Tulsa -7 over North Texas ******
Last time they played each other Tulsa won 94-73...don't think that will happen again but Tulsa has a lot more incentive to win tonite...they are tied with 3 other teams in the USA Cof for 1st place...Hurricanes are on a winning streak{6} beating UTEP,FIU and FAU on the road...they almost lost to UTSA at home the other day in OT...North Texas has no front line at all...they are athletic and can score but all scorers are under 6'4 except for on 6'6...they do not shoot well FG% or from the 3..and they are a terrible passing team with Jones having 119 assts and the rest under 39....UTEP came in last week and beat them by 20..they also lost at home to ODU,So Miss and Mid Tenn....good teams beat them at home..they did beat ECU by 2...they turn the ball over and have 5 payers with over 40 turn overs..Tulsa has big gds in Woodward and Harrison and has 4 players with over 50 assists each with Harrison having 103, Smith can score inside..they have good depth at the fds and will play Wright,Evans ,Peete, Swan-,etc all 6'8-6'9.. they killed NT on the bds in their 1st game..will do that tonite.. Tulsa wins by double digits...
Conf USA Sweep play....
With 4 teams tied for 1st place with 12-4 records{Tulsa,Mid Tenn,La Tech,So Miss} and their last games tonite all on the road...I'm going with the "must" game pressure plus some other things..
So Miss -12 over Tulane **
They pour it on tonite..no mercy..
La Tech -15 over Rice **
Ditto...
MTenn -2.5 over UAB *
A little sacred of this one but going with the sweep.
UTEP -9 over UTSA **
UTEP is one game out other the other 4....if the other 4 all lose UTEP has a chance...but I'm sure with a tie breaker they are still out..the good news is Floyd the Miners coach hasn't told his players that...
UTA +1 over Troy ****
Love Dowell scoring...one of the best gds I've seen this year..Edwards is tough inside..so smooth..McClanahan is on fire and Outler is solid..Troy has trouble scoring...UTA can't stop anything...this is a dangerous team.. almost like my Iona....can score but can't play any D...think the Mavs get their offense going tonite and put away Troy.
La Laf +2 over WKU **
Ragins are on fire winning 7 of last 8...Long and Peyton are the best tandem of players in the conf scoring..WKU needs this for a 1st rd bye and has owned Laf in the past...Price,Fant,Jackson,etc...after sitting in the 2nd row and watching these guys play Tex St... my vote goes to La Laf as the better team...if Peyton can penetrate Long will score...one huge problem tonite for Laf...if Long gets in foul trouble they have no one inside to replace...no fds or centers..no depth what so ever...so My play is Long stays out of trouble..
Ark St -10 over UL Mon ****
Think this game is a blowout...UL is fighting to get in the tourney but is meeting a solid team.. UL upset Ark 72-65 early on so revenge tonite is big... Esp. at home....ASU is coming off a heart breaker loss in OT to Geo St...Van Slyke and co will end the War Hawks season..
So Bama -3.5 over Texas St **
Was at the game when Tex beat them in OT by 1...Tex got lucky and pulled out the win...but watching this game close up made me second guess the Bama coach Graves.. I know he came from Butler and if he didn't take this job would be at Butler as the head coach after Stevens left for Boston...anyway he played a zone vs Tex when he didn't need one..they have no penetrating gds..Kaspers puts in 6'7 Koenen the only Bobcat that can shoot...and he hits I think 6 or 7 uncontested shots ..all 3's...then early on Gant the 6'8 center for Tex puts a move on Rubit the star of Bama...he makes a nice left hand,drop step hook and makes it... a few minutes later he does it again...same shot...Rubit yells to Graves.." is he left handed"...Graves yells " yes"....I'm sitting there wondering..do you scout this team,do watch tape..everyone in San Marcos knows Gant is left handed...and he has no right hand...sorry getting off track...think Graves won't play zone,Rubit is a stud with an NBA body...both teams are at the cellar in the conf...Tex has won 1 game on the rd all year...think Rubit touches the ball 20-30 times tonite...hate that 1/2 pt...but going with it
Rider -4 over Monmouth ***
To much offense with Myles,Stewart and co
Marist -4 over Niagara ***
Foxes scored 100 pts over Quinn the other day...Hart,Lewis,Bowe can score and Purple have no defense...throw a box and one on Mason...
Fairfield +3 over Peter **
Hate the Stags...Peter won both games this yr by 1 pt...I'll take the dog **
Memphis +5.5
Nova -3 **
Best Play
Tulsa...
Last time they played each other Tulsa won 94-73...don't think that will happen again but Tulsa has a lot more incentive to win tonite...they are tied with 3 other teams in the USA Cof for 1st place...Hurricanes are on a winning streak{6} beating UTEP,FIU and FAU on the road...they almost lost to UTSA at home the other day in OT...North Texas has no front line at all...they are athletic and can score but all scorers are under 6'4 except for on 6'6...they do not shoot well FG% or from the 3..and they are a terrible passing team with Jones having 119 assts and the rest under 39....UTEP came in last week and beat them by 20..they also lost at home to ODU,So Miss and Mid Tenn....good teams beat them at home..they did beat ECU by 2...they turn the ball over and have 5 payers with over 40 turn overs..Tulsa has big gds in Woodward and Harrison and has 4 players with over 50 assists each with Harrison having 103, Smith can score inside..they have good depth at the fds and will play Wright,Evans ,Peete, Swan-,etc all 6'8-6'9.. they killed NT on the bds in their 1st game..will do that tonite.. Tulsa wins by double digits...
Conf USA Sweep play....
With 4 teams tied for 1st place with 12-4 records{Tulsa,Mid Tenn,La Tech,So Miss} and their last games tonite all on the road...I'm going with the "must" game pressure plus some other things..
So Miss -12 over Tulane **
They pour it on tonite..no mercy..
La Tech -15 over Rice **
Ditto...
MTenn -2.5 over UAB *
A little sacred of this one but going with the sweep.
UTEP -9 over UTSA **
UTEP is one game out other the other 4....if the other 4 all lose UTEP has a chance...but I'm sure with a tie breaker they are still out..the good news is Floyd the Miners coach hasn't told his players that...
UTA +1 over Troy ****
Love Dowell scoring...one of the best gds I've seen this year..Edwards is tough inside..so smooth..McClanahan is on fire and Outler is solid..Troy has trouble scoring...UTA can't stop anything...this is a dangerous team.. almost like my Iona....can score but can't play any D...think the Mavs get their offense going tonite and put away Troy.
La Laf +2 over WKU **
Ragins are on fire winning 7 of last 8...Long and Peyton are the best tandem of players in the conf scoring..WKU needs this for a 1st rd bye and has owned Laf in the past...Price,Fant,Jackson,etc...after sitting in the 2nd row and watching these guys play Tex St... my vote goes to La Laf as the better team...if Peyton can penetrate Long will score...one huge problem tonite for Laf...if Long gets in foul trouble they have no one inside to replace...no fds or centers..no depth what so ever...so My play is Long stays out of trouble..
Ark St -10 over UL Mon ****
Think this game is a blowout...UL is fighting to get in the tourney but is meeting a solid team.. UL upset Ark 72-65 early on so revenge tonite is big... Esp. at home....ASU is coming off a heart breaker loss in OT to Geo St...Van Slyke and co will end the War Hawks season..
So Bama -3.5 over Texas St **
Was at the game when Tex beat them in OT by 1...Tex got lucky and pulled out the win...but watching this game close up made me second guess the Bama coach Graves.. I know he came from Butler and if he didn't take this job would be at Butler as the head coach after Stevens left for Boston...anyway he played a zone vs Tex when he didn't need one..they have no penetrating gds..Kaspers puts in 6'7 Koenen the only Bobcat that can shoot...and he hits I think 6 or 7 uncontested shots ..all 3's...then early on Gant the 6'8 center for Tex puts a move on Rubit the star of Bama...he makes a nice left hand,drop step hook and makes it... a few minutes later he does it again...same shot...Rubit yells to Graves.." is he left handed"...Graves yells " yes"....I'm sitting there wondering..do you scout this team,do watch tape..everyone in San Marcos knows Gant is left handed...and he has no right hand...sorry getting off track...think Graves won't play zone,Rubit is a stud with an NBA body...both teams are at the cellar in the conf...Tex has won 1 game on the rd all year...think Rubit touches the ball 20-30 times tonite...hate that 1/2 pt...but going with it
Rider -4 over Monmouth ***
To much offense with Myles,Stewart and co
Marist -4 over Niagara ***
Foxes scored 100 pts over Quinn the other day...Hart,Lewis,Bowe can score and Purple have no defense...throw a box and one on Mason...
Fairfield +3 over Peter **
Hate the Stags...Peter won both games this yr by 1 pt...I'll take the dog **
Memphis +5.5
Nova -3 **
Best Play
Tulsa...
