NCAA Tournament: (7) Florida vs. (4) Louisville Game Breakdown and Pick

March 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Brad Beal Florida Basketball

Game- (7) Florida Vs. (4) Louisville

Opening Line- Pick’em

Closing Line ( as of publication)- Florida -1

Betting Percentage (as of publication)- Florida Louisville

Match up to watch- Louisville Russ Smith vs. Florida Kenny Boynton

X factor- Florida’s Brad Beal

Sharp Money Play- Florida -1

With both ball clubs playing their best ball as of late, Saturdays match up between Louisville and Florida is sure to be a hard fought game. This game will be a battle of two very similar teams and could very likely come down to the last possession.  Florida’s advantage comes from their variety of players that can get hot from behind the arc and also from their tournament experience, as the veteran back court of Kenny Boynton (16 ppg.) and Erving Walker (12 ppg.) are playing in their third consecutive Sweet 16 appearance together. Florida’s ability to not only get hot from behind the arc but also from their ability run a effective full court press due to there depth,will prove to be to much for Louisville. Sharp Money Play Florida -1.

Result: Florida 68 Louisville 72 = Loss

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NCAA Tournament: (13)Ohio vs. (1)North Carolina Game Breakdown and Pick

March 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment
DJ Cooper Ohio Basketball

Game- (13) Ohio vs. (1) North Carolina

Opening Line- North Carolina -10.5

Closing Line ( as of publication)- North Carolina – 10.5

Betting Percentage (as of publication)- North Carolina 67% Ohio 33%

Match up to watch- DJ Cooper vs. UNC‘s backup guards

X factor- DJ Cooper

Sharp Money Play- Ohio +10.5

With or Without Kendall Marshall in Friday’s match up with Ohio, this North Carolina team will be a much different ball club then what we have witnessed through out the season as Marshall was the quarterback for this team and without him 100% changes the way their offense operates. North Carolina will turn to third string point guard Stilman White and Justin Watts for their point guard duties. Both players are capable of bringing the ball up, but running the team and being the general at the  point guard position neither one is accustomed to doing that. Ohio is led by their 5″11 scoring point guard DJ Cooper (14 ppg.), who will be looking to take advantage of the Marshall’less UNC team by applying extreme pressure on their point guard and trying to disrupt UNC’s offense. North Carolina game plan will be to try to utilize their height advantage down low with their NBA sized front court of John Henson 6″11(13 ppg. 10 rebs.), Tyler Zeller 7″0(16 ppg.), and 6″8 Harrison Barnes (17 ppg.). Ohio will have to use its quickness on both defense and offense to cancel out the height advantage this North Carolina team possesses. Friday’s meeting with Ohio will be a testament to how important Marshall is to this UNC team and with Ohio knowing that he may not play, or if he does miraculously play he will be limited to one hand, they will be playing with the up most confidence as they believe their chances for a upset just got better.  Sharp Money play Ohio +10.5

Result: North Carolina 73 Ohio 65 = Win

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NCAA Tournament: (10) Xavier vs. (3) Baylor Game Breakdown and Pick

March 23, 2012 By
Tu-Holloway Xavier Basketball

Game- (10) Xavier vs. (3) Baylor

Opening Line- Baylor -6

Closing Line ( as of publication)- Baylor -6

Betting Percentage (as of publication)- Xavier 42% Baylor 58%

Match up to watch- Xavier’s Mark Lyons vs. Baylor’s Pierre Jackson

X factor- Tu Holloway

Sharp Money Play- Xavier +6

The sharpshooting of Brady Heslip (10 ppg.) , Baylor’s lights out shooting guard, propelled them in their most recent victory over Colorado scoring a career high 27 points and shooting 9 for 12 from behind the arc. Xavier will make sure that they force Heslip into uncomfortable shots and will also try to run him off the three point line. Heslip has had trouble throughout the year when faced against more athletic guards as they have made it difficult for him to score as he is not able to create his own shot off of the dribble. Also Xavier will force Heslip into playing defense as Xavier’s best player’s are in their back court with Tu Holloway (17 ppg.) and Mark Lyons (15 ppg.). Both players are exceptional at breaking down there defender on offense and both also take pride in their defense.

Baylor has the talent to win a national championship but they are also prone to a upset as they are not known for their defense, as they like to run a inconsistent zone  and sometimes play with lackadaisical defensive effort, and “defense wins championships”. Also what hurts this team is that their best player 6″11 Perry Jones is liable to go a entire game without making a impact on the game and this is scary for a team that does not have many options on offense. Baylor’s one consistent bright spot has come from their ultra quick point guard Pierre Jackson. Xavier will try multiple players on Jackson to try to slow him down and they may have the answer with their back up point guard Dee Davis, who Xavier has been using to frustrate opposing teams point guards as he is very quick and active on defense.

On paper Baylor may have a more talented team but Xavier equipped with one of the most talented back courts in the country play with a edge that gives them the confidence that they can play with the country’s best. Xavier’s pressure defense and strong play from their guards will be too much for Baylor. Sharp Money Play Xavier +6.

Result: Baylor 75 Xavier 70 = Win

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NCAA Tournament: (4) Wisconsin vs. (1) Syracuse Game Breakdown and Pick

March 22, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Jordan Taylor Wisconsin Basketball

Game- (4) Wisconsin vs. (1) Syracuse

Opening Line- Syracuse -4

Closing Line ( as of publication)- Syracuse -3.5

Betting Percentage (as of publication)- Wisconsin 43% Syracuse 57%

Match up to watch- Wisconsin’s Ryan Evans vs. Syracuse’s Kris Joseph

X factor- Wisconsin’s Jordan Taylor

Sharp Money Play- Wisconsin +3.5

 

Two contrasting styles will be displayed on Thursday when the zone defense of Syracuse faces off with the hard nose man to man defense of Wisconsin. It’s going to be interesting as both teams excel against the type of defense they will be seeing, as Wisconsin has multiple shooters that can get hot against a zone and Syracuse has multiple players that can break down their defender in man to man defense. Wisconsin is led by the consistent point guard play of Jordan Taylor (14 ppg.),who never forces the issue on offense and is like an extension of their coach on the court. They will looking to keep the game at a slow pace as they like run the shot clock down until they are able to find the best possible shot.

Led by Kris Joseph (13 ppg.) and Dion Waiters 12 (ppg.),  Syracuse will be looking to run and push the tempo as they have many elite athletes that excel in the open court. Wisconsin must stick to its game plan if they would like to compete with the athletes of Syracuse.

The slow and steady pace of Wisconsin’s offense will dictate the speed of the game, as the only way to speed them up would be to press them and that would be detrimental to Syracuse’s rotation as they are not a deep enough team to pressure full court. In the end the 3 point shooting of Wisconsin will be too much for Syracuse as Coach Bo Ryan will have his team prepared for the zone. Sharp Money play Wisconsin +3.5.

Result: Wisconsin 63 Syracuse 64 = Win

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NCAA Tournament: (7)Florida vs. (3)Marquette Game Breakdown and Pick

March 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Erving Walker Florida Gator Basketball

Game- (7) Florida vs. (3) Marquette

Opening Line- Marquette -1

Closing Line ( as of publication)- Marquette -1.5

Betting Percentage (as of publication)- Florida 43% Marquette 57%

Match up to watch- Marquette’s Darius Johnson-Odom vs. Florida’s Kenny Boynton

X factor- Florida’s Erik Murphy

Sharp Money Play- Florida +1.5

 

Thursday’s match up between Florida and Marquette will be a battle between two very similar teams who both rely on their guards to play at a very fast pace. Both teams will be accustomed to this high pressured stage, as both squads are making their second consecutive appearance to the Sweet 16. Florida is led by their three guard combo of Junior Kenny Boynton (16 ppg.),  Freshman Bradley Beal (14 ppg) and their Senior point guard Erving Walker (12 ppg.), all of which have the ability to light it up from behind the arc which makes it nearly impossible to contain all three of them. Florida also receives great interior play from their sophomore center Patric Young (10 ppg.), who is a brute force player that gets after it on the defensive end and does all of the little things to help this team win.

Marquette is led by their senior guard Darius Johnson-Odom (18 ppg.), who is a tremendous player not only on offense but also plays on the defensive end with a intensity that is rare from a teams leading scorer. This Golden Eagles team also features the 6″6 forward Jae Crowder, who is usually a mismatch problem for the opposition as he as the ability to not only stretch the floor but he is also plays with a intensity that is very difficult to match for the opposing forwards.

Talent wise Florida has a advantage as they are a much deeper team with the ability to pull off the bench guards such as Mike Rosario, who averaged 15 points at Rutgers prior to transferring to Florida  and could very well start on most other high major Division 1 schools. But if this Florida team wants to compete with Marquette they must be able to handle there aggressiveness and intensity as Marquette is one of the hardest playing teams in the country who usually overwhelms opponents with their defensive pressure. With the veteran back court of Walker and Boynton for Florida expect them to not only handle Marquette’s intensity but to also match it as this will be a very exciting and hard fought game between two stellar programs. Sharp Money Play Florida +1.5

Result: Florida 68 Marquette 58 = Win

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NCAA Tournament: (15) Lehigh vs. (10) Xavier Game Breakdown and Pick

March 18, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Gonzaga_Xavier_Basketball_

Game- (15) Lehigh vs. (10) Xavier

Opening Line- Xavier -2.5

Closing Line ( as of publication)- Xavier -3.5

Betting Percentage (as of publication)- Xavier 66% Lehigh 34%

Match up to watch- Xavier’s defense vs. C.J. McConnell

X factor- Tu Holloway

Sharp Money Play- Xavier -3.5

Nobody had expected, except for the players themselves, that Lehigh would go on to defeat such a storied program like Duke in the first round of the NCAA tournament. They definitely deserve all the credit in the world for completing such a task but one key note must be added when breaking down there win, and that’s that Duke was without their starting forward Ryan Kelly, who dramatically changes Dukes offense as he is a post player with the ability stretch the floor with his three point shooting. The only bad thing with a win of this  magnitude is that they are now on the map and opponents won’t be taking them lightly . And that will be the case when they face off against Xavier, as they will be receiving Xavier best effort as both teams will be looking to punch their ticket to the sweet 16. Lehigh is led by their very talented guard C.J. McConnell, who is the nations 5th leading scorer averaging 21 points. He was unstoppable against Duke scoring 30 points. Xavier, led by their two headed monster back court of Tu Holloway and Mark Lyons, will have a scheme in place to slow down McConnell and they will force somebody else on Lehigh to beat them. Tournament play is all about match ups and Xavier is a terrible match up for Lehigh, as Xavier not only has quick guards that can score and get after on defense but they also have a inside presence with 7″0 Kenny Frease. Expect Xavier’s guard to step up to the challenge of locking down McConnell and earning there way to the sweet 16.  Sharp Money play Xavier -3.5. Xavier 70 Lehigh 58= Win

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NCAA Tournament: (5) Vanderbilt vs. (4) Winsconsin Game Breakdown and Pick

March 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Jordan-Taylor wisconsin

Game- (5) Vanderbilt vs. (4) Wisconsin

Opening Line- Pick’em

Closing Line ( as of publication)- Pick’em

Betting Percentage (as of publication)- Vanderbilt 62% Wisconsin 38%

Match up to watch- Jordan Taylor vs. John Jenkins

X factor- Jordan Taylor

Sharp Money Play- Wisconsin

The 4,5 battle between Vanderbilt and Wisconsin will be one of the most evenly matched games in the tournament so far. Led by their rock solid senior point Jordan Taylor (14 ppg.), Wisconsin beats opponents by using a variety of weapons including multiple three point shooting threats and great team defense to frustrate to the opposing team. Vanderbilt is much the same, led by their “lights out” shooting guard John Jenkins they too have the ability to light it up  from outside the arc and exploit lazy defenses. The x factor in the game will Jordan Taylor though, as he is a steady point guard who rarely makes mistakes and also has the ability to dictate the speed of the game. Taylor will have a clear advantage at the point guard position going up against Vanderbilt’s Brad Tinsley (8 ppg.). Wisconsin will make sure Jenkins doesn’t get any clean looks from the three and will force somebody other than Jenkins to beat them and after Vanderbilt’s Jeffrey Taylor (16 ppg.) they don’t have many options, as he is the only other player on the Commodores that can create his own shot. Wisconsin may not have the better athletes but they do play better team basketball and are coached extremely well, coach Bo Ryan will have a scheme in place to disrupt the sharpshooting of Jenkins and in turn disrupt the Vanderbilt’s offense. Sharp Money Play Wisconsin. Wisconsin 60 Vanderbilt 57= Win

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NCAA Tournament: (15) Detroit vs (2) Kansas Game Breakdown and Pick

March 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Ray McCallum Sr. and Jr. Detroit Basketball

Game- (15) Detroit vs. (2) Kansas

Opening Line- Kansas -15

Closing Line ( as of publication)- Kansas -14

Betting Percentage (as of publication)- Detroit 41% Kansas 59%

Match up to watch- Detroit’s Ray McCallum Jr. vs Kansas’s Tyshawn Taylor

X factor- Ray McCallum

Sharp Money Play- Detroit + 14

The past couple of years Kansas hasn’t had much luck in the tournament against the mid major schools losing to Northern Iowa in 2010 and VCU last year and Detroit will be looking to add its name to that list. Detroit, the Horizon League Champs, is led by the coaches son Ray McCallum Jr. (15 ppg.), who was a highly recruited McDonald’s all American coming out of high school but decided to turn down offers from the likes of Kansas, UCLA and Arizona to play for his father at Detroit. Coach McCallum has done a good job of building a solid team around his son, with a mixture of junior college players and upperclassmen, Detroit uses a team effort to beat opponents. With five players averaging double digits Detroit has multiple players that any night can lead the team in scoring. If Detroit would like to keep this game close and have a chance to pull off the upset they must figure out a way to contain the front court of Kansas which is led by Player of the Year candidate Thomas Robinson (17.9 ppg.) and also features 7 foot center Jeff Withey (9 ppg.) who began to step his play up during the second half of the season.  Kansas also receives great play from their solid senior point guard Tyshawn Taylor (17 ppg.). Taylor and McCallum will be a great battle of point guards, as McCallum will be embracing the challenge on a national stage between the senior Taylor. Detroit will not be intimidated by  this Kansas team as they believe they can play with any team in the country. Expect the senior laden Detroit squad to give it everything they have to knock off the Kansas Jayhawks. Sharp Money play Detroit+14. Kansas 65 Detroit 50= Loss

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NCAA Tournament: (10)Xavier vs. (7)Notre Dame Game Breakdown and Pick

March 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Tu Holloway Xavier basketball

Game-(10) Xavier vs. (7) Notre Dame

Opening Line- Notre Dame – 2.5

Closing Line ( as of publication)- Notre Dame -2

Betting Percentage (as of publication)- 57% Xavier 43% Notre Dame

Match up to watch- Mark Lyons vs. Erik Atkins

X factor- Tu Holloway

Sharp Money Play- Xavier + 2

It has been a roller coaster season this year for the Xavier Musketeers. After coming out to a 8-0 start and being ranked as high as 8th in the nation the team took a nose dive and loss 5-6  after the bench clearing brawl with Cincinnati in December. Notre Dame had a extremely well season (22-11) so far taking in the fact that they lost their consensus top player in Tim Abromatis in November but were still able to over achieve and  finish 3rd in the Big East. Xavier will be equipped with the best player on the court with Tu Holloway (16 pts.), who was a player of the year candidate prior the incident. Expect a big game from the senior guard as he will be embracing the national attention and showcasing his talents for NBA scouts. Xavier also has a talented point guard with junior Mark Lyons (15.5 pts) who with Tu Holloway make up one of the better back courts in college. Not only will Xavier have a clear advantage with their guards but they also will have a advantage in the middle with their 7″0 senior center Kenny Frease (9.5 pts. 6 rebs.), while Notre Dame has no player over 6″9. Notre Dame on the other hand plays great team basketball, with four player averaging double digits being led by junior forward Jack Cooley (12 pts. 9 rebs.). Expect a valiant effort from Irish, but in the end Xavier’s experienced back court will be too much for them to handle. Sharp Money play Xavier +2. Xavier 67 Notre Dame 63= Win

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NCAA Tournament: (9) Alabama vs. (8) Creighton Game Breakdown and Pick

March 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Alabama's JaMychal Green

Game- (9) Alabama vs. (8) Creighton

Opening Line- Alabama -1.5

Closing Line ( as of publication)- Alabama  -1.5

Betting Percentage (as of publication)- Alabama 36% Creighton 64%

Match up to watch- Doug McDermott vs. Alabama’s defensive scheme

X factor- Alabama’s JaMychal Green

Sharp Money Play- Alabama -1.5

 

The defensive minded Alabama Crimson Tide will have their hands full when they face off with the nations seventh leading scoring team in  Creighton. Creighton’s offense is led by the nations 3rd  leading scorer in 6 “7 Doug McDermott. This is intriguing  match up of two contrasting styles as Alabama is a defensive minded team that uses their defense to get them going on offense and Creighton is a excellent 3 point shooting club, shooting a outstanding 42 percent from beyond the arc and 50% from the field.  As the saying goes “defense wins championships” and although Alabama may not have a championship contention team they will pose a problem for Creighton as their athleticism and length is something Creighton has not had to deal with this season. “Alabama’s length and athleticism across the board is something that we haven’t really seen this year,” said Creighton coach Greg McDermott. “They can disrupt things on the perimeter. So they’re different than what we have seen in the Missouri Valley Conference without question.” Alabama on the other has already played against some of the nations most prolific scorers and three point shooting teams, playing in the SEC with the likes of Kentucky, Vanderbilt, and Florida. Alabama will be prepared for whatever Creighton offense has to offer in Friday’s match up. Sharp Money Play Alabama -1.5. Creighton 58 Alabama 57= Loss

 

 

 

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