Cnotes Top 25 College Basketball Previews For Saturday 02/18/16 !

[CNOTES]

Louisville dealing with more injuries
February 17, 2017


LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) Louisville is making a run at the Atlantic Coast Conference title despite its recent rash of injuries and suspensions.


The No. 8 Cardinals had just seven scholarship players during a loss at No. 14 Virginia 11 days ago and enter this weekend with guard Tony Hicks (hand) and forward V.J. King (thigh) sidelined. Having hoped to be at full strength by now, coach Rick Pitino believes the adversity has helped his squad.


''I think we're confident because of what we've been through,'' Pitino said on Friday.


Louisville (21-5, 9-4) is tied with No. 17 Florida State and No. 12 Duke for second place, with the trio one game behind first-place North Carolina. A Wednesday night showdown in Chapel Hill looms after Saturday's game against Virginia Tech (18-7, 7-6) in which the Cardinals will have to do more with less.


Hicks was expected to miss 4-6 weeks after breaking a bone in his right hand in a win at Pittsburgh but had progressed quickly enough that Pitino hoped to have the graduate transfer back for the Hokies. He'll miss two more weeks after X-rays Friday revealed the hand isn't fully healed.


King bruised his thigh in practice but is out only against the Hokies. The 6-foot-6 freshman scored a career-high 24 points in the 71-55 loss to the Cavaliers - a bright spot on a night that Louisville played with Hicks and starting point guard Quentin Snider (hip) sidelined by injury. Center/forward Mangok Mathiang and guard Deng Adel were suspended for that game for missing curfew.


Pitino said King's absence against the Hokies means an opportunity for little-used sophomore forward Jay Henderson to ''step up for this game. ... and hopefully he will.''


If Louisville's play while short-handed offered any hints, the Cardinals seem capable of filling the void.


After all, they went 4-2 without Snider, whose return last Saturday against Miami after nearly a month away restored continuity to the Cardinals' offense. During that time leading scorer Donovan Mitchell picked up the scoring slack and posted 57 points over two games.


With Mitchell on the bench after fouling out in regulation at Syracuse, redshirt freshman guard Ryan McMahon scored Louisville's first five points in OT and seven overall in the extra session to gut out a 76-72 win. Snider meanwhile has combined for 27 points and 10 assists the past two games - including six assists at Syracuse - while forward Jaylen Johnson has averaged 10 points and 7.5 rebounds over that stretch.


The Cardinals aim to keep chipping in against Virginia Tech, which has overcome double-digit, second-half deficits to defeat No. 12 Virginia and Pittsburgh this week.


Pitino said the challenge for Louisville's shorter bench is keeping the Hokies off the free-throw line better than last season's 91-83 victory in Blacksburg. Tech made 33 of 38 attempts in that last meeting, which the Cardinals offset with 52 percent shooting and scoring from nine of 10 players.


''They look to draw fouls on every play, and that's the thing that concerns you the most when you're down four scholarship players,'' said Pitino, figuring in two spots the program gave up last spring in self-imposed sanctions.


''Everybody has to be ready to contribute in this game.''

 

[CNOTES]

KU can control Big 12 with win at Baylor
February 17, 2017


LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) There's a very simple reason every rival coach picked Kansas to win the Big 12 this season: Only one of those coaches has been around when the Jayhawks failed to do it.


That was Baylor's Scott Drew. And it was well over a decade ago.


Now, the pressure is on Drew and his fourth-ranked Bears to beat third-ranked Kansas on Saturday because they are just about the only team left standing in the way of Kansas matching the UCLA teams of the 1960s and `70s by winning its 13th consecutive conference championship.


''Obviously Kansas is in first place,'' Drew said this week, ''and everybody wants to finish there, so when you're playing the team that's in first place, there's a little more excitement involved.''


The Jayhawks improved to 23-3 and 11-2 in the league with their dramatic overtime win over No. 9 West Virginia on Monday night, a game in which they rallied from 14 points down with less than three minutes to go to force extra time. The victory was impactful because it came just hours after the second-place Bears (22-4, 9-4) lost on the road to Texas Tech.


That means Kansas can take a three-game lead on its nearest rivals - Baylor and potentially West Virginia and Iowa State - with four games to play with a victory in Waco, Texas.


Or, the Bears can get back to within a game of the Jayhawks by defending the home court.


''It's huge. If Baylor is successful it's anyone's game,'' Kansas coach Bill Self said. ''If we were to play well down there and be fortunate to win, it would look like a pretty significant hill to climb for the others. But it's still a little too early to talk about the league race.''


In fact, Self said that won't even be a talking point this week.


''We have our hands full playing a top-five team on the road,'' he said. ''We don't have to make it more confusing by saying, `This is for the league race.' That will not be motivation for our guys.''


A better source of motivation may have been their first matchup in Lawrence.


The Bears leaned on star forward Johnathan Motley to build a six-point halftime lead, and were still knotted 64-all with 2:23 left in raucous Allen Fieldhouse. But after Many Lecomte's fall-away jumper brought Baylor to 70-68 with 51 seconds left, Ish Wainwright missed a 3-pointer badly on the team's next possession, and Kansas added one of two free throws to build a cushion.


The Bears had a chance to get off a potentially tying 3-pointer in the final seconds, but the Jayhawks buckled down on defense and forced a turnover, allowing them to put the game away.


''We'll definitely look at the last game,'' Drew said. ''What worked, what adjustments have to be made on what didn't work. ... We'll do all of that and hopefully be able, like every team, keep getting better, because this time of year you want to be at your best.''


Drew pointed out that the teams were remarkably even that night in Lawrence. Their field-goal percentages were nearly equal, rebounds were dead-even and both teams had 15 turnovers. The only real difference came at the foul line, where Kansas attempted 27 and Baylor had just six.


''We have to drive it more,'' he said. ''That's been our emphasis all week.''


An emphasis for Kansas might be getting off to a better start.


The Jayhawks' frantic rally against West Virginia was their latest come-from-behind special, following similar nip-and-tuck wins against Texas Tech and Kansas State, and a loss to Iowa State in which they blew a big lead early in a rare loss at the Phog.


''I don't know if it's a good thing that we're getting down, but it's a great thing that we're showing we can fight back in those situations,'' Kansas center Landen Lucas said. ''It's stressful. It's not ideally what we'd want. It'd be nice to get some easy wins, but it's good to have this learning process and show we can come back from double-digit deficits.''


As for the stakes at Baylor on Saturday?


''We do understand that this is a game we would like to win, obviously,'' Lucas said. ''With the way the Big 12 is, there are so many good teams and we don't want to open any doors. It's a big game for us. We're going down there with a free mind but keeping it very serious.''

 

[CNOTES]

Davis, Ole Miss back on NCAA bubble
February 17, 2017


OXFORD, Miss. (AP) Mississippi's Terence Davis has made the leap from solid role player to go-to scorer.


The 6-foot-4 sophomore's emergence is a big reason the Rebels find themselves in a familiar February position: Sliding around on the NCAA Tournament bubble, desperate for a few big wins to prove they're worthy of a spot in the Big Dance.


''We have put ourselves in this predicament many times,'' said Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy, who is in his 11th season with the Rebels. ''It's up to us to finish the season strong and we've got opportunities in front of us. We still control our own destiny.''


Ole Miss (16-10, 7-6 Southeastern Conference) is about to enter a crucial juncture of the season with two straight road games against Arkansas (19-7, 8-5) on Saturday and rival Mississippi State (14-11, 5-8) on Tuesday.


The Rebels probably need to win both to move into serious NCAA Tournament consideration. One win is absolutely mandatory.


''We're about as whole as we can be,'' Kennedy said. ''We understand our roles. The challenge is becoming more consistent.''


Davis will almost certainly have to play well for the Rebels to make the NCAA Tournament for a third time in five seasons. He started the season coming off the bench, but quickly moved into the starting lineup because of his knack for scoring.


Over the past week, his production has exploded with two straight career highs in scoring. He poured in 26 points against Auburn and 33 more against LSU while shooting a combined 24 of 35 (68.6 percent) from the field.


''Really, it all comes down to confidence,'' Davis said. ''You have to earn it. Right now you can tell (Kennedy) has that confidence in me and I'm confident in myself.''


Davis was a football and basketball star in high school in Southaven, Mississippi, which is only about an hour from the Ole Miss campus. He had scholarship offers to play both sports in college and only recently turned his full concentration to basketball.


A receiver during his football days, Davis flashes that speed and power on the basketball court, embracing contact and finishing at the rim against bigger defenders. He never seems to tire, endlessly bouncing around the court.


''He's as good as we've had during my time at finding his way to the basket and finishing,'' Kennedy said. ''I can't teach that. He has a gift. He's obviously athletic and he has a knack for contorting his body and finding angles to score.''


Now Davis is working on his decision making. The spectacular plays are still interspersed with frustrating ones, like the time against Memphis earlier this year when he passed up a simple dunk to try a 360 when the game was tied late in the second half.


Davis missed, but was fouled. He made the free throws and the Rebels went on to win the game.


Kennedy's eyes nearly popped out of his head when Davis went for the 360, adamant that it was a moment of dunk artistry that was unnecessary in a tight game. Davis knew immediately he had messed up.


''The next day I was at coach's office to talk with him,'' Davis said. ''He said that sometimes he forgets I'm just 19 years old. He just asked how I would have felt if I had missed the free throws and we had lost by one.


''And he's right, I would have been sick.''


For now, Kennedy will live with the occasional immature moments. Over the past few weeks, the good has far outweighed the bad.


''He's got a great motor,'' Kennedy said. ''And every great player I've ever been around has that same internal drive and fire.''

 

[CNOTES]

UVA-UNC highlight busy ACC weekend
February 17, 2017


A look at the upcoming week around the Atlantic Coast Conference:



GAME OF THE WEEKEND: No. 14 Virginia at No. 10 North Carolina. The schedule gets noticeably tougher for the first-place Tar Heels (22-5, 10-3), who first must face the Cavaliers (18-7, 8-5) in the ACC's only matchup of ranked teams this weekend. Then, North Carolina plays host to No. 8 Louisville (21-5, 9-4) on Wednesday night in the second game of a two-game stretch that will impact the league standings. The Tar Heels, who had an easy time against North Carolina State on Wednesday night, enter the weekend with a one-game lead on three teams - Florida State, Duke and Louisville. The Cavaliers figure to be desperate after losing to Virginia Tech and Duke earlier this week.


LOOKING AHEAD: No. 12 Duke at Syracuse. The Orange (16-11, 8-6) have been tough to beat in the Carrier Dome - their only ACC loss there came in overtime against Louisville on Monday night - and they've moved onto the NCAA Tournament bubble. They're catching the Blue Devils (21-5, 9-4) just as they seem to have caught their stride. With everybody - players and coach Mike Krzyzewski - healthy, Duke has won six in a row to move within striking distance of first-place UNC.


PLAYER TO WATCH: The growth shown by Duke freshman Jayson Tatum is a big reason why the Blue Devils have turned their season around. He's come a long way from the end-of-game turnover that sealed a home loss to North Carolina State. Tatum scored all 19 of his points in the second half of the victory over North Carolina, then scored 21 of his season-high 28 in the second half of a key road victory at Virginia that elevated the Blue Devils into that cluster of teams behind UNC. Krzyzewski said Tatum's second-half showing at Virginia was ''why we won, for crying out loud.''


INSIDE THE NUMBERS: The ACC's strength is reflected in the advanced metrics that have become more popular in evaluating teams and conferences. As of Thursday, six ACC teams rank in the top 21 in adjusted offensive efficiency - points per 100 possessions - as calculated by Ken Pomeroy. That's by far the most of any conference. Third-ranked North Carolina leads the way with 122.2, with Duke, Wake Forest, Notre Dame, Virginia and Florida State also appearing in the rankings.


ON THE WOMEN'S SIDE: With less than two weeks left in the regular season, the league's best teams are starting to separate themselves from the pack, with No. 4 Florida State having won 10 straight ACC games and No. 7 Notre Dame (seven), No. 13 Duke (five) and No. 15 N.C. State (three) all brought notable winning streaks into Thursday night's games. Those four teams are in position to claim the double byes in the league tournament, which begins March 1 in Conway, South Carolina.

 

[CNOTES]

UGA gets another chance at Kentucky
February 17, 2017


Here are a few things to watch in Southeastern Conference basketball this week:


GAME OF THE WEEK: No. 13 Kentucky at Georgia: After producing one of its best all-around performances in an 83-58 blowout of Tennessee, Kentucky goes on the road Saturday to face a Georgia team in desperate need of a signature victory. Georgia has suffered plenty of close losses to ranked foes this season, including an overtime defeat at Kentucky on Jan. 31. The Bulldogs also lost in overtime at No. 15 Florida and lost by two at No. 21 South Carolina. Georgia has won two straight, and a victory over Kentucky perhaps could get the Bulldogs back into consideration for an NCAA tournament bid.

LOOKING AHEAD: How will Arkansas handle prosperity? At a point in the season when other potential SEC bubble teams such as Tennessee and Auburn have hurt their NCAA Tournament cases, Arkansas made a strong argument that it deserves an invitation by winning Wednesday at South Carolina. Now the Razorbacks must build on that success. Arkansas seemed like a pretty decent bet to make the tournament a couple of weeks ago before losing back-to-back games against Missouri and Vanderbilt. Arkansas can't afford to slip up again as it prepares to host Mississippi on Saturday and Texas A&M on Wednesday. At this point, Arkansas looks like the best bet for the SEC to earn a fourth NCAA Tournament bid beyond Kentucky, Florida and South Carolina.


NUMBERS GAME Florida's 114-95 victory over Auburn on Tuesday marked the most points the Gators have ever scored in an SEC game. The Gators have won seven straight games, but must play the rest of the year without starting center John Egbunu, who tore the ACL in his left knee at Auburn. ... South Carolina's Sindarius Thornwell has scored at least 27 points in three straight games. He has a total of 99 points during that stretch. ... Kentucky has won its last 46 home games against unranked foes. ... Tennessee has led by at least 13 points in five of its last nine losses.


PLAYER TO WATCH: Ole Miss guard Terence Davis. The 6-foot-4 sophomore has emerged for the Rebels over the past few weeks as they try to push into NCAA Tournament at-large consideration. He's scored 26 and 33 points over his past two games, setting career highs both time, and leads Ole Miss with 16.2 points per game in SEC play.


ON THE WOMEN'S SIDE: No. 23 Texas A&M's Curtyce Knox leads all Division I players in assists per game and is on pace to have the most assists per game off any player in SEC history. Knox is averaging 9.5 assists. The SEC record is held by Martha Monk, who had 8.9 assists per game for Auburn in 1980-81. Knox is on pace for the most assists per game of any Division I player since Gonzaga's Courtney Vandersloot had 10.2 in 2010-11.

 

[CNOTES]

Only Buffs stand in way of perfect Oregon
February 17, 2017


EUGENE, Ore. -- Chris Boucher and Dylan Ennis will look to finish off a perfect record at Matthew Knight Arena.


The two Oregon seniors who arrived last year as transfers have helped the Ducks win all 34 games at home during the past two seasons heading into the home finale Saturday against Colorado.


"It would be a good story for me to say in the two years I played here, we never lost at home," said Boucher, a junior college transfer who is averaging 11.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.


The seventh-ranked Ducks are 16-0 at home this season to stretch the nation's longest active home winning streak to 41 games.


"Hopefully get a win and we go undefeated," said Ennis, who transferred last season from Villanova.


Oregon (23-4, 12-2 Pac-12) sits second in the conference, one game back of Arizona. The Ducks get a chance to avenge one of their losses when they host the Buffaloes, who beat Oregon 74-65 three weeks ago in Boulder, Colo.


"That game has been on our mind a lot," Oregon junior forward Jordan Bell said. "We did not play our best basketball. They were tougher than us and outhustled us. We don't want to end our season with a loss in our last home game."


Colorado made four 3-pointers in the first four minutes against Oregon and led almost wire-to-wire.


"We've got to start early, we can't give them open 3-pointers like last game," Oregon guard Payton Pritchard said. "They hit them, and it got their energy out of the roof, so you can't give any team open 3-pointers."


Oregon has won four of five games since that loss, including a 79-61 victory over Utah on Thursday. The Ducks shot 53.4 percent from the field. Dillon Brooks scored a team-high 20 points on 9-for-13 shooting.


Brooks leads five Ducks in double figures with an average of 15.1 points per game, while guard Tyler Dorsey has scored at least 16 in four straight games to raise his average to 13.2 points. Bell is averaging 11.1 points while leading the Ducks with 8.1 rebounds per game, and Ennis is scoring 10.8 points per game.


Oregon's last home loss was 80-62 against Arizona on Jan. 8, 2015.


"Everyone likes playing at home because obviously it helps with the crowd," Pritchard said. "We look forward to the last game here and hope we get the win."


Colorado (16-11, 6-8) lost its first seven conference games but has won six of its past seven to move into seventh place. Senior guard Derrick White had 20 points, four assists, three steals and two blocked shots on Thursday in the Buffaloes' 60-52 win at Oregon State.


"Derrick White made some big-time plays," Colorado coach Tad Boyle said. "Players make plays."


White leads the Buffaloes with averages of 17.1 points and 4.2 assists per game, while Xavier Johnson is contributing 14.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. George King averages 11.4 points and 7.1 rebounds, while Wesley Gordon gets a team-high 7.2 rebounds to go with 7.0 points.

 

[CNOTES]

Big 12 with 5 teams on NCAA bubble
February 17, 2017


The Atlantic Coast Conference had more teams in the NCAA Tournament selection committee's top 16 with four. The Big 12 had more teams near the top and could be right behind the ACC when the actual selections are made.


Through Thursday's games, the Big 12 had three teams that should be locks: No. 3 Kansas , No. 4 Baylor and No. 9 West Virginia .


The Jayhawks were picked as the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Regional, the Bears were No. 1 in the South and the Mountaineers fourth the West. Even with losses by Baylor and West Virginia this week, those teams should be in.


How many more teams make the field of 68 will depend on what happens over the next three weeks.


Oklahoma State (17-9, 6-7 Big 12) should be in good shape despite a losing conference record. The Cowboys knocked off fellow bubble team TCU, though lost to another Big 12 bubbler, Kansas State.


Oklahoma State's only nonconference losses were to North Carolina and Maryland, with victories over Connecticut and Georgetown on its resume.


Iowa State (16-9, 8-5) picked up a huge win by knocking off Kansas in Lawrence on Feb. 4 and put a dent in Kansas State's NCAA hopes with an 87-79 victory in Manhattan on Wednesday. The Cyclones have plenty of chances to boost their resume, starting with Saturday's game against fellow bubble team TCU.


Needing a win Wednesday night, the Frogs (17-9, 6-7) stumbled with a 71-68 loss to Oklahoma State. TCU still has chances to boost its resume with games against Iowa State, Kansas and West Virginia coming up, but can't afford any slip-ups against the lower-end Big 12 teams.


Kansas State (16-10, 5-8) missed a big chance with its loss to Iowa State, though it does have a road win over Baylor on its resume. The Wildcats don't have any more games against the Big 12's top three, so they have a chance to make a late-season run.


Texas Tech (17-9, 5-8) appeared to be headed toward the NIT at best just a week ago, but Monday night's win over Baylor provides bubble life. Road games against West Virginia, Oklahoma State and Kansas State could make the difference in the Red Raiders' season.


---


ON THE RISE


Michigan. The Wolverines (17-9, 7-6 Big Ten) had a good week last week by beating rival Michigan State at home and Indiana on the road. Michigan took a bigger step toward the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night by beating No. 11 Wisconsin . Minnesota, another Big Ten team on the bubble, is up next on Sunday.


Arkansas. In need of a resume-boosting win, the Razorbacks (19-7, 8-5 SEC) came through Wednesday night by knocking off No. 21 South Carolina in Columbia. A road win over a Top-25 team helps offset some of the slip-ups earlier in the season.


Seton Hall. The Pirates (16-9, 6-7 Big East) were on the wrong side of the ledger last week after losing to St. John's. A win over No. 23 Creighton puts them right back in the mix, with opportunities against No. 2 Villanova and No. 24 Butler coming up.


Illinois State. The Redbirds (22-5, 14-1 MVC) took a big hit with a 41-point loss to Wichita State. They've responded with four straight wins, including a one-point victory over Missouri State on Wednesday.


FADING HOPES


Rhode Island. Scoring 43 points in a loss to Fordham is not going to look good for Rhody (16-9, 8-5 A10), even with a win over current No. 18 Cincinnati on the resume.


Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets (15-11, 6-7 ACC) failed on a chance to boost their resume with Wednesday's loss to Miami , which played without JaQuan Newton. The ACC offers plenty of opportunities to pick up marquee wins, so there's still time.


Indiana. If the injury-ravaged Hoosiers (15-12, 5-9 Big Ten) had not already popped their NCAA bubble, three straight losses - including Wednesday to Minnesota - will likely finish them off.


Memphis. A surprising loss to Temple does not bode well for the Tigers (18-7, 9-4 AAC), who have two losses to teams outside the RPI top 100.

 

[CNOTES]

Villanova visits dangerous Seton Hall
February 17, 2017

NEWARK, N.J. -- Villanova is inching its way to becoming the first team in Big East history to win four straight regular-season titles.


With a win over Seton Hall (16-9, 6-7 Big East) on Saturday at the Prudential Center, the No. 2 Wildcats (25-2, 12-2 Big East) can distance themselves over No. 25 Butler (9-5), which is second. Each team has four regular-season games left, including a head-to-head contest Feb. 22.


Seton Hall is the only Big East team that defeated Villanova in each of the first three seasons since the conference was reconfigured in 2013-14. The Pirates knocked off Villanova in the finals of the conference tournament last season to get an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, but dropped a 76-46 decision -- their worst loss of the season -- at the Pavilion in January.


The defending national champion Wildcats clawed their way through the Big East. Coach Jay Wright's team defeated conference opponents by an average of 11 points while holding them to a league-low 64.3 points.


Villanova leads the Big East in free throw percentage (80.5), field goal percentage defense (41.3) and 3-point field goal defense percentage (30.5).


Josh Hart, a National Player of the Year candidate and the Big East Preseason Player of the Year, leads the conference in scoring at 18.7 points.


"Everyone thinks if you're a player of the year candidate, you've got to go out there and score 20 or 25," Hart told Philly.com. "I'm sorry to break it to some people, it's not the award for who scores the most. It's about going out there and being a Villanova basketball player, getting everyone involved."


The Pirates bid for a spot in the NCAA Tournament was kept alive with an 87-81 victory over No. 20 Creighton on Wednesday. Junior guard Khadeen Carrington erupted for a career-high 41 points, including all of Seton Hall's 10 points in the final 41 seconds.


It was the most points scored in a Big East conference game this season and tied for eighth-most on Seton Hall's all-time scoring list.


"These are the games I live for," Carrington said. "We're on the bubble and we need these wins."


The Wildcats will be at a disadvantage if big man Darryl Reynolds is unable to go or not at full strength because of the rib injury that has kept him out of the past two games. Reynolds is Villanova's best interior defender and best suited to slow down Seton Hall's Angel Delgado, who leads the nation in rebounding (13.2) and is second in double-doubles with 20.


Villanova utilized a six-man rotation in Reynolds' absence with four players averaging at least 30 minutes. Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard uses seven player, four of who average in double digit scoring.


Desi Rodriguez (16.5 points), Carrington (16.2) and Delgado (15.6) rank in the top nine in scoring in Big East play.

 

[CNOTES]

Saturday's Upset Alert
February 17, 2017


The college basketball regular season is winding down and while there will be many eyes on the Kansas/Baylor and Virginia/UNC games, it's tough to call either of those 'upsets' no matter who wins.


All four teams are highly ranked and close to one another in the rankings, so while they are important games to keep tabs on, they don't exactly qualify for this upset watch feature.


There are a few teams/games that do though so let's get right to it:


Game #1: #17 Florida State @ Pittsburgh


Florida State may be 21-5 SU and on the fast track to a quality seed in the NCAA Tournament, but they aren't playing their best basketball at the moment with a 3-3 SU and ATS record over their past six. Four of their five losses this year have come on the road in ACC play, but while the ACC may be stacked, it's not like Florida State has lost to the best of the best in that regard. They are coming off a 84-72 defeat @ Notre Dame earlier this week, and that goes along with double-digit losses @ Syracuse and @ Georgia Tech during this 3-3 SU stretch.


Pittsburgh may be below those three teams in the ACC standings (Panthers are 3-10 SU in conference play), but overall they've got a similar record to the likes of 'Cuse and G-Tech and are 10-5 SU at home this season. The two teams have yet to meet this year, but with Florida State 0-3 SU and ATS as a road favorite in conference play – and they will be road favorites here, it may be best to side with a feisty home underdog in Pitt.


Tip-off is set for 4:00 p.m. ET with ESPN2 providing national coverage.


Game #2: #19 SMU @ Houston


The 19th ranked team in the country had quite a scare on Wednesday night as they were down 15 points at home to a poor Tulane team. The Mustangs were 24-point home favorites pregame and it took a +20 point differential in the 2nd half to squeak out a five point win. Digging yourself a hole like that at home is one thing – especially against a bad team – but doing it on the road against a quality Houston squad that is trying to catch you in the AAC standings will likely be too much to overcome.


SMU's win over Tulane makes it nine in a row for the Mustangs, but they have not faired well on the road against quality competition all year. Losses @ Cincinnati, @ Boise State, and @ USC are black marks on their otherwise stellar resume, and they narrowly escaped a game @ Memphis (58-54) with a win. SMU did roll over this Houston team about a month ago (85-64) but they were simply shooting lights out that day. Percentages like 56.6% from the field, and 48.1% from three (13-for-27) aren't likely to be duplicated @ Houston.


The Cougars have also been rolling people of late with five straight wins – all by double digits – and with revenge on their minds, and a 10-3 SU record at home , don't be surprised if Houston hangs around long enough this time around to steal it at the end.


ESPN2 will provide national coverage at 6:00 p.m. ET.


Game #3: #22 Saint Mary's @ BYU


Saint Mary's came up short in their bid to give Gonzaga their first loss of the year last week and now the Gaels are basically left to play out the string and be content with another 2nd place regular season in the WCC. Unlike the other teams on this list, the Gaels are actually very good on the road with a 8-1 SU record but it also speaks to just how bad the majority of programs are in the WCC. BYU is not one of those though and the Cougars 13-2 SU record at home and thirst for revenge after losing 81-68 in the first meeting with the Gaels could help them put a little pressure on Saint Mary's for that 2nd spot.


BYU has been far from consistent this year but when they get things rolling they are tough to stop. That first meeting was particularly ugly because they allowed the Gaels to hit 55.4% of their shots from the floor and gain a 10-5 edge in three's made. Those margins were more than enough for Saint Mary's to never truly be threatened, but with little motivation left until the Conference tournament arrives, the Gaels could end up getting caught in a spot like this.


ESPN2 will feature this game nationally at 10:00 p.m. ET.

 

[CNOTES]

Saturday's Tip Sheet
February 17, 2017



**Virginia at North Carolina**


-- North Carolina is atop the ACC standings with a one-game lead over a trio of teams who are 9-4 in league play. Virginia is 8-5 in ACC action, leaving it in sixth place and two games back of UNC. These teams offer each other vastly different styles. UNC loves to push the pace, ranking sixth in the nation in scoring (87.7 points per game), and hits the offensive boards hard. UVA leads the country in scoring defense (55.5 PPG) and is second in defensive rebounding.


-- North Carolina (22-5 straight up, 13-12-1 against the spread) is unbeaten in 13 home games with an 8-4 spread record. UNC is No. 5 in the RPI Rankings, No. 10 in the Associated Press’s poll and No. 10 at KenPom.com. The Tar Heels are 2-2 against the Top 25, 7-3 versus the Top 50 and 12-5 against the Top 100. They own notable home wins over Tennessee, FSU, Va. Tech, Notre Dame, Monmouth, Chattanooga, Syracuse and Pittsburgh. Also, Carolina has won at Wake Forest and at Clemson, in addition to neutral-court victories over Oklahoma State and Wisconsin.


-- As of late Friday afternoon, several offshore shops had North Carolina listed as a 3.5-point favorite.


-- Roy Williams’s team bounced back from last Thursday’s loss at Duke by thumping N.C. State by a 97-73 count Wednesday as an 11-point road favorite. The second beatdown of the Wolfpack this season prompted the school to dismiss sixth-year head coach Mark Gottfried. Joel Berry II was the catalyst with 18 points, three rebounds, three steals and six assists compared to merely one turnover. Berry drained 4-of-8 launches from 3-point land. Kennedy Meeks added 17 points and eight rebounds, while Justin Jackson finished with 14 points.


-- The spread cover at N.C. State ended a four-game ATS slide for UNC. The Tar Heels have taken their defeats at Ga. Tech, at Indiana, at Miami, at Duke and vs. Kentucky on a neutral floor.


-- Jackson is scoring at a team-high 18.5 points-per-game clip. The junior forward is also averaging 4.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game while hitting 38.9 percent of his 3-balls. Berry (15.0 PPG) has a 101/53 assists-to-turnovers ratio with a team-best 38 steals. He has buried 41.9 percent of his attempts from 3-point land and 85.5 percent of his free throws. Isaiah Hicks is averaging 12.6 points and 5.4 RPG, while Meeks is averaging 12.6 points and 9.2 RPG with a team-high 24 blocked shots.


-- Virginia (18-7 SU, 14-9 ATS) has won six of 10 road assignments while posting a 7-3 spread record. The Cavaliers have been underdogs three times this year (all on the road), producing a 3-0 spread record with a pair of outright victories at Louisville and at Notre Dame.


-- Virginia has lost back-to-back games and three of its last four both SU and ATS. The Cavs are off of Wednesday’s 65-55 loss to Duke as five-point home favorites. They couldn’t buy a bucket, shooting 36.8 percent from the field and 25.0 percent from downtown. London Perrantes scored a team-best 14 points, but he had more turnovers (three) than assists (two) and went 4-of-11 from the field and 1-of-5 from long distance. Ty Jerome (13 points) was the only other UVA player in double figures.


-- UVA is No. 14 in both the RPI and the AP Top 25. The Cavs are 3-3 against Top-25 opponents, 6-5 versus the Top 50 and 10-7 against the Top 100. They have notable wins at Notre Dame, at Louisville, at California and at Clemson. In addition, UVA has home wins vs. Ohio State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest, in addition to a neutral-court win over Providence.


-- Tony Bennett’s squad lost by two at Villanova (61-59), at Va. Tech (80-78) and vs. FSU (60-58). The Cavs’ other defeats came at Syracuse, at Pitt, vs. West Va. and vs. Duke.


-- Perrantes averages team-highs in scoring (12.6 PPG) and assists (3.8 APG). Isaiah Wilkins (7.5 PPG) paces the Cavs in rebounding (6.4 RPG), steals (1.1 SPG) and blocked shots (1.4 BPG).


-- These teams have split the season series in back-to-back years. UNC won 61-57 as a 2.5-point ‘chalk’ at the ACC Tournament last year, but UVA won a 79-74 decision as a 2.5-point home favorite in Charlottesville.


-- UNC learned this week that sophomore guard Kenny Williams will need season-ending knee surgery. Williams had played in the team’s first 26 games, averaging 6.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. He had a 56/30 assists-to-turnovers ratio, 23 steals and eight blocked shots.


-- The ‘under’ is 14-10-1 overall for UNC, 9-3 in its home outings. The ‘under’ is 4-1-1 in the Tar Heels’ last six games (regardless of the venue).


-- The ‘under’ is 14-8-1 overall for UVA, 6-3-1 in their 10 road contests. The Cavs have seen the ‘under’ cash at a 6-2-1 clip in their last nine games.


-- Tip-off is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

**Southern Cal at UCLA**


-- Andy Enfield and Steve Alford arrived at USC and UCLA, respectively, at the same time and are both in their fourth seasons at the schools. Enfield parlayed taking a No. 15 seed (Florida Gulf Coast) to the Sweet 16 for the first time in NCAA Tournament history into a marquee job, while Alford made the move after a successful stay at New Mexico that came on the heels of a disappointing tenure at Iowa. Both coaches went after each other in recruiting and marketing of their respective programs, establishing an immediate rivalry. Enfield used the popularity built by his ‘Dunk City’ FGC squad to put an emphasis on a fun, high-flying style he planned to implement at USC. However, in the first five head-to-head meetings between Alford and Enfield, UCLA won each time by lopsided margins of 34, 10, 17, 11 and 26 points.


-- The momentum from those first five wins for Alford over UCLA’s most bitter rival was halted at Pauley Pavilion on Jan. 13 of last season when USC captured an 89-75 win as a 2.5-point road underdog. Since then, the Trojans have won three more over UCLA both SU and ATS. They won an 80-61 decision over the Bruins at home last year, and then pulled a hat trick with a 95-71 demolition at the Pac-12 Tournament.


-- These teams met on Jan. 25 with USC winning by an 84-76 count as a seven-point home underdog. The 160 combined points stayed ‘under’ the 170-point tally. USC’s Shaqquan Aaron exploded for 23 points from off the bench, knocking down 4-of-9 launches from beyond the arc. De’Anthony Melton, a freshman guard, stuffed the box score with 13 points, nine rebounds, four steals, one block and five assists without a turnover. Elijah Stewart added 15 points, four boards, four assists, three steals and a pair of rejections. Chimezie Metu contributed 13 points, seven rebounds and two blocks, while Jordan McLaughlin finished with 10 points and eight assists. In the losing effort, Isaac Hamilton paced UCLA with 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the floor. Lonzo Ball had 15 points, 10 boards and four assists, but he coughed up seven turnovers. Aaron Holiday chipped in 15 points, while Thomas Welsh had 13 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three blocks.


-- As of late Friday afternoon, several offshore books had UCLA (23-3 SU, 13-13 ATS) installed as an 11-point home favorite.


-- UCLA has won 13 of 14 home games but is just 6-8 ATS at Pauley. The Bruins have compiled a 5-6 spread record in 11 games as double-digit favorites this season.


-- UCLA is No. 6 in the AP Top 25 and No. 22 in the RPI. The Bruins are 2-2 against the RPI Top 25, 3-3 versus the Top 50 and 8-3 against the Top 100. Their three defeats: at Oregon (89-87), at USC and vs. Arizona. Alford’s team has home wins over California, Oregon, Michigan and Stanford, while also collecting neutral-court victories vs. Nebraska, Texas A&M and Ohio State. The Bruins also have wins at Utah, at Colorado and, most importantly, at Kentucky.


-- Since covering the number in nine straight games, UCLA has limped to a 3-11 ATS mark in its last 14 games. However, the Bruins bring a four-game winning streak into Saturday’s showdown against USC, although they’re just 1-3 ATS in those four victories. They’re off home wins over Oregon and Oregon State last Thursday and Sunday. In the 82-79 win over the Ducks as four-point home ‘chalk,’ the Bruins were led by Ball’s 15 points and 11 rebounds, including an audacious step-back 3-ball from nearly 30 feet out at crunch time. Holiday shared a team-best scoring honors with 15 points as well.


-- UCLA knocked off Oregon State last Sunday 78-60 as a 25-point home favorite. Ball tallied 22 points, seven rebounds and nine assists compared to only one turnover. T.J. Leaf added 15 points, nine boards and two blocks.


-- Ball is a candidate for Pac-12 Player of the Year honors and is certainly in the mix to be an All-American. The freshman point guard has a 198/65 assists-to-turnovers ratio. Ball (15.4 PPG) leads the team in assists (7.6 APG) and steals (1.8 SPG), in addition to pulling down 6.1 RPG. He is shooting at an incredible – for a guard -- 54.9 percent clip from the field. Also, Ball’s passing off of his dribble penetration has helped Bryce Alford shoot at career-best percentages. Alford (15.8 PPG) is draining 45.6 percent of his launches from downtown and has a 63/30 assists-to-turnovers ratio. Leaf is averaging team-highs in scoring (16.7 PPG), rebounding (8.8 RPG) and field-goal percentage (63.0%).


-- UCLA leads the country in scoring (91.9 PPG), field-goal percentage (53.3%) and 3-point shooting (41.8%).


-- USC (21-5 SU, 13-12 ATS) has won six of its eight road games while posting a 5-3 spread record. The Trojans have been road underdogs four times, compiling a 2-2 record both SU and ATS with outright wins at Colorado and at Texas A&M.


-- USC saw its five-game winning streak (and 4-0 ATS roll) snapped in last Saturday’s 81-70 loss vs. Oregon as a 3.5-point home underdog. The 151 combined points elevated ‘over’ the 146-point total. McLaughlin struggled in the loss, committing more turnovers (five) compared to his assists (four). He was held to six points on 2-of-7 shooting from the field. Metu scored a team-high 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the floor and also contributed four rebounds and three assists. Bennie Boatwright and Stewart finished with 15 points apiece.


-- USC is No. 32 in the RPI, going 2-3 against the Top 25, 2-4 versus the Top 50 and 4-5 against the Top 100. Three of the Trojans’ five losses have come against RPI Top-10 foes like Oregon (twice; RPI: 7) and Arizona RPI: 9). Their other losses came at home vs. California and at Utah. USC’s best wins include home scalps of SMU, UCLA and Stanford, in addition to a neutral-court triumph vs. BYU and a road win at Texas A&M. The Trojans also have quasi-decent victories at Colorado at vs. Wyoming on a neutral floor.


-- Metu is averaging team-highs in scoring (14.2 PPG), rebounding (7.4 RPG), field-goal percentage (54.4%) and blocked shots (1.6 BPG). After missing all of December and January with an injury, Boatwright has scored 23, 13, 16 and 15 points in the four games he’s played in since returning. Boatwright (13.4 PPG) and Stewart (13.8 PPG) are joined by McLaughlin (12.9 PPG) as USC’s other double-figure scorers. McLaughlin averages 5.1 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.


-- The ‘over’ is 13-11-2 overall for the Bruins, 8-5-1 in their home games. However, they’ve seen the ‘under’ cash in three straight games and four of their last five.


-- Totals have been an overall wash (12-12) for the Trojans, but they’ve watched the ‘under’ connect at a 6-2 rate in their road assignments. With that said, the ‘over’ has hit in three consecutive games for USC.


-- The ‘over’ is on a 7-2 roll in the last nine head-to-head meetings between these old-school L.A. rivals.


-- The Pac-12 Network will have the telecast at 10:00 p.m. Eastern.


**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

-- Florida was dealt a crushing blow Wednesday when John Egbunu’s MRI results showed a torn ACL that will sideline him for the rest of the season. The junior center is expected to face a 10-12 month recovery time. Egbunu’s stats (7.8 PPG, 6.5 RPG and 1.4 BPG) don’t do justice to the impact he makes for the Gators, who will take a seven-game winning streak into Starkville on Saturday to face Mississippi State. Egbunu’s size and physicality is similar to Patric Young, who helped UF to the Final Four three seasons ago by controlling the paint with his bruising style of play. I still see the Gators as a likely Sweet 16 team, but Egbunu gave them an elite rim protector and a defensive presence that would trouble the best of the nation’s big men. Without Egbunu, it’ll be tough for Mike White’s team to win six games in March because when Kevarrius Hayes gets into foul trouble, the Gators will have issues with their interior defense.


-- Florida is 6-1 ATS during its seven-game winning streak. The opening numbers offshore had UF favored by 10.5 at Mississippi State. The Bulldogs own a 4-0 spread record with a pair of outright victories in their four games as home underdogs during Ben Howland’s second season. They’ll be looking to end a six-game losing streak against the Gators in this head-to-head rivalry. Tip-off at The Hump is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.


-- Miami will be without JaQuan Newton for the second straight time Saturday as he serves a three-game suspension. The Hurricanes will play host to Clemson at noon Eastern on the ACC Network. They won but failed to cover without Newton in Wednesday’s home win over Ga. Tech. Newton averages 15.0 PPG and has handed out a team-best 3.8 APG.


-- Louisville will meet Virginia Tech at KFC Yum! Center at 1:00 p.m. Eastern on the ACC Network. The Cardinals will be without V.J. King (thigh bruise) and Tony Hicks (hand), who is going to be out for two more weeks. King is averaging 6.7 points and 2.3 rebounds per game, while Hicks is averaging 4.6 PPG. Rick Pitino’s team is 10-3 ATS at home and has seen the ‘under’ go 9-4.


-- Texas A&M’s D.J. Hogg will miss the remainder of the season with a foot injury. Hogg has tried to play through the injury since he sustained it on Jan. 21. He was averaging 12.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game.


-- In the wake of Mark Gottfried’s dismissal as N.C. State’s head coach Thursday, immediate speculation about his potential replacement centered on alum Archie Miller, who is in his sixth season at Dayton, a team that appears destined to go to a fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament. Miller addressed the media about the situation Thursday, saying, “I went to N.C. State. Played there, had a great experience. So many of those people have helped me along the way. As everyone else, you get into real life. And as you get into real life, you move along your own path. And that’s sort of where I’m at now.”


-- Oklahoma has had a nightmare season, one that went even further south with Jordan Woodard’s season-ending injury last week, but it received some great news Wednesday when five-star point guard Trae Young verbally committed to OU. He chose the Sooners over Kansas.