Mid-Major Tournaments
March 3, 2015
After recently providing a look-ahead to the postseason extravaganzas conducted by the major conferences two weeks ago, we provide a quick preview for the conference tournaments of the lower-echelon Division I leagues in this edition.
The rather recent introduction of two events (the CollegeInsider.com Tourney, or CIT, and the College Basketball Invitational, or CBI) has provided more postseason slots and thus more opportunities for entries from the low-major leagues to have teams participate in tourneys other than the NCAA and NIT. Several of these loops are now sending multiple entries to the postseason, so it behooves handicappers to begin paying attention to these sides before they enter either the Big Dance, NIT, CBI, or CIT.
Many Las Vegas sports books, which routinely post numbers on several "added" conferences (Big Sky, Metro-Atlantic, Ohio Valley, Summit, SoCon), will be including prices on almost all of these minor conference tournaments as well. Note that many of the upcoming conference tournaments will also be televised (the introduction of ESPN-3, which streams on computers, has added countless more college hoops viewing opportunities and will be providing added coverage for many of the lower-rung D-I conference tourneys).
We've listed below, by conference alphabetical order, upcoming tournament specifics for those lower-profile Division I leagues. Also included are any teams that enjoy home-court tourney edges; the top contenders in each loop, noted by italics, with any clear-cut favorite or co-favorite accompanied by an *; and last season's conference results in the NCAA, NIT, CBI, and CIT. Before Selection Sunday, we'll also review how these leagues have fared in recent Big Dance action.
March Madness...it's here!
AMERICA EAST...Top 8 teams qualify. Quarterfinals, semis, and final March 6, 8, 14 at home of highest seed for each matchup. Albany enters as the top seed. UMass-Lowell remains in its transition period from Div. II and is ineligible for the conference tournament.
Top contenders - Albany*, Stony Brook, Vermont, New Hampshire.
Notes...Defending tourney champ Albany turned on the jets once conference play commenced and proceeded to run away with the regular-season crown, earning home-court edge for as long as it stays alive in this event. Coach Will Brown's Great Danes have the ability to balance the floor because of the interior scoring threat provided by 6-6 PF Sam Rowley (14.3 ppg & 53% from floor; one of two returning starters from last season), which prevents foes from ganging up on Gs Peter Hooley (13.7 ppg) and 6-2 juco sparkplug Evan Singletary (12.7 ppg). Albany also didn't allow an A-E foe to crack the 70-point barrier until Vermont did it in the final regular-season game.
Stony Brook was the only league rep to beat the Great Danes (and did so on the road) and was good enough to win at Washington in pre-league play when the Huskies were still undefeated and ranked just outside of the national top ten. Beastly 6-8, 260-lb. jr. C Jameel Warney ranks among the nation's rebound leaders (5th at 11.5 pg) and recently exploded for a 32-point, 18-rebound stat line against Hartford. Warney's presence has helped the Seawolves to the nation's No. 4 ranking in rebound margin (+8.8 rpg). Puncher's chances go to Vermont, whose airtight defense allows only 57.6 ppg (ranking 13th nationally), and New Hampshire, which played Albany to the wire in both regular-season meetings, losing by 1 and 2 points, respectively.
Last year...NCAA - Albany lost vs. Florida, 67-55. NIT - Vermont lost at Georgia, 63-56. CBI - Stony Brook lost to Siena, 66-55.
ATLANTIC SUN...Tourney March 3-8 at homecourts of higher seeds. Florida Gulf Coast is the top seed.
Top contenders - North Florida, Florida Gulf Coast, South Carolina-Upstate.
Notes...By virtue of last week's 76-62 win over FGCU in Jacksonville, North Florida has earned home-court edge in the A-Sun Tourney. The Ospreys were flying down the stretch, winning five straight to close the regular-season and catch Gulf Coast, relying on a balanced lineup featuring four DD scorers, led by soph G Dallas Moore (15.4 ppg). UNF can be very hard to beat when its triples are falling, as the Ospreys hovered near 40% beyond the arc all season and rank 20th nationally in three-point accuracy (39.6%). Everyone in the lineup can step back and hit 3s. FGCU still has some of the remnants of Andy Enfield's "Dunk City" team that made a longshot run to the Sweet 16 two years ago and made it to the NIT last season for HC Joey Dooley. Senior Gs Bernard Thompson (13.6 ppg) and Brett Comer (12.4 ppg) both played key roles in the unexpected run for Enfield two years ago.
USC-Upstate should at least return to another minor postseason event after winning 21 games this season following advancement to the CIT last March. Note that the Spartans beat North Florida in both regular-season meetings, won at Georgia Tech in pre-league play, and possess the Sun's top scorer in sr. G Ty Greene (20.1 ppg).
Last year...NCAA - Mercer won vs. Duke, 78-71; lost vs. Tennessee, 83-63. NIT - FGCU lost at Florida State, 58-53. CIT - East Tennessee State won vs. Chattanooga, 79-66; lost vs. Towson, 63-60; USC-Upsate lost vs. Towson, 63-60.
BIG SKY...Tourney March 12-14 at home of regular-season champion, unless that happens to be Sacramento State, which will not be able to host at its home Hornet's Nest Gym (capacity 1200) because of size limitations. If Sac State wins the Sky, the tourney could be held at any of three other locations, including the Reno Events Center, San Joaquin Delta College, or McClellan Park Gym. Top eight teams qualify.
Top contenders - Sac State, Eastern Washington, Montana, Northern Arizona.
Notes...The Sky's regular-season race remains up for grabs into the final games this weekend. Note that Sky notched a couple of eye-opening non-league wins before New Year's when Eastern Washington won at Indiana and Northern Arizona won at Saint Mary's. For most of the season, regional observers have regarded EWU as the team to beat, with G Tyler Harvey (22.8 ppg) leading the nation in scoring and PF Venky Jois (16.8 ppg) providing the interior scoring threat for the Eagles, who shoot almost 48% from the floor. But seasoned Sac State, with four seniors and a junior in a starting lineup that returned all five starters from a year ago for HC Brian Katz, has stayed near the top of the table all season. The Hornets have a crackling backcourt led by Gs Mikh McKinney (19 ppg), Dylan Garrity (13.6 ppg), and defensive stopper Cody Demps, shoots even better from the floor (48.4%; ranks 13th) than EWU, and also hits 40.5% beyond the arc (ranks 6th).
Montana has been a pleasant surprise for first-year HC and alum Travis DeCuire, who returned only one regular starter, G Jordan Gregory, now scoring a Grizzlies-best 17.2 ppg, but has also been able to benefit from former Washington and juco transfer PF Martin Breuning, a German import who has emerged as an interior force (16.9 ppg). The darkhorse to watch is Jack Murphy's NAU, which has been able to win on the road this season and can play a variety of different styles, but would prefer to run with a pair of former jucos, slashing wing Quinton Upshur (14.6 ppg) and go-go G Aaseem Dixon (12.6 ppg), while 6-4 soph G Kris Yanku has emerged as a difficult matchup and has been on a scoring tear (20.8 ppg last five) in recent weeks. Perennial contender Weber State still has to qualify for the event, and appears unlikely to make a late run with top scorer G Jeremy Senglin (15.4 ppg) currently out with a jaw injury.
Last year...NCAA - Weber State lost vs. Arizona, 68-59. CIT - North Dakota lost at UN-Omaha, 91-75; Northern Colorado lost vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 82-71; Portland State lost at San Diego, 87-65.
BIG SOUTH...Tourney March 4-8 at HTC Center, Conway, SC (home court of Coastal Carolina Chanticleers). The top five finishers receive byes into the quarterfinals; seeds 6 thru 11 compete in a play-in round.
Top contenders - High Point, Coastal Carolina, Charleston Southern, Radford, Winthrop, Gardner-Webb, UNC-Asheville.
Notes...Absolutely wide-open event with the top seven teams separated by just three games in the league standings, which is similar to the logjam a season ago when Cliff Ellis' Chants of Coastal Carolina took advantage of the Myrtle Beach locale to win this event before giving No. 1 regional seed Virginia a mighty scare in the Big Dance sub-regionals. Ellis is back with a similar-looking team with four starters from a year ago, featuring a well-balanced, guard-heavy offense with four DD scorers led by sr. G Josh Cameron (13.2 ppg). The "wow" factor in the loop belongs to Scott Cherry's High Point and its highlight-reel 6-8 F John Brown (18.6 ppg), an ACC-caliber recruit whose windmill dunks have been featured on ESPN Sports Center and who has NBA scouts flocking to the Point. Cherry is also on the coaching radar of several higher-profile suitors likely to come calling after the season (many believe he ends up at George Mason, where he once coached under Jim Larranaga). But the Panthers have lost twice to Coastal Carolina, blowing a big lead at this venue on Feb. 6.
Charleston Southern also just dumped the Point in 3 OTs last Saturday to tie for the reg.-season title, and is regarded as a co-favorite with electrifying league high scorer Saah Nimley (21.5 ppg), a 5'8 bundle of energy who has scored 30 ppg over his last four outings. Gardner-Webb, with high-scoring F Jerome Hill (19.1 ppg), and UNC-Asheville, with explosive G Andrew Rowsey (18.9 ppg; lit up High Point for 39 last week), cannot be dismissed, while Winthrop boasts of one of the nation's top three-point threats in G Keon Moore (3.24 triples pg ranks 6th nationally).
Last year...NCAA - Coastal Carolina lost vs. Virginia, 70-59. NIT-High Point lost at Minnesota, 88-81. CBI - Radford won at Oregon State, 96-92; lost at Old Dominion, 82-59. CIT - VMI won at Canisius, 111-100; won vs. IPFW, 106-95; won at Ohio, 92-90; lost vs. Yale, 92-75.
METRO ATLANTIC...Tourney March 5-9 at Trans Union Center, Albany, NY. The top five seeds get byes in the first round; games will pit 6 vs. 11, 7 vs. 10, and 8 vs. 9, with winners advancing to quarterfinal round.
Top contenders - Iona, Rider, Manhattan, Monmouth.
Notes...Iona enters Albany as the top seed, but the Gaels have not been stretching many margins against MAAC foes, with most league wins by single-digit margins and with no spread covers in their last four. They're also off a loss at St. Peter's in Sunday's regular-season finale. But HC Tim Cluess has navigated through this event several times before, and Iona is once again among the nation's highest scoring teams (79.6 ppg ranks 7th). Four DD scorers include F David Laury (20.1 ppg), G A.J. English (19.5 ppg), and frosh firecracker G Schadrac Casimir (15.2 ppg and 43.8% beyond the arc), who pace the league's most-explosive outfit. Rider might be the hottest Metro-Atlantic entry, with wins in 7 of its last 8 games, and the Broncs have kept winning in recent weeks despite the absence of 6-11 C Matt Lopez, a Utah State transfer and leading scorer at 12.3 ppg...but apparently not yet missed.
Most regional observers believe the Manhattan Jaspers and entertaining HC Steve "Mini Vince Vaughn" Masiello have a shot at replicating last year's tourney upset if top scorer F Emmy Andujar (16.5 ppg) continues to get scoring help from G Ashton Pankey, hitting 56% from the floor over the past five games. King Rice's Monmouth played Iona very tough, winning once and losing by a point on the other occasion, and presents an interesting backcourt contrast with mini 5'8 G Justin Washington (13.4 ppg) and big 6-6 G Deon Jones (17.5 ppg last six). If a longshot is to emerge in Albany, most regional sources are warning about HC John Dunne's defense-tough St. Peter's, off of that Sunday upset over the Gaels.
Last year...NCAA - Manhattan lost vs. Louisville, 71-64. NIT - Iona lost at La Tech, 89-88. CIT - Canisius lost vs. VMI, 111-100; Quinnipiac lost at Yale, 69-68. CBI - Siena (champs) won vs. Stony Brook, 66-55; won vs. Penn State, 54-52; won vs. Illinois State, 61-49; won at Fresno State, 61-57; lost vs. Fresno State, 89-75; won vs. Fresno State, 81-68.
MEAC...Tourney March 9-14 at The Scope, Norfolk, VA (not the home court of Norfolk State, which plays its games at Echols Hall); First round pits seeds 5 vs. 12, 6 vs. 11, 7 vs. 10, and 8 vs. 9; winners advance to quarterfinals, and so forth. Florida A&M is ineligible due to APR penalties.
Top contenders - NC Central*, Norfolk State, Maryland-Eastern Shore.
Notes... Like last year when winning this event and advancing to the Big Dance, Levelle Moton's NC Central is the clear favorite entering Norfolk next week, as the Eagles have lost just one league game over the past two seasons (and none yet in the 2014-15 campaign). Only two starters are back from last year's NCAA team, but NCC has been able to benefit from former reserve 6-7 F Jordan Parks, scoring 14.3 ppg and shooting 63.4% from the floor, plus transfer Gs Anthony McDonald (via Mississippi Valley State; 12.9 ppg) and well-traveled all-name Nimrod Hilliard (via South Dakota and Lamar; 11.0 ppg), plus Florida Gulf Coast transfer Dante Holmes (10.6 pgp). The Eagles shoot better than 49% from the floor and are clear favorites in Norfolk. If any team is to challenge, perhaps it will be hometown Norfolk State, with a potent scoring combo of 6-4 G Jeffrey Short (19.3 ppg) & rugged 6-9 PF RaShid Gaston (15.3 ppg & 9.65 rpg), and within four of NCC on Jan. 17. UMES also might be worth watching with its dynamic duo of 6-8 juco F Mike "SNL" Myers (16.2 ppg) and 6-4 combo G Devin Martin (14.2 ppg).
Last year...NCAA - North Carolina Central lost vs. Iowa State, 93-75. CBI - Hampton lost at Penn State, 69-65. CIT - Norfolk State lost at Eastern Michigan, 58-54.
NORTHEAST...Quarterfinals March 4, semis March 7, final March 10, all at home of highest seed.
Top contenders - St. Francis (NY), Robert Morris, Bryant, Mount Saint Mary's.
Notes...The Big Apple might have another NCAA Tourney entrant in Brooklyn-based St. Francis, which emerged as the team to beat in the NE Tourney when running away with the regular-season title. All after beginning the season with five straight losses. The Terriers start no one taller than 6'6 but get a lot of mileage from workhorse PF Jalen Cannon (16.5 ppg & 10.2 rpg), though Cannon played only ten minutes in the regular-season finale vs. Bryant, a game SFC lost by 10, ending its 9-game win streak. Barring Cannon's absence, the Terriers still rate as the favorite in this event. But that result gives Bryant and explosive sr. G Dyami Starks (18.5 ppg) some confidence heading into the conference tourney. Of course, we never want to dismiss the home team of the Pittsburgh Airport, Robert Morris, which has been to the postseason numerous times under HC Andy Toole and won at SFC on Jan. 24. The recent return to active duty of all-name sr. F Lucky Jones (14 ppg) is a boost for the Colonials.
Last year...NCAA - Mount Saint Mary's lost play-in game vs. Albany, 71-64. NIT - Robert Morris won at St. John's, 89-78; lost at Belmont, 82-71.
OHIO VALLEY...Tourney March 4-7 at Municipal Auditorium, Nashville, TN (not the home court of Nashville-based Tennessee State, which plays its games at the Gentry Complex, or Nashville-based Belmont, which plays its games at the Mike Curb Events Center).
Top contenders - Murray State*, UT-Martin, Eastern Kentucky, Belmont, Morehead State.
Notes...Steve Prohm's Murray State enters this week's tourney with the longest non-Kentucky win streak in the country (24 games), the last 16 of those vs. OVC foes. Postseason-savvy after last year's run to the CIT title, and with four starters back from that team, the Racers have the most efficient and effective attack in the Valley, led by soph G Cameron Payne (20.2 ppg) and an offense that scores 78.8 ppg (ranks 13th), hits 48.3% from the floor (ranks 16th), and 39% beyond the arc. But keep in mind that the Racers enter the postseason having covered just 3 of their last 10 vs. the line. On their best night, the UT-Martin Skyhawks, coached by former Wyoming HC Heath Schroyer, have proven they can be a handful. (Note the UNLV connection at Martin, where Skyhawk AD Julio Friere was asst. AD, and from where he brought Schroyer from the Dave Rice staff, and from where Schroyer brought transfer G "Coupe" Deville Smith. scoring a UTM-best 14 ppg).
EKU was an upset winner in this event last season and recently got top scorer G Corey Walden (18.6 ppg; scored 35 last Saturday vs. Tennessee Tech) back from injury, while hometown Belmont and HC Rick Byrd, with several previous Big Dance visits, cannot be dismissed, especially with jr. G Craig Bradshaw (17.8 ppg) still in the fold. If looking for a longshot, perhaps take a peek at SE Missouri State, close in most of its losses and with one of the OVC's most-dangerous threats in versatile 6-5 swingman Jarekious Bradley (15.9 ppg; scored 28 in last Saturday's romp past Austin Peay).
Last Year...NCAA - Eastern Kentucky lost vs. Kansas, 80-69. NIT - Belmont won at Green Bay, 80-65; won vs. Robert Morris, 82-71; lost at Clemson, 73-68. CBI - Morehead State lost at Illinois State, 77-67. CIT - Murray State (champs) won at Missouri State, 66-63; won vs. UN-Omaha, 86-62; won vs. Towson, 85-73; won vs. Pacific, 98-75; won vs. Yale, 65-57.
PATRIOT...Tourney March 3, 5, 8, 11 all at home of higher seeds. Top four seeds receive byes in first round.
Top contenders - Bucknell, Colgate, Lehigh.
Notes...Most in the region figured Lafayette or Holy Cross would be the teams to beat in the Patriot this season, but instead it was the alma mater of CBS head honcho Les Moonves, Bucknell, emerging from nowhere to steal the regular-season crown and earn top seed in the conference tourney. Though, upon inspection, competitive losses to Villanova, Penn State, and Wake Forest in pre-league play hinted that the Bison were better than their 5-8 SU non-Patriot record. Bucknell (38.9% triples) can shoot it from deep, though top scorer G Chris Hass (15.4 ppg) has gone stone cold in a handful of recent games. The Bison are not untouchable. Colgate also took its lumps in a bumpy 3-10 non-conference SU ride, but its collection of sharpshooters hits 48.4% from the floor (15th nationally) and almost 40% beyond the arc. Looming ominously is preseason favorite Lafayette, sitting at mid-table at the conclusion of the season but with the most-explosive offense in the league (73.8 ppg and 40.2% beyond the arc), though it's 6-9 Aussie Dan Trist (17.7 ppg and 58% from floor while working solely near the bucket) that differentiates the Leopards from other contenders.
Last Year...NCAA - American lost vs. Wisconsin, 75-35. NIT - Boston U lost vs. Illinois, 66-62. CIT - Holy Cross won at Brown, 68-65; lost vs. Yale, 71-66.
SOUTHERN...Tourney March 6-9 at U.S. Cellular Center, Asheville, NC.
Top contenders - Wofford, Chattanooga, Mercer, ETSU.
Notes...Defending conference tourney champ Wofford no longer had Davidson (off to the A-10) to worry about this season and quickly took charge of the league race. Vet HC Mike Young has taken several Terrier teams to the Dance, and the current version once again spins around savvy sr. G Karl Cochran (15 ppg), with jr. backcourt mate Spencer Collins often providing needed relief (such as Collins' 26-point effort in last week's crucial win at Mercer). Wofford, however, needs to be wary of stretch-running Chattanooga, coached by former Shaka Smart VCU aide Will Wade, who is going to be on many short lists of higher-profile schools looking for a coach in the offseason. The well-balanced Mighty Mocs won at Wofford on Feb. 12 and enter Greenville on a 6-game SU win streak. At 6'5, jr. G Casey Jones is a matchup headache and leads UTC at 14.2 ppg, with three others also averaging double-digit scoring. Mercer is over this season from the A-Sun, from where it qualified for the Dance and beat Duke a year ago, and vet HC Bob Hoffman also took the Bears to the CIT title a few years ago. All new starters this season, but Mercer remains a tough out with its deliberate style and solid defense.
Last year...NCAA - Wofford lost vs. Michigan, 57-40. NIT - Davidson lost at Missouri, 85-77. CIT - Chattanooga lost at East Tennessee (then a member of the Atlantic Sun), 79-66.
SOUTHLAND...Tourney March 11-14 at Merrell Center, Katy, TX. Central Arkansas, Houston Baptist, and Lamar are all ineligible for the postseason due to APR penalties.
Top contenders - Stephen F. Austin*, Sam Houston State, Northwestern State, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
Notes...SFA and Sam Houston are once again the top seeds in this event, and the Lumberjacks need no introduction after making some noise in the Big Dance last March when upsetting VCU in the sub-regionals at San Diego. Coach Brad Underwood, a onetime Frank Martin aide, has a deadly-shooting team that hits 49.1% from the floor (7th best nationally) and three starters, including LY's Southland MVP Jacob Parker, still in the fold from the noisemakers of last March. Note that SFA took highly-ranked Northern Iowa into OT at Cedar Falls in November. Sam Houston gets another crack at the Lumberjacks in the regular-season finale on Saturday, and the Bearkats like to do it with defense, allowing only 58.4 ppg (ranks 16th). The team Southland onlookers are keeping an eye on is dangerous Corpus Christi, the only league rep to beat SFA over the past two seasons (the Islanders turned the trick on Feb. 14) and for good measure having dumped Sam Houston last week. AMCC, coached by former Rice HC Willis Wilson, is led by do-everything sr. G John Jordan (15.2 ppg & 5.2 apg).
Last Year...NCAA - Stephen F. Austin won vs. VCU in OT, 77-75; lost vs. UCLA, 77-60. CIT - Sam Houston State won vs. Alabama State, 71-49; lost vs. San Diego. 77-72; Texas A&M-Corpus Christi won at Northern Colorado, 82-71; lost at Pacific, 89-60.
SWAC...Tourney March 10-14 at Toyota Center, Houston, TX. Alabama State is ineligible for the postseason due to APR penalties; Southern U is ineligible for the NCAA Tournament due to failure to supply usable academic data to the NCAA, but will participate in the SWAC Tournament.
Top contenders - Texas Southern, Southern Prairie View, Jackson State.
Notes...The ineligibility of Alabama State has taken a top contender out of the league tourney. Thus, the path is paved for Texas Southern, which will have a hometown edge in the conference tourney that is being played a few miles from campus at the Houston Rockets' fancy Toyota Center. The Tigers opened some eyes in December with upset wins on the road at Michigan State and Kansas State, although this is one team that does not rely on the 3-ball, converting only 29.8% beyond the arc. The recent return of Nebraska transfer G Deverell Biggs (10.1 ppg) has given familiar HC Mike Davis his full complement of players, however, and the deepest roster in the SWAC deserves to be favored in Houston. With a 16-12 overall SU record, and with Alabama State ineligible, the Tigers are going to be the only team with a winning SU record next week at the Toyota Center.
Last year...NCAA - Texas Southern lost play-in game vs. Cal Poly, 81-69. CIT - Alabama State lost at Sam Houston State, 71-49.
SUMMIT...Tourney March 7-10 at the brand new Denny Sanford PREMIER Center, Sioux Falls, SD (not the home court of nearby, Brookings-based South Dakota State, which plays its home games at Frost Arena, or nearby, Vermillion-based South Dakota, which plays its home games at the Dakota Dome). Nebraska-Omaha remains in its transition period from Division II and is ineligible for the conference tourney, but can participate in the NIT, CBI, or CIT. The Summit League was formerly known as Mid-Continent Conference.
Top contenders - North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Oral Roberts, IPFW.
Notes...This wildly-supported event in Sioux Falls moves into the new 13,000-seat Denny Sanford PREMIER Center and promises one of the most crackling atmospheres of all postseason events. Regional observers believe there is no clear-cut favorite, though they expect the final might come down to a border war between the "States" of North Dakota and South Dakota. Both have recent NCAA Tourney pedigrees, with the Bison of NDSU having qualified a year ago (and upsetting Oklahoma in the sub-regionals), though HC Saul Phillips moved to Ohio after last season. Star Bison sr. G Lawrence Alexander (19.3 ppg) might be the top player in the loop. The teams split their regular-season meetings, though Scott Nagy's SDSU Jackrabbits enter Sioux Falls off a stunning 80-64 upset at the hands of state rival South Dakota. Oral Roberts, back in the Summit after a recent stint in the Southland, and stretch-running IPFW, which lost to NDSU in the Summit final a year ago and owns one of the most intriguing weapons in the league in 6'9, 295-lb., C Steve "Not That Steve Forbes" Forbes (13.9 ppg), should be watched closely.
Last year...NCAA - North Dakota State beat Oklahoma in OT, 80-75; lost to San Diego State, 63-44. CBI - South Dakota State lost at Old Dominion, 72-65. CIT - IPFW won vs. Akron, 97-91; lost at VMI, 106-95; UN-Omaha won vs. North Dakota, 91-75; lost at Murray State, 86-62.
WAC...Tourney March 12-14 at Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV. Grand Canyon remains in its transition period from Division II and will be ineligible for the conference tournament, but can participate in the NIT, CBI, or CIT.
Top contenders - New Mexico State*, UMKC, Seattle, CS Bakersfield.
Notes...The exception to the rule of conference tourneys, as no one shows up for this event at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas unless NMSU happens to be playing. And it should be an Aggie show once more, even with the Las Cruces bunch not as big or as formidable as recent seasons. But the rest of the league is suspect, and thus NMSU is an overwhelming favorite once more (and the WAC's only chance to have its champ avoid a 16 vs. 16 play-in game). The latest international discovery of HC Marvin Menzies, 6-9 Cameroonian frosh F Pascal Siakam (13.5 ppg; brother James plays at Vanderbilt), has emerged as a new Aggie star alongside 6-8 Parisian F Remi Barry (13.4 ppg) and 6-4 Canadian skywalker Daniel Mullings (13.2 ppg), back after missing more than a month due to injury. Cameron Dollar's Seattle U is the only WAC team to beat NMSU this season, and it would be a shocker if Menzies and the Aggies don't qualify for their fourth straight Big Dance.
Last year...NCAA - New Mexico State lost in OT vs. San Diego State, 73-69. NIT - Utah Valley lost at Cal, 77-64. CIT - Grand Canyon lost vs. Pacific, 69-67.
March 3, 2015
After recently providing a look-ahead to the postseason extravaganzas conducted by the major conferences two weeks ago, we provide a quick preview for the conference tournaments of the lower-echelon Division I leagues in this edition.
The rather recent introduction of two events (the CollegeInsider.com Tourney, or CIT, and the College Basketball Invitational, or CBI) has provided more postseason slots and thus more opportunities for entries from the low-major leagues to have teams participate in tourneys other than the NCAA and NIT. Several of these loops are now sending multiple entries to the postseason, so it behooves handicappers to begin paying attention to these sides before they enter either the Big Dance, NIT, CBI, or CIT.
Many Las Vegas sports books, which routinely post numbers on several "added" conferences (Big Sky, Metro-Atlantic, Ohio Valley, Summit, SoCon), will be including prices on almost all of these minor conference tournaments as well. Note that many of the upcoming conference tournaments will also be televised (the introduction of ESPN-3, which streams on computers, has added countless more college hoops viewing opportunities and will be providing added coverage for many of the lower-rung D-I conference tourneys).
We've listed below, by conference alphabetical order, upcoming tournament specifics for those lower-profile Division I leagues. Also included are any teams that enjoy home-court tourney edges; the top contenders in each loop, noted by italics, with any clear-cut favorite or co-favorite accompanied by an *; and last season's conference results in the NCAA, NIT, CBI, and CIT. Before Selection Sunday, we'll also review how these leagues have fared in recent Big Dance action.
March Madness...it's here!
AMERICA EAST...Top 8 teams qualify. Quarterfinals, semis, and final March 6, 8, 14 at home of highest seed for each matchup. Albany enters as the top seed. UMass-Lowell remains in its transition period from Div. II and is ineligible for the conference tournament.
Top contenders - Albany*, Stony Brook, Vermont, New Hampshire.
Notes...Defending tourney champ Albany turned on the jets once conference play commenced and proceeded to run away with the regular-season crown, earning home-court edge for as long as it stays alive in this event. Coach Will Brown's Great Danes have the ability to balance the floor because of the interior scoring threat provided by 6-6 PF Sam Rowley (14.3 ppg & 53% from floor; one of two returning starters from last season), which prevents foes from ganging up on Gs Peter Hooley (13.7 ppg) and 6-2 juco sparkplug Evan Singletary (12.7 ppg). Albany also didn't allow an A-E foe to crack the 70-point barrier until Vermont did it in the final regular-season game.
Stony Brook was the only league rep to beat the Great Danes (and did so on the road) and was good enough to win at Washington in pre-league play when the Huskies were still undefeated and ranked just outside of the national top ten. Beastly 6-8, 260-lb. jr. C Jameel Warney ranks among the nation's rebound leaders (5th at 11.5 pg) and recently exploded for a 32-point, 18-rebound stat line against Hartford. Warney's presence has helped the Seawolves to the nation's No. 4 ranking in rebound margin (+8.8 rpg). Puncher's chances go to Vermont, whose airtight defense allows only 57.6 ppg (ranking 13th nationally), and New Hampshire, which played Albany to the wire in both regular-season meetings, losing by 1 and 2 points, respectively.
Last year...NCAA - Albany lost vs. Florida, 67-55. NIT - Vermont lost at Georgia, 63-56. CBI - Stony Brook lost to Siena, 66-55.
ATLANTIC SUN...Tourney March 3-8 at homecourts of higher seeds. Florida Gulf Coast is the top seed.
Top contenders - North Florida, Florida Gulf Coast, South Carolina-Upstate.
Notes...By virtue of last week's 76-62 win over FGCU in Jacksonville, North Florida has earned home-court edge in the A-Sun Tourney. The Ospreys were flying down the stretch, winning five straight to close the regular-season and catch Gulf Coast, relying on a balanced lineup featuring four DD scorers, led by soph G Dallas Moore (15.4 ppg). UNF can be very hard to beat when its triples are falling, as the Ospreys hovered near 40% beyond the arc all season and rank 20th nationally in three-point accuracy (39.6%). Everyone in the lineup can step back and hit 3s. FGCU still has some of the remnants of Andy Enfield's "Dunk City" team that made a longshot run to the Sweet 16 two years ago and made it to the NIT last season for HC Joey Dooley. Senior Gs Bernard Thompson (13.6 ppg) and Brett Comer (12.4 ppg) both played key roles in the unexpected run for Enfield two years ago.
USC-Upstate should at least return to another minor postseason event after winning 21 games this season following advancement to the CIT last March. Note that the Spartans beat North Florida in both regular-season meetings, won at Georgia Tech in pre-league play, and possess the Sun's top scorer in sr. G Ty Greene (20.1 ppg).
Last year...NCAA - Mercer won vs. Duke, 78-71; lost vs. Tennessee, 83-63. NIT - FGCU lost at Florida State, 58-53. CIT - East Tennessee State won vs. Chattanooga, 79-66; lost vs. Towson, 63-60; USC-Upsate lost vs. Towson, 63-60.
BIG SKY...Tourney March 12-14 at home of regular-season champion, unless that happens to be Sacramento State, which will not be able to host at its home Hornet's Nest Gym (capacity 1200) because of size limitations. If Sac State wins the Sky, the tourney could be held at any of three other locations, including the Reno Events Center, San Joaquin Delta College, or McClellan Park Gym. Top eight teams qualify.
Top contenders - Sac State, Eastern Washington, Montana, Northern Arizona.
Notes...The Sky's regular-season race remains up for grabs into the final games this weekend. Note that Sky notched a couple of eye-opening non-league wins before New Year's when Eastern Washington won at Indiana and Northern Arizona won at Saint Mary's. For most of the season, regional observers have regarded EWU as the team to beat, with G Tyler Harvey (22.8 ppg) leading the nation in scoring and PF Venky Jois (16.8 ppg) providing the interior scoring threat for the Eagles, who shoot almost 48% from the floor. But seasoned Sac State, with four seniors and a junior in a starting lineup that returned all five starters from a year ago for HC Brian Katz, has stayed near the top of the table all season. The Hornets have a crackling backcourt led by Gs Mikh McKinney (19 ppg), Dylan Garrity (13.6 ppg), and defensive stopper Cody Demps, shoots even better from the floor (48.4%; ranks 13th) than EWU, and also hits 40.5% beyond the arc (ranks 6th).
Montana has been a pleasant surprise for first-year HC and alum Travis DeCuire, who returned only one regular starter, G Jordan Gregory, now scoring a Grizzlies-best 17.2 ppg, but has also been able to benefit from former Washington and juco transfer PF Martin Breuning, a German import who has emerged as an interior force (16.9 ppg). The darkhorse to watch is Jack Murphy's NAU, which has been able to win on the road this season and can play a variety of different styles, but would prefer to run with a pair of former jucos, slashing wing Quinton Upshur (14.6 ppg) and go-go G Aaseem Dixon (12.6 ppg), while 6-4 soph G Kris Yanku has emerged as a difficult matchup and has been on a scoring tear (20.8 ppg last five) in recent weeks. Perennial contender Weber State still has to qualify for the event, and appears unlikely to make a late run with top scorer G Jeremy Senglin (15.4 ppg) currently out with a jaw injury.
Last year...NCAA - Weber State lost vs. Arizona, 68-59. CIT - North Dakota lost at UN-Omaha, 91-75; Northern Colorado lost vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 82-71; Portland State lost at San Diego, 87-65.
BIG SOUTH...Tourney March 4-8 at HTC Center, Conway, SC (home court of Coastal Carolina Chanticleers). The top five finishers receive byes into the quarterfinals; seeds 6 thru 11 compete in a play-in round.
Top contenders - High Point, Coastal Carolina, Charleston Southern, Radford, Winthrop, Gardner-Webb, UNC-Asheville.
Notes...Absolutely wide-open event with the top seven teams separated by just three games in the league standings, which is similar to the logjam a season ago when Cliff Ellis' Chants of Coastal Carolina took advantage of the Myrtle Beach locale to win this event before giving No. 1 regional seed Virginia a mighty scare in the Big Dance sub-regionals. Ellis is back with a similar-looking team with four starters from a year ago, featuring a well-balanced, guard-heavy offense with four DD scorers led by sr. G Josh Cameron (13.2 ppg). The "wow" factor in the loop belongs to Scott Cherry's High Point and its highlight-reel 6-8 F John Brown (18.6 ppg), an ACC-caliber recruit whose windmill dunks have been featured on ESPN Sports Center and who has NBA scouts flocking to the Point. Cherry is also on the coaching radar of several higher-profile suitors likely to come calling after the season (many believe he ends up at George Mason, where he once coached under Jim Larranaga). But the Panthers have lost twice to Coastal Carolina, blowing a big lead at this venue on Feb. 6.
Charleston Southern also just dumped the Point in 3 OTs last Saturday to tie for the reg.-season title, and is regarded as a co-favorite with electrifying league high scorer Saah Nimley (21.5 ppg), a 5'8 bundle of energy who has scored 30 ppg over his last four outings. Gardner-Webb, with high-scoring F Jerome Hill (19.1 ppg), and UNC-Asheville, with explosive G Andrew Rowsey (18.9 ppg; lit up High Point for 39 last week), cannot be dismissed, while Winthrop boasts of one of the nation's top three-point threats in G Keon Moore (3.24 triples pg ranks 6th nationally).
Last year...NCAA - Coastal Carolina lost vs. Virginia, 70-59. NIT-High Point lost at Minnesota, 88-81. CBI - Radford won at Oregon State, 96-92; lost at Old Dominion, 82-59. CIT - VMI won at Canisius, 111-100; won vs. IPFW, 106-95; won at Ohio, 92-90; lost vs. Yale, 92-75.
METRO ATLANTIC...Tourney March 5-9 at Trans Union Center, Albany, NY. The top five seeds get byes in the first round; games will pit 6 vs. 11, 7 vs. 10, and 8 vs. 9, with winners advancing to quarterfinal round.
Top contenders - Iona, Rider, Manhattan, Monmouth.
Notes...Iona enters Albany as the top seed, but the Gaels have not been stretching many margins against MAAC foes, with most league wins by single-digit margins and with no spread covers in their last four. They're also off a loss at St. Peter's in Sunday's regular-season finale. But HC Tim Cluess has navigated through this event several times before, and Iona is once again among the nation's highest scoring teams (79.6 ppg ranks 7th). Four DD scorers include F David Laury (20.1 ppg), G A.J. English (19.5 ppg), and frosh firecracker G Schadrac Casimir (15.2 ppg and 43.8% beyond the arc), who pace the league's most-explosive outfit. Rider might be the hottest Metro-Atlantic entry, with wins in 7 of its last 8 games, and the Broncs have kept winning in recent weeks despite the absence of 6-11 C Matt Lopez, a Utah State transfer and leading scorer at 12.3 ppg...but apparently not yet missed.
Most regional observers believe the Manhattan Jaspers and entertaining HC Steve "Mini Vince Vaughn" Masiello have a shot at replicating last year's tourney upset if top scorer F Emmy Andujar (16.5 ppg) continues to get scoring help from G Ashton Pankey, hitting 56% from the floor over the past five games. King Rice's Monmouth played Iona very tough, winning once and losing by a point on the other occasion, and presents an interesting backcourt contrast with mini 5'8 G Justin Washington (13.4 ppg) and big 6-6 G Deon Jones (17.5 ppg last six). If a longshot is to emerge in Albany, most regional sources are warning about HC John Dunne's defense-tough St. Peter's, off of that Sunday upset over the Gaels.
Last year...NCAA - Manhattan lost vs. Louisville, 71-64. NIT - Iona lost at La Tech, 89-88. CIT - Canisius lost vs. VMI, 111-100; Quinnipiac lost at Yale, 69-68. CBI - Siena (champs) won vs. Stony Brook, 66-55; won vs. Penn State, 54-52; won vs. Illinois State, 61-49; won at Fresno State, 61-57; lost vs. Fresno State, 89-75; won vs. Fresno State, 81-68.
MEAC...Tourney March 9-14 at The Scope, Norfolk, VA (not the home court of Norfolk State, which plays its games at Echols Hall); First round pits seeds 5 vs. 12, 6 vs. 11, 7 vs. 10, and 8 vs. 9; winners advance to quarterfinals, and so forth. Florida A&M is ineligible due to APR penalties.
Top contenders - NC Central*, Norfolk State, Maryland-Eastern Shore.
Notes... Like last year when winning this event and advancing to the Big Dance, Levelle Moton's NC Central is the clear favorite entering Norfolk next week, as the Eagles have lost just one league game over the past two seasons (and none yet in the 2014-15 campaign). Only two starters are back from last year's NCAA team, but NCC has been able to benefit from former reserve 6-7 F Jordan Parks, scoring 14.3 ppg and shooting 63.4% from the floor, plus transfer Gs Anthony McDonald (via Mississippi Valley State; 12.9 ppg) and well-traveled all-name Nimrod Hilliard (via South Dakota and Lamar; 11.0 ppg), plus Florida Gulf Coast transfer Dante Holmes (10.6 pgp). The Eagles shoot better than 49% from the floor and are clear favorites in Norfolk. If any team is to challenge, perhaps it will be hometown Norfolk State, with a potent scoring combo of 6-4 G Jeffrey Short (19.3 ppg) & rugged 6-9 PF RaShid Gaston (15.3 ppg & 9.65 rpg), and within four of NCC on Jan. 17. UMES also might be worth watching with its dynamic duo of 6-8 juco F Mike "SNL" Myers (16.2 ppg) and 6-4 combo G Devin Martin (14.2 ppg).
Last year...NCAA - North Carolina Central lost vs. Iowa State, 93-75. CBI - Hampton lost at Penn State, 69-65. CIT - Norfolk State lost at Eastern Michigan, 58-54.
NORTHEAST...Quarterfinals March 4, semis March 7, final March 10, all at home of highest seed.
Top contenders - St. Francis (NY), Robert Morris, Bryant, Mount Saint Mary's.
Notes...The Big Apple might have another NCAA Tourney entrant in Brooklyn-based St. Francis, which emerged as the team to beat in the NE Tourney when running away with the regular-season title. All after beginning the season with five straight losses. The Terriers start no one taller than 6'6 but get a lot of mileage from workhorse PF Jalen Cannon (16.5 ppg & 10.2 rpg), though Cannon played only ten minutes in the regular-season finale vs. Bryant, a game SFC lost by 10, ending its 9-game win streak. Barring Cannon's absence, the Terriers still rate as the favorite in this event. But that result gives Bryant and explosive sr. G Dyami Starks (18.5 ppg) some confidence heading into the conference tourney. Of course, we never want to dismiss the home team of the Pittsburgh Airport, Robert Morris, which has been to the postseason numerous times under HC Andy Toole and won at SFC on Jan. 24. The recent return to active duty of all-name sr. F Lucky Jones (14 ppg) is a boost for the Colonials.
Last year...NCAA - Mount Saint Mary's lost play-in game vs. Albany, 71-64. NIT - Robert Morris won at St. John's, 89-78; lost at Belmont, 82-71.
OHIO VALLEY...Tourney March 4-7 at Municipal Auditorium, Nashville, TN (not the home court of Nashville-based Tennessee State, which plays its games at the Gentry Complex, or Nashville-based Belmont, which plays its games at the Mike Curb Events Center).
Top contenders - Murray State*, UT-Martin, Eastern Kentucky, Belmont, Morehead State.
Notes...Steve Prohm's Murray State enters this week's tourney with the longest non-Kentucky win streak in the country (24 games), the last 16 of those vs. OVC foes. Postseason-savvy after last year's run to the CIT title, and with four starters back from that team, the Racers have the most efficient and effective attack in the Valley, led by soph G Cameron Payne (20.2 ppg) and an offense that scores 78.8 ppg (ranks 13th), hits 48.3% from the floor (ranks 16th), and 39% beyond the arc. But keep in mind that the Racers enter the postseason having covered just 3 of their last 10 vs. the line. On their best night, the UT-Martin Skyhawks, coached by former Wyoming HC Heath Schroyer, have proven they can be a handful. (Note the UNLV connection at Martin, where Skyhawk AD Julio Friere was asst. AD, and from where he brought Schroyer from the Dave Rice staff, and from where Schroyer brought transfer G "Coupe" Deville Smith. scoring a UTM-best 14 ppg).
EKU was an upset winner in this event last season and recently got top scorer G Corey Walden (18.6 ppg; scored 35 last Saturday vs. Tennessee Tech) back from injury, while hometown Belmont and HC Rick Byrd, with several previous Big Dance visits, cannot be dismissed, especially with jr. G Craig Bradshaw (17.8 ppg) still in the fold. If looking for a longshot, perhaps take a peek at SE Missouri State, close in most of its losses and with one of the OVC's most-dangerous threats in versatile 6-5 swingman Jarekious Bradley (15.9 ppg; scored 28 in last Saturday's romp past Austin Peay).
Last Year...NCAA - Eastern Kentucky lost vs. Kansas, 80-69. NIT - Belmont won at Green Bay, 80-65; won vs. Robert Morris, 82-71; lost at Clemson, 73-68. CBI - Morehead State lost at Illinois State, 77-67. CIT - Murray State (champs) won at Missouri State, 66-63; won vs. UN-Omaha, 86-62; won vs. Towson, 85-73; won vs. Pacific, 98-75; won vs. Yale, 65-57.
PATRIOT...Tourney March 3, 5, 8, 11 all at home of higher seeds. Top four seeds receive byes in first round.
Top contenders - Bucknell, Colgate, Lehigh.
Notes...Most in the region figured Lafayette or Holy Cross would be the teams to beat in the Patriot this season, but instead it was the alma mater of CBS head honcho Les Moonves, Bucknell, emerging from nowhere to steal the regular-season crown and earn top seed in the conference tourney. Though, upon inspection, competitive losses to Villanova, Penn State, and Wake Forest in pre-league play hinted that the Bison were better than their 5-8 SU non-Patriot record. Bucknell (38.9% triples) can shoot it from deep, though top scorer G Chris Hass (15.4 ppg) has gone stone cold in a handful of recent games. The Bison are not untouchable. Colgate also took its lumps in a bumpy 3-10 non-conference SU ride, but its collection of sharpshooters hits 48.4% from the floor (15th nationally) and almost 40% beyond the arc. Looming ominously is preseason favorite Lafayette, sitting at mid-table at the conclusion of the season but with the most-explosive offense in the league (73.8 ppg and 40.2% beyond the arc), though it's 6-9 Aussie Dan Trist (17.7 ppg and 58% from floor while working solely near the bucket) that differentiates the Leopards from other contenders.
Last Year...NCAA - American lost vs. Wisconsin, 75-35. NIT - Boston U lost vs. Illinois, 66-62. CIT - Holy Cross won at Brown, 68-65; lost vs. Yale, 71-66.
SOUTHERN...Tourney March 6-9 at U.S. Cellular Center, Asheville, NC.
Top contenders - Wofford, Chattanooga, Mercer, ETSU.
Notes...Defending conference tourney champ Wofford no longer had Davidson (off to the A-10) to worry about this season and quickly took charge of the league race. Vet HC Mike Young has taken several Terrier teams to the Dance, and the current version once again spins around savvy sr. G Karl Cochran (15 ppg), with jr. backcourt mate Spencer Collins often providing needed relief (such as Collins' 26-point effort in last week's crucial win at Mercer). Wofford, however, needs to be wary of stretch-running Chattanooga, coached by former Shaka Smart VCU aide Will Wade, who is going to be on many short lists of higher-profile schools looking for a coach in the offseason. The well-balanced Mighty Mocs won at Wofford on Feb. 12 and enter Greenville on a 6-game SU win streak. At 6'5, jr. G Casey Jones is a matchup headache and leads UTC at 14.2 ppg, with three others also averaging double-digit scoring. Mercer is over this season from the A-Sun, from where it qualified for the Dance and beat Duke a year ago, and vet HC Bob Hoffman also took the Bears to the CIT title a few years ago. All new starters this season, but Mercer remains a tough out with its deliberate style and solid defense.
Last year...NCAA - Wofford lost vs. Michigan, 57-40. NIT - Davidson lost at Missouri, 85-77. CIT - Chattanooga lost at East Tennessee (then a member of the Atlantic Sun), 79-66.
SOUTHLAND...Tourney March 11-14 at Merrell Center, Katy, TX. Central Arkansas, Houston Baptist, and Lamar are all ineligible for the postseason due to APR penalties.
Top contenders - Stephen F. Austin*, Sam Houston State, Northwestern State, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
Notes...SFA and Sam Houston are once again the top seeds in this event, and the Lumberjacks need no introduction after making some noise in the Big Dance last March when upsetting VCU in the sub-regionals at San Diego. Coach Brad Underwood, a onetime Frank Martin aide, has a deadly-shooting team that hits 49.1% from the floor (7th best nationally) and three starters, including LY's Southland MVP Jacob Parker, still in the fold from the noisemakers of last March. Note that SFA took highly-ranked Northern Iowa into OT at Cedar Falls in November. Sam Houston gets another crack at the Lumberjacks in the regular-season finale on Saturday, and the Bearkats like to do it with defense, allowing only 58.4 ppg (ranks 16th). The team Southland onlookers are keeping an eye on is dangerous Corpus Christi, the only league rep to beat SFA over the past two seasons (the Islanders turned the trick on Feb. 14) and for good measure having dumped Sam Houston last week. AMCC, coached by former Rice HC Willis Wilson, is led by do-everything sr. G John Jordan (15.2 ppg & 5.2 apg).
Last Year...NCAA - Stephen F. Austin won vs. VCU in OT, 77-75; lost vs. UCLA, 77-60. CIT - Sam Houston State won vs. Alabama State, 71-49; lost vs. San Diego. 77-72; Texas A&M-Corpus Christi won at Northern Colorado, 82-71; lost at Pacific, 89-60.
SWAC...Tourney March 10-14 at Toyota Center, Houston, TX. Alabama State is ineligible for the postseason due to APR penalties; Southern U is ineligible for the NCAA Tournament due to failure to supply usable academic data to the NCAA, but will participate in the SWAC Tournament.
Top contenders - Texas Southern, Southern Prairie View, Jackson State.
Notes...The ineligibility of Alabama State has taken a top contender out of the league tourney. Thus, the path is paved for Texas Southern, which will have a hometown edge in the conference tourney that is being played a few miles from campus at the Houston Rockets' fancy Toyota Center. The Tigers opened some eyes in December with upset wins on the road at Michigan State and Kansas State, although this is one team that does not rely on the 3-ball, converting only 29.8% beyond the arc. The recent return of Nebraska transfer G Deverell Biggs (10.1 ppg) has given familiar HC Mike Davis his full complement of players, however, and the deepest roster in the SWAC deserves to be favored in Houston. With a 16-12 overall SU record, and with Alabama State ineligible, the Tigers are going to be the only team with a winning SU record next week at the Toyota Center.
Last year...NCAA - Texas Southern lost play-in game vs. Cal Poly, 81-69. CIT - Alabama State lost at Sam Houston State, 71-49.
SUMMIT...Tourney March 7-10 at the brand new Denny Sanford PREMIER Center, Sioux Falls, SD (not the home court of nearby, Brookings-based South Dakota State, which plays its home games at Frost Arena, or nearby, Vermillion-based South Dakota, which plays its home games at the Dakota Dome). Nebraska-Omaha remains in its transition period from Division II and is ineligible for the conference tourney, but can participate in the NIT, CBI, or CIT. The Summit League was formerly known as Mid-Continent Conference.
Top contenders - North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Oral Roberts, IPFW.
Notes...This wildly-supported event in Sioux Falls moves into the new 13,000-seat Denny Sanford PREMIER Center and promises one of the most crackling atmospheres of all postseason events. Regional observers believe there is no clear-cut favorite, though they expect the final might come down to a border war between the "States" of North Dakota and South Dakota. Both have recent NCAA Tourney pedigrees, with the Bison of NDSU having qualified a year ago (and upsetting Oklahoma in the sub-regionals), though HC Saul Phillips moved to Ohio after last season. Star Bison sr. G Lawrence Alexander (19.3 ppg) might be the top player in the loop. The teams split their regular-season meetings, though Scott Nagy's SDSU Jackrabbits enter Sioux Falls off a stunning 80-64 upset at the hands of state rival South Dakota. Oral Roberts, back in the Summit after a recent stint in the Southland, and stretch-running IPFW, which lost to NDSU in the Summit final a year ago and owns one of the most intriguing weapons in the league in 6'9, 295-lb., C Steve "Not That Steve Forbes" Forbes (13.9 ppg), should be watched closely.
Last year...NCAA - North Dakota State beat Oklahoma in OT, 80-75; lost to San Diego State, 63-44. CBI - South Dakota State lost at Old Dominion, 72-65. CIT - IPFW won vs. Akron, 97-91; lost at VMI, 106-95; UN-Omaha won vs. North Dakota, 91-75; lost at Murray State, 86-62.
WAC...Tourney March 12-14 at Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV. Grand Canyon remains in its transition period from Division II and will be ineligible for the conference tournament, but can participate in the NIT, CBI, or CIT.
Top contenders - New Mexico State*, UMKC, Seattle, CS Bakersfield.
Notes...The exception to the rule of conference tourneys, as no one shows up for this event at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas unless NMSU happens to be playing. And it should be an Aggie show once more, even with the Las Cruces bunch not as big or as formidable as recent seasons. But the rest of the league is suspect, and thus NMSU is an overwhelming favorite once more (and the WAC's only chance to have its champ avoid a 16 vs. 16 play-in game). The latest international discovery of HC Marvin Menzies, 6-9 Cameroonian frosh F Pascal Siakam (13.5 ppg; brother James plays at Vanderbilt), has emerged as a new Aggie star alongside 6-8 Parisian F Remi Barry (13.4 ppg) and 6-4 Canadian skywalker Daniel Mullings (13.2 ppg), back after missing more than a month due to injury. Cameron Dollar's Seattle U is the only WAC team to beat NMSU this season, and it would be a shocker if Menzies and the Aggies don't qualify for their fourth straight Big Dance.
Last year...NCAA - New Mexico State lost in OT vs. San Diego State, 73-69. NIT - Utah Valley lost at Cal, 77-64. CIT - Grand Canyon lost vs. Pacific, 69-67.
WCC Betting Notebook
March 4, 2015
WEST COAST CONFERENCE
Date: March 6-10
Venue: Orleans Arena
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
SCHEDULE
Friday, March 6
Game 1 - San Francisco vs. Pacific
Game 2 - Santa Clara vs. Loyola Marymount
Saturday, March 7
Game 3 - Saint Mary's vs. Portland
Game 4 - Pepperdine vs. San Diego
Game 5 - Gonzaga vs. Game 1 Winner
Game 6 - BYU vs. Game 2 Winner
Monday, March 9
Game 7 - Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner
Game 8 - Game 3 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner
Tuesday, March 10
Championship - Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8
TECH NOTES:
-- Favs 7-1 w/revenge… dogs > 8 pts off DD ATS win are 7-2 ATS…
-- Favs 9-3 off BB SU losses…
-- DD favorites 0-7 ATS off BB SUATS wins…
-- DD favs 0-6 off ATS loss… dogs < 4 pts are 1-6 ATS vs opp w/revenge…
-- #3 seeds are 9-1 SU & 8-2 ATS as favorites 5 > points…
-- #4 seed dogs are 2-10 ATS…
-- #5 seeds are 11-3 ATS as favorites < 14 pts… #7 seeds are 0-6 ATS off a SU win…
-- #8 seed dogs are 4-12 ATS.
PROJECTED FINAL FOUR: Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s, BYU, Pepperdine
THE WAY WE SEE IT: Mighty GONZAGA has cut down the nets 11 of the last 14 years in this tourney while arriving to the title game all fourteen times in the process. The Zags’ 30-4 SU record all-time in this tourney speaks volumes and they are once again the team to beat as they continue their surge to earn a top seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Aside from being the most accurate shooting team in the nation, the Zags also rank in the Top 20 in 3-point shooting, defensive field percentage and rebounding. One note of caution, though: the Bulldogs are just 4-8 ATS as favorites of 12 or more points in this tourney, including 0-3 the last three...
Like Gonzaga, SAINT MARY’S has become a fixture in the finals of the WCC tournament, playing for the title five of the last six years while winning two championships in the process. And like the Zags, Mary is a glass cleaner with a +6.9 rebound margin. Good news for the Gaels: they are 13-1 SU and 10-3-1 ATS versus No. 3 or lower seeds in this tourney. The bad news: 1-8 SUATS versus No. 1 seeds...
BYU is playing its best ball of the season while dominating weaker opponents away from Provo this year, going 7-1 SU/ATS. The larger task at hand, though, will be overcoming a 1-12 ATS run of late in this tourney, including a 0-8 ATS record in games when not favored...
PEPPERDINE was the biggest spread-winner in the loop this season (17-8-1 ATS at press time, including 6-0 ATS as puppies of more than 5 points). The Wave is also riding a 22-9 ATS skein away from Malibu the past two seasons, including 14-3 ATS when playing off a win. We’ll continue to ride them here.
THE SLEEPER: SAN FRANCISCO
The Dons move back into their annual ‘sleeper’ slot thanks in large part to head coach Rex Walters and his dominating 92-62 ATS career mark in conference games, including 7-3 ATS in this tourney with Frisco. The Dons are also 12-6 ATS away from the city of Rice-a-Roni versus .666 or greater foes the last five seasons, including 3-0 ATS in this tourney. Now that’s a San Francisco treat.
KEY TOURNEY BEST BET: PLAY ON LOYOLA MARYMOUNT, PACIFIC, SAN FRANCISCO AND SANTA CLARA VERSUS BYU
The Lions, Tigers, Dons and Broncos each fell twice to the Cougars this season, setting up an inspired revenge scenario. That’s because BYU is 0-7 ATS in its last seven conference tourney contests against foes seeking same-season double revenge-exact (not to mention the Mormons’ overall struggles in this tourney). Once again, we’re betting the Tabernacle Choir is not capable of pulling the hat trick against any of these entries in this tournament.
March 4, 2015
WEST COAST CONFERENCE
Date: March 6-10
Venue: Orleans Arena
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
SCHEDULE
Friday, March 6
Game 1 - San Francisco vs. Pacific
Game 2 - Santa Clara vs. Loyola Marymount
Saturday, March 7
Game 3 - Saint Mary's vs. Portland
Game 4 - Pepperdine vs. San Diego
Game 5 - Gonzaga vs. Game 1 Winner
Game 6 - BYU vs. Game 2 Winner
Monday, March 9
Game 7 - Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner
Game 8 - Game 3 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner
Tuesday, March 10
Championship - Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8
TECH NOTES:
-- Favs 7-1 w/revenge… dogs > 8 pts off DD ATS win are 7-2 ATS…
-- Favs 9-3 off BB SU losses…
-- DD favorites 0-7 ATS off BB SUATS wins…
-- DD favs 0-6 off ATS loss… dogs < 4 pts are 1-6 ATS vs opp w/revenge…
-- #3 seeds are 9-1 SU & 8-2 ATS as favorites 5 > points…
-- #4 seed dogs are 2-10 ATS…
-- #5 seeds are 11-3 ATS as favorites < 14 pts… #7 seeds are 0-6 ATS off a SU win…
-- #8 seed dogs are 4-12 ATS.
PROJECTED FINAL FOUR: Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s, BYU, Pepperdine
THE WAY WE SEE IT: Mighty GONZAGA has cut down the nets 11 of the last 14 years in this tourney while arriving to the title game all fourteen times in the process. The Zags’ 30-4 SU record all-time in this tourney speaks volumes and they are once again the team to beat as they continue their surge to earn a top seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Aside from being the most accurate shooting team in the nation, the Zags also rank in the Top 20 in 3-point shooting, defensive field percentage and rebounding. One note of caution, though: the Bulldogs are just 4-8 ATS as favorites of 12 or more points in this tourney, including 0-3 the last three...
Like Gonzaga, SAINT MARY’S has become a fixture in the finals of the WCC tournament, playing for the title five of the last six years while winning two championships in the process. And like the Zags, Mary is a glass cleaner with a +6.9 rebound margin. Good news for the Gaels: they are 13-1 SU and 10-3-1 ATS versus No. 3 or lower seeds in this tourney. The bad news: 1-8 SUATS versus No. 1 seeds...
BYU is playing its best ball of the season while dominating weaker opponents away from Provo this year, going 7-1 SU/ATS. The larger task at hand, though, will be overcoming a 1-12 ATS run of late in this tourney, including a 0-8 ATS record in games when not favored...
PEPPERDINE was the biggest spread-winner in the loop this season (17-8-1 ATS at press time, including 6-0 ATS as puppies of more than 5 points). The Wave is also riding a 22-9 ATS skein away from Malibu the past two seasons, including 14-3 ATS when playing off a win. We’ll continue to ride them here.
THE SLEEPER: SAN FRANCISCO
The Dons move back into their annual ‘sleeper’ slot thanks in large part to head coach Rex Walters and his dominating 92-62 ATS career mark in conference games, including 7-3 ATS in this tourney with Frisco. The Dons are also 12-6 ATS away from the city of Rice-a-Roni versus .666 or greater foes the last five seasons, including 3-0 ATS in this tourney. Now that’s a San Francisco treat.
KEY TOURNEY BEST BET: PLAY ON LOYOLA MARYMOUNT, PACIFIC, SAN FRANCISCO AND SANTA CLARA VERSUS BYU
The Lions, Tigers, Dons and Broncos each fell twice to the Cougars this season, setting up an inspired revenge scenario. That’s because BYU is 0-7 ATS in its last seven conference tourney contests against foes seeking same-season double revenge-exact (not to mention the Mormons’ overall struggles in this tourney). Once again, we’re betting the Tabernacle Choir is not capable of pulling the hat trick against any of these entries in this tournament.
MVC Betting Notebook
March 4, 2015
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE
Date: March 5-8
Venue: Scottrade Cente
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
SCHEDULE
Thursday, March 5
Game 1 - No. 8 Missouri State vs. No. 9 Southern Illinois
Game 2 - No. 7 Drake vs. No. 10 Bradley
Friday, March 6
Game 3 - No. 1 Wichita State vs. Winner Game 1
Game 4 - No. 4 Illinois State vs.. No. 5 Evansville
Game 5 - No. 2 UNI vs. Winner Game 2
Game 6 - No. 3 Indiana State vs. No. 6 Loyola
Saturday, March 7
Game 7 - Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4
Game 8 - Winner Game 5 vs Winner Game 6
Sunday, March 8
Championship - Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8
TECH NOTES:
-- Teams 3-0 SUATS last 3 games are 10-4 ATS off SU dog win…
-- Higher-seeded favorites are 81-10 SU & 57-32-2 ATS in first round games (no Donkey games)…
-- 11-3 off DD SU win vs opp off DD SU win w/revenge…
-- Teams off BB SU losses are 1-7 ATS w/revenge vs opp off BB SU wins…
-- 2-10 off DD SU win vs opp off DD SU loss…
-- DD dogs are 4-11 ATS off SU dog win…
-- #1 seeds are 18-5-1 ATS w/3+ days rest but only 1-6 ATS as dogs…
-- #2 seeds are 29-7 SU & 22-14 ATS since 2002 and 27-14 ATS as dogs or favorites of < 6 points since 1991…
-- #6 seeds are 4-24 SU…
-- #7 seeds are 3-11 off SU loss and 13-21-1 ATS L35 games overall (4-11 L15 ATS as favorites)…
-- #9 seeds are 1-6 ATS when 3-0 SUATS L3 games and 1-5-1 ATS as DD dogs.
PROJECTED FINAL FOUR: Wichita State, Northern Iowa, Evansville, Illinois State
THE WAY WE SEE IT: WICHITA STATE is the reigning king of the Valley and Greg Marshall’s troops put on a crowning performance last season, taking a perfect 35-0 record into the Final Four before tasting defeat for the first time. And while there was a serious lack of competition in the MVC last season, the Shockers certainly earned their stripes. They will, however, carry a gigantic bulls-eye on their backs this go-round but you can’t dismiss a 35-1 SU mark in conference games at press time the past two seasons. Is a third straight 30-win season in the offing? Perhaps, but it should be noted that, until last season, the last time Wichie had won this tournament was back in 1987...
NORTHERN IOWA more than lived up to its billing when the 5-returning starter Panthers battled Wichita State down to the final game for conference honors this campaign. An offensive powerhouse, UNI ranked No. 13 in offensive field goal percentage and No. 16 in 3-point accuracy in the nation this season. And they also lost only one game against the spread away from home this season at press time. Color them super-dangerous...
EVANSVILLE lived up to its preseason expectations (picked to finish 4th in the loop this year) and will be looking to earn its 20th win of the campaign in this tourney. The Aces will need to be all-in if they wish to reverse past failures (10-20-1 ATS, including 2-13-1 ATS versus No. 4 or higher seeds) in this tournament...
ILLINOIS STATE dominated .750 or weaker opposition this season, winning 17 of 22 games, but faltered against better foes, going just 1-6. The Redbirds have rewarded backers in this tourney the past three seasons with a 4-2 ATS wining effort.
THE SLEEPER: INDIANA STATE
The Sycamores more than held their own against sub .700 opposition this season, sporting a 12-6 SU and 10-7 ATS mark, including 4-1 ATS as a dog. They’ve also been a highly credible 8-5 SUATS in this tourney dating back to 2009. Watch and see whether head coach Greg Lansing’s 7-2 SUATS mark in games when seeking revenge from a same-season loss of more than 10 points comes into play should they hook Wichita State.
KEY TOURNEY BEST BET: PLAY ON THE NO. 1 SEED IN GAME ONE
The simple fact of the matter is numbers don’t lie. Not when the top seed in this tourney is a staggering 24-0 SU and 18-5-1 ATS in its opening game. Enough said.
March 4, 2015
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE
Date: March 5-8
Venue: Scottrade Cente
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
SCHEDULE
Thursday, March 5
Game 1 - No. 8 Missouri State vs. No. 9 Southern Illinois
Game 2 - No. 7 Drake vs. No. 10 Bradley
Friday, March 6
Game 3 - No. 1 Wichita State vs. Winner Game 1
Game 4 - No. 4 Illinois State vs.. No. 5 Evansville
Game 5 - No. 2 UNI vs. Winner Game 2
Game 6 - No. 3 Indiana State vs. No. 6 Loyola
Saturday, March 7
Game 7 - Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4
Game 8 - Winner Game 5 vs Winner Game 6
Sunday, March 8
Championship - Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8
TECH NOTES:
-- Teams 3-0 SUATS last 3 games are 10-4 ATS off SU dog win…
-- Higher-seeded favorites are 81-10 SU & 57-32-2 ATS in first round games (no Donkey games)…
-- 11-3 off DD SU win vs opp off DD SU win w/revenge…
-- Teams off BB SU losses are 1-7 ATS w/revenge vs opp off BB SU wins…
-- 2-10 off DD SU win vs opp off DD SU loss…
-- DD dogs are 4-11 ATS off SU dog win…
-- #1 seeds are 18-5-1 ATS w/3+ days rest but only 1-6 ATS as dogs…
-- #2 seeds are 29-7 SU & 22-14 ATS since 2002 and 27-14 ATS as dogs or favorites of < 6 points since 1991…
-- #6 seeds are 4-24 SU…
-- #7 seeds are 3-11 off SU loss and 13-21-1 ATS L35 games overall (4-11 L15 ATS as favorites)…
-- #9 seeds are 1-6 ATS when 3-0 SUATS L3 games and 1-5-1 ATS as DD dogs.
PROJECTED FINAL FOUR: Wichita State, Northern Iowa, Evansville, Illinois State
THE WAY WE SEE IT: WICHITA STATE is the reigning king of the Valley and Greg Marshall’s troops put on a crowning performance last season, taking a perfect 35-0 record into the Final Four before tasting defeat for the first time. And while there was a serious lack of competition in the MVC last season, the Shockers certainly earned their stripes. They will, however, carry a gigantic bulls-eye on their backs this go-round but you can’t dismiss a 35-1 SU mark in conference games at press time the past two seasons. Is a third straight 30-win season in the offing? Perhaps, but it should be noted that, until last season, the last time Wichie had won this tournament was back in 1987...
NORTHERN IOWA more than lived up to its billing when the 5-returning starter Panthers battled Wichita State down to the final game for conference honors this campaign. An offensive powerhouse, UNI ranked No. 13 in offensive field goal percentage and No. 16 in 3-point accuracy in the nation this season. And they also lost only one game against the spread away from home this season at press time. Color them super-dangerous...
EVANSVILLE lived up to its preseason expectations (picked to finish 4th in the loop this year) and will be looking to earn its 20th win of the campaign in this tourney. The Aces will need to be all-in if they wish to reverse past failures (10-20-1 ATS, including 2-13-1 ATS versus No. 4 or higher seeds) in this tournament...
ILLINOIS STATE dominated .750 or weaker opposition this season, winning 17 of 22 games, but faltered against better foes, going just 1-6. The Redbirds have rewarded backers in this tourney the past three seasons with a 4-2 ATS wining effort.
THE SLEEPER: INDIANA STATE
The Sycamores more than held their own against sub .700 opposition this season, sporting a 12-6 SU and 10-7 ATS mark, including 4-1 ATS as a dog. They’ve also been a highly credible 8-5 SUATS in this tourney dating back to 2009. Watch and see whether head coach Greg Lansing’s 7-2 SUATS mark in games when seeking revenge from a same-season loss of more than 10 points comes into play should they hook Wichita State.
KEY TOURNEY BEST BET: PLAY ON THE NO. 1 SEED IN GAME ONE
The simple fact of the matter is numbers don’t lie. Not when the top seed in this tourney is a staggering 24-0 SU and 18-5-1 ATS in its opening game. Enough said.
NCAAB
Thursday, March 5
March Madness is NOW! Betting this week's NCAAB conference tournaments
For those that think March Madness doesn’t begin until the selection committee has their say on that tense Sunday in mid-March, we say “WRONG”.
The official and oft-forgotten kickoff to the NCAA postseason begins this week when 13 mid-major conferences open their respective conference tournaments. Starting Tuesday, these leagues will fill out the first outright selections of the national tournament and, along the way, likely burst the bubble of a few major conference programs on the NCAA fringe.
Chances are you haven’t paid attention to these little leagues during the course of the season, since many of their games go without odds. Hell, you may not know some of them even existed. So we’re giving you a head start when it comes to capping these conference tournaments, pointing out the favorites, value underdog bets and live long shots to win.
America East (March 4, 8, 14)
Favorite: Albany Great Danes (21-8, 15-1) – With the America East a campus-sites tournament – no host school – Albany has home court to the finals. The Great Danes give up just 59 points per game at home – ninth lowest in the country.
Underdog: Stony Brook Seawolves (21-10, 12-4) – The lone conference blemish on Albany’s resume comes courtesy of the Seawolves, who ride a six-game winning streak into the postseason. Momentum is worth its weight in gold come March.
Long Shot: New Hampshire Wildcats (18-11, 11-5) – The Wildcats lost twice to Albany by a combined three points and have a win over Stony Brook. New Hampshire can knock down the 3-pointer and defend against it – two very key stats for playoff basketball.
Atlantic Sun (March 3-8)
Favorite: North Florida Ospreys -130 (20-11, 12-2) – North Florida gets home-court throughout this tournament, and can pile on the points in a hurry – averaging 83 points per home game (fifth in the country). It won both meetings with Florida Gulf Coast, who many pick to win this tournament.
Underdog: Florida Gulf Coast Eagles +270 (21-9, 11-3) – The Eagles stumbled at the end of the year with two straight losses. Florida Gulf Coast is known more for its defense (39.1 FG% def) then the high-flying offense it wowed the nation with two years ago.
Long shot: South Carolina Upstate Spartans +370 (21-10, 8-6) – North Florida’s two conference losses came to the Spartans, who also played FGCU tough. South Carolina Upstate has a plus-5.4 scoring margin and the conference’s top scorer Ty Greene, who dropped 39 on North Florida and 31 on FGCU.
Big South (March 3-8)
Favorite: Charleston Southern Buccaneers (19-10, 13-5) – The Buccaneers locked up the No. 1 seed with a thrilling triple-overtime win against High Point Saturday. Charleston Southern can fill it up at home (averaging 80 points) and lives by the 3-pointer, and dies by the 3-pointer (27.4 3-pt attempts – second most).
Underdog: Radford Highlanders (21-10, 12-6) – Radford grabbed the No. 4 seed with a win in its season finale. The Highlanders have two wins over High Point and a road win at Charleston and boast a deep rotation with seven players averaging 5.9 points or more.
Long shot: Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs (18-13, 10-8) – The Bulldogs managed to win 18 games despite being ranked among the worst defensive programs in the country (74.2 points against). Gardner-Webb has been able to overwhelm the top teams in the conference with its explosive offense (75.1 points per game).
Colonial Athletic Association (March 6-9)
Favorite: James Madison Dukes +1,000 (19-12, 12-6) – Even though the Dukes are ranked No. 4 in the conference tournament, they take six wins in their last seven games (5-2 ATS) into the postseason. That momentum separates them from a deadlocked pack at the top of the conference. William & Mary are +200 faves to win the Colonial at the Superbook in Las Vegas but dropped three of its last five games of the season. The CAA is much more wide open than the odds would indicate.
Underdog: NC Wilmington Seahawks +600 (17-12, 12-6) – The Seahawks crapped the bed in the season finale, losing to Elon but has knocked off Northeastern and James Madison in recent weeks and sits No. 2 in the tournament seeding, and will play a banged-up Drexel team (missing CAA leading scorer Damion Lee) or a 8-23 College of Charleston squad.
Long shot: Elon Phoenix +1,200 (14-17, 6-12) – Elon came on late in the season with three straight wins to finish up, beating Northeastern and UNCW in that span. The Phoenix also beat No. 1-seed William & Mary earlier this year, who they will likely face in Round 2 of the CAA tournament.
Horizon League (March 3-10)
Favorite: Valparaiso Crusaders EVEN (26-5, 13-3) – Since Valpo won the league, it gets to host the tournament - a sweet deal for a team that went 13-1 at home. The Crusaders don’t budge much on defense and don’t give away second looks at the basket either, allowing just 7.5 offensive rebounds per game.
Underdog: Green Bay Phoenix +150 (23-7, 12-4) – Seeded No. 2, Green Bay avoided a potential meeting with Cleveland State in the semifinals (lost both games to the Vikings). The Phoenix won the regular season title last year but were upset in the opener. They’ll be cautious of a letdown this time around.
Long shot: Detroit Titans +350 (14-17, 7-9) – Detroit is sitting No. 5 in the tournament and no one ahead of them wants them to advance. The Titans have victories over Valparaiso, Cleveland State, and Oakland and was competitive in February with a 5-2 ATS record. Detroit is a dangerous 3-point threat at 39.1 percent in league games.
Metro Atlantic Athletic (March 5-9)
Favorite: Iona Gaels +120 (24-7, 17-3) – The Gaels can light up the scoreboard with an offense that posts 79.6 points per game – seventh in the country. Iona did, however, lay an egg in the season finale to St. Peter’s, marking the fourth straight game the Gaels have failed to cover.
Underdog: Rider Broncs +500 (21-10, 15-5) – Rider was one of the best bets during the regular season, going 17-9 ATS in its 26 lined games. The Broncs had a strong true road record at 11-4 and played some heavyweights in Kansas and Michigan State early in the year.
Long shot: Niagara Purple Eagles +300 (8-21, 7-13) – The Purple Eagles picked up half their wins in the final four games of the season, including a win over Rider, holding opponents to about 40 percent shooting. Niagara also played Iona to a one-point game, losing 80-79 at home. Momentum breeds upsets.
Missouri Valley Conference (March 5-8)
Favorite: Wichita State Shockers -300 (27-3, 17-1) – Wichita State is going dancing regardless of their tournament turnout. Wichita State proved it was top dog in the MVC with a convincing win over Northern Iowa and has covered in five straight heading into the postseason.
Underdog: Northern Iowa Panthers +250 (27-3, 16-2) – While UNI’s record is very close to WSU, Saturday’s 14-point defeat to the Shockers showed how much space is really between these programs. The Panthers give up just 54.6 points per game – fourth lowest in the country – and seemingly have an easier side of the bracket.
Long shot: Illinois State Redbirds +800 (15-15, 11-7) – With ranked rivals above them in the standings, Illinois State is giving great value in the MVC tournament. The Redbirds bring a four-game winning streak into the postseason and covered in both losses to Wichita State.
Northeast Conference (March 5,8,11)
Favorite: St. Francis (NY) Terriers (21-10, 15-3) – The Terriers limp into the postseason off a loss and a slim overtime victory in their final two games of the schedule. St. Francis has home court throughout the tournament, losing just one conference game in front of its fans.
Underdog: Robert Morris Colonials (16-14, 12-6) – Robert Morris takes a three-game roll into the tournament and was the lone Northeast team to come out of Peter Aquilone Court in Brooklyn with a victory. Rodney Pryor is playing the best basketball in the conference averaging 25.5 points in the last four games.
Long shot: Sacred Heart Pioneers (15-16, 9-9) – Sacred Heart closed the campaign with back-to-back wins and went 6-2 in its last eight games of the schedule. The Pioneers love to push the tempo, averaging 73.4 points on 72.3 possessions per game – running the 20th fastest tempo in college hoops.
Ohio Valley Conference (March 4-7)
Favorite: Murray State Racers -125 (26-4, 16-0) – The Racers were perfect in conference play but all that could be for nothing if Murray State can’t get the job done in the postseason. The Racers can put up the points - 78.8 per game – but do have flaws on defense and at the charity stripe.
Underdog: Belmont Bruins +260 (19-10, 11-5) – The Bruins earned the No. 3 seed in the tournament thanks to a late-season push that won four straight, including a victory over Eastern Kentucky. Belmont can also fill the stats sheet but hasn’t been its best away from home.
Long shot: Morehead State Eagles +260 (15-16, 10-6) – Morehead State also brings momentum into the postseason with three wins in a row. Those victories did come against the bottom half of the OVC East, but the Eagles have a swarming defense that turns mistakes into easy offense – forcing a league-high 14.9 turnovers per game.
Patriot League (March 3,5,8,11)
Favorite: Colgate Raiders +270 (15-16, 12-6) – Colgate finished as the No. 2 seed but has five wins in its last seven games, and those two losses have come by a combined three points. The Raiders also won both meetings with No. 1 Bucknell (+165) this season. This team can bring the rain from downtown, averaging 7.8 3-pointers per game on 40.2 percent shooting – ninth best in the country.
Underdog: Lehigh Mountain Hawks +425 (16-13, 10-8) – Lehigh takes on American U in Round 2, a team it beat in its last meeting, then would likely face Colgate in the semifinal. The Mountain Hawks have given the Raiders a tough go in their two clashes, and have a convincing win over No. 1 Bucknell. It could happen for the No. 3 seed.
Long shot: Lafayette Leopards +500 (17-12, 9-9) – The Leopards are dead eyes from downtown, shooting 40.3 percent from distance and knocking down almost eight 3-pointers per game. Lafayette ranks 26th in scoring at 75 points per game and took down Bucknell, Colgate and Lehigh this season.
Southern Conference (March 6-9)
Favorite: Wofford Terriers -125 (25-6, 16-2) – Wofford runs a very methodical offense, sucking almost every second off the shot clock. That’s helped the Terriers limit opponents to just 59.9 points per game. They bring a five-game winning streak into the postseason, going 4-1 ATS in that span.
Underdog: Chattanooga Mocs +300 (22-9, 15-3) – The Mocs run at a much quicker tempo than their Southern rivals, scoring 72.8 points per game. They won their last meeting at home versus Wofford and boast four players averaging double figures.
Long shot: Samford Bulldogs +1,500 (13-18, 6-12) – Samford has a tough slate of schedule to finish the season, playing five of its final seven games on the road. The Bulldogs went 3-4 in that span with a 5-2 ATS mark. Samford has a freshman star in Christen Cunningham, who is playing his best ball of the season.
Summit League (March 7-10)
Favorite: South Dakota State -110 /North Dakota State +500 (21-9, 12-4/20-9, 12-4) – Nearly identical records from these rivals. Since they’re seeding No. 1 and No. 2, there’s a very good chance we see them in the final. Both closed the regular season with a loss. They split the season series but No. 1 SDSU has the softer side of the bracket this March.
Underdog: Oral Roberts Golden Eagles +500 (17-13, 10-6) – Oral Roberts took a win over NDSU last week and closed with a victory over Denver. The Golden Eagles are without standout guard Korey Billbury, who was suspended at the end of the year. And while they’ve done OK without him in those two games, they will miss him in the backcourt when the postseason pressure builds.
Long shot: IUPU - Ft. Wayne Mastodons +500 (16-13, 9-7) – The Mastodons have resume wins over North and South Dakota State and come into the postseason on an 8-2 run, going 9-1 ATs in that stretch. IPFW can win with offense or lock teams down on defense.
West Coast Conference (March 5-10)
Favorite: Gonzaga Bulldogs -300 (29-2, 17-1) – The Bulldogs are coming off a loss to BYU in the season finale, which probably cost them a shot at a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. Gonzaga gets it done on both ends of the floor and that loss to the Cougars is likely a wake-up call for Mark Few’s squad.
Underdog: BYU Cougars +300 (23-8, 13-5) – The Cougars may have just punched their ticket to the Big Dance with that win over Gonzaga, and run the risk of a letdown in their opener. Brigham Young is the top scoring team in the country but doesn’t play much in the way of defense.
Long shot: Pepperdine Waves +1,000 (17-12, 10-8) – Behind the Zags, St, Mary’s and BYU, Pepperdine is playing in the shadows of those WCC heavyweights. The Waves won both games with the Cougars, knocked off the Gaels and gave the Bulldogs fits. They’ve held their last four opponents to an average of just 54 points.
Thursday, March 5
March Madness is NOW! Betting this week's NCAAB conference tournaments
For those that think March Madness doesn’t begin until the selection committee has their say on that tense Sunday in mid-March, we say “WRONG”.
The official and oft-forgotten kickoff to the NCAA postseason begins this week when 13 mid-major conferences open their respective conference tournaments. Starting Tuesday, these leagues will fill out the first outright selections of the national tournament and, along the way, likely burst the bubble of a few major conference programs on the NCAA fringe.
Chances are you haven’t paid attention to these little leagues during the course of the season, since many of their games go without odds. Hell, you may not know some of them even existed. So we’re giving you a head start when it comes to capping these conference tournaments, pointing out the favorites, value underdog bets and live long shots to win.
America East (March 4, 8, 14)
Favorite: Albany Great Danes (21-8, 15-1) – With the America East a campus-sites tournament – no host school – Albany has home court to the finals. The Great Danes give up just 59 points per game at home – ninth lowest in the country.
Underdog: Stony Brook Seawolves (21-10, 12-4) – The lone conference blemish on Albany’s resume comes courtesy of the Seawolves, who ride a six-game winning streak into the postseason. Momentum is worth its weight in gold come March.
Long Shot: New Hampshire Wildcats (18-11, 11-5) – The Wildcats lost twice to Albany by a combined three points and have a win over Stony Brook. New Hampshire can knock down the 3-pointer and defend against it – two very key stats for playoff basketball.
Atlantic Sun (March 3-8)
Favorite: North Florida Ospreys -130 (20-11, 12-2) – North Florida gets home-court throughout this tournament, and can pile on the points in a hurry – averaging 83 points per home game (fifth in the country). It won both meetings with Florida Gulf Coast, who many pick to win this tournament.
Underdog: Florida Gulf Coast Eagles +270 (21-9, 11-3) – The Eagles stumbled at the end of the year with two straight losses. Florida Gulf Coast is known more for its defense (39.1 FG% def) then the high-flying offense it wowed the nation with two years ago.
Long shot: South Carolina Upstate Spartans +370 (21-10, 8-6) – North Florida’s two conference losses came to the Spartans, who also played FGCU tough. South Carolina Upstate has a plus-5.4 scoring margin and the conference’s top scorer Ty Greene, who dropped 39 on North Florida and 31 on FGCU.
Big South (March 3-8)
Favorite: Charleston Southern Buccaneers (19-10, 13-5) – The Buccaneers locked up the No. 1 seed with a thrilling triple-overtime win against High Point Saturday. Charleston Southern can fill it up at home (averaging 80 points) and lives by the 3-pointer, and dies by the 3-pointer (27.4 3-pt attempts – second most).
Underdog: Radford Highlanders (21-10, 12-6) – Radford grabbed the No. 4 seed with a win in its season finale. The Highlanders have two wins over High Point and a road win at Charleston and boast a deep rotation with seven players averaging 5.9 points or more.
Long shot: Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs (18-13, 10-8) – The Bulldogs managed to win 18 games despite being ranked among the worst defensive programs in the country (74.2 points against). Gardner-Webb has been able to overwhelm the top teams in the conference with its explosive offense (75.1 points per game).
Colonial Athletic Association (March 6-9)
Favorite: James Madison Dukes +1,000 (19-12, 12-6) – Even though the Dukes are ranked No. 4 in the conference tournament, they take six wins in their last seven games (5-2 ATS) into the postseason. That momentum separates them from a deadlocked pack at the top of the conference. William & Mary are +200 faves to win the Colonial at the Superbook in Las Vegas but dropped three of its last five games of the season. The CAA is much more wide open than the odds would indicate.
Underdog: NC Wilmington Seahawks +600 (17-12, 12-6) – The Seahawks crapped the bed in the season finale, losing to Elon but has knocked off Northeastern and James Madison in recent weeks and sits No. 2 in the tournament seeding, and will play a banged-up Drexel team (missing CAA leading scorer Damion Lee) or a 8-23 College of Charleston squad.
Long shot: Elon Phoenix +1,200 (14-17, 6-12) – Elon came on late in the season with three straight wins to finish up, beating Northeastern and UNCW in that span. The Phoenix also beat No. 1-seed William & Mary earlier this year, who they will likely face in Round 2 of the CAA tournament.
Horizon League (March 3-10)
Favorite: Valparaiso Crusaders EVEN (26-5, 13-3) – Since Valpo won the league, it gets to host the tournament - a sweet deal for a team that went 13-1 at home. The Crusaders don’t budge much on defense and don’t give away second looks at the basket either, allowing just 7.5 offensive rebounds per game.
Underdog: Green Bay Phoenix +150 (23-7, 12-4) – Seeded No. 2, Green Bay avoided a potential meeting with Cleveland State in the semifinals (lost both games to the Vikings). The Phoenix won the regular season title last year but were upset in the opener. They’ll be cautious of a letdown this time around.
Long shot: Detroit Titans +350 (14-17, 7-9) – Detroit is sitting No. 5 in the tournament and no one ahead of them wants them to advance. The Titans have victories over Valparaiso, Cleveland State, and Oakland and was competitive in February with a 5-2 ATS record. Detroit is a dangerous 3-point threat at 39.1 percent in league games.
Metro Atlantic Athletic (March 5-9)
Favorite: Iona Gaels +120 (24-7, 17-3) – The Gaels can light up the scoreboard with an offense that posts 79.6 points per game – seventh in the country. Iona did, however, lay an egg in the season finale to St. Peter’s, marking the fourth straight game the Gaels have failed to cover.
Underdog: Rider Broncs +500 (21-10, 15-5) – Rider was one of the best bets during the regular season, going 17-9 ATS in its 26 lined games. The Broncs had a strong true road record at 11-4 and played some heavyweights in Kansas and Michigan State early in the year.
Long shot: Niagara Purple Eagles +300 (8-21, 7-13) – The Purple Eagles picked up half their wins in the final four games of the season, including a win over Rider, holding opponents to about 40 percent shooting. Niagara also played Iona to a one-point game, losing 80-79 at home. Momentum breeds upsets.
Missouri Valley Conference (March 5-8)
Favorite: Wichita State Shockers -300 (27-3, 17-1) – Wichita State is going dancing regardless of their tournament turnout. Wichita State proved it was top dog in the MVC with a convincing win over Northern Iowa and has covered in five straight heading into the postseason.
Underdog: Northern Iowa Panthers +250 (27-3, 16-2) – While UNI’s record is very close to WSU, Saturday’s 14-point defeat to the Shockers showed how much space is really between these programs. The Panthers give up just 54.6 points per game – fourth lowest in the country – and seemingly have an easier side of the bracket.
Long shot: Illinois State Redbirds +800 (15-15, 11-7) – With ranked rivals above them in the standings, Illinois State is giving great value in the MVC tournament. The Redbirds bring a four-game winning streak into the postseason and covered in both losses to Wichita State.
Northeast Conference (March 5,8,11)
Favorite: St. Francis (NY) Terriers (21-10, 15-3) – The Terriers limp into the postseason off a loss and a slim overtime victory in their final two games of the schedule. St. Francis has home court throughout the tournament, losing just one conference game in front of its fans.
Underdog: Robert Morris Colonials (16-14, 12-6) – Robert Morris takes a three-game roll into the tournament and was the lone Northeast team to come out of Peter Aquilone Court in Brooklyn with a victory. Rodney Pryor is playing the best basketball in the conference averaging 25.5 points in the last four games.
Long shot: Sacred Heart Pioneers (15-16, 9-9) – Sacred Heart closed the campaign with back-to-back wins and went 6-2 in its last eight games of the schedule. The Pioneers love to push the tempo, averaging 73.4 points on 72.3 possessions per game – running the 20th fastest tempo in college hoops.
Ohio Valley Conference (March 4-7)
Favorite: Murray State Racers -125 (26-4, 16-0) – The Racers were perfect in conference play but all that could be for nothing if Murray State can’t get the job done in the postseason. The Racers can put up the points - 78.8 per game – but do have flaws on defense and at the charity stripe.
Underdog: Belmont Bruins +260 (19-10, 11-5) – The Bruins earned the No. 3 seed in the tournament thanks to a late-season push that won four straight, including a victory over Eastern Kentucky. Belmont can also fill the stats sheet but hasn’t been its best away from home.
Long shot: Morehead State Eagles +260 (15-16, 10-6) – Morehead State also brings momentum into the postseason with three wins in a row. Those victories did come against the bottom half of the OVC East, but the Eagles have a swarming defense that turns mistakes into easy offense – forcing a league-high 14.9 turnovers per game.
Patriot League (March 3,5,8,11)
Favorite: Colgate Raiders +270 (15-16, 12-6) – Colgate finished as the No. 2 seed but has five wins in its last seven games, and those two losses have come by a combined three points. The Raiders also won both meetings with No. 1 Bucknell (+165) this season. This team can bring the rain from downtown, averaging 7.8 3-pointers per game on 40.2 percent shooting – ninth best in the country.
Underdog: Lehigh Mountain Hawks +425 (16-13, 10-8) – Lehigh takes on American U in Round 2, a team it beat in its last meeting, then would likely face Colgate in the semifinal. The Mountain Hawks have given the Raiders a tough go in their two clashes, and have a convincing win over No. 1 Bucknell. It could happen for the No. 3 seed.
Long shot: Lafayette Leopards +500 (17-12, 9-9) – The Leopards are dead eyes from downtown, shooting 40.3 percent from distance and knocking down almost eight 3-pointers per game. Lafayette ranks 26th in scoring at 75 points per game and took down Bucknell, Colgate and Lehigh this season.
Southern Conference (March 6-9)
Favorite: Wofford Terriers -125 (25-6, 16-2) – Wofford runs a very methodical offense, sucking almost every second off the shot clock. That’s helped the Terriers limit opponents to just 59.9 points per game. They bring a five-game winning streak into the postseason, going 4-1 ATS in that span.
Underdog: Chattanooga Mocs +300 (22-9, 15-3) – The Mocs run at a much quicker tempo than their Southern rivals, scoring 72.8 points per game. They won their last meeting at home versus Wofford and boast four players averaging double figures.
Long shot: Samford Bulldogs +1,500 (13-18, 6-12) – Samford has a tough slate of schedule to finish the season, playing five of its final seven games on the road. The Bulldogs went 3-4 in that span with a 5-2 ATS mark. Samford has a freshman star in Christen Cunningham, who is playing his best ball of the season.
Summit League (March 7-10)
Favorite: South Dakota State -110 /North Dakota State +500 (21-9, 12-4/20-9, 12-4) – Nearly identical records from these rivals. Since they’re seeding No. 1 and No. 2, there’s a very good chance we see them in the final. Both closed the regular season with a loss. They split the season series but No. 1 SDSU has the softer side of the bracket this March.
Underdog: Oral Roberts Golden Eagles +500 (17-13, 10-6) – Oral Roberts took a win over NDSU last week and closed with a victory over Denver. The Golden Eagles are without standout guard Korey Billbury, who was suspended at the end of the year. And while they’ve done OK without him in those two games, they will miss him in the backcourt when the postseason pressure builds.
Long shot: IUPU - Ft. Wayne Mastodons +500 (16-13, 9-7) – The Mastodons have resume wins over North and South Dakota State and come into the postseason on an 8-2 run, going 9-1 ATs in that stretch. IPFW can win with offense or lock teams down on defense.
West Coast Conference (March 5-10)
Favorite: Gonzaga Bulldogs -300 (29-2, 17-1) – The Bulldogs are coming off a loss to BYU in the season finale, which probably cost them a shot at a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. Gonzaga gets it done on both ends of the floor and that loss to the Cougars is likely a wake-up call for Mark Few’s squad.
Underdog: BYU Cougars +300 (23-8, 13-5) – The Cougars may have just punched their ticket to the Big Dance with that win over Gonzaga, and run the risk of a letdown in their opener. Brigham Young is the top scoring team in the country but doesn’t play much in the way of defense.
Long shot: Pepperdine Waves +1,000 (17-12, 10-8) – Behind the Zags, St, Mary’s and BYU, Pepperdine is playing in the shadows of those WCC heavyweights. The Waves won both games with the Cougars, knocked off the Gaels and gave the Bulldogs fits. They’ve held their last four opponents to an average of just 54 points.
NCAAB
Thursday, March 5
Five ways basketball bettors can size up NCAAB Cinderellas
Selection Sunday is less than two weeks away and college basketball bettors will be enthralled by a handful of Cinderella teams making improbable runs in the NCAA tournament. By that time though, it will be too late for said bettors to cash in on those surprise squads.
Hoops fans will look back to the regular season for signs of those teams turning the corner as contenders and wonder, “Why didn’t I see that coming?”
If you would rather be the guy saying “I told you so” and making money on those underdog runs, now is the time to start sizing up possible Cinderella teams. They can come from small mid-major leagues, like VCU in 2011, or could be under our nose the entire year in a major conference, like UConn in 2011 and again last March.
Here are a few things to look for when trying the glass slipper on a potential Cinderella team before the NCAA tournament tips off.
Non-conference success
Probable Cinderella teams can show their true colors as early as November by putting together a strong effort against non-conference foes. Many programs load up on major-conference competition in order to jack their RPI and strength of schedule, giving bettors an idea of how they’ll react against tougher and unknown opponents.
Teams playing in poor conferences that played a meaningless non-conference schedule likely will not come close to getting out of the first round. Teams like VCU (1st non-conf SOS), BYU (16th), Wofford (17th), William & Mary (47th) are potential Cinderella’s thanks to their stout non-conference calendar.
Experience and chemistry
Whether it be a roster packed with upperclassmen or past tournament success, experience is worth its weight in gold come March – especially when taking on some of the younger major-conference squads.
For instance, you can keep a close eye on Harvard (eight seniors), St. Francis (NY) (four seniors, five juniors), Charleston Southern (five seniors, five juniors), and UC Davis (four seniors, three juniors).
Defense
When talking to experts about what stands out most for potential Cinderellas, defense is the one attribute that comes up over and over again. All of them would take a lockdown defence over a potent offence any day of the week during March Madness.
One of the names being brought up is Northern Iowa out of the Missouri Valley Conference. The Panthers rank fourth in the country in points allowed (54.6), limiting opponents to just 39 percent shooting, including 31.2 percent from beyond the arc.
Momentum
The most dangerous team in the tournament is the hottest team, which we saw from UConn in 2011. Plenty of teams are rolling toward the postseason, but there could be added value behind under-the-radar streaks like Davidson winning seven in a row and BYU putting together six straight wins.
The pointspread is a great way to gauge just how well a team is playing heading into and during its conference tournament. The oddsmakers’ numbers give you an idea of the expectations on a team, and whether or not they are playing above or below that bar. The IUPU - Ft. Wayne Mastodons are long-shot contenders to win the Summit League tournament, but have covered in nine of their last 10 games (8-2 SU) heading in the postseason.
Silent superstars
The NCAA tournament has made household names out of unknown ballers. There are more and more pros coming out of smaller conferences each year. Past Cinderellas like Butler with Gordon Hayward, Davidson with Stephen Curry and Western Kentucky with Courtney Lee, have put their teams on their back come tourney time and given the favorites fits.
UC Davis has a sharp-shooting scorer in Corey Hawkins, who is averaging 20.2 points per game, BYU’s top-ranked offense is paced by Tyler Haws, who scores 0.69 points per minute, and David Laury leads an Iona attack that runs one of the fastest tempos in the country.
Thursday, March 5
Five ways basketball bettors can size up NCAAB Cinderellas
Selection Sunday is less than two weeks away and college basketball bettors will be enthralled by a handful of Cinderella teams making improbable runs in the NCAA tournament. By that time though, it will be too late for said bettors to cash in on those surprise squads.
Hoops fans will look back to the regular season for signs of those teams turning the corner as contenders and wonder, “Why didn’t I see that coming?”
If you would rather be the guy saying “I told you so” and making money on those underdog runs, now is the time to start sizing up possible Cinderella teams. They can come from small mid-major leagues, like VCU in 2011, or could be under our nose the entire year in a major conference, like UConn in 2011 and again last March.
Here are a few things to look for when trying the glass slipper on a potential Cinderella team before the NCAA tournament tips off.
Non-conference success
Probable Cinderella teams can show their true colors as early as November by putting together a strong effort against non-conference foes. Many programs load up on major-conference competition in order to jack their RPI and strength of schedule, giving bettors an idea of how they’ll react against tougher and unknown opponents.
Teams playing in poor conferences that played a meaningless non-conference schedule likely will not come close to getting out of the first round. Teams like VCU (1st non-conf SOS), BYU (16th), Wofford (17th), William & Mary (47th) are potential Cinderella’s thanks to their stout non-conference calendar.
Experience and chemistry
Whether it be a roster packed with upperclassmen or past tournament success, experience is worth its weight in gold come March – especially when taking on some of the younger major-conference squads.
For instance, you can keep a close eye on Harvard (eight seniors), St. Francis (NY) (four seniors, five juniors), Charleston Southern (five seniors, five juniors), and UC Davis (four seniors, three juniors).
Defense
When talking to experts about what stands out most for potential Cinderellas, defense is the one attribute that comes up over and over again. All of them would take a lockdown defence over a potent offence any day of the week during March Madness.
One of the names being brought up is Northern Iowa out of the Missouri Valley Conference. The Panthers rank fourth in the country in points allowed (54.6), limiting opponents to just 39 percent shooting, including 31.2 percent from beyond the arc.
Momentum
The most dangerous team in the tournament is the hottest team, which we saw from UConn in 2011. Plenty of teams are rolling toward the postseason, but there could be added value behind under-the-radar streaks like Davidson winning seven in a row and BYU putting together six straight wins.
The pointspread is a great way to gauge just how well a team is playing heading into and during its conference tournament. The oddsmakers’ numbers give you an idea of the expectations on a team, and whether or not they are playing above or below that bar. The IUPU - Ft. Wayne Mastodons are long-shot contenders to win the Summit League tournament, but have covered in nine of their last 10 games (8-2 SU) heading in the postseason.
Silent superstars
The NCAA tournament has made household names out of unknown ballers. There are more and more pros coming out of smaller conferences each year. Past Cinderellas like Butler with Gordon Hayward, Davidson with Stephen Curry and Western Kentucky with Courtney Lee, have put their teams on their back come tourney time and given the favorites fits.
UC Davis has a sharp-shooting scorer in Corey Hawkins, who is averaging 20.2 points per game, BYU’s top-ranked offense is paced by Tyler Haws, who scores 0.69 points per minute, and David Laury leads an Iona attack that runs one of the fastest tempos in the country.
