Larry Ness' 20* Blowout Game of the Month-CBB (14-6 CBB run the last eight days!)
My 20* play is on Pacific at 10:00 ET. After three dominant years atop the Big West, Pacific fell hard last season. The Tigers won 76 games overall (49-3 in league play) in the three seasons prior to LY's 12-19 season in which they fell to 5-9 in Big West games. Fullerton accounted for THREE of those conference losses as the Titans went 20-10 last season. Despite losing long-time starting guard Brown (20.2-5.1 APG) and 6-7 forward Burns (10.5-6.7), the Titans had high hopes for this year. Head coach Bob Burton knows he team lacks size but his style of running on offense and pressing on defense is based much more on speed and athleticism than size, anyway. The team's strength is on the perimeter with guards Akognon (20.5), Robinson (15.2-6.7) and Crenshaw (9.9). Two 6-5 players, Cutley (13.3-7.0) and Morgan (6.1-6.3) actually qualify as the team's "big men." Fullerton averages 82.5 PPG, while shooting 47.2 percent (42 percent on threes). Pacific is not "all the way back," but Bob Thomason (in his 20th year in Stockton), has his team back in the thick of things in the Big West. The Tigers are 11-5 overall (2-1 in league play) and while everyone is chasing Northridge (13-3 and 5-0 in conference), don't count the Tigers out, just yet. The team is not deep but junior guards Johnson (15.6-4.7 APG) and Troyer (11.8) are an excellent duo, while inside, the 6-7 Brown (10.9-6.3) and 6-8 freshman Nunnally (8.8-5.1) will give the Titans fits. Joining the fray inside is the 6-8 LeDuc (7.6-3.2) and the 6-6 Ford (4.5-3.9) giving the homestanding Tigers a nice edge underneath. Pacific doesn't score quite like Fullerton but the Tigers are shooting 49.0 percent from the floor and almost 40 percent (39.2) on threes. Pacific's 6-1 at home (lone stumble was an inexplicable loss to Pepperdine) and the Tigers have to be looking forward to this game, after losing to the Titans three times last season. This game begins a brutal stretch for Fullerton , as the team will play SIX of its next seven games away from. Upon further consideration, the Titans just may want to skip this trip to Stockton. Blowout of the Month 20* Pacific.
Good Luck...Larry
Larry Ness' Las Vegas Insider-CBB (10-4 with BKB Insiders since Jan 1 / 5-2 in CBB!)
My Las Vegas Insider is on Illinois-Chicago at 8:00 ET. While Wright St was setting a school-record with 23 wins last year and winning the Horizon tourney, Illinois-Chicago saw its head coach (Jimmy Collins) fight some very serious health concerns (which kept him off the bench after Christmas) and saw numerous players quit the team, as ugly rumors swirled around one of Collins' assistants. The Flames were 'lucky' to finish at 14-18 and while Collins decided to return in April, Jeffers, the team's leading scorer (15.4) and rebounnder (8.6), transferred. Starting guard Gray (11.1) also chose not to return. One couldn't have been too optimistic about the Flames' outlook this year but one would have been wrong! Mayo (18.0-3.8 APG) has been great at PG and while he's the team's lone double digit scorer, fellow guards White (9.9), Kreps (9.0) and Bush (6.7) have been nice compliments. VanderMeer (9.3-6.6), a 7-0 center, has been joined inside by three forwards, Dailey, Buttell and Boyd, who have combined to score 14 PPG and grab 12 RPG. Getting back to Wright St, the Raiders knew there was no replacing all-everything guard DeShaun Woods (started all 119 games while at the school, averaging 19.6 LY). However, guards Brown (15.5-4.5-2.3) and Duggins (14.8-3.2-3.0) have done a nice job in the backcourt so far. The 6-6 Wilson (10.1-7.1) and the 6-8 Pleiman (10.1-6.1) are the team's best insider players but the Raiders are just 9-6 overall TY, including 2-4 in the Horizon (0-2 on the road). Meanwhile, Illinois-Chicago is a surprising 9--7 (3-2 in the Horizon) and has played very well at home.The Flames are 6-0 SU at home this year, including a 3-0 SU and ATS mark in league play. Collins has done a great job getting his team 'back on track," while Wright St head coach Brad Brownwell knows LY's 23-win season is only a distant memory. Las Vegas Insider on Illinois-Chicago.
Good Luck...Larry
Scott Spreitzer's CBB Hammer Blowout of the Week! -- Thursday
I'm laying the points with Tennessee on Thursday. To say the linesmaker is begging public action on Vanderbilt would be a serious understatement. After all, we're talking about a team that's 16-1 SU, yet are receiving double-digits. That, in itself, is telling us how overrated this Commodore team actually is. We'll give them credit for the way they have protected home floor over the years in the tough SEC, but Vandy has fattened up against an incredibly soft schedule this season and received a reality check from a rebuilding Kentucky team last time out. If they thought that was a tough stop, wait until they get a load of the Volunteers, who are quietly climbing up the national polls. The sixth-ranked Vols have won nine straight and 14 of 15 to start the season. There's not a single weak-link on the offensive end, where they're scoring an average of 86.7 PPG. In fact, Tennessee has scored less than 80 points just three times this entire season. Tennessee rolls in this one, by 18-20 points. The Vols are my Thursday night Hammer GOW. Thanks! GL! Scott.