Bruce's Picks (5 Live)
WCC sources are suggesting that if we get a surprise or two at the upcoming conference tourney in Las Vegas, it might be one of these two sides upsetting the applecart. Especially the Beavers, who have opened some eyes with wins in four of five including a 90-63 destruction of USF last Thursday on the Hilltop, buring the nets at 56% shooting with Wayne Tinkle getting four scorers between 16-18 points, with 6-11 Spaniard Jorge Diaz Graham even surprising off the bench with 18 points. Seattle is a veteran side that can cause problems, though OSU dealt with the Redhawks challenge in Corvallis on January 8 when holding Chris Victor's team to just 30% FGs as the Beavers grinded out a 68-55 win. Play OSU
Might this one resemble the first meeting in Corvallis back on January 8 when the Beavers pounded out a 68-55 win? Oregon State welcomes a slower pace if needed, and put the clamps on Seattle offense int he first meeting, holding the Redhawks to 20 points in the second half and just 30% FG shooting for the entire game. Seattle's only DD scorer was G Brayden Maldonado, and even he was held beneath his scoring average when tallying only 13 points. The Redhawks, however, are a veteran team and solid on defense and could reverse the first result, and note how Chris Victor's side allows only 68 ppg, which ranks only behind Saint Mary's in the WCC. Play OSU-Seattle Under
Regional sources are alerting to keep an eye on King Rice's Monmouth, which looks to have found something lately after winning four of five and posting its highest total in CAA play this season (93) at the expense of usually defense-tough Drexel on Thursday night. That might coincide with ex-Texas Southern PG Kavion McClain was recently being ruled eligible and is making an immediate impact, scoring 17 ppg and dishing out 5.5 apg across his pair of outings. Monmouth also dominated the first meeting with Towson in the Baltimore suburbs on January 3, putting a blanket around G Tyler Tejada, a 17 ppg scorer held to just nine as the Hawks soared 62-48. Towson's very bipolar pattern makes the Tigers hard to trust. Play Monmouth
Davidson and Dayton each own identical marks (both 15-9 overall and 6-5 in loop play), though recent trajectories of each aren't similar. The Flyers have been a bit of a disappointment, and after snapping a recent four-game skid with a narrow win over St Bona, Daytons got trounced by VCU in the latest downer effort. Shooting has not been especially good lately, while the defense has not only been cooked lately by the Billikens and VCU, but even St Joe's did significant damage on Hawk Hill three weeks ago. All in contrast to recent form of the Wildcats, who continue to impress with recent blowouts of Richmond and Loyola plus a spirited effort vs. Saint Louis, leading the Billikens much of the night. Play Davidson
Kurt Warner and other alums must be pinching themselves...is this really UNI scoring all of these points in the past two games? After hitting 89 in a romp past Murray State, and then 86 at Belmont, it's a fair question to ask from a team that still leads the country in scoring defense (61.2 pg) and plays at one of the slowest paces in the land. Ben Jacobson, however, might be loosening the reins a bit on Gs Trey Campbell (20.5 ppg the last two) and Leon Bond III (20 ppg vs the Racers and Bruins), who are gladly picking up the pace, and UNI is moving, with three double-digit wins (including the romp past Murray State) within the past four games. Play UNI
Bart Lundy's Panthers needed to face cellar-dweller IU-Indy last Tuesday to break a four-game skid, and have lost 11 of their last 14. That includes a 79-76 setback in Green Bay back on January 5 when Milwaukee was actually favored but fell short, a recurring theme for the Brewers (er...Panthers). Early January was also before Doug Gottlieb got the turbines whirring for his Green Bay, which is now chasing the leaders in the Horizon and with an outside chance to overtake both Oakland and Wright State for top seed in the looming Horizon Tourney. Gottlieb has an effective four go-to scorers all between 11-14 ppg, with soph G CJ O'Hara (14.1 ppg) popping for 20+ in a couple of recent wins. Play Green Bay
Such is the cluster in the Missouri Valley that insiders believe upsets could be on the horizon in a few weeks at Arch Madness in St. Louis. Among the lower tier, the Salukis might be the most dangerous, with almost all of their losses by ten poitns or fewer, and riding a mini-uptick (wins last 2 and 3 of 4) into Sunday. Three-point shooting (just 28.5%) remains an issue, but SIU has weapons such as ex-Jacksonville State G Quel'Ron House, who recently had back-to-back games of 22 (vs Illinois State) and 26 (vs Murray State) points. Meanwhile, Bradley has had issues on the Valley trail, and was fortunate to escape with a 73-69 win in the first meeting back on December 21. Play SIU
Noting that returning top scorer Will Sydnor has battled eligibility issues all season. the Jaspers have stayed mostly competitive this season. Returnee G Jaden Winston (15.8 ppg) has emerged as a competent go-to scorer, and Manhattan does rank s third in free throw accuracy at 80.1%. Back-to-back wins over Sacred Heart and Niagara are positives, and now revenge vs. the not-so-Golden Griffs, who scored one of their few wins at Manhattan (which, by the way, is in the The Bronx) back on January 9. That 70-64 win for Canisius also qualifies as an offensive explosion for the Griffs, whose 63 ppg non-attack ranks 356th in scoring (amazingly, that's not even the lowest rank among Metro-Atlantic entries, with Niagara a step lower at 357!). Play Manhattan
Fortunate that this isn't European soccer are the Roadrunners, who would risk relegation to the Southland Conference based upon its winless (0-14) American mark. Not a surprise, perhaps, considering UTSA is one of the worst-shooting teams in the country...39.5% from the floor ranks 357th, and three-point accuracy (or inaccuracy, in the Roadrunners' case) at 28.9%, which ranks 356th. With only one double-digit scorer, Southern Utah transfer G Jamir Simpson (15.9 ppg), there aren't a lot of options for young second-year HC Austin Claunch, who was regarded as an up-and-comer not long ago. It goes without saying the Roadrunners have been a moneyburner, too, dropping 13 of their last 17 vs. the spread, including a 74-58 home loss to Charlotte on January 7. Play Charlotte
Surprise, surprise! The Terps have surprisingly shown some life in the past week with upset wins at Minnesota and home vs. Iowa, maybe not coincidentally after Buzz Williams gave a detailed interview on the first-year struggles at his new job. (Maybe Buzz should have spoken out sooner?). Senior G David Coit (24 ppg in the win streak) and frosh G Andre Mills (18 ppg the last two) have been on a real heaters lately, as Maryland has looked animated on the floor for the first time since November. Can't say that about Rutgers, on a six-game skid in its latest losing streak; if Steve Pikiell couldn't win with two top five NBA picks last year, it's no surprise he's not this year, either! Play Maryland