Perry Perspective: Jan 19
From
BetWWTS.com
UConn poised to lash Louisville
For many high-caliber athletes, booing and heckling motivates rather than demoralizes. Just ask UConn Huskies senior G-F Rashad Anderson.
On Monday, the No. 3 Huskies traveled to the sold-out Carrier Dome in Syracuse to take on the No. 20 Orange in what is a storied Big East rivalry game.
During pre-game warmups, Orange fans were cruel and cold-hearted while heckling Anderson, who was hospitalized last season with a serious skin infection on his right leg.
According to the 6-foot-5 Lakeland, Florida native, fans yelled ?horrible things? like ?I wish your leg had got cut off? and ?I wish you never played again.?
?That was fuel for my fire,? Anderson told the Connecticut Post. ?They woke up a monster.?
Anderson, the Huskies? sixth man and three-point specialist, scored a team-high 21 points as the Huskies squeezed the Orange 88-80 as 2-point road favorites.
With the win, the Huskies improved their record to 15-1 straight up (6-5 against the spread). At 3-1 against conference opponents, the Huskies are currently third in the Big East behind West Virginia and unbeaten Pittsburgh.
UConn?s lone loss came at Marquette on Jan. 3. The Huskies lost that game 94-79 as 10-point road favorites.
Although he has not started a game all year, Anderson is UConn?s second leading scorer averaging 14.9 ppg. Ahead of him is highly regarded sophomore Rudy Gay Jr., who?s averaging 15.2 ppg. The Huskies have the highest-scoring offense in the Big East, averaging 84 ppg.
This weekend, UConn will travel to Louisville to take on Rick Pitino?s No. 17 Cardinals.
The Cardinals, who are in their inaugural Big East season after leaving C-USA, are currently 13-4 SU overall but are just 1-3 against conference opponents. That record has them near the bottom of the Big East standings.
Two of those losses came to ranked teams: Villanova (then No. 3) and Pittsburgh (then No. 12). The third loss was to unranked St. John?s, which was just 9-6 SU as of Wednesday.
Coach Pitino admits that his team is still adjusting to the Big East, which is more talented and physical than C-USA.
"I would say 80 percent of what they see now would have been a foul last year. So it's something our guys just have to get used to,? he told the Louisville Courier Journal.
Another disadvantage for the Cardinals is youth and inexperience ? they only have one senior on the team, and that happens to be their leading scorer G Taquan Dean who?s averaging 15.1 ppg.
?None of (the players) have been prime-time players with the exception of Taquan,? Pitino told reporters after the loss at St. John?s. ?It is going to take time to nurture this team.?
In addition to their weak conference record, the Cards have one of the worst records against the spread in Division I at 3-10 ATS. And on the total, they have seen just two of 12 games go OVER. That?s among the fewest in college basketball.
Their record against the spread and on the total suggests the Cardinals have been overrated this season.
Other notable games on Saturday:
No. 25 Iowa at No. 12 Michigan State (12:00 p.m. ET, ESPN)
The Hawkeyes tip off with the Spartans in a Big Ten battle. Michigan St. is 14-4 (9-7 ATS), but only 2-2 against conference foes.
As of Wednesday, Iowa was 13-4 and 2-1 in conference play. However, the Hawkeyes were just 4-9 ATS and 3-10 on the OVER/UNDER heading into Wednesday night?s game against Minnesota.
No. 17 West Virginia at No. 16 UCLA (3:45 p.m. ET, CBS)
The Big East-leading Mountaineers travel to LA to take on the Pac-10-leading Bruins in a non-conference matchup. The Mountaineers are 13-3 (7-7 ATS) and a perfect 5-0 in conference play.
As of Wednesday, UCLA was 14-3 (6-7 ATS) and 4-2 against conference foes. Heading into Wednesday?s game against USC, the Bruins had seen just four of 13 games top the total.
No. 20 Syracuse at No. 7 Villanova (6:00 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Still smarting from their loss to UConn, the Orange travel to Villanova to take on the Wildcats in a Big East showdown.
The Wildcats are 12-2 (6-4 ATS) and 3-1 versus the conference. Both of their losses have come in the past two weeks against West Virginia (then-No. 24) and Texas (then-No. 8).
With a high-scoring offense (No. 3 in Big East) and a softer scoring defense (No. 8 in Big East), the Wildcats have seen eight of 10 games top the posted total.
The Orange are currently 15-3 (7-8-1 ATS) and are also 3-1 against Big East opponents.
From
BetWWTS.com
UConn poised to lash Louisville
For many high-caliber athletes, booing and heckling motivates rather than demoralizes. Just ask UConn Huskies senior G-F Rashad Anderson.
On Monday, the No. 3 Huskies traveled to the sold-out Carrier Dome in Syracuse to take on the No. 20 Orange in what is a storied Big East rivalry game.
During pre-game warmups, Orange fans were cruel and cold-hearted while heckling Anderson, who was hospitalized last season with a serious skin infection on his right leg.
According to the 6-foot-5 Lakeland, Florida native, fans yelled ?horrible things? like ?I wish your leg had got cut off? and ?I wish you never played again.?
?That was fuel for my fire,? Anderson told the Connecticut Post. ?They woke up a monster.?
Anderson, the Huskies? sixth man and three-point specialist, scored a team-high 21 points as the Huskies squeezed the Orange 88-80 as 2-point road favorites.
With the win, the Huskies improved their record to 15-1 straight up (6-5 against the spread). At 3-1 against conference opponents, the Huskies are currently third in the Big East behind West Virginia and unbeaten Pittsburgh.
UConn?s lone loss came at Marquette on Jan. 3. The Huskies lost that game 94-79 as 10-point road favorites.
Although he has not started a game all year, Anderson is UConn?s second leading scorer averaging 14.9 ppg. Ahead of him is highly regarded sophomore Rudy Gay Jr., who?s averaging 15.2 ppg. The Huskies have the highest-scoring offense in the Big East, averaging 84 ppg.
This weekend, UConn will travel to Louisville to take on Rick Pitino?s No. 17 Cardinals.
The Cardinals, who are in their inaugural Big East season after leaving C-USA, are currently 13-4 SU overall but are just 1-3 against conference opponents. That record has them near the bottom of the Big East standings.
Two of those losses came to ranked teams: Villanova (then No. 3) and Pittsburgh (then No. 12). The third loss was to unranked St. John?s, which was just 9-6 SU as of Wednesday.
Coach Pitino admits that his team is still adjusting to the Big East, which is more talented and physical than C-USA.
"I would say 80 percent of what they see now would have been a foul last year. So it's something our guys just have to get used to,? he told the Louisville Courier Journal.
Another disadvantage for the Cardinals is youth and inexperience ? they only have one senior on the team, and that happens to be their leading scorer G Taquan Dean who?s averaging 15.1 ppg.
?None of (the players) have been prime-time players with the exception of Taquan,? Pitino told reporters after the loss at St. John?s. ?It is going to take time to nurture this team.?
In addition to their weak conference record, the Cards have one of the worst records against the spread in Division I at 3-10 ATS. And on the total, they have seen just two of 12 games go OVER. That?s among the fewest in college basketball.
Their record against the spread and on the total suggests the Cardinals have been overrated this season.
Other notable games on Saturday:
No. 25 Iowa at No. 12 Michigan State (12:00 p.m. ET, ESPN)
The Hawkeyes tip off with the Spartans in a Big Ten battle. Michigan St. is 14-4 (9-7 ATS), but only 2-2 against conference foes.
As of Wednesday, Iowa was 13-4 and 2-1 in conference play. However, the Hawkeyes were just 4-9 ATS and 3-10 on the OVER/UNDER heading into Wednesday night?s game against Minnesota.
No. 17 West Virginia at No. 16 UCLA (3:45 p.m. ET, CBS)
The Big East-leading Mountaineers travel to LA to take on the Pac-10-leading Bruins in a non-conference matchup. The Mountaineers are 13-3 (7-7 ATS) and a perfect 5-0 in conference play.
As of Wednesday, UCLA was 14-3 (6-7 ATS) and 4-2 against conference foes. Heading into Wednesday?s game against USC, the Bruins had seen just four of 13 games top the total.
No. 20 Syracuse at No. 7 Villanova (6:00 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Still smarting from their loss to UConn, the Orange travel to Villanova to take on the Wildcats in a Big East showdown.
The Wildcats are 12-2 (6-4 ATS) and 3-1 versus the conference. Both of their losses have come in the past two weeks against West Virginia (then-No. 24) and Texas (then-No. 8).
With a high-scoring offense (No. 3 in Big East) and a softer scoring defense (No. 8 in Big East), the Wildcats have seen eight of 10 games top the posted total.
The Orange are currently 15-3 (7-8-1 ATS) and are also 3-1 against Big East opponents.
