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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

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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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March 2nd, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

For just the second time this season, two teams in the college basketball betting world lock horns that are ranked in the Top-5 in the nation when the Kansas State Wildcats (24-4, 16-6-1 ATS) meet the Kansas Jayhawks (27-2, 10-15-1 ATS) in Allen Fieldhouse.

What's At Stake: It's possible to believe that the Wildcats could run down the Jayhawks for a tie for first place in the Big XII in the regular season. KSU would have to win this game and beat Iowa State over the weekend and hope that Kansas gets beaten by Missouri for that to happen though. The more important theme for this game is fact that both of these teams could still grab #1 seeds to the NCAA Tournament. It doesn't feel like the Jayhawks need to do too much more to get the job done, while the Wildcats will need a victory in this game and a deep run into the Big XII Tournament or the tourney championship to steal a slot on the top line a week from Sunday.

College Basketball Odds: Kansas -9 at 5Dimes Sportsbook

Kansas State Notes: KSU has the third highest scoring team in the Big XII at 80.4 points per game, while playing suitable defense at 68.3 points per game. The team has rolled off SU victories in all seven games since suffering that loss at home to Kansas, while it is also 7-2 ATS in its L/9 games overall. Four of those wins came away from Manhattan, but victories against Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Iowa State, and Nebraska wouldn't even nearly compare to pulling off the upset in Lawrence.

Kansas Notes: For weeks, it appeared as though Kansas was just itching for an upset. The team continued playing with fire game after game, and it finally caught up in the defeat last Saturday in Stillwater. In this stretch of nine games in which the Jayhawks are just 1-8 ATS, they've played two overtime games and one game right down to the wire against Texas A&M to go with the 'L' to Okie State. Their L/4 home wins have all come by double digits, but none of those were good enough for covers. KU is tops in the Big XII and fourth in the nation in scoring at 82.4 points per game on the season, which is making it hard for opposing teams to keep up considering that they are only shooting 37.6% for the season against the Jayhawks.

Players to Watch

Jacob Pullen, Kansas State Wildcats: Not only does Pullen lead the team in scoring at 18.5 points per game, but he also has already proven that he can play with these Jayhawks. In the overtime defeat at home, Pullen put up 22 points, a game-high. For the season, the junior has 11 games in which he has scored at least 20 points.

Cole Aldrich, Kansas Jayhawks: Aldrich is perhaps HC Bill Self's best all-around player. The offense probably doesn't rotate through the big man often enough, as he is third on the team in scoring at 11.4 points per game. However, he's the squad's leading rebounder at 10.0 per game, making him one of the few players in the nation to average a double-double. One of those double-doubles came against these Wildcats, as Aldrich scored 18 points and yanked down 11 boards in the 'W'.

Trends of Note

-Kansas State is 12-3-1 ATS in its L/16 games against teams with winning percentage above .600
-Kansas State is 15-5-1 ATS in its L/21 games overall
-Kansas is 5-0-1 ATS in its L/6 games following an SU defeat
-Kansas is 22-9-1 ATS in its L/32 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600
-Kansas is 9-19 ATS in its L/28 home games against teams with a winning road record
-Kansas is 17-6 ATS in its L/23 clashes with the Wildcats

Final Analysis: Kansas has a great history of playing at Allen Fieldhouse, which makes it scary to bet against, but when push really comes to shove, this is a ton of points to be issuing a Top-5 team in the nation. The Wildcats have already proven that they have the ability to beat this team outright, and this is the equivalent of their Super Bowl. Kansas will probably find a way to eke out a victory based on talent alone, but taking those nine points is far too inviting to leave on the table.

Selection: Kansas State +9

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