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00:00Of our 30-plus conferences around D1 Men's College Basketball, we only have two that have yet to start their conference tournament.
00:09One of that changes today.
00:11The Mid-American Conference.
00:13The MAAC enters conference tournament week as well on this Thursday.
00:19The Ivy League, only a four-team tournament. They will play quickly over the weekend as well.
00:26And DRS, in the Mid-American Conference, in the true MAAC, in my estimation, not the MAAC, in Atlantic City, the top team is Akron.
00:35John Gross and his Zips have been sensational.
00:39They were a tournament team a year ago at a plus-145 price.
00:43Akron booked as the favorite to win the MAAC tournament title.
00:47You know what? You look at their schedule, too.
00:50They lose opening night in overtime to Arkansas State Quality Program.
00:53They lose to St. Mary's. No shame in their game.
00:56Milwaukee, that's a tough one up for debate.
00:58Yale, good team out of the Ivy League.
01:01And then Princeton, after that.
01:02It's a shame they lost to Ohio on February 22nd, Ben.
01:05Because they'll be coming into this tournament as the hottest team in the country with the longest win streak out here.
01:10And it's a fun team to bet because they're really fast and their tempo adjusted is number one in conference play.
01:15But you know what's interesting about them?
01:17They play unbelievably good offense and defense here, not over-relying on the three-point shot.
01:21They'll defend the three-point shot.
01:22They'll defend inside the arc.
01:24But how about this?
01:25In conference play, 60% from the field inside the arc.
01:29That means if you're playing with tempo, that's so many easy baskets,
01:33which what they're doing is getting out running, getting the easy buckets,
01:37and not being over-reliant, as I said, on the three-point shot.
01:39It's a fun basketball team and by far the best team in this tournament.
01:42As you see, the price point at a plus-145.
01:45Now, granted, you're playing on a neutral court, like-versus-like competition.
01:49You could lose a game, but for the fact that they only lost one conference game this season
01:53and they got blasted on the road against Ohio,
01:55maybe that's their biggest competitor where they sit at a plus-650 price,
01:58talking about the Bobcats in conference play.
02:00But I'm not betting against Akron.
02:02I think they're the best team through and through in the MAAC.
02:04And, Donny, when you look at the numbers, really, there's a lot to like about what the Zips do.
02:10As you highlighted, they play at such a fast pace.
02:13They move the ball incredibly well.
02:15They take a ton of threes.
02:17Zips is a fun brand of basketball under John Gross this year.
02:21They played 18 MAAC games.
02:23They won 17.
02:25They have won 18 of their last 19 to highlight Donny's points since a 7-and-5 start earlier in the year.
02:32They are a 25-win team.
02:36And when you look at every game they've played in MAAC competition this year,
02:40they were booked as a favorite except for one.
02:44And that was a win against Kent State,
02:46who will enter with the second-best price around the Mid-American Conference.
02:51And, frankly, Donny, when you look at the standings in the MAAC,
02:54Akron 17-and-1, Kent State that second-best number.
02:58But it's actually Miami of Ohio with the second-most conference win this year, 14-and-4,
03:05the record for the Red Hawks.
03:07They get underway today as well.
03:10Twelve teams overall in the MAAC, only eight on your screen.
03:13Bottom four in the conference standings miss out on the conference tournament in Cleveland this week.
03:18Yes, and that's just the way it's going to be at this point.
03:20By the way, the team that's leaving the MAAC,
03:22and I guess they probably should be just saying they're kicking them out,
03:24is NIU, which uses a pretty good basketball team in that conference.
03:27What, two wins on the season?
03:29But if we are lining up the favorites here, of course, it's going to be Akron.
03:33As we talked about, if you're handicapping the game, that's going to take place today.
03:36When does that start? 11 a.m.
03:37So, again, this is the first one right off the bat,
03:39which if you're watching the show right now live,
03:41an hour and a half from now, you have live college basketball,
03:44and it's not just a, hey, send this team out here.
03:46That's a really good mid-major team as you focus on,
03:49you take a look at some of the styles that make fights here.
03:51You have to like this, too, because Akron on offense,
03:53their efficiency in conference play is 118.5, which is tremendous.
03:57But understand this, they don't really get to the free throw line,
03:59which means they're getting easy buckets in transition.
04:01But number two, they're fantastic inside the arc.
04:04But understand this, third most three-point shots in the conference,
04:07but they make them third most in the conference.
04:09It's really a good matchup, particularly in Bowling Green's defense,
04:12will let you shoot as many three-point shots as you want in this environment.
04:15This should be a walkover win right out of the gate,
04:18but also these teams aren't used to playing at 11 a.m. in the morning
04:23on a neutral court, so sometimes it is buyer beware,
04:26but usually the better team, the more efficient team, is going to win out.
04:30A 12.5 point spread in favor of Akron against Bowling Green,
04:35total 148.5.
04:37Again, Akron at a very up-tempo pace.
04:40They like to score.
04:41They like to display it on offense.
04:43Keep an eye on that total.
04:45Bowling Green is the eighth seed in this conference tournament.
04:49And then, DRS, when you think about what Akron has done,
04:51I mentioned it, 17-1 in conference play straight up, 17 of 18 games
04:56as a favorite, 7-10 against the spread,
04:59because they often saw these hefty numbers,
05:01so just keep that in mind when you are betting the MAAC tournament day by day.
05:06Elsewhere around conference tournament week, so much to break down.
05:12And, Donny, when you think about some of the best teams
05:14that we are going to see today at the high major level,
05:17the one seeds will be out there as well in the ACC, Big 12, and Big East.
05:23You talked about it at the very beginning of this show.
05:26These are the days that you love in college basketball.
05:29The opening round at the high major level, that's already through.
05:32Some of the best teams in these conferences, even if they're not a one seed,
05:36that they earned the bye through the opening round, they will be on display.
05:40These are the games that matter.
05:42These are the games that are significant, even as we saw on full display yesterday.
05:48These games are never meaningless.
05:50They have implications for teams trying to get into the NCAA tournament.
05:54Don't believe me? Ask Ohio State.
05:56Don't believe me? Ask Georgia.
05:58Don't believe me? Ask Vanderbilt.
06:00And now the long wait, because you have left the committee in charge
06:04and your own fate out of your hands.
06:07These are the great days in college hoops, and it starts in under an hour and a half.
06:11Yeah, can you imagine if it was like an exhibition bet at the end of the season?
06:14It's like, yeah, well, Duke won the regular season,
06:16so the ACC championship has no bearing if you win it or not.
06:18Like, no, you show up, and as long as you're playing,
06:21you understand that if we keep winning, even though we don't have a great regular season,
06:24we can punch a ticket into the dance.
06:26And there's a lot of pride from the opposite direction.
06:28Do you think Duke was like, fantastic job done?
06:32We won the ACC regular season, and it's no big deal if we meet up with North Carolina
06:37and they bounce us here because we're already in the tournament and good for North Carolina
06:41because they can win and we can see them in March Madness.
06:43Like, no, there's a lot of pride here.
06:45You want the sweep. You won the regular season.
06:47You want to win the conference championship,
06:49and then you want to go into March Madness and win another one here.
06:51Hanging banners left and right.
06:53So more than that, where it's like, okay, the end of the rainbow and the pot of gold is the championship,
06:57you have pride on the line.
06:59You want to continue to win. You want to cement your legacy.
07:01And also, for some of those bubble teams, every single win matters,
07:04where it's like, oh, we're in this. Have we said that before?
07:06Like, oh, we're in the tournament, and two days later, like, oh, no.
07:09Everything just went against us.
07:11All these bubble teams continue to win and knock out automatic bids.
07:13Now we're in peril.
07:15Don't leave it up to chance for a selection Sunday committee to tell you if you're good or not.
07:19If you keep winning, everything takes care of itself, you guys.
07:23There's a great chance that Ohio State now is going to miss the NCAA tournament.
07:28So teams that maybe were on the wrong side of the bubble, a spot has opened up.
07:32Looking at you, North Carolina, continuing to handle business against the teams they are expected to beat.
07:38Closing as a 9 1⁄2, 10 1⁄2 point favorite yesterday against Notre Dame.
07:42Carolina wins by 20, dominant fashion.
07:45They get Wake Forest today, UNC, 5 1⁄2 point favorite.
07:49Another game they need to win to potentially set up a semifinal matchup on Friday against who?
07:57That would be the Duke Blue Devils.
07:59Another quad one opportunity in Charlotte for UNC.
08:03Even, Donnie, if you're not a team like North Carolina or the others we have mentioned,
08:07trying to earn a spot into the big dance, there is an idea of March momentum.
08:11We saw some of that magic with Delaware.
08:14We saw some of that magic with St. Francis PA, a sub 500 team.
08:18Now into the big dance, and we have seen even at the high major level,
08:22teams get hot at the perfect time, play their best ball.
08:26Paying attention to what's happening in the Big 12, right?
08:28Colorado, a 3-17 team in the conference of the regular season.
08:33Two consecutive wins for Tad Boyle and the Buffs.
08:37Outright against TCU on Tuesday.
08:41Outright against West Virginia yesterday as well.
08:45Now they take on Houston today as a 16.5 point dog.
08:49So more than likely, that not going to go their way,
08:52but a lot of stakes for everybody involved in conference tournament week.
08:57No doubt about it. You see that Iowa State and BYU, a fantastic game.
09:01And also, it's just being a college basketball fan and a sports fan at this time right now, as we told you.
09:05Like, yes, this week is great, but I'm telling you, today just might be the best day.
09:09Everybody involved, some teams that are bad get hot playing higher speeds.
09:13That's fun basketball. It is.
09:15We'll talk about it with our coach, James Young, up next.
09:19What a time during conference tournament week.
09:22In three of our five high major conferences around men's college basketball,
09:26the one seeds, the top seeds, into the fold today.
09:30That's the ACC, the Big 12, and in the Big East tournament.
09:34JY here for a second consecutive segment.
09:37And we will go as fast as possible to hit on at least a few games
09:41of every high major conference tournament that we have.
09:44JY, let's start in the ACC.
09:46The one seed Duke, a 22.5 point favorite against Georgia Tech.
09:51Louisville takes on Stanford.
09:53Clemson against an SMU team desperate for a quad one victory.
09:57And of course, North Carolina still trying to hunt down a spot in the big dance.
10:02Of those four games in a quarterfinal round in Charlotte, JY, which one has the most stakes?
10:09It's UNC.
10:10Because if you look at it, UNC team is 5-1 against spread the last six games.
10:14And let's be honest, Ben, they looked really, really good the first half Saturday night versus Duke.
10:20They looked really good.
10:21And then, I don't know, I guess it struck midnight.
10:23So for me, that's the biggest game.
10:25They have to leave a lasting impression.
10:27They don't have the quad one wins.
10:28They got to win.
10:29They got to win impressively.
10:31And then they got to slay the dragon tomorrow, which is going to be even more difficult.
10:35But they can't get to tomorrow unless they win today and win impressively.
10:38North Carolina, minus points.
10:40Also, really quick, Duke, team total 82.5.
10:43I think they're going to push their pedal to the metal because they know who they got tomorrow as well.
10:47Good stuff.
10:48Also, how about the Big 12 out there today?
10:50Outside of Colorado, somewhat of a surprise maybe taking on Houston.
10:53Not that great of a game, but Baylor, Texas Tech, Kansas, Arizona, and Iowa State and BYU.
10:58What a contrast there.
10:59And you take a look at the spreads.
11:01Minus 5.5, minus 1.5, plus 3.5.
11:03Fantastic stuff in the Big 12, Coach.
11:05What game is it for you today?
11:08To me, it's Kansas.
11:10This team has been up and down all season.
11:12And we don't know which team we're going to get.
11:15So, to me, it's Kansas.
11:16But also look at Iowa State.
11:18I think John Ross, he reported there are two injuries.
11:20The guy, I think Gilbert's one of them.
11:22Another player, I figured who it is.
11:23Both are game-time decisions for today.
11:26That is going to move the market a lot if those two don't suit up.
11:30Two scores.
11:31Top three scores, if I'm not mistaken, today for Iowa State.
11:34Could not, may not play.
11:36Two of the best guards in the Big 12.
11:38Keyshawn Gilbert been dealing with injuries all tail end of the season.
11:42Did leave for some time yesterday in the Cyclones' big win against Cincinnati.
11:46Tamen Lipsy, their point guard.
11:48The other guy who is questionable with some injury news.
11:51For an Iowa State team, Coach, we're just hoping to get healthy for a big run in the big dance.
11:56BYU has won eight straight, by the way, to end out.
12:00The regular season.
12:01Big East, quarterfinal Thursday inside the world's most famous arena.
12:05And enter Rick Pitino.
12:07And the Red Storm.
12:08St. John's, double-digit favorite against Butler.
12:10Creighton, two-seed in the conference against a DePaul team
12:14that knocked off Georgetown once again last night.
12:17Marquette and Xavier, huge game for the Musketeers and their NCAA tourney hopes.
12:22But BYU, Khan and Villanova.
12:24Anytime they meet up in Madison Square Garden,
12:27it is always a marquee matchup.
12:29What do you expect out of that tilt tonight inside MSG?
12:33Fireworks.
12:34And if Villanova would have closed out this game up in Hartford a couple of weeks ago,
12:38we wouldn't be talking about it because maybe Villanova would be in.
12:41They need to win.
12:42So that is a huge game for Villanova.
12:44That's why I like them plus the points.
12:45Marquette's got to get going.
12:47Xavier needs to win to hold their tournament hopes alive.
12:50Especially if you have a case of Villanova winning and them losing.
12:53St. John's, look at Etchaford today.
12:56Over 8.5 rebounds of plus money.
12:58You have a dynamic offensive rebounding team at St. John's
13:01against a poor defensive rebounding team at Butler.
13:04That should be a lot of fun today at the Garden.
13:08Let's go over to the Big Ten, which most people affectionately call the Boring Ten
13:12because I don't see a game on this card that I enjoy.
13:14Coach, do you enjoy any of these games in the Big Ten today?
13:17I mean, you know, this guy.
13:19It's this guy.
13:20What's up with this guy?
13:21You know what he's doing.
13:22Come on now.
13:23You know, by the way, shout out to my hometown.
13:26Rutgers going nice.
13:28We're just going down in flames last night.
13:30But Ben and I have been talking about it.
13:33We got a ticket.
13:34It's the Purdue Boilermakers.
13:36And they got a favorable matchup against the Mus-Bus in the 6-14 game.
13:40I do also like Illinois minus some points.
13:43Last time they played, Iowa won by 20.
13:45They've looked markedly better, Ben, since that three-game losing streak
13:50they had a couple of weeks ago.
13:52A lot of points probably in both of those games.
13:55Purdue, USC, Illinois, and Iowa.
13:57The pace will be up there.
13:59Oregon and Indiana.
14:01IU firmly in the NCAA tournament.
14:03One more statement win would certainly help Mike Woodson and company.
14:07Finally, J.Y., 30 seconds left.
14:09SEC tournament into round number two.
14:11What's the best game on the slate?
14:13It's Texas versus Texas A&M.
14:16If Texas gets a win, they're in the NCAA tournament.
14:19They need this game today.
14:21The Lone Star Showdown now back in basketball.
14:25Texas, a huge victory over Vandy.
14:27Trying to play their way into the big dance.
14:30The beauty of conference tournament week.
14:32J.Y., a fade to the break.
14:34A fade away to hour number three, which comes away next.
14:37As of yesterday, all five high major conferences
14:40around the sport of college basketball in men's CBB
14:44fully in action in conference tournament week.
14:48J.Y., as of this Thursday, three of those five high majors,
14:52ACC, Big 12, Big East,
14:54their top teams enter the conference tournament fold as well.
14:58One seeds across the board.
15:00Two seeds, three seeds, four seeds.
15:02We've got some great action on this Thursday.
15:05Not quite in the SEC or the Big Ten,
15:09but we'll start with the Southeastern Conference,
15:11our most compelling conference all year long in college hoops.
15:16DRS, when you look at the docket in around number two
15:19on this Thursday in Nashville around the Southeastern Conference tournament,
15:23which one attracts your attention the most?
15:26Usually you like to get those games from a betting standpoint for me.
15:29I want more wide open play.
15:31Usually it doesn't get my attention.
15:32If that game is supposed to be 65 to 60,
15:35there's usually not a lot of advantages that you like to take care of
15:38unless you're just looking for one really good defensive team
15:40and looking to say, you know what?
15:42I'm going to go with a team total under.
15:43Because typically for me and throughout my betting landscape,
15:46the eyes usually train towards the over.
15:48How can this work out with these guys play decently?
15:50But as you saw yesterday, a lot of my plays were team totals under
15:53because they make sense.
15:54Neutral court, high pressure situation,
15:56game slows down in the second half,
15:58and really good defenses usually add up to more unders there.
16:01But if I take a look at the SEC like Oklahoma and Kentucky,
16:04one thing we know, Ben,
16:05we ain't playing a lot of defense between those two.
16:07So then you try to look for those shot intricacies
16:09because neither one of these teams is going to chase you off the three-point line
16:12or defend it all that well.
16:14Did I handicap and go through what I actually like?
16:16No.
16:17But if I look at the schedule,
16:18which the SEC doesn't have a lot for me to love today with these teams,
16:21but I've had that one game at 9.30 p.m. tonight
16:23that I might be able to analyze for some fun and wide open looks,
16:26it's probably Oklahoma, Kentucky for me, Ben.
16:29161.5 DRS is that total.
16:32Oklahoma, a big win yesterday against Georgia.
16:35OU battling for a bubble spot come Sunday.
16:38So is their most bitter rival in Texas against its in-state rival
16:43and conference mate once again, Texas A&M.
16:46Texas pulling off a slight stunner.
16:48It was basically a pick them yesterday against Vanderbilt
16:51moving to two and a half in favor of the doors in their home city of Nashville.
16:55Texas looked thoroughly dominant in that matchup.
16:58The Longhorns were a top 25 team back in the preseason.
17:02It has not been an overly successful year for Rodney Terry and his horns,
17:07but a big opportunity against A&M today
17:10with some rivalry fodder thrown in there.
17:13Six and a half points spread in favor of the Aggies
17:16who did end out the regular season
17:18with a victory in their final week against Auburn,
17:20but we're not playing great basketball prior,
17:22trying to build that momentum as of right now.
17:25The most intriguing game for me DRS in the SEC,
17:28Missouri and Mississippi State.
17:31Three and a half points spread in favor of Mizzou.
17:34I told everybody yesterday, Mississippi State gets an easy one.
17:37Easy one against the bad LSU team
17:40that was bottom of the barrel within the SEC
17:43and they made good on it.
17:44They won by 29-91-62.
17:47I think that the Bulldogs are a fraudulent team.
17:50I think that Mississippi State is bolstering a lot of resumes.
17:53They are not worthy of doing so within the SEC
17:56that will probably get some of those teams at large consideration
18:00in just four days from now.
18:03Give me Dennis Gates and the Tigers
18:05and more importantly, Donnie, give me the total.
18:07Bennett last night, as soon as it opened up, 153.5.
18:10It's now 155 and a hook.
18:13By the way, see the pen right here?
18:14Might be getting a click on the show coming up
18:16in about, what, 30 minutes at this point.
18:18Why? Because Missouri's offense, Ben,
18:20looking like they fit in like a glove out there
18:22versus Mississippi State.
18:23Why?
18:24Number three in conference play at volume
18:26from three-point range, Missouri.
18:27How about Missouri?
18:28Number three in conference play
18:29knocking down the three-point shot at 38%.
18:31Mississippi State's defense, there's 16 teams in the SEC.
18:3415th at defending the three-point line.
18:3615th at chasing you off the three-point line.
18:40Ooh, maybe Missouri.
18:41A little team total action here could be in there.
18:43It really could.
18:44I'm liking where you're going with this total
18:45and also flip it over to the other side.
18:47Mississippi State, not a great three-point shooting team.
18:49Will they shoot it?
18:50Yes, but look at the surge of where their points come from.
18:53Number one in conference play,
18:5451% of their total offense coming from inside the arc.
18:57Number five at getting up points inside the arc,
18:59it's Missouri's defense.
19:00They play at a fast tempo in Mississippi State.
19:02So not relying on the three-point shot
19:04and getting out and running for extra points here,
19:06you might be on to something for this total
19:08because the matchup makes sense.
19:10These two teams fit together here,
19:11and I like what I see.
19:13Missouri has gone over in its final seven games
19:16of the regular season.
19:17So maybe does that trend come to a close?
19:19We shall see.
19:20But DRS, we're not even talking like over totals
19:23of 132 and a half, 144 and a hook.
19:26In all seven of those games,
19:28we saw at least 161 points combined
19:31for Mizzou and its opponent.
19:33In its last four, at least a buck 70 plus.
19:37We're talking some points today
19:38because Chris Jans, normally known for his defensive outputs,
19:42not this year's Bulldogs team.
19:44Let's get to the ACC DRS,
19:46the number one team in the country,
19:48the number one overall seed in Charlotte.
19:50The Duke Blue Devils into the fold,
19:5222 and a half point favorite
19:54against the bees of Georgia Tech.
19:56Now, I'm not sure I'd lay it,
19:57but there's a reason the Duke is favored by that.
20:00Duke, at least a six point favorite
20:02in all 20 ACC games this year.
20:04They won 19, they covered in 14,
20:0714 and six against the spread
20:09with an average margin of victory
20:10of how many points per game?
20:1221.7, thus that big line.
20:15Yeah, it's tough.
20:16It's not a perfect match for what I like to look at,
20:18but the one thing we do know is Duke's a perfect match.
20:20It feels like for everybody,
20:21doesn't maybe matter where they play them,
20:23they have the matchup.
20:24Because if you're great at rebounding on defense
20:26and playing great defense,
20:27then great on offense
20:28and great rebounding on offense.
20:30So even when you do miss,
20:31you get the rebounds back.
20:32But understand this,
20:33Duke's the best three point shooting team in the ACC
20:35at almost 40% in conference play.
20:38Why does that line up?
20:3914th in the ACC out of 18 teams.
20:41How about this?
20:42They're chasing you off.
20:43That's Georgia Tech.
20:44Everything should be available on offense
20:46for the Duke Blue Devils.
20:47Here's the only question that we have sometimes,
20:49because I ask this to myself.
20:51If Duke understands that the goal is to win this tournament,
20:54you're playing on back-to-back days.
20:55If you're up 25 points with five minutes to go,
20:57does that mean Cooper Flagg's getting some extra reps
20:59in at the end?
21:00No, it does not.
21:01So you leave a little bit up for desire.
21:03If Duke is going to blow Georgia Tech out,
21:05for me, Ben, it's not Duke up by four points at the break.
21:07So you know where I go.
21:08When you have a team that you can stretch,
21:10you're going to get an honest effort in the first half,
21:12no matter how many points you're up,
21:13you're going to try to extend that lead.
21:15Maybe it's a first half for Duke,
21:16which makes the most sense,
21:17against Georgia Tech.
21:18They should win.
21:19But again, the question isn't,
21:20does Duke beat Georgia Tech?
21:22Because they blast them by 20 plus points.
21:24I would say they're probably up 15 points at the break,
21:27and then they cover.
21:28I don't want to leave it up in the air
21:29and say, hey, the final three minutes
21:31when the backups come into the game and blow it,
21:33and it's a 14-2 run by Georgia Tech.
21:37And Donny, that's what I did yesterday with North Carolina,
21:39understanding the purpose for Carolina in Charlotte
21:42for the ACC tournament.
21:43Now, they covered every number
21:45as they blew out Notre Dame by nearly 20.
21:47UNC today, five and a half point favorite
21:50against Wake Forest.
21:51We were talking about this game off-air
21:53just in commercial break, discussing.
21:55You think this could be a potentially good matchup
21:58for Steve Forbes and the Demon Deeks,
22:01maybe playing spoiler to UNC's tournament outlook.
22:05How come?
22:06Yeah, you take a look here.
22:07Let me just get some of the statistics up on the screen.
22:09Once again, it comes down to just some of the matchups
22:11that you take a look at.
22:12Wake Forest's defense is very good at the three-point line,
22:15which means they're going to defend it at about 30%.
22:17However, they will let you shoot the three-point shot.
22:20But North Carolina, Ben, not built on the three-point shot.
22:22We know that.
22:23Can R.J. Davis rise in fire times?
22:25That's not really his go-to, but he does have some success.
22:27But then you take a look at where you want to score
22:30your points from if it's UNC.
22:31Sixth in conference play, a point distribution
22:33in conference play, about 52% of their points
22:36coming from there.
22:37However, Wake Forest's defense, very stingy inside the arc.
22:40So if UNC pulls up and knocks down rainbow three
22:43after rainbow three, there's nothing you can do.
22:45But Wake Forest's defense actually matches up fairly well
22:48with what UNC wants to do.
22:50Now, Wake Forest on offense, not that great,
22:52and you understand that.
22:53But that's not really the focal point here for me.
22:55Understanding this, Wake Forest can steal points
22:57from the free-throw line, but the matchup's going to be
22:59where Wake Forest can actually play defense
23:01and do things that frustrates North Carolina.
23:04So I'm not saying I'm calling it outright victory,
23:06but this isn't a great matchup for UNC,
23:08where it's like, just overpower them.
23:10They're going to have to do things they don't like to do
23:12in order to win this basketball game.
23:14The Bigs come up on the other side of the break.
23:16Big Ten, Donnie, not all that interested.
23:18I'll give a few thoughts on those games
23:20on this Thursday in Indianapolis.
23:22Big Twelve, Big East as well,
23:25and a couple of other looks for the rest
23:27of your Thursday slate in college hoops.
23:31All of that on the other side.
23:33Donnie, we're less than 20 minutes away
23:35from the start of conference tournament action
23:37on this Thursday.
23:38Akron and Bowling Green in the MAAC tournament.
23:41John Gross and his Zips, a 12.5-point favorite
23:44at the top seed in that conference tourney,
23:47and the favorite to cut down the nets
23:49to head to March Madness once again,
23:51and the Big Dance.
23:53Plenty more around college hoops next.
23:56All right, let's start in the Big Ten,
23:58because Donnie Rightside doesn't have a ton of thoughts
24:00on our four games in Indianapolis today.
24:03First one up, though, DRS, in my estimation,
24:058-9 matchup between Oregon and Indiana,
24:08the most impactful.
24:10IU trying to make sure it solidifies
24:13its NCAA tournament resume
24:15and does not have to wait.
24:17A win over Oregon will do just that.
24:20The Hoosiers should be in regardless,
24:22even if they lose today.
24:23They're a 2.5-point dog against the Ducks.
24:26But a victory, and Mike Woodson is leading Indiana
24:30in his final year at the helm in Bloomington
24:32to the Big Dance.
24:34Yeah, no, look, I like to kid about the Big Ten
24:37a lot of times, because you just think about
24:38that old-school football mentality,
24:40low-scoring, same in basketball.
24:41You got some high-scoring games today,
24:42which I do think adds some intrigue.
24:44And if there's one team I do cheer on,
24:46it's Purdue, just because I like the style
24:47of basketball that they play.
24:49Ultra-efficient on offense, love the 3-point shot,
24:51get after it there.
24:52They take on USC today, and I think their matchup
24:54is very good for them, particularly on the
24:56defensive side of things.
24:57USC wants to score down low.
24:59They're very stingy there.
25:00They'll give you as many 3-point shots as you want,
25:02which, again, USC makes a decent amount of them
25:04but doesn't shoot a ton of them.
25:05I just think Purdue also.
25:06You see that line, 9.5?
25:07Ooh, I don't know if I can do that.
25:09You also look at a double-overtime game
25:11the day before, and Purdue is better.
25:13That also screams Purdue should be up at the break,
25:16or you might think that USC might have that surge
25:19in them in the first half and then dying out
25:21in the second half.
25:22But I do think Purdue wins that game by double digits
25:24over USC today in a fun one.
25:27Could set up a really, really good path
25:29for both Illinois and Purdue moving on.
25:32Purdue a victory today.
25:33They get the 4th seed in Michigan,
25:34who has dropped 3 straight to end out the regular season.
25:37Illinois wins.
25:38They get the 3 seed in UCLA.
25:41Should be very exciting stuff.
25:42In the Big 10 tournament.
25:44All right, let's go Big 12 tourney now as well.
25:46We are on to the quarterfinals.
25:48Thursday in Kansas City, which means 1 seed Houston.
25:52They enter the fold today.
25:542 seed Texas Tech.
25:553 seed Arizona.
25:57In DRS, the most compelling game in my estimation.
26:00BYU the 4 seed, and yet catching 3.5 points
26:03against Iowa State just two weeks ago
26:05at Hilton Coliseum.
26:07We saw this matchup.
26:08Went to double overtime.
26:10Got us 2 and over.
26:12Iowa State, though, dealing with some injury issues again.
26:15Tame and Lipsy, their point guard.
26:17Keyshawn Gilbert, one of their leaders.
26:19Both listed as game time decisions.
26:21Great show, by the way.
26:22Game time decisions ahead of this matchup in Kansas City.
26:26That's a tough one.
26:27You tell me to get a full gas Iowa State team.
26:29I love this team.
26:30I've been telling you that for the past two weeks.
26:31Them and also Texas Tech and the Big 12 have my eyes.
26:34But if you're down multiple starters,
26:36or they're injured at this point,
26:37there are decisions that you have to make.
26:39Is it most imperative that you make a run in the Big 12?
26:42Or understanding that you get a week off
26:43and you don't want to have these guys
26:44get that extra strain on their body for the big prize,
26:47which is the March Madness Dance.
26:48And BYU, no strangers to loving the 3 point shot.
26:51Iowa State will let you shoot the 3 point shot.
26:53And if that 3 point shot is going down,
26:55that's going to be an issue.
26:56But again, it's not home court advantage for BYU.
26:58It's neutral site.
26:59You're asking for the 3 ball to go down.
27:01I still lean towards Iowa State,
27:02but the good part about this is we'll know
27:04in just a short time.
27:05I think it's a 12.30 tip here Eastern
27:07of who those starters are going to be for Iowa State.
27:09So for me, holding off until we know exactly
27:12who's on that court, that's a big advantage today
27:14between BYU and Iowa State.
27:16It is indeed the first game today in KC.
27:19BYU catching 3.5 points.
27:21This Cougars team in its first year under Kevin Young
27:24playing great basketball right now.
27:26They end the regular season winners of 8 straight,
27:29covering in 7 of 8.
27:31Not their final one against Utah.
27:33They were a 12, 12.5 point favorite.
27:35Still won that game by double digits.
27:38Other games around the Big 12.
27:39Kansas had to go to OT last night against UCF.
27:42But the Jayhawks did end their regular season
27:44in the fog with a victory over Arizona
27:47who started off Big 12, play 11-2
27:49and then dropped 5 of its final 8.
27:52The Cats also hoping to start to play better basketball.
27:57Baylor is going to be a tournament team more than likely.
27:59Not playing all that great.
28:01Did hammer K-State yesterday.
28:03Texas Tech 5.5 point favorite.
28:06And Colorado has pulled off a couple of upsets so far
28:09in KC Mo.
28:11Now they're a 17.5 point dog against Houston.
28:15Big East quarterfinal Thursday as well
28:18inside Madison Square Garden.
28:20First game up, St. John's 12.5 point favorite
28:23against Butler Creighton.
28:2511.5 point favorite against a DePaul team.
28:28And Donnie, that second game on this Thursday afternoon
28:31incredibly intriguing.
28:33Xavier, an underdog ever so slightly against Marquette.
28:37If the season ended right here, right now,
28:39no bid stealers, no tremendous moves
28:42throughout the rest of conference-turning week.
28:44Sean Miller and his Musketeers would be dancing.
28:47But they're not trying to leave it up in the committee's hands
28:49if they can pull off a big one
28:51against the Golden Eagles today.
28:53Yeah, you know what this might come down to?
28:55Because they're two pretty evenly matchups
28:57as you see by the spread itself there.
28:58But take a look at this.
28:59Xavier in conference play, number one
29:00at getting to the free-throw line.
29:01How about Marquette?
29:02Number 11 out of 11 teams
29:04at getting to the free-throw line.
29:05Sometimes you need to steal some of those smaller advantages.
29:08That's a big-time advantage for Xavier
29:10if they can take advantage of the free-throw line today.
29:13We will see how it works out for them.
29:16Again, we are starting in 10 minutes
29:19after Bowling Green.
29:20First game, 8-10 action right after that.
29:23Maybe you forgot the name, Robbie Avila?
29:26Well, he plays for St. Louis.
29:27They're getting underway in Atlantic 10 action as well.
29:30Do you remember who that is?
29:32Yeah, the big guy with the glasses, right?
29:34Yeah.
29:35Yeah, for Indiana State.
29:36Now plays for SLU following his coach there to St. Louis.
29:40DRS, any other games that we look at here?
29:43Some more notable around the Thursday slate.
29:45Great one in the Mountain West.
29:47Basically a pick-em between San Diego State and Boise State.
29:50The Broncos trying to hunt down
29:52an NCAA tournament at large berth.
29:55Colorado State now the two-seed in the Mountain West tourney.
29:58Five-and-a-half point favorite.
29:59Utah State, UNLV.
30:01Akron, as we shared, now a 12-and-a-half point favorite.
30:04Miami of Ohio, by the way, five-and-a-half point favorite.
30:08They're the two-seed in the MAAC.
30:1014 conference wins.
30:12And again, CUSA action.
30:13Kennesaw State, slight favorite against New Mexico State.
30:17Or we focused here down at Dickey's Arena in Fort Worth, Texas,
30:21down there for the American Conference
30:23with Temple in Tulsa today.
30:25I did see a designation tag of questionable
30:28for Jamal Masperin, Jr.
30:29He's probably missed probably the last, what, 10 games or so for Temple.
30:32But their favorite to win today.
30:34I like those teams.
30:35Can you get on a run and your best player coming back?
30:37We don't know if he's actually coming back for the tournament,
30:39but those are the intriguing things that I like to take a look at as well.
30:41Sort of that lower-level competition
30:43when everybody's focused so much on the high majors.
30:45Injury information at this time of year is absolute king.
30:48See if you can find some of those gold nuggets
30:50if you do get some of these key players back.
30:52Three and a half points spread in favor of the Owls
30:56in plenty of great games.
30:58Big West Conference Tournament action
31:00that we'll highlight on the other side.
31:02We await UC San Diego entering the ring.
31:06DRS, have a great time on the Moneyline.
31:08I am sure plenty of college basketball handicaps
31:11coming the radio listeners' way.
31:13We continue here on TEL Next.
31:15Let's keep diving through a monumental Thursday
31:18during Conference Tournament Week in college basketball.
31:22Exactly one week away from the start of the round of 64
31:26in the men's NCAA tournament.
31:29In my estimation, the two greatest days on the calendar
31:32each and every season, sports or otherwise.
31:35Round of 64 Thursday and Friday.
31:38Next week. Next week. That is it.
31:42But a lot to figure out until then.
31:44The remainders of Conference Tournaments
31:46and, of course, on Selection Sunday.
31:4948 games.
31:5048 D1 men's college basketball games
31:53that start in just about five minutes
31:55in MAAC action, 8-10 action,
31:58and all the way through 11.30 p.m. Eastern time tonight
32:01with the final games on this Thursday tip.
32:04We're talking 14-plus hours of college basketball
32:08in a row on this Thursday.
32:11That is indeed a beautiful sight.
32:14Let's go back to some of the other notable games
32:16from this Thursday.
32:17If I'm not mistaken, and producer Joe Frizzo,
32:20please make sure we clarify,
32:21no tickets to the NCAA tournament at stake.
32:24No Conference Championship games on this Thursday.
32:28But we do have, thank you,
32:29many quarterfinal and semifinal games
32:32as we dive even deeper throughout Conference Tournament Week.
32:36A lot of great action in the Mountain West tourney.
32:39San Diego State and Boise State
32:41in a game that is basically a pick-em.
32:43If the Broncos can win,
32:45should be a quad one victory for Boise State.
32:48Would do a lot to bolster that NCAA tournament resume.
32:52There was a chance on Saturday night
32:54that Boise State was going to be the two seed
32:56or very high up in the Mountain West Conference Tournament
33:00in Las Vegas.
33:01But Colorado State went into Idaho
33:03and pulled off the upset over Boise State.
33:06CSU now a five and a half point favorite against the Vatican.
33:10Top team in this tournament,
33:11that is New Mexico.
33:12First regular season crowned in more than a decade.
33:15Richard Pitino and his Lobos,
33:1815 and a half point favorite today.
33:20That tournament played in Las Vegas.
33:22Of course, Richard's father, Rick,
33:24the one seed in the Big East tournament was St. John's.
33:27They're a double digit favorite against Butler.
33:30Let's talk some of that high major Conference Tournament action
33:33as well.
33:35And I do want to start in the Big East
33:37because man, what a game we have tonight
33:39in the world's most famous arena inside Madison Square Garden.
33:43Two great programs,
33:44two very recognizable programs in college hoops
33:49battling it out tonight, UConn and Villanova.
33:53Villanova yesterday, taking care of business
33:55as you would expect the Cats to do against Seton Hall.
33:59But that's just step number one.
34:01If Villanova has any hope,
34:03any outside hope of making the NCAA tournament,
34:07they need to beat UConn.
34:09They need to win their semifinal.
34:10More than likely,
34:11they need the automatic qualifier out of the Big East,
34:14but at least getting to conference title Saturday inside the Mecca
34:18would make things rather interesting.
34:20A six and a half point spread in favor of UConn.
34:25And again, I do think it bears repeating.
34:26We've said it a few times.
34:28Dan Hurley's Huskies during that first national championship run
34:32in 2022-23 was not overwhelmingly dominant in the Big East.
34:37They were 13-7 in the regular season,
34:39did not win the tournament title.
34:41That was Marquette that year in 2023.
34:44Last year, a different story,
34:46but still 13-7 in regular season action.
34:48UConn this year, 14-6,
34:51trying to play their best ball at this moment.
34:53They should beat Villanova.
34:54They're a six and a half point favorite tonight.
34:56We'll see if that comes through.
34:58Great game between Xavier and Marquette.
35:012.30 p.m. Eastern time.
35:03Again, the Musketeers, if the season ended right now
35:06and the committee had to release a bracket in two hours,
35:09Xavier would be in.
35:11But you want to make sure you stay in
35:13and you don't leave it up to fate or chance
35:15or any bid stealers out there.
35:17They're a two and a half point dog against the Marquette team
35:20that saw its fair share of struggles
35:22down the final two, three weeks or so
35:24of the Big East regular season.
35:26Big 10 tournament.
35:28Again, Indianapolis, just round number two
35:30of our top four teams still waiting with the double bye
35:34in the conference quarterfinal Friday as well.
35:39But the first game at noon, Indiana-Oregon, a huge one.
35:43This Hoosiers team is playing different,
35:45whether it's the resolve in the buy-in
35:47for their skipper in Mike Woodson
35:49or Mike Woodson saying,
35:51F it, I'm going to do what I want to do.
35:53I'm going to structure things the way I want.
35:55Indiana playing such better basketball.
35:58Wisconsin gets Max Klesmit back.
36:00That's huge to have their leader back on the floor.
36:02I like some points against this gritty Northwestern team.
36:05Illinois and Purdue now both double digit favorites.
36:09Great day in the SEC.
36:11Great day in the ACC.
36:13Huge one between North Carolina and Wake Forest
36:16around 2.30 p.m. Eastern time.
36:18It's a must win, can't lose for UNC.
36:22They lose, they're not getting to the NCAA tournament.
36:26And of course, a stellar Thursday
36:28in the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City.
36:31So much great stuff.
36:32Let's do it again tomorrow, huh?
36:348 a.m. Eastern time.