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Free Picks: Service Plays for Sunday March, 18

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Jim Feist

Washington Wizards vs Memphis Grizzlies
Pick: Memphis Grizzlies

Washington playing their fifth game of a six game road trip here on Sunday. The Wizards are 1-3 S/U and 2-2 ATS so far on this trip. Washington has one of the worst defenses in the NBA, allowing 102 ppg (29th) while averaging just 93.8 ppg (24th). Not a good combination. The club also doesn't rebound well, grabbing just 41 boards a game (21st). The Wizards have held an opponent to under 100 points just twice in the last 15 games. That bodes well for the Grizzlies today who have scored 110 and 111 points in their last two games. In fact, Memphis has scored over 100 points in five of its last seven games. Today's game is all about pace and the Grizzlies will be running and gunning against this poor defensive team with likely lots of second chance points. I'm taking Memphis minus the points here on Sunday.

 
Posted : March 18, 2012 8:43 am
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SPORTS WAGERS

N.C. State +4½/+185 over Georgetown

The Hoyas are dangerous but they can also be sloppy at times, making them vulnerable to the upset. If the turnovers start piling up and they fall behind, their offense isn't built to shoot their way out of a big hole. Jason Clark is their leader but they don't have a big-time scorer that can put up points at will. Many folks suggested that Belmont could be a tough opening round for the Hoyas and as it turned out they were off on that one, as Georgetown rolled to 15-point win as a 3-point favorite. That result has them favored by 4½ over the Wolfpack and it begs the question, if they were just three over Belmont, how could they be -4½ over N.C. State. It’s something we see often in playoff settings and it’s called an overreaction. The Wolfpack whacked SDSU by 14. They ranked 51st in the country in points scored, 43rd in rebounds, 13th in assists and 55th in FG %. This is a highly efficient club that is still under the radar. The Wolfpack are the epitome of balance, with all five starters averaging in double figures. We suggested last round that they’re a nightmare match-up for a lot of teams and the Hoyas could be their next victim. Play: N.C. State +4½ (Risking 1.1 units to win 1). Play: Georgetown +185 (Risking 1 unit).

Saint Louis +7½ over Michigan State

The Billikens should be in this one until the final buzzer. They overcame a big hurdle by beating a tough Memphis squad and they come into this one confident, armed and dangerous. The Billikens are absolute stalwarts in the turnover department and we’ll avoid going into boring rankings that coincide with the Spartans' greatest weakness. Saint Louis also knocks down 36.9 percent of its 3-pointers and holds teams to a 28.6 offensive rebounding rate, meaning there's a great showdown looming, because Michigan State excels in both areas (opponents shoot just 29.7 percent from downtown and Sparty grabs offensive boards 37.2 percent of the time). Those factors will likely determine the outcome of the game. But given Saint Louis' edge in the turnover battle and its overall efficient D, one could see how this one could come down to the buzzer. We also have that popular program and top-ranked club angle. You are certainly going to pay a premium when wagering on the hugely popular Spartans and their great tournament pedigree under Tom Izzo. That’s something that has to be considered before backing the chalk. As a result, we’re going with the best of it in more areas than one. Play: Saint Louis +7½ (Risking 2.1 units to win 2).

Florida St. -2½ over Cincinnati

The Bearcats caught somewhat of a break in the opening round when the Longhorns came out ice cold and fell behind 16-2 early and trailed by 17 at the half. Despite that, Cincinnati needed some late heroics to fend off Texas, after they tied the game with about four minutes to go. The same fate does not await them here. That Bearcats docket has some weird stuff on it, including a loss to Presbyterian, one to Marshall and a 23-point loss to Xavier. Sure they had some nice wins down the stretch but didn’t every team in the Big East? The Bearcats were once again less than adequate from the free-throw line against Texas (8-16) and just as dreadful from beyond the arc (3-16). They simply can’t survive this round with an offense this inefficient that ranked 249th in the nation in FG %. The Seminoles are good enough to make the Final Four. When focused, they’re as good as anyone with five seniors in the eight-man rotation. They play a suffocating defense and you know for certain that Cincinnati can go long stretches in this one without anything to show for it. The Bearcats managed to survive that against Texas but the same fate does not await them here. Play: Florida State -2½ (Risking 2.2 units to win 2).

CLEVELAND +113 over Atlanta

The Hawks returned home from a long six-game trip on Friday and beat the Wizards. It was their second win in their past six with the other victory occurring against Sacramento. They’ve barely had a chance to catch their breath with one home game and now they’re being asked to travel again for a matinee game at the Q. Atlanta has been very average or even below since February 2. Since that day, they’ve gone just 9-13. They’re an erratic bunch that cannot be trusted laying road points in an unfavorable spot. The Cavaliers have been off since Wednesday. This enthusiastic and motivated group is just three games back of the Knicks for eighth in the East. They’re coming off back-to-back losses to Toronto and Milwaukee but prior to that they won three in a row over Denver, OKC and Houston with the former two being on the road. The Cavs’ should be the more energized of the two and after losing to these Hawks back in January by 27, a response is very likely. Play: Cleveland +113 (Risking 2 units).

WINNIPEG -½ +104 over Carolina

Most everything points in the Jets’ favor here. They’ve been killers at home all season with one of the best home marks in the league. Then we move into the days rest category, which has a big impact on the outcome this time of year. Winnipeg is 22-12 in regulation on one day’s rest while the Hurricanes are 1-6 in regulation on zero day’s rest. We take it a step further and see that Carolina is 0-9 this season when playing its third game in four days and tail end of back-to-backs like they’ll be doing here. The Hurricanes beat St, Louis on Thursday and rallied from 3-1 down to beat the Wild yesterday. The last time they won three in a row, occurring just once this entire season, was back in October in the second week of league action. The ‘Canes will also be without Jeff Skinner. The Jets remain two points back of the Capitals for the final playoff spot. The Jets are as determined to make the playoffs as any team and in a hugely favorable spot, we expect that determination to pay off here. Play: Winnipeg -½ +104 (Risking 2 units).

 
Posted : March 18, 2012 8:48 am
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Jeff Scott Sports

5 UNIT PLAY

Cincinnati +3 over Florida State: I wanted to get this out now, while I could still find it at +3 (SIA). This will be a Google News Play and after im done with full writeup there I will post write for this pick here.

4 UNIT PLAY

Drexel/ Northern Iowa Over 121: Drexel is a team that plays great defense as they have allowed just 55.4 ppg on the year, but they have really picked it up offensively of late as they have averaged 69.4 ppg in their last 5 games, plus they have averaged that same amount at home this year. Drexel has allowed just 55.4 ppg at home, but in their last 4 at home they have allowed 61.5 ppg, with those games averaging 136.3 ppg. Northern Iowa has played good defense this year as they have allowed just 62.3 ppg, but they have allowed 65 ppg in their last 8 games overall and 64.9 ppg on the road. The Panthers have also allowed 45.1% shooting on the road, including 38% from long range. The Panthers don't score a ton as they have averaged just 61.2 ppg overall, but I believe the can put at least 58 points on the board in this one and that will be all we need as Drexel should be good for somewhere in the mid 60's. This one has a real good chance of hitting 130+.

3 UNIT PLAYS

Georgetown -4.5 over NC State: I have the Hoyas in the finals vs Michigan State so I won't be bucking them here. This defense is awesome and they really showed it vs the #4 offense in the nation by holding Belmont to just 59 points in their 15 point win. The Hoyas allow 59.1 ppg on 38.6% shooting and they are #1 in the nation defending the three as they have allowed teams to hit just 27.1% of their long range shots. NC State doesn't score as much as Belmont, but they still average 73.5 ppg and they shoot 35.5% from long range, but getting those threes should be difficult vs this defense. NC State has had a nice run down the stretch and a good year in the ACC, but the defensive pressure that Georgetown will employ will be just too much for the Wolfpack here. At least an 8 point win by the Hoyas.

North Carolina/ Creighton Under 159: Both of these teams do play an uptempo brand of ball, but both of these teams also know how to play some defense. The Heels did allow FSU 85 points in the ACC tourney, but this team has still allowed just 65.5 ppg in their last 9 games. Creighton comes in having allowed 69.2 ppg overall, but in their last 5 games (regulation) they have allowed just 63 ppg. Creighton did put up 99 points vs a bad Evansville defense at the end of the year, but in their 2 games before that one and the two games after they have averaged just 63 ppg, so this offense can be slowed some. The Heels offense will be tough to stop, but I feel that creighton can slow them down enough to keep this game in the lower 150's at best.

South Florida -2.5 over Ohio: Could we see a team go from the first 4 to the Final 4? That's a possibility, especially with the way the Bulls are playing right now. Defense is the name of the game for this bulls team and they just may have the best defense left in the tourney. The other night this team missed 22 straight shots in the 1st half yet at half time they only trailed by 4 points. That's due to a defense that allowed a high scoring Temple team to put up just 19 points in that half. The Bulls for the year have allowed just 56.8 ppg on 39.1% shooting, while in their last 5 games they have allowed just 50.4 ppg on a mere 34.7% shooting. The Bulls do average 70.6 ppg on the year, but they are not a good shooting team as hey have hit just 42.9% of their shots on the year. and playing vs this defense that is not a good number. Ohio has played great defebse as well this year and they won't allow a ton vs the Bulls, but South Florida will allow a hol lot less in this one as the win by at least 7 or 8 here. KEY TRENDS--- OHIO U is 4-12 ATS versus teams who are called for 17 or less fouls/game over the last 2 seasons, while S FLORIDA is 14-5 ATS after playing a game where both teams score 65 points or less this season.

2 UNIT PLAYS

Michigan State -6.5 over St Louis: Might as well make this my finals double dip as I will go with the team I have picked to win it all. I have really liked the Michigan State team all year and I believe they are on course for a date in the NCAA Finals. The Spartans are the best team in the 6the top rated conference and even though the Bilikens had a solid year they are still from the A-10 and not really in the Class of the Spartans here. I also firmly believe that after what happened on Friday these higher seeds will not take the lower seeds for granted. Syracuse had an easy win vs Kansas state and so did Kentucky on Saturday. Both teams play great defense, but the Spartans have a bit more on offense and the Billikens don't have anyone that can hang Green. I look for Sparty to pull away late here.

Xavier/ Lehigh Over 140: In the game vs the Irish the Musketeers really wanted to run, but for the most part Notre Dame didn't let them. Well Lehigh will. The Mountain Hawks love to run and they come in averaging 75.6 ppg overall, 77.2 ppg on neutral courts and 77.2 ppg in their last 5 overall and they should have a good shot at hitting at least 70 points vs a a Xavier team that has allowed 68.3 ppg overall and 73 ppg away from home this year. Xaiver does average just over 70 ppg themselves this year and they should be good for at least that much vs a Lehigh team that has allowed 68.4 ppg in their last 5 games and 71 ppg in their last 3 games. Both teams will run in this game and that has me looking for a game in the mid 140's at least.

1 UNIT PLAY

Oregon/ Iowa Under 155: IOWA is 15-6 UNDER versus teams who are called for 17 or less fouls/game after 15+ games over the last 3 seasons, while OREGON is 19-8 UNDER after a game where they made 55% of their shots or better since 1997.

 
Posted : March 18, 2012 8:50 am
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Matt Rivers

St. Louis Billikens +7

Reasoning: Sure I'm playing with fire here only getting half a dozen or so back against the one seeded Spartans but Rick Majerus has his best team in years and I can see this thing being an ugly lower scoring type game.

Michigan State has been phenomenal with Draymond Green leading the way but they are also still a young team that overachieved mightily this season. Not much was expected of Sparty as this year was somewhat viewed as a rebuilding season but it wound up being anything but. With that said though I'm not really all in on Tom Izzo's squad and that is with all due respect.

St. Louis is a team that can grind out a game and hang long enough to win. I can see that scenario taking place here as Kwamain Mitchell, Brian Conklin, Dwayne Evans, Rob Loe (no not that guy) and the Billikens are a tough minded team that will come to play today. They just came back brilliantly to beat a solid Memphis squad and are good enough to stay in this thing in Columbus.

I would like to be getting a few more points but I'll still take a handful plus with a blue-collar team that won't be intimidated in Ohio State country. The fans will be pulling for the large coach and his Billikens and so will I.

 
Posted : March 18, 2012 8:54 am
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Vic Duke

Lehigh +4

Lehigh proved to be a legitimate contender for a Sweet 16 birth after knocking off Duke --one of the hardest playing teams in the nation; in other words, their win was no fluke!

The Mountain Hawks have a big time player in C.J. McCollum who surely grabbed the attention of Xavier. He's been a consistent scorer and tough to stop when he gets rolling; moreover, he makes everyone else on the floor better. Lehigh also has a respectable frontline led by 6'9" Knutson who will give you 12 ppg and 5.6 rpg. Lehigh runs an efficient offense and can force turnovers. Xavier has shown its vulnerability to turnovers and at times -- lackadaisical defensively.

Mountain Hawks are a sweet 8-0 ATS vs teams above .600. Xavier sports a 2-7 ATS mark on a neutral floor and a money burning 0-5-1 ATS as a favorite in this spread range. We'll look for Lehigh to keep the slipper on.

 
Posted : March 18, 2012 8:54 am
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Free NCAAB Release for 3/18: Lehigh +3.5 over Xavier. We're expecting the Mountain Hawks to at least keep it within the numbers tonight in Greensboro, N.C. Our analysis has this game lined as a pick'em at best (even). If you think that Lehigh beating #2 seeded Duke was just a fluke, consider thinking again. Lehigh, led by the nation's fifth best scorer in C.J. McCollum, is a perfect 5-0 ATS this year in all lined games vs winning teams. They have the mental toughness it requires to win a NCAA Tournament Game straight up as an underdog. They believe they can win, and their talent's not stopping that. Statistically, they outscore, outdefend, and outbench the Musketeers. In their last five, they've averaged 77.2 points/game on 46.7% shooting, while outscoring foes by an average of 8.8 points/game. Xavier enters this game just 2-8-1 ATS in their last eleven, where they are 6-5 SU. They've averaged 67.2 points/game on 45.3% shooting in their last five games. But they're outscoring their opponents by an average of just 2.2 points/game. Xavier's game plan will focus around stopping McCollum, but we don't see them succeeding where Duke failed. There's always the looming possibility of a let-down after such an emotional upset victory, but we don't see one today. The Mountain Hawks are 6-0 at the window in their last six games when catching points, 8-0 ATS in their last 8 games vs. a team with a winning percentage above .600, and 4-0 ATS in their last 4 neutral site games. The Musketeers are 0-5-1 ATS in their last 6 games when laying 0.5-6.5 points, and 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following a SU victory. We suspect the "let-down" will be with Xavier tonight. We'll grab the points with Lehigh, and put our faith in Coach Reed to keep the troops focused on the task at hand. *Our free plays are now 182-99-1 (65%) all-time. Sign up today at iseewinners.com to get all of our free releases via email.

 
Posted : March 18, 2012 8:56 am
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Gold Sheet

Key Releases

North Carolina State 73 - Georgetown 67—Though Georgetown got the “monkey off its back” by winning a first-round NCAA game after suffering upsets to lower seeds the previous two seasons, believe the Hoyas will be hard-pressed to advance to the Sweet Sixteen vs. a hot NCS squad that provides a much tougher matchup for JT III's squad than was G-oriented, 3-point bombing Belmont. The well-balanced Wolfpack (5 avg. DDs) continued to effectively spread the ball around in a 79-65 victory vs. San Diego State in the opening round (4 in DDs), with NCS working its highly-efficient inside-outside game to near perfection. Sure, the smothering Hoya defense (59 ppg) poses a more difficult challenge than the smallish Aztecs, who lacked much size on the interior. But have faith N.C. State's multi-faceted, rangy, 6-5 soph PG Lorenzo Brown (12.7 ppg, 6.4 apg) will be able to score, drive or dish to arguably the most underrated inside duo around, high-motor, slithery, 6-8, 206-pound soph F C. J. Leslie (14.6 ppg, 7.5 rpg) or bruising 6-8, 261-pound jr. Richard Howell, who can fiercely attack the rim or pull up for a short jumper. Howell—who is coming off what is considered his best career game with a 22-pt. explosion in the first round—or Leslie could get GT's over-aggressive 6-10 sr. Henry Sims in some foul trouble. Meanwhile, lethal Wolfpack marskman 6-6 F Scott Wood (nearly 3 treys pg at an ACC-best 42%) can trade hoops from downtown with Hoya sr. star G Jason Clark. Don't see the Hoyas getting many fast breaks from forced mistakes, since the careful NCS attack ranks second in the ACC in assist-TO ratio (and had a mere 10 TOs vs. the Aztecs). With NCS now playing more rigidly on the stop end (limited SDS to just 37.7% FGs) for successful first-year HC Mark Gottfried (300 career wins), and with industrious 6-9 F DeShawn Painter providing a spark off bench, no shock to see the confident, strong-boarding Wolfpack (+5 rpg) prevail in Columbus. Note, the ACC rep is 6-2 its last 8 as an underdog, and Big East favorites are less than 50% as chalk in Big Dance since 2009.

Nevada 76 - Bucknell 64—No one has to remind John Feinstein, but the new rage is the Patriot League, thanks to postseason efforts from Lehigh and Bucknell, the latter providing good value in opening-round action last Wednesday when going wire-to-wire to win at Arizona. But, as we've seen in March, college hoops has been turned somewhat inside-out. And a new world in which the Patriot League is feared is also a world in which Nevada has a more dangerous team than Arizona. The truth is that the Bison caught a bit of a break when facing the Wildcats, who were depleted in the backcourt with key frosh G Josiah Turner's suspension. The Wolf Pack will present many more defensive concerns for Bucknell, which must account for a pair of potent perimeter weapons in explosive WAC MVP Deonte Burton (15 ppg) and 6-5 backcourt mate Malik Story (14 ppg), while also keeping tabs on high-jumping 6-7 PF Olek Czyz and keeping glass-gobbling 6-8 frontline mate Dario Hunt (who destroyed Oral Roberts in Wednesday's opening round; eight double-doubles in last ten games!) off the offensive boards. The jumping ability and quickness Nevada enjoys on the blocks can neutralize Bucknell's 6-11 C Mike Muscala (16.9 ppg). Mostly, however, the Bison will be forced into defending the entire floor in Reno, something they rarely had to do in Patriot League play, and something they certainly didn't have to do in Tucson last Wednesday.

 
Posted : March 18, 2012 8:57 am
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MATT RIVERS

My Sunday free play goes early from Philadelphia where I will side with the Drexel Dragons to cover the number as the home favorite over Northern Iowa.

The Panthers did well for themselves on Wednesday night when they went to Hawk Hill on the Main Line and upset St. Joseph's. I don't think they will fare so well against a Dragons team that is playing with a huge chip on their shoulders after getting snubbed by the Big Dance committee last week.

The Dragons saw their 19-game straight up winning streak was halted in the CAA championship game by the VCU Rams, but Drexel picked right up where they left off in the opening round of the NIT by lowering the boom on Central Florida by an 81-56 count on their home floor on Wednesday night.

Drexel is now 9-4 against the spread in lined home games this campaign, while Northern Iowa has split their last eight games straight up, and they are just 7-8-2 against the spread in road games this year.

Lay it early Sunday morning as the Dragons move on to the quarterfinals of the NIT.

3♦ DREXEL

 
Posted : March 18, 2012 8:59 am
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SCOTT DELANEY

My free winner is North Carolina State plus the points against the Georgetown Hoyas, as I seriously wouldn't be surprised if the Wolfpack won this game outright. I continue to get a kick out of reading how North Carolina State's win over San Diego State in the second round was an upset. According to the Selection Committee, sure, the 11 seed beating the 6 seed may appear that way, but the Pack laid the points in that game. Can you imagine if the committee gave the oddsmakers the 16 teams from each region? They'd know how to seed them properly.

Anyway, it came as no shock to me North Carolina State won by 14 points against Steve Fisher's bunch, the teams' fifth win in six games - three of which came by double digits. Forward Richard Howell doubled his season average by pouring in 22 points to lead the physical Pack to its defensive, 79-65, and in to this third-round East Regional game at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

Mark Gottfried, in his first season as coach of N.C. State, has turned things around in Raleigh, as his team certainly looks like the 1983 squad that made a run to the National Championship with Jim Valvano at the helm. Don't get me wrong, I'm not telling you the Wolfpack are going to do the same, but this might be the most inspired squad they've seen in Raleigh in almost 30 years.

North Carolina State is on a number of perfect ATS runs, including being 6-0 after a straight-up win, 5-0 after a spread cover, 4-0 in non-conference game, 5-0 against winning teams, 4-0 when getting points, 6-0 on a neutral court and 7-0 overall. On the other hand, Georgetown is on ATS slides of 4-9 after a win on the court, 2-6 when laying points in this event and 1-4 after a spread cover.

3♦ NORTH CAROLINA STATE

 
Posted : March 18, 2012 8:59 am
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CHUCK O'BRIEN

Another free winner yesterday. On the heels of Friday's outright winner on Ohio over Michigan, and Saturday's cover with Gonzaga versus Ohio State. Today I'm playing the Saint Louis Billikens plus the points against Michigan State.

I'm not sure if the Billikens are going to win this game, but I can tell you they're good enough to hang with Michigan State strictly because of two reasons: coach Rick Majerus and his stringent defense that ranks eighth in the nation in allowing just 57.4 points per game.

It really was no accident the Billikens held Memphis to just 54 points, a Tigers team that ranked 35th in the nation with their 74.7 scoring offense. Once again, Majerus has put together a squad that can balance things at both ends of the court, thanks to a dominating defense that creates a stellar transition game.

If you've had the opportunity to watch the Billikens, you know they play extremely well together and communicate perfectly on the floor. They've become an intelligent team, one that knows its role and how to execute at the right time, and how to suffocate teams into using the entire length of the shot clock. It's what shuffled Memphis out of the tournament.

It's the same defense that led the Billikens through the Atlantic 10 schedule, past Memphis in the first round, and that will keep them in their game today against the Spartans.

While the Spartans are mired in a 3-7 ATS slide as neutral-site favorite, St. Louis comes in on ATS streaks of 4-0 in non-conference games, 6-1 against a winning team, 5-2 as an underdog and 4-1 overall - all of which have been on neutral courts.

2♦ SAINT LOUIS

 
Posted : March 18, 2012 8:59 am
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JEFF BENTON

Your Sunday freebie is to take the Florida State Seminoles to punch their ticket to the Sweet Sixteen with the win and cover over the Cincinnati Bearcats.

The Bearcats have strung together wins in eight of their last ten games, but those two losses were ugly ones, as Mick Cronin's team was stymied by both South Florida (45-points) and Louisville (44-points). I have a strong suspicion that the vaunted Florida State defense will hold Cincinnati to a similar number in this round-of-thirty-two meeting.

The Seminoles dodged the upset bullet in their opening game, as St. Bonaventure gave them all they could handle, but it should be noted that Florida State's best player Michael Snaer shot 0-for-7 from the floor and did not contribute one single point in the contest! Snaer is averaging almost 15-points per game, so you can see their was a big void in the Sems 66-point effort.

There is virtually no chance of Snaer going scoreless again, and the fact Florida State is riding a six game winning streak with covers in five of those six should be a good enough reason to get behind the ACC tournament champs to advance to the next round with the win and cover.

2♦ FLORIDA STATE

 
Posted : March 18, 2012 8:59 am
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DOM CHAMBERS

For my free selection, let’s take a look at the South Florida Bulls to cover against the Ohio Bobcats.

Ohio comes into this game shooting 42.9 percent from the field and 33.8 percent from three-point range. The Bobcats are led by guard D.J. Cooper, who averages 14.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists.

Those are all nice numbers, but forget about them. The Bobcats are facing the pressure cooker that is the South Florida defense. That defense is tenacious. The Bulls are seventh in the country in points allowed at 57 per game.

The South Florida offense was dreadful in the first half against Temple. The Bulls shot 11 percent in the first half and scored only 19 points. They came out in the second half and ran away, easily winning 58-44.

South Florida will impose their style of play on the Bobcats and will be the difference here. Ohio likes to push the tempo, but the Bulls will not allow them to get the offense into the flow they like. Also, the Bulls will take away Cooper and the Bobcats rely on him for the bulk of their offense.

Take the Bulls.

3♦ SOUTH FLORIDA

 
Posted : March 18, 2012 9:00 am
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OC DOOLEY

North Carolina State +4.5

North Carolina State is coming off a resounding 79-65 romp in the opening round which was their largest margin of victory in the NCAA tournament since way back in the 1991 campaign. The Wolfpack program had been languishing for five years under the direction of alumnus Sidney Lowe, but this campaign has been a complete turnaround with first-year mentor Mark Gottfried. Many reading this analysis will remember Gottfried as an ESPN commentator the past two years, but he did amass 278 victories in earlier coaching stints with both Murray State and Alabama. In a short period of time Gottfried has changed both the attitude and psychological perception of a program that has EIGHT more victories than at this stage a year ago. It comes as no personal shock that favored Georgetown has been a popular choice with the betting community as they are part of a conference (Big East) that receives high television visibility and also had a grand total of 9 squads qualify for this year’s Big Dance. In the opening round Georgetown had four starters of 6’8” or taller and used that to their advantage against a “small” Belmont squad that relied heavily on guard play. But despite that opening round triumph it must be pointed out that Georgetown still has 6 different “first year” players on their roster. For the entire season to date North Carolina State is 10-2 ATS/ROAD when facing quality opponents with winning records. In the past three years North Carolina State in “neutral” site games such as this are a dazzling 14-4 ATS

 
Posted : March 18, 2012 9:11 am
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Craig Trapp

Creighton vs. North Carolina
Play: North Carolina -8.5

Wish Creighton wasn't playing an up tempo team as they could beat just about anyone else but this matchup is terrible for the Blue Jays. Henson will play and be difference maker guarding McDermot. Zoeller and Henson are too big and fast as they run the floor better than any other big men.

 
Posted : March 18, 2012 9:20 am
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Andrew Lange

Weber St at Loyola Marymount
Play: Over 144.5

Outside Big Sky play, Weber State was repeatedly exposed on the defensive end of the floor. Against St. Mary's, BYU and Cal, the Wildcats surrendered 87, 94 and 77 points. They also struggled on the road, allowed nearly 73 ppg. The end result was a season long average of 105.7 points per possessions allowed which is very similar to that of Cal State Fullerton (108.2) – a team Loyola Marymount hung 88 on in the first round of the CIT. LMU played its fair share of moderately tempo games but showed a willingness to run against San Francisco and BYU – two teams very similar to Weber State. Certainly a game both side would like to win, but I once against don't expect much intensity on the defensive end which will get us over the 145 mark.

 
Posted : March 18, 2012 9:21 am
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