Wednesday 11/25/20 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Bryan Leonard

Event: (721) Villanova at (722) Boston College
Sport/League: CBB
Date/Time: November 25, 2020 9PM EST
Play: Total Over 143.0 (-110)
721 Villanova at Boston College
Normally when a coach talks about speeding up the tempo we take it with a grain of salt. Just about everyone talks about it, but rarely does it turn out that way on the court. But we believe Jay Wright when he talks about getting up and down the court, for two reasons. First, he has the backcourt to play that way. Secondly, this team has the depth to keep up the pace when playing in mismatched games, like the one we have here.
Boston College ended last season going 4-13, so this team is anxious to get back to business. It's likely the deepest team Jim Christian has had in Chestnut Hill. The backcourt is the strength of this team, and we expect the scoring to improve from a year ago. We look for this to be a high paced contest with plenty of scoring opportunities.
PLAY OVER

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Tony Mejia

Event: (307069) Nicholls State at (307070) UC Davis
Sport/League: CBB
Date/Time: November 25, 2020 10PM EST
Play: Total Over 142.5 (-110)
The first dose of college basketball of the season is upon us and the youngest coach at the D-I level looks to reload with guards Kevin Johnson, Shawn Williams and AJ Rainey will look to help replace the production of departed leading scorer Dexter McClanahan. 31-year-old Austin Claunch says he has a good mix in place and should let it fly against an Aggies squad that finished 336th in effective field-goal percentage defense last season under veteran coach Jim Les, a former NBA guard known for his shooting. Les relied on youth last season and hopes that pays off in 2020-21, so we'll see what improvements have been made as these teams tip off in Santa Clara at the Bronco Invitational. With both teams likely to butter their bread on the offensive end this season, look for a game where both get into the 70s on the scoreboard. Ride the over 142.5 in my first college hoops free play.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Alex Smart

Nov 25 '20, 6:00 PM in 1h
NCAA-B | Eastern Michigan vs Michigan State
Play on: Eastern Michigan +22 -115 at BMaker

EMU brings just about their entire team and now with their experience Im betting their defensive play will advance well under Rob Murphy’s 2-3 zone. This is a big tall group with experience, and while obviously being out talented by Michigan State should be able to grind away here and get us the cover.
Eastern Michigan to cover

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Ben Burns

Nov 25 '20, 6:30 PM in 1h
NCAA-B | Cal-Irvine vs Pepperdine
Play on: Pepperdine -1 -114 at pinnacle

Pepperdine rallied late to beat UC Irvine (77-73) last season. This season, the Waves bring back a lot, including senior point guard Colbey Ross. Though Ross had a modest 13 points and eight assists in last year's game, he's a bigtime talent. While the Waves return four starters, the Anteaters lose four (senior) starters. While expecations are always high for this team, they're going to be pretty inexperienced out of the gate. I say Pepperdine beats them again.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Mike Williams

Nov 25 '20, 8:00 PM in 3h
NCAA-B | Tennessee Tech vs Indiana
Play on: Indiana -21 -110 at Bovada

1* on Indiana -21 -110

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Black Widow

Nov 25 '20, 8:30 PM in 3h
NCAA-B | Clemson vs Mississippi State
Play on: Clemson -4 -110 at Mirage

1* Free Wiseguy Play on Clemson -4 -110

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Red Dog Sports

Nov 25 '20, 9:30 PM in 4h
NCAA-B | Villanova vs Boston College
Play on: Villanova -13½ -115 at Bovada

Villanova -13.5
Villanova has one of the five best programs in college basketball. Jay Wright's club has won two of the past five national titles. They do lose a few key players but have some solid players coming in to replace them. Boston College has struggled to play .500 ball in the ACC. I think we see the Wildcats win by 15 or more.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Bryan Leonard

Nov 25 '20, 9:30 PM in 4h
NCAA-B | Villanova vs Boston College
Play on: OVER 143 -110

721 Villanova at Boston College
Normally when a coach talks about speeding up the tempo we take it with a grain of salt. Just about everyone talks about it, but rarely does it turn out that way on the court. But we believe Jay Wright when he talks about getting up and down the court, for two reasons. First, he has the backcourt to play that way. Secondly, this team has the depth to keep up the pace when playing in mismatched games, like the one we have here.
Boston College ended last season going 4-13, so this team is anxious to get back to business. It's likely the deepest team Jim Christian has had in Chestnut Hill. The backcourt is the strength of this team, and we expect the scoring to improve from a year ago. We look for this to be a high paced contest with plenty of scoring opportunities.
PLAY OVER

[Can'tPickAWinner]

603OAKLAND -604 XAVIER
XAVIER is 14-25 ATS (-13.5 Units) as a favorite in the last 3 seasons.

607W MICHIGAN -608 BUTLER
BUTLER is 175-104 ATS (60.6 Units) in non-conference games since 1997.

609W CAROLINA -610 UNC-WILMINGTON
UNC-WILMINGTON is 48-29 ATS (16.1 Units) in all tournament games since 1997.

613OLD DOMINION -614 MARYLAND
MARYLAND is 10-2 ATS (7.8 Units) as a home favorite of 6.5 to 12 points in the last 3 seasons.

615FAIRFIELD -616 PROVIDENCE
PROVIDENCE is 40-61 ATS (-27.1 Units) as a favorite of 10 or more points since 1997.

619OKLAHOMA ST -620 TX-ARLINGTON
TX-ARLINGTON is 67-38 ATS (25.2 Units) as a dog since 1997.

625IDAHO -626 SEATTLE
IDAHO is 2-10 ATS (-9 Units) against the WAC since 1997.

633BALL ST -634 N KENTUCKY
Darrin Horn is 11-3 ATS (7.7 Units) when the total is 130 to 139.5 (Coach of N KENTUCKY)

633BALL ST -634 N KENTUCKY
N KENTUCKY is 11-3 ATS (7.7 Units) when the total is 130 to 139.5 over the last 2 seasons.

635COLL OF CHARLESTON -636 N CAROLINA
COLL OF CHARLESTON is 71-38 ATS (29.2 Units) in road games in non-conference games since 1997.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Wednesday's College Basketball Odds, Tech Trends

College basketball begins it's 2020-2021 season just one day before Thanksgiving, and what a slate it is.

There are multiple big games to open the college basketball season, with the biggest games of the day listed below.

Check out the odds, information and betting trends for college basketball's top games today.

Wednesday's College Basketball Top Games

East Tennnessee State vs. Abilene Christian (11 a.m., FloSports)
Drake vs. Kansas State (2 p.m., ESPNU)
Bowling Green vs. Michigan (4 p.m., ESPN2)
Saint Mary's vs. Memphis (4:30 p.m., ESPN)
Western Kentucky vs Northern Iowa (4:30 p.m., ESPNU)
Liberty vs. Purdue (6 p.m., CBSSN)
Saint Peter's vs. St. John's (7 p.m., FS2)
Rhode Island vs. Arizona State (7 p.m., ESPN)
West Virginia vs. South Dakota State (7 p.m., ESPN2)
Clemson vs. Mississippi State (8:30 p.m., CBSSN)
Villanova vs. Boston College (9:30 p.m., ESPN)
Utah State vs. VCU (9:30 p.m., ESPN2)
UCLA vs. San Diego State (11 p.m., CBSSN)

Wednesday's College Basketball Odds & Trends

ETSU (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS, 0-0 O/U) vs. Abilene Christian (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS, 0-0 O/U)

TV-Time: FloSports, 11 a.m.
Venue: Hertz Arena
Location: Estero, Florida
Spread: ETSU -3.5
Moneyline: -
O/U: 136.5
Implied Probability: -

Tech Trends

Coming Soon

Drake (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS, 0-0 O/U) vs Kansas State (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS, 0-0 O/U)

TV-Time: ESPNU, 2 p.m.
Venue: Bramlage Coliseum
Location: Manhattan, Kansas
Spread: KST -7.5
Moneyline: KST -360 / DRK +275
O/U: 135.5
Implied Probability: Kansas State - 78.3%

Tech Trends

Drake has lost five straight road games.
Kansas State has won eight of its last nine home games when playing on a Wednesday.
Kansas State has lost the second half in four straight games.
Drake has failed to see either team score 78 or more points in seven straight games.

Bowling Green (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS, 0-0 O/U) at Michigan (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS, 0-0 O/U)

TV-Time: ESPNU, 4 p.m.
Venue: Crisler Center
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Spread: MICH -14
Moneyline: MICH -1430 / BG +800
O/U: 149
Implied Probability: Michigan - 93.5%

Tech Trends

Michigan has won three straight games when facing Bowling Green.
Bowling Green has seen the home team win the second half in seven straight games.
Michigan has won 34 of its last 40 home games.
Bowling Green has lost three straight games.
Bowling Green has scored exactly 57 points in two of its last three games when facing Michigan.

Saint Mary's (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS, 0-0 O/U) vs. Memphis (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS, 0-0 O/U)

TV-Time: ESPN, 4:30 p.m.
Venue: Sanford Pentagon
Location: Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Spread: MEM -4.5
Moneyline: MEM -190 / SMC +155
O/U: 140.5
Implied Probability: Memphis - 65.5%

Tech Trends

Memphis has won two straight games when facing Saint Mary's.
Saint Mary's has won 25 of its last 32 games.
Memphis has won the first half in five of its last six games.
Saint Mary's has won four of its last five games when playing on a neutral court.

Western Kentucky (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS, 0-0 O/U) vs. Northern Iowa (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS, 0-0 O/U)

TV-Time: ESPNU, 4:30 p.m.
Venue: Sanford Pentagon
Location: Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Spread: WKY -2
Moneyline: -
O/U: 145.5
Implied Probability: -

Tech Trends

Coming Soon

Liberty (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS, 0-0 O/U) at Purdue (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS, 0-0 O/U)

TV-Time: CBSSN, 6 p.m.
Venue: Mackey Arena
Location: West Lafayette, Indiana
Spread: PUR -11
Moneyline: PUR -770 / LIB+525
O/U: 123
Implied Probability: Purdue - 88.5%

Tech Trends

Liberty has won 11 of its last 12 games.
Liberty has won six straight games when playing on a neutral court.
Liberty has won the second half in four straight games whenn playing in a neutral court.
Purdue has won three of its last four non-conference regular-season games.
Purdue has lost five of its last seven games.

Saint Peter's (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS, 0-0 O/U) at St. John's (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS, 0-0 O/U)

TV-Time: FS2, 7 p.m.
Venue: Carnesecca Arena
Location: Queens, New York
Spread: STJ -9.5
Moneyline: STJ -530 / STP +390
O/U: 140.5
Implied Probability: St. John's - 84.1%

Tech Trends

St. John's has won three of its last four games.
Saint Peter's has won eight of its last nine games.

Rhode Island (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS, 0-0 O/U) vs. Arizona State (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS, 0-0 O/U)

TV-Time: ESPN, 7 p.m.
Venue: Mohegan Sun Arena
Location: Uncasville, Connecticut
Spread: -
Moneyline: -
O/U: -
Implied Probability:

Tech Trends

Coming Soon

West Virginia (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS, 0-0 O/U) at South Dakota State (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS, 0-0 O/U)

TV-Time: ESPN2, 7 p.m.
Venue: Sanford Pentagon
Location: Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Spread: WVU -9.5
Moneyline: WVU -530 / SDST +380
O/U: -
Implied Probability: West Virginia - 84.1%

Tech Trends

South Dakota State has won 10 straight games when playing on a Wednesday.
South Dakota State has won the second half in seven straight games.

Clemson (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS, 0-0 O/U) vs. Mississippi State (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS, 0-0 O/U)

TV-Time: CBSSN, 8:30 p.m.
Venue: Mackey Arena
Location: West Lafayette, Indiana
Spread: CLEM -3.5
Moneyline: CLEM -175 / MSST +140
O/U: 135.5
Implied Probability: Clemson - 63.6%

Tech Trends

Mississippi State has won two of its last three games when facing a school from South Carolina.
Mississippi State has won five of its last six games when playing on a neutral court during a Wednesday.
Mississippi State has won the first half in six straight games when playing on a neutral court during a Wednesday.

Villanova (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS, 0-0 O/U) vs. Boston College (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS, 0-0 O/U)

TV-Time: ESPN, 9:30 p.m.
Venue: Mohegan Sun Arena
Location: Uncasville, Connecticut
Spread: NOVA -14.5
Moneyline: NOVA -2000 / BC +950
O/U: 141.5
Implied Probability: Villanova - 95.2%

Tech Trends

Villanova has won four of its last six games when facing Boston College.
Boston College has lost six straight games.
Villanova has won 40 of its last 43 games when playing on a neutral court.
Boston College has lost the second half in seven of its last eight games.

Utah State (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS, 0-0 O/U) vs. VCU (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS, 0-0 O/U)

TV-Time: ESPN2, 9:30 p.m.
Venue: Sanford Pentagon
Location: Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Spread: -
Moneyline: -
O/U: -
Implied Probability:

Tech Trends

Coming Soon

UCLA (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS, 0-0 O/U) at San Diego State (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS, 0-0 O/U)

TV-Time: CBSSN, 11 p.m.
Venue: Viejas Arena
Location: San Diego, California
Spread: UCLA -2.5
Moneyline: UCLA -148 / SDST +120
O/U: 134
Implied Probability: UCLA - 59.7%

Tech Trends

UCLA has won seven of its last eight games.
San Diego State has won 30 of its last 32 games.
San Diego State has won the second half in six straight home games.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Villanova vs. Boston College Odds
David Schwab

The Big East’s Villanova Wildcats will square-off against the ACC’s Boston College Eagles this Wednesday in a 9:30 p.m. ET tip at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Venue: Mohegan Sun Arena
Location: Uncasville, Connecticut
Date: Wednesday, November 25, 2020
Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Bet: BetMGM | BetRivers | FanDuel | PointsBet | All

Villanova-Boston College Betting Odds

Spread: Villanova -14
Money-Line: Villanova -2000 Boston College +900
Total: 141.5
Implied Probability: Villanova 95.24%

The Wildcats opened as 13 ½-point favorites for this neutral-site clash. There has been some upward movement to 14 points in early betting with the general betting consensus leaning heavily toward Villanova covering against the spread.

The total line for this game opened at 141 ½ points and it has held steady since being released. Bettors appear to be evenly split on the OVER/UNDER heading into Wednesday’s anticipated tip.

The money line odds for this Big East/ACC matchup is heavy with Villanova listed as a -2000 price at a few operators, meaning a $100 return would net back $5.

Villanova finished last season with a 14-15-2 record ATS. The Wildcats went 10-13-1 ATS closing as favorites and they were 1-2-1 ATS in neutral-site games.

Boston College was 14-18 ATS with a straight-up record of 13-19. The Eagles failed to cover in 14 of 24 games closing as underdogs.

Betting Analysis – Villanova Wildcats

SU: 24-7
ATS: 14-15-2
SU - Home: 13-3
SU - Away: 11-4
O/U: 12-19

Betting Analysis – Boston College Eagles

SU: 13-19
ATS: 14-18
SU - Home: 9-10
SU - Away: 4-9
O/U: 14-17-1

Inside the Stats – Villanova Wildcats

2019-20 stats

PS/G: 73.2 (116th)
PA/G: 66.4 (91st)
Off Rtg: 107.8 (54th)
Def Rtg: 97.8 (134th)
SRS: 16.84 (18th)
SOS: 10.03 (19th)

As one of the top college basketball teams in the nation, Villanova starts the season with the second-best odds to win the 2021 NCAA Tournament behind the Gonzaga Bulldogs. It ranks third in both major national polls.

The main strength of the Wildcats is their returning lineup. Saddiq Bey left some big shoes to fill. However, the other four starters are in place led by Collin Gillespie as the leading scoring with 15.1 points per game.

The only real weakness could be rust. The late start to the season contributed to the long layoff, so there is always the risk of a slow start.

Inside the Stats – Boston College Eagles

2019-20 stats

PS/G: 64.6 (322nd)
PA/G: 70.6 (211th)
Off Rtg: 92.4 (336th)
Def Rtg: 101.1 (218th)
SRS: 1.82 (142nd)
SOS: 7.86 (51st)

Boston College is on the wrong side of this long-established rivalry with a 24-52 record SU in 76 previous meetings. The last time the Eagles faced Villanova was in the Sweet 16 of the 2006 NCAA Tournament. They lost in overtime 60-59.

As far as this year’s team, Jim Christian may already be on the hot seat entering his seventh season as head coach. An overall record of 75-119 has dialed up the pressure for this campaign.

Losing three starters from last year’s team does not help the situation. BC will turn to sophomore guard Wynston Tabbs as their top scorer from a year ago with 13.9 PPG. Another sophomore guard to watch is Jay Heath, who averaged 13.1 PPG last year.

Key Players to Watch

2019-20 stats

BC - Jay Heath (13.1 ppg)
BC - Steffon Mitchell (7.8 ppg, 8.7 rpg)
NOVA - Collin Gillespie (15.1 ppg, 4.5 apg)
NOVA - Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (10.5 ppg, 9.4 rpg)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

UCLA vs. San Diego State Odds

The Pac-12’s UCLA Bruins will open their season against the Mountain West's San Diego State Aztecs this Wednesday in an 11 p.m. ET tip at Viejas Arena.

Venue: Viejas Arena
Location: San Diego, California
Date: Wednesday, November 25, 2020
Time: 11 p.m. ET
TV: CBSSN

UCLA-San Diego State Betting Odds

Spread: UCLA -3.5
Money-Line: UCLA -175 San Diego State +143
Total: 133.5
Implied Probability: UCLA 63.6%

Mick Cronin's Bruins begin the 2020-21 campaign as road favorites, entering a tough environment against a team with Final Four aspirations a year ago. The San Diego State Aztecs are home underdogs, despite winning 30 of their last 32 games. The spread has moved to -2.5 with some sportsbooks, so it appears the public may not be as sold on UCLA as oddsmakers are.

UCLA is coming off a 11-3 SU record to end last year, arguably one of the hottest teams in the country to close out the season. Tyler Campbell is also a contender for the John Wooden Award this season, so it seems justified in the oddsmakers leaning towards Cronin's club. It's worth noting UCLA has lost four of its last five games when facing an inter-state school, which includes losses to Stanford and Cal State Fullerton.

Betting Analysis – UCLA Bruins

SU: 19-12
ATS: 17-13-1
SU - Home: 13-6
SU - Away: 6-6
O/U: 13-17-1-

Betting Analysis – San Diego State Aztecs

SU: 28-1
ATS: 18-10
SU - Home: 15-1
SU - Away: 13-0
O/U: 14-13-1

Inside the Stats – UCLA Bruins

2019-20 stats

PS/G: 65.9 (229th)
PA/G: 67.1 (116th)
Off Rtg: 103.7 (130th)
Def Rtg: 100.1 (190th)
SRS: 9.83 (67th)
SOS: 8.23 (43rd)

UCLA is a favorite to win the Pac-12 this season, after catching fire to end the 2019-20 campaign. It's tough to bet against Mick Cronin, who seems right on track to continue his Cincinnati success in the City of Angels.

What makes the Bruins so dangerous is that they return their top five scorers from a year ago. With the same core in tact, and an offseason to develop more chemistry, the Bruins should see similar success to how they ended the 2019-20 season.

Inside the Stats – San Diego Aztecs

2019-20 stats

PS/G: 74.8 (77th)
PA/G: 59.5 (3rd)
Off Rtg: 113.3 (3rd)
Def Rtg: 90 (10th)
SRS: 18.38 (10th)
SOS: 3.92 (97th)

San Diego State enters the season without two of their top three scorers from a year ago. The most notable is Malachi Flynn, who averaged 17.6 points per game. Also, Yanni Wetzell is gone after averaging 11.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

Matt Mitchell and Jordan Schakel will have to carry the load for San Diego State to be successful. It's worth noting that San Diego State is without K.J. Feagin this year, meaning Nathan Mensah and Trey Pulliam will need to step up as well.

Time will tell if San Diego State can stay a top the Mountain West food chain, and what a better way to test your club then against a favored school from a power-five conference. The Aztecs are known for defense, so if they can continue limiting schools to under 60 points per game they should be fine. The offense will be tough to match from a season ago, however (third best rating in country last year).

Key Players to Watch

2019-20 stats

UCLA - Tyger Campbell (8.3 ppg, 5 apg)
UCLA - Chris Smith (13.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg)
SDST - Matt Mitchell (12.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg)
SDST - Jordan Schakel (10 ppg)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NCAAB

Wednesday, November 25

Drake @ Kansas State
Drake
— 3 starters back from LY’s 20-14 team
— picked 7th in MVC by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #158 by KenPom, 6th in MVC
— Last year was first time since 1971 Drake won 20 games in back/back years.

Kansas State
— 2 starters back from LY’s 11-21 team
— picked last in Big X by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #114 by KenPom, last in Big X
— Last year was Bruce Weber’s worst year as a head coach.

Old Dominion @ Maryland
Old Dominion
— 4 starters back from LY’s 13-19 team
— picked 6th in C-USA by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #101 by KenPom, 3rd in C-USA
— LY was Jones’ first losing year at ODU.
— Monarchs have good guards, are expected to bounce back this year.

Maryland
— 3 starters back from LY’s 24-7 team
— picked 10th in Big 14 by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #51 by KenPom, 11th in Big 14
— Terps tied for Big 14 title LY; they’re not as talented now.

Toledo @ Bradley
Toledo
— 3 starters back from LY’s 17-15 team
— picked 4th in MAC by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #128 by KenPom, 2nd in MAC
— Last year was Toledo’s worst since 2013.
— They’re deeper this year, should be better on offense.

Bradley
— 2 starters back from LY’s 23-11 team
— picked 3rd in MVC by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #126 by KenPom, 3rd in MVC
— Bradley won the MVC tournament last year.
— Braves are good up front, have ?’s at guard.

Oklahoma State @ Tex-Arlington
Oklahoma State
— 1 starter back from LY’s 18-14 team
— picked 8th in Big X by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #35 by KenPom, 7th in Big X
— Cowboys can’t go to NCAA’s this year; probstion.
— Cunningham is one of nation’s best freshmen; he’s so good they hired his brother as an assistant coach. Go figure.

Tex-Arlington
— 3 starters back from LY’s 14-18 team
— picked 8th in Sun Belt by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #159 by KenPom, 4th in Sun Belt
— UTA shot 30.4% on arc LY, were small inside. No bueno.
— How did they get Oklahoma State to come on road for opener?

Charleston @ North Carolina
Charleston
— 1 starter back from LY’s 17-14 team
— picked 3rd in CAA by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #176 by KenPom, 4th in CAA
— More balanced this year; will transfers step up?
— Won 17 games LY, after 75 wins previous three years.

North Carolina
— 3 starters back from LY’s 14-19 team
— picked 3rd in ACC by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #22 by KenPom, 4th in ACC
— Last year was Roy Williams’ first losing season.
— Solid inside; who will replace Anthony at the point?

Hofstra vs Monmouth
Hofstra
— Coach Mihalich took a leave of absence; they have an interim coach.
— 3 starters back from LY’s 26-8 team
— picked 2nd in CAA by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #153 by KenPom, 1st in CAA
— Hofstra won their first CAA tourney last year.

Monmouth
— 2 starters back from LY’s 18-13 team
— picked 2nd in MAAC by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #182 by KenPom, 2nd in MAAC
— Four senior starters, but point guard is new.
— Supposedly have an impressive freshman class.

— Hofstra beat Monmouth last three years, by 1-2-20 points.

South Dakota vs Colorado (@ Kansas State)
— South Dakota has 1 starter back from LY’s 20-12 team
— picked 2nd in Summit by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #208 by KenPom, 5th in Summit

— Lost five of top six scorers from LY.
— Can 4 JC kids, 3 redshirts fill the void?

— Colorado has 3 starters back from LY’s 21-11 team
— picked 6th in Pac-12 by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #62 by KenPom, 8th in Pac-12.
— Have senior PG, but lost Tyler Bey to NBA.
— Were #3 in country in minutes continuity LY.

Georgia State @ Georgia Tech
— Georgia State has 4 starters back from LY’s 19-13 team
— picked 2nd in Sun Belt by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #108 by KenPom, 1st in Sun Belt
— Whole backcourt from last year returns.
— How good are the new guys up front?

— Georgia Tech has 4 starters back from LY’s 17-14 team
— picked 6th in ACC by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #72 by KenPom, 11th in ACC
— Has one of ACC’s best returning backcourts.
— Popular wisdom: its a good year to have an experienced team.

Cal-Irvine vs Pepperdine (@ San Diego)
— Cal-Irvine has 1 starter back from LY’s 21-11 team
— picked 2nd in Big West by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #122 by KenPom, 2nd in Big West.

— Anteaters played in last two NCAA tourneys.
— Irvine lost 77-73 at Pepperdine last year.

— Pepperdine has 4 starters back from LY’s 16-16 team
— picked 4th in WCC by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #106 by KenPom, 5th in WCC
— Waves have a very good senior point guard.
— Deeper, more athletic than they’ve been recently.

UCLA @ San Diego State
— UCLA has all 5 starters back from LY’s 19-12 team
— Bruins are picked 2nd in Pac-12 by Blue Ribbon
— UCLA is ranked #29 by KenPom, 3rd in Pac-12.
— Bruins won 11 of last 14 games LY, after a 7-9 start.
— UCLAS is expected to compete for the Pac-12 title.

— San Diego State has 2 starters back from LY’s 30-2 team
— picked 2nd in Mountain West by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #44 by KenPom, 1st in Mountain West
— Aztecs poached grad transfer PG Gomez from Northridge.
— 8 of San Diego State’s 12 scholarship guys are juniors/seniors.

Montana State @ UNLV
— Montana State has 3 starters back from LY’s 16-15 team
— picked 4th in Big Sky by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #220 by KenPom, 5th in Big Sky
— Bobcats have a new point guard this year.
— Will try to play faster this year.

— UNLV has 2 starters back from LY’s 17-15 team
— picked 3rd in Mountain West by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #119 by KenPom, 5th in Mountain West
— Rebels have new PG, very good transfer from South Dakota State.
— UNLV won six of its last seven games LY.

Clemson vs Mississippi State (Melbourne, FL)
— Clemson has 4 starters back from LY’s 16-15 team
— picked 8th in ACC by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #40 by KenPom, 8th in ACC.
— Tigers are expected to be in the NCAAs this year.
— Clemson’s best player is a 6-8 senior who passed up NBA Draft.

— Mississippi State has 2 starters back from LY’s 20-11 team
— picked 10th in SEC by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #77 by KenPom, 12th in SEC
— Need transfers to be good in order to maintain success.
— won 68 games the last three years.

North Dakota State vs Nevada
— North Dakota State has 2 starters back from LY’s 25-8 team
— picked 3rd in Summit by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #175 by KenPom, 2nd in Summit.
— Won Summit tourney LY.
— Bison are rebuilding a little after LY’s 25-8 team.

— Nevada has 1 starter back from LY’s 19-12 team
— picked 6th in Mountain West by Blue Ribbon
— ranked #120 by KenPom, 6th in Mountain West
— Lost five of top six scorers from last year.
— Young players have to contribute quickly.