It's not the same UConn edition this March...

The Pels were blown to Baton Rouge by the Pistons last week...

We got thrown a slider by JJ Redick on Thursday with late word that Austin Reaves would be joining Luka Doncic in rest for the game vs. the grateful Bucks, leaving not much more than a G-League lineup for the 118-89 loss. Doncic and Reaves are both due back tonight after the L:ake Show had recovered earlier on this homestand after four recent losses on the road, scoring 122.5 pg in wins over San Antonio and Denver, with Reaves and Doncic rotating scoring honors. Meanwhile, the Bulls are hitting on all cylinders with wins in six of eight to firm up a play-in spot with the offense scoring 121 and 128, respectively, the last two which included a convincing win at Sacto. Play Bulls-Lakers Over

The margins seem tight enough to give the Bruins a look. Similar teams; a plus for the Bruins could be 7-3 Aday Mara, who scored 10 in 20 minutes on Thursday vs. the Utags but had a brief injury scare in the second half; as long as he's okay, as reports suggest, his size could clog the middle where UT likes to do business. Mick Cronin's balanced roster usually has two or three players (Tyler Bilodeau, Eric Dailey, Kobe Johnson most likely) to step up at any night, and the Vols looked a bit heavy-legged in the first-round non-cover vs. Wofford. Has the brutal conference race taken the starch out of these SEC reps, yet to overwhelm in the Dance? Play UCLA (NCAA at Lexington)

Unlike the Dick Bennett and Bo Ryan years, If there's one thing about modern Wisconsin, it's that the Badgers can play uptempo if the opportunity presents itself. Wiscy nowadays has a sporty 80 ppg offense led by dynamic Gs John Tonje ( ex-CSU & Mizzou; 19.1 ppg) and frosh John Blackwell (15.6 ppg) and has scored 85+ fiver times in the past 12 games. In regard to this matchup, however, BYU and its 81 ppg offense will be glad to run, with the Cougs scoring 80+ in eight of their last ten games. Play BYU-Wisconsin Over (NCAA at Denver)

The Wings don't look in the best shape at the moment; with two wins in their last ten, they've started to peel from East playoff contention. The offense has been mostly stagnant the past few weeks, again on Tuesday at Washington in a 4-1 loss. Dylan Larkin's first-period goal was all the Wings could muster. In the six losses in their last eight, the Wings haven't managed to score more than two goals. Thus, the Puck Line seems teed up for the Golden Knights, still fighting for first place in the Pacific (and avoiding the Oilers in the first round), sharp in their return home Thursday night vs. the Bruins in a 5-1 romp helped by Pavel Dorofeyev's hat trick. Play VGK on Puck Line

The Tigers haven't looked quite themselves the past two weeks, perhaps a byproduct of the tough SEC slate. This might not be easy, either, especially for 6-10 Johni Broome, who is going to have to deal with the Big East's best rim protector in Creighton's 7-1 Ryan Kalkbrenner. Give the Bluejays a puncher's chance here because of their bomb squad that shot the lights out vs. Louisville led by Gs Jamiya Neal (29 points) and Steven Ashworth (22 points) vs. the Cards, plus Kalkbrenner (19.2 ppg). Creighton is also the least-fouling team (only 10.9 pg) in the nation, and foes don't get to the charity stripe very often (only 8 FTs for the 'Ville on Thursday)...important in a close game. Play Creighton (NCAA at Lexington)

The Preds continue to nosedive, losing four straight while scoring just three goals across this slump. The last two of those were limp 4-1 loss at Bridgestone vs. the Blues and Ducks, but Andrew Brunette seems to be doing nothing different, once again sending a beleaguered Juuse Saros (now 16-27-6 this season) out in goal and hoping to post a shutout, otherwise it likely won't be enough. Nashville now ranks bottom in NHL scoring (paltry 173 goals). Meanwhile the Leafs hit tonight fighting for the top spot in the Atlantic, and unlike the Preds, Toronto is winning (three straight) and scoring (12 goals last three), with John Tavares netting twice in Thursday's 4-3 win at the Rangers. Play Maple Leafs on Puck Line

Having watched college hoops closely for 60 years, we've always put Pete Carril, Boyd Grant, and a few others as the best sideline tacticians we've seen. Maybe it's time to make room for Drake's Ben McCollum, dead-serious in his work, with the best-drilled team we've seen this season. McCollum's team, largely the transfer he brought with him from a wildly successful D-II run at NW Missouri, allows only 58.4 ppg and completely dictated pace and tempo vs. go-go Mizzou on Thursday, while transfer G Bennett Stirtz (19.2 ppg; 23 pg the last three) leads the offense. Not even Santa Clara tries as many 3s as did Texas Tech (4 of 'em!) on Thursday vs. UNCW, a risky strategy vs. Drake.. Play Drake (NCAA at Wichita)

A la Duran and Leonard, a quick rematch after Thursday night's tight OT win for the Pacers. The Duran-Leonard reference also applies after the Nets' Trendon Watford and the Pacers' Myles Turner engaged in brief fisticuffs on Thursday and drew significant fines from the league. Also the latest in a string of combative Brooklyn efforts and reiterates that the Nets seem to play better minus top scorer Cam Thomas, now out for with a hamstring. That's now covers in four straight and six of seven for Brooklyn, which long ago embraced a slower pace for HC Jordi Fernandez (easier to deploy minus Thomas). Brooklyn enters Saturday on a 15-8 spread uptick. Note Indiana could be minus key cog Tyrese Haliburton once again. Play Nets

In a rematch from 48 hours ago, we noted again on Thursday a recurring Nets pattern, especially in games minus top scorer G Cam Thomas, in which Brooklyn has embraced the patient style Jordi Fernandez preaches, resulting in a collection of under results the past two months. The Nets, not long ago on a 15-2 under run, are looking like that team again, especially the last two vs. potent Boston and this same Indy that came nowhere near the posted totals in those games. Complicating matters further for Pacers is the possible absence of high-scoring G Tyrese Haliburton (18.5 ppg), who hasn't played in a week dur to a sore back. Note Thursday's game was sitting at only 182 (91-91) after regulation. Play Nets-Pacers Under

Utah hasn't been able to make up much ground in the race for the last West playoff spot. Salt Lake City also hasn't provided the sort of panacea the Hockey Club had wished; Utah has only won 14 of 34 games at Delta Center (14-13-7), with better success on the road. Though the offense awakened in the 7-3 win over erratic Buffalo on Thursday, for the most part the scoring effort has been inconsistent, as the case in Tuesday's 7-1 loss at Edmonton. All troubling for the visit of the Lightning, winners three straight and 13 of 17, with Andrei Vasilevskiy solid in goal in each win in the current uptick, and a winner in 12 of his last 15 starts. Play Lightning on ML

Potent Samford found out about GMU's sticky D (63.5 ppg/12th) on Wednesday. Tony Skinn's troops also lead the nation in defensive FG percentage (only 38%), and gang up on the perimeter, allowing only 30.4% triples. That's meaningful on Saturday in Fairfax, as Bradley enters as one of the nation's leaders in three-point accuracy (39.8%/ranks 3rd). It's been a distracting week, however, for the Braves, who watched second (Darius Hannah) and third (Zek Montgomery) leading scorers opt out before the NIT, only to see Hannah rescind and play well vs. UNA off the bench when scoring 17. But the offense was choppy, only 39.7% FGs and 29.6% beyond the arc, and the Braves hit Fairfax with six straight under results. Play Bradley-GMU Under (NIT)

Southland sources tell us that Will Wade believes the matchups are good for his McNeese on Saturday as they were vs. Clemson. The quickness edge the Cowboys enjoyed was noticeable vs. the Tigers, who had trouble coping with Wade's various zone defense looks, and didn't find any answers until the final few minutes in a belated rally. Purdue's bomb squad led by Gs Braden Smith (16.2 ppg/38,6% triples) and Fletcher Loyer (13.6 ppg/ 46.1% triples) are dangerous dagger throwers, but the slowish Boilermakers are the type of team McNeese can harass. The question is if Wade's balanced offense can hit better from deep (only 21% on Thursday) and continue to crash the boards. One hot scorer and Purdue sweats. Play McNeese (NCAA at Providence)

Still lurking in the West play-in picture after three straight wins, the Blazers enter Moda Center this evening just 2 games behind the Suns for the tenth and last slot in the West. The hope tonight, however, is that an under-strength Denver might not be able to slow the recent advance. Once again, no Nikola Jokic for the Nuggets, and perhaps no Jamal Murray again, either; that didn't stop Denver from upsetting the Warriors earlier this week, but shorthanded Denver didn't even have a look at the Lakers on Wednesday, and don't forget that home loss to the Wiz last Saturday. Portland is once again riding a hot Anfernee Simons, who's scoring at a 24 pg clip in the current win streak. Play Blazers