STATSYSTEMS SPORTS STAT/SHEETS, 12/2/14
NCAA COLLEGE BASKETBALL
INFORMATION WORTH BETTING ON EACH DAY
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***** Tuesday, 12/2/14 NCAACB Knowledge *****
(ALL RESULTS ATS) - Against The Spread - and most recent, unless noted otherwise. Each and every day during the 2014-15 NCAA College Basketball season we will analyze all of your daily basketball action, featuring all our Highly-Rated (Situational & Match-up) Power Trends, along with some of our Situational Analysis (Betting Systems) that pertain to some of that days match-ups. Content contained in this report remains exclusive private property of Stat/Systems Sports. Database information may not be reused or disseminated in any form without express written consent of the publisher.
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Tuesday's Notebook
•Minnesota lost only true road game 70-61 at St John's; they split pair of neutral games, beating Georgia by 4, losing to Louisville. Gophers force turnovers 27% of time (#10 in US), make just 55% from foul line. Wake Forest is 4-3 after losing to #267 Delaware State, which lost to Iona by 50 in game before that one. ACC underdogs are 7-7 versus spread.
•Pittsburgh is 3-2 versus D-I teams after losing twice in Hawai'i; young Panthers are playing sixth-slowest games in US so far, foes are making 24.7% on arc. Indiana is 5-1 but hasn't left home yet, beating SMU by 6, but losing to Eastern Washington, a bad loss. Big 14 single digit favorites are 7-9. ACC teams are 11-8 in games where spread was 5 or less points.
•Massachusetts is 5-2 after losing by hoop at Harvard Saturday, first true road game of season; Minutemen get very little from arc, force turnovers 20% of time playing #10 tempo in country. Louisiana State lost two of three in Puerto Rico, is making 25.5% from arc; Tigers' best win was over #129 Texas Tech. A-14 road teams are 6-2 if spread was in single digits.
•First true road game for youthful Syracuse (#309 in experience) that split pair of neutral court games, losing to California, beating Iowa by 3. Orange has made only 19.8% from arc (4th-worst in US). Michigan split couple of neutral court games, losing to Villanova by 5, beating Oregon. Syracuse is forcing turnovers 25% of time, but four of six games were against lesser competition.
•Illinois Stateis 3-2, losing to Utah State/Seton Hall by combined total of nine points; Redbirds turn ball over 19.6% of time; they sub a lot, which helps against Virginia Commonwealth pressure that forces turnovers 23.6% of time. Rams lost two of last three games, to Villanova/Old Dominion; four of their six games were against top 100 teams. MVC underdogs are 5-12 against spread.
•Young South Florida is 5-1 against #308 schedule; three of their last four games were decided by 3 or less points, with only loss by 3 at NC State. Bulls are making 56.7% of shots inside arc. Alabama hasn't played in a week since splitting pair in Kansas City, losing by 10 to Iowa State, winning by 5 over Arizona State. AAC underdogs are 5-10 against the spread.
•Northern Illinois beat couple stiffs, lost by 21 at Iowa last week; NIU is turning ball over 23.5% of time, making just 39.6% inside arc, 29.3% on it; they lost last three games with DePaul by 5-23-2 points. DePaul beat Stanford by 15 Sunday after losing to Lehigh. Big East single digit favorites are 5-2 versus spread. MAC single digit road underdogs are 6-2.
•Illinois is 6-0 after beating Baylor in Las Vegas Saturday; Illini makes 43.4% of its 3's, is #3 at protecting ball- their other five victims are ranked #174 or lower. 7-0 Miami won at Florida, beat Charlotte twice in three days; they've made 45.7% of 3's (#4 in US). This is first true road game for an Illinois team whose 21-game November win streak is longest in country.
•Brigham Youngis 5-2, losing two overtime games on Maui, including one to San Diego State of MWC; Cougars are making 43% of 3's, scoring 90+ points in all their wins. Utah State lost to BYU by 11-2 points last two years; young Aggies lost last two games on road (Mississippi State-UC Davis). State lacks experience but does have wins over Santa Clara and at Illinois State.
•First road game for 6-0 NC State team that beat Boise State/Richmond in last two games, both decent teams, but overall they've played schedule #290. State better not peak ahead to Saturday's ACC opener versus Wake Forest. Young Purdue team is 5-2 against #324 schedule; they lost to Kansas State by 9 on Maui, then drilled Missouri and beat BYU in overtime, a good week.
•Ohio State is 5-0 versus 12th-easiest schedule in US; Marquette is only top 200 team they've played. Buckeyes force turnovers 27.7% of time. Louisville won Pitino's 700th game last time out, an odd 45-33 win over Cleveland State; Cardinals are forcing turnovers 37.5% of time, holding teams to 19% from arc, but shoot just 24% from arc themselves.
•Middle Tennessee's three losses are by 19-18-10 points; best team they beat is #228 Northern Arizona; Blue Raiders are shooting 36.5% inside arc- they've lost seven games in row to Belmont, with five losses by 12+ points. Bruins won last six games, winning pair of road games by total of three points- they're making 39.5% of 3-pointers, 56.7% inside arc.
•Situational Trends of The Day
-- N ILLINOIS is 18-3 ATS (+14.7 Units) in road games after a game with 9 or less assists over the last 3 seasons.
The average score was N ILLINOIS 57.8, OPPONENT 64.2.
--BRADLEY is 14-2 UNDER (+11.8 Units) after a game where they failed to cover the spread over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was BRADLEY 61.4, OPPONENT 63.1.
--NC STATE is 11-2 (+17.0 Units) against the money line after a game where they failed to cover the spread over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was NC STATE 72.3, OPPONENT 66.6.
--ILLINOIS ST is 6-17 (-12.7 Units) against the 1rst half line in home games after scoring 75 points or more 2 straight games since 1997.
The average score was ILLINOIS ST 32.7, OPPONENT 32.9.
--ALABAMA is 10-0 UNDER (+10.0 Units) the 1rst half total after 2 straight games giving up 9 or less offensive rebounds over the last 3 seasons.
The average score was ALABAMA 27.0, OPPONENT 27.0.
--BRUCE WEBER is 0-11 ATS (-12.1 Units) in home games off an upset loss by 10 points or more as a favorite in all games he has coached since 1997.
The average score was WEBER 71.6, OPPONENT 67.0.
•Matchup Trends of The Day
--MIDDLE TENN ST is 0-8 ATS (-8.8 Units) in road games versus teams who attempt 21 or more 3 point shots/game on the season over the last 3 seasons.
The average score was MIDDLE TENN ST 56.4, OPPONENT 63.1.
--MIDDLE TENN ST is 42-13 UNDER (+27.7 Units) versus teams who attempt 21 or more 3 point shots/game on the season since 1997.
The average score was MIDDLE TENN ST 67.7, OPPONENT 68.9.
--ALABAMA is 15-1 (+17.8 Units) against the money line in home games versus poor 3 point shooting teams - making <=31% of their attempts since 1997.
The average score was ALABAMA 74.4, OPPONENT 59.3.
--SYRACUSE is 18-3 (+14.7 Units) against the 1rst half line versus good free throw shooting teams - making >=72% of their attempts over the last 3 seasons.
The average score was SYRACUSE 33.3, OPPONENT 25.1.
--COLL OF CHARLESTON is 32-6 UNDER (+25.4 Units) the 1rst half total versus slow-down teams averaging 53 or less shots/game since 1997.
The average score was COLL OF CHARLESTON 29.0, OPPONENT 26.6.
--OLIVER PURNELL is 9-26 (-19.6 Units) against the 1rst half line versus teams who are called for 17 or less fouls/game as the coach of DEPAUL.
The average score was PURNELL 31.4, OPPONENT 39.4.
•Situation Analysis of The Day
--Play On - Any team (BYU) - up-tempo team averaging 62 or more shots/game on the season, after allowing 75 points or more 2 straight games, with 3+ more starters returning from last year than opponent, in the first ten games of the season.
(26-4 over the last 5 seasons.) (86.7%, +21.6 units. Rating = 4*)
The straight up record of the team this system pertains to is : (23-8 over the last 5 seasons.)
The average line posted in these games was: Team favored by 0.5
The average score in these games was: Team 73.6, Opponent 67.2 (Average point differential = +6.4)
The number of games in which this system covered the spread by 7 or more points was 11 (37.9% of all games.)
The situation's record this season is: (3-0).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (13-2).
Since 1997 the situation's record is: (68-31).
--Play On - Home favorites of 2 to 5.5 points versus the first half line (PURDUE) - very good team - outscoring opponents by 8+ points/game, in a game involving two excellent defensive teams (<=63 PPG), after scoring 40 points or more in the first half in 2 straight games.
(33-10 since 1997.) (76.7%, +22.7 units. Rating = 3*)
The average first half line posted in these games was: Team favored by 3.6
The average first half score in these games was: Team 34.2, Opponent 28.3 (Average first half point differential = +6)
The situation's record this season is: (1-0).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (5-0).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (10-1).
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Tuesday's Week #4 Matchups
Systems Analyst Todd Smith
#521 MINNESOTA @ #522 WAKE FOREST - 7:00 PM
Wake Forest is having a tough time putting a winning streak together in the pre-conference slate and things don’t get any easier when Minnesota visits as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Tuesday. The Demon Deacons failed to reach 70 points for the second time in seven games with a 72-65 loss against visiting Delaware State on Friday – their second defeat at home already. The Golden Gophers bounced back from a loss to St. John’s by taking out Georgia in the NIT Season Tip-Off.
Minnesota turned up the defense and held off a late charge in the Georgia game to ensure it would not leave New York without a win. "It was really important for us to bounce back for this game and pull out the win, because we knew were capable of getting this win," forward Joey King told twincities.com. "It's hopefully going to transition over to Wake Forest on the road, just with our mental and physical toughness." The Demon Deacons are looking for some toughness of their own after being beaten on the boards and around the basket by the Hornets.
•ABOUT MINNESOTA (4-2 SU, 1-2-1 ATS): The Golden Gophers are among the national leaders with an average of 11 steals but had to cut down on their own turnovers – down from 20 against St. John’s to 13 against Georgia – in order to grab a win. Senior guard Andre Hollins is having the most difficult time hanging onto the ball and totaled 12 turnovers in the two contests. “Just not doing the little things, not being ourselves,” Hollins told reporters. “Careless turnovers, not blocking out, just little things.”
•ABOUT WAKE FOREST (4-3 SU, 1-2-0 ATS): The Demon Deacons handed Delaware State its first win in 20 all-time tries against ACC schools, shooting 35.6 percent while having eight of their shots blocked by the smaller team. “They out-rebounded us, they had more points in the paint, they had more second-chance points," Wake Forest coach Danny Manning told reporters after the loss. “For us to continue to have success, we have to win those categories.” Junior forward Devin Thomas has seen his scoring total decrease in each of the last four games, down to zero on 0-of-7 shooting on Friday.
#523 PITTSBURGH @ #524 INDIANA - 7:00 PM
Teams that have had to deal with a lot of roster turnover meet Tuesday when the Pittsburgh Panthers visit the Indiana Hoosiers for the first time in 73 years in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Pitt coach Jamie Dixon has been without guard Cameron Wright (foot), the team's returning leading scorer, all season, and Durand Scott, last season's sixth man and a dangerous perimeter player who was given a season-long suspension on the eve of the season opener. Crean's turnover started much earlier, as four players transferred out after last season's disappointing 17-15 season and a fifth, Devin Davis, was lost indefinitely when hit by a car driven by teammate, while three others were suspended for early-season games.
While the Hoosiers are inexperienced, need work on defense and don't have a reliable post-up player, Crean undoubtedly has one of the best backcourts in the nation. Freshman James Blackmon Jr., a McDonald's All-American, has been as good as advertised, and along with junior Yogi Ferrell combine to average 39 points, 9.5 rebounds and 6.8 assists while shooting 52.5-percent from the arc and 89-percent from the line. Without Wright and Johnson in the Panthers backcourt, Dixon has turned to junior James Robinson, who is averaging 12.7 points, 5.8 assists and shooting 93.3 percent from the free-throw line.
•ABOUT PITTSBURGH (4-2 SU, 2-4-0 ATS): The Panthers are coming off their best overall game of the season in a 70-47 win Wednesday over Kansas State in the third-place game of the Maui Invitational. Pittsburgh got 14 points and six assists from Robinson and shot a season-high 55 percent - including 8-of-15 on 3-pointers - and holding the Wildcats to 32-percent shooting. "Obviously, we showed a lot of character from a young group that's gone through a lot of changes over a short period of time here in the last couple of months," Dixon said. "That's a very good team, Kansas State, that we beat." Sophomore forward Michael Young has been the most pleasant surprise, averaging 14.7 points on 59 percent shooting and a team-high 8.3 rebounds in 31 minutes per game.
•ABOUT INDIANA (5-1 SU, 2-4-0 ATS): The Hoosiers followed their first loss of the season, 88-86 against Eastern Washington, with an 87-79 victory over UNC Greensboro on Friday. Blackmon had 24 points and nine rebounds as all five starters scored in double figures. The Hoosiers made just 176 3-pointers last season - tied for the fewest in the Big Ten - and are already about one-third of the way to that total as the team is shooting a robust 43.6 percent from beyond the arc led by the talented backcourt partners.
#525 MASSACHUSETTS @ #526 LSU - 7:00 PM
With its leading scorer and rebounder set to return from an ankle injury, LSU hosts Massachusetts on Tuesday in a rematch of last year's entertaining season opener. Tigers coach Johnny Jones decided on Saturday to sit Jordan Mickey, who is averaging 17.8 points and 10 rebounds, to let the sophomore star rest his sprained ankle. "Jordan is fine," Jones told the Shreveport Times. "If he was needed tonight, he would have been available. He had treatment the past couple of days. We wanted to make sure that we allowed the process to take place."
Mickey's absence allowed two players to shine, as Jarell Martin (26 points) and Brian Bridgewater (16) both scored career highs in an 83-72 triumph over McNeese State. UMass won five of its first six games before absorbing a hard-fought 75-73 defeat at Harvard on Saturday. "I'm trying to be positive with this younger team, a team that's still learning," Minutemen coach Derek Kellogg said. "You've just got to keep improving and getting better every day. I think if we do that, we could be pretty good."
•ABOUT MASSACHUSETTS (5-2 SU, 6-1-0 ATS): Five players scored in double figures for the Minutemen against Harvard, with Cady Lalanne leading the charge with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Lalanne has four double-doubles in 2014 and has blocked multiple shots five times in seven games. Meanwhile, Derrick Gordon has been filling up the stat sheet with averages of 13.6 points, five rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.6 steals.
•ABOUT LOUISIANA STATE (4-2 SU, 1-4-0 ATS): Martin also had 10 rebounds against McNeese State while Tim Quarterman chipped in 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists for the Tigers. Martin is not a good 3-point shooter, however, and LSU ranks 330th out of 351 Division I teams with a 25.5 percent connection rate from long range. The Tigers do not have a single player making more than 33 percent of his shots from 3-point range, although Josh Gray and Jalyn Patterson each knocked down a pair on Saturday.
#529 SYRACUSE @ #530 MICHIGAN - 7:30 PM
The ACC/Big Ten Challenge is full of high-profile matchups and that is surely the case when Syracuse of the ACC visits No. 16 Michigan of the Big Ten on Tuesday. These programs last faced off in the 2013 Final Four when the Wolverines prevailed 61-56 to reach the title game of the NCAA Tournament. Both squads are off to 5-1 starts this season with the Orange falling to California and Michigan losing to Villanova.
Syracuse has won three consecutive games but has struggled with its shooting, making just 20.2 percent of its 3-point attempts and 66.9 percent from the free-throw line. The Wolverines are unsure if point guard Derrick Walton Jr. (13.8 points) will be back from the toe injury that caused him to miss Saturday’s victory over Nicholls State. Spike Albrecht moved into the starting lineup and impressed with 10 points, seven assists, three steals and zero turnovers.
•ABOUT SYRACUSE (5-1 SU, 1-2-0 ATS): Senior forward Rakeem Christmas is off to a strong start, averaging 17.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. The 6-9 Christmas is shooting 55.9 percent from the floor and scored a career-best 25 points in Friday’s 72-48 victory over Holy Cross. “Rakeem is playing great,” Orange coach Jim Boeheim told reporters afterward. “He’s doing a great job inside. We didn’t even do a really good job of getting him the ball and he had a very strong game.”
•ABOUT MICHIGAN (5-1 SU, 2-2-0 ATS): Guard Zak Irvin is averaging a team-best 17.7 points but guard Caris LeVert (17.5 points, 6.2 rebounds) is displaying his development with a string of strong performances. LeVert scored 24 points – one shy of his career best – in the victory over Nicholls State. “He’s up there with the ones you love coaching every single day because you seem to be on the same page with him,” Wolverines coach John Beilein told reporters. “He’s on the same page with his teammates because he talks with them and with his coaching staff. You don’t find that very often.”
#533 TX-ARLINGTON @ #534 TEXAS - 8:00 PM
No. 7 Texas has not been afraid to challenge itself in the first few weeks and answered the biggest test with a win at defending champion Connecticut on Sunday. The Longhorns will try to avoid a letdown when they return home to host Texas-Arlington on Tuesday. Jonathan Holmes buried the go-ahead 3-pointer from the corner with 2.2 seconds left to stun the Huskies and earn Texas a 55-54 victory on Sunday.
The Longhorns began moving up the polls by winning the 2K Sports Classic in New York and proved themselves capable of beating a top 25-caliber opponent without leading scorer Isaiah Taylor when they beat Connecticut. Taylor, who averages 15 points, has missed the last three games and is expected to be out four weeks with a wrist injury. The Mavericks are playing their third straight road game after getting crushed by top-ranked Kentucky 92-44 last Tuesday and falling at Montana State 104-81 on Friday.
•ABOUT TEXAS-ARLINGTON (3-3 SU, 1-3-0 ATS): The Mavericks are getting blitzed on the defensive end and are struggling to guard the perimeter in the last two games. Kentucky buried eight 3-pointers while setting up its penetration and shooting 56.6 percent from the field, but Montana State took it to another level by knocking down 18-of-26 from 3-point range. One of the few bright spots is senior guard Lonnie McClanahan, who came off the bench to score in double figures in each of the two losses.
•ABOUT TEXAS (6-0 SU, 5-0-0 ATS): The Longhorns are dominating on the defensive end and have held their opponents to an average of 52.5 points on 29.9 percent shooting, but had some trouble of their own on the offensive end on Sunday. Texas shot 37 percent and squandered a seven-point lead in the second half while making one field goal in between Holmes’ 3-pointer with just over 8 1/2 minutes left and his game-winner. The Longhorns will need to fight against overlooking the Mavericks with a showdown against Kentucky looming on the road on Friday.
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#539 S FLORIDA @ #540 ALABAMA - 9:00 PM
Of the nine Division I players who have made every free throw this season, only one has made more than Levi Randolph, who leads Alabama into action Tuesday against visiting USF. After going 10-of-10 against Arizona State, the senior has made 37 straight free throws, including 35 this season. "I try not the think about," he told reporters of his free throw shooting, which stands at 72 percent for his career. "My whole life, I've been a pretty good free throw shooter."
While not a bad free throw shooting team (66.9 percent), USF's bread and butter is from the field, where it shoots 49.4 percent, including 55.3 percent from inside the arc. The Bulls top four scorers hit better than 50 percent from the floor, led by leading-scorer Corey Allen, Jr., who makes 55.7 while averaging 15.8 points, and Anthony Collins, who is at 56.1 percent. "The past few days he's been shooting the lights out of the ball in practice and I didn't expect anything less," first-year coach Orlando Antigua told the media of Allen, Jr., who made 11-of-17 against Jacksonville.
•ABOUT SOUTH FLORIDA (5-1 SU, 2-1-0 ATS): Antigua is off to the best start for a first-year coach in school history with the only blemish coming Nov. 23 in a three-point loss to North Carolina State. The Bulls trailed Jacksonville by one point at halftime before rallying for the 14-point victory thanks to a little encouragement from Antigua, who was an assistant at Pittsburgh, Memphis and Kentucky prior to getting his first head coaching job. "We had to get back to being who we want to be and I challenged them about that at halftime," Antigua told reporters.
•ABOUT ALABAMA (4-1 SU, 3-2-0 ATS): Randolph is not the only player that makes free throws for the Crimson Tide as coach Anthony Grant has six players who shoot 79.3 percent or better, including Ricky Tarrant (23-of-29). "We had a lot of guys step up and knocked down free throws," Grant told the media after his team went 26-of-29 against Arizona State. "That's what you want to do on a night you are not shooting well. You want to be efficient." Alabama was first nationally with a free throw percentage of 81.5 percent entering Monday's games, just ahead of Eastern Kentucky, which has 10 fewer attempts.
#541 N ILLINOIS @ #542 DEPAUL - 9:00 PM
DePaul comes into Tuesday’s game against visiting Northern Illinois with a 3-1 record, which may not seem like much to many Big East teams but is cause for celebration in Chicago. Not only did the Blue Demons rebound from a disappointing home loss to Lehigh, but Sunday’s victory over Stanford was one of the program’s most significant non-conference wins in quite some time. Last season’s signature non-league victory was Oregon State, a team that finished 16-16 and lost in the first-round of the CBI Tournament.
DePaul beat a potential NCAA Tournament team in the Cardinal, who advanced to the Sweet 16 last season, and had answers each time Stanford put together a run. The Blue Demons received a huge game from Myke Henry with 29 points and six rebounds but the team’s continued success could hinge on the play of point guard Billy Garrett Jr., whose shot selection and decision making has been uneven. Garrett finished with nine points on 3-of-7 shooting, four assists and, most importantly, one turnover against the Cardinal.
•ABOUT NORTHERN ILLINOIS (3-1 SU, 1-1-0 ATS): Coach Mark Montgomery’s team finished 5-25 two seasons ago before the Huskies had a bit of a break through with a 15-17 record in 2013-14 and now they are considered contenders for the Mid-American Conference West Division title. The leading scorer is Aaric Armstead (13.8), but he is coming off a 2-for-9 shooting performance in the Huskies’ victory over Maine on Sunday. Northern Illinois trailed Maine by 21 points with 10:43 left in the game before Michael Orris and Darrell Bowie led a 28-2 run to seal a 61-56 win.
•ABOUT DEPAUL (3-1 SU, 2-2-0 ATS): The question now is can the Blue Demons build on the Stanford win or was it merely an aberration? They could have easily wilted – as they have in the past – when the Cardinal pulled within 60-55 with 8:22 left, but the Blue Demons instead went on a 10-2 spurt with free throws from Henry, Jamee Crockett, Tommy Hamilton IV, Durrell McDonald and a 3-pointer from Aaron Simpson. McDonald and Garrett are energetic as perimeter defenders while Hamilton is a good rim protector.
#543 ILLINOIS @ #544 MIAMI - 9:00 PM
Two teams who made strong impressions in November meet to start a new month when No. 25 Illinois visits No. 15 Miami (Fla.) on Tuesday as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Fighting Illini have averaged 90 points while winning their first six games for the fourth straight season after taking the Las Vegas Invitational over the Thanksgiving holiday. The Hurricanes have burst on the scene with a virtually brand new roster, led by transfer guards Sheldon McClellan and Angel Rodriguez.
Miami has won its opening seven games of the campaign for the first time since 2009-10 while shooting better than 50 percent from the field and playing solid defense. The Hurricanes will be tested against an Illinois team that boasts six players averaging at least nine points and is holding teams to 36.3 percent shooting. “We’re a defensive team,” Illini leading scorer Rayvonte Rice told reporters after beating Baylor 62-54 in the Las Vegas final. “It all starts with defense.”
•ABOUT ILLINOIS (6-0 SU, 4-1-0 ATS): Rice, a 6-4 senior guard, is off to an outstanding start averaging 17.8 points and 7.3 rebounds while shooting 58.3 percent from the field, including 12-of-21 from 3-point range. Sophomore Malcolm Hill is also contributing 14.2 points per game – almost 10 more than last season – and Seton Hall transfer Aaron Cosby is the only other player scoring in double figures (11.5). One of the best statistics for the Illini is that they are forcing 16.7 turnovers per contest while committing 8.8.
•ABOUT MIAMI (7-0 SU, 4-2-0 ATS): Rodriguez, a transfer from Kansas State, is running the show smoothly from the point while averaging 14.9 points, 4.4 assists and draining 18 from 3-point range – tied with Manu Lecomte for the team lead. That has helped create more space for McClellan, and the Texas transfer is producing a team-high 16.7 points per game and shooting 60.3 percent, including 8-of-20 from beyond the 3-point arc. Center Tonye Jekiri also is making a major impact for the Hurricanes while averaging 8.3 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks.
#547 NC STATE @ #548 PURDUE - 9:00 PM
North Carolina State is 6-0 for the first time in a decade, and the Wolfpack will put that unblemished record on the line Tuesday when they visit Purdue in an ACC-Big Ten Challenge game. While N.C. State has had some impressive victories over Boise State, Richmond and South Florida, all of its games have been at home. The Wolfpack, however, were 9-8 outside of Raleigh last season, with Tennessee, Notre Dame, Miami and Pittsburgh among their victims.
Purdue, meanwhile, has only lost once in six games and is coming off a fifth-place finish in last week’s Maui Invitational. The Boilermakers closed out their Hawaiian stay with back-to-back victories over Missouri and a high-scoring BYU squad and will be back at Mackey Arena, where they won their first three games. Purdue is 70-5 at home versus non-conference opponents under coach Matt Painter.
•ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA STATE (6-0 SU, 1-3-0 ATS): The Wolfpack are eyeing a fourth straight trip to the NCAA Tournament, but first, they’re focusing on the program’s third 7-0 start since 1982. While coach Mark Gottfried has said it’s too early to get too excited about being unbeaten, he told the media, "I like where our team is heading – I love our chemistry," following last Friday’s hard-fought 60-54 win over Boise State. The starting backcourt trio of Trevor Lacey, Ralston Turner and Anthony Barber is setting the pace for N.C. State with all three averaging at least 12.5 points per game, while 6-foot-9 BeeJay Anya has already blocked 23 shots to rank four nationally through Monday's games.
•ABOUT PURDUE (5-1 SU, 3-2-0 ATS): The Boilermakers fell to Kansas State (88-79) in their Maui Invite opener and bounced back to beat Missouri (82-61) and BYU (87-85), the last tilt not decided until A.J. Hammons hit a hook shot with 1.8 seconds remaining in overtime. “Hopefully we can use it (as momentum) going into the Big Ten-ACC Challenge,” Painter told reporters. “… Anytime you can get into close games or overtime games and pull them out, it's great for your confidence.” Freshman Vince Edwards is leading Purdue in scoring (12.7 points per game) and rebounding (6.7), while Kendall Stephens (12.3 points) is shooting 48.7 percent from 3-point range and the 7-foot Hammons has swatted away 17 shots.
#549 OHIO ST @ #550 LOUISVILLE - 9:30 PM
No. 5 Louisville and 13th-ranked Ohio State have sailed through the season’s first three weeks against less-than-impressive competition. That changes on Tuesday, when the Buckeyes leave Columbus for the first time to visit the Cardinals in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. Ohio State ranks second in the nation in field-goal percentage (56.7) but will be tested by a Louisville defense led by preseason All-American Montrezl Harrell, who is averaging 17.4 points and 8.8 rebounds.
Louisville coach Rick Pitino, who recorded his 700th college victory in last Friday’s 73-56 win over James Madison, owns a 4-0 all-time mark against the Buckeyes. His team ranks third in the nation in scoring defense, allowing 46.6 points per game, and 6-10 freshman Chinanu Onuaku is averaging 8.4 rebounds and three blocked shots. The sharp-shooting Buckeyes are led by dynamic freshman guard D'Angelo Russell, a Louisville native who is shooting 48.3 percent from 3-point range and averaging a team-high 18 points.
•ABOUT OHIO STATE (5-0 SU, 1-3-0 ATS): Senior forward Sam Thompson has scored in double figures in every game while shooting 64.1 percent, and he’ll need a quick start against a Louisville team that has held its last two opponents to a combined 59 points. Coach Thad Matta continues to rave about freshman forward Jae’Sean Tate, who is shooting 52.2 percent in a reserve role. The Buckeyes’ toughest challenge will come near the basket, where Amir Williams, Trey McDonald and Anthony Lee will battle the Cardinals’ imposing front line.
•ABOUT LOUISVILLE (5-0 SU, 2-2-0 ATS): Harrell is drawing Player-of-the-Year buzz for his all-around play, but it’s still unclear if the Cardinals have the depth to sustain a deep postseason run. Guards Chris Jones and Terry Rozier are off to impressive starts, averaging a combined 25.8 points and 5.6 assists, but only four players are at double figures in points. Center Mangok Mathiang averages 7.8 boards off the bench for the Cardinals, whose plus-13.6 rebounding margin ranks seventh nationally.
#553 GEORGIA @ #554 UT-CHATTANOOGA - 7:00 PM
Georgia aims to bounce back from consecutive losses when the Bulldogs visit Chattanooga on Tuesday. The Bulldogs had won three straight before heading to the NIT Season Tip-Off, where they lost to Gonzaga and Minnesota over the weekend. It's a rare opportunity for the Mocs to host a major-conference opponent at McKenzie Arena, where they're 3-0 this season and 15-2 under second-year coach Will Wade.
The Bulldogs have struggled away from home, going 0-3 in road and neutral-site games and trailing by double digits at halftime of each contest. Georgia is the first SEC opponent to visit Chattanooga since Tennessee on Dec. 4, 2007. The Mocs haven't beaten an SEC team since topping the Volunteers on Dec. 5, 2004 in Knoxville, and don't have a home win against the conference since beating Auburn in 1991.
•ABOUT GEORGIA (3-3 SU, 2-3-1 ATS): The Bulldogs dug early holes in both games in New York City and need to get off to a better start to get back on track against the Mocs. Senior big men Marcus Thornton (13.2 points, 7.5 rebounds) and Nemanja Djurisic (12.2 points, 5.2 rebounds) have been Georgia's most productive players. Preseason All-SEC pick Charles Mann (11.7 points, 3.7 assists) poured in 23 points against Gonzaga, and getting him going at the offensive end would be a boon for the Bulldogs.
•ABOUT CHATTANOOGA (3-4 SU, 3-2-0 ATS): After being blown out in their first two games against major-conference foes — Wisconsin and Butler — the Mocs have split four competitive games against competition closer to their level. They don't boast much offensive firepower as only guard Casey Jones (14.4 points, 6.6 rebounds) averages double figures, though 6-10 forward Justin Tuoyo (9.6, 5.7) and senior guard Ronrico White (9.6 points) are just below the mark. Two of the biggest reasons for the poor offensive output are the Mocs' 15.4 turnovers per game and their 29.7 percent mark from 3-point range.
#555 NIAGARA @ #556 ST JOHNS - 7:00 PM
Coach Steve Lavin’s move to a smaller lineup is producing positive results as St. John’s heads into Tuesday’s game against visiting Niagara with a 4-1 record. In the Red Storm’s 73-66 loss to Gonzaga, Lavin started guards D’Angelo Harrison, Rysheed Jordan, Phil Greene IV and Sir’Dominic Pointer with 6-10 center Chris Obekpa and the foursome combined to score 62 points. St. John’s used a nine-man rotation against the Bulldogs and, other than Obekpa, no one stood taller than 6-7.
“Our smaller unit has experience, skill and quickness,” Lavin told reporters. “Sometimes size is not as important if you have players that are quick, can anticipate and rebound with hustle.” St. John’s was able to erase a 15-point lead against Gonzaga and the Red Storm grabbed 16 offensive boards, although they were outrebounded 38-36 overall. Playing with a smaller lineup shouldn’t be a problem against Niagara, but it could be an issue when St. John’s renews its rivalry with Syracuse in its next matchup.
•ABOUT NIAGARA (1-3 SU, 1-2-0 ATS): This figures to be a major rebuilding year for coach Chris Casey after losing Antoine Mason, the son of former NBA forward Anthony Mason, who graduated and transferred to Auburn for his final season of eligibility. Mason finished second to Creighton’s Doug McDermott for the national scoring title last year and this year the Purple Eagles are more balanced with four players averaging double figures, including Rayvon Harris (11.3), Emile Blackman (10.5), Ramone Snowden (10.3) and Karonn Davis (10.0). Niagara is averaging almost 15 turnovers and committed 20 against St. Bonaventure last Saturday.
•ABOUT ST. JOHN’S (4-1 SU, 1-0-1 ATS): The Red Storm started the season winning four consecutive games, including an impressive victory against Minnesota in the NIT Season Tip-Off semifinals before falling to No. 8 Gonzaga in the final. Harrison, a first-team All-Big East selection a year ago, is leading the team in scoring (17.8) but has shot over 50 percent once and was 4-for-16 in the loss to Gonzaga. The Red Storm needed Jordan (17.6 points) to become more of a scoring threat and he’s increased his average by almost eight points from last season.
#559 SE MISSOURI ST @ #560 MISSOURI - 8:00 PM
Home sweet home, or at least that's what Missouri hopes after a 1-2 trip to the Maui Invitational that yielded only a win over host Chaminade. Now the Tigers come back to Columbia to host in-state rival Southeast Missouri State on Tuesday, hoping to get some wins back at home. Freshman G Namon Wright will look to keep up his hot shooting that saw him go 7-of-7 from the field against the Silverswords for a career-best 21 points.
The youth of the Tigers has shown thus far this season, with the team committing 16.3 turnovers a game in its three contests in Maui. Coach Kim Anderson was hoping to get a better feel for the team's chemistry in Hawaii, but he knows there is still work to be done. The Redhawks will be a good test for the Tigers, having held their opponents to 62.2 points a game this season.
•ABOUT SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE (3-3 SU, 0-2-1 ATS): Senior F Aaron Adeoye has been a spark plug for the Redhawks this season, and that's just the way he likes it. Adeoye filled up the box score in Southeast Missouri State's recent win over Alabama A&M with 12 points, seven rebounds, two steals and two assists, but it's his intangibles that he's most proud of. “I just try to play hard and have energy because that's one thing you can control,” Adeoye told the Southeast Missourian. “When someone brings energy, it can be contagious, so hopefully that can spread out to the rest of the team and then I've done my job.”
•ABOUT MISSOURI (3-3 SU, 3-3-0 ATS): One area that Anderson is looking for improvement in by his team is shot selection. In the team's two losses in Hawaii — to Arizona and Purdue — the Tigers shot 35.4 percent from the field, including 10-of-33 from 3-point range, something Anderson attributes to his team not working for better shots. “We were just chucking things up there from 3, and that's not our game,” Anderson told the Columbia Daily Tribune. “We're a good shooting team, but we're not a great shooting team when we don't take good shots.”
#561 NEBRASKA-OMAHA @ #562 KANSAS ST - 8:00 PM
After an exhausting 1-2 trip at the Maui Invitational, the Kansas State Wildcats return home Tuesday to play Omaha. The Wildcats outlasted Purdue 88-79 in the first game of the tournament and then lost a tough 72-68 decision against No. 4 Arizona before getting pummeled 70-47 by Pittsburgh on Wednesday. Thomas Gipson led the way with 13 points but leading scorer Marcus Foster was held to just seven on 3-of-9 shooting.
"(Pitt) just had more toughness, more will to win, competitive spirit," Kansas State coach Bruce Weber told reporters. "We've got to go home and learn a lot about our team, and see if we can make some strides.” One area the Wildcats need to make strides is finding a third scorer, as only three players have connected for more than one 3-pointer on the season and only Foster and Gipson average double figures in points. Omaha is coming off an impressive 78-54 home win over Nevada on Saturday.
•ABOUT NEBRASKA-OMAHA (3-2 SU, 3-0-0 ATS): Freshman Tre'Shawn Thurman scored a season-high 18 points and Mike Rostampour added 17 against Nevada. Senior guard CJ Carter, an honorable mention Summitt Conference selection last season, is averaging a team-best 16.6 points per game and shooting 40 percent on 3-pointers. Junior guard Devin Patterson is scoring 16.4 points per night and adds 5.4 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.4 steals.
•ABOUT KANSAS STATE (3-3 SU, 3-2-0 ATS): The 6-7 Gipson has become a reliable inside presence to complement Foster, averaging 13.7 points, shooting 69.7-percent from the floor and getting to the line for seven attempts per game. Foster, a second-team All-Big 12 pick a season ago as a freshman, is averaging 14.7 points and has hit on half of his 36 shots from the arc.
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