December 2000 CBB Plays

December 30 Sheet

UCLA (+9.5) at Purdue - 9:00am Pacific
The Bruins are off to a very disappointing 4-4 start and there is not another team in the
country with more of a sense of urgency. With the Pac-10 as tough as it is this year,
quality non-conference wins like this one will be a premium come postseason selection
time. Anyway you look at it, the Bruins need every win they can get right now. Despite
looking very bad at times this year, UCLA has also shown clear signs of their class.
They lost by just one point to Kansas and beat Kentucky in their first two games. Even
more impressive in my opinion was their passionate comeback from a 19 point deficit to
North Carolina last Saturday that saw them take a 2 point lead w/ 7:25 left in the game.
They still ended up losing to the Tar Heels, but there is no shame in that and they were
up against it with starting center Dan Gadzuric limited with an injury on his shooting
hand. Gadzuric did not start and finished 2-for-10 in just 27 minutes, but will return to the
starting lineup today. An editorial in the LA Times this week openly criticized Bruins
head coach Steve Lavin. Lavin earlier in the season had predicted that his team would
show much improvement in December, so it is time to put up or shut up. He should be
even more fired up for this game as he visits here for the first time since working under
Purdue head coach Gene Keady as a graduate assistant. Purdue has won seven straight
games, all vs cupcakes and all at home, by an average margin of 31 points. Their lone
quality win came earlier in the year over a very weary Arizona team who had just
returned from Maui. Their only other two games were a one point loss to Central
Michigan and blow out loss at Virginia. The Boilermakers lost 4 senior starters from last
years team, including top three scorers and top four rebounders. I find it very hard not to believe that Purdue is an overrated team right now. With winter break in progress and
most diehard Boilermaker fans in Pasadena for the Rose Bowl, there will not be as big of
a home court advantage today as usual. UCLA has played their two best games of the
season away from Pauley Pavilion and another road trip could be just what they need to
get back on track. I see the Bruins with a great shot at an outright win here. With that in
mind I will gladly take the generous points.  UCLA  1 UNIT

Oregon (+1) at Louisville - 4:00pm Pacific
I still am very high on this Oregon team. I cannot figure out how they blew the Auburn
game in overtime as they led by double digits in the second half and seemed to be the
superior team throughout. They rebounded from that loss with two straight wins
becoming only the fifth team in five years to win on Northern Arizona's home court and
then knocking off South Carolina State by 22 in a nice tune up for this game last time out.  They are now 8-1 on the season. They rarely get to play away from the West coast so this will be a great opportunity for the team to gain some much deserved respect and
exposure. It will also be the closest thing to a homecoming for leading scorer and
rebounder Bryan Bracey who hails from the Midwest and will have 20+ friends and
family in attendance. Bracey is having a breakout season in his first year as a starter
averaging an impressive 19.8ppg & 7.9rpg. As discussed further in past analysis the
Ducks possess all necessary ingredients for success. On the other hand, Louisville is
really struggling right now as they are starting two freshman in an all new frontcourt.
Even their heralded backcourt is not getting it done as the two starting guards combined
have just as many turnovers as assists. The Cardinals come into this game at 4-7 and did
not put up much of a fight in recent home losses to Georgetown by 7 & to Dayton by 23
in last game. I believe Oregon is at least the same caliber as those two teams. I respect
Denny Crum and I know eventually he will have this team playing better but they are just running into a buzzsaw here vs Oregon. Tonight will not be the night the Cardinals get back on track. Head coach Ernie Kent is doing a fabulous job with this team and they are loaded with talent. Ducks give indication of things to come with quality road win here.  Oregon  1 UNIT 

South Carolina (+6) at Providence - 4:30pm Pacific
The Gamecocks are another unheralded team that I am very high on right now. They
return four starters and 10 of top 12 players from a solid team last year. Sophomore
Chuck Eidson is a do everything small forward that is one of the SEC's better all around
players. He is a son of a coach so he always plays smart and comes into this game
averaging 11.1ppg, 5.7rpg, 3.1apg, and 1.8spg. Fellow sophomores 6-10/260 Tony
Kitchings (10.8ppg, 6.5rpg, 1.7 blocks) & 6-10/250 Marius Petravicius (8.4ppg, 4.9rpg)
provide a powerful 1-2 punch on the blocks. Junior Aaron Lucas is now a three year
starter at point guard and is off to a solid start with 10.9ppg & 4.4apg. Shooting guard
Jamel Bradley already has 24 three pointers this year and joins the list of double figure
scorers at 10.3ppg. In addition, two key players joined the Gamecocks lineup three
games ago. Well regarded sophomore Travis Kraft (3.3ppg in injury plagued freshman
season last year) returned from a preseason injury and McDonalds high school
All-American Rolando Howell returned from a 7 game suspension. Of the two, Howell
has made more of an immediate impact averaging 6.7ppg and a team high 7.7rpg. South
Carolina now has 11 players averaging double digits in minutes and 9 different players
have scored in double figures at least once. Since becoming full strength, the Gamecocks have not been beaten and have won 5 in a row overall including double digit wins over Clemson and Wyoming. I am still not a believer in Providence. They have two seemingly good looking road wins over UMass and George Washington that give them an inflated power rating. However, when taking a closer look UMass is clearly a team that is struggling having lost 8 out of 9 games and after today GW has lost 5 straight games themselves. Gamecocks should be able come up with an outright win here. Take the points. South Carolinia  1 UNIT

December 29 Sheet

Detroit vs George Washington (+1) - 3:30pm Pacific - Rainbow Classic
I really do not like to play consolation round games but this appears to be a good spot for the Colonials. As mentioned in yesterday's e-mail the long awaited debut of forward Atila Cosby came last night. Cosby started the game and was limited to just 18 minutes with foul trouble but still managed 12 points and 3 rebounds. He should be even more of a force today vs the smaller Titans. Last night, GW gave #4 Tennessee all it could handle as they led 64-57 with 12 minutes left before succumbing to a 20-4 Tennessee run that was aided by two technical fouls. For the game the Vols shot 60 free throws compared to GW's 27! It appears that the Colonials came here focused and they still should be fresh as yesterday was their first game in 16 days. Detroit comes into this game at 8-3 but with very few quality wins. Their top two leading scorers have both been nicked up and have missed games recently. They run everything through star guard Rashad Phillips (21.0ppg) but I believe speedy GW guard Bernard Barrow matches up well and should be able to make things difficult for him. With Cosby now in the lineup, I see George Washington having a clear talent edge here. Detroit simply will not have the offensive firepower to keep up. Expect a Colonials win.  George Washington  1 UNIT

December 28 Sheet

UL-Lafayette vs Miss State (-2.5) - 3:15pm Pacific - Tucson, AZ
I have been high on this Bulldogs team since the start of the year and I fully expect them to be ready to go here. They have won 6 out of 7 games vs mostly cupcake opponents since their overtime loss at Cal to start the season and this game along with their second round matchup will be their final two contests before SEC conference play begins. There should be a sense of urgency here. Miss State is not only very good, but very deep as well with 10 players averaging double digit minutes and 6 players averaging 8 points a game or better. They are led inside by Robert Jackson (15.1ppg, 10.6rpg) who leads the SEC in rebounding and is a double double machine. He is joined by 6-9, 260 McDonalds All-American freshman Mario Austin inside. Senior Tang Hamilton, a 3 year starter rounds out the starting frontcourt. The Bulldogs rank third in the nation with a +14.9 per game rebounding margin. This does not bode well for Lafayette who was outrebounded 46-30, including 22-4 on the offensive end by South Alabama in their last game. Additionally, Miss State is one of the better 3-point shooting teams in the country with 6 players shooting 40% or better on the season. The Ragin Cajuns have struggled to a 4-3 record so far. In their last game they surprisingly beat Sun Belt conference favorite South Alabama on the road as the Jags were battling injuries and shot just 28% for the game. Nonetheless, it was a huge win for Lafayette and they could easily have a letdown here. They are amidst a tough stretch of their schedule here as they go in and out of conference play and travel to the west coast and back twice. They have not played a game at home since November 25 and will not again until January 3. Bulldogs will be fresh after a 10 day hiatus and focused with SEC conference play right around the corner. They will not over look Lafayette having lost to them once in 1998. Mississippi State  1 UNIT

December 23 Sheet

SW Missouri State at St. Louis (-9) - 11:00am Pacific
This will be a get well game for the Billikens. They followed up a solid road win at Washington 2 1/2 weeks ago with an impressive showing at Missouri next time out. They led the Tigers for almost every part of the first 38 minutes, including a 69-61 lead with 4:14 left, but succumbed to a 16-4 run to end the game and lost a 4 point heartbreaker. They then hosted Dayton immediately following their final exams and played far from their best but still held a 12 point second half lead but again let it slip away in another narrow loss. Last time out they had nothing go right visiting Depaul. They shot just 27% for the game despite getting several good looks and ended up getting blown out by 25. They get a perfect opponent today to rebound and take out their recent frustrations on. SWMS so far has struggled to a 4-3 record that includes a loss to SE Missouri State. The Bears are in a major rebuilding mode after losing 4 starters and 8 players in all from last years team. They are very youthful and head coach Hinson has predicted they would not fix all of their problems until late January. St. Louis is a team that thrives on playing good defense (allowing opponents only .376 FG shooting) and on playing at home (4-1 this year, 93-22 last 115, 39-6 vs non-conference). Both should be major factors today. The Billikens have a very steady all-senior starting frontcourt and a sophomore backcourt that will be special someday. Sophomore Marque Perry surprisingly only averages 11.3ppg but is a natrual leader that makes everything go for this team. He has tremendous quickness and ball handling skills that make him unguardable at times. Fellow sophomore Josh Fisher has taken over the other starting guard spot after coming off the bench earlier in the season. He has looked good with 6.2ppg and a team high 30 assists in only 22.8mpg. The Billikens have 5 players that have reached double figures in assists and as a team impressively average 5 more assists per game than their opponents. Lorenzo Romar is one of the better young coaches in the country and 9 players are averaging double digit minutes so depth is not an issue. In four home wins this season, St. Louis has an average margin of victory of 25 points, so there will be little chance of a letup, particularly vs instate rival. Look for Billikens to coast to a double digit victory here. St. Louis  1 UNIT

December 22 Sheet

Texas A&M (+7) at Long Beach State - 7:30pm Pacific
The Aggies have had far from an auspicious beginning to their season. They have been plagued by injuries and lack of chemistry. They are off to a 3-4 start that includes a home loss to Birmingham Southern that coach Melvin Watkins called the worst loss of his career. Two games the later the team fought valiantly in a heartbreaking one point overtime loss at VCU. Most recently they played respectably in a 20 point loss to North Carolina. There is still tremendous upside to this team. Freshman forward Nick Anderson (7.4ppg, 6.1rpg) is a Parade HS All-American. He has started every game and is getting better each time out. He was limited to just 11 minutes and 0 points with because of foul trouble against the Tar Heels in last game. Guards Bernard King (18.0ppg, 4.0rpg, 4.4apg, 27.5ppg last 2) and Jamaal Gilchrist (8.3ppg, 2.7apg) form one of the best all sophomore backcourts in the country and have started 34 of 35 games together. Sophomore forward Keith Bean is a transfer from NC State and after a slow start is starting to come on averaging 10.0ppg and 4.5rpg last 4 games. This will be a homecoming for Bean who hails from Southern California and is a cousin of LB State starting center Travis Reed. Senior wing Carlton Brown is having a breakthrough season with 14.9ppg & a team leading 7.6rpg after transferring from JC two years ago. Even more impressive is his 18.9ppg & 11.3rpg averages in last 3 games. Senior forward Aaron Jack (6.3ppg, 7.3rpg) an honorable mention Big 12 selection last year is also back. He suffered an ankle injury vs UNC but returned to practice on Tuesday and should play. The Aggies will also get back the services of sophomore guard Larry Scott (6.8ppg as a freshman last year) today who has missed 4 straight games. Further bolstering their roster is the late addition of freshman Jesse King, an all state pick in Michigan who was mentioned in the same breath as NBA guard Steve Smith by one publication. He started practicing with the team on Sunday and is expected to provide an immediate lift. A&M has been off for 13 days which may just be what they needed. Melvin Watkins in his second year here reports that his team has healed injuries, had some good practices, and are eager to get back on the court. I really do not think Long Beach State should be giving 6 points to anyone. The 49ers beat LMU 57-54 in their last game. They were outrebounded 41-29 by the Lions and would not have won the game if not for LMU committing 18 first half turnovers and falling behind by double digits early. They now have a -0.5 rebounding margin for the season and are allowing opponents to shoot 49.8% from the field. A&M has a +6.7 rebounding margin and holds opponents to just 43.4% shooting. The 49ers were dealt a blow when it was announced 3 weeks ago that senior forward James Williams would take a medical redshirt after playing in just 6 games. Williams was the teams second leading returning scorer and one of their best all around players. They are now basically left with an 8 man rotation. In their last home game vs a comparable opponent, the 49ers were blown out by 19 vs Pepperdine. I expect the Aggies to play well here and give them a great chance at an outright win. Texas A&M  2 UNITS

Decemeber 21 Sheet

Georgia vs California (-2.5) - 8:30pm Pacific - Oakland, CA
I really feel the Bears are one of the most better than looked teams in the country right now. They suffered a disappointing loss at Texas in the second round of the preseason NIT in a game I really felt they should have won. Following that game they did not play again for 14 days and then suffered back to back road losses at St. Louis and at UC Irvine. Both games were tough losses, even the 20 point loss to the Billikens was much closer than the score indicated. The Bears have since rebounded by winning three straight games by margins of 8, 12, and 24 and are now playing their best basketball of the season. As reported earlier in the season, this is a team that really came together over the summer and with every single player back from last year they will not be satisfied with anything other than an NCAA tournament birth this year. In order to reach that goal they need every quality non-conference win they can get and they will not get a much better opportunity than this. This game is essentially a home game for the Bears as they have a 17-3 all time record at Oakland Arena. The Bears have great depth, one of the best head coaches in the West in Ben Braun, and a star quality leader in senior Sean Lampley (16.0ppg, 7.4rpg). Georgia coach Jim Harrick is being criticized of over scheduling this year. The Bulldogs have already played at Minnesota, three games in the Puerto Rico shootout, and vs three different ACC teams, none of which were played in Athens. They most recently were blown out by Wake Forest on Saturday. They now must travel across the country and I do not see them being able to match the intensity level of Cal here. This is significant because Georgia is the type of team that really needs to be up for a game in order to play well. Also, they are so far 0-2 in true road games this year. The Bears are 4-0 at home and 4-0 in games that they commit less turnovers than their opponents. Look for them to extend both streaks tonight. California   1 UNIT

December 20 Sheet

Nebraska (+1.5) vs Iona - 12:15pm Pacific
Both the players and fans close to the program have indicated that this years team under new head coach Barry Collier is night and day from the recent teams under unpopular coach Danny Nee. This years team is playing much more together and with a renewed spirit. After coming out flat in a home loss to Missouri-KC in their own tournament, the Cornhuskers rebounded with their best performance of the season last time out beating Miami, Fla by 8 points on the road. That win snapped a 14 game road losing streak that dated back to last year and made up for two heartbreaking road losses earlier in the season. A big reason for the improvement in the last game was the return of point guard Kevin Augustine who was finally healthy enough to get significant action. Augustine, a transfer from USC, had only played once for 5 minutes prior to last game due to groin and back injuries. Against Miami, Fla he played 29 minutes, including almost the entire second half, scoring 12 points and dishing out 4 assists. His presence at the point was badly needed and I expect the team to continue to show improvement from this point on. The Huskers are already formidable on the interior with 6-11 senior Kimani Ffriend (16.0ppg, 6.5rpg, 3.6 blocks per game, #7 in nation) and 6-6 senior Steffon Bradford (15.1ppg, 10.4rpg). Senior G/F Cookie Belcher (18.6ppg, 4.1rpg, 4.6apg, 2.7 steals per game) is of the best defensive players in the country and is back healthy after a medical redshirt last year. He has looked great. Iona has lost their only two games vs recognizable opponents this year. They have reportedly looked very lackluster in their last three games. Their leading scorer 6-10 Nakiea Miller (17.0ppg, 10.3rpg) suffered a wrist injury two games back and last time out had only 9 points in 22 minutes, both season lows. He should be very limited by the presence of Nebraska's Ffriend inside. Nebraska is shooting 52.5% from the field while allowing just 41.1%. I like what I see from this team and I look for them to build off the Miami, Fla win with another nice victory here. Nebraska  1 UNIT

December 19 Sheet

Utah (+4) at Pepperdine - 7:00pm Pacific
When the Utes were voted into the preseason top 25 this year coaches were quick to warn that it would take some time for this team to come together. Utah has been a notorious slow starting team even in normal years. This year they had to replace 4 starters. Two players are returning from 2 year church missions and four others are in their first year with the team. That is the bad news. The good news is that the team has an abundance of talent. Their is a great deal of size up front with the lone returning starter senior Nate Altoff at 6-11, 260, junior Phil Cullen made his first start of the season in last game scoring a career high 21 points and is shooting 48% from 3 point range, checks in at 6-9, 215, and Duke transfer Chris Burgess leads the team in rebounding at 6-9, 245. Former Mcdonalds All-American Britton Johnson played on the Utes final four team 3 seasons ago and is starting to round into form after 2 year mission. JC transfer Kevin Bradley and former Georgia Tech starter Travis Spivey are very capable guards. Utah had to play 8 games in a 17 day span and ended up losing the final three games by a combined 8 points. They were within 5 points of #15 USC in Anaheim and lost by just a point in a very tough road environment at Utah State so they are adequately road tested. They got a seven day break and responded with their best showing of the season, an 87-63 blow out win over Washington State on Saturday that was never close. This is the time of year the Utah traditonally starts a prolonged winning streak and their upcoming schedule should give them that opportunity again. This is far from the same Pepperdine team that ran teams out of the gym last year. None of the Waves 7 newcomers has proved to be an impact player. Junior guard Craig Lewis has missed the last 4 games with an ankle injury and is listed as questionable tonight. He is the teams third leading scorer and one of their best 3-point shooters. Pepperdine has won three out of four games in his absence but struggled to beat both San Jose State and most recently Northwestern by just 2 points and both games were at home. I look for the Utes to build off of their last win and post a mild upset here. Take the points. Utah  1 UNIT

Decmber 16 Sheet

Oregon (-2.5) vs Auburn - 6:30pm Pacific - Las Vegas, NV
It is getting harder and harder not to love this Ducks team. Last year they finished 22-8 and were shipped out East where they lost a heartbreaker in round one of the NCAA tournament to a Seton Hall team that went on to the sweet 16. They lose three seniors from that team but this year could end up being even better. In a half-time interview two weeks ago head coach Ernie Kent stated that this years team is ahead of last years at this point in the year which really caught my attention. They are off to a perfect 6-0 start, their best in 26 years. Senior forward Bryan Bracey has thrived in his second year here and first as a starter averaging a team leading 17.8ppg & 7.8rpg. He is an emerging star. Junior guard Freddy Jones is one of my favorite players in the nation and is becoming one of the teams leaders this year averaging 17.3ppg, 6.5rpg, and 3.0apg! He is a real player. Other returnees junior G/F Anthony Norwood (14.3ppg) and senior F/C Julius Hicks (7.3ppg, 6.2rpg, 1.9 blocks per game) are both also off to strong starts with their increased playing time. Freshman point guard Luke Ridnour was both a Parade & McDonalds All-American last year and has been in the starting lineup since day one. He is a talented playmaker. Another freshman, Luke Jackson, is averaging 8.6ppg while averaging just 13.6 minutes of action. Senior center Flo Hartenstein, a starter last year, is seeing more and more minutes off the bench in each game as he recovers from a preseason injury. Several other players have seen action and contributed. The team has exhibited great teamwork as 56% of all field goals have come assisted. They lead the Pac-10 in both scoring and field goal percentage. The Ducks own a 15 point win over UMass as well as a 9 point road win at Denver who just beat Oregon State this week. In their last game, Oregon came off of a 10 day exam break to paste Illinois Chicago by 23 points. Ernie Kent stated that he expected big things once the team got past finals. Auburn has struggled to achieve a 7-3 record vs a very suspect schedule. They only have played three games away from home and those were in a tournament on a neutral floor. Their lone quality wins, if any, came vs Providence (Friars were without point guard Linehan and center Shabazz) and vs Detroit (by 3 in Birmingham). Their three losses were to Mercer at home, Toledo, and South Alabama again at home. Making things worse was the loss of team leading scorer and rebounder senior Mack McGadney for the season with a torn ACL three games back. The Tigers were already thin up front and all three remaining players over 6-6 are true freshmen. The Tigers are already missing 4 key seniors from last years team so they are now left with a young and inexperienced team that lacks leadership. Five of top seven remaining scorers are in their first year with the team. It could be some time before they find themselves. Look for the Ducks to finally get some notice and respect after a comfortable win here. Oregon  2 UNITS

Arizona State at San Diego State (+4) - 7:00pm Pacific
When ex-Michigan head coach Steve Fisher took over here last season, we immediately took notice. In his first year the Aztecs were horrible losing their last 17 games on their way to a 5-23 season. Only 4 players return from that team and through 7 games this season SDSU is the most improved team in the country according to the Sagarin ratings. After starting 4-1, with their only loss being at Fresno State by 8 points, the Aztecs have lost two heartbreakers in a row. First losing in overtime at UCSB to a Gauchos team that lost at UCLA by just 6 and vs USC by only 2 in their last game. Then a week ago the Aztecs led by as many as 10 and had the ball down by 1 with 10 seconds left but turned the ball over and lost to San Diego. The Toreros won 20 games last season, return all 5 starters, are one of the favorites to win the WCC, and are already 7-1 this year. Therefore, clearly SDSU has not had a single poor performance this year and do own a double digit quality win over New Mexico State as well. The Aztecs are off to their best start in four years and were cheered on by the 2nd largest crowd in Cox Arena history last game. With a big name Pac-10 foe coming to town on a Saturday night a similar turn out is expected. Three notable newcomers have greatly contributed to the teams improvement and newfound success. JC transfer forward Randy Holcomb originally signed with Fresno State two years ago, honed his skills at LA City College last year, and is now leading SDSU in scoring with 15.6ppg. He was ranked #2 JC power forward in the country by The Sporting News. Sophomore guard Deandre Moore has brought stability to the point guard spot. Moore is a transfer from Vanderbilt where he received some starting experience as a freshman. He is leading the Aztecs in minutes played while dishing out an impressive 6.4 assists per game. Finally, a late addition to the team was JC transfer Al Faux who coaches intended to take the game winning shot vs San Diego. Faux is third on the team in scoring while only playing 21 minutes per game so far. He made his first start of the season in last game and has scored in double figures three straight. Holdovers 6-10 senior center Marcelo Correa (2.2 blocks per game) and junior forward Myron Epps (2nd on team in scoring) both averaged double figures last year and bring solid experience. Three other plays are averaging double digit minutes so depth is not a problem. Arizona State comes into this game off of a 14 day layoff due to final exams. They are sure to show some rust here. This will also be their first "true" road game of the season. The Sun Devils will be a solid team this year but they are certainly no world beaters. Their strength so far has been solid defense as they have held opponents to just 35.8% shooting, but SDSU has done even better holding opponents to 35.7% shooting! Arizona Tribune reported on Thursday that Sun Devil starting forwards Prewitt and Storey both suffered injuries in practice and are listed as "day to day". Even if they are 100%, I like the Aztecs to get a big win straight up here. Take the points.  San Diego State  2 UNITS

Cincinnati at UNLV (pick) - 9:00pm Pacific
It's been a rough week for the Rebels as they were hit with probation and then fired well liked head coach Billy Bayno. However, they still have a lot to play for tonight. Firstly, the team badly wants to reverse the negative image that has been inflicted on the program. Secondly, they know they are a better team than what their 3-4 record indicates. Lastly, for the first time all year they get a big name opponent on their home floor and in front of a national television audience. But not just any team, they get a nationally ranked Cincinnati team that beat them by 40 points last year and that is coming off an a tough emotional home loss late Thursday night to instate rival Xavier. UNLV is appealing their postseason ban, and appear to have a decent argument, so not all hope is lost for this season. As much as we liked Bayno, it seems that every new coach has success out of the gate. Despite 3 straight subpar games, star senior center Kaspars Kambala is still averaging 18.9ppg and 10.3rpg. I am expecting a strong showing from him tonight. Sophomore forward Dalron Johnson continues to impress with 12.7ppg, 7.9rpg, and 3.0 blocks per game. JC transfer Jermaine Lewis has provided instant offense off the bench with 14.3ppg, scoring double figures in 6 straight games. Bayno called him the best shooter he has ever coached and he meant it. UNLV finally welcomes back junior forward Chris Richardson from suspension today and highly touted G/F Lou Kelly is two weeks ahead of schedule and will also be available tonight for the first time this year. Kelly has never played a game at Thomas & Mack center. Backup point guard Jevon Banks missed the last game and a half with an ankle injury and will also be available tonight giving the Rebels a full complement of players for the first time all season. The Bearcats have not been very impressive all year. Coming off a tough loss and traveling to the West coast with one day in-between games will be difficult to say the least. They may just be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Rebels get a much needed and much deserved win. UNLV  1 UNIT 

Decmber 9 Sheet

Fordham (+6.5) vs St. John's - 11:30am Pacific
Look out for this Fordham team. They are 4-1 coming into this game and have only played one game on their homecourt so far. Their only loss came in their season opener to Charlotte who clearly has established themselves as a top 25 team this year. Two games ago the Rams added 6-8/250 freshman Jeff McMillian to their lineup after he sat out the first three games because of suspension. He was voted preseason A-10 newcomer of the year and has looked great so far. He scored 16 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in his debut a win over South Florida. He joins an already improved frontcourt that includes Duke Forman-Kelly who is averaging 16.6ppg and 10.6rpg so far. The backcourt consists of two seniors that have been here forever in Bevon Robin (20.0ppg) and Jason Harris (13.4ppg). This team can play and they are very well coached by former San Antonio Spurs coach Bob Hill. They would like nothing more than to upset crosstown rival St. John's here. It could do wonders for their program. The Red Storm meanwhile are still ripe for the taking. We went against them last week with success and at this point in the season still feel comfortable doing it, especially when getting points. Fordham  1 UNIT

Texas at South Florida (-3) - 4:00pm Pacific
Don't let the slow start fool you. This is an immensely deep, athletic, and talented South Florida team. They literally can go 12 deep and 10 through 12 are just as good as 5 through 9. They are a veteran team with four seniors and four juniors. Active senior forward Arthur Reeves has returned to the rotation after being suspended for the first three games of the season and only playing one minute in the fourth. He has averaged 9.0ppg and 7.0ppg in last two games giving the team a big lift. This is a big game for USF's NCAA tournament hopes and they have lacked quality wins in recent years. This will probably end up being Seth Greenbergs best team in his five years here, so it is now or never. They already own a quality double digit win over GW and last time out led Florida State by 30 while playing the first half without leading scorer Altron Jackson. The Bulls are so much more of an effective team when they are playing with intensity and with an espn 2 national television audience, that should be the case for 40 minutes tonight. We went against Texas willingly in the preseason NIT tournament and they have not done much to change our opinion of them since. The Longhorns have only played two cupcakes in the past 15 days and are still without senior guard Darren Kelly, their leading returning scorer from last year. Bulls get a big win tonight. South Florida  1 UNIT

Richmond at George Washington (-2.5) - 4:30pm Pacific
I couldn't have been much happier from what I saw from GW last weekend. They led St. John's by double digits throughout and then tested Maryland for much of the way before losing by 8. I would not be surprised at all to see the Colonials go undefeated at home this year. They have two 20+ point per game scorers, they get solid point guard play, and have enough depth and muscle inside to rebound and defend effectively. They are also very well coached by Tommy Penders. Most teams cannot keep up with their uptempo style and I believe Richmond will be one of them. By having this line at -2.5 on GW's home court, the linemakers are saying that Richmond is the better team here. I just do not buy that. The Spiders have only one quality win and that was at Mississippi State two games ago. The Bulldogs are known for throwing in clunkers every year and they were also almost beaten by Louisiana Tech in their very next game. I watched Richmond lose by 8 at home to Wake Forest early in the season and I just do not believe they are the type of team capable of a road win here. Colonials improve to 6-2. George Washington  1 UNIT

December 7 Sheet

Providence at UMass (-4.5) - 4:00pm Pacific
Some influential parties intervened in the offseason to make sure that head coach Bruiser Flint got at least one more chance with this team. So far things are not going as well as planned as the Minutemen have lost three straight games including an embarrassing loss at Holy Cross. This is absolutely a must win game as the team travels to Ohio State on Sunday and then faces Connecticut so a 6 game losing streak would be possible with a loss here. The good news is that UMass returns home for the first time in 3 weeks and they have a lot of talent. After the Holy Cross loss, the team had a players only meeting and they came back to play well at Oregon but ran into a buzzaw in the Ducks who are now a perfect 5-0 on the season. UMass hung tough for most of the game but shot themselves in the foot with back to back intentional and technical foul calls in the second half. Still, the game was much close than the final score indicated. Few teams have a better four man frontcourt rotation than UMass with 6-10 senior Kitwana Rymher (5.3ppg, 3.0rpg, 1.3bpg), 6-11 sophomore Micah Brand (career high 19 points, 9 rebounds vs Oregon in last game), 6-8 JC transfer Jackie Rogers (8.0ppg), and 6-8 forward Eric Williams (6.5ppg, 5.3rpg) a good looking transfer from Syracuse. All four average 15 + minutes per game and each has scored in double figures at least once this year. The backcourt is manned by first team A-10 performer Monty Mack (18.3ppg through 3 games) who is expected to break the school's all time made 3-point shots record tonight and junior Shannon Crooks averaging who is averaging 14.0ppg. 5-9 senior Jonathan Depina provides a nice spark off the bench with 7.8ppg and a team leading 3.8apg. All in all this is a solid team and should be formidable playing at home. Providence is coming off a big win over lowly Providence in which they got back 7-2 center Shabazz and senior point guard Linehan from injuries. Both are still playing less than 100% and only saw 27 and 18 minutes of action respectively. An offseason incident led to the dismissal of 3 three key Friar players from last year and 5 of the top 11 scorers and rebounders from last year are gone in all. Providence is only 4-3 having losses to Maine by 9, and both Auburn & Creighton by double digits. The Friars are simply not a very good team. They have zero quality wins and this will be their first "true" road game of the season. UMass will be attempting to avenge three straight losses to the Friars including a heartbreaking 1 point overtime loss at Providence last season. However, only three Providence players that scored in that game are still on their roster and this will be the first time PC visits "The Cage" since 1980. The Minuteman have only shown two weaknesses this year, lack of rebounding (-11.0 per game) and poor free throw shooting (58.6%). Returning home vs a beatable opponent, they should improve in both categories dramatically. Expect big things from the Minutemen tonight. UMass  1 UNIT

December 6 Sheet

Pittsburgh (+9) at Penn State - 4:30pm Pacific
This is a very interesting Pitt team. Coach Ben Howland of Northern Arizona fame is now in his second year here. Last year they gave many good teams fits and actually won three of their last four regular season games (two of which were on the road) with basically only 6 players. This year four of them are back and they are joined by an impressive list of additions. The most notable returnee is senior F/G Ricardo Greer who did everything for the Panthers last year (18.1ppg, 9.8rpg, 3.2apg). He can score from anywhere. Sophomore point guard Brandin Knight (brother of Brevin) came on strong at the end of last year after being pressed into duty as a freshman. He is averaging 6.6ppg and 6.2apg so far. 6-9 junior center Chris Seabrooks was a warrior last year as he defended and rebounded the post practically all by himself. He will get help this year from the return of 6-8 power forward Isaac Hawkins who was a preseason Big East selection last year before fracturing his fibula and missing the season. He already looks like his oldself and is just shy of averaging a double double through 5 games. The Panthers also add G/F Zelimer Stevanovic (8.0ppg, 2.4rpg) who led all JC players in scoring last year, G/F Chad Johnson (7.0ppg, 2.8rpg) a transfer from Nebraska that was able to practice with the team last year, and freshman guard Julius Page (11.0ppg, 2.6rpg) who has received rave reviews. Nine players in all have averaged double digit minutes, a far cry from last season. After facing four cupcake opponents Pitt was tested for a little class last time out vs a tough and underrated Nebraska team. The Cornhuskers could be one of the better defensive teams in the country. Pitt was a little tentative but came out of it victorious by 1 point and is now 5-0 on the year. Unlike last season, the Panthers have already shown the ability to win close games which coach Howland believes is significant. I am still trying to figure out how this Penn State team was able to win at Kentucky. The Nittany Lions have shot 38% vs Kentucky, 35% vs NC State, and 32% vs Penn in consecutive games. They were beaten soundly by an undermanned Wolfpack team that just last night only beat UNC Greensboro by 1 point. Penn State was then all out to beat a winless Penn team by 10 in their last game. They really have no inside presence after losing team leading scorer and rebounder Jarett Stephens from last year. PSU leading scorer guard Joe Crispin will probably be matched up with the above mentioned Brandin Knight who is very athletic and a terrific defender. After averaging 2.8 steals per game last year, Knight has 10 steals this year to go along with 8 blocks which is amazing for a guard. These bitter instate rivals have not met in basketball since 1992. Expect this to at least be a very tight game. Take the big number. Pittsburgh  1 UNIT

December 5 Sheet

St Louis at Washington (+1.5) - 8:00pm Pacific
The Huskies have covered three straight games against the spread but fortunately for us still are a good value tonight because they are facing an opponent that is fresh off three straight blowout wins themselves. Since we last played the Huskies, they have blown out Portland State, won on the road at Wichita State, and then had their win streak snapped on Saturday vs Gonzaga. Because of a scheduling conflict at Spokane arena, the Huskies had to play at the Zags on-campus arena appropriately named "The Kennel" where Gonzaga has only lost something like 5 times in the last 9 years. Washington still gave what I thought was a good showing despite the very unfriendly confines. As a +14 dog, the Huskies led by 1 at half-time before falling victim to a 17-2 Gonzaga run to open the second half. Still they were able to maintain their composure and at least stay within the spread losing by 12 in the end. This team is improving with every game. They have settled in to a solid 9 man rotation and each of the nine have scored 6 points or more in a game this year. They are senior dominated and playing with a purpose. Forward Will Perkins has already recorded 4 double doubles and guard Michael Johnson has scored 14 and 18 points respectively in last two games after struggling in the early going. Forward Thalo Green missed the season opening loss to UTEP but since has returned and has given the team a big lift. The Huskies are 2-0 so far in the newly refurbished Hec Ed Pavilion and now 51-9 here since 1995. St. Louis is coming off three straight wins in which their average margin of victory was 32.3 points. However, their lone quality win was vs a Cal team that had not played in 15 days and looked sluggish throughout. Against the Billikens, Cal only shot 37% and committed 18 turnovers, many of which were unforced. Despite this, they trailed by just 2 points in the final 10 minutes before back to back traveling calls and then things got out of hand. Cal did not impress in their next game either a straight up loss at UC Irvine. St. Louis has played only one other road game this year and that was a 10 point loss at Southern Illinois. Not only will the Billikens be at a disadvantage here making the long trip to the Pacific northwest, but they also may be looking ahead to an important game vs instate rival Missouri on Saturday. Huskies win outright. Washington  1 UNIT

December 2 Sheet

Oklahoma at Mississippi (+2) - 6:00pm Pacific
This is a very intriguing Ole Miss squad that features a nice mixture of solid returnees and talented newcomers. Starting with returnees, the Rebels feature one of the SEC's most rugged and effective post players in senior power forward Rahim Lockhart (17.8ppg, 9.5rpg through 4 games). He is a superb rebounder and is capable of drawing a lot of fouls on opposing frontlines. In the backcourt, Ole Miss has three solid returnees in senior Jason Flanigan (defensive stopper, recently shooting better), junior Jason Harrison (speedy 5-5 guard, 3rd team SEC pick as a non-starter last year), and good looking sophomore Emanual Wade (came on last year to start 11 games as a freshman). Leading the way for the newcomers is Parade High School All-American combo forward Justin Reed. Reed is simply the most heralded recruit in Ole Miss basketball history. He is averaging 13.0ppg and 7.8rpg so far and had his best performance when it counted in the teams closest game at VCU where he recorded a double double with 16 points and 13 rebounds. First year players Aaron Harper (9.8ppg, 4.0rpg) and David Sanders (6.5ppg, 2.5rpg, 2.0apg) have also been impressive. Amazingly all three of these guys attended the same high school! This team is as deep as can be as 12 players have played in every game so far and 9 are averaging double digit minutes. Oklahoma is a team that I am expecting to follow the trend of struggling after playing three games in three days in Hawaii last week. This will be their first game back on the mainland and their first game on an opponents home floor this season. So far this year they have feasted on bad teams with little or no depth. Their three most notable wins were over LaSalle, Tulane, and Oregon State all of whom go only 6-7 deep at best. This worked well for OU as they are very thin on the frontline themselves and relying heavily on a pair of first year JC transfers. If either gets in foul trouble, it could be a long day for the Sooners inside. Oklahoma does have a deep and talented backcourt but I believe Ole Miss is one of few teams that can match them player for player, particularly on their own home court. The Rebels have been almost unbeatable at the "Tad Pad" in recent years. They carry a 38 game non-conference home win streak (3rd best in the nation) into this game. They are also an impressive 10-5 here vs ranked teams since the 94-95 season. The Rebels already have a quality overtime road win at VCU which I give more credit for than who Oklahoma has beaten so far. Solid defense, Lockhart inside, depth, and home court advantage will prove too much for Sooners. Rebels win straight up. Mississippi  2 UNITS

St. John's vs George Washington (+1) -12:30pm Pacific
We have been looking for a good spot to play the Colonials and this appears to be a great matchup for them. One could argue that St. John's will have a better team in the future, but right now I believe GW is the better of these two teams. They have a clear home court advantage playing this one in their own backyard and coaches, fans, and players will be up for this as they face former GW coach Mike Jarvis. The Colonials are already 4-1 with their only loss coming last time out on the road to South Florida. They played the Bulls very tough for most of the way despite off games by guards Sir Valiant Brown (3-for-18, 9 points, foul trouble) and Mike King (4 points, 19 minutes, fouled out). Brown is averaging 19.8ppg on the season and King 13.2ppg, they will be looking to make amends today. Sophomore forward Chris Monroe (23.2ppg, 6.2rpg) gives the team three players with real firepower. 5-9 senior Michael Barrow (9.2ppg, 5.8apg) is a tough and super speedy guard that will matchup well with Red Storm star freshman point guard and second leading scorer Omar Cook. St. John's may be a little rusty having not played since November 25 and with three new freshman starters it is going to be a while before they hit their prime. This will be their first game of the season outside of New York. On top of that, GW coach Tommy Penders can coach with the best of them. Colonials take this one. George Washington  2 UNITS

Georgia Tech (+10.5) vs UCLA - 12:00 noon Pacific - Anaheim, CA
I would be willing to take just about any team getting double digits from the Bruins right now and the Yellow Jackets will do just fine. We have not had success going with ACC teams in non-conference games so far but it is usually a good strategy. UCLA is struggling right now. After one of their most embarrassing losses in years to CS-Northridge ten days ago, the Bruins came back and arguably looked even worse against a bad UC-Santa Barbara team. The Gauchos, minus two starters one of which is their best player, came into the game averaging just 60 points per game on just 36% shooting. They put up 41 points on 55% shooting in the first half alone vs UCLA and led by 3 at the half! UCSB still had the lead with about 8 minutes to go before a key sequence set them back for an eventual 6 point loss. Still, the Bruins just are not playing well, particularly on defense. With senior Rico Hines and freshman Josiah Johnson still out, only 6 players are getting a high majority of the minutes right now. When things go bad, coach Lavin does not have anyone to turn to. Meanwhile, Georgia Tech is showing an entirely new look this year. They have 10 players averaging double digit minutes and are playing defense with a purpose, both far cries from recent seasons. They are allowing opponents to shoot just .353 from the field so far which ranks 2nd in the ACC. Senior center Alvin Jones is a big reason. Jones is poised for a breakthrough year as he is looking to improve his NBA stock. With Jason Collier gone to the NBA he now has more room to operate down low and is doing a fine job so far with 19.8ppg, 9.8rpg, and almost 4 blocks per game. The Jackets played Iowa pretty tough on the road last time out keeping the game close until the later stages. They played almost the whole way without starting senior forward John Babul who fouled out after only getting 5 minutes of action! The other projected starting forward sophomore Clarence Moore has not played this year due to injury but is expected to see his first action vs UCLA today which is a plus. The backcourt is solid with three year starter Tony Akins at the point and senior Shaun Fein at off guard. Both averaged double figures last year. Freshman G/F Marvin Lewis (13.0ppg, 6.3rpg) was considered a top 50 national recruit and has looked great. He has earned a starting role and leads the team in minutes played so far. Coaches are high on two other freshman Robert Brooks and Halston Lane as well and both have contributed nicely. I like the look of this Yellow Jackets team and new coach Paul Hewitt. They certainly have enough talent to compete here. Take the points. Georgia Tech  1 UNIT 

UNLV (+6) at Oklahoma State - 5:00pm Pacific - Oklahoma City
The Runnin Rebels want this game badly. These two teams have really gone at each other in three of the last four seasons and Oklahoma State has come away with three straight victories. Adding more fuel to the rivalry is that former UNLV associate head coach Glynn Cyprien, a member of the Rebels coaching staff for the last 5 years, has joined the staff at OSU this season. We talked about UNLV at length earlier in the season and they did not disappoint as they led eventual Maui tournament runner up Illinois by 14 in the first half and fought hard until the end. They are led by legitimate All-American candidate Kaspars Kambala who is averaging 21.6ppg and 10.2rpg so far. Three other players are averaging double figures and well regarded 6-8 freshman Omari Pearson saw his first action of the season last game out scoring 11 points. UNLV does not look like the team that should be underdog here as Oklahoma State lost 6 seniors from last years team including 4 starters. Cowboy coach Eddie Sutton is always solid, but he is having to mold together a team with only three returnees and eight first year newcomers. The Cowboys have only played twice so far and both times vs weak opposition. UNLV has already played 5 games and against far better competition. Meanwhile, OSU is having to play their home games at The Myriad in Oklahoma City while their on-campus arena is being expanded. Have to think most fans will stay home to watch the Big 12 football championship game. Rebels have a great shot at a straight up win here. Take the points. UNLV 1 UNIT