Purdue Boilermakers 2010-11 NCAA Basketball Predictions
November 18, 2010
The Purdue Boilermakers 2009-10 year ended with a loss to Duke in the third round of the NCAA Tournament, but with three highly gifted seniors returning and a great nucleus of young talent, the Boilermakers were being mentioned for a National Championship this year. Those prospects took a stunning turn for the worse, as senior forward Robbie Hummel re-injured his knee and is lost for the year. There is no doubt that the Boilermakers are a better team with Hummel on the court, but they have dealt with his being out of the lineup in the past.
There is still a lot of talent left on the squad, and you can anticipate head coach Matt Painter to have this team fully prepared and ready to go this year. With Hummel out of the lineup look for fellow seniors E’Twun Moore and JaJuan Johnson to rise to the occassion and lead this squad. Experts still have the Boilermakers rated No.8 in the nation, and Purdue did just blowout Howard 76-40 in the first game of the season.
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Frontcourt: Johnson is a really tough matchup for opposing teams. Not only does he have a number of moves down low, but he can also step out and hit the perimeter jump shot as well. Johnson averaged 15.5 points, seven boards a game last season, but is also very solid on the defensive side of the ball with his shot blocking ability. In Purdue’s first contest, sophomore Patrick Bade started at power forward in place of Hummel, but freshmen Travis Carroll and Sandi Marcius also got plenty of playing time too.
Backcourt: The Boilermakers started three guards against Howard, and with little depth inside, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Purdue go with a small lineup the rest of the way. Moore led all players with 16 points, and that is right on pace from his average from last season. Moore’s shooting percentage really went down last year when Hummel went down, but it didn’t seem to effect him in his first contest. Junior point guard Lewis Jackson does a solid job of distributing the basketball and can get to the basket in a flash, but lacks a jump shot to be a legit scoring threat.
Junior Ryne Smith started at the other guard spot, but it’s only a matter of time before freshman Terone Johnson steps in and takes over. Johnson scored 9 points in just 20 minutes versus Howard, and to start the season figures to really give the Boilermakers a spark off the bench. Sophomores Kelsey Barlow, D.J. Byrd, and John Hart will fight for playing time off the bench this year. Byrd and Hart each made four of five three point attempts against Howard and ended up with 12 points each.
Pick – 3rd Big Ten: At first I had the Boilermakers picked to win the conference this season, but without Hummel, I moved both Michigan State and Ohio State ahead of Purdue in the Big Ten projections. A lot of the season will depend on the play of their three newcomers, Carrol, Johnson, and Marcius. If these three can come in and contribute immediately, with the way this team plays defense, they could still win the conference and make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
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Tennessee Volunteers 2010-11 College Basketball Predictions
November 18, 2010
Tennessee is heading into this year with a lot of unknowns as they look to replace a few key parts from last season’s squad. Nevertheless, the team has high hopes for themselves heading into the year after they reached the Elite Eight for the first time in school history last season.
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Bruce Pearl has taken Tennessee to the Big Dance each of the last five seasons, including three appearances in the Sweet 16, and will look to take his team past the opening weekend again this year. It won’t be an easy task getting to that point this year, however, as the Vols will have to replace three of their most valuable players from last season’s squad that were seniors. If the young guys can step in and match the lost production, then Tennessee will be one of the best teams in the conference this year.
Frontcourt: Tennessee’s biggest adjustment this season will be trying to fill the void left by Wayne Chism, who put up a team best 12.6 points per night last season and was one of their best defensive stoppers. Tobias Harris, a 6’8? freshman who plays the four, will likely be called upon to play a lot of minutes, and will be expected to now and again step out and spread the floor with his jumper. Kenny Hall should contend for a decent amount minutes at the four this year, and could also see some time at center considering he is one of just three players on the Vols roster that is 6’9? or taller.
Brain Williams played better in the NCAA Tournament last year, where he contributed 7.5 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. Viewing he is the only true center Tennessee has on their squad, Williams will need to have a good year if the Vols want to try to make it back to the Elite Eight or further this season.
Steven Pearl, Renaldo Woolridge, John Fields, and Jeronne Maymon will come off the bench this year, giving the Vols plenty of depth in their front court.
Backcourt: Melvin Goins will be tasked with running the team at the one this season. He will need to get better if wants to replace the production of Bobby Maze from last season, who averaged 9.4 points per night and had one of the best assist-to-turnover ratios in the conference last season. Goins averaged 5.3 points and 1.8 assists per night last year, and I would expect both of those numbers to rise this year.
Cameron Tatum and Scotty Hopson will be two of the most trusted upon players on the Vols squad this season. Tatum averaged only 7.4 points and 1.1 assists per contest last season, but he is a fairly efficient shooter and doesn’t waste a lot of opportunities trying to force attempts. He made nearly 39% from 3-point range and 48% overall from the field.
Hopson was the second leading scorer from the Tennessee team last year, when he contributed 12.2 points per night. He is very explosive on the wing and has the ability to take over the game on the offensive side of the ball. He will need to stop turning the ball over so much, however, as he gave it away 78 times last year.
Stephen’s Pick – 2nd place in the SEC: The Vols lost more players from last season than any other conference team outside of Kentucky. Unluckily for Tennessee, their incoming freshmen aren’t quite as good as the ones heading up north to play for John Calipari and the Wildcats.
However, if Tennessee’s young players can come forward into bigger roles this season and play solid defense, there aren’t many other school in the SEC that are as talented as the Vols. I would expect Bruce Pearl to get enough out of this team to push them to a decent seed in the NCAA Tournament, but I’m not positive they have enough skill to rmake it back to the Elite Eight.
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Virgnia Cavaliers 2010-11 NCAA Basketball Predictions
November 18, 2010
The Virginia Cavaliers started off hot last year, sitting atop the ACC standings with the Blue Devils in the middle of last season. Head coach Tony Bennett was well on his way to earning ACC Coach of the Year honors, but then they collapsed. Virginia lost nine straight conference games to finish out the year, and also lost their top scorer in Sylvester Landesberg and guard Calvin Baker for off-court issues. Virginia finished 15-16 last season and 5-11 in ACC play, their third consecutive year with five or fewer wins in ACC play. Virginia is once again in rebuilding mode this year and will have to rely on a six-player recruiting class that appears to be pretty solid. These new recruits will be thrown into the wolves immediately, and it’s almost a lock that the Cavaliers have no chance to matching what they did to start last year. The Cavs have only five scholarship players returning, and they lost Landesberg who declared for the NBA Draft.
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Frontcourt:
Mike Scott has been waiting for his chance for three seasons, and he’ll finally get his opportunity to show his stuff this year. The 6’8” senior looks to be Virginia’s top offensive threat this year. He put up 12.0 PPG and 7.2 RPG last season and is a great at hitting the offensive glass. It is murky outside of Scott, where walk-on Will Sherrill started seven games as a junior last season, is the only other player coming back with experience. Freshman James Johnson is likely the surest thing to start immediately as his athletic ability cannot be ignored. Will Regan is a hard-nosed freshman, and 7-foot junior center Assane Sene is basically just a shot blocker.
Backcourt:
Bennett is a former NBA guard, and he prizes versatility at the position. He should have a few more options in the backcourt this year since that is where he has the most depth. Junior Sammy Zeglinski should be back to full strength after hip surgery in the offseason. He put up 8.9 points per contest and shot 37.7% from behind the 3-point line a season ago. He has gotten better every year while at Virginia and is the team’s best outside threat. Freshman K.T. Harrell will challenge senior Mustapha Farrakhan for the starting spot at shooting guard. Harrell was Alabama’s class 4A Player of the Year as a senior. Sophomore point guard Jontel Evans gained valuable experience last season, and Bennett loves what he brings to the defensive end of the floor. Freshman Billy Baron has the pedigree as his dad is Rhode Island coach Jim Baron and is expected to play immediately.
Jack’s Pick: 12th Place in the conference – Bennett finally has the players that he recruited, and this is a team that matches up well with what his system. There are still six players around that aren’t the best fit for his system, but the six incoming freshmen certainly should have a bright future with the program. The problem is that the success isn’t likely to be seen this season as this is obviously a rebuilding year at Virginia. Bennett said it perfectly, “They’ll have to form a bond quickly, and if they do I think we could be enjoyable to watch, and fans will see some hope for the future.” Even Bennett doesn’t expect a whole lot out of this season, and neither do I.
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Iowa Hawkeyes 2010-11 College Basketball Predictions
November 18, 2010
The Iowa Hawkeyes are hoping that another coaching change can rebuild a program that has gone in the wrong direction the last few years. Iowa suffered through their third straight losing season last year, the first time that has happened since the 1930?s. With that disappointment came the firing of head coach Todd Lickliter, who went just 38-58 in three seasons at Iowa. In comes Fran McCaffrey, who will replace Lickliter’s slow tempo offense and go to a much faster style of play. McCaffrey has had a lot of success turning programs around, and has spent the last five years at Siena, where he went 112-51. Winning may still be a problem in the first season for McCaffrey, who really didn’t get enough time to land any big time recruits and a number of players from last season opted not to return. To get a better idea of what the Hawkeyes will look like this year, here is quick breakdown of their current roster, plus my pick on where they will finish the season in the Big Ten.
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Checking out the current NCAA basketball spreads for next season, the oddsmakers currently have the Hawkeyes offered with the worst odds to win the Big Ten at +2500, so anything above last place in conference play figures to be a solid step towards the right direction for the Hawkeyes.
Backcourt: Iowa returns both starting guards, which is a big bonus for a team looking to get back on the right track. Junior Matt Gatens is the best player the Hawkeyes have and has started every game since his freshman season, and could be primed for a breakout season with the new offense. Gatens tore a tendon in his left wrist, but should be back right around the beginning of the year. Also returning is sophomore point guard Cully Payne, who contributed 8 points and nearly 4 assists per contest as a freshman, and he too believes his game will only improve with a faster paced offense. Added to the mix is junior college transfer Bryce Cartwright, who should be a key contributor from the start.
Frontcourt: Two more starters return in senior Jarryd Cole and sophomore Eric May, but both are undersized, something Iowa is going to have touble with again this season. Junior to be Aaron Fuller had some high hopes this season, but decided it was in his best interest to transfer to USC. Cole is just 6’7 but played center for Iowa most of last year, but wasn’t much of a factor in the offense, putting up just eight points a night. May is extremely athletic and will have to use that to his strength this year. Freshman Melsahn Basabe was going to join McCaffery at Siena, and decided to go with the coach in his move to Iowa, and could play his way into the starting lineup right away. Fellow freshmen Zach McCabe and junior college transfer Devon Archie also should get a chance to play early. Iowa also returns junior Andrew Brummer, but he has only played sparingly in his first two seasons, and anything he adds will be a plus.
Pick: 11th in the Big Ten: While Iowa should be better than they were a year ago, this is a team in transition and just simply doesn’t have the talent needed to compete in the Big Ten. If the team responds well to McCaffery’s new system and the freshmen produce early, Iowa may be able to squirm out of the basement, but this team is probably a few years from being a winning team again.
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Wake Forest Demon Deacons 2010-11 NCAA Basketball Predictions
November 18, 2010
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons went 20-11 overall and 9-7 in the ACC last year, earning a berth to the Big Dance where they managed a close 81-80 win over Texas in the opening round, before being routed by Kentucky in the second round. The Demon Deacons however struggled the second half of the season and after just one postseason win in the last three seasons, Wake Forest decided it was time fire head coach Dino Gaudio, despite his 61-31 record. In comes former Colorado head coach Jeff Bzdelik, who will have the tall order in guiding a Wake Forest squad that returns just one starter and need a lot out of their incoming freshman class. To get an overview of what the Demon Deacons will look like this season, here is a quick breakdown of what they will have on the floor, plus my pick on where they end up this year in the conference.
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Taking a look at the NCAA basketball spreads for the upcoming season, the oddsmakers currently have the Demon Deacons offered at +5000 to win the ACC, and complete long shots to win the National Title at +12500
Backcourt: The only starter back for Wake Forest this year is sophomore guard C.J. Harris, who averaged 10 ppg last season. Where exactly Harris will fit in this season, will depend on the play of freshmen J.T. Terrell and Tony Chennault. Terrell has the makings of being a big time scorer in the ACC, and could soon become Wake’s No.1 offensive option. Chennault doesn’t look to have the makeup of a pure point guard, but can handle the ball and play sound defense. The probable scenario will be Harris at the point, while Terrell steps in at shooting guard, leaving Chennault to come in and give the team a spark off the bench.
Frontcourt: Wake Forest will have to find a way to replace NBA lottery pick Al-Farouq Aminu, who contributed nearly 16 points and 11 rebounds per contest. Also gone is center Chas McFarland, who kicked in seven points and seven boards a night, and junior Tony Woods, who left the team after he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of assaulting a female. That leaves Sophomore Ari Stewart as the only returning player in the frontcourt. Stewart averaged just over seven points in 17 minutes a night last season, but has a problem with not getting the rest of the team involved and being a black hole with the ball. That means a couple of freshmen are likely going to have to contribute immediately. The three highly touted freshmen are Travis McKie, Melvin Tabb, and Carson Desrosiers. Tabb and Desrosiers figure to get first opportunity at starting inside, as McKie is more of a spot up jump shooter. Wake Forest also brought in Gerogetown transfer Nikita Meshcharakou, but it’s unclear what he will be able to provide.
Pick -11th in the ACC: The freshmen class is extremely gifted, but with a new head coach and little experience, it is hard to see Wake Forest putting together a successful season this year. The Deacons may actually be a better shooting team than it was last season, but whether or not they can play as a team offensively is unclear. Defense and rebounding are two problem areas for this squad, and while a surprise season is definitely in the mix, the Demon Deacons are likely to struggle more than succeed this year.
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Villanova Wildcats 2010-11 NCAA Basketball Predictions
November 18, 2010
This Villanova team begins 2010 without Scottie Reynolds. As a four-year starter, Reynolds has graduated, but Jay Wright is not concerned with how his Wildcats will replace the lost production of his All-American guard. Villanova is deep and returns experience that should help them compete at the top of the conference this season.
Coach Jay Wright is most famously known for his good fashion sense, but he has some strong recruits this year. Last year’s team went 24-7 and 13-5 in conference action. The expectations are high for this team, and Nova doesn’t want to disappoint.
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Frontcourt: Former Duke transfer Taylor King is gone from the program, but Villanova does bring back big man Antonio Pena. Pena was solid on the interior last year putting up 10.5 ppg and 7.0 reb a contest. Pena spent two years at prep-school and then red-shirted. He’s actually 24 years old and takes the term leadership to another level. He will play with a trio of young players who the Wildcats will look to improve on as the year progresses.
Isaiah Armwood, Dominic Cheek, and Maurice Sutton all displayed glimpses of brilliance last season, but it was too inconsistent. I believe Sutton has the most upside as a shot-blocker and guy who can help lock down the paint. Cheek is a former All-American who Jay Wright has been working with incessantly to try and get him ready to crack the rotation.
The player people need to be paying attention to is Mouphtaou Yarou. Yarou had a breakout game against Robert Morris in which Villanova was almost upset. He has had health troubles in the past, but his performance this season will go far in determining where Villanova stands heading into March.
A freshman who should get plenty of minutes immediately is JayVaughn Pinkston a 6’7 forward out of New York. He is a hard worker who loves to hit the glass and work both inside and out.
This could be a deep frontcourt which is a switch to Coach Wright who has almost had three quality guards to rely on over the past five years.
Backcourt: As you can see, Villanova has a lot of questions in the frontcourt. The backcourt is potentially one of the best in the nation. They return Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes from last year’s squad.
It appears as if Fisher will be the one to operate the point, replacing Reynolds, but Stokes is definitely able of running the offense. Last season Fisher averaged just over 13.0 ppg and just fewer than 4 ast. Stokes averaged 9.5 pts and 4.0 reb and it is this Corey is recognized for knocking down the big three-pointers.
This Villanova team is going to be pretty quick on the break. Maalik Wayns is another Philadelphia point-guard who returns for his sophomore season and is looking like he could have a breakout year. He was an energizer off the bench and was a shutdown defender for Jay Wright. He made the conference rookie team last year, but his season included nights where he was either on or off. He needs to be more consistent. If Wayns can contribute night in and night out this team is going to be tough to beat.
Pick: Jay Wright has done one heck of a job at Villanova. He is able to recruit different players of all types of skill sets. That’s precisely why Villanova is perpetually in the top tier of Big East teams. This squad is going to be just as solid as last year’s squad if not better. Winning 24 games is never easy, but this is a dynamic Villanova team, unlike the ones we have watched in the past.
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Pittsburgh Panthers 2010-11 College Basketball Predictions
November 18, 2010
The Pittsburgh Panthers, led by head coach Jamie Dixon, return one of the deepest and most experienced team in the nation this season. Dixon is the only coach in the conference to win 20 games and 10 games in conference over the last seven years. Pitt has not had as much success though in the NCAA tournament. The farthest they have made it was an Elite Eight run in 2009.
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Many analysts are forecasting that Pitt is the team to beat in the Big East this year. They are the highest rated school in the preseason rankings at 5th in the country. This could finally be the year that Pittsburgh competes for a national title. That is a long time from now, but the Oakland Zoo is sure to be excited about their team to start the year.
Backcourt: Junior point guard Ashton Gibbs returns as one of the best players in the conference. He owns a unique ability to score when his team needs it, but he also makes his teammates better. He averaged 15.7 ppg last year and he isn’t afraid to take control of a game.
Travon Woodall will join him in the backcourt creating a 1-2 combo that can do it all. As a sophomore Woodall is going to log a lot of time and be asked to contribute as a solid complementary card to Gibbs. He has a lot of potential in helping this team reach the next level this year.
Frontcourt: My favorite player on Pitt is Brad Wanamaker. At 6’4 210 lbs he is a great player on the wing. Wanamaker is tough to guard because he has both the quickness and athleticism to score from the outside or in the paint. After Gibbs, Wanamaker has the experience and talent to carry the team.
The wide-open conference has Pittsburgh leading the way for now, but every team is going to be circling this game on the schedule. Dante Taylor and Gary McGee are two additional serviceable players that will look to produce in the paint. McGee is a big center who should play a key role in preventing teams from attacking the basket.
Prediction: The Pittsburgh Panthers have year in and year out been one of the best teams in the Big East. I don’t think Jamie Dixon has received enough credit since he took over. Year after year he recruits players who have toughness, strength, and the ability to play at a high level.
This team is no different and this year’s potential should rival that of the 2008-2009 teams. There is a lot of experts who like Pitt to win the Big East and I can see why. This team is the total package and will win at least 25 games. There is a solid chance this team is a top 3 seed in some region when the field of 68 is announced in March.
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Syracuse Orange 2010-11 NCAA Basketball Predictions
November 18, 2010
The Syracuse Orange are prepared to return to a high level after last season ended in the Sweet Sixteen to eventual runner-up Butler. This Syracuse squad has a mix of experience and youth, but they are full of talent all across the board. If you are ready to wager on college basketball this season, you should check out BetUS. With a new account and deposit of $500 or more they are going to give you a $500 match bonus!
Key Losses: Before anything else, it’s going to be tough to replace the three players that this Syracuse team has lost. Arinze Onuaku was arguably the most dominant big man in the Big East last season and his injury in the first round of the Big East Championship cost the team dearly in the NCAA Tournament.
Andy Rautins is a fan favorite. His outside shot and high energy was what he brought to the floor every night. Syracuse also lost top point producer and playmaker Wes Johnson. The Iowa State-transfer was high choice in the NBA draft and had a solid season with the Orange.
Frontcourt: Looking forward to this year the one player that has to play above his potential is Kris Joseph. Last season, Joseph contributed 10.8 ppg and nabbed 5.5 reb. The 6’7 210lbs junior from Canada is now a leader of this team. He is going to play a lot of minutes and be counted on by the Orange to produce.
Also down low is senior Rich Jackson. Jackson developed a lot last year and really found himself down the stretch. He posted 9.7 ppg and 7.0 reb, which were strong improvements from his freshmen and sophomore seasons. He is the heart of the vaunted 2-3 zone. Standing at 6’9 240lbs his wingspan makes things difficult when players try to penetrate to the basket.
Syracuse has had a lot of ability in the past, but the Big East preseason Rookie of the Year, Fab Melo a 7’0 260lbs center is the best recruit for the Orange since Carmelo Anthony. He is a five-star recruit and rated as the second best center in last year’s class. NBA scouts think there is a high chance he is one and done, but let’s see how he does at the college level before that decision is made. If the hype on him is for real, Big East teams better take notice and beware of the big man from Brazil.
Backcourt: The Orange have a quality backcourt that is veteran. Junior Scoop Jardine was the floor general last year putting 9.1 ppg and 4.3 ast. Jardine isn’t afraid to shoot the ball and he is going to be a big part of the Orange success this year.
Back and next to Jardine is sophomore Brand Triche. As a freshman the Syracuse native added 8.1 ppg. He saw a lot of time on the floor which will help him as he sees a more expanded role this year.
Two guys that were hurt last season and saw only a little time were James Southerland and Mookie Jones. They both face an uphill battle, but will be trying to earn minutes off the bench.
The other big recruit that Boeheim is receiving praise for getting is Dion Waiters a shooting guard who can really shoot the three. Aside from being able to shoot it at 6’3 210lbs he is fearless and loves to drive the ball to the hoop. If he is a real offensive threat now watch out, because that’s another option for this talented squad.
Prediction: This team is going to be good. They bring back players who took care of the basketball and limited turnovers. Syracuse is going to have to find a way to hit the outside jumper and have a more high field goal percentage. This team has plenty of alternatives to make up for what they lost in Rautins and Johnson.
Syracuse is going to fight for the Big East Championship this season, winning 26 or 27 games. Watch out because this has a lot in common with a team that went 30-5 and is Jim Boeheim’s only National Championship team.
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Miami Hurricanes 2010-11 NCAA Basketball Predictions
November 18, 2010
The Miami Hurricanes showed a lot of potential and hope during the ACC tournament last season, grabbing two upset wins and getting out to an impressive first half start against Duke before eventually losing to the Blue Devils. Miami only lost two starters from last season, and have quite a few incoming players that look to be strong contributors for the Hurricanes this year.
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The key for Miami this season is to win more games against conference opponents, as they ended up with an ACC-worst 4-12 record in conference play last year. While the ACC is one of the toughest conferences in college basketball, the Hurricanes have the potential to finish high enough in the middle of the pack to make a trip to the NCAA tournament this year.
Miami only plays one non-conference game versus an opponent that is ranked in the preseason, and that contest comes early in the schedule on Nov. 16 at 19th-ranked Memphis. The Hurricanes could definitely use a win in this contest, but the most important thing for them is to not slip up against their other non-conference opponents. Miami ended last year with a 16-1 record outside the ACC, but most of those victories came against inferior teams and led to them getting beat up in conference play.
Coach Frank Haith will depend on Durand Scott and Malcolm Grant to help guide his inexperienced team in an effort to improve from last season. While they may not be in contention to win the conference this year, they should play some fairly exciting basketball, as they have some of the most atheletic players in the conference.
Front Court: Julian Gamble and Reggie Johnson will be relied upon pretty heavily this season when it comes to defense and rebounding, as they look to fill the void that was left with the departure of Dewayne Collins when he left for the NBA after last year. At 6’9? and 6’10?, respectively, the duo is tall enough to match-up favorably against most of their opponents at the center position. Both players need to improve their shooting this year, however, as Johnson shot 52% from the field last year, while Gamble only made 48% on his attempts.
DeQuan Jones is an exceedingly explosive forward with good speed and athletic ability. He is best known for his ability to finish and his dunking skills, but he will need to improve on his outside shooting this season. He shot a horrid 23% from three-point range last season, making only 6 of his 26 attempts from long range.
The ‘Canes have Eric Swoope and Raphael Akpejiori joining their team this season. Swoope is another extremely athletic small forward that will be pushing Jones for minutes all season at the position. Akpejiori, at 6’9?, should be a solid contributor when it comes to hitting the glass, and at 230 lbs, should be a fairly strong force down low against smaller post players.
Donnovan Kirk will also be returning to the ‘Canes after being receiving a medical red-shirt last season when he only played in four games. He will need to help pick up some of the slack with rebounding on both sides of the court this season.
Back Court: The Hurricanes’ success this year largely teeters on their back court, which is headlined by Durand Scott and Malcolm Grant. Both players are coming off brilliant performances in the conference tournament, and the hopes are fairly high for them this year as they will be looked upon as leaders on the court.
Scott, a very impressive guard who is extremely athletic and very good at finding open shooters, will be the floor leader for Miami. Contributing 10.3 points per night last season, and scoring double digits in eight of their final nine games, Scott should raise his scoring average this year. Their success will not only ride on his ability to score, but also on how well he distributes the ball and his effectiveness at getting his team involved.
While Grant is smaller and shorter than Scott, he plays most of his minutes at the two. Although he was tops on the team with 3.5 dimes per contest last season, he will need to focus more on scoring this year after averaging just under 10 points per night last season. If he can be a consistent point producer this season, Miami surely could be one of the surprise teams to exceed their expectations.
Rion Brown will also play an important part in the Miami back court. The freshman shooting guard from Georgia is a Top 100 prospect and should be extremely productive for the Canes if he gets enough minutes this year.
Stephen’s Prediction-7th place in the conference: Miami has some extremely talented players on their roster, but unfortunately for them they play in a very deep ACC that has last year’s national champions, the Duke Blue Devils, who they go up against twice this season.
If they can get strong contributions from all of their players, they could move up the standings a position or two. However, I can’t picture Miami being able to make a jump into the top tier of the conference and finishing ahead of any of the four teams currently ranked in the Top 25 . While the Hurricanes could potentially be a bubble team late in the year if they have an impressive stretch during conference play, it is unlikely they will actually land a spot in the tournament when all of the dust settles.
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Boston College Eagles 2010-11 Basketball Predictions
November 18, 2010
New head coach Steve Donahue will be on the bench at Boston College this year. Donahue coached Cornell to the Sweet 16 in last season’s NCAA Tournament, and he’s had the Big Red as the king of the Ivy League over the past ten years. He replaces BC’s winningest coach in program history in Al Skinner, who was fired after a 15-16 season last year which included a 6-10 mark in ACC play. Donahue will benefit from five scholarship seniors coming back this season, though Rakim Sanders transferred to Fairfield and Evan Ravenel left to to Ohio State. Of the five, four started last year in Biko Paris, Corey Raji, Josh Southern and Joe Trapani.
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Frontcourt:
Trapani is their best returning player, averaging 14.1 PPG and 6.4 RPG last season to lead BC in both categories. In fact, he was their top scorer in 11 contests while registering the most rebounds in 14 contests, so he’s certainly a key contributor to say the least. Raji and Southern give Donahue plenty of talent and depth to be a force inside. Raji has a solid ability to put points on the board, while Southern has worked hard in the offseason to get in good enough condition to run a more up-tempo style. Cortney Dunn isn’t predicted to see a lot of time, but he’ll surely be counted upon to give the starters a breather.
Backcourt:
The player with the most upside on this squad is junior guard Reggie Jackson, who averaged 12.9 PPG, 5.7 RPG and 4.5 APG last year. He’s a solid all-around player that should flourish in this fast paced style. Under Skinner, Jackson was confined a lot in the precision of the flex offense. He’ll have the chance under Donahue to let loose and just let the game come to him. Paris will share time with Jackson at the one, and each will be on the floor at the same time a lot this year. So basically they’ll have at least two ball handlers out there manning this new offense, which Donahue has to like. Dallas Elmore is a physical defender who can penetrate to the rim. Senior Nick Mosakowski is the only other guard among the nine returning letterman, so depth will be a concern. Freshmen Gabriel Moton and Danny Rubin may be asked to step in, though neither was highly recruited coming out of high school.
Jack’s Pick: 9th Place in the conference – It took Donahue nearly a decade to turn Cornell around, and it’s not going to be to be a smooth changeover until he gets his players on the team. But he is blessed to have a lot of talent coming back with four returning starters, three of which were double-digit scorers. That said, Donahue likes playing as many as 12 players because of the fast pace style he executes. And unfortunately, he doesn’t have the depth required to keep fresh bodies on the court for the entire game. A lot will be asked of the returning starters to play nearly 40 minutes a game, and if they are up to the task Boston College will be competitive in the ACC. But don’t expect a postseason berth in year one under Donahue for Boston College.
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