POSTS 12-8-1 +7.50 UNITS
Here are tonights selections:
5 Units Youngstown State +12 -106
The Youngstown State Penguins are 1-0 and shooting 52% from the field! Well, they've only played one game, so you have to look carefully at matchups in these early-season battles. Youngstown is a young team that went 9-20 last season and notice they went 1-15 SU/5-7 ATS on the road! They have a nice one-two offensive punch in 6’-3” junior guard Doug Underwood and 6’-8” senior center Adam Baumann, but lack depth and defense. Those weaknesses could hurt here, as Toledo is a guard-oriented team that likes to run and gun. The Toledo Rockets (13-16 SU/ATS last year) don’t have a lot of height and the guard play has to carry the team. They were a weak rebounding and defending club, allowing opponents to shoot 46% (70 ppg allowed). They still lack height with 6’-3” junior guard Keith Triplett (16.9 points pg) leading the break and 6’-7” forward Ricardo Thomas crashing the boards. The edge for them here is that Toledo was 9-4 SU/8-5 ATS at home last season. Toledo should get the win in a high scoring game, but the Penguins have enough returning experience to hang in there against a Toledo squad that is not strong defensively!!!
5 Units Northern Illinois -7.5 +100
The MAC meets the Missouri Valley conference. The Illinois State Redbirds (1-0) lack height and will struggle here after going 8-21 SU, 11-16-1 ATS in 2002-03. The guard play is strong, but they were 3-12 SU/7-7-1 ATS on the road last season and the defense was very weak, allowing 70 ppg. They are off an easy win over Florida A&M, 87-70. The Northern Illinois Huskies have strong depth and experience with 6’-4” senior guard P.J. Smith, 6-6” senior Marcus Smallwood and 6’-6” sophomore Todd Peterson. The last game they were a +15 dog at Notre Dame and got the cover in a 74-65 loss. Smallwood had 21 points and 18 rebounds! Although he was only 9-25 shooting, but the defense held Notre Dame to just 36% shooting. Northern Illinois should control the boards and bounce back with a win in front of the home fans.
5 Units South Alabama +18.5 -103
So, can the Sun Belt team hang with the SEC team here? The South Alabama Jaguars lack height, and while Mississippi State is rebuilding, SA will struggle against the taller Bulldogs. South Alabama has a guard-oriented line-up led by 6’-1” senior guard Chris Young (16 ppg last year) and 6’-3”senior Larry Thompson. But South Alabama was just 3-11 SU/8-6 ATS on the road, though they did play this Mississippi State team and gave the Bulldogs a run before losing 85-74 at home. Mississippi State has 7'-0" Marcus Campbell and Ex-Baylor star Lawrence Roberts, a 6'-9" forward, to control the glass here. Mississippi State was 17-3 SU in home games last season (9-6 ATS) and a very strong defensive team. Also, don't look for as much scoring as last year's encounter.
5 Units Miami Florida -2.5 -107
Long road trip for both teams, as this game is in Las Vegas. Bradley returns three senior starters in the backcourt, the Braves will be focused on the perimeter game this season. Senior shooting guard Phillip Gilbert is one of the top scorers in the league, and he'll be the main man for coach Jim Les. Bradley likes to go up-tempo offensively, pushing the ball to get easy buckets. That opens things up for Gilbert, Marcello Robinson and James Gillingham. Junior forward Mike Suggs is the team's leading returning rebounder, but he's only 6-6. The 'Canes have a couple of Div II wins behind them and played R.I. last night. Darius Rice is a name to become familiar with, as he could well be one of the best shooters in the land. 6-10 wingman has an uncommon set of skills for someone his size. Beyond Rice, Miami has no proven scorers. The team should improve and be better able to handle end-game situations with a year of experience under the belts of Armondo Surratt and Robert Hite, but the question is whether or not that duo has what it takes to win in the Big East. The Canes won't have a lot of depth. bRhode Island just doesn't have the size to keep this game interesting.
5 Units Connecticut -8 +100
NIT Preseason tourney from New York, and forget about ACC versus Big East. This will be a one-sided game. Both teams are 3-0, though neither has been tested, but G-Tech lost its best player (6'-10" Chris Bosh) and even with him they were a poor 3-12 SU on the road (7-8 ATS). G-Tech doesn't have the depth or big man to hang with No. 1 UConn. Jim Calhoun's Huskies have great returning talent led by 6'-9" junior Emeka Okafor, 6'-1" Senior Taliek Brown and 6'-2" junior Ben Gordon. UConn was a respectable 7-7 (8-5-1 ATS) on the road last year and while they are 0-2 ATS so far this season, this is a great spot to make a statement and they have the horses (and defense) to do it.
Good luck tonight my friends
ALLSTAR
Here are tonights selections:
5 Units Youngstown State +12 -106
The Youngstown State Penguins are 1-0 and shooting 52% from the field! Well, they've only played one game, so you have to look carefully at matchups in these early-season battles. Youngstown is a young team that went 9-20 last season and notice they went 1-15 SU/5-7 ATS on the road! They have a nice one-two offensive punch in 6’-3” junior guard Doug Underwood and 6’-8” senior center Adam Baumann, but lack depth and defense. Those weaknesses could hurt here, as Toledo is a guard-oriented team that likes to run and gun. The Toledo Rockets (13-16 SU/ATS last year) don’t have a lot of height and the guard play has to carry the team. They were a weak rebounding and defending club, allowing opponents to shoot 46% (70 ppg allowed). They still lack height with 6’-3” junior guard Keith Triplett (16.9 points pg) leading the break and 6’-7” forward Ricardo Thomas crashing the boards. The edge for them here is that Toledo was 9-4 SU/8-5 ATS at home last season. Toledo should get the win in a high scoring game, but the Penguins have enough returning experience to hang in there against a Toledo squad that is not strong defensively!!!
5 Units Northern Illinois -7.5 +100
The MAC meets the Missouri Valley conference. The Illinois State Redbirds (1-0) lack height and will struggle here after going 8-21 SU, 11-16-1 ATS in 2002-03. The guard play is strong, but they were 3-12 SU/7-7-1 ATS on the road last season and the defense was very weak, allowing 70 ppg. They are off an easy win over Florida A&M, 87-70. The Northern Illinois Huskies have strong depth and experience with 6’-4” senior guard P.J. Smith, 6-6” senior Marcus Smallwood and 6’-6” sophomore Todd Peterson. The last game they were a +15 dog at Notre Dame and got the cover in a 74-65 loss. Smallwood had 21 points and 18 rebounds! Although he was only 9-25 shooting, but the defense held Notre Dame to just 36% shooting. Northern Illinois should control the boards and bounce back with a win in front of the home fans.
5 Units South Alabama +18.5 -103
So, can the Sun Belt team hang with the SEC team here? The South Alabama Jaguars lack height, and while Mississippi State is rebuilding, SA will struggle against the taller Bulldogs. South Alabama has a guard-oriented line-up led by 6’-1” senior guard Chris Young (16 ppg last year) and 6’-3”senior Larry Thompson. But South Alabama was just 3-11 SU/8-6 ATS on the road, though they did play this Mississippi State team and gave the Bulldogs a run before losing 85-74 at home. Mississippi State has 7'-0" Marcus Campbell and Ex-Baylor star Lawrence Roberts, a 6'-9" forward, to control the glass here. Mississippi State was 17-3 SU in home games last season (9-6 ATS) and a very strong defensive team. Also, don't look for as much scoring as last year's encounter.
5 Units Miami Florida -2.5 -107
Long road trip for both teams, as this game is in Las Vegas. Bradley returns three senior starters in the backcourt, the Braves will be focused on the perimeter game this season. Senior shooting guard Phillip Gilbert is one of the top scorers in the league, and he'll be the main man for coach Jim Les. Bradley likes to go up-tempo offensively, pushing the ball to get easy buckets. That opens things up for Gilbert, Marcello Robinson and James Gillingham. Junior forward Mike Suggs is the team's leading returning rebounder, but he's only 6-6. The 'Canes have a couple of Div II wins behind them and played R.I. last night. Darius Rice is a name to become familiar with, as he could well be one of the best shooters in the land. 6-10 wingman has an uncommon set of skills for someone his size. Beyond Rice, Miami has no proven scorers. The team should improve and be better able to handle end-game situations with a year of experience under the belts of Armondo Surratt and Robert Hite, but the question is whether or not that duo has what it takes to win in the Big East. The Canes won't have a lot of depth. bRhode Island just doesn't have the size to keep this game interesting.
5 Units Connecticut -8 +100
NIT Preseason tourney from New York, and forget about ACC versus Big East. This will be a one-sided game. Both teams are 3-0, though neither has been tested, but G-Tech lost its best player (6'-10" Chris Bosh) and even with him they were a poor 3-12 SU on the road (7-8 ATS). G-Tech doesn't have the depth or big man to hang with No. 1 UConn. Jim Calhoun's Huskies have great returning talent led by 6'-9" junior Emeka Okafor, 6'-1" Senior Taliek Brown and 6'-2" junior Ben Gordon. UConn was a respectable 7-7 (8-5-1 ATS) on the road last year and while they are 0-2 ATS so far this season, this is a great spot to make a statement and they have the horses (and defense) to do it.
Good luck tonight my friends
ALLSTAR
