NCAA Game Summary – Butler vs. Kansas State

March 28, 2010

(Saturday, March 27th)

Final Score: Butler 63, Kansas State 56

Salt Lake City, UT (Sports Network) – Gordon Hayward scored six of his 22 points in the final minutes to counter a furious Kansas State comeback that swung momentum and the lead, as Butler sealed a trip to the Final Four with a 63-56 victory in the West Regional final of the NCAA Tournament.

Shelvin Mack scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds and Matt Howard chipped in eight points for the fifth-seeded Bulldogs (32-4), who are not only on their longest run into the NCAAs but also as a representative of the Horizon League.

Butler now heads to Indianapolis next Saturday, essentially in its own back yard, to take on either Michigan State or Tennessee in the Final Four. The Bulldogs boast the nation’s longest winning streak at 24 games, having last tasted defeat in December against UAB.

“It’s hard to put into words. But it has always been a team thing at Butler. And these guys continued on that path today,” said third-year Butler coach Brad Stevens.

Denis Clemente and Jacob Pullen combined for two points in the first half, but recovered to help erase a double-digit deficit and gain a 52-51 lead with under five minutes to play.

Clemente ended with 18 points and Pullen 14 with six steals. Curtis Kelly added 14 points, five boards and three blocks for the second-seeded Wildcats (29-8), who got by Xavier in a double-overtime thriller on Thursday for their first Elite Eight appearance since 1988.

Kansas State began an assault on Butler’s 10-point lead as the clock rolled past eight minutes left with Pullen and Clemente hitting consecutive threes around a Mack triple for the Bulldogs.

Pullen stroked another three to answer two free throws by Hayward and sank two of his own from the charity stripe for a one-possession game, 51-49, with 5:06 remaining.

Clemente then got a steal off Hayward and was sent to the line. He missed the front end, Dominique Sutton secured the carom and kicked it out to Clemente in the right corner for a three that gave K-State its first lead of the game.

Butler dug deep, though, and showed the mettle of a Final Four team with 12 of the next 14 points to secure a spot in Indianapolis.

“I think mentally we looked tired. We were sluggish. I don’t think it was about our wrongdoing as much as it was about Butler’s right-doing. Every time we made a couple shots, they stepped right back up and make a shot or make a play,” said Kansas State coach Frank Martin.

A pair of trips to the line had Butler back up two until Clemente cut across the left baseline to float in a tear-drop basket and tie the game with 3:06 left.

Ronald Nored had perhaps the best of his five assists on a stinging feed to Hayward down low for a high-percentage hoop on the other end. Nored then took it in himself with a strong move through the lane after a missed Pullen three to open up a four-point gap with 2:04 on the clock.

Clemente squandered a chance for points at the line by missing the front end of a one-and-one opportunity, and Butler came back with a hustle play to run the lead to six with 1:06 left.

Willie Veasley couldn’t get a layup to go, but Mack scrambled to save the ball from going out of bounds. It made its way to Hayward, who drove left from the top of the key and angled his way to the rim for a banked layup and a 60-54 difference.

“We weren’t able to guard. We had defensive breakdowns. We didn’t make shots. We made some bad decisions on offense, and they capitalized. They’re a good team,” said Pullen.

Nored pestered both Clemente and Pullen into quick turnovers on the next two possessions before the ‘Cats could even set up their offense. The sloppy sequence for K-State led to an additional three points for Butler, which essentially put the game away on Nored’s layup with nine seconds to go.

“It’s special for all of us here. It will be special anywhere we went. The fact we get to play in front of our home crowd, they’ve just been tremendous all year supporting us, kind of makes it a little more special,” said Hayward of returning to Indianapolis for the Final Four.

The Wildcats were lucky to be down only 27-20 at the break after a poor opening half. Butler held Pullen, the ‘Cats leading scorer, without a point and their second leading scorer Clemente to a single bucket. Kelly helped offset KSU’s 35.7 percent shooting with a dozen points on 6-of-10 field goals.

Kansas State got some signs of life early in the second with four points from Clemente and a pair of Pullen free throws to get the junior guard off the schnide. The brief 6-0 stretch made it a one-point game, but Butler was back in business shortly thereafter.

Two successful trips to the line preceded a Hayward three to open back up an eight-point margin, 34-26, and a Mack three-ball moments later stretched the lead to nine.

Pullen managed his first field goal in the midst of Butler’s run and Clemente got a pair of layups to fall, but Hayward’s jumper with 11 minutes on the clock still made it a 10-point game, 44-34.

Butler got out to a 10-4 lead on Shawn Vanzant’s three-pointer approaching seven minutes in. Mack dropped a three two minutes later to kick off a 10-2 Bulldog run that netted a 20-10 advantage with under six minutes to go.

Kansas State’s struggles continued and Clemente finally got to the hoop for a layup for the half’s final score to limit the damage.

Game Notes

Nored had four points, five rebounds and four steals. Hayward, who was named Most Oustanding Player for the West Region, was 6-of-6 at the line and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds…Butler held a 41-29 rebounding advantage and shot 45.7 percent from the floor…K-State starters Sutton and Luis Colon were 1-of-7 from the field for two points…The Wildcats wound up shooting 38.6 percent for the game and 5-for-15 from three-point range…This game marked the first-ever meeting between Butler and Kansas State on the hardwood.

Written by admin · Filed Under Daily Sports Round Up

free pick Tennessee Volunteers vs. Michigan State Spartans 3-28-10

March 28, 2010

The Tennessee Volunteers and the Michigan State Spartans will both be trying to pick up a win on Sunday when they battle at Edward Jones Dome.

Oddsmakers currently have the Volunteers listed as 2-point favorites versus the Spartans, while the game’s total is sitting at 136.

Tennessee roared back and came away with a 76-73 victory over Ohio State on in the Sweet 16 on Friday. Tennessee won the game as 4.5-point underdogs, while the 149 points sailed OVER the posted total of 137.

Wayne Chism collected 22 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double in leading Tennessee.

Michigan State roared back in the second half and defeated Northern Iowa 59-52 in the Sweet 16 on Friday. Michigan State won the game as a pick’em, while the 111 points went UNDER the posted total of 121.5.

Durrell Summers led the way with 19 points and seven rebounds.

Current streak:
Tennessee has won 3 straight games.
Michigan State has won 3 straight games.

Team records:
Tennessee: 28-8 SU, 15-16-2 ATS
Michigan State: 27-8 SU, 14-20 ATS

Tennessee most recently:
When playing on Sunday are 7-3
After playing Ohio State are 0-2
After a win are 7-3

Michigan State most recently:
When playing on Sunday are 8-2
After a win are 7-3

A few trends to consider:
Tennessee is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
Michigan State is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games

Free Pick: Tenn -1

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free pick Baylor Bears vs. Duke Blue Devils 3-28-10

March 28, 2010

The Baylor Bears and the Duke Blue Devils will both be gunning for a victory on Sunday when they meet at Reliant Stadium.

Oddsmakers currently have the Blue Devils listed as 5-point favorites versus the Bears, while the game’s total is sitting at 139.

Baylor advanced to the Elite Eight on Friday with a convincing 72-49 victory over St. Mary’s. Baylor covered the 5-point spread, while the teams played UNDER the posted total of 141.5.

LaceDarius Dunn netted 23 points to lead Baylor, and Tweety Carter had 14 points in the win.

Kyle Singler poured in 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds as Duke defeated Purdue 70-57 on Friday in the Sweet 16. Duke covered the 8.5-point spread, while the 127 points went UNDER the posted total of 127.5.

Jon Scheyer netted 18 points for Duke and Nolan Smith added 15 in the win.

Current streak:
Baylor has won 3 straight games.
Duke has won 7 straight games.

Team records:
Baylor: 28-7 SU, 18-10 ATS
Duke: 32-5 SU, 21-14-1 ATS

Baylor most recently:
When playing on Sunday are 5-5
After a win are 8-2

Duke most recently:
When playing on Sunday are 8-2
After playing Purdue are 1-1
After a win are 9-1

A few trends to consider:
Baylor is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
Duke is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

Free Pick: Duke -4.5

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On College Basketball: Resetting the brackets

March 27, 2010

As we approach the Sweet Sixteen and Regional Finals, two things stand out in my mind. First, beware the mid- majors; and second, why are they even making Duke play?

As far as the non-mid-majors are concerned, I am most surprised by the team I one week ago dubbed “vastly overrated.” Third-seeded Baylor has proved worthy of its seeding (keep in mind though, a three-seed in the south is like a six in the East or Midwest) and now carries my hopes of finishing Duke if Purdue cannot get it done. I think Purdue has been tremendously overlooked as a tournament contender, and probably benefited from that status to last longer in the south. Ideally, I would like to see St. Mary’s defeat Baylor, but I know that is unlikely and also counterproductive to my overall goal of seeing anyone but Duke proceed to Indianapolis in the south region of this year’s tournament bracket.

Looking ahead this week, below are my predictions as to who I believe will be filling those coveted four positions Sunday evening.

EAST

(12) Cornell and (11) Washington are far better than I had anticipated. However, neither team is talented enough to take down the likes of (1) Kentucky or (2) West Virginia. Washington has greater opportunity to advance strictly because Quincy Pondexter has such an overwhelming presence on the court. An on- day for him and an off for the Mountaineers could lead to another victory for the Huskies.

That does not mean Kentucky should not fear the Big Red. A team with everything to prove (and what seemed to be an easy defeat of veteran Bo Ryan’s Wisconsin team) can easily lead to upset. In this instance though, I think the Cornell run will likely stop the minute they find themselves matched up with future NBA stars, John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and Patrick Patterson. John Calipari’s biggest mistake though, would be to enter this game anything less than prepared.

In the 1 vs. 2 matchup I foresee, I predict Kentucky coming out on top. The Wildcats’ talent is unparalleled, and it was the fact that Calipari left a bad taste in the mouths of many, in addition to UK’s youth, that swayed popular opinion to Kansas as the consensus pick for 2010 National Champion (Calipari’s pariah status also led Vanderbilt’s Kevin Stallings to be named SEC Coach of the Year). I never believed the Jayhawks to be the next national champions because they were unbalanced at either ends of the court. Kentucky is dangerous competition for any team in the nation right now because they are playing well at all angles. So are the Mountaineers. This matchup will be the most difficult of any in the Regional Finals and although I believe the ‘Cats have a better chance of coming out on top, I am far from certain in that calculation.

WEST

I know I just said that whole thing about “beware the mid-majors” but truthfully, we are too far into the tournament for the mid-major teams to make all that much noise. Sure, there will be at least one (maybe two) surprises heading into the Elite; but when Sunday evening rolls around, the phrase “mid- major” will be virtually void from tournament talk.

(6) Xavier beat Minnesota and Pitt. Solid and impressive wins. Well, not that impressive. Xavier is no stranger to the Sweet Sixteen and it is no shock that it made it this far. What will be a shock though, is if the Musketeers upset heavily favored Kansas State (2). Although, I cannot shake this feeling that K-State is just a little too good to be true.

(1) Syracuse playing (5) Butler brings one thing to mind. “Defense wins ball games.” I have always replaced ‘defense’ with ‘free throws’ because it is absolutely true…anybody watch the Northern Iowa-Kansas upset? Butler has a sound offense but Syracuse is a heavy-D team that is playing its best defensive game in the tournament. The Bulldogs are going to put up a decent fight but will break under pressure.

As well as Syracuse has been playing, it is difficult for me to say the Orange will fall to the Wildcats. As far as star power goes, Wesley Johnson is one of the most well-rounded players in the nation. Kansas State does not boast a leader as powerful, although K-State is not lacking in depth or talent. For no reason other than I want to see them in the Final Four, I pick the Wildcats to advance. I realize this is not convincing evidence, but I have yet to truly convince myself.

MIDWEST

(6) Tennessee may appear to be a better team than you may have thought. Don’t let them fool you. They cake-walked into the second round…wait a minute, they cake-walked out of the second-round too. San Diego State and Ohio are not proving you Final Four worthy in my book, Bruce Pearl (not that you ever were). Make no mistake, I would be perfectly happy seeing the Vols take out (2) Ohio State; but seeing how I doubted UT’s ability to even make it into the Sweet Sixteen, I’m pretty sure OSU will walk away with this win.

I may be asking too much of the tournament gods to see the Northern Iowa Panthers upset another team, but I am going to anyway–mainly because it is a reasonable request. Michigan State would be my pick had Kalin Lucas not become injured against Maryland. Lucas’ torn Achilles just may be the proverbial weak heel for the Spartans as well. The Spartans are not as talented as MSU tournament teams in the past. The injury is a major blow and the tremendous amount of pressure brought by tournament games makes a Spartan team recovery seem difficult.

(9) Northern Iowa took down Kansas, the President’s pick for title winner. Surely they could take down Evan Turner’s Buckeyes, right? If any team standing in the Midwest can take down Ohio State, it is the Panthers. The top- three defense will be able to run down OSU’s limited bench, but do they have enough man power to take down Turner? If this game happens, that will be the biggest factor. I think Northern Iowa has a better chance than the Spartans, but I doubt the Panthers can remain rolling on the upset train into the Final Four.

SOUTH

Dear Purdue,

End this conspiracy, please. Without Robbie Hummel most of the nation has discarded you and although that is unfair, you may return an American Hero (in our eyes at least) if you put an end to this ridiculous and purposeful attempt at Duke’s Final Four advancement.

(3) Baylor may defeat (10) St. Mary’s, but I still find reasons to believe the Gaels may advance. I realize that a win over Villanova is hardly a defense as it faded late in the year and just barely beat Robert Morris, but I still like to believe that St. Mary’s proved itself in the first two rounds.

Who am I kidding? I just do not trust Baylor to get the job done. Baylor will probably beat St. Mary’s but I just cannot leave the important duty of restoring justice to the 2010 NCAA tournament up to either team.

A heavy weight has been cast upon your shoulders, Boilermakers. I beg you, reach deep into your bench and use it. E’Twan Moore, show up for the ENTIRE game and guide your team around the perimeter. If you stifle the Blue Devils with your superior defense you will be tournament heroes…no matter how many more teams Northern Iowa upsets.

Written by admin · Filed Under Daily Sports Round Up

free pick Butler Bulldogs vs. Kansas State Wildcats 3-27-10

March 27, 2010

The Butler Bulldogs and the Kansas State Wildcats will both be trying to pick up a win on Saturday when they battle at EnergySolutions Arena.

Oddsmakers currently have the Wildcats listed as 4-point favorites versus the Bulldogs, while the game’s total is sitting at 135.

Butler raced out to a 10-point halftime lead and held on for a 63-59 win over Syracuse on Thursday to advance to the Elite Eight. Butler won the game as 6.5-point underdogs, while the 122 points went UNDER the posted total of 138.

Gordon Hayward led the way with 17 points and five rebounds, while Shelvin Mack netted 14 points in the win.

Kansas State clawed their way to a thrilling 101-96 double OT victory over Xavier to reach the Elite Eight on Thursday. Kansas State failed to cover the 5-point spread, while the 197 points sailed OVER the posted total of 150.5.

Jacob Pullen poured in 28 points with four rebounds in leading the way, and Denis Clemente added 25 in the win.

Team records:
Butler: 31-4 SU, 15-20 ATS
Kansas State: 29-7 SU, 22-9 ATS

Butler most recently:
When playing on Saturday are 8-2
After a win are 10-0

Kansas State most recently:
When playing on Saturday are 4-6
After playing Xavier are 3-2
After a win are 8-2

A few trends to consider:
Butler is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Kansas State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games

Free Pick: Butler +4

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free pick West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Kentucky Wildcats 3-27-10

March 27, 2010

The West Virginia Mountaineers and the Kentucky Wildcats will both be trying to pick up a win on Saturday when they battle at Carrier Dome.

Oddsmakers currently have the Wildcats listed as 4-point favorites versus the Mountaineers, while the game’s total is sitting at 133.

West Virginia roared back with 42 points in the second half and came away with a 69-56 win over Washington in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. West Virginia covered the 4.5-point spread, while the 125 points went UNDER the posted total of 140.

Kevin Jones led the way with 18 points and eight rebounds, while Da’Sean Butler added 14 in ther win.

Kentucky ended Cornell’s run with a 62-45 win over the Big Red in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. Kentucky covered the 8.5-point spread, but the combined score went UNDER the posted total of 146.

DeMarcus Cousins dropped 16 points and Eric Bledsoe added 12 in the win.

Team records:
West Virginia: 30-6 SU, 16-19 ATS
Kentucky: 35-2 SU, 20-15 ATS

West Virginia most recently:
When playing on Saturday are 8-2
After a win are 9-1

Kentucky most recently:
When playing on Saturday are 5-5
After a win are 9-1

A few trends to consider:
West Virginia is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Kentucky is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

Free Pick: West Virg +4

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Resetting The Brackets

March 26, 2010

As we approach the Sweet Sixteen and Regional Finals, two things stand out in my mind. First, beware the mid- majors; and second, why are they even making Duke play?

Looking ahead this week, below are my predictions as to who I believe will be filling those coveted four positions Sunday evening.

EAST

WEST

MIDWEST

SOUTH

Dear Purdue,

Written by admin · Filed Under Daily Sports Round Up

free pick Tennessee Volunteers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes 3-26-10

March 26, 2010

The Tennessee Volunteers and the Ohio State Buckeyes will both be gunning for a victory on Friday when they meet at Edward Jones Dome.

Oddsmakers currently have the Buckeyes listed as 4½-point favorites versus the Volunteers, while the game’s total is sitting at 135.

Tennessee put an end to Ohio’s Cinderella run, winning 83-68 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at the Dunkin Donuts Center Saturday.

Tennessee covered as a 9-point favorite while the final score played OVER the 143.5-point total.

Ohio State defeated Georgia Tech 75-66 as a 6.5-point favorite in their tourney matchup on Sunday. The combined score went OVER the posted over/under total (134.5).

Evan Turner nearly posted a triple-double with 24 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for the Buckeyes and Jon Diebler added 20 points in the win.

Team records:
Tennessee: 27-8 SU, 14-16-2 ATS
Ohio State: 29-7 SU, 18-18 ATS

Tennessee most recently:
When playing on Friday are 3-5
After a win are 7-3

Ohio State most recently:
When playing on Friday are 5-4
After playing Georgia Tech are 1-0
After a win are 9-1

A few trends to consider:
Tennessee is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Tennessee’s last 16 games
Tennessee is 6-11-1 ATS in its last 18 games
Ohio State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Ohio State’s last 5 games

Free Pick: Tenn +5

Written by admin · Filed Under Free College Basketball Picks

free pick St. Mary’s Gaels vs. Baylor Bears 3-26-10

March 26, 2010

The St. Mary’s Gaels and the Baylor Bears will both be trying to pick up a win on Friday when they battle at Reliant Stadium.

Oddsmakers currently have the Bears listed as 5-point favorites versus the Gaels, while the game’s total is sitting at 141½.

Tenth-seeded St. Mary’s is throwing its hat in the ring as this year’s Cinderella after knocking off second-seeded Villanova 75-68 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at the Dunkin Donuts Center Saturday.

St. Mary’s covered as a 4-point underdog while the final score played UNDER the 153-point total.

LaceDarius Dunn netted a game-high 26 points to lead Baylor to a 76-68 victory over Old Dominion in the second-round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday. Baylor covered the 4.5-point spread, and the 144 points sailed OVER the posted total of 129.5.

Josh Lomers added 14 points for Baylor, and Tweety Carter chipped in with 12 in the win.

Team records:
St. Mary’s: 28-5 SU, 22-9-1 ATS
Baylor: 27-7 SU, 17-10 ATS

St. Mary’s most recently:
When playing on Friday are 4-6
After a win are 9-1

Baylor most recently:
When playing on Friday are 2-7
After a win are 7-3

A few trends to consider:
St. Mary’s is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Baylor is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games

Free Pick: St. Mary’s +5

Written by admin · Filed Under Free College Basketball Picks

free pick Northern Iowa Panthers vs. Michigan State Spartans 3-26-10

March 26, 2010

The Northern Iowa Panthers and the Michigan State Spartans will both be gunning for a victory on Friday when they meet at Edward Jones Dome.

Oddsmakers currently have the Spartans listed as 1-point favorites versus the Panthers, while the game’s total is sitting at 121.

Northern Iowa clawed their way out to an eight-point halftime lead and held on for a 69-67 upset victory over Kansas in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Saturday. Northern Iowa won the game as 11.5-point underdogs, and the game’s 136 points made it OVER the posted total of 127.5.

Ali Farokhmanesh led the way with 16 points and Jordan Eglseder added 14 in that win.

Michigan State defeated Maryland 85-83 as a 1.5-point underdog on Sunday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The combined score went OVER the posted over/under total (147.5).

Durrell Summers scored 26 points for Michigan State and Raymar Morgan added 17 points in the win.

Team records:
Northern Iowa: 30-4 SU, 23-10 ATS
Michigan State: 26-8 SU, 13-20 ATS

Northern Iowa most recently:
When playing on Friday are 6-4
After a win are 8-2

Michigan State most recently:
When playing on Friday are 5-3
After playing Maryland are 2-1
After a win are 7-3

A few trends to consider:
Northern Iowa is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Northern Iowa is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Northern Iowa’s last 25 games
Michigan State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games

Free Pick: N. Iowa +1

Written by admin · Filed Under Free College Basketball Picks

NCAA Game Summary – Butler vs. Kansas State

free pick Tennessee Volunteers vs. Michigan State Spartans 3-28-10

free pick Baylor Bears vs. Duke Blue Devils 3-28-10

On College Basketball: Resetting the brackets

free pick Butler Bulldogs vs. Kansas State Wildcats 3-27-10

free pick West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Kentucky Wildcats 3-27-10

Resetting The Brackets

free pick Tennessee Volunteers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes 3-26-10

free pick St. Mary’s Gaels vs. Baylor Bears 3-26-10

free pick Northern Iowa Panthers vs. Michigan State Spartans 3-26-10

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