Home | Sports Forums | Chat Room | Blog | Free Picks | Sportsbooks | Matchups | Odds | Injuries | Articles | Links | Contact Us

Archive for the ‘College Basketball’ Category

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »
March 14th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

Teams that are already in the NCAA Tournament…

Cornell Big Red (27-4, Ivy League), Winthrop Eagles (19-13, Big South), Murray State Racers (30-4, Ohio Valley), East Tennessee State Buccaneers (20-14, Atlantic Sun), Northern Iowa Panthers (28-4, Missouri Valley), St. Mary's Gaels (26-5, West Coast), Siena Saints (27-6, Metro Atlantic), Old Dominion Monarchs (26-8, Colonial), Wofford Terriers (26-8, Southern), Oakland Golden Grizzlies (26-8, Summit), Butler Bulldogs (28-4, Horizon), North Texas Mean Green (24-8, Sun Belt), Robert Morris Colonials (23-11, Northeast), Montana Grizzlies (22-9, Big Sky), Lehigh Mountain Hawks (22-10, Patriot), Houston Cougars (19-15, Conference USA), Vermont Catamounts (25-9, America East), Morgan State Bears (27-9, MEAC), Sam Houston State Bearkats (25-7, Southland), Kansas Jayhawks (32-2, Big XII), Ohio Bobcats (21-14, MAC), San Diego State Aztecs (25-8, Mountain West), Washington Huskies (24-9, Pac-10), Arkansas Pine Bluff Golden Lions (17-15, SWAC), West Virginia Mountaineers (27-6, Big East), Santa Barbara Gauchos (20-9, Big West), New Mexico State Aggies (22-11, WAC)

Teams that clinched automatic bids on Sunday…

Kentucky Wildcats (32-2, SEC): G John Wall missed the shot right at the end of regulation that ultimately ended up being stuck back in to send the Cats' game with the Bulldogs to overtime, but he changed his fortunes with an acrobatic three-pointer that may have ultimately kept MSU out of the NCAA Tournament. Now, Kentucky has made a gripe to be the #1 overall seed. Expect to see this team make a huge run into April.

Temple Owls (29-5, Atlantic 10): The Owls won one of the toughest conferences in America that no one paid attention to most of the season. This is a team with a stifling defense that seemingly holds down every one of its opponents under 60 points. The A-10 champs deserve some preferential treatment in the brackets, and anything less than #3 seed would be a brutal disappointment.

Ohio State Buckeyes (27-7, Big Ten): Blowing out Minnesota was impressive for the Buckeyes on Sunday, but even winning the Big Ten probably won't be good enough to put HC Thad Motta's team on the #1 line. F Evan Turner is clearly one of the best players in the entire country, and he had three major games at Conseco Fieldhouse for the Buckeyes. Depth could become an issue though, as four of the starting five each averaged over 40 minutes per game over the L/3 days.

Duke Blue Devils (29-5, ACC): Have the Blue Devils earned a #1 seed? We think so, even though they ultimately never really got challenged by one of the better teams in the ACC. This was a down conference this year at the top, but save North Carolina and Boston College, there were really never any off nights. Duke's top three scorers are all lethal, and after putting forth a good effort at getting rid of the Yellow Jackets in the ACC Finale, it is a team that is in fine form going into March Madness.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in College Basketball | No Comments »

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

Teams that are already in the NCAA Tournament…

Cornell Big Red (27-4, Ivy League), Winthrop Eagles (19-13, Big South), Murray State Racers (30-4, Ohio Valley), East Tennessee State Buccaneers (20-14, Atlantic Sun), Northern Iowa Panthers (28-4, Missouri Valley), St. Mary's Gaels (26-5, West Coast), Siena Saints (27-6, Metro Atlantic), Old Dominion Monarchs (26-8, Colonial), Wofford Terriers (26-8, Southern), Oakland Golden Grizzlies (26-8, Summit), Butler Bulldogs (28-4, Horizon), North Texas Mean Green (24-8, Sun Belt), Robert Morris Colonials (23-11, Northeast), Montana Grizzlies (22-9, Big Sky), Lehigh Mountain Hawks (22-10, Patriot)

Teams that clinched automatic bids on Saturday…

Houston Cougars (19-15, Conference USA): And the bubble shrinks… The Cougars upset UTEP on Saturday afternoon to take the Conference USA automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. It wasn't a particularly strong game for a lot of players on the #7 seed in the C-USA Tourney, but if guys like G Kelvin Lewis are scoring 28 points, this is going to be a tough team to bounce. One of the best scorers in America, G Aubrey Coleman, won't be held to 4/20 shooting every night. Look for the Cougs to be on the 14 line come Sunday.

Vermont Catamounts (25-9, America East): The Catamounts used a great offensive effort to take care of Boston U and advance to the NCAA Tournament. F Marqus Blakely had one heck of a championship game, scoring 24 points and bringing down 18 rebounds. He's going to probably be in for a heck of a test regardless of who he has to go up against in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. A #15 seed probably awaits Vermont.

Morgan State Bears (27-9, MEAC): The top team in the MEAC all season long earned its way into the dance on Saturday afternoon in the conference championship. Even though leading scorer G Reggie Holmes had his third straight subpar game, three other Bears scored in double digits. This could be a potentially dangerous team if all of the offensive weapons are clicking, but it's only going to leave Morgan State as a #14 at best.

Sam Houston State Bearkats (25-7, Southland): The Bearkats are dancing for the first time since 2003, and they did so by putting together a solid effort to dismiss of Stephen F. Austin. The defense has been hit or miss for this team of late, but it was certainly a hit on Saturday, winning 64-48. Now, SHSU is going to find itself as a #13 seed that is going to need a big effort to take out a #4 in the dance next week.

Kansas Jayhawks (32-2, Big XII): Kansas has certainly earned its way to the #1 seed in the Midwest Region after winning the Big XII over Kansas State on Saturday. Rock Chalk has one of the most talented teams in the country, and it has made a case to be the #1 overall seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. HC Bill Self is going to have one of the hefty favorites to win the whole enchilada.

Ohio Bobcats (21-14, MAC): In a conference where both Kent State and Akron dominated all season long, the Bobcats are the one team dancing from the bunch. No one can say that Ohio didn't deserve its spot in the field, as it took out both the Golden Flashes and the Zips en route to the MAC's automatic bid. The Bobcats may only be destined to be a #15 seed in the field of 65, but at least they're dancing, which is more than anyone else can say in this conference.

San Diego State Aztecs (25-8, Mountain West): San Diego State was a bubble team coming into the Mountain West Tournament, and it seemed like all that was going to be needed to get into the field of 65 was a win over New Mexico in the league semifinals. Instead, the Aztecs removed all doubt by taking the whole tournament, beating not only the Lobos, but also the Rebels on their home court in Sin City to get the job done. Now, a #10 seed awaits the fourth team out of the MWC.

Washington Huskies (24-9, Pac-10): Just like the Aztecs, the Huskies successfully went from a team just barely hanging on to the bubble to a team that was probably just on the right side of the bubble to a team with an automatic ticket to the tournament in a span of three days. Washington used a potent offense and a deep bench to knock off California for the second time this season, both of which are going to need to be out in full force for the Huskies to get out of the first round of the NCAA Tournament as a #11 seed.

Arkansas Pine Bluff Golden Lions (17-15, SWAC): The defense for the Golden Lions came to play in what amounted to be an ugly SWAC Championship on Saturday night. Still, Pine Bluff's 12-point victory isn't going to take away from the fact that its body of work is still pretty miserable, even for a conference championship. That being said, this is certainly going to be a team that has to play its way into the NCAA Tournament on Tuesday.

West Virginia Mountaineers (27-6, Big East): The Mountaineers certainly made their case to grab a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament by knocking off the Hoyas right at the death thanks to F Da'Sean Butler. Now, WVU will play the waiting game. HC Bob Huggins doesn't think that his squad is deserving of a top seed, but if both Duke and Ohio State lose on Sunday, the 'Neers will probably be going West as the top seed up there.

Santa Barbara Gauchos (20-9, Big West): The Gauchos are going to have one of the youngest teams in the NCAA Tournament, but they took care of business in the Big West final on Saturday night against the 49ers. Santa Barbara has taken nine of its L/10 games going into the dance. It was smacked by 20+ points against the two Pac-10 teams that it played this year, so seeing it do any damage as a #15 or #16 seems highly unlikely.

New Mexico State Aggies (22-11, WAC): Was this the straw that broke the camel's back in terms of the bubble? Several bubble teams went to bed on Saturday night thinking that they were going to be okay for the dance that will wake up on Sunday only to find that another bid went down the drain. New Mexico State earned its way into the field by stopping the 17-game winning streak of Utah State on Saturday. The Aggies are going to be an interesting placement, but they'll probably end up as a #13 or so.

 

Teams vying for automatic bids on Sunday…

Kentucky Wildcats (31-2, SEC): If anyone thought that the Wildcats were going to take their foot off of the gas pedal en route to the SEC Championship Game, they were sorely mistaken. Kentucky absolutely obliterated the Volunteers, making amends for its most recent loss. It's hard to cross this team right now, and as has been proven all season long, if G John Wall, F DeMarcus Cousins, and F Patrick Patterson are on their game, this, at least to date, has been an impossible team to defeat.

Mississippi State Bulldogs (23-10, SEC): Most seasons, winning 23 games and reaching the SEC Final would be good enough to easily put any team in the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs are still sweating though, and they'll need to beat Kentucky on Sunday to remove any sense of doubt. It was a huge defensive effort for MSU that put it in this position, as Vanderbilt only shot 34.6%, and F Jarvis Varnado blocked six shots in the 62-52 win.

Temple Owls (28-5, Atlantic 10): All season long, the Owls have been talked about as a team that can make a major difference in the NCAA Tournament. Now, one of the best defenses in the nation has made a case to move up into the Top 4 seeds in the NCAA Tournament after absolutely crushing two A-10 foes in this tournament. Temple has the fourth best defense in college basketball, allowing just 56.3 points per game.

Richmond Spiders (26-7, Atlantic 10): The Spiders weren't on the radar for potential March Madness teams at the outset of the season, but a win over Florida in November really helped set the stage for this team to have a rocket of a rise up the charts in the country. Richmond cracked the Top 25 for awhile this year and may ultimately finish the season there as well, especially if it can find a way to knock off the Owls and capture the A-10 title.

Ohio State Buckeyes (26-7, Big Ten): There are still a host of teams that believe that they can be a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and the Buckeyes are amongst them. It took double overtime to finally get Illinois out of the Big Ten Tournament though, and there's a big question about how much fight OSU will have in it in Sunday's final after a pair of very, very tough games. F Evan Turner turned the ball over ten times on Saturday, but he did have a double-double with 31 points and ten boards.

Minnesota Golden Gophers (21-12, Big Ten): If the Selection Committee is determined to reward teams that do well in their conference tournaments,the Golden Gophers may already be in the NCAA Tournament. Regardless, this is a team that was left for dead just three days ago, and now, Minnesota is on the verge of ditching and bubble doubt. HC Tubby Smith's team absolutely destroyed Purdue on Saturday, which has set up a heck of a finale against OSU on Sunday.

Duke Blue Devils (28-5, ACC): It seems largely accepted that the Dookies, in spite of the fact that they have struggled in the NCAA Tournament, look to be the team that can play its way into the final #1 seed with a win over Georgia Tech on Sunday. Miami and Virginia both gave the Blue Devils a heck of a time, but in the end, Coach K's club did what it does best: It just keeps finding ways to win games.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (22-11, ACC): G-Tech has rumbled its way into the NCAA Tournament without a doubt after taking three games in the ACC Tournament. However, none of these games against UNC, Maryland, or NC State were anything like what the Blue Devils are going to bring on Sunday. HC Paul Hewitt will want to see a far less sloppy game than he saw on Saturday against the Wolfpack to continue to raise his team's confidence level going into the NCAA Tournament.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in College Basketball | No Comments »

 
March 13th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

Teams that are already in the NCAA Tournament…

Cornell Big Red (27-4, Ivy League), Winthrop Eagles (19-13, Big South), Murray State Racers (30-4, Ohio Valley), East Tennessee State Buccaneers (20-14, Atlantic Sun), Northern Iowa Panthers (28-4, Missouri Valley), St. Mary's Gaels (26-5, West Coast), Siena Saints (27-6, Metro Atlantic), Old Dominion Monarchs (26-8, Colonial), Wofford Terriers (26-8, Southern), Oakland Golden Grizzlies (26-8, Summit), Butler Bulldogs (28-4, Horizon), North Texas Mean Green (24-8, Sun Belt), Robert Morris Colonials (23-11, Northeast), Montana Grizzlies (22-9, Big Sky)

Teams that clinched automatic bids on Friday…

Lehigh Mountain Hawks (22-10, Patriot): The Mountain Hawks reached March Madness for the fourth time in school history when they took out Lafayette without any real consequence on Friday afternoon. This is a team that can rain down three pointers like it's no one's business (40.2% on the season), but unless there is an upset of absolutely epic proportions, this team won't make it to see the weekend. Expect to see Lehigh either as a #16 seed or in the play-in game.

Teams vying for automatic bids on Saturday…

Boston Terriers (19-12, America East): The Terriers were slight favorites against the top team in this conference, Stony Brook, in the America East League semifinals, and they didn't disappoint. Now, leading scorer, F John Holland (19.3 PPG) will look to lead the way for BU to make it to its first NCAA Tournament since 2001. This will be the Terriers' first appearance in the America East finale since 2003.

Vermont Catamounts (24-9, America East): Vermont has one of the most well-rounded players in the entire nation in F Marqus Blakely. Not only is Blakely leading the team in scoring (17.2 points per game), but he is also one of the best defensive players in the conference, as he is averaging 9.1 rebounds, 2.5 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game, all team highs. The Catamounts haven't been dancing since HC Tom Brennan was on the sidelines, but they're the clear choices to go to March Madness this year.

UTEP Miners (26-5, Conference USA): UTEP already knows that it's got its spot to the NCAA Tournament on lock down, as it is probably going to be a middle seed in the dance thanks to a great season in C-USA play. G Randy Culpepper is one of the elite scorers in the entire nation, and he has the ability to take over an entire game very, very quickly. He put up 21 points as his team bounced Tulsa from the conference tournament on Friday, and his scoring average over the L/8 games is a solid 22.4 points per game.

Houston Cougars (18-15, Conference USA): G Aubrey Coleman put on a heck of a show in the Conference USA semifinal against Southern Miss on Friday, scoring 27 points. He's the conference's leading scorer at 25.9 points per game. No one expected the Cougs to reach this point in the season, but after pulling off the upset of Memphis and taking down Southern Miss, they'll have an improbable chance of making the NCAA Tournament.

Sam Houston State Bearkats (24-7, Southland): The Bearkats are going to have their hands full in the Southland final. SHSU has limped to a pair of victories in the conference tournament, which is uncharacteristic for a team that is now 16-2 against divisional foes. F Gilbert Clavell will have to do a better job staying out of foul trouble than he did in the Southland semis. Even though he only played 24 minutes though, the team's leading scorer (17.6 points per game) still managed 16 points.

Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (23-8, Southland): Playing second fiddle to a crosstown rival never sits well, but that's where Stephen F. Austin found itself all season in relation to the Bearkats. The Lumberjacks will get their chance to use their fantastic defense to make their way to the NCAA Tournament out of the Southland Conference. Four of the team's L/5 foes have been held under 55 points. With another effort like that, SFA will be dancing next week.

Akron Zips (24-9, MAC): There aren't any real prolific scorers on this team, but what the Zips do well is spread the scoring options around. Eight scorers are putting up at least five points per game. Now that Kent State is out of the MAC Tournament, there's no reason for Akron, who was clearly one of the top two teams in this conference all season long, to not grab the automatic bid from this conference.

Ohio Bobcats (20-14, MAC): At the beginning of the MAC Tournament, you probably didn't have the Bobcats in the finals. Alas, after going just 7-9 in conference play this year, Ohio is here, just one step away from dancing. The Bobcats picked a great time to have their best defensive half of the season, as they held the Redhawks to just 12 points in the first frame in Friday's semifinal. It's going to take another Herculean effort to take care of the Zips to go to March Madness.

Arkansas Pine Bluff Golden Lions (16-15, SWAC): This hasn't been a great year for SWAC basketball, but the Golden Lions did go 14-2 in conference and are deservedly playing for a right to play in the play-in game in the NCAA Tournament. Senior F Terrance Calvin put up a double-double with a dozen points and a dozen rebounds in the semifinals. The team's leading scorer is averaging 10.6 points per game this season.

Texas Southern Tigers (17-15, SWAC): If the Tigers are going to find a way to make it to March Madness, they're going to need a great game out of their big three. G Deandre Hall, G Whitworth Treasure, and F Travele Jones combine to average a whopping 44.5 of the team's 69.1 points per game. Texas Southern caught a major break when Jackson State was bounced out of this tournament, as eliminating Grambling was significantly easier than beating a team that went 17-1 in conference would've been.

Morgan State Bears (26-9, MEAC): The Bears have been the best team in the MEAC all season long, and anything less than a conference crown and a ticket to the NCAA Tournament would be brutally disappointing. G Reggie Holmes has been off of his game in this tournament, scoring just 28 points in two conference tournament contests, which would be great if not for the fact that he averaged 22.1 points per game during the regular season. He'll need to pick it up to the get the conference's automatic ticket.

South Carolina State Bulldogs (18-13, MEAC): Whatever has gotten into the Bulldogs' defense had better keep up for one more game to get SCSU into the NCAA Tournament. The Dogs would've kept five straight foes under 65 points, if not for the fact that they had to play overtime against Delaware State to reach this point of the MEAC Tournament. This is a miserable three-point shooting team though, as 30.4% just isn't going to cut it for a team that is hoping to make it to the dance.

Georgetown Hoyas (23-9, Big East): Many were down on the Hoyas coming into the Big East Tournament, but if there were any doubts about how good this team is, those were erased over the past few days. Blowing out South Florida and Marquette and sandwiching a win over Syracuse between them took this team from a potential #5 seed up to possibly a #2 with a win at MSG in the finale of this tournament on Saturday night.

West Virginia Mountaineers (26-6, Big East): Could West Virginia earn a #1 seed to the NCAA Tournament with a win on Saturday night? It's not likely, but it's certainly a possibility. The Mountaineers have stormed through the Big East tourney at Madison Square Garden thanks in large part to the play of leading scorer F Da'Sean Butler. WVU's star scored 24 in the semifinal against the Fighting Irish, and he'll look to carry that momentum into Saturday's finale.

Kansas Jayhawks (31-2, Big XII): The #1 team in the country continues to get up off the mat when it is down. On both Thursday and Friday, Rock Chalk not only stormed back from a deficit, but they ultimately put away their foes by double digits. Now, HC Bill Self's team has its sights set on another conference title, but the top seed in the Midwest Region has virtually already been wrapped up.

Kansas State Wildcats (26-6, Big XII): Kansas State is one of at least seven or eight teams that believes that it can be a #1 seed when Sunday rolls around. The Wildcats have looked awfully impressive on the offensive side of the court in this tournament, rolling up 80+ points against both Baylor and Oklahoma State. It's going to take a very similar performance to be able to stick with the Jayhawks on Saturday night in Kansas City.

San Diego State Aztecs (24-8, Mountain West): The Aztecs were one of the teams that was sitting firmly on the NCAA Tournament bubble before conference tournaments started, but when other teams fell flat, they excelled. The win against New Mexico absolutely sealed the deal. There's going to be a question about motivation for this team, but it's hard to go against a team that just stopped the squad with the longest winning streak in the MWC.

UNLV Rebels (25-7, Mountain West): UNLV has seemingly been the forgotten team in the MWC all season long, but it has a chance to take down the conference crown after both New Mexico and BYU bit the dust in the league semifinals. No one has crossed 70 points on this team since February 10th. Considering the fact that this is the host team for this tournament, the Rebels are going to be hard to take out, no matter how hot the Aztecs are.

Utah State Aggies (27-6, WAC): All of the carnage around the bubble has probably made the Aggies a tournament team for certain, but don't tell that to them! Utah State came out and absolutely annihilated Louisiana Tech on Friday night, which sets the stage for it to take the league's automatic bid to the tournament and save a slot on the bubble for someone else. The Aggies ride into Saturday night on a 17-game winning streak and don't look to be stopped.

New Mexico State Aggies (21-11, WAC): The odds were stacked up against the Aggies in the WAC semifinals on Friday night, as they had to play in Reno against the host school, Nevada. However, a gritty performance down the stretch led New Mexico State to the conference final with an 80-78 victory. The question is going to be whether or not a team that largely relies on just six players can find a way to win the battle of the Aggies in the WAC Championship.

California Golden Bears (23-9, Pac-10): For the duration of the season, the Golden Bears have looked like the only team that really could make the NCAA Tournament without the league's automatic bid. However, the Pac-10 crown is up for grabs at this point, and Cal is the favorite for the title. After a pair of double digit victories in the conference tourney, is anyone going to pick against this team? Leading scorer G Jerome Randle has had a great tourney, scoring 20+ points in both games.

Washington Huskies (23-9, Pac-10): The Huskies did what the Sun Devils couldn't do: Get rid of Stanford. There's still a big question whether or not U-Dub really needs to win the Pac-10 to make the NCAA Tournament. If the bubble shrinks any more, it's plausible to think that the Huskies could get left home if they get blown out by Cal. Still, this team has too good of a resume to ignore right now. Washington has won six straight games and takes one of the highest scoring marks in the land into the Pac-10 finale (79.8 points per game).

Santa Barbara Gauchos (19-9, Big West): The Gauchos took advantage of a first round bye in the Big West Tournament and bounced UC-Davis with ease on Friday night to get within one step of the NCAA Tournament. This can be a lethal three-point shooting team, as it is shooting 37.9% from downtown this year. Leading scorer G Orlando Johnson is the main candidate for long balls, as he shot a shade under 40% from beyond the arc. That's why he's averaging 18.0 points per game.

Long Beach State 49ers (17-15, Big West): No one really saw the 49ers making it to the finals of the Big West Tournament, but they stepped on the gas pedal right from the get go and dismissed the top seeded Tigers on Friday night. Now, after going just 8-8 in conference play this year, leading scorer and rebounder F TJ Robinson (15.7 points, 10.2 rebounds per game) will lead Long Beach State into battle in the Big West Championship.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in College Basketball | No Comments »

 
March 11th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

 

Teams that are already in the NCAA Tournament…

Cornell Big Red (27-4, Ivy League), Winthrop Eagles (19-13, Big South), Murray State Racers (30-4, Ohio Valley), East Tennessee State Buccaneers (20-14, Atlantic Sun), Northern Iowa Panthers (28-4, Missouri Valley), St. Mary's Gaels (26-5, West Coast), Siena Saints (27-6, Metro Atlantic), Old Dominion Monarchs (26-8, Colonial), Wofford Terriers (26-8, Southern), Oakland Golden Grizzlies (26-8, Summit), Butler Bulldogs (28-4, Horizon), North Texas Mean Green (24-8, Sun Belt)

Teams that clinched automatic bids on Wednesday…

Robert Morris Colonials (23-11, Northeast): It went right down to the wire, but the Colonials locked up the NEC's bid to the NCAA Tournament by the final count of 52-50 over Quinnipiac. G Karon Abraham shot 7/14 from the floor on a night where shots came at a premium to score 16 to lead Robert Morris to victory. Now, it will probably be subjected to sitting on the #15 or #16 line, which almost certainly means a first round exit from the NCAA Tournament.

Montana Grizzlies (22-9, Big Sky): We warned you to keep an eye on G Anthony Johnson, and if you missed his ridiculous performance in the second half against Weber State on Wednesday, you missed a doozy. He led Montana back from down 40-20 at halftime by scoring a whopping 42 points on 13/22 shooting and 14/14 from the foul line. He'll be the only hope for the Grizzlies to move their way into the second round of the NCAA Tournament, but in all likelihood, it's not going to happen as a #14 or #15.

Teams vying for automatic bids on Friday…

Lafayette Leopards (19-12, Patriot): The Leopards only went 8-6 in the regular season in Patriot League action, but they've successfully made it to the final of their conference tournament behind the scoring prowess of G Jim Mower. Mower has scored 36 points in his two postseason  games. The problem is going to be trying to figure out how to stop Lehigh from beyond the arc, where Lafayette is allowing opposing teams to shoot 38.7%.

Lehigh Mountain Hawks (21-10, Patriot): That's bad news against a Lehigh team that shoots 40.2% from three-point land. The leading sharpshooter for a squad that scores 75.2 points per game is G CJ McCollum. Not only is McCollum shooting 43% from long range, but he is also the top scorer in the conference at 18.9 points per game. The Mountain Hawks also need to work on their defense, as they allow 70.4 points per game.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in College Basketball | No Comments »

 
March 10th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

Teams that are already in the NCAA Tournament…

Cornell Big Red (27-4, Ivy League), Winthrop Eagles (19-13, Big South), Murray State Racers (30-4, Ohio Valley), East Tennessee State Buccaneers (20-14, Atlantic Sun), Northern Iowa Panthers (28-4, Missouri Valley), St. Mary's Gaels (26-5, West Coast), Siena Saints (27-6, Metro Atlantic), Old Dominion Monarchs (26-8, Colonial), Wofford Terriers (26-8, Southern)

 Teams that clinched automatic bids on Tuesday…

Oakland Golden Grizzlies (26-8, Summit): Oakland is going back to the NCAA Tournament, and it enters March Madness as one of the hottest teams in college basketball, losing just one game since the end of December. Still, the Golden Grizzlies took their shots at some of the big boys in college basketball this season and ultimately was trounced by Syracuse, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Kansas, and Memphis. That's going to make it hard for this team to advance out of a #14 seed or so.

Butler Bulldogs (28-4, Horizon): Bubble teams can breathe a bit easier. The Bulldogs came through in a big way in the Horizon League final, hammering Wright State to finish up at 20-0 in conference play. Depending on how the Selection Committee views mid-majors this year, Butler could reasonably finish anywhere from a #3 to a #8 in the brackets. Either way, there are going to be some unhappy teams that have to face this very lethal bunch of Bulldogs.

North Texas Mean Green (24-8, Sun Belt): It took a big second half effort, but the Mean Green prevailed over the Trojans to win the Sun Belt and take a spot in the NCAA Tournament. This wasn't a conference that was particularly strong for the majority of the season, and North Texas will probably be punished for it. Consider this team good enough for a #15 seed, but not much more than that.

Teams vying for automatic bids on Wednesday…

Robert Morris Colonials (22-11, Northeast): This is old hat to a Robert Morris team which has played in the NEC Championship seven times in school history. The Colonials were awfully inconsistent down the stretch of the regular season, losing two of its L/3 before dominating two conference tournament foes. Free throw shooting is a major issue for this team. Only converting on 66.7% of its charity shots would be a recipe for disaster with a berth to the NCAA Tournament on the line.

Quinnipiac Bobcats (23-8, Northeast): It's the exact opposite situation for the Bobcats, who are only playing in their second NEC finale and have never even played in a postseason tournament of any kind, let alone an NCAA Tournament. That will change this year, as the NIT will be calling Quinnipiac's name if it doesn't win this game. F Justin Rutty has logged seven straight double-doubles, and he'll be expected to come up big yet again for the Bobcats to go dancing.

Montana Grizzlies (21-9, Big Sky): G Anthony Johnson scored 19 points to lead the Grizzlies to the Big Sky final last night, and he'll be the cog in the lineup if Montana is to win this game against the conference powerhouses. Look out for a barrage of three-pointers from the Grizz, as they are shooting a stellar 40.2% from downtown this year, good enough for sixth in the country.

Weber State Wildcats (20-9, Big Sky): The regular season Big Sky champs have their sights set on yet another NCAA Tournament appearance. A high-flying offense which scored 77.0 points per game this year is going to be on display.  Weber State hasn't been to the dance since 2007, but this marks the team's fourth regular season championship since 2002-03.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in College Basketball | No Comments »

 
March 9th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

Teams that are already in the NCAA Tournament…

Cornell Big Red (27-4, Ivy League), Winthrop Eagles (19-13, Big South), Murray State Racers (30-4, Ohio Valley), East Tennessee State Buccaneers (20-14, Atlantic Sun), Northern Iowa Panthers (28-4, Missouri Valley)

 Teams that clinched automatic bids on Monday…

St. Mary's Gaels (26-5, West Coast): Forget about the bubble talk this year for the Gaels. They're certainly going dancing now after taking out Gonzaga in the WCC final on Monday night. The victory had to be sweet for St. Mary's after losing to the Zags twice in the regular season, and now they'll probably find themselves in a very comfortable #9 or #10 slot on Sunday.

Siena Saints (27-6, Metro Atlantic): The bubble dwellers might not have liked the St. Mary's result, but watching Siena come from 15 points behind against Fairfield to clinch up the Metro Atlantic's automatic bid had to be a sigh of relief. Siena may or may not have ultimately made it to the dance, but now, there is no doubt. This is a team that has snuck up on some solid foes in recent seasons, and if history is any indicator, some #5 or #6 seed is going to be very, very upset to see the Saints as their first round draw.

Old Dominion Monarchs (26-8, Colonial): More bubble trouble was averted on Monday night when ODU earned what will amount to be the only bid from the CAA this year. The Monarchs were probably solidly in the field one way or the other, but now, a spot very similar to St. Mary's bid could be earned. Considering this is a team that already has an upset over Georgetown in DC to its credit, the other teams in Old Dominion's bracket are already on notice.

Wofford Terriers (26-8, Southern): It took fending off a huge comeback, but the Terriers got the job done and won the SoCon on Monday night. Traditionally, this is a conference that has the ability of pushing teams to the brink in the NCAA Tournament. Wofford might just be a #13 or #14 seed, but the possibility is there of a huge upset if the matchup falls properly for this team.

Teams vying for automatic bids on Tuesday…

Oakland Golden Grizzlies (25-8, Summit): The Grizzlies have only lost one game since the end of December, which makes them a prime candidate to take down the Summit League's automatic ticket to the tournament. However, the one team that they lost to was the team that they'll face tonight, IUPUI. Don't think that there isn't a lot of history at that point, either. Oakland is going to want some major payback for getting beaten down by 24 points. Watch out for F Keith Benson, who is averaging a double-double this year and is coming off of a 17 point, 17 rebound performance against IUP-Ft. Wayne last night.

IUPUI Jaguars (24-9, Summit): Pop quiz, hot shot! Syracuse ranks #1 in the country in field goal percentage. Any idea who is #2? How many teams would you have had to go through to reach the Jaguars? If G Robert Glenn can score anywhere near his average of 19.6 points per game in the Summit League finale, the Jaguars may be able to swipe a ticket to the NCAA Tournament.

Butler Bulldogs (27-4, Horizon): Here's some bad news for bubble teams. If the Bulldogs don't win the Horizon League, yet another team on the already crowded bubble will be pushed to the outside and into the NIT. Obviously, Butler is one of the best mid-major teams in the country, and it has some fantastic wins over some quality foes outside of the league. This is the only team in America that can say that it didn't lose a conference game all season long, which common logic would like to think will hold true in the 20th game of its Horizon schedule.

Wright State Raiders (20-11, Horizon): This has been the much-anticipated game that Horizon League followers have been waiting for. The Raiders have the defensive abilities to hang with Butler, but there's a question about whether or not there is enough offense to go around as well. F Ronnie Thomas scored 18 points in Wright State's Horizon semifinal victory over Detroit, and he'll need to be a force to make this a two-bid league to the dance.

North Texas Mean Green (23-8, Sun Belt): The Mean Green have won ten straight games coming into the Sun Belt final on Monday night. However, wins against Louisiana-Monroe and Denver, both of which were relatively close calls, might've taken a little something out of this team. This is a squad that really only goes seven to eight players deep, so playing for the third time in as many days could be debilitating. Regardless, F Tristan Thompson has been playing out of his mind lately, scoring 19 against Denver and 16 against Louisiana-Monroe, and he'll need a third straight big showing for the regular season Sun Belt champs to go dancing.

Troy Trojans (20-11, Sun Belt): Troy won the weaker half of the Sun Belt this season, and has earned its right to face the Mean Green for the automatic bid to March Madness. Depth may once again be an issue with this team as well though, as the Trojans only have five players on the court for more than 18 minutes per game and eight that play more than three minutes per game. G Michael Vogler could make the difference even though he has been quiet in this tournament. The point guard is shooting 49.6% from the floor and 45.1% from beyond the arc this year, and he also leads the team in assists at 5.5 per game.

Other Useful NCAA Tournament Links:

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in College Basketball | No Comments »

 
March 9th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

 

Teams that are already in the NCAA Tournament…

Cornell Big Red (27-4, Ivy League), Winthrop Eagles (19-13, Big South), Murray State Racers (30-4, Ohio Valley), East Tennessee State Buccaneers (20-14, Atlantic Sun), Northern Iowa Panthers (28-4, Missouri Valley)

 Teams that clinched automatic bids on Monday…

St. Mary's Gaels (26-5, West Coast): Forget about the bubble talk this year for the Gaels. They're certainly going dancing now after taking out Gonzaga in the WCC final on Monday night. The victory had to be sweet for St. Mary's after losing to the Zags twice in the regular season, and now they'll probably find themselves in a very comfortable #9 or #10 slot on Sunday.

Siena Saints (27-6, Metro Atlantic): The bubble dwellers might not have liked the St. Mary's result, but watching Siena come from 15 points behind against Fairfield to clinch up the Metro Atlantic's automatic bid had to be a sigh of relief. Siena may or may not have ultimately made it to the dance, but now, there is no doubt. This is a team that has snuck up on some solid foes in recent seasons, and if history is any indicator, some #5 or #6 seed is going to be very, very upset to see the Saints as their first round draw.

Old Dominion Monarchs (26-8, Colonial): More bubble trouble was averted on Monday night when ODU earned what will amount to be the only bid from the CAA this year. The Monarchs were probably solidly in the field one way or the other, but now, a spot very similar to St. Mary's bid could be earned. Considering this is a team that already has an upset over Georgetown in DC to its credit, the other teams in Old Dominion's bracket are already on notice.

Wofford Terriers (26-8, Southern): It took fending off a huge comeback, but the Terriers got the job done and won the SoCon on Monday night. Traditionally, this is a conference that has the ability of pushing teams to the brink in the NCAA Tournament. Wofford might just be a #13 or #14 seed, but the possibility is there of a huge upset if the matchup falls properly for this team.

Teams vying for automatic bids on Tuesday…

Oakland Golden Grizzlies (25-8, Summit): The Grizzlies have only lost one game since the end of December, which makes them a prime candidate to take down the Summit League's automatic ticket to the tournament. However, the one team that they lost to was the team that they'll face tonight, IUPUI. Don't think that there isn't a lot of history at that point, either. Oakland is going to want some major payback for getting beaten down by 24 points. Watch out for F Keith Benson, who is averaging a double-double this year and is coming off of a 17 point, 17 rebound performance against IUP-Ft. Wayne last night.

IUPUI Jaguars (24-9, Summit): Pop quiz, hot shot! Syracuse ranks #1 in the country in field goal percentage. Any idea who is #2? How many teams would you have had to go through to reach the Jaguars? If G Robert Glenn can score anywhere near his average of 19.6 points per game in the Summit League finale, the Jaguars may be able to swipe a ticket to the NCAA Tournament.

Butler Bulldogs (27-4, Horizon): Here's some bad news for bubble teams. If the Bulldogs don't win the Horizon League, yet another team on the already crowded bubble will be pushed to the outside and into the NIT. Obviously, Butler is one of the best mid-major teams in the country, and it has some fantastic wins over some quality foes outside of the league. This is the only team in America that can say that it didn't lose a conference game all season long, which common logic would like to think will hold true in the 20th game of its Horizon schedule.

Wright State Raiders (20-11, Horizon): This has been the much-anticipated game that Horizon League followers have been waiting for. The Raiders have the defensive abilities to hang with Butler, but there's a question about whether or not there is enough offense to go around as well. F Ronnie Thomas scored 18 points in Wright State's Horizon semifinal victory over Detroit, and he'll need to be a force to make this a two-bid league to the dance.

North Texas Mean Green (23-8, Sun Belt): The Mean Green have won ten straight games coming into the Sun Belt final on Monday night. However, wins against Louisiana-Monroe and Denver, both of which were relatively close calls, might've taken a little something out of this team. This is a squad that really only goes seven to eight players deep, so playing for the third time in as many days could be debilitating. Regardless, F Tristan Thompson has been playing out of his mind lately, scoring 19 against Denver and 16 against Louisiana-Monroe, and he'll need a third straight big showing for the regular season Sun Belt champs to go dancing.

Troy Trojans (20-11, Sun Belt): Troy won the weaker half of the Sun Belt this season, and has earned its right to face the Mean Green for the automatic bid to March Madness. Depth may once again be an issue with this team as well though, as the Trojans only have five players on the court for more than 18 minutes per game and eight that play more than three minutes per game. G Michael Vogler could make the difference even though he has been quiet in this tournament. The point guard is shooting 49.6% from the floor and 45.1% from beyond the arc this year, and he also leads the team in assists at 5.5 per game.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in College Basketball | No Comments »

 
March 8th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

Teams that are already in the NCAA Tournament…

Cornell Big Red (27-4, Ivy League) 
Winthrop Eagles (19-13, Big South)
Murray State Racers (30-4, Ohio Valley)
East Tennessee State Buccaneers (20-14, Atlantic Sun)

Teams that clinched automatic bids on Sunday…

Northern Iowa Panthers (28-4, Missouri Valley): The Panthers' win over Wichita State in the Missouri Valley Conference finale had bubble teams across the country breathing a sigh of relief. Had the Shockers won, an at-large spot surely would've evaporated, as UNI was already in the field of 65. Wichita State may still have a claim to the bubble, but this way, all of the at-large bids are still remaining. Watch out for this Northern Iowa team, though. It played fantastic defense through the MVC Tourney, holding all three foes under 60 points, including keeping the first two to just 40. Seeding the Panthers is going to be tough though. They went 28-4, but they'll probably only be a #6 or so.

Teams vying for automatic bids on Monday…

Fairfield Stags (22-9, Metro Atlantic): The Stags played second fiddle in the MAAC all season long, but that doesn't mean that they can't upset Siena and swipe a bid to the NCAA Tournament. F Anthony Johnson and G Derek Needham scored a combined 38 points in Fairfield's win over Niagara on Sunday. The Stags already know that they can play in the Times Union Center, as they only lost by a bucket at Siena on February 8th.

Siena Saints (26-6, Metro Atlantic): Here's another team that will be sitting firmly on the bubble should it not grab its conference crown. The Saints are a team led by a ton of veterans, all of which have been involved in first round upsets in the NCAA Tournament in each of the L/2 seasons. HC Fran McCaffery has what it takes to get this team into the dance and to let it do some damage when it gets there. Watch out for leading scorer F Alex Franklin, who has dropped 41 points in two games in this tourney.

William & Mary Tribe (22-9, Colonial): The Tribe had to be considered at-large bid contenders at one point, but now they know that they have to win this game, or it's off to the NIT. They've had two really close calls to get to this point, winning by a combined seven points in two CAA Tournament games, but at just 64.2 points per game allowed, this is a club that has what it takes to win a conference crown.

Old Dominion Monarchs (25-8, Colonial): ODU is almost certainly in the NCAA Tournament regardless of what goes on in this one, but much like the case was with Northern Iowa yesterday, you won't see this team want to slip up and lose its final tune-up before the real dance begins. Leading scorer F Gerald Lee dropped 26 points yesterday against VCU, but don't be surprised if he has weary legs on Monday. He and several of his teammates played 30+ minutes in a game that went to overtime just 24 hours before this one will tip off on Monday night.

St. Mary's Gaels (25-5, West Coast): Is the third time a charm? St. Mary's has already lost to Gonzaga twice this season, and the only way that it will absolutely be assured of a spot on the dance floor next week is to win this game. The Gaels have one of the most exciting offenses in college basketball at 79.4 points per game, but they've just be stymied time and time again by the Zags this season and in years past.

Gonzaga Bulldogs (26-5, West Coast): HC Mark Few's team knows that it's in fine shape regardless of the outcome of this one, but another WCC Championship sure would be nice. The Zags are also trying to show the Selection Committee that they really were the dominant team in this conference in spite of the fact that they suffered unsightly losses to San Francisco and Loyola-Marymount in the regular season.

Appalachian State Mountaineers (22-11, Southern): App State won the SoCon North Division and is rightfully playing for all the marbles on Monday night. The 'Neers have be dominant of late, posting three straight double-digit victories. G Donald Sims had posted five straight 20+ point performances and 25+ point efforts in four of his previous five before being held to just ten points against Charleston yesterday. He's averaging 20.4 PPG this year and will be a real force in the SoCon finale.

Wofford Terriers (25-8, Southern): The Terriers have also advanced to this point in the SoCon Tournament by recording two convincing double digit 'W's. Expect to see App State struggle offensively against a stout Wofford defense, which is holding foes to just 61.5 points per game this year. The Terriers will have their ears pinned back in this one, as its only home loss of the season came against these Mountaineers.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in College Basketball | No Comments »

 
March 7th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

Teams that clinched spots to the NCAA Tournament on Friday and Saturday…

Cornell Big Red (27-4, Ivy League) - The Big Red coasted to 13-1 in the Ivy League regular season, winning the only at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament that is handed out without a conference tournament. Cornell was once upon a time a Top-25 team for a few weeks, but it is going to probably be a #12 or #13 in March Madness.

Winthrop Eagles (19-13, Big South) - The Big South was supposed to belong to Coastal Carolina this year, but the Eagles had other ideas. They bounced the Chanticleers 64-53 behind a huge second half run to pull the upset as nine-point underdogs. Look for Winthrop to be hanging out as a #14 or #15 come Selection Sunday.

Murray State Racers (30-4, Ohio Valley) - A 17-1 record in conference play and three relatively easy wins in the OVC Tournament later, and Murray State is racing into the NCAA Tournament. It captured the Ohio Valley crown on Saturday with a 62-51 victory that more than sufficiently covered the four-point college basketball spread. The Racers could be a great potential bracket buster this year out of a #12 or #13 position.

East Tennessee State Buccaneers (20-14, Atlantic Sun) - The Bucs were only the #5 seed going into the A-Sun Tournament, but they took three tough wins in as many nights, taking out Campbell, Kennesaw State, and Mercer to win the conference crown. ETSU is a candidate for the play-in game, but in all likelihood, it will stick around for the weekend without the extra game as a #16.

Teams vying for automatic bids on Sunday…

Northern Iowa Panthers (27-4, Missouri Valley) - The Panthers are the only team in a conference final tomorrow that knows that it has nothing to worry about come Selection Sunday one way or the other. UNI's stifling defense has held its first two opponents in the Missouri Valley Tournament to just 40 points apiece. In order to win the Valley once again, the Panthers are going to need a great effort out of C Jordan Eglseder, who has scored ten points in each of his first two conference tourney games this year and averaged 12.2 points per game on the season.

Wichita State Shockers (25-8, Missouri Valley) - Could the Shockers be the in the field anyway as well? Twenty-five wins in a tough conference suggests that it is a possibility, but in all likelihood a win is needed in Sunday's Missouri Valley finale to get the job done. Wichita State has coasted to win against Missouri State and Illinois State, both of which were very tough foes, to reach this point. The Shockers have scored at least 73 points in three of their L/4 games, and they'll need to find a way to crack Northern Iowa's stout defense to take down the Valley title.

Vermont Catamounts (23-9, America East) - Vermont is no stranger to playing in the America East Final. It feels like the Catamounts have been in this spot every single year for the past decade. They've got comfortable victories against Binghamton and Maryland-Baltimore County in this tournament, and thanks to the upsets going on around them, they won't have to face either Stony Brook or Maine to reach the NCAA Tournament. Watch for F Marqus Blakely to have a great final on Sunday, as he is leading the team in scoring (17.4 PPG), assists (3.7 per game), and rebounding (9.2 RPG).

New Hampshire Wildcats (13-16, America East) - If you're wondering where the Wildcats came from, hop on the boat. After going just 11-16 in the regular season, New Hampshire was the only lower seed to advance out of the first round of the America East Tournament. Now, it is on the verge of becoming a sub-.500 team that is going dancing. The Cats may have had an awful offense for this whole season (61.6 PPG), but they have scored 68 and 77 points in their two conference tourney games, and a similar effort may be enough to lift the conference crown come Sunday night.

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in College Basketball | No Comments »

 
March 5th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

Hated rivals of the Big East duke it out in college basketball betting action on Saturday afternoon when the West Virginia Mountaineers (23-6, 12-16 ATS) clash with the Villanova Wildcats (24-5, 18-10 ATS).

What's At Stake: The fourth #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament is still up for grabs, and both the Mountaineers and Wildcats would love to stake a claim to it. Villanova has been sliding though, going just 2-3 SU in its L/5 games to fall out of that final #1 slot for the time being. West Virginia has made its case at 23-6, but that loss to the Wildcats on February 8th at home must be avenged in order to move closer. This game takes on a bit extra meaning for the Mountaineers, who can lock up a bye to the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament with a win, while a loss will only advance them through the initial stage of the competition. Villanova has already sewn up the two byes.

College Basketball Odds: Villanova -3.5 at BetUS Sportsbook

West Virginia Notes: The Mountaineers have been a strong offensive team all season, scoring 74.9 points per game. Their shooting percentages are mediocre at best though, as 43.9% from the field at 34.8% from beyond the arc are nothing to write home about. West Virginia does take great care of the basketball and play stifling defense, though. It is only turning the ball over 11.3 times per game and is keeping teams to just 64.8 points per game.

Villanova Notes: WVU may have a great offense, but it pales in comparison to that of the Wildcats. Villanova has the #2 rated offense in the land at 83.3 points per game. They might be allowing 72.8 points per game, but the fact that they run up and down the court with ease for a full 40 minutes and have some of the best guards in the country is more than enough to compensate.

Players to Watch

Da'Sean Butler, West Virginia Mountaineers: Butler had a miserable game against Villanova the first time around, as he shot just 2/12 from the floor and scored 13 points. That was well below his season average, which now sits at a team-high 17.1 points per game. After a string of four sub-par games, the senior is coming off of a strong 22-point showing against Georgetown.

Scottie Reynolds, Villanova Wildcats: The high scorer from that February 8th NCAA basketball betting affair was Reynolds, who put up 21 points. He is the pride and joy for HC Jay Wright, as he is the team's top point man at 18.9 points per game. Reynolds will be playing his final home game at Villanova on Senior Day. He's tallied at least 15 points in all but one Big East game all year.

Trends of Note

-Villanova has covered four straight home games against teams with a winning record.
-Villanova is 7-1 ATS in its L/8 home games against teams with a road winning percentage of at least .600.
-Villanova is 9-4 ATS in its L/13 home games.
-West Virginia is 2-5 ATS in its L/7 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of at least .600.
-West Virginia is 4-2 ATS in its L/6 meetings with Villanova

Final Analysis: The oddsmakers aren't giving nearly enough respect to the Wildcats in this one. They've proven time and time again that they are a worthy team, especially on their home court, and on Senior Day, there's no way that they're going to go out losers no matter how much this angry WVU squad wants to get some payback for the early season loss. Look for Villanova to come out firing on all cylinders offensively, as Reynolds leads the charge of seniors to yet another comfortable win.

Selection: Villanova -3.5

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in College Basketball | No Comments »

 
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »