Who's Hot, Who's Not?
By Bruce Marshall
There’s still some time left in the college hoops season before "March Mayhem" begins, allowing us to take advantage of various team trends that are either emerging in recent weeks, or have been present for much longer. Following is a conference-by-conference look at "who’s hot" and "who’s not hot" against the point-spread, as well as any team "totals" trends worth noting. All records are vs. the points, as of February 20...
ATLANTIC 10: Who’s hot...Duquesne has covered its last 6 at home; George Washington 10-3 last 13 and 7-1 last 7 as dog; St. Bonaventure 5-1 last 6; Who’s not hot...Saint Louis no covers last 4 and 7-16 vs. line all season; "TOTALS"...St. Joe’s "under" 9-3 last 12; St. Bonaventure "under" 7-3 last 10.
ACC: Who’s hot...Boston College 4-0 last 4, 8-3 last 11, 6-2 last 8 away; Florida State 4-1 last 5 at home; North Carolina 7-2 last 9 (though o covers last 2); NC State has covered its last 3 (after dropping previous 8 vs. line); Virginia 9-3 last 12; Who’s not hot...Maryland 1-5 last 6 at home; Miami 1-6 last 7 as chalk; Wake Forest 4-11-2 last 17; "TOTALS"...Clemson "under" 5-1-1 last 7; Georgia Tech "under" 7-3 last 10; Wake Forest "over" 5-2 last 7.
BIG XII: Who’s hot...Kansas 6-1 last 7; Kansas State is finally stirring with 2 covers in a row (both of those at home); Texas is 12-4 its last 16; Texas Tech 7-1 last 8; Who’s not hot...Baylor 3-8 last 11, 1-6 last 7 at home; Iowa State 2-7 last 9; Kansas State 0-8 last 8 away; Oklahoma State 1-7 last 8, 1-6 last 7 away as well; Texas A&M 1-4 last 5; "TOTALS"...Iowa State "over" 5-1-1 last 7; Kansas "over" 7-1 last 8; Kansas State "under" 14-6 entire season (but "over" last two); Texas "under" 14-4 last 18; Texas Tech "over" 8-2 last 10.
BIG EAST: Who’s hot...DePaul 5-0 last 5, also 9-3 last 12 as double-digit dog; Notre Dame 6-2 last 8; St. John’s 4-0 last 4 (all as dog); Who’s not hot...UConn no covers last 3 away; Georgetown 2-5 last 7 at home; Providence 3-8 last 11; St. John’s 4-7 as chalk; Syracuse 3-7 last 10; Villanova no covers last 4 and just 1-7 last 8; West Virginia 1-4 last 5; "TOTALS"...DePaul "over" 8-2 last 10; Marquette "under" 8-3 last 11; South Florida "under" 7-1 last 8; Seton Hall "under" 13-4 last 17; Villanova "under" 8-3 last 11; West Virginia "under" 7-2 last 9.
BIG TEN: Who’s hot...Michigan 7-1 last 8, 4-0 last 4 away; Penn State has covered its last 3; Purdue 3-0 last 3; Michigan State 2-0-1 last 3; Who’s not hot...Minnesota 1-5 last 6; Northwestern 2-6 last 8; Ohio State 1-4 last 5, 4-9 last 13; "TOTALS"...Illinois "under" 5-2 last 7; Michigan "over" 9-3 last 12; Wisconsin "over" 9-5 last 14.
BIG WEST: Who’s hot...Cal Poly 6-1 last 7; Long Beach State 5-1 last 6; Cal State Northridge 6-3 last 9; Who’s not hot...UC Riverside 3-6 last 9, UC Santa Barbara 2-8 last 10, UC Davis 1-7 last 8 at home; "TOTALS"...Cal Poly "under" 5-1 last 6, Long Beach State "under" 4-1 last 5; Pacific "over" 7-2 last 9, UC Irvine "under" last 3, UC Riverside "under" last 5.
COLONIAL: Who’s hot...George Mason 14-0 last 14, 11-1 last 12 as home chalk; Old Dominion 4-0 last 4; William & Mary 3-0 last 3 and 5-1 last 6 as road dog; Who’s not hot...Delaware 4-10 last 14, 0-6 last 6 at home; James Madison 1-5 last 6 at home; Towson 2-6 last 8 overall and 1-7 last 8 at home; Virginia Commonwealth 2-6 last at home; "TOTALS"...Drexel "under" 8-1 last 9, George Mason "over" 7-2 last 9, Hofstra "over" 5-1 last 6. Northeastern "over" 13-0 last 13 and 17-1 last 18 (!); Virginia Commonwealth "over" 6-1 last 7.
CONFERENCE USA: Who’s hot...Houston 8-3-1 last 11, Marshall 5-1-1 last 7 as dog; SMU 6-1-1 last 8; Tulsa 5-1 last 6 overall and 4-0 last 4 away; UAB 4-0 last 4 away; Who’s not hot...UCF 0-11 last 11; East Carolina 2-6 last 8 at home; Tulane 1-7-1 last 9, and 0-4 last 4 at home; "TOTALS"...UCF "under" last 6, Memphis "under" last 6 and 10-2 last 12, Rice "under" 4-1 last 5, UTEP "under" 8-3 last 11, UAB "under" 4-1 last 5.
HORIZON: Who’s hot...Detroit 4-0 last 3 at home; UW-Milwaukee 6-2 last 8; Who’s not hot...Detroit 0-6-2 last 8 away; Loyola-Chicago 4-12 last 16, and 2-7 last 9 away; "TOTALS"...Butler "under" last 3; Cleveland State "over" 4-1 last 5; Detroit "over" 5-1 last 6; Loyola-Chicago "over" 5-1-1 last 7; Valparaiso "over" 8-2 last 10; Wright State "over" 5-1 last 6; Youngstown State "over" last 5 and 7 of last 8.
IVY: Who’s hot...Brown 5-2 last 7, Cornell 5-1 last 6, Penn 5-1 at home, Princeton 4-0 as dog, also note Tigers have covered all four of their Friday Ivy League games but have failed to cover all of four their Saturday Ivy tilts; Who’s not hot...Monica Crowley’s Columbia 1-5 last 6 (to clarify, Monica is indeed hot, but the Lions definitely aren't at the moment); Dartmouth 2-5 last 7 and 1-4 last 5 at home; Princeton 2-5 at home; "TOTALS"...Columbia "under" 4-0 last 4; Brown "over" 7-1 last 8, Penn "under" 4-1 last 5.
METRO-ATLANTIC: Who’s hot..., Loyola-Maryland 5-0 last 5 as dog, Manhattan 6-1-1 last 8, also 6-0-1 last 7 away; Niagara 5-0 last 5, 8-2 last 10, and 5-1 last 6 at home; St. Peter’s 9-1 last 10, also 7-1 at home all season; Who’s not hot...Iona "under" 5-2 last 7, Canisius 0-3 last 3, Fairfield 1-4 last 5, Siena 3-10 last 13; "TOTALS"...Manhattan "over" 4-1 last 5 Niagara "under" 13-3 last 16, Siena "under" 15-5 last 20.
MID-AMERICAN: Who’s hot...Akron 5-0 last 5, Ball State 4-1 last 5, Miami-Ohio 5-1 last 6; Ohio 3-0 last 3; Who’s not hot...Ball State "over" 5-1 last 6, Bowling Green 0-5 last 5, Central Michigan 3-10-3 last 16, also 0-6-2 last 8 away; Western Michigan 0-4 last 4 at home; "TOTALS"...Akron "over" last 4, Bowling Green "over" 8-0 last 8, Buffalo "over" 5-1 last 6 and 14-4 last 18, Central Michigan "under" 18-6 all season, Eastern Michigan "over" last 4, Kent State "over" 4-0 last 4, Miami-Ohio "over" 10-3 last 13, Ohio "over" 5-1 last 6, Western Michigan "over" 7-1 last 8.
MISSOURI VALLEY: Who’s hot...Bradley 5-1 last 6, Drake 7-1 last 6, also 5-0 last 5 at home; Evansville 6-2 last 8, also 5-1 last 6 at home; Wichita State 7-1 last 8 away; Who’s not hot... Missouri State 1-9 last 10, also 0-5 last 5 away; Northern Iowa 1-5 last 6, also 0-4 last 4 at home; Southern Illinois 1-8 last 9; "TOTALS"...Bradley "over" 13-4 last 17, Creighton "over" 9-4 last 13, Evansville "over" 6-2 last 8, Illinois State "over" 6-2 last 8, Indiana State "over" 7-2 last 9, Missouri State "over" 9-2 last 11, Northern Iowa "over" 7-2 last 9, Southern Illinois "under" 5-2 last 7.
MOUNTAIN WEST: Who’s hot...Air Force 6-0 last 6 away; Colorado State 13-6 last 19; Wyoming 4-0 last 4 at home; Who’s not hot... TCU 3-11 last 14; UNLV 2-7 last 9 at home: "TOTALS"...Air Force "over" 13-6 all season, Colorado State "under" 6-0 last 4, San Diego State "under" 13-4 last 17, UNLV "under" 12-4 last 16, Utah "under" 10-5 last 15.
PACIFIC 10: Who’s hot...Cal 5-1 last 6 away, Oregon 7-1 last 8, UCLA 4-1 last 5 at home; Who’s not hot...Washington State 0-4 last 4; "TOTALS"...Arizona "over" 6-1 last 7, Arizona State "over" 6-2 last 8, Cal "over" 12-2-1 last 15, Oregon State "under" 6-1 last 7; Southern Cal "under" 12-6 last 18; Stanford "over" 5-1 last 6; Washington "over" 9-4 last 13.
SOUTHEASTERN: Who’s hot...Alabama 12-2 last 14, also 9-0 last 9 at home; Florida 5-0 last 5 as dog; Georgia 6-0-1 last 6 away; Mississippi State 4-0-1 last 5 at home; Vanderbilt 5-1 last 6; Who’s not hot...Arkansas 2-6-1 last 9, also 1-7 last 8 away; Kentucky 1-5 last 6 away; LSU 2-7-1 last 10; Mississippi State 1-6-1 last 8 away; South Carolina 2-6 last 8; "TOTALS"...Georgia "Under" 5-3 last 7, Kentucky "over" 4-1 last 5, LSU "under" 11-2 last 13, Ole Miss "under" 6-2 last 8, Mississippi State "under" 5-2 last 7, Tennessee "under" 9-2 last 11 (though "over" its last 2).
SUN BELT: Who’s hot...Arkansas State 4-1 last 5, UA-Little Rock 4-1 last 5, UL-Lafayette 9-1 last 10, also 5-0 last 5 away; Middle Tennessee 6-1 last 7 at home; Who’s not hot...Denver 0-4 last 4 away, Florida Atlantic 0-4 last 4; UL-Monroe 4-10 last 14, also 0-6 last 6 at home; North Texas 2-9 last 11; "TOTALS"...UA-Little Rock "under" last 4 (after "over" previous 10); Denver "under" 5-2 last 7; Florida Atlantic "under" 5-2 last 7; Florida International "over" 10-1 last 11; UL-Lafayette "under" 6-0 last 6; UL-Monroe "Over" 10-3 last 13; North Texas "over" 10-1 last 11; Troy "under" 4-0 last 4.
WEST COAST: Who’s hot...Pepperdine 5-1 last 6, San Francisco 10-3 last 13, also 5-1 last 6 at home; Who’s not hot...Loyola-Marymount 2-11 last 13, also 0-8 last 7 at home; Saint Mary’s 2-7-1 last 10, also 1-4 last 5 at home; "TOTALS"...Gonzaga "under" 5-1 last 6 and 17-6 last 23; San Diego "under" 10-3 last 13; Saint Mary’s "over" 6-1 last 7.
WAC: Who’s hot...Hawaii 6-2 last 8; Idaho 4-0 last 4, 12-3-3 last 18, also 9-1-2 last 12 as dog and 4-1-1 last 6 at home; Nevada 4-0 last 4; New Mexico State 8-3-2 last 13, also 5-1-1 last 7 at home; Who’s not hot...San Jose State 3-6 last 9; "TOTALS"...La Tech "under" 11-3-1 last 15; San Jose State "over" 6-1 last 7 and 10-3 last 13; Utah State "under" 4-1 last 5.