TUESDAY PREMIUM SERVICE PLAYS

Larry Ness

7* MAC Showdown

Ohio saw its five-game winning streak snapped this past Saturday in Buffalo (lost 7-66 but covered as a 4.5-point dog), while Akron ended a three-game slide by winning at Bowling Green (8-8), 62-52. It didn't hurt the Zips that the Falcons shot just 28.3 percent from the floor. Akron has had a pretty good run the last three years, averaging 24.3 wins per season, although the team only has two NIT bids to show for it and two years ago, despite 26 wins, got snubbed by both the NCAA and NIT tourneys. Only a MAC tourney title would get this year's team into the "Big Dance" and at 9-7 so far, the Zips hardly look like NIT 'material,' either. Nine players have appeared in all 16 games but the 6-6 Wood (14.1-7.6) and two fine guards, Dials (11.9) and Middleton (9.7), are gone from LY's team. Freshman guard Hitchens (10.9) is TY's leading scorer with the returning 6-7 Linhart (10.6-5.4) plus the McKnight brothers, the 6-6 Brett (10.2-4.1) and the 6-7 Chris (7.8-3.4), forming this year's mainstay. Guard Roberts 97.5) and McNees (6.7) are regular contributors, but the 6-10 Bardo (2.6-2.9) is a starter in name only. Ohio U features the 6-6 Tillman (20.1-9.3), who I believe has a great chance to the MAC's p-o-y this season. He's joined in the frontcourt by fellow 6-6 senior Orr (10.8-3.4), the 6-7 Washington (5.5-4.3) and the 6-10 van Kempen (3.2-2.3), who like Akron's Bardo, is a starter in name only. Ohio's backcourt features returning PG Allen (6.3-4.3 APG) a pretty good freshman in Coleman (10.3-3.6-2.8) and sophomore guard Freeman (8.5). John Groce (former assistant under Matta at Ohio St), is in his first year at Ohio U and he's hoping to build something of a tradition in Athens. This year's team could easily win the East and while the Convocation Center in Athens is hardly Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium, the Bobcats are 7-0 SU (4-0 ATS) at home TY, outscoring opponents 70.7-to-58.0 PPG. Ohio lost to a very good Akron team twice last year, by just one point in Akron and by three points here in Athens. The Bobcats will "get it right," tonight.

MAC Showdown on Ohio U

Las Vegas Insider - NBA

The Hawks 'snuck into' last year's postseason with the worst record of any team but then took the eventual champs (Boston) to seven games in the opening round. Expectations were high for this team at the beginning of the year and Atlanta didn't disappoint, opening 6-0 before losing at 103-102 at Boston. The Atlanta backcourt of Johnson (22.2-4.4-6.0) and Bibby (16.2-3.6-5.3) takes a backseat to few teams and the team's young frontcourt is the envy of many. However, injuries have been a problem. Josh Smith (15.8-7.0) missed 12 games from 11/9-11/29 and now both center Horford (10.8-8.1) and small forward Williams (13.2-6.1) are hurt. Horford's missed five straight games with a bone bruise in his right knee and Williams sat out Monday after suffering a concussion in Friday's 119-114 loss at Golden State. Williams said he was still experiencing headaches Monday after returning to Atlanta on Saturday and Atlanta coach Mike Woodson said (after Monday's game) that he didn't know when Horford or Williams would play again. The Hawks won 87-84 at home on Monday, giving them their second win in three games, after opening January 1-5. Let's not get too excited over yesterday's win though, as the Raptors have now lost six straight and with Horford and Williams out, Johnson played 45 minutes, Bibby 43 (reserve guard Murray played 34) and Smith played 44 minutes. The Hawks have already beaten the Bulls twice this year but don't expect for them to make it three in a row. Atlanta's 113-108 win in the United Center on Nov 11 ended a streak of SEVEN straight losses to the Bulls in Chicago. The Bulls played yesterday as well, losing 112-108 in New York to the Knicks. Not much is new there, as the Bulls are just 5-16 SU way from home this year. Yesterday's loss was 'painful,' as Chicago held a one-point lead with 1:10 remaining but allowed the Knicks to score the game's final five points! However, the Bulls are a respectable 13-8 at home and just last Thursday, beat the Cavs in the United Center, 102-93 (OT). The Bulls had hoped to have Gordon (20.0) coming off the bench this year but with the injury in early November to Hinrich, Gordon's been starting for most of the season alongside of the NBA's No. 1 overall pick, Rose (16.9-3.5-6.4). Rose is not perfect but he's had a pretty impressive year so far and now that Hinrich is back (he returned Jan 5 and has scored in double digits in three of his last four games), the Bulls have a pretty good backcourt. Larry Hughes (12.0-3.1-2.6) wants out of Chicago and with a fourth straight "DNP-Coach's decision" om Monday, it looks as if he'll get his wish soon. Deng (13.9-6.0) has been hurt on and off and is not having his best year but the team's most effective inside player is starting to come around. Drew Gooden (13.1-8.6) is not 100 percent yet, so Thomas (8.5-5.4) and Noah (4.5-6.1) are getting more minutes lately. In the loss to the Knicks, Thomas had 19-10 and Noah 7-18, giving pause to the thought that these guys may eventually become 'real' NBA players. Nocioni (10.2-4.2) has always been a favorite of mine and it's hard not to argue that this Chicago team is much closer to the 49-win team of two years ago, then it is to the 49-loss team of LY. With the Hawks missing both Horford and Williams, I look for Chicago to get the win rather easily.

Las Vegas Insider Chi Bulls

TV Game of the Week-CBB

The Illini have been a basketball powerhouse for most of the decade, beginning with Self, then Weber following in his footsteps. However, LY's team went just 16-19, although Illinois 'scared' the rest of the Big 10 team by making it all the way to the conference finals. Gone from LY's team are big men Pruitt (12.6-7.3) and Randle (9.4-5.5) but the Illini have surprised most experts by going 15-3 so far. Illinois has faced four ranked teams in its last five games and by going 3-2, entered the AP poll on Monday at No. 25. Ohio State comes in at 13-3, after winning 65-58 at Michigan on Saturday. Thad Matta is proving he's quite a coach but it's still "tough sledding" when top players keep leaving early. Two years ago it was Oden and Conley 'jumping ship' after the team's Final 4 run (lost national championship game to Florida) and LY it was the 7-1 Koufos (14.4-6.7) bolting after a solid freshman season (Ohio St won the NIT). However, Koufos was hardly the only loss for Matta. He lost the terrific Butler (15.0-5.9 APG), a solid player in forward Hunter (9.9-6.5), a key role player in Terwilliger and even his top assistant, who left to take the head coaching job at Ohio U (John Groce). If all that wasn't bad enough, 6-5 swingman Lighty (9.7-5.7), who had been a part of the team's 59 wins the last two seasons, was lost to an injury after seven games this year (return unknown at this time). The Buckeyes shot 54.5 percent at Ann Arbor on Saturday (Michigan shot just 35.7) and broke open a 47-all tie with a 10-0 run. The 6-7 Turner (15.9-7.0), the team's leading scorer, had 19 points and the so far disappointing 7-1 Mullens (8.8-4.2) added 15 (made 7-of-9 FGs). Diebler (10.8-3.4-2.8) and freshman guard Buford (10.6-3.6), who had 15 vs Michigan, give the Buckeyes two solid guards but the Illini have one of the nation's deepest backcourts. McCamey (11.8-2.7-4.9), and Meachem (11.7-2.6-2.7) are the top scorers but Legion, a Kentucky transfer who is now eligible, has reached double digits in three of his last five games (6.5 PPG since Dec 20) plus Brock (5.8) and Frazier (5.2-4.5-5.9) round out a perimeter game which is tough to match. While Pruitt and Randle have moved on up front, the 7-0 Tisdale is averaging 11.7-4.3 (up from 3.6-1.7) and the 6-9 Davis averages 11.7-7.3 (up from 2.6-1.8) plus 6-7 JUCO transfer Keller averages 5.6 PPG. Note that despite shooting 54.5 percent at Michigan, the Buckeyes only scored 65 points. In their three losses this year, they've been held to 48 points by West Va (in Columbus) and 59 and 58 points at Minnesota and Michigan State, respectively. The Illini are 9-1 SU at home (lone loss came 76-74 to Clemson, which lost for the first time TY on Saturday to now-No. 1 Wake) and have held all opponents to just 57.0 PPG on the year, the 5th-best total in the nation. Motivation should be high on the Illinois side, as the team is coming off a loss at Michigan St, where the team's two top scorers (McCamey and Meachem) combined to go 1-of-16 from the floor (a total of three points) and the Illini still lost only 63-57. Also, the Illini look to snap a five-game losing streak to the Buckeyes. The Buckeyes may have won in Crisler Arena on Saturday night but I don't see them having that kind of success tonight in Assembly Hall.

TV Game of the Week on Illinois