Rating: 2 Units

Northern Arizona is 2-5-1 ATS in their last 8 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record, and 1-6-1 ATS in their last 8 games following a straight up win. While Hawaii is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall, 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games following a ATS loss, and 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games following a double-digit loss at home.

Rating: 2 Units

The Wildcats have been really good defensively and they put a hurting on Eastern Kentucky on Friday, despite hitting just four 3-pointers. To fulfill their Final Four aspirations, they will have to knock down some long-range shots and they can start against the Quakers. Xavier Sneed could lead the way. He hit three of the four 3-pointers in the win over the Colonials. Dean Wade has also been underwhelming and will be challenged by A.J. Brodeur.

Rating: 2 Units

The Cowboys did a nice job in beating UT-San Antonio earlier this week, but the stench of the road loss to Charlotte still remains. Charleston is a potential Colonial champion and have two players that are going to cause problems for Oklahoma State. Grant Riller and Jarrell Brantley are experienced and tough: two things the Cowboys aren’t especially.

Rating: 2 Units

San Jose State is 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up loss, 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games overall, and 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games following a ATS win. While Cal State Bakersfield is 2-6 ATS in their last 8 neutral site games.

Rating: 2 Units

NC Asheville is  7-2 ATS in their last 9 neutral site games and 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games following a straight up loss.  While Coastal Carolina is 1-10 ATS in their last 11 games following a straight up loss and 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games vs. a team with a losing straight up record.

Rating: 2 Units

If it weren’t for Wichita State forward Markis McDuffie having an unprecedented offensive outburst, the Friars would be undefeated. They have a burgeoning star in Alpha Diallo surrounded by young talent and role players. The Gamecocks have received surprisingly little from big man Chris Silva. Freshman guard A.J. Lawson has been a nice surprise, but Providence has a number of players to throw at him defensively.

Rating: 2 Units

Towson is are 5-11 ATS in their last 16 neutral site games, and 6-18 ATS in their last 24 games overall. While Florida Atlantic is  4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a double-digit loss at home.

Rating: 2 Units

In a coaching battle, most people would take Bob Huggins over Rick Stansbury. Huggins is even recruiting pretty well. There are going to be some sweet battles in the post. Sagaba Konate should cause headaches for Charles Bassey and Desean Murray. The Mountaineer back court is a work in progress, but Beetle Bolden is a shot maker for a team that needs offense. West Virginia can dial up the defense since the roster is relatively deep.

Rating: 2 Units

These teams have not met since 2015 for the battle of the hearts and minds of the New York City metropolitan area. The Scarlet Knights opened the season by blowing the doors off two small school opponents, but they do not line up well against the talented Red Storm. St. John’s point forward Justin Simon could play a crucial role as he gets the ball to Shamorie Ponds and Mustapha Heron in the right places.

Rating: 2 Units

In the early going, Bol Bol has shown that he can dominate smaller opponents. The Hawkeyes do not have anyone who is quite his size, but they should offer more resistance. Tyler Cook and Luka Garza will concentrate on slowing down Bol, which may leave Payton Pritchard and Paul White to have some openings. With Bol and Kenny Wooten, the Ducks have one of the premier shot blocking duos in the nation and will make life hard on the Hawkeyes near the basket.

Rating: 3 Unit CBB Play of the Day

After an ugly home loss to Louisiana Tech, it looked like Wichita State might be a team that could be picked against. The Shockers were rescued by a career game from Markis McDuffie in the win over Providence with a career-high 32 points. They simply can’t rely on a such a game and the Wildcats are built to take advantage. The back court of Kellen Grady and Jon Axel Gudmundsson are a handful and the Shockers won’t be able to handle Davidson’s pace.

Rating: 2 Units

The National Championship game between these two seems like ages ago and five players moved onto the NBA. The Wolverines have dialed up their defense in only allowing 40.5 points in their first two games, but they will have a hard time covering all of the Wildcat shooters (as they did last April). Villanova has six players who have hit multiple 3-pointers in their first two wins, and forward Eric Paschall is not one of them. The 6-8 forward is a good outside shooter and will hit some long-range shots against Michigan.

Rating: 2 Units

Oakland forward Xavier Hill-Mais is coming off a 30-point, nine-rebound performance in the loss to Toledo. He may be tasked with slowing down Seth Dugan who opened the season with a 32-point, 22-rebound outburst in the win over Detroit. He showed he could dominate undermanned competition and should have another big game against the Golden Grizzlies. Keep an eye on Bronco guard Jared Printy who has knocked down eight 3-pointers in the first two games.

Rating: 2 Units

So the Musketeers didn’t blow Evansville off the court. Should we worry about coach Travis Steele’s team? Not quite yet. Xavier has competent players at every position and point guard Quentin Goodin could be back in the starting lineup to give the team a ball hawk on defense and field general on offense. Ethan Happ opened the season with a triple-double, but the long Musketeer defenders will cut off some of his passing lanes.

Rating: 2 Units

It may be a little hard to put faith in the Panthers with their terrible 2017-18 season in memory. This is a brand new team and coach Jeff Capel has the team playing well at home. They scored a solid win over Youngstown State before destroying VMI by 39 points. The Trojans played Saint Louis close on Saturday and are playing their second road game in three days. The young Pitt back court of Xavier Johnson and Trey McGowens looks they could grow into something positive.

Rating: 2 Units

This is the most intriguing game on the Sunday slate. USC played without Bennie Boatwright on Tuesday in the win over Robert Morris. The forward may not be able to return on his road back from knee surgery. Vanderbilt has excellent talent in freshmen Simi Shittu and Darius Garland. They may be too young to know that they are not supposed to win on the road. Notre Dame transfer Matt Ryan may be the key to the game. If he can keep hitting 3-pointers, the ‘Dores could move to 2-0.

Rating: 2 Units

The Golden Flashes have leadership in the back court with seniors Jalen Avery and Jaylin Walker, who led the team with 16.6 points last season. While the Vikings will have the home court advantage in the Wolstein Center, they could start three sophomores and a freshman. It will take time coach Dennis Felton to forge the Vikings into a decent Horizon League team. While they are having growing pains, Kent State will take advantage.

Rating: 2 Units

It may be reductive to think that if Evansville could not be competitive with Illinois, then they have little chance against Xavier. The Musketeers appears to be rebuilding on the fly with graduate transfers such as Ryan Welage and Kyle Castlin. Xavier will likely still be without point guard Quentin Goodin (shoulder), but Paul Scruggs and Naji Marshall can facilitate the offense. Tyrique Jones looks to have taken a step up in production and he will be a problem for the Aces.

Rating: 2 Units

There may be people who are worried about Kentucky after they were soundly beaten by Duke in the Champions Classic on Tuesday. You should not be one of them. Duke had more talent, but Kentucky has more talent than almost every other team, including by a wide margin over the Salukis. Big Blue will be out in force and Reid Travis will lead the rout. Look for E.J. Montgomery to earn a few more minutes as well.

Rating: 2 Units

After an ugly home loss to Louisiana Tech, the Shockers head to Annapolis to face the Friars. Coach Ed Cooley has led Providence to the NCAA Tournament in each of the last five seasons and has one of his most impressive recruiting classes. A.J. Reeves sank seven 3-pointers for 29 points in their 10-point win against Siena the other night, and Siena came back to beat George Washington on the road last night. Also, watch freshman point guard David Duke and the return from injury of forward Emmit Holt.

Rating: 2 Units

On player-by-player talent, the Hilltoppers would take this one. The problem is that they might not have the outside shooting or passing talent to effect Washington’s zone. WKU is without Lemonte Bearden and Desean Murray due to suspensions, so there is going to be little room on the interior for Charles Bassey to operate. Noah Dickerson and Jaylen Nowell may be the best combination in the Pac 12 and will enjoy home cooking for the win.

Rating: 2 Units

There will be a veritable McDonald’s All-American game in the nightcap of the Champions Classic doubleheaders. The problem for Kentucky is that Duke has the best players. If this game were later in the season and Kentucky’s disparate parts had time to coalesce into a solid defense, the Wildcats would stand a better chance. Duke’s superior fire power will be on display and the freshmen will lead Coach K’s team to the victory.

Rating: 2 Units

If you like offense, then you’ll want to check out Davidson this season. Kellen Grady and Jon Axel Gudmundsson should be among the top scoring back court duos in the country. According to Ken Pom, the Wildcats had the 16th best offense in the country last season. Even without Peyton Aldridge, Davidson will get off to a hot start. The Vikings need to replace three starters from a 12-win team

Rating: 3 Units

Underestimate the Wolverines at your own peril. If any team looks like it could jam the gear box on the well-tuned Villanova engine with its pistons all firing at the same time, it might be Michigan. The reason? Despite all of the hoopla about the Cats’ three-point shooting exploits, defense still travels in March (or, as it will on Monday night, April 2). And lately no team has been defending any better than the Wolverines, allowing foes a measly 0.88 points per possession in the Dance. Though not explosive on the scale of Villanova, the well-constructed passing game of Loyola-Chicago, which had been functioning with the efficiency of a Swiss watch in March, was discombobulated in Saturday’s other semifinal. The Ramblers were limited to season lows in attempts and makes beyond the arc and an astounding 24 of their 27 secondhalf FG attempts were contested. Michigan has also been adept at running foes off of the 3-point line in the Dance; opponents have connected on only 18 triples in the five games combined, which is the same number as ‘Nova’s successful conversions from downtown against the Jayhawks. Though the Wildcats will obviously provide the Wolverines with their toughest test, the corollary might be true as well. John Beilein’s troops have been digging in on the stop end all season, as ball screens are nullified, cutters are covered, and open looks are denied. Moreover, Big Dance foes have been connecting on only 40% of their two-point shots, with the Wolverines especially unrelenting on shots inside the arc. The “team defense” concept has been exemplified by Michigan, all the more impressive as Beilein does not own a true rim protector on the stop end.

In conclusion, while I greatly respect Villanova, the Cats are still heavily reliant on the 3-ball, and are not immune to extended cold snaps, or even defeats, as evidenced by a handful of losses this season and a few other close calls. Keep in mind that ‘Nova’s offense was not working as recently as the Elite 8, when Texas Tech might have been able to pull the upset had it been a bit more efficient on the offensive end. The Cats will also not be dealing with the sort of brisk pace that Kansas provided in Saturday’s semi-scrimmage; the Wolverines are adept at controlling tempo, allowing only 62.9 ppg, ranking 8th nationally, which makes us believe the mid 140s “total” might be a bit too high. The respected tactician Beilein is also a 67% play vs. the spread (14-7-2) in past NCAA Tourneys with Michigan.

Rating: 2 Units

I firmly feel the surging Jayhawks (12-1 SU last 13) clearly possess the requisite team speed, firepower, three-point marksmen (10 triples pg at 40.3%), passing skills (16.9 apg), transition offense & smart shot selection to trade all the way with the Big East juggernaut, which is facing its most combustible arsenal thus far in the Big Dance after defeating over matched Radford, youthful, erratic Alabama, a defense-oriented “Press Virginia” & Texas Tech. Bill Self—who’s arguably done his best-ever coaching job—is a mastermind in devising an ultra-efficient halfcourt “O,” while the stiffening KU defense permitted a combined 13 of 49 from deep in the semi-finals & finals of the Midwest region. In a wild tourney featuring a plethora of buzzer-beaters, I envision this heavyweight battle to be decided in the final moments in San Antonio. Hey, Jay hawks profitable 12-5 as an underdog since 2014-15.

Rating: 2 Units

Meanwhile, after a wild bobsled ride into the Elite 8 with three wins by four points total, Loyola dispatched Big 12 Kansas State with relative ease last Saturday in Atlanta to reach the Final Four. Certainly, after beating ACC Miami and SEC Tennessee at the wire, plus hot Nevada in the Sweet 16, the Ramblers have proven their Missouri Valley membership is no hindrance against the major conference teams. The Ramblers’ lock down defense (62 ppg ranks fifth nationally) and shrewd shot selection (51% FGs & 40% triples) have served it well in March and a current 14-game SU win streak that extends to narrow Jan. 31 loss at Bradley. If Loyola bears more than slight resemblance to past Rick Majerus teams at Utah and (especially) Saint Louis, it's no coincidence, as HC Porter Moser is a Majerus disciple who worked for the "big man" with the Billikens, and whose Ramblers remind more than a bit of the best Majerus teams. Loyola has plenty of balance with five DD scorers, a functional big in rugged 6-9, 260-lb. frosh PF Cameron Krutwig, and plenty of size on the wings to shoot over the Michigan defense on the perimeter. In the end, as in the first three rounds, another close Loyola game can be expected. We think Beilein can manufacture enough offense for Michigan to advance, but it won't be easy. The oddsmakers, however, have made it a bit easier for me by providing enough cushion to justify a Rambler recommendation while I sit back and watch what happens in the final seconds.

Rating: 2 Units

At a short price, favor the Duke side, which owns the more potent, steadier inside-outside attack, featuring Bagley, Carter & Allen. The Blue Devils have a host of rangy Gs to extend their zone and keep the pressure on KU’s lethal marksmen of Graham, Newman & Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk. Coach K’s squad has been a steady money-maker, going 22-11 vs. the spread, including an 11-3 mark as a single-digit chalk. Duke will welcome KU’s fast-paced attack, and the Blue Devils are much better equipped for 2nd chance points, as they out-rebound foes by 9.1 caroms pg (4th nationally). And the Blue Devils have made the extra pass in the Big Dance, dishing out a whopping 44 assists in the first two rounds. In a battle between two tradition-rich programs who rank 2nd & 4th in all-time victories, Duke has won 7 of 9 meetings.

Rating: 2 Units

Don’t want to completely dismiss Texas Tech, which has dealt with a lot of diverse weapons and shooters this season (such as Oklahoma’s gunslinger deluxe Trae Young) and might have the defense to slow down Jay Wright’s nation’s-best 87 ppg offense. But there’s so much diversity on the Villanova offense that Chris Beard is going to have to devise a way to keep an eye on various shooters who are all comfy enough to float beyond the arc and who will stretch the Red Raider defense. Although the play making Keenan Evans seemed to be close to 100% last weekend when spearheading Red Raider wins over Stephen F Austin and Florida, neither of those sides has the diversity of Villanova. And while we think Texas Tech is beyond its late-season slump, it’s worth noting that the Red Raiders had not covered a spread in eight straight games before barely surviving that Saturday war vs. the Gators.

Rating: 2 Units

Even with FSU springing a minor upset over Gonzaga, I will still lay short price with streaking Michigan, riding a 12-game win skein. The Wolverines are more tenacious on the stop end, And the most unique weapon on the court is 6-11 Moritz Wagner, who can attack the rim, smartly dish to an open man, or nail the 3-ball (40% from the arc). HC Beilein is adept at making half-time adjustments, and super-steady PG Abdur-Rahkman should be able to find seams in a ‘Nole defense ranked a lowly 211th in points allowed. Plus, Wolverines frosh Jordan Poole made a quantum leap in the confidence department by nailing UM’s amazing game-winning shot vs. Houston!

Rating: 2 Units

It can be argued with some conviction that to get this far, Loyola has faced tougher challenges (Miami-Fla, Tennessee, Nevada) than it will in the Elite Eight vs. Kansas State. A replay of the Wildcats’ root canal vs. UMBC might be in order; although that game was not played at an appreciably slow pace, K-State was decidedly sloppy (18 TOs) vs. the Retrievers. The latter is not something that afflicted Loyola in its sub regionals vs. the Canes and Vols when guilty of only an acceptable 10 TOs vs. each. Another nail-biter is almost assured in games involving the Ramblers, who have shown a knack for pulling out the close ones.

Rating: 3 Units

Texas Tech has had some injury problems of its own in the past month, with key G  Keenan Evans (17.8 ppg) having to fight his way thru a painful turf toe, and injury-prone C Zach Smith having trouble staying on the court for extended minutes. But the mid season  form of the Red Raiders seemed to resurface in Dallas, as a healthier Evans (45 points in the two games in Big D) and frosh F Zhaire Smith (18 points in the second-round win over the Gators) highlighted Beard’s collection of diverse play makers. And the active Red Raider defense continued to be able to deliver key stops, as it has done for much of the season. Although the key to any advancement remains the continued health of the electric Evans, who was touch-and-go in his first few games following the toe injury before looking more like himself last weekend (Evans said he felt “about 85 percent” after the Florida win). Defense, however, travels in March. And that combination with a healthier Evans gives Texas Tech a chance to get to the Elite Eight. Besides, I'm more than a bit reluctant to recommend an investment on Purdue, considering the Boilermakers’ recent and considerable point spread shortcomings.

Rating: 2 Units

After all, the Orange are now getting increasing contributions on both ends of the floor from burgeoning 6-9 frosh Marek Dolezaj (5.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg), who contributed 17 points in his team’s 57-52 win over high-scoring TCU in the Round of 64. And, with Syracuse rim protector 7-2 jr. Paschal Chukwu (91 blocks) patrolling the paint area, the young Duke bigs figure to have face a tougher challenge in the rematch on a neutral site, where they won’t get the favorable whistle (in 1st meeting, the Orange attempted 10 fewer foul shots). Also, keep in mind that Boeheim’s bunch knocked off trendy Michigan State with the aforementioned Frank Howard on the bench for the final 6 minutes after fouling out! Note that the Orange are 7-2 their last 9 as an underdog.

Rating: 4 Unit Sweet 16 Game of the Week

I have thought that for much of the season, Nova was the best team in the country on the most nights. Though the Wildcats are hardly immune, having been dumped by Butler, St. John’s, and Providence along the way. Those losses, however, might be a valuable tool for a Nova bunch that, while still owning a couple of pieces from its dramatic title run in 2016, also has components that recall last year’s early sub-regional exit courtesy of Wisconsin, as well as those three losses this season, which Wright will make sure erase any overconfidence on his veteran squad.

Rating: 2 Units

The Tiger defense will have its toughest test in the tourney, by far, vs. KU’s well-balanced (5 players avg. DDs) 4-G offense, which can attack the rim with zest or pop from deep, hitting 10 triples pg at a sizzling 40.3% (11th nationally). In fact, the Jay Hawks will welcome G-oriented CU, since the Tigers have nobody who can dominate in the paint like the Pirates’ double-double machine 6-10 Angel Delgado. Additionally, KU’s torrid-shooting 6-3 soph G Malik Newman (13.4 ppg for the season; 25 ppg last 5 games) has been in a steady groove down the stretch, while unheralded 6-5 jr. wing Lagerald Vick (12.1 ppg; 4.8 rpg) is a dangerous option as well, canning 10 of 16 from the floor (5 of 9 from distance) in the first two rounds. Note that the Tigers are only 4-5 their last 9 as a single-digit dog. So, I am compelled to lay a handful of points with KU, which has covered in this round of the tourney the last two campaigns, with comfy spread covers vs. Purdue (98-66 last year) & Maryland (79-63 in 2016).

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 3 Units

Rating: 2 Units

A&M is playing in its third Sweet 16 since the field was expanded to 64 teams in 1985. The Aggies are certainly oozing with confidence following their highly-impressive 86-65 romp over defending champ North Carolina. The Tar Heels, who were able to camouflage their lack of height with accurate outside shooting throughout the season, were fully exposed in the paint by A&M’s active, physical frontline tandem of 6-10 soph Robert Williams, a projected lottery pick, and 6-9, 270-pound jr. Tyler Davis, who poured in 18 points & collected 13 rebounds vs. UNC. And the Aggies have benefited from terrific backcourt play provided by blossoming 6-4 frosh G T.J. Starks, who’s amassed 36 points & 13 assists in the first two rounds. Plus, A&M mentor, Billy Kennedy praised the performance of 6-9 jr. F DJ Hogg, who chipped in 14 points vs. Roy Williams’s overwhelmed squad. And A&M would love to advance to the Final Four with a trip to San Antonio, just three hours from its campus in College Station. However, at a price of less than 2 hoops, prefer Michigan, even though the Wolverines’ season was saved in its thrilling 64-63 victory over tough Houston, thanks to reserve 6-4 frosh Jordan Poole, who nailed a deep buzzer-beater from tripleville. The Aggies figure to have some difficulty finding rhythm on the attack end vs. UM’s stingy defense (63.8 ppg; 8th nationally; 42.5% FGs), anchored by relentless 6-10 jr. F Moritz Wagner & emerging 7-1 soph C Jon Teske. Moreover, have to believe the well-designed Wolverine attack, expertly directed by 6-4 sr. PG Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman (12.6 ppg, 3.3 apg), will shoot more accurately from deep after combining for a wretched 13 of 46 from downtown in the first two rounds.

Rating : 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

The Utes and Gaels haven't met since 2013-14, but the two teams participated in a closed scrimmage prior to the season. "I haven't watched them all year but we played them early on and know their personnel,'' Gaels head coach Randy Bennett told reporters. "I'm familiar with their program and they are tough, physical and well coached.” St. Mary's appears to have gotten over the disappointment of being left of the Big Dance and has a chance here of  earning a third chance at playing in the semifinals at Madison Square Garden with a win, after falling one game short in 2009 and 2016. Utah, the 1947 NIT champion and 1974 runner-up, is bidding for its first trip to the semifinals since 1992 with first-round exits in 2001, 2014 and 2017.The Gaels are 18-1 SU at McKean Pavilion (losing to only Gonzaga), where they've outscored opponents on average, 78.7-to-60.9 PPG but No. 1 seeds in this tourney are just 3-5 ATS. Take the points with Utah.

Rating: 2 Units

San Diego has survived a couple of tests in the CIT, first gifted a travel-weary Hartford side that had made the cross-country journey on short notice last Monday, then facing a depleted Portland State and surviving a nail biter on Saturday. But these are distracting times nonetheless at Jenny Craig Pavilion in the wake of HC Lamont Smith’s recent controversial resignation, with asst. Sam Scholl filling in on an interim basis while a search for a new leader commences.  UNC has more the appearance of a team that could bring home the CIT trophy, especially as it has fared well all season on the road, winning at South Dakota, Southern Miss, and Wyoming in pre-league play and surviving the vagaries of Big Sky travel. The Bears are seeking redemption from their gut wrenching Big Sky semis loss to Montana, when sr. F Tanner Morgan missed two FTs with less than a second to play in regulation time when making just one would have won the game. But a motivated Morgan bounced back to score 19 in Sunday’s win over Drake. And Arizona State transfer G Andre Spight (21.9 ppg) has been a season-long revelation and is closing his college career with a rush (25.5 ppg last eight).

Rating: 2 Units

Guard Justin Bibbins scored 15 of his game-high 21 points in the second half against UC Davis to help the Runnin’ Utes rally from an 11-point first-half deficit. Forwards Donnie Tillman and Tyler Rawson added 11 points apiece, but Utah will need more from senior forward David Collette, the team’s second-leading scorer (12.7) and rebounder (4.6), who finished with only six points and two boards, respectively, Wednesday night. The Utes’ defensive intensity, though, is a reliable constant as they allow an average of 68.4 points per outing and a 41.7 percent opposing field-goal percentage. Utah has won three of the four games against LSU

Rating: 2 Units

Xavier has routinely proved it possesses one of the best offensive teams in the country - something it displayed in its NCAA Tournament opener as well as the last time it faced Florida State. The top-seeded Musketeers attempt to end the ninth-seeded Seminoles' season in the second round of the West Region for the second straight year today when they meet in Nashville, Tenn. Riding 20-point performances from each of its top three scorers Friday, Xavier drained 11 3-pointers en route to setting a program record for most points in a NCAA Tournament game with its 102-83 victory over Texas Southern, marking the fourth time this season the nation's eighth-highest scoring team topped the century mark. The Musketeers enjoyed similar success exactly one year ago versus Florida State, shooting 55.6 percent from the field in a 91-66 rout of the Seminoles behind 29 points from Trevon Bluiett.

Rating: 2 Units

Senior Gary Clark did his part in the first round with 11 points and 13 rebounds and is trying to lead his team in his final chance at NCAA Tournament success. "In this game, we had to adjust," Clark told reporters. "In every game, that's how it's going to be. You've got to adjust to how the team's doing. Our adversity allows us to do that well. Being my fourth year, tell young guys to just enjoy it, live in the moment and not get too riled up about the crowd and all that. Just do what we've been doing all year." One of those young guys is sophomore guard Jarron Cumberland, who exploded for 27 points and 11 boards.

Rating: 2 Units

The defending national champion Tar Heels will counter with better team speed and perimeter shooting skills, assets they didn't rely on much during their 84-66 first-round win against Lipscomb on Friday. Luke Maye is one of the 6-8 starters for North Carolina, and he's also one of the most versatile players in college basketball, averaging 17 points and 10.1 rebounds while also converting 43.8 percent of his 3-point tries.   North Carolina is 34-1 in NCAA Tournament games played in its home state. The only loss was in 1979 and have won two of three all-time against Texas A&M. Their lone loss came in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 1980.

Rating: 3 Units

The Boilermakers held Butler, which averages 8.3 triples, to just one 3-pointer in the first 28 minutes in their December victory while building a 26-point lead. Sophomore guard Carsen Edwards, who leads the team in scoring (18.4 points), had a team-high 18 points in the first meeting with the Bulldogs, while senior forward Vincent Edwards, who is third on the team in scoring (14.5), finished with 15 points, including 4-of-5 3-pointers. Senior guard Dakota Mathias is also averaging in double figures (12.3) and has connected on 92-of-199 3-pointers. The Boilermakers are 21-0 this year when shooting 48 percent or better from the field.

Rating: 2 Units

Third-seeded Michigan looks to shut down No. 6 seed Houston in the second round of the West Regional on Saturday in Wichita, Kan. The Wolverines allowed the third-fewest points in their NCAA Tournament history in the 61-47 win over No. 14 seed Montana on Thursday and hope to reach 30 wins for the first time since 2012-13 by putting the defensive clamps on the Cougars, who have scored at least 80 points in five of their last nine outings. Michigan has won 10 straight games overall and have advanced to the Sweet 16 in three of their previous four tournament appearances.

Rating; 2 Units

The Bulldogs also benefited from an individual double-double Thursday as senior forward Johnathan Williams notched his fourth straight with 19 points and 13 rebounds on 8-of-12 shooting. Perkins (16 points) and Norvell (15) also scored in double figures against UNC Greensboro, helping Gonzaga overcome poor shooting outings from 3-point range (5-of-23) and the free-throw stripe (13-of-25). The Bulldogs’ 68 points matched their lowest total in a game this season, and they rank 12th nationally with 84.0 points per outing with six players averaging at least 9.4, led by Williams (13.7), forward Killian Tillie (13.1) and Perkins (12.5). This will be the third meeting between the programs, and the second came earlier this season when Gonzaga cruised to an 86-59 win at the PK80 Invitational in Portland on Nov. 23.

Rating: 2 Units

Two days after recording its biggest win in program history, No. 13 seed Buffalo looks to upset another perennial power Saturday when the Bulls face No. 5 seed Kentucky in the second round of the NCAA Tournament South Regional in Boise, Idaho. Buffalo stunned fourth-seeded Arizona 89-68 on Thursday while Kentucky advanced with a 78-73 victory over 12th-seeded Davidson. Buffalo hardly looked overwhelmed against national player of the year candidate freshman Deandre Ayton and Arizona, which had a huge size advantage but was out rebounded by one and failed to contain the Bulls’ perimeter game. Senior guard Wes Clark scored a team-high 25 points to lead the Bulls, who made 15-of-30 three-point shots and shot 54.8 percent overall.

Rating: 2 Units

The Crimson Tide overcame 17 turnovers and nine missed foul shots while shooting 60 percent from the floor in Thursday's 86-83 triumph over the Hokies. John Petty helped Sexton by draining 6-of-8 from 3-point range - he's 11-of-17 from behind the arc over the last two games - while Donta Hall was 5-of-5 from the field in Thursday's win. Sexton averages 19.2 points overall and has surpassed that average in five straight games with all of those performances coming against teams that are seeded eighth or better in the NCAA Tournament.

Rating: 2 Units

The Tigers have relied on a stellar defense that is ranked 35th in the nation in opposing field-goal percentage (41 percent) and 29th in the country in blocked shots per contest (4.8 per game) entering Sunday's action. Clemson overcame the season-ending injury to Donte Grantham as junior guard Marcquise Reed finished 10th in the ACC in scoring at 15.9 points per game and ranked fifth in steals at steals per contest (1.7). Led by first-year head coach Chris Jans, the Aggies won the West Coast Conference for the fifth consecutive season and tied the program record for most wins in a season. Following a two-game losing streak, New Mexico State won its final six games entering the NCAAs.

Rating: 2 Units

In tonight's game there's no doubt that the loss of sophomore forward Anfernee McLemore is particularly significant for Auburn. He was injured on February 17, after playing just 13 minutes in a loss at South Carolina. Since the injury the Tigers have lost four of six games (including the loss to the Gamecocks). Two of the last three times these teams have played each other, the game was decided by four points. The Cougars are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win and 5-2-1 ATS in their last 8 games versus teams with a winning up record. While the Tigers are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games overall.

Rating; 2 Units

The Longhorns' up-and-down season included playing without Andrew Jones (diagnosed with leukemia in January) and consistent bench contributor Eric Davis Jr. (withheld during investigation since Feb. 23). The young Texas team - which played four freshmen in its seven-man rotation in Thursday's loss to Texas Tech in the Big 12 quarterfinals - got 6-11 freshman forward Mohamed Bamba back after he missed three games with a toe injury.

Rating: 2 Units

The Bulldogs have had a see-saw campaign, going 4-6 since the start of February, but were never in doubt to make the field, particularly after reaching the semifinals of the Big East Tournament, where they lost to Villanova. The Razorbacks and coach Mike Anderson, who has guided his team to three tournament bids in seven seasons, advanced to the semifinals in the SEC Tournament before bowing to runner-up Tennessee. Jaylen Barford and Daryl Macon have averaged 18 and 16.9 points, respectively, this season for the Razorbacks, who have won eight of their last 11 games.

Rating: 2 Units

Sixth-seeded Florida hopes to find the best version of itself when it begins play in the NCAA Tournament against No. 11 seed St. Bonaventure in the first round of the East Region today in Dallas. The Gators owns impressive victories over Gonzaga, Cincinnati, Kentucky (two) and Auburn, but dropped five of their last eight games against non-NCAA teams before falling in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals against Arkansas.  St. Bonaventure will create quite a challenge after the Bonnies knocked off UCLA 65-58 on Tuesday in the First Four at Dayton, Ohio, for its school-record 26th win and first NCAA Tournament victory since 1970. St. Bonaventure advanced without big nights from its leading scorers - senior guards Jaylen Adams (19.4) and Matt Mobley (18.4), who finished with 22 points combined against the Bruins.

Rating: 2 Units

Ohio State owns the higher seed and the more recognizable name, but South Dakota State has more recent NCAA Tournament experience on its ledger entering their first-round West Regional matchup Thursday. That’s the challenge awaiting the fifth-seeded Buckeyes as they take on the 12th-seeded Jackrabbits in Boise, Idaho. A No. 12 seed has beaten a No. 5 seed in nine of the last 10 NCAA Tournaments, and 12s have won 11 of the last 24 such first-round matchups overall. The Buckeyes, who earned an at-large bid out of the Big Ten, are making their 28th Big Dance appearance overall but their first since 2015 under former coach Thad Matta. South Dakota State, meanwhile, captured an automatic NCAA bid by winning the Summit League championship and also finished first in the conference with a 13-1 league record during the regular season. It will be the third straight NCAA Tournament appearance for the Jackrabbits and fifth in the last seven seasons for the program which moved up to the Division I level in 2005.

Rating: 2 Units

The fact that they play in a major conference that sent seven teams to the tournament and have Freshman of the Year candidate Trae Young certainly helped the Sooners, who were the only team in the field, including First Four teams, to make it with fewer than 19 victories. Young led the nation in scoring (27.4 points per game) and assists (8.8) while grabbing 3.9 rebounds for coach Lon Kruger. The 6-2 guard helped his team to a 12-1 start, including three wins over ranked teams, but things started to go south in mid-January. The Rams, who were unable to capture a second straight Atlantic 10 Tournament title, got a tough draw, including a possible second-round game with No. 2 seed Duke, for a team that won 25 games, including its first 13 in the Atlantic 10.

Rating: 2 Units

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The Bearcats have defeated SMU (61-51) and Memphis (70-60) in their first two games of this event as Gary Clark has averaged 14.5 points and 11.5 rebounds. Jarron Cumberland added 18 points versus Memphis after going scoreless against SMU, giving Houston one more weapon to worry about in the championship game. The Cougars rode Rob Gray's 33 points to a 77-74 win over Wichita State on Saturday, earning a trip to the AAC title game for the first time. Houston knows it can beat Cincinnati, as it did as recently as Feb. 15 when it snapped the Bearcats' national-best winning streak at 16 games.

Rating: 2 Units

No. 4 seed Kentucky is playing some of its best basketball of the season at the right time and looks to record a fourth consecutive SEC Tournament Championship when it takes on second-seeded Tennessee today in St. Louis. The Wildcats allowed 49 points in the quarterfinals and scored an 86-63 triumph against Alabama in the semifinals Saturday for their sixth victory in the last seven games after losing four straight.

Rating: 2 Units

Arizona will try for its third Pac-12 tournament title in the past four years when the top-seeded Wildcats meet second-seeded USC at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas tonight. Arizona outscored fourth-seeded UCLA 11-0 in overtime to win the first semifinal 78-67 and the Trojans routed No. 6 seed Oregon 74-54 in the second to reach their first tournament championship since 2009. Deandre Ayton was back to being a force against UCLA after a rocky performance in the quarterfinal victory against Colorado, totaling a season-high 32 points on 13-for-16 shooting and grabbing 14 rebounds against the Bruins. There's few college players in the country who can match up with the 7-1 freshman forward.  Arizona has won four in a row against USC since a quadruple-overtime loss Jan. 9, 2016.

Rating: 2 Units

Ball movement was key for North Carolina in the win against Duke as it was able to dismantle a 2-3 zone defense by recording 24 team assists on 28 made field goals, with Pinson (seven assists) and Kenny Williams (six) leading the way. Luke Maye had a bounce-back performance, leading the Tar Heels with 17 points, 10 rebounds and four assists a day after he scored just two points on 1-of-15 shooting against Miami in the quarterfinals. Four other players reached double digits in points for North Carolina, with Joel Berry II scoring 13 and Cameron Johnson, Garrison Brooks and Williams each adding 10. Virginia is in the conference title game for the ninth time in school history but has won only two championships (1976 and 2014) and lost to North Carolina in 2016. North Carolina is looking to win its 19th ACC championship and pull within one of Duke for most all-time.

Rating: 2 Units

Malik Newman was a top-10 recruit for Mississippi State back in spring of 2015, but it is Kansas who is reaping the rewards of his talent nearly three years later. The 6-3 sophomore attempts to put the finishing touches on his brilliant offensive display at the Big 12 Tournament today when the ninth-ranked and top-seeded Jayhawks face No. 18 West Virginia in the championship game at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo. Kansas has won the conference tournament seven times in 15 years under coach Bill Self and is 10-2 all-time in the Big 12 championship game.

Rating: 2 Units

Fourth-seeded Kentucky looks to stay on track for its fourth consecutive SEC Tournament title when it faces No. 9 seed Alabama in the semifinals today in St. Louis. The Wildcats cruised past Georgia 62-49 on Friday to notch their 11th consecutive win against the Bulldogs and hope to beat the Crimson Tide for the 10th straight time while ousting them in the semifinals for the second straight year following a 79-74 victory on March 11, 2017. Kentucky has won 12 of its last 13 SEC Tournament games and 16 of the last 18 meetings with Alabama.

Rating: 2 Units

Seattle is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600, 1-4 ATS in their last 5 Friday games, 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win, and 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games following a ATS win. While New Mexico St. is 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight up win of more than 20 points, 5-1-2 ATS in their last 8 games overall, 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games after scoring more than 90 points in their previous game, and 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win.

Rating: 2 Units

Florida is en route to the NCAA Tournament, but the No. 23 Gators would like to improve their resume when they open SEC Tournament play against Arkansas in today's quarterfinals at St. Louis. Third-seeded Florida was sharp while winning its final three regular-season games by an average of 13 points, while the Razorbacks posted a 69-64 over South Carolina in Thursday's second round. The Gators battled issues through a large portion of the season, but coach Mike White is feeling good about his team as March arrives. The sixth-seeded Razorbacks are a hot squad with seven victories in their past nine games, but they have dropped their last eight meetings with the Gators. 

Rating: 2 Units

In the first meeting between the teams this season on Dec. 30, Butler knocked off Villanova 101-93 - easily the most points scored against the Wildcats this season. Villanova got its revenge in the second meeting on Feb. 10, notching an 86-75 victory as Donte DiVincenzo scored a career-high 30 points and Jalen Brunson, the potential National Player of the Year, added 27. The third meeting came to fruition late Thursday night, when Butler advanced past Seton Hall on a late tip-in by Tyler Wideman. Villanova had advanced earlier in the evening with a 94-70 victory against Marquette. Villanova averages 87.4 points - tops in the nation - and has scored at least 90 in four of the last six games.

Rating: 2 Units

St. Louis is 2-6 ATS in their last 8 Friday games and 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games vs a team with a winning straight up record. While Davidson is 11-4-1 ATS in their L16 games overall, 11-4-1 in their last 16 vs the Atlantic 10, and 8-3-1 ATS in their last 12 games following a straight up win.

Rating: 2 Units

Sophomore guard Kyle Guy looked just fine after an injury scare last Saturday and hopes to follow up a strong performance in No. 1 Virginia’s ACC Tournament opener as the top-seeded Cavaliers take on fourth seed Clemson in the semifinals today at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Guy, who played with a brace on his injured left knee, scored a game-high 19 and drained four 3-pointers in Virginia’s 75-58 win over Louisville on Thursday.  The Cavaliers lead the nation in scoring defense and gave up the least points all season to No. 20 Clemson as Virginia held the Tigers to 31.9 percent shooting while forcing 19 turnovers in a 61-36 triumph on Jan. 23.

Rating: 2 Units

No. 12 Tennessee is entrenched in the NCAA Tournament field, but the second-seeded team wouldn't mind adding the SEC Tournament title to its list of accomplishments. The Volunteers begin their pursuit of the conference crown on today, when they face seventh-seeded Mississippi State in the quarterfinals at St. Louis. Tennessee finished the regular season with four consecutive victories while enjoying a winning campaign for the first time in the three-year tenure of Rick Barnes, who was named SEC Coach of the Year. Tennessee obliterated Mississippi State 76-54 on Feb. 27, when Admiral Schofield scored 24 points as the team shot 56.3 percent from the field.

Rating: 2 Units

Kent State is  0-2-2 ATS in their last 4 Friday games. While Buffalo is 5-1-2 ATS in their last 8 games following a ATS win, 10-3-1 ATS in their last 14 neutral site games. Bulls are 7-3-2 ATS in their last 12 Friday games, and 7-3-2 ATS in their last 12 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.

Rating: 2 Units

St. Joseph is 5-1-1 ATS in their last 7 games overall, 5-1-1 ATS in their last 7 vs. Atlantic 10, and 23-8-1 ATS in their last 32 Friday games.

Rating: 2 Units

With team scoring leader Shake Milton on the sidelines - likely for the entire AAC Tournament - with a hand injury, SMU leaned on a trio of scorers to build a big lead against the Huskies, then hold on for dear life after UConn closed to within four late. Ben Emelogu II had a team-best 23 points in the 80-73 victory, while Akoy Agau added a career-best 21 and Jahmal McMurray chipped in 19. Those three will have to be just as good - or better - Thursday as the Bearcats come in having allowed 57.3 points per game during the regular season, second only to Virginia (52.8) and well ahead of third-place Central Florida (61.3). Cincinnati also dominated the two-game series with the Mustangs, winning both games by a combined 41 points.

Rating: 2 Units

The possible top pick in the next NBA draft, Ayton averaged 23 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting 55.6 percent from the field in two regular-season meetings against Colorado. The Buffaloes will also need to focus on stopping Trier, who was named last season’s Pac-12 Tournament MVP and received All-Pac-12 first-team honors this week after averaging 18.9 points on 52.3 percent shooting. Sophomore guard Rawle Alkins finished the regular season by scoring in double figures in five of his last six games and appears fully healthy after battling a foot injury early in the year.

Rating: 2 Units

UC Riverside is  9-20-1 ATS in their last 30 games following a ATS loss, and 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 neutral site games. While UC Davis is 12-3 ATS in their last 15 games vs. a team with a losing straight up record, 4-1 ATS in their last 5 vs. Big West, and 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games vs. a team with a winning % below .400.

Rating: 2 Units

UMKC is 0-4-1 ATS in their last 5 vs. Western Athletic. While Grand Canyon is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall, 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win, and 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 neutral site games.

Rating: 2 Units

Eighth-seeded Texas A&M looks to beat No. 9 Alabama for the second time in five days when they meet in the second round of the SEC Tournament on Thursday in St. Louis, Mo. The Aggies, who have won seven of their last 10 games, edged the Crimson Tide 68-66 on Saturday to wrap up the regular season with 20 wins and hope to ride the momentum to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2015-16. The Crimson Tide seemed poised to end their five-year NCAA Tournament drought, but dropped their last five games of the regular season to fall on the bubble. Alabama, who finished with a losing record in SEC play for the fourth time in five seasons, has lost three games by 10 or more points during its skid and hopes to make a run in the conference tournament to punch its ticket to March Madness.

Rating: 2 Units

TCU will end its 20-year NCAA Tournament drought next week but first the Horned Frogs would like to tack on some victories in the Big 12 Championship in Kansas City. Fifth-seeded TCU faces fourth-seeded Kansas State in Thursday's quarterfinals and has won four of its last five games entering the conference tournament. enior guard Kenrich Williams has recorded 12 double-doubles and the second-team All-Big 12 selection averages 12.9 points and a team-leading 9.3 rebounds and 53 steals. Senior forward Vladimir Brodziansky, a third-team All-Big 12 choice, shoots 57.7 percent from the field while leading the squad in scoring (15.2) and blocked shots (50), while sophomore Desmond Bane (13.1) drained a team-best 57 3-pointers. The Horned Frogs rank second in the Big 12 in scoring (83.6) and lead the league in field-goal percentage (50) and 3-point percentage (40).

Rating: 2 Units

Ninth-seeded Louisville needed to make a statement in the ACC Tournament and they did just that Wednesday, surviving a second-half comeback from No. 8 seed Florida State in the second round at the Barclays Center to defeat the Seminoles 82-74 and fortify its NCAA Tournament resume. Now the Cardinals get another crack at upending top-seeded Virginia, who earned a double bye into the quarterfinals after capturing the regular-season ACC championship, with the winner moving on to the tourney semifinals to face either No. 4 seed Clemson or No. 12 seed Boston College.

Rating: 2 Units

Florida Atlantic is 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600, 4-13 ATS in their last 17 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record, 1-5 ATS in their last 6 neutral site games, and 1-10 ATS in their last 11 Wednesday games.

Rating: 2 Units

Marquette is in this precarious position partially because of its loss to DePaul late last month, when it suffered a 70-62 setback to the league's last-place team. That is the only defeat in the last five games for the Golden Eagles, who watched all three of their scoring stars struggle from the field in that one. Marquette will hope to ride its offense that has clearly swung the fate of the team in recent weeks. The Blue Demons have lost five of six, managing only the win against Marquette on Feb. 24 during that stretch.

Rating: 2 Units

South Carolina enters as the No. 11 seed, having won three of its last five following a six-game skid. The 14th-seeded Rebels lost their final three games of the regular season and 10 of the last 11, and they’re 1-3 in four games since Tony Madlock took over as acting head coach following longtime coach Andy Kennedy’s resignation.

Rating: 2 Units

Florida A&M is  6-14 ATS in their last 20 games overall, 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win, and 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record. While Hampton is 10-4 ATS in their last 14 vs. Mid-Eastern Athletic, and 9-4 ATS in their last 13 neutral site games.

Rating: 2 Units

UMass is 16-35-1 ATS in their last 52 Wednesday games, 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games vs. a team with a losing straight up record, and 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS win. While the favorite (LaSalle) is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings between these two teams.

Rating: 2 Units

South Alabama is 5-12 ATS in their last 17 Wednesday games, 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS loss, and 0-3-1 ATS in their last 4 vs. Sun Belt. While Troy is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a ATS loss, and 17-7 ATS in their last 24 games following a straight up loss. In addition South Alabama is 1-4 ATS in the last 5 meetings versus Troy

Rating: 2 Units

Prairie View is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 home games, 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games vs. a team with a winning % below .400, and 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games following a straight up win.

Rating: 2 Units

Alabama State is 5-11-1 ATS in their last 17 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600, 2-5-1 ATS in their last 8 road games, 5-13-1 ATS in their last 19 road games vs. a team with a winning home record, 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games vs. a team with a losing straight up record, and 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games vs. a team with a winning % below .400.

Rating: 2 Units

Stony Brook is 2-5-1 ATS in their last 8 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.,  2-5-2 ATS in their last 9 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record, 3-8-3 ATS in their last 14 games overall, and 1-4-2 ATS in their last 7 vs. America East.

Rating: 2 Units

With NCAA Tourney at-large “lock” Houston looking to roll into the American Tourney on a high note, must lay the lumber with under performing UConn, which hasn’t covered back-to-back games since January 13th. Cougars highly-successful 4th-year mentor Kelvin Sampson, who has led three other teams (Wazzu, Indiana & Oklahoma) to the NCAA Tourney, is thrilled with his front line depth. Plus, UH’s torrid-shooting 6-3 soph G Armoni Brooks (nailed 15 of 26 triples over last 3 games) giving nifty support to terrific sr. PG Rob Gray Jr.(17.7 ppg, 4.7 apg), who’ll be jazzed-up for Senior Night. Be sure, Cougs have circled this date after capturing both reg.-season meetings LY before painful upset loss in the conference tourney.

Rating: 2 Units

Recent Memphis form suggests Tigers could be a bit of a handful in next week’s American Tourney in Orlando, as Tubby Smith’s bunch seems to be peaking, winning and covering last four into March including a rousing home upset win over ranked Houston on Feb. 22. Moreover, there’s a revenge factor here as Tigers look to atone for one of their low moments of the campaign when losing at bottom-rung ECU on Feb. 3. Most impressive is that Tubby’s team seems to have overcome recent loss of top scorer G Jermeiah Martin (ankle), with 6-4 frosh Jamal Johnson looking up the challenge after scoring 18 in recent win at UConn, and rugged 6-9 juco FF Mike Parks, Jr. picking up some or the scoring slack (also scoring 18 vs. UConn). Not sure woebegone Pirates want to show up after their last American road game went rather badly (and how...trailed Houston 62-13 at half last Sunday..)

Rating: 2 Units

Both of these Pac-12 entries seem destined to ride on the bubble into Selection Sunday, but a bit more might be on the line at Galen Center for UCLA, badly in need of a late-season boost after getting swept in the Pac-12 “altitude trip” to Utah and Colorado last week. Steve Alford has now beaten Andy Enfield three in a row after earlier 82-79 win at Pauley Pavilion on Feb. 3 when Bruin PG Aaron Holiday badly outplayed Trojan counterpart Jordan McLaughlin, outscoring him 23-5. SC in trouble if it can’t win that matchup, and Holiday’s recent form (scored 20 or more in 7 of last 9 games!) suggests Trojans will have issues again on perimeter.

Rating: 2 Units

Sure, SH hung tough with Villanova despite absence of injured top scorer 6-6 sr. F Desi Rodriquez (out last 2 tilts with ankle) in 69-68 OT loss in Philly. Would still, however, strongly recommend taking a handful of points with Big Dance-hopeful Butler (RPI of 41; currently a 7th seed according to TGS bracketology),which is geeked for rematch after squandering an 11-point lead in painful 90-87 home loss on Jan. 6. Bulldogs’ normally-productive, DD-scoring duo of 6-1 soph G Kamar Baldwin & 6-7 sr. Kelan Martin figure to display more typical marksmenship after combining for a season-worst 10 of 37 from the field in their team’s 75-68 OT loss at St. John’s on the same day. Hey, the Pirates no bargain as home chalk, logging a 5-9 spread mark at the Pru Center TY.

Rating: 3 Unit NCAAB Mismatch of the Day

Middle Tennessee State is 19-7 ATS in their last 26 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600, 40-15-1 ATS in their last 56 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of less than .400, 48-18-2 ATS in their last 68 home games vs. a team with a losing road record, and 37-16 ATS in their last 53 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record. While Marshall is 1-5 ATS in the last 6 meetings vs Middle Tennessee State and 0-6 ATS in the last 6 meetings at Middle Tennessee St..

Rating: 3 Unit NCAAB Play of the Day

Utah is  38-13-2 ATS in their last 53 home games vs. a team with a losing road record, 40-14-2 ATS in their last 56 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of less than .400, and 35-17-1 ATS in their last 53 Saturday games. While Colorado is 18-38-1 ATS in their last 57 road games, 17-36-1 ATS in their last 54 road games vs. a team with a winning home record, and 7-18-1 ATS in their last 26 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600. While Colorado is 3-10 ATS in the last 13 meetings with Utah.

Rating: 2 Units

North Texas is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of less than .400, 1-4 ATS in their last 5 home games, 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS win, 1-5 ATS in their last 6 Saturday games, and 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning % below .400. While UTEP is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings vs North Texas/

Rating: 2 Units

UVa likely hits the ACC Tourney on top of the polls if it can get this one. But not sure it’s going to be easy for Cavs, as Notre Dame has regained services of PF Bonzie Colson (scored 12 in 21 minutes of return game vs. Pitt at midweek) and the attention of the NCAA Selection Committee that is going to take a look at the full-strength Irish if Mike Brey’s team finishes fast. Note ND form has already been improving (5-2 SU last 7) since return to active duty of G Matt Farrell (18 ppg last 8) in early February. Remember, Domers won the Maui Classic when all hands were on deck back in November.

Rating: 2 Units

Kansas is  10-4 ATS in their last 14 road games, 10-4 ATS in their last 14 road games vs. a team with a winning home record, and 9-4 ATS in their last 13 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600. While Oklahoma State is  2-6 ATS in their last 8 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600, 3-10 ATS in their last 13 home games, and 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games following a straight up win.

Rating: 2 Units

With Big East leader X-Men shooting for a top four seed in the Big Dance, don’t mind laying single digits with the ultra explosive, good-shooting Musketeers (85.2; 49.8% from the floor), primed to win & cover their sixth consecutive on the conference trail. Count on a more formful offensive showing from Xavier’s rangy 6-5 sr. J.P. Macura (12. 4 ppg), who scored only 6 points before fouling out in his team’s 84-74 home victory over pesky Providence in mid-week. Defensively-lax DePaul (74.2 ppg)—which has yielded 82 ppg or more 3 of the last 4 games—will eventually succumb to the mighty Musketeers, who won’t take the Blue Demons lightly after needing to overcome a 16-point deficit in their 77-72 home  win back on Dec. 30th, when they nailed a season-worst 4 of 22 from deep.

Rating: 2 Units

Virginia Tech is  7-3 ATS in their last 10 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.,  7-3 ATS in their last 10 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record, and 28-13-1 ATS in their last 42 games following a ATS win. While Miami is 8-20 ATS in their last 28 games following a ATS win, 3-8 ATS in their last 11 vs. Atlantic Coast, and 7-21 ATS in their last 28 home games.

Rating: 2 Units

With postseason tourney seeking BSU seeking its 20th win of the season, willing to lay  short price with road-proven Cards, who’ve notched victories at Ohio, Toledo & Akron in MAC action. Expect BSU’s top-scorer 6-3 jr. G Taylor Persons (14.6 ppg)to bounce back after hitting only 3 of 14 from the field in his team’s head-burying 75-51 setback at Central Michigan on Tuesday. Defensively-soft MAC West doormat NIU (76 ppg; 46.5% from the floor; 291st nationally)—licking its wounds from 97-67 home blowout administered by Toledo on the same day, lacks much quick strike ability, converting a paltry 5.2 triples (lowly 340th) pg at 32.6%. Watch for the Cards’ powerful 6-9, 245-pound jr. C Trey Moses to lead his team to the “promised land” again after scoring 23 along with 12 caroms & 3 blocks in his team’s 77-68 series win on Feb. 20th.

Rating: 2 Units

Cincinnati bounced back from its Feb. 18 home loss to Wichita State with victories over Connecticut and Tulsa and would love to get back to its defensive roots after surrendering 70 or more points in two of its previous three games. Facing the nation's second-ranked defense will be a tall task for the Green Wave, who halted a six-game losing skid with a 79-68 win at South Florida last time out. It's the third game against a ranked opponent this season for Tulane, which fell to North Carolina and Wichita State by an average of 15.5 points