7:00 PM EST-ESPN2
17-6 (10-1) Tulsa
at 13-9 (6-4) Connecticut
PW's American Athletic Conference Game of Night
PW's Game of the Hour
17-6 (10-1) Tulsa
Lunardi's Bracketology: 11 Seed
Solid Wins:
-Auburn 53-35 in Semi-Final of MGM Grand Main Event.
-Temple 63-56 (Road)
-Connecticut 66-58 (Home)
-Memphis 73-59 (Home)
"Never Should Have Happened" Losses:
-Southeast Oklahoma State (Non Division I) 69-66 (Home)
Last Game:
-Lost To #23 SMU 68-57 (Home)
Key Players:
---#10 James Woodard (JR)
-14.9 PPG, 4.7 RPG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#3 Shaquille Harrison (JR)
-14.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 3.4 APG, & 1.9 SPG.
---#1 Rashad Smith (JR)
-8.6 PPG & 6.4 RPG.
---#40 D'Andre Wright (JR)
-7.6 PPG & 4.7 RPG.
---#15 Marquel Curtis (JR)
-7.5 PPG & 3.6 RPG.
---#5 Rashad Ray (JR)
-7.2 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 2.9 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
13-9 (6-4) Connecticut
Solid Wins:
-Dayton 75-64 in Semi-Final of Puerto-Rico Tip-Off
-Florida 63-59 (Road)
-Cincinnati 62-59 (Home)
Conference Losses:
-Temple 57-53 in Overtime (Home)
-Tulsa 66-58 (Road)
-Cincinnati 70-58 (Road)
-Houston 70-68 (Road)
Last Game:
-Win Against Tulane 62-53 (Road)
Key Players:
---#11 Ryan Boatright (SR)
-17.8 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 4.3 APG, & 1.4 SPG.
---#35 Amida Brimah (SO)
-10.0 PPG, 4.9 RPG, & 3.0 BPG.
---#5 Daniel Hamilton (FR)
-10.0 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 3.2 APG, & 1.1 SPG.
---#44 Rodney Purvis (SO)
-9.8 PPG & 2.2 RPG.
Prediction:
The Golden Hurricane has finally been decatorized for the first time since New Years as on Saturday night, the ranked SMU Mustangs went into Tulsa and weathered the storm in a 68-57 victory. Tulsa's dynamic duo of Woodard and Harrison just could not put the "biscut in the basket" and shot a combined eight for twenty-eight from the field for a combined twenty-five points total. That just will not get the job done for Tulsa. To go along with a poor shooting performances, the former conference undefeated allowed SMU star Nic Moore to have a great game of twenty-three points and seven assists. Tonight, the best guard duo in the American Athletic Association will try to drastically improve on offense and defense against last year's NCAA Tournament Champions. The Connecticut Huskies, like the Florida Gators, are not the same team as the year prior. UConn's best two players from the 2014 championship run, Shabazz Napier and DeAndre Daniels, both declared for the NBA after great individual seasons leaving guard Ryan Boatright as the only experienced talent. Do not get me wrong, Ryan Boatright is a great player and his stats prove that fact, but team losses to Yale and Houston are unacceptable from a program with so much storied history. The young trio for the Huskies are not bad players but a core group of youth in most cases, not including Kentucky, leads to limited success at a large scale. Currently, the possibility of UConn making the NCAA Tournament is looking very bleak, but I am positive Head Coach Kevin Ollie is determined not to lose to a conference new-comer twice in the same season. Tulsa has the better team and guards while Connecticut has the best player and home court advantage. I really cannot wait for this game! Too bad I see a team I really like, Tulsa, dropping their second straight game lessening their chance of getting an NCAA Tournament at-large bid even more.
---Connecticut 64, Tulsa 59
7:00 PM EST-ESPN3
15-10 (7-1) North Florida
at 18-7 (5-3) USC Upstate
PW's Atlantic-Sun Game of the Night
15-10 (7-1) North Florida
Lunardi's Bracketology: 15 Seed
Solid Wins:
-Purdue 73-70 (Road)
-Florida Gulf Coast 80-64 (Home)
-Northern Kentucky 74-66 (Road)
-Lipscomb 75-66 (Road)
Questionable Losses:
-Tennessee Tech 82-80 (Home)
-Austin Peay 65-60 (Road)
-USC Upstate 79-74 (Home)
Last Game:
-Win Against Jacksonville 77-50 (Home)
Key Players:
---#14 Dallas Moore (SO)
-15.8 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 4.0 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#2 Beau Beech (JR)
-12.6 PPG, 5.0 RPG, & 1.2 SPG.
---#35 Chris Davenport (SO)
-11.3 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.0 BPG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#0 Jalen Nesbitt (SR)
-10.2 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 3.0 APG, & 1.6 SPG.
---#11 Trent Mackey (JR)
-9.4 PPG & 1.8 RPG.
---#32 Demarcus Daniels (JR)
-9.1 PPG, 5.8 RPG, & 1.8 BPG.
18-7 (5-3) USC Upstate
Solid Wins:
-Georgia Tech 59-54 (Road)
-Mississippi State 53-51 in Jackson.
-UMKC 61-49 (Road)
-North Florida 79-74 (Road)
Conference Losses:
-Lipscomb 60-58 (Road)
-Northern Kentucky 66-65 (Home)
-Florida Gulf Coast 71-68 (Home)
Last Game:
-Win Against Kennesaw State 74-46 (Road)
Key Players:
---#5 Ty Greene (SR)
-19.4 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 2.3 APG, & 2.5 SPG.
---#32 Fred Miller (SR)
-12.5 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 4.1 APG, & 2.0 SPG.
---#44 Michael Buchanan (SO)
-9.6 PPG & 6.0 RPG.
---#10 Josh Cuthbertson (SO)
-6.6 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.0 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
Prediction:
---North Florida 70, USC Upstate 63
7:00 PM EST-ESPN
16-7 (7-3) Ole Miss
at 12-11 (5-5) Florida
PW's SEC Game of the Night
16-7 (7-3) Ole Miss
Lunardi's Bracketology: 10 Seed
Solid Wins:
-#23 Creighton 75-68 in Semi-Final of Emerald Coast Classic.
-Cincinnati 66-54 in Championship of Emerald Coast Classic.
-Oregon 79-73 (Road)
-Coastal Carolina 71-68 (Home)
-#19 Arkansas 96-82 (Road)
-Florida 72-71 (Home)
-Texas A&M 69-59 (Home)
"Never Shoulda Happened" Losses:
-Charleston Southern 66-65 in Overtime (Home)
-TCU 66-54 (Home)
-Western Kentucky 81-74 (Home)
Last Game:
-Win Against Auburn 86-79 (Road)
Key Players:
---#42 Stefan Moody (JR)
-15.5 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 2.3 APG, & 1.5 SPG.
---#32 Jarvis Summers (SR)
-13.1 PPG, 1.8 RPG, & 4.3 APG.
---#10 Ladarius White (SR)
-11.4 PPG & 3.2 RPG.
---#11 Sebastian Saiz (SO)
-7.5 PPG, 5.2 RPG, & 1.0 BPG.
---#4 M.J. Rhett (SR)
-6.7 PPG & 4.8 RPG.
12-11 (5-5) Florida
Conference Wins:
-South Carolina 72-68 (Road)
-Mississippi State 72-47 (Home)
-Auburn 75-55 (Home)
-Alabama 52-50 (Road)
-Arkansas 57-56 (Home)
Conference Losses:
-Georgia 73-61 (Road)
-LSU 79-61 (Home)
-Ole Miss 72-71 (Road)
-Vanderbilt 67-61 (Road)
Last Game:
-Loss To #1 Kentucky 68-61 (Home)
Key Players:
---#20 Michael Frazier II (JR)
-13.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, & 1.3 SPG.
---#10 Dorian Finney-Smith (JR)
-12.9 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 1.7 APG, & 1.2 SPG.
---#1 Eli Carter (JR)
-8.0 PPG, 2.1 RPG, & 1.8 APG.
---#0 Kasey Hill (SO)
-7.6 PPG, 2.2 RPG, & 4.2 APG.
---#21 Jon Horford (SR)
-6.4 PPG & 4.7 RPG.
Prediction:
(Sigh) Florida, a state that can be described as a dream destination with great weather, many attractions, and a disappointing basketball team. Last season, the Florida Gators were the number one overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and made the Final Four before eventually being defeated by the eventual champions, the UConn Huskies. This season is a totally different story. The Gators are without three of their top four scorers from last season (Casey Prather, Scottie Wilbekin, and Patric Young), and have had a rough overall season in both non-conference and conference play. Then why were they ranked seventh in Pre-Season Poll? The AP simply overrated them. Although, the Gators have two returning playmakers from last year in Michael Frazier II and Dorian Finney-Smith, normally a team must have more than two good players to win basketball games in a Power Six conference and be great. Florida's opponent tonight, the Ole Miss Rebels gave the undefeated Kentucky Wildcats their toughest test this season and if it was not for star Stefan Moody cramping up at the end of the game, they would have probably upset the best team in the nation. That fact alone should tell you what kind of team is in Oxford this season. Initially the Rebels looked bad to start the season as they dropped the opener to Charleson Southern at home, but everything started to click when conference play began and now they are predicted to be an NCAA Tournament team. Mississippi comes into tonight on a hot streak as they have won their last five matchups by an average margin of 8.8 points. Why the success? Probably because they have more than just Moody scoring the points. Fellow guards, Jarvis Summers and Ladarius White have also carried the workload along as both come into tonight averaging over eleven points per game. The previous meeting between these two teams, last season, ended in a slim four point victory in favor of Florida but tonight I see a Rebels win in another homecoming for Junior guard Stefen Moody as he is from Kissimmee, Florida, which is a suburb of Orlando. In addition, I look for Moody to play at the high level he has been (nineteen points per game in last three) and score twenty plus points.
---Ole Miss 67, Florida 63
9:00 PM EST-ESPN
13-11 (6-6) Michigan
at 16-8 (6-5) Illinois
PW's Big Ten Game of the Night
13-11 (6-6) Michigan
Solid Wins:
-Oregon 70-63 in Semi-Final of Legends Classic.
-Syracuse 68-65 in ACC/Big Ten Classic (Home)
-Illinois 73-65 in Overtime (Home)
-Minnesota 62-57 (Home)
-Nebraska 58-44 (Home)
"Never Shoulda Happened" & Double-Digit Conference Losses
-NJIT 72-70 (Home)
-Eastern Michigan 45-42 (Home)
-Purdue 64-51 (Road)
-Ohio State 71-52 (Road)
-Michigan State 76-66 in Overtime (Road)
-Iowa 72-54 (Home)
Last Game:
-Loss To Indiana 70-67 (Road)
Key Players:
---#21 Zak Irvin (SO)
-13.6 PPG, 4.0 RPG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#32 Ricky Doyle (FR)
-6.5 PPG & 2.9 RPG.
---#2 Spike Albrecht (JR)
-5.9 PPG, 2.3 RPG, & 3.6 APG.
16-8 (6-5) Illinois
Lunardi's Bracketology: 11 Seed & "Last Four In"
Solid Wins:
-Indiana State 88-62 in Semi-Final of Las Vegas Classic.
-Baylor 62-54 in Championship of Las Vegas Classic.
-Missouri 62-59 (in St. Louis)
-#11 Maryland 64-57 (Home)
-Purdue 66-57 (Home)
Losses to Unranked Opponents:
-Oregon 77-70 (in Chicago)
-Michigan 73-65 in Overtime (Road)
-Nebraska 53-43 (Road)
-Indiana 80-74 (Home)
-Minnesota 79-71 (Road)
Last Game:
-Win Against Michigan State 59-54 (Home)
Key Players:
---#24 Rayvonte Rice (SR)
-17.2 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 2.2 APG, & 1.8 SPG.
---#21 Malcolm Hill (SO)
-14.8 PPG, 5.4 RPG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#25 Kendrick Nunn (SO)
-11.5 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.0 APG, & 1.3 SPG.
---#11 Aaron Cosby (JR)
-7.8 PPG, 3.6 RPG, & 1.7 APG.
---#3 Amhed Starks (SR)
-7.7 PPG & 2.5 APG.
---#32 Nnanna Egwu (SR)
-7.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, & 1.8 BPG.
Prediction:
Heeeeeeeeeeeeeee's Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaccccckkkkk! Rayvonte Rice, ladies and gentlemen will be back on the floor tonight for a team in Joe Lunardi's "Last Four In," the Illinois Fighting Illini. Rice, who leads the Fighting Illini in points and rebounds per game, broke his left hand in a team practice on January 6 and has missed the last nine games. Without Rice, youngsters Malcolm Hill and Kendrick Nunn have stepped up and became better players as they received a little taste of how things will be next year without Rice since he is a Senior. During their star Senior's absence, Hill averaged 18.6 points per game while Nunn averaged 17.2 points per game. Even if Rice plays very limited minutes tonight, I believe Illinois will be fine against a Michigan team dealing with injuries of their own. I think the Michigan Wolverines are looking forward to the 2015-2016 season at this point in the year. Losses to NJIT and Eastern Michigan and injuries to star Caris Levert (foot; out for season) and Derrick Walton Jr. (foot) have plagued the Wolverines and will most likely keep them out of the NCAA Tournament. I know I said that whoever won the first matchup between these two teams would make the tournament and the other would not, but I never guessed LeVert would get a foot injury causing him to miss the rest of the season. Besides, Illinois let the game get away as they had a thirteen-point lead halfway through the second half. Currently Michigan has no momentum whatsoever as they are on a three game losing streak with two of the defeats coming by double-digit margins. I feel tonight is the easiest matchup to pick as both teams are headed in different directions. I really do not forsee Rice playing more than twenty minutes, but his presence will raise his teammates spirits and send them to the win colum for the fourth straight game.
---Illinois 67, Michigan 56
9:00 PM EST-PAC-12 Network
16-7 (7-4) Stanford
at 18-4 (8-2) 11. Utah
PW's PAC-12 Game of the Night
PW's Game of the Hour
16-7 (7-4) Stanford
Lunardi's Bracketology: 10 Seed
Solid Wins:
-UNLV 89-60 in Semi-Final of the Coaches Vs. Cancer Classic.
-#9 Texas 74-71 (Road)
-#21 Washington 68-60 in Overtime (Home)
-Connecticut 72-59 (Home)
-Washington 84-74 (Road)
Conference Losses:
-UCLA 86-81 in Overtime (Road)
-#7 Arizona 89-82 (Home)
-Washington State 89-88 (Road)
-UCLA 69-67 (Home)
Last Game:
-Win Against USC 70-62 (Home)
Key Players:
---#5 Chasson Randle (SR)
-20.3 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.7 APG, & 1.5 SPG.
---#21 Anthony Brown (SR)
-15.8 PPG, 7.3 RPG, & 2.9 APG.
---#4 Stefan Nastic (SR)
-13.8 PPG, 6.9 RPG, & 1.2 BPG.
---#25 Rosco Allen (JR)
-8.8 PPG & 5.0 RPG.
---#22 Reid Travis (FR)
-6.7 PPG & 6.0 RPG.
18-4 (8-2) 11. Utah
Lunardi's Bracketology: 3 Seed
Solid Wins:
-#8 Wichita State 69-68 in Overtime (Home)
-BYU 65-61 (Road)
-UNLV 59-46 (in Las Vegas)
-UCLA 71-39 (Home)
-Colorado 74-49 (Home)
-Washington 77-56 (Home)
Only Losses:
-#16 San Diego State 53-49 (Road)
-#10 Kansas 63-60 (in Kansas City)
-#10 Arizona 69-51 (Road)
-UCLA 69-59 (Road)
Last Game:
-Win Against Colorado 79-51 (Road)
Key Players:
---#55 Delon Wright (SR)
-14.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 5.6 APG, & 2.1 SPG.
---#11 Brandon Taylor (JR)
-11.1 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 3.5 APG, & 1.4 SPG.
---#21 Jordan Loveridge (JR)
-10.5 PPG & 4.1 RPG.
---#42 Jakob Poeltl (FR)
-9.0 PPG, 7.7 RPG, & 1.9 BPG.
---#14 Dakarai Tucker (JR)
-7.8 PPG & 2.2 RPG.
---#0 Brekkott Chapman (FR)
-6.5 PPG & 2.5 RPG.
Prediction:
10 seed? Really we are going to do this again? When will the Stanford Cardinal begin to get the respect they deserve? Hilariously to me is the fact that currently Joe Lunardi has Stanford as a ten seed in the same four team bracket with a familiar two seed, the Kansas Jayhawks. In case you do not remember how Stanford/Kansas turned out in the NCAA Tournament last year, let me give you a hint...the Jayhawk did not land safely on the tree. Once again Stanford is in the hunt and has argaubly the best offensive trio in the conference in Chasson Randle, Anthony Brown, and Stefan Nastic. The three Seniors average a total of 49.9 points per game, which is more than half of their team's points per game average! As of late though, Stanford has been edged twice by one and two points to Washington State and UCLA respectively. Stanford's problem in the Washington State Cougars game was that the defense allowed WSU to shoot 55.3% from the field while against UCLA, Nastic and Randle shot a combined eight for twenty-four from the field for only twenty three points total. The Stanford offense will have their hands full tonight with one of the best defenses in the league. The Utah Utes, known for their shut-down defense that holds opponents to an average of fifty-six points per game, do not have that bad of an offense in the rare occasion that their defense is takes a night off. Delon Wright, who leads the team in points and assists, is having a great senior year while receiving national attention by being named to the Wooden Award Late Season Top 20 list. But Wright is not the only player on the Utes that can make a difference. Brandon Taylor, Jordan Loveridge, and Jacob Poeltl are all other weapons that present targets for Delon Wright to facilitate to. The last loss for the Utes came on January 29 as the UCLA Bruins upset them by ten in Los Angeles. At the end of the night I feel the UCLA game will still be the Utes last loss. It will be a very competitive, back & forth game, but I feel Utah's defense will make the difference. Both teams almost average the same amount of points offensively, therefore Stanford's defense will need to find a way to stop Delon Wright's effectiveness and penetration. Do not miss this game my friends! Two of the best point guards in the country are going to star! And both will want to get their team the win.
---Utah 75, Stanford 70
9:00 PM EST-ESPN2
18-5 (10-2) Saint Mary's
at 18-8 (8-5) BYU
PW's West Coast Conference Game of the Night
18-5 (10-2) Saint Mary's
Solid Wins:
-New Mexico State 83-71 (Home)
-UC Irvine 72-69 (Home)
-Creighton 71-67 in Overtime (Road)
-Northeastern 72-68 in Overtime (Home)
-Pepperdine 68-59 (Road)
-San Diego 70-58 (Home)
-BYU 82-77 (Home)
Losses to Unranked Opponents:
-Boise State 82-71 (Home)
-Northern Arizona 73-71 (Home)
-Pepperdine 67-62 (Home)
Last Game:
-Win Against Pacific 73-58 (Home)
Key Players:
---#00 Brad Waldow (SR)
-20.0 PPG, 9.4 RPG, & 2.4 APG.
---#3 Kerry Carter (SR)
-12.4 PPG, 5.3 RPG, & 1.6 SPG.
---#20 Aaron Bright (SR)
-10.6 PPG, 2.0 RPG, & 3.8 APG.
---#22 Garrett Jackson (SR)
-7.7 PPG & 4.5 RPG.
---#41 Emmett Naar (FR)
-7.0 PPG, 1.8 RPG, & 4.8 APG.
18-8 (8-5) BYU
Solid Wins:
-Long Beach State 95-90 (Home Opener)
-Utah State 91-81 (Road)
-Hawaii 90-70 (in Salt Lake City)
-Stanford 79-77 (Home)
-Massachusetts 77-71 in Overtime (Home)
-Portland 97-88 (Home)
-Santa Clara 81-46 (Road)
Non-Ranked Opponent Losses:
-Purdue 87-85 in Overtime in 5th Place Game of Maui Invitational.
-Pepperdine 67-61 (Home)
-Saint Mary's 82-77 (Road)
-San Diego 77-74 (Road)
-Pepperdine 80-74 (Road)
Last Game:
-Win Against Loyola Marymount 87-68 (Road)
Key Players:
---#3 Tyler Haws (SR)
-22.5 PPG, 4.4 RPG, & 2.4 APG.
---#20 Anson Winder (SR)
-14.0 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 1.9 APG, & 1.3 SPG.
---#1 Chase Fischer (JR)
-13.4 PPG, 2.1 RPG, & 2.3 APG.
---#5 Kyle Collinsworth (JR)
-13.0 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 5.8 APG, & 2.0 SPG.
---#23 Skylar Halford (SR)
-7.4 PPG, 1.7 RPG, & 2.4 APG.
Prediction:
With these two talented teams in the West Coast Conference it would be unfortunate if neither makes the NCAA Tournament and the WCC falls back to a one-bid conference. Currently neither team is in Joe Lunardi's "First Four Out" or "Next Four Out" but the team with the best chance of making the "Big Dance" at the moment is Saint Mary's Gaels. The Gaels come into tonight's showdown with only two conference losses and one of those came to Gonzaga. Saint Mary's is led by Senior double-double machine Brad Waldow, who is a four year starter and arguably the best big man in the state of a California. What makes Saint Mary's so good has to be their team's unselfishness. Currently, the Gaels average the fifteenth most assists per game in the country at 16.3. Also, competing in the red and blue with Waldow is former Stanford point guard Aaron Bright and sharpshooter Kerry Carter. But with the opponent Saint Mary's is facing tonight, the most important side of the court is not the offensive but the defensive. BYU, Brigham Young University, has the highest scoring offense in the nation and the second highest scoring player in the country (Tyler Haws). Honestly, since Tyler Haws stepped on campus in Provo, Utah, I have been a huge fan. What's better than a kid that can score thirty on any given night for a mid-major school? To me nothing is better. But this season, despite the great numbers, Haws has not gotten as much attention as his teammate, Kyle Collinsworth. Collinsworth is a true "stat-sheet stuffer" that has the record of the most NCAA triple-doubles in a single-season with five! Five in one season is unfathomable but I have seen every one with my own eyes. With the quality of team Saint Mary's has, they should be able to stop two great players...right? Well, BYU has two more weapons to go along with Haws and Collinsworth. Although, Anson Winder and Chase Fischer do not get much attention, I guarantee their combined 27.4 points per game would be missed and the Cougars would not be as good as they are without them. Though, BYU has played very awful of late with three losses to teams other than Saint Mary's and Gonzaga. Those three losses, two to Pepperdine and one to San Diego, could be the nail that pops BYU's NCAA Tournament at-large bid chances. Really, BYU needs to win out including tonight and their conference finale at number two ranked Gonzaga to have a legitimate chance to make the "Big Dance." So who am I going with tonight? Well I really feel like Saint Mary's is the better team shown in their 82-77 victory last month, but the game is in Provo. Also, I am a very loyal fan and I CANNOT PICK AGAINST TYLER HAWS IN HIS SENIOR YEAR UNLESS HE IS FACING A TOP TEN NATIONALLY RANKED TEAM. Is Saint Mary's ranked? Exactly. Go Cougars!
---BYU 77, Saint Mary's 75
10:30 PM EST
13-12 (7-2) Long Beach State
at 11-11 (4-4) UC Santa Barbara
PW's Big West Game of the Night
PW's Game of the Hour
13-12 (7-2) Long Beach State
Solid Wins:
-Kansas State 69-60 (Home)
-Western Michigan 73-55 in Quarterfinal of Wooden Legacy.
-Xavier 73-70 in Third Place Game of Wooden Legacy.
-UC Irvine 88-82 (Road)
-UC Santa Barbara 69-53 (Home)
-Hawaii 65-50 (Home)
Conference Losses:
-UC Davis 73-67 in Overtime (Road)
Last Game:
-Loss To UC Irvine 56-55 (Home)
Key Players:
---#5 Mike Caffey (SR)
-17.4 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.7 APG, & 2.0 SPG.
---#11 David Samuels (SR)
-10.0 PPG & 7.1 RPG.
---#1 Tyler Lamb (SR)
-9.0 PPG & 3.9 RPG.
---#14 Branford Jones (SO)
-7.0 PPG, 2.9 RPG, & 1.0 SPG.
11-11 (4-4) UC Santa Barbara
Solid Wins:
-Washington State 71-43 in Quarterfinal of Great Alaska Shootout.
-Mercer 65-50 in Overtime in Semi-Final of Great Alaska Shootout.
-Vermont 64-57 (Home)
-Florida Gulf Coast 63-50 (Home)
Conference Losses:
-Cal State Northridge 74-63 (Home)
-Long Beach State 69-53 (Road)
-UC Davis 70-64 (Road)
-UC Irvine 77-55 (Road)
Last Game:
-Win Against Hawaii 75-74 (Home)
Key Players:
---#15 Alan Williams (SR) (DNP Against Hawaii, Shoulder Injury)
-17.1 PPG, 11.6 RPG, 2.1 BPG, & 1.1 SPG.
---#24 Michael Bryson (JR)
-13.4 PPG & 4.5 RPG.
---#31 John Green (JR)
-11.0 PPG & 4.5 RPG.
---#2 Gabe Vincent (FR)
-10.1 PPG & 2.1 RPG.
---#3 Zalmico Harmon (SR)
-6.4 PPG & 4.2 RPG.
Prediction:
---Long Beach State 66, UC Santa Barbara 65
11:00 PM EST-ESPNU
11-14 (5-8) Santa Clara
at 9-16 (3-10) San Francisco
11-14 (5-8) Santa Clara
Solid Wins:
-Rider 68-60 in 7th Place Game of Orlando Classic.
-Washington State 76-67 (Home)
-Pacific 57-40 (Road)
-San Diego 59-56 (Home)
-San Francisco 70-64 (Home)
-Pepperdine 60-57 (Home)
Single-Digit Conference Losses:
-San Diego 69-64 (Road)
Last Game:
-Loss To Portland 74-54 (Home)
Key Players:
---#3 Brandon Clark (SR)
-15.9 PPG, 3.7 RPG, & 3.8 APG.
---#23 Jared Brownridge (SO)
-14.6 PPG, 3.1 RPG, & 2.7 APG.
---#20 Denzel Johnson (SR)
-8.1 PPG & 2.9 RPG.
---#22 Matt Hubbard (FR)
-7.6 PPG & 4.4 RPG.
9-16 (3-10) San Francisco
Solid Wins:
-Hawaii 88-73 in Quarterfinal of Gulf Coast Showcase.
-Montana 76-57 (Home)
-Portland 89-77 (Road)
-Pepperdine 71-59 (Home)
Single-Digit Conference Losses:
-San Diego 57-56 (Home)
-Santa Clara 70-64 (Road)
-Loyola Marymount 70-69 (Home)
-BYU 78-74 (Road)
-San Diego 77-69 (Road)
Last Game:
-Loss To #2 Gonzaga 81-70 (Home)
Key Players:
---#15 Kruize Pinkins (SR)
-15.0 PPG & 5.2 RPG.
---#23 Mark Tollefsen (JR)
-14.5 PPG & 5.1 RPG.
---#32 Tim Derksen (SR)
-11.5 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.5 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#21 Devin Watson (FR)
-7.8 PPG, 2.3 RPG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#5 Matt Glover (SR)
-6.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 3.2 APG, & 1.4 SPG.
Prediction:
---San Francisco 70, Santa Clara 63
11:59 PM EST
11-12 (4-5) UC Riverside
at 16-9 (4-5) Hawaii
PW's Game of the Hour
11-12 (4-5) UC Riverside
Solid Wins:
-Abilene Christian 76-56 (Home)
-Portland State 88-62 (Home)
-Hawaii 66-62 (Home)
Conference Losses:
-UC Irvine 69-55 (Road)
-UC Davis 74-61 (Home)
-UC Santa Barbara 83-75 (Road)
-Cal Poly 68-49 (Road)
-Long Beach State 68-63 (Road)
Last Game:
-Win Against Cal State Fullerton 71-66 in Overtime (Road)
Key Players:
---#5 Taylor Johns (JR)
-16.6 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 2.0 APG, 2.0 BPG, & 1.2 SPG.
---#1 Jaylen Bland (JR)
-15.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, & 1.4 SPG.
---#0 Nick Gruninger (SR)
-5.7 PPG & 3.1 APG.
16-9 (4-5) Hawaii
Solid Wins:
-Pittsburgh 74-70 (Home)
-East Carolina 75-73 in Fifth Place Game of Gulf Coast Showcase.
-Nebraska in Quarterfinal of Diamond Head Classic (Home).
-Colorado 69-66 in Third Place Game of Diamond Head Classic (Home).
-UC Davis 84-76 (Home)
Questionable Losses:
-San Francisco 88-73 in Quarterfinal of Gulf Coast Showcase.
-Cal Poly 61-57 in Overtime (Home)
-UC Riverside 66-62 (Road)
Last Game:
-Loss To UC Santa Barbara 75-74 (Road)
Key Players:
---#23 Aaron Valdes (SO)
-14.5 PPG, 5.4 RPG, & 2.0 SPG.
---#1 Garrett Nevels (SR)
-10.7 PPG & 4.5 RPG.
---#0 Isaac Fleming (FR)
-9.5 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 2.0 APG, & 1.2 SPG.
---#33 Stefan Jankovic (SO)
-9.4 PPG & 3.7 RPG.
---#25 Mike Thomas (SO)
-8.6 PPG, 4.0 RPG, & 1.2 BPG.
---#5 Roderick Bobbitt (JR)
-8.5 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 5.8 APG, & 3.2 SPG.
---#14 Negus Webster-Chan (SO)
-7.7 PPG & 4.3 RPG.
Prediction:
The first matchup was amazing...tonight though, I do not expect a great game. UC Riverside was able to pull out a huge home win earlier this year against tonight's opponent the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. Both teams' leading scorers, Hawaii's Aaron Valdes and Riverside's Taylor Johns, had rough outings as Valdes shot one for twelve for two points while Johns shot three for nine for seven points on the night. Picking up the scoring slack for the Highlanders' was Steven Thornton who had a career-high twenty-two points in the loss while Stefan Jankovic led Hawaii with a career-high seventeen points. Since the first meeting, UC Riverside is 2-3 while Hawaii is 3-3 meaning no huge momentum is being carried into this evening. Really, I feel UC Riverside played one of their best games of the season against Hawaii as they shut down Valdes and held the Rainbow Warriors to 35.0% shooting. Is it really realistic to expect a great player like Valdes to have another poor shooting performance against a team that I am sure he has studied film for and has adjusted to in his home gym? I just do not see the his current five game slump continuing (30.6% from the field and averaging 9.4 points per game) in a revenge game such as this one. I know the Highlanders have good weapons like Johns and Bland, but compared to Hawaii's, the two will not be able to compete.
---Hawaii 67, UC Riverside 54
PW's Prediction Record Coming into Today: 129-47 (51-14 in the MVC)
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