Thursday from the Coast

[Coast2Coast]

I'm with Low Tide. Yesterday's thread was a loser, so gotta start a new one. 0-3 yesterday; 5-8, -2.8 overall.

Loyola Marymount +15 @ Virginia
This looks like the best LM team since the 100 ppg. days of Paul Westhead. This is a team with pretty decent inside/out balance, shoots a solid 40% from trey and defends at a strong 38.5% on the road. Virginia a better shooting team, no question, owing to their stronger inside game. But LM has hung with better teams than this. I believe they are a bit over-priced, as evidenced by their four straight L's against the number.

Illinois State +12-1/2 @ Southern Illinois
Will fade SIU again for the 4th time in 5 games. Lack of inside game will affect Saluki in this one. ISU can match up with SIU's three guard offense with their own foursome of Guidry, Plank, Alexander and Greene outside Alexander outside...all of whom can hit the trey. Advantage for the dog is on the wings and in the paint with Gordon and Dilligard. Though Gordon is ISU's leading scorer, Dilligard really starting to come into his own (MVC Player of the week). He might just be too athletic for anybody SIU has in the paint. Also can't forget the fact that SIU's coach is young and inexperienced and this will be his first conference game as a head man.

 

[Coast2Coast]

Pitt -15 vs. Richmond
Panthers dominant at home (23 straight nonconference home wins) and have shown they can cover large spreads (11-4 L3 years, 2-0 this year laying 12.5 or more at home). Richmond was able to run their offense against the defenseless Blazers of UAB, but this Pitt defense will likely shut them down. Richmond has only been a 41% shooting team on the road, and don't think they'll be in the 40s tonight against the Pitt D that holds opponents to 36%. Pitt dominant in the paint, outboarding its opponts by DD. Richmond has been outboarded by several teams not nearly in the same class as Pitt. Pitt also shooting an outstanding 42% of their treys...about the exact % that a soft Rich perimeter D allows. Pitt by 20+.

 

[Coast2Coast]

Luckiest guy on the face of the earth? I nominate Tim Floyd. Here is a guy who was able to bend the rules at Iowa State to get guys like Tinsley, Horton and Fizer admitted. Without those questionable admissions of future NBA draft picks, he is coaching in division x somewhere now. He then became fishing buddies with Jerry Krause and then rode that relationship to a multi-million dollar gig with the Bulls. Then the Hornets made the coaching mistake of the decade and hired this goof to coach them. THey recognized their mistake and fired Floyd after one season. Now USC wants to hire this proven loser as their coach? I recently had to modify my don't bet list by removing Henry Bibby. Looks like next year USC and Tiny Tim will be back on it. Of all the successful coaches available or that could be available to coach at USC, Garrett has to pick this loser?

 

[Coast2Coast]

Adding Oral Roberts +5 vs. UAB @ Rainbow Classic

Playing their third game in three nights, these teams will have tired legs (as we saw in earlier games). UAB's running style and track meets last two nights leads me to think they will feel the fatigue more than ORU. UAB also lives by their O...not much D. With tired legs, both might be lacking giving better shots to ORU. Discipline over undiscipline.

 

[ChiTownHustler]

Coast

Great call on LMU. They have been unnoticed all season, they almost took that one outright.

Are you still on Mike North since he moved to the mornings? I quit listening to the show a few years ago (got tired of his shtick), but I did like your college football plays.

GL

 

[Coast2Coast]

Thanks Chi-Town for the kind words. I'm appreciative that you have positive recollections from my four years on that radio show. I left the radio gig after last year's football season. Now you can consider my plays here if you want without the..ahem....North "schtick".

 

[Coast2Coast]

Adding a late-night limbo from the islands for the usual unit.....

Hawaii-USC under 140
Four of last five Rainbows games have gone way under this number as they control tempo. Neither of these teams are great shooting teams (42-43%) and as we've seen today in the other three games (two under; third looking under), kids just aren't in the kind of game shape necessary to play three games in three days without getting tired legs that affects their shots. USC a slightly better shooting team, but Bows the better D. Both teams bad free throw shooting teams.