Saturday's Best NCAAB Bets
Connecticut Huskies at Texas Longhorns (-7, 142.5)
The Kemba Walker show continues for UConn, as the diaper dandy is averaging 26.1 points per game to lead the Huskies’ offense. Walker was contained to just 19 points in his last outing, a 73-70 loss to Notre Dame.
It was his lowest output of the season since the first game of the year, but the more telling fact was that only two other Connecticut players scored in double figures. Alex Oriakhi is the only other player that averages double figures, so as UConn faces tougher teams which key in on stopping Kemba, they’re not going to win unless other are ready to step up.
With Texas, the points come from whoever’s willing to take a shot. Jordan Hamilton leads the team with a 19.6 average, but four players average in double figures and the squad has impressive sophomores Jai Lucas and J’Covan Brown coming off the bench.
The teams are fairly matched in terms of rebounding ability, but Texas does a good job stopping the 3-point shot and UConn is not particularly good at hitting them. Without that ability to make up a larger deficit, the home crowd and numerous weapons may be too much for the Huskies to pull out a road win.
Pick: Texas
St. John’s Red Storm at Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-6, 135)
St. John’s struggled to gel earlier in the season, but head coach Steve Lavin has appeared to right the ship in his first year with the Johnnies.
The squad has won five straight, with three of those victories coming against Big East rivals West Virginia, Providence and Georgetown.
St. John’s prides itself on getting “easy shots” – half-court penetration, fast break chances, lots of high-percentage shots.
Freshman Dwayne Polee II is averaging only 5.6 points per game, but his athleticism usually makes him one of the difference makers for Lavin’s crew.
Notre Dame is again a tough, physical team. It plays strong defense, owns the glass and hits the 3-pointer at a good percentage. Five players average in double figures for Notre Dame, led by Tim Abromaitis and Ben Hansbrough.
St. John’s will want to make this game low scoring and scrappy; true New York-style basketball. The Fighting Irish have no problem with playing that defensive style.
Pick: Under
What to watch: College Hoops Betting TV Guide
By Dave Carey
West Virginia Mountaineers at Georgetown Hoyas (-5.5, 143), 11 a.m. ET, ESPN2
Georgetown coach John Thompson III knows that on nights when his star guard Austin Freeman doesn’t have his shooting stroke, he needs to find other scoring options. In a 61-58 loss to St. John’s last week, forwards Julian Vaughn, Henry Sims and Nate Lubick combined for 20 points as the team committed 14 turnovers.
"We need Chris (Wright), Austin (Freeman) and Jason (Clark) to score points, that's not a secret," Thompson said. "Do we have to find other ways when they're not putting the ball in the basket? Yes. Do I feel confident that on nights like tonight we can do that? Yes."
This means that late in a game, Thompson could go to his bench to try to works some different combinations and open the door for a backdoor cover.
Austin Peay Governors at Murray State Racers (-4, 129), 12 p.m. ET, ESPNU
Racers coach Billy Kennedy has only one focus for his team going into this game against an Ohio Valley rival: defense. The team has been totally torched by dribble penetration and spent the early part of the week dedicating practices to shutting down lanes and keeping players in front of them.
“I thought we were much better defensively against Edwardsville,” Kennedy said. “We scored off our defense, and offensively, we’ve had more of a post presence and taken away some of the bad turnovers we had earlier in the year.”
The emphasis sure seemed to work – a surprisingly strong Tennessee Tech team shot just 38.3 percent from the floor in a 64-53 loss to the Racers on Thursday night.
Kansas State Wildcats at Oklahoma State Cowboys (-1, 136), 1 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Welcome back, Jacob Pullen. After sitting out a three-game suspension, the star guard and preseason Big 12 Player of the Year dropped 24 points on 9 for 11 shooting in a 92-61 win over Savannah State earlier in the week. The key now is to keep feeding him the ball as he can’t have any rust if the Wildcats are to pick up a key road win.
"He just kind of let things happen," KSU coach Frank Martin said. "He was trying to shoulder too much of the load (earlier this season). He kept the game simple (Monday night).”
As Pullen works his way back into the lineup, it could take more than just a great performance against a bottom feeder to regain his elite form.
Baylor Bears at Texas Tech Red Raiders (4.5, 147.5), 2 p.m. ET, ESPNU
The Red Raiders have found a secret weapon in redshirt freshman Jaye Crockett. The forward posted his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in a 79-60 win over Delaware State earlier this week.
His ability to crash the boards and eliminate second-chance opportunities has been key to the team reviving a defense that allows nearly 80 points per game, but has given up an average of just 58 the past four games.
“We’ve got to keep building on this game heading into the Big 12 on Saturday,” Senior Brad Reese said. “We have to keep doing the things we do well, have to defend, have to rebound and all the other aspects of the game to win Saturday. We have to keep getting better.”
Florida State Seminoles at Virginia Tech Hokies (-3.5, 127.5), 3 p.m. ET, ESPN2
The Hokies went from chic NCAA Tournament sleeper to train wreck in the season’s first few months. Forward Allan Chaney, who transferred from Florida, was expected to be a huge part of the team’s frontcourt, but is out indefinitely with a heart ailment.
Senior J.T. Thompson, the first player of the bench last year, will miss the entire season with a torn ACL. Forward Cadarian Raines, has missed nearly half the season with a nagging leg injury and guard Dorenzo Hudson also has been slow to recover from an offseason stress fracture in his right foot that has cut his scoring average nearly in half from last year. Good luck, Seth Greenberg.
"I expected this group to be a little more consistent, but this isn't the team in the summer that we planned on coaching," Greenberg said. "We've got to figure out now if there's no Cadarian, no J.T., my challenge is to figure out how to put (freshman) Jarell Eddie and whoever else that comes off the bench in position to contribute."
Utah State Aggies at Nevada Wolfpack (7, 135), 4 p.m. ET, ESPNU
Nevada has a tough problem. Coach David Carter loves going as many as 11 deep on his bench. However, it’s a case of quantity over quality. None of his reserves average more than 4.6 points per game and, in a disappointing loss to Fresno State earlier in the week, his bench was outscored 28-9.
The bench, however, did account for only three of the team’s 15 turnovers in the defeat.
“We didn't show any toughness down the stretch," Carter said. "We needed multiple stops. We just weren't tough enough. We just kind of stopped playing."
UTEP Miners at UAB Dragons (-5, 131), 4 p.m. ET, CBS College Sports
Miners coach Tim Floyd has a veteran team and that means he can run a lot of unique looks at opponents that they might not be used to. He did just that in a 69-59 win over Tulsa, mixing a physical man-to-man defense against an unusual triangle-and-two look that forced the Golden Hurricanes into one of their worst offensive nights of the season.
The team figures to have another unique game plan in place against the Dragons.
"We knew we needed to just keep fighting,” junior Gabriel McCulley said. “Just keep fighting and fighting and fighting."
Vanderbilt Commodores at South Carolina Gamecocks (5.5, 142), 5 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Bench depth is also a huge issue for the Commodores. Forward Andre Walker has missed four games and is doubtful for Saturday with an ankle injury.
Guard John Jenkins missed the win over Davidson with a concussion and his status also is unknown. Center Festus Ezeli also is nursing a sore knee that has cut into his minutes and left his contributions erratic at best.
As a result, former walk-ons Jordan Smart and forward Joe Duffy are seeing the most court time of their career. Duffy, a 6-foot-8 frontcourt player, is shooting better than 72 percent from the field.
"Those guys have added a great dimension to our team," Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings said. "And when they get put in, there's not a tremendous drop-off in the play and the effort level and energy level. And that's all you can ask for as a coach."
New Mexico Lobos at Wyoming Cowboys (9.5, 134.5), 6 p.m. ET, CBS College Sports
The Cowboys have a sneaky injury to keep an eye on. Senior forward Djibril Thiam has a bruised toe, which he made worse when he banged it in the Cowboys 73-60 loss at Colorado State earlier this week. Thiam hurt the toe last week in practice, but injured it again going up for a layup in the first half.
Thiam is expected to start, which is a huge factor as he is the team’s second-leading scorer (11.9 ppg) and leading rebounder (5.7 rpg). However, the injury did limit him as he had only five points and three boards in 31 minutes against the Rams.
“Going into league play we’re going to need those guys, but to think they’re going to be 100 percent healthy this year probably isn’t going to happen,” Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said.
Miami Hurricanes at Clemson Tigers (-3.5, 133.5), 6 p.m. ET, ESPNU
Reggie Johnson needs to stop reaching. The massive, 6-foot-10, 303-pounder had 22 points and nine rebounds in a recent loss to Duke and is averaging 12.7 points and 9.8 boards per game.
But Johnson is struggling just to stay on the floor. He has picked up at least four fouls in 10 of the team’s 15 games this year and getting cheap whistles in the Duke game forced him to the bench when the outcome was in doubt.
"Those are the fouls he doesn't need to get because he's going to get other fouls called on him, so he needs to not have a foul 35 feet away from the basket,'' Miami coach Frank Haith said. ''It's not a good play, and he knows that.''
St. John’s Red Storm at Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-6, 135), 8 p.m. ET, ESPNU
Carleton Scott’s hamstring is a huge issue for the Fighting Irish. The Notre Dame forward is averaging 11.0 points and 6.4 rebounds in more than 26 minutes per game this year, but suffered a partial hamstring tear against Syracuse last weekend.
He has been hobbled ever since and hoped to return this week, but didn’t see the court in a close win over UConn. Without Scott, the Irish are very thin and go only about seven deep in their rotation.
“The hamstring is kind of day-to-day,” Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said. “For us, we’re trying to prepare like, ‘How do we play?’”
Bucknell Bison at Navy Midshipmen (,) 8 p.m. ET, CBS College Sports
Being a freshman at Navy is like nowhere else in the country, that’s why it’s so surprising to see head coach Billy Lange rely on six plebes this much.
Through the team’s first 15 games, the first-year players combined to average about 14 minutes and 25 points. That’s just shy of the academy’s freshman record of 25.7 points per game posted by the 2005-2006 class. In the team’s most recent game, an 87-70 win over Longwood, freshman J.J. Avila scored 19 points.
"I expected the plebes were going to have to play just based on sheer numbers, but I must admit that I was not anticipating we would need to count on their production as much as we have," Lange said. "I think it's a combination of the fact injuries have necessitated they be out on the court and they are giving me confidence with their impressive play."
UConn and Texas top NCAA betting board
By: Willie Bee
Oh, how I miss my youth. Twenty-five years ago would've found me driving to the state capitol Saturday morning to catch the UConn, Texas matchup as well as other tasty offerings in the Austin area. Great restaurants. Great music. Other great things.
Thank God, Allah, Buddha, the Sun, the scientists who invented Viagra and several other deities on my checklist that I've got ESPN for the 12:30 p.m. PT tip-off from the Erwin Center.
It was just about 50 weeks ago when the Longhorns traveled to Storrs to meet the Huskies. Still technically the top-ranked team in the country, Texas was the two-point road favorite with its 17-1 record against 12-6 Connecticut who rolled to an 88-74 triumph.
The Longhorns were deflated coming into that game, having lost at Kansas State just five days earlier which came just hours after rising to the No. 1 ranking following a 17-0 start. The Huskies were playing their second game without head coach Jim Calhoun on the sidelines who was away on medical leave.
Jerome Dyson scored what turned out to be a career-high 32 in a UConn jersey, a career that is now over.
As it turned out, both UT and UConn fell apart from that point on. The Huskies dropped their next three and nine of their final 13 games on the regular season while the 'Horns would go 7-7 the rest of the way before bowing out of the NCAA Tournament with a first-round loss to Wake Forest.
Connecticut (11-2 straight up, 5-2 against the spread) enters this one a bit down, dropping two of its first three Big East games after a fast 10-0 start to the 2010-11 season. The Huskies were the talk of college hoops after storming through the Maui Invitational just before Thanksgiving with wins over Wichita State, Michigan State and Kentucky. But losses at Pitt and Notre Dame, plus a five-point win as 13-point favorites at home against South Florida, have tempered the early excitement.
The 73-70 loss at South Bend on Tuesday did cash at the window for UConn backers who were holding plus-four tickets. It was also the third consecutive 'over' to start Big East play. Notre Dame opened an eight-point halftime lead and held on, also holding Huskies leading scorer Kemba Walker to 19 points.
You know you're doing something right when a team gets credit for a 'hold' and you still score 19 as Walker did. But the junior guard was thwarted and out of his game all night, hitting just 8-of-23 from the field and failing to knock down any of his five three-point attempts. It marked just the second time this season Walker failed to reach the 20-point plateau, the other an 18-point effort against Stony Brook in UConn's season opener.
Texas (12-2 SU, 7-2 ATS) hits their home floor riding a six-game winning streak. The stretch includes a 78-76 triumph in Greensboro as a three-point underdog and a 67-55 win at Michigan State with the Spartans favored by 6½.
The Longhorns feasted on the Razorbacks a few days ago, taking down Arkansas by a 79-46 count as 10-point home chalk. Texas forced the Hogs into 23 turnovers and blocked eight shots. Jordan Hamilton led four 'Horns in double digits with 16, converting half of his eight long range heaves.
Rick Barnes has no doubt watched film of Notre Dame's winning effort against Walker and the Huskies. Taking the UConn star out of his game will fall squarely on the shoulders of Dogus Balbay and J'Covan Brown. Calhoun is left with finding a way to stop Hamilton, Texas' leading scorer at 19.6 per game, as well as forwards Tristan Thompson and Gary Johnson.
Both teams will return to conference action following this battle, Texas traveling to Lubbock to meet the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Tuesday, a game we will preview for you here at Don Best. UConn will be at home the same night to take on Rutgers.
Wildcats, Cowboys meet in Big 12 betting opener
By: Brad Young
Kansas State and Oklahoma State collide early Saturday in the Big XII Conference opener for both teams. The 17th-ranked Wildcats are one of five conference teams currently ranked in the Associated Press top-25 poll.
Kansas State (12-3 straight up, 3-6 against the spread) concluded its non-conference schedule by routing an overmatched Savannah State squad Monday in a ‘non-board’ affair, 92-61. That marked the Wildcats’ second straight matchup that was not on the board, and the fifth such game the previous 10 contests. Kansas State is 1-4 ATS during that period.
The Wildcats controlled the game throughout, easily winning the rebounding battle (45-27) and assists (22-8). Kansas State finished the matchup by shooting a solid 47 percent (31-of-66) from the field, and 50 percent (9-of-18) from 3-point land.
Guard Jacob Pullen returned from a three-game suspension to post 24 points on 9-of-11 shooting. Guard Rodney McGruder contributed 15 and six rebounds in the victory, while forward Wally Judge added 13 and 14.
The Wildcats have been winning their games this season on the boards, ranking fifth in the country in rebounds per game (42.5). Kansas State has seen the ‘under’ go 7-0-1 its previous eight road games, and the ‘under’ is 15-5-1 its last 21 outings overall.
Oklahoma State (12-2 SU, 6-2-1 ATS) rebounded from its loss to Gonzaga to dump Texas-San Antonio in a ‘non-board’ affair, 79-63. The Cowboys only led by five points heading into halftime, 38-33, before outscoring the Roadrunners in the second half, 41-30.
Oklahoma State finished the game with an advantage in rebounding (33-20), while shooting a blistering 61 percent (28-of-46) from the field. Six players reached double digits in scoring led by J.P. Olukemi’s 16 points, while Darrell Williams added 11 and nine rebounds.
The Cowboys are not near the top of any statistical category despite playing a relatively soft non-conference schedule. Coach Travis Ford’s team ranks 65th in the country in field-goal percentage (.464), 111th in rebounding (37), 136th in points per game (71.5) and 282nd in assists (11.4).
Kansas State and Oklahoma State split last year’s meetings SU and ATS. The Cowboys won in the regular season as a 9 ½-point road underdog, 73-69, while the combined 142 points went ‘under’ the 148-point closing total.
Kansas State extracted its revenge in the Big XII quarterfinals over Oklahoma State as 4 ½-point neutral-court ‘chalk,’ 83-64. The combined 147 points went ‘over’ the 144-point closing total.
Kansas State forward Curtis Kelly is expected to miss this matchup due to a shin injury. The Wildcats follow this contest with a two-game homestand against Colorado and Texas Tech.
Oklahoma State embarks on a two-game conference road trip against Texas A&M and Colorado after this contest. The Cowboys are 6-1-1 ATS the past outings overall, and 19-7-2 their previous 28 Saturday games.
ESPN2 will provide coverage of Saturday’s Big XII battle beginning at 10:00 a.m. PT from Oklahoma State’s Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater.
NCAA Betting Preview: St. John's at Notre Dame
By: Willie Bee
Go figure. The odds of 3-0 team in Big East conference play meeting a 2-1 rival at this stage of the campaign was a given before the season started. But for those two participants to be the 3-0 St. John's Red Storm and 2-1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish? C'mon, that would have been a sweet 20/1 lay at the least.
St. John's is on top of the world right now and still facing an incredible climb with a schedule that will include seven consecutive ranked schools culminating with a home date versus No. 1 Duke on Jan. 30. Four more Big East games follow after that against schools currently in one top 25 or the other.
Notre Dame's conference slate has already included a three-game run against ranked teams, and now the Irish face the league-leading Johnnies in a home-&-home in an eight-day span.
St. John's (10-3 straight up, 5-6 against the spread) fast start has been a mild surprise to even first-year coach Steve Lavin. The former UCLA coach was brought in this past March to replace Norm Roberts following the team's 17-16 season that ended with a first-round loss in the NIT to Memphis, and compared the Red Storm's upcoming schedule to "climbing Mount Everest" in a recent ESPN interview.
The Johnnies have good foothold to make that climb with wins at West Virginia and Providence to open conference play. Their streak climbed to five on Monday with a 61-58 victory at home over No. 13 Georgetown as two-point home pups. That win stopped a 14-game losing skid against ranked opponents and gave Red Storm backers their fourth consecutive cover at the college basketball betting window.
St. John's built a six-point halftime lead, in part by Dwight Hardy's perfect 6-for-6 shooting from the charity stripe during the first 20 minutes of action. Justin Brownlee's put-back with seven seconds left in the game snuffed the Hoyas' rally effort, and Hardy iced the final with two more free throws, giving him a 10-for-10 night from the line and game-high 20 points.
Notre Dame (13-2 SU, 6-5 ATS) opened its Big East schedule with an easy 69-55 home win on Dec. 29 over the same Hoyas who were 1½-point favorites. The Irish outscored Georgetown 22-5 from the free throw line and the Hoyas managed to convert just 4-of-22 three-point attempts.
That win was followed by a lackluster showing at Syracuse on New Year's Day, a 70-58 loss as eight-point underdogs. Notre Dame followed that up with a 73-70 win this past Tuesday over UConn, failing to cover as four-point home chalk. The Irish were able to frustrate Huskies star Kemba Walker who failed to reach the 20-point plateau for just the second time this campaign on an 8-for-23 night from the field.
The two schools last met on Valentine's Day last season here in South Bend. Favored by five and playing without their big man Luke Harangody, the Fighting Irish fell to St. John's, 69-68. Hardy came off the Red Storm bench to lead the team with 16 points, making good on five of the seven shots he took behind the arc.
Senior forward Carleton Scott, Notre Dame's third-leading scorer, is out indefinitely with a hamstring injury. The Red Storm are not reporting any significant injuries for Saturday's matchup.
ESPNU has the broadcast starting at 5 p.m. PT. St. John's will head back to the Big Apple following this one for a big battle with Syracuse next Wednesday. Notre Dame will be on the road next week with a Monday date at Marquette and Sunday meeting with the Red Storm in New York.
Saturday's Slate
By Brian Edwards
Gamblers are in paradise Saturday with college hoops galore, in addition to the NFL Playoffs. Let’s take a look at a few televised tilts on the college basketball card, including heavyweight battles like UConn at Texas, Kentucky at Georgia and St. John’s at Notre Dame.
Connecticut at Texas
Texas (12-2 straight up, 7-2 against the spread) has won six consecutive games and taken the cash in its last three lined contests. The Longhorns are coming off a 79-46 win over Arkansas as 10-point home favorites. Tristan Thompson led the way for the winners, finishing with 14 points, seven rebounds, three steals and a pair of blocked shots. Jordan Hamilton had a team-high 16 points, while Jai Lucas came off the bench to score 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field.
Rick Barnes’ team has three wins over teams with an RPI of 35 or better. Those victims include Michigan St., Illinois and North Carolina. Best of all, all three of those victories came away from home. Texas’ two losses came at USC (73-56) and versus Pitt on a neutral court (68-66).
Did UConn (11-2 SU, 5-2 ATS) peak too soon? The Huskies won the Maui Classic in November with wins over Wichita St. (83-79), Michigan St. (70-67) and Kentucky (84-67). Jim Calhoun’s team won its first 10 games and also started 4-0 ATS, but it has lost two of its first three Big East games. UConn lost at Pitt and at Notre Dame and needed overtime to beat USF at home in a non-cover.
UConn is led by junior guard Kemba Walker, who leads the nation in scoring with a 26.1 points-per-game average. Walker, who went to Rice High School in the Bronx, also averages 5.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. He’s shooting 47.3 percent from the field and 35.9 percent from 3-point range, both of which are career-highs.
Texas lost outright in its only previous game as a single-digit favorite (minus five at USC). The ‘Horns are unbeaten in nine home outings, going 3-1 ATS.
UConn owns a 3-1 spread record in four games as an underdog, winning outright twice.
These schools squared off in Storrs last year with UConn capturing an 88-74 win as a 1 ½-point home underdog. Walker produced 19 points, 10 assists and six steals, but he was guilty of committing eight turnovers.
The ‘over’ is 5-2 overall for UConn, cashing in each of its last three games. On the other hand, the ‘under’ is on a 5-1 run for Texas, cashing in both of its home games that had a posted total.
The Wynn opened the Longhorns as 6 ½-point favorites, but most spots had the number up to 7 1/2 as of early Friday evening.
ESPN will have the telecast at 3:30 p.m. Eastern.
St. John’s at Notre Dame
The Wynn opened Notre Dame (13-2 SU, 5-5 ATS) as a six-point favorite. Most books were still using six as of early Friday evening, while the total was marked at 135. Look for the Red Storm to be around plus-190 on the money line (risk $100 to win $190).
St. John’s (10-3 SU, 6-6 ATS) has won five in a row since dropping back-to-back games (vs. St. Bonaventure and at Fordham) by four combined points. The Red Storm has covered the number in its last four outings.
Steve Lavin’s squad has surged out to a 3-0 record in Big East play, winning at West Va. (81-78), at Providence (67-65) and vs. Georgetown (61-58). The Johnnies knocked off the Hoyas on Monday as two-point home underdogs. Dwight Hardy scored a game-high 20 points for the winners, while Justin Brownlee added 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
Notre Dame has won all 10 of its home games at the Joyce Center, but it has only cashed tickets at a 2-3 ATS clip. The Irish failed to hook up their backers in Tuesday’s 73-70 win over UConn as four-point home favorites. Ben Hansbrough paced ND with 21 points, five rebounds and four assists, while Tim Abromaitis finished with 19 points and seven boards.
Mike Brey’s team has quality wins galore over the likes of Georgia, California, Wisconsin, Gonzaga, Georgetown and UConn. The Irish’s losses have come against Kentucky (in Louisville) and at Syracuse.
Notre Dame owns a 2-2 spread record in four games as a single-digit favorite.
Totals have been an overall wash (5-5) for the Irish, but they have seen the ‘over’ go 4-1 in their home assignments. Likewise, totals have broken even (6-6) for the Johnnies, although they have seen the ‘under’ cash at a 6-3 clip in their last nine games with a total.
The ‘under’ has cashed in five consecutive head-to-head meetings between these Big East rivals. St. John’s has taken the cash in five of the last six encounters.
Tip-off is slated for ESPNU at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets
Georgia will host Kentucky at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens at 4:00 p.m. Eastern on The SEC Network. Most books, as of Friday evening, were listing the ‘Cats as 5 ½-point favorites.
John Calipari’s team got bad news Friday when center Enes Kanter was ruled ineligible by the NCAA for a second time.
The action will get started at 11:00 a.m. Eastern on Saturday when West Va. comes into Washington D.C. to take on Georgetown. Most spots are listing the Hoyas as six-point home favorites.
Michigan is set to face Kansas on Sunday afternoon in Ann Arbor. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Eastern on CBS.
Michigan legend Rumeal Robinson was sentenced to 6 ½ years in prison Friday after being convicted of 11 financial fraud charges in September. Robinson hit two of the most clutch free throws in NCAA Tournament history to propel the Wolverines to an overtime win over Seton Hall in the finals of the 1989 NCAA Tourney. With Michigan trailing by one in the final seconds of the extra session, Robinson tried to penetrate into the lane against the Pirates when veteran official John Clougherty whistled Gerald Greene for a shaky blocking call with three ticks remaining. Robinson proceeded to drain both attempts from the charity stripe to give the Wolverines the national title at the Kingdome in Seattle.
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College Basketball Knowledge
West Virginia won last three games vs Georgetown, nipping Hoyas in Big East title game last March; teams split last four meetings here. West Virginia/Georgetown are both 1-2 in league, so loser here is off to a very bad start. WVU is 0-1 as a dog. Georgetown is 7-5 as a favorite, but 0-3 in Big East play. Big East home favorites of 8 or less points are 4-2.
Syracuse won last four games vs Seton Hall by 12-24-15-7 points; they won last two meetings here 85-73/80-73. Shorthanded Pirates got down 24-2 to Louisville in last game, lost by 19, their 4th loss in last five tilts. Seton Hall is 0-4 vs spread as an underdog. Orange is 15-0, but this is their first true road game- they're 4-7 as a favorite this season.
North Carolina won six of last seven games vs Virginia, winning its last two visits here, 75-74/83-61; Tar Heels play #9 pace, Virginia #339, so this is battle of tempo. UNC is shooting just 63% from foul line- they're 3-3 away from home, 4-5 vs spread when favored. Cavaliers are 10-5 so far, and have already won games as underdogs of 8 and 13 points.
Kansas State had lost seven of last eight to Oklahoma State before 83-64 win over Cowboys in Big 12 tourney LY; Wildcats lost last three trips to Stillwater, by 20-14-6 points. Cowboys are 12-2- they were held to 51-56 points in their losses, by 5 to Virginia Tech on neutral court, by 21 at Gonzaga. K-State is still without F Kelly (suspended).
Missouri won its last eight games vs Colorado, winning last four visits here by 14-4-13-18 points; Tigers are 14-1, winning only true road game by 3 at Oregon (led by 20 at half)- they're 3-1 on neutral floors, losing in OT to Georgetown, beating Illinois. PG Pressey is out (finger). Colorado lost by 13 to New Mexico in its only game against a top 50 opponent.
Tennessee is playing without coach Pearl (suspension, first of 8 games he will miss); Vols won four of last five games vs Arkansas, winning last two games by 2-7 points. Tennessee won by 7 at Pitt, lost at Charlotte by 1 in its true road games. Arkansas lost by 33 to Texas in last game- they're 0-3 vs top 65 teams, with two of the three losses in OT.
Pittsburgh won last three games vs Marquette by 7-15-7 points; home side is 5-2 in last seven series games. Eagles lost two of last three in this city, losing by 6-15 points. Pitt scored 80.5 ppg in winning its first two Big East games, by 15-4 points- they're 4-6 as a favorite. Marquette is 2-0 in Big East- they covered both their games as an underdog.
Arizona State lost four of last five games with Cal, losing by 8-16 LY, in series where road team won seven of last 10 games; Cal is 6-1 in its last seven visits here. ASU lost 55-41 in Pac-10 home opener, making 1-14 beyond arc, as they struggled without injured PG McMillan. Cal lost by hoop at Arizona Thursday, its fifth loss in last seven games.
Texas lost 88-74 at UConn LY; Longhorns are 3-2 vs top 45 teams, with wins by 6ot-2-12 points- they're 3-2 as a favorite. UConn lost both true road games, by 15 at Pitt, by 3 at Notre Dame. Star G Walker has a stiff back, was just 8-23 last game. Big East single digit road dogs are 12-6 vs spread. Big 12 single digit home favorites are 10-8 vs spread.
Kentucky is 11-3 in last 14 games vs Georgia, winning five of last six in this gym, with wins by 21-14-5-23-12 points. Wildcats won last seven games, are 2-1 in true road games, winning by 31 at Portland, by 15 at Louisville, with a 2-point loss at North Carolina. Dawgs are 11-2, with losses by 6 to Notre Dame, 7 to Temple, two best teams they played.
Arizona won its last three games vs Stanford by 14-8-2 points; Wildcat star Williams had 31 in 73-71 win over Cal Thursday, but no one else on squad had more than 10- not good. Cardinal won its first two games in Pac-10 by 14 points each- their losses are by 3-12-33-11 pts. Pacific-10 home favorites of 5+ points are 1-3 against the spread.
Home side won five of last six St John's-Notre Dame games; Red Storm won here 69-68 LY, after losing its previous three visits here by 1-13-39 points. Irish won five of last six games, with three wins vs top 40 teams. ND failed to cover its last three games as a favorite. St John's is 3-0 in Big East, with wins at West Va/Providence; they're 2-1 as an underdog.
Florida won seven of last eight games vs Ole Miss, winning last three in this gym by 37-9-10 points; Gators won six of last seven games, beating Xavier/URI last two times out- they're 1-6 vs spread when favored this season. Rebels won nine of last ten games- they lost by 13 at Miami in only games they've been an underdog so far this season.