The best college basketball handicappers all share one common trait: Wins! And the against the spread picks by collegebasketballeyetest.com have had a successful 2021-2022 season. Every Saturday, Matty D. shares his picks on Twitter on the hashtag #SuspectSpreadsSaturday. The phrase alerts fans about which Vegas spreads look suspect, or questionable.
During the regular season, this website boasted a 70-49 record against the spread. That’s a winning percentage of 59%.
Unfortunately, the tide turned during March Madness. Handicapper Matty D. went a woeful 4-10 with his published picks during the NCAA Tournament (below). The good news is that he spotted two large underdogs (+7 or greater) who won their games outright. The winning selections are in below below.
Looking for the best long-shots to win March Madness?CLICK HERE!
My record against the spread this season is 70-49-2 as of March 7, 2022.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL PICKS FOR FIRST/SECOND ROUND OF THE TOURNAMENT:
These picks appear in order of confidence level, from the lowest confidence pick at 12 all the way down to the most confident pick at number one.
14. Delaware Hens +15.5 vs. Villanova 13. Longwood Lancers +16.5 vs. Tennessee 12. Providence Friars -2.5 vs. South Dakota State 11. Davidson +1.5 vs. Michigan State 10. UCLA -13.5 vs. Akron 9. Arkansas -5.5 vs. Vermont 8. *New Mexico State +7 vs. UCONN 7. LSU -4 vs. Iowa State 6. Norfolk State +21.5 vs. Baylor 5. *Richmond Spiders +10.5 vs. Iowa 4. Loyola -1.5 vs. Ohio State 3. UAB +8.5 vs. Houston 2. V-Tech +1.5 vs. Texas 1. USC -1.5 vs. Miami
My final record ATS for 2021-2022 including the tournament was 74-59-2 (56%).
Honorable mention: If you are a fan of Big Ten basketball, a 3 team money line parlay with Indiana, Wisconsin and Illinois could make sense. Each team will fluctuate between a 4 to 7 point favorite, but could all win a close game. If you like Indiana, they sit in a similar position as a small favorite against Wyoming in the play-in game.
Check out some of our Elite 8 Articles Trending Now! Just click on your pick below…
Select the seed to survive and advance to the next article!
My bracket is nuts but these are the crazy upsets I could actually see happening. #LSU stops the streak for 6 seeds in an incredible rally without Will Wade. UAB solidifies Conference USA as America’s fav underdog conference, but falls to #UCLA in the title game. #MarchMadnesspic.twitter.com/4RfPzgqER0
The collegebasketballeyetest.com bracket features a 12 seed in the national title game.
Matty D’s Philosophy for College Basketball Picks Against the Spread
Just like a Thursday or Friday in mid-March, a Saturday offers the widest sample size of games to choose from. If you’re a college basketball fan, you’re probably familiar with the power 5 schools. If you’re a better, it’s also good to get familiar with a few mid-major conferences. For example, I have gotten cozy with the Conference USA and American conferences over the years. This familiarity helped me go undefeated with 7 correct picks (and one tie) in the selections below.
#SuspectSpreadsSaturday: Take #Baylor -8, Providence +6.5, Murray State -3.5, LA Tech +9.5, #WVU +3.5, Northern Iowa +3.5, +WKY +2.5, Memphis +5.5, #Zags -8
Underdogs like Providence and Western Kentucky proved their worth early in the season.
My rule is to always bet any 6 point (or more) underdog to cover the first half. If and when an underdog challenges a favorite, it’s normally off of adrenaline and a lack of familiarity in the first half. I would always wager a dollar amount equal to, or slightly more than, the entire point line for the game. I would also traditionally bet 10-30% of that dollar amount on the money line. If I really believe that a 6 point underdog will win the game, I might bet 30% of my point line bet on the money line. For example, if I bet $10 on Providence to cover a 6.5 point spread, I would bet $3 on them to win the game outright. The money-line odds in that situation would be somewhere in the ballpark of 2-1 or 3-1. The advantage to being able to play on sports betting apps is that you don’t have to pay the traditional $5 or $10 minimums per bets at the physical casino. This helps betting on a budget. On FanDuel’s app you can make a minimum bet of 9 cents whereas DraftKings offers a 10 cent minimum.
If you or someone you know is struggling to set limits with sports betting, help is available.
Matty D’s Running Tally of ATS Picks for College Basketball Season
Here is a running tally of the college basketball sports betting picks for the 2021-2022 season with the newest up top.
I’m 11-4-1 #ATS so far this season, so beware my #SuspectSpreadsSaturday are due for losses! That said, tomorrow I’m taking Auburn+14 at Neb, BYU-5.5 at Creighton, #Mizzou +25 at #Kubball and Zona-2 at Illinois. Those underdog spreads maybe deserved but not sustainable. #RoadTrip
There is a rich history of 6 footish (and under) guards who were set to upset March Madness when their number was called. Here are some of the dangerous scorers who may be overlooked, quite literally, by their competition.
The saying normally goes, “he only needs an inch” to score. And while watching the Tar Heels try to triple team Alex Hunter around the 3 point line earlier this season, I thought: “maybe he just needs a centimeter” to score.
Hunter shoots 46% from the field and 43 percent from the 3 point line. He creates space with ease in a James Harden-like step back dribble. Hunter scored 17 against Louisville, 30 against UNC, and 21 against Mississippi State in the 2021-2022 campaign. So he welcomes the big moment.
Hunter also averages north of 3 assists per game.
I warned you guys about this dude Alex Hunter at #Furman now he is putting a real scare in Chapel Hill. #UNC#Tarheels double teaming him at the 3pt line because they’re tied up at half!!! pic.twitter.com/lVPP87qedJ
Jamaree Bouyee is a super senior who, like a fine wine, has been chilling and ready to show his game has gotten better with age. Saying someone can score in all three levels is cliche. Bouyee has that old cliche on lockdown. He can dance around the three point line to create his own show. Bouyee is solid shooting the ball off a screen in a midrange. And he has been seen to start and finish his own fast break.
The San Francisco Dons are part of a very strong WCC conference. You could say the league is stronger than the ACC. The Dons and their two guards emulate another West Coast backcourt in the Portland Trailblazers with Lillard and McCollum. Bouyee’s backcourt mate Khalil Shabazz is another dangerous scoring combo guard.
He scored 29 against Ohio State and then 26 against Florida en route to a Sweet 16 berth. With Oral Roberts tangling with some other Summit League opponents in conference this season, he has somehow slipped off the radar.
#OralRoberts takes a modest 6-5 record into conference play, but Max Abmas settles right back into Summit League conference play. He scored 22 in the first half and just hit a dagger 3 late at South Dakota. (Tasos Kamateros looked great for the Coyotes). pic.twitter.com/Y2CQsBBA08
Watching Darius McGhee is like watching Spud Webb with a modern step-back 3 point jump shot in his arsenal. McGhee has an insanely high vertical leap and can attack the rim with bad intentions. Yet, he shoots 41 percent from the 3pt line (Spud averaged 31% over his NBA career.).
Here are December’s most epic match-ups around the college basketball 2021-2022 season.
These are my choice for the top 4 games in December and why…
4. December 30, 2021 Arizona vs. UCLA
Before the season tipped, it was a foregone conclusion by the “experts” that UCLA would win the PAC-12 conference in convincing fashion. And as Arizona State head football coach would say, “that’s why you play the game.”
Arizona will visit UCLA at the end of the month in what I consider to be the biggest barometer game of the month to figure out how good these teams really are. UCLA got blown out by Gonzaga, which brings up a lot of questions about its previously vaunted defense. Meantime, Arizona has risen from a 80-1 favorite to win it all to the 25 or 35-1 territory. This happened pretty fast. Arizona’s dominant win against Michigan opened a lot of eyes. They also handled a very underrated Wichita State team. One of these teams has built a strong out-of-conference case for having a top seed in the tournament, and it’s not UCLA. This is a true test.
3. December 7, 2021 Villanova vs. Syracuse Madison Square Garden
You better start Googling Big East Basketball history if you don’t know the significance of this matchup and this location.
2. December 11, 2021 Cincinnati vs. Xavier i.e. “The Crosstown Shootout”
This would be a bad day to physically attend a game, because there’s going to be so much must-see TV drama in your living room. Xavier scraps with Cincinnati in what I consider college basketball’s longest-standing local rivalry with genuine bad blood. The last time tempers really flared up in this one, it involved former Cincy Coach Mick Cronin accusing JP Macura of throwing some F-bombs his way.
And it’s hard to believe that it’s already been 9 years since this all-out brawl at the Cintas Center:
December 11, 2021 Missouri at Kansas Allen Fieldhouse
This matchup is what history is made of, literally. The rivalry between the Jayhawkers of the Free State and the confederate forces of Missouri is well documented. The hatred lasts to this day. And Missouri left the Big 12 in recent years to join the SEC. Without it, there was no natural meeting between these two heated opponents. With conference re-alignment tearing at the fabric of what makes the regular season great, this is a big win for college basketball that this rivalry is renewed.
More Honorable Mentions and Notes for Upcoming Dates:
Dec 4: Buffalo Bulls at St. Bonaventure Bonnies
St. Bonaventure fell hard outside of the top 25 after taking a tough 10 point loss to Northern Iowa. However, St. Bonaventure should still be everyone’s underdog darling after the way it waxed Marquette (and others) during the “Feast Week” holiday platform. This Buffalo team was perhaps where St. Bonaventure is ascending to, now. They are both often overlooked schools in Upstate New York that play for formidable basketball conferences. Buffalo rose to respectability (and a 2018 tournament game win) under coach Bobby Hurley’s watch. St. Bonaventure coach Mark Schmidt has been with the Bonnies since the 2007-2008 season and has built a similar threat upstate. In fact, St. Bonaventure has been considered by some a top 10 mid-major program for a few consecutive years. This contest could determine who, if, and whether both teams can make a NCAA Tournament with some juice.
Dec 5: Richmond vs. Northern Iowa
It’s not only power 5 conference bubble teams that need to score some out-of-conference wins before the winter officially kicks off. Richmond and Northern Iowa play each other in a similar, possible, resume building spot. Richmond was a darks horse candidate to make some noise around the pandemic shortened and canceled seasons. The same can be said for Northern Iowa. Big picture, these programs could be on the decline in terms of their bids for an at large in any upcoming tournament. A game like this could prove otherwise.
Dec 6: Iowa vs. Illinois
Dec 7: Villanova vs. Syracuse (at MSG)
Dec 8: Utah St. vs. BYU
Dec 9: Iowa vs. Iowa State
During a week when in-state rivalry let rip, a role reversal might play itself out in the Hawkeye State. The Cyclones were picked to finished last in the Big 12. Yet, they found themselves ranked 19th in the AP Top 25 at the start of December. With Iowa figuring its identity out without graduated Luka Garza, this could be an Iowa changing of the guard.
Dec 10: Murray State at Memphis
The school that helped produce the blossoming legend of Ja Morant visits his new home (of the Memphis Grizzlies). And when it comes to which team has inherited the best new crop of point guard talent, the edge might go to Murray State. The Racers enter December with only one loss at the top of the Ohio Valley conference. Memphis, despite having NBA talent, is struggling to run its offense in simple terms.
Dec 11: Missouri at Kansas
This matchup is what history is made of, literally. The rivalry between the Jayhawkers of the Free State and the confederate forces of Missouri is well documented. The hatred lasts to this day. And Missouri left the Big 12 in recent years to join the SEC. Without it, there was no natural meeting between these two heated opponents. With conference re-alignment tearing at the fabric of what makes the regular season great, this is a big win for college basketball that this rivalry is renewed.
Dec 12: Rutgers vs. Seton Hall
Dec 13: UMBC vs. Princeton
Dec 14; Alabama vs. Memphis
Dec 15: UC Irvine vs. USC
Dec 16: UT Arlington vs. Oral Roberts
Dec 17: St. Mary’s vs. San Diego State
Caught some #Big10ACCchallenge in person last night. #PennState’s refusal to guard the 3pt line probably cost them the game. Sloppy at times on both ends but in the end Isaiah Wong got his. A scorer is gonna score eventually. #CBBEyeTestpic.twitter.com/5oFDU8GFnA
December 18-19: This weekend featured a grand finale of the out-of-conference season.
December 22-25: For college basketball, The Diamondhead Classic is likely the most relevant action around the Christmas holiday itself. BYU has looked awesome at times, but slipped outside of the AP Top 25 ahead of this holiday tournament. Still, the Cougars can score the ball in a variety of ways and come in as the betting favorite. Meantime, a first round matchup between Liberty and Northern Iowa features two mid major programs that have been extremely relevant in the past 3-5 years. A lot of talent has passed through each of these programs, but they remain legitimate threats to pull an upset win, especially in a tournament scenario like this one. Each team retains consistency at the head coaching position. Ben Jacobsen has been leading Northern Iowa since 2006 and Ritchie McCay has made an impact at Liberty almost immediately when getting the job in 2015.
December 30, 2021 Arizona vs. UCLA: UCLA had to pause its activities a week before this game because of COVID-19 issues. Meantime, Arizona drives through a brutal stretch of games around this holiday. The Wildcats play Tennessee after the Vols had ample time to prepare on the heels of Memphis canceling their game in last minute, dysfunctional fashion.
Whichever team, Arizona or UCLA, can navigate the adversity best might find itself as a 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament come March.
The NCAA Men’s College Basketball Tournament overcame COVID-19 in 2020-2021 to produce on of the best tournaments ever in March of 2021. This version of March Madness featured a Cinderella 15 seed (Oral Roberts) nearly making the Elite 8, ten double digit seeds making the field of 32, and one final upset for the record books. Historians will look back at how Baylor was actually the betting underdog in the championship game against Gonzaga. College basketball fans will look back at this tournament as yet another example of where specific annual traditions came back to life in a post-COVID world.
And we buried our lead about 2021’s March Madness. That’s because historic basketball icon UCLA actually made the Final Four as an 11 seed!
Despite the unusual year including quarantines and mask-wearing, college basketball observers shouldn’t be surprised by some of the normal antics. Here are 6 normal ingredients that renewed themselves as fixtures in a melting pot of madness.
6. Skaky Teams Get Shocked in The First Showdown
This happens literally every year. A team that has flirted with the AP Top 10 throughout the season gets bounced in the first pair of days. People look at the roster on paper and ask, “how can this happen?” This year was saw NBA draft pick Jericho Sims surrounded by a fleet of future (possible) lottery picks like Greg Brown and Kai Jones. You watched them lose at home down the stretch of the regular season to other in-conference mid-Top 25 AP programs like West Virginia and Texas Tech and ask “how is this happening?”
Oh, it’s happening. And it will happen again.
In 2021, it was 14-seeded Abilene Christian defeating a Texas Longhorns team that was inexplicable running on fumes down the stretch of the season.
With two losses in late February, and an early exit from the SEC Tournament, perhaps we should have saw the 2021-2022 Kentucky Wildcats struggling with 15 seed Saint Peters in the NCAA Tournament. Purdue is another team that lost to this same Saint Peter’s bunch. The Boilermakers also showed signs of trouble late in the season. They lost three games in the final two weeks of the regular season (at Michigan State, at Wisconsin, and home to Iowa).
Do we expect Purdue to be undefeated the final two weeks in a tough Big 10 gauntlet of a schedule? No.
Were the warning signs there for a team stacked with NBA talent? Yes.
Should we have seen an Elite 8 run for Saint Peters? Now, that’s a stretch.
5. Leading Scorers Nationwide Need Be Feared Regardless of Conference, Size
If CJ McCollum and Harold “The Show” Arceneaux haven’t taught us anything, then Max Abmas and the Oral Roberts Eagles have made it officially official. The scoring abilities of a guard who ranks top 5 (or first overall) in scoring nationwide can translate in the tournament.
Max Abmas and the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles flew into March Madness 2021 and 2023.
4. CBS Hosts a Questionable Yet Must-See TV Immediate Sunday Matchup
Wichita State basketball fans are still not over the let-down of losing to 8 seed Kentucky on Sunday, March, 23rd of 2014. Sorry, too soon? Yet, they have good company now this season with Illinois basketball fans.
Anyone who follows basketball, especially the inner workings of how the bracket is constructed, knows that 1 seeded Illinois had no business playing Loyola Chicago as a 9 seed just 72 hours into the tournament. And yet, it happened. Loyola Chicago was ranked in the neighborhood of the 10th best team in the nation when the tournament started, according to which poll you subscribe to. However, the Sunday matinee television programming of Sister Jean and the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers renewing their Cinderella ways against an in-state foe was too flavorful for the NCAA to pass up.
Sister Jean roots on Loyola Chicago Courtesy CBS Sports/NCAA
Let me say this. I am a college basketball fan, so I want the NCAA and CBS to collaborate to create the best programming schedule possible. So I would stop short of calling it collusion. However, if you’re a fan of Illinois basketball, you’re probably still bitter about this monumentally short-coming season. Big man Kofi Coburn had a cast of talented ballers around him. Yet, Sister Jean’s prayers were answered.
The game was amazing and Loyola Chicago dominated down the stretch to upset the 1 seeded Illinois. It was just too good of a television programming moment for committee and/or television executives to pass up.
2022 Update: March Madness Traditions, Sunday’s Made-for-TV Matchup Returns
Bonus points for “Holy Matchup” of faith-based institutions on Sunday afternoon
And it happened again. The following year, in 2022, Sister Jean returns to the road to root on her Ramblers. That’s because CBS and/or the committee arranged for a perfect All-American showdown against Christian-founded schools, Villanova and Loyola Chicago. And with each team’s early play on Friday, this sets up perfectly for a holy matchup right after Sunday mass.
Was this divine intervention on the bracket construction? Or, perhaps a little nudge by multi-media giants have their fingerprints on this one?
Sister Jean traveling to cheer (according to @937thefan) as the committee arranges a HOLY matchup between Nova and #Loyola! It’d be must-see TV after morning mass. These made-for-TV Sunday matchups are one of many trends cemented as annual traditions: https://t.co/701bWhlXNCpic.twitter.com/B3BN7uOqEh
In fact, let’s just have the NCAA and TV executive comes out and say it. “We schedule the bracket in such a way to provide great sports drama on television!”
I mean, I for one would not protest that sentiment if it got published to the record. I want sexy matchups in the bracket, but I would prefer we call it for what it is.
3. Getting Back Together with the Ex – NCAA Committee’s Fascination with Reunions
To take this a step further, the orchestration of great storylines goes far beyond this niche Sunday matchup. The committee also loves to arrange for an awkward date between two exes. That also makes for great TV drama! The most recent example is how Michigan State transfer Foster Loyer will be playing against his old team in round 1. The committee didn’t even wait for the field of 32 to re-unite this broken relationship!
The marriage between players and their ex-teams in the field of 64 or the field of 32 has happened countless times. It also frequently happens for coaches. The most recent example that comes to mind is when 11 seeded Arizona State got paired with 6 seeded Buffalo in the first round. That presented an awkward meeting between Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley and his former school. What’s even more suspect in this situation, is that the mid-major team was the higher seed. It’s not only that Buffalo played against its former coach. The players also got the opportunity to play their former coach on the heels of their highest-ever tournament seeding. What drama! And the mid-major Buffalo Bulls in fact did beat the 11 seeded Arizona State Sun Devils in 2019.
2. Play-In Game Winners Gain Momentum and Beat the Odds
As improbable as this sounds, the play-in game winner has become very dangerous. Those teams carry momentum. They get the natural advantage of getting familiar with the arena on a Tuesday or Wednesday before they play the at-large opponent on Thursday or Friday.
In 2022, 11 seeded Notre Dame beat Rutgers in a close (play-in) game and then crushed 6 seeded Alabama by 14 points in the next matchup. Notre Dame then gave 3 seed Texas Tech trouble before losing by 6 points.
In 2021, UCLA won it’s play-in game as an 11 seed and continued its magical run all the way to the Final 4.
In 2018, Syracuse made the Sweet 16 as an 11 seed after beating Arizona State in the play-in game.
In 2017, 11 seed USC upset (4 loss) SMU in the first round after winning its play-in game.
In 2016, Fred Van Vleet and the 11 seed Wichita State Shockers beat Vanderbilt in the play off game before upsetting 6 seed Arizona.
And so this trend of the 11 seed gaining momentum…is gaining momentum.
Fun fact: In the last 30 years, an 11 seed is much more likely to make a Final 4 as compared to a 6 seed. The last 6 seed to make a Final 4 was the Fab Five in 1993. Meantime, there have been four 11 seeds to make the Final Four since 2006 (George Mason, VCU, Loyola Chicago, and UCLA).
If you’re a fan of 1990s NBA hoops, think of the best players of the past 3 decades who actually played some college basketball: Shaquille O’Neal, Allen Iverson, Kevin Durant, Tim Duncan. None made a Final 4. In fact, most of these greats struggled to advance beyond the first weekend.
Conversely, the media darling doesn’t always excel. Jimmer Fredette and Luka Garza became National Players of the Year, as well as media darlings. However, they never cracked the Sweet 16.
Final Thought: In closing, it’s a murky picture. Some might even say it’s madness. As you pick your bracket in future years, remember that your future NCAA legend should be good, but not too great. The team should be must-see TV, but not have a tragic character whose reputation could never outpace his play. Good luck with that.
Max Abmas made a name for himself in 2021’s March Madness. Courtesy: CBS Sports/YouTube
Thank you for reading! Please tweet your observation to @CBBEyeTest for a retweet!
What is the eye test? Here, the eye test means that you celebrate and respect the nuances on the basketball floor that can’t be seen in a stat sheet. A defender can affect an offensive set without a block or steal, a senior can hold an underclassmen accountable with tough love, and a hockey assist can set up a game winning basket. The collegebasketballeyetest.com is dedicated to retweeting and sharing first hand observations, whether that’s from fans inside the arena or watching all the action on television during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Here is a list of the most important players in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, according to the eye test over the stat sheet. In other words, here are the glue guys propelling the best teams in America. Enjoy our starting 5.
PG Joel Ayayi, Gonzaga
In today’s college basketball landscape, with the popularity of “one-and-dones” and “the transfer portal,” it takes a special player to commit to being an upperclassmen at a winning program. Enter Joel Ayayi who entered his junior year at a newly cemented blue blood program, Gonzaga. Ayayi did well in his sophomore campaign as a starting point guard, but still had room to grow. And so when other point guards entered the equation, many other players might have become a flight risk to guarantee playing time. Joel Ayayi stayed. And he proved that he can run among future lottery pick Jalen Suggs and newcomer transfer Andrew Nembhard. Ayayi can control a game with the way he defensive rebounds from the guard position and gets this dangerous offense into instant mode on the other end. His efficiency in the areas of free throw percentage and three pointers has only improved. He has great hands to harass and poke the ball from opponents in the post. Joel Ayayi has elite speed when dribbling. When you think of “getting downhill,” this guy comes to mind. It shouldn’t be a surprise if Ayayi cashes in a triple double in the tournament because his ten points are almost guaranteed and because of the way he rebounds. Consider this: he grabbed 18 rebounds in the game against Iowa and also finished with 6 assists and 11 points. I mean, that’s Iowa! Joel Ayayi is the glue guy we need running any successful Glue Guy All Star Team.
Joel Ayayı will rebound, lead transition, defend, and/or score his way into the All Glue Guy Team.
SG Da’Monte Williams, Illinois
One of the secrets to Illinois’s success this season has been the certainty of the rotation. Senior shooting guard Da’Monte Williams started the season at shooting guard, but slid to the bench mid-way into the season to make room for freshmen Adam Miller and Andre Curbello, who started to accumulate more minutes. Did Williams complain? No. He only responded by continuing to check the other team’s most dangerous wing scorer, rebound on all areas of the floor, and take an open 3 pointer with no hesitation to expose teams that haven’t scouted properly. Williams is a strong shooting guard who can help out in a variety of ways in the post. He can have a mean streak on the floor, ripping balls away from opponents and showing lots of fire at both ends. Da’Monte Williams is the type of player championship teams need. Entering the tournament, he should be proud of co-leading the Illini program that he helped re-establish with a 1 seed.
My eye test reveals this "glue guy" starting 5 from the top 25: PG Joel Ayayi of #Gonzaga, SG Da'Monte Williams of #Illinois, SF Kyle Young at #OhioState, F Jonathan "Every Day John" Tchamwa Tchatchoua of #Baylor, and C Myles Johnson of #Rutgers!
The midseason All Glue Guy Team differed slightly from the final roster.
SF Jordan Schakel, San Diego State
Jordan Schakel might be the Aztecs starting shooting guard, but we are slotting him into the all glue guy team here at small forward. At 6 foot 6, Schakel can confuse the opponent with exactly which position he does play. When starting forward and fellow senior Matt Mitchell was out with injury this mid-season, Schakel picked up the slack in terms of scoring. And so Schakel offers flexibility for the roster. Aztec fans tell me on Twitter that he has started 20 games this season at the shooting guard spot, but can play small forward as well.
Jordan Schakel’s San Diego Aztecs team made it comfortably into March Madness as a 6 seed after winning the Mountain West.
Schakel is third in the nation in 3 point efficiency. He has a knack for knowing when to double the post. Schakel can be seen calling out plays on the defensive end like a veteran linebacker. Jordan Schakel doesn’t block a lot of shots, but when you watch him you’ll see that he contests everything. He plays 29 minutes a game and has reached the 24 point plateau in four games this season. But as you watch him play, you realize he never hunts shots. Still, he averages 14 points per game which is up 4 points from his junior year. This guy is a selfless example on the court and epitomizes what it means to be a glue guy.
Aztecs senior Jordan Schakel rushes over to help with a double team and sticks with the All Glue team.
PF Kyle Young, Ohio State
Kyle Young ended the season in concussion protocol. The Ohio State Buckeyes need their glue guy if they’re going to advance to a Final Four. Young rebounds, defends the best post player most times, can knock down threes, and definitely shows the best hustle among all the glue guys nationally. Young is the type of player that wins over a neutral crowd with his hustle. It’s too bad that he’s in concussion protocol and that there isn’t a neutral crowd of people this year. Still, Kyle Young is a slam dunk for the All Glue Guy team.
Myles Johnson is cool under pressure and snags the rebound or blocks a shot when his Rutgers team really needs it. He is the prototypical last line of defense that can erase mistakes up front. Moreover, he is just a great player and a total teammate. You can even look to what his leadership has been doing off the court. Myles Johnson has a long wing-span and uses it perfectly for outlet passes and passes from the post. When doing so, he looks like an Olympic Athlete in water polo. His arm slings back and his body patiently buoys before making the right play. He never see him sweat or the paddling underneath. Johnson is a favorite to watch. His effort, rebounding and timely plays are to be admired. In this year’s Big 10, you almost needed a legitimate center to compete for an NCAA bid. Myles Johnson rounds out the All Glue Guy Team with a lot of class.
Myles Johnson rounds out the All Glue Guy Team for 2020-2021 Men’s College Basketball at center.
The full body caricatures were designed by the artist Eilvain on Fiverr.com.
More Context About Morehead State’s March Madness Entrance
The Eagles won 19 of their final 20 games of the season. Those of you who watched the OVC Tournament knows there aren’t just “cupcakes” in that conference. Jacksonville State, Eastern Kentucky, and Belmont are real competition and highly athletic for mid-major programs.
During the OVC Semifinal game against Eastern Kentucky, the Eagles took absolute haymakers from the Colonels. Eastern Kentucky played a legitimate full court press throughout the entire game. The Eagles were worn down some after nursing a lead throughout, but they did not succumb the lead to Eastern Kentucky. The Eagles lead the nation in steals and the Eagles were still able to stand the pressure.
A nice thing to watch during Morehead State’s impressive win against defending champion and veteran bunch Belmont was its wire-to-wire victory. It never shied away from an open shot. The Eagles put the game on ice by knocking down clutch threes or gut-punching put backs every time Belmont responded with a run.
A quintessential 2, 3 or 4 seed right now is West Virginia. If I gave you $100 bucks with the condition you had to let it ride on one team to beat WVU outright…which team would you pick to pull the upset? #MarchMadness
The headliner for Morehead State is probably Johni Broome, a freshman who has clearly put the work in and operates with a lot of skill in the post. If you like Evan Mobley’s game at USC, consider his mid-major cousin Johni Broome at Morehead State. His footwork is impressive, working the baseline and his pivot foot to perfection at times.
Four players scored double digits in the OVC Championship win.
At 22-years-old Nick Muszynski is a high level established post scorer for Belmont, and the Eagles neutralized him.
I am calling it now!!! The committee is going to match *Ohio* Valley Conference champ #MoreheadState with *Ohio State,* a team many people critique as not tall enough to defend post scorers. The committee always loves to get cute like this. If so, #OSU's EJ Liddell will be ready! pic.twitter.com/Ox6yMoVkzx
Now, the nation will need to wait a full 13 days to show the same gumption that the Eagles had during its championship and take the Eagles in a humungous upset (or at least a cover).
In a “normal year,” this would be the time of the season where college basketball teams are just now getting into conference play. However, there have already been some critical in-conference games that have been played by January 5, 2021. San Francisco already had its crack at blemishing Gonzaga’s perfect record, Texas embarrassed KU in Lawrence, and Northwestern has made itself a tournament team with strong play at the start of the Big 10 schedule.
Here are some of my observations from the last month or so of play.
Gonzaga poised to runaway with NCAA Championship
Right now Gonzaga looks like the Dream Team. And I am not exaggerating. Look at the recent games they played against Iowa and Virginia. A 20+ point loss looks respectable from Virginia. (They are like the Croatia in this metaphor). And Iowa was beat wire-to-wire by Gonzaga. Their 11 point loss on paper is different from what we saw on TV. Gonzaga has something they have not had, perhaps ever. Jalen Suggs has the type of swagger of a top 5 NBA pick. He is great. And he knows it. You’d have to think back to Adam Morrison to envision the type of game-changer that Suggs can be. And, Suggs is just a freshman surrounded by all time great Gonzaga players such as Drew Timme, Corey Kispert, and Joel Ayayi. The fact that Gonzaga landed stud transfer Andrew Nembhard is just evidence that the rich get richer. Sure, Baylor could give Gonzaga a great game if/when they play in a NCAA Championship game. I don’t believe that regular season game will be rescheduled, because there is far too much hype to build on for that to be the title game all broadcasts “tease ahead” to. Alas, Gonzaga is laughable at this moment as a 3 1/2 -to- 1 favorite to win the title. Would you take a bet on the USA Dream Team at 3 to 1? Because that’s what we are starting to watch from Gonzaga. Their WAC conference schedule wins may be taken for granted in January and February, but don’t forget what they looked like against Kansas, Iowa, and Virginia when it comes to March.
Midseason departures shake up College Basketball’s Top 10
In my preseason prediction video, I picked West Virginia and Houston among a shortlist of great value bets. Each team has slowly progressed into the top 10. However, each team has also lost a star player here midseason. Houston’s Caleb Mills has stepped away this past week from the team, citing personal reasons. His status for returning is uncertain. Mills was the pre-season pick as player of the year among American Athletic Conference beat writers. However, most recently in the team’s loss against Tulsa, Mills was coming off the bench. The Cougars rebounded well in a win on the road against a feisty SMU squad. However, it will be tough to replace Mills’s ability to create a basket late in games. Houston has no shortage of wing scorers, but Mills is not the type of offensive firepower you want to lose when you have championship aspirations. The hope, of course, is that his personal situation is not too serious and that the team culture can rally in his absence.
As a fan of Houston this year, I was bummed to see Caleb Mills leave. I'm hoping everything is okay for him. From a hoops standpoint, there were some +'s of getting more size down low, down the stretch (at SMU). Watch Reggie Chaney's contributions here: https://t.co/MHfeRZGJYy
West Virginia lost Oscar Tshiebwe and he’s not coming back. The Karl Malone watch list candidate (i.e. best power forward candidate) left the team after a shockingly lower-than-expected productivity in the first half of the season. West Virginia quickly transitioned to a smaller team that put up more three point attempts. As this transition took place in real time, West Virginia lost its first game without Tshiebwe to Oklahoma. On TV there were moments where this game looked like a 3-point-shooting contest. The Mountaineers lost. Afterwards, they played another tough road contest against a soon-to-be-bubble-team: Oklahoma State. The Cowboys were leading heavily heading into the 2nd half and throughout the 3rd quarter. Then something clicked. The shots started going in. In March, it will be interesting to see if the perimeter shooters like Sean McNeil, Miles McBride, and Taz Sherman meet the moment. Emmitt Matthews Jr. also had a great game on defense and in transition during this pivotal Oklahoma State win. It will be interesting to see if he becomes an X-Factor for their success.
The Big 10 is the best basketball conference ever
I am not a “hot takes” writer. I don’t like making bold predictions in order to get clicks. But if you watch college basketball, you realize that this Big 10 is the best college basketball conference ever. In a season where conference league play will look more like an intra-team scrimmage (as COVID-19 took away offseason, preseason, and all traditional dress rehearsals), Big 10 teams will hit March Madness as dangerous as ever. Just look at the landscape. Michigan is undefeated and blossoming with young talent and transfers to fill what little gaps remained from 2019-2020. Northwestern is winning big games. Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin came into the season as championship hopefuls and remain that. Rutgers has carried on its success from 2019-2020. The Scarlet Knights have basically the same roster as the one that shocked national onlookers last season. Indiana is playing for a bid. And Michigan State is fighting for its life to stay in the top 25 while (Survivor style) battling its allies in each challenge. The big men remain a mainstay of this conference. Marcus Carr looks like a closer who can win clutch games for a Final 4 team (at Minnesota). I didn’t even mention Purdue, which has two giants who play consecutive sessions at center. The ACC has had some great years with double digit teams making the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament. But have we ever seriously had this many legitimate Final 4 contenders from one conference? And the irony is that none of these teams will snag a 1 seed, which is a crime. The conference is canabalizing itself. Joe Lunardi’s bracketology on January 5th shows all four 2 seeds as Big 10 teams!
Joe Lunardi’s bracketology predictions on January 5, 2020 show four Big 10 teams as 2 seeds. College basketball blogger Matty D. dips into his notebook for a midseason report.
College Basketball Futures Best Values
BY MATT DE SARLE
Like you, I am always curious to know the future odds for teams winning a national championship. My curiosity spikes right before the season begins. That’s when I am convinced that past performance dictates future results. And, as the disclaimers at the end of financial services commercials say, that cause-effect is never guaranteed.
However, the past performance from these 5 teams has me intrigued. If you’re reading this blog for the first time, welcome to the College Basketball Eye Test. As always, I am going to discuss characteristics that I see. A team’s personality dictates its winning potential. Yes, KenPom.com is outstanding at tracking metrics. Here, we track warning signs that are visible. You can see when a team is selfish, timid, lacking leadership, soft. On the contrary, it’s so enjoyable to watch a team that navigates adversity well, shows aggression, and doesn’t flinch when pushed. Here are my five times to consider putting a small wager on for a huge payout.
South Florida Bulls Basketball
5. Odds 750/1 in Preseason
The Bulls return nearly everyone from the 2018-2019 campaign. Alexis Yetna was on a lot of people’s radar as a possible breakout star. But he suffered a season ending injury as this season begun. As devastating of news as that is, the Bulls still have a lot of potential. And now they have a cause to rally around, and Yetna is still a young player with a bright future.
This team popped on my radar as it ran Memphis out of its gym last season. The Bulls got off to a 20 point lead by ripping the ball away, running the fast break, and banging threes with no conscience. Coach Brian Gregory has an impressive resume that includes leading a competitive George Tech team in the ACC and serving as an assistant to Tom Izzo at Michigan State. This team has the talent, identity, and leadership necessary to still make the tournament without Yetna. If they make the tournament and you have a 750-to-1 ticket (a $5 bet would pay $3,750) in your pocket, be sure to hedge your bet by taking its opponent as well. You will likely have a dangerous team heading into the field of 32.
Headlined by brothers Kaleb and Andre Wesson, this team is very interesting under the leadership of coach Chris Holtmann. Holtmann had immediate success at Ohio State, after also ushering a transitional era after Brad Stevens departure from Butler. There is a solid core here with a lot of guards who will compete for playing time and relevance. Holtmann should be trusted to pull the strings successfully. In a conference that hasn’t won a championship since 2000, and that program in Michigan State prepped to get all the attention, Ohio State may just slip under the radar until a Sweet 16 berth.
Give me Gregg Marshall and 400-to-1 odds any year.
Colorado Buffs Basketball futures
2. Odds 250/1 in the preseason
Tad Boyle is one of college basketball’s most under-appreciated coaches. Boyle has made 7 of 8 postseasons in his Colorado tenure. He has also supported the development of future pros, sending rotation-ready guys like Spencer Dinwiddie into the league. Last year was the first time in Boyle’s tenure that Colorado did not make the CBI, NIT, or NCAA tournament. However, a roster laced with underclassmen developed, and you could see it during the PAC-12 tournament. They advanced to the semifinals and gave #1 seed Washington a run for their money. Tyler Bey is a Shawn Marion in the making. The Colorado Buffs can run the floor, clog you up, and play any discipline they want. They’ve been surging in the PAC-12 while their peers like Arizona, UCLA and USC are amidst major changes (even some identity crisis). This is a conference where it was recently Utah’s turn for a tournament bid, Arizona State’s turn, and now it’s the Buffs turn. When the Buffs come to eat in the tourney, they’re arriving hungry.
Seton Hall Basketball Futures Odds
50/1 in the preseason
Seton Hall might be the sexiest of all sexy picks, so I won’t dwell too much. The bottom line is that Myles Powell may be the nation’s player of the year. If he does that, it should be in the fashion of a Jimmer Fredette or a Buddy Hield. He is a score-first guard but can distribute well. Sophomore wing Jared Rhoden showed flashes last year as a freshmen. If he and Myles Cale can be the complimentary swingmen they’re capable of, this roster has no shortage of dogs who can defend and rebound down low. Head coach Kevin Willard was rumored to take on jobs like UCLA and Virginia Tech this offseason, but doubled down on his pirates by declaring himself disinterested in those (perhaps) higher profile jobs. Willard will serve a two game suspension to start this season for transfer tampering. All in all, I am shocked that this team is a nebulous 50-1 wager headed into the season.
Here are 4 of my top 10 high value college basketball futures heading into the 2019-20 season! pic.twitter.com/Wq99w29LcW
The so-called NBA prospects that rank highly in early February are not always the ones to rock the baseball cap in the first hour of the NBA Draft.
No, stocks rise and fall. And the whole sports nation watches March Madness.
Modern History Lesson: College Players Whose Stock Rose on NBA Draft Boards Because of March Madness
In 2006, LSU forward Tyrus Thomas was on no one’s radar as a top 10 pick. After his sensational play led the Tigers to the Final Four alongside Glen “Big Baby Davis,” Thomas found himself drafted #4 overall. That was moments before the likes of Rudy Gay, Randy Foye and Brandon Roy that year. A similar scenario happened with Joakim Noah during that era.
Hey, even the great Steph Curry wasn’t really on people’s radars until his Cinderella run with #10 seed Davidson. He was even deemed a risky pick at #7 overall in 2009.
Stock Up for these 5 NBA Prospects Come March 2019
Here are some players who currently don’t rank on the top 10 on the fashionable draft boards, but you’ll be hearing about spring of next year on an NBA roster.
Eric Paschall’s NBA Draft Stock
Eric Paschall – Villanova G/F
If LeBron James takes to social media to compare you to current NBA pro Paul Millsap, there really isn’t much else to say. I will say this for the people not familiar with Millsap’s game. At first glance, you might make the mistake of thinking he is undersized. Paschall is a tenacious rebounder, scorer, defender, there isn’t an act on the basketball court that this guy does half-ass.
However, currently, he is listed as a second round draft pick by top Google search result, NBA Draft.net. Those experts have him going 33rd overall to the Orlando Magic as this article premieres on February 3, 2018.
Do you know of an NBA team not looking for a “power 4” who can stretch the floor with 3PT-abilities. Johnson has the perfect measurables at 6-8 and 215, and was torching the nets at 47% from 3PT in early February. His teammate Nassir Little ranks in the top 10 on draft boards, but two Tar Heels could soon occupy the top 10. NBA Mock Draft.net currently has him listed at #42 overall.
Rui Hachimura’s NBA Draft Stock
3. Rui Hachimura – Gonzaga F
In early February, Sports Illustrated updated its mock draft board to reflect the “skyrocketing” prospects. Somehow they fell asleep and didn’t include Rui Hachimura in the top 10. This dude will be a top 7 pick, and has the ceiling of being a top 3 pick. He is one of college basketball’s best mid-range jump shooters. Hachimura is a tough cover, as a slippery 6-8 for bigger guys and a large load to handle for the smaller guys. Rui averages 20 points and 6 rebounds a game, on a loaded roster. We get it, this Gonzaga swingman was listed 11th overall by SI.com at the time. However, when this Gonzaga squad gets it rolling in March, look for #Rui trending on a Twitter timeline near you. And he’s just a junior.
If Deandre Ayten can go #1 overall, Fernado is a lock for top 10. He is not the full court sprinter as much as Ayten, but might compensate with a little more nastiness on the defensive end. Fernado is becoming more agile as a new age NBA center type. Ayten is the comparison worth considering.
To pick on SI.com again, they had Fernando going #17th overall to the Brooklyn Nets.
DeAndre Ayten Bruno Fernando Comparison
Markus Howard’s NBA Draft Stock
5. Okay, this one actually pisses me off. In world where Trae Young is drafted #5 overall, how the hell is Markus Howard ranking #41 overall as we speak?
If you haven’t seen Howard, it may be because he doesn’t play on ESPN channels. And therefore, the hype machine hasn’t been pumping the way that machinery has been moving since Thanksgiving with Zion Willamson. You rarely see a Markus Howard highlight package on SportsCenter. But this guy is averaging an even 25 points a game, having dropped 45 points on 14th-ranked Buffalo, 53 on Creighton, and 45 on the K-State Wildcats (widely considered on of the nation’s best defenses).
Dude, come on now.
Watch the highlight package…
Related: Does it seem like less sons of NBA players are in the college game today? You’ll be blown away to see how many there were just three years ago! Click here.
If you feel like there family ties throughout college basketball, you’re right. It’s not just sons of NBA players who are smattering the college basketball landscape this year. It’s sons of pro players, brothers of pro players, brothers playing together, player coach son-father combos, and players with family members starring in other professional sports. Yes, college basketball is fun to begin with. But when you add the guessing game of, “why does that guy look familiar?,” or “I remember when his pops was…” it makes it enjoyable on a different level.
3 Brothers Playing Together For Vermont Basketball
Photo courtesy of the Burlington Free Press. See the link below for
Topping this list is the clearly the Duncan brothers. They take the cake. For the first time since the Plumlee brothers at Duke University, the three siblings are together on an NCAA roster. And they all get playing time. In fact, each younger brother beat out his predecessor in their Evansville high school record book. They’re only the fourth trio of brothers to ever play together in Division 1 college basketball.
Kaleb Wesson and Andre Wesson (both left) are one of several pairs of brothers in the NCAA game today. Photo: Ohio State Athletics
There is a very real chance that four pairs of brothers get playing time together during March Madness. In fact, it would not shock anyone watching closely if that’s the case for the Sweet Sixteen. Kansas, Nevada, Ohio State, and Marquette all have brothers who log minutes together. And all of those teams ranked top 40 on kenpom.com and on most bracketology projects in mid-February.
Andre and Kaleb Wesson grew up in Columbus, Ohio, and are now fulfilling a family dream of playing for the Buckeyes together.
K.J. and Dedric Lawson played two years for Memphis before bolting to Lawrence, Kansas to play for Bill Self and the crimson and blue.
Sons of NBA Players in College Basketball 2018-2019
Let’s get to the sons of NBA players on current college basketball rosters. There are many holdovers from last year: First, the son of NBA legend Julius Erving, Jules Erving, is just a sophomore at California. Justin Robinson, the son of Hall of Fame Center David Robinson, is still working his way in the Duke University rotation. Trey Mourning, another offspring of a 1990’s All Star Center (Alonzo Mourning), is now playing for coach Patrick Ewing at Georgetown Talk about a big man fraternity! B.J. Stith remains on an Old Dominion roster where his brother used to play and father (longtime Denver Nugget) Bryant Stith coaches. And Wyatt Lohaus, the son of former Milwaukee Bucks forward Brad Lohaus, plays on the UNI team. All of these players are holdovers from a stacked “sons of NBA players” 2017-18 roster.
Former NBA player (and Duke great) Johnny Dawkins is not only the proud papa of a current college basketball player. He is also the coach of Aubrey Dawkins at UCF.
Sons of NBA Players Coming Soon To College Hoops
If you are a college basketball fanatic like me, you remember Jamal Mashburn, Greg Anthony, and Kenyon Marton more so for their college basketball contributions. Well, their sons “have next.” Check out this unbelievable list of prodigy children of NBA stars set to play in college basketball 2019-2020 and beyond: Courtesy 247Sports.com.
Siblings of NBA Players in College Basketball
Now for the fun part. Can you name current NBA players who have little brothers in the college game?
College Basketball Eye Test 