Chris Jordan
Saturday Sweep
600♦ XAVIER - While the Musketeers have been making mincemeat with the likes of Cincinnati, Creighton and Indiana the past few weeks ? not to mention a pair of cupcakes in Oakland Michigan and Belmont ? ASU has been toying with teams like Coppin State, Delaware State, Florida-Gulf Coast and Cal Poly SLO. The one big foe, Nebraska on Dec. 2, the Devils were ripped, 62-47. In comes Xavier, a team Herb Sendek's boys certainly won't be able to hang with offensively ? the same way they struggled last year when they went to Cincinnati to face the Musketeers. This year's version of Xavier is much better.
Let's also not forget this is a reunion game for Xavier head coach Sean Miller, who spent seven seasons as an assistant under Sendek when he was the head coach at Miami (Ohio) and at North Carolina State. On top of that, two members of Miller's current Xavier staff, assistant coach James Whitford and director of basketball operations Bill Comar, both worked for Sendek at Miami (Ohio). Scouting this game, this team ? the style of play the Musketeers will face ? won't be too hard for this crew.
Though the Devils have begun to show potential for better defense, but I don't see how coming off the competition they've played, they will be able to stifle an up-tempo squad that is averaging 79 points a game. Xavier's balanced scoring attack has gone above and beyond expectations, as six players are averaging double figures ? a feat never accomplished by an Xavier squad for an entire season. Don?t look now, but the 17th-ranked team in the country doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon. And since Xavier pummeled the Sun Devils 76-58 last year, cashing as a 16?-point home favorite, and this year's version is much better, I'll play the road chalk laying just a few.
200♦ BENGALS - With backup-turned-starter Trent Dilfer suffering a concussion in last week's 27-7 loss to Minnesota, Shaun Hill makes his first career start tonight, and on top of that, the Niners signed Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke this week to serve as Hill's backup. Hill may have provided what coach Mike Nolan called a spark when he came out of the bullpen last week, but this offense is no match for the firepower the Bengals have, despite being an inefficient team that is 5-8 this season. We all know the issues the Bengals have faced have been on defense, but the past few weeks have been much better, giving up an average of 13.3 points per game. They did not allow a touchdown for the second time in three weeks in a 19-10 win over St. Louis last Sunday. Look for another big performance by that defense against Hill, while we get the cover with that explosive offense.
100♦ PENN STATE - Although the Pioneers have alternated home and away venues the past four games, they've spent the past 4-1/2 weeks in the state of Colorado or just on the outskirts, when they went to Wyoming on Nov. 13. Now they're going to try to compete with the Nittany Lions on their home court, where they're 5-0 SU and 3-0 ATS on the season, and roll in off Wednesday's 23-point home win over Princeton. This team has been at home for two weeks and will be well prepared for the win and cover in this clash, as it is outscoring its guests by an average margin of 19 points.
100♦ CHARLOTTE - We roll with the Niners here, as they come in riding a 6-2 mark on the season and now get a crack at the 1-5 Pride, who have lost four straight, including what some might have considered easy wins over St. Francis, Fordham and Stony Brook. It took an overtime effort to get their only notch in the win column this season, and that was a hard-fought win over Manhattan. Guys, I don't know whether or not this is a top play on Charlotte, or my best bet because we're going against Hofstra.
Bottom line is, not only has Charlotte bolted out to marks of 6-2 SU and 5-1 ATS, but it's gotten things done against the likes of 2007 Big Dance entrants Davidson and Georgia Tech, not to mention annual contenders Wake Forest and Southern Illinois. Bottom line here is Charlotte, in on a three-game win streak, is laying too cheap a price having won those games by an average margin of almost nine points per victory. Lay the number with the much-better 49ers, who are 5-1 ATS this season, as they win this game going away.
100♦ BUTLER - Butler has to be pissed after suffering its first loss of the season, and in taking the action to Conseco Fieldhouse for this non-conference clash with the Seminoles, I am going to lay the chalk with the home squad, for all intents and purposes.
Though Butler has dropped two straight to the man, it's covered nine of 12 and now gets a team that has played three straight cupcakes in Stetson, Maine and Samford. Now comes this neutral-court clash that most certainly will have the crowd cheering for the Bulldogs, who has covered 25 of their last 33 non-conference games. Also, to Butler's credit, it hasn't lost back-to-back games in the past 61 contests.
The Bulldogs have held three straight opponents to 46 points or less. In fact, Butler has yet to give up more than 48 points in any game played in the bordering 48 states this season, while the Bulldogs have held an opponent under 20 points in a half six times this season. Butler leads the Horizon League and ranks sixth in the NCAA Division I in team scoring defense (54.3), and has held six opponents to their lowest point total of the season. Look for that defense to return tonight, and for the 'Dawgs to scalp the 'Noles.