Friday's Picks: Big East and Pac-10 Semifinals, Patriot Championship

The stars will be out for tonight's battle of LA, USC v. UCLA

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce The Picks. Every weekday, Monday-Thursday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I'll also be occasionally picking against one of my roommates, Craig, so we can have a rational method of settling all disputes involving rent, household matters, etc.

Wednesday Night: Another two wins for me as Mount St. Mary's beat Sacred Heart (-2) in basically a high school gym with an outstanding atmosphere. And Portland State (-4.5) crushed Northern Arizona, not in a high school gym, at the freaking Rose Garden, where the Blazers play. I love this idea, by the way, I think more of the smaller conferences should have its final in a NBA arena, and give the kids that thrill. PSU gets its first ever bid and will probably be a No. 16 as well.

Patriot League, Colgate at American (-7)- The top-seeded Eagles survived a big scare in the first round when they hung on to beat Holy Cross by two. Colgate, the No. 3 seed, had a similar first-round scare against Lafayette. Actually this entire tournament has been full of excitement (as much excitement as the Patriot League can contain), including the "March Madness Has Begun" moment of the year. This game is on American's home court; the Eagles swept Colgate, have beaten Maryland and played Dayton tough this year. They have an outstanding backcourt, which includes Derrick Mercer, a former guard at St. Anthony's in New Jersey, who was featured in the outstanding book, The Mircale of St. Anthony, by Adrian Wojnarowski, which I recently finished. So I'm kinda rooting for them. These teams will pound the air out of the ball, which favors American's guard play and great three-point shooting. The Eagles have never been in the NCAAs so I suspect that arena, despite the 4:45 starting time will be sufficiently riotous. In a low-possession game it will still be tough to cover seven, though.
The Pick: American

Big East Semis, West Virginia vs. Georgetown (-3)- I continue to think Georgetown is a largely fraudulent team. It needed a record performance shooting threes to hold off Villanova and has had an incredible amount of luck in close games this season (43rd in the country in KenPom's luck rating, which doesn't even account for shitty referees). And on top of that, this entire bracket opened up for them to win this league, get a No. 2 seed... and possibly lose in the second round. Beware of the Hoyas. The problem is, unless they shoot like yesterday, they can't score. Not one player on this team, save for DaJuan Summers, who is only aggressive in about half his games, can create his own shot (although the addition of freshman Chris Wright, who has been hurt should help a lot). They turn it over a decent amount as well and rely very much on their great defense and the hope that the opponent doesn't get hot. That being said, West Virginia has got to be pretty exhausted by now, and as great as Joe Alexander is, the guy can't put a third straight insane game in, especially with Summers hounding him. I wouldn't be surprised if the Mountaineers pull it off, but the fraud of the Hoyas will continue.
The Pick: Georgetown

Big East Semis, Pitt vs. Marquette (-2)- I hate saying it, but Marquette is playing some amazing basketball right now. Defensively the Eagles have always been great but they have some legitimately good scorers now. Dominic James has settled into a non-star role, which is where he belongs, and Jerel McNeal is one of the more underrated players in the country. Add in Lazar Heyward, who came out of nowhere halfway through the season and the newcomer Maurice Acker, who should be a big-time player in this league, and suddenly Marquette is a watchable team, rather than a bricklaying crew. As for Pitt, it's kinda weird; based on its personnel, it looks a lot like a mid-major. An undersized PF at center, a small forward at the other spot and three guards. Of course, the Panthers have really good players, so that helps, but it's still going to be a problem against a team with size and good defenders like Marquette. Sam Young is suddenly good enough to carry a team like Pitt offensively, but I don't think they can score enough with the Eagles' new attack.
The Pick: Marquette

Pac-10 Semis, USC vs. UCLA (-8.5)- This should be a really great game at Staples. Good thing it's not on TV here, if I watched it, it would make every other game unenjoyable because it couldn't live up to UCLA-USC. Yeah, that's it.... shit.... Anyway, everyone knows these teams split the regular season series, and both teams are probably playing their best basketball of the season. All the stars are going to be there (I heard Gary Busey was showing up!) and I've gotta think both Love and Mayo are going to try and go crazy. It's probably not worth analyzing this one because it will be a defensive slugfest with only the incredible individual talent on the floor providing any baskets (basically like most Pac-10 games). These games are rarely decided on Xs and Os, just who can make shots and not crumble under the intensity. That's a big line for this series, and while UCLA will win, it won't run away with it.
The Pick: USC

Pac-10 Semis, Washington State vs. Stanford (-2)- I got to actually watch one of the Pac-10 quarters last night, the Cardinal's win over Arizona, and continue to think Stanford is a Final Four team. The whole offense revolves around dumping it down to a Lopez and watching as good things happen. They either score, draw a double and pass to the open man, get fouled or miss and one of the kamikaze glass-crashers from the perimeter gets a put-back. The thing about Brook is that he is still really unpolished as a scorer and yet catching the ball and immediately turning and shooting, no matter how many defenders are on him, is enough to score 20 a game because of his amazing touch and skill. The Cougars don't have the athleticism on the inside to stop these two guys (Robin is vastly improved on the offensive end), which is probably why the Cardinal swept Wazzou in two close games this year. But, I still question if Stanford's perimeter players can provide enough scoring and open shotmaking for the Cardinal to beat really good teams, even if the Lopez twins go off. And against a tenacious Cougar perimeter D, buckets will be hard to come by. It's really tough to beat a team of Washington State's caliber three times in a season. This will be a one or two possession game.
The Pick: Washington State

Championship Week Record: 11-2
Overall Record: 66-46-4
Regular Season Record: 55-44-4

ACC: 6-10
Big 12: 6-10-2
Big East: 17-6-1
Big Ten: 8-7
SEC: 5-4
Pac-10: 1-0
Missouri Valley: 2-0
West Coast: 6-1
Big West: 0-1
CAA: 0-1
Horizon: 0-0-1
A-10: 2-3
SoCon: 1-0
MAC: 0-1
Non-Conf: 1-0

Wednesday's Picks: Northeast and Big Sky Championships

This is not Northern Arizona's mascot... but, somehow it's close.

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce The Picks. Every weekday, Monday-Thursday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I'll also be occasionally picking against one of my roommates, Craig, so we can have a rational method of settling all disputes involving rent, household matters, etc.

Last Night: Well, for awhile there it looked like I had jinxed Butler the same way I did Gonzaga by picking against them, but thankfully they kept the Bubble in tact by holding against Cleveland State and pulling away to cover the 8.5 point spread. (Of course with Syracuse losing today, I really shouldn't care about the Bubble anymore). It broke up my perfect Championship Week streak, but whatever, it's worth the Earth returning to its axis. I also lost the Oral Roberts-Ooey Pooey pick, with ORU (-3) looking like a solid first-round upset pick ("Indiana Gets a Bitter Taste From Oral" will rule blogpost titles). Western Kentucky blew out Middle Tennessee State, as I suspected, as the Hilltoppers somehow are in the NCAAs with South Alabama in trouble.

Northeast, Mount St. Mary's at Sacred Heart (-2)- I'm not going to pretend to know anything about these teams besides what's on paper. It's the No. 3 vs. No. 4 seeds in the league after both teams knocked off Wagner and Robert Morris respectively in the semis. The winner will be a No. 16 seed or even play-in game participant. The game is at Sacred Heart, which won the only regular season meeting on the Mountaineers home court. It looks like there will be a pretty good battle at point between MSM's Jeremy Goode and Sacred Heart's Drew Shubik, who are 2 and 3 in the league in assists. In the teams' only brushes with decent teams, Sacred Heart lost to both Providence and Boston College by five this year while MSM actually beat Winthrop, lost to Oregon by eight and were destroyed by Oklahoma. Both teams play pretty quick so it shouldn't be all bad. I'll go for the Mountaineers due to beating an actual tournament team before.
The Pick: Mount St. Mary's

Big Sky, Northern Arizona at Portland State (-4.5)- Portland State earned the right to host this game by winning the regular season fairly easily. Arizona State placed second, but was swept by the Vikings in the regular season. It would appear the winner gets the right to be hammered by UCLA, but PSU actually played the Bruins this season, so they can't be matched up with them. The Vikings lost that game by 21 but held UCLA to 69 points, so that's something I suppose. They are also one of the better three-point shooting teams in the country, with 10 players having hit at least 10 this season. The Lumberjacks (real nickname) shoot it well too, but without nearly as many attempts and have beaten Western Kentucky this season, played Arizona tough and have Kyle Landry, the league's second leading scorer and third leading rebounder. Landry still finished behind PSU's Jeremiah Dominguez for POY however. The transfer guard is averaging 20 over the last four. I'll take the home team in this one and not give a shit if I'm right.
The Pick: Portland State

Championship Week Record: 9-2
Overall Record: 64-46-4
Regular Season Record: 55-44-4

ACC: 6-10
Big 12: 6-10-2
Big East: 17-6-1
Big Ten: 8-7
SEC: 5-4
Pac-10: 1-0
Missouri Valley: 2-0
West Coast: 6-1
Big West: 0-1
CAA: 0-1
Horizon: 0-0-1
A-10: 2-3
SoCon: 1-0
MAC: 0-1
Non-Conf: 1-0

Tuesday's Picks: Summit, Horizon and Sun Belt Championships

Your "I Bet I Could Beat AJ Graves In A Fight," Picture of the Day

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce The Picks. Every weekday, Monday-Thursday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I'll also be occasionally picking against one of my roommates, Craig, so we can have a rational method of settling all disputes involving rent, household matters, etc.

Last Night: I suppose it's fun and all that I ran my Championship Week record to 8-0 last night, but it's NOT fun what South Alabama and Gonzaga so carelessly did to the Bubble. San Diego not only covered the 7.5 points they were getting, but they beat down the Zags, completely stifling (and by "stifling," I mean, "letting Josh Heytvelt touch the ball") and stole a bid from the Bubble (South Alabama lost to Middle Tennessee State in the Sun Belt semis, which I didn't pick correctly and thus, infuriates me more). Anyway, that was annoying, but good for the Toreros or whatever. In the other three contests, George Mason (-8.5) covered by a half point, tempting the Committee to make them a No. 11 again to force millions of idiots to pick them to go to the Final Four (they can win A game, but let's be realistic). Davidson (-17) missed covering by one (yea, I got pretty lucky) and Siena destroyed Rider (although I still want my Sixers to take a long look at Jason Thompson this year), and appears to be a very dangerous No. 13 or 14 seed.

Summit, IUPUI vs. Oral Roberts (-3)- I don't care what IUPUI stands for, but I know that "funny" analysts call it Ooey Pooey, which is something that bloggers are probably going to have a field day with if they get in. It's been that kind of season (not that ORAL Roberts will be a letdown). I like this year's ORU team, although not as much as the Caleb Green/Ken Tutt editions. It has beaten Oklahoma State on the road and hung with some other major conference teams. In the BracketBusters the Eagles lost to Creighton but still impressed. The Robert Jarvis/Moses Ehambe is a worthy replacement I suppose, and I like point guard Adam Liberty too. As for Ooey Pooey, I got nothing on them. The Jags have a more potent offensive attack and are led by George Hill, who is the POY in the league and has carried them in this tourney. Ooey Pooey is the only team that was able to challenge ORU this year and the two game split in the regular season was decided by four points total. So it should be a good one. Both teams play pretty slow but I am going to have trouble believing ORU can slow down one of the more efficient offenses in the country, even if I haven't seen the Jags play. (Seriously, look at these offensive numbers.)
The Pick: Ooey Pooey

Sun Belt, Middle Tennessee State vs. Western Kentucky (-8.5)- The irony of South Alabama's win is that even though it gave the Hilltoppers a better shot at an auto bid, it basically wiped out their at-large hopes. A loss to South Alabama in the finals would have been forgivable, but a loss to Middle Tennessee State is not for a team on such perilous grounds. The Blue Raiders (real nickname) are very weird. A .500 regular season team and No. 4 seed in the conference, they have beaten South Alabama twice this season... but lost to Tennessee by 69. Conversely, WKU lost to Tennessee by six. So I have no idea what the hell to think. The Hilltoppers are led by league POY and 20-point scorer Courtney Lee, who also happens to be one of the better players in all of mid-major basketball, and have swept MTSU this year, winning by 11 and five. The Blue Raiders (why are they blue?!?) have a more balanced attack with four players averaging 9+ points and 4+ rebounds per game. By the looks of them, they are a pretty run of the mill mediocre mid-major team, which should be problematic because WKU is not.
The Pick: Western Kentucky

Horizon, Cleveland State at Butler (-9.5)- OK, I have to tread lightly here. First, Butler cannot lose this game. Simply cannot. It will destroy the already atrociously murky Bubble and cause tomorrow's Syracuse game vs. Villanova to be perhaps the most stressful of my life. Now, this is basically the same situation as the San Diego/Gonzaga game last night (except the higher seed is the home team), so I have to be careful about repeating my own jinx and taking Cleveland State. But whereas Gonzaga is some kind of new school mid-major that eschewed hustle, passing and shooting for All Americans, stoners and athletes, Butler is still a mid-major in appearance playing on level with the big boys. Butler, and especially its fans at Hinkel, know that there is more to a season than Sweet 16 runs. They want this conference and won't let the Vikings, who earned a split with the Bulldogs this year (both decided by five or less) and are the No. 2 seed, take the Horizon League that Butler still holds so dear.... At least that's what I'm telling myself. This game should be an all-out slugfest in a great atmosphere. Both teams play great defense and have some really outstanding, exciting players (Mike Green and AJ Graves on Butler; J'Nathan (real first name) Bullock and Cedric Jackson on Cleveland State). But I think Butler's shooting (37.6 from three) is too big an advantage over the Vikings (31.3 percent) in a game where knocking down the few open shots available is key. The line is set very well and I think Butler wins but Cleveland State sneaks in under the line, jinx be damned
The Pick: Cleveland State

Championship Week Record: 8-0
Overall Record: 63-44-4
Regular Season Record: 55-44-4

ACC: 6-10
Big 12: 6-10-2
Big East: 17-6-1
Big Ten: 8-7
SEC: 5-4
Pac-10: 1-0
Missouri Valley: 2-0
West Coast: 6-1
Big West: 0-1
CAA: 0-1
Horizon: 0-0-1
A-10: 2-3
SoCon: 1-0
MAC: 0-1
Non-Conf: 1-0

Monday's Picks: CAA, MAAC, West Coast and Southern Conference Championships

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce The Picks. Every weekday, Monday-Thursday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I'll also be occasionally picking against one of my roommates, Craig, so we can have a rational method of settling all disputes involving rent, household matters, etc.

Last Night: If Illinois State had just hung tough with Drake and lost by like 12 or so, the Redbirds would probably still feel pretty safe about getting an at-large bid. But instead, in a performance that probably earned the Bulldogs thousands of Sweet 16 trips in brackets across the country (and was one of the most efficient beatdowns I've seen this year), Illinois State lost by 30 to Drake (-2.5) and is suddenly a conference runner-up that got three shots at its league champion and blew them all. I know margin of victory isn't supposed to be a big deal but when you are barely every on TV and need to impress a selection committee, losing by 30 must leave a bad taste. On the other hand, when Love The Drake references start flying around your office in a couple weeks because of that game, don't forget who loved the Drake way back in mid-January. That was an incredible performance yesterday.

Metro-Atlantic, Rider vs. Siena (-3)- I'm getting the sense that Vegas has no idea how to handicap some of these conference tourney games. I suppose there is no reason to put too much time into it because anyone betting on the MAAC final will probably be dead in a few months anyway. I swear every game I've seen has been a 2.5 spread. Anyway these are the top two teams in the league and both are much better than your usual MAAC champ. Whichever team wins is going to scare some No. 3 seed in a couple weeks. Initially this looked like it would be a very high-scoring, very fast-paced game between two teams with very good athletes, but it might be toned down a bit with this being the third game in three nights and both teams sporting short benches. This one is worth watching for no other reason that Rider's Jason Thompson, a 7-footer that will be in the NBA soon. In the semis he played every minute, dropping 32 and 18 against Marist (he's average 20 and 12 on the year). The Saints lack the size to keep Thompson in check but have a three-headed monster of mismatches elsewhere. Edwin Ubiles, Kenny Hasbrouck and Alex Franklin are as good of a Big Three in mid-major basketball and lead a very efficient, very skilled offense that has won at Stanford this season. The teams split two regular season meetings, winning on each others courts and I think Thompson will go off. But you win these type of games by making the least mistakes and the surehanded Saints, will have their three stars trump Rider's one NBAer.
The Pick: Siena

CAA, William and Mary vs. George Mason (-8.5)- As someone who "covered" the CAA in college, there were a range of reactions to yesterday's outstanding semifinals. First, VCU is again the league's best shot at a deep tourney run and it was a shame to see them lose yesterday and probably get left out of the Dance. But, for a team like William and Mary, which has done such a great job of rebuilding a long-struggling program, to have a chance at March Madness is pretty neat as well. And of course, for George Mason to get another crack at the Tournament, especially for Will Thomas and Folarin Campbell, two outstanding seniors that have been to the Final Four, is all well and good too. Not sure who I'll be rooting for but I might curl up with a pint of Haagen Daaz to suppress all my emotions for this one. Anyway, this is the fourth game in four days for the Tribe and it just so happens to be against one of the most tourney-tested teams in mid-major basketball. I wouldn't bet against George Mason as a favorite in Richmond if Tony Skinn was checking their jockstraps before the game (he is not a gentle person when it comes to that region). I actually like how W & M matches up with the Patriots, especially with the Thomas v. Laimis Kuselius match-up up front, but I just don't see how they have the energy to keep this one close against a great George Mason team with a rabid fanbase.
The Pick: George Mason

Southern Conference, Elon vs. Davidson (-17)- Well everyone expected Davidson to be here, with its now 22 conference wins this year, but the No. 7 seed Phoenix, who have caught fire and won three straight nights in Charleston are a big surprise. It's a welcome surprise for Bubble teams around the country who need Davidson to make sure the SoCon is a one-bid league. If the Wildcats were to somehow lose, they would right there with Illinois State and VCU as the most perilous of Bubble teams. The large spread indicates that shouldn't be an issue. But covering might be. Davidson only beat Elon by 10 at home this year and by two on the road. The Phoenix held the Cats to its second and seventh lowest offensive efficiency ratings of the year, with the other five lowest coming to Duke, UCLA, UNC, Charlotte and NC State. Eighth-grader Stephen Curry had 36 in the home meeting but just 15 when going on the road against Elon. The Phoenix play a lot of guys, despite being in the bottom 50 teams in D-I in tempo. When you see them you will expect a sharpshooting squad but they are among the worst three-point shooting teams in the nation. Their "strength" is down low with two 6-8 forwards, one of which, Ola Atoyebi, is their leading scorer and rebounder. Davidson will win pretty easily and I'm gonna be watching this next game, but don't think Elon gets completely embarrassed. Plus, Elon has God, and a pugnacious one at that, on its side.
The Pick: Elon

West Coast, Gonzaga (-7.5) at San Diego- I tried to stay up for the St. Mary's-San Diego game last night but instead chose sleep and a functional day when I saw the Gaels up about 15 in the second half. When I awoke to see the Toreros had come back and won in double-overtime, in what sounds like it was an incredible game (34 combined points in second OT), I cursed those extra couple hours of sleep. If the Bulldogs win, it will be their fifth straight auto-bid and will cement a two-bid league. If San Diego wins, the West Coast gets an unprecedented three teams and snatches a bid from that mass of excrement that is this year's Bubble. This is probably an understatement, but that atmosphere is going to be batshit crazy tonight. As someone who gets an unusual, probably unhealthy enjoyment out of those late-night WCC games, the atmosphere tonight should be overwhelming. Plus, the game will be played in the Jenny Craig Pavilion, which means the fans will likely be hungry, cranky and eager to take out their issues of self-worth on an anonymous opponent. The Zags are coming off one of their worst offensive performances of the year in beating Santa Clara by four last night but its last loss to San Diego came eight years ago... in the West Coast Conference championship... in San Diego. I don't think history will repeat itself, but I think it will be close.
The Pick: San Diego

Championship Week Record: 4-0
Overall Record: 59-44-4
Regular Season Record: 55-44-4

ACC: 6-10
Big 12: 6-10-2
Big East: 17-6-1
Big Ten: 8-7
SEC: 5-4
Pac-10: 1-0
Missouri Valley: 2-0
West Coast: 6-1
Big West: 0-1
CAA: 0-1
Horizon: 0-0-1
A-10: 2-3
SoCon: 1-0
MAC: 0-1
Non-Conf: 1-0

Sunday's Pick: Missouri Valley Championship

I assure you, that is The Drake

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce The Picks. Every weekday, Monday-Thursday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I'll also be occasionally picking against one of my roommates, Craig, so we can have a rational method of settling all disputes involving rent, household matters, etc.

Last Night: Michael Jenkins tried his best to deflect some of the attention from that giant person that UNC Asheville (-2.5) plugged in the middle by scoring almost as much (33) as the entire Asheville team (48). The Eagles won by 18 but it was still a very entertaining with great defense, good athletes and of course, Kenny George (who, somehow, is a great passer with a nice shooting touch; he just doesn't rebound or dunk, which are widely considered things a 7-8 person should be able to do). Austin Peay (-3) and Belmont (-6) both rolled to get into the Big Dance, just as I had expected.

Missouri Valley, Illinois State vs. Drake (-2.5)- This is the match-up everyone, especially members of Bubble teams across the country, wanted. The Valley will get its two bids no matter what and the Syracuses and New Mexicos of the world can breath easier (that is, if being a completely mediocre team allows one to breath easy). That's not to say this game is meaningless, winning this conference is an incredible feat any year and to win the regular season AND tournament, like Drake has a chance to do, would be nuts (especially for a team picked to finish ninth in the preseason). Plus, the Bulldogs, who hopefully have proved they are for real by now, might be able to get a No. 4 or 5 seed with a win, which would be their third over Illinois State this year. This is going to be a typical Valley final with a slowed down, grind-it-out, make your threes, take care of the ball, awake your fans with the occasional dunk from Josh Young feel to it. It will be a battle of the super sophs Young for Drake and Osiris Eldridge, which is not a character in the Lion King, for the Redbirds. But I think this one, in a game where the ball pressure and intensity will be sky high, is going to come down to who can avoid turnovers and not give the other easy baskets. Therefore.... GOT TO LOOOOVVVVVVVEEEEEE THE DRAKE.
The Pick: Drake

Championship Week Record: 3-0
Overall Record: 58-44-4
Regular Season Record: 55-44-4

ACC: 6-10
Big 12: 6-10-2
Big East: 17-6-1
Big Ten: 8-7
SEC: 5-4
Pac-10: 1-0
Missouri Valley: 2-0
West Coast: 6-1
Big West: 0-1
CAA: 0-1
Horizon: 0-0-1
A-10: 2-3
SoCon: 1-0
MAC: 0-1
Non-Conf: 1-0

Saturday's Picks: Big South, Ohio Valley and Atlantic Sun Championship Games

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce The Picks. Every weekday, Monday-Thursday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I'll also be occasionally picking against one of my roommates, Craig, so we can have a rational method of settling all disputes involving rent, household matters, etc.

OK, the regular season is done, but that doesn't mean the being wrong Picks are. I finished with a 55-44-4 record, which I suppose is respectable. For Championship Week I will pick every Conference Championship and also the semifinals for the BCS leagues. Today we've got three league title games, all pretty solid leagues, with one game, Winthrop vs. UNC Asheville, that is going to start in about 15 minutes (I still haven't made it out of bed) and should be very entertaining. (Insert Let The Madness Begin comment here).

Big South, Winthrop at UNC Asheville (-2.5)- There is a reason for the "at" in the match-up, the game is on Asheville's home court. This should be a really great game. Winthrop has dominated the league lately, but the Bulldogs won the regular season title, beating the Eagles twice. If Asheville loses at home after beating the Big South overlord twice already and can't snap the Eagles three-year championship streak, well let's just say it would suck to be in Asheville today (especially when you are 7-8 like Kenny George). For some reason, Kenny George is top search term that leads people to this here blog, even though I only wrote about him once and it was for getting dunked on. Perhaps it says something about my writing (or my readers) that people only come here to see an inhumanly large man get embarassed on video but I'll choose to believe otherwise. As goofy as the guy is, he is an incredibly effective at deterring offenses. You basically can't drive into the lane without a kick-out or a clever dump-off in mind and expect to score. So Winthrop, which is a decent three-point shooting team at 37 percent is going to need a hot night from star guards Chris Gaynor and Michael Jenkins. Look, these two teams know each other so well, strategy can be thrown out the window. The winner is going to be who can knock down shots and get after each other defensively. I think Winthrop will do that; they aren't ready to give up this league just yet, even if they have to climb eight feet in the air to get it.

Ohio Valley, Tennessee State vs. Austin Peay (-3)- This one is being played in Nashville but don't think that gives Tennessee State any advantage. The Tigers made the OVC Finals as a No. 6 seed and are playing a team that is clearly the class of the conference, an Austin Peay team that went 16-4, won the league by three games and has beaten Texas Tech this year. That being said, the previous two meetings this year were split, with the home team winning each one by four or less. The Governors' strength is their frantic defense that tries to force a ton of turnovers (they are first in the nation in steal percentage) but in both games this season Tennessee State found a way to take care of the ball. Both teams have a pretty balanced attack although State's Bruce Price is probably the player most worth watching. The Tigers like to push the pace and its Price that both runs the show and jacks up the shots. Austin Peay has one of the better defensive guards in the league, the 5-9 Derek Wright, but will probably put one of their bigger wings on Price. This should be an entertaining up and down game, that will be close than the seeds indicate, but I don't see Tennessee State's run continuing.
The Pick: Austin Peay

Atlantic Sun, Jacksonville vs. Belmont (-6)- This league was the early season darling after Gardner Webb beat Kentucky, Mercer beat USC and Belmont took down Cincinnati. But it's likely this game is for a No. 14 or 15 seed, albeit a dangerous one. Belmont has owned Jacksonville recently, winning the last five meetings. The Bruins have also beaten Alabama this year and took Wright State to overtime. They run a fast-paced balanced game that includes an incredible amount of threes. They are No. 7 in the country in three-pointer/two-pointer ratio, third in three-point attempts and first in made threes. And reaching that number is a largely team effort (now you can see why Belmont would be a dangerous 14 seed). The Dolphins (real nickname) are the No. 2 seed despite having an eight-game losing streak in the non-conference slate that included losses to UAB, Michigan State, Georgetown and South Alabama. They play a much slower game and shoot very few threes so this should be a real clash of styles. Jacksonville does defend pretty well, especially beyond the arc, but look for Belmont's pace to force the Dolphins into turnovers, bad shots and cans of tuna.
/sorry
The Pick: Belmont

Championship Week Record: 0-0
Overall Record: 55-44-4
Regular Season Record: 55-44-4

ACC: 6-10
Big 12: 6-10-2
Big East: 17-6-1
Big Ten: 8-7
SEC: 5-4
Pac-10: 1-0
Missouri Valley: 2-0
West Coast: 6-1
Big West: 0-1
CAA: 0-1
Horizon: 0-0-1
A-10: 2-3
SoCon: 1-0
MAC: 0-1
Non-Conf: 1-0

Thursday's Picks: UConn vs. Providence; Clemson vs. Georgia Tech; Michigan State vs. Illinois; Xavier vs. St. Joseph's

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce The Picks. Every weekday, Monday-Thursday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I'll also be occasionally picking against one of my roommates, Craig, so we can have a rational method of settling all disputes involving rent, household matters, etc.

Alright, so things should clear up in due time and this blog will soon consist of more than just game predictions and rushed analysis during the sport's most crucial time. Consider yourself forewarned.

Also, this is the last night of regular season picks, but it won't be the end of me being prognosticative. For Championship Week I will be picking every conference championship game, ATS of course, for the non-major conferences and the semifinals and beyond of each of the six BCS conferences. So, be excited or something.

Last Night: Duke murdered Virginia which wasn't surprising to anyone outside of Las Vegas apparently, because the line was only six points. I got that one. Syracuse (-2.5) beat Seton Hall pretty handily, which I choose to believe keeps its tourney hopes alive. I avoided a jinx there. Texas A & M somehow beat another basketball team on the road, taking down Baylor (-1.5), earning the Aggies the right to be blown out by a No. 7 seed in the NCAAs.

Connecticut (-5) at Providence- Even though it's March, the ESPN Thursday night games continue to suck. Thank God the Pac-10 (specifically, UCLA v. Stanford) plays on Thursdays, even if it's broadcasted on Al Jazeera. Anyway, the Huskies have won 12 of 13, a streak that began after somehow losing to the Friars in Storrs. After that game Providence lost nine of 11 so clearly both teams went their separate ways. Let's call it a one night stand. One of the few things Providence can do well is shoot from the outside, which tends to give the Huskies problems, but I don't see how the Friars can stop UConn's many athletes on the offensive end. It won't be a blowout but UConn will cover.
The Pick: Connecticut

Clemson (-3) at Georgia Tech- Well this should suck. DO NOT WATCH THIS GAME. Even though a great deal of points will be scored, most of them will be by Clemson. The Jackets have lost six of seven, although most of those games were on the road, where they are even worse than their usual level of suckiness. The Tigers are an underrated team but can ill afford to struggle against the ACC underlings down the stretch if they want a favorable seed (like a No. 5 or 6). So I advise them to blow out Georgia Tech and with their considerable size advantage, they should.
The Pick: Clemson

Michigan State (-2.5) at Illinois- Another enticingly low line for a road favorite; I've got to think all three of these teams can't cover. The Spartans have been wildly consistent, although consistently bad on the road, and coming off a 30-point drubbing of Indiana, are due for a stinker. Illinois plays pretty solid defense and Michigan State cannot score any points when opponents choose to play defense. Final Score: Illinois 28, Michigan State 26.
The Pick: Illinois

Xavier (-2) at St. Joseph's- The Hawks get their chance to redeem recent losses to St. Louis and Temple and maybe get into that Tournament everyone is so crazy about. This should be a pretty entertaining game with a raucous crowd and a desperate St. Joe's team. On the other hand, Xavier probably isn't all that interested in playing this one, seeing as how they have locked up the A-10 No. 1 seed and are probably settled into a No. 3 seed in the NCAAs. The Musketeers do have an 11-game winning streak going so they may actually try but I don't see how they get up to the energy level of the Hawks, which only lost by four at Xavier in early February.
The Pick: St. Joseph's

Last night's record: 2-1
JTom's overall record: 54-41-4

ACC: 6-9
Big 12: 6-10-2
Big East: 17-5-1
Big Ten: 8-6
SEC: 5-4
Pac-10: 1-0
Missouri Valley: 2-0
West Coast: 6-1
Big West: 0-1
CAA: 0-1
Horizon: 0-0-1
A-10: 1-3
SoCon: 1-0
MAC: 0-1
Non-Conf: 1-0

Wednesday's Picks: Duke vs. Virginia; Syracuse vs. Seton Hall (gulp); Texas A & M vs. Baylor

Oh Robbie Hummel, why couldn't you and your Boilermakers avoid making Ohio State seem relevant?

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce The Picks. Every weekday, Monday-Thursday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I'll also be occasionally picking against one of my roommates, Craig, so we can have a rational method of settling all disputes involving rent, household matters, etc.

Been busy again, so these will be brief and obviously are late. Not sure why the rest of the world doesn't stop for March basketball. Oh well, better late than never; just three days of regular season picks left.

Last Night: Ohio State (-1.5) got a really annoying home win over Purdue which probably boosts it into the NCAAs at least temporarily even though the Buckeyes are a terrible basketball team. So it goes with life on the 2008 Bubble (I picked Purdue, in case you couldn't tell). Miami of Ohio took the unfortunate strategy of missing all of its shots against Kent State (-5.5) and lost what was a close game for awhile by 11 (picked the Redhawks). And Mississippi pulled an Ohio State by getting a home win over a likely tournament team (Arkansas), faking people into thinking it is relevant (I picked Arkansas). So the first 0-3 night in awhile.
/falls back to Earth.

Duke (-6) at Virginia- I guess you could say Duke is struggling lately and the home team has won eight of the last nine in this series, but that line seems a bit low for this one. You could also say Duke will be looking ahead to Saturday's showdown with UNC... BUT Virginia is very bad and Duke won the first meeting this year by 22. The Cavs have won three out of four after losing about 25 straight games but I simply don't see how Duke doesn't cover six with the ACC regular season title still in the balance.
The Pick: Duke

Syracuse (-2.5) at Seton Hall- Ugh, I'm really not sure I want to pick this one after the heart-breaking losses my Orange have endure lately. If they think they still have an at-large chance, this is obviously a must must must win game and given the craptastic volatility of this year's Bubble, if Cuse can win the last two and get to 9-9 in conference, it should find a glimmer of daylight. There I go, talking myself into it again. Anyway, I'd hate to make a pick and jinx them in some way but I am a blogger, and a blogger of principle. If I pick one, I must pick them all. (I'm doomed.)
The Pick: Syracuse

Texas A & M at Baylor (-1.5)- This would generally be a pretty awful game, even though I'm starting to come around on Baylor and its guard bonanza, but now it's about as pure a Bubble game as you could ever see. Whichever team wins is probably pretty safely in, whichever loses gives itself a pretty stressful Big 12 Tournament. The last time these teams met, they played a considerable amount of overtimes, with Baylor inevitably winning. On paper the Aggies have the advantage, especially in the paint, but they have failed to score 60 in five straight games (four losses and only 37 points Saturday at Oklahoma) and are pretty terrible on the road. Baylor is going to run its ass off and I don't see how the Aggies can guard and/or score enough to pull it off.
The Pick: Baylor

Last night's record: 0-3
JTom's overall record: 52-40-4

ACC: 5-9
Big 12: 6-9-2
Big East: 16-5-1
Big Ten: 8-6
SEC: 5-4
Pac-10: 1-0
Missouri Valley: 2-0
West Coast: 6-1
Big West: 0-1
CAA: 0-1
Horizon: 0-0-1
A-10: 1-3
SoCon: 1-0
MAC: 0-1
Non-Conf: 1-0

Tuesday's Picks: Purdue vs. Ohio State; Miami vs. Kent; Arkansas vs. Ole Miss

A partnership for the ages comes to its emotional end

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce The Picks. Every weekday, Monday-Thursday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I'll also be occasionally picking against one of my roommates, Craig, so we can have a rational method of settling all disputes involving rent, household matters, etc.

Last Night: Blowouts galore got me two wins, West Virginia and Gonzaga, and a very very very incorrect loss, Kansas (-19.5) winning by 58 FREAKING POINTS over Angola Texas Tech, which had just beaten Texas. I don't what this says about KU-Texas because my brain cannot comprehend how these events have occurred but I guess it's advantage-Kansas, regardless of all the good teams the Longhorns have beaten.

Purdue at Ohio State (-1.5)- One of the few things in life I can count on, is knowing that this year's Ohio State team is completely incapable of beating a good team. It helps me sleep at night, it keeps me warm on cold days, it makes life simpler. So even in a home game with ginormous Bubble implications, against a young team playing in a crazy atmosphere, I still don't see how the Buckeyes are favored. I suppose they are a team that can exploit Purdue's somewhat thin front line but I'm not exactly sure how the Ohio State backcourt will function against the Boilermakers' pressure. Maybe if some of the Buckeyes who never hit threes somehow start hitting them, they have a chance, but I don't think so. And if they do, well then I don't know where I'll turn.
The Pick: Purdue

Miami of Ohio at Kent State (-5.5)- Our second Point of Reference game for the Golden Flashes, after that BracketBusters match against St. Mary's that I doubt anyone actually saw. So I guess it's the first Point of Reference game for most. And by following that win over the Gaels with a terrible loss to Bowling Green, Kent State really needs a win to make their play a point of reference for March Madness and not the NIT. In the beginning of the year, I thought the Redhawks could be a mid-major sleeper with wins over Xavier, South Alabama and Mississippi State and narrow losses to USC, Dayton and Louisville, but the MAC play has been underwhelming. Miami plays really, really, really slow (334th out of 340) and has a knack for keeping games close against superior teams, but generally suffers from a lack of shotmaking. The good news for them is Kent is coming off about as bad a defensive performance as you will see from them (second highest defensive efficiency, 124.6, allowed this season to that Xavier win). Even though Kent State absolutely must win this game, I actually think Miami keeps it close and given the carnage going around for Bubble teams, could pull off the win.

Arkansas at Mississippi (-2)- This game has pretty big Bubble implications with Arkansas needing a win to secure a half-solid at-large case and Mississippi desperately needing a victory to join the discussion. I wish I could offer a thrilling analysis but I have not seen either squad this year. I'll give it a shot based on what I do know. Ole Miss has the bodies inside to give the Razorbacks some trouble on the boards and takes care of the ball well enough to offset the Arkansas pressure, but I'm not sure they have the shotmaking to outscore the Razorbacks (see how much you can come up with if you just know the personnel, the styles of play and have some help from KenPom?). I think it'll be a close game but Arkansas pulls it out and ends the Rebels season. (This one should be a really good indicator if I'm smart or my record is a result of blind luck... I'm not crossing my fingers for the former.)
The Pick: Arkansas

Last night's record: 2-1
JTom's overall record: 52-37-4

ACC: 5-9
Big 12: 6-9-2
Big East: 16-5-1
Big Ten: 8-5
SEC: 5-3
Pac-10: 1-0
Missouri Valley: 2-0
West Coast: 6-1
Big West: 0-1
CAA: 0-1
Horizon: 0-0-1
A-10: 1-3
SoCon: 1-0
Non-Conf: 1-0

Monday's Picks: Pitt vs. West Virginia; Texas Tech vs. Kansas; Santa Clara vs. Gonzaga

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce The Picks. Every weekday, Monday-Thursday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I'll also be occasionally picking against one of my roommates, Craig, so we can have a rational method of settling all disputes involving rent, household matters, etc.

Last Week: As we enter the last week of regular season picks, I've somehow run this thing to 50-36-4, which I hear is pretty impressive or something. In case you are wondering, I haven't made anywhere close to the amount of money I should have with a record like that, which means I'd probably prefer a much worse record so I don't feel like I've wasted the one year where I actually, you know, know shit. Anyway, last week I went 3-1 on Thursday despite barely getting the picks in before 7, finishing the week at 10-3.

Pittsburgh at West Virginia (-.5.5)- Both teams are fortunate that the Bubble is as mind-numbingly weak as it is this year (the Panthers are also fortunate that Syracuse HANDED them that fucking game Saturday... I'm so over it, by the way), but whichever team loses, it can't feel all that comfortable about its positioning. Conversely, whichever team wins locks up a tourney spot for good. About a month ago, the Panthers handed WVU its second heart-breaking one-point loss and the Mountaineers have only beaten teams at the bottom of the league since. But this Pitt defense has really struggled lately and a patient offense that thrives on taking care of the ball and waiting for open looks is probably not going to cure what ails the Panthers. West Virginia punches its imaginary ticket and heads out to celebrate with some of them there tooth-ed girls.
The Pick: West Virginia

Texas Tech at Kansas (-19.5)- This line is pretty surprising given the Red Raiders takedown of Texas on Saturday. The win moves the Jayhawks back into a tie for the Big 12 lead and, more importantly, gives them a chance to destroy Tech and prove their superiority, which is probably why the line is that high. It also might be a bit lofty because in the Raiders last home game, they lost to Texas A & M by 44 freaking points. The Jayhawks might still have a hangover from the beatdown they put on the BeasWalks Saturday so although I think they will cruise, it'll be just below the number.
The Pick: Texas Tech
Santa Clara at Gonzaga (-14.5)- After getting a huge win over St. Mary's Saturday night to regain the WCC lead, this would be a perfect spot for a let-down game against a Santa Clara squad that took the Zags to OT last time they met. The Broncos are one of the slowest teams in the country and the key to them covering will be slowing Gonzaga down in front of a crowd that could either be completely jacked up given the chance to clinch the regular season crown or extremely hungover after the win over the nemesis Gaels. Santa Clara's strength is up front with big fat person John Bryant but the Zags have a number of bodies to throw at him. It will probably come down to the aforementioned pace and the Broncos three-point shooting which is pretty bad and should be even worse against a solid Zags arc defense.
The Pick: Gonzaga

Last week's record: 10-3
JTom's overall record: 50-36-4

ACC: 5-9
Big 12: 6-8-2
Big East: 15-5-1
Big Ten: 8-5
SEC: 5-3
Pac-10: 1-0
Missouri Valley: 2-0
West Coast: 5-1
Big West: 0-1
CAA: 0-1
Horizon: 0-0-1
A-10: 1-3
SoCon: 1-0
Non-Conf: 1-0

Craig's record: 15-17-2

Thursday's Picks: Notre Dame vs. Louisville; Some A-10 teams; Michigan State/Ron Burgundy vs. Wisconsin; USC vs. Arizona

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce The Picks. Every weekday, Monday-Thursday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I'll also be occasionally picking against one of my roommates, Craig, so we can have a rational method of settling all disputes involving rent, household matters, etc.

I've been mad busy lately and wasn't going to do picks tonight, but then I saw how good three of the games are and had to weigh in. Plus I actually get a chance to pick a Pac-10 game, which is like finding a white whale. So let's bang these out.

Last night: Went 1-2 with Duke and Kansas not covering against pretty shitty opponents and Marquette drubbing DePaul for my lone win because I get every Big East game right always.

Notre Dame at Louisville (-8)- Really great and outstanding match-up. Vegas looks to finally be buying into the Cardinals with a line that high (wonder what they were waiting for). The Irish rely way too much on three, mainly because they have so many white players. Louisville is 15th in the country in three-point defense. As much as Louisville's athleticism should cause fits for Notre Dame, I just don't see this game not being close. I'll take ND, hate myself and expect a late, meaningless basket to either win it or lose it for me.
The Pick: Notre Dame

St. Louis at St. Joseph's (-12)- Battle of two extremely ugly coaches, but at least one keeps his pants on. It's a must-win for the Hawks and if they push the tempo to "slothlike," it should totally through St. Louis, which is used to playing a "glacierlike" tempo, off its game. DO NOT WATCH THIS GAME.
The Pick: St. Joseph's

Michigan State at Wisconsin (-5.5)- The Spartans haven't beaten a good team in over a month but somehow, if they win tonight, will be considered for a No. 3 or 4 seed. Such is the Year of Mediocrity. The home team has won the last eight in this series and it should continue. The Badgers play great perimeter defense and when Kalin Lucas and Drew Neitzel can't score or create, the Spartans offense becomes Northwesternian. Even if they can find some open shots, this year's Spartans team doesn't make nearly enough to challenge the Badgers at home.
The Pick: Wisconsin

USC at Arizona (-5.5)- What the hell is going on? A Pac-10 game on ESPN? Did they let Fox Sports Net borrow Mike and Mike for a week or something in order to get this? (If so, FSN got ripped off.) Whatever happened, I am happy to get an actual live game from the best conference in the country instead of the weird tape delays and picked-up-already-in-progress games Comcast airs at odd hours of the night. Anyway, the match-up between Jerryd Bayless and OJ Mayo should be spectacular. In the first meeting, Mayo played much better but Arizona won. Both teams are safely in the tournament but a win for either could be crucial in seeding. The defense played in this game will be among the best you see this season, even though both teams don't force a lot of turnovers. The key match-up should be down low with Jordan Hill trying to stay out of foul trouble going against Taj Gibson and Davon Jefferson. Honestly, this game will be a slugfest and probably be decided on how tight the refs are calling it. Look for a one-possession game. I'm excited in my pants for this one.
/alienates readership
The Pick: USC

Last night's record: 1-2
JTom's overall record: 47-35-4

ACC: 5-9
Big 12: 6-8-2
Big East: 14-5-1
Big Ten: 7-5
SEC: 5-3
Missouri Valley: 2-0
West Coast: 5-1
Big West: 0-1
CAA: 0-1
Horizon: 0-0-1
A-10: 1-2
SoCon: 1-0
Non-Conf: 1-0

Craig's record: 15-17-2

Wednesday's Picks: Kansas vs. Iowa State, Georgia Tech vs. Duke, West Virginia vs. DePaul

Bruce Pearl, miming how he usually greets Erin Andrews.

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce The Picks. Every weekday, Monday-Thursday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I'll also be occasionally picking against one of my roommates, Craig, so we can have a rational method of settling all disputes involving rent, household matters, etc.

Last Night: First, I had another 3-0 night, which runs my streak to seven straight, which puts me 13 over .500 this year, which is weird. Seeing as how I've bet money on very few games this year, this accomplishes nothing besides setting a personal standard the gods of odds will surely make me pay for. I suppose for those of you looking for a quick way to not lose your family/domicile, following my picks may be a decent idea, though. (Note: I cannot guarantee the preservation of your belongings/self-worth).

Anyway, the games last night were pretty entertaining, especially that Vandy-Tennessee madness. I knew the Dores could shoot well enough at home to make Tennessee's helter skelter style pay, I just didn't think one person, Shan Foster, would single-handedly carry them. Not only did he outshoot Chris Lofton on a good night, he took equally as audacious long-range hoists as the quick-triggered Lofton; not an easy feat. I was really impressed with Vandy's response to blowing that early lead against a team as smothering as Tennessee. With the exception of a two and a half week stretch in January where the Dores went 1-4, they are undefeated and probably won't be sneaking up on anyone in March as in years past. The Vols (-2) had another atrocious shooting night which makes me wonder if they are better than Memphis or just a clone of Memphis that had a better Saturday night. The latter (which I still don't think is true) would be concerning for their tourney hopes. It's not at all a bad loss for Tennessee but it proves what we all probably knew already; they aren't the best team in the country. Now it's highly possible there is no best team in the country, just a "least bad one," but whatever. Oh and Indiana (-8) beat Ohio State (but didn't cover) in front of a crowd that didn't seem to care about basketball so much. And Southern Illinois got a win at Bradley (-1.5), earning them a legitimate spot on that prestigious Bubble.*
*Bubble not, in fact, prestigious

Kansas (-11.5) at Iowa State- The Jayhawks are beginning to worry me a bit so this game suddenly conjures up a smidgen of interest, just to make sure they mercilessly embarrass the Cyclones as they should. I expected a bit more from Iowa State, which has lost seven of its last nine, this season due mostly to that great frontcourt of Jiri Hubalek, Wesley Johnson and Craig Brackins. But besides pushing Texas to overtime a couple weeks ago, the Cyclones have had a completely uneventful season. That's not to say that frontcourt doesn't have a bright future but that they just have absolutely atrocious perimeter play. Unfortunately for their chances tonight, the Jayhawks have an incredibly fearsome backcourt that will apply pants-pooping pressure for 40 minutes. Plus, they just traveled to almost equally as incompetent Oklahoma State Saturday and lost, so they might have a minor interest in reasserting their road dominance over the Big 12 underbelly and not letting Texas get that No. 1 seed without a fight. Final score: Kansas 176, Iowa State 21
The Pick: Kansas

Georgia Tech at Duke (-15.5)- Duke is in a similar position to Kansas, having recently turned in some lackluster performances against inferior road opponents. But the Blue Devils get to exact their revenge on their league's also-rans at home, which is why Vegas anticipates an even more savage beat down. The Jackets have lost five of six overall and in this series and no longer appear to be the potential giant-killer they nearly were against North Carolina earlier this season. This game won't be close but it should be a frantic track meet with a lot of great athletes so it could be entertaining. The problem for Georgia Tech is that with all those possessions, its opponent gets ample opportunities to attack the Jackets stat-padding defense which is a magical elixir that makes even the most devastating shooting slumps disappear. And for a Duke team shooting just 43 percent in its last five and a student section likely in an unrelated type of slump, lots of points will be welcome.
The Pick: Duke

West Virginia (-4.5) at DePaul- Once a Big East upstart running with the likes of The Dragonslayer That Is Cincinnati, DePaul has fallen on hard times lately, losing seven of its last eight. West Virginia, thanks to two one-point heartbreakers to Pitt and Georgetown, is in desperate need of a half-decent win, which hasn't gotten one in about six weeks when it beat Syracuse. Given the utter mediocrity of this year's Bubble I don't think the Mountaineers are in danger, but losing to DePaul would be a great way to endanger themselves. Both teams have good athletes but West Virginia uses them a whole lot better, especially on defense. Opponents are shooting 50 percent against the Blue Demons in the last five games and have averaged better than a point per possession in the last six (Note: That is bad.). It wouldn't shock me if DePaul pulled the upset, but then again it wouldn't shock me if West Virginia scored 39 points... you know, because that actually happened.
/Strip club joke
The Pick: West Virginia

Last night's record: 3-0
JTom's overall record: 46-33-4

ACC: 5-8
Big 12: 6-7-2
Big East: 13-5-1
Big Ten: 7-5
SEC: 5-3
Missouri Valley: 2-0
West Coast: 5-1
Big West: 0-1
CAA: 0-1
Horizon: 0-0-1
A-10: 1-2
SoCon: 1-0
Non-Conf: 1-0

Craig's record: 15-17-2

Tuesday's Picks

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce The Picks. Every weekday, Monday-Thursday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I'll also be occasionally picking against one of my roommates, Craig, so we can have a rational method of settling all disputes involving rent, household matters, etc.

Last night: I was at the Villanova-Marquette (-2) game last night which served as a 40-minute microcosm for most Philadelphia sports seasons. The Cats got the crowd's hopes up with a great first half and suddenly their NCAA Tourney hopes had serious life. But just as the crowd reached its peak of excitement, they quickly squandered their lead in the second half, fell behind by double-digits themselves, gave up 53 points in the half and caused a pretty large fight to break out a few rows behind me (there has been a fight at 100 percent of the Villanova games I have attended in my life). Suddenly the season was over, the Cats once again hated... well at least until the next game. Didn't get a chance to see the Texas-KSU game but it was nice to see Vegas' absurd line in favor of the Wildcats (-3.5) proven incorrect. And the Zags (-15), despite trailing by two at halftime to the mighty Portland Pilots, decided to outscore them by 24 in the second half, giving me a 3-0 night.
/waiting for other shoe to drop

Ohio State at Indiana (-8)- Given the Hoosiers' post-SampsGate bedshitting and near catastrophe at Northwestern Saturday, Vegas must be pretty confident in Dan Dakich's conflict resolution skills for this line to be at 8. Even though the Buckeyes have lost four of six, there is going to be some serious pressure on the Hoosiers tonight in front of the home crowd. The fans will be supportive at first but if Indiana struggles at all in the first half, they will turn on those guys like they kicked their best cow. That's why this is a tough one to pick because it's the rare game where a team's mental state will probably decide the game and despite my stellar picking record this year, it is not a result of psychic ability. I think Indiana wins but won't cover.
The Pick: Ohio State

Southern Illinois at Bradley (-1.5)- Don't look now but the Salukis, the preseason mid-major darling, have a slim chance at salvaging their at-large hopes, sneaking into the First 8 Out in Joe "The Ladies Man" Lunardi's latest bracket. Granted if they can't get the auto-bid, they need to win out until the Valley final and get a lot of help but, hey, it's something to play for. Unfortunately that run starts at Bradley tonight, which is not an easy place to win. The home team has won the last seven meetings between the two squads and only two of those have been decided by 10 or less. Bradley has had a weird season, at one point losing seven of eight but is currently on a 9-2 run to get back to a reasonable conference tourney seed. But this SIU team was feared in the preseason for a reason and its struggles aren't because of a lack of toughness or intensity. If the Salukis really believe they have a chance at the postseason and that this is a must-win, they'll find a way to get it.
The Pick: Southern Illinois

Tennessee (-2) at Vanderbilt- Perfect spot for a let-down game for the Vols and unfortunately Vegas is fully aware of that. The first meeting was a blowout in Tennessee's favor but I don't see how a terrifyingly rabid Vandy crowd is going to let that happen tonight. AJ Ogilvy and Shan Foster were both pretty awful in that first match-up but have turned things around of late. That being said, I still think Tennessee matches up with those two guys better than anyone in the SEC with The Smith Named Tyler on Foster and Chism on Ogilvy. The Vols are a very good team and deserving of the No. 1 ranking; but they are not the best team in the country. It's no secret that if you make open shots and take care of the ball, Tennessee is beatable. In an up-and-down game just like Saturday night, I think Vandy can make the shots Memphis didn't; it's the turnovers I'm worried about. So, when in doubt you have to look for a hidden factor to decide the game and I am going to the Erin Andrews Factor. Surely with EA not in attendance, Bruce Pearl's sexual frustration will completely disrupt his ability to coach, causing him to run a four corners offense to try and run out the clock and get home to the warm comfort of this:

The Pick: Vanderbilt

Last night's record: 3-0
JTom's overall record: 43-33-4

ACC: 5-8
Big 12: 6-7-2
Big East: 13-5-1
Big Ten: 6-5
SEC: 4-3
Missouri Valley: 1-0
West Coast: 5-1
Big West: 0-1
CAA: 0-1
Horizon: 0-0-1
A-10: 1-2
SoCon: 1-0
Non-Conf: 1-0

Craig's record: 15-17-2

Monday's Picks

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce The Picks. Every weekday, Monday-Thursday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I'll also be occasionally picking against one of my roommates, Craig, so we can have a rational method of settling all disputes involving rent, household matters, etc.

Last week: Even though the predictions made in my Gratuitous BracketBusters Preview were largely inaccurate, I did correctly pick Friday night's Davidson-Winthrop game, won by the Wildcats, which was the only BB game included in the Daily Picks. All in all it was another above .500 week and I am beginning to frighten myself. I mean, with the power to prognosticate more accurately than the great mind of ESPN analysts like Digger Phelps, there is no telling what burdens come along with it.

Marquette (-2) at Villanova- Just 48 hours ago, Nova was a one-point favorite over UConn in a Wachovia Center game which it won, so I'm not sure how the Cats are getting points here. The Golden Eagles have won four straight by blowout, but still weren't riding the type of streak into Philly the Huskies were. AND on short rest, you would think it would be a big disadvantage to the team traveling across the country. So it's pretty obvious to take the points here right? Well, as we have learned this year, obviousness can be the prognosticators worst enemy. While Marquette might seem due for a loss, that can't overshadow how well they match up with Villanova. They don't have a big man to make Nova's soft interior pay, but the key to beating the Cats is controlling penetration on both ends. Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews are too of the better defensive guards in the league and should force Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher into jumpshots, which those two will gladly hoist recklessly if given the chance. And on the other end, say what you will about Dominic James, but none of the defensively challenged Nova guards can keep him out of the paint. Villanova did do a great job on AJ Price Saturday so perhaps they are improving on the perimeter but thats not enough to completely convince me. I'll be at this game but my pick of Marquette isn't enough for me to openly root for them and antagonize drunken Philadelphia sports fans. Probably.
The Pick: Marquette

Texas at Kansas State (-3.5)- This is another line that concerns me with its obviousness. Kansas State hasn't been all that inspiring lately, losing three of its last four, all to teams further down in the Big 12 standings. And Beasley had 40-plus in two of those losses (him and Bill Walker combined for 75 of the Wildcats 86 points Saturday vs. Baylor). Texas, meanwhile, has won seven straight and is looking to keep its lead atop the Big 12 and possibly grab a No. 1 seed for the NCAAs. I know that KSU is far better at home and that Frank Martin, Crazy Person (seen above in what is considered a mild state for him; he's probably singing a song), would make Rick Barnes shit his pants if they met in a dark alley, but even a rowdy crowd and 35 more from Beasley is going to keep Texas from terrorizing KSU's backcourt and dropping at least 90 points. Obviousness and all, I'm going with common sense here but would gladly trade a loss to watch
The Pick: Texas

Gonzaga (-15) at Portland- Elsewhere in the WCC, St. Mary's hosts San Diego in a match-up with huge implications, but I suppose we will have to settle for this beatdown. The Bulldogs beat the, uh, Indie Rockers (?) by 38 the last time around in Spokane and have won nine straight in the series. Considering a pick for Portland would involve finding out actual information on them, which I am not ready to do at this point in my life. I will just take the Zags and assume annihilation.
The Pick: Gonzaga

Last week's record: 9-5
JTom's overall record: 40-33-4

ACC: 5-8
Big 12: 5-7-2
Big East: 12-5-1
Big Ten: 6-5
SEC: 4-3
Missouri Valley: 1-0
West Coast: 4-1
Big West: 0-1
CAA: 0-1
Horizon: 0-0-1
A-10: 1-2
SoCon: 1-0
Non-Conf: 1-0

Craig's record: 15-17-2

Friday's Pick

"When I'm President, Michigan and Minnesota will NEVER play on TV! YES WE CAN!"

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce The Picks. Every weekday, Monday-Thursday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I'll also be occasionally picking against one of my roommates, Craig, so we can have a rational method of settling all disputes involving rent, household matters, etc.

Last night: It looked like Notre Dame's 34-game home win streak was going to end last night when they were down 11 with 14 minutes to go. The Panthers then decided to not make anymore shots and allowed the Irish (-4.5) to finish the game on a 42-19 run, keeping the streak in tact and somehow earning me a secure cover. Harangody v. Blair was an entertaining battle as planned but it was 5-11 guard Tory Jackson who notched 13 rebounds, without the help of a buzz cut. URI and UMass both reached 90 point as I had expected, but as the trend goes in the A-10, once a team looks to have an inside track on an at-large bid, their souls are crushed at home. I picked the Rams (-6), who couldn't get a stop down the stretch, lost by eight and are the latest victim of the self-devouring A-10 schedule. And I'm sure Michigan vs. Minnesota was one of the worst public displays of basketball ever recorded. I would've rather just assumed it never happened, but I had to check the score (I picked Michigan) to see if Minnesota covered 8.5. They did and I immediately drank a bottle of paint thinner in hopes of extended memory loss.

Davidson (-3.5) at Winthrop- Courtesy of the BracketBusters opening night, we get our second look at spelling bee champion Stephen Curry and Davidson this week. In the past few years this would be a very huge match-up (and it should still be wildly entertaining mid-major basketball, if you're into that sort of thing... which I am, ladies...), but with both teams not quite as sharp this season, at least in the non-conference, it appears only an auto bid will punch a dance ticket. I suppose if Davidson wins this and its last three conference games, but loses in the SoCon final they would have a serious at-large case, so there is a little something on the line. But basically this a showcase of two (potentially) dangerous 12-13 seeds. Michael Jenkins is Winthrop's best player and a great defender and will be matched up on Curry, but ask NBA'er DJ Strawberry how that went last year. That's the problem for Winthrop; Its strength has always been its great pressure defense and ability to force unfamiliar teams into turnovers, but unfortunately for them, Davidson has one of the more surehanded backcourts in the country with Curry and Jason Richards. Winthrop can stay in the game with its grind-it-out, quick-cutting offense and accurate bombing from Jenkins and Chris Gaynor, but you still don't want to get into a long-range shooting contest with Stephen Curry, who will shoot 25 threes if even slightly tempted.
The Pick: Davidson

Last night's record: 1-2
JTom's overall record: 39-33-4

ACC: 5-8
Big 12: 5-7-2
Big East: 12-5-1
Big Ten: 6-5
SEC: 4-3
Missouri Valley: 1-0
West Coast: 4-1
Big West: 0-1
CAA: 0-1
Horizon: 0-0-1
A-10: 1-2
SoCon: 1-0

Craig's record: 15-17-2

Thursday's Picks

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce The Picks. Every weekday, Monday-Thursday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I'll also be occasionally picking against one of my roommates, Craig, so we can have a rational method of settling all disputes involving rent, household matters, etc.

Last night: As I was typing my rant of disbelief on the line in the Kansas State-Nebraska game, I knew I was jinxing myself with every subsequent word. Nebraska beat the Wildcats (-3) by seven and evidently I got punked (or punk'd? I hate MTV). I also made a completely irrational and unnecessary bold prediction in yesterday's Week Of Chaos entry that it would make perfectly backwards sense if NC State beat UNC (-8.5) last night. Well I was wrong, as I should be, even though the Pack kept it close for longer than 45 seconds, which is an improvement over the last meeting. (It turns out I just had the wrong "elite" ACC team losing on the road to a below .500 conference team... for the first time in nearly half a century). Marquette (-7.5) salvaged a complete momentum loss (I'd won seven of my last eight picks) by topping St. John's by nine. I should mention I didn't see any basketball last night because I attended a book signing/reading for Will Leitch, editor at Deadspin and author of God Save the Fan, which was thoroughly enjoyable. I mention this because it is a great book, written by a sports blogger and contains over 200 pages, which is something that will probably never occur again.

Pittsburgh at Notre Dame (-4.5)- Somehow these teams haven't played in over two years and it's a shame because this should be a fun game. Although both teams haven't been at their best in the past week-plus, the Luke Harangody vs. DeJuan Blair pie eating contest match-up should be worth your time. Both teams are pretty similar but the glaring difference is Notre Dame is a much better three-point shooting team (No. 7 nationally). The Panthers defend the three pretty well (No. 34) so it's not a given that the Irish will have a huge advantage beyond the arc, but those bombs always seem to fall a lot more often when they play in South Bend (which may explain why they never ever lose there ever... also helping is the fact that all Big East teams, besides Marquette which is the last team to beat the Irish at home, have to travel a couple thousand miles just to lose to play some three-point shooting white guys).
The Pick: Notre Dame

Massachusetts at Rhode Island (-6)- There was a point in this season where this game would have been interesting, but with Mass losing five of its last eight and URI losing three of four, it's just another A-10 game. I suppose it's a game that Rams can't lose, but a win isn't going to lock up an NCAA bid either. The home team has won the last six in this meeting but five of those were one-possession or overtime games (including a two-point UMass win last month). If there's anything we have learned about the A-10 this year, it's that there is nothing to learn about the A-10. Anyone could beat anyone on any night and league that once hoped for five bids has cannibalized itself into probably begging for three. I would give this game the SSS Do Not Watch Seal of Disapproval, but there is a solid chance both teams will reach 90 points, so there's that. If I had to pick (and apparently I do) I'd take URI in a must-win.
The Pick: Rhode Island

Michigan at Minnesota (-8.5)- Oh my God. Holy shit. This could be the worst televised game in NCAA basketball history. DO NOT WATCH THIS GAME. Did someone tell the idiot programming directors at all the major networks that Michigan was going to be good this year or something? Every damn game the Wolverines play is on national TV. And given the fact that Minnesota is NEVER good, I simply don't see how a game like this could be scheduled in late February. I'd rather watch a rerun of Quite Frankly than this. I'd rather watch BassMasters (oh wait, I can watch 24 hours of BassMaster, alright I take it back). Hell, I'd rather watch NFL Live than this game and that show is practically public access for retarded people. Ugh, I'm exhausted... wait, I have to make a pick? Oh... um... well, Michigan has won three straight or something so they should at least cover, even though the Gopher fans are always pumped for the Michigan game, presumably because they hate themselves.
The Pick: Michigan

Last night's record: 1-2
JTom's overall record: 38-31-4

ACC: 5-8
Big 12: 5-7-2
Big East: 11-5-1
Big Ten: 6-4
SEC: 4-3
Missouri Valley: 1-0
West Coast: 4-1
Big West: 0-1
CAA: 0-1
Horizon: 0-0-1
A-10: 1-1
SoCon: 1-0

Craig's record: 15-17-2

Wednesday's Picks

Scott Martin and Robbie Hummel, here to take the Big Ten, and your teenage daughters

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce The Picks. Every weekday, Monday-Thursday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I'll also be occasionally picking against one of my roommates, Craig, so we can have a rational method of settling all disputes involving rent, household matters, etc.

Last Night: Entertaining game in the Big Ten with my pick Indiana (-4.5) overcoming the vicious, pre-pubescent assault from Scott Martin and Professor Frink Hummel (seriously though, those dweebs can play) and Kelvin Sampson becoming the first man in history to run away from Erin Andrews. Davidson (-13.5) was up 20 early in the second half on my pick UNC-Greensboro until the Spartans realized getting its best player in school history, Kyle Hines, the ball could actually improve the chances of winning. They didn't win but covered despite roughly 56 turnovers. The late game was enormously uninteresting and I watched none of it, only to find out Kentucky (-5.5) won by six, leaving me a single point away from an eight-game winning streak, which certainly would have shifted the space-time continuum. You may thank Joe Crawford.

North Carolina (-8.5) at North Carolina State- Three pretty lopsided match-ups that are only salvaged by the huge favorite being on the road in each. The Tar Heels absolutely demolished NC State by 31 the first time around and while they have struggled without Ty Lawson (who's out again tonight), the merciless, 39-point beatdown they handed Virginia Tech Saturday makes you wonder if the blowout ability is back. In this particular case though, Lawson's injury probably levels the field for the Pack more than any other ACC team. Without someone to push the pace out of NC State's comfort zone and without someone to take advantage of the Pack's complete lack of consistent point play, it will be just two teams with a bunch of athletic wings and big men. Granted the Heels have much more talent and better coaching (and should "dominate the boards," said in Jay Bilas creepy arm-head voice) but with the fewer possessions, NC State should at least be able to stay in the game with defense.... Or they could get blown out by 31 again.
The Pick: NC State

Marquette (-7.5) at St. John's- With the exception of a weird three-game winning streak that should probably spark an NCAA investigation, the Red Storm have lost eight straight games, many of which were blowouts. As much as I hate considering Marquette and elite team, it has had no trouble with these low-level road games, which is more than you can say about most Big East teams. This one will be slow and boring and many soul-crushing bricks will be hoisted so DO NOT WATCH THIS GAME.
The Pick: Marquette

Kansas State (-3) at Nebraska- Am I missing something here? Three points?!?! I mean, I know KSU isn't the greatest road team but it's freaking Nebraska. The last time around the Wildcats beat the Huskers by 15 with Beasley dropping 35 and 13 on 15-21 shooting. He just put up 40 and 17 on Missouri, a game in which KSU won by 37. I suppose Nebraska big man Aleks Maric could be a problem, especially if Beasley has to cover him, but this is a ranked team with the best player in the country against a league cellar-dweller on national TV. I must be missing something. Is this game an Ashton Kutcher production? Does Beasley have a horrible rash I don't know about (and would prefer not to know about)? Is Bill Walker's status up in the air because of strict public urination laws in Lincoln? I'm going to take Kansas State and walk away very slowly.
The Pick: Kansas State

Last night's record: 2-1
JTom's overall record: 37-29-4

ACC: 5-7
Big 12: 5-6-2
Big East: 10-5-1
Big Ten: 6-4
SEC: 4-3
Missouri Valley: 1-0
West Coast: 4-1
Big West: 0-1
CAA: 0-1
Horizon: 0-0-1
A-10: 1-1
SoCon: 1-0

Craig's record: 15-17-2

Tuesday's Picks

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce The Picks. Every weekday, Monday-Thursday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I'll also be occasionally picking against one of my roommates, Craig, so we can have a rational method of settling all disputes involving rent, household matters, etc.

Last night: 4-0. I am the smartest man alive. Well maybe not, last night's games were pretty easy to pick and all went exactly how I expected. Georgetown (-5) struggled for awhile (and were even down six in the second half) before Providence's innate suckiness kicked in and the Hoyas rolled, Texas A & M is an obscenely overrated team and are atrocious on the road so they made good on that persona and were destroyed by Texas (-4) and San Diego slowed the game down and was able to hang with Gonzaga (-8), thanks in large part to its likely stoned fans throwing shit on the floor (as we saw at UAB the other night, it's not easy to blow out lesser opponents when blunt objects are being chucked at you). As for that Syracuse game, it could not have been any weirder. I said the Orange would get dominated on the boards and worn down by Louisville's pressure on one day rest. I was so sure, I even broke my rule of never picking against my favorite team. Well, all of those exact things happened and yet Syracuse was still down just two with a minute and a half left. In a blur the Cardinals (-10.5) scored nine straight to close out the game and cover. Despite winning the pick I was furious that the Orange lost another chance to get a marquee win because of poor shooting but was immediately calmed when I realized the blind fury of whoever bet actual money on Syracuse and had the game end that way.

Purdue at Indiana (-4.5)- It's hilarious that the Hoosiers have these big important home games right now. There is absolutely nothing funnier than watching a group of insanely rabid fans try to go crazy for their conference title-contending team and yet still maintain they HATE said team's coach and insist on upholding the program's integrity. It's all high comedy and will be on display in full force tonight with the Big Ten lead on the line. Apparently DJ White, who has been a bit banged up, is going to play and if he is anywhere near full strength should be a big problem for Purdue. As great as this young team is -- and I would pick them on a neutral court (they are 11-1 ATS in their last 12) -- they do have a problem defending the interior. Now, they make up for it with great ball pressure and given Indiana's decision to just not have a point guard (a risky choice but Kelvin Sampson is nothing but courageous... and an asshole), the Boilermakers can stay in this game by forcing turnovers. It's a tough one to pick because no one knows how healthy White really is but with Purdue's youth, in a hostile environment they haven't wont at in nine years, I can't see the magic continuing. (I'm doomed.)
The Pick: Indiana

UNC Greensboro at Davidson (-13.5)- Kudos to ESPN for beefing up its mid-major slate this year. Sure there have been some bad match-ups but it's nice to get a look at some these teams. Now the WWL just has to work on not scheduling these teams the same time as Purdue-Indiana. Like when Butler played on ESPN a couple weeks ago, this is a Point of Reference Game. You should expect to see Davidson in the NCAAs and this is your chance to see what it's all about (they also play Winthrop on ESPN Friday night in the BracketBusters). The Wildcats, who were this year's preseason mid-major darling before struggling with an ambitious non-conference slate, are pretty similar to last year's team that almost beat Maryland in the first round; sharp-shooting 8th grader Stephen Curry is still there and he's averaging 25.6 points per game, which is a considerable amount for someone who has never shaved. Jason Richards, the nation's leader in assists is Curry's backcourt mate so its no wonder they have only had two conference games decided by five points or less (they are 17-0 in the SoCon). ALL that being said, one of those games was a week ago against these same Spartans from Greensboro (isn't "Spartans" a bit dramatic for a town that revolves around a Wal-Mart?), a game where league POY and all-around meast Kyle Hines had 27 and 12, UNCG shot the lights out and Davidson came back from down 20 to win (apparently it was quite the game). The road team has fared well in this series of late and even though Davidson probably needs to win out in the regular season for an at-large (with its fans well aware of this), I think Hines and Co. will at least cover.
The Pick: UNC-Greensboro

Georgia at Kentucky (-5.5)- I will not pretend to know anything about the Bulldogs except that they suck and have lost six of seven, one of which a five-point loss to Kentucky. And that they have some fella named Sundiata Gaines who leads them in basically every statistic. The Wildcats only have three relevant players in their own right so perhaps the teams will agree to simply eliminate two players each -- preferably by shooting them out of a cannon, for entertainment purposes -- and maybe treat spectators to a game of watchable basketball. Due to Billy Gillespie's well-publicized anti-circus stance, this won't happen so DO NOT WATCH THIS GAME. If you do choose to torture yourself in such a manner, you will probably see a close game with Kentucky winning but failing to cover. This will not excite you.
The Pick: Georgia

Last night's record: 4-0
JTom's overall record: 35-28-4

ACC: 5-7
Big 12: 5-6-2
Big East: 10-5-1
Big Ten: 5-4
SEC: 4-2
Missouri Valley: 1-0
West Coast: 4-1
Big West: 0-1
CAA: 0-1
Horizon: 0-0-1
A-10: 1-1

Craig's record: 15-17-2

Monday's Picks

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce The Picks. Every weekday, Monday-Thursday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I'll also be occasionally picking against one of my roommates, Craig, so we can have a rational method of settling all disputes involving rent, household matters, etc.

Last Week: After going 1-3 on Thursday, the worst slate of TV basketball games in modern history, Marquette got me a win in that weird Friday night game to salvage a 6-8 week. Still above .500 for the season -- which is impressive I suppose given how ass-backwards this year has been -- but momentum was indeed lost.

Georgetown (-5) at Providence- I have absolutely no idea why this game is being played at 4 p.m. Yes I know it's President's Day and all that but 4 p.m. on a Monday is just an awful time to play basketball and no President besides this asshole would allow such atrocities to stand. At first glance, this looks like a no-brainer in the Hoyas' favor, but I'm not so sure. Georgetown has been completely unable to score lately, will be making a long trip up North at a weird time (unless they just stayed up there after the Cuse game), will be on one day rest after a beatdown and while Providence has lost seven of its last eight, it played Louisville tough Saturday at the Bakery. I'd like to think JT3 will have some sort of motivational, post-loss thing that good coaches are supposed to know about, but if he doesn't, the Hoyas' will be in a dogfight. ALL that being said, Providence's porous D is great for what ails ya; I think G'Town covers and takes a small step back to relevancy.
The Pick: Georgetown

Syracuse at Louisville (-10.5)- Just when I thought the season was over, my Cuse totally redeemed itself with the blowout of Georgetown Saturday.... And they did it just in time to get destroyed by the Cardinals (I hate sports). Seriously, this is not a good situation for the Orange. Even though the line is pretty high, the four or so players they have left only have one day rest against Louisville, which has like a 16-man rotation. The Cardinals should dominate the boards, tire out Jonny Flynn, even though he may be a robot, with relentless ball pressure and force a ton of turnovers. Unless like half of the 36 threes Donte Greene will inevitably attempt go in or Louisville has one of its disastrous shooting nights, I don't think this will be close. And I HATE picking against my favorite team so you know I'm pretty serious about this one.
The Pick: Louisville

Texas A & M at Texas (-4)- The Aggies debacled the Longhorns in the first meeting even though they suck. They just lost to Oklahoma State and I have to think the win over Texas was just a result of home court (the home team has won the last eight in this series). We saw how much better Texas looks at home when they knocked off Kansas, but I am a bit worried that DJ Augustin and Justin Mason both played 40 minutes in that near catastrophe at Baylor Saturday. If the Ghost of DeAndre Jordan decides to make an appearance tonight, the Aggies might be able to take advantage of their superior size and pull an upset, but I doubt it.
The Pick: Texas

Gonzaga (-8) at San Diego- The West Coast Conference IS Big Monday. Seriously, they are on more than the Big East I think. And it's a good thing because the race for the WCC title is surprisingly tight. In fact, if the Toreros win tonight they will be in first place and the almighty Zags will be stuck in third. Whale's Vagina's only league loss was a 10-point defeat at Gonzaga a month ago and it has beaten St. Mary's at home this year. The WCC always has great crowds and this should be a shitshow tonight. If you thought UAB fans were felonious, wait till you see what these stoned surfers can do when they channel an actual human emotion besides irony toward something. (I'm stoked... or something.) I still think Gonzaga wins but the line is pretty high for an important game in this league. I'll take San Diego with a parlay that ESPN will show the (SD freshman) Rob Jones Is Grandson of Crazy Cult Person Jim Jones (-175) at some point during the broadcast.
The Pick: San Diego

Last week's record: 6-8
Overall record: 31-28-4

ACC: 5-7
Big 12: 4-6-2
Big East: 8-5-1
Big Ten: 5-4
SEC: 4-2
Missouri Valley: 1-0
West Coast: 3-1
Big West: 0-1
CAA: 0-1
Horizon: 0-0-1
A-10: 1-1

Craig's record: 15-17-2

Friday's Pick

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce The Picks. Every weekday, Monday-Thursday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I'll also be occasionally picking against one of my roommates, Craig, so we can have a rational method of settling all disputes involving rent, household matters, etc.

Last Night: I was a half point from going 0-4 last night and I suppose it serves me right for picking those absolutely atrocious games. Holding true to my word I watched zero seconds of basketball last night and was pretty perturbed to see that my hard-earned progress last week was essentially ruined by eight teams with no hope of postseason play. I'm not even going to go over what happened only to say thank you to West Virginia for only beating Rutgers by 18 instead of 19 to get me a lone victory.

Pittsburgh at Marquette (-5) - I have no idea why this game is being played tonight but whatever, I have to pick it. Those are the rules and without rules we have chaos. I've long been in the camp that Marquette is basically a fraud this season and yet they continue to end up in the rankings somehow. For instance, these teams generally play each other very close and I don't see how the Golden Eagles can score against Pitt's defense and it's a no-brainer to take the points, but this is exactly the type of game where Marquette wins by 20 and everyone is still fooled for the next few weeks. I'm going against all logic and taking the shittier team. It's not like anything has been logical this week anyway.
The Pick: Marquette

Last night's record: 1-3
Overall record: 30-28-4

ACC: 5-7
Big 12: 4-6-2
Big East: 7-5-1
Big Ten: 5-4
SEC: 4-2
Missouri Valley: 1-0
West Coast: 3-1
Big West: 0-1
CAA: 0-1
Horizon: 0-0-1
A-10: 1-1

Craig's record: 15-17-2

Thursday's Picks

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce The Picks. Every weekday, Monday-Thursday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I'll also be occasionally picking against one of my roommates, Craig, so we can have a rational method of settling all disputes involving rent, household matters, etc.

Last night: My slide continues with another 1-2 night. I suppose just being above .500 this season should be considered a miracle. Duke (-11.5) beat Maryland by 12, even though the closing line was 12 and would've gotten me a push. I guess that's what I get for gambling so early in the morning. The Devils just continue to make threes at an alarming rate, which had even Dickie V and The Corpse of Mike Patrick playing the whole "live by the three, die by the three" thing. Clearly an attempt to brainwash the youth of America and feed off their fresh, spotless brains in order to live eternally. Clearly.... OKAY, moving on... In the game that no one on the planet watched (I think it was being announced by Dana Jacobson), Cincinnati (-6.5) destroyed St. John's. I picked the Bearcats but gain no satisfaction from doing so. Actually, I feel like I just rolled off a cheap hooker.... OKAY, moving on... Michael Beasley and Kansas State (-2.5) suffered a pretty bad set-back last night, initially getting blown out by the Little General Pat Knight and his spunky Red Raiders, then making the game close and then losing in poor fashion. Bob Knight was in attendance and said he was inspired by the game, both by his son's first coaching win and Frank Martin's impressive ability to make his own players poop their pants and then mercilessly mock them for it.

North Carolina State at Boston College (-4.5) - OK this is hands-down the worst night of televised basketball this season and I don't see it ever being topped in suckiness. Of the eight teams in action only two (West Virginia and UMass) have even the slightest chance at making the Dance. Thankfully it's a holiday, so ESPN has an excuse but these all get the DO NOT WATCH THIS GAME disclaimer. That being said, we still have to make a pick. The road team has fared well in this series lately and I have a hard time believing a BC team that has lost six straight should be giving my senior year intramural team 4.5 points, let alone a slightly improving Wolf Pack squad. I'll take NC State. That was painless.
The Pick: North Carolina State

Rutgers at West Virginia (-18.5) - Huggy's bunch has lost its last two at home and have been completely unable to score any points lately (see: 39 at home vs. Cincinnati). Rutgers sucks a whole lot. But the Scarlet Knights do have some size which seems to give the Mountaineers problems. Oh and not seeing strippers, that's problematic for them too.
The Pick: Rutgers

Michigan at Iowa (-7) - The Hawkeyes have inexplicably dominated the Wolverines lately, if you consider "assaulting the backboard less" as dominating. And even though they haven't been very good at home this season (or anywhere on Earth, for that matter), Iowa still won by eight at Michigan so I don't see any reason for them not to cover at home (which of course, means Michigan will win outright). Final score: Iowa 39, Michigan 30.
The Pick: Iowa

Fordham at Massachusetts (-11.5) - I remember some talk -- let's call it "phooey" -- in the preseason, about Fordham supposedly being an A-10 contender or something. In that case, I can't completely rip ESPN for scheduling this game... But I'm going to do so anyway. Why in the flying fuck would this game, of all the A-10 games you can show to fill whatever the TV contract stipulates, be selected for national TV? Even UMass, once a seemingly sure bet for the NCAAs has lost four of its last six and should be NIT-bound at this point. Fordham plays extremely slow and the Minutemen have been appropriately nicknamed this season as they, ahem, like to finish quickly. No way Fordham keeps up.
The Pick: Massachusetts

Last night's record: 1-2
Overall record: 29-25-4

ACC: 5-6
Big 12: 3-6-2
Big East: 7-5-1
Big Ten: 5-3
SEC: 4-2
Missouri Valley: 1-0
West Coast: 3-1
Big West: 0-1
CAA: 0-1
Horizon: 0-0-1
A-10: 1-0

Craig's record: 15-17-2

Wednesday's Picks

All hail Robbie Hummel, Spartan-Slayer

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce The Picks. Every weekday, Monday-Thursday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I'll also be occasionally picking against one of my roommates, Craig, so we can have a rational method of settling all disputes involving rent, household matters, etc.

Last Night: Didn't watch any of the games last night but I was upset to learn I had my first losing night in awhile. Purdue (-2) got a monster night from Robbie Hummel, who looks a little like Professor Frink from the Simpsons (pictured above after sinking a three-pointer) and nothing like someone who should dominate Michigan State. My reasoning for picking the Spartans was that the young Purdue squad wouldn't handle the pressure of first place. Being an idiot, I forgot to factor in the incredible boost a young team can get from a rabid home crowd like they had last night. Be wary of the Boilermakers on the road though. UNC (-7.5) continues to struggle in victory, beating an awful, and horribly unlucky Virginia team by one (the Cavs have now lost 10 of their last 11, three in overtime and two by two or less). I picked the Heels. And, as I (sort of) predicted, Vandy (-4) DESTROYED Kentucky last night, by 41, avenging an earlier loss that sent the Dores into a tailspin. It was 41-11 at half and the Cats sudden surge toward the Bubble is derailed.

Oh and Craig would like to provide a furious rant on his Nova squad getting shafted the other night. Since I enjoy the suffering of others, here it is:

First I’d like to state that it was a wise decision on Jtom’s behalf to not let me pick yesterday (Ed. Note: I actually just forgot), the morning after one of the most atrocious calls of all-time (Nova game). I challenge someone to come up with a worse foul call at the end of a game in the history of college basketball. Surely there have been bad calls at the end of big games, and this was surely not a big game in the grand scheme of things, but this was the worst call to EVER decide a game (your boy Parrish agrees with me as well) (Ed. Note: Worst call 'ever' might be stretching it, but it was the worst of the year definitely). Less than one second left, tied game, possession of the ball 80 feet from the hoop, a SLIGHT grazing of the body, the game headed to overtime after 39:59 of hard fought albeit sloppy basketball, and you are going to COMPLETELY give the game to one team. To top this off, the Big East and other ref’s are coming to the defense of the bonehead who made this call (check out ESPN CBB site and there are articles) – are you fucking kidding me?!!?!?! (Ed. Note: I'm having a great time) The only thing saving me from not committing some sort of crime related to this atrocity is the fact that Nova stinks this year and probably won’t even make the BET. By the way, Georgetown is a joke and all potential 14 seeds should be praying for a matchup with them. Ok, now on to the picks...

Maryland at Duke (-11.5)- Since losing to Pitt at MSG, the only game Duke hasn't won by double-digits was the game at Maryland. And for a large portion of that game the Devils were legitimately outplayed. The road team has won three of the last four in this series and while I don't think the Terps can win this game, I do think they match up well enough with Duke to keep this game pretty close. Maryland is one of the few ACC teams with big men athletic enough to cover Duke's forwards in that spread offense and they have a pretty solid 3-point defense (38th in the country). The problem is, Maryland's ability to care of the ball is really inconsistent and with the smothering, helter-skelter Duke defense, this game might simply come down to whether Greivis Vasquez can play under control. Oh, and being able to shut down the unstoppable long-range force that is Greg "Pimp G" Paulus.
The Pick: Maryland

Craig's Pick- As mentioned, Maryland gave Duke a battle in the first game of this series, and the Blue Devils responded with what will now be considered a solid road win. The Dookies will be out in full force tonight and take no mercy on their rivals.
The Pick: Duke

St. John's at Cincinnati (-6.5)- Holy shit this game will suck. DO NOT WATCH THIS GAME. Seriously, UConn plays Notre Dame tonight and this is the game ESPN picked at the beginning of the year. Couldn't they just fill their St. John's quota by putting them on ESPN Deportes or something? The Dragonslayer That At One Time Was Cincinnati has fallen off lately and the Red Storm (or is it Redmen or Code Red or something?) have somehow won three in a row. And because of that fact, there is absolutely no way St. John's wins tonight. The Bearcats are much, much better at home so they will probably cover or something. I don't care.
The Pick: Cincinnati

Craig's Pick- Two teams who have done nothing but remain inconsistent/irrelevant over the past couple years. Well, I guess you could say that about almost everyone in the Big East. Cincinnati has had a few nice wins at home, so you’d think they would win easily. This leads me to believe St. John’s will win outright.
The Pick: St. John’s

Kansas State (-2.5) at Texas Tech- This should be interesting because it's the first home game since Bob Knight's resignation and I have no idea how the crowd will react. Regardless of what they do, they will provide no help to the Red Raiders in attempting to keep Michael Beasley under 40 points. Tech has won five of the last six in this series but that was against a Kansas State team that didn't turn its program upside down for a ridiculously good player. You can watch this game because Beasley will do freakish things, but the uncertainty in Lubbock will probably keep this from being close.
The Pick: Kansas State

Craig's Pick- I have no idea how the crowd will react either. There is a lot of frustration being displayed towards Bob Knight, but I’m not so sure I agree with that. In the long run, Tech will benefit from Pat Knight gaining this experience running the show solo for the back half of the season. I’ve read columnists mention that it’s unfair to the seniors on the team because it symbolizes throwing in the towel, but do you really think they care who is coaching as long as the contributing senior players are still getting minutes? It’s not like Pat Knight is going to come out with a radical change in his overall approach to the game. Anyways, I actually think this will be a one possession game.
The Pick: Texas Tech

Last night's record: 1-2
Overall record: 28-23-4

ACC: 5-5
Big 12: 3-5-2
Big East: 6-5-1
Big Ten: 5-3
SEC: 4-2
Missouri Valley: 1-0
West Coast: 3-1
Big West: 0-1
CAA: 0-1
Horizon: 0-0-1
A-10: 1-0

Craig's record: 13-16-2

Tuesday's Picks

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce The Picks. Every weekday, Monday-Thursday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I'll also be occasionally picking against one of my roommates, Craig, so we can have a rational method of settling all disputes involving rent, household matters, etc.

Last Night: Man, did Villanova get screwed last night. I mean, holy shit. Probably the worst, game-deciding call of the year (with top competition coming from the screwjob the Cats got against NC State earlier this season). Nova's postseason hopes are done for and The Fraud That Is Georgetown (-13.5) lives on. Villanova shot, are you ready for this?, 13 percent (!) in the second half and came back from a 12-point deficit. They were 3-23 from three, Corey Fisher was 1-16 from the field for the game (!). And they still were robbed of victory with a phantom foul called 70 feet from the basket with 0.1 seconds left. Unreal. Georgetown's days of relevancy are numbered (although I'm glad I picked Nova). Didn't watch Texas beat Kansas (-4.5) but apparently I should have because it was a great game by all accounts. Not a good final score however, I took the Jayhawks. And in the nightcap, St. Mary's (-6.5) looked to run away from Santa Clara early, but my Broncos came back behind 21 and 12 from big, fat John Bryant and another great atmosphere for a basketball game (seriously, the West Coast Conference is one of my favorite conferences in the country).

Michigan State at Purdue (-2)- The home team has won seven of the last eight, Michigan State only beat the Boilermakers by three at the Breslin Center earlier this year, the Spartans have been inconsistent of late and Purdue has won nine straight. Oh and that place is going to be an absolute nuthouse tonight. And despite all of that, Purdue is going to lose. Purdue is a very good team and should be ranked higher than it is. But this is still a team with four freshmen making up its core and a sudden and surprising lead in the Big Ten. This is also a team that struggles on the glass a bit and will be physically overmatched on the front line (Raymar Morgan wants to do unspeakable things to Scott Martin and Robbie Hummel, and he just might). I do think that tough Purdue defense might be able to force some turnovers on Kalin Lucas and Travis Walton but I see Neitzel having a solid game and teaching these kids who's boss (and hopefully living up to his preseason billing for the Purdue fans).
The Pick: Michigan State

North Carolina (-7.5) at Virginia- It is concerning that the Heels will have a shorthanded backcourt attempting to shut down Sean Singletary and they only have a one day rest after that double OT game Sunday, but man does Virginia suck. The Cavs have lost their last two games by 47 combined points, including a 31-point drubbing by Clemson at home last week (and have lost a transcendently sucky nine of 10). UNC has had three straight poor performances so I like them to rebound and I don't see any way UVA can keep Hansbrough from putting up like 30.
The Pick: North Carolina

Kentucky at Vanderbilt (-4)- The Commodores haven't played very well since the Cats handed them their first loss of the season in January and it's pretty clear that Patrick Patterson isn't really interested in being stopped lately. But I'm still not ready to make the jump from "Resurgent Kentucky" to "Resurgent Kentucky... That Wins Tough Road Games." Vandy is going to want some serious payback from that game and that's always a great crowd. Plus it appears Shan Foster has rediscovered his ability to actually make the insane shots that he regularly hoists into the stratosphere. I still think Patterson dominates Ogilvy again though.
The Pick: Vanderbilt

Last night's record: 2-1
Overall record: 27-21-4

ACC: 5-4
Big 12: 3-5-2
Big East: 6-5-1
Big Ten: 5-2
SEC: 3-2
Missouri Valley: 1-0
West Coast: 3-1
Big West: 0-1
CAA: 0-1
Horizon: 0-0-1
A-10: 1-0

Craig's record: 13-16-2

Monday's Picks

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce The Picks. Every weekday, Monday-Thursday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I'll also be occasionally picking against one of my roommates, Craig, so we can have a rational method of settling all disputes involving rent, household matters, etc.

Last Week: Thursday night was mildly insane with Pitt (-3.5) winning at the buzzer, Xavier (-8.5) winning at the buzzer and Indiana (-1.5) winning in double overtime. Oh, and Clemson massacred Virginia. But amidst all the madness that evening amounted to a 2-2 record for me, but still a great 8-4-1 week. To reward myself, I killed a hobo.

Villanova at Georgetown (-13.5) - Some of my friends were debating what this line would be and absolutely no one expected it to be more than 10. All season I have banked on the fact that Georgetown wins the games they are supposed to but are too slow-paced and defense-oriented to cover big margins. On the other hand, Villanova has completely shit the bed, losing five straight before barely holding on for a two-point home win against the mighty Seton Hall Pirates Saturday. The Cats are an atrocious 5-14 ATS this season and 1-10 ATS in their last 11 Big East games. AND, the Hoyas had to play a primetime road game less than 48 hours ago. So Georgetown-related betting rules be damned, this isn't as obvious as it seems. All of that being said, I still don't think Georgetown has enough offensive firepower on the perimeter to take advantage of Nova's awful defense of late. Philadelphia is a sad, sad place.
The Pick: Villanova

Craig's Pick- Villanova stinks. They are terrible. With that being said, they did win last year at the Verizon Center, and tend to fare decently against lower scoring, methodical teams. Dwayne Anderson had a ‘breakout’ (Ed. note: Yes, that's "breakout" not breakout, emphasis on quote marks) game in his first career start Saturday night, playing over 30 minutes and hitting the game winning three. I look for Georgetown to hold Nova to about 45 points (similar to last year’s 46-42 Nova victory). However, this year Georgetown should be able to notch about 25-30 second chance points alone, easily getting them to about 60 points.
The Pick: Georgetown

Kansas (-4.5) at Texas- This one also might seem obvious due to the Longhorns recent bouts with inconsistency, but Kansas hasn't covered in any of its last three road games. But Kansas' on-ball defenders are going to make DJ Augustin's life a living hell after he played 44 minutes Saturday against Iowa State. These games have been close in the past and Austin should be out of control tonight, but this Kansas team matches up really well with Texas; the Jayhawks are bigger and more athletic at basically every position.
The Pick: Kansas

Craig's Pick- I’ve said before that I’m not a huge fan of this Texas team. Obviously this has a chance to be a statement game for them. A 4.5 line is pretty high. I like going with the home dog in this situation.
The Pick: Texas

St. Mary's (-6.5) at Santa Clara- The West Coast Conference continues to ruin the productivity of hoops fans across the East Coast. If Fight Clubs start to flourish up and down the East Coast, we will have St. Mary's and Gonzaga to blame for our impending doom. This one obviously won't be as entertaining as that incredible Zags-Gaels game from last week, but I think the Broncos might be able to shock some people here. They have won three of the last four in this series and took Gonzaga to overtime a few games ago (they were also destroyed at St. Mary's by 31 earlier in the season, but we'll neatly sweep that under the rug). This will be a Battle of the Big Fat Guys as Santa Clara's 6-10, 305-pound leading scorer and rebounder John Bryant will sumo wrestle the Gaels' 6-11, 265-pound Omar Samhan. Bryant is much more skilled and should provide enough stomach-jiggling-induced seismic waves to make up for St. Mary's advantage on the perimeter.
The Pick: Santa Clara

Craig's Pick- Losing by 31 never leaves a good taste in your mouth. Once again, I’ll go with the home dog here as I feel that 6.5 is a pretty high number.
The Pick: Santa Clara

Last week's record: 8-4-1
Overall record: 25-20-4

ACC: 5-4
Big 12: 3-4-2
Big East: 5-5-1
Big Ten: 5-2
SEC: 3-2
Missouri Valley: 1-0
West Coast: 2-1
Big West: 0-1
CAA: 0-1
Horizon: 0-0-1
A-10: 1-0

Craig's record: 11-15-2

Thursday's Picks

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce The Picks. Every weekday, Monday-Thursday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I'll also be occasionally picking against one of my roommates, Craig, so we can have a rational method of settling all disputes involving rent, household matters, etc.

Last night: Another heartbreaking two-point loss for my Orange (-3). They somehow had a chance to win this one despite Donte Greene hoisting and missing from all angles and Hasheem Thabeet blocking literally every single shot. On the not-really-that-bright side, I picked Connecticut, which was probably a massive jinx. Texas crushed Oklahoma (-2.5), you know, because they are better than them. I took the Sooners, probably because I afraid to pick against Blake Griffin, Meast.

And we all know what happened in that Duke-UNC game, I did a preview and a gamelog, so I'm done writing about it.

West Virginia at Pittsburgh (-3.5)- The Panthers have been woefully inconsistent this season, but everyone knows about that homecourt advantage (assuming everyone forgets about that 13-point loss to Rutgers). West Virginia has been plodding along, beating the teams they should beat and losing to the squads that are simply better. The Moutaineers strength is their forwards Alex Ruoff and Joe Alexander and wouldn't ya know, Pitt has probably the best forward tandem in the conference, Sam Young and DeJuan Blair, who also happen to be much bigger, stronger and well, better than Ruoff and Alexander. Look for the Panthers to dominate the boards and cover. [Insert West Virginia strip club joke here].
The Pick: Pittsburgh

Craig's Pick- Not sure what to think about this game. On the surface you may think Pitt should be favored by more (assuming everyone forgets about that 13-point home loss to Rutgers). Blair is my favorite player in the Big East – he is absolutely a monster down low and has a nice set of hands to go along with his wide frame (I’m straight, I promise). Also, he will be tormenting the Big East for four years much in the same fashion as Hansbrough in the ACC.
The Pick: Pitt

Clemson (-1.5) at Virginia- This game, part of the heated battle for who can be The John Edwards Of the ACC (and we all saw how well that worked out for him), should be pretty terrible. The Tigers are without starting point Demontez Stitt but no matter, Virginia can't force any turnovers (280th in turnover pct.). Clemson's strength is inside and while the Cavs are a good rebounding team, that doesn't mean they can keep James Mays and Trevor Booker from scoring (object of sports). No, like most UVA games, this one is going to come down to: Can Sean Singletary go completely nuts? Seeing as how he's averaging about 20 a game over his last eight, which has gotten the Cavs all of one victory (albeit, three OT losses), he might need about 40.
The Pick: Clemson

Craig's Pick- Like Jtom mentioned, the Cavs are due (Ed. note: I did not mention that).
Pick: UVA

Xavier (-8.5) at St. Louis- This should be interesting because Xavier plays pretty slow and St. Louis plays really, really, really slow. The Billikens have actually won three of the last four in this series and even though the Musketeers are back to blowing teams out, I just can't see enough points being scored in this game for them to do it to Majerus' bunch, which just beat Dayton at home and has beaten Rhode Island there as well.
/Majerus dick joke
The Pick: St. Louis

Craig's Pick- I just can’t pick St. Louis, absolutely not.
The Pick: Xavier

Indiana (-1.5) at Illinois- Sweet fancy Moses this should be a fun one. And not because either team is good or anything, but because it's just so great when an entire arena focuses its pure, venomous, angst-ridden hatred upon one player. Yes Eric Gordon, you will be like Mel Gibson entering Jerusalem tonight and in a rivalry so heated the records are always thrown out the window (home team has won seven of last eight), I'm not crazy about picking a team with a 19-year-old star player worried about being assassinated. Even if he too, is an assassin. Going with the Illini (I immediately regret this decision).
The Pick: Illinois

Craig's Pick- Gordon is going to take this game over. (Ed note: I hope so too. Ugh why did I pick Illinois?).
The Pick:Indiana

Last night's record: 2-1
Overall record: 23-18-4

ACC: 4-4
Big 12: 3-4-2
Big East: 5-4-1
Big Ten: 5-1
SEC: 3-2
Missouri Valley: 1-0
West Coast: 2-1
Big West: 0-1
CAA: 0-1
Horizon: 0-0-1

Craig's record: 10-12-2

Wednesday's Picks

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce The Picks. Every weekday, Monday-Thursday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I'll also be occasionally picking against one of my roommates, Craig, so we can have a rational method of settling all disputes involving rent, household matters, etc.

Last Night: Wow. Another mid-major game on ESPN, another incredible game. So remind me, why do they have to air Michigan-Ohio State? Ever? I mean, this is a down year for the mid-majors and the past two nights the West Coast Conference and the Horizon League have provided two of the better games of the season. AJ Graves, he of the Meandering Goatee Amalgam, showed some pigment-defying quickness in the final minutes, hitting three big shots and setting up the game-winning three (which came after an airball free throw by a guy that had just hit two three-point daggers). And not only was it a great game, but the Bulldogs (-3) managed to pull off a push (even though a missed free throw negated the outright cover... drats). Hopefully these type of games mean more mid-majors for Rivalry Week, even if it means making up some contrived rivalries to do so. Because...

...the other two games, featuring teams from abhorrently mediocre major conferences, the Big Ten and the SEC, were pretty damn awful. I didn't subject myself to such displays but apparently Michigan hung tough with a pretty bad Ohio State (-14) team and fell by 10. And despite being down 16-3 in the game, Tennessee(-9) ended up rolling on a crapped-in-pants Florida team by 22, scoring 60 in the second half. Tennessee is a good squad, but man do the Big Ten and SEC suck. Both wins for me though! Yippee!

Connecticut at Syracuse (-3)- In a Something's Gotta Give Game, between two teams with winning streaks longer than they should have in the Clusterfuck That Is The Big East, Vegas seems to be back on board with the Orange after four straight wins ATS (3-1 straight-up). Plus with Cuse only having like three players or something, the Saturday-Wednesday schedule is about as good as it can get. But the Huskies have won five straight overall, including four against top 40 teams and appear to be a top 3 Big East team. As much as it pains me to say, their inside toughness might be too much for the soft middle of the Orange zone and if they can't keep AJ Price out of the paint (few have been able to accomplish such things) the Cuse might have one of those 90-point defensive nights.
/praying that I'm wrong
The Pick: Connecticut

Craig's Pick- At the beginning of the season after watching UCONN play Memphis tough for 35 minutes at the Garden, I proclaimed they were going to be a top 3 Big East team, only to be laughed at by many. Who’s laughing now?!?! (Ed. note: You said they would win the Big East. I am still moderately chuckling.) I’ll take them with the points against a very weak defensive team any day.
The Pick: UCONN

Texas at Oklahoma (-2.5)- The more I look at this one, the harder it is to pick. Both teams have been battling inconsistency this year and while Texas has the huge advantage in the backcourt, I'm not sure the Longhorns can handle the Sooners front court. Both teams have pretty identical statistics as well and both teams' star players (DJ Augustin and Blake Griffin) are due for a breakout. So what do you do in this situation? As a college basketball writer do you dig deep down to divine some kind of hidden advantage that one team might have? Maybe a quirk in the offense, maybe a seldom-used defense that could find its way on the court? Do you look into the very soul of the players to see who has what it takes to overcome such a closely-contested battle?... Nah, you just take the home team.
The Pick: Oklahoma

Craig's Pick- I don’t have much to say about this game. I like the home team as well – just not a huge of this Texas team as the season goes along.
The Pick: Oklahoma

Duke at North Carolina (-4)- The game that has everything this year. No. 2 vs. No. 3; Coach K vs. Roy Williams; Hansbrough vs. Henderson; speed vs. even more freaking speed; Dick Vitale vs. the just-back-from-vacation collective ear drum of America; Mike Patrick vs. the retinas of HD viewers. But what might be more important than all of that nonsense is the apparent absence of Ty Lawson due to injury. In what is sure to be a ridiculously fast-paced game, Lawson would've been the perfect counterattack to Duke's helter-skelter style and would've been a nightmare for the Duke backcourt. Instead it will be Quentin Thomas, certainly a capable player, but not quite surehanded enough to run that incredible UNC break, one that they will need more than ever tonight, with nearly as much efficiency as Lawson. Now, Williams might try to slow it down because of that, which would also utilize the Heels size advantage in the halfcourt but in order for that to work UNC needs to create easy shots and make some not-so-easy shots, something they haven't been all that capable of doing this year (especially without Lawson). But regardless of the X's and O's and the analysis, I'm more worried about just sitting back and enjoying this one. It truly is the best rivalry in college basketball -- even if you hate both teams -- and it just so happens to be No. 2 vs. No. 3 this year. And that crazy, senile, shouting old man, who we were so relieved to spend a few months without is going to be back. And like all crazy, senile, shouting old men, no matter how obnoxious or smelly or picked ripe from the bowels of hell he might be, it's still a little more entertaining to have him around. Enjoy folks.
The Pick: Duke

Craig's Pick- I think JTom is giving Roy Williams way too much credit above, in suggesting that he might actually try to deploy some sort of game plan due to Lawson not playing. False. Williams doesn’t really coach, he just lets his guys play and they are better than the other guys most of the time. I don’t think that will work against Coach K tonight. Tough to pick the road team in this matchup (Ed. note: True, but the road team has won two of the last three in this series, for what it's worth), but when you’re getting 4 points it makes it a little easier.
The Pick: Duke

Last night's record: 2-0-1
Overall record: 21-17-4

ACC: 3-4
Big 12: 3-3-2
Big East: 4-4-1
Big Ten: 5-1
SEC: 3-2
Missouri Valley: 1-0
West Coast: 2-1
Big West: 0-1
CAA: 0-1
Horizon: 0-0-1

Craig's record: 8-11-2

Tuesday's Picks

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce The Picks. Every weekday, Monday-Thursday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I'll also be occasionally picking against one of my roommates, Craig, so we can have a rational method of settling all disputes involving rent, household matters, etc.

Last night: I wasn't aware of Dominic James health issues going into that Marquette-Louisville game last night and even though I think he is completely overrated, it probably would've given me a reason to stick with my gut and take the Cardinals (+2). A healthy James probably wouldn't have made a difference because Louisville used some incredibly stifling defense to roll on the Golden Eagles and appear to be hitting its stride. Next stop national championship! Kansas (-18.5) enjoyed a nice, breezy destruction of an embattled Missouri squad. The Jayhawks were up 19 with under a minute left and a meaningless Missouri lay-up went in and out to keep the cover with KU. Betting on basketball is absolutely brutal. The only entertaining part of this game was when they showed the Kansas fans and their anti-Missouri shirts. I believe on said: "Missouri: Keeping Ugly Women Out of Lawrence Since 1863." Not bad but I can't imagine the ones they couldn't show on the air.

And I could write about 1,000 words on that Gonzaga-St. Mary's game. Holy shit. Great atmosphere, very high level of basketball (especially the defenses, which I didn't expect), big-time players making big plays (Jeremy Pargo was unguardable last night), two freshmen, Austin Daye and Patty Mills coming up big in the clutch (Daye is an absolute freak and is quickly becoming one of my favorite players in college basketball), plus it went to overtime and amidst all the amazing talent, an eight-grader, Todd Golden was the hero, going 6-6 from three. If Duke-UNC can live up to that game, I will be thrilled. Definitely one of the top three games I have seen this season and I am completely exhausted today as a result of it. Oh and the Gaels (-2.5) covered.

Michigan at Ohio State (-14)- Another night, another horrendous Big Ten match-up on TV. Isn't this what the Big Ten Network is for? I know it's Rivalry Week or whatever and it's cute to have the whole Michigan-Ohio State thing, but when no one cares and the teams suck, I don't see the point. Michigan has lost 10 of its last 11 and Ohio State just lost at Iowa, managing just 48 points. This will be a hotly contested match of who can suck more. I don't see how Ohio State covers 14 points the way its offense has been lately. They will win by one of those boring eight point margins or something. DO NOT WATCH THIS GAME.
The Pick: Michigan

Butler (-3) at Valparaiso- Now this one, you can watch. Valpo is new to the Horizon League so I don't see how this is a "rivalry" but it has been decent enough in conference to keep this one close. This is what I call a "point of reference game." People get a chance to see Butler play and it serves as a reference point come March when trying to fill out a bracket. Fortunately for me, I have seen the Bulldogs play this season and know that they are very good and barring some crazy performance by one of Valpo's bigs or a barrage of threes, Butler will cover.
The Pick: Butler

Florida at Tennessee (-9)- Florida was just destroyed at Arkansas, an atmosphere that closely resembles what the Tennessee fans will provide tonight. The Gators freshmen have played beyond their years this season but the Vols' manic style is not something you can ever really prepare for. Freshman stud Nick Calathes seriously might crap his pants. Florida's only chance is if Marrese Speights can take advantage of what should be a favorable match-up with the Vols' thin frontcourt... and score 45 points.
The Pick: Tennessee

Last night's record: 2-1
Overall record: 19-17-3

ACC: 3-4
Big 12: 3-3-2
Big East: 4-4-1
Big Ten: 4-1
SEC: 2-2
Missouri Valley: 1-0
West Coast: 2-1
Big West: 0-1
CAA: 0-1

Craig's record: 8-11-2

Monday's Picks

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce The Picks. Every weekday, Monday-Thursday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I'll also be occasionally picking against one of my roommates, Craig, so we can have a rational method of settling all disputes involving rent, household matters, etc.

Last Week: On Thursday night, UNC (-19) destroyed BC and Wisconsin (-4) beat down Indiana so I got those correct. Providence somehow pushed Notre Dame (-8.5) to overtime and the Irish still would've covered if it wasn't for three 30-foot bombs that the Friars took and made for no apparent reason (there was like 25 on the shot clock for each one). And NC State... Jesus. They led Duke (-18!) by nine (!) at half (!) but fell victim to the icy wrath of a suddenly not-so-punchable Greg Paulus and were outscored 55-26 (!) in the second half, missing the cover by one. Craig, who said he would beat money on the game, forgot to do so and thus, has not committed any murders in the past 72 hours. He is the luckiest man alive and I hate him for it. Anyway, the 2-2 night still kept me right at .500 for the second straight week and one game over .500 for the year. But shit that was annoying.

Louisville at Marquette (-2)- Although I was nearly assassinated for it, I really like this Louisville team. And I've been pretty critical of Marquette this season, even though they have been solid lately with the emergence of sophomore Lazar Hayward as a big-time player. As much as all signs point to Louisville, I've got to take the homecourt in this game. Although I wouldn't mind seeing the Cardinals pull one off to vindicate my madness.
The Pick: Marquette

Missouri at Kansas (-18.5)- Looks like Vegas has installed a Kansas Tax because of their propensity to destroy teams. That line is too high. Despite the general turmoil surrounding Mizzou, they somehow beat Kansas State Saturday. I think a let-down game is in store and the Jayhawks, anxious to get back on TV to prove they are still really freaking good, will roll.
The Pick: Kansas

Gonzaga at St. Mary's(-2.5)- This is the game I am most interested in. St. Mary's has a chance to temporarily dethrone the Zags and basically lock up an at-large if they need it. Gonzaga is coming off an overtime win against Santa Clara Saturday while the Gaels rolled on Portland. Plus that crowd is going to be incredibly insane tonight and I like Patrick Mills to provide some pretty formidable pressure to the Zags ballhandlers.
The Pick: St. Mary's

Last week's record: 6-6-1
Overall record: 17-16-3

ACC: 3-4
Big 12: 2-3-2
Big East: 4-3-1
Big Ten: 4-1
SEC: 2-2
Missouri Valley: 1-0
West Coast: 1-1
Big West: 0-1
CAA: 0-1

Craig's record: 8-11-2

Thursday's Picks

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce The Picks. Every weekday, Monday-Thursday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I'll also be occasionally picking against one of my roommates, Craig, so we can have a rational method of settling all disputes involving rent, household matters, etc.

Last night: An apparently banged up Sean Singletary still almost carried UVA to a cover at Maryland (-7). If I had known he was hurt, I would've picked the Terps and would've won but it would've had nothing to do with Singletary. I was that close to looking unjustly intelligent. Damn. The Dragonslayer That Is Now Again Cincinnati won the Huggy Bowl at WVU (-14) last night... by 23. 60-39. Seriously, that was the score. I've been saying this for years now, but West Virginia plays much better when they go to the strip club before a game. Well, you live and you learn. And A & M (-3), despite previously appearing to be a bad team, destroyed Texas last night as Josh Carter remembered how to shoot. They will now enjoy another week of being overrated. Good for them.

Boston College at North Carolina (-19)- Two huge lines for Duke and UNC tonight, the way it should be when they play almost ANY other team in the ACC. The road team has actually won three of the last four in this series but no one is confusing this sorry-ass BC team with those of the last couple years. The Eagles actually won at Maryland this year which is (suddenly) kinda impressive and they do have some decent inside defenders to stop Hansbrough a bit, but besides Tyrese Rice, I'm not really sure BC has the shotmakers to take advantage of UNC's porous defense and I certainly don't see them slowing down UNC enough to not get destroyed.
The Pick: North Carolina

Craig's Pick- Last time UNC was a 19 point favorite at home against an ACC team in which games had been tight in the past, they lost outright. I’m not too familiar with this BC team, other than that they are not that good. Still, I think 19 is doable.
The Pick: BC

Providence at Notre Dame (-8.5)- Notre Dame has been a weird team this year - in the Big East?! No way!; swear to God. They are 4-2 in conference but have played just one game decided by single digits. Providence is equally as confusing, a staple of the Clusterfuck That Is The Big East, having somehow killed UConn in Storrs but looking awful against any other team of significance. So even though Notre Dame is a great home team and Providence has no chance of being able to guard the Irish, I'm still bracing myself for something unexpected.
The Pick: Notre Dame

Craig's Pick- Providence has no chance of winning this game.
The Pick: Notre Dame

NC State at Duke (-18)- I'm not going to act like NC State doesn't suck a lot, but they do actually match-up pretty well with Duke. The Pack's big weakness is at point guard and the last time I checked Greg Paulus wasn't Gary Payton. Their "strength" is the front line and no matter how good a defensive team Duke is, they still don't have the size to match up with Hickson and others. Plus NC State's bigs are athletic enough to not get killed against Duke's quicker forwards. NC State also has a strong three-point defense and if the Dukies can't get the ball inside, they will surely hoist from all angles. NC State WILL NOT WIN THIS GAME, but they can cover 18.
The Pick: NC State

Craig's Pick- There is no way in hell NC State should be losing by 20 points to most teams in the country with the frontcourt they have. Duke doesn’t even come close to covering this spread – put some real money on this, I am (Ed Note: Since it involves betting on NC State on the road, I am not).
The Pick: NC State

Indiana at Wisconsin (-4)- With the other three games looking like blowouts, this is the one I'm interested in. Both teams had long winning streaks snapped Saturday and both teams are probably ranked higher than they should be (then again, who isn't?). The Badgers have the bodies to keep DJ White from getting too much and I think Michael Flowers and Trevon Hughes can do a decent enough job on Eric Gordon. If neither of those two go off, you are in pretty good shape against Indiana. As a matter of fact, short of Gordon or White getting 30+, I don't see how the Hoosiers can win this game, which probably means this one is too obvious and my mind will be caught in some kind of torturous spiral of logic.
The Pick: Wisconsin

Craig's Pick-Pretty big game in the Big Ten. This is a very tough line because I think it will be a one or two possession game, but I don’t think Indiana will win. The crowd will be up for this game big time.
The Pick: Wisconsin

Last night's record: 2-1
Overall record: 15-14-3

ACC: 2-3
Big 12: 2-3-2
Big East: 4-2-1
Big Ten: 3-1
SEC: 2-2
Missouri Valley: 1-0
West Coast: 1-1
Big West: 0-1
CAA: 0-1

Craig's record: 7-8-2

Wednesday's Picks

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce The Picks. Every weekday, Monday-Thursday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I'll also be occasionally picking against one of my roommates, Craig, so we can have a rational method of settling all disputes involving rent, household matters, etc.

Last Night: The CAA battle between VCU and Mason (-3.5) I was all excited about lived up to expectations in energy, but I was wrong on the pick with the Colonials winning by 12. I've seen a lot of VCU and Mason the past few years and the last 12 minutes or so of the second half was about as bad as VCU (especially Maynor) can play. Not to take anything away from Mason, they looked like a Tournament team last night, but the Rams just looked complacent. No movement on offense, no penetration and, sadly, no Paulus-esque ankle breaks. Ohio State (-7.5) beat Penn State pretty handily even though no one in the entire world cared (except maybe these guys). I'll take the win and move along quietly. Tennessee (-4) v. Alabama was another entertaining game (the second half dunk by the six-foot-one Senario Hillman was one of the sicker of the year... alas, not a TeaBag though), albeit a sloppy one. The Vols were playing recklessly (23 turnovers), jacking up threes and hoping for a make or an offensive rebound (both of which they often received) and the Tide had around 65 turnovers (OK, 20). But the barrage of three-point missiles from Chris Lofton (five) and The Smith Named JaJuan (four) earned the Vols a seven-point win.

Craig got them all correct last night. Good for him (cringe). We are both right at .500 for the year, the perfect level of mediocrity for this glorious season of hoops.

Virginia at Maryland (-7)- A ton of good games tonight (KSU-KU, Nova-Pitt, Creighton-The Drake, Vandy-Ole Miss) and we get this one. Great. This line is a bit high for two teams this craptastic. Yes, Maryland has a win at UNC but less than a month before it lost at home to American. The Terps also happen to be 5-10 ATS this season so I'm not necessarily buying into this whole Terp resurgence thing. Their strength is the athletic forwards Gist and Osby and Vazquez' ability in the open floor, right? Well what are Virginia's strengths? Their athletic forwards Diane and Joseph and Sean Singletary's ability in the open court. It's going to be a high scoring, fast-paced game and given the similarities between the two teams, it will probably come down to shotmaking and turnovers. Both teams turnover the shit out of the ball (or is it "turn the shit over the ball? They both suck is what I'm trying to say) but Virginia is a much better outside shooting team. See how easy these picks are when you break it down scientifically?! (I'm doomed).
The Pick: Virginia

Craig's Pick- Good night last night (Ed. Note: Yeah no shit). Anyways, on to tonight. While I don’t think Maryland’s ATS record is relevant due to their apparent ‘resurgence’ (Ed. Note: yeah, you're probably right), I do think everything else JTom mentioned above makes sense (including the doomed comment).
The Pick: Virginia

Cincinnati at West Virginia (-14)- How quickly the tide has turned for The Dragonslayer That Was Cincinnati. The team that vanquished Louisville, Syracuse, Villanova and Pitt is now coming off two tough losses to Seton Hall and Connecticut and is a massive underdog in the Huggy Bowl (although not a very volatile Huggy Bowl in Morgantown - the Mountaineers don't travel to the Nati this year - but that doesn't mean you won't hear some visiting DUI jeers... followed quickly by a drunken, toothless brawl). I was pretty shocked by this line, enough to check on the Bearcats for injury. Apparently John Williamson is hobbled, but will probably play. And the Cats are 11-2 ATS in their last 13. Obviously they have to come back to Earth at some point but I don't see why I should suddenly believe they will get blown out, even if WVU is a very good home team. Plus, the Mountaineers probably won't have the opportunity to infiltrate any strip clubs before the game, and we know how much a lap dance from Rusty calms their nerves.
The Pick: Cincinnati

Craig's Pick- West Virginia puts it in cruise control halfway through the second half and Cincinnati pulls out the backdoor cover.
The Pick: Cincinnati

Texas at Texas A & M (-3)- The home team has won the last eight meetings between these teams, including last year's OT win by Texas where Kevin Durant stole the hearts of millions. So that is the sole reason why a completely fraudulent Aggies team is favored over a seemingly legitimate Texas team. A & M's best win is a home victory over Alabama. Texas has won at UCLA. This should be a freaking no-brainer but the home dominance in the series and Texas' recent sluggishness (a loss to Mizzou and two ugly two-point wins before eviscerating Texas Tech Saturday) has me thinking twice. I can't take three road teams two nights in a row, I'll go with the Aggies even though they suck ass. They have a, uh, size advantage or something. Yeah, that's it.
The Pick: Texas A & M

Craig's Pick- Let’s give this three road underdogs in one night a try. Two home picks for tonight though – Depaul and Pitt.
The Pick: Texas

Last night's record: 2-1
Overall record: 13-13-3

ACC: 2-2
Big 12: 1-3-2
Big East: 3-2-1
Big Ten: 3-1
SEC: 2-2
Missouri Valley: 1-0
West Coast: 1-1
Big West: 0-1
CAA: 0-1

Craig's record: 6-6-2

Tuesday's Picks

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce The Picks. Every weekday, Monday-Thursday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I'll also be occasionally picking against one of my roommates, Craig, so we can have a rational method of settling all disputes involving rent, household matters, etc.

Last Night: I gave back all the momentum from last week. Louisville-UConn turned out to be a great game indeed, even though both teams looked a bit sluggish on one day of rest. I said the game would be in the hands of AJ Price and I was right. He decided to play out of his mind unfortunately, but the Cardinals managed to push. That's three pushes in the past week by the way. It's safe to say Vegas is considerably smarter than I and most of the folks out there probably don't have a formal education. The Bedlam Series was close as it always is, and yet I thought Oklahoma would cover eight points. Blake Griffin was a manbeast but he was also the figurehead of a poor foul shooting night for the Sooners that forced the margin of victory to three instead of, say, nine. And, as if I shouldn't have known this before, I now realize I should ALWAYS take 11.5 points in a Big West game I am forced to bet on for the sake of a blog gimmick. It's something we should all take time to learn, really. Cal Poly went to Pacific and beat them outright by six, winning ATS by 17.5. Please no more Big West ESPN, please.

Ohio State (-7.5) at Penn State- Yuck. This game may win Biggest Discrepancy In Excitement Between A Football and Basketball Match-Up. Thankfully that CAA battle is on the Deuce to distract you from the rock bottom level of basketball that will be played in State College this evening. The Lions have been unable to score any points since Geary Claxton's injury and were led in scoring last game by some man named Stanley Pringle. He took 17 shots and well, I'm just not going to make the obvious "once you pop, you can't stop" joke. I'm better than that. Barely. Ohio State responded to a three-game losing streak by beating other scoring-anemic teams, Illinois and Minnesota, albeit at home. This pick might look obvious by you're forgetting the Buckeyes are pretty terrible themselves (they have won nine straight vs. PSU but only covered three times). So tread lightly, but whatever you do, DO NOT watch this game.
The Pick: Ohio State

Craig's Pick- Just a note to start – two of my pushes would be wins if we went by the final line (Ed. note: Who gives a shit?). My heart is torn on this game being a PSU grad and all. While Penn State has been absolutely dismal since Claxton’s injury, Ohio State hasn’t been tearing it up, and in their visit to PSU last year they were lucky to escape with a win (PSU sharpshooter Mike Walker missed a WIDE OPEN 3 at the buzzer for the win (Ed. note: Mike Walker is not, in fact, a sharpshooter, he is awful). I’ll take a PSU loss in this game in exchange for a win in the football recruiting battle for Tyrelle Pryor.
The Pick: Ohio State

VCU at George Mason (-3.5)- Ah, I've been waiting for some CAA goodness on the WWL. This is a massive game for both teams. If VCU wins, they have a pretty solid at-large resume and basically clinch the regular season conference title. Mason, after a nice start in the non-conference, shat it all away with losses to East Carolina, Georgia State and, gasp, my Delaware Ravenous Sharks Fightin' Blue Hens. This is Mason's only shot at VCU and if it gets this and a win in the BracketBusters, could work their way back into NCAA consideration (it is the Year of Mediocrity, after all). Despite the high stakes usually accompanying this game, it hasn't been decided by less than six points in the last seven meetings. VCU is an outstanding defensive team but its lone weakness is on the glass, where Mason thrives. But the Rams have been great on the road lately, Maynor and crew should get it done in what should finally be a close game between the two.
The Pick: VCU

Craig's Pick- Not sure what has been going on with George Mason. On paper you would think that they should be tearing up the CAA this year. Eric Maynor captured my heart last year when he ripped the entire city of Durham’s heart out last year. I like Mason at home.
The Pick: George Mason

Tennessee (-4) at Alabama- Uh oh. That's two road picks already. Let's try to make a case for Alabama in this one. Amazingly, the Tide had won seven straight against the Vols before last year's OT loss in Knoxville. And... um... they have a good crowd?... Shit. Alright, Alabama has lost four of its last five games overall and three of its last four at home and the line is only low because Bama has owned Tennessee lately. This is a considerably better Tennessee team than in recent years (except last year I guess) and a pretty mediocre Alabama team. I don't see how Tennessee doesn't score 90 on this defense and Bama's inexperienced ballhandlers could be in for a long night. Three road picks it is. Shit.
The Pick: Tennessee

Craig's Pick- Tennessee F’d us against Kentucky, but Alabama is and never will be Kentucky.
The Pick: Tennessee

Last night's record: 0-2-1
Overall record: 11-12-3

ACC: 2-2
Big 12: 1-3-2
Big East: 3-2-1
Big Ten: 2-1
SEC: 1-2
Missouri Valley: 1-0
West Coast: 1-1
Big West: 0-1

Craig's record: 3-6-2

Monday's Picks

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce The Picks. Every weekday, Monday-Thursday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I'll also be occasionally picking against one of my roommates, Craig, so we can have a rational method of settling all disputes involving rent, household matters, etc.

Last Week: Closed it out on my first 3-0 night of the year Thursday when Duke, Michigan State and Seton Hall all rolled on its respective opponents, getting me back to .500 for the week. More importantly, Craig, my picking opponent, went 1-2, which means he was locked in the basement for the weekend.

Louisville at UConn (-2)- This is a match-up of two teams to really keep an eye on in The Clusterfuck That Is The Big East. If either can ride its recent, world-crushing 2+ game winning streaks - a level of consistency completely unheard of, and likely frowned upon in the Big East this season - to continued success, a whole lot of ground can be made up in the crowded standings and NCAA pecking order. The Huskies looked pretty damn good against Indiana but I wonder, with only one day of rest, if a letdown game is looming. The Cardinals, on the other hand, exerted very little energy is easily dispatching league doormat St. John's, the only team with no chance at winning the conference. This game will be in the steady, stolen laptop-wielding hands of AJ Price. If he can handle Louisville's pressure and keep the tempo where UConn wants it, the Huskies will be fine. But if it gets too fast-paced, Thabeet and Adrien are rendered useless. Should be a great game nonetheless, something ESPN is not accustomed to lately.
The Pick: Louisville

Craig's Pick- Really looking forward to this game, oh wait, I’ll be working. Anyways, I’ve been bullish on UCONN all year ever since their game against Memphis in the Garden. Price has turned into a heck of a player. UCONN will get every conceivable foul call in this game at home, and I look for them to win in ugly fashion.
The Pick: UCONN

Oklahoma State at Oklahoma (-8)- The home team has won five of the last six in the Bedlam series but never by more than eight points. It's pretty obvious that Oklahoma is a much better team with freshman Blake Griffin healthy, judging by the tough win it got at Baylor Saturday. Meanwhile Oklahoma State, who does suck, has lost four straight, but all in respectable fashion. The question is, does the rivalry keep this game close or does the high intensity fluster the Cowboys into missing shots, turning the ball over and sending ghoulish coach Sean Sutton on a killing spree. I vote killing spree.
The Pick: Oklahoma

Craig's Pick- Ok State has to be deflated after its past couple home losses. While they should be able to get up for this rivalry game, I think they’ll get down double digits sometime early in the second half and never be able to recover.
The Pick: Oklahoma

Cal Poly at Pacific (-11.5)- Good for ESPN to start embracing some mid-major conferences besides the one involving Gonzaga. Unfortunately they decided to embrace some pretty shitty teams. Pacific is a usual Big West power but have no shot at an at-large as per usual. They have lost to Pepperdine and the ragingly conservative, offensively inept St. Louis Billikens. I'm not going to pretend to know anything about Cal Poly, but it appears they have no players averaging in double-figures, and it's not because they have balanced scoring. It's because they cannot make any shots that they attempt (41 percent from field, 29 from three). Pacific, if I remember correctly, plays some pretty solid defense so clang away Mustangs.
The Pick: Pacific

Craig's Pick- I refuse to pick three home favorites. Also, in other games tonight I like San Diego and San Francisco, mostly because they seem like cooler cities than the one in which I currently reside. Most successful team to be named strictly after a major city? Houston? This will require some thought and I’m sure the editor will think of a better one, or another one that isn’t good but try to form an argument in favor against me (Ed note: I will, Syracuse, and there is no argument. Also would have accepted Louisville).
The Pick: Cal Poly

Last week's record: 4-4-2
Overall record: 11-10-2

ACC: 2-2
Big 12: 1-2-2
Big East: 3-2
Big Ten: 2-1
SEC: 1-2
Missouri Valley: 1-0
West Coast: 1-1

Craig's record: 2-5-1

Thursday's Picks

Clearly this young woman didn't have money on the 2003 National Semifinal. Pic via Tar Heel Mania.

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce The Picks. Every weekday, Monday-Thursday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I'll also be picking against one of my roommates, Craig, so we can have a rational method of settling all disputes involving rent, household matters, etc.

Last night: Another shitty one. Kansas and Iowa State somehow pushed a 24-point spread because Kansas' walk-ons decided to try and score in the last minute. I'm sure they got a great meal at Outback from their parents afterwards but come on, there's a lot more riding on this game than a Bloomin' Onion fellas. The dream's over. I said yesterday I refused to watch NC State-G Tech and I kept that promise. It was apparently a close game but Matt "The Animal" Causey (18 points), who seems a lot more satisfied with this photo than he should be, somehow proved to be too much for a Wolfpack team that is increasingly underwhelming.

Duke (-8) at Virginia Tech - Everyone knows how close Virginia Tech plays Duke and how the Hokies have defied the universe by actually winning two close games against Duke despite the will of the officials (they also lost one on that Sean Dockery half court shot that seemed to make all those white people so happy). Virginia Tech was a bigger underdog in those three close games than they are now, which is odd, because this is clearly a much better Duke team. So Vegas is playing the whole "this team has this team's number" thing. They did the same thing with the Duke-Florida State game last week and while it was relatively close throughout, the Devils covered a six-point spread. Plus Va Tech freshman Jeff Allen, its second leading scorer and leading rebounder is suspended for beating up an official or something.
The Pick: Duke

Craig's Pick- Embarrassing lineup of games tonight. I’m going to ride the Va. Tech wave with their recent success against Duke. Eight is a lot to cover on the road for a crowd that rises to the occasion for games against Duke.
The Pick: Virginia Tech

Seton Hall at Providence (-8.5) - I really shouldn't pick games in the Clusterfuck That Is The Big East, but I have no choice. Seton Hall, by winning two games in a row, is now taking the league by storm. Providence, on the other hand, has won three in a row which means they are playing under the wing of God. Honestly, I'm not even going to try and break this one down. With two teams like this, in a league that is a complete mess this season, just take the damn points.
The Pick: Seton Hall

Craig's Pick- The Big East is absolutely ridiculous this year (see Rutgers beating Nova last night which made me want to cry – glad I was working till 10 and didn’t get to see the game). (Ed. note: that was awesome.) Providence has come on as of late, which means they are due to crap the bed.
The Pick: Seton Hall

Michigan State at Northwestern (-10) - Man there have been some shitty games on ESPN this season. In the Year of Mediocrity, I suppose that should be expected, but they should know to never, EVER, schedule Northwestern. Here's the thing, the Spartans are much more than 10 points better than Northwestern, but this game is going to be really slow (seriously, DON'T watch this game) and we've seen Michigan State struggle in that style (see: Iowa, 36 freaking points). It will be hard to cover 10 but you have to remember this really isn't a home game for Northwestern because they have no fans.
The Pick: Michigan State

Craig's Pick- I’m assuming you are referring to ESPN scheduling Northwestern, and not Michigan State because you are aware that they both play in the Big Ten (Ed. note: yes, I am, I am not an idiot). Anyways, I have no faith in MSU and its road play.
The Pick: Northwestern

Last night's record: 0-1-1
Overall record: 8-10-2

ACC: 1-2
Big 12: 1-2-2
Big East: 2-2
Big Ten: 1-1
SEC: 1-2
Missouri Valley: 1-0
West Coast: 1-1

Craig's record: 1-3-1

Wednesday's Picks

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce The Picks. Every weekday, Monday-Thursday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I'll also be picking against one of my roommates, Craig, so we can have a rational method of settling all disputes involving rent, household matters, etc.

Last Night: First shutout of the year. In what I am now referring to as the Year of Mediocrity, Wisconsin, a top 15 team, struggled with a 5-13 Michigan team at home. I am pretty convinced there is no in-conference, BCS-league match-up in the country where the spread should be over 15 right now. And to just hammer home the theme of complete and utter lawlessness in college hoops right now, Tennessee, which was playing as well as any team in the damn country coming into last night's game, lost at 7-9 Kentucky by eight. The Cats somehow got the Vols to slow the tempo, even though no one else on Tennessee's incredibly tough schedule could. It's a complete apocalypse of reason in college basketball. And this is all without Vitale!

No picks from Craig today. We all suffer as a result.

Iowa State at Kansas (-24) - Yeah so about that whole not picking a team giving more than 15 points thing? The Jayhawks are obliterating folks lately and are probably the one BCS team most likely to cover a gigantic spread like this. They beat Oklahoma at home last week by 30 and beat Iowa State by 37 at home last season. If you do the math, they should beat the Clones by about 89 this year. But here's the thing. Iowa State isn't terrible. I know, it's blasphemous to say so, but the Cyclones have won nine of their last 11 with wins over a Missouri team Kansas just struggled with, an Oklahoma State team Texas just struggled with and, most importantly, at Purdue. They aren't going to win tonight, but there's precedent for them not to be embarassed. In the Year of Mediocrity, not even Kansas can cover 24. Anywhere. (I just bet against Kansas at home, I'm doomed.)
The Pick: Iowa State

Georgia Tech at North Carolina State (-2.5) - Man, this will be a boring fucking game. Seriously, there is no excuse to watch this game. Actually, the only reason to watch this game is if you need to use it as an excuse.

Chick: Honey, let's go ice skating and afterwards we can meet my parents at a coffee shop and talk for five hours.

You: Um, nah, I can't. Gotta watch the Georgia Tech-North Carolina State game. Mike Patrick's voice is the new preferred method of anger management. After listening to him, it's impossible to hate anything else.

Yeah, so Vegas is obviously scared of the Jackets after that UNC near-win, plus the Pack are 3-10-1 ATS this year. But NC State actually has some solid home wins (Miami, Davidson, gasp, the Dragonslayer That Is Cincinnati) and are 7-2 against G Tech in the last nine meetings. It should be close because both teams' strength is up front, but in The Year Of Mediocrity, I'll take the homecourt.
The Pick: NC State

Last night's record: 0-2
Overall record: 8-9-1

ACC: 1-1
Big 12: 1-2-1
Big East: 2-2
Big Ten: 1-1
SEC: 1-2
Missouri Valley: 1-0
West Coast: 1-1

Craig's record: 1-3-1

Tuesday's Picks

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce the Picks. Every weekday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I'll also be picking against one of my roommates, Craig, so we can have a rational method of settling all disputes involving rent, household matters, etc.

Last night: I said yesterday I wouldn't give a flying fuck about the Syracuse game because the Giants won Sunday and, well, that didn't really work out. Of course, when the referees completely screw your team out of getting an OT road win vs. a top 10 team, effectively ending any hopes of making the NCAAs, well it can be a bit irksome. That's all I'm going to say on it, I could bang out about 3,000 words if I got going, just thank God I picked Cuse ATS. The Texas-Oklahoma State game was a push after an OK St hit a Duhon-esque, meaningless 25-footer with one second left to hit the line (+2) on the number. Such plays are reason alone to never ever ever bet on basketball. If I had bet actual money on the game, I'd be in Mexico right now. And the Zags couldn't cover 19.5 late-night after realizing they were playing San Francisco and just wanted to chill before Saturday's game vs. Memphis. Actually, I'm pretty sure Josh Heyvelt thought he was riding an ostrich through a town made of spaghetti. He had six points and seven boards.

And in my first standoff with my roommate Craig, who will be picking against me all season, we managed to push even though we had the exact opposite picks. As a result, one of our other two roommates will be doing the dishes tonight. It's only fair.

Michigan at Wisconsin (-18) - Wow, that's a huge line for a Wisconsin team that doesn't score too much. On the other hand, Michigan is an atrocious 3-13-1 ATS this season and, get this, 8-22-1 ATS in its last 31. That is nauseating. Everyone knows about Wisconsin's great home record and betting on Michigan on the road is not a great way to go about living life but I look at Wisconsin's 22-point drubbing of even slothier Illinois last week and see a blowout capability they might not have had in past years. This is a tough one but I like the Badgers.
The Pick: Wisconsin

Craig's Pick: Wow that is a lot of points indeed for a typical Wisconsin team. I’m picking Wisconsin for two reasons: I hate Mike Hart more than any player in the history of college football. Way to go 1-7 in bowl games and against OSU in your career Mike, you bum. And second, Wisconsin single handedly led me to victory in my NCAA tourney pool when they made that run to the Final Four that one year as an 8 seed.
The Pick: Wisconsin

Tennessee (-4) at Kentucky - Obviously Kentucky is a better team now than they were losing to Gardner Webb, San Diego and probably the Appalachian State football team or something, but Tennessee is playing incredible basketball right now. The Vols have two tough road wins over the past month, albeit against teams that didn't have their entire season on the line, and that spread is low enough to where I'd only bet on Kentucky if I though they could win outright. I do not. I haven't seen anything from the Wildcat guards to make me think they can handle Tennessee's pressure or any semblance of a fast tempo. Plus, over at KenPom.com, they are 290th in turnover percentage, not a good formula against Pearl's bunch.
The Pick: Tennessee

Craig's Pick: I really like this Tennessee team. Tough environment, but they should be ready to play. Looks like we’re both going with the two favorites tonight. (Ed. note: Pussy)
The Pick: Tennessee

Last night's record: 1-1-1
Overall record: 8-7-1

ACC: 1-1
Big 12: 1-1-1
Big East: 2-2
Big Ten: 1-1
SEC: 1-1
Missouri Valley: 1-0
West Coast: 1-1

Craig's record: 1-1-1

Monday's Picks

Google Image search "gambling" and "basketball"? You get MJ, a true OG of wagering

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce the Picks. Every weekday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I'll also be picking against one of my roommates, Craig, so we can have a rational method of settling all disputes involving rent, household matters, etc.

Last Thursday: Thursday was a very long time ago but for the sake of routine and, more importantly, symmetrical goodness, let's recap. Finished the week with a nice 2-1 night. Tennessee played outstanding for 30 minutes, sucked for five and then finished off Vandy for a 20-point win. Even though they might drop out of the top 25 (at least in the blogpoll) I'm still on the Vandy bandwagon. Like I've been saying, they just can't play against athletic bigs. Patrick Patterson? 23 and 12. The erotically named Wayne Chism? 18 and 18. And Ogilvy only averaging 14 and 5 in those games. Meanwhile, the Vols looked as good as anyone I've seen this year for a large part of that game. Will they make my upcoming list of potential title winners? The excitement is palpable... or something. Louisville crushed Marquette, which I picked even though I knew it sucked. I just wasn't sure about a suddenly healthy Louisville team yet. After losing to Seton Hall Saturday, I'm still not. The Big East is utter pandemonium. Indiana is an utterly confounding team. They played awful against Minnesota but managed a victory. More on them at some point this week.

Also, I'm going to start keeping track of my record within each conference. Why? I don't really know, just gonna do it...

Syracuse at Georgetown (-12)- I am a Giants fan and a Syracuse fan. After the Orange lost to Villanova Saturday, I basically expected a 72 hour period of sports devastation. Surely the Giants would lose to the Packers and the Orange would get crushed by Georgetown. Then the Giants won. As a result I don't give a flying fuck if Syracuse wins this game. The emotional torture of the Giants' game has left me in a gleeful state of sickness and to invest any type of energy in the Syracuse game tomorrow, one that they surely will not win, would be incredibly hazardous. Syracuse has somehow won 7 of the last 8 in this series and with the Hoyas rolling and the Orange looking awful over the weekend, it was a perfect storm for a ridiculous spread. With the exception of Saturday, we have seen the plodding Hoyas struggle to blow teams out. Regardless of what happens, I'm not letting this one get to me. Seriously. Promise. (I'm doomed).
The Pick: Syracuse

Craig's Pick: I can attest to Jtom’s emotional state after the Giants game. After Tynes hit the game winner, he proceeded to tell me he loved me three, maybe four times. I am not a Giants fan I should mention (Ed. note: we're not gay... not that there's anything wrong with that). Back to the game – Syracuse will not score more than 50 points, and Georgetown will score a lot due to Syracuse’s lack of defensive intensity/unwillingness to play man (enter Boeheim is a terrible coach joke here).
The Pick: Georgetown

Texas (-2) at Oklahoma State- While this game last year was one of the best regular season games I've ever seen, propelling Kevin Durant into the majority of my fantasies, I'm not really sure what I'm missing here. Oklahoma State sucks right? I guess Texas wasn't all too impressive in beating Colorado by just two at home Saturday but seriously, Oklahoma State sucks right? The lost to Oral Roberts and North Texas, right? Texas won at UCLA right? I'm pretty scared of games that look this obvious, but... seriously Oklahoma State sucks.
The Pick: Texas

Craig's Pick: ”I'm pretty scared of games that look this obvious, but... seriously Oklahoma State sucks.” This tells me something.
Pick: Oklahoma State

San Francisco at Gonzaga(-19.5)- After watching the Zags dismantle Pepperdine in Malibu last week, it seemed wise to ride them in all these midnight ESPN West Coast games. But this line is pretty high and San Francisco played the Zags to OT last season, keeping most of the past meetings pretty close. Plus they are coached by Eddie Sutton, and I am told that is important and stuff. This is a tough one and while I shouldn't have to advise people to not bet on a West Coast Conference game that involves San Francisco, probably want to stay away from this one.
The Pick: Gonzaga

Craig's Pick: I know absolutely nothing about San Francisco, and I’d be very surprised if you did either.
Pick: San Francisco.

Last week's record: 7-6
Overall record: 7-6

ACC: 1-1
Big 12: 1-1
Big East: 1-2
Big Ten: 1-1
SEC: 1-1
Missouri Valley: 1-0
West Coast: 1-0

Craig's record: 0-0

Thursday's Picks

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce the Picks. Every weekday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

Last Night: After looking at Texas A & M's resume again, I'm really glad I picked against them. The Aggies best win, I guess, is home against Alabama or a destruction of Ohio State at MSG. Last night was their second true road game and they lost by 15. The next blogpoll, I am dropping them faster than Rick Majerus' pants. In the ACC, Duke got one of those "Ugh I Can't Believe They Won That Game I Fucking Hate Duke" wins, using some favorable calls and the general punchability of Greg Paulus to escape Florida State by 11. And I avoided a perfect night because UNC showed some serious flaws in nearly blowing an undefeated season by turning into VMI once the ball entered the paint. The usually outstanding Grant Wahl went trolling for attention yesterday by leaving UNC off his 8 Title Contenders Column (I will try this later today or early next week... probably), but that may be justified. That was an awful defensive performance and if it weren't for Psycho T's uncanny ability to not be affected by concussions, they would've lost to a sub-.500 team. Sucks I picked them.

Marquette at Louisville (-2.5)- Pitino's bunch are finally healthy... for now. They are 3-1 since getting everyone back with their only loss to the unstoppable dragonslayer that is Cincinnati. The road team has won three of the last four in this series, with the only home win being an OT snag by Louisville in '06. This is tough because while I find the Eagles to be pretty fraudulent, they do have some nice road performances and Louisville hasn't been properly repre... oh, shit, Juan Palacios broke his nose picking it, he's out 6-8 months. Alright I'll take the points.
The Pick: Marquette

Vanderbilt at Tennessee (-10.5)- I've been on the Vandy bandwagon all season (disregard NC State) and wasn't all that deterred by its loss to Kentucky, but it seems Vegas (as well as the great blog, Vegas Watch) has deemed the Dores early success a hoax. I've also said they would struggle against athletic teams because their bigs (specifically star frosh Andrew Ogilvy) won't be able to keep up. Patrick Patterson killed them on both ends and while Tennessee doesn't have a Patterson type, they aren't going to play a halfcourt game like the Cats either. So it'll be a matter of the Vols beating Vandy's bigs up and down the court to negate their size disadvantage. Plus they can run a bunch of dudes at Shan Foster, which helps. ALL that being said, 10.5 is a lot for two one-loss teams and Tennessee hasn't beaten any good teams by over 10. This feels like a three-point shooting contest, so stay away if possible. But alas, I have no choice.
The Pick: Tennessee

Indiana (-1.5) at Minnesota- I'm not going to pretend to know much about Minnesota except they have good size, good depth and a breed of white jump shooter indigenous to the state. But Indiana, my friends, has Eric Gordon, the appointed king of the land by... well, me. That place is going to be rather loud and there is nothing more terrifying than rowdy, frost-bitten white people, but I fail to see how the Gophers are ready for a primetime game against a top opponent or able to defend guys like Gordon and DJ White.
The Pick: Indiana

Yesterday's Record: 2-1
Overall Record: 5-5

Rock Bottom: Wednesday's Picks

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce the Picks. Every weekday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

I did decent enough last night, although I had a good chance at all four games. Michigan State came out as I suspected, determined and hardpressed to eclipse the lofty 36-point mark so Izzo wouldn't take away their Vitamin Water or something. They were up 32-11 in the first half, then sucked for awhile, and suddenly were up just three midway through the second half. They still had a good chance at covering but missed foul shots down the stretch (they were 8-17 for the game) and won by six instead of eight. Shit. Mississippi State did the exact same thing (17-32 from the FT line) and blew an 11-point lead with eight minutes left to almost lose. If I had bet actual money on either game, there would be a murder investigation in the Philadelphia area right now. it's hard to imagine but foul shots are probably responsible for 35 percent of the alcoholism in the United States. But thanks to a surprisingly impressive Creighton team (gotta be the Valley favorites with Drake) winning at Northern Iowa and Notre Dame dropping 64 in the second half to keep Cincinnati from making the Big East look completely illegitimate, I managed an indifferent 2-2 record.

Duke (-6) at Florida State- Three road favorites on the Worldwide Leader tonight, I promise to only pick two. The Devils always seem to struggle with Florida State, four of the last five meetings have been decided by five or less. But as I've said before, this isn't your standard Duke team. Will Florida State fans still voice their unspeakable sexual intentions for the Duke players' sisters? Yes, it's a tradition. But Duke has blown everyone out this year besides Pitt, Davidson and Marquette and the Noles do not resemble any of those teams. Dukies will handle their first real road test and Mike Patrick will sleep comfortably (and by sleep, I mean sit in his bed bouncing up and down, clapping about how Coach K complimented his tie as Mrs. Patrick heads for the couch).
The Pick: Duke

North Carolina (-11) at Georgia Tech- The Jackets are 4-3 against UNC in the last seven meetings but that was before the Heels decided to harness the power of God and smite teams like they have this year. The 32-2 run they went on against North Carolina State was like watching the naked wrestling scene in Borat. Completely horrifying, incredibly funny and impossible to look away (I have the same thoughts on watching Patrick talk about it during timeouts). Carolina is also 12-2 against the spread this season. This game might be somewhat close for 30 minutes but I think UNC makes the surge to cover late in the game as G Tech wears down.
The Pick: UNC

Texas A & M (-4) at Texas Tech- I promised I'd take a home dog so let me talk myself into Texas Tech. Um, the Raiders have won the last two meetings and they are uh... 10-4-1 against the spread in the last 15 meetings and (gulp) covered in all but one home game this year. Hmm, still not sold. Well the real reason to bet against the Aggies is this is their second true road game, the other being an 11-point loss at Arizona. I still have no idea how Bob Knight's minuscule bunch is going to defend A & M's big men, but judging by my early win/loss record, it really doesn't matter who I pick.
The Pick: Texas Tech

Yesterday's Record: 2-2
Overall Record: 3-4

Nostradamus: Tuesday's Picks

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce the Picks. Every weekday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

Hmmm, last night didn't go so well. I mean, Stacey Dales may be an idiot, but I am a goddamn moron. I picked Georgetown, despite playing at Pitt, where the Panthers never lose and in a perfect spot for a let-down game with just 48 hours since Hibbert's bomb. Plus they refused to embrace Sharp Shootin' Roy's new role, allowing his pathetic understudies to go 3-20 from 3-point range. I'm convinced he was just teaching them a lesson. When Big Boy Roy shoots threes we win, when you nitwits do, we lose. Then in the Oklahoma-Kansas game, I picked against the most impressive team in the country (albeit -16.5), at home, and then the Sooners' best player, Blake Griffin, leaves after five minutes, becoming the envy of all his teammates. At least Gonzaga destroyed Pepperdine (they go to school in Malibu, they'll get over it).

Ohio State at Michigan State (-8)- After the affront to basketball history that was Michigan State's 36-point, Majerus-like crapfest in a loss to Iowa Saturday, it's tempting to take the points, because the Spartans sure as hell won't. But nothing cures what ails you like a home game at the Breslin Center. Tom Izzo probably whipped his team's nuts with a car antenna after Saturday and they should get 36 by half.
The Pick: Michigan State

Cincinnati at Notre Dame (-12.5)- I can't figure out if this game is on ESPN2 in select areas or just ESPNU. Either way there's no chance in hell I will watch it. Cincinnati has beaten Villanova, Syracuse and Louisville in conference play. At home. The Bearcats' lone road league game? A loss at St. John's. I'm fairly convinced all Big East teams will go 9-9 in league play this season, 9-0 at home, 9-0 on the road (Notre Dame is 11-0 at home this year, 0-2 in true road games). Take a kid away from his XBox and he loses all control over his body, I guess. Vegas knows this, so the line is pretty high. I still think the Cats are due for a stinker and the Irish, if they have a damn heart, will respond to being slain by 26 at Marquette Saturday.
The Pick: Notre Dame

Creighton at Northern Iowa (-1)- Good to see ESPN finally lock up a deal with the Missouri Valley, especially as it's having a down year. Way to strike while the iron is hot. Creighton has won the last seven in this series (5-2 ATS) and has a three-game winning streak to UNI's three-game losing streak. It's tough to win on the road in the Valley, but Creighton has two road league wins already. I'll go with the Jays because it makes so much sense, but will lose because one of those stats probably has to give. I hate my life.
The Pick: Creighton

Kentucky at Mississippi State (-9.5)- It wouldn't be an SEC match-up without two underachieving teams. Even though Mississippi State has won six straight and Kentucky knocked off unbeaten Vandy, don't get your panties in a bunch. The Cats are still 3-7-1 ATS and Mississippi State's only decent win in that streak was home vs. Missouri. Kentucky has only played two road games this season, both blowout losses, and while Ashley Judd and Co. are as, um, perky as it gets right now, actually beating someone decent at home isn't going to turn Kentucky into a road warrior.
The Pick: Mississippi State

Yesterday's Record: 1-2
Overall Record: 1-2

Blind Prognostication: Monday's Picks

Because the best way to feign actual knowledge on a subject is an accurate prediction, I introduce the Picks. Every weekday (hopefully) I will pick the televised games of the night, against the spread of course, and follow the results to see if I actually know something about basketball. The results should be both entertaining (for readers) and soul-crushing (for me). And if I'm wrong, I'll just do what all the TV "experts" do: never bring it up again and avoid all accountability. And since I won't be betting actual money (that often), I win every time!

Georgetown (-1.5) at Pittsburgh- The Hoyas are only 5-6 against the spread this season, which shouldn't surprise anyone. They simply don't score enough and play at too slow a tempo to blow teams out and cover the spread. But that was before Roy Hibbert, the premier marksman of our generation, decided to shake loose from the robotic android programming that doomed him to a life of emotion-less paint-dwelling and roam free along the perimeter, uninhibited, to be the ball-chucking, sharp-shooting Roy Hibbert he was born to be. After the game Saturday he was seen roaming the Georgetown campus in a silk suit and a fedora, supporting Dennis Kucinich and escorting four co-eds to Planned Parenthood for some safe, mid-afternoon fun.
The Pick: Georgetown

Oklahoma at Kansas (-16.5)- I'm always skeptical of Kansas teams, I've been lured by their promising March Madness siren song one too many times. But what this year's team has that others have lacked is a swagger, an expectation that they will vanquish all foes and shall perform no less than four alley-oops in doing so. Not that they will lose to Bucknell. That being said, this line is pretty high. Oklahoma is coming off a home loss to Kansas State and its woefully thin bench should suffer at the hands of Kansas' interchangeable band of ballers, but they have played Memphis pretty close, won a very tough road game at West Virginia and has the athletes (namely Blake Griffin) to cause some match-up problems. They are probably going to lose the second half by about 10, so they need the first half to be close, and I think it will be.
The Pick: Oklahoma

Gonzaga (-13) at Pepperdine- As much as Pepperdine blows, this was once a heated West Coast Conference rivalry, which generally means you throw the records out. But recently, the Zags have been blowing out the Waves, winning four of their last five at Pepperdine by 10 or more. I'm still not sold on Gonzaga, they have begun to resemble a major conference team, which is fine, but it has stripped them of all the qualities (veteran leadership, willing role players, superior chemistry) that made them so dangerous as an underdog in past years. Seeing all these All-Americans makes me yearn for the days of Matt Santangelo, Casey Calvary and Richie Fraham. If I were betting actual money, I'd stay away from this one.
The Pick: Gonzaga

Yesterday's record: 0-0
Overall record: 0-0