POSTS 4-4 -6.00 UNITS
Here are tonights selections. Let me know what you think.
5 Units Drexel +6 -104
Battle of the guard play in Penn. Drexel coach James “Bruiser” Flint has a strong core of young talent, especially in the backcourt with 6’-1” junior Phil Goss (11 ppg), 6’-2” junior Jeremiah King (7.0 ppg) and 6’-6” senior Tim Whitworth. The Dragons were 11-7 SU/9-6 ATS on the road last season and match up evenly with Penn. The frontcourt remains thin and Drexel plays good defense. Drexel likes the three-pointer and is a strong free throw shooting team (68% last season), which helped on the late ATS covers. Penn coach Fran Dunphy lost his dominant center, so a large part of the scoring will fall upon 6’-6” senior wing player Jeff Schiffner (11.4 ppg, .493 3-Ps), a very good long-range threat who led the nation in three-point percentage. 6’-5” starting guard Tim Begley (6.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.9 apg) is reliable in this guard-oriented offense. Looks like a close, defensive game tonight.
5 Units Northern Illinois +14.5 -107
Tough spot for a very good Northern Illinois Huskies team (17-14 SU, 18-11-1 ATS last season). They don’t have a lot of height, which will hurt here, but play a good finesse style behind 6’-4” senior guard P.J. Smith (14 points per game) and 6-6” senior Marcus Smallwood (13.5 ppg, 10 rpg). Northern Illinois was a remarkable 9-6 SU & 10-3-1 ATS on the road last year!!! For the Irish, playmaker Chris Thomas (18.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 6.9 apg) is returning, and is one of those players who makes everyone on the floor better 6’-10” sophomore forward Torin Francis (11.1 ppg, 8.4 rpg) will command the boards this game and the Fighting Irish were 24-10 SU last season and 14-6-1 OVER the total as they like to run and gun.
5 Units Richmond -2 -109
Guardians Classic from Kansas City Missouri, so it's a road game for both teams. The Richmond Spiders (2-0) have played two creampuff games and this will be thier first real test. San Francisco matches up about evenly with Richmond. Richmond has 6'-6" senior Mike Skrocki and 6'-4" senior G Tony Dobbins as strong scoring leaders, but the Spiders were a poor 8-19 ATS last season and struggled on the road. San Fran can score, too, with four seniors back led by 6’-5” senior John Cox (18.9 ppg last season). SF was just (5-9 SU/9-5 ATS) on the road. San Fran is off a nice 76-65 home win over Ohio State, but they are 0-2 on the road this season with losses at Tennessee Martin and Southwest Missouri State, where the offense has struggled badly.
5 Units San Diego State +5 -104
First road game for an SDSU (1-0) squad that is off a 74-44 rout of Long Beach State. SDSU is a tall, deep team with a strong frontcourt of 6’-8” senior Aerick Sanders, 6’-9” junior Chris Walton and 6’-8” freshman Marcus Slaughter. Slaughter had 19 points against Long Beach. The backcourt if also strong with 6’-0” junior Wesley Stokes and guard Brandon Heath and SDSU was 5-8 SU/7-6 ATS on the road last season. Rebuilding Ohio State has already played a road game, but they'd like to forget it: A 76-65 loss at San Francisco, where they missed 14 free throws (46%)! They do have a good low post player in sophomore Terrance Dials and 6'-5" sohomore J.J. Sullinger (24 points in the opener). But the defense was poor as San Fran shot 47%, and that poor 'D' will hurt against a strong SDSU squad.
5 Units Denver U +20 +101
Don't laugh -- this might be a competitive matchup. Gonzaga is clearly one of the best teams in the West, but little-known Denver made a big jump last year because of a terrific frontcourt and some stellar defense. It won't be easy to hang with Gonzaga, but the Denver Pioneers (17-15 last year) have their strong frontcourt back anchored by 6-9” 260-lb senior Brett Starkey (12 ppg, 9.7 boards pg) and 6’-8” senior "Ziggy" Zupic (5 rpg). The backcourt is also good, with 5’-10” Rodney Billups, the younger brother of the Detroit Pistons’ Chauncey Billups. Denver was just 5-10 SU/8-7 ATS on the road, however, and Gonzaga is strong at home. The Zags have 6’-4” senior Blake Stepp (20 ppg) in the backcourt and a strong front line of 6’-8”, 250-pound senior Cory Violette and 6’-9”, 230-pound junior Ronny Turiaf. Turiaf had a big game on Friday with 18 points, 9 boards in an 84-63 rout at home of Idaho. Gonzaga will win again, but Denver is no pushover like Idaho.
5 Units Hawaii -5.5 -109
Which means it's a home game for Hawaii here, and they were 15-1 SU/8-6-2 ATS at home on the Big Island last year. The Santa Clara Broncos are a guard-oriented team that went 5-8 SU/5-7 ATS on the road. But the Broncos lack a big man inside, and that will hurt here. Hawaii has 6’-10” senior Haim Shimonovich (10 ppg, 7 rpg) up front and he is also a very good passer from the post (2.5 apg last season). Hawaii has more height and depth and the all-important home court!!!
Good luck tonight my friends
ALLSTAR
Here are tonights selections. Let me know what you think.
5 Units Drexel +6 -104
Battle of the guard play in Penn. Drexel coach James “Bruiser” Flint has a strong core of young talent, especially in the backcourt with 6’-1” junior Phil Goss (11 ppg), 6’-2” junior Jeremiah King (7.0 ppg) and 6’-6” senior Tim Whitworth. The Dragons were 11-7 SU/9-6 ATS on the road last season and match up evenly with Penn. The frontcourt remains thin and Drexel plays good defense. Drexel likes the three-pointer and is a strong free throw shooting team (68% last season), which helped on the late ATS covers. Penn coach Fran Dunphy lost his dominant center, so a large part of the scoring will fall upon 6’-6” senior wing player Jeff Schiffner (11.4 ppg, .493 3-Ps), a very good long-range threat who led the nation in three-point percentage. 6’-5” starting guard Tim Begley (6.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.9 apg) is reliable in this guard-oriented offense. Looks like a close, defensive game tonight.
5 Units Northern Illinois +14.5 -107
Tough spot for a very good Northern Illinois Huskies team (17-14 SU, 18-11-1 ATS last season). They don’t have a lot of height, which will hurt here, but play a good finesse style behind 6’-4” senior guard P.J. Smith (14 points per game) and 6-6” senior Marcus Smallwood (13.5 ppg, 10 rpg). Northern Illinois was a remarkable 9-6 SU & 10-3-1 ATS on the road last year!!! For the Irish, playmaker Chris Thomas (18.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 6.9 apg) is returning, and is one of those players who makes everyone on the floor better 6’-10” sophomore forward Torin Francis (11.1 ppg, 8.4 rpg) will command the boards this game and the Fighting Irish were 24-10 SU last season and 14-6-1 OVER the total as they like to run and gun.
5 Units Richmond -2 -109
Guardians Classic from Kansas City Missouri, so it's a road game for both teams. The Richmond Spiders (2-0) have played two creampuff games and this will be thier first real test. San Francisco matches up about evenly with Richmond. Richmond has 6'-6" senior Mike Skrocki and 6'-4" senior G Tony Dobbins as strong scoring leaders, but the Spiders were a poor 8-19 ATS last season and struggled on the road. San Fran can score, too, with four seniors back led by 6’-5” senior John Cox (18.9 ppg last season). SF was just (5-9 SU/9-5 ATS) on the road. San Fran is off a nice 76-65 home win over Ohio State, but they are 0-2 on the road this season with losses at Tennessee Martin and Southwest Missouri State, where the offense has struggled badly.
5 Units San Diego State +5 -104
First road game for an SDSU (1-0) squad that is off a 74-44 rout of Long Beach State. SDSU is a tall, deep team with a strong frontcourt of 6’-8” senior Aerick Sanders, 6’-9” junior Chris Walton and 6’-8” freshman Marcus Slaughter. Slaughter had 19 points against Long Beach. The backcourt if also strong with 6’-0” junior Wesley Stokes and guard Brandon Heath and SDSU was 5-8 SU/7-6 ATS on the road last season. Rebuilding Ohio State has already played a road game, but they'd like to forget it: A 76-65 loss at San Francisco, where they missed 14 free throws (46%)! They do have a good low post player in sophomore Terrance Dials and 6'-5" sohomore J.J. Sullinger (24 points in the opener). But the defense was poor as San Fran shot 47%, and that poor 'D' will hurt against a strong SDSU squad.
5 Units Denver U +20 +101
Don't laugh -- this might be a competitive matchup. Gonzaga is clearly one of the best teams in the West, but little-known Denver made a big jump last year because of a terrific frontcourt and some stellar defense. It won't be easy to hang with Gonzaga, but the Denver Pioneers (17-15 last year) have their strong frontcourt back anchored by 6-9” 260-lb senior Brett Starkey (12 ppg, 9.7 boards pg) and 6’-8” senior "Ziggy" Zupic (5 rpg). The backcourt is also good, with 5’-10” Rodney Billups, the younger brother of the Detroit Pistons’ Chauncey Billups. Denver was just 5-10 SU/8-7 ATS on the road, however, and Gonzaga is strong at home. The Zags have 6’-4” senior Blake Stepp (20 ppg) in the backcourt and a strong front line of 6’-8”, 250-pound senior Cory Violette and 6’-9”, 230-pound junior Ronny Turiaf. Turiaf had a big game on Friday with 18 points, 9 boards in an 84-63 rout at home of Idaho. Gonzaga will win again, but Denver is no pushover like Idaho.
5 Units Hawaii -5.5 -109
Which means it's a home game for Hawaii here, and they were 15-1 SU/8-6-2 ATS at home on the Big Island last year. The Santa Clara Broncos are a guard-oriented team that went 5-8 SU/5-7 ATS on the road. But the Broncos lack a big man inside, and that will hurt here. Hawaii has 6’-10” senior Haim Shimonovich (10 ppg, 7 rpg) up front and he is also a very good passer from the post (2.5 apg last season). Hawaii has more height and depth and the all-important home court!!!
Good luck tonight my friends
ALLSTAR
