THE GOLD SHEET
KEY RELEASES
ST. BONAVENTURE by 11 over Duquesne (Sat., Jan. 10, Day)
ARKANSAS by 19 over Mississippi St. (Sat., Jan. 10)
SATURDAY, JANUARY 10 Day Games
MARYLAND 74 - Georgia Tech 72—Since GT clearly owns the superior
inside attack, featuring blossoming 6-8 soph F Lawal (17 pp, 10 rpg) and 6-10 sr.
F Aminu (13 ppg, 9 rpg), points worth considering vs. G-oriented Maryland.
Terps just 7-10 vs. spread L1+Ys at Comcast Center, while Engineers 5-2 vs.
spread last 7 on ACC trail. GT’s unflappable frosh 6-4 PG Shumpert (13 ppg, 6
apg) has done marvelous job replacing injured soph playmaker Miller, who is
expected back soon (check status). 07-Mary +3' 88-86
MARQUETTE 67 - West Virginia 66—In this early Big East crucial, don’t
mind taking a couple of hoops with tough-minded, strong-boarding WV (+10
rpg), whose constant pressure defense (just 58 ppg allowed) could have a
wearing effect on depth-shy Marquette. Mounties outspoken HC Huggins, who
loves his squad (describes them as “no-maintenance”), has a team well-equipped
to overcome any deficit behind accurate gunners Gs Ruoff, Bryant & F Butler
(combined 44 ppg; all three hitting better than 38% beyond arc.). 07-WVA -3 79-64
VA. COMMONWEALTH 77 - Hofstra 59—Expect narrow Jan. 3 road loss at
Delaware to serve as wake-up call for VCU bunch that should at least feel comfy
again back at Siegel Center, where it won first 6 TY thru Jan. 4. Meanwhile,
Tom Pecora still searching for some consistent scoring help as Pride tries to
replace firepower of graduated G Agudio. Rams’ star G Maynor (23.6 ppg) by
far the most-explosive threat on floor. 07-VCU -15' 59-49, Vcu -6 82-65
Tennessee 73 - GEORGIA 69—Sure, UGA has been inconsistent in early
going. But with veteran 6-7 swingman Woodbury (12 ppg) back from ankle
injury & slinky 6-8, 225 frosh F Thompkins (13 ppg, 6 rpg, 52% from arc) able
to score inside and out, decent points could work vs. unfinished UT, which is
coming off two physical wars—at defending champ Kansas and revenge match
vs. Gonzaga. Vols just 3-7 as visiting chalk last 1+Ys (0-2 TY). 07-TEN -13' 85-
69, Ten -8 74-71
CLEMSON 82 - North Carolina St. 76—Though Clemson off to a hot 14-0
start, interested in taking roomy number with capable, healthier NCS, which
held late leads before narrowly succumbing in its only 3 defeats vs. Big Dancecaliber
Davidson, Marquette & Florida TY. NCS’s 6-9 F McCauley (15 ppg, 8
rpg; just 6 ppg, 4 rpg LY) has returned to form after being M.I.A. year ago.
Wolfpack well-prepared for Tiger pressure after facing Florida’s array of
presses in previous game. 07-CLEM -12 70-54, Clem -6 71-64
VILLANOVA 72 - Louisville 65—Since it appears “peeved Pitino” could use
some help from Dr. Phil to help motivate a number of Cardinal veterans who’ve
been “coasting” (says Rick) on underperforming L’ville, favor revenge-mined
‘Nova, which generated only 54 points (meager 5 of 22 from arc) in 14-pt.
setback at Freedom Hall LY. Wildcats’ solid 6-8 sr. F Cunningham (17 ppg, 8
rpg) has developed a deadly mid-range shot. L’Ville a true visitor for just the second
time this season. (at Wachovia Ctr.) 07-LVL -11 68-54 CABLE TV—ESPN
MICHIGAN ST. over Kansas by 5 to 7—07-DNP TV—CBS
GEORGETOWN 73 - Providence 65—With ranked G’Town recouping from
from three straight grueling Big East battles vs. Top Ten teams (UConn, Pitt,
Notre Dame), not surprised if Hoyas unable to reach full intensity here. Highlyseasoned
PC (8 of 9 top scorers back; five srs.) has quickly absorbed new HC
Keno Davis’ (son of Dr. Tom Davis) hybrid of the flex, triangle, and drive & kick
attacks that worked well for Keno at Drake. Big spread should work with resurgent,
deep Friars (8 avg. 15+ minutes pg). 07-Gtwn -6 68-58 CABLE TV—ESPNU
Oklahoma over KANSAS ST. by 1 to 2—07-Ksu +7' 84-82
BAYLOR 87 - Texas Tech 71—Since TT’s defensive shortcomings on the
road (allowing 93 ppg!) continue to be an issue for HC Pat Knight as they were
for dear old dad, Bob, must “lay it” with explosive, superbly-balanced Baylor (81
ppg, five starters in DDs) playing its seventh straight contest at friendly Ferrell
Center. Ball-thievin’ Bears (9 spg) should create a lot of quick transition hoops
off Red Raider mistakes. 07-BAY -7' 80-74, Bay +1' 86-73
BOWLING GRN. over Buffalo by 1 to 2—07-BGU -4' 83-70, BUF -2' 96-50
DEPAUL 74 - South Florida 60—With DePaul off probable loss at
Syracuse, expect determined Blue Demons to get back on track vs. beatable
USF squad that’s been hurt by recent, season-ending knee injury to key
newcomer G Mercer (Georgia transfer). DePaul clearly owns superior insideoutside
attack with powerful 6-10 C Koshwal (15 ppg, 11 rpg) and 6-5 F Tucker
(20 ppg, 2 treys pg). Offensively-shaky Bulls (63 ppg) lack needed comeback
ability, with G Verdejo the lone perimeter threat. 07-DEP -7 69-61
FLORIDA STATE 73 - Duke 72—NCAA-hungry FSU (no Big Dance last 10
years!) has garnered an impressive preconference résumé (upsets vs. Cal,
Cincy & Florida!). So, willing to “take” with the defensively-stingy ‘Noles
(allowing just 37% FGs; collecting 7 bpg), eager to get another crack at Duke
after hitting just 36% FGs in ugly 70-57 loss on this court last season. Count on
an inspired effort from FSU’s dynamic sr. G Douglas (19 ppg), who made only
5 of 17 FGs in LY’s affair. Note Blue Devils covered just 1 of last 4 on ACC trail
in ‘07-08. 07-Duke -5’ 70-57 CABLE TV—ESPN
BUTLER 66 - Detroit 42—Low-variance Butler (3-10 vs. line last 13 laying
DDs thru Jan. 5) usually not a preferred recommendation laying big points. But,
since Bulldogs getting consistent production from impressive frosh pair of G
Mack (13.3 ppg) & swingman Heyward (12.9 ppg), Brad Stephens’ new edition
capable of extending margins. Meanwhile, adjustment phase continuing at
Detroit for new HC Ray McCallum, and Titans’ options limited on offensive end
as long as G Keeling (team-best 12.4 ppg, and lone 3-point threat) sidelined
with foot injury. 07-But -10' 53-46, BUT -17 65-31
NOTRE DAME 92 - Seton Hall 72—With SH’s bruising 6-9 C Garcia
sidelined by chronic knee injury, the overmatched, depth-shy Pirates illequipped
to put up much more of a fight than they did in 26-pt. home loss vs. ND
last season. Marvelous Irish 6-8 F Harangody (23 ppg, 12 rpg), who is getting
added inside help from 6-9 Hillesland (17 pts. vs DePaul Dec. 31), should
dominate on both ends, while smart distributor Jackson (6 apg) consistently
breaks down wilting SH defense. 07-Und -1 95-69 CABLE TV—ESPN
KENTUCKY 70 - Vanderbilt 69—Payback for UK, which was held to 11
points in first half of mortifying 93-52 loss at Vandy last February. But Dore HC
Stallings patiently working his newcomers into comfortable rotation, with highlyregarded
frosh 6-7 Taylor (12.5 ppg) & 6-3 G Tinsley (10.4 ppg) impressing SEC
observers. 07-KY -1 79-73 (2OT), VAN -4 93-52
Richmond 72 - GEORGE WASHINGTON 68—After spread-covering efforts
at Syracuse and Old Dominion, favor UR, which “plays with a mixture of freedom
and discipline rarely seen,” says Bucknell HC Dave Paulsen, who was more
impressed with the Spiders than Maryland after facing both TY. Richmond’s
burgeoning 6-9 soph F Harper (9 ppg, 42% treys) has more upside than anyone
on team, according to HC Chris Mooney. And UR’s sticky matchup zone will be
difficult to solve for GW’s true frosh PG T. Taylor. 07-GWU -2 59-53
ARIZONA ST. over Oregon by 17 to 20—07-ASU -3 62-54, ORE -5' 67-61
GEORGE MASON over Old Dominion by 7 to 10—07-GMU -8' 86-53, ODU
+2 72-64
NEBRASKA over Missouri by 1 to 2—07-Neb +4' 66-62, Mo +4 86-78 (OT),
Neb -2 61-56 (CT-neut.) CABLE TV—ESPN2
Rhode Island 74 - SAINT JOSEPH’S 72—SJ not enjoying much home-court
advantage at the antiquated Palestra during the renovation of its Alumni
Fieldhouse, as the Hawks have dropped 3 of last 4 SU on Penn’s campus,
including stunning back-to-back setbacks vs. Siena & Drexel. Fast-paced,
good-shooting URI (82 ppg, 50% FGs) has been highly-combative in
preconference games at Duke, Providence & Oklahoma State (in Oklahoma
City), losing only by combined 8 points! SJ converting just 32% from tripleville.
07-Sju +2' 90-83
Nevada 69 - LOUISIANA TECH 62—WAC scouts say young Nevada (starts
2 frosh & 2 sophs) gaining confidence, even after home loss vs. top-ranked
North Carolina, during which Wolf Pack hardly embarrassed itself. Expect
improving frosh frontliners Babbitt & Cooke and explosive soph G Armon
Johnson to have no fear of La Tech after battling Tyler Hansbrough & Co. in
Reno. 07-Nev -11' 83-70, NEV -21' 87-57
ILLINOIS over Indiana by 22 to 25—07-IND -11' 62-58, Ind -2 83-79 (2OT)
TULANE over Rice by 1 to 2—07-TUL -16 61-56, Tul -9 84-77
MARSHALL over East Carolina by 2 to 4—07-ECU +1' 75-62, MAR -9 83-49
NORTHERN ILLINOIS over Toledo by 2 to 4—07-NIU +1' 78-62
NORTHEASTERN 71 - Towson 54—Back at its own level after 80-48
undressing administered by powerful Memphis, Northeastern proved it can still
be a force in this year’s CAA race with impressive Jan. 3 thumping of William &
Mary. Huskies’ versatile 6-4 jr. Janning beginning to relocate long-range
shooting eye after canning 5 triples in romp past Tribe. 07-TOW +2' 77-71
Byu over COLORADO ST. by 4 to 6—07-BYU -19' 92-73, Byu -11' 79-65,
Byu -17' 89-62 (CT-neut.)
GEORGIA STATE 62 - Drexel 54—Rod Barnes’ bevy of GSU transfers
beginning to get the hang of things, evidenced by 55-54 win at ODU Jan. 3. 07-
DRE -7 58-51, GSU -3 64-58
ST. BONAVENTURE 75 - Duquesne 64—Rising St. Bona has already
equaled LY’s win total (8) under second-year HC Mark Schmidt, who previously
transformed Robert Morris from a moribund mid-major into a perennial
Northeast Conference contender. And, with the Bonnies benefiting from a true
post threat in 6-9 frosh C Nicholson (13 ppg, 6 rpg, nearly 4 bpg) for first time
under Schmidt, young, smallish Duquesne (8 frosh on roster, only 1 starter over
6-5) goes to 0-3 vs. spread on road TY. 07-DUQ -17' 83-67, STB +11 74-59
SAN DIEGO ST. over Utah by 7 to 10—07-SDS -1' 64-56 (OT), UTAH -9 72-66
VIRGINIA TECH 73 - Virginia 72—After a couple of painful OT losses vs.
heated rival VT last season, must endorse maturing UVA bunch beaming with
confidence following 88-84 upset at Georgia Tech in Cavs’ ACC opener.
Virginia’s smooth 6-6 frosh G Landesburg (19 ppg on 50% FGs, 6 rpg) is a
genuine ACC newcomer of the year candidate, while 7-0 frosh C Sene (Senegal
native) is providing board work and defense off bench. Hokies, who love to play
‘em close, are committing more than 15 TOs pg. 07-Tech -5 70-69 (OT), TECH
-4’ 72-65 (OT)
MIAMI-OHIO over Akron by 9 to 12—07-AKR -5 69-54, Akr +5' 56-52
TEXAS over Iowa St. by 16 to 20—07-Tex -6 71-65 (OT)
ARIZONA 79 - Oregon St. 54—Not even brother-in-law Barack Obama can
do much to help Craig Robinson’s maiden voyage with OSU. Even if Robinson
(a Pete Carril product) succeeds in slowing the tempo, the Beavers still woefully
short of offensive weaponry. And though Arizona a bit choppy on offensive end
past few weeks as Chase Budinger endures a shooting slump, massive
firepower edge still owned by Cats. 07-ARI -17' 76-63, Ari -11' 81-45, Ari -17' 87-
56 (CT-neut.)
EASTERN MICHIGAN over Ball State by 1 to 2—07-BSU -1' 64-60, EMU -
5 75-64, Emu -2 59-55 (CT-neut.)
Dayton over MASSACHUSETTS by 1 to 2—(at Springfield, MA) 07-Mass
+6 82-71
Connecticut over CINCINNATI by 3 to 5—07-Conn -3' 84-83, CONN -12 96-51
Unlv 66 - TCU 60—UNLV proving to be nothing if not resilient, winning at
Louisville Dec. 31 minus injured G Wink Adams (ab strain), then surviving vs.
New Mexico with Adams (0-6 FGs) making little contribution. 07-Unlv -3 70-58,
UNLV -13 74-55, UNLV -13' 89-88 (CT)
California over WASHINGTON by 1 to 2—07-Cal +3 79-75, Wash +3' 87-84,
Cal -2 84-81 (CT-neut.)
FLORIDA 93 - Mississippi 68—With Ole Miss backcourt resembling a
M.A.S.H. unit, don’t mind laying heavy lumber with high-octane, straightshooting,
team-oriented UF (80 ppg, 49% FGs, 18 apg), ready to make a an
early statement in tempo-setting SEC home opener. Gators’ relentless presses
should wreck havoc vs. shorthanded Rebels, who’re down to just one DD scorer,
overworked G Huertas. Payback works. 07-MISS -6 89-87
Memphis over UCF by 8 to 11—07-MEM -20' 85-64
Western Kentucky over FLORIDA ATLANTIC by 2 to 4—07-WKY -17' 80-
62, Wky -8 88-78
WILLIAM & MARY over James Madison by 3 to 5—07-WMU -2 69-66,
Wmu +5' 70-67
CHARLOTTE over Tulsa by 5 to 7—07-TULSA -3' 75-63
Delaware over NC WILMINGTON by 5 to 7—07-DEL -3 68-67, Ncw -3 82-
59 (CT-neut.)
DARTMOUTH over Harvard by 1 to 2—07-HAR -8' 82-56, DART +3 73-56
SOUTH CAROLINA over Auburn by 5 to 7—07-Usc +2' 69-63
Loyola-Chicago over YOUNGSTOWN ST. by 4 to 6—07-YSU -3' 71-61,
LOY -6 69-68
Illinois St. over INDIANA ST. by 6 to 8—07-ILL -11 65-62, IND +2 76-72
BOSTON COLLEGE over Miami-Florida by 2 to 4—07-BC -1' 76-66, MIA -
8' 74-61 CABLE TV—ESPNU
Syracuse over RUTGERS by 4 to 6—07-SYR -16 81-59
CLEVELAND ST. over Ill.-Chicago by 7 to 9—07-CLE -3' 68-51, UIC -3 74-68
Wright St. over VALPARAISO St. by 1 to 3—07-Val +1' 71-66, VAL -4' 75-
73 (OT), Val +1 72-67 (CT-neut.)
GONZAGA 80 - Portland 69—Not convinced reeling Gonzaga (lost 4 of 5 SU
thru Jan. 6!) ready for immediate turnaround in WCC play. Improved Portland
held its own thru a testing non-conference slate, and addition of quicksliver juco
PG Campbell has given the Pilots their first legit backcourt threat since Pooh
Jeter graduated three years ago. WCC sources wonder if Mark Few’s current
edition lacks the “glue guys” that have been important to Zag success the past
decade. Large spread looks interesting with improved visitor. 07-GON -21 79-
41, Gon -16 73-51
MIDDLE TENN. ST. over Florida Intl. by 16 to 19—07-MTS -5' 72-63, FIU
-1' 66-60
Creighton over BRADLEY by 2 to 4—07-BRAD -2 87-59, CRE -7 111-110
(2OT), Cre -1' 74-70 (CT-neut.)
NORTH TEXAS over Arkansas St. by 4 to 6—07-Unt -1 74-63, UNT -12' 82-
77, UNT -11 85-63 (CT)
Arkansas-L.R. over NEW ORLEANS by 1 to 2—07-Alr +5' 84-75, Uno +3'
77-75
Utep over SMU by 4 to 6—07-UTEP -16 79-66, SMU +8 99-96 (2OT), Utep
-10' 71-49 (CT-neut.)
ARKANSAS 83 - Mississippi St. 64—Since surprising 11-1 Arkansas
got a signature win with 94-88 upset over Oklahoma on Dec. 30, don’t mind
going against struggling MSU (3-6 vs. spread thru Jan. 4), which is relying on
true frosh PG Bost (3 TOs pg) to run the show. Hogs’ remarkably-mature frosh
G Fortson has exceeded expectations, while former football WR Monk (12 pts.,
6 rebs. in just 20 mins. off bench vs. Sooners!), who joined squad just a few
weeks ago, is already playing key minutes in crunch time. 07-ARK -2' 78-58,
MSU -5' 80-74
NORTHERN IOWA over Missouri St. by 4 to 6—07-NIA -1' 70-55, MSU -4
71-54
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS over Evansville by 1 to 2—07-Siu -6 80-67, SIU -14'
59-39
HOUSTON over Uab by 6 to 8—07-UAB -3' 101-99
TROY over La.-Lafayette by 1 to 2—07-Ull +2 87-66, Troy +9' 70-60 (CT)
OKLAHOMA ST. over Texas A&M by 2 to 4—07-Tam -1' 59-56, Osu +13 59-
54 TV—ESPNU
NEW MEXICO ST. over Utah St. by 1 to 3—07-USU -3 74-62, NMS -5 100-
70 TV—ESPNU
BOISE ST. over Hawaii by 7 to 10—08-Bsu +4 70-58; 07-BSU -10' 95-80,
Bsu +1' 78-71, Bsu -9 80-74 (CT-neut.)
NEW MEXICO over Air Force by 11 to 14—07-UNM -12 59-44, Unm -3' 68-51
Long Beach St. over UC DAVIS by 2 to 4—07-LBS -6' 71-53, Lbs +4' 63-52
San Jose St. over FRESNO ST. by 2 to 4—07-SJS +2 69-65, FSU -9' 75-58
UC SANTA BARBARA over CS Fullerton by 4 to 6—07-Ucsb +5' 87-72,
UCSB -3 83-80
WASHINGTON ST. over Stanford by 1 to 2—07-Stan +4 67-65 (OT), STAN
-4' 60-53, Stan -2' 75-68 (CT-neut.)
CAL POLY SLO over UC Irvine by 4 to 6—07-UCI -9' 73-69, SLO +1' 57-56
PACIFIC over UC Riverside by 11 to 14—07-PAC -14' 82-54, Pac -6' 65-58
PEPPERDINE 78 - Loyola-Marymount 69—Not enamored with the thought
of laying points with 3-13 Pepperdine. But the Waves at least showing a bit of
improvement lately as soph F Thomspon and true frosh swingman Suttle begin
to make an impact. Can’t say the same for LMU “Detroit” Lions, still winless
entering ‘09 and wondering when HC Bayno might return from mysterious leave
of absence. 07-PEP -10’ 87-64, Pep -4' 72-63 CABLE TV—ESPNU
SUNDAY, JANUARY 11
Day Games
PURDUE over Wisconsin by 6 to 8—07-PUR +1' 60-56, Pur +10 72-67
REGIONAL TV—CBS
MICHIGAN over Iowa by 11 to 13—07-Iowa +4 68-60, Mich +6' 60-52, Mich
+1' 55-47 (CT-neut.) REGIONAL TV—CBS
PITTSBURGH over St. John’s by 23 to 26—07-Pitt -5' 81-57
Xavier over FORDHAM by 22 to 25—07-XAV -18' 68-50
MINNESOTA over Penn St. by 13 to 16—07-Min +2 76-73, MIN -11' 75-68
LA SALLE over Temple by 2 to 4—07-Tem -3 85-66, Tem -7' 84-75 (CTneut.)
OHIO over Kent St. by 2 to 4—07-OHIO -1' 71-59, KSU -7 72-62
DENVER over La.-Monroe by 7 to 9—07-DEN -2 66-50, ULM -4' 53-48
ALABAMA over Lsu by 1 to 2—07-ALA -9' 81-72, LSU -2' 80-74
SANTA CLARA over San Diego by 3 to 5—07-USD -4' 53-51, Usd +3 66-62
Night Games
Western Michigan over CENTRAL MICHIGAN by 1 to 2—07-WMU -8' 72-
52, CMU +3 72-68
DRAKE over Wichita St. by 4 to 6—07-Dra +2 62-54, DRA -12 73-63
CABLE TV—ESPNU
North Carolina over WAKE FOREST by 3 to 5—07-UNC -15' 89-73
Saint Mary’s 70 - SAN FRANCISCO 58—Rex Walters doing his best to make
USF relevant again, and the Dons have a couple of capable go-to threats in F
Lowhorn (20.3 ppg & 50% treys) & G Quezada (46% beyond arc). But Saint
Mary’s superior size and depth made this cross-bay rivalry a mismatch last year,
and Gaels’ ability to control the glass bodes well for continuing dominance. 07-
Stm -9' 79-57, STM -19' 76-51
Ucla 57 - SOUTHERN CAL 56—It’s been a fascinating strategic chess match
lately in this hot inter-city rivalry, with USC’s Tim Floyd having some past
success “junking up” the UCLA attack with his myriad defensive looks, while Ben
Howland’s Bruins have used their own ultra-tenacious “D” to similarly slow the
Trojan horses. But recent addition of 6-6 UConn transfer F Marcus Johnson
(became eligible Dec. 28) gives SC another versatile offensive threat, so any
points look enticing with Troy. 07-Usc +11' 72-63, Ucla -6' 56-46, Ucla -8' 57-54
(CT-neut.)
MONDAY, JANUARY 12
LOUISVILLE over Notre Dame by 4 to 6—07-LVL -8 90-85 CABLE TV—
ESPN
OKLAHOMA over Texas by 3 to 5—07-Tex +2' 64-54, TEX -8' 62-45, Tex -
5' 77-49 (CT-neut.) CABLE TV—ESPN
TUESDAY, JANUARY 13
AKRON over Buffalo by 3 to 5—07-Akr -6' 76-68, AKR -14' 76-56
OHIO ST. over Indiana by 17 to 21—07-Ind +2' 59-53, IND -8 72-69 CABLE
TV—ESPN
INDIANA ST. over Bradley by 1 to 2—07-BRAD -7 63-44, ISU +1 76-66
NORTH CAROLINA ST. over Florida St. by 4 to 6—07-Ncs +8 69-66, Fsu +2
72-62 CABLE TV—ESPNU
BALL ST. over Northern Illinois by 3 to 5—07-NIU -1' 60-58, BSU -7 69-63
EASTERN MICHIGAN over Central Michigan by 2 to 4—07-CMU -7 62-53,
EMU -4 67-64
Memphis over TULSA by 6 to 8—07-Mem -13' 56-41, MEM -18' 82-67, MEM
-17' 77-51 (CT) CABLE TV—ESPN2
KANSAS over Kansas St. by 10 to 12—07-KSU +7 84-75, KAN -12' 88-74
UAB over Ucf by 7 to 9—07-Uab +3 88-81
EVANSVILLE 81 - Northern Iowa 67—Much-improved E’Ville primed to
avenge series sweep LY vs. UNI squad that’s “bricking” too often from perimeter
(only 30% from arc). Aces got a breakthrough road win in the Missouri Valley,
snapping 14-game MVC road losing streak last Sunday. But with sweet-stroking
6-2 jr.G Granger (nearly 10 ppg) now a legit third option behind proven
Evansville tandem of G Holsinger & F Ely (combine for 30 ppg), Panthers’ road
woes continue (2-6 vs. spread last 8 away, pending Creighton Jan. 6). 07-NIA
-12' 64-51, Nia -2' 71-68
TENNESSEE over Kentucky by 7 to 10—07-KY +5 72-66, TEN -14' 63-60
CABLE TV—ESPN
OLD DOMINION 57 - Georgia St. 53—Quick payback for ODU after getting
victimized by Georgia State G Gholston’s late triple in 55-54 Panther win at
Atlanta Jan. 3. But the shrewd Rod Barnes seems perfectly willing to turn CAA
contests into root canals for the opposition, and doubt Monarchs can push the
pace enough to significantly extend the margin. 08-GA. ST. +5 55-54; 07-Odu
-9 72-64, ODU -12 73-50
BYU over Tcu by 9 to 12—07-BYU -15 83-72, Byu -7 61-54
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14
Michigan St. over PENN ST. by 6 to 8 —07-PSU +10 85-76, MSU -15 86-49
PITTSBURGH over South Florida by 21 to 24—07-Pitt -2' 79-66 CABLE
TV—ESPNU
Duke over GEORGIA TECH by 6 to 8—07-DUKE -15 71-58, DUKE -11 82-
70 (CT) CABLE TV—ESPN
MIAMI-OHIO 68 - Ohio 51—Miami HC Charlie Coles getting a bit concerned
about injuries to Gs Hayes & Ballard. Hayes’ status of particular concern
because of his playmaker status, but resilient RedHawks can still compensate
if standout 6-5 sr. Bramos (19 ppg & 49% treys) can find his looks. Meanwhile,
Ohio still adjusting to new HC Groce, whose preference for quick pace and fullcourt
pressure yet to pay dividends as Bobcats struggle to score and create
tempo. Ohio not performing well away from home, losing last 5 on road. If
Bramos can hit a few over Bobcat zone, Miami extends margin. 07-OHIO -4 72-
63, MIA -3' 73-49, Mia -1 74-61 (CT-neut.)
DREXEL over Hofstra by 3 to 5—08-Drex +5' 63-56; 07-Hof +5' 67-58, HOF
-5 56-48
VIRGINIA TECH over Richmond by 6 to 9—07-RICH +6' 52-49
Saint Joseph’s over ST. BONAVENTURE by 3 to 5—07-STJ -19 81-56
Va. Commonwealth over TOWSON by 7 to 10—07-VCU -15 65-42, VCU -
14' 57-46 (CT)
Temple 71 - PENN 55—Perhaps struggling Penn will find some traction in
upcoming Ivy wars. But against bigger-name opposition, Quakers missed the
presence of graduated G Jabeer, the only Penn scorer with the ability to create
looks for himself in recent years. With no covers last four on board (including
non-competitive effort vs. Big Five foe Villanova), Quakers probably outclassed
vs. another capable Big Five rival. 07-TEM -18 80-64
DUQUESNE over George Washington by 1 to 3—07-DUQ -13 92-67
KENT ST. over Bowling Grn. by 6 to 8—07-KSU -14' 63-49, BGU +7 89-83
JAMES MADISON 88 - NC Wilmington 67—Wilmington’s considerable
shortcomings becoming harder and harder for HC Moss to camouflage,
especially with the Seahawks unable to offer any resistance on the defensive
end (witness George Mason’s 101-point explosion Jan. 3). JMU adjusting to
absence of PG Jalloh (out for season with rotator cuff), but return to lineup of
potent F Juwann James should wreak havoc on stop end for UNCW, which has
lost last 8 SU thru Jan. 4. 07-JMU -7 93-74, NCW -6' 99-85
WESTERN MICHIGAN over Toledo by 6 to 8—07-WMU -10 75-62, Wmu -
5 69-55
George Mason over WILLIAM & MARY by 4 to 6—07-GMU -14 60-54, Gmu
-8' 68-59 (CT-neut.)
CHARLOTTE over La Salle by 4 to 6—07-Cha -1' 84-78
DAYTON over Fordham by 20 to 24—07-Day +1' 57-50
CINCINNATI over Rutgers by 9 to 12—07-Cin -2' 72-68 (OT)
GEORGETOWN over Syracuse by 3 to 5—07-GTWN -12 64-62 (OT), SYR
+3 77-70 CABLE TV—ESPN2
West Virginia over Marshall by 4 to 6—(at Charleston, WV) 07-Wva -15 66-
64 (neut.)
WYOMING over San Diego St. by 1 to 3—07-SDS -12' 70-43, Sds -1' 79-68
Southern Miss over TULANE by 8 to 11—07-USM -3' 71-54, Usm +3 70-59
Arkansas over MISSISSIPPI by 1 to 2—07-ARK -5' 75-69, MISS -2 81-72
RICE over Smu by 3 to 5—07-SMU -7' 68-53, Smu +1' 61-58
Florida over AUBURN by 4 to 6—07-FLA -14 72-56
South Carolina 74 - LSU 70—Uptempo South Carolina (81 ppg)
showed resiliency and character by bouncing back with stirring 85-84 upset at
Baylor Jan. 2 on the heels of disappointing home loss vs. rival Clemson. With
‘Cocks nailing the trey (40%) and vigorously defending arc (just 28%), Carolina’s
road success (8-2-1 last 11 as away dog!) likely to continue vs. LSU (soft
preconference slate; 12 of first 13 at home), off taxing road games vs. Utah and
Bama. Note that underdog has covered last 5 in series. 07-Lsu +5' 62-55, Usc
+1' 77-73 (CT-neut.)
ILLINOIS ST. over Drake by 10 to 13—07-DRA -4' 79-73, Dra +4 73-70, Dra
-2' 79-49 (CT-neut.)
IOWA ST. over Nebraska by 2 to 4—07-NEB -9 64-56, ISU -2 60-52
CREIGHTON over Southern Illinois by 15 to 18—07-SIU -4' 48-44, CRE -
4' 72-53
SAINT LOUIS over Massachusetts by 4 to 6—07-SLU +3 71-59, MASS -8'
88-77
MISSISSIPPI ST. over Alabama by 2 to 4—07-Msu +1' 66-56, MSU -8' 73-
66, Msu -5 69-67 (CT-OT-neut.)
MISSOURI ST. over Wichita St. by 4 to 6—07-MSU -5 71-47, WSU -1 70-
62 (OT)
VANDERBILT over Georgia by 6 to 8—07-Van +3 67-59, VAN -9 86-74
ILLINOIS over Michigan by 6 to 8—08-Check 1/4 result; 07-ILL -11 75-57,
MICH +2 49-43
MISSOURI over Colorado by 14 to 17—07-Mo -6 66-62, MO -12 60-53
CABLE TV—ESPNU
MIAMI-FLORIDA over Maryland by 6 to 9—07-MIA -2 78-63
Unlv over COLORADO ST. by 2 to 4—07-Unlv -8 65-62, UNLV -19' 68-51
UTEP 83 - Houston 74—In battle of C-USA Big Dance hopefuls, matchups
not too bad for athletic UTEP, which can match “quicks” with Houston and use
its size to forge an edge off the glass, where HC Tom Penders continues to rue
Cougar shortcomings. Miners’ dynamic 1-2 punch of Gs S. Jackson (23.8 ppg)
& Culpepper (19.1 ppg) capable of making a difference. 07-HOU -6' 77-72,
UTEP +1 87-81, Utep +4' 80-77 (CT-neut.)
BOSTON COLLEGE over Wake Forest by 1 to 2—07-BC -3' 112-73
TEXAS A&M over Baylor by 3 to 5—07-Bay +9 116-110 (5OT), Tam +2 71-
57 CABLE TV—ESPN2
CS Northridge over UC RIVERSIDE by 4 to 6—07-Csn -10' 66-62, CSN -17
73-61
Utah over AIR FORCE by 7 to 10—07-UTAH -12' 58-36, Utah -3 67-59
THURSDAY, JANUARY 15
FLORIDA ATLANTIC over Florida Intl. by 11 to 14—07-FIU -3 69-58, Fiu
+4' 72-66, FAU -5 91-64 (CT)
Purdue over NORTHWESTERN by 2 to 4—07-Pur -8 71-56, PUR -15 68-43
CABLE TV—ESPN2
Connecticut 72 - ST. JOHN’S 64—Now properly buoyed by its upset of Notre
Dame (perhaps the biggest win in HC Norm Roberrts’ five season in charge), St.
John’s unlikely to blink in the face of powerhouse UConn. With bruising 6-8 F
Burrell (three broken facial bones) adjusting to protective mask after 18-point
effort vs. Irish, and PG Boothe due back soon from thumb injury, Red Storm
should at least keep matters interesting. 07-CONN -12' 81-65 CABLE TV—
ESPN2
DELAWARE over Northeastern by 1 to 2—07-NEU -7 73-69 (OT), Neu +4'
53-49 CABLE TV—ESPNU
NORTH TEXAS over Denver by 10 to 13—07-DEN +7 63-59, UNT -9 62-48
ILLINOIS-CHICAGO over Valparaiso by 4 to 6—07-VAL -7' 60-56, UIC -1'
77-53
Butler over LOYOLA-CHICAGO by 3 to 5—07-But -11' 66-55, BUT -18' 63-50
Xavier over RHODE ISLAND by 2 to 4—07-Xav +1' 81-77
LA.-LAFAYETTE over Arkansas-L.R. by 1 to 2—07-ALR -5 74-63, Alr +5'
61-58
Cleveland St. 63 - WIS.-GREEN Bay 57—Slight preference for CSU and PF
Bullock (14.9 ppg), who proved they could win on the road when taking down
Syracuse at the Carrier Dome Dec. 15. 07-WGB -2' 59-50, CSU -4' 81-64
SOUTH ALABAMA over Troy by 13 to 16—07-USA -14' 84-73, Usa -8' 90-
74
WESTERN KENTUCKY over Middle Tenn. St. by 7 to 10—07-WKY -15' 62-
51, Wky -7 71-66, Wky -8' 67-57 (CT-neut.)
ARKANSAS ST. over La.-Monroe by 17 to 20—07-Asu +3' 89-82, ASU -3'
75-64
WIS.-MILWAUKEE over Youngstown St. by 14 to 17—07-Uwm +2' 61-39,
UWM -8' 76-69
NEW MEXICO ST. over Idaho by 11 to 14—07-Nms -8' 78-68, NMS -16 88-
49, NMS -19 73-53 (CT)
GONZAGA 70 - Santa Clara 62—Gonzaga was pushed to the limit twice by
Santa Clara year ago, fortunate to survive OT battle at Leavey Center and
narrowly escaping in WCC Tourney semis, sandwiched around misleading romp
at Spokane when key Bronco PG Angley was KO’d in opening moments. No
reason struggling Zags (lost 4 of last 5 thru Jan. 4) will have it easy this time, as
their hands will be full with 6-10 SCU C Bryant (MVP of recent Cable Car Classic)
and Kerry Keating’s much-improved Bronco backcourt. 07-Gon -7' 87-82 (2OT),
GON -15' 88-54, Gon -13 52-48 (CT-neut.) CABLE TV—ESPN2
Washington St. over OREGON ST. by 8 to 11—07-WSU -19 69-46, Wsu -
12 70-57
No. Carolina over VIRGINIA by 14 to 17—07-Unc -8 75-74 CABLE TV—ESPN
UTAH ST. over Fresno St. by 12 to 15 —07-Usu +1' 77-72, USU -9' 79-66
WISCONSIN over Minnesota by 4 to 6—07-Wis -1' 63-47, WIS -10 65-56
SAINT MARY’S over Loyola-Marymount by 30 or more—07-STM -26' 87-
55, Stm -19' 80-49
Pacific over UC IRVINE by 2 to 4—07-PAC -7 59-53, UCI -3 74-59, UCI +1'
57-56 (CT)
CS FULLERTON over UC Davis by 7 to 10—07-Csf -7' 88-66, CSF -18' 94-
74
SAN DIEGO over Pepperdine by 17 to 20—07-Usd -3' 61-58, USD -13' 77-
73, USD -12' 73-55 (CT)
NEVADA 78 - Boise St. 67—Payback for Nevada bunch that fell victim to
Boise’s 3-point barrages in last season’s pair of battles. 07-Bsu +6 95-80, BSU
-2' 77-68
Washington 77 - OREGON 71—Since these Pac-10 entries seem to be
heading in opposite directions, don’t mind taking a lead with surging U-Dub,
which served notice to rest of Pac-10 with its eighth straight win, a recent 20-
point thumping of cross-state rival Wazzu at Pullman. Emergence of Huskies’
frosh mini-PG I. Thomas (15.1 ppg) has provided the perfect complement to
bullish sr. PF Brockman (16 ppg & 9.7 rpg). Meanwhile, the wheels coming off
at Oregon as Ducks (Pac-10 worst 41% from floor) desperately trying to relocate
their shooting eye. 07-WASH -2 78-70, ORE -6' 71-58
Arizona St. 69 - SOUTHERN CAL 67—ASU still smarting from controversial calls in final
moments of SC’s 59-55 Pac-10 Tourney win last March that effectively kept Sun Devils out
of 2008 Big Dance. Local product ASU star 6-4 soph Harden (23.2 ppg) sure to be primed
for big effort in revenge battle. 07-USC -7 67-53, ASU -2 80-66, USC -4' 59-55 (CT)
PORTLAND over San Francisco by 4 to 6—07-Usf +4' 60-59, USF -4' 73-60
UCLA 73 - Arizona 58—Edge to Ben Howland’s UCLA defense, especially with Arizona
star Budinger enduring recent shooting slump. 07-UCLA -9 82-60, Ucla -5 68-66
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