? ?Who's Dancing..... Automatic Bids.??

[Greenbacks]

2023 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship
60501	Alabama 1		+500
60502	Houston 1		+600
60505	UCLA 2		+1100
60503	Kansas 1		+1200
60504	Purdue 1		+1200
60508	Texas 2		+1400
60512	Connecticut 4		+1600
60506	Gonzaga 3		+1600
60507	Arizona 2		+1800
60513	Duke 5		+1800
60509	Marquette 2		+1800
60510	Baylor 3		+2200
60511	Tennessee 4		+2800
60516	Creighton 6		+3300
60514	Kentucky 6		+3300
60519	Miami Florida 5		+3300
60517	TCU 6		+3300
60518	Texas A&M 7		+4500
60530	Arkansas 8		+5000
60515	Saint Marys CA 5		+5000
60521	Virginia 4		+5000
60520	Indiana 4		+5500
60523	Xavier 3		+5500
60522	Kansas State 3		+6000
60524	Iowa 8		+6600
60527	Iowa State 6		+8000
60529	Memphis 8		+8000
60525	Michigan State 7		+8000
60528	San Diego State 5		+8000
60533	Auburn 9		+10000
60532	Illinois 9		+10000
60526	Maryland 8		+10000
60531	West Virginia 9		+10000
60535	Florida Atlantic 9		+12500
60534	Providence 11		+12500
60544	Missouri 7		+20000
60537	Northwestern 7		+20000
60538	Penn State 10		+20000
60536	USC 10		+20000
60541	Arizona State 11		+25000
60539	NC State 11		+25000
60540	Utah State 10		+25000
60543	Pittsburgh 11		+30000
60542	VCU 12		+30000
60545	Oral Roberts 12		+35000
60548	Iona 13		+40000
60549	Boise State 10		+50000
60550	Charleston 12		+50000
60553	Colgate 15		+50000
60546	Drake 12		+50000
60547	Mississippi State 11		+50000
60552	Nevada 11		+50000
60551	Vermont 15		+50000
60581	Farleigh Dickinson		+100000
60555	Furman 13		+100000
60566	Grand Canyon 14		+100000
60563	Howard 16		+100000
60558	Kennesaw State 14		+100000
60554	Kent State 13		+100000
60560	Louisiana 13		+100000
60562	Montana State 14		+100000
60559	Northern Kentucky 16		+100000
60580	Princeton		+100000
60556	SE Missouri St 16		+100000
60561	Texas A&M-CC 16		+100000
60564	Texas Southern 16		+100000
60565	UC Santa Barbara 14		+100000
60557	UNC Asheville 15		+100000

 

[Greenbacks]

East Region
60434	Purdue		+225
60436	Marquette		+425
60435	Tennessee		+425
60437	Duke		+800
60438	Kansas State		+1000
60439	Kentucky		+1000
60441	Memphis		+1600
60440	Michigan State		+1800
60443	USC		+2000
60442	Florida Atlantic		+2200
60444	Providence		+3300
60445	Oral Roberts		+6600
60446	Louisiana-Lafayette		+10000
60447	Vermont		+10000
60448	Montana State		+20000
60450	Fairleigh Dickinson		+30000
60449	Texas Southern		+30000

 

[Greenbacks]

Midwest Region
60401	Houston		+150
60402	Texas		+300
60403	Xavier		+800
60404	Iowa State		+1100
60405	Indiana		+1200
60407	Auburn		+1600
60406	Miami FL		+1600
60408	Texas A&M		+1600
60409	Iowa		+2000
60410	Penn State		+3500
60411	Drake		+5000
60412	Kent State		+5000
60413	Mississippi State		+5000
60414	Pittsburgh		+8000
60416	Colgate		+20000
60415	Kennesaw State		+20000
60417	Northern Kentucky		+30000

 

[Greenbacks]

South Region
60418	Alabama		+185
60419	Arizona		+375
60420	Baylor		+550
60421	Creighton		+650
60422	San Diego State		+850
60424	Virginia		+1400
60423	West Virginia		+1400
60426	Maryland		+2500
60425	Utah State		+2500
60427	Missouri		+4000
60429	Charleston		+5000
60428	North Carolina State		+5000
60430	Furman		+8000
60431	UC Santa Barbara		+10000
60432	Princeton		+30000
60433	A&M Corpus Christi		+50000
60470	Southeast Missouri State		+50000

 

[Greenbacks]

West Region
60451	UCLA		+275
60454	Gonzaga		+385
60452	Kansas		+385
60453	Connecticut		+400
60455	Saint Marys		+1100
60456	TCU		+1200
60457	Arkansas		+1800
60458	Boise State		+2500
60460	Illinois		+2800
60459	Northwestern		+4000
60461	VCU		+5000
60462	Arizona State		+8000
60463	Nevada		+8000
60465	Grand Canyon		+10000
60464	Iona		+10000
60466	Howard		+30000
60467	UNC Asheville		+30000

 

[Greenbacks]

 

[Greenbacks]

Southeast Missouri-Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

Tuesday, March 14, 2023 06:40 PM (ET)

A pair of No. 16 seeds meet for the right to advance and play the top overall seed when Southeast Missouri takes on Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament on Tuesday at Dayton, Ohio.
The winner will advance to the South Regional in Birmingham, Ala., to play No. 1 Alabama on Thursday.
Southeast Missouri (19-16), winner of the Ohio Valley Conference tournament, is playing Southland Conference champion Texas A&M-CC (23-10) for the first time.
Fifth-seeded SEMO beat No. 8 Lindenwood and No. 4 Tennessee State before stunning the OVC's top two seeds, No. 1 Morehead State and No. 2 Tennessee Tech, to earn an NCAA Tournament berth for the first time since 2000. It's the second in program history.
"I was told a long time ago (to) surround yourself with great people," said SEMO head coach Brad Korn, who played in the NCAA Tournament for Southern Illinois under head coach Bruce Weber. "You'd be amazed on how far they can take you and I don't take anything for granted. As a player, you just do what the coach says. And we had a great run there.
"And now looking back on to be able to lead a team like this to the NCAA tournament the first time in 23 years is really a lot of what I learned from Coach Weber and those guys and the way they treated us in the way that our program was ran."
SEMO is led by Phillip Russell, who was an All-OVC and All-Tournament Team selection. He just went over 1,000 career points and averages 18.2 points per game on the season. Chris Harris is also a contributor with 15.4 points per outing and was named to the All-Conference second team.
The Redhawks last made the NCAA Tournament in 2000, losing as a No. 13 seed to No. 4 LSU.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi will try to atone for last year's disappointment in the same situation when it led Texas Southern, 61-59, with 6:04 remaining, only to have the Tigers rally for a 76-67 victory.
The Islanders have won 12 of their last 13 games, capturing back-to-back Southland tournament titles and this season's regular season championship outright.
A&M-Corpus Christi seniors Jalen Jackson and Trevian Tennyson both averaged 15.0 points per game in their two games of the Southland Tournament. Jackson stepped in for All-Conference first-team selection and defensive player of the year Terrion Murdix, who left with a knee injury just three minutes into the championship game win over Northwestern State.
"I thought that our guys rebounded well after a while and we had an initial shock where I don't think that we knew what to do, or how to adapt," Islanders head coach Steve Lutz said.
The Islanders were down 16 points before rallying to tie the championship game at the half.
"Luckily for us, Jalen took over the game, and that's why he obviously is MVP of the game, but I just couldn't be more proud of the fight our guys showed. I couldn't be more proud of the effort."
Tennyson leads Corpus Christi in scoring with 15.7 points per game.

Redhawks are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
Redhawks are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS win.
Redhawks are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win.
Redhawks are 11-3 ATS in their last 14 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Redhawks are 16-5 ATS in their last 21 neutral site games.
Redhawks are 10-4 ATS in their last 14 Tuesday games.

Islanders are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Islanders are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 neutral site games.
Islanders are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 games overall.
Islanders are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games following a straight up win.
Islanders are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 Tuesday games.

Over is 8-1 in Redhawks last 9 games following a straight up win.
Under is 10-2 in Redhawks last 12 Tuesday games.
Over is 13-3 in Redhawks last 16 games following a ATS win.
Over is 21-7 in Redhawks last 28 overall.
Under is 10-4-2 in Redhawks last 16 neutral site games.

Over is 4-1 in Islanders last 5 overall.
Over is 4-1 in Islanders last 5 neutral site games.
Over is 12-4 in Islanders last 16 games following a ATS win.
Over is 33-16-2 in Islanders last 51 games following a straight up win.

 

[Greenbacks]

Mississippi State-Pittsburgh

Tuesday, March 14, 2023 09:10 PM (ET)

A pair of No. 11 seeds looking to rekindle past NCAA Tournament success meet when Pittsburgh battles Mississippi State on Tuesday in a First Four game at Dayton, Ohio.
The winner will advance to play No. 6 seed Iowa State in the first round of the Midwest Regional on Friday in Greensboro, N.C.
The Panthers (22-11) earned their first at-large bid since the 2015-16 season and their 27th overall tournament appearance by virtue of a 14-6 record inside the Atlantic Coast Conference, good for third place in the regular season. The team lost in the ACC tournament quarterfinals to Duke, 96-69.
"I'm really just happy for these guys because they've worked, they fought and we've won, and I think it's something that's earned," said Pitt head coach Jeff Capel. "For this group, to be the group to kind of get back to the big dance is a pretty cool, doggone thing."
Pitt is led by All-ACC performers Jamarius Burton (15.6 points per game, 4.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists) and Blake Hinson (15.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg). Both players have scored in double-figures 28 times this season. ACC Sixth Man of the Year Nike Sibande is averaging 8.5 points and 3.9 rebounds.
This is the first postseason appearance for the Panthers in five seasons under Capel, and the fourth time he has led a team into NCAA Tournament play. Capel was named the ACC Coach of the Year and is also among the top candidates for the Naismith National Coach of the Year.
Pittsburgh's 11-game win improvement overall is tied for the second-best mark in program history, while their eight-game upswing in conference play is a program record.
Under first-year coach Chris Jans, Mississippi State (21-12) will make its 12th tournament appearance, eight of which have come since the 2001-02 season. The best run for the Bulldogs came in 1996 under then-head coach Richard Williams, when State defeated Virginia Commonwealth, Princeton, Connecticut and Cincinnati during its NCAA Final Four run.
The Bulldogs finished the season as one of the SEC's hottest teams, winning nine of their last 13 games. The run has been highlighted by a trio of NET Quad 1 wins over No. 11 TCU, at Arkansas and against No. 25 Texas A&M.
"It was surreal," said senior forward D.J. Jeffries. "A lot of teams were watching that didn't get selected that thought they were. For us to be selected is a blessing. I thank God that we were in this situation and have this opportunity to be able to go dancing. Now we've just got to go take advantage of our opportunity."
Only Will McNair Jr., who reached the tournament with Jans last season at New Mexico State, has experience in the tourney.
"It felt like a big relief off my back," Jeffries said. "You've been fighting and striving since your freshman year to get here, and I finally got here after three years. It's a blessing and I'm excited. I'm just ready to get to business and go out there and play on the big stage for the first time."

Panthers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 Tuesday games.
Panthers are 21-7 ATS in their last 28 games overall.
Panthers are 9-3-1 ATS in their last 13 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Panthers are 5-2-1 ATS in their last 8 games following a ATS loss.
Panthers are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight up loss.
Panthers are 10-4-1 ATS in their last 15 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Panthers are 1-3-2 ATS in their last 6 games after allowing more than 90 points in their previous game.
Panthers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 NCAA Tournament games.
Panthers are 1-5-1 ATS in their last 7 neutral site games.
Panthers are 0-4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up loss of more than 20 points.

Bulldogs are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games after scoring less than 50 points in their previous game.
Bulldogs are 15-5-1 ATS in their last 21 games following a straight up loss of more than 20 points.
Bulldogs are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Bulldogs are 35-15-1 ATS in their last 51 games following a straight up loss.
Bulldogs are 6-14-1 ATS in their last 21 games following a ATS loss.
Bulldogs are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
Bulldogs are 0-4-1 ATS in their last 5 neutral site games.

Over is 4-0 in Panthers last 4 neutral site games.
Over is 6-1 in Panthers last 7 overall.
Over is 4-1 in Panthers last 5 Tuesday games.
Over is 17-5-1 in Panthers last 23 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Over is 3-1-1 in Panthers last 5 games following a straight up loss of more than 20 points.
Over is 5-2 in Panthers last 7 games following a straight up loss.

Over is 4-0 in Bulldogs last 4 games following a straight up loss.
Under is 5-1 in Bulldogs last 6 neutral site games.
Over is 4-1 in Bulldogs last 5 overall.
Over is 6-2 in Bulldogs last 8 NCAA Tournament games.

 

[Greenbacks]

Congrats to Texas A&M CC & Pittsburgh

 

[Greenbacks]

Fairleigh Dickinson-Texas Southern

Wednesday, March 15, 2023 06:40 PM (ET)

A pair of unheralded conference champions meet for a chance to battle top-seeded Purdue when Fairleigh Dickinson battles Texas Southern in a First Four play-in game Wednesday in Dayton, Ohio.
Despite losing the Northeast Conference championship 67-66 to top-seeded Merrimack, Fairleigh Dickinson (19-15) earned the conference's automatic bid since Merrimack, making a transition into Division I, is still not eligible for the NCAA Tournament.
In their NEC semifinal win that clinched an NCAA Tournament berth, the Knights rolled over St. Francis (Pa.) 70-50 to earn their seventh trip to the NCAA Tournament.
The Knights are appearing in their third NCAA tournament in eight years. The Knights have been a No. 16 seed in five of their six previous trips to the tournament, losing all five times to a No. 1 seed.
FDU's last trip to Ohio resulted in the program's first-ever win in March Madness as the Knights beat Prairie View A&M 82-76 in a First Four play-in contest in 2019.
"We are excited for our players, program, university and campus community to make it to the NCAA tournament," first-year coach Tobin Anderson said. "This is the goal of every college program when we all start in the fall. It's an incredible accomplishment and we are excited to begin to play this week."
Demetre Roberts leads four FDU players averaging in double digits, scoring 16.7 points per game. Grant Singleton averages 14.3 points, Ansley Almonor is scoring 13.9 ppg and Joe Mundon Jr. averages 10.4 ppg.
Texas Southern (14-20) is riding an unexpected wave into the NCAA field. Standing just 11-20 heading into the Southwestern Athletic Conference tourney, the Tigers came out of nowhere as a No. 8 seed in the conference to shock No. 1 Alcorn State and No. 2 Grambling on their way to a third consecutive SWAC title, its seventh since 2014 and 11th overall.
Texas Southern head coach Johnny Jones believes the difficult road through to a conference championship is good preparation for the test his team will face in Dayton.
"To be able to beat Alcorn and Grambling is very tough. I couldn't be more excited to bring a three-peat championship to Houston (site of the Final Four) and cut the nets down in Birmingham (site of the SWAC tournament)," Jones said.
"This championship is at the top. We were the last team to qualify for the (SWAC) tournament. We had to play three road games at the end. We battled through the No. 1 and 2 seed. It's hard work. These guys put in the hard work, and they get to see the fruits of their labor."
Texas Southern raced out to a 22-5 lead over Grambling in the first half before settling for a 31-18 halftime lead. Grambling rallied in the second half, briefly tying it 43-43 with 7:12 left before senior guard PJ Henry saved the day for Texas Southern with 11 points over the final 6:08.
Henry was named MVP of the tournament. He scored 19 points overall in the final while connecting on 4-of-8 from behind the arc, including a pair of clutch 3-pointers in the closing minutes.

Knights are 7-16 ATS in their last 23 games following a ATS win.
Knights are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a losing straight up record.
Knights are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 neutral site games.
Knights are 1-10 ATS in their last 11 Wednesday games.

Tigers are 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 NCAA Tournament games.
Tigers are 15-4-2 ATS in their last 21 neutral site games.
Tigers are 8-18 ATS in their last 26 games overall.

Over is 4-1 in Knights last 5 games following a straight up loss.
Under is 4-1 in Knights last 5 Wednesday games.
Over is 4-1 in Knights last 5 neutral site games.

Under is 4-0 in Tigers last 4 games following a straight up win.
Under is 5-1 in Tigers last 6 neutral site games.
Under is 8-2 in Tigers last 10 games following a ATS win.
Under is 4-1 in Tigers last 5 Wednesday games.
Under is 5-2 in Tigers last 7 overall.
Over is 7-3 in Tigers last 10 NCAA Tournament games.

 

[Greenbacks]

Nevada-Arizona State

Wednesday, March 15, 2023 09:10 PM (ET)

Last Meeting ( Dec 7, 2018 ) Nevada 72-Arizona St. 66

A pair of No. 11 seeds led by high-profile coaches square off when Nevada takes on Arizona State in a First Four play-in game Wednesday at Dayton, Ohio.
The winner will advance to play No. 6 seed TCU on Friday in Denver in a West Regional first-round game.
The storylines will be rich in this showdown as Arizona State (22-12) has benefitted greatly from two Nevada transfers who left Steve Alford's program after the 2021-22 season and are now playing for Arizona State head coach Bobby Hurley.
Desmond Cambridge Jr. is a point guard for the Sun Devils and 7-footer Warren Washington is a force near the basket.
"It's ironic that it played out the way it did," said Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley, who hosted players at his home before jumping in a swimming pool to celebrate. "It was chaos in my house. I'll get their thoughts as we go. I don't know how much more motivation you need, really. You're in the NCAA Tournament. Yeah, it is a subplot, certainly, of a storyline certainly for the NCAA Tournament."
Cambridge was named to the Pac-12 All-Tournament Team after averaging 16 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists while adding a tournament-best 3.0 steals per game. In the victory over USC, Cambridge led the way with 27 points and seven rebounds.
Cambridge was extremely active defensively in the semifinal loss to Arizona, setting a new career-high with five steals. Cambridge landed on the All-Pac-12 second team after winning the Pac-12 in Player of the Week Award on three different occasions.
Washington started all 32 games he played in this season, averaging 9.2 points and 6.9 rebounds.
The Wolf Pack (22-10) are making their 10th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and captured the final at-large bid to the tournament after losing to San Jose State in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West tournament.
"I'm extremely excited and couldn't be happier for our guys," Nevada's Alford said. "They have they worked their tails off to turn around the season like last year. They've been working hard since April. We just had one bad week. And in that bad week, we had two OT losses."
Other Mountain West teams joining Nevada in the tournament are San Diego State, Boise State and Utah State.
"I'm so appreciative of the (selection) committee giving our league the respect that I think our league deserves," said Alford, who is in his fourth season at Nevada and previously spent six seasons at New Mexico. "This my 10th year in this league, and top to bottom is filled up the hardest, best league of those 10 years."
The selection marks the Pack's first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2019 and will be Alford's 12th career appearance in the tournament. It will also represent the fifth different school that Alford has taken to the NCAA Tournament, which ties the NCAA record with Lon Kruger, Tubby Smith and Rick Pitino.
Nevada holds an all-time record of 6-9 in the NCAA Tournament with two Sweet Sixteen appearances (2004, 2018).
Alford is 11-11 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and has advanced to the Sweet Sixteen four different times (1999, 2014, 2015, 2017).
The Sun Devils have made the NCAA Tournament for the 17th time in program history and third under Hurley. It is the second-most tournament appearances for a Sun Devils head coach.
Arizona State is coming off a crucial run at the Pac-12 tournament that improved its tournament resume, making the semifinal round for only the fourth time in program history. Arizona State was seeded No. 6 after finishing the regular season at 11-9 in conference play.

Wolf Pack are 15-4 ATS in their last 19 neutral site games.
Wolf Pack are 18-8-2 ATS in their last 28 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Wolf Pack are 36-17-2 ATS in their last 55 Wednesday games.
Wolf Pack are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
OU Trends

Sun Devils are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS loss.
Sun Devils are 5-12 ATS in their last 17 games overall.
Sun Devils are 3-10-1 ATS in their last 14 Wednesday games.

Over is 11-3 in Wolf Pack last 14 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Over is 9-3 in Wolf Pack last 12 neutral site games.
Over is 5-2 in Wolf Pack last 7 Wednesday games.

Under is 5-0 in Sun Devils last 5 games following a straight up loss.
Under is 4-1 in Sun Devils last 5 games following a ATS loss.
Under is 6-2 in Sun Devils last 8 Wednesday games.

 

[Greenbacks]

To Make Sweet 16 Will Alabama make the sweet 16?
12:00 PM	Yes		-325
200002	No		+250
To Make Sweet 16 Will Arizona make the sweet 16?
12:00 PM	Yes		-200
200016	No		+160
To Make Sweet 16 Will Baylor make the sweet 16?
12:00 PM	No		-140
200017	Yes		+110
To Make Sweet 16 Will Duke make the sweet 16?
12:00 PM	No		-155
200039	Yes		+125
To Make Sweet 16 Will Gonzaga make the sweet 16?
12:00 PM	Yes		-175
200024	No		+145
To Make Sweet 16 Will Houston make the sweet 16?
12:00 PM	Yes		-400
200004	No		+300
To Make Sweet 16 Will Indiana make the sweet 16?
12:00 PM	No		-180
200031	Yes		+150
To Make Sweet 16 Will Kansas make the sweet 16?
12:00 PM	Yes		-200
200006	No		+160
To Make Sweet 16 Will Kansas State make the sweet 16?
12:00 PM	No		-280
200021	Yes		+150
To Make Sweet 16 Will Marquette make the sweet 16?
12:00 PM	Yes		-146
200010	No		+115
To Make Sweet 16 Will Miami FL make the sweet 16?
12:00 PM	No		-260	-
200033	Yes		+200
To Make Sweet 16 Will Purdue make the sweet 16?
12:00 PM	Yes		-220
200008	No		+180
To Make Sweet 16 Will San Diego State make the sweet 16?
12:00 PM	No		-175
200035	Yes		+145
To Make Sweet 16 Will St. Mary's make the sweet 16?
12:00 PM	No		-260
200037	Yes		+200
To Make Sweet 16 Will Tennessee make the sweet 16?
12:00 PM	No		-126
200025	Yes		-105
To Make Sweet 16 Will Texas make the sweet 16?
12:00 PM	Yes		-170
200014	No		+140
To Make Sweet 16 Will UCLA make the sweet 16?
12:00 PM	Yes		-280
200012	No		+220
To Make Sweet 16 Will Uconn make the sweet 16?
12:00 PM	Yes		-135
200028	No		+105
To Make Sweet 16 Will Virginia make the sweet 16?
12:00 PM	No		-170
200029	Yes		+140
To Make Sweet 16 Will Xavier make the sweet 16?
12:00 PM	No		-130
200019	Yes		+110

 

[Greenbacks]

#1 Seed to Advance the Furthest
12:00 PM	Houston		+140
100131	Alabama		+175
100129	Kansas		+250
100130	Purdue		+325

 

[Greenbacks]

Total Number 1 seeds in final 4
12:00 PM	One		+120
100110	Two		+265
100112	Zero		+275
100111	Three		+1000
100113	Four		+6600

 

[Greenbacks]

West Virginia-Maryland

Thursday, March 16, 2023 12:15 PM (ET)

One coach made an instant impact in his first season on the job. The other, the most successful leader in his program's history, can expand his list of postseason accomplishments.
Kevin Willard and No. 8 seed Maryland will meet Bob Huggins and No. 9 seed West Virginia in the first tipoff in the 64-team NCAA Tournament on Thursday afternoon in Birmingham, Ala.
Willard brought the Terrapins (21-12) back to March Madness after a run of success at Seton Hall.
"Your first one is really important for a lot of reasons," Willard said, per The Diamondback. "One of the main reasons is you have a lot of kids that haven't been here before, so their reaction and their emotions and their feelings (are) great, it's awesome. It's great momentum for the program moving forward."
Maryland's turnaround was ahead of schedule; a 10-0 home record in the Big Ten, featuring wins over ranked foes like Purdue and Indiana, aided its tournament resume.
Jahmir Young transferred from Charlotte to play close to his hometown of Upper Marlboro, Md., as a senior. Young earned All-Big Ten second-team honors after averaging 16.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.3 steals per game for the Terps.
He joined the likes of Hakim Hart (11.5 ppg), Donta Scott (11.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg) and Julian Reese (11.2 ppg, 7.3 rpg) in College Park. They brought the program back to the NCAA Tournament after it missed the field last season.
Willard guided Seton Hall to the tournament five times between 2016 and 2022, but he only made it past the Round of 64 once.
Huggins, meanwhile, is no stranger to March. The coach of the Mountaineers (19-14) since 2007-08, Huggins has guided them to the 2010 Final Four and four additional Sweet 16 appearances. Like Maryland, West Virginia is back in the NCAA field after missing out last year.
"They weren't jumping up and down, but they were excited to play," Huggins said of his players' reaction on Selection Sunday. "I never had any doubt that we would play in the tournament. I thought we were getting better and better."
West Virginia made it out of the highly competitive Big 12 with just a 7-11 record, but that included wins over fellow tournament teams TCU, Iowa State and Kansas State.
Erik Stevenson leads the Mountaineers' offense with 15.5 points per game and 38.1 percent shooting from 3-point range. He was named to the All-Big 12 third team. Tre Mitchell (11.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg), Kedrian Johnson (11.2 ppg) and Emmitt Matthews Jr. (10.4 ppg) give the Mountaineers a rounded attack.
The college basketball metrics site KenPom.com rates West Virginia 15th in Division I in adjusted offensive efficiency. Maryland, meanwhile, is considered top-35 in both offensive and defensive efficiency. Willard has his offense run at a deliberate pace, while Huggins' group is more up-tempo but not overbearingly fast.
The programs have met just twice this century, with the Mountaineers claiming wins both times. The winner Thursday is all but certain to face No. 1 overall seed Alabama in the second round Saturday.

Mountaineers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
Mountaineers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Mountaineers are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games following a straight up loss.
Mountaineers are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 Thursday games.

Terrapins are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight up loss.
Terrapins are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a ATS loss.
Terrapins are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 neutral site games.
Terrapins are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 Thursday games.
Terrapins are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Terrapins are 11-5 ATS in their last 16 games overall.
Terrapins are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 NCAA Tournament games.

Over is 4-1 in Mountaineers last 5 games following a straight up loss.
Over is 4-1 in Mountaineers last 5 Thursday games.
Over is 4-1 in Mountaineers last 5 NCAA Tournament games.
Over is 20-6 in Mountaineers last 26 games following a ATS loss.
Over is 45-20 in Mountaineers last 65 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Over is 38-17 in Mountaineers last 55 overall.

Under is 3-0-1 in Terrapins last 4 overall.
Under is 7-0 in Terrapins last 7 Thursday games.
Under is 8-3 in Terrapins last 11 games following a ATS loss.
Under is 5-2 in Terrapins last 7 NCAA Tournament games.

 

[Greenbacks]

Furman-Virginia

Thursday, March 16, 2023 12:40 PM (ET)

Boom-or-bust Virginia will head to Orlando, Fla., as the No. 4 seed in the South Region to face No. 13 Furman on Thursday afternoon.
In coach Tony Bennett's last three trips to the NCAA Tournament, Virginia has experienced two first-round exits and one national championship.
The first flameout was historic, with the 2017-2018 Cavaliers becoming the first No. 1 seed ever to lose to a No. 16 seed (UMBC) in the opening round.
After cutting down the nets for the first time in program history in 2019, Virginia lost its most recent NCAA tourney game as a No. 4 seed to No. 13 Ohio in 2021.
This year, Virginia (25-7) won a share of the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season championship and reached the ACC tournament final, falling 59-49 to Duke on Saturday in Greensboro, N.C.
Furman (27-7) swept the Southern Conference regular season and tourney titles to make the NCAA Tournament field for the first time since 1980. The Paladins have won six in a row and 14 of their last 15.
Virginia and Furman have met only once, a 79-67 win by the host Cavaliers on Dec. 8, 2004.
"You divvy up the scouts," Bennett said Sunday of his team's preparations, per the Daily Progress. "You get your people on the scouts, you watch them, and you prepare as quickly as you can ... but it goes quick and you learn as much as you can as coaches and get the basics for your guys."
Three veteran Virginia players are scoring in double figures, led by Armaan Franklin (12.5 points per game), Jayden Gardner (12.1) and Kihei Clark (10.9 points, 5.4 assists).
Franklin has played in 121 college games (67 for Virginia), Gardner in 148 (67 for the Cavaliers) and Clark in 160 -- including the 2019 national championship win against Texas Tech.
The game will be a clash of styles, as Virginia games often are. Furman ranks eighth in the nation with 82.1 points per game and Virginia ranks sixth in scoring defense, allowing 60.3 points per game.
"They can play. I know they can shoot," Bennett said of the Paladins. "They're very skilled and they can get up and down."
Furman is led by conference player of the year Jalen Slawson (15.7 points and 7.1 rebounds per game) and fellow all-conference selection Mike Bothwell (18.0 points per game), both fifth-year seniors.
Sixth-year coach Bob Richey's Paladins have lost only twice in 2023, a four-point setback at The Citadel on Feb. 15 and an overtime defeat against UNC Greensboro on Jan. 14. Two of their non-conference losses were against NCAA Tournament teams Penn State and North Carolina State.
Furman will be well rested, having not played since its 88-79 win over Chattanooga in the SoCon final on March 6.
"We're going to have to defend and rebound at the highest level," Richey said Sunday. "If we can get stops and get rebounds, now we have an opportunity to go out and do what we do. We're a top-15 offense because of our tempo, our spacing, the amount of assists we have per made basket.
"... It's part of who we are. It's part of our makeup. I'm sure they're going to try to shrink the game."
The Cavaliers-Paladins winner will meet either No. 5 seed San Diego State or No. 12 Charleston in a second-round contest on Saturday in Orlando.

Paladins are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Paladins are 22-4 ATS in their last 26 Thursday games.
Paladins are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games following a ATS win.
Paladins are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 games following a straight up win.
Paladins are 14-5 ATS in their last 19 games overall.

Cavaliers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 neutral site games.
Cavaliers are 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Cavaliers are 7-3-2 ATS in their last 12 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Cavaliers are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 NCAA Tournament games.
Cavaliers are 2-6-1 ATS in their last 9 games overall.
Cavaliers are 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS loss.
Cavaliers are 1-4-2 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight up loss.

Under is 9-2 in Paladins last 11 Thursday games.
Over is 4-1 in Paladins last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600

Under is 5-1 in Cavaliers last 6 games following a ATS loss.
Under is 4-1 in Cavaliers last 5 Thursday games.
Under is 8-2 in Cavaliers last 10 neutral site games.
Under is 8-3 in Cavaliers last 11 games after scoring less than 50 points in their previous game.
Under is 5-2 in Cavaliers last 7 games following a straight up loss.
Under is 5-2 in Cavaliers last 7 NCAA Tournament games.

 

[Greenbacks]

 

[Greenbacks]

 

[Greenbacks]

See ya Duke.

 

[Greenbacks]

The Razorbacks eliminate the defending champions with a 72-71 win to advance to the Sweet 16!