TSR 12/9/19 CBB Picks

Takeaways
1-UNC may have an offensive problem. The Tar Heels scored 47 points on Sunday against Virginia, their second straight game with less than 50 points. Armando Bacon's absence appears to be a large looming issue for UNC, although it could also be a blip in the radar by playing two of the country's best teams. We will find out in the next two weeks when they take on Wofford, Gonzaga and UCLA.

2-Dayton is phenomenal. The Flyers added another resume boosting win on Sunday when they beat Saint Mary's by ten. Jalen Crutcher was the leading scorer in this one with 21 points, and the 7-1 Flyers already are on the fast track to an at-large bid, with another key opportunity against Colorado on the 21st.

3-Sam may have been right about DePaul after all--The Blue Demons were coming off their biggest win in a decade when they defeated Texas Tech to move to 9-0. Then, Buffalo came into town and ruined the whole thing. Behind 21 points from Jayvon Graves, and 18 forced turnovers, Buffalo gave DePaul their first loss of 2019. The question now looms large once again, is DePaul legit? We have a split panel amongst the three of us...

4-Liberty remains undefeated. The Flames are 11-0 now on the year after beating Grand Canyon 70-61. With games on the road against Vanderbilt and LSU this month, they have some roadblocks in their path, so there will be some difficulty for them to run the table.

Great Eight Rankings
The latest edition of the Great Eight Rankings are out. We have a brand new number one in two of the three polls, check it out.

Yesterday's Pick Results (Season Pick Standings can be found here)
Sam 9-1 (upset pick of Buffalo (+9) also beat DePaul)
Nick 8-2 (upset pick of W&M (+1.5) also beat Fairfield)
Zach 8-2

OUR PICKS FOR MONDAY’S GAMES

We have picked all four of Monday's games, as it is a light slate of basketball.

Game 1: Columbia at Duquesne (7:00, ESPN+)

Nick: Duquesne--The Dukes remain undefeated with another solid performance against the Lions. Will they outlast Liberty and others to be the final undefeated team in college hoops?

Sam:  Duquesne

Zach: Duquesne

Game 2: Rust at Alcorn State (7:00)

Nick: Alcorn State--Always love a Monday night where Alcorn State faces an NAIA team that is coming off a victory against Crowley's Ridge. Look for the Braves to get their third win of the season against non-D1 teams, having already defeated Paul Quinn and Our Lady of the Lake (both NAIA teams as well).

Sam:  Alcorn State

Zach: Alcorn State

Game 3: Alabama State at South Dakota (8:00)

Nick: South Dakota

Sam:  South Dakota

Zach: South Dakota 

Game 4: Minnesota at Iowa (8:00, BTN)

Nick: Iowa--The Gophers keep this one close, but Iowa's shooters will be hotter on Monday night than they were against Michigan, and that will carry that to victory

Sam:  Iowa-- Does Luka Garza eclipse his 44 points against Michigan? Probably not.

Zach: Iowa