My 8* play is on St Louis at 1:00 ET.

The Saint Louis Billikens and St. Bonaventure Bonnies will square off this Sunday afternoon at the Barclays Center in the for the A-10 tourney championship. The sixth--seeded Saint Louis Billikens (10-8) will be looking to punch their first ticket to the NCAA Tournament since 2014, after upsetting the second-seeded Davidson Wildcats, 67-44. The fourth-seeded St. Bonaventure Bonnies (12-6) come into the championship game playing some of their best basketball of the season and had no trouble reaching the finals after defeating the 8th-seeded Rhode Island Rams, 68-51 on Saturday.

St Louis was led by guard Javon Bess (15.4 & 6.6), who had 24 points and seven rebounds in the win over Davidson. St Louis shot 48.1% from the floor while holding Davidson to just 25.9% shooting. Bess is joined by fellow guards Isabell (13.9-4.3-4.7) and Goodwin (10.4-7.3-3.5) in double figures. A trio of frontcourt players combine for 24.2 PPG and 16.9 RPG.

St Bonaventure used a 13-0 run at the end of the 1st half to trail by just a 29-27 margin. The Bonnies were then able to pull away from the Rams in the 2nd half after a 14-0 run gave the Bonnies a 64-46 lead. Guard Kyle Lofton (14.7) led the way with 23 points. 6-5 SF Stockard (14.8 & 5.4) is St Bonny's leading scorer and has help up front from the 6-6 Griffith (10.7 & 6.0) and 6-10 freshman Osunniyi (7.6 & 6.6).

St Bonaventure may be 14-6 in A-10 play, while St Louis is 12-8 (includes tourney wins), but the Billikins are 22-12 on the season, compare to St Bonny's 18-15 mark. In fact, this is a very talented St Louis team which had solid wins against Seton Hall, Butler, & Oregon State in non-conference play. The Bonnies have over achieved this season, as it looked like they would be more in rebuilding mode after losing both Jaylen Adams (19.8 & 5.2 APG) & Matt Mobley (18.1 & 5.0) from last year's 26-8 NCAA team. The Bonnies defeated the Billikens by a 66-57 margin at home in early Ma Birch but the Billikens get their revenge in this one.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* play is on Tennessee at 1:00 ET.

No. 8 Tennessee (29-4) overcame an eight-point deficit in the final 2:58 on Saturday to defeat No. 4 Kentucky 82-78 in one semifinal, while No. 22 Auburn (25-9) used its trademark three-point shooting and quick hands on defense to defeat Florida 65-62 in the other. The two SEC tournament survivors, 3-seed Tennessee and 5-seed Auburn, are both tired but Auburn will really be tested, playing its FOURTH game in four days. It’s been 34 years since Auburn won the SEC Tournament and six years longer since Tennessee accomplished the feat. One of those droughts will end.

Guard Brown (15.7) and Harper (15.4 & 5.8 APG) lead the way and Auburn's only other double-digit scorer is 6-6 forward Okeke (11.6 & 6.6). Auburn has made an SEC-record 381 three-pointers, including 13 against Florida. The Tigers have won six straight and eight of their last nine, including a March 9 home victory over Tennessee (84-80) that cost the Vols a first-place finish in the regular season.

The Vols have won five of their last six games, with the lone defeat coming at Auburn. 6-7 junior forward Grant Williams (19.2 & 7.5) was named SEC Player of the Year for the second straight season. Senior wing Admiral Schofield (16.6 & 62.) also earned first-team recognition and junior PG Jordan Bone (13.4) leads the SEC in assists with 6.2 per game. Guards Bowden (10.5) and Turner (10.0) make it five double digit scorers for the Vols, while the 6-11 Alexander (7.6 & 6.6) supports Williams up front.

Auburn is playing for the championship for the first time since 2000 and seeking its first tournament title since 1985.Meanwhile, Tennessee is playing in its second consecutive SEC Tournament title game but it hasn’t won the crown since 1979.Something's gotta give! Rick Barnes has "done it" at Providence, Clemson and Texas and now is poised to break through at Tennessee. His first two teams went 15-19 and 16-16 but lastarera's team went 26-9. At 29-4, this year's team could end the Vols' long SEC tourney drought, as well as give Barnes his third 30-win season (did it twice at Texas with Elite-8 teams). Expect Auburn to 'run out of gas' and for the team's three-point shots NOT to fall with regularity.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Eye-Opener is a 9* on Yale at 12:00 ET.

The 18-10 Harvard Crimson and the 21-7 Yale Bulldogs meet in the Ivy League championship game from the John J. Lee Amphitheater on Sunday afternoon. The two schools tied for first-place in the regular season (10-4) but Harvard has beaten Yale in both meetings this year, so comes in as the No. 1 seed. However, the game will be played on Yale's home floor ( John J. Lee Amphitheater), where the Bulldogs have gone 11-2.

Yale bested Princeton 83-77 in a semifinal game on Saturday, as leading scorer Miye Oni (17.6 & 6.4) led the Bulldogs with 23 points. Fellow guard Alex Copeland (13.4) had 16 points, as did forward Blake Reynolds (11.7 & 4.5). Yale has SEVEN players seeing 20 minutes or more this season, chipping in between 7.0 and 17.6 PPG.  The Bulldogs shoot 49.4% as a team (9th-best in the nation), while averaging 80.6 PPG (26th).

Harvard began the season without its two best players, forward Seth Towns (16.0 & 5.7 LY) and guard Bryce Aiken (14.1 LY). Towns hasn't played at all but Aiken has returned to play the team's last 15 games. Aiken led the Crimson with 19 points in Saturday's 68-65 win over Penn and that's no surprise. He's averaging 21.7 PPG, more than DOUBLE that of any other Harvard player. Harvard is averaging almost 10 points less per game than Yale, at 71.0 per.

As already noted, Harvard has won both regular season meetings, including Feb 23 at this venue by the score of 88-86. The Crimson score 1d7 points higher than their season's average in that game, making 50.9% from the floor, while getting to the FT line 27 times to Yale's 10 (outscored the Bulloigs 22-8 at the line). Think that will happen again? I sure don't.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* NCAAB 10* Game of the Year is on Washington at 10:30 ET.

Washington is currently 26-7 and won the Pac 12's regular season title by three games. The Huskies should be "off the bubble" but the Pac 12 gets little respect (deservedly so this year), so Washington hopes to win its first conference tournament title since 2011 on Saturday night in Las Vegas. Standing in the way is 22-12 Oregon, the Pac 12's preseason favorite. However, the Ducks' season was derailed early, when 7-2 freshman Bol Bol (21.0 & 9.6) was lost for the season after just nine games. Oregon finished 10-8 in league play (No. 6 seed) but have now beaten Wash St, Utah and Arizona St to reach the title game. Are the Ducks now a possible at-large team?

The sixth-seeded Ducks won their SEVENTH straight game and third and in three nights on Friday, knocking off No. 2 seed Arizona State 79-75 in overtime to move within one win of an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. "I'm really happy for the guys," Oregon head coach Dana Altman said (note: Altman became the all-time leader by winning his 18th Pac-12 Tournament game, moving past Arizona's Sean Miller). "Washington will be a tough game. We played them just a week ago and we played really good against them. I hope we can muster up the same kind of effort." The Ducks have made their late winning run thanks to some strong defense, holding their last seven opponents to an average of 55.1 PPG. Junior PG Payton Pritchard (12.5-3.7-4.4) is the lone returning starter from the Ducks' 2017 Final Four squad but so many others have stepped up this season. 6-9 freshman forward Louis King (13.1 & 5.8) plus another a pair of 6-9 forwards, senior White (10.5 & 3.9) and sophomore Wooten (6.3 & 4.6) have been noteworthy.

Washington opened the second half last night with a 25-5 run and held Colorado to 20 percent shooting, including 2-of-16 on three-pointers, after the break in rallying to defeat the Buffaloes 66-61 in the other semifinal. Huskies' head coach Mike Hopkins lobbied after Friday night's win that 6-5 senior guard Matisse Thybulle (9.4 & 3.1), who had 12 points, three blocks and a steal to move into a tie with Gary Payton for the Pac-12 career steals record of 321, should be the national defensive player of the year. FIVE Huskies finished in double figures last night, led by sophomore guard Jaylen Nowell (16.5-5.4-3.2), the Pac-12 Player of the Year, and 6-9 sophomore forward Nahziah Carter (8.0 & 2.6), who both finished with 14 points.On the season, guard Crisp (12.7) and the 6-8 Dickerson (12.4 & 7.5) joined Nowell in double digit scoring.

I noted at the top that an at-large bid may not be coming to the loser of this game. Washing would be a favorite to get one but the Huskies sure don't want to 'sweating' Selection Sunday. More motivation is provided by the fact that Oregon spoiled Washington's Senior Night last Saturday by handing the Huskies their ONLY home loss of the season, 55-47. Four wins in four days is just too much to ask of the Ducks against the avenging Huskies!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Revenge Rout is on Western Ky at 8:30 ET.

The Old Dominion Monarchs and Western Kentucky Hilltoppers meet at the Ford Center at The Star in the C-USA championship game. ODU won the regular season title at 13-5, while Western Ky finished in a four-way tie for second at 11-7. The Monarchs are coming off a 61-59 win over the UAB Blazers and enter having won NINE of their last 11 games. The Hilltoppers are coming off a 70-59 win over the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles and have won NINE of their last 12.

Old Dominion features a dynamic one-two guard duo of Stith (17.0 PPG and 7,5 RPG are both team highs) plus PG Caver (16.7-4.4-5.5). Defense is key for ODU, as the Monarchs also just 60.9 PPG (7th-best in the nation). Western Ky will own the best big man in the game, the 6-10 Bassey (14.6 & 100). The Hilltoppers also have an excellent trio of guards, who combine to chip in just under 40 PPG (Hollingsworth leads the way at 14.6 per).

The Monarchs won both meetings against Western Kentucky this season, games in which they controlled the pace and kept the Hilltoppers in check defensively. However, both games were played on ODU's homecourt, due to C-USA's "bonus play" schedule (new this season). ODU was able to hold Western Ky in check but beat them by just FOUR and THREE points on their home floor. Western Ky now gets ODU in a neutral-site setting and the Hilltoppers are a money-making 46-21 ATS in their last 67 neutral site games. Meanwhile, the Monarchs are just 18-37 ATS in their last 55 vs Conference USA opponents and 1-6 ATS in their last 7 neutral site games (0-2 in this tourney, so far.). No home cookin' for ODU in this one and the "double-avenging" Hilltoppers make the third time a 'CHARM!' 

Good luck...Larry

My 8* play is on Villanova at 6:30 ET.

The Wildcats are defending NCAA champs (won TWICE in the last three years) and after rallying past Xavier on Friday to escape with a 71-67 overtime win, 'NOVA can become the first team ever to win three straight Big East Tournament titles when they face Seton Hall at Madison Square Garden on Saturday. 24-9 Villanova routed Seton Hall by 28 in the first matchup on Jan.27 but the Pirates won the rematch 79-75 on March 9. Third-seeded Seton Hall (now 20-12)) outlasted Marquette late Friday night, escaping with an 81-79 win .

Myles Powell (22.9) led the way for Seton Hall with 22 points and seven assists. He's made at least four 3-pointers in five consecutive games and scored at least 20 points in six straight. The 6-8 Michael Nzei (9.2 & 5.3) had 15 rebounds on Friday - five more than his previous season high - and added 14 points for his second double-double of the season. Guard Cale (10.3) is the only other Seton Hall player averaging in double digits.

Clutch baskets from seniors Phil Booth (28 points!) and Eric Paschal got 'Nova through vs Xavier. Booth (18.7-3.9-3.8) and the 6-8 Paschall (16.5 & 6.2) earned All-Big East honors. Sophomore guard Gillespie (11.3) is a third double digit scorer for the Wildcats. Note that 6-9 sophomore Jermaine Samuels (5.9 & 5.4) had 17 points against Xavier (delivered some clutch baskets of his own), his third double-digit scoring effort in the last five games following an 11-game run of single-digit scoring efforts.

Villanova needed OT to get past Seton Hall in last year's Big East title a game and BOTH teams remember. BOTH teams earned hard-fought wins last night (Seton Hall's games vs Marquette was brutal) but I'm siding with the champs at this price.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* play is on Kansas at 6:00 ET.

I noted in taking Iowa St last night against Kansas St, that the Cyclones have grown to love playing here in Kansas City's Sprint Center. After all, the 5th-seeded Cyclones have won THREE of the last five Big 12 Tournaments, all at the Sprint Center. Marial Shayok (18.7) came up big down the stretch for Iowa State in Friday's 63-59 semifinal victory over top-seeded Kansas State, draining two key three-pointers and two insurance free throws over the final 1:55, as the Cyclones moved to 11-2 in Kansas City since the start of the 2013-14 season. Michael Jacobson (11.4 & 6.0), the lone Cyclone starter who stands taller than 6-6, pulled down a career-high 16 rebounds Friday to tie a school record for the most rebounds in a Big 12 Tournament game

Iowa State is unbeaten in four previous title games but to move to 5-0, the Cylones will have to get past third-seeded and 18th-ranked Kansas. The Jayhawks famously failed to win a 15th straight Big 12 regular season title but Kansas has won this tournament 11 time. The 6-9 Dedric Lawson (conference-best marks of 19.2 points and 10.4 rebounds) bounced back from a poor offensive effort by his standards in Thursday's quarterfinal win over Texas with 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting and eight rebounds in last night's 88-74 win ovr West Va. Freshman guards Quentin Grimes (8.3 points) and Devon Dotson (11.9-3.7- 3.6 assists) each had solid games. Grimes added 18 points (his best offensive output since a 19-point outburst vs the Cyclones on Jan 5), while Dotson continued his recent steady play with 13 points, five rebounds and six assists (he's averaging 15 points over his last three games).

Iowa St can claim the Sprint Center as its "home away from home" but don't tell that to the Jayhawks. Kansas improved to 41-9 all-time at the Sprint Center with last night's win, including 3-0 this season. What's more, ALL eight of Kansas' losses this year have come in true road games, meaning that the Jayhawks are 22-0 at home and in neutral site games this season, Make that 23-0 !

Good luck...Larry

My 8* play is on Utah St at 6:00 ET.

The San Diego State Aztecs and the Utah State Aggies will meet in the MWC championship game from the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on Saturday night. The Aztecs advance to this game by taking down No. 14 Nevada, 65-56 (as a 10-point underdog ). PG Devin Watson led the Aztecs with 20 points on 5 of 10 shooting and the 6-10 Jalen McDaniels added 12 points and 10 rebounds for the double-double. McDaniels averages 16.2 & 8.4) and Watson 15.9-3.1-4.2), as the duo has led SDSU all season.

Utah St had little trouble in taking out Fresno State in the semifinals by a final score of 85-60. Sam Merrill led the Aggies with 22 points, while fellow guard Diogo Brito (8.4 & 4.3) added 20 points and seven rebounds. Merrill is the team-leader is points (21.1) and assist (4.3), while the 6-11 Queta has been the team's best inside player (11.7 & 8.9). Queta had 10 points and a team-high 13 rebounds last night.

The Aztecs shocked observers by winning this tourney last year and are now poised to "do it again." However, I'll say, "Not so fast!" The Aggies tied Nevada (15-3) during the regular season but know if there is an at-large bid coming from the MWC, it's Nevada, NOT Utah St. The Aggies come in having won 16 of their last 17, with the LONE loss coming at San Diego St. Yes, the Aggies avenged that loss with a 16-point home win on Feb 26 but 27-6 Utah St almost HAS to know it's win or the NIT tonight!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Oddsmaker's Error is on Memphis at 3:00 ET.

Houston opened its postseason by easily handling UConn (No. 9 seed), 84-45 in the AAC quarterfinals on Friday afternoon, Houston reached the 30-win mark (30-2) for the first time since the days of Phi Slama Jama more than 35 years ago. The Cougars now set their sites on a second straight trip to the American Athletic Conference Tournament title game but standing in their way are the fifth-seeded Memphis Tigers. The Tigers entered the tournament needing to do some work to impress the NCAA Tournament selection committee and they just might have turned some heads with a 79-55 victory over fourth-seeded Central Florida on Friday to reach 21-12.

Kelvin Sampson's team is a perimeter-oriented group, as the team's top-five scorers are guards.Corey Davis Jr. (16.8) led the way vs UConn with 22 points and PG Galen Robinson Jr. (8.1 & 5.1 APG) added 16. Davis has been above his seasonal average in five straight games, averaging 23 points in that span.Some good news for Houston is, none of its starters played more than 30 minutes in the rout over UConn and 10 players scored for the Cougars.

Memphis took apart UCF Friday afternoon, despite the AAC's leading scorer Jeremiah Martin (19.5-4.1-4.5) making just 1-of-6 from the floor!  Junior forward Isaiah Maurice (just 6.0 PPG on the season) was the catalyst, scoring a career-high 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting. The always steady 6-8 senior Kyvon Davenport (13.4 & 7.1)  contributed his 10th double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds.

The only meeting between these teams this year came in Houston back on Jan 6. The Cougars won that one 90-77 but this game is on Memphis' home floor, the FedExForum. Memphis comes in having won SIX of seven and after its rout of UCF, sits 16-2 SU here at home. Note that the Cougars were favored by eight points on their home floor back on Jam 6, so why are they again favored by that number here on Memphis' home floor? Good question. I say the answer is, Memphis is not getting enough respect. Expect Martin to rebound from his poor Friday performance and also look for Davenport to be a big factor, as Houston does not have much of any inside presence. This is a 'home dog' and I expect the Tigers to 'bark' LOUDLY!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Daytime Dominator is on St Bonny's at 1:00 ET.

It's A-10 semifinal action Saturday  from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, as  Rhode Island takes on St Bonaventure. The Rams upset VCU 75-70 on Saturday, the A-10's No. 1 seed, The Rams' leading scorer, PG Jeff Dowtin(15.4 & 3.8 APG) keyed the win with 22 points. Fellow guard Tyrese Martin (8.1 & 5.1) added 13 points, five rebounds and three assists. The team's top frontcourt player, the 6-8 Cyril Langevine(14.7 & 10.0), had a modest seven points but nine rebounds.Meanwhile, St Boony's knocked off the George Mason Patriots 68-57. PG Kyle Lofton (14.4 & 3.7 APG) scored 20 points, as did fellow guard Dominick Welch (Welch averages just 6.7 PPG on the season).

Rhode Island comes into this contest on a six-game winning streak but one wonders if the Rams just might suffer a bit of a "let down" off beating VCU, which won the A-10 with a 16-2 record. The Bonnies' are equally hot. These schools met just once in the regular season, as Rhode Island won 75-63 at home back on Jan 16. St Bonny's lost its next game in OT at home to Dayton but since then has won 11 of 14! .

St Bonny was 12-6 in A-10 play (now 13-6 with the win over George Mason) and is simply the better team, playing with revenge. St Bonaventure plays excellent D (63.7 PPG ranks 21st in the nation) and expect them to easily handle the Rams.

Good luck...Larry

My 8* play is on Oregon at 11:30 ET.

Arizona State found itself being mentioned as a potential NCAA bubble team heading into the Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas. The second-seeded Sun Devils (12-6 in Pac 12 play) cruised to an 83-72 victory over UCLA in Thursday's quarterfinals and at 22-9 on the season, have a chance to build on their at-large resume when they face Oregon in Friday's semifinals at T-Mobile Arena.The Ducks were the preseason favorite in the Pac 12 but when 7-2 freshman Bol Bol (21.0 & 9.6) was lost for the season after just nine games, those hopes went with him. Oregon finished 10-8 in league play (No. 6 seed) but have beaten Wash St and Utah to reach 21-12 on the season. Could the Ducks climb into at-large consideration with a win here?

Junior PG Payton Pritchard (12.3 & 4.3 APG) is the lone returning starter from the Ducks' 2017 Final Four squad but so many others have stepped up this season. 6-9 freshman forward Louis King (12.4 & 5.5) joined Pritchard by scoring 20 points in the quarterfinal victory over Utah. Also making impacts are a pair of 6-9 forwards, senior White (10.4 & 7.8) and sophomore Wooten (6.4 & 4.6). 6-9 freshman forward Francis Okoro tied a Pac-12 tournament record with six blocks.Defense was the key in the win over the Utes, as Utah was held to 34 percent shooting, including 2-of-23 from 3-point range,

Arizona State led by as many as 23 points early in the second half in its Thursday victory over the Bruins The Sun Devils had five players in double figures in the win, led by forward Romello White, who had 19 points and seven rebounds. Most of ASU's scoring comes from the team's three-headed guard rotation of freshman Dort (16.1 & 4.3)., PG Martin (13.7 & 5.2 APG) and Cleveland State transfer Edwards (11.2). The 6-8 Cheatham adds 11.1 & 10.5, while forwards White and  Lawrence combine to chip in 17.5 & 8.9.

ASU head cioach Bobby Hurley made it clear afterward that he felt his team, with non-conference wins over Kansas, Mississippi State and Mountain West co-champion Utah State, had done enough to warrant an invite to March Madness for the second straight year. "I'm going to start by saying after this game, 'What uncertainty?' " Hurley said when the topic of his team's at-large prospects was brought up. "Yeah, it's a big step (reaching the semifinals)." Could ASU be "satisfied?" That could be a concern, as Oregon's Dana Altman is one terrific coach (Altman is tied with Arizona's Sean Miller for most coaching wins in the Pac-12 tournament with 17). Sixth-seeded Oregon j\has won SIX straight game  and since allowing UCLA to score 62 points in the second half of a 90-83 loss on Feb 23, hasn't allowed a team to score 62 points in a game. Quack! Quack! 

Good luck...Larry

My CBB 10* Late-Breaker is on Duke at 9:00 ET.

27-5 Duke is ranked 5th in the latest AP poll, while North Carolina (with an identical 27-5 mark) is ranked 3rd. Carolina is the No. 2 sedd in the ACC and Duke No. 3, as the two schools renew their storied rivalry in the ACC Tournament semifinals Friday at Charlotte, N.C. It doesn't get much better than this for college hoops fans.EVERYONE knows the set-up. Zion Williamson, the Blue Devils' freshman phenom, suffered a knee injury in the first minute of the first meeting (Feb 20) between the two schools, as the Tar Heels romped 88-72 at Duke. North Carolina again prevailed 79=70 this past Saturday, in Chapel Hill.

The 6-7 Williamson (21.9 & 9.0) missed the five games that Feb 20 contest but made a triumphant return in Duke's 84-72 victory over sixth-seeded Syracuse in Thursday's quarterfinals. He showed no rust at all on Thursday, making all 13 of his field-goal attempts in a dominating performance that included 29 points, 14 rebounds and five steals.

RJ Barrett (23.3-7.5-4.1) and Williamson are 1-2 in the ACC in scoring, with freshman guards Reddish (14.0) and Jones (8.9 & 5.4 APG) rounding out this special class.

The Tar Heels opened with an 83-70 victory over seventh-seeded Louisville on Thursday for their EIGHTH straight win. Freshman guard Colby White (16.4 & 4.2 APG) led the way with 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists. However, North Carolina's two 'main guns' are senior guard Johnson (16.8 & 5.9) and 6-9 senior Maye (14.8 & 10.4).

Duke averages 84.1 PPG (7th) and North Carolian 86.5 PPG (3rd). North Carolina and Duke each have 101 victories in the ACC Tournament and have combined to win 38 of the 65 titles. I hesitated on this, wondering if Duke was "too obvious" but in the end decided I HAVE to take Coach K in this "double-revenge" scenario and live with it.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* play is on Tennessee at 9:30 ET.

Tennessee spent four weeks as the AP's No. 1 team this season but squandered an opportunity to earn a share of a second straight SEC title with a late-season meltdown, including blowing an 11-point lead in an 84-80 loss at Auburn last Saturday. The now eighth-ranked Volunteers, who dropped to the third seed for the SEC Tournament, will look to correct some of their mistakes when they open SEC tourney play against sixth seed Mississippi State in a quarterfinal matchup Friday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. Mississippi jumped out to a 15-point halftime lead Wednesday against 11-seed Texas A&M and rolled to an 80-54 win over the Aggies. That victory sets up a rematch with a Tennessee team that posted a 71-54 home victory over the Bulldogs back on March 5, in the only game between the teams this season.

Quinndary Weatherspoon, an All-SEC First-Team performer (18.3 & 4.8) had a modest 12 points but nine rebounds and three steals on Thursday, as the 23-9 Bulldogs all but guaranteed their first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2008-09. PG Peters (11.6 & 5.2 APG) and fellow guard Carter (10.7) give Miss St a solid trio of perimeter players. Up front, it's a pair of 6-10 players, freshman Perry (9.7 & 7.0) and senior Holman (9.3 & 6.2).

6-7 junior forward Grant Williams (19.3 & 7.7 rebounds), who shot 57 percent from the floor and 83 percent from the foul line, was named SEC Player of the Year for the second straight season. Senior wing Admiral Schofield (16.3 & 6.3) also earned first-team recognition and junior PG Jordan Bone (13.4) led the SEC in assists with 6.1 per game. Guards Bowden (10.5) and Turner (10.3) make it five double digit scorers for teh Vols, while the 6-11 Alexander (7.5 & 6.7) supports Williams up front.

As noted, Miss st has all but clinched an NCAA at-large bid and I strongly believe the Bulldogs are in the WRONG place at the WRONG time in this one, After running off a school-record 19 consecutive victories and spending four weeks at No.1, Tennessee has gone 4-3 in its last seven games, albeit all by opponents projected to safely make the NCAA Tournament. "It really goes back to the other three losses we had this year, they pretty much played out the same way, with too many threes and not getting to the foul line enough," Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes. Getting back on the court (and WINNING) has to be major priority for Barnes' team, after that late collapse cost the Vols a share of the SEC's regular season title. Blowout alert!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Revenge Rout is on Michigan at 9:25 ET.

26-5 Michigan is 10th in the latest AP poll but opens the Big Ten tourney as just the No. 3 seed. Michigan begins its quest for its THIRD straight Big Ten Tournament championship when it takes on 22-10 Iowa, the No. 6 seed. Iowa got off to a hot start and never looked back last night, routing 11-seed Illinois 83-62. The Hawkeyes had lost their previous four games to fall out of the national rankings but came out firing on all cylinders as they knocked down six 3-pointers in the first half before finishing 12-of-23 from beyond the arc,

The 6-6 Baer (6.9 & 4.6) came off the bench to knock down five 3-pointers en route to a team-high 17 points. He's part of a frontcourt trio that includes teh 6-9 Cook (14.9 & 8.) and the 6-11 Garza (12.8 & 4.4). Joe Wieskamp (11.1) scored 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the floor, to go along with seven rebounds. He joins Bohannon (11.7) ansd Moss (9.1) as Iowa's top perimeter people.

Michigan's 6-7 Ignas Brazdeikis (15.0 & 5.3) was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Guards Poole (13.0) and Matthews (12.8 & 5.1), join him in double digits. However, let's not forget PG Zavier Simpson (9.1-5.1-6.3), who earned All-Big Ten Second Team honors. Throw in 7-1 center Teske (9.7 & 6.7) and John Beilein has a core that could just earn Michigan that third straight Big Ten championship.

Michigan head coach John Beilein has had his team ready to play at a high level entering the Big Ten tournament the past two seasons and why not here. Up first is Iowa, which embarrassed Michigan 74-59 Feb 1 in Iowa City, when Michigan shot a woeful 32.3% from the floor (8-33, 24.2% on threes). Iowa shot 45.6% in that game (including 6 of 14 from long range) but will face a 'mean' Michigan defense allowing 58.8 PPG (2nd-best in the nation). Iowa is hoping to advance to the semifinals for the first time since 2006 but that won't happen here vs Michigan, which has won EIGHT straight Big Ten tourney games (7-1 ATS).

Good luck...Larry.

My 8* play is on Iowa St at 7:00 ET.

25-7 Kansas St is the Big 12's No. 1 seed but 21-11 Iowa State has grown to love playing here in Kansas City's Sprint Center. After all, the 5th-seeded Cyclones have won THREE of the last five Big 12 Tournaments, all at the Sprint Center. The Cyclones dropped five of six to close the regular season but their confidence did not appear to be shaken at any point during Thursday's 83-66 victory against Baylor. Meanwhile, Kansas State won for the SIXTH time in its last seven tries with Thursday's 70-61 triumph against TCU, turning an 18-9 edge in turnovers into a 22-4 advantage in points off miscues.

One of the main reasons for Iowa State's fade down the stretch was the team's lack of efficiency beyond the arc. However, Iowa State made 13 of its 25 three-point attempts in downing Baylor. Leading scorer Shayok (18.6) finished with 18 points and has now scored at least 17 points in 25 of his 31 outings. The undersized Cyclones start four guards, along with the 6-9 Jacobson. FIVE of the team's top-six scorers are guards, while Jacobson adds 11.6 & 5.1. The Big 12's Sixth Man of the Year Lindell Wigginton has scored 16 or 17 points in four straight contests.

Kansas St may be the No. 1 seed but All-Big 12 forward, the 6-10 Dean Wade (12.9 & 6.2), is expected to miss the entire tournament with a foot injury. Junior 6-5 forward Xavier Sneed (10.3 & 5.4) who stepped up Thursday with 19 points (including 16 in the second half), seven boards and five assists. However, guard Barry Brown (team-high 15.0 points) shot only 5-of-16 vs the Horned Frogs.

Many have called the Sprint Center "Hilton (Coliseum) South."They may just be right. The Cyclones looked VERY comfortable vs Baylor and note that Iowa State is 11-1 when making 10 or more three-pointers. Meanwhile, without Wade, Kansas St struggled with TCU, getting a win mostly due to poor and SLOPPY play by the Horned Frogs. The Wildcats can't count on that from the Cyclones. Iowa St heads to Saturday's championship game.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Oddmaker's Error is on Memphis at 2:30 ET.

23-7 Central Florida impressed with consecutive wins against ranked teams earlier this month and now hopes to make a run in the American Athletic Conference Tournament. The Knights handed Houston its only home loss of the season 69-64 on March 2 and held off visiting Cincinnati 58-55 five days later, before ending the regular season with a loss at Temple. The 4th-seeded Knights (13-5) will take on 20-12 Memphis, which is the AAC's fifth-seed (11-7). The Tigers recorded a season-high 52 points in the first half  yesterday, rolling to an 83-68 victory over Tulane.

Jeremiah Martin (19.7 & 4.6) scored 21 points in Thursday's win and is an AAC first-team selection. Martin is averaging 28.3 PPG over his last 11 contests. 6-8 senior forward Kyvon Davenport (13.3 & 7.0), who had averaged just 7.5 points the final four games of the regular season, scored 17 on Thursday and hauled in seven rebounds. Fellow senior forward Mike Parks Jr. recorded his first double-double of the season with 14 points and 13 rebounds against Tulane, after managing 25 and 22 total, respectively, in his previous six outings.

UCF is led by an outstanding backcourt duo. Senior guard B.J. Taylor (16.2) and junior guard Aubrey Dawkins (15.4 & 5.1) was an American second-team pick. 7-6 senior center Tacko Fall was a third-team selection, averaging 10.9 PPG on 75.1 percent shooting (tops in the nation),  to go along with team highs of 7.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks.

Conference tourneys are typically neutral-site games but NOT here. The FedEx Forum is Memphis' home court and the Tigers are 15-2 on their home court this season (lost to Cincy and Tenn), including a 77-57 victory over UCF on Jan 27. In that contest, the Tigers held UCF’s starters to 32 points on 13-of-38 shooting from the floor. Deja vu? I say yes, as UCF may be a little complacent off those late-season wins at Houston and home against Cincinnati. Memphis was a slight favorite at home vs UCF (-1.5) and won by 20! Why would the Tigers be getting ANY points here at home in this one?

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Eye-Opener is on LSU at 1:00 ET.

LSU (26-5 / 16-2) is the SEC's No. 1 seed but the Tigers will be without head coach Will Wade. The coach and school are embroiled in controversy amid a federal corruption probe tied to recruiting. Wade has been suspended and interim coach Tony Benford, who guided LSU to its 80-59 win over Vanderbilt in the regular-season finale Saturday, is expected to call the shots in today's game against the 18-14 Florida Gators. Florida knocked off Arkansas 66-50 in Thursday's second round to snap a three-game slide and is hoping a win over the SEC's top-seed would cement an at-large bid to the Big Dance.

Freshman forward Keyontae Johnson (7.9 & 6.0) scored a career-high 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting to go along with 12 rebounds in Thursday's win. Senior guard KeVaughn Allen scored 17 points versus Arkansas after four straight single-digit efforts. He's Florida's top scorer at a modest 12.1 PPG. Freshman PG Andrew Nembhard (7.9 & 5.3 APG)  recorded eight assists for the second straight game.Florida's counts on its "D," which allows only 63.3 PPG (20th).

LSU freshman guard Javonte Smart, LSU's fourth-leading scorer at 11.5 PPG, did not play for the Tigers against Vanderbilt. The school has yet to decide whether he will suit up for today's game. However, 6-10 freshman forward Naz Reid (13.3 & 6..9), who missed the win over the Commodores with injuries sustained at Florida three days earlier, has practiced this week and is expected to play. The Tigers are led by All-SEC first teamer Tremont Waters, a sophomore guard who paces the team in scoring (15.3 PPG), ranked third in the SEC in assists (5.9) and was second nationally in steals (3.1), which garnered him a co-Defensive Player of the Year honor in the conference. Junior guard Skylar Mays is also a noteworthy player, averaging 13.6 PPG.

These schools split two OT affairs this season, so I'm not expecting an LSU romp. However, with this line, a romp is NOT needed. The Tigers won their last five games of the regular season to claim the conference regular-season crown for the first time since 2009, so do NOT expect them to 'flame out' in their SEC tourney game.

Good luck...Larry

My 8* play is on Long Beach St at 11:30 ET.

It's a Big West tournament quarterfinal matchup from the Honda Center in Anaheim late tonight, as the 14-18 Long Beach State 49ers (8-8 in league play) take on the 18-12 Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (9-7). The 49ers started conference play 2-0 but lost EIGHT of their next nine games to fall to 3-8, before rattling off FIVE straight wins to finish the regular season at .500 in conference play. Hawaii started conference play off at 2-0 and 4-2. The Warriors made it to 7-4 before a three-game losing skid brought them back to a .500 mark in conference play. However, Hawaii rebounded by finishing the regular season with back-to-back road victories to get above .500 in Big West play and lock up the #4 seed (LBSU is the no. 5 seed).

The 6-9 Jack Purchase led the Warriors with 11.5 PPG and 6.0 RPG. The 6-8 Raimo (11.4 & 5.9) checked in right behind him. Hawaii owns a solid trio of guards in Stansberry (11.3), Stepteau (10.4 & 3.4 APG) and Buggs (8.9-.4,3-5.4). The 49ers are led by PG Booker (18.9-3.4-4.5), who will be the best player on the floor. He's joined in the backcourt by Alberts (10.7). Up front, it's the 6-7 Yussef (11.0 & 6.5), the 6-7 Byars (7.8 & 6.2) and the 6-9 Riggins (6.6 & 5.4).

Hawaii finished the regular season in California (won at UC-Davis and CS-Fullerton), so has remained on the mainland. However, Long Beach will right at home in Anaheim, just a 20-minute drive away. What's more, I have to side with long-time LBSU head coach Dan Monson, who has some extra time to tweak things after finishing the regular season a week ago Wednesday. "Double-revenge" works in this one and don't be surprised to see the 49ers still playing on Saturday.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* play is on Seton Hall at 9:30 ET.

19-12 Georgetown is seeded 6th in the Big East tourney and will take on 18-12 Seton Hall, which earned the No.3 seed despite the fact that both schools were 9-9 in league play (tie-breakers decided the seedings). The Hoyas are off an 86-84 win in their regular season finale at Marquette, while to the Pirates snapped a three-game slide with victories over Marquette and Villanova (Big East's top-two teams) to close out the regular season.

6-10 center Govan leads the Hoyas is scoring (17.6) and rebounding (7.6) but most feel freshman guards James Akinjo (13.7 & 5.4 APG) and Mac McClung (13.4) are the real reason the Hoyas produced their first winning season in four years. The 6-7 LeBlanc (9.4 & 7.5) was a nice complement to Govan up front.

Seton Hall has 'ridden' guard Myles Powell all season, the No. 2 scorer in the Big East at 22.6 PPG. The Big East Player of the Year award will likely go to either Powell or Marquette's Markus Howard, but Powell may have settled the debate with the way he played over the final five weeks of the regular season. He scored 17 points or more in each of the final 10 games, averaging 25.5 points over that span. Fellow guards McKnight (9.4 & 4.1 APG) and Cale (10.4 & 4.3) are solid backcourt partners plus up front, the 6-10 Mamukelashuili (8.8 & 7.6) and the 6-8 Nzei (9.1 & 4.9) are capable of battling Govan to a draw.

Seton Hall owns wins over over Kentucky (neutral site) and at Maryland earlier thsi year and teh Pirates surely realize a loss here would really negatively effect the team's at-large chances. My bet says Powell is the 'wild card.' He is one of four players to earn unanimous All-Big East first-team honors along with Howard (conference-high 25.0 points) and Villanova's Phil Booth and Eric Paschall. I noted earlier his 25.5 PPG average over his last 10 games but he got it done in other ways too, averaging 5.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.4 steals in those final 10 contests. What's more, he has averaged 28.8 PPG in his last four games. "The Hall" is the play!

Good luck...Larry

My 8* play is on Tulsa at 8:00 ET.

Short and sweet with this one. SMU crushed Tulsa 77-57 back on Jan 12 and sat at 11-5 on the season. However, the Mustangs enter the AAC tourney having lost 11 of their last 14 games (now 14-16 overall, including 6-12 in league play). The Mustangs own a veteran backcourt featuring McMurray (17.8) and PG Whitt (12.1-6.5-4.1) plus two solid frontcourt players in the 6-9 Chargois (12.5 & 6.3) and the 6-8 Miller (11.9 & 5.4).

Tulsa 8-13 on the season (8-10 in conference play), led by swingman Jeffries (13.0 & 5.7). Four guards average between 5.2 and 8.7 PPG, with PG Taplin (8.7 & 4.1 APG) being the best of the group. Up front, it's the 6-8 Igbanu (12.6 & 5.7) and 6-7 (9.8 & 4.9). Tulsa is the better-balanced team and I'm not sure why a team that's lost 11 of 14 could have been installed as the slight favorite in this one. Tulsa wins comfortably.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* SEC Tourney G.O.Y. is on Ole Miss at 7:00 ET.

17-14 Alabama will square off with 20-11 Ole Miss in the second round of the SEC tourney on Thursday night. The winner gets second-seeded and fourth-ranked Kentucky in the quarterfinals on Friday. The Crimson Tide went 8-10 in SEC play (No. 10 seed), after falling 82-70 to Arkansas on Saturday to conclude a 2-6 end to the regular season. Meanwhile, Ole Miss rallied from a double-digit deficit to upend Missouri and reach 20 victories (10-8 in the SEC / No. 7 seed).

Freshman PG Kira Lewis Jr.earned all-conference freshman team honors. He leads the Crimson Tide in scoring at 13.9 points per game and is the second-youngest Division I player in the nation. Petty (10.6 & 4.4) joins him in double digit scoring in the backcourt, while three more guards combine to chip in 20.5 PPG. 6-9 senior forward Donta Hall leads the SEC in double-doubles (13) and is Alabama's main (only?) frontcourt presence (10.5 & 8.5)..

Ole Miss was picked to finish last in the SEC preseason media poll but the Rebels, under first-year head coach Kermit Davis, experienced a remarkable turnaround in Davis’ first season as coach. Junior guards Breein Tyree (18.5-3.0-2.9) and Terence Davis (15.5-5.8-3.4 points) combine to form the highest-scoring duo in the SEC. Two more guards, Shuler (10.1-4.1-3,0) and Hinson (8.1) add excellent depth. Up front, the 6-8 Stevens (8.4 & 4.5) is the best performer but two others combine to add 11.6 & 7.4.

Ole Miss opened the season 14-3, going a remarkable 15-2 ATS. No way the team could have kept up that pace but the Rebels did win EIGHT more games than a season ago (the eight-victory jump is the largest among all Power 5 teams this season!). Hard to believe Ole Miss WON'T remember its lone meeting with Alabama this season, a 74-53 loss at Tuscaloosa. Ole Miss may have already clinched an at-large bid but NO WAY Davis will let his team get complacent. Alabama limps in 2-6 in its last eight games (1-7 ATS), having failed to score more than 70 points in ANY of those eight games (note: The Tide are 2-10 this season when held under that mark!). Expect the Rebels to win here (COMFORTABLY), making Selection Sunday a formality.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Late-Breaker is on Marquette at 7:00 ET.

St John's opened 12-0 in non-conference play but a three-game losing streak to end the regular season left the Red Storm in a serious at-large predicament. St John's seemed to have an NCAA Tournament at-large bid locked up before two losses to Xavier sandwiched around a second setback of the current season to DePaul. However, the Red Storm  took care of DePaul 82-74 in Wednesday's opening round, as the Blue Demons went 4 of 20 on three-pointers. St John's would  likely could cement an NCAA Tournament berth with a win Thursday evening against 23-8 Marquette, the Big East's No. 2 seed. The Golden Eagles lost twice this season to seventh-seeded St. John's but more importantly enter this game having lost FOUR in a row!

Junior PG Shamorie Ponds leads the Red storm in scoring (19.7) and assists (5.3) with four more players averaing in double digits. Sophomore guard LJ Figueroa (14.6) leads the team in rebounding at 6.3 per plus guard Heron (an Auburn transfer) chips in 15.1 & 4.8. The 6-7 Clark (11.1 & 5.4) and junior guard Justin Simon (10.3-4.9-3.2) round out the group (Simon was named the league's Defensive Player of the Year).

Marquette's Markus Howard (25.0-3.9-4.0) was just named the Big East Player of the Year. However, Howard was relatively quiet over his final five games during the regular season, shooting just over 35 percent from the floor and barely over 31 percent from three-point range during that stretch. The Hauser brothers have supported Howard all season, with 6-9 junior Sam adding 14.8 & 7.1 and 6-9 freshman Joey chipping in 9.8 & 5.3. That said, Sam Hauser (like Howard) has struggled lately, with performances of three points and seven points, shooting 1-of-7 and 2-of-11 from the floor in two of his last three games.

So will Marquette 'roll over?' I CAN'T see that. The Red Storm beat Marquette by 20 in early January and by one in early February. If that alone wasn't motivation enough, how about the Golden Eagles current four-game slide which began with a 67-61 loss at Villanova on Feb 27. Steve Wojciechowsk's team is TOO good to go out with a loss in this one!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Daytime Dominator is on UNLV at 5:30 ET.

The MWC tourney moves into its second day with games at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. SD State is 19-12 overall and UNLV enters 17-13 (both were 11-7 in league play). The Aztecs enter having lost THREE of four, after an 81-53 defeat at the Nevada Wolf Pack. Meanwhile, the Rebels won consecutive contests to end the regular season after squeezing by the Colorado State Rams 65-60 as a small road underdog.

SDSU will have the best big man on the floor in the 6-10 McDaniels (16.0 & 8.1) plus PG Watson (15.7 & 4.2 APG) will be the game's best backcourt player. However, I like UNLV's depth a little bit more in this one. Clyburn (13.9 & 5.3), Hardy (13.2) and PG Robotman (9.5 & 5.0 APG) are a solid trio plus after UNLV lost its best frontcourt player early in the season (the 6-7 Juiston, who averaged 10.8 & 8.8), a couple of big men have developed over the season. They are the 6-9 Ntambwe (11.9 & 5.5) and the 6-11 Mbacke Diong (7.0 & 6.8).

This game is being played on UNLV's homecourt and while clearly it no longer offers the domianting advantage it once did, I like the Rebels in this 'double revenge" situation from the regular season. UNLV lost 60-59 at home to SDSU back on Feb 23 but overall, the Rebels ended the season winning FIVE of seven (only other loss was to then-No. 8 Nevada). The THIRD time will be the 'CHARM' (win & cover!) for the Rebels!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Eye-Opener is on Iowa St at 12:30 ET.

The 20-11 Iowa State Cyclones (9-9 in Big 12) will square off against the 19-12 and Baylor Bears (10-8) at the Sprint Center Thursday afternoon in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tourney. The 5th-seeded Cyclones got to as high as No. 17 in this year's AP poll but will enter this game having lost FIVE of their last six games. The 4th-seeded Bears  suffered a huge blow after losing the 6-9 Tristan Clark (14.6 & 6.3) halfway through the season but the Bears survived to win 19 games overall, including going 10-8 in league play.

The undersized Cyclones start four guards, along with the 6-9 Jacobson. FIVE of the team's top-six scorers are guards, led by senior Marial Shayok (18.7 & 5.1). Jacobson adds 11.6 & 5.1). Guard Makai Mason(14.6) took over as Baylor's leader when Clark went down but he has an injured foot (he is listed as probable).

I noted already that Iowa St comes in having lost five of six but Baylor lost its last three games, including a shocking 67-64 loss at home to Oklahoma State (Bears are 0-4-1 ATS their last five games). Simply put, Iowa State is the more talented team and playing with "double revenge" (ISU lost by THREE and FOUR points!), should be able to handle a Baylor team that can't match the Cyclones offensive 'punch' (ISU averages 77.7 PPG / 60th in the nation) and doesn't have the size to hurt Iowa St up front.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* play is on St John's at 9:30 ET.

St John's opened 12-0 in non-conference play but a three-game losing streak to end the regular season leaves the Red Storm in a serious at-large predicament. St John's seemed to have an NCAA Tournament at-large bid locked up before two losses to Xavier sandwiched around a second setback of the current season to DePaul, The team's 8-10 league mark leaves them as the Big East's No. 7 and with a first round game against 15-11 Blue Demons (the No. 10 seed with a 7-11 record). DePaul finished with its most Big East wins (seven) in 12 years and had won two in a row prior to a 91-78 loss at Creighton to finish the regular season. .

Senior guard Max Strus, an All-Big East second team selection, leads the way at 19.0 PPG, as a well as adding 6.1 RPG (he erupted for a career-high 43 points in the 92-83 win over the Red Storm earlier this month). Five more DePaul players average between 7.2 and 13.3 PPG, including the team's top rebounder, the 6-9 Reed (11.2 & a Big East-leading 8.2 RPG).

Junior PG Shamorie Ponds ranked third in the Big East in scoring (19.8), second in assists (5.2) and first in steals (2.6) during the regular season en route to a first team selection. He is one of five players on the team who average at least 10 points per game. Sophomore guard LJ Figueroa (14.6) leads the team in rebounding at 6.3 per. Guard Heron (an Auburn transfer) chips in 15.0 & 5.7, the 6-7 Clark (11.2 & 5.9) plus junior guard Justin Simon (10.0 PPG) was named the league's Defensive Player of the Year.

These schools have never met in the Big East tournament but it's impossible to ignore that the Blue Demons are an awful 2-11 in Big East tourney play, including first-round exits in each of the last four years. MSG is St John's defacto "home arena" and with DOUBLE-revenge on its mind, expect St John's to win going away.

Good luck...Larry

My 8* play is on North Texas at 9:30 ET.

My 3-in-1 STP is based on "double-revenge" games. I've offered a detailed analysis in St John's over DePaul but with North Texas over FIU and UAB over MTSU, I'll make it SHORT & SIMPLE. North Texas sat 20-4 (8-3 in C-USA play) on the morning of Feb 9 but lost its final SEVEN games of the regular season. Two of the losses came at FIU (19-12 / 10-8), 57-47 (Feb 14) and 73-58 (Mar 9). C-USA began bonus play-in games towards the end of the regular season, setting up North Texas losing to FIU with both games being played in Miami. This game is in Frisco, Tx, a site MUCH more favorable to the mean Green. Play North Texas.

Good luck...Larry

My 8* play is on UAB at 7:30 ET.

My 3-in-1 STP is based on "double-revenge" games. I've offered a detailed analysis in St John's over DePaul but with North Texas over FIU and UAB over MTSU, I'll make it SHORT & SIMPLE. The Blue Raiders of Middle Tennessee (11-20 / 8-10) found ways to beat the UAB Blazers (18-13 / 8-10) twice within a four-day span, 71-65 at home on Jan 30 and 79-79 at UAB on Feb 2. However, the bottom line is this. UAB is the superior team. The third time WILL be "the charm!"

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Weekly Wipeout Winner is on TCU at 7:00 ET.

Eighth-seeded TCU (7-11) meets No. 9 seed Oklahoma State (5-13) at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo on Wednesday night in the Big 12's first round. However, while the Horned Frogs are 19-12 overall, the Cowboys limp in just 12-19. TCU's NCAA Tournament hopes for an at-large bid were helped by the team's Big 12 regular-season finale win at Texas (TCU won 69-56). OSU will not be playing in the postseason but the Cowboys, who dismissed four players from the team in January, will enter the Big 12 tourney on a roll after consecutive wins to end the regular season, 67-64 at Baylor and 85-77 against West Virginia on Saturday

The 6-7 McGriff leads OSU in scoring (12.5) and rebounding (7.4) with four guards chipping in between 8.3 and 11.9 PPG. Junior guard Lindy Waters III scored 19 points against the Mountaineers, freshman Isaac Likelele (team-high 4.0 APG) added a season-high nine assists and the 6-7 Yor Anei (7.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, Big-12 leading 2.5 blocks) scored 16 points and added eight blocks - a program record for a freshman.

TCU has played exactly seven players in each of its last six games. The starting guards are Bane (15.2 & 5.5) and PG Robinson (12.7 & 6.9 APG). Up front, the 6-7 Noi (14.1 & 4.8) and the 6-8 Miller (11.0 & 6.5) surround 6-11 center Samuel (7.2 & 7.0). Bane scored a career-high 34 points in Saturday's win at Texa. Senior Alex Robinson earned third-team all-conference honors (led Big 12 in assists) while sophomore forward Kouat Noi was named honorable mention all-conference selection.

The teams split the season series with TCU winning at home 70-68 on a running fadeaway jumper by JD Miller with one second left back on Feb 6 and the Cowboys pulling off a 68-61 triumph 12 days later. The winner of this game will face top seed Kansas State on Thursday, so while tonight's loser is out, the winner will likely be gone by Thursday night. Then again, TCU does own two wins this season over a good Iowa St team (20-11) and the Horned Frogs would almost assure an at-large bid by beating the Wildcats. First things first. Expect TCU to handle OSU "with room to spare!"

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Big East Tourney Game of the Year is on Butler at 7:00 ET.

Butler has gone 'dancing' in 10 of the previous 12 seasons but at 16-15 overall entering the Big East tourney, will need to capture the championship to make it to the Big Dance in 2019. Providence is just 17-14 overall and is a VERY unlikely at-large pick, so the Friars face a similar scenario as Butler. In this contest, Providence seeks its third win over Butler in a span of just over two weeks, as the eighth-seeded Friars take on the ninth-seeded Bulldogs in the first round of the Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden (both schools were 7-11 in league play).

The Bulldogs had a couple of wins over SEC teams (Ole Miss and Florida) during a 9-4 non-conference slate and then split their first six conference games while eyeing a fifth straight NCAA Tournament berth, but it's been a downward trend ever since. Butler finished the regular season with a 1-4 slide Junior guard Kamar Baldwin leads the way with 17.5 PPG and  was an All-Big East second team selection. Senior guard Paul Jorgensen (11.8 PPG) was named Big East Sixth Man of the Year. The Bulldogs have talent up front, with the 6-6 McDermott (9.7 PG) being the top scorer. The 6-11 Brunk (7.7 & 3.7) and the 6-10 Folwer (5.4 & 3.6) share time at center, while 6-7 Duke transfer Tucker (9.4 & 4.4) has been a solid addition since becoming eligible in mid-December.

6-7 Diallo is a big guard who leads the Friars in scoring (16.1), rebounding (8.2) and assists (3.1). Five more perimeter players chip in about 37 points per game. However, the only frontcourt player of note is the 6-10 Watkins (11.7 & 5.2). Noteworthy coming into this tourney are freshman guard AJ Reeves, who missed nine games in the middle of the season due to a foot injury bur scored 24 points against Butler last week. Senior guard Isaiah Jackson is averaging 18.3 points - nearly double his average for the season - over his last three games.

Yes, Providence has won 10 of 13 matchups since Butler joined the Big East and Butler is just 1-5 in Big East tourney play. However, I have to believe the LAST team Providence wanted to face in its first Big East games was Butler. The Friars beat the Bulldogs twice in their last four games, in overtime on the road and then by 13 points at home. Butler will definitely be gunnin’ for Providence. Look at the line, the two-time loser this season opened a one-point choice. 

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Daytime Dominator is on New Mexico at 4:30 ET.

The Wyoming Cowboys enter the MWC tourney as the No. 10 seed. They finished the regular season with an 8-23 overall record, including 4-14 in conference play. League play was tough for the Cowboys, as they started 0-5, 1-8 and 2-14, before finally picking up back-to-back wins for the first time to finish the regular season. The New Mexico Lobos enter the tourney as the No. 7 seed, finishing the year with a 13-17 overall record that includes 7-11 in conference play. New Mexico finished in a three-way tie with Colorado State and Boise State but won the No. 7 seed  on a head-to-head tiebreaker. The Lobos split their first six conference games before losing SEVEN of their next nine. New Mexico won back-to-back game but then lost to these same Wyoming Cowboys in its regular season finale 88-81 in Laramie.

Wyoming is one of the nation's lowest-scoring teams, averaging 65.7 PPG (327th) and depends almost solely on 6-7 guard Justin James. He leads the team in scoring (21.8), rebounding (8.6) and assists (4.4). The only other double digit scorer is fellow guard Hendricks (10.9). The Lobos have way more talent. Mathis (14.7) is the team's leading scorer and is joined in the backcourt by McGee (9.0). Four frontcourt players average between 8.9 and 12.5 PPG. The 6-9 Jackson tops in scoring at 12.5 PPG and the 6-10 Bragg grabs 9.3 RPG (he had 22 & 20 at Wyoming in the recent loss).

These teams just met this past Saturday (see above), as Wyoming, which averages just 65.7 PPG on 41.8% shooting (302nd), scored 88 points while shooting 51.9% from the floor. NO chance that happens again here in Las Vegas. Note that New Mexico was a five-point favorite at Laramie and is barely more than that here, in a neutral setting. In this quick turnaround I'm "all over" New Mexico.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Perfect Storm is on San Diego (11:30 EST).

The Toreros obviously won’t be going down without a fight today. In fact, with a tight spread like this, the outright victory is clearly not out of the question either.

San Diego has played well during the WCC Tournament, winning its first three games. The Toreros play with “double revenge” here as well after losing both regular season games to the Gaels.

Overall San Diego averages 72.6 PPG and it allows 68. Over their last three games though the Toreros have conceded an average of just 49.6 points. 

Saint Mary’s played well during the regular season, but it lost its regular season finale to Gonzaga to snap a five-game winning streak.

Saint Mary’s averages 73.5 PPG and they allow 65. Over its last four it’s conceded just 48.7. 

These teams are evenly matched. The Toreros though have the added incentive of double revenge. Also note that the Gaels are just 2-7 ATS in their last nine neutral site games, while San Diego is 4-1 ATS in its last five neural site affairs.

Grab the points.

Good luck…Larry

My 8* Las Vegas Insider is on Ohio (9:00 EST).

It’s the first round of the MAC Tournament and I’m expecting a battle until the end between these two hungry teams. Both teams struggled for the most part this year, but each closed well. NIU won its last two, while Ohio won two of three.

Also note that this is a prime “revenge” scenario for Ohio, who can avenge two regular season losses to the Huskies this year. The Bobcats average 70.4 PPG and they allow 73.6. Jason Carter leads the way with 16.5 points and 6.7 boards per game. Note though that Ohio’s defense has been much better of late, cone ding only 62.6 over its last three.

NIU averages 73.5 PPG and it allows 71.1. Eugene German leads the nightly charge with 19.6 points and 5.1 boards per game.

I’ll point out though that the Huskies are  poor 0-4 ATS in their last four vs. teams with losing SU records, while Ohio is 4-0 ATS in its last four following an ATS victory.

In a contest which I see coming down to whichever of these hungry schools has its hands on the ball last, I’m grabbing the points.

Good luck…Larry

My 9* Oddsmaker’s Error is on Wright State (7:00 EST).

It’s a semi-final matchup in the Horizon League in Detroit with the winner advancing to the title game on Tuesday.

Green Bay got here by getting the better of UIC 82-77, while Wright State smashed IUPUI 71-56. Wright State won’t be looking past the Phoenix obviously, as these teams split a pair of games in the regular season.

Previous to their win over UIC, the Phoenix lost two straight to end the regular season. Green Bay averages 81.2 PPG. Which is good. However, the Phoenix need to score a lot of point, because they allow 80.2. Sandy Cohen III leads the nightly charge with 17.3 points, 6.3 boards and 4.5 assists per game.

Wright State is on a mission though and it come in on top form still having won eight of its last nine. Billy Wampler had 18 points off the bench in its latest victory.

The Raiders average 73.8 PPG and they concede just 67.5. 

The Raiders are also 6-1 ATS in their last seven following a SU win, while the Phoenix are just 3-7 ATS in their last ten in the same position.

The Raiders’ defense is firing on all cylinders right now (just held IUPUI to 56 points) and I think Green Bay has difficulties here as well.

Lay the points.

Good luck…Larry

My 10* Situational Stunner is on Ohio State (3:30 EST).

This one simply “means more” to Ohio State. While the Badgers have already wrapped up their NCAA Tournament berth, the hungry Buckeyes who have lost two straight, are firmly on the bubble. 

The home side will also be without leading scorer Kaleb Wesson for a third straight, meaning guards Keyshawn Woods (15 points) and Duane Washington (11) are going to be leaned on here to step up and fill the void. 

The Badgers got 21 points from Ethan Happ in their 65-45 win over Iowa on Thursday. 

Note though that Wisconsin is a terrible 4-9 ATS this year after playing two straight games as a favorite, while Ohio State is 4-1 ATS in its last five off a poor road loss in which it scored 60 points or less in.

Despite Wesson being out, I think that Ohio State rallies on Senior Night in this critical end of season contest. Grab the points.

Good luck…Larry

My 10* Revenge Rout is on UCLA (7:00 EST).

Clearly the outright win isn’t out of the question, but in a contest which I envision coming down to whichever of these hungry teams has its hands on the ball last, I’m going to recommend grabbing the points.

As the title of this package suggests, this is indeed a “revenge” game for UCLA, after Utah took the reverse fixture on the road 93-92 earlier in the season. 

UCLA comes in determined after its poor 93-69 loss to Colorado last time out, while Utah comes in complacent after its 83-74 home win over USC.

Kris Wilkes was a bright spot for the Bruins in their latest setback, scoring 19 points and grabbing five boards. Overall the Bruins average 78.3 PPG and they concede 77.3.

The Utes got 19 pints from Timmy Allen in their win over USC on Thursday. Utah averages 75.8 PPG and it concedes 74.6. 

I’ll point out though that UCLA is a solid 6-2 ATS in its last eight revenging a loss vs. an opponent which scored 85 points or more.

Utah on the other hand is a money-burning 3-7 ATS this season after scoring 80 points or more.

Grab the points and expect a “nail biter.” 

Good luck…Larry

The first pick of my Superstar Triple Play (8*) is on Arizona State (4:00 EST).

Arizona saw its three game win streak come to an end with a loss at Oregon on Wednesday and I think it’ll stumble here as it tries to move to .500 in conference play (currently 8-9.) 

The Sun Devils come in on top form and they won’t want to take the foot off the gas. ASU is 4-1 in its last five and is 11-6 in conference play after defeating Oregon State on Sunday.

It wasn’t pretty, but Arizona State posted the 74-71 win over Oregon State to secure the No. 2 seed in the tournament. 

However note that ASU remains firmly “on the bubble:”

“There’s no more time to relax,” forward Zylan Cheatham assessed. “I mean, we’ve dropped games that we feel like we shouldn’t have dropped and we put ourselves in this position. So there is no more margin for error. I feel like we need to get every game going forward.”

Arizona comes in off its worst effort of the year in last weekend’s 73-47 loss to the Ducks.

I think the team is still collectively mentally caught up on that “dud.” Chase Jeter is expected to miss this one with a bruised knee, but Brandon Williams is expected to be activated.

Despite that though the Wildcats are just 19-28 ATS the last two season as a home favorite or pick.

ASU on the other hand is 5-0 ATS in its last five after playing two consecutive games as a road underdog.

Grab the points.

Good luck…Larry

The second pick of my Superstar Triple Play (8*) is on Colorado State (4:00 EST).

Colorado State looks to close out the regular season with a victory. The Rams had won three in a row before back-to-back losses to New Mexico and Utah State. The home side comes in as the more focused/hungry team, as UNLV broke a two game slide last time out with a win over Boise State.

It was an emotional 85-81 OT win on senior night for UNLV and I think a predictable letdown on the road here vs. this determined home side is imminent. 

The Rams pushed conference leader Utah State to OT, but eventually came up short 100-96 on Tuesday. Five players scored in double figures though, led by Kris Martin with 20 points and ten boards.

This is a revenge game as well, as the Rebels won the reverse fixture 78-76 at home.

The Rams though are a money-making 7-3 ATS in their last ten games following a loss, while UNLV is still only 12-30-5 ATS in its last 47 on the road.

Lay the points.

Good luck…Larry

The third pick of my Superstar Triple Play (10*) is on Oklahoma State (4:00 EST).

The Mountaineers come in off a 90-75 home win over Iowa State on Seniors Night Wednesday.

The Cowboys will look to do the same here in their regular season finale. OKS comes in with momentum as well after its 67-64 road win over Baylor.

The Cowboys posted the 85-77 road win over WVU in the first meeting and I think they’ll lay the hammer down here as well.

WVU has gotten back-to-back double-doubles from Derek Culver, but the Mountaineers still are second to last in the Big 12. 

Overall WVU averages 72.8 PPG and it concedes 76.5.

OKS won’t be taking anything for granted here as it looks to post a win on Seniors night. The Cowboys had lost three straight previous to their latest road victory. Isaac Likekele had 23 points and nine boards against the win over the Bears.

Overall the Cowboys average 67.4 points, while allowing 71.3.

I’ll point out though that WVU is still just 1-6 ATS in its last seven on the road and only 1-4 ATS in its last five following an ATS win, while the Cowboys are 4-1 ATS in their last five vs. the conference.

Lay the points.

Good luck…Larry

My 8* Eye-Opener is on Villanova (12:00 EST).

Villanova beat Butler 75-54 last Saturday and with a win today, it’ll lock up the No. 1 seed in the upcoming tournament. Phil Booth had 28 points and all seven players scored at least four points in the win for Villanova.

The Wildcats won’t be taking anything for granted here either, as they’ve dropped four straight road games (note that they haven’t lost five straight on the road since 2011.) Villanova though has won three straight at Seton Hall and six in a row overall in this series. that included an easy 80-52 win at home in the reverse fixture on January 27th. 

Seton Hall would get an invite to The Big Dance with an upset win here, but I think it’s poised for a classic letdown after its upset win over No. 16 Marquette (73-64) on Wednesday. Myles Powell exploded for 34 points in the victory.

The Wildcats are rested and I think this is a major match-up issue for the Pirates once again.

Lay the points.

Good luck…Larry

My 10* LEGEND is on Minnesota (7:00 EST).

Maryland backs its way into the conference tournament. The Terrapins have lost two straight as they head in the regular season finale.

The Golden Gophers are surging in the opposite direction, as they’ve won two straight, most recently an epic upset over Purdue, avenging an earlier loss. 

Right now Minnesota is seventh in the conference standings, six games behind Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue. The Gophers are still on the bubble for the big dance, but an outright victory today would guarantee a spot. It’s a big game for Minnesota and I expect it to play with desperation from the opening tip, until the final horn.

Minnesota averages 71.5 PPG and it concedes 68.7. Amir Coffey leads the way with 15.8 points and 3.7 boards per game.

Maryland took the first game in Minnesota, but I think it’ll have its hands full here. 

The Terrapins are locked into the fifth spot in the Big Ten standings and it’s a No. 5 seed in the NCAA tournament. Only winning the ACC tournament itself would change that. 

The Terps average 71.8 PPG and they concede 65.1. Anthony Cowan Jr. averages 15.7 points and 4.3 assists per game.

Note though that the numbers support the visitors here, as they’re 5-1 ATS in their last six road games vs. a team with a home winning percentage of greater than .600, while Maryland is just 3-7-1 ATS in its last 11 home games vs. a team with a road winning percentage of less than .400. 

I’m grabbing the points and expecting an all out war until the final horn. 

Good luck…Larry

My 8* Situational Stunner is on Miami Ohio (7:00 EST).

The Ohio Bobcats come in with zero momentum, having lost eight of their last ten games. 

Miami Ohio hasn’t been too much better this season and it comes in off back-to-back setbacks.

Most recently the Redhawks fell 75-68 to Kent State on Tuesday. Nike Sibande was a bright spot in a losing cause with 21 points and ten boards. 

The Redhawks catch a break though facing the impotent Bobcats. Ohio gave its best shot vs. the Buffalo Bulls last time out, but it still wasn’t enough int he 82-79 setback (just 3 of 17 from range.) 

Overall the Bobcats are just 9-19 ATS this season, rarely even putting up a fight.

The RedHawks on the other hand are at least a very respectable 5-1 ATS in their last six following a SU loss.

Grab the points.

Good luck…Larry

The second pick of my Superstar Triple Play (8*) is on USC (10:00 EST).

USC is 8-8 in league play, while Utah is 9-7. This is a revenge game for USC after it fell 77-70 at home in the first matchup between the schools this season.

Most recently the Trojans fell at UCLA on Thursday. Bennie Boatwright was a bright spot in a losing cause with 25 points, 15 boards and six assists. 

Overall the Trojans are averaging 76.7 points and conceding 72.6. 

USC has struggled on the road this year, but it won’t be lacking for motivation here. Utah is 8-5 at home this year, but the Utes have lost three of their last four, including a home loss to Arizona State 98-87, and two of three on the road.

Utah averages 75.5 PPG and it concedes 74.6 (ranked last in the conference in forcing turnovers.) 

USC has shown signs of life, taking UCLA to OT in its last game on the road. The Trojans smoked Cal by 23 on the road, lost at Stanford by three and then destroyed Washington State. 

USC has looked great from range as well, hitting 38.2 percent, while Utah has struggled in defending the three, allowing 36 percent from three-point land.

While the outright isn’t out of the question, I’m grabbing the points.

Good luck…Larry

The third pick of my Superstar Triple Play (10*) is on UC Davis (10:00 EST).

It’s a big game. Regular season finale and each of these teams is tied for fourth in the Big West standings with a 7-7 record. I don’t think that the home court advantage can be overlooked as a deciding factor in this particular situation.

Hawaii comes in hungry, but with absolutely no momentum or confidence whatsoever after three straight losses (most recently 84-73 to Cal State Northridge.) Jack Purchase was a bright spot with 20 points. 

The Warriors average 103.0 points per 100 possessions, while allowing 107.4 points per 100 possessions. While their offensive average does go up during conference play, the Warriors’ weakness clearly remains on the defensive side of the floor.

UC Davis is suddenly moving in the opposite direction, snapping a three-game slide with a  confidence-building 66-59 home win over Cla State Fullerton on Saturday. TJ Shorts had 18 points in the victory.

The Aggies average only 96.5 points per 100 possessions, while allowing 102.8 per 100 possessions.

I’ll point out though that UC Davis is 20-8-1 ATS in its last 29 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.

Also note that the Warriors are a money-burning 1-4 ATS in their last five road games vs. a team with a home winning percentage greater than .600.

I’m laying the points.

Good luck…Larry

The first pick of my Superstar Triple Play (8*) is on UCLA (9:00 EST).

UCLA comes in with considerable momentum and I don’t think it’ll go down without a fight tonight either.

The Bruins won their third straight in a 93-88 OT effort over USC on Thursday. Jaylen Hands had 21 points, ten assists and three boards.

UCLA enters averaging 78.6 PPG, while conceding 76.8.

The Buffs come in off a win as well, pulling away for a 71-63 victory over Utah on Saturday. Tyler Bey led the way with 17 points and ten boards.

Colorado averages 74.2 PPG, and it concedes 68.5. 

Both teams are hungry, but the Bruins’ recent form could even see this out have an outright upset.

That said, grab the points!

Good luck…Larry

My 10* Wipeout Winner is on South Florida (8:00 EST).

South Florida will look to keep the foot on the gas from start to finish. USF won’t want to be the team to lose to the Green Wave, who enter on an 18-game losing streak. 

USF in fact enters on a losing streak of its own and it’s going to be desperate to break the slide and get back into the winners circle with a big win here (the Bulls have lost three straight to Houston, UCF and UConn.) 

USF hasn’t finished with 20 wins since 2011, but with 18 victories right now and with two very “winnable” games left, the Bulls have their fate in their own hands. 

The Green Wave have been terrible all year and looking back sees them 20-42-3 ATS in their last 65 home games. 

USF has been struggling of late, but it enters 11-2 ATS in its last 13 on the road.

Lay the points, expect a rout.

Good luck…Larry

My 8* Situational Stunner is on Minnesota (8:00 EST).

Outright win? Clearly it’s not out of the question.

But in a contest which I envision coming down to whichever of these hungry sides has its hands on the ball last, I’m going to recommend to grab the points.

The Boilermakers come in complacent after five straight wins? Probably not. That said, the team has been playing at a very high level over the last month and a half and a letdown at some point is imminent.

Overall the Boilermakers average 76.8 points and they allow 66.7. Carsen Edwards leads the way with 23.5 points and 3.4 boards per game. 

The Golden Gophers won’t be taking anything for granted here as they’d break a two game losing streak with their latest victory. The Gophers average 71.5 points and they allow 68.7. Amir Coffey leads the nightly charge with 15.2 points and 3.6 assists per game.

The Boilermakers have been rolling of late, but all good things must come to an end. The home side won’t be lacking for motivation. I’m grabbing the points.

Good luck…Larry

My 10* Conf. Crusher is on St. Joseph’s (7:00 EST).

This is the first meeting between the schools this season. Last year they split a pair of games. I think that the home floor advantage will prove to be the difference in the end between these two hungry teams.

Rhode Island comes in off a thrilling 72-70 road win over Dayton and I think it’s asking too much of the Rams to try and pull off back-to-back upsets away from friendly confines. 

St. Joseph’s enters off a 72-62 home win over La Salle and I believe the team will carry that momentum over here. 

The Rams are 4-7 SU on the road this year. So far in A-10 action they’ve averaged 68.2 points and conceded 67.3. Jeff Dowtin had ten points and five assists in his team’s most recent upset victory.

St. Joe’s has won two straight. Charlie Brown Jr. has now posted at least 20 points eight times in A10 play after the win over La Salle. The Hawks average 69.9 points and allow 71.7. 

Rhode Island is a poor team which comes in off a monumental victory. The Hawks had lost three in a row before their two-game win streak and I don’t see them taking the foot off the gas this close to the end. Rhode Island suffers a letdown and the surging Hawks pull away down the stretch. 

Good luck…Larry

My 10* CBB UNDERDOG SPECIAL is on Texas (9:00 EST).

Texas Tech comes in having won seven straight, including a victory over TCU on Saturday. 

Texas hasn’t thrown in the towel though. Far from it. After two straight losses the Longhorns enter off a 17-point win over Iowa State.

Texas is almost assuredly going “dancing” this year, but one last signature upset victory would completely seal the deal. Either way, I’m not expecting the visitors, led by Courtney Ramey with 15.3 points over the last three games, to go down without a fight tonight.

Texas Tech beat TCU 81-66 to keep its conference title hopes alive. The Red Raiders are led by Jarrett Culver with 17.9 points and 6.2 boards per game. 

But Texas Tech has been susceptible for letdowns in this spot, going just 2-7 ATS in its last nine home games against teams with a road winning percentage under .400.

Texas on the other hand is 6-1 ATS in its last seven vs. teams with winning records.

Grab the points and expect a war.

Good luck…Larry

My 9* Wipeout Winner is on Oregon State (8:00 EST).

Arizona State enters off a 79-51 road loss to Oregon and I think it’ll struggle in the second game of its Pacific Northwest road trip. Oregon State comes in off a close 74-72 loss to Arizona and it plays with revenge here after losing the reverse fixture in the desert 70-67 back on January 17th.

Oregon State only sits a half game behind ASU as well in the standings, so to say this is a big game and opportunity for the home side would be an understatement in my opinion. 

ASU averages 78.1 PPG and it concedes 73.3. Luguentz Dort leads the way with 16.1 points and 4.4 boards per game. 

Oregon State averages 73.5 PPG and it allows 68.9. Tres Tinkle leads the nightly charge with 20 points, eight boards and 4.1 assists per game.

Additionally I’ll point out that ASU is just 5-12-2 ATS in its last 19 road games vs. a team with a winning home record, while the Beavers are 9-1 ATS in their last ten following an ATS loss.

Lay the points.

Good luck…Larry

My 10* Conf. Crusher is on Washington (4:00 EST).

Washington is still atop the PAC 12 standings, but it won’t be taking anything for granted here after suffering a loss earlier in the week.

The Huskies in fact lost to previously winless Cal, 76-73 on Thursday. David Crisp was a bright spot in a losing cause with 32 points, while Jaylen Nowell added 22. The Huskies average 108.2 points per 100 possessions and they allow just 92.6 points. After “looking past” the Golden Bears, I’m expecting the No. 1 team in the conference to come in very focused here.

Stanford broke a two-game slide with a 98-50 beatdown win over WSU last time out, getting 22 points from KZ Opala. Overall the Cardinal average 105.3 points per 100 possessions, while allowing 98.6. 

Washington has struggled at Stanford over the years, but the overall situation favors the Huskies here. I expect the “better” team to keep the foot on the gas from start to finish. This line could easily be a few points higher in my opinion. 

Play on Washington.

Good luck…Larry

My 10* CBB GAME OF THE MONTH is on San Diego (9:00 EST).

San Diego finished 18-12 (BYU is 18-12 overall as well). The Toreros won’t be playing in the NCAA Tournament, but they enter the regular season finale “firing on all cylinders” and I believe the team carries that momentum over here.

San Diego has won two of three. The Toreros are a well balanced team, averaging 72.9 PPG and allowing 69.2. Keep your eyes on Isaiah Pineiro, who leads the team with 19.5 points and 9.4 boards per game. 

BYU has faltered under the pressure as the season has wound down, as it enters having lost two straight. The Cougars have a decent offense which averages 79.4 PPG, but their defense has been poor in conceding 76.1 (note that BYU gave up 102 points in their last game.) 

I think it’s significant to note as well that this is a “revenge” game for the Toreros after they fell 88-82 in OT at home on February 14th (and that is INDEED significant, as note that San Diego is a money-making 6-1 ATS in its last seven revving a loss where an opponent scored 85 points or more in!)

In a contest which I envision coming down to whichever of these evenly matched sides has its hands on the ball last, I’m grabbing the points. 

Good luck…Larry

My 9* Rivalry Rout is on Cincinnati (8:00 EST).

Memphis comes in off an 81-73 win at home over Temple last time out, while Cincinnati held on for a much tougher than expected 52-49 road win over SMU on Wednesday. The Bearcats have won five straight in this series, but they won’t be taking anything for granted here after their slim 69-64 road win in Memphis on February 7th. 

Memphis has won three straight and it sits in fifth place. The Tigers average 82.3 PPG, but they concede 76.7. 

Cincinnati is averaging 72.4 PPG and it’s conceding 61. 

The Bearcats are 15-1 at home this year. The Tigers are 3-6 in true road games.

After its lacklustre performance last time out, and after having a difficult time with Memphis in the reverse previous fixture, I believe the home side comes in focused on the task at hand tonight.

Lay the points.

Good luck…Larry

My 8* Revenge Rout is on Tennessee (2:00 EST).

The Wildcats enter off a tougher than expected 70-66 home win over Arkansas on Tuesday, while the Vols held on for a 73-71 road win over Ole Miss. 

This is my “revenge rout” for Saturday and that’s because in the first meeting between the schools back on February 16th, the Wildcats easily handled Tennessee 86-69.

Tyler Herro had 29 points for Kentucky in the win over Arkansas. Clearly this won’t be a cake walk. Kentucky is 7-1 on the road and it averages 78 PPG, while conceding 64.9.

The Vols rebounded from their loss to LSU with the most recent win over the Rebels. Tennessee remains in a first place tie for the conference lead with LSU and Kentucky. Grant Williams had 21 points and six boards in the win over Ole Miss. 

Tennessee averages 83.2 PPG and it concedes 68.1. Note as well that the Vols are 5-1 ATS in their last six in revenging a loss where the winning opponent scored 85 points or more in.

“Revenge” works in this one. Lay the points.

Good luck…Larry

My 8* Eye-Opener is on Syracuse (12:00 EST).

Wake Forest is 4-11 in league play after its 76-75 nail-biting victory over Miami last time out, while the Orange will be eager to return to the winners circle after falling to 9-6 in conference action after their 93-85 loss at UNC.

Syracuse has no shot at the conference title, but it still has opportunity to move up in the standings. It’s also on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament, so wins are paramount at this point. Especially after the close loss to the Tar Heels last time out. The bright spot in the setback was that the Orange would play decently defensively, holding the Heels to 40.3 percent from the floor, including 31 percent from range. Syracuse averages 70.3 PPG and it concedes 65.2. 

Wake Forest is averaging 69.1 PPG and it’s allowing 75.9. It’s an uphill battle for the Deacons with upcoming games vs. Duke and FSU still to come. 

Wake has won two of its last three, but the victories came against teams that have gone a combined 7-23 in league play so far. 

I’m expecting a blowout from start to finish. Lay the points.

Good luck…Larry

The 3rd play of my STP is an 8* on Oregon at 11:00 ET.

Bobby Hurley's Sun Devils generated national headlines by handing then-top-ranked Kansas its first loss of the season, 80-76, back on Dec. 22. However, Arizona State has proven to be one of the most inconsistent teams in the country. That said, if here’s an at-large Pac-12 team to qualify for the NCAA Tournament, Arizona State certainly has a decent case. The Sun Devils have won four of their last five and their NCAA Tournament resume includes wins over Kansas, Mississippi State and Washington. ASU is 19-8 (10-5 in Pac 12) as it heads to Eugene to take on the Oregon Ducks. Oregon was the Pac-12's preseason favorite but at 15-12 (6-8 in Pac 12), an at-large bid is almost definitely not in play.

Freshman guard Luguentz Dort is the leading scorer for ASU at 16.4 PPG (also adds 4.6 RPG) plus two more ASU guards score in double digits. PG Martin checks in at 13.0 & 5.2 APG and Edwards at 11.5 PPG. Up front, senior forward Zylan Cheatham is averaging 11.7 points and a Pac-12-best 10.8 rebounds The 6-7 Lawrence (9.7 & 3.7) plus the White (8.9 & 5.4) are also quality frontcourt players.

Oregon lost its best player, 7-2 freshman center and likely lottery pick Bol Bol, to a left-foot injury before conference play started. Bol was leading the the team in scoring (21.0), rebounding (9.6) and blocks (2.7) while also shooting an eye-popping 52 percent from three-point range. Louis King, a 6-9 freshman forward, has helped pick up some of the slack, averaging 12.3 & 5.5 RPG on the season. Junior PG Payton Pritchard (11.8-3.8-4.3) runs the team and the 6-9 White (10.7 & 3.8) is the other double digit scorer.

The schedule isn’t in the Sun Devils’ favor, as they close out the regular season with three road games, as March 9 date at rival Arizona follows the two-game Oregon swing. Oregon comes in off a 72-57 Civil War loss at second-place Oregon State on Saturday but still has games at home against Arizona State and at likely Pac-12-champ Washington on the agenda, as it tries to build its case for a highly-unlikely NCAA at-large berth.The fact that Oregon has prevailed in 11 of the last 13 meetings with ASU has me on the Ducks here, as they play 'spoiler!'

Good luck...Larry

The 2nd play of my STP is an 9* on San Francisco at 10:00 ET.

No. 1 Gonzaga is 27-2 overall and sits 14-0 in the WCC to no one's surprise. However, there is a three-way logjam for 2nd-place in the conference, between St Mary's (10-4), BYU (10-5) and San Francisco (9-5). The 21-7 Dons will look to rebound from a 68-65 loss to Santa Clara in their last outing. They welcome San Diego to San Francisco and teh Toreros come to town 17-12 overall, including 6-8 in WCC paly.

San Diego limps into San Francisco having lost four of its last five, most recently 'laying an egg' in Saturday's 66-46home  loss to Saint Mary’s. San Diego's 6-7 Isaiah Pineiro(19.2 & 9.4) will be the best player on the floor tonight and he gets help up front from the 6-10 Massalski (7.4 & 6.0) and the 6-8 Floresca (5.2 & 2.9). There is nothing wrong with San Diego's backcourt, either. Carter averages15.9 PPG, Wright 12.5-3.9-4.9 and Williams 8.5-4.1-3.2.

San Francisco starts guards Ferrari (14.8-5.6 APG), Mineland (14.4 & 4.7), and Ratinho (9.5), with the 7-0 Lull (8.4 & 5.2) and the 6-8 Renfro (7.3 & 5.2) up front. However, the 6-9 McCarthy comes off the bench to average 9.3 PPG and a team-high 6.4 RPG.

The Dons came out the gate quickly, opening 14-2 (including 2-0 in WCC play). However, the Dons are a modest 7-5 (4-8 ATS) since that start and need to bounce back from that loss at Santa Clara, as well as trying to avenge a 67-63 loss at San Diego.The Toreros are just 4-7 in true road games, while averaging a poor 67.7 PPG. Meanwhile, San Francisco is 13-1 SU at home, averaging 79.4 PPG. This sets up as a San Francisco win with "room to spare!"

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Rivalry Rout is on UCLA at 9:00 ET.

Los Angeles cross-town rivals USC and UCLA square off night at Pauley Pavilion. The Trojans and Bruins are each 15-13 overall and both are also 8-7 in Pac 12 play,leaving them tied for fifth in the conference, one game behind Utah (9-6) in their bid to receive a first-round bye in the Pac-12 tournament (each schools also has a road game remaining  against the Utes). USC comes in off a 67-62 loss to Oregon State on Saturday in its final home game of the regular season, falling to 8-7 in league play. Meanwhile, UCLA got to 8-7 by erasing a 19-point deficit en route to a 90-83 home victory over Oregon on Saturday (Bruins edged Ore St 68-67 on Thursday). In the schools' first meeting this season (back on Jan 19 at USC), the Trojans snapped a four-game losing streak in the series with an 80-67 victory.

6-10 senior forward Bernie Boatwright is third in the conference in scoring with a team-high 18.3 PPG (adds 6.3 RPG). He's joined up front by 6-11 junior forward Nick Rakocevic (15.1 & 9.4), who leads the Pac-12 with 13 double-doubles. Junior guard Jonah Mathews (12.5) is also averaging in double figures, while freshman guard Porter just misses at 9.1 & 4.0. USC's depth on the perimeter is noteworthy, as four more guards combine to add about 30 PPG.

Sophomore swingman Kris Wilkes (17.2 & 4.7) has been a model of consistency for UCLA, reaching double figures in 26-of-28 games this season. PG Hands (13.5 points) scored a career-high 27 points (all in the second half) in Saturday's comeback win over Oregon and averages 13.5 & 6.4 APG. He enters this rivalry game averaging 21.4 points while shooting 50 percent from three-point range in his last five contests. 7-0 freshman center Moses Brown (10.5 & 8.5) is UCLA's lone frontcourt contributor of note.

UCLA dismissed head coach Steve Alford on December 31, 2018, two days after the Bruins' ugly 73-58 loss to Liberty. It marked the first time the program ever had made a coaching change in the middle of the season. Murry Bartow (son of former UCLA coach Gene Bartow) was named interim coach for the Bruins and in his first game (at home vs Stanford), UCLA ended a four-game slide with a 92-70 win over the Cardinal. Two more wins followed but the 'honeymoon' period is over for UCLA's interim coach, as following that 3-0 start in the conference, UCLA dropped SEVEN of its next 10 Pac-12 games. However, B2B wins over the two Oregon schools last weekend has breathed some new life into UCLA. USC is just 2-6 in true road games this season, allowing 80.9 PPG. That hardly bodes well vs the Bruins, who are averaging 82.1 PPG at home this season and this marks UCLA's final regular season home game of the year. The Bruins have won 42 of 50 games in Pauley Pavilion since the start of the 2016-17 season. Expect UCLA to avenge its earlier loss at the Galen Center.

Good luck...Larry

The 1st play of my STP is an 8* on Ore St at 9:00 ET.

Disappointing Arizona (16-12 / 7-8 in Pac 12) heads to Corvallis on Thursday to face surprising 17-9 Oregon State (9-5 in Pac 12), which has clinched its third winning season in five seasons under coach Wayne Tinkle. The Beavers are now in search of their first winning Pac-12 record in 29 years, as Oregon St closes out its home schedule with a pair of games this week with the two Arizona schools. The Wildcats are up first, coming off a pair of much-needed home wins last weekend over Cal and Stanford.

The Wildcats are essentially the mirror-opposite of the Beavers (see above), as they are seeking to avoid only the program’s second losing Pac-12/Pac-10 season in the last 35 years. Arizona wraps its regular season schedule with this two-game Oregon road swing, followed by its home finale against second-place Arizona State. G Thursday night’s date with Arizona. Guards Brandon Randolph (13.1) and Brandon Williams (11.7 & 3.7 APG) score in double digits, joined by 6-10 center Chase Jeter (11.7 & 6.9). The good news here is that Williams returned to score four points and dish out three assists in 18 minutes vs Stanford, after missing the previous six games with right-knee soreness.

OSU is led by the coaches' son, 6-8 forward Tres Tinkle. He leads OSU in scoring (19.8), rebounding (8.2) and assists (4.2). Along with guards/brothers Stephen Thompson Jr. (16.4-5.4-3.5) and Ethan Thompson (13.2-4.9-3.4), the trio accounts for more than two-thirds (67.1 percent) of Oregon State’s scoring (73.6 PPG).

Arizona has won SIX straight and 13 of the last 14 meetings with Oregon State, including an 82-71 victory in Tucson on Jan 19.However, the 2018-19 season is DIFFERENT. Arizona ranks ninth in the Pac-12 in scoring (72.1) and only winless Cal (42.3) owns a worse overall field-goal percentage than the Wildcats’ 42.9 mark. To make matters worse, headlines continue to swirl around the program’s involvement in an FBI-investigated recruiting corruption and reports that head coach Sean Miller will be subpoenaed to testify at a trial in April. The Beavers currently reside in third place, a half-game ahead of Utah and 1 1/2 games in front of USC and UCLA in the Pac 12. A win here would be a HUGE step in clinching a top-four seed in teh Pac 12 tourney. Play the home team.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Conference Crusher (AAC) is on Wichita St at 7:00 ET.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Revenge Rout is on Villanova at 9:00 ET.

Questions surrounded Villanova after the Wildcats lost back-to-back games to Penn and Kansas, as the defending champs (actually, two titles in a three-year span) sat just 8-4 in mid-December. However, 11 consecutive wins later (including a 10-0 start in the Big East) erased most doubts that the Wildcats were again VERY relevant. A 66-65 loss at Marquette was no big deal, especially since Villanova bounced back in its next game with a 85-67 win over Providence. However, 'Nova comes into this rematch with now-No. 10 Marquette (23-4 and a Big East-leading 12-2 mark) off THREE consecutive losses (at St John's. Georgetown and Xavier). Marquette can clinch at least a share of the regular-season league title and the No. 1 seed in the Big East tournament with a win ('Nova is 20-8 / 11-4 in Big East).

The Golden Eagles' dynamic PG Markus Howard led Marquette with 38 points in that Feb 9 win and the potential All-American checks in averaging 25.3-4.1-4.0. The 6-8 Sam Hauser (15.7 & 6.9) is joined by his 6-9 younger brother Joey (10.0 & 5.4). Marquette connects on 39.9 percent from three-point range (15th) with each of its top-three scorers (see above) draining at least 40 percent of their three-pointers. 

The Wildcats continued their recent shooting woes against Xavier, as they shot under 34 percent from the floor and just 10-of-36 from three-point range. Senior guard Phil Booth, who averages a team-high 18.4 points, is just 5-of-25 from three-point range during teh team's three-game slide. 6-8 senior forward  Eric Paschall (17.2 & 6.1) and sophomore guard Collin Gillespie (11.2) are the team's other double digit scorers.

Villanova was ranked 13th before its slide (now unranked) but as head coach Jay Wright noted after the loss to Xavier, "I don't think confidence is the issue. We're not executing the way we want to, not getting easy baskets off of our defense. It just makes every shot we take monumental. I thought we got some good looks, but we didn't get any second shots in the second half." It's HAS to be noted that Marquette's Howard battled through a groin pull  and was just 2-of-12 shooting in the team's last game. Can he be effective against Villanova? This is a HUGE test for 'Nova and let's not forget the etam's 11-2 home record or more importantly, the team's TWO titles in the last three years.

Home team gets its revenge!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Conference Crusher (Big 12) is on Baylor at 9:00 ET.

Texas is 15-12 on the season, including 7-7 in Big 12 games. The Longhorns come in off nearly erasing a 17-point, second-half deficit against Oklahoma last Saturday, before falling just short in a 69-67 defeat. Leading scorer Kerwin Roach II (14.4 PPG) missed Saturday's game due to a suspension and will not play tonight in Waco vs Baylor. The Bears upset Iowa St 73-69 on the road on Feb 19 and then used a 16-5 run to end the game to escape with an 82-75 home victory over West Va this past Saturday. Baylor is 18-9 overall, including 9-5 in the Big 12.

In Roach’s absence, guard Jase Febres (8.0) made his first start since Dec 21 on Saturday and attempted all of his shots from three-point range, finishing with a team-best 15 points in a career-high 35 minutes. Starting guard Coleman (10.1 & 3.6 APG) is joined by a trio of guards chipping in just over 20 PPG, combined (a group which includes Febres). Up front, 6-11 freshman Hayes (10.4 & 5.3) and 6-9 senior Osetkowski (10.2 & 7.7) are a solid duo. Hayes led the second-half charge against Oklahoma with 12 points, six rebounds and a career-high six blocks.

“I’m really proud of the last five minutes to win the way we did,” Baylor head coach Scott Drew told reporters after leading scorer Makai Mason was held to a season-low four points. “Makai had zero field goals and we win a game in the Big 12. When you have zero field goals from your leading scorer, it means other people are stepping up. That’s what makes a great team.” Makai Mason, a graduate transfer from Yale (you don't hear that often), is averaging 15.0 PPG. Fellow guards like Kegler (10.0 & 5.9 ) and Butler (9.4) have stepped up at times, as well. McClure is averaging 9.9 & 5.4 but is questionable with a knee injury.

Baylor lost the 6-9 Clark (14.6 & 6.2). to a season-ending knee injury on Jan 8 but the Bears have not given up. Scott Drew's teams had won 20-plus games for nine of the previous 10 seasons but finished just 19-15 last season. Four starters are gone from that team but the Bears are just two wins away from a 20-win season this year. Baylor will be looking for redemption on Wednesday when it hosts Texas, which snapped the Bears' six-game winning streak on Feb 6 with an 84-72 victory. With leading scorer Kerwin Roach II out for Texas, Baylor gets its revenge against a team that is just 2-6 SU on the road. Baylor is 12-4 SU at home, holding opponents to just 62.6 PPG.

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Oddsmaker's Error is on USF at 7:00 ET.

Central Florida and South Florida meet tonight for their second matchup in two weeks, this time at the home of the Bulls. UCF comes in 20-6 (10-4 in the AAC), while USF 18-9 (7-7 in AAC play). I'll note that UCF was the preseason favorite in the AAC, while in stark contrast, USF opened the current season off seasons of 10, 7, 8, 9 and 12 wins. I will also note that UCF has dominated the War On I-4, seeking its EIGHT straight victory (and fourth straight sweep) over its intrastate rivals after taking this season's first encounter 78-65 on Feb 13 in Orlando.

Senior guard B.J. Taylor, the conference preseason player of the year, is bidding to lead the club in scoring for the third straight season with an average of 16.6 points and the coaches' son, Aubrey Dawkins averages 15.3 PPG and 5.0 RPG. PG Allen (7.3 & 4.2 APG) makes for a nice guard trio plus 7-6 senior center Tacko Fall (10.9 points, team-high 7.3 rebounds ) leads the conference and was seventh nationally with 2.7 blocks per game. He paces the American in field-goal shooting at 76.6 percent to help the Knights shoot a conference-best 47.0 percent. Fall registered a season-high 23 points and a career-best 20 rebounds as he became the first Knight to produce a 20-20 game in the team's Division I era in UCF's recent win over SMU. The 6-11 Smith (8.0 & 5.3) is a quality side-kick.

Sophomore guard David Collins is USF's leading scorer (15.3 ppg). The team needs a strong effort on the boards from redshirt freshman Alexis Yetna (12.0 PPG), who leads the conference with 9.7 rebounds per game and had 12 against UCF back on Feb 13. PG Laquincy Rideau is averaging 13.3 PPG and a team-high 5.5 APG.

The Bulls entered the first meeting (Feb 13) on a five-game winning streak but they couldn't get going against the Knights. The Bulls haven't won a conference game since, so why play them here (USF has lost SEVEN straight to UCF). USF is an outstanding 14-3 at home (the Bulls can tie the school mark for home victories in a season with a win over the Knights) and note that UCF is just 3-4 SU in true road games this season. Also note that UCF comes in off its most dominating performance of the season in a 95-48 victory over SMU. The Knights earned their largest margin of victory since 2010 as they limited the Mustangs to just 24.6 percent shooting from the floor. This sets up as "Let-down City," even against an in-state rival. USF is ready, willing and able to pull of the "non-upset!"

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Conference Crusher (AAC) is on Memphis at 9:00 ET.

No. 8 Houston is 26-1 (the nation's lone one-loss team) and leads the AAC at 13-1. In American Athletic Conference action tonight from Memphis, it's the 20-7 Temple Owls (10-4 AAC) taking on the Tigers, who are 17-11 overall, including 9-6 in league play. Temple has posted victories in five of its last six and enters on a four-game winning streak, looking to match a season high of five consecutive wins. The Tigers are off an impressive 88-85 win this past Saturday at Wichita St (Shockers are 81-7 the last six-plus years at Koch Arena!) and will be seeking their FIFTH victory in six games.

The Owls get the bulk of their scoring from a trio of guards in Shizz Alston (18.9 & 5.1 APG), Quinton Rose (16.5) and Nate Pierre-Louis (13.9 & 5.8). Quinton Rose and Shizz Alston Jr. combined for 49 points in Saturday's 84-73 win over Tulsa. Nate Pierre-Louis has scored in double digits in 15 of his last 16 games and had ZERO turnovers in 32 minutes against Tulsa. Helping out up front are the 6-10 Ernest Aflakpui (6.2 & 7.1) and  the 6-7 J.P. Moorman II (5.4 & 3.9).

Senior PG Jeremiah Martin is by far the top scorer for Memphis, averaging 19.0 PPG, along with 4.4 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 2.4 steals. He has been on a tear over the last seven games with point totals of 25, 26, 31, 37, 41 and 43 in that stretch (he had 37 versus Wichita State on Saturday). The 6-8 Davenport chips in 13.7 & 7.1 plus freshman guard Harris adds 11.5 PPG. First-year head coach Penny Hardaway likes to use his bench and Memphis has six more players averaging between 4.7 and 9.1 PPG.

Memphis lost 85-76 at Temple back on Jan 24 but this contest will be played at FedEx Forum, where the Tigers are 13-2 SU (losses to Cincy and Tenn), where they average a whopping 88.0 PPG.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Weekly Wipeout Winner is on South Carolina at 7:00 ET.

The Alabama Crimson Tide are 16-11 (7-7 in the SEC) as they travel to Colonial Life Arena in South Carolina to take on the 14-13 Gamecocks. Alabama snapped a three-game skid with a 68-61 home win over Vanderbilt on Saturday but the Tide have lost SIX of their last eight road contests. South Carolina is coming off a 76-61 setback at Mississippi State on Saturday, a contest in which it squandered a 16-point, first-half lead. The Gamecocks may be just 14-13 overall but they are 9-5 in SEC play, leaving them tied for fourth with Ole Miss. 

Heavily-recruited freshman PG Kira Lewis Jr. leads the Crimson Tide in scoring at 14,2 PPG. Up front, 6-9 senior forward Donta Hall (10.9 & 8.5 rebounds) leads the SEC with 11 double-doubles and three-point specialist John Petty Jr. (10.6) also averages double digits. However, Alabama head coach Avery Johnson relies on a deep bench, with 10 players averaging double digits in minutes and eight scoring at least 5.5 PPG. 

The Gamecocks had an offensive outage in the second half against Mississippi State, scoring just 25 points while allowing 47! However, South Carolina features a dominant big man in the 6-9 Chris Silva (14.0 & 7.2). He has scored in double figures in eight of his last 10 games. South Carolina can also stretch the floor by making 36.6 percent of its three-point attempts. Freshman guard A.J. Lawson (14.0 & 4.5) is joined by fellow guard Hassani Gravett (11.1 & 4.0) to form a solid guard duo. Silva gets help up front from the 6-11 Bryant (8.6 & 3.6) and the 6-6 Kotsar (7.4 & 4.8).

As noted above, Alabama has lost SIX of its last eight road games and I'll add here that Sourh Carolina has won SEVEN of its last eight at home, with the lone defeat coming against No. 7 Tennessee (Vols were ranked No. 1 when they beat South Carolina). The Gamecocks basically need to win here (to cover), leaving Alabama no "margin for error."

South Carolina remains in a position to earn a top-four seed AND a double-bye in the upcoming SEC tournament.Don't expect them to let this "winning opportunity" to slip away.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Revenge Rout is on Bowling Green at 7:00 ET.

Buffalo is ranked 21st in the latest AP poll and is 24-3 overall, including 12-2 in MAC play. Bowling Green is 19-8 and that includes an 11-3 mark in the MAC East, just one game behind the Bulls. That said, both schools know that at-large bids almost NEVER get awarded to MAC teams. Bowling Green returns home off a 92-87 overtime loss to Ohio last time out to face 14-13 Miami-Ohio, which is just 6-8 in MAC play. The Redhawks come in having alternated wins and losses in each of their last eight games, following a 70-58 loss to Akron in their last outing

Miami owns a solid guard duo in leading scorer Sibande (15.3 & 4.7) and PG Ringo (7.7 & 5.0 APG). Up front, the team's top-two contributors are the 6-7 Brown (12.0 & 5.5) and the 6-8 Bowman (9.9 & 5.2). BG owns a deep perimeter, led by Turner (18.9-3.9-3.3). He's joined by Frye (13.0), Lillard (9.2 & 4.0) and Laster (6.7). The 6-11 Wiggins (12.9 & 11.3) will easily be the best big man on the court tonight.

Miami beat Bowling Green at home 67-53, which BG is unlikely to forget.Miami is just 3-8 SU on the road, while scoring a modest 64.6 PPG. Meanwhile, the Falcons are 13-1 at the Stroh Center, outscoring opponents on average, 81.2-to-68.9 PPG. Bowling Green had lost just TWO of its last 1* SU prior to Friday's loss to Ohio and it's "bounce-back" and "payback" time tonight. That's sweet 'daily double!'

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Feb Game of the Month is on Kansas at 9:00 ET.

It's been well-documented that Kansas has won or shared the Big 12's regular season title each of the last 14 seasons, the longest such streak in Division I history. However, the 12th-ranked Jayhawks head into Monday night’s game with in state-rival Kansas St (Wildcats are ranked 23rd) in basically a "must-win" situation. Kansas enters the contest off the worst loss of the Bill Self era, 91-62 on Saturday at No. 14 Texas Tech. The loss dropped Kansas to 9-5 in the Big 12, while Kansas St sits 11-3 and Texas Tech at 10-4. With just FOUR games remaining for all teams, you can "do the math." Kansas State won the first meeting between the two schools this season (74-67 back on Feb 5 in Manhattan) and comes in off an 85-46 blowout of Oklahoma State on Saturday. The Wildcats enter having won SIX consecutive Big 12 road games.

KSU's 39-point win over the Cowboys marks the school's biggest conference margin of victory since a 55-point win over Missouri back in 1998. The Wildcats shot 61.5 percent from the floor, including 10-of-20 from three-point range. Senior guard Barry Brown Jr., who has played in a school-record 132 consecutive games, leads the team in scoring (15.7) and steals (2.0). PG Stokes adds 10.1 PPG and 3.3 APG. SF Sneed checks in at 10.4 & 5.4 plus the 6-10 Wade, the preseason Big 12 Player of the Year, is second in scoring (13.1) while grabbing a team best 6.2 RPG. However, Wade has missed SIX full games this season and played just 11 minutes vs Oklahoma St (how healthy is he?).

“Coach (Self) talked about getting ready for Kansas State,” forward Dedric Lawson told the Kansas City Star. “He said, ‘Can’t get this one back. Worry about the next one.’ I think we’ll bounce back pretty well. Sometimes a loss can be a blessing in disguise.” The 6-9 trnsfer from Memphis has been as good as advertised for teh Jaywhawks, as he lead in scoring (19.0) and rebounding (10.1). However, his brother KJ has been a MAJOR disappointment. After averaging 12.3 & 8.1 in his last year at Memphis, KJ Lawson has disappeared at Kansas, averaging 3.4 & 1.8. The 7-0 Azubuike (13.4 & 6.8) was lost for the season after playing just NINE games and guard Vick (14.1 & 4.) was recently sidelined due to personal reasons. Guards Dotson (12.0 & 3.7) and Aybaji (10.1 & 4.9) are solid contributors while Vick's absence gives more "PT" to Grimes (7.5) and Garrett (7.3).

Kansas still hopes to claw into position for a 15th consecutive Big 12 championship but there is now "no margin for error." Kansas leads the series 196-94 and has won 57 of the last 63 meetings with Kansas State 9Regardless of teh venue. Kansas is 14-0 S at home this season (has won 18 straight at home) and while teh Jayhawks are just 7-7 ATS, they are winning on average by a margin of 80.9-to-66.8 PPG. Knasas is an outstanding defensive team (59.3 PPG allowed ranks 4th) but it needs to be, as the Wildcats average just 66.5 PPG (319th). Kansas has won the last 12 meetings with Kansas St at Allen Fieldhouse (Wildcats' last win at Kansas came back in 2006). Self's Jayhawks are 248-13 (.950) at home since his arrival. Lay the 'cheap' price.

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Bailout Blowout is on UNLV at 10:00 ET.

Note: Larry was able to complete full analysis with SEVEN of his nine plays for Feb 23 but an unforseen emergency left him with no time to do so for his final two plays. Sorry for the inconvenience. Back to "normal" on Sunday.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* PERFECT STORM is on San Diego at 9:00 ET.

No. 2 Gonzaga is 26-2 overall (maybe No. 1 come Monday?) and sits 13-0 in the WCC to no one's surprise. What is somewhat new this year is that St Mary's is NOT right on the Bulldogs' heels. The Gaels are 18-10 overall and at 9-4, are tied for third in the WCC (with San Francisco), as both schools trail 10-4 BYU. St Mary's will travel to the Jenny Craig Pavilion in San Diego on Saturday night to take on 17-11 San Diego. The Toreros are 6-7 in league play, after ending a three-game skid witha 63-52 home win over Portland. St Mary's embarrassingly lost 94-46 at Gonzaga back on Feb 9 but has won three in a row since (just 1-2 ATS).

Randy Bennett's first six seasons at St Mary's resulted in just one postseason appearance (a first round NCAA loss in 2005) but he's led the Gaels to 11 straight postseason berths entering this season. That streak should continue this year but it will be one of the three-lettered tourneys, not the Big Dance (unless the Gaels win the WCC tourney).

Guard Jordan Ford has almost doubled his average from last season (up to 21.8 from 11.1 PPG) and up front, the 6-8 Fitts (16.0 & 87.5) and the 6-10 Hunter (8.1 & 6.3). However, St Mary's depth is not what it used to be.

San Diego's 6-7 Isaiah Pineiro(19.4 & 9.2) will be the best p[layer on the floor tonight and he gets help up front from the 6-10 Massalski (7.4 & 5.9) and the 6-8 Floresca (5.2 & 2.9). There is nothing wrong with San Diego's backcourt, either. Carter averages16.1 PPG, Wright 12.6-4.0-5.0 and Williams 8.8-4.2-3.2.

St Mary's didn't get an at-large NCAA bid last year despite 30 wins, so one won't be coming its way this season. Meanwhile, the postseason-seeking Toreros are SURELY looking forward to this rematch, after their 'ugly' 76-59 loss in Moraga back on Jan 19th (note: Carter missed that contest due to an injury). The Gaels come to San Diego just 2-6 ATS on the road since December and San Diego is an impressive 12-3 SU on its homecourt. There's a 'storm brewing' in San Diego and St Mary's gets swallowed up.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Conference Crusher (Big East) is on St John's at 8:00 ET.

Note: Larry was able to complete full analysis with SEVEN of his nine plays for Feb 23 but an unforseen emergency left him with no time to do so for his final two plays. Sorry for the inconvenience. Back to "normal" on Sunday.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Revenge Rout is on Wichita St at 8:00 ET.

Jeremiah Martin set the American Athletic Conference single-game scoring record with a career-high 43 points in a 102-76 Memphis victory over Tulane. The Tigers' senior guard will now lead 16-11 Memphis (8-6 in AAC play) into a road game with the 13-12 Wichita State Shockers (just 6-7 in AAC play). Memphis will be visiting Wichita State for the first time in over FOUR decades on Saturday! As for the Shockers, Wichita State will look to get back to .500 after a 1-6 conference start, as it won for the FIFTH time in six games Wednesday with an 81-60 rout of Tulsa. The Shockers tied a school record by draining 15 three-pointers and Dexter Dennis matched a freshman mark by hitting six 3-pointers en route to his team-high 18 points.

Martin (28.3-4.1-4.5) is averaging 29.6 points over his last six contests and became the first Memphis player – and first in AAC history – to record 40 or more twice in a career.

The 6-8 Davenport chips in 14.0 & 7.1 plus freshman guard Harris adds 11.7 PPG. First-year head coach Penny Hardaway likes to use his bench and Memphis has six more player averaging between 4.8 and 9.0 PPG.

Jamarius Burton posted a career-high 10 assists in Wednesday’s victory, the most by a Wichita State freshman since 1973. Leading scorer Markis McDuffie (18.3 & 4.8) saw his career-high streak of 15 straight games with a three-pointer come to an end Wednesday, as the senior finished with just nine points (0-6 on threes). However, the Shocjkers still won at Tulsa by 21 points! PG Haynes-Jones (12.6) joins McDuffie as Wichita State's lone double digit scorers but the 6-11 Echenique (8.5 & 5.8) and  freshman guard Dennis (7.4 & 4.7) are rounding into solid contributors.

Memphis is great at home but a modest 2-6 on the road, where the Tigers allow 83.2 PPG. This Wichita St team is not like recent additions but the Shockers are rounding into form (see above). The revenge motive will be huge here (lost 85-74 art Memphis to open conference play on Jan 3) and let's NOT ignore the fact that Wichita St is 81-6 the last six-plus years at Koch Arena!.

Good luck...Larry

My 3rd pick of Saturday's STP is a 9* on Miuss St at 6:00 ET.

South Carolina may be just 14-12 overall but after back-to-back home wins last week ( 84-77 over Texas A&M and 79-64 over Ole Miss), the Gamecocks are now fourth in the SEC at 9-4 and remain in a position to earn a top-four seed (AND a double-bye in the upcoming SEC tournament). South Carolina travels to Starkville on Saturday to face the 19-7 Miss St Bulldogs, who find themselves just 7-6 in SEC play, two games behind the Gamecocks (Miss St is in a three-way tie for sixth place in the SEC). The Gamecocks won 87-82 in overtime at home in the first meeting of the season between the two schools.

South Carolina features a dominant big man in the 6-9 Chris Silva (14.3 & 7.4). He has scored in double figures in eight of his last nine games and is averaging 16.0 & 7.8 in SEC play. That said, South Carolina can also stretch the floor by making 36.4 percent of its three-point attempts. Freshman guard A.J. Lawson (13.9 & 4.6) had one of his best all-around games against Ole Miss with 15 points, nine rebounds and six assists and fellow guard Hassani Gravett (11.3 & 3.5) is shooting an SEC-best 49.3 percent from three-point range in league games. Silva gets help up front from the 6-11 Bryant (8,8 & 3.5) and the 6-6 Kotsar (7.2 & 4.8).

Miss St is somewhat of a disappointment (ranked 11th before the season by The Blue Ribbon Yearbook and18th in the AP's preseason poll) but don't count the Bulldogs out just yet, They are one of the SEC’s most balanced teams, as SIX players average at least 9.2 PPG. MSU is led by Quinndary Weatherspoon (18.6 & 5.1), who scored a career-high 31 points in last week's 68-67 win at Georgia. He is averaging 23.5 over his last six games, while PG Lamar Peters (12.0 & 5.3 APG) runs the team with great efficiency. Miss St has excellent size up front, as the 6-10 Holman comes off the bench to add 9.7 & 6.5 plus 6-10 freshman forward Reggie Perry (9.2 & 6.6) has emerged as a major force inside lately, recording double-doubles in FIVE of his last seven contests.

South Carolina has struggled on the road this season (sit just 3-6), after dropping four of their last five road games.Meanwhile, Miss St comes in off three straight wins, including confidence-building road wins at Arkansas (77-67) and Georgia (68-67). Take Miss St (in payback mode) in this one, as the Bulldogs are 11-3 SU at home (averaging 84.0 PPG) against the poor-traveling Gamecocks who are averaging only 70.1 points in true road games.

Good luck...Larry

My 2nd play of Saturday's STP is an 8* on UMass at 2:00 ET.

St Joe's is 11-15 (4-9 in A-10 play) as it travel to Amherst to face UMass. The Minutemen are just 9-17 overall and are tied for last-place in the A-10 with Fordham, at 2-11. The Hawks are led by the 6-7 Brown (19.9 & 5.7) who will be the best player on the floor but St Joe's also owns a pair of solid guards. SG Kimble averages 16.7 PPG plus PG Bynum adds 11.3 PPG and 4.6 APG. UMass' best player is PG Pipkins, who averages 16.6 PPG, as well as 5.0 RPG and 5.2 APG. Pierre (11.4) and Cobb (8.4) join him on the perimeter, while the 6-11 Hollaway (9.2 & 5.6) and the 6-6 Laurent (8.2 & 4.4) are the Minutemen's best inside players.

Why play this "nothing-burger" of a game? St Joe's was barely able to eke out a 64-62 home win over UMass and now must win on the road, where the Hawks are an abysmal 1-9 in true road games this season. UMass has split 14 home games and if the Minutemen could almost beat St Joe's in Philly, where leading scorers Pipkins and Pierre combined to make just 2 of 11 shots (and total a combined FIVE points!), UMass should not have an problem exacting revenge in this one.

Good luck...Larry

My 1st play of Saturday's STP is an 8* on Iowa St at 2:00 ET.

No. 19 Iowa State (19-7 / 8-5 in Big 12) is reeling somewhat off back-to-back losses. BOTH came at home, the latest being 73-69 loss to Baylor this past Tuesday. TCU is 17-8 overall, including just 5-8 in Big 12 play, as the Horned Frogs have lost THREE in row (lost Monday 68-61 at Okla St).

The undersized Cyclones start four guards, along with the 6-9 Jacobson (11.8 & 5.8). Senior guard Marial Shayok is averaging a team-high 19.1 PPG (5.4 RPG) and is joined on the perimeter by  Horton-Tucker (12.2 & 5.3), Babb (9.6-4.8-4.2) and Haliburton (7.13.5-4.0). Sophomore reserve guard Lindell Wigginton is second on the team in scoring at 13.1 PPG. The Cyclones average 78.5 PPG (53rd) and allow 66.9 PPG (63rd)

TCU is led by the guard duo of Bane (15.0 & 5.5) and Robinson (13.0 & 7.0 APG). However, the Horned Frogs own size the Cyclones do not, with the 6-7 Noi (14.8 & 4.4), the 6-8 Miller (10.5 & 6.6) and 6-11 center Samuel (7.0 & 7.3). The good news is that Noi is expected to be cleared to start Saturday, after missing the last two games with a left-ankle injury. However, Robinson is listed as questionable with an ankle issue.

TCU is typically tough at home but Iowa St is looking to avenge a 92-83 loss to TCU at Hilton Coliseum back on Feb 9, when the Horned Frogs quieted the home crowd with a 27-4 first-half run before shooting 63.3 percent in the second half. That's HIGHLY unlikely to happen again.Iowa St is angry after losing at home to Baylor ("You're not supposed to lose at home," said Iowa State fifth-year senior Nick Weiler-Babb. "A place like this, it has a history of winning at home. We're not doing any justice to it. It's embarrassing."), as ISU led 63-62 with 6:22 minutes to play but missed its next nine shots and turned over the ball on another possession, allowing Baylor to escape with the win. TCU's 92-83 upset win at ISU on Feb  9 is the Horned Frogs' only ATS win in its last SEVEN games. The Cyclones have won at Texas Tech, Ole Miss, and Kansas State in recent weeks, so why not here in Fort Worth?

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Eye-Opener is on Oklahoma at 12:00 ET.

Texas has beaten Oklahoma in each of the last three meetings (2-0 last season and 75-72 in Austin earlier this season) and the Longhorns will be in Norman at 12 noon ET today, looking a second straight regular season sweep of the series. Texas is 15-11 overall (7-6 in the Big 12) but will have to play without its leading scorer in this one, as senior guard Kerwin Roach II (15.0-4.5-3.1) has been suspended indefinitely following an unspecified violation of team rules. Oklahoma is in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three years, as the Sooners check in at 16-10 overall, including a poor 4-9 in conference action.

Roach's suspension comes at a bad time, as Texas was hoping to build momentum off a 68-57 victory over Oklahoma State last Saturday, when Roach scored a team-high 16 points for his 12th straight double-digit performance. The Longhorns do own backcourt depth though, as Coleman (10 & 3.5 APG) is joined by a trio of guards chipping in just over 20 PPG, combined. Up front, 6-11 freshman Hayes (10.3 & 5.2) and 6-9 senior Osetkowski (10.1 & 7.8) are a solid duo.

The Sooners snapped their five-game losing streak with a 71-62 road triumph against TCU last Saturday and they'll welcome the week of rest and a return to Norman. "(The win) feels really good. We haven’t had one in a while,” Oklahoma’s Christian James told reporters after scoring 14 points last Saturday.  James leads Oklahoma in scoring (15.3) and rebounding (6.5) but no Oklahoma player is hotter right now than 6-7 forward Kristian Doolittle (9.9 & 6.6). He led the Sooners with 21 points and 10 rebounds during Saturday’s win. He's averaging a team-high 12.8 points in 13 Big 12 games (up from the 6.9 he averaged in 13 non-conference contests). The 6-9 Manek (11.7 & 6.5) is Oklahoma's only other double digit scorer on the season but the Sooners have depth on the perimeter, with a trio of other guards combining to average about 22 PPG.

I have to believe that Oklahoma is "overdue" to break though vs Texas, after THREE close losses to the Longhorns since last season (includes a 75-72 nail-biter at Austin on Jan 19 when the Sooners had a chance until the final seconds, three times missing on triple attempts in the waning moments that could have given them the win). Oklahoma head coach Lon Kruger dusted off a zone defense to help Oklahoma contain TCU in that crucial 71-62 win last Saturday and note that Texas continues to rely on the three-ball, having attempted the most three-pointers in the conference (654). However, Texas makes just 33.0 percent of its three-point attempts (second-to-last in the Big 12 and 254th in the nation). Expect Oklahoma to win and cover.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Revenge Rout is on Illinois-Chicago at 9:00 ET.

The Green Bay Phoenix will travel to UIC Pavilion to take on the UIC Flames this Friday night in Horizon League play. Both teams are 14-13 overall on the season, including 8-6 in league play. Green Bay fell behind by a 44-33 margin early in the 2nd half against Detroit in its last game but was outstanding on both ends of the court down the stretch to come away with an 82-73 win. As for UIC, the Flames trailed by a 43-38 margin at halftime vs Youngstown State but after taking the lead midway through the 2nd half, were done in by an 11-0 Penguins run in an 81-73 loss (the defeat snapped a four-game Flames' winning streak).

The Phoenix are a high-scoring team, averaging 82.7 PPG (18th). PG Cohen leads the team in scoring (16.6), rebounding (6.4) and assists (4.7), while fellow guard McCloud comes off the bench to average 13.9 PPG. Three more guards combine to chip in about 22.5 PPG. The lone frontcourt player of note is the 6-6 Hemphill (11.5 & 5.4). Green Bay's problem is a defense allowing 81.3 PPG (345th).

The Flames are a guard-oriented team as well with SG Marcus Ottey (15.9), PG Tarkus Ferguson (15.1-6.7-5.1) and fellow Godwin Boahen (14.5-3.3-2.9) leading the way. A trio of forwards chip in about 23 points and 13 rebounds per game. The Flames average 75.0 PPG and allow the exact same amount (hence a 14-13 record).

This is a key battle for 3rd-place in the Horizon League standings (Northern Ky and Wright St are each 11-4) and I favor the home team in "revenge mode." UIC lost 90-85 in Green Bat back on Jan 19, the most points the Flames have allowed in any game this season (excluding OT). Now, here at home (where the team is 11-3), the Flames can serve up some "payback" vs a Green Bay team that's just 3-11 SU on the road, allowing a whopping 87.8 PPG!

Good luck...Larry

Oregon State is 16-8 on the season, including 8-4 in Pac-12 play (Beavers are a surprise, sitting in second-pace in the Pac-12). Oregon State comes to Los Angeles this weekend to play UCLA and USC, looking to nail-down a top-four seed in the upcoming Pac-12 tourney. However, the Beavers know that there is little margin of error, as they sit just a half-game ahead of Arizona State and Utah. Up first are the UCLA Bruins, who are only 13-13 on the season, including 6-7 on conference play. UCLA dismissed head coach Steve Alford on December 31, 2018, two days after the Bruins' ugly 73-58 loss to Liberty. It marked the first time the program ever had made a coaching change in the middle of the season. Murry Bartow (son of former UCLA coach Gene Bartow) was named interim coach for the Bruins and in his first game (at home vs Stanford), UCLA ended a four-game slide with a 92-70 win over the Cardinal. Two more wins followed but the 'honeymoon' period is over for UCLA's interim coach, as following that 3-0 start in the conference, UCLA has dropped SEVEN of its last 10 Pac-12 games.

Oregon State is fresh off its first season sweep of rival Oregon in nine years, as the Beavers' 72-57 win over the Ducks was the team's fourth win in its last five games (the 8-4 start is the program’s best 12-game conference start since the 1990-91 squad began 11-1). 6-8 forward Tres Tinkle leads OSU isn scoring (20.1), rebounding (7.6) and assists (4.1). Along with guards/brothers Stephen Thompson Jr. (16.3-4.6-3.5) and Ethan Thompson (13.7 &5.), the trio accounts for more than two-thirds (67.6 percent) of Oregon State’s scoring.

Scoring hasn't been the problem for the Bruins, who are averaging a conference-best 79.6 in Pac-12 play (78.0 PPG on the season ranks 62nd in the nation ). However, sloppy ball handling (league-most 16.2 turnovers in conference action), off-target free-throw shooting (conference-worst 62.8 percent for the season) and poor defense (79.5 points surrendered per Pac-12 contest) have been UCLA’s downfalls. The Bruins' 104-80 loss at Stanford last Saturday night is only the latest example. 6-7 swingman Kris Wilkes (17.3 & 4.8), PG Hands (13.0 & 6.2 APG) and fellow guard Ali (9.7) give UCLA a formidable perimeter group. However, 7-0 freshman center Moses Brown (11.0 & 8.8) is UCLA's lone frontcourt contributor of note.

Sure, Oregon St has had the much better season but the Beavers are ripe for the taking in this one. Oregon St is fresh off its first season sweep of rival Oregon in nine years and the Beavers are now eyeing another sweep Thursday when they visit UCLA (beat the Bruins 79-66 on Jan 13 at home). However, if Oregon St was to complete the series sweep tonight at Pauley Pavilion, it would mark the first time that it would have happened in 31 years! UCLA may be a modest 10-5 at home this season but the Bruins have won 40 of 48 games in Pauley Pavilion since the start of the 2016-17 season. Expect a UCLA 'uprising!' 

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Revenge Rout is on USC at 9:00 ET.

Oregon was the Pac-12's preseason favorite but a regular season Pac-12 championship is no longer a realistic goal for the Ducks. Oregon is 15-10 overall, including just 6-6 in the Pac 12. The Ducks trail first-place Washington (12-1) by FIVE games with just six games remaining to go. The eighth-place Ducks travel to USC on Thursday night. The 14-12 Trojans begin the week in a three-way tie for fifth at 7-6 and are still within striking distance of a top-four finish and a key first round bye in next month's Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas.

Oregon comes in off a 72-57 Civil War loss at second-place Oregon State on Saturday. Oregon still has games at home against Arizona State and at likely Pac-12-champ Washington on the agenda, as it tries to build its case for an NCAA at-large berth. However, an at-large bid is likely a stretch. Senior forward Paul White told The Oregonian on Saturday, "We have six regular-season games and then a huge part of our season, which is the (Pac-12) tournament."A top-four finish is not impossible but it won't be easy, either. Oregon lost its best player, 7-2 freshman center and likely lottery pick Bol Bol, to a left-foot injury before conference play started. Bol was leading the the team in scoring (21.0), rebounding (9.6) and blocks (2.7) while also shooting an eye-popping 52 percent from three-point range. Louis King, a 6-9 freshman forward, has helped pick up some of the slack, averaging 16.0 points in Pac-12 action which is tops for any freshman (he averages 12.3 & 5.4 RPG on the season). Junior PG Payton Pritchard (11.8-3.9-4.4) runs the team and the 6-9 White (10.5 & 3.8) is the other double digit scorer.

USC comes into this contest after snapping a three-game losing streak with a 89-66 victory at California on Saturday (note: Cal is 0-13 in league play), 6-10 senior forward Bennie Boatwright leads the team in scoring (18.4) and made a USC record 10, 3-pointers on 13 attempts in the win at Cal which also tied the Pac-12 record for treys. Boatwright is averaging 21.3 points in conference play, which ranks second to Washington State's Robert Franks (22.4). He's joined up front by 6-11 junior forward Nick Rakocevic (15.5 & 9.8). Junior guard Jonah Mathews (12.7) is also averaging in double figures, while shooting 42.6 percent from three-point range. Four more guards average between 8.0 and 9.3 PPG.

USC has lost its last two home games to Utah (77-70) and Colorado (69-65) but I believe that makes them even more dangerous in this one (Trojans opened the season 11-2 at the Galen Center and had won SEVEN straight at home before stumbling vs the Utes!). I doubt that USC needs "extra motivation" (a possible top-four seed should be enough) but I will note that the Trojans will be trying to avenge their worst defeat of conference play this season, an 81-60 loss on Jan 13 in Eugene. REVENGE works in this one.

Good luck...Larry

My CBB 10* Game of the Week is on BYU at 9:00 ET.

No one is surprised that Gonzaga sits atop the WCC at 12-0 (25-2 Zags are currently No. 2 in the AP poll). Tonight in WCC play, the 20-6 San Francisco Dons will travel to the Marriott Center in Provo to take on the 18-10 BYU Cougars. The Dons won their third straight game this past Saturday when they edged Portland 68-63 in OT. At 8-4, San Francisco is tied for third in the WCC with St Mary's. The Cougars come in off winning their fifth in a row after defeating Loyola Marymount 70-62 this past Saturday. BYU sits 10-3 in WCC play, second to only Gonzaga.

San Francisco had trouble on the offensive end in regulation against the Pilots but Dons found their offensive rhythm in the extra period and were able to pull away after taking a 63-58 lead with 2:21 left in OT. San Francisco starts guards Mineland (14.9 & 4.8), Ferrari (14.3-5.4 APG) and Ratinho (9.7), with the 7-0 Lull (8.5 & 5.3) and the 6-8 Renfro (7.2 & 5.2) up front. However, the 6-9 McCarthy comes off the bench to average 9.4 PPG and a team-high 6.5 RPG.

BYU trailed by a 36-30 margin at halftime vs the Lions but was outstanding defensively in the second half and was able to pull away after a 14-0 Cougars run gave BYU a 66-58 lead with just :51 seconds left in regulation. BYU can score, averaging 80.1 PPG (39th in the nation). The 6-8 Childs leads the Cougars in scoring (21.1) and rebounding (9.6) but the biggest percentage of BYU's offense comes from the perimeter. PG Haws averages 17.5 PPG and 5.2 APG and Hardnett just misses out on double digits with 9.7 PPG, Another trio of guards combine for about 20 PPG. BYU's problem is a defense that allows 75.1 PPG (264th)

BYU's Hardnett has been sidelined by a hand injury (expected to be out here) but the Cougars haven't missed a beat. BYU lost at St Mary's by 20 points back on Jan 5 but has since gone 9-2, losing badly at San Francisco and at home to Gonzaga. Since the loss to the Zags, BYU has won FIVE in row (4-1 ATS), Hard to believe the Cougars WON'T well-remember their loss at San Francisco and it's impossible to ignore the fact that the Dons are 0-7 ATS in seven WCC road games. Make that 0-8!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Underdog Shocker is on North Carolina at 9:00 ET.

There isn't a bigger rivalry in college hoops than NC/Duke. The 2018-19 season gets its first installment of the Tobacco Road rivalry Wednesday night when 20-5 North Carolina (10-2 in the ACC) visits 23-2 Duke (11-1 in the ACC). The Blue Devils are back atop the AP poll (released Monday) and will put their NINE-game win streak on the line against the Tar Heels. As for No. 8 North Carolina, the Tar Heels can move into a tie atop the ACC standings with a victory. Not a bad set up, right?

North Carolina bounced back from its home loss to then-No. 3 Virginia two games ago with the most lopsided conference road win in program history. The Tar Heels routed Wake Forest 95-57 on Saturday. "We jumped on them early," senior Kenny Williams told reporters afterward. "I think our defense was really focused and we made everything tough on them." Senior guard and leading scorer Cameron Johnson (16.3 & 5.4) had 27 points on 10-of-13 shooting, including 7-of-10 from long range. Joining Johnson in double digits on the season are freshman guard Coby White (15.7 & 4.2) and 6-8 senior forward Luke Maye (14.5 & 9.6). Williams has a bothersome knee but he adds 8.9 PPG and 3.7 APG. Chipping in up front with Maye are the 6-6 Little (9.6 & 4.4) and the 6-9 Brooks (8.2 & 6.2).

 Few are unaware of Duke's Fabulous freshman. 6-7 swingman Barrett averages 22.7 & 7.4. the 6-7 Wiliamson is a 'highlight reel' nightly, adding 22.4 & 9.2. Then there is 6-7 guard Reddish (13.8) and PG Jones (8.7 & 5.4 APG), who also checks in as Duke's best 'on-ball" defender. Barrett recorded the first triple-double by a Duke player in 13 years Saturday with 23 points, 11 rebounds and a season-best 10 assists in the Blue Devils' 94-78 victory over North Carolina State.

This is the 149th consecutive meeting with at least one of the teams ranked and surprisingly (it was to me), Duke holds the No. 1 ranking for a matchup with the Tar Heels for the first time in 13 years!  North Carolina leads the ACC in scoring at 87.5 PPG and Duke is second at 86.4. Expect a racehorse pace and Duke has on occasion, shown some defensive liabilities. Carolina is 8-1 SU on the road this year, including 6-0 SU & ATS on the ACC road. Meanwhile, Duke is 6-6 ATS in conference play, including 2-4 ATS at home. Take the big points, as Carolina vets like Johnson and Maye keep this one close against the "Fabulous Freshman."

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Weekly Wipeout is on Arizona St at 9:00 ET.

Bobby Hurley's Sun Devils generated national headlines by handing then-top-ranked Kansas its first loss of teh season, 80-76, back on Dec. 22. However, Arizona State has proven to be one of the most inconsistent teams in the country. 17-8 ASU is just 8-6 after its 9-2 start (record after teh Kansas win), including 8-5 in Pac-12 play. The Sun Devils will welcome 14-11 Stanford to Tempe, a team which has won five of its last six games to move into a three-way tie for fourth place in the Pac-12 at 7-6.

Stanford is off an impressive 104-80 win over UCLA on Saturday, as 7-0 senior center Josh Sharma (9.4 & 6.2) had 22 points and 12 rebounds. The 6-9 Okpala (17.6 & 5.8) added 20 points and freshman guard Cormac Ryan (9.1) finished with a career-high 19 points while shooting 5-of-9 from three-point range. Good news came in the form of sophomore PG Daejon Davis (12.5 & 4.5 APG) returning after missing two games due to injury. He recorded 12 points and 11 assists in 38 minutes. Joining Davis and Ryan in the backcourt are Wills (6.2) and Sheffield (5.3). The 6-9 Da Silva (9.5 & 6.0) joins Sharma and Okpala, up front.

While ASU may be an up-and-down team, that can't be said of senior forward Zylan Cheatham. The San Diego State transfer recorded his league-leading 11th double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds in last Saturday’s 98-87 win over Utah and checks in averaging 12.0 & 11.0 on the season. Freshman guard Luguentz Dort is the leading scorer at 16.4 PPG (also adds 4.5 RPG) plus two more ASU players score in double digits. PG Martin checks in at 13.0 & 5.1 APG and guard Edwards at 11.0 PPG. The 6-7 Lawrence (9.7 & 3.8) plus the White (9.2 & 5.6) are quality frontcourt players.

I love the way Stanford has come on (I had them against UCLA on Saturday) but I expect ASU to avenge its 86-71 loss at Stanford back on Jan 12 in this one. The Sun Devils are 11-3 SU at home, where they average 81.9 PPG. Then again, ASU's NCAA Tournament resume includes wins over Kansas, Mississippi State and Washington but also surprising losses to Princeton, Vanderbilt and Washington State. Sun Devils DON'T need a hiccup, here. Lay it.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Conference Crusher (AAC) is on Tulsa at 9:00 ET.

Two also-rans in the AAC meet Wednesday night, as 12-12 Wichita St travels to 16-10 Tulsa. The Shockers are just 5-7 in league play, although after a disappointing 1-6 start, Wichita State reeled off four straight victories before falling 72-62 to then-No. 25 Cincinnati on Sunday. Tulsa sits 6-7 in conference play and the Golden Hurricane's only setback in their last five games is a 79-68 defeat at Wichita State on Feb 2

Dexter Dennis recorded team highs of 14 points and 13 rebounds on Sunday in the 10-point loss to the Bearcats. It was for his first career double-double and the first by a Shockers freshman in 11 years (note; Dennis averages just 7.0 & 4.5 on the season). Wichita State got encouraging contributions from its three centers, Jaime Echenique, Asbjorn Midtgaard and Isaiah Poor Bear-Chandler, who combined for 17 points, 25 rebounds and six blocks against Cincy. However, on the season, only the 6-11 Echenique (8.4 & 5.9) has been a somewhat consistent contributor. The 6-8 McDuffie (18.7 & 4.9) plus PG Haynes-Jones (12.4 & 2.8 APG) are Wichita State's lone double digit scorers. The Shockers average only 69.4 PPG (271st) on 40.7% shooting (331st).

The Golden Hurricane needed overtime on Sunday to extend their winning streak to three games, as they posted a 77-73 road triumph over East Carolina. SIX players reached double digits in scoring, including 6-8 junior Martins Igbanu, who was 7-for-8 from the floor en route to team highs of 16 points and eight rebounds. Igbanu (12.0 & 5.5) is joined up front by the 6-7 Horne (9.9 & 4.). Tulsa's strength is a backcourt led by Jeffries (13.8 & 5.5) and PG Taplin (10.1 & 4.3 APG) plus a trio of other guards combining for just over 18 PPG.

This marks the 130th all-time meeting between the two programs and the Shockers have won 11 of the last 12, including 79-68 at Wichita State on Feb 2. However, this year's Wichita St team is a woeful 1-7 SU in true road games, averaging a pathetic 59.2 PPG. Meanwhile, Tulsa is a robust 12-2 SU at home, losing only to AAC 'heavyweights' Cincinnati and Houston. Wichita St is NO 'heavyweight'  this season.

Good luck...Larry

The 3rd play of my STP is a 9* on Clemson at 9:00 ET.

It's been a heart-breaking week for Clemson, as the Tigers suffered back-to-back one-point losses on the road to Miami (Fl) 65-64 and Louisville 56-55. The going won't get any easier on Tuesday night, as 15-10 Clemson (5-7 in the ACC) hosts surging Florida State. The Seminoles know about trying to pull out of a slump. Florida State lost 80-78 to then-No. 1 Duke on Jan 12 and spiraled after that, dropping its next two games at unranked Pitt and Boston College. However, the Seminoles returned home on Jan 22 to beat Clemson 77-68. That victory sparked a SEVEN-game winning streak (note: the seven consecutive league wins matches the school record).

The Seminoles come in off a -22point win over Ga Tech, in which FSU held Tech to just 47 points, the school's lowest in an ACC game since it limited Clemson to 41 back in 2014. One game after producing his first career double-double (20 points, 12 rebounds) against Wake Forest, 7-4 senior center Christ Koumadje (6.6 & 5.7) did it again against Georgia Tech with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Senior guard Terance Mann  (11.8 & 6.6) remains a team leader but the Seminoles continue to get strong play from a deep bench. In fact, leading scorer Mfiondu Kabengele (a 6-10 sophomore) averages a team-high 13.7 PPG (also adds 5.4), while not starting.

"That's our third one this year (by one point)," Clemson head coach Brad Brownell told reporters after the Louisville game. "I'm just incredibly proud of our players. … Obviously we fought for the full 40 minutes. We defended great, about as well as you can guard them. Our kids played extremely hard." The Tigers fell short despite holding Louisville to just 19 points before intermission, the fourth time in the last 10 halves that Clemson held an opponent under 20 points and the Cardinals wound up with their lowest point total (56) and shooting percentage (35.2) of the season. Brownell continues to rely on his seniors, with guard Marcquise Reed (18.6-5.4-3.0), the 6-9 Elijah Thomas and guard Shelton Mitchell (11.8). Joining Thomas up front are the 6-7 Simms (8.8 7 4.6) and the 6-8 Skara (7.3 & 4.2).

I realize FSU is on a roll but Clemson enters with an 11-2 SU home record. The Tigers are allowing just 63.8 PPG (21st) on the season and that includes allowing only 60.2 PPG in home contests. Clemson has outscored opponents 277-217 in winning its last four home games.That 15-point winning margin sounds about right, here.

Good luck...Larry

The 2nd play of my STP is an 8* on Iowa at 8:00 ET.

It's a battle of ranked teams tonight in Iowa City, as No.24 Maryland (19-7 / 10-5 Big Ten) takes on No. 21 Iowa (20- / 9-5 Big Ten). Iowa looks to extend its winning streak to five in a row but the Hawkeyes have won four in a row by 'living on the edge.' Joe Wieskamp banked in a desperation three-pointer as time expired to lift the Hawkeyes past Rutgers 71-69 on Saturday, a game that followed one in which Jordan Bohannon drilled a game-winning triple in an 80-79 victory against Northwestern on Feb 10. As for Maryland, the Terps are coming off a 65-52 road loss at Michigan on Saturday.

Aaron Wiggins was one of the lone bright spots on offense against the Wolverines, as the freshman guard led the Terrapins with 15 points to go along with six rebounds and three assists in the loss.PG Cowan (15.8-3.8-4.5_ leads Maryland in scoring and assist, while Wiggins is part of a trio of supporting guards (Ayala & Morsell as the others), combining for right around 25 points per game. The 6-10 Bruno Fernando (14.5 & 10.6) missed out on recording his eighth straight double-double vs Michigan, finishing with 12 points and eight rebounds against the Wolverines. Fellow 6-10 forward Jalen Smith (11.8 & 6.8) added eight points but Maryland was held to 36.4 percent shooting from the floor.

"It was a big shot, but we still got six Big Ten games left plus we want to play deep into the postseason," Wieskamp told reporters after his game-winner vs Rutgers. "It's been a lot of fun out there and coach (Fran McCaffery) has a lot of confidence in me." Wieskamp (11.8 & 4.8) is joined on the perimeter by Bohannon (11.4) and Moss (9.8). Up front, Iowa features the 6-9 Cook (16.3 & 8.1), the 6-11 Garza (13.5 & 4.8) and the 6-87 Baer (6.4 & 4.6).

With Saturday's loss at Michigan, the Terrapins fell to 0-19 in road games against top-25 opponents under head coach Mark Turgeon. "If I had the answer I would fix it," Turgeon told reporters. "Hopefully we learn from it and do better on Tuesday." The trouble is, Maryland's road woes against ranked teams extend before Turgeon, with the Terps having dropped 27 consecutive road games against ranked opponents! Hard to see Maryland's road woes against ranked teams ending here at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, where Iowa is 13-2 SU and averaging 83.3 PPG (note: Maryland is averaging 66.7 PPG in true road games).

Good luck...Larry

The 1st play of my STP is an 8* on Penn St at 7:00 ET.

Penn State is just 9-16 overall and at 2-12 in Big Ten play, sit 14th of 14 Big Ten schools. The Nittany Lions welcome 15-11 Nebraska to Happy Valley Tuesday night and the Cornhuskers are not all that much better in league play, entering this contest 5-10. While noting the above, both schools have shown "signs of life" in February. Eight of Penn State's 10 losses during its 0-10 start in conference play took place in January. However, the Nittany Lions offered hints of their improved play with three close defeats to end  that month and then finally broke through with a 59-52 victory at Northwestern on Feb 4. Penn State followed a four-point loss at Ohio State three days later with a stunning upset of then-No.6 Michigan last Tuesday, before dropping a 12-point decision at then-No. 11 Purdue on Saturday. As for the Cornhuskers, they have snapped a seven-game losing streak with home wins over Minnesota and Northwestern.

The loss of Nebraska's best big man has been tough to overcome. The 6-9 Copeland (14.0 & 5.4) has not played since late January and won't return. The 6-8 Isaiah Roby (11.2 & 7.2) had 19 points, a career-high 16 rebounds, a season high-tying five blocks and two steals in the win over Northwestern. He became the first Cornhusker since Aleks Maric in 2008 to produce at least 19 points and 16 rebound in a game. Nebraska relies on a strong perimeter group led by Palmer (18.8-4.3-3.2). Glynn Watson Jr. (12.1 & 4.0) has returned to form offensively following a four-game stretch in which he totaled 15 points on 6-of-37 shooting, averaging 15.5 points while converting 13 of his 28 field-goal attempts over the last two contests (both wins). The third member of Nebraska's guard trio is Allen (8.9)..

The 6-8 Lamar Stevens (19.2 & 8.0) ranks second in the conference in scoring and became only the 11th Nittany Lion to reach 1,500 career points with 18 against the Boilermakers, although he was also responsible for half of his team's 16 turnovers. He's complemented up front by the 6-9 Watkins (7.7 & 7.7). Like Nebraska, Penn St owns a trio of solid guards, Bolton (12.2), Reaves (10.0-4.4-3.1) and Dread (8.9). Of note as of late is freshman guard Bolton, who is averaging 15.4 PPG over his last five outings, topping his season scoring average each time.

There is a school of thought that says a strong Nebraska finish ('Huskers face four consecutive ranked teams to end the regular season) would get them back into NCAA Tournament consideration. However, I believe that theory is flawed. I believe Nebraska is at best, headed to the NIT. The 'Husker only beat Penn St 70-64 back on Jan 10 (in Lincoln) but now face a Penn St team on the road that is playing MUCH better. The Nittany Lions look to move to 3-2 in Feb. Expect the home team to win and get the CA$H!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Revenge Rout is on Loyola-Chi at 4:00 ET.

It goes without saying that this is not the same Ramblers team which made an improbable run to last year's Final 4. Loyola finished last season 32-6 but had six losses (against only seven wins) this season, before Christmas. Loyola is missing two key cogs from last year's team, swingman Donte Ingram (11.0 & 6.4) & PF Aundre Jackson (11.0 & 3.2). Hence, the six losses through 13 games. However, Loyola is currently 16-10 overall, including a MVC-best 9-4. The Ramblers welcome the 14-12 Missouri State Bears to Chicago on Sunday. The Bears enter having won SIX of their last seven to get to 8-5 in MVC play (third behind Loyola and 9-5 Drake).

Missouri State features a quartet of guards, surrounding the 6-8 Da Silva (14.9 & 7.0). Cook (13.2 & 4.3), Dixon (13.1), Kreklow (8.0) and PG Webster (7.6 & 5.2 APG) man the perimeter. The Bears average a modest 71.3 PPG but allow only 68.2 PPG (94th). Key returnees from Loyola's Final 4 team of a year ago are guards Townes (15.3-4.8-3.7) and Custer (11.8) plus the 6-9 Krutwig (14.3 & 7.6). An odd stat is Loyola shooting 49.3% from the floor (8th in the nation) but averaging only 66.6 PPG (317th). However, Loyola still plays great D, allowing 60.8 PPG (7th-best).

Missouri State beat Loyola-Chicago 70-35 Jan 23 in Springfield, with the Ramblers shooting 34.3% overall (just 2-of-10 on threes), while getting held to just 11 points in the second half. Meanwhile, Mo St connected on 63.4% (12 of-23 threes!) in the win. Anyone think the Bears can replicate that here in Chicago? NOT likely! See above for Loyola's defensive numbers on the season and then note that the Ramblers are 11-3 SU at home, where opponents average only 59.2 PPG. Yes, REVENGE works in this one!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Game of the Week is on Creighton at 3:00 ET.

Villanova (11-1) and Marquette (10-2) have separated themselves from the rest of the pack in the 10-team Big East this season. Seton Hall was picked to finish eighth in the 10-team conference by league coaches in late October but "The Hall" made more than a little 'noise' back in December with upset wins over Kentucky and Maryland, laying the groundwork for what appeared to be the beginning of the school's fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. However, the Pirates inability to win away from home during Big East play has ninth-year head coach Kevin Willard's team flirting with bubble status at 15-9 (6-6 in league play). The Pirates travel to Creighton on Sunday afternoon to take on the disappointing 13-12 Bluejays. Creighton is coming off a winless road trip in which it dropped a pair of overtime affairs, and lost all three games by seven points or fewer. Yes, the 4-8 Bluejays are in a three-way tie for last place but they are only two games out of third in the tightly packed Big East (Seton Hall and St John's are tied for third at 6-6).

Seton Hall turned in its most complete performance during league play Wednesday, taking down Georgetown 90-75 triumph over Georgetown. Myles Powell (22.0) is the Big Easts second-leading scorer and posted his fifth 30-point game of the season vs the Hoyas, sinking all 10 of his free-throw attempts for the second straight contest to extend his streak at the foul line to 25 in a row. PG McKnight (10.2 & 4.0 APG) and Cale (9.7 & 4.5) start with Powell in the backcourt. Up front, it's the 6-8 Nzei (9.6 & 5.1) and the 6-10 Mamukelashvili (8.5 & 7.2). Senior forward Michael Nzei enjoyed one of his best all-around performances of the season against the Hoyas, finishing with 18 points and nine rebounds (eight on offensive end). 

Alexander leads the team in scoring (16.4) while five other players average between 8.2 and 12.8 PPG. The Bluejays own a deep perimeter, as Zegarowski (10.9), Ballock (10.0-4.1-3.4 & 3.6) and Mintz (9.8) join Alexander at the guard position. The 6-9 Krampelj (12.8 & 6.7) and SF Jefferson (8.2 & 5.1) have been the best frontcourt contributors. .Ty-Shon Alexander has made at least one 3-pointer in 28 straight contests, tied for the second-longest streak in school history. Junior forward Martin Krampelj is averaging 16.3 points and 8.2 rebounds over his last 15 games (note: He compiled a career-high 25 points and season-best 11 rebounds in the Feb 9 meeting against the Pirates) .

Seton Hall still has at-large aspirations but I believe that's 'fool's gold.' Seton Hall hopes to end a five-game road slide in this contest, as the Pirates begin a stretch in which they play three of four on the road, before wrapping up the regular season with home contests against No. 10 Marquette and No. 13 Villanova. These teams just met eight days ago (Feb 9) at the Prudential Center, with the Pirates edging the Bluejays 63-58. In this quick turnaround rematch, expect Creighton to easily get the better of Seton Hall. The Pirates have averaged only 67.2 PPG in eight true road games this season, while Creighton averages an impressive 81.5 PPG at CenturyLink Center. Lay it!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* PERFECT STORM is on Stanford at 10;00 ET.

UCLA dismissed head coach Steve Alford on December 31, 2018, two days after the Bruins' ugly 73-58 loss to Liberty. It marked the first time the program ever had made a coaching change in the middle of the season. Murry Bartow (son of former UCLA coach Gene Bartow) was named interim coach for the Bruins and in his first game (at home vs Stanford), UCLA ended a four-game slide with a 92-70 win over the Cardinal. Two more wins followed but the 'honeymoon' period is over for UCLA's interim coach, as following that 3-0 start in the conference, UCLA has dropped SIX of its last nine Pac-12 games and finds itself 13-12 overall, including 6-6 in Pac-12 play. Stanford looks to avenge that earlier loss to UCLA, while hoping to continue its climb up the Pac-12 standings when the teams meet at Maples Pavilion on Saturday night. The Cardinal have won FOUR of their last five games, after Wednesday’s 79-76 home win over USC. Stanford is 13-11 overall and like UCLA, 6-6 in Pac-12 play.

UCLA needed overtime to get past last-place California on Wednesday, snapping a three-game losing streak. The Bruins avoided a disastrous loss to Cal after interim coach Murry Bartow took his starters out just three minutes into the contest and replaced them with five backups – including freshman guard David Singleton, who finished with 12 points on four 3-pointers. Throughout the season, UCLA's "Core 4" have been forward Kris Wilkes (17.7 & 4.8), guards Hands (12.4-3.6-6.3) and Ali (9.7) plus freshman center Moses Brown (10.7 & 8.9).

The Cardinal rallied from a 14-point deficit to post their fifth straight win over the Trojans on Wednesday, as guard Marcus Sheffield scored a season-high 16 points. Senior center Josh Sharma had 14 points and nine rebounds in the victory and is averaging 10.7 points and eight rebounds over the past seven games (8.9 & 6.0 on the season). Sharma is joined up front by 6-9 sophomore forward KZ Okpala (17.5 & 5.7) and the 6-9 Da Silva (9.6 & 5.8). PG Daejon Davis (12.6-3.1-4.2) is suffering with a head injury (questionable here), giving more "PT" to Ryan (8.5), Wills (6.0) and the aforementioned Sheffield (5.2).

The Bruins are a mess (needed OT to escape vs 5-19 / 0-12 in Pac-12 Cal), while the Cardinal are finding their 'sea legs,' with FOUR wins in their last five. Stanford is 8-2 SU at home, while UCLA's only road wins have come at Cal (see above), Wash St (3-8 in Pac-12) and in OT vs Oregon (trailed by 17 in the second half and were down 76-68 with 45 seconds to go in regulation!). Don't expect any 'miracles' here by fading UCLA.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Conference Crusher (SEC) is on Kentucky at 8:00 ET.

It was No. 2 Duke at No. 3 UVa last Saturday night and this Saturday night, it's No. 1 Tennessee at No. 5 Kentucky. 23-1 Tennessee owns a perfect 11-0 SEC record and takes a school-record 19-game winning streak into Lexington (only three of the contests have been decided by fewer than 10 points) but things figure to get a bit tougher down the final month of the season. The top-ranked Volunteers open a stretch in which they play three of the teams sitting directly below them in the SEC standings a total of four times over the next two weeks, beginning Saturday with this visit to No. 5 Kentucky. The 20-4 Wildcats (10-2 in SEC play) are likely still smarting from LSU's controversial tip-in at the buzzer to upend the Wildcats 73-71 on Tuesday. the loss ended Kentucky's 10-game winning streak and the defeat was also Kentucky's first in its last 17 home games, including 14 this season.

The Volunteers rolled to their sixth consecutive double-digit victory with Wednesday's 85-73 win over South Carolina. Tennessee is defeating its opponents by an average of 18.1 points during its school-record, 19-game run. The 6-7 Grant Williams (19.4-7.4-3.5) is the reigning SEC player of the year and is a 2019 national player of the year candidate. He's surrounded by a plethora of perimeter players in 6-6 guard Schofield (16.7 & 6,4), PG Bone (13.2 & 6.5 APG) plus fellow guards Turner (11.7) and Bowden (11.5), There is also 6-11 center Alexander (8.5 & 6.9).

As always, Coach Cal has impact freshman in guards Johnson (14.0 & 5.3) and Herro (13.0 & 4.0). However, 6-8 sophomore PJ Washington (14.4 & 8.1) and 6-8 senior transfer Travis (11.6 & 7.0) may be the keys to Kentucky's success this season. Washington has emerged as the team's primary offensive option and Tuesday marked the sixth time in his last seven outings he reached 20 points and the fourth time in the last six games he corralled at least nine rebounds. Reid Travis, who finished third in the Pac-12 in scoring (19.5 points) last season at Stanford but he has been held to fewer than 10 points in eight of 11 SEC outings. Coach Cal needs more from him!

Kentucky is 90-17 all-time in Lexington against Tennessee but the Volunteers won 61-59 at Rupp Arena last season, as part of their regular-season sweep of the Wildcats. Tennessee is attempting to become the first school to win in back-to-back seasons in Lexington since Vanderbilt and Florida did it in 2005-06 and 2006-07. That's a tall order. I'm on the 'Cats, "Big Time!"

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Revenge Rout is on SD State at 7:00 ET.

The 11-14 Boise State Broncos and the 15-9 San Diego State Aztecs meet in MWC action from Viejas Arena at the Aztec Bowl on Saturday evening in San Diego. Boise comes in off a 65-63 loss to Fresno State, falling to 6-6 in league play. Meanwhile, San Diego State is off a 71-60 win over Colorado State, the Aztecs' FIFTH win in their last six (SDSU is 7-4 in MWC play).

Boise head coach Leon Rice has led the Broncos to 21 wins or more is SIX of his seven seasons but he's NOT getting TY's team to 21 wins. Rice lost three productive seniors from last year, including the 6-7 Chandler Hutchison ((20.0 & 7.7), who was the 22nd pick in last year's NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls. This year's team is loaded on teh perimeter with four guards averaging between 10.5 and 12.9 PPG (Jessup leads the way). Two more guards chip in 6.8 & 6.1 PPG but the only size the Broncos have is the 6-11 Haney (8.4 & 4.2).

PG Devin Watson (16.3 & 4.5 APG) led the Aztecs with 21 points on 8 of 14 shooting in the win over CSU, while the 6-10 Jalen McDaniels (17.1 & 8.6) added 18 points with a team-high 12 rebounds. Watson is joined by Hemsley (9.4) and Schakel (8.0) in the backcourt .The 6-6 Mitchell (10.4 & 3.3) chips in up front with McDaniels.

Boise St is just 3-7 SU on the road this season and is just 6-16-1 ATS in its last 23 games against a team with a winning record. SDSU could be without Schakel (achilles) but I have to be impressed with SDSU's play at home, where the Aztecs are 11-2 SU, holding opponents to 65.5 PPG, while averaging 79.3 PPG. SDSU has some revenge on its mind from an ugly 88-64 loss in Boise back on Jan 5 plus note that the Aztecs are 15-5 ATS in their last 20 conference games.

Good luck...Larry

My 2nd play of Saturday's STP is an 8* on UCF at 6:00 ET.

Central Florida was the preseason favorite in the AAC but the 18-5 Knights are currently 8-3 in league play, trailing 9-2 Cincy and 11-1 Houston, which is 24-1 overall and ranked 9th in the latest AP poll. A 13-point victory over South Florida on Wednesday has UCF 2 1/2 games behind first-place Houston and just a game back of second-place Cincinnati, as the Knights welcome 15-10 Memphis (7-5 in AAC) to Orlando. UCF suffered its most lopsided loss of the season at Memphis back on Jan 27 (77-57) but have won three of four since. Memphis followed up the big win over the Knights with three straight losses but the Tigers have rebounded with back-to-back victories over UConn and East Carolina.

Senior guard Jeremiah Martin (17.4-4.0-4.3) had just 10 points on 4-of-13 shooting in the win over UCF but is since averaging 24.8 in five games, after pouring in 31 in Wednesday's 79-69 win over the Pirates. 6-8 senior forward Kyvon Davenport is second to Martin in scoring (14.3) and leads the team in rebounding (7.0). However, he was held to a season-low three points at East Carolina. Freshman guard Harris adds 11.9 PPG but note that Hardaway likes to use his bench, as Memphis has six more players averaging between 5.3 and 8.6 PPG.

7-6 senior center Tacko Fall put up a season-high 21 points to go along with nine rebounds and five blocks in Wednesday's win. He's averaging 10.4 PPG, 7.0 RPG and 2.7 BPG on the season (he makes 75.6% of his FGs) and head coach Johnny Dawkins noted after the game, "He played 26 minutes; I thought it was probably the most assertive 26 minutes he's played since I've coached him here. I felt his presence throughout the entire time he was out there on the floor. That's a tribute to him." Fall is obviously important to the team's success but the team's 'backbone' is its guard duo of Senior B.J. Taylor (16.5) and junior Aubrey Dawkins (15.3 & 5.2).

Expect the revenge motive to be HUGE in this one and UCF had won four straight meetings over the Tigers prior to that loss at Memphis late last month. UCF is 12-2 SU at home, allowing just 66.4 PPG. Meanwhile, the Tigers have been an awful defensive team on the road, allowing 83.9 PPG in true road games. The Knights get their revenge.

Good luck...Larry

My 3rd play of  Saturday's STP is a 9* on USF at 6;00 ET.

No. 9 Houston is atop the American Athletic Conference at 11-1 with just over a month remaining until Selection Sunday. Cincy is at 9-2, UCF at 8-3 and the 18-7 Temple Owls  check in at 8-4. Temple knows that it has little margin for error if it hopes to reach the NCAA Tournament. The Owls pay a visit to Tampa on Saturday to face USF, which is 17-7 overall, including 7-5 in AAC play. Temple's off an eight-point home win over SMU, while USF is off a 78-65 loss at UCF. However, Temple should take note the Bulls team nearly beat the Owls in Philadelphia back on Jan 12, before ultimately dropping an 82-80 decision in overtime.

It's nothing new that the Owls got the bulk of their scoring in their win over SMU from their trio of guards (59 of the team's 82 points), Shizz Alston, Quinton Rose and Nate Pierre-Louis. Alston, the team's leading scorer at PPG, registered 28 points in that contest and made multiple 3-pointers for the 16th time in his last 17 games. Rose (16.6) added 15 points and Pierre-Louis (13.9 & 6.0) added 16 points.That said, other Temple players contributed, as well. The 6-10 Ernest Aflakpui (6.2 & 7.1) grabbed 10 rebounds, the 6-7 J.P. Moorman II (5.6 & 3.7) had a career-high seven assists with nine rebounds plus guard Alani Moore (4.9) pitched in four assists and two steals off the bench.

The Bulls are led offensively by guard David Collins (15.4), who enters this contest with four straight 20-point efforts while shooting nearly 57 percent from the floor over that stretch. The 6-8 Alexis Yetna is just shy of averaging a double-double on the season (12.5 & 9.9) and he also shoots 44.1 percent from the three-point line. Justin Brown (8.4) has knocked down a team-leading 45 three-pointers, including nearly 60 percent of his long-range attempts over the last five outings. Junior transfer Laquincy Rideau continues to shine at the point, averaging 13.7 points along with league highs of 5.8 assists and 3.1 steals per game. However, Rideau was awful against UCF, shooting 3-of-17 in the road loss.

That said, Rideau notched 18 points, 10 assists and 10 steals against Temple last month. It was just the SIXTH points-assists-steals triple-double in Division I over the last 20 seasons! Expect South Florida to continue its climb into the top half of the American Athletic Conference with a win here. The Bulls have already won their most contests (17) since 2011-12 and have clearly left the recent past in the rear-view mirror. USF is off seasons of 10, 7, 8, 9 and 12 wins.The Bulls allow just 66.1 PPG (46th) on the season and here at home, are 13-2 SU, allowing only 63.3 PPG. Home teams gets this win.

Good luck...Larry

My 1st play of Saturday's STP is an 8* on Texas Tech at 2:00 ET.

No. 15 Texas Tech is surging up the Big 12 standings with five wins in its last six games. The 20-5 Red Raiders are 8-4 in league play (tied with Kansas), 1 1/2-games back of conference leading Kansas St (9-2). Texas Tech welcomes 16-8 Baylor (7-4 in Big 12) to Lubbock on a three-game winning streak in which the Red Raiders have won by an average of 23.7 PPG. Baylor beat Texas Tech at home 73-62 back on Jan 19, a victory which was part of a six-game winning streak for the Bears. However, they then lost two in a row before upending Oklahoma 59-53 at home Monday night.

The Bears had allowed an average of 77 points in losses to Texas and Kansas State, before limiting the Sooners to 22 second-half points in Monday's win Junior guard Devonte Bandoo (averaging just 7.7 PPG on the season) connected on a career-high five 3-pointers, en route to 19 points. Leading scorer Makai Mason (15.6) returned from a one-game layoff to make just two of his 14 shot attempts, but the senior led the way with a career high-tying eight assists. Injuries just HAVE to be an issue for Baylor down the stretch, as the Bears lost the 6-9 Clark (14.6 & 6.2). to a season-ending knee injury on Jan 8 and senior G King McClure (9.9 & 5,4) has missed two straight games with a knee injury and is listed day-to-day.

Sophomore "do-everything" guard Jarrett Culver leads Tech with 17.7 PPG (ranks third in the Big 12) plus adds 6.2 RPG and 3.6 APG. Senior guard Matt Mooney (10.8) and sophomore guard Davide Moretti (10.6) nicely complement Culver on the perimeter for Tech. Up front, the 6-10 Owens (8.3 & 5.4) and 6-8 center Odiase (4.1 & 5.3) are the biggest contributors.

The Bears have had to reinvent themselves after losing sophomore big man Tristan Clark and now head coach Scott Drew doesn't know when guard King McClure will return from a knee injury. This hardly seems like the best time to visit Lubbock, with the Red Raiders seeking revenge from that January loss in Waco. Head coach Chris Beard's Red Raiders identity is unabashedly defense. The Red Raiders are first in the nation in defensive field goal percentage (36.2) and second in scoring defense (57.0). Here in Lubbock, Tech is 13-1 SU, outscoring opponents 74.6-to-52.8 PPG. Lay it!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Eye-Opener is on TCU at 12:00 ET.

Oklahoma is 15-10 overall but a woeful 3-9 in Big-12 play (ahead of only 2-9 Okla St & WVa). The Sooners visit Ft Worth on Saturday afternoon to take on the 17-7 TCU Horned Frogs, who sit 5-6 in Big 12 play. The Sooners enter on a season-high five-game losing streak, after a 59-53 setback Monday at Baylor. As for TCU, the Horned Frogs saw their 12-game conference home winning streak come to an end, as TCU was outlasted 82-77 by Kansas on Monday, its first home loss to a Big 12 opponent in over a year.

Late-game execution once again was the Sooners’ downfall on Monday, as Oklahoma was held scoreless in the final two minutes. “You’ve got to play really well to have a chance, and we haven’t played enough 40 minutes of basketball,” Oklahoma head coach Lon Kruger said after the defeat. “It seems like every game, we find a stretch or something that hurts us, and we’ve got to try to work through that.” The Sooners were an 'ugly' 3-for-18 from three-point range vs Baylor, setting season lows for makes and three-point percentage (16.7). 6-4 senior guard Christian James leads in scoring (15.4) and rebounding (7.0), while the 6-9 Manek (11.6 & 6.5) is the only other Sooner in double digits. However, six Oklahoma players chip in between 4.2 and 9.4 PPG.

TCU lost on Monday but freshman Kendric Davis has recorded consecutive double-digit scoring performances for the first time, as he finished with 16 points while adding a career-high seven assists on Monday. He's filled in nicely for guard Fisher (12.9), who is out for the season and will transfer. Davis averages 6.5 PPG and backs up junior guard Bane (15.7 & 5.4) and senior PG Robinson (12.9 & 7.3 APG) on the perimeter. Up front, the 6-7 Noi (14.8 & 4.1) and the 6-8 Miller (10.4 & 6.5) surround 6-11 freshman center Samuel (7.3 & 7.2).

TCU has way more offensive options than Oklahoma, as only James and Manek are in double digits. What's more, James is only 15 of 51 from floor (29.4%), averaging a mere 10 PPG his last five contests. The five days off between games will be much needed by the Horned Frogs, as three players set career highs in minutes played during Monday’s overtime loss, Bane (44), Davis (36) and Noi (42). Lay the points with TCU, which is 11-2 SU at home, allowing just 67.3 PPG.

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Las Vegas Insider is on Princeton at 7:00 ET.

15-4 Yale sits atop the Ivy League at 5-1, with Cornell, Harvard and Princeton a game back at 4-2. Harvard (a 10-point home favorite) appeared to be in complete control with a 13 point lead at the half last Saturday but the Big Red went on a 46-27 second half run, as Cornell snapped Harvard's five-game winning streak. With Harvard's five-game homestand now in the rear-view mirror, the Crimson take to the Ivy road the next two weekends, beginning with tonight's game in Princeton against the Tigers. Princeton (also 4-2 in Ivy play) is 12-7 overall (Harvard is 11-8). The Tigers just completed four road games the last two weekends and now (in direct contrast to Harvard), will be home these next two weekends.

Harvard's Bryce Aiken did not play in the Crimson's Ivy opening loss on Jan 12 to Dartmouth but he made his junior season debut on Jan 21 at Howard, 348 days to the date he went down in agony in Morningside Heights, as the Crimson suffered a rare loss to the Columbia Lions (his left knee would require offseason surgery). Aiken averaged 14.1 PPG last season and in six games this season, is averaging 19.2 PPG.  The 6-9 Chris Lewis (11.9 & 4,3) and guard Bassey (10.3 & 7.3) have been stalwarts this season, although Bassey did not play in the loss to Cornell (?). Guards Juzang (9.7) and Kirkwood (9.2) plus the 6-8 Djuricic (7.3 & 4.1) round out the main contributors.

Princeton's senior guard Cannady (19.8) is one of the Ivy's best backcourt players and is joined in the backcourt by fellow senior Stephens (12.6), who is also the team's leading rebounder (6.5). Freshman guard Llewellyn  joined the team in December and is closing in on averaging double digits at 9.3 PPG. 6-9 center Aririguzoh averages 11.4 & 5.9.

The winner here keeps it close with Yale (the Bulldogs are a big road favorite tonight at Columbia) and note that Harvard is just 3-9 ATS in its last 12 games overall plus enters this game 1-5 ATS in its last six away games (lone cover at Howard of the MEAC). Princeton had a seven-game winning streak snapped with back to back road losses last weekend and the Tigers will be happy to get back home, The Tigers won 67-66 at then-No. 17 Arizona State during their seven-game winning streak and I like them here at home vs the overrated Crimson. The price is cheap!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Conference Crusher (Ivy League) is on Cornell at 7:00 ET.

The Brown Bears and the Cornell Big Red meet in Ithaca, NY for Ivy League action from the Newman Arena at Bartels Hall on Friday night. The Brown Bears beat Princeton 78-70 in its last outing and comes in 14-8 overall but just 2-4 in Ivy League play. Meanwhile, Cornell swept Dartmouth and Harvard on the Ivy road last weekend and while the  Big Red are 12-10 overall, they are 4-2 in conference play (tied with Harvard and Princeton), just one-game back of first-place Yale (5-1).

Desmond Cambridge led Brown in scoring as a freshman (17.3) and tops the team again this season, averaging 16.4 PPG. That said, 6-5 SF Choh (12.8), could be the team's best all-around player, leading in rebounds (8.9) and assists (3.5). Senior guard Okolie (11.0) is the the team's third double-digit scorer. Cornell's Matt Morgan has led the Ivy League in scoring in each of the last three seasons and the senior is well on his way to making if FOUR times in four years. He enters the season having scored in double digits in 51 straight games and has extended that streak to 73 in a row, this season (he's averaging 23.5 PPG and 4.5 RPG). 6-8 swingman Warren adds 10.6 PPG, 4.8 RPG and 3.1 APG. Jimmy Boeheim (Coach Boeheim's son) rounds out the double digit scorers at 10.6 PPG and the 6-6 Julian is the team's top rebounder at 6.5 per game (adds just a modest 4.0 PPG).

"The Ancient Eight" (as the Ivy used to be called) joined the rest of the college hoops world by holding a postseason tourney a few years back but only the top-four teams get in. onA loss here by Brown (would fall to 2-5) could put the Bears' tourney hopes on 'life-support.' However, "must win" doesn't mean "will win." It's hardly good news that Brown's leading scorer (Cambridge) comes in shooting just 12 of 61 (19.7%) from the floor in his last four contests. Cornell's "road sweep" last weekend (see above) is a good sign for the Big Red, as is Cornell's recent domination of Brown (won both meetings last year). In fact, Cornell is 15-5-2 ATS in the last 22 meetings between these two schools and Brown limps in 1-9-1 ATS in its last 11 Ivy games. Go Big Red!

My 10* LEGEND play is on San Diego at 10:00 ET.

It's live from the Jenny Craig Pavilion in San Diego on Thursday night, as 16-win teams BYU and San Diego square off in WCC action. The Cougars are 16-10 overall and their 8-3 league mark puts them in second -place behind only the No. 3-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs, who are 23-2 (including 10-0 in WCC play). BYU looks to build on their current 3-game winning streak, after a 69-59 win over Pacific in the team's last outing. San Diego is hoping for a little more consistency, after alternating wins and losses in each of its last four games. The Toreros lost 70-67 at Pepperdine in their last outing, failing to avenge their LONE home loss of the season (more on that, later)..

The 6-8 Yoeli Childs led the Cougars with 19 points along with 13 rebounds for the double-double in BYU's win over Pacific. Guard Connor Harding (13 points) was the only other BYU player to finish in double figures. BYU can score, averaging 80.2 PPG (36th). Childs leads the Cougars in scoring (21.0) and rebounding (9.7) but the biggest percentage of BYU's offense comes from the perimeter. PG Haws averages 17.0 PPG and 5.0 APG and Hardnett just misses out on double digits with 9.7 PPG, Another trio of guards combine for about 20 PPG. bYU's problem is a defense that allows 75.4 PPG (272nd)

San Diego's 6-7 Isaiah Pineiro(19.2 & 9.0) will be a excellent counter to BYU's Childs. As for the backcourt, Carter averages 16.0 PPG, Wright 13.4 & 4.0 and PG Williams 8.8 & 3.1 APG. Helping out Pineiro up front are the 6-10 Massalski (7.6 & 5.9) and the 6-8 Floresca (5.2 & 3.1). San Diego doesn't score as much as BYU, as the Toreros check in averaging 73.5 PPG but they play better D, allowing 68.0 PPG (91st)

BYU owns lots of firepower but the Cougars have been betrayed by theri porous D, especially on the road. BYU is 3-7 SU in true road games this season, allowing 86.5 PPG. BYU is 3-11 ATS in their last 14 road games and 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games against a team with a winning record. Sure, it's slightly uncomfortable laying points with an inconsistent San Diego team but the Toreros are 11-1 SU at home (lone loss to Pepperdine) and BYU's only conference road wins have come at Pacific, Pepperdine and Portland, teams which have combined to go 8-25 in WCC play. BYU's play against higher-quality opposition has seen them lose three times by 19 or more vs WCC 'heavies' Gonzaga, USF, & Saint Mary’s. San Diego is clearly NOT in Gonzaga's class but the Toreros are on par with the latter two. San Diego easily beat BYU at Jenny Craig last year (75-62) and is BYU is 4-0 ATS in BYU's last four visits to this venue. Also note that BYU's third-leading scorer (Hardnett) is sidelined with hand injury. Make that 5-0!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Conference Crusher (Pac 12) is on Colorado a7%) run with all CBB plays since Saturday.t 10:30 ET.

The Colorado Buffs opened the season 9-3 in non-conference games but when Pac-12 play began, Colorado started 2-6. However, the Buffs have rebounded from their poor Pac-12 start to post impressive double-digit wins over Oregon and UCLA, before winning 69-65 at USC Saturday as a 5 1/2-point underdog. Suddenly, Colorado is the hottest team in the Pac-12. The 14-9 Buffaloes (5-6 in Pac-12 play) will try to build on their positive mojo Wednesday night when they host 16-7 Arizona State. The Sun Devils have won five of their last seven contests and are tied with Utah and Oregon State for second place at 7-4. That’s still a full three games in back of Washington but Arizona State is fresh off handing the Huskies their first conference setback, winning 75-63 at home Saturday night.

Two days have struggling through one of their worst shooting games of the season (33.8-percent in a 91-70 home loss to Washington State), the Sun Devils shot a season-best 61.7 percent in beating Washington. Forward Romello White had 17 points to lead four Arizona State players in double figures and also was one of three Sun Devils to collect at least eight rebounds. ASU dominated the Washington 40-23 on the boards. Led by guards Luguentz Dort (16.2 points per game) and Remy Martin (13.1), five players are averaging double figures for Arizona State. Senior forward Zylan Cheatham (11.5 & 11.0) plus guard Edwards at 10.4 and the 6-7 Lawrence at 10.O are the other two. White (9.3 & 5.7, just misses.  ASU leads the conference in overall scoring at 78.9 PPG (that's 52nd nationally) and average rebound margin (7.1).

As for Colorado, even with its win streak, the Buffaloes haven’t gained much ground in the Pac-12 standings. They are currently part of a four-way tie for seventh place at 5-6. Only Washington State (3-8) and hapless California (0-11) are worse. That said, the Buffs have dominated defensively during their current three-game win streak, holding Oregon, UCLA and USC to a combined 39.6 shooting, including 17-of-70 from three-point range (24,3%). PG McKinley Wright leads the team with 13.0 PPG and 4.9 APG. Swingman Tyler Bey adds 12.0 PPG and a team-high 8.9 RPG. 6-10 forward Lucas Siewert (11.3 & 5.1) and guard Gatling (10.7) round out the double digit scorers.

I noted Colorado's excellent defensive play earlier but the Buffs have played excellent D all season long. Colorado is third in the conference in allowing 68.8 PPG and is limiting the opposition to 30.5-percent shooting from three-point range (33rd nationally). Arizona State’s 61.7-percent shooting outing versus Washington marked its first 60-pecent showing in a Pac-12 game since 2013.DO NOT expect a repeat performance here in Boulder, where the Buffs are 8-2 SU. No real pointspread to worry about here.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Revenge Rout is on Auburn at 8:30 ET.

Ole Miss was picked to finish last in the SEC preseason media poll but the Rebels, under first-year head coach Kermit Davis, opened the season 13-2 and a near-perfect 14-1 ATS. The Rebels have cooled since that incredible start but at 16-7 (6-4 in the SEC) are making a serious bid for their first trip to the NCAA Tournament in four seasons. Ole Miss has answered a four-game losing streak with back-to-back victories and looks to complete a season sweep of the Tigers tonight in Auburn. The Tigers won NINE of their first 10 games but have gone 7-6, since. Auburn was ranked 14th at 13-3, when it lost to Kentucky, the first of a three-game skid. The Tigers snapped that three-game losing skid by winning three in a row but then blew an early 16-point lead in Saturday's 83-78 loss at LSU (currently ranked 19th).

Ole Miss rode a 31-point performance from Breein Tyree to an 80-64 win at Georgia on Saturday, moving them to 6-4 in conference play, the first time it has been above .500 through 10 games in the SEC since last going to the NCAAs in 2014-15. Tyree is Ole Miss' leading scorer (18.5) and has been on a tear over the past five games, averaging 24.0 points. Backcourt mate Davis is second on the team in scoring  (16.2) plus leads in rebounding (6.3) and assist (3.6). He has scored in double figures in 12 consecutive games but note that no other Rebel averages more than 9.3 PPG.

Senior guard Bryce Brown (16.7) is the Auburn's leading scorer and junior PG Jared Harper (15.6) leads the SEC in assists (6.3), 6-8 sophomore forward Chuma Okeke (10.5 7 6.7) has stepped up with 6-11 junior Austin Wiley's missing four straight with a leg injury. Wiley's hardly played the last two games but still checks in at 9.6 & 5.5 on the season. Okeke has 12 points in the loss to LS( he's been in double digits on SEVEN of his last eight) plus added a season-high 14 rebounds.

Auburn was CLEARLY rusty in its 82-67 Jan 9 loss at Ole Miss, as that contest followed an extended 11-day layoff. In this rematch (or should I say, "revenge" match?), expect the Tigers to be energized at Auburn Arena, where they are 12-1 SU (lone loss a two-point one vs Kentucky), outscoring opponents 87.5-to-63.8 PPG.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Weekly Wipeout Winner is on NC Stata at 8:00 ET.

It's an ACC clash Wednesday in Raleigh, as 17-7 Syracuse (8-3 in league play) visits 17-7 NC State (5-6 in league play). Syracuse bounced back from an 'ugly' 82-60 home loss to Florida State a week ago Tuesday with a 67-56 home win over Boston College on Saturday. The Wolfpack struggled through a rough stretch that saw them lose four of five — all to ranked teams — but managed to hold off the late-charging Pitt Panthers for the 79-76 road win on Saturday.

Buddy Boeheim, a freshman guard averaging 13.5 minutes and 5.7 PPG, had a career-high 16 points in the win over BC. "He's helping us," Boeheim’s father and head coach Jim Boeheim told reporters after the game. "He's making shots. We need somebody to make shots out there and he's making shots." Junior guard and leading scorer Tyus Battle (17.9 points per game) once again led the Orange with 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting. Up front, it's forwards Elijah Hughes (14.0 & 4.3) and Oshae Brissett (13.6 & 8.0).

Boeheim's zone D is giving opponents fits this season (as always), as Syracuse allows just 64.0 PPG (21st on 39.4% shooting (15th).

Kevin Keatts' Wolfpack like to put as many as four guards on the floor at a time and push the tempo. Swingman Torin Dorn is the team’s top scorer (13.6) and rebounder (6.6) despite being just 6-6, while C.J. Bryce (12.5 & 5.0) and PG Markell Johnson (11.1 & 4.0 APG) both shoot better than 40 percent from three-point range. Devon Daniels (9.5) and Braxton Beverly (9.8) also contribute to a talent-rich backcourt. 6-10 sophomore Funderbunk (8.5 & 4.1) is NC State's best inside player.

The Wolfpack were in desperate need of a win, as their losing streak saw them drop out of the top-25 and to the bottom half of the ACC standings. They got one by competing hard at both ends of the court in the win over BC. Now, it's time to beat a quality opponent. The last time the Wolfpack played at home (Feb 2), they were held to 24 points by Virginia Tech.However, they are averaging 87.5 points over their last two games (both on the road). Despite NC State's 'nigthmare' of  game vs Va Tech, the Wolfpack are 12-3 SU at home, outscoring opponents 82.9-to-64.7 PPG. Expect an easy win for NC State, here.

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Las Vegas Insider is on Temple at 7:00 ET.

It's an AAC contest Wednesday night as the SMU Mustangs (4-7 in AAC play) travel to Philly to take on the 17-7 Temple Owls (7-4 in AAC play). SMU most recently lost by six points to UCF and enters this contest having lost SIX of its last seven games.As for Temple, the Owls were crushed 76-58 by Tulsa 76-58 on Saturday, as leading scorers Shizz Alston Jr., Quinton Rose and Nate Pierre-Louis combined to shoot 8-of-31 from the floor (26%).

The Mustangs hope to break a four-game losing streak in tonight's game at Temple. Jimmy Whitt Jr. had a career-high 23 points for SMU against UCF but he went scoreless in five minutes against UCF. Head coach Tim Jankovich said, "He was late for practice yesterday, so that was a big part of it. And it's been hard for him to practice. Last week he didn't one time and then this two days before the game he only practiced once because he's a little dinged up. Hopefully he'll get healthy quickly." If McMurray is hurting against Temple, can guard Whitt (12.9-6.4-4.5) and the 6-8 Isiaha Mike (12.3 & 5.1) step up? Mike notched his first double-double of the season (18 points, 10 boards) against the Knights. The 6-9 Chargois (12.3 & 6.7) also averages in double digits. 

Temple owns a three-headed scoring attack on the perimeter in PG Shizz Alston Jr. (18.1 & 5.0 APG) plus fellow guards Quinton Rose (16.6) and Nate Pierre-Louis (13.8 & 5.9) The Owls endured a putrid effort against Tulsa, as only Alston (4-of-14) made more than two field goals and the team as a whole managed a total of five two-point baskets in the game. Rose committed seven turnovers and shot just 2-of-12 from the floor. Pierre-Louis (12 points) has scored in double figures in 12 of the last 13 games but is just 4 of 22 from three-point range in the previous seven games.

Temple is still very much alive for a third-place finish in the AAC (behind Houston and Cincy) and is 9-2 SU at home. This price seems very "doable," as I expect Temple's perimeter trio (see above), to return to form. Lay the short price.

Good luck...Larry