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March 27th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Representatives from the ACC and the Big XII collide in a tremendous Elite 8 betting battle between the Duke Blue Devils and the Baylor Bears on Sunday night at the Toyota Center in Houston.

What's At Stake: The fourth and final ticket to Indianapolis and the Final Four, as well as the title of the South Region winners for 2010 will be awarded to the winner of this college basketball betting duel.

College Basketball Odds: Duke -4 at  Diamond Sportsbook
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Baylor Notes: The Bears have gotten stronger as this tournament has progressed, beating #14 Sam Houston State by nine, #11 Old Dominion by eight, and #10 St. Mary's by 23. The defense has held the three foes to an average of 58.7 points per game in the dance. The offense hasn't been up to stuff, averaging just 72.0 points per game, but this is still a Baylor team that averaged 77.1 points per game this year and can explode for 85+ on anyone in the country.

Duke Notes: The Blue Devils are one of just two teams that enter the Elite 8 saying that they have an average margin of victory of more than 15 points per game and won all three of their NCAA Tournament betting bashes by double digits (Kentucky). They've looked like one of the best sides from top to bottom in the dance, scoring easy wins against #16 Arkansas-Pine Bluff, #8 California, and #4 Purdue. Many recognize Coach K's crew as a fantastic offensive team at 77.4 points per game, but few realize that they're only allowing 60.9 points per game this year as well, making them one of the best defensive clubs left standing as well.

Players to Watch

F Ekpe Udoh, Baylor Bears: In Udoh, the Bears have an incredibly long, lanky, big man that can be a real pain in the neck on the inside for the opposition. Udoh is averaging 13.4 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, but he has also blocked a whopping 123 shots this year. The Blue Devils are going to have to throw the kitchen sink at him to keep up, and on the other end of the court, F Brian Zoubek is going to be challenged by the best big man that he has faced in quite some time.

G Jon Scheyer, Duke Blue Devils: The Blue Devils badly need Scheyer to step up once again and take over the reins of this team. He hasn't scored above his 18.9 points per game average in almost an entire month, and he has only put up 38 points in this tournament to date. Scheyer is clearly one of the cogs in this lineup, and for a team that isn't very deep, him not contributing could be fatal.

Trends of Note

-Baylor is 8-1 ATS in its L/9 games outside of the Big XII
-Baylor is 10-3 ATS in its L/13 neutral site games as an underdog
-Baylor is 10-4 ATS in its L/14 games as an underdog
-Duke is 4-1 ATS in its L/5 games against the Big XII
-Duke is 5-11 ATS in its L/16 NCAA Tournament games as a favorite
-Duke is 7-3 ATS in its L/10 neutral site games as a favorite

Final Analysis: Athleticism. That's how you beat the Dookies. That's how North Carolina did it for all those years, and that's how Baylor is going to do it on Sunday night. The Blue Devils just don't have the bodies to be able to keep up with the talent level of Udoh, F LaceDarius Dunn and G Tweety Carter. The Bears are ready for the next step, and they'll pronounce themselves as one of the best programs in the country by taking out the Dookies and moving on to the Final Four.

Selection: Baylor +4

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March 27th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

In what could be the best remaining March Madness betting affair of the entire tournament, conference champs collide in the Elite 8 when the #1 Kentucky Wildcats and #2 West Virginia Mountaineers face off at the Carrier Dome on Saturday night.

What's At Stake: The winner of this clash will join the three other bracket champions next Saturday in Indianapolis for the Final Four and will face the winner of the Duke/Baylor matchup.

College Basketball Odds: Kentucky -4 at BetUS

West Virginia Notes: It doesn't seem like the loss of G Darryl Bryant really hurt the Mountaineers any in the Sweet 16 against Washington. They still have the ability to totally dominated on the boards, winning the rebounding battle by almost seven rebounds per night. West Virginia has a decent offense at 72.8 points per game, but its strength has really been on the defensive end of the court. The 'Neers have held six straight foes under 60 points, averaging allowing just 54.2 points per game in that run.

Kentucky Notes: The Wildcats haven't exactly had the toughest road to the Elite 8, as they have only played a #9, #12, and #16 seed, but they've clearly been the most dominant side in the field, winning those three by an average of more than 25 points per game. Big Blue has a stellar offense at 79.6 points per game, and its 48.3 percent shooting percentage is amongst the best teams left standing in the field. However, it was the defense, which held Cornell to just 33.3 percent shooting on Thursday that really made the difference in Kentucky's road to the Elite 8.

Players to Watch

F Da'Sean Butler, West Virginia Mountaineers: Even when West Virginia is at its worst offensively, Butler seems to always be able to step up and come up in a big way. He's clearly got a flare for the dramatics having hit game winning shots in two of the 'Neers three Big East Tournament games, including the one that sealed up the championship. At 17.4 points per game, no one for HC Bob Huggins is scoring more.

G John Wall, Kentucky Wildcats: This was supposed to be the three week event that solidified Wall as the #1 pick in next year's NBA Draft. However, relatively speaking, the freshman phenom has put up three total dud games, scoring a total of just 39 points in three tournament tussles. Wall can take a game over like no other point guard in the country can, and it's high time that he steps up and makes himself a hero in Kentucky lore forever with a major triple-double type of performance.

Trends of Note

-West Virginia is 4-0-1 ATS in its L/5 NCAA Tournament games as an underdog
-West Virginia is 11-2-1 ATS in its L/14 NCAA Tournament games
-West Virginia is 6-2 ATS in its L/8 games against teams with winning percentage of at least .600
-Kentucky is 6-0 ATS in its L/6 NCAA Tournament games as a favorite
-Kentucky is 13-3-1 ATS in its L/17 games against the Big East
-Kentucky is 6-2 ATS in its L/8 NCAA Tournament games
-Kentucky holds a 2-0 SU and ATS advantage in this series since 2005

Final Analysis: This is a bit of a hefty line for an Elite 8 betting contest, but the Wildcats are hard to ignore in this one. They've clearly got a team that is on a mission right now, and what's scary is that they clearly haven't played their best possible basketball. It's going to come at some point, and we think that West Virginia is going to be the poor sacrificial lamb subjected to the wrath of Big Blue.

Selection: Kentucky -4

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March 26th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

The sweethearts of the NCAA Tournament match up with last year's national runners up in the Midwest Region semifinals between the #9 Northern Iowa Panthers and the #5 Michigan State Spartans.

What's At Stake: The winner of this crucial college basketball betting tilt will move on to the Elite 8 at the Edward Jones Dome on Sunday afternoon to face off with the winner of the #2 Ohio State/#6 Tennessee matchup.

College Basketball Odds: Michigan State -1 at BetUS

Northern Iowa Notes: The Panthers have made it to this point in the NCAA Tournament thanks to three point shooting and defense. Even though they only shot 35.6 percent from downtown this season, they have connected on 40 percent of their attempts from long range in the tourney through two games. Northern Iowa has the #2 rated defense in America, allowing just 55.0 points per game. HC Ben Jacobsen was just rewarded for his efforts in March Madness with a ten year contract extension. The Panthers have the seventh best free throw shooting team in America at 76.1 percent, and they only turn the ball over an average of 10.5 times per game.

Michigan State Notes: G Kalin Lucas won't be able to play for the rest of the season thanks to his ruptured Achilles tendon suffered against Maryland last weekend. That puts a ton of pressure on the inside men for HC Tom Izzo. Though they typically dominate on the glass (+9.5 rebounds per game), the big guys have a problem being consistent scorers. Sparty's 72.9 points per game is still pedestrian, but they've scored 155 points in two tourney games thus far. With Lucas out of the lineup, there are only two double digit point scorers on this team, and no one is averaging more than a dozen points per game.

Players to Watch

G Ali Farokhmanesh, Northern Iowa Panthers: For a man that is only averaging 9.7 points per game, Farokhmanesh is getting a ton of attention from the media. And rightfully so! He nailed the three pointer that sent UNI past UNLV in the first round of the tournament and followed that up with the absolute dagger of a three bomb that finished off the mighty Wildcats. Farokhmanesh has eight three balls in March Madness, and he'll be the key to victory for the Panthers on Friday night.

G Korie Lucious, Michigan State Spartans: They say that the tournament makes heroes out of players that are otherwise average. Lucious is a perfect example of that after he hit the three point basket as time expired to send the Spartans past the #4 Maryland Terrapins and into the third round of this event. No, we're not highlight Lucious because of that shot. Even though he averaged less than five points per game this year, he's the man that's going to have to step into Lucas' spot in the starting five. It's not that Lucious doesn't know what he's doing out there, as he picked up a ton of valuable experience in last season's run to the NCAA Tournament Final, but he'll have to be a star once again for Sparty to survive.

Trends of Note

-Northern Iowa is 5-0 ATS in its L/5 games following an SU win
-Northern Iowa is 54-24 in its L/78 games as an underdog
-Northern Iowa is 9-2 ATS in its L/11 games against the Big Ten
-Michigan State is 16-4-1 ATS in its L/21 NCAA Tournament games as a favorite
-Michigan State is 21-6-2 ATS in its L/29 games as favorites of less than seven points
-Michigan State is 2-8 ATS in its L/10 games against teams with a winning record

Final Analysis: Michigan State was an awful looking team when Lucas missed a handful of games in Big Ten play this year. That's what dropped Sparty from a potential #2 seed down to a #5. We're going to get on Cinderella's bandwagon as well on this one. The Panthers aren't your average #9 seed either. They're going to use their suffocating defense to put the wraps on a suddenly very inexperienced backcourt for MSU. Expect to see Northern Iowa become the second mid-major team to join the Elite 8 with a 'W' over Sparty.

Selection: Northern Iowa +1

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March 24th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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A pair of 30-win teams square off at Energy Solutions Arena in Salt Lake City on Thursday night when the #5 Butler Bulldogs face the #1 Syracuse Orange in March Madness betting action.

What's At Stake: A berth in the regional final is on the line for the winner of this one. The victor will take on either #2 Kansas State or #6 Xavier with one of the four slots in the Final Four in Indianapolis being at stake.

College Basketball Odds: Syracuse -6 at JustBet

Butler Notes: The Bulldogs have the longest winning streak in the nation at 21 games, and they were the only team in the entire country to win every single one of their conference clashes this year. They're a team built on defense (59.8 points per game allowed), and at times, if opposing teams can get their offenses working, Butler will struggle. The team doesn't have a truly prolific three point shooter on it, and the team is only +2.7 rebounds per game for the season, which is a suspect number considering the strength of the teams left in this field.

Syracuse Notes: F Arinze Onuaku was ruled out for the third straight game on Wednesday with his knee injury suffered in the Big East Tournament. Syracuse is the only team in the country left standing that can say that it shot better than 50 percent from the floor as a team this season (51.7%). The Orange are also three point sharpshooters, connected on 39.2 percent of their chances from long distance. At 81.6 points per game, HC Jim Boeheim has one of the highest scoring offenses left in the dance.

Players to Watch

F Gordon Hayward, Butler Bulldogs: A ton of pressure was heaped onto Hayward when F Matt Howard got himself into foul trouble against the Racers on Sunday. Hayward really hasn't answered the bell though of late, posting six straight games below his scoring average of 15.9 points per game. It has also been since the Horizon League semifinals since he posted a double-double, which is hard to believe considering the fact that he went for five double-doubles in a row before that.

G Andy Rautins, Syracuse Orange: With all due respect to F Wesley Johnson, Rautins is going to be the key man in this matchup for the Cuse. There isn't a player on Butler that can stick with Rautins from the outside if he gets going. He shot a shade over 40 percent from downtown this year and has already scored 35 points in this tournament, including 24 against Gonzaga. He nailed five of his nine three point attempts against the Zags, and will probably be asked to turn the tide of this Sweet 16 betting battle several times with momentum changing shots.

Trends of Note

-Butler is 21-7 ATS in its L/28 games as an underdog
-Butler is 2-8 ATS in its L/10 neutral site games
-Syracuse is 4-0 ATS in its L/4 NCAA Tournament games as a favorite
-Syracuse is 9-1 ATS in its L/20 games following an SU win of at least 20 points
-Syracuse is 9-2 ATS in its L/11 games as a favorite of less than seven points
-Syracuse is 30-11 ATS in its L/41 games overall

Final Analysis: With all of those trends in mind, it's very, very hard to pick against the Big East reps in this one. Syracuse just has too much muscle all over the court for Butler to be able to keep up. Unless the Bulldogs plan on bringing their A+ effort and a lot of magical luck, they won't be able to compete in this one, even if Syracuse is playing without Onuaku for the third straight game. Too much Johnson. Too much Rautins. Too much trouble for the Horizon League champions.

Selection: Syracuse -6

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March 23rd, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

 

We're now two full rounds into March Madness, and there are only 16 teams left standing that can still win college basketball's biggest prize. Here at Cappers Info, we'll take a look at a handful of players that still have a great chance at winning the MVP of the NCAA Tournament…

Ali Farokhmanesh, Northern Iowa Panthers: Where else to start than the giant killer of this entire tournament? Had Farokhmanesh only nailed the three pointer that sunk #9 UNLV on the first day of the dance, he'd already be considered a hero in Cedar Falls, IA. However, after dropping the final nail in Kansas' coffin on Saturday, his eighth three point field goal on the weekend, Farokhmanesh is simply a god. He's not the most likely of candidates to take down the crown, but with the Panthers facing a relatively manageable road to the Final Four, don't count the UNI man child out of the equation.

Jacob Pullen, Kansas State Wildcats: Now we're talking! Pullen put up 34 points on BYU over the weekend in the second round of this tournament and totally outshined the brightest star in college basketball over the past week and change in G Jimmer Fredette. Pullen is the undisputed leader of a team that many think that win the entire tournament, and at 18.8 points per game, he has the numbers and the team around him to win the award.

Wesley Johnson, Syracuse Orange: After scoring 49 points and bringing in 20 boards in two games, there's no counting out Syracuse's top point man in the MVP chase in the NCAA Tournament. Barring a fairly sizeable upset, the Cuse will make it at least one more round, which will set them up as favorites for a nice run to Indianapolis. Johnson matches up well against a relatively undersized Butler team on Thursday, and unless F Arinze Onuaku comes back in the lineup and steals Johnson's thunder, he'll be the best candidate on the second favorite left on the board to win MVP.

Omar Samhan, St. Mary's Gaels: No man has put up better numbers in this tournament than has Samhan. The leading scorer and rebounder for the Gaels has already scored 61 points and brought in 19 boards in two games, and if the tourney stopped today, Samhan would most likely be the MVP. He told the student body in Cali that his Gaels are going to win the NCAA Tournament, and though the odds are long, if they do, Samhan will almost certainly walk away with some extra hardware.

John Wall, Kentucky Wildcats: It's not so much what the future #1 pick in the NBA Draft has done in this tournament yet that is so impressive, it's what HC John Calipari probably has in store for him. Wall is, without a shadow of a doubt, the poster boy for this tournament. CBS would cry if the Wildcats were bounced from the dance prematurely. Big Blue is the favorite to win the whole enchilada now that Kansas has been knocked out of the tournament, and if the Wildcats can pull off the feat, it's going to be Wall that probably steps up and has the best numbers. As it is, he is averaging 15.5 points and nine assists per contest.

Evan Turner, Ohio State Buckeyes: The AP Player of the Year didn't have a great game against UC Santa Barbara in Round 1, but with more performances like he had against Georgia Tech (24 points, nine assists, nine rebounds), he'll be turning heads. If the Buckeyes reach the Final Four in Indianapolis, look for Turner to garner a lot of serious consideration for the award, as they almost certainly won't be able to get to that point without him going absolutely nuts at some point.

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March 20th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

 

The #4 and #5 seeds in the South Bracket take aim at a slot in the Sweet 16 on Sunday afternoon's March Madness betting battle between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Purdue Boilermakers.

What's At Stake: The #1 seed in this bracket, the Duke Blue Devils, most likely await the winner of this NCAA basketball betting affair in the Sweet 16, though the #8 California Golden Bears could also be the opponent in Houston.

College Basketball Odds: Texas A&M -1.5 at BoDog Sportsbook.

Texas A&M Notes: The Aggies are playing well right now, having picked up wins in ten of their L/13, with the only losses in the bunch coming @ Baylor and against Kansas (twice). They're not a particularly strong offensive team at 71.7 points per game, and at times they struggle to shoot the ball (44.4% from the field and 33.7% from downtown). However, their defense has kicked it up a notch in these recent wins, holding their L/6 defeated enemies to just 57.7 points per game. Scoring options are harder since December when G Derrick Roland was lost for the season with a leg injury.

Purdue Notes: Things just haven't looked the same for the Boilermakers since F Robbie Hummel saw his season come to a close with a knee injury at the end of February. The team has been miserable at three point shooting, especially with Hummel out of the lineup, as they shoot just 31.8% from long range as a team. It's defensively intensity that has kept Purdue plugging along, as it is holding teams to just 61.0 points per game and 40.0% shooting from the field this year. Both numbers rank the Boilers in the Top 10 defensive teams of the 32 left standing heading into this weekend.

Players to Watch

F Khris Middleton, Texas A&M Aggies: It's not often that we highlight a player that is averaging just 6.4 points per game, but Middleton has been on fire since the regular season finale, scoring at least 14 points in all four games. He put up 19 against Utah State in the first round win on Friday, and he did so without committing a single turnover. Since March 6th, Middleton is averaging 16.3 points per game.

F JaJuan Johnson, Purdue Boilermakers: The man that has really had to step up in Hummel's absence is Johnson, who is scoring 14.9 points per game this year for the black and gold. He put together his third 20+ point game in his L/4 overall by scoring 23 points against Siena on Friday, and his 15 boards gave him his fourth double-double in his L/10 games. Since the Hummel knee injury, Johnson has averaged 19.4 points per game.

Trends of Note

-Texas A&M is 9-1 ATS in its L/10 games against teams with a winning percentage of at least .600
-Texas A&M is 8-2 ATS in its L/10 NCAA Tournament betting battles
-Texas A&M is 26-10 ATS in its L/36 games as favorites of less than 6.5 points
-Purdue is 5-1 ATS in its L/6 NCAA Tournament games as an underdog
-Purdue is 14-6-1 ATS in its L/21 games as an underdog
-Purdue is 0-5-1 ATS in its L/6 games following an SU victory.

Final Analysis: The Boilermakers are going to have to play the defensive game of their lives to be able to stop the Aggies without Hummel in the starting five. Texas A&M is just playing too well right now to be stopped. This is also a matter of conference superiority. The Big XII has looked good in this tournament, as Oklahoma State and Texas were the only two first round casualties in the dance. The Big Ten was largely known as a weaker power conference this year, and it'll show once again in a Texas A&M triumph, as the Aggies march on to Houston in the Sweet 16.

Selection: Texas A&M -1.5

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March 18th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

The battered and bruised Big East, which had a miserable first day of the NCAA Tournament, will look to right the ship on Friday night in Jacksonville, where the Louisville Cardinals (20-12) will face the California Golden Bears (23-10, 19-13 ATS).

What's At Stake: The winner of this college basketball betting battle will most likely be rewarded with a war against the Duke Blue Devils on Sunday night.

College Basketball Odds: Pick 'em at 5Dimes Sportsbook

Louisville Notes: The Cardinals crammed their way into the field of 65 by scoring two huge victories over Syracuse towards the end of the regular season. This isn't quite the same team that was a #1 seed a year ago, but there are several holdovers that have a ton of tournament experience from that squad. Louisville is averaging 76.3 points per game this year, which is good enough for 37th in the land. The defense doesn't have fantastic numbers, allowing 69.6 points per game, but if you ask any team in the Big East, they'll tell you that the Redbirds have as stout of a defense as there is in their conference.

California Notes: The Golden Bears were the only team in the Pac-10 that really deserved a slot in the NCAA Tournament all season long. Thanks to the fact that Washington won the conference, the "best" conference in the west earned a second bid to the dance. Cal loves to run up and down the court, as it is good for 78.0 points per game. It's also a very efficient team in all facets of the game, as it shoots 47.7% from the field, 37.3% from downtown, and 75.7% from the charity stripe. Averaging 11.8 turnovers per game is probably largely thanks to a very difficult schedule this year, but facing a squad that can put on a ton of pressure, that number is probably only get worse.

Players to Watch

G Edgar Sosa, Louisville Cardinals: If you're looking for a vintage boom or bust player, look no further than Sosa. The New York native is an experienced tournament star having played many games in the dance in his four years at Louisville. He's coming off of a 28 point showing against Cincinnati in the Big East Tournament. At 12.8 points per game, Sosa's numbers don't look fantastic, but he's very dangerous from the outside and can change the course of a game in a hurry.

G Jerome Randle, California Golden Bears: Randle is a fantastic scorer, and he does all of the little things right for the Golden Bears. He's averaging 18.7 points per game, and a lot of that is thanks to a 93.5% shooting percentage from the free throw line and a 40.6% shooting percentage from downtown. Randle does turn the ball over a bit much (3.3 times per game), but his 4.5 assists per game levels that out.

Trends of Note

-Louisville is 4-0 ATS in its L/4 games following an SU defeat
-Louisville is 4-1 ATS in its L/5 games against the Pac-10
-Louisville is 1-4 ATS in its L/5 NCAA Tournament showdowns
-California is 1-4 ATS in its L/5 NCAA Tournament showdowns
-California is 1-4 ATS in its  L/5 games against the Big East
-California is 4-1 ATS in its L/5 games against teams with a winning percentage of at least .600

Final Analysis: This is the second Pac-10/Big East battle of the dance after U-Dub knocked Marquette out of the first round of this tournament yesterday, and Friday's affair should be a doozy as well. However, HC Rick Pitino knows what he's doing in the dance, and he's already plotting how his team can make a major run out of a very unpredictable seeding. Look for Sosa to have a great game, while Randle and the crew get very frustrated with the pressure defense that The Ville will throw the Bears' way.

Selection: Louisville pk

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March 17th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

Perennial powers in the college basketball betting world will collide in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night when the #9 Wake Forest Demon Deacons (19-10, 15-11 ATS) do battle with the #8 Texas Longhorns (24-9, 10-19 ATS).

What's At Stake: The winner of this game will most likely get a chance to take on the #1 Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday for the right to go to the Sweet 16 in March Madness. The loser's season comes to a bitter and premature ending by their standards.

College Basketball Odds: Texas -5 at JustBet Sportsbook

Wake Forest Notes: The Demon Deacons put themselves in a lot of hot water for this tournament by losing four straight games right at the end of the regular season. As a result of that and a first round elimination in the ACC Tournament, they still haven't even reached 20 wins, making them one of the few teams amongst these 64 left standing that can say that. Thanks to a high-motor offense that takes a lot of shots and a defense which forces a ton of bad shots, the Deacs are a tremendous rebounding team, averaging a whopping 39.4 per game against 34.7 for the opposition. Wake's offense is stellar at 73.0 points per game, but its defense makes it go, allowing teams to shoot just 38.3% from the floor on the year.

Texas Notes: Speaking of teams that fell a long way in a hurry… Remember when Texas was ranked #1 in the country and considered a shoe-in for a #1 seed in the dance? What happened? The Horns stumbled in Big XII play and are now subjected to a very, very difficult road to the Sweet 16. Much like Wake Forest, Texas is a tremendous rebounding team thanks to its size and length. It is averaging almost an identical number of rebounds per game as the Demon Deacons (39.5 per game), but it is +9.1 rebounds per game as compared to the +4.6 for its foes. The Longhorns have the seventh ranked offense in the nation at 81.2 points per game.

Players to Watch

Aminu Al-Farouq, Wake Forest Demon Deacons: Averaging 15.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game isn't easy over the course of a season, particularly in the ACC. But Al-Farouq not only pulled it off this year, but he expected significantly better. The big man has had four straight very poor games, averaging just 9.0 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, numbers that must improve if the Demon Deacons are getting through Round 1 of the tournament.

Damion James, Texas Longhorns: James' descent this year was also a big part of the reason for the Longhorns' decline. He never completely fell off the face of the earth like the team did though, as he has scored in double digits in all but three games this year and had 17 double-doubles. Much like Al-Farouq, James is averaging a double-double per game at 18.0 points and 10.4 rebounds per game.

Trends of Note

-Wake Forest is 6-0 ATS in its L/6 games against teams with a winning percentage of at least .600
-Wake Forest is 10-1 ATS in its L/11 games as a underdog of less than seven points
-Wake Forest is just 6-24 ATS in its L/30 neutral site games
-Texas is 6-2 ATS in its L/8 games against ACC opponents
-Texas is 3-11 ATS in its L/14 games as a favorite
-Texas is 3-14 ATS in its L/17 games against teams with a winning record
-Texas is 2-0 ATS in the L/2 meetings with Wake Forest (both in 2004)

Final Analysis: This is a hefty pointspread for a game that looks like it is largely a tossup. The Longhorns get a bid of a nod for their rebounding advantage and the fact that they played so well outside of the Big XII this year, but Wake Forest has enough weapons both on the inside and the outside to keep up with Texas if the boys in burnt orange try to make this a track meet. Even if the Horns advance, Wake should stay in front of this number.

Selection: Wake Forest +5

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March 17th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

It's easy as pie to just come out and say that John Wall, Evan Turner, Sherron Collins, or Greg Monroe is going to be the difference maker in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. The truth of the matter is that one of those guys is probably going to be in the discussion for the MVP of the dance if their team reaches the Final Four. But here at Cappers Info, we're going to take a look at some of the players that you might not have heard of before that can botch up your brackets if you're not careful!

Omar Samhan, St. Mary's Gaels: If you're an avid hoops watcher on the West Coast, you know that Paddy Mills may not have been the heart and soul of that St. Mary's team of a year ago. Now Samhan, who averaged team highs in both scoring (20.9 points per game) and rebounding (10.9 boards per game), is the undisputed leader of this squad. He's a force in the middle and won't have an equal, let alone a superior to match up with him in the South Bracket, save perhaps Notre Dame's F Luke Harangody. Villanova had better watch out. A potential second round date with St. Mary's could be lethal.

Keith Benson, Oakland Golden Grizzlies: Here's another double-double per night guy that can do some real damage to your brackets right away if you've got the Pitt Panthers going far in the West. Benson was Oakland's leader in several categories, including points (17.0 per game), rebounds (10.5 per game), field goal percentage (53.6%), and blocks (3.4 per game). At 6'11", Benson is a legitimate center. Pitt has the bodies inside to throw at him, but Benson may ultimately be too strong for any of them to contain. The Golden Grizzlies are a potentially very dangerous #14 seed.

Jahmar Young, New Mexico State Aggies: HC Tom Izzo has to know that this guy is going to be a real offensive force in the Spartans' 5/12 game this week. Young is scoring 20.5 points per game this year, and he's coming off of a 19-point WAC Championship Game against Utah State. He's not afraid to stroke the three ball, as he's a 37.6% shooter from beyond the arc, and he's also prolific from the field (46.1%) and the free throw line (83.8%). New Mexico State already played the role of spoiler once when it took down the WAC title. With Young's help, it can do it again to one of last year's NCAA Championship Game squads.

Ryan Wittman, Cornell Big Red: Perhaps if you watched the Cornell/Kansas game earlier this year, you've heard of Wittman. The guy can shoot the rock from anywhere on the court, and he can take the ball in the post if needed as well. Wittman led the Ivy League champs in scoring at 17.5 points per game, and his 42.4% shooting from beyond the arc is a big reason why Cornell led the nation in three point shooting percentage this year. Now, the Big Red will have their toughest task at hand since that trip to Allen Fieldhouse when they have to tackle a Temple team that is #3 in the country in total defense. If Wittman can get going though, Cornell can catch some fire and blow several teams out of the East Bracket.

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March 14th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

The NCAA Tournament brackets have been set, and here at Cappers Info, we're going to give you our free bracket contest picks as well as a blank bracket for you to fill out!

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