2006
It’s underway:
Joe Duffy is CEO of OffshoreInsiders.com,
which is offering a
premium version of the advanced news and notes, computer trends, weather
information and more for the entire bowl season. Much of the information is compiled from
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CBB
Xavier-Creighton
Press Notes
Xavier, 7-1, won its fourth straight game with an 88-55
thrashing of former Midwestern Collegiate Conference rival
on Tuesday in Throwback Jersey Night at
Xavier shot a season-high 59.3 percent from the field in the win over
marking the fourth straight game that Xavier has shot over 50.0 percent from
the field. This is the first time XU has shot 50 percent or better in four
straight games since the 2003-04 “Elite Eight” season. Xavier is ranked 24th
in this week’s Associated Press Poll. The last time Xavier was ranked in the
Associated Press “Top 25” was when it finished 12th in the 2002-03
final regular season poll. XU was ranked as high as 10th that season
by AP, including the preseason poll and the March 5th poll. Xavier, which played VCU, Villanova and
at the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands, tonight is playing its first
road game on an opponent’s home court. Joe Duffy’s sports betting selections
are at www.GodsTips.com
Illinois
Press Notes
The UIC men’s basketball team
renews its rivalry with Illinois on Saturday afternoon as the Flames (5-4)
square off with the Fighting Illini (8-2) at the
United Center at 1 p.m. UIC enters the contest riding
a three-game winning streak and has won four of its last five games. Saturday’s
matinee is the 13th all-time meeting between UIC
and
second time the two schools have squared off at the
winning the last meeting in the arena, 75-60, on
convincing 71-48 win at
UIC’s defense has been especially stingy of late,
limiting opponents to just 38 percent field goal shooting in
its last three games. UIC’s recent surge has
coincided with the insertion of freshman Spencer Stewart into the starting
lineup. The rookie point guard is averaging 10.0 points and 5.2 assists per
outing and shooting 50 percent from three-point range as a starter. Stewart is
now the team leader in assists (3.3 apg) and ranks
first in the Horizon League in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.3-to-1).
GA Tech-Vanderbilt
Press Notes
Tech is 2-2 away from home this season, having defeated
Purdue (79-61) and No. 11 Memphis (92-85) before dropping an 88-73 decision to
No. 5 UCLA in the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational. The Yellow Jackets are 20-48 on
the road overall under head coach Paul Hewitt. The Yellow Jackets remain No. 2
in the ACC in scoring offense (86.1 ppg), lead the ACC in field goal percentage
(51.4 pct.) and rank second in three-point field foal percentage (39.0 pct.). MasterLockLine.com has the top plays from the top
sports service in their highest ranked sports.
Tech also ranks
sixth in rebound margin (plus-5.9), fifth in assists per game (16.5) and fifth
in offensive rebounds (14.5). Defensively, Tech has struggled in its last three
games, allowing its opponents to shoot no worse than 51.7 percent in any one
half. And the Jackets have been outrebounded for
three straight games after beating its first five opponents on the boards by an
average of more than 12 per game. The Yellow Jackets will be tested Saturday by
a team that relies heavily on good three-point shooting.
UCLA-Texas A&M
LA Times
That No. 6 ranking is the highest in Texas A&M history, but it came before the Aggies
suffered their first loss of the season Tuesday at No. 9 Louisiana State.
Indiana-Kentucky
Courier-Journal
Last season in
IU handed the Cats their worst loss in series
history, a 79-53 shellacking that snapped
five-game winning streak in the series. The Hoosiers are coming off a 92-40 win
against
Utah-Rhode Island
Press Notes
three-game winning steak snapped with a 60-57 loss at
week, the Utes defeated Weber State, 67-55, on Nov. 29 and previously unbeaten
Washington State, 69-55, on Dec. 2. Three of
four losses have come by a combined seven points. Before its loss at
had won three in a row for the first time since it won its first four games of
the 2005-06 season. That followed up
first 0-3 start since 1970-71. The Utes have shot at least 50 percent from
three-point range in five of the seven games and at least 50 percent from the
field in five of the seven games this season. The Rams are 5-4 overall and 3-1
at home this season. During the past week,
lost at
Saturday and edged Brown, 72-68, at home on Tuesday night.
Illinois State-Evansville
Press Notes
The Aces have won four straight at Roberts Stadium against
and
That’s the longest homecourt win streak for UE
against MVC opponents. Overall,
trails in the series against
against the Redbirds last season–winning at home 54-47, losing at
65-57, and winning 52-45 in the first round of the State Farm MVC Tournament.
has won four straight home games after defeating
69-64 at Roberts Stadium on Tuesday behind Matt Webster’s career-high 30
points. This is the Aces’ longest homecourt win streak since they won eight in
a row at home to begin the 2004-05 season. peaking of winning
streaks,
has run off six straight after two losses to begin the season. The Redbirds
present a much different look in 2006-07, with three junior college transfers
leading the team in scoring. Stevie Vincent’s BetOnSports360.com is pioneer in forensic
handicapping and part of OffshoreInsiders.com
Guards Dominitrix
Johnson (12.9) and Boo Richardson (12.8) are the top scorers, and 6-7 forward
Anthony Slack (11.5 ppg, 7.8 rpg) is third in scoring and first in rebounding.
The Redbirds are 6-2 overall after Tuesday’s 64-40 win over Miami of Ohio.
Butler-Indiana State
Press Notes
will play outside of
for the final time before Christmas when it visits
has won the last two meetings in the series, including a 59-58 decision at
Hinkle Fieldhouse last year. The #15-ranked Bulldogs
defeated Ball State, 65-41, on Wednesday (Dec. 6), recording their fourth
victory over a school from
this season.
hold the No. 1 spot in the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI)
and the Bulldogs have climbed to the top spot in the Sagarin basketball
ratings. It marks the first time that
has held the top spot in both national ratings at the same time!
first grabbed the top spot in the RPI after beating
Notre Dame and Indiana on back-to-back nights in early November. The Bulldogs
have played the seventh toughest schedule in the nation acccording
to the RPI.
West Virginia-Duquesne
Press Notes
Duquesne (2-5), coming off a 73-56 loss at #2 (AP) Pitt on
Wednesday, completes its own version of “rivalry week” by hosting West Virginia.Duquesne’s current stretch of three local rivals
in a week began with a 73-72 loss at Robert Morris last Saturday. The
Virginia
22 and Jan. 10. The Dukes, who dropped a 67-53 decision to
on Nov. 22, won’t play at home after the WVU game
until conference play when
That’s eight of nine on the road if you’re counting. Six of the past eight Duquesne
vs.
single-digit affairs with Duquesne winning four times. The past four games at
Duquesne have been decided by fewer than 10 points with the teams alternating
wins. Approved
sportsbooks are at www.linetrackers.com The Dukes received a lift when 6-10 junior F/C
Kieron Achara played 18
minutes at Pitt on Wednesday. Achara, who missed all
but three games last season with a torn labrum in his left shoulder, was
diagnosed with three stress fractures in his left foot on Nov. 10. Hhe resumed practice on Monday, Dec. 4 and was a surprise
addition for the Pitt game. It was Achara’s first
game action since last Dec. 3 vs. Robert Morris (he underwent shoulder surgery
last Dec. 15). Duquesne is currently competing with nine scholarship players. A
freshman has led DU in scoring in each of the team’s
first seven games.