NCAAB News and Notes Saturday 2/20

Early-Action Tip Sheet
By Brian Edwards

Gamblers get to start early Saturday with the college hoops action tipping off at 11:00 a.m. Eastern with the premier BracketBuster matchup between Siena at Butler. Just an hour later, Ole Miss and Florida will square off in a crucial bubble game for both SEC schools.

Let’s get you ready for your early-afternoon wagers!

**Siena at Butler**

Las Vegas Sports Consultants opened Butler (24-4 straight up, 11-17 against the spread) as an eight-point favorite.

Siena (22-5 SU, 14-10-1 ATS) bounced back from last Friday’s 87-74 loss at Niagara by trouncing Canisius 75-57 Sunday as an eight-point road ‘chalk.’ Alex Franklin exploded for 26 points and seven rebounds, while Ryan Rossiter had a double-double with 15 points and 17 rebounds.

Brad Stevens’ team has won 16 in a row and hasn’t tasted defeat since a Dec. 22 loss at UAB. The Bulldogs are mired in a 2-5 ATS slump, but they are 5-4 ATS in nine games as single-digit favorites this year.

Butler is coming off of Wednesday’s 73-55 home win over Illinois-Chicago, but it failed to hook up its backers as a 22 ½-point favorite. Matt Howard led four double-figure scorers with 17 points.

Frank McCaffery’s team has won a first-round game in the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons, beating Vanderbilt two years ago and Ohio St. last season. The Saints, who have an RPI of 32, will almost certainly be in line for an at-large invite with a win at Butler in this spot.

Siena has been an underdog three times this season, going 0-3 SU and 1-2 ATS. The Saints have lost at Northern Iowa (82-65), at Ga. Tech (74-61) and at Temple (73-69). They covered the number against the Owls as 4 ½-point road underdogs.

Butler, with its RPI of 20, is 5-4 against teams in the RPI’s Top 100. The Bulldogs’ four losses have come against Minnesota, Clemson and Georgetown on neutral courts, in addition to the aforementioned defeat at UAB.

The ‘over’ is 14-12 overall for Butler, 6-5 in its home games. Meanwhile, Siena has seen the ‘under’ go 12-8-1 overall.

ESPN2 will have the telecast at 11:00 a.m. Eastern.

**Florida at Ole Miss**

LVSC opened Ole Miss (17-8 SU, 12-8-1 ATS) as a five-point favorite.

Florida (18-8 SU, 11-10 ATS) collected an absolutely mandatory victory Thursday night at the O-Dome, taking out Auburn by a 78-70 count. However, the Tigers took the money as nine-point road underdogs. Junior forward Chandler Parsons produced another stellar performance, tallying 17 points, six rebounds and four assists. Ervin Walker went 0-for-6 from the field, but he made 14-of-16 free throws and had a 6-to-1 assists-to-turnovers ratio.

Ole Miss has lost four of its last five games, compiling a 1-3-1 spread record. The Rebels suffered a costly loss Thursday night at home vs. Vanderbilt. The Commodores went into Tad Smith Coliseum and captured an 82-78 win as three-point road underdogs. In the losing effort, Rebels’ junior guard Chris Warren bounced back from a 1-for-9 shooting performance in last weekend’s loss at Mississippi St. to score a team-high 23 points on 7-of-13 attempts from the field.

With Thursday’s win over Auburn, UF’s RPI improved a bit to No. 57. Meanwhile, Ole Miss saw its RPI fall to 54. The Gators are 7-4 in SEC play and in a third-place with Tennessee in the SEC East. The Rebels are 5-6 in the SEC, leaving them in third place in the SEC West, one game back of second-place Mississippi St. and two games behind division-leading Arkansas.

Andy Kennedy’s team has won 10 of its 13 games at the Tad Pad in Oxford, but the Rebels are just 3-5-1 ATS at home. They are 1-2-1 ATS in four home games as single-digit favorites.

Billy Donovan’s team is 2-3 SU and 3-2 ATS as a road underdog this year. The Gators have won outright as road ‘dogs at Alabama and at Arkansas.

The ‘over’ is 11-9-1 overall for Ole Miss, 5-3-1 in its home games.

The ‘under’ is 10-7 overall for UF.

The ‘over’ is 5-2 in the last seven head-to-head encounters between these SEC adversaries. UF has taken the cash in six of the last eight meetings.
When these teams met in Gainesville last season, UF won a 78-68 decision but a banged-up Ole Miss team covered the number as a 13 ½-point underdog. In the last meeting in Oxford two seasons ago, the Rebels won 89-87 but the Gators covered as six-point underdogs.

CBS will provide regional coverage at noon Eastern.

**Seton Hall at West Virginia**

LVSC opened West Virginia (20-5 SU, 10-14 ATS) as an 11 ½-point favorite.

Seton Hall (15-9 SU, 6-12 ATS) has won three straight games, including Wednesday’s 59-50 win at St. John’s as a one-point road favorite. Jeff Robinson led the Pirates with 16 points, nine rebounds and a pair of blocked shots.

The Hall’s win over the Red Storm was even more impressive when considering that the Big East’s second-leading scorer, Jeremy Hazell, left the game with 8:21 remaining in the first half and did not return. Hazell, who averages 21.9 points per game, suffered a deep cut between his middle finger and index finger on his shooting hand, leaving him “doubtful” to play in Morgantown. Although Hazell’s scoring production can’t be questioned, his shot selection is often mediocre, as evidenced by his 43.8 shooting percentage from the field. His inability (or lack of desire) to distribute the ball is also in doubt, as you can see by his 1.5 assists-per-game average. In his freshman and sophomore campaigns, Hazell averaged less that one assist per contest. My point? Don’t be shocked if the Pirates play more together – and perhaps more effective – in Hazell’s assumed absence.

West Va. has won 10 of 12 home games but is just 4-7 versus the number in Morgantown.

Bob Huggins’ team snapped a two-game losing streak (vs. ‘Nova and at Pitt in triple OT) by beating Providence 88-74 Wednesday as a 7 ½-point road favorite. Devin Ebanks led the Mountaineers with 21 points and seven rebounds, while Wellington Smith added 16 points and 10 boards.

Seton Hall is 3-5 ATS in eight underdog spots this year. The Pirates have been double-digit underdogs just once, losing 81-71 at Villanova but taking the cash as 10 ½-point puppies.

The ‘over’ is 12-10 overall for WVU, but the ‘under’ is 5-4 in its home outings. The ‘Neers have seen the ‘over’ cash in four consecutive contests (three on the road, one at home).

WVU has won five in a row over Seton Hall, posting a 4-1 spread record. When these schools met at the Prudential Center in New Jersey back on Dec. 26, West Va. won 90-84 in overtime as a four-point road ‘chalk.’ Ebanks was the catalyst for the ‘Neers, tallying 22 points, 17 rebounds and seven assists. Hazell had 41 points for the Hall in the losing effort.

ESPN will provide television coverage at noon Eastern.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

According to Joe Lunardi’s bracket projections on ESPN.com after Thursday’s results, the “last four teams in” the tournament field are Florida, Oklahoma St., Marquette and Saint Mary’s. The “first four out” included Mississippi St., Charlotte, South Florida and Cincinnati. Ole Miss was in the “next four out” along with San Diego St., Wichita St. and UConn.

LVSC opened Washington as a 10 ½-point favorite for Saturday’s prime-time telecast against UCLA on ESPN at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. The Huskies suffered a costly home loss to USC on Thursday night, as the Trojans won outright as nine-point underdogs.

Speaking of USC, it now owns a lucrative 8-1 spread record in nine underdog situations. The Trojans play Saturday at Washington St. in what LVSC opened as a pick ‘em affair.

North Carolina’s Tyler Zeller is expected to return to the lineup when UNC faces Boston College in Chesnut Hill at noon Eastern on Saturday. CBS will have regional television coverage. Zeller, who is the Tar Heels’ third-leading scorer with a 9.6 points-per-game average, has missed 10 consecutive games with a broken bone in his foot.

According to a tweet from Kyle Veazey of the Jackson Clarion-Ledger, Mississippi State guard Ravern Johnson will return to the lineup Saturday at LSU. Johnson, who was suspended from Tuesday’s overtime loss to Kentucky, is the Bulldogs’ leading scorer, averaging 13.7 PPG.

vegasinsider.com

Road Traps Abound
By Chris David

Saturday’s college basketball slate features a ton of games on tap and even though the BracketBuster showdowns between the mid-major schools will get some publicity, the must-see matchups are in the big conferences. With Selection Sunday less than four weeks away, the committee continues to handicap the field of 65 for the NCAA Tournament. One big factor that is often weighed heavily with the group is road victories. Even if they’re ugly, wins outside of your own building go a long way.

This evening, five quality clubs face tough tests on the road and it’s more than likely that a couple will come up short. Who you ask? We’ll take a closer look and try to find out.

Let’s break ‘em down!

Kentucky at Vanderbilt

The only Top 25 showdown on Saturday happens in the SEC and it’s a good one, with No. 2 Kentucky heading to Nashville for a battle against No. 17 Vanderbilt. This series has been all about the home team lately, with the host winning and covering six straight and that last four haven’t been close, all decided by 10 or more. Kentucky ran past Vanderbilt 85-72 on Jan. 30 as an 8 ½-point home favorite in a game that was all but over at halftime (49-34). This victory for the Wildcats came right after John Calipari’s team lost its first game of the season to South Carolina (62-68).

Despite losing to the Gamecocks on the road, Kentucky still owns an 8-1 SU and 5-4 ATS record in contests outside of Lexington. SEC Guru and VegasInsider.com expert Brian Edwards is high on the ‘Cats but he wouldn’t be surprised to see the Blue and White faithful lose again before the Big Dance.

"I think Kentucky has as much talent as any team in the nation, but I sense a hiccup coming soon and this will probably be it. The Wildcats dodged a bullet (and a few objects from the stands) in Starkville the other night, rallying from a seven-point deficit in the final 2 ½ minutes. But Vanderbilt has a better overall team than Mississippi St., and let’s not forget that Bulldogs’ guard Ravern Johnson was suspended for the UK game,” explained Edwards.

“Now one slight edge for the ‘Cats in this spot is that they played on Tuesday night, while the Commodores won a hard-fought contest Thursday at Ole Miss. So UK has had more time to rest and prep for Vandy. However, I think the homecourt advantage and deadly 3-point shooting will be the catalysts for the Commodores coming out on top.”

At home this season, Vanderbilt has gone 13-0 SU and 6-6 ATS from Memorial Gym.

Kansas State at Oklahoma

Since Frank Martin’s team lost to Kansas (79-81) in overtime on Jan. 30, the Wildcats have been tough to figure out. They’ve gone 4-0 in the last four but two victories were by double digits and the other two by exactly four points. What team shows up in Norman?

As expected, the Sooners are down this year and lately they’ve been bad. Oklahoma is mired in a 2-6 stretch, both SU and ATS. Both victories came at home and one was against Texas (80-71), who’s been slumping lately too.

K-State has gone 8-2 in road and neutral games this year and it has helped gamblers to a 5-4-1 ATS mark too. Total players should make a note that the ‘over’ has gone 8-2 over this stretch.

Missouri at Nebraska

The Tigers face a big let-down spot on Saturday when they meet the Cornhuskers in Lincoln. Missouri is fresh of an 82-77 home victory over No. 15 Texas on Wednesday. The win all but assured Mike Anderson and his team a spot in the NCAA Tournament, yet they can still improve their seeding. A road loss would hurt and the Tigers have been suspect (2-5 SU, 3-3 ATS) outside of Columbia this season.

Nebraska has gone 11-4 SU at home this year but make a note that eight of those victories came against cupcakes in non-lined games. In Big 12 play, the Cornhuskers have gone 1-4 and the lone win came against Oklahoma (63-46) a couple weeks ago. The ‘under’ has gone 4-1 in conference home games. The current form for Nebraska hasn’t been good either, with the team going 1-9 SU and 4-5-1 ATS in the last 10.

The head-to-head trends favor the Huskers here, with the home team winning and covering the last four meetings. Missouri stopped Nebraska 70-53 on Jan. 23 as a 13-point favorite and the combined 123 points watched the ‘under’ cash for the fourth straight encounter between the two schools.

BYU at Wyoming

The Cougars snapped a two-game road losing skid on Wednesday by blasting Colorado State 92-70 as a nine-point favorite. BYU was coming off road setbacks against New Mexico (72-76) and UNLV (74-88), two of the better teams in the Mountain West Conference. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about Saturday’s opponent, Wyoming.

An upset in this spot seems unlikely, especially if you look at the past history. BYU has won 10 consecutive (6-3-1 ATS) encounters against Wyoming and four of them came in Laramie, the last two by double digits. The pair met in Provo on Jan. 20 and BYU easily handled Wyoming 81-66 but failed to cover as a 23-point favorite. The game slipped ‘under’ the closing total of 155 and total players should make a note that the last five in this series has gone ‘under’ the number.

Being an underdog isn’t something new for the Cowboys and they haven’t been that great either. The school has gone 2-12 SU and 7-7 ATS in their 14 spots this year. However, the two outright wins did come at home, versus Utah (75-69) and San Diego State (85-83). Wyoming has gone 8-8 SU at home this season.

Gonzaga at Pepperdine

After posting back-to-back double-digit victories at home, No. 13 Gonzaga was stunned on Thursday in a road loss to Loyola Marymount, 74-66. The Lions were listed as 11-point home underdogs and some money-line players had a chance to cash big (+600) with the outright victory. Despite the loss for the Bulldogs, they still sit atop the West Coast Conference but they’ll need to win out if they desire a high seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Will Gonzaga bounce back two days later after the loss? Another outright loss would be very surprising, considering the Bulldogs have won 17 in a row over the Waves, and eight of those were on the road. What’s more impressive, the Zags have gone 13-3-1 ATS during this stretch.

On Jan. 21, Gonzaga beat Pepperdine 91-84 at home but didn’t come close to covering as a 23 ½-point favorite. Even though that effort should give the Waves confidence, they enter this battle with eight straight losses (1-6-1 ATS). Three of those came at home and they were by an average of 20 PPG.

vegasinsider.com

BracketBuster Breakdown
By Keith Fredrick

The BracketBuster, originally a bright ESPN idea to bring some of the best "mid major" college basketball teams together on one day and televise all (12 to 14 in original plans) the games, has now grown into a two-day event, which was even moved to three days a couple of years back before the folks at "the mothership" somewhat came to their senses.

What was meant as a showcase for the best of the mid majors has now turned into a free for all, as nearly every team in the category is playing this weekend, which to me lessens the impact of the event, and certainly makes it lose much of its luster. I mean, really, do we need to know what is going to happen when Elon travels to Gardner-Webb, or Presbyterian visits Jacksonville State? Do not forget about the titanic tussle between Southern Illinois-Edwardsville at Cal-Fullerton, or my personal (sic) "favorite" ­ Marist at Cal-Irvine. I am sure Marist would rather save the travel money than fly out to the West Coast to get blitzed (my projections call for a 14 point Irvine win) by Irvine. I love college hoops, but so many of these games are "What is the point" type of contests, and as I said above this event would really be an "event" again if it were pared down.

Thankfully, there are good games as well, although not nearly as many as in the past, and even some of the potential marquee games have been hurt by injuries and/or suspension. I will present the top five games from this view (in order of tip off time), with point-spread opinions included when I have a definite side opinion on the game as I write this.

Siena at Butler

Both of these teams are capable of playing on the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament, and to me this is the marquee game of the event, worth waking up for with the (weird) 11am start on the East Coast (I will be up at 8am to watch it here in Vegas.) Siena beat Northern Iowa in this event last year and is 3-1 SU in it the last four seasons. That record is even more impressive when noting that three of the four games were on the road, and the lone loss was in overtime.

This will be the last meaningful game for the Saints until the MEAC Tournament, and I do look for an excellent effort, especially since they have had the entire week to get ready while Butler (1-3 in BB, lost both at home) played a league game on Wednesday. Butler should be about a six point favorite here, and as long as it is +4 or more I will definitely be taking the underdog in this one.

Louisiana Tech at Northeastern

This sets up VERY nicely for Northeastern as La Tech off a nationally televised road game against conference leader Utah State and now have to travel to the other side of the country to play Matt Janning and Northeastern. In that last game La Tech was in it until the very end, so it was both a physically and emotionally demanding game Northeastern is 3-1 in the BB, with two impressive home wins, and I look for more of the same in this one. I will be on Northeastern provided they are laying seven or less.

Akron at Virginia Commonwealth

Akron an interesting team. They struggled in the non conference slate, going 4-3 to start the season and being just two baskets away from being 2-5 in those first seven games. However, they have going 16-4 in their last 20 contests and come into this one winners of six in a row. VCU presents a challenge, as they are 13-1 SU at home this season and have a potential star in 6-11 Larry Sanders, who should have no peer on this court today. It is also interesting that this game is a "Bracket Buster Rematch" as VCU went into Akron two years ago and won 57-52 and also won the contractually guaranteed comeback game by a 73-69 tally last season. Interested to see where this line actually comes out - my projections are for VCU to be favored by six. Lean is with the home team barring a massive number.

Wichita State at Utah State

Utah State played poorly for 30 minutes on Wednesday night against Louisiana Tech and still got the win, as the crowd at the Smith Spectrum was unbelievably loud for the ESPN2 cameras. It figures to be loud and crazy here again on national TV against a well respected opponent. Shockers are not used to starting a game at (their body clock) 11pm and playing into the early morning hours, while this 9pm local time start is old hat for USU. Not surprisingly, the home team is 4-0 SU in Utah State Bracket Buster games the last four seasons (Aggies 2-2), but somewhat surprisingly since it was Missouri Valley team this event was created for, Wichita State is jus 1-3 SU in their last four Bracket Buster games. The above "handicap" of the game certainly points to home team, but with a projected line of -8 it does not look like I will be real heavily involved with this one; put me down for a small lean with Utah State.

Those are the biggest games of Bracket Buster Saturday, but there are others of interest. I will note each and give a quick note regarding the game, whether that note is general or specific to the point-spread:

Oral Roberts at Austin Peay-

I actually have ORU as the better team here, yet the consensus is that Austin Peay will be laying points. If that is the case you can certainly mark me down for a play on the underdog. Drexel at Bradley- Another case of the road team being more talented but likely coming a dog, and if that is the case I will be on the Dragon's back for this contest.

Toledo at Cleveland State

Either way, it is a stark contrast to the 20-8 record they brought into the Bracket Buster last season when they lost to Wichita State in a game Coach Gary Waters knew would be trouble, as before the contest he called it a "no win situation" for his team. That is NOT the case this time around, as the Vikings cannot let an opportunity for a win slip by, as teams are only eligible for the post season if they have a better than .500 record. Toledo was not very good when they had their full roster, and now attrition and suspensions have robbed them of even more talent. This is going to be a big number, but lay it!

Cal-Poly at Hawaii and Fresno State at Cal-Santa Barbara

While this season Fresno and UCSB are better than their counterparts that will meet on the islands, in general all four schools fight for the same kids in recruiting. The two winners here will have a leg up, and the coaches know it, so expect good efforts from all four teams.

College Hoops Betting TV Guide
By RYAN COLAIANNI

Siena Saints at No. 18 Butler Bulldogs (11 a.m. ET, ESPN2)

Butler may have won a school-record 16 straight games and stands at 17-0 in the Horizon League, but it is doing so without much support from its bench. Coming into Wednesday’s win over Illinois-Chicago, Butler’s bench was playing just under 24 percent of the team’s minutes. While Butler may not need its bench in conference play, the reserves will be important if it hopes to make a significant run in the NCAA Tournament.

North Carolina Tar Heels at Boston College Eagles (12 p.m. ET, CBS)

High-scoring offense was once a staple of Roy Williams’ teams. However, this year North Carolina has seen its offense sputter and struggle to get into any offensive rhythm. In two of the last three games, North Carolina has scored in the 50s - scoring 51 points in a loss to Georgia Tech and 54 points in a loss to Duke, pushing the Tar Heels further away from the NCAA Tournament.

Seton Hall Pirates at No. 8 West Virginia Mountaineers (12 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Following a two-game losing streak, West Virginia went on the road and got an important win over Providence Wednesday. Its two losses were nothing to be embarrassed about - losing to Villanova and in triple overtime to Pittsburgh. But those games did take a toll on the team’s psyche.

"It's not just the losing streaks. It's losing at all. Those kinds of things can ruin your season,” forward Da'Sean Butler told the Charleston Gazette.

No. 15 Texas Longhorns at Texas Tech Red Raiders (2 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Since being ranked No. 1 in the nation a few short weeks ago, Texas has gone into a tailspin, losing six of nine and falling to 20-6 overall and 6-5 in the Big 12 conference. Texas is looking like an inexperienced an undisciplined team. In Wednesday’s loss to Missouri, the Horns had 18 turnovers and just 11 assists.

Louisville Cardinals at DePaul Blue Demons (2 p.m. ET, ESPNU)

Two overtimes and 36 points later, Louisville’s Samardo Samuels finally got the win over Notre Dame Wednesday. The 6-foot-9 forward dominated the paint against Notre Dame, partially because Irish star forward Luke Harangody was out for his second straight game. Samuels was efficient, going 10-of-19 from the field and muscled his way to the free throw line 19 times.

Air Force Falcons at No. 12 New Mexico Lobos (3:30 p.m. ET, MTN)

Those who think that New Mexico is overrated should take a look at what it has done over the course of the last month and a half. The Lobos have won 10 straight and sit a half game better than 16th-ranked BYU in the Mountain West Conference.

"I think they are playing as good as anyone in the country, I really do," Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer told the Albuquerque Journal after losing to New Mexico Wednesday.

Illinois Fighting Illini at No. 4 Purdue Boilermakers (4 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Purdue doesn’t play with the flash of Kansas or Kentucky, but has quietly become a serious national championship contender. It has beaten four teams that were ranked in the Top 10 and is 10-3 in the Big Ten - a half a game behind Michigan State for first place. The Boilermakers got a win at No. 9 Ohio State Wednesday, which adds another impressive win to their resume.

No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats at No. 17 Vanderbilt Commodores (6 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Earlier in the season, when Kentucky faced adversity on the road, it crumbled, falling late to South Carolina. On Tuesday night, placed in a similar situation at Mississippi State, Kentucky responded with an overtime win.

"Every game we play we grow up a little bit more," freshman DeMarcus Cousins told the Lexington Herald-Leader. "We mature more as a team and individuals."

No. 7 Kansas State Wildcats at Oklahoma Sooners (6 p.m. ET, ESPNU)

Throughout much of the season, Kansas State forward Dominique Sutton has focused his offensive game around the basket, either dunking or taking short jumpers. But Wednesday, with his team struggling against Nebraska, Sutton stretched his offensive range, hitting long-distance shots en route to 21 points and a win.

“I was knocking ’em down,” Sutton told the Kansas City Star. “Lately I haven’t been making many, but today it was just confidence. I was into it.”

UCLA Bruins at Washington Huskies (9 p.m. ET, ESPN)

A major conference getting just one bid into the NCAA Tournament is unheard of. But that is the state of the Pac-10 this season with no team locked to make the tournament. Washington could realistically win out and finish 12-6 in the conference and still need help just to get into the field of 65. Washington doesn’t have a road or neutral-site win over a team in the RPI Top 100.

NCAA Hoops Betting

Bet College Basketball

With a little less than a month before Selection Sunday and March Madness, teams, fans and the sports betting public are starting to fixate on the big tournament, “bubble” teams, etc.

As it stands, the Kansas Jayhawks are the No. 1 college basketball team in the land and the odds-on favorite at online sportsbooks to take the NCAA Championship Tournament at +150.

Colorado vs. Kansas

The Jayhawks see action this weekend with a home game against conference rival Colorado.

Kansas has dominated the Colorado Buffaloes going 19-1 straight up in their last 20 games against them. But they are only 2-5 ATS in their last seven meetings with Colorado.

Over/Under bettors take note: The last nine times these two teams have hooked up, they have produced only 1 Over while racking up 8 Unders.

The Jayhawks have lost three straight, against the spread, the last three times they have hosted the Buffaloes.

Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt

This Saturday’s sked is light on head to head Top 25 matchups and the lone game that features two ranked teams doing battle features the No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats and the No. 19 Vanderbilt Commodores.

It is a key matchup not only because the two are ranked but because they sit 1-2 in the SEC East standings — Kentucky has a 10-1 conference record while Vandy is 8-2.

The Wildcats have struggled in their last nine overall games against the Commodores, dropping six of nine straight up, and they are a dismal 2-6 straight up in their last eight visits to Vanderbilt (including a four-game losing streak).

Ohio State vs. Michigan State

A Big Ten battle between the No. 12 Ohio State Buckeyes and the No. 11 Michigan State Spartans goes Sunday.

Ohio State is still smarting from a 60-57 loss to the No. 4 Purdue Boilermakers on Wednesday night; the Buckeyes failed to cover as 4-point faves.

The game takes place in East Lansing, and the Buckeyes have struggled in their last 15 games there, with a record of 4-11 SU.

However, Ohio State’s last eight road games against the Spartans have produced a record of 6-2 ATS.

The push to March Madness is beginning, so hang on and enjoy the ride.

Have a good weekend.

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Up-For-Grabs
By SportsPics

Second-ranked Wildcats survive 82-78 in OT at Mississippi State, the 17th ranked Commodores take care of business with an 82-78 victory at Mississippi Thursday setting the stage for a huge SEC East matchup in Nashville. Wildcats (25-1, 13-11 ATS) paced by John Wall (17.1), DeMarcus Cousins (16.0), Patrick Patterson (14.8) shooting a nifty 48.4% from the floor have strung together six straight SEC victories (4-2 ATS) since the only blemish at South Carolina. John Calipari's troops a near perfect 10-1 (6-4 ATS) in the conference this season, 6-1 (5-2 ATS) overall away from Rupp Arena will be tested. Winning on the road in any league is hard, keep in mind these Cats are 0-4 (1-2-1 ATS) last four visits to Nashville. Meanwhile, Commodores (20-5, 13-10 ATS) looking to improve their NCAA Tournament seeding and avenging an earlier 82-75 loss in Lexington are ridding a three game win streak (1-2 ATS) and a perfect 13-0 (6-5 ATS) mark at Memorial Gym. Vandy with four double digit scorers lead by Jermaine Beal (14.8) racking up 78.6 PPG are 9-2 (6-5 ATS) in SEC play this campaign including 5-0 (2-3 ATS) at home. Commodores just 5-11 ATS running the hardwood vs. Kentucky have been pegged 1 point favorites.

BracketBuster Games And More
By Larry Ness

Kansas held its No. 1 ranking this past Monday (Jayhawks were a solid preseason No. 1 and have owned the No. 1 spot in 11 of 14 regular season polls) and that night picked up a hard-earned 59-54 win at College Station over Texas A&M. It was the Aggies' first home loss of the season and moved Kansas to 11-0 in the Big 12. The Jayhawks are looking to nail down a sixth straight Big 12 regular season crown which would match legendary Kansas head coach Phog Allen, who won or shared six consecutive Missouri Valley titles from 1921-27. Kansas is also trying to join its 2001-02 squad as the only teams to finish unbeaten in Big 12 play. The Jayhawks own the longest active home winning streak in college hoops (56 in a row).

Kansas was the only Division I school to finish unbeaten in conference play back in that 2001-02 season and over the past eight seasons just 19 schools have managed that feat. The most schools to stay unbeaten throughout their respective seasons in any one year has been three and Kansas is one of only four schools still unbeaten in conference play heading into this weekend. Joining the Jayhawks are No. 18 Butler (17-0 in the Horizon) and Murray State (16-0 in the OVC). Those schools have both won 16 straight overall games, the longest active winning streak in college hoops. Sam Houston State (11-0 in the Southland) is the fourth remaining conference unbeaten.

The Jayhawks own the longest active home winning streak in college basketball (56 in a row) and will host Colorado (12-13 / 3-8) on Saturday. Sam Houston State will play at Texas-San Antonio (15-9 / 5-6) on Saturday while both Butler and Murray State will put their 16-game winning streaks on the line this weekend but not their unbeaten conference records. That's because both the Bulldogs and Racers will be participating in ESPN's eighth annual BracketBusters extravaganza, a two-day college basketball event.

The BracketBusters concept provides schools outside the "Big Six" leagues an opportunity to play non-conference opponents less than a month before Selection Sunday. Each conference selects its participating teams before the season and the matchups for the event are determined by ESPN in conjunction with the conferences. Ninety-eight schools representing 14 conferences will play a total of 49 games, of which 11 will be televised on the ESPN family of networks. The 22 teams represent 10 conferences, including seven 2009 NCAA Tournament participants (Akron, Butler, Morgan State, Northern Iowa, Siena, Utah State and Virginia Commonwealth).

The marquee TV games are Morgan State of the MEAC will play at Murray State of the OVC at 12 noon ET while Siena (22-5) visits No. 18 Butler at 2:00 ET. Both the Racers and Bulldogs will look to extend their winning streaks to 17 in a row. Akron (MAC) and Virginia Commonwealth (CAA), both NCAA teams last year, play at 4:00 ET and a long day ends at midnight ET when Wichita State (MVC) visits Utah State of the WAC.

ESPN has tried to make these BracketBuster games seem significant but truthfully, they have been more hype than substance. Few if any schools have made any real 'hay' out of a BracketBuster win, although I will acknowledge that a number of schools have cost themselves by losing one of them. I'd argue that a number of schools "had better win" this weekend or their at-large chances are all but over. In comparison, I couldn't make a case for even one school securing an at-large berth with a win. As so often is the case in college basketball, coaches are a bigger story than the actual players or individual schools. Here's a few notes on the top-five TV matchups.

Morgan State at Murray State (Saturday at 12 noon ET): Morgan State was rolling along unbeaten in MEAC play until losing 71-68 at South Carolina St on Feb 15. The Bears will take a 20-8 overall mark (11-1 in the MEAC) into Saturday's game at Murray State. The Racers are 25-3 (16-0 in the OVC), one of just four remaining conference unbeatens and along with Butler, own the nation's longest active winning streak at 16 in a row. However, both schools know very well that while this game is for conference pride, neither team is a serious at-large contender. Morgan State earned its first-ever NCAA tournament bid last year by beating Norfolk St 83-69 in the MEAC title game. The win also marked the return to the national stage for head coach Todd Bozeman, the center of an NCAA scandal before being fired at California-Berkeley in 1996. He was out of coaching for eight years before resurrecting his career at Morgan State and Bozeman's team is now on the verge of a second straight NCAA appearance. Murray State is no stranger to NCAA appearances, having made 13 in its history but none under current head coach Bill Kennedy. Mick Cronin (now head coach at Cincinnati) took the Racers to the "Big Dance" in 2004 and 2006 but Kennedy's teams have fallen short each of the last three seasons. Kennedy and the Racers are due this year. Kennedy's first collegiate head coaching job came at Centenary and he took over at Southeastern Louisiana hired in 1999. In his sixth and final season at Hammond, La (2005) his team went 24-9, winning both the conference regular season and tournament titles while getting the Lions to the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history, where it lost to Oklahoma State 63-50. That team won a school-record 24 games that year and the program hasn't won more than 17 games in any season since (team is 14-10 this year). Coaches matter in college hoops and with 25 wins already (plus that 16-game winning streak), this could be a special season for Kennedy and the Racers. The school's lone NCAA win in 13 appearances came in 1988 when it beat No. 3-seeded North Carolina St before losing 61-58 to Kansas, which led by Danny Manning, would go on to capture the national title. That's something to shoot for.

Siena at Butler (Saturday at 2:00 ET): What a game this is! Siena's been to two straight NCAA tournaments and won first round games both times. The Saints lost their unbeaten conference season back on Feb 12 when they lost 87-74 at Niagara and will take an overall 22-5 (15-1 in the MAAC) record into Saturday's game with No. 18 Butler. The Bulldogs come in tied with Murray State for the longest active winning streak (16) and as one of four remaining conference unbeatens (17-0 in the Horizon). Butler is 24-4 overall but a money-burning 11-17 ATS. The Bulldogs have made nine NCAA appearances (all but one since 1997), including Sweet 16 'visits' in both 2003 and 2007 under Todd Lickliter (now at Iowa). Lickliter left after the 2007 season and Brad Stevens was given his first-ever coaching job. Look what he's done, already. He became the third-youngest head coach in NCAA Division I history to lead a team to 30 wins in a season in his first season (2007-08) and on Feb 5, 2009, Stevens became the sixth head coach in NCAA history to reach 50 wins in 56 games or less. He's led the Bulldogs to two straight NCAA appearance and enters this game 80-14 (.851) in his two-plus seasons. All that's missing is an NCAA win. Siena's head coach Fran McCaffery's resume is missing very little. He has reenergized Siena's program in his four-plus years at the helm and taken it to new heights. McCaffery's Saints won 20 games in his second season (lost in MAAC championship game) and the last two years have won both the MAAC's regular season and tournament titles. Siena crushed 4th-seeded Vanderbilt 83-62 in the 2008 NCAA tournament and last season beat Ohio State 74-72 in double overtime in one of the tournament's most exciting games. In his fifth year at Loudonville, NY, McCaffery owns a 157-49 (.762) mark heading into Saturday's game. No one is surprised. McCaffery came to Siena from UNC-Greensboro, where he posted a 90-87 record in six seasons, leading the Spartans to their second-ever NCAA bid in 2001. McCaffery was the nation's youngest Division I head coach when he was hired in 1986 at Lehigh (26-years-old). He capped his three-year tenure with the Engineers with a 21-win season and an NCAA berth in 1988, making him (at the time) the youngest head coach to reach the NCAA Tournament. When McCaffery led the Saints to the 2008 NCAA tourney, he became just the 31st coach to take three different programs to the "Big Dance" and he is the first to do so with three programs from one-bid leagues (conference's that sent just one team the year his program advanced). We NEED both of these school's (and coaches) in this year's tourney and a Siena win is a must vs Butler for possible at-large consideration if the Saints fail to win the MAAC tourney (Butler's a 'lock' for an at-large bid but Siena is hardly in a similar position).

Akron at Virginia Commonwealth (Saturday at 4:00 ET): Keith Dambrot has now led Akron to five straight 20-win seasons (Zips are currently 20-7 / 10-3 in the MAC) and last season, the school's second-ever NCAA tournament appearance (first was under Bob Huggins back in 1986). The Zips are well aware that the MAC hasn't received an at-large bid since 1999 and this year will be no different, so a win here matters little when it comes to Akron's at-large chances because the Zips won't get to the NCAA tourney without winning the MAC tourney title (March 11-13 in Cleveland). I've focused on coaches quite a bit in this piece and Dambrot owns quite a story. He replaced Charlie Coles as coach of Central Michigan for the 1991-1992 season. However, he only lasted two seasons, and was fired for making a controversial comment before a game (he used the "N" word). The incident at Central Michigan essentially blackballed Dambrot from college coaching. However, he became the head coach at St. Vincent–St. Mary HS in Akron, Ohio in 1998, where in the last two years of his tenure LeBron James was a member of the team (you may know that name?). Dambrot has made quite 'resurrection.' VCU made NCAA appearances in 2007 (beat Duke) and 2009 (lost 65-64 to UCLA) under Anthony Grant (nine all-time), who has moved on to Alabama. Shaka Smart, who like Grant was an assistant under Billy Donovan at Florida, is the current head coach of the Rams (18-7 / 10-6), who won't be 'dancing' without winning the CAA tourney.

Wichita State at Utah State (Saturday at 12 midnight ET): Wichita State's last NCAA appearance came in 2006 (school's eighth all-time) and the school was thrilled when Gregg Marshall was hired in April of 2007, having previously coached at Winthrop for nine seasons. Marshall led the Eagles to seven NCAA tournament appearances and transformed a previously undistinguished program into a mid-major powerhouse. Marshall became the first coach in the history of the Big South Conference to have his team go undefeated in conference games in 2006-07 (14-0) and that same year also became the first Big South coach to win an NCAA first round tournament game by defeating sixth-seeded Notre Dame 74-64. The Shockers went just 11-20 and 17-17 in Marshall's first two seasons in Wichita but this year's team opened 16-2. However, WSU has won just six of its last 10 and at 22-6 (11-5) is a long shot to receive an at-large bid. A win at Logan, Utah could help but a loss would all but eliminate the Shockers from any serious at-large consideration. The Aggies enter this game at 21-6, including 11-2 in WAC play. They surely aren't counting on an at-large bid but like WSU, know a loss hurts more than a win helps. Stew Morrill took the head coaching job at Utah State prior to the 1998-99 season (came from Colorado St). He went 15-13 that first year but over the last 10 seasons (not counting this year) posted a 252-77 (.766) record. The Aggies have made 10 straight postseason appearances (six NCAA bids) but the school's attention-grabbing 77-68 overtime win against Ohio State in 2001, is its lone NCAA victory under Morrill. However, with Morrill at the helm, the Aggies entered this season as one of only three Division I schools to have won at least 23 games in each of the last ten seasons (Gonzaga and Kansas are the others). He'll make it 11 straight seasons with at least 23 wins before this year is over but another NCAA bid most likely will hinge on the team winning the WAC tourney, being played March 11-13 in Reno, Nevada.

NCAAB News and Notes Saturday 2/20

Information on the best of Saturday's college basketball games........

Ole Miss lost four of last five games, trailed by 20 at half in the win, as they struggle down stretch; Rebels lost of their last six of seven games vs Florida, but won Gators' last visit here. Florida is 2-3 on SEC road, with wins at Arkansas/Alabama. SEC home favorites of less than 8 points are 9-14 vs spread. Ole Miss is 1-3-1 as SEC home favorite this season.

Tennessee (-9) waxed South Carolina 79-53 Feb 6, sixth straight series win, holding Gamecocks to 28% from floor, 7-28 from arc; Vols won last two visits here by 24-16 points- they're 1-7 vs spread in last eight tilts, losing three of last four road games. SEC home underdogs of three or less points are 1-5 vs spread. Carolina lost three of its last four games.

Home side won last eight Baylor-Oklahoma State games; Bears lost last six visits to Stillwater by 33-29-3-4-10-10 pts. Baylor (-6) shot 52.5% from floor in 83-70 home win over Cowboys Jan 16- they won five of last six games. Favorites are 5-0 vs spread in OSU's Big 12 home wins. SEC home favorites of 9 or less points are 18-10 vs spread.

Texas (-16) shot 55% from floor in 95-83 home win vs Texas Tech Jan 27, in game where Tech shot 9-18 from arc, led 50-47 at half. Longhorns are 11-2 in last 13 series games, 4-2 in last six here. Texas lost six of its last nine games, 2-6 vs spread as a fave. Tech won three of last four at home. Single digit home underdogs are 9-6 vs spread in Big 12 games.

4th game in eight days for Maryland squad that won last eight games vs Georgia Tech, winning last four here by 8-3-15-7 points; Tech lost last four road games by 2-19-2-11 points; they're 2-4 as ACC road dogs, 1-4 vs spread in last five games overall. ACC home favorites of more than 7 points are 12-6 vs spread. Terps are 5-0 as an ACC home favorite.

Xavier (-10) shot 53% from floor, 26-34 from line in 86-74 home win vs Charlotte Jan 13; Musketeers won six of last seven games, are 7-1 as an A-14 favorite, 3-0 on road, winning away games by 6-7-8 points, losing at Temple/Dayton. 49ers are 4-1 at home in A-14, losing to Duquesne in last home game. A-14 home underdogs of less than 5 points are 2-8.

UTEP (-6) outscored Tulsa 43-29 in second half of 73-59 home win Feb 6; Miners won last nine games, winning last four road tilts. Tulsa is 1-3 in last four games, 0-8 vs spread in last eight; theywon five of six home games in C-USA, losing only to Memphis. Home teams are 3-11 vs the spread in C-USA games where spread is 3 or less points.

Home team won six of last seven Virginia-Clemson games; Cavaliers lost last two visits here by 31-18 points. UVa lost last four games, by 3-19-6-19 points- they're 3-2 as ACC road dog, losing away games by 12-19-6. Clemson is 4-1 as ACC home favorite, winning at Littlejohn by 16-9-19-10-8 points. ACC double digit home favorites are 5-0 vs spread.

UConn won last seven games vs Rutgers, taking last four played here by 1-22-11-18 points; Huskies won LY's meeting 80-49 at home. Rutgers is 4-1 in last five games (5-0 vs spread), winning last three at home. UConn is 4-8 in last 12 games; their win at Villanova Monday was its first in six Big East road gaes. Big East home underdogs of 7 or less points: 6-11.

Washington State (+8.5) held USC to 37% from floor, outscored Trojans 43-26 in second half of 67-60 win Jan 21, but Coogs are 1-6 since then-- they're just 3-4 at home in Pac-10. USC won last four games, by 3-5-4-3 points; underdogs are 8-2 vs spread in their last 10 games. Trojans lost four of six road games, winning by 3 at Washington, 21 at UCLA.

Oregon (+13) got crushed 89-57 at Cal Jan 21, making 1-18 from the arc; Ducks were down 48-21 at half that day- they're 2-9 in last 11 games, as rumors swirl about Coach Kent's job status. Oregon is 2-4 at home, with losses by 7-19-14-7 points. Cal is 2-4 in last six road games, losing by 16 in Corvallis Thursday. Pac-10 home underdogs are 7-5 vs spread.

Vanderbilt (+8.5) lost 85-72 at Kentucky Jan 30; Wildcats made 12-23 from arc, had 18 offensive boards; Commodores won last three games, by 19-8-4 points, scoring 83 ppg, but they won tough game at Ole Miss Thursday night, quick turnaround here. Kentucky won its last six games, winning last game in overtime at Mississippi State Tuesday night.

Kansas State won its last four home games by 6-2-19-4 points; they've beaten Oklahoma two of last three years, won last four games overall, by 19-4-17-4 points. Wildcats are 5-3 as Big 12 favorite, 2-1 on foreign soil. Oklahoma lost three in row, six of last eight games; they're 4-1 at home in Big 12, losing to Tech 72-71. Big 12 home dogs of 5.5+ points: 5-2.

Arkansas State (+10.5) lost 79-68 at Diddle Arena Feb 11, Hilltoppers made 52% from floor, ASU just 5-20 from arc. Western Kentucky won last four league games, by 18-11-21-30 points, but they're just 1-4 in last five road games, winning by 21 at UALR. Red Wolves are 6-0 at home in Sun Belt home underdogs of 4 or less points are 12-4 against spread.

Home side won five of last six Houston-UAB games; Cougars lost last three visits here by 22-3-2 points. Houston lost five of last seven games; they're 1-1 as C-USA road underdog, Blazers are 1-4 as a home favorite, winning at home by 8-1-10 points, but losing last two at home. C-USA home favorites of 7 or less points are 7-9 against the spread.

Home side won eight in row, 11 of last 12 UCLA-Washington games, as Bruins lost last five visits to Seattle by 12-3-10-10-11 points; they beat Huskies 62-61 Jan 21 (+3), as former walk-on hit jumper at buzzer for win. Bruins are 4-2 as Pac-10 road dogs, losing road games by 11-5-4 points. Double digit home favorites are 4-9 against spread in Pac-10.

Butler won last 16 games; they're 4-8 vs spread as home favorite; this is last home game for four Bulldog seniors, only one of whom starts- they rank 279th in pace, Siena 38th, so even though neither team gets lot from its bench, Siena wants the faster pace. Horizon home favorites are 8-8 vs spread in non-league games; MAAC road underdogs are 14-12.

Tough road trip for Louisiana Tech, coming from game in Logan, UT for early game in Boston. Huskies won 13 of last 15 games; they beat Utah State of WAC 64-61 Nov 21. Tech is 12-2 outside the WAC, 5-2-1 vs spread as an underdog. WAC road underdogs are 15-16 against spread in non-league games. CAA home favorites are 7-15.

Pacific played Wednesday, New Mexico State Monday, edge for visitors who lost two of last three on road. Aggies lost by 11 at Fullerton back in November. Pacific is 2-1 vs WAC teams this year. Tigers split last four games; Aggies won four of their last five. Big West home favorites are 10-5 vs spread in non-league games; WAC road underdogs are 15-16.

Utah State won last 11 games, avenging last loss with win Wednesday vs La Tech; Aggies covered five of last six home games. Wichita State's last six games were all decided by six or less points; Shockers are 3-2 as dog this season. WAC home favorites are 14-11 vs spread in non-league games; MVC road underdogs are 14-16 against the spread.

Tips and Trends

Kentucky Wildcats at Vanderbilt Commodores

Wildcats: Kentucky simply keeps winning, regardless of the bullseye on their back and their opponents very best shot. The Wildcats are 25-1 SU this season, and ranked #2 in the country. Kentucky has an opportunity to take a commanding 2 game lead in the SEC with a SU win today. Kentucky is 8-1 SU and 6-3 ATS in both true road games and neutral court settings this season. Today marks only the 2nd time all season that Kentucky will be the listed underdog. The Wildcats beat UCONN earlier this season as a 1 point underdog. The Wildcats have scored more than 80 PTS in 3 of their 5 league road games this year. Kentucky averages 81.3 PPG this season, and have scored more than 80 PTS in 4 of their 6 true road games this season. 4 Wildcats average double digits in PTS this season, led by all world freshman PG John Wall. Wall is averaging 17 PPG and 6.5 APG to lead Kentucky. Forwards Patrick Patterson and DeMarcus Cousins both shoot better than 50% from the field while combining for 30.8 PPG this season.

Kentucky is 6-2 ATS last 8 road games.
Over is 5-1 last 6 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.

Key Injuries - None.

PROJECTED SCORE: 81

Commodores (-1, O/U 155): Memorial Gymnasium is expected to be rocking tonight, as Vanderbilt hosts the #2 team in the nation. Not only is Vanderbilt facing high profile Kentucky, but they are also playing for the SEC lead tonight. The Commodores are playing the revenge angle, as they lost by double digits to Kentucky just 5 games ago. Vanderbilt has a great shot at redemption, as Vanderbilt is a perfect 13-0 SU at home this season. The Commodores are 6-5 ATS at home this season, including 2-3 ATS in leage play at home this season. Vanderbilt is 4-3 ATS this season as a single digit favorite. Vanderbilt averages 78 PPG this season, and have scored 75 PTS or more in 11 of their 13 home games. The Commodores have 3 current players averaging double digit in PTS this season. G Jermaine Beal averages 14.7 PPG this season to lead Vanderbilt. C A.J. Ogilvy averages 13.9 PPG and a team high 6.1 RPG this season for Vanderbilt. Ogilvy only had 12 PTS and 4 rebounds in his first meeting with Kentucky this season.

Vandy is 9-3 ATS last 12 games vs. a team with a winning SU record.
Over is 5-0 last 5 games as a home favorite.

Key Injuries - G Charles Hinkle (personal) is out.
G Elliot Cole (shoulder) is out.

PROJECTED SCORE: 82 (OVER - Total of the Day)

UCLA Bruins at Washington Huskies

Bruins: UCLA is inching closer to .500, as they are 12-13 SU on the season. UCLA is 5-3 SU over their past 8 games, all league contests. As poorly as the Bruins have played this year, they are still 7-6 SU in the Pac-10 and ahead of teams such as Washington. UCLA is 3-4 SU and 4-3 ATS in true road games this season. The Bruins are 8-5 ATS as the listed underdog, including 2-1 ATS as a double digit underog this season. UCLA is looking to win 3 consecutive games ATS for the 1st time this entire season. The Bruins are still struggling to find offensive consistency, especially on the road during league play. UCLA has only scored in the seventies twice in their 6 road conference games. G Michael Roll has started every game for the Bruins, and leads the Bruins in scoring with 13.9 PPG. F Reeves Nelson has played well in his short time in the lineup, averaging 10.8 PPG and 5.6 RPG this season for the Bruins.

Bruins are 10-1 ATS last 11 games as a road underdog of 7 to 12.5 points.
Over is 9-3-1 last 13 games as a road underdog.

Key Injuries - F James Keefe (shoulder) is out.
F Drew Gordon (personal) is out.

PROJECTED SCORE: 69 (SIDE of the Day)

Huskies (-11.5, O/U 142.5): Washington is on the prowl for some revenge tonight, as they lost SU to UCLA by a single point almost 1 month ago. Washington is having a down season, as they are only 7-7 SU in conference play. The Huskies were expected to compete for a Pac-10 title this season, but they simply haven't lived up to expectations. Washington is 17-9 SU and 8-17 ATS this season. All but 1 of the Huskies SU wins this season have come at home, as Washington is 16-2 SU and 7-10 ATS there. The Huskies are 2-9 ATS as a double digit favorite this season. Since the start of 2010, the Huskies are 7-7 SU and 5-8 ATS overall. The Huskies can really score at home, as they've scored more than 75 PTS in 14 of their 18 home games this season. F Quincy Pondexter leads the Huskies in scoring, averaging 20.3 PPG this season. The only other player averaging double digits is PG Isaiah Thomas, who averages 17 PPG this season.

Huskies are 1-6 ATS last 7 home games vs. a team with a road winning % less than .400.
Under is 4-1 last 5 games as a home favorite.

Key Injuries - None.

PROJECTED SCORE: 73