. Even though these teams were favored to meet, it’s somewhat of an upset that two Southern powers better known for their football each avoided an upset in order to square off for a Sweet 16 berth.

Only Clemson’s Tigers covered, putting together an impressive win against New Mexico State. Auburn never got into a flow due to point guard Jared Harper’s foul trouble but managed to survive against a veteran College of Charleston squad that pushed the Tigers to the limit, winning in part due to a mistake by the officials that worked out in their favor. Refs never noticed that Harper, an 82 percent free-throw shooter, wasn’t supposed to be on the line for the attempts that helped secure the result. Chuma Okeke, a 69 percent shooter was. Harper helped lock up a 62-58 win.

In fairness, Auburn would’ve likely held on against Charleston, but one can’t say that for sure given the buzzer-beater bug flying around this tournament. The Tigers won despite shooting 5-for-24 from 3-point range and missing 17 of 32 free throws, which is another reason those Harper makes took on increased importance.

Since losing key forward Anfernee McLemore to an ankle fracture one month ago in a loss at South Carolina, Auburn is just 3-3. The Tigers also lost their most important frontcourt piece when Donte Grantham tore an ACL in late January, so they’re relying more on their shooting these days.

Shelton Mitchell, Gabe DeVoe and Marcquise Reed combined to make 20 of 30 shots against an athletic New Mexico State defense that is shut down shooters all season. Many of the looks were well-contested, but the three guards were simply too locked into miss. David Skara joined the Clemson starting lineup to help add more depth to the first five, while Elijah Thomas added 10 rebounds and two blocks.

Neither Bruce Pearl nor Brad Brownell have much depth to lean on. Both will also rely almost entirely on their guards. Harper, Mustapha Heron and Bryce Brown helped Auburn survive Charleston despite combining to shoot 10-for-33, so the three-guard combos involved in this matchup couldn’t come into this Round of 32 game off more different performances.

Despite that, there are striking similarities between personnel and an approach of attacking the boards collectively. Guard play will decide this game, but it probably won't be solely about who shoots it best. Defense, decision-making and perhaps most important, pace, will be major determining factors.

Auburn thrives in chaos and will pressure the Tigers with varying looks and degrees of intensity. Clemson prefers to work the shot clock, searching for the best looks even if it takes all 30 seconds. Brownell doesn't want them sped up, so it will be interesting to see how they strike a balance between attacking the press and making the most of opportunities without getting away from their personality.

Auburn leads the series 15-12, but Clemson won the most recent meeting on Dec. 14, 2015, 72-61. Pearl lost that game against Brownell, but neither had won an NCAA Tournament at their present school until Friday night. Now, one will be headed to the Sweet 16.

The under has prevailed in four of the last five Auburn games, all of which have resulted in ATS losses for Pearl's Tigers. Clemson has covered in each of its last three games, all of which have surpassed the posted total.

Preview: Butler vs. Purdue
Gracenote
Mar 17, 2018

Purdue appeared to suffer a key injury in its 74-48 first-round NCAA Tournament victory over Cal State Fullerton when 7-2 center Isaac Haas suffered a fractured right elbow while fighting for a rebound in the second half. But Haas, who will need to undergo surgery at some point, took part in some drills during Saturday's practice and may play in Sunday's second-round East Regional contest with Butler in Detroit if the NCAA approves a special elbow brace.

Haas, who had nine points and 10 rebounds in 15 minutes before suffering the injury, is the second leading scorer for the Boilermakers (14.7) and also averages 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. The finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, which goes to the nation's top college center, had 15 points and three rebounds in just 16 foul-plagued minutes in a 82-67 victory over the Bulldogs in a Dec. 16 meeting in the Crossroads Classic in Indianapolis, so his loss would be a big one for No. 2 seed Purdue. "He's trying to convince me, but it is what it is," Purdue coach Matt Painter said. "I don't see him playing. His future is more important." No. 10 seed Butler, which is eyeing its fourth Sweet 16 appearance in nine years, opened the tournament with a 79-62 victory over Arkansas.

TV: 12:10 p.m. ET, CBS

ABOUT BUTLER (21-13): The Bulldogs are 15-3 when outrebounding an opponent and finished with a 45-25 edge on the boards over the Razorbacks in Friday's first-round victory. Senior forward Kelan Martin went over 2,000 career points in the victory, and the All-Big East pick finished with 27 points on 9-of-16 shooting, including five 3-pointers. Sophomore guard Kamar Baldwin also had a big game, finishing with 24 points - the seventh 20-point game of his career and his sixth this season.

ABOUT PURDUE (29-6): The Boilermakers held Butler, which averages 8.3 triples, to just one 3-pointer in the first 28 minutes in their December victory while building a 26-point lead. Sophomore guard Carsen Edwards, who leads the team in scoring (18.4 points), had a team-high 18 points in the first meeting with the Bulldogs, while senior forward Vincent Edwards, who is third on the team in scoring (14.5), finished with 15 points, including 4-of-5 3-pointers. Senior guard Dakota Mathias is also averaging in double figures (12.3) and has connected on 92-of-199 3-pointers.

TIP-INS:

1. The winner heads to Boston to face the winner of Saturday night's game between No. 3 seed Texas Tech (25-9) and No. 6 seed Florida (21-12).

2. Purdue ranks second nationally in 3-point percentage (42.0) and has made a school-record 335 3-pointers this season.

3. The Boilermakers are 21-0 this year when shooting 48 percent or better from the field.

PREDICTION: Purdue 75, Butler 69
__________________

Preview: Syracuse vs. Michigan State
Gracenote
Mar 17, 2018

Michigan State looks to advance to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in three seasons when it takes on surprising Syracuse in a Midwest Region second-round contest Sunday in Detroit. The third-seeded Spartans advanced with a victory over Bucknell on Friday, while the 11th-seeded Orange got past TCU in their first-round game.

Sophomore guard Tyus Battle leads Syracuse's offensive attack with an average of 19.7 points, while Oshae Brissett and Frank Howard each chip in 14.9 per contest. But the story of the Orange is coach Jim Boeheim's matchup zone defense that causes teams lots of trouble and will be a big test for a Michigan State team that has struggled with zones this season. Miles Bridges (17.3 points) is a versatile offensive force for the Spartans, as he has made 68 3-pointers but also is capable of getting to the hoop and finishing at the rim. The key for Michigan State will be the play of point guard Cassius Winston (12.6 points, 51.4 3-point percentage, 6.9 assists), who must handle the zone and the size of Syracuse's defenders when they extend to apply pressure on the ball.

TV: 2:40 p.m. ET, CBS

ABOUT SYRACUSE (22-13): Freshman forward Marek Dolezaj scored in double figures just twice in 14 games prior to the Orange's first-round contest against TCU, but the Slovakian recorded a team-high 17 points to give the team an offensive boost. Boeheim would love to see a repeat performance versus Michigan State because as good as Syracuse's defense is, it will need to score points against a very tough defensive squad. With Battle finishing with fewer than 10 points for just the second time this season, Dolezaj's production was much-needed, and it will be for as long as the Orange stay alive in the Tournament.

ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE (30-4): Since the Spartans' first loss of the season to Duke in November, the question of whether or not Bridges is aggressive enough offensively in big games has been there for coach Tom Izzo. The sophomore has tried to find balance in his offensive game, with Michigan State's deep rotation allowing him not to have to dominate the ball, but against Bucknell, it was Bridges who closed the door by scoring 14 of his 29 points during a nine-minute spurt in the second half that pushed the Spartans' lead from six to 14. Bridges will have to work on that balance again versus the Orange, whose zone doesn't have much room against which to drive but also doesn't give many open looks from the perimeter.

TIP-INS

1. Syracuse held TCU 31 points below its season average of 83 per game.

2. Winston recorded his fifth double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 assists against Bucknell.

3. The winner of this contest will advance to face either Duke or Rhode Island in the regional semifinals in Omaha, Neb. on Friday.

PREDICTION: Michigan State 79, Syracuse 64
__________________

Preview: Oregon vs. Marquette
Gracenote
Mar 17, 2018

Second-seeded Marquette, known more for its offensive prowess, rode defense into the second round of the NIT and will host Oregon on Sunday at the Al McGuire Center. The Golden Eagles limited Harvard to 21 points in the first half and 60 overall in the first round and will now face the No. 3 seed Ducks, who prefer a more up-tempo style.

"We don't have anybody in our locker room that had won in the postseason," coach Steve Wojciechowski told the media following the 67-60 victory. "It's a process and that's why us playing in this tournament is terrific. You learn how hard March games are." The Golden Eagles were once again led by the duo of Markus Howard and Andrew Rowsey, who combined to score 37 points while hitting six 3-pointers and going 13-of-13 from the foul line. The Ducks, who reached the Elite Eight and Final Four in the NCAA Tournament the past two seasons, outscored No. 6 seed Rider 38-21 in the fourth quarter to win 99-86 in the first round at home. Freshman Victory Bailey, Jr., who had scored a total of 13 points in the previous nine games, broke out with a career-high 23 points and went 7-of-8 from 3-point territory.

TV: 4:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2

ABOUT OREGON (23-12): Payton Pritchard rediscovered his shooting stroke against Rider, making 7-of-12 from the field after going 4-of-21 in the previous two games. The 6-2 sophomore guard leads a balanced Oregon team in scoring at 14.5 points per game and assists (4.8) while being top 3-pointer shooter (41.1 percent) among those playing regular minutes. Elijah Brown is second in scoring and MiKyle McIntosh and Troy Brown also average double figures while producing 6.2 and 6.3 rebounds per game, respectively, for the Ducks.

ABOUT MARQUETTE (20-13): With third-leading scorer Sam Hauser limited to 15 minutes because of foul trouble and a lingering hip injury, the Golden Eagles need someone to step up and Jamal Cain did just that against Harvard. The 6-7 freshman forward from Michigan, who made a minimal impact during the regular season, including eight scoreless games, had 11 points, six rebounds, and spearheaded the defense with three steals. "Our pressure on the ball was terrific, our post defense was terrific, our help side was terrific," Wojciechowski told the media after his team forced 22 turnovers. "We played so hard defensively its affected us on offense."

TIP-INS

1. Brown scored 18 points and made all three of his free throws attempts against Rider, and at 93 percent is on pace to break the single-season record for Oregon.

2. Only 30 coaches in Division I have won more games than Oregon's Dana Altman (620), who is one of six active Division I coaches with 21 consecutive winning seasons.

3. Bailey's seven 3-pointers Tuesday were the most at Oregon's Matthew Knight Arena, which opened in 2011.

PREDICTION: Oregon 97, Marquette 85
__________________

Preview: Texas A&M vs. North Carolina
Gracenote
Mar 17, 2018

Texas A&M will try to benefit from its height advantage when the seventh-seeded Aggies play second-seeded North Carolina in the second round of the West Region on Sunday in Charlotte, N.C. Texas A&M has an experienced starting front court that stands 6-10, 6-10, and 6-9 and helped the Aggies become the fifth-ranked rebounding team in the nation during the regular season, while North Carolina's tallest starters are 6-6, 6-8 and 6-8.

The defending national champion Tar Heels will counter with better team speed and perimeter shooting skills, assets they didn't rely on much during their 84-66 first-round win against Lipscomb on Friday. Luke Maye is one of the 6-8 starters for North Carolina, and he's also one of the most versatile players in college basketball, averaging 17 points and 10.1 rebounds while also converting 43.8 percent of his 3-point tries. Robert Williams will likely have the task of guarding Maye, and the 6-10 sophomore forward played a key role in the 73-69 win against Providence in the first round, finishing with 13 points and 14 rebounds while helping the Aggies enjoy a 44-26 rebounding edge. That matchup should open space in the paint for Texas A&M leading scorer Tyler Davis (14.5 points), the other 6-10 starter who had 14 points and 15 rebounds against Providence.

TV: 5:15 p.m. ET, CBS

ABOUT TEXAS A&M (21-12): Sitting on the edge of a Sweet 16 appearance is nothing new for Davis and three other members of the Aggies; DJ Hogg, Admon Gilder and Tonny Trocha-Morelos, who played key roles for Texas A&M in its run to the regional semifinals two years ago. Hogg is a 6-9 forward who leads the Aggies in 3-point attempts, Gilder is a 6-4 guard who is second on the team in scoring at 12.4 points a game, and Trocha-Morelos is a 6-10 backup center who plays 22.2 minutes a game. Another player the Tar Heels need to find on the floor is freshman guard T.J. Starks (9.7 points), who is averaging 15.8 points over the last 10 games.

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA (26-10): Joel Berry II also averages a team-high 17 points for the Tar Heels, but the 6-0 senior point guard hasn't bettered that mark in his past six games. He'll certainly be looking to shoot the ball better inside Spectrum Center after converting 6-of-15 from the floor against Lipscomb, including 2-of-9 from 3-point distance. Berry might look to distribute more off the drive against Texas A&M and attempt to counter their shot-blocking ability, but he hasn't been doing a lot of distributing lately, averaging just 3.3 assists in his past 11 games.

TIP-INS

1. North Carolina is 34-1 in NCAA Tournament games played in its home state. The only loss was in 1979.

2. The Tar Heels have won two of three all-time against Texas A&M. Their lone loss came in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 1980.

3. The Aggies also advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in 1951, 1969 and 2007.

PREDICTION: Texas A&M 75, North Carolina 73
__________________

Preview: Nevada vs. Cincinnati
Gracenote
Mar 17, 2018

Cincinnati not only got a win in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, it also watched the top-seeded team in its region fall in a stunning upset. The second-seeded Bearcats will try not to worry about the road ahead and instead focus on making it to the Sweet 16 when they face seventh-seeded Nevada on Sunday in Nashville, Tenn.

The top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, Virginia, fell late on Friday, making Cincinnati the top remaining seed in the South Region after it came alive late and pulled away from Georgia State in the first round for a 68-53 victory on Friday. "No matter what happens, we've had an unbelievable season," Bearcats coach Mick Cronin told reporters. "We're in a tournament right now. There's five games left to win it. And I think that's always been my mindset, no matter what our seed has been. As long as I'm honored to be the head coach at Cincinnati, to me, you enter a tournament to win it." The Wolf Pack are just happy to advance after overcoming a 14-point deficit and knocking off 10th-seeded Texas 87-83 in overtime. "I don't know how we won," Nevada coach Eric Musselman told reporters. "I mean, just the progress of where the program's come, you know, we made it here last year. We've grinded, you know, all of us hard since the beginning of the summer with a goal in mind, and that was try to advance."

TV: 6:10 ET, TNT

ABOUT NEVADA (28-7): Caleb Martin hit three of his four 3-pointers in overtime and Josh Hall scored 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting off the bench on Friday for the Wolf Pack, who won a game in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2007. "I want to win. Plain and simple, I just want to win," Hall told reporters. "Not only do I want to play good, but I want my team to play well. I want to advance. We didn't win last year. Winning this game was really big for us and shows we're a better team than last year and moving in the right direction. So, I just want to win." Nevada is trying to advance to the Sweet 16 for the second time in program history (2004).

ABOUT CINCINNATI (31-4): Senior Gary Clark did his part in the first round with 11 points and 13 rebounds and is trying to lead his team in his final chance at NCAA Tournament success. "In this game, we had to adjust," Clark told reporters. "In every game, that's how it's going to be. You've got to adjust to how the team's doing. Our adversity allows us to do that well. Being my fourth year, tell young guys to just enjoy it, live in the moment and not get too riled up about the crowd and all that. Just do what we've been doing all year." One of those young guys is sophomore guard Jarron Cumberland, who exploded for 27 points and 11 boards.

TIP-INS

1. Cincinnati is trying to advance to the regional semifinal for the first time since 2012.

2. Wolf Pack G Kendall Stephens needs one 3-pointer to tie former BYU G Jimmer Fredette (124, 2010-11) for the most in a single season in the Mountain West Conference.

3. Clark recorded four straight double-doubles to give him 13 on the season.

PREDICTION: Cincinnati 72, Nevada 60

Preview: Clemson vs. Auburn
Gracenote
Mar 17, 2018

It’s been 15 years since Auburn made a trip to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament, and even longer for Clemson. One of the droughts will end Sunday, when fifth-seeded Clemson and fourth-seeded Auburn square off in a Midwest Region second-round contest in San Diego.

Auburn is in the Tournament for the first time since 2003, when it made a run to the Sweet Sixteen as a No. 10 seed. The Tigers survived a scare in a 62-58 win over College of Charleston in their opener on Friday, forcing 21 turnovers to help overcome a lackluster offensive performance. Clemson hadn’t won a Tournament game since a First Four victory over Alabama-Birmingham in 2011, and it hadn’t reached the second round since making a trip to the Sweet Sixteen in 1997. Shelton Mitchell scored 23 points and Gabe DeVoe added 22 in the Tigers' 79-68 first-round victory over New Mexico State on Friday.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, TBS

ABOUT CLEMSON (24-9): Clemson entered the Tournament having lost two of three and five of its last eight, but it didn’t have much trouble with the Aggies in the first round. The starting backcourt trio of Marcquise Reed (15.9 points), DeVoe (13.5), and Mitchell (12.3) combined for 60 points, but Elijah Thomas (10.6, eight rebounds) was limited to six on 2-of-7 shooting despite grabbing 10 rebounds. The Tigers only attempted nine free throws against New Mexico State and likely will need to do a better job at getting to the line on Sunday in order to advance.

ABOUT AUBURN (26-7): The Tigers won the SEC regular-season title but stumbled a bit down the stretch, losing three of their last five going into the conference tournament, where they fell to Alabama in their first game. Their offensive struggles continued against the Cougars, as they shot below 40 percent for the fourth straight contest. Leading scorer Mustapha Heron (16.6 points, 5.5 rebounds) scored 16 points and Desean Murray (10.4, 6.8) recorded a characteristic 11 along with seven boards, but Bryce Brown (16 points) struggled to find his stroke, going 3-for-10 from 3-point range.

TIP-INS

1. Both teams are short on size after losing starting big men to injury during the season, as Clemson’s Donte Grantham tore his ACL in January while Auburn’s Anfernee McLemore broke his left leg the following month.

2. Clemson committed only eight turnovers against New Mexico State and improved to 17-0 when winning the turnover margin.

3. Heron needs one point to become the fifth player in Auburn history to reach the 1,000-point mark in two seasons.

PREDICTION: Auburn 77, Clemson 72
__________________

Preview: Maryland-Baltimore County vs. Kansas State
Gracenote
Mar 17, 2018

Maryland-Baltimore County returns to the court two days after pulling off the biggest upset in men's NCAA Tournament history as it takes on Kansas State in the second round of the South Region from Charlotte, N.C. Prior to Friday night, No. 16 seeds were 0-135 all-time against first seeds - they are now 1-135 after the 16th-seeded Retrievers beat No. 1 Virginia 74-54.

UMBC poured in 53 points in the second half on 67.9 percent shooting against the top-ranked Virginia defense that was allowing just 53.4 points per game before the tournament. Graduate student guard Jairus Lyles was simply unstoppable for the Retrievers, scoring 23 of his game-high 28 while playing through leg cramps in the second frame. No. 9 seed Kansas State got by eighth-seeded Creighton and did so with relative ease, 69-59, to advance to the second round. Junior guard Barry Brown led the Wildcats with 18 points and played strong defense on Marcus Foster, holding the star Bluejays guard to just five points on 2-of-11 shooting.

TV: 7:45 p.m. ET, truTV

ABOUT MARYLAND-BALTIMORE COUNTY (25-10): With the game tied 21-21 at the half, UMBC came out flying in the second, speeding up the tempo and dictating the pace of the game - something that almost no other team had done against the Cavaliers this season. Lyles was certainly the story of the second half but it was a true team effort that got the Retrievers through to the second round. Three other players finished in double digits (Joe Sherburne 14; Arkel Lamar 12; K.J. Maura 10) and UMBC had 16 assists on 26 made field goals while outrebounding Virginia 33-22.

ABOUT KANSAS STATE (23-11): Kansas State, playing without All-Big 12 First Team selection Dean Wade and his team-leading 16.5 points per game, knew it couldn't go basket for basket with Creighton's 10th-ranked offense so it put a focus on defense and held the Bluejays to a season low-tying 59 points on 33.8 percent shooting from the floor and 26.5 percent from the 3-point line. Wade suffered a stress fracture in his left foot in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals and hasn't been ruled out for Sunday but will be limited if he does play. Freshman guard Mike McGuirl stepped up offensively in Wade's absence, scoring a career-high 17 on 6-of-10 shooting and 3-of-5 from beyond the arc.

TIP-INS

1. UMBC finished second in the America East regular season and earned a tournament berth with an incredible last-second three by Lyles in the tournament championship win over Vermont.

2. Kansas State is in the round of 32 for the first time since 2012.

3. McGuirl played in just his ninth game of the season and is averaging 9.7 minutes per game.

PREDICTION: Kansas State 65, Maryland-Baltimore County 62
__________________

Preview: Florida State vs. Xavier
Gracenote
Mar 17, 2018

Xavier has routinely proved it possesses one of the best offensive teams in the country - something it displayed in its NCAA Tournament opener as well as the last time it faced Florida State. The top-seeded Musketeers attempt to end the ninth-seeded Seminoles' season in the second round of the West Region for the second straight year Sunday when they meet in Nashville, Tenn.

Riding 20-point performances from each of its top three scorers Friday, Xavier drained 11 3-pointers en route to setting a program record for most points in a NCAA Tournament game with its 102-83 victory over Texas Southern, marking the fourth time this season the nation's eighth-highest scoring team topped the century mark. The Musketeers enjoyed similar success exactly one year ago versus Florida State, shooting 55.6 percent from the field in a 91-66 rout of the Seminoles behind 29 points from Trevon Bluiett. Florida State recovered nicely from losing three of its previous four in the nightcap Friday, getting 42 points from its bench and holding a shorthanded Missouri squad to 32.7 percent from the field in a 67-54 win. "All season, our identity was the quality of our depth. We knew they were a little short on the bench, so we needed to attack them … we used that to our advantage," freshman forward Mfiondu Kabengele told reporters.

TV: 8:40 p.m. ET, TNT

ABOUT FLORIDA STATE (21-11): Ten players scored during the Seminoles' 42-point first half, and all three of Florida State's double-digit scorers Friday came off the bench, marking the third straight game Florida State got at least 40 points from its reserves; over that same span, the bench is responsible for 58.4 percent of the team's offensive output. Kabengele (team-high 14 points, career-high tying 12 rebounds Friday), sophomore guard Trent Forrest (10 points, six rebounds, eight assists, two blocks and three steals) and junior guard PJ Savoy (12 points) led the change from Florida State's bench. Second-leading scorer Terance Mann (12.8 points), who needed to be helped back to the locker room in the second half after aggravating a first-half groin injury, is questionable for Sunday.

ABOUT XAVIER (29-5): J.P. Macura (12.7 points) moved into 19th place on the program's all-time scoring list and halted a four-game stretch where he failed to top his season scoring average Friday, going 11-of-16 from the field - including 5-for-6 beyond the arc - to finish with a career-high 29 points. Bluiett (19.6), who ranks second in Musketeers' history with 2,253 career points and buried three 3-pointers to run his season total to a school-record tying 104, topped the 20-point mark for the 20th time with 26 versus the Tigers. Kerem Kanter (10.8) tied his career high with 24 points despite playing only 20 minutes Friday; over the last 22 games, he has reached double figures in every game in which he has played more than 12 minutes.

TIP-INS

1. The winner of this contest will meet the winner of Saturday night's Gonzaga-Ohio State game in a Sweet 16 matchup in Los Angeles.

2. The 54 points the Seminoles yielded Friday is tied for the fewest allowed in a NCAA Tournament game in school history.

3. The Musketeers can tie their school record for wins in a season with a victory on Sunday.

PREDICTION: Xavier 79, Florida State 67
__________________

Preview: Marshall vs. West Virginia
Gracenote
Mar 17, 2018

There is no love lost between Marshall and West Virginia and the in-state rivals present perhaps the most tantalizing second-round matchup in the NCAA Tournament when they meet Sunday in the East Region in San Diego. The 13th-seeded Thundering Herd won their first-ever tournament game with an 81-75 upset of Wichita State on Friday, presenting them with a chance to meet a hated foe, although the initial reaction was to downplay the bitterness.

"Hell, I’m still celebrating this one. You’re off on the other one?" Marshall coach Dan D'Antoni told the media when asked of a matchup with the Mountaineers. "I have no idea. ... Let's enjoy this a little bit and we'll get ready for West Virginia and I really don’t have to worry. These are all gym rats. They're going to be ready to go when it's time to go." The two schools - separated by about 200 miles - played every year from 1977 through 2015 before the Mountaineers elected to end the annual clash in a somewhat contentious decision. West Virginia coach Bob Huggins, who shot back at D'Antoni in 2014 when the latter suggested that the Mountaineers were planning to back out of the series because they were afraid, initially dodged questions about the renewal of the rivalry after his fifth-seeded team defeated Murray State 85-68 in the first round. "Can I say one thing?" he said later in the press conference. "I've got great respect for Danny and what he's done. He took over. They were down and I've got great respect for him since he's become the coach. ... This is not a Hatfields and McCoys thing. We have great relationships [between the] staffs."

TV: 9:40 p.m., TBS

ABOUT MARSHALL (25-10): Jon Elmore, who led Conference USA in scoring this season, scored 27 points in the win over Wichita State and has at least 22 in 12 of his last 14 games. Ajdin Penava, the league's Defensive Player of the Year, chipped in 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting to go along with three blocks as the Thundering Herd picked up their first postseason victory since the 1967 NIT, when D'Antoni was on the team. "I told them the beginning goal is to win the NCAA Tournament," D'Antoni said. "Wherever we get in the car driving down the road to that championship, when it stops we'll all get off and we'll be happy because we like who is in the car. We like the journey we're on. We're looking forward to the next leg, and I have confidence in these guys that they'll give you a real good ballgame and got a great chance to win."

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA (25-10): Senior Jevon Carter was a force in Friday's win with 21 points, eight assists, six steals and five rebounds while stifling Murray State star Jonathan Stark, and the Mountaineers' defensive stalwart will be a handful for Elmore. "I would be shocked if he didn't play that way," Huggins said of Carter's performance. "He plays that way all the time. He plays that way in open gym. But he's always done that." Freshman Teddy Allen produced his first double-digit scoring effort in a nine-game span with 16 points, while Sagaba Konate contributed 14 points, seven rebounds and three blocks for West Virginia, which is seeking a Sweet 16 berth for the third time in four years.

TIP-INS

1. West Virginia holds a 30-11 advantage in the all-time series, with wins in each of the last five meetings.

2. Carter is averaging 22 points over his last three NCAA Tournament games.

3. Thundering Herd G Jarrod West is the son of Jarrod West Sr., who played for West Virginia from 1994-98 and hit a 3-pointer in the closing seconds to stun second-seeded Cincinnati in the 1998 tourney.

PREDICTION: West Virginia 79, Marshall 74
__________________

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Sunday, March 18

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TEXAS A&M (21 - 12) vs. N CAROLINA (26 - 10) - 3/18/2018, 5:15 PM
Top Trends for this game.
N CAROLINA is 309-251 ATS (+32.9 Units) as a favorite since 1997.
N CAROLINA is 174-137 ATS (+23.3 Units) after a non-conference game since 1997.
N CAROLINA is 174-136 ATS (+24.4 Units) in non-conference games since 1997.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MD-BALT COUNTY (25 - 10) vs. KANSAS ST (23 - 11) - 3/18/2018, 7:45 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MD-BALT COUNTY is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
MD-BALT COUNTY is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
MD-BALT COUNTY is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in all tournament games over the last 3 seasons.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BUTLER (21 - 13) vs. PURDUE (29 - 6) - 3/18/2018, 12:10 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUTLER is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BUTLER is 3-10 ATS (-8.0 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game this season.
PURDUE is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
PURDUE is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) in non-conference games this season.
PURDUE is 20-8 ATS (+11.2 Units) after allowing 60 points or less over the last 3 seasons.
PURDUE is 17-4 ATS (+12.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
BUTLER is 74-40 ATS (+30.0 Units) in all neutral court games since 1997.
BUTLER is 43-26 ATS (+14.4 Units) in road games in March games since 1997.
BUTLER is 151-110 ATS (+30.0 Units) after a non-conference game since 1997.
BUTLER is 74-40 ATS (+30.0 Units) when playing on a neutral court since 1997.
BUTLER is 26-14 ATS (+10.6 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
BUTLER is 78-47 ATS (+26.3 Units) in all tournament games since 1997.
BUTLER is 26-9 ATS (+16.1 Units) in a NCAA tournament games since 1997.
PURDUE is 5-12 ATS (-8.2 Units) when the total is 140 to 149.5 this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
PURDUE is 1-1 against the spread versus BUTLER over the last 3 seasons
PURDUE is 1-1 straight up against BUTLER over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SYRACUSE (22 - 13) vs. MICHIGAN ST (30 - 4) - 3/18/2018, 2:40 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MICHIGAN ST is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
MICHIGAN ST is 9-18 ATS (-10.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
MICHIGAN ST is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEVADA (28 - 7) vs. CINCINNATI (31 - 4) - 3/18/2018, 6:10 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEVADA is 39-26 ATS (+10.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NEVADA is 39-26 ATS (+10.4 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
NEVADA is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
NEVADA is 28-14 ATS (+12.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
NEVADA is 30-14 ATS (+14.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 3 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 120-161 ATS (-57.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games since 1997.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FLORIDA ST (21 - 11) vs. XAVIER (29 - 5) - 3/18/2018, 8:40 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA ST is 5-15 ATS (-11.5 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
XAVIER is 21-13 ATS (+6.7 Units) in all games this season.
XAVIER is 21-13 ATS (+6.7 Units) in all lined games this season.
XAVIER is 266-219 ATS (+25.1 Units) as a favorite since 1997.
XAVIER is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
XAVIER is 29-15 ATS (+12.5 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
XAVIER is 25-11 ATS (+12.9 Units) in a NCAA tournament games since 1997.
XAVIER is 242-188 ATS (+35.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
FLORIDA ST is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
FLORIDA ST is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) in non-conference games this season.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MARSHALL (25 - 10) vs. W VIRGINIA (25 - 10) - 3/18/2018, 9:40 PM
Top Trends for this game.
W VIRGINIA is 21-8 ATS (+12.2 Units) in a NCAA tournament games since 1997.
MARSHALL is 21-11 ATS (+8.9 Units) in all games this season.
MARSHALL is 21-11 ATS (+8.9 Units) in all lined games this season.
MARSHALL is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) when the total is 150 to 159.5 this season.
MARSHALL is 10-0 ATS (+10.0 Units) when playing with one or less days rest this season.
MARSHALL is 37-22 ATS (+12.8 Units) after scoring 80 points or more over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MARSHALL is 1-0 against the spread versus W VIRGINIA over the last 3 seasons
W VIRGINIA is 1-0 straight up against MARSHALL over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CLEMSON (24 - 9) vs. AUBURN (26 - 7) - 3/18/2018, 7:10 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CLEMSON is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
CLEMSON is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) in non-conference games this season.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MISSISSIPPI ST (23 - 11) at BAYLOR (19 - 14) - 3/18/2018, 12:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BAYLOR is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) against SEC opponents over the last 3 seasons.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OREGON (23 - 12) at MARQUETTE (20 - 13) - 3/18/2018, 4:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OREGON is 60-43 ATS (+12.7 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
OREGON is 60-43 ATS (+12.7 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
OREGON is 72-48 ATS (+19.2 Units) in March games since 1997.
OREGON is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
OREGON is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game after 15+ games over the last 2 seasons.
OREGON is 33-19 ATS (+12.1 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DRAKE (17 - 16) at N COLORADO (22 - 12) - 3/18/2018, 5:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
N COLORADO is 20-10 ATS (+9.0 Units) in all games this season.
N COLORADO is 20-10 ATS (+9.0 Units) in all lined games this season.
N COLORADO is 13-6 ATS (+6.4 Units) as a favorite this season.
N COLORADO is 13-6 ATS (+6.4 Units) after scoring 80 points or more this season.
N COLORADO is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in all tournament games this season.
N COLORADO is 18-9 ATS (+8.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
DRAKE is 22-12 ATS (+8.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MIDDLE TENN ST (25 - 7) at LOUISVILLE (21 - 13) - 3/18/2018, 6:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOUISVILLE is 29-17 ATS (+10.3 Units) in all home games over the last 3 seasons.
LOUISVILLE is 29-17 ATS (+10.3 Units) in home lined games over the last 3 seasons.
LOUISVILLE is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) in home games in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
MIDDLE TENN ST is 39-23 ATS (+13.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MIDDLE TENN ST is 39-23 ATS (+13.7 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
MIDDLE TENN ST is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) when the total is 140 to 149.5 over the last 3 seasons.
MIDDLE TENN ST is 26-11 ATS (+13.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
MIDDLE TENN ST is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
__________________