Southern Cal had a mediocre season in 2010-11 having a 19-15 record and also a 4th place finish in the Pac-10.  In the conference tourney the Trojans made it to the semifinals, then proceeded to lose in the play-in game of the NCAA tourney to Virginia Commonwealth.

Southern Cal acquired results by being a fantastic defensive group.  Southern Cal held their foes to less than 41% from the field shooting and to less than 64 points game.

The loss of Nikola Vucevic and Alex Stepheson is going to be tough to replace.  Vucevic averaged more than 17 points per game and brought down 10.3 rebounds per game.  Stepheson was the team’s second best rebounder at 7.2 each game and also contributed 9.8 points.

2011-12 Overview

Kevin O’Neill has been the Southern Cal head coach for a couple of years and has provided the fans teams that play hard and improve as the year goes on.  This year’s group has lots of production to replace, but O’Neill does have Jio Fontan, Maurice Jones, and Garrett Jackson all back.  Along with a strong recruiting class the Trojans brought in transfers Aaron Fuller and Dewayne Dedmon.

Backcourt

USC is going be heavily depending on their guard duo of Fontan and Jones.  Fontan sat out fall semester last season, but returned to lead the team in assists and finished second in points at 10.5 points every contest.

Jones was third on the Trojans in points with 9.9 points per contest, gave out 110 total assists, and established the team record with 69 steals as a freshman.  His achievements helped to bring in a place on the Pac-10 All-Freshman team.

Bryon Wesley is a 6’5″ freshman perimeter player who is expected to contribute around the offensive end right away.  Alexis Moore is another freshman who ought to see time and contributes well on each side sides of the court.  Junior college transfer Greg Allen can be a lock down defender and can shoot 3.

Frontcourt

The Trojans 3 big men should be Aaron Fuller, Dewayne Dedmon, and James Blascyk.  Fuller was forced to sit out the 2010-11 season soon after transferring over from Iowa.  In his sophomore season for the Hawkeyes he was honorable mention on the All-Conference team with 9.7 points and almost 7 boards every night.

These players will be pushed in practice by a few transfers who will sit out this season.  Ari Stewart came over from Wake Forest and Eric Wise is a transfer from UC-Irvine.

Every single year we present our USC basketball predictions in order to get you ready to beat the NCAA basketball lines.

The Panthers beat eventual national champion UConn handily in the final regular season game, but were beat by the Huskies by two points in the conference tourney. Pitt didn’t have much success in the NCAA tournament either, getting beat in the second round to Butler.  Both tournament losses were by two points or less, but that probably didn’t lessen the sting of getting bounced so early despite their regular season dominance.

This season’s edition of the Pitt basketball team will have only two starters returning. The three starters lost: Brad Wanamaker, Gilbert Brown, and Gary McGhee both contributed a lot and will be missed.  Still, coach Dixon has created a winning tradition and the school has a history of reloading when losing superb talent.

Backcourt

Pittsburgh’s guard play centers around Asthon Gibbs. Gibbs thought about entering his name in the NBA draft, but withdrew due to the likelihood of a lockout.  That proved to be a wise decision as the NBA still isn’t ready to hit the floor.  Last season he averaged almost 17 points per game on nearly 50% 3-point shooting.  He’ll be counted on to improve his production as much as possible to make up for the losses of some of the other key players off of last year’s team.

Taking the place of Brandon Wanamaker will be Travon Woodall. Woodall is a good defender who must live up to the hype of being an excellent distributor since Wanamaker was the team’s leader in assists a year ago.  Also getting plenty of action will be Cameron Wright, Durand Johnson, and John Johnson.

Frontcourt

Pittsburgh’s biggest losses occured from the post that will be devoid of Gilbert Brown and Gary McGhee. Brown averaged 11.3 points per game while McGhee was the interior stopper.  Even so, the Panthers do get some stable players returning to go in addition to some exciting recruits.

Nasir Robinson will deliver the experience to the court. Last season he averaged 9.4 points and 4.9 rebounds per contest, but he ought to get more minutes this year.  With the additional playing time I expect to see his numbers jump up quite a bit.

Khem Birch was a McDonald’s All-American and one of the most-wanted centers coming out of high school. Malcolm Gilbert was also wanted by a whole lot of universities on account of his rebounding and shot blocking capabilities.  Both of these players have enough talent to contribute as soon as they hit the floor.

Providing the team with some extra minutes might be Dante Taylor, JJ Moore, and Talib Zanna.

Each year we offer our Pittsburgh basketball preview so you can get yourself ready to beat the college basketball odds on their games.

Not a lot was expected out of Iowa State last season. Almost everyone figured they could be last in the Big 12 conference with just two players back from the season before, but the Cyclones were sort of a surprise. Ordinarily, it is hard for people to become enthusiastic about a .500 season, but it was the first time Iowa State did not possess a losing record since the 2005-6 season.

In Fred Hoiberg’s very first season Iowa State totally changed their identity. Heading from a slow it down and grind it out group to one which ran much more and spread the court.  That modification of pace helped the Cyclones rank fifth in the conference and 39th within the nation in offense at 74.8 points for every contest.

Iowa State also shot the 3-ball incredibly effectively last season, draining 275 (8.6 for every game) shots from beyond the line. That was ample to pace the conference and rank 13th in the country.

2011-12 Preview

Only two starters return for Iowa State this year, however the real key could be the addition of four transfers. Last season this group was called the best scout team within the country and helped keep every practice competitive. Now Chris Allen, Chris Babb, Royce White, and Anthony Booker will be ready to prove themselves on the floor.

Last year Iowa State wasn’t extremely deep, so they performed a more conservative half-court defense. With more talent on this year’s roster you can wager they will probably be extra aggressive in utilizing pressure to force turnovers.

Backcourt

Iowa State is going to have to search out a strategy to replace Dainte Garrett’s numbers. He was a high quality point guard who blotted his name all over Iowa State’s record books for both assists and points.

There’s still a whole lot of talent in the Cyclone backcourt. Scott Christopherson is a quite talented shooter who has nailed 131 career three-pointers already. He drained 86 last year, ending up second within the Big 12 and 33rd in the nation at 2.8 each contenst. His 44.1 three-point percentage was good for 11th around the nation and he’s buried a trey in 34 consecutive games. Christopherson doens’t turn the ball over, works hard, and shouldn’t have to log countless minutes this year because of the team’s bench.

You may likely see Iowa State using a good deal of three-guard sets because of possessing so much talent in the backcourt. Transfers Chris Allen, Chris Babb, and Tyrus McGee are strong shooters. Allen and Babb had been Big 10 starters and both avereaged just less than ten points for each game back in 2009-10. McGee is coming over from Cowley Community College.

Chris Allen brings 3 years of expertise from his time at Michigan State. He hass played in 14 tournament games and two Final Fours. He can not only shoot from the outside, but can be a defensive stopper.

Chris Babb made 69 3-point shots in his final season at Penn State and averaged 10.2 ppg in Big Ten action.

Tyrus McGee made 115 3-point baskets last year at a 48.7% clip. He was a NJCAA First-Team All-American and may play both at the two and at point.

Two additional players to keep an eye on are Bubu Palo and Tavon Sledge. Palo played all 32 games last year and proved capable of playing the point position. Sledge is the one with the most potential. He’s incredibly fast and was ranked as the 3rd best participant in New York City following averaging 25.3 points and 5.2 assists in his senior year.

Frontcourt

Mevlin Ejim and Jordan Railey each should see time as returning letterman while Royce White, Anthony Booker, and Percy Gibson will all make an impact as newcomers.

Ejim experienced a really productive freshman season last season for the Cyclones. The Canadian put up 10.3 points and 6.7 rebounds for every game. He was only the 12th freshman in school history to record double figures. Despite his quality production, Hoiberg thinks Ejim will probably be even much better this season. Ejim is more of a small forward, but was forced to move down low last year thanks to the team’s lack of depth.

Royce White was an extremely highly touted recruit two seasons ago, but didn’t perform a game for the Minnesota Golden Gophers and then he sat out last season immediately after transferring to Iowa State. White is sturdy and can be an superb passer. He’ll be beginning at power forward and may very well be the star of this team.

Percy Gibson was one of the top big guys in Michigan last year, averaging 21.2 points and 12 boards every game. Booker was a top-50 player coming out of high school, but only averaged 6.4 points and 4.1 rebounds when he was a freshman for Southern Illinois.
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Colorado is +2000 to win the league this season. That translates to a $100 wager would win you $2,000 if this were to come true. I certainly think it’s a longshot, but viewing they return more offense than any other school in the Big 12 it’s not out of the question. Check out these college basketball lines for futures betting at BetUS. This reliable book will give you up to a $500 bonus on your initial deposit simply by signing up for a new account and depositing $500 or more.

Trust in Jack Jones to take make you a ton of money this year. Jack is on a 37-23 (62%) Run with his NCAA basketball picks dating back to last year.

Frontcourt:

The team had a -7.5 rebounding margin last year, and it was even worse in Big 12 games at -11.4. A big reason was the play of first-year center Shane Harris-Tunks, as well as sophomore forward Austin Dufault playing out of position. An extra year for each should bring improvement in this area. Boyle was able to bring in 7-foot freshman Ben Mills last May who should play instantly as long as he can hold his own inside. Senior Marcus Relphorde contributed 11.0 PPG and 4.1 RPG last season, but he is recognized for his penetrating offensive skills more than his defense. Junior Trey Eckloff will be one of the guys coming off the bench after not finding much action last season. Burks led the Buffs in rebounding at 5.0 RPG, and when a backcourt player is leading the team in rebounding there’s clearly a problem. Colorado will certainly return to square one as Boyle teaches rebounding and defense with a lot more frequency than Bzdelik.

Backcourt:

Burks ended up seventh in the Big 12 in points at 17.1 PPG and led the league in shooting percentage at 53.8 percent. He could not have had a better freshman season, but for him to reach his full ability he needs to get stronger. Boyle struck gold when he got Burks to stick around instead of entering the NBA Draft, telling him how his passing offense would help Burks in the future. Higgins was fourth in the Big 12 in scoring at 18.9 PPG and finished second behind Burks in field goal percentage at 50.5 percent. It’s hard to consider how Colorado could have a losing season with two solid players like Burks and Higgins on the outside who were able to knock down more than 50% of their shots even though opposing teams game-planned around preventing them from doing so. The wild card is freshman point guard Shannon Sharpe, who had to redshirt last year after hurting his knee in the preseason and undergoing microfracture surgery. He’ll battle it out with junior Nate Tomlinson, who started 21 times last year at point guard despite being inconsistent.

Jack’s Pick: 6th Place in the Big 12 – There hasn’t been much excitement around Colorado basketball in recent years, but there is promise of a breakout in 2010-11. Boyle was able to get Higgins, Burks and Relphorde and their huge offensive contributions to come back, and that’s a victory within itself. He has plenty of talent to geniunely make a run at a league title, but must get this team to rebound and defend. Colorado posted 74.6 PPG last season and can score with anyone, but a lack of depth and a wonder about how seriously these returning players want to buy in on the defensive end makes it hard for me to pick Colorado to end up any higher than 6th in the standings. I do see the Buffaloes sneaking into the NCAA Tournament with an at-large bid, reaching the Big Dance for the first time since 2003.

The Cowboys are +1500 to win the league this season. You can find these college basketball odds over at BetUS where our readers can earn up to a $500 bonus on their initial deposits. All you have to do to claim this bonus is sign up for a new account and deposit $500 or more.

Jack Jones is here to help you build your bankroll this season with his college basketball picks. Jack is among nearly 80 experts who specialize in beating the spreads each day, and he is on a 37-23 (62%) CBB run as of this article.

Frontcourt:

Matt Pilgrim ultimately came around at the end of last season after transferring from Kentucky, putting up 10.9 PPG and 8.0 RPG over his final 12 games. He is a outstanding athlete who can run the court and is the perfect forward in Ford’s system. Senior Marshall Moses must be much better on and off the court after a disappointing junior season. Junior college transfer Darrell Williams is a 6’8” 250-pounder who does a good job of clogging up the middle. J.P. Olukemi joined the program last January and competed against James Anderson every day while redshirting. He is more of a penetrating forward who raised eyebrows while learning from one of the tops in the nation. Forward Roger Franklin and center Jarred Shaw gained valuable experience while playing as true freshman last season. 6’8” freshman Michael Cobbins has the worth ethic and skills to be a future solid for Oky State, but must bulk up if he’s going to be able to handle the grind of a brutal Big 12 schedule.

Backcourt:

Point guard Ray Penn was hurt last February with a knee injury, but is expected to be at 100% this year. Ford thinks he will be the catalyst of this offense, running the fast-break. Freshman Markel Brown led Peabody Magnet High to the Louisiana Class-4A Championship by putting up 32 points en route to leading his team to an unbeaten 41-0 record. He is versatile and can fill in either the 2 or the 3, and should be the ideal player to help fill the holes left by Anderson and Muonelo. Keiton Page had to play the one when Penn got hurt, but should be able to get back to his more comfortable role of knocking down the 3-pointer. Senior Nick Didorakis has been named a captain due to his all out hustle on both sides of the floor, and his smarts. Fred Gulley, Reger Dowell and freshman Brian Williams will likely be role players.

Jack’s Pick: 7th Place in the Big 12 – Just like most coaches in their third year on a new team, Ford has his players in position. He has a more athletic and versatile squad to run the up-tempo style he covets. The conference is certainly up for grabs this season, and even with the departures of Anderson and Muonelo the Cowboys have enough ability to make some noise. A third consecutive NCAA Tournament berth is likely, especially if Penn can stay healthy and Brown can live up to the hype.

You will find Texas at +300 to win the Big 12 this year. In my mind, there isn’t much value in them winning the league title. This has the looks of a reloading year for Texas. BetUS has these NCAA basketball spreads posted, so if you want to wager on which team will win the conference then sign up for a new account with them. Deposit $500 or more and they’ll reward you with $500 free money to get you started.

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Frontcourt:

The Longhorns may go small this year, with two bigs and three guards on the court most of the time. Gary Johnson figures to be their top player inside after averaging 9.4 PPG and 5.6 RPG last season. He’ll be joined by five-star recruit Tristan Thompson, who was Cory Joseph’s teammate at Findlay Prep in Nevada. But Texas will have to replace their leading scorer in Damion James, who also ended up as the Big 12’s all-time leading rebounder. Dexter Pittman will also be missed after being taken No. 32 overall by the Miami Heat. The Longhorns do have some experience that will provide depth in the frontcourt. It will come from seniors Matt Hill and Clint Chapman along with junior Alexis Wangmene.

Backcourt:

Guard play will probably determine how Texas fares this season. Cory Joseph must gel with offensive-minded shooting guards in J’Covan Brown and Jordan Hamilton. Brown averaged 9.6 PPG last year but shot just 35.4 percent from the floor, while Hamilton is the team’s leading returning scorer at 10.0 PPG. Barnes is very big on both players with what they’ve done in the offseason to improve their games beginning their sophomore seasons. Ward and Balbay are both healing from injuries that required surgery, and each is able to provide leadership and defensive toughness, two traits that are very key to Texas’ success this season. Hamilton, Brown and Joseph figure to be the team’s primary point producers, and Texas could get some scoring from Shawn Williams as well. He is returning from an ankle injury that forced him to miss the remainder of the season just seven games into their 2010-11 season. At 6’6”, he can get a shot whenever he wants and could be a great 3-point shooter.

Jack’s Prediction: 5th Place in the Big 12 – Barnes said last season was the worst coaching job of his career. He had a team full of offensive talent, but advocated defense and rebounding so much at the end of the season that his team could lost their rhythm on the other end. He will always teach defense and rebounding first, but this year he must find a way to replace three of their top four scorers from a year ago. If Joseph can master the ball screen offense that Barnes likes to employ, then it could be a great season in Texas after back-to-back middle-of-the-pack finishes in the Big 12.

BetUS has marked Missouri at +600 to win the conference this year. I believe this is the best value bet among college basketball spreads in terms of futures wagering for this conference. Missouri is certainly a sleeper, and will be a force this year just two years after they reached the Elite Eight. This sportsbook will give you $500 free cash by signing up for a new account and depositing $500 or more.

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Frontcourt:

Justin Safford returns from a torn anterior cruciate ligament for his senior year, making him the only senior on the Tiger roster. Junior Laurence Bowers is healthy after offseason wrist surgery, and hopes to continue his stellar play within the conference where he led the team in rebounds and blocked shots last year. The signings of Ricardo Ratliffe and Tony Mitchell has Columbia humming. Ratliffe was the country’s top junior college players last season, averaging 27.4 points and 11.3 boards for Central Florida Community College. As good as Ratliffe will likely be, Mitchell has the potential to be even better. He was a top-15 recruit with NBA talent who, if he can keep his grades up, will probably be a big addition for Missouri. Providing depth on the inside is junior Steve Moore along with sophomore John Underwood.

Backcourt:

No question the Tigers will miss the services of J.T. Tilller and Zaire Taylor, two team leaders who were able to lock down opponents on defense. But there are still a lot of talented guys on the roster, as junior Kim English is the team’s top returning point producer at 14.0 PPG. Junior Marcus Denmon put up 10.4 PPG and shot 40.7% from behind the line a year ago. English must improve his shooting after netting just 34.6 percent of his attempts, and he also needs to protect the basketball after committing a team-high 71 turnovers. Sophomore Michael Dixon will probably get the first opportunity to run the point, especially with his quickness and ball-handling skills. If he can make more of his jump shots, the sky is the limit for Dixon. Phil and Matt Pressey are two brothers and two new faces the Tigers are depending on right away. Both are sons of former NBA player Paul Pressley, who was Anderson’s college roommate. Phil is a freshman who is one of the top recruits at the one, while Matt is a junior college All-American. Look for freshman Ricky Kreklow to possibly find some playing time as well due to his excellent shot.

Jack’s Prediction: 4th Place in the Big 12 – Anderson coaches a fast paced brand of basketball, and he has the depth this season to run his scheme to perfection. Kansas, Kansas State and Baylor are the preseason favorites to contend for the Big 12 title, but if Anderson can get his new players to buy into his defensive philosophy, then Missouri will be competing for that championship themselves. The Tigers have never reached the Final Four, and they don’t just want to make it to the NCAA Tournament for a third consecutive season. Anderson stuck around because he knows the talent this team has and their upside, which makes the Tigers a clear sleeper in both the Big 12 and on a national level.

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Frontcourt:

Junior forward David Loubeau has made big strides in his first two seasons on campus. He showed potential in his first year, and really learned a nice back-to-the-basket game as a sophomore. If the Aggies can earn a sixth consecutive showing in the NCAA Tournament, Loubeau will be one of the biggest reasons as he’s relied upon to carry the bulk of the scoring load. Sophomore Ray Turner needs to make some improvements, and with his athleticism it’s a likely possibility. Turner’s power to play above the rim gives him the potential to be one of the best rebounders and shot-blockers in the league. If the Aggies are to be so strong inside again this season, they’ll need contributions from three true freshman in Kourtney Roberson, Keith Davis and Daniel Alexander.

Backcourt:

Because Texas A&M is lacking depth in the frontcourt, they’ll likely go to small ball lineups lineups while playing a faster tempo. The Aggies have the tools to run this type of style, particularly with point guard Dash Harris running the show. He dished out a team-high 109 dimes last year, and if he can shoot better than his 37.4 mark from a year ago, he’ll keep opposing defenders honest. B.J. Holmes is the team’s top scorer back at 9.3 PPG, and he’s a sharp shooter who shot 36.6 percent from behind the 3-point line last season. Developing senior Nathan Walkup along with sophomores Khris Middleton and Naji Hibbert will be key to the Aggies year as well. Middleton has the athletic ability and length that has many comparing him to former Aggie great Josh Carter. Walkup has hit big outside shots in the past, but he slumped last year making just 26.5 percent from 3-point range.

Jack’s Pick: 8th Place in the Big 12 – If the sophomores on this roster can develop, Texas A&M will shock some people again in 2010-11. But I believe there are too many gaps to fill, and too many doubts surrounding the players coming back for Texas A&M to make a sixth consecutive trip to the Big Dance. An NIT appearance is most likely, but as Turgeon has shown in year’s past you can never count his teams out.

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Frontcourt:

Udoh set a Big 12 single-season mark for blocked shots last year, so clearly that’s not going to be something the Bears can look to replace. The 6’10” Perry Jones will not be the same rim protector that Udoh was, but he can make up for it with his power to score around the hoop. Many think he will even be Baylor’s top offensive choice this year. Almost every recruiting service had Jones as a Top 10 player, and he is anticipated to be a 2011 NBA lottery pick. The Bears have never had a one-and-done player, but Jones is likely to be the first. The loss of 7-footer Josh Lomers could be getting overlooked here. He stepped his game up at the end of last year. Still, there is some size here with the 6’10″ Anthony Jones coming back at small forward. Jones put up 6.2 PPG and 4.8 RPG as a strong contributor last season, while junior Quincy Acy put up 9.3 PPG as a sophomore last season. Acy was the team’s sixth man and obviously their most athletic player, throwing down 10 dunks Texas last year.

Backcourt:

Drew believes that LaceDarius Dunn is one of the most under-appreciated players in the nation after averaging 19.6 points and 4.8 rebounds a year ago. He thinks that Dunn will be able to score at will, but hopes he can improve on his ball-handling and distributing skills this year. Though Udoh will be missed on defense, no player will be missed more than Tweety Carter. The senior point guard was the heart and soul of this squad, and his vocal leadership cannot be replaced. Taking over for Carter will either be sophomore A.J. Walton or freshman Stargell Love. Walton averaged 3.8 points in 17.6 minutes per contest last year, while Love is a nice young talent.

Jack’s Prediction: 3rd Place in the conference – The Bears tied for second in the conference last season and gave eventual champion Duke all they could want in the Elite Eight. It’s hard for me to see them having that same kind of season with the players they lose, especially Carter and Udoh. Still, the Bears can contend with anyone in the country with a frontcourt of Acy, Anthony Jones and Perry Jones along with Dunn at shooting guard. I question this team’s depth and their ability to find a point guard who can lead this team with the ball in their hands, and that’s why I have them third in the Big 12.

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NCAA basketball picks are offered at Betfirms. Jack Jones looks forward to extending his 37-23 (62%) college basketball run to pick up right where he left off last year.

Frontcourt:

Twins Marcus and Markieff Morris return for their junior seasons, and though it will be difficult to take the place of Cole Aldrich, that pair gives the Jayhawks a strong foundation in the paint. Aldrich was chosen 11th overall in the 2010 NBA Draft, and his rim protection will be missed. But Marcus put up 12.8 PPG and 6.1 RPG last season while Markieff put up 6.8 PPG and 5.3 RPG and each will likely up those averages this year. Marcus really upped his play within the conference, averaging 14.2 PPG and 7.3 RPG in league play. Sophomore Thomas Robinson and Jeff Withey supply strong depth off the bench. Although Withey is no Aldrich, he’s a 7-foot presence inside and could be one of the league’s top shot-blockers if he can earn the minutes.

Backcourt:

Sherron Collins’ leadership will be tough to replace after being a part of a school-record 130 victories in his four years as a Jayhawk. There’s no question that leadership along with his toughness in crucial-game situations cannot be replaced. Selby is in reality better than Collins when you look at athleticism and overall talent. He is Self’s top-rated recruit ever, and was listed among the Top-5 prospects for this freshman class by almost every service. Taylor will give Selby some service in the backcourt, providing the experience. But Taylor must overcome some of the problems he had on and off the floor last year. Brady Morningstar and Tyrel Reed give this team some senior leadership off the bench it desperately needs. After redshirting last year, senior Mario Little will supplant Xavier Henry as the starting small forward. Little was the 2008 Junior College Player of the Year, so he has proven he can get it done. Self believes this team will be much more athletic than last season’s squad, but it will need to find that leadership that cannot be learned if they are going to make the most out of this talent.

Jack’s Prediction: 1st Place in the Big 12 – Though Aldrich, Collins and Henry have all left, there is still plenty of leadership and depth on the Jayhawks to win the conference once more. The Morris Twins along with Morningstar and Reed provide the veteran leadership, while getting Selby and Little offer the athleticism and talent to replace what has been lost. Few schools in the country have a better home-court advantage than the one Kansas enjoys, and no squad in the conference can equal the talent level of the Jayhawks. I trust in Self to put it all together as he’s shown he can do, and if Selby can live up to the hype this team will contend for a national championship.