NCAAB News and Notes Wednesday 2/9

Game of the day: North Carolina at Duke

North Carolina Tar Heels at Duke Blue Devils (-10, 154)

A tradition like no other in college basketball adds another chapter on Wednesday. North Carolina, slowly making its way back up the rankings, makes the short trip to Duke, which has rebounded nicely from a disastrous 93-78 defeat at St. John's.

THE MARSHALL PLAN

No one knew what to expect when guard Larry Drew II announced last Friday that he'd leave the Tar Heels program. Not many players do that ... ever. But remember, this is North Carolina we're talking about. So, there's always someone ready to step in and take over.

Enter point guard Kendall Marshall, who had nine points and 16 assists in a comfortable 89-69 win over Florida State just two days after Drew left.

The crowd, of course, was on his side in that game. It was at home, and the students gave him a boost. Against Duke, though, at Cameron? It might be a different story for this fresh-faced freshman.

The Blue Devils' defense excels at stopping that extra pass. Against N.C. State on Saturday, Duke allowed just 16 assists total, the same number Marshall registered by himself vs. the Seminoles.

And something tells us, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski will have watched plenty of film on Marshall, and will have an appropriate course of attack.

SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM

Duke is not foreign to losses on the road. Florida State, in Tallahassee, always seems to give them trouble, for instance. North Carolina, in Chapel Hill, has the ability to give them some grief. But they usually dominate out of conference, away from Cameron. So, to get whacked in Manhattan by St. John's like the Blue Devils did, had to come as a surprise.

But from a Duke backer's perspective, maybe that was the best thing that could have happened. Because the Blue Devils have rebounded with a fury since that loss.

Laying 4.5 at Maryland the next game out? No problem. Blue Devils 80, Terrapins 62.

Laying 19 vs. N.C. State the game after that? No problem. Blue Devils 76, Wolfpack 52.

The Tar Heels will be a tougher test, but if the Blue Devils still have that rotten taste in their mouth from Madison Square Garden, look out.

TRYING TO FORGET LAST YEAR

The Tar Heels, whether they're powered by Marshall or not, are probably going to have to show they can hang in this series before bettors take them seriously. Keep in mind, Duke won both games last year, covered both, and barely broke a sweat.

The Blue Devils won the two games by a combined 42 points, including an 82-50 wipeout in Cameron to close the regular season. From there, Duke went on to win the national title and North Carolina went to the NIT.

But this North Carolina team is more efficient, and may have more talent. What's more, UNC's covered its last two on the road, at Boston College and at Miami.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Harrison Barnes (North Carolina)

It's no coincidence that UNC's hot streak is paired with the breakout of star freshman Harrison Barnes. The wing forward hit the game-winning 3-pointer against Miami in the last week of January and is averaging 22.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game since.

Nolan Smith (Duke)

Nolan Smith leads the ACC in points and assists which is pretty impressive seeing how he's only playing point guard because of the injury to Kyrie Irving. The senior guard is the team's steadiest performer and will test an inexperienced UNC backcourt.

THEY SAID IT

“It’s been a difficult time. We talked a great deal about some of what had happened and that it was over and behind us. We had to go forward. “ -- North Carolina coach Roy Williams on the departure of Larry Drew II and how the team has regained its focus ever since.

“We’re thinking about them now. We’ll go over the feedback from this game, but then it’s on to Carolina.” -- Duke sophomore forward Mason Plumlee, speaking after the win over N.C. State, on the team’s preparation for North Carolina.

“Tyler can put really good pressure on the ball and then I’m not wearing Nolan out. I can wear Tyler out and his mom said it was OK. In fact, she said, ‘wear him out every day.’ Our team’s growing in that. We’ve got a little bit different look defensively, which may really help us down the road.” -- Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski on his team’s ability to small these days, playing guards Nolan Smith and Tyler Thornton together. Expect to see that vs. North Carolina.

YOU NEED TO KNOW

North Carolina has covered five straight games, and all five went over the total. The Tar Heels and their opponents have combined to average 154.2 points per game in that span.

Hot Heels roll into Duke
By Brian Edwards
VegasInsider.com

There are 38 games on the college hoops board Wednesday, starting with Northwestern at Michigan on the Big Ten Network at 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

Most books opened Michigan (14-10 straight up, 12-7 against the spread) as a three-point favorite. The Wolverines are suddenly playing well, as they snapped a six-game losing streak on Jan. 27 by going into East Lansing and beating arch-rival Michigan St. by a 61-57 count as 11-point underdogs.

John Beilein’s team has won three of its last four games, covering the number in each of those contests. Michigan is coming off a 65-62 win at Penn St. as a five-point underdog, hooking up money-line backers with a payout in the plus-170 range (risk $100 to win $170).

Darius Morris was the catalyst against the Nittany Lions, scoring a team-high 23 points. Tim Hardaway Jr. added 13 points despite playing just 18 minutes due to foul trouble.

Northwestern (14-8 SU, 9-7 ATS) snapped a three-game losing streak by beating Illinois 71-70 Saturday in Evanston. The Wildcats failed to cover the number, however, as 1 ½-point home favorites. Michael ‘Juice’ Thompson paced the winners with 22 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field. Thompson, who played all 40 minutes, is a serious candidate for All-Big Ten honors.

Bill Carmody’s team has won three in a row both SU and ATS when facing Michigan, including a 68-62 win as an eight-point underdog in Ann Arbor last year.

The ‘over’ has been a money maker in Northwestern games this season, cashing at an 11-5 overall clip. Michigan has watched the ‘over’ go 10-8-1 overall, 6-3-1 in its home outings.

Syracuse (20-4 SU, 9-13 ATS) will play host to Georgetown on ESPN at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. Most spots are listing the Orange as a five-point home ‘chalk’ with a total of 139.

Jim Boeheim’s team had lost four in a row before going to Storrs last Wednesday and capturing a 66-58 win at UConn as a three-point underdog. Then on Saturday, the ‘Cuse went down to Tampa and throttled USF 72-49 as an eight-point road favorite. Rick Jackson finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds in the blowout win over the Bulls.

Georgetown (18-5 SU, 13-9 ATS) has won six consecutive games, going 4-2 ATS in the process. The Hoyas have failed to take the money in back-to-back games, including Saturday’s 83-81 over Providence as an 11 ½-point home ‘chalk.’

John Thompson III’s team has only been an underdog once this year, winning 69-66 at Villanova as a 4 ½-point ‘dog on Jan. 29.

The ‘under’ is 13-8 overall for the ‘Cuse, 7-5 in its home games at the Carrier Dome. The ‘under’ is 11-10 overall for the Hoyas, who have seen the go 6-3 in their last nine contests.

The ‘over’ is on a 5-1 run in the last six head-to-head meetings between these old-school Big East adversaries.

Another key Big East clash will go down at the Joyce Center in South Bend, where Notre Dame (19-4 SU, 10-8 ATS) will welcome Louisville to town. The Greek opened the Irish as a three-point home favorite with a total of 136.

Mike Brey’s squad is unbeaten in 14 home games, compiling a 5-4 spread record. The Irish have won five in a row but saw its four-game ATS surge end in Sunday’s 76-69 home win over Rutgers as an 11 ½-point home favorite.

Notre Dame senior guard Ben Hansbrough has been the spark behind the team’s recent success. The transfer from Mississippi St., who is in his second year of eligibility with the Irish, had 25 points, six rebounds and five assists against the Scarlet Knights. In the last four games, Hansbrough has averaged 24.0 points and 5.3 assists per game.

Louisville (18-5 SU, 11-8-1 ATS) survived a close call Saturday, holding off DePaul 61-57 as an 18 ½-point home favorite. The win improved the Cardinals to 7-3 in Big East play, leaving them in a third-place tie with Villanova.

On the SEC Network at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, Florida (18-5 SU, 8-11 ATS) will travel to Columbia to face South Carolina at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. Most books opened the Gators as four-point road favorites.

Billy Donovan’s team has a firm hold on first place in the rugged SEC East, leading the division by 1 ½ games over Tennessee (pending the Vols’ result Tuesday at UK). UF picked up a pair of key home wins last week in nail-biting fashion. The Gators beat Vandy 65-61 in overtime before trumping Kentucky 70-68 Saturday night in Gainesville.

Senior forward Chandler Parsons appears to be ramping up his play at the perfect time. Parsons had 17 points, 12 rebounds and five assists against the Wildcats, making all the key plays at crunch time.

South Carolina (13-8 SU, 8-9 ATS) has dominated the head-to-head rivalry with UF in recent years, especially for our purposes. The Gamecocks own a 5-0-1 spread record against the Gators in the last six encounters, three of which were South Carolina victories.

One of the greatest rivalries in all of sports will be renewed Wednesday at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, where Duke (21-2 SU, 12-10 ATS) will take on the red-hot Tar Heels. The Greek opened the Blue Devils as nine-point favorites with a total of 153.

Mike Krzyzewski’s club has responded well from a shellacking it took against St. John’s at MSG in NYC on Jan. 30. Since then, the Blue Devils have cruised to easy wins (and spread covers) at Maryland and vs. N.C. St.

Nolan Smith had 20 points, seven assists, six rebounds and a pair of steals in Saturday’s 76-52 home win over the Wolfpack as a 19-point favorite. Kyle Singler chipped in with 14 points and nine boards.

Duke is unbeaten in 13 home games, posting a 6-6 spread ledger.

North Carolina (17-5 SU, 10-9 ATS) has won five straight games both SU and ATS, including Sunday’s 89-69 demolition of an FSU team that came to Chapel Hill playing very good basketball. The Tar Heels took the cash as 6 ½-point ‘chalk.’

Harrison Barnes led a balanced offensive attack for UNC, scoring 17 points to go with 10 rebounds. Freshman point guard Kendall Marshall dished out a career-high 16 assists and also had three steals.

UNC has been an underdog twice this season, going 1-1 both SU and ATS. The Tar Heels beat Kentucky 75-73 as one-point home ‘dogs, but they lost 79-67 at Illinois.

ESPN will have the Duke-UNC telecast at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.

B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets

I’m starting to think my Gators are Sweet 16 material and perhaps capable of going even further than that. UF has as much depth and size as any team in the nation. The problem, however, is that this team sometimes struggles to get buckets. Guards Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker are streak shooters, capable of knocking down treys galore and going for 20-plus points on any given night, but just as likely to shoot 1-for-6 or 2-of-9 from the field. When both are enduring off shooting nights, it spells trouble for UF. But now that Parsons’ game is seemingly peeking, he appears to be that go-to guy the team can depend on. With a 6-1 record against teams in the RPI Top 50, UF is closing in on an excellent seed in the NCAA Tournament. Stay tuned…

The underdog is 13-6 ATS in the last 19 games between Duke and UNC.

During UNC’s five-game winning streak both SU and ATS, the ‘over’ has cashed each time.

vegasinsider.com.

College Basketball Knowledge

Northwestern (-7.5) beat Michigan 74-60 at home Jan 18, third straight series win for Wildcats, who won two of last three visits here. Michigan won three of last four games (4-0 vs spread)- they're 2-3 at home in Big 11 play. Wildcats are 1-4 on Big 11 road, 2-5 vs spread as an underdog in Big 11. Big 11 home favorites of 5 or less points are 7-2-1 vs spread.

Home team won last six Louisville-Notre Dame games; Cards lost their last two visits here, by 16-33 points. Louisville's last two series wins both came in OT. Louisville lost three of last four on road, by 14-7-3 points. Notre Dame won last five games (4-1 vs spread). Big East home favorites of less than 6 points are 14-11 against the spread.

Marquette is 5-1 in last six games vs South Florida, losing last visit here in '09; Eagles lost last four road games- their only road win was 73-65 at Rutgers (-3.5). Favorites are 5-0 vs spread in USF's home games, with Bulls 0-3 as home dog, losing at home by 12-9-23 points. Big East home underdogs of 7 or less points are 7-6 against the spread.

Central Florida is 1-7 in C-USA after being 13-0 out of conference; they lost last five games vs Memphis, losing by 22-7 points in last two tilts played here. Tigers are 2-2 on C-USA but won at Gonzaga in last game. UCF lost its last seven games, scoring 60.6 ppg last five games. C-USA home favorites of less than 5 points are 6-2-1 vs spread.

Home team won seven of last eight Ball State-Bowling Green tilts; Cards lost last four visits here, by 1-2-10-4 points. MAC home teams are 8-4 vs spread in games where spread is less than 3 points. Ball lost three of last four games, but they're 3-1 on MAC road. Falcons are 3-1 at home in MAC, with underdogs covering their last three home contests.

Rhode Island won five of last six games vs Dayton, with three of its last four series wins by 1 or 2 points; Flyers lost last three visits here, by 1-12-2 points. URI is 4-0 in A-14 when it allows less than 60 points, 1-4 when it doesn't; Dayton averaged 75 ppg in last three road games. A-14 home favorites of less than 6 points are 7-13 against the spread.

Wake Forest is 1-7 in ACC, failing to cover any of its losses; they're 1-2 as home dog, losing by 19-24 points. Miami is 3-4 in last seven games, with the games decided by total of 17 points. Home side won six of last seven Wake-Miami games; Deacons lost three of last four series games, losing by 1-27 points in last two visits here. ACC home dogs are 7-9.

Georgetown won its last six games, last three by 3 or less points. Home side won eight of last nine Georgetown-Syracuse games; Hoyas lost last five visits here, by 5-14-7-4-17 points- they beat Orange LY in Big East tourney, after losing twice during season. Big East home favorites of less than 6 points are 14-11. Syracuse is 2-3 as Big East home favorite. .

South Carolina is 3-2 in last five games vs Florida, winning 72-69 (+11) in first meeting at Florida Jan 15; Gators lost last two visits here, by 1-7 points. SEC home underdogs of less than 7 points are 7-3-1 vs spread. Dogs are 8-1 vs spread in Florida's SEC games; Gators are 3-1 on road in SEC. Gamecocks lost three of last four games, losing by 9-15-18 points.

Nebraska is 0-4 on Big 12 road, losing by 8-3-1-16 points. Baylor is 3-1 at home in Big 12 (1-2 as home fave) winning by 13-19-4 points. Baylor won three of last four games vs Nebraska, with four games won by total of 12 points. Big 12 home faves of 7 or less points are 15-3-1 vs spread. Cornhuskers won two of last three visits here. Baylor is 3-4 in last seven games- they're 0-3 vs spread in game following a conference win.

Texas A&M won its last seven games vs Colorado, winning last three in Boulder by 15-18-6 points; Aggies lost four of last five games, dropping last two on road by 21-9 points.- they're 0-3 as Big 12 underdog. Buffs lost five of last six games but are 3-1 at home in Big 12, with only loss by 4 to Kansas. Big 12 home favorites of 4 or less points are 5-1-1.

Texas is 8-0 in Big 12 (7-1 vs spread), winning road games by 31-11-15-20 points, but Oklahoma won four of its last five games (5-0 vs spread), winning last three times they were underdog. Home side won last five Texas-Oklahoma games; Longhorns lost its last two visits to Norman by 15-9 points. Big 12 home underdogs of 5+ points are 2-5 vs spread.

North Carolina had won four in row at Duke before losing 82-50 in LY's visit; resurgent Tar Heels won/covered last five games overall, scoring 93 ppg in last three games. Double digit favorites are 8-4 vs spread in ACC games, 6-4 at home. Duke won its last six ACC games, covering four of last five, but they're just 1-4 against spread in its ACC home games.

Tips and Trends

Georgetown Hoyas at Syracuse Orange

HOYAS: Georgetown is on a roll, as they've won their past 6 games SU entering tonight. The current winning streak as the Hoyas up to 11th in the national polls. Georgetown is 18-5 SU and 13-9 ATS overall this year. The Hoyas are 5-3 both SU and ATS in true road games this season. Georgetown is 1-0 ATS as the listed underdog this year. The Hoyas are 7-4 SU in Big East Conference play this season, tied in the standings with their opponent today. The Hoyas last 3 wins have come by a combined 8 points, so they've been winning in the final minute of games. Georgetown has arguably the best guard play in the nation, led by Austin Freeman. Freeman is averaging a team high 18.7 PPG this year for the Hoyas. G Chris Wright is averaging 12.8 PPG and a team high 5.4 APG this season. The Hoyas are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 road games against a team with a home winning percentage greater than .600%. Georgetown is 14-6 ATS in their last 20 games following a SU win. The Hoyas are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following an ATS loss.

Hoyas are 9-3 ATS last 12 road games.
Over is 5-1 last 6 games against a team with a winning SU record.

Key Injuries - F Aaron Bowen (shoulder) is out.

Projected Score: 73

ORANGE: (-4.5, O/U 140) Syracuse has been impressive in their last two victories, both road conference wins. The Orange have dealt with some turmoil of late, specifically a point shaving rumor. Syracuse is 20-4 SU, yet just 9-13 ATS this season. The Orange are 13-2 SU and 5-8 ATS in home games this season. Syracuse is 7-122 ATS as the listed favorite this season. The Orange beat Georgetown in 2 of 3 meetings last season, but did lose to them in the Big East tournament. Syracuse is currently 7-4 SU in Big East play, which puts them in a tie for 5th place this season. F Kris Joseph is leading the Orange in scoring this year, averaging 15 PPG. F Rick Jackson is averaging 13.5 PPG and a team high 11.5 RPG this year. The Orange are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 Wednesday games. Syracuse is 10-2 ATS in their last 12 home games against a team with a road winning percentage greater than .600%. The Orange are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games following an ATS win. Syracuse is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 home games following three or more consecutive road games.

Orange are 1-4 ATS last 5 games following a SU win of more than 20 points.
Over is 6-0 last 6 games after allowing less than 50 points in their previous game.

Key Injuries - F DaShonte Riley (foot) is out.

Projected Score: 75 (OVER-Total of the Day)

North Carolina Tar Heels at Duke Blue Devils

TAR HEELS: North Carolina enters tonight's rivalry game as one of the hottest teams in the nation. The Tar Heels have won their past 5 games SU, with their last 3 coming by 20 PTS or more in each. North Carolina is growing up fast, even with the departure of former PG Larry Drew. The Tar Heels lost both meetings last year to Duke, so revenge against their rival is at the forefront tonight. North Carolina is 17-5 SU and 10-9 ATS, which places them 21st in the national polls. The Tar Heels are 4-2 SU and 3-3 ATS in true road settings this season. North Carolina is 1-1 ATS as the listed underdog this year. F Tyler Zeller leads North Carolina in scoring, averaging 14.1 PPG. Impact freshman F Harrison Barnes is averaging 13.3 PPG and 5.5 RPG this season. F John Henson is averaging 11.1 PPG and a team high 8.5 RPG for North Carolina this year. The Tar Heels are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a SU win. North Carolina is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games against a team with a winning percentage above .600%. The Tar Heels are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games overall. North Carolina is 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games against the ACC. The Tar Heels are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 Wednesday games.

Tar Heels are 5-0 ATS last 5 games following an ATS win.
Under is 19-7 last 26 games against the ACC.

Key Injuries - None Reported.

Projected Score: 68

BLUE DEVILS: (-10, O/U 154) Duke has been dominant in their two games since losing to St. John's. The Blue Devils beat Maryland by 18 PTS on the road in arguably their most impressive game of the season, and followed that performance up with a 24 point win over NC State. Duke is 21-2 SU and 12-10 ATS overall this year. The Blue Devils are a perfect 13-0 SU and 6-6 ATS in home games this season. Duke is 10-8 ATS as the listed double digit favorite this year. Duke is averaging 84.7 PPG this season, the 4th most in the nation. G Nolan Smith leads this powerful offense, as he's averaging team highs of 21 PPG and 5.6 APG this year. F Kyle Singler is averaging 18 PPG and 6.2 RPG for Duke this year. The Blue Devils are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 Wednesday games. Duke is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games against a team with a winning percentage above .600%. The Blue Devils are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 home games. The Blue Devils are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a SU win of more than 20 points. Duke is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 home games against a team with a winning road record.

Blue Devils are 4-1 ATS last 5 games against the ACC.
Over is 4-0 last 4 home games against a team with a winning road record.

Key Injuries - G Kyrie Irving (toe) is out.

Projected Score: 87 (SIDE of the Day)

Wednesday Fade Alert
By Bruce Marshall

Here’s a quick look at several "fade" candidates on Wednesday’s night’s extensive college hoops card. Teams listed in schedule order for tonight.

UCF... Remember when we were all talking about the Golden Knights as a virtual Big Dance shoe-in a few weeks ago? How times change. Now, HC Donnie Jones’ team is fighting to escape the Conference USA cellar after seven consecutive straight-up defeats and 9 straight losses vs. the number. Injuries to playmaking PG A.J. Rompza (team-high 3.4 apg) and key reserve 6'6 soph David Diakite have not helped matters. Rompza could be ready to return soon, however, and UCF finally saw you-know-who’s son Marcus Jordan break the 20-point barrier for the first time in a month last Saturday vs. East Carolina. But it still wasn’t enough to prevent a 68-61 loss to the Pirates in a game in which the Golden Knights committed 12 second half turnovers, compared to only 2 assists. Tonight: hosts Memphis

James Madison... The Dukes were setting the early pace in the Colonial race a few weeks ago, along with Hofstra. But six conference losses by six points or fewer later, JMU looks if nothing else like the hard-luck team of CAA. Indifferent form in the backcourt continues to hamper the Dukes, especially in crunch time, as HC Matt Brady hasn’t been able to strike the proper balance between his guards and 6'10 C Denzel Bowles (18 ppg). Losing and failing to cover 5 of its last 7, the Dukes need to win one of these close decisions or else risk continuing to slide down the CAA ladder. Tonight: at Drexel

Delaware... U-Dee appears to be on a slippery slope at the moment, losing and failing to cover its last three games. And without many reliable offensive outlets, some CAA observers believe the skid could extend several more games. The Blue Hens are having trouble loosening up enemy defenses because they are not shooting well from beyond the arc (only 32.3% on their triples, next-to-last in CAA), and the team is only scoring 61.3 ppg, which makes it difficult to manufacture a rally when falling behind. Little production from the frontline (F Jamelle Hagins the top scorer up front at only 8.2 ppg) has made U-Dee’s attack further imbalanced. Tonight: hosts Virginia Commonwealth

Hofstra... At least the Pride broke its recent 3-game losing streak last Saturday against Northeastern. But the Long Island bunch couldn’t cover against the Huskies and has now dropped four straight against the number. The attack seems to have become too reliant on its star Gs, in particular sr. Charles Jenkins (23.2 ppg), whose game has become ever more diversified now that he is handling PG dutries as well. But aside from Fordham transfer G Mike Moore (14.2 ppg), the Pride has no double-digit scorers. Some CAA observers believe a recent tough patch of games against league contenders VCU, Drexel, and George Mason had much to do with the slump, but others wonder if they lack of diversification on the attack end is beginning to catch up with the team. Tonight: at Georgia State

Towson... Poor HC Pat Kennedy. His Tigers are the only team other than the Cleveland Cavaliers that is still 0-for-2011 (Towson has lost 12 in a row), and Kennedy is staring down the barrel of his 11th consecutive losing season as a head coach, at multiple stops. How bad has it become for the Tigers? For their January 26 game at George Mason, what would normally be about a 75-minute bus ride from suburban Baltimore turned into a 10-hour ordeal into the D.C. Beltway and into suburban northern Virginia thanks to a wicked snowstorm. The game at Patriot Center was delayed until 9 PM (from its original 7 PM tip-off) to accommodate the traffic delay, but after moving about 10 feet in an hour due to the snow, the game was officially postponed until the next night. The team finally made its way to nearby Manassas by 1 AM, where it scrambled to find 17 hotel rooms that had to be put on the credit card of assistant coach Jim Meil (we’re assuming he was reimbursed by the school). And the next night the Tigers were routed by GMU, 84-58. But the Tigers have been shorthanded, with G Troy Franklin (12.6 ppg) leaving the team in late December and C Robert Nwankwo never regaining eligibility for the second semester. Moreover, Maryland transfer PF Braxton Dupree (12.8 ppg) has been hobbled by a toe injury that could keep him out of tonight’s game. Will the season ever end for the Tigers? Tonight: at Northeastern

Fordham... We knew the Rams were probably going to be overmatched once again this season, although there was some encouragement in the Bronx for new HC Tom Pecora in December when Vince Lombardi’s alma mater won 6 of its first 10 games. Like Towson (and the Cleveland Cavaliers), however, Fordham remains winless in 2011, having lost 11 in a row, failing to cover its last 6 and 10 of those last 11. Along the way, the Rams’ A-10 losing streak has climbed to an astounding 35 games, with no wins in a league game since January 28...2009. No surprise that Fordham continues to have problems scoring, reflected in that fact the Rams were under 40% from the floor in five straight games before hitting 43% of their FGs on February 5 vs. Richmond, a game the Rams still lost by 17. Moreover, a couple of promising freshman contributors, F Marvin Dominique (shoulder, out for the season) and G Lamount Samuell (ankle), have been out of the already-thin lineup. Does Pecora wish he were back at Hofstra? Tonight: at Temple

Wake Forest... How bad has it been for the Demon Deacons? They’ve lost and failed to cover 7 of their last 8 games against ACC competition, with all of those losses by 19 points or more. They’ve won and covered just 2 of their last 13 games overall. Absorbing new HC Jeff Bzdelik’s modified version of the Princeton offense has not been easy for Wake. The Deacs also have little presence in the paint and continue to get roughed up on the glass. And expected contributions from Georgetwon transfer F Nikita Mescheriakov, who became eligible in late December, have failed to materialize, as his court times has fluctuated from game to game despite making five starts. Do they miss Dino Gaudio yet in Winston-Salem? Tonight: hosts Miami-Florida

Wyoming... Although the Cowboys have covered three of their last four games, they’ve lost seven in a row straight up, and with little hope for a turnaround, Laramie administrators forced HC Heath Schroyer to walk the plank on Tuesday. An earlier eight-game losing streak had pot Schroyer on thin ice, and the injury situation has been a season-long issue, with F Afam Muojeke now down for the count since early January with knee problems and C Adam Waddell continuing to be hampered by ankle issues. MWC observers still liked the way the team battled, but shortcomings such as poor FT shooting (Wyo is less than 70% from the charity stripe in five of its last six games) have been hard to overcome. A revenge-minded New Mexico at the Albuquerque Pit is a tough way for interim HC Fred Langley to begin his new job (which will almost certainly be temporary). Tonight: at New Mexico

TCU... The Frogs have lost six straight and ten of their last eleven, and have dropped seven of their last ten vs. the number. HC Jim Christian, who had been battling with high-scorer G Ronnie Moss (15.6 ppg) all season, finally suspended Moss last week after dismissing another backcourt regular, Sammy Yeager, from the team in mid-January. Another key guard, J.R. Cadot, missed the recent San Diego State game (in which the Frogs put up a decent fight) with injury. Christian has already used 12 starting lineups this season, and his depleted offense hd scored 53 points or fewer in four of its first nine conference games, and is tallying only 60.2 ppg in league play. Are the Frogs sure they want to move to the Big East? Tonight: hosts UNLV

LSU... No wins or covers in six straight for the Tigers, with no relief in sight. A shooting percentage of 35.6 in SEC games ranks by far the lowest in the loop, and LSU has been outscored in the second half of its first eight conference games. One of the early-season bright spots for HC Trent Johnson, frosh G Ralston Turner, scored 13.7 ppg in pre-SEC play but missed the first five league games with a stress reaction in his foot. Turner has returned to the court for the past three games but his scoring touch is still absent, as he’s scored only 13 points total in the last three games, and shot an awful 3 of 14 in last Saturday’s home loss to Mississippi State. Another promising frosh, G Matt Derenbecker, hurt his ankle Feb. 2 vs. South Carolina and played only sparingly last Saturday vs. MSU. LSU, which hasn’t scored more than 57 points in its last seven games, cannot afford its limited sources of firepower to be hindered in such a way. Tonight: at Ole Miss