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Old School Meets New School
Just in case the Duke Blue Devils and North Carolina Tar Heels needed any more motivation in advance of their storied rivalry this weekend, each will enter after a loss last time. Duke fell to Virginia Tech and North Carolina lost to Miami. Neither wants to wrap up the regular season with two consecutive losses and the standard bragging rights will be on the line in this gargantuan ACC matchup....
The Georgetown Hoyas’ NCAA Tournament chances went up in smoke with a horrific end to the conference season, and their regular season could wrap in a similarly fruitless fashion. Georgetown must hit the road this week to face off against the fourth-ranked Villanova Wildcats....
The Arizona Wildcats should be preparing for another deep NCAA Tournament run. Instead, they are wondering about the future of coach Sean Miller. There was an explosive allegation last week by ESPN that said Miller was implicated in a wiretap offering money to secure the services of star center DeAndre Ayton. ...
It’s been a roller coaster season for the Kentucky Wildcats, but they hope to begin postseason play on a high note. Kentucky has won three consecutive games and will aim to end the regular season in similar fashion when it hits the road to face the Florida Gators. ...
The Oklahoma Sooners finally broke out of a long skid last time out, but for pundits to believe in their ability in the NCAA Tournament, they need to string together some solid games. Oklahoma will look for another win to steady the ship when it hosts the Iowa State Cyclones in a Big 12 matchup this week that concludes the regular season. ...
After owning the Missouri Valley Conference for the past several years, the Wichita State Shockers needed a new challenge. Their move to the American has provided just that. The Shockers have lost nearly as many conference games in their first year in the AAC (3) than they did in their last four combined in the MVC (4). But one thing remains the same – the Shockers are vying for a regular season title. They can move closer to their goal with a road win over the Central Florida Knights on Thursday. ...
Among the college basketball conference tournaments few of them offer the combination of competitiveness and pressure than the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament. The University of North Carolina Wilmington’s run as back to back champions of the CAA Tourney is almost certain to end in 2018. Such dominance has been the exception rather than the rule for the CAA Tournament. In fact, the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament has posted eight different schools as winners since 2008. Along with regular season co-champs Charleston and Northeastern are top dog threats Hofstra and William and Mary. All in all, the CAA Tournament looks like one of the best for action and betting opportunities....
While most of the powerhouse conferences close the regular season out this Sunday, many conference tournaments will play out over the course of the next week. The landscape of the upcoming NCAA Tournament will start to take a more concrete shape. With that, time is running out to hit the March Madness futures odds if you haven’t already. We suggested fading a handful of teams whose odds to win it all got shorter last week. This time around, I’ll be targeting teams whose odds also got shorter at BookMaker.eu, but will be giving them the thumbs up instead....
Mississippi Rebels coach Andy Kennedy had planned on stepping down at the conclusion of the season. When things went from bad to worse, Kennedy opted for early retirement, leaving the bench with several games still remaining in the season. A long losing streak and what several players called “trust” issues with the coaching staff likely hastened the decision. Still, this is not a good basketball team and the Rebels are going to be fodder for the surging Kentucky Wildcats. ...
Few college basketball conference tournaments are as pressure packed and intense as the Horizon League. The stakes could not be higher for Horizon League teams this year as its almost certain that their only path to a March Madness Big Dance bid is through the winner of their tournament. There is no forgiveness nor margin for error for teams from the Horizon League. The regular season title gets you a top seed in the tourney and nothing more which makes for a true pressure cooker. Northern Kentucky’s four-month body of work and regular season championship in the Horizon comes down to a dangerous five days in Detroit. ...
The West Coast Conference is often derided as the, “Big Two and Little Eight” and with good reason. The Gonzaga Bulldogs and Saint Mary’s Gaels are perennial powers in college basketball and the two marquee teams of the WCC. With the exception of San Diego in 2003 and 2008 the West Coast Conference Tournament has been won by either Saint Mary’s or Gonzaga every year since 1999. Gonzaga has won five consecutive WCC Tournament titles. Handicappers looking for an alternative to the “Big Two” will be hard pressed to find a good case. Yet the possibility of an upset run by a team with a hot hand is always present come tournament time. ...
The pressure will be on full blast for mid-major college basketball programs that have no margin for error in their quest for an invite to the Big Dance. With the NCAA Tournament looming on the minds of everyone the conference tournaments begin in earnest this week. Among them is the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. Teams from leagues like the Missouri Valley face far greater pressure in their conference tournaments than the so called “power five” conferences. For mid-major teams a great performance in the regular season is basically meaningless. All that matters is the conference tournament. A great four month campaign can be washed away in just four days or less. Thus, it’s a pressure packed weekend on a high wire. ...
Surprisingly enough the one name brand league holding its tournament this week is the Big Ten Conference. Commissioner Jim Delany admits this is a gamble but likes that his league will garner the bulk of national attention for itself. The intrigue for the Big Ten Tournament is potentially large with many potential story lines. The Michigan State Spartans are a traditional power and name brand but they operate under scandal both at home and with the FBI. Few teams surprised better than the Ohio State Buckeyes did this year but can they maintain success? The Purdue Boilermakers faded badly after a hot start but are loaded and complete. Closing strong were the Michigan Wolverines yet they lack a dominant star scorer. And Beyond the top four of the Big Ten are plenty of upset candidates. ...
A recent lull has put a No. 1 seed in a bit of doubt for the Villanova Wildcats. They still seem in line for one with a strong finish and will aim to pick up a victory in the second-to-last contest of the season against the Seton Hall Pirates. ...
As good as Trae Young has been, all his points have failed to get the Oklahoma Sooners a road win in 2018. OU was a threat for the Big 12 title when league play began, now the Sooners are hoping they’ve done enough to reach the NCAA Tournament. Young tallied one of his four 40-point games earlier this season when OU knocked off the Baylor Bears in a nail-biter in Norman, now it’s time for the Bears to get some payback....
The North Carolina Tar Heels had some trouble earlier this season but are playing well as the schedule winds down. They have won six consecutive games and will be favored once again next time out when they host the Miami Hurricanes....
The Texas Longhorns are right on the bubble of the NCAA Tournament, but might be on the outside looking in if they can’t spring an upset down the stretch. Their best chance at impressing the selection committee will be by finding a way to knock off top-10 foe the Kansas Jayhawks....
The Virginia Tech Hokies already have wins over ACC powers Virginia and North Carolina this season. They would love to pull off the trifecta early next week when they host the surging Duke Blue Devils....
A recent three-game losing streak dropped the Purdue Boilermakers from atop the Big Ten standings, but the larger goal is a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. Purdue has bounced back with a pair of victories and will aim to finish the regular season on a high note with a win over the Minnesota Golden Gophers....
Late-season matchups between the Michigan State Spartans have traditionally had a on on the line, including conference championships. Michigan State has lived up to its end of the bargain again this season but Wisconsin is near the Big Ten cellar as the teams prepare to face off....
How do you go about picking winners in March Madness? Do you just pick the higher seeded teams or do you look at some statistics? The 2018 NCAA Tournament begins on Tuesday, March 13 with the First Four, and then the main action begins on Thursday, March 15 with 16 games. There are a number of things to consider when picking March Madness winners, but I want to look at just one, scoring margin....
The Syracuse Orange is right on the bubble of the NCAA Tournament, and every win down the stretch will be a huge boost. Syracuse can take a huge step toward clinching a berth with a win next time out, but it will be quite the challenge on the road against the Duke Blue Devils....
The close of the regular season is upon us. With that, teams are starting to get their ducks in a row and put their best foot forward in hopes of impressing in their conference tournaments as well as the NCAA tournament should they get the chance. It’s a chaotic time, so this week’s installment is designed to help you weed out some of the pretenders whose NCAA Tournament futures odds have recently gotten shorter at BookMaker.eu over the last week....
The Pac-12 Conference has a bunch of teams on the NCAA Tournament, and a pair of them will face off in a critical showdown this week. The UCLA Bruins will hit the road to face off with the Utah Utes as each pushes hard for a berth in March Madness....
The Rhode Island Rams are looking to put the finishing touches on a dominant conference showing as the regular season comes to a close. There are only three games left in A-10 play as Rhode Island takes aim at knocking off the Dayton Flyers next time out....
