Cnotes March NCAABB Conference Playoffs Thru The Madness Picks-Trends-News-Stats !!

[CNOTES]

It's college basketball's biggest day
March 13, 2016


NEW YORK (AP) Sunday is the day some college basketball fans can't wait for every year: it's almost time to put the words ''bubble'' and ''bracketology'' back in the dictionary until at least next January.


This year, Selection Sunday features five conference tournament championships before brackets are released.


Only one game - the American Athletic Conference final between Connecticut and Memphis - can hurt those precariously on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament. Memphis lacks the resume to earn an at-large bid, so a Connecticut victory would likely create one more spot for lucky bubble-sitters.


The other games fall into two categories. First, there are games between teams that are both considered locks for the NCAA Tournament. That would be the Atlantic 10 with Saint Joseph's and VCU; the Big Ten with Purdue and Michigan State; and the Southeastern Conference with Texas A&M and Kentucky.


The outcomes could affect seeding - especially with Michigan State fighting for a No. 1 - but not much else.


Elsewhere, some conferences are hosting win-and-in title games. The Sun Belt is one of those conferences - only the winner of UALR and Louisiana-Monroe will get to dance next week.


---


GOOD SATURDAYS


Stony Brook, the America East champion, and Cal State-Bakersfield, the Western Athletic Conference winner, both earned their first NCAA Tournament berths.


''We'll worry about next week later on down the road,'' Stony Brook coach Steve Pikiell said as he and his players celebrated.


Connecticut won its American Athletic Conference semifinal over Temple and likely locked up a tournament spot whether it beats Memphis or not.


''We still have one more game left,'' Huskies coach Kevin Ollie said. ''We have been in the championship the last two years (and lost). Hopefully third time is the charm like everybody says.''


Kansas, which beat West Virginia to sweep the Big 12 titles, solidified its very probable status as the overall No. 1 seed.


''I'd like to say there's a lot of correlation between success this weekend and success next weekend, but I'm not sure there is,'' Jayhawks coach Bill Self said.


Stephen F. Austin beat Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the Southland Conference championship game to increase its winning streak to 20 games.


''There's nothing greater than Selection Sunday,'' SFA coach Brad Underwood said. ''I am an old-school guy, and when they call your name, the hair on the back of my neck stands up, and I get goose bumps.''


---


BAD SATURDAYS


Villanova lost to Seton Hall for the Big East title and probably cost itself a No. 1 seed. The Wildcats could have made it a couple weekends of bus rides by being sent to Brooklyn (which they probably still will) and Philadelphia (it would have been nice to play two tournament games on their second homecourt).


''We really don't care about that,'' coach Jay Wright said. ''I know we have a chance to play in the East. We would love to play in the East. But if we don't, we're so happy to be playing in the NCAA Tournament. We'll take whatever we get.''


Michigan went from its feel-good moment of a buzzer-beater to knock off top-seeded Indiana in the Big Ten to wondering if it's in the field after a solid thumping by Purdue in the semifinals.


San Diego State lost Fresno State in the Mountain West championship and immediately became one of the teams that has reason to be nervous.


''I thought we had an excellent season,'' Aztecs forward Winston Shepard said. ''I think we're definitely one of the best teams in the country. I don't think this is a team that many people would want to play. So this is the hard part. We have to leave it up to a bunch of people who will go to the metrics and things like that, so we just have to wait and see.''


LSU needed to do much better than its 71-38 SEC semifinals loss to Texas A&M. Unless Ben Simmons shocks the world and returns to school rather than enter the NBA draft, he'll leave college basketball without an NCAA Tournament appearance.


''Whatever the future holds, I want to play with this team as long as I can,'' Simmons said.

 

[CNOTES]

Sunday's Tip Sheet
March 13, 2016


The final two pieces of the puzzle for Selection Sunday will be put in place this afternoon in the Big Ten and SEC Championship Game. Starting in the Big Ten with a 3 p.m. (ET) tip at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, the Purdue Boilermakers square-off against the Michigan State Spartans in the championship game. The Texas A&M Aggies and the Kentucky Wildcats made their way through the bracket in the SEC as the top two seeds and they will play for the tournament championship at 1 p.m. in Nashville.


Big Ten Championship


Purdue Boilermakers vs. Michigan State Spartans (CBS, 3 p.m. ET)


Opening Odds: Michigan State -4 ½


Betting Matchup


The Boilermakers came into this tournament as the No. 4 seed with a straight-up conference record of 12-6. They cruised past Illinois 89-58 as 11 ½-point favorites in the quarterfinals before extending their current SU winning streak to five games with Saturday’s 76-59 victory against Michigan as 6 ½-point favorites. Purdue has now gone 5-0-1 against the spread in its last six contests and the total has gone OVER in five of those games.


Senior center AJ Hammons helped pace the win over the Wolverines with 27 points and 11 rebounds. He has been the team’s leading scorer all season long with 14.8 points per game. The Boilermakers were ranked third in the Big Ten this season in scoring with 78.3 PPG while shooting 47.3 percent from the field. Defensively, they have held opponents to 64.7 PPG, which is ranked 27th in the nation.


It is no big surprise that Michigan State is in the title game after opening this tournament as the favorite to win. The Spartans remain the highest ranked team in the Big Ten despite finishing second to Indiana in the regular season with a SU record of 13-5 in conference play. After making short work of Ohio State in the quarterfinals as a 13 ½-point favorite, Michigan State had to sweat-out a hard-fought 64-61 victory against Maryland as a five-point favorite to advance to this game. It was the first time this team failed to cover in its last 13 games in what has been an incredible run for bettors.


The Spartans got another strong performance from senior guard Denzel Valentine against the Terrapins. He ended the game with 18 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists after putting up 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists against Illinois. He led the Big Ten in scoring this season with 19.6 PPG and Michigan State as a team was the second-highest scoring team in the conference with 80.2 points a game.


Betting Trends


-- The Boilermakers have covered ATS in their last five games following a SU win and they are now 5-1 ATS in their last six neutral-site games. The total has gone OVER in their last four Sunday games.


--The Spartans are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games played on Sunday and they are 12-1 ATS in their last 13 games against a conference opponent. The total has gone OVER in their last five Sunday games.


--Head-to-head in this Big Ten tilt, the favorite is 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings and the total has gone OVER in the last seven games. In a previous meeting this season, Purdue edged Michigan State 82-81 in overtime as a three-point home favorite.


SEC Championship


Texas A&M Aggies vs. Kentucky Wildcats (ESPN, 1 p.m. ET)


Opening Odds: Kentucky -4


Betting Matchup


The Aggies matched Kentucky’s 13-5 SU record in SEC-play and claimed the regular season title by beating the Wildcats in an earlier meeting this year. Their current winning streak stands at eight games while going 7-1 ATS with easy wins against Florida and LSU in the first two tournament games. Texas A&M almost doubled-up the Tigers in Saturday’s 71-38 romp as a seven-point favorite.


In this past Friday’s 72-77 win against the Gators as 5 ½-point favorites, the Aggies shot just 39.4 percent from the field including a 4-for-16 performance from three-point range, but they got a strong effort at the other end of the court from a defense that is ranked 31st in the nation in points allowed (65.0). Senior guard Jalen Jones has been the team’s leading scorer with 15.6 PPG, but it has been a total team effort in this tournament with five different players posting double-digit points over the course of the two games.


Kentucky appears to be gearing-up for a run in this year’s NCAA Tournament after cruising past both Alabama and Georgia in its conference tourney. The Wildcats beat the Tide by 26 points as 13 ½-point favorites and they pulled away from the Bulldogs in a 93-80 victory after being favored by 10 ½ points. Since losing to Texas A&M last month, they are 5-1 both SU and ATS in their last six games and the total has gone OVER in their last four outings.


Freshman guard Jamal Murray was the third-highest scorer in the SEC in the regular season with 20.2 PPG and he has now exceeded that total in his last 12 starts including his 26-point effort in Saturday’s win against Georgia. The Wildcats led the conference in scoring with a 79.6 point scoring average and they are shooting 47.8 percent from the field. Sophomore guard Tyler Ulis has also been a force with 16.8 PPG and he added 25 points in Saturday’s winning effort.


Betting Trends


-- The Aggies have covered in their last five games against a team with a SU winning record and they are 4-1 ATS in their last five neutral-site games. The total has stayed UNDER in nine of their last 13 games following a SU win.


-- The Wildcats are 20-8 ATS in their last 28 games played on Sunday and they have gone 15-7-2 ATS in their last 24 games at a neutral site. The total has stayed UNDER in 16 of their last 21 Sunday games.


-- The underdog in this SEC matchup has covered ATS in four of the last five meetings and the total went OVER in four of those games. Texas A&M beat Kentucky 79-77 in overtime on Feb. 20 as a two-point underdog at home.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Wildcats (25-8) at Aggies (26-7)
Date: March 13, 2016 1:00 PM EDT

A putback at the buzzer against the SEC's perennial power last month helped surprising Texas A&M earn a share of its first regular-season conference title in 30 years.


Three weeks later, the Aggies can continue to be a thorn in Kentucky's side with their first tournament championship since that same era.


While top-seeded Texas A&M looks to win its first conference tournament since 1987, the No. 2 Wildcats will try for their second straight title and fourth in the last seven years when they meet for Sunday's SEC championship in Nashville.


Sixteenth-ranked Kentucky (25-8) would have earned its second straight outright regular-season title if not for a 79-77 overtime loss at College Station on Feb. 20.


Instead, a late technical foul from a Wildcat freshman and Tyler Davis' putback at the buzzer gave No. 17 Texas A&M (26-7) its second of six straight wins to close the regular season. That run helped the Aggies recover from a midseason slump and match the Wildcats' 13-5 league record for their first title since 1986.


The regular-season shared crown set up a collision course in the bracket toward Sunday's championship. While Kentucky plays for the trophy for the sixth time in seven seasons, Texas A&M will suit up for its first title game since a loss to Texas in the 1994 Southwest Conference championship.


Escaping Saturday's semifinal came much easier than anyone expected for the Aggies. They tallied their eighth straight victory by trouncing fourth-seeded LSU and freshman phenom Ben Simmons 71-38.


Texas A&M held the Tigers to a season low in points and made field goals (13) during the lowest-scoring team output in any major conference this season. LSU, which shot 20.6 percent, was the first team held below 40 points in the SEC tournament since Mississippi State in 1985.


'You don't envision beating someone by 40 in the semifinal game before you try and go to the championship, but that's just how the game played out,' senior guard Alex Caruso said. 'They kind of withered down as we got stronger.'


Tonny Trocha-Morelos and Admon Gilder combined for 23 points off the bench, while Jalen Jones added 12.


Kentucky's 93-80 victory over sixth-seeded Georgia was a bit closer than the final score indicated. The game was tight through the opening 30 minutes, but the Wildcats used a late 11-3 run to pull away.


One of the nation's top backcourts fueled the second-half surge as Tyler Ulis and Jamal Murray combined for 51 points, hitting 7 of 14 3s.


The Wildcats shot 50 percent, their fourth straight game hitting that mark - all victories.


'If we play the way we played today and everybody clicks as a team, I think we can come out with the win,' said Isaiah Briscoe, who had 12 points and seven rebounds.


Ulis and Murray combined for 43 points in last month's loss to A&M.


Murray has been on fire since Feb. 6, averaging 25.6 points while hitting 53.3 percent of his 3-pointers in 11 games. Ulis has made 6 of 9 3s in Kentucky's two tournament wins.


Before Davis' game-winning putback over the Wildcats last month, Kentucky freshman Isaac Humphries received a technical foul for spiking the ball with nine seconds left. The Wildcats won three of their final four games that followed to earn a share of their second straight regular-season title.


Three of the last four games in this series have needed overtime. Kentucky won the first two as part of three straight wins, 72-68 in overtime on Feb. 2, 2013, and 70-64 in double-OT on Jan. 10, 2015.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Boilermakers (26-7) at Spartans (28-5)
Date: March 13, 2016 3:00 PM EDT

Purdue has already taken care of what many Michigan State fans might have wanted to do themselves: dismantle underdog Michigan's Big Ten tournament run.


The second-seeded Spartans will settle for a conference title game and revenge shot against the fourth-seeded Boilermakers on Sunday in Indianapolis with both schools looking to extend their longest win streaks since their opening runs ended in December.


Michigan State (28-5) has climbed back to second in the national rankings with an eight-game winning streak that started immediately after an 82-81 loss at Purdue on Feb. 9. It reached its current level with Saturday's 64-61 semifinal win over No. 18 Maryland behind Denzel Valentine's 18 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds.


The Big Ten Player of the Year hasn't shot particularly well in two tournament games, hitting 37.0 percent, but he's averaged 18.5 points, 9.0 assists and 8.0 boards.


"That was a weird game for Denzel Valentine and all he did was 18, 10 and seven," coach Tom Izzo said. "I guess I'm getting like fans, spoiled."


After explaining Friday that the Spartans were angry about finishing second in the regular season to Indiana, Valentine has them in position for the next crown. They've won 12 of 13 as they chase a fifth tourney title that would set a record since one of Ohio State's five was vacated.


What's most impressive is how the Spartans have put themselves in this position. One day after Maryland scored a tourney-record 97 points, Michigan State held the Terrapins 15.1 below their season average. The Spartans have limited Ohio State and Maryland to 57.5 points on 38.0 percent shooting, including 27.3 from 3-point range.


"We made stops, got rebounds when we needed to and guys made free throws down the stretch," Valentine said.


At the other end, the Spartans were 8 of 19 from 3-point range, which puts them six away from breaking the school record of 307 established two years ago. Over the last 14 games, they've made 49.1 percent from outside, but one of three games under 40.0 in that span was the loss at Purdue.


Valentine did his part with 27 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds, but Michigan State shot 38.2 percent overall while the Boilermakers hit half of their 16 3s.


Rapheal Davis was 6 of 8 from long range for 24 points, while A.J. Hammons had 19 points and 13 rebounds to help snap a seven-game losing streak against the Spartans.


Michigan State is back in the title game for a third straight year after winning in 2014 and losing to Wisconsin last season, while Purdue is returning for the first time since winning it in 2009.


The 13th-ranked Boilermakers (26-7) have been arguably more impressive than the Spartans in this edition. They beat Michigan 76-59 on Saturday for a fifth straight win, and two tournament victories have come by an average of 24.0 points while shooting 55.7 percent and 43.6 from long range. Their opponents are at 38.5 and 23.3.


Hammons had 27 points and 11 rebounds, and the senior center has averaged 16.8 points on 69.4 percent shooting in his last six games. Another big performance would go a long way toward validating his choice to return for a fourth season.


"I came back to get a ring, so it would mean a lot," Hammons said. "And then on top of that, I've been here four years trying to build back the program and helping everybody out. So it would mean a lot to the fans and the program just to come back with a ring and a championship."

 

[CNOTES]

Armadillo: Sunday's six-pack


-- Would people really buy a car just because it has WiFi in it?


-- LSU trailed 35-13 at halftime yesterday; thats the kind of effort that gets your coach fired. Losing is one thing; losing 71-38 on national TV is quite another.


-- Oklahoma State fired basketball coach Travis Ford , who really lost his job when he didn't make hay when he had Marcus Smart on his team.


-- If you've never had an avocado smoothie, have one very soon- tremendous.


-- Seton Hall 69, Villanova 67-- Pirates last won the Big East tourney in 1993.


-- Can we move this Presidential election up a couple months before the whole country implodes? Little too much tension now; people need to relax.


**********


Armadillo: Sunday's List of 13: Thoughts on Selection Sunday.......


Did you turn you clock ahead an hour?


13) Bubble teams all over America will be rooting for UConn against Memphis in the AAC title game today. UConn is in the field of 68, Memphis is not, so the Tigers steal a bid they win. I'm rooting for Memphis; I've met Josh Pastner a couple times and he is a terrific guy. If you had a son, you'd want him to grow up to be like Josh.


12) Big West has nine teams in it, eight of whom are California state schools- why not add Bakersfield and make it a ten-team league?


11) I know TV pays for lot of this so they dictate game times, but day games after night games in these conference tournaments is a bad idea- kids need recovery time if you want the product to be good quality. Even 20-year olds get tired.


10) Dummy of the Day-- NFL Draft is in six weeks or so; lot of teams really need a QB and QBs make a lot of money, so if you're a QB that wants to be drafted, getting a DUI six weeks before the draft is just dumb. (Dak Prescott of Mississippi State).


9) Cal-Bakersfield 57, New Mexico State 54-- Dedrick Basile swished a 3-ponter at the buzzer to give Cal-Bakersfield its first-ever spot in March Madness. Bakersfield has won three national titles in D-II, if I remember right- this is a bigger deal. Why do I say that? The mayor of Bakersfield was on the team's bench right after the game.


8) Stony Brook 80, Vermont 74-- Seawolves get to March Madness for first time; three Vermont players fouled out- they led by 15 with 15:17 left.


7) Of 14 teams in Atlantic 14, only three of them (St Joe's, George Washington and Duquesne) were members of the league when it began 40 years ago, as Eastern 8.


6) Middle Tennessee 55, Old Dominion 53-- Enjoy watching coaches after they make the NCAA tournament for the first time. MTSU coach Kermit Davis wore a baseball cap with his gray suit after his Blue Raiders won the C-USA tournament. He was positively glowing. Coaching can be stressful; good to see them have fun.


5) Fresno State 68, San Diego State 63-- Mountain West was terrible this year; it is going to be a very long Sunday for members of the Aztec program, as they wait and see if they get an at-large bid. Fresno has veteran guards; last time they were in the NCAA tournament was in 2001, when Jerry Tarkanian was coaching his alma mater.


4) When UNLV won in triple OT in the Mountain West tournament earlier this week, the correct play was to go against them next day; sure enough, they lost to Fresno State by 11 the next day. So when UConn beat Cincinnati in 4 OTs Friday, popular wisdom said to go against the Huskies in their game with Temple yesterday.


But UConn seems to thrive on adversity; they won easily Saturday, thwarting lot of handicappers who tried to capitalize on their situation. I didn't have Temple or Fresno but I couldn't fault anyone who did. Capitalizing on that is solid handicapping.


3) Was great to hear Don Orsillo working a Padre spring training game Saturday; he got hosed last summer when the Red Sox fired him, but San Diego quickly scooped him up and he will replace Dick Enberg as the Padres' main TV guy in 2017.


2) Hawai'i 64, Long Beach State 60-- Weird situation; Hawai'i is going on probation after this season, but they can go to the tournament this year- they're not going to be an easy out. Hawai'i beat Northern Iowa by 16, lost to Oklahoma by 3. .


Big West title game ended three great days of basketball; tremendous fun. NCAAs are going to have a tough act to follow.


1) This is why there might be 20-25 teams who can win a national title this season; when UConn won in 2014, they won their first round game in OT-- they were down 3 in last minute of regulation. Huskies were then an underdog in four of their next five games and pick 'em in the other one- they just as easily could've lost that first game.


This year is just like that; survive and advance will be the key words.

 

[CNOTES]

Conference Championship Betting Previews






AAC Conference Championship Game Betting Preview


The Huskies might have sealed at least an at-large invitation to the NCAA Tournament already, but the Tigers definitely need a victory to gain a bid.


Memphis Tigers vs. Connecticut Huskies (-5.5, 139.5)


Two teams that endured many ups and downs in the regular season will meet for the American Athletic Conference tournament title Sunday when fifth seeded Connecticut takes on No. 6 seed Memphis in Orlando, Fla. UConn lost four of seven before winning its last three and the Tigers have won four of five after a stretch in which they slumped to 3-8.


The Huskies, who beat Memphis twice during the regular season, followed up their heart-stopping four-overtime triumph against Cincinnati on Friday with a solid effort in a 77-62 win over top seed Temple on Saturday. “(The players) were focused and determined to get to this championship game,” UConn coach Kevin Ollie, whose team has lost in the final two straight years, told reporters. “. … These young men came out and played with resilience. They were tough. They played with heart.” Memphis has raised its level of play on offense a few notches, averaging 82 points in the last three games after routing both Tulsa and Tulane in the tournament. The Huskies might have sealed at least an at-large invitation to the NCAA Tournament already, but the Tigers definitely need a victory to gain a bid.


TV: 3:15 p.m. ET, ESPN


BETTING STATS:


Memphis - 19-14 SU, 13-17 ATS, 15-15 O/U
Connecticut - 23-10 SU, 15-13-1 ATS, 13-15-1 O/U


POWER RANKINGS: Memphis Tigers (-0.523) - Connecticut Huskies (-4.89) = Connecticut -4.367


ABOUT MEMPHIS (19-14): The Tigers have gotten contributions from many different players on the offensive end in the first two games of the tournament and forced Tulane into 18 turnovers in the semifinals. Freshman Dedric Lawson is averaging 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and three assists in the tournament while senior Shaq Goodwin scored 16 on Saturday while making 8-of-14 from the field. Guard Avery Woodson, who is scoring 9.6 per game and has made 77 from 3-point range this season, is doubtful after suffering a shoulder injury Friday.


ABOUT CONNECTICUT (23-10): Daniel Hamilton is playing some of his best basketball at the right time in the tournament while averaging 25.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, five assists and turning the ball over just three times in two games. Freshman Jalen Adams, who drained a 62-foot shot to send Friday’s game to a fourth overtime, has poured in 33 points in the tournament and forward Shonn Miller scored 19 on Saturday. The Huskies need a big game from 7-0 center Amida Brimah, who boasts 16 rebounds and eight blocked shots in the tournament.


TRENDS:


* Tigers are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games following a ATS win.
* Over is 4-1 in Tigers last 5 neutral site games.
* Over is 4-0-1 in Huskies last 5 neutral site games.
* Over is 5-1 in Huskies last 6 vs. American Athletic Conference.








Big Ten Conference Championship Game Betting Preview


Michigan State (plus-11.7) and Purdue (plus-11.3) rank first and second, respectively, in the country in rebounding margin.


Purdue Boilermakers vs. Michigan St Spartans (-4, 142.5)


Denzel Valentine has flirted with a triple-double in both of Michigan State's wins in the Big Ten tournament, but it was A.J. Hammons' near-miss at the feat last month that made the biggest difference in a Purdue victory. Hammons and his 13th-ranked Boilermakers eye for a repeat of that overtime win Sunday when they square off in the championship game against Valentine and his third-ranked Spartans in Indianapolis.


Valentine tallied 27 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists against Purdue on Feb. 9, but Hammons' 19 points, 13 boards and career-high tying eight blocks proved to be just enough in an 82-81 home triumph in which the Boilermakers won despite blowing an 18-point second-half advantage. Hammons was nearly as dominant in Saturday's 76-59 semifinal win over Michigan, finishing with 27 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks for the fourth-seeded Boilermakers, who have won their two tournament games by an average of 24 points. No. 2 seed Michigan State was pushed to the limit later Saturday as it made its way to the conference title game for the third straight season, edging Maryland 64-61. Valentine has done nothing to damage his candidacy for national player of the year honors over two games in Indianapolis, averaging 18.5 points, eight rebounds and nine assists.


TV: 3 p.m. ET, CBS


BETTING STATS:


Purdue - 26-7 SU, 17-11-1 ATS, 15-14 O/U
Michigan St - 28-5 SU, 22-10 ATS, 16-16 O/U


POWER RANKINGS: Purdue Boilermakers (-13.99) - Michigan St Spartans (-17) = Michigan St -3.01


ABOUT PURDUE (26-7): Hammons (15.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.5 blocks) has scored in double figures in 14 straight outings and became the only the third player in school history to amass 900 career rebounds Saturday while also moving within 14 blocks of breaking Joe Barry Carroll's school mark (349). Fellow senior and defensive stopper Rapheal Davis tied a career high with 24 points in the Boilermakers' lone head-to-head meeting with Michigan State and is three points shy of becoming the eighth player in school history with 1,000 career points, 500 rebounds and 200 assists. Purdue has shot at least 50 percent from the field in six straight games, converting 56.4 of their field goals and 45.9 percent of its 3-point attempts over that span.


ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE (28-5): Valentine (19.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.6 assists) is averaging 21.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 8.8 assists during the Spartans' last 13 games (12-1) and is almost certain to become the first player to average 19 points, seven assists and seven boards since the NCAA began tracking assists in 1983-84. Bryn Forbes (14.6 points) drilled a Big Ten-record 11 3-pointers en route to a career-high 33 points in Michigan State's penultimate regular-season game, but the nation's top long-distance shooter is only 4-of-17 from long-range and has totaled 27 points over his last three outings. Michigan State is 25-of-29 from the foul line in Indianapolis, although Valentine (8-of-9) and Matt Costello (6-of-6) were the only Spartans to attempt a foul shot Saturday.


TRENDS:


* Boilermakers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win.
* Spartans are 12-1 ATS in their last 13 vs. Big Ten.
* Over is 7-0 in Boilermakers last 7 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Over is 7-0 in the last 7 meetings.








SEC Conference Championship Game Betting Preview


No. 1 seed Texas A&M edged past Florida in the quarterfinals on Friday before ending LSU’s tournament run with a 71-38 demolition on Saturday.


Kentucky Wildcats vs. Texas A&M Aggies (+3.5, 141.5)


Texas A&M reached its first conference tournament final since 1990 with a dominating performance on Saturday. The Aggies will try to turn that into their first tournament title since winning the Southwest Conference in 198 when they face Kentucky in the SEC tournament final on Sunday in Nashville, Tenn.


No. 1 seed Texas A&M edged past Florida in the quarterfinals on Friday before ending LSU’s tournament run with a 71-38 demolition on Saturday. The Aggies held the Tigers to 20.6 percent shooting and bottled up freshman star Ben Simmons in the easy win, marking their eighth straight victory overall. One of those eight straight wins came over the Wildcats 79-77 in overtime on Feb. 20, and No. 2 seed Kentucky earned its chance to avenge that defeat by easing past Alabama in the quarterfinals and rallying from a second-half deficit against Georgia in a 93-80 win on Saturday. “We’re built for this,” Wildcats forward Alex Poythress told reporters. “We needed a tough game like this that we had to go back and forth, down a little bit, a little adversity. I felt like we responded real well.”


TV: 1 p.m. ET, ESPN


BETTING STATS:


Kentucky - 25-8 SU, 17-16 ATS, 18-14-1 O/U
Texas A&M - 26-7 SU, 15-11-2 ATS, 11-17 O/U


POWER RANKINGS: Kentucky Wildcats (-12.4) - Texas A&M Aggies (-12.65) = Texas A&M -0.25


ABOUT KENTUCKY (25-8, 13-5 SEC): The Wildcats are playing in the SEC tournament final for the sixth time in coach John Calipari’s seven years as head coach and going for their fourth title in that span – second in a row. Kentucky leaned on its backcourt combination of Tyler Ulis and Jamal Murray to keep them in the game early, and the two ended up with a combined 51 points while playing 39 minutes apiece, before spreading out the scoring during the second half comeback. “We kind of try to figure out the different ways to score and just got it done,” forward Marcus Lee told reporters. “We’re not set in stone of who’s supposed to score and who’s supposed to get things done. We just try to help each other as much as we can.”


ABOUT TEXAS A&M (26-7, 13-5): The Aggies earned the top spot in the SEC tournament thanks to that Feb. 20 win, in which Tyler Davis put back Danuel House’s missed at the buzzer to give them the victory. Jalen Jones led Texas A&M with 24 points in that game and was the only starter to reach double figures with 12 points on Saturday as the team had the luxury of resting its top unit for most of the second half. “I'm thrilled with the effort that we played with, especially on the defensive end,” Aggies coach Billy Kennedy told reporters. “I thought we did a really good job of being physical and walling up and forcing them to take some tough shots. Our bench came in and offensively did a really good job of moving the ball and played really unselfish.”


TRENDS:


* Wildcats are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Aggies are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 vs. Southeastern.
* Over is 4-0 in Wildcats last 4 neutral site games.
* Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.

 

[CNOTES]

NCAAB
Dunkel


Sunday, March 13




Saint Joseph's @ Virginia Commonwealth


Game 881-882
March 13, 2016 @ 12:30 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Saint Joseph's
62.061
Virginia Commonwe
64.572
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Virginia Commonwe
by 2 1/2
139
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Virginia Commonwe
by 5
146
Dunkel Pick:
Saint Joseph's
(+5); Under


Kentucky @ Texas A&M


Game 883-884
March 13, 2016 @ 1:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Kentucky
74.509
Texas A&M
73.149
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Kentucky
by 1 1/2
138
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Kentucky
by 4
143
Dunkel Pick:
Texas A&M
(+4); Under


Louisiana-Monroe @ Arkansas-Little Rock


Game 885-886
March 13, 2016 @ 1:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Louisiana-Monroe
53.868
Arkansas-Little R
60.429
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Arkansas-Little R
by 6 1/2
137
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Arkansas-Little R
by 4 1/2
128 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Arkansas-Little R
(-4 1/2); Over


Memphis @ Connecticut


Game 887-888
March 13, 2016 @ 3:15 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Memphis
59.574
Connecticut
67.571
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Connecticut
by 8
146
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Connecticut
by 5
139
Dunkel Pick:
Connecticut
(-5); Over


Purdue @ Michigan State


Game 889-890
March 13, 2016 @ 3:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Purdue
71.957
Michigan State
78.586
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Michigan State
by 6 1/2
136
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Michigan State
by 4
143
Dunkel Pick:
Michigan State
(-4); Under








NCAAB
Long Sheet


Sunday, March 13


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


ST JOSEPHS (26 - 7) vs. VA COMMONWEALTH (24 - 9) - 3/13/2016, 12:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VA COMMONWEALTH is 20-8 ATS (+11.2 Units) in all games this season.
VA COMMONWEALTH is 20-8 ATS (+11.2 Units) in all lined games this season.
VA COMMONWEALTH is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) when the total is 140 to 149.5 this season.
VA COMMONWEALTH is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) as a favorite this season.
VA COMMONWEALTH is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) against conference opponents this season.
VA COMMONWEALTH is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) when playing with one or less days rest over the last 2 seasons.
VA COMMONWEALTH is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) after a conference game this season.
VA COMMONWEALTH is 11-4 ATS (+6.6 Units) off a win against a conference rival this season.
VA COMMONWEALTH is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in all tournament games over the last 2 seasons.
VA COMMONWEALTH is 14-6 ATS (+7.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ST JOSEPHS is 21-11 ATS (+8.9 Units) in all games this season.
ST JOSEPHS is 21-11 ATS (+8.9 Units) in all lined games this season.
ST JOSEPHS is 11-4 ATS (+6.6 Units) when the total is 140 to 149.5 this season.
ST JOSEPHS is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in road games against conference opponents this season.
ST JOSEPHS is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) in road games after a conference game this season.
ST JOSEPHS is 36-19 ATS (+15.1 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
ST JOSEPHS is 3-1 against the spread versus VA COMMONWEALTH over the last 3 seasons
VA COMMONWEALTH is 2-2 straight up against ST JOSEPHS over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


KENTUCKY (25 - 8) vs. TEXAS A&M (26 - 7) - 3/13/2016, 1:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS A&M is 182-145 ATS (+22.5 Units) after a conference game since 1997.
TEXAS A&M is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) off a win against a conference rival over the last 2 seasons.
KENTUCKY is 81-55 ATS (+20.5 Units) in March games since 1997.
KENTUCKY is 45-26 ATS (+16.4 Units) revenging a road loss vs opponent since 1997.
KENTUCKY is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
KENTUCKY is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS A&M is 2-1 against the spread versus KENTUCKY over the last 3 seasons
KENTUCKY is 2-1 straight up against TEXAS A&M over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


LA-MONROE (20 - 12) vs. ARK-LITTLE ROCK (28 - 4) - 3/13/2016, 1:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ARK-LITTLE ROCK is 18-10 ATS (+7.0 Units) in all games this season.
ARK-LITTLE ROCK is 18-10 ATS (+7.0 Units) in all lined games this season.
ARK-LITTLE ROCK is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ARK-LITTLE ROCK is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games this season.
LA-MONROE is 37-24 ATS (+10.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LA-MONROE is 37-24 ATS (+10.6 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
LA-MONROE is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) against conference opponents this season.
LA-MONROE is 29-14 ATS (+13.6 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
LA-MONROE is 11-4 ATS (+6.6 Units) off a win against a conference rival this season.
LA-MONROE is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
LA-MONROE is 6-0 against the spread versus ARK-LITTLE ROCK over the last 3 seasons
LA-MONROE is 5-1 straight up against ARK-LITTLE ROCK over the last 3 seasons
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


MEMPHIS (19 - 14) vs. CONNECTICUT (23 - 10) - 3/13/2016, 3:15 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MEMPHIS is 7-16 ATS (-10.6 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 189-151 ATS (+22.9 Units) against conference opponents since 1997.
MEMPHIS is 149-103 ATS (+35.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games since 1997.


Head-to-Head Series History
MEMPHIS is 4-3 against the spread versus CONNECTICUT over the last 3 seasons
CONNECTICUT is 5-2 straight up against MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


PURDUE (26 - 7) vs. MICHIGAN ST (28 - 5) - 3/13/2016, 3:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MICHIGAN ST is 22-10 ATS (+11.0 Units) in all games this season.
MICHIGAN ST is 22-10 ATS (+11.0 Units) in all lined games this season.
MICHIGAN ST is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) when the total is 140 to 149.5 this season.
MICHIGAN ST is 20-9 ATS (+10.1 Units) as a favorite this season.
MICHIGAN ST is 14-6 ATS (+7.4 Units) against conference opponents this season.
MICHIGAN ST is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in road games in March games over the last 2 seasons.
MICHIGAN ST is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) after a conference game this season.
MICHIGAN ST is 12-2 ATS (+9.8 Units) off a win against a conference rival this season.
MICHIGAN ST is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MICHIGAN ST is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games this season.
PURDUE is 38-21 ATS (+14.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PURDUE is 38-21 ATS (+14.9 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
PURDUE is 25-15 ATS (+8.5 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
PURDUE is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in March games over the last 3 seasons.
PURDUE is 25-15 ATS (+8.5 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
PURDUE is 28-17 ATS (+9.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
PURDUE is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game over the last 2 seasons.
PURDUE is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
MICHIGAN ST is 2-1 against the spread versus PURDUE over the last 3 seasons
MICHIGAN ST is 2-1 straight up against PURDUE over the last 3 seasons
3 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------








NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up


Sunday, March 13


Big 14 tournament (Indianapolis)
Michigan State won its last eight games since losing 82-81 at Purdue in OT; Spartans rallied from down 18 to take 4-point lead with 1:59 left, but lost. Seven of State's last eight wins are by 12+ points. Purdue won its last five games, last four by 11+; their last tourney title was '09. Last titles for MSUU were in '12/'14. State is 13-3 in its last 16 conference tourney games; they played three guys 30:00+ in win over Maryland, while Boilers had fairly easy time with Michigan.


Atlantic 14 tournament (Brooklyn)
VCU won 85-82 at St Joe's Jan 5, after trailing by 13 with 7:11 left; they won four of last five games, winning by 15-22 in games this weekend. Rams made 10-25 on arc yesterday, after going 1-16 Friday- they held Davidson star Gibbs to 4 points. St Joe's is 9-4 in its last 13 conference tournament games; they've scored 84 ppg in winning two games this week, but their two stars played 37-40 minutes yesterday. VCU is 24-5 in its last 29 conference tournament games. .


AAC tournament (Orlando)
UConn won epic 4-OT game Friday, making 60-footer at buzzer of third OT; Huskies then avenged their two losses to Temple with 77-62 win in semis- only two guys played more than 29:00 Saturday. UConn swept Memphis this year, winning 81-78 at home Jan 9 (Tigers led 75-74 in last minute), then 77-57 in Memphis Feb 4, when Tigers turned ball over 20 times (-10) in game they led 37-36 at half. Memphis won three games in row after suffering thru a 4-9 skid. . .


SEC tournament (Nashville)
Kentucky was down much of game to Georgia in semis, pulled away late for 93-80 win; now they actually have revenge motive, after losing 79-77 in OT at Texas A&M Feb 20, when an odd technical on Kentucky (bad call) gave Aggies couple foul shots in last minute. Murray/Ulis both got 39:00 yesterday; Wildcats are serious about winning this. Aggies had an easy time with LSU team that was in tank. A&M won last eight games.


Sun Belt tournament (New Orleans)
UL-Monroe is 14-1 in its last 15 games after starting season 6-11; they split with Little Rock this year, losing 58-57 on road Jan 9 (they led by 14 early on), winning rematch 86-82, outscoring Trojans 24-16 on line. ULM plays seven guys; four played 33:00+ Saturday- they're #14 team in country in experience. Little Rock won seven of last eight games; they used three guys 31:00+ yesterday- they won this tournament five years ago. ULM has yet to win a Sun Belt tournament.








NCAAB


Sunday, March 13


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


1:00 PM
KENTUCKY vs. TEXAS A&M
No trends available
Texas A&M is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Texas A&M's last 18 games


3:00 PM
PURDUE vs. MICHIGAN STATE
No trends available
Michigan State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Michigan State's last 11 games

 

[CNOTES]

TOP POWERLINES


CBB > (881) ST JOSEPHS @ (882) VA COMMONWEALTH | 2016-03-13 12:30:00 - 2016-03-13 12:30:00
Line: VA COMMONWEALTH-3.5 BTB PowerLine: VA COMMONWEALTH-10
Edge On: VA COMMONWEALTH (6.5)


CBB > (883) KENTUCKY @ (884) TEXAS A&M | 2016-03-13 13:00:00 - 2016-03-13 13:00:00
Line: TEXAS A&M3.5 BTB PowerLine: TEXAS A&M-1
Edge On: TEXAS A&M (4.5)


CBB > (885) LA-MONROE @ (886) ARK-LITTLE ROCK | 2016-03-13 13:00:00 - 2016-03-13 13:00:00
Line: ARK-LITTLE ROCK-3.5 BTB PowerLine: ARK-LITTLE ROCK-5
Edge On: ARK-LITTLE ROCK (1.5)


CBB > (889) PURDUE @ (890) MICHIGAN ST | 2016-03-13 15:00:00 - 2016-03-13 15:00:00
Line: MICHIGAN ST-4.5 BTB PowerLine: MICHIGAN ST-11
Edge On: MICHIGAN ST (6.5)


CBB > (887) MEMPHIS @ (888) CONNECTICUT | 2016-03-13 15:15:00 - 2016-03-13 15:15:00
Line: CONNECTICUT-5.5 BTB PowerLine: CONNECTICUT-9
Edge On: CONNECTICUT (3.5)

 

[CNOTES]

B]YESTERDAY'S RESULTS: 6 - 5 - 1
YTD: 103 - 79 -3


SUNDAY, MARCH 13[/B]


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS




JOES at VCU 12:30 PM


JOES +4.0


O 147.5




UK at TAM 01:00 PM


UK -3.5




ULM at UALR 01:00 PM


ULM +3.0




PUR at MSU 03:00 PM


PUR +5.0


U 142.0




MEM at UCONN 03:15 PM


UCONN -5.5


U 137.5

 

[CNOTES]

YESTERDAYS' RESULTS: 9 - 1
YTD: 47 - 40




SUNDAY, MARCH 13


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


CLE at LAC 03:30 PM


CLE -1.5


U 207.5




IND at ATL 06:00 PM


ATL -4.5


U 197.5




UTA at SAC 06:00 PM


SAC +2.0


U 204.5




MIL at BK 08:00 PM


MIL -1.5


O 206.0




NY at LAL 09:30 PM


LAL +2.0


U 205.0

 

[CNOTES]

Bracket leaks: Bad news travels quickly for NCAA have-nots
March 14, 2016


Players from Monmouth, St. Bonaventure and even Michigan State got the bad news the way so many folks do these days - through social media.


The bracket that leaked on Twitter while CBS was in the middle of unveiling the March Madness pairings turned out to be 100 percent accurate. That left a number of teams searching for answers a bit earlier than they'd hoped - and it gave the NCAA something else to explain, beyond the selection committee's annual handful of unexpected - inexplicable? - decisions.


For Michigan State, the news was that it was a No. 2 seed, behind Oregon, Virginia, Kansas and North Carolina - a ranking that belied the predictions of almost every self-proclaimed bracketologist in the country. For the Hawks of Monmouth and the Bonnies of St. Bonaventure, along with South Carolina, St. Mary's, San Diego State and a handful of other bubble teams, the news was even worse: They wouldn't be part of March Madness.


''To me, that's very unprofessional,'' St. Bonaventure coach Mark Schmidt said.


He was talking about the leaking of the bracket, which the NCAA called unfortunate and regrettable, though he could have just as easily been speaking of the selection committee's overall body of work.


There was, as always, plenty to debate.


In the end, Michigan, Syracuse, Vanderbilt and, yes, even Tulsa, made it off the bubble. Monmouth, which went out of its way to toughen its schedule, per the NCAA's mandate, and St. Bonaventure, which was rated 25 in the RPI but had bad strength of schedule, were among those that did not.


''This year, they say it's top 50. Last year, it was road wins. Two years ago, it was RPI,'' said Kentucky coach John Calipari, speaking to the vagaries of the selection committee's criteria.


His team earned a No. 4 seed, while the team Kentucky beat only hours before the brackets came out, Texas A&M, was a ''3.''


Even before Kentucky was done playing, the committee had more or less made up its mind on that one, said chairman Joe Castiglione, the athletic director of Oklahoma.


Then, not too much after Michigan State was wrapping up its title in the Big Ten Tournament - which serves as the lead-in to CBS' bracket coverage - a copy of the pairings was going viral on Twitter. It showed up while CBS was on the air, putting a big damper on the network's selection show, which had been newly super-sized, from one to two hours.


The NCAA is investigating.


''Nothing's secure, huh? That's great,'' Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said. ''That is so typical. It's so typical of college basketball.''


The 68-team tournament starts Tuesday, with the Final Four set for April 2 and 4 in Houston.


A few story lines to follow:


PLAY-IN GAMES: The opening-round game between 11th seeds Wichita State and Vanderbilt is being touted as potentially one of the best since the NCAA expanded the bracket to 68 teams in 2011. That game is Tuesday, along with a meeting of No. 16 seeds Florida Gulf Coast and Fairleigh Dickinson. On Wednesday, No. 16s Holy Cross and Southern meet, followed by Michigan vs. Tulsa in another pairing of 11s.


TOP BILLING: Kansas is the overall No. 1 seed. North Carolina got another of the top spots. The other No. 1s, Virginia and Oregon, were considered surprises in some circles. The Cavaliers were runners-up to North Carolina in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Oregon got less attention because of the West Coast, though Michigan State was almost universally viewed as a higher-rated team. Not that Virginia's road to the Final Four will be easy. This is the third straight year Virginia has Michigan State in its region. If they meet, it would be at the Midwest Regional final in Chicago, which could feel like a home game for the Spartans.


BET THE OVER: Here's a sure thing that has nothing to do with your bracket: Take the `over' in the Iowa State-Iona game. The fourth-seeded Cyclones average 81.8 points; the 13th-seeded Gaels average 79.6. They are playing in mile-high Denver, which means getting back on defense will be that much tougher. Also, already, Iona is trending as a popular upset pick.


HUH?: Castiglione listed Tulsa as the last bubble team to get in. The Golden Hurricane went 10-11 against teams in the top 200, a record no team had previously overcome to get an at-large bid. Oh, Tulsa also lost by 22 to Memphis in the American Athletic Conference quarterfinals. So off the grid was Tulsa that, as Selection Sunday approached, most bubble watchers weren't even watching anymore. Apparently, the Golden Hurricane passed the eye - or some other - test to become the tournament's most-unexpected at-large team.


TOPSY-TURVY: Given the season, maybe the surprises aren't so surprising. This was one of the most unpredictable years for college basketball in history. Six times, the top spot in The Associated Press poll changed hands - one short of the record. Also, there were 31 conference tournaments, and the top seed came out the champion in only 10 of those. That put teams such as Fresno State, Florida Gulf Coast and Holy Cross, with its 14-19 record, in the dance. But it ultimately took away a few bubble spots - which left Monmouth and Co., on the outside looking in.

 

[CNOTES]

Plenty of story lines in this year's NCAA Tournament
March 14, 2016


LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) The overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament hasn't made it out of the opening weekend the past two years, so you better believe the boys at Kansas feels as if they have something to prove.


Even after their 12th straight Big 12 championship.


''It's something I've said since I've been here: You come to Kansas to make deep runs in the tournament and we haven't done that,'' Jayhawks forward Landen Lucas said. ''We have the team to do that. It'll be tough, but we've been tested - battle-tested - and we're ready to make a run.''


So are 67 other teams that will begin dancing this week.


The field set Sunday may be the most wide open it has been in years, and the Jayhawks may have the best odds of making it to Houston for the Final Four. But they were favored to do so the past two years, too, and were ousted by Stanford and Wichita State before they could even think about playing for a championship.


That's the unpredictable nature of the NCAA Tournament.


''I'm not concerned about the second weekend at all right now,'' said coach Bill Self, whose team opens against Austin Peay in the South Region, then could face No. 8 seed Colorado or No. 9 seed UConn. ''All I'm concerned (about) right now is the first weekend.''


So, what story lines will dominant the opening weekend? Here are some of them:


- BIG 12 OR BUST: The Jayhawks weren't the only Big 12 flop last season. No. 3 seeds Baylor and Iowa State lost their openers and the league didn't get anybody to the Elite Eight. Can the seven teams that made this year's NCAA Tournament field find retribution?


- MOMENTUM MATTERS: UConn roared through its conference tournament to solidify its spot in the field, not unlike it did in winning the 2011 and '14 national titles. But if having momentum is a good thing this time of year, not having it is just as bad. Iowa was once considered a potential No. 1 seed but fell all the way to a seventh seed, while teams such as Providence and Southern Cal have also had trouble lately.


''Our fans love this time of year,'' UConn coach Kevin Ollie said. ''I love it as a coach.''


- TOUGHEST TICKET: Good luck getting a seat in Des Moines. The Jayhawks have a three-hour drive from their campus in Lawrence, while blue-bloods Kentucky, UConn and Indiana are joining them there. The only thing that would have driven up the price more is if the Hawkeyes (headed to Raleigh), Iowa State (off to Denver) or Northern Iowa (sent to Oklahoma City) were playing close to home.


- GOING GLOBAL: There will be plenty of international flair to this tournament. Utah star Jakob Poeltl was born in Austria, Buddy Hield of Oklahoma is from the Bahamas and Domantas Sabonis of Gonzaga is the pride of Lithuania. Iowa's Peter Jok was born in Sudan, Cheick Diallo of Kansas in Mali. Kentucky 7-footer Skal Labissiere is originally from Haiti and Amida Brimah of UConn is from Ghana.


- RIVALRY WEEKS: The committee insists it doesn't consider rivalries when it slots the field, and every year it's hard to believe it. Potential matchups this year include longtime Southwest Conference foes Texas and Texas A&M, perennial powers Kentucky and Indiana, football foes Notre Dame and Michigan, and Jim Boeheim against Tom Izzo - err, Syracuse against Michigan State.


''We're all just going to focus on Chattanooga,'' Hoosiers coach Tom Crean said of their first-round opponent. ''We're only guaranteed one game right now and that's against Chattanooga.''


- PHILLY PRIDE: Speaking of rivals, it was a banner year for the Big 5. Second-seeded Villanova and No. 10 seed Temple could meet in a second-round game in the East Region, and Saint Joseph's is the No. 8 seed in the West. For what it's worth, the Wildcats went 4-0 against their Big 5 brethren this season.


- COMMITTEE'S CONSCIENCE: The selection committee gets dissected every year, but putting Michigan and Tulsa in the field and leaving Monmouth and St. Bonaventure out was practically inviting criticism. Those two teams can make the committee feel a whole lot better about their decision by winning a couple games. They meet each other in a First Four matchup before facing No. 6 seed Notre Dame.


''It's just a matter of the way things work out when we apply - strictly apply - our procedures for seeding,'' committee chair Joe Castiglione said, ''and then, of course, when we get into bracketing.''

 

[CNOTES]

Selection Sunday: 'Fastest night in college basketball'
March 14, 2016


FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) For teams that got a coveted spot in the NCAA Tournament, finding out where and who they're playing was not the end of selection-night drama.


It was only the beginning. And that's especially true for eight teams that are opening-round bound.


Scenes like one at Florida Gulf Coast were playing out at plenty of schools Sunday night. It was nearly 10 p.m. Sunday and people in three different offices at FGCU are calling the school's top donors, asking if they want to be part of the team's travel party for Tuesday's game against Fairleigh Dickinson in Dayton, Ohio. If those fans were willing, they could have a seat on the charter and stay in the team hotel for as long as the trip lasts.


Meanwhile, in another office, Billy Blood - the Chief Financial Officer for FGCU athletics - is simultaneously working his office phone, his cellphone and emails, trying to actually secure that plane and those hotel rooms. He's exhausted; his tie is loosened, he's rubbing his eyes and he has no idea how long any of this will take.


''Details,'' he groans, to no one in particular.


He wasn't complaining, and no one else at the other schools facing opening-round games - FDU, Vanderbilt, Wichita State, Michigan, Tulsa, Holy Cross and Southern - likely were either. They play Tuesday or Wednesday, while the rest of the field of 68 starts Thursday or Friday.


''Quick, whirlwind here,'' said Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings, whose Commodores play Wichita State in the second game Tuesday night. ''That's a quick turnaround time to get yourself ready and get travel arrangements and practice and preparation and all the things you need to do. It's the fastest night of the year in college basketball if you make the tournament.''


It was also going to be a late night for everyone involved.


There's scouting reports to prepare, tickets to deal with, hotel room lists, meals to order, practices to schedule, contingency plans made in case your team wins, contingency plans made in case your team loses, along with arrangements for the band, cheerleaders, fans, managers and administrators.


Most of the 68 teams in the tournament knew, or had at least a reasonably strong sense, that they were getting in before seeing their names on the CBS bracket (or the version that leaked on the Internet during the selection show broadcast). But without the pertinent details - date, site, opponent - not much could be done on a logistical front until Sunday night.


''We went through this three years ago,'' said Ken Kavanagh, FGCU's athletic director, referring to when the Eagles became national sweethearts with their ''Dunk City'' run to the Sweet 16 as a No. 15 seed in 2013. ''So most of us understand what happens.''


Some FGCU players knew that they were going to play FDU in the opening round before the actual announcement, thanks to that bracket getting leaked and widely distributed on Twitter. But with the realization that a chance to play North Carolina is now one win away, the excitement was real.


So at 6:40 p.m., exactly 48 hours before FGCU will play in the tournament's very first game, the behind-the-scenes work was starting in earnest.


FGCU coach Joe Dooley and his staff met while a member of the school's video staff loaded tons of FDU clips onto Dooley's laptop. Dooley stayed in his tiny office for hours afterward, trying to put together a game plan while across the hall administrators figured out their own plan.


They ate cold macaroni and cheese and sipped diet soda. In between bites, one small problem kept causing their plans to be ripped up every few minutes.


They couldn't get a plane.


Seven of the eight teams headed to Dayton had the same issue when they huddled for a logistical conference call around 8:30 p.m. - there were no arrangements for anyone's charter yet. Michigan was the lone exception, because the Wolverines are headed to Dayton by bus.


Finally, after five hours of trying, Blood got his plane secured around 11:30 p.m.


FGCU was originally going to fly at noon, then 11 a.m., then a departure of 10:30 was finally set. With that, travel plans for 107 people came together. Breakfast plans were changed three times. Lunch plans were changed twice. Practice was originally going to be held early in Fort Myers; the Eagles will practice near Dayton instead in the afternoon.


''A plethora of emotions,'' Blood said as Sunday night turned to Monday morning. ''But having success and getting to the tournament make the long hours and the weekends, the nights, the holidays spent working all worth it. I'll go home, shower, pack, feed my newborn daughter, kiss my wife, sleep for a few hours and then back here. Good times.''


Great times, actually.


The tournament awaits.

 

[CNOTES]

Hall of Fame writer's opinion on the NCAA Tournament
March 14, 2016


Sharpen the pencil. Make sure the eraser is ready. Time to fill out the much-awaited NCAA Tournament bracket.


Here's one man's opinion of who is going to advance through the regionals and find a way to Houston for the Final Four.


I haven't been wrong since I started doing this in 1987 - and I owe all to that eraser.


SOUTH: Kansas, the overall No. 1 seed, is the easy choice to reach the Final Four and beyond. The reason I went with Miami over Arizona is the old reasoning that a team going across the country west to east has a hard time adjusting to the change, and the Wildcats have to take the Tucson-to-Providence shuttle. There's a delicious second-round matchup in Temple vs. Villanova with the Wildcats winning the Cheesesteak Cup. Villanova's run will stop one round further, which is one round further than it has gone in recent years.


WEST: Saint Joseph's is one of the best sleeper teams in the field because they had one of the best road records in Division I and the Hawks are definitely away from home playing in Spokane. I think the Hawks are good enough to knock off top-seeded Oregon in the second round before falling to the depth of Baylor. The bottom of the bracket starts with an upset with Northern Iowa, which beat then-No. 1 North Carolina early in the season, topping Texas. But it's that other Texas school - Texas A&M - which marches through, knocking off Oklahoma and then Baylor to get to the Final Four in their home state.


EAST: My pencil just started writing in Carolina blue as I began the bracket. One early upset will have Michigan, which has to beat Tulsa in the First Four, adding another win in the first round, this one over Notre Dame. The Tar Heels, who will face Providence in the second round on the West Coast-East Coast theory with a win over USC, are a confident bunch right now and even a matchup with Kentucky in the Sweet Sixteen won't faze their transition game. West Virginia has struggled with its shooting lately and the Mountaineers just won't be able to score with the Tar Heels in the regional final.


MIDWEST: This is a tough region because it all comes down to how mad are the Michigan State Spartans over being a No. 2 seed? Coach Tom Izzo is a great motivator and can't you just hear the pregame speech when they face Virginia, one of the teams picked as a No. 1 seed instead of them, in the regional final? There will be some upsets in the early rounds and Iona has a chance to become a national favorite as the Gaels run by - and they will literally run by - Iowa State and Arkansas-Little Rock before running into the defensive wall set up by Virginia. I'm banking on Izzo and Denzel Valentine getting to Houston for yet another Final Four appearance.


FINAL FOUR: These picks were tough. Kansas will prevail over Texas A&M in what should be a very entertaining semifinal and Michigan State carries the chip on its shoulder for one more game, beating North Carolina in a game of contrasting styles.


Kansas turns the revenge tables on Michigan State to win it all. The Spartans beat the Jayhawks in an early season game in Chicago, but the result will be different in Houston.


I'm standing by these picks until the games start - and then I'll be the guy holding the big eraser.

 

[CNOTES]

The Latest: St. Bonaventure hopes to prove committee wrong
March 13, 2016


The Latest on Selection Sunday for the NCAA Tournament, with 32 automatic qualifiers and 36 at-large teams picked and placed into brackets (all times Eastern):


9:45 p.m.


St. Bonaventure coach Mark Schmidt says he will not allow the NCAA Tournament selection committee to define his team's season. The Bonnies were regular-season co-champions of the Atlantic 10, but did not make the field of 68.


''To me, that's really, really important because the things that they've accomplished - when you're the first person to do something, that's pretty special. And these guys, this is the first team to do a lot of firsts. So we're proud of that,'' Schmidt said. ''We can't allow 10 guys in a room to define how good a season we had.''


St. Bonaventure will face Wagner as a No. 1 seed in the NIT on Wednesday night.


''At the end of the day, we knew our resume was better than some of the teams that got picked, but we still had no control over it. It's kind of weird seeing it, because when you look on certain teams' quality wins, you see St. Bonaventure pop up. And those are teams that are in, that got picked,'' said guard Marcus Posley.


Schmidt said: ''Our goal is to show the committee that they made a mistake. You play with that chip on your shoulder. I think our guys will bounce back from this disappointment and get ready to play on Wednesday.''


---


9:20 p.m.


NCAA spokesman David Worlock calls the leak of the bracket via a Twitter post regrettable. The bracket posted about a half hour into a two-hour show on CBS revealing the tournament matchups. Most of the pairings had not been revealed.


''We go through great lengths to prevent the tournament field from being revealed early and the NCAA took its usual measures to protect this from happening,'' Worlock said in statement. ''Unfortunately, and regrettably, the bracket was revealed prior to our broadcast partners having the opportunity to finish unveiling it. We take this matter seriously and we are looking into it.''


---


9:00 p.m.


Atlantic 10 Commissioner Bernadette McGlade says she is ''shocked'' that St. Bonaventure was left out of the NCAA field of 68. The Bonnies were regular season co-champions of the A-10 and had an RPI of 29. The A-10's other co-champions - VCU and Dayton - made the field, along with tournament champ Saint Joseph's.


''As commissioner I will always defend my institutions,'' McGlade said in a statement. ''St. Bonaventure belongs in the NCAA Championship. Their body of work, seven wins against top 70 teams, their first-place finish in the A-10, and a 29 RPI - every measuring point has been successfully met. In short they met the `eye test' and the fact test. I am shocked that the committee did not select this team. It's a tremendous disservice and disappointment to these student-athletes, the SBU nation and the A-10.''


McGlade says she will talk to the selection committee and compare stats of all of the at-large teams.


---


8:50 p.m.


Xavier got a No. 2 seed for the first time in its history, yet another milestone for the Musketeers' season. They've had a No. 3 seed twice before. Xavier tied the school record with 26 regular-season wins and a No. 5 ranking. The Musketeers were in the Top 10 for a school record 13 weeks. And now, their best seed.


''It's amazing,'' guard Myles Davis said. ''A great feeling. I'm proud of these guys and all we've done in the regular season and being able to make history at Xavier.''


- Joe Kay.


---


8:29 p.m.


Monmouth released a statement from coach King Rice about being left out of the NCAA Tournament. He said the team was disappointed, but excited to play in the NIT. And a planned conference call with the media was canceled.


''We are happy for the teams that will participate in the 2016 NCAA Tournament and wish them the best of luck,'' Rice said.


---


8:13 p.m.


Sterling Smith's addiction to his phone paid off for Pitt. The senior graduate transfer guard set the Panthers at ease early during the selection show, sharing the leaked NCAA Tournament bracket that showed Pitt was the 10th seed in the East Region and would face seventh-seeded Wisconsin in St. Louis on Friday.


''We were wondering what we were going to do for that entire time; all of a sudden we knew rather quickly,'' coach Jamie Dixon said.


This is Pitt's first appearance in the tournament as a double-digit seed since 1985. The Panthers haven't survived past the first weekend since losing in the regional finals to Villanova in 2009. Pitt went 4-7 over its last 11 games this season.


- Will Graves.


8 p.m.


Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said he got a text from his son Kyle, a tight ends coach at Youngtown State, saying he had seen the leaked bracket and the Irish would play the winner of the Michigan-Tulsa game in New York.


''I thought he was messing with me,'' Brey said. ''So I just deleted it. Fifteen minutes later we show up, and then I found out we had a little leakage going on. Nothing's secure, huh? That's great. That is so typical. It's so typical of college basketball. It's great.''


- Tom Coyne


---


7:45 p.m.


Ivy League player of the year Justin Sears acknowledges a bit of the joy of his program's first NCAA Tournament bid since 1962 has been dampened by the controversy surrounding the departure last month of team captain Jack Montague.


But Sears and the rest of the team were dancing along with about 200 fans at Payne Whitney Gymnasium Sunday when it was announced the Bulldogs would headed to Providence as a No. 12 seed to play Baylor on Thursday in the West region.


The team clinched the Ivy League championship on the road at Columbia. It spent a few minutes before the selections were announced cutting down the net on their home court.


Yale finished the regular season with a 22-6 overall record and was 13-1 in the Ivy, matching the best league record in school history.


The team is 7-1 since its last game with Montague, whose father says was expelled from school.


The Bulldogs last week apologized for wearing T-shirts in support of Montague during warmups of their Feb. 26 win over Harvard, a move that upset many on campus.


''Jack's one of our teammates, our brothers,'' Sears said. ''We're a team still, no matter what. Jack is supporting us right now, wherever he is. We're having fun right now and I'm sure he's enjoying the moment, wherever he is.''


- Pat Eaton-Robb.


---


7:35 p.m.


Kentucky beat Texas A&M on Sunday for the SEC Tournament championship. The Wildcats received a four seed from the NCAA selection committee. The Aggies got a three.


Wildcats coach John Calipari's reaction during an interview on ESPN: ''Did we not play a basketball game today?''


---


7:28 p.m.


Why did Michigan and Syracuse get in? Joe Castiglione, the chairman of the selection committee and Oklahoma's athletic director, said victories against teams ranked in the top 50 of the RPI boosted the Wolverines and Orange.


Michigan had four. Syracuse had five.


Why did Monmouth miss out? Castiglione said three losses against teams with RPI's of 200 or worse hurt the Hawks.


---


7:20 p.m.


Villanova was hoping to get into the East Region with a path through Philadelphia. Instead the Wildcats are the No. 2 in the South, face a possible second-round game against Philly rival Temple and will be playing in Louisville if they get to the second weekend.


''I'm sure a lot of the fans are probably disappointed,'' Villanova coach Jay Wright said. ''Everybody here probably anticipated being in Philly. We had our chance at that. We would have to have won the game (Big East championship) last night. We didn't do it. Now we have to move on and take on a new challenge. We had our chance. I have confidence that if we won that game last night, we would have been in Philadelphia and we didn't. It's all part of the season on how you handle it.''


---


7:01 p.m.


Bubbles burst: Monmouth was left out despite wins against Notre Dame and Southern California. Unfortunately for the Hawks, wins against UCLA and Georgetown were not so impressive in the end.


Sharing the Atlantic 10 regular-season title did not get St. Bonaventure in the field.


South Carolina did not make it, despite starting 15-0 and finishing 24-8. The Gamecocks played a weak nonconference schedule. St. Mary's was the West Coast Conference regular-season winner and beat Gonzaga twice, but got left out.


Teams that surprisingly got in: Tulsa and Syracuse.


--


6:48 p.m.


A supposedly leaked official bracket was posted on Twitter during the CBS selection show. It ended up being 100 percent correct. It was nearly an hour later by the time the network had officially announced all the teams, with Syracuse getting in and Monmouth - and its entertaining bench players - missing out.


---


6:38 p.m.


Michigan is in. The Wolverines are going to the First Four to play Tulsa, with Notre Dame then waiting for the winner in Brooklyn.


Remember Florida Gulf Coast? The Eagles made a surprising run to the Sweet Sixteen in 2013 with then-coach Andy Enfield. They were Dunk City back then. FGCU won the Atlantic Sun again and will be in the First Four against Fairleigh Dickinson. The winner plays top seed North Carolina in the East.


---


6:22 p.m.


It would be a better bowl game, but Texas and Texas A&M are lined up to meet in the second round of the West Region in Oklahoma City. The former Big 12 rivals broke off their regular meetings in football and basketball when the Aggies left for the Southeastern Conference four years ago. The divorce was messy with plenty of lingering animosity.


Texas is a sixth seed that opens with Northern Iowa. A&M has Green Bay in the first round.


---


6:13 p.m.


Holy Cross, which won the Patriot League as the No. 9 seed and with an overall losing record, is headed to Dayton, Ohio - as expected. The Crusaders will face SWAC champion Southern in a First Four game with the winner getting Oregon in Spokane, Washington.


---


5:58 p.m.


Wichita State is in, but the Shockers will have to play an extra game. The perennial power out of the Missouri Valley Conference was one of those top seeds that didn't win their conference and was left to hope for an at-large bid.


Wichita State got it, but will start in Dayton, Ohio, in the First Four against Vanderbilt, another bubble team. Kentucky coach John Calipari touted his SEC rivals from Vandy, saying the Commodores were a tournament team when many thought they were not. Cal was right.


---


5:50 p.m.


The first controversy in the brackets came quickly. Oregon, which won the Pac-12 regular-season and tournament titles, took the one seed that many experts though could go to Michigan State. The Spartans and coach Tom Izzo have been a constant Final Four threat, but they didn't win the Big Ten regular season, just the tournament.


Two ACC teams - North Carolina and Virginia - on the one line could also be debated.


---


5:43 p.m.


The No. 1 seeds are: North Carolina in the East, Kansas in the South, Virginia in the Midwest and Oregon in the West.

 

[CNOTES]

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack


Six prominent basketball coaches who were student managers in college......


-- Lawrence Frank-- Assistant coach with the LA Clippers.


-- Buzz Williams-- Has Virginia Tech on rise in the ACC.


-- Will Wade, VCU-- His Rams play Oregon State in NCAAs.


-- Matt McCall, Chattanooga-- Worked for Billy Donovan for ten years.


-- Bruce Pearl-- Donned the BC Eagle costume for couple games in college.


-- Dan McHale, Eastern Kentucky-- Was a manager in college at Kentucky.


**********


Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Initial thoughts on the field of 68......


13) So Tulsa was the last team in, and whoever between Vandy-Wichita State wears the dark jersey was the second-to-last team in, which means that if SMU/Louisville weren't in trouble with the NCAA, those two teams would both be in the NIT.


12) No 16-seed has ever beaten a 1-seed and it ain't happening this year. Hampton is a 24-point underdog to Virginia; I saw the Pirates play in Las Vegas Dec 22, where they lost to a bad Nicholls State team, 84-81 (Nicholls was 11-23 this year). All the upsets in conference tournaments weakened the bottom of the bracket.


11) West Virginia vs Stephen F Austin-- Lumberjacks are only team in America that forces a higher %age of turnovers than West Virginia, but they do it more in half-court defense, not full-court. SFA is a veteran team, but Mountaineers will make them go a lot faster than they're used to going. West Virginia plays at an intensity level with lot of good players that you're not going to find in the Southland Conference.


10) College hoop has a long season; way back in November, Syracuse beat UConn, Texas A&M in the Bahamas- those two wins got them in thie NCAAs. Orange lost five of their last six games, they went 4-5 while their coach was suspended, but they are in and are facing a Dayton team that struggled the last few weeks.


9) Gonzaga-Seton Hall is a fascinating first round game; Zags only got in because they won the WCC tournament, while Seton Hall buzzed thru the Big East tourney-- this game is in Denver though, more Zags' territory than a Big East team.


8) Vanderbilt-Wichita State is a great play-in game; some of the people on TV came out and said the winner of that game would beat Arizona in the first round.


7) Pointspread that turned my head: Baylor -5.5 over Yale. Ivy League teams are 5-1 vs spread in the first round the last six years. Last time an Ivy team lost by more than nine points in first round of NCAAs was back in 2009.


6) Stony Brook is +13.5 vs Kentucky; since Vermont upset Syracuse in '05, America East teams are 0-10 in non-play-in games, 5-5 vs spread, covering last three years, but only one of those 10 losses was by less than 12 points. Oddly, Kentucky started this season against another America East team, the Albany Great Danes (78-65).


5) Not sure how Oregon State got a 7-seed; Tres Tinkle is hurt, they're +3.5 against VCU the 10-seed. The last six years, #7 seeds who are underdogs in first round are 3-0 against spread, with two SU upsets.


Go back to 1987, and 7-seed underdogs are 16-10-2 vs spread in the first round.


4) When Paul Hewitt coached at Siena, the Saints ran/pressed a lot; they made the NCAAs one year and drew Arkansas in the first round.


In Denver. High altitude, fast-paced teams, the game went over easily.


Now Iona of the MAAC is also heading to Denver, to play a veteran Iowa State team that isn't deep but is very good. Doug Gottlieb was babbling about the total going over about 20 seconds after he saw the brackets. No bueno.


3) USC lost seven of its last ten games, Providence won four of its last five games; how important is momentum heading into the tournament? Friars have two really good players who are surrounded by very young players. Can Andy Enfield recapture his magic with Florida Gulf Coast in 2013, when he beat the Big East's Georgetown?


2) UConn got a bad draw, time-wise; they're playing a Thursday afternoon game in Iowa vs Colorado, after they won the AAC tournament Sunday. Quick turnaround.


1) NC-Wilmington presses, they go up and down, they can get Duke in foul trouble and expose their lack of depth, but the Seahawks also played the #275 pre-conference schedule and lost to Georgetown by 5, their only top 100 non-conference game. Guys on TV totally overlooked this game, analyzed Duke-Baylor in second round instead.


Not so fast, my friend.

 

[CNOTES]

Oddsmakers weigh in on Round of 64's most intriguing games


Dick Vitale has now had time to vent his spleen over Monmouth not gaining entry into the NCAA Tournament. (For what it’s worth, I actually agree with him. I love watching Monmouth’s bench jockeys with all their scripted celebrations.) And all the usual suspects on TV and radio are now providing a crash course in bracketology.


But never mind all those folks. What do the sportsbook operators think about the bracket?


The tourney’s round of 64 is Thursday and Friday – two days that, if you can, you must find your way to Las Vegas in your lifetime – and Covers has a top-seeded trio weighing in on what they deem the most intriguing games.


So let’s get right to it, shall we?


JAY ROOD, vice president of race and sports, MGM-Mirage


Midwest Region


No. 6 Seton Hall vs. No. 11 Gonzaga (-2)


“It’s almost like they had the seeds backwards here,” Rood said. “The ceiling for Gonzaga is much higher. That’s one of the teams that’s a double-digit seed, though they shouldn’t be, that could go far in the tournament.”


No. 7 Dayton vs. No. 10 Syracuse (Pick)


“I’ve got to think a lot of people will look to Syracuse as the class of this matchup,” Rood said. “But Dayton is gonna be a dangerous opponent for anybody, especially in this first-round game.”


East Region


No. 4 Kentucky (-14) vs. No. 13 Stony Brook


“Kentucky was underseeded, but John Calipari should be used to that,” Rood said. “The selection committee kind of does that to him every year. So that’s a team looking to prove a point. They might look to punish their opponent.”


No. 8 Southern California vs. Providence (-2)


“That’s a great game, a really good game to book,” Rood said. “We’ll have action going both ways, with possibly a little lean to Providence. But Southern Cal’s a team that can be dangerous, especially if the Trojans get their outside shooting going.”


South Region


No. 4 California (-6.5) vs. No. 13 Hawaii


“That’s gonna be one I’m watching from start to finish if I can,” Rood said. “Cal is rounding into shape, and I like the way Hawaii plays. It could be a really exciting game, with a lot of live look-ins – a pure basketball junky kind of game.”


No. 10 Temple vs. No. 7 Iowa (-7)


“We’re gonna be rooting for the Owls,” Rood said. “The public will line up behind Iowa, but Temple is a team that can definitely give Iowa a battle.”


West Region


No. 2 Oklahoma (-13.5) vs. No. 15 Cal State-Bakersfield


“Oklahoma will be looking to put a hurting on Cal State-Bakersfield,” Rood said. “That game is one we’re gonna make sure we have a higher number on. I think Oklahoma has all the talent to win this tournament. So there’s a little motivation for Oklahoma to make sure they come out and set the tone right away.”




JASON SIMBAL, vice president of risk management, CG Technology


South Region


No. 8 Colorado vs. No. 9 Connecticut (-3.5)


“The number was consistent between all of us who made numbers,” said Simbal, whose operation oversees sportsbooks at the M, the Palms, the Venetian and more in Las Vegas. “The public is likely to be all over UConn here, which could swing the odds toward the Huskies and leave some value on Colorado.”


No. 4 California (-6.5) vs. No. 13 Hawaii


“This is an interesting matchup because a lot of people have high opinions on Cal making a run,” Simbal said. “However, this is a tough first round matchup for them.”


West Region


No. 5 Baylor (-5) vs. No. 12 Yale


“This is another instance of a 12 seed that has a good chance of winning outright,” Simbal said. “Yale is one of our higher-ranked teams going in and is only a 5 point underdog to Baylor.”


No. 7 Oregon State vs. No. 10 Virginia Commonwealth (-3.5)


“Clearly, the committee mis-seeded according to Vegas odds, with the 10 seed VCU opening as a 3.5-point favorite over the 7 seed,” Simbal said.


East Region


No. 3 West Virginia (-5) vs. No. 14 Stephen F. Austin


“Similar to Cal, West Virginia is a team that a lot of folks have high expectations of to make a run, and the Mountaineers got a very challenging first-round matchup as only 5-point favorites,” Simbal said. “Based on our power rankings, 13 is much too low of a seed for Stephen F. Austin.”


No. 8 Southern California vs No. 9 Providence (-1.5)


“This is a classic 8 vs. 9 matchup of two very even teams,” Simbal said. “This game should generate good two-way action.”


Midwest Region


No. 7 Dayton vs. No. 10 Syracuse (Pick)


“For a team that was a surprise to many to get in, Syracuse opened as a pick vs. a 25-win Dayton team,” Simbal said.


No. 6 Seton Hall (-1) vs. No. 11 Gonzaga


“This is a fun game,” Simbal said. “Seton Hall and Gonzaga have proved to be two very hot teams that are fun to watch. This game will attract good two-way action.”




SCOTT KAMINSKY, general manager, TheGreek.com


First off, a disclaimer: Kaminsky cares little for bracketology or seedings or anything that typically saturates the media following the release of the bracket. So he found four games that caught his attention, but for very different reasons.


East Region


No. 16 Florida Gulf Coast (-6) vs. No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson


Yep, it’s one of the First Four matchups – ostensibly a play-in game to the field of 64 – set for Tuesday. But that’s what Kaminsky contends is great about it.


“I like seeing teams that aren’t in the spotlight normally,” said Kaminsky, noting when he was a kid, his family had season tickets to St. Francis, Pa., basketball games, and at one, he sat behind the Fairleigh Dickinson bench and got to talk to one of the players.


“I like the Fairleigh Dickinsons and Florida Gulf Coasts of the world. These kids play all their lives, and practice as hard as the kids at North Carolina. Now, they bust their ass and have their one shining moment, their 15 minutes of fame. It’s nice to see teams like this shine, for whatever time they have in the tournament.”


No. 4 Kentucky (-14) vs. No. 13 Stony Brook


“This is Stony Brook’s first NCAA Tournament game ever, and it’s against the best team of the last three years,” Kaminsky said. “Nothing says Stony Brook can’t win the game, and everybody who’s not a Kentucky fan will be rooting for that to happen. A lot of people don’t like Kentucky’s one-and-done recruiting philosophy, and I don’t either.”


South Region


No. 2 Villanova (-16) vs. No. 15 North Carolina-Asheville


This one is strictly sentimental for Kaminsky, having nothing to do with basketball.


“A couple years ago, my wife and I decided to take a trip with my mom, who was 92 at the time, to Asheville,” said Kaminsky, whose mom is now 94. “We had a great time. It’ll be one of the last trips I had with my mom. So that game’s just gonna mean a lot to me.”


East Region


No. 3 West Virginia (-5) vs. No. 14 Stephen F. Austin


“I enjoy watching West Virginia because I like the full-court press,” Kaminsky said. “You don’t see that anymore – a team that does full-court press the whole game. That’s old school, something I used to do when I was a kid.”

 

[CNOTES]

A possible looking ahead game.....Points might be worth taking.....along with moneyline........Indiana has its sights on Kentucky......spells trouble.






7:10 PM EDT
737 TENN CHATTANOOGA 144.5 144.5 143 +600
738 INDIANA -11 -11 / -12 -05 / -11.5 -04 -11 -825

 

[CNOTES]

Hoosiers try to stay focused with Kentucky game looming
March 14, 2016

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Indiana fans have spent four years waiting for a rematch with Kentucky.

They might be about to get their wish.

If the fifth-seeded Hoosiers get past 12th-seeded Chattanooga and the SEC champion Wildcats beat No. 13 Stony Brook, the two border-state rivals would meet Saturday in Des Moines, Iowa. While the tantalizing second-round matchup between two of college basketball's blue-blood programs quickly stirred up conversations outside Assembly Hall, the topic was virtually off limits for almost anyone associated with the program.

''We are all focused on Chattanooga on Thursday,'' athletic director Fred Glass wrote in a text message to The Associated Press.

Most others in this basketball-rich state are looking ahead to a contest between two storied programs, which have combined for 13 national championships.

They've met 56 times since 1924 and played annually during the regular season from 1969 through 2011.

Most of those games through 1990 were played at campus sites. In 1991, school leaders moved the games to Indianapolis and Louisville, where they continued to play until alternating Lexington and Bloomington starting in 2006.

After Indiana fans stormed the court following a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to upset then-No. 1 Kentucky 73-72 in 2011, the two schools feuded over where to play. Kentucky wanted to go back to neutral sites. Indiana wanted to stay on campus.

When they couldn't find a solution, one of college basketball's most prestigious rivalries was over - until now.

The only other time they've played since then was in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. Kentucky won that one 102-90 on its way to John Calipari's first national title.

Now, if the seeds hold up in the East Region, they'll meet again.

''We're going to prepare for Chattanooga just like Kentucky, and I feel like when we get to that game, we'll be prepared for Kentucky,'' star guard Kevin ''Yogi'' Ferrell said. ''Right now, all we're focused on is Chattanooga.''

While the potential matchup almost immediately became a white hot topic around the state, there is plenty of additional fodder for basketball fans to debate.

Two-time national runner-up Butler (21-10) made it safely into the field as a No. 9 seed in the Midwest Region and will face Bob Knight's former school, eighth-seeded Texas Tech (19-12), on Thursday in Raleigh, North Carolina.

If the one-time tournament darlings make another postseason run, they could have a rematch with Big Ten tournament runner-up Purdue (26-8) in the Sweet 16. Butler won 74-68 in December.

The fifth-seeded Boilermakers face Sun Belt champion Little Rock (29-4) Thursday in Denver.

At Hinkle Fieldhouse, there were some anxious moments.

''When Selection Sunday comes, you're always going to be nervous,'' Butler senior Roosevelt Jones said. ''This is my third time getting in and I've been nervous every time. I didn't really worry about (where we would be) until after the Big East tourney was done. But I knew after Seton Hall won it that would help our resume.''

Notre Dame, the team that eliminated Butler last March, faces either Tulsa or football rival Michigan on Friday in Brooklyn, New York. The two No. 11 seeds square off Wednesday in Dayton, Ohio.

''We're thrilled to be in New York,'' coach Mike Brey said. ''It's a great Notre Dame town, a lot of great memories of our Big East days. It's the best time of year when you're in it. It's the worst time of year when you coach and you're not in it.''

And if the sixth-seeded Fighting Irish advance to Philadelphia for the Sweet 16, they could play the Kentucky-Indiana winner in a possible regional final.

But Indiana coach Tom Crean isn't looking that far ahead. Nor is his team, which won the Big Ten regular-season title.

''I think we're all going to focus on Chattanooga and I think that's the most important thing,'' Indiana coach Tom Crean said when asked about Kentucky. ''We're only guaranteed one game right now and that's against Chattanooga.''

 

[CNOTES]

CBB MONEYLINE


CBB > (519) JACKSON ST@ (520) SAM HOUSTON ST | 2016-03-14 19:30:00 - 2016-03-14 19:30:00
Play AGAINST JACKSON ST using money line in Road games in all tournament games
The record is 6 Wins and 12 Losses for the since 1992 (-21 units)


CBB > (519) JACKSON ST@ (520) SAM HOUSTON ST | 2016-03-14 19:30:00 - 2016-03-14 19:30:00
Play AGAINST JACKSON ST using money line in All games in all tournament games
The record is 6 Wins and 12 Losses for the since 1992 (-21 units)