TSR 11/18/19 CBB Picks

Big Takeaways from Sunday

1- UCONN gets a much needed big win. The Huskies are not back no, but Sunday was a big win for Danny Hurley. After getting embarrassed on their own home floor against St. Joe's, a victory at home over a top 15 Florida team gave the team plenty of confidence. This should give the team some positive momentum as they head over to the Charleston Classic. More importantly, the Gampel Pavilion was rocking on Sunday.

2-Marquette relies too much on Markus Howard. Just a few days after discussing how Koby McEwen could be the second option that takes the Golden Eagles to the next level, we saw today how this team still relies heavily on their #1 guy. Howard struggled in the second half as the game got away from Marquette. Wisconsin defeated Marquette 77-61 in the rivalry game.

3-Panic in Winston Salem. Wake Forest lost their second game of the season, as they fell in overtime to Charlotte. Save for 2017, the five year tenure at Wake Forest for Danny Manning has been bad (67-95 overall record, 48-79 outside of the 2017 NCAA Tournament season). The miracles that he will need to turn this program around will far exceed his 1988 NCAA Championship run.

NCAA RANKINGS

Before you proceed to read the rest of our picks, take a look at our Great Eights. The trio of rankings that will be released each Monday have split the NCAA into three tiers. The "Large 8" ranks teams that are in the Power 6 Conferences (ACC, B1G, B12, Big East, P12, SEC). The "Middle 8" ranks teams from the next six largest conferences (AAC, A10, CUSA, MWC, MVC, WCC). The "Little 8" ranks teams from the remaining conferences. Check out the Great Eights page to see our complete rankings.

Yesterday's Pick Results (Season Pick Standings can be found here)

Sam 6-4 Zach 6-4 (upset pick of VMI defeated UC Davis) Nick 5-5 Our predictions for Monday's Games:

Game 1: Charleston Southern at Michigan State (6:30, BTN)

Nick: Michigan State--The Spartans should have no trouble in this game, as the Bucs have struggled in their three games against Division I opponents. With a trip to Maui one week away, the Spartans should be able to get some of their role players more minutes in this tune-up. One intriguing player to watch will be Marcus Bingham, who appears to have been passed in the rotation by Malik Hall. Can he prove to Izzo that he deserves more minutes?

Sam: Much like Nick said, I really don’t expect the Spartans to have much trouble in this one. The biggest thing about this game should be getting out to a big lead early so you avoid injuries right before you head out to a big three game test in Maui.

Zach: Michigan State--Real question should be: Do we cover? 33 points is a lot...but they do.

Game 2: SMU at Evansville (7:00, ESPN+)

Nick: SMU--The Aces got one of the biggest regular season wins in their program’s history last week against Kentucky. The SMU Mustangs are poised to get this victory however, as I believe that Isaiah Mike (20.0 PPG) could be the team’s leading scorer for the third straight night.

Sam: SMU 

Zach: SMU- I get that Evansville beat UK, but no way should they be the favorite in this game.

Game 3: William & Mary at Oklahoma (7:00)

Nick: Oklahoma

Sam: Oklahoma

Zach: Oklahoma 

Game 4: App State at UNC-Greensboro (7:00, ESPN+)

Nick: G--The Spartans gave Kansas a run for their money before bowing out 74-62. Their defense has been strong this season, holding three opponents to 51 or fewer points this season, albeit against lesser competition.

Sam: G--James Dickey is one of the better unknown players in the country.

Zach: G- I'm still not a fan of G, but they’ll win this game.

Game 5: Monmouth at Pittsburgh (7:00, ACCN)

Nick: Pitt--The Panthers already lost to one small conference foe (Nicholls), but it won’t happen again.

Sam: Pitt-- I would like to take this space to say I still think Monmouth not making the 2016 NCAA tournament was the biggest travesty ever. They beat Notre Dame, UCLA, USC, and Georgetown all away from home.

Zach: Pitt- I have a Pitt basketball shirt..

Game 6: Hawaii at Illinois (8:00, ESPNU)

Nick: Illinois--Typically, teams struggle when they go to Hawaii to face the Warriors. This time, Hawaii travels across the world to the tropical paradise that is Champaign, Illinois. 

Sam: Illinois

Zach: Illinois- An overlooked team in the loaded Big Ten this year, Illinois gets the job done at home.

Game 7: Wofford at Missouri (8:00, SEC)

Nick: Missouri--Jeremiah Tilmon was a highly rated recruit, a consensus top 50 player. He took substantial growth from his sophomore year, and he is off to a hot start in his junior campaign.

Sam: Missouri

Zach:Missouri

Game 8: Stetson at Ohio State (8:30, BTN)

Nick: Ohio State

Sam: Ohio State

Zach: Ohio State

Game 9: UC Irvine at Colorado (9:00, PAC12)

Nick: Colorado

Sam: Colorado

Zach: Colorado- Buffs win in a close one.

Game 10: Air Force at TCU (9:00)

Nick: TCU

Sam: TCU

Zach: TCU

Upset Pick (not in games above): 

Nick: Prairie View A&M over California--This schedule is pretty weak. Looks like our best chance for an upset will go with Cal, who has issues of their own.

Sam: Southern Utah over UCLA--SUU has already knocked off Nebraska, why not more?

Zach: Longwood over NIU- The Lancers are 4-1, they get their 5th win against the Huskies.