Baylor (-5) over St. Mary's- As the Gael's charismatic center Omar Sanham climbs the NCAAB popularity charts from 'unknown' to 'only known out west' to 'national star', a trio of giants from Waco, TX have been doing the dirty work down low and getting no press for it. Tonight, 6'10'' Ekpe Udoh, 7'0'' Josh Lomers, and 6'10'' Anthony Jones have one goal, STOP OMAR. Haven't gotten the privilege to see him play yet? Think Sean May plus three inches and more agility in the post. His 32 and 29 point performances in the first two rounds have overshadowed his point guard Mickey McConnell who is averaging 19 PPG heading into tonight. For the Baylor Bears this game is 'Texas-sized' large for more than just the Sweet 16 stage. It is about the survival of a program mired in one of the biggest scandals in sports history just seven years ago, the rise of upstanding coach and recruiter Scott Drew (think St. Bonaventure), and now the chance to play in front of a partisan crowd in Houston for a spot in the Elite Eight. I didn't even mention the Bears top three players in this blurb, but you can check them out for yourself tonight at around 7:30 Eastern. 

Ohio State (-4.5) over Tennessee- Like so many match ups this tournament, this game appears to be an absolute toss-up. Clearly, it's going to be a contest of freak athletes around the 6'4'' to 6'8'' range and you can throw in a couple of cold-blooded shooters on both sides. It's hard to think of a game that is more evenly matched, that being said, there are two reasons why I think the Buckeyes will take this one. 1) As you already guessed, Evan Turner. He's the best player left in a region littered with talent, he does it all for Ohio State, and he's got a knack for the big shot. 2) The Buckeyes were impressive in pulling away from a much bigger and more athletic Georgia Tech team last week. Four guys can get to the rim at all times and they are phenomenal at drawing fouls. If both teams are hitting their shots, this one has Kansas State/Xavier potential. 

Northern Iowa (+1) over Michigan State- There's very little Northern Iowa can do the rest of the season that will top the exuberance of last Saturday's shocker over top-seeded Kansas. By midseason, we knew they were probably the top mid-major around, but who knew they were this good. It wasn't like they were lights out for 40 minutes last week. The Panthers shot 34% in the second half including just 3-14 from deep. They turned Kansas over 15 times, shot 85% from the free throw stripe, and got an ill-advised three-ball to go down with just seconds to go. They're not three-point wiz's like Cornell, nor do they score twenty points a game on alley-oops like Kentucky, they're all-around niccce. Korie Lucious heroics propelled MSU to the Sweet 16, but without Kalin Lucas, I see the Green dream ending tonight. 

Duke (-8.5) over Purdue- Things seem to be setting up nicely for Duke.Two of the three teams in this tournament that are clearly superior to the Blue Devils have been bounced, their Sweet 16 opponent Purdue takes the court without their star Robbie Hummel, and Coach Wojo just slapped the floor while Coach Collins jumped up on a chair after Coach K clenched his fists, scrunched his face together, and let a spit filled "LETS GOOO" in a pregame meeting at the hotel. We're still getting reports in as to the details of that last part. As for tonight, Scheyer, Singler, and Smith seem to be on a mission, and with Zoubek playing like he's the 7'1'' that he actually measures at, they will be hard to beat for a shorthanded Boilermaker bunch. For Purdue, this was supposed to be their year...three star juniors in Hummel, Moore, and Johnson, combined with seniors Grant and Kramer to make a run at the title. With Hummel gone, everyone has written them off but themselves. Do they have enough to make it one more round is the question?

Syracuse (-6.5) over Butler- If they played ten times, I'd pick Butler to win only once and that's only if it was played at Hinkle. The Orange are hungry, focused and way too deep of a team to fall this early. Their impressive win without Arinze Onuaku over a talented, athletic Gonzaga team showed the rest of the field that they are now the team to beat. Wes Johnson is averaging 24.5PPG and 10RPG in the tournament, asserting himself even more with the absence of the big center Onuaku. Butler will counter with 6'9'' forward Gordon Hayward, normally a wing player, but who could be seen flashing to the high post regularly tonight in an effort to pierce the stingy 2-3 'Cuse zone. Butler will be good, but Syracuse will be better.  

Washington (+4) over West Virginia - If the first two rounds showed as anything, it was that we probably overhyped the Big East, and maybe the Pac-10 wasn't as pathetic as we all thought! Washington hasn't lost in over a month, but neither has West Virginia. Both teams are on fire right now, and the only thing that could slow them down would be an injured key player. Well that's exactly what happened this week, when the Mountaineers top guard and fourth leading scorer Darryl Bryant went down with broken foot. Without his backcourt leadership, WVU turns to Joe Mazzulla to run the show. You may remember the name Mazzulla when he dropped a 13/11/8 line on Duke in the 2008 second round game. The relentless play of Quincy Pondexter will keep the Huskies close all game long, but with Da'Sean 'Big Shot' Butler on the court, I see WVU surviving and advancing.

Kansas State (-5) over Xavier- Xavier is making it's third Sweet 16 appearance in a row, but to make it to the weekend, they'll have to top a Kansas State team whose guards have been unstoppable to this point. Of the eight match ups on tap over the next two nights, this is the only game pitting two teams who faced off earlier in the season. The Musketeers received a fifteen-point drubbing when they visited Manhattan, KS in early December, a game in which Kansas State was much more physical and sound offensively than was Chris Mack's bunch. Statistically, these two teams are almost mirror images, both averaging about 79PPG and holding opponents to 69PPG. Both teams have high scoring potential, with explosive scorers on each side in Jacob Pullen and Jordan Crawford, but expect this one to come down to free-throw shooting as it often does when two physical teams meet. I'll take the nut job Frank Martin and his Wildcats in this one. 

Cornell (+8.5) over Kentucky- The other night somebody told me, "Upstate New York is currently the Mecca of college basketball". Don't laugh it's not funny. With Syracuse and Cornell in the Sweet 16, and the Carrier Dome playing host to the East regional, that somebody might be right. Forget being the #1 seed in the East, Kentucky won't have any sort of advantage this evening. Cornell fans from all over the state and every single non-UK patron will be packing the Carrier Dome tonight and rooting on David to take down Goliath.. It should be quite a spectacle. A team full of white kids with futures on Wall Street taking on the arrogant John Calipari and his band of seven potential pro ballers. After that buildup, here's my humble prediction: Cornell leads at half, scares the daylights out of UK for most of the game, but DeMarcus Cousins dominates down the stretch, while not failing to remind the nation that while he's the most talented big on the map, he's also undoubtedly the biggest child we've ever seen at this level.

Repeat MEAC Champion Morgan State enters the tournament having won 19 of 21 games and looking to pull off an improbable win as a 15-seed. They played tough with Louisville and Minnesota early in the year, and they've got the conference hardware to boot. The MEAC Player of the Year, Defense Player of the Year, and Rookie of the Year are all Bears. Here's a few kernels of wisdom on Morgan State:

1. You could really put a team named 'Morgan State' anywhere in the US and it would never make any logical sense, but this school is located in Baltimore, MD

2. They are just another tournament team whose nickname has something to do with a bear (Baylor, California, Cornell, Montana, Oakland, Sam Houston State) are the others.
3. The 10th leading scorer in the nation, Reggie Holmes, is arguably Morgan State's 2nd-best pro prospect.

The Bears plowed through the conference almost untouched this year thanks to an offense that averages 77 points per contest, and rebounding ability that rivals some of the nation's top teams. But remember fans, it's still the MEAC.

• Top Player: Reggie Holmes (21.8 PPG).
• Need to Know Stat: PF Kevin Thompson shows up against top competition, averaging 13 PPG and 14.5 RPG v. (Louisville, Arkansas, Minnesota, Baylor).
• Projected Performance: Who do they think they are, the 2001 Hampton Pirates? Like Dr. Stu eloquently said in "The Hangover," West Virginia says, "byeeEEE". 

For more knowledge on the Morgan State Bears, head over to StatSheet.com.

For all you conference tournament haters out there, I guess this is just more ammo for your argument. If you're one of those haters though, Coach John Groce and his Ohio Bobcats don't care about you because they are in the 'Big Dance'.  After finishing the regular season in ninth place, Ohio became the 'Cinderella' story of the MAC beating the first seed Kent State, Miami (Ohio), and then topping the two seed AK-Rowdy in overtime for a trip to their 12th NCAA tournament.

What people don't know is that Ohio had their own version of the Tennessee saga to contend with this year when two of their top six leading scorers, Steven Coleman and Jay Kinney were suspended indefinitely midway through the year. The Bobcats finally recovered and hit their stride when it mattered most. They boast four players who average double figures in scoring and they've got decent size on their front line 6'8''/6'10''.

With several scoring options, one would think that balance is what led Ohio to their surprise tournament birth. Not the case. Lately, for the Bobcats, it's been give the ball to Armon Basset, get the heck out of the way, and let him pour in 25+ every night.  They'll need an all-around effort to keep it close, and Basset (the former Indiana University recruit guard who bolted following the Kelvin Sampson saga) might need to go all Steph Curry on us for them to have any shot at a first-round win.

• Top Player: Armon Basset (17 points/game 3.5 assists/game)
• Need to Know Stat: It's either hit or miss for the Bobcats- Of their 21 wins, only three of them were decided by five points or fewer, and in only six of the wins was the spread less than ten. The other eleven were complete blowouts.
• Projected Performance: Thanks for playing Ohio, go back to doing what you're good at.

For more on the Ohio Bobcats, visit StatSheet.com.

This is not Pat Forde's uni-watch, but typical gaucho game-wear can be seen here. UCSB will be making their first tourney appearance since 2002, and this is team has been on a roll winning nine of their last ten. The win that punched their ticket? A five point victory over Long Beach State, a team who beat UCSB by twenty in January.

Their leader is unquestionably Orlando Johnson. The 6'5'' red shirt sophomore has notched double figures scoring in every game this season shooting nearly 40% from deep. With starters ranging from 6'2'' to 6'7'', this is not a vertically blessed Gauchos squad. They were second to last in the Big West Conference in rebounds per game. While they lost the rebounding battle in the semifinals and finals of the tournament, it clearly didn't affect the outcome. This UCSB Team can be sure that the rebounding must be shored up against their first round opponent Ohio State.

One thing the Gauchos have that many small conference teams don't is a second legitimate scorer. James Nunnally has been that all year long for Santa Barbara, and came up big over the weekend averaging over 19 PPG in the Big West conference tournament. 

• Top Player: Orlando Johnson:(17.9 PPG, 5.4 RPG), Big West Conference Player of the Year, 'nuff said.
• Need to Know Stat:  In 12 of their first 13 games, UCSB was a second half team, but in their last 16 games, they scored more points in the second half only seven times. 
• Projected Performance: 'The Villian' will send them back to So. Cal by halftime.

Information like this and much more on the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos can be found at StatSheet.com.

With a convincing 16-point win over Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston State advanced to just their second NCAA tournament ever. The Bearkats don't have any non-conference wins to show for, however a 102-92 loss to Kentucky in their third game of the season shows that they can shoot it out with anybody. 

You fellow history buffs out there know Sam Houston as the 6'6'' 'Tall Texan" and founding father of the 'country' of Texas. Well, the college affectionally named after the great 19th century politicion plays home to another 6'6'' somebody: Gilberto Clavell. For those of you watching on TV, Clavell can be distinguished by his athletic goggles that make him look like David Ortiz during a playoff celebration. The junior Clavell is joined by seniors Corey Allmond and Ashton Mitchell to form a potent offensive trio. Unselfishness is the best word to describe this Bearkat (no typo, bro) bunch- they average over 20 assists per game.

For some schools in the Lonestar state (Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor), stars come, the stars go, and the coach reloads with more stars. For Sam Houston State, a team led by two seniors and a junior, this is their defining moment and a chance to put a small Southland Conference school 'on the map'. 

• Top Player: Gilberto Clavell (17 PPG, 6 RPG)
• Need to Know Stat: All three scorers are capable of monster games. Here is the season high for- Clavell: 35 Allmond: 37, Mitchell: 28.
• Projected Performance: Baylor doesn't mind if Sam Houston State can run with them, the Bears will simply jump over the Bearkats.

Get more Sam Houston State Bearkats news than you could ever imagine on StatSheet.com.

After besting rival Quinnipiac on Wednesday night, the Colonials will be making the trip to the Big Dance for the second consecutive season. It has been a roller coaster of a year for Mike Rice Jr. who had to revamp his team after losing two of the top four scorers to graduation. His savior? That would be Karon Abraham, the diminutive freshman point guard and the team's leading scorer. During a miserable 4-7 start to the season, which included a deplorable loss to 7-25 Albany, Abraham bided his time coming off the bench, scoring in bunches in nearly every game to force Coach Rice to plug him into the starting line-up. Game twelve was the turning point for Abraham and the season for Robert Morris. A go-ahead jumper in the last minute by the 5'9'' sparkplug propelled the Colonials to victory and ignited a stretch of 19 wins in 23 games. 

Outside of the 23-11 record, Robert Morris looks very average statistically. A 1/1.2 Assist/Turnover Ratio, 43%FG, 66%FT, and 36% from 3-PT all point to a team that lacks real strength offensively. They are 177th nationwide in rebounding, which could pose problems if they get matched up with a Kentucky or Duke team with a bevy of guys that clean the glass.

What Abraham lacks in experience, he makes up with toughness and aggression. The Colonials experience comes from a core of seniors who made the tourney run last year in Rob Robinson, Mezie Nwigwe, and Jimmy Langhurst. 

• Top Player: Karon Abraham (13.4PPG, 85FT%)
• Need-to-know Stat: In their last 15 games, a stingy Robert Morris 'D' has held opponents to 55PPG.
• Projected Seed: #16

Down twenty points at halftime, Montana looked ready to roll over and die. But then, at the 19-minute mark in the second-half, Grizzlies' guard Anthony Johnson sprouted two inches to 6'5'', switched to number 24, developed an unequivocal killer instinct and an immunity to missed shots, thereby morphing into the Kobe Bryant for one unforgettable half of basketball. Riding Bryant's Johnson's 34-point second half performance, the Montana Grizzlies overcame the monster deficit, topping Weber State 66-65 and vaulting into the field of 65. Even Harold "The Show" Arceneaux would be mightily impressed.

It will be Montana's first trip to the NCAA tournament since 2006 when they pulled off a first round upset over Nevada. This year's Grizzlies squad have great size down low and multiple long-range shooting threats. While they have ball skills that rival weekend YMCA stars, seven-footers Brian Qvale and Derek Selvig are both proficient rebounders and deft at altering shots by driving guards. With a team Assist/Turnover Ratio a mediocre 1/1, Montana's ball-handling and passing must improve.

While there is no doubt that their first round opponent will have superior athleticism, Montana has the big guys and the star to scare any top seed.   

• Top Player: Anthony Johnson (19PPG, 3APG, 3RPG), in case you hadn't gathered that already. The senior's path to Montana ... quite fascinating.
• Need-to-know Stat: Montana boasts five players who shoot 40% or better from 3PT range.
• Projected Seed: #14

The North Texas Mean Green. Sounds more like a mediocre AAU program, or even a 9-year old Little League team, for the Sun Belt Conference champions. But Johnny Jones' kids don't care, they're dancin' like it's 2007. Efficiency from big men George Odufuwa (61FG%) and Eric Tramiel (56FG%) as well as an experienced  backcourt led the Mean Green on an undefeated February run, giving them plenty of momentum to sweep through the conference tournament.

With the 6'8'' Odufuwa being the tallest player, North Texas could struggle against a top seed with good size. The Mean Green are rather friendly on defense also allowing 69PPG. They have always countered a porous defense with four players averaging in double figures, but everybody (besides VMI) knows defense really matters in March.

To have a chance at an upset, North Texas guards will have to be blazing from beyond the arc. Josh White and Tristan Thompson both shoot 40% from downtown...it'll have to be 60% for a first round win. 

• Top Player: Josh White (15PPG, 3.5APG)
• Need to Know Stat: Each of the top four scorers for North Texas have scored twenty or more points in a game this season. 
• Projected Seed: #15

For the third consecutive season, the Siena Saints will represent the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in the NCAA Tournament. In his fifth season at the helm, Fran McCaffery has established Saints as a perennial mid-major not-to-be-messed-with. Leading assist man in the nation Ronald Moore (7.8 APG) has a bevy of scorers around him and the Saints have the athleticism to defend almost any team in the nation.

The problem this year? A couple things. 1. The Saints won't be sneaking up on anybody this year because the country knows they are legit. 2. Crunch time decision making. Over and over last night towards the end of the game and overtime, the Saints put the ball in Edwin Ubiles hands with 20 seconds left on the shot clock to make a play. Why would you ever take the ball out of Ronald Moore's hands man?! 

They do more than Just Dance: Siena scored first round victories in 2008 and 2009 and flirted with the Sweet 16 both years before falling to Villanova and Louisville respectively. Will this be the year they get by the first weekend?

• Top Player: Edwin Ubiles (15.2 PPG). Great athleticism and wingspan. Biggest impact felt on the defensive end
• Need to Know Stat: For the past two years, the Saints have been a fairly hyped MAAC team despite being 0-8 against the RPI Top 50 teams in regular season games.
• Projected Seed: #12

There's plenty more on the Siena Saints at StatSheet.com.

On December 12, Wofford beat South Carolina 68-61. On January 26, South Carolina beat Kentucky 68-64. Logically one would then assume that since Wofford > South Carolina and South Carolina > Kentucky, then Wofford > Kentucky. Okay maybe not, but SOCON Coach of the Year Mike Young has guided his pack of Terriers to quite a season. With wins in 22 of the last 24 games, and 13 straight to close out the year, this team is hotter than Buster Poindexter. Coach Young has 10 players averaging 11 minutes per-game so depth will not be an issue. Neither will big game experience.

Among big conference schools on Wofford's '09-'10 schedule: Pittsburgh, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan State, and the aforementioned Gamecocks.

Wofford will hope to mirror the 2008 SOCON winners, Davidson, and not that team who played UConn last season.

• Top Player: Noah Dahlman (16.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG). Coaches voted the 6'6'' junior as the top player in the Southern Conference. Respect.
• Need to Know Stat: The Terriers are at their worst when they score in the 60's. Here is the breakdown of their record by how many points they score. 40's: 1-0, 50's: 4-1, 60's: 4-6, 70's: 12-1, 80's: 5-0. 
• Projected Seed: #14

UTEP (-6.5) over UAB- With wins over Butler, Cincinnatti, and Georgia to go along with a 23-6 record, UAB is firmly affixed the NCAA tournament 'bubble', and will most certainly be a lock with a win today. They'll be facing a UTEP team who is ranked 21st in the nation and riding a 13-game winning streak. UAB has been led all season by 6'6'' guard Elijah Millsap and his 16 PPG/9 RPG. He'll need a lot of help for the Blazers to pull off this road upset.

Maryland (-5) over Virginia- This one is set up for a classic Maryland let down after the win 'n riot they pulled off on Wednesday. Virginia has dropped eight straight games, and will be looking to end the regular season on a high note and improve their ACC tournament seeding. That being said, the Cavaliers won't have enough to take down the Terps at the John Paul Jones Arena.

South Florida (-1) over Connecticut- All the talking heads have UCONN in the tournament, but if they lose today, there is no way a 14 loss team sneaks their way in. Not a chance. For USF, with the Big East tournament springs new hope of notching enough wins to slide in. In a conference where anybody can beat anybody (save Syracuse), the (18-11) Bulls must go deep into next weeks tournament. They've got the star to lead them in Dominique Jones. Maybe the most underrated player in the nation, Jones averages 21PPG and he'll have to be big today in a must win for both teams. I think UCONN loses their way to an NIT bid.

Overall: 83-77-1

Wednesday: 1-2

In tribute to the beginning of another spring training, we bring you the starting line-up of whacky stats from the 2009-2010 NCAA Basketball regular season.

1. The award for most turnovers in a game this year goes to: E’Jay Ward from Tennessee Wesleyan for coughing up the ball 15 times in one contest in late November. Take care of the ball son!
2. Elon managed to go 2-14 from the line in a November match-up with UNCW. Their 14.2% from the free throw stripe was the worst in any game when the team had more than 10 FTA.
3. Texas State looks like they’re going to keep the streak going. Five straight years leading the nation in Fouls Per Game. This year they’re hacking at a moderate 25FPG pace, compared to the 27FPG they were whistled for last year.
4. Powerhouses Monmouth, Illinois-Chicago, and Winston-Salem State all tied for the fewest field goals in a game this year with 10.  (I don’t mean to slight North Carolina Central, who dropped 30 in a game this year setting a season low for D-1).
5. UNLV took 165 shots in their 88-75 win in regulation over Nevada, marking the most field goal attempts by a team in the history of the internet. (It was 60 more shots taken than Connecticut took in their 6OT loss to Syracuse last year).
6. Referee Doug Shows has called a D-1 country high 37 technicals while roaming the hardwood in the Sunbelt and SEC.
7. Wondering who the Rasheed Wallace of NCAA basketball is? Praire View A&M’s Darnell Hugee leads the nation with 6 technical fouls. (seton hall sharpshooter Jeremy Hazell is 2^nd with 4 on the year).
8. Kansas hasn’t fallen below #3 in the AP poll all season. If they remain in the top 3 for the rest of the year, they’ll be just the second team since Duke's 1997-98 squad to stay in the top three all season long.
9. Chalk it up to experience: Seniors lead the nation in 3PT field goal percentage at 35.2%, followed by juniors at 34.5%, sophomores 33.9%, and freshman 32.4%. The last time a younger class shot the long ball better than their senior elders was 2004-2005.

Connecticut (+1.5) over Notre Dame- Just when we were ready to blow out the tournament candle on both schools, Connecticut beat two top ten teams and Notre Dame upset Pitt and Georgetown without Luke Harangody. For the Huskies, they have the talent with Walker, Dyson, and Robinson to run the table at the Garden next weekend, and at (17-12, 7-9), a strong showing at the Big East tournament may be their only hope for a NCAA bid. The Fighting Irish (19-10, 8-8) look to be inside the bubble at this point, but they'll struggle to beat UCONN tonight without Harangody.

Kansas (-8.5) over Kansas State- Kansas State lost an overtime barnburner back in January to Kansas, but tonight, Phog Allen Fieldhouse will house one of the top match ups of the year to date, as the #5 Kansas State Wildcats visit the #2 Kansas Jayhawks. The Jayhawks were tripped up by a hot-shooting Oklahoma State bunch over the weekend, but will be back to defend home court tonight. After a slow start in Big 12 play, diaper dandy Xavier Henry has hit his stride recording six straight double figure games. He could be the difference in this battle for state pride and a potential #1 seed.

Duke (-1.5) over Maryland-  The Blue Devils have won five of their last six road games after an 0-4 start away from Durham. Tonight will be they're biggest test of all as they visit a rowdy Comcast Center in College Park. Greivis Vasquez is sure to be head-bobbin' and chest-poundin' as if it were his last home game as a Terp. Oh wait it is. The pro-bound senior will look to repeat Sunday's dominating performance, but will there be enough help around him to pull off the big upset?  This one should go down to the wire with Coach K's experienced bunch locking up the ACC title.

Monday: 2-1
Overall: 82-75-1

West Virginia (-6.5) over Georgetown- These Big East games have been virtual toss-ups of late, but with the news that Georgetown guard Austin Freeman will be out with a stomach virus, it's a toss-up no more. The eighth ranked Mountaineers boast a 12-2 home record and three players averaging over 12PPG and 6RPG. Georgetown has slipped of late losing three of four, and they'll be in trouble tonight in Morgantown without their top scorer. 

Utah State (-14.5) over Fresno State- Utah State may be on their way to another NCAA tournament bid as they close in on a regular season WAC championship. The Aggies will look to push their win streak to 14 and build on their resume that includes a 23-6 record and that 'signature' win over BYU.  They take care of the ball (conference best 10 turnovers/game) and their fourth leading scorer is named Pooh. 

Texas (-13.5) over Oklahoma- It has been quite a fall from grace for the Longhorns over the last five weeks. With the new rankings revealing Texas barely holding onto a top 25, they are looking more like a seven or eight seed rather than the number one seed they were playing like in January. Still, they are far superior than Oklahoma who is licking their wounds from six straight losses. WIthout star guard Willie Warren, they should get beat up down in Austin tonight, but of course you never know if a Rick Barnes team will show up.

Overall: 80-74-1

Duke (-12) over Virginia Tech- At 21-4, and 8-3 in the ACC, Virginia Tech is knocking on the door of the top 25. However, if they get the usual 2010 Cameron Indoor treatment, they won't be getting in this week. Duke's margin of victory at home this year? +27.6PPG. 

Marquette (+2) over Cincinnati- Marquette hasn't lost to a conference game by more than seven all year. At 7-6 in Big East play, they sit squarely on the bubble along with today's opponent Cincinnati. A win for the Golden Eagles today would almost certainly secure them a tournament bid, and they'll look to their top scorer and rebounder Lazar Hayward to lead the way. 

Wisconsin (-12.5) over Northwestern- Two weeks ago, I wrote about Bill Carmody's Northwestern Wildcats as being frontrunners for the last Big Ten team into the tournament. Then, off they went losing to Iowa and Penn State who hold a combined 5-23 record in conference play this year. The Wildcats could really mess with Joe Lunardi's head if they can pull off a monster upset at the Kohl Center, however that is probably just too much to ask of the disappointing, should-be-in-the-Ivy-League Northwestern team.

Overall: 79-72-1

BracketBuster Saturday: 5-3

Kansas State (-14.5) over Nebraska- Nebraska has been taking up the rear of the Big 12 all season long and tonight will be no different. Frank Martin's Kansas State Wildcats are an explosive offensive bunch, boasting four players capable of 20+ point performances. WIth a strong finish, they could be looking at a #2 seed come March. 

Utah (+3.5) over UNLV- Utah seemed to matchup well with the Runnin' Rebels back on 1/16 when they beat UNLV by four in Las Vegas. It has been a tumultuous ride for both teams since. Utah's balanced scoring attack should benefit them as they defend home court tonight, but they'll have to contain guard Tre'Von Willis who has been turning heads since his 33-point 8-assist night against BYU earlier this month. Utes hold down Willis and protect their house.

Ohio State (-3) over Purdue- This one is definitely the game of the night and could end up being the game of the week by the time its all said and done. In Evan Turner's first game back from his back injury, his Buckeyes withstood the Robbie Hummel's long range show and scored a 70-66 win in West Lafayette. The fourth-ranked Boilermakers will try to return the favor when they visit Columbus. Ohio State has been on a tear winning six in a row while Purdue's winning streak is at seven. I'll take the best player in the country, and his talented supporting cast. Buckeyes 66-61.

Overall: 73-67-1
Last Night: 3-0

Michigan State (-11) over Indiana- Don't be surprised if Indiana puts up a tough fight for 20 or 30 minutes at Assembly Hall tonight, but when Michigan State starts hitting the gas and pulling away with it, remind yourself that the Hoosiers are just in year two of their Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Thanks, Coach Sampson. Kalin Lucas and the Spartans march on.

South Florida (-2.5) over Cincinnati- One of the nations most underrated players is Dominique Jones. The 6'4'' guard has been lighting up the Big bEast all year and he'll look to continue it tonight as the USF Bulls host the Bearcats. South Florida is big down low and has athletic wing defenders, and a win tonight would keep them in reach of the tournament.

Kentucky (-4) over Mississippi State- The number two ranked Wildcats head south to face Jarvis Varnado and the Bulldogs. It should be a great matchup in the post tonight between Varnado and UK freshman DeMarcus Cousins. A win tonight would certainly lock up Miss. St. for an NCAA bid, but it will be tough goings against a much bigger, talented Kentucky squad.

Overall: 70-67-1
Last Night: 1-2 (no thanks to Brady Morningstar)

Villanova (-9.5) over Connecticut- Villanova has been dominant at home this year (12-0) while the Huskies have struggled mightily (0-6). Coach Calhoun's return was not exactly triumphant, dropping a 60-48 decision at home against Cincinnati. The loss puts UCONN firmly outside the NCAA tournament bubble, leaving them with only one choice: win out. Guard play should rule this contest as Nova's Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher square off with Jerome Dyson and Kemba Walker. Prediction: UCONN continues its month-long free fall in the Big East and Villanova remains perfect in Philly.

Maryland (-8.5) over Virginia- Thanks to copious amounts of snowfall the lack of firepower in the Maryland DOT, this game is a make-up from last Wednesday's tilt. Over the weekend, Maryland was crushed by Duke while the Cavaliers lost to in-state rival Va. Tech moving both teams down to fourth and fifth in ACC standings. The Terrapins have been more than good at home this season, delivering crushing victories over NC State, Miami, and UNC in College Park. Virginia has hung around long enough in the ACC this year to still be considered an NCAA hopeful, but they must win tonight to remain in the hunt. It will be on the shoulders of sophomore Sylvan Landesberg who leads the team with 18PPG. With precious few scorers to turn to, he'll have to be hitting from everywhere for Virginia to stay in it.  

Kansas (-7) over Tesas A&M- Road wins have been the 'bees' knees' in college hoops over the lately, and both the Jayhawks and Aggies followed the trend with big victories away from home last week. Kansas will have to come to play in College Station as they defend their #1 ranking and undefeated conference record. A&M has won four straight and has all but locked up another NCAA bid. Kansas' star post player Cole Aldrich will be defended by the physical 6'9'' Bryan Davis who must shut down his counterpart if the Aggies have any hope. This deep Jayhawk team shouldn't be rattled by a tough environment or an ugly floor, and should pull away with their 25th win of the year.

Overall: 69-65-1
Last Saturday: 2-1

Maryland (+10) over Duke- It was just one year ago that the 'Terps visited Cameron Indoor Stadium and walked out 41 point losers. Today, they meet again in Durham with first place in the ACC on the line. Maryland (5-2 away) has proven it can win on the road this year but this isn't any old road game. The matchup to watch in this one will be at the point guard position. Duke's Jon Scheyer and Maryland's Greivis Vasquez are both big, versatile players not only counted on to handle the ball, but heavily depended on for points night in and night out. Duke scraped by BC last Saturday, and pulled one out in Chapel Hill on Wednesday, but they'll host a hungry, talented Maryland squad.

Texas A&M (+1.5) over Texas Tech- This should be a good one in Lubbock as two clear bubble teams battle it out in a game that could loom large Selection Sunday. Since losing their star guard Derrick Roland to injury in a loss to Washington in late December, the Aggies silenced doubters by winning 8 of their next 11. In their last four games, the difference has been 6'9'' sophomore David Loubeau who has averaged almost 16PPG in that span. A&M is primed to steal this road game from Mike Singletary and the Texas Tech Raiders.

Kentucky (-10) over Tennessee- The embattled Volunteers roll into rockin' Rupp Arena to face the biggest, most talented team in the land. UT was run out of the gym earlier in the week at Vanderbilt, and the same could happen tonight if Kentucky controls the game in two areas. 1) Will Ferrell said it best in Old School... DeMarcus Cousins has to keep his composure and not let the gravity of Gameday and the interstate rivalry get to his head. 2) With Cousins and Patrick Patterson in the post, they must go inside early and often, and not settle for 3-point shots. Tennessee will hang around for 20-25 minutes, but the Wildcats will pull away.

Overall: 67-64-1
Thursday: 3-0

Notre Dame (+5) over Seton Hall- Notre Dame is fresh off of two home conference wins as they fight to stay in the NCAA tournament hunt. Tonight they'll face a Seton Hall team desperate for a win after three straight road losses. Viewers hoping to see a duel could be in luck as Luke Harangody and Jeremy Hazell, the conferences' top two scorers will face off. The swing player could be Tim Abromaitis who has shown the ability to put up big numbers alongside 'Gody. The Irish have been playing at a high level lately, so expect them to be a handful for the hometown Pirates in Newark.  

California (-5) over Washington- The top two teams in the Pac-10 square off in Haas Pavilion tonight. Huskies' forward Quincy Pondexter has elevated his game this year, averaging over 20PPG and 8RPG. Cal's potent offense is led by diminutive point guard Jerome Randle who averages 19PPG and almost 5APG. Washington has struggled on the road this year (0-5) so the edge goes to Cal to cover the spread. 

Gonzaga (-6) over St. Mary's- One month ago, Gonzaga fought off a furious 2nd half rally by St. Mary's and held on for a seven point win in California. Since then, St. Mary's has ripped off six straight conference wins and they sit tied atop the WCC standings with the Zags. Gonzaga has risen to #11 in the national rankings, thanks in large part to the senior lead guard Matt Bouldin who has dropped 15 or more points in nine of the last ten games. The Kennel will be rowdy tonight and the Bulldogs will roll the Gaels.

Overall: 64-64-1

Last Night: 0-3

Syracuse (-11) over Connecticut- Bob Knight himself declared that Syracuse is the nation's finest team this year. They'll have a chance to show it tonight at the Carrier Dome when Connecticut comes to town. UCONN is on the ropes as we head down the stretch of the regular season. Their win over then #1 Texas is looking less impressive every time the Longhorns take the floor, and the Huskies have since suffered losses in three of four games. The Orange are bigger, more talented, boast a deeper bench, and a healthier coach, and should prove too dominant for an embattled Connecticut bunch. Kris Joseph goes for his sixth straight double-figure scoring effort coming off the bench for 'Cuse.  

Northwestern (-3.5) over Iowa- It's time to give some love to Big Ten Coach of the Year candidate Bill Carmody. He has guided his Northwestern Wildcats to a 16-7 record, and they're in position to secure an NCAA tournament bid with a strong finish. Of the seven conference games they have left, only one is against a team with a conference record over .500. The Wildcats are led by 6'8'' sophomore John Shurna. The forward averaging 17PPG and 6.7RPG has been at his best against top competition. If he continues to bring it down the stretch, Northwestern will be hard to beat. Iowa's best wins this year include a win over Prairie View A&M and South Carolina State... you get the picture.  

North Carolina (+7) over Duke- Yes, Duke is #7 (incredibly deceiving ranking), first in the ACC, and 19-4 overall. And... Yes, UNC is having its worst year in recent memory, lost to College of Charleston, and is 2nd to last in the ACC. Throw all that out the window for three reasons. 1) Since the Shelden Williams days, Duke has struggled mightily against talented big men which UNC has in Ed Davis and Deon Thompson. 2) All four of Duke's losses have been on the road... tonight's game is in Chapel Hill. 3) It's Duke/UNC and everybody knows crazy @#$% happens when these age old rivals square off.  Duke was bailed out at home last week when the officials decided dominant Georgia Tech big man Gani Lawal might prevent Duke from winning. If the zebras do the same tonight with Davis and Thompson, the results will be similar. If not, I don't see a spread greater than five.

Overall: 65-62-1
Last Night: 1-2

Michigan State (-3) over Purdue- Big 10 powerhouses meet in Lansing as #10 Michigan State tries to avoid their third straight loss against the visiting Purdue Boilermakers. The #6 Boilermakers have an experienced bunch led by junior Robbie Hummel who has been a model of consistency so far. The Spartan faithful will welcome back their team, while the team hopes to welcome back injured star guard Kalin Lucas. With Lucas on the court, MSU will win this one. Without him, Purdue wins. Prediction: Lucas guts it out and the Spartans hang on to the conference's top spot.

Tennessee (+3) over Vanderbilt- The bench on the Tennessee sideline baseline will be at full strength (minus Tyler Smith) for the first time since the New Year's Day 'hot box' fiasco. It is a crucial stretch for the Volunteers, who have a chance to really raise their tournament stock in the next two games. Their speed, athleticism, and depth will be too much for Vandy to handle tonight, as Bruce Pearl will have his boys primed to avenge the home loss from two weeks ago. The Vols must take care of their business tonight before looking ahead to Saturday's matchup in Lexington.

George Mason (+4) over Virginia Commonwealth- These Colonial rivals are both fighting to build their tournament resume, and tonight's result could determine which team will stay on the bubble. George Mason's 15-9 record is slightly deceiving. Had their one point losses to Villanova and Dayton gone the other way, the Patriots would be a near-lock for an NCAA bid. With work left to do, they must defend home court tonight against Larry Sanders and the VCU Rams. 

Overall: 64-60-1
Last Night: 0-3

West Virginia (-5) over Villanova- WVU Coliseum in Morgantown might be the toughest road game in the nation right now. Not only do visitors have to deal with the swarming defense of Bob Huggins' Mountaineers, they also hope to dodge the debris, coins, and flagrant obscenities that have become the norm at West Virginia basketball games. Led by Da'Sean Butler and his 17PPG, WVU has ripped off six wins in a row, and they'll host a Wildcat squad fresh off Saturday's beatdown at Georgetown. There will be matchup problems all over the court tonight- 'Nova has superior guard play while the strength of the Mountaineers is their super-athletic forwards Butler, Devin Ebanks, and Kevin Jones. Also, keep an eye out for Deniz Kilicli, West Virginia's new addition from Serbia. The 6'9'' Kilici has scored 14 points in the 14 minutes he has played this season.

Texas (+2.5) over Kansas- With seven players averaging over 8 PPG on a team that puts up 84 PPG, one would think the Longhorns can score at will. However, their problem of late has been finding a second go-to scorer after Damion James. Coach Rick Barnes goes with a ten player rotation, which has led to inconsistent playing time as players struggle to find a rhythm. Has the emphasis on fresh legs prevented Texas from hitting its stride with a consistent rotation? They'll have their hands full and will need all ten hitting on all cylinders to take down the nations top-ranked Kansas Jayhawks. Kansas has pushed their winning streak to eight and their record to 22-1. Texas has lost four of six, and desperatly needs to right the ship. Bouyed by a packed house tonight in Austin, the Longhorns will pull off the upset.

James Madison (-1) over Towson- Due to all the hype surrounding rivalry week and that football game, you might have missed the news about Saturday's JMU/Towson game being postponed to tonight. Lucky for you, we've got it covered. The Dukes are led by Texas A&M transfer Denzel Bowles. While the 6'10'' forward has only played in 15 of the 23 games this season, he's been dominant in those appearances averaging over 20PPG and 9RPG. Towson is last in the Colonial Athletic Conference which automatically means they are one of the worst teams in the country. Bowles dominates in a JMU victory.

Overall: 64-57-1
Saturday: 4-2

What a super Saturday we've got on tap! Twenty-one of the nations top 25 teams hit the hardwood and we're here to preview and pick the top six games to watch and tell you who you should put your money on and why. If you live in any of the eastern United States, delay as long as you can on the incumbent shoveling job hanging over your head, and treat yourself to a preview of this years top NCAA tournament contenders. Don't try to get anything productive done today in order to sit around all day tomorrow for the Super Bowl. Today's an opportunity to fully engage yourself in non-stop college hoops. After all, it's been a tough week. You deserve it. 

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Pittsburgh (+10) over West Virginia- The Mountaineers have been solid of late, ripping off four straight wins. Quite the opposite for the #21 Pittsburgh Panthers. They've dropped three of four. It seems that they don't have any consistent scorers. Who knew?! Despite their struggles, the Panthers won't go down easy as the 'Backyard Brawl' returns to Morgantown. Pitt needs this one to stay in the top five in the Big East.

Kansas (-14.5) over Colorado- Colorado may have had a chance to give the nation's top team a run tonight, but with the news reporting 'diaper dandy' Alec Burks is out with a sprained knee, any thoughts of an upset can be set aside. The 6'6'' Burks is the Buffaloes second leading scorer. Kansas has been rolling of late winning six in a row. They'll push their streak to seven tonight when they dominate Colorado at the Coors Events Center.

Arkansas (+4) over Georgia- The one thing that could get us out of our seats during this 'match up of mediocres' is a Travis Leslie UFO sighting. The Georgia guard can throw down, but his team will still go down tonight as Courtney Fortson's dreadlocks come to Athens. The Arkansas Razorbacks have notched two wins in a row, and still have a chance in the SEC. They'll take care of business against the weaker Bulldog team.

Overall: 59-53-1
Last Night: 2-1

Kentucky (-11) over Mississippi- It has been a volatile last week for the 20-1 Kentucky Wildcats. Two more violent outbursts by DeMarcus Cousins, an unhappy John Wall spouting off, and their first loss of the season. Ole' Miss comes in with five players averaging double figures in point, the only problem is, none of them are over 6'7''. Forget all the nonsense of the past seven days, the Wildcats are back at Rupp, the Cousins/Patrick Patterson combo is an unstoppable force, and Coach Calipari is one of the best in the business at handling  young, immature talent.   

Michigan State (+2) over Wisconsin- The Wisconsin Badgers will look to hand Michigan State their first loss in Big Ten play at the Kohl Center. While the Spartans haven't lost since 12/22, they haven't won a game by more than ten points in a month. Will this be the night the close calls turn against them? Not if MSU's big athletic forwards have anything to do with it. Keep an eye on the duel between two top flight guards Kalin Lucas and Trevon Hughes, both average 16 PPG.

BYU (-19) over TCU- Reigning Mountain West Conference champions BYU are on there way to another title. TCU is so bad that they give up more points per game than they score. National Player of the Year contender Jimmer Fredette has shot 48% from long range while other guard Tyler Haws has hit 41% of threes. BYU will cover and then some. 

Overall: 58-51-1
Last Night: 2-1

Louisville (-6.5) over Connecticut- Nobody has been harder to pick than UCONN this year, so we're going with the hometown Cardinals. After upsetting #1 two weeks ago, the Huskies have dropped two straight, and find themselves staring at the NCAA tournament bubble. Louisville is 11-3 at home this year, and consider this a must-win for their tournament hopes as well. They'll look to Samardo Samuels early and often.

Eastern Michigan (+13.5) over Akron- The Eagles have dropped four out of their last five contests and will be looking to rebound against the top team in the Mid-Atlantic Conference. EMU is led by versatile forward Brandon Bowdry (17PPG 10RPG)  but he could be bottled up by a trio of Akron big men. EMU is 10-10 on the year, but only two of their losses have been by double digits. The conference leading Akron Zips will defend home court, but as usual, the Eagles won't go down easy.

Oklahoma State (+2.5) over Texas- Their string of shaky performances won't get any easier tonight as the Longhorns head into Gallagher-Iba Arena to take on OK State. James Anderson has been a dynamic scorer all year long for the Cowboys and he will fill it up tonight on Big Monday. A win would most likely launch OK State into the top 25 and help forge a tournament-worthy resume. In their last three losses, The Texas Longhorns have averaged only 74PPG, 11 points fewer than their season average. Their guard play must be good for them to pull it out in a hostile environment. Expect a dandy in Stillwater. 

Overall: 56-50-1

Saturday: 2-1

Purdue (-15.5) over Penn State- Hardly anyone has played well when visiting West Lafayette this season, and today should be no different. Talor Battle and his 19PPG will lead the Nittany Lions to Mackey Arena home of the Purdue Boilermakers and their 10-1 home record. The three pronged attack of E'Twuan Moore, Robbie Hummel, and JaJuan Johnson will be far too much and Purdue will hand Penn State their 9th straight Big Ten loss.

Arizona (-3) over California- Freshman Derrick Williams is quickly becoming a star for the Wildcats. He'll look to post his fifth straight 20 point effort today when they host California. The Bears are led by scoring guard Jerome Randle who averages 19PPG. This game pits the top two teams in the embarrassingly weak Pac-10 conference which may only put two teams in the NCAA tournament. 'Zona will push there win streak to four games as they crank up their level for a postseason bid. 

Maryland (+3.5) over Clemson- This one will be more exciting than the Pro Bowl. Guaranteed. Maryland has won four straight, while Clemson has fallen into its usual mid-season slide dropping three in a row. Don't look now, but the Terps are in first place in the ACC and are playing their best ball of the season led by senior combo guard Greivis Vasquez. It pains me to champion such an arrogant prick, but the kid can flat out play averaging around 18PPG and 6APG on the year. They'll head into rowdy LittleJohn where the Clemson Tigers are 9-2. 'Terps win...Tigers continue to slide. 

Wednesday: 0-3

Overall: 53-49-1

Connecticut (-5) over Providence- UCONN has played their best ball since Coach Calhoun took his medical leave of absence recording back to back wins over St. John's and then number one Texas. He'll once again stay at home as the Huskies head to Rhode Island for tonight's matchup with Providence. The Friars won't be able to stay with hot-shooting Jerome Dyson who has 53 points in the team's last two games. Connecticut pulls away in this one.