Tournament News and Notes Friday 3/18

Southwest Region: Day 2 Preview and Picks

THE STORY: A win in the Big 12 tournament was just the latest step in a season of dominating performances by No. 1 seed Kansas, which begins its march to the Final Four with No. 16 seed Boston University on Friday. The Jayhawks have to be pleased with their draw in the Southwest region, which begins in Tulsa, Okla., and won’t pit them against another Top-10 nationally ranked team until at least the regional final in San Antonio. For the America East-champion Terriers, Kansas represents by far the stiffest test they have faced as they attempt to become the first 16 seed to ever knock off a No. 1.

TV: 6:50 p.m. EDT, TBS. ODDS: Kansas -22

PREDICTION: Kansas 95, Boston University 50. It was a nice run by the Terriers to make it to the tournament, but the Jayhawks are just too powerful. BU relies on Holland for nearly 30 percent of the points from an offense that ranks 270th nationally in scoring average. The Terriers’ defense is strong, but they have never had to hold up against anything like what Kansas will bring on Friday.

Georgetown Hoyas (6) vs. VCU Rams (11)

THE STORY: Virginia Commonwealth quieted some of its critics with a victory over Southern California in Dayton, Ohio Wednesday. And, like it or not, the Rams may hang around a while longer since they face a Georgetown team that seems quite ripe for an upset. Virginia Commonwealth will be the first to see if Cinderella’s slipper fits in Chicago Friday against reeling No. 6 seed Georgetown, which is expecting the return of star point guard Chris Wright. The Rams, motivated by criticism that they didn’t deserve their first at-large bid since 1984, enter with momentum after a 59-46 victory over USC Wednesday. The Hoyas, meanwhile, have looked listless on offense in the four games since Wright broke his non-shooting hand. His return doesn’t guarantee that their Princeton-style offense will return to form, either.

TV: 9:50 EST, TNT ODDS: Georgetown -5

PREDICTION: VCU 74, GEORGETOWN 65. The Rams have quality wins over George Mason, Old Dominion and UCLA. They won’t be intimidated by the Hoyas, who limp into this matchup. Throw away the stats and the fact that VCU has a short turnaround. This is all about momentum.

UNLV Runnin' Rebels (8) vs. Illinois Fighting Illini (9)

THE STORY: Coach Lon Kruger will lead his current team -- No. 8 seed UNLV - against his old team - No. 9 seed Illinois - on Friday in one of the more intriguing matchups of the opening weekend at the NCAA tournament. Kruger took Illinois to the NCAA tournament three times during his four-year tenure from 1996-2000, topping out in the second round each time. This is Kruger’s fourth trip with the Rebels, who finished third in the Mountain West conference. The Fighting Illini had a more difficult road to the tournament but are battle-tested due to the strength of the Big Ten this season.

TV: 9:20 p.m. EDT, TBS. ODDS: UNLV -2

PREDICTION: UNLV 65, Illinois 62. Illinois has talent and experience but has a hard time putting it all on the same page. Both schools will be looking to do most of their work on the perimeter, but the Rebels rely less on points from beyond the arc and have not shown the sort of inconsistency that plagues the Illini, especially at the end of games where shot selection becomes more important.

Purdue Boilermakers (3) vs. St. Peter's Peacocks (14)

THE STORY: Purdue probably wishes the NCAA tournament started a week earlier. At that time, the Boilermakers were playing their best basketball of the season, having won seven straight, including a victory over No.1 Ohio State, but they’ve stumbled down the stretch. Now, the No. 3 seed in the Southwest Region will face Saint Peter’s, back in the Big Dance for the first time since 1995, in Chicago Friday night. The Boilermakers are a good bet to win at least one game in the tournament, which they’ve done each of the last 12 years they’ve qualified. The last time they lost their first game came in 1993 against Rhode Island.

TV: 7:20 pm. EST, TNT ODDS: Purdue - 14.5

PREDICTION: Purdue 73, Saint Peter’s 52. The Boilermakers should be able to speed up the pace against Saint Peter’s, which is 0-6 when allowing at least 70 points. In addition, Purdue doesn’t have to worry about being out-rebounded because the Peacocks don’t have a player taller than 6-foot-7.

Texas A&M Aggies (7) vs. Florida State Seminoles (10)

THE STORY: It will be a defensive battle when seventh-seeded Texas A&M and No. 10-seed Florida State hook up in the second round of the Southwest Regional on Friday in Chicago. Both teams play a rugged style with an emphasis on rebounding. The Seminoles are a dangerous team, as star forward Chris Singleton is expected to play after being sidelined since Feb. 12 with a fractured foot. A&M, which fell out of the rankings for the first time in three months last week, is probably better than a No. 7 seed, winning seven of its last 10 games. A&M has won three straight first-round games, while FSU has lost its first game in the NCAA tournament the past two years.

TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, TBS ODDS: Pick ‘em

PREDICTION: Texas A&M 56, Florida State 51 – This will be a defensive-minded game, but it will come down to which team can score in the clutch. The Seminoles haven’t had many scoring options other than Singleton, while the Aggies have scorers in Middleton, Holmes, Loubeau and Walkup.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (2) vs. Akron Zips (15)

THE STORY: Notre Dame hopes Ben Hansbrough can do what his brother Tyler did at North Carolina, lead a team to a national championship. The first step takes place Friday afternoon in Chicago when the second seed in the Southwest Region takes on 15th-seeded Akron. Behind Hansbrough, the Big East Player of the Year, the Fighting Irish were a contender for a No. 1 seed after winning 12 of their last 14 games. Notre Dame, which fell in the first round last year, enters the tournament with a chance to win it all. Akron, meanwhile, is just happy to be dancing. The Zips lost their last two regular-season games but rallied for four straight wins in the Mid-American Conference tournament. Akron is looking to play spoiler in its second NCAA tournament over the last three years.

TV: 1:40 p.m. ET, TBS ODDS: Notre Dame -13

PREDICTION: Notre Dame 85, Akron 70. The Zips will try and control the pace of the game, but the Fighting Irish have too much guard play. Notre Dame, which shoots 39.2 percent from 3-point land, will build an early lead and maintain it.

West Region: Day 1 Preview and Picks

THE STORY: Duke begins its championship defense Friday in Charlotte against Hampton, the small Virginia school that pulled off one of the great upsets in NCAA history a decade ago. It would be a surprise, however, if this Pirates team stayed close to the streaking Blue Devils, who demolished three rivals to win the ACC tournament last weekend. Hampton, of the MEAC, did play an ACC team this season, falling 63-56 to last-place Wake Forest. Those same Demon Deacons lost by 24 to Duke and it could have been much worse.

TV: 3:10 p.m. ET, TRU TV ODDS: Duke -22.5

PREDICTION: Duke 91, Hampton 62 – The Pirates will have trouble scoring against Duke’s far superior athletes, and those misses will lead to fast breaks. They’re also catching the Blue Devils at a bad time; Duke won each of its ACC tournament games by at least 14 points.

Michigan Wolverines (8) vs. Tennessee Volunteers (9)

THE STORY: Two big-time programs that endured tumultuous starts to the season meet Friday in Charlotte in an intriguing 8-9 game. Michigan lost six of its first seven Big Ten games, but the young Wolverines improved and got back in the NCAA tournament after a one-year absence. Tennessee played the first half of its SEC schedule without coach Bruce Pearl, who was suspended for lying to NCAA investigators. The Vols survived to reach their sixth straight NCAA tournament. Last year they made the regional finals, losing by one to Michigan State.

TV: 12:40 p.m. ET, TRU TV ODDS: Pick’em.

PREDICTION: Tennessee 69, Michigan 67 – The Vols have the edge in experience and length, but the Wolverines enter with more momentum. Look for a nailbiter, with Hopson taking over at the end.

Arizona Wildcats (5) vs. Memphis Tigers (12)

THE STORY: Both the Memphis Tigers and Arizona Wildcats are back in the NCAA tournament after missing the Big Dance in 2010. The Tigers punched their ticket by winning the Conference USA tournament championship on Saturday. The Wildcats also made a deep run in their conference tournament, reaching the Pac-10 final before falling to Washington 77-75 on a last-second buzzer-beater in overtime. Arizona returns to the NCAAs after missing the tournament for the first time in 26 seasons in 2010. The matchup pits Memphis head coach Josh Pastner against the school where he played as a walk-on and later served as an assistant coach for six seasons.

TV: 2:45 p.m. EST Friday, CBS. ODDS: Arizona -6.5

PREDICTION: Arizona 71, Memphis 62. The Wildcats will ride Williams and an offense that is 26th in the nation in scoring (76.5 points) and 28th in field-goal percentage (47.1 percent) past the inexperienced Tigers.

Texas Longhorns (4) vs. Oakland Golden Grizzlies (13)

THE STORY: The Texas Longhorns straightened out their late-season struggle and reached the Big 12 championship game, but their first NCAA tournament matchup won’t be easy. The battle-tested Oakland Golden Grizzlies take on Texas on Friday, after winning the Summit League tournament championship. Texas dropped three of its final four games in February, but reeled off three victories in a row before falling to No. 2-ranked Kansas in the Big 12 title game. Oakland played a rigorous non-conference schedule, facing five ranked teams before Christmas, then winning 18 of its next 19 games to capture its second-consecutive conference title.

TV: 12:15 p.m. EST, CBS. ODDS: Texas -10

PREDICTION: Texas 79, Oakland 63 – The Longhorns’ defense, ranked third in the nation in field-goal percentage allowed (37.8 percent) and 21st in points allowed (60.8), will wear down Oakland as Texas pulls away in the second half.

Arizona takes on Memphis
By: Michael Robinson

The Pac-10 Arizona Wildcats return from a one-year hiatus in the NCAA tournament to face Conference USA’s Memphis Tigers on Friday.

Bookmaker.com has Arizona as 5 ½-point favorites with a total of 139½-points. CBS will have this West Region battle at 11:45 a.m. (PT) from Tulsa, Oklahoma.

This is one of the always mouth-watering No. 5 vs. No. 12 matchups. Since 1985, No. 12 seeds are 35-69 SU (33.7 percent) against No. 5 seeds. That’s better than No. 11 teams have done against the No. 6 (33-71 SU).

Lower seed Memphis hopes that trend continues. Last year. No. 12 seeds went just 1-3 SU and 2-2 ATS against the No. 5.

The Wildcats (27-7 SU, 17-14-1 ATS) had their string of 25 straight NCAA tournament appearances snapped last year. They returned this year as an at-large bid after winning the Pac-10 regular season (14-4 SU) in a slight surprise.

The main reason for the success was undoubtedly Derrick Williams. The 6-foot-8 sophomore forward led the team in scoring (19.1 PPG), rebounding (8.1), blocks (.7) and probably would have driven the team bus if asked. He won Pac-10 Player of the Year for his efforts.

Coach Sean Miller also won conference Coach of the Year in just his second year since coming from Xavier. He has the program headed in the right direction with a top-10 recruiting class for next year. That will be needed with Williams likely headed to the NBA as a lottery pick.

Miller is only worried about Memphis for now. His team had won four straight games, including two in the Pac-10 Tournament, before losing to Washington (77-75 in OT) in the final. Isaiah Thomas hit the game-winning jumper at the buzzer.

Arizona is scoring 76.5 PPG on the season (ranked 25th in the country), but no one besides Williams is in double-digits. Swingman Kevin Parrom (7.9 PPG) has been the most consistent second scorer of late at 10.4 PPG over the last five games.

Arizona is a young team with guard Kyle Fogg and forward Jamelle Horne the only regulars from the Sweet Sixteen team of two years ago. Fogg (8.3 PPG) was limited during the Pac-10 tourney with a strained quad, but should be much improved and back in the starting lineup.

Memphis (25-9 SU, 12-17-2 ATS) comes into this game on a roll, blowing through the Conference USA Tournament at 3-0 SU and ATS.

The championship game was a 67-66 upset over UTEP as five point ‘dogs, played in the Miners’ stadium. That gave the ‘bubble’ Tigers the automatic bid after finishing fourth in the regular season at 10-6 SU (6-8-2 ATS).

The 133 combined points scored against UTEP went ‘over’ the 130-point total. The ‘under’ was 12-0 in Memphis’ prior 12 games, scoring 62.7 PPG and allowing 62.8 PPG for an average total of 125½-points.

Memphis has learned to win close contests, 13-1 SU in games decided by five points or less.

Memphis is also very young with its three leading scorers all freshmen. Guard Will Barton (12.5 PPG) leads overall, but it was ‘diaper dandy’ point Joe Jackson (9.9 PPG) who shined in the conference tourney at 18.7 PPG off the bench.

Power forward Tarik Black (9.2 PPG) is a third frosh who will be needed to battle Williams, with neither team having much size. Black needs to stay out of foul trouble as Williams led the nation in free throw attempts (289).

Coach Josh Pastner is in his second year after taking over for John Calipari. Memphis made the NIT last season after four straight March Madness appearances. Pastner would love to get a win over Arizona, the team he played for and was an assistant under Lute Olson.

Neither team is reporting any significant injuries.

These teams last met in 2006 and 2007, with each winning and ‘covering’ at home.

The victor will face the winner of fourth-seed Texas (minus 10) and 13th seed Oakland.

St. Peter's and Purdue collide
By: Brad Young

Purdue (25-7 straight up, 18-11 against the spread) earned the third seed in the Southwest Region, and squares off against 14th-seed St. Peter’s (20-13 SU, 20-7 ATS) in Friday’s matchup. The Boilermakers are one of seven Big Ten teams to reach the NCAA Tournament, while the Peacocks are the lone representative from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

Purdue finished the regular season ranked 13th in the Associated Press poll, finishing second to top-ranked Ohio State in the Big Ten. The Boilermakers are playing in the NCAA Tournament for the fifth consecutive year, advancing to the regional semifinals the previous two seasons.

St. Peter’s finished fourth in the MAAC during the regular season before winning the conference tournament. The Peacocks have advanced to the NCAA Tournament just twice in their history, losing to Texas in the first round in 1991 and falling to Massachusetts in the opening round of the 1995 tournament.

Don Best shows Purdue as decided 14½-point ‘chalk’ over St. Peter’s, with the total set at 119½. TNT will provide coverage of Friday’s contest beginning at 4:20 p.m. PT from Chicago’s United Center.

Purdue enters this contest having dropped its last two games SU, and previous three ATS. The Boilermakers fell to Michigan State last Friday as a seven-point neutral-court favorite, 74-56. The combined 130 points slithered below the 130½-point closing total, helping the ‘under’ improve to 4-1 the past five games.

Purdue was unable to overcome a 14-point halftime deficit, 37-23, and finished the contest trailing in rebounding (39-25) and assists (13-11). The Boilermakers also struggled by shooting 37 percent (19-of-51) from the field and 19 percent (3-of-16) from behind the arc.

St. Peter’s ended the regular season with back-to-back losses before beating Loyola (Md.), Fairfield and the Iona Gaels in the MAAC Tournament. The Peacocks defeated the Gaels March 7 as a nine-point road underdog, 62-57.

The combined 119 points failed to eclipse the 130½-point closing total, helping the ‘under’ cash the second consecutive contest.

St. Peter’s jumped out to a six-point halftime advantage, 26-20, and finished the game by shooting a robust 46 percent (22-of-48) from the field and 47 percent (7-of-15) from 3-point land. The Peacocks were outrebounded, 33-27, but they did deliver more assists, 12-7.

Forward Jeron Belin paced the offense with 17 points before fouling out, while guard Nick Leon provided 15. Guard Wesley Jenkins had 14 and five rebounds in the victory, while forward Ryan Bacon provided eight and nine.

Purdue guard Ryne Smith (concussion) is ‘probable’ versus the Peacocks, while guard John Hart (foot) is ‘questionable.’ St. Peter’s is listing no significant injuries for this contest.

The Boilermakers and Peacocks have never played each other in men’s basketball, and the winner.will take on the victor in the Georgetown, VCU contest.

Villanova, George Mason Round 1
By: Adam Markowitz

The George Mason Patriots and Villanova Wildcats are in the 8/9 game in the East Region. These two will fight it out in NCAA Tournament betting action on Friday afternoon at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH.

The Wildcats are slight one-point favorites for Friday's battle with the total set at 135 for the 11:10 a.m. (PT) tip-off. The winner will likely take on the Ohio State Buckeyes on Sunday afternoon.

Should Villanova even be in this tournament? This is the first team that has ever come into the dance on a five-game losing streak, but things are worse than that for the 'Cats. They are only 5-10 in their last 15 games, and they haven't played a fantastic game in quite some time.

This is the second straight season that this team really faltered down the stretch. 'Nova was bounced early in the Big East Tournament last season, nearly taken out in the first round as a No. 2 seed, and then finally fell to the St. Mary's Gaels in the Round of 32.

The threesome of Corey Fisher, Corey Stokes and Maalik Wayns make up one of the best backcourts in the nation, with all three averaging at least 14.0 PPG. All of their shooting percentages are down this season though, combining to shoot roughly 42 percent from the field. The big men, Antonio Pena and Mouphtaou Yarou have underachieved as well, combining for just 18.2 PPG and 14.1 RPG.

George Mason didn't last long in the CAA Tournament this year, but as was proven by its No. 8 seed there was never a doubt about this team getting into March Madness. The Patriots didn't play much of a schedule, but they did pick up 26 wins and performed well in a solid Colonial League to win the regular season title.

This is a particularly efficient club, as the Pats are shooting 47.4 percent from the field and 39.7 percent from beyond the arc. Both numbers rank in the Top 20 in the land. On the other side of the court, George Mason is just as dangerous, keeping teams down to just 61.5 PPG.

Cameron Long is the squad's leading scorer at 15.3 PPG. Ryan Pearson is second in scoring at 14.4 PPG and the leading rebounder at 6.8 RPG. There are three other men as well that are scoring at least 6.2 PPG for this team, and Head Coach Jim Larrinaga has himself a heck of a rotation.

Of course, this is the prototypical duel between the little giants and the big boys. We know that three-point shooting is going to be key for the Patriots, as they really have to equalize their lack of talent, just like they did a few seasons ago when they made their epic trip to the Final Four.

This actually isn't the first time that these teams have played each other in recent memory. The Cats have three straight wins since 1998 against George Mason, but the Patriots covered two of the three college basketball odds in those games. The most recent game was a 69-68 escape by Villanova last season.

The Wildcats enter this one at just 1-12 ATS in its last 13 overall. George Mason s 20-6 ATS in its last 26.

Kansas Jayhawks face Boston Terriers
By: Stephen Nover

Is there any chance Kansas could be the first No. 1 seed to lose a first-round NCAA Tournament game since the current system began in 1985?

The 32-2 Jayhawks meet 16th-seed Boston University Friday at 3:50 p.m. PT at BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla., in the Southwest Regional.

Oddsmakers aren’t expecting a Boston miracle. The Jayhawks are 22½-point favorites, befitting their second-ranked status in both major polls. The ‘over/under’ is 136.

Nonetheless, it’s not inappropriate to mention some unpleasant Kansas history.

This is because the Jayhawks have a history of suffering huge upsets during the first round having lost to Bucknell as 14-point favorites in 2005 and to Bradley the following year as seven-point ‘chalk.’

None of the present Kansas players tasted those defeats, though, not even fifth-year senior Brady Morningstar.

Kansas is primed to make a deep run with the Morris twins – Marcus and Markieff – composing a formidable inside duo and a deep backcourt of Tyrel Reed, Tyshawn Taylor and Morningstar.

Marcus Morris averages 17.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, while Markieff Morris scores 13.2 points a game, shoots 60.1 percent from the floor and pulls down 8.2 rebounds.

The Morris twins are going to be very hard to handle for Boston University, which has an undersized frontcourt. Kansas was the fifth-highest scoring team in the nation at 82.4 points per game. The Jayhawks ranks first in field goal percentage making 51.4 percent of their shots.

The Terriers, who have never faced the Big 12 Conference champion Jayhawks, are 21-13. They won the America East Conference to earn an automatic bid to the tournament.

Boston University, coached by former Villanova assistant Patrick Chambers, is riding an 11-game winning streak. This is the first time in nine years the Terriers have made the tournament.

The Terriers feature their conference’s player of the year in 6-foot-5 swingman Jon Holland, a senior averaging 19 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. No doubt the Jayhawks will be paying close attention to Holland.

Boston University has won its last four games by margins of two points (in overtime), nine, six and two. The Terriers have benefited by shooting 116 foul shots during this span to their opponent’s 44. Even Duke doesn’t get such an outrageous free throw advantage.

The Terriers got past Stony Brook in their conference tournament championship game, 56-54, as a six-point favorite despite making just 31 percent of their shots from the field and having only two assists.

Holland helped the Terriers overcome a 15-point deficit by scoring 23 of his game-high 27 points in the second half. The Terriers are the only Boston-area school to make the field of 68.

The Terriers’ strength is a defense that ranks 16th yielding just 60.4 points per game and is ninth in field goal percentage limiting foes to 39 percent shooting from the floor.

Offensively, however, the Terriers rate 320th averaging 61 points per contest.

Even though their offense isn’t impressive, aside from Holland, the Terriers do have several trends going for them. They are 20-7-1 ATS in their last 28 games. They are 17-5-1 ATS during their past 23 non-conference matchups, including 11-2 ATS at neutral site games.

Kansas is 14-1 in its last 15 games. The Jayhawks defeated Texas, 85-73, in the Big 12 Conference title game as 4 ½-point favorites at neutral site Kansas City this past Saturday. It was the Jayhawks’ fifth tournament title in six years.

Prior to the win and cover against Texas, the Jayhawks were 0-4-1 ATS in their last five games.

The ‘over’ has cashed in 11 of Kansas’ last 15 games, though the ‘under’ paid off in 10 of the Jayhawks’ past 13 NCAA Tournament games.

The ‘over’ has cashed in eight of Boston University’s last 10 non-league matchups.

Friday's Chicago Tips
By Judd Hall

Bettors looking for rest won’t find it on Friday as we complete the second round of the NCAA tournament. Chicago’s United Center will be the site of interest for the Southwest Region with four of its matchups happening at this location.

We begin our focus at 1:40 p.m. EDT on TBS as the Fighting Irish take on Akron (23-12 straight up, 18-13-1 against the spread) in a 15-2 matchup.

The Zips are making their second trip to the big dance in three seasons and third time in the school’s history. They reached Chicago on the heels of winning the Mid-American Conference crown in a 66-65 triumph over regular season champ Kent State as 1 ½-point pups. Zeke Marshall and Nikola Cvetinovic combined to grab 23 rebounds against the Golden Flashes, while Brett McKnight led the team with 15 points.

Akron was the friend of many bettors out there, going 11-2 SU and ATS in its final 13 games of the season. The ‘over’ held a slight 7-6 advantage in that stretch for the MAC champs.

Notre Dame (26-6 SU, 16-11 ATS) comes into this tourney with the lofty expectations of getting into the Final Four. That tends to happen when you go 12-2 SU and 10-4 ATS to finish second in the Big East.

What could temper some gamblers out there is how the Fighting Irish closed out the conference tourney with an 83-77 loss to Louisville in the semis at MSG last Friday as two-point favorites. Ben Hansbrough collapsed under the bright lights in that one, scoring just 13 points and turning the ball over six times to the Cards.

The Irish are getting plenty of love by the oddsmakers in spite of that lousy conference finale, being tabbed as 14-point favorites with a total of 135 ½. Akron can be had at plus-900 (risk $100 to win $900) for the upset.

MAC teams have had a habit of making some noise early in the big dance. Last year, the Bobcats convincingly beat Georgetown in the first round to round out a lot of close battles.

Akron has been a double-digit pup just three times this season. They’ve gone 0-3 SU and 2-1 ATS in those contests. The ‘over’ is 2-1 in that situation. Plus, the Zips have watched the ‘over’ go 2-0 in their two games against programs in the NCAA tournament.

Notre Dame is 4-0 SU and 2-2 ATS as a double-digit “chalk” this year, with the ‘over’ going 3-0 in that time.

Our second contest of the day starts at roughly 4:10 p.m. EDT on TBS between the 10th-seeded Seminoles and No. 7 seed Texas A&M (24-8 SU, 13-10-1 ATS).

Florida State (21-10 SU, 14-10-2 ATS) comes into this tournament as a bit of a wild card. They’ve beaten the Blue Devils this year, but fell to a God awful Auburn side just the week before. The ‘Noles didn’t give the selection committee an easy choice in taking them for the tournament by losing two of their last three games. FSU was wonderful for our purposes in that stretch, covering the spread in all three of those battles. The last matchup for the Seminoles was a 52-51 loss to Virginia Tech as two-point pups in the ACC quarterfinals on March 11.

It’s not like the Aggies are much better of a team than Florida State right now. They closed out the regular season with a 1-2 SU and 2-1 ATS record. But they did play better in the Big XII tournament with a 86-71 win over Mizzou in the quarterfinals, then losing 70-58 to Texas in the semis.

The oddsmakers see some similarities between these teams, evidenced by the fact that Texas A&M is listed as a 1 ½-point favorite with a total of 122. FSU is listed at even money to move onto the third round.

The Aggies have gone 8-2 SU and 5-4-1 ATS in 10 games this season where they were listed as single-digit favorites. The ‘under’ was a hefty 7-3 in that stretch. FSU is 3-7 SU and 5-5 ATS this year as a single-digit pup, with the ‘under’ going 6-3.

The evening session gets cracking at 7:20 p.m. EDT on TNT as the third-seeded Boilermakers faces off with the 14th-seed Peacocks.

Purdue (25-7 SU, 18-11 ATS) was one of the nation’s bigger surprises this season. They weren’t expected to do much without Robbie Hummel on the court, but that just pushed JaJuan Johnson to put the team on his back. Johnson led the Boilers with 20.5 points per game, while E’Twaun Moore comes up with 18.2 PPG.

Unfortunately for the Boilermakers, they have been the only players producing as they enter the big dance on a two-game slide. Purdue fell in the Big Ten quarterfinals to the Spartans 74-56 as a seven-point favorite. Johnson and Moore combined for 38 points, but the rest of the team mustered just 18 points.

St. Peter’s (20-13 SU, 20-7 ATS) was more of an afterthought in the Metro Atlantic Conference after finish fourth in the regular season. That didn’t stop the Peacocks from clinching their first trip to the NCAA tournament since 1995 and the third in school history. They made it to this point by dropping Iona 62-57 as nine-point underdogs in the title game. Jeron Belin paced St. Pete’s with 17 points. However, Wesley Jenkins was the main cog in the win with 14 points, five boards and four assists.

Most of the oddsmakers have listed the Boilermakers as 14 ½-point favorites with a total of 119. The Peacocks are coming in at plus-900 (risk $100 to win $900) to pull off what would be a major stunner.

St. Pete’s faced just one team that made the Field of 68, losing 59-52 to Old Dominion back on Nov. 19. The Peacocks at least covered as 13 ½-point road pups against the Monarchs.

Purdue has enjoyed being a double-digit favorite this season, as evidenced by an 8-0 SU and 6-2 ATS record. The ‘under’ is 5-3 in that space.

The ‘under’ is on a 4-1 run for the Boilermakers to close out the year.

Our final game of the night session could be the most interesting as the No. 6 Hoyas take on Virginia Commonwealth (24-11 SU, 14-20 ATS) at 9:50 p.m. EDT on TNT.

Georgetown (21-10 SU, 15-15 ATS) couldn’t help but fall over itself down the stretch with a 1-5 SU and 0-6 ATS mark. But things could be changing for the better as Chris Wright is “probable” to play in this contest after a left hand injury kept him out of the Hoyas’ last three games. That will give them 13.1 PPG and 5.4 assists per game that can make a huge difference for an offense that has been horribly sluggish.

Wright’s return will no doubt music to Austin Freeman’s ears as he’ll have someone else to make the opposition focus on. That will be huge since Freeman has dropped 21 points against Cincy and 20 against UConn in his last two starts this season.

The Rams come into this matchup after dropping Southern California 59-46 as four-point underdogs in Dayton on Wednesday evening. VCU’s admittance into the field drew the ire of the talking heads at ESPN, but they showed they can beat teams from the big conferences. The Trojans had their chances in this game to win it from the free throw line (25-15 advantage), but could only drain 15 of those freebies. Plus, Nikola Vucevic was held to just 11 points and 14 rebounds. Jamie Skeen came through for Virginia Commonwealth with 16 points and six rebounds.

Georgetown has been opened up as a 5½-point favorite with a total of 133½. We can take the Rams for their second tourney win at plus-200 (risk $100 to win $200).

VCU comes into this game having won three of its last four games SU, covering the number in two of those tests. The ‘under’ is 6-2 in the last eight matches for the Rams.

Georgetown has seen the ‘under’ go 6-2 in its final eight contests they’ve played.

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Friday's Cleveland Tips
By Kevin Rogers

The Cleveland pod on Friday involves three Big East clubs and the top seed in the entire NCAA Tournament (Ohio State). This should be one of the more entertaining venues in the first two days of the Big Dance, starting with one of the colder teams in the country battling a former tournament giant slayer.

(8) George Mason vs. (9) Villanova

An old Cinderella looks to make some noise five years after one of the most miraculous runs in NCAA Tournament history as George Mason battles struggling Villanova. The Wildcats have dropped five straight games, including blowing a 16-point halftime lead in an opening round setback to USF in the Big East tournament.

To make matters worse for Jay Wright's team is the 1-12 ATS mark the last 13 games, as the Wildcats failed to cover 10 times as a favorite. Villanova started conference play at 5-1 SU and 6-0 ATS, but their swoon the last seven weeks has gamblers wondering if they'll pick things up here. Four of the five losses in this cold streak have come against tournament participants (Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Syracuse, and St. John's), while barely squeezing out wins against Seton Hall and DePaul in the last month.

George Mason made a massive run to the Final Four in 2006 thanks to victories over Michigan State, North Carolina, and UConn before running out of gas against eventual champion Florida. The Patriots were the most profitable team in the country this season at 22-8 ATS, even though GMU failed to cover three of the last four games. Jim Larranaga's club covered three of five games as an underdog this season, but lost twice in that role to non-tourney teams Dayton and N.C. State.

Two years removed from making the Final Four, Villanova just tries to get out of the first weekend after getting tripped up by St. Mary's in the second round last season. Meanwhile, George Mason is participating in the Big Dance for the first time since an 18-point loss to Notre Dame in the opening round of the 2008 tourney.

Villanova is listed as one-point favorites, while the total is set at 135.

(1) Ohio State vs. (16) Texas-San Antonio

In the longest line of the first round games, the top-seeded Buckeyes are laying a healthy number against the Roadrunners. Ohio State is a No. 1 seed for the first time since losing in the National Championship to Florida in 2007. UTSA held off Alabama State in one of the First Four games in Dayton, 70-61 as three-point favorites in their first tournament appearance in seven seasons.

The Buckeyes finished the season at 32-2, but put together a pedestrian 16-15 ATS mark. Thad Matta's team claimed a second straight Big 10 tournament championship with their 11-point triumph over Penn State, extending the Buckeyes' winning streak to seven. The only two losses suffered by OSU came on the road at Purdue and Wisconsin in the span of eight days in mid-February as short 'dogs. The Buckeyes didn't profit as a double-digit favorite by going 9-13 ATS, while riding a 4-9 ATS streak in this situation since the start of January.

The Roadrunners wrapped up their first Southland title since 2004 when they edged out McNeese State, 75-72. UTSA played very few teams of substance by losing at Oklahoma State and Tulsa, while the team the Roadrunners beat with the highest RPI was San Jose State (150) in late November. The team is coached by former Oklahoma State guard Brooks Thompson, as the Roadrunners finished tied for fifth in the regular season of the Southland Conference at 9-7.

Ohio State is laying 23½ points with the total set at 138.

(6) Xavier vs. (11) Marquette

One of the more underrated matchups in this tournament kicks off the night action at Quicken Loans Arena with the Big East battling the Atlantic 10. The Musketeers stay in the state of Ohio as they travel from Cincinnati to Cleveland, while the Golden Eagles come into this contest after getting bounced in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament by Louisville.

Xavier will play with plenty of rest after falling in their first game of the A-10 tournament against Dayton, 68-67 as eight-point 'chalk.' The Musketeers fought back from a 21-3 deficit to tie the game with three minutes left in regulation, but Chris Mack's club wasn't able to extend their winning streak to 10 games. Xavier has been a solid ATS play recently with a 7-2 ATS mark despite the slip-up against Dayton, while limiting seven of its last nine opponents to 63 points or less. The Musketeers were pointspread poison to start the season at 2-9-1 ATS, but a 12-6 ATS run has given XU backers more confidence down the stretch.

Marquette began Big East play at 4-2 following home wins over West Virginia and Notre Dame, but the Golden Eagles stumbled to a 5-7 mark the final 12 regular season games to finish 9-9 in conference play. The 4-2 start also benefited gamblers with six straight covers at the time, while concluded the season (including the Big East tournament) at 7-7 ATS. The key for Buzz Williams' team is defense, as Marquette has cashed the 'under' in 12 of the last 14 contests.

The Golden Eagles make games exciting in the tournament by losing in each of the last three NCAA Tournaments by a combined seven points (Washington - 2010, Missouri - 2009, Stanford - 2008). Xavier is searching for its fourth straight Sweet 16 appearance after going 6-0 SU/ATS the last six games in the first weekend since 2008.

(3) Syracuse vs. (14) Indiana State

The night wraps up with the Orange trying to avoid an upset in the late game as Syracuse battles an upstart Indiana State squad. The Sycamores were made famous by Larry Bird leading ISU to the title game in 1979, as they are coming off their first Missouri Valley Championship since 2001. The Orange looks for their third straight trip to the Sweet 16, while Syracuse is riding a 6-1 SU run.

Jim Boeheim's club began the season at 18-0, but proceeded to lose six of the next eight games. Syracuse didn't fade away with a late-season surge, while owning a 4-8 ATS mark as a double-digit favorite this season. Playing away from the Carrier Dome turned into a slightly profitable play at 8-6 ATS, as the Orange won 10 of 14 games outside of Syracuse.

Indiana State caught fire at the right time with eight wins in the final nine games, while the lone defeat coming to upstart Morehead State in the Bracket Buster challenge. The Sycamores finished in third place of the MVC, but ran the table in the conference tournament, including an upset of Missouri State in the title game. Indiana State rallied from a halftime deficit, while holding the Bears to 30% shooting from the floor. The Sycamores were a solid play down the stretch for bettors by cashing in eight of the final 10 games, including five straight as underdogs.

Syracuse is listed as a 12-point favorite, while the total is listed at 129. The day games in Cleveland will be televised on TNT before the nigh action moves to TruTV.

vegasinsider.com

Friday's Charlotte Tips
By Brian Edwards

Let’s begin our discussion of the Charlotte pod with none other than Tennessee’s incompetent AD Mike Hamilton, who is the heavy favorite to be named Dumbass of the Week. There’s absolutely no reason for Hamilton to be mentioned in a primer for four NCAA Tournament games Friday, but the knucklehead has forced our hand.

First of all, no AD should make a habit of going on local radio shows to imply that a current head coach is going to be out of a job in the not-too-distant future. Secondly, you certainly don’t pull a stunt like that less than 48 hours before the basketball team takes the court for the NCAA Tournament.

But that’s exactly what Hamilton did on Wednesday when appearing on a Knoxville sports radio show. When asked if Bruce Pearl will return next season, Hamilton said, "We don't know the answer today. We've done a lot of soul searching about the direction of our program and we'll continue to do that and we'll decide after we're out of the NCAA Tournament what direction it is that we're going to go next."

When pressed further, Hamilton said, "We're not going to finish our evaluation until after the season is over."

Instead of focusing on taking on Michigan today, Pearl and his players were subjected to questions galore from the media Thursday about the future of the head coach. And that’s not fair to Tobias Harris on the eve of his first career appearance in the NCAA Tournament. It’s not fair to senior center Brian Williams, who played such a pivotal role in getting the Volunteers to the Elite Eight last season.

Sure, Pearl is the one who created this mess, but he’s done a lot of good things at Tennessee, too. For instance, he’s taken the Vols to the NCAA Tournament in every season of his tenure. He’s led UT to a 4-1 record in first-round games, but the sixth such game will be played with his team distracted due to an inept decision of an AD that should also be on his way out of town (think Lame Chafin’).

As of early this morning, most books were listing Tennessee (19-14 straight up, 13-19 against the spread) as a two-point favorite with a total of 127 ½. The Vols have been listed as a single-digit favorite 12 times this year, posting an abysmal 4-8 spread record.

Michigan (20-13 SU, 20-8 ATS) has been a spread-cover juggernaut since turning its season around on Jan. 27 when it snapped a six-game losing streak by winning at Michigan State. Since then, the Wolverines have cashed tickets at an incredible 12-1 ATS clip.

Tim Hardaway Jr. and Darius Miller have been the catalysts in the team’s late-season surge. Hardaway has scored in double figures 14 consecutive times, averaging 17.8 points per game. Miller is the point guard who creates easy looks for his teammates and scores plenty himself. For the season, Miller is averaging team-highs in points (15.2 PPG) and assists (6.7 APG).

Michigan owns an incredible 13-4 spread record in 17 underdog situations, covering the number in nine straight such spots. The ‘over’ is 15-11-2 overall for Michigan.

UT will be looking to end a five-game losing streak ATS. The Vols have seen the ‘over’ go 6-2 in their last eight outings.

Tip-off is scheduled for 12:40 p.m. Eastern on TruTV.

Duke (30-4 SU, 19-14 ATS) has been installed as a 23-point favorite versus 16th-seeded Hampton, the winner of the MEAC Tournament. These teams will collide at 3:10 p.m. Eastern.

Since I’m passing on this game, the thing I’m going to be looking at the most is Duke freshman point guard Kyrie Irving, who is expected to see 15-20 minutes off the bench in his first game since sustaining a toe injury way back on Dec. 4. Irving was averaging 17.4 points, 5.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game.

Duke bounced back from a loss at North Carolina in its regular-season finale to win three in a row at the ACC Tournament, including a finals victory over the Tar Heels to take two of three against its arch rival. Nolan Smith garnered tournament MVP honors after scoring 20 points and dishing out 10 assists against UNC.

Mike Krzyzewski’s team has been a double-digit ‘chalk’ 23 times, going 13-10 ATS. Duke

Hampton (24-8 SU, 8-3 ATS) took the cash in all three of its MEAC Tourney games, including a 60-55 win over Morgan St. in the finals. Brandon Tunnell scored a team-high 20 points for the Pirates, who also got 12 points from leading scorer Darrion Pellum (17.7 PPG).

Hampton has compiled a 3-1 spread record in four games as an underdog. The Pirates cashed tickets in both of their games as double-digit underdogs, losing 63-56 at Wake Forest as 11 ½-point ‘dogs and winning 77-75 at Colorado St. when catching 10 ½ points. We should also mention that they beat one team in the field, capturing a 51-50 win vs. Boston U.

The ‘under’ is 18-15 overall for Duke, 7-2 in its last nine games.

In the first game of the night session, second-seeded North Carolina (26-7 SU, 15-14-1 ATS) will face Long Island U. as a 17 ½-point favorite. The total is the highest of all the first-round games, listed in the 158-159 range as of early this morning.

UNC has been a double-digit favorite seven times, posting a 3-4 spread record. The Tar Heels have won 19 of their last 23 games. They had nine in a row before losing to the Duke in the finals of the ACC Tourney.

Long Island (27-5 SU, 1-2 ATS) has only lost once since mid-December and brings a 13-game winning streak to Charlotte. The Blackbirds beat Robert Morris 85-82 in overtime to win the Northeast Conference’s automatic bid. Jamal Olasewere led the way with 31 points, 11 rebounds and four steals. C.J. Garner and Jason Brickman added 15 points apiece.

LIU has only played one team in the NCAA field, losing 65-62 at St. Peter’s in a non-lined matchup. Perhaps the best opponent the Blackbirds faced was Northwestern, which beat them by an 81-65 count.

The ‘under’ is 17-12-1 overall for UNC, 2-1 overall for LIU.

The nightcap game will pit Georgia (21-11 SU, 13-15 ATS) against Washington, the winner of the Pac-10 Tournament. Most spots are listing the Huskies as five-point favorites with a total of 141. Gamblers can take UGA to win outright for a plus-200 payout (risk $100 to win $200).

Mark Fox’s team lost a heartbreaker to Alabama in overtime to drop out of the SEC Tournament quarterfinals. However, despite two losses to ‘Bama in six days, the Dawgs got the nod ahead of the Crimson Tide from the Selection Committee. (I agreed with the decision, by the way.)

UGA is led by a pair of future NBA players in junior power forward Trey Thompkins (16.1 PPG, 7.5 RPG) and junior slasher Travis Leslie, who is one of the nation’s premier athletes and the best dunker in the program since Dominique Wilkins. When I think of Leslie, I think of Gerald Wallace, who also hailed from the SEC (Alabama).

Washington (23-10 SU, 15-15-1 ATS) lost three of its last five regular-season games, only to catch fire in Los Angeles and win three in a row. Lorenzo Romar’s squad beat Arizona 77-75 in the finals thanks to Isaiah Thomas’s buzzer-beating jumper in overtime. Thomas finished with 28 points, seven assists and five rebounds against the Wildcats.

UW has been a single-digit ‘chalk’ on 13 occasions, limping to a 5-8 ATS mark. UGA has posted a 6-4 spread record in 10 underdog situations.

B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets

Butler senior power forward Matt Howard scored a layup just before the horn sounded to lift Butler to a 60-58 win over Old Dominion as a two-point underdog in the first game of Thursday’s action. Howard was sensational all day, tying Shelvin Mack for a team-high 15 points. More than anything, though, Howard made all the little plays. He has an incredible nose for the ball and outstanding passing skills for a big man. His tip pass to Andrew Smith for an easy dunk off an offensive rebound was a thing of beauty.

The ‘under’ is on an 8-1 run in Pitt games and a 6-1 roll in Butler’s last seven outings. The total for their second-round showdown is 128. The Panthers are favored by 7 ½ points.

Kentucky freshman Brandon Knight didn’t make a basket from the field until his team’s final possession, making a driving shot with just a few ticks remaining to lift the Wildcats to a 59-57 win over a game Princeton squad. The 116 combined points stayed ‘under’ the 131 ½-point total. The ‘Cats advance into the second round to face West Virginia as 3 ½-point favorites.

Florida and UCLA will meet in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday afternoon for the third time in six years. The Gators won both previous encounters, blasting the Bruins in the 2006 national-championship game and doing the same the following season the national semifinals.

Thursday’s Best Games:
1-Butler 60, ODU 58
2-Kentucky 59, Princeton 57
3-Morehead St. 62, Louisville 61
4-Temple 66, Penn State 64
5-Richmond 69, Vanderbilt 66

vegasinsider.com.

Friday Afternoon NCAA Games

Oakland plays at #7 pace, faced #3 non-conference schedule in country, losing to West Virginia (24), Purdue (15), Illinois (11), Michigan St (1), Ohio State (29) with win at Tennessee. Grizzlies are 18-1 in last 19 games- they’re #3 in EFG%, which counts 3’s as 1.5 hoops- they make 55.8% of their 2-point shots. Texas is #1 in country in defensive efficiency, but was just 4-4 in last eight games (three of four wins by 12+ points); Longhorns are 7-2 in last nine 1st-round games, with six of seven wins by 12+ points (both losses came in 8-9 games). #4 seed in West is just 2-9 vs spread last 11 years, with four SU losses (three in last five years). Texas shoots just 64.5% from line.

Tennessee is 12-14 in its last 26 games since starting season 7-0; they’re 4-7 in last 11 games (no wins by more than 9 points), with Pearl being bigger distraction than any player (suspended 8 games by SEC). Vols shot only 30.4% from arc, figure to see ton of 1-3-1 from clever coach Beilein, whose young Wolverines are 9-4 in last 13 games, winning last five against teams ranked lower than #50 (Vols are #55). Tennessee likes to press; Michigan is ranked #14 in least turnovers. Wolverines make lot of 3’s playing #323 pace, so they work ball on defense, exploiting teams with short attention span (Tennessee is one of those). Big 11 teams are 14-9 vs spread in non-league games where spread is 3 or less points.

Notre Dame starts five seniors; they’re 9-0 vs teams ranked lower than 100th (Akron is #123), with eight of nine wins by 23+ points. Irish are 12-2 in last 14 games, but Akron is 11-1 in its last 12 games, with two of last three wins in OT. Zips are 0-4 vs teams ranked #73 or better (ND is #10), with losses by 13-35-8-8 points (last of those was Dec. 23). MAC double digit underdogs are 20-15 vs spread out of conference this season. Over last six NCAA tourneys, favorites of from 10.5-19 points are 19-22-1 vs spread, 8-11 last 2+ seasons. #2 seeds are 10-14 vs spread in first round last six years. Big East double digit favorites are 26-22 vs spread this year.

Villanova lost its last five games, is 5-10 in its last 15; they're first team since 2006 to get in NCAAs after losing last 4+ games, first team since '85 to get in losing five in row- their last win was in OT vs DePaul, not exactly a quality win. George Mason won 16 of last 17 games, but didn't play team ranked in top 50 (Villanova is still #28); they split pair with #54 ODU. Stokes' health is huge for Wildcats, who are thin and haven't been same since he got hurt. Villanova won four of last five in first round with last loss to Kentucky in '07. Mason makes 39.7% from arc, 12th in country. Big East teams are 9-8 when spread is 2 or less points.

Arizona missed NCAAs LY for first time in quarter century, but reality is, this is only second time since '03 that they're seeded above #8, so the decline was gradual- now they're back behind star F Williams who makes 60% outside arc, 62% inside it. Memphis coach Pastner played/coached at Arizona; his Tigers finished 4th in Conference USA, but beat UTEP in El Paso to win its conference tourney. #5-seeds are 4-8 vs spread in first round last three years. Only one senior in rotation for both teams. C-USA road underdogs of less than 8 points are 12-10 vs spread. Pac-10 road favorites of less than 7 points are 2-8 vs spread this season.

No 16-seed has ever beaten a #1, but Hampton (2001) is last 15-seed to upset a #2 (Iowa State); Pirates only played one team all year ranked in top 150- they lost to Colorado State by hoop on a neutral floor. MEAC teams lost last nine first round games, but only one of nine losses was by more than 22 points, in '09 when Morgan State lost by 28 to Blake Griffin's Oklahoma. Duke is 12-1 in last 13 first-round games, with eight of 12 wins by 24+ points. #1 seeds are 10-6 vs spread last four years. Since 1998, Duke is 5-3 vs spread in first round when a #1 seed.

Florida State isn't good tournament team, losing last five ACC/NCAA games by 10-2-7-6-1 points; their last NCAA tournament win was '98 as a 12-seed vs TCU. Texas A&M won first round game in each of last five tourneys, winning by 8-16-5-13-16 points. Aggies started year 16-1 with only loss to ACC's Boston College on neutral court; they're 2-3 last five games- they're one of few teams in country that scores higher %age of points from foul line than behind arc. Seminoles are #2 defensive team in country; injured star Singleton was upset he didn't play last weekend, so he should go. ACC teams are 12-8 in games where spread is 3 or less.

Tex-San Antonio led by 27 at half in play-in game Wednesday, survived minor scare, advance to play #1 seed Ohio State in Cleveland, virtually a true road game. Roadrunners are 0-2 vs top 100 teams, losing to Tulsa by 25, Oklahoma State by 16. Southland teams ae 1-5 in this round last six years, with only one loss by more than 15 points. Buckeyes could be looking ahead to whoever wins Villanova-George Mason game. Big 11 double digit favorites are 18-17 vs spread this season. #1 seeds are 8-4 vs spread last three years, but #1 seed East region in just 5-13-1 in first round over the last 19 years.

Friday Night NCAA Games

Kansas is 7-0 vs teams ranked lower than 150th, winning by 38-33-41-57-25-27-47 points. Jayhawks won last eight games (3-4-1 vs spread), are 6-6 vs spread as non-conference favorite this year. Boston U is 0-3 vs top 100 teams, losing by 16 to Villanova, 34 to Kentucky, by 16 at Hawai'i. #1 seeds are 9-4 vs spread in last 13 tournament games. Big 12 favorites of 20+ points are 9-7 vs spread this season. Since 2008, first-round favorites of 20+ points are 8-2 vs spread. America East teams lost last five tournament games, by 13-27-19-24-23 points.

LIU plays at #4 pace in America, so Blackbirds won't back down, but LIU is 0-2 vs top 100 teams, losing 81-65 to Northwestern and 88-82 to Iona- they've won 13 games in row and 21 of 22, leading US in getting to foul line (even though they shoot only 64.5% from foul line). North Carolina is 7-0 vs teams ranked lower than 100th (LIU is #121), winning by 14-44-11-27-25-49-14 points. UNC is 14-2 in its last 16 games, with both losses to Duke. #2 seeds are 11-7 vs spread in this round since '07. ACC double digit favorites are 23-25 against the spread this season.

Purdue suspended backup PG Barlow this week, which will hurt their defense; Boilers lost last two games, scoring 65-56 points-- if you read between lines, this team may have internal problems, but they shouldn't be fatal against St Peter's squad that finished 4th in MAAC. Peacocks turn ball over 23.4% of time (321nd out of 345 teams in US), they're so much better on defense than offense- if they can protect ball, they can keep this close. St Peter's played #66 non-league schedule, with a 50-49 win over Alabama the highlight. Purdue is 8-0 vs teams ranked lower than #100, winning by 36-55-22-19-18-20-13-25 points.

Xavier has survived lot of injuries to post 24-7 record, so much so that they've used their bench less than any team in America; Musketeers won 16 of last 18 games, but did get upset in first A-14 tourney game, 68-67 to Dayton. Xavier split pair vs Big East foes, losing to Cincinnati by 20 in inner-city rivalry, beating Seton Hall by 5. Marquette is 2-3 in its last five games, 4-7 in last 11 neutral/road games; they're not good defending the 3-pointer (36.3%, 272nd) or shooting it (318th in %age of points on 3's). Big East underdogs of 4 or less points are 6-5 against the spread.

UNLV is 0-5 vs BYU/San Diego State, 24-3 vs everyone else, with win over Wisconsin last fall; Rebels do everything well but shoot 3's (33.3%, 225th in US); they've won six of last seven games, but are just 3-6 when facing top 35 teams (3-1 vs non-league teams in top 35). Illinois is 9-12 in last 21 games after starting out 10-1; they're 334th in US in getting to foul line. Illini 1-8 in last nine road/neutral games, 1-6 in their last seven games vs top 36 teams- they've been a disappointment. Big 11 clubs are 7-11 vs spread when number was 3 or less points. Teams from MWC are 10-11 vs spread in games where spread was 4 or less points.

Washington lost PG Gaddy during season, then suspended Overton last week for Pac-10 tourney, which they won, but Overton is back now- is that good news? Huskies lost to Kentucky by 7 on Maui in their only games vs SEC foe- they covered one of last six games as a favorite, and are 4-6 vs spread in last 10 road/neutral games. Georgia is an experienced team with little depth but they have two NBA players; Dawgs are 0-3 in OT this year, losing to Notre Dame/Florida/Alabama. Pac-10 favorites of less than 7 points are 9-14 vs spread, 2-9 on road. SEC underdogs of 5+ points are 6-14-1 vs spread. Not crazy about Washington's chemistry, or fact that they're travelled over 2,100 miles to get to Charlotte.

Georgetown lost its last four games, scoring 51.5 ppg with PG Wright out (hand); he is expected to play here, but is he 100% and how much has he practiced? Big East favorites of less than 7 points are 26-21 vs spread this season. CAA road underdogs of less than 7 points are 15-10 vs spread. VCU held USC to 46 points in play-in win Wednesday; they at least get night game here, instead of noon game Clemson had. CAA teams don't often get a shot at the mighty Hoyas; five of VCU's last seven games were decided by seven or less points. Rams made 9 of 24 from arc had 15 offensive boards vs athletic foe in Wednesday's win.

Indiana State won/covered its last eight games- they haven't played in 12 days. Syracuse plays their 2-3 zone, so you need to shoot 3's to upset them, like Seton Hall did; Indiana State makes 35.5% from arc and gets over 30% of its points from arc, so they're capable. Sycamores are 0-2 vs teams in top 30, losing to Purdue by 13, Notre Dame by 9. Big East double digit favorites are 27-21 this season. MVC double digit underdogs are 4-7 vs spread. #3-seeds are 11-7 vs spread in first round since '07; #3-seed in East is 6-12 vs spread in first round last 18 years. Syracuse beat UNI by 22 in its only game vs MVC team this season.