College Basketball Predictions - Added Looks

1/6/05

UCSB at Utah State (-15, play to -16) - 6:05pm Pacific - Game #737-738

The Aggies of Utah State are not going to have to do much to turn this into a blowout. UCSB suffered yet another significant blow when senior forward Casey Cook suffered a severe ankle injury in last game at CSUN. He has been declared unlikely to return this season. Cook led the team in scoring and was second in rebounds while also being a top notch position defender. The Gauchos are now down to six scholarship players. I was at the CSUN game and they did not look very good even with Cook in, but were plain awful without him. Sophomore Glenn Turner will start in his place. Turner has good size but is inexperienced, not strong with the ball, and is very prone to foul trouble. There is now zero size off the bench. Utah State was upset in their conference opener at Idaho and should be focused enough for their first conference home game tonight. Utah State is 6-0 at home with an average winning margin of 30. Wins include Utah by 26, BYU by 14, and LMU by 45. Give the points.

Added Look: Utah State -15 1/2 UNIT

1/8/05

UAB at South Florida (+3.5) - 10:00am Pacific - Game #737-738

The Bulls were able to rally from a 10 point halftime deficit and win on the road at East Carolina on Wednesday. That was a big confidence boosting win for this team. UAB has not been very sharp lately having to come from behind to beat Southern Miss last time out. They are 2-2 in road games with both wins coming vs bad teams Marshall and South Alabama, and by narrow margins, 3 and 6 respectively. The Blazers needed a 3-pointer at the buzzer to win here last year when the talent disparity between these two was much wider. Second year USF coach McCullum is a Birmingham native which adds extra motivation.

Added Look: South Florida +3.5 1/2 UNIT

Colorado State (+9) at Air Force - 2:00pm Pacific - Game #791-792

The Rams are coming off a double digit loss at Pepperdine but had no help from the officials and had nothing go there way in that one. This is still a good basketball team. These two met last year in the MWC conference tournament and CSU emerged victorious by 13 points. Teams have not changed a whole lot since then. Air Force had won the two regular season meetings last year but CSU top player 7-0 center Nelson did not play in either game. The Rams will probably be without starting forward Williams (mild knee sprain) but they still have more big bodies inside than some NBA teams. They dominated the boards in all three meetings last year and should do so again today. Take the points in what figures to be a close game either way.

Added Look: Colorado State +9 1/2 UNIT

1/9/05

Southern Illinois at Creighton (-3) - 12:05pm Pacific - Game #525-526

It has been an up and down season for the Blue Jays but head coach Dana Altman again has his team ready to contend for a conference title. Creighton has more quality performances away from home than any team in the Missouri Valley. They own wins over Missouri and Ohio State on a neutral floor, as well as well as true road wins at Xavier and at Nebraska. They also own an in-conference road win at Drake. They are 2-1 in MVC play with the only loss coming at Evansville on a fluke buzzer beater. Evansville is still undefeated at home having blown out Northern Iowa on Friday. Creighton also beat a good Bradley team by 9 in their only other home conference game but this is easily their marquee home game of the year. Southern Illinois not only lost three starters from last year but also a top notch coach for the second time in two years. They are coming off a loss at Lafayette and before that had to struggle to hold off Drake at home. They are 1-3 in true road games this year with only win coming at Southeast Missouri State (Sagarin rank of 209). This is a big statement game for Creighton and I believe they will be successful. Give the small number.

Added Look: Creighton -3 1/2 UNIT

1/15/05

Georgetown (+7) at Villanova - 11:00am Pacific - Game #531-532

The Hoyas have been one of the biggest surprises in the country. They have won six of their last seven games with the only loss coming vs UConn. In that span they beat Clemson in Hawaii, won at Pittsburgh (Panthers 2nd loss ever at new arena), and showed character coming from behind to beat Rutgers in last game. Villanova has been hit hard by the injury bug. They first lost leading scorer and rebounder Curtis Sumpter to a sprained knee and now will be without starting center Jason Fraser for 4-6 weeks due to a hand injury suffered at Providence in last game. In that game Fraser dropped 25 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Villanova is now desperate for bodies on their frontline as they were not deep at all to begin with. Also it should be noted that Providence played without starting point guard Donny McGrath (late scratch/flu) and were still able to force overtime. The Wildcats had a major airplane scare on their way home and had a traumatic emergency landing. Take the points here.

Added Look: Georgetown +7 1/2 UNIT

Utah State at CSUN (+1) - 2:00pm Pacific - Game #685-686

This is supposed to be the year for the Matadors. They made it to the Big West conference tournament final last year and lost a close one to Pacific. All five starters returned this year and expectations were high until some disappointing non-conference performances and an opening loss in conference play. Since then CSUN has put together 5 straight wins. They should be 6-0 in conference play except for a 1 point OT loss to Fullerton that they really let slip away. They had a 10 point lead in the second half of regulation. Prior to the start of the win streak, head coach Braswell suspended senior guard Joseph Frazier indefinitely for behavior detrimental to the team. Freshman Jonathan Heard has stepped in and is playing superbly in his absence so their is no real loss there. CSUN welcomes Fox Sports West 2 to town for this game and are sure to be sky high anyway with perennial conference heavyweight Utah State paying a visit. The Aggies are 0-2 in Big West road games losing first at Idaho and then at Pacific on Thursday night in a very hard fought double overtime game that is sure to have left them weary. Road trip from Stockton to Northridge is one of the furthest in the conference and the rare early start time due to TV broadcast only adds to their woes. Expect CSUN to take this one.

Added Look: CSUN +1 1/2 UNIT

1/19/05

NC State at Virginia Tech (+5.5) - 4:00pm Pacific - Game #527-528

This is an athletic and scrappy Hokie team that is going to play hard for 40 minutes. They are undersized but make up for it with quickness. Their tallest starter, 6-9 Coleman Collins had a cyst removed from his foot and sat out two games in mid-December that were both losses. Since returning he has averaged 12.4ppg & 5.8rpg and the team has played much better. They are improving as demonstrated by 2 point win over Clemson in last game, their first ever in ACC play. This will be Tech's first meaningful home game of the season with students in session and a lively crowd is expected. NC State got a much needed win over Georgia Tech on Sunday but have just two days to travel and prepare for Tech. I do not think they are in a position to be giving points on the road. They are 1-3 in road games this year including a double digit loss to St John's and are just 1-4 in last five games overall. Point guard Tony Bethel (colitis) remains sidelined and forward Levi Watkins (flu) missed last game and may be less than 100% today. Star G/F Julius Hodge is battling through ankle & back ailments and is just 9-for-30 from the field in last three games.

Added Look: Virginia Tech +5.5 1/2 UNIT

Memphis at South Florida (pick) - 4:00pm Pacific - Game #551-552

The Bulls have proven to be more ready for C-USA play than most (myself included) thought. They rallied for a 1 point road win at East Carolina and followed that up with two narrow losses vs UAB (by 1) and at Marquette (by 2). Both games went right down to the wire. South Florida had a week off between the UAB and Marquette games and should still be relatively fresh. They return home for this game where they are 5-1 on the season. Terrance Leather (19.7ppg) and Brian Swift (14.7ppg) continue to be solid offensive options. Center Solomon Jones has 40 blocked shots on the season, and 9 in 3 conference games. The Bulls are outshooting opponents .68 percentage points for the season and .43 in conference. Those numbers are going to win more ball games that not. Memphis is just 4-6 in their last 10 games despite playing just one game away from home in the span. They are coming off a home loss to TCU which also marked the final game of the season for forward Sean Banks who later was ruled academically ineligible for the remainder of the season. Banks ranks second on the team in scoring and third in rebounding. Memphis is also without guard Jeremy Hunt who had missed several games with injury and is now out due to a suspension. The Tigers have not been right all season and now have to play on the road with a very short bench.

Added Look: South Florida pick 1/2 UNIT

Providence (+1) at Rutgers - 4:30pm Pacific - Game #565-566

The Friars may actually be better on the road than at home. They are 2-1 in road games this year and just 6-4 in home games. Last year they went 5-3 in Big East home games and an impressive 6-2 on the road. This is a key game for them as they have started Big East play at 0-3. They have lost at Boston College who is 10-0, and they led most of that game. They then lost to Villanova in OT but played without starting point guard Donny McGrath (flu/late scratch). Their third loss came on Saturday narrowly by 4 to Syracuse who is also undefeated looks to be the best team in the conference as well as one of the best in the country. I have not been very high on Rutgers all season. They are a very young team who rely on hot shooting to stay competitive in games. They have lost four straight coming into this game. These two teams are somewhat similar as both are not very strong on the interior, but Providence all-American Ryan Gomes sets the Friars apart. Rutgers won the only meeting last year hitting a 3-pointer at the buzzer for a 1 point win. Look for Providence to get a bit of revenge tonight.

Added Look: Providence +1 1/2 UNIT

Minnesota at Ohio State (-9) - 5:00pm Pacific - Game #575-576

The Buckeyes have lost three of four games but all three losses were highly contested road games vs top notch opposition at Illinois, at Wisconsin, and at LSU in double OT. They return home tonight where they are a perfect 10-0 on the season with all wins coming by double digits. This is more of a play against Minnesota who is 12-4 but only has 1 win against an RPI top 150 team (Nebraska - 140). They are now finally playing vs some real teams and away from home. The Gophers are coming off a loss at Iowa 66-60 but the game was really never in doubt as the Hawkeyes led by double digits early on and for most of the game. Minnesota is a very young team and this was their first loss six weeks. Not surprisingly it was just their second road game of the season and first in five weeks. It will be interesting to see how they respond to losing as well as their first back to back road game situation of the season. The Gophers shot a season low .333 vs Iowa and could have a tough time finding answers against a solid Ohio State team. I'm willing to give the points in this spot.

Added Look: Ohio State -9 1/2 UNIT

Arkansas at LSU (-3) - 5:00pm Pacific - Game #589-590

I am still pretty high on this LSU team. They do not seem to be getting the respect they deserve despite coming off back to back impressive wins over South Carolina by 14 and Ohio State in double OT. Prior to that they lost at Utah and at Alabama by double digits but both games were very close at half and Utah and Alabama have proven to be formidable opponents judging by their awesome performances since then. LSU beat Florida State by 17 prior to that in their first game after exam break that signaled their improved play. LSU's top six players are excellent and the bench is improving game to game. With school in session, the team coming off two nice wins and with a rival SEC team visiting, LSU should have a nice crowd for this. Arkansas is just not quite their yet. The Razorbacks padded their record with mostly a cupcake schedule early in the season but are 0-3 in SEC play and did not come close in either of their two conference road tries thus far. I believe LSU is the stronger team and I will gladly give less than 5 points with the Tigers playing at home.

Added Look: LSU -3 1/2 UNIT

1/22/05

Wisconsin at Michigan (pick) - 9:15am Pacific - Game #725-726

The Wolverines have won six of seven games and should continue to improve as they return key players from injuries. Point guard Daniel Horton returned to action five games ago after a month absence. He is instrumental to the teams success. High flying forward Brent Petway returned from a 3 game absence in last game to score 12 points and grab 7 rebounds in 22 minutes. He should be even stronger in his second game back. Center Graham Brown missed five weeks of action but returned three games ago. He has averaged 10.5ppg & 10.5rpg in last two outings. Through all of the injuries, freshman G/F Ronald Coleman emerged as a solid scoring option. He averaged just 1.3ppg in first six games of the season but 11.5ppg in last eight games. Michigan has already beaten two ranked teams this year and will not be intimidated by Wisconsin. The Badgers are 2-3 on the road this year with wins coming at Rutgers and at Purdue. They were beaten soundly in last road game at Indiana. Even at home the Badgers have not looked very strong as they beat Ohio State by just 6 and needed a miracle late comeback to beat Michigan State. Leading scorer Alando Tucker has been battling injuries which has not helped. Wisconsin has a quick turnaround following this as they host #1 Illinois on ESPN Tuesday night making this a true sandwich situation.

Michigan State (-5) at Minnesota - 1:30pm Pacific - Game #795-796

The Spartans are a well coached, ranked, solid basketball team. They have five players averaging in double figures scoring and a sixth just below at 9.7ppg. Five of the top six are upperclassmen. They should little problem winning on the road and have already performed well in two Big 10 road games this year. They won at Penn State by 26 on the road and lost a heartbreaker at Wisconsin by 3 in a game they led by 8 with under two minutes to play. They figured to have a subpar performance following that game but still managed to hold off a pesky Purdue squad last time out. They should be ready to take care of business today. MSU starter Alan Anderson (11.9ppg) is a Minnesota native and will be playing his final game here so he will have some extra incentive. Even with their upset win at Ohio State in OT on Wednesday, I still believe the Gophers are overrated. They are expected to be without starting center Jeff Hagen (knee/doubtful) for this game. Head coach Dan Monson called Hagen "so vital" to the team when discussing a previous unrelated injury to Hagen a few weeks ago. In the Gophers recent six point loss at Iowa, Hagen accounted for a team high 15 points and team high 12 rebounds plus 3 of the teams 9 assists. Versus Penn State he went for 18 points and 8 rebounds. He will be missed vs MSU who is probably the best team the Gophers have faced all year.

Duke at Florida State (+7.5) - 3:00pm Pacific - Game #799-800

The Seminoles have shown improved play for quite sometime. They lost by just 2 in OT at Maryland on December 19th and beat Florida easily on January 2nd. They just have had some hickups along the way that has tarnished their accomplishments. They lost by 2 vs Clemson and by 1 at Miami on a buzzer beater before finally getting their big win vs Wake Forest on Tuesday. FSU is getting improved backcourt play as young players continue to develop. Reserve sophomore forward Al Thorton has surprisingly blossomed into a major impact player for FSU. In three games vs Maryland, Florida, and Wake Forest, Thorton has averaged 19.6ppg and 10.6rpg. Unfortunately, he was limited by injury in the narrow losses to Clemson and Miami (combined for just 2 points in 14 minutes) or else FSU could be heading into this game on an impressive 5 game win streak. FSU has already beaten two very good teams here in Florida and Wake Forest and they beat four ranked teams last year. It was announced Friday that the game is officially a sellout, the first of the year for the Seminoles. Duke has not really been tested this year, particularly on the road, and they are not going to dominate anyone physically this year. I believe they will have their hands full tonight.

Stanford (+2) at USC - 3:00pm Pacific - Game #801-802

The Cardinal have put together a nice set of wins. Since point guard Chris Hernandez (back) returned from a one game absence they have beaten Arizona, won at Cal, and at UCLA all by double digits in impressive fashion. Hernandez was actually limited to just 24 minutes and a season low 4 points as he battled the flu and foul trouble on Thursday but Stanford still managed to beat a hot UCLA team on the road by 11. I've been impressed with recent head coach Trent Johnson interviews that I have heard and I believe he will turn into a very good hire. I am still not ready to accept USC as a favorite. The Trojans did beat Cal on Thursday but the Bears played very shorthanded as leading scorer Midgely (shoulder/neck) and key forward Dominic McGuire (violation of team rules) did not play. Cal still led by as many as 10 early on and led at half-time before USC finally went on a decisive run in the second half and drew away. The Trojans do not get much home court advantage playing at the Sports Arena. Take the points.

Arizona at Oregon State (+5) - 5:00pm Pacific - Game #835

The Beavers may have taken a bit of a step back as they adjusted to the return of all-conference forward David Lucas who missed the first 10 games of the season with a toe injury. They went through several different lineups and after starting 2-0 in Pac-10 play lost three straight on the road at Oregon, at Washington State, and at Washington. They played the WSU game without starting guard J.S. Nash (suspension) which furthered problems. They got well in a hurry on Thursday night as they returned home and demolished Arizona State by 22 points looking great on both sides of the ball. They are now a perfect 7-0 at home and appear to be going back to a lineup featuring their most experienced players. Seniors Lucas & Nash, along with juniors Stephens, Hurd, and DeWitz saw the majority of minutes vs ASU and only two others saw double digit minutes. The Beavers have won 3 of the last 6 meetings played here including a 6 point win last year so they are by no means out of their league. Arizona has won three straight since losing at Stanford but none of the games have been easy. They were surprisingly tested by both USC and UCLA in recent home games. Arizona is just 6-6 in their last 12 Pac-10 road games and have not swept a single weekend in last five tries.

Pacific (-3) at UCSB - 7:00pm Pacific - Game #869-870

The Tigers have now won 9 straight games and remain a perfect 8-0 in Big West play. They have been a very good road team in recent years. This year alone they won at Fresno State and at Nevada, two teams near the top of the WAC standings. They also were very competitive at Kansas losing by just 9. They play smart team basketball and have plenty of size and depth. UCSB continues to battle injury problems. Most recently freshman guard Derek Rasp has been sidelined with a bruised lung. The Gauchos have seven players, not seven scholarship players, just seven players period. One of them, former reserve and now starter Glenn Turner twisted an ankle in last game. He was able to return hobbled but may not be 100% tonight. UCSB has won 3 in a row impressively but two have been against bad teams (Cal Poly, UC Davis) and Thursday's win over CSUN is not enough to prove they belong here. Give the points.

Santa Clara at Pepperdine (-4.5) - 7:00pm Pacific - Game #873-874

The Waves have now lost a season high three straight games. They played well enough to win on Thursday night vs what looked like a very good St Mary's team but were one play or call away from getting over the hump. Despite an evenly played game, Pepperdine found themselves down 12 early in the second half. They fought from behind seemingly forever to finally close the margin to two points but would get no closer. CSTV announcer Matt Dougherty called it the worst officiated game he had seen all season and Pepperdine head coach Paul Westphal ended up receiving a rare technical foul at the 4:00 minute mark which put the Waves in an even deeper hole. Not what you would expect playing at home. Santa Clara was able to knock off a beat up LMU team on Thursday night but will likely find the going much tougher at Pepperdine. LMU already playing without starting point guard Brandon Worthy, had to sit starting forward Daryl Pegram (knee) for the Santa Clara game. LMU was still within 5 in the final stages. Even with two straight road wins, Santa Clara is just 3-5 on the road this year and have not swept the LA road trip since 1994 when Steve Nash played.

1/24/05

New Mexico at BYU (+1.5) - 7:00pm Pacific - Game #725-726

The Cougars may be a good value in the coming weeks, especially at home. They have battled through injuries and inexperience while playing a difficult schedule this year. They have featured 14 different starting lineups in just 19 games playing the likes of North Carolina and NC State from the ACC, St. Mary's and Santa Clara from the WCC, Utah State twice, and four Pac-10 teams. Starting forward Garner Meads returned from injury five games ago and the team appears ready to play improved basketball very soon. The Cougars have always been dynamite at the Marriott Center, and even though they are 0-2 in MWC home games thus far, both games (SDSU by 2, Air Force by 3) were very close and could have gone either way. They are ready to get over the hump tonight. New Mexico will most likely be without leading scorer & rebounder Danny Granger (knee) for the third straight game. He is by far their best player and they are a very ordinary team without him. The Lobos have only played 4 of their 19 games away from home and are 1-3 in those games with only win coming vs lowly New Mexico State. They should not be giving points in any conference game on the road without a healthy Granger.

Added Look: BYU +1.5 1/2 UNIT

11/26/05

Western Michigan at Miami, Ohio (-2) - 4:00pm Pacific - Game #729-730

Miami, Ohio is 7-0 in home games this year and I am willing to lay -2 on them at home vs any MAC team. The Redhawks have solid senior leadership in guard Chet Mason and forward Danny Horace both on and off the court. They are well coached and play smart basketball. Head coach Charlie Coles said after a win two games ago at Eastern Michigan by 10 that his team finally got the energy back that they had in impressive early season wins over Purdue and at Xavier. They followed up that win with a win over Ohio U last time out in which they went on a 22-3 run early in the second half. Western Michigan is coming off a heartbreaking one point home loss to Ball State, their first in conference. They now must try to bounce back from that playing on the road for just the third time in conference and probably their toughest MAC opponent yet. The Broncos are 2-0 in MAC road games thus far but needed a late rally to win at Northern Illinois by 3 and 9 point win at BGSU was closer than final score indicates. Western Michigan ranks high in many MAC team statistical categories but their schedule ranks 8th strongest in conference compared to Miami who has played the 4th toughest. This is Miami's biggest home game of the year and I look for them to get the job done.

Added Look: Miami, Ohio -2 1/2 UNIT

Clemson at Miami, Fla (-2.5) - 4:30pm Pacific - Game #761-762

Their has not been this much excitement about basketball in Coral Gables for quite some time. The Hurricanes had won 11 of 12 games including three straight ACC games before losing back to back games vs Duke and North Carolina. They look to get back on track tonight. This is the type of game they must win for them to keep their postseason hopes alive. First year head coach Frank Haith has this team playing very well and second year guard Guillermo Diaz has proven to be one of the leagues elite players. This team gave Duke a run for their money in last home game and will be a tough out for anyone here. Clemson has lost four straight games and will be playing their fourth road game in last five outings. They are coming off a loss at Virginia who had previously been winless in the ACC. In that game Clemson shot 30 3-point attempts and allowed UVA to shoot 57% from the field for the game. Clemson coach Oliver Purnell appears to be leaning more to younger players and building for the future at this point. Expect Miami to improve to 4-2 in ACC play.

Added Look: Miami, Fla -2.5 1/2 UNIT

Ole Miss at LSU (-6) - 5:00pm Pacific - Game #784-784

The Tigers have been playing solid basketball since New Years. Their record is only 4-3 in last seven games but the three losses have come at Utah, at Alabama, and at Kentucky. Not only are all three teams ranked, but they are a combined 30-1 at home. Meanwhile, the four wins came vs Florida State, South Carolina, Arkansas, and Ohio State, four solid teams. The Tigers have looked very comfortable at home (8-1 record) and should continue their winning ways tonight. Ole Miss is coming off two very hard fought and intense home games vs Kentucky and Alabama. Versus Kentucky they blew a 15 point lead and let the game slip away in the final minute. Versus Alabama they only committed 2 turnovers, led by 6 at half and by as many as 8 in second half but wilted down the stretch again. I really do not think this team has enough left in the tank to go out and battle for a road victory. Their only two wins in conference play have come against two of the worst SEC teams, Georgia and Auburn. Their only SEC road game vs a quality team resulted in a 23 point loss at Arkansas. Take the Tigers and give the points.

Added Look: LSU -6 1/2 UNIT

1/27/05

San Francisco at Santa Clara (-5.5) - 7:00pm Pacific - Game #541-542

Santa Clara has played exceptionally well since New Year's. After a nailbiting 4 point loss to Gonzaga they have reeled off four straight wins, all by double digits. The last three all coming on the road at St. Mary's by 23, at LMU by 11, and most recently at Pepperdine by 12. I was at the Pepperdine game and can say that they are solid in all faucets of the game. Backcourt combo of Kyle Bailey and Doron Perkins is very good. Forward Travis Niesen is a solid scoring threat around the basket. The return of center Sean Denison 3 weeks back has solidified the frontcourt. There is plenty of depth and an abundance of 3-point shooting threats. USF has won three straight games but all were at home. They now go on the road where they have struggled this year going 2-5 overall and 0-2 in WCC play. They went 0-2 on the same Los Angeles (Pepperdine, LMU) road trip that Santa Clara just swept. Santa Clara is the better team and with home court advantage should cover this number.

Added Look: Santa Clara -5.5 1/2 UNIT

UCSB at UC Riverside (-2) - 7:00pm Pacific - Game #547-548

It appeared as if UCR was done for when they lost leading scorer and rebounder Vili Morton for the season to a knee injury. Strange as it may sound, they have actually played better since the injury. The Highlanders played their best game of the season in first game without Morton, blowing out UC Irvine here by 13 in a game that was not even that close. They followed that up by beating Long Beach State for their second conference win. They then lost narrowly on the road at Idaho and as expected lost badly at Utah State. The team is playing a lot more loose now as they do not always have to be concerned with getting the ball inside which often was a tough task for them. They now return home for homecoming weekend and have another very winnable game vs a badly undermanned UCSB team. The Gauchos finally had reality set in last Saturday as they were beaten handily by Pacific. UCSB has only 7 healthy players, period, and one of them starting center Glenn Turner is limited by an ankle injury. UCSB is 1-7 in road games and 0-3 in conference road games so far this season.

Added Look: UC Riverside -2 1/2 UNIT

1/29/05

Ohio State at Northwestern (+1) - 9:15am Pacific - Game #525-526

The Wildcats had won 6 of 7 games including their Big 10 opener vs Indiana by 21 points before being hurt by injuries/suspension and having to play a brutal three game stretch at Michigan State, at Michigan, and vs #1 Illinois. They lost all three games and then a fourth straight at Penn State by 3 points but bounced back nicely in last game upsetting a ranked Iowa team in overtime. Three NW starters have missed time in recent weeks and reserve Evan Seacat also missed two games. A fourth starter, leading scorer Vedran Vukusic was narrowly able to not miss any playing time despite recent shoulder injury. He played 43 solid minutes in last game. Starting center Mike Thompson missed one game and was limited to 14 minutes off the bench in last game for reportedly missing classes. His playing time should increase Saturday which will put the Wildcats as close to full strength as they have been all season. Even with the missing players they played competitively against Illinois and Michigan. Northwestern went 6-2 in Big Ten home games last year and probably have a better team this year. They are 2-1 at home in conference play thus far with only loss vs #1 Illinois. Ohio State is struggling recently. They have lost four of their last five games and had to hold off lowly Penn State in last game winning by only 6 in Columbus. Ohio State is 0-5 in road games this year including 0-3 in Big 10 road games.

Added Look: Northwestern +1 1/2 UNIT

UCSB at Cal State Fullerton (-7) - 5:05pm Pacific - Game #639-640

Fullerton took a bit of a step back after losing senior C/F Hardy Aspirilla (knee) for the season. They lost their next three games, although two were on the road against upper division conference foes Idaho and Utah State. They returned home Thursday and won big over Cal Poly by 23 in a game that was not even that close. They are now 6-1 in home games. The Titans are for the most part going with a small lineup but they are still very talented, athletic, and can be very difficult to defend. They will be looking to avenge four straight losses to UCSB. Two years ago UCSB won two close ones, one in overtime. Last year UCSB won at Fullerton in double OT and in Santa Barbara by 33. Both are still fresh in CSUF players minds. UCSB reserve sophomore David Kennedy played on Thursday for the first time in several weeks giving the Gauchos 8 healthy bodies. He is really a non-factor as he played just seven minutes and did not attempt a shot. UCSB managed only 50 points against Riverside and were outrebounded by 20. I do not believe oddsmakers realize just how undermanned this team really is. Give the points.

Added Look: Cal State Fullerton -7 1/2 UNIT