Tournament News and Notes Thursday 3/17

Southwest Region: Day 1 Preview and Picks

Where, when and on what channel: Denver, Colorado | 1:40 p.m. ET on TBS

Odds: -9.5, 131

THE STORY: Rebounding, ball control and 3-point shooting figure to make the difference when Louisville and Morehead State meet Thursday in Denver. The Cardinals, who exceeded expectations this season in a rough-and-tumble Big East Conference, are almost always outsized. Because of injuries, Rick Pitino plays what is essentially a four-guard lineup. Like most Pitino teams, though, Louisville excels in pressure defense and 3-point shooting. Morehead State presents an intriguing match-up. Led by the nation’s top rebounder, Kenneth Faried, the Eagles have dominated this season on the boards, but average more turnovers than assists.

PREDICTION: Louisville 72, Morehead State 59. Even if the Cardinals’ 3-pointers aren’t falling, they should be able to create extra scoring opportunities with their defense. Morehead State gives up more than 15 turnovers per game.

Richmond (12) vs. Vanderbilt (5)

Odds: -2, 135.5

Where, when and on what channel: Denver, Colorado | 4:10 p.m. ET on TBS

THE STORY: Though Vanderbilt enters Thursday’s second-round game in the NCAA tournament at Denver as a slight favorite, Richmond has the hot hand. While the Commodores were slogging their way through the tail end of the SEC season with three losses in their last four regular-season games, the Spiders were finishing strong. Richmond has won seven straight and nine of its last 10, including the Atlantic 10 tournament championship. None of the Spiders’ last six opponents have scored 60 points.

PREDICTION: Vanderbilt 68, Richmond 67. The Commodores have the inside edge, and though the Spiders’ defense has been stingy in recent games, Vanderbilt’s offense is well-equipped to find scoring opportunities.

Kansas Jayhawks (1) vs. Boston University Terriers (16)

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.

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.

Southeast Region: Day 1 Preview and Picks

THE STORY: UNC-Asheville hopes momentum from its thrilling play-in victory carries over against a heavily favored Pittsburgh team that's trying to regain footing for a deep run in the tournament. If UNC-Asheville's guards stay hot, things could get interesting.

TV: truTV, 3 p.m. EDT. ODDS: Pittsburgh -17.5

PREDICTION: Pittsburgh 79, UNC-Asheville 61 -- Given the two teams' recent trends, this is not a typical 1 vs. 16 mismatch. It might take Pitt a while to get untracked, but outmanned UNC-Asheville won't be able to ride emotion for 40 minutes.

Old Dominion (9) vs. Butler (8)

Odds: +2, 122.5

Where, when and on what channel: Washington, D.C. | 12:40 p.m. ET on truTV

THE STORY: Butler and Old Dominion bring nine-game winning streaks, ferocious defenses and Cinderella potential into this matchup of mid-major tournament champions on Thursday in Washington. Butler has won both meetings - in the 1999 NIT and the 2007 NCAA tournament.

PREDICTION: Old Dominion 68, Butler 64. While the two squads are tormenting each other on defense, the Monarchs' rebounding advantage should give them enough extra possessions to make the difference.

Wofford (14) vs. BYU (3)

Odds: -8, 146.5

Where, when on and what channel: Denver, Colorado | 7:15 p.m. ET on CBS

THE STORY: The play of Jimmer Fredette has been one of the main storylines of the college basketball season, and the Brigham Young standout can further his big game reputation in the NCAA tournament when Brigham Young opens with Wofford on Thursday in Denver. Fredette leads the nation in scoring at 28.5 points per game, and seemingly topped himself by scoring a career-best 52 points Friday against New Mexico. However, Wofford won’t rate as an easy contest for the third-seeded Cougars. The 14th-seeded Terriers nearly upset Wisconsin in last year’s NCAA tournament, and played a tough non-conference schedule in anticipation of again being part of the NCAA field.

PREDICTION: BYU 73, Wofford 66. The Terriers come close to the upset, but some second-half magic by The Jimmer saves the Cougars.

Gonzaga (11) vs. St. John's (6)

Odds: -1.5, 135.5

Where, when and on what channel: Denver, Colorado | 9:45 p.m. ET on CBS

THE STORY: When Gonzaga upset St. John’s in the second round of the 2000 NCAA tournament, St. John’s was the school that regularly participated in the event and Gonzaga was still an upstart. The roles are reversed Thursday in Denver when sixth-seeded St. John’s makes its first NCAA appearance in nine years against the Bulldogs, who are making their 13th consecutive appearance. The Red Storm had a surprise 21-win season in Steve Lavin’s first as coach and pulled off several impressive victories, including an attention-grabbing late-January upset of Duke. Gonzaga, seeded 11th, was having a down year until finishing with a flourish by winning its last nine games. St. John’s suffered a major blow during the Big East tournament when it lost starting forward D.J. Kennedy to a season-ending knee injury.

PREDICTION: St. John’s 68, Gonzaga 66. Hardy has been on a scoring roll, and the senior continues his career by hitting a game-winning shot in the final half-minute to send Gonzaga home early.

Utah State (12) vs. Kansas State (5)

Odds: -2, 128.5

Where, when and on what channel: Tucson, Arizona | 9:45 p.m. ET on truTV

THE STORY: Kansas State looked to be in jeopardy of not making the NCAA field when February began, but the Wildcats won eight of their last 10 to earn a fifth seed in the Southeast region. Senior guard Jacob Pullen had a lot to do with that, putting the team on his back at times, and many think the Wildcats are dangerous. Still, Kansas State lost in the Big 12 tournament quarterfinals, and it won’t be easy to get past the first game in the NCAAs at the McKale Center in Tucson, Ariz. against under-rated No. 12 seed Utah State. The Aggies have won their last eight games, and 21-of-22, to take the WAC’s automatic bid. It should be a battle under the boards. Both teams are rated in the top 12 in the nation in rebounding margin.

PREDICTION: Kansas State 66, Utah State 61 – Pullen and Kelly are not playing like they want their careers to end just yet. They will find a way.

Belmont (13) vs. Wisconsin (4)

Odds: -4.5, 126.5

Where, when and on what channel: Tucson, Arizona | 7:27 p.m. ET on truTV

THE STORY: You have to wonder about Wisconsin after its last two games. The Badgers lost by 28 at Ohio State, then scored just 33 points and made 2-of-21 from behind the 3-point arc in losing to Penn State in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals. Or, you can just throw both games out and look at their impressive body of work. Wisconsin had won 11 of 13 games before the recent slide and is one of two teams who have beaten No. 1 Ohio State. Belmont will be no pushover, though. The Bruins can score and are one of the country’s best defensive teams. Belmont has also shown it can play with teams from major conferences, taking Tennessee to the wire twice and losing by nine at Vanderbilt.

PREDICTION: Wisconsin 64, Belmont 55 – Point-guard play and free-throw shooting are so important in the NCAA tournament and the Badgers have the edge in both areas.

Michigan State (10) vs. UCLA (7)

Odds: +1.5, 125

Where when and on what channel: Tampa, Florida | 9:20 p.m. ET on TBS

THE STORY: A pair of enigmatic teams with huge reputations begin play in the Southeast Region Thursday in Tampa, Fla. Tenth-seeded Michigan State, which reached the national championship game in 2009, meets the storied program of UCLA, which has won 11 NCAA titles and 99 games in the tournament. The seventh-seeded Bruins last reached the Final Four in 2008 and are back in the field after a one-year hiatus. UCLA won 10 of 12 games midway through the Pac-10 slate, moving into a tie for first place in the conference standings before settling for a second-place finish. Michigan State began the season in the national title picture but had to win two games in the Big Ten tournament to earn an NCAA bid.

PREDICTION: UCLA 64, Michigan State 58 – The lower-seeded Spartans are favored because they have tons of tournament experience. But this year’s team relies too much on guard Kalin Lucas, who set career highs in scoring, and minutes, but a career low in assists. UCLA is inconsistent but more talented.

UC Santa Barbara (15) vs. Florida (2)

Odds: -12.5, 127.5

Where when and on what channel: Tampa, Florida | 6:50 p.m. ET on TBS

THE STORY: Only four No. 15 seeds have won games in the history of the NCAA tournament, and with Thursday’s game between Florida and Cal-Santa Barbara being held in Tampa, Fla. don’t expect the fifth to take place here. Florida coach Billy Donovan is 22-8 in NCAA play and won back-to-back titles in 2006-07. These Gators aren’t as good as those teams and were a surprise No. 2 seed, but they seem poised to make a run in this region. UCSB won the Big West tournament to earn its bid and has an RPI of 157.

PREDICTION: Florida 72, UCSB 58. UCSB coach Bob Williams says the Gauchos have the talent to win a couple of game in the tournament this year. You have to wonder why they were just 8-8 in the Big West during the season.

West Region: Day 1 Preview and Picks

Odds: -2.5, 122

Where, when and on what channel: Tucson, Arizona | 2:10 p.m. ET on TNT

THE STORY: Separated by fewer than 200 miles in Pennsylvania, No. 7 Temple and No. 10 Penn State will travel more than 2,000 miles to play Thursday’s second-round game of the NCAA tournament in Tucson. Penn State earned an at-large bid after its impressive run to the Big Ten tournament final, while Temple looks for its first NCAA tournament win since 2001 after losing to Richmond in the Atlantic 10 semifinals.

PREDICTION: Penn State 61, Temple 58. While Temple awaits word on Randall’s injured foot, Penn State is healthy and peaking at the right time. Even if Randall plays, he is unlikely to be a major factor after missing seven games. Penn State looks to be in good position to hand Temple coach Fran Dunphy his 12th straight NCAA tournament loss.

Missouri (11) vs. Cincinnati (6)

Odds: -1, 137.5

Where, when and on what channel: Washington, D.C. | 9:50 p.m. ET on TNT

THE STORY: Defense will be the star attraction when No. 6 seed Cincinnati takes on No. 11 seed Missouri on Thursday in Washington, D.C., in a West Region matchup of teams looking to bounce back from disappointing performances in last week's conference tournaments. Although both teams pride themselves on defense, they do so in starkly different manners. The Bearcats like to grind it out - they rank eighth in the nation in scoring defense at 59.2 points per game; the Tigers play at a break-neck pace and rank ninth in the nation in scoring at 81.4 points, largely a result of defense.

PREDICTION: Missouri 70, Cincinnati 68. Both teams rely on their defense to feed their offense, and the Tigers have more experience on this stage, so their guards should be better equipped to take care of the ball in crunch time.

Bucknell (14) vs. Connecticut (3)

Odds: -10, 132

Where, when and on what channel: Washington, D.C. | 7:20 p.m. ET on TNT

THE STORY: After leading his team to five wins in five days at Madison Square Garden, junior guard Kemba Walker carries Connecticut into the NCAA tournament as the No. 3 seed in the West Region. The red-hot Huskies will open play Thursday in Washington, D.C., against Patriot League champion Bucknell, a team with a reputation as an upset-minded underdog that was forged in a similar situation. The Bison are back in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2006, when they reached the second round for the second consecutive year before losing to No. 1 seed Memphis. The year before, Bucknell pulled off a huge upset as a No. 14 seed when it beat No. 3 seed Kansas in the first round before losing to Wisconsin. It is only the fifth appearance for the Bison, though, while Connecticut has become an NCAA tournament staple under coach Jim Calhoun.

PREDICTION: Connecticut 69, Bucknell 60. The Huskies might be running out of gas after last week's grueling stretch, but Walker will be the best player on the floor, and he'll make sure UConn has enough in the tank to advance.

Northern Colorado (15) vs. San Diego State (2)

Odds: -15.5, 130

Where, when and on what channel: Tucson, Arizona | 4:40 p.m. ET on TNT

THE STORY: San Diego State aims for its first NCAA tournament victory in school history when the Aztecs meet No. 15 Northern Colorado on Thursday in Tucson, Ariz. San Diego State earned a No. 2 seed after beating Brigham Young in the Mountain West tournament final, giving the Aztecs a school-record 32 wins. Northern Colorado is attempting to become the first No. 15 seed to win in 10 years.

PREDICTION: San Diego State 81, Northern Colorado 62. Northern Colorado didn’t beat anyone ranked in the RPI Top 100 (0-4), and San Diego State’s frontcourt should dominate against the Bears.Devon Beitzel might be able to keep Northern Colorado close for a while, but it won’t be nearly enough against the talented Aztecs.

Duke Blue Devils (1) vs. Hampton Pirates (16)

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, truTV 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, truTV 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.

Thursday's Tampa Tips
By Brian Edwards

The quadruple-header at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa starts Thursday afternoon when fifth-seeded West Virginia (20-11 straight up, 12-16 against the spread) takes on Clemson at 12:15 p.m. Eastern on CBS.

The Tigers earned the No. 12 seed by trouncing UAB 70-52 as 4½-point favorites in Tuesday’s First Four game in Dayton. Jerai Grant scored a career-high 22 points and Brad Brownell’s team raced out to a double-digit lead and never let the Blazers get closer than eight after the opening minutes.

Trailing 5-4 in the early going, Clemson (22-11 SU, 14-13-2 ATS) went on a 21-2 run thanks mainly to several buckets from Tanner Smith, who finished in double figures along with Milton Jennings and Devon Booker. In leading the school to its first NCAA Tournament win since 1997, Brownell surpassed the number of NCAA wins by his predecessor, Oliver Purnell.

The Tigers didn’t get to the airport for a flight to Tampa until well past midnight Eastern, less than 36 hours before their next game. “We'll go to the mandatory shootaround (on Wednesday) but certainly that will be the only physical thing that we do,'' Brownell told the Associated Press. “I'll have to watch film through the night, obviously.''

Bob Huggins’ team went to the Final Four last season before being eliminated by Duke. Prior to that, WVU upset top-seeded Kentucky in the Elite Eight round thanks to a career-high 17 points from Joe Mazzulla.

The Mountaineers went into last year’s tournament after cutting the nets down at MSG by winning the Big East Tourney. But this year they were sent home on Wednesday by Marquette, which rallied to beat WVU 67-61 as a 2½-point underdog.

WVU has a balanced scoring attack but doesn’t have as much depth as last year’s team, going just eight deep. Casey Mitchell averages a team-high 14.1 points per game, while Kevin Jones averages 13.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.

The ‘under’ is 18-10-1 overall for Clemson, cashing at a 10-3-1 clip in its last 14 games. As for the ‘Neers, they have seen the ‘under’ go 15-12 overall, 6-1 in their last seven outings.

As of early Wednesday morning, there wasn’t a line out yet for WVU-Clemson.

The second game will feature fourth-seeded Kentucky, the winner of the SEC Tournament, against Princeton, the Ivy League champion which beat Harvard in a one-game playoff played on Yale’s campus this past Saturday.

Most betting shops are listing Kentucky (25-8 SU, 13-14-1 ATS) as a 13-point favorite with a total of 131. Gamblers can back the Tigers to win outright for a plus-850 return (risk $100 to win $850).

John Calipari’s team has been on fire since losing in overtime at Arkansas on Feb. 23, winning six in a row while going 3-2-1 ATS. The Wildcats trounced a red-hot Florida team 70-54 in the finals of the SEC Tournament on Sunday at the Ga. Dome. Brandon Knight scored 17 points and dished out four assists, while Terrence Jones scored 16 points, grabbed seven rebounds and swatted away three blocked shots.

This will be the eighth time UK has been installed as a double-digit favorite. The ‘Cats are 4-4 ATS in such situations.

Kentucky has struggled away from Rupp Arena this year, going 2-6 both SU and ATS in eight SEC road games. On the bright side, however, Calipari’s bunch won three straight games on a neutral court in Atlanta this past weekend, not to mention neutral-floor wins over Washington and Oklahoma and a win at Louisville in non-conference play.

Princeton (25-6 SU, 15-12 ATS) played from behind against Harvard nearly the entire game yet had a chance to win with the ball on the baseline with 2.8 ticks remaining. Junior guard Doug Davis took the inbound pass and took two dribbles, gave a shot fake, and then drained a 15-footer from the left wing that beat the horn and ended a seven-year NCAA drought for the Tigers.

Sydney Johnson’s team has faced just two teams in the field, Duke and Bucknell. Princeton lost 97-60 at Cameron Indoor Stadium when Kyrie Irving was still in the lineup. The Tigers beat Bucknell 66-55 as 4½-point ‘chalk’ at a neutral site.

Princeton has been a double-digit underdog twice, failing to cover as a 23½-point ‘dog in the aforementioned defeat against the Blue Devils. But the Tigers took the money in a 68-62 loss at UCF as 11-point ‘dogs. They also won outright at Tulsa and at Siena when catching points.

The ‘under’ is 15-11-2 overall for UK, 4-1 in its last five games. On the flip side, the ‘over’ is 14-11 overall for Princeton, 5-2 in its last seven outings.

This game is expected to tip off at around 2:45 p.m. Eastern on CBS.

The first game of the evening session will come off the board at 6:50 p.m. Eastern when Florida (26-7 SU, 14-14-1 ATS) and UC-Santa Barbara collide. Most spots have the Gators listed as 12½-point favorites with a total of 128. The Gauchos are plus-700 on the money line (risk $100 to win $700).

Billy Donovan’s team earned the No. 2 seed thanks to winning the SEC regular-season championship and posting an 11-3 record against RPI Top 50 teams. UF posted a pair of quality wins against Tennessee and Vanderbilt at the SEC Tournament. In both games, the hot shooting of guards Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker helped the Gators explode past the Vols and Commodores to double-digit victories after trailing at halftime in both contests.

Boynton and Walker are the explosive scorers for UF, but senior forward Chandler Parsons earned SEC Player of the Year honors thanks to his versatile play. Parsons, along with fellow seniors Vernon Macklin and Alex Tyus, are still looking for the first NCAA Tournament win of their careers.

UF lost to BYU in double overtime of an epic first-round game last season. Boynton scored a team-high 26 points before fouling out in the second extra session. Parsons finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, but he missed a clean look at the basket on a 12-foot shot at the end of regulation.

UCSB (18-13 SU, 14-15 ATS) won the Big West Tournament by winning three straight games both SU and ATS, including a 64-56 triumph over Long Beach St. as a 3 ½-point underdog in the finals. Orlando Johnson scored 23 points to pace the winners, while Jaime Serna added 14 points and eight rebounds.

Johnson went off in the Big West Tourney, scoring 32 and 30 points in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively. The transfer from Loyola-Marymount averages 21.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.

UF has been listed as a double-digit ‘chalk’ eight times, limping to an atrocious 1-7 spread record in those eight situations. Meanwhile, UCSB went 1-1 ATS in a pair of double-digit ‘dog spots. The Gauchos, who are 4-4 ATS in eight games as underdogs, lost 90-64 at San Diego St. as 14½-point puppies. In their other game as double-digit ‘dogs, they won outright at UNLV by a 68-62 score.

The ‘over’ had hit in seven straight UF games until its loss to Kentucky in the SEC Tourney finals. For the season, the Gators have watched the ‘over’ go 17-11 overall. Totals have been a complete wash in UCSB games (14-14), although we’ll mention a 4-2 run for the ‘under’ in its last six games.

The final game in Tampa will pit seventh-seeded UCLA from out of the Pac-10 against the Big Ten’s Michigan State. Most books are listing the Spartans as two-point favorites with a total of 125.

Michigan St. (19-14 SU, 11-20-1 ATS) had a disappointing campaign, starting the year in the top five only to have to scratch its way into the field with a couple of late-season victories. The Spartans stroked Purdue 74-56 as seven-point underdogs in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals. Who knows if they get ‘in’ without that victory?

UCLA (22-10 SU, 16-15-1 ATS) won 13 of its last 17 games, posting an 11-6 spread record in the process. But the Bruins hurt their seeding by losing to Oregon 76-59 as seven-point favorites in the Pac-10 Tourney quarterfinals.

Ben Howland’s team has five players that average at least 9.4 PPG. Reeves Nelson averages team-highs in scoring (13.9 PPG) and rebounding (8.9 RPG). Malcolm Lee is a combo guard who scores 13.0 points per game.

MSU is led by senior guard Kalin Lucas, who averages a team-high 17.2 PPG. The team’s best low-post threat is Draymond Green, who averages 12.3 points and 8.6 boards per contest.

The ‘under’ is 20-12 overall for MSU, 7-2 in its last nine games. The ‘under’ is 17-14 overall for the Bruins, 8-3 in their last 11 outings.

Thursday's D.C. Tips
By Judd Hall

We’re done with the foolishness of the play-in games. Now we can focus on sweating out our favorite teams and the cash we have staked in our office brackets in earnest. The NCAA tournament gets underway in the pod sites. Let’s look at all the happenings at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.

It all starts at 12:40 p.m. EDT on TruTV (DirecTV 246), when eighth-seeded Old Dominion (24-9 straight up, 14-14-2 ATS) takes on Butler.

The Monarchs earned their spot in the big dance on the heels of winning the Colonial Athletic Association tourney with a 70-65 win over Virginia Commonwealth as 4½-point favorites. Frank Hassell pushed ODU over the top with 22 points and nine boards.

Bettors have enjoyed backing ODU during its recent play. It’s hard not to see why as they’re on a 9-0 SU and 7-1-1 ATS run in its last nine games. The ‘over’ is 6-2-1 in that stretch.

Butler (21-9 SU, 15-13-2 ATS) is going to have a tough time recreating the magic they had from last year’s national title game run. But they started this year with a noticeable hangover after losing to Duke last April, and then Gordon Hayward to the NBA.

The Bulldogs have rebounded when it mattered most though by closing out the year with a 9-0 SU and 5-3-1 ATS mark to win the Horizon League championship. They dumped Wisconsin-Milwaukee 59-44 at U.S. Cellular Arena as 4½-point favorites on March 8. Matt Howard helped pace Butler with 18 points and five rebounds. Meanwhile, his teammates helped keep the Panthers to just 30 percent shooting from the field and turn the ball over 16 times.

Most sportsbooks have opened up the Monarchs as two-point favorites with a total of 122½. You can take Butler to win this test for a plus-110 (risk $100 to win $110) return.

There isn’t much history between these two teams, but it is all about the Bulldogs. Butler has won and covered the spread in both of its meetings against ODU, which happened in the first round of the NCAA tourney in 1999 and 2007.

The Bulldogs have only been underdogs six times this season, but they’ve been worth backing. Butler has gone 3-3 SU and 4-1-1 ATS in those contests, with the ‘over’ going 5-1.

Old Dominion is 12-2 SU and 8-5-1 ATS in its 14 games as a single-digit “chalk,” with the ‘over’ going 9-3-1.

The second battle of the day has the top-seed Panthers taking on UNC-Asheville (20--13 SU, 3-1-1 ATS) at 3:10 p.m. EDT on TruTV.

The oddsmakers are siding strong with Jamie Dixon’s crew by making them a 17½-point favorite with a total of 135. For those of you looking to piss your money away can grab the Bulldogs for the historic upset at plus-2000 (risk $100 to win $2000).

Pittsburgh (27-5 SU, 14-13 ATS) held off the Fighting Irish to win the regular season crown in the Big East. But the Panthers fell to the double-bye and a charmed UConn side 76-74 as 5½-point favorites on March 10. Ashton Gibbs led the Cats with 27 points and four assists, while Brad Wanamaker had 17 points and five boards. Yet they couldn’t figure a way to stop Kemba Walker from scoring 24 points, including his dramatic buzzer-beater.

UNC-Asheville makes it to the second round of the tourney after a strong 81-77 overtime win over Arkansas-Little Rock in the play-in game in Dayton on Tuesday night. Matt Dickey and J.P. Primm came to play for the Bulldogs with 22 points each. Dickey scored 14 of UNCA’s last 18 points in regulation to force the extra session. Not bad for a team that lead for just 51 seconds during the regulation. There wasn’t much time to celebrate the win since they were literally in the air on a chartered flight a couple of hours after the win for this contest.

The win against the Trojans was UNC-Asheville’s first triumph over a tournament team in three tries this season. Pittsburgh hasn’t been that great a wager this season as a double-digit favorite, going 9-1 SU and 5-5 ATS. The ‘under’ is 5-4 in that stretch.

We open up the evening session with Connecticut (26-9 SU, 18-11 ATS) facing off with Bucknell at 7:20 p.m. EDT on TNT.

Most sportsbooks have listed the Huskies as 10½-point favorites with a total of 132½. The Bison can be had at plus-450 (risk $100 to win $450) to reach the second round.

UConn wasn’t expected to win the Big East tournament last week at Madison Square Garden, having lost three of its last five games. But credit Jim Calhoun’s squad with winning five games in five days to cut down the nets by beating Louisville 69-66 as a three-point pup in overtime last Saturday. Walker had just 19 points for Connecticut to cement his MVP performance at the tourney.

Bucknell (25-8 SU, 3-3 ATS) enters the NCAA tournament as the class of the Patriot League, winning both the regular season and the conference tournament to gain immediate access. The Bison punched their ticket with a strong 72-57 win over Lafayette as nine-point favorites last Friday. Mike Muscala led the way for Bucknell with 18 points and four rebounds. Plus, they held Lafayette to just 22 percent shooting from the three-point line.

The Bison have a bit of a reputation of slaying giants in the big dance. They beat Arkansas in the first round of the ’06 tourney. And the year before, Bucknell stunned the third-seeded Jayhawks in Oklahoma City. Plus, they are 2-3 SU and 0-1 ATS versus teams that are in this year’s tournament field.

UConn closed the year with a 5-0 SU and ATS run because of the epic run through the Big East tournament. But this is a group that went 4-0 SU and 3-1 as a double-digit favorite this season.

Our final game at the Verizon Center pits sixth-seeded Cincinnati from the Big East against the Big XII’s Missouri (22-9 SU, 12-15-1 ATS) at 9:50 p.m. EDT on TNT. The betting shops have this game too close to call by making it a pick ‘em.

Cincinnati (25-8 SU, 15-13 ATS) had a fairly good campaign, but all people can look at is the last game. That’s not good for the Bearcats as they got beat down bad by Notre Dame 89-51 as 2½-point underdogs in the Big East tournament. They would have been in the big dance regardless of that loss because of good wins against UConn, Georgetown, Louisville and St. John’s. Yet the high seeding is directly in tune with playing in a conference that everyone falls over to credit.

The Tigers have to thank the good lord that they’re in the tournament. Mizzou is one of the coldest teams making it into the NCAA tournament, having gone 1-4 SU and 0-4-1 ATS. Missouri’s last defeat coming to the Aggies as a three-point favorite 86-71 on March 10. Perhaps it’s because Mike Anderson’s team doesn’t play a lick of defense, ranking 265th with 71.4 points allowed per game.

The ‘over’ is 15-13 for the year for Missouri. However, they’ve seen the ‘under’ hit 5-4 in its last nine matches. Cincy has seen the ‘under’ go 6-3 in its final nine tests of the season.

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Thursday's Tucson Tips
By Kevin Rogers

The Tucson pod doesn't exactly have the biggest names playing at the McKale Center on Thursday, but three of the four games involve pointspreads of less than five points, which should make for some intriguing action. With the tipoffs starting a little later out in Arizona, the first game features a pair of teams from the Keystone State entering this tournament as at-large qualifiers.

(7) Temple vs. (10) Penn State

The Owls and Nittany Lions start the action in Tucson as these intrastate rivals meet for the first time since Temple's 45-42 victory over Penn State on December 5, 2009. These clubs make up the bottom part of the West Regional, which moves onto the Honda Center in Anaheim for the Sweet 16 next week.

Temple finished second in the Atlantic-10 with a 14-2 conference mark before getting tripped up by fellow NCAA tournament participant Richmond, 58-54 in the second round of the conference tourney. The Owls started the season at 8-4 ATS, including outright victories over Georgia, Maryland, and Georgetown. Temple finished the regular season at 7-9 ATS inside of A-10 play, while splitting a pair of games in the conference tournament.

Penn State was able to solidify a berth in the Big Dance thanks to a strong showing in the Big 10 tournament. The Nittany Lions knocked off Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan State before falling short against the eventual top-seed in the NCAA Tournament with a 71-60 setback to Ohio State in the conference title game. Penn State is 7-2-1 ATS the last 10 games, while finishing the season at 10-4 ATS the last 14 opportunities as an underdog.

The last time these teams met in the tournament was 10 years ago when Temple eliminated Penn State in the Sweet 16 by an 84-72 count as 4 ½-point favorites (also last instance when the Nittany Lions were in the Big Dance). The Owls look to advance past the first round (now the second round) for the first time since 2001 as Temple has been bounced in the opening round each of the last three seasons (Cornell turned the trick last March in a 78-65 victory).

Temple is listed as 2½-point favorites at most spots with the total set at 121 ½.

(2) San Diego State vs. (15) Northern Colorado

There is plenty of regional interest in this matchup with two teams that aren't traveling terribly far for their second round showdown. The Aztecs finished the season with five straight wins, including a trouncing of conference rival BYU to claim the Mountain West title and automatic berth. San Diego State is facing a team that is headed to its first ever NCAA Tournament, while the Aztecs try to avoid becoming the fifth No. 2 seed to lose to a No. 15 seed in the history of the Big Dance.

Northern Colorado is in only their fourth season of Division I postseason eligibility after winning the Big Sky tournament championship over Montana. The Bears are led by guard Devon Beitzel, who claimed the Big Sky MVP as he led the conference in scoring with 21.4 ppg. UNC compiled a 4-7-1 ATS mark the final 12 games of the season, while cashing the 'over' in its last six lined games. The Bears faced two tournament teams during the regular season by losing at Arizona and Illinois, while cashing as 20½-point 'dogs in a 10-point defeat to the Illini.

San Diego State has won 12 of its last 13 games, including a three-game sweep of the Mountain West tournament. Steve Fisher's club dropped just two games all season, both coming to BYU in the regular season. The Aztecs went 9-9 ATS as double-digit favorites, with a 3-3 ATS ledger against teams from outside their conference. Overall, SDSU finished 11th in the country with a 20-12 ATS mark, the highest ranking of any second seed or better in the tournament.

The Aztecs have fallen short in each of their last three opportunities in the Big Dance with losses to Tennessee (2010), Indiana (2006), and Illinois (2002). Fisher's squad was squeezed in each of their last two trips, losing by four to the Hoosiers and by just three last March to the Volunteers.

San Diego State is listed as 15½-point favorites, while the total is set at 130.

(4) Wisconsin vs. (13) Belmont

The second Big 10 team to take the court in Tucson is Bo Ryan's Wisconsin Badgers, who scored a paltry 33 points in a three-point loss to Penn State in the conference quarterfinals. The Badgers look to bounce back against the regular season and tournament champions of the Atlantic Sun, the 30-4 Belmont Bruins. This contest is the first of two games within the Southeast Regional, with the winner facing whichever team comes out of the Kansas State/Utah State tilt.

Wisconsin is known for a team that likes to play a grind-it-out style, but the Badgers cashed the 'over' in seven of the final 10 games of the season. All eight losses for the Badgers came against teams in the NCAA Tournament (Penn State twice, Ohio State, Purdue, Illinois, Michigan State, Notre Dame, and UNLV), with just three of those defeats coming in a favored role. Wisconsin compiled an 8-5 ATS ledger as single-digit 'chalk,' but cashed just three of their final nine games of the season.

Belmont returns to the Big Dance for the first time since almost pulling a monster upset against Duke in 2008. The Blue Devils edged the Bruins, 71-70, but Belmont easily cashed tickets as 20-point underdogs in their third-ever tournament appearance at the time. The Bruins closed conference play with a 19-1 record, while dispatching of North Florida in the A-Sun title game, 87-46 as 18-point favorites. Belmont faced only one tournament team this season, losing at Tennessee in the opener as 14-point underdogs, 85-76.

Since making the Elite Eight in 2005, the Badgers have not made it out of the first weekend in four of the previous five tournaments. Wisconsin has won its opener each of the last four seasons in the Big Dance, including a 53-49 victory over Wofford last March as 10½-point favorites.

The Badgers are listed as five-point 'chalk' with the total set at 126.

(5) Kansas State vs. (12) Utah State

The final game of the night in Tucson pits a pair of teams that have saved their best basketball for the end. Despite losing in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament, K-State has won eight of 10 games to conclude the season at 22-10. Utah State is riding an eight-game winning streak after losing just three games this season, including one in WAC play.

Frank Martin's Wildcats look to duplicate last season's Elite Eight appearance in which K-State was knocked off by national runner-up Butler, 63-56. K-State looked to be on the tournament outs with a 2-5 record to start Big 12 play, but an 8-1 run over the final nine games placed the 'Cats in fourth place of the conference. The Wildcats have redeemed themselves from an ATS standpoint following a slow start by covering five of the final seven games, including wins over Kansas, Texas, and Missouri.

The Aggies won 14 of 17 games played away from Logan this season, including a Bracket Busters victory at tournament snub St. Mary's, 75-65 as five-point underdogs. Utah State concluded the season at 6-3-1 ATS in lined games, while covering two of three games as 'dogs, as the Aggies cashed in a six-point defeat at BYU in November. The Aggies failed to beat a team in the field of 68, while its biggest loss this season came at Georgetown in a 68-51 setback in December.

Kansas State is listed as a 2½-point favorite, while the total is set at 128½. All four games played in Tucson will be televised nationally on TNT.

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Thursday's Denver Tips
By Brian Edwards

Fresh off its run to the Big East Tournament finals, Louisville (25-9 straight up, 19-11-1 against the spread) is a No. 4 seed that’ll square off against Morehead State at Pepsi Center in Denver on Thursday afternoon at 1:40 p.m. Eastern.

Most betting shops are listing the Cardinals as 9½-point favorites with a total of 131. Gamblers can take the Eagles to win outright for a plus-425 return (risk $100 to win $425).

Rick Pitino’s team has won six of its last eight games, posting a 7-1 spread record in the process. The lone non-cover came in last Saturday’s 69-66 loss to UConn as a three-point ‘chalk.’ In the losing effort, Preston Knowles had a team-high 18 points.

Morehead St. (24-9 SU, 17-11 ATS) won the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament by capturing an 80-73 win over Tennessee Tech as a nine-point favorite. Demonte Harper was the catalyst, nearly recording a triple-double with 27 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. Kenneth Faried also enjoyed a stellar performance, tallying 24 points, 15 boards and five blocked shots.

Faried is a legitimate NBA prospect who averages 17.6 points and 14.5 rebounds per game. He has posted double-doubles in eight consecutive games.

Morehead St. went on the road and faced Florida and Ohio St. in a three-day stretch during November. The Eagles lost both games but did hook up their backers as double-digit underdogs. They dropped a 61-55 decision at UF and lost 64-45 at Ohio St. as 19½-point ‘dogs.

Faried scored 20 points and pulled down 18 rebounds against the Gators, while going for 15 and 12 against the Buckeyes. Perhaps most importantly, we should note that Faried held UF’s Vernon Macklin to just six points and limited OSU’s Jared Sullinger to eight points.

The ‘under’ is 18-13 overall for Louisville, 7-2 in its last nine games. On the flip side, the ‘over’ is 16-14 overall for the Eagles, 5-1 in their last six outings.

The second game of the afternoon session will feature fifth-seeded Vanderbilt (23-10 SU, 15-12-2 ATS) going up against Richmond, the winner of the Atlantic-10 Tournament this past weekend. Most spots are listing the Commodores as three-point favorites with a total of 135. The Spiders are available on the money line for a plus-130 payout (risk $100 to win $130).

Vandy has lost in the first round of the tournament in its last two appearances, falling to Siena three seasons ago and losing on a buzzer-beater against Murray St. last year. The ‘Dores are hoping to avoid a similar fate by riding the play of their two studs, John Jenkins (19.5 PPG) and Jeffery Taylor (15.1 PPG, 5.6 RPG).

Richmond (27-7 SU, 19-12 ATS) has won seven consecutive games both SU and ATS, including Sunday’s 67-54 win over Dayton as a four-point favorite in the finals of the A-10 Tourney. Kevin Anderson scored a game-high 23 points for the Spiders, who knocked off Rhode Island and Temple before blasting the Flyers.

Richmond has been an underdog five times this season, compiling a 4-1 spread record in those situations. Vandy has gone 3-6-2 ATS in 11 single-digit ‘chalk’ spots.

When Chris Mooney’s squad took on Saint Mary’s in the first round of the Big Dance last year, it suffered an 80-71 defeat as a one-point favorite.

The ‘under’ has cashed in six straight Richmond games and eight of its last nine. For the season, the Spiders have watched the ‘under’ go 18-12 overall. Meanwhile, the ‘over’ is 16-13 overall for Vandy.

The evening session in the Mile High City will begin at 7:15 p.m. Eastern when BYU (30-4 SU, 14-16 ATS) and Wofford collide. The Cougars are favored by 8 ½ at most books with the total at 147½. Gamblers can back the Terriers to win outright for a generous return in the plus-300 range (risk $100 to win $300).

BYU is led by All-American senior guard Jimmer Fredette, who led the nation in scoring with a 28.5 PPG average. Fredette led the Cougars to a double-overtime win over Florida in the first round of last year’s tourney by scoring a game-high 39 points. They would go down in the second round against Kansas State, however.

BYU had the look of a potential No. 1 seed until starting forward Brandon Davies was suspended for the rest of the season for violating the school’s honor code by admitting to having pre-marital sex with his girlfriend. Davies, who was averaging 11.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, has been out for the last five games.

Dave Rose’s squad has won three of those five contests, going 2-3 ATS. BYU advanced to the finals of the Mountain West Conference Tourney, but it couldn’t beat San Diego St. for a third time. Instead, the Aztecs exacted a measure of revenge by thumping the Cougars by a 72-54 count.

Wofford (21-12 SU, 17-15 ATS) beat a very good College of Charleston team to win the SoCon Tourney and get into the tournament for a second straight season. The Terriers took down Bobby Cremins’ squad 77-67 for their eighth consecutive victory.

Cameron Rundles scored a team-high 21 points, while Noah Dahlman added 20 points and nine rebounds. Dahlman is averaging 20.0 PPG this year.

Wofford took the cash in a 53-49 loss to Wisconsin as 10 ½-point ‘dogs in the first round last year. Dahlman was one of just two Terriers who scored in double figures with 10 points.

The nightcap game is one of the more interesting matchups of the first round: St. John’s vs. Gonzaga. Most spots are listing the Red Storm as a one-point favorite with a total of 135.

Steve Lavin’s team will be playing without one of its best players in senior D.J. Kennedy, who tore his ACL in a loss to Syracuse in the Big East Tournament. Kennedy was averaging 10.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.

St. John’s season began with a game against a WCC power, as the Johnnies went out West and lost a 76-71 decision at Saint Mary’s as 3 ½-point underdogs. (This game will forever live in infamy in terms of my gambling career, as it was probably the worst loss on a total I’ve ever had. Too long a story for all the details, but I’ll assure you that a foul-fest has never made a gorgeous ‘under’ look so bad.)

It took time for this Red Storm squad to come around, but it certainly did so starting with a 93-78 beatdown of Duke at MSG back on Jan. 30. Since then, St. John’s has won 10 of 13 games with six of the victories coming to teams in the NCAA field.

Likewise, Gonzaga (24-9 SU, 16-12-1 ATS) didn’t get it together until the latter stages of the season. In fact, the Bulldogs were – at one point – in serious danger of missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time during Mark Few’s sustained tenure of excellence.

But the ‘Zags are rolling as they come into this event with a nine-game winning streak. Few’s bunch won the WCC Tourney by beating Saint Mary’s 75-63 as a two-point favorite.

Steven Gray led a balanced attack against the Gaels with 15 points and seven rebounds. Robert Sacre added 12 points, eight boards and four blocked shots.

The ‘under’ has been an extremely lucrative investment in Gonzaga games this year, going 19-9 overall. St. John’s, on the other hand, has seen the ‘over’ go 16-14-1 overall.

vegasinsider.com.

St. John’s, Gonzaga clash
By: Michael Robinson

The Southeast Region has one of the best first-round matchups Thursday night when the sixth-seed St. John’s Red Storm face the 11th-seed Gonzaga Bulldogs.

Bookmaker.com has St. John’s as 1½-point favorites with a total of 135 points. CBS will have the 6:45 p.m. (PT) tip-off from the Pepsi Center in Denver.

Sixth-seeds in March Madness are 71-33 straight-up (68.6 percent) against 11th seeds since 1985. They were just 2-2 SU and 1-2-1 against the spread last year.

The Bulldogs (24-9 SU, 16-12-1 ATS) are ranked outside the AP top-25 from the West Coast Conference. They tied the Saint Mary’s Gaels in the regular season (11-3 SU) before beating them in the conference tourney final (75-63).

Gonzaga is making it 13th straight NCAA tournament appearance, the 12th under coach Mark Few. His teams have made the Sweet Sixteen four times, the most recently in 2009. However, the 'Zags are 1-6 ATS (3-4 SU) in their last seven March Madness games.

The Bulldogs are riding a nine-game winning streak heading into Thursday (6-2 ATS). The ‘under’ is 7-3 in their last 10 games with totals, allowing 60.2 PPG compared to 65.1 PPG on the season.

Gonzaga has three scorers in double-digits with 6-foot-5 guard Steven Gray (13.8 PPG), seven-foot center Robert Sacre (12.5 PPG, 6.2 RPG) and 6-foot-7 forward Elias Harris (12.1 PPG). Harris has had a disappointing season overall after averaging 14.9 PPG last season as a freshman.

The Bulldogs have been energized recently by secondary players. Junior college transfer Marquise Carter is starting at guard now and averaging 12.3 PPG during this winning streak. Freshman point guard Davis Stockton (son of NBA great John Stockton) and forward Sam Dower are both making major bench contributions.

The Red Storm (21-11 SU, 15-16 ATS) are ranked 18th in the AP and making their first NCAA tourney appearance since 2002. First-year coach Steve Lavin has done a tremendous job infusing energy into the program, especially with a 12-6 SU (11-7 ATS) regular season mark in the tough Big East.

St. John’s didn’t fare as well in the conference tourney (0-2 ATS) despite playing at nearby Madison Square Garden. The first game was a fortunate 65-63 win over Rutgers. Poor refereeing aided the victory and the Red Storm didn’t come close to ‘covering’ as 10-point favorites.

The second game was a 79-73 loss to Syracuse as three-point underdogs. The 152 combined points scored went way ‘over’ the 133½-point total. The ‘over’ is 5-0 in St. John’s last five games.

Guard Dwight Hardy scored 22 points against Syracuse, but he’s come back down to Earth the last three games (17.7 PPG) after scoring 25.5 PPG during a 6-0 SU and ATS streak to end February.

St. John’s suffered a big blow last game when senior swingman D.J. Kennedy was lost for the year (knee injury). He’s the top rebounder (5.6 RPG) and third-leading scorer (10.4 PPG).

Sean Evans should start Thursday in his place and he’s played well lately. However, Kennedy is a huge emotional loss even for this veteran team and the Red Storm need several players to step up offensively and not rely on Hardy to bail them out.

The Red Storm do not have anyone who can match up height-wise with Sacre, but if they play physical as a team, then he shouldn’t be able to dominate too much.

This is the first meeting between the teams since 2001. Gonzaga won (65-58) and ‘covered’ that game in addition to a 2000 second-round NCAA tourney upset (82-76).

Wisconsin faces Belmont
By: Michael Robinson

The fourth-seeded Wisconsin Badgers look to end a streak of tournament futility when they meet the 13th-seed Belmont Bruins on Thursday night.

Wisconsin is just a 4 ½-point favorite despite the disparity in seeds, with a total of 125½-points. CBS will have this Southeast Region matchup at 4:27 p.m. (PT) from Tucson, Arizona.

Fourth Seeds in March Madness are 82-22 straight-up (78.8 percent) against 13th seeds since 1985. Fourth seeds were 3-1 SU and 2-2 against the spread last year, with Wisconsin one of them (more below).

The Badgers (23-8 SU, 15-12 ATS) are ranked No. 16 in the latest AP poll and finished third (13-5 SU) in the Big Ten regular season behind Ohio State (16-2 SU) and Purdue (14-4 SU).

Wisconsin bowed out in its opening Big Ten Tournament game, 36-33 against Penn State as 7½-point favorites. That score is not a misprint and it was easily the lowest combined score in the tourney’s 14 year history.

The Badgers have lost their opening Big Ten tourney game the last three years, all as favorites. That tournament suffering extends to March Madness. Wisconsin is just 2-3 SU and 1-4 ATS going back to the Stephen Curry and Davidson upset in the 2008 Sweet Sixteen.

Last year, Coach Bo Ryan’s team opened as 10½-point ‘chalk’ over Southern Conference Wofford and was lucky to survive, 53-49. The luck ran out against Ivy League Cornell the next game, an 87-69 drubbing as 4½-point favorites.

Ryan is considered a great coach, but is taking some heat for the postseason struggles. His guys play hard every night, especially at home where they’re 16-0 SU and 9-3 ATS this year. The problem is road and neutral site games (7-8 SU and 6-9 ATS).

The reality is Wisconsin is not very talented outside of first-team all-Big Ten Jordan Taylor (18.1 PPG, 4.7 APG) and Jon Leuer (18.6 PPG, 7.3 RPG). Keaton Nankivil (10 PPG, 4.4 RPG) is another upperclassman and a tough banger, but no one else scores more than 5.9 PPG.

Ryan is known for his slowdown offensive system and tough defense. The last game against Penn State was the perfect example. However, the Badgers ‘D’ let up 68.3 PPG over the final seven regular season games, compared to 58.3 PPG on the year (fifth nationally). The ‘over’ was 6-1 in those seven contests.

The Bruins (30-4 SU, 7-4 ATS) went 19-1 SU in the Atlantic Sun Conference regular season and ended any NCAA tournament suspense by winning the conference tourney over North Florida (87-46).

This small school from Nashville has sophomore guard Ian Clark as its leading scorer (12.4 PPG), but it’s a balanced effort with big men Mick Hedgepeth (10.6 PPG) and Scott Saunders (10 PPG) close behind. They’ll be needed to battle the Leuer and Nankivil tandem.

The Bruins went 0-3 SU and 1-2 ATS in their first three March Madness appearances (2006-2008). They almost had one of the biggest upsets in history in 2008, losing 71-70 to second-seed Duke as 20-point ‘dogs.

Coach Rick Byrd plays a lot of guys and his team is scoring 80.4 PPG (11th nationally), while allowing 61.9 PPG (ranked 35th). That’s tops nationally in scoring margin (18.4 PPG).

Belmont is helped immensely by being second in the country in creating turnovers (19.2 per game). The problem is Wisconsin almost never turns it over, top in the nation at 7.4 per game.

The Bruins’ toughest games were at SEC Vanderbilt and Tennessee (twice). They lost 85-76 in the first meeting at Tennessee as 14-point dogs before a 66-65 defeat (no spread) in the second game. The Vandy contest was an 85-76 loss, also with no spread.

Wisconsin bench player Mike Bruesewitz is doubtful with a knee injury. That’s the only injury to report for either team.

This is the first meeting ever between the schools.

The victor will face the winner of fifth-seed Kansas State (minus 2½) and 12th-seed Utah State.

Temple meets Penn State
By: Brad Young

Penn State and Temple are two schools in eastern Pennsylvania separated by less than 200 miles, but they will travel across country to battle in the NCAA Tournament. The 10th-seeded Nittany Lions and seventh-seeded Owls have a history at the Big Dance, meeting during the Sweet 16 of the 2001 tournament.

Penn State hasn’t advanced to the NCAA Tournament since the 2001 campaign, while Temple is appearing in its fourth straight tournament. However, the Owls were eliminated in the first round each time and are searching for their first tournament win since 2001.

Temple upended the Nittany Lions in that 2001 encounter as a 4½-point favorite, 84-72, before losing to Michigan State in the Elite Eight. The combined 156 points went ‘over’ the 139-point closing total.

The Don Best screen has Temple 2½-point ‘chalk’ over Penn State, with the total set at 121. TNT will provide coverage of Thursday’s West Region contest beginning at 11:10 a.m. PT from Tucson’s McKale Center.

Penn State (19-14 straight up, 16-11-2 against the spread) advanced to the Big Ten Championship Game before losing to top-seed Ohio State as a 10-point neutral-court underdog, 71-60. The 131 points went ‘over’ the 127-point closing total, ending a string of three consecutive ‘under’ outings. The Nittany Lions were riding a four-game SU and ATS winning streak before facing the Buckeyes.

Penn State entered halftime trailing by six points, 29-23, and finished the game with deficits in rebounds (27-25) and assists (14-8). The Nittany Lions shot just 39 percent (22-of-56) from the field and 39 percent (7-of-18) from behind the arc, but they did convert all nine of their free throws.

Guard Talor Battle led the offense with 24 points and five rebounds, while forward Jeff Brooks added 19 and six. They were the only two Penn State players to reach double digits in scoring.

Temple (25-7 SU, 17-15 ATS) is one of three Atlantic 10 Conference schools playing in the NCAA Tournament, along with Richmond and Xavier. The Owls fell to the Spiders in the conference semifinals Saturday as a 3½-point neutral-court favorite, 58-54. The combined 112 points never seriously threatened the 126 ½-point closing total, ending a string of three straight ‘over’ outings.

Temple was on the short end of rebounding, 36-35, but the team did deliver more assists, 14-10. The Owls struggled by shooting 35 percent (20-of-57) from the field, and 28 percent (7-of-25) from 3-point land.

Guard Khalif Wyatt accounted for 15 points and six rebounds in the setback, while forward Lavoy Allen added 12 and 10. Guard Ramone Moore had 11 and six, while point guard Juan Fernandez provided seven, seven and 10 assists.

Temple has won the previous six meetings with Penn State SU, while the Nittany Lions are 4-2 ATS. The Owls won the latest encounter in 2009 as 7½-point home ‘chalk,’ 45-42, while the combined 87 points fell well below the 125½-point closing total.

Penn State forward Andrew Jones (mouth) is ‘probable’ versus the Owls according to the Don Best Sports injury report.

Temple forward Scootie Randall (foot) is ‘probable’ against the Nittany Lions. The Owls have seen the ‘under’ go 10-2 their past 12 neutral-site games. Temple is just 2-6 ATS its last eight games against Big Ten opponents.

Butler and Old Dominion collide
By: Stephen Nover

Two of the hottest teams in the nation collide in a first-round NCAA Tournament Southeast Region game when eighth-seeded Butler and ninth-seeded Old Dominion meet Thursday at 9:40 a.m. PT in Washington’s Verizon Center.

That can’t make Pittsburgh, the No. 1 seed in the Southeast Region, too happy. The Panthers draw the winner of the Butler-Old Dominion should they advance as expected.

Not surprisingly, a low score is expected between the Bulldogs and Monarchs with the total set at 122½. Old Dominion is favored by two points.

Both teams are riding nine-game winning streaks. Old Dominion, winners of the Colonial Athletic Association Conference Tournament, is 13-1 in its last 14 games.

The Monarchs, 27-6, finished the season with the highest Ratings Percentage Index of any CAA team, two of which also made it to the NCAA Tournament in regular-season league champion George Mason and Virginia Commonwealth who takes on USC in a First Four contest on Wednesday. It’s the first time in CAA history that three teams made the NCAA Tournament.

Led by 6-foot-9 forward Frank Hassell the Monarchs ranked seventh in the nation in rebounding at 40.2 per game. Hassell averages 15 points, shoots 56.1 percent from the field and pulls down 9.6 rebounds per game.

Old Dominion wins with defense and rebounding as Notre Dame found out the hard way in first-round action last season. The Irish lost to the Monarchs, 51-50, as 2½-point favorites.

The Monarchs should have a good fan turnout being around 3½ hours from the Verizon Center.

Old Dominion has the fourth stingiest defense in the land holding foes to 58.3 points per game. Offensively, though, Old Dominion is just 259th putting up 65.8 points per contest.

Butler is 29-1 when yielding fewer than 60 points. The Bulldogs had a tremendous run last season reaching the 2010 Championship Game, losing to Duke, 61-59, as seven-point ‘dogs. This will be the Bulldogs’ fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.

The Bulldogs, 23-9, aren’t as good as last season when they had Gordon Hayward, but they still are tough with forward Matt Howard and guard Shelvin Mack. Howard leads the Bulldogs in scoring at 16.7 points per game while Mack puts up 15.2 points per contest.

Butler tied for the best mark in the Horizon League with Cleveland State and Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The Bulldogs then won the conference tournament by beating Cleveland State, 76-68, as 4½-point favorites and downing Wisconsin-Milwaukee, which was playing at home, 59-44, in the title game as 3½-point favorites.

Brad Stevens’ Butler crew was just 6-5 after 11 games in conference, but then went on its nine-game winning streak. The Bulldogs are 10-1 ATS when playing at a neutral site. They have covered in their past four NCAA Tournament matchups.

The Bulldogs defeated Florida State, 67-64, as two-point underdogs at a neutral site, lost at Xavier, 51-49, pushing on the spread as two-point ‘dogs, lost to Duke at a neutral site, 82-70, covering as 14½-point underdogs and got buried by Louisville, 88-73, as 1½-point ‘dogs.

Those games all were played before Christmas before the Bulldogs started peaking.

In its marquee matchups, Old Dominion defeated Cleveland State, 74-63, as 5½-point home ‘chalk,’ lost at Missouri, 81-58, as eight-point ‘dogs, defeated Xavier, 67-58, on a neutral court as three-point favorites, nipped Clemson, 61-60, on a neutral floor as 1½-point ‘dogs and lost to Georgetown at home, 62-59, as a 'pick.'

Butler doesn’t own a victory against Xavier like Old Dominion does, but the Bulldogs were 3-0 versus Cleveland State covering all three times in winning by a combined 43 points.

The ‘under’ has cashed in five of Butler’s last six games. The Bulldogs have gone ‘under’ during their last five NCAA Tournament matchups. The ‘over’ has cashed in five of Old Dominion’s last six games.

Thursday NCAAB Betting Preview

College hoops betting action is set to heat up with Round of 64 matchups on Thursday, including one top-seeded team in Pittsburgh in the Southeast bracket on the NCAA Tournament odds menu.

UNC Asheville Bulldogs vs. Pittsburgh Panthers

On paper this should be a tune-up for the top-seeded Panthers team in the Southeast bracket, who enter this game as a huge 18-point favorite over the Bulldogs at the Verizon Center.

The Panthers have lost two of their last four games, including the Big East quarterfinal to UConn, but expect a different team for the NCAA Tournament. Pittsburgh (27-5 SU, 14-12 ATS) has been consistently near the top of the rankings all year, and this steadiness is something any team needs for a long run in the Big Dance.

Pittsburgh has much better numbers than UNC Asheville - and that’s playing in a much tougher conference. This should be a complete domination by the Panthers and they will be a huge choice among bettors on the college hoops betting lines for this contest.

Beating an opponent by more than 18 points is a tough task on any night, though, and this could make the Bulldogs a betting option on the pointspread. Seven of the last eight Panthers game have made winners of UNDER bettors in totals wagering.

Richmond Spiders vs. Vanderbilt Commodores

Richmond has a proud but short history at the NCAA Tournament, and they hope that trend continues when they meet the 3-point favorite Vanderbilt Commodores (23-10 SU, 15-10-2 ATS) in a Southwest bracket matchup on Thursday.

Justin Harper and Kevin Anderson have led Richmond with an average of 34 points a game. The Spiders could be a good underdog pick, and are 17-10-1 ATS, which means a win could spell double victory for Richmond backers. They have played the role of giant-killer in the past, defeating Auburn and Syracuse in the Big Dance – albeit well over 15 years ago.

The Spiders were bounced from the NCAA Tournament a year ago as favorites, and maybe the underdog role suits them just fine. Fifth-seeded Vanderbilt will have something to say about their fate in this game as well, having suffered back-to-back first-round losses in the tourney.

Vanderbilt has been known to play a high-tempo offense, and four of its last six games have sent OVER bettors to the payout window.

Thursday afternoon NCAA games

Clemson’s plane got into Tampa at 3:46 Wednesday morning, so very quick turnaround for Tiger squad that shot 52% from floor in easy win Tuesday night, winning by 18 even though UAB was 12-24 from arc; last two times Clemson was an NCAA dog, they lost game in OT. Battle-tested Tigers play UNC/Duke every year, so facing Big East team won’t be big deal to them. ACC single-digit road dogs are 11-12 vs spread out of conference. West Virginia lost four of last five neutral/road games. Mountaineers are 11-5 in this event since ’05, winning four of last five 1st round games (wins by 2-18-10-27 points). #12 seeds are 6-2 vs spread in this round last two years; #12 in East is 10-5 since ’96.

Old Dominion, Butler both won their last nine games, but only three of ODU’s nine were at home; Monarchs are #1 offensive rebounding team in America, grabbing 45.2% of their own missed shots, but Bulldogs are #11 on defensive boards, so battle of strengths there. Washington site has to give ODU (from Virginia) crowd edge. Underdogs are 20-12 vs spread in 8-9 games the last eight years. ODU beat Horizon League’s Cleveland State by 11 at home last month. Monarchs have three juniors, four seniors in rotation; Butler’s has three seniors in it.

Morehead State lost 74-54 to Louisville in this round two years ago, after losing by 38 to them during season, but these Eagles are better than those Eagles, with senior Faried an NBA-ready rebounder. Morehead is 0-2 vs top 40 teams this season, losing by 6 at Florida, 19 at Ohio State. Cardinals are 11-2 vs teams ranked 95th or lower, with nine of the 11 wins by more than 10 points. #4-seeds are 12-8 vs spread in this round the last five years. Morehead hasn’t played in 11 days; Louisville played late Saturday, its third game in three nights. Interesting to see if Cards can keep Faried off boards.

Penn State-Temple scrimmaged in October, and played last two seasons (Owls won 45-42/65-59), so they’re familiar with each other; Owls are 3-5 vs top 50 teams, have only one senior in their rotation. Penn State allowed only 49 ppg in Big 11 tourney, winning three times before losing in final; they’re 4-12 vs top 50 teams, playing #2 schedule in country- they’ve got four seniors in their rotation. Temple coach Dunphy trying to shake 1-12 career NCAA record, most of which came with Penn of Ivy League. Owls are 12-2 in last 14 games, Lions won four of last five (all road/neutral). Penn State beat pair of A-14 teams, St Joe’s 66-57, Duquesne 77-73.

Until Cornell made Sweet 16 LY, Ivys had lost 11 straight first round games, with eight of the 11 losses by 14+ points; Tigers played Duke, its only game against a top 75 team, and lost 97-60. Ivy League dogs of 10+ points are 9-11 vs spread this season. Kentucky allowed just 59.3 ppg in winning its three SEC tourney games; they've won six games in row, and beat Penn of Ivy League 86-62 Jan 3. UK is 17-1 in first round games since 1988, with 13 of the 17 wins by 15+ points. One thing for Princeton is that they're the #6 defensive rebounding team in America, but their bigs can't shoot 3's like Cinderella Princeton teams of the past.

NC-Asheville won its last seven games, rallying from 10 down to win in OT Tuesday, but #16 seeds are 4-8 vs spread in this round in last three tournaments. Pitt won its last five first round games, by 15-21-19-5-23 points. Big East double digit favorites are 25-23 vs spread in non-league games this season. Panthers are just 3-3 in last six games- their last four wins were all by 10+ points. Pitt is the #2 offensive rebounding team in country. Big South teams, in non-play-in games, have lost by 43-31-14-2-10-19-21-37 points since 2002, with that one win by Winthrop.

#12 seed in Midwest is 13-4 vs spread in 1st round since '94, going 11-6 SU; Richmond won 11 of last 12 games, including last seven in row, but after winning A-14 title Sunday, quick turnaround here. Richmond held last six opponents under 60 points, has four seniors in its rotation with 2,000+-point scorer in Anderson. In two of last three tourneys, Vandy lost in first round as a 4-seed, so they've got demons to exorcize- they lost last five games vs teams ranked in top 55 (Richmond is #46). SEC teams are 7-4 vs spread in non-league games where spread is 2 or less.

Northern Colorado is 0-2 vs top 40 teams this year, losing at Arizona by 23 (on this floor), by 10 at Illinois; Bears split pair with MVC teams in '11, losing to Colorado St by 14, beating Wyoming by 14. Big Sky dogs of 8+ points are 17-10 vs spread this season. San Diego State has never won an NCAA tournament game, so no shot of overconfidence here. Big Sky double digit underdogs are 12-10 vs spread this season. Bears turn ball over 21.8% of time, which could be huge problem vs San Diego St. Big Sky teams are 1-10 in first round since '00, losing games by 5-24-19-7-19-11-28-24-- points, with one Montana upset of Nevada in '06.

Thursday night NCAA games

UCSB upset Long Beach in Big West final, making NCAAs for second year in row; Gauchos lost by 17 to Ohio State LY. UCSB allowed 57.3 ppg in winning its last four games, but before this trip, farthest east they have been was UNLV. Big West teams lost their last five NCAA games, with all five losses by 11+ points. Florida won 10 of last 12 games, with both losses to Kentucky; only two of its last 10 wins are by more than 13 points. #2 seeds are 9-7 vs spread in first round last four years; #2 seed in Southeast is just 2-4 vs spread the last six years. Florida lost in double OT to BYU LY, its first NCAA game since winning title in '07.

Wofford got bad draw, playing in Denver, because they only use bench 21.3% of time (327th in US) and game in altitude favors team that has depth. Terriers are 2nd-most experienced team in country- Charleston is in SoCon and has explosive scorer (Goudelock) like Fredette- Cougars beat Wofford both meetings this year. BYU plays at #23 pace, Wofford plays at #270 pace. Cougars are mush better when Jimmer gets scoring help from teammates, who are limited with Fields out. #3 seeds in SE are 10-2-1 vs spread in first-round game the last thirteen years.

UConn is 2-9 vs spread in its last 11 first-round games, as Calhoun has had his teams ease their way in against overmatched foes. Huskies had historic run thru Big East tourney last week, Thursday game means they should be flat here vs Bucknell team that lost to Villanova by 16, Boston College by 4, Marquette by 14 in games vs top-level foes. Patriot League teams are 2-17 in first round, losing the last four years by 10-15-15-16 points. Big East favorites of 12+ points are 22-20 against spread in its non-conference games. Bucknell makes 40.2% behind arc (7th in US).

Belmont is fashionable upset pick; they force lot of turnovers, they use their bench 4th-most minutes in country, but they're 0-3 vs teams in the top 100, losing by 9-1-9 points to Vandy/Tennessee (twice). Ryan has an 8-1 record in first round, but Wisconsin was brutal in last two games, losing by 28 at Ohio State, 36-33 to Penn State in Big 11 tourney- they have superior PG in Taylor. Badgers don't sub much, they never turn it over, so this is interesting contrast. Atlantic Sun teams are 0-8 in NCAA games, with Belmont's 71-70 loss to Duke the closest of the 8 defeats.#3 seeds are 10-6 against the spread in first round the last four years.

Michigan State/UCLA are proud programs that aren't expected to do lot here; long trip east for Bruin squad that was putrid vs Oregon in Pac-10 tourney, after being bad at the Washington schools the week before, too. UCLA didn't play in NCAAs LY, so they only have three rotation guys who played in tourney in '09. Michigan State is 5-3 in last eight games- they've got terrific senior PG in Lucas and teamful of players who were in Final Four last two years. Spartans beat Washington 76-71 on Maui in November; they played hardest schedule in country. UCLA ranks #305 in country in experience. Lee is playing with torn cartilage in knee.

St John's has nine seniors, but they lost leading rebounder Kennedy in Big East tourney, which hurts a lot; Red Storm ranks #3 in experience, Gonzaga ranks #276, so edge for Johnnies there. Zags beat Marquette by 3, lost to Notre Dame by 4 in games vs Big East foes. St John's lost by 5 at St Mary's in mid-November. Red Storm assistant Dunlap coached for 11 years in Denver, winning two D-II national titles and working with Nuggets for two years. Gonzaga won its last nine games; they'd be well served to play some zone, since St John's doesn't shoot it well (339th in US in % of points on 3's). Zags are 6-2 in last eight first-round games.

Missouri/Cincinnati are both very athletic, but Mizzou plays #13 pace, Bearcats at #289; UC protects ball well (69th in US) and they press too forcing turnovers on 22.7% of possessions. Tigers lost four of last five games, and looked awful in the win (Texas Tech). Neither team played a strong non-league schedule; Mizzou is 2-8 in last 10 road/neutral games; they lost in OT to Georgetown in late November. Missouri won its last five first round games; they've been knocked out of last three tourneys by a Big East team. Bearcats rank #15 in defense; hard for Missouri to set up its press if they're not scoring.

WAC teams are impressive 22-6 vs spread in non-league games where spread is 4 or less points. 30-3 Utah State is team lot of national pundits are touting, but they are 1-2 vs top 50 teams, losing at BYU by 6, by 17 at Georgetown, beating St Mary's by 10 in Moraga. Kansas State wasn't playing like NCAA team in mid-season, but they righted ship and went 6-1 in last seven games, somehow going 0-3 vs Colorado. Aggies rank #7 in experience, K-State 245th. Utah State lost badly to Texas A&M LY in similar role. 12-seeds are 6-6 SU vs 5-seeds in first round last three tournaments. Big 12 teams are 14-10 in games with spread of 4 or less.