Bruce's Picks (1 Live)
Not sure how much fight is left in the Highlanders, who have endured a difficult past month and now find themselves close to being mathematically eliminated from next month's Big West Tourney at Henderson, which only takes the top eight teams in the loop. Though UCR should have the attention of the host Tritons after UCSD narrowly escaped 69-66 in the Inland Empire five weeks ago , withstanding 27 points from Highlander G Andrew Henderson. For the Tritons, they finally looked back in order in Thursday's Lion Tree Arena romp past UC Davis, and the latest big effort (20 points) from 6-11 C Bol Dengdit. Play UCSD
These "Battles of Orange County" have been all-Anteaters lately, especially since last season, with three successive 20+-point wins for UCI. Last season, when Fullerton was struggling, that wasn't a special accomplishment, but this season that 86-64 win on January 3 was a bit more eye-opening, as it is a far more-dangerous Titans team this season. Yet it all looked like a year ago, UCI getting most of the shots it wanted while hitting 56% from the floor, and again too physical for CSF, which was bullied 44-31 off the glass and saw top scorer G Joshua Ward get very flustered, making just 3 of 16 FG attempts. After two bitter losses on the Central Coast, back to the Bren Center should benefit UCI. Play UCI
If you believe certain Bracketologists, the Huskies are still hanging onto the further reaches of the Big Dance bubble, despite their 4-10 Big Ten and 12-13 overall marks. Thursday's 63-60 home loss to Penn State should have scuttled that talk, but there is a chance for a fast finish with the schedule breaking well from now until the Big Ten Tourney, and 6-11 frosh Hannes Steinbach (17.6 ppg & 11.4 rpg) continues to look like an NBA lottery pick. We also have no hesitation going against Niko Medved's visiting Gophers, who enter Alaska Airlines Arena having lost eight of their last nine. Play Washington
Beach as top scorer frosh G Gavin Sykes (17.5 ppg) did return to active duty on Thursday vs. Fullerton after missing the previous four games with a bad ankle, and didn't look altogether rusty (scoring 12) in 32 minutes of floor time. Note, too, that three of the losses in the current six-game skid, including two nights ago vs. CSF, were by four points or fewer, and no margin exceeded 10. Meanwhile, right when we were about to get on the Ags bandwagon, they come up flat at UCSD, never having a look in a 68-51 loss, and that's now two games in a row (including the preceding tilt vs. Cal Poly) where UCD hasn't hit better than 36% from the floor. Play Beach
Tim Miles is extracting some much better efforts out of his SJSU in three straight handy covers against capable Mountain West opposition (New Mexico, Colorado State, and UNLV). Admittedly, this is partly in contrast to previous Spartans efforts, but regional observers are suggesting more is at work here, mostly the acknowledged ability of Miles to get another of his teams punching above their weight. Longwood transfer Colby Garland (18.6 ppg) has been on fire, scoring 21+ in these last three games, establishing himself as one of the hottest current commodities in the MW. Let's see how GCU deal with the atmosphere-free "vacuum" at the Event Center. Play San Jose State
A very sad state of affairs these days at Air Force, as the Falcs remain winless in Mountain West play and HC Joe Scott still on suspension. Too much outflow and not enough inflow from the portal are endemic to the service academies and making it very hard to compete ina league like the Mountain West. The Falcons are simply outmanned and their best players (such as G Jake Heidbreder, now on the other Fresno side this afternoon) have left the program. Measured vote here for Fresno, which can likely extend the margin as have others in the MW vs. the Force, but in truth this is an anti-Falcons pick. Play Fresno State
An indoor track meet is set at Memorial Gym because all both teams like to do is run! A&M has not touched the handbrake all season for new HC Bucky McMillan, scoring at a 91 ppg clip, while Vandy HC Mark Byington has shown no inclination for his Dores (89 ppg) to clow the pace, which has made soph G Tyler Tanner (18.9 ppg) a candidate for SEC MVP and given well-traveled G Duke Miles (16.6 ppg) more runway than he's ever had in a peripatetic, six-year career that's seen his bounce from Troy-to-High Point-to Oklahoma-to Vandy. Style matchups suggests this mid 160s total, while looking daunting, probably isn't high enough. Play Texas A&M-Vanderbilt Over
All of a sudden, a little bit of a wobble from Fred Hoiberg's Cornhuskers, whose undefeated record into late January has gone by the wayside and now been replaced by three losses in four as Nebraska has come back to Earth. No shame in losing close ones to Michigan, Illinois, and Purdue, but in between at lowly Rutgers, the Huskers never quite put away the Scarlet Knights and narrowly failed to cover the number. Northwestern won't be easy, either, as the Wolverines were a lot closer to Michigan at midweek than the 87-75 final score suggests, and losing by 19 at home to Hoiberg on January 17 might actually work in NU's favor in the rematch, as Nebraska has slipped since. Play Northwestern
Back to one of Rick Pitino's old haunts, as he led Providence to a Final Four almost 40 years ago before his coaching odyssey really began. Though letdown possible here after 10 straight wins and emotional successes vs. UConn and vs. Pitino's son Richard and his Xavier (in OT) the past week, and Providence, despite its 4-10 league mark, is dangerous with its jet-powered 88.2 ppg offense led by Gs Jaylin Sellers and recently-activated Jason Edwards, both scoring better than 17 ppg. The Friars also happen to own a January 3 win over Pitino at MSG by a 77-71 count when Kim English's team put the clamps on the Red Storm, which hit only 28% (28%!) from the floor. Play Providence
It's been a while since we went out of our way to support Fordham, but new HC Mike Magpayo (via UCR) is changing our minds. The Bronx Rams aren't scoring many style points, instead hardscrabble efforts while not allowing any of the last six foes to clear 70 points, and spread covers in four of five. Classy Iona transfer G Dejour Reaves (17.1 ppg) usually scores enough to help keep the Bronx Rams close, though one of Magpayo's UCR transfers, 6-9 German Rikus Schulte, and 6-7 Aussie frosh Roor Akhuar have also helped in recent games. Meanwhile, most of Rhody's games are close (seven straight decided by single digits), as spotty three-point shooting (only 31%) has made it tough to extend margins. Play Fordham
It's been a good while since either of these sides won, and we suspect they might not be able to escape the gravity pull of the other. For Eintracht Frankfurt, the winless run now reads nine, which began well before manager Dino Toppmöller was dismissed, but the seeds of SGE's demise had been planted since the departures of Omar Marmoush and Hugo Ekitike. New coach Albert Riera is talking a big game, but until SGE stops shipping goals (46; only bottom side Heidenheim has conceded more, 47) we steer clear. 'Gladbach has the best striker on the pitch in Haris Tabakovic and a clear shot as a result. Play 'Gladbach on Spread
"In Cesc We Trust." Cesc Fabregas simply isn't allowing his Como to lose, especially vs. sides like Fiorentina in the bottom half of the Serie A table. The unbeaten run is now five straight and 10 of 11 which includes a couple of Coppa Italia ties, one of those on Tuesday when Como took out host Napoli on PKs. Maybe not pure catenaccio as practiced by Como, but the nullifying style that slows the pace and makes life a bit easier for French GK Jean Butez, working on three consecutive clean sheets in Serie A. Como won the reverse fixture 2-1 at the Artemio Franchi back on September 21, and won another over La Viola in the Coppa January 27. Play Como on Asian Line
Boise is back on the bubble and scoring points at a 92 ppg clip across the last four wins. Making some big noise after a rather quiet first half of the campaign following his transfer from UCLA, G Dylan Andrews is now arguably the hottest scorer in the Mountain West, having hit the Lobos for 33 last Saturday after burning Stave Alford's Nevada for 25 in the previous game. This might not be easy tonight as UNLV scored an 89-85 OT win last month at the Thomas & Mack, when Illinois transfer G Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn scored 33. Over thus could be in play, which has happened in six of the last seven for UNLV...and a big nine straight for Boise! Play UNLV-Boise State Over.
No more Dick Bennett or Bo Ryan style for Wiscy, as Greg Gard put into mothballs the old molasses-like pace; as the Badgers pop along these days at better than 83 ppg and helped recent BIG road wins at Michigan and Illinois. Tom Izzo can also boast of a win over the same Illinois in the past week, but some up and downs lately for G Jeremy Fears as well as Izzo after he and Michigan counterpart Dusty May accused the other of dirty play following their January 30 matchup. Best idea might be over which has cashed rather regularly for both of these lately (Wiscy over last four, Sparty over 6-3 last nine). Play Michigan State-Wisconsin Over.