This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.  It may seem unbelievable before the season began but the Colorado Buffaloes could be in a three-way tie on top of the Pac-12 on Sunday night. For it to happen, the Buffaloes must reverse their 84-64 loss at Stanford Cardinal on January 14 before first-place California rolls into Boulder. A quick look at their victories, the Buffaloes is the only team that is undefeated in the Pac-12 team in conference games at home (7-0); the Cardinal is 2-5 on the road. The two of the top freshman guards in the Pac-12 will be featured – Stanford’s Chasson Randle and Colorado’s Spencer Dinwiddie – and one of the nation’s premier rebounders in the buffaloes’ Andre Roberson. Stanford Cardinal at Colorado Buffaloes When: 10:30 PM ET, Thursday, February 23, 2012 Where: Coors Events Center, Boulder, Colorado The Buffaloes have opened as 5-point favorites on several online sports books sites. Line-shopping shouldn’t be done without having Sportsbook.com among the sports book sites to check out. Don’t forget to read free March madness picks as well to make a better opinion about the game. Colorado Buffaloes (18-8) The Buffaloes, who were picked to finish 10th in the Pac-12 pre-season poll, are 1 ½ games behind California and Washington. Colorado, though, appears in good shape to finish in the top four and earn a first-round bye in the Pac-12 tournament. Roberson is one of the four players that averages in double figures in scoring at 11.3 and is fourth in the country with 11.3 rebounds per game. The Buffaloes have plenty of depth as nine players are averaging between 10.5 and 29.2 minutes. Colorado last reached the NCCA Tournament in 2003. Colorado leads the Pac-12 in rebounding margin at plus 5.5. Stanford Cardinal (18-9) The Cardinal is also deep as they feature 10 players averaging between 10.8 and 29.7 minutes. Josh Owens leads Stanford with 12.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Randle is averaging 10.8 points and leads the team with 29 steals. Point guard Aaron Bright had seven assists in each of his last two games, matching a season-high. The Cardinal reached the NCAAs every year except one (2006) from 1995-2008, but will have to win the Pac-12 tournament to avoid missing the dance for the fourth straight season. Stanford is only second to Colorado when it comes to rebounding in Pac-12 with 5.4. Free March Madness Picks: Buffaloes 68, Cardinal 60.
 The Gaels are aiming to clinch on to at least a share of the West Coast Conference title with a win over Portland, which has lost four consecutive games and 10 of its last 11. The No. 23 Gaels, who lead BYU and Gonzaga by one game with two to go, are looking to win consecutive league titles for the first time in program history. Saint Mary’s figures to be on the NCAA Tournament bubble after losing three of its last four games, including Saturday’s BracketBusters game at Murray State 65-51. The Gaels have won nine of the last 12 meetings against Portland Pilots. Saint Marys Gaels at Portland Pilots When: 10:00 PM ET, Thursday, February 23, 2012 Where: The Earle A. Virginia H. Chiles Center, Portland Oregon The Gaels have opened as 12-points favorites on several sports book sites online, check out the lines and odds at Sportsbook.com if there were any changes and don’t forget to read more free march madness picks in order to give a better picture and also better decisions. Saint Marys Gaels (23-5) Unfortunately for guard Stephen Holt, he will miss his second straight game after injuring a knee last week against the Loyola Marymount. The Gaels struggled against Murray State without Holt, who is averaging 10.4 points and could miss the rest of the season with a partial MCL tear. Forward Rob Jones averages 10.5 rebounds to lead the WCC, and he had 10 points and 11 boards in the Gaels’ 69-61 victory at Portland on January 14. Guard Matthew Dellavedova is averaging 15.5 points and leads the league in assists and minutes played. This team when it comes to the WCC’s defense is ranked at the top, allowing only 61.6 points. Portland Pilots (6-21) Forward Ryan Nicholas is leading the Pilots in scoring at 11.1 points and in rebounding at 7.4 boards, scored 16 points on 8 of 12 shooting against Saint Mary’s a month ago. Freshman Thomas Van der Mars managed to score 18 points and was able to nab 7 rebounds against the Gaels, he is averaging 8.4 points and 5.3 rebounds. The rebuilding Pilots have four freshmen averaging more than 16 minutes per game. The team is averaging 56.6 points and allowing a conference-worse 76.1. Coming off consecutive 20-win seasons, the Pilots will be the seven or eight seed in next week’s conference tournament. Free March Madness Picks: Gaels 75, Pilots 65
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 The Bulldogs may prove to be a difficult opponent for the Kentucky Wildcats as they vie for the third team in 55 years to go unbeatable in the Southeastern Conference, could they be entering a trap when they visit the Mississippi State Bulldogs? The two teams have split their last six games and the average margin of victory has been 4.9 points in the last seven meetings. These two teams are known for their solid defense; opponents are shooting only 36.2 percent against Kentucky and 42.9 against the Mississippi State. Don’t forget that Kentucky has won 18 straight games, has the advantage of offense, averaging 77.8 points with five players in double figures, compared to Miss State’s 72.5 points per game. Kentucky Wildcats at Mississippi State Bulldogs When: 9:00 PM ET, Tuesday, February 21, 2012 Where: Humphrey Coliseum, Starkville, Mississippi The Wildcats opened as 9-point favorites on several sports book online. Lineshopping is a must if you are planning to bet on the game in order to get the best deals, you can also try Sportsbook.com for other comparisons. This free March madness picks will guide you to betting on the right team. Kentucky Wildcats (26-1) It’s kind of hard to believe that it’s just now that all-conference forward Terrence Jones achieved his first double-double of the season with 15 points and 11 rebounds against Ole Miss. Freshman Anthony Davis has elevated himself into discussion to become national player of the year; he’s averagine 13.9 points, 9.7 rebounds and 4.9 blocks. Point guard Marquis Teague is averaging 8.7 assists over the last three games. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has seen his offensive production drop off, but he’s had seven or more rebounds in six of his last seven games. Doron Lamb is averaging 3.25 3-pointers over the last four games. Mississippi State Bulldogs (19-8) The Bulldogs have lost three straight and dropped out of the top 25 after an embarrassing 10-point loss to Auburn. Arnett Moutrie is still the Bulldogs’ most consistent player, averaging 16.5 points and an SEC-best 10.8 rebounds; he’s had 15 double-doubles, including 16 points and 11 rebounds against Auburn. Dee Bost will need a good showing against the Wildcats; he’s averaging 15.8 points and 5.0 assists and is not third in school history for 3-pointers and assists. Wendel Lewis started at forward for the first time since January 7 and scored only three points, but had five rebounds, in 29 minutes. Free March Madness Picks: Wildcats 75, Bulldogs 64
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 The No. 6 Michigan State Spartans hasn’t lost since January after stretch where they dropped three of five games to end that month. The Spartans, who lost three games on the road by a combined nine points, have rolled to five straight double-digit victories in February that includes three against ranked teams by getting back to coach Tom Izzo’s usual trademarks, rebounding and defense. In the meanwhile, the Minnesota Golden Gophers is fourth in the Big Ten in field goal percentage, the Spartans’ hard-nosed defensive approach could rattle the turnover-prone Golden Gophers, who commit a conference-worst 14.3 turnovers per game. Michigan State Spartans at Minnesota Golden Gophers When: 8:30 PM ET, Wednesday, February 22, 2012 Where: Williams Arena, Minneapolis, Minnesota The Spartans opened as 6-point favorites on several online sports book sites. Check out the lines and odds at Sportsbook.com if you are going line-shopping. This free March madness picks will guide you on which team to bet on. Michigan State Spartans (22-5) During their winning streak of five-games, this team enjoyed a plus-11 advantage in rebounding and is holding opponents to 34.3 percent shooting. In Sunday’s win at Purdue, Michigan State forced the Boilermakers to miss 22 of their first 23 field-goal attempts in the second half after Purdue shot 46.7 percent in the first half. Back-to-back Big Ten Player of the Week honoree Draymond Green is leading the conference at 15 double-doubles and has been impressive in the month of February, he averaged 17.8 points with 11.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists – all slight increases over his totals entering the month. Minnesota Golden Gophers (17-10) Despite their three-game slide, the Gophers have been able to count on a couple of key facets all season – their ability to block shots and the 3-point shooting of Julian Welch. The Golden Gophers have led the conference in blocks each of the past three seasons and is doing it again, averaging 5.1 this campaign. Welch is shooting a team-best 44.3 percent beyond the arc – fifth best in the Big Ten – and is also coming off a season-high 21-point outing in Saturday’s setback at Northwestern. Since allowing Northwestern and Illinois to shoot 50 percent from the field in consecutive losses last month, Michigan State has held eight straight opponents under 40 percent. Ralph Sampson III needs 16 points to become the fifth Gopher in school history with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 150 blocks. Free March Madness Picks: Spartans 68, Gophers 60
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 The Hurricanes is rightly set on the NCAA tournament “bubble” and a huge game against No. 21 Florida State looms, but Miami should know better not to overlook the down-trodden Maryland Terrapins. Maryland overcame a 16-point deficit in the first meeting before failing, 90-86 in double overtime on February 1 in Miami. The Hurricanes prevailed without second-leading scorer, forward Kenny Kadji (head injury), and despite the fact that three players have fouled out. Durand Scott had season-highs of 24 points, eight rebounds and seven assists before fouling out in the first overtime. The sophomore guard of Maryland Terrel Stoglin, who’s eighth in the nation in scoring (21.4), registered a career-high 33 points, but shot just 9 of 26 from the field. Miami has won six of the last eight meetings. Miami Hurricanes at Maryland Terrapins When: 8:00 PM ET, Tuesday, February 21, 2012 Where: Comcast Center, College Park Maryland The Hurricanes opened as 2.6 point favorites on several online sports book sites. Lineshopping is a hobby of great bettors so don’t forget to practice it and also read on some free march madness picks online. Sportsbook.com offers great deals when betting on march madness so join in if you haven’t joined an online sportsbook site yet. Miami Hurricanes (16-9) The Miami Hurricanes was led by the first-year coach Jim Larranaga, and is one victory away from matching their best league win total set in 2007-08 – the last time they made the NCAA tournament. Miami ranked second in the ACC in 3-pointer (7.5) after hitting 12 threes in a 74-56 rout of lowly Wake Forest on Saturday. Scott scored 18 points while playing through a knee injury and Kadji added 18 to help end a two-game skid. Scott has been carrying Miami over the last three games, they have averaged 15.0 points on 54.2 percent shooting (19 of 35). KAdji, meanwhile, has averaged 14.2 points and 6.0 rebounds in five games since returning. Maryland Terrapins (15-11) Last Saturday, the Terrapins experienced being flayed with 71-44 loss to Virginia, hence their up-and-down campaign continued. This loss is probably the most lopsided setback of the season. Stoglin, the ACC’s third-best three-point shooter 938.1), was 4 of 17 from the field and the Terrapins managed just five second-half field goals. Additionally, second-leading scorer Sean Mosley was held without a field goal for the first time in eight games. Maryland ranks the last in ACC when it comes to Assists (10.4) and has been without starting point guard Pe’Shon Howard because of a torn ACL for the last three games. Free March Madness Picks: Hurricanes 72, Terrapins 68
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 The beginning 33rd annual Horizon League Tournament begins tonight, as the third-seeded Detroit Titans play host to the 10th seeded Loyola-Chicago Ramblers in first-round action from Calihan Hall. The Loyola has a disappointing 7-22 record this season, and an even more horrendous 1-17 league ledger, but in a Horizon League where all 10 teams are invited to the tournament, it still gets a taste of the postseason despite finishing in last place. The Ramblers appeared to be turning things around a few weeks back by winning two of three but they closed the campaign with three straight losses. Loyola Ramblers at Detroit Titans When: Tuesday, February 28, 7:00 PM ET Where: Calihan Hall, Detroit, Michigan The Titans are given -13 NCAA odds at the opening so check out your sports book sites and do some line shopping if you interested in betting on the game. If you’re unsure where to put your bet then read this free March madness picks for an in-depth analysis of the teams. Detroit Titans (18-13) The Titans have won a tie-breaker and has earned the third-seed. They have been wading in the middle of the pack in the Horizon League for most of the season until it jumped all the way to third place by closing the year with wins in nine of its final 11 games. Detroit finished with an 11-7 conference mark. After a total of 120 meetings, Loyola-Chicago hold a 67-53 advantage over Detroit. The Titans have had the upper hand in recent years and they have won 7 straights over the Ramblers. Loyola Ramblers Most of Loyola’s disappointment this season can be explained by its lacking strength in offense, as the team ranks last in the Horizon League with a scoring average of only 56.8 ppg, a number that’s bad enough to rank it as one of the 10 worst offenses in all of Division I. The Ramblers have scored 50 points or fewer in eight games this season, but their shooting attack has been more effective of late, as they have scored more than their season average in six of the last 7 games. Where Loyola had trouble with, Detroit has shined, as it possesses the most prolific offense in the Horizon League, averaging 72.3 ppg at 45.2 percent field goal efficiency. Free March Madness Picks: Detroit Titans, 72, Loyola Ramblers 61
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 Not at their best would be the Virginia Cavaliers but looking at how the Cavaliers handle their defense system, it usually doesn’t really matter. Fresh off embarrassing Maryland 71-44 on Saturday, the Cavaliers head to Blacksburg looking to avenge a 47-45 home loss to the Hokies on January 22. Virginia leads the ACC in scoring defense (51.9) by a large margin and ranks third in field goal percentage defense (38.7). The Cavs continue to play without C Assane Sene due to an injured ankle, and G Joe Harris has a broken bone in his left hand. The Virginia Tech Hokies comes on a high right after Dorenzo Hudson’s 3-pointer at the overtime buzzer gave them a 74-73 win over Georgia Tech on Saturday. Virginia Cavaliers at Virginia Tech hokies When: 9:00 PM ET, Tuesday, February 21, 2012 Where: Cassell Coliseum, Blacksburg, Virginia The Cavaliers opened up as 1.5-point favorites on several online sports books sites. Never forget to visit Sportsbook.com if you are shopping for the best lines and read several free march madness picks in order to come up with a solid opinion on the game. Virginia Cavaliers (20-6) Their F Mike Scott is the leading the team in offense and he is also a contender for ACC player of the year. He ranks third in the conference in scoring 917.2), sixth in rebounding (8.2) and first in shooting percentage (58.9). What makes the 6-8 senior impossible to guard is his soft shooting touch from 15 to 18 feet. The Cavs are in a three-way tie for fourth in the ACC; the top four teams earn a first-round bye in the conference tournament. Virginia Tech Hokies (15-12) Saturday’s win took some heat off coach Seth Greenberg, whose team likely will miss the NCAA tournament for the eighth time in nine seasons. G Erick Green ranks seventh in the conference in scoring (15.5). But Hudson was the difference in the first meeting, scoring six of his 12 points over the final 2:12, including a dagger 3-pointer with 16.5 seconds left. The Senior F Victor Davila has missed two consecutive games with a groin injury and is still not sure for Tuesday’s game. The Hokies rank third in the ACC in 3-point shooting (36.1 percent) and second in free-throw shooting (73.7 percent). Free March Madness Picks: Cavaliers 59, Hokies 57
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 And the quest for a two-round bye continues for the Louisville Cardinals and Cincinnati Bearcats, who have fourth place in the Big East within their grasp. Both teams are tied for sixth, one game out of fourth and two games out of second. For the Bearcats, they have won four of its last five games and the Cardinals have won their seven out of eight. The Bearcats are used to playing close games as they have won six of 10 games decided by five or less points or in overtime. Winning their last two meetings would be the Cincinnati Bearcats but for the Louisville, they are leading the series with 53-41. Louisville Cardinals at Cincinnati Bearcats When: 9:00 PM ET, Thursday, February 23, 2012 Where: Fifth Third Arena, Cincinnati Ohio The Bearcats opened as 1.5 point favorites on several online sports book sites. Always visit Sportsbook.com if there were changes with lines and odds. This free March madness picks will serve you which team is worth your bets. Louisville Cardinals (21-6) The Cardinals have been on fire from 3-point range, making 38.8 percent over the last four games, including a season-high 12 in its last game at DePaul. Four Players managed to average double figures and they are Kyle Kuric (13.3), Russ Smith (12.0), Chris Smith (10.9) and Gorgui Dieng (10.0), and the top three are all factors from 3-point range. Kuric has made a team-high 55 treys, while Chris Smith has made a team-leading 41.5 percent. Dieng leads the team with 9.2 assists and 90 blocks. Five different players have been the leading scorer over the last seven games. Cincinnati Bearcats (19-8) The Bearcats have won six of their last 10 regular season games against ranked opponents. Cashmere Wright who has 10.9 points had 20 points when the team met a year ago. Wright at 10.9 points, is one of four starters who managed to average in double figures. Sean Kilpatrick leads the team with 15 points and adds 5.1 rebounds, but he’s been held to single digits in two of the last three games, scoring only with 36 points during that stretch. Dion Dixon who has 13.6 points has scored in double figures 23 times and bounced back with a subpar effort by scoring 20 in the last game against Seton Hall. Free March Madness Picks: Bearcats 68, Cardinals 65
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 Looking for its sixth victory would be the California Golden Bears when they visit the Utah Utes in order to begin a season-ending three-game road trip. The Golden Bears are tied for first place with Washington in the battle for the Pac-12 regular season crown. California is in the middle of a season-long winning streak and dismantled the Utes 81-45 at home earlier this season. On the other side would the Utah having lost their last seven games and has scored 52 or even less points four times during the stretch. California Golden Bears at Utah Utes When: 9:00 PM ET, Thursday, February 23, 2012 Where: Jon M. Huntsman Center, Salt Lake City, Utah The Golden Bears have opened as 16.5 point favorites on several online sports book sites, also visit Sportsbook.com for the best lines and odds, they are the longest running sports book in history. Don’t forget to read free March madness picks often if you are serious about basketball betting. California Golden Bears (22-6) Sophomore guard Justin Cobbs was named Pac-12 Player of the Week after two outstanding performances. The Minnesota transfer had a career-best 28 points along with eight assists against Oregon and followed up with 10 points and a career-high 13 assists against Oregon State. It is the most assists by a Cal player ever since Jason Kidd also had 13 during the 1993-94 campaign. Cobbs is third on the Golden Bears when it comes to scoring at 13.2 points per game behind sophomore forward Allen Crabbe (15.6) and senior guard Jorge Gutierrez (13.6). California leads the series 10-8 but Utah has a 5-3 edge in games played in Salt Lake City. Gutierrez is 26th in Golden Bears history with 1,169 career points and needs one assist to become the sixth player with 400. Utah Utes (5-21) Though the Utah Utes may play hard, they lack the talent to compete in the Pac-12 even with the league experiencing a down year. Junior guard Chris Hines has played well of late by reaching double figures in seven of the last eight games but he is shooting only 32.6 percent from the field. Junior center Jason Washburn had 16 points and 10 rebounds in Saturday’s loss to Colorado for his third career double-double. Utah has scored less than 70 points in 15 consecutive games. Free March Madness Picks: Golden Bears 73, Utes 53
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 The sixth-seeded Youngstown State Penguins will welcome the seventh-seeded Green Bay Phoenix at the Beeghly Center this evening in first-round action of the 2012 Horizon League Tournament. Green Bay ended its campaign on a high note by winning five in a row and eight of its last 10 games overall. The hot streak lifted the Phoenix to a winning record (15-14) and a 10-8 conference mark. They lost home-court advantage in this matchup by losing the tie-breaker to Youngstown State, which is quite unfortunate for the Phoenix because they have only won 3 games out of 15 road games this season. Green Bay Phoenix (15-14) at Youngstown State Penguins (15-14) When: Tuesday, February 28th, 7:05 PM Where: Beeghly Center, Youngstown, Ohio The Penguins are -3 on the NCAA odds. Don’t forget to shop for lines in different online sports books out there and especially don’t forget to read this free March madness picks in order to come up with your own opinion about the game. Both teams have the exact same records but since the teams split the season series this year, YSU earned the higher seed by winning the tie-breaker, which in this scenario was its record against Detroit, which it went 1-1 against, while Green Bay lost both of its matchups to the Titans. The Penguins have backed their way into this position however by losing three of their last four games. Green Bay has 24-7 advantage over YSU in the all-time series, which includes wins in six of the last seven matchups. On the period of the running success, Phoenix has been able to win in a variety of different ways, including low-scoring affairs against Wright State (53-48) and Eastern Michigan (54-49), as well as in hot-shooting affairs like against Butler (80-68). They managed to stay afloat even if they have been allowing more points at 65.7 ppg than they actually score at 64.7 ppg. The Youngstown State has almost the same makeup as Green Bay at the defensive end of the court (65.3 ppg), but it possesses a slightly better scoring attack, putting up third-most points per game in the Horizon League at 67 ppg. They managed to shoot 46 percent during their regular season finale with Detroit from the field and draining 11 three-pointers. This team have Kendrick Perry who is the league’s top scorer with 16.8 ppg and 3.9 apg. Free March Madness Picks: Youngstown State 72, Green Bay 69
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It may seem unbelievable before the season began but the Colorado Buffaloes could be in a three-way tie on top of the Pac-12 on Sunday night. For it to happen, the Buffaloes must reverse their 84-64 loss at Stanford Cardinal on January 14 before first-place California rolls into Boulder. 
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