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Robert Ferringo
**8-U NCAAB GOTY THURSDAY!**
8* Vanderbilt (-2.5)
Indiana (-2)
8-Unit play. Take #772 Vanderbilt (-3) over Texas A&M (7 p.m.)
1-Unit Play. Take 'Under' 131.5 Vanderbilt vs. Texas A&M (7 p.m.)
So there is a lot at play in this game. But I really like Vanderbilt because I think that this is a tailor-made situation for them. The Commodores come into the SEC Tournament red-hot. They have won five of their last six games, including a win over A&M on Feb. 16, and they are off a nice win over a good Florida team. Vanderbilt's only loss in the last month has come against Kentucky in Rupp Arena in a six-point game. It took the Commodores a while to get going this season. But remember: they have a new coach (Bryce Drew) and all new systems. There were going to be some growing pains. And a look back now at their nonconference losses - Marquette, Butler, MTSU, Dayton, Minnesota, all on neutral sites or road games - shows me that they played a brutal schedule during their learning curve. Now everyone on this team knows their role and they have things cooking. In the last two months they have beaten Florida (twice), Iowa State, won at Arkansas and beat South Carolina. That's a solid resume. Add in the fact that they are going to have somewhat of a home court advantage, playing close to home here in Nashville, and things are set up well for the Commodores in this must-win game.
Then there is Texas A&M. This is a young team that has played about as well as they could've hoped after losing a mammoth amount of talent and experience from last year's team. Add in the late season injury to forward D.J. Hogg, their second best player, and the Aggies are just playing out the string in this rebuilding season. They have hung around with some good teams. But they haven't beaten anyone. A&M's only wins since Jan. 26 have come against Missouri twice, LSU and home games against Auburn and Alabama. Those are gross teams. And not good wins! So what's A&M's motivation here? And how does that compare with Vanderbilts.
Next, I went back and looked at how last year's Vanderbilt team did against a much, much better A&M team. They actually floored the Aggies by 17 points last year. This is pretty much all the same guys for Vandy whereas almost all of the primaries from last year's A&M team have moved on. Vanderbilt swept the season series this year and that means they are 3-1 against the Aggies over the last two seasons.
Finally, I think that this is somewhat of a letdown spot for A&M. I know it is the conference tournament. But the Aggies, in their final home game, wound up and took a shot at Kentucky last Saturday. Everything was in line for the upset: Kentucky had was banged up, the Wildcats had already clinched the regular season title and thus had nothing to play for, Kentucky shot 38% from the field and was 7-for-24 from 3-point range, and the Aggies burst out to a 19-4 lead. You know what happened: A&M lost. By 8. They didn't even cover the spread. And now after that deflating effort they have to pick themselves up and head to Nashville to face a dangerous, hot-shooting Vanderbilt team with its season on the line. I think that bodes well for the 'home' team in this one.
I will take the better team, the more experienced team, the hotter team, that's playing close to home, with a big motivational advantage, against a team in a letdown spot and a team that our side has owned recently. I think that's a good spot. So we will take a shot.
5-Unit Play. Take #723 Indiana (-2) over Iowa (6:30 p.m.)
3-Unit Play. Take #825 South Florida (+14) over Connecticut (8 p.m.)
3-Unit Play. Take #758 Baylor (-5) over Kansas State (9:30 p.m.)
3-Unit Play. Take #730 Marquette (-2.5) over Seton Hall (2:30 p.m.)
2-Unit Play. Take #778 Utah (-3) over California (5:30 p.m.)
2-Unit Play. Take #774 Mississippi (-6.5) over Missouri (9 p.m.)
2-Unit Play. Take #768 Georgia (-1) over Tennessee (1 p.m.)
2-Unit Play. Take #766 Old Dominion (-3.5) over Marshall (9 p.m.)
2-Unit Play. Take #744 Akron (-4.5) over Eastern Michigan (Noon)
2-Unit Play. Take #732 Butler (-5.5) over Xavier (7 p.m.)
2-Unit Play. Take #716 Florida State (-6.5) over Virginia Tech (7 p.m.)
1-Unit Play. Take #800 Temple (-5) over East Carolina (3:30 p.m.)
1-Unit Play. Take #787 Air Force (+8.5) over Colorado State (9 p.m.)
1-Unit Play. Take #770 Alabama (-2) over Mississippi State (3:30 p.m.)
1-Unit Play. Take #761 Rice (-2) over UTEP (3 p.m.)
1-Unit Play. Take #756 West Virginia (-11.5) over Texas (7 p.m.)
1-Unit Play. Take #747 Toledo (+2.5) over Ohio (6:30 p.m.)
1-Unit Play. Take #740 George Mason (-4) over Fordham (6 p.m.)
1-Unit Play. Take #714 Louisville (-1.5) over Duke (2:30 p.m.)
1-Unit Play. TEASER: Take #726 Northwestern (-2.5) over Rutgers (9 p.m.) AND Take #784 Nevada (-3) over Utah State (3 p.m.)
1-Unit Play. TEASER: Take #782 UCLA (-5) over USC (11:30 p.m.) AND Take #780 Arizona (-2.5) over Colorado (9 p.m.)
1-Unit Play. TEASER: Take #782 UCLA (-5) over USC (11:30 p.m.) AND Take #718 Notre Dame (+10) over Virginia (9:30 p.m.)
1-Unit Play. TEASER: Take #774 Mississippi (-1.5) over Missouri (9 p.m.) AND Take #756 West Virginia (-6.5) over Texas (7 p.m.)
1-Unit Play. TEASER: Take #785 New Mexico (+7) over Fresno State (5:30 p.m.) AND Take #753 TCU (+12) over Kansas (3 p.m.)
**8-U NCAAB GOTY THURSDAY!**
8* Vanderbilt (-2.5)
Indiana (-2)
8-Unit play. Take #772 Vanderbilt (-3) over Texas A&M (7 p.m.)
1-Unit Play. Take 'Under' 131.5 Vanderbilt vs. Texas A&M (7 p.m.)
So there is a lot at play in this game. But I really like Vanderbilt because I think that this is a tailor-made situation for them. The Commodores come into the SEC Tournament red-hot. They have won five of their last six games, including a win over A&M on Feb. 16, and they are off a nice win over a good Florida team. Vanderbilt's only loss in the last month has come against Kentucky in Rupp Arena in a six-point game. It took the Commodores a while to get going this season. But remember: they have a new coach (Bryce Drew) and all new systems. There were going to be some growing pains. And a look back now at their nonconference losses - Marquette, Butler, MTSU, Dayton, Minnesota, all on neutral sites or road games - shows me that they played a brutal schedule during their learning curve. Now everyone on this team knows their role and they have things cooking. In the last two months they have beaten Florida (twice), Iowa State, won at Arkansas and beat South Carolina. That's a solid resume. Add in the fact that they are going to have somewhat of a home court advantage, playing close to home here in Nashville, and things are set up well for the Commodores in this must-win game.
Then there is Texas A&M. This is a young team that has played about as well as they could've hoped after losing a mammoth amount of talent and experience from last year's team. Add in the late season injury to forward D.J. Hogg, their second best player, and the Aggies are just playing out the string in this rebuilding season. They have hung around with some good teams. But they haven't beaten anyone. A&M's only wins since Jan. 26 have come against Missouri twice, LSU and home games against Auburn and Alabama. Those are gross teams. And not good wins! So what's A&M's motivation here? And how does that compare with Vanderbilts.
Next, I went back and looked at how last year's Vanderbilt team did against a much, much better A&M team. They actually floored the Aggies by 17 points last year. This is pretty much all the same guys for Vandy whereas almost all of the primaries from last year's A&M team have moved on. Vanderbilt swept the season series this year and that means they are 3-1 against the Aggies over the last two seasons.
Finally, I think that this is somewhat of a letdown spot for A&M. I know it is the conference tournament. But the Aggies, in their final home game, wound up and took a shot at Kentucky last Saturday. Everything was in line for the upset: Kentucky had was banged up, the Wildcats had already clinched the regular season title and thus had nothing to play for, Kentucky shot 38% from the field and was 7-for-24 from 3-point range, and the Aggies burst out to a 19-4 lead. You know what happened: A&M lost. By 8. They didn't even cover the spread. And now after that deflating effort they have to pick themselves up and head to Nashville to face a dangerous, hot-shooting Vanderbilt team with its season on the line. I think that bodes well for the 'home' team in this one.
I will take the better team, the more experienced team, the hotter team, that's playing close to home, with a big motivational advantage, against a team in a letdown spot and a team that our side has owned recently. I think that's a good spot. So we will take a shot.
5-Unit Play. Take #723 Indiana (-2) over Iowa (6:30 p.m.)
3-Unit Play. Take #825 South Florida (+14) over Connecticut (8 p.m.)
3-Unit Play. Take #758 Baylor (-5) over Kansas State (9:30 p.m.)
3-Unit Play. Take #730 Marquette (-2.5) over Seton Hall (2:30 p.m.)
2-Unit Play. Take #778 Utah (-3) over California (5:30 p.m.)
2-Unit Play. Take #774 Mississippi (-6.5) over Missouri (9 p.m.)
2-Unit Play. Take #768 Georgia (-1) over Tennessee (1 p.m.)
2-Unit Play. Take #766 Old Dominion (-3.5) over Marshall (9 p.m.)
2-Unit Play. Take #744 Akron (-4.5) over Eastern Michigan (Noon)
2-Unit Play. Take #732 Butler (-5.5) over Xavier (7 p.m.)
2-Unit Play. Take #716 Florida State (-6.5) over Virginia Tech (7 p.m.)
1-Unit Play. Take #800 Temple (-5) over East Carolina (3:30 p.m.)
1-Unit Play. Take #787 Air Force (+8.5) over Colorado State (9 p.m.)
1-Unit Play. Take #770 Alabama (-2) over Mississippi State (3:30 p.m.)
1-Unit Play. Take #761 Rice (-2) over UTEP (3 p.m.)
1-Unit Play. Take #756 West Virginia (-11.5) over Texas (7 p.m.)
1-Unit Play. Take #747 Toledo (+2.5) over Ohio (6:30 p.m.)
1-Unit Play. Take #740 George Mason (-4) over Fordham (6 p.m.)
1-Unit Play. Take #714 Louisville (-1.5) over Duke (2:30 p.m.)
1-Unit Play. TEASER: Take #726 Northwestern (-2.5) over Rutgers (9 p.m.) AND Take #784 Nevada (-3) over Utah State (3 p.m.)
1-Unit Play. TEASER: Take #782 UCLA (-5) over USC (11:30 p.m.) AND Take #780 Arizona (-2.5) over Colorado (9 p.m.)
1-Unit Play. TEASER: Take #782 UCLA (-5) over USC (11:30 p.m.) AND Take #718 Notre Dame (+10) over Virginia (9:30 p.m.)
1-Unit Play. TEASER: Take #774 Mississippi (-1.5) over Missouri (9 p.m.) AND Take #756 West Virginia (-6.5) over Texas (7 p.m.)
1-Unit Play. TEASER: Take #785 New Mexico (+7) over Fresno State (5:30 p.m.) AND Take #753 TCU (+12) over Kansas (3 p.m.)
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