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Northfield: Wednesday 3/4 Analysis + Pick Four ticket
By Jeremey Day

DRF HARNESS

Race 8 - $10,000 Guaranteed Pick Four Pool

Jeremey’s $1 Pick Four Play:

1,5 / 5 / 3,4,5,7 / 1,3,4,5 = $32


Best Bet: TIE YOUR SHOE ED (3rd)

Spot Play: TAZAWA (6th)


Race 1

In a field with few contenders (2) MAJOR MONTE has been competitive at this level and adds second-time lasix. (1) WELL SPOKEN well bred gelding gets the best post and owns a recent win. (3) TE'S CONMYSOCKSOFF looks to be in line for a ground-saving trip; use underneath.

Race 2

(4) GET PACKIN has been on a roll against similar and looks to get an easy early lead. (2) CINCINNATI MYSTRES gets sent out for an inconsistent trainer but is capable of a good effort. (1) BAND'S SUPERSTAR should be much closer turning for home and could pick up the pieces with some racing luck.

Race 3

(7) TIE YOUR SHOE ED nice-looking pacer makes his third career start and looks ready for a big effort. (1) OPENING NIGHT GEM impeccably bred 3-year-old makes his career debut with the best post. (3) UPTOWN ROMANCE owns a good burst of speed and just needs a smooth trip for a chance.

Race 4

(5) RUFF STUFF JACKSON will offer a big price and could get a good spot out of the gate. (7) WESTERN RANGE owns three wins in seven starts on the year and also looks to be leaving for position. (2) RULING V C N takes a significant drop in class and will be used aggressively.

Race 5

(2) SBM GEORGIAN STAR seven-year-old trotting mare is just now back in racing shape and should be primed for a good effort. (5) LADY REV mare owns all the back class and is a huge threat if she stays trotting. (3) LEGACY CHIP picks up the top driver in an evenly matched race.

Race 6

In a wide open race (5) TAZAWA should offer value and has shown a decent burst of speed. (3) SHINDEAGAN was close last out but looks to offer low value. (1) CAUSE TO SMILE picks up a big driver change with the rail.

Race 7

(2) TYMAL RECAP finally gets a better post down in class. (1) NINO MARINO gelding makes his second start off the layoff and is one of few with upside in the race. (5) CANNONBALL just missed at this level last out; threat.

Race 8

(5) SAMS YANKEE picks up a huge driver change and will be tough to beat with an early lead. (1) BOOYAH TJ has some ability and is one of few contenders in the race. (6) AL-MAR SNEAKY PETE owns a good burst of speed and keeps one of the top drivers.

Race 9

(5) MIDNIGHT DRAGON comes into the race off a scratch but finds a really soft bunch if ready. (6) HIGH FLYIN SARA comes off a nice win and but would need much more to get past the top choice. (4) ICONIC STYLE will offer a monster price but has just been racing evenly.

Race 10

(7) HAGI eleven-year-old scored a victory off a layoff and could have more to offer. (3) BLACK ACE HANOVER has been competitive against much better and could be the sleeper in the race even coming off a scratch. (5) OIL SLICKER keeps the top driver in a weak field.

Race 11

(3) MATTOX'S WESTERN looks to be improving showing a big burst of speed in his last race. (4) LITTLE AMOS keeps the top driver and has raced well at this track. (5) VINCENT VEGA has just been racing evenly but takes a significant drop in class.

Race 12

(2) DALTON HANOVER pacer makes his first start for a new trainer in a field full of question marks. (1) MAJOR MIKE has not won in a very long time but also switches barns and benefits from the rail. (4) QUICK KIL picks up a big driver change but has been unable to finish his miles; command a price.

Race 13

(1) MODERN WARFARE bumps up in class off a dominating victory and finds a suspect bunch. (2) MOST REMARKABLE is capable of a good effort and looks to be in line for a decent trip. (6) PUTNAMS STORM has been knocking on the door but will need to find a way into the race.

Race 14

(4) SWEET JON gets sent out for high percentage connections; short price. (1) MR DYLAN could be the only threat to the top choice. (2) DON'T BETREI ME has flashed much more ability than what the pacer shows on paper.

Race 15

(6) ML GAMBLER never had a shot last out but could threaten with some pace to close into. (9) BLAK SMOKN HOT ROD will offer a big price and just needs to stay pacing for a chance. (2) BLUE SCOOTIN MATT has just been racing evenly but drops back down to the bottom level.
 
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SPOT PLAYS

For Wednesday


TRACK (RACE) HORSE, MORNING LINE


Charles Town (3rd) Shiloh Is Coming, 9-2
(4th) Faithful Sinner, 5-1

Delta Downs (2nd) Prince Wonder, 5-1
(3rd) Irish Salute, 7-2

Mahoning Valley (4th) Just a Minute, 3-1
(5th) Safety Valve, 5-1

Mountaineer (2nd) Watchin the Babes, 5-1
(9th) Who's in Front, 9-2


Penn National (3rd) Regal Ron, 7-2
(6th) Harlington Night, 5-1


Tampa Bay Downs (3rd) Millpoint Creek, 3-1
(8th) Deciding Moment, 7-2
 
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NBA Preview: Trail Blazers (39-19) at Clippers (40-21)

Date: March 04, 2015 10:30 PM EDT

Chris Paul has regularly outperformed Damian Lillard in recent meetings, and the Clippers have gotten the better of the Trail Blazers, as well.

Both clubs seek a fourth straight victory in a matchup between two of the league's premier point guards Wednesday night in Los Angeles.

Paul has elevated his play to help the Clippers (40-21) remain strong in the absence of Blake Griffin, who is still recovering from an elbow injury but could return Sunday at Golden State. Since losing Griffin, Paul has averaged 21.2 points on 52.2 percent shooting with 12.6 assists to help guide Los Angeles to a 7-3 record and remain one half-game behind Portland for fourth place in the Western Conference.

Paul had 26 points and 14 assists and the Clippers allowed one fourth-quarter field goal in Monday's 110-105 win at Minnesota. Los Angeles has limited teams to 37.5 percent shooting during a three-game winning streak.

The Clippers have won eight of 11 in the series and six of nine since Lillard joined the league, including the first two matchups this season, 106-102 at home on Nov. 8 and 100-94 in Portland on Jan. 14. Both games were tied entering the fourth quarter.

Paul has averaged 24.8 points, 12.3 assists and 3.0 steals in his last four matchups with the Trail Blazers, winning three times while Lillard averaged 18.8 points and 4.5 turnovers opposite him, though he was 13 of 27 from 3-point range. His 16.4 scoring average against Los Angeles is his fourth-lowest versus one opponent.

Lillard scored nine of his 31 in the final period of a 110-99 win at Sacramento on Sunday. He's among the league leaders with 6.5 fourth-quarter points per game and has totaled 23 fourth-quarter points against the Clippers this season.

Portland is shooting 43.4 percent from deep while winning three straight and Lillard was 3 of 5 against the Kings, giving him 546 career 3-pointers, surpassing Klay Thompson for the most ever in a player's first three seasons.

Lillard is 8 of 16 from beyond the arc over his last three games after going 12 for 65 (18.5 percent) during a 4-5 stretch. His 34.4 3-point percentage is his lowest in three seasons.

"I feel good. I've been feeling good but shots weren't falling and things weren't going our way as a team. So it was a little rough," Lillard said. "But now it does feel like things are starting to turn around."

The Trail Blazers (39-19) are 15-3 when he scores at least 24.

LaMarcus Aldridge has 55 points and 31 rebounds over his last two games but is still in a bit of shooting slump, going 35 for 103 (34.0 percent) over his last five. He has averaged 28.8 points in his last four versus the Clippers.

The Trail Blazers have dropped eight of 10 on the road after a 12-5 start and are looking to avoid a seventh straight road loss in the series.

"It's just been one of those things, the road losses," said Wes Matthews, who is fourth in the NBA with 171 3-pointers. "We have learned from it. This time of year you need to get every win you can. Every win is a big one."

Los Angeles averted another injury concern with Jamal Crawford sitting out the second half against the Timberwolves because of a bruised right calf, but it's not believed to be serious.

Matt Barnes is questionable with a strained hamstring.
 
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Indiana continues to cash under tickets
Justin Hartling

In Indiana Pacers continue to cash under tickets since the All-Star break, failing to top the total in their last four affairs. The Pacers have scored 96.6 points while allowing 90.8 points for an average of 187.2 over those four contests.

So far this season Indiana is tied for the top over record in the NBA with the Minnesota Timberwolves with a 32-26-1 O/U mark.
 
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NCAAB Big 12 Analysis
By Jim Feist

Tournament play is on the horizon! It's the start of a wild few weeks with conference tournament play helping to whittle the field. In the Big 12, Kansas has been the dominant team again, but there is a logjam of teams vying for the spots below the Jayhawks. Here's a look at some of the top teams of the Big 12.

Kansas: The Jayhawks have been a powerhouse team, tops in scoring (81 ppg) in the conference and a +8.5 scoring margin, though they have not been invincible with losses at Oklahoma State (67-62) and at West Virginia (62-61). Sophomore guard Frank Mason III (12 ppg) has led the way on a team with great balance, second in the conference in field goal shooting, tops in field goal defense.

He’s not alone, of course, with 6-8 senior Perry Ellis (13 ppg, 7 rpg), 6-5 sophomore Wayne Selden (10 ppg) and 6-8 freshman Cliff Alexander blocking shots and grabbing rebounds. Kansas might not be as good as last year’s squad with Andrew Wiggins, but they beat Utah (63-60) and Michigan State (61-56) in tough non-conference games, while getting blasted by Kentucky, 72-40 (who hasn’t?).

Iowa State: The Cyclones are not big up front and not especially strong on defense. Yet, what a talented, deep team for Fred Hoiberg, deadly on offense, running opponents into the ground with a top 10 offense again. This is an experienced group led by 6-8 junior Georges Niang (14.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg), 6-4 junior Naz Long, 6-6 senior Bryce Dejean-Jones (12.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg) and 6-6 senior Dustin Hogue. This group is Top 5 in assists in the nation for the second straight year. Iowa State is on a 54-26-1 run over the total!

They are tops in the Big 12 in field goal shooting. One concern is road play, where they’ve struggled, especially on defense. They allowed 94 in a loss at Oklahoma and 89 at Kansas. Iowa State even allowed Texas Tech to hit 11 three-pointers in a 78-73 upset. Something to keep in mind come Big 12 tourney time: Iowa State is 47-32-1 ATS against the Big 12.

Oklahoma: Coach Lon Kruger has a run-and-gun Sooners squad that is tough, led by 6-4 junior Isaiah Cousins (11.7 ppg, 5 rpg) and 6-4 junior Buddy Hield (17 ppg). They can be relied on at the free throw line in close games, 74% at the charity strip (No. 1 in the Big 12). They are terrific on offense and the defense has improved, second in the Big 12 in field goal shooting allowing 38%, plus fourth at defending the three-pointer allowing .365% shooting.

A pair of 6-8 frontcourt forces in junior Ryan Spangler (11 ppg, 8 rpg) and TaShawn Thomas (11 ppg, 6 rpg) give the Sooners good balance all around. The frontcourt is not big, however, and they’ve lost to strong rebounding teams Baylor (69-58), Wisconsin (69-56), and Kansas (85-78). They also had 22 turnovers in an 86-65 loss at West Virginia.

Texas: The Longhorns are a young team for Rick Barnes with a monster frontcourt that few teams look forward to playing. Sophomore guard Isaiah Taylor (12.8 ppg) leads in scoring, but the rebounding muscle is fierce with 6-11 freshman Myles Turner (11.5 ppg, 6.6 rpg), 6-8 senior Jonathon Holmes (11 ppg, 6.5 rpg) and 6-9, 285-lb junior Cameron Ridley (8.6 ppg, 5 rpg). Texas is tops in the Big 12 in blocks and second in rebounding margin.

Even during their four-game mid-season skid they lost by 3 at No. 15 Iowa State and in overtime by a basket to Oklahoma State. They have wins over UConn and Iowa and lost in OT to Stanford. And in a loss at Kentucky (26-26 at the half) the Longhorns ended up with a 42-31 rebound edge, including 16-12 on the offensive glass. How many teams can say that after facing the mighty Wildcats?

Baylor: Few teams can pound the glass like Baylor, Top 5 most of the year in rebounds led by 6-7 junior Taurean Prince (13 ppg), 6-8, 280-lb junior Rico Gathers (11 ppg, 12 rpg) and 6-6 senior Royce O'Neale (6 rpg). Baylor lost both meetings with Kansas, but dropped a 56-55 thriller in one of them. The Bears were 8 of 15 on 3-pointers, but 10 of 38 inside the arc. They’d love a third shot at the Jayhawks in tourney play.
 
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March Madness is NOW! Betting this week's NCAAB conference tournaments
By JASON LOGAN

For those that think March Madness doesn’t begin until the selection committee has their say on that tense Sunday in mid-March, we say “WRONG”.

The official and oft-forgotten kickoff to the NCAA postseason begins this week when 13 mid-major conferences open their respective conference tournaments. Starting Tuesday, these leagues will fill out the first outright selections of the national tournament and, along the way, likely burst the bubble of a few major conference programs on the NCAA fringe.

Chances are you haven’t paid attention to these little leagues during the course of the season, since many of their games go without odds. Hell, you may not know some of them even existed. So we’re giving you a head start when it comes to capping these conference tournaments, pointing out the favorites, value underdog bets and live long shots to win.

America East (March 4, 8, 14)

Favorite: Albany Great Danes (21-8, 15-1) – With the America East a campus-sites tournament – no host school – Albany has home court to the finals. The Great Danes give up just 59 points per game at home – ninth lowest in the country.

Underdog: Stony Brook Seawolves (21-10, 12-4) – The lone conference blemish on Albany’s resume comes courtesy of the Seawolves, who ride a six-game winning streak into the postseason. Momentum is worth its weight in gold come March.

Long Shot: New Hampshire Wildcats (18-11, 11-5) – The Wildcats lost twice to Albany by a combined three points and have a win over Stony Brook. New Hampshire can knock down the 3-pointer and defend against it – two very key stats for playoff basketball.

Atlantic Sun (March 3-8)

Favorite: North Florida Ospreys -130 (20-11, 12-2) – North Florida gets home-court throughout this tournament, and can pile on the points in a hurry – averaging 83 points per home game (fifth in the country). It won both meetings with Florida Gulf Coast, who many pick to win this tournament.

Underdog: Florida Gulf Coast Eagles +270 (21-9, 11-3) – The Eagles stumbled at the end of the year with two straight losses. Florida Gulf Coast is known more for its defense (39.1 FG% def) then the high-flying offense it wowed the nation with two years ago.

Long shot: South Carolina Upstate Spartans +370 (21-10, 8-6) – North Florida’s two conference losses came to the Spartans, who also played FGCU tough. South Carolina Upstate has a plus-5.4 scoring margin and the conference’s top scorer Ty Greene, who dropped 39 on North Florida and 31 on FGCU.

Big South (March 3-8)

Favorite: Charleston Southern Buccaneers (19-10, 13-5) – The Buccaneers locked up the No. 1 seed with a thrilling triple-overtime win against High Point Saturday. Charleston Southern can fill it up at home (averaging 80 points) and lives by the 3-pointer, and dies by the 3-pointer (27.4 3-pt attempts – second most).

Underdog: Radford Highlanders (21-10, 12-6) – Radford grabbed the No. 4 seed with a win in its season finale. The Highlanders have two wins over High Point and a road win at Charleston and boast a deep rotation with seven players averaging 5.9 points or more.

Long shot: Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs (18-13, 10-8) – The Bulldogs managed to win 18 games despite being ranked among the worst defensive programs in the country (74.2 points against). Gardner-Webb has been able to overwhelm the top teams in the conference with its explosive offense (75.1 points per game).

Colonial Athletic Association (March 6-9)

Favorite: James Madison Dukes +1,000 (19-12, 12-6) – Even though the Dukes are ranked No. 4 in the conference tournament, they take six wins in their last seven games (5-2 ATS) into the postseason. That momentum separates them from a deadlocked pack at the top of the conference. William & Mary are +200 faves to win the Colonial at the Superbook in Las Vegas but dropped three of its last five games of the season. The CAA is much more wide open than the odds would indicate.

Underdog: NC Wilmington Seahawks +600 (17-12, 12-6) – The Seahawks crapped the bed in the season finale, losing to Elon but has knocked off Northeastern and James Madison in recent weeks and sits No. 2 in the tournament seeding, and will play a banged-up Drexel team (missing CAA leading scorer Damion Lee) or a 8-23 College of Charleston squad.

Long shot: Elon Phoenix +1,200 (14-17, 6-12) – Elon came on late in the season with three straight wins to finish up, beating Northeastern and UNCW in that span. The Phoenix also beat No. 1-seed William & Mary earlier this year, who they will likely face in Round 2 of the CAA tournament.

Horizon League (March 3-10)

Favorite: Valparaiso Crusaders EVEN (26-5, 13-3) – Since Valpo won the league, it gets to host the tournament - a sweet deal for a team that went 13-1 at home. The Crusaders don’t budge much on defense and don’t give away second looks at the basket either, allowing just 7.5 offensive rebounds per game.

Underdog: Green Bay Phoenix +150 (23-7, 12-4) – Seeded No. 2, Green Bay avoided a potential meeting with Cleveland State in the semifinals (lost both games to the Vikings). The Phoenix won the regular season title last year but were upset in the opener. They’ll be cautious of a letdown this time around.

Long shot: Detroit Titans +350 (14-17, 7-9) – Detroit is sitting No. 5 in the tournament and no one ahead of them wants them to advance. The Titans have victories over Valparaiso, Cleveland State, and Oakland and was competitive in February with a 5-2 ATS record. Detroit is a dangerous 3-point threat at 39.1 percent in league games.

Metro Atlantic Athletic (March 5-9)

Favorite: Iona Gaels +120 (24-7, 17-3) – The Gaels can light up the scoreboard with an offense that posts 79.6 points per game – seventh in the country. Iona did, however, lay an egg in the season finale to St. Peter’s, marking the fourth straight game the Gaels have failed to cover.

Underdog: Rider Broncs +500 (21-10, 15-5) – Rider was one of the best bets during the regular season, going 17-9 ATS in its 16 lined games. The Broncs had a strong true road record at 11-4 and played some heavyweights in Kansas and Michigan State early in the year.

Long shot: Niagara Purple Eagles +300 (8-21, 7-13) – The Purple Eagles picked up half their wins in the final four games of the season, including a win over Rider, holding opponents to about 40 percent shooting. Niagara also played Iona to a one-point game, losing 80-79 at home. Momentum breeds upsets.

Missouri Valley Conference (March 5-8)

Favorite: Wichita State Shockers -300 (27-3, 17-1) – Wichita State is going dancing regardless of their tournament turnout. Wichita State proved it was top dog in the MVC with a convincing win over Northern Iowa and has covered in five straight heading into the postseason.

Underdog: Northern Iowa Panthers +250 (27-3, 16-2) – While UNI’s record is very close to WSU, Saturday’s 14-point defeat to the Shockers showed how much space is really between these programs. The Panthers give up just 54.6 points per game – fourth lowest in the country – and seemingly have an easier side of the bracket.

Long shot: Illinois State Redbirds +800 (15-15, 11-7) – With ranked rivals above them in the standings, Illinois State is giving great value in the MVC tournament. The Redbirds bring a four-game winning streak into the postseason and covered in both losses to Wichita State.

Northeast Conference (March 5,8,11)

Favorite: St. Francis (NY) Terriers (21-10, 15-3) – The Terriers limp into the postseason off a loss and a slim overtime victory in their final two games of the schedule. St. Francis has home court throughout the tournament, losing just one conference game in front of its fans.

Underdog: Robert Morris Colonials (16-14, 12-6) – Robert Morris takes a three-game roll into the tournament and was the lone Northeast team to come out of Peter Aquilone Court in Brooklyn with a victory. Rodney Pryor is playing the best basketball in the conference averaging 25.5 points in the last four games.

Long shot: Sacred Heart Pioneers (15-16, 9-9) – Sacred Heart closed the campaign with back-to-back wins and went 6-2 in its last eight games of the schedule. The Pioneers love to push the tempo, averaging 73.4 points on 72.3 possessions per game – running the 20th fastest tempo in college hoops.

Ohio Valley Conference (March 4-7)

Favorite: Murray State Racers -125 (26-4, 16-0) – The Racers were perfect in conference play but all that could be for nothing if Murray State can’t get the job done in the postseason. The Racers can put up the points - 78.8 per game – but do have flaws on defense and at the charity stripe.

Underdog: Belmont Bruins +260 (19-10, 11-5) – The Bruins earned the No. 3 seed in the tournament thanks to a late-season push that won four straight, including a victory over Eastern Kentucky. Belmont can also fill the stats sheet but hasn’t been its best away from home.

Long shot: Morehead State Eagles +260 (15-16, 10-6) – Morehead State also brings momentum into the postseason with three wins in a row. Those victories did come against the bottom half of the OVC East, but the Eagles have a swarming defense that turns mistakes into easy offense – forcing a league-high 14.9 turnovers per game.

Patriot League (March 3,5,8,11)

Favorite: Colgate Raiders +270 (15-16, 12-6) – Colgate finished as the No. 2 seed but has five wins in its last seven games, and those two losses have come by a combined three points. The Raiders also won both meetings with No. 1 Bucknell (+165) this season. This team can bring the rain from downtown, averaging 7.8 3-pointers per game on 40.2 percent shooting – ninth best in the country.

Underdog: Lehigh Mountain Hawks +425 (16-13, 10-8) – Lehigh takes on American U in Round 2, a team it beat in its last meeting, then would likely face Colgate in the semifinal. The Mountain Hawks have given the Raiders a tough go in their two clashes, and have a convincing win over No. 1 Bucknell. It could happen for the No. 3 seed.

Long shot: Lafayette Leopards +500 (17-12, 9-9) – The Leopards are dead eyes from downtown, shooting 40.3 percent from distance and knocking down almost eight 3-pointers per game. Lafayette ranks 26th in scoring at 75 points per game and took down Bucknell, Colgate and Lehigh this season.

Southern Conference (March 6-9)

Favorite: Wofford Terriers -125 (25-6, 16-2) – Wofford runs a very methodical offense, sucking almost every second off the shot clock. That’s helped the Terriers limit opponents to just 59.9 points per game. They bring a five-game winning streak into the postseason, going 4-1 ATS in that span.

Underdog: Chattanooga Mocs +300 (22-9, 15-3) – The Mocs run at a much quicker tempo than their Southern rivals, scoring 72.8 points per game. They won their last meeting at home versus Wofford and boast four players averaging double figures.

Long shot: Samford Bulldogs +1,500 (13-18, 6-12) – Samford has a tough slate of schedule to finish the season, playing five of its final seven games on the road. The Bulldogs went 3-4 in that span with a 5-2 ATS mark. Samford has a freshman star in Christen Cunningham, who is playing his best ball of the season.

Summit League (March 7-10)

Favorite: South Dakota State -110 /North Dakota State +500 (21-9, 12-4/20-9, 12-4) – Nearly identical records from these rivals. Since they’re seeding No. 1 and No. 2, there’s a very good chance we see them in the final. Both closed the regular season with a loss. They split the season series but No. 1 SDSU has the softer side of the bracket this March.

Underdog: Oral Roberts Golden Eagles +500 (17-13, 10-6) – Oral Roberts took a win over NDSU last week and closed with a victory over Denver. The Golden Eagles are without standout guard Korey Billbury, who was suspended at the end of the year. And while they’ve done OK without him in those two games, they will miss him in the backcourt when the postseason pressure builds.

Long shot: IUPU - Ft. Wayne Mastodons +500 (16-13, 9-7) – The Mastodons have resume wins over North and South Dakota State and come into the postseason on an 8-2 run, going 9-1 ATs in that stretch. IPFW can win with offense or lock teams down on defense.

West Coast Conference (March 5-10)

Favorite: Gonzaga Bulldogs -300 (29-2, 17-1) – The Bulldogs are coming off a loss to BYU in the season finale, which probably cost them a shot at a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. Gonzaga gets it done on both ends of the floor and that loss to the Cougars is likely a wake-up call for Mark Few’s squad.

Underdog: BYU Cougars +300 (23-8, 13-5) – The Cougars may have just punched their ticket to the Big Dance with that win over Gonzaga, and run the risk of a letdown in their opener. Brigham Young is the top scoring team in the country but doesn’t play much in the way of defense.

Long shot: Pepperdine Waves +1,000 (17-12, 10-8) – Behind the Zags, St, Mary’s and BYU, Pepperdine is playing in the shadows of those WCC heavyweights. The Waves won both games with the Cougars, knocked off the Gaels and gave the Bulldogs fits. They’ve held their last four opponents to an average of just 54 points.
 
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Mid-Major Tournaments
By Bruce Marshall

After recently providing a look-ahead to the postseason extravaganzas conducted by the major conferences two weeks ago, we provide a quick preview for the conference tournaments of the lower-echelon Division I leagues in this edition.

The rather recent introduction of two events (the CollegeInsider.com Tourney, or CIT, and the College Basketball Invitational, or CBI) has provided more postseason slots and thus more opportunities for entries from the low-major leagues to have teams participate in tourneys other than the NCAA and NIT. Several of these loops are now sending multiple entries to the postseason, so it behooves handicappers to begin paying attention to these sides before they enter either the Big Dance, NIT, CBI, or CIT.

Many Las Vegas sports books, which routinely post numbers on several "added" conferences (Big Sky, Metro-Atlantic, Ohio Valley, Summit, SoCon), will be including prices on almost all of these minor conference tournaments as well. Note that many of the upcoming conference tournaments will also be televised (the introduction of ESPN-3, which streams on computers, has added countless more college hoops viewing opportunities and will be providing added coverage for many of the lower-rung D-I conference tourneys).

We've listed below, by conference alphabetical order, upcoming tournament specifics for those lower-profile Division I leagues. Also included are any teams that enjoy home-court tourney edges; the top contenders in each loop, noted by italics, with any clear-cut favorite or co-favorite accompanied by an *; and last season's conference results in the NCAA, NIT, CBI, and CIT. Before Selection Sunday, we'll also review how these leagues have fared in recent Big Dance action.

March Madness...it's here!

AMERICA EAST...Top 8 teams qualify. Quarterfinals, semis, and final March 6, 8, 14 at home of highest seed for each matchup. Albany enters as the top seed. UMass-Lowell remains in its transition period from Div. II and is ineligible for the conference tournament.

Top contenders - Albany*, Stony Brook, Vermont, New Hampshire.

Notes...Defending tourney champ Albany turned on the jets once conference play commenced and proceeded to run away with the regular-season crown, earning home-court edge for as long as it stays alive in this event. Coach Will Brown's Great Danes have the ability to balance the floor because of the interior scoring threat provided by 6-6 PF Sam Rowley (14.3 ppg & 53% from floor; one of two returning starters from last season), which prevents foes from ganging up on Gs Peter Hooley (13.7 ppg) and 6-2 juco sparkplug Evan Singletary (12.7 ppg). Albany also didn't allow an A-E foe to crack the 70-point barrier until Vermont did it in the final regular-season game.

Stony Brook was the only league rep to beat the Great Danes (and did so on the road) and was good enough to win at Washington in pre-league play when the Huskies were still undefeated and ranked just outside of the national top ten. Beastly 6-8, 260-lb. jr. C Jameel Warney ranks among the nation's rebound leaders (5th at 11.5 pg) and recently exploded for a 32-point, 18-rebound stat line against Hartford. Warney's presence has helped the Seawolves to the nation's No. 4 ranking in rebound margin (+8.8 rpg). Puncher's chances go to Vermont, whose airtight defense allows only 57.6 ppg (ranking 13th nationally), and New Hampshire, which played Albany to the wire in both regular-season meetings, losing by 1 and 2 points, respectively.

Last year...NCAA - Albany lost vs. Florida, 67-55. NIT - Vermont lost at Georgia, 63-56. CBI - Stony Brook lost to Siena, 66-55.

ATLANTIC SUN...Tourney March 3-8 at homecourts of higher seeds. Florida Gulf Coast is the top seed.

Top contenders - North Florida, Florida Gulf Coast, South Carolina-Upstate.

Notes...By virtue of last week's 76-62 win over FGCU in Jacksonville, North Florida has earned home-court edge in the A-Sun Tourney. The Ospreys were flying down the stretch, winning five straight to close the regular-season and catch Gulf Coast, relying on a balanced lineup featuring four DD scorers, led by soph G Dallas Moore (15.4 ppg). UNF can be very hard to beat when its triples are falling, as the Ospreys hovered near 40% beyond the arc all season and rank 20th nationally in three-point accuracy (39.6%). Everyone in the lineup can step back and hit 3s. FGCU still has some of the remnants of Andy Enfield's "Dunk City" team that made a longshot run to the Sweet 16 two years ago and made it to the NIT last season for HC Joey Dooley. Senior Gs Bernard Thompson (13.6 ppg) and Brett Comer (12.4 ppg) both played key roles in the unexpected run for Enfield two years ago.

USC-Upstate should at least return to another minor postseason event after winning 21 games this season following advancement to the CIT last March. Note that the Spartans beat North Florida in both regular-season meetings, won at Georgia Tech in pre-league play, and possess the Sun's top scorer in sr. G Ty Greene (20.1 ppg).

Last year...NCAA - Mercer won vs. Duke, 78-71; lost vs. Tennessee, 83-63. NIT - FGCU lost at Florida State, 58-53. CIT - East Tennessee State won vs. Chattanooga, 79-66; lost vs. Towson, 63-60; USC-Upsate lost vs. Towson, 63-60.

BIG SKY...Tourney March 12-14 at home of regular-season champion, unless that happens to be Sacramento State, which will not be able to host at its home Hornet's Nest Gym (capacity 1200) because of size limitations. If Sac State wins the Sky, the tourney could be held at any of three other locations, including the Reno Events Center, San Joaquin Delta College, or McClellan Park Gym. Top eight teams qualify.

Top contenders - Sac State, Eastern Washington, Montana, Northern Arizona.

Notes...The Sky's regular-season race remains up for grabs into the final games this weekend. Note that Sky notched a couple of eye-opening non-league wins before New Year's when Eastern Washington won at Indiana and Northern Arizona won at Saint Mary's. For most of the season, regional observers have regarded EWU as the team to beat, with G Tyler Harvey (22.8 ppg) leading the nation in scoring and PF Venky Jois (16.8 ppg) providing the interior scoring threat for the Eagles, who shoot almost 48% from the floor. But seasoned Sac State, with four seniors and a junior in a starting lineup that returned all five starters from a year ago for HC Brian Katz, has stayed near the top of the table all season. The Hornets have a crackling backcourt led by Gs Mikh McKinney (19 ppg), Dylan Garrity (13.6 ppg), and defensive stopper Cody Demps, shoots even better from the floor (48.4%; ranks 13th) than EWU, and also hits 40.5% beyond the arc (ranks 6th).

Montana has been a pleasant surprise for first-year HC and alum Travis DeCuire, who returned only one regular starter, G Jordan Gregory, now scoring a Grizzlies-best 17.2 ppg, but has also been able to benefit from former Washington and juco transfer PF Martin Breuning, a German import who has emerged as an interior force (16.9 ppg). The darkhorse to watch is Jack Murphy's NAU, which has been able to win on the road this season and can play a variety of different styles, but would prefer to run with a pair of former jucos, slashing wing Quinton Upshur (14.6 ppg) and go-go G Aaseem Dixon (12.6 ppg), while 6-4 soph G Kris Yanku has emerged as a difficult matchup and has been on a scoring tear (20.8 ppg last five) in recent weeks. Perennial contender Weber State still has to qualify for the event, and appears unlikely to make a late run with top scorer G Jeremy Senglin (15.4 ppg) currently out with a jaw injury.

Last year...NCAA - Weber State lost vs. Arizona, 68-59. CIT - North Dakota lost at UN-Omaha, 91-75; Northern Colorado lost vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 82-71; Portland State lost at San Diego, 87-65.

BIG SOUTH...Tourney March 4-8 at HTC Center, Conway, SC (home court of Coastal Carolina Chanticleers). The top five finishers receive byes into the quarterfinals; seeds 6 thru 11 compete in a play-in round.

Top contenders - High Point, Coastal Carolina, Charleston Southern, Radford, Winthrop, Gardner-Webb, UNC-Asheville.

Notes...Absolutely wide-open event with the top seven teams separated by just three games in the league standings, which is similar to the logjam a season ago when Cliff Ellis' Chants of Coastal Carolina took advantage of the Myrtle Beach locale to win this event before giving No. 1 regional seed Virginia a mighty scare in the Big Dance sub-regionals. Ellis is back with a similar-looking team with four starters from a year ago, featuring a well-balanced, guard-heavy offense with four DD scorers led by sr. G Josh Cameron (13.2 ppg). The "wow" factor in the loop belongs to Scott Cherry's High Point and its highlight-reel 6-8 F John Brown (18.6 ppg), an ACC-caliber recruit whose windmill dunks have been featured on ESPN Sports Center and who has NBA scouts flocking to the Point. Cherry is also on the coaching radar of several higher-profile suitors likely to come calling after the season (many believe he ends up at George Mason, where he once coached under Jim Larranaga). But the Panthers have lost twice to Coastal Carolina, blowing a big lead at this venue on Feb. 6.

Charleston Southern also just dumped the Point in 3 OTs last Saturday to tie for the reg.-season title, and is regarded as a co-favorite with electrifying league high scorer Saah Nimley (21.5 ppg), a 5'8 bundle of energy who has scored 30 ppg over his last four outings. Gardner-Webb, with high-scoring F Jerome Hill (19.1 ppg), and UNC-Asheville, with explosive G Andrew Rowsey (18.9 ppg; lit up High Point for 39 last week), cannot be dismissed, while Winthrop boasts of one of the nation's top three-point threats in G Keon Moore (3.24 triples pg ranks 6th nationally).

Last year...NCAA - Coastal Carolina lost vs. Virginia, 70-59. NIT-High Point lost at Minnesota, 88-81. CBI - Radford won at Oregon State, 96-92; lost at Old Dominion, 82-59. CIT - VMI won at Canisius, 111-100; won vs. IPFW, 106-95; won at Ohio, 92-90; lost vs. Yale, 92-75.

METRO ATLANTIC...Tourney March 5-9 at Trans Union Center, Albany, NY. The top five seeds get byes in the first round; games will pit 6 vs. 11, 7 vs. 10, and 8 vs. 9, with winners advancing to quarterfinal round.

Top contenders - Iona, Rider, Manhattan, Monmouth.

Notes...Iona enters Albany as the top seed, but the Gaels have not been stretching many margins against MAAC foes, with most league wins by single-digit margins and with no spread covers in their last four. They're also off a loss at St. Peter's in Sunday's regular-season finale. But HC Tim Cluess has navigated through this event several times before, and Iona is once again among the nation's highest scoring teams (79.6 ppg ranks 7th). Four DD scorers include F David Laury (20.1 ppg), G A.J. English (19.5 ppg), and frosh firecracker G Schadrac Casimir (15.2 ppg and 43.8% beyond the arc), who pace the league's most-explosive outfit. Rider might be the hottest Metro-Atlantic entry, with wins in 7 of its last 8 games, and the Broncs have kept winning in recent weeks despite the absence of 6-11 C Matt Lopez, a Utah State transfer and leading scorer at 12.3 ppg...but apparently not yet missed.

Most regional observers believe the Manhattan Jaspers and entertaining HC Steve "Mini Vince Vaughn" Masiello have a shot at replicating last year's tourney upset if top scorer F Emmy Andujar (16.5 ppg) continues to get scoring help from G Ashton Pankey, hitting 56% from the floor over the past five games. King Rice's Monmouth played Iona very tough, winning once and losing by a point on the other occasion, and presents an interesting backcourt contrast with mini 5'8 G Justin Washington (13.4 ppg) and big 6-6 G Deon Jones (17.5 ppg last six). If a longshot is to emerge in Albany, most regional sources are warning about HC John Dunne's defense-tough St. Peter's, off of that Sunday upset over the Gaels.

Last year...NCAA - Manhattan lost vs. Louisville, 71-64. NIT - Iona lost at La Tech, 89-88. CIT - Canisius lost vs. VMI, 111-100; Quinnipiac lost at Yale, 69-68. CBI - Siena (champs) won vs. Stony Brook, 66-55; won vs. Penn State, 54-52; won vs. Illinois State, 61-49; won at Fresno State, 61-57; lost vs. Fresno State, 89-75; won vs. Fresno State, 81-68.

MEAC...Tourney March 9-14 at The Scope, Norfolk, VA (not the home court of Norfolk State, which plays its games at Echols Hall); First round pits seeds 5 vs. 12, 6 vs. 11, 7 vs. 10, and 8 vs. 9; winners advance to quarterfinals, and so forth. Florida A&M is ineligible due to APR penalties.

Top contenders - NC Central*, Norfolk State, Maryland-Eastern Shore.

Notes... Like last year when winning this event and advancing to the Big Dance, Levelle Moton's NC Central is the clear favorite entering Norfolk next week, as the Eagles have lost just one league game over the past two seasons (and none yet in the 2014-15 campaign). Only two starters are back from last year's NCAA team, but NCC has been able to benefit from former reserve 6-7 F Jordan Parks, scoring 14.3 ppg and shooting 63.4% from the floor, plus transfer Gs Anthony McDonald (via Mississippi Valley State; 12.9 ppg) and well-traveled all-name Nimrod Hilliard (via South Dakota and Lamar; 11.0 ppg), plus Florida Gulf Coast transfer Dante Holmes (10.6 pgp). The Eagles shoot better than 49% from the floor and are clear favorites in Norfolk. If any team is to challenge, perhaps it will be hometown Norfolk State, with a potent scoring combo of 6-4 G Jeffrey Short (19.3 ppg) & rugged 6-9 PF RaShid Gaston (15.3 ppg & 9.65 rpg), and within four of NCC on Jan. 17. UMES also might be worth watching with its dynamic duo of 6-8 juco F Mike "SNL" Myers (16.2 ppg) and 6-4 combo G Devin Martin (14.2 ppg).

Last year...NCAA - North Carolina Central lost vs. Iowa State, 93-75. CBI - Hampton lost at Penn State, 69-65. CIT - Norfolk State lost at Eastern Michigan, 58-54.

NORTHEAST...Quarterfinals March 4, semis March 7, final March 10, all at home of highest seed.

Top contenders - St. Francis (NY), Robert Morris, Bryant, Mount Saint Mary's.

Notes...The Big Apple might have another NCAA Tourney entrant in Brooklyn-based St. Francis, which emerged as the team to beat in the NE Tourney when running away with the regular-season title. All after beginning the season with five straight losses. The Terriers start no one taller than 6'6 but get a lot of mileage from workhorse PF Jalen Cannon (16.5 ppg & 10.2 rpg), though Cannon played only ten minutes in the regular-season finale vs. Bryant, a game SFC lost by 10, ending its 9-game win streak. Barring Cannon's absence, the Terriers still rate as the favorite in this event. But that result gives Bryant and explosive sr. G Dyami Starks (18.5 ppg) some confidence heading into the conference tourney. Of course, we never want to dismiss the home team of the Pittsburgh Airport, Robert Morris, which has been to the postseason numerous times under HC Andy Toole and won at SFC on Jan. 24. The recent return to active duty of all-name sr. F Lucky Jones (14 ppg) is a boost for the Colonials.

Last year...NCAA - Mount Saint Mary's lost play-in game vs. Albany, 71-64. NIT - Robert Morris won at St. John's, 89-78; lost at Belmont, 82-71.

OHIO VALLEY...Tourney March 4-7 at Municipal Auditorium, Nashville, TN (not the home court of Nashville-based Tennessee State, which plays its games at the Gentry Complex, or Nashville-based Belmont, which plays its games at the Mike Curb Events Center).

Top contenders - Murray State*, UT-Martin, Eastern Kentucky, Belmont, Morehead State.

Notes...Steve Prohm's Murray State enters this week's tourney with the longest non-Kentucky win streak in the country (24 games), the last 16 of those vs. OVC foes. Postseason-savvy after last year's run to the CIT title, and with four starters back from that team, the Racers have the most efficient and effective attack in the Valley, led by soph G Cameron Payne (20.2 ppg) and an offense that scores 78.8 ppg (ranks 13th), hits 48.3% from the floor (ranks 16th), and 39% beyond the arc. But keep in mind that the Racers enter the postseason having covered just 3 of their last 10 vs. the line. On their best night, the UT-Martin Skyhawks, coached by former Wyoming HC Heath Schroyer, have proven they can be a handful. (Note the UNLV connection at Martin, where Skyhawk AD Julio Friere was asst. AD, and from where he brought Schroyer from the Dave Rice staff, and from where Schroyer brought transfer G "Coupe" Deville Smith. scoring a UTM-best 14 ppg).

EKU was an upset winner in this event last season and recently got top scorer G Corey Walden (18.6 ppg; scored 35 last Saturday vs. Tennessee Tech) back from injury, while hometown Belmont and HC Rick Byrd, with several previous Big Dance visits, cannot be dismissed, especially with jr. G Craig Bradshaw (17.8 ppg) still in the fold. If looking for a longshot, perhaps take a peek at SE Missouri State, close in most of its losses and with one of the OVC's most-dangerous threats in versatile 6-5 swingman Jarekious Bradley (15.9 ppg; scored 28 in last Saturday's romp past Austin Peay).

Last Year...NCAA - Eastern Kentucky lost vs. Kansas, 80-69. NIT - Belmont won at Green Bay, 80-65; won vs. Robert Morris, 82-71; lost at Clemson, 73-68. CBI - Morehead State lost at Illinois State, 77-67. CIT - Murray State (champs) won at Missouri State, 66-63; won vs. UN-Omaha, 86-62; won vs. Towson, 85-73; won vs. Pacific, 98-75; won vs. Yale, 65-57.

PATRIOT...Tourney March 3, 5, 8, 11 all at home of higher seeds. Top four seeds receive byes in first round.

Top contenders - Bucknell, Colgate, Lehigh.

Notes...Most in the region figured Lafayette or Holy Cross would be the teams to beat in the Patriot this season, but instead it was the alma mater of CBS head honcho Les Moonves, Bucknell, emerging from nowhere to steal the regular-season crown and earn top seed in the conference tourney. Though, upon inspection, competitive losses to Villanova, Penn State, and Wake Forest in pre-league play hinted that the Bison were better than their 5-8 SU non-Patriot record. Bucknell (38.9% triples) can shoot it from deep, though top scorer G Chris Hass (15.4 ppg) has gone stone cold in a handful of recent games. The Bison are not untouchable. Colgate also took its lumps in a bumpy 3-10 non-conference SU ride, but its collection of sharpshooters hits 48.4% from the floor (15th nationally) and almost 40% beyond the arc. Looming ominously is preseason favorite Lafayette, sitting at mid-table at the conclusion of the season but with the most-explosive offense in the league (73.8 ppg and 40.2% beyond the arc), though it's 6-9 Aussie Dan Trist (17.7 ppg and 58% from floor while working solely near the bucket) that differentiates the Leopards from other contenders.

Last Year...NCAA - American lost vs. Wisconsin, 75-35. NIT - Boston U lost vs. Illinois, 66-62. CIT - Holy Cross won at Brown, 68-65; lost vs. Yale, 71-66.

SOUTHERN...Tourney March 6-9 at U.S. Cellular Center, Asheville, NC.

Top contenders - Wofford, Chattanooga, Mercer, ETSU.

Notes...Defending conference tourney champ Wofford no longer had Davidson (off to the A-10) to worry about this season and quickly took charge of the league race. Vet HC Mike Young has taken several Terrier teams to the Dance, and the current version once again spins around savvy sr. G Karl Cochran (15 ppg), with jr. backcourt mate Spencer Collins often providing needed relief (such as Collins' 26-point effort in last week's crucial win at Mercer). Wofford, however, needs to be wary of stretch-running Chattanooga, coached by former Shaka Smart VCU aide Will Wade, who is going to be on many short lists of higher-profile schools looking for a coach in the offseason. The well-balanced Mighty Mocs won at Wofford on Feb. 12 and enter Greenville on a 6-game SU win streak. At 6'5, jr. G Casey Jones is a matchup headache and leads UTC at 14.2 ppg, with three others also averaging double-digit scoring. Mercer is over this season from the A-Sun, from where it qualified for the Dance and beat Duke a year ago, and vet HC Bob Hoffman also took the Bears to the CIT title a few years ago. All new starters this season, but Mercer remains a tough out with its deliberate style and solid defense.

Last year...NCAA - Wofford lost vs. Michigan, 57-40. NIT - Davidson lost at Missouri, 85-77. CIT - Chattanooga lost at East Tennessee (then a member of the Atlantic Sun), 79-66.

SOUTHLAND...Tourney March 11-14 at Merrell Center, Katy, TX. Central Arkansas, Houston Baptist, and Lamar are all ineligible for the postseason due to APR penalties.

Top contenders - Stephen F. Austin*, Sam Houston State, Northwestern State, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

Notes...SFA and Sam Houston are once again the top seeds in this event, and the Lumberjacks need no introduction after making some noise in the Big Dance last March when upsetting VCU in the sub-regionals at San Diego. Coach Brad Underwood, a onetime Frank Martin aide, has a deadly-shooting team that hits 49.1% from the floor (7th best nationally) and three starters, including LY's Southland MVP Jacob Parker, still in the fold from the noisemakers of last March. Note that SFA took highly-ranked Northern Iowa into OT at Cedar Falls in November. Sam Houston gets another crack at the Lumberjacks in the regular-season finale on Saturday, and the Bearkats like to do it with defense, allowing only 58.4 ppg (ranks 16th). The team Southland onlookers are keeping an eye on is dangerous Corpus Christi, the only league rep to beat SFA over the past two seasons (the Islanders turned the trick on Feb. 14) and for good measure having dumped Sam Houston last week. AMCC, coached by former Rice HC Willis Wilson, is led by do-everything sr. G John Jordan (15.2 ppg & 5.2 apg).

Last Year...NCAA - Stephen F. Austin won vs. VCU in OT, 77-75; lost vs. UCLA, 77-60. CIT - Sam Houston State won vs. Alabama State, 71-49; lost vs. San Diego. 77-72; Texas A&M-Corpus Christi won at Northern Colorado, 82-71; lost at Pacific, 89-60.

SWAC...Tourney March 10-14 at Toyota Center, Houston, TX. Alabama State is ineligible for the postseason due to APR penalties; Southern U is ineligible for the NCAA Tournament due to failure to supply usable academic data to the NCAA, but will participate in the SWAC Tournament.

Top contenders - Texas Southern, Southern Prairie View, Jackson State.

Notes...The ineligibility of Alabama State has taken a top contender out of the league tourney. Thus, the path is paved for Texas Southern, which will have a hometown edge in the conference tourney that is being played a few miles from campus at the Houston Rockets' fancy Toyota Center. The Tigers opened some eyes in December with upset wins on the road at Michigan State and Kansas State, although this is one team that does not rely on the 3-ball, converting only 29.8% beyond the arc. The recent return of Nebraska transfer G Deverell Biggs (10.1 ppg) has given familiar HC Mike Davis his full complement of players, however, and the deepest roster in the SWAC deserves to be favored in Houston. With a 16-12 overall SU record, and with Alabama State ineligible, the Tigers are going to be the only team with a winning SU record next week at the Toyota Center.

Last year...NCAA - Texas Southern lost play-in game vs. Cal Poly, 81-69. CIT - Alabama State lost at Sam Houston State, 71-49.

SUMMIT...Tourney March 7-10 at the brand new Denny Sanford PREMIER Center, Sioux Falls, SD (not the home court of nearby, Brookings-based South Dakota State, which plays its home games at Frost Arena, or nearby, Vermillion-based South Dakota, which plays its home games at the Dakota Dome). Nebraska-Omaha remains in its transition period from Division II and is ineligible for the conference tourney, but can participate in the NIT, CBI, or CIT. The Summit League was formerly known as Mid-Continent Conference.

Top contenders - North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Oral Roberts, IPFW.

Notes...This wildly-supported event in Sioux Falls moves into the new 13,000-seat Denny Sanford PREMIER Center and promises one of the most crackling atmospheres of all postseason events. Regional observers believe there is no clear-cut favorite, though they expect the final might come down to a border war between the "States" of North Dakota and South Dakota. Both have recent NCAA Tourney pedigrees, with the Bison of NDSU having qualified a year ago (and upsetting Oklahoma in the sub-regionals), though HC Saul Phillips moved to Ohio after last season. Star Bison sr. G Lawrence Alexander (19.3 ppg) might be the top player in the loop. The teams split their regular-season meetings, though Scott Nagy's SDSU Jackrabbits enter Sioux Falls off a stunning 80-64 upset at the hands of state rival South Dakota. Oral Roberts, back in the Summit after a recent stint in the Southland, and stretch-running IPFW, which lost to NDSU in the Summit final a year ago and owns one of the most intriguing weapons in the league in 6'9, 295-lb., C Steve "Not That Steve Forbes" Forbes (13.9 ppg), should be watched closely.

Last year...NCAA - North Dakota State beat Oklahoma in OT, 80-75; lost to San Diego State, 63-44. CBI - South Dakota State lost at Old Dominion, 72-65. CIT - IPFW won vs. Akron, 97-91; lost at VMI, 106-95; UN-Omaha won vs. North Dakota, 91-75; lost at Murray State, 86-62.

WAC...Tourney March 12-14 at Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV. Grand Canyon remains in its transition period from Division II and will be ineligible for the conference tournament, but can participate in the NIT, CBI, or CIT.

Top contenders - New Mexico State*, UMKC, Seattle, CS Bakersfield.

Notes...The exception to the rule of conference tourneys, as no one shows up for this event at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas unless NMSU happens to be playing. And it should be an Aggie show once more, even with the Las Cruces bunch not as big or as formidable as recent seasons. But the rest of the league is suspect, and thus NMSU is an overwhelming favorite once more (and the WAC's only chance to have its champ avoid a 16 vs. 16 play-in game). The latest international discovery of HC Marvin Menzies, 6-9 Cameroonian frosh F Pascal Siakam (13.5 ppg; brother James plays at Vanderbilt), has emerged as a new Aggie star alongside 6-8 Parisian F Remi Barry (13.4 ppg) and 6-4 Canadian skywalker Daniel Mullings (13.2 ppg), back after missing more than a month due to injury. Cameron Dollar's Seattle U is the only WAC team to beat NMSU this season, and it would be a shocker if Menzies and the Aggies don't qualify for their fourth straight Big Dance.

Last year...NCAA - New Mexico State lost in OT vs. San Diego State, 73-69. NIT - Utah Valley lost at Cal, 77-64. CIT - Grand Canyon lost vs. Pacific, 69-67.
 
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'College Hoops'

UCLA Bruins at 10-7 (11-6 ATS) in the Pac-12 will gunning for a win in their last regular-season game against Southern California to keep one of the top four seeds and earn a first-round bye in the conference tournament. Bruins undefeated at home in conference play posting a perfect 8-0 (7-1 ATS) record should have little trouble knocking off this visitor on Pauley Pavilion hardwood. Bruins winning the earlier matchup 83-66 cashing as 5-point road favorite have won eight of the last nine meetings (7-2 ATS). Let's not forget, Trojans have not responded in Pac-12 road games losing eight straight this season (5-3 ATS) and 20 of the past 21 away running the hardwood against a conference opponent (11-10 ATS). Consider UCLA (-13), the Bruins squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble will be playing with a sense of urgency. Expect Bruins to up the mark to 8-1 ATS on home court while Trojans fall to 1-5 ATS following a ATS win, 2-5 ATS as double digit conference underdogs.
 
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NCAAB

Louisville won its last three games, by 1-2-22 points, as they move on in wake of PG Jones getting tossed; Cardinals are 5-9 as ACC faves, 2-5 at home, with home wins by 6-15-10-13-2 points, with losses to Duke and NC State. Notre Dame won three of last four games, is 6-2 on ACC road, losing by 4 at Pitt, 30 at Duke. Irish have been off for eight days- they're 1-1 as road underdogs. ACC home favorites of 6 or less points are 9-11.

Providence (-7.5) beat Seton Hall 69-62 at home Feb 14, outscoring Hall 22-14 over last 5:40 of game they led by 7 at half. Friars won three of last four games, are 4-4 on Big East road- they're 1-0 as road favorite. Seton Hall lost six of last seven games, with only win by 1 vs Creighton, cellar dwellar in league. Big East home underdogs of 4 or less points are 7-7 vs spread. Underdogs are 8-0 vs spread in Seton Hall's Big East home tilts.

LaSalle (-6) beat St Joe's 53-48 at home Jan 27, after trailing by 15 in first half; Explorers outscored St Joe's 11-2 on foul line. LaSalle lost last three games by 4-15-3 points; they're 2-3 as road underdogs. Five of LaSalle's six road losses are by 7+ points. Hawks also lost four of last five games, with last three losses by 6 or less points or in OT; underdogs are 5-2 vs spread in St Joe's home games. A-14 home favorites of 3 or less points are 6-8 vs spread.

LSU stormed out to 47-20 halftime lead, won 73-55 at Tennessee Feb 14, shooting 57% inside arc, holding Vols to 2-14 from arc. Loss started Vols on current 5-game losing skid; they're 1-7 vs spread at home, losing last four at home by 5-18-18-8 points. SEC home favorites of 8+ points are 14-18 against the spread. LSU won five of last seven games, is 4-2-1 as a home favorite; six of their eight home games were decided by seven or less points.

Richmond won four of last six games with UMass; Spiders won/covered their last four games overall- they're 4-1 as underdogs on A-14 road. Six of Spiders' last eight losses were by 6 or less points. UMass lost three of last four games; they've allowed 74+ points in last five games. UMass is 2-4 as A-14 home favorites, but they've won five of last six at home SU. A-14 home teams are 19-16 vs spread in games where spread was 3 or less points.

Senior Night for Duke team with one senior (Cook) in its rotation; it has North Carolina rematch on deck Saturday. Blue Devils (-16) won 73-65 at Wake Forest Jan 7; their biggest lead was 10. Thomas was 12-20 from floor for Wake with no FTs taken. Duke is soft inside. Blue Devils won last nine games, are 4-4 as home favorites, 3-1 in last four; four of their last six wins were by 8 or less points. ACC home favorites of 15+ points are 3-6 vs spread.

Purdue is 13-3 vs spread in Big 14 games, 6-1 as road underdogs- they're 4-4 SU on road, with no losses by more than 7 points. Boilers won eight of last ten games (9-1 vs spread). Michigan State lost its last two games, is 2-6 as home favorite; they are 5-3 SU at home, with four of five wins by 6 or less points or in OT. Spartans won last six games with Purdue, all by 13+ points. Big 14 home favorites of less than 8 points are 28-21.

Tulsa has half-game lead in AAC; they've won/covered last four games after dramatic OT win at Memphis Saturday. Hurricane is 5-2 as a home favorite; four of its last five wins are by 11+ points. Cincinnati won its last three games, all by 10+ points; they won three of last four games on road, are 2-2 as underdogs this season. AAC home favorites of 5 or less points are 11-3-1 vs spread. This is teams' first meeting as AAC rivals.

Utah State won its last six games with four of last five wins by 14+; they beat Wyoming 56-44 (+1.5) at home Jan 27, in game with total of only 11 free throws. Aggies are 5-3 on MW road, 4-2 as road underdogs, losing on road by 9-2-20 points. Cowboys lost last two games, are 2-6 as favorites at home; they've got Nance back, but he had mono and isn't 100% yet. Mountain West home favorites of 5+ points are 23-19 against spread.

San Diego State is tied with Boise atop Mountain West; Aztecs (-10/5) beat UNLV 53-47 at home Jan 17, in brickfest where teams were 8-28 on arc- UNLV had 11-point lead in second half. Aztecs won five of last six games, are 5-# SU on road, 2-3 as road favorites. Rebels are down to 7 scholarship players, are 2-3 in last five games, 4-1 in last five home tilts. UNLV's home losses this season are by 2-2-5 points. Mountain West home underdogs of 5 or less points are 5-9 vs spread.

Oregon (-8.5) won Pac-12 opener 71-59 at home over Oregon State Jan 3, never trailing in game that was only 29-27 at half. Ducks won eight of last nine games as they push for NCAAs; they've won four of last five away games, are 1-1 as road favorites. Beavers lost four of last five games, but three of four losses were on road- they're 7-1 SU at home, losing only to Utah by 10- State is 2-1 as home underdogs. Pac-12 home underdogs of 3 or less points are 5-3 vs spread.


Ohio Valley tournament, Nashville
Morehead State won its last three games by 16-13-31 points; they won first game in OVC tourney last six years. Eagles (+3) won 70-57 at SE Missouri Jan 8, grabbing 20 offensive boards, forcing 21 turnovers (+4) in game they led 30-28 at half. SE Missouri lost three of its last four games; they've won first OVC tourney game the last four years. Morehead is 5-3 in OVC road games, SEMo is 3-5. Morehead covered its last six games as a favorite. Redhawks are 5-4 as an underdog.

Home side won both Eastern Illinois-SIUEdwardsville games this season; Panthers (-3.5) won first meeting 57-54 Jan 31, scoring last five points of game. SIUE (-3) won rematch 80-63 two weeks later, never trailing in a game where they shot 65% inside arc, 8-20 on arc. EIU is 3-7 in its last ten games after starting OVC play 6-0; over last decade, they're 1-6 in this event, with win in '10. Cougars won three of last four games; they're 1-7 away from home in OVC this season.
 
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Wednesday's six-pack

-- Kentucky 72, Georgia 64-- Dawgs gave Kentucky everything they had, but in the end, poor foul shooting doomed them. Wildcats are now 30-0.

-- Navy 56, Army 52-- Middies end a 14-game losing streak in conference tourney games.

-- Ill-Chicago 60, Wright State 57-- Flames were down 39-20 at the half.

-- Villanova 76, Creighton 72-- Wildcats didn't look like a #1 seed in this game.

-- Northwestern 82, Michigan 78, 2OT-- Chris Collins' team is finishing strong.

-- Kansas 76, West Virginia 69, OT-- Jayhawks were 0-15 on arc, 34-43 on line; they were down 18 at one point. WVU played without both its starting guards.
 
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MLB BETTING: 2015 MLB PREVIEW: ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
Scott Spreitzer

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

2014: 64-98
2015 OVER/UNDER WIN TOTAL: 71.5


MANAGER: Chip Hale (first season)

PITCHING:

The starting rotation is a glaring weakness to start the season. I could wrap-up the “Snakes” pitching preview simply by stating that Josh Collmenter is likely to be their opening day starter. The right-hander has 141 career appearances under his belt, but only 63 have come as a starter. His ERA as a starter is nearly one run higher than it is when he comes out of the pen. By the late stages of the season, you may not even find Collmenter in the rotation. The 29-year old may get the nod opening day due to the fact the D-backs have a lot of question marks behind him to start the 2015 campaign. Jeremy Hellickson comes over from Tampa Bay, but fly-ball pitchers don't normally find success at Chase Field. There are at least seven other potential starters entering spring ball, including top prospect Archie Bradley whose 2014 season was hamstrung by injuries. Bradley looks to be 100 percent healthy entering spring ball, and has been clocked at a top speed of 96 mph, which was faster than he was throwing in the minors last year. We expect Bradley to spend the opening weeks in the minors, but should be called-up to Phoenix during the summer. He has the “goods” to eventually become the team's ace. As for now, the rotation looks shaky with Collmenter leading the way. Other likely members of the April rotation include: Chase Anderson, Rubby De La Rosa, and Allen Webster. That's a rotation of nothing by righties. Left-hander Patrick Corbin is expected back in June after recovering from Tommy John Surgery. Vidal Nuno came to Arizona via trade last summer. Nuno enjoyed success with a higher strikeout rate as one would expect coming to the NL from the AL. Nuno will battle for a rotation spot with at least three other pitchers and a young crop of arms.

BULLPEN

Addison Reed struggled in the desert as the closer in 2014, but did finish with a decent K/BB ratio. Brad Ziegler and Oliver Perez are the set-up men. I'll be interested in Ziegler's results early-on. The righty was strong in the first half of the season in 2014, but injuries dented his numbers over the second half of the season. Perez has been outstanding from the left-side of the mound over the last two seasons. Randall Delgado struggled in 2014, but will start the season in long-relief in all likelihood. Those who miss the rotation will battle with Daniel Hudson, Matt Reynolds, and Evan Marshall for time out of the pen.

LINEUP

The strength of this team is their middle-of-the-order power. 1B Paul Goldschmidt, RF Mark Trumbo, and likely 3B Yasmany Tomas should make this a fun team to watch at the plate. If Trumbo can stay away from injury and Tomas is even close to the hype, opposing hurlers may be in for long nights at Chase Field. There were only 11 30-HR hitters in MLB last season. Arizona has three potential 30-HR hitters heading into 2015. They ought to get their share of chances to drive in runs with CF A.J. Pollack leading things off.

OUTLOOK:

Arizona will score runs, no doubt about it. The pitching rotation is shaky to start the season, but there's enough potential to make the Diamondbacks a NL West spoiler down the stretch this summer and let's not diminish my respect for new skipper Chip Hale, who helped put the small-payroll Oakland A's into the win column at an awfully high rate. I do believe this team will escape the dreaded 60's for a win total. I also believe the Diamondbacks have enough to climb over the 71.5 win total at the Westgate Super Book. However, I can't see this team topping 75 wins, so they won't likely be a play for me. Arizona's big jump may be just a season away.

Thanks, and good luck as always! Scott Spreitzer
 
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NCAA Basketball Betting 3-Point Play: Three Interesting Opening Lines Wednesday
by Alan Matthews

I’m going to be leaning mostly home favorites this week because I believe those regular-season home finales — Senior Night — are always great value. It’s an emotional night, and the players don’t want to blow it in their senior teammates’ final game at home by losing, especially if it’s a game where potential seeding for the conference tournament is involved or, more importantly, to gain the NCAA Tournament selection committee’s attention. Two bubble teams play their home finale on Wednesday in UCLA and Tulsa. Here’s a look at those and one other matchup that caught my eye.

No. 12 Notre Dame at No. 16 Louisville (-4.5)

This ACC matchup tips at 7 p.m. on ESPN2. Obviously both clubs will be in the NCAA Tournament, so this one is for potential better seeding in the ACC Tournament. Notre Dame could finish as high as second, but anywhere in the Top 4 gets you a double-bye. I thought Louisville was a Final Four-caliber team until Coach Rick Pitino recently kicked starting guard Chris Jones off the team. He averaged 13.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.0 steals per game. Now I’m not super confident the Cards reach the national semifinals.

Notre Dame (24-5, 12-4) might be a tad rusty as the Irish haven’t played since being upset 65-60 at home by Syracuse on Feb. 24. The Irish, whose three-game winning streak was snapped, rank second nationally in field-goal percentage but were just 17-for-49 (34.7 percent) against that SU zone and 3-for-22 from long range (13.6 percent). Top players Jerian Grant and Pat Connaughton each played all 40 minutes but were only 5-for-18 combined. Connaughton did have 15 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season. The Fighting Irish are 7-3 this season in games decided by five points or less (6-2 in ACC play). Louisville (23-6, 11-5) dominated at Florida State on Saturday, 81-59 for its third straight win (two since Jones was booted). Terry Rozier handed out a career-high nine assists, matched a career-best with six steals and added 10 points. Rozier leads the Cardinals and is fourth in the ACC in scoring (17.4 ppg) and second in steals (2.0 spg). The Cardinals surpassed the 70-point mark for the first time in eight February games.

These schools haven’t played since the 2012-13 season when both were in the Big East. In an interesting quirk, the teams have gone to overtime in seven of the past 13 meetings, including a memorable five-overtime Notre Dame win in 2013.

Key trends: The Irish are 2-5 ATS in their past seven games. They are 1-8 ATS in their past nine on Wednesday. Louisville has covered just two of its past 11 at home. It is 1-4 ATS in its past five Wednesday games.

Why take the favorite: I think Notre Dame is a tad overrated.

USC at UCLA (-12)

The Pac-12 battle for Los Angeles is at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2. It’s a vital game for UCLA, which is currently listed among the “First Four Out” on ESPN Bracketology.

USC (11-18, 3-14) ended a three-game losing streak on Saturday with a 70-55 win over Washington in the Trojans’ home finale. It helped the Huskies were without two injured starters, including leading scorer Nigel Williams-Goss. Nikola Jovanovic scored 15 of his 16 points in the second half for the Trojans, who have now exceeded last year’s Pac-12 win total. USC held Washington to a 29.7 shooting percentage, the lowest by a Trojan opponent since holding UC Riverside to 19.0 percent on Dec. 12, 2012. It’s one of the youngest teams in the country, so it might be pretty competitive next year. UCLA (18-12, 10-7) beat visiting Washington State 72-67 on Sunday for its second straight victory. Norman Powell scored a career-high 28 for the Bruins and was named Pac-12 Player of the Week. It was his third such selection. Powell, one of four seniors to be honored in this game, has averaged 20.4 points and shot 56.2 percent in the last five games. The Bruins can lock up the No. 4 slot and a first-round bye in the Pac-12 Tournament with a win against USC.

On Jan. 14 at USC, the Bruins won 83-66, their fourth straight in the series. UCLA used a 26-6 run over both halves to put away the Trojans. Powell scored 22 points to lead UCLA and finished his career with a 4-0 record against USC in its building, becoming the first Bruin since Toby Bailey from 1995-98 to do so. Jovanovic scored 20 points for the Trojans. USC’s last visit to UCLA on Jan. 5, 2014, resulted in a 107-73 loss, its most points allowed in a game since the 2000 season.

Key trends: USC is 5-1 ATS in its past six road games. The Trojans are 5-2 ATS in their past seven against teams with a winning record. UCLA is 4-0 ATS in its past four on Wednesday. The Bruins are 7-1 ATS in their past eight at home. UCLA has covered four straight in this series.

Why take the favorite: Bruins have been beating on their rival for a while.

Cincinnati at Tulsa (-2.5)

This American Athletic Conference matchup is at 9 p.m. ET on the CBS Sports Network. Cincinnati is currently listed among the “Last Four In” and slotted as a No. 11 seed in a play-in game vs. Purdue, while Tulsa is a No. 11 in the West Region so clearly on the bubble as well. The Golden Hurricane better go far in the AAC Tournament because they don’t have good nonconference wins and haven’t beaten a ranked team.

Cincinnati (20-9, 11-5) won its third straight on Saturday, 63-47 at Tulane. The Bearcats jumped out to an 18-4 lead midway through the first half and weren’t much challenged in reaching their fifth straight 20-win season. Octavius Ellis led UC with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Cincinnati has held 32 of its last 33 opponents under 70 points and 11 of its last 13 foes under 60 points. It ranks sixth nationally in points allowed at 55.2 per game. Tulsa (21-7, 14-2) holds a half-game over SMU atop the AAC and the Golden Hurricane play there to close the regular season this weekend. Tulsa won its fourth straight game Saturday, 74-72 in OT at Memphis. Shaquille Harrison led three players in double figures with 23 points, including his team’s all eight in OT, on 9-of-14 shooting with nine rebounds. Tulsa improved to 5-7 when trailing at halftime and 18-0 when it shoots better from the field than its opponent. The Golden Hurricane were in Conference USA last year and won the regular-season and conference tournament titles before falling to UCLA in its first game in the Big Dance.

This is the first meeting between Cincinnati and Tulsa since 2000.

Key trends: Tulsa has covered its past four games. It is 8-2 ATS in its past 10 against teams with a winning record.

Why take the favorite: Tulsa is a solid 12-3 at home while UC 5-5 on road.
 

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