CBB Picks: The Final Countdown

With all over sports done, I need to make some picks so we do it with college basketball. Let's have some fun with it and see what happens. I should probably record my record, but I will say this is the hardest sport to pick without question.

FIRST TIER
14. North Carolina at 4. Duke 8:00 pm ESPN - Who would have thought a month ago, this would be a top 15 matchup again, and everything is right with the world. Marcus Paige developed into one of the best point guards in the nation, and I do not think Duke has an answer for him.  They will win this game by outscoring North Carolina yet that's hard to come by right now for Duke which is weird given all the talent they have especially on the offensive side. I do not trust Duke right now. Coach K is having health issues, team cannot play defense and cannot score, horrible recipe against a hot team. UNC 77-72

19. Connecticut at 11. Louisville 1:00 pm CBS - If Cardinals win, they get at least a split of the conference title in the first year of the American.  Russ Smith might be the least talked about senior in a long time. Smith been so damn good in the past couple weeks including a big 24 point second half against SMU. Smith had a nice game the first time around against the Huskies and there is no reason to think otherwise on Saturday. We need a Russ versus Shabazz five minute interlude and just watch in awe. I will take Louisville. Montrezl Harrell and Russ Smith will be too much for the Huskies. UL 69-62

21. New Mexico at 10. San Diego State 9:00 pm CBS Sports Network - Second meeting between these two squads and the first time, New Mexico delivered a beat down. Dirty little secret about the Aztecs is they have not really beat anyone worth nothing since early January. Last game, San Diego State received 27 points from their bench which is not the norm for them, they will need it again this time around. They also need to put a body on Cameron Bairstow. He went off the first time around for 26 points and eight rebounds. Aztecs cannot have that happen again if they want the rematch. I think they do. Xavier Thames last game with The Show behind him will yield a good result. SDSU 65-58

3. Arizona at Oregon 3:00 pm CBS - Tricky, tricky game for Arizona. They survived Oregon State on Wednesday night and now face an Oregon team that needs a win. They are flirting with the bubble, and if they win, the Ducks are probably in unless something crazy happens. Ducks are hot winning the last six games, and getting Johnathan Lloyd healthy again is big for this team. Mike Moser needs to be a factor too. He disappeared against Arizona earlier this year. It is hard to bet against Nick Johnson whom had 20 or more points three of the last four games, but that's what I am doing. Betting against a team with their backs against the wall at home is usually foolish. Quack quack. OREG 78-75

SECOND TIER
25. Kentucky at 1. Florida 11:00 am CBS - Woof. Kentucky is heading into a buzzsaw with this game. There might be slight hope that the Wildcats could catch them with an 11 am start, but I highly doubt that. Michael Frazier II proved on Tuesday, Florida has so many different options that can beat them.  Casey Prather and Scottie Wilbekin combined for 47 points in the first meeting, and it is hard to imagine things will be different on Saturday. Gators are playing really strong basketball right now, and Kentucky is not whatsoever. I would be stunned if the Cats found a way to win this one. Go Gata. UF 70-59

18. SMU at 20. Memphis 11:00 am ESPN - Even though my team resides in the Big East, the American has been the best new conference from a talent standpoint. All around, I would probably take the Big East, but I move on. Memphis needs to find some defense quick. They gave up over 80-plus points to a Cincinnati team that is known for their defense. They gave up 87 points to SMU in January, what makes me think anything will be different with this team?  Memphis is a good team that cannot play defense. That's a problem. SMU runs them over again with a strong Nic Moore game. SMU 81-72

Oklahoma State at 16. Iowa State 1:00 pm ESPN - Cowboys decided not to be on the bubble once Marcus Smart came back. Unless Oklahoma State loses their last two games of the year, this one and their first Big 12 conference game, I think they are safely in. If they do finish out with two straight losses, they might be sweating a bit. These two played a triple overtime classic at Stillwater and I would expect nothing different at Hilton. I am not worried about Iowa State. I think DeAndre Kane and George Niang will figure it out powering Cyclones over the Cowboys. ISU 74-72

Missouri Valley Conference Championship (Played on Sunday) 1:00 pm CBS - Odds are Wichita State could be playing to go wire-to-wire with the undefeated season. That's worth the price of admission. Cannot really make a pick rather just inform you it is there.

THIRD TIER
22. Michigan State at Ohio State (Played on Sunday) 3:30 pm CBS - Can anyone trust Ohio State right now? They are not doing anything on offense and while this will be senior day for Aaron Craft as well as others emotions will run high for the Bucks. Michigan State seemed back against Iowa. Four of their five starters were in double figures plus a nice effort from Travis Trice off the bench. Even though senior day will inspire Craft, Michigan State might be gearing towards to make their run. MSU 66-62

7. Syracuse at Florida State (Played on Sunday) 1:00 pm ESPN3 - No one likes to play in Tallahassee and this will be the Cuse's first conference visit. In the last month, the highest point total for Syracuse was 62 points in a loss to Georgia Tech. Noles are hot of late winning four of their last five games playing good defense and actually scoring, a problem for them in the past. Okaro White has been white hot averaging 21.5 points in the last three games. Everything tells me to go with Florida State, but I cannot picture Syracuse dropping another game. They put it together and win a closely contested game. CUSE 64-63

Georgetown at 6. Villanova 1:00 pm FOX Sports 1 - Am I discrediting Villanova? They only have three losses total this season, two against Creighton and one against Syracuse. They beat Kansas albeit early in the season. Nova is being talked about as a one seed and deservingly so. The big three of Bell, Pinkston and Hillard are all averaging around 14 to 15 points a game. Markel Starks gave one of his best performances of his career on Tuesday, but it's not happening here. Nova is not losing at home with the big three taking control late. NOVA 69-61

FOURTH TIER
9. Wisconsin at Nebraska (Played on Sunday) 6:30 pm Big Ten Network - Oh baby. This is the biggest game in Nebraska's college basketball history. It will be a sold out crowd. March atmosphere will be in the air for sure. Wisconsin is red hot and hard to pick against, but the question is 'Who needs this more?' Cornhuskers without question. NEB 63-61

Providence at 13. Creighton 7:00 pm CBS Sports Network - An easy one here. Dougie McBuckets final game in Omaha seems like an easy win even though Providence needs a win desparately here. McDermott goes for 36 tonight in a win. CREIGH 85-72

5. Virginia at Maryland 11:00 am (Played on Sunday) CBS - This has all the remnants of an upset. Virginia already won the ACC. Terrapins are not going to be in the tournament, and this will be their Super Bowl being on national TV and save their coach's job. Easy money here. MARY 68-65

17. Saint Louis at Massachusetts (Played on Sunday) 1:00 pm CBS Sports Network - All of the sudden, Billikens have careened off the side of the road. Minuteman are probably in and could help their resume with a win here. Jordair Jett is bothering a knee injury and that worries me. Give me The Zoo. UMASS 65-60

Charlie.

CBB Picks: First-Class Weekend

With all over sports done, I need to make some picks so we do it with college basketball. Let's have some fun with it and see what happens. I should probably record my record, but I will say this is the hardest sport to pick without question.

FIRST TIER 
1. Syracuse at 5. Duke 5:00 pm ESPN - A rematch of arguably the best game of the season. Both teams will be coming off losses in games where they did not play at their very best. Duke's cold streaks against North Carolina's zone has to give you some trepidation heading into this one. While Carolina played a 1-3-1, Syracuse's 2-3 is just as mean and could really affect Blue Devils shooters. Jabari Parker will need to play a complete game. He disappeared last night and it hurt Duke. As for Syracuse, they have been skirting by in the last couple of weeks with similar offensive issues. C.J. Fair reverted back to his old ways of appearing only for short bursts versus the entire game. I like Duke at home in another close one with the difference being Amile Jefferson. DUKE 65-62  

11. Louisville at 7. Cincinnati 11:00 am CBS - Last time these two teams met, the Bearcats nearly blew a 17 point lead in the second half only to have Sean Kilpatrick close out the game. Louisville been red hot with their only loss being to Cincy in the last month or so yet the finish to their season will be brutal. I do not know if it is fair to judge how Louisville is playing right now since it is all against inferior opponents. Cincinnati only fell once to SMU but other than that, it is all cylinders ahead. Russ Smith will need to be involved and not go 6/15 like he did the first time these two teams played in January. Kilpatrick will carry the squad again with a big game inside from Justin Jackson. CIN 68-63

16. Wisconsin at 15. Iowa 11:00 am ESPN - These two have a good rivalry going in the last couple of years. I am fascinated to see what would have happened in early January if Fran McCaffery does not get ejected from the game. Iowa stood a fighting chance in that game, and it completely changed with McCaffery got tossed. People forget how good Deyvn Marble was in that one with 27 points. Wisconsin is red hot in recent weeks with strong play from Frank Kaminsky and Nigel Hayes keeps doing work off the bench. Hayes had eight points the first time these two met, but not as much of a factor as he has been in the last couple games. I have Iowa. I feel like they will rise to the occasion again at home gaining another major win for their resume. IOWA 79-76

6. San Diego State at New Mexico 9:00 pm ESPN2 - This will be worth a bar watch on Saturday night pitting the top two Mountain West opponents. Also these two teams have played some classics in the last couple of years. San Diego State's defense has been stout all year and rarely do they allow 65 points or more. Lobos will have to capitalize on every opportunity they get on Saturday night. As for New Mexico, they can give it to with either Kendall Williams or Alex Kirk inside whom should be healthier. I could see Kirk being a real issue for the Aztecs and will push the home team to victory. UNM 71-69

13. Michigan State at 20. Michigan (Played on Sunday) 11:00 am CBS - This game was a lot more exciting a couple weeks ago. Both teams are in desperate need of a win. Keith Appling played in a win against Purdue having nine assists and it can only be assumed he will be closer to full strength for this one. Michigan has alternated wins for the entire month of February. This should be bode well as they lost the last one. They need to find their offense again because it has suddenly disappear or Indiana unlocked a secret about how to stop them. Michigan State hit a record 17 threes on Thursday night. They beat Michigan for 35 minutes last time and didn't close. They finish the deal Sunday. MSU 67-61

SECOND TIER
19. Texas at 8. Kansas 6:30 pm ESPNU - First time these two teams met Texas threw a #BEATEMDOWN on Kansas. And I think the reverse could happen on Saturday.  Texas holds a team without seniors, we know that, and I have to think this is a problem heading into one of the toughest arenas in all of college basketball. Jayhawks also have scuffled in the last few games meaning they are poised for another outbreak. Kansas rolls in this one. KU 79-62

4. Arizona at Colorado 8:00 pm ESPN - No one can deny Arizona is a different team without Brandon Ashley. They went from contending for the title to maybe being a fringe Elite Eight squad. They need to find some offense inside possibly with Big Zeus or Rondae Hollis-Jefferson in conjunction with more consistent guard play. Colorado is warming up and learning how to play without their star, Spencer Dinwiddle as they have won five of their last six. Wildcats were able to squeak one out in Salt Lake City and I cannot see the same thing happening in Boulder. Big time Askia Booker performance. BUFFS 74-65

SMU at 21. UConn (Played on Sunday)  1:00 pm CBS Sports Network - First time around the world learned SMU is a better team than anyone gave them credit for at the beginning of the year. Since then, UConn has been a different team only falling to Louisville, Cincinnati and sweeping Memphis. I think this will be a pissed off Husky team ready to dominate the Mustangs. If Shabazz Napier does not get 30, I will buy everyone whom reads this a coffee. UCONN 81-68

George Washington at 10. St. Louis 7:00 pm No TV - Bilikens survived George Mason on the road this week and it is clear the bulls-eye is directly on their back right now. They needed a big Jordair Jett performance in the second half and overtime to win the game. George Washington has been playing better but they do not seem like a team that can head into the Arch and win this game. STL 69-61

THIRD TIER
23. UCLA at Stanford 5:00 pm ESPN2 - Must-win for Stanford whose hanging onto the bubble right and last time these two met, the Bruins ran them out of the game putting up 91 points. Even though it is tough to win at Maples for a road team, Stanford does not play defense and UCLA is a good offense team. No upset here. UCLA 89-73

St. John's at 9. Villanova 12:30 pm FOX Sports 1 - Johnnies have yet to lose in the month of February facing their toughest task, a road game in Philadelphia. If they were to win, it will definitely help their bubble case in a major way. Villanova did not play well the first time they saw St. Johns in early January shooting only 35 percent including doing nothing from three. They will need to do a little bit more on Saturday. James Bell was a non-factor in the first meeting and that does not happen in this one. NOVA 69-62

2. Florida at Ole Miss 11:00 am CBS - Quick #HotTake: Marshall Henderson could not handle Kentucky at home, and Florida will frustrate the hell out of him. UF 70-54

Minnesota at 24. Ohio State 5:00 pm Big Ten Network - Quick #HotTake: Gophers are on the wrong side of the bubble and do not see Columbus being nice to them. OSU 61-51

Charlie.

CBB Stock Market: January 25-26th

Looking for something else on Sports News on Tap, I found a gem called 'CBB Stock Market' which highlighted what happened on the weekend of college hoops. Sometimes I will use this space for a longer form recap, but mostly, it will be a subheading. 

BUY BUY BUY 

Michigan Wolverines - All hail to the victors. What can you say about Michigan right now? They are easily the hottest team in the country with winning ten of their last eleven games with their only lost coming to Arizona by a single point in mid-December. I think I have said it at least 20 times but John Beilein is by far my Coach of the Year thus far. He's done yeoman's work with this team. It also has a great deal to do with Nik Stauskas developing into more than just a guy with a silky 3-point jumper. While I enjoy him, I have a feeling he might become very unlikable by March. Another underrated part of this run is Derrick Walton Jr. coming into his own as a point guard.

Florida Gators - Like many forgot about Dre, people have completely forgot Florida. The Gators are on fire as of late including a 26 point win against Tennessee at home on Saturday. They are currently undefeated in the SEC including giving up 50 points or less in the last four SEC games. Additionally, Florida has not lost since December 2nd against UConn where Shabazz Napier hit a game-winner. They have five double-digit scorers meaning any night Florida could have a big performance from the likes of Michael Frazier II or Casey Prather. This also means not every player needs to be on every game night. Florida might be undefeated before heading to Tennessee and Kentucky in the week of February 9th.

Cincinnati Bearcats - Another team that has not lost since mid-December is Cincinnati. People did not really expect from the Cats this season as they lost some tools from a tournament team although Sean Kilpatrick did return for his senior year. Kilpatrick is having a great season shooting 42 percent from the field which is an improvement from last year's clip of 39 percent. Additionally, he is shooting 34 percent from three as well as getting to the free-throw line more often than he did in his first three years.  Justin Jackson also came into his own as a senior with scoring eleven points a game, seven rebounds and three blocks a game. All up from his first three years with the Bearcats. Mick Cronin has done a great job with this program.

HOLD HOLD HOLD

Marcus Smart -  I do not think we should make much of Smart's recent struggles. He did not play really well against Kansas including getting dunked on by Joel Embiid then struggled against West Virginia leading him to do this on the bench. Smart apologized after the game and if we have learned anything from the young players in the nation right now, everyone struggles for a bit during the season. Smart is just taking some hard knocks, he will be fine in the coming weeks.

Providence Friars - Many people are looking towards Providence's hot streak recently because the Friars have not been relevant in the last couple of years. People believed this was the same old Providence squad as they lost three straight in late December and early January yet since then they have reeled off five straight wins with some major victories against Creighton and Xavier, two of the Big East bests. My one knock on Providence which could come back to bite me in the ass is the fact they have yet to win one on the road. In this streak, their only road win is against St. John's and it took double-overtime to do it. They have four of the next five games on the road so we will see if the Friars can keep this up.

Nebraska Cornhuskers - I realize they are 2-5 in the Big Ten, but they had big wins against Ohio State and Minnesota this week. This is an encouraging sign for not only Nebraska's future with Tim Miles but also with the Big Ten as they added Nebraska a couple years ago for 'football' purposes only (Honestly). If Nebraska becomes a threat to beat some teams at home in the next couple of years, that's a really good thing for the conference.

SELL SELL SELL 

Baylor Bears - What in the hell happened to Baylor? I ask this question a lot with teams, but Baylor fell completely from the wagon in the last couple of weeks. Bears have now lost four of the last five games although the only bad loss in those games were to Texas Tech. The only problem is Baylor needs a big win quickly with games against Oklahoma State and Kansas on the horizon with West Virginia before them. They need to find a way to win two of the next three or Baylor is on the bubble without question.  

GAMES TO WATCH THIS WEEK 
Monday: 17. Duke at 18. Pittsburgh 6:00 pm ESPN, 9. Villanova at Georgetown 8:00 pm FOX Sports 1
                8. Oklahoma State at 23. Oklahoma 8:00 pm ESPN

Tuesday: 7. Michigan State at 15. Iowa 6:00 pm ESPN

Wednesday: 16. Iowa State at 6. Kansas 8:00 pm ESPNU, 1. Arizona at Stanford 8:00 pm ESPN2,
                      2. Syracuse at Wake Forest 8:00 pm ESPN3

Thursday: 13. Cincinnati at 12. Louisville 6:00 pm ESPN

Sportandfashion-news Bowl Predictions: Hats, Getting Belk'd, Workout Shirts, Wings

New Era Pinstripe Bowl 

Rutgers vs. Notre Dame 11:00 am ESPN - I could not believe Rutgers actually sold out their bowl allotment of tickets. Maybe Rutgers is New York City's football team. But when it all comes down to it, I have no idea how Rutgers is a bowl team. Scarlet Knights have lost five of their last seven games, and they are playing in a bowl game. They have a relativity new quarterback and their defense is horrendous. As for Notre Dame, this is quite the contrast from a BCS Championship game last season, but I feel like there is definitely encouragement they got to eight wins after losing Everett Golson for the year due to academics. They will be without George Atkinson and Jalen Brown whom both were suspended for violating team rules. Nonetheless, Tommy Rees excels when he plays bad teams and bad defenses. He is not a bad quarterback when he faces marginal teams meaning he will have a big day and someone will draft him in the fifth round. ND 41-21   

Belk Bowl 

Cincinnati vs. North Carolina 2:20 pm ESPN - If you are unfamiliar with College Football Twitter, they love to make Belk jokes. It started last year, but it is fantastic. If you follow the right people, you will see all sorts of different Belk jokes throughout the day. It shocked me it started at 8:30 am this morning. Cincinnati gets Belk'd for the second straight year. Bearcats had a weird year. They started off the year 3-2 and finished winning nine games led by backup quarterback Brendon Kay whose thrown for at least 250 yards in every game since October 5th. North Carolina had a weird year themselves starting the year off 1-5 and losing their senior quarterback. Marquise Williams has stepped in nicely and is a solid duel threat option for them. Both teams can score a ton so it comes down which team can make the more stops. I am betting on Cincinnati to continue being the Belk kings even if Carolina has a homefield advantage. CINN 31-28  

Russell Athletic Bowl 

Miami vs. Louisville 5:45 pm ESPN - On paper, this is looks like a good game. We will be excited to watch Stephen Morris faced off against Teddy Bridgewater as both quarterbacks will get drafted in May. But here's the big problem... Miami cannot play a lick a defense. It has not improved from last year, and Bridgewater and company should have their way with this Miami defense. Morris struggles against good defenses as well meaning we could see some turnovers from the senior quarterback making this look like a nightmare scenario for the Hurricanes. Also worth noting, it seems like Louisville is treating this one like it is their first ACC game as they will move there next year and that's important. I think the Cards send a big message tonight. UL 38-14

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl 
Michigan vs. Kansas State 9:15 pm ESPN - I had no real interest in this game until true freshman Shane Morris was announced the starter for Michigan. Not surprising, Morris is a highly rated recruit and he will take the reigns for Devin Gardner. Morris could come out and surprises us being better than expected and pave the way for Michigan's future. But what we forget is Michigan still has to play defense and that's a problem. Wolverines are struggling once again on that side of the ball, and it is much of the reason why Michigan has lost five of their last seven games. Kansas State is the opposite. They started the year off 2-4 and since have won five of their last six. They led by their rushing attack of John Hubert and occasionally Daniel Sams who is a quarterback. Hubert is a beast, and I expect him to have a big day against a weak Michigan defense. I could see Morris handling himself alright, but he will make some mistakes costing the Wolverines in this one. KSU 30-21

Bowl Record: 7-4

Charlie.