LARRY NESS
My 20* play is on Oregon at 8:30 ET. The Ducks posted 29 wins last year, making it all the way to the Elite 8. Expectations were running high again this year, as the team lost just one starter off last year's team. Now everyone knew that PG Aaron Brooks (17.7-4.3-4.3), who was a four-year starter, would be a big loss but the Ducks did return an excellent nucleus. Oregon opened its season 8-1 (only loss at St Mary's ) but the team has been mediocre since. Oregon enters this game 14-9 overall, including 5-6 in the Pac 10. Washington also returned four starters off LY's team but the Huskies were just 19-13 last season, including 8-10 in the Pac 10 (did not play at all in the postseason). The lone starter not returning off LY's team was 7-0 center Spencer Hawes (14.9-6.4) and that's left the Huskies with a fairly big hole in the middle, as his replacement this year has been the 6-8 Wallace (3.0-2.5), who doesn't get all that many minutes and doesn't produce much while he's in the game. Washington's best player is the 6-7 Brockman (18.1-11.6) who has been terrific but fellow 6-7 forward Pondexter (9.0-4.5) has been a disappointment. Veteran guards Appleby (10.6) and Dentmon (9.5) get help on the perimeter from Morris (8.2) and freshman Overton (4.6). This is a good matchup for the Ducks, as Washington has no real big men. While Brockman is outstanding at 6-7, Oregon's 6-9 Leunen (15.2-9.5) has developed into one of the Pac 10's best big forwards. Now that the 6-6 Catron (9.9-6.5) is back playing (missed six games with an injury, including a Jan 17 loss at Washington), Oregon matches up favorably with Washington on the interior and should (and WILL!) dominate this game on the perimeter. Taylor (14.2-4.1) is a very good big guard and 6-6 swingman Hairston (17.0-4.9) has become the team's leading scorer this year. Washington will need 5-6 sparkplug Porter (14.0) to shoot well however, as Oregon has had trouble this year when Porter's taken too many bad shots. His three-point percentage has dropped from 44 percent last year as a freshman to 35 percent this year. When these teams met on Jan 17, Oregon was 10-4 but Porter went 3-of-12 in that game plus fellow guard Churchill Odia (great name, bad player!) played 36 minutes and shot 2-of-8 in a 78-70. loss (began a 2-5 slide for the Huskies). Odia has attempted just 12 FGs since (over six games!), while his playing time has been cut to just over 15 MPG the last four. Oregon handled Washington twice LY and should have little trouble with the Huskies here. It sets up even better for Oregon with Washington coming of an upset of UCLA (in Seattle) in its last game (Sunday). I'm counting on a solid game from Porter, with Taylor and Hairston having big games, while Leunen neutralizes Brockman inside. Expect a 'flat' Washington team and fired up Oregon team. Pac 10 GOY 20* Oregon.
Larry Ness' Las Vegas Insider-CBB (26-13 with BKB Insiders since Jan 1)
My Las Vegas Insider is on North Texas at 8:00 ET. As regulars will know, I've had tremendous success this year playing 'ON' Denver but ONLY at home. Head coach Joe Scott left his alma mater (Princeton) to return to the Colorado mountains (he coached at Air Force from 2000-04, leading the Falcons to their first-ever NCAA tourney in '04) and lead the Pioneers. Denver lost its best player from LY's year team in Walker (14.9), another solid player in Porch (9.9) plus its two leading assist men. The leading returning scorer from last year was guard Bullock (11.0) but he left school in early December, averaging just 5.5 PPG. This year's best player has been 6-6 forward David Kummer (11.4-4.6) but he's missed the last seven games with an ankle injury and is expected to be lost for the rest of the year. Through all this, the Pioneers are just 11-12 overall but actually lead the SBC (West) with a 7-5 mark. Denver's taken advantage of the "tough travel trip" opponents face when coming to Denver plus the altitude change. The Pioneers are 9-1 SU (8-1 ATS) at home this year, including 6-0 SU and ATS in SBC play. However, they are 0-11 SU on the road this year, going 0-5 SU in the Sun Belt. Except for a 70-68 OT loss at Florida Atlantic, the Pioneers have lost their other four league road games by 18, 16, 38 and 14 points!. North Texas was coming off back-to-back 14 win seasons (head coach Johnny Jones owned just 63 wins in his first five years at Denton) but won 23 last year plus the SBC tourney, making the NCAAs for the first time since 1988! North Texas had to replace its three top scorers from that team, guards Watson (15.7), Davis (13.1) and Sturns (12.1). However, returning PG Bell (9.4-3.5-3.2) has been joined by USF transfer Dennis (12.9) plus freshman White (14.9) and Thompson (7.2) on the perimeter, giving the Mean Green a solid backcourt. Up front, two seniors, the 6-8 Williams (9.3-7.2) and the 6-9 Wooden (9.3-5.7) will give North Texas a major advantage over Denver inside, with Kummer sidelined. Winning without Kummer at home (in high altitude) when Scott's team is able to control the pace of the game is one thing but winning away from home, is another. North Texas averages 77.7 PPG, while Denver's deliberate style of play produces only 60.1 PPG. With revenge on its mind from a 63-59 loss in Denver just before Christmas (December 22 to exact!), expect North Texas to literally "run Denver out of the gym!" Las Vegas Insider on North Texas.
My 20* play is on Oregon at 8:30 ET. The Ducks posted 29 wins last year, making it all the way to the Elite 8. Expectations were running high again this year, as the team lost just one starter off last year's team. Now everyone knew that PG Aaron Brooks (17.7-4.3-4.3), who was a four-year starter, would be a big loss but the Ducks did return an excellent nucleus. Oregon opened its season 8-1 (only loss at St Mary's ) but the team has been mediocre since. Oregon enters this game 14-9 overall, including 5-6 in the Pac 10. Washington also returned four starters off LY's team but the Huskies were just 19-13 last season, including 8-10 in the Pac 10 (did not play at all in the postseason). The lone starter not returning off LY's team was 7-0 center Spencer Hawes (14.9-6.4) and that's left the Huskies with a fairly big hole in the middle, as his replacement this year has been the 6-8 Wallace (3.0-2.5), who doesn't get all that many minutes and doesn't produce much while he's in the game. Washington's best player is the 6-7 Brockman (18.1-11.6) who has been terrific but fellow 6-7 forward Pondexter (9.0-4.5) has been a disappointment. Veteran guards Appleby (10.6) and Dentmon (9.5) get help on the perimeter from Morris (8.2) and freshman Overton (4.6). This is a good matchup for the Ducks, as Washington has no real big men. While Brockman is outstanding at 6-7, Oregon's 6-9 Leunen (15.2-9.5) has developed into one of the Pac 10's best big forwards. Now that the 6-6 Catron (9.9-6.5) is back playing (missed six games with an injury, including a Jan 17 loss at Washington), Oregon matches up favorably with Washington on the interior and should (and WILL!) dominate this game on the perimeter. Taylor (14.2-4.1) is a very good big guard and 6-6 swingman Hairston (17.0-4.9) has become the team's leading scorer this year. Washington will need 5-6 sparkplug Porter (14.0) to shoot well however, as Oregon has had trouble this year when Porter's taken too many bad shots. His three-point percentage has dropped from 44 percent last year as a freshman to 35 percent this year. When these teams met on Jan 17, Oregon was 10-4 but Porter went 3-of-12 in that game plus fellow guard Churchill Odia (great name, bad player!) played 36 minutes and shot 2-of-8 in a 78-70. loss (began a 2-5 slide for the Huskies). Odia has attempted just 12 FGs since (over six games!), while his playing time has been cut to just over 15 MPG the last four. Oregon handled Washington twice LY and should have little trouble with the Huskies here. It sets up even better for Oregon with Washington coming of an upset of UCLA (in Seattle) in its last game (Sunday). I'm counting on a solid game from Porter, with Taylor and Hairston having big games, while Leunen neutralizes Brockman inside. Expect a 'flat' Washington team and fired up Oregon team. Pac 10 GOY 20* Oregon.
Spritzer
pac 10 gom.............ariz st
insider................ill-chic
tko....................north texas
tko.....................nevada
5 star..................new mex st
4 star....................cal
Cokin
fat man releases.........cal,ariz st, islanders
champ club...........new orleans
big shot.................nevada
window.....................ariz st
under the hat...........north texas
under the hat...............umass
3 star.......................morehead st
3 star.....................weber st
total....................heat over
Feist
personal elite...................nevada
personal best......................murray st
platinum......................tenn martin
platinum..........................wake
inner circle......................clev st
5 star.........................georgia southern
4 star.........................morehead st
3 star..........................north ariz
Powerplaywins
Chicago Bulls -2
Washington +8
Stanford -3
Arkansas St -1.5
South Alabama -6
Wake Forest +6.5
RINKPLAY SPORTS:
5* Philadelphia Flyers
2* New York Islanders
2* Pittsburgh Penguins
Free Selection: Colorado Avalanche
Paul Leiner
50* Arizona
Cal Sports
4* Fresno
4* Cal
Killer Move's
10* Miami (NBA)
10* Dallas/Phoenix UNDER
10* Chattanooga/Charleston UNDER
10* Georgia Southern (CBB)
10* Stanford (CBB)