Thursday, November 29th Predictions

Prediction Record: 93-30 (ATS: 60-67)

Note: This is the first year I'm doing predictions with the spreads in parenthesis as opposed to just straight-up like I have done for the past two and a half seasons. I have received many e-mails suggesting I should make picks using betting lines in order to weed out some of the obvious games I predict. I also get feedback asking about my picks with the spread, so I figured I would try it out here for a few days to see if it generates positive or negative feedback. Feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail at marchmadnessallseason@yahoo.com.

For a preview of these games and dozens of other games this week, check out The Week Ahead.

Drexel at George Mason (-7): Prediction: George Mason 70, Drexel 62
Gonzaga at Saint Joseph's (-2): Prediction: Saint Joseph's 74, Gonzaga 71
South Alabama at Vanderbilt (-11.5): Prediction: Vanderbilt 77, South Alabama 61
Oregon at Kansas State (-2.5): Prediction: Oregon 71, Kansas State 68
Oklahoma at USC (-6.5): Prediction: USC 68, Oklahoma 60

November 28 News and Notes

According to The Chapel Hill News, North Carolina sophomore point guard Tywon Lawson will be a game-time decision for tonight’s game at Ohio State with an injured right ankle. Junior Bobby Frasor will start in his place. "I'd say it is 50-50 (whether Lawson will play)," coach Roy Williams said. "I know if we had played the game (on Monday) he would not have played." Lawson turned his ankle early in the Tar Heels’ game against BYU on Saturday, forcing Frasor to step in. "When I saw Ty get hurt, he didn't look good," Frasor said. "I got my mindset ready to be ready to control the game, set the tempo and push the ball. I thought I did a fairly decent job offensively." Frasor started at point guard during his freshman year, but Lawson took over last season.

Arizona head coach Lute Olson, who took a leave of absence on Nov. 4, returned to practice Monday, but will not coach during games yet. Interim head coach Kevin O’Neill said it is uncertain when Olson will return to head coaching duties. “He is going to be with us in some of the practices over the next little bit,'' O’Neill said. “He is not going to coach games at this point. There is no timetable for him to do that. There is absolutely no timetable." Interestingly, Arizona players were informed Olson had returned permanently. "We have heard he is back for good,'' freshman Jerryd Bayless told the Tucson Citizen. “I hope he is here for good."

Anthony Gimino of the Tucson Citizen writes the semi-return of Olson only adds to the confusion and mystery surrounding his leave of absence. "We're not covering up anything here," interim coach Kevin O'Neill said. "We're just giving a coach his space to be who he is and do what he needs to do." Arizona players also do not really know what is going on. "It's just kind of been awkward, not knowing when he was going to come back, if he was going to come back," sophomore forward Chase Budinger said. Senior Kirk Walters summed it up well: "Guys, I really don't know anything."

According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Miami sophomore forward Adrian Thomas will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL. He suffered the injury a week ago during practice. Last year, Thomas missed most of the season with an abdominal injury. He was averaging 4.5 points and 2.3 rebounds per game this season.

Michael Cunningham of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel writes that Miami sports fans should pay attention to the Hurricanes basketball team. “This team is worth watching, but it's hard for Hurricanes basketball to get noticed,” Cunningham writes. He also reports that guard Jack McClinton, the team’s leading scorer last year, is out indefinitely with a sprained thumb.

As reported by numerous media outlets Monday, LSU junior forward Tasmin Mitchell is likely out for the season after it was decided he would need to undergo surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left ankle that has kept him out for the majority of this season. “It’s the best decision to go ahead with the surgery and there is a good chance I will probably not be back this season,” Mitchell said. “As of right now, I haven’t really made the decision yet. What I think I’m going to do is redshirt.” Recovery will take at least six-to-eight weeks. Junior Garrett Temple said the loss of Mitchell affects the team more than the numbers indicate. “He’s really the heart of our team in a lot of ways,” Temple told The (Baton Rouge) Advocate. “It changes us a whole lot to not have him out there with us.”

Diane Pucin of the Los Angeles Times reports on several UCLA injury updates. Power forward Alfred Aboya, who broke a bone under his right eye last week, practiced yesterday and will start tonight against George Washington. Junior Michael Roll hasn’t played a game this season with an injured left foot and is doubtful for the GW game despite hopes he would get clearance to play. Most importantly, junior point guard Darren Collison, who also has not played this year, will be a game-time decision for tonight’s game. His teammates were impressed with Collison, who sprained his left knee on Nov. 2, on Tuesday. "I think Darren looks great," freshman Kevin Love said. "He was feeding the ball well, running well and you guys all know he's faster than anybody in the country." His replacement, Russell Westbrook, said Collison looked “real good” on Monday. "He looked very close to coming back,” Westbrook said. Coach Ben Howland said Collison’s conditioning will determine when he returns.

Rob Schultz of The (Madison) Capital-Times writes that Wisconsin freshman forward Jon Leuer was the team’s lone bright spot in its 82-58 loss at Duke. Leuer finished with 12 points, six rebounds, one assist and one steal. Coach Bo Ryan said Leuer plays the same everywhere he goes; it doesn’t matter in what venue the game is played. “You didn't see him change expression,” Ryan said. “He doesn't care about where he's playing. He might not even know he was here at Duke. Jon just plays. Never changes expression, never has an excuse for anything, never says a word, just plays.”

The talent gap between the ACC and Big Ten was magnified in last night’s game between Wisconsin and Duke, writes Mike Lucas of The (Madison) Capital-Times. “Maybe it's time for a new dance partner,” Lucas writes. “Instead of the annual bloodletting, otherwise known as the Big Ten/ACC Challenge … you would think that eight is enough; eight straight years of ACC dominance over the Big Ten. Make that nine straight.” Wisconsin assistant coach Gary Close said the biggest difference between the two teams – and two conferences, according to Lucas – was simply talent. “The biggest thing is that they've got great talent,” Close said. Following that, Lucas closes with: “Which not only accounted for the separation here Tuesday night between the Badgers and the Blue Devils, but speaks to the Big Ten's ongoing challenge of trying to compete with the ACC.”

Wednesday, November 28th Predictions

Prediction Record: 83-28 (ATS: 54-51)

Note: This is the first year I'm doing predictions with the spreads in parenthesis as opposed to just straight-up like I have done for the past two and a half seasons. I have received many e-mails suggesting I should make picks using betting lines in order to weed out some of the obvious games I predict. I also get feedback asking about my picks with the spread, so I figured I would try it out here for a few days to see if it generates positive or negative feedback. Feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail at marchmadnessallseason@yahoo.com.

For a preview of these games and dozens of other games this week, check out The Week Ahead.

North Carolina State at Michigan State (-9): Prediction: Michigan State 71, North Carolina State 65
Georgetown at Old Dominion (+7.5): Prediction: Georgetown 73, Old Dominion 64
Boston College at Michigan (-3): Prediction: Boston College 67, Michigan 65
Massachusetts at Syracuse (-7.5): Prediction: Syracuse 74, Massachusetts 62
Illinois at Maryland (-2.5): Prediction: Maryland 72, Illinois 67
Dayton at Miami (Ohio) (-6): Prediction: Miami (Ohio) 60, Dayton 50
Missouri at Arkansas (-4.5): Prediction: Arkansas 83, Missouri 77
North Carolina at Ohio State (-6): Prediction: North Carolina 82, Ohio State 75
Alabama at Texas A&M (-12.5): Prediction: Texas A&M 79, Alabama 69
Cal State Fullerton at Arizona (-16): Prediction: Arizona 76, Cal State Fullerton 62
California at Nevada (-4.5): Prediction: California 70, Nevada 68
George Washington at UCLA (-20.5): Prediction: UCLA 79, George Washington 54

Tuesday, November 27th Predictions

Prediction Record: 77-28 (ATS: 52-47)

Note: This is the first year I'm doing predictions with the spreads in parenthesis as opposed to just straight-up like I have done for the past two and a half seasons. I have received many e-mails suggesting I should make picks using betting lines in order to weed out some of the obvious games I predict. I also get feedback asking about my picks with the spread, so I figured I would try it out here for a few days to see if it generates positive or negative feedback. Feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail at marchmadnessallseason@yahoo.com.

For a preview of these games and dozens of other games this week, check out The Week Ahead.

Georgia Tech at Indiana (-10): Prediction: Indiana 92, Georgia Tech 79
Minnesota at Florida State (-7.5): Prediction: Florida State 73, Minnesota 65
Austin Peay at Memphis (-23.5): Prediction: Memphis 87, Austin Peay 69
Wisconsin at Duke (-9): Prediction: Duke 78, Wisconsin 70
Purdue at Clemson (-10): Prediction: Clemson 71, Purdue 60
UNLV at UCSB (-4): Prediction: UCSB 79, UNLV 74

Monday, November 26th Predictions

Prediction Record: 74-28 (ATS: 51-46)

Note: This is the first year I'm doing predictions with the spreads in parenthesis as opposed to just straight-up like I have done for the past two and a half seasons. I have received many e-mails suggesting I should make picks using betting lines in order to weed out some of the obvious games I predict. I also get feedback asking about my picks with the spread, so I figured I would try it out here for a few days to see if it generates positive or negative feedback. Feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail at marchmadnessallseason@yahoo.com.

For a preview of these games and dozens of other games this week, check out The Week Ahead.

Davidson at Appalachian State (+6): Prediction: Davidson 74, Appalachian State 69
Ohio at Holy Cross (OFF): Prediction: Holy Cross 62, Ohio 55
Wake Forest at Iowa (-1.5): Prediction: Wake Forest 70, Iowa 68

The Week Ahead

After an exhausting week of holiday tournaments and several marquee head-to-head matchups, the 07-08 college basketball season is ready to hit December with a bang. College football only has a few conference championship games left, meaning that it is time for college basketball to take center stage -- if it didn't already. Here is a preview of several of the top games from Monday-Friday.

Davidson at Appalachian State (Monday, 7:00 PM, Regional TV): The first conference game of the season between the two best teams in the Southern Conference last year. ASU will be down a bit this year, but it does have the homecourt advantage against Stephen Curry and co.

Ohio at Holy Cross (Monday, 7:00 PM): A decent non-conference battle between contenders in the MAC and Patriot, respectively. The match-up inside with Ohio's Jerome Tillman and Leon Williams and Holy Cross' Tim Clifford will be something to keep an eye on.

Wake Forest at Iowa (Monday, 7:05 PM, ESPN2): The opener of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. The organizers probably could have found a better match-up to kick off the Challenge, but both teams are looking to get some momentum heading into December.

Georgia Tech at Indiana (Tuesday, 7:00 PM, ESPN): Another ACC-Big Ten Challenge match-up. Tech needs to make a non-conference statement in order to be considered a serious NCAA Tournament contender, while Indiana has to bounce back after a loss to Xavier.

Minnesota at Florida State (Tuesday, 7:30 PM, ESPN2): Although this is a mediocre game on paper, both teams are looking to make a run at the upper-division of their respective conferences. Minnesota is 3-0, while FSU bounced back from a rough start to win at Florida.

Austin Peay at Memphis (Tuesday, 8:00 PM): Don't write this one off just yet. Sure, Memphis is far more talented, but Austin Peay is the favorite in the Ohio Valley and has a chance to be a deep sleeper in March. Expect Memphis to be more focused after John Calipari "cancelled" Thanksgiving.

Wisconsin at Duke (Tuesday, 9:00 PM, ESPN): One of the premier games of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. Wisconsin has started 5-0 this year and point guard Trevon Hughes looks like a star. Duke is much improved since last year and will be a tough team to beat in the ACC.

Purdue at Clemson (Tuesday, 9:30 PM, ESPN2): Two teams trying to break through into the main contenders in their respective conferences. Purdue has a talented young group, while Clemson has been impressive so far this season, including a win at Mississippi State.

UNLV at UCSB (Tuesday, 10:00 PM): Battle on the West Coast. UNLV, coming off of a Sweet Sixteen appearance, is looking to make a run in the Mountain West, while UC Santa Barbara, behind wing Alex Harris, is one of the favorites in the Big West.

North Carolina State at Michigan State (Wednesday, 7:00 PM, ESPN): Another very good match-up in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. NC State may have gotten over its rough start with a win over Villanova Sunday, while Michigan State has been inconsistent but effective all year.

Georgetown at Old Dominion (Wednesday, 7:00 PM, Regional TV): Rematch of one of last year's best early-conference upsets, when ODU went into Georgetown and beat the Hoyas. ODU has taken a step back from last year, while Georgetown might be even better.

Boston College at Michigan (Wednesday, 7:30 PM, ESPNU): Two teams projected to finish in the bottom half of their respective conferences and going in opposite directions so far. BC is 4-0, while Michigan is only 3-3 but tying to build off a close loss to Western Kentucky.

Massachusetts at Syracuse (Wednesday, 7:30 PM, ESPN Classic): Both teams are 4-1 and looking to pick up a solid win. UMass has been more impressive than expected this year, while Syracuse is coming off of a third-place finish at the NIT Season Tip-Off.

Illinois at Maryland (Wednesday, 7:30 PM, ESPN2): Expect this game to be looked at again in three and a half months when both teams are on the bubble. Illinois finished third in the Maui Invitational, while Maryland is only 4-2 after two losses in Kansas City.

Dayton at Miami (Ohio) (Wednesday, 7:30 PM, Regional TV): Can Miami (Ohio) continue to build its non-conference resume with another solid win. The Redhawks have already knocked off an Atlantic-10 team in Xavier and also have a win over Mississippi State. Dayton is 3-1.

Missouri at Arkansas (Wednesday, 8:05 PM, Regional TV/ESPN FullCourt): Expect a high-scoring battle. Missouri has been impressive all year, with a three-point loss to Michigan State as the lone blemish. Arkansas finished third in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, including a win over VCU.

North Carolina at Ohio State (Wednesday, 9:00 PM, ESPN): Two of the nation's best recruiting classes from last season meet up again - without four of the better freshmen of last year. UNC struggled against BYU without Tywon Lawson, while Ohio State was blown out by Texas A&M.

Alabama at Texas A&M (Wednesday, 9:00 PM, ESPNU): Two teams looking to replace big-time point guards and make a run at a league title. Alabama has a bad loss to Belmont on its schedule, while A&M is coming off a dominant performance in New York to win the NIT Season Tip-Off.

Cal State Fullerton at Arizona (Wednesday, 9:30 PM, Regional TV): Another solid battle on the West Coast. CSU Fullerton is one of the contenders in the Big West, while Arizona is coming off of an overtime loss at Kansas. The Wildcats needs to build off the defeat.

California at Nevada (Wednesday, 10:05 PM): Too bad Nick Fazekas is no longer around for the Wolf Pack, who need to find a way to contain the inside duo of Ryan Anderson and DeVon Hardin of Cal. Nevada is led by wing Marcelus Kemp, who is capable of carrying the team.

George Washington at UCLA (Wednesday, 10:30 PM, Regional TV): A potentially interesting game, especially if Darren Collison doesn't play for the Bruins. GW loves to pressure the ball full-court, and UCLA point guard Russell Westbrook has struggle somewhat at times this year.

Drexel at George Mason (Thursday, 7:00 PM, Regional TV): A very solid early-season CAA match-up. Drexel is still smarting after last year's NCAA Tournament snub, while George Mason looks like it could be a potential NCAA Tournament team come March.

Gonzaga at Saint Joseph's (Thursday, 8:00 PM, ESPNU): One of the best non-ACC/Big Ten Challenge games of the week. Gonzaga suffered a loss to Texas Tech in Alaska, but has the talent and depth to bounce back. Saint Joseph's is a contender in the Atlantic-10.

South Alabama at Vanderbilt (Thursday, 8:00 PM, Regional TV): If Vanderbilt freshman big man A.J. Ogilvy plays the way he has, don't expect an upset. He has been one of the better newcomers in the country. On the other side, USA is coming off two impressive wins in the Anaheim Classic.

Oregon at Kansas State (Thursday, 9:00 PM, ESPN2): Another very solid head-to-head match-up in the Big 12/PAC-10 Challange. Oregon is a very talented group who will contend in the Pac-10, but lost to St. Mary's. Kansas State had an up-and-down trip in Orlando, going 2-1.

Oklahoma at USC (Thursday, 11:00 PM, FSN): A potential trap game for USC, who faces Kansas and Memphis in a three-day span starting Sunday. The Trojans looked outstanding in their blowout win over Southern Illinois, while Oklahoma has been impressive so far this year.

Vermont at Florida (Friday, 7:00 PM, Regional TV/ESPN FullCourt): Both teams are looking for a win to get back on the right track. Florida was very impressive early, but fell at home to Florida State this weekend. Vermont started 0-3, but have since won back-to-back games.

Washington State at Baylor (Friday, 9:00 PM, ESPNU): One of the best games of the week. Washington State is 6-0 after three straight wins in Spokane, while Baylor is 5-0 including wins over Notre Dame and Winthrop in the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Island. Expect a low-scoring contest.

Sunday, November 25th Predictions

Prediction Record: 71-25 (ATS: 50-41)

Note: This is the first year I'm doing predictions with the spreads in parenthesis as opposed to just straight-up like I have done for the past two and a half seasons. I have received many e-mails suggesting I should make picks using betting lines in order to weed out some of the obvious games I predict. I also get feedback asking about my picks with the spread, so I figured I would try it out here for a few days to see if it generates positive or negative feedback.

Feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail at marchmadnessallseason@yahoo.com.

George Mason vs. South Carolina (+3): Prediction: George Mason 72, South Carolina 65
Air Force vs. Washington State (-17): Prediction: Washington State 68, Air Force 50
Villanova vs. North Carolina State (+4): Prediction: Villanova 76, North Carolina State 73
Miami (Ohio) vs. Mississippi State (-4.5): Prediction: Mississippi State 64, Miami (Ohio) 59
Arizona at Kansas (-14): Prediction: Kansas 85, Arizona 74
USC vs. Southern Illinois (-3): Prediction: Southern Illinois 68, USC 64

Saturday, November 24th Predictions

Prediction Record: 59-22 (ATS: 38-38)

Note: This is the first year I'm doing predictions with the spreads in parenthesis as opposed to just straight-up like I have done for the past two and a half seasons. I have received many e-mails suggesting I should make picks using betting lines in order to weed out some of the obvious games I predict. I also get feedback asking about my picks with the spread, so I figured I would try it out here for a few days to see if it generates positive or negative feedback.

Feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail at marchmadnessallseason@yahoo.com.

West Virginia vs. New Mexico State (+7): Prediction: West Virginia 80, New Mexico State 72
Air Force vs. Montana (+1.5): Prediction: Montana 65, Air Force 60
Western Kentucky vs. Michigan (+2): Prediction: Western Kentucky 76, Michigan 66
Illinois State vs. Kent State (-1): Prediction: Kent State 70, Illinois State 64
San Diego State at California (-5.5): Prediction: California 73, San Diego State 65
Georgia at Wisconsin (-11): Prediction: Wisconsin 72, Georgia 60
Texas vs. Tennessee (-5.5): Prediction: Tennessee 85, Texas 77
Old Dominion vs. Louisville (-9.5): Prediction: Louisville 75, Old Dominion 65
Vanderbilt vs. Bradley (+4.5): Prediction: Vanderbilt 74, Bradley 67
Indiana vs. Xavier (+3): Prediction: Indiana 80, Xavier 71
Seton Hall vs. Virginia (-9): Prediction: Virginia 86, Seton Hall 78
Gonzaga vs. Virginia Tech (+5.5): Prediction: Gonzaga 73, Virginia Tech 60
Nevada at UNLV (-2): Prediction: UNLV 71, Nevada 64
North Carolina vs. BYU (+8): Prediction: North Carolina 83, BYU 73
Texas Tech vs. Butler (-5.5): Prediction: Butler 62, Texas Tech 56

Friday, November 23rd Predictions

Prediction Record: 42-19 (ATS: 28-27)

Note: This is the first year I'm doing predictions with the spreads in parenthesis as opposed to just straight-up like I have done for the past two and a half seasons. I have received many e-mails suggesting I should make picks using betting lines in order to weed out some of the obvious games I predict. I also get feedback asking about my picks with the spread, so I figured I would try it out here for a few days to see if it generates positive or negative feedback.

Feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail at marchmadnessallseason@yahoo.com.

North Carolina State vs. South Carolina (+3): Prediction: North Carolina State 73, South Carolina 66
Southern Illinois vs. Mississippi State (+1): Prediction: Southern Illinois 64, Mississippi State 60
Syracuse vs. Washington (+4): Prediction: Syracuse 77, Washington 72
George Mason vs. Villanova (-2.5): Prediction: Villanova 72, George Mason 67
Xavier vs. Kent State (+7.5): Prediction: Xavier 71, Kent State 67
Ohio State vs. Texas A&M (Pick): Prediction: Texas A&M 73, Ohio State 69
New Mexico State vs. Texas (-9): Prediction: Texas 78, New Mexico State 69
Kansas State vs. UCF (+3.5): Prediction: Kansas State 71, UCF 64
Iowa vs. Bradley (-2.5): Prediction: Bradley 68, Iowa 60
Florida State at Florida (-9): Prediction: Florida 82, Florida State 70
Southern Miss at Alabama (-8): Prediction: Alabama 72, Southern Miss 66
Indiana vs. Illinois State (+9.5): Prediction: Indiana 82, Illinois State 68
BYU vs. Louisville (-5.5): Prediction: Louisville 79, BYU 71
Tennessee vs. West Virginia (+7.5): Prediction: Tennessee 86, West Virginia 75
Virginia Tech vs. Butler (-9): Prediction: Butler 64, Virginia Tech 50
Utah State vs. Vanderbilt (-12.5): Prediction: Vanderbilt 75, Utah State 63
Old Dominion vs. North Carolina (-16.5): Prediction: North Carolina 79, Old Dominion 65
Montana at Washington State (-15.5): Prediction: Washington State 70, Montana 59
Gonzaga vs. Texas Tech (+7): Prediction: Gonzaga 78, Texas Tech 67
USC vs. Miami (Ohio) (+5.5): Prediction: USC 66, Miami (Ohio) 62

Thursday, November 22nd Predictions

Prediction Record: 40-16 (ATS: 26-24)

Note: This is the first year I'm doing predictions with the spreads in parenthesis as opposed to just straight-up like I have done for the past two and a half seasons. I have received many e-mails suggesting I should make picks using betting lines in order to weed out some of the obvious games I predict. I also get feedback asking about my picks with the spread, so I figured I would try it out here for a few days to see if it generates positive or negative feedback.

Feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail at marchmadnessallseason@yahoo.com.

Mississippi State vs. UC-Irvine (+8): Prediction: Mississippi State 74, UC Irvine 64
Villanova vs. UCF (+7): Prediction: Villanova 72, UCF 64
George Mason vs. Kansas State (-1): Prediction: Kansas State 76, George Mason 69
Miami (Ohio) vs. South Alabama (+3): Prediction: South Alabama 73, Miami (Ohio) 70
Western Kentucky vs. Gonzaga (-6.5): Prediction: Gonzaga 79, Western Kentucky 71

Wednesday, November 21st Predictions

Prediction Record: 35-14 (ATS: 22-21)

Note: This is the first year I'm doing predictions with the spreads in parenthesis as opposed to just straight-up like I have done for the past two and a half seasons. I have received many e-mails suggesting I should make picks using betting lines in order to weed out some of the obvious games I predict. I also get feedback asking about my picks with the spread, so I figured I would try it out here for a few days to see if it generates positive or negative feedback.

Feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail at marchmadnessallseason@yahoo.com.

Illinois vs. Oklahoma State (+5.5): Prediction: Illinois 71, Oklahoma State 62
Davidson at Western Michigan (+4): Prediction: Davidson 74, Western Michigan 72
Washington vs. Texas A&M (-5): Prediction: Texas A&M 76, Washington 70
Louisville at UNLV (+4): Prediction: Louisville 83, UNLV 78
Syracuse vs. Ohio State (+3): Prediction: Syracuse 73, Ohio State 67
Duke vs. Marquette (+4.5): Prediction: Duke 75, Marquette 70
Michigan vs. Butler (-7): Prediction: Butler 67, Michigan 54

November 21 Rewind

First, I'd like to apologize for not putting up my daily predictions yesterday. I was driving home from Delaware to New York for Thanksgiving break, and I forgot to get them up before I left. By the time I got to NY, it was too late to put picks up. I'll put today's picks later on.

Anyway, onto some observations I have for yesterday's games.

- I knew there was a reason I had both UCLA and Michigan State in the Final Four. Their match-up in the final of the CBE Classic was a great game and it showed how good the two teams will be once they are healthy and complete. MSU's Drew Neitzel was battling a stomach virus, and they had to use three freshmen on the perimeter at the same times during various points during the game. Once those young players develop, this team is going to very tough. For UCLA, they managed to gut out a comeback victory without star point guard Darren Collison, as well as role players Michael Roll and James Keefe.

- Russell Westbrook is going to be an outstanding player for UCLA at some point in his career. Right now he has to play the point for Collison and he has struggled somewhat with turnovers and making smart plays. On the other hand, though, he is quick and extremely athletic and can get to the basket for acrobatic finishes. If he keeps up the same aggressiveness when he moves off the ball, he'll add another dimension to UCLA's attack.

- I received an e-mail in October from a St. Mary's fan who was upset I didn't have the Gaels in the NCAA Tournament. He said they were a lock for a 6 seed and that Patrick Mills was going to be a star. Well, after the Gaels' 99-87 victory over Oregon, it's hard to argue with his Mills statement. I don't think St. Mary's is a lock for a 6 seed yet (or any seed for that matter), but they are going to be a very tough team in the WCC. Mills had 37 points and 5 assists, and the inside duo of Diamon Simpson and Omar Samhan combined for 34 points and 17 rebounds. Oregon was without Bryce Taylor, but it doesn't matter -- St. Mary's is a team to watch.

- Sure, it was against Gardner-Webb (again), but Connecticut's frontline finally dominated the way it should. 7-3 Hasheem Thabeet had 22 points and 14 rebounds; Jeff Adrien had 24 and 14; and Stanley Robinson had 9 and 10. UConn needs more performances like that as the season goes on.

- Despite that, UConn still only shot 18% from three-point range. The Huskies are shooting only 29.4% from behind the arc this season.

- Duke was outrebounded; gave up 19 offensive rebounds; and Kyle Singler had only eight points, one rebound, and five fouls. And they still beat Illinois -- by thirteen. This team is going to be scary once all the young players develop, but they still need to find an inside presence. Gerald Henderson and DeMarcus Nelson combined for 39 points and 11 rebounds on the wing.

- Florida needs to play some real competition, but the Gators are absolutely obliterating opponents. They doubled up North Florida last night, 102-51, with six guys scoring in double-figures.

- Indiana freshman guard Eric Gordon is averaging 28 points per game, shooting 61% from the field, 58% from three-point range and is also pitching in with 4.3 assists and 2.7 steals per game. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

- If Marquette shoots 64.7% from three-point range like they did against Oklahoma State, expect more thirty-point wins like last night. The problem is, that hasn't happened. Prior to that game, the Golden Eagles had shot only 23.7% from behind the arc.

- This is what the Missouri "40 Minutes of Hell" press will do to you: 23 turnovers and 1-15 three-point shooting. That's what Maryland "accomplished" against the Tigers in a 14-point less. Even when Missouri shoots 17% from three-point range and gets outrebounded by 10, it is still a tough team to beat because of its defense. Leo Lyons put up 23 and 11.

- Memphis freshman point guard Derrick Rose finally looked remotely human against Arkansas State: four points and three turnovers, though he did have six boards and five assists. Did it matter, though? No, since backup guard Willie Kemp had 22 points on 6-of-8 three-point shooting. The Tigers are ridiculously talented.

- North Carolina might have to find some minutes for Will Graves. He had seven points and two rebounds in only six minutes last night, and five rebounds and one assist in ten minutes against Iona over the weekend.

- I forgot to mention this (and the North Carolina State loss to Louisiana-Monroe) in my Week Two Thoughts and Observations, but take me off the Seton Hall bandwagon for now. I was on it in the preseason, thinking it was a definite NIT and Big East Tournament team. Now, I'm not so sure. The Pirates simply can't play defense. They played back-to-back overtime games against Northeast Conference teams Monmouth and Robert Morris, giving up a combined 188 points in the two games. They also beat Loyola (Md.) last night, but still managed to give up 80 points. That has to change if the Pirates are going to make any noise.

- All-American guard Chris Lofton hasn't led Tennessee in scoring once this season, but the Vols are still 4-0 and have outscored opponents by an average of 39.3 points per game. That has to scare SEC -- and potential NCAA Tournament -- opponents.

- Virginia's Sean Singletary is one of the best guards in the country, but he really needs to cut down on his turnovers. He's averaging 6.0 turnovers per game, including eight last night against Drexel. He can average 22.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.8 assists all he wants, but if he doesn't cut down on the turnovers, this team isn't going anywhere in March.

- Vanderbilt's Andrew Ogilvy came into school with a good amount of hype due to his domination over in Australia, and he certainly hasn't let anyone down. The 6-10 Aussie freshman is averaging 19.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game, all while shooting an astounding 70% from the field. This kid is for real.

Thoughts and Observations, Week Two

Here are a variety of thoughts and observations I had for the second week of the 2007-2008 college basketball season:

- Duke is going to be much, much better it was last year. The Blue Devils are more athletic by far and are simply more talented. They might struggle to defend bigger teams once they hit the tougher part of their schedule, but their perimeter group plus freshman Kyle Singler up front is outstanding. Gerald Henderson is a phenomenal athlete and DeMarcus Nelson is playing more as a role player this year, which suits him better. Also, Jon Scheyer, who started last year, is coming off the bench and still scoring 15 points per game. No one is playing more than 25 minutes per game, either.

- Syracuse struggled to beat Siena and St. Joseph’s at home last week, but neither of those close wins should come as much of a surprise. Siena is a contender in the MAAC and knocked off Stanford over the weekend, and St. Joseph’s is one of the top contenders for the Atlantic-10 title. The Orange are still a young team and are breaking in three new starters into the lineup. However, if freshmen Jonny Flynn and Donte Greene continue to play like they have, and Paul Harris continues his tough all-around play, look out.

- Maryland needs to take better care of the ball. The Terrapins struggled to beat Hampton and Northeastern, and then played okay against UCLA but could not get over the hump and really make it a game. The starting lineup for Maryland is averaging 19.2 turnovers per game, including a combined 7.3 from guards Greivis Vasquez (4.8) and Eric Hayes.

- I’m more impressed with Oregon every time I see the Ducks play. They have struggled at times during the first four games of the season, but I really think they are a team who will be much better than people think – and that’s considering many had them in the 14-20 range of the Top 25. With the quartet of guards Tajuan Porter and Bryce Taylor, wing Malik Hairston and inside-outside forward Maarty Leunen, this team can compete with anyone in the country.

- The SEC West looks like it won’t be as good as many people thought heading into the season. The two favorites, Mississippi State and Arkansas, have both lost already this season, and Alabama fell to Belmont last night at home. MSU lost at home to Clemson, which is not a bad loss but a game a top-20 team should win on its homecourt. Arkansas has been turnover-happy in its first few games, with guards Patrick Beverley, Gary Ervin and Stefan Welsh all sporting assist-to-turnover ratios in the sub-1:1 range. As for Alabama, it’s the point guard issue again. No one has truly stepped up to take over for the injured Ronald Steele and it’s clearly hurting the team in a major way.

- While on the SEC West, I also want to bring up LSU. I know the Tigers aren’t going to very good this year and will likely finish fifth or sixth in the SEC West, but LSU is going to cause several teams major problems later in the year. Anthony Randolph is going to be a star by the end of the season and Marcus Thornton is filling it up offensively. Once Tasmin Mitchell becomes healthy, this team has three legitimate scorers offensively. The Tigers are very long, very athletic and are not going to be fun to match-up with once the newcomers get settled.

- I don’t think the Davidson-North Carolina game from a week ago showed the true potential of either team. Tywon Lawson was in foul trouble most of the game for UNC, and Tyler Hansbrough basically disappeared after he received a technical foul. On the other side, Davidson’s Stephen Curry had a poor shooting day from the field and the Wildcats shot only 39% from the field and 19% from three-point range as a team. Next time you see either team play, expect a much better version of what you saw last week.

- Jon Brockman has been an absolute beast this year. I named him the CollegeHoopsNet Player of the Week last week, as he put up 23 points and almost 12 rebounds per game in his first three games without lottery pick Spencer Hawes. It didn’t seem to matter, as Brockman dominated the paint for Washington, including outplaying Utah’s star center Luke Nevill in a big win when he finished with 31 points, 18 rebounds and held Nevill scoreless for a key 14 and a half minute stretch.

- Connecticut is certainly better than they were last year, but it still has plenty to work on offensively. The Huskies still struggle against zone defenses and are overall not very efficient offensively in the half-court. That is mainly because of their inability to shoot the three-point consistently. A.J. Price has been very solid at the point and Jerome Dyson has been a good scorer, but the Huskies attempt only about 10 three-pointers per game – and hit only about three per game. Furthermore, for all the size UConn has down low, it was outrebounded by 20 against Memphis, and also had fewer blocks than the Tigers.

- Speaking of Memphis, the Tigers’ perimeter duo of Derrick Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts might be the best in the country. Rose is on another level than most point guards and CDR has been an outstanding player this season, putting up 23 points and seven rebounds per game. On the other hand, wings Antonio Anderson and Doneal Mack need to become more consistent shooting the ball in order for this team to reach its full potential.

- Oklahoma is going to be better than I originally thought this season. Its frontcourt is one of the best in the Big 12, with brothers Blake and Taylor Griffin, and center Longar Longar. Blake Griffin is one of the best freshmen in the country and has been a very good scorer and rebounder this year. Throw in a couple of decent guards in Tony Crocker and Omar Leary, and the Sooners could be a potential NCAA Tournament team if they can get consistent guard play from Crocker, Leary, and Austin Johnson.

- While on the Big 12, how about Baylor? The Bears went to the Virgin Islands won the Paradise Jam, knocking off Wichita State, Notre Dame and Winthrop on the way. Guards Curtis Jerrells and LaceDarius Dunn, a freshman, have been the stars so far. If the frontcourt doesn’t put up consistent production and take some of the pressure off the perimeter players, Baylor won’t be a contender in the conference though.

- Providence is going to be an up-and-down team this season, but on the good days, the Friars are going to be a very solid team. They really struggled to beat Temple, then blew out Arkansas and then lost to Miami (Fl.) (more on them in a second). One recurring theme, though, has been PC’s inconsistent shooting. Well, actually, it’s been consistent – just consistently bad. 44% and 30% in the first game, 38% and 32% against Arkansas, 35.5% and 30% vs. Miami – that needs to improve. The return of Sharaud Curry from injury will eventually help.

- Miami (Fl.) looks like a sleeper in the ACC if it can continue to play like this. The Hurricanes went to San Juan and won the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. They are deep – ten players are averaging at least 13.5 minutes per game – and are playing good defense, allowing less than 61 points per game through four contests. One problem could be turnovers, though. Only three players are averaging positive assist-to-turnover ratios; one is a center and the two guards don’t start.

- Stanford needs Brook Lopez back. The Cardinal are simply lacking consistent scoring without him. Anthony Goods has been a solid point producer this season, but no one else is averaging double-figures. Lopez provides a go-to-guy down low as a well as an athletic rebounder and shot-blocker on the defensive end. Unfortunately, I’m not sure when he is returning. For the Cardinal’s sake, hopefully it’s soon.

- Florida hasn’t missed a beat over the course of the summer. Of course, it won’t be as good as last year with the loss of all those great players, but the Gators are still an NCAA Tournament team. Five players are averaging double-figures, including sophomore Marreese Speights, who has dominated down low so far. The freshmen have also played exceptionally well, especially guards Nick Calathes and Jai Lucas, as well as all-around sixth man Chandler Parsons. The Gators aren’t turning the ball over and are getting balanced production – looks like a successful recipe to me.

- It looks like USC has bounced back from its abysmal opening loss to Mercer at home. The keys? Two things: the return of guard Daniel Hackett, who missed the Mercer contest, and less shooting from O.J. Mayo. Hackett is averaging 21.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 2.5 steals and only 1.0 turnover per game since his return. Mayo had 27 attempts in his first game, but has since taken 16 per game, and has shot at least 50% in both games.

- Speaking of Mayo, what about Illinois-Chicago’s Josh Mayo.? The 5-10 guard put up 34 points in the team’s opening win over Bradley, and is currently averaging 17.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. Mayo is also hitting an astounding 61% of his three-point attempts.

- The Virginia vs. Arizona game on Saturday night was the best non-conference, non-tournament match-up of the season on paper. Both teams are expected to make the NCAA Tournament, and I still think they will both make it despite a sloppy 75-72 win by UVA on Arizona’s homecourt. Sean Singletary, despite being bothered by the flu, still had 24 points and 8 rebounds. On Arizona’s side, the perimeter duo of Jerryd Bayless and Chase Budinger is outstanding, but – like Virginia – it is going to need more consistent inside production to reach the Dance.

- VCU needs secondary scorers to step up in order to help out Eric Maynor. Last year, the Rams had wings B.A. Walker and Jesse Pellot-Rosa, both of whom could shoot the ball and drive to the basket. This year, Maynor is getting double-teamed and face-guarded since he is the clear focal point of the offense. Jamal Shuler is doing his best, but he’s not overly efficient at creating his own shot, and Wil Fameni is not getting the inside touches he was last year. Unless other options emerge as scorers, VCU is going to struggle to win the Colonial.

- Rhode Island looks like another quality team from the Atlantic-10. The Rams are now 5-0 after winning the Glenn Wilkes Classic, including victories over UAB and South Florida – although that’s not really saying much since the two teams have combined for losses to Georgia Southern, Buffalo and Cleveland State. Still, URI has a very good inside-outside duo in guard Jimmy Baron and forward Will Daniels, a legit candidate for A-10 Player of the Year. Throw in a variety of quality role players, and this team will be tough.

- Based on what we’ve seen so far, UAB is not going to contend with Memphis for the Conference-USA title – or even a top-four finish. The Blazers are 2-3, including the aforementioned defeat at the hands of Georgia Southern. Plus, the news that starting guard and last year’s leading scorer Paul Delaney is out for the year with a knee injury doesn’t help.

- On the topic of injuries, I can’t say that I’m remotely surprised Louisville center David Padgett is out for at least ten weeks with a broken kneecap. Padgett has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, missing time during both his last two seasons of high school and his first year at Louisville due to knee problems. Padgett likely won’t win an appeal to redshirt this season due to the fact he sat out a year after transferring from Kansas. Oh, and get a message to Derrick Caracter – here’s your chance.

- Although Marquette has struggled in all three wins this season, its perimeter defense is absolutely menacing at times. Before the season, coach Tom Crean said he would put his trio of Dominic James, Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews against anyone in the country defensively, and it’s tough to argue that – although Kansas’ group is better when healthy. McNeal is obviously one of the best defenders in the country, and Matthews and James can also pick apart opposing guards. Don’t forget David Cubillan, either – he played very good defense yesterday against Chaminade.

- UCLA needs Darren Collison back badly. The Bruins have struggled with turnovers early in the season, with Russell Westbrook clearly not providing what Collison does. Collison gets the ball from end-to-end quicker than nearly anyone in the country, is one of the best on-ball defenders in the nation, and gets the UCLA offense started. Once he returns, UCLA will be far better than they’ve looked so far, and that’s been pretty good.

- Illinois and Wisconsin are both better than people than people thought in the preseason. The Fighting Illini obliterated Arizona State from the opening tip Monday, starting the game on a 20-0 run. Shaun Pruitt is a dominating big man down low; Brian Randle is a very solid all-around forward; and Rodney Alexander is another athletic frontcourt player. For Wisconsin, Trevon Hughes has become a very good scoring point guard and big man Brian Butch has finally been a consistent option down low. Marcus Landry has plenty of talent, and Michael Flowers is a leader and all-around quality guard. Wisconsin will be a Big Ten contender.

- I like Missouri so far. The Tigers play “40 Minutes of Hell” defensively, pressing teams from the opening tip, forcing turnovers and getting easy baskets. Teams that struggle handling the ball are going to get pounced on by the Tigers (no pun intended). Offensively, Mike Anderson has a variety of good perimeter options in Stefhon Hannah and Keon Lawrence. Plus, his nephew, forward DeMarre Carroll, has been a dominating presence so far this season, averaging 17.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.

Monday, November 19th Predictions

Prediction Record: 32-11 (ATS: 19-18)

Note: This is the first year I'm doing predictions with the spreads in parenthesis as opposed to just straight-up like I have done for the past two and a half seasons. I have received many e-mails suggesting I should make picks using betting lines in order to weed out some of the obvious games I predict. I also get feedback asking about my picks with the spread, so I figured I would try it out here for a few days to see if it generates positive or negative feedback.

Feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail at marchmadnessallseason@yahoo.com.

I will have an extended Thoughts and Observations column up later today -- I usually put it up on Sunday night, but I had to get columns done for both CollegeHoopsNet and ProFantasySports so the Thoughts and Observations was pushed until today. Anyway, onto the picks -- plenty of quality neutral-site games today.

LSU vs. Oklahoma State (-3): Prediction: LSU 75, Oklahoma State 70
Notre Dame vs. Georgia Tech (+4): Prediction: Notre Dame 83, Georgia Tech 78
UCLA vs. Maryland (+10.5): Prediction: UCLA 74, Maryland 60
Baylor vs. Winthrop (+2): Prediction: Baylor 68, Winthrop 65
Michigan State vs. Missouri (+2): Prediction: Michigan State 71, Missouri 66
Arizona State vs. Illinois (-3.5): Prediction: Illinois 62, Arizona State 59

Sunday, November 18th Predictions

Prediction Record: 28-8 (ATS: 18-13)

Note: This is the first year I'm doing predictions with the spreads in parenthesis as opposed to just straight-up like I have done for the past two and a half seasons. I have received many e-mails suggesting I should make picks using betting lines in order to weed out some of the obvious games I predict. I also get feedback asking about my picks with the spread, so I figured I would try it out here for a few days to see if it generates positive or negative feedback.

Feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail at marchmadnessallseason@yahoo.com.

Old Dominion at Clemson (-12.5)- Prediction: Clemson 73, Old Dominion 64
UAB vs. Rhode Island (-2.5)- Prediction: Rhode Island 76, UAB 70
Bucknell at Villanova- Prediction: Villanova 69, Bucknell 56
Arkansas vs. VCU (-7)- Prediction: Arkansas 84, VCU 80
Georgia Tech vs. Winthrop (+4)- Prediction: Georgia Tech 71, Winthrop 69
Providence vs. Miami (Fl.) (-1.5)- Prediction: Providence 78, Miami (Fl.) 72
Baylor vs. Notre Dame (-6.5)- Prediction: Notre Dame 81, Baylor 73

Saturday, November 17th Predictions

Prediction Record: 24-5 (ATS: 13-13)

Note: This is the first year I'm doing predictions with the spreads in parenthesis as opposed to just straight-up like I have done for the past two and a half seasons. I have received many e-mails suggesting I should make picks using betting lines in order to weed out some of the obvious games I predict. I also get feedback asking about my picks with the spread, so I figured I would try it out here for a few days to see if it generates positive or negative feedback.

Feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail at marchmadnessallseason@yahoo.com.

Stanford at Siena (+7.5)- Prediction: Stanford 74, Siena 69
St. Joseph's at Boston University (OFF)- Prediction: St. Joseph's 70, Boston University 61
Rutgers at Florida (-16)- Prediction: Florida 80, Rutgers 63
Dayton at George Mason (-7.5)- Prediction: George Mason 75, Dayton 65
USC at South Carolina (-3)- Prediction: Southern Cal 88, South Carolina 85
Holy Cross at Hampton (OFF)- Prediction: Hampton 61, Holy Cross 54
Virginia at Arizona (-7)- Prediction: Arizona 83, Virginia 77

Friday, November 16th Predictions

Prediction Record: 19-4 (ATS: 9-11)

Note: This is the first year I'm doing predictions with the spreads in parenthesis as opposed to just straight-up like I have done for the past two and a half seasons. I have received many e-mails suggesting I should make picks using betting lines in order to weed out some of the obvious games I predict. I also get feedback asking about my picks with the spread, so I figured I would try it out here for a few days to see if it generates positive or negative feedback.

Feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail at marchmadnessallseason@yahoo.com.

Arkansas vs. Providence (+7)- Prediction: Arkansas 78, Providence 68
Baylor vs. Wichita State (+5)- Prediction: Baylor 73, Wichita State 66
Oklahoma vs. Gardner-Webb (+13)- Prediction: Oklahoma 69, Gardner-Webb 59
Fordham at Syracuse (-10.5)- Prediction: Syracuse 81, Fordham 65
UAB at Florida State (-3.5) Prediction: Florida State 77, UAB 72
Memphis vs. Connecticut (+9)- Prediction: Memphis 84, Connecticut 74

November 16 News and Notes

UCLA junior point guard Darren Collison will miss three more games with a knee injury that has kept him out of the past two games, according to Ben Howland. Collison was expected to be back Monday against Maryland, but his recovery from a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee is going slower than expected. “He's not as far along as I'd hoped in terms of his conditioning,” Howland told Jill Painter of the Los Angeles Daily News. “Were he to play Monday and Tuesday, I'm not even sure he'd be very effective. He's so winded right now. He didn't do anything for 10 days. We're going to be very, very conservative and careful with this.” Collison will not be cleared to play for at least another 10 days and is targeting his return for a Nov. 28 game against George Washington. “(There's) not much (pain), but it comes and goes,” Collison said. “It's a real slight pain. Last week the pain was heavy. I could barely move my leg. It's getting better every day.” He injured the knee in an exhibition game against Azusa Pacific; sophomore Russell Westbrook will continue to start in Collison’s place.

According to Scott Wolf of the Los Angeles Daily News, USC freshman forward Davon Jefferson was suspended by coach Tim Floyd for two games for “team-related” reasons. Floyd said Jefferson did not play in the team’s opening loss against Mercer because he was not ready after a preseason injury, and Jefferson also did not play in USC’s win at The Citadel Thursday night. Jefferson did accompany the Trojans on their flight to South Carolina.

Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times writes that Floyd disputed reports that Jefferson was suspended, continuing to say the reasons for not playing Jefferson were conditioning and his lack of understanding team concepts. "If I was suspended," Jefferson said, "I wouldn't even be on the trip."

Kansas junior wing Brandon Rush played 12 minutes against Washburn on Thursday night in the Jayhawks’ 92-60 victory. Rush suffered an ACL injury in June, and had not appeared in a game until last night. He played all of his minutes in the first half, finishing with seven points, three rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal.

Dan Wolken of the Memphis Commercial Appeal writes that Joey Dorsey was the difference in the Tigers' win over Oklahoma in the semifinals of the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic. Dorsey missed the first two games of the season with a right shoulder injury, but stepped in last night and finished with nine points, 12 rebounds, and five blocked shots. "I was so amped up for this game, I couldn't wait to start playing," Dorsey said. "I love the physical play. This is what I want, right here. That's the type of player I am." Dorsey's post defense and rebounding had a major impact in what turned out to be a physical game. "It was like a slugfest," junior Chris Douglas-Roberts said. "This was a great game to have him back. This is his type of game. He's an intimidator, and it showed out there." The Tigers will face Connecticut in tonight's championship game.

Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald writes that Miami is showing great chemistry on the court and finally has depth. "This is the first time in a long time I can say we truly care for one another on the court and off the court," senior Anthony King said. "We truly stick together. This is just the start of us being really good together on the court." The Hurricanes knocked off defending MAAC regular-season champion Marist 85-61 in the first-round of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. "There were times last year when I thought if Jack [McClinton] didn't have 25 points, we weren't going to win," coach Frank Haith said. "It feels good to know we got guys who can come in and we won't have any slippage."

Providence junior guard Jeff Xavier played a major role in the Friars' 66-64 comeback win over Temple in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, writes Kevin McNamara of the Providence Journal. Xavier, a transfer from Manhattan who sat out last season, had 12 points, three rebounds and two steals and also played very good defense on Temple's leading scorer, Dionte Christmas. "Words can’t describe how I feel right now," Xavier said of his first game in a Providence uniform. "I couldn’t eat. I woke up at 5:30 this morning. I’m just happy we won."

Tennessee head coach Bruce Pearl is not completely happy with the overall performance of the undefeated Volunteers this season, according to Mike Griffith of the Knoxville News-Sentinel. "Where we've dominated some statistical areas, our rebounding advantage is only three," Pearl said. "Another one of the things we did not do well was press, nor did we adjust well on the fly or at halftime." On the other hand, Pearl said he is pleased with the team's defensive effort and performance, but says the team is still a work in progress. "Every game, we get closer and more comfortable," Pearl said. "We just need to keep learning and getting exposed to different offenses and defenses and responding to different things. It's still about us, not about our opponent."

Mike Strange of the Knoxville News-Sentinel writes about senior All-America guard Chris Lofton and his shooting struggles so far this season. In two exhibitions and two regular-season games, Lofton is 2-of-18 from 3-point range. One of the potential reasons for his poor shooting is the absence of Dane Bradshaw, who graduated last spring. "No question, he probably misses Dane,'' coach Bruce Pearl said. "It was (Steven) Pearl (the coach's son) who actually got him a look tonight (the assist for his 3-pointer). I told Chris it took Bradshaw-reincarnated to get him a good look.'' However, the Volunteers are not worried about Lofton's early-season woes. "Whenever we need him, he'll be there,'' Pearl said.

Wisconsin sophomore point guard Trevon Hughes had another big game Thursday night, finishing with 21 points, five rebounds, one assist and one steal in a 79-32 win over Savannah State. Hughes also had 25 points, five rebounds, five assists and six steals in a victory over IPFW last week. He is not entirely happy with his performance, though. "Can I keep it up? Probably. But that's not my game. I'm supposed to get my teammates involved more and I didn't do that tonight," Hughes told Rob Schultz of the Madison Capital Times. "I feel bad. I think I can do a better job of that. One assist and two turnovers, I've got to take care of the ball more and dish it out even more." Coach Bo Ryan was content, saying Hughes took what the defense gave him. "Anytime you get that with a player with his penetration ability, that's a real plus," Ryan said. "He didn't need to pass. He was the guy who was open and he knocked down the short jumper."

Jim Lamar of the Tallahassee Democrat previews tonight's match-up between Florida State and UAB. It is the first of three games the Seminoles will play in the Glenn Wilkes Classic. "This gives us an opportunity to get a lot of games under our belts early," head coach Leonard Hamilton said. "The trade-off is that you don't really have enough practice time to carry forward what you learn in one game into the next game you play. But it helps you to play three straight like this. It's good at this point in the season." Florida State is 2-0 this season.

Steve Irvine of the Birmingham News writes the trip to Daytona Beach for the Glenn Wilkes Classic will test UAB's depth. "We do have options," head coach Mike Davis said. "We're going to have some nights where certain guys are going to score for us but they've got to score out of the offense. I don't want them jacking up shots. This team needs to be a patient team, a team of discipline." Junior big man Reggie Huffman said the Blazers are playing team ball and have shared the ball well. "Each guy on the team is pulling for the next guy," Huffman said. "With the system in place, there's really good spacing on the offense. If you just cut and screen, you'll get open no matter who you are. It's pretty good team ball."

Thursday, November 15th Predictions

Prediction Record: 15-2 (ATS: 7-8)

Note: This is the first year I'm doing predictions with the spreads in parenthesis as opposed to just straight-up like I have done for the past two and a half seasons. I have received many e-mails suggesting I should make picks using betting lines in order to weed out some of the obvious games I predict. I also get feedback asking about my picks with the spread, so I figured I would try it out here for a few days to see if it generates positive or negative feedback.

Feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail at marchmadnessallseason@yahoo.com.

Hampton at Kent State- Prediction: Kent State 76, Hampton 62
Gardner-Webb vs. Connecticut (-13.5)- Prediction: Connecticut 65, Gardner-Webb 55
Michigan at Georgetown (-14.5)- Prediction: Georgetown 71, Michigan 59
Clemson at Mississippi State (-4)- Prediction: Mississippi State 77, Clemson 72
Oklahoma vs. Memphis (-7)- Prediction: Memphis 82, Oklahoma 70
Utah State at Cal Poly (-3)- Prediction: Utah State 74, Cal Poly 67

November 15 News and Notes

Kentucky sophomore guard Jodie Meeks will miss four-to-six weeks with a stress fracture, according to coach Billy Gillispie. Meeks suffered the injury to his pelvic area when he fell to the ground during an exhibition game against Seattle. Since then, he started two games despite the injury. "If you've ever had an abdominal muscle pull or anything in the core area, it's tough," Gillispie said. "Sometimes you can't even move your body a particular way, much less try to practice." Meeks was averaging 7.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game in two games this season, shooting just 22% from the field.

The Gazelle Group has announced the introduction of a third postseason tournament, the College Basketball Invitational. It will compete with the NIT for teams that are not invited to the NCAA Tournament. The CBI will be staged by the same group that runs the 2K Sports College Hoop Classic that benefits Coaches vs. Cancer and the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic. It will be a single-elimination tournament through the first two rounds and the semifinals, all played at campus sites. The Championship Series will be a best-of-three with the higher-seeded team playing at home in the first game and, if necessary, the third. With the new tournament, there will now be 113 teams playing in the postseason.

On the first day of the early signing period, many of the country’s top players signed with the schools they had committed to months earlier. However, there were also several stars who were uncommitted heading into the day who made a decision.

Chris Singleton, a four-star small forward from Georgia, announced his decision to go to Florida State. "Really it came down to me building a relationship with coach (Leonard) Hamilton and the players," Singleton said. "I feel like coach Hamilton is the missing mentor from part of my childhood." Singleton is ranked No. 33 by Rivals.com. "It was a great experience being able to build a relationship with coach Hamilton and the people at Florida State,” he said. “The staff there has been in the NBA and knows what it takes to get there, and that is one of my goals. I want to go as high as a possibly can." Singleton chose FSU over Kentucky.

As originally reported by Adam Zagoria, four-star power forward Kevin Jones from Mount Vernon, New York, announced his commitment to West Virginia. "Bob Huggins does the best job with tweeners like Kevin and getting them prepared for the next level," Gerard Jones, Kevin's older brother, said. "With Huggins' resume of developing players Kevin's size and making them productive, we had to go with his resume.” Jones chose WVU over Indiana and Pittsburgh, as well as Massachusetts, Seton Hall, Rutgers and St. John’s.

More to come later...

Wednesday, November 14th Predictions

Prediction Record: 9-2 (6-4 ATS)

Note: This is the first year I'm doing predictions with the spreads in parenthesis as opposed to just straight-up like I have done for the past two and a half seasons. I have received many e-mails suggesting I should make picks using betting lines in order to weed out some of the obvious games I predict. I also get feedback asking about my picks with the spread, so I figured I would try it out here for a few days to see if it generates positive or negative feedback.

Feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail at marchmadnessallseason@yahoo.com.

Davidson at North Carolina (-11.5)- Prediction: North Carolina 83, Davidson 68
Boston University at George Washington- Prediction: George Washington 79, Boston University 66
Iowa State at Bradley (-10.5)- Prediction: Bradley 71, Iowa State 63
UTEP at Texas A&M (-14)- Prediction: Texas A&M 75, UTEP 60
Southern Miss at California (-7)- Prediction: 74, Southern Miss 68
Utah at Washington (-7)- Prediction: Washington 84, Utah 72

November 14 News and Notes

This is a somewhat new feature to March Madness All Season. I did it from April and June for the NBA Draft, and received plenty of positive feedback during that time period. It is simply a daily compilation of links to news and stories from newspapers and other media outlets across the country, and I will begin posting these round-ups again on a daily basis if possible. Don’t worry, though, the top-notch analysis and predictions you have come to expect from me will continue to be the priority here at March Madness All Season.

Since games have officially started this season, upsets and outstanding freshman debuts have taken all the headlines, but there have been plenty of other news-worthy stories to note.

According to the Lawrence Journal-World, Kansas sophomore guard Sherron Collins will miss six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left foot on Monday. Collins sprained his left ankle in the Jayhawks’ victory over UMKC on Saturday, but X-rays were not taken because of that injury. Collins reportedly felt pain on the top of his left foot and an X-ray showed the stress fracture was in place before the sprain. Coach Bill Self said Collins, who averaged 16 points per game through two contests, should be ready “by the start of the New Year.” If that is the case, Collins will miss at least eleven games. Self said Rodrick Stewart would likely start in Collins’ place until star wing Brandon Rush returns. According to Self, Rush is close to coming back and has been practicing.

According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Gonzaga junior forward Josh Heytvelt and freshman guard Steven Gray are both out four-to-six weeks. Heytvelt underwent surgery Monday to repair a stress fracture in his foot that has continuously bothered him, while Gray fractured his right wrist during an exhibition game last week. Additionally, the Spokane Spokesman-Review says forward Theo Davis returned to the team Tuesday after leaving to go to Toronto last Thursday because his father suffered a stroke. He had two points and one rebound in two minutes of action against Idaho last night.

Texas freshman forward Gary Johnson has still not been cleared to play by team doctors despite the fact he practiced with the team during the fall and even played in an exhibition game on Nov. 2, according to the Austin American-Statesman. Coach Rick Barnes also said there was no timetable on his return. American-Statesman columnist Cedric Golden writes that the Longhorns need to move on in the departure of Kevin Durant and Gary Johnson would have been a major help in the team’s lackadaisical opening win against Texas-San Antonio. "He would have made a big difference tonight because in a game like this, we go to him," Barnes said.

Another freshman, New Mexico State forward Herb Pope, has also not been cleared to play – but for a different reason. Pope and classmate Jahmar Young are still not eligible due to questions about their academics. According to the Las Cruces Sun-News, the university has hired a consulting firm to help present an appeal to the NCAA regarding Pope; the NCAA has a complete file on Young and should make a decision on him in the coming days. The Aggies were blown out by Duke on Monday, dropping them to 0-2 on the year.

Tennessee-Martin junior guard Lester Hudson, a junior college transfer who sat out last season, had a quadruple-double last night against Central Baptist. He finished with 25 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists, and 10 steals. Sure, it was against Central Baptist, but this is the same guy that dropped 35 points and 10 rebounds on Memphis in the season opener. Through three games, Hudson is averaging 30.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 5.0 steals, and he is shooting 53% from the field and 50% from behind the arc. He has taken 30 three-pointers in three games.

Dick Jerardi of the Philadelphia Daily News writes about the Atlantic-10 and its change from a powerhouse conference to one that is competing with the Missouri Valley and the Colonial to see who is the best conference outside of the major ones. He looks into what happened since St. Joseph's was a No. 1 seed and the A-10 was one of the premier leagues in college basketball.

Robbi Pickeral of the Raleigh News & Observer writes a feature on Tywon Lawson, and how he is the key to North Carolina's championship hopes. Lawson is a prankster and joker, and is constantly having fun with interesting clothing and cartoon character apparel. "You have to have fun -- playing basketball is fun," Lawson said. "I'm serious about winning." Coach Roy Williams compared Lawson to Raymond Felton, who made his biggest jump from his freshman year to his sophomore campaign. UNC hopes Lawson does the same.

Pickeral also writes that the fifth starting spot, the power forward position, for North Carolina is up for grabs. Although Deon Thompson started both exhibition games, Roy Williams would not say who was starting Wednesday. Fellow sophomore Alex Stepheson is the primary other candidate. "I don't worry abut that," Williams said. "I guarantee, when I go to bed at night, that's the last frickin' thing I'm thinking about. And it better be the last frickin' thing they're worried about. They're both going to play, but I don't worry about that stuff."

Kevin Cary of the Charlotte Observer writes that Davidson is ready for tonight's battle against preseason No. 1 North Carolina. "We can't put pressure on ourselves," sophomore guard Stephen Curry said. "We are looking forward to the game, but we can't change anything." The Wildcats also realize that it is a big opportunity to make a name for themselves on national television. "We know what kind of opportunity we have," forward Thomas Sander said.

California sophomore Patrick Christopher is going to be a major factor this season for the Golden Bears, writes Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle. "He's taking advantage of the opportunity, and he's going to have to play significantly for us early in the season," coach Ben Braun said. "Patrick is taking a huge step from his freshman to sophomore years." With potential starters Jerome Randle and Theo Robertson, as well as Taylor Harrison and Omondi Amoke, sitting out due to injury, the emergence of Christopher is even more important. Cal will only suit up eight scholarship players tonight against Conference-USA sleeper Southern Mississippi.