3/10 Conference Tournament Daily Breakdown
ACC Tournament: 2 Games
(12) Boston College vs. (13) Georgia Tech
TV: 1 PM ET, ESPN2
Location: Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina
Line: BC (-2)
My Pick: Boston College by mid-single digits
(11) Wake Forest vs. (14) Virginia Tech
TV: 3 PM ET, ESPN2
Location: Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina
Line: Wake (-4.5)
My Pick: Wake Forest by high single digits
Horizon League Tournament: 1 Game
(1) Valparaiso vs. (2) Green Bay
TV: 7 PM ET, ESPN
Location: Athletics-Recreation Center, Valparaiso, Indiana
Line: Valpo (-2.5)
My Pick: Valparaiso by mid-high single digits
MEAC Tournament: 2 Games
(8) Bethune Cookman vs. (9) Coppin State
TV: 6:00 PM ET, ESPN3
Location: Norfolk Scope Arena, Norfolk, Virginia
Line: Coppin State (-2.5)
My Pick: Coppin State by low single digits
(10) North Carolina A&T vs. (7) South Carolina State
TV: 8 PM ET, ESPN3
Location: Norfolk Scope Arena, Norfolk, Virginia
Line: NCAT (-1.5)
My Pick: South Carolina State by low single digits
Northeast Conference Tournament: 1 Game
(1) St. Francis NY vs. (2) Robert Morris
TV: 7 PM ET, ESPN2
Location: Pope Physical Education Center, Brooklyn, New York
Line: SFNY (-5)
My Pick: St. Francis by mid-single digits
SWAC Tournament: 1 Game
(8) Alcorn State vs. (9) Grambling State
TV: 9:30 PM ET, Streaming on Team Sites
Location: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Line: Alcorn (-10)
My Pick: Alcorn by 12+
Summit League Tournament: 1 Game
(1) South Dakota State vs. (2) North Dakota State
TV: 9 PM ET, ESPN2
Location: Denny Sanford Premier Center, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Line: SDST (-5.5)
My Pick: South Dakota State by low single digits
West Coast Conference Tournament: 1 Game
(2) BYU vs. (1) Gonzaga
TV: 9 PM ET, ESPN
Location: Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
Line: Gonzaga (-6.5)
My Pick: Gonzaga by high single digits
Team with the Biggest Chance of an Upset: (13) Georgia Tech over (12) Boston College- In the first game of the day, the Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech are set to face off against the Eagles of Boston College at 1 PM ET. At first glance, this game seems to be BC's for the taking. The maroon and gold Eagles have played as good as anybody lately, with three straight wins (Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, NC State) and a couple close road losses (Florida State, Pitt). However, Georgia Tech is no joke. This team played a bunch of really close, one-two possession games in conference play so far this season. I would list all the games, but that would take too long. Here's just a short list of the most impressive close losses: 2OT Loss vs. Notre Dame, one point loss to Syracuse, 6 point loss to Duke, and one point loss to Louisville. Needless to say, this team can play the top dogs in the conference tough. Their leader, junior guard Marcus Georges-Hunt is one of the best drivers in the conference, and can cause a lot of problems for even the best of teams. He is putting up career highs in points (13.6), rebounds (5.5) and field goal percentage (43.1%). If he can add the outside shot to his arsenal, this dude could quickly become a very dangerous weapon for next season. This team also boasts two rock solid big men inside with Demarco Cox and Charles Mitchell. Neither one of these guys are double digit scorers, but they both have proven to be hard workers in the paint who can finish through contact. For Boston College, the name of the game is simple: get it to Olivier Hanlan, and let him go to work. The junior is averaging career highs in points (19.4) assists (4.4) and three point percentage (36.2%). I'm not expecting an upset here, but it's the highest possibility of the day. Honorable mentions include NDSU over SDSU, Robert Morris over SFNY, and Green Bay over Valparaiso.
Team with the Highest Chance of a Blowout: (8) Alcorn State over (9) Grambling State- Four words: Don't watch this game. The SWAC one of, if not the weakest conference in all of D-1 college basketball, has only one game on tonight: a first round clash between the Alcorn State Braves and the Grambling State Tigers. You know what, let’s rephrase that. A first round "scuffle" between the Alcorn State Braves and Grambling State Tigers. All jokes aside, this game should not be watched by anybody unless you are a fan of the SWAC or a fan of either one of the teams playing. One of these teams, Alcorn State, is at least watchable. The Braves have a decent offense, with a couple of nice options to choose from in their half court set. One of those options is all-SWAC first team stud LeAntwan Luckett. Luckett, a junior wing from Ridgeland, Missouri, is playing the best basketball of his rock solid career right now. He's averaging a career high 16.3 points per game while also dishing out a respectable 1.8 assists and grabbing over 3 boards a contest. Not jaw dropping numbers, but not bad either. Another big player for this team is big man Marquis Vance. The sophomore is averaging around 13 points and 8 boards per contest, while also boasting a respectable 1.6 assists per contest. His field goal percentage (37.4%) is the only thing holding him back from SWAC stardom. The Tigers of Grambling State on the other hand, are one of the three worst teams in college basketball. Grambling, Arkansas State and Florida A&M are the only two win teams in the nation, and Grambling could very well be the worst of the bunch. Bottom line: this game has blowout written all over it, and don't waste your time tuning in with so many better options around the college basketball world.
Game of the Day: (2) BYU vs. (1) Gonzaga- Take notes, SWAC. This game, a rematch between the two best teams in an underrated conference, is by far the game of the day in my eyes. Less than two weeks ago, it was the Cougars pulling off one of the biggest upsets of the year, beating the previously unbeaten at home Zags on their home floor. Oh yeah, it was also on senior day. Approximately 10 days later, the Zags are seeking revenge on their bitter rivals. Personally, I'm rooting for Gonzaga, as the BYU Cougars easily took care of one of my favorite teams, the Portland Pilots last night by double digit points. Kyle Collinsworth, one of the most underrated players in the country, went for his fifth triple double of the year in that game. For the season, Kyle is averaging 13.5 ppg, 8.7 rpg, and 5.9 apg for the year. Combine that with star player Tyler Haws's 22.1 ppg, and you already have one of the most prolific scoring teams in the league. Toss in rock solid guys like Anson Winder and Chase Fischer, and you have an elite offense. And that is exactly what the BYU Cougars have. On the season, the Cougars rank 2nd in the country in PPG, trailing only the gunners over at Northwestern State (by .1 points). They also do a great job sharing the ball, dishing out 17 assists per game, good enough for 5th in the country. To sum it up, when BYU is hitting threes, this is arguably the most dangerous offensive team in the nation. Thankfully for the Cougars, they are almost always hitting threes. As a team, BYU has shot 38.8% from deep on 8.5 made threes per contest. As for the Zags, this is a team on a mission. All season long, Mark Few and his squad have been hearing the same things from haters and analysts all around the globe: the Zags are overrated. For months, the haters had nothing to use as proof, until 10 days back when they faced off against the Cougars, and lost at home. Gonzaga didn't look great against San Francisco in their first game, but rebounded nicely for an easy win over a rock solid Pepperdine squad in the semis. With Kyle Wiltjer healthy, this team is easily one of the ten best in the nation. I got the bloodthirsty Zags taking this one, but don't be shocked if the Cougars come to play.
Picks from Yesterday: 10/13
Overall Picks for 2014-15 Tournaments: 61/79 (77.2%)
