Cnotes Top 25 College Basketball Previews For Saturday 02/25/16 !

[CNOTES]

Preview: Tar Heels (24-5) at Panthers (15-13)
Date: February 25, 2017 12:00 PM EDT

North Carolina is making a run at a No. 1 seed in next month's NCAA Tournament.


But the first matter of business is winning the ACC regular-season crown.


The No. 8 Tar Heels are in superb position to win the tough 15-team conference and look to move closer to claiming the title when they visit Pittsburgh on Saturday.


North Carolina (24-5, 12-3 ACC) holds a two-game lead over a quartet of teams -- Louisville, Duke, Florida State and Notre Dame. A solid 74-63 home victory over Louisville on Wednesday gave the Tar Heels the multiple-game cushion.


"We keep talking about how we control our own destiny," junior guard Joel Berry II said. "We're at the top and we want to stay there. So closing this season out, we want to continue doing what we're doing and continue to win."


The Tar Heels have won three straight games and five of their past six. They are playing solid basketball at the right time of the season but coach Roy Williams isn't feeling all that comfortable.


He is less than thrilled that the schedule calls for his team to play at No. 18 Virginia on Monday two days after the contest in Pittsburgh.


"Well, it is a competitive league, but it says we have a two-game lead right now but there's still some left to play," Williams said. "We're getting ready to go on one of those trips I don't think any team in our league should have to do, on the road on Saturday and on the road on Monday."


The Panthers will try to get up off the mat after allowing a 19-point lead slip away during Wednesday's 63-59 road loss to Wake Forest.


The collapse prevented Pittsburgh from recording its fourth win in a five-game span and instead resulted in a highly disappointing setback.


"It's a game we felt like we should have won," Panthers coach Kevin Stallings said. "It's not the first time this year we've been a little tight in the second half and don't shoot it well."


Pitt, which is tied for 12th place with Clemson in the ACC, has been solid at home with an 11-5 mark.


The Panthers rely on the productive duo of senior forward Michael Young and senior guard Jamel Artis. Young has scored 20 or more points on 15 occasions while averaging 20.4 points and 7.0 rebounds. He ranks seventh in school history with 1,757 career points.


Artis is averaging 19.3 points and has made 67 3-pointers, second on the team behind sophomore guard Cameron Johnson (12.0 average, 69 3-pointers).


Johnson matched his career high of 24 points and made a career-best six 3-pointers when Pitt gave North Carolina a scare on Jan. 31 before falling 80-78. Artis was off the mark with a last-second 3-pointer.


North Carolina also features two prolific 3-point shooters in junior forward Justin Jackson (78) and Berry (64). Jackson averages a team-best 18.7 points while Berry chips in 14.6 per game.


Senior center Kennedy Meeks has recorded nine double-doubles this season while averaging 12.7 points and a team-best 9.1 rebounds. Meeks has 939 career rebounds and needs three to pass ninth-place Eric Montross (1990-94) on the school's all-time list.


Senior forward Isaiah Hicks (12.1) also averages in double digits for the Tar Heels, who have looked impressive while winning their past three games by an average of 19.7 points.


"I feel good that we're on top," Williams said. "I'd rather be on top than third, seventh or 15th but there's still a lot of work to do."

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Seminoles (22-6) at Tigers (14-13)
Date: February 25, 2017 12:00 PM EDT

Florida State already owns an NCAA Tournament-worthy resume.


Clemson still has work to do in that regard.


The Tigers, in dire need of a "signature win," will get that opportunity Saturday when 19th-ranked Florida State plays at Clemson at noon in an Atlantic Coast Conference game at a sold-out Littlejohn Coliseum.


Clemson is seeking its first victory against a Top 25 opponent since Littlejohn reopened last year following a major renovation.


"We know we will have to play with a ton of energy Saturday against a talented Florida State team," Clemson Coach Brad Brownell said.


No argument there. The Seminoles are an NCAA Tournament lock at 22-6 overall and a 10-5 record in the ACC.


Clemson, at 14-13 overall and 4-11 in league play, needs to win each of its three remaining games -- all of which will be played at Littlejohn Coliseum -- and do some damage in the upcoming ACC Tournament to land in NCAA Tournament consideration.


Clemson hasn't qualified for the NCAA Tournament since 2011, Brownell's first season.


The Seminoles score at a gaudy 84.4 point-per-game clip, but also know how to play defense. Florida State ranks fourth in the ACC in field goal percentage defense, so plenty of challenges await the Tigers.


There is a glimmer of hope for Clemson -- namely, because the Seminoles haven't exactly fared well on the ACC road. Florida State is 2-5 in league road games this season and is just 11-19 at Littlejohn Coliseum all-time.


"There's no doubt in my mind that we're going to have a mad Tiger, a motivated Tiger, that's out to do a lot of damage," Florida State Coach Leonard Hamilton said, whose team enters the game in a four-way tie for second place in the ACC standings.


Indeed, Clemson should have plenty of motivation, thanks to a 48-point loss at Florida State last month that ranks as the most lopsided of Brownell's seven-year career at Clemson. That crushing loss prompted a postgame apology from Brownell.


"We just didn't play at all," Brownell said.


Clemson has lost five of its last six games, but it's not like the Tigers haven't been competitive. Included in those defeats are three games decided by two points or less, including a pair of one-point losses.


In all, Clemson has lost eight of its 11 league games by six points or less.


"It's hard, it's challenging -- no doubt about it," Brownell said. "When you put so much into all of these games and play well for a bunch of minutes and then don't make a play to win it.


"As good as we are physically, it's the emotional part of it that makes it really hard."


Florida State represents the 19th consecutive opponent that the Tigers have played that is ranked among the Top 100 in RPI; the Seminoles are No. 13, while Clemson is No. 60.


"If you're them, you're saying, 'If we get these three home games against this competition, we might have a chance to finish the season on a positive note," Hamilton said. "And we're next up."

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Mustangs (24-4) at Huskies (14-13)
Date: February 25, 2017 12:00 PM EDT

It's still the regular season, but excuse the Connecticut Huskies for feeling that they are playing tournament games every time they take the court.


A loss doesn't mean elimination or the end of the season. Not yet. But any loss is another opportunity slipping through their fingers. And in late February that can be devastating to a team trying to overcome a rough start back in November.


With No. 17 SMU (24-4, 14-1 American) coming into the XL Center Saturday (noon), there is an opportunity for a signature win. It just doesn't seem as promising as it might have been if UConn (14-13, 9-6) had held on for a victory over Houston on Wednesday.


UConn's four-game winning streak ended when the Huskies couldn't hold a 39-29 halftime and the Cougars went to a 75-70 win that moved them into third place in the American behind SMU and Cincinnati.


Coach Kevin Ollie and the Huskies agreed that they stopped playing smart basketball at the start of the second half,


"We went back to playing 'me' basketball," Ollie said. "Turnovers, people taking ill-advised shots and that's not UConn basketball,"


UConn's season appeared all but over early in January when the Huskies had lost six of eight games and were dropping like a malfunctioning elevator in the American Athletic Conference standings and the RPI. But the Huskies energized their fan base by winning seven of eight, including a squeaker against Memphis and a buzzer beater at Temple last week.


Landing an at-large spot in the NCAA field is no longer an attainable goal for the Huskies, who currently are fourth in the AAC.


"That (Houston) game is behind us," guard Jalen Adams said. "We've got to get ready for SMU. We've got to win that game."


A spot in the NIT might be the most realistic aspiration, But if they can finish in the top five of the American, theyearn a bye in the first round bye and begin play in the quarterfinals. They will have the advantage of playing in the XL Center, their second home arena, but would still need three consecutive wins to win the championship and gain the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA.


SMU remains the hottest team in the AAC. The Mustangs have won 10 straight, their second such streak of the season, They have clinched no worse than the No. 2 seed in the conference tourney, but Tim Jankovich's team has its aim on the top seed.


SMU has held 20 of the last 21 opponents to 66 points or less. The Mustangs have a season scoring defense of 58.9 that ranks third in the NCAA. SMU is also among the national leaders with a rebound margin of plus-10.9, best in the AAC. The Mustangs have outrebounded 25 of 28 opponents. They are coming off a 76-66 win over Houston.


"We looked at this season as an opportunity to, not necessarily get back on the map, but just to get what we owe ourselves," sophomore guard Jarrey Foster said. "We owe ourselves a lot, just how much we've been through."


UConn lost three injured players -- including two starters -- to injuries in November, SMU started the season with 10 scholarship players, three under the NCAA limit, due to sanctions handed down because of violations under former coach Larry Brown.


"Of course, I wish we didn't have the sanctions that we have and the limitations," Jankovich said. "But you know what, we're not going to use this as an excuse, we've just learned to deal with the hand that we're dealt."

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Cavaliers (18-9) at Wolfpack (15-14)
Date: February 25, 2017 12:00 PM EDT

RALEIGH, N.C. -- North Carolina State was in such a nosedive that there will be a coaching change at season's end.


No. 18 Virginia is in another type of tailspin going into Saturday afternoon's game at PNC Arena.


Virginia has suffered four losses in a row, and suddenly a team that looked primed for a lofty seed for the NCAA Tournament is simply trying to find its footing before the postseason.


"There are a lot of things we're trying to overcome, and we need everyone playing at a fairly solid level for us to be able to be successful in this conference," Virginia coach Tony Bennett said.


The recent slide has left the Cavaliers (18-9, 8-7 ACC) in a tie for eighth place in the conference after it appeared they would contend for the regular-season title less than two weeks ago.


The four losses came in a nine-day period. It's the longest losing streak since Bennett's first season with the team in 2009-10.


"Fatigue is going to be a part of it at this time of the year," Bennett said.


Virginia senior guard London Perrantes has slumped and he said he knows that's impacting the Cavaliers. He's 16-for-58 (27.6 percent) from the field during the four-game skid.


"I wish I knew what was getting me out of rhythm so I could fix it," Perrantes said. "I'm in a pretty deep slump right now and I need to figure it out and find a way to get over it."


Despite snapping a seven-game losing skid with Tuesday night's victory at Georgia Tech, N.C. State (15-14, 4-12) remains in second-to-last place in the ACC.


That was the second game for the Wolfpack since it was announced that coach Mark Gottfried had been fired, though he's finishing out the season.


"Really happy that they get to experience something positive here," Gottfried said of a late-season victory. "Something to build on down the stretch and we'll see what happens."


The Virginia game marks the home finale for N.C. State, and it could be the last game in Raleigh for freshman guard Dennis Smith Jr., who is generally considered a lottery pick for the NBA Draft should he enter.


Gottfried said he's on a quest to assist the N.C. State players in enjoying this part of the season.


"I want to see if I can help these guys, somehow, just a little bit more," he said. "Just a little more to get over the hump and have some success on the way out."


The Wolfpack put together one of its best defensive efforts in the Georgia Tech game. If that starts a trend, then it could be a defensive tussle if Virginia is able to get back to the strong defense that has largely been a trademark the past few seasons.


N.C. State gave up at least 80 points in nine consecutive games before defeating Georgia Tech 71-69. The Wolfpack have won only two ACC home games and those came more than a month ago.


Virginia has lost four consecutive road games, including last weekend's 65-41 thumping from North Carolina.


"Our inexperience is showing and we are obviously sliding right now," Bennett said. "We have to fight like crazy to play as hard as we can and see if we can get one."


This is the only scheduled meeting between the teams this season.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Shockers (26-4) at Bears (16-14)
Date: February 25, 2017 12:00 PM EDT

With a win Saturday at Missouri State, No. 25 Wichita State will become the first Missouri Valley Conference squad to wrap up four MVC regular-season titles in a row since Southern Illinois was ruling the roost from 2002-05.


But to win it outright, the Shockers (26-4, 16-1) will need help. Illinois State, which is also 16-1 in the conference, visits Northern Iowa in a game that will start around the time Wichita State's game ends.


If the Redbirds win, they'll tie the Shockers for first and likely earn the top seed for next week's conference tournament in St. Louis on the basis of a superior RPI. Friday's RPI Report has Illinois State rated 33rd and Wichita State 42nd, mainly because of the Redbirds' tougher non-conference schedule.


In any event, the Shockers are in position to add to the considerable legacy built by coach Gregg Marshall. A win Saturday makes him the first MVC coach in 60 years to win five regular-season titles.


"It's really cool where we've put ourselves at right now," he said after Tuesday night's 109-83 rout of Evansville. "We've got work to do on Saturday. At the minimum, we know we come out of there as co-champions with a win. We hope to achieve a whole lot more."


Wichita State has remained more than relevant in its first year after the Fred VanVleet-Ron Baker era, which saw the two guards bring the Shockers into the national spotlight with a Final Four trip in 2013, a 35-1 record in 2014 and a Sweet 16 trip in 2015.


Led by 6-foot-8 sophomore forward Markis McDuffie (11.9 ppg, 5.8 rebounds), 6-4 freshman guard Landry Shamet (11 ppg, 59 3-pointers) and 6-9 junior forward Dorral Willis (10.3 ppg, 5.2 rebounds), Wichita State is averaging 82.4 ppg and has outscored the opposition by 19.5 ppg.


While the Shockers are playing for a championship, the Bears (16-14, 7-10) are shooting for a season-making win that would also allow them to stay away from Thursday night's play-in round of the MVC tourney.


Despite sinking a school-record 253 3-pointers this season and possessing the likely MVC Newcomer of the year in 6-9 junior forward Alize Johnson (14.4 ppg, 10.5 rebounds), Missouri State hasn't been able to display the needed consistency to win in its conference.


Coach Paul Lusk was particularly displeased Wednesday night with a 77-68 loss at 11-19 Bradley, calling his team's performance soft on his post-game radio show. Even the school's website chimed in with its postgame recap, saying that the Braves were outhustled down the stretch.


"I can't defend the way we performed," Lusk said. "It's my responsibility and I'll take full blame for it. It would have been a grave, grave injustice if we had found a way to win that game."


In the teams' first meeting on Feb. 9, Wichita State rolled to an 80-62 win in Koch Arena, scoring 27 points off 21 turnovers. It put five players in double figures and led by 34 points two minutes into the second half.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Gators (23-5) at Wildcats (23-5)
Date: February 25, 2017 2:00 PM EDT

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- With only three regular-season games left, first place in the Southeastern Conference is on the line Saturday when No. 11 Kentucky hosts No. 13 Florida at 2 p.m. at Rupp Arena.


"This is what you play for, this kind of game, where both teams have something to lose," Kentucky coach John Calipari said. "Every team we play has house money. Now this game, we both have something to lose.


"I keep telling them, 'There's going to be a time this season when you lose, your season ends. This ain't it. So just play,' If you win, it's huge. It's big. If you don't, you lose the game. Next game. Who do we play next?"


The teams are dead even. Kentucky is 23-5, Florida is 23-5. Kentucky is 13-2 in SEC play, the Gators are 13-2.


Whichever team wins Saturday will hold a one-game lead with two to go.


Only one thing is certain in the eyes of Florida coach Mike White. Don't expect a repeat of the Feb. 4 game, when Florida went wire-to-wire to rout Kentucky 88-66, giving the Wildcats their worst beat down in four seasons. The Gators won the rebounding battle 54-29 and shot 67 percent in the second half.


"I don't expect to outrebound them by 25 again, I don't expect to beat them by 22. I'd take a one-point win and throw a parade," White said. "It's going to be very difficult playing on the road in our league against one of the best teams in the country. And Rupp Arena presents its own unique challenges."


In the teams' earlier meeting, Florida was led by guard Kasey Hill, who scored 21 points. Devin Robinson had 16 points for the Gators, Canyon Berry came off the bench for 14 and sophomore KeVaughn Allen scored 12. Robinson and Chris Chiozza each had nine rebounds for Florida. Center John Egbunu, who had eight points and seven rebounds, is out for the season after tearing his ACL on Feb. 14.


Kentucky, which shot only 37.7 percent in that Feb. 4 game, got 19 points from freshman De'Aaron Fox and 11 from freshman Malik Monk. Fox, who had been battling the flu, did not start and was not expected to play that day but was forced into 25 minutes of action. It was a night to forget for sophomore Isaiah Briscoe (six points, four turnovers), Dominique Hawkins (four points, three turnovers) and senior Derek Willis (two points).


Fox is a game-time decision Saturday because of a bruised knee.


Both teams have won all five of their games since their first meeting.


"Kentucky will be very prepared, they are very, very good," White said. "We know we're the underdog going up there. But if we play really well, make good decisions with the basketball, execute our game plan, both on offense and defense, then we'll have a chance. That's all you can ask for on the road in this league, especially at Kentucky."


Calipari is looking for the win and momentum going forward.


"You want them to peak at the end of the year. That's what you want," Calipari said. "We haven't peaked yet so that's not a bad thing. Now the question is, we've got to get them where we start playing a little more aggressive, more energy, more 50-50 balls, we play tougher, make easy plays, stay connected defensively and offensively, lock in more. All that kind of stuff is what we need to do."

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Mountainers (22-6) at Horned Frogs (17-11)
Date: February 25, 2017 2:00 PM EDT

While No. 12 West Virginia will be playing for seeding Saturday, TCU is vying for its postseason life.


When they meet in Fort Worth, Texas, the Horned Frogs (17-11, 6-9 Big 12) desperately need to snap a four-game slide in order to bolster their NCAA tournament bubble status. ESPN's Joe Lunardi and CBS Sports bracketologist Jerry Palm each list TCU among the last teams in the field.


"At this point there is no question our biggest game of the year is this Saturday," said TCU coach Jamie Dixon. "There's no other way to put it. Let's not make it smaller than it is -- it's the biggest game of the year."


Dixon's team has been chewed up by the Big 12 round-robin grind, losing at Baylor, Iowa State and most recently at Kansas 87-68 on Wednesday night. That was a two-point game before a second-half stretch where TCU produced only three baskets in 11 minutes.


"We missed layups and we went a little soft on some finishes," Dixon said. "Missed layups turn into baskets the other way often and that's what happened. That's something where we have to grow and get better.


"We're not ready. I thought we were, but we're not ready to beat those teams on the road the way we play."


A return home could provide a boost, though the Mountaineers have taken all four meetings in Fort Worth and own a 10-0 series edge overall.


West Virginia (22-6, 10-5), in a three-way tie with Iowa State and Baylor for second place in the league, continues its Texas road swing against Baylor in Waco on Monday.


The Mountaineers may be without second-leading scorer Esa Ahmad (11.7 points, 4.1 rebounds). The sophomore forward sat out the previous win over Texas with a strained back.


"He's been in to get treated and all that, but it depends on how he feels," said West Virginia coach Bob Huggins. "It's something you don't want to have continue to linger."


Huggins essentially labeled Ahmad a takeoff-time decision for the team's Friday afternoon flight.


"If he's not 100 percent ready to go, I don't know if we're doing him or the team any justice," Huggins said.


The Mountaineers accommodated for Ahmad's absence in their 77-62 win over Texas thanks to guard Jevon Carter producing 24 points and 10 rebounds and reserve forward Lamont West scoring 23 points, most of them from the perimeter.


While Carter seems a cinch to earn All-Big 12 defensive honors again, his persistence in chasing down missed shots defies his 6-foot-2 stature. The junior has become West Virginia's second-leading rebounder (4.7 per game) by grabbing eight or more boards during six of the past 11 games.


"Just doing my job," Carter said. "Shot goes up, I box my man out, and the ball comes to me."


Huggins, just days after collapsing during a timeout against Texas, dispelled doubts about his own health.


"I feel good. All good," he said.


Along with Carter (12.6 points, 4.1 assists), the Mountaineers could deploy a three-guard lineup that includes Tarik Phillip (9.5 points, 3 assists) and Daxter Miles (8.9 points, 2.1 rebounds), who played only 13 minutes against the Longhorns.


West Virginia's big men -- Nathan Adrian, who averages 10.3 points, and Elijah Macon (5.5 points) -- are on different trajectories of late. Macon is on an 18-of-21 shooting surge while Adrian has made only 6 of his last 26 shots.


The Mountaineers won 82-70 when the teams met Jan. 7 in Morgantown, W.Va., and TCU remains 0-6 when allowing more than 80 points. They're next-to-last in the Big 12 in field-goal defense, allowing opponents to shoot 44.5 percent.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Bluejays (22-6) at Wildcats (26-3)
Date: February 25, 2017 3:00 PM EDT

VILLANOVA, Pa. -- Second-ranked Villanova will have another chance to clinch its fourth consecutive Big East regular-season championship when it hosts No. 23 Creighton in the home finale Saturday afternoon at The Pavilion.


The Wildcats (26-3, 13-3 Big East) suffered a rare loss 74-66 to No. 22 Butler on Wednesday night. Having already earned at least a share of the conference title, they can still capture the top seed in the conference tournament with a win over the Bluejays (22-6, 9-6).


Butler's surprising victory snapped Villanova's program-best 48-game winning streak at its 6,500-seat on-campus arena on the Main Line.


"Sometimes you come into a game and the other team plays better," Villanova coach Jay Wright said. "You try everything. Our guys competed to the end. We just ran into a team that played better than us tonight."


The game against Creighton will be the final one at The Pavilion after 31 seasons. Last week, the university's Board of Trustees announced that a major arena renovation will begin in June. When the arena re-opens in the fall of 2018, it will be renamed the Finneran Pavilion.


Seniors Josh Hart, Kris Jenkins and Darryl Reynolds will be honored in a pregame ceremony. Amazingly, the trio had never lost a home game on campus until Wednesday.


Reynolds has missed the last four games with a rib injury and remains questionable.


More than that, Villanova must cut down on turnovers and scoreless stretches to get back on track.


"We've got to have better attention to detail," Hart said. "It starts with me, first and foremost. That's something we've got to have, better attention to detail. It starts with the seniors and trickles down."


Creighton has won its last three games against Top 25 teams but has dropped the last five games in the series against Villanova and is 0-12 all-time against teams ranked in the top three.


The Bluejays are 1-8 all-time in true road games against teams coming off a Final Four appearance, with the only win coming on Feb. 9, 1980, when they defeated Indiana State.


Creighton has alternated wins and losses in the last six games.


Marcus Foster has scored a team-best 521 points this season, including a career-high 35 Sunday against Georgetown. In addition, Foster added five assists and five rebounds to become the first player in program history to have at least 35 points, five assists and five rebounds in the same game since Benoit Benjamin had 45 points, 16 rebounds and five assists against Indiana State on January 19, 1985.


In its most recent game, Creighton fell at home to Providence 68-66.


"We have to take care of us," Creighton coach Greg McDermott told the Omaha World-Herald. "We've let some close, winnable games slip away. And we have to try to fix the reasons why that happened."


Part of the reason is the balance of the rugged Big East.


"It was a tough one to swallow," McDermott told the World-Herald of the loss to Providence. "But there's a lot of those games in our league this year."

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Bears (23-5) at Cyclones (18-9)
Date: February 25, 2017 4:00 PM EDT

As the Big 12 regular-season race heads toward the finish line, Iowa State is closing fast and No. 9 Baylor is fighting to hold on to its spot right behind league-leading Kansas.


The Bears (23-5, 10-5 Big 12) have a tough run of two games in three days beginning with their trip to play the Cyclones in Hilton Coliseum on Saturday. Then Baylor hosts No. 12 West Virginia on Monday.


Because Baylor is tied with Iowa State (18-9, 10-5) and the Mountaineers for second place in the Big 12, this promises to be a decisive period in the Bears' schedule. Win both and Baylor will likely grasp the second seed in the Big 12 tournament. Lose both and the Bears quickly could drop to fourth.


Forward Johnathan Motley said the key for Baylor is to stay loose and embrace playing basketball.


"Playing games is the best part for me, so I look forward to it," Motley said. "As many games as we have, I love it. It's playing basketball, you know, it's fun. If it's not fun, then you usually don't play as well. I think we've just got to go out there and have as much fun as possible."


And even with a resume full of wins against ranked opponents and a top 10 ranking, Baylor figures to have a steep challenge versus Iowa State.


The Cyclones' current surge of five wins in their last six games includes a win over No. 3 Kansas and road victories at Kansas State and Texas Tech.


Iowa State is playing by far its best basketball of the season, something that's obvious to Cyclones coach Steve Prohm.


"We've come a long way," Prohm said. "If you go through the second half of the season, you go dissect these games prior, you're like, 'Man, we looked bad,' and we did. That's part of a process of building a team and coaching and guys getting better and understanding their roles."


Prohm said his team was as connected as it has been all season after guards Monte Morris and Matt Thomas scored 23 and 20 points, respectively, to defeat the Red Raiders on Monday.


Iowa State's guard-heavy lineup is thriving, but it will have to be extremely focused to score against Baylor's notorious long, shot-blocking zone defense.


"You've got to be smart," Prohm said. "You've got to get angles. You've got to get downhill. You've got to get space. You can't just drive in there carelessly and recklessly, because, if you do that, they're waiting on you. It's like turnovers because Motley or (forward Jo Lual-Acuil) or one of those guys are just going to block it."


That's exactly how Baylor fended off Oklahoma earlier this week.


The Bears led the Sooners by 15 early in the second half. Baylor failed to make a field goal in the last six minutes, but held Oklahoma to 33 percent shooting and the Bears blocked 10 shots to help preserve a 60-54 victory.


Even so, when Baylor's offense has been clicking this season, the Bears have shown the ability to fill up the basket with the inside-outside combination of Motley (16.9 points, 9.7 rebounds per game) and point guard Manu Lecomte (12.8 points, 4.8 assists).


"We've got to score," Baylor coach Scott Drew said. "We can't score 50 or 60 and probably beat them. Hopefully we can make some shots, and the big thing is make sure we get shots. They're third in the conference in causing turnovers. We've got to make sure we take care of the ball."

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Boilermakers (23-5) at Wolverines (18-10)
Date: February 25, 2017 4:00 PM EDT

It will be like a shampoo bottle in that it will be rinse and repeat from just over a week ago for the Michigan basketball team on Saturday.


Last Thursday, Michigan geared up for an anticipated home game against a ranked opponent, Wisconsin, which offered the Wolverines a chance to give a huge boost to their NCAA tournament resume while at the same time hurting a contender's chance to win the Big Ten title.


The Wolverines turned in an inspired effort and posted a 64-58 upset of the Badgers.


Fast forward to Saturday, and Michigan will once again gear up for a home game against a ranked opponent, with the chance to bolster its NCAA Tournament resume via another signature win and put a dagger in a contender's conference title hopes.


Instead of Wisconsin, this time the opposition will be No. 14 Purdue, which will pay a visit to Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Mich.


Michigan set up its chance against another ranked opponent with a 68-64 win at Rutgers on Wednesday.


"We just had enough grit," Michigan coach John Beilein told the Detroit Free Press after the Rutgers win. "There was nothing pretty about that one at all, but sometimes those games that could be ugly are beautiful wins to fight through all that."


This will the only regular-season meeting of the season between the Boilermakers and Wolverines (18-10, 8-7), who both will be desperate in their own ways.


Purdue (23-5, 12-3) is in prime position for its first Big Ten title since 2010, having gone up a full game over Wisconsin after Ohio State's 83-73 upset of Wisconsin on Thursday in Columbus.


A win over Michigan in Ann Arbor would put Purdue in a position where it could clinch at least a share of the conference title with a win at home on Tuesday against archrival Indiana.


The Boilermakers, who finish the season on March 5 at Northwestern, won their sixth straight game on Tuesday with a 74-70 overtime victory at Penn State.


"It rarely happens when a team outplays another one, plays harder, and they lose the game, especially on their home court," Purdue coach Matt Painter told the Lafayette Journal & Courier after the Penn State game. "I think the only category we won (Tuesday) is the only one that's important and that's the final score."


Michigan as of Thursday had an RPI of 50, and while several projections have the Wolverines already in the NCAA Tournament, beating another team with a high RPI like Purdue (No. 17) would only strengthen their profile.


The Wolverines already have wins this season against Southern Methodist and Wisconsin, teams ranked in the top 30 in RPI.


It will be the final home game of the season for Michigan, which will finish the regular season with road games at Northwestern and Nebraska.


A big key to the game will be whether Michigan can handle the size problem that Purdue presents for opponents in the form of 6-foot-9 sophomore national Player of the Year candidate Caleb Swanigan and 7-2 junior center Isaac Haas.


Michigan has two versatile post players who have improved greatly this year in 6-10 junior D.J. Wilson and 6-11 sophomore Moritz Wagner, but facing Swanigan and Haas will likely be their biggest challenge of the year.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Ducks (25-4) at Cardinal (14-13)
Date: February 25, 2017 4:00 PM EDT

No. 6 Oregon still has a chance to capture its second straight regular-season Pac-12 title as it heads into Saturday afternoon's game at Stanford, and the Ducks have Dillon Brooks to thank for that.


Brooks has been hot lately, averaging 21.4 points while making 24 of 43 3-pointers (55.8 percent) over the past seven games. The biggest of those threes came with 0.2 of a second remaining at California on Thursday and gave the Ducks a 68-65 victory when defeat had seemed all but certain just a few minutes earlier.


"Especially on the road, it feels so good," Brooks said of his game-winning shot. "You look at every single crowd member and see them looking down. They thought they had the game and we stole it from them."


That shot was similar to the 3-pointer Brooks made with 0.8 of a second left to beat UCLA by two points back on Dec. 28.


The big shot against Cal improved Oregon's overall record to 25-4, and the Ducks are 14-2 in conference play for the first time since the 1939 Ducks finished 14-2 in the Pacific Coast Conference and went on to win the national title.


All the 14-2 record gets Oregon at this point is second place, a game behind Arizona, with two games left. Oregon will be finished with its 1 p.m. game against Stanford (14-13, 6-9) by the time UCLA takes the court against Arizona on Saturday evening, and the Ducks will be rooting for the Bruins to pull off the road win.


The Ducks feel lucky to be within a game after digging themselves a hole against Cal.


"We were fortunate," Oregon coach Dana Altman said. "The first half we were just stuck in the mud, we couldn't get any ball movement. I was really disappointed at halftime."


The Ducks scored a season-low 16 points in the first half. They trailed by 16 points with less than 17 minutes left in the game and were behind by 10 with 4:15 to go.


Yet they pulled it out by scoring on each of their final eight possessions, scoring 12 of their final 19 points on 3-pointers.


There was never any doubt who would take the final shot.


"It's a lot of pressure, but I don't feel that at all," Brooks said. "I work on those shots every day before practice, so I felt confident."


"He just made a play; that's all there is to it," Altman said.


The Ducks would rather not have the game come down to a final shot against Stanford, which has won two straight, including Thursday's 79-66 victory over Oregon State.


Oregon beat Stanford 69-52 on Jan. 21 in Eugene, Ore., but the Cardinal defeated the Ducks at Stanford's Maples Pavilion 76-72 last season when the Ducks were ranked No. 11 and went on to land a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.


"Oregon is really good, we need to be hungry, put together a heck of a game plan, and play exceptionally well," first-year Stanford coach Jerod Haase said. "It will be a heck of a challenge, but our guys are really up for challenges right now."


It will be Senior Day for Stanford's final home game of the season, and Marcus Allen is one of those Cardinal seniors.


"In order to beat Oregon, we have to stick to our standards and follow the game plan," said Allen, who scored 17 points against Oregon State. "We have got to buckle down on defense and be sharp on offense because Oregon is a great team.


"In the last month, we are trending in the right direction on both ends of the floor. Guys are more confident, guys are getting good looks, and we are active on defense. We are going in the right direction and I hope that continues."


Stanford shot 57.1 percent from the floor against Oregon State and will need another strong offensive performance against Oregon, which has five players averaging double figures in scoring, led by Brooks' 15.7 points per game.


"It is going to take a lot to beat Oregon," said Stanford forward Reid Travis, who leads the team in scoring at 17.3 points per game and collected 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting against the Beavers. "They have many players that can do a lot of things, but I have a lot of confidence in us, too."

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Blue Devils (22-6) at Hurricanes (19-8)
Date: February 25, 2017 4:00 PM EDT

With Wednesday's loss to Syracuse on a banked 3-pointer at the buzzer, Duke not only dropped two games behind leader North Carolina in the Atlantic Coast Conference race, the Blue Devils now find themselves in a mix with at least a half-dozen teams fighting for a double-bye in next month's ACC tournament in Brooklyn.


One of those teams is next on Duke's schedule.


The 10th-ranked Blue Devils (22-6, 10-5 ACC) take on unranked Miami (19-8, 9-6 ACC) Saturday in the Hurricanes' Watsco Center home in Coral Gables. Tipoff is at 4 p.m. with CBS telecasting the game.


The Hurricanes have won three games in a row and are alone in sixth place in the standings, a game back of the Blue Devils, Louisville, Florida State, and Notre Dame.


The Hurricanes could sneak into a top-four spot with a big finish, but they have pursuers as well.


"I told the team yesterday that we are one game out of second," Miami coach Jim Larranaga said, "and we are one game out of 10th."


Right behind the Hurricanes at 9-7 in the league is Syracuse. A full-game back at 8-7 are Virginia Tech and Virginia, and just behind them are Georgia Tech at 7-8 and Wake Forest at 7-9. Teams five through nine get first-round byes. The top four finishers go directly into the quarterfinals.


"I think the byes are critical," Larranaga said.


With a 70-58 loss to the Blue Devils back in January, Miami realistically needs to gain a split with Duke to reach their goal, and even that won't guarantee anything. The Hurricanes still will have games on the road against Virginia Tech and Florida State remaining.


The Blue Devils, meanwhile, will have Florida State at home and North Carolina on the road left in the regular season.


The Blue Devils are 4-1, including a win over North Carolina, since coach Mike Krzyzewski returned from back surgery, and they had won seven in a row before the loss to the Orange.


Krzyzewski says his players need to match the "hunger" of opponents looking for an impressive win to get into the NCAA Tournament.


"We're not desperate right now, and we're not going to be desperate because we know we're going to be in the tournament," he said. meaning the NCAAs. "Over the years that's called psychology. It's tough to beat that old "p" or human nature. A lot of these things right now are not X's and O's. They're human nature. We need to do better in that regard."


Miami will welcome back point guard Ja'Quan Newton from a three-game suspension, but Larranaga said the team's second-leading scorer (15.0 ppg) won't start.


"The team that has started the last three games will continue to start for the very simple reason they're playing well," Larranaga said. "I like the chemistry and the way they're playing."

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Hawkeyes (15-13) at Terrapins (22-6)
Date: February 25, 2017 6:00 PM EDT

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- -- Maryland head coach Mark Turgeon spent a lot of time praising Minnesota after the Gophers upset his No. 24 Terrapins here on Wednesday night.


"They were terrific," Turgeon said several times after Minnesota won its sixth straight with an 89-75 victory.


But the sixth-year Maryland coach certainly will be spending a lot of time focusing on his team before the Terrapins host Iowa on Saturday in Big Ten Conference play.


Maryland (22-6, 10-5 Big Ten) has lost two games in a row after it allowed Minnesota to shoot 54.5 percent in the second half and score 55 points after intermission.


The Terrapins were coming off a loss on Sunday at Wisconsin and have now lost four of their last six games.


"We had open 3s and 22 assists on 30 baskets," said Jaylen Brantley, a junior guard for Maryland. "I feel like there wasn't a lot of forced shots so those 3s were probably just in the flow of the game."


The Terrapins will try and get healthy against Iowa, who are 15-13, 7-8.


"We understand who Maryland is. They beat us here (in January). They have tremendous personnel, and a great coach. We were there last year. It is a terrific environment," Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery said.


The Hawkeyes are coming off a 96-90 overtime win at home Tuesday against Indiana as senior guard Peter Jok had 35 points.


"He is obviously a guy that wants the ball and we want to give him the ball," McCaffery said after the game.


Jok hit an amazing 22 of 23 free throws. He is averaging 21 points per contest this season. Tyler Cook added 14 points in that game for Iowa.


"I was surprised he missed the one to be honest with you," McCaffery said of Jok at the line. "He is a shot maker. It is textbook. He was really good. He posted a little bit. He came up top, he was on the wing. He was really, really special tonight."


Iowa is scoring 80.5 points per game and allowing 78.0. They are getting 38.8 rebounds per contest while allowing 39.5.


"We had some tough losses recently," McCaffery said. "We are fighting."


Iowa assistant coach Sherman Dillard is a former Maryland assistant.


Maryland won 84-76 at Iowa on Jan. 19 as junior guard Melo Trimble had 20 points to lead five players in double figures. Trimble leads Maryland in scoring, and the next three top scorers are all freshmen: forward Justin Jackson and guards Anthony Cowan and Kevin Huerter.


The Terps got a boost Wednesday from reserve forward Ivan Bender, who had a career-high 15 points in 16 minutes as he made seven of 10 shots from the field. He will see more playing time now that junior center Mikal Cekovsky is out for the year with a fractured left ankle.


Jok had 14 points in the earlier game against Maryland as he made just four of 12 shots from the field. Sophomore forward Ahmad Wagner had 12 points in the first meeting against Maryland and freshman guard Jordan Bohannon had 11 for Iowa.


The Terps' defense will need to tighten up. The 89 points allowed Wednesday was the most given up this season and the most since an 89-81 loss at North Carolina on Dec. 1, 2015.


"We've had a heck of a year, but we just didn't have a great night. We've got to figure it out," Turgeon said. "I love my team. It's a great group. We've got a big game Saturday, a big game. We've got to figure it out."


Maryland will honor its 2001 Final Four team and 2002 national title squad before the game Saturday. The game will be shown on ESPN2 at 6 p.m.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Jayhawks (25-3) at Longhorns (10-18)
Date: February 25, 2017 6:00 PM EDT

On paper, Saturday afternoon's Big 12 showdown in Austin between third-ranked Kansas and reeling Texas has to be considered a mismatch, a near-walkover for the surging Jayhawks on their way to clinching another outright conference championship.


But the Longhorns nearly always play their best when Kansas comes to town, and the Jayhawks would be wise to keep their guard up against Texas.


Kansas (25-3, 13-2 in Big 12 play) heads to Austin off an 87-68 victory over TCU on Wednesday that garnered the Jayhawks at least a share of its 13th straight Big 12 title.


The Jayhawks have a three-game lead on Baylor, West Virginia and Iowa State in the league standings with three games to play, meaning that a Kansas win Saturday would guarantee it a solo regular-season crown. Only one of the other three schools could potentially tie Kansas because the teams in pursuit all play each other down the stretch.


Kansas coach Bill Self, whose team has won five games in a row since a stunning home overtime loss to Iowa State on Feb. 4, said he has no plan to rest players in the Jayhawks' final three regular-season games.


"No -- after Texas, we play next Monday and then we can take Tuesday and Wednesday off," Self said. "We've got the Big 12 tournament coming up so I don't see any reason why we need to back off and do anything different than what we've been doing."


Guard Frank Mason III leads Kansas and the conference in scoring with a 20.3 points-per-game average while his 20.8 ppg in league play are also tops in the Big 12. Mason has 16 games of 20 points or more, including his last three and five of his last six contests. He is the only conference player averaging 20 points or more this season.


Mason, the Jayhawks' erstwhile Player of Year candidate, has been a key cog in winning four straight Big 12 titles.


"It's a great feeling -- this is what we worked for," Mason said. "Coach Self has done a great job of preparing us every day for this, and we do a great job of bringing energy to practice and locking in to whatever our goal is. Every year is special and I'm just glad I was able to be part of all four years. I'm just proud of my teammates, coaching staff and the fans for the unbelievable energy they bring every night."


Texas is looking to end a four-game losing streak, the latest setback a 77-62 defeat at No. 12 West Virginia on Monday. The Longhorns (10-18, 4-11 in Big 12), who have lost six out of their past eight outings, are winless on the road this season and have just two home games remaining -- Saturday's showdown versus Baylor and a March 4 showdown against No. 9 Baylor.


All seven of Texas' home league contests have been decided by four points or less (4-3 record). Fourteen of the Longhorns' first 28 contests have been decided by five points or less; Texas is 5-9 this year in games decided by five points or less and 3-7 in games decided by three points or less.


Texas guard Kendal Yancy said the Longhorns' string of losses in close games have had an effect on the team.


"It's really hard, especially for the seniors," Yancy said. "We have to be able to respond after losses and be able to win the next game because there's still hope. Any hope we can find we'll take it and run with it.


"Some of our younger guys are a little tired," Yancy said. "They are responding very well and are fighting through it. They have a big role. They really don't have any other choice but to respond, and I think they understand that."


One of those young players for Texas, freshman center Jarrett Allen, has elevated his game as the season has progressed. In Monday's loss at West Virginia, Allen reached double figures in scoring (17 points) for the 21st time this season (28 games) and 14th time in Texas' 15 Big 12 games.


Allen had a remarkable performance the only other time he's played against Kansas, when he had a career-high 22 points, a career-high 19 rebounds (seven offensive) and tied a career high with three blocks in 34 minutes at Allen Fieldhouse on Jan. 21.


The Jayhawks hold a 28-8 lead in the all-time series that dates back to a 36-34 Texas win in Austin on Dec. 16, 1938. Kansas has won the last six meetings in the series, with Texas' most recent victory against the Jayhawks an 81-69 win in Austin on Feb. 1, 2014.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Bruins (25-3) at Wildcats (26-3)
Date: February 25, 2017 8:15 PM EDT

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Arizona-UCLA has been one of the best, most enduring rivalries in the West for about three decades. Saturday's matchup arguably is one of their most-hyped meetings ever.


These national powers are peaking at the same time. No. 4 Arizona (26-3, 15-1 Pac-12) holds a one-game lead over Oregon in the conference race. No. 5 UCLA (25-3, 12-3) is in third place and leads the nation in scoring at 92.1 points per game.


The teams are meeting for the first time when both are ranked in the top 5. This is only the seventh matchup of top 5 teams in conference history, and the first since 2008.


ESPN's College GameDay show is in Tucson to further spotlight this game, which tips off at 10:15 p.m. ET from McKale Center.


"I hope they're excited," Arizona coach Sean Miller said of his players after Thursday night's 90-77 victory over USC.


"I probably ruined their excitement a little bit after the game, but that's kind of my job. To allow them to be the most successful, they have to be really focused on the task at hand. If you start to get too excited about the game and everything about it, you end up coming unglued or have that anxiety where you're just not yourself."


Arizona won the season's first meeting, 96-85, in Pauley Pavilion on Jan. 21. The Wildcats' guards often had easy drives to the basket as the team rolled to its highest point total of the season.


Fast-paced UCLA, led by freshman point guard Lonzo Ball, has had issues with its defense at times this season, but the Bruins have been better recently, holding five consecutive opponents -- including Oregon -- to no better than 42 percent shooting.


USC shot 33.8 percent last week against UCLA, which has won six in a row.


"We're on a good roll right now," Bruins coach Steve Alford told ESPN.


"The thing that I have been really pleased with in the month of February, our guys have really improved defensively as a team. We're mixing some things up, kind of keeping them engaged, because they're such an offensive group and we score at such a high level.


"If our defense can continue to improve like it has done in February through six games, then we have a chance to do some special things."


Arizona is led by freshman 7-foot forward Lauri Markkanen, who is averaging 15.6 points, shooting 45.4 percent from 3-point range and has recently begun to show more toughness around the basket. Guard Allonzo Trier scored a season-high 25 vs. USC and is averaging 15.0 points.


He returned from a 19-game season-opening NCAA suspension for performance-enhancing drugs in the first game vs. UCLA. He scored 14 points.


UCLA leading scorer is freshman forward T.J. Leaf (17.0), followed by guard Bryce Alford (16.2, 45.5 percent shooting), but Ball makes it all go. He averages 15.0 points, 7.5 assists and 6.3 rebounds.


"Just proud of him. He's such a special player," Alford said.


"He makes guys around him better. And what we've seen here in February is now he makes guys around him better defensively. That's just how special Lonzo is. He impacts every area of the game at a high level."


Arizona has won 70 of its past 71 games at McKale Center. With a victory Saturday, the Wildcats will be one win away from an outright Pac-12 title.


"We're going to have to play with incredible effort and incredible togetherness," Miller said of the matchup against UCLA. "And even with that, they're still going to score. We enjoy the challenge, but it's an immense challenge."

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Broncos (16-14) at Gaels (25-3)
Date: February 25, 2017 10:00 PM EDT

No. 20 Saint Mary's does not want to jeopardize its chances of getting an NCAA tournament berth, and Santa Clara wants to achieve its highest West Coast Conference finish in 10 years.


That is what is at stake when the Gaels host Santa Clara Saturday night in the final regular-season game for both teams.


Saint Mary's (25-3, 15-2 WCC) will finish second in the conference no matter what happens Saturday. But a loss to the Broncos (16-14, 10-7) might make the Gaels a little nervous about their postseason status. With a current RPI ranking of 16, and no bad losses, Saint Mary's would seem to be safely into the NCAA tournament regardless of the result Saturday and in next week's WCC tournament in Las Vegas.


But the Gaels had a 26-5 record after losing to Gonzaga in the WCC finals last year, and wound up in the NIT. The difference is that this season Saint Mary's has no losses to teams ranked outside the RPI top 40 and has two wins over teams in the RPI top 40 (Dayton and Nevada). Last season Saint Mary's had no wins over a top-40 team and had two losses to a team (Pepperdine) ranked outside the RPI top 100.


Saint Mary's doesn't want to ruin its resume with a loss to Santa Clara, which has an RPI ranking of 147 as of Friday morning.


Saint Mary's coach Randy Bennett was miffed by the exclusion from the NCAA tournament last year, and is steering clear of predictions this time.


"Our team will be motivated to play Saturday night," Bennett said. "It is against Santa Clara, one of our rivals, and it is senior night. Our guys will be ready to play."


The Gaels are coming off a solid performance in a 78-49 road victory over Pepperdine, as the Gaels shot 52.5 percent from the floor while limiting the Waves to 29.3 percent shooting. A 20-minute interruption in the second half because of a power outage did not bother the Gaels.


Just as important was the fact that Saint Mary's leading scorer and rebounder, Jock Landale, bounced back for a poor game against BYU by scoring 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting while collecting 14 rebounds against Pepperdine.


"I thought we played really well tonight," Bennett said after the game. "I thought Jock played well. We used our size advantage inside and our players did a good job finding him and giving him the ball."


Landale had 20 points and 11 rebounds when Saint Mary's beat Santa Clara 72-59 back on Jan. 28.


The Broncos have played well lately, winning three of their last four games, including a 69-68 victory over Pacific in their final home game on Thursday.


If Santa Clara beats Saint Mary's and Gonzaga defeats BYU in Spokane, Wash., Saturday night, the Broncos would finish tied for third, which would be their best finish since 2006-07.


"What we have been able to do this season as a team has been awesome," said Broncos forward Nate Kratch, who has averaged 20.0 points over the past four games and scored 18 points Thursday.


However, Broncos guard Jared Brownridge, who is the fourth-leading career scorer in WCC history, has hit a bit of slump recently. He still leads the team in scoring at 17.4 points per game, but totaled just 13 points in the past two games combined, making just 4 of 20 shots overall and 2 of 14 3-pointers in the process.


He fouled out with just five points on Thursday, but K.J. Feagin made up for it by scoring 22 points and hitting 6 of 7 shots from long range.


"I just thought I had to step up and fill that void while (Brownridge) was out," Feagin said after the game. "It felt good to produce at the rate I did, and just get the W on senior night.


"This week in practice I've really been feeling good, just shooting the ball. And I had a great warmup today."


The Broncos nearly let a 10-point lead with 6:38 left slip away, but they hung on for the win.


"Well, we made our free throws down the homestretch," first-year Santa Clara coach Herb Sendek said.


It may take more than made free throws to knock off the Gaels on their home court, though.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Cougars (20-10) at Bulldogs (29-0)
Date: February 25, 2017 10:15 PM EDT

One more win against BYU on Saturday and top-ranked Gonzaga will go unbeaten in the regular season and head into the postseason bent on capturing the West Coast Conference tournament title next week.


First things first. The Bulldogs (29-0, 17-0 WCC) want to take care of the Cougars, who have upset Gonzaga the last two seasons at the McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Wash. The game, which tips off at 10 p.m. ET, is Senior Night for the Bulldogs, who will honor center Przemek Karnowski and guard Jordan Mathews.


Plenty of emotions will be involved but coach Mark Few is confident his players can handle it given how they have executed to near precision this season despite the chance of losing focus against struggling teams in the WCC.


"It's been like this all year," Few said after the Bulldogs dismantled San Diego in a 96-38 win at San Diego on Thursday night. "We have just not shown up flat or not paid the proper attention to our opponent. It's the best we have ever been since I have been coaching here, as far as night in and night out doing what we have to do.'


No doubt Gonzaga has circled the date to play BYU (20-10, 11-6) to avenge the last two losses at home against the Cougars.


"We want to right that ship," Few said. "BYU is always a well-coached team. They will challenge us."


The Cougars are coming off a dominating win of their own, a 97-78 triumph over host Portland on Thursday. Elijah Bryant recorded a career-high 37 points and 11 rebounds in the victory.


Five BYU players scored in double figures, as was the case for Gonzaga at San Diego. The Cougars recorded a season-high 13 3-pointers, as did the Bulldogs against the Toreros. Bryant had seven of those 3-pointers against Portland.


Filling in for injured forward Yoeli Childs (ankle), sophomore Braiden Shaw made his first career start for BYU and grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds. Eric Mika added 19 points and eight rebounds and Nick Emery had 16 points and made three 3-pointers.


"We needed some momentum for Saturday's game, and I think we got it," Bryant said.


Gonzaga defeated BYU 85-75 last month at Provo, Utah. The 10-point game is a nail-biter for the Bulldogs this season inasmuch as they have won 21 straight games, including all 17 conference games, by double digits with an average margin of 24.9 points.


The 58-point win over San Diego was the largest margin of the season for Gonzaga, which has won games by 47, 46 and 39 points. It is the largest winning margin ever by a No. 1-ranked team on the road. It was only two shy of the school record.


'Our coaches do such a great job preparing us and getting us ready for whatever the team can throw at us, and when we follow the scouting report that we did tonight (against San Diego), I think we're a really good defensive team,' said Bulldogs guard Josh Perkins, who finished with 15 points with all five of his baskets 3-pointers.


The game against BYU could also be the last home game for junior point guard Nigel Williams-Goss, the potential WCC Player of the Year who could decide to go pro. Williams-Goss scored 33 points for Gonzaga in the first game against BYU.


"Williams-Goss just kind of controlled that game,' BYU coach Dave Rose said. 'He had a pace to him and confidence to him where every time you make a run, he had an answer. He plays at a really comfortable pace for him.


"He's hard to get sped up. Some of the other guys we could speed them a little bit and maybe get a turnover or bad pass or quick shot. He's the one guy that held that thing together and controlled it and made big plays.'

 

[CNOTES]

Saturday's Tip Sheet
February 24, 2017


**UCLA at Arizona**


-- Arizona (26-3 straight up, 14-13-2 against the spread) is in first place in the Pac-12 standings, leading Oregon by one game and UCLA by two. The Wildcats are 15-1 in league play, winning five consecutive games since taking their lone conference loss in blowout fashion at Oregon on Feb. 4.


-- Sean Miller’s team is just 2-4 ATS in its last six games, but it did take the cash in Thursday’s 90-77 win over Southern Cal as a nine-point home favorite. The Wildcats drained 11-of-20 launches from 3-point range (55.0%) led by Allonzo Trier’s four makes on six attempts. Trier scored a game-high 25 points, while Rawle Alkins contributed 12 points, four rebounds, four assists, one steal and one blocked shot in merely 17 minutes of playing time off the bench. Alkins buried all five of his shot attempts, including a pair of long-range jumpers from beyond the arc.


-- Arizona is a No. 2 seed from the Midwest Region in ESPN.com’s latest edition of ‘Bracketology’ from Joe Lunardi. Miller’s squad is No. 8 in the RPI Rankings and No. 4 in the latest poll from the Associated Press. UA has posted a 1-3 record against RPI Top-25 foes, a 6-3 ledger versus the Top 50 and a 12-3 mark against the Top 100. The Wildcats’ only losses have come at Oregon (RPI: 7) and on neutral courts vs. Gonzaga (RPI: 9) and Butler (RPI: 11). They own notable wins at UCLA, at California, at USC and at Stanford, in addition to neutral-court victories over Michigan State and Texas A&M. UA’s best home wins include scalps of Cal, USC, Utah, Stanford and New Mexico.


-- Lauri Markkanen, a six-foot 11-inch freshman, is averaging 15.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. He is hitting 49.5 percent of his shots from the field, 45.4 percent of his 3’s and 84.3 percent of his free throws. Trier has now played 10 games after missing 19 due to an NCAA eligibility issue. The sophomore guard is scoring at a 15.0 PPG clip and is pulling down 5.0 rebounds per contest. Alkins (11.3 PPG), Dusan Ristic (11.1 PPG) and Kobi Simmons (10.7 PPG) are also scoring in double figures.


-- Arizona is ranked No. 16 in the nation in 3-point shooting (40.0%) and No. 17 in free-throw percentage (76.7%). The Wildcats are ranked 27th in the county in scoring defense (64.0 PPG) and 22nd at defending the 3-point line (31.0%).


-- Arizona is undefeated in 15 home games with a 5-8 spread record.


-- UCLA (25-3 SU, 14-14 ATS) has won outright in seven of its nine road assignments, but it has limped to a 3-6 spread record.


-- Steve Alford’s team has won six straight games, but it is mired on a 2-6 ATS slump. UCLA won 87-75 at Arizona State on Thursday, but it failed to cover the number as a 13-point road ‘chalk.’ T.J. Leaf paced the winners with 25 points and nine rebounds on 11-of-16 shooting from the field. Aaron Holiday produced 17 points, six assists and four rebounds, while Bryce Alford added 15 points and six assists compared to only one turnover. Ike Anigbogu contributed 12 points, six boards and three blocked shots in 20 minutes of playing time off the bench.


-- Leaf leads the Bruins in scoring (17.0 PPG), rebounding (8.8 RPG) and field-goal percentage (63.2%). Leaf, a freshman who is listed as the No. 13 pick in nbadraft.net’s latest mock, is hitting 47.1 percent of his 3-point attempts. Lonzo Ball, the team’s freshman point guard who was a five-star recruit and is currently projected to go No. 2 in the 2017 NBA Draft at nbadraft.net, leads UCLA in assists (7.5 APG) and steals (1.9 SPG) while averaging 15.0 PPG. Alford (16.2 PPG), a senior who is the son of the head coach, has a 75/31 assists-to-turnovers ratio and is draining 45.5 percent of his shots from downtown. Isaac Hamilton (13.8 PPG), Holiday (13.1 PPG) and Thomas Welsh are also averaging in double figures for the high-scoring Bruins.


-- UCLA is ranked tops in the nation in both scoring (92.1 PPG) and field-goal percentage (53.1%). In addition, the Bruins are fourth in the country in 3-point shooting percentage, burying 41.7 percent of their attempts. Credit Ball for all three of those stats as his speed and dribble penetration draws defenders, creating space for teammates to spot up and await his dishes for open looks.


-- UCLA is No. 5 in the AP poll and No. 17 in the RPI. The Bruins are 2-2 against RPI Top-25 opponents, 4-3 versus the Top 50 and 10-3 against the Top 100. They took their losses at Oregon, at Southern Cal (RPI: 29) and at home vs. Arizona. UCLA has home wins over Cal, Oregon, USC, Michigan and Stanford, in addition to neutral-court triumphs over Nebraska, Texas A&M and Ohio State. The Bruins have road wins at Kentucky and at Utah.


-- When these teams met on Jan. 21 at Pauley Pavilion, Arizona raced out to an 11-point halftime lead and won a 96-85 decision as a 5.5-point road underdog. The 181 combined points soared ‘over’ the 160-point total. Simmons led five Arizona players in double figures with 20 points, six rebounds and five assists compared to just one turnover. Markkanen added 18 points and seven boards, nailing 3-of-4 shots from long distance. Ball scored a game-high 24 points and had eight assists, six rebounds and two steals with only one turnover in the losing effort. Alford finished with 15 points.


-- The underdog owns a remarkable 11-1 spread record in the last 12 head-to-head meetings between these Pac-12 rivals. The ‘over’ has connected at a 13-6 rate in the last 19 encounters at Arizona.


-- Arizona has won outright in four of the last five games in this rivalry, but UCLA owns an 8-2 spread record in the last 10 meetings.


-- As of late Friday afternoon, several offshore shops had Arizona installed as a 2.5-point home favorite.


-- The ‘under’ is 15-13-1 overall for Arizona, but the ‘over’ is 8-7 in its home contests. With that said, the Wildcats have seen the ‘under’ cash in three of their last four games and six of their last nine (regardless of the venue).


--The ‘over’ is 14-12-2 overall for the Bruins, 4-4-1 in their road outings. However, the ‘under’ has been a winner in four of UCLA’s last five games.


--Tip-off is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.


**BYU at Gonzaga**


-- As of late Friday afternoon, several spots had Gonzaga (29-0 SU, 20-5-1 ATS) listed as a 20.5-point home favorite.


-- Mark Few’s team is unbeaten in 15 home games with a stellar 10-2 spread record. The Bulldogs are 9-2 ATS in 11 games as double-digit home favorites.


-- Gonzaga is the nation’s only undefeated team and it is in the midst of an 8-1-1 ATS run after taking the money in Thursday’s 96-38 win at San Diego as a 24-point road favorite. Josh Perkins was the catalyst with 15 points, five rebounds and six assists without a turnover. Jordan Mathews also scored 15 points, while Johnathan Williams produced 14 points and 19 rebounds. Nigel Williams-Goss finished with 14 points, six boards and five assists.


-- Williams-Goss, a junior who transferred from Washington, is leading Gonzaga in scoring (16.2 PPG), assists (4.8 APG) and steals (1.7 SPG). Williams, a transfer from Missouri, is averaging 10.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game while making a team-best 61.3 percent of his attempts from the field. Senior center Przemek Karnowski is averaging 12.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.


-- Gonzaga is No. 1 in the nation in the AP poll and No. 9 in the RPI. The Bulldogs are 4-0 against the RPI Top 25, 5-0 versus the Top 50 and 10-0 against the Top 100. They own neutral-court wins over Florida, Iowa St., Arizona and Tennessee. In addition, the ‘Zags swept Saint Mary’s (RPI: 19).


-- BYU (20-10 SU, 11-15-1 ATS) has been an underdog six times this year, limping to a 1-4-1 spread record with one outright victory (at San Francisco). This is the Cougars’ biggest ‘dog spot of the season.


-- Dave Rose’s team is off of Thursday’s 97-78 win at Portland as an 11.5-point road ‘chalk.’ Elijah Bryant erupted for a career-best 39 points and also had six assists and five rebounds. Eric Mika added 19 points, eight rebounds, four assists, two steals and one blocked shot, while Nick Emery finished with 16 points and three steals.


-- BYU is 4-4 SU and 3-5 ATS in eight road assignments.


-- BYU is No. 90 in the RPI, going winless in three games against the Top 25 and four versus the Top 50. The Cougars are 4-6 against the Top 100. They have notable scalps at home over Princeton and CSU Bakersfield, in addition to sweeping San Francisco.


-- Mika leads the Cougars in scoring (19.9 PPG), rebounding (9.3 RPG) and blocked shots (2.0 BPG). T.J. Haws and Emery are averaging 13.8 and 13.1 PPG, respectively. This trio of players played on the same high school team that won four state titles in a row in Utah.


-- BYU’s L.J. Rose tore his meniscus earlier this month and hasn’t played since Feb. 4. Rose, who was averaging 5.5 points, 4.7 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game, remains ‘out’ indefinitely.


-- The ‘over’ is 14-12 overall for Gonzaga, 7-5 in its home contests. The ‘over’ is 5-1 in the Bulldogs’ last six games.


-- The ‘under’ is 15-11-1 overall for the Cougars, but they’ve seen the ‘over’ go 5-3 in their road games.


-- When these teams met at Marriott Center in Provo in front of nearly 19,000 fans on Feb. 2, Gonzaga won an 85-75 decision as a 10-point road favorite. The 160 combined points slithered ‘under’ the 162-point total. Williams-Goss paced the ‘Zags with 33 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. Williams added 12 points, eight boards, two assists, two steals and one block, while Perkins finished with 11 points and four assists without a turnover. For BYU, Haws scored a team-best 29 points. Mika tallied 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Emery scored just two points before fouling out.


-- The ‘under’ is 11-3 in the last 14 head-to-head meetings between these WCC rivals.


-- ESPN2 will have the broadcast at 10:00 p.m. Eastern.


**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**


-- Florida will take a nine-game winning streak into Rupp Arena on Saturday for a 2:00 p.m. Eastern tip on CBS. Mike White’s team is 7-2 ATS during its nine-game surge, with the last two victories coming after losing starting center John Egbunu to a season-ending ACL tear. The Gators thumped South Carolina without Egbunu and with Canyon Barry going scoreless. Barry only logged nine minutes of playing time after spraining his ankle last Saturday in a non-covering win at Mississippi St. KeVaughn Allen needed only seven shots from the field to drop a game-high 26 points on the Gamecocks. When UF and UK met in Gainesville earlier this month, Florida dealt out an 88-66 shellacking as a short home ‘chalk.’


-- Kentucky starters Isaiah Briscoe (13.5 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 4.3 APG) and De’Aaron Fox (15.5 PPG, 5.3 APG, 4.2 RPG & 1.5 SPG) were both listed as ‘questionable’ vs. UF with ankle injuries late Friday afternoon. With that said, I’d be shocked if they don’t play.


-- Northeastern senior forward Alex Murphy is ‘out’ Saturday at UNC-Wilmington due to personal reasons. Murphy, who previously played at Duke and Florida, has finally been healthy this year, averaging 14.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.


-- Miami guard JaQuan Newton (15.0 PPG, 3.8 RPG & 3.6 APG) is done serving his three-game suspension and will return for Saturday’s home game vs. Duke. These ACC adversaries will collide at 4:00 p.m. Eastern on CBS.


-- The televised noon Eastern tips include FSU at Clemson (ACC Network), UNC at Pitt (ACC Network), UVA at N.C. State (ESPN), SMU at UConn (CBS), Tulane at Temple (ESPNU) and Wichita State at Missouri State (ESPN2).

 

[CNOTES]

Saturday's Upsets to Watch
February 24, 2017


There may not be a better day to get on board with multiple upsets in college basketball then this Saturday. There are 11 ranked teams alone that are on the road facing unranked rivals, while other big games like Florida/Kentucky, Creighton/Villanova, and UCLA/Arizona all are ranked vs ranked contests.


But it's the list of those 11 teams going into hostile territory expecting to come out on top where bettors should be able to find value and cash a few upset tickets with home underdogs.


The list of those games is too long to go into all of them in-depth, but it starts with five games at 12 pm EST as #19 Florida State is in Clemson, a struggling #18 Virginia team is at NC State, #8 UNC visits Pittsburgh, #17 SMU visits UConn, and #25 Wichita State takes on Missouri State. With the ranked teams likely to get the majority of support no matter the spread in those games, bettors could be fighting an extreme uphill battle the rest of the day.

Out of the gate, #18 Virginia is likely going to be the first team bettors will look to go against as their offense is absolutely awful and it's hurt them tremendously in losing four in a row. NC State is still on the floor with a lame-duck HC though and if you are going to look at them as a betting option, it's probably best to jump on the Wolfpack as soon as the number comes out as it's likely to receive some steam.


Of the other contests mentioned, Clemson, Missouri State and Connecticut all were blown out in the first meeting with there respective foes and would love to get some revenge and build their tournament resume's this late in the year.


Missouri State lost by 18 in their first meeting with Wichita State, Clemson fell by 48 (including allowing 109 to FSU), and UConn lost by 20. We could see plenty of value in the lines - especially with Clemson – given those lopsided results and I wouldn't hesitate in grabbing the points with any one of those projected three home underdogs.


As the day goes on, we've got #12 West Virginia at TCU, #14 Purdue at Michigan, #10 Duke at Miami, #9 Baylor at Iowa State, #6 Oregon at Stanford, and #3 Kansas at Texas. All are high profile matchups and should provide plenty of interest from the betting masses.


Duke is coming off a dramatic loss to Syracuse earlier this week and that may be a tough situation to go against the Blue Devils off a loss. Duke beat Miami by 12 about a month ago and combine that result with Duke off a loss and Miami's 13-2 SU record at home, the point spread there should be rather tight.


All the other contests have various pro's and cons in regards to looking for upsets, and it will be interesting to see just what numbers come out on these games. But there is no question about it, there will be a lot of fans of these 11 ranked programs that should be on high alert on Saturday. So if you are Florida State, Wichita State, Virginia, North Carolina, SMU, West Virginia, Purdue, Duke, Baylor, Oregon or Kansas, you'd better be on upset alert on Saturday, and bettors better be aware of all the potential profits that exist on ATS or ML bets here.


Chances are all 11 of them aren't going to win outright and if you can be lucky, or smart enough to back the right home teams, Saturday CBB betting could turn out to be very profitable.

 

[CNOTES]

Pitt seniors look to go out on high note
February 24, 2017


PITTSBURGH (AP) The four players tasked with overseeing a transition they never asked for and never saw coming can't quite explain what went wrong.


It wasn't, Pittsburgh seniors Jamel Artis, Mike Young, Sheldon Jeter and Chris Jones insist, longtime head coach Jamie Dixon's abrupt departure for TCU last spring or Kevin Stallings' inelegant arrival a couple of weeks later. It wasn't, they believe, the lack of a true point guard or ACC-ready big man. It wasn't any sense of doubt about their ability, or Stallings' for that matter.


''I look at those as kind of excuses,'' Young said. ''You've got to be able to get it done. In my career we've always had a good team, camaraderie and chemistry. We haven't been able to get over that hump.''


One that looks as daunting as ever for the Panthers (15-13, 4-11 ACC) as the seniors prepare to say goodbye to the Petersen Events Center on Saturday when No. 8 North Carolina (24-5, 12-3) visits.


Any semblance of a chance for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament evaporated in the final minutes against Wake Forest on Wednesday, when a 19-point lead turned into a 63-59 loss.


The team that once flew so high in the Big East is struggling in the nation's toughest conference. It's not the going away party any of the seniors envisioned.


''It hasn't been a smooth ride,'' Young said.


Yet the four players who will be walk onto the court with family members on Saturday, shake hands with Stallings and wave one last time to the Oakland Zoo aren't ready to bail following a season of unmet expecations, much of them out of the core four's control. No group in the ACC has been asked to do so much to cover so many holes.


Artis slid from forward to point guard because Dixon failed to recruit an experienced and capable ball handler following James Robinson's graduation. The 6-foot-7 Jeter is one of the shortest power forwards in the country, though it hasn't stopped him from leading the Panthers in rebounds, blocks and steals. Young was a double-double machine as a sophomore and junior and worked hard last summer to stretch his game offensively, becoming a competent 3-point shooter in the process.


When it became apparent Pitt needed Young down low, the kid who watched the Panthers more than hold their own in the Big East while growing up just down the Monongahela River from the school's Oakland campus dutifully accepted the reassignment. Young practically willed the Panthers out of an eight-game freefall despite spending a month in a protective mask after fracturing the orbital bone in his right eye.


Asked how he wants to be remembered and Young - the seventh-leading scorer in school history - says simply ''a Pitt legend.'' Only he understands that reaching such a lofty status requires something besides performing with stoic efficiency. You need to win, and Young understands Pitt hasn't done it nearly enough.


If Young's being honest, it's the close calls and not the blowouts that hurt the most. Pitt is just 1-6 in ACC games decided by five points or less. Flip that number and the Panthers are in the thick of the NCAA race. Only they're not, and the inability to close out tight games at times has shaken their confidence.


''You have moments where you think about things, you doubt things,'' Young said. ''I think that's with all people. That's just human.''


Don't confuse introspection with resignation. The Panthers and their coach stress they have not given up. Last Saturday Pitt responded to a home loss to Virginia Tech by blowing past No. 17 Florida State in the second half. A week later they'll be asked to bounce back one more time.


Maybe things haven't turned out the way Young, Artis, Jeter and Jones planned. All year they've walked by a large banner outside the Pete trumpeting the home schedule, silently crossing out each game as it passed. There are no more after Saturday afternoon. There's also nothing left to lose.


''These next three games,'' Jeter said, ''the resiliency we'll show will have an impact on what our legacies are going to be.''